November Chronicle

the chronicle

Olathe North High School 600 E. Prairie Olathe, Kansas 66061

11 | 2018

ON STUDENTS TURN THEIR POLITICAL BELIEFS INTO POLITICAL ACTION - ON STUDENTS TURN THEIR POLITICAL BELIEFS INTO POLITICAL ACTION - ON STUDENTS TURN THEIR POLITICAL BELIEFS INTO POLITICAL ACTION - ON STUDENTS TURN THEIR POLITICAL BELIEFS INTO POLITICAL ACTION - ON STUDENTS TURN THEIR POLITICAL BELIEFS INTO POLITICAL ACTION - ON STUDENTS TURN THEIR POLITICAL BELIEFS INTO POLITICAL ACTION - ON STUDENTS TURN THEIR POLITICAL BELIEFS INTO POLITICAL ACTION - ON STUDENTS TURN THEIR POLITICAL BELIEFS INTO POLITICAL ACTION - ON STUDENTS TURN THEIR

Volume 6 Issue 2

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The Chronicle | Issue 2 | November 2018

the chronicle | table of contents News Time for Technology 4 Band and Eaglettes Take

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Pictures to St. Louis 6 Missing Instruction 8 Ending the Silence 10 Voting Values 13

Feature

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The Daily Grind 18 Club of the Month 20

A&E Heard in the Hallways 22

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Falling for Pumpkin Spice 24 Common Misconceptions 26 Currently Trending 27 North Views 32

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Opinion Likes Over Life 23

Sports Sports Briefs 28

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November 2018 | Issue 2 | The Chronicle

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2018 | 2019 STAFF Editors-In-Chief

Bailey Flanagan

Photo Editor

Ashley Honey

Isabella Bray

Felicia Georgiou

Jena Bright

Kalley Jurgielski

Rachel Delehanty

Lily Harrison

Photographers

Andrea Martin

Abigail Miles

Cade Heikes

Anna Diehm

Copy Editor

Staff Writers

Sam Schaper

Hailey Kitivoravong

Gabby Beachey

Hayley Adams

Abby Shepherd

Lana Tarik

Alex Shine

Brian Beach

Neha Sridhar

Editors

Advisor

Claire Decatur

Elizabeth Tuckness

Miles Arambula

Robert M. Cave, Jr.

Letter From the Editors Isabella Bray

Rachel Delehanty

Abigail Miles First quarter has come and gone like a swift thunderstorm- or at least it has for us- and has taken with it the fresh feeling of beginnings: the beginning of school, the beginning of new classes and of new routines. But fear not, as the flurry of a new school year settles down, autumn takes its place, bearing comfort in the form of hoodies, the crunch of fallen leaves, and chilly football games. Enjoy this delightful season before the relentless and bitter winter takes hold. Take in the brisk chill, vividly colored leaves and the earthy scent that autumn

leaves behind before the craze of Christmas takes over the mind.

We hope you all had a wonderful first quarter, whether you are freshman getting the hang of life in high school, sophomores enjoying your months of making memories, juniors weathering the storm of classwork and stress, or seniors soaking up every last piece of high school. We have just weeks until winter break, then only months until summer, but that’s just enough time to make hundreds of memories that we can lock up and savor for years to come. Go Eagles!

Contact Information Mailing address: 600 E Prarie St. Olathe, KS 66061 Phone: (913) 780-7140 Email: theonchronicle@gmail.com Responding to the Publication Letters to the editors can be submitted to the email address listed above.

Letters may be published in print.

Letters may not be personal attacks against an individual and may be edited for brievity or legibility.

Advertising The Chronicle accepts advertisments; these can be submitted to the email above. Pricing and other information can be obtained by contacting us at rcaveon@olatheschools.org or rdelehantyonchronicle@gmail.com.

Purpose The Chronicle is the official high school news publication of Olathe North High School, and open forum distributed to all students eight times a year. This is the second issue of volume six. The Chronicle is printed by the Sedalia Democrat, 700 South Massachusetts. Sedalia, MO. 65301.

This is a student publication and may contain controversial matter. The Olathe Unified School District No. 233 and its board members, officers and employees disclaim any responsibility for the content of this student publication; it is an expression of the School District Policy. Students and editors are soly responsible for this student publication.

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The Chronicle | Issue 2 | News | November 2018 | Design by: Andrea Martin

Time for Technology Olathe North students finally get their laptops.

By: Felicia Georgiou | Staff Writer

Above: An Olathe North student’s school issued laptop | Photo by: Andrea Martin

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he wait is over. During the first week of October, each Olathe North student received a brandnew Dell laptop. Technology staff from the Olathe district distributed devices to each student in the main gym.

Long since middle school, the seniors were told that they would be given their own iPad, then throughout

high school, students were informed every year that they would be receiving a laptop. Olathe North students watched from afar, while Olathe West distributed MacBook Airs to their students. Delina Kessaye, a student at Olathe North, exclaimed “the school district is very flakey, and I never thought they would follow through [with] giving us laptops.”

The Dell devices allow a flip of the screen to transform it into a tablet, making it smaller and easier to transport. Kessaye stated “Dells with the touch screen and tablet feature are as good, if not better than a MacBook.”

According to Lifewire, the Window 2-in-1 touchscreen laptops are very convenient. The touch screen feature

Design by: Andrea Martin | November 2018 | News | Issue 2 | The Chronicle

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makes navigating the computer simpler. effects, they can also enhance students Students might be able to navi- learning. Eric Purtion, the Olathe North gate their laptops easily, but students are Building Tech, proclaimed “anytime you faced with the ability to be productive have that kind of information at your finor hinder their education with their de- gertips is pretty powerful.” He also stated vices. Kessaye say, “If there is a student teachers and students are going to be looking to waste time or not pay atten- able to collaborate easier with the aspect tion in class, they will play games on it of chat futures, such as Microsoft Teams. all the time.” Some kids will take their Students now, can pull out their laptops extra time given by a teacher to work on to look up the answer to their question. an assignment and head straight to Net- When a student wants to shoot a teacher flix, which displays that their individual an email they can send them a chat indevice is harming their education. In a stead, which would be a quicker process.

Teaching Center Conversation.com Study, 75% of studeclared that providing evdents acknowledged ery student with a school that bringing their laptop will create educalaptops to class intional opportunities for creased the amount the world’s poorest chilof time they spent on dren. Now, a student who activities unrelated once sat in class wondering to learning, such as if they could make it to the checking email and library to work on their essocial networking. due the next day can go -Olathe North Building say W h e n home and write the essay Tech, Eric Purtion on their own device. The Olathe North students were quesConversation went on to tioned about their usage of their say that a one-to-one laptop assignment laptops, it revealed that almost ev- will help enhance students’ 21st century ery student uses their laptop from a skills, such as collaborative learning and type of personal enjoyment, rang- the ability to search through and locate ing from online shopping to poker. information from internet sources. StuAnother detrimental factor of lap- dents’ electronic devices help connect tops in the classroom was touched on them to people and resources that they in the Washington Examiner, which would have never had access to before. explained that typing notes impedes Next time you pull out your the brain’s ability to process informa- laptops, think about if you are helping tion. A student cannot comprehend or harming your education. With the as much by clicking away at the key- accumulation of time throughout high board because the information travels school, students and teachers, will be able too fast from their ears to their fingers. to tell for themselves, if laptops enhance While laptops have negative or interfere with students’ learning.

“anytime you have that kind of information at your fingertips is pretty powerful.”

Artwork by: Andrea Martin

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The Chronicle | Issue 2 | News | November 2018 | Design by: Rachel Delehanty

Band and Eaglettes take Pictures to St. Louis

Photo by Diana Thompson

By: Lily Shepherd | Staff Writer

Above: Olathe North sophomore Evan Harrison performs during the field show, Pictures.

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n October 26-27, the Screaming Eagle marching band and Eaglettes dance team headed to Bands of America marching competition in St. Louis, Missouri. The band placed 40th out of 80 bands as they experienced their very first BOA competition, one of the most competitive marching competitions in the nation.

Field show is an event when drill team and marching band perform for competitions and entertainment.

During the summer, to kickoff marching season, they have a week-long band camp. During the school year at 7:00 am the band and drill team are on the field practicing their field show. Not only do they practice in the mornings, they work on Thursday nights from 6:30-8:30 pm.

This year the show entitled “Pictures” contained four songs. “Pictures at an Exhibition” by Modest Mussorgsky, “Photograph” by Ed Sheeran, “7 Years” by Lucas Graham, and “Paparazzi” by Lady Gaga. Patrick McCa-

rty explained how the theme “Pictures” was decided. “I have always had a show idea built around the idea of pictures at an exhibition, it’s a really great classical piece. Shortly after I came across a mixture of Ed Sheeran’s “Photograph” and Lucas Graham’s “7 Years” on YouTube and that sealed the deal. This was a recipe for a really great show.”

With 190 people on the field for this show, 156 students in marching band and 34 students on the drill team, the show is huge. With new staff members working on the show this year has been different from past years.

“Our band has gotten much stronger at marching and has become so much more exciting and musical. We work to produce a better product. Our new staff members push us to be better in every rehearsal and the band family supports each other,” drum major Maddie Cain explained.

Drill team captain Grace Williams described how described how this

year has been good for the team. “It was awesome to incorporate varsity and junior varsity into a big part of our season.

It allowed us to become closer as a team early into the season and overall it was really fun working together.”

The band and drill team have been to three competitions this year. The first one was the Blue Springs Marching Festival on September 29th in Blue Springs, Missouri. The band first made it into finals and then placed 9th in finals.

McCarty reveals, “We were against a lot of really great bands.” The next competition, The Kansas Bandmasters Association on October 20th, was in Topeka, Kansas; the band made it into finals and then placed 7th as a whole and the drum line and color guard placed 5th. The last competition the band took part in was Bands of America in St. Louis, Missouri.

There was a total of 80 bands at this specific competition. The band placed 40th place out of 80 of the best bands in the United States.

Design by: Rachel Delehanty | November 2018 | News | Issue 2 | The Chronicle The Bands of America was the biggest competition of the year. The band made sure everything was perfect before performing, even making last minute changes the week of the competition. On Friday morning, the band and drill team practiced and then hit the road to head to St. Louis. The band walked out and filled the dome with music.

For many the BOA competition was the final field show performance with Olathe North before they graduate. Marching season can create so many things, from brand new friendships to millions of memories according to band and color guard. Some of the

students who are graduating this year discussed what they love and are going to miss about field show.

Senior, Lily Matuszeski recalled, “The new band friends I made and all the laughs when we get tangled in our flags.”

“I love getting to work with the band and all the fun memories from competitions,” senior, Cassie Walsh described.

“I will miss the memories we make through the long hours with all of my best friends, I love the passion of creating something so genuine and unique with so much love,” Katie Bailey explained.

Lastly, senior, Brian Weber said, “I really enjoy learning field show during band camp. We spend a week straight together so by the end of the experience, my section becomes like a family to me and it seems like were all in it together.”

It is clear to many of the band students and drill team members how important field show is to them.

Now that the season is over, everyone in band has to audition so they can get placed into Concert Band, Symphonic Band or Wind Ensemble. Then they have the option if they want to do Pep Band. As for drill team, they will prepare for Nationals and Spring Show.

Photos by Heather Hughes Above Right: Olathe North band students warm up a before the contest. Below Right: Marching Band and the Eaglettes preforming. Above Left: Eaglettes posing before the contest started.

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The Chronicle | Issue 2 | News | November 2018 | Design by: Ashley Honey & Alexandra Shine

MISSING INSTRUCTION Olathe North’s lack of an official French teacher has begun to impact its students.

By: Brian Beach | Staff Writer

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t’s November. And in most classes, students have settled in and are getting to know their teachers and teaching methods. However, one class is still lacking a permanent instructor. Almost 50 French II and over 25 French I students have gone through four French substitutes, and they still lack a part-time teacher. So why hasn’t this issue been resolved? The answer, quite frankly, is complicated, especially given the lack of candidates and teacher compensation.

Initially, students in room 816 were supposed to have a teacher named Mr. Morris, but according to French II student Zachary Freud, “He had to attend his sister’s wedding in South Korea so he wasn’t there for the first few weeks.”

Things only got more complicated after this. In the words of French II student Alex Cummins, “We had a long term sub and then he quit while we still

had the sub so we had the long term sub a little bit more and then she had to stop and so we had a sub for one day and then she quit and then we had another sub for about a week or so and then we finally

“It’s been difficult since there’s been many different concepts of teaching brought to us.” got a long term sub until next semester.”

Long story short, these French students have had to deal with a lot of substitutes in the opening months of this

school year. And this revolving door of teachers has been hard on the students.

“It’s been difficult since there’s been many different concepts of teaching brought to us,” states student Leslie Martinez.

Freud is even concerned about his fellow students’ preparedness for French III. “I don’t really plan on taking French III next year, but for those that do, I feel bad for them unless things get better,” he says.

However, French III teacher Madame Marsh believes that students in the French II classes will be prepared for next year. “I think some of the substitutes were pretty goodand they’re following the program.”

The current substitute, and former missionary in France, Mr. Miller, has also had to endure some challenges as a long-term sub. “When you come in and something’s already been started, you’re

Design by: Ashley Honey & Alexandra Shine | November 2018 | Issue 2 | News | The Chronicle

“Ultimately, what I want to do is put the best teacher I can in a classroom.” not quite sure what all has been done before, so it takes some time to catch up and figure out what the students have already worked on as opposed to having a chance to plan out the whole year,” Miller claims.

That being said, Miller still appreciates the part-time position, because he is finishing up his French degree and master’s degree in education.

Still, 76 French students are lacking a permanent teacher, and there are several different issues to blame for this vacancy.

Is school funding a part of the problem? Answers are mixed.

Olathe North principal Jason Herman does not believe that teacher compensation is the cause of the lack of a hire. Instead, according to Herman, “[The lack of a French hire] was more of [himself] wanting to make sure that I got a quality French teacher in that position and it’s really tough when it’s only a part time spot.”

For the principal, the root cause is not a lack of teaching candidates, but rather, a lack of quality teaching candidates. “Ultimately, what I want to do is put the best teacher I can in a classroom,” Herman says.

Foreign language department chair Leslye Wilhm, however, does believe that teacher compensation is an issue, not just for this particular hire, but for the profession of teaching in general.

“If you’re going to be finding a job that is not going to take care of your student loans that you had taken out right off the bat, I think that’s a big factor in someone deciding whether or not they want to go into teaching,” she claims.

Of course, the undisputed ultimate goal is to get a permanent teacher in this position, but once again, the ideas for getting to this conclusion are varied.

Herman believes the best plan of action is to focus on increasing enrollment in French classes. “I would love to drive French enrollment up and then I have two full French positions and that would make things a lot easier,” he states.

On the other hand, Wilhm believes that “seeking out more individuals maybe in the college level” by “having career fairs” could result in more candidates for the teaching positions in the future. She also suggests “trying to make an impact on our students in the high school to want to become foreign language teachers down the road.”

For current French substitute Mr. Miller, the answer is seems quite simple: “Just hire me on full time, long term, and we’ll be good.”

Unfortunately, creating a full time French position is a challenge given the lack of current French enrollment, and until this position is filled, these French students will simply have to go sans professeur.

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NO RESPECT EFFECT In 2013, the Olathe School District spent $8,641 per student.

However, the Kansas CIty Missouri School District spent $10,698 per student in the same year.

Source: NPR

The average salary of a Kansas high school teacher is $50,470.

By comparison, the average salary of a New York high school teacher is $83,360.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

Adjusted for inflation, the average salary for teachers was 1% lower in 2015-2016 than in 1990-1991.

Source: US Department of Education

10 The Chronicle | Issue 2 | News | November 2018 | Design by: Ashley Honey

Olathe North students speak out about their sexual assault and harassment stories.

Story by: Gaby Beachey | Staff Writer

Interviews by: Ashley Honey | Staff Editor

Story by: Miles Arambula | Staff Editor

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or years, victims of sexual harassment, sexual assault, and rape have been largely expected to hide their stories. Now, women like Christine Blasey Ford, Gwyneth Paltrow, Simone Biles, and more are finally coming to the surface and sharing their tales of sexual abuse. The #MeToo movement has inspired thousands of people to stand up and tell their own stories. Well-known individuals like Harvey Weinstein, an owner of the Weinstein Company, and Larry Nassar, the USA Women’s Gymnastics physician now carry a connotation of sexual abuse because of the bravery of these survivors.

Sexual assault is defined by the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN) as any sexual contact or behav-

ior that takes place without the victim’s explicit consent. This can include groping and other unwanted sexual touching, forcing a victim to perform sexual acts, and attempted and completed rape. According to RAINN, 1 in 5 women and 1 in 71 men will be raped sometime in their lives.

Recently, Supreme Court Justice nominee Brett Kavanaugh was accused of attempted rape by Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, a woman he attended high school with. She was followed by Deborah Ramirez and Julie Swetnick. They have accused him of multiple sexual assaults.

Despite these allegations, Kavanaugh was confirmed for the Supreme Court on October 6th by one of the slimmest margins in American history, accord-

ing to the New York Times. The final vote was 50 to 48, and almost entirely along political party lines. According to Newsweek, the FBI investigation of Kavanaugh was conducted within 10 days. Many skeptics questioned the authenticity of the investigation due to how quickly it was completed and the failure to investigate Dr. Blasey Ford. Thousands have shown their support for Blasey Ford, Ramirez, and Swetnick, and the media has been in a frenzy over the case. “[I think] Brett Kavanaugh and the investigation against him are corrupt and sloppy,” expresses Olathe North sophomore and assault survivor Sarah Kasmer.* “This has [shown] America that not only are we supposed to be okay with a president who endorses sexual harass-

*Names have been changed to protect the identity of the victims and offenders.

Design by: Ashley Honey | November 2018 | News | Issue 2 | The Chronicle

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One in five women will be raped in their lifetime. ment and assault, but [also be okay with] two Supreme Court Justices with allegations against them for similar crimes.”

“What happened in high school does matter. Because for the victim, they relive the moment of being raped or assaulted over and over.

It’s like losing a piece of yourself,” adds Olathe North sophomore Isabel Orr. The media coverage of the Kavanaugh investigation has provoked reactions from survivors across the country. Olathe North students have offered their opinions on the media reportage.

“I’m upset, first of all, that [Kavanaugh] actually got into power. It’s just really upsetting, and it just kind of shows how much people actually value a woman,” says Olathe North junior Ally Harring.* While the #MeToo Movement is changing lives and business structures across the United States, Olathe North’s students are coming out of the shadows to tell their own stories. Seven students have shared their pain, and they want it to be known that it happens more often than one might think.

“I was sexually harassed and assaulted while getting SCUBA certified,” Kasmer admits.“This guy was a couple years older than me. Over the course of the night, he [touched me in ways I did not consent to], trapped me and locked me in his room, followed me and waited outside the bathroom when I was going to change my clothes for the night, and wouldn’t let me text my friends without him [watching]. He defended himself by saying he was just a ‘touchy guy,’” Kasmer explains, fighting back tears.

“I was up all night shaking and crying, thinking every sound was him

coming into my tiny cabin. [The guy] left the next morning, but I stayed for another day to finish my certification. He stole my dive log, which contained my phone num-

“It’s like losing a piece of yourself.” ber, address, email, and my parents’ information. I still don’t know if he kept that information. I was only 14 when it happened, and I haven’t seen him since,” says Kasmer.

She chose to share her story to finally feel free of keeping it a secret. “[I was sexually assaulted] about 2 years ago,” explains Orr. “[My abuser and I] went to the pool. He always treated me poorly, always putting me down.

While we were at the pool, he upset me by calling my depression fake and stupid.

Angry and upset, I went to leave, when he reached out, grabbing my [chest] and saying ‘this makes you feel better, right?’

I freaked out. I yelled, ‘Stop! Let me go!’

He only held on tighter. I was sobbing. He kept grabbing me and began to touch me even more. Struggling, I began to claw at him, hoping he’d let me go,” Orr explains, her face shadowed by the memory. “Just because I had those parts didn’t mean he had the right to touch me. I was no longer his girlfriend, but his plaything.”

According to RAINN, 7 out of 10 sexual assaults are committed by

12 The Chronicle | Issue 2 | News | November 2018 | Design by: Ashley Honey One in 71 men will be raped in their lifetime.

Note: one light pink man represents ten men. someone the victim knows. This often includes romantic partners, but can include family and close friends as well.

“The person that assaulted me was a man who I called ‘uncle,’ but wasn’t actually related to me,” explains Olathe North senior Kendall Lancaster.* “He, my ‘abuela’ (again, no actual relation), and her son were living with us. They were immigrants, and my family loved my abuela enough to let her move in with her family. I was 11 [years old] at the time.. I was washing bins with a hose in the driveway, and I was having fun with it, getting absolutely soaked…

The sun had almost gone down... My ‘uncle’ was sitting in the garage. I walked into the garage, still sopping wet, to close

“I still have nightmares about him.” the garage door and dry off myself and the bins with a towel,” Lancaster explains.

“At this point, I should mention that my ill-fitting hand me downs [were wet and] hanging off of me. My ‘uncle’ stopped me on the steps and approached me, and proceeded to stroke my [chest].

Over and over again. His smile was so gross. I smiled back a really confused, nervous smile. To this day I’m still angry that I didn’t react more violently,” Lancaster adds.

“That night I cried myself to sleep.

And I did so for a long time. After that, he wouldn’t stop taking pictures of me. I think he took pictures of me while I slept, but I’m not sure. I still have nightmares about him.”

The emotional repercussions

of a sexual assault can be extreme. Some of the most common effects in survivors are depression, flashbacks, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), self harm, substance abuse, dissociation, eating and sleep disorders, and even suicide.

“I think the incident will always affect me. I mean, sexual assault or harassment will always affect everyone for their life. I don’t think anyone can ever truly get over it,” says Olathe North junior Meredith Latcham.* Rape is one of the most underreported crimes in America. An estimated 63% of sexual assaults are not reported to to police, according to RAINN. Unfortunately, there is a common occurrence with reporting sexual harassment and assault cases. The victim might come forward, but the perpetrator receives little or no punishment.

Lancaster expressed a fear of getting their abuser deported if they told police, Orr feared that her abuser would tell everyone she was a liar, Latcham feared that the authorities would do nothing, and Kasmer felt that nobody would take her seriously if she reported it. However, there is another reason that keeps many victims from reporting: self-blame. “[I didn’t report my assault because] I didn’t want anyone to know that I was weak and stupid enough to let this happen to me. I blamed a lot of it on myself, thinking things like ‘If I hadn’t worn those shorts maybe he would’ve left me alone, if I hadn’t acted like such a slut maybe I could’ve avoided all this,” Kasmer confesses.

“At first I didn’t think it was a big deal, but as I told people and as they made their comments and opinions, I just felt bad. I kind of said, ‘Oh yeah, this is why I shouldn’t wear shorts.’ I thought it was my fault because, I don’t know.

It didn’t feel really good,” says Harring.

Many survivors are wondering

how we can overcome this problem as a society, and what we can do to ensure that someday, nobody will have stories like this.

Each interviewee had similar thoughts. “[I think that] for starters, we should stop slut shaming. We should stop victim blaming and stop thinking that sexual harassment and assault aren’t a big deal,” suggests Kasmer.

“Show the world what is really happening. Show support for all assault victims,” Orr states.

“Believe them. Take them seriously. Give them some justice. That’s all we could ask for,” Lancaster says.

“I think we should teach students about consent… because [the #MeToo Movement] is still going on, like we’re in the 21st Century, and we’re still seeing people victim blaming and people being afraid to speak out against assault, and I think that’s wrong. We’re so advanced, yet so far behind,” says Harring.

Design by: Abigail Miles | November 2018 | News | Issue 2 | The Chronicle

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Olathe North students turn their political beliefs into political action as the midterm election nears.

By: Abby Shepherd | Staff Writer

VOTINGVALUES W

hen one thinks about elections, images of political ads on television, yard signs, and pamphlets from candidates appear. The older generation, usually those belonging to the 60+ age group, is largely associated with these images, as they are often the ones volunteering for candidates, and helping out from behind the scenes. As many teenagers cannot legally vote due to the age requirement of 18, it could be assumed that many of them feel indifferent towards politics. However, many Olathe North students are contradicting this expectation by heavily involving themselves in preparations for the 2018 midterm elections.

Many Olathe North students

have made it their priority to be engaged in the different facets of politics no matter their beliefs, previous experiences in politics, or age. Students involved in the Distinguished Scholars Political Science program or the student-run political clubs such as Student Republicans and Student Democrats strive to be involved in the processes of politics, whether it be local, state, or national. Both the Student Republicans and Democrats have a history of endorsing and working for certain candidates, and that tradition continues today.

Students are usually informed about campaign volunteering opportunities at Student Republicans or Student Democrats meetings. The president of the club

What is the Midterm Election?

Its held on November 6, 2018 and its administered by state and local governments instead of national governments. 35/100 seats in the United States Senate will be “contested.�

communicates with local candidates about possible times to volunteer, then relay these opportunities with their club members. The candidate Student Democrats have campaigned for the most this year has been State Representative Cindy Holscher, who many students have canvassed and phone banked for. As there is no Student Republicans club this year, no Republican candidate was endorsed.

Knocking on doors, stuffing envelopes, and making calls have all become part of daily routine for students like senior, Lauren Ellenz. As the president of Student Democrats, Ellenz works weekly supporting Holscher’s re-election campaign.

What do seats have to do with control?

US SENATE

Who ever takes more seats will have more control in the United States

14 The Chronicle | Issue 2 | News | November 2018 | Design by: Abigail Miles

Ellenz replied, “I’ve helped with setting up yard signs and registering people to vote,” when asked what other steps she has taken to participate in the political process besides canvassing.

For the upcoming midterm elections, Holscher has also been helped out by sophomore Wade Boohar, who regularly finds time to canvass. Boohar describes the process of canvassing, which candidates often implement to reach possible voters. “When we canvass, we meet up at a location in the district and then walk house to house. We ask people if they are registered to vote, who are they voting for, and what issues matter to them,” he explains.

Former Olathe North student Catie Wiltanger found a job during the summer as an intern for Brent Welder, a

most recently with Angela Schweller, who is currently running for a state representative position in District 14, which includes part of Olathe.

Bhat had always held an interest in politics, and he adds, “Being able to have hands-on experience while working in a local campaign sounded interesting.”

While working for Schweller, Bhat found himself participating in several aspects of the campaign.

“We phone banked, called up potential voters and informed them about candidates, canvassed, and also did public speaking events.”

The large presence of politically engaged youth at Olathe North is not a common sight elsewhere, as many young people are apathetic when it comes to politics. This can especially relate to events like midterm

selves. “I think we need to be represented by younger people, because not only would that make younger people more willing to vote, but it’s time that we vote out some of the people who have been there for 30 years.”

Although he is too young to vote, Boohar still believes being politically active, no matter your age, is important.

“Politics affects every part of our life and so by advocating for those who I think can make our government function better, I am doing my duty as a citizen.”

It’s often argued that politicians are “out of touch” and aren’t doing enough to reach out to the younger generation, especially to those who can legally vote.

Wiltanger discussed one day she was at working at her internship and was approached by Welder.

candidate who ran for Congress in District 3, which includes Overland Park, Olathe, and Gardner. She found it to be a rewarding experience, and says her most valuable lesson came from talking to people on both sides of the political aisle. However, her interest in politics began much earlier.

“In high school I was really interested in politics, and at one of the only Student Democrats meetings I went to, Brett Parker, a State Representative from District 29, which includes part of Overland Park, came and spoke. I stayed a little longer and talked to him; he had just started his first term and seemed like a really cool guy. I contacted him later and asked if I could get involved at all, and he said I could shadow him, so I shadowed him over Spring Break of my senior year.”

Senior Rishab Bhat has also participated in local campaigns in the past,

elections, which can appear “unimportant”, as the midterms don’t decide well-known elected officials such as the president.

When questioned about this predicament, junior Anish Srivastava replied, “I think it’s just the disconnect now, because we’ve just come to believe that the older people understand better and young people aren’t as smart or intelligent, so they shouldn’t vote on issues they don’t understand.”

Ellenz agrees with this point, claiming, “We see that continually the political system ignores it, when young people do speak up.” She also brings up another reason why teenagers aren’t as politically active, contributing it to time commitments that young people have, such as extracurriculars.

Wiltanger believes the apathy some young people have towards politics is contributed by the politicians them-

“Brent asked if I could look at a certain candidate’s Twitter, who was from District 30, so we could get ideas on how to reach more people through social media.”

However, Srivastava doesn’t think purposely reaching out to younger voters through social media should be the politicians’ responsibility.

He claims, “If the younger generations start coming out and voting more often, they themselves (the politicians) should only then purposely go out and reach the younger generations.”

He makes a point here; according to the United States Election Project, it has been shown repeatedly over the last few national elections that the younger generation (18-29) is often the smallest demographic that shows up on Election Day. Ellenz makes it her priority to change

Design by: Abigail Miles | November 2018 | News | Issue 2 | The Chronicle

this trend, expressing, “I guess I’m trying to change that by just trying to get people excited about politics, mostly at the local level, because that’s where we can actually make change.”

Bhat agrees that voting in all types of elections is important, adding, “Local elections are determined by a handful of voters, so one person can make a big impact.”

The midterm elections are coming up on November 6th, but few people are actually knowledgeable about who will be on the ballot. In Kansas, the election will decide the next governor, various state representatives, and national representatives.

October is a busy month for students who are helping out in various campaigns, and for them, letter stuffing and canvassing has become almost non-stop.

The abundance of politically active teenagers at Olathe North is only a small sample of the current trend across the country.

Students are becoming politically active in cities everywhere, including the well-known example of Parkland, Florida. After 17 students and teachers were killed in a school

shooting in Parkland at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, various students who survived became political activists, specifically advocating against gun violence.

During the summer of 2018, outspoken students from MSD traveled across the country, holding town halls where the main topic was gun violence. Many students have also endorsed or condemned certain politicians, depending on whether they believe these politicians are working for their best interests. The students of MSD now hold tremendous political influence as a result, showing what happens when young people stand up and act for their personal convictions.

Though not comparable in the amount of news coverage they receive, many students at Olathe North feel as passionately for politics as the students from MSD. This passion is reflected in the time they spend outside of school, putting work into various campaigns. These students know the power the midterm elections hold, and they refuse to sit idle as their future hangs in the balance.

Olathe North students take a selfie with State Representative Cindy Halscher while canvassing in District 16. From left to right: Sara Holscher, Lauren Ellenz, Wade Boohar, Tasmin Sangha, Rohan Minocha, and Cindy Holscher.

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Lauren Ellenz | Senior Why do you think young people aren’t active in politics and how are you working to change this status quo?

“I think young people aren’t involved in politics because of two factors: first, you have the time commitments that lots of young people have, like we’re living in very high-stress environments, where we have so many responsibilities, and politics seems like this abstract thing we can’t contribute to or control anyway, and frankly we don’t have the time to worry about it, and secondly, we see that continually the political system ignores it, when young people do speak up, like we saw the massive outrage after Parkland and we saw the U.S. Congress not pass a single gun control measure after that, so we’re existing in a system where young people are continually told that their political desires don’t matter and aren’t important, so that’s really discouraging to a lot of young people who would be involved in politics, and I guess I’m trying to change that by just trying to get people excited about politics, mostly at the local level, because that’s where we can actually make change- as it’s more involved with our lives and shows us what we do can actually matter.”

16 The Chronicle | Issue 2 | News | November 2018 | Design by: Abigail Miles Anish Srivastava | Junior Why do you think so many young people are apathetic about politics?

“I think there’s just a huge disconnect, because what’s happened is we’ve just “understood” that the older people are better, like they understand better, and young people aren’t as smart or intelligent, so they shouldn’t vote on issues they don’t understand, and that disconnect has only grown through generations, so we’ve basically said to young people, ‘don’t vote because you don’t understand what’s going on’, and that’s clearly wrong.”

Rishab Bhat | Senior How has participating in politics benefitted you?

“I’ve gotten to learn more about local politics, and how important it is to vote. Local elections are determined by a handful of voters, so one can make a big impact.”

Do Teens Vote?

By: Sam Schaper | Staff Writer

R

ecently, Taylor Swift came out of the political closet on Instagram. She recommended to her fans that they register to vote.

Within 24 hours of her post, over 65,000 of her young fans registered to vote, causing Vote.org to nearly crash.

“I always have and always will cast my vote based on which candidate will protect and fight for the human rights I believe we all deserve in this country,” Swift wrote on Instagram.

So how many teenagers are registered to vote, anyway? A poll was taken recently by the Olathe North students. The data suggests that only 22% of seniors are registered to vote.

“It is important that I do what I can to change our current political administration and make sure my voice is heard,” An anonymous senior stated, “a government can’t truly be governed by the people unless the people participate in the government.”

According to the poll, reasons for registering are largely

the same. Some want their voices to be heard, others are not fond of the current administration.

The data shows, however, that those who haven’t still have a desire to be registered. So why aren’t they? Considering that the cutoff to start school in Kansas is September 1st, and the deadline for voter registration is October 16th, most students wouldn’t be turning eighteen in time. This window of time keeps most politically active adolescents from voting. And the data supports this because 100% of those who haven’t registered said that they plan to once they are of age.

Something that works in favor of students, however, is that they can register before turning eighteen as long as they will be eighteen by the day of voting. So, those who are disappointed because they just barely miss the deadline, don’t despair! Although, the deadline has now passed, this is very useful information to juniors this year. So go ahead and register to vote! Your confirmation will be coming in the mail after you turn eighteen.

What inspired you to become involved?

“I have always been interested in politics and getting hands-on experience working on a local campaign sounded interesting.”

Sara Holscher marches with State Represenative Cindy Holscher campaign team in a local parade.

Design by: Abigail Miles | November 2018 | News | Issue 2 | The Chronicle

After the election, there will be a “lame duck session� in Congress, which begins mid-November, while the new Congress will begin in January.

Top issues in the 2018 midterms include health care, the economy and immigration.

In 1845 Congress decided to make one single voting date, as states still voted on different dates due to decisions made during the Constitutional Convention in 1787. Lawmakers ruled Sunday out as people would have to leave on Sunday to arrive at the polls, and this was the Sabbath Day. Wednesday was usually market day, and so this wouldn’t work either. So, Tuesday became the national voting date.

About 200 years ago, Election Day was full of eating, drinking, and parading.

The lowest voter turnout is the most in primary elections, off-year elections for state legislators, and local elections.

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From 1972 to 2012, citizens 18-29 years old turned out at a rate 15-20 points lower than citizens 30 years and old.

The mechanical lever machines were phased out in 2010 in favor of electronic digital voting machines or scanned paper ballots.

In midterms the party holding the presidency usually loses seats in Congress. There are some exceptions, however, like in 2002 when Republicans added to their majorities in the House and the Senate.

The mechanical lever voting machine was patented in 1889. Jacob H. Meyers built the first lever machine used in an election, which was first used in 1892.

18The Chronicle | Issue 2 | Feature | November 2018 | Design by: Rachel Delehanty

THE DAILY GRIND A

new school year, a new coffee shop. Now referred to as the Eagle Express, DECA’s coffee shop has undergone a transformation.

Most Olathe North students walk by the Eagle Express every day, and many students have bought a cup of coffee or a smoothie from there, on occasion. However, the hard work and hours that those involved in DECA put it to successfully run the coffee shop often go unnoticed.

Over the summer, DECA members worked hard to formulate new drinks, such as the popular raspberry Italian soda. DECA works with The Roasterie, a coffee roasting company which is operated in nearby Kansas City, Missouri. Sophomore Arjun Garapaty, one of the student leaders of the Eagle Express, explained how new menu items, such as frappes, are developed. “We contact The Roasterie, get the ingredients we need, and then use those to develop our items.” Garapaty praises The Roasterie’s partnership with Olathe North DECA, adding, “The Roasterie has done well to provide us with different possibilities of drinks to make with the resources we have.”

Along with the creation of new drinks, the coffee stand itself has undergone a renovation. DECA members volunteered to come in during the summer to help with the remodel, which took around one week, according to senior Anchal Gupta. “We renovated the entire coffee shop. We painted the walls, and got new furniture, so now it looks really nice,” Gupta describes.

Raschel Brock, the co-sponsor of DECA, adds, “We got running water and a sink, something we’ve never had in the shop before.”

Soon, the Eagle Express will expand its locations, according to senior Sonia Kandalkar, one of the students who helps run the coffee shop. “We will

By: Abby Sheperd | Staff Writer

also be starting a coffee cart in the intersection of the 800 hallway and in the parking lot,” Kandalkar reveals.

The Eagle Express not only sells coffee, but Olathe North spirit wear as well. DECA has a design department, which is responsible for coming up with new spirit wear. Kandalkar believes that the spirit wear unites the Olathe North community, as she claims, “You don’t always want a shirt affiliated with a club.”

“The merchandise we’re selling right now is on clearance, so we’re selling that first, and then we’ll have some really cool designs coming out soon,” Garapaty discloses.

DECA makes quite a large profit selling coffee, shirts, and assorted merchandise, so where does that money go? According to Garapaty, this profit goes towards admission fees for DECA competitions, as well as reinvesting in the coffee shop, which includes getting new machines and inventing new drinks. In addition to the stresses of school work, DECA members have to manage an entire business on the side.

With the help of Olathe North teachers, Stacie Palmisano and Raschel Brock, students order products, apply for grants, and learn about what it takes to operate a school-based enterprise, Kandalkar explains.

Since the Eagle Express is open daily, there is a demand for students to work every day.

Kandalkar adds, “DECA members pick what day they want to work, and then come that day every week.”

Students involved in DECA learn important life-skills while helping out at the Eagle Express, such as how to work together as a team. The coffee shop periodically becomes busier, and everyone working must communicate with each other to succeed.

Garapaty has learned a lot by working

in the Eagle Express, especially content relating to leadership and managing people. He believes that being involved in the coffee shop has prepared him for not only a career in business, but for any field that involves leadership and communication.

Kandalkar has also learned many valuable lessons from working in the coffee shop since her freshman year.

“As a freshman, I saw so much potential in this store and it was genuinely so fun to be a barista once a week.” She continued, “Working in this store has taught me skills I will use for the rest of my life, mainly with problem solving, how to overcome limitations, how to reach a target market, advocating for a cause, how to market and advertise effectively, teamwork, leadership, being creative, and handling money wisely.”

Gupta appreciates the atmosphere that working together as a team creates. “It’s a really special experience because everyone’s working together, we have one person yelling out orders, people are asking ‘can you pass me this?’, so it’s just a nice feeling to be a part of something.”

In response to what is the most important thing Olathe North students should know about the Eagle Express and the students that run it, Gupta reveals, “I think they should know we all work extremely hard, we show up early every morning, we’ve gone through training multiple times, we all really care about it, and we would all appreciate it if students stopped by.”

Next time you’re craving a coffee or smoothie, stop by the Eagle Express, not only to check out their new renovations, but to show your appreciation for the hard-working students involved in DECA. The Eagle Express is open in the South Commons every morning, from 7:20-7:55.

Design by: Rachel Delehanty | November 2018 | Feature | Issue 2 | The Chronicle

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Sonia Kandalkar What kind of impact do you think the coffee shop has had on North?

"It makes our campus a brighter place! It is Olathe North’s go to place for beverages and ON merchandise. Overall, the Express brings our school together in different ways."

Arjun Garapaty What has being involved in DECA taught you about business?

All Photos: DECA students work together to prepare moring coffee and smoothies for Olathe North student body.

“It’s taught me a lot about how to be a leader and manage individuals. It’s also taught me a lot about communication skills, how to communicate effectively, and it’s also really helped me prepare for not only a business career I might pursue, but any career in the future that involves leadership and communication."

20The Chronicle | Issue 2 | Features | November 2018 | Design by: Kalley Jurgielski

CLUBS OF THE MONTH By: Brian Beach | Staff Writer

Looking to get more involved in clubs? There are plenty of clubs looking for more members, and many of them are new for this year. Below is a brief description of some of some of North’s newest and most vibrant clubs.

Smash Club If you agree with the statement, “Smash is life!” or “Have a pretty sick Falco” (or other Smash character) then this might be the club for you. Members get together and play Super Smash Bros alongside biology teacher, Mr. Elniff.

Established: The beginning of this year Teacher Sponsor: Mr. Elniff Size of Club: 5 (Including Elniff) Meetings: 1st and 3rd Mondays of the month Eagle Halftime A Highlight of the Year: According to Lawrence Qudsi, “The Kirby glitch was pretty good.”

Eagle Broadcast Club The Eagle Broadcast Club practices broadcast skills by filming all Olathe North varsity football games.

They are broadcast live on the club’s YouTube channel, ONHS Eagle Studios, so if you can’t make the game in person, you can still follow the Eagles thanks to the hard work of this club. Ever wanted to broadcast games yourself? Eagle Broadcast Club is always looking for new members!

Size of Club: About 10 Meetings: Every Thursday Halftime B Teacher Sponsor: Mr. Lane Highlight of the Year: According to member Sarah Lewis a highlight is the, “End of the year banquet where we do like points and awards and stuff and that’s always really fun.”

Do you have a passion for something unique but have no club to enjoy it with? Start your own club using the step by step guideline below.

1.

2.

3.

Request an Application to Form a Student Initiated Group from the office. If you can’t remember that exact title, you can just tell anyone in the office that you want to start a club and they will get you this form.

Come up with a name for your proposed group.

State the purpose of your group and propose meeting times

Design by: Kalley Jurgielski | November 2018 | Features | Issue 2 | The Chronicle

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Historical Synthesis Society Historical Synthesis Society: If you, like founder Jordan Yonce, have a, “Love of the history of the past,” and you consider the, “empires gone, ages of long ago” to be “scintillating to the mind,” then you should seriously consider joining the HSS. This group enjoys learning about history and teaching others through rather pretentious methods.

Established: March 2018 Teacher Sponsor: Mr. Sorrels Size of Club: 9 Members Meetings: Eagle Halftime A, First Tuesday of each month Highlight of the Year: According to Yonce, “The highlight is the journey of history and the fact that I get to take fellow students on it with me.”

Latina Leadership Club A branch of Hispanic Leadership Club, Latina leadership club is a place for girls to come together and support each other. The group took part in the Halloween Trick-or-Treat night and raised funds to help pay for some people’s homecoming tickets. There are also plans to help out in nursing homes in the future.

Established: May 2018 Size of Club: About 30 Meetings: Every other Thursday in Ms. Silva’s room Teacher Sponsor: Ms. Silva Highlight of the Year: President Sofia Martinez states that, “I think the coolest part has been seeing the amount of girls that have come through to get together.”

ON Paws Club This club puts a priority on animal-based service projects and includes opportunities to serve at SPCA and listen to guest speakers. Club founder Isabella Prince created the club because, “There was a need for it,” and “there’s not many clubs that are specific for [the pets and animals in the community].”

Established: Second semester of last year.

Teacher Sponsor: Ms. Keller Size of Club: About 20 Meetings: After school on Wednesdays 3:05-3:30, or Eagle Halftime A Highlight of the Year: According to Prince, a big highlight was “Last year, when we all went to SPCA together and donated all of our supplies because we actually got to get a tour of the place and see the dogs we were helping and the cats.”

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

Get at least 7 members to come on board and join the club Find a faculty sponsor for your club Turn in the Application to Form a Student Initiated Group back to Ms. Noteboom in the office.

The office will contact your faculty sponsor, and then your faculty sponsor should contact you.

Enjoy your newly-founded club and begin planning events!

22 The Chronicle | Issue 2 | A&E | November 2018 | Design by: Isabella Bray

in the

Heard it Hallways

By: Jena Bright | Photo Editor

Have you ever heard something totally bizzarre while walking through the halls and had to stop and wonder about the mental stability of our generation? Read below to see real, stress induced comments made by Olathe North students.

“I slapped him like four times trying to get him to cry. He deserved it, he smells like a breadstick.”

“How many inches are in a second.”

“I wouldn’t have gotten caught if she hadn’t tracked my phone.”

“I just made a cannibal.”

“I’m not gay, but I would marry Paul Rudd right here, right now.”

“I went through a Russian novel phase.”

“Hide me while I pick this wedgie.”

“I had four bags of sweet and spicy Doritos; I’m pretty sure I have dysentery now.”

“I’m trying to live my best life and that includes buying ice skates.”

“There’s probably a Starbucks in Hell so it’s all fine.”

“Just go to the black market and look for blood.”

Design by: Andrea Martin | November 2018 | Opinions | Issue 2 | The Chronicle

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Likes Over Life The obession with going viral has become trendy, but is it worth it?

By: Hayley Adams | Staff Writer

1

0 years ago, when you asked an elementary classroom what they wanted to be when they grew up, you’d hear answers like Doctor, Police officer, football player, and other classic dream careers. Today however, you may be surprised at the number of kids saying they want to be YouTubers or other social media influencers. This is due to the recent rise of social media stardom. Children and teens look at their favorite digital stars and aspire to be like them. However, this desire to become internet famous can often go too far, and become dangerous.

19-year-old Monalisa Perez’s life was turned upside down on March 14th when she was charged with Second Degree Manslaughter, a crime punishable by up to a decade in jail. She shot and killed her boyfriend, Pedro Ruiz, when he told her to; even though he didn’t want to, (or plan on) dying. She shot her boyfriend, who was holding a book in front of him, thinking it would stop the bullet, in an attempt to get views on their YouTube channel. This death was due to the increasing desire of internet fame, but why? When did likes become more important than lives?

Every day, according to YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki, thousands hours of content are uploaded to the world’s largest video streaming app, YouTube. With so much content on the platform, this gives wannabe viral stars a lot of competition to go viral, and the stakes are getting higher.

Prominent social media stars performing dangerous staged stunts in their videos and getting millions of views doesn’t help the crisis. Take YouTuber Brothers Jake and Logan Paul for example, who posts shocking videos of himself pulling dangerous “pranks” with a group of friends.

Earlier this year, Logan Paul came

under fire for a controversial series of vlogs taking place in Japan. In the vlogs, Paul is seen disrespecting Japanese culture by mocking the language, destruction of property, and overall being a loud disrespectful nuisance to the public. The series finale was a video where Paul entered Aokigahara, also known as “The Suicide Forest.” This forest is famous location for many Japanese people to commit suicide.

Paul entered the forest with a group of friends and a tour guide, who they ditched to explore the forest on their own, when they came across a body hanging. Rather than cut the camera, Paul decided to record the body close up and post it to his millions of followers.

In the video, Paul even stated that the video should get a lot of views because, “No Youtuber has ever done this!”

Obviously, many were not happy with Logan. In response, Paul issued a formal apology and took a short break from YouTube. However when he returned, he was as ignorant as usual, almost like he had learned nothing from the forest incident.

Jake Paul also doesn’t have a great public reputation. In mid 2017, a news story by KTLA about Pauls daily shenanigans in his Los Angeles neighborhood revealed a side of the story not often seen, his neighbors. “The neighbors hate me… I don’t really know why” Jake told to KTLA journalist Chris Wolfe as he climbed onto the KTLA news van after explicitly being told not to.

Some neighbors confirmed that living next to the Pauls is like living next to a circus, in which Jake responded with, “I mean but like people like going to circuses, right?”

When interviewed by Good Morning America, Jake Paul stated that his prominent age demographic is between the ages of 8, and 16 years old. These are young

children and gullible high school students, who see titles such as “SHARK ATTACK PRANK ON WIFE; SHE FREAKED OUT” getting over 15 million views. This could easily result in children becoming inspired to attempt dangerous stunts for views.

The craze of going viral is appearing in schools all over America, with the new trend “school vlogging”. These are students who record segments of their day and piece them together to make a vlog and upload it to YouTube. This trend was popularized by school vloggers with large following, such as Emma Chamberlain and Kai Foster. Many schools have strict “no vlogging” rules to prevent distracted students however, at North there is no specific policy against school vlogging.

Most hear the headline “Woman Shot Boyfriend in Attempt to get Views on YouTube” and think to themselves, “How stupid are people nowadays?” and move on.

This however, isn’t an entirely appropriate reaction. Modern society clouded the heads of Perez and her boyfriend, making views their number one priority and keeping them from caring about the consequences. They fell victim to the mindset of wannabe viral stars.

In order to prevent injuries and deaths caused by the obsession of going viral large creators, like Jake Paul, need to be more responsible when it comes to being a role model to their young and impressionable audiences. This can start by simply putting disclaimers in videos such as “Do not attempt at home.”

At the end of day, its both the viewer and the creators of popular content who are responsible. Viewers have to realize that they shouldn’t attempt dangerous stunt for views and creators should disclaim that viewers don’t try dangerous stunts at home.

24The Chronicle | Issue 2 | A&E | November 2018 | Design by: Isabella Bray

Falling for Pumpkin Spice

By: Claire Decatur | Staff Writer

It’s that time of year. The stereotypical fall flavors are back. Autumn is filled with pumpkin carving and Thanksgiving pumpkin pie so I went around to some of the most popular food chains in America in addition to local eateries and tried their fall treats to help you know what treats to get this season. = rating out of 5 pumpkins

Pumpkin Spice Latte

T

he most popular fall coffee, the Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks, wasn’t what I expected. I had very high hopes for this drink but the appearance wasn’t appetizing and the taste was equally as bad. The drink was more spice than pumpkin but had a slight pumpkin after taste. The flavor was overpowered by coffee and was more bitter than sweet. The coffee was not horrible and if you like a very strong coffee then you might like it more than me. I personally am not a huge coffee fan so the

drink wasn’t a taste I was fond of. I drink coffee on occasion but would not drink this. Coffee lovers might have a different appreciation than I do but to me it wasn’t very enjoyable. Even the service was bad; the workers were not very friendly and it took a while to get my drink. It was rather busy but was still very slow. In the end, I will probably not get Pumpkin Spice Latte the next time I’m at Starbucks. If you’re looking for an enjoyable fall drink this is not the place to go.

Pumpkin Spice Shake

I

was pleasantly surprised when I took a drink of the Pumpkin Spice Shake. I didn’t even think of Jack in the Box for a treat like this but it is by far one of my favorite shakes. The shake was colorfully swirled with orange and white coloring and came with a cherry on top. Although the shake was messy on the lid, it was overlooked by the delicious taste.

It had just the right amount of thickness and was very creamy. It was the perfect

balance of pumpkin and spice that made it a great fall treat. The shake was very sweet unlike the bitter latte. If you are not into super sweet shakes than you might not enjoy it as much as me. The service was quick and the workers were nice. The overall experience was very good and it was a very pleasant trip. This was one of my favorites to test and will definitely go back to get another before the end of the season.

Design by: Isabella Bray | November 2018 | A&E | Issue 2 | The Chronicle

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Pumpkin Spice Pancake

W

hen I first received the IHOP Pumpkin Spice Pancake, I was already not excited to eat it.

The pancake looked very lumpy and dry.

I ate it soon after it was served to me and it was only slightly warm; I was not surprised when I discovered it was undercooked. The middle was still very soggy which was disappointing because it tasted really good. The flavoring of the pumpkin spice was not something I was used to.

It was very herby but still had a pumpkin taste. Although the pumpkin came after the spice taste it was still flavorful.

It would have been a whole lot better if there was more effort put into the presentation and if it was cooked all the way through. The service was a lot better than normal and our waitress was very nice. I think I would come back and give them another try and hope that it’s cooked better than this one.

Pumpkin Spice Donut

G

etting the Pumpkin Spice Donut from Dunkin Donuts was more difficult than it seems. I went two different times and they didn’t have it. Finally, after the third time I received the last one they had that day. The very orange donut looked very appealing and I was excited to try it. The donut looked a lot like their chocolate glazed donut but had a very different taste. It had a very good cinnamon aftertaste and was overall very pumpkiny. It wasn’t overly sweet but you could really taste the pumpkin spice.

The glaze was wet but the donut was dry and was slightly crispy. This could be because it was a cake donut, but it was definitely drier than normal. If you went early in the morning you would probably get a fresher version of it. The service was very quick and the lady taking my order pleasantly energetic and friendly. I personally thought the donut was delightful and enjoyed trying it. I would definitely recommend going in the morning to make sure you get one and to get it fresh.

Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake

I

was surprised when I stumbled upon the Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake at the quaint little bakery called Park Street Pastry. When I saw it in the display case, I knew I had to try it. Every time I’ve been to Park Street Pastry I’ve never been disappointed so I knew it had to be good. The service is always good, the workers are nice and the bakery has a cozy atmosphere. The first thing I noticed when taking a bite was the rich soft cream cheese and creamy buttercream

frosting. It was definitely freshly made because the cake was still soft and wet.

It was probably one of the best cheesecakes I’ve had but was let down because there was barely any pumpkin spice taste.

It was flavorful in nutmeg but there was only a hint of pumpkin spice. I wouldn’t consider this a fall treat because it tasted like normal cheesecake with a hint of spice. Other than the unnoticeable taste of pumpkin spice the treat was very tasty.

26The Chronicle | Issue 2 | A&E | November 2018 | Design by: Kalley Jurgielski

COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS By: Sam Schaper | Staff Writer By: Miles Arambula | Staff Editor

Read along to uncover the truth about some of the worlds most common misconceptions!

According to the Law, Tomatoes Aren’t Fruit The Nix v. Hedden ruling in 1893 ruled that tomatoes are a vegetable, not a fruit. After a tariff was passed taxing all imported vegetables, but not fruits, the Nix & Co. Fruit Commision pointed out that in the botanical sense of the term, a tomato is a fruit. Edward L. Hedden, a federal officer who was in charge of the collection of import duties on foreign goods arriving in New York, understood is to be a vegetable. After a year, the supreme court ruled that “Tomatoes are “vegetables” and not “fruit” within the meaning of the Tariff Act of 1883 based on the common meaning of those words”.

You Won’t Get Arthritis From Cracking Knuckles Knuckle cracking is actually just bubbles popping in the synovial fluid. Synovial fluid helps to lubricate your joints. Even though cracking doesn’t cause arthritis, it is a direct cause of reduced grip strength! The bubbles popping is caused by the negative force of pulling or stretching on your fingers. Knuckle cracking feels good because it stimulates the nerve endings found there.

We Use All of Our Brain This myth stemmed from late 19th century American psychologist William James. James stated that the average person only achieved a fraction of their potential, and this got misconstrued into “10 percent of our brain”. Early researchers often stated that they did not know what 90% of the brain did, leading others to believe that it didn’t serve a purpose. In reality, humans use every part of their brain, each having a role in the neurological system.

Glass: Solid or Liquid?

It is an amorphous solid—a state somewhere between being a liquid and a solid. It is a disorganized solid, because the molecules don’t have structure but are still solid for all intents and purposes. Over long periods of time, the molecules making up the glass shift themselves to settle into a more stable, crystal-like formation. According to phys.org, glass is “a non-equilibrium, non-crystalline state of matter that appears solid on a short timescale but continuously relaxes toward the liquid state.”

Our Current Bananas Aren’t the Same as Our Past Bananas We aren’t actually eating the bananas we ate 60 years ago! In the 1960s, an incredibly invasive fungus wiped out virtually all plantations that grew the Gros Michel variety of bananas.

The Gros Michel banana was had a “more robust taste” according to Dan Koeppel, author of Banana: The Fate of the Fruit That Changed the World. We now eat the less flavorful, less nutritious Cavendish banana because of its ability to resist the “Panama disease.”

Design by: Kalley Jurgielski | November 2018 | A&E | Issue 2 | The Chronicle

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currentlyTRENDING

By: Claire Decatur | Staff Writer and Kalley Jurgielski | Staff Editor

Check out the inside scoop on all the current trends from October 2018!

Birkenstocks Birkenstocks came out in 1960 and have since made a huge comeback as of 2017. Birks are one of the most popular sandals in the US and are around $100 per pair. The shoes have two belt like straps on the top and come in many colors. If you look around you’ll see a multitude of girls and guys sporting the trendy shoe.

Scrunchies Through the years, scruniches have come a long way. The most popular accessory for iconic hair styles in the 80’s has made a huge comeback.

The cute colored, fun designed pieces make it easy to put your hair up and are perfect for a pop in your everyday style.

A Star is Born

A Star Is Born has turned into a classic movie, the 4th version starring Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper came out this October. The movie is a drama and romance, complete with the behind the scenes of stardom, the darkness of life, and the joy of finding love. The film also features a soundtrack with songs that have been topping the charts.

Ariana Grande Ariana Grande has been on the radar for many things lately such as her new album Sweetener that came out in August of 2018. The songs “No Tears Left to Cry”, “Breathin”, and “God is a Woman” have been top hits. She is also popular right now for her recent break up with former fiancé and SNL star, Pete Davidson.

Miley Cyrus Eyes

The Miley Cyrus big blue eyes meme has become popular on the internet this past month. It has been passed around from platform to platform with people taking their own spins on creating a joke to match the humorous picture. It is promised to make you laugh, or at the very least, look into her eyes for a very long time.

Jean Skirts Jean skirts have been a fashionable item that has been common among many people for a while, but as of right now, it’s hard to go a day without seeing one. The versatile piece goes with almost everything, dressed up or dressed down, and is guaranteed to attract compliments.

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before The book To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before

by Jenny Han was made in to a movie by Netflix.

The movie came out early August and has blown up since. It stars newcomer Lana Condor and teen heartthrob Noah Centineo, who play Lara Jean and Peter Kavinsky, two teens trapped in a fake relationship that turns into love.

Travis Scott

Travis Scott came out with his third album Astroworld in August of 2018. The album blew up and even spent two weeks at number one on the Billboard charts. The album features vocalists such as Drake, The Weekend, 21 Savage, and Quavo.

Some of the albums hits include “SICKO MODE”, “STARGAZING”, and “BUTTERFLY EFFECT”.

Cardi B The former reality star Cardi B has quickly become a well known rapper. Her first big song “Bodak Yellow” came out in 2017 and she’s had many hits since such as “I Like It” and “Finesse” with Bruno Mars. She recently had a baby named Kulture with rapper husband Offset and was also involved in a controversial fight with rapper Nicki Minaj.

Shane Dawson Series

Youtuber Shane Dawson came out with two series on his Youtube channel that broke the internet. His first one was The Secret World of Jeffree Star, reaching over 27 million views. The second series, and the most recent one, was The Mind of Jake Paul which received 22 million views and caused controversy within the Youtube community.

28 The Chronicle | Issue 2 | Sports | November 2018| Design by: Abigail Miles

BOYSSOCCER T

he Olathe North Boys soccer team, with a history of excellence, took to the fields of competition in August to start their season and show what they had done in the summer to find victory in the fall.

The team is under head coach Michael Cox, assistant coach Mo Candy, junior varsity coach Bryan Croft and freshman/sophomore coach Luis Pinto. The coaches have a great standard of work ethic and have years of high level soccer competing and coaching between the four of them. The student leaders include Captains Alejandro Garcia-Perez, Jesus Isidor, and James Wilson. The team’s offense was led all season by top scoring striker Dennis Palacios.

The beginning of the season brought the team the majority of their success on their 3-10 record. The team

started their year off with the anticipated, annual Friday night lights game against cross town rivals Olathe South.

According to Senior and Captain Alejandro, North played their best game despite losing 1-2.

“We played really well as a team.” He emphasized this above everything else.

This demonstration of teamwork has seemingly been absent in the games of recent, but that does not mean the boys do not give every game their all.

The atmosphere of the Olathe North boys soccer team is that of a family; they have what in the sporting world is called team chemistry. This term defines an abstract concept of knowing your brother who plays and battles next to you every game better

Olathe North Varsity Boys Soccer compete against Shawnee Mission South on Oactober 18, 2018. Photos By: Lana Tarik

By: Cade Heikes Staff Writer

than anyone else. Because of the time spent working and bleeding together you know what he will do: passes become crisper, good plays are strung together more often, a through ball is played perfectly without looking, and trust is always high.

North hopes to end what has been a hefty win drought by turning back to what makes them tick in the first place, teamwork and brotherhood.

From these foundational roots of the sport, any post season goal is achievable with the right energy and belief.

Regardless of how the record looks in the end, this North team was one that could compete with any good team and always fought ferociously no matter the score of the game or any other circumstance that brought adversity.

Design by: Abigail Miles | November 2018 | Sports | Issue 2 | The Chronicle

29

GIRLSGOLF By: Brian Beach | Staff Writer

Madeline Herman and Grace Hansen pose in front of the state championship sign.

T

he Olathe North girls’ golf team has not sent anyone to the state golf tournament in over a dozen years, but this year’s team managed to send not one, but two girls to Salina to represent the Eagles on Kansas golf ’s biggest stage.

Madeline Herman and Grace Hansen both qualified out of the Gardner-Edgerton regional to join 89 others at the Salina Municipal Golf Course on October 16th. Herman finished 66th and Hansen placed 82nd in the talented field.

For Herman, making the state tournament was an expectation, but according to Hansen, getting to state was, “Definitely more of a surprise, but a pleasant surprise.”

It certainly helped that Hansen got to qualify by playing on her favorite course, Prairie Highlands. At the regional tournament, Hansen finished 13th with 106 strokes, while Herman

placed 18th in 116 strokes. As a team, the Eagles placed 5th in the regional tournament, thanks to other performances by Trinity Mozingo and Kinley Prichard.

The girls golf team is still small, but the eleven golfers this year is an increase from the ten members last year, and If you are considering joining the golf team next year, Herman suggests that you come out.

“Anyone can join. Even if you’ve never played before we have all the supplies even if you don’t have clubs,” Herman says.

Hansen also points out the fact that golf is a lifetime sport and that there are scholarship opportunities for good players.

After their best season in fifteen years, the girl’s golf team is ready to continue their success into the future. And, if you’re considering joining the team, in the words of head coach Richard Sula, “Come on out. It’s a great time!”

ON Golf team prepares for the state championships.

30 The Chronicle | Issue 2 | Sports | November 2018 | Design by: Abigail Miles

Volleyball W

ith four freshmen varsity players, the 2018 Olathe North varsity volleyball team felt like they had to start anew within the Olathe North gym. With that the players had to facilitate a boost in comradery over the season.

Senior Michaella McKibben reflected on the varsity team’s season where they lost their past seniors and gained their new freshmen. “We were up then we lost everybody, now we have to make a new team. And it is great because we are working really well together.”

The veterans of the team worked hard to improve bonding and communication, while the new players worked on their plan of attack. “At the beginning, it was really hard to

The Olathe North Volleyball Team hard at work through out the season.

By: Elizabeth Tuckness | Staff Writer Photos By: Hailey Kitivoravong

figure stuff out, but now we are getting the hang of it because we have been together for a while now.” McKibben continued, and it was visible as the team won eight games.

Head Coach Nate Eick also believed that the comradery within the team was high. He watched the varsity students grow to become better players over time, and also noted that the players became friends off and on the court.

“The team as a whole worked together more so than we did last year.”

Sophomore Julia Pearce exclaimed.

The players worked hard and had a good season together, but the practices turned out to be more intense this year for the betterment of the team.

“There is less messing around and more getting to work.” Freshmen Rori Stith

commented about practices.

The team was positive about their sport. With coach transfers and many moving up the ranks and teams, they found that their new coaches coached differently and brought different takes to each play of the game. “I would say our most memorable game would have to be the SMW Tournament, when we started off the day kind of rough then rebounded. Ended up finishing the tournament 3:3.” Eick reminisced.

Pearce explained, “Being on the court, getting that rush when you get a good pass, feeling when somebody gets a good ‘kill’ and you were a part of that play, you feel so much better because you helped get the point”

Design by: Abigail Miles | November 2018 | Sports | Issue 2 | The Chronicle

Cross country senior

PROFILE: Jackson Caldwell

Went to state on October 23, 2018 and placed in 11th place.

How have you been preparing for the State competition?

“Right now I am trying not to think about it very much, because I don’t want to get too nervous. But come Thursday or Friday before the meet I’m going to start running through the race in my head.

Thinking every step I’m going to run” Seven boys ran during the state meet and four were the alternates. The boys took first place in state in the 6A class.

PROFILE Arland Bruce

Sophomore Football Quaterback

How are you feeling about football regionals?

“I’m feeling pretty confident. We’ve been working hard all season and it is what we prepared for.”

How has the season progressed? “[The season] It has been pretty good, we started working out in May. Our work has really shown throughout the season so far.”

Arland is a basketball guard in off season as well as baseball center.

31

PROFILE: NAIMAPATEL By: Neha Sridhar | Staff Writer

N

aima Patel is a junior in Distinguished Scholars Science who is very vigilant in school. She also dances a traditional Indian dance style, Bharatanatyam, and is an award-winning tennis player. She has been on the girl’s varsity tennis team at Olathe North for the past three years and is an avid and highly dedicated player. Naima has played since she was six years old, when her dad put her in classes. She then started to slowly expand her experience by going to tournaments and eventually partaking in club teams. Once she came to high school, she joined the team for fun and for a different experience. “I really got into how the high school system works and those kinds of tournaments.” Naima said when asked about her decision to join the tennis team. Throughout her successful tennis career, Naima has picked up many awards and tips on how she has accomplished her goals. Naima said that her keys to victory after winning this year’s Springhill tournament in singles include consistency from last year and that they were playing smaller, 5A schools. This year, the tennis team has grown from about fifteen girls to twenty five and it shows in their accomplishments. They have improved vastly and Naima added that having more on the team is very beneficial. “There’s more people to hit with and the rotations are more fluid. You’ve got more people in JV, more people in varsity so more people get to play.” When asked about the importance in staying mentally strong in a game, Naima adds to “just do your thing” and says that going with your instincts can be a good default. She adds that students interested in tennis should join the team to have a fun time. Overall, Naima Patel is an accomplished sportswoman – but she is also just a normal students with passions she loves.

32 The Chronicle | Issue 2 | News | November 2018 | Design by: Rachel Delehanty

North Views | October Photos By: Isabella Bray, Lana Tarik, and Claire Decatur

Above Left: Olathe North Eaglettes perform in the homecoming parade on October 5 to cap off homecoming week. Above Right: Students in Asian Culture Club dance in Olathe North’s Diversity Assembly.

Above Left: Homecoming king and queen, Arri Kanna and Ashleigh Kawaoka, are crowned during halftime at the homecoming game on Friday, October 5, the night before the homecoming dance.

Above Right: Principal Jason Herman gives a speech stirring up school spirit at the homecoming bonfire.