Issue 14 Harbinger 2021

the harbinger.

SHAWNEE MISSION EAST 7500 MISSION ROAD PRAIRIE VILL AGE, KS 66208 APRIL 26, 2021 VOLUME LXIII ISSUE 14

SEEKING SECURITY Female students share their unreported incidents of harassment and discomfort when out in public alone in the Kansas City area to bring awareness to safety concerns

18 06

A LOOK

INSIDE A guide for where to get vaccinated in the Kansas City Area

NEWS

FEATURES Junior Evelyn Roth has found confidence through helping riders with special needs

“I don’t know why, but the amount of joy so many of these kids feel when they see a horse, or they’re on a horse — they just become so hyped, and it brings me so much joy.” evelyn roth | junior

29 SPORTS

How a decrease in players is effecting the softball team

02 | INSIDE COVER

THE HARBINGER | APRIL 26, 2021

ONLINE

STAF F L IST

PREVIEW

@smeharbinger

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Congratulations to the National Journalist of the Year, Riley Atkinson!

STO RIE S GODSPELL REWIND

MORE BEHIND THE MELODIES

Scan to read Liv Olson’s coverage of Godspell: SME theatre put on their first in-person on-stage performance of the year

GA L L E RY LANCER DANCER SPRING SHOW Scan to view Lily Mantel’s gallery of the Lancer Dancers’ annual Spring Show performance

CA RTO O N

cover design by sydney newton cover photo by julia percy

Scan to read how East students have used music to inspire themselves throughout COVID-19

VIDEO ADVICE TO THE CL ASS OF 2021 Scan to watch Marian Bryant’s video on East alum giving advice to the graduating class of 2021

PRINT EDITORS Catherine Erickson Rose Kanaley ONLINE EDITORS Riley Atkinson Lauren West ASST. PRINT EDITORS Celia Condon Annabelle Moore Sydney Newton ASST. ONLINE EDITORS Sophie Henschel Campbell Wood HEAD COPY EDITORS Phoebe Hendon Allison Wilcox PHOTO EDITORS Sarah Golder Trevor Paulus Julia Percy ASST. PHOTO EDITORS Noelle Griffin Elise Madden Megan Stopperan MOBILE MEDIA PHOTO EDITOR Megan Biles VIDEO EDITOR Lawder DeSantis Sydney Williams VIDEO TRAINING EDITOR Roberto Galicia BROADCAST EDITORS Megan Stopperan ASST. BROADCAST EDITOR Liv Olson Natalie Scholz PHOTO MENTORS Taylor Keal Megan Biles Annakate Dilks MJ Wolf Emma Kate Squires STAFF WRITERS Sophie Lindberg Madeline Funkey Elizabeth Mikkelson Lauren Dierks Cesca Stamati Lily Billingsley Caroline Gould Peyton Moore Mia Vogel Lyda Cosgrove Kelly Murphy Anna Mitchell Grace Allen Kate Heitmann Caroline Wood Ethan Enderle Ben Bradley Paige Zadoo Tommy Paulus Emma Brown Nora Lynn Greyson Imm August Hyde Christian Gooley Liv Olson Winnie Wolf

COPY EDITORS Catherine Erickson Rose Kanaley Lauren West Riley Atkinson Phoebe Hendon Allison Wilcox Celia Condon Annabelle Moore Sydney Newton Sophie Henschel Campbell Wood Winnie Wolf Kelly Murphy Caroline Wood Lyda Cosgrove Kate Heitmann Caroline Gould Lily Billingsley EDITORIAL BOARD Catherine Erickson Rose Kanaley Lauren West Riley Atkinson Phoebe Hendon Allison Wilcox Celia Condon Annabelle Moore Sydney Newton Sophie Henschel Campbell Wood Lily Billingsley Lauren Dierks SECTION EDITORS EDITORIAL PRINT Lauren Dierks NEWS PRINT Caroline Wood ONLINE Lyda Cosgrove OPINION PRINT Lily Billingsley ONLINE Grace Allen FEATURE PRINT Peyton Moore ONLINE Caroline Gould A&E PRINT Tommy Paulus ONLINE Kate Heitmann SPORTS PRINT Cesca Stamati ONLINE Anna Mitchell DESIGNER EDITORS Tommy Paulus Elizabeth Mikkelson PAGE DESIGNERS Annakate Dilks Maggie Merckens Cesca Stamati Lily Billingsley Caroline Gould Peyton Moore Mia Vogel Lyda Cosgrove

Anna Mitchell Madeline Funkey Grace Allen Kate Heitmann Caroline Wood Nora Lynn Sophie Lindberg August Hyde Christian Gooley ART EDITOR Celia Condon ASS. ART EDITOR Sophie Henschel Natalie Scholz STAFF ARTISTS Sophie Lindberg Lauren Dierks Nora Lynn Christian Gooley STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS Ella Hans Emily Pollock Hadley Chapman Jill Rice Lily Mantel Maggie Merckens Molly Schumm Rachel Bingham Sabrina Dean Tristen Porter Macy Crosser Maggie Klumpp Charlotte Emley Kate Beaulieu Amina Sankpill VIDEO STAFF Lawder DeSantis Sydney Williams Liv Olson Roberto Galicia Marin Bryant SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR Annabelle Moore ASST. SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR Sophie Henschel Celia Condon Liv Olson SOCIAL MEDIA STAFF Lauren Dierks Mia Vogel Kelly Murphy Grace Allen Ethan Enderle Paige Zadoo Lauren West Riley Atkinson Rose Kanaley Lyda Cosgrove Maggie Merckens Nora Lynn Sophie Lindberg Madeline Funkey ADS MANAGER Caroline Wood CIRCULATION MANAGER Lyda Cosgrove COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER Anna Mitchell CONTEST COORDINATOR Celia Condon

THE HARBINGER | APRIL 26, 2021

design by lauren dierks illustration by natalie scholtz

EDITORIAL | 03

U NS U I TAB LE F OR SCH O O LIN G

Y

East should return to the previous schedule with less block days to maximize learning

ou’re sitting in your AP Stats class, glancing at the clock between every problem. It’s only three minutes closer to 12:40 than the last time you checked. You’re tapping your pencil against your notes packet, anxious to finally be released for fifth lunch after the nearly two-hour-long class period.

With the new in-person schedule, every class Monday through Thursday is an hour and a half long, with an additional 15 minutes during third and seventh hour.

Teachers rarely spend more than half of that time teaching new material, leaving students with 30 to 45 minutes each day to complete busy work or scroll through Instagram and TikTok — students’ phones shouldn’t be at 5% by the end of the day.

The current schedule — consisting of four block days and one seven-period day — isn’t effective for learning. We should return to our previous schedule of three 7-period, 50-minute days and two block days next year, opposed to the heightened block schedule currently in place. This would allow students to focus and use their in-person class time

F O R : 5 AGA I N ST: 7 The members of the editorial board who agree with the viewpoint of the editorial are represented by for, and those who disagree with the viewpoint are represented by against.

more effectively.

Sure, having a longer class period allows teachers to teach more material and ensure they’ve covered all the course topics before finals and AP tests. However, sitting through two AP Gov lectures packed into one class period makes our backs ache from sitting and trying to listen for so long. Teaching the lectures separately would break up the class to make the new material more manageable and less overwhelming for students.

A 50-minute class period is just the right amount of time for a class — teachers are able to teach a full lesson and students can stay focused.

When students are sitting in a chair and listening to instruction, their attention span is on average about 10 minutes, according to a study by Tenney School. With this attention span, during a 90-minute lecture about quote integration and essay writing, East students are likely zoned out for almost 90% of the lesson.

Straying away from the four-day block schedule would help students with short attention spans be more engaged in their

classes. With the current setup, students are attending each class every other day and being thrown an overwhelming amount of course material to make up for the days they aren’t in class. An alternative schedule would allow for students to more frequently attend each class, while learning a manageable amount of content.

Consistently meeting in classes will not only help students better understand what they’re learning, but also retain it.

When teachers lecture for over an hour about Spanish conjugations, students rarely pay attention and never fully remember what they’ve learned when completing the homework that night. By spreading out the lessons across more days, students wouldn’t be as concerned with memorizing information because they’d have a longer period of time to retain what they’ve learned.

While some teachers spend classes cramming as much material into our heads as possible, others can’t seem to fill the time.

Whether it be answering a “question of the day” or going on walks outside, it’s clear that teachers are having trouble keeping their

students occupied for a full class period. With a shortened schedule, teachers are quick to dive right into their Chemistry lesson plan and maximize the 50-minute class time.

It’s nearly impossible for teachers to prepare a class that will perfectly occupy a 90-minute period, which leads to an excess of free time where students aren’t learning.

Additionally, since teachers see their students only three days a week, many have been forced to give tests on Mondays because they can’t wait all the way until Wednesday.

While the idea of a block schedule seems perfect — students don’t have to go to as many classes and teachers can teach more material without interruptions — the schedule ends up hurting both students and teachers in the long run.

When weighing the pros and cons of the current schedule — only having three to four classes, but having to attend each of those for an hour and a half — the answer should be clear. It’s worth it to have seven classes a day, especially if it means not having to listen to three consecutive lectures about Civil Liberties.

E D I TO R I A L PO LI CY 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 content and opinions 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 quotes material may be confirmed with the 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 thought letters may be edited for clarity, length or mechanics. Letters should be sent to room 413B or emailed to smeharbinger@gmail.com.

04 | NEWS

THE HARBINGER | APRIL 26, 2021

NEWS

by kate heitmann

HIGHLIGHTS Catch up on school, local and national news

NEW HOLIDAYS

april

On April 12th, Fairway Mayor Melanie Hepperly declared a proclamation for these dates

17 22 Earth Day 30 Arbor Day

Princess Day in Fairway

Scan here to see the bill’s full information and documents

Local legislature speaks on four bills currently in state House and Senate

About five trans athletes in KS It feels to me that these types of bills are kind of a last gasp of a last cultural war against our LGBTQ community...I think our younger generations are wildly supportive and accepting of LGBTQ rights. And this kind of just seems like the last gasp. I mean, when you’re going after trans teens you’re really reaching to just fight a cultural war.

THIS YEAR’S SHARE Senior Service Day consisted of a vote that ended on April 21 for one of four different charities, with Avenue of Life receiving the most votes and a monetary donation of $4,500, plus donations.

In years past, seniors would spend a day volunteering at various non-profit organizations to bond as a class and support the community while the juniors took the ACT. This year, due to COVID-19 protocols and safety measures, the traditional service day is not viable. SHARE considered organizing smaller or outdoor projects, but ultimately decided against

AVENUE OF LIFE Breaking the cycle of poverty through community development

I’M JUST A BILL

SENATE Creating the fairness in women’s sports act to require that female student athletic teams only include members who are biologically female STATUS | presented to Gov. Laura Kelly COMMITTEE | Education

ALTERNATIVE SENIOR SERVICE DAY holding an event.

“It’s the best plan because we’re able to make an impact without putting anyone’s health at risk, and the seniors still have a choice of where they want to help, like usual years,” senior and SHARE Exec Ellie Peters said.

Despite the revised format of the day, seniors will still receive a T-shirt.

“It’s funny because in past years, they say, ‘Senior Service Day,’ but this [year], we’re not even having a day, we’re just having an occasion or an event,” Peters said. “So I’m excited to see the shirts because one of the other execs is designing [them].”

ORGANIZATION OPTIONS

*information from fairwaykansas.org

SB 55

design by caroline wood

SB 291 SENATE Increasing the minimum wage by $1 per year to $15 an hour by 2027 STATUS | introduced COMMITTEE | Ways and Means Minimum wage was last changed in 2008

I think it’s actually quite a big boom to our economy to be able to raise the minimum wage, and then have these people earning more and spending more and stimulating other parts of the economy.

AMETHYST PLACE Substance abuse recovery, support and residence for low income women and children

KC PET PROJECT Places homeless pets for adoption and provides education on caring for pets

MCKINNEYVENTO HOMELESS SERVICE Provides support services for the homeless population

Rui Xu // democrat Kansas House Representative • Representative for the 25th District • House Minority Policy Chair • Elected in 2019

HB 2439

HB 2058

HOUSE Creating the crime of unauthorized disclosure of a child’s sexual orientation or gender identity STATUS | introduced COMMITTEE | Federal and State Affairs

HOUSE Allowing reciprocity to recognize out-of-state licenses to carry a concealed handgun STATUS | presented to Gov. COMMITTEE | Federal and State Affairs

Excludes those of immediate family or those under 18 Results in either a misdemeanor or a felon If you guys are wanting to talk about potentially verifying the gender of somebody who wants to compete in high school sports, then we also need to make it a crime that you can’t out them.

KS Conceal and Carry Age is 21 18 to 20 year olds commit gun homicides at a rate nearly four times higher than adults 21 and older.

This bill and especially SB 55, the trans bill, there are certain people that support this idea, but it’s not like it makes their lives a lot better if it passes you know? It makes nobody’s lives better if it passes. I just think the priorities are in the wrong place.

*quotes from rui xu and information from kslegislature.org

design by lily billingsley

NEWS | 05

THE HARBINGER | APRIL 26, 2021

COMMITTED

THE PRIORITIES

The top three priorities from The Diversity Task Force List of Priorities

1 2 3

Affordable/attainable housing as a top city priority Require diversity and implicit bias training for city employees and offer it to the community as a whole Issue a resolution ...acknowledging (and possibly apologizing) for the past discriminatory practices that have occurred in Prairie Village

CONTACT INFO How to reach the committee chairs

TO DIVERSITY

A B O V E | During the April 21 diversity committee meeting, Dr. George Williams shares details about the proposed Juneteenth poster competition and celebration that Stand Up for Black Lives plans to host this summer. Every member of the committee voted in favor of working with Stand Up for Black Lives for the event. photo from

T

SCAN ME | STORY Scan to read Kate Heitman’s orginal story on the diversity task force

INGA SELDERS (913) 648-5804

iselders@pvkansas.com

TUCKER POLING (785) 760-0686

tpoling@pvkansas.com

The Prairie Village diversity committee held their second meeting as a permanent body to discuss long-term plans for fostering diversity in the city

by catherine erickson

he Prairie Village Diversity Committee — a City Committee dedicated to developing recommendations for the City Council to attract residents not only of diverse races, but also nationalities, religions and sexualities to Prairie Village — held their second meeting April 21 where they discussed priorities, including implicit bias training for city employees, affordable housing and cultural events.

The Diversity Committee, formerly a temporary group known as the Diversity Task Force, was approved as a permanent City Committee by the City Council in January 2021. When Prairie Village mayor Eric Mikkelson first formed the task force, he instructed the group to compile a list of 28 priorities to present to the City Council.

Their top priority was to become a permanent committee, as members felt it would bring formality to the group and help streamline ideas to the City Council.

“There’s a structure in place for committees that allows us to access the resources of the city and gives a formalized relationship to the committee,” Diversity Committee Vice Chair Tucker Poling said. “So it’s not just a project, it’s an ongoing priority. It’s anti-racism, and inclusion is a process, not just a destination.

So, anytime you formalize and institutionalize something, I think it just raises the level of investment.”

Now that the group — a compilation of 12 community members of different races, religions, socioeconomic standings, gender identities and sexualities — is a permanent entity following the standard city committee schedule of meeting every other month, they are able to focus on long term goals.

After the first committee meeting in February, the group secured a $10,000 budget from the City Council and hopes to receive

an additional $10,000 specifically for implicit bias and diversity training. With this budget, the committee is researching professionals who would be available to deliver this training to City Council members, the planning commission and city staff. The goal of the training is to create a space for city employees to learn about the effects of their unconscious racial biases and address otherwise uncomfortable questions about how they contribute to systems of racism.

“It’s about making people aware of aspects of racism, aspects of white supremacy, that are not obvious — biases we don’t know we have, biases that don’t involve someone having hate in their heart or their mind,” Poling said.

“Also educating on experiences that people outside the dominant power structure have that you have no idea. As a white person, I’ve benefited a lot from hearing experiences from people of color that would have never crossed my mind. I’ve never walked into a mall or a public space and had to be conscious about who I am. It’s a privilege that I have psychologically taken for granted.”

Due to COVID-19 safety restrictions, the training will likely take place online.

However, Diversity Committee Staff Liaison Tim Schwartzkopf does not necessarily see this as a disadvantage. The online platform could help attendees feel less hesitant when asking uncomfortable questions about race, since they won’t be directly facing their colleagues.

In addition to bias training, the committee and City Council are exploring ways to introduce more affordable housing into the community. According to Poling, this housing could take the form of alternative structures, such as a room over the garage or smaller accommodation in the backyard, geared towards someone who lacks the resources

or abilities to purchase a house in Prairie Village. Larger structures like apartment high rises could also be built to give people of diverse socioeconomic standings, ages and races more living options.

In order to achieve these proposals, the committee and City Council would have to initiate changes to the strict zoning laws of Prairie Village, especially due to city restrictions against structures over two stories.

“Concerns [people have about building affordable housing] could be that property values are important, and there’s a standard in Prairie Village,” East parent and committee member Dr. George Williams said.

“But people who want good schools for their kids, I mean, that should be available for everybody. And that’s the reason why my wife and I moved into this neighborhood — we couldn’t afford private school, but we could afford a home where we could take advantage of the great school district, just like anybody else. And so keeping that available to people from all different groups [is important].”

These disparities in housing originated in the 1930s and 40s when redlining and racist deed restrictions banned people of color from purchasing homes in Prairie Village. The discriminatory language can still be found in the deeds today.

When the task force was first formed, they researched ways to expunge this language from the deeds. However, with language already added to the deeds condemning the racist covenants and prohibiting the enforcement of them, it was found that, legally, there was not much more action to take against the deeds, according to Mikkelson. Additionally, community members argued the language should not be removed, as they believe it could erase the past.

“Just going back in the records and pretending like it never existed is just not something we can do easily and many suggest we shouldn’t because, like any part of the past, it aides learning,” Mikkelson said. “We shouldn’t forget.”

Rather than using resources to expunge the racial covenants, the committee discussed placing plaques in parks and public spaces that educate about Prairie Village’s history with discrimination. At the April 21 meeting, committee member and Prairie Village resident David Magariel expressed that the committee should educate resident about how the city’s history led to it being so segregated before trying to change the makeup of the population.

To further educate city residents, the Diversity Committee voted to partner with Stand Up for Black Lives Prairie Village to host a Juneteenth awareness event. The event will focus on educating youth by involving elementary students in a poster-making competition to illustrate what freedom means to Black Americans. A celebration will be held on June 19 to showcase the posters, listen to a program of speakers and participate in sidewalk art and other familyfriendly activities.

Before the committee’s next meeting on June 16, members will further research these priorities — for instance, contacting companies that provide implicit bias training — and prepare information to present to the rest of the committee. Mikkelson encourages any community member who would like to provide input to contact a committee member whose contact information can be found on the committee page of the Prairie Village website.

06 | NEWS

THE HARBINGER | APRIL 26, 2021

VYING FOR

A guide to getting a COVID-19 vaccination shot

ADVENT HEALTH

VIALS

CVS

KANSAS IS CURRENTLY in Stage 5 of vaccination distribution, making vaccines open for people ages 16 and older. Available appointments can seem few and far between, so follow this infographic for ways of finding vaccination appointments in the Kansas City, Mo. area.

WALMART

PHARMACY OP REGIONAL

PRICE CHOPPER CVS

HEN HOUSE moderna vaccine must be 18 or older 6950 Mission Rd.

WALGREENS

HYVEE

THE KEY TO VACCINES Scan the QR HOSPITAL codes to reach vaccination appointment sign ups CLINICS IN EAST’S FIVE-MILE RADIUS

design by peyton moore photos by eva berkley

pfizer vaccine must be 16 or older

pfizer vaccine must be 16 or older

7000 West 75th St.

8200 Mission Rd.

ST. LUKES

GUIDING TWEETS

MENORAH MEDICAL CENTER

@ KCVACCI N E WATCH

tweets surface about ever y fif teen minutes with available appointments in the kcmo area

26.6K followers

“Henr y, my cousin, had one of the last appointments at a random CVS about an hour away. I just tagged along and hoped they had extra because it was the end of the day, and I chschu ste ended up getting one.”

IF...

receive the

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“We drove six hours to Hoxie, Kan. , where my grandma lives, because she told us they had extra vaccines. This was back in late March when 16-year-olds got cleared for vaccines. My parents didn’t trust that I wouldn’t fall asleep at the wheel, so they forced Maeve [a grath eddie le mc e family friend] to get the vaccine with me. It was a trek for sure.” op

maev

REACHING RURAL

*instagram polls of 237 votes

2

POLLS

of students got their % 2 vaccine during SMSD’s clinic on April 19

of East students have received both doses of their vaccine

61 %

THE HARBINGER | APRIL 26, 2021

design by mia vogel photos by amina sankpill & megan stopperan

JUST AS PROMISED

NEWS | 07

Prom is scheduled May 8 at Union Station with several COVID-19 modifications

by caroline wood

dance next to their tables throughout the room.

Additional staff members will be there to help enforce these requirements at the dance. “[These staff members will be there] to help us out to make sure every student feels safe, because we want everyone to enjoy prom,” Hair said.

Along with this, no underclassmen or guests from other schools will be allowed at the dance. It's strictly East juniors and seniors to make it easier to track exposure and get in contact with students.

They’re also reducing the number of guests at the dance by breaking it up into two shifts of 300 people that juniors and seniors signed up for after purchasing their tickets — one from 7-8:30 and the other 9-10:30 p.m. Between shifts, the space will be clean and sanitized.

Hair and junior StuCo were able to still reserve We just want everyone to come and...be Union Station and the band, but the decorating company isn’t available until the summer, a high schooler and have that euphoric so they’ve asked the PTSA to help out with feeling of friends and fun and laughter decorating the dance.

The theme that junior StuCo chose for this year is “Masquerade,” as a play on words with everyone jennifer hair | digital design having to wear face masks. It will be a mix of an teacher up-scale Mardi Gras and Great Gatsby according that they wanted to try and provide some sort of to Hair. prom for seniors. So, they had lots of ideas of, ‘If “[Prom will be] like a huge end of the year this didn’t work out, what could be done?,’ and celebration for seniors and rising juniors...and it’s everyone had an assigned job and they have been like a return to a tiny bit of normalcy,” Hair said.

“You guys have been so flexible, so positive and very diligent and been very responsive.”

In order to have a prom this year, a few have had so many changes...we just want everyone alterations are being put in place — masks will be to come and...be a high schooler and have that required, no food will be served and there will be euphoric feeling of friends and fun and laughter.” no designated dance floor. Instead, students will THE JUNIORS ON Student Council and their class

sponsor, digital design teacher Jennifer Hair, are working to put together this year’s prom, which will be held on May 8 at Union Station, despite a late start on planning.

The juniors usually start their planning in the fall, but this year it was unknown if there was going to be a prom until the Johnson Country Department of Health and Environment restrictions allowed it on March 23 when students returned to full in-person, leaving only a month-and-a-half for planning.

“It’s been pretty crazy,” Hair said. “The juniors are really helpful, they had a really clear goal

A B O V E | Juniors Campbell Wood and Tongtong Yi sell prom tickets outside of the main office. photo by amina sankpill

PROM GUIDELINES

A few important guidelines for the 2021 East prom

MASKS

MANDATORY

TIME

LOCATION

MAY 8

UNION STATION

7-8:3 9-1 :3

GIVE WHAT YOU CAN SHARE is hosting their annual can drive pageant for Jewish Family Services THE ANNUAL MR. CANSAS competition, a men’s

pageant to collect cans, will be held on May 13 at 6:30 p.m. in the East auditorium.

During the pageant, senior boys from different activities at East, such as basketball and theater, are selected to complete and participate in three portions: best dressed, interviews and talent. At the end, the audience votes for who they think should be Mr. CANsas with cans.

Previously unable to hold the typical in-person meetings and events, SHARE was able to expand its volunteer opportunities once we came back to school fully in-person, allowing them to hold the Mr. CANsas pageant.

They won’t be limiting the number of people in the theater, but the seats will be spaced out with students sitting individually with two seats in between them and families will come in pods that will be spaced out — it’s suggested that families reserve their seats in advance. All audience members, contestants and

announcers will be required to wear masks. “[In] the back of the front middle section, so we’ll probably do the pods in that area and pull the students closer to the front and on the sides,” SHARE coordinator Sheryl Kaplan said.

As usual, all audience members must bring two canned goods to get in and additional cans to vote on who they think should win the title of Mr. CANsas.

The cans collected will be donated to the Jewish Family Services.

The candidates for this year’s competition have been chosen, and must get their talent act approved by the SHARE Execs before the pageant.

“I’m sure it will be a stellar competition, I think the stakes are high, the talent is great, it’ll be a fun night,” Kaplan said. “Since people have not been able to come out because of COVID, we’re hopeful people will show up, be supportive, bring their energy and their canned goods and make it a fun night.”

A B O V E | East alumni Will Green smiles as he’s crowned Mr. CANsas 2020. photo by megan stopperan

PAGEANT BREAKDOWN Information for the Mr.CANsas pageant

WHEN? 6:30 P.M. MAY 13 ENTRY? 2 CANNED GOODS (BRING EXTRAS TO VOTE) WHERE? SHAWNEE MISSION EAST AUDITORIUM

08 | OPINION

THE HARBINGER | APRIL 26, 2021

OPINION

design by lily billingsley

TA K E O U R P O L LS

HIGHLIGHTS

@smeharbinger

Follow us on social media to participate in the polls

@smeharbinger

@smeharbie

A look into student opinions and the opinion section

PROM PICKS

ST U D E N T TA K E S

*Information as of April 20

SHOULD IT BE EASIER FOR MUSICIANS TO OWN THEIR MUSIC? Instagram poll of 222 votes

96%

59%

OF SENIORS SELECTED THE FIRST PROM TIME SLOT

OF SENIORS HAVE CHOSEN A PROM TIME SLOT

93% YES 7% NO DO YOU FEEL THAT AESTHETICS AND ZODIAC SIGNS FORCE PEOPLE INTO BOXES THAT AREN’T TRUE? Instagram poll of 246 votes

59% YES 41% NO

THIS WEEK IN TWEETS T H E E N G L I S H P R E M I E R L E AG U E , I S T H E R I C H E ST ,

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WA L L S T H AT K E E P A M E R I C A N S O F

I T M AY N OW D I E A S A R E S U LT — TA K I N G PA RT O F

L E A D E RS H I P.

D I F F E R E N T R AC E S A N D C L A S S E S F RO M

T H E S O U L O F E U RO P E A N F O OT B A L L W I T H I T .

N U M B E R 1 1 O N A WO N D E R F U L C A R E E R !

LIVING IN THE SAME COMMUNITIES.

T H E AT L A N T I C | 4 / 1 9 / 2 1

KC C H I E F S | 4 / 1 9 / 2 1

N Y T O P I N I O N | 4 / 2 0/ 2 1

P O P CO R N P R O B L E MS

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I N ST R U M E N TA L THIS

UNPOPULAR OPINIONS

CHANGING

WA S

C O N G R AT U L AT I O N S

TO

Students share their “unpopular” takes

M E N TA L M AT T E RS

H O L L A N D H AT E R

Burnt popcorn is delicious. My friends always get mad because I leave it in a little longer because it tastes so good when the crispy pieces melt in your mouth and then the good buttery pieces to balance it. It’s so good but everyone thinks it’s gross.

Mental health should be treated the exact same as physical health. Schools insist that if we feel sick, we should go home, and it’s hard to know that mental health will always be below physical health. Both things are important and have incredible impact on people.

I think Tom Holland is overrated. Everyone says he’s super attractive but he has such a baby face and he looks way younger than 24, but not in a good way. His squeaky voice and accent are annoying too. I don’t get why everyone seems to like him, he’s just a normal person.

charlotte hawes | junior

larkin brundige | freshman

emaline handzel | freshman

THE HARBINGER | APRIL 26, 2021

design by rose kanaley photos by megan biles

OPINION | 09

FEARLESS (KELLY’S VERSION)

Artists should have ownership rights over their music, and Taylor Swift’s reclaiming of hers through “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” is a great step

A

by kelly murphy

switched to Universal’s Republic Records. Swift ensured she would own her future masters with her new contract.

Master ownership is important because since Swift doesn’t own the masters from her first six albums, Big Machine can do whatever they want with them without having to consult her. In 2019, celebrity music manager Scooter Braun’s company bought Big Machine, and then sold Swift’s masters to another company for $300 million.

Swift publicly insisted that Braun repeatedly bullied her and never allowed her to buy back her masters before the sale. She also promised to rerecord those original six albums — reclaiming the work she spent 13 years of her life creating by doing so.

As of now, listening to any of Swift’s early albums, other than the recently-released “Fearless (Taylor’s Version),” will only make Braun richer. This goes to show that artists at all levels of their career are vulnerable to exploitation. There needs to be serious fundamental change in the music industry that prioritizes artists owning their own work, rather than labels exploiting them for a profit.

Until then, Swift is lucky to be at a point in her career where she has enough leverage to secure a more favorable record deal. Not only that, but she also has a global fan base eager to support her and any music she releases, including her re-recordings. I know that I, for one, will only be listening to ‘Taylor’s Versions’ from here on out.

s a self-proclaimed Swiftie, I was able to relive my elementary school glory days when Taylor Swift announced she’d be rerecording her first six albums.

I was just three years old when Swift released her self-titled debut album, so I missed Swift’s curly haired, cowboy boots phase and was left to relive it by re-watching old YouTube videos and queuing Spotify tracks. The re-releases gave me a second chance to celebrate the drop of Swift’s early work firsthand.

What I didn’t understand was why Swift was rerecording her music and why it was only six out of her nine albums. After some research, it became clear that that this was the result of a miserable situation for Swift.

At the beginning of her career in 2005, a young and naive Swift signed to Nashville-based Big Machine Records. As with traditional music contracts, Big Machine owns the masters — original recordings — of all the songs Swift created under their contract, meaning that Swift essentially doesn’t own her own music.

In return for giving up ownership of their masters, artists are given an advance and percentage of the music’s profits. Newer artists, like Swift at the time, often do this because it’s rewarding in the short-term, since music can take years to profit from.

Swift went on to release six albums and achieve country and pop stardom with Big Machine as her label.

When her contract with them expired in 2018, she

MR. PERFECTLY FINE

5/5 STARS

The best songs featured in Taylor Swift’s “From the Vault” section of her album

ALLEGEDLY ABOUT SWIFT’S past relationship with Joe Jonas, “Mr. Perfectly Fine” is an upbeat breakup song about Swift being caught up on her ex despite him quickly moving on. Its rousing chorus makes it fit right in with classics like “Tell Me Why” and “The Way I Loved You” — perfect for screaming along to in your car. Swift doesn’t hold back with painfully honest lines like, “It takes everything in me just to get up each day // But it’s wonderful to see that you’re okay.” She even references cult-favorite song “All Too Well” with the lyric “Mr. Casually Cruel.” My favorite part of the track by far is the key change in which Swift stops saying “hello” and starts saying “goodbye” to her lover and his “casually cruel” ways.

THAT’S WHEN

4/5 STARS

“THAT’S WHEN” IS a duet, featuring country singer Keith Urban, that focuses in on the aftermath of a failed relationship. Swift said in a tweet that she asked Urban to sing on this track because she was his opening act back when “Fearless” was originally released and his work continues to inspire her “endlessly.” Urban’s voice blends with Swift’s beautifully, bringing an authentic country sound to the song. Lyrically, the song flows smoothly with the verses asking “When can I-I-I come back?” and the choruses answering “that’s when.”

FROM THE VAULT

MORE EMPHASIS ON the “r” in “Fearless,” a new inflection on “mama” in “Fifteen” — the differences between the original “Fearless” and newly-released “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” are subtle to say the least.

Prior to the re-recording’s release on April 9, Swift went line by line through each song to choose what to improve on and what to keep the same, according to an interview with People Magazine. In addition to all of the original “Fearless” songs, Swift included six never-before released songs ‘from the vault’ for a total

DON’T YOU

of 27 tracks.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ll happily listen to anything Swift releases. But if I’m being honest, I can see why some of the vault songs didn’t make the original album. “We Were Happy” and “Bye Bye Baby” are cute breakup songs, but I can’t be convinced that they’re anywhere near the lyrical genius of “White Horse” and “Forever & Always.” Let-downs aside, three vault songs in particular stood out to me: “Mr. Perfectly Fine,” “That’s When” and “Don’t You.”

4/5 STARS

TO ME, “DON’T You” is easily the saddest of the vault songs. Similar to “Mr. Perfectly Fine,” Swift describes her run-in with an ex that has moved on and found happiness with someone new. However, in contrast with Swift’s anger towards her ex in “Mr. Perfectly Fine,” she confesses that she doesn’t hate him in this song. Swift acknowledges that there are hard feelings between the two when she sings, “And you can say we’re still friends // (But I don’t wanna pretend).” Although written 13 years apart, this line reminds me of “closure” off the album “evermore” in which Swift sings, “I know I’m just a wrinkle in your new life // Staying friends would

TAYLOR SWIFT ALBUM

2021

The other three “From the Vault” songs

You All Over Me We Were Happy Bye Bye Baby

10 | OPINION

THE HARBINGER | APRIL 26, 2021

design by annakate dilks photo illustration by elise madden

ILL-CONCEIVED

IDENTITIES Social media trends and aesthetics are harmful to teens’ development of their identities

T

by cesca stamati

ABOVE | Social media trends and aesthetics force teenagers into boxes or categories that interfere with how they develop their identities.

STAY TRUE TO YOU Cesca’s tips for finding your identity online

1 2

EMBRACE THE UNKNOWN Be okay with not knowing the answer to “Who am I?” just because others may seem to have it figured out

STICK TO THE REAL WORLD Pay attention to what real world experiences inspire you and interest you to start building your identity

DO YOU FEEL LIKE AESTHETICS AND ZODIAC SIGNS FORCE PEOPLE INTO BOXES AND LABELS THAT AREN’T TRUE?*

OF 236 RESPONDENTS, 60% SAY YES *from Instagram

he existential question, “Who am I?” that teenagers are faced with as they transition from childhood to adulthood is an idea that Indie coming-of-age movies and books have centered around to gain massive audiences.

All of the most popular teen movies like “Perks of Being a Wallflower” and “Ladybird” follow the plot of teens taking on new identities and getting out of their comfort zone with their friends to find who they truly are. But those movies are set in a time when the pressures of social media didn’t exist for a reason.

Social media has transformed the process of teenagers finding their place in the world into a path of trying out new trends and copying influencers’ personas until they find one they think people will like. As corny as it may sound, searching for yourself in the people or groups you see on social media isn’t “finding yourself” — you need to look within for that.

While social media can be a place of selfexpression and creativity, there’s also been an overall trend in recent years of people wanting to belong to a certain group online, whether by associating with others through aesthetics, astrological signs, political opinions, music tastes, mental issues or a shared love of certain celebrities.

A great friendship can start from sharing similar interests, but when people adopt entirely new personalities to fit the mold of a certain persona, they lose their individuality.

We’ve seen this happen throughout the years as trends come and go — from every teenage girl adopting the aesthetic of a “VSCO girl” to boys being respectful to women being called a ‘simp’ since that phrase blew up on Tik Tok. TikTokers love to describe themselves using labels like their astrological signs or “bruh girl,” but you shouldn’t define who you are in a single label, as it confines you to a specific way of acting and doesn’t leave room for originality, going against the point of finding yourself.

These labels may seem appealing because it can make us feel safe to be part of a group, but they’re restrictive to the process of learning about yourself as an individual.

Finding who you are shouldn’t entail copying others — it should be about trying new things like sports or activities that peak your interest until you find what fits you.

So instead of seeing and copying

personalities and styles from celebrities, do some soul-searching away from the screen.

There are countless ways to go about finding your identity, from traveling to reading to introspection. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to it, but the important thing is to make sure you’re exploring what feels right to you.

Instead of buying outfits from a famous TikToker’s trendy wardrobe, do some of your own shopping and figure out what clothes you like — your style doesn’t need to be a certain “aesthetic.” You don’t need to copy the way an influencer acts, just be you and learn to feel comfortable as yourself.

Of course, that’s easier said than done.

Often times young people think the “real them” isn’t good enough, which is the reason we are so inclined to directly copy others or completely base their personality on an influencer instead of just being themselves.

Remember that your virtual self is not your real self, so you shouldn’t focus on exploring who you are online and letting that change who you are.

This lack of self-esteem combined with constant exposure to everyone’s “perfect” versions of themselves on Instagram can make us feel envious of others every time we get on social media, and often we’re not even aware of it. When we scroll through our feed or For You Page and see a cute outfit or aspect of someone that we admire, we want that quality for ourselves and internally feel “less than” because we don’t have it.

But, if there’s one thing that Disney Channel Original Movies have ingrained in our brains, it’s the message that trying to be someone you’re not won’t last. If you’re constantly following the lead of one social media influencer or flipping from one aesthetic to another, then there isn’t a stable foundation for your sense of self.

Remember that your virtual self is not your real self, so you shouldn’t focus on exploring who you could be online and let that change who you are. Instead, find your identity in real world experiences and be okay with not knowing the answer to “Who am I?” just because someone else on Instagram seems to have it figured out — because they probably don’t.

THE HARBINGER | APRIL 26, 2021

design by sophie lindberg

CALMING COLLECTIONS

OPINION | 11

Entertainment such as music and TV shows can help busy students de-stress

by emma brown

A

fter two hours of tennis practice, three hours of working the front desk at my job and another three hours of homework, I release the stress and tension in my body with a simple click of the Netflix icon. I queue up season seven, episode five of “Gilmore Girls” — a de-stressing classic.

It’s simply the cherry on top of my crammed schedule — and I always make time for it no matter how many English or CAT assignments I have.

Netflix was my savior when the COVID-19 pandemic began, and it still is today. Netflix seems to keep working its way up in providing shows like “Gilmore Girls,” “Outer Banks” and “Ozark” — it can be mindless and entertaining, but it can also evoke the emotions that make you feel better.

According to HealthyWomen.org, TV can play a productive role in stress management, and it certainly has for me.

The stress and excessive amount of free time that the pandemic produced led to my realization that mindless TV shows can

actually be a great self-care strategy. My mom and I practically became best friends because of the amount of time we spent on the couch binging “Gilmore Girls” — and we still use that show to fill our bonding time and relax after long days.

I’ve used “Gilmore Girls” and “Ozark” as my calming criteria. Even in class, after completing an exam and having extra time, I slip my AirPods in and tap the big red “N” on my phone — ready for my serenity.

According to HealthyWomen.org, forms of entertainment create a relationship between yourself and the show. It causes a connection that brings enjoyment and pleasure into a stressful situation. A visual form of entertainment keeps my mind busy, while also allowing me to relax since I’m not physically doing anything.

Watching someone else’s life unfold on the TV distracts me from my life unfolding.

It’s a source of therapy that takes very little effort and I can accomplish every day.

I find the same peace with music as well.

Not only do I appreciate shows to calm me down, but music too. When I feel the procrastination in me rising, or feel the

pressure in school to get perfect grades, my peacemaker is always music.

Forms of entertainment create a relationship with yourself and the show. It causes a connection that brings enjoyment and pleasure into a stressful situation. A visual form of entertainment, keeps my mind busy without physically having to do anything.

emma brown | junior Drowning in homework, schedule changes and prom planning have all led to built-up stress. There needs to be a time in the day when I can let it all go. According to healthline.com, music reduces anxiety and boosts happiness. Music positively impacts my mind and easily triggers whatever emotion I need to feel. If I need a motivating song, something upbeat is what I look for, but if I’m tired, a song of slower pace is more

my speed.

Just like those Netflix shows, music helps me take my mind off the pressure to get things done. Music helps me escape to another world and forget the stress.

As I drive to Shawnee Mission South for my Saturday, day-ruining ACT at 8 a.m., I roll the windows down and play “More than my Hometown” by Morgan Wallen. Hearing about his heartbreak and relationship problems through his lyrics ironically makes me feel relaxed thanks to the calming tone and energy his music gives.

“7 Summers Ago” and “Silverado for Sale” are the perfect release of tension to blare in the car or my AirPods. The slow strum of the guitar and country accent takes me back to memories in Colorado or visiting my brother in Texas.

My favorite Spotfiy playlists and “My List” on Netflix is my treatment of self care.

They are the main ways I wind down at the end of a day. These forms of relaxation therapy are effective because they distract my mind from the world around me.

EMMA’S TOP SHOWS

Emma’s favorite shows for de-stressing

EMMA’S TOP ARTISTS Emma’s favorite music artists for de-stressing

SEASON 3 EP 12

“The night before their wedding, Charlotte realises that Trey may not be the perfect man, Miranda convinces herself that there is no harm in telling a `little white lie.’”

SEASON 2 EP 9

“Philip insists that Prince Charles attend his alma mater in Scotland and reminises about the life-changing difficulties he experienced there.”

ph otos from i mdb *info from Google Review

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“Charles decides to be selfish; Joe negotiates with Maximo; Ricky’s off-field activities are exposed by the press”

THE KILLERS

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“Lorelai and Sookie are thrilled when a cultural icon starts freqenting the Dragonfly Inn dining room.”

SEASON 5 EP 14 “Phoebe finds out about Monica and Chandler’s relationship.”

MORGAN WALLEN

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THE HARBINGER | APRIL 26, 2021

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FEATURE

FEATURES | 13 SCAN ME | Q&A Read the rest of Sophie Henschel’s Q&A

HIGHLIGHTS

IRRATIONAL

Students share their ultimate fears and phobias by sop h ie h en sc h el

GEPHYROPHOBIA

R I G H T | Woodshop teacher Shaban Scott attaches the final leg to a wooden foldable side table. photo by amina sankpill

fear of bridges

What happens when you’re forced to drive over a bridge?

camryn COHEN

I just have really bad anxiety then I just have to close my eyes. I basically can’t drive on [bridges]... I mean I can, but I’ll freak out. But when someone else is driving over them, I’ll just close my eyes and not look at anything.

BASIPHOBIA fear of falling

What scares you about falling?

ABOVE | Sophomore Aidan Winne grins at cooking partner Tristan Cabanis during their chocolate chip cookie lab. photo by taylor keal

jack HAULMARK

EMETOPHOBIA

RIGHT | Sophomore Averi Koke stands outside as her partner traces her face to make a negative for Photo 1. photo by jill rice

fear of vomit

Was there any event that occurred that sparked this phobia?

greta HYDE

THE COVID PROM

2.5 hour shifts

4.

mandatory masks at all times

5.

250

time slots full

9-10:30 time slot

temperature checked at the door

8

250

time slots full

*as of April 20, after seniors signed up

19 81

fear of holes

9-10:30

3.

250

7-8:30

no underclassmen

which prom time slot are your hoping to get?

7-8:30 time slot

%

Yeah, it was actually really weird because I had been around [throw up] before but for some reason when I was seven, my dad threw up and it just sparked something, and I’ve literally just had it ever since.

TRYPOPHOBIA

JUNIORS & SENIORS

*instagram poll of 218 votes

2.

no outside guests

TIME SLOTS

PROM POLL

1.

RULES:

I guess what freaks me out about it is... say you’re on a really tall building, say you’re on the Empire State building, you fall, what are you going to do? There’s nothing you can do.

You just fall, and you’re gonna almost certainly die.

What’s your immediate reaction when you view something triggering the phobia?

%

mackenzie CLEVENGER

I just feel really sick, like I might throw up and I just feel really uncomfortable with the situation. Sometimes depending on where I am, I just immediately need to get away and I’ll just walk away, but that’s about as serious as it gets.

14 | FEATURES

THE HARBINGER | APRIL 26, 2021

SPORTS MERCHANT

T O P | Jackson’s bedroom wall is filled with sports memorabilia that he sells and collects.

sold half of his collection and raked in $400 — easily surpassing his original goal of $100.

Selling on Facebook at @jacksonmoulin, along with Instagram and eBay, Jackson has now expanded to selling other sports memorabilia, such as autographed baseballs and basketballs, along with buying things in bulk, like packages of one to three thousand cards. His ultimate goal is to buy items for 10% of what he wants to sell them for — making 10 times the profit on each item.

“It’s funny, since I’m making a lot more than I would be if I actually had a job,” Jackson said.

His room is crammed pack full with different signed memorabilia or game-used sports gear. It’s an obsession. Almost like a hoarder.

jack rhodes | junior When he started trading, Jackson spent up to two or three hours a day finding cards to buy and writing posts, but now only spends around four to five hours a week on it since he’s selling higher-valued items. The time he puts into it has gone down, but his profits have substantially increased.

The most rewarding part of reselling has been his high profits, Jackson says. He’s already made enough for four years of instate college tuition. However, he hopes to

make enough to additionally cover room and board — one of the reasons he’s still reselling.

“It’s crazy how much money is in it,” Jackson said. “I never thought before this that there was this much money to be made, or that people actually do it for a living.”

Selling items can be time-consuming, according to Jackson. After buying cards in bulk, he sorts them into groups and places them in packs of nine, before taking individual photos and creating posts for them — a process that takes around 45 minutes for each item. Jackson knows how important presentation is, so he always tries to make each item look nice.

Jackson recognizes that his work on the posts paid off — he’s now established himself in the sports reselling community. He runs Facebook groups, each with a few thousand people, after months of constantly selling to build credibility.

“Everybody kind of knows who I am,” Jackson said. “When I make a post, people know my stuff’s real. They’re willing to pay a little more because they know I’m legit and not going to scam.”

The process of reselling items isn’t always easy, Jackson says. Sometimes it takes hours to package and ship items or to reorganize his inventory. His dog even ate $600 worth of items he left out. However, he knows these are just minor setbacks in finding success.

Jackson doesn’t think his success is random, though — his dad, Rick Moulin, was a collector as a kid, so he grew up going to Royals and Chiefs games. Jackson’s

WHAT’S IN STOCK

JACKSON’S ACCOUNTS Product: Travis Kelce signed rookie card Bought at: $30 Sold for: $350 Profit: $320

Product: Salvador Perez and Greg Holland dual signed Sports Illustrated Bought at: $30 Sold for: $225 Profit: $195

SCAN ME

Product: Autographed player cards Bought at: $0.13 Sold for: $1.00 Profit: $0.87

always known a lot about players and the value of sports memorabilia. Rick has seen this knowledge grow as he has expanded his business, learning things such as what other collectors are looking for and how to successfully market his products.

“I’m probably biased because he’s my son, but I don’t think there’s too many people that know more about sports collectibles and memorabilia than he does,” Rick said. “It’s pretty cool to see. So many other people reach out to him for advice, and to ask him his opinions and thoughts on different things.”

Not only has reselling created a job for Jackson, but it’s allowed him to expand his personal collection. A Miguel Cabrera gameused bat hangs on his wall. A second Mike Trout signed baseball rests in a display case on his dresser. And a Patrick Mahomes signed Super Bowl LIV football, Jackson’s favorite item, sits above his bed.

“His room is crammed pack full with different signed memorabilia or game-used sports gear,” junior Jack Rhodes, Jackson’s friend, said. “It’s an obsession. Almost like a hoarder.”

For Jackson, reselling has taught him sales and customer service skills, which he believes will help him long-term.

“I hope to just keep building and building my inventory, reselling more and more,” Jackson said. “It’s something in the road that helps me out and will probably help me in my future.”

SCAN ME

J

unior Jackson Moulin scrolled through his Facebook homepage, contemplating which offers on autographed baseball cards or basketballs he wanted to accept and add to his collection.

On sale: Mike Trout Signed Baseball At only $150 and listed by a seller he’d bought from before, Jackson knew it was authentic, and that he could resell it for over triple the asking price. Buying it was as easy a choice for him as buying a coffee — he’d done the process of reselling too many times to count.

After purchasing the Mike Trout baseball, Jackson resold it two weeks later for $500, profiting $350. This sale marked Jackson’s largest single-item sell, motivating him to continue selling sports items, which evolved into a part-time job.

“I understand it,” Jackson said. “And honestly, it’s really easy. I enjoy it a lot, just because I’ve always enjoyed collecting and getting to meet athletes.”

Jackson first began reselling in February of 2020, after the restaurant he worked at went out of business. Having collected autographed baseball cards since he was four years old, reselling seemed like an easy way to make the money he needed for his car insurance.

For Jackson, reselling first started by listing cards on Facebook that he didn’t feel he needed anymore, especially ones he had duplicates of. After one week, he’d nearly

Junior Jackson Moulin turned his love of collecting baseball cards into a part-time job of reselling sports merchandise online

SCAN ME

by syd ney newton

design by cesca stamati photos from jackson moulin

CHECK OUT JACKSON’S FACEBOOK @jacksonmoulin

CHECK OUT JACKSON’S EBAY @Kansas_graphs

CHECK OUT JACKSON’S INSTAGRAM @Kansas_graphs

THE HARBINGER | APRIL 26, 2021

design by elizabeth mikkelson photos by julia percy

GAME ON

The annual water gun game of Senior Assassins has begun and is already filled with plenty of backstabs, ingenuity and drive to come out victorious

FEATURES | 15

by celia condon

AFTER A ONE-YEAR hiatus due to the pandemic, the annual senior game of ‘Assassins’ has made a come back. The game combines tag, hide and seek and waterguns on an extreme level. After each student participating paid 10 dollars to play, the game was on.

The rules are simple: each senior is assigned a classmate to ‘tag’ out over the course of the week — death by water. Not only does each student have someone to kill, but they also have someone going after them. School and school events are protected. The same goes for work and clubs sports, but parking lots are fair game. The rules are fairly lenient, except for strict ones that outlaw breaking into another’s house or harming anyone. Once someone water snipes their target, they adopt that person’s target.

The game goes on for four weeks, and everyone gets a new target each round. The

person, or people, left at the end of the game receives a pool of money created from the players’ original entry fee.

In March when the game was brought up in the senior GroupMe chat, senior Sullivan Goettsch decided he would adopt the role of game maker. After hours of organizing and rearranging names, he assigned each participant with a target.

“A couple of people asked me, ‘Are you going to assign people to their friends the first round, or will it be completely random?’” Goettsch said. “And I was like, ‘Being with your friends actually sounds pretty fun.’ So that’s what I did.”

As the game of Assassins carries on, the stories continue to get more entertaining, and the numbers continue to decline.

Here are a few of the stories.

SAMMY VS. SOPHIA WITH SENIOR SAMMY Jones on spring break until Wednesday April 14, senior Sophia Reicherter, his assassin, had extra time to prepare. But since she had three less days to get her ‘kill,’ timing was critical.

With help from Jones’ friends, Reicherter began researching.

After learning that her target’s flight was coming from Dallas, she checked every flight landing in Kansas City from the Dallas Love Field airport. The 4:00 p.m. flight it was.

Reicherter made the drive to Kansas City International Airport on Wednesday night,

Gatorade bottle in hand, ready to execute her plan.

“I went in the bathroom at the airport,” Reicherter said. “Once I saw them, and once I saw that he was not looking at me, I just started sprinting.”

Jones’ Assassins participation was bittersweet and short-lived.

“I really thought I was gonna win,” Jones said. “And you know, why wouldn’t I play if I knew I was gonna win? I just got caught off guard without having any defense at the airport.”

A B BY V S . C A R S O N WHEN ASSIGNED THE target of senior Abby Carter, senior Carson Holmes, nicknamed “Cargo,” knew he would spend hours trying to get her out, since her siblings who have previously participated in the game have gone full throttle. But he pushed the the fear of failing out of his mind.

Carter’s determination to stay hidden was not hindered by Holmes’ gusto.

Once she learned Holmes had her through friends, she knew how to hide.

“I parked in my neighbor’s driveway that’s directly behind our backyard,” Carter said. “So I would hop the fence every day, cause I knew Cargo would be at my house. I told everyone that I was staying at my brother’s house for the week. Just [so] no one would know.”

During the week, Holmes was alerted that Carter was at her house after ‘killing’ her own target. Holmes used Carter’s street being a culdesac to his advantage, blocking the exit with

his own car. But after a few minutes of attempting to lure Carter out of her car, Holmes’ opportunity was cut short.

“Unfortunately there was a car trying to get through, so I had to move my car,” Holmes said. “Then she got out and that sort of lost it. That was a perfect chance that I lost.”

Saturday night was the final chance for Holmes to get Carter out, and he used it to its full extent. As he had gotten back in town late at night after being in St. Louis for a lacrosse game all day, he anticipated that Carter had let her guard down — who was expecting him to be back on Sunday. Once learning that she was at one of their friend’s houses, he snuck in for the attack.

“I was at a friend’s house, and then I felt that my back was wet,” Carter said. “I see Cargo there. I was like, ‘Oh my God, thanks Cargo.’ I was never expecting to see him there.”

M A I S I E , K E N N E DY & R E E S E

SENIOR KENNEDY KAUFMAN was delighted when she read who her target was: senior Reese Althouse, one of her best friends. ‘This will be easy,’ she thought.

Only two days into the game, Kaufman had a plan formed: she’d strike when Althouse, senior Maisie Sheets and her went on their daily lunch outing. Kaufman knew that the drive to her car in the junior lot would be the perfect way to lure Althouse off campus.

“It was my plan the whole week to forget my lunch in my bag, in my car in the junior lot,” Kaufman said. “Then I would have one of them drive me [from the senior lot] to get it and get her then.”

After Althouse’s car had left the senior lot, Kaufman used the few short seconds she had to grab her water gun, aim and fire.

But when she felt cold water hitting her,

she knew someone had beat her to pulling the trigger. Kaufman had unknowingly trapped herself in a car with her own Assassin: Sheets.

After seeing the gun in Kaufman’s hand, Sheets realized that her new target would be

SCAN ME | VIDEO Check out Lawder DeSantis’ video on the annual assassins game.

Althouse, who was already sitting within inches of her. She knew just how lucky she had gotten.

“So when she got me, she got both of us in one, back to back,” Althouse said. “I can remember the look on Maisie’s face when she realized she was getting a double kill.”

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16/17 | NEWS-FEATURE

&

PAN ICK E D POW E R L E SS

design by celia condon

Hoping to bring awareness to safety concerns, female students share their unreported incidents of harassment and discomfort when in public alone

by la uren west *names changed to protect identities

T

hen-eighth-grader Emily Jones* could feel a pit growing in her stomach the moment a male stranger looked her up and down as she walked through Oak Park Mall.

Despite being creeped out by his odd glance, Jones continued on with her shopping day, dismissing the look as something that “just happens to women.”

After walking into Aerie — a female undergarment and leisure wear store — it didn’t take long for Jones to find the same man standing before her in the store’s entrance.

That previous gut feeling crept back into her stomach. What is he doing here? Is he actually shopping?

Why is he in a bra and underwear store by himself?

As she reached for a shirt on the display table, she felt a hand grab her backside and immediately froze.

He disappeared from the store before she could process what happened.

To this day, Jones can recall the sick feeling that overcame her from the moment he first looked at her to the moment he entered the store.

According to a google survey of 87 female East students, 93.1% have experienced this same gut feeling of predatory behavior when stepping into public alone — tense, panicked and powerless.

As female students continue to experience unsafe situations of harassment and discomfort when alone in Kansas City, they are left vulnerable and often feel uncomfortable reporting their incidents, as they did not escalate to a worse outcome.

“This is absolutely a current and pertinent issue right now for lots of different reasons,” District Police Officer Anthony Woollen said.

“Number one is we as adults and parents can do things proactively so that our [own] kids and here in this East community we don’t have victims. Another reason is because we are moving towards summer time

in which there’s a lot less parental oversight and a lot more freedom.”

Woollen stresses the importance of victims reporting these situations, even if they don’t escalate to anything serious. If another person can learn from someone’s situation, it could prevent a repeat situation.

“If we don’t talk about it and somebody goes through a similar situation that doesn’t know how to react then we are doing females a detriment,” Woollen said.

For Jones, she felt powerless when it came to reporting the situation because it happened so fast.

She feared that authority wouldn’t believe her, as she had no evidence other than a general idea of what he looked like.

“I only told a couple of my friends because I felt ashamed,” Jones said. “I felt like there was no proof. I didn’t want to make it a big deal because it’s not like something worse [had] happened to me.”

Now a senior, Jones looks back on the situation and understands that it wasn’t her fault, but she still doesn’t believe she would have handled it differently.

WOULD YOU FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE IN PUBLIC WITH A FRIEND OR ESCORT? Instagram poll of 227 votes

90% YES 10% NO “It’s really sad to say, but if a guy [wants] to do something, I honestly think they are going to do it, and there isn’t really a way to stop them from doing it,” Jones said. “Unless you have another man there I don’t think there’s much you can do.

Obviously you can carry around pepper spray, but in my example how could I have used it on him by just feeling uncomfortable.”

Woollen recommends that in any situation you feel your safety is at risk, whether you are being followed or spoken to inappropriately, you

should immediately notify the police. Whether it’s a 911 call during the incident or a phone call to the non-emergency line — 913-642-6868 — afterwards, making the police aware of your situation even if it did not escalate to anything serious is still helpful for them.

“That’s the way we catch burglars because someone looks outside their house and thinks that’s not normal,” Woollen said. “That’s the only way we catch those people is someone who is bold enough to reach out.”

Although Jone’s incident happened years ago, according to the same Google survey, 89.4% of female students at East feel uncomfortable shopping at Oak Park Mall. Jones has become more aware of her surroundings since her incident, and she advises other women not to shop alone. Fellow senior Sidney Harris* agrees.

After attending a dance competition from 7 a.m. to 12 a.m. in downtown Kansas City, Harris’s mother headed out to the parking garage and was planning to pick Harris up at the front of the venue.

Harris waited inside the venue until the waiting area began to clear out the night, forcing her to exit the building.

As she waited for her mother’s car, Harris saw a police officer lock the venue up and Harris was left standing alone with no people, cars or open stores in sight — except one man who was rapidly approaching her asking personal questions like “What’s your name?” and “How old are you?” Unsure of how to respond, Harris answered truthfully and began to panic as he said he wanted to take her clubbing.

“At this point I was getting more scared because I could tell he was not really getting closer to me but had his intentions set,” Harris said.

“As he was talking I saw headlights pull up and I had no idea if it was my mom or not but I started slowly jogging away and saying, ‘Bye, have fun.’ It was my mom’s car luckily, and I started bawling because I was

so scared.”

After the incident, Harris reflected on what she would’ve done if her mom never came. For both Jones and Harris, processing an unsafe situation in the moment can make it hard to know how to react.

Because of the situation, Harris now carries pepper spray everywhere she goes and has become more alert when she is by herself in public.

According to Woollen, proactive safety precautions can range from taking self-defense classes to being aware of your surroundings. Staying off your phone when walking into stores, knowing the quickest exit from your car and how to get to the nearest police station are all examples of proactive safety to practice. Reactive safety precautions refers to the different self-defense weapons such as pepper spray, car keys and whistles. Woollen advises that anyone who owns self-defense weapons should follow proactive safety precautions, such as calling 911 and finding a crowded area, before using reactive safety precautions.

Although both of these situations happened in popular areas for East students outside of Prairie Village, Woollen feels the community needs to understand these incidents can happen anywhere.

“Though perceptions on underage drinking and stuff like that start to change, it’s still some of those thoughts that ‘It ain’t gonna happen here’ still exist,” Woollen said. “And that’s the other part to this article is we have got to admit that it doesn’t matter who it is or where we live, the potential is there.”

These unsafe feelings don’t pertain only to surrounding Prairie Village communities; in the same Google survey 24.7% of female students have found the Prairie Village Shops unsafe, whether that be from suspicious vehicles lurking at night or catcalling.

When returning home for spring break, East alum Tatum Meyer was shopping in a Prairie Village boutique searching for a college

formal dress. Upon leaving the store, Meyer immediately noticed a man sitting on the bench outside the store.

Meyer noticed his slumped posture immediately perk up as she made her way to her car. The man was already a few steps ahead of her, making his way to his own car parked conveniently across from Meyer’s. Meyer watched the man enter his car with his eyes locked on her, and before she stepped into her driver’s seat she saw a bag of sealed Hot Cheetos on the hood of her car.

Meyer’s heart began to race as she recalled the stories she’d heard of girls being lured to the front of their car to remove a strange item that wasn’t theirs. The same gut feeling Jones and Harris experienced had kicked in for Meyer. She immediately got into her car, locked her doors and avoided eye contact.

While other cars filled the parking lot, Meyer waited for an opportunity to back up, and as soon as she began reversing, the man across from her began frantically waving his arms and pointing to the hood of her car.

Meyer recalled how visibly upset the man was that she did not grab the Cheetos, and wondered how the situation could have gone differently for her safety if she had not been as careful to get out quickly. When she was finally able to back out, she made sure the man didn’t follow her home.

“It was scary for me because I was completely by myself, and it was also the middle of the day,” Meyer said.

As scary as the situations can be when reacting, Woollen can guarantee that there are women who have been victims at shopping areas and never said anything.

“If you are able to reach one person that goes through a situation and is a victim, they should disclose and tell about it,” Woollen said. “There is never a time that legitimates when a female should be a victim.”

18 | FEATURES SCAN ME | WEBSITE

Scan here to donate to Due West Therapeutic Riding Center

RIDE ON

THE HARBINGER | APRIL 26, 2021

B E L O W | Junior Evelyn Roth holds the horse’s, Dave, lead steady after rider Sam O’Neill has mounted, ready to help guide Dave. photo by emma kate squires

design by nora lynn photos by emma kate squires

Junior Evelyn Roth volunteers at her aunt’s therapeutic riding center where she helps kids gain confidence on horseback, giving her confidence as well

EVELYN’S JOBS AT THE TRC: side walker & leaders brushes & preps horses for riders organize games & activities for participants put the tack on the horses

J

by camp bell wood

unior Evelyn Roth is an introvert.

She always sat in the back of the class and dreaded any type of class presentations — just asking someone a question left her hands shaking. But when her aunt Mary Sharp asked her if she wanted to start volunteering at Due West — a therapeutic riding center founded by Mary — in 2019, Evelyn’s love for animals prevailed and she said yes.

However, she assumed her time would be spent putting saddles on horses or taking them out to the pastures — the behind the scenes action she preferred. So when Mary told her it was time to step into the riding arena and help escort a child with cerebral palsy on a horse, every anxiety she had ran through her head.

But they had that in common — the boy was just as scared about getting on the horse as Evelyn was about working with people.

And after their ride, they realized there was nothing to worry about. More than that, they both wanted to keep coming back afterward.

“I don’t know why, but the amount of joy so many of these kids feel when they see a horse, or they’re on a horse — they just become so hyped, and it brings me so much joy,” Evelyn said. “It’s so cool how these kids, some of them wheelchair-bound, as soon as they’re on a horse, they’re like, ‘let’s go, let’s go. I got this. Let me do my thing.’ And they all work so hard.”

The rider was the first of many that Evelyn worked with at non-profit organization Due West Therapeutic Riding Center. While the mission of Due West TRC is to bring confidence to kids and adults with disabilities

*Names changed to protect identity through horseback riding, Evelyn’s also gained a new-found confidence by building connections with kids through animals during her weekly volunteer shifts.

Animals are a love Evelyn and Mary share — the reason Evelyn’s family teases she’s Mary’s child. Similar to Evelyn, Mary got involved in therapeutic riding when she was about the same age. She also wanted to hide in the stalls on her first day, but she eventually fell in love with therapeutic horse riding, leading her to major in special education in college and later open Due West.

“You start out wanting to be around the horses, but then you fall in love with the people too,” Mary said.

While providing an outlet for kids to ride horses, Due West has also helped wheelchairbound children gain movement and nonverbal children speak. One child’s first words were “walk on” — a command they say to the horse to keep moving.

What makes Due West different, according to Mary, than other TRC programs is that they don’t separate the TRC riders from the lesson riders.

“For our therapeutic riders, it gives them goals — ‘that rider’s jumping, I want to jump too,’” Mary said. “Now we have goals. Whereas they’re just spinning around and weaving between cones all day, there’s nothing to work towards if they’re not seeing what other things can happen.”

The kids are inspiring to Evelyn.

Eveyln’s newly-found strength was tested later that summer when she was leading Emily Stevens*, a young girl with autism, during one of the trail rides — the horse

startled and reared. Without hesitation, Evelyn pulled on the lead to bring the horse down on all fours, and helped Emily off — who was barely holding on.

Despite being a little teared up, Emily was all right. Evelyn and the other volunteers were praising Emily for how well she held on. Evelyn trusted herself in the moment and kept Emily safe — she felt like a superhero.

They still ride together today.

“This is so much more than just putting tack [saddle] on the horse,” Evelyn said. “It’s not just me, hiding behind the stalls and worrying as people are walking by. You’ve got to be more of a leader. If you aren’t sure and confident in yourself, then your horse isn’t going to be sure and confident and you have to show yourself as a leader in order for them to follow up. And with some of these kids, they aren’t able to speak or move as well. And so, if you’re not showing confidence, they’re going to get unsure at times.”

Evelyn now has greater confidence when leading horses on her own, and the conversation flows naturally with the person riding horseback. One of her most recent rides was with Sam O’Neill — a 21-year-old man with autism. Sam and Evelyn talked about “Hercules” and “Moana,” Sam informed her that his horse Dave was a Belgian horse and showed off his Joey Tribbiani impression: “How you doin’?”

Sam’s favorite part about horseback riding? Meeting new people.

During his first day at Due West, Sam was timid in getting on the horse and struggled with change, according to his dad Doug O’Neill. After four years of weekly trips to Due West, he hops on and off without a

problem and understands if his favorite horse can’t ride with him that day. Due West has provided a social circle outside of his family where he gets to work on his social skills, talking to volunteers like Evelyn.

The obstacles the children have overcome and the sanction they have found through horseback riding opened Evelyn’s eyes to all she was capable of.

“I started pursuing work because I was really inspired and I felt a lot more comfortable with people, working at a job or doing a job outside of [Due West],” Evelyn said. “Because I felt a lot more confident, I was like, ‘wow I can really do this.’”

Her days of being scared to go up to the counter at stores and ask a question are now combated by her hands-on service as a barista at Savoy Tea Co. — a step she never would’ve taken without the confidence she’s gained at Due West.

Walking around the stables in her cowgirl boots, Evelyn says hi to everyone working there, she leads paragraph conversations that were initially limited to a few short sentences and demonstrates to others there the confidence Due West has to offer. A confidence that’s inspired Evelyn to be a vet because it involves connecting with animals and people — something she no longer hesitates to do.

“Me being able to go from, ‘I just want to work in the back, I’ll fully saddle up these horses, that’s all I want to do,’ and now I’m able to communicate with these kids, I’m able to give them a good moment where they know that they can be themselves,” Evelyn said.

design by photo editors

BELOW | Junior Campbell Wood giving Carter a treat while visiting Roth at the stables. “My favorite part was being able to see the connection the volunteers and the kids,” Wood said.

“It’s a community of love and you don’t need to know everyone there to be able to instantly connect with them.” photo by megan stopperan

THE HARBINGER | APRIL 26, 2021

PHOTOSTORY | 19

SCAN ME | HARBIEPHOTO Scan this QR code to purchase photos

L E F T | Evel yn Roth leads Sam on the horse over colorful obstacle beams which simulate changes in the terrain that they would experience in an outdoor setting. “When I started working with the therapeutic program a little more,” Roth said. “I learned that the connection of horses brought me to working with different kids and adults with disabilities and being able to merge the two and the connection of the horse really brought us all together.” photo by megan stopperan LEFT | After walking Sam O’Neill and horse Dave around the arena to begin the riding session, Roth holds the horse in place while waiting for Sam to hop on the saddle. photo by megan stopperan

LEFT | Roth and Sam O’Neill end the riding session with a trail ride. “A lot of these kids get separated at school, and feel like they are put into boxes and don’t get to do what people regard to as the ‘normal school day,’” Roth said.

“But something that we do is put conventional and therapeutic riders together so that they are all able to ride on the same program. It’s really inspiring to see all different kids with different ranges of disabilities work in the same environment.” photo by megan stopperan

20 | FEATURES

THE HARBINGER | APRIL 26, 2021

for

design by sophie henschel photo by maggie merckens

T H E GA M E R G LOSS A RY 1 V1 Abbreviation of one versus one

AVATA R

The player’s representation in the game world Sophomore Kurt Freeman took up Twitch streaming as a hobby during the pandemic

by august hyd e *name changed to protect identity

C

onsole on, audio clear, webcam working, title set. Sophomore Kurt Freeman is ready to start his Twitch livestream. Even though he just considers it a hobby, Freeman works to put on an entertaining show for his 5-10 viewers.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the live streaming platform Twitch grew massively. According to The Verge, a technology magazine, Twitch viewership went up by 50% last year — and that was just from March to April.

Hundreds of thousands of people like Freeman flocked to the platform to watch a vast array of live content, from casual chats to highly competitive video gaming. Drawn in by their big personalities and the upbeat atmosphere of their streams, Freeman enjoyed the gaming content streamed by Twitch users such as TobyOnTheTele and GrimmLaStand.

After spending time enjoying other people’s livestreams, Freeman decided to start a channel of his own.

“I wasn’t really into Twitch until last year,” Freeman said. “I started watching it, then realized I had the resources to start [livestreaming], and it seemed like it would be fun.”

Freeman started livestreaming in April of 2020. On his stream, he plays a variety

THE SETUP SOUNDPROOFING F OA M

Foam attached to the walls of his gaming room to prevent background noise from entering/leaving the room

M AC B O O K

Films the Twitch livestream and power the monitor for gaming

of video games: Minecraft, Fallout 76 and Grand Theft Auto V, while interacting with his viewers by responding to messages left in his chat in real-time. Freeman believes the live interaction is the main appeal of Twitch for viewers and streamers alike.

“There’s a lot of great conversations that happen in the chat,” Freeman said. “People will tell me stories or about how their day is going. There’s some people who will come in and just start making hilarious jokes, it’s always really fun when the chat has a sense

58%

OF EAST STUDENTS HAVE TUNED INTO TWITCH LIVESTREAMS Instagram poll of 264 votes

of humor.”

Over the past year, Freeman has gained 134 followers on Twitch. While top creators on Twitch boast follower counts in the tens of millions, Freeman is content with having a smaller community.

“It’s just a fun hobby to mess around with,” Freeman said. “It’s not about becoming popular. Being queer and nonbinary, it would be a lot to handle the hate [that comes with a larger platform].”

Having a smaller community on Twitch has given Freeman a space to express himself and talk to like-minded people who are accepting of queer identities. Many of

360 N O -S CO P E

A type of trickshot in which a player spins a full 360 degrees and lands a shot without aiming

Freeman’s viewers are people he already knows from school or online spaces. One member of Freeman’s community is fellow East student Ainsley Johnson*.

Johnson has a Twitch channel of her own and started streaming in February of 2021.

Like Freeman, her favorite part of streaming is interacting with viewers in the chat.

“It’s fun to meet new people,” Johnson said. “And to have nice conversations with people that you’ve never talked to before.”

Freema and Johnson have streamed together once before, and both hope to do it again over the summer when both have more free time. It can be time consuming — many of the streams Freeman does with his friends surpass three hours.

“A lot of the time, it’s just us hanging out, playing games together, having fun and cracking jokes,” Freeman said. “Sometimes, we all just decide to start going really hard on a game, and get really competitive all of the sudden.”

While the COVID-19 pandemic has made it challenging to hang out with friends inperson, for Freeman and his viewers alike, his streams are an apt virtual replacement.

Freeman and Johnson aren’t the only East students who stream on Twitch. Like Freeman, sophomore Clove Le Riche has been streaming for the past year.

After one of Le Riche’s friends started streaming, they were inspired to do the same.

Like Freeman and Johnson, Le Riche found

that it was a fun way to socially interact with others, have fun and make memories during a time that would otherwise be lonely and boring.

On most of their streams, Le Riche plays Minecraft with their friends. Usually, they average 10-30 viewers across the entire duration of a stream. According to the Creator Handbook, it can be challenging to garner consistent viewership on Twitch, especially with such a large number of people creating content on the platform.

In order to help smaller creators increase their numbers, Twitch has a feature that allows streamers to “raid” another stream with their own viewers. Typically, once they’re done streaming, a larger creator will send their viewers to a smaller creator’s channel. For creators that don’t usually have a high number of viewers, being raided can be very exciting.

“The first time I got raided with more than 20 people was a big happy moment,” Le Riche said. “I had a good 20 viewers for a little while that were invested in what I was doing.”

Twitch provides people with the tools to form much-needed community. While the number of active users may as the COVID-19 pandemic comes to a close, many users including Freeman, Johnson and Le Riche don’t plan on going anywhere.

Freeman’s gaming setup for his livestreams

M O N I TO R

Computer hardware that displays the video and graphics generated by the MacBook

MICROPHONE Used for better sound quality while livestreaming

T O P | Sophomore Kurt Freeman sits at his gaming set up ready to live stream.

THE HARBINGER | APRIL 26, 2021

design by tommy paulus

A&E

A&E | 21

Catch up on what’s trending in the arts and entertainment world

HIGHLIGHTS

NEW AND IMPROVED ORIGINALS N OV 1 1 , 2008

RECENT RELEASES MOVIES

REMAKES A L B U M | F E A R L E SS BY TAY LO R SW I F T

MOVIE (NETFLIX):

APRIL 9, 2021

CONCRETE COWBOY

A L B U M | F E A R- L E SS ( TAY LO R ’S V E R S I O N )

The original is one of the most defining pop albums of any upcoming artist of this time. Full of country inspired beats, this album will always be a go to.

GENRE: COMING OF AGE

This album is a more current version of Taylor’s once country-ingenue roots. It gives the listener nostalgia where they can reminisce and reflect on Swift’s growth as an artist.

RUN TIME: 1 HR 51 MIN

SUMMARY: This movie follows a young kid living with his estranged father who is a cowboy in a tight-knit Philadelphia community.

DEC 18, 2 02 0

A L B U M | M C C A R T N E Y I I I BY PAU L M C C A R T N E Y

APRIL 1 6, 2 021

ALBUM | MCCARTNEY III RE I M AG I N E D

MOVIE (VUDU): NOBODY

The original is a recent modern rock album with music that is reminiscent of McCartney’s tenure with the Beatles. Overall, it’s an upbeat, jam-packed album.

The new version remixes every song from the original with a new artist.

Some notable features are Phoebe Bridgers and St. Vincent. Every remix is its own individual masterpiece.

GENRE: ACTION/THRILLER

RUN TIME: 1 HR 32 MIN

SUMMARY: After failing to protect his family from a break-in, a father must protect his family from the aftermath.

U P C O M I N G I N - P E R S O N KC C O N C E R T S SERIES J U N E 1 6, 2021

A U G. 21 , 2 021

SERIES (HBO MAX): MADE FOR LOVE

GENRE: DARK COMEDY

RUN TIME: ~1 HR

SUMMARY:

J U ST I N B I E B E R

A$AP ROCKY

T-MOBILE CENTER

PROVIDENCE AMPHITHEATER

The ex-girlfriend of a mad genius tech billionaire is trying to escape the technological grip he has on her.

tasse ls a n d t r u cks,

22 | A&E

THE HARBINGER | APRIL 26, 2021

Taco Republic, Burg & Barrel and Betty Rae’s Ice Cream all have food trucks available to rent for graduation parties

design by annabelle moore photos by noelle griffin

hooray!

booking 101

TACO R E P U B L I C T RU CK 500 County Line Rd. Kansas City, KS 66103 913-313-8999 scan to book

BU RG & B AR R E L T RU CK 7042 W. 76th St. Overland Park, KS 66204 (913) 444-0494 scan to book

B E T T Y R AE ’S T RU CK 412 Delaware St. Kansas City, MO 64105

(816) 214-8753 scan to book by chri sti an gool ey

L

ast day of high school: senior papers are turned in, the burden of lugging around a MacBook is gone and you’re starting to look for dorm rooms decorations. The only thing left is to celebrate your accomplishments with friends and family. And no graduation party is complete without a food truck.

Seniors still have their final few weeks until graduation — that means three weeks until graduation party season. To take one thing off your plate, I tested three popular local food trucks that will provide endless amazing food to all the guests that show up to celebrate the accomplishments.

My first stop was Taco Republic, a taqueria on Mission Road. Their two trucks were parked around back — one big green truck used for larger corporate events or weddings, and a smaller orange truck often rented for graduation parties. I really liked the look of the truck Taco Republic is known for their street style tacos. The food truck menu includes most of their different types of street tacos, fresh salsa, guacamole and queso served with fresh tortilla chips and much more. To quench your thirst, the truck also offers a limited selection of Mexican drinks like Jarritos, in addition to Coca-Cola beverages .

After going there for myself to see

what this whole street tacos the most surprising part was the amount of flavor in each one.I ordered three of the S&P tacos, which are served with chicken or beef, republic cheese, pico de gallo and lettuce. I chose beef in all my tacos. I had soft shells which still had a little bit of crunch and was perfect to stand around and eat with friends without having to worry about it crumbling in your hand. The Jarritos — an all-natural, fruit-flavored soda — were super fizzy but still had great flavor and the bottle kept it cold, making it taste 10 times better.

The only thing left is to celebrate your accomplishments with friends and family. And no graduation party is complete without a food truck.

The only downside of the tacos was the taco juice, which spilled all over my plate, making me fear it would spill all over my clothes. However, the rich taste of the beef and the chips made up for it.The minimum cost is $1,000.

The next place on the list is the local restaurant Bergen Barrel.It’s the definition of your classic bar and grill, with speciality

burgers and fries. Bergen Barrel also has a limited menu that accompanies their food truck which include soft pretzel sticks, french fry fix are hand-cut fries, pepper jack queso, applewood smoked bacon and shredded cheese.

I ordered soft pretzel sticks and the Classique burger.

I ordered soft pretzel sticks and the Classique burger. Envisioning the dry, oversalted bread with a side of congealed cheese served at Royals games, I was pleasantly surprised when the waiter came out with a plate of puffy and soft pretzels with the perfect amount of salt and butter. The pretzels were amazing with the perfect amount of salt and butter.

Next I tried to Classique burger, which contained certified angus beef patty with bibb lettuce, tomato, red onion and pickles.

The medium-rare patty came out with the perfect ratio of pink on the inside, and the flavor of the red union brought out the rich flavor of the meat and if your classmate is going through a vegetarian phase, they also offer burgers made of black beans or veggies.

However, adding an order of fries to the meal made it a bit too heavy with grease — not ideal for mingling between classmates and family. Not to mention it would be best to attain other options for drinks, as the

truck only offers bottle water. Monday through Thursday is $1,250 minimum up to 3 hours, Friday through Sunday is $1,500 minimum 3 hours.

For those who are looking to serve guests a sweet treat rather than an entire meal, Betty Rae’s offers a truck equipped with 15 ice cream flavors from the shop.The truck offers cups and cones, along with the option to turn any flavor in to a sundae or root beer float. The outside of the truck has a bunch of barrels on it with a big burger on the left side.

After scanning the list of flavors for an excessive amount of time, I finally settled on the fudge brownie — chocolate ice cream with brownie mixed in. It had a rich chocolate favor, and pieces of brownie in each bite — my personal favorite part. I could also tell the ice cream was made well as it had an even consistency, with no bite softer than another. Between the myriad of flavors and vegan options, everyone can find a flavor they really love and could eat for hours.

Although this would be my first pick to have at my party as it would brighten everyone’s day, graduation-party-hopping selves, it wouldn’t be a full meal, leaving you to look somewhere else or simply call it good with the ice cream. If people pay for the ice cream while at the party all they ask is $500.

THE HARBINGER | APRIL 26, 2021

design by tommy paulus photos by trevor paulus

A&E | 23

ACTING WITH KINDNESS A week of different acts of kindness

I

by w inni e wolf

’ll be the first to say it: it’s not always easy to make time for nice gestures. From backto-back sports to struggling through another overwhelming week of Canvas assignments, it’s hard to put others first — especially with no service hours to log or gifts to open in return as motivation.

I’m by no means an angel sent from above, but unexpected acts of kindness are important — and expecting something in return shouldn’t be a default thought. From a common courtesy like holding the door for a stranger or getting your hands dirty for volunteer work, it all matters.

Heading into the last quarter of my senior year after spring break with dance competitions, assassins and college preparation, I knew I wasn’t going to be breezing through these last weeks. And if I wasn’t, surely other people in my life were feeling the same way. So, I challenged myself to do an above-average, nice deed for someone in my life for one week — just because.

They say food is a love language — but in the dance world, it’s a cold Celsius. Giving you caffeinated energy and a taste that’s addictive, these energy drinks are a staple for

getting through a long night of rehearsals. I packed up four spare drinks I’d been saving for later in the week from my fridge and distributed them to some of the early-bird arrivals at dance that night.

As someone who’s been gifted a Celsius out of the blue before, being on the other side of the scenario was new to me. Though I was relatively hesitant going into the week of kindness, worried about how my friends would react or emptying my bank account, seeing their eyes light up with appreciation inspired me to make the most out of the rest of the week.

With a not-so-costly start to my week on Monday, I switched gears for Tuesday — paying for a stranger’s order in the Starbucks drive-through. After ordering my go-to — and overpriced — $7 venti iced vanilla latte with almond milk, I drove up to the window and proudly told the barista I would like to pay for the car behind me.

My smile faltered underneath my mask when she announced their total was $24.33.

Though I’m not used to dropping over $30 at Starbucks with no Venmo in return, I had to keep reminding myself that was the whole point.

H A P P I N E S S 4.5 5.0

3. 5 5 .0

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The societal expected response once your food is paid for is to continue the trend for those behind you. So while I can’t confirm that the Honda behind me was feeling generous, I can only hope I inspired them to do a good deed for the person behind them.

I challenged myself to do an above-average, nice deed for someone in my life for one week — just because.

Taking a hit in my bank account from my previous acts of kindness the days before, I switched directions again for my third day with a different approach — handwritten letters specifically.

With my paper out, my colorful Paper Mate pens in hand and Criminal Minds queued up, I got to work. I expected it to be strenuous, but with no thesis, sources to reference or interviewing, I found it to be therapeutic.

Sealing off my last letter, I got jittery as I anxiously awaited to mail them off to my friends. I could’ve used my free time for my missing AP Statistics homework by sending texts instead, but there’s something personal about a letter even Snapchat can’t beat.

Though I won’t know their reactions until the mail is delivered, I can only

rating positive feelings from each act

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hope they come on a day where they need it the most.

Thursday was an impromptu cookie baking session in my kitchen for my family. We don’t keep desserts around often, despite the fact that my dad and sisters have the biggest sweet tooths, so it’s safe to say they enjoyed my sugar cookies. I don’t think I can say the cookies made their days entirely, but it was a nice thing to do considering how moody I can be around them after a long day.

I ended my acts of kindness on Friday with an event I had been collecting items for all week: a trip to Savers. Taking the biggest reusable bag I could find, I sorted through my massive accumulation of t-shirts, winter clothes and pieces I knew I would never wear again whenever I came across them throughout the week.

In comparison to throwing these clothes away or letting them sit in the closets of my sisters — never worn — it was a reminder that there’s always another more eco-friendly option. The Savers worker thanked me for my donation with a smile, and it was then that I felt like my week had come full circle.

This week was by no means difficult. If it made me realize anything, it’s that even the smallest gesture can make someone’s entire day. I can’t promise I’ll be able to go above and beyond like this every day, but I can’t deny I’m inspired to do more good.

W H AT C A N YO U D O? Different acts of kindness you can do everyday

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SCAN ME | WEBSITE BRINGING A FRIEND CELSIUS

PAY I N G F O R PERSON BEHIND

BAKING COOKIES

WRITING ST I C K Y N OT E S

DROP OFF AT S AV E R S

A link to the website randomactsof kindness.com, a website that gives you ideas of nice things you can do everyday.

24 | A&E

THE HARBINGER | APRIL 26, 2021

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Although spring cleaning can be overwhelming, breaking it down into sections of the house makes it more achievable ET

IN THE DONATION PILE Madeline chose to donate these items from each of the three locations by madeline funkey

I

t’s that time of the year again: itchy eyes, runny noses and the famous phrase my mom uses as an excuse to deep clean every corner and dust off each aimless knickknack she’s accumulated — spring cleaning.

There’s no better way to welcome the warm weather than settling into a newly-cleaned and refreshed space with no winter coats or thermal socks in sight.

THE TASK remove at least 10 items from three different areas of the house — the closet, the desk and the bathroom The sunny spring weather is a motivator to finally get organized before the chaos of summer unfolds. In my eyes, the phrase “spring cleaning” should be called “spring decluttering.” It’s not the cleaning that makes your space feel like you just experienced a luxury cleaning service. It’s the minimizing your collection of fuzzy socks that prevents you from having a mental breakdown every time you dare to open your sock drawer.

Getting my daily TikTok fix while walking to marketing class, I came upon a video of a girl participating in the “30 Day Declutter Challenge.” She threw away 30 items on the first day, 29 on the second, 28 on the third

design by catherine erickson photos by rachel bingham

WHAT WAS THROWN OUT

THE CLOSET

THE DESK

THE BATHROOM

2 pairs of tennis shoes 5 pairs of jeans old graphic tees athletic shorts

DSI 4 phone cases 4 notebooks dried out markers and highlighters

old lotion 10 nail polishes toiletry bags

and so on until she got to zero. While taking her audience through each day, she talked about how motivation can be hard to find sometimes, but setting the goal of a specific amount of items to get rid of helped her keep going.

Feeling inspired by the video, but wanting to add my own twist, I selected three locations in my house that needed the most TLC — my closet, desk and bathroom. I planned to remove at least 10 things from each spot.

Queuing up season six episode 20 of “The Vampire Diaries,” I started the process with my not-so-tidy closet, sorting through the treacherous piles of clothes that covered the hardwood floor.

The strategy I used to get rid of pieces in my wardrobe — which I also learned from TikTok — is to look at the item and ask yourself if you’ll reach for it tomorrow. If not, put it in the donation pile and move on.

I’ve accumulated one too many graphic t-shirts that will never see the light of day again, so reaching my 10 item goal was simple. I ended with over 20 clothes and trinkets in my donation pile.

The harsh reality of my closet is that I rarely wear at least half of the clothes hanging on the racks. I sifted through each section of summer and winter pieces and pulled out anything that I mentally noted I would never reach for in the future — including my iconic sequined Justice skirt and leggings combo I rocked every day of fourth grade.

The cleaning and decluttering process was even therapeutic in a way. The more I got rid of unwanted items, the more motivation I got to wipe off shelves, sweep the floor and hang up miscellaneous clothes. Walking into my room after an exhausting day of APUSH and English tests, I noticed it was easier to relax with a tidy space to come home to.

The next task was to tackle my desk. It appears orderly on the outside, but when diving in, I discovered many loose papers and colored pencils shoved in random drawers. In the decluttering process, I found my dusty hot pink DSI, four iPhone cases, my turquoise iPod Touch and three books I didn’t even

Walking into my room after an exhausting day of APUSH and English tests, I noticed it was easier to relax with a tidy space to come home to. realize I owned.

Though it was hard parting ways with my DSI, I knew it could find a home other than the bottom of my desk drawer. As the donation pile began to grow, I felt like I was getting somewhere with the whole spring cleaning session.

My hardest challenge came last: the nightmare of my bathroom. This is where

THE STRATEGY

if you will not reach for an item by the next day, put it in the donate pile

the mass accumulation of miniature hotel products and 37 nail polishes is thrown into a bottomless pit that never seems to stay organized.

With my “productive” Spotify playlist playing in the background, I took a look under my sink where overflowing containers had once separated cotton swabs, serums, lotions, toothpaste, hair ties and face wash.

It took me an hour to fully go through the decluttering process. I collected well over 10 items to throw away and donate. Though easier than I expected, I’ll admit it was hard at times to finish the strenuous task. I had to take breaks and find motivation, such as an episode of “Friends” or a mystery podcast, to keep going.

However, the exhaustion was forgotten when a wave of accomplishment washed over me as I finished my final steps, wiping down my counter and sink.

The process of getting rid of non-essential items made getting ready in the morning a smoother process without having to scamble to find my misplaced hair ties. It makes sense: the less you own, the faster and easier it is to keep things organized.

Pulling up to Savers carrying the hefty, about-to-burst trash bag full of donations, I felt a weight lift from my shoulders, literally.

I will definitely be back next year, hopefully with a little less weight in the trash bag.

S hort REVIEW THE HARBINGER | APRIL 26, 2021

design by anna mitchell photo by trevor paulus

A by rose ka nal ey

A&E | 25

A review of Disney’s short films available on Disney+ to those who have a subscription to the streaming service.

Introduction

THE START OF a Pixar movie is something we all know and love — how could you forget the nostalgic lamp jumping on the “I” in Pixar just before your favorite childhood classic starts. But for me, the real entertainment started with the short film that was shown before the movie.

Since my brief attention span usually causes me to stop the movie halfway through, the Pixar short films capture the joy of watching a storyline without having to get bored in the middle of it or having to pause because you don’t have

INSIDE OUT’S

time to finish. The short films are ideal if you’re looking for a low-commitment and lighthearted storyline, although I typically get sucked in by the large number of short films and end up watching each one that comes into my “recommended” section of Disney+.

They may be brief, but the nostalgic short films are painfully underrated for their plot creativity and valuable messages. As a bit of a Pixar short film connoisseur, here are some of my favorites you can watch on Disney+.

Lava

I’M NOT SURE how Pixar fits an entire plotline that can draw real emotion, themes and bring me to tears in five minutes — “Lava” was no exception.

While more well-known, the short film “Lava” is too sweet not to include. The love story is about two volcanoes who face away from each other and are only able to bond through their song — which I promise you’ll be humming the rest of your day. The simple child-like romance of

RATATOUILLE’S IF YOU’RE LOOKING for a good laugh rather than a life lesson, check out the short film “Lifted.” With the premise of a young alien tackling his first lesson in the abduction of a sleeping human, we watch him operate his spaceship where he bumps the human into furniture, drops him on the ground and slams him into walls.

I felt like my 10-yearold self watching “epic fail”

the two while struggling to be with each other at the right time captured the human (and volcano) desire for love on screen.

You may find yourself wishing for someone to “lava” after watching the film, but I promise it’s worth it. And if you enjoyed the short film and are ready for a more time-committing show, watch “Inside Out,” the Pixar movie the short is paired with, to keep enjoying a plotline filled with love and emotions.

Lifted

YouTube videos with my sister, laughing every time the human hit something different.

While it’s about overcoming failure — although I’m not sure what the message of overcoming a failed abduction signifies — the short felt more lighthearted and laughable than anything else. Everyone in the family, from your little sister to your dad, will be laughing at this one.

UP’S

Partly Cloudy

IF THERE’S ONE thing Pixar has mastered, it’s friendship.

Every Pixar friendship duo seems to compliment each other perfectly, and “Partly Cloudy” emphasizes the importance of loving our friends through their faults.

“Partly Cloudy” tells the story of the cloud people who bring babies to life for storks to deliver to expecting families — it follows one, less-trained cloud who can’t seem to make the same cute and cuddly animals and babies for his stork to deliver as the clouds around him. When the cloud next to him makes an adorable puppy, he makes a terrifying alligator,

FINDING DORY’S “PIPER” — A SHORT about a baby sandpiper bird facing her fears — is your sign to get control over whatever fear you may be facing.

Watching Piper overcome her fear of the sea to find food on the shoreline was nothing short of adorable. I firmly believe that full Pixar movies don’t quite hit the peak cuteness factor that Pixar short films do, and “Piper” proves this.

INCREDIBLES 2’S I WOULDN’T RECOMMEND dedicating the seven minutes and 40 seconds to watch this short film unless you’re fully prepared for a good cry — and a craving for dumplings.

“Bao’s” plotline is about a mom whose life changes when her dumpling comes to life, but really the short film captures the mother’s loneliness and sadness when she feels she’s losing her son as he drifts from her.

or a spiky porcupine — trust me, you probably wouldn’t want a stork delivering this cloud’s creations to your doorstep.

The cloud worries that the stork is upset with him, having to carry and deliver the monstrous creatures, but the sweet ending shows the stork would rather have his slightlytroubled cloud with him than any other perfect-creatureproducing cloud out there.

“Partly Cloudy” is a heartwarming reminder about the importance of friendship and accepting people for who they are, and it’s the perfect film to share with your best friend.

P iper

The animations and scenery are some of the best parts of the film. With peaceful shades of blue and purple skies over the sand and water, I was left feeling both relaxed and motivated to approach any worries, not to mention wishing for a beach vacation.

And if you like the short, you can keep watching the Pixar animations of adventures in the sea by watching “Finding Dory,” which the short played before.

Bao

Watching the dumpling (a metaphor for the son) grow up left me appreciating and missing my parents before I’ve even left home, and wishing I could stay a kid forever.

Although I warn any seniors to avoid watching this with your parents — they might not let you leave the house after graduation — this short film is a special ode to growing up.

SOME SHORT STATS The Disney movies numbered one through five, best to worst, with their duration and director.

1 2 3 4 5

Partly Cloudy

DURATION: 5 MIN

DIRECTED BY: Peter Sohn

Bao

DURATION: 7 MIN DIRECTED BY: Domee Shi

P iper

DURATION: 6 MIN

DIRECTED BY: Alan Barillaro

Lifted

DURATION: 4 MIN

DIRECTED BY: Gary Rydstrom

Lava

DURATION: 8 MIN

DIRECTED BY: James Murphy

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THE HARBINGER | APRIL 26, 2021

design by cesca stamati

SPORTS

SPORTS | 27

HIGHLIGHTS

Updates, schedules and quotes about the sports season

GETTING TO STAT E How teams qualify for state this year

GA M E H I G H L I G H TS Past sporting events and the results VARSITY L ACROSSE

M A R K YO U R C A L E N DA R Important events this month

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TE NNIS | B OYS TRACK | VA RSIT Y VA RSITY SU NFLOWER INV ITATION A L TOU RNA MENT VS. VS. ST. TH OM AS MILL VA LLEY AQU I N AS

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B E LOW | Junior Michael Scott carries the flag and senior Sammy Jones carries a speaker as the team takes the field. photo by elise madden

We have our regionals in two or three weeks and the top two teams from each region qualify. In the regionals there’ll probably be 14 teams.

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evan scobie | boys golf coach

S O CC E R Everybody makes the playoffs and there’s 18 teams and so then you’re bracketed into four regions. If you win your region, which is usually four or five teams, then you win the regional and go to the quarterfinals. Those final four teams from the quarterfinals go to state in Topeka.

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james kelly | girls soccer coach

We have a 20 game schedule, then we take our season record and compare it to other 16 teams and we’re broken up into four individual regionals based on that and then the teams that win, there’s four from the east and four from the west, go to state.

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B AS E B A L L

will gorden | baseball coach

A B OV E | Senior Zeke Johnson prepares to take a shot, making his second goal of the game. photo by elise madden R I G H T | Juniors Tyler Moore and John Spencer, and seniors Danny Stapp and Cole Walburn chant and cheer for the Lancer lacrosse team during the first quarter of the game. photo by elise madden

MISS THE SHOW? Scan the QR code to access the Harbinger website and view the Lancer Dancer Spring Show on April 1

THE HARBINGER | APRIL 26, 2021

28 | SPORTS

design by lyda cosgrove photos from jackson moulin

RALLYIN G FOR RU GBY Students from St. James Academy and East have a combined rugby team that began in the 90’s and is still competing today by g reyso n i m m “TEAM CAPTAIN.”

A B O V E | Junior Jackson Moulin takes a water break with teammates.

Those two words had drifted around senior Mitchell Stedry’s mind throughout the school day. But when his rugby coach told him that he’d been chosen out of his 27 teammates to be the new captain, Stedry could hardly believe it.

Three years prior was the first time Stedry had ever even picked up a rugby ball. He’d joined the Saint East rugby team — a hybrid team of Saint James and East students — in eighth grade.

“When he joined us, Mitchell was this small, scared kid,” Saint East coach Rob Loney said. “Now he’s this super skilled, big athletic guy making tackles, making runs. And you look at where he was in eighth grade when he joined and he’s developed so much so quickly. That’s what Saint East is all about.”

Stedry’s journey from rookie to team captain is remarkable, but not uncommon among Saint East rugby players — the program is aimed to give students the training and skills they need to excel in rugby.

“What I like most about rugby is the physicality of the game,” Stedry said. “It’s just super involved, I used to play football and I get the ball a lot more in rugby, which is what makes it fun for me.”

RUGBY BASICS THE GOAL OF THE GAME: Score more points than the other side.

Points are scored through tries, conversions, penalty kicks and drop goals.

THE RUGBY LAW: no player can throw the ball forward, only sideways or backwards

The team that Stedry and many others know today began in 1990 by a few high school players simply looking to have fun while playing one of their favorite sports competitively. Since then, the team has expanded drastically, and now is home to 27 dedicated high schoolers.

The team has changed a lot since then in terms of the numbers of players, coaches and even uniforms.

In fact, 2015 was when the team expanded from exclusively East players to to Saint James players

SCRUM CAP:

protective helmet worn by all players to avoid ear and head injuries

as well.

However, the core mission of the team remains the same — to give high school athletes a place to play rugby in a team setting.

“Rugby is truly a team sport,” Connor Burke, social coordinator for the Kansas City Blues Rugby Club, said. “In basketball, you can get away with having one player driving the ball up the court and shooting a layup. In rugby, it’s almost mandatory for the whole team to move around and work together as a singular team unit to score.”

Despite the stereotypes of rugby players, junior Jackson Moulin doesn’t find the game to be

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restrictive to the size of the player. According to him, anyone is able to find a place within the team.

“A lot of people think, ‘Oh, I’m too small to do this, I’m too big to do this,’ stuff like that,” Moulin said. “[Playing] rugby shows you that size doesn’t matter because you have little dudes tackling big dudes, little dudes running over big dudes and vice versa.”

Currently, the team is vying for the top spot in the league against Saint Thomas Aquinas. Even though Aquinas is ranked first in the nation, Saint East is up for the challenge.

The state title is what every high school rugby team across Kansas has their sights set on. In years past, Saint East has come close, but ended up placing second or third. This year, however, the team members and coaches are confident that they have a chance of not only competing in the final match, but winning it all.

“In my 20 something years of coaching the team, the best times we had were at state,” Loney said.

“Back in the earlier years — maybe the third or fourth year I’d joined — the old East team was a powerhouse — winning all sorts of games, playing spectacularly, all of that. The team we have this year has the chance to make the same sort of legacy.”

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PLAYERS ON A TEAM

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1 LOOSEHEAD PROP

6 BLINDSIDE FLANKER

2 HOOKER

7 OPENSIDE FLANKER

12 INSIDE CENTER

3 TIGHTHEAD PROP

8 NUMBER 8

13 OUTSIDE CENTER

4 SECOND ROW

9 SCRUM-HALF

14 RIGHT WING

5 SECOND ROW

10 FLY-HALF

15 FULL BACK

11 LEFT WING

THE HARBINGER | APRIL 26, 2021

design by caroline gould photos by lily mantel

SPORTS | 29

SEASON STR KEOUT Only three of the softball players are returning players, leaving a majority of the team of 13 in their first varsity season by lily b i l l i ngsley

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queezing her eyes shut as she stepped up to the plate, sophomore Audrey Condon’s one goal was to not strike out looking.

“It was terrifying,” Condon said.

This was Condon’s first ever softball game — and since East softball was combined into just one team this year due to a lack of players, she was playing on varsity.

“I had gone to the batting cages, of course,” Condon said. “But I hadn’t gone up against live pitchers that were pitching 50 or 60 miles an hour.”

Condon isn’t the only varsity softball player in this situation this season — only three of the team’s 13 players are returning upperclassmen, and only one player has played in an East varsity game before.

The softball team was forced to combine into one team this year due to multiple girls quitting after tryout w e e k because o f

c l u b s p o r t conflicts or grade ineligibility due to online classes. When the number of girls dropped to 13, only a varsity team was left.

Maggie Archer and Kristen Gustafon, two of the team’s three coaches, believe that this change in

number was also due to COVID-19, given that some people weren’t allowed to play or hadn’t heard about tryouts. Gustafson thinks that the numbers will be back to enough girls for two teams next year.

“Of course we were disappointed we didn’t have more girls try out,” Archer said. “But we are so lucky to have the girls that we do.”

Since softball is a no cut sport, it’s not uncommon for girls who haven’t played before to try out for the team. But the absence of a JV team for beginners this year has led to varying skill levels among the varsity athletes.

While one girl has been playing softball since elementary school and has a sister who plays in college, another one had to learn what “throw down” and “cut it” meant on the first day of practice.

Senior Becca Nash, who has played softball at East for four years and been on varsity for two, thinks this puts the players at a disadvantage because they won’t get to learn the game on JV — they’ll all be thrown into playing at the varsity level.

“The girls on the JV team usually get to learn the game with other people who have never played before or aren’t as experienced,” Nash said. “So this year has had its flaws of people coming in who don’t know anyone. To be a team, you have to get to know each other, so it’s very difficult for some of those girls.

But they’ve come into it, and they’ve really thrived and tried their best.”

With 10 players needed on the field, many new players like Condon are starting for varsity, which has led older players to switch positions from what they are experienced in playing.

Nash played as an outfielder during her first three seasons on the team, but switched to first baseman this year due to the lack of players available to play the position.

“It’s been new, but very fun,” Nash said.

“You’re a part of every play, so it’s also been a learning curve, but I like learning a new position because I’ve seen other people play it, so I kind of knew what to do, but now I get to learn it in detail.”

The team has also struggled with confidence in both themselves and each other, due to the lack of experience and team bonding caused by COVID-19 restrictions.

“We have a lot of girls who have that flaw of not being confident of themselves in games since they’ve never played before, which draws them back a little bit,” Nash said. “But it’s actually been very fun to see these girls coming in with no experience and growing in just a few weeks to actually learn a position and do it well.”

Condon has also seen a significant improvement in skill level from many of the team’s new players as they adjust to playing in a high pressure environment. Playing against challenging teams has allowed them to improve in both batting and field play. The team has yet to win a game this season, but she believes that they are tightening the score margins and improving on their individual skills as they learn more about the game.

“Some girls tried out and didn’t really know how to throw a softball, and now they’re making long throws,” Condon said. “The improvement happens and it’s noticeable, and we’re trying

ABOVE | Junior Paige Keedy swings at a pitch. photo by lily mantel

L E F T | Freshman Emma Thomas throws a pitch at during the varsity game. photo by lily mantel

ABOUT THE TEAM

13

players

to get a start by playing.”

Condon sees this year’s team as a growing opportunity for the underclassmen. Assuming tryout numbers are low again next year, they’ll have three to four years of experience on varsity by the time they are seniors.

“Anyone like me who hasn’t played before, they’re only going to know how to go against varsity teams and pitchers,” Condon said.

“By the time we get to our senior year, we’re going to be pretty good. We’ll have 100 % experience against varsity teams, and we might be going against someone who played JV up until their senior year and is used to playing freshmen and sophomores.”

Although they barely have enough players to fill a single team, Condon hopes that the softball team uses this year as a chance to improve.

“We’re not trying to win the championship,” Condon said. “We’re just trying to get better as a team.

It’s a new program essentially, and we’re trying to build it up and make more people aware of it. “

A look into the varsity softball team’s players and season

3 returning players

1 returning varsity player

30 | SPORTS

THE HARBINGER | APRIL 26, 2021

design by grace allen photos by jill rice

ZACH OF ALL TRADES Sophomore Zach Sederquist is attempting to play every sport at East, which has lead to many meaningful friendships along the way

by tommy paul us

“MEH, WHY NOT” then-freshman Zach Sederquist thought when trying out for the soccer team… and the bowling, and the swim and the tennis team, the list goes on.

It’s not uncommon for a student to participate in multiple sports at East, but now-sophomore Sederquist is a pan-athlete, and his ultimate goal to try out every single sport at East.

Sederquist wants to at least try out for every sport, and if he makes the team, he’ll do it. So far he has tried out and made it on the teams for soccer, swim, bowling, tennis and track. The only team he didn’t make was basketball, but he ended up managing for the sophomore team instead. While being on different teams, Sederquist has been able to make friends in each sport and encourage others to play with him.

“I’m not doing this because I think I’m the best athlete,” Sederquist said. “I just think it’s cool to see what all I can do with it.”

During his freshman year, Sederquist didn’t plan on trying out every sport. He stuck with the sports he grew up participating in — soccer and swim. It wasn’t until he made a deal with his cousin that they’d both try out bowling that he realized he had played five sports alread. This realization sparked his decision try all of them.

“A friend and I were talking how I’d tried out for basically every sport a while back,” Sederquist said. “So I looked and it was more than half.”

Sederquist played on both the JV and

varsity teams and, according to bowling coach Frederick Elliott, he was a great team player and cheered on his other teammates and make a lighter atmosphere “When he played for the varsity, he was a bit hesitant, but he soon got along with everyone on it,” Elliott said.

A common theme in Sederquist’s time on any team he’s on is his sense of comradery.

Sederquist’s mom, Krista Sederquist, feels that Zach has always been the one to get a group of his friends — or even friends of friends — and set up a rec flag football and soccer teams.

“With Zach, it always seems to be the more the merrier when it comes to being on a team,” Krista said.

After having a team games class together during freshman year, Sederquist c o nv i n c e d sophomore Jay Hutchison to join the swim team with him. For the most part,

THE PRESENT SOCCER C-TE AM

BLUE AND WHITE

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experience, he tried again this year and made it on to play with Sederquist.

“When I got cut, Zach told me to grind over the summer so that we could play because he really enjoyed it freshman year,” Martucci said.

He’s glad he did too, as he and Sederquist became closer friends. When Sederquist was placed on C-team, Martucci was upset he didn’t make JV, but also very excited to be able to play with him.

I’m not doing this because I think I’m the best athlete, I just think it’s cool to see what all I can do with it.

zach sederquist | sophomore “Even though he wasn’t higher up on the team, we enjoyed it because we would carpool all the time and just mess around at practice when we could,” Martucci said.

To Sederquist, sports aren’t something to take too seriously, but rather to be enjoyed and have fun with. He has been able to make closer bonds with a myriad of people all without breaking a — nervous — sweat.

“I don’t see myself as getting too upset over something like highschool sports” said Sederquist. “My mindset is this: just have fun.”

THE FUTURE

The sports Zach played for East this year

TENNIS

Sederquist has built up friendships through sports teams and grown closer with acquaintances in his classes.

“I had never swam, but it seemed like a fun thing to do and as the season progressed I got a lot better,” Hutchison said. “And now, I can definitely see myself swimming next year.”

Sederquist and Hutchison quickly bonded over swim as he was very easy to get along with and fun to be around. According to Hutchison, he’s the kind of guy who could try anything and find a way to make friends.

“It’s very on brand for him, it’s just totally something he would do, you know, try everything,” Hutchison said.

Along with Hutchison, Sederquist also convinced sophomore Matt Martucci to join the soccer team this spring. After he didn’t make it last year due to his lack of

The sports Zach plans to try out for in the next two

F OOTBALL FALL BASEBALL SPRING CROSS COUNTRY

BOWLING JV/VARSITY

WRESTLING

FALL

WINTER

TA K E AWAYS

JUNIOR VARSITY

The lessons Zach has learned from his many sports

SWIM

JUNIOR VARSITY

“I’VE MET A LOT OF NEW PEOPLE THAT I WOULDN’T HAVE EVER BECOME SUCH CLOSE FRIENDS WITH,” SAID SEDERQUIST.

design by julia percy

THE HARBINGER | APRIL 26, 2021

SEEING

East’s Twin Club, run by seniors Ava and Ellie Peters, held their first meeting of the year

B E L O W | Seniors Hope Robinett and Reese Althouse play twin bingo together.

Althouse was filling in for Hanna Robinett, Hope’s twin. “I didn’t participate in twin club in the past because I’m not a twin, and I only went this year to fill in with a friend who’s twin wasn’t able to go. Some of my best friends run [twin club] and it’s a very fun club with lots of good people,” Althouse said. photo by macy crosser

DOUBLE

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A B O V E | Seniors Ellie and Ava Peters, presidents of twin club, lead the bingo game during their twin club meeting. “It was a little hard to plan Twin club during quarantine, which is why we’ve only had one meeting.

So, we were happy to get this one in. It’s fun to see all of the twins in the school and it’s fun to hear how we all have similar experiences,” Ava said. photo by sabrina dean LEFT | A Twin Club attendee plays the twin themed bingo on their phone. photo by macy crosser

L E F T | Senior Ella Miller contemplates a bingo topic with her twin Tess Miller. “The different cards were so funny and relatable. I think my favorite one was did you absorb your triplet in the womb. I feel like Tess and I applied to most of them, and it was funny to see that other twins had or were experiencing the same thing, like the “given your twin a scar before” question,” Ella said. photo by sabrina dean

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THE HARBINGER | APRIL 26, 2021

design & copy by riley atkinson

GRAD PARTY

With graduation par t y season approaching, here are some of the best gif ts to give seniors from local boutiques

ROOM SPRAY

SWEATSHIRT

Since candles aren’t allowed in dorm rooms, give your grad a way to freshen up their space with this teakwood room spray from Tyler Kingston.

You literally can’t go wrong with giving the gift of a comfy sweatshirt. This one from Made in KC is the perfect, subtle reminder of home.

STICKER PACK

WALLET Cram sessions in the library will be a new norm for the incoming college freshmen. Give them some cheerful stickers to brighten up their study materials — whether that be a laptop or a notebook.

TOTE BAG

Whether it’s carrying groceries up to the dorm in an eco-friendly way or storing school supplies for the walk to class, this tote would be the perfect staple for the college life.

If you want to spend a little extra money, this classic wallet from Tyler Kingston is perfect.

The mature, leather look will help the senior transition into adulthood.

SELF-CARE PACKAGE

DECOR BANNER

What better way to incorporate a piece of home than with a room decor banner.

This Kansas City one from Made in KC is the perfect gift for someone who’s going far way for college so they can remember their roots.

College is stressful — it’s as simple as that.

Give this conveniently-packaged self-care box from Made in KC during grad season so your favorite seniors can have some prescheduled zen time.

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