The Patriot March 2017

march

THE

Patriot

issue 7 VOL. 51

2017

Equality in the Modern Age Shawnee mission south 5800 W 107th St, Overland Park, KS 66207 (913) 993-7500

On the Cover

During the monthly Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) meeting, the group participates in a snowball throwing activity. The purpose of the activity was to write a fact about oneself on a piece of paper, throw their paper in the air and another member reads it aloud. This activity was used to make others more comfortable with talking about themselves.

Cover Cartoon by Miah Clark Photo by Savannah Morgan

Contents News Sports

Features

4

News to Know

5

College Now 11 Changes

Conditioning Comparison

16

6

Band Trip to 12 Florida

Spring Break Practices

18

7

Film Festival 13

8

Mock Trial

Q&A with Emily 20 Fossoh

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Staff Amelia Holcomb Editor-In-Chief Features Editor Sophia Belshe Assistant Editor-In-Chief Opinion Editor Savannah Morgan Photo Editor Mark Holland News Editor Tara Phillips A&E Editor

Mission

Winter Wrap Up 14

Staff Editorial

26

Little Mermaid

The Debate: Celebrities on Politics

27

Donutology Review

28

Aspiring Tattoo Artist

24

Stadium Renovations

Spring Break Entertainment

29

Stay-cation

25

Stress

Who, What, Wear

30

Twitter Contest

Mara Baine Writer

Lily Wagner Web Editor Infographics Editor

Miah Clark Copy Editor Editorial Cartoonist Blake Atkinson Writer

A&E

Q&A with 21 Stephen Luancing 22 The Fight for Equal Rights

Avery Woods Sports Editor

Madison Holloway Ads Editor

Opinion

Hannah Carter Photographer

Mitch Brock Writer

Angela Machado Writer Addie Soyski Writer

Tess Conley Writer

Nichole Thomas Writer

Kice Mansi Photographer

Faith Danaher Writer Anastasia Jackson Writer Muriel Lund Writer

Hannah Underwood Writer

Jillian McClelland Photographer

Cassandra Awad Photographer

Julie Fales Adviser

Maxie Crimm Photographer

The Patriot is a news magazine that aims to objectively present topics affecting Shawnee Mission South High School, as well as connect with readers on issues concerning 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 as a whole, except the Lead Editorial, which represents the views of the 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.

Table of Contents

03

News to Know

By Hannah Underwood Writer

Olathe Shooting

Two Indian men were shot at Austin’s Bar and Grill by an Olathe man Feb. 23. Before shooting Alok Madasani and Srinivas Kuchibhotla, the suspect, Adam Purinton, yelled, “Get out of my country,” having mistaken the two Indian men for Muslims. Purinton also shot Ian Grillot of Grandview, who attempted to stop the shooter. He and Madasani survived after being taken to the University of Kansas Hospital. Five hours after the shooting, Purinton was found at an Applebee’s in Clinton, Mo., having told a bartender there that he had shot two Middle Eastern men.

“It’s really sad that someone would do a hate crime based on race and stuff,” senior Cinthia Romo said. “I’m an immigrant, and it’s just really sad, because the feeling of having to carry around your passport everywhere is horrible and that’s not something anybody should have to do. We are supposed to live somewhere and we can call home and feel safe and it’s just really sad, and honestly that’s all I can say because I know there’s nothing we can really do about it except keep educating people, education is really important.”

The shooter appeared in court for the first time Feb. 27, facing one count of first degree murder and

A memorial for the victims of the shooting at Austin’s Bar and Grill has been left to remember them.

Photo By Maxie Crimm two counts of attempted murder in connection to the shooting.

However, if the FBI has enough evidence to prove the triple shooting a hate crime, Purinton could receive federal charges that would give him the death penalty.

He remains in the Johnson County jail on a $2 million cash bond.

Kim Jong-Un’s brother poisoned

Kim Jong-Nam, half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, was assassinated by two women smearing a VX nerve agent on his face at the Lumpur National Airport Feb. 13. According to South Korea’s spy agency, two North Korean ministries were involved in the plot to kill Jong-Nam, with orders from Jong-Un. It is believed that they recruited the two women from

Vietnam and Indonesia to poison Jong-Nam with the VX nerve agent, which causes respiratory failure.

Less than 20 minutes after being poisoned, he died on the way to the hospital.

“I guess if it’s that easy for him to order the killing of his brother, then who knows what he could do to other people who threaten him,” senior Sam Johnston said.

Major News Sources Banned From Press Conference

The White House banned several news sources, including CNN and The New York Times, from attending and reporting a non-televised briefing that took place Feb. 24. Even though several of the news outlets not banned are typically conservative, President Trump and the White House claim that they did not choose to ban certain news outlets in favor of other outlets that favor him more.

Instead, they claim that the reports at those news outlets that were banned are “dishonest,” and Trump has outwardly criticized them for using anonymous news sources in their reporting.

“I don’t really think banning certain news sources is fair because it doesn’t allow people to have full access to different viewpoints,” junior and Heritage Yearbook writer Abbagael Johnson said.

Shout Out To Bizfest

Senior Frida Fregozo placed 2nd and was awarded a scholarship.

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News

KSPA Monthly Contest

Sophomore Kait Klemm placed 2nd in the Academic Photo category for the Kansas Scholastic Press Association Dec./Jan. Contest.

Louder Than a Bomb

In the preliminary round, the LTAB poetry team placed first with a cumulative score of 114.7.

A New College Now

During 6th hour, AP Macroeconomics students are able to receive College Now credit. College Now teacher Tony Budetti has returned to class to update his credentials.

Photo by Hannah Carter

College Now to require more graduate hours.

Amelia Holcomb Editor-In-Chief, features editor fter years of teaching classes through the Johnson County Community College Now program, teachers may have to return to the student desk to take classes and earn their accredidation.

The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) recently released guidelines which change the requirements for teachers in post-secondary education positions, affecting both students already in college and those taking advantage of College Now. College Now is a program typically available to high school upperclassmen that allows them to receive transferable college credit for the work they do in their high school classes. As opposed to Advanced Placement classes, College Now offers a holistic semester grade.

This year, any teacher with a Master’s degree was eligible to teach a College Now class, but the HLC has issued new guidelines for the coming years. Teachers must hold a Master’s degree, and within or in addition to the Master’s degree, 18 hours in their specific content area. The change may be in response to for-profit colleges, like the Overland Park Wright Community College, which was closed last year.

“The big goal is for them to keep their credibility,” counselor Beau Gothier said. “[the HLC] works with all of our four year institutions, all of our public institutions. So K-State, KU, they’re all working with that same institution. So their goal is just to make sure the quality of education is the same at all institutions,” Gothier said.

South currently offers 14 classes

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for College Now credit, ranging from foreign languages or science to programming or video production.

“The goal for Johnson County to meet compliance with this is that they want to make sure that their level of education is equal to those other institutions. That we don’t have people just coming off the street to teach classes that you know say, ‘I’ve got this degree’ or ‘I’ve got a Master’s degree’ But if it doesn’t meet those requirements then you’re not really qualified to teach in that content area,” Gothier said.

The HLC will give a five year extension period from next fall, allowing teachers to take the classes they need for the accreditation while continuing to teach college level courses.

“If they don’t have that Master’s degree plus the 18 hours in their content area, they can put a plan together that says in the next five years, I will achieve compliance,” Gothier said. “If they pay for the classes themselves, then [the district] can move them up the pay scale to the next level if they qualify.”

Local higher learning institutions such as Baker, KU and Mid-American Nazarene are offering teachers discounted classes to achieve their accreditation. Government and Economics teacher Tony Budetti is in the process of taking more classes through Baker to meet the new

standards so he can continue to teach College Now Economics, but he will not be reimbursed for his time or money spent taking the class. “...I’m doing this so my students can get credit from JuCo in the future, even though there’s no real help to me. I’m already at the top of the salary schedule,” Budetti said. “Each class is about $330 for tuition and books.

I’m paying money out of my pocket to help students so that they can get credit in the future.”

Budetti says he’s willing to sacrifice his time and money for students because of the benefits they receive from taking College Now classes.

“Not only do I think that I’m saving them the outright cost of the college credit, but potentially I’m saving them a lot of money down the line if something like this allows them to graduate earlier,” Budetti said.

But Budetti doubts that these guidelines will improve the education for high schoolers.

“It probably won’t affect the quality of education nearly at all because people who have been teaching something for 20 years and are experts in it, they’re still experts in it whether or not they have college hours or not,” Budetti said. “Getting college hours doesn’t make you an expert. Teaching it does kind of make you an expert in something because you have to learn it to teach it.”

News

05

The Most Magical Performance on Earth This spring, the band will travel to Orlando Disney Resorts to play.

By Anastasia Jackson Writer ost people go out of town to visit family or just stay home during Spring Break, but the Raider band is going to visit the most magical place on earth: Walt Disney World. From March 12 to March 18, 107 band members will be traveling to play music in Orlando.

“The whole purpose in going down to Florida is to get recorded in the Disney Studios and to play our instruments as a band at the park,” freshman Grace Markum said.

Instead of being in the traditional parade, the band is going on the trip so that they can get recorded in Disney Studios and listen to how they sound.

“I know that we’re going to record our music and then put it with a film I guess, so the score maybe is going to be a movie score. That’s all I know and we’re also going to do a couple concerts in Epcot,” senior Joslin Clark said.

The band schedule is specific to what they are doing each day.

“We leave on Sunday. We’ll be driving down there on buses and on Monday we arrive and we go to the Clearwater Beach,” Markum said. “We spend the day at the beach and then we get to the hotel Tuesday. We go and we just do the general park area. I’m not sure which specific park. Wednesday is the day we do our recording things.

Thursday we have a performance and we go to another one of the magical things or whatever, then on Friday we go to Universal.”

Many people in band are looking forward to the trip due to the freedom they will have for the few days they are there.

“I think [the most fun will be] probably going to be the parks and just kinda like being free to do our own thing but then also like coming back and like being all together,” junior Brennan Lumpkin said.

Band members practice Thursdays and Sundays trying to make everything perfect for the trip. Some nights the band members are practicing on their own trying to perfect the songs for recording at Disney.

“We’re doing a workshop with people down there in Disney for the band and so just like interacting with people outside of South will be a really cool thing for us,” Lumpkin said.

Many people across the world who will be at Disney will be hearing the band and helping the students experience publicity outside of school.

“If I weren’t doing this, I would be sitting at home

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News

To prepare for the upcoming trip to Orlando, the band classes work on perfecting their songs. The band will play several times throughout their trip in Disney World, as well as getting one of their songs recorded in a studio.

Photo By Hannah Carter

Songs Being Performed:

Wizard of Oz (all the songs from the movie) Home on the Range by Daniel E. Kelley Semper Fidelis by John Philip Sousa Beauty and the Beast theme song Song from Pirates of the Caribbean : Curse of the Black Pearl doing absolutely nothing, and so this is a way more fun and interesting opportunity then just sitting at home and wasting my time,” Markum said.

Clark agreed with her statement.

“I’ve already been to Disney. It’s like I’m excited still though just spending time with the band and stuff,” Clark said.

Spanish teacher Leigh Rysko’s fifth hour class works in groups on scripts for the foriegn film festival. This group’s film was about three boys who all asked the same girl to Homecoming.

Photo By Cassandra Awad

Learning Language Through Film Spanish students compete in foreign language film contest.

By Mara Baine Writer ights, Camera, Action! Spanish students in Leigh Rykso’s class, along with other language classes, are talking in their language learned as they film a movie of their choice. Students will participating in a film festival, where they can showcase their projects in order to be judged and possibly receive awards. This year, the film festival will take place in Warrensburg, Missouri, at the University of Central Missouri on April 10.

“It came about because the “Show Me Justice” Film Festival takes place that same weekend, and the World Language department wanted to offer local high school students the opportunity to participate,” Rysko said.

Students from all around the area are participating in the event, no matter the language. The videos are submitted to different categories, German, Chinese, Spanish and French. Students speak in the applicable language, but subtitle in English, which helps the judges.

Teachers all around had their students work on a project to submit so they can get a real world experience using the language they study. It gives students a chance to use their language in a creative way.

“It is an opportunity for students to tell a story for a real audience, and any chance I can get them to use their second language for authentic, real-world purposes is worth dedicating class time for students to work,” Rysko said.

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Last year, South won first place in the intermediate and advanced categories. Spanish teachers John Greene and Cynthia Hartwell’s classes are also competing in the competition.

“It gives students a chance to use their Spanish in a creative way, and apply some basic technology that creates special effects, such as using a green screen to make it appear that students are in the middle of a rainforest or in a bull ring,” Rysko said. “Finally, it amazes me to see the wide range of students’ abilities to carry out a multi-step, collaborative project, involving planning, casting, screenwriting, filming and editing. I feel like they learn valuable life skills in the process, and the fact that they have to subtitle all scenes in English means they have a quality final product that they can share with friends and family via YouTube.”

Some projects students are doing include a spin off on “The Ellen Show”, and a warning about what can happen in the future if we don’t protect our environment.

“My video shows a future character, with all of the stereotype future ideas, like metal colored clothing and hoverboards, and other things, and he is there to show the hazards of not being friendly to the environment, and how the future will end up looking, if you don’t do simple things like turn off the lights or recycle,” sophomore Maddy Westcott said.

Students participating are excited about the event, and think it will end up paying off.

“I think it will pay off, just seeing our finished product at the end,” junior Abbagael Johnson said.

News

07

Law & Order: SMS All lady lawyers compete in Mock Trial competition.

By Nichole Thomas Writer lady who has a collection of gnomes that are worth over a million dollars is suing a man who is dead because his drone crashed into her gnomes and destroyed them. The man died with the drone control in his hand.

This is the fictional case Mock Trial will be working on this year.

Much like debate or forensics, this club is a platform for students to come together and compete.

Each year a new lawsuit is debated upon. There is a plaintiff side and a defendant side. Competitions are held in a the Johnson County Regional Courthouse.

“The Kansas Bar Association puts out a case every year with materials and what the case is about. So we work on preparing a plaintiff and a defense case for civil,” Mock Trial Coach Natalie King said.

Each team is comprised of eight students who then split into a jury, lawyers, defendants and prosecutors. During their meetings, they practice debate and study the subject by gathering evidence. Once the students gather evidence and “make their case”, they practice with each other. Linda Spievack, a lawyer, comes every week to help the students further their interrogation skills. She is a volunteer who recently moved to Kansas from Georgia. While in Georgia, Spievack coached many successful Mock Trial teams.

“She has worked with mock trial for a lot of years and she says that a lot of her most productive teams have been made up of only females,” senior Joy Knowles said.

In years past, South has not had a team eligible to compete at competitions. The teams didn’t have enough students participating at the time. Mock Trial currently has enough students to fill a team. This

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News

Mock Trial practices all day for a competition March 4. The Mock Trial Club was a team consisting of eight girls.

Photo By Cassandra Awad

Students in Mock Trial...

- Learn and practice techniques for verbal and nonverbal persuasion - Develop library and computer research skills - Judge and articulate the validity and reliability of sources - Develop verbal direct and cross-examination and refutation skills - Display teamwork skills of professionalism, responsibility, dependability, cooperation, and initiative - Demonstrate ability to work within time constraints - Develop a “theory of case” for both the prosecution and defense.

(Info found at smsd.org) year the all girls team is senior Joy Knowles, sophomores Maquistin Bell, Katie Schultz, Lexington Link and freshmen Arden Larsen, Adelaide Soyski, Dayanara Zamora Mendoza and Kate Herrmann.

“We all work really well together, and yes, we may get off track sometimes, but that happens with pretty much any group of high schoolers,” Herrmann said.

Many of the girls on the team

have been enrolled or are currently enrolled in debate or forensics.

“This is the most accurate type of debate activity you can do in forensics that is accurate to being a lawyer,” King said.

The Mock Trial competition was March 4. For an update on the team competition, check the story on The Patriot’s website, smsouthnews.com.

Winter Season Wrap Up Winter sports finish with State competitions.

By Mitch Brock Writer

Bowling The boys bowling team placed second at Regionals and advanced to State. Senior Daniel Self placed second at the Regional competition bowling a 694 series, helping his team qualify. Other medalists were freshman Jayden Dewey placing seventh. freshman Nicole Thomas also qualified individually with a 577 series.

Photo by Maxie Crimm

Girls Basketball Senior Lauren Anderson talked about expectations for the rest of the season.

“Our plan is to make it as far as we can in sub-State,” Anderson said.

The girls basketball team won their first sub-State game against Shawnee Misson West by two points, and played Lawrence High March 4. Results of the game were not avalaible at press time.

Wrestling

“The season has gone very well aside from injuries. We all work very hard in practice and that has gotten us five State qualifiers and we hope to advance to the second day of State,” senior Isaias Olson said.

No South wrestlers placed at State, but the three athletes who won the first match and advanced were Olson, junior Caleb Cossairt and sophomore Eddie Vera.

Photo by Hannah Carter

Photo by Cassandra Awad

Boys Swim Senior Josh Buss reflected on his and the teams performances at State.

“The season went very well, and we did better than we have in the last couple years. We pushed ourselves every day and worked really hard in practice,” Buss said. “At State we all did very well and all got PR’s and we all placed well - better than we expected. The divers did very well, and they had a freshman diver place in the top 16. I myself placed fifth.”

Photo by Savannah Morgan

Boys Basketball

“We’ve really bonded as a team,” senior David Parks said. “We’ve started to play a lot better towards the end of the season.”

The Raiders wrapped up their season with a win from Shawnee Mission East making their record 10-10, losing in subState to West March 1.

Photo by hannah Carter

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YOU BELONG AT PITTSBURG STATE UNIVERSITY 200+ ACADEMIC PROGRAMS FLAT RATE TUITION

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Mona’s

ALTERATIONS & CLEANERS

Running, Lifting and Jumping Each spring sport trains for their upcoming season in a different way.

Girls soccer sprints during their tryouts. The girls soccer program worked in the off season to prepare for tryouts, prevent injuries and get in shape. Photo by Cassandra Awad

By Mitch Brock Writer

Track and Field

Senior track leader Trenton Holliman explains how track is different from other sports.

“What sets track conditioning apart from other conditioning is that we do a lot of stairs, a lot of jumping and a lot of leg workouts, like squats and lunges. It’s more about being explosive,” Holliman said.

Holliman thinks forming a relationship with other teammates is important to do before the season.

“Creating a team bond so that people can be ready to go on the first day is what we wanted to try to do,” Holliman said.

Girls Soccer

Senior Emma Jarrell knows what girls soccer conditioning is all about.

“We ran a lot and worked on strengthening our legs and arms. We tried to work on preventing injuries most importantly, because last year we had three injuries that set us back a little, so we definitely tried to work with our underclassmen to strengthen their hips and knees and try to prevent injuries,” Jarrell said.

“We really just tried to get as in shape as we can so that we’re ready to go once the season starts.”

Baseball

“With training for baseball, you need more than one person. For example, with basketball you’d need a

ball and a hoop, and for baseball you need the other guys there with you.

You need someone to throw pitches, you need to hit off the tee, you need to play catch and stuff like that. It’s all about repetition and consistency to become good,”senior Matthew Peck said.

Baseball requires a lot of upper body strength. Before the season started, they went to weights Monday through Thursday, and had open gym twice a week where they would hit or throw.

Girls Swim

Senior Crimson Barker explains how girls swim doesn’t condition before the season, but how they have to jump right into the season.

“The first day is always a little hectic because swimming is a no cut sport; anyone can come out for it. It’s kind of to see more what swimming skill level you’re at. After that we start to sort of condition and get in shape a little more,” Barker said.

Some girls swim in the off season to maintain their skill level or do another sport.

Boys Tennis

Like girls swim, boys tennis doesn’t condition before the season.

Senior Andy Searl talked about the first day, and what he and his teammates do to get ready for the season.

“A lot of the guys get together and play before the season. We have about a month until our first match, so starting on the first day is kind of just a warm-up period and it’s meant to build toward the first match,” Searl said.

Softball

“Most of what we do is with our legs, and we do a lot of squats because that’s what we do on the field most of the time. We do a lot of stuff with making our feet quicker because we’re having to move quickly to the ball in outfield a lot of the time,” sophomore Avery Daugherty said.

Daugherty has a vision for the team at the start of the season.

“I think the conditioning that we did will make us stronger overall and ready for the season,” Daugherty said

Boys Golf

Senior Kyle Hamm is a varsity member of boys golf and doesn’t condition but has other ways of getting ready for the season.

“A lot of the guys go out and shoot nine holes with each other and work on chipping and putting.

We also stretch and hit at the driving ranges,” Hamm said. “I think the season will go very well because we’ve all played with each other for a long time and we had good leaders last year that we learned a lot from and it’ll just be a lot of fun.”

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Challenges of Spring Arrival of Spring Break to complicate sport practice schedules.

By Mark Holland News Editor he spring season provides many sport opportunities, such as boys golf, track and field, girls soccer, baseball, girls swim and softball. In preparing for the upcoming competitions, teams practice frequently so that they can be ready. But one thing that complicates this rigorous schedule is Spring Break. With some students out of town and others just unavailable, coaches have had to improvise their own ways to prevent students from losing the practice they need, while also allowing them to get some rest.

“We, as a program, kind of leave it up to the individual event coaches,” track and field coach James Wannamaker said. “They can work out with their smaller groups what days might be best. So for instance in the past I’ve had three days of practice for my spring groups a lot of times. So that’s kind of what we’re working on, is figuring out which days will work best when we can maximize the most people being here.”

These individual event coaches are

Photo by Maddy Westcott

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Quotes gathered by Kice Mansi Photos by Kice Mansi and Madelyn Mendez

sophomore Colin Wilkinson What’s your favorite part of tennis?

“My favorite part of tennis is landing an ace on a serve and looking directly into my opponent’s eyes.”

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Sports

Senior Trenton Holliman lies on the grass during track practice.

responsible for organizing practices for their students.

“Each coach has their own work out over Spring Break,” junior Marc Amloff said. “So I’m part of the distance group and so our coach, Coach Hilding, he’s having us practice over Spring Break.”

Some coaches feel that Spring Break does not propose too much of a problem because of the skills of their players.

“Obviously, we’d like to be there and practice. The good thing is that everyone is kinda in the same boat [in skills], so it’s not an advantage or a disadvantage necessarily either way,” baseball coach Mitch Wiles said.

Other coaches had mixed feelings about the effects of Spring Break.

“In some ways it’s kind of a pain

because you wish you could be preparing the team,” girls soccer coach Caroline Ewing said. “But it is kind of a nice, built-in break, I think, for four or five days. I usually give them the first weekend and Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday off, to kind of recover. Hopefully they are getting some conditioning in during those five days, but then we pick up optional practices on that Thursday and Friday and Sunday and a required practice on Monday.”

To these coaches, the sport season is important, and requires a lot of practice and effort on the part of the students.

“You gotta obviously put in the time and effort in your events,” Wannamaker said. “Everybody has gotta have some aerobic conditioning, that’s for all events. There’s gotta be a lot of good flexibility training, and good core training. Everything we do in practice is going to prepare us for that.”

Outside of the scheduled team practices, students also have opportunities to practice on their own time. “...there’s also like gyms and different activities out at like Roe Park,” Amloff said. “They’re putting in a lot of exercises out there.”

Athlete Snapshots

junior Jack Householder What’s your goal for this baseball season?

“Hopefully, win a lot of games and beat East.”

sophomore Maddy Musson What’s your favorite part of swimming?

“My favorite part is going to the meets... it’s just a really fun environment cheering everybody on.”

Q&A with Emily Fossoh

By Avery Woods Sports Editor

As the head track coach for East and a social studies teacher for South, Emily Fossoh discusses balancing her schedule, schools and sports.

Why do you teach at South but coach track at East?

“I actually student-taught here at South. This is my tenth year of teaching at South. I actually coached track here at South for five years under Coach Wannamaker. When the head position opened up at East, I was just wanting to kind of move up, try a new position, also have the ability to possibly coach throws, and I got the position, but they didn’t have an opening. Then that’s just kind of how it’s been the last four years; and I’ve taught here, and coached there.”

Has the South-East rivalry gotten in the way of your jobs?

“Not really, but it brings more humor to situations. Obviously, I feel like both schools know people at both schools. They ask, ‘do you know this person,’ or, you know, they just give me a hard time about it, but it doesn’t really create any problems.”

How do you manage going back and forth between the two schools?

“I have seventh hour plan, so that’s kind of my transportation time. Usually during the spring, I’ll have a couple minutes in my plan, and then I drive right on over there to start practice.”

What’s your favorite part of coaching track at East?

“I love the student bodies at both schools. I really do like the… I don’t really see the difference. I think no matter where I coach, I would absolutely love the athletes that I coach. You know, the culture there, and the students have been great and the athletes have been great at East, and the athletes were great when I was here at South. And I just think that it was the right time for my career to move over there.”

What’s your favorite part of teaching at South?

“I just love the faculty here. I love the students here. I love the courses that I teach. And being able to keep that and maintain that and possibly lose that if I went over to East is that question of balance. This is the only school that I’ve taught at, so I’ve kind of made it my home.”

What do South students say about you coaching at East?

“Really, nothing. I don’t think most of them know.

I think if I ever mention it, they’re like, ‘Oh man, why are you over at East?’ But it isn’t really a big deal."

Do you think you’ll keep coaching at East and teaching at South, or will that change?

“I think it always just changes based on what the future holds. I think… you know, I have no answer for that right now.”

What’s the hardest part of doing all this?

“I think the hardest part is for five years I coached basketball, volleyball, and track here at South. And being able to see your athletes every day and have more of a relationship because you’re here. At East, that sometimes is a struggle of recruiting senior athletes every day because you’re in a different building. So that’s probably the biggest struggle.”

Photo by Hannah Carter

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Sophomore Stephen Luancing spent his time in the Phillipines with his family at Batangas beach and his grandfather’s house. photos courtesy of stephen luancing

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with sophomore

Stephen Luancing Returning to his roots, sophomore Stephen Luancing went on a trip in January 2017 to his homeland of the Philippines. While there, he revisited with family, paid respects to his late grandfather, experienced the different culture and was inspired to learn more about his Filipino heritage and to travel more.

BY miah clark copy editor, editoral cartoonist PHOTO BY kice mansi

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Features

When did you go to the Philippines, and how long were you there?

January 5 of 2016, and I was there for about three weeks.

Where exactly did you go?

Manila and Lipa City. In the Philippines.

Why did you go?

Most of it was because it was my grandpa’s death anniversary, and I wasn’t there for his funeral, so [my family] went for his death anniversary. I hadn’t been there for 12 years, so it seemed like a good time to go.

What did you and your family do to honor your grandfather’s death?

[My family] had this little get-together with our extended family, and we visited and cleaned up his grave.

What does your Filipino heritage mean to you?

It means everything. It makes me who I am. Being Filipino is awesome, and I’d be a really sad person if I wasn’t.

Was this your first time traveling overseas? If so, what was it like?

This was my first time since 2005. The first time I went overseas was from the Philippines to New York, which was very strange because you go through multiple places that are very different, so you get to experience the different atmospheres.

Describe a typical day on your trip.

I would sleep in, then wake up with breakfast already there, which I don’t even know who cooked it because nobody was awake then. Then we would usually do something different everyday. And the nightlife is way different there than it is from here. It’s just insane.

Were there any differences between American and Filipino culture you noticed while in the Philippines?

Was there a prominent language barrier?

There wasn’t a language barrier for me because I speak the native language, which is Tagalog. English is a second language there, so a lot of people know how to speak English.

Did anyone ask you about American politics or American news while you were on your trip?

Yes, they did a lot. My grandpa was a politician back home in the Philippines, so his associates would ask about the presidential election and other political stuff here.

How much school did you miss?

How did you maintain good grades and keep up with your classes? Did it in any way affect your ability as a transfer student?

A little over three weeks of school, and I didn’t. Right now, it affects my eligibility, but by the end of the semester it won’t matter... because my grades will probably be different by then.

Did this trip in any way inspire you to learn more about the Philippines or other places?

Yes. It’s making me want to travel more. Like, we had a layover in Guam, and I never knew that place existed. I want to go back there and learn more about that place, and explore it. Same with Japan - I actually knew about that place. I just want to travel and explore more.

Do you plan to or want to go back to the Philippines?

[My family] plans on going back next year, and we’re gonna try to travel more often.

People in the Philippines are very friendly. Like, overly friendly. It seems like they’re there just to serve you. Also, the food there is very different, but it’s very good.

Features

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Equality in the Modern Age

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Although the United States was founded on the principle that all are created equal, some groups have never shared the privilege others enjoy. Progress has been made throughout history to level the playing field, but there are still students concerned with the social standing and treatment of women, transgender students and people of color.

he day after the presidential inauguration, hundreds of thousands of women, including senior Emma Jarrell, as well as men and children, participated in the peaceful Women’s March. Marchers around the world participated for a number of different reasons, but Jarrell went to advocate for equality and set an example for younger girls.

“Starting to get involved at a younger age is better, because if you start at a younger age then it shows girls even younger than you that it’s OK to make a difference, and that you can stand up for yourself,” Jarrell said.

As of 2015, full-time female workers made 80 cents to every dollar men made, a wage gap of 20 percent. Women are more likely to work in lower-paying jobs, spend time on household and caregiving responsibilities and not receive paid family leave, according to the Institute for In 2015, full Women’s Policy Research. time female workers made Senior Matthew Neaderhiser believes the first step to fix 80 cents to the issue of women’s equality is to speak against sexism, and to every dollar treat women with respect. men made.

“I think people just need to be more aware about how they act and what they say about women and just treat them all graphic by fairly,” Neaderhiser said. madison holloway Just by being informed on topics and legislation regarding women’s rights, students can make a difference by standing up to blatant sexism and ignorance with facts.

“Women and men are no different in their abilities and we would — as a city, as a nation

by Faith Danaher, writer & and as a world — benefit from the input of women through leadership of companies and lily wagner,web editor through leadership of nations,” social studies teacher Tony Budetti said. photos by However, patriarchal ideals may already be ingrained in the minds of teenagers. Things like gendered colors and gendered toys may already be in the minds of children and teens. To savannah morgan fix the issue, children should be taught from a young age that they are all equal, boy or girl, according to senior Kelsey Karpowich.

“I think it starts at a young age, and I think we need to raise boys and girls in the same way. Parents need to be able to teach their children from a young age that girls are equal,” Karpowich said. “Have your children wear yellow, blue, pink, whatever color no matter what gender they are, don’t force these gender roles on your children at a young age.”

Marchers around the Kansas City area participate in a Women’s March Saturday, Jan. 21. Participants carried homemade signs and chanted their message. photo by emma jarrell

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Features 16 Features

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recent move to rescind guidance regarding transgender bathroom usage put the issue back in the hands of the states. Already this year, “bathroom bills” have been proposed in 18 states, including Kansas. These bills seek to restrict public restrooms to only be used by those whose birth certificates match the restroom they use.

“Transgender people are stuck in this thing where it’s like we accept you but you can’t use our bathroom,” freshman Felix Johnson said.

Senate Bill 206 does allow alternative accommodations in the form of singleuser, unisex restrooms but only with cooperation from the school and parental permission.

“I’m glad that our school has a gender-neutral bathroom because that makes it a lot easier because there are people who are like ‘no you can’t use that bathroom During a GSA vote, junior Lauren Bridson raises her hand for what the because you’re not a guy’ but then there’s other people who are like ‘you can’t use final quote should be. The poster this bathroom because you are a guy,’” Johnson said. encourages individuality and The administration set a bathroom near the library aside as a single person will be displayed later bathroom this month.

“It’s locked so anybody can use it if you have the key. It is an individual bathroom. I wouldn’t say it gets used a great deal, but it’s used,” librarian Debra O’Brien.

Anti-transgender bathroom bills aren’t the only legislative threat to the LGBT community. Twenty-seven states, including Kansas, don’t have protections against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

“We’ve gone really far with legalization of gay marriage, but we could go further with like full gender equality. There’s only a handful of states that have rules protecting gender identity. We need to let people be who they are instead of just shoving them in a corner because of who they are,” Johnson said.

The Human Rights Campaign found in the Growing Up LGBT survey that LGBT youth are two times more likely to be harassed at school than their non-LGBT peers.

“There are still words like ‘gay’ and ‘faggot’ being thrown around which isn’t really good, but I’ve never experienced any bullying. I know other people have, so I don’t think it’s unsafe, but I don’t think that it’s 100 percent welcoming,” Gay Straight Alliance co-president Lauren Bridson said. “Maybe if students were more aware of what it can be for the home life of someone who is a member of the LGBT community or what they have to go through on a daily basis. If it’s just explained to them or if they were more educated it would be better.”

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states have antidiscrimination laws protecting sexual orientation info from the ACLU

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states have no protections against discrimination based on gender identity or sexual orientation

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states have antidiscrimination laws protecting gender identity and sexual orientation

ccording to the Shawnee Mission Demographics and Enrollment Projection Study done in February 2014, students of color make up almost a third of the school population, but the struggle for equality is still ongoing. According to the Department of Education, racial discrimination in schools is especially prevalent in student discipline.

“It feels like we’re less than white kids just because we get in trouble for something that’s so small and they can do the same and no one cares,” freshman Treasure Jackson said.

Based on a 2013 Discipline report from the Department of Education, 17.5 percent of black students and 9.7 percent of Latino students had been suspended from school, while only 5.9 percent of white students had. These numbers could be influenced by racial discrimination. Despite the SM South student body being 30.1 percent racial minorities, it is not reflected in the faculty.

“There’s a lot of representation, but then I think one thing that’s difficult but it’s also really challenging to change is our staff is made up of almost solely caucasians,” junior Joy Knowles said. “We have one black teacher and I think one or two who are Latino. I think student-wise it’s really diverse, and generally very accepting, but it’s not reflected in our staff and administration.”

Nationwide only 18 percent of teachers are people of color, at South it’s 2.3 percent.

“When we don’t have diversity in our building, as far as role models are concerned, I’m talking about teachers and leaders, it sets the example and it sets in the mind of someone, ‘I can do that’ or ‘I can do that better than he or she can,’” health teacher Jennifer Owens said. “It’s about hope. It’s about setting an example, and it’s about planting a sense of dignity in the individual.”

Features

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“I’m drawing any time there’s a pen in my hand.”

- senior Sydney Darnaby “...A lot of [students interested in art] are initially surprised and scared off by the investment required to be a tattoo artist. I really personally feel like tattoo artists have to be even better than somebody doing personal art commissions just because of the permanent nature of the artwork, and it’s a medium a lot of students haven’t worked in before.”

- AP art teacher Jennifer Hudson

In her free time, senior Sydney Darnaby works on her newest art piece. Darnaby began this drawing using only a pencil, then later traced it with a black pen. Darnaby hoped to continue art in the future by becoming a tattoo artist. photos by savannah Morgan

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Features

Coloring Outside the Lines Senior Sydney Darnaby aspires to be an independent tattoo artist, setting herself apart from other high school artists.

by hannah underwood, writer quotes gathered by angela machado. writer hile her peers consider careers in education, business and other common fields, senior Sydney Darnaby prefers to color outside the lines and aspires to become a tattoo artist.

“I like tattoos...” Darnaby said. “Just giving people something they’ll have forever is pretty cool, so that’s why I dig it.”

As a dedicated artist, Darnaby has taken every art class at school, including AP Art. She likes taking a lot of art classes so she can spend time drawing and improving her skills.

“I’m drawing any time there’s a pen in my hand,” Darnaby said.

For her drawings, Darnaby likes black and white and a lot of shading.

She is inspired by music, poetry and traveling.

“Anything you see really is an influence,” Darnaby said. “I get inspo from a lot of other artists from the ’60s and ’70s. The whole counterculture movement is a big inspiration.”

In order to become a tattoo artist, Darnaby will need to become an apprentice and have two years of experience to be officially licensed.

Even though she has not done any tattoos, she has designed around seven to 10 for her friends and family.

“I think that if that’s what she wants to do, she should go for it,” art teacher Jennifer Hudson said. “But I also think that she should be fully aware of the investment of being a tattoo artist.”

With the full support of her family and friends, Darnaby works toward her goal to be an independent artist.

“The competition [from being an independent artist] is good, because it’ll motivate me to be better,” Darnaby said. “But most of the time, artists are just nice, happy people.”

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Features

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Spring Break Stay-cation by tess conley writer If you don’t have other plans, why not take a road trip to a nearby city? Omaha and St. Louis are accessible and offer ways to experience a new city. If not, exploring nearby Kansas City can also be eye-opening.

Omaha

“The Passageway,” one of the most picturesque spots in Old Market in downtown Omaha, Neb., is home to galleries and restaurants. photo by edward Eveld

Kansas City The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art is located in the Downtown Kansas City area. The Nelson is a free way to explore the art scene in Kansas City.

photo by Cassandra Awad

St. Louis 259 miles (4 hours)

Omaha 197 miles (3 hours)

The Arch is an iconic landmark known around the country. It has a museum and a Tram Ride to the Top of the Arch for $13.

3701 S. 10th Street Housing over 17,000 animals, the Omaha Zoo is one of the best zoos in the Midwest. It features the largest indoor desert, swamp and nocturnal exhibits in the world. Tickets are $18.

St. Louis Arch

Citygarden

801 Market Street This outdoor park in downtown St. Louis includes art sculptures and water features around the park, which are all accessible to the public for free.

Busch Stadium

700 Clark Street Busch Stadium has been the home stadium of the St. Louis Cardinals since 2006. Tours are available during the season almost everyday for $18.

Anywhere on The Hill

The Hill is an Italian based neighborhood in St. Louis that has a wide variety of Italian restaurants.

The restaurants range in price and atmosphere.

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St. Louis

A view of the St. Louis skyline as seen from 630 feet up looking out of a portal on top the Arch on Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2015, as part of the Arch’s 50th birthday celebration. photo by David Carson

Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium

Ted and Wally’s Ice Cream

1120 Jackson Street, 6023 Maple Street Since 1984, this family run business has made homemade ice cream.

They’ve experimented with flavors such as vegan cinnamon and Japanese red bean, while also offering classics like chocolate and vanilla and other ice cream desserts like banana splits and shakes.

Sozo Coffee Shop

1314 Jones Street Omaha’s largest coffee shop occupies 6,000 square feet and offers live music, art shows, study and conference rooms and a wide selection of board games and pool tables.

Kansas City Escape Rooms

Overland Park, River Market and Union Station locations Escape Rooms are a fun but tricky way to spend some time with your friends. With the clock ticking, your mind scans the room for clues and the way out. Tickets cost $25-$30 per person.

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art

4525 Oak Street Experience special exhibits, thought provoking events or the outdoor art scenery at this classic KC landmark.

Permanent installments are free every day, and select temporary exhibits are $6 with a student ID.

LEGO Land & SeaLife Aquarium

2475 Grand Boulevard Throw it back to your childhood and visit LEGO Land and Sea Life Aquarium. Tickets are $31 and allow entry to both LEGO and Sea Life.

Staff Editorial

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resident Donald Trump has declared war on the media, and the media needs to respond by being more diligent in their reporting than ever. Since his inauguration, Trump has taken to calling even the most reputable and prestigious news outlets, such as The New York Times, “fake news” in an attempt to discredit their critical voices.

Distrust of the media by the American people is not a new problem; it’s a phenomenon that ebbs and flows throughout history. But it is amplified when we have a president who has shown time and time again, both through his campaign and his first days as president, that he is not committed to factual information.

The media and, to a greater extent, the general public cannot stand for politicians who constantly bombard citizens with false information and lies. We need the media now more than ever to fact check, question and demand transparency from the government.

Although they are common culprits, the spread of misinformation is not only the fault of politicians.

False claims and articles from questionable news sources become more dangerous as their links spread like wildfire on social media. Yes, the media needs to be more diligent about providing factual, unbiased information, but people also need to be critical of the information they read, whether it be from a politician, news source or Facebook friend.

Check for sources on everything from quotes to statistics. Do they link to a primary source? Is it consistent with what you’re seeing across other news sources? Are you getting your news from unbiased sources? All of these are questions to consider when checking the news.

On the topic of biased sources, people need to be aware of slants in their media, and do their best to combat them by getting news from a variety of sources. Someone who only gets their news from MSNBC is going to have a different view of the world than someone who only follows

FOX News. The most comprehensive reporting is going to be found somewhere in the middle, meaning it’s most beneficial to check multiple outlets of varying types.

Although both aforementioned networks have known biases, it doesn’t mean everything they say is false. There is a difference between a negative fact or article and a lie. We cannot discredit sources for printing facts that have a critical stance on something, particularly politics, because without that information, they go unchecked. Even if you don’t like what you see in a headline, you can’t automatically assume it’s a lie.

Democracy thrives on an informed public, which can be achieved through honest, comprehensive reporting by the media. Both the media and the general public thrive when people are attentive and critical of every detail of every story published by every news organization. But in order to be critical, people have to give the media a chance. Trump’s anti-media rhetoric alienates the public from news outlets, making it possible for him to spout misinformation at every turn,

Editorial Cartoon by Miah Clark

unopposed. This is dangerous, and disrupts the very fabric of our political system. People need to fight back in support of the media, while remaining aware of a few bad apples that are threatening to spoil the bunch.

Fake news sites exist, and they are the unethical, toxic brain children of liars looking to advance personal agendas and make a quick dollar by fooling people they think don’t know any better. But we can rise above fake news. If we take a step back and look at the information we are presented with, we can begin to see the truth that lies beyond the falsehoods and headlines, in the real reporting done every day by journalists all over the world. We cannot let political rhetoric trick us into thinking the media is corrupt beyond repair. The media is an integral part of our democracy, and now more than ever, we cannot afford to let it fail.

9/9 editors agree with the views expressed in this editorial

Opinion

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The

Debate

By Addie Soyski Writer Photos By Hannah Carter

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Yes:

his past election has left many people with uncommonly strong opinions, resulting in a flood of political commentary from politicians, voters and even celebrities. Concerns are growing over celebrity involvement, and although some of these concerns are valid, celebrities should indeed be able to comment on politics.

It’s no secret that young people are not renowned for their involvement in the political process. According to multiple sources such as the American Press Institute, the majority of 18-34 year olds keep up with the news through social media, and by extension, celebrities. By talking politics, celebrities put their fame to good use by drawing attention to important issues. This means that more people are likely to participate in voting. A University of Maryland report estimates that Oprah’s 2008 endorsement of Barack Obama was responsible for around 1,000,000 additional votes.

A more informed population would also result in a demand for more qualified candidates instead of the overwhelming demand for “outsiders” like Donald Trump, who pose a threat political stability. Harvard lecturer Yascha Mounk includes anti-establishment and anti system movements, a theme that has persisted throughout Trump’s candidacy and presidency, as one of his three factor formula for identifying democratic instability.

Last year’s presidential election had a meager 55 percent voter turnout. This number should be much higher in order to have a true, functioning democracy.

Norway, the country recognized by the 2015 Democracy Index as being the most democratic, has an average 76.78 percent voter turnout. US statistics haven’t been that high since the 1800s.

Celebrities also act as a megaphone. Social media and television are filled with millions of muffled voices but a celebrity’s comment gets a clear, loud reaction. This can unite an effort and prompt change more effectively than whispers on Facebook, which are often unorganized and dysfunctional. For example, the 2017 Oscars had a large response to its political statements not only on social media but also traditional media outlets. Celebrities also have the unequaled ability to promote a cause and not just policy. Politicians focus primarily on bills and specific policy changes, while a celebrity can promote that policy as well as an overarching reform. For example, actor Leonardo DiCaprio’s documentary, “Before the Flood,” highlights the need for the then newly signed Paris agreement as well as higher environmental standards in general.

Another major advantage of having celebrity activists is that their careers don’t hinge on politics. They’re not benefiting from projecting a certain opinion. They don’t need to rapidly backpedal on a policy to please constituents when it’s time for re-election. Celebrities speak out because they believe it’s the right thing to do, knowing they will likely lose fans.

They recognize that their political commentary will likely alienate at least a small fraction of their fan base.

And after all, celebrities should speak their minds just like everyone else is encouraged to do. The entertainment industry shouldn’t be a “safe zone” from politics. Politics isn’t just a matter of Democrat and Republican. It’s a discussion about the world and it’s problems and should be discussed in many different situations in order to better those discussions. There are celebrities who promote Democratic ideals, those who promote Republican ideals, and those who promote ideals from both parties. There’s a wide range of celebrities promoting a wide range of ideas. Party sensitivities shouldn’t determine who can try to better the world because in the end, that’s what we all want to do.

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Opinion

Should celebrities comment on politics?

No:

by Blake atkinson Writer

A

s we have seen over the last year with the election, celebrities are becoming more and more involved with politics. While they are allowed to have their opinions, people really shouldn’t be listening to them so much. You don’t go to a mechanic for health advice, so why go to celebrities for political opinions?

As our culture has become more focused around mass media and Hollywood, people have become famous without actually doing anything.

Many people have begun to borderline worship so many of these celebrities and take everything they say as truth. When Beyonce announced she was having twins, you could have thought that people were having their own kids. When you have people who will do and believe everything a person says, then that person is easily corrupted and bribed. A few months before the 2016 election, a video, IMPORTANT, created by the Save the Vote PAC, came out with many celebrities telling people to vote.

However, about half way through, the point of the video totally changed. They began expressing more personal opinions and using lots of fake tears to show how much they cared. In all likeliness they were paid to do and say what the company wanted them to.

These people do not care really care about what they say. They say only what they are paid to say or what will make them more popular.

Most celebrities have been rich their whole lives or at least haven’t been working class or middle class since they were younger. How can someone who makes 627 times the average American household know and have the same problems they do?

These celebrities do not care that most of the politicians they support are hurting Americans while only helping them and their rich friends.

Not only are celebrities massive hypocrites, but many think their opinions are worth more. These people do not care about telling the truth or hiding their bias.

In Meryl Streep’s speech at the Golden Globes, she made the audacious claim that Americans would be kicking out all the foreigners and making Hollywood boring. “If you kick them all out, you’ll have nothing to watch but football and mixed martial arts ,which are not the arts,” Streep said. This is obviously just one example of the dozens of celebrities who have voiced their opinions while on the job. This isn’t what people are watching award shows and movies and other such media to see. If you went to McDonalds and the cashier told you he hated a political candidate and told you to vote for the other one, you might think that’s strange and he might get fired, but yet again the rich and famous are able to get away with it.

While people may be allowed to have their opinions, often times it’s best to keep them to themselves. When an average person says some of the stupid things celebrities have said they have their lives ruined and yet the rich and famous can get away with it, simply because they are rich and famous.

Poll results: Is the “Not My President” Movement Valid?

Yes

61%

No

39%

Poll via @SMSPatriot on Twitter

Opinion

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The stadium is currently under construction to update the facilities. Spring sports are unable to hold events at the South stadium this season. Photo by Kice Mansi

Constricted by Construction Track and field athletes and girls soccer players forced to work around unfinished construction.

By Faith Danaher Writer have a dream. I have a dream that the girls soccer team will play on their home field under the lights. I have a dream that the South relays will be held at South and girls soccer will be able to host home games. I have a dream that the seniors of girls soccer and track and field can hold their senior night on their home field and track.

Unfortunately, my dream will not become a reality this year because the stadium will not be finished in time for spring sports. The administration sympathizes, but there is very little they can do. They are hoping that the stadium will be done in time for graduation.

The repercussions of the stadium not being done in time for spring sports mainly affect the track and field athletes and the girls soccer players. The track and field athletes will be unable to have their South relays at South, and the girls soccer players will be moved to the upper fields and will play at an earlier time than usual. Luckily, the field and track will still be available for practices.

Track and field will not be able to host home meets or the long standing South relays, and the girls soccer team will be unable to hold their games on the stadium field.

As a sophomore on the girls soccer team, the news that we will not be able to play on our home turf is upsetting to me. However, it is even more upsetting to the seniors who have put years of their life into the program and were looking forward to playing on their field for their senior year.

Despite the news, the seniors have remained optimistic and have found a way, with the help of athletic director John Johnson, to play at home on the new upper fields.

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Opinion

Hopefully, because we are staying at home and moving up game time based on what time the sun sets, we will have plenty of student fans attending the game and cheering on the team.

Although the teams are finding a way around the inconvenience of not having their home stadium in time for their seasons, one may still wonder, “Why would they plan to render the stadium inaccessible to spring sports?

Why not begin construction this summer, after spring sports and graduation?”

If they began construction in the summer, there would be fewer inclement weather days to impede construction.

Additionally, school would be out of session, so there would not be sports relying on the stadium to be done for their home games. So why begin construction in the winter?

Maybe it’s cheaper to hire construction workers in the winter? Or, maybe the district was thinking about the football season in the fall. They wouldn’t want to risk the football players having to play on a different field. Oh, the horror!

I am not arguing that track and field or girls soccer is more important than other sports. I am simply arguing that they are equally as important.

The tendency to hold mens sports in a higher regard than womens sports in general is of the utmost ridiculousness, and they chose a time to redo the stadium that conflicted with the girls soccer season. They did not risk the football season or the boys soccer season, they risked the girls season.

I am aware that I am simply a high school student and have not been pushed into the real world full of deadlines, so maybe I am missing something. Maybe there is a good reason that the district could not find a way to finish the stadium in time for spring sports, but, to me, it seems like with better planning and better time management, the stadium would be done in time for spring sports to use.

Best Stressed?

Being the hottest mess doesn’t win you any medals, so stop competing for it.

Photo Illustration by Maxie Crimm

by Madison Holloway Ads Editor f course life, especially as a high schooler, is stressful. That is natural, expected and even healthy as we do the work to grow and prepare for adulthood. But there is a difference that needs to be distinguished between busy stress and successful productivity. Being busy makes you stressed without much reward. But being focused and productive and finding passion for your work is fulfilling and overall more successful.

Stress should not be our enemy and it certainly shouldn’t be a weapon to compare our dysfunction to others’. Being over-stressed is a choice. Don’t choose to make yourself more busy just to compete with others.

We live in a world where it seems our image is everything. Our status is publicized and scrutinized. We’re becoming too worried about what we “should” be doing and whether or not we are doing enough to be better than the person next to us. We are constantly scrambling to subtly one-up each other, even our closest friends. We should be competing to be the kindest, or healthiest, or most productive, not the most stressed. We need to stop romanticizing stress by treating it as a competition.

Stress has a specific and important purpose in your body, but too much stress is detrimental to your health and actually inhibits your overall success. When your brain senses a threatening situation, whether it be a car crash or a chemistry test, it releases a hormone called cortisol. This hormone triggers a burst of energy and increases your focus so that you can attack the challenge you are facing. However, your brain cannot distinguish between life threatening and grade threatening, and large quantities of cortisol are damaging to your body and mind.

It can lead to serious symptoms including nervousness, anger, anxiety, low self-esteem, and many others.

Essentially, your body’s reaction to a normal level of stress is healthy and will increase your level of success.

However, we have pushed the envelope so far that chronic stress is now the norm. This is extremely unhealthy for our society.

Instead of combating its negative effects, we chose to display our stress as a social badge of honor, proving to ourselves and others that we are worthy of praise because of how hard we are working. Being overworked and sleep-deprived seems to have become a rite of passage for students. It seems like everyone is telling us to study more, do more activities, be social, get a job, etc. All this noise has convinced us that stress is what we’re striving for and that if you aren’t stressed, you’re doing it wrong.

Society says being busy means being successful, and

O

Refocus Your Stress - Make a list of priorities - Write down small goals to accomplish - Commit 100 percent to each task at hand - Take short snack and exercise breaks after completing each task - Don’t be afraid to ask for help - Find a creative hobby and make time for it - Lend a helping hand to someone else being successful will make you happy. But comparing your stress to others’ is nothing but egotistical, and true happiness does not come from a well-rounded resume.

Being involved and challenging yourself are important and absolutely good for you. However, I have noticed myself and others getting a bit dizzy in the whirlwind of academics and sports and relationships and so on. We’ve started focusing more on the product of our future rather than what we are doing to ourselves in the process. Mental health needs to be more of a priority in our culture.

Debilitating exhaustion is not a joke. It’s unhealthy.

Every one of us wants to graduate and make a difference. That’s the point of all the stress, right? Think about how many more differences we could make right now if instead of focusing on being busy and looking important, we focused on things like passion and intentionality. Quit romanticizing stress by using it as a way to be better than someone else.

Opinion

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A Day In The Life: Theatre From morning until night, actors prepare to go on stage. by tara phillips a&e editor

Q: Can you walk me through how you prepare for a show?

Devin Fuhrmann Megan Berning Zach Greer

Senior Devin Fuhrman played the role of Prince Eric in the musical. This was his first lead role. photos by maxie crimm

Senior Megan Berning plays the role of Ariel in the production. Her mermaid tail was made out of many different fabrics and sequins.

Senior Zach Greer plays the role of Sebastian the crab in the production of “The Little Mermaid.” This will be the last time he performs in a musical at South.

A:

A:

A:

I rest tremendously. Before a show, I try to be as relaxed as I can to have a good mindset going into the show. I stay hydrated with water and eat good food.

Then comes time for call and I drive up to South and the first thing I do is sign in so they know I’m there and then I go to the dressing room.

Then I get makeup on and put on partial costume, go to the sound booth to get my mic on, and then I put what’s left of my costume on and head out to the stage to get my mic check.

After that I chill out with my fellow members of the cast offstage in the dressing room. Then we have a vocal warm up and circle up before the show to pray and ready ourselves.

Then it’s show time!

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A&E

If we have a show in the morning, I usually wake up a little earlier so I have time for makeup and stuff. I always eat three eggs and a piece of toast and some tea for breakfast.

Then I put on stage makeup and get whatever I need to take to the show. I always listen to “Diva” by Beyonce and “Hard” by Rihanna on my way to school; I’m not sure why those two songs, but is just kind of because of habit.

Once I get there I go straight into the theatre through the shop doors, and I don’t forget to sign in because if I do Julia will get mad.

Then I go to the dressing room and usually finish up any makeup. Then I get in partial costume, get my mic and mic check, and do my hair or wig.

Then it’s usually it’s time for circle.

Circle is vocal warmups and then break a leg and then sometimes energy .

Then I do my little handshake with Gracie, and I’m ready to go on stage!

I wake up and eat a good breakfast, come to school, and go through my classes as normal.

For evening shows, I go home right after school and just rest and put my mind on something else, TV, homework, etc.

Then I go back to the theatre and I feel my character as I enter the doors and start getting into costume and makeup. Then I mentally prepare myself for the journey ahead of me.

During the show I’m completely in character offstage and remain “in the zone” for the duration of the performance.

Throughout the day for musicals depending on how much I sing, I put myself on vocal rest and talk or sing as little as possible. During show week I always have some water and tea to help my voice.

Whatever I can do to stay healthy, I will do!

Donut Miss This It’s the atmosphere and decor that makes Donutology the best donut shop in town. by tess conley writer he urban decor of Donutology has a fun vibrant feel that helps give the shop more of a creative spin on donuts. The outside decor is super cute with its vibrant colors and donut-themed decor. The options are endless with the customizable donut bar and the idea is incredibly innovative.

You can buy pre-made donuts or you can purchase sets of 3, 6, 12, or 25 of mini donuts to customize.

The minis come in chocolate, regular, and the special of the day (blueberry, strawberry, etc.).

You can choose the icing on them (vanilla, glaze, chocolate, maple, cinnamon sugar, peanut butter, or powdered sugar) and then a variety of toppings from fruity pebbles to bacon.

The employees are also incredible at choosing flavors, so if you get overwhelmed, ask them for advice.

Along with your donuts you can also purchase a variety of fountain drinks, smoothies, juices, coffee and Shatto Milk.

T

Donutlogy is located in Westport. After picking the donut flavor, icings and toppings, the final drizzle is applied on top of each donut. Mini donuts are available to design in groups of 3, 6, or 15.

We were at Donutology on a slow day and so the employees just had us tell them what we wanted on the donuts. On a normal day customers take forms and fill out the kind of donut, the icing, the topping, and how many they want and then give it to the donut maker.

When I went to Donutology I bought six make-your-own donuts.

Six mini donuts were $5, and were incredible.

I ordered two vanilla, two chocolate cake and two strawberry dounuts. On the vanilla I got one with chocolate icing and Reese’s and one with maple icing and bacon. On the chocolate I got one with strawberry icing and fruity pebbles and one with chocolate icing and sprinkles. On the strawberry I got one with chocolate icing coconut and one with chocolate icing and graham crackers and raspberry swirl on top. All the donuts were amazing, but my favorite ones were the maple icing with bacon and chocolate icing with graham crackers and raspberry swirl. My experience at Donutology was marvelous and I would definitely go again. Because there are so many options, it would be difficult to get sick of their donuts.

Donutology has taken donut shops to a whole new level, and is excelling at it. With hundreds of options to choose from, the possibilities are endless.

Donotulogy offers a full line up of different donut toppings, frostings, glazes and drizzles. With three different donut flavors, the combinations are endless.

After each donut is designed, they are placed into boxes to keep them organized and clean. Donutology also offers premade donuts for quick donut stops.

photos by hannah carter

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Relax and Read photo by cassandra awad

Whatever you are doing over Spring Break, reading is always a great way to relax. by mara baine writer

Shows to Binge W photo illustration by hannah carter

If you plan on staying in bed for break, here are shows to binge. by nichole thomas

How I Met Your Mother 9 Seasons, 21 Minute Episodes Ted Mosby tells his children how he met their mother... and others along the way. This show is goofy, relatable and romantic.

Friends 10 Seasons, 22 Minute Episodes

20-year-olds battle the ups and downs of living in Manhattan, and living across the hall from their best friends. Friends is a classic, hilarious, relatable and addictive.

Stranger Things 1 Season, 40-50 Minute Episodes After a young boy goes missing, a small town uncovers the secret experiments and supernatural forces that have been covered up. This show is scary and mysterious and will keep you on your toes.

Grey’s Anatomy 12 Seasons, 43 Minute Episodes

There is never a shortage of drama at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. This show will make you cry and laugh, and if that’s not enough to convince you to watch, the doctors are pretty good looking too.

Parks and Recreation 7 Seasons, 21 Minute Episodes

Leslie Knope is a dedicated city Parks and Recreation worker, who works alongside very interesting people to say the least. This show is a classic comedy starring former “Saturday Night Live” star Amy Poehler.

Gossip Girl

6 Seasons, 40 Minute Episodes

Rich, snobby and attractive private-school students battle the drama that an anonymous blogger shares with their peers. It is impossible to guess who the blogger is until the very end….and it’s unbelievable.

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ith Spring Break here, many people are planning going on vacation, relaxing with friends or hanging out at their house. While doing any of these activities, reading is something anyone can do at anytime.

Beach Books

The perfect short book with a light and airy feel is the action book, “Jump” by Ginger Rue. In the book a girl wakes up in the body of another student she would never be seen hanging out with.

The dramatic book, “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is another choice. In the book a young rich man falls in love with a married women.

Airplane/Road Trip Books

Read the action book, “The Life of Pi” by Yann Martel, which was made into a movie five years ago. In the book, a young boy adventures and explores issues of spirituality and practicality from an early age.

The young adult romance book, “Anna and the French Kiss” by Stephanie Perkins, is a love story is about a teen who goes to Paris as a foreign exchange student studying in an American School and falls in love with one of her classmates.

The dramatic book, “We Were Liars” by E. Lockhart, is a story about a rich family who goes to their vacation house in the summer, where events take a mysterious turn.

Staying In Bed Books

The action-fantasy book series, “Harry Potter” by J.K. Rowling is the classic story about a young boy who finds out he is a wizard.

Also the drama, “A Long Way Home” by Saroo Brierley, which the movie “Lion” is based off of, is a great choice.

This book is about a young boy who gets lost from his home in India and after a long journey gets adopted by an Australian family, and after many years, he tries to find his real family.

Overall, whether you plan on going to the beach, being in the car for a long time or staying in bed all week, reading is the perfect companion to any Spring Break. activity.

Who, What, Wear Junior Yor Anei

Senior AJ Webster

“My style is molded from my favorite rapper Young Thug.”

“My favorite fashion model is Kanye West.”

Jeans - H&M Shirt - H&M Light Grey Hoodie - Macy’s Red Shoes -Finish Line Uggs - Dillard’s

Jeans - Hollister Necklace - Zumiez Jersey - Lids Hoodie - Nike Outlet Shoes - Footlocker

photos by kice mansi

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Students tweeted or Snapchatted @SMSPatriot their favorite Snapchat filter. @ Morgan5_ : face swap with Dr. Dain could be the real winner

@AnnaleighHobbs : Who is she?

1st

2nd

Social Media Contest 3rd

@sierra_mist7 : favorite filter

4th

@98York

First Place in the Social Media Contest wins a $10 Quiktrip Giftcard Next Month’s Contest is “What did you do over Spring Break?”

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WHAT HAT WILL YOU WEAR WHEN YOU GRADUATE WITH YOUR BUSINESS DEGREE?

School of

BUSINESS

We offer majors in Accounting, Business Administration, Business Education, Computer Science, Information Systems, Management, and Marketing.

Scholarships ■ Small Class Sizes ■ Innovative Learning ■ Career Placement All business degree programs at Emporia State University are accredited by AACSB International. This distinction is held by less than 5% of business schools worldwide.

learn more at emporia.edu/esubusiness

620-341-5523 ■ bizhornet@emporia.edu

bizhornet1

ESU.Business

bizhornet

Not-So Late Start 1. New to Shawnee Mission South,

late starts provide a quiet study area for students. The teachers also now have an opportunity to meet as a department on Thursday mornings.

2. Chatting with their peers, students

also have the option to go to the opposite side of the cafeteria to hang out with their friends.

3. Making up a test, sophomore Kelly

Johnson uses her morning time to catch up on school work. If others would like to make up tests, they have to inform their teacher before Thursday and go to the designated testing room.

4. All smiles for para-professional teacher Michael Duane while he surveys the testing room. Duane received the tests from the students’ teachers and handed them to the testers while making sure the room remained quiet.

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5. Instead of eating breakfast at home,

freshman Hua Fang chooses to purchase a school provided meal. photos by Savannah Morgan

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