Catching Up With Olathe East Alumni Travis Tanahill Page 3
Is Abstinence Based Learning Best for Our Students? Page 11
Olathe East’s Tattoos Revealed
Comparing Olathe East to Ridgemont High Pages 14 & 15 Issue 2//Volume 22
TABLE OFCONTENTS SPORTS
[September] 2013
Sights Set on Sundays Former OE student Travis Tannahill takes a run at the NFL
Travis Tannahill Takes on the NFL.............3 Matthew Gwin Powder Puff Game.......................................4 Katie Thompson
Matthew Gwin//Staff Writer
A
NEWS
Senior Husayn Sultani flipping at the powder puff game
The Evolution of Dance.................................5 Austin Porter Senior Standouts...........................................6 Lauren Heinrich & Amy Du The Rising Cost of College...........................7
Senior dance crew rockin’ it at the pep assembly
mere 53 men make up each of the 32 rosters in the National Football League (NFL). After doing the math, that adds up to about 1700 players who make their living playing at the top level of football. Considering the world has over seven billion people, with over 300 million just in America, an NFL job is quite difficult to come by. Just don’t tell Travis Tannahill. Tannahill, who graduated from Olathe East in 2008 and attended Kansas State, was signed by the Cleveland Browns this year as a tight end and participated in their training camp. Unfortunately, he was released in the last round of cuts and has yet to be picked up by another organization. Travis now spends his days staying in shape, hunting ducks and deer in central Kansas, and waiting for the phone to ring. Meanwhile, his agent constantly calls teams to gauge their interest in Tannahill.
Travis Tannahill’s Football Checklist
Brock Holmes What’s Enjoyable About Kansas?..............8 Aaron Rhodes September in Photographs..........................9 Zack Neuman
Harmful Hollywood...................................10 Jordan Meier The Down and Dirty on Sex Ed................11 Jessica Goddard
feature
Like It, Love It, Or Hate It................ 12 & 13 Brenna Thompson High School: Reality vs. Movies...... 14 & 15 Courtney Child & Lauren Merino Olathe East Tattoos...............16, 17, 18 &19 Heather Burton & Kelsey Knecht
ADVISER
PUBLICITY MANAGER
EDITORS
STAFF WRITERS
Karen Bourland Lauren Merino Zack Neuman
Aaron Rhodes
BUSINESS MANAGERS
Logan Brockschmidt Amy Du Matthew Gwin Brock Holmes Jordan Meier Brenna Thompson Katie Thompson
SENIOR STAFF WRITERS
Courtney Child Lauren Hart
MANAGING EDITOR Jessica Goddard
PHOTOGRAPHER Heather Burton
Maddy Branstetter Sean Fiore
COPY EDITORS
Aaron Yuratovich Kelsey Knecht Austin Porter Hanna Melton
PAGE EDITORS Lauren Heinrich Paige Schick
“All you can do at this point is keep your name in front of them,” said Tannahill. Even though his destiny no longer rests in his hands, Travis won’t give up, at least not for a while. “Right now, I’m all focused on football,” Tannahill said. “But if no one calls by January, I’ll have to start looking for a normal, nine-tofive job.” In my opinion, Luckily, this might not be too rough of a transition, as Travis excels both on and off the field. Ask anyone about him, and positive comhe’s already ments come spewing out. more than a OE history and leadership teacher Kathy Falen remarked, “He has a heart for other people. In my opinion, he’s already more than a success. success.” -Kathy Falen on Football coach Jeff Meyers added, “Travis works hard and will be Travis Tannahill successful in whatever he does.” To a point, Tannahill realizes that his NFL dream may not come to fruition. However, he has taken solace in his achievements thus far. Tannahill said, “I’ve made it farther than 99% of high school athTannahill (above left) letes, and I never cheated or used steroids. I did it the right way.” Whether Tannahill finds success in the NFL matters not, as Travis catches a breather during training camp earlier this year has already achieved extraordinary success and made all who know Courtesy of Travis Tannahill him beyond proud.
“
“
editorial
A student-run publication Olathe East High School 14545 West 127th Street Olathe, KS 66062
Tannahill (above) boots a punt back in his days as a member of the Hawks Courtesy of Travis Tannahill
4 [Sports]
P
owder puff. Sounds sweet, right? Wrong. Powder puff is not just a game. It determines what grade of females is stronger, faster, tougher, and yes, smarter. Throwing and catching a football may not come easily to some girls, but that is what the high school male coaches are for. They bravely take on the task of turning giggling girls into tough, headstrong football players. Their job is to teach their team the ins and outs of the game. That might be easier said than done.
Super Bow XXII Katie Thompson//Staff Writer
At the start of practices, some of the girls need help differentiating offense vs. defense and running back vs. linebacker. But hey, they are girls. What was expected? Running and blocking is not exactly some ladies forte, but with the right coaching and numerous water breaks, each girl can find her inner Aaron Rodgers. When eyeliner is replaced with eye black, the coaches know they have been victorious.
PLAYERS
COACHES
Powder Puff running back Kennedy Poro and quarterback, Taylor Schoenborn were also interviewed about their experience being coached by their high school classmates.
An interview with Powder Puff coach junior Matt Thuston gives an insight to what it was truly like to be a football coach of a team of high school girls.
What was it like to try and teach girls to play football?
Matt: It was pretty hard. Some of them actually wanted to learn but most of them just do it for fun or for the shirt. It was hard when they didn’t listen to what were saying and they got distracted really easily.
Did the girls know more or less than you expected them to know about football?
Matt: Some of them actually knew a lot more than I thought, but it was about what I expected. Were you surprised
What was it like for the boys to try and teach you how to play football? Kennedy: It was kind of funny because only
two of them actually play football here at East. They also had problems keeping everyone concentrated because some people, like myself, did not take it super seriously. Powder Puff Champions Courtesy of Kennedy Poro Taylor: It was so much fun. All the coaches were very postitive about playing the game and it made everything that much better.
with any of the players for how much they knew?
Do you think you will want to coach again next year? Matt: I plan on coaching again next year because I think it will be easier. The girls already will know what to expect and we could have some more time to work with them. Also we could do some stuff I want to do as well as the other coaches. Most importantly, we want to beatthe incoming juniors.
The Evolution of
T
Dirty Dancing
hroughout the ages men and women have been engaging in a number of sexually oriented dance moves. First came the tango, then the bump and grind, and now twerking. Dirty dance moves, such as these, have always made their way into popular movies or music videos, although now after much controversy surrounding this move, the art of twerking has gained some new forms of recognition. That’s right, the Oxford dictionary decided to add “twerk“ to their list of different phrases as a legitimate word. With recent
events such as Miley Cyrus’ interesting performance at the VMA’s, it just didn’t seem right for the move to go unaccredited, but surely this can’t be the only dance craze that has swept the nation.
The 80’s
Swing
“It was just as popular, but not as disgusting as twerking.” -Mrs. Swyers, Senior English
Did you think you girls knew more about football than the coaches expected you would know? Kennedy: For some of the girls, definitely; but for others, not so much. Taylor: We had a lot of players who already knew so much about sports, so I do not think they expected us to know nothing.
Matt: Abigail Dressler was our quarterback and she was like a genius. She probably knew more than most football players do. Some of the other girls knew a lot about routes and also defense too.
[September] 2013
Were you surprised with any of the girls for how much they knew? Kennedy: I think that the majority of
the girls were confused when we we addressed the plays, but after running through them, the girls picked them up really quickly. Taylor: I was definently surprised with how many girls knew about football during our first few practices. By game time, we had all learned something new about how the game is played.
The 2000’s
Austin Porter//Staff Writer
The 60’s
Dirty Dog
“It was dirty, but that didnt stop us from doing it.” -Mr. Super, Junior English
The 90’s Bump n’ Grind
“We knew when and where to do it. Kids today have no boundaries.” -Mrs. Evans, Personal Finance
The Running Man
“It wasn’t that dirty, we didnt risk getting pregnant by dancing.” -Ms. Vohs, F.A.C.
Present Day
Twerk
“Sometimes when I’m at home I like to twerk.” -Mr. Thuston, Social Science
Do you think you will want to play again next year?
Kennedy: Of course I will because I will be a senior and I have to rep the class of ’15 and take them to victory.
What did you enjoy most about being a player in Powder Puff? Taylor: I enjoyed how everyone Powder Puff Cheerleaders Courtesy of Zack Neuman
was able to have a good time and how we were able to work together and try our hardest.
Some may even say that Miley Cyrus pulled an Elvis Presley. Introducing the pelvic thrust to the world certainly gained almost the same recognition as twerking. After that performance he was normally portrayed on television from the waist up with an editor from the New York Herald Tribune calling Elvis “unspeakably untalented and vulgar.” Can we expect the same from Miley now? After her performance an MSNBC anchor said, “That young lady, who is 20, is
obviously deeply troubled, deeply disturbed. Probably have confidence issues, probably an eating disorder. And I don’t think anybody should have put her up on stage. That was disgusting.” A cycle could be going on here; whenever a new dance craze arises some celebrity might introduce them to the world in some edgy way. At least now we can expect this cycle, which is safe to assume that dirty dancing can’t stop and wont stop.
6 [News]
[September] 2013
SENIOR STANDOUTS
Knowledge on College College costs and to combat
C
ollege graduates with a bachelor’s degree make an average of $28,000 a year more than high school graduates that did not attend college. Education is a right and not a privilege, but every year it becomes harder and harder to obtain. The American dream was built around the idea that everyone should have the right to education and become prosperous, however we are headed toward a society in which only the rich are guaranteed it. Perhaps, the traditional college experience is not for everybody. As a reaction to rising college loan costs, some students are deciding on alternatives to college, according to tuition.io. Some popular alternatives are apprenticeships and attending a university in Canada or England. If you are looking for the college experience, are fine with being far away from home, and looking for much cheaper rates, attending college in a foreign country might be for you. According to studentaid.ed.gov,
“In America, higher education cannot be a luxury.” -Barack Obama
over 25,000 students are now deciding that going abroad to England and Canada to receive an education is a better idea than staying in America and paying off loans until they are in their forties. The largest downside to going to a university out of the country is obvious: having to form a long-distance relationship with your family and high costs of returning home for holidays. The lower cost of education could be worth leaving home, though. If beginning work and earning money right out of high school sounds appealing, than an apprenticeship or an internship might be a viable option. The internships that pay the most amount of money are for engineering or banking, which usually require at least two years of secondary education. Most apprenticeships do not pay very much to start out, but there is plenty of opportunity to move up in the trade. The unfortunate shortcoming of being an apprentice or intern is most of the work at the beginning is menial, as is the pay. Last July, the student loan rate doubled from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent. After the student rate doubled, Congress passed a bill
that would bring down the loan interest rate, but the bill also links the amount of interest to how well the job market is doing. The bill brings some good news to students right now, because America is in the middle of a recession. However, the economy is expected to rebound considerably in the next three years, meaning trouble for high school freshman and sophomores who plan on going to college. By 2016, the student loan rate is expected to be above 6.8 percent.
$26,600
Average student loan debt as of October 2012
66%
Students that graduate with debt
20 Million
Americans attending secondary education each year
53%
Students that graduated with more than $30,000
75%
Middle and high school students that are planning on going to college in 2012
57%
Middle and high school students that were planning on going to college in 1988
$74,602
Average salary of advanced degree holders
$29,950
Average salary of high school graduates
$18,734
Average salary of high school dropouts www.dosomething.org www.asa.org www.bigfuture.org
Seniors who soar above the rest
Amy Du//Staff Writer Lauren Heinrich//Staff Writer
Brock Holmes//Staff Writer
E
veryone has something they’re good at or enjoy doing. Some excel beyond others and stand out from the rest. We walk past these people each day in school, not knowing anything about them. So who really makes up the student population? Here are a few seniors whose faces are definitely worth remembering.
The Musician
We all need a little music in our life. For Chris Opperman, music is way more than just a simple hobby. Being placed in the top wind ensemble at East, he practices his saxophone all through the school day and practices again at home for an hour each night.
“Music is my life.” said Chris, “Pretty much everything I do is related to music or band.” He enjoys marching band, because he gets to be involved with football and drill team as well as being with his band mates. After high school, Chris plans to major in general music and purse a career in either performing or directing. Until then, Chris can be found competing in band competitions and performing in the marching band’s highly anticipated show: “Tribal Dances.”
The Artist
Micah Wright is an extremely talented artist. From sketching to digital art, this girl does it all. Starting from a young age, Micah’s been drawing. “I’ve been drawing ever since I can remember,” she stated. Such talent
The Scholar
For some people, school comes easy, and Hannah Wilson is no exception. She only spends about thirty minutes a
week studying. “I know that sounds bad,” she said, “I normally leave my backpack in the car.” Ever since she was younger, Hannah said she’s always had a knack for school. When it comes to making good grades, Hannah stated, “All you need to do is actually turn in your homework. A lot of people don’t do that. Then beyond that is just studying a little extra.” Currently, she is ninth in East’s senior class of 2014. Since school doesn’t present difficult for Hannah, she has a surplus of free time. “I’m in drum line and debate. I do SNHS, NHS; I’ve played basketball for the past three years,” she stated. As far as college goes, Hannah plans on going to KU to study psychology and pre-med.
The Athlete
The word around Olathe East is that Andres Cooper is one of the best
when it comes to soccer. Starting at just six years old, he instantly fell
takes tons and tons of practice, pa-
in love with soccer. The sport has become a
Unfortunately, however, with school as a priority, Micah doesn’t draw as often as she would like. She said, “I nearly draw something every day… you have to balance it out with homework and your responsibilities as well.” Micah enjoys making digital art. “Sometimes I’ll do a cross-breed where I’ll sketch it in my pad, scan it, and take it digital on the Mac,” she added. Micah commented, “One of my favorite things about art is being able to take things that you’ve seen from all over the world and interpret it into your own art.” After high school, Micah plans on majoring in art. She’s looked into Kansas City National Art Institute as a possibility, so far.
Photos Courtesy Amy Du and Lauren Heinrich
tience and dedication.
major part of his life ever since. Andres and his team practice every nongame day from 3:20-5:00pm. After years of experience and working incredibly hard in the blazing sun, it’s no wonder that he’s so good at what he does. “I just love the way it feels to be out [playing soccer] ,” remarked Andres. Although he has offers from Baker University and Benedictine College, his future remains undecided. However, one thing Andres is certain about is that soccer will continue to be his passion as he makes his way into college and will always be so throughout his life.
8 [News]
Flat Kansas What’s so great about our state?
[September] 2013
Haley Bondank and Robbie Tipton (future king and queen) getting introduced at the pep assembly.
Courtsey of Zack Nueman
Aaron Rhodes//Publicity Manager
Dr. Weber looks fear in the face as a BMX biker flips flips over his head.
Husayn Sultani flying through the air during the senior powder puff dance.
B
elieve it or not, an abundance of people do not like living in Kansas. This logic can be attributed to the often-lousy weather, the lack of an ocean, and in the words of most teenagers: “there’s nothing to do at all ever.” When you’re born in suburban Kansas, you probably end up taking some important stuff for granted. You’re most likely financially stable and Johnson County is a relatively safe place to be most of the time. Lawrence, Wichita, and Kansas City all have an impressive variety of restaurants, thriving music and art scenes, and
plenty to do. You’ve got art museums, plenty of college sports, and plenty to do right across the border in Missouri. And really, is the weather that bad? The temperature tends to change fairly quickly, but is almost never unbearable. The heat rarely goes over 100 degrees or to below zero degrees. While Kansas isn’t perfect, many places fare far worse in in comparison. The Hawk’s Eye has collected some of the less popular opinions, asking students here at East what they like about living in the Sunflower State.
Photo courtesy of Zack Neuman
The cheerleaders pumping up the crowd for our homecoming football game.
“I really love going to the lakes in Kansas...they are so pretty.” -Ashley Hill, sophomore “[I like]the beautiful scenery and the never-ending list of fun things to do.” -Bailey Terry, junior “The community feel: I’ve noticed that everyone seems to be a lot closer and more neighborly here, than any where else I’ve been.” -Natalie Friend, sophomore
Through a Lens A month in photographs
10 [Editorial]
Child Stardom:
Jordan Meier//Staff Writer
“
So you realize, or you
think, rather, as a child that this is something that can't happen: I can't make a mistake. I have to be perfect. I have to get it right all the time. And that's not a healthy mindset for a child."
“
Is it worth it?
-Mara Wilson (Matilda)
A
ll children, at one point in their lives, dream of becoming famous. Some are lucky enough to “get their big break” and go on to have carreers full of seemingly never-ending riches and adoration. However, facts often indicate that these child stars, as they are called, end up getting involved in very dangerous activities later in their lives. The question at hand, is being a child star worth it? Anyone can see why people are drawn to the world of fame. Who wouldn’t want loads of money and millions of people shrieking their name? Being put in the spotlight at a young age seems to lead some of these celebrities to the “dark side” later. Even some former child stars, including Dylan Sprouse (former Disney star) and Mara Wilson (Matilda), have commented in one way or another that while fun, child stardom is not all it’s cracked up to be and messes with your head. In this day and age Lindsay Lohan (Former Disney star), Miley Cyrus (former Disney star), Macaulay Culkin(Home Alone) and Amanda Bynes (Nickelodeon 90’s star) have demonstrated this fact over and over again. Take for example Miley Cyrus’ recent performance at the VMA’s, which included a foam finger, teddy bears, Robin Thicke and a whole lot of twerking. Her performance appalled thousands as well as made her lose the respect of many influential people in the business. The raunchiness she displayed only confirms the effects of riches and fame on younger minds because with money comes power and giving kids too much pow-
Accorrding to NPA.org
er leads to well, this. She is not the only one though. Lindsay Lohan has been in the tabloids for years pertaining to her many arrests and visits to rehab. Recently, Amanda Bynes has been forced into psychiatric hold. If these instances confirm that being a child star isn’t as valuable as people say, then I don’t know what does. Some might argue that these things can happen to anyone in the industry, but if you look at statistics, most of the screwed up stars today were major stars starting at a young age. Some of their behavior could be attributed to the fact that some, if not all of them, have moved out of their childhood home before the age of eighteen. And because one, they have so much money, and two, they have almost no parental supervision most of the time, they are put in situations where they make decisions they later regret. Also the idea that some of these stars do these things to get attention remains an issue. At the time some of these incidents occur, the celebrity in question usually has been off the radar for a couple years. We can’t completely blame the child celebrities themselves though. Think about the environment where they exist. Hollywood doesn’t Courtsey of Google Images seem like the most ideal place Miley Cyrus’s transformation, from her days at Disney to now. to have a childhood, especially if you are famous. With all the paparazzi, they have no privacy and the pressure is always there. I could understand how someone could be driven to insanity in this environment. So while the dream of living in that mansion and starring in hundreds of movies seems fun ask yourself, would it really be worth it?
[September] 2013
Hi, My Name is Jessica (And This is Why You’re Wrong) The down and dirty on sex education.
“
Teen Pregnancies in Kansas( abstinence based) VS New Hampshire( open education)
Graphic Courtesy: Live Science study on teen birthr ates Febuary 25th 2013
Jessica Goddard//Managing Editor
….you will get pregnant and you will die.” Coach Carr’s famous words from the movie Mean Girls. We all laughed at this obvious hyperbole, but is this how sex education is actually taught in our schools? In middle school, we blushed and squirmed through health classes. The mere mention of sex or anything on the subject matter made us awkward and uncomfortable, but we are now in high school and our hormones are raging. I have news for you -hold the gasps- teenagers are having sex. So why hasn’t our sex education changed with us? Why are we still on abstinence-only policies? Some states in the U.S. have implicated open sex education in their schools. Basically this means they give teens the simple facts: Boys work like this; girls work like this. STD’s exist and are a growing problem. This is how you use protection. That’s it. No on says “don’t have sex” mentality. You get to decide the best plan for you. If you feel you are ready to have sex, that’s fine. If you don’t, that’s fine. This allows teens to express their sexuality in anyway they please. It may be a shocking fact, but teenagers are not animals completely run by their base desires. We have the ability to make decisions that are best for us. By giving us the simple facts about sex and leaving it at that, we can think decipher and decide, the best plan for ourselves. The other side of the story, is abstinence only education. This policy is enacted in Kansas and most schools across the U.S. They too, give facts about sex, but they have an overtone that the only way to avoid these problems is to avoid sex until marriage. I will comply and
say the best way to avoid STD’s and pregnancy is to not have sex. But this discourages sex, which actually has proven to lower the age teens start having sex and raise STD and pregnancy rates. Here at Olathe East, we are given the facts about sex in an abstinence-focused environment. The district does allow for a little leeway with topics such as contraception, but because of the community influence, the district has to make certain decisions. “We do teach the facts, but we also encourage the students to make the right decisions.” Kathy Alcorn, health teacher, explained. “We have to be really careful because some parents don’t even like kids going through that unit.” As a conservative community, Olathe’s system would be hard to switch over to an open education system. “I focus more on the positive than trying to scare them,” Bridget Boggs Health tescher said. Though our method of sex-ed is not as conservative as it could be, the curriculum is out-dated and needs a serious revamping. 2007, the year our health books were published, may not seem that long ago; numerous ideas and methods have changed since then. “You need to talk about it; you need to be willing to talk about it.” Boggs told the Hawk’s Eye. Neither of these arguments are completely right. Yes, students do want to know facts about sex, but just because they have the facts doesn’t mean they WILL have sex. The beauty about having a mind is making your own decisions. Before you jump or don’t jump into anything, think. What do YOU want? Then take the path that you think is best for you.
12 [Feature]
[September] 2013
What's Hot
Music Movies Artists
“Roar”- Katy Perry “Applause”- Lady Gaga “Hold On We’re Coming Home”-Drake “Royals”-Lorde “Wrecking Ball”- Miley Cyrus Lorde
We’re the Millers
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Demi Lovato Miley Cyrus Imagine Dragons A$AP Rocky
We’re the Millers Iron Man 3 Now You See Me World War Z Identity Thief
What's Hot at Olathe East
What’s hot in girls (according to boys at East) Long hair Short in height Hipster Style Brunette
Miley Cyrus
“Blurred Lines”- Robin Thicke “Lolly”- Justin Bieber “Gentleman”-Psy “Clarity”- Zedd “Get Lucky”- Daft Punk “The Fox”-Ylvis
Ylvis
The Hangover Part Three
Nicki Minaj Ariana Grande Robin Thicke Ke$ha Justin Bieber
Olymppus Has Fallen The Internship Oz the Great and Powerful The Hangover Part Three After Earth
What's Not Have you wondered if you’re part of the “in” group of East, or if your taste matches that of your friends? What are your fellow classmates loving this fall? What music, movies, and clothes are todays teenagers obsessing over? Our school is without a doubt a hodge podge of interests, hobbies, and preferences. However, plenty of us agree on that favorite song, hair color, or comedy movie. Here’s what hot, and what’s not for fall.
“I definitely prefer a girl with little or no makeup on.”-Senior Connor Leach
Everyone has a different preference in what they like, however there was some similarities in what was most popular.
The girls and boys of Olathe East know exactly what they want in the appearance of their significant other.
“My type of guy is Justin Bieber.”-Freshman Hollie Cormack
Nicki Minaj
What’s hot in boys (according to girls at East) Short hair Tall in height Jock style Brunette hair Courtesy of Google Images, Zack Neuman, and Brenna Thompson
Brenna Thompson//Staff Writer
14 [Feature]
High School In
Reality Scale
Movies
10
1
Not similar AT ALL
Exact Replica
O
h, high school. Countless memories are created within these halls every day. But when compared to movies, how exciting is real high school? We don’t break out in song at every time of the day; we don’t have the all-popular student who rules the school with an iron grip; we don’t have small, exclusive lunch tables where only the coolest, or un-coolest, people can sit. Are we missing something, or should movies portray schools as they really are?
D P.E. CLASS 6
Twilight
VS.
H
Vs.
Courtney Child//Copy Editor Lauren Merino//Co-Editor
Reality
3
SPORTS
oes the picture on the right resemble our standard matball games? Our attempts at badminton? In the movie Mean Girls, school queen Regina George is carried by her loyal servants onto the sports field for gym class. In contrast, during gym classes at East, we waltz out of the locker rooms and into the gym for roll call before that day’s activity. In reality, P.E. class is much more uniformed, and all kids are required to participate. The two worlds are fairly different, so we give this one a 6 on the reality scale.
LUNCH
high school In
[September] 2013
A
VS.
lthough sports are mixed with performances in the hit Disney movie High School Musical, East sticks solely to sports and goofing around from bell to bell. Troy Bolton in HSM makes sports and theatre cool to his jock comrades. However, here at East, sports would never be combined with their opposite, theatre, because of a lack of choreographing during practices and the differing stereotypes. We give the classic a 3 on the reality scale.
Mean Girls
VS.
opefully we can all agree that throughout the school year we eat lunch with the same people at the same tables in the same seats nearly every day. We are highly exclusive to people outside our social groups, but in “relatable” movies like Twilight, lunchtime gets portrayed in a different light. Literally, the cafeteria is as dark as your typical Hollister. The characters are not only cliquey, but sit at small tables of four or five. The atmosphere is quite a bit quieter, when in reality, our lunchroom is nothing but loud chaos. We give this a 7 on the reality scale.
High School Musical
O
ur school divides into a mostly underclassmen crowd at homecoming, as opposed to prom, a dance exclusively for upperclassmen. This is the small fraction of our student body that actually attends dances. In the classic Grease, the abundance of students at their dance highlights the lack of students at ours. We seem to be too picky about the kind of music that is being played and too awkward to make conversation. In the movie, no one seems to care about what other people think, and all the little problems we make up in our minds disappear. Maybe we should take a page out of their book in that respect. Clearly, the type of dancing seen in the film is much cleaner than our generation’s. On the reality scale, we give this one a 2.
7 Grease
DANCES
VS.
2
16 [Feature]
E
ver thought about getting inked? What would people say? Many glares, awkward confrontations like, “You know that’s going to fade and you’re really going to regret that, right?.” But despite all the prejudice and prissyness of Olathe East, some students have taken the leap and gone for the ladybug on the ankle or the full sleeve. Why now, you ask? Well, here’s your chance to get the full scoop. Some brave folks will tell us all about the reason behind their art, how they even got their parents to actually sign for them, and where the hot spots for getting tatted up are. Let’s break the stereotype of tattoos. Let’s show the world why they are such wonderful mementos.
Heather Burton//Photographer Kelsey Knecht//Staff Writer
Jake Young (So) Story:
Mackaylie Smith (Sr)
Story: I have loved ladybugs since I can remember so it reminds me of my childhood. My mom and Dad are divorced and my step mom talked my dad into letting me get it.
Next One: the saying “Shoot for the moon and even if you
miss you’ll land among the stars.”
Best tattoo places: NOT King City. Go to AFTERSHOCK.
I decided to get my tattoo when my girlfriend said she had tattoo ink. I was originally going to get it somewhere easier to hide because my parents were against it, but I got a cross not so much for religion but for a symbol of hope and sort of a promise to respect life.
Next One: First I would get my first tattoo done over and get it bigger and professionally done, but I would have to wait and see what life brings me because I am a strong believer that tattoos need a meaning, not just pointless ink on your skin.
Andrew Kellison (JR) Story: I love pickles and I love Sublime. my other
Alexis Tabares (Sr)
Story: My brother really means a lot to me, so I got his initials. I told my parents what I wanted for a long time and didn’t change my mind, and they finally agreed.
tattoos are just little stupid ones like an alien, derk dad dead, a triangle, Romney 2K12, and a face. I got my pickle in ninth grade, and “Sublime” last year.
Next one: I would get more skateboarding related tattoos.
Next one: If I were to ever
get another, I would get something that represents my great grandma. Photos Courtesy of Heather Burton
TATTOO SPOTLIGHT:
Kristina Kunze Senior
My first is a rose with script that says, “You will always be my sunshine.” My grandmother raised me and passed away from cancer. The first thing I remember her teaching me was ‘you are my sunshine’, it was our ‘thing’ ever since.
My next one is a tree. “They say the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree, but thank goodness my family tree was in an orchard on a tree on a hill that rolled me to the river, and that river ripped me through the rapids, and those rapids rushed me into this moment; right here right now with you.”- Buddy Wakefield, Human the Death Dance. This was a huge influence on my tree. I got the tree on top of my self- harm scars. Also, if you cut the bark off of a tree it will not die, but it will come close. My tree is a reminder that I am here for a reason, and I never want to come close to death again. I will never fall back into depression or my eating disorder.
The roses under my arm represent when I was younger. I used to sit in my grandmother’s room and count the roses on her wall. There were far too many and I always lost count. They remind me of her. I know most of my tattoos are for my grandmother, but she wasn’t just my grandma, she was my mother.
My tattoos are a reminder that I never want to be in a dark place again. My mom knew that I had a reason for my tattoos. She knew they meant a lot. I wasn’t getting some cliché anchor (which do, in fact, sink) or a dandelion turning into birds. She figures I will get them when I’m eighteen anyways, why not be a part of the experience? I plan on getting my thighs done in the next six months. On one thigh will be a vinyl record with a classic microphone by it with ‘let it be’ across the top of my knee and bottom of my thigh. On the other thigh I want a phonograph (original one), teacups stacked in front of it and gerbera daisies around it. I want lots more in the future.
My second tattoo is the script on my forearm. It reads “Brutally Beautiful”. A man named Buddy Wakefield wrote and performed a poem called “Human the Death Dance”. I stumbled across this poem on a night I was going to make my fifth attempted suicide. This poem happened to have very much to do with depression and suicide and ends with how it gets better. Buddy referred to the people he discussed in the poem as ‘brutally beautiful’ even though they had scars and were broken, their life still had meaning. I would like to think that this poem popped up on my Tumblr dashboard for a reason that night. Buddy Wakefield saved my life with his words and I’m honored to have them painted on my skin.
My grandmother’s house was filled with pictures; there was barely room to see the actual walls. This influenced the picture frame. My grandmother’s locket hangs from it, I will receive it when I get older. I got the cardinal because while my grandmother was in the hospital, I was in a mental hospital for a suicide attempt. A cardinal came by her window when birds were still south for the winter. She said it was a sign that God was going to save her. Unfortunately it didn’t save her, but I’d like to believe it helped her save me from myself.
Alex Compton (Sr) Story: “I was made for this.”
I got this tattoo as a personal reminder really. Every obstacle that has presented itself to me, and every mistake that I have made and have yet to make, make me who I am. I was made for this life that God has chosen and planned for me. I waited until I was eighteen, and my parents were definitely on board!
Drae Johnson (SR) Story:
Mia Epting (SR)
My tattoos are mostly for my family because these are the people I lost. I didn’t get my parents to sign for it.
Next one: I think next I would get another sleeve. Best tattoo place: In KCMO (Shop’s)
Next One: I haven’t thought about it yet, something meaningful that no stranger on the street would understand. Something without an explanation. Best tattoo places: Aftershock with Brady as your artist.
Story: My first tattoo was on my foot. It’s a flower with my name. It was just a start to see if I liked it. My second one is on my hip. It says, “I’ll never stand alone” with dog and feet prints. I love my dogs. My third one is on my leg. My sister and I got matching gun and garters. My parents went to get them with me.
Next one: My next one is going to be an infinity sign with mom and daughter written in it.
coloring.
I also plan on filling in my garter with pink
Best tattoo places: Aftershock with Brady
Jon Coleman (SR)
Mrs. Sellers (ART)
Story: It was a sister bonding moment that allowed us to permanently mark our bodies with our faith in Jesus. I was nineteen years old.
Mrs. Robinson (Math)
Next one: I will eventually
Story: I got my tattoo shortly after I turned
get a tattoo for each of my girls, not sure what they will be but something that captures their uniqueness. Maybe a portrait of Mark Vanlandingham as well.
eighteen. I don’t have a story behind my tattoo. It started off as just a small heart and I really liked it so I went back to get the vine design added.
Next one: I would get another one however I
would want it to be in a place that could be easily covered. I haven’t thought about what I would want it to be.
Mr. Weible (ART)
Story: I wanted a tattoo that represented balance in life and in myself. I thought a stylized “Yin Yang” would meet the criteria. I got my tattoo when I was a sophomore in college. Next one: I would get would be a cover up tattoo, something like on the reality show “Bad Ink”.
Best tattoo places: Big Daddy Ca-
dillac in Lawrence, Kansas. My wife has a friend who is a piercing specialist there. I was most impressed with the quality of artwork and cleanliness of the studio.
Allison Cale (SR)
Story: When I was younger I had recurring nightmares. I started hanging dream catchers in my room and I haven’t had any since. I asked my mom if i could get a tattoo and she said she it’s okay if I really wanted it. Next one: I plan on getting a half
sleeve of roses here in a few months.
Best tattoo places: Skin Illustrations, Freaks.
Maryellen Cox (SR)
Story: My sophomore year my parents had a beyond nasty divorce and my dad and I always said it was us against the world and nobody would change that. We would always joke and say it was our dog and us so there are three birds representing us. My dad loved the idea and I told him if I got one now I would wait until I had my career to get another.
Ariana Zabala (Jr) Story: My first one was “Lady Z” on my ribcage. I wanted to remind everyone that no matter what world we live in I am a lady and deserve to be treated as one. My second one says “Mi Rey” (My king) with my boyfriend Chris Torres’ name inside a king’s crown. The tattoo is located on my heart. These are matching tattoos, his saying “Mi reina” (My queen) with “Ariana” inside a queen’s crown. The meaning of these tattoos is he’s the king of my heart. We have been together for about two year and have been together through thick and thin. Although it’s high school, he is the love of my life and I believe that love doesn’t come at a certain age, it comes with maturity.
Story: Well I wanted to get this tattoo as motivation and as a reminder that my grandma will always be with me. She is what keeps me strong, and it reminds me that I need to be my best at what I do and that I will succeed in all my goals.
Halle Robertson (Jr)
Story: I got the map coordinates to Kure Beach, North Carolina in memory of my grandpa who has been the most influential person in my life. When he was diagnosed with cancer his last wish was to visit Kure Beach with the entire family. That winter he passed away and the following summer my whole family visited again and spread his ashes on Kure Beach. It took me a year to convince my parents, they finally gave in on my 17th birthday because they realized how much it would mean to me. Next one:
I honestly don’t know if I would ever get another. It would have to have a lot of meaning. Maybe a matching tattoo with my sister.
Next one: It will be wings on my back with the feathers big enough to get all my family member’s names on them. Or I will get an Aries tribal tattoo on my chest.
Ms. Magee (Math) Story: The first tattoo i have is a four-leaf clover because I’m Irish and I was born on St. Patrick’s Day. The second one is an LOTR Elvish leaf and script that translates to “Even the smallest person can change the course of the future” Because as a teacher I can affect small changes in my students to lead to bigger things. When: Manhattan, Kansas for the first one and Aftershock for the second. Next one: I would love to get a Celtic knot within a triquatra with my dad’s name and his birthdate and the day he died in remembrance of him.
Good tattoo places: Aftershock was good to me, I would definitely recommend doing it there.
Calendar October 3-5 fall play October 10 Pep Assembly October 11 Professional day- no school October 16-17 Parent teacher conferences October 18 no school for students or staff October 21 professional day- no school October 29 boys’ varsity soccer regional
TOP FIVE
Ways to get kicked out of an olathe east football game
1) Cuss Loudly 2) Arrive under the influence 3) Run onto the field 4) Cheer for the other team 5) Wear the wrong color
Teacher Trivia
? What current Olathe East teacher met Ashton Kutcher before he was famous? Find out in the next issue! Last Issue’s answer:
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