The patriot october 2017

The

Patriot

Volume 52 / Issue 2 / October 20, 2017

Culture or costume?

Shawnee Mission South 5800 W 107th St, Overland Park, ks 66207 (913) 992-7500

Red Wing Store 8920 W. 95th Street OP, KS 66212 913-648-7860

The

Patriot Online

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Contents Mike Morin Under Armour College Sports and Education Four Square

Features

Q&A with senior Jackson Peters

Megan Smith Guest Column Take a Knee Vending Machines

22 23 24 25 26

Opinion

Debate: The Opioid Crisis

A&E

10 11 12 13 14

16 Cover Story: Cultural Appropriation 18 Coaches’ Kids 19 Interesting Jobs 20 Q&A with freshman Teddy Blair Staff Editorial

Mission statement

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, they will only be published if signed. The editor-inchief reserves the right to refuse or edit any letters for reasons of grammar, length and good taste.

Cover photo by Savannah Morgan Photo Editor

04 Newsfeed 06 Superintendent Search 08 Fall Orchestra Concert 09 OLA Club Sports

Editor-in-Chief

Sophia Belshe Assistant Editor-in-Chief

Avery Woods News Editor

Lily Wagner Sports Editor

Avery Woods Features Editor

Madison Holloway Opinion Editor

Sophia Belshe A&E Editor

Miah Clark Infographics Editor

Madison Holloway Web Editor & Social Media Manager

Nichole Thomas Ads Editor

Ansley Chambers Photo Editor

Savannah Morgan Assistant Photo Editor

Cassandra Awad Copy Editor

Addie Soyski Editorial Cartoonist

Lauren Bass Photographers

Jillian McClelland, Abby Cox,

Weston Glendening,

Trinity Clark, Derrick Gill Reporters

Pablo Jimenez, Brynn Taylor,

Brett Conner, Blake Atkinson,

Gini Horton, Daniella Campos, Parrish Mock Adviser Julie Fales

News

Patriot Staff

27 Footloose 28 KC 1-2-3: Pumpkin Patches and Haunted Houses 30 Scary Movies 31 Culture Corner Table of Contents 03

Newsfeed addie soyski by reporters blake atkinson and gini horton copy editor and Lily wagner, news editor Graphics by Nichole THomas and madison holloway

Catalan Conflict

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ll across Catalonia, a region of Spain, millions turned out to vote on declaring independence from Spain.

“With the culture and the history, it’s basically like a different place,” freshman Oscar Turner, who recently moved here from Spain, said. “But they also think that they will be richer and have less taxes.”

Despite the vote being declared illegal, the local government went ahead with it. On the morning of Oct. 1, people at the polling stations were met with a crackdown from Spanish national police. Violence between voters and the police lead to several hundred injuries.

“I feel that there’s kind of an oppression of the right to vote but even though the people who want the independence probably won’t win,” Turner said. “There’s a lot of movement because of that and there’s been attempts to vote but it hasn’t worked.”

Many of those who do not support independence boycotted the vote, which resulted in 90 percent of voters backing independence with 43 percent of voters turning out. This is not the first time an independence referendum has been held in Catalonia; the region first attempted to vote on the issue in 2014.

Thousands of people protest with Catalonian and Spanish flags against the independence movement and the regional government seperatist plans, in Barcelona, Spain, on Sunday, Oct. 8, 2017. (Nicolas Carvalho Ochoa/dpa/Abaca Press/TNS)

parking lot parameters

What you can get ticketed for in the South parking lot: Parking without a permit Double parking Parking in a faculty spot Parking in a visitor spot Parking in the fire lane Parking in a handicapped spot as a non-handicapped person Parking in a no parking area Driving the wrong way Driving over the grass/curb Speeding, speed limit is 15 mph Accelerating Driving recklessly

photo by trinity clark

kudos 04 News

“The lot shouldn’t necessarily be free, but I think it should be way cheaper, like $30-40.”

--- senior Nick Monks Parking passes cost:

$60

“I understand that parking passes make it a lot easier to keep people from parking places when they shouldn’t be parking there. But it’s not fair to ask kids to pay money just to park at their own public school. Some kids may not have $60 to spend on something like that.”

--- sophomore Will Cooper

SMSD Horizon’s Award Winner Kansas Horizons Award Finalist: science teacher Aaron Dean Kansas Elevating and Celebrating Effective Teacher Awards: math teacher Melissa Graham, social studies teacher Scott Hirons, English teacher Lindsey McFall, science teacher Julie McCormic and SPED teacher Brad Page

halloween festivities

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alloween brings a variety of festivities.

The “Fire Lines and Flow-etry” poetry slam will, be Friday, Oct. 27 in the courtyard and poets will be performing throughout the school day. KSMS will hold a costume contest that same day. Costumes will be judged in three categories: teacher, individual and group. Winners will receive prizes. National Art Honor Society’s Trunk or Treat will be Oct. 30 in the South parking lot before dark.

photo by abby cox

photo by jillian mcclelland

National Merit semifinalists

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f the 18 students named National Merit Scholar Semifinalists in the district, nine come from South.

Pictured here are Madison Burch, Andrew Bauer, Cora Selzer, Braden Burgard, Joel Quarnstrom, Ben Hanson, Adam Nicholas and Robyn MacDonald (Cullom Stapp not pictured). They scored within the top 1 percent of the 1.6 million students who took the Preliminary SAT/ National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test in fall of 2016.

These students have the chance to advance as finalists and will have thousands of scholarships available to them.

mass shooting in las vegas Oct. 1 mass shooting in Las Vegas leaves 59 dead, hundreds injured.

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ifty-nine people are dead after what is now the largest mass shooting in recent U.S. history.

The shooting took place Oct. 1 at the Route 91 festival, a country music festival, in Las Vegas.

At around 10:08 p.m. the shooter opened fire on the crowd of more than 22,000 from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel. The shooting lasted 10 minutes and left over 500 people injured in addition to the 59 dead, including the shooter. The shooter was identified as 64-year old Stephen Paddock, who had no history of mental illness or violent tendencies.

Law enforcement recovered 23

trumpdate

South Korea Consul General based in Los Angeles, Key Cheol Lee, delivers a bouquet of flowers at a makeshift memorial along Las Vegas Boulevard to pay his respects to the victims, two days after a lone gunman opened fire onto the festival from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel, killing 59 and wounding 527 people, on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2017, in Las Vegas. (Marcus Yam/ Los Angeles Times/TNS)

firearms and thousands of rounds of ammunition in his hotel room.

At around 9:59 p.m. Paddock shot a security guard, who then alerted the police.

By the time the shooter was found by a SWAT team, he was dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

“I’m sad. It’s a terrible tragedy,” SRO officer Greg Merchant said.

“There is no way to prevent it other than checking bags. If they had checked [Stephen Paddock’s] luggage before he got to the hotel, they would have found his many weapons.”

Federal agencies as well as Las Vegas law enforcement are conducting an investigation, and currently have yet to determine a motive.

“The community has been great, especially those that live in Las Vegas,” Merchant said. “Strangers are helping total strangers. People were saving others from the gunfire. I hear there are benefits, and of course lots of movie stars are getting involved.

It’s a shame, a lot of good people, innocent people, got hurt.”

Called for NFL to fire players who don’t stand for the National Anthem Visited hurricane victims in Puerto Rico and shooting victims in Las Vegas Donated $1 million to Las Vegas law enforcement

News 05

shawnee mission shakeup District begins process of selecting new superintendent and electing board members.

by ansley chambers Reporter he Shawnee Mission School District is conducting a superintendent search.

Superintendent Jim Hinson retired June 30. As of July 1, deputy superintendent Kenny Southwick began serving as the interim superintendent and will remain that way until a permanent superintendent has been found. In a sense, Southwick is like a long-term sub for the district.

Now it’s time to find a full-time teacher.

“The superintendent basically manages everything. The district and everything that happens within it is under his or her control.

So it’s important to find a good superintendent to make sure that our integrity is kept intact and we are getting the best education possible,” senior Annaleigh Hobbs said.

Ray and Associates, a company that specializes in educational executive leadership searches, has been hired to find a new superintendent for the district, just as they did four years ago when they found Hinson. There is a timeline for finding the new superintendent that has been divided into five stages: Board Input and Preparation, Profile Development and Process, Recruiting and Screening, Candidate Presentation, Selection of Finalist and Future Planning. Currently, the process is in Stage 2. Ray and Associates has been interviewing possible candidates. The new superintendent should be announced at the beginning of the new calendar year.

Students and parents can affect the search in several ways. Several meetings have been held with sample groups of parents, students and teachers to figure out what each group is looking for in a candidate for

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Yard signs for school board elections are popping up all over the district. This one was promoting Heather Ousley, her opponent, Mandi Hunter, also had lots of signs.

photo by weston glendening

superintendent.

There is also a survey on the Shawnee Mission School District website under the “superintendent search” tab. This survey allows for students, as well as parents and teachers, to select their top 10 out of a list of 30 qualities that they feel are most important for a potential future superintendent to have. Today is the last day that the survey is open, so if you are interested in taking it, you should do so immediately.

“The superintendent takes care of most of the long term things. They have to evaluate what all we need to strengthen within the district. They also have to try to predict what kind of skills [the students] are going to need down the road, in 10, 15, 20 years. Think about it: when you were 5 years old, most of the jobs around today didn’t exist,” assistant principal Ryan Flurry said.

Another new change in leaders on the district level is the election for the Board of Education which will be held Nov. 7. Primary elections were held Aug. 1. Jim Lockard and Mary Sinclair are running for the East area seat. Craig Denny and Laura Guy are running for the West area seat.

Mandi Hunter and Heather Ousley are running for the overall district at-large seat. Denny, who has been on the board for 20 years, has been announced by the School Board as board president for the 2017-18 school

Timeline Stage 1

Board Input and Preparation

Stage 2

Profile Development and Process

Stage 3

Recruiting and Screening

Stage 4

Candidate Presentation

Stage 5

Selection of Finalist and Future Planning year. He replaced Sara Goodburn at the beginning of the year.

The Shawnee Mission Post will be hosting a forum tomorrow at the Sylvester Powell Jr. Community Center. This forum will be for the candidates of the at-large position on the school board. There will be a question and answer session with the candidates. Questions for the candidates will be received from the public on the fall ballot.

No Rain On Our Parade

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3 1.

Senior Claire Kelley and senior Elena Kernen gasp in reaction to Kelley being crowned the 2018 Homecoming Queen. Later that night, Kelley, who was also a drum major, conducted the band still wearing her gown.

Photo by Savannah Morgan 2. Old choir friends, senior Patrick Wiley and alumni Raider Zach Greer share a moment together after Wiley is announced Homecoming King. Greer, the last year’s king, held the responsibility of crowning the new king.

Photo by Savannah Morgan 3. Busting through the banner, seniors Steven Ampofo and Carter Johnson lead their teammates onto the field to start the game.

Photo by Weston Glendening 4. On top of the pyramid, junior Blake Hardesty smiles and strikes a pose at the Homecoming assembly. Hardesty has been on varsity cheer since her freshman year.

Photo by Savannah Morgan

5. Walking with their homemade signs, future raiders show the viewers what they wish to achieve in their high school years.

Photo by Savannah Morgan

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News 07

playing in style Playing in sync, senior Claire Nash, junior Emma Richardson and seniors Ashley Thao and Logan Young play in the violin section for the Oktoberfest introduction song. The orchestra used the money made from this festival to fund a trip to Germany every four years. Photo by savannah morgan

Orchestra to play their fall concert while wearing costumes. by parrish mock reporter rchestra will be dressing up in costumes for its 20th year at their concert Oct. 30. The concert will take place in the new auditorium and admission is free.

Most or all of the orchestra students, including orchestra director Jonathan Wiebe, dress up in their costume of choice. Elementary and middle school orchestras as well as a group of sixth graders, called the Silver Strings, will also be joining the high school students in this annual concert.

“I think dressing up adds more of a community in a sense,” senior Emily Lavely said.

Elementary strings director, Hope Ragan, was a cellist at KU in the The University of Kansas Symphony Orchestra (KUSO), for about four years while she was studying for her undergraduate degree in music education. The symphony orchestra is one of the best collegiate orchestras in the country. KU orchestras are open to music majors along with non-music majors. The fall concert KU used to perform, similar to the concert South’s orchestra puts on,

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was one of Ragan’s favorites when she went to KU. “We played amazing pieces and added fun visual representation to them that audiences of all ages could enjoy,” Ragan said.

KU students would play a piece and add a little something extra, like dressing up in costumes or playing a spooky song. One of Ragan’s favorites from the KU concert Copland’s “Rodeo” and the conductor came out on a scooter disguised as a bull and went across the stage. This piece was similar to one of Wiebe’s favorites from South, when a group of violas dressed up in Mariachi clothing and played their instruments like guitars.

These were favorites because the audience, as well as the rest of the orchestra, found the performances creative and funny.

Normally, when someone hears the word skit, people think of theatre and short scenes to practice particular skills in acting. The skits in orchestra are short sections in the concert where someone or a group will perform with costumes, or they will play a piece of music that is different from what they would normally play.

Ragan and Wiebe are trying to make some of the costumes fit with what they are playing so the orchestra can do more fun things during the pieces.

“This concert is more interactive with the audience because they don’t

have to just sit and watch,” Lavely said.

On account of KU’s orchestra director leaving, KUSO, for the time being, will no longer be doing the concert, but Ragan wanted a way for the students to experience parts of the concert.

“I think it is fun and entertaining to see what people’s costumes are because they aren’t scary, they are usually funny,” junior Kimberly DeWitt said.

DeWitt finds practicing for the concert less stressful and more exciting because the students already know most of the songs.

“This concert is a more fun and relaxed concert, rather than a classical one,” DeWitt said.

Orchestra is set on making the concert an enjoyable and lively experience. Orchestra students will be working on perfecting their skits for the quickly approaching concert.

Orchestra started practicing for their pieces right after Oktoberfest to make sure they will be performance ready. The concert will sometimes have a spooky vibe, but other pieces will be a random assortment of their favorite songs.

“It’s to be expected that both Wiebe and I will have multiple costume changes,” Ragan said.

ola club helps houston Third hour classes compete to collect items for Hurricane Harvey victims.

by pablo jimenez Reporter

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fter Hurricane Harvey hit Houston hard, Ola Club decided to help out. They held a contest for third hour classes to collect personal hygiene products.

“We want to start things to benefit the whole school. Obviously, other people who are suffering, like in the case of Harvey and yeah, just to get ourselves out there,” co-President Merida Acosta said.

Spanish teacher Cynthia Hartwell’s third hour class got a free Hispanic breakfast for collecting the most.

Hartwell said that it was a great experience for her Spanish 2 class. She told her class that if they won, they could use the breakfast to get points for their project that they do every quarter. After winning, Hartwell had Acosta come in to tell her class what everything in the Hispanic breakfast was, for instance the conchas and abuelita chocolate.

“I was surprised to hear from the students how they understood almost every word that was said [in Spanish], and for me that was a good way to help the students learn faster,” Hartwell said.

After receiving the products that the third hour classes collected, it was time for the club to send it out.

“We had to find a van and we had to get all the things we collected to send out. We did it to make the club more noticeable at the same time to help out. Merida was the one to come up with the idea, she was like ‘we should do something about this,’” co-President Ivette Santoyo said.

“Texas was closer and Ms. Reyes was on board with it, plus the associate principal was on board with it.”

This is Ola Club’s second year.

Last year, a couple of students in Spanish teacher Yanira Reyes’s native speaking class wanted to help out other students get involved in school.

“All I did was just tell them the

Some of the OLA Club’s president stand at the podium to address the club and get ready to present. Now in their second year, the club is creating opportunities for community service and involvement.

Photos by dj gill

donations Diapers Baby formula Toilet paper Bottled water Feminine products logistics of this activity. You can do and this, one you can’t and you have to follow the regulations and make sure you tell somebody before you do this activity,” Reyes said.

Ola Club meets every other Wednesday after school in Room 383.

“What we kind of want to make from this club is to help our students, and better their academics,” Acosta said. “So what we do is give them scholarship opportunities. We have them write down their interest, so we know what they want to do, like some people want to go to nursing or the medical field. We get them scholarships for Hispanics in the area.”

They also want to help out in the school and to help Hispanics who aren’t involved.

“And we want to show and share

Students converse about a presentation given by the OLA Club presidents. OLA Club meets every Thursday in room 383.

our culture with the whole school and educate them about the culture,” Acosta said.

During the last 10 minutes of the meeting they play games, for example one being Loteria, which is just another version of bingo. But it’s not all fun and games, they have guest speakers come over to talk about college experiences and how they handle school and work.

“We also get them connections with Hispanics who we know, like Hispanics who are in the medical field and the law field. It is to try and get those connections. We are still working on it cause we barely started last year, but we are getting better and better every time,” Acosta said.

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homegrown professional

South alum Mike Morin winds up to throw a pitch. Morin was drafted this year to play for the Royals.

photo courtesy of mike morin

Shawnee Mission South alum is added to the Royals roster.

by Brett conner Reporter photos by savannah morgan reams have come true for former Raider Mike Morin. In September, Morin was claimed off waivers by the Kansas City Royals.

Morin starred on the mound in 2009 for South, and eight years later his childhood dreams are becoming a reality.

“Being back in Kansas City and playing for the Royals is impossible to describe. I have watched the transformation happen and I am honored to now be a part of the organization. The team gave this town, this city life. To put on a Royals uniform is surreal,” Morin said.

Originally drafted by the Royals in the 40th round of the 2009 draft, he decided to attend the University of North Carolina, where he excelled as a closing pitcher. There, Morin set an Atlantic Coast Conference record for most saves in a single season. After college, Morin was drafted again by the Los Angeles Angels in the 13th round in 2012.

The right-hander spent two years in the Minors and April 30, 2014, he made his Major

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League debut. His stats for his rookie year included 2.90 Earned Run Average in 59 innings across 60 appearances. He also came in to pitch against the Royals in the playoffs. He hasn’t been able to match his numbers from that year since then, but he hopes to stuff the stat sheets this year with his new hometown team.

Morin led the Raider team to a 15-6 record in 2009 and a 9-2 divisional record. Aside from his saves, he was a great leader for his teammates and helped them put forth the most effort that they possibly could.

“Guys loved playing behind him because he was going to fight to the nail and he was going to compete his butt off no matter what,” head baseball coach Mitch Wiles said.

Morin hopes he can inspire all those that are in the same shoes that he was in years ago. His advice to the students and athletes is the same for all.

“Work hard, learn, listen and treat everyone the same. Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.

If you get a little better each day, you can do some amazing things over the course of time... The sky’s the limit,” Morin said.

Senior baseball player Jacob Gusman is in the exact same shoes that Morin was in 2009 and he views Morin as an inspiration.

“He definitely set the standards pretty high for players at SMS and all the baseball players that know about him. But he also helps them by showing that it is possible for people like us to make it big,” Gusman said.

Morin left the students here at South with a word of advice.

“Whether you are an athlete, band member, or a regular student, don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do something. Follow your dreams. Go to class. Being able to go to college and get an education was the best decision I ever made. Surround yourself with positive influences. Be respectful to every single person affiliated with Shawnee Mission South. Whether it is a teacher, classmate or custodian,” Morin said. “Life in high school isn’t always easy but, you will someday be gone and off to different things.

Cherish your time with your friends, family and classmates. And never forget that there is nothing greater than a Raider.”

See Morin’s full handwritten journal and signature on smsouthnews.com.

Football coaches such as Christopher Bervert have already made their transition from Adidas to Under Armour with their new shirts.

a brand new suit of armour Athletic teams will soon wear only Under Armour uniforms. by addie soyski copy editor photos by dj gill n years past, the athletic teams of SMS have chosen the armor they wear to battle, but over the next few years, Raiders will be transitioning to only Under Armour.

Traditionally, South hasn’t been locked into one brand of uniform.

Last year, girls basketball chose Under Armour, soccer picked Adidas and boys basketball had a non-name uniform.

Now, South will be purchasing only Under Armour jerseys and uniforms through Nill Brothers, a local sporting goods company. This comes as a new mandate at the district level that applies to all middle schools and high schools.

The reason behind the switch is the financial gain. Purchasing Under Armour gives school 40 percent off everything. Additionally, there’s a 10 percent credit.

“For example, we buy $1,000 worth of something of Under Armour from Nill Brothers, we get $100 credit that we can use to buy more uniforms or whatever and then it adds up over time,” athletic director John Johnson said.

However, not everyone agrees Under Armour is the best option.

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“Adidas is the best soccer line.

They have the most variety and that’s just what they do. Adidas equates to soccer and Under Armour is pretty limited when it comes to soccer, and it’s just not time-tested quality,” soccer coach Caroline Ewing said.

Soccer is not alone in having doubts about Under Armour being the best fit.

“I’m not a big fan of it because I think that it limits our choices. Under Armour, for my specific sport [cross country], does not have very many options in colors and varieties...,” cross country coach JJ Wanamaker said.

“Their stock uniforms are very, very limited. If I want other enhancements, it costs me more money. I can find what I want in other companies cheaper with as good of quality or better.”

It’s not just the quality that some coaches have taken issue with, but also the mandate itself.

“I don’t approve of it in the fact that we’re forced to use Under Armour. That we don’t have a choice and can’t wear whatever we want to wear,” bowling coach Kent Thompson said.

However, those teams who are not at the end of their five year uniform cycles are permitted to use their current uniforms, whatever the brand

The new volleyball jerseys are provided by Under Armour.

may be. One of these teams is cross country.

“Between now and that five year deadline, I can do whatever the heck I please. And I will probably not change my uniform for a couple of years because these are fairly new, and to me, that’s a waste of money,” Wannamaker said.

Sports 11

The great compromise

Athletes discuss going to college for sports versus academics.

By brett conner comes to high school and college students who are also serious about reporter he relationship between sports sports. The life of a student athlete is and academic performance has difficult. been a controversial topic for Long practices, traveling and many years. Many student athletes meetings with the team clash with have a stacked schedule. They have to long hours of studying and creates a come home from long practices that frenzy that most students don’t want last up to three hours after school to to deal with. But there are some do their studies into the late hours of students who are able to take the hard the night, and their teachers expect work upon themselves. them to perform at a high level. Some “I wouldn’t sacrifice hard classes students and staff weighed in on just so I can be more successful as an their thoughts on the question: Can athlete,” senior volleyball player and participation in sports have a positive National Merit Semi-finalist Robyn effect on your education?

MacDonald said.

“Yes. Not just sports either, it can Some athletes head off to college be any activity: band, fine arts, the with the idea that they are going for theatre. There’s research out there that sports and sports alone. They believe indicates that students who participate their education will somehow find in extracurricular activities do better its way along. Junior soccer player in school, Alexis House graduate at a has a clear higher rate, idea of what You go to college to get an and are more she’s going to education, not to play sports. successful in college for.

Like the sports just help you college and “You go to life,” athletic college to get pay for your education. director John an education

- Alexis House Johnson said. not to play A Harvard sports. Like University the sports just psychiatrist help you pay composed years of research into his for your education,” House said.

2008 book ‘Spark: The Revolutionary As for the students’ decisions, New Science of Exercise and the MacDonald is deciding between Brain.” In his book, Ratey describes schools like Stanford and Louisiana taking MRI scans of the brains of State University. inactive people who have suddenly “It’s important to me that the heightened their levels of fitness. academics are not necessarily wellResulting from the higher levels of known but definitely a successful exercise, they had increased volume school because I like to push myself in the regions of the brain associated in my education, so hopefully I can with cognitive functioning, memory continue that on,” MacDonald said. and learning.

While MacDonald is looking for Despite its positive effects on the best college for her, Schneider is intellectual performance, some looking for other things. students don’t understand the “Proximity to home is important to importance of college education me,” Schneider said. compared to athletics. However, some So he is deciding between local do. colleges Benedictine College and “Obviously I’m not going to play Ottawa University. basketball forever and I’ll have to work House is going the same way as and academics is what will get me get Schneider and is choosing a local a good job,” senior basketball player school.

Hunter Schneider said.

“I’m committed to play...and learn The argument at Rockhurst University,” House said. becomes more intricate when it

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Senior Robyn MacDonald dribbles the soccer ball as she plays a home game last season. “I don’t know if I will be going to college for soccer, but if they offer me a walk on, I will gladly take it,” MacDonald said.

photo by matthew neaderhiser

Senior Hunter Schneider gets ready to rebound at a basketball game last season.

Schneider wants to play basketball in college, and he’s looking to play close to home.

photo by jillian mcclelland

four times the fun

A new and fun club will take the stress out of school.

by Pablo Jimenez reporter photo by Abby Cox nstead of playing four square on the elementary school playground, it is now being played in the auxiliary gym parking lot. Four Square Club is a new addition to the school, providing students with a game of four square and snacks after school.

“I feel that it brings people together, like playing four square does get competitive, but it also makes friendships that you wouldn’t have had otherwise,” vice president Luke Vohs said.

President Cheyenne Town said that during elementary school, she and Vohs played four square all the time and had a lot of fun.

“And it was kind of a joke as it came up, but then as we kept thinking about it, we thought it would just be fun. And it is a nice thing to do after school with your friends,” Town said.

During the last Thursday meeting, the mood was playful. Everybody was talking to each other and welcoming. Sponsor and English teacher, Travis Gatewood, lets them run the show.

“We just asked him if he wanted to sponsor our club and he said that as long as he really didn’t have anything to do with it and that all he had to do was sign something like a paper, he did not care,” Town said.

Town and Vohs also had to speak with associate principal Nicolas Platko.

“Cheyenne and I were joking around in APUSH about starting the club, and then what if we actually started it.

So we did,” Vohs said.

To publicize the club, they put up posters and put

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Junior Cheyenne Town passes the ball to junior Hayden Moreland while junior Kelli Pavlu looks on. Four Square Club meets every Thursday after school.

information on the announcements.

“We get more people to talk about it. That’s how we got a lot of people the first couple of times coming through. More people just kept talking about it and then more people showed up,” Vohs said.

The Four Square Club meets after school Thursdays in Room 272, starting out with snacks and then moving outside to the play the game. They are hoping to organize a tournament soon, with details unavailable as of Oct. 12.

graphic by avery woods

athlete snapshots What’s your favorite part about your sport?

freshman Evan Shivel cross country “The bond the team has as a whole. We all go through the same thing so we all have a mutual respect for each other.”

sophomore Mia Musson cheerleading “Bonding with the team at events and festivals.”

junior Bergen Cooper gymnastics “My favorite part in gymnastics is bars and other events we do. It brings us in more as a team and we’re able to accomplish more.”

Photos and Quotes gathered by DJ Gill

senior Luke Benson football “I’m able to bond with my teammates and it’s also great watching people grow throughout the season.”

Sports 13

king of the screen From soccer manager to operating the third largest jumbotron in the KC Metro area, Jackson Peters shares how he got the job. by brynn taylor reporter photos by DJ Gill and Jillian mcclelland

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Running the jumbotron at the South stadium is now in senior Jackson Peters’ job description. The jumbotron was the third largest in the metro area.

How and why did you figure out you were going to operate the jumbotron?

“In the first couple weeks when school started, Mr. Gatewood let us [KSMS] know that the jumbotron would be available for students to learn how to operate and he requested a first draft of everyone who wanted to join and it was just about everyone in KSMS so people had to start giving reasons why they were ideal for operating the jumbotron.”

Why were you ideal for operation?

“Since I’m already managing soccer I would be there for every single soccer home game, as well as I’m a fairly responsible student and I’m not doing much Friday nights. I would be at the football games anyways so it was a good chance for me.”

How much, if anything, did you have to learn before you could start working it?

“There’s very little coding involved until you actually have to create a button or a program to run new things, like the soccer games. We’ve hooked up a way that got the cameras live to the board, that was not easy.

Apart from that, it is pretty self explanatory and easy to learn if everything is set up for you.”

What are some reasons you think the jumbotron could benefit the student body?

“Well, it’s the third largest screen in the KC Metro area so it is a big attraction, even if you don’t go to

South or you don’t go to the opposing school. It’s cool to just go and see from just being at a high school and student ran. Over all, I just think it’s like a tourist attraction for those that do not go to the school, and to amp up the crowd if done the right way, which is always really fun.”

What kind of technology does it involve?

“Usually the computers have to be turned on at least four hours in advance, so sometimes I’ll go over during fifth hour and boot the system up so it’s ready to go in case there is a JV game or so it’s ready in advance for the varsity game. We have a two computer system so you have to turn both of those on independently, but those warm up for quite a while as well as the screen.”

Does anyone help you?

“A lot of the time, at the varsity football games, there’s a man from the Center of Academic Achievement from the TV and video department who will come and supervise us, and then there’s a student sign-up sheet in KSMS for anyone who wants to come and watch and maybe do it next year or sometimes I’ll let some of the seniors do it for a quarter or a half in soccer with me advising them.”

Describe a typical game night.

“I’ll usually show maybe two or three hours before the game starts to make sure all of my programs are running correctly, in case I have to import any new files or pictures or any graphics and test them to make sure they are running properly before the game starts and before any visitors arrive.

After that, I usually have a little bit of free time, maybe 30 minutes before the crowd arrives, to do a little bit of homework or whatnot, but once they get there, I’ll start putting on some of our spirit videos made by KSMS and playing just some basic graphics, some stats about the players. From there I usually play headshots of the home team starting lineup and everything after that is determined by the field.”

What sports do you control the Jumbotron for?

“Right now, it’s just football and boys soccer. We are hoping to do it for girls soccer, possibly track and field and any other sports we can get within view in that.”

What’s the best thing about running the Jumbotron?

“The best thing about it is... I myself am not on Crowd Control, but it kind of feels like I’m part of it. I am not in the crowd, but at the same time I’m still there with everybody being able to cheer them on as well as like being the loudest voice in the stadium.

So that’s a really unique and cool opportunity that I’m thankful for.”

What’s the hardest thing about running the jumbotron?

“The hardest thing is definitely when something goes wrong or we come up with an idea and there is nothing we have currently to fit that purpose.

So coming up with something on the spot or having to program something while the game is going can be pretty stressful.”

Sports 15

Culture or Costume?

BY AVERY WOODS ASSISTANT EDITOR IN CHIEF, Sports Editor

With Halloween around the corner, cultures often have their ethnicities exploited as costumes.

T

wo years ago, when the current Crowd Control members were sophomores, the theme for a game was dubbed “South of the Border,” implying that those participating should dress up in stereotypical “Mexican” garb.

“I thought it was maybe a little racist, but it was kind of funny to do a theme like that,” current Crowd Control member and senior Harrison Polen said.

Polen said that although most people dressed in sombreros, some dressed as construction workers, which was where he thought it crossed a line.

“I think it was mostly a theme to try and like dress up as another culture, not trying to be racist,” Polen said.

Junior Cynthia Flores, who is of Mexican heritage, disagrees.

“That’s not what we look like. That’s not what we are as a people. We aren’t big mustache wearing [people with] straw hats. There’s so much more to a culture than just that,” Flores said.

Since that theme was debuted, administration put a stop to it because it was “insensitive,” according to athletic director John Johnson.

“It’s not a good idea to use anyone’s ethnic background or culture as a theme at a game,” Johnson said.

Polen said that there is no intention of bringing back the theme, but if there was, he would change the name of it to something less offensive.

Costumes, themes and mascots such as “South of the Border” or North’s mascot, the Indian, are prime examples of cultural appropriation.

Cultural appropriation is when an individual, often of privilege or a dominant culture, adopts, or appropriates, the cultural or religious elements of a marginalized, oppressed or minority culture. Often this is done for the purpose of exploitation, without knowing the true meaning behind the aspects of the culture that they adopted. Cultural appropriation can be seen on Halloween, at sports games or at raves and festivals. Certain races and religions can be appropriated in different ways.

For junior Manal Boullaouz, people often stereotype or appropriate Arab and Muslim culture.

“People just associate [us with] camels and turbans and that kind of stuff. It’s kind of funny sometimes, but that’s not all there is,” Manal said.

Manal said that the most common issue is that people simply don’t know enough about the culture. “....They’re ignorant, like they actually don’t know anything about it. Sometimes they’re actually curious,” Manal said.

As a person of Moroccan heritage, Manal often hears the stereotype “terrorist,” or other connotations associated with Muslims.

“Islam is the second biggest religion in the entire world, but people don’t know anything about it except that ‘Oh, they’re terrorists. They do this. They do that,’” Manal said.

Manal says that the best way to be respectful and avoid cultural appropriation is to ask questions if you’re curious and or to try to and educate yourself.

“I think it’s really important for the Muslims that are going to South or going anywhere to let people know what it’s actually about. It’s actually a very cool religion,” Manal said. “It’s really peaceful. It’s like any other religion. It’s really important to me, so I want people to know that about me.”

Manal’s sister, Samah Boullaouz, agrees that cultural appropriation in the form of dressing up as “terrorists” with stereotypical Muslim wear or other costumes is bad. However, she believes that some days, it’s OK to wear traditional Muslim or Arab garb.

“I think if it’s done respectfully and it’s to learn about a person’s culture, and not to make fun of it... like Halloween costumes? Unacceptable. But National Wear a Hijab Day? That is beautiful,” Samah said.

Other cultures also experience stereotypes and the negativity that often comes with cultural appropriation. Often, Halloween is the most aggressive holiday in terms of cultural appropriation.

“Cultural appropriation is when an individual, often of privilege or a dominant culture, adopts, or appropriates, the cultural or religious elements of a marginalized, oppressed or minority culture.”

16 Cover Story

We asked South students to share their thoughts on cultural appropriation.

Do you know what cultural appropriation is?

33%

YES

NO 67% Do you think Cultural appropriation is disrespectful?

95%

YES

NO 5% Poll of 60 students

According to Flores, Day of the Dead is associated with Halloween when it comes to costumes because it is a day later.

“Halloween is a pagan holiday that is meant to appease spirits with an evil nature, but the whole point of the Day of the Dead is to honor the dead,” Flores said.

Flores said that she often has to correct her friends, and Halloween can be aggravating because of the number of costumes that stereotype Mexican culture.

“I shut it down as fast as I can. Because that’s not something that’s OK,” Flores said.

Junior Nya Smith feels the same way. Smith has Native American heritage, as a Navajo and an Osage.

“I go to the Halloween store to pick out my sister’s outfit every year, and just having to walk by that aisle of Native American costumes, it’s just really sad to see that it’s still here,” Smith said.

However, senior Star Gonzalez, who is Puerto Rican and black, finds that she isn’t offended when non-black people wear blackface ­-- paint their faces black - in order to “look black.”

“Halloween is that people dress up, no matter what they wanna be, or who they wanna be. You should be happy they want to be a black person,” Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez feels that race shouldn’t be an issue during Halloween, because she believes that Halloween is for everyone to dress up as whatever they want to be. She also believes that people often think that when a white person appropriates a culture it’s bad, but when a person of a different ethnicity appropriates a culture that’s not theirs, it’s overlooked.

“There’s two things you can do: either everybody can do what they want and dress how they want... And we’ll all just get along with it, or just don’t do it at all,” Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez has also adopted the same attitude when it comes to non-black people using the n-word.

“If you’re doing it out of hate, then yeah, it’s a bad thing, but there’s black people calling other black people the n-word, so I feel like if it’s such a degrading word to you and your race, why are you saying it yourself?”

Gonzalez said.

She also pointed out that she is an anomaly, and that many of her black friends think differently from her. Gonzalez said they often argue that the n-word or blackface is degrading, especially because of America’s past with slavery. However, Gonzalez has a more relaxed view on what she thinks is racist. She believes that if a stereotype is used in a derogatory way, it’s offensive.

Junior Stephen Luancing also takes this stance when it comes to Asian stereotypes and appropriation.

“I know they don’t mean it, and they think it’s funny, and what am I going to do about it? It doesn’t affect the way I live, so I don’t really care,” Luancing said.

Often, cultural appropriation can be confused with cultural assimilation, which is when an individual from a minority culture has to adopt the traditions of a majority culture, usually to fit in or survive. Cultural appropriation is the opposite. In the case of assimilation, it is often a necessity for the minority culture to blend with the majority. In the case of appropriation, the dominant culture uses the minority culture as a fashion trend or a throwaway costume. In assimilation and appropriation, someone’s culture is always getting taken away. However, cultural appreciation is different. Cultural appreciation is the process of an individual learning about a certain culture and educating themselves on their traditions before making an informed decision on how to celebrate the culture respectfully.

“If someone asked and was curious about something, then I would be more than happy to answer questions about it,” Boullaouz said.

Cover Story 17

like coach, like kid

Imagine your parent being your coach. These student athletes can.

by Miah clark A&E Editor

Bob and skylar ray How long has your dad been

jj and Chloe Wannamaker How long has your dad been coaching cross country and track and field?

“I think this year will be nine or 10 years.”

Do you think your dad being a coach influenced your decision to run?

“I started in fourth going into fifth grade, and it has influenced me. [Him coaching] kind of showed me that it’s a great sport and something that he has put into his life, so it kind of influenced me to put it into my life.”

What is it like having your dad as a coach?

“It can be weird sometimes, but it’s mostly fun. He’s going to make more jokes about me, but it’s totally fine and it’s really fun.”

Are there any distinct differences between coach/teacher Wannamaker and dad Wannamaker?

“Yeah, he gets into ‘coach mode’, where he’s set on cross country or he’s set on teaching, but it’s nice.”

Do you think that as a coach’s kid, you feel more of a need to prove yourself as an athlete?

“I just feel like I need to show my best work. And it’s not that he’s harder on me, but I just want to show him my best since he gives me his best.”

photo by jillian mcclelland

Freshman Chloe Wannamaker jogs with her father, science teacher and cross country and track and field coach JJ Wannamaker. Chloe attributes her love of running to her dad.

18 features

photo by jillian mcclelland

Sami and Karoline Shelton pose with their mother, Kathy Bates. Sami estimates that her mother has been coaching for around 20 years.

Kathy Bates and sami Shelton

When did you and your sister start playing volleyball?

“I started playing in the second grade, and my mom started being my coach when I was in the fifth grade, and she coached me fifth grade to seventh grade, and then she wasn’t my coach again until this year. My sister and I started playing at the same age, so she started playing a couple years before me.”

What is it like having your mom as a coach?

“It’s good, I like it. She’s really good at separating being Mom from being a coach.”

Do you think that as the coach’s daughter, you feel more of a need to prove yourself as an athlete?

“Yeah, especially so that people aren’t just like, ‘Oh, you’re only on varsity because your mom is the coach,’ or whatever. So definitely.”

Are things more personal on the South volleyball team with both your mom and sister so closely tied to the sport?

“Yeah. I like playing here more. Last year I didn’t go here. I was just playing volleyball at [Mill Valley], but playing here is more of an emotional thing than just going through the motions.”

coaching football?

“A long time. Since before I was born.”

When did you start playing football?

Do you think that your dad coaching you influenced that decision?

“Not really, because he lets me make my own decisions. I started playing football when I was in the second grade.”

What is it like having your dad as one of the head football coaches?

“It’s a pretty cool experience, because whenever I make good plays and stuff, he’s there. He is also my position coach with me being a quarterback.”

Do you think it affects your reputation as South, both as a student or a football player?

“I don’t really feel like it affects my reputation, but everyone knows I’m Coach Ray’s kid.”

At the varsity games, you can be seen on the field helping the coaches.

What exactly do you do?

“My dad signals in the signals for the plays, and I write them down on a clipboard so when they’re on Hudl, which is our film website, [the coaches] can type it in so they know which play is being ran.”

Do you think that as a coach’s kid, you feel more of a need to prove yourself as an athlete?

“Being the coach’s son, I do feel more pressure than other people, especially as the quarterback and my dad being the offensive coordinator.” photos by Savannah morgan

For his first year on the football team, freshman Skylar Ray takes direction from coach and father Bob Ray.

more than a paycheck Students open up about unusual jobs that may not be for everyone.

by Daniella Campos Reporter ost high school students are flipping burgers, scooping ice cream, or ringing someone up at the cash register. However, junior Naabi Smith and senior Nick Dunn have quite interesting jobs compared to the “typical” high school student.

Smith works shows and performs for audiences a few times a month, rapping original verses that he also puts on SoundCloud. While Dunn works on a farm, harvesting fruit and tending to the animals. Smith started his career as a rapper by making music with his friends until someone discovered him.

“I was just rapping out in public and it was just me and a group of people. Then this lady came up to me and she was like ‘I really like your voice and I can see there’s a promising future for you and I would like to get you involved with doing shows,’” Smith said.

Smith uploads original songs onto SoundCloud, and also performs them for audiences a few times a month. He mentioned that his agent has opened up more doors than he ever imagined.

Rapping in front of audiences and having shows is something he is grateful for.

“I got linked through her, and I got blessed with the opportunity to actually do it,” Smith said.

Smith was lucky enough to find someone to help him on his path to success, which he claimed also opened up more than just the music door for him. “[She] kind of helped me along the way because I didn’t know she was also an agent for modeling,” Smith said.

M

A familiar view for farmer senior Nick Dunn at Stewart Sharp's farm. photo courtesy of Nick Dunn

Smith’s next show is Oct. 17 in St. Louis, Missouri, with many more shows after that. Smith admits to being anxious before shows, which is understandable, considering he gets paid based on how well he does.

“At first I was nervous and then I was like you know what, I feel comfortable. This is me; I got this,” Smith said.

Smith is excited to get his name out there, and is also looking forward to performing more in the future.

“You can expect to see more of me. I definitely see myself doing this when I’m older,” Smith said.

Smith seems comfortable in the spotlight, as he also is involved in rep theater. Being the center of attention is obviously Smith’s strong suit. He says if there is a talent show this year, he will no doubt perform.

On the other hand, senior Nick Dunn is on the opposite end of the spectrum. He works on a farm for an old family friend, Stewart Sharp.

Sharp’s farm boasts an apple orchard, cows, a chicken coup, a garden and groves of walnut trees. With so many amenities, Sharp needs all the help he can get. Dunn picks the apples, feeds the cows and mows the grass while on the farm.

“Three years ago, my brother was [Sharp’s] main worker, like the foreman of the place, and my brother needed an extra hand, so I went to pick apples with him...” Dunn said.

Since then, Dunn has taken his brother’s place at the farm. While he rarely has a set schedule at the farm, it is still convenient because the farm is so close-by. Located just north of Mission and 135th, the 14-acre farm is not an easy job for Dunn.

Junior Naabi Smith walking down the catwalk at a fashion show.

Photo courtesy of naabi smith

“When I mow the entire thing it probably takes like five to seven hours, or if we’re painting the side of the barn it takes like two,” Dunn said.

Dunn enjoys his time at the farm.

Since his brother came before him, he says he definitely has a legacy to uphold. Even so, Dunn claims he does not see himself doing this when he’s older, although it has taught him so much more than how to be a good farmer.

“It definitely teaches a lot of lessons that you wouldn’t learn otherwise. Like how much feed six cows need in a day,” Dunn said, laughing.

Features 19

QA &

with Teddy Blair

By Ansley Chambers Ads Editor

Freshman Theodore Blair, better known as Teddy, reflects on his experience entering high school two years early.

How did you become a high schooler at age 12?

I was in preschool normally. My parents taught me some basic school skills a bit earlier than some other people.

When I was in kindergarten, I was doing first grade classes. My parents decided to put me up a grade level into first grade about a month into my first year of school... My second grade teacher realized that I was still at a higher level, so I took third grade reading and math classes. And then my parents gave me the choice to either skip third grade or to do third grade again and I basically said ‘Why would I want to do that?’ So then I went to fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, and now ninth.

How do you like school?

I like school. It’s fun. It’s also a bit stressful since I have never been in high school before, but we are only one month in so far.

What activities do you participate in?

I’m in marching band and Academic Decathlon. I’m also a Boy Scout, but that’s not through school.

How much time do you usually spend on homework?

Well, I get distracted a lot, but probably about an hour every night.

Do you ever feel intimidated by other students that are older than you?

Occasionally. Usually not too much, but sometimes like a junior will come up and say ‘Oh, you’re only 12’ or something like that, but it’s not too bad.

Do you think that being so young has made you popular among upperclassmen?

Yes and no. Yes, because people at elementary school knew me and they knew I was moving up grades because they were there. But then when I got to middle school it was different.

People asked stuff. It can be a bit irritating, but you get used to it. It’s just weird sometimes because my friends all say, ‘Oh, I got a job,’ ‘I got my learner’s permit.’ And for me, I’m like, ‘I’m almost 13!’

Do you feel like anyone ever tries to take advantage of you being “the smart kid”?

Maybe a little bit. If they do, I don’t realize it.

People ask me for help and I try to help them. I don’t give them the answers, but I usually explain how to do it.

Do you ever feel like you skipped part of your childhood?

No... I’m not super athletic, but I still have a lot of energy. After homework and on the weekends, I still have time to do whatever I want really.

What do you plan on doing after you graduate high school?

Well, I plan on taking a year off to catch up. I want to get a job. I don’t know where I want to go to school. I want to get a degree in science or math, though.

20 Features

photo by weston glendenning

1

Fall Playbook 2

3

1. Achieving high

expectations, junior Hunter Carpenter makes the catch for the first touchdown of the Homecoming game. The game resulted in a loss against Shawnee Mission Northwest with a score of 7-6.

Photo by savannah Morgan

2.

Varsity soccer player Colin Wilkinson warms up by keeping ball in the air. This was Wilkinson’s first year making varsity.

Photo by DJ Gill

3.

4

Practicing her sets, senior Karoline Shelton participates in a setting drill with her varsity teammates. Shelton had been on varsity all four years.

Photo by Cassandra Awad

4. Up and over, junior Bergen Cooper said, “I have never been great at vault but at one of my meets, my coach came running to me and told me to do a harder vault that I had practiced twice and I did it and landed it.” The next meet will be tomorrow.

Photo by Jillian McClelland

Photo Essay 21

Staff Editorial

S

ince the founding days of America, people have disrespected Native Americans and their culture. The history of our relationship with Native Americans has been riddled with violence and oppression, and the continued use of their culture as caricature mascots does nothing to remedy this glaring stain on American history.

The NFL’s Washington Redskins are likely the most high profile example of racist mascots. Activists have been asking for the Redskins to change their name since 1968, but controversy gained national attention in 2013 when owner Dan Snyder vowed never to change the name.

In 2014, the U.S. patent office even went as far as to cancel the Redskins’ trademark registration. Since then, activists have been steadily lobbying for the Redskins and other teams to remove their racist mascots.

The name Redskins not only appropriates Native American culture in their branding and imagery, but they use an incredibly derogatory, racist term to do so.

While the Redskins use a more blatantly offensive term, our own Kansas City Chiefs, another NFL team, are not entirely innocent.

The Chiefs were originally named after famed philanthropist and Kansas

22 Opinion

Citian H. Roe Bartle, whose nickname was The Chief, but the use of Native American imagery in the logo, name of Arrowhead stadium and the Tomahawk Chop chant show that the connection to Kansas City has been replaced with cultural appropriation.

Even if the name isn’t overtly derogatory, it still should not be used as a mascot.

From the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks to the MLB’s Cleveland Indians or Atlanta Braves, the appropriation of Native American culture is not exclusive to football. The mascot problem goes as far as our own school district.

Shawnee Mission North’s mascot, the Indian, has been heavily criticized in recent years, amid the national debate over the use of Native American imagery in mascots.

All of this turmoil and controversy boils down to one thing: respect. It is blatantly disrespectful to use someone else’s culture as a mascot, especially when they have publicly voiced their opposition to the practice.

Not only do these mascots use imagery from Native American culture without their consent or approval, the images are not an accurate representation of their culture. Rather than honoring Native American culture, mascots perpetuate inaccurate, offensive and negative stereotypes that are harmful to

Editorial Cartoon by Lauren Bass

America’s first people.

Considering these negative stereotypes, Native Americans experience hate crimes at an extremely high rate. According to the Department of Justice, Native Americans are “more likely than people of other races to experience violence at the hands of someone of a different race.”

The use of Native American mascots undermines this violence and makes light of everything settlers put Native Americans through in the early days of the country. We cannot sweep violence and oppression against Native Americans under the rug in the interest of using their culture to make millions of dollars on sporting merchandise and ticket sales.

We would never use another race or culture as mascots, so why do we accept it when it’s Native Americans on the logo? To use Native American imagery in sports is offensive and damaging to their culture, and this practice needs to be stopped if we ever hope to move past a history of violence.

10/10 editors agree with the views expressed in this editorial

The Debate: Prioritizing The opioid crisis Pro:

Con:

By Gini Horton Reporter

D

rug overdoses are the leading cause of injury related deaths in the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Health in 2015.

Six out of 10 drug overdoses involve opioids, prescription and heroin induced.

The government knows that prescription opioids are the leading cause for opioid related deaths, and they have not done enough to combat this problem.

Every day, 91 Americans die from opioid overdoses.

It is now obvious that private companies are not going to do enough to restrict access to prescription opioids; opioid sales have quadrupled since 1999. The side effects of the drug include sensitivity to pain and withdrawal to opioids. Many of those who take prescription opioids become analgesic tolerant, which means the body needs more opioids to provide the same amount of relief. Enough prescription opioids were sold in 2013 for every adult in America to have their own bottle. The amount of people addicted to prescription opioids greatly increases for users of Medicaid compared to those who are insured privately.

In Kansas, Dr. Steven Simon is being investigated for prescribing large doses of opioids to someone who did not need them. The fact that this could happen shows a depressing lack of accountability. It is the government’s job to value the safety of Americans, and they have done an appalling job of protecting the American people from drug overdoses. A prescription monitoring program is currently in place in Kansas, which has been proven to work in Kentucky, Florida, Oregon, Ohio, New York and Tennessee, but has yet to make a significant difference in Kansas. In order to administer opioids, health care providers must be licensed by the state.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, one in 12 high school seniors have used opioids for fun. In a study of 7,374 students, only 9 percent of the people who had prescription opioids never used them recreationally.

The government has done a lot of ineffective, budget wasting acts in the last decade, including Medicaid.

Controlling opioids would bring down the number of drug abuse deaths by a substantial amount.

Raider Response:

Pro: 71%

Poll of 41 voters via SMSPatriot on Twitter.

By Miah clark a&e editor Photos by Jillian McClelland resident Donald Trump has unofficially declared America’s opioid crisis as a national emergency, and his top priority as president. He has so articulately explained that “the opioid crisis is an emergency... it is an emergency. It’s a national emergency.” Trump’s stance has no actual bite to it, though, and if executed, his approach to solving the issue of opioid addiction in America won’t be as easy as he’s made it out to be.

The President’s claim is first and foremost unofficial, meaning no paperwork or documented declarations have come out of it. Furthermore, this means that America’s opioid crisis has not actually been declared a national emergency. Trump has claimed that America is going to “spend a lot of time, a lot of effort and a lot of money on the opioid crisis,” but without putting in the work of officializing his statement, none of that will ever be true.

If the opioid crisis were to be declared a national emergency, Trump would be taking funds from The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which is usually reserved for natural disasters. And what nation was just affected by a category four hurricane?

Oh right, America. And which United States president minimally addressed said hurricane? The one and only Donald Trump. To take funds that the victims of recent hurricanes need now to address the opioid crisis - a problem that will not be solved with instant reaction - is simply not in the President’s best interest.

Furthering the “what if” situation presented, if assistance was provided to those affected by the opioid crisis, Trump’s ongoing attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act would make this counterproductive. Treatment such as overdose-reversal drugs would be made more accessible through Medicaid, but if Trump had everything his way, there would be no Medicaid.

If the president of this country would actually like to make a difference in the lives of American citizens, he would take the proper steps and actions to do so. Claims and speeches don’t actually help anything if what is claimed or said is never actually done.

Trump needs to close his big mouth and lend his tiny hands out to help.

Con: 27%

P

Other: 2%

Opinion 23

Twitter tirade

The president’s impulsive actions are a threat to the country.

by Megan Smith Contributing columnist here aren’t many things President Donald Trump can be counted on for, as he has gone back on many of his key campaign promises during his presidency, but we can always be sure that there will be a constant stream of tweets from @RealDonaldTrump.

His statements on foreign policy, tax cuts and international issues come not from official White House press briefings, but in 140-word fragments on his Twitter account.

These impulsive and unpredictable remarks are dangerous, and could cause serious harm to U.S. citizens or innocent people in countries across the globe. When Trump insults our allies over Twitter, he often provokes reactions that could damage our relationships with them or other world leaders.

Recently, Trump has been in Twitter fights with the NFL, mainstream media, the entire Democratic party and his own administration, but no feud is as ever-present as his with Kim Jong-un, the leader of North Korea. Trump has been insulting North Korea and the Kim dynasty since long before his presidential campaign, but his

T

comments mean so much more now than they used to, and he simply does not understand that. He cannot threaten to drop nuclear missiles on a country that is arguably the most volatile and uncertain power in the world.

He is a leader of one of the most powerful countries in the world, and calling the dictator of a country that could have hydrogen bombs “Rocket Man” isn’t doing anything helpful.

Exchanges like these cause other world leaders to become uncertain in the stability of the United States’ leadership. He does not see the repercussions of his actions, and this could provoke potentially explosive (pun intended) reactions from North Korea, or other countries whose leaders Trump has insulted on his Twitter account.

Donald Trump has insulted everything and everyone, from trade agreements, to presidents and prime ministers of countries on nearly every continent. He has called our allies “pathetic,” “weak,” stooping as low as to call the state of Pakistan a “supporter of terrorism” and frequently calls our trade agreements and treaties “bad,” “terrible” and “unfair.” When Trump invariably degrades the name of prominent U.S. policies and allies, he impairs the relationships we have with our allies. It is essential to maintain these alliances, especially when tensions are

photo by Trinity Clark

as high as they are with North Korea, and the possibility of nuclear warfare is closer than ever. Donald Trump’s tweeting has caused unrest and anxiety amongst not only American citizens, but the leaders and people of countries across Europe, Asia and Africa.

I think most people agree that whether Donald Trump is a good president or not, he shouldn’t be allowed access to his Twitter account when important decisions are being made. He allows his Twitter feed to mirror his stream of consciousness, hitting the “tweet” button almost as often as he fires or threatens to fire someone in his administration. These careless messages are damaging not only to the morale of United States citizens, but they are damaging the reputation of the United States, our alliances with other world powers and our reliability as a nation.

Trump twitter trends The most common phrases used on Trump’s Twitter account, according to trumptwitterarchive.com, as of Oct. 11.

“Loser”: 234 uses

“Stupid”: 183 uses

“Dumb” or “Dummy”: 222 uses

“Weak”: 158 uses

“Terrible”: 204 uses

“Dope” or “Dopey”: 117 uses

24 Opinion

Taking a Knee in the Land of the Free We stand during the National Anthem and put our hand over our hearts. Recently, football players have been kneeling during the anthem, causing an uproar from fans.

By Nichole Thomas Web Editor t is every American’s right to protest the government. In the First Amendment we are given the rights of free speech, religion, press, assembly and petition. We have gone to war to protect what we believe in, and as Americans, we believe in this constitution.

Protesting brings attention to issues that we feel are important to discuss or fix. Football players across the country have been taking a knee during the national anthem. This has upset people across the nation, including our president. But football players are protesting for change; a change in our government. Taking a knee during the National Anthem is not intended to disrespect the flag or our country.

It would be disrespectful if they just simply sat down or walked around.

One team even linked arms instead of kneeling.

Colin Kaepernick, formerly a quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, kneeled during the national anthem over a year ago. At the time of his kneeling, it caused an uproar from fans, but at the time, it was just him. Now other football players have joined in, and this crossed a line for many Americans.

You could argue against their protesting, saying it is doing more harm than good; in that case, you’re right. The protests have done nothing but spark controversy. No one really knows why they are kneeling, therefore their protesting seems disrespectful. Fans have started bringing signs to protest against the football players’ protest.

None of this is doing any good.

Some veterans take offense to the kneeling. But they fought wars to defend our constitution, and in that very constitution, it says we have the right to protest. Recently, a picture of a WWII veteran has gone viral. He is supporting the football players, agreeing that they have the right to kneel. Telling football players to stop kneeling is taking away their right to protest. If you don’t like what they are doing, then don’t watch the game, don’t attend or don’t support them.

There are other ways to protest that would be considerably more effective, and less offensive. Go to a rally, make a sign, march for change. Don’t kneel during the national anthem and create a nationwide tirade. It is your right, and you have every opportunity to kneel, but why kneel when there are other more effective ways to get your point across? If you want something to change, people need to take you seriously, so present yourself seriously. Protesting is great, but make sure your protesting is making a positive change.

Photo by DJ Gill

#TakeAKnee

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Colin Kaepernick Started the #TakeAKnee Movement in 2016.

Trump tweeted, “...our Great American Flag (or Country) and should stand for the National Anthem. If not, YOU’RE FIRED. Find something else to do!”

60% of students don’t find kneeling disrespectful

Opinion 25

Photo by Savannah Morgan

attack on snacks Leaving vending machines open would be beneficial to the wellbeing of students.

By Lily Wagner News editor t the beginning of the school year, the administration made the decision to close the vending machines between 7:40 a.m. and 2:35 p.m.

This decision has the potential to do more harm to the student body than what it aims to solve.

The administration cited increased tardies as their primary reason for closing the vending machines during the day. It was believed that students would abuse bathroom passes to go to vending machines and purchase food. While some students might in fact be using the vending machines as a way to get out of class, closing them during the day brings a punitive action on the entire student body, many of whom use the machines appropriately. If students want to leave or skip class, they can easily find a reason beyond the vending machines.

In addition to this, the vending machines are not even located in the academic wing of the building, making them difficult to access. Closing the machines during the day will make little to no change in class attendance.

Another factor in the closing of the vending machines is that they are now closed during lunch. This is due

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26 Opinion

to a combination of federal, state and district guidelines that aim to prevent the sale of non-district food in competition with district food during lunch periods. This is where the harm is caused.

Students in marching band arrive at 7 a.m. most mornings of the week and their practice goes through first hour. These students can’t get breakfast from the cafeteria and the vending machines are closed by the time their practice is over, which means many band kids could be going to class hungry. Beyond just band kids, 25 percent of kids at South are on free or reduced lunch and in Johnson County one in five children live in a food insecure household. These children might have trouble bringing food from home to eat in place of what they would buy from the vending machine. While many of these students can get food from the cafeteria, South now has three lunches. The cafeteria frequently runs out of food during the third lunch, which is an entirely different problem in itself.

Hunger affects a student’s ability to learn. Beyond that, hunger can cause behavioral problems, bring on depression, anxiety and other illnesses. Students who go hungry have lower graduation rates and higher dropout rates than students who have enough to eat.

Decreased student performance and increased behavioral problems aren’t a good thing for the school.

Fortunately, these problems are easily avoidable and can easily be remedied by reopening the vending machines to make sure students don’t go hungry at school.

Spotlight on Juniors Juniors take charge for this year’s production of “Footloose”.

Rehearsing for their upcoming performances in “Footloose”, juniors Leah Lissauer, Cara Torchia and Marissa Lunetta alongside senior Tara Phillips throw their hands up. The show will run from Oct. 18 to Oct. 21.

by daniella campos reporter Les Misérables”. “Hairspray”. “The Wizard of Oz”.

These were the plays that helped juniors Marissa Lunetta and Leah Lissauer prepare for their leads in the Oct. 18-21 production of “Footloose”.

Leads in school plays are most times received by seniors. But for this production, that changed. Lunetta received the role Rusty and Lissauer received Ariel Moore for “Footloose”. Both girls have been involved in the acting and singing programs at South. Lunetta has been a part of “Les Mis”, and Lissauer has been involved in “Hairspray”, “The Wizard of Oz”, “Les Mis”, “Miracle on 34 Street” and “The Little Mermaid” during their acting careers. This wasn’t an easy achievement though. Both actresses said they worked long hours, day and night, leading up to the audition to get their performances to where they wanted them.

“I auditioned and did callbacks [for “Footloose”] but I worked for weeks and weeks before getting my [audition] song where I wanted it to be, like perfect,” Lunetta said.

Lissauer has been in choir for the past 4 years here at South, as well as being involved in Rep Theatre, Advanced Rep Theatre and Actor’s Studio. Both girls said they have always had a passion for theater.

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“I’ve been doing it since I was in elementary school, the dumb shows we would do in elementary school. And then I do them at church, too, so yeah, I’ve always been interested,” Lissauer said.

Starting out young can be an advantage, but Lunetta says she had never taken a dancing, singing or acting class before heading up on the big stage. Lissauer, on the other hand, has.

“I’m in Actor’s Studio right now and I also take voice lessons outside of school,” Lissauer said. Even through all the classes and lessons both girls have been involved in, they both said theater is still a super difficult experience for them.

“The memorization, just remembering everything is definitely the most challenging part,” Lunetta said.

Even though Lunetta and Lissauer are both just juniors, they have respectively earned their places. This may be a path to a greater success, as Lunetta admits one of her biggest dreams.

“I would love to be on Broadway. It’s always a dream, but you know, the likelihood of that might not be so great,” Lunetta said.

Behind the curtain

A look backstage at one of South’s productions.

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rew doesn’t always get the recognition they deserve. Just because you don’t see them onstage doesn’t mean they don’t do anything. Sophomore Rachel Spencer explains her part in the upcoming show “Footloose”, as House Manager. “[I’m] in charge of making sure everything that’s not happening on stage is running smoothly. I also select and am in charge of all the ushers for ‘Footloose’,” Spencer said.

A lot of people who act or are on stage can get stage fright, or get nervous jitters before performing. Crew is responsible for the show going well, which requires a lot of responsibility. Crew deals with spontaneous issues and needs to be able to work well with a team.

“Patience and willingness to work hard is very important in crew. Show week can get a little crazy at times, but I like to have everything planned out before, if possible to prevent stress. Crew is very rewarding, and at the end of the day it always works out,” Spencer said.

A few of the crew Senior Devin Palmer Props Crew Head

Senior Tara Phillips Lights Crew Head

Sophomore Lily Widener Set Crew Head

A&E 27

KC1 The

pumpkin : patch

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Welcome autumn by visiting any of these three pumpkin patches. by gini horton reporter

Louisburg cider mill

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ouisburg is filled with many activities. You can shop over by the red barn for some delicious apple cider and outstanding cider donuts. The area by the red barn is free, but it cost $10 to get into the pumpkin patch, maze, petting zoo and play area. If you go during the week, it is $6, but there are fewer activities available.

The play area was perfect for young kids, but would not be entertaining for older kids. The 10-acre corn maze, shaped like a barn, was fairly easy. The pumpkin patch is 10-acres of large and small pumpkins, priced by weight.

If you don’t want to walk around looking for the perfect pumpkin, they have pre-priced pumpkins by the entrance.

Tomorrow will be the burning scarecrow event, which includes, walking the maze at night, live music and a bonfire.

graphic by nichole thomas

As you walk into the KC Pumpkin Patch, you are greeted with large signs reading “I LOVE PUMPKINS”. After you leave, you’ll feel the same.

KC pumpkin patch

Gieringer’s Family orchard

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photos by cassandra awad

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alking into the KC Pumpkin Patch, there is a strong smell of cinnamon and apples. Like Louisburg, this place caters to kids. Along with a small corn maze, hayride and pumpkin patch, there is a petting zoo, mining sluice and geode cracker, a gourd gun, a haunted trailer and paintball. These activities cost extra, however, a general admission ticket costs $10 and will cover the maze, kid area, petting zoo and hayride.

Photo opportunities are everywhere, ranging from cute and pretty, to funny cutouts. They had outstanding kettlecorn, both sweet and salty flavors are available, and they also have cider donuts. They are not as amazing as Louisburg’s, however.

f you are looking for a day to just pick out pumpkins, you should go to Gieringer’s orchard. With fewer activities and a smaller kid area, Gieringer’s was definitely less crowded than the other two patches. The tickets are also $10, and it gives you access to everything: the corn maze, the pumpkin patch, the wagon ride and the pumpkin bounce. The corn maze is smaller than the one at the cider mill, but it was still fun. Without all of the attractions for kids, this trip would be quieter, but you get fewer things for $10. There is a sunflower field as well as many other areas with peach trees, blueberry plants, blackberry plants and Gieringer’s Family Orchard and Berry Farm offers a multitude of activities for all ages, including wagon rides, mazes, and a corn pit. strawberry plants.

28 a&e

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haunted house

With Halloween approaching, haunted houses are opening all over Kansas City. Below are three of the best haunted houses around that are sure to give you nightmares. by nichole thomas web editor

the haunt

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orlds of Fun’s The Haunt offers scare zones, mazes and rides that are open all night. The Haunt starts off with a character parade.

Crowds of people gather around the street to catch a glimpse of the themes.

Around the park, there are scare zones that showcase each theme. In addition to scare zones, The Haunt also features many different haunted houses including Corn Stalkers, Bloodshed, Zombie High and Ripper Alley. The lines are long, but are definitely worth the wait.

Inside the haunted houses, small groups enter at a time, and while you work your way through the maze, you will scream more times than you can count. Their themes are scary, but not scary enough to give you nightmares. The Haunt is much more suited to children. If you are with children who get scared easily, you can purchase a light up necklace that will signal the characters to stay away.

the beast

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he Beast is America’s largest haunted house. It has an “open format.” It takes 40 minutes to walk through, if you don’t get lost. Unlike many haunted houses, the themes could all be realistic. There are no clowns or evils dentists. Instead, there are rats and snakes, bloody bodies and fire.

The haunted house is designed to make your brain register everything as reality, which ups the scare factor.

There is the Werewolf Forest that spans one fourth of an acre. If you don’t find your way out in 30 minutes, werewolves will escort you out. Animatronics, that are timed, are throughout the haunted house. Right as you turn a corner, expect to scream. This haunted house will test your fight or flight instinct; you will want to run.

To exit the Beast you go down a three-story spiral slide into the “arms of the Devil.” It is advised that you stay away from the haunted house if you have any serious phobias or if you are a child with frequent nightmares.

The Beast is known all over the country for being the best and biggest haunted house, and it lives up to the hype.

macabre cinema house

graphic by nichole thomas

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acabre Cinema House is a 1930s theme haunted movie theater. It is designed to make you live the horrors in classic movies like “Saw,” “Psycho,” and “Children of the Corn.” It’s open format is similar to The Beast and takes 45 minutes to an hour to complete.

While waiting in line, characters make an appearance to give you a taste of the themes inside. The characters are allowed to touch you, so beware. Small children under the age of 12 are required to be accompanied by a parent, and if they are easily scared, are advised not to enter.

The Cinema House is four floors with more than 30 different scenes, all designed to make you scream. The dungeon is an optional theme that many guests are too afraid to enter. After you have walked through the whole thing, you exit through the same slide from The Beast.

The Beast is located at 1401 W 13th St, in Kansas City and takes about 40 minutes to maneuver.

This year The Beast celebrated 26 years of business and frights. photo by abby cox

A&E 29

hello horror “The strangers” Have you ever felt like you’re being watched? “The Strangers” will prove this fear of all fears. This movie was not to be considered a horror movie, but a “terror” film. It tests your limits of fear and the unknown.

A young couple named James Hoyt and Kristen McKay arrive at their summer home after a friend’s wedding. They are surprised to get a knock on the door at 4 a.m., from a young woman who had a prior relationship with another homeowner.

Later, while James is out, another knock from the same woman is heard.

James is greeted by 3 masked murders who believe they need to sin.

Scary movies old and new are the best way to get into the Halloween spirit.

Graphics by by brynn taylor, reporter

“annabelle: Creation” The $38 million debut of “Annabelle: Creation” was a terrifying yet magnificent movie for all of the horror fanatics out there. The creation of the Annabelle doll sets up the plot and story for the Conjuring movies.

A dollmaker and his wife welcome a nun and many girls from a no longer existing orphanage into their home 12 years after the tragic death of their little girl. They soon become the target of the dollmaker’s possessed creation, Annabelle.

“IT”:1990 vs 2017

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tephen King’s “IT” from 1990 & 2017 “IT” are quite different, and yet the more things that have changed the more that they stay the same.

To start, when Tim Curry’s Pennywise appears for the first time in the 90’s version, he comes into full view right of the bat, while the 2017 version takes some time to fully emerge. Another change made to Bill Skarsgård’s 2017 Pennywise is that his eyes do not have “deadlights,” what the 1990 Pennywise would capture the children with by controlling them with hypnosis. Skarsgård’s Pennywise has other abilities that compensate for his neglected use of “deadlights.” One of his abilities is to take on other forms such as a headless boy, a leper and even Georgie, one of the character’s brothers. Another is that his mouth extends to reveal his sharp teeth.

The 2017 version doesn’t fall short of the use of computergenerated-imagery (CGI). The 1990 version

30 a&e

madison Holloway

“blair witch project” “Blair Witch Project” may seem real, but is a folk tale set in 1994 Maryland. Six film students go in the woods and hike to find the sister of the main character, James, who was lost years ago. Simultaneously, the other lead, Lisa, is filming for a project for her class about the rumor of a witch in the Black Hills forest called Blair. Once they have settled for camp, one by one strange things start to occur to the camp and some suspect the Blair Witch, while others think it’s a prank. In the end the ones who survived realize it is not a prank and try to get out of the forest before their souls get trapped too.

Same kids, same clown, same scared audience.

Pennywise doesn’t need CGI to be considered “scary,” though. Curry’s use of practical effects, makeup and his own extraordinary acting capabilities seals the deal.

Alongside great acting, Jaeden Lieberher as the 2017 Bill Denbrough, was just as fantastic. Although his stutter isn’t as frequent as Jonathan Brandis’ in the 1990 film, it is rather convincing. The love and compassion both actors feel for little brother Georgie is remarkable and feels genuine.

The new version sticks by a certain rule: see it is as a child’s perspective.

The movie is true to that, as they show more of the situations with the kids than their parents. Another minor difference is the time frame. The 2017 version is set in 1980, rather than 1950, like in the original.

The new “IT” movie is worth seeing and the 90’s as well. It may be old but hopefully for you, Pennywise doesn’t come back for another 27 years.

SEASON

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Actor Finn Wolfhard from the Netflix series “Stranger Things,” was cast to play Richie Tozier in the 2017 “IT.” People thought we may see a little too much of a similar role to Mike from “Stranger Things,” and not enough of Richie, but he totally pulls it off. See him next in the release of the second season of “Stranger Things,” on Oct. 27.

photo by Jay l. Clendenin

Culture Corner A student finds her love for music after quitting.

by parrish mock reporter

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music

orcing her into music was her parents’ best decision. Senior Lilly Richards really started to enjoy music in fifth grade when she entered a program called Rock Band Academy. Richards would write songs and perform them with her band in front of a small crowd. Little did Richards know, this would become one of her greatest passions later in life.

It wasn’t all puppy dogs and rainbows from the start. Richards’ parents forced her to take piano lessons, and Richards didn’t realize until after she quit how much she enjoyed music.

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When I wasn’t forced to play the piano, I realized how much I missed music and I realized I loved music.

senior Lilly richards

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- Lilly Richards

Currently, Richards is in independent study third hour with orchestra teacher Jonathan Wiebe. She will be getting equipment from the district in order to create a small studio space in one of the practice rooms. None of the work Richards does is for money, but just for fun. She enjoys writing and playing music and right now, she doesn’t need money to satisfiy her. She uses her friendships, books and other musicians to inspire her.

“My friends and relationships make me want to work harder every day,” Richards said.

fashion

Junior Maddy Westcott

bangs “

Freshman Carina Swanson

I go through stages where I want to do something different, so I got my bangs to change things up.

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Junior Jazlyn Valdez - Maddy Westcott

A&E 31

South Speaks:

by madison holloway Features editor & infographics editor photos by cassandra awad

“What are you angry about right now?”

Sophomore Preston Holladay

SENIOR FRANCIE WILSON

“I’m mad that I’m bad at talking to girls. I went on a date with someone and I just couldn’t talk to her. I’m just scared of them. I feel like they are aggressive.”

“I’m kind of mad that it’s cold outside. I just feel like my sweaters aren’t as cute as my tank tops and I don’t think I’ve gotten enough ‘wears’ in. So I’m kind of mad that I have to switch over clothes right now.”

SOPHOMORE ELLERY VAUGHN

JUNIOR JAKE CIZZELL

“Chemistry makes me angry because I think that I get it and then another subject comes along and I’m just like really lost. It’s just really fast-paced.”

“There’s like a lot of hate in the world. There is a lot of discrimination for certain groups. It sets our society back. I think there should be more rules in place- more of a punishment [for discriminating].”

32 Features

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