THE OLATHE EAST
VOL 24 | ISSUE 3
Sprinting to the Finish Line
Cross Country, as well as other fall sports, end their seasons on a high note. |Page 14
THE
CONTENTS
HAWK'Seye
NEWS
6| Coming Out Stories 7| Biotech 8| ACT/SAT 9| Smallest School In Olathe
SPORTS
10-13| State Champs
ENTERTAINMENT
15| Footloose Picture Story 16| Break-out KC 17| Vegetarian
EDITORIAL
18| Black Lives vs. Blue Lives 19| How to Improve Olathe East
FEATURE
3| Paris Tragedy 4-5| Student Bands
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 660632000, 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)
Prayers For Paris United States Prays for their Brothers and Sisters in Paris Alexa Buechler// Head Copy Editor Jacob Wilson// Designer
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hen the Parisian soccer fans entered the stadium hoping to see Germany pummeled, they didn’t realize that their strength would be tested yet again. They didn’t beat Germany. No one won here. When the music enthusiasts entered the concert hall, loved ones and strangers died before their eyes. On Friday the 13th, a terrorist organization, claimed to be ISIS, bombed six different places in Paris, France: Stade de France (the soccer stadium), Bataclan (a concert hall), and the four restaurants (Le Carillon, Le Petit Cambodge, Café Bonne Biére, and La Belle Equipe). The terrorists killed 129 people and injured 350 others. The most casualties occurred at the concert hall with 89 people killed from both shootings and suicide bombers.
Des Priéres Pour Paris
Next May, Olathe East French students will travel to France. The attacks on Paris have not deterred French teacher Vicki Swetz from going on the trip but her approach has become more sensitive. “I’ve asked students and parents to give me their input, and so far all who have responded plan to travel. We may make some adjustments to our itinerary, but those can be made at a later date,” said Swetz The French teacher became saddened as she watched the news on Friday. She said, “France is really like home to me, so it’s very personal.” Swetz doesn’t think the latest events will affect class attendance next year. If anything, interest will increase. “France would be more in their mind as they think of the world. This brings home how much we are tied together,” Swetz said. She also said, “I think people will be affected for a very long time. We are all in this situation, as ISIS and other terrorist organizations target democratic nations like our own, so we are all on edge, on alert.” Senior Emily Tucker still plans on traveling to Paris next spring. “[My parents] don’t have an issue with me going. I asked my mom because of Madame’s email, and she was okay with it. She said, ‘You can die anywhere. Might as well be in France’,” she said. ISIS attacked more than France, and we must not forget the attacks on Beirut, Lebanon that occurred the day before the Paris bombings. Des Prières pour Paris et Beirut, “Prayers for Paris and Beirut.”
Map of Paris Attacks Photo by the New York Times
Feature
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Minors and Musicians
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any talented performers and artists exist within the Hawk community. The Hawk’s Eye decided to sit down with Bailey Larkin from The City Collective and Kate Cagianelli, who performs solo by the name Kate Rose.
Instragram: @thecitycollect Twitter: @thecitycollect Facebook: The City Collective Soundcloud: soundcloud. com/thecitycollective
The City Collective
Bailey Larkin, a senior, has participated in various musical enterprises for years now. He and Jacob Thomas dabbled in song writing together last year; which, eventually led to the creation of their band. Larkin said, “We wrote a few songs and thought they were pretty good so we kept at it and recruited a bass player, Elijah. Eventually we started playing in more shows and recorded some demos in my basement.” The band includes Larkin as guitarist, junior Jacob Thomas as vocalist, and senior Elijah Hazim as a bass The City Collective play one of their songs at a gig. player. They soon went from the basement to a professional studio. Larkin remembers the experience fondly. “The demos we did in our basement are alright, but hearing the professional recording, it’s like the music in my head come to life; it’s great,” he said. “We are working on an eight-track album right now. We just finished the first song from it, actually,” said Larkin. They plan to release their first single within the next couple of months. The band, originally named This Side Up, finds its influences in Mumford and Sons, Ben Folds, and City In Colour. The original name echoed the member’s lack of direction in their lives. However, it soon changed to better reflect what they represent. Larkin said, “We changed it because I initially though it sounded cool, but we all come from different backgrounds of music. So the ‘collective’ is just kind of reaching from different backgrounds that we come from.”
The City Collective practices in a studio.
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Photos Courtesy of Bailey Larkin
Olathe East Hawk’s Eye
The lyrical content, which the boys write and develop together, varies. “A lot of it is just a creative outlet, you know whatever we are going through at that time. Sometimes I’ll just write a cool lyric that I think about and I’ll write a song around it,” said Larkin. As a student, performing and producing is no small feat. However, according to Larkin, the extra effort pays off. Larkin said, “It’s really fun. You know, you see big bands like Mumford and Sons and they are living the dream … we get a little fraction of that. Getting to perform on the stage is the greatest feeling in the world.” According to Larkin, the band’s hard work sets them apart from others like them. “I think the biggest thing is that we work really hard every single day and we take it very seriously; our music. I think that’s what puts us apart from other bands; we aren’t any more talented or anything but we just work a lot harder,” said Larkin. They hope that all their hard work will pay off and they will become famous. Larkin said,“We will know a lot more about what we will do after high school after the album comes out, but we are hoping it will take off, because that is always the hope.” The City Collective will be performing on December 12 at the Granada and January 2 at The Bottleneck.
Kate Rose
Caggianelli, who decided to go by Kate Rose so that she would be more recognizable, has been performing since she was a child. “I started performing because I had songs that I had written, and I was like ‘oh, I want to see what I can do with this,’” she said. Eventually, she met with a producer who encouraged her to play more gigs. Because Caggianelli has played for longer than most her age, she’s had more opportunities. “I think I just got a chance to start earlier, so I know what’s expected and how to act, and when I write it’s more of a general message and less focus on my personal issues. So I like to think I’m writing for everyone, instead of just for and about myself,” she said. Not only a solo act, she also collaborates with more renowned artists. She actually worked with Tech N9ne this past year, and they released a song called “A Certain Comfort”. The primary video on YouTube has now surpassed 60,000 views. “The fact that the producer liked what he heard was incredible. I didn’t actually perform with Tech N9ne, but I did get to record with him. It’s funny; I only met him once. I wrote the song, then they pitched the hook to Tech, then he wrote around it. It was kind of a separated writing process which is often normal in this industry,” said Caggianelli. More recently, she did a song with Prosaic, which was just released on his album. Although she enjoys performing it has also been difficult for her to balance her life around it. “It’s good, but it can be kind of hectic. There are some weeks where you’ve got four gigs at a time, and then are some weeks where you have nothing going on - so that’s when you have time for homework,” said Caggianelli. Her lyrics originate not only in her life but in others’ as well. “Issues that my friends have, or things that I have come to notice and I’d like to bring attention to,” she said.
Her song, “Double Edged Sword”, is one of her favorites. “ It’s about a poisonous friendship, and I just really like the riff,” said Caggianelli. Surprisingly, she would prefer not to ‘blow up’ like many other young performers. “I’d like to stay in the alternative range, where you have a good set of fan base, but you’re not huge like Taylor Swift. Performing at the Granada would be great though,” said Caggianelli. Looking ahead of her, she will be collaborating with Tech n9ne once again, this time on his new album The Storm. A music video with both of them will accompany the song when they release it.
Kate Rose sings one of her songs at a performance.
Photos Courtesy of Kate Rose
Reverbnation: Kate Rose Soundcloud: soundcloud.com/ kate-rose-18 YouTube: Kate Rose Wix.com Website: purerosemusic. wix.com Facebook: Kate Rose Caggianeli Music
Kate Rose waits with her guitar.
Twitter: @purerosemusic Addis Sharpe//Staff Writer Natalie Friend//Social Media Chair
Instagram: pure.rxse
Feature Feature
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“Hey, Parents, I Like Girls”
Ryann Smith//Staff Writer
An Olathe East Student Tells Her Coming Out Story
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he world constantly changes, just as those living in it. Information drives the human race; differentiations make us unique. No one asked for it. No one requested their differences, so why insult someone for them? For example, no one hears an insult of eye color, yet, many hear “That’s gay.” Senior Cina Murray understands the difficulty of coming out as a sexuality other than heterosexual. She wanted to share her story in hopes of showing people coming out does not have to be scary. “My freshman year I was struggling with finding my identity and how it involved my sexuality and everything else, because when you’re a freshman in high school, you tend to think about yourself a lot,” Murray said. She figured her sexuality out in her head with the help of the internet and social media, as well as people she knew around the world that dealt with the same thing she was. Quickly, she realized her feelings were valid, and she no longer struggled internally with the idea of “is this right or is this wrong?” “I’ve always been a very open-minded person, so even before I came to this realization, I was always okay with the idea of the LGBTQ Community and people being gay, people being straight, people being somewhere inbetween. So that was never a problem with me,” Murray explained. At the time, she worried about coming out to her parents. Murray’s parents hold their religion very dear to themselves, whereas Murray lacks religion. Her open-minded parents reacted well when Murray came out. “I think for anyone who doesn’t have someone in their life who is in the LGBTQ Community, it’s not something they would really think of a lot. It’s something they form a quick opinion about... And so, my parents haven’t really thought about it a lot until I actually came out to them.” When Murray first came out as bisexual, her parents were not completely taken aback. Though unexpected, they never reacted negatively, nor did they speak hurtfully. Murray said, “It took them a long time to process that. Even after I was out to my family for three years, it’s still a process of understanding, because human sexuality is not something you can understand so quickly.” Since she came out, Murray’s parents grew in a positive way. They advocated for her and her feelings. “They used to go to a church where they believed that homosexuality is a sin, but not only that, they were not willing to talk about it... My mom worked at that church, and she was very unsettled by that and the fact that they openly said that they did not support me after I came out to my parents,” Murray said. Afterwards, her family left that church.
“My parents have only realized that as good Christian people that it is their duty to love people and be compassionate and to treat everyone with respect no matter what their sexuality is, no matter what in general.” Her parents willingly discuss sexuality. “It’s not so much of announcing it to the world because I think it’s still a very touchy subject, but they’re always open to discussion and just like everyone else they’re still learning about everything, and still growing as people.” Among misunderstandings, between parents and their children in the LGBTQA+ Community (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trangender, Queer, Asexual, and more) lies the amusing topic of sleepovers. Murray also finds her parents’ reactions funny because they always ask her about her friends, excluding those close to her. “They’d have to bring the ‘Okay, so is this a romantic interest, is she just a friend, how do we know it’s not gonna be a romantic interest?’ and that’s been a really kinda sticky situation.” Murray said she tells her parents about romantics, therefore they trust her. “But it’s just them being my parents, not them wanting to butt into my personal life.” Her parents’ acceptance shows others still in the closet and out that gay is okay.
LGBTQA+ Guide:
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Homosexual: attraction to same sex; gay; lesbian. Heterosexual: attraction to opposite sex; straight. Bisexual: attraction to both sexes. Pansexual: attraction to all genders. Asexual: lack of sexual attraction. Demisexual: do not experience sexual attraction unless they form a strong emotional connection with someone. Straight ally: heterosexual person who supports the LGBTQA+ Community. Genderqueer: an umbrella term for those outside of the binary genders. Cisgender: someone who identifies as their birth gender. Transgender: someone who identifies as a different sex than they were born. Genderfluid: someone who identifies as different genders at different times (Ex. boy days, girl days, in-between days, etc.) Agender: someone who does not identify as a gender; genderless. Bigender: someone who identifies as male and female and/or move between masculine and feminine behaviors. Intersex: someone whose sex characteristics do not allow them to be defined as distinctly male or female.
Olathe East Hawk’s Eye
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Future of Science A Look at the Biotech Class
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n chemistry, students complete the same experiment every year. In biology, students sit down and memorize they’ll likely forget after the next test. Any technology class teaches you how to maneuver a Word document. Biotech discovers. This group of young scientists first started three and a half years ago with an idea. Teacher Michael Ralph had a problem that he believed could be solved here at Olathe East with his high school students. “I was sitting around talking to a friend of mine about a phenomenon we saw out in... Dodge City Kansas,” Ralph said, “We have a lot of cattle yards out there and we were remarking on [how] they just burn off excess farts that come out of those feed plots.” This seemed like a waste to Ralph. He knew the methane could be harnessed. “There are organisms that eat [methane gas], why don’t we feed this gas to those organisms?” said Ralph, “So I brought
Dustin Nguyen works on creating a silicon mold Dustin Nguyen works on creating a silicon Photomold by Logan Brockschmidt Photo by Logan Brockschmidt
it back to my AP class and said does anybody want to try and help me address this question?” The students agreed, and the team started their first project, a project which continues to today. As their research developed, the students began coming up with their own ideas. “This whole thing was born out of me having a question that I am still working on,” said Ralph, “But as students started to gain more experience, some of them had their own questions. I said “Sure, go figure it out.”” Because of this freedom, many projects have taken shape. The projects cover a wide range of topics. One project has students conducting experiments on the genetic sequence of a plant, trying to find new genes that have never been identified before. They have built an apparatus in which they can grow new plants and have made some progress according to Ralph.
“Science doesn’t really fit into the boxes we put it in.” Mr. Ralph Another project has students working on building a robotic gauntlet. Their work currently consists of students 3D printing pieces for a servo motor and stress testing bonds for their hand models. He said,“You never know which question’s going to be the one that’s like “Oh that’s actually a really interesting question!”” Currently six different groups work on separate projects throughout the class. This allows for much freedom for these students to study what they love. “They have different organizations,” said Ralph, “ some of them work all together, some of them do different stuff and just report back to each other, but… they are more or less autonomous.” Because of these different groups and projects, Biotech can appeal to many different people. They have projects that include programming, hardware
Jacob Wilson//Designer Alexa Buechler//Copy Editor
Mr. Ralph helps students on computer Photo by Logan Brockschmidt
design, research, and other aspects for people to work on. “Science doesn’t really fit into the boxes we put it in. We have biology, we have chemistry, but that’s not actually how it works.” They are doing real scientific research, so they don’t confine their thinking to those small categories. Doing real scientific research also means they are graded like real scientists. “They get judged pretty much the same way practicing scientists get judged, that’s really my answer for everything. We do it the same way professional scientists do it, because you can’t do something half way. So they will present the work that they’ve done at the end of semester and we’ll decide how closely it matches the way professional scientists do their work and that is the grade they’ll get.” Their work, however, continues on past their semester long class. “It’s not a class like your other classes; we’re not done at the end of the semester, we’ve been doing it for four years and we’re still nowhere near done.” said Ralph.
News
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Standardized Tests Losing Importance? Over 800 Colleges Have Started to Look Past Scoring Students Based on a Test
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Blythe Dorrian// Staff Writer
or some schools, standardized tests are The policy changing affects the East and into account each individual student’s personal becoming a thing of the past. West coasts more for now; however some colsituation.” Colleges around the United States have leges in the Midwest have switched. Northwest Swanson also mentioned that the ACT is just been switching their normal standardized test Missouri State, Oklahoma State University, one piece of the puzzle. Students should take requirements for admissions to be either test Ithaca College, University of Arizona, Benedicuse of free ACT help like Kahn Academy and flexible, test optional, or test blind. tine College, and Arizona State University have various online sources. Students might Test flexible required that scores must be changed their policies to be either test flexible also think of taking the SAT because it written on all applications, but there may be or optional. has a different style. different options allowed in place of an ACT or However, the University of Kansas, the Uni She said “We admit students who don’t an SAT score. versity of Missouri, Kansas State University, and meet the ACT score requirement, but the For example, New York University UMKC (University Of Missouri Kansas City) only way to find out is to apply!” has an option where either an SAT reastill require scores openly. Hampshire College responded “Un- Kansas State is changing soning test, an ACT writing test, three At UMKC and Missouri, their requirements this comlike ‘test optional’ institutions, we do ing year. A 21 on the ACT, a AP scores, or three subject SAT scores can be a combination of ACT score not consider SAT/ ACT regardless of 2.0 GPA, or rank in the top submitted in place of an SAT score. and class rank to assess Test optional students the score. Even if it is a perfect score, 1/3 of your graduating class states where the for admis- it will not weigh into our assessment and a 2.0 on all attempted Photo By Blythe Dorrian student can choose sion. The of the applicant.” college work is required by to put their scores higher the all freshmen. in their applications class rank, the lower the Michaela Strahm who works in Kansas State if they think it helps ACT score needs to be. For Admissions said that transcript and test scores demonstrate their example, if someone places are equally important in admissions. Both the academic capabiliin the top six percent of their ACT and SAT fulfill the need, no preferences ties. class, they would need a 17, exist on which test should be taken. In May of 2008, but if they were top 31%, they Strahm encourages everyone to apply, Wake Forest Uniwould need a 20. If none of even if they did not meet the required versity decided to those are met, a trial admisACT score. make their standardsion at the campus will be For those who haven’t received the ized tests optional. given. required ACT score, the admission office staff George Washington Sandra Dupree, Admisleads an appeal process to help all possible apUniversity plans to sions Officer of UMKC, said, plicants sign up. make the optional “Balance is the key. Students Kansas State offers workshops for the ACT, as change for their should work to score well well as the area high schools, for improving 2016-2017 applicaon the ACT/SAT in addition accuracy on scores to help give students more tions. Bryn Mawr to performing sound in and scholarship opportunities. became the latest outside of the classroom. More schools are focusing on revamping college to switch to the optional test route. Where one may suffer in a particular area they their policies in the future, so far 800 Universi “Although we have long employed a holistic should excel in the others in order to balance ties have decided to say “out with the old, in application review process, we had concerns their performance scale.” with the new” when it comes to standardized that students who could be Dupree added that testing. successful at GW felt discour- Hampshire College responded “Un- though the ACT is imporlike ‘test optional’ institutions, we do tant to the university, the aged from applying if their not consider SAT/ ACT regardless of test only measures only scores were not as strong as their high school perforthe score. Even if it is a perfect score, one aspect of a person Y T H E * B L mance,” said Dean of Admis- it will not weigh into our assessment for consideration. Merit, sions Karen Stroud Felton. financial, and diversity of the applicant.” “We want outstanding stuscholarships do rely on dents from all over the world tests. B and from all different backgrounds—regardless At Kansas University, a minimum 21 ACT of their standardized scores—to recognize GW is required with a 3.25 GPA, or a 24 ACT and as a place where they can thrive.” a 3.0 GPA. Students without the requirements Y H - Test blind policy follows where all test scores can still be accepted, but one test score has to do not need to be included at all. Currently be submitted. T Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts Kansas University accepts both SAT and holds the reputation of being the only univerACT, though most midwest students take the E sity with this policy. ACT as their primary test. Hampshire College responded “Unlike ‘test Amanda Swanson, Admissions Officer at KU, L optional’ institutions, we do not consider SAT/ said “Research has shown that high school GPA ACT regardless of the score. Even if it is a peris the best predictor for success in college, so fect score, it will not weigh into our assessment we weigh GPA very heavily. That being said, we of the applicant.” make decisions on a case-by-case basis, taking
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ACT/SAT
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Olathe East Hawk’s Eye
The Rise and Fall of East Population A lack of popular 21st Century Programs causes a decrease in school population
2012-2013 School Populations
Kaitlyn Shacklett//Staff Writer Margo Dulny//Staff Writer
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lathe East, once the biggest school at my other school,” Simwinga said. in Olathe as well as the state of However, North offers Sports Medi(Largest to Smallest) Kansas, was recently announced as cine, Geo Science, Life Science, Honors, being the smallest high school in Olathe. Veterinary Medicine, and Culinary, which In two years, the school has lost approximost likely caused their large population mately 100 students. What caused the dethis year. This factor most likely explains cline? From a small community population why North holds the biggest population. to lack of popular 21st Century programs, Many students tend to show more interest East continues to diminish for multiple in North’s programs. reasons, intriguing The Hawk’s Eye to dig “I know a lot of people are interested in out information concerning the issue. the programs at North, so that is probably One probable reason for the decline in why people are transferring there. People school population may be the redistribuaren’t very interested in EnvironmenOlathe East: tion of students in the district as a whole. tal Design. It’s not that appealing,” said For example, 533 seniors attend East, as Simwinga. 2087 well as 433 freshmen. The school district Sophomore student, Andres Trayaloses a large class of seniors every year as it Prado agrees with the idea of students gains a small class of freshmen. With these transferring for specific classes. numbers, East “Other schools drops 100 kids per have certain pro“Regarding eighth graders grams. We have year. “This is simply programs. choosing other schools over certain because of our I guess the intermiddle schools East for a personal gain, we lose ests of people have Olathe North: not having many ” said 45 extra students per year.” changed, students in them Traya-Prado. 2068 right now,” said Four or five head principal Dr. years ago, the Bill Weber. transfer policies Raising concerns of population decline were not strict, and therefore easy to tranalso occur because of Olathe West opening sition in or out of the school. In the past in 2017. All Olathe school district boundthree years, the school district has refined aries will soon adjust, making all four the transfer process with more rejections, schools smaller. However, the site of West depending on the case. only causes the East district to slightly “I don’t believe I’ve seen many transfers shrink, while other districts will be more into East, whether it was for sports or speOlathe South: affected. cial programs. A majority of our transfers 1994 Another factor that results in East losing are for students whose parents work at the students is the 21st Century programs school, or they have just moved here,” said that all of the Olathe schools offer to their Weber. “Regarding eighth graders choosstudents. These career-focused classes ing other schools over East for a personal give students a preview of what they see gain, we lose 45 extra students per year.” specifically in these careers. East offers With this past year’s budget cuts and Leadership and Environmental Design funding issues, Olathe East will not obtain while Northwest offers Engineering and any extra 21st Century programs. Knowing Communications, and South offers PCA this, future students may choose to transfer Olathe Northwest: Programming. while they can. Senior Billy Wilson begs 1784 Freshman Jaimee Simwinga transferred to differ. to East this school year from Indepen “I think all of the schools are equal on dence, Kansas specifically for the Environan educational level. Any of them would fit *Numbers from KSHSAA the needs of any student,” said Wilson. Classification Statistics* mental Design program. “Most of the classes here weren’t offered
2015-2016 School Populations
(Largest to Smallest)
Olathe North: 2256
Olathe Northwest: 2180
-Dr. Bill Weber
Photo by Logan Brockschmidt
Olathe South: 2110
Olathe East: 1983 *Numbers from KSHSAA Classification Statistics*
News
9
Taking State a Year After Falling Short
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ometimes in life, it’s not about if you fall, but about how you get back up. But, getting up from the fifth fall can be a Herculean
task. On October 25, 2014, as the fifth girl toppled off the beam and sank into the surrounding mat, so did the hearts and hopes of a State championship for the Olathe East gymnastics team. “After beam, everyone was really worried, and we went out in the hallway because [former Olathe East gymnast] Allison Meads was there and was talking to us. They were trying to cheer us up, but we knew it wasn’t going to be as easy as it was in past meets,” senior Darby Gertsema said. This year, the team came back focused on correcting their fatal flaw. Each member had more numbers on beam and worked to become more consistent. Bouncing back presented a difficult challenge; however, this time, the gymnastics team took a simplistic attitude – they would take it one meet at a time, one event at a time. “Last year, we fell on beam. [Then] on floor I think that we were all worried about [the falls], let [them] get us down too much and thought that it would be too hard to bounce back from that,” Gertsema said. The season progressed mirror-like of last year,
with East out-classing their opponents at each turn: Darby Gertsema and junior Samantha Bond battling and motivating each other to reach the top spot overall. They navigated the winding road of an undefeated season that would lead them westward, traversing I-35 to Newton, KS. On their way down, they were relaxed, so relaxed, in fact, that the teams were not completely cognizant of the gravity of the situation. “Despite going down as a team the night before, the reality of the situation didn’t set in until the practice with all the teams,” said Gertsema. “After we noticed the teams looking around, we had a little huddle and said, ‘Focus on ourselves, don’t worry about it. We just need to practice and get ready for tomorrow.’” Some comfort came through by the absence of Lawrence Free-State, last year’s champions. The girls stomped through their early events, exemplified by the incredible vault by Darby Gertsema, the second highest vault in Kansas state history, a score of 9.750. Preparing for their final event – floor – they were well-aware that their fellow competitors from Newton were intently watching. “I was standing in the corner by vault, and I could hear the [Newton girls] when the score
“It was great. The perfect ending.” -Darby Gertsema
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Olathe East Hawk’s Eye
Logan Brockschmidt//Editor
flashed and they were like, ‘She got a 9.2,’” said Gertsema. Upon the first flash of individual scores, Coach Julie Bayha was pretty confident in their placing. But, when assistant coach Mindy Kohnle came over looking less than positive, a sheet of nervousness descended over them. The final scores came out, and their fears were lifted. The score, 109.150, their season’s best, secured an undefeated season for the Hawks Darby Gertsema and Samantha Bond battled all year closely for individual champion and the state scores stayed on that course, so close in fact, that the first counting of the All-Around champion had to be redone. They originally announced the champion as Bond, but she ended up second to Gertsema by .05 points. Those points secured Darby her second straight All-Around title and three top-three State individual finishes in her three years of competitions. “It was great. The perfect ending,” said Gertsema. She fended off all challengers to retain her perch on top and led her team to reclaiming their throne as the best in Kansas. While Darby departs with her legacy of gymnastics at Olathe East, junior Samantha Bond will continue as a crucial part of next year’s team. She wants to secure her first overall and defend the two individual titles that she earned this year.
Above: (From Left to Right) Coach Julie Bayha, Katie Wingate, Brylee Andersen, Darby Gertsema, Olivia Sanders, Samantha Bond, and Coach Mindy Kohnle pose with their first place trophy at the state meet. Top Left: Junior Samantha Bond balances on the beam as she prepares to perform on beam at the state meet in Newton, KS. Below: Sophomore Katie Wingate eyes her landing as she spins while performing on vault. Photos by Logan Brockschmidt
Above Left: Junior Olivia Sanders carefully balances as she focuses on the beam at the Sunflower League meet. Left: Junior Brylee Andersen dances on the floor at the Sunflower League meet. Above: Senior Darby Gertsema leaps for the bar while performing at the Sunflower League meet. Sports
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Olathe East Boys’ Cross Country Ties Their Program Best With a Second Place Finish at the State Championship
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t was supposed to be a time of celebration. Jumping up and down, hugging each other for their perseverance. This team took second at state a year after coming in fourth at regionals. Tied for the best finish in team history. Only the second team since the turn of the century to place top three with only six runners finishing the race. But, that’s why there was no jumping for joy and celebration. Olathe East began the race with seven runners. Most of the team streamed through the red bridge, looking in good shape as they faced their last stretch of land for the season. But there was one who struggled, slumped over in his run for the hill before the long skyline approach to the finish line. “I passed him going up Cemetery Hill which is the hill right after the last bridge,” Senior Josh Hernandez said. Junior Ryan Weishaar would not make it to the end of the race. Unknowing of their teammate’s misfortune, the team crossed the finish line, one by one. Senior Nick Skinner was the sole runner to break the top 20 for Olathe East. “I didn’t know about him until later,” Hernandez said. Almost at the same time that the sixth runner reached the finish line, Weishaar arrived at the medical tent. Those who traveled to Lawrence to watch their friends, family, and teammates gathered around the chair where Weishaar sat.
Alex Kirk runs down “Suicide Hill” at Rim Rock Farm. Photo by Logan Brockschmidt
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Olathe East Hawk’s Eye
Logan Brockschmidt//Editor “[After the race,] there were two or three of us at the tent, and we all went over. Everyone was right there around him,” Hernandez said. The news broke slowly at first. Shawnee Mission East smiled and posed near the placing board with their third place finish. But, then the boom occurred. A cry beckoned across the open field. The Olathe North tent broke out in a titanic celebration. They claimed the 6A Boys state championship. Olathe East earned second place. “It sounded pretty quickly that we didn’t win. Obviously we would have loved to have a state title. When I look back at the season, I’m kind of glad that I was able to have the opportunity with such great guys and run with them,” Hernandez said. The crowd around Weishaar refused to waver. Coaches and parents enveloped him in blankets, jackets, and faith. Faith that he would get better. At the awards ceremony, the team stood tall. Maybe that is all can be done in life, standing tall when it knocks you down. “I think [winning wasn’t the sole importance once I saw Weishaar]. You’ve got to stick up for your team, you’ve got to stick up for your team. For me, ‘You know what, what ever happens happens,’ but the people and memories that’s what you’re going to remember, not the trophy,” Hernandez said.
In the 2-1 loss to Washburn Rural, the magic of the Olathe East Hawks boy’s soccer team ran out. All year, whenever there was a spark of life needed to win a game, it seemed to be provided. Whether it be from senior Alden Vogel making multiple hustle plays in quick succession, to senior Nick Lowe making a kick save to keep the game scoreless, or even juniors Julien Denis, Shane Kopplin, and Jesus Navarro maneuvering through the opponents with the fluidity of a raging river. Despite senior Logan Steen’s early flick of a foot to take a 1-0 lead, the Washburn Rural bullied the undersized team. Washburn tied the game on a header almost immediately after the restart, then a long-range kick in the first half. “The corner kick goal by them a minute later caused to lose whatever psychological confidence that we had. We had practiced it, we wanted to front the guy and not let him have the ball. We didn’t do that,” Coach Terry Hair. The Hawks persisted through the deficit. Despite attacking again and again with everything in their arsenal, the Hawks failed to find the back of the net. “I think we had a few chances, but we didn’t capitalize and convert the opportunities that we created. If you look back on the game, they might have had three good shots on goal and converted two of them. That’s the difference,” Hair said. Ball in the box for an attacker? Kicked out. A Logan Brockschmidt//Editor
header aimed for just under the crossbar? The titan-esque goalie soared for the ball. As the loudspeaker announced the final ten seconds, the reality set in. It was over. The win-streak over 6A opponents of over two years ended. So did their championship dreams. However, the team could bring home a trophy the next day. Dodge City stood before them and a third place trophy. The teams battled each other in the first half. Players flew to the ground, enveloped themselves in the turf, and played on. The Hawks found themselves ahead for the second straight time, this time after a well-placed Julien Denis free kick soared the ball into the top corner. The celebration ended shortly after, as Dodge City replied with one of their own. And another. And another. And another. Dodge City furiously buried the Hawks. The game ended with a final score of 4-1, Dodge City victorious and taking home the third place trophy. “The wheels fell off, we kinda fell apart, and there’s nothing to be said about a third place
game,” Hair said. The ending did not fit the team that played for so much of the year. For most of the season, they rolled, to the top team in the state, fifth in the nation. “We did not represent what we could have done very well at all, particularly in the closing to give up four goals unanswered is unheard of,” Hair said. Senior Nick Lowe finished the year with the third most shutouts in Olathe East history. The three-headed scoring monster of Logan Steen, Julien Denis, and Jesus Navarro tore through opponent defenses, leaving coaches to pick up shredded defenses. This team will not be remembered for their accomplishments achieved on the field. There won’t be a plaque in the hallway for their dominance that seemed to be on display week in and week out. The team finished with a valiant 18 wins and 3 losses. Over the past two years, the team suffered four losses total. Over the past THREE, teams were only able to tack on one more, meaning this group of seniors endured only five losses during the time that most of them suited up. “That’s unbelievable. That’s unheard of. Great years,” Hair said.
“We did not represent what we could have done very well at all.” -Coach Terry Hair
Jacob Chapman sits at midfield after the defeat at the hands of Washburn Rural. Photo by Logan Brockschmidt
Olathe East Soccer Falls Short at an Attempt for a Repeat of the Title
Sports
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Olathe East Hawk’s Eye
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Pittsburg, Kansas
Top Left: Junior Rachel Byerley teasing her hair to get ready to take the stage as a featured dancer. Top Right: Senior Sierra Ashton and junior Casey Gardner warming up their voices before the show. Right: Seniors Jordan Reeder and Scott Johns , and junior Hunter Grosz perform the theatre mens’ tradition of dancing to “Take Your Shirt Off ” by T-Pain.
You Gotta Cut Loose... Top Left: Reeder (i.e. Ren) gets circled by his fellow castmates during the song “Somebodies Eyes”
Bottom Left: Senior Lauren Taylor (i.e Ariel) and Reeder seal the deal on Ariel and Ren’s relationship at the end of their duet “Almost Paradise”.
Right: Reeder gets weighed down by luggage in the opening number “Footloose/ On Any Sunday” when he and his mother move to the small town of Bomont.
Photos by Logan Brockschmidt
Footloose! Entertainment
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Inside Breakout KC: Breakout KC, an up and coming escape game has been receiving praise after praise for its appealingly concept. Melanie Eszter//Staff Writer
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s participants, you are locked in a room for an hour to see if a “breakout” is possible. The four different game rooms at Breakout KC: Room 13, Szechuan Secret, River Quay Casino, and The Truman Room. Room 13 is reported to be the easiest game room. With the highest success rate of 34% percent, some gamers have had luck breaking out. Room 13’s theme bases itself off a hotel room where gamers have to find their way out through a series of hidden clues throughout the room. Szechuan Secret, the Asian-themed room, features various Asian aspects and attributes. The River Quay Casino, a casino game-themed room, lends itself to a multitude of fun. Lastly, the Truman room is based on Harry S. Truman and his run for the Presidency in 1948. Guests have to discover who is behind the intentional sabotage of his election. All of the rooms possess hidden secrets and clues to discover which aid the gamers in their quest to solve the mystery and breakout. Some of the Hawks Eye staff decided to check out this new craze. They played the Truman room and only came close to truly “breaking out.”
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n fact once a clue is found they are allowed to dive even deeper into solving the mystery. They got one step closer to solving the room. It was a race against the clock, but with good friends the suspense becomes bearable and possible to overcome. The staff would recommend Breakout KC to anyone because this experience became so much fun. People from all over the nation have come to Breakout KC, and everyone who comes out leaves with a smile on their face regardless if they win or lose. Think you can Breakout of a room? Go ahead and give it a try. The more people that go, the better. Now, let’s see if you really have what it takes to Breakout, KC.
A television report on the phenomenon on Breakout KC.
Three Hawk’s Eye staffers pose after their attempt. Photo by: Melanie Eszter
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Olathe East Hawk’s Eye
Gavin Miller//Senior Staff Writer
Veggie Tales
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A Guide to the Finest Vegetarian-Friendly Eateries and Options in Olathe
eing a Kansan vegetarian can be a struggle, but not nearly as much of one as you might expect. This vegetarian of a year and a half has discovered and searched out the best of meat alternatives offered by popular Olathe restaurants – options at some favorites eateries which definitely made my dietary transition easier and tastier. Many have the idea that giving up meat means giving up junk food, fast food and deli-
cious American favorites, but this simply isn’t the case. Sure – certain foods are difficult to drop at first, but soon enough you’ll simply just stop thinking about it. Most respectable restaurants will make an effort to cater to the vegetarian/vegan population, and the following menu items prove that meat isn’t necessary to enjoy most any kind of food, be it burgers, barbeque or burritos.
Joe’s Kansas City - Portobello “Z-Man” Most vegetarians wouldn’t even consider stepping inside a barbecue joint, for obvious reasons, but the world famous Joe’s Kansas City caters to the non-meat eating population with a veggie spin on their popular Z-Man sandwich – traditionally laden with brisket. They swap pork for portobello mushrooms, and the sandwich’s other traditional elements remain: two fried onion rings, melted provolone and barbecue sauce. The result is delectable, with the mushroom providing adequate texture and substance, and, swimming in sauce, even those who normally wouldn’t indulge in mushrooms are likely to be satisfied. The biggest success of the portobello Z-Man would be that eating it, you still feel the sinful indulgence which barbecue cuisine promises. This may be a vegetarian alternative, but that doesn’t mean it’s healthy; you get all the grease and the classic flavor desired and expected from this sandwich.
A photo by kansascity.com photo by eatdrinkjax.com
Smash Burger - Black Bean Burger Smash Burger’s popular beef patties are “smashed” and prepared in a variety of styles including Buffalo, BBQ and Baja. The restaurant gives the option to switch out any of their sandwiches’ meat patties with a smashed black bean patty. While the slightly mushy texture of the black bean veggie burger may catch some first-timers off-guard, this acquired taste ultimately proves delicious. The Buffalo Blue Cheese black bean burger comes higly recommended– the flavors of the blue cheese and the heat of the sauce go excellently with the black bean, and a side of fried pickles or fries makes for a thoroughly delicious, satisfyingly unhealthy vegetarian fast food meal.
Chipotle - Sofritas Burrito/Bowl
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Vegetarian Chipotle Cheat Sheet
Before Chipotle even introduced their tofu “Sofritas”, the burrito chain was a fantastic dining option for vegetarian Mexican lovers. The Sofritas are a welcome addition however – a flavorful, rewarding tofu option to choose instead of Chipotle’s lineup of meats. The introduction of the Sofritas proves a worthwhile and tasty one, but maybe not as compelling as a tofu enthusiast might hope. The flavors, while strong, tend to fade slightly when mixed with the powerful spice of salsa, and the texture more or less blends in with that of the rice, beans, cheese, guacamole, etc. Nevertheless, Sofritas is an enjoyable vegan protein to add to your burrito or bowl, and a welcome addition to an already vegetarian-friendly menu.
Freddy’s - Veggie Burger As far as veggie burgers go, Freddy’s does a phenomenal job of replicating the texture, taste and overall experience of the beef patty with their delicious meat-replacing option. With all the classic works of a hamburger – cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, pickles, onions, condiments – it’s uncanny how not-obvious the meatlessness is. For vegetarians missing the American cuisine tradition which Freddy’s Steakburgers caters to, this menu option will satisfy your craving and endures as one of the better fast-food veggie burgers.
White/brown rice Black/pinto beans Sofritas Guacamole Veggie fajitas Cheese Tomato salsa Hot/mild salsa Corn salsa Lettuce Sour Cream
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photo by brandeating.com
photo by littleaustinite.com
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Black
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Lives Matter Movements Debate Current Events
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Alexa Buechler// Head Copy Editor
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Black Lives Matter
ho decides if you have the right to live or die? Cops want to remove the threat, but what if that cop considers an entire race as a threat? The Black Lives Matter movement considers themselves important because for the longest time, the white people of America considered a black life a fraction of worth to the white life, and the movement’s goal is to vocalize that black lives matter just as much as everybody else’s. They campaign against any violent acts toward their fellow African Americans. They specifically want to address police killings and use of excess force.
SRO Used Excessive Aggression Black: A Student Resource Officer in Columbia, South Carolina had to remove a disruptive black female from a classroom. He violently flipped her out of her chair and onto the ground. The student suffered back and neck injuries, and the school fired the officer. This same police officer had received an infraction for being overly aggressive with an arrest.
Blue Lives Matter
ops learn that the number one rule: remove the threat. They must protect their community to the best of their abilities. But, when a threat emerges, usually it only allows an officer a split second to make their decision. A decision that may or may not come back to bite them. The Blue Lives Matter movement organized itself because of the increasing number of fallen officers in rebuttal to the Ferguson riots and the Black Lives Matter movement. The New York Police Department launched a charity for families of fallen officers. Their goal: to raise awareness that cops are people too and have families that care for them.
Student Disrupted Class Blue: The student disrupted class and asked by the teacher and an administrator to leave the classroom. She resisted arrest. Many people want to consider the flipping an act against the race, but the County Sheriff claimed that the SRO officer dated an African American women.
Minneapolis Police Defends Shooting Jamar Clark Shot Black: A little boy witnessed two police officers slam the black man onto the ground. One officer had his knee on Clark’s back, and the other officer put him in handcuffs. A few seconds later, a gunshot rang out. No signs of resistance were mentioned in his account of events.
Media Hates Black Lives Matter Black: The media have accused the Black Lives Matter movement for the cop killing when no direct proof has shown itself. Conservative news outlets such as Fox News incited violence between police and civilians even though they lack the evidence. Anchor Katie Pavlich told fellow anchor Megyn Kelly that Black Lives Matter “promotes the execution of police officers.” Photo by klassickoolshoppe.blogspot.com
A Note on All Lives Matter... So, if black lives matter and blue lives matter, why not say all lives matter? Every single life should matter, but presidential candidates would suffer if they chose all lives matters over black lives matter. All lives matter concludes that all lives are equal, and
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Olathe East Hawk’s Eye
Blue: In Minneapolis on November 15, Jamar Clark resisted arrest then was shot for resisting the police. Clark and another black man fought, and the police received a call about an assault and the call changed to medical assistance.
Cop Killings Blue: Cyprus, Texas Sheriff Deputy Darren Goforth, a 10-year veteran, died from a gunshot wound while innocently refueling his car. He left behind his wife and two children. He wasn’t the first of many cop killings that led to the start of the Blue Lives Matter movement.
Courtesy of mutthead.com
Pigs and Bacon Blue: The day after Goforth died, the Black Lives Matter group held a protest chanting “Pigs in a blanket, fry ‘em like bacon” which was interpreted as dead police officers. therefore, a neighborhood that has no problems gets the same amount of help as a neighborhood that has many problems. So, the movements must target a specific group that needs the help whether that’s protecting black people or protecting police officers from unnecessary brutality.
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HAWKS TALK! About... Students opinions on What Things at East
Melanie Eszter//Staff Writer
n the spirit of Thanksgiving, students took a moment to reflect on the good, the bad and the ugly at Olathe East. Seventy-five students took a survey, where they listed at least three things that were going well at East and three things that could be improved .
*Overall Olathe East is great at school spirit, keep it up, Hawks. *It is not hard to believe that sports won number one in this school survey. *We have some of the best teachers at East. *Education is a key factor here at East, We teach our students what they will need to succeed for their future.
*Without a doubt school lunches are the first thing that needs to be changed at East. * Locker rooms stink, but gym class is not that bad * There should be an easier way to leave school without getting caught in a traffic jam * OE just simply needs a mat-ball team, there is nothing else to it.
Editorial
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# to the right of the colon: Number of people with that name at Olathe East
Co-Editors Logan Brockschmidt Jordan Meier Business Manager Amy Du
Social Media Chair Natalie Friend Senior Staff Writers Gavin Miller Nikki Lansford Ben Kohl Designer Jacob Wilson Writers Jacob Stofer Melanie Eszter Margo Dulny Ryann Smith Addis Sharpe Blythe Dorrian Kaitlyn Shacklett
FEMALE
Copy Editor Alexa Buechler
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THE Adviser Karen Kirk
Michael: 59 Joseph: 39 Jacob: 31 Christopher: 22 Nicholas: 22
Elizabeth: 54 Emily: 27 Taylor: 22 Hannah: 19 Madison: 18
On the Flipside
BY THENUMBERS Most Popular Names at Olathe East HAWK'Seye