The Harbinger Issue 12 2023-24

THE

harbinger...

SHAWNEE MISSION EAST 7500 MISSION ROAD PRAIRIE VILLAGE, KS 66208 MARCH 4, 2024 VOLUME LXVI ISSUE 12

AFTERMATH OF

TRAGEDY Me m b e rs o f t h e Ea s t c o m m unit y at the Super Bowl parade shooting deal with tra u m a a n d i n te n s e f e a r am i d cal l s fo r l egi sl at i ve change

A LOOK INSIDE:

page 7...

SHARE begins a campus trash pick-up initiative with Environmental Club

18...

26...

Student Body President senior Jack Kessler was accepted to West Point

Varsity dance trains to qualify their Gameday Dance for National Finals on March 10

02 | MARCH 4, 2024

THE HARBINGER

ĢÁőĆĩĢūĆàä Ģäūʼn

ĩĢěĆĢä łŅäŪĆäū

A curre n t e v e n t h a p p e n i n g i n S o u t h C e n t ra l Coppell,

de sig n b y ave r y an d e rs o n

c o v e r d e s ig n b y kat i e m u rp hy c o v e r p h o to b y l i v ma d d e n

V i si t sm ehar b i nger. net to vi ew ad d itiona l storie s, ga lle rie s, podc a st s a nd v ide os

Texas, a ccord ing to t h e C o p p e l l S t u d e n t Me d i a new s si te

The Honors Astronomy teacher, Angela Barnes, recently hosted their annual Moon Party where students were able to use telescopes to observe the moon in honor of the upcoming solar eclipse.

The solar eclipse will happen on April 8 this year after a break last year due to an ice storm.

SCAN ME WEBSITE Visit this link to view more stories from Coppell Student Media

ʼnőÁƅ ěĆʼnő PRINT EDITORS K atie Murphy Greyson Imm

ONLINE EDITORS Aanya Bansal Maggie Kissick

HEAD COPY EDITORS Greyson Imm Aanya Bansal

COPPELL STUDENT MEDIA COPPELL HIGH SCHOOL

DESIGN EDITORS Veronica Mangine Bridget Connelly

ASST. DESIGN EDITOR K ai McPhail

SOCIAL MEDIA EDITORS Maggie Kissick Bridget Connelly

ASST. PRINT EDITORS

ASST. SOCIAL MEDIA EDITORS

ASST. ONLINE EDITORS

ART EDITOR

Addie Moore Avery Anderson Connor Vogel Larkin Brundige

ASST. HEAD COPY EDITOR Ada Lillie Worthington

HEAD PHOTO EDITORS Riley Scott Liv Madden Kenna Harrington

VIDEO EDITORS Abby Lee Ryder Hendon

ASST. PHOTO EDITORS Caroline Martucci Clara Peters Amelie Wong

ASST. VIDEO EDITORS Mason Sajna Alex Sajna

Isabel Balsassaro Lyla Weeks

Bridget Connelly

ASST. ART EDITOR K ai McPhail

PODCAST EDITOR Emma Krause

PHOTO MENTORS Molly Miller Paige Bean Will Griffith Mason Sajna

SCAN ME WEBSITE

ONLINE POST MANAGER Luciana Mendy

COPY EDITORS

K atie Murphy Greyson Imm Maggie Kissick Aanya Bansal Ada Lillie Worthington Addie Moore Emmerson Winfrey Libby Marsh David Allegri Sophia Brockmeier Larkin Brundige Lucy Wolf Connor Vogel Avery Anderson Luke Beil Neva Hudson Luciana Mendy

STAFF WRITERS

Mary Gagen Isabel Baldassaro Maggie Condon Christian Gooley VIDEO MENTOR Preston Hooker Preston Hooker Lucy Stephens PRINT SECTION EDITORS Emma Krause EDITORIAL | K ai McPhail Michael Yi NEWS | Sydney Eck Reese Dunham FEATURE | Sophia Brockmeier Mya Smith SPORTS | Libby Marsh Neil Williams OPINION | Isabel Baldassaro Carl Sutton A&E | Lucy Stephens

Read an opinion on if K anye West is coming back with his new album “ Virtues 1,” a news story about issues in the parking lot due to a lack of space and an A&E reviewing different recipes from celebrities

c a r to o n by h a l l i e o’b rya n

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STAFF ARTISTS Larkin Brundige Zane Laing Julia Campbell Hallie O’Bryan Bella Broce Francesca Lorusso

PAGE DESIGNERS Emmerson Winfrey Zane Laing Lyla Weeks Clara Burdick Lorelei Galles Julia Campbell Bella Broce Francesca Lorusso Hallie O’Bryan

MULTIMEDIA STAFF Mary Gagen Luke Beil Paige Bean Ryan Dehan Mason Sajna Alex Sajna Emma Krause Preston Hooker Christian Gooley

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS Alex Sajna Maggie Condon Lyla Weeks Molly Scott Francesca Lorusso Addie Clark K atie Cook Caroline Hoffman

;gZZg© g g H Z `'#H ͢ SME Harbinger

The Harbinger

smeharbinger

SM East Harbinger

EDITORIAL POLICY The Harbinger is a student run publication. Published editorials express the views of the Harbinger staff. Signed columns published in the Harbinger express the writer’s personal opinion. The content and opinions of the Harbinger do not represent the student body, faculty, administration or Shawnee Mission School District. The Harbinger will not share any unpublished content, but quotes material may be confirmed with the sources. The Harbinger encourages letters to the editors, but reserves the right to reject them for reasons including but not limited to lack of space, multiple letters of the same topic and personal attacks contained in the letter. The Harbinger will not edit content though letters may be edited for clarity, length or mechanics. Letters should be sent to Room 400 or emailed to smeharbinger@gmail.com.

MARCH 4, 2024 | 03

THE HARBINGER

de sig n b y k a i m c p h a i l

;g ͢ ̩̬ < Ha ͢ ̨

WHAT IT ALLOWS

The members of the editorial board who agree with the viewpoint of the editorial are represented by for, and those who disagree with the viewpoint are represented by against.

PREVENTION D g <D

EDUCATION G un e d u c a t i o n t h ro u g h o u t g ra d e s c h o o l c a n prevent irre s p o ns ib le d ecisi o n s re g a rdi n g g u n s i n th e fut ure

T

HOUSANDS

OF

STUDENTS

safety basics for handling and using firearms.

swarmed to downtown Kansas City

All states need to adopt this policy before

to attend the Super Bowl parade on

allowing a citizen to purchase a gun. Though

Yes, the Shawnee Mission School District

programs could help dispel fear of incidents

Feb. 14. Local schools closed for the

the Second Amendment states that United

instills the Drug Abuse Resistance Education

like these because students would better

celebration, but the day ended with one dead

States citizens have “the right to bear arms,”

program which educates students briefly on

understand the danger guns can present.

and 21 injured after an argument between

it doesn’t say that citizens have the right to

the topic of firearms, but this program ends

Death, disabilities and injuries from gun

several people escalated into a mass shooting,

own guns irresponsibly.

in sixth grade. In a poll of 172 students, 74%

violence can be prevented.

According to the Kansas City Star, Lyndell

feel that DARE did not adequately teach them

Guns aren’t a toy that kids should have

All gun owners need to be educated on

Mays, a 23-year-old charged with second-

about gun safety. Some SMSD schools like

easy access to, and those who chose to buy

the responsibilities of firearm safety and

degree murder at the parade shooting, was

Westwood View Elementary don’t even include

them — especially parents — need to know

ownership to ensure that a simple argument

previously charged with disorderly conduct

the DARE program in their curriculum.

how to safely own them.

does not escalate into a full-blown shooting

when he pulled out a handgun during a

A more extensive program needs to be

— especially not in a public setting with

dispute on a basketball court at a community

brought to the high school level to ensure

and handle firearms safely so that violent

children as collateral.

center in Belton, Missouri in April 2021.

according to BBC.

Students

need

these

learn how to are

avoided.

store

that students understand the importance of

outbreaks

Prevention of gun violence starts with

At the Super Bowl parade, Mays again drew

gun safety. A few minutes of advisory could

education, students will better understand

education in grade school. In a poll of

a gun to “protect his siblings,” but in reality

be geared toward teachers presenting short

the importance of keeping guns away from

196 students, only 11% believe that East

his poor decision led to the death of a mother

engaging videos about gun safety to their

their own kids once they reach adulthood. The

adequately educates them about gun safety.

of two and left a permanent scar on Union

students. East could also use seminar time

minors — whose names were not disclosed

Station — an epicenter of city celebrations.

to host assemblies discussing gun safety to

due to a Missoui law protecting their privacy

address student concerns about shootings.

— involved in the parade shooting may

In elementary school we’re taught that

like

to

With

with

Regulations for pulling out a gun and

violence and that the solution is to talk it

firing need to be put in place. We no longer

In a poll of 215 students, 62% worry

have kept their guns tucked away in their

out and settle it peacefully. Guns are no

live in the Wild West, arguments just can’t be

about the possibility of a school shooting at

backpacks if they were taught about the

exception, and the lack of gun education at

settled with bar duels.

East. And they have reason to be anxious. In

serious implications of pulling out a gun in

And school districts can play a part in

February 2018, a teen fatally shot 17 students

public.

to

preventing gun violence through education.

at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in

Nationwide gun education is the first step

Everytown for Gun Safety, only nine states

Currently, there’s no national law urging

Florida. In January 2023, a 6-year-old boy in

toward a safe community for students and

— not including Kansas or Missouri — have

schools to educate their students on gun

Virginia shot his teacher after obtaining a gun

their families.

policies that ensure gun buyers know the

safety. That needs to change.

from his mom’s dresser. Gun safety education

arguments

should

never

be

solved

East needs to be fixed.

At

the

national

level,

according

BOOKS NOT BULLETS EACH DAY 12 CHILDREN DIE FROM GUN VIOLENCE

4.6

MILLION CHILDREN ARE ESTIMATED TO LIVE IN A HOME WHERE A FIREARM IS PRESENT

S tat s about gun violence in the U.S. a c c ordi n g to w w w. sa n dy h ookpromise.org

GUNS ARE THE LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH AMONG KIDS & TEENS

68%

OF GUNS USED IN VIOLENCE ARE TAKEN FROM THE HOME, A FRIEND OR RELATIVE

FIREARM DEATHS OCCUR AT A RATE 5+ TIMES MORE THAN DROWNING

storie s b y maggie kissick

Briefs...

04 | MARCH 4, 2024

d e s ig n b y s yd n ey e c k p h o to b y l y l a we e ks

lancer THE FREELANCER IS FORMATTING THEIR FINAL PAGES smeharbinger.net/category/news

THE

minute

D' ; ''Z a ' · ' Ύ student-run literary

secret,” Freelancer sponsor Amy Andersen said. “And

arts magazine — is formatting their final pages and

one reason for that is that we don’t want the theme to

A vid e o s e r i e s h i g h l i g h t i n g

choosing what artwork will go in the magazine after

influence the nature of the submissions. So the theme

photo s f ro m g a l l e r i e s a n d

their final submission deadline for artwork on Feb. 29.

is always broad enough that it can be applicable for

recap pi n g rec e n t e v e n t s

A B O V E Senior Patrick Flint recreates Rihanna’s Superbowl performance during Mr. Cansas. photo by kenna harrington

“We can’t take any more pieces [after the 29th]

anything.”

because if we do, we’re not going to be able to get this

Editors and staff will spend the next few weeks

publication finished,” Freelancer Design Editor Roslyn

rating the artwork submitted and deciding what goes

Carle said. “So if you’re a junior or sophomore or

into the publication. The artwork is rated on a scale of

freshman, you can still submit stuff after the deadline,

one to five and the strongest-rated pieces will end up

but it will be in next year’s publication.”

in the magazine, according to Andersen.

The publishing date is not set but the 20-person

“Most of the time, we’re just looking at [the]

staff hopes to finalize the publication by the middle

quality [of the work],” Freelancer Editor-in-Chief Cil

of April and publish in the first few weeks of May,

Hoch said. “Is this well written? Is there attention to

mirroring the schedule from past years. The staff also

detail or basics of composition? Does this look nice

chose the theme of their magazine in November, but

or not?”

This year’s magazine will be available to preorder

the theme remains a secret.

“We did pick our theme, but it’s always top

in early May.

A B O V E Sophomores Rosa Sosland and Jonah Rogers collaborate during a Free Lancer meeting

POTENTIAL KANSAS HOUSE BILL WOULD ALLOW RELIGIOUS CHAPLAINS TO PROVIDE RELIGIOUS COUNSELING IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS D' W a Dg ' and Senate will hold a

state. Additionally, she believes public schools

at Miege for students who don’t go to private

hearing for House Bill 2732 in March. This bill

shouldn’t

schools.

would allow religious chaplains — religious

students.

religious

counseling

to

“[Hiring chaplains] won’t mean that [public]

and

“It’s not [a public] school’s responsibility to

schools will be forcing religion on people,”

guidance — to provide religious counseling in

provide religious support to students,” Thiele

Wilson said. “Students who want to talk about

public schools.

said. “We’re here to educate kids and get them

religion at school should be able to.”

leaders

who

provide

spiritual

support

If enacted, the bill would allow individual

A B O V E Senior Beck Jones walks towards the back of the stage after being announced. photo by kenna harrington

provide

ready for the real world.”

In Kansas, clergy members aren’t mandated

schools like East to employ a chaplain to provide

Thiele believes that if schools have the money

reporters. Thiele believes that hiring chaplains

religious support, services and programs.The bill

to hire chaplains, they should utilize that money

would create a space for abuse to be hidden. She’s

doesn’t specify whether or not schools would

toward hiring someone who’s trained in mental

also concerned about how religious minorities

have to hire a chaplain for every religion. The

health.

will be represented.

chaplains would not be required to obtain any

Sophomore Elijah Wilson believes that it’s

“If we hired a Christian chaplain, how do

form of teaching license, according to Kansas

fine for schools to hire religious chaplains.

you think that would make an Atheist, Muslim

House Bill 2732.

Wilson transferred from Bishop Miege High

or Jewish student feel?” Thiele said. “It seems

Spanish teacher Dr. Anna Thiele believes

School this year, and he believes these chaplains

exclusionary, not inclusionary.”

that this bill infringes on the right of freedom

would give similar religious resources like the

of religion and the separation of church and

daily prayers and monthly masses provided

BLUE KNIGHTS JAZZ BAND COMPETED AT KMEA STATE FROM FEB. 22-24 A B O V E Seniors Rowan Gibson, Greyson Imm, Charlie Crossley and Beck Jones sing “Creep” during Mr. Cansas. photo by kenna harrington

SCAN ME VIDEO Visit Instagram Reels to hear staffer Emma Krause discuss these events and see more photos

D' Z ' WaH<D jazz band performed at

“It’s a really big deal for us to be selected,”

sophomore William Barcus and senior Hudson

the Kansas Music Educators Association state

Toepfer said. “I was really proud of how [the

O’Neill, the most from any school in the state.

music conference in Wichita from Feb. 22-24.

Blue Knights] performed and a lot of the music

Three students qualified for the concert band:

They were one of five high school jazz bands

teachers there were really impressed with how

sophomore Eli Moon, senior Anson Tippie and

from across the state chosen to perform.

we played, and I got a lot of compliments all

sophomore Max McMahon.

In order to qualify for this event, the band

weekend about them.”

“[The all-state musicians] performed really

had to send in an audition video. Band director

Alongside the performance, the band had

well,” Toepfer said. “The clinician was really

Alex Toepfer submitted videos of the band

16 members audition for the all-state band

happy with how they did. Those were two of the

playing four songs from their spring jazz concert

and seven members qualified. Four students

best high school Allstate bands I’ve ever heard.

last year, and the videos were reviewed by band

qualified for the all-state jazz band — junior

So they played really, really well.”

directors and board members.

Brennan

Barnes,

sophomore

Nash

Ohlund,

s tor y by l uci ana me nd y

MARCH 4, 2024 | 05

THE HARBINGER

de s i g n by zan e l ai ng p h o to by carol i n e m ar tu cci

REZONING NIGHTMARE R e sid ent s of We s t w o o d a re i n o p p o s i t i o n o f the cit y ’s development plans for Joe D. Dennis Par k a nd We s t w o o d Vi e w E l e m e nta r y

T of

HE

JOHNSON

COUNTY

story buildings. According to Hoffman,

a

— formed by local residents — have

he received no response but attended

city-wide vote on the city

opposed the proposed development for

multiple city council meetings over the

months. On Dec. 22 the group acquired

past months expressing his opposition.

a

petition

Westwood’s

ruled

requesting

“New

Feature

Park

if

redevelopment

residents

developed

Hoffman’s

and

other

resident’s

petition towards the new development

main concern is that the project simply

under Kansas Statute 12-1301—a law

isn’t compatible with the community.

it.

The

project,

that gives residents the right to petition

According to Hoffman, having four-story

Karbank

Real

Estate,

sales or exchanges of park land.

buildings in a residential neighborhood

oppose

by

project,

169 verified signatures for a protest

even

Westwood can now move forward a

reconsider replacing the park with four-

The Friends of Westwood Parkland

Court

Development” was invalid on Feb. 26. with

change the feel of that area.”

that

District

unanimously

doesn’t fit with the local architecture.

where Joe D. Dennis Park currently

invalidated the petition in January and

Another major issue was the amount

resides on Rainbow Blvd. The company

filed for a declaratory judgment from

of traffic the new development would

also plans to create a new 3.8 acre

a Johnson County judge on the matter.

bring.

park near the former Westwood View

During the hearing, the judge decided on

“That whole area does have a lot

Elementary School.

three main items: whether the protest

of traffic and [the Karbank project] is

“I am grateful for the Court’s ruling,

petition language could be placed on a

probably gonna hurt that and make it

which allows for the city’s vision — as

ballot, if there are any other reasons the

more congested, so I hope they put lots

reflected in years of work, planning and

petition is invalid and whether statute

of crosswalks and stuff because crossing

resident input — to become a reality,”

12-1301 applies to the sale of Joe D.

[Rainbow Boulevard] is a pain,” Adam

in a press release Westwood Mayor

Dennis Park. The judge ruled against the

said. “I hope that they think about that

David

residents’ petition on all items.

when redesigning the area, making sure

includes

office

Waters

and

said.

retail

“We

buildings

understand

The

city

council

have

The city attorney explained that the

concerns with this project, but we are

petition’s lack of a possible question

thankful for their engagement, which

citizens wanted on the ballot made

planning committee to guide officials

led to significant positive changes in the

it invalid. According to City Council

on plans for the new park. This group

original proposal.”

President Jeff Harris, the city would be

is set to begin meeting in early March.

Residents filed the petition due to

in legal jeopardy if they were to write

Adam’s brother, senior Chris Minto, was

their belief that the new development

the question themselves and someone

selected to be a part of the committee

will be incompatible with the simple

who signed the petition didn’t agree

and hopes to make the development

residential community and shouldn’t

with it.

authentic.

that

some

residents

may

still

that it’s safe for people.”

The

city

has

established

a

park

replace the current park. However, the

Resident of Westwood Hills Mike

“I want to shape something that the

petition was dismissed by both the judge

Hoffman who has lived directly across

city of Westwood can really be proud

and city council mainly due to the lack

from Joe D. Dennis Park since 1983,

of,” Chris said. “Joe Dennis Park was

of a proposed question for the ballot.

opposes the city’s actions and responses

a huge part of my life growing up in

to residents’ concerns.

Westwood, and a lot of people grew

Westwood View alum senior Adam Minto has lived in Westwood for 12 years

“I think it’s hogwash, as far as a

up in Westwood, so I think something

and spent his childhood playing with

question to get the people to vote,”

unique to Westwood is what would be

friends, having water balloon fights and

Hoffman said. “[The city] can write the

really good for us.”

watching movies at Joe D. Dennis Park.

question, the city should be writing that

“I didn’t really know the full scope

question, that’s not ours to write. Our

a

of [the development] but hearing that

[petition] was just saying [the Karbank

understanding

they were going to turn that into office

Project] should go to a vote for the

other city services. Officials will use the

space, I was not a big fan of that,” Adam

people, which is what 12-1301 cites.”

feedback for a new strategic planning

said. “I really love that park, and now

When

Hoffman

learned

of

the

I kind of feel like it’d be good to bring

proposed project in March last year, he

business in but it’s definitely going to

sent an email to Waters asking him to

This spring, the city will launch citizen

survey

aimed

residents’

at

better

needs

for

process. The city plans to close the sale with Karbank on or before Aug. 1.

COUNTDOWN TO BREAKING

GROUND

A timeline of event s concerning the

c onstru c tion of the pa rk a nd su rrou nding a re a

MARCH ‘23

Karbank Real Estate proposed the new commercial development to the city council

DECEMBER ‘23

Residents file protest petition requesting a citywide vote on the Karbank Project

JANUARY ‘24

The city council declares the protest petition invalid and files for declaratory judgment in district court

FEBRUARY ‘24

Court rules in favor of city’s request for declaratory judgment on petition, declaring it’s invalid

MARCH ‘24

The new park planning steering committee for the future Westwood park is set to meet, the sale is set to close on or before August 2024

06 | MARCH 4, 2024

THE HARBINGER

story b y e mme rso n wi n frey

APPLICATIONS OUT NOW!

d e s ig n b y re e s e d u n h a m

SCAN ME LINK Application link for Link Crew, join the Google Classroom with code Q3NVB5C

Upcom i n g a p p l i c a t i o n s d u e f o r s o p h o m o re s a nd juniors in areas of service, underclassmen orien ta t io n a nd s o c i a l s k i l l s

LINK CREW | DUE MARCH 7 NEXT YEAR’S APPLICATIONS for

Link

contribute to the literary arts magazine, the

freshmen get the feeling of the school and set

Crew, East’s freshmen orientation group, are

people who are in Pep Club and some people

its “vibe.”

due on March 7.

don’t

have

“Every school you go to has a certain vibe

current

kids coming in who relate to that. We want

or feeling about it and East has its own vibe, its

sophomores and juniors who are interested in

everybody to find somebody they can, you

own climate, its own feeling,” Feinberg said.

leading freshman orientation day — or Link

know, relate to or see themselves.”

“I don’t think Link Crew gets all the credit for

Applications

are

open

to

Day. Coordinators Samantha Feinberg, Maggie Archer and Jeff Finnie are looking for a diverse group of people who show dedication, responsibility

and

respect,

according

to

Feinberg.

do

any

activities

because

we

Students can apply by writing an essay

that, but I think we have a part in determining

detailing why they want to be on Link Crew, fill

what the vibe around East is, and making it the

out a Google Form and turn in their resume.

kind of place that we want it to be.”

Selected leaders will meet for a basic

Previous Link Leader and junior Hattie

information session at the end of the school

Brooks agrees that Link Crew has an impact on

year and then have two, half-day training

the incoming freshman class.

“We want to have a good mix of people

sessions before school starts in August —

from all backgrounds,” Feinberg said. “Male

ultimately leading up to Freshman Orientation

and female athletes, non athletes, people who

Day.

T O P Current Link Leaders party with the freshman at the Link dance. photo by mason sajna

“ I felt like I made [the freshmen] a bigger part of the East community,” Brooks said.

Feinberg believes Link Crew helps the

SOCIAL SKILLS PE CLASS | DUE MARCH 8

T HE DEADLINE TO apply to be a Social Skills class helper is March 8 and is open to any current student.

Socials Skills is a class focused on helping special education students form interpersonal relationships with other students. There are two different types of classes students can

apply for — a third hour coffee shop where helpers will go around the school with the students with a coffee cart to deliver coffee to teachers and fifth hour in the classroom with the students helping students learn.

“High school students are more alike than

they are different,” MacNaughton said. “High school students all want to belong. They all

“Even if you’re really confident about your

want to be cool. They all want to have friends

social skills, you go in there and you learn these

and be excited to be in school. They all have

things and you say , ‘Oh, wait, there’s always

struggles and [the Social Skills students and

something for someone to work on,’” Geffert

helpers] can turn to each other for support.”

said. “Everybody’s working on something in

Students

participate

in

activities

such

as playing games or roleplaying different

EXECUTIVE

APPLICATIONS student-run

East’s

FOR

volunteering

organization, are open for current juniors until March 4.

Applicants are expected to have leadership skills, a respectable code of conduct and the ability to motivate students to continue East’s community

service,

according

to

SHARE

Coordinator Erin Billingsley. All SHARE Execs are required to be in the second hour class as well.

“We’re looking for somebody who can be a good leader and has creative ideas,”

to work with other people.”

MacNaughton is looking for students who

ordering at restaurants. These help the special

have a compassionate nature, enjoy helping

education students learn different skills you

others and have prior experience with people

can’t learn in a regular classroom setting but

with disabilities.

also help the leaders improve their patience and empathy, according to Social Skills helper

Billingsley said. “[Somebody] welcoming to all

organize upcoming events or going out and

kinds of people and groups and makes people

volunteering.

motivated to volunteer and be part of SHARE.”

Billingsley

believes

being

an

executive

Prior SHARE involvement is not necessary,

teaches students leadership skills, helps them

but executives are expected to demonstrate a

learn more about service and is an overall

passion for community service.

great way to get involved in the school.

Students can apply by filling out a Google

“[SHARE] is a little less formal than sitting

Form which can be found on SHARE’s website,

in a classroom but you do get to develop your

the QR codes on posters around the school or

skills of reaching out to different organizations

their Instagram, @sme_share.

or doing project management and getting to

Executive

responsibilities

vary

day-to-

day, but include duties like checking up on projects, promoting volunteering or donation opportunities on social media, helping to

T O P Students in the Personalized PE class play volleyball together. photo by riley scott

there, so it’s really nice to just have that time

scenarios like interacting with teachers or

SHARE EXECUTIVES | DUE MARCH 4 SHARE,

and senior Hannah Geffert.

know different kids throughout the school,” Billingsley said.

T O P SHARE Executives plan community service events throughout the year like Senior Service Day, a dodgeball tournament raising cereal boxes for Harvester and a pageant collecting cans for Veterans CommunitWy Project. photo courtesy of SHARE

SCAN ME LINK Link to the SHARE Executive application which is due on March 4

s tor y by mary g a ge n

MARCH 4, 2024 | 07

THE HARBINGER

d e si g n by c l a ra b u rdick p h o to s by pai ge be an

TRASH INITIATIVE S tudent s begin a trash pick-up initiative to clean up East ’s o utd o o r spa c e s throu gh S HA RE a nd Env ironme nta l Clu b

COMMON

TRASH

The most common trash items in the SME pa rking lot ranked

1

W

ITH THE HELP of SHARE

about the environment since visiting India

coordinators Erin Billingsley

as a child with her family and seeing litter

Medicine,

and Sheryl Kaplan, sophomore

there — sparking her dedication to keeping

become the most impactful environmental

Bella

the environment clean.

threat. There’s a major concern regarding

Broce

is

organizing

T h e most commonly f o u n d t ra s h i te m in the p arking l o t i s s o d a c ans .

2

the

to

the

National

pollution

by

Library plastics

of has

a SHARE project where students can earn

“We’ve been able to do a lot of good things

‘microplastics’ which refers to debris that

volunteer hours by picking up trash on East’s

so far,” Durgavathi said. “But we can’t care

result from the breakdown of plastic products.

campus. The project’s first meeting will take

for the school all by ourselves either. It’s nice

Similarly, Debey is hopeful that increased

place at 11 a.m. on March 23 with contribution

to see others care too.”

awareness will aid environmental efforts.

from members of the Environmental Club.

“

Earlier this school year when Broce was

walking to the Prairie Village pool parking lot, she felt ashamed as she noticed the empty

Whataburger container, disposable vape pods, crushed up Twisted Tea cans and a variety

of other plastics scattered around East’s

SODA CANS

According

property.

“It’s wild what people will leave on the

ground,” Broce said. “And it just doesn’t reflect well on our school. It hurts our

environment as well. I wanted to see change.”

Broce’s project asks participants to meet

“Microplastics

WE’VE BEEN

have

many

long

term

effects on the environment and the animals

able to do a lot of good things so far. But we can’t care for the school all by ourselves either. It’s nice to see others care too.

living in it,” Debey said. “Litter is also plainly

SH UBRA DURG AVATH I

responsibilities in the process.

ENVIRONMENTAL CLUB FO U ND E R

the Environmental Club are hoping to provide

unattractive and misrepresents our school.” project

will

continue throughout the school year.

According

to

Broce,

the

With

support from faculty, Broce’s goal is to maintain a cleaner environment at East, and set a higher standard for environmental Together, the new SHARE initiative and further opportunities for volunteers in the future. According to Billingsley, Broce has

in the parking lot off of 75th and Mission and pick up garbage around the entirety of the

Environmental Club sponsor Rusty Debey

campus for about two hours. Participants can

hopes that members of his generation will set

sign up by scanning a QR code to access the

a better example for upcoming generations by

“Students are always welcome to propose

SignUpGenius for volunteers.

caring for the planet through picking up after

new projects,” Billingsley said. “Even if it’s

themselves.

not at the typical sign-up time, we’re always

Environmental

Club

founder

and

plans for larger events, such as an event for Earth Day, to fundraise.

ENERGY DRINKS

sophomore Shubra Durgavathi is grateful to

“It’s really unfortunate, the world we’re

looking to support students in their work to

A l o t of high school e rs re l y o n

see other students working to care for the

leaving [the younger] generation with right

improve East and our community as a whole.”

environment and litter on school grounds

now,” Debey said. “It’s encouraging to see

outside of the club. She’s been passionate

students contributing to the environment as

e n e rg y drinks in the m o r n i n g s a n d l e ave them in t h e g ra s s , a c c o rd i ng to Broce .

3

well.”

PROJECT

INFO

A breakdown

ALCOHOL S t u d ent s find disc ard e d a l c o h o l co n t ai ners on s i d ew al k s.

of the project founder and how to get involved

JOIN GROUPME Scan this QR Code to join the GroupMe

BELL A BROCE S HARE CHAIR

“

IT’S WILD WHAT

people will leave on the ground, and it just doesn’t reflect well on our school. It hurts our environment as well. I wanted to see change.

FRESH JUICES & SMOOTHIES

JUICES AND SMOOTHIES

10% OFF WITH YOUR STUDENT ID

SCAN FOR MENU 4984 Roe Blvd, Roleand Park, KS 66205

Opinion

09 | MARCH 4, 2024

hot take

smeharbinger.net/opinion

d e s ig n b y i s a b e l b a l d a s s a ro art by julia campbell & zane laing

COMIC STRIP a r t b y j u l i a c a mp b e l l

story b y mic hael yi

Pet s are g ross and un e th i c al to ke e p de s p i te b ei n g “c u te” OWNING PETS IS a sin.

On top of all that, pets are a leech on the

Pets are inherently unhygienic. I don’t want

economy. They cost thousands of dollars in

to touch an animal that licks itself clean or is

food, toys, beds and veterinarian care, yet

constantly infested with ticks. You either have

generate zero value. If every pet-owner put

to let the wretched thing outdoors, where it

that money into the S&P 500 instead, we might

will eventually track mud and grime onto your

even avoid the next recession.

Sure, some fools argue that pets are cute,

carpet, or always keep it inside, surrendering your home to constant surprise excrement.

loyal friends in order to justify emotional

Not to mention the ethics of keeping caged

attachment to a captive animal, but pigs are far

pets, leaving them to waste away in the glass

more complex and social than dogs, and I’m

coffin of a tank or terrarium. Maybe bigger

not hearing anyone weep over their plate of

animals like dogs don’t live in cages, but they

bacon.

are commonly bred for traits that compress

I do think there are certain exemptions for

and damage their organs for the sake of being

service animals or bomb-sniffing dogs, but the

“cuter.”

spay,

majority of pet-owning is immoral, costly and

neuter and declaw so they act like meek little

unsanitary, and the whole institution should be

playthings.

abolished. Release them all into the wild.

Then

there’s

the pets

you

trending topics

this or that?

Po l l s a n d i n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t c u r re n t t ren di n g to p i c s i n m edi a

R e c e n t I n s ta g ra m p o l l s re l a te d to s to r i e s i n t h i s i s s ue’s o p i n i o n s e c t i o n

DO YOU OFTEN SHOP ON TEMU?

SHOULD BOOKS ABOUT A VARIETY OF CULTURES BE ADDED TO THE REQUIRED READING LIST IN ENGLISH CLASSES?

* I n s t a g ra m p o l l o f 2 5 7 v o t e s

* I n s t a g ra m p o l l o f 1 4 3 v o t e s

YES 12% 88%

NO Temu

67%

* I n s t a g ra m p o l l o f 1 9 5 v o t e s

HAVE YOU EVER TRIED SWEDISH CANDY? * I n s t a g ra m p o l l o f 2 3 0 v o t e s

YES NO T h e n e w t re n d s o f i n f l u e n c e r s o p e n i n g a n d trying bags of sweet and sour Swedish candies h a v e t a ke n o v e r Fo r Yo u p a g e s e v e r y w h e re .

33%

HAVE YOUR PARENTS SERVED IN THE MILITARY?

O n c e s e e n a s a s c a m , n o w p e o p l e o f a l l a g e s a re b u y i n g Te m u p a c k a g e s a ft e r s e e i n g t h e i n f a m o u s Super Bowl ad.

Swedish candy TikTok

YES NO

34%

66%

YES 9% NO

91%

TAKE OUR POLLS Follow the Harbinger on social media to participate in our polls @smeharbinger

@smeharbinger

@smeharbie

@smeharbingerr

10 | MARCH 4, 2024

I

THE HARBINGER

A LITERARY BUBBLE

story b y kati e mu r phy

d e s ig n b y ave ry a n d e rs o n p h o to s b y a l ex s a j n a

Book s b y di v e rs e au th o rs ab o u t a var i et y o f cul t ure s sho ul d b e ad d ed to t he requi red re a ding list Ύ` ' ga#΅ '`' ' senior reading the last required novel for an English class in my high school career, and I’m disappointed.

Not because I’ve read too many required

books — 16 total. I enjoy reading. I’m disappointed because I never once saw my culture as a Vietnamese American, or any Asian cultures at all, represented in the required reading.

Out of the 16 books, 12 were focused on main characters set in European cultures.

Take “Lord of the Flies” about a group of white American kids stranded on an island and “Great Gatsby” about wealthy East Coast couples. Fifteen were written by white authors and 13 were written by men.

If the universe was constructed out of my required reading novels, it’d officially be a white male Eurocentric bubble.

Students from nonEuropean need

cultures to

see

themselves

represented by diverse characters and authors

“Hamlet” — I wish we had read a novel

Native Americans with “inhuman” face paint

to understand that they belong. Other students

following characters in authentic African,

in “Brave New World,” when I wish we had

would benefit from reading about experiences

Asian or South American culture. Even as a

read about real Native American experiences.

different from their own — especially in a

senior, I feel like my cultural understanding is

largely homogenous community like East.

lacking compared to out-of-state friends who

But we can’t expect high schoolers to check out cultural books in their free time, so books

study more varied curricula or are surrounded by a more diverse peer group.

Harmful

stereotypes

don’t

count

as

cultural representation.

The

prejudice

that

many

older

titles

contain might’ve been more widely-accepted

by multicultural authors about a variety of

I wish that as a class we’d read about at

in the past, but required classics in English

backgrounds should be added to the required

least one Asian role model or plot line that

class that include dehumanizing stereotypes

reading

International

was more relatable during high school. As sad

should, at the very least, be accompanied with

Baccalaureate English program offered at

as it sounds, I hadn’t considered reading a

contextual

East already includes books about Egyptian,

book about Vietnamese characters until this

about the harmful truth of the stereotypes

Indian, Japanese, Black cultures and more,

year — or that a book like that might even

instead of ignoring blatant bias.

but standard, honors and AP classes should

exist — because I’ve been so conditioned to

follow suit.

reading Eurocentric books at school.

curriculum.

The

information

teaching

students

It’s true that many East English classes offer students “choice” novels, where we get

All students should be required to gain new

Yes, the English department has taught me

to pick our own book, that allow individual

cultural perspectives so that they’re more

invaluable skills in literary analysis, writing

opportunities for cultural learning. Reading

prepared for the real world after high school,

composition, figurative language and poetry

about a Vietnamese family for the first time in

which — spoiler alert — is full of diverse

that I’m grateful for.

my most recent choice novel was comforting

cultures. Access can’t just be restricted to a

But I feel like I’ve missed out on four

as the characters ate food that I have at my

years of opportunities to read and have

grandparents’ house and dealt with refugee

Going to school in Prairie Village is already

interesting discussions about other cultures

struggles that my family also navigates.

isolating for minority students who learn

with classmates that could’ve led to greater

But while all three of the choice novels that

about mainly Eurocentric history surrounded

understanding, like breaking down multi-

I’ve selected in the past four years have been

by mostly white classmates and teachers.

generational Latino conflicts in Gabriel Garcia

about diverse characters — “A Lesson Before

English is a class with open discussions

Marquez’s “One Hundred Years of Solitude” or

Dying,” “Joy Luck Club” and “The Refugees”

about novels — the perfect and only other

analyzing a variety of East Asian superstitions

— I’ve watched as classmates simply go for

opportunity for students to learn about the

in Amy Tan’s “Joy Luck Club.”

the book with the least number of pages.

select group of IB students.

traditions, foods, struggles and overall life of Asian, Black, Latino and other cultures.

Instead,

I’ve

sat

through

humiliating

We

shouldn’t

make

cultural

books

a

socratic seminars about “The Outliers,” a

“choice” for students to decide whether they

Both minority and non-minority students

novel written by a non-Asian author that

want to indulge in or not — which many

don’t even know what they’re missing out on.

includes an entire chapter about how Asians

students who would benefit from cultural

Classics that hold valuable lessons about

are smart because their ancestors worked in

exposure the most might not select.

morality and literary analysis should stay,

rice paddies, where my majority-white class

I hope that the English department will

like Ray Bradbury’s “Fahrenheit 451” which

discussed whether or not the rice paddy theory

culturally enhance the required reading list

teaches about the dangers of censorship and

is true. Academic success is a result of hard

in the coming years. Or else, minoritized

Shakespeare’s

work and studying, not because a fraction of

students will graduate disappointed, feeling

East Asians decades ago were farmers just like

like their family’s culture is less valuable

thousands of other non-Asian people.

than their white classmates’.

“Romeo

and

Juliet”

which

introduces students to iambic pentameter.

But

instead

Shakespeare

of

plays

reading —

two

“Othello”

more and

I’ve

read

about

satirical

imaginary

It’s time to pop that cultural bubble and

“savage”

read books that mirror the beautifully diverse real world.

THE READING LIST A list of books that is required

reading and K atie’s choice books

CHOICE

- “THE REFUGEES” - “THE JOY LUCK CLUB” - “A LESSON BEFORE DYING”

REQUIRED

- “FARENHEIT 451” - “THE GLASS CASTLE” - “SHAKESPEARE” - “LORD OF THE FLIES”

- “ANIMAL FARM” - “THE BOOK THIEF” - “FRANKENSTEIN” - ETC.

de s i g n by ken n a h arring t on

THE HARBINGER

MARCH 4, 2023 | 11

POWER OF THE DRAGON

Chine s e C l u b h o s te d a L u n a r Ne w Ye a r

celeb ra t i o n a fte r s c h o o l o n Fe b. 1 5 to celebra te t he Ye a r o f th e Dra g o n

SCAN ME PHOTO Scan this code to view the photos from this event.

TOP RIGHT President Blue Rosemann leads the dragon dance during the celebration. “ Traditionally, the Chinese Lunar New Year celebration is to scare away a mythical beast,” Rosemann said. “ The dragon and [the] lion dance are supposed to be really loud and flashy to scare it off.” photo by kenna harrington

T O P L E F T Chinese Club President Nathan Daniels leads the lion dance, a tradition for Lunar New Year Celebrations. “ We went through a couple of test runs before the actual dance,” Daniels said. “My favorite part was controlling the eyes and mouth.” photo by francesca lorusso B O T T O M L E F T Chinese teacher Hau-in Lau serves dumplings into a bowl. “Each food has a meaning that helps enhance the probability of luck and prosperity into the new year,” Chinese Club member Nina Yun said. photo by kenna harrington

BOTTOM RIGHT Sophomore Leniah Ward poses with an umbrella while sophomore Joyce Jiang takes her photo. “I do really enjoy being around the culture and looking at all the things,” Ward said. “I just find it really interesting.” photo by alex sajna

12 | MARCH 4, 2024

THE HARBINGER

d e s ig n b y ve ro n i c a m a n gi n e story b y pre st o n h o o ke r

W

INVISIBLE WOUNDS

High veteran suicide rate s show that student s must advocate for veteran well-being and more acce ssible mental he a lth re sou rc e s

E WERE TOLD that we’d

language without thinking twice. Frenchie

are 17 individual lives that fought for the very

so the mental health advocacy had just started

know what happened when we

was so impressed he bought me a year-long

country that didn’t account for the trauma

to become abundant. The main program —

got home.

“Master Class” subscription.

they induced.

TRICARE coverage — was founded in 1996 but

stop

We talked frequently from there, the topic

Reaching out to those who have served and

overthinking it,” my sister said as we sat in

of discussion being something intellectually

encouraging them to seek help is something

Yet the program still requires former or

silence in my mom’s car after being picked up

straining like philosophy or technology. It felt

everyone can do, all you need to do is inform

current military personnel to ask for help,

early from school. We were both scared, but

like he saw me as more than just a teenage

others.

when I believe that it should be a requirement

assumed some distant relative had passed.

boy, but as a friend — someone he could

“We

should

Picturing the reason we were called out as

genuinely talk to.

didn’t see real use until the early 2010s.

Frenchie had tried to get help by going

to have multiple evaluative sessions with a

into in-patient therapy, yet it either wasn’t

professional psychologist or therapist in order to determine if more help is required or not.

a natural and inevitable loss made it easier for

When I started to struggle with suicidal

enough or wasn’t the right fit for him. He

me to sit there and wait, not knowing what

ideation at the end of last year, I didn’t

shouldn’t have had to seek out help; help

was to come.

tell anyone. So, when I eventually went in-

should’ve sought him out.

And there are very successful solutions like EMDR, which has shown that up to

When we got home my parents were sitting

patient my parents were confused and scared.

silently on the couch. Once we sat down they

When my dad first saw me in that psych ward,

much

and

are traumatizing) victims no longer have

told us. My dad’s best friend, a former Marine

the first thing he said was “I have someone

trauma with the addition of eye movement

PTSD after only three 90-minute sessions,

Raider and close friend of mine — Frenchie —

you should talk to — they’ve had a similar

desensitization

according to PTSD UK.

had died that morning.

struggle.”

programs in recent years, but that doesn’t

Everyone has their struggles, but ignoring

That someone was Frenchie.

regard the thousands of former-soldiers who

a huge cause of them for thousands of

are still suffering every day.

Americans is tolerated up until it impacts

“Death by suicide.”

Reaching out to veterans in need is simple

We began to call more frequently, whenever

and can save countless lives, even if you can’t

we were both available. I told him everything,

see clear signs of mental illness initially. Just

and he opened up some too.

I understand that the military has become more

accountable and

for

PTSD

reprocessing

(EMDR)

90% of single-trauma (single events that

Frenchie had done it all, he’d flown an

someone personally. I know that everyone

F/A-18 Hornet, deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan

that knew Frenchie wishes they would have

It took me hours of therapy and medication

and Japan. He graduated from the U.S. Navy-

reached out to help, as do I — yet there is no

to see that there is a way out, but I don’t

Fighter Weapons School — TOPGUN — and

real way we could have helped. We are not

I called him every week though, and we’d

have post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

fought with a special forces battalion as well

professionals, we can’t prescribe medication

talk until one of us had to go since we couldn’t

I don’t have the same kind of trauma that

as earned countless medals and awards while

or properly diagnose illnesses.

meet up in-person. He lived in Montana, and

Frenchie had. The lack of resources available

amassing over 400 combat flight hours.

I’d driven up twice to see him surrounded by

to veterans has put emphasis on mental

He was the perfect soldier, but even a man

members or friends that are or have been in

mountains and national parks. I was excited

health more than ever because the source of

like him didn’t receive the emotional support

the military to find any potential signs of

for a third visit. Now I’m not so excited.

the problem is directly seen as PTSD. But the

he needed. His duty was to follow orders

PTSD, as there are solutions. There is hope.

evidence of how inefficient this system has

without hesitation or question, yet had to

That day when I was called out of school,

been is overbearing.

live with the haunting burden of his actions

he was the last thing on my mind, and now

that he was ordered to carry out by the U.S.,

he consumes it, but that doesn’t mean anyone

causing large amounts of PTSD and guilt.

else has to lose their Frenchie, because I know

reach out, as I know how much I wish I did in regards to mental health.

I didn’t know Frenchie too well until about four years ago. I came down to the basement where my dad was on a call with him talking

According to the 2023 National Veteran

about military technology. I had input on

Suicide Prevention Annual Report — over 17

the matter and used the correct jargon and

veterans die by suicide daily in the U.S.. Those

COUNTING THE COSTS THE SUICIDE RATE IS

57.3% HIGHER FOR VETERANS

Ve te ra n m e ntal health statistic s a c c o rd i n g to the U.S. Depar tment o f Ve te ran A ffai rs fo r 2020

PERCENT OF SUICIDES:

86%

encourage

those

who

have

family

how much I miss mine.

16.8

VETERAN SUICIDE AN AVERAGE OF VETERANS RATES BY AGE *per 100,000 DIE BY SUICIDE EACH DAY 23.2%

VETERANS 14% EVERYONE ELSE

This was all during the early to late 2000s,

I

20%

MEN 33.6%

23.2%

18-34 35-54 55-74 75+

SUICIDE RATE

BY GENDER

*p er 1 00,000

33.7

WOMEN

13.8

de s ign by sophia broc km ei er photos by riley scott , p a i ge be an, caroline mar tu cc i & carolin e hoff man n

smeharbinger.net/category/feature

MARCH 4, 2024 | 13

Feature

SHOW AND

TELL

Two Mr. CANsas candidate s share what their talent was at the Fe b. 2 1 show

THIS ISSUE IN

photos

A look inside student life at East in the past two weeks of school

DAVIS MUTHER | SENIOR

“

MY TALENT WAS playing race car noises on my trombone. I wanted to do something involving my instrument since I was Mr. Band, but I also wanted to do something kind of funny and witty and make people laugh.

¯#'a '¨' H#<'΅ Z¨Ha | SENIOR

B O T T O M Junior Sienna Aarons works on a piece in her painting class with painting teacher Jody Schnakenberg. photo by paige bean

WHAT

TO

PACK Students share their must-have item for spring break trips

T O P Freshman Evelyn Bagley wraps paper in a spiral through a process called “quilling ” in her Intro to Studio Art class. photo by caroline hoffmann

T O P An elementary school student holds a tarantula during a presentation done by students in the Environmental Education class. photo by caroline martucci

“

I WORK IN a distillery, so I know all about making mocktails, and I didn’t want to be doing what every other person was doing. I kind of figured I’d be told I couldn’t do it, and they said that I was good long as I didn’t make a mess.

LUCY COS TELLO

TUC K ER WARD

STELLA KAUFMAN

FR ES HM A N

SOPHOMORE

FRESHMAN

HEADPHONES

“

IT’S REALLY EASY to distract yourself because my family is kind of crazy. I like to listen to true crime podcasts and Taylor Swift music and enjoy my time being calm.

SPEAKER

“

IF YOU’RE DOWN on the beach

with your friends it just makes the vibe better and it’s not as awkward. When there’s music, everyone’s happy and that’s definitely the case every time.

TANNING LOTION

“

I FIND IT a necessity if you’re going

anywhere warm and you want to get super tan. I know a lot of girls like to tan and use the fake canned stuff, but lotion is just another alternative.

THE HARBINGER

s to r y and d e s ig n by greys on imm p h o tos by l i v madden

A COMMUNITY

RECOVERING. M

EMBERS OF THE East

Trauma and fear of gun violence proliferate s the East co m m uni t y after Feb. 1 4 Sup er Bowl pa ra de shooting

She’s not alone in this sentiment.

Algren notes the psychological severity of fear-related

Student Resource Officer

and

Out of a poll of 276 East community members who

trauma after witnessing an event like this.

more conscious about bein

intense fear of gun violence after the Feb.

attended the parade, 58% said they feel unsafe in large

Though junior Brynn Delaney initially felt this sense

and keeping his office av

14 Super Bowl parade shooting and are

public gatherings as a result of the shooting and 62%

of fear when she was running from the shots, it was

who wanted to talk to him

said they are worried about the potential of a school

replaced with sadness in the following days and weeks

“We’re obviously more

The shooting was a result of a verbal conflict

shooting at East. Overall, students report feeling much

as she heard of the children injured in the shooting.

[Shull] and I are more visib

between parade attendees and caused one death and

more unsafe as a result, and this fear can have intense

Watching the news and seeing several children reported

give people some comfort,

21 injuries, according to the Associated Press. Though

repercussions as well.

injured, she thought of the little boy she hid under a

continue

to

suffer

from

community trauma

calling for legislative change.

this was the amount of direct casualties, East students

Children and teenagers who lived within blocks of

and community members report being affected by the

a shooting were found to be more likely to visit the ER

violence emotionally and psychologically.

for mental health reasons following the incident with

semi truck with until his mom found him.

Though she wasn’t severely psychologically impacted by the event, the sadness for the victims still persists.

However, he said no

resulted from the shootin

building is already safe d one unlocked entrance.

Senior Claire Schudy was one of these students. Ever

symptoms like panic attacks and suicidal ideation,

“When we came out from under the semi truck we

Grandparents for Gun

since the day of the shooting, she’s dealt with an intense

according to a study published in JAMA Pediatric

saw all the moms and dads standing up, screaming for

Judy Sherry says she’s seen

fear that’s common among witnesses of traumatic

Health Journal. The same study reports that living near

their kids and on the phone just crying,” Delaney said.

sense of community fear i

events. For Schudy, it’s mostly manifested itself in the

shooting incidents increased dropout rates, depression

“It’s still weird to see that these two guys impacted the

form of persistent violent dreams laden with imagery of

and

entire city of people.”

guns and war.

performance.

learning

difficulties

while

hurting

academic

Sophomore Hank Hunter had a similar experience,

At

the

monthly

Gra

Meeting on Feb. 26, Sh

people in attendance com

Additionally, Schudy says she still doesn’t feel

Even among other members of the East community,

viscerally remembering the crying children and adults

Out of those 140, at least

the same safety in large crowds like she once did. As

the impact of trauma was apparent. Local emergency

he had to help get over the metal barricade at the front

Sherry is disappointed for

someone who is used to regularly taking precautions

doctor and East parent Adam Algren was working at

of the rally.

attendance, she’s apprec

like checking exits in large public spaces in case of a

University Health hospital just half a mile from Union

He echoes Claire’s shock that an event like this

shooting event, actually having to use these precautions

Station when the shooting occurred. Once several

happened in his home city, on a day of celebration for

when shots are fired mere yards from you completely

ambulances brought more than a dozen shooting victims

his hometown football team. Though he doesn’t have a

changes things, she said.

into the hospital for treatment, staff members were

hard time in public spaces, going back down to Union

forced to enact the mass casualty protocol for the first

Station to visit Science City with his family felt “off”

time in Algren’s 25-year career at University Health.

and “different,” as it brought back the memories of

Between a rumored school shooting threat last December and witnessing a mass shooting just weeks ago, gun violence is one of her biggest concerns.

“As our society has evolved over the last decade

panic and fear the day of the shooting.

people fighting for change

42

MILLION

AMERICAN MILE OF A 2014 ACCO GUN VIOLE

“You don’t think it’s gonna happen to you and

or two, unfortunately across the country we certainly

“When bad things are brought up I feel like a lot of

“We do not deserve t

so that slight chance of actually being near gunshots

have seen more of these incidents, and unfortunately

people make the assumption ‘That’s not gonna happen

go,” Sherry said. “The w

and an automatic rifle in a public place is just really

we’ve had to understand that it could happen in our

to me,’” Hunter said. “But the shooting did happen, and

new sense of fear after thi

unsettling,” Schudy said. “But the fact that two of these

community and have to think about how we would

I was there for it. It’s just pretty shocking to know that

Though little legislat

things have sort of happened in the past four months

respond to an event like that,” Algren said. “So it is

these things could escalate to the point where someone

far since the shooting

is very eye-opening and shows that [gun violence] is

a rather unfortunate thing that is a part of our society

would feel the need to bring a gun to this celebration

and procedure is under

actually a real problem [in our community].”

nowadays, but we are prepared to manage if needed.”

where people are trying to have fun.”

accommodate for mass sh

While he deals primarily with physical injuries,

To offer support to students after the shooting,

Kansas City Mayor Quinto

NEWS -FEATURE

Tony Woollen says he’s been

Kansas City Chiefs win the Super Bowl next year, he’s

ng there for students in need

thinking of moving towards a smaller celebration at

vailable for the few students

Arrowhead Stadium.

m after it happened.

It

also

forced

smaller,

surrounding

cities

like

e vigilant and [Officer] Jeremy

Overland Park to evaluate their emergency procedures

ble after [the shooting] just to

in case of a similar event.

,” Woolen said.

“This incident and others give our police, fire and

policy or procedure change

emergency management staff opportunities to train and

ng, as the SROs confirm the

carefully consider how to keep the community safe during

during the day with the only

major events,” Overland Park City Communications

MARCH 4, 2024 | 15

RESOURCES & SUPPORT Communit y re source s and suppo r t available to student s and communit y members following the shooting

MENTAL HEALTH Elizabeth Findley

Manager Meg Ralph said. “Overland Park is constantly Safety president and founder

evaluating security risks as part of the community event

n people turning this pervasive

planning and emergency management process and will

into action.

continue to do so for upcoming events.”

andparents

For

Gun

Safety

While the future is uncertain for upcoming events,

erry noticed more than 140

Sherry said the fear and post-traumatic stress caused

mpared to the usual 60-70.

by gun violence alters a community and the individuals

30 were new members. While

in it forever. The sense of fear she and the students

r the reason behind the spiked

reported experiencing continues to weigh on Kansas

ciative that there are more

City, according to her and Algren.

e alongside her organization.

Algren encourages individuals to check in on one another in times like this after large casualties, and seek

N

S HAVE LIVED WITHIN A MASS SHOOTING SINCE O R D I N G T O T H E N AT I O N A L ENCE ARCHIVE

professional help if mental health problems become unmanageable.

“It’s been challenging for all those involved,” Algren said. “As healthcare providers, and as a community, although we’re trained to help people, that type of

o feel unsafe everywhere we

scenario is something we’re not used to dealing with

whole community will have a

ourselves. It’s been difficult and has weighed heavily on

is.”

people, so I think that it’s important to understand that

tive change has resulted so

it’s going to take some time to heal from something

was so recent, city policy

rgoing potential changes to

hooting events. For example,

on Lucas told KMBC that if the

like that.”

Emily MacNaughton

1 2 3

4 5 6

GUN SAFETY & EDUCATION

L O O K

I

N G

F O R

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MARCH 4, 2024 | 17

THE HARBINGER

d e si g n by mya smi th

p h o to s by mol l y mi ller

TO THE

GETTING POINT S enio r J a c k K e s s l e r re f l e c t s o n t h e w o r k h e’s done to get accepted into We st Point Military A ca d em y

T

HE KITCHEN WAS silent.

Four people huddled around the

phone,

collectively

holding their breath, waiting

to hear what the speaker on the other end was about to say.

“I

wanted

to

be

the

first

to

congratulate you on your acceptance into West Point.”

The voice on the phone faded into the background as the family cheered in excitement and group-hugged their future West Point Military Academy student, senior Jack Kessler.

Ever since he first found out about the esteemed U.S. military academy West Point in sixth grade, Kessler has been piling on leadership roles, meeting

with

attending

past

graduates

military-style

and

summer

camps in the hopes of being accepted into the historic college.

“This has been his dream since seventh or eighth grade,” his sister, sophomore Fina Kessler said. “I had a good feeling he was getting in so when he got in I was just kind of relieved.”

The rich history of the college, dating back to the American Revolution, as well as influence of veteran family members, contributed to his desire to attend the school.

“One of my grandfathers served in Vietnam and my great-grandpa, who I was actually able to have a pretty close relationship with, and who I’m named after served in WWII,” Kessler said. “I got to spend a lot of time with him and he was a pretty big influence.” of

When

applications

for

2028

opened

year,

immediately

last

pulled

out

the

his

class

Kessler list

of

extracurriculars and military camps — building an application stacked with leadership roles such as Student Body President and useful experiences such as being a SHARE chair.

Kessler then scheduled interviews with several Kansas Representatives and political figures who would potentially nominate him to be admitted — a required step for all applicants. But

after countless interviews with little to

he stayed with peers who had been

no follow-up, he began to second guess

nominated for the program who all

his chances of getting in.

worked to form a mock society with a

After a year of applications with no

government, jobs, laws and businesses.

letters of encouragement or assurance

There,

from West Point and no idea where he

professionals who guided him through

he

was

able

to

work

with

stood as a candidate, he was forced

the replica government.

to consider his alternatives. Applying

Long-term friends of Kessler have

to other schools like the University

witnessed his dedication and seen the

of Kansas thankfully proved to be an

work he’s been putting in for years.

unnecessary precaution.

Kessler’s

“I

would

say

it

was

around

September that it occurred to me that I

childhood

friend,

senior

Emma Krause, believes the camps he attended aided in his application.

should probably apply to other colleges,

“Over the summer he went to a

which was hard since I’ve wanted to go

bunch of military camps and he stayed

to West Point since I was in seventh

there for maybe a month,” Krause said.

grade,” Kessler said. “It was hard for

“He was really good in those camps and

me to even think about other colleges,

he got awards.”

and writing essays to go to other colleges felt pointless.”

However,

his

Now that he has been accepted, he can start preparing himself for the

towards

lifestyle change. He now wakes up at

his potential acceptance would soon

attitude

4 a.m. for his morning run every day

change.

and plans to spend the next few months

“By early December I found out I

preparing his body, mind and family for

got principal nominations from both

his departure to West Point’s freshman

Kansas Senator Jerry Moran and Kansas

boot camp this summer.

Representative Sharice Davids,” Kessler

Though

said. “So that made me feel a lot better

undecided

his

because that’s a very good sign that

he’s leaning towards an international

you’ll probably get accepted.”

relations major due to his interest in

until

major

will

remain

sophomore

year,

But in order to get into his dream

the topic. He plans to finish his required

school, he had to prepare himself for

five years of military service before

the notoriously grueling and extremely

deciding between a different career

selective application process.

path or continuing with the military.

He

began

around

Kessler looks forward to the rigid

seventh grade, getting in touch with

structure of daily life of West Point with

former graduates, people in the military

strict wake-up times, daily military

and

in-

training and required uniforms that his

person meetings and a constant stream

connections with students currently at

of advice from mentors, Kessler began

the school have clued him in on.

current

preparations

students.

Through

to piece together an idea of the program and just how much work it required.

His goal is to show up in fall as prepared as possible to ease the

In the summer before eighth grade,

transition.

Kessler attended the Mexico Missouri

Despite

these

sometimes

brutal

Military Academy to get a feel for

adaptations and the months of stress

military life and talk to current members

the application process brought him,

of the military. For the next few weeks,

both Kessler and his family are eager

he followed a strict schedule along with

for Kessler to fulfill his childhood

other military-bound high schoolers.

dream of attending West Point.

Since then he’s attended multiple other military camps in preparation.

He

attended

Boys

State

where

A B O V E Kessler with his West Point merchandise and certificate of appointment that he received this past month.

PREPPING FOR WEST POINT

Tasks K e ssler completed as par t of his We st Point a pp lic a tio n

59 PUSH-UPS IN 2 MINUTES 13 PULL-UPS IN 2 MINUTES 80 SIT-UPS IN 2 MINUTES TOOK THE ACT AND SAT ATTENDED BOYS STATE SUMMER CAMP

18 | MARCH 4, 2023

THE HARBINGER

copy & design b y a d d i e mo o re p h o to b y ri l ey s cot t

SCAN ME VIDEO Scan this code to watch Dylan perform the Viking Chant

ONE MAN BAND The other instrument s Levitan plays

DYLAN LEVITAN

a s a pe rc u ssionist

- GLOCKENSPIEL - MARIMBA - SNARE DRUM - CYMBALS

S e n i o r D y l a n L e v i ta n re f l e c t s on being the

lea de r f o r th e V i k i n g c h an t at sp o r t s gam e s

POSITION TIMELINE FRESHMAN

SOPHOMORE

JUNIOR

BA S S 3

BASS 5 VA R S I T Y LETTER

S N AR E DRU M P ERCUSSION C APTAI N VARSITY L E T TE R

SENIOR S N AR E DRU M PERCUSSION CAPTAI N VARSITY LE T TE R

HOW DID YOU START DOING THE CHANT?

“

I DON’T KNOW

how long it’s been a tradition for, but the section leader my sophomore year passed it onto me because he knew I was going to be a section leader the next year.

CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE WHERE DID THE FEELING OF THE FIRST NICKNAME “DRUM TIME YOU DID IT? DADDY” COME FROM?

“ “ I DID IT

a couple of times my sophomore year because [the guy that normally did it] was sick, so it was pretty scary because I wasn’t expecting to have to do it.

SOMEONE JUST CALLED

me it one day and it stuck. I think it’s funny [when I embrace it] because it can make people uncomfortable.

s tor y by n eva hudso n

MARCH 4, 2024 | 19

THE HARBINGER

d e si g n by fran ce sca loru s s o p h o to s by ryan dehan & w i k i pedi a

THEIR NEXT CHAPTER

reads and

REPORTS

S enio rs a re b e g i n n i n g to w r i te t h e i r a n n u a l senior re search pape rs on books t h e i r re l ati n g to f u tu re c are er o p t i o ns

ALL SENIOR ENGLISH classes are writing the annual Senior

another is very important,” AP Literature and Composition

Research Paper over the course of the first quarter of second

teacher Amy Andersen said. “It’s an important skill to be able

semester. The paper is a graduation requirement and capstone

to apply knowledge from one discipline to another and problem

project at East. It requires students to pair a “work of literary

solve fusing together different fields.”

merit” with a secondary discipline, typically an existing field

Many students chose to work with topics that they are

of study that can be applied to their chosen novel and explored

interested in pursuing after high school, from medicine to

throughout the paper.

biochemistry.

A n ov e rv ie w of the books L ida a nd Mia re a d

΋Ƌä DĩŖʼnä ĩù <ĩàΌ

Samuel Shen

“We live in a world in which transfer from one field to

LIDA PADGETT

GENRE

excercise science

AFTER CONSIDERING ALL 295 suggested book options to

healthcare, and resulted in her

work with for her senior research paper, none seemed to align

current hope to pursue exercise

with senior Lida Padgett’s interest in exercise science.

science in college. Padgett first

Over an email exchange with Andersen, she was directed to

SUBJECT

Emotional impact of working in the 1970s American healthcare

discovered her interest in the

and settled on the novel “The House of God” by author Samuel

medical

Shem because of its medical focus. For her paper, Padgett chose

Anatomy and Medical Science her

to pair the novel’s storyline about a man’s exposure to surgery

junior year.

and treatments during a medical internship with exploring the

satirical novel, medical fiction

field

through

taking

“I’m focusing on how over-prescribing treatments can affect

medicine and they’ve helped me a lot to stay healthy and not

[a patient’s] health more than not doing anything,” Padgett

get injured,” Padgett said. “I want to do the same, and I realized

said. “And the concept of letting the body take care of itself.”

that I can do what I want to do and what I love at the same time,

As a cross country and track athlete, her love for fitness

GENRE

MIA STAMOS biotechnology

THEN-MIDDLE-SCHOOLER

tragedy

SUBJECT

Salem witch trials, McCarthyism

within the novels using science.”

Mia Stamos first fell in love with

Stamos chose to analyze two texts for her paper, choosing

the field of biotechnology at a

“The Crucible” by Arthur Miller and “The Handmaid’s Tale” by

summer camp held at the Center

Margaret Atwood to examine how science has historically been

for Academic Achievement in 2019,

used as justification for the oppression of women.

fascinated by growing bacteria in

“In both of these books, the response to a fear of the unknown

petri dishes and running gels with

is trying to find a way to solve this which leads to the oppression

΋Ƌä

DÁĢàġÁĆàΎʼn

ÁěäΌ

of women,” Stamos said. “The question I’m answering is as our

strands of DNA. sophomore

Arthur Miller

like medicine and sports.”

encouraged her to combine her affinity for science with

When

΋Ƌä ŅŖÚĆÙěäΌ

“Because I’m a runner, I’ve seen people who are in sports

practice of comparing inactive and active medical care.

enrollment

came

around,

Stamos

knew what she would use her two free electives for — the biochemistry class at the CAA. She found interest specifically in molecular and cellular biology, which served as inspiration for the secondary discipline element of her paper.

society evolves, and further scientific advancements are made, will we be less likely to oppress women?”

After high school, Stamos hopes to go on to both undergraduate and graduate studies, with a major in biotechnology. “[I love that] I get to critically solve problems and do all

“I really enjoy the interdisciplinary angle,” Stamos said. “I

these experiments working with my hands,” Stamos said. “I’m

have these books and this science that I love and it’s been really

not very good at sitting down, so I like the laboratory work and

interesting to think about how I can find deeper meanings

the science of it. I love that kind of mix.”

GENRE

Margaret Atwood

tragedy, drama, dystopian fiction

SUBJECT

extremist beliefs, dystopian patriarchal society

&

20 | MARCH 4, 2024

de s ig n by l u c y st e ph e n s ph o to s co ur te s y o f i mdb.co m & kati e co o k

smeharbinger.net/category/a&e

RECENT

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Brazilian restaurant and bar 21 E 3rd St, Kansas City, MO 64106 POPULAR DISHES: Carne Louca Da Odete Pao De Queijo Acai Berry Bowl

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I THINK [“BARBIE”] WILL

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will win best picture because it had the most cultural impact and a lot of people cared about the movie. It was just a very well written and well put together movie.

Animation, Action

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for “Kung Fu Panda Four” because the past three movies have all been amazing. I’m ready to see what the plot of the new movie brings.

ZAC RU SSE L L FRESHMAN

“

is going to win best actress because “Poor Things” was a great movie, and I haven’t met someone who didn’t like the movie. I feel like the critics also liked the movie a lot.

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F

MARCH 4, 2024 | 21

THE HARBINGER

stor y by soph i a brock m ei er

I n f l u e n c e r L ex i H i d al go’s “ Mo m ent s Po d cast ” i s a w o r t hw hi l e l i sten fo r you ng wome n

OLDING MY CLOTHES? Sounds like a perfect

Emma Chamberlain’s “Anything Goes” so great is the un-

time for Noah Kahan. Going on a run? Let’s play

scripted realness of the host’s voice. When the recorder

Taylor Swift. Doing homework? Put on Zach

has a clear, overall topic they want to get across and the

Bryan.

podcast flows as if they are making it up as they go it is a

I love music. Any task I completed was accompanied

much more enjoyable experience.

by music blasting from my bluetooth speaker and me

In general, I wish that Hidalgo wouldn’t stick to a

dancing around my room — until I discovered podcasts.

pre-formatted list of what to say. But this didn’t take

Now, at any moment that I would normally listen to

away from the meaning of her words. Even though the

music, I press play on a podcast.

delivery of the content was disappointing, the quality of

I

decided

to

listen

to

Lexi

Hidalgo’s

female

her words made the podcast worthwhile for me.

empowerment “Moments Podcast” in celebration of

Hidalgo’s gentle voice and casual language made the

Women’s History Month, and the podcast was made for a

podcast feel more conversational than a lecture. It felt

meaningful and thoughtful listen.

like she was recording from the comfort of her living

Started

by

TikTok

influencer

and

model

Lexi

Hidalgo, the podcast covers topics from fashion trends

room couch or kitchen table, not in a sterile room with no breeze or additional noise like other podcasts.

to relationship advice and each episode lasts about 50 minutes — a perfect length for a digestible listen. The “Moments Podcast” — geared for women of all ages — is a “place for you to feel understood, a place for you to know you’re never alone, a place to escape,” according to the Spotify description.

As I pressed play on episode 114 called “Why we should be grateful to be alive” on an early Saturday morning

HAVE YOU LISTENED TO THE “MOMENTS” PODCAST? * I n s t a g ra m p o l l o f 1 8 6 v o t e s

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82%

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while drawing for fun, I felt motivated as I listened to

After the 40 minutes with Hidalgo were over and

Hidalgo’s words and her message about life’s gifts like

dozens of fun doodles of flowers were created, I took

friendships and education.

a moment to evaluate how I felt after listening to her

The episode covered several different reasons why

podcast. I found that taking less than an hour out of

Hidalgo thinks that everyone should be grateful for their

my morning to listen to a perspective-shifting podcast

life and the impact they get to make on others, and it left

shaped the way that I carried out the rest of my day.

me feeling inspired and ready to share my new knowledge

It altered my pre-decided mindset for the quality of my

with others.

Saturday, and I felt more refreshed and motivated to do

“

AFTER THE 40

minutes with Hidalgo were over and dozens of fun doodles of flowers were created, I took a moment to evaluate how I felt after listening to her podcast. I found that taking less than an hour out of my morning to listen to a perspective-shifting podcast shaped the way that I carried out the rest of my day. It altered my predecided mindset for the quality of my Saturday, and I felt more refreshed and motivated to do my homework and chores.

But I cringed when she would pause in the middle of her story and comment on how off track she was getting, or worse, mention the number of bullet points she still had left — making the podcast feel scripted and ruining the flow.

Part of what makes popular podcasts like influencer

my homework and chores.

The “Moments Podcast,” though missing a sense of natural flow and visual connection, brings listeners pieces of wisdom through the eyes of Hidalgo. The next time you’re feeling unproductive and unmotivated it’s not too late to pause for a moment and turn on a podcast.

ABOUT LEXI Fun fact s and stat s ab o ut Hi d al go

- 6 5 6,000 In st a gram f o llowers - 2.5 millio n TikTo k f o llowers - L ive s in Bo ca R a to n , Flo rid a SCAN ME PODCAST Scan me to listen to Hidlago’s podcast

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S o phia’s opinions on her favorite episode s

“WHY SHOULD WE BE GRATEFUL TO BE ALIVE” - S eemed a l i ttl e to o s c r i pted a nd s ti ff - L i ked the me s s a ge - Ha d va l u a bl e i ns i g ht a nd s to r i e s “ASKING A THERAPIST HOW TO CHANGE YOUR MINDSET” - Loved the pro fe s s i o na l s o u rc i ng - S eemed mo re co nvers a ti o na l -To o l o n g “THINGS I’VE LEARNED ABOUT FRIENDSHIP” - Cu te s to r i e s to go a l o ng wi th to pi c -Fe l t l i ke s h e co u l d’ve a p p l i e d h e r in si g ht mo re - S ho r te s t o ne

22 | MARCH 4, 2024

ONE LOVE -LY MOVIE W

HEN

I

THINK

of

summer, the song “Could You Be Loved” by Bob Marley immediately starts

playing in my head. I reminisce about the memories in my car with the windows down,

blasting

Marley’s

reggae-rock

music that puts me in the most content state of mind.

On Feb. 14, the new Bob Marley biopic “One Love” came out in theaters, and I couldn’t have been more impressed with the overall storyline of the film and the look inside Marley’s life that it reveals.

The movie, co-produced by his wife Rita

Marley

and

his

eleven

children,

narrates the story of the Jamaican singersongwriter whose songs took the world by storm in the early 1970’s and still does to this day.

The movie begins with “Redemption Song” by Bob Marley and his band, The Wailers, playing slowly. While I’ve heard the song before, it felt as if I was hearing it for the very first time with Marley’s soothing singing filling the theater.

I watched as Marley planned a peace concert as Jamaica is in a state of war and terror, something I had no idea about before the movie. I’m grateful for the cultural exposure and new perspective that the movie showed me.

As

the

story

story b y i s abe l bal da ss aro

THE HARBINGER

continues,

Marley’s

friends contemplate whether or not they should perform their concert, even as the date of the concert approaches.

Marley felt he needed this concert in order to bring people together in a

peaceful setting, even while his friends

Rastafari — wholesome moments that

tried

had me hooked.

to

convince

him

otherwise

—

something that stood out to me as he

Even through his evolving fame, Marley

knew the risks of performing in front of a

never grew accustomed to having a lot of

tense crowd. In the heat of a Civil War, he

money and nice things — an inspiring

still felt the need to bring peace to people.

thing from a well-known celebrity.

Following the concert, the story starts to flow in a more sporadic, yet interesting way.

Marley ’s life

hearted and loyal man.

The movie portrayed his adorable love

his friends singing, playing soccer and

for his kids and wife — as well as his

enjoying life together as “Get Up, Stand

devotion to keeping peace amongst the

Up” plays in the background. A logical,

people of Jamaica. He asserted himself as

organized movie keeps the informative

a hero in my eyes, and someone I easily

moments separate from the movie style,

look up to.

which is exactly what this movie did —

I did notice, however, that many people

allowing me to fully comprehend the

seemed to walk out many times seemingly

serious moments.

without caring if they missed the movie, and one group left halfway through.

older music drew me in as I wanted to find

I understand if you don’t love the

out more about how his music came to be,

autobiographical style of the movie, but I

and why so many of his hits are known to

felt as if they did a unique job portraying

people who love all types of music.

the events of his life by adding a movie

his wife Rita, how the band came to be

Love” is an impre ssive look into

He

for his family — taking the time to care

Between the flashbacks to him meeting

The Bob Marley biopic “One

remained how he always was, a kind-

An array of scenes show Marley and

Experiencing both his well-known and

d e s ig n b y s yd n ey e c k p h o to s c o u r te s y o f I M D b

aspect that felt like I was watching a timeline of his life.

and his religious values as a Rastafari —

Plus the movie was the perfect length,

a monotheistic religion, the movie kept

running for only one hour and 47 minutes.

me intrigued. I couldn’t seem to look

Marley died at age 36, so the movie

away as the movie progressed. His growth

could only portray so much of his adult

through childhood inspired me and had

life observed by his band and family

my eyes locked on the screen, keeping me

members. Yet, the movie still felt so

watching after each cliffhanger.

personal as it gave a direct insight into

As it’s portrayed in the movie, Marley

his life and proved how important of a

met his wife at a young age after leaving

story he had from the start of his career

his harsh home life, adding the romantic

to the end.

aspect I love to see in movies. Their relationship progressed as they shared their love for music and devotion to the

CHARACTER VS. REAL-PERSON I s a b e l’s c o m p ar i so n o f B o b Mar l ey and hi s character i n t he m ov ie

Bob Marley is played by British actor Kingsley Ben-Adir, who couldn’t have portrayed Marley better. Some critics were upset he wasn’t actually Jamaican but after watching the film, I went back and watched videos of Marley to see how similar they were and was surprised at how well he played Marley — especially his look and the way he talked. From the dreads to the thick, iconic Jamaican accent, I was convinced it was him. He did a great job of channeling Marley’s calm, cool mannerisms he held throughout his life. And when it came to concert scenes, he danced exactly like Marley would in his real concerts — spinning around and shaking his hair.

THE HARBINGER

de s i gn by ri l ey scot t

The Carriage Club hosted their 60th

MARCH 4, 2024 | 23

SCAN ME GALLERY Scan this to view more and purchase pictures from this event

annual ice show on Feb. 2 3 to wrap up the skating season, with multiple

THE

ICE

p er fo r m ance s b y East st ude nt s

A B O V E Senior Elle Siegel, an ice skater of 14 years, leads the team in a spirit circle before the ice show. “I really wanted to be like someone that the little girls look up to the way that I looked up to the seniors when I was younger,” Siegel said. photo by clara peters

A B O V E M I D D L E Seniors Elle Siegel and Hallie O’Bryan stretch before heading out to the ice rink. “ We have off ice stuff like Pilates during the season, which is a lot of fun” Siegel said. “But other times we’ll stretch really fast and get out there because time is precious.” photo by amelie wong R I G H T The ice skating costumes hang on a rack in the Carriage Club lobby. Many of the skaters have multiple outfits for their various performances. photo by amelie wong

A B O V E Senior Hallie O’Bryan performs her senior solo, one of her four performances throughout the ice show. O’Bryan is a member of Carriage Club and has been skating for 10 years. “Being a senior is special,” O’Bryan said. “ You get to take the leadership if someone is not doing something and they ’ll respect you.” photo by amelie wong L E F T Sophomore Georgia Wolf stretches on the ice rink before beginning practice. Wolf has been skating for 12 years and participated in a total of five performances during the show. photo by molly scott

d

smeharbinger.net/category/sports

6

18

MARCH

5:00 p.m.

MARCH

Varsit y ba seball jamboree @ BV Athletic Complex

player review N O R A H E R R IN G VA R S I T Y S OFT B A L L

“

I’M JUST [LOOKING forward to] getting back out there and playing. I don’t do club [softball] so it’s just nice to kind of start playing again.

rematch summary A re c ap of the East vs. S outh basketball game THE

VARSITY

BOYS

took

on

their

longtime

basketball team fell 66-53

rival once again in the

to Shawnee Mission South

sub-state

in a rematch game on Feb.

They remained withing 15

28 played at East. After

points of the Raiders for

losing 31-30 on Feb. 23

the duration of the game

at SMS in the last minute

and will not be continuing

of the game, the Lancers

on to compete at state.

playoff

game.

ARE YOU TRYING OUT FOR A SPRING SPORT? * I n s t a g ra m p o l l o f 2 0 8 v o t e s

YES NO

58% 42%

...

MARCH 4, 2024 | 24 ays lef

16

t

Sports

d e si g n by l i bby mars h

Ma r k y o ur calendars for the se 1:00 p.m.

3:15 p.m.

Va r s i t y b a s e b a l l @ C r e e k s i d e B a s e b a l l P a r k R I G H T Senior Blake Hanson collides with the SM South point guard after poking the ball loose. Hanson later ends up causing a turnover for the Lancers that they could not capitalize on. photo by will griffith B O T T O M L E F T Junior Cole Chinnock shoots a floater for the Lancers first basket of the game. Chinnock missed his shot earlier in the possession and collected his own rebound that gave the Lancers a second opportunity for a basket. photo by will griffith B O T T O M R I G H T Senior Teddy Saylor drives into the lane and goes for a up and under layup that he converts for an and one.

This play extended a Lancer scoring run in the third and early fourth quarter that gave a lancers a lead going into the dying minutes of the game. photo by will griffith

6

MARCH

first girls

soccer game UPCOMING EVENTS 5:00 p.m.

Varsit y softball jamboree @ ANDAC

stor y by carl sut t on

THE HARBINGER

de s i g n by be l l a broce p h o to s by w i l l g r i ffi th

La n c e r Dan c e rs w i l l c o mp e te i n d ance Nat i o nal s o ver sp r i ng b reak

DANCING THROUGH THE

YEARS

A

FTER

FINISHING

meant to mimic what the Lancer Dancers would do during a football game when they

are continuing to Nationals in

are on the track and facing the crowd.

Orlando,

Florida

from

March

Lanc e r D a n c e r s e n i o rs

performance by placing in all three dance

have b e e n d a ncin g

Laynie Manning

only their game day routine. However,

At state, the Lancers Dancers performed

its intricacy and detail, according to Close.

last day if they qualify according to

To qualify for nationals, the dancers

Lancer Dancer Head Coach Alexis

attended the National Dance Alliance camp last May. At

NDA

camp,

the

Lancer

Dancers

to make finals and anything

begin to learn their routines, and over the

beyond that is icing on the

summer they attend band camp to learn

cake,” Close said.

flag

months,

choreography.

Next

week,

she’s

still

nervous

about

performing on such a big stage.

the cake.

THE GOAL IS

always to try to make finals and anything beyond that is icing on

ALEXIS CLOSE COACH

“I’m very scared about it,” Klumpp said.

they’ll

“I think it’s gonna be super fun, but it’s

Last year the Lancer Dancers

meet with their jazz choreographer to go

something I’ve never experienced before.

didn’t qualify for finals in all

over their routine. The amount of time

So there’s always gonna be nervousness”

of the categories, only for the

spent practicing is just one of the more

final in two categories —

challenging parts of dance, according to

experience with the Lancer Dancers’ game

jazz and hip-hop. This year,

team captain and senior Liv Noble.

day routine, but is constantly improving

Klumpp

also

hasn’t

had

as

much

practicing

“I just think the mental aspect of it like

10 hours a week on all three

continuing to push, being there for your

“[The dance is] very strict. You have to

team and showing up to practice is way

get a certain count.” said Klumpp “It’s a

more of a mental thing,” Noble said.

very certain thing you can do for it. It’s just

been

routines.

“Gameday has more pomp

Dancing for 14 years, and this is her 11th year competitively dancing

for

“

first two days and in the finals on the

they’ve

Liv Noble

said.

perfecting their hip-hop routine because of

Dancing for 15 years, and dancing competitively for seven years

Lancer Dancers, and even though she’s

trying to tell a story while dancing,” Close

jazz, hip-hop and gameday — for the

Marin McElhinney

Freshman Hannah Klumpp is one of

been dancing since age three and training

“For jazz, we’re working on making

they’ll compete in three categories —

“The goal is always to try

Dancing for 15 years, and competitively for three years

Unlike gameday, their jazz routine is less sports-related.

The dancers also spend a lot of time

Close.

it’s coming up we really have to lock in.” only three freshmen on varsity for the

really clean and beautiful lines but also

categories.

Bella Hakes

GAMEDAY

THIRD

8-10. They hope to improve on last year’s

HIP-HOP

JAZZ

at State, the Lancer Dancers

How l o n g e a c h o f t h e

Dancing for 13 years, and dancing competitively for seven years

3

MARCH 4, 2024 | 25

in it, so we really work on arm

All of the practices and games they

strengthening and strengthening

perform are easy for the dancers to lose

our emotions,” Close said. “We’re

sight of their goals at nationals.

because of the extensive practices.

very tiring, because it’s so long.”

Despite the intensity and competition they will face at Nationals, the team refuses

their

“I guess it’s hard to feel like our goals

voices and having a lot of strong spirit.”

are so far away,” team captain and senior

A gameday routine consists of the

Marin McElhinney said. “It’s a little bit easy

“We’re gonna have fun, but we’re not

school fight song, a sideline chant and

to lose track of them. Like with [nationals],

here to play,” Close said. “We’re here to

a timeout section. The whole dance is

I always feel like it’s this thing that’s so far

put in the work.”

really

working

on

projecting

away at the end of the year and now that

R I G H T The Lancer Dancers practice their routine in the g ym while the boys basketball team has away games. They do this so they can use the full space to see what their routine will look like in the g ym where they will perform during basketball games and other events. photo by will griffith

to let hundreds of hours of hard work go to waste.

26 | MARCH 4, 2024

THE HARBINGER

story b y ma g gi e co n do n

d e s ig n b y j u l i a c a m p b e l l

KICKING OFF COLLEGE Alu m A v a We i l an d g ra d u a te s h i g h s c h o o l a seme ster early to play soccer at S anta Clara Universit y

B

ETWEEN AP PSYCHOLOGY Quizlets and AP Statistics study guides in preparation for winter finals, East alum Ava Weiland didn’t know a month from then she’d be on a plane to

Santa Clara as a college student.

“It was scary because going to class on the first day I was like ‘I went to high school a month ago,’’’ Ava said.

“And now I’m in college and it’s just crazy.”

Now, Ava lives on campus at Santa Clara University where she trains with her team, after committing to play D1 soccer there in September 2022.

Graduating

early

was

something

she’d

always

considered but it wasn’t until her coach at Santa Clara suggested it last December while Ava was recovering from a torn ACL, that she took it seriously.

“Injury was part of it because you can have a lot more attention with the trainers and strength and conditioning coaches out in [Santa Clara] and starting to get used to soccer again with the people and the speed of play that you’ll be playing with,” Ava said. “It was the best decision.”

Ava had been counting down the days until she could move to Santa Clara since her first visit at the beginning of her junior year. She’d looked at other schools, but the Santa Clara coaches and team made an impression that made her decision easy, and a week after her trip she had officially committed there. “[The coaches] just cared a lot about me as a person and not just me as a player,” Ava said. “They would ask about my family and how school was going. They didn’t just care about the soccer side of things and [they’re people] I’m gonna respect and admire as an authoritative figure for four years and beyond.”

After deciding early graduation was the right path for her, Ava started the process at the beginning of winter break in hopes she’d graduate by January. That meant writing a seven-page research paper, creating a multimedia presentation about universal healthcare and passing the AP Government final test all in two weeks, all while packing and purchasing dorm room furnishings.

“It was completely chaotic, we didn’t know what we were doing,” Ava’s mother, Valerie said. “We bought stuff thinking well I guess we could always return it if it didn’t work out.”

GROWING UP

Ava took the final test needed to graduate on Jan. 4 and found out she passed later that same day at 3:30 p.m.

Relieved that they wouldn’t have to cancel their flights to California the very next day they double-checked their packing lists and left. Her family headed to Santa Clara not sure what dorm she’d have or who her roommate would be.

After a few AirBnB extensions, Ava’s mother and brother had to head home. Ava’s father, Kurt stayed longer until there was a dorm ready for Ava to move into. A few extra days into Ava’s move-in, Santa Clara was able to work out what dorm she’d have. After settling in, classes like critical thinking and writing or sociology began on top of training. It was a chance for her to prove what the coaches had seen in her during the recruiting process.

Her parents still reflect on Ava’s recruiting process with

“

gratitude because of the extent of coaches that wanted their daughter to play for college teams.

IT WAS SCARY

because going to class on the first day I was like ‘I went to high school a month ago.’ And now I’m in college and it’s just crazy.

AVA W EIL AND

A LU M

“As a parent, when coaches are seeing your kid for the

defensive things and the other things she excelled at was cool because everybody talks about scoring goals, they don’t talk about defending,” Kurt said. “But to hear some of the best coaches of college soccer talking about your kid positively from a defensive perspective was cool.”

Ava’s days are now filled with classes, practices and meals at the dining halls with teammates.

Nights are filled with locker lounge room movie nights with her teammates, watching the “Maze Runner” or “Teen Wolf” series.

A B O V E Weiland stands inside the Santa Clara stadium photo courtesy of ava weiland

“I feel like I’m adjusting well,” Ava said. “The team is nice, they’re all super friendly. I’m becoming good friends with some of them and it will make it that much easier in the fall when we are playing actual games in conference.”

A ti m el i ne o f t he so ccer cl ub s Wei l and has p l ay ed fo r

E L E M E N TA RY S C H O O L

MIDDLE SCHOOL

HIGH SCHOOL

A va b e g a n h e r c l u b s o c c e r c a re e r w i t h t h e K ansas Cit y

We i l a n d l a te r s w i tc h e d to S p o r t i n g B l u e Va l ley

Lastly, she moved to K ansas Cit y

Leg end s whe n s he w as s e v e n ye ars - o l d

S o c c e r C l u b i n s i x t h g ra d e

A th l e ti c s h e r f re sh ma n y e a r

stor y by l ucy st ephe ns

MARCH 4, 2024 | 26

THE HARBINGER

d e si g n by l i b by m a rs h p h o to s by mol l y scott

PICKING UP THE

WHISTLE

Due to a re c e n t AC L i n j u r y, s e n i o r C l a i re S chudy is the Shawnee Miss i o n G i r l s L a c ro s s e te a m’s g o a l i e c o a c h and defensive coordinator

W

inste a d o f b e i n g t h e v a rs i t y g o a l i e f o r a f o ur th year ALKING THROUGH

HER

her

If she received surgery as soon as possible, she

front door after a Hauberk late-

would still be sitting on the bench for the entirety

is

night work session, senior Claire

of her senior lacrosse season. And if she waited

months into her recovery

Schudy found her parents sitting on

to get surgery until after the season, she would

process — having had her

be unable to play at her full capacity due to the

surgery on Dec. 29 — and

limited range of motion in her knee.

is already able to work with

her couch with serious looks in their eyes.

Her heart dropped. “Who in the family died?”

Prior to her injury, Schudy was hoping to be the

she asked.

Schudy currently

two

the team’s new goalie, junior

Nobody had died — her parents had just heard

varsity team captain. She was a player who used

the results of her MRI scan: a full ACL tear. Schudy

her skills and leadership to benefit the team to the

“I’ve had lots of coaches

broke down in tears knowing this was the end of

point where her coach, Aidan McEnery, thought she

who have tried to help with

her nine-year lacrosse career.

was the senior captain when she was only a junior.

goalies but it’s really difficult

“

“I had my heart set on playing my senior season,

and I’ve been playing in every game the past three years,” Schudy said. “I take so much pride and joy in playing and being a part of the team.”

After playing starting goalie since freshman

year and keeping a two-year winning streak, Schudy was still determined to contribute to the

Shawnee Mission Girls’ Lacrosse team despite her

knee injury. This year she’s acting as the SMGL

EVEN THOUGH

I’m not physically on the field, she still trusts me to lead the team. That just meant a lot.

C L AI RE SC H UDY SENIOR

goalie coach and defensive coordinator — making

Amelia Stinson.

because when you’re not in there, you don’t

understand,”

Stinson

said.

“She

understands [playing goalie] and she’s really good at explaining all the techniques you should use.”

Schudy hopes to teach Stinson the skills she has acquired in playing lacrosse since third grade and lead the team to another championship title.

“I’m taking those skills and things that I remember doing when I was a beginner that

“Even the girls that were above her respected

helped my footwork, my speed and my hand-eye

Her knee pains started after jumping around

her,” SMGL head coach Aidan McEnerney said.

coordination.” Schudy said, “It’s the small things

at a school-wide pep assembly in September. She

“She has this presence that makes everybody feel

that end up building up to the big things.”

landed wrong and instantly felt her knee pop. She

appreciated and also makes everybody want to

then again re-injured her knee in November miss-

work a little bit harder.”

her the team’s only teenage coach.

Although Schudy will be spending her very last season playing lacrosse on the sidelines — as

stepping over a curb. Once her knee pains started

After she was injured, McEnerney and Schudy

she doesn’t plan to play after high school — she

to worsen, she decided to get an MRI on her knee,

grabbed coffee at a local coffee shop to discuss her

hopes to do as much as she can from the the bench,

to confirm nothing was torn or injured. She didn’t

role as goalie coach. During their conversation,

motivating her teammates to remain successful

think anything was actually wrong with her knee.

McEnerney expressed that she still wanted Schudy

throughout the season.

It took Schudy many days to finally process the

as team captain — something she had no intention

“I couldn’t ever not be a part of [the team]

fact her ACL was fully torn, she knew she would

of expecting because of her injury. In that moment,

because Shawnee Mission Girls Lacrosse has been

eventually need surgery, but she had to decide if

Schudy stood up from the table and hugged her

such an impactful part of my life,”

she would do the surgery before or after the season.

coach.

“It’s helped me become the person I am today.”

“I was either going to give up my senior lacrosse

“Even though I’m not physically on the field,

season or my whole summer and the beginning of

she still trusts me to lead the team,” Schudy said.

my college experience,” Schudy said.

“That just meant a lot.”

SCAN ME GAMES Watch Schudy in action with this schedule

“

QUALIFIED COACHING

HER SKILLS ARE

just a cherry on top. It’s the person she is and the way she leads that makes her the most valuable. On or off the field, she’s still someone [the team] all listened to, no matter what.

A IDAN MC EN ERN EY

GIRLS LACROSSE HEAD COACH

Schudy said.

Skills and qualifications that make S chudy a

1 2 3

good la c rosse c oa c h a c c ording to he r te a m

THE TEAM KNOWS HER SHE’S WELL RESPECTED UNDERSTANDS THE SPORT

28 | MARCH 4, 2024

THE HARBINGER

NATIONAL SCAN ME Read about the shooting according to The Associated Press

INJURED

THE ATTACK AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, LAS VEGAS SENT SHOCK WAVES THROUGH A CITY STILL SCARRED BY THE DEATHS OF 60 PEOPLE IN A 2017 MASS SHOOTING.” THE GUNMAN WAS A PROFESSOR WHO UNSUCCESSFULLY SCAN ME SOUGHT A JOB AT State of THE SCHOOL Nevada’s @ UNIVERSITY OF NEVEDA - LAS VEGAS

school safety report

LAS VEGAS, NV DECEMBER 6, 2023

SUPER BOWL CELEBRATION

3 22 1 4 1 78 OFFENDERS

IT TOOK

8

Quote s a b o u t t h e re c e n t s h o o t i n g a t t h e Chie f s S u p e r B o w l p a ra d e

EVERY TIME A MASS SHOOTING LIKE THIS HAPPENS, EVERYONE TALKS ABOUT HOW GUN LAWS SHOULD BE RESTRICTED, NO ONE REALLY DOES ANYTHING, AND THINGS GO BACK TO NORMAL, AND THEN ANOTHER THING HAPPENS.

INJURED

VICTIM

OFFENDER INJURED VICTIMS

PEOPLE

PERSPECTIVES

SOPHOMORE

FEBRUARY 14, 2024

BY GUN VIOLENCE.”

FROM THE

-HANK HUNTER

ap new s.c om

“TERRIFIED FANS RUNNING FOR COVER AS YET ANOTHER HIGH-PROFILE PUBLIC EVENT WAS MARRED

TO KILL

“

shooting accodring to

MASSACURES

MINS.

OFFENDER VICTIMS

S tat sic s about recent

KANSAS CITY,

SCAN ME

Police bodycam footage of the shooting

MASS KILLINGS.” ALLEN, TX

OCTOBER 25, 2023

1 18 13

MO OFFENDER VICTIMS INJURED

“THE LATEST U.S. COMMUNITY RENT BY AN ERUPTION OF VIOLENCE IN A YEAR THAT HAS SEEN AN UNPRECEDENTED PACE OF

MAY 6, 2023

LEWISTON, ME

MAINE’S CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION IS CALLING FOR THE ARMY TO INVESTIGATE THE EVENTS THAT LEAD UP TO THE OCTOBER MASS SHOOTING - THE DEADLIEST IN THE STATE’S HISTORY - BY ONE OF ITS RESERVISTS.

“

1 3 1

d e s ig n b y b ri d ge t co n n e l l y

WE ALL SAID OR THOUGHT ‘IT CAN'T HAPPEN HERE IN KANSAS CITY’ UNTIL IT DID. WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO WERE SHOT AND SURVIVED AND THEIR POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS, AND THEN YOU TAKE ONE LOOK AT THE PEOPLE WHO WERE JUST THERE AND SCARED, ALL OF THOSE PEOPLE WILL NEVER BE THE SAME. WHEN YOU THINK SOMETHING CAN'T HAPPEN, AND IT DOES, YOU'LL NEVER BE THE SAME

-JUDY SHERRY

FOUNDER OF GRANDPARENTS FOR GUN SAFETY