Senior Rachel Davis studies full-time at the CAA, inspired by family health struggles to pursue pediatric oncology
2, 2025
story by ANYA HUDSON
Scan here to read a review of the Overland Park Farmers Market and an opinion about the new e-hall passes
EDITORS DESIGN
PRINT EDITORS
Sophia Brockmeier
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story by SIENNA WILLIAMS
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The Harbinger is a student run publication. Published editorials express the views of the Harbinger staff. Signed columns published in the Harbinger express the writer’s personal opinion. The content and opinions of the Harbinger do not represent the student body, faculty, administration or Shawnee Mission School District. The Harbinger will not share any unpublished content, but quotes material may be confirmed with the sources. The Harbinger encourages letters to the editors, but reserves the right to reject them for reasons including but not limited to lack of space, multiple letters of the same topic and personal attacks contained in the letter. The Harbinger will not edit content though letters may be edited for clarity, length or mechanics. Letters should be sent to room 400 or emailed to smeharbinger@gmail.com.
stories by HANNAH ROSEMANN
Senior Sunrise has been moved to the beginning of the year to make way for a Senior Sunset at the end of the year
THE ANNUAL SENIOR Sunrise will look different for the Class of 2026. It will be held at the beginning of the year on Sept. 4, and an additional Senior Sunset will be held at the end of the year.
“Senior Sunrise usually happens in May, but this year we’re doing it the day before Lancer Day during late start, because we want to do a Senior Sunset at the end of the year,” senior and class Vice President Lila Kimmel said.
The changed timing encourages school spirit throughout the year and
creates an opportunity for a better connection between seniors, according to Kimmel.
I LOVE THAT our seniors want to come together and do things to celebrate themselves in our school.
JASON PERES
PRINCIPAL
“I just think it’ll be super fun as the day before Lancer Day, so I feel like it’ll get everybody’s spirits up for the parade,” Kimmel said.
For years, Senior Sunrise has been a tradition that fosters connectivity and inclusion among the graduating class, a goal that remains the same despite any time changes, according to principal Jason Peres.
“I love that our seniors want to come together and do things to celebrate themselves in our school,” Peres said. “And I think anything that they’re going to do to come together is a good thing.”
Club Fair
AUGUST 12
The musical revue, the “Best of Broadway,” will debut in the auditorium and will be put on by the theatre program
theatre department will take to the stage on Sept. 3 in the auditorium, with a variety of mini performances for its annual musical revue called “Best of Broadway.”
A musical revue is a multi-act, theatrical performance based on a common theme.
“The theme of the musical revue this year is Best of Broadway, so it’s a bunch of Broadway hits that a lot of people
would know,” senior and thespian Molly Minor said.
The theme creates the opportunity for a variety of unique acts by putting a pe rsonal spin on well-loved songs from musicals such as “Les Misérables” and “Hairspray”.
Freshmen and students new to theater will be the leading performers because of the show’s no-cut, beginner-friendly design.
“This is one of the most attended
freshman things that we do in theater,” senior and thespian Brooks Hagerdorn said. “[They’re] able to get up on stage and get used to the feeling of being under the lights and with an audience.”
According to Minor, the musical revue is a must-see that promises a thrilling performance for anyone seeking a little entertainment.
“There’s only one night that they do it, and you get to see really cool talent,” Hagerdorn said.
Heart Club is dedicated to spreading awareness and helping fight heart diseases
SOPHOMORE LIBBY
MORRIS founded the SM East Heart Club on Aug. 11. This new club is dedicated to educating students about heart health and various heart diseases.
“[The goal is to] sustainably increase awareness of heart diseases and understanding in our school, and create a group of leaders who will also double as advocates in our school’s heart health struggle,” Morris said.
The Heart Club plans to be sponsored by the American
Heart Association to reach its goals and help provide funding for the association.
“The American Heart Association does always want to receive donations and fundraise, because they’re doing critical life-saving research,” Morris said.
The Heart Club offers students the opportunity to
90 STUDENTS
Have joined the SME Heart Club GroupMe and plan on attending their meetings
engage in community service while learning about heart health.
While making the club, Morris partnered with Leighton Fulghum, a sophomore who shares her interest in heart health.
“It’s a really good thing for people who are passionate about wellness and health,” Fulghum said. “Especially if you want to go into the medical field.”
Trump announces a takeover of law enforcement functions in D.C. AUGUST 23 AUGUST 26
The USDOE’s Office for Civil Rights and Student Privacy Policy Office began investigations
California resident tested postitve for the plague in Lake Tahoe, California AUGUST 20 AUGUST 14
Texas Legislature passes plan to help Republicans win five more House seats
SM East SHARE Care Fair took place during seminar
RIGHT Juniors and SHARE Chairs
Anne Bowser, Sylvie DeGalan and Addie Clark speak into the microphone at the SHARE Care Fair
photo by EVELYN GEHEB
story by CAROLINE BEAL
ELECTRIC BIKES AND scooters are now banned in The Shops of Prairie Village, Corinth Square and Corinth Quarter, according to an Aug. 5 Facebook post by the property owners of the three local shopping centers — First Washington Realty.
“We’re committed to keeping The Shops of Prairie Village safe and strollable for all,” the Facebook post said. “With that in mind, electric scooters and e-bikes are no longer permitted on property.”
This post came a month after the cities of Prairie Village and Mission Hills placed restrictions on the use of e-bikes and e-scooters, including required helmet usage and one-person rider limits.
Since the bans, First Washington Realty has received positive feedback from various business owners, according to junior Marni Thurston, whose father owns the Corinth Square ice cream shop, Summer Salt.
“[Kids] would lean these [e-bikes]
break if you put too much pressure on them,” Thurston said. “My dad would have to go out there and move the bikes onto the bike rack.”
Electric scooters and bikes are now banned at several Prairie Village shopping centers
reaching speeds up to 28 miles per hour.
Although the Prairie Village Police Department is enforcing these laws, many kids, especially middle schoolers, still use e-scooters and class three e-bikes to travel to and from school, according to Indian Hills Middle School principal, Dr. Kelley Capper.
“Some of the phone calls we’ve had to make, the families just aren’t aware of the different levels to [the ban],” Capper said. “If we see a bike that’s a little questionable, like we had a dirt bike [and] I’m like, ‘Hey bud, we probably can’t have you on that class three dirt bike.’”
In 2024, the PVPD received 18 calls concerning e-bike and e-scooter incidents. However, this year, there have been nearly 63 calls, according to School Resource Officer Anthony Woollen.
“We get parents [who] call because of some of the speeds that the e-bikes go,” Woollen said. “They’re concerned that kids are going to get hurt.”
From 2018 to 2022, the sales of e-bikes rose almost 25% in the United States, while the number of e-scooter
and e-bike rentals has increased dramatically since 2023, according to Harvard Health Publishing.
The Shops of Prairie Village’s new code of conduct, posted on Aug. 5, states that visitors with electric devices will be asked to leave the property.
This policy has received negative feedback from nearby residents, including SM East mom Betsy Sheets.
“My husband Tony likes to ride our e-bike down to [The Shops of Prairie Village] because it’s easier to park than to drive [a car] and get in those narrow parking spots,” Sheets said. “It’s an easier form of transportation, not to mention it’s better for our environment and for promoting people exercising.”
Even with the new bans and restrictions, Sheets still urges drivers to be cautious while driving.
“You need to watch out for every child, whether they’re on an e-bike [or] e-scooter, a regular scooter [or] a regular bike,” Sheets said. “To me, blanketly banning a form of transportation isn’t the solution.”
*according to shopsofprairievillage.com
Electric bicycles, electric scooters, hoverboards and other nonlicensed motorized vehicles (except motorized wheelchairs or similar devices due to medical necessity) are prohibited.
Skateboarding and roller blading are prohibited.
Disruptive behavior of any kind is prohibited, including, without limitation, running, shouting, horseplay, throwing of objects, unnecessary gathering, and disorderly conduct.
The Shawnee Mission School District is under federal investigation regarding its transgender policies
story by LUCY STEPHENS
SMSD is currently under federal investigation
SHAWNEE MISSION
SCHOOL District is under federal investigation for its transgender policies. Without notifying parents or guardians, SMSD students can alter their names and pronouns used by staff to align with their “gender identity” rather than their biological sex.
The US Department of Education officials launched their investigation in August, saying that current SMSD policies violate federal law. The policies authorize staff to conceal information from parents regarding requests by their minor children.
coming and people getting taken from school,” Morantz said. “I think something needs to be done about it now.”
Morantz and Cooper knew they couldn’t stop the investigations alone; they recognized the need for an abundance of support, which is why they started a petition. They plan to present it to SMSD once they reach their signature goal of 100, signifying the community backs them up.
As of Aug. 27, the petition has 83 signatures.
“It’s helping out a bigger picture, it’s also connecting us, keeping us together, like a solidified group,” Cooper said. “Our school could get sued; this could affect the school district entirely, not just the trans people.”
I THINK THE federal government going into our schools for an investigation over trans people is really not a far cry from ICE trucks coming and people getting taken from school.
REBECCA MORANTAZ SENIOR
Transgender students at SM East declined to comment due to the possibility of blowback.
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act allows parents to access their children’s records and control (with important exceptions) the disclosure of personally identifiable information according to the department’s website.
“Policies that instruct teachers, counselors and other employees to hide a child’s ‘gender transition’ records from parents infringe on parents’ rights under FERPA,.” The USDOE website states.
Two SM South seniors, Rebecca Moranz and AJ Cooper, started a petition following the announcement of the investigation to oppose the department’s federal investigation into SMSD.
“I think the federal government going into our schools for an investigation over trans people is really not a far cry from ICE trucks
In a press release, SMSD Chief Communications Officer David A. Smith stated the district takes the responsibility of protecting students’ civil rights very seriously. Parents and guardians with concerns about their child can contact the district at any time.
In an email, SMSD declined to comment further.
The culprit of the SMSD investigations
from a lawsuit filed by SM North teacher Caedran Sullivan in January 2023. Sullivan violated SMSD policy by “deadnaming” a transgender student and calling them their unpreferred pronouns, according to the lawsuit. SMSD then required her to attend a conference and left a note in her personnel file.
“All students have the right to be addressed by the name and pronouns
that correspond to the gender identity they assert at school,” current SMSD policy states. “School staff and peers are expected to respect a student’s name and pronouns once they have been made aware.”
Three months after the incident, SMSD officials introduced their new policy regarding transgender students, Sullivan states in her complaint. The policy prohibited teachers from disclosing to parents when a student requests to use pronouns or a name that diverges from the student’s sex at birth.
The name that a transgender person was given at birth and no longer uses upon transitioning
Sullivan then filed a lawsuit claiming SMSD “had unlawfully disciplined her for exercising her First Amendment right to oppose its diversity, equity and inclusion training sessions.”
According to the lawsuit, Sullivan doesn’t want to lie to parents, but she feels threatened by SMSD if she doesn’t follow district policy to keep student information private from parents.
A complaint by the Defense of Freedom Institute stating SMSD, along with four Kansas districts, had violated federal law was issued on June 24. The complaint mentions Sullivan’s case and SMSD’s failure to follow federal law.
That same day, Kansas Attorney General Kris Koback sent a letter to the Secretary of the USDOE, Linda E. McMahon, urging the department to investigate the four Kansas School districts: SMSD, Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools School District, Olathe Public Schools District and Topeka Public Schools School District.
“Teachers always say that you can come to them, talk to them about your problems, that’s how a lot of teachers help at a school,” Cooper said. “When a school has that ability to take it back to your parents, it’s taking away that level of security in a school.”
A timeline of events leading up to the federal investigation
SMSD introduced new transgender policies
Lawsuit filed by SM North teacher Caedran Sullivan against SMSD
Attorney General Kris Kobach sent a letter to the Secretary of the USDOE urging to investigation into four Kansas school districts
Defense of Freedom Institute publishes the initial complaint
The USDOE begins an investigation against SMSD and the four other districts
SMSD sends out its press release
SM South seniors Rebecca Morantz and AJ Cooper start a petition opposing the federal investigations
SENIORS ELIZA KING and Lucinda Hendrickson were attending the Humorous Interpretation Finals at the National Speech and Debate tournament in Iowa, along with nearly 700 other students and 100 debate coaches.
Seniors Eliza King, Lucinda Hendrickson and Janie Hoskins are holding the first East Against Gun Violence meeting of the year on Sept. 4. The club is encouraging students to come discuss gun violence in the U.S., personal experiences with gun violence and ways to garner representative support for gun control in Kansas.
Just months prior, the three club presidents were attending the Humorous Interpretation Finals at the National Speech and Debate Tournament in Des Moines, Iowa, on June 19, along with nearly 700 other students and 100 debate coaches from across the nation.
vive it. After the shooting scare, the two decided to begin posting information early about joining their organization on the club’s official Instagram before school started.
The club is focused on providing a safe space for students to discuss their experiences with gun violence and share their opinions on local and national policy changes that should be made, according to Lucinda.
East Against Gun Violence has also been working with other organizations to garner support beyond SM East, such as East Grandparents For Gun Safety and Youth in Wyandotte County, who help contact representatives about policy changes and donate gun locks to firearm owners.
EVERYONE around me thought they were going to die. I remember [thinking] ‘Should I be scared?’”
MAKENA PRUITT SENIOR
During the final round of the finals, a man wearing a backpack ran on stage, shouted incoherently, then reached into his bag threateningly.
“Every student in that room [was] scared for [their] lives,” King said.
King and Lucinda, along with the other 800 attendees, sprinted for the nearest exit, terrified that the man on stage had a firearm. Many were trampled in the process and left traumatized, according to King.
King and Lucinda had been planning to co-run the club East Against Gun Violence since spring of last year because of their beliefs in support of gun control. After the club was out of commission since the former president, Eve Benditt, graduated in 2024, they decided to re -
East Against Gun Violence will be beginning club their monthly meetings and volunteer opportunities next week
“We talked to some of the leaders of East Grandparents For Gun Safety and are trying to set up a meeting with [principal] Peres,” Lucinda said. “[We want] to see if he would help us set up a time for them to come during seminar to give an informational seminar about gun safety for the students.”
Along with the NSDA threat, Lucinda had another experience with gun violence three years ago. Her older sister, Carly Hendrickson, had been shot at unprovoked while driving on I-35. Lucinda, only 14 years old at the time, had to drive to her sister on a learner’s permit after Carly pulled over on the interstate, unharmed from the shooter.
“I was the only one who picked up [the phone],” Lucinda said. “ I had to go pick her up from the side of the highway.”
Being exposed to gun violence at such a young age inspired Lucinda to make a difference. That meant becoming the co-president of the East Against Gun Violence program.
The members of the club have also
East Against Gun Violence will host their first meeting after school in Mrs. Flurry’s room, 504. Meetings will take place every month. SEP. 4
Following the suspected shooter incident at the National Speech and Debate tournament, students rally support for the East Against Gun Violence program and share their personal experiences with gun violence
had their own experiences with gun violence. Senior Makena Pruitt recalls her sixth-grade experience in the Highlands Elementary shooting.
Pruitt was in the hallway when the lockdown began and was confused when she was warned to get inside a classroom.
“I remember a teacher snapped at me to get inside [a classroom] and that we were in lockdown,” Pruitt said.
Minutes later, teachers rushed crying students into the gym to congregate while there was an active shooter just 10 yards from the school. Pruitt was unfazed, however, remaining wary of the situation and confused about its validity and whether it was truly happening.
‘Should I be scared?’”
The members’ collective experiences with gun violence are what build a strong foundation for the club, according to Pruitt. Students with no personal experiences with the subject are equally encouraged to join, as spreading awareness of gun control, why it’s important and its positive effects, is another goal of the club.
King believes that despite the life-threatening events that have continued to occur, their persistence in the cause will succeed.
“If all it takes is a person standing on stage, saying something, then beginning to unzip their bag, it shows how big of an issue this is,” King said.
OCT. 13
East Against Gun Violence will be volunteering at Grandparents for Guns’s Safety’s annual forum, “Faith in the Firearms” at Rockhurst Highschool.
JOIN THE GROUPME:
For more updates on meetings and volunteer opportunities
MADELYN KEENE SOPHOMORE
EVERYONE JUST WANTS them because their popular on social media, but they’re not worth the hype.
WHY DO YOU THINK THAT PARKE SWEATSHIRTS ARE WORTH THE PRICE?
I FEEL LIKE you can get a sweatshirt that looks the exact same and is the exact same quality for cheaper.
The Kansas State Department of Education didn’t adequately explain their decision to change the Kansas State Assessment grading scale
BREAKING NEWS: after a decade of underperforming on state assessments, recent results of the Kansas State Assessment show the problem has been solved! KS has seen a 14% increase in proficiency in reading and a 16% jump in math for tenth-grade students in just a year.
But wait.
Ever since the KS State Board of Education altered the grading scale for the KS State Assessment, significantly more students are now considered “proficient” without any real improvement. This massive jump in proficiency actually means nothing.
And the KSDE can’t provide a detailed explanation for these changes.
The previous version of the test was implemented in 2014, and after 10 years of collecting data, the KSDE has decided to change the scoring of the KS State Assessment, magically making more students “proficient.”
From the outside, it seems like the KSDE is dumbing down the standards for students and making it too easy to reach proficiency. And this is exactly where the Board has left the public.
On the outside.
The KSDE had stated that these changes are fixing “misalignments” with student proficiency within the state. According to the KSDE, previously, only a quarter of students were considered proficient on the KS Assessment, while out of those same students, over half went on to succeed post-high school.
released by the KSDE with vague, flowery language.
While it’s incredible that teachers were included to such an extent in this process, why is there no accessible data from this study?
Specific point values on a test’s grading scale separating different levels of students’ performance
Dr. Dan Gruman, the Director of Assessment Research in the SMSD and the Director of the KS Assessment Advisory Council acknowledges that altering the test is “A huge undertaking that takes a lot of time and involves hundreds of experts, including the best KS educators participating, contributing and providing feedback along the way.”
But the only information about this study can be found five hours into the nine-hour-long Board of Education meeting. No one in their right mind will spend half of their day reviewing board meetings just to understand why the state is lowering cut scores. And even looking at the meeting summaries gives no explanation whatsoever.
When reading the statement, it’s easy to see why many parents and news outlets rushed to attack the decision, saying it’s reducing academic rigor and lowering the standards.
entirely wrong. Now there’s a new test, a new scoring system and entirely new proficiency statistics, all within a week.
Rather than a small statement from the KSDE, a comprehensive review of all research gathered and specific reasoning needs to be readily available to the public.
The next time the KSDE makes a change this serious, they need to take measures to explain it. Accurately representing students’ proficiency is important, but equally important is adequately explaining a change that results in an astronomical jump in statistics.
Specific percentages and graphs comparing old scores and student success on the ACT at least would make the lower cut scores more understandable.
Rather than a small statement from the KSDE a comprehensive review of all research gathered and specific reasoning needs to be readily available to the public.
The next time the Department of Education makes a change this massive, they need to take measures to explain it. Accurately representing students proficiency is important but equally important is adequately explaining a change that results in an astronomical jump in statistics.
Comparing the old and new Kansas State Assesment
Performance Level Descriptors
*courtesy of KSDE
old: college readiness
LEVEL 1: little ability to understand and apply skills
LEVEL 2: a basic ability to understand and apply skills
LEVEL 3: an effective ability to understand and apply skills
LEVEL 4: an excellent ability to understand and apply skills
new: grade level proficiency
LEVEL 1: a limited ability to demonstrate their knowledge and skills of grade standards.
LEVEL 2: basic ability to demonstrate their knowledge and skills of grade standards
LEVEL 3: a proficient ability to demonstrate their knowledge and skills of grade standards.
LEVEL 4: an advanced ability to demonstrate their knowledge and skills of grade standards.
The KSDE also stated that the previous KS test scores were “out of step nationally” as other surrounding states had similar ACT scores, yet higher proficiency on standardized tests.
Many students who scored below the proficiency cut-off on the assessment actually should’ve been labeled as proficient, and the new test aims to more accurately reflect student success beyond high school.
So, in theory, the reasoning for this change makes sense — to an extent.
According to the KSDE, there was extensive data collection on test scores and a three-day study with 141 teachers across KS to determine new cut scores for the test. But, with this preparation, the only information easily accessible to the public is a six-paragraph statement
However, there is validity to this change. Only 28% of tenth-grade students were considered proficient in reading in 2024, while 50% scored in the collegeready range on the ACT. And, only 21% of students were proficient in math by the KSA standards, yet 27% were collegeready by the ACT standards in math.
Yet even finding these numbers took an hour-long deep dive into ACT statistics and state assessment success levels.
Rather than being told that the state created a new test after discovering “a long-standing misalignment,” how was this misalignment discovered and when? A 15% error in proficiency levels seems like a big problem and one that should have been identified and fixed earlier than 10 years down the road.
Out of nowhere, students, parents and teachers are being told that for the past decade state assessments were
story by ADDY NEWMAN
MY SCHEDULE WAS blank
There were only a few weeks left of summer and there was no school, no more practices and the pool was the only event I had planned. It was 2 a.m. on July 16, and the third season of “The Summer I Turned Pretty” was about to premiere. Nestled beside me on my couch was a bag of Swedish Fish, homemade muffins and popcorn — I’m armed with classics, ready to pull an allnighter watching every new episode.
Except the entire season didn’t come out — only two episodes.
TV shows’ attempt at gaining viewer anticipation through staggered release schedules is forced and ends in failure
Weekly oneepisode releases or over a month in between parts of the season dropping shouldn’t be the norm. Instead of looking forward to the next episode, I’m bored and extremely frustrated to have to wait to know what happens next.
First two episodes released July 16, followed by 11 weekly releases until Sept. 17.
Nobody wants to watch a popular show that’s already bland, and continues to get more boring every day spent waiting for the next episode.
I’ll be driven to insanity if I’m forced to overanalyze every detail of the cliffhanger of an episode that doesn’t reveal itself until next week.
Spoiler alert: The climax of the next episode in any of these shows never surprises me because it’s far too predictable, even though the lead-up made me analyze far too much.
*Instagram poll of 177 votes DO YOU LIKE WHEN SHOWS RELEASE EPISODES IN PARTS OR ALL IN ONE ?
Some shows do still give me suspense and surprise. I stood up and covered my mouth in shock at my screen after watching the big reveal at the end of “Gossip Girl” — a show that never had to be released in segments to engage its audience.
This isn’t just a “The Summer I Turned Pretty” problem. Percy Jackson, Wednesday and Love Island all split their seasons up.
But surprise isn’t the case for the amateur shows in this decade, because their plot doesn’t interest viewers anymore. After the 45-minute episode comes to an end, there is nothing to do but wait. Again
My attention span can’t even watch an entire 15-second TikTok video, let alone a TV show dragged along for months.
By the time I’m clicking on the next episode a week later, I’ve already forgotten half of what happened in the last episode, and I don’t care to rewatch the stale previous episode of the trending show.
There are nights I forget to pack my lunch for school
TV shows splitting their new season into parts is a lousy marketing strategy and takes away from the suspense of the show
— there’s no way I can remember a small detail from the episode I watched weeks ago.
A show must have an unexpected ending to be worthy of splitting its season up, not a plot that has no originality and is based on books.
Season one of the series “Wednesday” was enticing and nostalgic for the fall of 2022. But after almost no media advertisements and three years of waiting, I was unaware there was a new season until it popped up at the top of my Netflix page.
When the fourth episode’s ending credits came up, I was fully convinced the season had come to an end. The publicity was nowhere to be found, and the ending was far from satisfactory.
To my surprise, the season wasn’t over.
Their producers were adapting the same unoriginal advertisement strategy that every other series has done — releasing episodes in sequences.
I’m not going to waste my time thinking about which brother, Belly from “The Summer I Turned Pretty,” should end up with. The books from over a decade ago already tell me the answer, so there is no point in me wasting my time making predictions.
While the weekly releases of “The Summer I Turned Pretty” did give me a guaranteed homework break every Wednesday, there was an astounding amount of scenes left unexplained until the next week.
However, this doesn’t apply to reality TV shows. Series such as “Love Island” and “Dancing with the Stars” work best when spread out — because they’re real-life shows, happening in real time.
For a fictional story that already has trouble getting viewers’ attention, the best strategy isn’t to delay the excitement, because the anticipation only decreases.
Next time, I hope I’m not sitting on a cliffhanger after only the second episode.
TV shows that are releasing their shows in parts and when episodes are releasing
Volume one releasing Nov. 26, Volume two releasing Dec. 25 and the finale is releasing Dec. 31.
WEDNESDAY
Part one released Aug. 6, part two will be releasing on Sept. 3.
SEPTEMBER 2, 2025
This year’s increase in International Baccalaureate class sizes has damaging effects on education
story by AVNI BANSAL
EVERY DESK IN room 309 was taken.
My International Baccalaureate History of the Americas teacher was shocked. He looked at my 26-person class with wide eyes. There were twice as many students as last year.
Next, I entered my massive philosophy class of 27 students, then my English class of 28. Two more stunned teachers.
Increasing class sizes without additional support from the district could derail SM East’s IB program and have detrimental effects on students’ education.
When I was debating whether to take Advanced Placement classes or commit to the IB Diploma program, two main aspects of IB stood out to me: small class sizes and one-on-one time with teachers. That’s why I chose to go for the diploma — a program where six out of seven of my classes are IB.
But I was blindsided.
While my one-year math and biology classes upheld their reputation for small, intimate classes of 12-14 students, one of the benefits advertised to me by upperclassmen, I was disheartened to see that the three, two-year classes I’d committed to were far from my expectations.
I’ve heard the phrase “every student learns differently” at least a billion times, but it stands true. I specifically chose IB because I get overwhelmed and distracted easily. When there are over 15-20 students in a
class, I end up staring off into space or start daydreaming about my after-school plans during a lecture. I can’t focus when there’s too much movement and so many voices talking at the same time.
And it’s not just about me. Teachers need support too.
There’s a 63% increase in the total number of juniors taking IB history this year versus last year, and a 32% increase in IB English. And, as Kristin Anderson says, the entire IB English curriculum is writing, presenting, writing, presenting . Which means this year, she must walk 18 additional students through their 1,500-word, seven-page Higher Level Essays.
Anderson has taught IB English to juniors for 14 years. And her biggest class size before this year?
summer reading book. Not to mention, it’s challenging to provide the same level of detailed feedback on 28 English presentations rather than last year’s 13.
I’m already exhausted.
Teachers are having to adjust their lesson plans and cover the same amount of content in a smaller amount of time — mission impossible.
chose IB because I get overwhelmed and distracted easily. When there are over 15-20 students in a class, I end up staring off into space or start daydreaming about my after-school plans during a lecture.
Twenty-two students. This unprecedented increase in class size makes me wonder how we’re even going to finish the syllabus this year.
And Steve Klein, who started teaching IB History of the Americas just last year, has to figure out how to handle a classsize explosion on the spot. The rug is already being pulled out from under his feet.
The IB curriculum involves many — often weekly — presentations, which was a seemingly positive aspect. But now it takes three class periods to get through everyone’s presentations, leaving a meager 15 minutes to discuss our
A 1980s study on student-toteacher ratios led by the Tennessee Department of Education concluded that a 32% reduction in class size “increased student achievement by an amount equivalent to about three additional months of schooling,” according to Brookings.
The study was talking about a seven-person difference — 15 versus 22. I’m talking about increasing 13 students to 28. Over double that amount.
No matter what my teachers’ expertise is, this year’s students won’t be receiving the same quality of education as previous students.
Overworked teachers combined with distressed students is a dangerous combination. Overall class participation and student satisfaction — my satisfaction — are bound to decrease.
Then there’s the domino effect.
These high-level courses last for two years. Next year’s syllabus is a continuation of this year’s classes. If the learning is insufficient now, my IB classmates and I will struggle more when
design by EISLEY FOSTER
we eventually write our Extended Essays and build on two-year philosophy and history topics.
I’d rather spend my three-month summer break rewatching my favorite TV show, “Dexter,” and volunteering with my friends at the University of Kansas Medical Center. But now I guess I’ll be studying to prepare for next year’s IB classes because my teachers won’t have time to teach me.
Smaller classes encourage students, especially quieter ones, to get out of their comfort zone and participate more. But in a big class, they’d be lucky to even get a sentence in during a class discussion.
It’s wonderful that students are challenging themselves by taking IB courses — they’ll get exposure to reading translated books from numerous countries that aren’t read in the AP classes, and analyze economic and cultural events across the Americas.
However, this increased enrollment — a positive development — shouldn’t come at the cost of the quality of learning.
Something needs to be done.
East doesn’t have the power to hire more teachers or put a cap on the number of students per IB class. The district does.
To encourage a positive classroom culture and maintain adequate instruction, the Shawnee Mission School District must do two things: acknowledge that the student-teacher ratio in IB classes is a serious problem and take action by employing additional IB teachers at East.
RIGHT Sophomores
Abby Martinek, Effie Roper and Ashley St. Denis promote their project, “Hands to Hearts.” “SHARE makes me feel involved in the SM East community, and also the community around us,” Roper said.
by AVA TOWNER
SHARE held its annual Care Fair, on Aug. 26, the fair was held for students to join different volunteer projects
RIGHT Seniors Katie Cook and Lucy Stephens promote their project
“Happy Bottoms,” on the microphone held up by senior and SHARE executive Bella Broce. “SHARE makes me feel empowered because it provides us the opportunities to reach out and help within our community,” Broce said.
photo by ZAC RUSSELL
Scan here to view and purchase photos from the photostory SCAN ME PHOTO
design by JULIA CAMPBELL
A look inside student life during the past two weeks
ABOVE In her Intro to Studio Art class, junior Caroline Lagerstrom talks to her friends while working on an assignment that involves drawing out three words that describe herself. photo by MAGGIE ROGERS
Get to know the new club presidents and their goals for this upcoming year
Learn about overnight summer camps and the students that attended them
Located in Climax
Focuses on building
Vontz’s favorite event is where campers spend two days rafting on Current river relationship with God Springs, Missouri
ABOVE Freshman Jane Beedle works on building a structure made with limited toothpicks and marshmallows in her Intro to Business class.
KATIE ROBINETT SOPHOMORE
WE WANT TO get people to know what STEM is about and get people inspired to go into that career, kind of to open the light to how there are different styles of engineering out there and how there is a spot for everyone in this job.
WESLEY LEE SOPHOMORE
Located in Focuses on filming
Lee’s favorite part Bloomington, Indiana scenes was when his film crew snuck down to the campus basement and spoke about their lives
ANA PYAKURYAL SOPHOMORE
I’VE ALWAYS BEEN interested in engineering since I was little, and it’s a very male dominated field. So I thought it would be interesting for us to open up a club where women feel more appreciated at East.
Three groups of students worked at summer camps as counselors
stories by SOPHIA BROCKMEIER
Junior twin sisters Ella and Aida Bruce led children in day camps at the Jewish Community Center
JUNIOR ELLA BRUCE spent her summer baking rainbow challah bread with elementary schoolers, and junior Aida Bruce drew hearts and flowers on the kids’ arms. The twins worked at the Jewish Community Center summer camps eight hours a day for six weeks.
“For a week straight I was just doing hand and arm tattoos, one after the other,” Aida said. “I had to stop bringing [markers] because the kids started
“BUTTONS!
Norah Anderson
her
fighting over them.”
While Ella and Aida didn’t spend every day together in the same room at specialty camps, such as LEGO camp or culinary camp, the campers still knew them as “the twins.”
“The kids were absolutely fascinated with it, it actually got kind of annoying,” Ella said. “After a while, if one of them knew me and not Aida, they would call us the Ellas. So that was kind of cute at first, and then it was like, ‘Okay guys, we get it.’”
Between trips to the pool and impromptu dance routines during the camp, the
A school bus full of elementary girls chanted senior Norah Anderson’s selfproclaimed summer camp name as she stepped onto the bus for the last time — after today, she was leaving Tongawood Girl Scout Camp, as a counselor, for good.
Anderson worked at Girl Scout Camp as an O.W.L. — Outstanding Woman Leader — to gain experience with elementary education by teaching groups of Girl Scouts how to raise and lower an American flag and assisting with adventure activities.
“I was crying so much because it was my last year as a counselor, and then five minutes into the drive, this little first or
second grader gave me a little folded flag out of masking tape and a Sharpie,” Anderson said.
But Anderson’s passion for working with children doesn’t stop at Tongawood. She’s currently enrolled in the Teacher Education class where she student-teaches, works at the Fairway Pool day camp and babysits year-round.
“It’s really weird,” Anderson said. “If I’m driving around somewhere, in the East area, and I see a kid, there’s like an 80% chance I know the kid from somewhere.”
Something Anderson did learn from this summer: every Girl Scout or student has a different personality, and it’s okay to
Junior Dane Schwartz and senior Caroline Reda worked at their childhood theater camp
SENIOR CAROLINE REDA and junior Dane Schwartz spent their summer exactly how they have for the past six years: in front of bright stage lights.
This year, however, they led the camp they’ve grown up at — Stage Right Performing Arts Summer Camp.
The elementary schoolers performed in “Finding Nemo”
Bruces were able to engage with the Jewish Community Center, after previously only taking the Center’s yoga classes, in a way they hadn’t before.
However, the Bruce’s favorite part of the Jewish Community Center summer camp was the campers, and they hope to return next year.
“I really liked getting to know all the little kids,” Aida said. “Little kids are really funny, and they say stuff that is completely out of pocket. I always had a new story to tell my family when I got home.”
change the lesson plan — even if that means adapting her flag ceremony at Girl Scout camp because first graders need more oneon-one attention.
“Each kid’s going to have a different way of looking at things,” Anderson said. “I think that’s really great, and what makes being a teacher so special.”
By the end of the three-day camp, the girls were swarming Anderson for a group hug.
“It was ridiculously sweet,” Anderson said. “They all came up and hugged me, I was crying so hard.”
this summer, spending four weeks from 9 a.m. to noon rehearsing their lines.
“The people that I used to look up to were the camp [counselors],” Reda said. “Last year and this year, I worked as a Camp Wrangler. I like to see how [the kids] progress and how they expand on theater.”
Schwartz, alongside Reda, spent his summer herding students ages 8-11 around Center High School and leading them in group games of “Ships and Sailors” and vocal warm-ups. On Fridays — the coveted weekly theme day — it was normal to see budding performers dressed up in costumes like colorful hula skirts and
obnoxious Hawaiian tourist T-shirts.
“We were all just hanging out and having a blast,” Schwartz said. “We would have a giant group photo together, and I just look back on that and remember how fun the experience was, and it makes me happy.”
Both Schwartz and Reda hope to continue engaging with the Stage Right community, not only through the school year, but also next summer.
“I was young enough to be in one of those camps and have camp counselors that I looked up to,” Schwartz said. “I hope that I’m that same type of person that they can look up to.”
Taking a deep dive into how the new ceramics teacher, Abby Loats, is approaching her first year of teaching
An introduction to the new ceramics teacher and how she fell in love with the art
I TOOK A ceramics class as kind of like a break in my day when I was in high school. And then I like, fell in love with it, just like how challenging it was and the different kinds of things that you can make, right? But also, like, my teacher was really good about explaining that, like, even functional objects can be artwork. That’s just artwork that people use in their everyday lives. And I kind of like fell in love with that idea. So that’s how I ended up here.
poll of 39 votes
CHLOE HARMON SENIOR
THE FIRST TIME I took ceramics, we spent the first few weeks just learning techniques with clay and then got rid of it. But instead of doing that, we started our first project immediately on the second day. And so we’re able to learn the techniques that we’d use throughout the year in this one project that will get a full fire and glaze and we get to keep it.
A general idea of Ms. Loats’ projects she hopes to teach in the first semester of ceramics 1.
2. 3. 4. 5. SLAB COASTERS & MUGS THROWING ON THE WHEEL COIL BUILT STRUCTURE MAKING CYLINDERS
SEPTEMEBER 2, 2025
What responsibility comes with being head of percussion and drum line captain?
• Leader of percussion rehearsals
• Conduct playing tests
• Send out dates and times
• Communicate with band teachers
• Communicate with Pep Club, cheer, and teachers anytime a drum line is needed
• Lead the tap off, which is the count before the band comes in
• Organization and communication
What is your favorite part of being a leader?
“ I think my favorite part of being leader is having something that like knowing that I really take that its my section, you know, I worked really hard the last four years. We have come such a long I take a lot of pride in the fact I know everyones names, talk to everyone, we are a connected group.”
What is the rehearsal schedule?
Monday- Practice from 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.
Tuesday- Practice from 6:30 a.m. to 7:40 a.m.
Wednesday- Practice from 6:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.
Thursday- Practice from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Friday- Practice from 6:30 a.m. to 8:40 a.m.
Senior Claire Langford balances being head of drum line and percussion while also being on varsity cross country
Started playing piano at the age of five.
Started percussion in 8th grade.
Freshman year auditioned and got marimba in front ensemble.
Fall freshman year made the top concert band.
Auditioned for marching band sophomore year and got snare on drum line. Joined varsity cross country.
Auditioned for marching band sophomore year and got snare on drum line.
Got placed by interview junior year to be drum line captain. Placed 3rd at state for cross country.
Placed by interview for drum line captain and percussion captain. Placed 3rd at cross country.
story by GRACE PEI
ENGLISH TEACHER
comfortable and willing to be themselves in their photography sessions.
ANN Flurry pulled into the Shawnee Mission Park parking lot, ready with her Canon camera to take senior photos of one of her students.
After snapping a few more pictures, Spanish teacher Laura Buckman finished taking senior photos at the same spot, when her and Flurry’s student clients recognized each other.
“She was just finishing, I was just starting,” Flurry said. “And it was just a really nice surprise.”
Flurry and Buckman both started a photography business because of their creative natures, but through it, they get to see different sides of their students.
“I think I get a little bit more genuine smiles,” Buckman said. “If it’s somebody that knows me like that [or] has a relationship prior to photos, I think they’re able to be more comfortable and just confident.”
Flurry once took pictures of a typically quiet, former AP Language student on the soccer field. As she arrived at the location, Flurry saw another side to her student shine through.
I DO THINK there’s nothing like seeing a really good photograph of yourself or someone you love that’s been photographed looking their best, but also being truly who they are.
ANN FLURRY TEACHER
Since many of their senior photo clients have been in their classes at some point, Flurry and Buckman both agree students act more freely in front of the camera than in the classroom.
“They’re able to be a little bit more, maybe themselves, a little more authentic, because it’s not in a school setting,” Buckman said. “They’re not trying to fit into a box, like sometimes they have to at school.”
Buckman’s position as a teacher has also helped her make students feel more
“I showed up at his soccer field, and it’s like he just walked on, and it was his turf,” Flurry said.
Flurry explains how the best and most authentic photos are often taken in the moments between the planned poses.
“So when we’ve made a joke, and they start laughing, then I shoot,” Flurry said.
Flurry and Buckman promote their businesses through social media and word-of-mouth, as their former clients and students recommend their businesses to others.
Since Buckman is the cheer coach and takes the cheer team photos, cheer captain and senior Andi Prendiville had Buckman take her senior pictures.
“As a cheer coach, she has to really lay into us a lot, and really hold us accountable
Popular photos Buckman takes during a senior photo session &
for what we’re doing,” Prendiville said. “But as a photographer, she really gives you the freedom to do whatever you want. And she would tell me to hit whatever pose I wanted. She trusted that I would do something that would look good for me.”
For Buckman, she hopes to see her business slowly grow in the future while still being able to manage it.
For Flurry, she’s satisfied with where
English teacher Ann Flurry and Spanish teacher Laura Buckman started photography businesses to pursue their creative sides while learning more about their students both in and out of the classroom
Flurry said.
Flurry and Buckman are both satisfied with their photography side jobs of being able to capture the picture-perfect moment for students and others, even if it’s not entirely perfect. Just genuine.
“Our society is so full of the narcissism of taking selfies all the time,” Flurry said. “And while I appreciate that, I do think there’s nothing like seeing a really good photograph of yourself or someone you love that’s been photographed looking their best, but also being truly who they
story by REESE DUNHAM
streets of Little Tokyo in downtown Los Angeles in late June, AP United States History teacher Alexander Henton pulled out his phone. He was snapping as many pictures of the dozens of different landmarks as he could. Specifically, the giant mural of Shohei Ohtani, a Japanese baseball player, in Little Tokyo and the burial sites at Manzanar, a concentration
while Manzanar was a smaller-scale concentration camp, it should still be named a concentration camp rather than anything else when talked about.
“Historically, this experience has sometimes been referred to as internment camps or relocation centers,” Yamasaki said. “We do feel that those are euphemisms. Those are words that kind of soften the severity of the history that happened there.”
According to Henton, the kids who were placed in Manzanar didn’t understand the gravity of the situation and were unaware they were being housed in an internment camp for Japanese-Americans. The parents had a very different experience at Manzanar. Their whole life had been uprooted, and they were forcibly taken to live there after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
“They were first or second graders when they were at Manzanar, and they loved it,” Henton said. “They were like, it’s a summer camp with their friends. They got to play with their friends all the time and see them all the time, do everything with them, but their parents were like, ‘I don’t ever want to talk about this again because I had to drop everything.’”
AP United States History teacher Alexander Henton attended a summer workshop dedicated to the Japanese-American journey
of the resources he was able to get,” AP U.S. History teacher Jenny Jordan said. “Because obviously, we can always add to that curriculum.”
Henton created a presentation for his classes to recap his trip, featuring pictures taken at various locations, including Little Tokyo and Manzanar.
our other social studies teachers about what this could mean for other topics in history, and how we can devote more time and energy to those topics,” Henton
“He was very passionate about showing us something new,” junior Ella Lewis said. “I don’t think anyone in the class, or honestly, a lot of people [at East], have heard about the story of [Manzanar] before, so he was really excited to share [the story].”
Most of the workshop was spent on walking tours in the neighborhoods housing Japanese-Americans. Then, on
hear about the museum and apply for the workshops.
Yamasaki’s goal for the workshop was to share the story of Japanese-Americans and what they endured. Not just locally in California, but also across the U.S., where people are less familiar with the history.
The AP U.S. History curriculum scarcely covers Japanese internment, according to Henton. He feels that all AP U.S. History classes should spend more time on this topic since it’s not a very well-known story.
“We’re just so profoundly grateful to teachers like Mr. Henton, because we know it takes a lot of time and resources to spend a week of your summer vacation learning with us,” Yamasaki said. “We’re really grateful to teachers who have come from near and far to join us in Los Angeles and really dive in, deep into this history with us, and we’ve learned so much from
“I’m excited to actually get to talk to Mr. Henton about, and pick up on some of the things he learned and some
Henton plans to talk to Jordan and the other history teachers at SM East about his trip to hopefully add more assignments on this topic in the future.
The Lancer Dancers held their annual pancake breakfast on Aug. 25 from 8 to 11 a.m.
A review of the Dubai Chocolate Brownie Crumbl Cookie
story by ADDY NEWMAN
AFTER MONTHS OF checking the new menu every Sunday on the Crumbl Cookie app, and seeing repeated and overrated flavors such as Snickerdoodle and Pink Sugar, one of this week’s flavors caught my eye — Dubai Chocolate Brownie.
At first glance, the DoorDashed brownie looked as if it’d been sitting on the counter for hours before being sent out for delivery. The pale green pistachio cream was sloppily drizzled on top, and there is no better way to describe the brownie’s appearance than as a clump of chocolate.
So I was obviously hesitant to actually taste it.
Crumbl is known for its overly sweet and ‘crumbly’ cookies that have far too many calories. So, to my surprise, this brownie didn’t have the overpowering, and sickly sweet taste, but rather had the right balance of smooth milk
center of the brownie also added a much needed crunch to the soft, mushy brownie. Not only was this a treat that differed from Crumbl’s notoriously sweet cookies, its trend-following led to the cookies being sold out in almost every store nearby — by Wednesday. With the success that the Dubai had, Crumbl Cookie should try to do more unique and trendy flavors.
Recently released movies and shows
Based off the popular book trilogy , “The Summer I Turned Pretty” follows two brothers falling for the same girl. The third season premired on July 16 and the final episode will air on Sept. 17.
The newest Superman movie released July 11 is an alturuistic, comic-accurate take on the beloved hero. Light hearted and fun, Superman has to persuade the human race that he’s here to help them, and not destroy them.
CAROLINE LAGERSTROM JUNIOR
I ACTUALLY THOUGHT it was really good. I usally really perfer Henry Cavill as superman but I thought the casting was super good for the new movie.
what’s on the
Recent releases by popular artists
A review of three bagels from the brand new Luca Bagel nestled in Brookside
INSIDE THE SMALL, brick building, nestled away in the Brookside area, is the new Luca Bagel shop. It’s the second location to open after it started as an Overland Park farmer’s market stand.
The inside was packed with
people, and by the time I arrived at noon, almost every bagel flavor was marked “Sold Out” in white chalk on the blackboard. Being shoulder-toshoulder with people in line definitely raised my expectations. Though the inside was a little claustrophobic, it was nonetheless a homey building and a great addition to Brookside.
3/5 STARS
THE “#2” BAGEL sandwich on the menu had your choice of bage flavorl, bacon, scrambled eggs, cheddar cheese and scallion cream cheese. The last savory bagel left was sesame. The bagel was towering high, and it was difficult to take bites without it being awkward to fit in my mouth. It wasn’t my top bagel. that I ordered, but if I were craving a hearty sandwich, I’d buy this bagel again.
AFTER LOOKING THROUGH their lengthy menu, I landed on the Pretzel bagel — something I had never heard of. I didn’t know exactly what to expect, but it’s safe to say I ripped apart this bagel in seconds. The bagel looked as expected, a soft pretzel condensed into a bagel shape. It was shiny, perfectly salted. And the first bite was heavenly.
The bagel was lathered with butter rather than cream cheese, which had me skeptical at first.
But by the time I finished it, I had
butter fingers from inhaling the bagel so quickly.
The only downside of the bagel was that it was difficult to chew because of the texture, but the satisfying flavors made up for it and my rating remained solid.
This was the strongest of the three bagels I tried. The butter-to-bagel ratio was spot-on, the idea was creative and this bagel would be an immaculate pickme-up to snag on a Saturday breakfast run.
Don’t get me wrong, the combination of ingredients on this bagel was delicious, but it was a bit much for my personal taste. I love a classic bacon, egg and cheese combo, and this bagel would be a good choice for a day when I have a bigger appetite.
*Instagram poll of 123 votes
This bagel didn’t wow me, but it emulated a classic bagel sandwich that reminded me of a New-Yorkstyle delicacy. Although the bagel was very filling, it was nonetheless delicious and should remain a staple on the Luca Bagel menu.
5/5 STARS 4/5 STARS
THE SALT BAGEL with cream cheese and tomato is an ideal breakfast for anyone who prefers a refreshing option. The salt bagel was similar to a plain bagel but topped with decadent flaky salt. It had a subtle savory flavor, topped with cream cheese, tomato and drizzled with olive oil and salt. The flavors all paired together divinely, and eating it made me feel sophisticated
because of the combination of flavors. This bagel would be my go-to choice when I want something on the lighter side. It left me fulfilled and the right amount of full.
This bagel wasn’t nearly as memorable as the pretzel bagel, but I had no notes and it would be the right treat for a casual day.
design by MICHAEL YI
“Wednesday: Season Two” mirrors the show “Stranger Things,” subtracting from the originality of the series
story by SOPHIA BROCKMEIER
AT THE NEVERMORE Academy for Outcasts, it’s back-to-school season. But, this school looks a little different from SM East.
Trade textbooks for spell books, classroom pets for bloodthirsty bats and tight-knit friend groups for ever-present stalkers, and you’ll get the first week of school — Wednesday Addams style.
“Wednesday,” a popular, horror TV show first released in November 2022, follows the story of Wednesday Addams and her spooky journey through Nevermore. The second season of this widely popular show released the first four episodes on Aug. 6, and the final four come out tomorrow.
At times, I would find myself laughing at Wednesday’s daring comebacks, but “Wednesday: Season Two” was unoriginal and eerily similar to another Netflix creation: “Stranger Things.” The four-season TV show takes place in a small Indiana town and is centered around a young girl, Eleven, and her psychic abilities.
Maybe it’s the fact that I binge-watched the entirety of “Stranger Things” this summer, but I can’t see past the similarities between the two Netflix originals — it’s woefully obvious.
The first, and most apparent, similarity: Wednesday’s black tears and Eleven’s blood dripping from her nose. Both caused by overuse of supernatural powers, it’s clear the two producers had the same idea in mind. Let’s use some creativity and at least pick a different sign to display mental exhaustion.
Furthermore, in both “Stranger Things Season 4” and “Wednesday: Season 2,” the main character’s struggle to fight flying animals, bats and crows respectively. Surely a crow wasn’t the best villain’s sidekick that director Tim Burton, the mastermind behind “Beetlejuice,” could think of.
Student’s opinions on the new season of “Wednesday”
Additionally, the bats and crows were both controlled by a hive-mind, leading towards a greater villain. This is an overused plot of a horror film, and it’s just sloppy to release “Wednesday: Season Two” and “Stranger Things” with annoyingly similar plots.
“Stranger Things” is an engaging and intriguing show with aspects of horror, but no one wants to watch the same show twice.
Sure, rewatching a classic like “Gilmore Girls” every fall is nostalgic, but seeing a supposedly “different” show with the same details as another is stale.
Combined mental activity expressed in coordinated, complex behavior similar to a single mind
If that isn’t enough to convince you that the two shows are practically identical, listen to this. Both of the main characters, Wednesday and Eleven, defeat their enemies through their psychic abilities.
Even more, both characters retreat to a third-dimensional type of reality to reach the person they’re trying to contact. A black abyss or a spooky graveyard — what’s the difference?
Don’t get me wrong, the introduction of “Wednesday: Season Two” was phenomenal. It was set in our hometown of Kansas City, and threw me right into the plot of the new season. However, the catch comes when Wednesday uses her mind to track down her victim, The Kansas City Scalper, and finish off the murder.
It’s scarily close to how Eleven uses her psyche to save her home town, Hawkins, Indiana, from an underground monster.
I was devastated. If I’m going to wait over three years for a sequel to “Wednesday,” at least make it innovative and original.
The first season of “Wednesday” was a masterpiece. The cameos, such as Christina Ricci as an evil science teacher and characters
GIGI HOFFMANN FRESHMAN
such as “Thing,” made “Wednesday” so addictive. I was really looking forward to the same thrilling feeling again in the sequel.
But, I’ll give it to Burton — “Wednesday: Season Two” is funny. From the opening credits when Wednesday goes through TSA with murder weapons to sly side comments while at boarding school, I wasn’t short of a good laugh while watching the show.
Burton even uses clever play on words of the phrase “woe,” like “Here We Woe Again” and “Call of the Woe,” to name the episodes. It’s clear that hours of effort were put into perfecting the little details throughout the series. I wish they’d put more time into developing a storyline that differentiated themselves from “Stranger Things.”
And let’s not forget, nothing, not even creativity points, can make up for the fact that “Wednesday: Season Two” was unoriginal and repetitive. I’m not alone in my disappointment with the second season; in fact, views have dropped by 42% since the first week of premiere, according to Variety. Let’s hope the next four episodes start to branch out.
In classic “Wednesday: Season Two” fashion, if these woes could talk, they’d say to skip the drop tomorrow and return to your totally original, cult-classic favorite: “Wednesday.”
I REALLY LIKE it right now. I just don’t like how the parents are getting more of a storyline. Nobody cares about the parents. It’s about Wednesday.
I LIKED this season more because it kept you at the edge of your seat and it was very fun to watch. The writing isn’t the best, but it isn’t the worst, so I thought it was pretty good.
THE LEATHER SEATS shook from the speakers during the opening scene of “Weapons”, while the rock song “Beware of Darkness” by George Harrison rang throughout the theater. I had a gut feeling that I’d enjoy the movie.
And that’s how the feeling stayed.
I enjoyed it, but it didn’t make me feel much more. Just a sense of brief amusement.
“Weapons,” is a horror film directed by Zach Cregger and revolves around the mystery of 17 children from the same classroom who all ran away from their homes at 2:17 a.m.
The movie is broken up into six segments, showing the stories of different characters in the town of Maybrook, Pennsylvania and how the disappearance of the children affected the characters.
I wanted to hate this movie. It’s far easier to hate than to love, and it’s much easier to write a negative review. I spent the first 30 minutes of the movie picking apart every piece of dialogue, every shot and every detail.
Although I did find things to dislike about the movie, like how they handled the mystery—which felt apathetic at times—and the moments of poor writing, I finally allowed myself to enjoy the film. And once the end credits began to roll, I was beaming.
During the first segment of the movie, my mom turned to me and said, “It’s kind of dragging, don’t you think?”
No.
I really didn’t.
The film kept each segment fairly succinct and they all felt rewarding. It was fascinating to see how the cast of characters’ reacted to the missing children.
Some characters were mourning, some weren’t aware of the mystery and some had no interest in it, but all their lives were drastically affected by the lost kids.
However, I was underwhelmed by how the mystery was handled. For a movie that revolves entirely around the mystery of the children disappearing, I wish they handled it better.
The best mysteries in cinema hide the details and allow you to piece it together alongside the characters. “Weapons” just withheld information until the end, which is a cheap way of crafting an enigma.
Yet I still enjoyed the mystery and journey of the movie. “Weapons” kept you guessing and challenged your sense of security until the very last line of dialogue.
The movie had many vivid images that freaked me out in the theater, such as the dream sequences of characters. Cregger and the team that worked on the film clearly have a firm grasp on what makes good horror.
But the movie wasn’t entirely caught up in fear.
As one of the founders of comedy group “The Whitest Kids U’ Know,” it was clear that Cregger couldn’t help but add an arsenal of comedic moments to the movie.
But as I laughed, I began to worry that the movies used its comedy to shroud
WEAPONS (2025): - 7.8/10 IMDb rating - Hints at ghostly apparitions - Six main characters - $3.8 million budget
much of its poor writing. In film, plot holes are usually paved over with humor. At times, the film was guilty of employing that technique.
The movie leaves a lot unanswered. This was my biggest critique, but if the parents of those children don’t get the answers they want, why should we?
Many ends are left loose. Precious time is spent carving character traits with little importance to the overarching plot and themes.
Such as the missing kids’ teacher Justine Gandy’s alcoholism. The movie took its time detailing that aspect of her character when it didn’t affect the overall messaging of the film.
Well, what is the messaging of the movie?
Come to think of it, I didn’t pick up on much messaging; I just had a good time with the movie.
When telling my friends about how I watched the film, my buddy said, “Isn’t it about school shootings?”
School shootings? I guess looking back on the movie, school shootings made sense considering how it revolved around a tragedy of children at school. But with how steeped in comedy the film was, it made me doubt his notion. How could a movie that made me laugh out loud undertake such a violent crime?
But for Cregger, the film tackles how alcoholism has impacted his life.
When speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Cregger said, “But I don’t care if any of this stuff comes through, the alcoholic metaphor is not important to
me. I hope people have fun, honestly. It’s not really my business what people make of the movie.”
I’ve seen alcoholism show its face to others throughout my life, but none of that messaging got through to me, and I suppose Cregger doesn’t care.
Outside of being an enjoyable horror movie, “Weapons” displays the battle between meaning and entertainment in film.
For those who interact with the movie, it is a versatile Swiss Army knife of meaning. A poignant, metaphor-rich film, a comedic, bloody horror film or anything up to your own interpretation.
Of course, movies with open-ended interpretations are nothing new. What intrigued me about this film was how uninterested with public perception Cregger was. He created a movie that accepted others labelling it as just another inane horror movie.
I know none of this is particularly groundbreaking, but it’s refreshing to see an artist not take his work too seriously. Cregger understands that not every movie needs to be this nutrient-rich “Guernica” of cinema.
When I watch most movies, I attempt to find some kind of meaning, even when it’s not there. I loved seeing Cregger create a film that accepts that it could make you feel a plethora of things, not just his view of the film. He doesn’t care what you get out of it as long as you enjoy it.
And for me, I just had a good time with the movie. Nothing more, and that’s okay.
Similarities and differences between two films directed by Zach Cregger, “Weapons” and “Barbarian”
BARBARIAN (2022):
- 7.0/10 IMDb rating - No supernatural elements - Three main characters - $4.5 million budget
BOTH: - Horror/Mystery - Female protagonists - Take place in same universe
ANNA CICERO SENIOR
MY MOM played tennis so I grew up watching matches and then got into it in 8th grade. This year I’m excited about all of the new players there’s about 190 girls total.
Junior Lainey Barrett has been on the varsity volleyball team since her freshman year
LAINEY BARRETT JUNIOR
games
I GOT INTO volleyball because my mom coached the team in 4th grade and I ended up liking it more than other sports. I’m looking forward to all of our game days and our team sleepover.
story by CHRISTOPHER LONG
DRIVING THROUGH the red dirt roads of Eldoret, Kenya, Fina Kessler stared out the window of the taxied Toyota Land Cruiser, taking in the tall grass and baobab trees on the seven-hour drive from the airport.
Driving through the red dirt roads of Eldoret, Kenya, Fina Kessler stared out the window of the taxied Toyota Land Cruiser, taking in the tall grass and baobab trees on the seven-hour drive from the airport.
After creating a non-profit, Hoops 4 Her, Kessler fundraised through selling t-shirts and forming a SunflowerLeague donation competition to support her dream of hosting her own basketball camp for female athletes in Kenya.
And, as Kessler and her parents arrived at Moi University in Eldoret, Kenya to prepare for five, eight-hour days, she knew that her vision had all led up to this point.
“I had no idea how the camp was going to go,” Kessler said. “It
was really good to work on how to act confident when you don’t have any idea what you’re doing, but still try to pretend like you do.”
Although she founded Hoops 4 Her almost a year ago, the camp in Kenya over the summer was the first one she has hosted for her non-profit.
Along the way, Kessler’s Hoops 4 Her idea has been tweaked, shaped and influenced by her personal and academic experiences.
Last summer, amidst the Texas heat and humidity, Kessler wrapped up her six-day social entrepreneurship camp at Rice University with a simple activity — a Take Action Challenge.
Although she didn’t have a particular idea in mind, Kessler drew inspiration from her 2023 summer family trip to Kenya, where Kessler and her family visited a local school and played soccer with the students.
Senior Fina Kessler started a non-profit, Hoops 4 Her, to empower young girls through basketball
Only half of them, that is.
“While we were playing, I noticed that only the boys got to play, and the girls just had to wait on the sidelines,”
Fina said. “I’ve always been encouraged to just jump right in and play with the boys, so I found this very strange.”
After presenting for her Take Action Challenge at Rice University, two months in, Hoops 4 Her formed a board of directors.
Two months later, it became an officially recognized 501c3 non-profit.
Then, on April 26, Hoops 4 Her secured $2,500 for winning the SMSD Big Idea Grant Competition.
But, whether it was four hours of daily Hoops 4 Her website development or half-time donation speeches at every girls basketball home game, the journey of Hoops 4 Her has been a series of small steps — all in the direction of female empowerment.
WE COULD not have done it any of this without really strong Kenyan partners who knew how to navigate and do all the preparation before we got there.
SARAH KESSLER FINA’S MOM 5 ABOUT Statistics about camp at Moi University $2,500 grant 7 campers 7 coaches
5 days
From there, Kessler came up with the idea to create a non-profit organization called Hoops 4 Her that’ll provide education, equipment and trainingspecific camps for female athletes in need.
Another one of these steps was enlisting help from the co-creator of the Sunflower Smack Show, a podcast solely focused on promoting girls basketball in Kansas, Bryan Geary.
A banker by day, and non-profit expert on the side, Geary has deep experience with developing new organizations — especially non-profits. Geary has helped establish non-profits such as Eye for an Immigrant — a nonprofit started by an Olathe School District high school student — as well as working for other organizations, including the Olathe Public Schools Foundation and Health Forward Foundation.
After Kessler posted her idea on the new Hoops 4 Her Instagram account, Geary reached out and offered his expertise in building Kessler’s nonprofit — specifically writing grant requests and prepping fundraising speeches.
“Fina has a huge mind for her age and so I try to stay out of the way and let her ideas get bounced off other females on the board,” Geary said. “Why have the white 50-year-old male try to steer the ship of a female empowerment nonprofit?”
At a lunch at the Broken Egg Cafe, Kessler and Geary formed a partnership
built on their shared vision: creating worldwide opportunities for female athletes.
Geary currently serves as the Treasurer of Hoops 4 Her on the Board of Directors, and has helped Fina prepare for speeches, build fundraising events and manage the economic aspect of operating a non-profit.
Alongside Geary, Fina’s parents, Sarah and David Kessler, helped build Hoops 4 Her from the initial idea to the inaugural camp.
Sarah works in Public Health Research as a professor at The University of Kansas and serves as the President of Hoops 4 Her. With Kenyan passport stamps and a specialty in human immunodeficiency virus research, Sarah has established an industry varied network in Kenya.
Sarah explained that she worked very closely with her research partner and Hoops 4 Her board member, May Maloba, to plan the camp logistics of feeding 70 people for five days, which gym to host the camp at and which coaches to hire.
“We couldn’t have done any of this without really strong Kenyan partners who knew how to navigate and do all the preparations there before we got there,” Sarah said.
Although the camp has since ended, Kessler plans to make it an annual summer event and, after graduating high school, is planning to develop an official Hoops 4 Her club basketball team in Eldoret, Kenya.
All of Kessler’s efforts have been woven into the same school that she has spent three years attending, nine months a year — SM East.
“The success of Hoops 4 Her is such a Shawnee Mission East achievement,” Sarah said. “There was so much generosity of people to give, when really, this was an untested concept, and we hadn’t achieved it yet. We have a lot of gratitude for people’s willingness to support and it made it possible.”
Who doesn’t like shouting the “Do It” chant with all your classmates, watching cheer and dance perform and finally singing the school song with the band?
Whether its before the Rockhurst game or SM South game you can always count on a Baño to hype up students.
The annual senior Chili Cook-Off occurs in November to raise money for the Johnson County Christmas Bureau.
Start getting ready for the first school dance, occurring later than usual on Oct. 11.
While taking these tests are some of the most stressful times of the year, once they are finished, it feels like a weight is lifted off your shoulders.
At the end of each sports season, its great seeing your senior teammates or friends get recognition for their commitment to their sport.
COLLEGE CONCERT
The philharmonic, symphonic and concert orchestras take the stage on March 11 for their annual College Concert.
STUCO hosts the annual trivia night during third quarter. Teams of one teacher and five students answer questions ranging from Disney princesses to “Guess that song.”
SHARE hosts the tournament every November to gather cereal boxes for the Johnson County Christmas Bureau. Students are able to create their own teams for a chance to bring home the trophy.
Get ready for the SM East Blue Knights on Sept. 6 for their performance at the Prairie Village Jazz Festival.
For the final dance of the year on April 18, upperclassman get dressed up one last time before the conclusion of the school year.
A list of SM East events to look forward to for this upcoming year
The best feeling is waking up to a text telling you school is canceled. Then you can sleep in or go sledding with your friends.
One of the best feelings is singing the school song after a SM East victory. There will be plenty of opportunities this year to experience an East win.
Graduation is the final event SM East students will attend. All your high school work amounting to the moment when you walk across the stage to receive your diploma.
Everyone knows the feeling on Wednesday night when you remember it’s late start the next day and you get an extra hour of sleep.
While only seniors are able to be part of Homecoming and Sweetheart court every student gets a chance to vote on who they want to win.
Whether you are part of the court or watching from the crowd, it is an moment of anticipation to witness which of your fellow students win.
Theatre students in the Advanced Rep Class direct shows that are frequently shown on Fridays. The first performance is on Sept. 19. See the full list of shows on the SME Theatre website.
The band and Lancer Dancers dress up with LED lights to perform after a Lancer football game for a dazzling performance.
For the first football game of the year get ready to travel through time for the annual Lancer Day parade on Sept. 5.
Unlike the usual school dances, MORP is the opposite — you don’t dress formal or have a date. You can just go and dance with your friends.
Considerably the most heated rivalry at SM East this year will unfold during a home game on Jan. 30.
Whether it is a sports team or club, getting involved in SM East activities is a great way to find new connections with people you wouldn’t usually get the chance to meet.
One of the concluding events of the year is getting a yearbook. Having all your friends sign your yearbook is the perfect end to the school year.
The final performance of the Lancer Dancer season occurs on April 2, it features performances from the JV and varsity teams, solo dances from seniors and the Mancer Dancers.
While this is not an event, the many “zoo” animals that fill the third floor science hallway is one of the most memorable features of SM East.
design by SIENNA WILLIAMS
photos by LAYLA LOVE
Gymnastics program prepares for its final season with record paticipation
story by VANESSA BLADES
District gymnastics program will not continue after the current season is over, and the sport will be retired. Due to the program ending, more gymnasts want to join the team such as juniors Piper Kiehne, Bella Drier and sophomore Zoey Allen. Allen and Kiehne practiced gymnastics for 12 years before deciding to quit. Allen and Kiehne got a text from head coach Sarah Hink that they were shutting down the program and encouraged them to join the team.
Allen and Kiehne miss the feeling of flipping through the air and being a part of a team and having a place to go. A second home.
“[Sarah] reached out to me that they were shutting it down after this year so I decided it’d be fun to just be able to do the movements of gymnastics again,” Allen said. “And to be with a team able to compete in gymnastics has always been special to me.”
To prepare, Kiehne and Allen went to open gyms at Impact gymnastics where they can use the equipment and practice their skills on Wednesdays.
This was the deciding factor as to whether they wanted to do it or not, they wanted to see if they had the muscle memory of doing their old skills.
Club and high school had many differences they weren’t ready for, nor expecting. The main difference is being on dead mat, meaning the floor has no springs.
When Allen was trying to do aa roundoff backhandspring backflip, she realized how much more power she would need to use to flip through the air high
enough. She tried again running way harder and using way more force making adjustments to do well on the floor. Here lies another difference, being the scoring dynamic and the different requirements needed in routines.
Senior Andi Prendiville has been on the high school gymnastics team for three years now and this will be her fourth. She has been working to expand the team since the seniors from last year graduated.
Alumni Zoe Chaney and Ashley Freund were part of the cheer team with Prendville and they convinced her to join the team.
After they left, Prendiville knew she wanted to continue, but when she found out the program was coming to an end, she didn’t know how to feel, she was upset because of all her work she put into the program but was happy that she got to do her last year. She had worked hard to build up the program for the past 3 years and fought to grow the team, pushing through injuries and the loss of teammates.
“It’s kinda weird now because there’s no one older so I kinda do my own thing,” said Prendiville. “It’s a little more intimidating this year because I don’t have someone that knows it like I do and can defend my decisions.”
Prendiville gets to see people from different schools, and after all this time, she knows all the judges who can help her by pulling her aside after meets and talking to her, and they try to give everyone the best score possible. It’s really just one big family, according to Prendiville.
Head coach Sarah Hink reached out to current and former gymnasts when she found out the team was coming to
Gymnastics program prepares for its final season with record paticipation
an end to give everyone who could the opportunity.
Hink was told there were two or three seasons left until she opened her email during the summer to a PDF attachment from a person she had never heard of, saying they were sunsetting the sport.
“Particularly for East I knew there was talent and I heard through the grape vine of some higher level gymnast who walked the halls of East so I reached out because I really want East to go out with a bang after getting 3rd in state last year, Hink said.”
Hink loves coaching high school gymnastics as it gives girls the opportunity to try gymnastics one more time, whether they have quit club or not.
“I just love watching girls find their love for the sport again,” Hink said. “ You can be at your own pace, it’s just kind of rewarding to watch.”
SEPTEMBER 2, 2025
Students and staff members share their most memorable moments, places or traditions during their time at SM East
Other examples of student’s favorite spots
5th floor girls’ bathroom Bath & Body Works soaps
4th floor “Chem Corner”
“Secret stairwell” between the Auxiliary & Main Gym
English teachers’ corner outside of English rooms
Library study pods
HANK HUNTER SENIOR
IT’S JUST THE ultimate show of love for the traditions of East, and just how much we love our school. I think it just really brings everyone together, and it’s for the greater good.
EMMA CHALK ART TEACHER
IT GIVES [STUDENTS] a real opportunity to get into a gallery space and see artwork in a collection that’s been curated based on a theme or on a communal aspect, which you don’t necessarily see all that much in a classroom setting.
MADIE HUDON SENIOR
MY FIRST FREQUENT Friday was Libby McShane’s, and I remember coming in and I was really, really nervous to audition for it, but I feel like the directors did a really great job of calming the freshmen down and just being like ‘give it your all, if it happens it happens.’
