The Harbinger Issue 11 by The Harbinger

THE

SHAWNEE MISSION EAST 7500 MISSION ROAD PRAIRIE VILLAGE, KS

HARBINGER

A LEGAL LIFELINE

New ‘Lifeline Bill’ intends to put the wellbeing of teens consuming alcohol before legal concerns by granting immunity to any minor who calls for medical assistance

er body couldn’t handle it.

body wouldn’t let her. Panicked, her

Sophomore Lily Sharp was

brother drove her to the hospital.

unresponsive on Halloween night,

INSIDE

Hospitalization struck a chord with

eyes rolled back in her head. When she

Sharp. It made her realize the dangers

had tried to swallow water earlier, her

of too much alcohol in her system. continued on PAGE 16 & 17

SMSD TO DISCUSS MOVING SIXTH GRADE INTO MIDDLE SCHOOLS PAGE 6

PREVIEW OF KANSAS CAUCUS PAGE 29

FEATURES SPECIAL SECTION

Editor-in-Chief Tommy Sherk

Co-Assistant Editors Will Clough Claire Pottenger

We believe that the current trend of Kansas State legislation, highlighted by a Senate Bill that would make the prosecution of teachers legal, not only is threatening educators but endangering the future of our education system, and therefore our future.

Head Copy Editor

FOR: 12 P

Co-Online Editors

Ellie Booton

Art & Design Editors Aidan Epstein Yashi Wang

AGAINST: 0

CK GRANTS O L

COMMON G N C I

Assistant Online Editors Tyler Keys Celia Hack

Online Head Copy Editor Caroline Heitmann

Online Assistant Head Copy Editor Anna Kanaley

Editorial Board

Celia Hack Michael Kraske Ellie Booton Tommy Sherk Claire Pottenger Will Clough Ellie Cook Robbie Veglahn Tyler Keys Caroline Heittman Daisy Bolin Courtney McClelland

Copy Editors

Robbie Veglahn Chloe Stanford Morgan Biles Daisy Bolin Elaine Chamberlain Courtney McClelland Celia Hack Caroline Heitmann Tommy Sherk Michael Kraske Ellie Cook Claire Pottenger Will Clough Ellie Booton

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Traditionally, it has been up to the schools and their teachers to decide what is moral and immoral, and what is worth teaching our children. But this bill would instead place that decision in the hands of some detached legislator. In an attempt to highlight the absurdity of this bill, Wichita Democrat John Carmichael sarcastically testified that, under this bill, a teacher could hypothetically go to jail for showing the statue of David or mentioning the sexual innuendos in Romeo and Juliet. Without batting an eye, sponsor of the bill and Senator Mary Pilcher-Cook issued a chilling response: the jury will have to decide if the defendant is guilty or not, but prosecution would definitely be legal. For a legislature and an administration that advocates for limited government involvement, this misuse of state authority is not only unconstitutional, but hypocritical. The bill barely passed last year before being shot down in the Senate, but the fact that it is on the floor for the second time in one year should be a red flag about the state of our political system. A red flag, to any Kansan who cares about the future of our education system, and the future of our state: it is time to act. If we continue to elect representatives like Brownback and Pilcher-Cook, we may as well be putting the teacher on the stand ourselves.

icture your history teacher on trial. Not some Law and Order courtroom, but a real Johnson County District court. Their credibility, their reputation, their lifetime of dedication to education, all on the witness stand for questioning. The crime is simple – corrupting the minds of youth. After all, showing Michelangelo’s David in class was too far. How dare they steal your innocence by exposing you to human genitalia. Situations like these may not be as far-fetched as you think. The recent trend of Kansas politics, highlighted by Senate Bill 53, is leaning towards an all-out-attack on not only teachers, but education itself. Maintaining a good system of education is one of, if not the most important, tasks of our society. Yet this institution, this societal cornerstone, is being threatened. Senate Bill 53 marks a grave turning point in the state of Kansas, and our country. The bill states that any teacher who exposes a minor to “harmful material” could be subject to prosecution from the state and could face up to six months in prison. The intentionally-vague language of the bill is designed so that no child could be exposed to anything “harmful”, from a sex-ed video to a statue’s junk. Obviously, no one is advocating to show children obscenities or pornography in school. But who decides what is obscene?

Michael Kraske Ellie Cook

$54 mill

Grace Chisholm

Circulation Manager Grace Kost

Subscriptions Manager Ellie Booton

Contest Coordinator

Last Thurs., the Kansas Supreme Court ruled that Brownback’s recent block grants were unconstitutional. The ruling stated that the grants underfunded eduction by about $50 million, and that if the funding is not provided, Kansas public schools will be shut down indefinitely

Courtney McClelland

Yesterday, the House passed a ban on Common Core, the new nation-wide federal curriculum, in favor of a state curriculum through an all voice vote. The bill still has to pass the senate and be signed by Brownback before it becomes law

Staff Artist

Will Tulp Lizzie Kahle Sarah Wilcox

Staff Writers

Ryan Hess Lizzie Kahle Kaleigh Koc Lucy Kendall Sarah Wilcox Kaylin McCan Seamus Carroll Ellis Nepstad Harrison Gooley Teagan Noblit Porter Carroll Catherine Brown Emily Fey Meg Thoma Isabel Epstein Mac Newman Grace Kost Jet Semrick Brooklyn Terrill

Co-Photo Editors

Opinion Section Editor Courtney McClelland

Feature Section Editor Chloe Stanford

Sports Section Editor Davis Finke

Co-A&E Section Editors Anna Dierks Sean Overton

Co-Spread Section Editors Ellie Cook Anna McClelland

News Section Editor Caroline Heitmann

Webmaster

Callie McPhail Hailey Hughes

Leah O’Connor

Assistant Photo Editors

Leah O’Connor

Kaitlyn Stratman Haley Bell

Co-Online Photo Editors

Podcast Editor Co-Online News Editors Marti Fromm Madeleine Hlobick

Katie Lamar Joseph Cline

Online Opinion Editor

Assistant Online Photo Editor

Online A&E Editor

Morgan Browning

Jemima Swindells

Staff Photographers

Online Homegrown Editor

Abby Blake Grace Padon Tess Iler Ellie Thoma Audrey Kesler Carson Holtgraves Anna Theide Ava Johnson Elizabeth Anderson Maddie Smiley Allison Stockwell Ava Simonsen Diana Percy Leah O’Connor

Page Designer

Jessica Parker Teagan Noblit Porter Carroll Katie Hise Annie Jones Isabel Epstein Ellie Mitchell Grace Padon Will Tulp Robbie Veglahn Diego Galicia Abby Walker Caleb Krakow Annabelle Cook Daisy Bolin Kaylin McCan Seamus Carroll Marti Fromm Joe McLiney Grace Chisholm Ali Lee Chase Tetrick

Section Editors: Editorial Section Editor Robbie Veglahn

Morgan Biles

Ali Lee

Co-Online Sports Section Editors Reser Hall Stephan Abramo

Eastipedia Editor Annabelle Cook

Video Editor

Matthew Bruyere

Assistant Video Editor Nick Mantel Gabe Snyder

Live Broadcast Editor Will Hembree

Assistant Live Broadcast Editors

Seamus Carroll Ellis Nepstad

Interactive Design Editor Robbie Veglahn

Multimedia Staff Joe McLiney Meg Thoma Will Hembree Ryan Hess Diego Galicia

Social Media Directors Grace Kost Ava Johnson

INGER THE HARB

NEWS BRIEFS

A BREAKDOWN OF SCHOOL, LOCAL AND WORLDWIDE NEWS written by KALEIGH KOC

Love146 Concert on Feb. 25

oalition will put on its sixth annual Love146 Concert on Feb. 25 at Country Club Christian Church. Love146 is a nonprofit humanitarian organization that raises awareness about sex trafficking worldwide. Between 14,500 and 17,500 people are trafficked in the U.S. each year, according to a 2005 report from the U.S. State Department. Love146 uses donations to rescue girls or rehabilitate children who have been a victim of sex trafficking. They also donate money to families around the world to help send kids to school. Six years ago, when Coalition had just begun, Sarah Are and Jesse Light, East alumni, discovered Love146. They told David Muhammed, Coalition

Kansas Caucuses Held March 5

he Kansas Caucuses will be held March 5 across the state of Kansas. The Kansas Caucuses are organized gatherings of citizens, run by the Kansas Democratic and Republican parties. Both Democrats and Republicans meet to conduct party business and state their presidential preference. Caucuses are essentially polls in each state, and help determine what candidate is the forerunner. There will be 47 caucuses in Kansas, and one will be held at Shawnee Mission East. “I want to go because unlike the legit election, my vote will actually be counted in this for the state of Kansas,” senior Kylie Schultz said. “In a small way, I’m contributing to the election as an actual voting

sponsor and social studies teacher, about Love146. Coalition has been supporting them ever since. This year, the concert will feature performances from seniors Charlie Jensen, Oscar Motsinger, Maggie Brophy and Chloe Kerwin, as well as many others from both East and Rockhurst. “To get in, people will make donations, and there’s no suggested amount,” Muhammed said. “Last year we raised about $2,500, this year we’d like to raise at least $3,500.” The concert is usually held at the Village Presbyterian Church, but this year it will be held at Country Club Christian Church because the stage is bigger. The concert will begin at 7 p.m.

resident instead of some middle-aged dude in the electoral college.” A spokesperson from each candidate will give a speech explaining why voters should vote for that candidate. Any person who will be at least 18 years old on election day, Nov. 8, will be eligible to participate in the Kansas Caucuses. “I think it’s important for there to be all different ages of people there,” copresident of the Young Democrats Club and junior Emma Vaughters said. “I’ll be able to vote in the next election, so I want to make sure that my age group is represented.”

PHOTOS PH OF THE WEEK

Twitter Accounts Deleted

witter has deleted over 125,000 accounts in the past six months due to links to terrorism. To determine the criteria for what content should be deleted, the social media company is using a mix of human judgement and technology. Twitter specialists look to pinpoint accounts linked to extremist groups in the U.S. and Ireland by sorting through suspect accounts. The Muslim terrorist group, ISIS, specifically has been linked to automated accounts, also known as “bots.” Bots send out extremist content and are sometimes caught with tools typically used to fight spam. “We condemn the use of Twitter to promote violent terrorism,” the company said in a statement on Feb. 5. “This type of behavior, or any violent threats, is not permitted on

our service.” Twitter’s specialists are forced to make decisions regarding if the content posted is controversial versus extremist. “I think it’s a good way to prevent terrorism, as long as they’re not just deleting people’s accounts solely because they’re Muslim,” sophomore Grace Kenney said. These efforts have caused controversy for Twitter, which is a self-proclaimed platform for free speech and open debate. After prior efforts to remove ISIS content from Twitter, then-twitter CEO Dick Costolo said he received death threats as a result of the removal of the extremist content.

MORE THAN JUST: KEYS

JUNIOR EMMA CANNOVA

Taking regular day objects and discovering the story behind them

“This one is a Shawnee Mission East Lancers lanyard, and it was for [an ID]. Well I took the ID badge off and put it on my keys because my mom was like ‘You’re going to have to wear an ID badge’ and I was like ‘No...I’m not going to’ so I just put it on my keys.” “This one is a glove, and it’s for ovarian cancer. It says ‘Fight like a Girl,’ and it’s teal because that’s the color of the ovarian cancer symbol instead of pink so it’s like the ‘Fight like a Girl’ for breast cancer but ovarian cancer.”

“This one says Emma, that was from Santa.”

photo by HAILEY HUGHES

TOP | Senior and Student Body President Kyle Baker hangs up snowflakes in preparation for the Winter Wonderland-themed WPA on Feb. 5.

photo by ALLISON STOCKWELL

BOTTOM | English teacher Kirsten Fry prepares sushi rice for her students. IB juniors made sushi as an interactive culture immersion activity for their current novel, The Sound of Waves. “Mrs. Fry did a great job of getting everyone involved in the process of making everything – the rice, the preparation of the fish and vegetables and the setting out of the traditional sushi dishes,” junior Kendall Dunbar. “I personally love sushi and was so excited that I was able to make my own roll and eat it. It was delicious!”

photo by AVA SIMONSEN

The closing of 63rd St. proves to be an inconvenience for Mission Hills residents

photos by AVA JOHNSON written by JESSICA PARKER

esidents of Mission Hills are growing accustomed to the neon orange traffic cones lining the streets and the consistent sound of power drills in the morning. Drivers must also adapt to the new routes they will be taking to school and work to cope with the closing of 63rd St. 63rd St. runs through Mission Hills, serving as a vital transportation outlet for many East students. Roadblocks and detour signs went up on Jan. 11, marking the beginning of the 10 month reconstruction project. Courtney Christensen, city administrator for the city of Mission Hills, explained that the project has been in planning for six years. The project entails rerouting the current Indian Creek channel at the intersection of 63 St. and Wenonga westward, and constructing a new, larger and longer bridge to overpass it. “Our bridges are looked at every two years, and our bridge at 63rd and Wenonga was found to be deficient,” Christensen said. “This meaning it’s not necessarily unsafe, but it is aging to the point where it needs to be replaced.”

LANCER VOICE Junior Tommy Hise

When I pick up my sister from school I have to go all the way around, which is a huge hassle.

In order to pay for the $3.3 million project, the city has been saving money for the past five years. “The cost of the bridge and the roadway, so $1.675 million, is coming from Johnson County as part of their County Assisted Road System Program,” Christensen said. While the city was evaluating the bridge project, they began to look at other aspects of the road: condition of driveway approaches, sidewalks, curbs and the asphalt itself. It became apparent that more than the bridge

The whole street is closed at once, and I feel like it would have been easier if they would have done litttle sections, so that you could still cross 63rd. — said Junior Tyler Lockton was in need of repair, so the project grew from the task of shifting a creek channel and relocating its bridge to a total makeover. Sixty-third street will be rewarded with nicer and newer drive approaches, curbs, sidewalks and

pavement, as well as an installation of new water and gas mains. Residents, on the other hand, have not been anticipating such a large and drawn-out project. While the first month of the closure has produced no phoned-in complaints, many Mission Hills residents find the closing to be inconvenient. Junior Tyler Lockton lives in north Mission Hills, meaning her every-day route to school has taken a detour. Her original 10 minute drive is now 20. “The whole street is closed at once, and I feel like it would have been easier if they would have done little sections so that you could still cross 63rd,” Lockton said. Although the elongated process has proved inconvenient for some, the overall final product will result in a safer and more attractive road with bonuses of new gas and water mains – the wait will be over Nov.1.

How do you feel about the construction on 63rd St? It’s really hard to get over to Brookside or to the Mission Hills area from Fairway.

It is annoying when I’m trying to get to Nall or places on the other side of 63rd St.

Senior Elisabeth Shook

Junior Josie Clough

AT YOUR FINGERTIPS NATIONWI DOWNLOA DE DS 64

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ISSUES The issues tab allows one to look through an issue of the Harbinger on their phone. The electronic display allows pages to be seen as they were designed, and it eliminates inevitably getting ink all over your hands while flipping through the paper.

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OUR OPINION What do you think of the app?

The app really gives us a new way to connect with our readers.

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SIXTH

GRADE SWITCH- UP

SMSD explores options to move 6th graders to the middle school level written by WILL CLOUGH photo by DIANA PERCY

MSD and community officials will be discussing a potential plan to move sixth grade students out of elementary schools and into middle schools as soon as the 2018-19 school year. This could include the construction of either new middle schools or elementary schools. According to the district’s Assistant Superintendent of Communications Leigh Anne Neal, this plan will be open for community discussion starting Feb. 23 through a series of public forums. These forums are designed to give parents and other community members a way to share their ideas and opinions on the plan. They will feature a brief presentation from district officials, and then be followed by open discussion. The first meeting, held on Feb. 23, will be at Hocker Grove Middle School. Four more forums will follow on Feb. 25 (Trailridge), March 10 (Indian Hills), March 21 (Indian Woods) and March 24 (Westridge). The idea to move sixth graders started nearly two years ago, after the district began questioning if elementary schools were the best place for sixth grade students. Parents and administrators looked to the current grade setup and asked why SMSD policy differed from that of neighboring districts in Kansas, who have sixth graders in middle school, according to the project’s co-chair and SMSD’s Superintendent for Instructional Support Dr. Rick Atha. “This was a question that was asked,” Atha said. “And it seemed to be something that several people had an interest in.” Now, Atha says the possibility of grade reconfiguration is particularly relevant because growing numbers of

students in the district for the first time since 1992 means shrinking building space. Atha and other members of the project’s task force will discuss this and other reasoning for moving students at the impending forums. To initiate this discussion, the task force has organized their efforts into five major groups: Facilities, Curriculum, Athletics, Social/ Emotional Impacts and Licensing of Teachers. These five groups represent the main aspects of the district that would be affected by such a change. One of the major topics discussed will likely be facilities, specifically which buildings will hold transferred students. According to Atha, no matter what decision the district makes regarding sixth graders, new building plans will have to be considered. “If the decision is to keep [sixth graders] in the current grade configuration, we will have to build more elementary schools,” Atha said. “If the decision falls the other way... we’re probably going to have to... build another middle school.” In addition to building a new school altogether, Atha also says that the district would likely consider opening decommissioned school buildings. This would also include reopening Indian Creek Middle School and Broadmoor Technical Center. However, Atha emphasizes that construction will not drive this discussion. Rather, student’s well being will hold precedence over building plans. Parents of future sixth graders are largely concerned about their childrens’ ability to adapt to the middle school environment. SMSD mother Jessica Newman’s first grade

daughter would be one of the students affected by a potential reconfiguration in 2018. Newman sees the social aspect as reason not to make the change. “I would have a hard time seeing educational benefits outweighing the social downfalls,” Newman said. Like Newman, other opponents of the plan will likely worry that their sixth grade children will find it difficult to socially adapt to an environment with older eighth grade students. But in the same way, teachers are curious about their own futures. Elementary school teachers themselves have received little official word from the district, except for a brief press statement released Feb. 9. Highlands Elementary sixth grade teacher Mike Torkelson wonders how the decision will affect him. “Just because of the sheer number of new middle schoolers [that grade reconfiguration would bring], I think they would need more teachers,” Torkelson said. “So I don’t know how they will handle moving teachers.” While Torkelson is certified to teach at the middle school level, other teachers may not be. If the decision to move sixth graders passes, these teachers would likely have to be recertified or transfer to a different grade level. Once forums conclude, all information and opinions gathered from the community will be filed into a report along with the task force’s data and presented to SMSD Superintendent Dr. Jim Hinson. This information will help Hinson to make a final decision.

POSSIBLE PLANS FOR THE MIDDLE SCHOOLS Move to

Indian Creek

Relocating students to Indian Creek Technical Center is a possibility if the grades change.

keerC naidnI Indian Creek

Rebuild

One of the options is rebuilding Indian Hills, either way, there will construction at the middle school.

Move to Indian Creek Broadmoor

Broadmoor is another alternative for the relocation of IHMS students.

POOL PROBLEMS

The 43-year-old pool is undergoing improvements to satisfy the swimmers’ needs written by ELLIE MITCHELL

fter the last swim meet on Jan. 21, more than 40 swim parents emailed Principal John McKinney and Athletic Director Kelli Kurle expressing dissatisfaction with the pool and its equipment. After 43 years of no major renovation or improvement, the district, administration and parents are working to accommodate the swimmers’ needs. Varsity swimmers Joe McGuire and Hayden Linscott have held multiple meetings with Kurle to discuss the issues from a swimmer’s perspective. “The water itself is pretty gross,” McGuire said. “You can write with your finger at the bottom of the pool, that’s how dirty it is.” This summer the pool will be completely drained for the first time and refilled with new, clean water. There is no air circulation in the pool facility, causing mold to form. Multiple boys have contracted ongoing coughs from the poor air quality. “I have to have an inhaler due to the nasty air and mold,” Linscott said. “It is so stuffy in there and we all get sick.” The air ventilation system has been cleaned out once, but it takes multiple deep cleanings to get rid of all the trash, dust and mold that have built up in the vents. Linscott says after the first cleaning there has been no improvement in the quality of air. Paula Longan, parent of varsity swimmers Bonnie and Ian, has tried for a very long time to get the district to realize the poor quality of the facility. Having two children in the program Longan has experienced the issue of bad air circulation during meets. She has often had to go outside throughout the meets to get fresh air. “The quality of the pool has been a major concern of many parents for a long time since my kids always came

home sick after swimming,” Longan said. Another issue during the Jan. 21 meet was the scoreboard displaying the incorrect times and malfunctioning touch pads. The meet had to rely on manual, volunteer timers, to record each race. This is not as accurate as the touch pads, and the team ended up in a tie against Blue Valley North. At each meet there is always two volunteer timers per lane, but times from the stopwatches are only used when the touch pads malfunction. “My husband and I take the timing process very seriously,” Longan said. “We make sure to try to lean over to see the touch as best as we can so it is the most accurate.” Kurle is currently working to get new touch pads, but the cost is over $5,000 so there must be multiple bids from different companies. The scoreboard is also looking at being replaced. The district has had a meeting with Kurle and McKinney to discuss what funds are needed to make the improvements necessary. “We are very fortunate to finally have the district’s approval and support for the process,” Kurle said. “They were reluctant to help due to the new aquatic center opening up within the next few years, but they realize how extensive these issues were.” There is duct tape holding the sound boards together and the starting blocks are wobbly. Linscott says that is hard to get a good start when the block isn’t stable. Kurle is trying to get new blocks, but not everything can be funded. The district has examined the diving boards and starting blocks to see if they are able to fund the expenses for new ones. The All-Sports Booster Board agreed to giving a grant of $2,300 to fund new lane lines as they are 12 years old and are the bolts are ripping off of the ends. The district is working

on getting a new storage reel for the lane lines. Head Coach Wiley Wright has seen the East pool steadily decline in his 33 years of coaching. “The pool was built back in 1973 so it has lasted a long time for how they built it,” Wright said. “It is time everything is updated to accommodate the size of the student body and swimmers.”

WHAT’S IT

GOING TO COST?

LANE LINES Five 75-foot lines

$2,300 LINE REELS

Two reels for lane lines

$1,500 TIMING SYSTEM Five 75-foot lines

$8,000

TOP LEFT | Rust lines the ends of these pool stands and the metal is wearing away.

TOP RIGHT | Concrete cracks and crumbles on the end of the pool ladder.

BOTTOM LEFT | Rusty reels hold old lane lanes. Both of these are being replaced as part of the renovations.

BOTTOM RIGHT | Rust develops on the metal of the rickety starter blocks.

photos by CALLIE MCPHAIL

Crossfit

CENSORING

HISTORY HISTORY

The use of the n-word in “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” sparks controversy over the use in a historical manner versus in society opinion by TYLER KEYS

s a biracial teen, I’ve been taught my entire life that the n-word is the worst thing you could call someone. So, imagine my discomfort when I learned that we would be allowed to say it in class, while reading Mark Twain’s “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” The novel uses the word a disproportionate 219 times in only 366 pages, and my heart skips a beat every time my teacher reads a quote. At first I wondered why we would say a word that’s so powerful it objectifies black people. But after weighing the pros and cons, I fully agree with the use of the n-word, only in classroom settings. It opens a gateway to important discussions about the word and its use both historically and in today’s

culture. That way, students have an unbiased environment to learn about the impact of the word without any accusations or blame. At East, we are fortunate to even be allowed to read this book. Some schools around the U.S. ban it because of its blatantly racist tones. However, students will never be fully educated if we don’t face the word head-on. Banning the book or skipping over the word doesn’t change the fact that the word is written right there in front of us. It’s the dialect that Twain meant to use, and we are taught it in school for a purpose. Our teachers expect us to be mature enough to appreciate the use in literature and not turn around and call some kid the n-word in the hall the next day. Students need to learn the

difference between using it in an academic and social context. Academically, that’s how people really spoke in the 1830’s, when the novel was set. No one thought twice about calling someone the n-word, just like people don’t think twice about calling someone by their name. That’s what it was to white people: a black person’s name. But today we should be better than degrading people by calling them the n-word. It’s so powerful that it makes almost everyone in the class uncomfortable. But that’s exactly why we should say it in direct quotes from the book, to push people out of their comfort zone, so that they know how to handle those types of situations in the future. The word reminds black students of a time when their ancestors were whipped and beaten. They were ripped from their families and lives only to work hours on end for another man. This makes them feel as though they are an object, not a human, owned by another superior being. Although now we may be more advanced than those times, it doesn’t change the fact that millions of people had to go through those hardships. The word epitomizes the struggle that black people have had to endure for centuries, and the struggle that their race has overcome. We give it more power by skipping over it while reading out loud. We let the word consume our minds over everything else. Saying it out loud creates a way for teachers to teach students about the impact of the

word.. And even if a teacher does skip over it or replaces it with “the n-word” instead, the actual word is written right there on the page. It’s still in everyone’s mind. People may feel guilty using the n-word in an academic setting because it’s not appropriate in a normal setting. And I completely understand. But I believe that was Twain’s purpose in using it so many times. Using words like “slave,” “AfricanAmerican” or any other euphemisms in place of the n-word makes no sense in the context of this realist novel. The idea of “white guilt” shouldn’t mean that we ignore the entire history of the word and how it was used. Although it’s still a personal decision, the purpose of reading the book should be to face the word head on. No one individual or group should be expected to be spokespersons for their race. Of course, if you aren’t comfortable saying the actual word while reading out loud in class, don’t. But saying the word should be an option only for historical and learning purposes. A school’s purpose should be to teach students the historical meaning of literature to prepare them to see it again. If books like Huck Finn are banned in high schools, that doesn’t mean the students will never see the n-word again in the real world. It’s better to prepare students to handle the word maturely rather than turn a blind eye to it completely.

MAKING THE CONNECTION

The pressure to over interperet art shadows the enjoyment that art galleries bring opinion by ELLIE BOOTON

tanding in front of a framed cicada carcass, I felt two things. The first was a pair of eyes behind Clubmasters glaring at the back of my head, which led up to the second: the pressure to interpret this “art.” In a weak attempt to camouflage myself, I gripped – but did not drink – a Dixie cup of coffee. Surely, the dead insect in front of me called for some deeper meaning. I felt compelled to connect its carcass with some profound idea about nature, or freedom, or loneliness. By the time I was through analyzing it, my coffee had grown cold. That cicada belonged to a gallery hosted by First Fridays, and as I ventured deeper into the Crossroads, I couldn’t help but feel overcome with a sense of ignorance. Surrounded by vibrant sculptures and tapestries, searching for further analysis, my mind felt black and white. At one of Kansas City’s greatest art attractions, I felt pressured to link canvases with metaphysical revelations, so when I didn’t, or perhaps when I couldn’t, I felt stupid. Art, the way I see it, should be relative. I shouldn’t be shunned for not connecting watercolors with depression; I should take

what I like from art, as everyone should. When I don’t, it’s like the art world is playing some kind of cruel joke on me. That joke, it seemed, was a common thread between everyone at First Fridays, me being the exception. When I saw pretty colors thrown together to form a painting, they spoke of depth, beauty or heartbreak. Sometimes though, those perceptions were less dramatic. In one gallery, millennials around me cooed at a clay remake of Captain Underpants. In another, I was greeted by two striped mimes who, at the flick of a donation, would assume some new formation. While bystanders applauded, I averted eye contact and clutched my wallet. Other galleries were hosted by the artists themselves. I discovered this when, after cringing at a portrait of a naked lady, I turned into the gaze of the artist himself. His smirk intimidated me, so I faked a smile and mumbled something like “Oh yes it’s lovely.” As I walked out, others spoke of how symbolic his works were, and...look! The arteest himself! What a treat. I wandered into a different room of geodes made into jewelry, whose cost could not be covered by the quarters in my jeans. I would

have liked to have simply studied them, but the designers stood behind me, breathing down my neck with expectation. Indirectly confronting me in the claustrophobic gallery, I felt obligated to say something, so I turned. “Really, these are so pretty.” Any observation I made would be heard, and thereafter met with snarky looks and condescending laughter by every ardent artist

art by YASHI WANG

there, so, aside from aforesaid compliments, I held my tongue. Walking out of the final gallery, I realized I was still holding my untouched coffee. I cast it on the sidewalk and vowed to not let these arteests determine my incompetency in the artistic world, nor undermine my ability to interpret. The next art I’d stare at, I’d be at peace with my conclusions, profound or not.

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emporia.edu/business 620-341-5523 y bac@emporia.edu bizhornet1 ESU.Business

Stuggles in business prove to be lessons over time

felt like an entrepreneurial Jesus the day I created SherkShop. My dream was simple: I’d use my newly obtained 3D printer to create new-age products, please my customers and fill my pockets with cash. Soon enough, I’d be exchanging hearty laughs with my longtime role model, Elon Musk, creator of Tesla and SpaceX, aboard one of his private rocketships. Before SherkShop opened, I had been obsessing over 3D printing for years, closely following the rapidly evolving printers. I was entranced by the way the machine pumped out thin layers of plastic and created a solid object. The more I thought about the possibilities of products, the more I thought about how I could use one to create a business. By Christmas of junior year, I had received my own Cube 3D printer. I’d already invested in plastic, glue and had created a basic business plan for SherkShop – my very own 3D printing business. I even had a logo. My parents and I had invested time and money into this idea, and I had the highest hopes for my business. As soon as I took this leap of faith, my lack of preparation began to shine through. I lacked any sort of marketing – I

felt those who bought my products were “donating” instead of actually wanting a printed product. The products themselves were rough, and my inexperience with the machine led to many failed prints and wasted plastics. I had no experience in customer relations or managing finances, so I was constantly refunding money to those I felt I had cheated by giving them a low-quality product. My love and overexcitement for the technology behind 3D printing had blinded me to the realities of business. I had gone in unprepared. I persuaded friends to order 3D printed phone cases with promises of high-tech protection. For days, I would come home and churn out products, deliver them and get paid. Then the complaints came. SherkShop phone cases broke after one drop. I reimbursed those who I had sold faulty products to and, in turn, lost money. My most popular item was no longer an option. After that, my marketing was still flawed. There were simply too many products to choose from – a customer could choose from an almost infinite amount of trinkets, models and gadgets to be printed. When I delivered my sales pitch to my customers, I explained the massive expanse of items I could make.

opinion by TOMMY SHERK photo by CALLIE MCPHAIL

They became perpetually overwhelmed, and many never chose something to buy at all. As the months passed, the few people who knew about SherkShop were driven away by unsatisfactory products. And I was too. I would avoid the dreaded printer, tortured by the idea of a failed print or wasted use of the expensive plastic that cost $50 a cartridge. In taking my leap of faith, I had leaped off a cliff – and bashed every rock on the way down, leaving SherkShop bloodied and barely breathing in the dust. But still breathing. SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket exploded June 9, 2015. Yet Elon Musk still stood tall. He released reports of what was to be learned from the crash and how the company would make a comeback. Musk, my entrepreneurial idol, reminded me that success is not easily obtained. I was inspired by his resilience; I couldn’t give up on my dream just because things were going poorly. As Musk began building his next rocketship, I began working to make sure I’d be on it. Instead of ignoring my failures, I studied them. I figured out why so many products turned out poorly. I calculated the amount of plastic that a print used and charged just enough to make sure I would make money. I

began updating my Instagram (@sherkshop) frequently so consumers could browse a “menu” of products and help them narrow down what they might want to purchase. My business is still gradually recovering in response to my enlightenment. Now, I’ve learned the machine; I know that products with have overhanging edges don’t turn out well, I only print with a reliable type of plastic and I designed a more durable phone case. SherkShop has gained enough strength to rise from the dust, regardless of a few broken plastic cartridges. I’ve realized I can survive these explosive failures, just like Musk did and continues to do. As long as I focus on the endgame of success, the downfalls are never fatal, and my bounce backs are just part of the entrepreneurial game. As SherkShop walks forward, I aim to print better products, make enough profit to exceed my debt and put more faith in my aspirations. When I look to the future, I still see Musk and I sharing a hearty laugh on a rocketship. This time, maybe the rocket is 3D printed.

photos courtesy of TOMMY SHERK

FAR LEFT | The Lens Cap: This handy product is a quick print that fits on various lenses. MIDDLE |The Gun Mug: The most badass way to drink any cold or hot beverage. Don’t worry – it doesn’t taste like plastic. LEFT | The Pencil Holder: This kooky design allows for the storage of various desk supplies in a fashionable, tree-like form.

A Lovely Night The Theatre Program performed “Cinderella” for the winter musical.

photo by HAILEY HUGHES ABOVE | Cinderella, sophomore Savannah Worthington, meets the prince, senior Charlie Jenson, for the first time, and it’s love at first sight. “Having the lead role as an underclassman was definitely a lot of pressure, but I had a lot of good role models to look up to and everyone was very supportive,” Worthington said. FAR LEFT | Senior Tyler Armer eats dinner and watches videos on his phone at ‘potluck’ with junior Kylie Ledford. “Potluck is probably one of my favorite things about doing mainstage shows at East,” Armer said. “It’s really one of the only times in the process of a show where everyone is gathered in one location, so I never miss the opportunity to walk around and talk to everyone around the room.”

photo by KATIE LAMAR

MIDDLE LEFT | The orchestra prepares to start playing during a scene between the prince and the queen, played by seniors Charlie Jenson and Hannah Eldred.

photo by TESS ILER LEFT | Senior Natalie Kauffman (left) explains how to be a proper lady to her daughters, sophomore Grace Chisholm and junior Haley Lynch. “I got to become a character that I had never been like, compared to characters I have played in previous shows,” Chisholm said. “It was so exciting to get to develop that person because there were truly no limits to how crazy or weird or obnoxious I could be.”

photo by HAILEY HUGHES

“BETTER LUCK NEXT TIME” Having to move from activity to activity means struggling to find a niche in high school opionon by BROOKLYN TERRILL photo by MORGAN BROWNING

have friends who are soccer players. I have friends who are dancers. I have friends who play the piano. It seems like each of my classmates have their one thing. That one thing they are really great at, whether it’s soccer or cello or dance, etc. And trust me, I’ve tried them all. Dabbling in all kinds of activities over the years, I have become what I call a floater, a person who doesn’t have a go-to activity. This is not necessarily a bad thing. There are some definite benefits to being a floater. I have met a lot of different people who do things that amaze me all the time. I have never understood the hand- eye coordination my friend Jackson has when he plays the piano. I tried to play the piano, but a year into it, I got bored and gave up. Now the extent of my piano ability is Heart and Soul. My friend Maggie, a dancer, can casually sit in the splits. I can barely touch my toes. My mother says I am “well-rounded,” but the feeling that I am just not very good at anything lingers – a disadvantage of being a floater. There seems to be this unspoken pressure from society that I have to find something and excel at it. The hardest part of being a floater is getting out when it goes wrong. If for some reason there are enough girls that swimming becomes a cut-sport and I get cut; I won’t talk about it. I will just avoid it. When I don’t get cast in a show I will just avoid the awkward pause after someone tells you “better luck next time.” This year I decided to add a new activity to my list of endeavors: swimming. I have never swam competitively, unless

Swimming High School

7th Grade

you count Prairie Village Piranhas two summers back. Every Monday and Friday I drag myself down to the East weight room for 6 a.m. conditioning, praying that I will be decent enough when tryouts come around that I don’t humiliate myself. I find comfort in the fact that usually swim is a no-cut sport. My little brother is 5’10 and 13 years old and gifted when it comes to sports, unlike his big sister. Being the overachiever that he is, his first year running track, he qualified for nationals in addition to being the quarterback for his football team. I much prefer being the cheerleader when my brother is kicking butt on the basketball court. Throwing the ball to the person who would actually score was how I spend my elementary school basketball career. I have discovered over the years I’m decent at and enjoy theatre, but I still don’t know if it’s my niche. I was in Grease my seventh grade year, and had a lot of fun with it, so I kept doing it. But I quickly found that there are really talented people in my grade who have been doing this since they were six. I was 13 when I did my first show, and once again I found myself lagging behind. Every week I my binder full of music to my voice lessons in hopes that I will be able to catch up. I don’t know why exactly this has become a pattern for me, but whenever I try something new it seems to fade into my list of past activities rather quickly. I have tried many times and I figure that I will keep with this pattern until I find my thing. Until then, I will cross my fingers and hope that I make the swim team or succeed in whatever endeavor I take on next.

Cross Country

Cello th th

5 – 9 Grade

Been There, Done That Brooklyn has tried it all. From the arts to athletics, she continues to find her place

Basketball st th 1 – 5 Grade

Soccer th

3 – 7 Grade

Dance th th

4 – 7 Grade

Theater

4th Grade – Present

Living with ADHD Living with ADHD affects everyday life and is hard to cope with

Freshman

Hating the pills

GPA

Year

Not Eating Food

Pills have the opposite effects

Not Focusing

FINALS written by CALEB KRAKOW

irst semester freshman year, my GPA was below a 3.0. I had two D’s -- one in Spanish and one in geometry; I had to get at least a 69.5 percent in geometry to pass. Because of the pressure to do well on my finals, I decided to take two ADHD pills called Focalin, doubling my normal dosage. This wasn’t my first time conflicting with ADHD and its pills. By the time my final had started, the pills had kicked in and I could tell they were working to their full effect. I felt my body buzzing and a there was a tingling feeling in my head. I felt a rush of power and energy – it was unnatural. The one thing I didn’t end up doing was focus -- I ended up failing my final. The doctor turned out to be right; taking a double dose reverses the effect. I guess I was wrong, I needed to find the perfect balance. In 4th grade, I began to take these little white pills in the morning. My parents

explained to me that I had been diagnosed with something called Attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder, ADHD. After a few months I began to feel dependent on them; I needed to take them to be smart. They made me feel like there was this machine in my head physically forcing me to focus. But the pills ended up having some negative side effects. I transferred from a private school to a public school after 6th grade, after that happened, I noticed that I no longer felt hungry at lunch time. I started eating meals at peculiar times, like late at night. My brain had somehow convinced my body that I couldn’t eat any foods during the day. Sometimes I would go the entire day without eating until dinner, but my doctor told me in order for the pills to work I needed to eat in the morning. I tried, but I couldn’t do it. Food in the morning made me want to puke, and some mornings I actually did. Slowly, I began to hate the pills, they

turned me into a focus zombie. They killed my uplifted, optimistic attitude, remembering to take the pills was a struggle itself, and forgetting to take them would mess with my body too. Some days I would walk through the halls of Indian Hills Middle School and not say a word to anyone. I stopped feeling like talking in the halls and joking with my friends in class. When I came to East, I decided to stop taking the pills. I thought because I was older, smarter and more mature, I could handle my ADHD. But as soon as I stopped, my grades started to sink. Math has always been tough for me, and geometry was no different. I hated Spanish just as much as Senora Detrixhe loved me. Conjugations became my silent killer. Tumbling downhill through my first semester of high school made me believe this was how the rest of high school was going to be -- I thought I was going to have

to cheat my way through school. As the end of the first semester came to a close, finals were the last blow I was going to take. Then I remembered the pills -- oh the magical pills. I convinced myself I could suffer through them in order to do well on my finals. So that was when I decided I would take that double dose. I ended up finishing my first semester with a 2.9 grade point average. After that semester, I started to take the pills consistently again, but this time, things were different. I had finally been able to eat on a consistent schedule, and I’m no longer worried about having to cheat my way through school, the pills allowed me to focus more and be normal. I figured that the positives of taking my meds outweighed the negatives, and I’ve seen my GPA skyrocket up. Since my first semester of freshman year, I’ve figured out the right way to deal with my ADHD. My grades have been great, and so has my life.

ADHD FAST FACTS -ADHD often begins in childhood and can continue into aduldhood

-It may add to low selfesteem, troubled relationships, and a hard time focusing in school or work

-ADHD cant be cured, but treatment may help

-Cronic can last for years or a lifetime

-ADHD stands for attention deficint hyperactivity disorder

PRAISING YEEZUS Kanye West’s latest album, ‘The Life of Pablo,’ lives up to its hype written by MICHAEL KRASKE AND RYAN HESS

ince downloading the free 30day Tidal trial, a new music service that holds the exclusive rights to Kanye West’s new album, “The Life of Pablo,” the album has been on repeat both in the journalism room and in our headphones. This highly anticipated album didn’t let either of us down. From the perfect lineup of featured artists and beats to the complex story that West tells, he manages to successfully compare himself to both Pablo Escobar and Pablo Picasso – something only Kanye could do. Like most hip-hop albums we vibe to, “The Life of Pablo” gets better every time we listen. Each song is original, from the concepts to the fine-tuning of each beat, and even after ten plus listens, we have managed to pick up on new things every time. Lots of rappers today have the problem of uniqueness: from their sound, down to their lyrics. Someone like Travis Scott has song after song that yes, are hits, but aren’t unique and different. Kanye delivers exactly what rappers like

Scott can’t – and on each and every track. This project captures Kanye’s creative energy more than any of his past albums. Each song is complicated, but in a beautiful way that makes it a true piece of art. One second he’s going in at one hundred miles per hour over a fast-paced beat, and the next second he’s preaching gospel with auto tuned singing. He lays out complex bars that leave listeners wanting more. But right when you think you understand the vibe of the album, the next song changes completely, from range of fast-paced to slow-paced beats to the sporadic verses about Pablo Escobar. The album is a never-boring listen. The title of the album was not decided until close to its release date. Kanye tweeted out four different album titles and track-lists before landing on “The Life of Pablo.” This created hype throughout the twittersphere for months. When Kanye tweeted that the name of the album was “Waves,” rapper Wiz Khalifa tweeted back at him, saying that this name was a knock-off of legendary rapper Max B’s “Waves” theme. Kanye then went on one of his famous Twitter rants, and after the release of the album, it was confirmed that Kanye had Max B’s support. On track 14 “Silver Surfer Interlude,” Max B gives Kanye respect and tells him he’s “wavy.” Your move, Wiz Khalifa. This album is filled with ups and downs, but for us, mostly ups. Here’s a few of our favorite tracks off the album.

Father Stretch My Hands

After the slower, gospel feel of track 1 “Ultralight Beams,” where Chance the Rapper dominates Kanye verse-wise, Kanye starts to go in,

Twitter

Takeover

A look at some of Kanye’s most talked about tweets leading up to the album release

“This is not album of the year. This is album of the life.”

“This album is actually a Gospel album”

diving head-first into the rest of the album. After a bit of a slow intro, Kid Cudi begins the uplifting hook, describing waking up on a beautiful morning, over DJ Metro’s production. He speaks of freedom with the lyrics, “I just wanna feel liberated,” also relating to the theme of Pablo Escobar. After this, he delves deeper in, speeding up the tempo for the first half of the track with pt. 2. He continues talk of liberation, this time with the same lyric as before, yet sped up twice as fast. He talks about having women in other cities and loads of cash – setting up the feel of Kanye being the new age Pablo Escobar.

Famous

This may be the most talked about track on the album. Not because Rihanna adds a perfectly timed feature, but because of the line: “I feel like me and Taylor still might have sex. Why? I made that b**** famous!” Yes, this is pretty edgy and offensive, but this is the epitome of Kanye. After all, as he says later in the song: “Name one genius that ain’t crazy!” But this song isn’t all about calling Taylor Swift out. Perhaps the best aspect of this song is the way it’s structured, starting off slow with Rihanna’s singing, then switching to Kanye rapping over a pretty hard beat. Back and forth the two go until the beat Kanye was rapping over, as well as Rihanna’s singing of “loving you better than your own kin,” intertwine. At the end of the song track comes full circle.

FML

Yet again, Kanye comes in with the perfect feature for this song. It starts slow, with a depressing sort of feel, hence the song title. This song

“Mark Zuckerberg invest 1 billion dollars into Kanye West ideas”

is somewhat reminiscent of “Blame Game” off Kanye’s “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” which came out six years ago. When the Weeknd comes in, chills will run down your spine. “FML” ends with an eerie message from a crackly voice: “see through the veil and throw them, throw them away.” This voice repeats while The Weeknd sings about “them not wanting me to love you and that I only want to love you.” This track had a darker feel to it, but was a solid change of pace. Although most songs prior were all different and unique, this one really took the mostly uplifting feel, and turned it upside down.

Real Friends

The message of this song deals with who your real friends are compared to fake friends who aren’t there for you – something we can all relate to. Again, Kanye adds the perfect feature with Ty Dolla $ign singing the hook. This one was released early on Soundcloud before the album dropped. Regardless, it hasn’t gotten old. If you’re going to listen to one track off the album, make it this one.

The randomness of songs and beats might throw some fans off, but give this album a chance. True lovers of hip-hop will rejoice upon first listen, while others may take time to love the album. Regardless, this is one of the best albums of 2016 yet, and it’s worth a listen, even though you can only listen if you download a free 30 day trial of Tidal, or purchase a subscription.

“Shut the f*** up and enjoy the greatness.”

4,358 TEENS DIED FROM ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION IN ONE YEAR ADOLESCENTS ABUSE ALCOHOL MORE THAN CIGARETTES OR MARIJUANA

83%

88%

1,580 1,269

CAR ACCIDENTS

HOMICIDES

THAT MEANS THAT ALMOST 35% OF TEENS HAVE HAD AT LEAST ONE DRINK IN THEIR LIVES 14% OF TEENS HAVE ENGAGED IN BINGE DRINKING

HEALTH RISKS of UNDERAGE DRINKING 1 ALCOHOL POISONING RISK OF 2 INCREASED SEXUAL ASSAULT

BRAIN DEVELOPMENT PROBLEMS

4 SERIOUS INJURIES 5 TEENS DRINK 11% OF ALL THE ALCOHOL CONSUMED IN THE UNITED STATES Sources: NIAAA, Fox Business

INCREASED RISK OF A FATAL CAR ACCIDENT

245

ALCOHOL POISONING, DROWNING, FALLS AND BURNS

492 SUICIDES

BINGE DRINKING

IS DEFINED AS WHEN BLOOD-ALCOHOL CONTENT REACHES 0.08 g/dL IN UNDER 2 HOURS

OF UNDERAGE DRINKERS HAVE ENGAGED IN BINGE DRINKING PEOPLE UNDER AGE 21 VISITED AN E.R. FOR ALCOHOL RELATED INJURIES IN A PERIOD OF ONE YEAR

UNDERAGE BINGE DRINKING BY THE STATE 4: MONTANA

25.2% 5: WYOMING

25.1%

1: ARIZONA

26.5%

3: NORTH DAKOTA

25.6%

2: SOUTH DAKOTA

26.2%

PROTECTION WITHOUT PROSECUTION New Kansas legislation protects intoxicated minors seeking medical attention for other minors affected by heavy alcohol consumption written by CELIA HACK

“W

hen I went to the hospital, it definitely opened my eyes to ‘I need to slow down on some things’ and think about the stuff I do before I go out,” Sharp said. “[For] some kids, if they did get sent to the hospital...it would definitely be an eye-opener.” But, currently, if intoxicated high schoolers call for hospitalization, they can be charged with an MIP and prosecuted. Bill 133, or “Lifeline bill,” could change that. The bill states that if a minor is consuming alcohol and initiates contact with medical services for medical assistance, they will be granted immunity from prosecution, as long as they cooperate with law enforcement. Immunity would also be granted to any friends who call because they are worried about an intoxicated friend. The bill, however, would not protect everyone at large social gatherings, if, say, the law enforcement arrives and someone asks for medical attention. The bill went through committee hearings on the Senate and the House side, according to Republican State Rep. Stephanie Clayton. It passed in both, after a year of making its way through the legal system. It has now been sent to Brownback, who can either sign it to become a law, let it become law without his signature or veto it. Republican State Rep. Kay Wolf believes it is unlikely Brownback would veto it. “Even if he did, the Senate and House can override his vote,” Wolf said in an email interview. “However, I am confident it will become law.” In a poll of 303 East students, 81.8 percent said they approved of the Lifeline bill. Of those, 54.6 percent also felt parents should

have to be notified. “It’s unrealistic to say [underage drinking] is not going to happen,” senior Brittanie Whitney said. “[Bill 133] is really important because students are less likely to call if they are afraid they are going to get prosecuted.” One call could place everyone at a party, in a car or any large drinking scene in the police department’s spotlight. In a survey of 181 East students, 37 percent said they hesitated to call for medical assistance when they or their friend had become sick from alcohol. Of these, 85 percent ended up not calling at all. “I’ll be driving everyone and be sober and one of my friends will be bad,” Whitney said. “Like really, really bad. And I’ve contemplated calling before. But then I haven’t, because it puts the rest of my car at risk.” According to Steve Chick, Training Chief of Consolidated Fire District #2, the bill attempts to put safety, and potentially one’s life, before worry of legal persecution. Chick knows and has been involved in calls where people who have needed help didn’t get that help as quickly as they could have because they were afraid of the legal obligations they would be under. “I think what this bill does is it offers people who may have been doing something they shouldn’t have been doing the opportunity to do the right thing,” Chick said. While avoiding hospitalization because of legal ramifications wasn’t exactly the case for Sharp, whose brother took her to the hospital immediately, her nerves about legal repercussions prevented her from opening up about the previous night when talking to the doctors. “I remember being in the hospital and

[the doctors were] telling me ‘tell me what you did, tell me what you drank, you won’t get in trouble,” Sharp said. “I didn’t want to tell them.” The idea for the bill came from a student committee on the Kansas Board of Regents, which was made up of a group of student body presidents from regional schools, such as Kansas University, Kansas State University and Fort Hays State University. They decided to attempt to pass the bill through Kansas legislature. “KU specifically did play a large part last year,” KU student body president Jessie Pringle said. “My predecessor testified for the bill in front of the senate last year.” After being presented to the senate, the bill passed through the house this year on Feb. 5. According to Clayton, representatives across many partisan factions – moderate, liberal, conservative – supported the bill. It then went through the senate one final time to amend the bill to say “2016” instead of “2015”. The largest opposition for the bill came from the house, where it passed 92-27. “The opposition was saying that they were concerned that it allowed people who were drinking to not be held accountable for their actions,” said Republican State Rep. Tom Phillips, who supported the bill. “That if you choose to drink, there needs to be a repercussion and some level of accountability and we certainly shouldn’t let people be immune from prosecution.” Whitney disagrees with the opposition, as she believes it tries to shut down underage drinking in the wrong way. “If they’re really worried about the fact that teens are drinking, there are other ways that

they could approach that problem,” Whitney said. “And other ways that they could go at it from a more proactive stance.” Rep. John Whitmer attempted to add an amendment in the House that would have, according to Clayton, ended up requiring parental notification if a minor had consumed alcohol underage and called for medical assistance. However, it was rejected. Phillips explained that he felt the amendment defeated the purpose of the law. It would require minors who tried calling for medical service to eventually go through a “diversion process,” or an eventual legal charge. “Young people will learn very quickly that with this amendment there will be a [legal] charge,” Phillips said. “And most young people don’t want their parents to know that they were involved in this activity. It would act as a disincentive for people to do this kind of Good Samaritan action.” However, most of the house was in favor of the bill. “If we can pass legislation that makes it more likely that lives will be saved then this is something that I will obviously support,” Clayton said. While some may look at the bill as legislating doing the right thing, the necessity of it can be seen in the undeniable situations high schoolers are going through, according to Pringle. “Students are drinking in high school,” Pringle said. “It’s just really about that opportunity to save a life when you can.”

18 Desig ner expresses feminism through her clothing line

written by SEAN OVERTON photo by HAILEY HUGHES

eminism, self-empowerment, vibrant colors and pop culture: an embodiment of Kansas City’s own Sex + Ice Cream, a new clothing line led by rising fashion princess, Nicole Leth. The first time I heard of Sex + Ice Cream was last spring at the 18th Street Fashion Show where Leth’s “Everything I Should Have Said” line graced the runway. Soon, I was seeing Leth’s clothes in the Kansas City Star, Nylon Magazine and all over Instagram. Now, I find myself gabbing about her brand to all of my friends. Most people I have mentioned Sex + Ice Cream to hear the name and go, “Sex + Ice Cream... What?” The name is all part of Leth’s goal to promote the empowerment of women through the expression and messages in her clothes. Leth is a Kansas City Art Institute graduate and started the brand when she was 18, five years ago, after she was dumped. Sex + Ice Cream features hand painted clothing and direct scans from Leth’s personal diary to document her experiences as a young woman. She encourages people to find healthy outlets to talk about what they are going through, which is what her diary has always been for her. Leth’ clothes are relatable, and tell people that they are worth it by promoting messages such as ‘Grl Pwr.’ Besides having inspirational messages, they’re also cuter than your average Instagram-famous puppy. On her website Leth writes, “[Sex + Ice Cream] represents a teenage girl chasing her dreams instead of a boy for the first time. It represents a teenage girl believing in herself and understanding her power as a woman for the first time.”

This is the first time I’ve found clothes with messages that speak to me so deeply, while still staying bright and fun. I love that with Sex + Ice Cream, I can go from feeling fierce, rocking a Beyonce and Nicki Minaj shirt, to flaunting a cute hat that promotes the feminist movement. This versatility and positivity is something I have never found in a brand before. I finally got to meet Leth after East alumni Fannie Berlau started working with her. Meeting Leth confirmed my suspicions: she is one of the most determined, independent women I have ever met. She lives by the motto of finding the good in everything, which translates to her brand as well. With shirts that read “In memory of when I cared” and patches that read “My Psychic Told Me to Stay Away From You,” the clothes scream 1980’s disco with honest storytelling. “I would describe the clothes as colorful, fun, unique clothes that are for people who wear their heart on their sleeve and like to have a good time,” Leth said. “[People who] are not really afraid of what other people are going to think of them.” Leth’s most recent project is her “Internet Crush” graphic T-shirt series that features Drake, Beyonce, Nicki Minaj and Justin Bieber. Leth was inspired to create the shirts because of how Drake’s music got her through a breakup. She continues to make shirts of whatever icon she is loving at the moment. The shirts are all Leth’s design and perfect for all our pop culture lovers at East. I mean, who doesn’t love Champagne Papi? And, if you think the Comfort Colors fabric is soft, wait until you feel the fabric her designs are

printed on. For now, you can get Sex + Ice Cream clothes online, but anticipate the store opening May 6 in downtown Kansas City, Missouri to be every bit as outspoken as what I have seen so far. Leth didn’t dream the store would open until she was 30. Now she hopes to do pop up shops or other shops in various parts of the U.S. After getting a sneak peak, the store almost gave me an aesthetically-induced heart attack. From her cute doodles covering the windows to bubble gum pink walls, I don’t think I’ve seen such a put together, chic store, and it’s not even done yet. There is certainly nothing else that compares in Kansas City. Leth’s shirts are already being featured at Raygun, a Kansas City themed store in the Crossroads. Her goal is for it to be a happy escape in the middle of Kansas City. Along with the new store there are new products coming from Sex + Ice Cream. Leth is going to create hand painted ceramics, planters and mugs decorated with her iconic doodles. Expect panties and more of her breathtaking, hand painted clothing when the shop opens. Leth is also thrilled to be selling other brands with female designers, which will be quite progressive for Kansas City. From sassy T-Shirt’s that send a message to perfect pastel pallets, there will be more Sex + Ice Cream glory to come. Hopefully my collection of her items will grow, and like Leth, I too can learn to become more unapologetic while continuing to have my vision and voice become louder.

SEAN’S FAVORITES 1

THIS PATCH FROM NICOLE’S DIARY WAS MADE FOR ANYONE TO PUT ON A JEAN JACKET. $9.00

2 THE WHITE “GRL PWR” BALL CAP WAS CREATED TO EMPOWER WOMEN. $22.00

3 THE T-SHIRT FROM THE “MY INTERNET CRUSH” SERIES FEATURES BEYONCE AND NICKI MINAJ. $34.00

photos courtesy of SEXANDICECREAM.NET

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Presenting

2/5 STARS “Hail, Caesar!” features a star-studded cast but does not meet the expectations of critics

rama/comedy “Hail, Caesar!”, despite its good IMDB rating, was disappointing on so many levels. From the glitzy trailers, the movie appeared to be a funny satire of what it’s like in the movie business. Sadly, I fell for the cherry-picked scenes and the big names that were shown in the trailer. I thought, “George Clooney and Channing Tatum in the same movie? Sign me up!” The movie follows Eddie Mannix (Josh Brolin), who is the head of production at Capitol Records in the 1950’s. He sorts out the messes, the drama and the screw-ups that grace the behind-the-scenes of movie production. Mannix is hired to help out with ‘Hail, Caesar!’, a troubled movie that stars Baird Whitlock, played by Clooney, who is a famous actor at the time. Just as they are about to film the last scenes for the movie, Whitlock is kidnapped from set by a communist group called ‘The Future’ and held for a ransom of $100,000. Mannix is left to deal with finding Whitlock before it costs the company too much money. He also has to fend off nosy twin gossip columnists Thora and Thessaly Thacker (both played by Tilda Swinton) so that they won’t find out. Oh, the drama! Except this is not the only story line. There are other movie stars with separate problems and different solutions. There just was not enough time to cover them all. The flip from each star to the next leaves the movie far too complicated and leads to too much dialogue crammed into too little time. Going in, I expected witty jokes and for it to re-

$22 million dollar budget

semble how “pictures” were 60 years ago. It stars George Clooney, Josh Brolin and Scarlett Johansson among others and it was written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, what could go wrong? The movie did show what production was like, but it still fell short of my somewhat high expectations. There are many problems presented throughout the movie to show the high demands and stress that Mannix deals with. This leads to his internal conflict: he can’t decide if the job and all of its difficulties is worth it or if he should just switch to an easier job at an aircraft manufacturing company. None of these details add dimension to the flat plot. There are scenes in the movie that were intended to be funny, but failed to actually make me laugh out loud. The references to movies made in that time period don’t add any humor or entertainment to the scenes. Even the more obvious jokes, like when DeAnna Moran (played by Johansson) discusses her bastard child’s father and whether or not she knows exactly who it is, failed to make the audience laugh. It wasn’t even enough to make the giggly woman sitting next to me give anything but a snort. The scenes were choppy, hard to follow and none were really enthralling. I wondered if this movie was actually supposed to be funny. I glanced around the movie theater to see if I was missing anything, but all I saw were dim eyes. The movie was just dull. I found myself wondering when

Featuring

Josh Brolin George Clooney Jonah Hill Scarlett Johansson Channing Tatum

it would be over. The movie and the old man sitting two seats down from me gently snoring made me want to fall asleep too. “Hail, Caesar!” was not the worst movie I’ve ever seen, but it is far from the best. The plot was choppy, the jokes were dull and the acting was simply okay. I expected more from all of these different aspects. The main idea of the plot could have been re-worked and made to flow better, there were just too many directions trying to be taken at once. It took away from the movie. The jokes were for the most part uncomical. The acting was okay but more is expected from award-winning actors. Clooney’s character was silly and nothing spectacular. Scarlett Johansson’s role was minor enough that when she was referenced in the movie I had forgotten who she was. None, however, were as small and silly as Jonah Hill’s role who only appeared in one scene. As the credits rolled and I reached for my coat, I couldn’t think of an outstanding moment throughout the entire movie. Once this movie leaves theaters and pops up under the ‘New Releases’ category on pay-per-view, it will just be another movie you’ll have to read the summary bar for because you’ve forgotten what it was about. Once you do, you’ll scroll on past it. “Hail, Caesar!” was simply mediocre, and frankly, I would have rather stayed at home and watched Netflix.

Box Office Sales

$22,679,285 in 2,232 theaters

as of Feb. 16

written by ALI LEE

Written and Directed by

Ethan and Joel Coen Runtime

1 hr. 40 minutes Genre Comedy Rating PG-13

UNVEILING THE

UNBAKERY

New bakery provides vegan, gluten-free treats and vitamin-rich juices

written by KAYLIN MCCAN photos by KAITLYN STRATMAN

’m always on an adventure trying to find a new juice spot because I love the wide variety of flavors juice’s offer. I found myself near the corner of 63rd and Holmes St. on a Saturday afternoon. I scanned the entire gluten free and vegan menu trying to decide what to get. I was shocked at how healthy the ingredients of the juice were. The Unbakery and Juicery is a fresh new organic food and juice spot that has been open for around three weeks. This small, peculiar building with large glass windows caught my eye because of the the modernized look it has compared to the buildings around it. Walking in through the double glass doors, the fresh smell of carrots and cucumbers wafted up my nose. I was surprised by how spacious it was on the inside, compared to how small and cramped it looked on the outside. While paying for my drink I chose a dessert. I decided to go with the apple tart because it was recommended by the lady at the counter . She said it was one of the most popular dessert items, along with the protein balls (which I have a obsession for.) When the total came up for my items, I was in shock when the price came out to be $18. I understand everything is freshly made, however it was a lot pricier than I was expecting. The first juice I tasted was labeled “Citrus number 1” out of three options to choose from in the citrus category. From the ingredients label on the side, I was expecting it have more of a tropical, sweet taste. Yet after my first sip, I was surprised by the strong flavor of red pepper that immediately made my face scrunch. While I love all of the ingredients including coconut, water cucumber, lemon, pineapple and red pepper by themselves. The red pepper was too strong for me. The bottle was packaged nicely, and the red color was appealing to the eye. However, I wouldn’t order this juice again. I dove into my dessert immediately because dessert is always the best, and should always be eaten

VERDICT UNBAKERY AND JUICERY PRICE RANGE ATMOSPHERE ADDRESS FACEBOOK

$ $$ $$$ CASUAL MEDIUM FORMAL 634 E63rd Street, Kansas City, Missouri facebook.com/Unbakeryandjuicery/

One of the popular baked goods is the ginger bar: a rich, creamy, ginger dessert. The protein balls, made with peanut butter, seeds, nuts and chocolate chips are another great item. Citrus #2, made with pink grapefruit, and Green #2, sweetened with honey, are both popular juices.

3/5 STARS

first. I fell in love with the crisp texture and sweet taste of the apple tart. It reminded me of apple pie, but a much healthier version because of the organic bits and pieces of carrots. I couldn’t help but want more of the flakey crust and coconut crumbles. Hoping to find a juice that met my expectations I decided to try the “Green 3.” The very healthy but odd combination of cilantro, fennel, spinach, romaine, pineapple and kale makes up this juice. I expected a semi sweet, yet fresh taste. The first thought that popped in my head was how much it tasted like grass. The smell reminded me of a relaxing summer day, yet the drink itself was not what I was hoping for. The juices and gluten free food options are placed in refrigerators on the left side of the building. The process is simple because I just grabbed the juice I wanted. Each juice takes around 12 hours to make because each ingredient has to be put into the juice grinder. Each 16 oz. glass bottle is divided into categories based on what ingredients and health benefits they contain. Menus are posted throughout the Unbakery and Juicery, so you can see exactly what is in your juice or food.The downside to having pre-made juices is they sell out fast, and once they’re gone, they’re gone until the next day.I went around 1 p.m, and luckily there was still a wide variety. All I could think was how grateful I was to have one the most popular juice which is the “Citrus 1” left to try. I would recommend this place to someone who is looking for a relaxing spot that makes you feel refreshed. It is truly organic juice, and the flavor of every ingredient is apparent. I’m a juice fanatic, but I just wanted more delectable flavors out of what I tasted, especially since the price is very high. The Unbakery is full of clean, healthy ingredients, a variety of baked goods and smiling, passionate people who spread healthy lifestyle philosophies. However, I don’t think I would go back.

JUICING PROCESS 2 3 4

Arrive at 6 a.m. to start making Calculate ingredients needed Blend all ingredients, and the juices, a 10-12 hour process for each juice by the ounce. repurpose the pulp into baked consisting of cutting, peeling goods or compost. and blending organic foods.

Enjoy the juice , along with the wrapped glass bottle -featuring the ingredients listed on the side.

CREATIONS A cajun style restasurant in the River Market District, proves to be a delicous, cheap and unique written by EMILY FEY

photos by TESS ILER

hen I opened up the door of Beignet and was hit with the scent of fried dough, there was one thought on my mind: how have I never been here before? The gold, green and purple beads strung around the restaurant, masquerade masks pinned to the wall and clowns dangling from the ceiling made me feel as if I just walked into a restaurant in the French Quarters on Mardi Gras. Tucked away in the River Market District, Beignet is a quaint cajun and creole styled restaurant. Their menu is cluttered with different types of beignets, which is a fried dough filled with different fillings and topped with powdered sugar. They also have crepes and other cajun dishes, such as gumbo and crawfish. I looked at the menu of sweet and savory beignets for 10 minutes, considering flavors like tiramisu, chocolate peanut butter and lemon berry cream. I was surprised that each beignet cost between $3 to $4, a price that wasn’t going to have me counting out change to pay my bill. I decided to try the four that seemed the best to my stomach that wasn’t full anymore from last night’s dinner: brie and apple, wildberry, salted caramel and bacon and chocolate truffle. Sitting on the most comfortable velvet couch, I marveled at the four deserts placed before me and decided to try the savory brie and apple beignet first. As soon as the bite touched my tongue, my expectations of the pastry were met. The flavor of the sweet cinnamon apple filling and creamy brie cheese was delicious. The taste was strong, without being overpowering. The filling was almost more sweet than savory but still tasty. This beignet set the bar

VERDICT BEINGET PRICE RANGE ATMOSPHERE ADDRESS

$ CASUAL MEDIUM FORMAL 307 Main Street Kansas City, MO. 64105

WEBSITE

www.beignetkc.com

Emily recommends the chocolate truffle beignet because of its rich, yet subtle flavor. There are also delicous savory beignets, in addition to sweet dessert beignets.

4/5 STARS

pretty high for the next three to come. After my savory beignet, I decided to try a fruity one, and “wildberry” caught my eye. This beignet looked appetizing with its brightly colored filling and flawless presentation, but when I took my first bite, I was disappointed. The berry compote of raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries was too sweet. It was filled to the brim, making it hard to eat. I wasn’t a fan of the mess created from eating this beignet or the sickly-sweet flavor. Still sitting on the purple velvet couch, I tried the most random and interesting beignet they had on their menu: salted caramel and bacon. I ordered this beignet not because it sounded amazing, but because I was feeling adventurous. When I first got the beignet, it looked more like a sandwich you would order at a barbeque food truck than a fancy french pastry, but I had to take a bite. My mouth was bombarded with bacon bits, attacking my taste buds, making me want to surrender and just spit my bite out into my white flag – or napkin. I couldn’t even taste any of the caramel sauce surrounding the bacon, because the taste of the meat overpowered everything else about this beignet. After struggling to swallow one bite of the last one I tried, I was hoping for a satisfying final beignet. I chose to save the chocolate truffle beignet for last, and boy was I glad I did. As soon as I cut into the fried dough, warm chocolate filling oozed out everywhere. I was taken aback by the mouthwatering taste. The chocolate truffle inside was decadent without being too sweet. I kept going back for more bites until my stomach and I realized that this was out third beignet and had had enough. While this beignet was the least original, it was still my favorite one. I also figured that since I was there, I might as well indulge, so I added a swamp juice to my order. The concoction of apple cider, grape juice, lemon juice, cherry juice and mango nectar- or my favorite juice box flavors as a kid, was mixed into one delicious drink. The combination of low prices, interesting atmosphere and unusual flavor combinations had me walking out into the frigid February morning wanting more. Whether you are a chocoholic, fruit lover or meat eater, you will find a beignet for your taste that won’t disappoint.

TOP | Art and low lighting are key componets that add to the atomposphere of Beignet

MIDDLE | The apple and brie cheese beignet is one of the more savory beignets offered

BOTTOM| Beignet also serves unique juices, such as the swamp juice that is a mixture of apple cider, grape juice, lemon juice, cheery juice and mango nectar

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NOT Y O U E R V A A GE R H

Humor and unique characters make “Deadpool” a new kind of superhero movie knew Marvel’s “Deadpool” was going to be great when even the intro made me laugh. The movie opens with insults directed towards the producers, directors, actors, everyone. Obviously, the unique idea was thought up by the writers as they put “written by, The Real Heroes Here”. The movie’s main character is Wade Wilson, (played by Ryan Reynolds) better known by his superhero name, Deadpool. He was a Special Forces operative that turned mercenary after subjecting himself to a rogue experiment would cure his cancer. But, instead of just curing cancer, he mutated and his healing powers are accelerated and could cure everything, even generating a whole new hand. Throughout the movie, Wilson is trying to find the man who performed the procedure on him, Francis, or his code name Ajax. Deadpool wants revenge from the procedure that left him looking more like an avocado than his previous self, and for someone as pretty as Wade Wilson this was a huge problem. The story was told in a very unique way. It started off with Deadpool confronting Francis and then going back in time to tell the story of how he came to be. Ryan Reynolds plays Deadpool, known for being in not-so-superb superhero movies in the past, such as Green Lantern, absolutely shines in this role. He basically did the whole movie just with his voice and still made it feel like he was in the suit. I don’t think anyone else could pull of the constant inappropriate jokes and arrogant character. Wilson meets his future wife, Vanessa, in the bar where he got his “assignments”. She and Wilson instantly fell for each other and spent a perfect year with together until Wade got cancer – and we all know how that turned out. When Wilson returned from the lab, he did not try to find Vanessa because he was too scared for her to see his ugly face. But, when he finally decides to, Francis had already kidnapped her. But don’t get the idea that this movie was a Romantic Comedy. The many action scenes left my eyes glued to the screen as Wilson showed off his amazing sword and acrobatic skills, learned from his previous occupation as a Spec. Ops operative. The

action scenes always contained some kind of joke somewhere, which provided great comic relief. Such as when Wilson is in the middle of taking out some scary guys and remembers he may have left the oven on. The comedy in this movie was some of the best and most consistent I have seen. Every joke made the theater erupt with laughter. The raunchy and inappropriate humour was made possible by the R rating. I give huge props to the writers who basically revolutionized the superhero movies. Before Deadpool all of the superheroes had the same formula. Start with how they became a hero and then a villain comes to town, and what do you know they come to the rescue and beat up some bad dudes. Although, Deadpool does beat up some very strong dudes, It felt like a whole different kind of genre with the amazing action and comedy. What I also enjoyed about “Deadpool” was the action scenes were realistic. This was depicted when a bodyguard was spraying bullets at Wilson and runs out of bullets when he is about to kill him, because he wasn’t counting. It’s not like those other unrealistic scenes with enemies having unlimited ammo. Ryan Reynolds plays Deadpool, known for being in not-so-superb superhero movies in the past, such as Green Lantern, absolutely shines in this role. He basically did the whole movie just with his voice and still made it feel like he was in the suit. I don’t think anyone else could pull of the constant inappropriate jokes and arrogant character. The comedy in this movie was some of the best and most consistent I have seen. Every joke made the theatre erupt with laughter. The raunchy and inappropriate humour was made possible by the R rating. I could already tell this movie would be an instant classic and quoted for The whole time, Deadpool is constantly telling us that he is not an hero, just a dude who wants vengeance. He shows this by killing his enemies with little hesitation, definitely not the Batman of the Marvel bunch. This and the brilliant comedy is what attracted such a huge audience to the theater. Overall,this movie had very few flaws for me; it had all of my favorite components: comedy, superheroes and action. I left the

packed theater with few wandering thoughts about something they should have done differently, while revisiting some of the best jokes with my friends and laughing hysterically. The only critiques I have are the annoying struggle of Wilson not wanting to show Vanessa he is alive. I felt like Vanessa was going to be killed most of the movie and I just wanted him to grow a pair and talk to her. Also, I wanted Deadpool to interact with more X-Men. In the film he only talks to two and although they make a very funny joke about the matter--they couldn’t afford any more X-Men. I seriously doubt they couldn’t afford more superheroes and it would have made the movie way more enjoyable to see the other heroes react to the peculiar and reckless Deadpool. “Deadpool” broke records bringing in an estimated $47.5 million on Friday Feb. 12. This is the most ever on a Friday in February, besting 50 Shades of Grey’s Valentine’s Day weekend Friday with $30.2 million. “Deadpool” also crushed the R-rated record with a $135 million opening weekend. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Deadpool 2 is in the makings and writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick are already preparing a script. I can’t wait to see that red spandex-wearing, ridiculous superhero again.

5/5 STARS

O ER

written by MAC NEWMAN photo courtesy of MCT CAMPUS

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Girls Soccer

enter midfielder Chloe Harrington hopes to leave a positive message once she graduates as she prepares for her final season of girls soccer at East. “I just really want to work as hard as I can this season,” Harrington said. “So by doing that I think the seniors and I will leave a good message and set a good example for all the younger people to really work hard and enjoy the season because it’s really short.” Harrington as well as a few of her teammates have been attending optional

conditioning sessions on Monday through Thursday to prepare for the season before tryouts on Feb. 29. Coach Kelly usually runs the conditioning with long distance running, sprints, plyometrics and more for an hour each day. Kelly will sometimes let the girls finish the conditioning with a scrimmage outside, which he is not allowed to supervise until tryouts begin. “We have a lot of seniors this year so I think we have a really good shot of winning league and going onto state this year,” Harrington said. To accomplish this goal, Harrington believes they need to beat their two biggest rivals this season: Shawnee Mission West and Olathe East. Moments like scoring a header to win the game against all time rival Shawnee Mission South will be one of the many things Harrington will miss most about playing.

Girls Swimming I n fourth grade, senior Bonnie Longan knew she had a reserved spot on the girls swimming team at East, thanks to coach Rob Cole. “He came up to me when I was 11 and was like I coach girls swimming at East and you’re going to be on my team,” Longan said. Through swimming year round at Kansas City Swim Academy, Longan

Boys Tennis A

fter committing to play Division I college tennis at Cleveland State University, senior Jack Santilli is heading into his fourth and final year of high school tennis. “Even though I have college coming up, I didn’t want to miss this opportunity,” Santilli said. Santilli will start at number one on the team’s lineup for singles and is focused on ending his high school career with one more state title to add to his other two. “My personal goals are to try and go undefeated this year because I know I’m capable of it so might as well try,” Santilli said. To accomplish this goal, Santilli focuses on picking parts of his game that he needs to improve on, such as serve and

Varsity athletes prepare for the upcoming spring season

return as well as depth on his shots. Santilli thinks that James Lowe from Blue Valley Northwest should be his biggest threat, considering they play together at the same academy, but still believes he can beat him and win the state title. Looking back at his past seasons, Santilli is sad to see head coach Sue Chipman retire after over 20 years, but is excited for what’s in store with a new and different coach, Andy Gibbs.

Boys Lacrosse T

hrough optional written by LUCY KENDALL practices photos by HALEY BELL and individual drills, knew many upperclasssenior Henry Redmond men who encouraged her to try out. is preparing for his fourth Since freshman year, Longan has enjoyed and final season of lacrosse at East. being apart of the girls swim team. After four seasons together, the The team hopes to win the state title seniors are hoping for a successful this year after losing last year for the first season. time in six years against their biggest Those optional practices entail threat, Lawrence Free State. working on stick skills in their free To prepare for the season, conditiontime, like passing, catching and ing is on Monday and Friday for swimshooting. The coaches also advise mers. During conditioning they do lots the players to work on upper body of stairs, box jumps and band exercisworkouts, sprinting and jogging. es. They don’t lift a lot of weights, but “These help us get ready work on body lifting such as planks, sit earlier than usual so that we aren’t ups and working on pulling their own relearning the fundamentals weight. On Fridays, Longan attends during tryouts,” Redmond said. a pilates class which helps with the The senior athletes smaller muscles that most people recently started holding wouldn’t consider working out. optional practices after school on the turf field and run drills that will be incorporated in their practices during the season. These practices will

continue until tryouts on Feb. 28. Redmond, along with his teammates, is hoping to clinch the state title this year, after losing the past two years against Pembroke and Rockhurst High School. Winning games like last year’s Rockhurst game at Rockhurst helps get the athletes pumped for the upcoming season. “Having a full student section got us hyped up and definitely helped keep the energy going throughout the entire game,” Redmond said.

y l i d a Re

D E R E O C E R

Senior Jackson Holtgraves recovers from surgery that kept him from playing baseball last year

written by ELLIS NEPSTAD photos by CARSON HOLTGRAVES

enior Jackson Holtgraves and his father drove down to Wichita, Kan. on a Saturday morning around 6 a.m. for a baseball tournament in Sept. of 2014. In the first game, Holtgraves was almost finished with warm-ups when he threw a ball from outfield to a cut-off man. That cut-off man was Junior Cameron Fritz. “Jackson was supposed to throw the ball to me,” Fritz said. “But instead of the ball coming towards me, it went to third base.” The off-target throw was followed by a cracking noise in Holtgraves’ elbow. Holtgraves saw his arm turned completely sideways, and immediately, Casey Shaw, Holtgraves’ coach ran to get ice. “Jackson immediately spiked his glove in pain,” Shaw said. “His arm dangled to his side. I ran out realizing something was very wrong. As I walked him up to the stands to find his dad, he was in panic at the state of his arm. It was swollen and I knew something major was wrong.” Holtgraves and his father then went to the Wichita hospital to get a catscan, and they were back home in Kansas City later that day. Four days later, Holtgraves had surgery performed at Olathe Medical, and a metal screw was placed into his arm. The screw being unable to break insured that no relapse would happen in the future. For the next month, Holtgraves’ right arm was held in a sling. Three weeks after surgery, he began rehabilitation and training to get back on the field. After having a sling for a month following the surgery, Holtgraves’s arm was stuck hugging the right side of his stomach. He didn’t move his arm for awhile, so the first

BASEBALL THROUGH

THE

YEARS

photos courtesy of LISA HOLTGRAVES

2004 Holtgraves began playing baseball as a kid– pictured here at age six

2015 Holtgraves heard a crack in his elbow, which required surgery four days later

thing he had to do was loosen up the tissue around it in order to start throwing again. A month later, in Feb., he started lightly throwing, but he didn’t start batting until April. Despite starting batting practice, throwing was the bigger challenge for Holtgraves. “At first there was a mental aspect to it,” Holtgraves said. “After not throwing for so long, and the last throw I made was an injury, it was tough to make that first real throw.” Holtgraves finished rehab in April and was cleared to start playing and working out by himself again, however, he had missed out on playing East baseball by a month. Since then, Holtgraves has been personally working out an average of five to seven times a week, plus one to two team practices with the Barnstormers, his club team. “He was so determined from the beginning,” Holtgraves’s mother, Lisa Holtgraves said. “First he needed to get full extension back, then the strength would come later. Jackson has always been into working out so I knew the strength would come back.” Once cleared, Holtgraves jumped back into the game with little hesitation. “I actually expected it to be much harder for Jackson to come back than it really seemed to be,” Shaw said. “It seemed like I was much more cautious than he was. I wondered if his arm could truly handle the stress of a full in game throw, but he never seemed to question it. He is a very mentally tough and resilient player.” With Holtgraves being fully healed, he made the decision to finish his club baseball season with the Barnstormers. Now, Holtgraves is ready to finish his career playing with the Lancers.

2016 Holtgraves has made a full recovery and is ready for the high school season

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A breakdown of the upcoming Kansas caucus on March 5

THE REPUBLICAN TICKET

photos courtesy of MCT CAMPUS

written by COURTNEY MCCLELLAND

DONALD TRUMP N

otorious for his outspoken political views, Trump has brought a new light of media attention to the 2016 Presidential Election. Under the slogan, “Make America Great Again” Trump argues that he’ll do for America what he did for himself: make money. His goals, like many of his competitors, are to reduce tax rates, repeal Obamacare and minimize the growing

MARCO RUBIO F

lorida Senator Marco Rubio has deemed himself the most moderate of all Republican nominees and, because of this, declares himself as “the only Republican who can beat the Democrats”. These supposed moderate beliefs include immigration laws that are not “anti-immigrant”. Some of Rubio’s other stand-out policies include the repeal of Obama’s

76% of students would not vote for Donald Trump STUDENT’S RATING

of MARCO RUBIO7.3% 5

“unconstitutional executive orders on gun laws”, the demand for military action in Iran and Syria and the extension of George W. Bush’s tax cuts. However, unlike Trump, Rubio is considered the quintessential politician. After repeating the same line four times at the most recent GOP Debate, Rubio was tagged as “Robot Rubio” for his seemingly rehearsed nature.

22.4%

34.8%

STUDENT’S RATING

of JEB BUSH

to be the epitome of a true Republican. Jeb’s biggest criticism from the public of the election has remained the baggage his last name carries. For the first time in the election, George W. Bush spoke for his younger brother at the South Carolina Caucus, where George was victorious during his candidacy. George argued that America needs someone who is “measured and

2.4% 5 6%

4 3

23.3%

26%

42.3%

Rating of 1 is the worst and 5 is the best

50%

arguments for the prosecution of Planned Parenthood for criminal violations and opposition for same-sex marriage. Cruz encourages his followers to “pray each and every day” and to use this prayer to turn America around, making him very appealing to right wing Christians.

JOHN KASICH G

overnor of Ohio John Kasich redeemed himself with a surprising second place finish in New Hampshire after an expected defeat in Iowa. Kasich is moderate in comparison to the other GOP candidates. Unlike his fellow Republican competitors, he argues for a practical approach to health care, advocating that the

24.8%

TED CRUZ T

exas Senator and Southern Baptist, Ted Cruz has made religion a major part of his campaign, proving successful with his victory at the Iowa Caucus. He is arguably the most religious-based of all nominees, usings his faith in

10.6%

Rating of 1 is the worst and 5 is the best

JEB BUSH N

ot to be confused with his brother and former President George W. Bush, Jeb is attempting to make his own name in the coming presidential election. With the defunding of Planned Parenthood, boots on the ground in Iran and a wall on the Mexican border, Bush believes himself

76%

trade deficit. However, what really makes Trump a controversial candidate are his outspoken immigration policies. Among them include the demand for Mexico to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border, the deportation of all illegal immigrants and the blockade of any Middle Eastern refugees. As a self proclaimed “good negotiator”, Trump argues that it is his business skills, which politicians lack, that will make all of his proposals a reality.

50% of students would not vote for Ted Cruz

STUDENT’S RATING

of JOHN KASICH 2.7% 5

Affordable Care Act saves money and lives. Kasich also maintains somewhat moderate immigration policies. He believes it’s “silly” to ship 11 million illegal immigrants back to Mexico, as they continue to play a critical role in the U.S. economy. However, Kasich is less sympathetic to the Syrian refugee situation, which he believes is a European crisis.

6.7% 26.1% 22.5% 41.9%

4 3

2 1

Rating of 1 is the worst and 5 is the best

THE EAST FUND THANKS YOU On behalf of the Shawnee Mission East community, the East Fund thanks the merchants, parents, students and teachers who made the 2015 auction a success! Please patronize these businesses and let them know you appreciate their ongoing support. Advanced Aesthetics of Kansas City AesthetiCare of Leawood Arthur Murray Dance Associated Plastic Surgeons Avenues Bistro AYC Fitness & Health Baldwin Barbara Cosgrove Lamps Beer Kitchen Beth Berkshire Bijin Salon and Spa Blue Bird Bistro Blue Grotto Boulevard Brewing Co. Bread and Butter Concepts Brio Tuscan Grille Bristol Seafood Grill Brookside Optical Calico Corners Central States Beverage Ceramic Café Chick-fill-A Catering Citibank N.A. Clique Boutique Clover Cliff Ranch Bed and Breakfast Coco Bolos Company Kitchen CorePower Yoga Consentino’s Price Chopper Costco Cupcake A La Mode Disney World Sea World Dr. Linda Seabaugh, DDS Erin Hill Metcalf Design Eye Style Optics Fairway Animal Hospital

Fairway Eye Center Family Tree Nursery Fat Brain Toys Fine Arts Group Fiorella’s Jack Stack Barbecue Fit Formula Fusion Fitness Get Smarter Prep Glazer’s Grand Street Café Granfalloon Hair By Shelley Half Price Books Harry S. Truman Library Hattie’s Fine Coffee Hen House Market Hillcrest Golf Club Hoopla Salon Hotel Phillips Houlihan’s In Clover InterContinental Hotel JCCC Performing Arts Johnny’s Tavern Joslin’s Jewelry Kamba Fit KC Actors Theater KC Repertory Theatre KC T-Bones Lindan Auto Lovely Nails LuLu’s Boutique in Mission Major Brands Maloney’s Mann Made Design Inc. Mely’s Yogurt Michael Smith Restaurant Mike Savage

Miriam Garvey Missouri Mavericks Moosejaw Museum at Prairiefire My Team Pens New Belgium Brewing North O’Dowd’s Little Dublin O’Home Interiors Odelay Olive Oil Overland Park Awards Panera Bread Paul Henson YMCA Pei Wei Pinot’s Palette Pinstripes Plaza III Plaza Merchants Plaza Tennis Center Prairie Village Pool Prairiefire Primp & Blow QuikTrip Rainy Day Books Ranchmart Ace Hardware Ranchview Floral Rimann Liquors Rose Nails Roth Jewelry RSVP in the Village Salty Iguana Scheels Sheridan’s Frozen Custard Shop Beautiful Silver Dollar City Social Suppers Sole Patch Somerset Family Dentistry Sopra Salon & Spa

Sound Products, Inc. Spectrum Paints Spin! Pizza Spruce Home Steve Nuss Interior Design Strauss Peyton Portraits Studio 7 Pilates & Barre T. Loft Taco Republic Tannin Wine Bar & Kitchen TCBY of Prairie Village The Capital Grille The Coterie Theatre The Monogram Shop The Oread Hotel The Village Dentist The Well The World’s Window in Brookside Theater League Three Dog Bakery Threshing Bee Tom’s Town Distilling Co. Tower Tavern Tulip Union Station United Studios of Self Defense Village Flower Co. Vineyard Vines W by Worth Waldo Pizza Waterway Carwash Wilson Lighting Woodside Health & Tennis Xiphium

THE WILD SIDE written by ANNA MCCLELLAND

Go to a psychic

GET LOST ON THE METRO

aybe you believe in psychics, maybe you don’t, but going to one is still something that everyone should experience. Use leap day as an opportunity to go outside your comfort zone. It will broaden your horizons and could be a great conversation starter. I went to one on Westport Road, and at first it seemed a little sketchy, but it turned out alright. The first question she asked was what my full name and date of birth were, which left me a little skeptical. I was weirded out that she needed to know my middle and last name, but then she started spewing out all of these specifics that were relevant to my life. While psychics typically say very broad things that everyone can relate to, she said some pretty specific stuff. Some of her advice really got through to me, and I’ve been reflecting on it since. She told me that I need to live in the past less, and focus more on the future. You never know what a psychic might say, and that’s just part of the fun.

ake a ‘leap’ of faith and get lost in Kansas City. A Ride KC day pass only costs $3, which allows you to ride around on all the buses for an entire day. You might surprise yourself with where you end up. Take the time to have a conversation with a random person on the bus; you could have a big impact on their day, or they could have a big impact on yours. Not to mention, there’s probably so much of the city that you haven’t seen. You might have been up and down Main on your way to the Liberty Memorial, but have you explored 39th Street? Areas like River Market, Crossroads and Westport have so many secrets just waiting to be shared, so take this day to get to know them a little better. Think about all the pizzerias waiting to be discovered. Doesn’t your mouth water? And don’t you get curious thinking about an old antique shop hiding somewhere in River Market?

THE Mild SIDE written by GRACE CHISHOLM

P T

GIVE BACK

ake these extra 24 hours to volunteer your time. It is easy to get caught up in our own lives as countless responsibilities demand our attention, and we often forget about people other than ourselves. Use this day to remember the size of our world and just how easy it is to make an impact. Bake cookies for your local fire station to thank them for their hard work. Put together sack lunches for the homeless people we so often see sitting outside on the plaza, because sometimes a meal helps more than the cash in your wallet. Donate blood at the Community Blood Center on Main street. Read through the wish list of Children’s Mercy Hospital in order to put together a collection of some of the items that are in need and drop them off at the downtown donation center. Bring a smile to someone else’s face with this additional time because another day means another opportunity to spread joy. And I bet you’ll feel accomplished, too.

ut down that damn device. Set it on your bedside table and forget about it; I promise it won’t hurt you to spend a bit of time away from snapchatting ridiculous selfies. People on average spend 90 minutes on a cell phone each day. That amounts to 23 days a year wasted by looking down at a bright little screen, scrolling through Instagram and retweeting posts about trending funny videos. Use this leap day to be fully present. Leave your phone behind because the constant chiming of a text distracts from the life happening around you. Enjoy the conversation at the dinner table, beautiful trees in the park and engaging murals that we miss while looking down at the piece of technology in our hands. Give your full attention to whatever it is that you choose to do, because our lives can never be replayed (but a Vine can).

PUT AWAY THE PHONE

WRITE A LETTER TO YOURSELF

tress, homework and responsibility continually badger high schoolers. Another paper, another project, another meeting. Life seems to speed forward faster than our tired legs can keep up with. Take this extra 24 hours to reflect; write yourself a letter. We never have time to slow down, to give each moment of the day the attention it truly deserves. Talk about the team you hope to make or the college you’re dying to apply to, your closest friends, your likes and dislikes. Describe a big event that just happened in your life or a struggle you’ve been dealing with. Give yourself a time capsule to open on the next leap year, when your life will be so very different than what it is now. Leave yourself a comparison so you can appreciate the growth and change the next four years will bring you. Writing your thoughts out is a great way to see and think through all that you have learned and the memories that you have created. It’ll help you appreciate those papers you managed to turn in on time, the game-winning goal you scored, and the late nights eating ice cream with friends. It’ll allow you to appreciate the year that has passed.

TYLER ARMER

FAVORITE ROLE

“Barfee in Putnam last year, I got to be absolutely ridiculous on stage while also getting the chance to sing some great songs or the Mad Hatter in Shrek sophomore year because my costume was killer and all the fairy tale creatures just had a blast in that show.”

A ROYAL

EMBARASSING MOMENT

GOODBYE

“My most embarrassing moment probably wasn’t during an actual performance but an audition. I auditioned for Childrens Hour sophomore year and when I messed up my monologue, Cappy asked me if I needed to step to the side for a second and take a moment to gather myself, and I decided that made sense, so I stepped to the side, walked out the door and never came back.”

BIGGEST INFLUENCE

The seniors of the Theatre program performed their final musical, “Cinderella.”

“My brothers have been extremely helpful in my theatre career. They’re genuinely helpful and constructive people who I can talk to about anything to do with theatre.”

photo by HAILEY HUGHES

EMBARASSING MOMENT

JACK KNEESSY HANNAH ELDRED

“During Cinderella we all wore giant gowns and after one scene I tripped on my dress and face planted backstage!”

BIGGEST INFLUENCE

“I’ve done theatre since I was litte and decided to take the class as a freshman! Cappy, my drama teacher, convinced me to try out for the musical that year and I’m so thankful I did becuase through theatre at East I’ve made some of my best friends!”

ADVICE

“Join theatre! It’s an amazing oppurtunity to meet amazing people and learn alot about yourself. It’s one of the things I’ll miss most about East.”

photo by JOSEPH CLINE

CHLOE KERWIN

photo by JOSEPH CLINE

START UP

FAVORITE EXPERIENCE

INFLUENCE

“I’ve been performing as “Being in high school “I’ve had a lot of help long as I can remember shows and being able from my friends, my at family gatherings and to work with my best parents obviously, all my anywhere I had an “audifriends.” acting/voice teachers/ ence” really. My first role coaches throughout the was in the Music Man at years.” Starlight Theatre in 4th grade.”

ADVICE “Do it! Just try out for anything and everything! Make it happen.”

photo by HAILEY HUGHES

FAVORITE ROLE

BIGGEST INFLUENCE

“Logainne Schwartzand“My best friend Jack Kneessy. grubenierre in the 25th Annual I look up to him in so many Putnam County Spelling Bee ways and I admire how naturally because it was so much fun to funny and talented he is. I love be a little kid who had a lisp and being able to be in shows with was a young feminist and a gay him and learn together.” rights activist.”

EMBARASSING MOMENT

“During one of our dress rehearsals after the kid matinee, choraliers came to watch during sixth hour. They came right in time for the beginning of the show and I come into the audience to greet them all. Right when I start to run off to go backstage, I trip and fall and it was hard to get up because I was in a giant hoop skirt. I was obviously embarrassed but I thought it was hilarious at the same time.”

ADVICE “Get involved as much as you can. Being a part of SME theatre is so special and is something I’ll forever remember.”

SPECIAL SECTION

STUDENTS COPE WITH ANXIETY

FRESHMAN DJ GAINS SUCCESS

features

TRULY DECA students attempt to become state officers through a laborious application process

PAGE 4&5

The

After a tough loss last year, the Lancer Dancers prepare for Nationals written by PORTER CARROLL

unior Isa Tamburini repeatedly practices her turns after school in the Drill Team room for multiple hours a week. She, among other Lancer Dancers, are hoping this extra practice will make up for the .06 points that cost them first place last year at nationals – points lost specifically because of the cleanliness and synchronization of their turns. The Varsity Lancer Dancers have intensified measures this year by having both the captains and their coach assign “homework” each night that goes over corrections and new parts of the dances. Coach Alexis Close, otherwise known as Bubba, has also given the girls a list of assignments to help the dancers mentally prepare for nationals and assist them in hopes of improving from last year’s score. “All of the things we are doing to prepare will create muscle memory and help engrave the steps in our head,” Tamburini said. “This will especially help when we get nervous because we’ll be confident that we know the dances.” On Feb. 25th the Lancers will be traveling to Orlando, Florida to compete in their tenth NDA nationals. Every year, the Lancer Dancers perform a lyrical and hip-hop routine. The Lancer Dancers will perform alongside hundreds of other high school teams from across the United States along with their buddy school, Olathe North. Close and the Olathe North coach discussed being buddy schools last year at a competition and it was organized through emails at the beginning of the year. The Olathe North Eaglettes are also pen pals with a school in California but they thought it would be nice to create a support system from someone from their town. So far, each dancer has been assigned a “buddy” from the other team that they have been able to write to. Close and the Olathe North coach are also hoping to

Steps

get their teams together while they are in Orlando to get dinner to take a break from the intensity of nationals. “It’s really fun to see what other schools and drill teams are like and meeting new people,” Olathe North senior Ashton Thomas said. “I think [our] schools will continue being buddy schools because it creates friendships and united our dance teams.” Though the Eaglettes are a competitor of the Lancer Dancers, the coaches thought it would be nice to have a team from the same town cheering for them while they perform in Orlando. Their hope is that being buddy schools with Olathe North will grow into a program that will continue for multiple years. Another factor that has helped Drill Team prepare for nationals is East alumni Britney Hinote, who is training to be an National Dance Alliance judge and will also be working at nationals. Hinote has helped the Lancer Dancers with their different routines this year. She has attended every competition this year and has watched and critiqued their dance the same way the NDA judges will. “My favorite part about helping the girls is being able to see them throughout their journey,” Hinote said. “It’s an unpredictable competition, but there is nothing I want to do more than to be able to hand them that first place trophy.” This year, the Lancer Dancers will be performing two dances: “Lean On Me,” their lyrical dance, and their presidential hip-hop piece. Both dances were choreographed this

Nationals

summer during a three-day camp in Emporia, KS. With 10 of the 20 members of Varsity being new year, the Lancer Dancers have been focusing on mentally and physically preparing the new dancers for the intensity that nationals brings. “It’s the most intense experience I’ve ever had,” senior Brooke Erickson said. “The stakes are high. From the moment you start backstage rehearsal every dancer is thinking nothing except their upcoming performance.” The Lancer Dancers are hoping to place in the top five for their hip-hop routine and top three in jazz. “[NDA has] posted the other teams that are going, there is a whole bunch of new teams this year so we have no idea what to expect,” Close said. “It’s anyone’s game. With only a few days until nationals, the team is fixing up final touches and cleaning up the dance. They are focusing on making all the movements as synchronized as they can be. “Of course we all have our eye on the championship and I have no doubt that this team is capable of winning it,” Close said. “I think we do our best when we take it one day at a time, and each day we try to be a better, stronger team than we were the day before.”

NATIONALS PREPARATION CHECKLIST

Mental preparation to improve muscle memory

Sending in five corrections daily

Practicing turns

photos by ELLIE THOMA ABOVE | Emma Renwick salutes to the student section at the Rockhurst game.

ABOVE | Lauren Blackburn dances in the hip-hop routine during halftime.

Practices before school and during class

FEAR OVERWHELMED SCARED NERVOUS DOUBT DREAD STRESS WORRY UNEASY ALONE UNEASYCONCERN RESTLESS PANIC FEAR OVERWHELMED SCARED NERVOUS DOUBT DREAD STRESS WORRY UNEASY ALONE UNEASY CONCERN RESTLESS PANIC FEAR OVERWHELMED SCARED NERVDOUBT DREAD STRESS WORRY UNEASY ALONE UNEASY CONCERN RESTLESS PANIC FEAR OVERWHELMED SCARED NERVOUS DOUBT DREAD STRESS WORRY UNEASY ALONE UNEASY CONCERN RESTLESS PANIC FEAR OVERWHELMED SCARED NERVOUS DOUBT DREAD STRESS WORRY UNEASY ALONE UNEASY CONCERN RESTLESS PANIC FEAR OVERWHELMED SCARED NERVOUS DOUBT DREAD STRESS WORRY UNEASY ALONE UNEASY CONCERN RESTLESS PANIC FEAR OVERWHELMED SCARED NERVOUS DOUBT DREAD STRESS WORRY UNEASY ALONE UNEASY CONCERN RESTLESS PANIC FEAR OVERWHELMED SCARED NERVOUS DOUBT DREAD STRESS WORRY UNEASY ALONE UNEASY CONCERN RESTLESS PANIC FEAR OVERWHELMED SCARED NERVOUS DOUBT DREAD STRESS WORRY UNEASY ALONE UNEASY FEAR OVERWHELMED SCARED NERVOUS DOUBT DREAD STRESS WORRY FEAR OVERWHELMED SCARED NERVOUS DOUBT DREAD STRESS WORRY UNEASY ALONE UNEASYCONCERN RESTLESS PANIC FEAR OVERWHELMED SCARED NERVOUS DOUBT DREAD STRESS WORRY UNEASY ALONE UNEASY CONCERN RESTLESS PANIC FEAR OVERWHELMED SCARED NERVE DOUBT DREAD written by MORGAN BILES NERVOUS DOUBT DREAD STRESS WORRY UNEASY STRESS WORRY UNEASY ALONE UNEASY CONCERN RESTLESS PANIC FEAR OVERWHELMED SCARED ALONE UNEASY CONCERN RESTLESS PANIC FEAR OVERWHELMED SCARED NERVOUS DOUBT DREAD STRESS WORRY UNEASY ALONE UNEASY CONCERN RESTLESS PANIC FEAR OVERWHELMED SCARED NERVOUS DOUBT DREAD STRESS WORRY UNEASY ALONE UNEASY CONCERN RESTLESS PANIC FEAR OVERWHELMED SCARED NERVOUS DOUBT DREAD STRESS WORRY UNEASY ALONE UNEASY CONCERN RESTLESS PANIC FEAR OVERWHELMED SCARED NERVOUS DOUBT DREAD STRESS WORRY UNEASY ALONE UNEASY CONCERN RESTLESS FEAR OVERWHELMED SCARED NERVOUS DOUBT DREAD STRESS WORRY UNEASY ALONE UNEASYCONCERN RESTLESS PANIC FEAR OVERWHELMED SCARED NERVOUS DOUBT DREAD STRESS WORRY

ANXIETY IN THE

ATMOSPHERE

With all that students have to handle, anxiety is a common problem

s senior Caroline Birt drove out of East.” “I think a lot of students feel [anxiety] in more than anything,” Smith said. “Of course Baker University’s campus on a brisk Even though she was back at school, the buzz of the school,” Wiseman said. “It’s I love my alone time, but I definitely wouldn’t February afternoon, she turned to her Birt’s anxiety was always in the back of her great we have a lot of talented and great stay home because of anxiety. I would want mom, cracked a smile, and told her, “This is mind, distracting and restraining her. students here, but sometimes there is a to go out and see people because they take where I want to go to school.” For the first “I basically felt like I was missing out and feeling of being better than ok, like being ok my mind off of things.” time in over seven months, Birt made a that my senior year was passing me by,” Birt is not enough, you have to be better.” For Birt, learning to cope began by going decision without factoring in what had been said. “It was really miserable. The Lancer This environment can create an to KCCAT and working through her anxiety controlling her since July. For the first time Day parade, football games, stuff like that – atmosphere of isolation for those who feel through cognitive behavioral therapy, which in over seven months, Birt was just another not being able to fully experience that, or not that they don’t fit into this mold of perfection. targets the way those inflicted think about high school senior mapping out her future. experience it at all; that was heartbreaking.” Senior Carlie Smith used to be one of these their anxiety. For the first time in over seven months, Birt Avoidance is just one of the many people. “The most important thing to remember was free from her anxiety. symptoms of anxiety– which can run the Smith first noticed symptoms of anxiety is that anxiety can be very uncomfortable, “Anxiety is going to be there probably scale from normal levels of nerves to more after beginning to feel isolated from her but it is not dangerous,” Smith-Schrandt for my whole life,” Birt said. “But when I told extreme cases that can cause panic attacks, friends during her sophomore year. Since said. “So, don’t let it keep you from doing my mom ‘I want to go to Baker,’ I made that fatigue and repetitive distressing thoughts. Smith didn’t think a counselor would be things that are important and meaningful decision because that’s what I wanted in my “When someone is anxious, their internal helpful, and her parents are opposed to to you. Before long, you will realize feared heart and not what I thought my anxiety ‘alarm system’ is broken and their brain plays medication, she had no other choice but to outcomes don’t always happen, aren’t as bad would be able to deal with.” tricks on them,” said Dr. Heather Smith- cope with the anxiety on her own. as suspected, and you can cope.” *** Schrandt, the Associate Staff Psychologist Smith coped the only way she knew how: Although anxiety has had an impact on their past, both Smith and Birt are Just a few months ago, Birt’s decisions at Kansas City Center for Anxiety Treatment cutting herself. were constantly influenced by her anxiety. (KCCAT). “When I did cut myself it was because determined to prevent anxiety from Excess stress from junior year and a nannying Because anxiety is a natural reaction all the anxiety kind of built up, and I was impacting their future. After she graduates, job fed her anxiety. She had become anxious to stress, the growing pressure on young alone in my room and didn’t know how to Smith is planning on moving to Los Angeles about being anxious, and she was scared to people to balance parents, teachers, handle it alone,” Smith said. “So I think the to become an actress, despite the challenges expose her anxiety to the stress of school. tests, presentations, jobs, friends, college anxiety definitely correlated with cutting she knows she will face. “I definitely have anxiety, but my passion When her peers returned to school on the applications and a perfect social media myself, because I didn’t know how to handle second week of August, Birt and her anxiety presence makes this generation of teens situations and I thought that was something for acting is so much greater that I don’t FEAR OVERWHELMED DOUBT DREAD STRESS WORRY UNEASY ALONE UNEASYCONCERN RESTLESS PANICwillFEAR think [anxiety] ever OVERWHELMED stop me from remained at home. The nextSCARED week, she NERVOUS was even more susceptible to anxiety. to turn to, but it obviously wasn’t.” wanting to complete my goals,” Smith said. sitting with her mom and grandma in the Even though Birt’s anxiety is completely After meeting her current boyfriend and SCARED NERVOUS DOUBT DREAD STRESS WORRY UNEASY ALONE UNEASY CONCERN RESTLESS PANIC FEAR OVERWHELMED SCARED NERVDOUBT Birt is less certain about her future, but parking lot. The three of them were patiently unique to her, her situation is far from rare. confiding in a few close friends, Smith was DREAD STRESS WORRY UNEASY ALONE UNEASY CONCERN RESTLESS PANIC FEAR OVERWHELMED SCARED NERVOUS DOUBT DREAD STRESS WORwaiting until Birt was comfortable enough to According to the National Institute for able to find healthier ways to cope with her now more than ever, it’s a positive sense of RY ALONE RESTLESS PANIC FEAR OVERWHELMED SCARED NERVOUS DOUBT STRESS WORRY UNEASY ALONE uncertainty. walkUNEASY into East on her own.UNEASY CONCERN Mental Health, 25.1 percent of teens ages anxiety. Venting to friends, yelling or goingDREAD “I have a blank slate UNEASY in front of me, I can “It seems so silly that something as 13-18 will develop an anxiety disorder – the into a room alone and counting to ten have UNEASY CONCERN RESTLESS PANIC FEAR OVERWHELMED SCARED NERVOUS DOUBT DREAD STRESS WORRY UNEASY ALONE CONCERN simple as going to school would make most common psychiatric illness. Based on proved to be effective methods, but for both do what I want,” Birt said. “I can choose where RESTLESS PANIC FEAR OVERWHELMED SCARED NERVOUS DOUBT DREAD STRESS WORRY UNEASY ALONE UNEASY CONCERN RESTLESS PANIC FEAR someone feel this way,” Birt said. “I felt like those statistics, roughly 450 East students Smith and Birt, being out around other I go with my life and instead of dreading the OVERWHELMED SCAREDcombust NERVOUS DREAD WORRY UNEASY ALONE UNEASY CONCERN RESTLESS PANIC FEAR OVERWHELMED SCARED I’m excited about it.” I was going to spontaneously every DOUBT likely suffer fromSTRESS an anxiety disorder. East people is the best “therapy” for dealing with unknown, time I walked into East, which was horrible counselor Becky Wiseman notices the anxiety. NERVOUS DOUBT DREAD STRESS WORRY UNEASY ALONE UNEASY FEAR OVERWHELMED SCARED NERVOUS DOUBT DREAD STRESS WORRY FEAR because I have loved high school and loved anxiety of students in the hallway everyday. “I like being around people, it calms me

OVERWHELMED SCARED NERVOUS DOUBT DREAD STRESS WORRY UNEASY ALONE UNEASYCONCERN RESTLESS PANIC FEAR OVERWHELMED SCARED NERVOUS DOUBT DREAD STRESS WORRY UNEASY ALONE UNEASY CONCERN RESTLESS PANIC FEAR OVERWHELMED SCARED NERVDOUBT DREAD STRESS WORRY UNEASY ALONE UNEASY CONCERN RESTLESS PANIC FEAR OVERWHELMED SCARED NERVOUS DOUBT DREAD STRESS WORRY UNEASY 1 FEAR disorders 2 Symptons 3 UNEASY can beDREAD STRESS WORRY Anxiety disorders are the SCARED NERVOUS ALONE UNEASY CONCERN RESTLESS PANICAnxiety OVERWHELMED DOUBT ALONE can UNEASY CONABOUT catagorized as physical, develop from genetics, brain most common mental illness CERN RESTLESS PANIC FEAR OVERWHELMED SCARED NERVOUS DOUBT DREAD STRESS WORRY UNEASY ALONE UNEASY CONCERN RESTLESS PANIC emotional, cognitive and chemistry, personality, and in the United States FEAR OVERWHELMED SCARED NERVOUS DOUBT DREAD STRESS WORRY UNEASY ALONE UNEASY CONCERN RESTLESS PANIC FEAR OVERWHELMED behvioral life events SCARED NERVOUS DOUBT DREAD STRESS WORRY UNEASY ALONE UNEASY CONCERN RESTLESS FEAR OVERWHELMED SCARED NERVOUS DOUBT DREAD STRESS WORRY UNEASY ALONE UNEASYCONCERN RESTLESS PANIC FEAR OVERWHELMED SCARED NERVOUS DOUBT DREAD STRESS WORRY

FACTS

ANXIETY

facts courtesy of ADDA & LEARN PSYCHOLOGY

T N E D A A DEC

E C N E I R E EXP Students in

“I

t was a spur of the moment decision,” senior and DECA Eastern Kansas Vice President Avery Bolar said. “I just thought that it would be cool.” Bolar completed the process to apply to be a state officer for DECA in February of last year. The highly competitive process requires an extensive time commitment according to East’s DECA sponsor and marketing teacher, Mercedes Rasmussen. For Bolar, this spontaneous decision turned from a small competition to a major opportunity that increased his role in the program. The application and campaigning process, which lasts weeks, concludes with six state officers who take on the responsibilities of the officers from last year. Bolar initially joined DECA because it helps students who are interested in the fields of marketing, management and entrepreneurship practice key skills like interviewing

OUR OPINION

process, they expect the steps to become substantially more difficult. Leading up to the final vote, Prothe and Blumenthal will each have to deliver written by JET SEMRICK a two-minute campaign speech in front of 1000 DECA the DECA club apply to be state officers participants at the state competition. “It is only less than two minutes of my life, so it is not and networking. DECA is an international corporation that really going to kill me,” Prothe said. “It will be really worth includes 250,000 students from seven different countries. it in the long run.” Juniors Chace Prothe and Sarah Blumenthal, who are Directly after the speeches, candidates have one last both involved with the DECA program, have decided to campaign for state officer positions for next school year. chance to sway voters at the campaigners’ row. Each school They both want to further their DECA experience and has a certain number of electoral votes based on the size make the program better for the younger students. They of the school. East is a larger school that has the maximum number of delegates, which is will be in extensive competition for four. The schools are allowed to the position that Bolar currently holds. I did not know how far [DECA] could choose their delegates however As DECA officers, they would be get me just with like reputation and they wish. working to host their own events and my knowledge leadership in general, For the candidates, it is to improve DECA overall. Last year’s important for them to have a officers created a new website, and a — said Avery Bolar piece of their campaign that sets newsletter that is distributed to all of them apart, says Blumenthal. the chapter leaders. “We want to catch people’s attention and do something Being a state DECA officer increases students’ participation in DECA, providing them with different,” Blumenthal said. “That way we can get to know the opportunity to travel all over the country for the people who are voting. We want people to remember our names.” competitions and leadership classes. It’s not just the overall end result of being the state “It has provided me with experience that I need but also it has given me basic leadership officer that’s beneficial; the entire process gives applicants knowledge, like how to motivate the people experience for interviews and speaking in the future. “It will definitely be worth it whether I’m elected or not around me and how to get stuff done and work as just for the experience,” Blumenthal said. “I’ll still meet a a team with others,” Bolar said. Bolar has already gone through the extensive lot of new people.” According to Rasmussen, being an officer looks process of running, which includes two to three impressive on a college resume. There are also hundreds days of paperwork, preparation and campaigning. of companies looking for talent, so DECA is a good place Blumenthal and Prothe have already begun this to find business connections. process. “I thought I would just be doing some leadership stuff “I knew nothing about it before,” Blumenthal said. “Mercedes started talking to me about the but now I’m doing a lot for Kansas DECA,” Bolar said. positions and I thought it would be something I “And I didn’t know how far it could get me just with my would be interested in and something that I would reputation and my knowledge of leadership in general.” Prothe and Blumenthal have the same motivation as enjoy.” they continue the application process and continue into Even though the decision to apply happened campaigning: they just want to make the program better. instantaneously, the paperwork did not. The campaign requires even more time in the next few The voting will take place on March 6, the opening day of weeks. The paperwork includes many signatures the state competition.

What is the most marketable skill you’ve learned from DECA? The ability to talk to someone you never met before

Chase Tetrick Creativity and thinking on your feet are skills that will help further your success

Sean Overton That being confident in yourself is very important to being succesful

Claire Pottenger

and short answer questions, but was fairly easy according to Prothe. As the campaigners get further into the

photos by CALLIE MCPHAIL

THE

CANDIDATES

Q& A

Q: Chace, Why do you want to be a DECA Officer? it’s a great experinece to be able A: Because to lead students, it’s something that I really enjoy, and to further the program.

Q: Sarah, Why do you want to be a DECA Officer? think it will be a really good experience, A: Ileadershipwise, and I want to meet a lot

SARAH

BLUM

ENTHA

E H T O R P E C A CH

of new people in the area that I normally wouldn’t meet. It will also help will college applications.

Q: Chace, How has participating in DECA benefitted you? A:

It has helped me a lot with talking to people. I can be more open and comforatable. It is just like a real life situation when you are interveiwing for a job.

Q: Sarah, If you become an officer, what are your expectations? ever been super into sports, A: Isohaven’t this would give me an opportunity to work on a team and strenghten my ability to communicate with others.

LIGHTS PICTURE CAMERA

ACTING

photos by ELIZABETH ANDERSON

Newly found love for improv is discovered after reading Tina Fey’s autobiography

Favorite Game Peterson plays many games during her classes, here’s one of her favorites Rewind: Two performers start, and the audience has a “remote.” The audience can pause, play, rewind, fast forward, slow down and speed up the scene.

ABOVE |Peterson works with the other kids in her class practicing improv and playing her favorite game, rewind.

written by CATHERINE BROWN

enior Julia Peterson’s hands are sweating and her heart is for them to move on. pounding inside her chest. She’s trying not to think about the She noticed that she was the youngest fact that she’s next up. She stands up in front of nine strang- one in the class by a few years, which intimers and waits for the teacher’s instructions. She looks around the idated her at first. After playing the first improv game, “emotion small classroom at the group of people, all united by one common party,” she realized her shyness was gone. In emotion party, one interest: improvisation. person pretends to host a party and each guest that comes to the Peterson became interested in improv after reading Tina Fey’s party has to act out a different emotion. At the end of the game, the autobiography Bossypants, and finding out how the famous come- host has to guess each emotion. dian got her start. Growing up, Peterson had a love for comedy and “I was so nervous walking in because usually whenever I do would stay up late every weekend to watch Saturday Night Live something new, I am with a bunch of other people in my same situwith her parents. ation,” Peterson said. “I thought I would be more scared than I was, After coming to the realization that improv would be a good but after my class started the first improv game, it felt like everyway to learn the basics of comedy and share her humor with others, one had known each other forever. Once I got into my character, I Peterson started taking improv classes in early January. After do- didn’t even notice the person I was in the scene with.” ing some research online, she came across KC Improv Company, Peterson’s teacher, Keith Curtis, has been a member of the coma professional comedy club. Now, every Monday night from 7 to 9, pany for 15 years. He makes members showcase what they already she learns and practices her performance skills at Trinity Lutheran know, then he tells them what to work on so they can improve and Church. Her first improv show is Mar. 3 at the advance to the next level. For PeKick Comedy Theater in Westport. terson, this means feeling more “I took a drama class at East freshman year, I took drama class at East freshman comfortable on stage. but I like improv better because it’s more cre- year, but I like improv better because “I know I’m funny but someative and I’m not just a background person,” Pe- it’s more creative... times it’s difficult to show people terson said. “In improv, I can make up my own that because I’m not super confi-Peterson said character and I’m forced to come up with stuff dent,” Peterson said. on the spot because there isn’t a script.” Next year, Peterson plans on Peterson’s mother, Krista Peterson, was surattending the University of Kanprised about her daughter’s sudden interest in wanting to take im- sas and has been considering driving home every Monday in orprov classes because of her quiet personality. der to reach the highest level. One of her goals is to eventually “As a child she was fairly shy so this didn’t seem like something do standup comedy, something most people do when they reach that would be in her comfort zone,” Krista said. “However, she is the fourth level. According to Peterson, standup performances are a pretty funny kid with an intellectual sense of humor, and these more difficult than they seem because there is no one else on stage classes seemed like the perfect way for her to learn how to share to bounce ideas off of. her talents.” “I’m glad that I got involved in improv because even if I didn’t There were different classes Peterson could choose from. Hav- like it, at least I tried,” Peterson said. “My advice for people wanting no prior experience, she chose the level one class. There are ing to try something new is to just do it. Why not? There’s nothing four levels and each one has a duration of eight weeks; however, to lose and everyone else starting out is just as nervous as you.” the teacher must approve of each participant’s progress in order

TURNING e

7 RIGHT | “Songs by artists like Drake and Travis Scott are good to get a crowd energized,” said Howard.

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RIGHT | “I was using a SPIN DJ deck, DJay software, a behringer mixer and a macbook,” said Howard.

Freshman Jonah Howard DJs at parties and for fun written by MEG THOMA

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onah stepped off the cracked sidewalk and into the building. Gweometric carpet underneath his feet, neon lights flashing in his face and the distant scent of soft pretzels in his nosehe had arrived at Skate City. The last thing freshman Jonah Howard expected to happen was to meet Chase Arnold, another sixth grader who shared the passion for DJ-ing. They bonded for hours and told stories of turn tables and music mixes. The end result concluded in throwing the infamous “Sixth Grade Rager.” The turnout, however, did not resemble the hype of the two boy’s expectations. The setup was considered the 12-year-old version of “epic.” Setting up on his best friend Chase Arnold’s back deck, Howard pointed the speakers towards the crowd where four sixth graders hung out on the empty pavement, their mix of techno songs playing in the background. Howard loaded his songs onto his computer and then connected his computer to his deck, which is the first thing everyone imagines in a DJ setup. The few kids there realized immediately it wasn’t going to be the party of the century with the little turnout and the gray skies above. As drops of rain began to hit the turntables, his friends retreated inside to watch Zombieland. Howard knew his first DJ party was a bust. “It was a good learning experience to not get your hopes up when being a DJ,” Howard said. Coming from a family with a large collection of music, Jonah picked up on separating a song into different instruments in his head. He always looks for his favorite sound, the distinct drums. He began by listening to pop and electronic music, keeping an eye out for beats per minute. Eventually his horizons expanded to a taste smoother music like R&B with his favorite artist being D’Angelo and jazz performers like Chet Baker. “[DJ-ing] has kind of opened my ears up to more unique sounds, so that I’m not just playing the same thing over and over again,” Howard said. Not only did his music taste develop, but Howard has gained

photo by GRACE PADON

a new perspective on what the hobby meant. The purpose of spinning discs started to become a creative freedom for him. “I like to play music that I find interesting because I think that kind of exploration is really important,” Howard said. “I just like sharing myself with people through music.” In the beginning for Jonah, DJ-ing was nothing but a hobby, but the more he learned, the bigger the crowds became and the more experience he retained. In eighth grade, he displayed his talent at an 8th grade mixer at Indian Hills, filling the gym with tunes to that middle schoolers could awkwardly dance to. Changing not only his contact list, but his taste in music, his DJ skills improved and the crowds became larger. “He knew a lot of people in the business and had a very good understanding and knowledge about the songs artists,” Arnold said. Flash forward three years. Howard rapidly spun his disks and slid the crossfader across the board as he pleased the crowd with his electronic and rap music. The beat drops and the crowd of 50 plus people bounce around in their athletic clothes. His best and his worst show were, ironically, both at Chase’s house. But this time in his basement, this time in his peak of creativity with new knowledge under his belt. It was the Homecoming after party and he was playing with much more experience, focusing more on playing songs that his audience enjoys. Unlike the first party, his hopes were up and his spirits were high. The large turnout created one emotion that Jonah had not felt at his first performance: pure excitement. He looked into the crowd, the neon lights glowing in his face and the smile displayed on the crowd. “I don’t feel like I’m special because I do it, it’s just fun... there’s no boundaries to it,” Jonah said. The two performances of many go hand-in-hand for Jonah as they show how he has progressed throughout the years. “It has gone from me playing for myself, to playing for others and making them happy too.”

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Students at East cadet teach classes and take over the role of a teacher, giving full lessons and instructing other students written by MADELINE HLOBIK

he seventh hour bell had finally rung and everyone was seated at their tables. A huge bag of Starbursts sat in the middle of chemistry teacher Jerrod Bardwell’s lab table. Normally Bardwell is on top of things, not wanting to waste a spare minute, but instead, he was lounging in the back of the classroom sipping his coffee – he wasn’t going to be teaching the class today. Junior Tyler Keys, the class’s cadet teacher, was going to be explaining notes and as an incentive, rewarding the students by tossing them Starbursts for correct answers. When walking into art teacher Tim Rowland’s classroom, senior cadet art teacher Ana Calomino was chatting with students and giving them suggestions as to which pencil is best to use for shading. At the same time, she helped students cut paper and skimmed over the lesson plans that Rowland had provided her with. Calomino was originally going to be a lab aid for Rowland, but since she wanted to take a more interactive role in the class, her counselor suggested being a cadet teacher. Cadet teachers are students who can help teach a class. In order to become a cadet teacher, one must fill out a form, then the teacher for whom one wants to cadet teach for must approve it. Cadet teachers are more involved than lab aids, and perform tasks such as answering questions, explaining notes or teaching a lesson. Lab aids do more “housekeeping” tasks for teachers, such as passing out papers or even just sitting in the back of the classroom doing other homework. Cadet teachers are more like a second teacher in the classroom, and they get an actual grade in the class. When senior geometry cadet teacher Brooke Erickson first taught the class how to graph rotations, all she received was blank stares and mutters about how to do it. Erickson explained that cadet teaching has been eye-opening to her because she is starting to realize the difficulties of teaching to students. “Not all students understand something on the first explanation, but I’ve learned how to work with kids and answer questions in a bit different way to try and help,” Erickson said. Most cadet teachers choose to cadet teach because it allows them to explore something they would want to do outside of school, or later in their future involving that certain ABOVE | Senior Brook Erickson instructs a lesson to a geometry class. Not only is cadet teaching beneficial to students, but class about rotations on graphs. teachers as well. photos by ALLISON STOCKWELL “I like it for a number of reasons,” geometry teacher Chris

CADET TEACHING

MUSTS

Confidence: standing up in front of a class of high schoolers when you are a high schooler can be nerve wracking.

Knowing the Content: teaching a lesson without actually knowing it would be hard to do.

Burrows said. “It helps Brooke [Erickson] remember certain things that she may have forgotten since geometry, but it’s also nice for the students to see math from a different perspective.” Burrows explained that it is nice to have someone to trust to do problems up on the board with students properly while he is busy. Also, Erickson may teach some of the problems differently than he does, so it gives the students a new angle to learn from. Erickson is planning to do something in the future involving engineering, so cadet teaching geometry will help give her a stronger math background. In addition, Calomino is planning to have a side job involving art, so through cadet teaching she will be able to master what type of tools are best to use for drawing and painting different pieces. Currently, Erickson is a math tutor outside of school and Calomino is an art instructor at “ARTrageous,” a local art studio. Through cadet teaching, both Calomino and Erickson are able to acquire new tips that will help them outside of school at their jobs. Although some students choose to cadet teach because they want more experience with a certain subject, senior history cadet teacher Emily Facklam chose to cadet teach because she is specifically interested in teaching high school or college students as a career. As the first hour bell rings and students finally quiet down, instead of U.S. history teacher Brenda Fishman standing at the front of the class, it is senior cadet teacher Emily Facklam at the front of the room about to take role and pass out the study guide for the next upcoming test. Since Facklam is a cadet teacher, Fishman provides her with answer keys to assignments so that when the students have questions they can also go to Facklam for help or clarification. “I just think the idea of teaching other students is really rewarding and would be helpful,” Facklam said. “It can be a little nerve wracking when one of your own peers comes up and asks you a question, but it’s a good feeling to know that you are helping them out.” Facklam explained that cadet teaching provides her with a bit of a “brain break” during the day, by allowing herself an hour to not have to learn anything new or do any strenuous problems. Overall, students choose to cadet teach because it gives them a feel as to what teaching is like and more in-depth studying in a certain subject.

Patience: Kids might not always understand what you are trying to teach them at first.

Understanding: you need to be kind and help each kid because everyone has different learning abilities.