Vol. 23 | Issue 4

Olathe East Hawk’s Eye Volume 23//Issue 4 December 2014

OE Students Sign to Play Sports in College Page 8 & 9

What’s in your Backpack?

Page 13

Find Out the Worst Places to Use your Cell Phone in School Pages 20 & 21

What Makes Classes AP?

TABLE

OF CONTENTS

NEWS

What Makes it AP?...............................................................3

Alexa Buechler Coach Meyers and OE Part Ways...................................4-5

Matthew Gwin Student React To Protests....................................................6

Aaron Rhodes

Follow us!

Instagram: @oehawkseye Snapchat: @oehawkseye Twitter: @OEHawksEye

SPORTS

Understanding the Sport of Diving....................................7

Jacob Stofer Athletic Signing................................................................8-9

Lauren Hart

pgs. 10 & 11

FEATURE

Humans of Olathe East................................................10-11

Courtney Child Modern Day Heroes...........................................................12

Camille Denis What’s in Your Backpack?..................................................13

Lauren Heinrich When You Get Expelled.....................................................14

Jordan Meier Sexism in Schools...............................................................15

Brock Holmes Dealing with Stress.............................................................16

Logan Brockschmidt Pros/Cons of Caffeine........................................................17

Gavin Miller Olathe Community......................................................18-19

Natalie Friend

ENTERTAINMENT

Cell Phone Service Map...............................................20-21

Amy Du Which Senior’s College App is this?................................22

Katie Thompson Campus Crying Guide.......................................................23

Brenna Thompson ‘Tis the Season.....................................................................24

Annie Beurman Advertisements..............................................................25-27

pg. 17

A student-run publication Olathe East High School 14545 W. 127th Street Olathe, KS 66062 ADVISER

Karen Bourland

EDITORS

Courtney Child Paige Schick

COPY EDITORS Lauren Hart Lauren Heinrich

SENIOR STAFF WRITERS Annie Beurman Camille Denis Matthew Gwin Brock Holmes

Aaron Rhodes Brenna Thompson Katie Thompson

STAFF WRITERS

Logan Brockschmidt Alexa Buechler Natalie Friend Jordan Meier Gavin Miller Jacob Stofer

BUSINESS MANAGERS Hannah Cruise Amy Du

[December] 2014

What Makes it AP? The Differences Between On Level Classes and Advanced Placement Classes

Alexa Buechler//Staff Writer

W

hy endure the fast-paced life of Advanced Placement classes?

Advanced Placement, or AP, classes challenge students who want to prepare for college life. AP classes not only assist with the difficulty of college but also help with the exorbitant price that give parents heart attacks.

“The reason you want to take AP classes is that it ups the rigor.” Whitney Schmale, the counselor for last names A-Fi said, “The number one question that colleges ask is: how many AP and honors classes [does our high school] offer, and how many AP and honors classes did the student take. That’s really what they’re interested in.”

“You can get a weighted grade. A ‘C’ or better in one of those weighted classes adds bonus points to your GPA.” Schmale said. Colleges look at GPA on applications, and when colleges read applications for scholarships, they will see the AP and honors classes that students took the initiative to attend.

Pre-AP classes offer extra points onto the GPA, but the points aren’t as noticeable as a full-blown AP class would be. Pre-AP courses prepare students who want to continue down the AP route.

“The difference between Pre-AP and On Level would definitely be writing. We write a lot in Pre-AP. Many aspects of the writing are what AP components you need to learn. Strategies, skills, components you need to learn of the actual AP writing are what we address.

So they write in On Level Modern World History, but I don’t think they know what AP wants you to write,” AP European History and Pre-AP Modern World History teacher, Tina Stephens said.

“For Pre-AP classes, I believe that the pros would be just getting you prepared for writing, any kind of writing. We know writing in English is different from writing in social studies which is different from writing in science, but the more you practice writing, the more you can write it in other areas,” Stephens said.

She also said, “Another advantage for Pre-AP is reading. Giving you the skills to read more critically and reading endurance, where you can read more and longer because you’re going to have to do that in an AP class.”

“If you walk out of my Pre-AP [Modern World History] class and you go to AP Euro, you know the AP language. You know what an FRQ means and stands for. You know what DBQ means and the strategies. You’re not walking in going ‘what’s an FRQ? What’s a DBQ?’” Stephens said. FRQ stands for Free Response Question, and DBQ stands for Data Based Question.

Students learn these different formats for essays in Pre-AP classes.

AP classes offer students the opportunity to undergo the AP exam. If they

take the AP test and receive a score of three or higher out of five, colleges— depending on the school—provide students with college credit.

Schmale said, “If you take the AP exam, it’s based on one test on one day, so if you’re having a bad day, or something is not going right, you risk not getting the credit.”

Stephens said, “Even if you don’t have a qualifying score, I still think going through the experience of the class itself and learning study habits and learning the skills of writing and reading. I think it’s that understanding of analysis and critical thinking. Even if you don’t take the exam, I think you are learning a skill set that can be applied in other places.”

“Testing is such a big thing in school. The more you practice testing in a testing environment, the better off you’re going to be. A student may take the exam and won’t do well (may not have a qualifying score), [but] they are getting the experience of what testing is like, and more and more testing is turning toward writing, and we know that a lot of the AP exam is writing.”

On the other hand, 13 Advanced Placement classes offer College Now through Johnson County Community College. College Now is the entire school year.

“The chances of you getting a better grade are increased because it’s for a longer period of time. If you plan to attend a college that will take College Now credit that could be a better option for you because it’s based on many grades not just on one day. The downfall to that is it is expensive because you have to pay by credit hour.” Schmale said.

AP classes present students with an opportunity to become financially prepared for college. The College Now prices and the AP test costs less than universities. College Now costs $300+ per class while the AP test costs around $90.

Schmale said, “If you plan to go to a highly selective school—like say you want to apply to Northwestern or Stanford or University of North Carolina—those schools won’t necessarily take College Now. They’ll take AP credit.”

Schmale said, “You risk getting a lower grade because it’s definitely harder and takes more time, so we really want kids to weigh rigor versus mental health. We really want students to weigh where it’s going to get [them] in

“The reason you want to take AP classes is that it ups the rigor.”

-Whitney Schmale, counselor

=

Arts: 26

college versus can [they] stay sane in high school,” Schmale said.

One book represents 50 students taking Pre-AP and AP classes at Olathe East

Foreign Language: 44

Science: 82

Math: 275

History: 332

English: 676

4 [News]

Changing of the Guard

Jeff Meyers and Olathe East Part Ways after 23 Years

A

lthough Jeff Meyers has been known as the mayor of Shawnee during the last decade, he perhaps has become even more synonymous with the city of Olathe throughout his life.

“I have invested much of my life into this school district and into this community,” Meyers said. “I’ve seen this city grow since 1973, from a population of 13,000 to where it is today.”

During that time, Meyers has been involved with the Olathe School District as a student, teacher, and – most notably – a coach.

Before taking the head football coaching position at the newly opened Olathe East High School in 1992, Meyers spent eight years as an assistant coach at his alma mater Olathe North. He then went on to coach the next 23 years at OE, where he boasted a 163-74 record, six substate appearances, a 6A State Championship appearance in 2005, and a streak of 13 straight playoff appearances from 2001-2013.

However, it now appears that the man who worked so hard in helping to build this community will no longer be a part of it.

Last month, Olathe East released Meyers of his duties as head football coach on the heels of a disappointing 3-6 season.

Despite the team’s poor performance this year, the news of his termination came as a surprise to Meyers.

“I was very surprised and disappointed with the decision that the administration has made in regards to my position as head football coach,” he said. “I didn’t really feel like there was a process that took place, or any type of indication that my position was in jeopardy. It was sprung on me.”

From the perspective of the OE administration, it was simply time for a change.

“I guess I consider myself to be a little bit of an instinctive person and, in my gut instinct, I believe this was just the best time to move forward in the program,” Principal Bill Weber said.

“It ultimately was a decision that I as the principal made, and a decision that, after evaluating different facets, I decided was the best decision for our student-athletes.”

To add insult to injury, though, Meyers feels as if the school failed to deliver on its promise regarding the handling of his termination.

“We had an agreement that I would be able to tell them whether I was going to resign or be released of my duties prior to them making it official,” Meyers said.

But according to Meyers, this agreement was soon broken.

“I was absent from school, and I received an email from Human Resources stating that they had had conversations with Dr. Weber – and knew of my conversations with Dr. Weber – and that they were going to post the job on Friday [November 21]. That was prior to me . . . letting them know what I was planning on doing,” Meyers said.

“When I came to school on Monday, I let them know that I was not going to resign, and of course I was not happy that the job had been posted prior to the fulfillment of our agreement.”

Both Weber and Athletic Director Kraig Taylor failed to comment on how Meyers’ termination was carried out.

Weber and Taylor also declined comment on the specific reasons behind the firing, but wins and losses do not appear to have factored heavily into the equation.

“People a lot of times with coaching want to associate it with winning and losing, and I think that’s unfortunate,” Weber said. “I don’t think that’s necessarily fair to coaches in general because . . . there are obviously more aspects to coaching.”

Many players quietly voiced their criticisms of Meyers around campus during the season, and several took their grievances to another level, quitting the team with just a few games remaining.

According to senior Dallas Ungerbuehler, a vast majority of the team clashed with Coach Meyers throughout the season.

Matthew Gwin//Senior Staff Writer Meyers watched from the sideline with a puzzled look Courtesy of Logan Brockschmidt

“There are always players who disagree with the coach about something, but we had a lot more than I would think a normal team should,” Ungerbuehler said.

“There were only a couple guys who would side with him on anything. Everyone wanted to get along, but it just didn’t work out.”

Meyers agreed that the team encountered more obstacles than usual during this season.

“Every year, no matter what sport it is, coaches and players are going to face different challenges, and this year football had more of a variety of challenges than normal,” Meyers said.

Meyers also noted that the administration listed player unhappiness as the reason for his termination.

“Their reason was that they were worried that many kids were not going to play football next year if I remained the head coach,” he said.

“But then, when I asked who they had talked to or whether any kids or parents had given them that message, they said ‘no,’ no one had told them that they were not planning on playing football next year.”

“So, that’s when I came back and said, ‘What are you basing that off?’ because every year – every year – there are some kids who either say or indicate they’re not going to play football the following season.”

Moving forward, both Olathe East and Meyers appear to have a variety of options and opportunities.

Meyers can remain at the school as a P.E. teacher and assistant track and field coach for as long as he wishes, but will likely look to continue his career elsewhere.

“My passion is coaching football . . . so I am going to be looking for other opportunities,” he said. “I’m pursuing and putting in applications at several different school districts both in Kansas and Missouri.”

For Olathe East and its football program, the interview team – consisting of Weber, Taylor and several district officials – simply will look to hire the best possible candidate as Meyers’ replacement.

“Ultimately we’re looking for the best candidate for the position, so whether that means an internal candidate, whether that means a coach that’s in the metro area here, or if that means there are candidates from outside our state and outside our region, we certainly will take a look at who is the best fit for this job,” Weber said.

“The players want an individual who’s going to be very passionate with the program and come in and work with the talent level that we currently have, and hopefully be successful,” Taylor added.

Weber and Taylor also noted that all the assistant coaches will keep their positions unless they choose otherwise. According to the administration, a few coaches already have chosen not to return to the program next year.

The two administrators also believe that many successes are still to come from the Olathe East football program.

“I still believe, as I do with all of our sports programs, that we’re a strong school with dedicated student-athletes,” Weber said.

“I firmly believe we still have a large number of athletes in our football program who are dedicated to the process of building, and having, a strong program here at Olathe East High School. In terms of that, I’m confident that we’re on good footing moving forward.”

“I really do think the future is bright for Olathe East,” Taylor added.

As Meyers begins an equally unfamiliar journey with equal prosperity in mind, he does so with fond memories of the program, school, and city he helped build.

“Too many memories to really relay all of them – I mean, 23 years

at this school alone. Not only that, but I have been part of this school district for 31 years as a teacher,” he said.

“Along that way, I’ve met and worked and played with outstanding teachers, outstanding coaches, outstanding students and players, and to pick out individual memories – there’s just too many.”

Of course, even with all those sweet recollections, the ending still tastes all too bitter.

“I’ve always called Olathe East my home away from home – in fact, I spent more time at Olathe East than I did my own home, so it is heart-wrenching to see this come to an end.”

[December] 2014 Meyers (left) and Coach Wallace observe from the sideline Courtesy of Logan Brockschmidt

Meyers coaches up the freshmen team Courtesy of Logan Brockschmidt

The players, led by Meyers, raise their helmets before the kickoff Courtesy of Logan Brockschmidt

6 [News]

From Missouri to the Masses From Olathe to England, Protesters Still Want Justice for Mike Brown

Aaron Rhodes//Senior Staff Writer

T

he events that have unfolded this year in the small town of Ferguson, Missouri have polarized an entire nation. This case is arguably the biggest news story of the calendar year and the most racially charged since the Trayvon Martin case. The killing of 18 year-old

Local

Olathe Northwest senior Kharrington DeBose and her brother Dorian hung up and handed out flyers around the school in November. She took flak from the school administration, receiving warnings to stop hanging up her flyers, and eventually met with an administrator because of the potential distractions it could have caused.

“I threw the posters over the stairs and let them fall into students’ hands,” Kharrington said.

She has become very frustrated with the way the administration handled the situation.

“I’m tired of working so hard to get the info out there to the masses and then being punished for it because it’s a distraction. I’m tired of having to explain why these cases matter so much and why I’m so upset.”

National

When the St. Louis Rams took the field before their November 30 home game against the Oakland Raiders, things were going as planned until Rams players Jared Cook, Kenny Britt, Chris Givens, Stedman Bailey, and Tavon Austin all entered the field with their arms raised in the “Hands Up, Don’t Shoot” pose popularized by the Ferguson protests. The St. Louis Police Officers Association was quick to release a statement regarding their disappointment, calling for the players to apologize and the league to discipline them. The NFL and Rams organization both declined to discipline the players and will conduct no further investigation.

International Protesters gathered outside the U.S. Embassy in London, England last month in support of Michael Brown. The London activists sympathized with the case and drew parallels to a shooting that happened there in 2009. Sean Rigg, a 40 year-old black male with schizophrenia, was killed by police officers during his arrest in August of that year. Rigg’s relatives spoke at the protests, calling for change and an end to institutional racism around the world.

Michael Brown and the subsequent protests and grand jury decision have evoked strong responses from people in our town, around the country, and around the world. See the extent of the backlash below.

G N I V I D FOR

[December] 2014

S E I M

M U D v i D How

M

p m o eC

h

t t a s rk o W ing

ost aquatic athletes are involved in the popular water sport of Swimming. Some well known swimmers are Michael Phelps, Ryan Lochte, and Missy Franklin. Yes, the sport of swimming fascinates all of us, but besides swimming, there is another popular aquatic sport. This is sport is called diving.

Unlike in other sports, diving scores use a range from one to ten, in 1/2-point increments. The dive is calculated by adding the three judges scores and to get a score know as raw scoring. The raw score is then multiplied by the degree of difficulty of the dive and then that becomes the total divers score.

Diving claimed to have started out in 480B.C., a painting of a male diver is found in a burial chamber of Naples, Italy, according to NBC Sports, started out in Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries, becoming popular in Sweden and Germany. The sport was to help gymnasts, who started to performing rolling practice into the swimming pool. When Swedish divers visited Great Britain in the late 19th century, the Swedish put on fascinating displays of this new sport to the people of England, and in 1901 led to the formation of the Amateur Diving Association. The sport was featured at the 1904 Olympics in St. Louis, Missouri.

Four years later, the springboard was included in the aquatics line up in the 1908 Olympics in London, England. In the 1912 Olympic games in Stockholm, women have taken part in the diving events, which continue to this day.

In diving, there are four positions: straight, pike, tuck, and free. The straight position is characterized by no bend in the hips of knees; the arms can be whatever the diver chooses. The pike position is characterized with the knees straight and the body bent at the waist. This position can be attempted with the divers hands touching the feet or extending outward from the body;this is called the open pike position, or with the arms wrapped around the legs in the closed pike position. The tuck position is characterized by having the divers knees and the legs pulled closed to the body. The hands should be held on to the leg on knee shin, midway between the knee and the ankle. The toes should be pointed downward,

l e v e L e v i t i et

Jacob Stofer//Staff Writer Courtesy of www.zimbio.com and the legs should be kept together. And the final position, the free dive is only used in twisting dives. This position is a combination of the straight, pike and the tuck.

In diving, divers can participate in Olympics. There is mens and womans 3-meter, Synchronized 3-meter Synchro, platform and Synchronized platform.

The country that owns the most medals at the Olympic Games is the United States. But the USA is not the powerhouse in diving. Not England,not France,not Russia, but China. China is the owner of the second most medals in the Olympics. In the past four years, Chinese divers have won 40 out a possible 48 medals, along with 24 out of 32 gold medals.

In Olympic diving, many excellent coaches that hail from many different countries. Ron O’Brien from the USA is an example. “What keeps me going is not winning, but the quest for reaching potential in myself as a coach and my kids as divers. It’s the pursuit of excellence”. O’Brien won 11 olympic medals,and produced a national championship for 23 straight years, from 1973 to 1995.

Many of the divers start out young in the junior program. Then after the divers outgrown the junior program some go to the senior program, to become top national divers, and finally some go to the master program.

The master program is for the divers who have graturated from the senior program, but still want to continue their journey into adult life.

Most Colleges and Highschools in America have diving teams.

The University of Texas, The Ohio State University, University of Aurburn University of Florda, and Arizona University all have top diving teams in Divison I. Texas owns 19 nation championships. Florida owns 147 national championships in both swimming and diving. Auburn has 13 national championships in mens and womans diving.

Olathe East owns three state championships in diving. The boys won it in 2009 and the girls won it in 2002 and 2003.

Diving is phenomeon about to explode in the USA even if the sport is underappreciated.

“It’s the pursuit of excellence.”

-Ron O’Brien USA Diving Coach

8 [Sports]

Taking it to The Next Level Abby Dressler

Rowing Kansas State University Manhattan, Kansas

“K-State recruits tall, athletic girls to row, and I love the campus. It’s such a friendly atmosphere, so I knew it was the place for me.”

Robbie McCarthy

Natalie Kopplin

Lauren Hart// Copy Editor

Zach Sortino

Cross Country and Track Southeast Missouri State University Cape Girardeau, Missouri

Soccer Briar Cliff University Sioux City, Iowa

“I wanted to run in college because I don’t want to stop training and competeing and doing what I love. I really like being able to be part of a team and I’ve learned so much from my teammates. I couldn’t imagine not continuing running in college.”

“I’ve been playing soccer for as long as I can remember. I decided to sign at Briar Cliff because it was one the few schools where I could play soccer and major in graphic design. Soccer is my passion, and it was hard to pass up when I got an offer from Briar Cliff.”

Jack Freeman

Kelli Kalinoski

Lacrosse LeMoyne College Syracuse, New York

Soccer Ohio State University Columbus, Ohio

Volleyball Duke University Durham, North Carolina

“LeMoyne is consistently one of the best Division II lacrosse programs in the nation, and they have a phenomenal business program.

My dad played lacrosse at Syracuse University and my mom went there, also. They both grew up there and all of my family is still living there which was also a big part of my decision to go there.”

“I’m very happy with the school I’m going to.

I wanted to play soccer in college because it’s something that I have always really enjoyed.

Playing soccer every day gives me a chance to kind of forget about everything else in life and just enjoy the sport.”

“I decided to play volleyball in college because I love the sport, and I am very competitive. I also love the friendships that I have made from the sport.”

[December] 2014

A Look at Seniors Who Have Committed to Play Their Sports in College AJ Stephens

Addy Ruby

Ty Herrenbruck

Track and Field Wichita State University Wichita, Kansas

Gymnastics Ohio State University Columbus, Ohio

Baseball Johnson County Community College Overland Park, Kansas

“I chose to continue track and field because not only is it something I’m good at, but it’s also something that keeps me healthy, provides me with a fun environment to hang out with friends and helps with paying for college.”

“After visiting Ohio State, I knew that it was the school for me, whether I was doing gymnastics or not. When they asked me to sign to do gymnastics for them, that made my decision much easier.”

“I decided to play a college sport so I could have college paid for and I just have always enjoyed playing baseball and competing. After two years of junior college I want to continue playing at a four-year school.”

Zac Marquess

Madie Rebel

Soccer Univeristy of Nebraska Omaha Omaha, Nebraska

Rowing Kansas State University Manhattan, Kansas

“I have signed to play center back for the Mavericks next fall. I’ve always had the desire to play soccer at the highest level possible. The coaches are awesome, and the team is really cool. I know it’s not the normal college scene, but it’s what I love to do.”

“I chose to row at K-State because I have always been competitive. I love the school and love being part of a team. After meeting with the coaches, I knew that this is where I belonged.”

Carlie Fangman Volleyball Drury University Springfield, Missouri

“I chose to continue playing volleyball in college because it is what I love to do.

I decided to play at Drury because it is a good distance from home for me and they put academics first.”

10 [Feature]

Humans of Olathe East A Spin-Off of Brandon Stanton’s Humans of New York

Courtney Child//Co-Editor

Brandon Stanton is neither a photographer, nor a journalist. After being fired from his finance job, he decided to try his hand at photography in cities all across the country. His work was most widely acclaimed after he added vignettes, or short quotes and descriptions, to his portraits of random New Yorkers. Each snippet tells a detail of the person’s everyday life, unknown to the common passerby. Stanton’s forte is getting these random strangers to tell their “stories” to him, so I decided to try my hand at it with the humans of Olathe East.

[ ]

“I used to be really quiet. I wouldn’t have ever done this; I would have told you ‘no.’ I probably wouldn’t have even said ‘no,’ I just would have shaken my head or something. I wouldn’t have even been sitting like this; I would have felt uncomfortable with the fact that I’m wearing ripped jeans, shoes like that. I used to be really conservative, like an old grandma.

I’ve come a long ways. I went through days where I wouldn’t even say a word at school…like, I’m having this conversation with you!”

“I want to move to Africa. I want to be a missionary.”

Ian Breidenbach

Attlyn Butler

“I was thinking about painting a big mural. I was skeptical about it, but it’s on my bucket list to finish the mural. It’s on a side of a building in Kansas City.”

Holly Warren

“

Well, when I moved, doing worship and singing helped me forget about the things in my life that are really tough.

When I’m out singing or performing, it makes me forget about the bad things and focus more on the future.

“

MaLeea Halbert

[ ]

[December] 2014

“I really want to start programming for an advanced learning company to help people in other Ian countries who can’t learn.”

“[On the best day of my life] I got to see my dad again.”

“Again?”

“He left for a while, and I don’t get to see him now because he lives somewhere else. I like that he at least always tries to contact me, that he does talk to me.”

Cyrus Clark “My big dream…it’s impossible, but I would like to be a speaker, you know, to give the people hope… help the people follow their dreams.

Do in life what they want.”

Ulises Alvarenga

“

Kelley

I won the AAU Championship game in basketball.

“

Cedric Roland

12 [Feature]

Modern Day Heroes Aubrey Reigel There Are Heroes Everywhere If You Look Hard Enough

I

n a society of disorder, a world of good and bad, heroes have their place. However, when one pictures a hero, he or she imagines a fictional hero like Superman saving the entire Earth from danger against vile villains. Novels and movies depict heroes as superior iconic figures going to dramatic measures to save people, but heroes come in all different shapes and sizes in the real, tangible world. A hero does not have to be extravagant. Everyday people doing extraordinary things anywhere from helping change a person’s life or community to bettering the world, are the real heroes of the day. It only takes small acts of kindness and courage. The needs for selfless acts are especially desired heading into to the holiday season. The days are getting colder, gifts are tightening the bank, and traditional holiday meals are becoming harder to afford.

Looking around this school and community, you can spot heroes. The Leadership program advocates help for the homeless, special needs, and many others aspects of the community. They recently went to Hope Faith Ministries to serve food and organize their clothing closet. Heroes and leaders are the ones standing up for a victim of bullying, being a mentor to others, and taking extra time out of their day to help others consciously or not. Senior Aubrey Reigel serves as an invisible hero to the women and children going through a safe house.

Aubrey Reigel is actively involved with SAFEHOME. She said, “[SAFEHOME] is one of Johnson County’s domestic violence refuge shelters for battered women and children.”

Camille Denis//Staff Writer SAFEHOME not only provides shelter for the victims of domestic violence, but they also help through advocacy, counseling, and prevention education in the community. Each year SAFEHOME offers their help to approximately 7,500 individuals.

Exposed to the harsh reality of living condition in SAFEHOME, Reigel decided that she wanted make a difference and better the lives of the individuals staying there.

She has been offering her help weekly to the shelter since the beginning of the summer. Reigel has directed her efforts to better the lives of these women and children by sponsoring a clothing drive.

The clothing closet at the shelter is need of an update since it is currently holding old, tattered, worn out clothes in small quantities. Not only is Reigel going fill the closet, but she going to completely reconstruct and paint the room, making it more accessible and appealing. Sometimes children end up staying in the shelter over their birthday, but the kids most likely will not be receiving presents because of their current situation. Therefore, she is creating Birthday Bags for them to enjoy on their special day. In the final steps of Reigel’s project, she is hoping to create a domestic violence social awareness video that SAFEHOME can use to inform schools and the community.

Reigel said about being a hero, “It’s someone that helps others without really wanting anything in return and someone who is always there for people.”

Even though she does not believe to be one herself, she is doing heroic acts to try and help others.

Reigel said, “I don’t [believe I am a hero.] I like to help people but sometimes I feel like I’m not doing it as much as I could and I wish I could do more.”

She considers her grandmother as her hero because she pulled Reigel into volunteering.

Reigel said, “She and I both make Brail Bibles for blind people and both volunteer a thrift shop. She volunteers weekly, but I just do it whenever I can.”

Modern day heroes are not the Supermans’ or James Bonds’ of the day. They are just ordinary people like Audrey Reigel working to improve the world one step at a time.

“It’s someone that helps others without really wanting anything in return and someone who is always there for people.”

- Aubrey Reigel

Courtesy of Aubrey Reigel

[December] 2014

What’s in your Backpack?

Beyond the Backpack Basics

Lauren Heinrich//Copy Editor

M

aneuvering from class to class seven hours a day, five days a week can be a daunting task. From a bad test grade to family problems getting in the way, school can be dreadful. Little pick-me-ups can make the day less horrible, like having a favorite shirt on or headphones to listen to music.

Ever wonder what’s in one of your classmate’s backpacks or purses besides the basic school necessities?

5

1

2

A purple chevron backpack, a black Coach shoulder purse, and red hair catch attention in a rather dull hallway. A closer look reveals a trendy, name-brand senior named Bailey Root.

1

Bailey always has a healthy snack in her bag. It happens to be fruit today. “I eat healthy,” she said.

2

Make up is an essential for most girls to get through the day. Why does Bailey carry it? “Cause a girl needs to have make up with her,” she said.

3

Ice Breakers are something she has learned to keep handy. Bailey said, “Because everyone’s breath needs to smell good. I mean, I hate sitting next to someone and their breath smells like crap. It’s really gross. Like, take an Ice Breaker.”

3

4

A few of the distinctive contents of Bailey’s bags Courtesy Lauren Heinrich

4

A favorite pen is a personal reminder of home for Bailey. “It writes well and I’ve used it for a really long time. It’s my dad’s pen,” she said.

5

A wallet is a necessity. “It’s name brand. I usually wear name brand things. I need it for everyday life,” Bailey said.

14 [Feature]

Courtsey of Jordan Meier

HOW TO GET EXPELLED FROM SCHOOL A

Find Out What Happens to Students Who Are Expelled

principal sits at his desk. He looks distressed, disappointed even. Across from him, a teenager slouches in a chair listening to what the principal has to say.

It is about his impending expulsion. The SRO caught him selling marijuana. Not only is an investigation by the police underway, but the student is also on the verge from being removed from his school. Every year, a handful of students are long-term suspended or expelled from Olathe East. But what happens after these kids leave campus to face their punishment?

Where do they go? How do they continue their education?

When a student is suspended for 90 days or over, usually a law has been broken. Mostly class four offenses have been committed such as bringing a firearm to school, or selling and/ or using drugs on the school campus.

The Olathe School District offers a place for kids who have been removed long-term from their schools due to disciplinary infraction, in order to keep up with their credits so they can graduate on time upon their return. Located in one of our district buildings, this program is called Project Hope.

“It’s an alternative program that basically allows students to continue their education while they are long-term suspended or expelled,” Principal Dr. Bill Weber said. “It’s run like a normal high school, expect for it’s in a smaller setting. The program has full time teachers, trained to teach different subjects to students.”

Unlike the other districts in the surrounding area, the Olathe School District promotes the students return to school after they serve their punishment.

“Many of the surrounding districts, after they expel or long-term somebody, they are done with them. They wash their hands of them. At least one of the things I can be thankful for, or proud of for the Olathe School District, is that they do not do that. They continue to work with the student. They provide the student with a school to stay on track with because there would nothing worse than to be kicked out of school for a year and coming back and being deficient in credits,” Weber said.

However, before the student can be eligible for Project Hope, the expulsion and hearing process must take place.

“First, a referral form will be filled out”, Weber said. “We will sit down with the student to explain the situation and give the student due process rights, or basically give them an opportunity to share their side of the story. After the story has been investigated, the hearing committee is formed. The hearing committee is made up of three people. One of the people is always our staff counselor who runs the hearing committee and then the other two are other administrators from across the district. At the hearing, each side gets to present their information and the hearing committee also gets to ask questions of either side. If the hearing committee confirms the punishment, the student has an opportunity to appeal before the Board of Education.”

Jordan Meier//Staff Writer Long-term suspensions and expulsions are a rare thing at Olathe East—only six students received this punishment in the 2013-2014 school year.

“Each high school in the district will have about the same,” Weber said as he scrolled through the discipline records of previous school years. “They will have those years that just one or two [students get suspended or expelled] and other years that something big will happen and you will have five or six students receiving long-term suspension or expulsion within a few weeks of each other.”

Weber has seen most every form of suspension and expulsion out there. He has seen drug distribution and sale, even bringing a firearm to school. He takes his job extremely seriously and has never once regretted the action he has taken in order to protect the school if he sees a threat.

“When I do a suspension or an expulsion, it is my responsibility to protect 2000 students, not just the one kid,” Weber said as he sat at his desk leafing through the code of conduct.

Despite the negative stereotypes associated with being a principal Weber personally takes a softer edge to the whole explusion process and recognizes that teenagers are going to make mistakes.

Weber said, “The large, large majority of suspension and expulsions I have been involved in, I don't dislike the kid. To me, I think all kids are good at heart, but the bottom line is young people make poor decisions at times, and those poor decisions sometimes have to be paid for.”

[December] 2014

Feminism: The New F-Word A Look at Modern-Day Misogyny

O

ur culture, quite obviously, has taken gargantuan strides on the front of progress in the past several years. An African-American man was elected president, the crime rate declines steadily each year, and term “yolo” is no longer accepted without irony.

So isn’t it a little bit surprising that women still only make 75 cents for every dollar made by a man? Considering the glacial pace of progress set by history, not particularly.

When you consider the fact that they have only the right to vote for less than 100 years, it’s a minor miracle that the most significant battle on the gender equality front today is income inequality.

Our school’s unofficial motto, “Keep it classy, Olathe East”, contradicts what actually takes place inside the school. Classless acts of casual misogyny, including catcalling, have become commonplace in a school supposedly proud of its sophistication.

A “Cool story babe, now make me sandwich” shirt has become a common staple for spontaneous misogyny. Obviously, the line is supposed to be a harmless, humorous quip on traditional gender roles, but last time I checked, nobody above the eighth grade ever cried from laughing too hard at a woman/sandwich joke.

Case in point, the video announcements decided to create a performance in which the female co-anchor played a helpless victim.

This may have been a harmless sketch, even if the sketch was a bit unaware of itself. The bit following the domestic violence-esque displayed a tongue-in-cheek version of what goes on every day in the halls. It, in itself, was not particularly damaging, but what the display it represents may be.

Some events, however, can occasionally make feminism a difficult topic to take seriously. About a year ago, Miss Utah and momentary Internet sensation Marissa Powell delivered a confusing and bumbling answer to a question on gender income inequality. To her defense, the question was on

Brock Holmes // Senior Staff Writer how to fix the problem of income inequality, which, as of right now, has no true solution. Once she finally made a point that was not a non sequitur on education or jobs, she said that men should take the initiative, and fix the issue at hand. So should men have a role in fixing this injustice? Obviously, however recent trends suggest that that’s not likely to happen.

The past few years have seen the introduction of men’s rights groups. These collections of somewhat misinformed delinquents have come to be known as Meninists. Declining to admit that the textbook definition of feminism is “equality between men and women” has allowed them quite a bit of cognitive dissonance. Some of these groups, like the popular “Meninist” Twitter page, allow some breathing room, balancing the line between satire and seriousness.

Other groups, like A Voice for Men, demand to be taken seriously, but fall short due to the ridiculous nature of the arguments. A Voice for Men claims that feminism no longer needs to exist. The creation and circulation of the term “Feminazi” proves that the movement needs to persist. A Voice For Male Students does not fall into either category, instead deciding to work with feminists to achieve true equality.

“Both men and women have, and have always had, important issues that need to be addressed by society, and neither sex is more important than the other,” said Jonathan Taylor, mastermind behind A Voice For Male Students, “Equality also means rejecting compulsory gender roles which are outdated at best and dysfunctional at worst.”

No doubt, gender discrimination persists in the grand scheme of our culture. Men commonly do not live with the insistent torment of an imperfect body, nor has income injustice ever been an issue. However, society cannot accept the ways in which women are equal to men, and men are unequal to women. The two may become completely equal, but the change takes time.

Keep it classy, Olathe East.

“The first mission of this website is to make sure the public is clearly informed of the issues” -Jonathan Taylor

16 [Editorial]

Bottling Up Stress How I Deal With Stress When My Body Cannot

S

tress is a fickle thing. It drives you, makes you tick, sweat, and panic, all without leaving the inside of your body. It is a very natural thing.

Every student is bound to experience it at sometime in high school. Many students stress over things like tests, labs, friends, projects, and essays. But many also have a natural way to handle this stress: an adrenal gland that releases hormones to relieve the stress in the body. That’s where most students have an advantage over me, because my adrenal gland does not work properly.

I wish I knew exactly why it does not work, but we never figured it out. The diagnosis is a long story that took place during my freshman year. After Thanksgiving break, something seemed to click, or more accurately, unclick. I was sleeping 20 hours a day, and I was barely fully awake for the other four. I was literally sleeping off weight and had no appetite. Before that had happened, I had been making progress putting on weight but that process was shed like a snakeskin. When getting blood drawn from my right arm, it was strange to see that doctors were able to use previous needle prick to stick the needle into. They saw the previous spot blood was drawn from and re-enter a needle to draw blood again.

Previously, I was nervous about needles, but that had to take a backseat to my desire to get the problem solved. It was never a good thing to see the doctor pulling out 12 (my personal best) vials for a bunch of practically useless tests. But one day, with a reference from a family friend, we seemed to make a breakthrough.

We were referred to an endocrinologist at Saint Luke’s, and he had an idea. One blizzard, three IV inserts, and zero arm movement later, we got a solution.

A solution that I figured out meant taking close to 17 pills daily. However, the biggest pill that I had to deal with was trying to avoid stress.

Sure, a person that loved to play sports was supposed to steer away from those activities. No problem. In avoiding stress, I was unable to attend school for finals my freshman year. That’s good, right?

Not really. I had to work outside of school to make up classes, including during the summer to make up French II. I think I figured out my grade for French II a couple days before coming into school for my sophomore year.

I have had to learn how to deal with stress in a new way. Previously, I was able to jump into something and hope for the best, but no more. I must be a strange person to watch at sporting events. Just supporting a team during a close game makes my heart

beat as if I were doing a sprint workout and my legs twitch up and down with the force of a jackhammer.

I rock back and forth when in class or typing. That is just day-to-day, normal class activities. On a test day, I try to look as calm as possible, just doing the normal glasses readjustment or checking the time, but those things seem to keep me sane. My favorite memory from a test, or should I say my least favorite memory, is checking my pulse during the test and it being close to 190.

High school students are faced with a number of problems that they should not be forced to conquer on their own. There are those who struggle with depression, social anxiety, and other things that cause people to be stressed out. They are given their own section and told to solve their problems from there, even if that struggle might be as simple as interacting with someone.

It is most definitely a struggle to try to stay calm, avoiding the ever-present threats of migraines, stomach migraines, and anxiety. I think the biggest tip to learn is to let things go, or at least for now. For many of the problems that I have or will face in high school, I’ve found that it is better to focus on one task at a time rather than to spread myself thin with all of the challanges. Over time, things change, and you have to adapt to the new problems that you face. You cannot control many of the problems that come your way.

But one of the things that you can is your comforts.

Junior Elias Jaramillo prefers keeping it simple things to keep calm, “At night I just like to watch Netflix, do my homework in a relaxed environment, and sleep,” Elias said.

Last year, one of my comforts was a pack of Sour Patch Watermelon that I sneakily ate in the back of Dr. Donham’s 6th hour chemistry class with my neighbors. I am still not sure whether the comfort came from the sugar-induced rush, or if it came from the fact that it was an escape from my normally serious attitude in school, and one that I could share with friends. All I know is the Sour Patch was an escape. Sometimes, you just have to escape the stress.

Logan Brockschmidt//Staff Writer

STRESSED STUDENTS

BY THE NUMBERS

8.7/10

Students feel overburdened with tests

1.5 hrs

Amount of time students study before becoming stressed

Seniors

Grade level who has the highest stress level during tests

3

Number of Advanced/AP Classes that reported the highest stress levels

About a couple weeks’ worth of medicine Courtesy of Logan Brockschmidt

[December] 2014

Wake and Caffeinate America’s Drug of Choice

Gavin Miller//Staff Writer

A

Weirdest Caffeine Products Available

Butterfinger Buzz - Limited edition caffeinated Butterfinger to satisfy both your sweet tooth and caffeine fix.

Powder - One teaspoon of pure caffeine powder = over 30 cups of coffee. Caution advised.

Soap - Skip the extra step of making coffee in the early hours by incorporating caffeine into Courtesy of amazon.com your morning shower. Exfoiliating, caffeinated cleanliness.

Beer - Banned in seven states, these brews offer the additional buzz of caffeine to the alcohol. If this still doesn’t sound extreme enough for you, glow-in-the-dark caffeine beer is also available.

Sunflower Seeds - Eat your way to energy with caffeine-infused sunflower seeds, available in mouthwatering honey BBQ, dill pickel and ranch flavors.

Courtesy of candyfordinner.com

s far as mentally-stimulating drugs go, they are for the most part frowned upon and considered unhealthy. One such drug however, known and loved worldwide for its ability to awaken and focus its user is caffeine. Consumed by approximately 80% of American adults daily, caffeine’s effects are coveted and practically necessary to anyone with an early-morning routine.

The stimulant appears most popularly in the form of coffee, but is also readily available in energy drinks, pills, chewing gum, and countless other delectable options.

The effects caffeine have on one’s health have been debated for some time, and while the conclusion has been reached that it’s mostly harmless, there are still some notable pros and cons of making it a part of your daily routine.

While caffeine can raise blood pressure and does decrease bone density, it also is an antidepressant, improves concentration and makes the user more alert. Many users of caffeine would say that it overall improves the quality of their day and increases their productivity.

Energy drinks such as Red Bull or Monster have proved to be the most controversial and dangerous incarnation of caffeine. Teens are often targeted by energy drink companies, and every once in awhile you’ll hear about deaths from overconsumption – according to caffeineinformer.com, there were 1,653 reported cases of overdose in 2012.

Although a psychoactive drug, caffeine has been ruled “generally safe” by the Food and Drug Administration. While energy drinks are usually considered unhealthy and unsafe, the caffeine in them is not the culprit.

Seizures and cardiac arrest are common occurrences that land people in the emergency room after energy drinks, but considering that most energy drinks contain other, untested ingredients, the caffeine itself is not necessarily to blame.

Considering that the drug appears in many of the most popular beverages in the country, like Starbucks Coffee, sodas such as Pepsi and Coke, and the gold mine that is the energy-drink market, companies which profit off of it will continue to use caffeine’s appeal to their advantage.

An ancient tradition, caffeine consumption dates back to its discovery in the form of tea in 3000 BCE China, and as a chewable Kola nut, a part of West African culture. The coffee bean and tea, while the most accessible, are far from the only natural source from which caffeine is derived – other common sources include the South American Yerba mate plant and the Guarana berry.

If caffeine had any seriously negative health effects, chances are they would have been discovered by now, and considering how many people love and depend upon the drug, it appears that caffeine could be around for as long as humans feel the need to fight fatigue.

18 [Editorial]

School Community Overcomes Recent Student Tragedies

Together

The Olathe Family Speaks Out About Pushing Forward

Natalie Friend//Staff Writer

James McGinnis was injured on September 12th. Morgan Hayes passed away on October 9th. Ciara Webb took her own life on November 7th, and Cady Housh, only two days later on the 9th. Four tragedies, all of which have occurred in less than four months.

As a community, as a family, we are strong. And although tragic, these last few months have shown just how strong we can be both as students and as a singular unit.

What Happened?

James McGinnis, a senior and an Olathe East football player, suffered from bleeding on the brain while playing in the September 12th Friday night game against Olathe South. Collapsing on the field, he was rushed to the hospital. “On the first night when he first had surgery, we were in the waiting room and it was packed. It was super-hot. It was crazy. We had kids from everywhere- cheerleaders, football players, friends of his family, parents that may not have even knew him… everybody was there to support him.” said AJ Stephens, good friend of James and his family.

James suffered a subdural hematoma which is, bleeding and swelling on the brain and means that James’ recovery has been and will be a long and difficult process. In the meantime, the community has responded with get-togethers at the hospital, fundraisers, tee-shirts, James McGinnis and social media, all in an effort to raise awareness and support for James and his family. Not only raising spirits, the community also raised over 12 thousand dollars towards James’ medical bills. He was transferred to the Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital in Lincoln, Nebraska, to furCourtesy of Patrick McGinnis ther his recovery and has now spent over ten weeks there improving daily.

Morgan Hayes Morgan was a sophomore at Olathe East who had battled cancer for years. In the weeks before her passing, those who knew her worked in tandem with Olathe East’s student news on a video.

Jonie Welland, a friend of Morgan’s, was part of the project. “We mostly did Courtesy of Bailey Terry the video, not for others, but to show her that there

was a community of people who cared and were reaching out to her, so she could see that and remember that,” said Welland. The video was supposed to be aired with the student news on Wednesday, October 8th, but due to technical difficulties, the video was not released. Morgan passed away the next day.

Once again in an effort to comfort one another, the students came together and created signs, a social media hashtag, and tee-shirts for those who knew Morgan well. A vigil was held at Stoll Park on that Sunday for the community to attend. “There were a lot of kids from different schools, some who knew her from elementary school or middle school or from high school. So they really showed just how we, as strangers, came together. We were tied together by her,” said Welland.

Although not everyone may have known James personally, or may have known Morgan personally, they were still affected. “They’re a part of Olathe East, they’re a part of our story,” said Weber.

When Ciara Webb, a junior at Olathe Northwest, took her own life in November, it came as an unexpected and devastating shock to the community. “I was completely shocked. I did not believe it...and then I had to,” said Micaela Stohs, a junior at Olathe East who knew Ciara. That weekend, ONW administrators had the school open on Sunday as a place where students could come to be together in the face of their grief. But on Sunday night Cady Housh, a friend, fellow classmate, and teammate of Ciara’s, made the decision to take her own life as well.

When on Monday the staff of ONW delivered the official news to students about Ciara, they were informed of Cady’s death only minutes after delivering the announcement. Once again, the faculty stood before their students and broke the news. Churches opened their doors that Monday evening for students and their families to come together and pray about what happened, while school stayed in session all week. Qualified counselors, social workers, school psychologists, school resource officers, and other school and community resources were available for students upon their request and for any who were struggling. Olathe East’s own Mrs. Noteboom and Mr. Heinen were sent to ONW and were instrumental. A candlelit vigil was held that Tuesday night for the girls at the Grace United Methodist Church where hundreds were in attendance. Members of the girls’ soccer team, best friends, and students from other schools all took to the microphone, one after the other sharing stories and sharing their pain.

Social Media and Its Effect

As a generation, we rely heavily on social media to connect with other people and use it every day. When tragedy struck, the students and the community turned to social media once again. But this time, instead of a trivial time-passer, students used social media platforms, specifically Twitter, to enact change and empathize with one another.

Olathe East has seen this before, when Nate Trinkle passed away in 2012, the students responded with #StateForNate.

When James was injured, within hours students were spreading information and concern on twitter with #PrayForJames. Dr. Weber, principal of Olathe East, said, “With social media it creates a bigger atmosphere, and number one: everybody knows what is going on, but number two: it is

just human nature to want to help each other out and that particular moment, I think when you talk about the first 48 hours it was probably the most amazing thing it was just, it was all out there.”

Stephens said, “I think it not only brought us together but it also gave some hope. We were asking simply for your prayers for his recovery, not condolences. We were very lucky and are very grateful that we could make that distinction. We wanted people to know that and to keep him in their daily prayers.” Patrick McGinnis, James’ father, spoke was available for an interview. He said, “All those times when we sat at James’ bedside, we were online. We read every tweet, every post. Reading those stories was very uplifting, very comforting.” As we move forward, we must remember that James’ journey has not ended and just like ours as a community, there is still much to be done.

Similar to the Twitter hashtag for James, the hashtag for Morgan, #RememberMorgan, was used as a place where people could support each other and express their love. Friends of Morgan and fellow sophomores shared their memories and their hearts together online in the days after her death.

After news of Ciara’s death began to circulate, it was no surprise that students turned to each other for comfort - in the only way many know: online. Even Cady, active on Twitter after hearing of Ciara’s death, expressed her sadness and support for other kids. And as news spread of her own death, students continued to pay tribute to the girls using hashtags like #ripCW, #ripCiara, and #ripCady. “It’s crazy how loved they were, and that they didn’t see that,” said Stohs. Not only mourning the losses, a lot of the social media was coming from other students uninvolved, simply supporting Northwest. “Just seeing those tweets from other people really helped the students,” said Angie Salava, lead counselor of Northwest.

Moving Forward

Although the support was centralized at specific schools, it did spread and as it did, it spread like fire. Throughout the district and the area, fellow Olathe schools and Shawnee schools sent in videos, photos, posters, and flowers all showing their support - both in the East tragedies and the ones at Northwest. As East’s principal, Dr. Weber oversaw much of the reaction after James’ injury and Morgan’s death. “You don’t want to overdo something, you don’t want to do more than the family feels is comfortable, but on the flip side of this, I also know that when people want to do something, that’s their own form of coping. That’s a huge piece of that too, being able to cope in your own way,” said Weber. And although coping seems like an impossible task in the face of such dark times, that is what we have done - together.

More than anything, this has opened a conversation often avoided and hidden from view. The subject of suicide and depression is one not discussed enough with students and within schools. Gwen Poss, Principal of ONW, wrote in her letter to parents, “Here is my request for all parents for this afternoon or evening — please have a heartfelt conversation with your student about these tragedies and specifically about suicide.”

Suicide is the third-leading cause of death among children and young adults. A survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found 16 percent of high school students reported that they had seriously considered ending their lives in the previous year. And although many were afraid that this conversation could lead to another student death, experts and professionals involved were eager to soothe parents’ fears. “We don’t want to glorify the way the choice they made, but we need to make sure we honor Ciara and Cady. They were a part of our community,” said Salava. Students too, appreciated the more open environment. Stephens said, “Hopefully this

[December] 2014

is a wake-up call for Olathe.”

“Students don’t think it can happen here. But it does.

Cady Housh And I wish it didn’t take their deaths to make kids realize that,” said Stohs.

“Because of what has happened, hopefully students are more willing to step forward,” said Weber.

“It’s one of those things that brings people together but the challenge is, how do you harvest that energy? Everybody’s Courtesy of Twitter pretty much on the same page and everybody wants to like each other, love each other, Courtesy of Micaela Stohs respect each other. How do you harvest that to keep that momentum going? That’s the unfortunate part; not just in schools but in society, something bad has to happen for people to come together,” said Weber. Although one wishes that our community had come about this momentum in another way, we have it and Caira Webb we must act.

Weber asked, “What can we continue to do to keep this momentum going?” And there is a solution: change.

“This just shows there is always something we can do to care for each other, show support, and meet people’s needs. We need to make sure people don’t feel secluded and alone. We don’t show enough need for people.” said Stephens. Many have begun to notice how they treat one another, and many have noticed that within these past months, relationships between other students have improved. “I hope this changes how we treat each other, with what has happened, it just kind of shows that we’re all vulnerable for something to happen at any time and we can’t take the people or things in our lives for granted. We can never let that go.” said Stephens.

“I think that it’s sort of easy to use a hashtag and to say something now, but we can’t just leave it as a trending thing that will eventually pass, we have to keep remembering and acting as a community,” said Welland.

Remembering the students we have lost and what they have gone through is only the first step. The second is to honor them, to change things. Whether changing how teenagers treat themselves and each other, or changing how schools and teenagers handle depression, there is always a something to be done.

In her letter, Poss closed with a phrase which rings true. “We are one Raven Family!” But not only a Raven Family, or a Hawk Nation, we are an Olathe Family. Perhaps now, that may just ring a little truer. Together, we can beat the odds and can push forward. Together, we are united.

Hawk Nation Keeps James in their Hearts Courtesy of Bailey Terry

Friends Uniting Photo Illustration Courtesy of Casey Gardner

ONW Vigil for Ciara And Cady Courtesy of Brooke Todd

20 [Entertainment]

Cellphone Service Map Where Cell Phone Service is at its Best and Where You Just Shouldn’t Even Try

I

n order to find out where Olathe East’s wireless connection was strongest and weakest, connections were based off of four smartphones, each with different mobile carriers.

After taking the phones around the entire school and getting strange looks from people, enough data was collected to create a map. The data was averaged among the 4 phones and put into different categories. Overall, the best service revolves around the center of the building and peaks right around the Library, Commons, and Bridge while the worst service had the tendency to be around the dreaded –you guessed it— science hallways. During the process, however, T-Mobile proved to have the most consistent exceptional service around nearly the entire school while Verizon Wireless fell a bit short of the other carriers. Because of this, connection may vary according to carriers.

KEY: Exceptional Great Average Death Zone -

Amy Du//Business Manager

[December] 2014

22 [Entertainment]

Who Wrote It?

Olathe East Senior’s College Essays

O

ur seniors are sending essays upon essays to the colleges they wish to attend in a year. They can write these essays based on hundreds of different prompts and requirements, yet all have one thing in common: these students want to impress each college. The whole point of these essays is to give the college insight to who each person is beyond their grade

Katie Thompson//Staff Writer

point averages and amount of AP classes. A majority of essays were sent in not only for acceptance, but for scholarships. Some of the seniors here at East offered up snippets of their app essays and the job is in your hands to identify who wrote each of these brilliant essays.

I

“

“

had a dream of attending college at the United States Air Force Academy; however, my dreams were altered when I failed my breathing test that would expunge my records of my asthma. Asthma has been a part of my life since when I was young, but I thought I could have outgrown it since I hadn’t used my inhaler in a year. When talking to my aunt, who is in the Air Force, she said to get in I needed a clean record. This meant scheduling an appointment with a pulmonologist and taking a breathing test. This breathing test had me inhale a gas, that only reacted with asthmatic lungs, then blow into a machine which measured it’s strength. However, as the gas dosage increased my breathing power decreased. The line got shorter and shorter until a message came up on the screen. Failed. Unable to control my emotions all I could was cry and ask why me.”

E

quality is not just for black people, white people, Hispanic people, homosexuals, or people with traits that make them stand out from the “status quo.” Equality is for people all ages, of any religion, of any color of skin, of any sexual preference. Yet, often times we let simple things cloud our view of other people. It can be the media, a person’s religious group, or even our parents and people we look up to, but somehow we learn to treat those who do not look or act the same as us differently.”

M E

“

“

Madi Augustyn (University of Nebraska) Mark Vanlandingham (University of Kansas) Nikki Kuhn (Baylor University or the University of Arkansas) Matt Thuston (University of Kansas)

y life would be entirely different if music did not play such an instrumental role for me. To that end, that is Lauren Howell why I have chosen to persue a Music Therapy degree, helping others through music is how I hope to, “stay (University of Kansas) the course, light a star, change the world wherever you are.”

ven now when I am seventeen and my own person I find myself gravitating towards the things my brother did at my age. I am applying to the same colleges he did , and I might be pre-med in college just like him. I used to claim that he didn’t have that big of an impact on me, but as I grow older I can truly see the way he has shaped me as a person and now he is almost 22 and taking a gap year, being a scribe in an Emergency Room in Colorado before he goes to medical school next year. In a way I feel like I am seeing my future in his present. He tells me what not to do in college what he loved to do and what I need to be doing right now in high school. He has helped me in so many ways and made me the person I am without even trying. One thing is for sure, if Jimmy and I had the typical “brother-sister relationship” I would not be the person I am today.”

I

am a Christian. At least I try to be. Much of my discomfort regarding this problem comes from a large portion of my fellow Christians. I do not like to label any one person or group as “conservative Christian,” but when you hear those words, we all think of the same people. Whether you are a part of this group or not, I do believe that one portion of their common beliefs may be flawed. I have heard, countless times, from people who would call themselves conservative Christians, that people in poverty do not deserve their help or money because they are not putting forth the effort to help themselves. I believe this is the antithesis of the foundation of Christian belief.”

Answers:

From Top to Bottom: Madi Augustyn, Matt Thuston, Lauren Howell, Nikki Kuhn, Mark Vanlandingham

“

List of Students

[December] 2014

The Campus Crying Guide Advice on Where to go For the Perfect Private Sob Spot

Brenna Thompson//Senior Staff Writer

Underneath the auditorium stage in “the pit”

Between the book shelves in the school library

Boys, girls, cheer, or drill team locker rooms

Your favorite teacher’s classroom (as long as they’re not with a class)

Abandoned practice rooms: choir, band, or orchestra

Your car in the parking lot. (Just ask for a pass to your car from the office)

The staircase in the 600 hallway

Courtesy of Katie Thompson For years bathrooms have been the stereotypical cry spot for students across America.

However, is the humiliation of your teacher walking in on your toilet seat sob fest really worth it? With so many stairways, abandoned classrooms, and unnoticed corners retreating to a public rest area should never be the first choice for a good cry. Creativity is essential to disguise your tearful breakdown: think outside the restroom stall.

For boys, jumping on the treadmill for a quick run/cry can be a resouceful option. As soon as the sweat starts flowing, let the tears start going, no one will ever be able to tell the difference.

However, with girls, makeup and waterworks don’t exactly go hand in hand. For these ladies, waterproof mascara will be your best friend. Just remember, dab, don’t rub. Tear streaks aren’t cute on anyone. One neglected and overlooked weeping place is the library. Kneeling between bookshelves, you can remain pretty much invisible. If anyone walks by, just act like you’re tying your shoe. This fool proof plan will run smoothly, no worries. However, some criers are more vocal than others. For these, a quiet place seems necessary for their loud outbursts.

English teacher Justin Williams suggests the secret staircase by the English classrooms in the 600 hallway is the place to go.

They are surrounded by closed doors In the fitness and literally no one uses them, aside from room while lustful couples, but that’s a whole other issue. working out Ironically, these secluded sob spots also tend to be PDA places.

Williams said, “These stairwells also tend to be popular make out spots. Privacy is what you are looking for in either case.”

As if walking in on a couple sucking face serves as just what you need when on Theater the verge of tears. With so many options, costume one should never have to cry in a crowded, closet room exposed hallway or classroom. above the Theater and music kids have a broad selec400 hallway tion to weep in, from the abandoned practice rooms, to the orchestra pit underneath the stage. Molly Munyan’s room of choice is the theater loft above the creative arts hallway.

Munyan said, “Once I have a good cry, I’d cover up by finding and asking a stoner for eye drops, which of course he/she will have.”

So, the next time you find yourself The counselor’s choking down tears after receiving an F office. This one’s on that paper from that teacher you hate, pretty much a for goodness’s sake DO NOT retreat to the no brainer. nearest bathroom. Don’t be that lethargic student to cry on the toilet; you’re better than that. So cry, sob, weep, yell, just do it in private. However, you can always find an alternative. The Campus Crying Guide was made for you.

24 [Entertainment]

Hawks’ Holiday Faves See Which Songs and Movies Made it to the Top

Annie Beurman//Senior Staff Writer

W

hen the holidays arrive, watching holiday movies and listening to holiday songs launches people into the spirit. However, out of all the choices, some are superior to others. A total of 127 Olathe East students were polled on their favorite song and movie during the holidays. Out of the movies that made the most at the box office and most often remade songs, the students chose the following.

Home Alone

The Polar Express

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

The Santa Clause

28%

17%

12%

2%

The Most Popular Movie...

All I Want for Christmas is You

28%

Elf

41%

Feliz Navidad

Silent Night

White Christmas

22%

14%

7%

The Most Popular Song...

Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree

29%

[December] 2014

26 [Advertisements]

[December] 2014

ON THE FLIPSIDE Calendar Tuesday, December 16 Semester 1 Finals: Hour 2, Seminar, Hour 4, Hour 6

Teacher Trivia

Wednesday, December 17 Semester 1 Finals: Hour 1, Hour 5 Dismissal @ 11:15 Thursday, December 18 Semester 1 Finals: Hour 3, Hour 7 Dismissal @ 11:15 Friday, December 19 No School: Professional Day

Top 5 Christmas Stocking Stuffers 1. Oranges 2. iTunes Gift Card 3. Socks 4. Jewelry 5. Candy Canes

Which Olathe East teacher’s father ran for president?

Last Issue’s answer:

Mr. Umphrey is also a professional sports photographer.

Notification Statement of Non-discrimination: The Olathe Public Schools prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion or disability in its programs, activities or employment, and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups to its facilities as required by: Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and other relevant state and federal laws. Inquiries regarding compliance with applicable civil rights statutes related to ethnicity, gender, age discrimination or equal access may be directed to Staff Counsel, 14160 Black Bob Road, Olathe, KS 66063-2000, phone 913-780-7000. All inquiries regarding compliance with applicable statutes regarding Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act may be directed to the Assistant Superintendent General Administration, 14160 Black Bob Rd. Olathe, KS 66063-2000, phone (913) 780-7000. Interested persons including those with impaired vision or hearing, can also obtain information as to the existence and location of services, activities and facilities that are accessible to and usable by disabled persons by calling the Assistant Superintendent General Administration. (04/13)