March 2023

LeJOURNAL NOTRE DAME DE SION HIGH SCHOOL | VOLUME 45 | MARCH 2023

NEWS FEATURE: PAGE 10

ON THE COVER: PAGE 14

A&E: PAGE 18

BLACK HISTORY MONTH CELEBRATIONS

WOMEN’S EXPERIENCES AT THE GYM

HOW TO BUILD YOUR DREAM CLOSET

what’s inside features

news and sports

10-11

04-05

20-21

06-07

Black Excellence

Bringing Home the Trophy

Aspiring Artist

Future of Art

Diving Deeper

a&e

18-19 How to Build Your Dream Closet

26-27

Rock N’ Gold

editorial

opinions

24-25

08-09

Musical Madness

Don’t You Know That You’re Toxic?

Concert Craze

12-13 Power Over Protection

cover story

14-17

22-23

For A Girl

The Price of Prestige

Photo of the issue LeJOURNAL. 2022 // 2023 LE JOURNAL IS THE OFFICIAL STUDENT PUBLICATION OF NOTRE DAME DE SION HIGH SCHOOL - 10631 WORNALL ROAD - KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI 64114

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PRINT CO EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Sophie Gromowsky Zahra Parsons

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editorials editor Claire Boma

NEWS & SPORTS EDITOR

Genesis Martinez Porras

FEATURES EDITOR Arleth Guevara

WEBSITE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Elle Simon

SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR Lauren Smith

COPY EDITORS

Lily Wilkin Ella Alexander

A&E EDITOR

Genesis Martinez Porras

KENYA KITTEN CUDDLES Crouching to scratch the head of a black and white kitten, junior Lucy Wittek takes a break in the sun before meeting with predator monitors at a laboratory on the Kenya Deep Dive March 2. The cat’s name was Kim Kardashian, and she stayed at the students’ camp for the first week of their trip.

“She was really sweet, and it just reminded me of my cats at home,” Wittek said. “It just reminded me how we were in essentially in two completely different worlds, but there was always at least one thing that was the same in between and connected the two places.”

PHOTO | CLAIRE BOMA

02 // LeJournal

editors’ink H

i everyone! We’ve finally made it to the fourth quarter (yay!), and we are so happy to be bringing you our very LAST Le Journal before the senior issue!

In this issue, you can read about all of the super cool recent events that have been happening around Sion. First, turn to pages 6-7 to see some awesome pictures and learn about all of the spring travel Deep Dives.

Then, check out the innovative way that Madame Lopez combines French culture with March Madness through Manie Musicale.

We’re also keeping you up to date on all the latest in pop culture. Read our reviews on

the new seasons of “Outer Banks” and “Daisy Jones & The Six,” and find out about all of the concerts coming soon to Kansas City (pg. 26-27).

In our final cover story of the year, students shared with us the challenges and rewards of making space for themselves as women in the gym (pg. 14-17).

We want to give a huge shoutout to our amazing staff for all of the hard work that they put into this issue over the Deep Dives and spring break.

We hope you enjoy reading, and we’ll see you in the senior issue!

Cheers, Sophie & Zahra

student space JANE LEHMANN

“

My business is called Not Plain Jane Jewelry. I make jewelry and paint bags, mostly beaded jewelry like necklaces and bracelets and some earrings.

I started it freshman year as a hobby, just having fun from it, and it’s grown from there.

For inspiration I have a whole Pinterest board, but sometimes I just find stuff at Michael’s, and I’m like, ‘that would make a really cool statement piece for one of my projects.

Check out Jane’s shop on Instagram @notplainjanejewelry

keep up with us: @lejournalsion

Use camera to visit lejournallive.com!

MARCH 2023 // 03

news.

Bringing Home the Trophy

The Kansas City Chiefs defied the odds and secured a victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl.

BY ELLA ALEXANDER COPY EDITOR

WAVING RED AND GOLD While riding through downtown Kansas City on the trucks during the Super Bowl victory parade Feb. 15, flag bearers held the’ flags high and did the Tomahawk Chop.

PHOTO | ELLA ALEXANDER

04 | LeJournal

news

O

n Sunday, Feb. 12, the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles went head to head in Superbowl LVII, resulting in a Kansas City victory, with a final score of 38-35.

The title of “Super Bowl champion” is the most sought after honor in the football world. Players work their entire lives just for the chance to secure the ring and take home the Lombardi Trophy. The Kansas City Chiefs have three Super Bowl wins, two of them being within the past four years.

It was an even matchup between the Chiefs and the Eagles. Both teams held identical 14-3 records in their respective divisions.

“I’ve watched [The Eagles] all year long, great quarterback, great entire team,” Chiefs’ quarterback Patrick Mahomes said in a postgame interview. “It’s going to be a great challenge for us.”

In Arizona, the Chiefs were underestimated. NFL Fox analysts and retired football legends Sean Payton and Rob Gronkowski unanimously predicted the Eagles victory in the Super Bowl. However, the Chiefs defied all of their expectations.

“You can doubt the Chiefs. You can dislike the Chiefs.

You can disrespect the Chiefs. You’re gonna have to deal with the Chiefs!” Chiefs announcer Mitch Holthus said on the radio.

Along with the conventional high stakes of the Super Bowl, this year was a matter of family bragging rights for Kansas City’s tight end Travis Kelce and his older brother, Philadelphia Eagles’ center Jason Kelce.

They grew up playing football together and Kelce followed his brother to Cincinnati University. They played on the team together until Kelce failed a drug test and was kicked off the team. Consequently, he moved in with Jason, who convinced the coach to let his brother back onto the team.

“I’ve never really asked how he got me back on the team,” Travis said in an interview with Sports Illustrated.

“That was my brother just being a big brother, looking out for me every step of the way and fighting for the success story.”

The Kelce brothers are back together playing football in the NFL, and started a podcast called “New Heights.” The name pays homage to Cleveland Heights, Ohio, where they grew up. Through the podcast the two brothers share their love of football with each other and their fans.

“You’re the only reason why I wear 87 anyways,” Travis said to Jason, who was born in 1987, on the sidelines. “I never told you that, man. You started the legacy.”

Their mother, Donna Kelce, was featured on their podcast and when asked who she would be cheering for, she replied “the offense.” On the day of the big game, Donna wore her iconic custom-made jersey that represented both the Chiefs and the Eagles.

“I am going to be screaming the entire game, for whoever has the ball,” Donna said on the New Heights podcast. “I want it to be the highest-scoring Super Bowl ever in the history of Super Bowls.”

The actual game is not the only anticipated component of the Super Bowl. Each year, the Super Bowl halftime show draws pop culture fans to football.

Rihanna performed for the first time since the 2018 Grammys. Clad in red and suspended from a platform hanging from the roof, the singer opened her performance surrounded by dancers, dressed head to toe in white, as they performed a 12-song set list. The performance ended with her hit song, “Diamonds,” as the stadium shone with fans’ flashlights. Rihanna’s outfit showed off her previously unannounced baby bump, and she later confirmed the pregnancy rumors after the performance.

The Super Bowl LVII halftime show and game was the most watched match since Super Bowl XLIX, with over 113 million viewers. The game came down to the final seconds, with both teams tied 35-35 until Chiefs’ kicker Harrison Butker won the game with a field goal with only 11 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.

“You just got to go out and focus on what you can control, and I kind of had the easy job there,” Butker said to Arrowhead Pride. “The offensive line did a great job blocking. Great snap, great hold — and thankfully, that ball went through.”

Their season ended with Mahomes winning Super Bowl MVP and NFL MVP and the Chiefs bringing the Lombardi trophy back to Kansas City. After the victory, the Chiefs celebrated their third Super Bowl win and held a parade the following Wednesday, Feb. 15.

“I’m very proud of these guys on the stage and very proud of our organization,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said at the Chiefs rally. “Not very often are you able to say you are the greatest team in the world, have the greatest players in the world, have the greatest organization in the world and, most of all, the greatest fans in the world.”

ARMS OPEN WIDE

DYNAMIC DUO

As they greet fans, Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker and punter Tommy Townsend ride along in the trucks at the Super Bowl parade Feb. 15. “For it to come down to a field goal, I’m just so grateful for that opportunity,” Butker said to the Daily Gazette.

PHOTO | ELLA ALEXANDER

Chiefs’ quarterback Patrick Mahomes puts his arm around tight end Travis Kelce as they ride along in the Super Bowl parade on the way to Union Station. “I gotta be honest, I don’t know what rebuilding means.

In our rebuilding year, we’re world champs,” Mahomes said in a speech at the rally.

PHOTO | ELLA ALEXANDER

MARCH 2023 | 05

NEWS .

DIVING DEEPER

This spring deep dives session four groups took their expierential learing outside of the Kansas City metro area.

BY ARLETH GUEVARA FEATURES EDITOR The second annual round of Spring deep dives took place Monday, Feb. 27 through Friday, March 10, and this year, several groups of students had the opportunity to explore past the boundaries of the Kansas City metro area. Students traveled to Boston, Massachusetts, the Sonoran Desert in Arizona and Mexico, several cities in Guatemala and the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy in Isiolo, Meru, Kenya.

The Boston History and Culture deep dive focused on teaching students about major events in the foundations of US history.

They visited various museums and landmarks in Boston, as well as Boston’s Satellite Cities like Concord and Salem, Massachusetts.

Aside from history, students also got to experience what it’s like to live in a big city. They stayed in a hostel and used public transport throughout the trip.

Students traveled to Guatemala on a service trip to help small communities like San Andres, Itzapa and Paramos. They spent their time building stoves and chicken coops for the people’s

homes. They also visited an orphanage for kids with disabilities and held a mini carnival for them. A week before the trip, students worked hard to learn about the culture of San Andreas, in order to have good connections and better serve their communities.

The Sonoran Desert Cultural Immersion brought students to different cities in Arizona, before crossing the border to Mexico.

The goal was to help broaden their understanding of not just Mexican culture, but to become familiar with environmental, immigration, and indigenous social justice issues at the border, and explore possibilities on how to solve them.

The Global Impacts Microschool students worked throughout the school year to study a specific topic related to UN sustainable development goals, and formed a research paper based on their findings. During the two weeks of deep dives, students then traveled to Kenya to collect data and observations for their research. Their ultimate goal is to publish the findings in hopes of contributing to humanity’s peace and prosperity by 2030.

GUATEMALA GIVERS Students take a break from their service trip to visit a convenience store for a midday snack, where they all bought popsicles. “The trip was absolutely amazing, it was definitely life changing,” senior Angie Schimmel said. The purpose of this deep dive was to help the communities of Paramos and Iztapa.

SUBMITTED | NATALIE STAPP

SENSATIONAL SONORAN Thirteen students ranging from freshman to seniors pose for a group picture in the bordertown of Nogales, Arizona.

“This [trip] opened my eyes” sophomore Denali Sanchez said. “I feel as though we are all misled and have a negative connotation of the border because of misinformation” The group visited Tucson AZ, Ajo AZ, Nogales AZ, Ambos Nogales Mexioco, Banamichi MX. SUBMITTED | LAUREN SMITH

06 | LeJournal

NEWS

IMMERSIVE CULTURE Students take a group photo at a farm in Banamichi, Mexico. “It (Banamichi, MX) was the absolute perfect way to end a life changing trip” junior Caroline Hammett said. “We had opportunities to immerse ourselves in the culture, community, and life styles of its inhabitants.” At this farms students were able to attend see how this family farm developed a zero waste, off the grid lifestyle.

SUBMITTED | LAUREN SMITH

INSPIRATIONAL ITZAPA Students visited San Andres Itzapa Guatemala second. “The service aspect was very impactful for me” senior Bella Winters said. “It’s easy to say that we should be thankful for what we have but Guatemala made it more impactful.” While in Guatemala students helped build stoves and chicken coops for the community.

SUBMITTED | NATALIE STAPP

KENYAN ADVENTURES Juniors Lucy Wittek, Kosi Okuagu, Mary Perkins, and Suzanne Sade smile as they garden. “I still keep in contact with who I can,” Wittek said. “ Even those I don’t , I think about often and will be grateful to have met them forever.” The students were led by ‘The Young Conservationists’, A conservation leadership program.

PHOTO | ELLA ALEXANDER

March 2023 | 07

OPINION.

Young adult author Colleen Hoover owes it to her readers to be more transparent about the sensitive subject matter contained in her wildly popular books.

DON’T YOU KNOW THAT YOU’RE TOXIC? UGLY LOVE

Warning: Contains spoilers for “It Ends With Us” by Colleen Hoover.

I

COLLEEN HOOVER

Verity

COLLEEN HOOVER COLLEEN HOOVER

BY SOPHIE GROMOWSKY PRINT CO EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

f you’ve opened social media, walked into a bookstore or taken a look around school recently, there’s a pretty good chance that you’ve spotted a Colleen Hoover book.

Hoover is a new and young adult contemporary romance author who sold more print copies in 2022 than Dr. Seuss, John Grisham and the Bible, according to the New York Times. 31% of Sion students and faculty have read at least one book by the author, according to 125 poll responses.

With several New York Times bestsellers, including “Verity,” “Reminders of Him,” “November 9” and most (in)famously, “It Ends With Us,” Hoover has gained massive popularity among a young female audience, particularly teenage girls.

Though she classifies herself as a romance author and her books as romance novels, the relationships that Hoover depicts in her stories are seriously dysfunctional, containing elements of domestic abuse, unhealthy levels of codependence, toxic masculinity, controlling behaviors and objectification of women.

Even more problematic than the book’s characters, however, is Hoover’s predatory marketing strategy. As a fictional author, Hoover has no obligation to write only healthy relationships - but what she does owe her readers is transparency and enough respect to value their time and mental well-being.

In spite of her books’ troubling content, the author continues to aggressively, and deceptively, market her books as young adult romances, targeting them towards a teenage audience so that they intentionally lack foresight of the mature and toxic themes that the books contain.

29% of women in the US report that they have experienced some form of relationship violence that has impacted their functioning, according to the National Domestic Violence Hotline.

But in most cases, abusive actions in Hoover’s booksare are not portrayed as negative. Rather, they are depicted as attractive qualities to be desired within a relationship.

Plotlines containing abuse are

REMINDERS OF HIM

ALL YOUR PERFECTS COLLEEN HOOVER MAYBE SOMEDAY

08 | LeJournal

COLLEEN HOOVER

OPINION

incorporated into her stories to deliver conflict and shock value, but they are rarely treated as the serious issues that they are.

In January 2023, Hoover announced that she would be releasing a coloring book to accompany her most popular novel, “It Ends With Us,” a story about a young woman in a verbally and physically abusive relationship.

The announcement immediately prompted intense backlash from internet users. Within hours, the coloring book had an average rating of one star on the popular book review site, GoodReads, according to CNN. “This is so gross. Why make a book about literal abuse into something as lighthearted as a coloring book,” one social media user commented under Hoover’s post, according to Insider.

Hoover and her publisher issued a statement the next day sharing that the coloring book had been canceled and apologizing for the project, calling it “tone deaf.” But just the fact that Hoover initiated the project in the first place is a perfect illustration of just how unserious and blasé her attitude towards the sensitive subject matter of her stories really is.

One easy way for Hoover to achieve more transparency with her readers would be by simply reclassifying her work. There is an entire genre dedicated to romance involving the morally gray characters and themes of trauma and violence that can be found in most of Hoover’s work: the dark romance genre. When selecting books from this category, readers know to expect more mature themes, as well as content that some might find triggering.

Another simple solution would be for Hoover to add a warning to the front pages of each of her novels, alerting readers to potentially triggering content the story contains so that they then have the choice of whether or not they feel comfortable reading about such issues, rather than just going in blindly.

It could also be helpful to include a note encouraging readers to seek help if they encounter any of the harmful behaviors described in the book in their own relationships and listing a few resources or hotlines that are available for them to reach out to.

None of this is to say that you should steer completely clear of Colleen Hoover books. The novels are insanely popular for a reason. Even if not incredibly well written and rather blasé towards sensitive subject matter, they’re quick and easy to get through and packed with plot twists that will keep you turning the pages.

The answers of poll respondents who had read any of Hoover’s novels were overwhelmingly positive. “It made me fall in love with reading in a similar way as I did as a child,” junior Natalie Stapp said of Hoover’s novel “Verity.”

You’re a young adult - be mindful of your own limits, and read whatever you want. It’s just important that when you pick up a book, you’re aware of what kind of content you’re in for - and when dealing with young audiences and subject matter that has such triggering potential, authors like Hoover need to respect their readers enough to commit to marketing accurately in order to ensure that you do.

#MustReads Here are some other female BookTok authors who deserve your attention.

taylor jenkins reid

JENNIFER LYNN BARNES

Taylor Jenkins Reid is a New York Times bestselling author best known for her historical fiction novels, “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo,” “Daisy Jones & The Six” and “Carrie Soto Is Back.”

“The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” tells the story of an Old Hollywood star as she recounts her renowned film career and infamous seven husbands in a tell-all biography.

“Daisy Jones & The Six” narrates the whirlwind rise and notorious breakup of a 1970s rock band through a series of interviews of different band members and connecting characters as they share the behind-the-scenes

story for the first time.

“Carrie Soto Is Back” details the career of a legendary tennis player, once the best in the world, as she returns to the sport six years after her retirement in an attempt to reclaim her record for most Grand Slams from a new young champion.

Reid’s books deliver heavy doses of romance and scandal, as well as several plot twists that you won’t see coming. A fun detail about Reid’s novels is they all contain little crossover Easter eggs sprinkled throughout that link them loosely together and interweave the famous characters’ stories and universes.

If you were a fan of the “Knives Out” movies, then Jennifer Lynn Barnes’ “The Inheritance Games” series is definitely for you.

The story follows Avery Grambs, a recently orphaned 17-year-old who is living out of her car when she finds out that eccentric billionaire Tobias Hawthorne, who she’s never met, has died and left her his entire fortune. The only catch? In order to inherit, Avery must move into his enormous mansion and live with all of the family members that he disinherited for one year - including his four teenage grandsons.

As it becomes increasingly clear that the

Hawthorne family has a dark and secretive past - and that someone in the house wants her dead - Avery must work to solve the trail of puzzles left for her in order to figure out exactly how she fits into that history.

This series is perfect for mystery lovers, and is packed full of suspense and plot twists that will draw you in and keep you guessing as you piece together the case.

March 2023 | 09

feature .

Black Excellence

BY ARLETH GUEVARA FEATURES EDITOR

Sion hosted its second annual Black History Month celebration, which featured special performances, vendors and a movie.

E

xcited voices thunder down the halls as students file in and fill the gymnasium bleachers. Anticipation fills the room as everyone waits for the start of a newly established tradition. A group of girls wearing matching white t-shirts with ‘Black Excellence’ printed across the front run in. Senior Eden Davis and junior Imani Cutler grab mics to introduce the performers, but no introduction is necessary as the gym thunders and shakes as each drum is hit. The KC Marching Cobras are here.

“My favorite part of the Cobras performance was when the little kids sat in the crowd and played their drums,” senior Kori Franklin said. “I was right next to one of them. I also thought it was so fascinating how young some of the kids were.”

The second annual Black History Month Celebration was held on Friday, Feb. 17. The Black History Month Committee worked to devise this year’s theme.

“This year specifically, we’ve kind of focused on celebrating Black excellence, because I feel like we kind of recognized that last year was a little bit heavy,” Davis said. “We deep dove into police brutality with “The Hate You Give,” and it was very serious, so we wanted to balance that out and focus on celebrating our culture, our heritage, our history as black students.”

The Marching Cobras joined the Sion community with a performance that encompassed the theme of black pride and celebration. The Marching Cobras are an African-American drill team started in 1969 by Willie Arthur Smith, and have been active since.

“My favorite part of the celebration was the drumline and Marching Cobras,” junior Mary Margaret Perkins said. “I really love it when music is so loud you can feel it in your whole body, and that’s how the drums felt to me.”

Sion was also joined by owner and founder of My Diva Boutique Kondra Gibson. The original intention was to host a small marketplace after school to help support local black owned businesses, but due to the event being postponed by a snow day, only ‘My Diva Boutique’ was able to attend.

“I just think this is great for you guys to have and hopefully you continue to have it so other young girls can kind of get that experience,” Gibson said. “We say black history. But it’s really American history. So the more time you can throw in

10 | LeJournal

and celebrate different cultures, the more you can celebrate different ethnicities. I think that’s great. That’s part of America.”

Gibson first started her business in 2008. It was online and she sold handbags and accessories. When she moved to Kansas City, she had her own ideas for t-shirt designs, but no one would make them for her.

“So I just started researching myself, bought the materials, bought the equipment and kind of taught myself through Youtube,” Gibson said.

The day ended with a screening of “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” in the chemistry lab. Students were invited to stay and enjoy the movie after purchasing food from the R&R Paseo Grill food truck parked outside atrium doors.

“I ordered chicken strips and fries from the food truck and it was delicious, very crispy, and the barbeque sauce and ranch had great flavor,” Franklin said. “Although the chicken itself had enough flavor that I could’ve eaten them alone.”

While this was Sion’s second Black History Month celebration, it has already inspired two students to speak up their mind when it comes to their curriculum and education according to English teacher Emily Grover.

“Kori Franklin and Eden Davis came to our faculty meeting, and talked to us about comments from the student body, from our students of color, and the faculty listened,” Grover said. “I would like to think that maybe that made a difference. I know it’s only been a year and it takes time for curriculums to change but I do think that with the Hispanic Heritage celebration, Black History Month celebration, I’d love to see an Asian month history celebration, I think that we’ll start to see that influence, what we study in our classes and how we talk about diversity and define diversity.”

While it’s only the second year of hosting the celebration, Davis hopes to have it continue and grow.

“We’ve all worked so hard to bring this celebration to fruition. We started out last year. It was our first year straight.

These are the building years. We’re starting off building a solid foundation for something to continue,” Davis said. “It’s nice to feel like we’re building something for the next generation for Sion black students.”

feature

MOTIVATIONAL MS. GABBY

SPARKLING SPEAKER

SOUL CELEBRATION

Standing with seniors Kori Franklin and Chrissa Wilburn, math teacher Gabby Dedrick accepts an award for exemplifying Black excellence during the Black History Month celebration Friday, Feb. 17. “I love Ms. Gabby because she encourages me in so many ways, whether that’s in the classroom working on physics, in the hallways inspiring me to be a good person or on the volleyball court where she offers motivation, she always help me see my fullest potential,” Franklin said.

PHOTO | ARLETH GUEVARA

Junior Imani Cutler announces one of this year’s most anticipated performances, the KC Marching Cobras. “This year’s celebration was just like any Black History Month celebration, one to remember,” Cutler said. “Our Black culture is about full life and enjoying it whether that be through arts, music, food or history.” Cutler is part of the Black History Month Committee, and played a big role in helping with this year’s celebration.

PHOTO | ARLETH GUEVARA

Sophomores Addie Doyle, and Kate Spenceri, dance down the Soul Train as they head out of the gym. “My favorite part of the Black History Month celebration was watching the Mrching Cobras again,” Doyle said. “They are such lively performers and the troop leader’s always a fabulous speakers.” The Soul Train is a cultural type of dance popular in African American culture.

PHOTO | ARLETH GUEVARA

March 2023 | 11

FIGHTING OFF THE FIELD Former Portland Thorns midfielder Meleana Shim played a key role in the removal of former Thorns coach Paul Riley by sharing her story with The Athletic. She has continously advocated for the safety of NWSL players since, and is currently serving as the chair of the Participant Safety Taskforce at US Soccer.

PHOTO | RAY TERRILL ON WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

POWER

OV E

editorial.

The National Women’s Soccer League, among other leagues and organizations that facilitate women’s sports, have consistently failed to protect their players from abuse by those in positions of power.

BY ZAHRA PARSONS PRIINT CO EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

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hroughout the past three years, the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), has been overwhelmed with allegations of sexual assault, physical and verbal abuse, racial discrimination and other forms of misconduct committed by coaches and officials in positions of power within the clubs. The details uncovered by investigations reinforce that the league egregiously ignored reports and prioritized protecting its publicity over maintaining the safety and wellbeing of its players.

In 2021, The Athletic released a story breaking the scandal, detailing claims of sexual assault, coercion and misconduct against NWSL coach at the time, Paul Riley. Riley coached within three franchises during his eight years in the league, the Western New York Flash, the Portland Thorns and the North Carolina Courage. At the time the article was released, Riley coached for the Courage, who fired him upon its publication.

Following the initial claims about Riley, the US Soccer Federation hired former deputy US Attorney General Sally Yates to conduct a yearlong investigation into more extensive abuse allegations. The investigation report was released Oct. 3, 2022, and included interview testimonies of over 100 current and former NWSL players. It focused on three main individuals against whom the claims of abuse were the most extensive, Riley, former Racing Louisville coach Christy Holly and former Chicago Red Stars coach Rory Dames.

In 2014, following Riley’s first season as the head coach of the Thorns, the NWSL issued an anonymous survey to players, to which they responded that he was “verbally abusive,” “destructive” and “sexist.”

The results of the survey were given to former NWSL Executive Director Cheryl Bailey and former USSF President Sunil Gulati, and nothing was done, according to Yates’ report.

US Women’s National Team players reported to Gulati, as well as former USWNT head coach Jill Ellis, that Riley “created a hostile environment,” and corroborated the claims of verbal abuse. Those reports were shared with NWSL executives and the Thorns’ owner and president. Once again, no action was taken. The league grossly neglected to intervene from the beginning, allowing Riley an avenue to continue and worsen these behaviors over time.

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editorial

PROTECTION In 2015, Thorns midfielder Meleana Shim filed a complaint with the club that Riley had made “persistent and unwanted advances” towards her. They conducted an investigation, which concluded that Riley had engaged in inappropriate conduct, including serving alcohol to players, sending “inappropriate” messages to players, inviting a player to his hotel room, and having “danced with a player and touch[ed] her while doing so.”

Even so, according to Yates, the report from that investigation “did not address the most serious of Shim’s allegations.”

The club subsequently announced that it had decided not to renew Riley’s contract, and thanked him for his contributions. He faced no disciplinary action, and was still allowed to coach within the league and for his youth club. It is obvious that the league did not take these claims seriously or make any attempt past the bare minimum to ensure player safety, and in doing so, they helped him continue his actions.

Only a few months after leaving the Thorns, he began coaching for the Western New York Flash. The details of the Thorns’ investigation were never shared with the Flash upon his hiring.

The Flash was bought in 2017 and moved to North Carolina, where it was renamed the North Carolina Courage, and still coached by Riley. In the spring of 2021, the NWSL received an additional four complaints about Riley, and unsurprisingly, they ignored them.

Shortly after the Athletic released its report on Riley later in 2021, he was fired from the Courage, and outrage broke out across the league. NWSL Commissioner Lisa Baird shared a statement, in which she said that she was “shocked and disgusted to read the new allegations reported in the Athletic,” despite having known full well of Riley’s behavior, and despite having received report after report of his abhorrent, extensive abuse.

San Diego Wave and USWNT forward Alex Morgan responded to the statement with screenshot evidence of one of Riley’s victim’s email communication with Baird, once again proving her culpability in the situation. The screenshot included the player’s report that she “not only witnessed but also experienced firsthand extremely inappropriate conduct” at the hands of Riley, who she detailed to have “made harassing comments about [her] personal relationships and sexual orientation,” in addition to all of the complaints made years earlier.

Baird, among entire systems of individuals in power, were each personally responsible for his continued abuse, as they ignored the complaints to protect their friends, and neglected their players to preserve their profit.

The next coach highlighted in the report, Dames, coached the Chicago Red Stars, and worked for the league since its inception.

He also coached girls’ teams for his youth club, where he was infamous for his inappropriate behavior and frequent insulting outbursts. The league did not perform any background checks on Dames, and former youth players recall him using various derogatory names, having conversations with them about sexual topics and engaging in sexual relationships.

Red Stars players confided in the National Team coach and the head of USSF that Dames was verbally abusive and “created a hostile environment.” These concerns were continuously shared with the Red Stars’ owner, who passed up the allegations

as the players’ desire “shut down” the league, and ignored them over an extensive period of time.

The third coach in the report, Holly, first coached for Sky Blue FC, and was asked to resign from the club after complaints from players that he was verbally and emotionally abusive.

Despite this, he was able to go on to coach Racing Louisville later in his career.

Holly was then fired from Louisville after he was found to have committed “egregious long-term sexual misconduct” against a player through unwanted sexual contact and abuse of power. The player detailed that when she confronted Holly about the physical abuse, he stopped, but began to verbally mistreat her at training and on the field.

The power imbalance that exists in a relationship between a coach and a player, especially when they are male and female, respectively, also perpetuated these abusive behaviors, as many players recalled feeling helpless in their situations. They feared that reporting or standing up against the abuse could negatively impact their hard-earned career.

Shim recalled feeling as if there was “no way out” of Riley’s repeated advances and harassment, and feared that if she avoided the conversations or pushed back, “he might just not start me.” He became increasingly demanding of and aggressive towards her, and she eventually emailed him stating her concerns about their interactions. He deleted the email, and her fears became reality when, “On the field, he just stopped playing me.”

In 2021 alone, five NWSL head coaches, including the three aforementioned, were fired from or left their positions after being accused of abusive behavior. Additionally, several of the league’s lead executives, including Baird, resigned after facing backlash for their immense fault in the incidents. Yates also noted that, like the Thorns, the Red Stars and Racing Louisville each in some way attempted to interfere with or delay the investigative process.

After the gravity of the situation became public, the league implemented a various sanctions on complicit clubs, including the termination of many of the individuals responsible, substantive fines and the development of a new anti-harassment policy which specifically details the criteria of abuse and misconduct of all types, allowing these actions to have tangible standing and be reported as clearly as possible.

The policy also outlines the reporting system, which gives players two different options to communicate incidents of misconduct, one of which is anonymous. Even still, the significant damage caused by the league’s repeated neglect is lasting, and the rectification was entirely too late. It also begs the question as to whether or not these policies were out of care and concern, or the need to salvage the league’s public image.

Multitudes of individuals were complicit in the extensive abuse by those in power, by failing to effectively communicate players’ reports and concerns, ignoring their persistent cries for help and allowing dangerous people to continue to have access to them, despite knowing the history of their actions. Only with years of training, several new, ever-changing initiatives and the acquisition of coaches and executives who truly care about players to tangibly amend the systematic brutality that players faced, and to transform the culture of the league for the better.

MARCH 2023 | 13

COVER.

14 | LeJournal

COVER

A

forgirl

For decades, gym culture has been centered around masculinity, but women are working to claim space for themselves and become empowered through fitness.

BY EDITORIALS EDITOR CLAIRE BOMA, NEWS & SPORTS AND A&E EDITOR GENESIS MARTINEZ PORRAS AND COPY EDITOR LILY WILKIN

I

n the gym, women have faced discrimination and harassment for years. This has caused many to feel unsafe and even deters them from going at all.

Women are continuing to fight against stereotypes and prejudice to prove they have a place in the gym, and that they have the right to feel safe and empowered while working out.

According to The Global Health and Fitness Association, women now make up 50.5% of gym memberships, which is a 32.2% increase since 2010.

54% of Sion students and staff go to the gym regularly, according to 125 poll responses.

In the gym, people tend to stick to themselves and do their own thing, but as a woman, there are precautions that need to be taken to have a healthy and productive workout.

“As a female in a gym by yourself, it’s nerve-wracking to ask someone for help, especially since gyms are normally male-dominated,” junior Hannah Lange said. “This occurrence can sometimes affect what you plan to do that day, which deprives you of reaching your potential for that workout.”

Experiences of harassment are unfortunately common amongst women at gyms, and many Sion students have stories to share about their experiences.

A man approached junior Elise Daugherty at the gym and told her that she looked good. He persistently asked for her number and socials while touching her back. Then, when she told him she was 16, he got upset and stormed away.

“I squirmed,” Daugherty said. “And I was really uncomfortable because I had never been touched like that in the gym before.”

A student who chose to remain anonymous described an instance where a guy came up to her while she was doing deadlifts and squeezed her butt.

“I felt so small in that moment, and I was just in pure shock so I didn’t know what to say or do,” the student said. “I didn’t say anything but looking back, I wish I had. It took me a long time to finally tell my parents, but once I did they unenrolled me from the gym and I started going somewhere else with my sister.”

Women’s athletic clothing is often form-fitting and has less coverage than everyday wear. This is for practicality, as it prevents overheating and allows for more freedom of movement. But this type of clothing also attracts unwanted male attention.

MARCH 2023 | 15

COVER . “[My comfort level] depends on what I’m wearing,” sophomore Gretchen Kowalewich said. “I remember one time I was wearing just leggings and a tighter shirt. I feel like it was more uncomfortable because [there were] older men around.”

Women’s abilities are also undermined in the gym. Some assume that women and girls dont know what they are doing in the gym, leading to unecessary comments.

“One time I was working with my personal trainer, who was a woman. A guy came up to me as we were benching and was trying to correct our form, and he said

16 | LeJournal

something that was scientifically incorrect,” Daugherty said. “My personal trainer, who studied nutrition,

As a female being in a gym by yourself, it’s nerve- wracking, especially since gyms are normally male dominated.

HANNAH LANGE ‘24

dieting, working out, explained it [correctly] back to him. He then tried to mansplain what she had just said back to me, like she wasn’t right there.”

These comments don’t stop at attempts to “help.” They can also be back-handed compliments or even demeaning remarks.

“I was deadlifting, and I had deadlifted a PR of two plates, which is 225 pounds. And for a lot of guys, that’s their warm up,” Daugherty said.

“So when I deadlifted that I was told that ‘Oh, you’re really strong for a girl.’”

Working out can also impact women’s self confidence, both in and out of the gym. According to researchers Amy Jones and Jennifer Greer, many people lack confidence while in the gym, largely due to fear of judgment, and women face a lot of judgment from men in everyday life.

“My confidence in the gym is dependent upon the occupants,” junior Natalie Stapp said. “If it is almost empty and there are a few un-intimidating people there, my confidence will be high. If the gym is filled with people, especially men and teenage boys, then my confidence will be lower.”

41% of the 125 students and staff polled who commented on gym hierarchies identified men as being ‘on top’ or ‘in charge’ at the gym, and many students described facing hostility or feeling unwelcome due to being the only woman lifting weights.

“I moved away from the bench press I was using for a moment,” junior Maddi Adkins said. “And a guy around my age stepped in and started putting his own weights on it. I was literally the only person using a bench press and there were like three other ones wide open.”

Despite women making up half of gym memberships, according to the Journal of Preventive Medicine, men work out more often. Additionally, women make up only 10-20% of people in the weight room.

“At the gym I go to, guys are trying too hard at weights, chatting and hogging all of the equipment,” senior Isabel Dumsky said. “There are many high school boys and older men, and only a few women like me that use the treadmills and leave right after.”

Only 28% of students who go to the gym do high-impact weight training (meaning they lift heavy weights, few times), as opposed to 50% who do cardio and 36% who do low-impact weight training (repetitive lifting with light weights).

Women are also more inclined to participate in studio activities such as yoga, pilates and barre, according to the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association. Additionally, men are significantly less likely to do any sort of cardio as a workout and rarely attend studio classes.

“Right now I have all women in my class,” Jazzercise instructor April Okken said. “I’ve had men in the past, but only like 1% are men at a time.”

Men often emphasize “bulking up” when attending the gym, and therefore disregard cardio or flexibility. They might belittle female-dominated classes because their goal is to rapidly build muscle.

“Men will come

COVER and think it’s not going to be any good,” Okken said. “But then after class they’ll be like ‘woah that was a really good workout’ because it’s a lot of cardio but it also has a little bit of strength training.”

Women also face comments about how building muscles makes you ”more masculine” and “less pretty.” This can discourage them from going to the gym or lifting heavy weights.

“Having muscles doesn’t make you less feminine” Daugherty said “And in my personal opinion, it makes you more feminine, because it shows strength not just inside of yourself, but on the outside too” Like Daugherty, many women are overcoming harmful stereotypes and are working out to improve themselves and their health.

While going to the gym positively impacts physical health, it can also help side effects of depression. According to George Mammon of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, “From a population health perspective, promoting [physical activity] may serve as a valuable mental health promotion strategy in reducing the risk of developing depression.”

Working out releases endorphins, which is good for mental health, and, according to the Mayo Clinic, “Exercise in almost any form can act as a stress reliever.”

Physical activity doesn’t only mean going to the gym. Anything that involves movement is beneficial to the mind and body. According to the Mayo Clinic, “exercise includes a wide range of activities that boost your activity level to help you feel better.”

Even though there’s hardships for women, that doesn’t mean

that the gym is a bad place.

To many, it’s a place that can be encouraging. It helps young women grow a backbone to be able to defend themselves from negative views about what they do and who they are.

I had deadlifted a personal record of two plates, which is 225 pounds, and for a lot of guys, that’s their warm up, so when I deadlifted that I was told ‘You’re really strong for a girl.’

women work together to build each other up in these spaces where they can often feel unwelcome.

Even simple compliments given to each other while working out can drastically change the trajectory of a woman’s gym experience.

“I was having a really bad body image day, which kind of comes with the gym” Daugherty said. “An older woman came up to me as I had just gotten done doing bicep curls, and she just said, ‘I wanted to tell you, you look awesome.’”

Women are gradually taking their place in the gym and taking their life, confidence and health into their hands.

“Having to pay for my membership gives me the drive to go back and work harder,” junior Kate Peters said.

“When I keep going on a constant basis I feel stronger. It also helps me feel less stressed and like I am being more productive with my life.”

ELISE DAUGHERTY ‘24 Over time, many women who go to the gym increase their self confidence in every part of their life, especially when

MARCH 2023 | 17

how to build

A&E.

Follow this step-by-step guide to create a dream closet that doesn’t have to drain your bank account.

BY ELLE SIMON WEB EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Y robot? Fortunately, wearing uniforms eliminates the need for this technology or the time wasted ransacking through ou know that classic scene in “Clueless” where Cher can’t figure out what to wear to school so she uses her closet

various outfits every morning. However, a downside to uniforms - and not having a closet fashion robot - might be the sudden task of discovering your personal style without breaking the bank.

the

starting point

1 2

In any process there’s always a starting point, and in this journey to building your perfect closet, the starting point is social media, specifically Pinterest and Instagram.

With a quick search for style inspiration, thousands of posts and ideas will grace your screen, and it’s more than likely something will catch your eye. Save it.

Besides doing a good ol’ Google search, my personal favorite way to find style inspiration is to find and follow people whose style I like. When you need outfit inspiration, go to those people’s pages and pick an outfit that you can emulate from what you already have in your closet. Using what others have already created as a jumping point, it’s now time to go off on your own.

Beware of the envy that accompanies this part of the process - we aren’t all supermodels or influencers, so give yourself some grace. Follow people with similar body types or pages that aren’t attempting to give you an unrealistic idea, but rather tips on styling and shopping that are relatable.

The process of finding your personal style is one of trying, trying and trying again.

There’s a few pieces of clothing that every style will have in common.

Black and white tees, some go-to jeans, some form of knitwear and a good pair of sneakers are all a good start. These are basic items of clothing that are huge assets to your closet as they are incredibly versatile. Each of these staples can be mixed and matched with anything, creating a multitude of different outfits.

Finally, we shop. My advice to you is to view your pieces as an investment. Buy high-quality basics that are going to last. Yes, it is expensive in the short term, but in the long run, it will save you more money than you think.

If the idea of spending a pretty penny on something unexciting is scaring you, here’s how I view the

buying the basics

18 | LeJournal

What you save or try to recreate might not end up being what you like on you - and that’s okay. This is a journey to find what makes you look good and feel good.

Pick and choose elements from different styles to create something that reflects who you are and what you like to wear. Maybe you like the clean lines and simplicity of Parisian chic and the coziness of the coastal granddaughter look.

Combine them to create exactly what you are envisioning in your mind.

Now that you’ve figured out exactly what makes you look and feel fab, it’s time to start curating the closet of your dreams. The next stop on our roadmap is buying the basics.

cost: the likelihood of outgrowing these pieces in the next few years is small depending on your age, so they’ll be in your closet for a long time.

No matter how your style changes in the next few years, these pieces will continue to be a necessity in your closet.

your dream closet the

fun

3

stuff

off

you go

4

Now that we have the essentials, it’s time to start the fun part of your journey: shopping for the stuff that defines your style! Whether it’s bright colors, bold prints or classic accessories, statement pieces are what make your style totally unique. When purchasing these items, keep a few things in mind in order to keep costs low.

These pieces can be high quality, but they shouldn’t be the ones that you are spending an entire paycheck on. As you evolve, so will your style, and statement pieces may not always fit your preferred look, so they’re not worth spending piles of money on.

I know we’re calling these statement pieces, but these pieces also need to be versatile. It’s not financially smart to buy a piece of clothing you are only going to wear once and then never wear again. Making sure that

A&E

you are buying clothes that you can dress up or dress down and wear for multiple occasions is the best way to create your dream closet and not drain your bank account while doing so.

Unfortunately, the cheapest options will usually be fast fashion, but in order to avoid that, try resale sites like DePop or Poshmark to ethically source your clothing.

Or even hit up a thrift store - there are plenty in the Kansas City area that have a variety of items that are sure to call your name.

With the roadmap we’ve created, it’s time to send you off on your journey of creating the closet you’ve always dreamed of.

It’s not about downsizing your whole current closet so it fits into a suitcase or owning nothing, it’s about creating a wardrobe that

you can wear over and over again and that will continue to evolve as you go wherever life takes is taking you. As your style changes, keep this guide roadmap tucked in your back pocket to never break the bank when crafting a closet you can’t wait to ransack.

PHOTOS | ELLE SIMON

MARCH 2023 | 19

feature..

Future of Art

Junior Kosi Okuagu is a member of the Nelson Atkins’ Teen Council and has found that being on the council has given her a newfound appreciation for art.

BY ELLA ALEXANDER COPY EDITOR

because I was feeling a bit of imposter syndrome. ome to I was expecting to join and find the Nelson that the council is full of art curators,” Atkins, the Okuagu said. “But after the first Teen Council is putting on meeting I realized this is just a group of an event.” The beautiful Nelson teens, who, like me, enjoy being able to Atkins Museum of Art is filled with teenagers from across the spend time at this Museum that we’re privileged to have and meet other greater Kansas City area all gathered together to celebrate teens.”

Okuagu joined the council on one thing: art. the recommendation of her friend, The Nelson Atkins Shawnee Mission East junior Annabelle Teen Council is a board of Reda, who is also a member. teenagers from a diverse “The whole experience has mix of schools that meet together every two weeks been really fun,” Okuagu said. “Even though I wasn’t interested in art in the and plan events at the beginning, I’ve been learning a lot more Nelson Atkins Museum about art through being on the council, of Art. and I’ve met so many teens around Their goal is Kansas City I would’ve never been able to encourage the to meet in the first place, so it’s been a younger generations really nice way to expand my bubble.” to visit and interact The council puts on many events with the museum throughout the year. The most popular and appreciate are open mic nights, bi-monthly events all it has to offer. where over 100 teenagers come to Junior Kosi the museum and perform self-written Okuagu joined the Teen Council poems or songs.

“One time, some council members this year as a representative even did karaoke to the song ‘Umbrella’

by Rihanna which was super fun and a for Sion. cute bonding experience,” Okuagu said.

“I was a Along with their open mic nights, little nervous the council is hosting a new event this to join the year: a teen fashion show. The show council will take place Sunday, Apr. 30 at the Nelson, and students from all over Kansas City will design and sew clothes to be put on display.

Freshman Heidi Nance is creating a dress for the show that will be modeled by freshman Zoë Katz.

“I had been looking for an opportunity like this because it’s a passion of mine and I’m really passionate about the piece I’m making GIRLS NIGHT OUT PLANNING PARTY and the art inspiring it,” Nance said.

At the Teen Council (TOP) bi-weekly meetings, “It’s really rewarding to see your work Seniors Amé Fleur and Chloe Reid attended the Junior Kosi Okuagu on display and people appreciating it.” and the other Teen Council Summer The inspiration behind her piece members plan the Dance July 22. “I loved is a painting of the Greek goddess fashion show.

“My having a girls night favorite part about Iris that is currently hung up in the with my best friends,”

“C

Fleur said. “Listening to music, exploring the Nelson and meeting new people was such a highlight to my summer.”

PHOTO SUBMISSION | AMÉ FLEUR

20 | LeJournal

meeting is being able to hang out with everyone, catch up about life and enjoy some good snacks,” said Okuagu.

PHOTO | ELLA ALEXANDER

museum.

“I go to see this painting every single time I’m at the museum,” Nance dsif.

“It’s just a beautiful painting and I love it.”

The Nelson Atkins Museum of Art’s mission is to “invite all people to explore the art in its care, and through its broad collection, the depths and complexities of human experiences, the Nelson Atkins strives to create a sense of belonging for all people.”

Through the teen council, the museum has been able to expand their audience to include the younger generations in this mission.

“It’s just things like the fashion show that are so amazing about the council,” said Okuagu. “I feel like society doesn’t really value art as much because everyone talks about STEM and how people should pursue that, but we need artists, and I’m really glad the Nelson continues to foster people’s love for art because I think the world needs more artists.”

BEHIND THE SCENES While at the Teen Council Meeting, manager of Teen programs, Brett Bellew shows the runway set up for the fashion show. “I felt at ease during my interview because I was just having a conversation about things that I enjoy with this cool guy in his 20’s,” Okuagu said of Bellew.

PHOTO | ELLA ALEXANDER

FASHIONISTAS (BOTTOM) While in the process of making her dress, freshman Heidi Nance customizes her design to fit her model, freshmen Zoë Katz. “I decided to model because Heidi asked me and I thought it would be a really fun opportunity,” Katz said.

PHOTO | ELLA ALEXANDER

feature

Aspiring Artist Junior Kate Wren received an honorable mention from the Scholastic Art Awards for her piece ‘They’re all going to laugh at you.’

BY ELLA ALEXANDER COPY EDITOR

A

s the sunlight shines through the window onto the paper in the guest bedroom of her house, junior Kate Wren picks up her graphite pencil and sketches a grid. The pencil marks transform from a grid, to an outline, to a sketch and finally into a drawing. The lines flow seamlessly together as she references the photos she took of herself.

Paying close attention to the way the light reflects off of the face in the photo, she meticulously adds highlights and shadows using a shading pen and a white gel pen. Once she’s satisfied with her work, she adds the title, ‘They’re all going to laugh at you.’

Influenced by light and shadow, Wren‘s artwork was inspired by the natural lighting in her bathroom.

“I realized that the lighting was so good as it was coming straight through the window,” Wren said. “I grabbed my phone and took some photos for reference.”

In designing this piece, Wren created it as a four part series of her washing her face, and throughout the timeline of the artwork you can see the emotions shift.

“It’s really about self image and hating your looks and yourself,” Wren said. “I wanted to make something that captures the feeling of waking up and feeling unsure and feeling like no one likes you and that you are going to get made fun of.”

After working on the piece for the entirety of November, Wren submitted her artwork to the Scholastic Art Awards for an assignment from her Photo Submisson | Kate Wren

CONCENTRATED CREATOR Focusing on her artwork, junior Kate Wren fixes a smudge on her piece, ‘They’re all going to laugh at you.’ “I take a great interest in knowing I’ll never run out of things to draw,” Wren said. “The only restriction is my imagination.”

PHOTO | ELLA ALEXANDER

art teacher Elizabeth Smith. Wren received an Honorable Mention for her piece. On average, only 10% of regional submissions get an Honorable Mention, with 260,000 works of art submitted annually.

“The scholastic art awards are the most prestigious competition that high school students can do, it’s always an amazing recognition when you get any kind of placement,“ Smith said. “I think Kate has a lot of talent and works really hard, and with the deadline approaching she really pushed through and came up with a really beautiful artwork that demonstrated her skill and commitment.”

Wren has wanted to be an artist since the third grade.

“It was the first time I was conscious of the fact that this is something I want to be doing,” Wren said. “I realized that there were other people out there who are successful.”

Wren has continued honing and practicing her skills since then and now creates pieces that inspire and have success.

“I just want people to feel something and see something they relate to,” Wren said.

“Everyone can relate to that feeling of low self confidence, and even though you think you’re alone and nobody else feels like that, in reality a lot of people have those days, and even if you have them more than others it doesn‘t make you less than.”

March 2023 | 21

OPINION.

THE PRICE OF PRE$TIGE Is the cost of a prestigious college education worth it when you can receive a very similar education for a lower cost at a public or state school?

BY LAUREN SMITH MANAGING EDITOR

“Y

ou got into Harvard Law?” “What, like it’s hard?”

We’d all love to throw this line at our doubters and haters, just like Elle Woods did to her jerk exboyfriend in “Legally Blonde.” Nothing would be more satisfying than telling an old rival or a semi-distant acquaintance you’ve been accepted to or graduated from a prestigious university.

But even though our favorite lady in pink got the degree and the (better) guy, does it really matter in the long run? Is Harvard, or any Ivy League school really worth it, when you can receive a similar education at state schools for half the cost?

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, undergraduates at public four-year schools paid an average of $9,400 in tuition and fees during the 2019-2020 school year.

Meanwhile, Ivy League students in 2019-2020 paid an average of $22,500 after financial aid.

These numbers are after financial aid has already been applied, but the upfront cost of attendance to an Ivy League school like Columbia is a whopping $86,000 for the 20222023 school year, according to the school’s financial aid and educational financing website.

The Ivy League was established as a collegiate sports league in 1954, and is comprised of eight schools in the American northeast. These famous schools, including the holy trinity of Harvard, Yale and Princeton, are known for their history of academic excellence This excellence and ambitious quality has spread to other prestigious schools outside of the Ivy League. These schools

22 | LeJournal

are highly selective, academically rigorous and - you guessed it - very expensive. Examples of these schools include Georgetown, Duke, Stanford, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, New York University and Johns Hopkins.

The application for state schools is already lengthy. They require transcripts, essays, application fees and ACT/SAT scores - both of which are tests that require money to take and money to transfer scores.

However, many prestigious private schools require all of these in addition to recommendation letters, contacting staff and alumni, selecting admission plans like Early Decision and possibly even interviews.

All of this work has the potential to be pointless, as, according to Affordable Colleges, highly selective schools have average acceptance rates of 4-14%, whereas that of state schools fall between 50-90%.

The acceptance rate is just the beginning and affordability is the next step. Although not always the case, sometimes the advertised price is not the reality of what you end up paying.

According to U.S. News Report Best Colleges Rankings, an institution like Princeton University in New Jersey, for instance, advertised a sticker price of $56,010 for tuition and fees in 2021-2022, but the average cost to students after receiving need-based grants that year was around $16,562.

The incentive to invest in higher education oftentimes correlates with higher earning salaries in ensuing career paths.

People believe that the better the college, the better job opportunities, but how realistic is that?

OPINION

A study published in the Washington Post in 2015 found that top earning graduates from Ivy League schools in particular make about 35 percent more than top earners from non-ivy-league schools.

Though an Ivy-League graduate may earn more in their jobs due to their school, they typically take longer to pay off their student loans compared to their public-school counterparts.

According to Statistica, in 2021, students who graduated from Cornell University had an average student debt of $26,865 per student, making them the most indebted class in the Ivy League.

No matter where you attend college is an investment and can impact your finances for years to come, whether it be your credit score or your ability to buy a house or car. Sometimes the hefty tuition of a prestigious education may not have the best outcome.

A report by the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce published in October 2020 found that firstyear earnings for the same degree can vary by as much as nearly $80,000.

The outcome of this investment can also depend on the specific degree itself, and the program at the school where it is earned. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, some degrees have a higher return on investment from state schools rather than prestigious schools including art, engineering, math, computer science and other sciences.

On the other hand, degrees in business, economics, humanities, and psychology, have a better financial return at private and prestigious schools.

This is especially important to consider in the current economic climate and the change in the necessity of education.

“Now seeing what a huge impact something like this pandemic can have, it is more important than ever that one factor students consider before choosing a college, and choosing a major at that college, is how much money they’re going to make when they get out,” co-author of the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce report

Martin Van Der Werf said.

It’s important to do your research on the schools themselves, but also on the success of the major or programs you are interested in. This can be difficult due to changes in job markets and since many are unsure of what they are wanting to pursue after college.

Because of this uncertainty, many choose to earn a degree at a state school or a public university, which is still a great educational opportunity.

According to a poll of 124 Sion students, 91 think that state schools, like The University of Missouri and The University of Kansas, can provide the same quality of education as private or highly-selective colleges Wherever you choose to go, the school will provide you with a good education, and although the school on your resume may get you the interview - it won’t guarantee you the job. The school’s name can only get you so far and is only one part of why you may get that dream job after graduation. The outcome is more determined by connections and experiences, and how an individual is able to make opportunities for themself.

Connections are key, and although it may be beneficial to have connections with notable Harvard alumni, that may not assist you if you are looking for a career in the midwest.

If you are looking for your dream job in the midwest, or even in Kansas City, it is more beneficial to go to state schools like KU or MU, where the alumni connections are more localized to where you are hoping to attain a job.

Where you go to school isn’t the most important thing when it comes to college, although it may feel like it. Other factors like degree, location, career connections, competitiveness, demand for jobs and starting salary should be equally as important.

Students can receive a great education at any institution, whether that be Harvard or KU, but what is most important is the personal effort put into the education and the best fit for the future.

MARCH 2023 | 23

feature.

bringing the music Before the competition begins, French teacher Elizabeth Lopez makes a big bracket on her bulletin board while her students fill out a smaller version. “I’d seen pictures of people doing their brackets like I have on my bullentin board,” Lopez said about what inspired her to make Manie Musicale as fun as possible.

PHOTO | ELLE SIMON

24 | LeJournal

feature

musical madness French teacher Elizabeth Lopez’s classroom features an innovative way to learn about French culture

BY ELLE SIMON WEB EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Y

ou’ve probably heard French music blasting through the halls the past month and thought to yourself, “What is that?” The music is a part of one of the most anticipated activities in French teacher Elizabeth Lopez’s classroom: Manie Musicale.

Manie Musicale is a month-long competition between the songs of French speaking artists that was created by a group of French teachers in the United States. In simpler terms, it’s March Madness for French music and is participated in by schools all over the United States and Canada.

Lopez found the competition four years ago on one of the French teacher Facebook groups she is a part of. After doing a little digging to learn more about Manie Musicale, she decided that it would be a good idea to incorporate it into her classroom.

“I remember seeing something about it, but I didn’t really know what it was,” Lopez said. “Then when I opened it up more I thought ‘Oh, this is kind of fun’ because I like to do music.”

The competition had already started by the time Lopez found it, but she was determined to share it with her students the next year - and she did. However due to the Covid-19 safety guidelines in place, Lopez wasn’t able to do as much with Manie Musicale as she would have liked.

“It was still kind of covidy around here and I didn’t really do much with it,” Lopez said.

Now three years later, Lopez starts Manie Musicale in her classroom in February, sharing the songs with her students and having them fill out their brackets. Lopez even creates a big bracket on one of the bulletin boards to keep track of the competition once voting begins.

“I really got into it a lot last year,” Lopez said.

“Then this year, I was super excited to do it again and just keep adding more to it everytime.”

Not only is Manie Musicale fun for French students, but it also creates an innovative way for them to learn about French culture. Students listen to the songs and also learn about the artists, countries and cultures they come from.

“One of [the founders’] goals is to present a variety of cultures,” Lopez said. “This isn’t just

about French speaking. This is about Francophone countries in Africa, around the world in Canada and Quebec.”

Manie Musicale represents many of the countries where French is spoken through the songs that are chosen. In fact, many of the songs and music videos will express the heritage and culture of the artist. This year’s competition features a traditional Canadian Folk song about maple syrup and a song about African culture.

“I think they do a really good job of picking a variety of different songs that are expressing heritage,” Lopez said. “There’s so many levels to countries and cultures.”

Lopez brings so much excitement to Manie Musicale that the competition becomes just as fun as it is educational. She’ll turn off all the lights and have her class focus solely on the TV for the music videos or the reveal videos when voting begins. When there’s work time in class, she’ll put the songs on in the background.

“Just feeling like you’re part of the excitement that’s not just me,” Lopez said. “Everytime I go on Facebook there’s messages like ‘Look what I did today!’ and just the enthusiasm of other teachers is infectious for me.”

Lopez’s enthusiasm is contagious to her students. Her students anticipate hearing each song everyday when they walk into class. There’s always something unexpected in Manie Musicale, from bizarre music videos to surprising upsets.

“It kind of pushes students in a different way because we all love music,” said Lopez. “You can really connect with the song or the message or the beat.”

Lopez’s favorite part about incorporating Manie Musicale into her classroom is how engaged her students get when she plays the music. This time of year is hard and burnout is prevalent among students, so when all students have their eyes glued to the TV, watching and listening to the songs, she’s overjoyed.

“I’m sitting there like ‘yes!’ they really like it,” Lopez said. “They’re connecting and this is great.

So that makes me happy.”

MARCH 2023 | 25

A&E .

ROCK N’ GOLD

“Daisy Jones & The Six” brings 70’s starpower to screen, but “Outer Banks” season three should’ve stayed in Poguelandia.

BY PRINT CO EDITOR-IN-CHIEF SOPHIE GROMOWSKY

OUTER BANKS

Someone needs to tell the writers of “Outer Banks” that absolutely no one is watching their show for the plot. Season three of the teen treasure heist drama, which premiered on Netflix Feb. 23, featured numerous new and increasingly complicated storylines that tried to make me think way too much, considering the show that I was watching.

Add in an entirely new villain, despite the fact that they never got rid of the first three, and the revival of Big John (Charles Halford), who made me want to throw my remote at the TV every time I saw his face, and all you get is a show that doesn’t even seem to know what it’s doing anymore.

The season’s greatest weakness is splitting up its core group of characters, the Pogues, far too often. John B (Chase Stokes) is off chasing a gold city with his aforementioned unlikable father, Pope (Jonathan Daviss) teams up with last season’s newcomer Cleo (Carlacia Grant) to track down an entirely separate treasure (this one is not a complaint-they’re fantastic together) and Kiara (Madison Bailey) is caught up in a side plot about her parents trying to send her to wilderness camp.

While the acting of Outer Banks was never stellar, the chemistry always was, and the close-knit camaraderie that hooked many viewers on the show in the first place was sorely lacking this season as the characters were split between separate story arcs.

Though the episodes were never short on conflict, the show’s staunch refusal to kill off any of its main characters (three have risen from the supposed “dead” by the end of this season) makes it impossible to feel as if anything is really at stake during the continuous stream of plane crashes, shootouts and kidnappings. Despite the constant adrenaline-filled action sequences, I mostly just felt bored.

“Outer Banks” has already been renewed for a fourth season, but really what’s the point? The story was exhausted by season two, and the magic was gone as soon as the characters left the Carolinas. Viewers would be better off searching for TV treasure somewhere else.

DAISY JONES & THE SIX

It’s all love, drugs and rock n’ roll in “Daisy Jones & The Six,” which premiered March 3 on Amazon Prime Video. Adapted from Taylor Jenkins Reid’s best selling novel of the same name, which is loosely based on the real-life story of Fleetwood Mac, the series follows the 1970’s rock band, Daisy Jones & The Six, led by talented but troubled frontman Billy Dunne (Sam Claflin) and the titular freespirit Daisy Jones (Riley Keough), through their sensational rise to fame and subsequent falling apart.

The casting of the show could not have been more spot-on.

Keough flawlessly captures the brash confidence and swagger of wild child Daisy Jones and has the voice of an angel to match - which isn’t too much of a surprise, given she’s the granddaughter of Elvis Presley.

Claflin is heartwrenching as tortured rockstar Billy Dunne, and the chemistry between the two is palpable and electric.

Accompanying the show was the release of the band’s “Aurora” album, which consisted entirely of original songs and quickly rose to #1 on the U.S. iTunes charts. Keough and Claflin both took vocal lessons for over a year, and every actor in the band learned to actually play their instrument, showcasing a dedication to authenticity that I greatly appreciate.

The adaptation is far from perfect, however. Most of the songs on the “Aurora” album have more of a soft pop sound than rock - which isn’t to say that they haven’t been playing on repeat in my car all week, but they’re certainly a far cry from the chart-topping, Grammy Award-winning rock and roll that the book described.

As a die-hard fan of Reid’s novel, I was also slightly dismayed by many of the creative liberties the show’s creators took that strayed from the book’s original plot, with my biggest grievance being the love triangle between Billy, Daisy and Billy’s wife, Camila (Camila Morrone).

While book Camila is trusting and self-confident, show Camila is jealous and frequently reduced to tears by Billy’s relationship with Daisy. And honestly, Claflin’s floppy 70’s hairdo is much too terrible for me to truly believe that two beautiful women are pining over him. The day that television finally stops reducing its strong female characters to their relationships with men will be a very happy one indeed.

As a viewer, I absolutely loved “Daisy Jones.” As a reader, I was somewhat disappointed. But Billy Dunne and Daisy Jones are proof that a love-hate relationship can be the most exhilarating kind.

ILLUSTRATIONS| SOPHIE GROMOWSKY

26 | LeJournal

CONCERT CRAZE Sabrina Carpenter is performing Wednesday, Apr. 26 at 8 PM at Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland on the “emails i can’t send” tour. Tickets are available through AXS on her website, Ticketmaster, SeatGeek and StubHub.

BY ZAHRA PARSONS PRINT CO EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

As a part of his “Faith in the Future” world tour, Louis Tomlinson will perform Saturday, June 10 at 7 PM at Starlight Theatre.

Tickets for the show are available Ticketmaster, SeatGeek and StubHub.

Luke Combs will be in concert Saturday, June 10 at Arrowhead Stadium on his world tour. Tickets are available through SeatGeek on his website and on the app, as well as Ticketmaster and Vivid Seats.

LUKE COMBS

Taylor Swift will perform on the “Eras” Tour at Arrowhead Stadium Friday, Jul. 7 and Saturday, Jul. 8 at 6:30 PM both nights. American singer-songwriter Gracie Abrams and indie pop band MUNA will open the shows. There are currently no tickets available.

Shania Twain is performing on her “Queen of Me” tour Wednesday, Jul. 19 at 7:30 PM at T-Mobile Center.

Country music artist Mickey Guyton will open the show. Tickets are available on Ticketmaster, Stubhub, Vivid Seats and SeatGeek.

BILLY JOEL STEVIE NICKS

Check out these music artists performing in Kansas City over the next several months.

SABRINA CARPENTER

LOUIS TOMLINSON

TAYLOR SWIFT

A&E

SHANIA TWAIN

Billy Joel and Stevie Nicks will be performing Saturday, Aug. 19 at 7 PM at Arrowhead Stadium in a show called “Two Icons One Night.” Tickets are available on Ticketmaster, SeatGeek and TickPick.

MARCH 2023 | 27

Disney WHICH SHOW ARE YOU?

Disney CHANNEL

Find out which nostalgic Disney Channel show best represents you.

BY LAUREN SMITH MANAGING EDITOR

WHAT’S YOUR DREAM JOB? SINGER

ACTRESS

PROFESSIONAL ATHLETE

DO YOU HAVE A DOG?

WHAT BEST DESCRIBES YOUR PERSONALITY? SPORTY KID

YES

THEATER KID

WHICH MUSIC DO YOU PREFER

POP MUSIC

PHOTOS

EAST COAST

WEST COAST

COUNTRY MUSIC

CHICK-FIL-A

RAISING CANES

WHERE ARE YOU LIVING?

WHICH ONE ARE YOU? SHY

You love to be surrounded by kids, and love to capture the moment with photos and videos!

CHOOSE A COAST

FAVORITE FAST FOOD

WHICH DO YOU PREFER? VIDEOS

NO

OUT GOING

You love music! You make the most of every situation and love to try new things with your friends!

COUNTRY

CITY

You are passionate about your interests and rely heavily on your bff or siblings!

you love to explore the city, and you are the life of the party!