Shawnee Mission South Patriot February 2013

the

PATRIOT SHAWNEE MISSION SOUTH HIGH SCHOOL • FEBRUARY 2013 • VOLUME 47 • ISSUE 06

all about

SEX

THE TALK NO ONE WILL TALK ABOUT...

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY JULIA LARBERG

join the Stop by our 95th & Mission store.

crowd.i

One in three first-year college freshmen who stay in Kansas attend JCCC.

www.jccc.edu

10362 Mastin Overland Park, KS 66212

the

STAFF ALMA VELAZQUEZ Editor-in-Chief Design

CASEY LEE Managing editor Sports OLIVIA FEATHERS News CALVIN FREEMAN Opinions HANNAH STRADER Features RACHEL ROSENSTOCK A&E DEREK FUHRMANN Copy JULIA LARBERG Photography HUNTER YOUNG Web SHELBY JOHNSON Ads

Writers LUKE HOLLAND HAYLEIGH CHUDIK

FEBRUARY ISSUE

18

NATHAN THIMMESCH MIGUEL PALOMINO GARRETT MOULD GRIFFIN ZELLER TRIVETTE KNOWLES AMBER FELKINS ROLA ALASMAR GEORGIA DUBOIS

PHOTO COURTESY OF SKYLAR BRENNAN

KAYLIE STABLER Photographers ETHAN STONE SUSAN NGUYEN DEZARAE DUFFEY JULIE FALES Adviser

MISSION

The Patriot is a newsmagazine

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

The editor-in-chief reserves the right to refuse or edit any letters for reasons of grammar, length, and good taste.

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NEWS

Students discuss their thoughts on PDA at school Teachers share views on Kansas education budget Latin students play in a Quidditch tournament

OPINIONS

15 16 17 19

Senior breaks down the relationship between religion and sex Editors take a stance on socially advertised relationships Do teen relationships need sex to survive long term?

Senior shares her experience living the single life

FEATURES

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A&E

Read about some of society’s most famous sex symbols All about the latest music, books and other bits of pop culture See SMS’s best dressed in an elaborate photoshoot Junior expresses herself as a high-achieving artist

SPORTS

A recap of recent sports scandals and their effect on fans Athletes held to chastity contract at some schools South gains a basketball player from a different school Current South athletes sign with colleges and soccer alum signs with pros

An in-depth look at changing taboos on the subject of sex Sixteen-year-old shares her story as a teen mom

WANT MORE? * cover story

VISIT WWW.SMSPATRIOT.ORG for polls, staff columns, and pictures

TOC

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mark your

CALENDAR

[NO SCHOOL]

Presidents Day [FEBRUARY 18] feb.

21

LATE

START

PAC MEETING

7 PM auditorium on March

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FACULTY DISCUSSES RULES BEHIND PUBLIC DISPLAYS OF AFFECTION

BY KAYLIE STABLER

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DA, or public display of affection, is a familiar term among teens, and sometimes an unnecessarily polite way of describing those “touchy-feely” couples.

The rules on the matter are vague, but it’s generally frowned upon to grope your boyfriend/ girlfriend in the hallway. PDA isn’t necessarily always that lewd: kissing, hugging, holding each other. If it does go over the top however, at school the typical reaction is to snarl at the happy couple and perhaps mutter, “Get a room.”

“The most inappropriate thing I’ve seen at South is ‘fullon making out’ and grabbing butts. It’s not something people want to see in the halls,” junior Kelly O’Connor said.

At Shawnee Mission South, diversity is apparent, and all different kinds of couples inhabit the school. How the administration handles kissing, touching, etc., is up for debate.

The information students do

have access to is in the Policies and Procedures Handbook For Students & Parents. It states: “The intentional promotion of advocacy of severe, deviant, and/or antisocial behavior by any student for any purpose, will result in the student being suspended or recommended for long-term suspension or expulsion.”

This rule mainly refers to disrupting peace and taking part in violence, but that one little sentence is all there is in the SMSD database in regards to public intimacy. While the district may have a seemingly vague stance on the issue, students have firm ideas on what is acceptable at school.

“I think it should be a little more strict,” O’Connor said.

“I don’t think it’s something people want to see in the school hallways, and I don’t think it should be something that you do in public.”

Administrator Mike Rasmussen has similar views.

“I think there is a time and place for everything and I think people should respectful of their environment,” he said.

In general, Rasmussen has an idea of what’s appropriate for other students and staff to view during school hours.

“Holding hands and a kiss goodbye is perfectly fine; it’s when students start to ignore the fact that people are around them and a kiss accelerates into inappropriate touching [that it becomes inappropriate],” he said.

Rasmussen said that he rarely sees students acting among that standard of “vulgarity,” and he believes South students are respectful enough to know the difference between right and wrong.

With spring in the air, PDA tends to find its way into the halls and students can look forward to a wonderfully informative “hands-off” announcement from the top-dog himself, Principal Joe Gilhaus.

S M choral festival S [MAR. 05] D spring

sports begin

04 NEWS

2/25

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY ETHAN STONE

how to build a

Left: Freshman Matthew Plotas grinds a steel axle for a frisbee throwing mechanism.

RIght: Junior Peter Gutenko makes a basic design of the robot to better understand what it will look like finished.

robot in one season

PHOTOS BY ETHAN STONE

FACTS GATHERED BY HAYLEIGH CHUDIK

[RULES/KIT]

[DESIGN]

[PRACTICE]

[COMPETE]

The team will revise the rules for that year’s competition in early January. They then will purchase a kit of materials to build the robot.

Members immediately set out to design and create a prototype of the robot that completes the task. This year, the robot must shoot frisbees.

Once a successful prototype has been developed, the team practices manipulating the robot and making it complete its task.

Robotics will compete March 15 and 16 at Hale Arena for the Regional Competition.

If they place well, they will continue on to nationals.

EDUCATION CUTS AFFECT SCHOOL DISTRICT

BY GARRETT MOULD

H

aving a strong education system is one key to a flourishing economy. Lately, however, the poor economy has led to a lack of funding for schools across the nation. In Kansas, courts ruled that due to the slashing of education funds in recent years, Kansas is failing to provide students with a suitable education.

In fact, the low funding was deemed unconstitutional.

A three-judge panel decided that the state was $400 million under the constitutional minimum, money which may be hard to find for a legislature that is already struggling to repair the budget. The current Governor of Kansas, Sam Brownback, finds himself in a tough situation, balancing the budget, and trying to please Kansans who are already dissatisfied.

“It’s a mess; it really is,” government teacher Doug Weaver said.

Weaver has been considering the options at hand, and what he might do if he were to be put in Brownback’s situation.

“I’d get a clear definition on what a suitable education is. Once you get that laid out, people can figure out how to manage it all,” he said.

Brownback has done just that, asking the courts to review their definition of a suitable education.

Schools not only need funding for textbooks, technology and personnel, but athletics and renovations as

well. The Constitution is vague on defining what school funding includes, leaving the legislature to figure it out.

“You have to keep up with technology, because we’re in a technology world. Our textbooks also need to be maintained, but the problem is we have less money now, but we need more things,” librarian Debi O’Brien said.

In Brownback’s last agenda, $22 million was added to the Based State Aid Per Pupil, which keeps the funding at $3,838 per student.

According to Kansas Statutes.com, that is less than in some recent years. In 2009-2010, funding was at $4,492 per student, and has gone down since Brownback took office in 2011.

Despite the lack of funding per pupil, the overall funding for public schools has risen, according to the Wichita Eagle. Per student funding is only a fraction of the entire picture, which supporters of increased school spending are using to prove their point. Regardless of the numbers, the government is responsible for supporting public schools, which O’Brien claims Brownback is failing to do.

“I don’t care what political party is in office, I think they should support public schools and I’m not sure that Brownback is 100 percent behind the funding of public schooling,” O’Brien said.

PHOTO BY ETHAN STONE

THEATER PUTS ON ‘LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS’

BY LUKE HOLLAND

L

ittle Shop of Horrors, the winter production from the SMS Theatre Department that opened last night, will run tonight and tomorrow night at 7p.m. Based on an Off-Broadway musical comedy written by Howard Ashman with music composed by Alan Menken, and the more popularized movie by Roger Corman starring Jack Nicholson, the play follows the story of Seymour Krelborn, a nerdy florist, as he raises a man-eating plant in secret while trying to win the heart of the woman whom he names the plant after, Audrey.

The play features junior Collin Richardson as Seymour, senior Abbi Lopez as Audrey, junior Jackson Spencer as Mr. Mushnik, senior Alex Rhein as Dr. Orin Scrivello and senior Michael Hicks as Audrey II. “There are a lot of great songs, ranging from rock numbers to

more emotional pieces,” junior Meshella Dupree said.

According to Richardson, this play consists of a unique plot, unlike others performed in the past by the SMSTD. With a balanced blend of comedy, horror, and musical numbers, it promises to keep the audience engrossed for the entire two hour duration.

There will also be a giant maneating plant, which took many hours of construction and work on the part of the set construction crew. Tickets are $10 for non-SMS students, and free with a student ID. “It’s a really fun show; it’s really funny and interesting to watch, and I would just encourage everyone to come out and see it,” Richardson said.

Cast members of Little Shop of Horrors rehearse a song from the production during tech-week in preparation for upcoming performances.

NEWS

05

style TOURNAMENT LATIN CLUB PLAYS IN QUIDDITCH

BY DANIELLE LAUDICK

Q

uidditch: A fictional game set in the world of J.K. Rowling’s best-selling book series and movies, Harry Potter.

Recently, however, this game has become more than fiction. Saturday, Dec. 26 the Kansas Junior Classical League (KJCL) held its own Quidditch tournament. Students from local school districts joined forces to bring life to the magical game of “beaters”, “chasers” and “keepers.” Splitting up into two teams of six, once all arrived at Blue Valley North, the “quaffle” and “bludgers” began to fly.

The 10 minute game started with both teams on either side of the court. As soon as the referee gave the OK, both sides ran towards the balls lined up on center court. Dodge balls acted as bludgers and a volleyball as the quaffle. It’s both the beaters’ and the chasers’ job to get to the spheres before the opposing team. As the chaser ran the quaffle towards the three goal posts ranging in height of 6 feet and 3 feet, the beaters must try to either hit the opposing chaser or protect their chaser if they have the quaffle. If the chasers succeed in getting the quaffle, the ball used for scoring, to the marked area for the

THE STATS of 50

[PERCENT DECREASE IN TEEN BIRTH RATES]

39

37

[BIRTHS PER THOUSAND TEENS]

[ADOLESCENTS WHO ARE INFECTED WITH HIV EACH HOUR]

06 NEWS

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create, seeing as getting the hula-hoops on the top of the pipes was difficult.

The rules turned out to be a combination of the books and movies’ rules and the rules Schouf was given at the NJCL convention.

“Next year I hope to see a lot more people coming out here,” Baldwin said during one of the snack breaks in the competition. “Although the 20 plus students are more than we expected.”

Baldwin sees the mashup game of soccer, and football to be not the physically demanding, so the toughest part of the game to him is getting all the kids to follow the rules when playing the game.

As the final game began, Baldwin and Shawnee Mission South’s Latin teacher Lee Dixon got into the game. And after a full two hours of broomsticks, dodge balls and wands, prizes of tiaras, leas and slide whistles were handed out to everyone.

As the games were completed and the day ended, so did the festivities, and more are hoped to follow.

TEENS’ SEXUAL BEHAVIOR POSES POTENTIAL REPERCUSSIONS

BY ROLA ALASMAR

UNSAFE SEX S [PERCENT OF ALL NEW STD CASES OCCUR IN 15-24 YEAR-OLDS ]

keeper, the chaser would try to get the quaffle into one of the three posts.

The post heights indicate the score received when successfully getting a quaffle through one.

The tallest being 10 points, the right post is five, and the left a mere three. It’s the keeper’s job to both protect the goal and keep track of the scores.

Once the 10 minutes is up, the scores are given out and a winner is announced. After a quick snack break of bacon donuts, juice boxes and clementines, another game begins.

How did they get the idea? The Blue Valley North’s Latin Club Consul Michael Schouf decided after going to the National Junior Classical League (NJCL) convention, where they played the game, Quidditch would be a more enjoyable activity than last year’s gladiator combat.

Once everything was approved, Schouf and Blue Valley North’s Latin teacher Jonah Baldwin set to work on the goals and rules. The goal posts consisted of various length piping with hulahoops duck tapped on the top. Baldwin said that the goals took a total of three to four hours to

tudies show that 54 percent of all high school students have had sex. Teens are constantly made aware of the risks of having sex through health class, TV, movies, and the news. Unwanted pregnancies, STDs, it’s all happened before. But do people pay attention?

According to NBC News, over half of all high school boys say they don’t always use a condom. Many teens have sex with multiple partners. And many teens participate in other risky behaviors. According to stateuniversity.com, in order to prevent these things from happening, adolescents need to be made aware of the issues.

Unplanned pregnancies are one of the major risks of having sex. Although teen birth rates in Kansas have decreased, they are still above the national average. According to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention, there are 39 births per thousand teens, ages 15-19.

One problem with teen pregnancy is the finances.

The cost of maternity care and birth is usually between $9,000 and $17,000. Although this may be covered by insurance, the costs of taking care of the child are high as well.

Not only is it expensive, but teen mothers have to find a way to balance school and childcare. Almost 50 percent of teen moms don’t graduate high school. Being able to care for the child while still attending school can be difficult, particularly if their parents work during the day. Even if someone is able to watch the child during school hours, it may be necessary to find time to spend with the child concerning other needs.

STDs are another risk of having sex. About onefourth of all new STD cases each year are among adolescents. Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted disease. If left undetected or untreated, HPV can lead to cervical cancer. Chlamydia rates in the U.S. have increased from 6.5 per 100,000 people to 319.6 per 100,000.

AIDS has killed more than 25 million people since 1981, and there are over 40 million people living with it. There are approximately 50,000 new HIV infections per year.

Junior Josie Anderson believes that ignorance is the reason behind teen pregnancy and STD’s.

“People just aren’t thinking about what can happen, or they don’t think it will happen to them,” Anderson said.

According to canyourel8.com, one way to help teens avoid these problems is for parents to talk to them about it. Nine out of 10 teens say that they would like to be able to have more open conversations with their parents about sex.

Senior Lindsey Vogt believes that it can be a little awkward to talk about sex with her parents.

“Talking to them a little more would help, but not about everything,” Vogt said.

Although abstinence may be the only way to guarantee safety from unwanted pregnancies and STDs, there are ways to lessen the risks. Using condoms is highly effective in preventing STDs and pregnancies.

And talking to parents about birth control pills is also an option. The reason for taking health classes is to become aware of the consequences before it’s too late.

W.W.J.D. Sex Edition 1 THESSALONIANS 4:3

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STORY AND PHOTO BY JULIA LARBERG

senior discusses how religions affect abstinence

efore we get into the sex part of this column, you need to know some things about me.

First off, I was born Catholic. I went to Holy Cross Elementary School for kindergarten through eighth grade. In first grade, we had our Baptism Renewal and were reminded that the Holy Spirit resides in us and will guide us in all we do. We’re supposed to trust our guardian angel and to treat our neighbors how we would want to be treated.

And we can’t forget how much Jesus loves us. All of that was drilled into my head since I started at Holy Cross. I went to mass twice a week, once on Sunday morning and once on Wednesday morning.

As I got older, religion class became more focused on staying pure. In fourth grade, purity meant not calling others ‘jerks’ and ‘meany-faces’ (It was a pretty sheltered school). In sixth grade, we began Project Genesis. Project Genesis, according to the Leaflet Missal Company’s website, is “...a Catholic program for education in chastity. It is organized around three topics: theology/cardinal virtues, health and relationships.” It basically taught us the difference between being friends and being friends. (Insert suggestive eyebrow wiggle here.) We learned what was appropriate touching and what was not. I remember doing a worksheet on handshakes and hugging. How hugging was OK for your girlfriends, but handshakes were appropriate for boys. This was taken to the point where I wasn’t comfortable hugging my guy friends until the middle of sophomore year. It was too much bodily contact.

In eighth grade, the teachers switched out our standard religion class for “The Theology of the Body for Teens” program. On thetheologyofthebody.com, this is described as a “dynamic faith formation program for teens and pre-teens in Catholic schools” and “it goes beyond traditional chastity programs by connecting the two hottest topics on the planet - God and sex.”

I actually learned something with this program.

Obviously, the Catholic Church teaches that sex is reserved for marriage. But it’s reserved for after the marriage between a man and a woman because that’s the last piece of the puzzle. It’s not

meant for engagement or the day before you get married. It’s not for that one night where you don’t want to care anymore. It’s supposed to be the glue that holds a marriage together. Having sex after marriage is finally giving all of yourself to your husband, without reserve, in the name of God. Or at least, that’s the way I was taught to think about it. It’s all very romanticized.

I never questioned any of it. I just assumed that this was the way things were. Call it indoctrination if you will, but chastity was what I was taught.

It was clear cut how relationships needed to be conducted. I was never given any other positive alternative. I was never presented with any other option that led to the same happiness that I saw in my mom and my stepdad. But this year, hearing other people’s experiences and beliefs on sex, opened my eyes to a different way to run relationships. This new view not only was positive, but it was successful for some people.

After I graduated, I was the prude. I thought it was going to be easy to stay chaste. I thought I was just going to be able to say “Nope!” and we would live happily ever after. Boy, was I wrong.

It’s hard. I started dating and realizing how great kissing is. Even though it was difficult to be chaste, I never questioned the reason behind my refusal to do anything with guys. But this year, things are changing. Recently, I went to dinner with my boyfriend. We were talking about this and he mentioned Hinduism has a completely different take on sexuality.

According to religionfacts.com, Hinduism says that rather than there being a “correct” way to conduct yourself, “there is not just one purpose of human life, but four: Dharma - fulfilling one’s purpose; Artha - prosperity; Kama - desire, sexuality, enjoyment; and Moksha - enlightenment.” In a nutshell, in Hinduism, you should be happy. Happy translates into many different forms for different people, some including sex in a relationship. Each religion portrays the sex act in a different way.

That’s just how it is. Each view is unique and holds value to individuals, especially individuals who are doing some soul-searching.

As a Christian, I try to be a good person. I help

others. I try to treat others how I would like to be treated. I have a hard time believing that God would send me to hell for changing my views on premarital sex. I have a hard time listening to people preach about how we commit mortal sins against God and our future husbands or wives when we have sex before we get married, especially since there are far more important issues at hand. You can look at the fact that St. Louis, MO is one of the top human trafficking cities in the U.S. according to mannafreedom.com.

Or the fact that there are starving, abused women about 20 minutes away from the church doorstep.

Or the fact that, as a human race, we are polluting the earth, slowly destroying the planet that God has blessed us with. There are infinitely many problems in the world as it is. I’m pretty sure that God would not want us to overlook the fact that these issues are going on in exchange for putting emphasis on chastity.

Sex is important. It always will be. And, as a Christian, I believe sex should be saved for marriage. But, as far as religion is concerned, there are more important things out there. If sex is a great part of your relationship, wonderful! If not, good for you! In the Bible the book of Proverbs 5:3-5 says, “For the lips of an adulteress drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil; but in the end she is bitter as gall, sharp as a double-edged sword.

Her feet go down to death; her steps lead straight to the grave.” From this passage, obviously sex outside of marriage is a bad thing. Yet, there are worse things to be doing with your spare time. (i.e. cocaine, murder, kicking small animals.)

My point is, that it’s all right to change views on sex. If it works for your relationship, great. If not, fine. Any deity worth following isn’t going to send you to hell for having premarital sex. There must be some logic to damnation. I can’t believe that logic would overlook all the good you’ve done in the world and focus on one time you fell off the wagon. The bottom line is be true to yourself. Do what makes you happy. Do what makes you feel like you.

OPINIONS

07

STAFF EDITORIAL:

does facebook make it official?

T

witter, Facebook, Instagram: the places where, we as teenagers, like to display our personal lives. Some of us give out more information than others, which is shown in a range of tweets, statuses, and photos. We share everything from a snapshot of a new article of clothing to how fun the night before was. Somehow, every second of our lives manages to appear on social networks due to the fact, that we no longer know how to communicate face to face, especially when it comes to relationships.

For the last half decade, Facebook has taken over the world, creating its own lingo on and off the site, the most popular being “FBO” or Facebook Official. Your friends knew you were dating someone if it was on The Book or if you said you were dating a certain guy or girl, they would tell you that you were full of it because it wasn’t on Facebook. And if your relationship status changed to “Single” the next week, you were no longer dating that person. But why should we worry about putting our personal relationships out there for the entire world to see? A serious relationship involves two people not 2,000.

Today’s society is so invasive, everyone feels that they must know every last bit of information about a certain person.

Sometimes this kind of constant intrusion makes it impossible to function in everyday life without at least a little bit of drama.

People shouldn’t have to live in secrecy when they’re in a relationship, but they should at least have some privacy. You don’t have to keep every bit of it “top secret” but why would you want to project the entirety of your thoughts and feelings onto everyone surrounding you. Loss of privacy isn’t a one-

08:10 08 OPINIONS

sided phenomenon. Being overly open about yourself and your significant other is just as prominent as people grilling you for information. Teenagers are often too quick to post overly-affectionate comments or photos. Not everyone that follows you wants to know the pet-names the two of you have come up with. People have always talked about their beau or the girl that they are sweet on, but today’s young people are just over the top. There once was a time where you didn’t openly talk about those details to

the outside world.

A relationship should be a physical thing, and no, not physical as in the sexual context, but physical in the idea that you talk and show affection in person to one person and one person only. Technology has taken over our lives, especially the personal aspects of it. No matter what the excuse, we need to learn to communicate by speaking face to face or at least over a phone call. Not through texting, tweeting, or instant messaging.

THE VOTE IS IN:

WE VALUE YOUR VIEWS.

EIGHT OUT OF TEN EDITORS AGREE WITH THE VIEWS EXPRESSED IN THIS EDITORIAL.

if you wish to respond to this editorial, please submit it in the form of a letter to the editor. These may be submitted in person to Room 195 or e-mailed to almaighty@gmail.com. Responses may or may not be printed in the next issue.

the

DEBATE PRO

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BY AMBER FELKINS

f each partner is mature and ready, sex is an important piece to the puzzle in a relationship.

When it comes to relationships, sex can strengthen the bond between both partners emotionally and physically. It can help partners figure each other out in a whole other form.

However, it must be understood that sex should only be pursued if both partners are ready and have been together awhile, not two or three weeks. Some people have different ideas about the “right time.” But it’s undeniable that there will be a “right time” eventually. There just needs to be patience, to first build that bond and trust between the couple.

To those who believe waiting for marriage is the right time, more power to you.

This doesn’t mean “just go out and have sex to help your relationship.” It’s just after being together and falling for each other

R

elationships should be based on more than just the physical aspect. If your relationship can’t survive without sex then it probably has a few problems. Although sex is not necessarily a bad thing, you should not be having it until you are mature enough and ready for it.

A good relationship is about being with another person you can’t stop thinking about. It’s about trust, and not being able to get enough of each other. Not about whether or not your partner will put out.

You shouldn’t feel like you have to have sex in order to have a successful relationship.

Sex should happen between two people who are in love. If you and your partner truly care about each other, then you should be willing to wait. You should want to be in a relationship with someone who won’t pressure you to do things that you’re not ready for.

D R O : W T DO HIGH SCHOOL E E R T S E H T COUPLES NEED SEX? ON that, sex can make a powerful bond that makes the relationship serious and takes it up another step.

There’s a difference between sex, a one night stand, and making love. It’s so cliche to hear the term “making love,” Though the term “making love” sounds like something only said on soap operas, viewing sex this way can help us understand why it’s only a natural part of being in a relationship. It may not be necessary in the beginning, but eventually it will be.

Sex can bring out new subtleties in each partner’s personalities.

Sex can also help provide health benefits for yourself. Sex can help release stress and boost your self confidence (not that you need to have sex to feel better about yourself) according to www. webmd.com All this said, a relationship shouldn’t revolve around sex.

CON

That’s why it’s a good idea to wait until you’ve already built your relationship, because if you start having sex right away it’ll get boring and then so will your relationship. You’ll feel lust, not love. Unless there’s love, sex shouldn’t be brought into the relationship.

Sex can only be a mistake if you aren’t smart about it. Some may argue that there are many risks to sex, but safe sex is what helps structure a relationship when it gets stressful or rough.

After a couple has already had sex, it’s not as big of a deal as it was in the beginning. Sex helps you communicate to your partner what you want or what’s missing.

Sex should be protected though. It may not be the “ideal fantasy” of what you dream about when you think of sex, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.

BY ROLA ALASMAR

Having sex too early can actually send your relationship downhill. Things may become awkward between you and your partner and you may not feel comfortable around each other afterwards. And then you’ve ruined a relationship that had the potential to be something really special. It’s better to be safe than sorry; you don’t want to have sex and then end up regretting it.

And then there’s the chance of getting hurt. If you and your partner have sex and then break up, someone is always left heartbroken. Don’t put yourself in that situation.

Of course there are also several other risks when having sex.

Having sex with everyone you’re in a relationship with will increase your chances of getting an STD. Along with that, there’s always the risk of having an unplanned pregnancy. Even though you can use protection, it’s not 100 percent effective. Getting STDs or

becoming a parents would change your life. Why should you risk it to have sex with someone you are not actually in love with?

If you have sex with someone that you don’t have real feelings for, you’ll regret it when you meet someone that you truly care about. Sex will be a much better experience if it’s with someone you actually love.

Sex can be tricky. But thinking that your relationship will not be able to survive if you aren’t sexually active is just ridiculous. Waiting can make your relationship stronger. You will truly be able to understand your partner for who they are and you’ll know if you really want to be with them. Don’t feel pressured to have sex because society, or your friends, or your partner lead you to believe that it’s necessary, because relationships definitely do not need sex to survive.

“No, but you need intimacy.”

—JUNIOR MOUMEN ALKURDI

“Yes, because teens are sexually frustrated” —JUNIOR CHASE CABRAL

“No, because a relationship should not be based on sex” —JUNIOR KYLEE CAUTHON

OPINIONS

09

#Foreveralone senior shares feelings on staying single

BY HANNAH STRADER “So how’s your love life?”

“Well, I’m on a diet, so...”

These were the first words exchanged between former senior Kirby O’Neal and myself when we met up on a Saturday night. We hadn’t seen each other in a few weeks, and when he jokingly asked about my so-called “love life,” it was instinct to joke back. Because that’s exactly what my “love life” is. A joke.

I don’t really mind being single. I’ve been single for almost 18 years now. I still haven’t had my first kiss, and while this would bother most people, I’m not highly concerned by it. Sure, it’s a pain when it comes to going to dances or when my friends are all meeting up with their various boyfriends, but it hasn’t really been that big of a deal to me. Like any girl, I’d love to be in a relationship, but it just hasn’t happened for me yet.

I’m not really sure what this is saying about me, never even having those fake relationships everyone seems to go through starting in fourth and fifth grade. I feel like society tends to put impossible pressure on girls to enter relationships at a young age and if you miss that train, you’re out of luck for the rest of adolescence. Whether my lack of a significant other is because I’m such a catch that every male I approach is intimidated or if it’s because I’m a potato is up for debate, but it hasn’t come to such a critical point that I’ve hired investigators to take a look into it. I guess the answer to that question would be terrifying for any girl to want to hear. Obviously, being surrounded by couples on New Year’s Eve having their first 2013 kisses while I snuggle closer to senior Addison Goff’s mom is a bit of a self-esteem hit (even though Marnie is such a lovely lady) and I would be lying if I said it hasn’t made me examine myself and who I am, but while it’s depressing to always be the one left out when it comes to relationships, I don’t feel like it’s worth it to lower my standards.

The weird thing is that while I feel ready to be in a relationship right now, I’m also extremely picky. At this point I’ve made it sound like I’ve never even met a boy before, only read about them in books that portray them like little unattainable fictional creatures that ride around on skateboards when you’re not looking but somehow disappear when you are. The thing is, I’ve been asked out before. I even went on a date once. But I’m not desperate.

I’m not the kind of person who will go out

10 OPINIONS

with someone just because they ask me to.

If I don’t feel any kind of initial attraction or connection to someone, I’m not afraid to decline dinner and a movie. I’m also the kind of person who feels uncomfortable if I don’t know you in the first place. If someone randomly approaches me on the street and asks me out, he’s going to have to be hella charming about it to win me over that quickly. I know what I’m looking for in a guy and I pride myself in being able to read personalities fairly easily. If I can tell a boy isn’t what I’m looking for, I’m not going to lower myself in order to tell other people I’m in a relationship.

Recently it’s been brought to my attention by someone that my Twitter maybe makes me sound kind of pathetic when I’m constantly Tweeting about being single and listening to One Direction. I’m not going to lie, I tend to overdramatize things. If I’m Tweeting about being sad that I’m single or how I wish Jesse were real and would date me while watching Pitch Perfect, chances are I’m actually surrounded by a friend or two who care about me. At that moment, being in a relationship isn’t a necessity. It’s just a passing thought that maybe having a boyfriend would be nice. As much as I complain about being single, in actuality it’s not that bad. I can actually say that I’m a pretty independent person and that I’m not one of those girls who needs to have a boy to feel “complete.”

I think it’s kind of sad that some girls feel like they always have to be in a relationship or that they always have to be talking to some guy they met at a party last weekend. Yes, it sucks that I want to be in a relationship after 17 years of being single and it’s not happening, but at least I can have the self respect to be OK with it. I have the dignity to say no if I’m not interested.

I believe everything does happen for a reason and this is no different. It may not be happening at the pace I wish it would, but for now I guess I’ll have to be OK with it or lower my standards. With as stubborn as I am, those standards are staying right where they are. I’ll just settle down into a cozy little armchair and read a book or two while I wait for Prince Charming to ride up on his white horse and whisk me away into the sunset.

Or a movie. He could just ask me to a movie.

PHOTO BY ETHAN STONE

*

*PHOTO ILLUSTRATON BY ALLISON SCHWEIKER

LET’S TALK ABOUT SEX

BY NATHAN THIMMESCH Sex: Everywhere but nowhere. Sex is just something humans are wired for, one of the more primitive drives that can only be ignored for so long before it is acted on. However, even though it’s something that is clearly happening everywhere and all the time, so many people are still uncomfortable addressing the issue. All of these things have a tendency to burst forth in one particular stage of life: adolescence. With parents, friends, other family members, and adults, however, it can be difficult to communicate about sex and related issues without an overwhelming and sometimes debilitating sense of uneasiness. For some people, it is simply a subject that has gone largely unaddressed for most of their lives.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATIONS BY JULIA LARBERG

But could this be changing? With so many movies, TV shows, music, and other media catching on to the idea that “sex sells” and addressing it more often, society seems to embrace the idea of addressing sexuality more openly. Many of these new forms of addressing sex are aimed at people who are in their teens or young adult years. From minor sexual references to full blown descriptions, sex permeates nearly everything seen on TV, in movies, and even down to the music on the radio.

Media is beginning to shed more light on sex rather than sweeping it under the rug and leaving it unaddressed.

While it may still be an awkward topic, it is becoming a less taboo subject for society.

FEATURES

11

PHOTO BY /TREVOR GARIETY

students share views on discomfort about sex.

BY NATHAN THIMMESCH

SEX IN POLITICS

O

ne reason that people might avoid talking about sex is the political aspect of it all.

Depending on one’s views politically, they may be limited to what they can say on the issue of sex. Or, in the case of those in the public eye due to political affiliations, the issue of sex may go totally ignored because one would not want to commit a faux pas by addressing issues such as “legitimate rape.”

In today’s politics, many issues involving sex spring up, including same-sex marriage, abortion and contraceptive drugs. Government teacher Tony Budetti shares why some of these controversial issues are cropping up, and how they are changing both politics and society.

“The Supreme Court is going to undertake [cases on] same-sex marriage and we’re probably going to get some decisions on, or at least some guidance on, same-sex issues from [them soon]. When it comes to abortion, the science that’s out there is affecting what our abortion policies are,” Budetti said.

However, sex may not necessarily be the most driving force behind

certain controversies, such as samesex unions.

“Some people see same-sex marriage, not as a sex issue, but as an equality issue. It’s an issue that’s extending rights. People that are against gay marriage want to remove [or withhold] rights, and that’s not the normal path of the American experience,” he said.

It is similar with cases on legislation involving abortion: the sex isn’t the main issue. In fact, what many believe or used to believe was the main issue is beginning to change.

“Seventy years ago, it was pretty unfeasible for a fetus to be alive and to prosper and grow if it was born two months prematurely and today that is very common. So one of the things that’s happening with abortion is science is intervening. The science in that last trimester has overtaken the politics a little bit,” Budetti said.

No matter where the issues stem from, be it sex or other reasons, the issues themselves can become very uncomfortable to talk about.

However, this discomfort may be changing.

“I think people are much more comfortable talking about [the

issues], whether it’s Facebook, Twitter or just among friends at a dinner party,” Budetti said. “It’s one of those barriers that’s kind of coming down. When you’re sitting at a party people will say [something about sex], and you don’t have to talk about the politics, you just talk about the issue and where you’re at on that issue.”

The driving force, above all else, is where the public stands on issues on sex. The government and politics of any one issue can only oppose an issue for so long before it gives way to what the public wants.

“If the Supreme Court comes out and says ‘Well, we’re not allowing [same-sex marriage],’ you already have states doing that,” he said. “You already have communities and cities that are doing that. In other words, they [would not be] taking into account where the American people are on the issue.”

Even something as simple as watching the evening news can contain sex or sexual content, such as commercials and advertisements, particularly for items such as Viagra or Plan B. “It’s uncomfortable at times, particularly if you have a 9-year-

sex around the world China

The Middle East

France

media

TV and movies in China are fairly conservative, alluding to sex but rarely showing it.

Sex scenes are frequently cut from televisions. In the ’80s, even kissing scenes would be censored.

Absolutely no nudity is shown on screens in the Middle East.

The French are very open about nudity in advertisements and on TV and movie screens across the country.

dating

Chinese prefer dating to begin after schooling is finished so as not to distract from schoolwork.

Dating begins after engagement, but engagements can be broken off much easier than in the United States.

It is common in France for unmarried couples to live together while dating to test out relationships.

family

In China, families usually must approve of a relationship in order for it to continue.

Pre-arranged engagements made by parents are common in the Middle East. Dating without engagement is taboo, but some teens have secret relationships behind their parents’ backs.

Parents are very relaxed about children seeing sex scenes. Losing virginity at an early age is common in French culture.

INFORMATION GATHERED BY RACHEL ROSENSTOCK

12 FEATURES

tac

ckling the

ELEPHANT

in the room

old and a 12-year-old sitting there watching TV with you. Today, there’s nothing sacred and there’s not a time or day of it that’s sacred. There’s nothing left to the imagination anymore. Which is a little bit sad, but maybe it’s educational as well,” he said.

The media, while playing a role in the changing of how the public acts towards sex, is also there to make a profit for themselves.

Catching on to the idea that “sex sells” in news, sex has become a prominent issue in many different kinds of media, including political news. “[The media] have to try 01and figure out what sells to the public and [that] is whatever the public wants. And the public wants to hear about sex,” Budetti said. “So what do they give us? More sex news. It’s not the best information, but sex sells.”

SEX AND TEENS

S

ex can be an awkward subject to talk about, particularly for adolescents. From friends or family to one’s significant other or authority figures, it is likely not the most comfortable subject one may come upon in any given conversation.

“I think it’s just because [sex] is such an intimate thing and you don’t just want to go around telling people [about it],” senior Susan Kroh said.

02 Some students believe that it is because of societal views that sex is not often discussed openly.

“It’s not socially acceptable to just [talk about] it in public, so people try to keep it hidden,” junior Cole Bunker said.

Others think that it is due to age differences that talking about sex can be awkward; because of apparent differences that various age groups have about sex, it can be harder to talk about.

“Older people think [talking about sex] is a big deal because they’re old fashioned and think sex is bad until you’re married,” junior Hunter Ahrens said.

Despite all of the awkward moments and uncomfortable situations that talking about sex can present, students tend to agree

on the most approachable people when it comes to talking about sex: their peers. They feel that others who are older or in some position of authority bring more seriousness to the discussion that isn’t there when discussing the topic with those they are more familiar with and close to in age. Parents, for example, can be rather intimidating when the subject is mentioned. “[Parents] are going to assume the worst. They’re going to think that you’re [having sex] when really you just have a question. So I would definitely say that the best people to talk to about it are your friends because they don’t judge you,” senior Ali Gascoigne said South students have taken note of the change in the way sex is viewed since their parents and teachers have been in high school.

“Definitely [there has been a change]. It just seems like kids are more exposed. Music and stuff, all it talks about is doing drugs and having sex,” junior Chase Cabral said.

Another telling factor of changing times is how teenagers behave in social settings, such as dances.

“You can tell how much society has changed [towards sex] just from dancing at parties in general. Now [teenage girls] bend over and touch the floor and back then [teenage girls] wore skirts down to our ankles, so I think it’s just society [changing] in general,” Gascoigne said.

Even TV shows aim their sexual messages at a teenage audience in a way that was uncommon or unheard of for past generations.

“They portray a lot of teenagers having sex in TV shows and music videos and stuff like that,” Kroh said.

Despite the fact that this kind of media and its views may be breaking down barriers when it comes to addressing sex, they may also be creating some negative side effects.

“People project sex as such a cool thing to do when it should probably be the most sacred relationship you can find with the one that you love,” Gascoigne said.

Cabral, however, disagrees with Gascoigne’s view on the matter.

“I feel like [sex] is becoming more common among kids. Like it’s just a casual thing,” he said.

03

FEATURES

13

teenmom former South student reflects on her journey to parenthood

T

While being a parent would be daunting to any teenager, Jenna Tripp manages manages to do the best she can with her son, Carter, while also balancing both her social life and earning a GED.

14 FEATURES

he pregnancy test said positive. She was filled with a thousand different thoughts after taking three different pregnancy tests, all with positive results. She couldn’t believe it. It was a scary sight. How could this happen? How am I going to tell my parents? What will my friends think? What will everyone at school think? How will the father react?

For former South student Jenna Tripp, this became a reality after she found out she was pregnant her sophomore year of high school.

Many teens are influenced by a forever-young attitude that reads “nothing bad can ever happen to me,” but Tripp was in for a big surprise with her unexpected pregnancy.

“My dad would not talk to me; he just started cleaning. My mom... she was just like ‘You can’t do this.’ She wouldn’t talk to me for eight months,” Tripp said.

Tripp couldn’t imagine being a parent. Various options came to mind after having the influence of her friends and parents.

There’s always the option to put the baby up for adoption or to abort the pregnancy.

“Honestly, I did think about it, but I never went through with it.

I thought about all my options,” Tripp said. “My mom wanted me to get an abortion.”

Tripp ultimately made the decision with the father to keep the baby. At the time, they had discussed staying together.

However, Tripp admits the idea of having a family isn’t always as easy as it seems.

“We broke up for a couple [of] months while I was pregnant. It was horrible. We would fight all the time and he would make me a lot more depressed. He would

BY CASEY LEE PHOTOS COURTESY OF JENNA TRIPP date other people and see other people while I was pregnant,” Tripp said. “That just killed me because at first we were like ‘OK, we’re going to be together, we’ll get through this.’”

After nine months of having a huge belly, swollen ankles and weird food cravings, Tripp was finally ready to deliver Carter.

The pregnancy was planned, and she picked a date to induce her labor with her doctor.

She started labor at 7 a.m. had an epidural and four and a half hours later, she finally met her son.

“I was like ‘Oh my gosh, he’s so small’ I didn’t even want to move him. I was so nervous and scared to touch him,” she said.

Since having Carter, Tripp’s life has changed, especially the relationship between her and the father. Having a child ultimately pulled them apart. She explained the numerous troubles of trying to raise a baby on her own.

“A lot of girls are like ‘I feel like if I have [his] baby [he’ll] stay with me and it’ll be perfect.’ It’s not. It drives your relationship further away. It puts so much stress and anger towards each other. Most likely the guy is going to go out and do stuff and you’re going to be the one stuck at home taking care of the baby.

It’s true, though it makes me so mad because [the father] doesn’t do anything, he doesn’t text me one time to see Carter. He would just go out and assume I would watch Carter. As a mom you’re the one that is the caretaker for your kid. You can’t be dependent on anybody else. I feel like I was the ignorant one thinking ‘Oh yeah, it’ll be perfect, it’ll be OK. I can do this’,” she said.

Losing her relationship with the father hasn’t been the only

change in her life. Tripp dropped out of school and is currently working towards her GED. Having Carter has changed almost every aspect of her lifestyle, and the cost of having a baby is enormous.

“Honestly my life revolves around his mood right now. If he’s sick, I’m staying home so it just revolves around how he’s feeling and what he’s doing,” she said. “The one thing that I think I took for granted was showering and sleeping. It may sound silly but I have to open the door when I shower and if I hear him cry I have to get out and go see what’s wrong and if he’s OK. I just didn’t expect any of it to be so hard. I have to put him before me. I give up a lot for him.”

Having Carter has changed Tripp’s life, for the better.

“I wouldn’t trade a minute for it. I’m so glad that I made the choice I did. I feel like he’s a blessing. He changed my life forever. He made me grow up,” Tripp said.

Tripp admits she would have preferred to wait to have a baby, but now that Carter is here, she wouldn’t change a thing. It could happen to anyone that makes the decision to have sexual intercourse. The undeniable truth is, it could happen to you. But she does wish the view on pregnant moms would change.

“I feel like everyone thinks, ‘Oh she’s easy; she’s a whore because she has a baby.’ I feel like [others are] really judgmental, just because I’m so young,” Tripp said. “Any girl can get pregnant.

[The father] was my first and I got pregnant by him. All these other girls, how many guys have they had sex with? It could happen to anyone. It just happened to me.”

PAST

SEX and THE SILVER SCREEN PRESENT

MARILYN MONROE

MILA KUNIS

LIZ TAYLOR

MEGAN FOX

AUDREY HEPBURN

SCARLETT JOHANSSON

BRIGETTE BARDOT

KATE UPTON

MADONNA

BEYONCE

CINDY CRAWFORD

ANGELINA JOLIE

B

BY MIGUEL PALOMINO illboards, magazines, movies, TV: the media is right in front of you, and even with this newspaper we are constantly bombarded. The media portrays what’s happening in modern times.

What is society open to? What’s taboo? One hot issue in our modern media is sex.

Overtime, attitudes toward sex have changed, but it continues to be a controversial topic. Sex and the media have been singing their siren song for years and its grip on us has never been stronger. That leads us to questions: In the bedroom do we behave how the media portrays us, or behave the way we do because of the media?

We learn by watching others.

When we’re young we look to our parents and learn what’s acceptable behavior. As we get older we pick up a thing or two from our friends. As kids we watched TV, movies, read books and magazines; whether we realized it or not we were picking up habits. We live in a society where sex’s influence can be seen in pretty much every form of media. More often than not the way the media portrays sex isn’t accurate. With the emergence of the internet we can go from looking at our Twitter feeds to looking up videos on R rated websites, all with the click of a button (well a couple of clicks). With all the sex around you would think we’d learn to do things right, but statistics show teens are starting to have sex at a younger age and though teen pregnancy has gone down (probably thanks to Teen Mom) it’s still pretty high in our country.

There’s more to having sex than just wrapping it in a condom and saying good to go.

“The media is in front of us since the time we were little,” psychology teacher Heather Sheppard said.

“There’s a lot of misperceptions and miscommunications. There’s sex not only in front of you but encouraged and yet you don’t understand the ramifications of having sex or being really promiscuous. I think there’s a big gap in what kids really know.”

Before Teen Mom, teens weren’t really aware of the problems teen mothers faced. In some ways, it raised awareness of a life you didn’t want. Go back 20 years and the topic of same-sex marriage wasn’t something people talked about, let alone the president taking a stance on. Gay and lesbian characters

weren’t really seen in movies, on TV or in books. Now, in 2013 the media has helped us accept and know about the lifestyles of others.

“You hear about sexual orientation. It is in the media. It’s not as taboo as it once was. We’re progressing in the right direction,” Sheppard said. “I think we also have to realize we’re not there yet. There are still people who stereotype and we still stereotype in the media.

So it’s seen and out there which is good because it’s becoming more mainstream. But we still label sexual orientation and we still discriminate against it.”

Sex used be to something no one would talk about, let alone have it depicted in the media. Now our attitude towards sex is different. We shouldn’t be ashamed of it. How did we get to such polar opposite ends of the spectrum?

Some of the first notable changes in how modern society viewed sex occurred during the Roaring ‘20s and the emergence of the flapper.

Women had casual sex, drank, smoked, drove and voted. But the depression hit and the liberalism with sex died down. As the depression became less depressing, sex slowly crept its way back in. By WWII most men in America were shipped away and pinups like Betty Grable and Veronica Lake made the way into their hearts. Through the ‘50s onward the term sex symbol was officially used to describe celebrities who weren’t afraid to push boundaries and had sex appeal, like James Dean and Marilyn Monroe.

“I’ve always liked Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn. They’re my idols,” junior Payton Howell said.

“Back then sex was hidden, but Marilyn was more outgoing. She didn’t care what people thought, so she’s good at portraying it doesn’t matter what people think about you.

With Audrey, she was just a really good person. But she also had this really fun crazy side.”

More than 50 years has gone by since sex symbols like Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe were famous, but they are still able to speak to us in some way.

“I think it’s just like, you should just be yourself,” Howell said. “You don’t need to follow all the guidelines for how you’re supposed to act. Just be yourself.”

PAST

PRESENT

JAMES DEAN

RYAN GOSLING

MARLON BRANDO

ADAM LEVINE

ALAIN DELON

USHER

PATRICK SWAYZE

CHANNING TATUM

TOM CRUISE

TOM BRADY

BRAD PITT

IAN SOMERHALDER

A&E

15

reMIX

PHOTO BY HANNAH STRADER

reviews of the latest in pop culture

BOOK:

FIFTY SHADES OF GREY

BY MIGUEL PALOMINO I’m not an avid reader of erotic novels, especially those containing BDSM, because unlike Rihanna, chains and whips don’t excite me. But I decide to read Fifty Shades of Grey....for journalistic purposes of course.

I went in hoping not to be scarred for life.

Obviously, something about Fifty Shades of Grey had enticed enough people to make the books sell faster than the whole Harry Potter series. Because of its immense popularity, Universal Pictures bought the rights to the books and are in the early stages of making a movie adaptation.

The book takes place in Seattle, where an attractive, insecure 22-year-old college student named Anastasia Steele meets a mysterious, handsome and successful 27-year-old who talks like he’s 100, named Christian Grey. It’s almost impossible not to notice Fifty Shades’ similarities with another book that takes place in the Seattle area. But with all its similarities, the book is able to make a name of its own.

Christian Grey’s formal way of speaking beings to completely disappear in the bedroom. Which is good because it started to irritate me. With all of Ana’s insecurities and awkwardness there’s something about her that comes off as endearing and innocent.

Since the book is all in Ana’s point of view, it’s hard to not like her.

While the book is not a form of literary genius, it is pretty hot and kinky. Sometimes even too kinky... When it comes to the bedroom, the author is able to perfectly walk the fine line between vulgar and tasteful.

Even though it’s pretty much porn, Fifty Shades Of Grey still has a fair amount of substance to it and overall I enjoyed it.

16A&E

CONCERT: ED SHEERAN

BY RACHEL ROSENSTOCK One man, a tiny guitar, a loop pedal and a microphone was all it took to create the best concert experience of my life. British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran, 21, whose single “A-Team” is a huge hit in the U.S. and U.K., came to the Midland Feb. 3. Opened by Irish folk-singer Foy Vance and London-based hip hop duet Rizzle Kicks, Sheeran performed his album “+” to a sold-out crowd.

After waiting in the cold for over six hours with hundreds of other dedicated fans, I made it to the floor and crowded around the stage. The close proximity combined with Sheeran’s incredible performance blew my mind. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, a CD recording does him no justice, Sheeran’s voice is incomparable live. During his rendition of “Wayfaring Stranger” he even sang out to the crowd with no microphone and no guitar, it was by far my favorite part of the night. Sheeran kept the crowd alive and going all night, encouraging “Hell yeah’s” and singing or screaming along to his songs.

Sheeran effortlessly mixed “You Need Me, I Don’t Need You” with Macklemore’s “Thrift Shop” on stage and on the fly, and the crowd went wild. He sang one of his many love ballads “Kiss Me” with opener Foy Vance and even played the little heard “Sofa,” a song Sheeran said he remembered writing years ago, just the other day.

Sheeran started to wrap up with a 10-minute rendition of his pop and hip-hop fused single “You Need Me, I Don’t Need You” where he raps and shows off his vocal range, and split the crowd in halves, and created a huge sound. His last song was, of course, “A-team” and it left me buzzing. I walked out of the Midland in awe of Ed Sheeran and his vocal power. It put other artists to shame, Sheeran entertained thousands of people for two hours with just a guitar and his music, no fancy lights, over the top videos or dance moves, and still managed to reduce many in the audience to tears. Needless to say, I can’t wait till his next tour.

BOOK: WANTING MOR

BY EMILY WILKINSON I picked up Wanting Mor by Rukhsana Khan off the library shelves wanting to learn more about Middle Eastern culture, which I knew so little about, and the book obliged beautifully. The type of language the author uses is true to Afghan customs and the many sayings that observant Muslims use in everyday speech. Wanting Mor comes with a connected glossary that I took full advantage of. While distracting at first, the use of Middle Eastern language brings a sense of authenticity that the reader will appreciate.

“If you can’t be beautiful, you should at least be good. People will appreciate that.” This is what Mor (Pushto for “mother”) tells Jameela before she dies. Mere days after Mor’s death, Baba (Pushto for “father”) rashly takes Jameela to Kabul to start a new life. When they arrive, Baba impulsively marries a bitter widow who works Jameela to the bone with strenuous tasks for such a young girl.

Jameela is caught trying to write her name in her stepmother’s yard and the widow orders Baba abandon her. In the morning, Baba takes Jameela to a Kabul marketplace and leaves her there alone in the street. After a full day of waiting, she is taken in by a shop manager and transported to an orphanage. At the orphanage, her true colors shine as she finally gains the education she always dreamed of achieving.

Wanting Mor also gives a face to the covered women we see on the news every day in Afghanistan.

Through Jameela’s eyes, the author presents not a feeling of oppression in the clothes they wear, but a sense of pride wrapped in modesty.

Wanting Mor is based on a true story, and sends an inspirational message to young women all around the world. Oppression comes in all shapes and sizes, but true courage and hope for a brighter future will always shine through in the end. Jameela is a strong female lead and role model for those with lost faith, and Khan presents her story with grace and eloquence. I’m sure this will not be the last we hear from this outstanding author.

DRESSING THE

2 9s

WHAT YOU SEE: WATCH: ZUMIEZ

While colorful watches are seemingly only reserved for women, paired with khakis and a simple T-shirt. It draws the eye on Grigg’s outfit in the right way.

SHOES: NIKE

JUNIOR MALEK GRIGGS

WHAT IS DRESSING TO THE NINES? The Patriot holds a monthly competition to find fashionable students around the school. On the 29th of every month, The Patriot photographers will be in the cafeteria during 1st and 2nd lunch to photograph anyone willing to enter the competition. The winner each month will be featured on this page, and the second and third place winners will be on SMSPATRIOT.ORG, along with other finalists. The competition is based on creativity, variety and individuality and anyone is able to enter.

PHOTOS BY JULIA LARBERG

Khaki’s and tennis shoes might not seem to work together, but the outfit blends functionality and comfort with relaxed style that blends the Nike’s seamlessly.

GLASSES: ROCKSBURY

Simple black frames complete the urban-comfort look on Griggs. They add an element of flair and sophistication to the ensemble and can also be used for their intended purpose.

See

more

photos @

SMSPATRIOT.ORG

17

A&E

College Tuition Assistance $4500.00 a year Student Loan Repayment up to $50,000 Montgomery GI Bill -­ $345/month MGIB Kicker -­ $200 to $350/month

To find out how to qualify, contact: SFC Steve Griffin Office: (913) 621-4251 Cell: (785) 213-2049 Email: steve.t.griffin4.mil@mail.mil

not YOUR EVERYDAY HIPSTER

BY OLIVIA FEATHERS he’s the barista at the locally owned coffee shop around the corner, she’s the artist behind the thought-provoking art lining the hallway. She’s the one who can be found taking pictures at the creek, or pulling all-nighters finishing up her latest piece of artwork. She reads about metaphysics and human consciousness, she listens to Mumford and Sons and Bright Eyes. This unique character is none other than Skylar Brennan.

Skylar has spent her high school career thus far exploring her passions for art, photography, writing, literature and coffee. These numerous and widespread interests have developed into a very distinct lifestyle that one would not find in the average 17 year old. “[In my free time] I just do a lot of art or doodling, or [spend time] on the computer looking up different art stuff, or going to coffee shops and reading. I also always have my music on,” Brennan said.

When she isn’t taking downtime or working on school work, Skylar serves coffee at Hattie’s Fine Coffee in Prairie Village.

“I like that I get to interact and talk with people while I’m working,” Skylar said, “and I like how it’s a relaxed environment where you can just kind of chill and have a drink.”

Skylar has made many recent achievements in her artwork this past year, including having a piece accepted to be displayed in the cancer wing of Shawnee Mission Medical Center for breast cancer awareness.

The annual contest was near and dear to Skylar.

“It kind of struck a place in my heart. I have personal experience, and my grandmother died from breast cancer,” Brennan said. “I wanted to do something different and impactful. I did an actual self-portrait and I used different kinds of layering techniques which is different than I usually do, and it was a little more raw than most pictures.”

After its display at the Medical Center, the piece was moved to the Bohemian Gallery where it remained for about a month. It was taken down just a few weeks ago.

In addition to this contest, Skylar was nominated for, applied to, and was accepted to the Nelson Atkin’s Photography Scholars Program early in January.

English teacher Drew Baranowski was the one who found and nominated her for the program.

“I knew Skylar from last year and I knew that she is really into photography,” Baranowski said. “I had also seen her stuff up in the photography and art wing.

Plus one of the entry portions was an essay, so just the combination of photography, portraiture, which was the focal point, and then the essay combination all kind of clicked together. It was just like a slot machine, and I just said ‘Hey, that sounds a lot like Skylar.’”

Upon finding out about the program, the application process was a mad dash to the deadline.

“It was kind of a last minute thing, and I had no idea about it,” Skylar said. “I happened to find out late, so I had 24 hours to get my stuff in.”

Within a matter of days Skylar was notified that her application was accepted and that she was invited

JUNIOR REVEALS UNIQUE ARTISTIC LIFESTYLE

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF SKYLAR BRENNAN to take the class starting the weekend of Feb. 2. Since then, she has been exploring different photo-editing software and working with film which, fortunately for Skylar, is one of her strong suits. However, on her own time, she has been working on expanding into different types of artwork creation as well.

“Film is definitely my favorite [type of media] but I’ve been trying to experiment somewhat at my house with mixing photography and painting, and also scanning through illustration art to Photoshop and combining that,” Skylar said. “That’s kind of my new interest that I’m working on.”

While her work may be appreciated citywide, Skylar’s family is perhaps her greatest support system. Sophomore Riley Brennan, Skylar’s sister, admires ability to see things differently than she does herself.

“As my older sister, obviously I look up to her a lot even if we’re very different,” Riley said.

“I’ll never be into stuff that she likes or be as creative as she is, but she definitely opens my eyes to another side, and another perspective, that I would not be open to at all without her.”

Baranowski also respects Skylar’s uniqueness in perspective and thoughtfulness.

“I think she’s a very, even if you wouldn’t guess it because I don’t think she wears those

kinds of things on her sleeve like some people do, a very caring a person,” Baranowski said. “She’s a person who truly thinks about how things affect other people. But at the same time I don’t think she feels a need to always be recognized for it, which is kind of a unique combination.”

So where does a person like Skylar take her life after graduation? She isn’t quite sure yet.

Skylar is considering a liberal arts education and is looking into art schools such as MICA and Columbia College. While she is unsure about where to go to college, there isn’t a doubt in Riley’s mind as to where she will end up in the long run.

“I know that she’ll be successful, just in her own way because she doesn’t need lots of money and fame or glitz and glam. She just needs her art, and tea,” Riley said.

Skylar hopes for much of the same. “[I’ll probably still be] making weird art, probably still making a lot of weird other stuff too. I’m still going to be studying up on my strange interests in consciousness and metaphysical studies,” Skylar said. “Hopefully have a nice little place of my own with candles and fun stuff. I just hope I’m in a relaxed, calm state with close people I can enjoy.”

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A&E

LAKERS, TIGERS & STEELERS: OH MY! scandals that have plagued famous athletes

BY GRIFFIN ZELLER

tiger woods

Ben Roethlisberger

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n Nov. 27, 2009 ESPN broke that the famous golfer Tiger Woods had been in a car accident. Then, Dec. 2 the story broke that it was with one of his mistresses. Following the uncovering of Woods’s affairs several sponsors dropped him as a spokesman including AT&T, Gatorade and General Motors. He lost an estimated $12 billion, and his wife. Since the breaking of the story, Woods has yet to win a major tournament. But, this year he has showed some promise, winning the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines.

Manti Te’o

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uring the 2012 college season Te’o had supposedly lost his grandmother and girlfriend. Lennay Kekua, his girlfriend, had died in a car accident and had been battling cancer. Te’o never visited his sickly girlfriend in the hospital because she told him that she wanted him to play. Te’o overcame the tragedy and played an outstanding 2012 season, in which he was runner-up for the Heisman.

It was a big story for college football. Then, Jan. 13, 2013 Deadspin reported that his girlfriend never existed. Following the story, Te’o claimed he had no involvement in his imaginary girlfriend. It turns out that he was in a relationship with someone he met online, but had never met in person. Te’o had proof of several phone calls with his girlfriend. It turns out that his girlfriend wasn’t actually a girl. Those late nights Te’o thought he was talking to his girlfriend on the phone, he was talking to a man.

I would be very disappointed that someone I look up to would cheat and ruin the game like that.

—senior Dylan Belk

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en Roethlisberger, the two time Super Bowl winning quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers, has also been accused of sexual assault, twice. Since 2009 Roethlisberger has been charged with sexual assault on two separate occasions. On July 17, 2009 in Lake Tahoe, Andrea McNulty accused Roethlisberger of sexual assault. But, the charges were dropped due to a conversation that McNulty had with a coworker where she bragged about having sex with Roethlisberger.

Then, March 5, 2010 Roethlisberger was again charged with sexual assault in a women’s rest room in the Milledgeville, Georgia. But, again Roethlisberger was not charged.

kobe bryant S

tatistically, Kobe Bryant is one the best basketball players of our generation. He is also one of the most recognizable athletes in the world. He has sponsorship deals with Nike, Coca-Cola, and McDonalds. In 2003, Bryant was charged with sexual assault of a 19-year-old hotel employee, Katelyn Faber. Kobe admitted to having consensual sex with her, but denied sexual assault. In 2004 the charges were dropped and they settled for terms undisclosed to the public. Since the alleged sexual assault, Kobe has changed his jersey number, won the MVP award, and has won two NBA championships for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Well, before I thought [Tiger Woods] was a great golfer and he had a smoking hot girlfriend, but afterwards he became terrible at golf and got a divorce.

—junior David Floyd

Well, I think it’s really bad that [Lance Armstrong] cheated, but he did raise a lot of money for cancer.

—junior Alex Stockler

SEX

and

SPORTS

South athletes share thoughts on sex contracts

BY CASEY LEE

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ack in 2011, Brandon Davies, a sophomore basketball player at Brigham Young University, was suspended from school and from the remainder of the basketball season after breaking BYU’s honor code by having premarital sex with his girlfriend. At BYU student, athlete or not, makes commitment to abide by the honor code. It states that they will “live a chaste (refraining from sexual intercourse) and virtuous life.”

Students are also required to abstain from alcoholic beverages, tea, coffee and substance abuse. They are required to be honest, and regularly participate in church. For public schools, students aren’t held to those particular requirements. In fact, most public schools aren’t held to any of those requirements. The thought of abiding by such rules can be hard for most public high schoolers to grasp. ”If it doesn’t affect the athletes performance; I don’t see why the administrators need to know what the athletes are doing in their free time. I think that’s their personal choice,” senior athlete Amanda Schwabauer said.

That’s what’s causing so much debate.

Asking students to sign an honor code with such expectations can bring up many issues. Issues

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY SUSAN NGYUEN such as privacy, and issues with religion.

“There’s parenting issues, there’s issues of morality, religious issues, and they’re all important. They’re issues that are critically important to the people involved,” athletic director John Johnson said.

Most schools asked to sign honor codes are private schools. There are huge differences between public and private administrations.

Public schools are limited by constitutional limitations of privacy. Most private schools, however, base their standards off of a certain religion, and are thus allowed to enforce the rules of that particular religion.

“Private schools typically are smaller. They have probably more parental involvement overall. In public schools the issues that what have are more basic. We take all comers. We have the kids with the great habits, and the kids that are great kids with poor habits and the other kids who don’t want to be there,” Johnson said.

Shawnee Mission students aren’t asked to refrain from having premarital sex. However, they are asked to sign a contract to restrain from alcohol and drugs. No matter the expectations, enforcing these type of restrictions can be hard.

How do administrators find out if a student has been having premarital sex? ”I think it might be kind of hard to enforce it since administrators aren’t with the athletes all the time and have no idea what they’re doing in their free time,” Schwabauer said. “Athletes could do whatever they want, if it’s little things how are they going find out.”

But is kicking a student off of their sports team a fair and correct punishment? Is removing an athlete from their sport actually benefiting the student themselves?

“To remove them from things that are constructive and solid and worthwhile in their life, like a sport or any kind of extracurricular activity, music forensics, whatever it may be, generally I’m not in favor of,” Johnson said.

“Turning kids loose right after school without having something constructive to do before parents get home, sometimes not the best idea, for the kid, the parents and everybody else. I recognize that playing a sport is a privilege, but I still think we need to be in it for what’s in the best interest for the student, that’s why we’re here.”

SPORTS

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BOYS BASKETBALL 16-0

The boys basketball team has been setting records all year. Not many teams can say that they’re currently undefeated with a 16-0 perfect record.

They’ve blown out almost every opponent they’ve played, including teams Shawnee Mission West, Shawnee Mission Northwest and Olathe North. In a close game they beat the #5 ranked Olathe South.

When the boys played in the Dodge City Tournament in early December, they swept the competition and brought home a first place trophy.

Not only do they have a perfect record, they’re also ranked No. 1 in the Sunflower league. Not only that, they’re also ranked first in the state.

JOINING THE SOUTH SIDE athlete moves to South to play basketball

BY TRIVETTE KNOWLES

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rom Raytown South to Shawnee Mission South, sophomore Deangelo Bruster has followed his basketball passion to a place he feels more comfortable. Moving from Missouri to Kansas without any family would be a challenge for anybody, especially a 15-year-old teen.

Now living with long time close friend sophomore Dainan Swoope, Bruster has a new place to call home.

“Living with Dainan can be tough, but now I know more when it comes to college from living away from my family,” Bruster said. “It’s tough being away from my family but [the Swoopes] are my family; they treat me like family. Every time I need something they help out. And going to the gym with Dainan has been a blessing. He’s like a brother to me and going to the gym knowing I can’t shoot like him but getting better to be able to shoot like him is just a blessing.”

At Raytown South, Bruster played for JV and varsity with limited minutes due to the coach’s decision. As a Raider, Bruster plays a much more significant role which has been described by coaches as creating a spark for either scoring or defense and maintaining energy throughout the whole game. He has been able to bring

22 SPORTS

PHOTO BY JULIA LARBERG that energy this season so far with a 24 point display against Shawnee Mission Northwest and his above-10-point average. Bruster has also become a fan favorite with flashy crossovers and spirited spin moves. In many games, defenders have been left behind as Bruster forces his will to score against opposing teams.

“The season has gone pretty well. There’s a few games that I’ve played pretty well but I don’t think I have hit my spurts where I continuously play well, and I’m looking forward to doing that,” he said.

Coming from a different style of play, Bruster’s finesse is something South fans might not have witnessed in a long time.

“When [Delo] plays within himself he does a great job and occasionally he gets a little wild and honestly I haven’t seen that in a couple months. He has been so solid and he has got a little flash to his game and I told him at the beginning of the year you dribble too much. He stopped doing that and that’s a sign of what a great young man he is. He has got some flash and some swagger to him which I love, ” Coach Brett McFall said.

Bruster has placed a lot of emphasis on

coaching as a reason for Raider success. But with a 16-0 record he believes that the team as a whole still hasn’t reached its full potential and still has room to improve.

“I can tell [Coach McFall] is way more experienced. He used to coach for my AAU program in Mokan and I can tell a big difference. He knows what he’s doing, he knows how to coach and he knows how to sub. That’s something that coaches at Raytown South didn’t know how to do,” Bruster said. “I still don’t think we all have had one of our best games, but I know when we do it’s going to be a killer and there is no one who can stop us.”

Transferring from a new school, to a new home, and a new environment usually makes it tough for individuals to triumph and accomplish any goals the team had set. Even in the NBA players still have difficulty cooperating with new teammates and learning a whole new program.

Despite these tribulations and coming off the bench, Bruster has now become known as one of South’s best players. “[De-lo] is just as good as the five starters. He doesn’t start for us but he could start for any team in the KC metro area,” McFall said.

SPORTS: MOVING UP A LEVEL SPORTING KC

BY DEREK FUHRMANN Shawnee Mission South has many notable alumni: Rob Riggle, Greg Gurley and Steve Little are all names that come to mind. Add one more name to the list of notable alumni as 2009 graduate Christian Duke has been drafted by local professional soccer club, Sporting KC, in the first round of the supplemental draft. Duke, who spent the last three years at the University of San Diego is setting high expectations for this season.

“I want to continue to learn and grow as a player. It has been quite a shift between the college level and professional level but I’m learning. I believe I have a lot of room to grow and learn, and the coaching staff is among the best in the league, so I couldn’t ask for a better situation,” Duke said.

Duke spent his high school years in the (then Kansas City Wizards’) developmental Academy, and sees this opportunity as a dream come true.

His father, Chris, is also a San Diego alum who spent time playing for the major indoor soccer league (MISL) Kansas City Comets. Duke has noticed a great difference between soccer at the collegiate and professional level.

“Peter (Vermes) invited me into preseason, which started Jan. 17. This was before I had been drafted. So I was already in Tucson for preseason when I found out the news. I was so thankful to be apart of great organization that is well respected. My first reaction was, wow this really is a dream come true,” Duke said.

SIGNINGS

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eniors Chaz Union, Alterick Buchanan, Jeramie Fischer and Gabe Guild are signing to play football at their respective colleges of choice: Highland Community College, Emporia State and Holy Cross. Senior Hayden Roberts will be signing to play softball at Johnson County Community College. Senior Hannah Sears also signed to play golf at Northwest Missouri State. Other seniors, such as Devin Martin are still in the process of picking and signing to their schools.

Bottom Left Sophomore Chloe Matthews looks at the fans to celebrate after the Lady Raiders close win over Leavenworth at the Sweetheart double header Feb. 8. Bottom Right Senior Jake Caldwell makes a basket during the Raiders win over Shawnee Mission West.

Top Right Senior Devin Martin, who is still in the process of picking which school to sign with. Top Left Senior Jeramie Fischer, who signed to play football at Emporia State. Middle Senior Hannah Sears signs to play golf at Northwest Missouri State.

PHOTOS BY JULIA LARBERG, SUSAN NGYUEN, KATIE IMES

SPORTS

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Spotlight

Senior Riley Bortka beams as she is crowned the 2013 Sweetheart Queen at the basketball game Friday, Feb. 8. Bortka and her assembly escort, senior Ahmed Alsmar, wore white lung cancer awareness ribbons in honor of Bortka’s late father.

Senior Jordan David was crowned Sweetheart King. David and his assembly escort, senior Casey Lee, wore pink breast cancer awareness ribbons in honor of David’s late mother.

“

PHOTO BY JULIA LARBERG

I WAS JUST IN AWE, SITTING THERE WITH MY MOM, LOOKING OUT AT THE CROWD AND SEEING EVERYONE WITH WHITE RIBBONS. IT WAS SO TOUCHING TO HAVE PEOPLE COMING TOGETHER FOR SUCH A CAUSE. —seinor Riley Bortka