SHAWNEE MISSION EAST
OCTOBER 27, 2025 VOLUME
OCTOBER 27, 2025
EDITORS DESIGN
DESIGN EDITORS
PRINT EDITORS
Sophia Brockmeier
Libby Marsh STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS
ONLINE EDITORS
Luciana Mendy
Lucy Stephens
ASST. PRINT EDITORS
Avni Bansal
Michael Yi
ASST. ONLINE EDITOR
Christopher Long
HEAD COPY EDITORS
Libby Marsh
Luciana Mendy
ASST. HEAD COPY
EDITOR
Grace Pei
PRINT PHOTO EDITOR
Paige Bean
Will Griffith
ASST. PHOTO EDITORS
Addie Clark
Molly Scott
Ava Towner
Tyler Russell
PHOTO MENTORS
Addie Clark
Katie Cook
Sylvie DeGalan
Zac Russell
VIDEO EDITORS
Preston Hooker
Bella Broce
Sydney Eck
ASST. DESIGN EDITORS
Evelyn Bagley
Lucy Swope
DESIGN MENTORS
Lyla Weeks
Miranda Liberda
Julia Campbell
Tillie Paisner
PAGE DESIGNERS
Madeline Glasier
Devon McFadden
Ella Slicker
Kennedy Moore
Eisley Foster
SECTION EDITORS EDITORIAL
Ashtyn Ingram NEWS
Addy Newman OPINION
Adyson Cooper
Julia Campbell A&E Tillie Paisner
Liberda
ART EDITOR
Francesca Lorusso
Annie Trenkle
Simon Shawver
Evelyn Geheb
Emma Weidman
Molly McDermed
Vivien Glenski
Anastasia Flower
Lexi Madden
Maggie Rogers
Layla Love
Sophia Cicero
Avra Welling
Darcy Kroening
Charlotte Walton
RJ Kordalski
Lexi Madden
Evelyn Gehab
Alex Harden
Avra Welling
Griffith MULTIMEDIA STAFF
Emma Weidman EQUIPMENT MANAGER
STAFF WRITERS
Vanessa Blades
Reese Dunham
Alex Harden
Sloane Henderson
Sienna Williams
Anya Hudson
Bridget Dean
STAFF ARTISTS
Preston Hooker
Tillie Paisner
Ella Slicker
Eisley Foster
COPY EDITORS
Preston Hooker
Caroline Beal
Addy Newman
Mya Smith
SOCIAL MEDIA EDITORS
Bella Broce
Lucy Stephens
ASST. SOCIAL MEDIA EDITORS
Evelyn Bagley
Ashtyn Ingram
SOCIAL MEDIA STAFF
Ashtyn Ingram
Evelyn Bagley
Adyson Cooper
Madeline Glasier
Devon McFadden
Sydney Eck
Lyla Weeks
Lucy Swope
ADS MANAGERS
Preston Hooker
Molly McDermed
Adyson Cooper ASST. ART EDITOR
Julia Campbell
CIRCULATION MANAGER
Zac Russell
CONTEST COORDINATORS
Hannah Rosemann
Effie Roper
Christopher Long
Tyler Russell
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stories by SOPHIA BROCKMEIER
THE BUSINESS TEACHER Jennifer Hair introduced the Business Professionals of America Conference at SM East this year to increase student involvement in business and marketing-related fields through competitions.
The BPA organization allows students to compete online and in-person in various categories, such as finance and digital design, both at state and national competitions. BPA is similar to DECA; however, students can compete online and don’t have to be currently enrolled in a business or marketing class to participate.
According to the BPA website, these
The new BPA conference offers business and marketing opportunities to all students
competitions give students across the country the opportunity to develop, compete and lead through group projects as they prepare for careers in today’s modern business environment.
Twenty-two East BPA Conference members, the majority being from students in Hair’s Digital Design Project Management class, attended the Fall Conference at Johnson County Community College on Sept. 29 to learn about the BPA organization as a whole.
“There were six sessions and each one had a different agenda,” BPA member and senior Phoebe Kaneda said. “I went to one on visual learning, which was like presentations, and then I went to another one about awards and
competitions you can enter from doing BPA.”
Students can get involved in BPA by scanning the QR code on posters around the school. This makes the program more flexible and approachable for all students, according to Hair.
“We want to give all Lancers a competitive advantage after they leave in four years,” Hair said. “Also, a secondary goal is that they would know how a business runs, be interested in it and have the background knowledge and practice of how to present yourself and the business.”
To fill out an interest Google Form for the Business Professionals of America SCAN ME FORM
The first annual Trunk or Treat StuCo fundraiser occurred on Oct. 26
THE STUDENT COUNCIL Trunk or Treat took place on Oct. 26 in the main parking lot from 5-6:30 p.m., where local children could get candy.
Special Events Committee co-chairs and juniors Braxton Jeffrey and Zac Russell organized the event in hopes of bringing together the SM East and feeder elementary school communities.
“The idea is that organizations like soccer would have a specific theme like soccer zombies or something like that,” Jeffrey said. “And, if people want to dress up, they can. If they don’t, that’s okay too.”
Senior Fina Kessler came up with the Trunk or Treat idea last year at a quarterly StuCo meeting, but wasn’t able to hold the event due to limited time. Jeffrey and Russell were able to organize the event for this school year by starting earlier.
I AM THE most proud of how everything came together. It’s a great sense of community — seeing all the clubs and all the sports unite for one event.
BRAXTON JEFFREY JUNIOR
Clubs, activities and sports teams completed a Google Form sent out through Instagram to register and brought candy and decorations for the event.
“What I was envisioning for this was Lancer Day,” Kessler said. “[Lancer Day] is a community event, but the kids are just watching from the sidelines. At Trunk or Treat, they’re able to go up and meet the football team or the drama club.”
As of Oct. 20, 10 groups had signed up for Trunk or Treat.
“I am the most proud of how everything came together,” Jeffrey said. “It’s a great sense of community — seeing the clubs and all the sports unite for one event.”
IB statistics were released relating to IB program enrollment The Kansas Young
Statistics were released on Oct. 13 relating to the IB Program enrollment increases
THE INTERNATIONAL Baccalaureate program experienced the highest enrollment since its establishment at SM East in 1994, with over 100 students enrolled in IB courses in 2024 and 263 IB subject tests given in 2024, according to a post on the @smeastlancers Instagram account on Oct. 13.
The IB program has been growing in popularity due to the international prestige and course rigor, according to principal Jason Peres.
Junior Claire Rosen is enrolled in IB Diploma, committing to six IB classes, because she wanted to do creative projects, such as designing her own chemistry labs. Now, she’s experiencing the larger class numbers that coincide with the increase in IB interest.
“We’re a lot closer to the teacher in our smaller classes,” Rosen said. “On Tuesdays,
I go straight from math, where it’s literally just [18] people in diploma, to History of the Americas, where we have over 25. It’s really jarring.”
Due to the increase in IB popularity, East has been able to steadily add three courses: Environmental Systems & Societies, Philosophy and Film Studies, according to the @smeastlancers Instagram post.
“It’s a growing program, and I think many of our students see it as an opportunity to challenge themselves at the highest level and really build a high school resume that qualifies them for some of the most elite universities in the country,” Peres said. “It helps students who really want to challenge themselves currently and in the future. I’m proud of their work.”
KC Current midfielder Lo’eau LaBonta was called up to the USWNT
The Tea App helps women date safely, but can be harmful to men who are posted
*names changed to protect identity
story by LIBBY MARSH
The Tea App set of guidelines for its users
*According to the Tea App
The app is for women only and you must verify your identity through a selfie before being permitted to use the app.
2 -
The app cannot be used for political or commercial reasons like spam or unsolicited advertising.
You can not interact with or promote any conduct that would violate the law.
4 -
It should be used for information about dating topics like “red flags”and performing background checks on potential partners.
HE TEA APP is designed to help women date safely and has gained popularity among SM East students throughout October. However, the app was removed from the Apple App Store as of Oct. 21 because it violated privacy requirements, according to AppleInsider. Those with the app can still access it, but it can no longer be downloaded.
The app is intended for women 18 years or older, and only men 18 years or older can be posted. However, many SM East students under 18 have the app.
A face verification process that takes about three days is required for everyone who downloads it to ensure that they are female. The app allows women to anonymously post men, asking for information about someone they’re in a relationship with or considering dating. Women can also add red or green flags to posts and comment, sharing information about men they know or have dated.
Tea also has a chat feature where women can post relationship questions and other members can comment with advice and a sex offender map. The premium version costs $14.99 a month with more features, including a criminal background check, reverse phone number search and reverse image search.
Students have mixed opinions on the app, as some appreciate how it helps women date safely, while
others believe it has turned into a gossip app.
Sophomore Riley Jones* downloaded the app two weeks ago after hearing her friends talk about it but doesn’t know any students who use the app for its intended purpose.
“I feel like it’s mostly gossip, but also, just for sh*ts and giggles and stuff,” Jones said. “And a lot of my friends and a lot of people I know, they literally just use it to laugh at it.”
Sophomore Desi Perry learned that he was posted on the app anonymously and has received 24 green flags, four red flags and 15 comments. The majority of the comments were positive; however, he wonders about the four red flags he’s received.
“I feel like [Tea] is not getting enough backlash [and] I feel like it’s really immature,” Perry said. “It’s a little pushy. There’s some opinions on me that I wish people didn’t have. It doesn’t feel good knowing that four people don’t think you’re a good person.”
Perry is 16 years old and was posted in violation of the 18-year limit. Jones has noticed that half of the people posted on the app are under the age of 18, and some are far younger. She has seen posts of middle schoolers, freshman and sophomore boys.
Tea allows users to filter the location, distance and age range of people who are posted. When setting the filter on the app to anyone posted within a 100-mile radius of Prairie Village and 18 years old, nearly half of the 29 entries that come up are men under the age of 18.
Sophomore Madelyn Keene posted someone that she and her friend knew to see if anyone on the app had any “tea” about him and would comment.
The post received 30 comments and many red flags, revealing information she didn’t know.
“We posted this guy on it that we know just to see if other people would know who he is,” Keene said. “And I think that’s what everyone does. It’s just to see what people will say about them because no one knows that you posted it, and guys can’t get the app.”
One of the rules for girls with the app is that all posts and comments must be true. However, according to Jones, people have commented false statements about men. One of Perry’s friends was posted and received 65 red flags because of an untrue rumor that circulated last year, according to Perry.
“I feel like just because of that one rumor, it ruined people’s perspective on him,” Perry said. “The Tea App can grow that perspective to even more people who are unaware. So it’s just like a gossip center.”
Keene echoes this idea and mainly sees the app as a form of entertainment. She views the app as just a trend that will disappear in a few months.
“I think it’s just a thing right now and it’ll go away,” Keene said. “It’s a trend and then no one will post on it in a couple months, and it won’t be a thing anymore.”
In an Instagram poll of 157 students, 126 responded saying they think the app is overall negative. Perry urges any girl on the app to only use it positively.
“There’s no good outcome of shaming someone just because of your [opinions],” Perry said. “I mean, it can grow real big, real fast, like my friend’s [post] did, and just if you’re gonna use it, be positive. If you don’t have anything good to say, just don’t say it at all.”
Women in Leadership, a student-led program, is now allowing juniors on their leadership council
story by BRIDGET DEAN
THE SM EAST chapter of Women in Leadership is allowing juniors to be on the leadership council for the first time this year, a new change from the all-senior council in the past. Juniors Vada Walsh and Tori Roland were selected for the council alongside four other seniors.
WIL is an organization offered at all SMSD high schools that provides opportunities for girls in any grade level to gain confidence and develop leadership skills with their peers. The leadership council is a select group responsible for organizing and planning the meetings. The first one took place on Oct. 23.
SM EAST STUDENTS
Are participating in Women In Leadership this school year
Building sponsor for WIL Kelsi Horner saw that other schools had juniors on their leadership council. Horner decided to let juniors apply for the leadership council to keep up with what the other schools’ programs were doing and to help create a smooth transition from council to council each year.
“When you go to do stuff next year, there’s not necessarily that transition of knowledge, so having a junior on that council kind of ensures that forward motion and that the mistakes or whatever we learned from last year don’t get carried over to the next year,” Horner said.
Including juniors on the council this year also provides the opportunity for them to potentially stay on the council again for their senior year. They’d be able to help teach the new members the roles of the council.
“I applied not really knowing for sure if I would get it or not, because it’s typically a senior thing, but then I ended up getting
it, and it was really exciting to be one of the only juniors chosen,” Walsh said.
Walsh and Roland were both unsure if they would get the position, thinking it would only go to seniors, but were pleasantly surprised to be accepted onto the council.
“It feels really cool,” Roland said. “I mean, [Horner] picked people with different activities under their belt that can bring in different perspectives.”
They have meetings monthly to decide which two will run the next meeting.
the community it’s created. It’s really fun to be around such a nice group of girls that are so supportive.
Walsh and Roland have stepped right up to the job, working with the four seniors on the council to plan meetings and coordinate new additions to the program, such as WIL families. The families are a new initiative this year where upperclassmen are paired with lowerclassmen to help build relationships.
CHLOE HARMON SENIOR
“We heard from other schools that they had [families], and it seemed to help attendance, but also just having someone different to depend on, and we tried to group them with their career interests,” Roland said.
WIL members can also go on field trips, giving them opportunities to visit local businesses and make connections with professionals. These connections can then help members learn more about potential careers.
Another aspect of the program is the senior mentorship program. Almost all seniors in WIL participate, where they’re assigned a professional in their career field of interest to keep in touch with throughout the year. In the spring, there’s a breakfast with all the WIL seniors and mentors.
“We reach out, and we find mentors in your specific career field that you want to go to,” leadership council member and senior Emma Carolan said.
Carolan works with Walsh and Roland, as well as the other seniors on the council.
AVA CARROLL SENIOR
I LIKE MEETING people from different grades, because sometimes I don’t feel like I have the opportunity to do that, if you don’t play a sport or something. I also really like the field trips that we go on to different locations.
“Each meeting has a general theme, and we decided recently what those would be, then two people plan each meeting and lead that [meeting], but everyone’s facilitating it,” leadership council member and senior Ava Carroll explained.
All of the council members, including the additional juniors, are excited about the new changes to the program and the large number of students who joined this year.
“I really love the community it’s created,” leadership council member and senior Chloe Harmon said. “It’s really fun to be around such a nice group of girls that are so supportive.”
Senior leaders of Women in Leadership express their favorite parts of the program
EMMA CAROLAN SENIOR
I LIKE THAT we give opportunities to learn about career fields, because I feel like it’s really hard for some people to decide on one specific thing that they want to do.
WE ALL WANT to be leaders. We all want to be involved, I just feel like it’s an awesome community and family of girls, [and] we can just talk to each other about anything.
story by MICHAEL YI
ON A SUNNY morning on 75th and Metcalf, swaths of No Kings protesters of all ages brought their concerns with the Trump administration to all four corners of the intersection — along with their two-way signs, American flags and inflatable costumes ranging from unicorns to lobsters. Car horns blew through the air to riotous cheers.
A middle-aged couple protesting, Bill and Nancy Skinner, described their frustration with the continued U.S. inflation and recently halted medical grants.
Nancy, a bankruptcy lawyer, has seen people in her office complain about the rising prices of housing, food and gas. And Bill, a healthcare worker at the University of Kansas Health System, expressed concern over grant freezes that have prevented medical treatment from being processed.
“We have never seen leadership like this in our country,” Bill said. “This is way beyond anything in [my] lifetime. The fact that there’s so many people allowing this to happen in Congress is just unbelievable.”
Protesters from across Kansas City gathered to rally against the White House’s actions in immigration,
education and foreign policy in the second round of No Kings Protests on Oct. 18. The demonstrations were coordinated by Indivisible Kansas City — a progressive movement — and other organizers.
SM East parent and social justice professor Melinda Lewis attended the protests in the Plaza. Lewis is mainly concerned with the immediate repercussions on the community in education and immigration.
“Even when somebody might be somewhat more satisfied than I am with the ends that are achieved, all of us should have concerns about the norms that have upended, the precedents that are being set, and the truly heretofore unimaginable seizure of power by `just one portion of our federal government,” Lewis said.
WE
For disability worker Katy Clanton at the Metcalf protest, one of her greatest concerns with the current Trump administration is their cuts to the Department of Education. During the recent shutdown, the administration laid off over 460 DOE employees in charge of enforcing special education laws.
“The concern of the families I serve [is that] the parents are worried that their loved ones are going to lose all the care and services they receive from all these cuts,” Katy said.
HAVE NEVER seen leadership like this in our country. This is way beyond anything in [my] lifetime. The fact that there’s so many people allowing this to happen in Congress is just unbelievable.”
BILL SKINNER
Nearly seven million Americans from over 4,200 cities across the country attended the protests, according to Indivisible. In an Instagram poll of 153 SM East students, 21% said they planned on attending. The protests in Kansas City took place in Overland Park, Lee’s Summit and Mill Creek Park.
HEALTHCARE WORKER
The protests were populated by those from every age range, with families, kids and pets brought to the rally.
Participants took photos in groups holding their signs and complimented each other’s costumes, according to the Kansas City Star.
An anonymous business owner and mother from the area attended the Metcalf protests due to her nostalgia for a more tolerant America. She also expressed concern regarding the community of customers of her crystal shop. Many of the patrons of her business are Latino, and she feels they’ve gained an increasing fear regarding
The second round of No Kings demonstrations on Oct. 18 drew crowds of protesters across the KC metro to oppose Trump’s actions
Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Senior Sophia Yanics attended the protests in the Plaza with her mother, citing concerns regarding immigration and a disregard for due process. Yanics brought a double-sided sign. One side read “MAKE ORWELL FICTION AGAIN,” and the other side read “MY NEIGHBOR ISN’T A FELON, BUT THE PRESIDENT IS.”
“It just felt like one big community,” Yanics said. “We were all there for the same reasons. It was very peaceful. There was a lot of joy in the air. People were trying to speak up for what they believed in.”
Despite Kansas Senator Roger Marshall stating in an interview the National Guard should be sent to prevent chaos at the protests, Indivisible stated that the protests were peaceful.
Yanics wants to emphasize the importance of protesting even though many young people at SM East may not feel the immediate repercussions of economic and social regressions.
“The people that this is most important [to] mostly can’t go out and protest, so we need to do it for them,” Yanics said. “And just because [this is] not affecting you now, doesn’t mean it’s not going to get worse. It’s really important to stand up and use your voice when there’s so many people that can’t.”
comic strip by TILLIE PAISNER
IHorror movies are overrated and not worth the watch during the Halloween season
LOVE HALLOWEEN. Whether it’s dressing up in flashy animal costumes or decorating my house with dozens of pumpkins, it’s one of my favorite holidays to look forward to.
But there’s one thing that always ruins the Halloween spirit for me — the scary movies.
I will never understand why watching scary movies is what people choose to do in their free time. The terrifying computer–generated imagery and realistic makeup give me shivers, and not in a good way.
Last Halloween, my friends forced me to watch “The Exorcist,” and the awful acting and scary effects concluded that I hate scary movies.
Some people say the movie has one of the best plot lines they’ve ever seen. But I think it’s one of the worst movies I’ve seen.
The makeup in horror movies is what really gives me goosebumps. From bloody cuts to disgusting sweat over the two girls’ faces, it gives them the gothic look, but makes them look like they’re the monsters under my bed.
I would scream bloody murder every second the zombie-looking girls would pop up on the screen, immediately covering my eyes and listening to the background music until the terrifying music was over.
Other movies like “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” “It” opened my eyes wide with suspense and terror, adding to my hate for scary movies. Instead of watching like a normal person, I sit with a blanket over my head and my hands covering my ears, restricting me from any haunting jump scares about to appear.
People won’t be seeing me watching any scary movies this Halloween season. I refuse to put myself in that horrible state again. But if my friends convince me somehow, be prepared for intense screaming and horrible commentary I will be giving.
photos by AVRA WELLING
Students responded to recent a Instagram poll reflecting the hot take about horror movies we asked
KARMINE VEGA SOPHOMORE
ME AND MY dad watch horror movies together when its dark outside, so it makes it more scary and thats why I like horror movies.
LOLA BRAY SOPHOMORE
THE ELEMENTS OF horror movies and how they make me feel makes them exciting to watch.
OWEN ROOK SOPHOMORE
I LIKE HORROR movies because they’re unpredictable and fun to watch.
*Instagram poll of 240 votes DO YOU ENJOY WATCHING HORROR MOVIES?
The U.S. government needs to regulate how much energy from the common energy grid AI companies are allowed to use
The members of the editorial board who agree with the viewpoint of the editorial are represented by for, and those who disagree with the viewpoint are represented by against.
DID YOU HEAR? The AI boom is 17 times larger than the Dot Com boom!”
“Guess what? AI is set to replace all jobs by 2150!”
“Holy cow, check out these new Snapchat AI filters!”
Artificial Intelligence has left us with constant amazement and confusion. It can do everything from create images of Korean presidents eating puff pastries or planning out an almond mom’s wellness journey and schedule, but it’s increasing energy prices for consumers at unfathomable rates.
The U.S. government needs to take action in regulating AI’s energy usage and determine a better energy source than the main power grid that 162 million people across the U.S. use.
AI churns through hundreds of gallons of freshwater, uses thousands of kilowatts of energy and requires acres of data servers that go into the laser-fast generation to write that English essay everyone forgot was due tomorrow.
But until recently, AI’s energy usage hasn’t been at the forefront of consumer concerns.
A 2023 Energy Report uncovered that AI is responsible for 4% of all energy used in the U.S. This number is expected to triple by 2028.
“So what? Why should I care about AI’s blooming energy expansion?”
The answer is an Econ 101 lesson as old as time — supply and demand.
Energy in the United States and in most developed countries comes from a centralized source or an energy grid. This one source powers businesses, consumers and the government. And energy prices are controlled by the supply and demand of the market, with their distribution done on a state-bystate level.
So, with more people deciding to hop on over to ChatGPT for the answers they could find with an easy Google search, AI data centers demand more energy. And prices? They increase exponentially.
But who suffers from these price hikes? Consumers. Yet they have no clue that the same cheat code AI program that helps their productivity is the reason
that money seems to be running from their bank account.
As of Sept. 4, 41 states have declared price increases on electricity in the next year. Kansas and Missouri were among these states.
These price increases aren’t a new scheme by Big Energy to crush the bottom line. Last year, approximately half of nationwide energy-using consumers were affected by price increases of around 7% on electricity, gas and other utilities — largely due to AI usage.
7%. Whatever. What is 7%?
7% represents more than just one slightly more expensive check mailed to Evergy every month. 7% represents the beginning of AI’s grasp on energy and energy prices.
The government can’t allow AI to continue to burn through energy at a rate that consumers can’t handle. 7% last year, could be 15% this year and 25% next year.
The question is, at what point does AI’s rapidly insatiable demand make energy impossible for anyone except for the top one percent to access?
The only solution to this problem is government regulation.
It’s impractical to completely ban AI companies’ use of the common electricity grid, but it must be regulated so prices don’t become unattainable for consumers.
If AI continues to tap their energy from the well of the people, energy will simply be unaffordable for anyone who wants to run a load of laundry or plug in their computer after a long day of emails and Microsoft Excel spreadsheets.
With a simple restriction, minimizing AI’s allowed usage of energy, the government can incentivize the further development of alternative energy sources that are independent from the same
energy that powers our daily lives.
The leading developers of AI technology are already pursuing new ways to power their data centers. META, Google and Amazon have started buying up former nuclear power plants for clean energy with a constant output.
Nuclear power is most certainly not a perfect solution due to its operational risks, but a precedent and example of how AI companies can adjust to alternative energy sources that don’t directly impact consumers.
Without regulating AI’s consumption of energy accessed from the energy grid, the government risks rendering the average consumers’ access to energy impossible.
Through encouragement for independent energy sources and a regulatory cap on the amount of energy that each AI company is allowed to access, the government can ensure that prices will remain within reach and that
Explaining critical concepts about AI and energy
HOW IS WATER USED IN AI DATA CENTERS? Water is used to cool down data centers.
-It can be very dangerous because of radiation, nuclear waste, continuously using up fresh water and being expensive.
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES?
-Geothermal biomass, wind, solar and hydrologic energy.
ENERGY GRID: A common energy source for a certain human populous.
With the increasing use of AI, old-fashioned testing is critical
story by AVNI BANSAL
MY CLASSMATES ARE talking and laughing obnoxiously. Despite there being a 45-minute assignment to complete.
They all say the same thing when I ask why they’re not finishing the assignment in class: “I’ll do it at home.”
But that’s code for “I’ll use ChatGPT at home.”
The reliance on artificial intelligence for completing classwork has escalated. As the year progresses, so does the pervasiveness of AI. I’ve been troubled seeing how many students rely on AI to complete their assignments in all seven of my classes. It makes me feel like students aren’t learning.
Tests, where students don’t have access to AI, are more critical than ever for student learning.
Research published on Oct. 6 finds AI to be “more prevalent than ever in America’s high schools,” with the number of students using AI for schoolwork increasing 5% between January and May, according to College Board.
Because of the reliance on AI to complete take-home assignments, teachers can’t accurately assess whether students are learning. Even if students perform well on assigned tasks, they may not be comprehending the topic.
AI is easy, quick and mindless. But tests are tests . They leave no other option but to study.
Studying for tests means achieving a deeper understanding of problem-solving skills, good study habits and the ability to tackle challenges. All of which require various brain pathways to work together, while AI actually slows down the brain.
According to a study in June by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Media Lab, participants who didn’t use ChatGPT or a search engine while writing an essay showed the strongest “neural connectivity” compared to those who used AI. Using AI caused a progressive loss of brain connections in the study.
In a real job, there will be split-second decisions to be made under pressure in a stressful environment — just like a test when you have to perform in a certain amount of time. School education is structured to help us with this. But AI has interfered with learning so dramatically that curricula haven’t adapted to circumvent this intrusion.
It’s up to students and teachers to do the right thing and genuinely study without using the AI shortcut. After all, I’d rather have a pilot who passed a comprehensive test on weather patterns and meteorology concepts than one who drearily relied on AI for assignments.
Additionally, according to Opportunity Insights, “high school GPA does a poor job of predicting academic success in college,” and “students with higher SAT/ACT scores are more likely to have higher college GPAs than their peers with lower SAT/ACT scores.”
That’s why some schools, according to FutureEd, like Brown, Stanford and Harvard, reverted to requiring test scores after many colleges went testoptional during COVID-19.
Every high school student has heard the words “tests don’t define you.”
True, but dismissive.
I took the PSAT three weeks ago. Regardless of my score, the process of
studying for the test and putting myself under pressure during the test are key reasons why tests are important. It’s about the process, not just the score.
Now imagine a high school without tests. In my philosophy class, this was about to be the reality. There still would’ve been two semester finals for the class, but no unit quizzes or tests. Except, seniors who took philosophy last year regretted not having tests. They felt as if they didn’t retain information without benchmarks to check in on concepts.
So, a month ago, my class had our first quiz over Unit 1. I’m not saying
that I enjoyed taking the quiz, but it forced me to review my notes and revisit concepts from various philosophers. It forced me to learn .
AI is unavoidable. It’s everywhere, and it does have a place in education. It can be used to clarify concepts and summarize information, but we must be able to think and problem-solve independently.
Tests are an objective way to learn and assess progress. While tests aren’t a flawless way of assessing a student’s knowledge, they hold an irreplaceable position in our education system.
Testing needs to stay.
story by PRESTON HOOKER
I’LL BE MISSING my senior-year Halloween weekend to visit Florida State University. It’ll be my first college visit because it’s cheapest over this weekend because of the holiday.
I’ve been asked by peers and parents, “Why are you looking at schools so far away? What’s wrong with KU or K-State?”
While those are both great schools, let me tell you what’s wrong with them.
I ran the official net-price calculator for both schools with my information. If I attended either, I would have an expected debt of $75,000 after completing a fouryear degree.
And that’s in-state.
Neither Kansas school gives good financial aid, that’s a fact. This is fine for students who can afford it and are willing to go into some sort of debt, but I’d argue most students don’t want to go into debt, me included.
Students in need can’t visit colleges across the country that have cheaper prices and provide more aid because they are in need right now: living paycheck to paycheck or in a similar situation.
If a student is interested in schools further away but can’t visit them to see if they would actually want to go, that defeats the whole purpose of having that aid.
So, I’m looking out of state, where need-based colleges are available (with the exception of FSU, which is just a cheaper public school). I can’t say the
same for a lot of my peers.
Out of all students attending the University of Kansas, 60% lived in Kansas before attending. K-State is even more disproportionate: 86% of students were Kansans before attendance, according to College Factual.
Although there’s definitely a portion of those students who genuinely love the schools as their first choice and want to stay close to home, it’s highly likely some of those students think they’re going with the cheapest option besides community college. And though that could be true for some, I doubt it’s true for the majority based on the sheer size of Kansans attending these colleges.
Yes, there are virtual tours, but no one can truly get the full feel of a school from behind a screen. I wouldn’t go to a school I haven’t visited. I don’t think many other people would either.
Some colleges, like Columbia University’s Small-Town and Rural Students program, offer small “fly-in” programs that cover the cost of an allinclusive trip for those accepted. The problem is that these programs are either specific to a certain group — like small towns — and have an extremely low acceptance rate.
If “need-based” and “no-debt” colleges like Columbia actually cared about their students, they would provide ample opportunities for students to visit the college cheaply. No school should assume a student will attend upon the slight possibility of acceptance without visiting.
Colleges should offer students more aid for college visits to prevent students from settling for nearby options
Let me get something straight: I’m not currently in need financially and have a household income that is well above average. However, I would definitely be “in need” if I went to KU with how much debt I would be taking on.
I hadn’t visited a college until now because I’ve been working every day of the summer, after school and weekends — just like 40% of the high school student population, according to College Vine.
I should’ve planned earlier, that’s my fault, but I was also never told to by a counselor or advisor; it goes both ways.
Additionally, the schools that have the best aid have the lowest acceptance rates. I used a list of colleges with need-based aid from College Vine and averaged the acceptance rate between all 30 schools: 7.95%, with the highest on the list being 20%.
That’s a ridiculously low acceptance rate just to be debt-free.
So yes, Princeton would give me a full-ride grant based on their net-price calculator. That’s great, except in order to get into these schools, you need to have insane extracurriculars and essentially no free time.
That means no time to skip town for a few days to walk around New Jersey for a college visit or work as much as 40% of students do.
There are still alternatives, though. There are community colleges or smaller schools that are cheaper, yet I still believe that every student is entitled to as rigorous an education as they like,
which might not be found at your local 4,000-student college.
For the short-term solution, students need to be educated about their options while simultaneously planning their visits ahead of time to avoid overt costs. If they don’t, there’s no benefit to looking at other colleges if you won’t get to physically see them.
Long-term, schools and colleges should be held accountable for either helping all students in planning their trips or aiding students going on said-trips if needed.
That is only, of course, if colleges are truly invested in our futures like they claim to be.
Scan this QR code to purchase photos of the volleyball senior night fundraiser
RIGHT Chiefs
cornerback Trent McDuffie line judges the game.
During the third set of the game, McDuffie called the ball out, making the score 2-1, Lancers.
“We heard it was senior night and thought it was a good idea to come out and support, while also bringing awareness to the [T22 McDuffie] foundation,” McDuffie said.
The Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie, defensive end George Karlaftis, and former head KU volleyball coach Ray Bechard line judged the volleyball senior night game
LEFT The senior volleyball players pose for a picture with Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie and defensive end George Karlaftis, after the Lancers defeated Bishop Miege 3-0. “[I started] the T22 McDuffie Foundation to help kids who dealt with what I dealt with, McDuffie said. I lost my older brother, I just feel like it’s something we all have to go through. Why not share my gifts with everybody else?”
LEFT Freshmen Charlotte Kapke and Hadley Delaney sell shirts before the volleyball senior night game. The t-shirts, worn by the honorary line judges and Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie and defensive end George Karlaftis, were for sale for $15, and a portion of the proceeds were donated to the T22 McDuffie Foundation.
A look inside student life during the past two weeks
BELOW Senior Parker Pillatzke, junior Will Beezley and senior Eli Moon concentrate on their “Light One Candle” sheet music while they practice for their upcoming Christmas concert.
photo by DARCY KROENING
Junior Board’s exec members share their ideas on teamwork and goals for the year
CATHERINE SENIOR
PLAYING TO EACH person’s strengths is important to encourage cooperation. Being dedicated to an organization makes presenting lots of fun.
COLLABORATION AND TEAMWORK comes really easily when you designate work to people’s interests. I think that commitment and communication are very important.
Junior Bella Tilgner and senior Talia Augustine shadow SM East athletic trainer Dakota Gelsheimer to go into the medicine field
FAVORITE PART OF SHADOWING
TALIA: Getting to help people and making a difference in school
BELLA: Getting to learn something new everyday
TYPICAL FOOTBALL GAME-DAY
2:30 P.M. At SM East: fill up waters, fill med kits and help players get taped
4:30 P.M. Head to game and use turf and ankle tape on remaining players players
7:00 P.M. Stand on sidelines, look out for injuries and help supply Dakota when needed
End of game Pack up supplies and head home
MERRYN RUPP JUNIOR
MY GOAL FOR East’s Junior Board is to hopefully reach a wider variety of nonprofits this year. In the past, I think that we’ve seen some repeat organizations, and I think that it could be beneficial to partner with some smaller, lesser known nonprofits.
Senior Adeline Clifford created a research tool aimed at improving breast cancer testing for
story by SIENNA WILLIAMS
THE GYM ECHOED with cheers as senior Adeline Clifford lunged for the volleyball.
Stressed, her only focus seemed to be getting the ball over the net. That’s when she caught a glimpse of
Witnessing their journey inspired Clifford to think about health care beyond her own interests and sparked a determination to help make breast cancer treatment equal and accessible for all women.
Last year, her curiosity and interest turned into the realization that she could do more than just be interested in
professionals in search of a specific area of breast cancer to focus on.
As she continued to research, she came across a certain topic: the racial disparities and access to breast cancer testing. That quickly grabbed her attention and became the foundation for her project.
“African American women have a
But developing the tool requires resilience through setbacks along the way.
Clifford ran into obstacles, from coding errors to figuring out how to properly write scientific literature.
But thankfully, she wasn’t alone. A teacher from the CAA, Dr.Lee and multiple professors at the University of
story by REESE DUNHAM
SEVENTH Avenue in New York City in the peak heat of July, junior Esther Walker knew exactly where she wanted to explore on the last day of her trip.
She beelined through the city blocks to a multi-floor fabric shop called Mood Fabrics in the Garment District.
Immediately after entering the shop, she took the elevator up to the third floor — the fashion fabrics. Her eyes caught on a dazzling pink and gold brocade fabric, and she knew she couldn’t leave the gorgeous fabric’s potential on that shelf.
Since age 5, Walker’s been dreaming about making her own homecoming dress, and she felt that this brocade fabric would make the dress exactly like she’d envisioned for years.
She snapped a picture of the tag so when she was home, she could calculate how much fabric she would need for the dress, and order the exact amount of fabric straight from the Garment District.
“I didn’t know what I was gonna do with it, but I was like, I need something made out of this fabric, because it’s so pretty,” Walker said.
Walker’s sewing hobby started on her fifth birthday when she got a sewing kit, which consisted of items like needles, scissors and a pincushion. She used the same one until she was 10, making trinkets like clothes for stuffed animals out of fabric scraps. On her tenth birthday, she received a classic
Junior Esther Walker has a passion for sewing and takes a fashion design
Singer sewing machine from family friends.
Walker had never used a sewing machine before, so she took the “Driver’s Ed for Sewing Machine classes” at Harper’s Fabric and Quilt Company in Overland Park, which taught her how to operate her machine.
“It was just very basic fabrics, or like very basic projects when I was younger, [and] I really just used cotton. I’ve started getting into more fashion fabrics and focusing more on apparel. That’s definitely a world of its own, and I’ve learned a lot from that,” Walker said.
During her sophomore year, she looked into some of the sewing classes offered at Johnson County Community College because she had an extra hour in her schedule.
Walker enrolled in Apparel Construction 1 at JCCC, which is intended to teach students clothing construction principles, techniques and skills in apparel construction. She hoped that this would help her refine the self-taught sewing skills she already had.
“I’ve learned a lot of things that I knew how to do by hand, but didn’t know how to do on a machine,” Walker said. “So I’ve learned about how to operate a machine, like buttonholes and invisible zippers were one of them. And I learned a machine-invisible hem.”
For many of her projects, she creates her own patterns. After coming up with ideas almost immediately, Walker sketches it out in her notebook, measures herself and then pins all the pieces and sections of the clothes on her dress form.
This year, Walker spent two months designing and altering the self-made pattern of her homecoming dress — the longest she’s ever spent on a sewing project. It took Walker six different mock-up dress patterns before she could order the fabric.
Once she finished the alterations on the pattern, she ordered the fabric from New York and then started to construct the dress. Because it took her longer than she’d anticipated to build the correct pattern, she ended up having only a week to sew her dress with the actual fabric.
“The homecoming dress is a favorite [of mine] that she had that image in her mind this summer when she saw that fabric, and she just made it come to life,” Walker’s mom, Karen Siebert, said. “It was fun to see it all work and put it all together.”
Walker’s friend and junior Annie Trenkle hears about the projects and skills that Walker is learning in her JCCC class and at home.
For every step of each project, especially Walker’s homecoming dress, Trenkle receives strings of Snapchat videos from Walker detailing her vision for. This is something Trenkle cherishes, and she loves to see the progress Walker makes throughout the videos.
“I just think it’s so special how passionate she is about it and how she channels her creativity into it in a way that you don’t see a lot of people do,” Trenkle said. “The fact that she just takes it and runs with it, and she makes her ideas come to life.”
Walker doesn’t plan on going into a career in sewing or fashion, but she enjoys having a unique and creative hobby she can spend time on.
Sewing is a valuable hobby, whether it’s hemming a skirt or replacing buttons on a top, according to Siebert.
“[With] something like painting, you only have so much room on your walls for that,” Siebert said.
“Whereas [with sewing], it’s a little easier, and you get to share it with the world in the way that you’re walking around and getting to wear it.”
Who are your clients?
Mostly jazz band kids, because that’s who I sit around with most of the time. I’ll do all the hard stuff at home and I’ll come back to school and teach my clients how they can do this by themselves as well. It’s relatively simple, it just takes a little bit to get used to setting it all up. But, I’ll spend like an hour teaching them how to get it setup, that way they know for future reference.
What inspired you to create this business?
One day, my string broke, and ever since I was little, I’ve had a little knack or taking things apart and putting them back together. I eventually I got started in this about two years ago when I first started on my guitar. And I enjoyed doing it. I enjoyed the process, and eventually, I started getting better at it, working on my own guitars [and] once I felt really comfortable doing it, then I started talking to some of my friends about, ‘Hey, you want me to do some free work on your guitar?’ Because I started off free, [to] try to get a good reputation with it. And at this point, I’ve just gotten good enough, in my opinion, that I started charging people for it.
Senior Roxas Devine created his own guitar repair business to spread his love of music with others
ENJOY PLAYING
The biggest thing I hope to achieve is making it to where other people guitar. I like to see other people’s reactions when I get done with their guitar because it’ll come to me and it’ll be dirty, it’ll be gross, it won’t play right. Then I hand it back to them, and every single time the expression on their faces is just INCOMPARABLE.
Phone # (913) 258-0539 Email 3155142@smsd.org
SOPHOMORE KIERAN
ROBSON was playing on the pinball machine in the back of his dad’s restaurant — Buffalo State Pizza — in first grade. From the arcade, he could hear the mixed rock music, sports commentators on the TV and chatter of customers coming from the restaurant side.
He also knew his dad Steve was making pizzas, taking them from the oven and handing them to the server to slice and serve.
“I thought I was the coolest person in the school,” Kieran said. “[I would say] ‘Hey, my dad owns Buffalo State Pizza, I get free pizza.’”
Now, 12 years later, Kieran is the one slicing and serving pizzas at the restaurant.
While Steve is busy cooking, Kieran scans the room for order number four.
When Steve hands him the freshly baked pizza, Kieran already knows where it goes. Left corner, red chair. As Kieran slices it into 12 pieces, Steve’s moving onto the next order as the 12 p.m. hour continues.
“[I enjoy mostly] just being able to work with [my dad], being in the business that he created, being there to
Buffalo State Pizza’s locations
KANSAS CITY
1815 Wyandotte St. Kansas City, MO 64108
help him, [while] also making money,” Kieran said.
Kieran serves pizza at Buffalo State Pizza on no-school days, three times a week in the summer and when a coworker calls in sick — as he described it, he’s the “substitute teacher.”
Buffalo State Pizza manager Eric Sui has enjoyed seeing Kieran and Steve interact at work.
“Sometimes Steve will tell Kieran to go do the dishes, and Kieran gives him that look, like, ‘I don’t want to do these dishes,’” Sui said. “And then he’ll try to walk off and disappear a little bit, or he starts messing with Steve a little bit, poking at him, making fun of him here and there, and [it] gives us all laughs going through it.”
Sophomore Kieran Robson helps serve pizzas at his dad’s pizza restaurant
7932 Santa Fe Dr. Overland Park, KS 66204
OVERLAND PARK NEW LOCATION OPENING ON OCT. 29
Steve said. “There’s the cooking part and there’s the eating part. I mean, [Kieran] loves to eat. So, I think I’ve hopefully passed that love of cooking to him, because it’s kind of cool if you know how to cook, so you can impress some people.”
IT’S HARD as kids get older, and they want their independence, and they want to leave. It’s just nice to still have the time to hang out with your son.
STEVE ROBSON EAST DAD
And when Steve isn’t bringing home pizzas from the restaurant, he’s bringing back ingredients such as sausage and onions. Kieran uses them to bake his own pizzas at home because, due to his age as a 15-yearold, Kansas law prohibits him from working the oven at the restaurant until he’s 16 years old.
“There are two parts to cooking,”
Kieran and his family make pizzas at least once a month together in their Gozney outdoor oven, while Kieran cooks with Steve at least once a week.
“It’s just kind of an organic situation where it’s, ‘Hey, I need you to chop this onion, or can you cut up this vegetable?’” Steve said. “So it’s not really a planned-out process.”
Steve always finds himself reminding Kieran of his responsibilities both in the restaurant and at home — whether that’s running customers’ empty trays to the dishwasher or taking out the trash.
“It’s hard as kids get older, and they want their independence, and they want to leave,” Steve said. “It’s just nice to still have the time to hang out with your son.”
The Robson family’s favorite pizzas to make together
Senior Andrew Rhodes grows strong connections through fostering dogs
WHEN SENIOR ANDREW Rhodes was in second grade, his family took in their first foster dog, a nervous puppy. Inspired by his mother’s coworker, the Rhodes family discovered a new hobby: fostering. Since then, Andrew has helped care for dozens of dogs through two organizations: Melissa’s Second Chances and Unleashing.
Even though Rhodes only spends a short period of time with the fosters, each dog brings something different to the family.
“It’s nice to see them go to a really good
hasbeen fostering
family and treat the dog well,” Rhodes said. “Because the family comes and visits you with the dog to see them.”
Through fostering with Rhodes over the summer, Rhodes built meaningful connections with the dogs, forming strong bonds by dedicating his free time and their care.
One of Rhodes’s favorite foster dogs, Nori, was adopted by his family friend and senior Jackson Wening. While Nori isn’t in Rhodes’ home anymore, Rhodes still visits her often and is greeted with jumps of joy and excitement from Nori.
“[I was in] sixth or seventh grade when they adopted her,” Rhodes said.
“I still get to see the dog often, and it’s cute to see her reaction when she sees me because she remembers me.”
When Nori joined Wening’s home, she lived up to the positive description the Rhodes family had given, showing how wonderful she is, according to Wening.
And just like Rhodes said, the connection between him and Nori is still there, even at a crowded middle school baseball game.
“When we brought her [Nori] to a baseball game. Andrew was pitching, and Nori couldn’t stop watching him.”
Wening said. “It was almost like she was cheering him on, which was super cute.”
stories by EFFIE ROPER
Sophomore Stella Fredrickson fosters with KC Pet Project because of her love for dogs
SOPHOMORE STELLA FREDRICKSON’S love for dogs inspired her to foster them. Also encouraged by friends, she joined Kansas City Pet Projects’ “Doggy Day Out” program. That’s how she met Hoagan, a shy, sleepy pitbull mix.
“[KC Pet Project] was the closest one to my house,” Fredrickson said. “And they have good opportunities [to] go on walks and play with dogs or get things they need.”
“Doggy Day Out” is a program that lets volunteers take shelter dogs on a field trip outside of the shelter for a few hours. This can relieve stress, provide socialization and enhance the dogs’ personalities to potential adopters, according to Fredrickson.
In early September, Fredrickson fostered Hogan and was instantly attached to his loving energy. She then decided that she wanted to keep him for two weeks.
“I took him for a ‘Doggy Day Out’ and got really attached to him, so I went back the next day,” Fredrickson said.
While some may think fostering is demanding, it’s no different from a regular day with a pet, according to Fredrickson.
“Hoagan sleeps in my bed, and he wakes up after me, so my dad takes him
Senior Clara Breneman has fostered over 60 cats and multiple puppies through Great Plains SPCA
WHEN THE COVID-19 virus broke out, senior Clara Breneman was stuck inside her home with countless hours of boredom. The most entertainment they got was from doomscrolling on social media all day and long FaceTime calls. But Breneman was tired of the countless hours on her phone. She had an idea – fostering animals. Out of boredom, Breneman started watching YouTube videos about fostering animals. And after many long hours, Breneman convinced her mom to help her start fostering. Since then, she’s fostered over 60 cats and several puppies through the SPCA.
Most of her fosters were either found in dumpsters or abandoned on the roadside. A few animals became part of her family. Namely, an orange, spunky cat named Cod, and Tater, a shy, grey and loving cat.
And just four weeks ago, the family added a new addition, a puppy named Beans.
“We call them ‘foster fails,’ Breneman said. “It was our third round of kittens, and my dad fell in love with one of them.”
Breneman’s family shares the workload: her dad handles the morning work, including feeding and letting them outside. He also posts them on his Facebook to bring in potential adopters, while Breneman takes over with the care after school.
SPCA will text or call the Breneman family when they have a large number of animals needing to be fostered.
Saying their final goodbyes to the foster animals has become easier over the past six years, which has built a family tradition between Clara and her dad.
“When we first started, it was really hard giving the pets away,” Breneman said. “[After we gave the pet back] my dad and I got a pie from the store and watched Dirty Dancing, but it gets easier as you have more kittens.”
for a walk and feeds him,” Fredrickson said. “And when I get home, I’ll take him on another walk because he loves walks.”
Fredrickson knows that returning Hogan won’t be the easiest job, but she’s thankful she was able to be a volunteer. She learned the rewards of what fostering an animal brings, according to Fredrickson.
“Being able to see the dog coming out of its shell and seeing it happy out of a shelter is really rewarding,” Fredrickson said. “I’m happy I can be involved in such a rewarding experience.”
ingpuppies in Aug
Reviewing GEORGE, a lifestyle store
NESTLED BETWEEN THE Brookside shops, GEORGE, a lifestyle store, offers a wide range of products, from accessories and women’s clothing to luxury perfumes and beautiful art pieces.
The smell of musky perfumes was pungent — in a good way — throughout the entire store, with a whole wall devoted to displaying the colorful, geometric bottles of the high-end scents. It took me over 20 minutes to smell only half of the perfumes available, each costing almost $200.
After pulling myself away from the perfumes, I began to browse the variety of clothing they had to offer. From professional button-ups to cozy knitted sweaters, the racks planted throughout the store offered a variety of tops, even some
with embroidered jewels in the neckline.
As for the jewelry section, there was no shortage of gold earrings, necklaces and simple charms; however, there was no variation in the metal they used, which was disappointing because I only wear silver.
GEORGE doesn’t end there, they have some out of the ordinary lamps, including a llama and a mosaic lamp. GEORGE also offers pottery-made cups and mugs. They also have other rustic dishware from wood bowls to steel teapots.
When I was walking out, I saw priceless art for sale on the walls hanging above the beautifully displayed shelf with more perfumes, candles, and more dishware.
GEORGE is an enjoyable place to visit on a free weekend, with outstanding customer service and a perfect place to buy a gift for a friend or family member.
playing a series of puzzles based off the A&E stories featured in this issue of The
Recently opening in the Kansas City area, Puppies and Yoga offers the cutest new form of exercise
story by LUCY STEPHENS
ALITTER OF puppies running around a yoga class of 15 people sounds like a total disaster, but social media says it’s the new way to exercise.
This trend of animal yoga classes — like goat and puppy yoga — has peaked in popularity over the past few years and is proven to decrease anxiety, according to Glamour. But personally, a dozen small animals scampering around a room while trying to hold a tree pose seems like it would increase anxiety.
To test my claim, I booked my first puppy yoga class. And while my class was definitely chaotic, it was my favorite thing I’ve done all month.
me from a row of yoga mats and 15 clumsy puppies scurrying around. I knew this was the infamous puppy yoga that has been bombarding my Instagram feed for months.
Guests are encouraged to arrive 1015 minutes early for the class to have extra play time with the dogs, which is exactly what I did. After filling out a quick liability waiver and using a pump of hand sanitizer, I was on the other side of the baby gate alongside over a dozen balls of fur.
a cheerful yoga instructor, the 45-minute class was suitable for any yoga fanatic or amateur. And the best parts were when we could reach down from the yoga poses and pet the puppies.
Puppies and Yoga Kansas City opened on Sept. 13 and should be recommended to all dog lovers. This may be the only place where you can be in a downward dog position, and literal dogs are running around your feet.
The yoga class is held at a makeshift yoga studio in a small event space. It took just over half an hour to drive to the Wright Event Space in Independence, Missouri, and honestly, I was skeptical at first. Located in a secluded strip mall sandwiched between a hair salon and an alteration store, I kept double-checking the directions to make sure I was in the right place.
I was met with a baby gate separating
My class had a mix of Goldendoodle and Bernese Mountain puppies, and by 2:15 — when the class started — most of the dogs were more interested in napping. But it didn’t take away from the experience.
While I did have trouble hitting the warrior poses with two baby Goldendoodles dozing off on my green yoga mat, it wasn’t like I was actually too invested in the yoga class. I was mostly there for the puppies. The class also had a fairly even puppy-to-guest ratio, ensuring there would be a puppy on each yoga mat.
Taught by a cheerful yoga instructor, the 45-minute class was suitable for any yoga fanatic or amateur. And the best parts were when we could reach down from the yoga poses and pet the puppies
More than once, a dog would relieve itself on the yoga mats, sometimes even on patrons’ clothes or bags. The foul-smelling act was swiftly followed
by a staff member and a spray-bottle of disinfectant, which was effective in cleaning the mess, but I can’t say how hygienic it was. It made the whole room smell of chemicals, which gave me a slight headache as bleach cleaners diffused in the small room.
But the accidents were reasonable considering all the puppies range from 8-12 weeks old and come from local breeders. The classes serve as a way for the dogs to socialize before being adopted.
Awesome Paws of Missouri in Trenton, Missouri, provided the puppies for the class, and after, participants who were interested in adopting one of the pups had the option to talk directly to the breeder.
One of the few drawbacks of the Puppies and Yoga Kansas City was the hefty price tag. Each ticket was $65, a little too high considering the whole event lasted around 90 minutes, with the class and puppy playtime.
The class is definitely a one-time special occasion for those who want the puppy experience as a gift or just want to splurge. Especially considering most dog owners can DIY puppy yoga using a YouTube yoga class and their own furry friend, I can’t say I’ll regularly attend puppy yoga classes.
But overall, the puppy yoga experience is everything Instagram is hyping it up to be. An hour and a half with a litter of puppies and a yoga mat is guaranteed to make tails wag.
13912 E Noland Ct Suite B, Independence, MO 64055
I STRUGGLED WITH mental health a lot in the past, and yoga was one of the things that really helped me get out of a dark place. So [yoga] saved my life in a lot of ways. I want to do this for other people. I’d really like to make an impact through yoga in other people’s lives, to spark joy, calm and peace in a chaotic and really sad world.
Earned 200 hour RYT yoga certification
Has instructed yoga for five months and one month for puppy yoga
Meet the puppy yoga instructor
ING. RING. RING.
The ominous tone of a ringing phone pierces the silent, pitch-black Cinemark theatre as an image of a single phone booth in the middle of a snow-white wintry wasteland appears across
The smell of buttery popcorn fills my nose as adrenaline races through my body in anticipation of the fear that is sure to fill the next 115 minutes as “The Black Phone 2” begins to play.
The first “Black Phone” horror movie was set in the late 1970s and followed a young boy named Finney, played by Mason Thames, who was kidnapped by the local serial killer, The Grabber. In the first movie, Finney used his unique ability to communicate with the dead through a black phone to escape from The Grabber. His sister, Gwen, also had paranormal abilities and was shown images of the past by the dead in hyper-realistic
The first movie left me absolutely terrified and unable to sleep. The horror junkie in me couldn’t wait to see the the “Black Phone 2”
The second movie is set four years later and, rather than the first, focuses on Gwen as she fights The Grabber in her psychedelic dreams. The Grabber attacks Gwen in search of revenge against Finney escaping in the first
The combination of jump scares, gore,
WHICH ONE’S BETTER?
The main differences between the first and second movie
The Black Phone 2 was the perfect sequel to the first movie, but it held more plot than scares that built up to a relatively simple ending.
music, setting and suspense made “Black Phone 2” an unsettling watch. I found myself reaching for my friends’ hands in anticipation of the flashing jump scare I knew was coming and screaming more times than I’d like to admit.
Gwen and Finney’s late mother had the same psychic abilities as Gwen, and these abilities led to a brief communication between her and her daughter. This conversation sends Gwen, Finney and Gwen’s friend, Ernesto, to a Christian youth camp in the mountains of Colorado in search of answers.
While the scares were definitely R-rated, I was disappointed there weren’t more of them. About halfway through, the scare scenes mellowed out substantially and were no longer terrifying, and jump scares disappeared entirely. The lack of fear was caused by an increased familiarity with The Grabber which took away any suspense in the movie.
The only thing left in the last hour of the movie was boring gore and a plot that was more emotional than I expected, something I found I didn’t mind.
I’m not sure I’d trade a sentimental message for stomach-turning scares, but the plot was complex and entertaining. I was drawn in as the movie began to resemble a murder mystery, and every scene left more questions than answers in my mind as I pondered the nature of Gwen and Finney’s abilities and the suspicious past of their mother.
The biggest mystery, though, was why there wasn’t more character development for a plot so complex. With such an in-depth and thought-provoking storyline, the characters should have at least a little growth. But almost
ROTTEN TOMATOES’ RATING: 81%
RUNTIME: 103 MINUTES TIME PERIOD: 1978
every character was exactly the same at the beginning as they were at the end.
However, I could overlook the lack of character development if the rest of the movie is well-done. What can’t be ignored are the numerous overused and worn-out clichés that saturate every sorry attempt at symbolism.
The movie relied heavily on the goodversus-evil and God-versus-devil dynamics that have been used for decades. With a Christian camp setting, where The Grabber is the devil and the main characters are sent by God, this dynamic was a given. However, it took up too much screen time and is an overused cliché in too many horror movies, adding nothing to the plot.
The main symbolism used was scenes of contrasting red and white. This colorful contrast added some depth to the movie; however, when it appeared in every other scene, it became boring. At some point, you have to say, ‘We get the point,’ and move on.
There were many many scenes of red and white and my eyes grew tired of seeing blood stains in snow and the somewhat more creative but also confusing scene of red and white feathers falling from the sky.
While the movie was a watchable cliche and disappointed the horror junkie within me, I found myself leaving the theater with a surprising sense of satisfaction from the cheap entertainment I had just witnessed.
I won’t be watching “The Black Phone 2” again anytime soon, but if someone were to ask me, I would recommend they watch it for the sake of entertainment and the feeling of sentimentality the ending gave.
ROTTEN TOMATOES’ RATING: 72%
RUNTIME: 115 MINUTES TIME PERIOD: 1982
by ANASTASIA FLOWER
BEFORE THE START of the varsity volleyball game against SM North on Oct. 16, senior Macy Sims’ grandma was awarded with the title of “Number one fan.” The team gave Sims’ grandma a golden volleyball with short messages from each of the players. The Lancers won the first set 258, the second set 25-13 and the third set 25-13. At the end of the game, the team posed for a group picture with Sims’ grandma. This game was also the last home game for seniors Rebekah Slaughter, Macy Sims’ and Molly McDonald.
Senior Ella Slicker shares show she felt after getting first place in the state gold tournament
ELLA SLICKER
SENIOR
IT FELT AMAZING and like a full circle moment. I’ve spent the last two years dreaming of this moment again and I’m so happy to have accomplished this for myself.
SM East students took part in a pep assembly, a “Night in New York” themed dance decorated by StuCo members and a varsity football
BELOW Junior and StuCo dance chair
Vada Walsh rearranges the New York Citythemed garland while setting up the annual Homecoming dance which is themed “A Night in New York.” After a suggestion from senior Georgia Boyd to move the garland to the right, Walsh asked Boyd, “What do you think of it now?” Boyd then replied with, “That looks better cause it’s more centered with the other [garlands].”
photo by TYLER RUSSELL
27, 2025
People shouldn’t put pressure on high school athletes to play college sports
story by ADDY NEWMAN
IAM EXCITED to announce my verbal commitment to further my athletic and academic career…
This is the fifth commitment post I’ve seen this week.
Meanwhile, I still haven’t opened the emails from June 15 — the day college coaches are allowed to contact the 2027 recruiting class — from college coaches hoping to schedule calls and inviting me to attend their soccer camps.
The pressure to play in college isn’t just my own pressure to play up to my standards and to my best ability. It stems from the guilt that my parents spend thousands of dollars for me to attend practices with A-licensed — a professional with an advanced certification — coaches and to send me across the country to showcases designed for college scouts to watch players. All with the reality that I don’t want to play in college.
But I shouldn’t have to feel guilty for continuing to play the sport I love at the level that I am at. It should be normalized for club sports to be played in preparation for the high-speed high school varsity game. Not only for preparation for the collegiate level.
I’m constantly asked why I put in so much effort for a sport I don’t even want to play past high school. But the same thing should be asked for the next level. Why do athletes put so much effort into a college sport if they don’t want to play professionally? Only 2% of college athletes from all sports move on to the professional level, according to the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
But neither question is valid — it should be expected to put in effort even if the next level isn’t someone’s end goal. Still, my name on my club team roster
feels as if it’s in a larger print than the others. I’m taking up a spot on a girls academy team that has the resources and experience to help them in the recruiting process that someone else is dying for.
It’s never been a dream of mine to play college soccer. But that shouldn’t mean I need to play down levels to leave room for those who do.
When the team is perfectly set up to help recruitment, this puts more pressure on high school athletes to have to play college sports — but not everyone wants that.
College sports aren’t for everyone. Only 6% of high school athletes play in college out of the over eight million high school athletes across the country, according to the University of Olivet.
But somehow, every time I tell someone I don’t want to play soccer in college, surprise is clear on their faces.
There are many benefits to playing college sports: athletic scholarships, life skills such as leadership and time management and continuing to play the sport you grew up loving.
According to the NCAA, Division I and II schools provide almost $4 billion for athletic scholarships annually to 197,000 student-athletes. Although Division III doesn’t offer athletic scholarships, these athletes are typically awarded merit or need-based financial aid.
However, high-level sports at higher age groups are only focused on the next step: college.
Pre-season camps consist of private meetings held with club coaches to discuss plans for college and strategies to achieve them.
But I spend my meetings with my club coach discussing why I don’t want to play in college, not what I want to do with my future.
The pressure makes it feel like higherlevel teams are reserved only for those wanting to play in college. It should be one’s own choice on what their plans for the future are, without pressure from coaches and teammates voicing what they think I could do, and what they think is best for me.
It is essential to recognize that not everyone is interested in playing college sports. As much as I enjoy my current level of play, for me, I don’t want to relive four more years of the extensive schedules that take up all of my free time, the unequal playing time, the stress to eat and hydrate properly and the overworking of players both mentally and physically.
All when my sport isn’t something I need to feel fulfilled. There are more opportunities in college than in playing college sports. And when my career path doesn’t have to do with that, I shouldn’t feel expected to play a college sport.
Even though I love my sport — the friendships, travelling and family atmosphere — it’s not something I want to continue past high school. And I shouldn’t have to explain myself to everyone asking why.
So instead of repeating my everyday inner monologue of telling myself I don’t have to play in college, I reply with, “I’m not sure yet.”
And although many do choose the route of playing college sports, it isn’t for everyone. There’s too much pressure from my teammates asking me where I’m looking to commit to, the constant nagging of my parents to decide what I want and my coaches telling me what they think is best for me — I should be allowed to make my own decision.
Student opinions on the pressure of doing sports in college
I DO FEEL pressure to play a sport in college because a lot of my family played their sport in college and I feel like I need to do the same.
I FEEL PRESSURE because I have put in a lot of time in my sport and I don’t want it to go to waste.
I FEEL LIKE I have a lot of expectations coming from my sport to play it in college, but it is also hard balancing school with it.
JV dancers step into the color guard role, forming new bonds with marching band
THE SUN HAS hardly risen before the sound of trumpets, flutes and drums emanate from the football field.
Colorful pink and blue flags, held in the air by the Lancer Dancer Guards, fly around in the air in swift, choreographed movements just inches away from the heads of the surrounding marching band members.
Although it’s only 7 a.m. on a school morning, every member on both teams concentrates on their own note, step and position on the field.
“Honestly, 7 a.m. practices, you would think they’d be the most horrible thing ever, but they’re so great,” junior Lancer Dancer Guard Caroline Hoffman said. “Getting up early for the day wakes me up, and all the band kids are so sweet it’s almost better spending my mornings with them than people who have bad, negative attitudes.”
After the dance team coach, Alexis ‘Bubba’ Close, decided to switch the varsity team from their color guard role to focus on competition preparation, the JV dancers spent the last few weeks of summer and the school year learning to take on the role.
Now, the JV Lancer dancers are also known as the Varsity Lancer Dancer Color Guard during the marching season and practice alongside the SM East Band every
Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning, along with an afternoon practice on Thursday after school.
“Having an entire team of people who [have] never picked up a flag before tryouts in May of last year, we knew it was going to be more challenging,” Bubba said. “Once they got over the intimidation of the newness, [they] really embraced it.”
In past years, the previous varsity dancers only practiced once a week after school on Thursdays to learn the choreography and memorize specific spots each girl had to move around the field.
Now, having more time for the marching band and the dancers to collaborate has allowed for relationships and comradeship to grow between the two, which made practices and competitions more familiar for both, according to band teacher Alex Toepfer.
“Last year, the varsity girls only practiced with [band] once a week, so it was just harder to get that team dynamic down,” Toepfer said. “The more time you spend with people and the more relationships you have, the more you bond together, and so I think that’s been a big thing.”
Even with frequent practices, having all the dancers and the marching band on the field at the same time created challenges, whether it was learning pace or specific technique, according to Head Drum Major Shubra Durgavathi.
“Since every single person on our flag
team this year is brand new, it’s been a bit of a learning curve with figuring out how far the flag goes and not hitting people,” Durgavathi said. “We had a performance at a football game where a flag did accidentally hit one of our trumpet soloists, which he recovered.”
Whether it’s a wet field during their early morning practices or late nights reviewing flag choreography, the JV dancers have had to learn to adjust to the long hours they spend working alongside the band.
However, the challenges have given the team a sense of pride in their work and newfound respect for the marching band, according to junior Lancer Dancer Guard Captain Anne Bowser.
“I remember at a band competition, there was a big group of kids playing poker, and I joined them, and they were so inclusive and nice to talk to,” Bowser said.
“I feel like people often stereotype dance team and band to be different groups of people, but I had so much fun connecting with everyone.”
With marching season coming to an end, both the band team and the Lancer Dancer Guards have grown to love the new dynamics of working together through the season.
“I am so impressed with the band and the amount of commitment they put into it,” Bowser said. “We have been able to work so well together, and I can honestly say that I feel proud of what our teams have done.”
The awards that the JV Dance and SM East Band have won this year
CARLEIGH CONDON FRESHMAN
ONE OF THE actors was getting really close, and then as soon as we got out, [my friend], she had like a bite mark. So we think that the actor bit her, and then I looked on my back, and I had a scratch mark. And then we went to go talk to him about it, and they were like, ‘Yeah, you can’t really do anything.’
1401 W. 13th St. Kansas City, MO 64102
What to expect when entering ‘The Edge of Hell”
Opened in 1975
Oldest continuously operated commercial haunted attraction in America
What to expect when entering ‘The Beast’
Opened in 1991
Encounter voodoo, alligators, phantoms, huge animatronics, and Jack the Ripper
1300 W. 12th St. Kansas City, MO 64102
*Instagram poll of 214 votes HAVE YOU BEEN TO THE HAUNTED HOUSES IN THE WEST BOTTOMS?
Visitors choose their path, getting lost in the endless halls
GWEN MARRONE JUNIOR
THERE WAS A clown that kept on scaring us with like a big knife and a hammer. And then at some point some of the people in our group started to mess with him and we became friends with him.
What to expect when entering ‘Macabre Cinema’
Opened in 2007
A formerly abandoned 1930s theater Hollywood horror sets
Strobe lights, fog, sound effects
Tight spiral stairway
Encounter actors portraying Jason, Michael Myers, and more
