The Harbinger Issue 7 2023-24

THE

harbinger...

SHAWNEE MISSION EAST 7500 MISSION ROAD PRAIRIE VILLAGE, KS 66208 DECEMBER 4, 2023 VOLUME LXVI ISSUE 7

A

CULTURAL A themed issue highlighting the cultural backgrounds and unique experiences of some of the 16% of East students that are part of cultural minority groups

profiles...

A LOOK INSIDE:

Features on students with background from Paraguay, China, Mali and more

opinions...

Mixed staffers experience microaggressions and celebrate holidays like Diwali

collage

recipes...

Try generational cultural recipes from East families and read about their memories

02 | DECEMBER 4, 2023

cov e r de sig n b y greyso n i mm

THE HARBINGER

d e s ig n b y addi e moore

ĢÁőĆĩĢūĆàä Ģäūʼn

c o v e r a r t b y c a ro l i n e d a n i e l s

ĩĢěĆĢä łŅäŪĆäū

Cultu ra l c o v e ra g e a t Wa s h i n g to n I n te r n a t i o nal S chool in Washington D.C., accord ing to I n te r n a ti o n a l D a te l i n e w r i te r D e r i n K i r t m a n

Zarmina Hotaki is the new principal at the Washington International School’s upper school

INTERNATIONAL DATELINE

She was born in Afghanistan, moved to Germany in elementary school then Virginia a couple years later

Visit smeharbinger.net to view additional storie s, ga lle rie s, podc a st s a nd v ide os

WASHINGTON INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL WASHINGTON, D.C.

She shares cultural differences and problems from when she first moved to the U.S. R I G H T Washington SCAN ME WEBSITE Scan this code to read more about Principal Zarmina Hotaki’s cultural journey after moving to the U.S.

ʼnőÁƅ ěĆʼnő PRINT EDITORS K atie Murphy Greyson Imm

ONLINE EDITORS Aanya Bansal Maggie Kissick

ASST. PRINT EDITOR Addie Moore

HEAD COPY EDITORS Greyson Imm Aanya Bansal

ASST. HEAD COPY EDITOR Ada Lillie Worthington

HEAD PHOTO EDITORS Riley Scott Liv Madden Kenna Harrington

ASST. PHOTO EDITORS Caroline Martucci Clara Peters Amelie Wong

PHOTO MENTORS Ryan Dehan Molly Miller Paige Bean

VIDEO EDITORS Abby Lee Ryder Hendon

DESIGN EDITORS Veronica Mangine Bridget Connelly

PODCAST EDITOR Emma Krause

ART EDITOR

Bridget Connelly

International School’s upper school principal Zarmina Hotaki

ASST. ART EDITOR Caroline Daniels

EQUIPMENT MANAGER Mason Sajna

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

photo courtesy of derin kirtman

ASST. SOCIAL MEDIA EDITORS Isabel Balsassaro Avery Anderson

COPY EDITORS

K atie Murphy Greyson Imm Maggie Kissick Aanya Bansal Ada Lillie Worthington Addie Moore Emmerson Winfrey Libby Marsh David Allegri STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS Sophia Brockmeier Larkin Brundige Mason Sajna Lucy Wolf Alex Sajna Will Griffith STAFF WRITERS Maggie Condon Mary Gagen

STAFF ARTISTS Larkin Brundige K ai McPhail Lorelei Galles Zane Laing Will Griffith

ONLINE POST MANAGERS

Sophia Brockmeier Mary Gagen Connor Vogel

Connor Vogel Libby Marsh Isabel Baldassaro Maggie Condon Luke Beil Christian Gooley Neva Hudson Avery Anderson Lyla Weeks Preston Hooker

PAGE DESIGNERS PRINT SECTION EDITORS Emmerson Winfrey EDITORIAL | Caroline Daniels NEWS | Libby Marsh FEATURE | Veronica Mangine SPORTS | Isabel Baldassaro OPINION | K ai McPhail

SOCIAL MEDIA EDITORS Maggie Kissick Bridget Connelly

Zane Laing Avery Anderson K ai McPhail Sophia Brockmeier Lyla Weeks Clara Burdick Sydney Eck Lucy Stephens Lorelei Galles

SCAN ME WEBSITE East students submitted to the new art gallery and a recap from cheer and dance state

;gZZg© g g H Z `'#H ͢ SME Harbinger The Harbinger smeharbinger SM East Harbinger

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

DECEMBER 4, 2023 | 03

stories FROM THE 16% THE HARBINGER

d e si g n & co py by g reys on imm & k at i e mur phy

HARBINGER’S THEMED ISSUE

D

EAR STUDENTS, STAFF and community

wholly acknowledging that only a fraction

members,

of the cultural experiences within East are

Shawnee Mission East is a unique place with diverse stories throughout our school.

With 1,654 students in our Columbia blue halls, there are 1,654 unique stories to tell.

represented in this issue.

There’s so much more to learn.

We

hope

that

this

special

section

encourages readers to listen to their

As a predominantly-white school, it’s

classmates, ask purposeful questions

important to share the stories of students

and seek opportunities to learn about

and staff members who often don’t get to

different

ethnicities,

races

and

share theirs. That’s the goal of this special issue:

cultures. This isn’t a solution to

highlight the stories of our classmates’ diverse cultures that

ever-prevalent issues of racism and

aren’t told as often while unveiling issues of microaggressions and

discrimination in our community, but

lack of cultural awareness.

we hope to increase empathy for students

16% of our student population, just 270 students, is minoritized.

of all backgrounds through journalism.

This issue of the Harbinger is dedicated to creating an open discussion about

So this is what we ask of you as a reader:

race, ethnicity and diversity at East — free from marginalization, stereotyping

enjoy learning about others’ cultural experiences

and prejudice. When we strip back these things, we get a more compassionate

and be brave enough to share your own.

Then, and only then, can we begin to create a truly

understanding of human experiences.

Creating this special section presented its own unique challenges. We tried

understanding and inclusive environment at East.

to include as many different diverse stories as possible in 28 short pages while

Look INSIDE:

A

PROFILE pages

05 YIYI PAULS

10 NITHMI WALPITAGE

06-07 LILI VOTTERO

11 NEETA MANDSAGER

08 BELLA BROCE

22 ABDOULAYE KANTÉ

09 TIAGO GINAVAN OPINION pages

A&E pages

18 MICROAGGRESSIONS 14-15 RECIPES 20 DIWALI MEDIA CREDITS

Patterned fabrics used in the collage artwork are courtesy of the Library of Congress through catalog.loc.gov. Profile photos were shot by Kenna Harrington, Liv Madden, Caroline Martucci, Clara Peters and Riley Scott. Collage images are courtesy of featured individuals and families.

16 CULTURAL RESTAURANTS SCAN ME LEARN MORE Explore the U.S. Department of State’s resources for promoting mutual understanding of cultural affairs

A guide to cultural holidays this winter season from the Center for Racial Justice in Education

04 | DECEMBER 4, 2023

p h o to s f ro m DA L L-E i ma ge s

THE HARBINGER

AUTOMATED

d e s ig n b y grey s o n i m m

Diversit y should be prioritized in the

a r t b y c a ro l i n e d a n i e l s

development of AI and technology to

;g ͢ ̰ < Ha ͢ ̩

fo ster equi t y fo r m i no r i t y gro up s

#H H`Ha Hga

HOW ME IMAGES me images of

organization Black Women in AI. To

frequently

attractive people.

remedy this, we need more diverse data

Black-sounding names, the impact of

used to train AI models.

racial bias in AI is already here and

When Artificial Intelligence

to

users

with

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.

historically

image generators such as Dall-E

Incomplete or skewed data reveals the

and Stable Diffusion are asked to generate

need to heavily consider diversity when

photos of “attractive people,” the only

programming such models. Theoretically,

The essential question isn’t how AI

thing that comes up is pages upon pages

biased AI could have devastating effects

will be implemented, but who it’ll benefit.

of fair skinned women and men.

on people of color’s finances, education, housing and more.

What about toys in Iraq?

starting to have startling effects according to Forbes.

It’s no longer theoretical. Right now,

and data, diversity in data sets is a simple

we’re witnessing the concerning effects of

solution to the problem. However, when

AK-47s and RPGs.

bias in AI development in the real world.

diversity isn’t one of the first things being

Humans are smart enough to know

Housing discrimination is a prime

considered as tech develops, we often run

that not all attractive people are white and

example. It’s no secret that applying for

into problems like these. It’s high time

that Iraq has toys other than just soldiers,

mortgages and high-end rental properties

we started making diversity paramount in

but this is an instance in which racial bias

has been skewed against people of color

the tech world.

in AI reveals our shortcomings in tech

in the past due to redlining and other

development. Many of these models are

racist practices in housing.

reloads,

and

dozens

UC Berkeley Schools of Business and

thus the data they use to train these AI

Law report that people of color applying

tools mirrors Western views and biases.

to

or

Diversity

should

be

a

central

consideration in all fields — including

developed by Western companies, and

purchase

refinance

homes

technology

—

instead

of

just

an

afterthought.

are

AI is a fascinating new tool marking

It’s time to re-examine how AI tools

overcharged millions of dollars, and the

the beginning of unimagined societal

are made and what data they’re using to

American Civil Liberties Union reports

advancements,

jump to these racist conclusions. As AI

that Black and Latino tenants are denied

potential to further entrench minority

technology becomes more a part of our

at much higher rates than white tenants.

groups into discrimination of the past.

day-to-day lifestyles, the far-reaching

This is due to the Western AI models

Let’s make sure we accomplish the former

global impact of racism in AI development

that large banks and property managers

and minimize the latter.

stands to only worsen. It demonstrates

are beginning to employ for automating

the importance of prioritizing diversity in

financing

AI software development and technology in general.

it

also

has

the

in

contact

with

your

through

email,

phone

processes that suggest anti-Black and

and

essential

for

creating

anti-Latino bias.

AI governing legislation. Additionally,

applications

for

these

Staying

but

representatives

and

protest

is

Examples like the ones above show us

Despite monumental strides made to

staying up-to-date on news and making

how racial bias can affect how AI tools

remedy this like the passing of the Fair

your voice heard is the key to making sure

function. The bias isn’t the fault of the

Housing Act, this progress is completely

tools like AI are used to maximize positive

AI tool itself; it’s a disturbing result of

undone as we see biases carry over into

progress instead of setting people of color

the tool’s development. A generator’s

the housing industry at the advent of AI.

back.

whether

bias stems from the data used to learn

So

it’s

— in this case, race-related information

selecting

— and when the data lacks diversity, the

positions more often than their white

results will too according to Angle Bush

counterparts

— founder of technology and diversity

pushing criminal record search ads more

Latino or

pretty girl

Since these problems aren’t the fault

of

page

IMAGE SEARCH

of the AI and instead of the developers

images pop up of toy soldiers wielding

The

AI

AI

job

recruiters

AI has the power to move us into the

men

for

janitorial

future, let’s not let it leave us in the past.

websites

¨H Z BIAS

A I - g e n e ra te d i m a g e s f o r p o p u l a r prompt s

d e m o n s t ra t i n g ra c i a l b i a s t h ro u g h re sponse s

generated with

# ZZͿ' Ϟ STABLE DIFFUSION AI image generators

consistently

prompt: “ATTRACTIVE PEOPLE”

prompt: “TOYS IN IRAQ”

s tor y by l i bby marsh

Ea s t a l u m n i Y i y i Pa u l s a nd her family m a i n ta i n t ra d i t i o n s o f her Chine se

E

yiyi THE HARBINGER

d e si g n by k at i e mur p hy

h e r i tag e a fte r h e r 2 01 4 ad o p t i o n

PAULS

VEN THOUGH FORMER East parent Nikki Pauls

and performed at the annual Moon Festival — an event her

has worked as an adoption social worker for nearly

whole family still attends each year. She also took piano

20 years, she was still nervous when she and her

lessons from a Chinese teacher. While dance and music

husband

helped her connect with her peers Nikki made sure that she

Brian

adopted

then-11-year-old

Yiyi

Pauls in 2014 from Guiyang, China.

The two were about to become new parents to an almost teenage girl — rather than a baby.

Yiyi had moved from multiple unofficial placements, to an orphanage at age 7 and then to different foster homes.

was also getting the influence of her culture as well. “[We did] I guess what we would consider anyway, doing for our kids, but making sure that those were done in Chinese,” Nikki said.

The families’ biggest tradition is celebrating Chinese

At the adoption center, Nikki was immediately thrown

New Year. Yiyi’s love of the holiday started with dinners

into the new role of a mother when Yiyi’s foster mom tasked

with her foster family and watching the four-hour-long

her with the job of opening roasted chestnuts from a street

parade and has carried over to her celebrations now.

vendor for Yiyi. Nikki spent the rest of the wait cracking

They order authentic Chinese food — Yiyi doesn’t even

open the chestnut with her molars and handing them to

have to look at the menu to order — from the few local

Yiyi. Hours later during their first day together before

restaurants they’ve found including ABC Cafe and Sichuan

signing the adoption paperwork the new parents navigated

Dynasty, and Brain makes a dish called Hotpot, one he

moments such as a little girls’ demands for two new barbie

learned to cook from scratch for her last year. The house is

dolls.

embellished with decorations bought when she was adopted

But these new experiences as parents weren’t their

and Yiyi and her little sister Cici receive envelopes of “lucky

biggest fear. They were more concerned about the risk of

money” — small red envelopes filled with money — from

Yiyi losing her culture when she moved to America.

their parents.

So the family takes every opportunity to integrate Yiyi’s

Yiyi’s heritage is not just a part of her life or something

heritage into her life, whether it’s through the arts or local

special, that’s only “Yiyi’s thing,” according to Nikki. The

festivals, as well as helping her adjust to an entirely new

entire family — her parents and her younger sister — all

country.

embrace the traditions and celebrations and bi-weekly

“These American, typically white families are going over

orders of black bean chicken and Ma Po tofu food.

[to other countries] and pulling these kids out,” Nikki said.

“It’s a bummer, [not having] New Years and family

“In one way, [adoption] does solve some of their problems

dinners [in China], the idea of being to make Chinese dinner

but in another way creates a host of new problems and the

and have a dinner together and do fireworks, that’s kind of

most of which is removing them from that culture.”

a bummer,” Yiyi said.

Yiyi is able to maintain her traditional Chinese culture

“[What we do here is] different in its own way [but] I

through extracurriculars and traditions even while living in

don’t mind if I don’t have certain traditions. It really is

a different country.

OK. I’m fine with that. I’m happy to be in America and

She’s always wanted to be a dancer. As a little girl, the bright yellow-and-red costumes, ornate headpieces and unique choreography excited her. But because she was always moving around, she never had the chance to take dance lessons or perform. Until she came to the United States, that is.

Her parents searched and found a Chinese dance company that she participated in with Chinese families and families who had adopted children from China.

“I enjoy Chinese dance a lot,” Yiyi said. “[It] was always my dream to do it when I was younger, but I never had the chance to do it until I got here.”

Yiyi also participated in Chinese drumming. She practiced drumming with the instrument — shaped like oversized bongo drums and long drumsticks —

L E F T Yiyi poses on a trip with her adoptive parents, Nikki and Brian.

everything.”

DECEMBER 4, 2023 | 05

s to r y by addi e moo re d e si g n by k at i e murphy

THE HARBINGER

lili

Junior L ili Vottero struggled with the transition from living in France and sp eak i ng French to liv ing in the U.S .

VOTTERO A

FTER FINISHING AN apple at her neighbors

friends with their new neighbors who offered up extra

house, then five-year-old Lili Vottero didn’t

mattresses because none of their furniture had arrived

know what to do with the core. Attempting

yet and unknowingly taught the girls English.

to locate the trash can, her neighbors were

While only knowing terms like “hello” and “how are you,” the girls were overwhelmed when their neighbors

confused on what she was trying to do.

“I want to trash it,” Lili said.

— around the same age — bombarded them with

With her thick Southern French accent and broken

questions.

stutters of English, the neighbors couldn’t understand

“What are you doing?”

her. The kids couldn’t help raising an eyebrow at the

“Where are you from?”

gibberish that came out of Lili’s mouth while her then-

Lili couldn’t understand a single sentence.

eight-year-old older sister Yolande giggled along —

Despite the language barrier, Lili and Yolande would walk next door every day that summer and play with

her English was better than Lili’s.

“It would make me feel so left out when my sister

their new friends while their parents were at work.

would laugh with them or play a game,” Lili said. “I

They’d spend hours dressing up American Girl Dolls,

didn’t really know what was going on because I couldn’t

trying to form sentences to engage in the games.

“

really understand [them].”

Since moving from Marseille, France in 2013, Lili

has faced many struggles learning English as a second language. ***

Three months after arriving in the U.S., the girls settled into their new school, Académie Lafayette — a French immersion school. All of Lili and Yolande’s classes were spoken only in French except for one hour of English a day.

“They sent me to AL so I could feel more comfortable making that big change,” Lili said. “I could kind of ease into it instead of going into a [regular school] not

WHEN MY FRIENDS

weren’t there I would feel really isolated. [They all thought] it was weird I could only speak French because recess is the only time to speak English because when you’re in school you can only speak French.

LILI VOT TERO JUNIOR On his way back from work every day, their dad

would stop by the store and buy each of the girls a

knowing anyone or the language [they speak.]”

She had no problem making friends when they were

toy. The girls would take their new stuffed animals

all forced to speak her language in class, but when it

and collection Barbie dolls — never taking them out

came to recess. It was free reign. Most kids took the

of the box — to the neighbors house and spent all day

opportunity to speak English — unintentionally leaving

obsessing over their new toys while they waited for all

Lili out.

of their other toys to be shipped from France.

“When my friends weren’t there I would feel really

“Everything was so meaningful,” Yolande said.

isolated,” Lili said. “[They all thought] it was weird I

“Back then it was like we actually had nothing. All

could only speak French because recess is the only time

of our stuff wasn’t here. We were living in an empty

to speak English because when you’re in school you can

house. It’s not like we could go to Nebraska Furniture

only speak French.”

Mart and buy a couch because we didn’t have a car.”

Lili began spending recesses in her English teacher’s

In an attempt to improve their English, Lili and

classroom studying extra reading instead of playing

Yolande would record conversations with each other on

kickball.

their iPad.

At

home,

the

Vottero

family

quickly

became

They would flaunt their new scarves and navy blue

DECEMBER 4, 2023 | 07

PROFILE

L E F T The Votteros celebrated Yolande’s graduation from East in 202 2.

R I G H T Lili and Yolande pose with baguettes.

They have baguettes and croissants at home most of the time. leggings in the videos, replacing the jeans she wore

language

every day in France, saying things like “Look at my new

between

the

girls’

suitcase,” or “These are my blackish pants.”

friends

and

Lili’s parents as they aren’t fully

Through late night and listening to the recorded conversations, their mixed up nouns and disorganized

barrier

fluent in English yet, so the friends don’t usually make an effort to talk to the parents.

sentences turned into small mistakes like mixing up

One day when Lili’s dad walked downstairs wearing

“g” and “j” in the alphabet and occasionally using the

snazzy gray and navy blue Polo Ralph Lauren pajama

wrong tense of a verb.

pants, her friend whispered in her ear, “How do I say I

At home, the family would cuddle up on the couch and watch American movies with French subtitles. Their

like your pants?”

“Phillip, J’aime ton pantalon.”

mom Sophia would keep her dictionary handy whenever

Lili’s eyes beamed at her friend’s small effort to

a new word is spoken in “Peppa Pig” or “Barbie,”

communicate with her dad — conversations between

looking up unfamiliar words.

her friends and her parents usually stops at exchanging

Many of these words were unfamiliar to her — even after taking English classes in high school, Sophia’s language skills lacked far behind Lili and Yolande’s.

When Sophia went into her IB English individual

hello’s and thank you for having me’s.

“It was so good to have people not judge you because you come from another country and you don’t speak the same language,” Sophia said.

oral assessment in high school, she was nowhere near confident. The grader — who’d been there for over 12

***

hours — showed her the paper. The whole passage was in English.

After living here for nine years, now-junior Lili’s

“I said ‘You know what, you can give me a zero, I’m leaving,’” Sophia said.

struggle to communicate with people has become less apparent as she is fluent in English and her accent

The grader was upset with her reaction and lack of

has gone away. She still celebrates her French culture

confidence in her English skills. Luckily for Sophia, she

through the Eiffel Tower decorations in her living room,

asked her what language she preferred. Her answer:

bilingual pets who answer to commands given to them

Italian. The grader allowed her to finish her IO in

in either language and speaking French at home with

Italian.

her parents so she doesn’t lose the language.

Years later when she moved to the U.S., Lili and Yolande would have to translate conversations with church members and at the bank so Sophia could understand them.

The girls sometimes use their mom’s lack of English to their advantage.

“Why is Mom in such a bad mood right now?”

“I know it’s so annoying.”

Lili and Yolande would giggle and talk to each other in English right in front of their mom. They could say the most absurd things and she had no clue what they were saying — English was their “secret language” at home.

With their East friends, their “secret language” is French.

Though

sometimes

sassy,

the

Vottero’s

still

appreciate their French roots. There’s still a prevalent

LANGUAGE

LESSONS

“ “

Other student s ref lect on their experience s being bilingual

ǥ ȩ ǡƠƠȃ ho me

SOPHOMORE S P E AK S B E N G AL I

[SPEAKING A DIFFERENT language] gives me more

perspective on the world because you get to see the world in two different lenses. Like, when I speak English, I see the world how my friends and other Americans see it because of the vocabulary and the way people phrase things is different than the way we phrase things in other languages like Bengali.

ɉƠǷǃȥǥǃ hs i un g

SEN IOR S P E AK S B E N G AL I

[MY NEW FRIENDS] are usually surprised when they

hear me speaking Chinese with my parents. They’re like, ‘Woah, you can understand that?’ I told them I know how to speak, read and write, but not very well. They don’t really think about how quickly I can translate things in my head.

08 | DECEMBER 4, 2023

nithmi THE HARBINGER

story & de sig n b y kati e mu r phy

S ophomore Nithmi Walpitage was born in Sri Lanka and continu e s to celebrate Sri Lankan food and holidays while l ear ni ng from he r pa re nt s’ expe rie nc e s growing u p the re

WALPITAGE A

ONE-STORY CREAM house with gaping windows and a plot of coconut trees with swooping palm leaves sits unoccupied in Kottawa, Sri Lanka.

the other was struck by a suicide bomber.

“The fighting was always on my mind,” Lakmal said. “Not everyone in Western culture knew what was going on.”

It’s sophomore Nithmi Walipitage’s second home.

Now as a parent, he wants his kids to be informed of both local

Her family still owns the ranch but has only visited once since

and international news. In the car on the way home from cheer

moving to the U.S. for Nithmi’s parents to pursue higher degrees

or rowing practice, Nithmi tries to stay updated by discussing

when she was 3. Green card struggles and schedule conflicts

Sri Lankan politics and events like the ongoing economic crisis

make it difficult for the Walpitages to fly over 20 hours to Asia.

with her dad.

As Nithmi grows up in Prairie Village, she continues to

“One big difference here is the academics,” Lakmal said.

celebrate her Sri Lankan heritage and learn from her parents’

“Where I grew up, the margin for error was very low. If you

experiences growing up there.

missed a few exams, you’d be out of the system and not able to

“I know I’m different, but I act like everyone who was born

continue to higher-level education. I was very focused and earned

here,” Nithmi said. “When I go to Sri Lankan events, I feel very

my place. I want my kids to work hard and focus on academics

whitewashed, but I still try to celebrate my culture.”

but also get to do sports and other activities to enjoy their lives.”

Nithmi doesn’t know anyone else at East with ties to Sri

Nithmi is grateful to attend East, especially after her visit

Lanka, and she’s used to people assuming that she’s from India.

back to family in Sri Lanka the summer before her freshman

She’s never learned about Sri Lanka in class, and her family has

year after a long wait due to restrictions with green cards. The

yet to find a Sri Lankan restaurant within 100 miles.

trip was filled with gasoline shortages, frigid water-heater-less

“I wish more people could try our food,” Nithmi said. “It’s kind of in between Thai and Indian food, but it’s not the same.”

showers and no air conditioning — nothing like Prairie Village.

“Random

insects

and

frogs

would

just

crawl

around

Every Sunday, her dad Lakmal cooks the same traditional

everywhere, and it was just normal to my family there,” Nithmi

lentil soup, kale salad with scraped coconut and red chili chicken

said. “There are a lot of things that I realized are a privilege to

curry that his mom would cook for him and his brothers when

have in America.”

they were little.

“It’s very spicy, but the kids love it like how I did when I was their age,” Lakmal said.

The Walpitages celebrate Sri Lankan New Year in April with

Some of her fondest memories of the trip involve sampling traditional foods. In the mornings, she’d eat warm strawberry sugar-coated Gnanakatha cookies that her grandma bought from a street vendor instead of her typical granola bar.

network of Sri Lankan immigrant friends from Manhattan,

“Oh my gosh, I still think about the food there,” Nithmi

Lawrence and Kansas City in gatherings of a few hundred people

said. “It’s so good. My favorite is milk rice from street vendors.

with games, dances and prayer. Sometimes the family drives

There’s different kinds of fruits like guava, passion fruit and

to the nearest Buddhist temple in Lawrence, Kansas to pray for

naminam, which is like a sour green apple but better.”

other special occasions like the Half Moon celebration.

“If we were in Sri Lanka, we would go to the temple at least once a month,” Lakmal said. “But we can’t do that here. It can

She also visited historical sites like Buddhist temples from 2000 BC and caught up with uncles and cousins — a look into Sri Lanka that she’s grateful to have experienced.

be very difficult to fit in, but we try as much as possible. We’ll

“I couldn’t fully speak to my grandparents, but the trip still

go to the high school football games and love to be part of the

made me feel more connected to my family,” Nithmi said. “I

community.”

definitely want to go back before college. My main goal is to

Lakmal’s adolescence in rural Sri Lanka was a whole different world than Friday night football.

“It’s a really remote village without electricity where I grew up,” Lakmal said. “At 10 years old, I’d wake up at five in the morning to catch the first out of three buses and get to school in the city around 7:30 a.m.. After school, I’d help my grandparents by working in the rice paddy field.”

At the time, Sri Lanka was deep in a civil war.

Lakmal’s parents would ride separate buses to work to ensure that he would still have one guardian if

L E F T The Walpitage’s house in Kottawa, Sri Lanka.

R I G H T Nithmi’s relative tends a coconut tree in the backyard.

relearn how to speak Singahlese.”

Fre sh m a n Ti a g o G i n a v a n v i s i t s h i s m o m’s c h i ldhood hom e i n Pa ra g u a y a n n u a l l y to ex p e r i e n c e vibrant f a m ily life s i mi l ar to h o w h i s m o m g rew up

F

tiago THE HARBINGER

stor y & de sign by kati e m urp hy

GINAVAN

RESHMAN TIAGO GINAVAN has the flight route

“They put up fences separating the opposing team’s

to Paraguay memorized: first to Texas or Florida,

section so that fans don’t get into fights,” Tiago said. “But

then a quick stop in Guatemala or Brazil before

people can climb over to the other side and fight anyways.”

hitting the Silvio Pettirossi International Airport.

Even as an avid Sporting KC fan and on the East

On the way home, he and his little brothers Rafa and

team himself, he admits that soccer is “taken a lot more

Bruno might get to pick up some traditional souvenir crystals or artwork, if they were lucky to get pocket money from their abuela.

“I feel like I belong when I visit because I’ve been there every year of my life,” Tiago said.

seriously” in Paraguay.

“Soccer is like a religion in Paraguay,” Karina said. “It’s everything. I’m so happy that my three boys play. I played growing up, and I still follow the Paraguay team today, of course.”

Visiting Paraguay annually in the winter or summer

At home in Prairie Village, Tiago misses playing keep-

to live with his grandparents for up to four weeks at a

away with his cousins in his grandparents pool and pick-up

time gives him a glimpse into his mom Karina’s beloved

soccer. His mom talks to him in Spanish, and he rarely has

Paraguayan culture and bustling family scene.

to study for Spanish class. The Ginavan pantry is always

Kansas State University offers a special in-state tuition

stocked with Paraguayan chocolate cookies, and Karina

deal to Paraguayan citizens, so Karina moved to the U.S.

cooks traditional meals with corn and steak when she can.

to attend at age 19 after growing up in Asunción, Paraguay with seven siblings, 57 cousins and dozens of aunts and uncles. Tiago has 23 cousins that he gets to see on trips to South America.

Tiago talks about his trips sometimes with close friends, but Paraguay doesn’t come up often.

“My boys look more American than Latin,” Karina said. “They’re all blonde and have pretty fair skin, so it’s

“Family is big [there],” Karina said. “Growing up, we

hard to tell. I wish there was more diversity for them to

would party until the morning when the sun came out. I feel

experience in Prairie Village schools, like different cultures

like I don’t see that here.”

and languages.”

Tiago gets to celebrate Paraguayan Christmas at his grandparents’ house with a traditional steak dinner at 10

She says she blends in less than her sons with her thick Paraguayan accent.

p.m. on Christmas Eve. Presents are opened at 1 a.m., and

“People ask me where I’m from, and I say South America

festivities end the next day with sunny outdoor pool games

[rather than] Paraguay because almost nobody here knows

in the South American heat.

where Paraguay is,” Karina said. “Geography is not our

“Christmas is warm and completely different there,”

forte in the U.S. Some people think I used to literally live in

Karina said. “But it’s how I was raised, and I love it. I have

the jungle, like I’ve been asked if there was even shampoo

to visit or else I get homesick.”

in Paraguay. Others assume I’m Mexican.”

Tiago also celebrates Children’s Day in August — a

Karina doesn’t mind teaching others where Paraguay is

holiday commemorating Paraguayan kids who died in

on a map and has been doing so since college. She loves

a historic battle — and Three Kings’ Day to observe the

the safety of Prairie Village and watching the Paraguayan

feast day of Epiphany in January the same way his mom did

community grow as Kansas State continues to offer the

growing up with gifts and potlucks.

same special in-state tuition deal for Paraguay citizens that

“My grandma celebrates everyone’s birthdays at once

she received.

which is fun,” Tiago said. “Over the summer, we had a

“I’d love for Tiago to live in Paraguay someday so that

big party for everyone with 20 cousins playing on a slip

he can fully experience it,” Karina said. “For now, we just

and slide. There’s always something to do with family in

visit as much as we can.”

Paraguay.”

This past summer, Tiago went to his first soccer game in Paraguay with his uncle Paulo at a stadium nestled in an urban neighborhood.

L E F T Iguazú Falls in Argentina, one of the spots that K arina wants to take Tiago and his brothers to visit on their next trip to Paraguay.

R I G H T Tiago with some of his relatives in Paraguay.

DECEMBER 4, 2023 | 09

10 | DECEMBER 4, 2023

bella THE HARBINGER

BROCE C

OMMENTS

ABOUT

story b y i s abe l bal da ss aro de sig n b y kati e mu r phy

S o phomore Bella Broce come s to terms with her Panamanian heritage and learns from he r la te gra ndfa the r

SOPHOMORE

Bella Broce’s tan skin started in second grade.

“Wow, you’re so tan,” classmates said

with an amused look.

“No I’m not, I’m just like you,” elementary school Bella would insist. She’d never been more embarrassed in her predominantly white classroom.

Growing up with her grandfather from Panama, Bella was immersed in her family’s culture through listening to his childhood stories and speaking Spanish with him.

But she wanted to be just like every other kid she grew up with — the “normal,” white, Prairie Village kids — and didn’t want to stick out or be seen as different from her other classmates.

“I thought it was just a good and normal thing to have blonde hair and blue eyes,” Bella said. “I thought all schools were [predominantly] white schools.”

Bella’s grandfather Alberto had dark hair and eyes and Spanish was his second language, according to Bella’s dad Bruce.

“He always had an accent,” Bruce said. “Hearing him speak, you could tell he wasn’t an American-born citizen.”

Alberto grew up in Las Tablas but later moved to the U.S. to work as a professor at K-State, and his cousins from Panama would visit often. Every three years, Alberto would take Bruce and their family to live in Panama for a month.

“We really understood what it was like to live as a Panamanian,” Bruce said. “From the language that we speak to the everyday customs of the U.S. that might be different.”

It wasn’t until Bella finally visited Panama in third grade that she realized what she’d been missing.

“I got to meet all my family and eat fantastic food

like ceviche,” Bella said. “That trip really stuck with me and I realized [being Panamanian] was actually really cool and something I should be proud of.”

She got to eat local fish — unique to her as her ancestors were fishermen — and see historic relics like maracas and molas — needlework patterns of fabrics — in Panama City. The trip made her want to continue visiting Panama as often as she could.

Back

in

the

U.S.,

she

still

encounters

people

questioning her heritage often.

“When

people

say,

‘Oh

but

you’re

only

25%

Panamanian’ it makes me so mad because [they] have no idea how much of that is me,” Bella said. “Yes, 25% sounds so small but everyone’s heritage is mixed, and I don’t look at you and break down your culture.”

Bella’s half-brother Oliver — who was born in Panama while her dad worked there for a few years — has always been appreciative of his heritage and how his grandfather influenced him growing up.

“He influenced certain music that I like to this day: the artwork I see around our household, us celebrating Latino holidays, sharing a lot of Spanish around the house and visiting the country I was born in,” Oliver said.

Growing up hearing people judge her and her family based on their looks made Bella aware of the cultural differences in Prairie Village.

“I was so aware of other cultures because my parents taught me about them,” said Bella. “I have such a different understanding of how people felt.”

Now, Bella gets excited to tell people why she’s so tan and to practice her conversational Spanish in hopes of one day being able to have fluent conversations with her parents.

“I finally realized this is something that I should be proud of,” Bella said.

L E F T Photos from Bella’s family trip to visit relatives in Panama.

s tor y by emerson winf rey

Ma t h te a c h e r Ne e ta Ma n d s a g e r e ducate s s tu d e n t s ab o u t h e r I n d i a n cul t ure

S

neeta THE HARBINGER

de s i g n by kati e murphy

MANDSAGER

TANDING AT THE whiteboard at Eisenhower Middle School in Kansas City, Kansas in 2005, math teacher Neeta Mandsager felt hurt. She was hurt by the students putting their feet on the

desks. Hurt by students talking when she was. Hurt by students calling her by her first name, not ma’am.

She had just moved to Kansas from Northern India, where teachers were seen as gurus. She was used to teachers being treated with the utmost respect as they were the ones giving knowledge. This meant calling them “ma’am” or “sir” not by their name — first or last — and not being able to talk as freely to teachers as students do here.

Though Mandsager has adjusted over time to these cultural changes, she still carries her culture with her through her teaching.

Mandsager first moved to the United States in 2005 from India after her husband had the idea to move since it was his dream and her family followed them.

She began working in Kansas City, Kansas, then Topeka, Kansas and eventually came to East.

She had to quickly adapt to the abundance of technology in the States compared to the minimal amount in India. She also had to get used to the change in effort students put in.

In India, students paid for their education so they tended to try harder than students in the States.

“When I used to teach [in India], everything was on the board,” Mandsager said. “Here we use the iPad, MacBook and the resources are there, students have so many online courses.”

One of the biggest surprises when she got to East was how welcoming the school was and finding people who also shared her culture.

Junior Ishya Bhavsar had Mandsager her freshman year as her Honors Algebra 2 teacher. Ishya was surprised to find someone who shared her Indian culture at East — let

shift working at Target. She lights her diya in front of a god just like she did in India.

Before traditional holidays Mandsager will often remind her students they’re coming up saying things such as “Remember Diwali is in two days guys!” when starting class to let students know about upcoming events in her culture.

She also uses her culture to teach students, popping into World Regional Studies rooms to talk to the class about India and her culture. “[The World Regional Studies students] were so happy and I don’t know those students, but when they saw me in the hallway they’d say, ‘Oh I went to this restaurant and I ate this’,” Mandsager said. “They were talking with me and telling me about that so that was really cool.”

Sophomore Shubra Durgavathi also had Mandsager her freshman year for Honors Algebra 2, sharing Bhavsars excitement of having a teacher from her culture.

“I remember the first day she was giving everyone a high five and then she literally grabs my hand and goes ‘You’re Indian, oh my god!’, and then lets me walk into the classroom,” Shubra said.

Mandsager would also sometimes speak Hindi in class to Shubra when students were making fun of Mandsager’s accent or saying they couldn’t understand her, making inside jokes.

“At one point, she was tired of [student’s comments], and it was a review day so she wasn’t teaching so she spent a lot of that class speaking in Hindi,” Shubra said.

For Mandsager, she was thankful to have someone who shared her culture in her class and created cultural bonds through teaching.

“You feel really good about [having someone from your culture].” Mandsager said. “It gives you a feel of your country.”

alone a teacher.

“It was really surprising

to have an Indian teacher,”

Ishya said. “But, I quickly learned that it’s good to have different sorts of teachers that come from different backgrounds because they can teach you more than just the subject.”

Ishya’s parents met with Mandsager at parent-teacher conferences and created a connection. Now, the Bhavsars invite Mandsager and her family over to celebrate Diwali every year.

“In India, usually you’d get school off for the entire week [for Diwali], but you don’t really get that luxury here,” Ishya said. “So my parents love inviting as many people as they know.”

Along with celebrating traditional Indian holidays in the States, Mandsager makes a point to pray every day, whether it means making time before school or before bed after her

R I G H T Mandsager’s traditional decorations.

DECEMBER 4, 2023 | 11

smeharbinger.net/category/feature

12 | DECEMBER 4, 2023

de sig n b y greyso n i mm

THI S I SSUE I N B E L O W Sophomore Lila Kimmel laughs in her ceramics class while she works on a clay doughnut. photo by paige bean

B E L O W Seniors Jack Kessler and Sam Streiler take a photo together while sorting cans from the canned food drive later delivered to the Johnson County Christmas Bureau. photo by molly miller

B E L O W Senior Anabelle Stinson and freshman Spencer Thornhill eat a Thanksgiving meal together during the special education department’s Friendsgiving celebration.

The staff and students cooked the food in the kitchen during the school day to be ready to eat in sixth hour. photo by caroline martucci

HOW DO YOU

CELEBRATE?

Ha r b i nger sta f f ers sha re ho w t hey cel eb ra te cer ta i n holidays in their re spective culture s K ATI E MURP H Y

A A N YA B A N SA L ON L I N E EDI T OR & S EN I O R

“

PR INT E DITO R & S E NIO R

“

DIWALI IS THE festival of light so to celebrate, I

VIETNAMESE NEW YEAR is a little different than

D I WA L I NOV. 12

T͖ T FEB . 10

went to a friend’s house and we lit firecrackers in their driveway. It’s fun to celebrate and a good way to stay connected to my family back in India.

FES TIVAL OF L I G H T

BRID GET CONNELLY D ESIG N ED IT OR & SENIOR

“

AFTER LIVING IN Singapore for four the normal Jan. 1 New Year, and it’s called Tet. It’s on Feb. 10 years my family missed the culture celebrations. in 2024 and all of my Vietnamese family lives in California so We celebrate Chinese New Year every year with I don’t get to celebrate with them, but I get sent lucky money red envelopes, homemade dumplings and we put called li xi and it’s supposed to be good luck for the New Year. out oranges and red lanterns.

V I E TN AM ES E N E W YE AR

Љёьӂ FE B . 10

CH IN ES E N E W Y E A R

smeharbinger.net/category/a&e

de s ign by soph i a broc km ei er

p h o to s by imdb.com & am a zo n

DECEMBER 4, 2023 | 13

WATCH &

Media that includes underrepresented cultures or diversity

WHY THE CAGED BIRD SINGS

GAME CORNER Fill out the crossword puzzle that uses words from articles in this issue 1

3

2 4

5

In the autobiography written

by Maya Angelou, Angelou explores her earlier childhood and how literature helped to overcome racism and trauma in her hometown. "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" focuses on subjects of identity, rape, racism and literacy.

6

MOONLIGHT (2016) 7

8

9

DOWN:

ACROSS: 4. Topic of the p a g e 1 2 o p i n i o n .

5. Name of the m a t h te a c h e r o n page 7.

6. Mont h that the h o l i da y o n page 11 take s p l a c e i n .

7. Name of Tiago ' s m o m o n p a g e s 1 4 and 1 5.

9. Top ic of t h e edi to r i a l .

1 . Na m e o f t h e s u b j e ct o n p ag e 5 .

2. Holiday that is discussed on p a g e 11.

3. Month that the Robotics club i s d o i n g t h e i r F i rs t Te c h Ch a l l e n g e .

8 . C o u n t r y t h e te a c h e r i s f ro m o n page 7

SWITCH IT UP

Social media accounts that promote diversity and their topics

@eugeneleeyang

South Korean heritage and LGTBQ+ supporter

@ryanbergara

Filipino-American and Asian-American Youtuber

@emmanuelacho

Black author and former NFL linebacker

The coming-of-age film focuses on a young boy: Chiron, in his childhood, adolescence and early adult life.

Chiron struggles with substance abuse as he grows up in Liberty City, Miami. The movie exposes the drug trade, highlighting the young children involved.

WHEN POLICE KILL The nonfiction novel focuses on the statistics of when police turn to deadly force to resolve a conflict. Using federal records Franklin Zimring tells the story of how African Americans and Native Americans are commonly victims of the police crimes.

THE HARBINGER

de sign & co py by kai m c p hai l

UKRANIAN LATKES INSTRUCTIONS

INGREDIENTS

Make a type of potato pancake from classic Jewish cuisine. While they are

LIB SOP

usually eaten during Hanukkah, these delicious fritters can be enjoyed yearround.

-4 pounds potatoes, grated -1 small onion, grated

“

Grate potatoes and onion and squeeze in a clean towel to remove water (*towel will

1 be discolored).Beat eggs in a large bowl. Add potatoes, onions, salt, pepper and flour.

2 Heat 1/4 inch oil in electric skillet at 350 degrees. Form small pancakes in

-4 eggs -1 teaspoon salt -1/2 teaspoon pepper -2 tablespoons flour

MY FAMILY MADE

two years ago, my grandma this recipe for latkes. We ha perogies once or twice a we like wontons filled with pota sauerkraut. A lot of people Ukranian cuisine with Russia very different.

a cooking spoon and drop into oil.

-Oil for frying

Turn over after about two minutes and fry until golden. Drain on

3 paper towels.

KOREAN TTEOKBOKKI

INGREDIENTS -12 ounces Korean rice cakes -1 cup sliced carrot -2 cups soup stock

INSTRUCTIONS Enjoy a Korean staple and favorite — tteokbokki — featuring chewy rice cakes cooked in a red and spicy broth.

1 pot over medium-high heat and add carrots for 4-5 minutes, cooked but still firm.

Soak rice cakes in water for 10 minutes and drain. Boil the soup stock in a shallow

2

-3 tablespoons gochujang -1 tablespoon sugar or honey -1 tablespoon soy sauce -1 tablespoon sesame seeds -1 tablespoon sesame oil - 1/2 cup green onion, thinly sliced

Add rice cakes and boil for 4-5 minutes or until cooked, add gochujang, sugar or honey, soy sauce, and stir.

ABBY LEE SENIOR

Simmer for 2-3 minutes to thicken sauce and add more gochujang to taste.

3 Sauche should not be watery.

Add soy sauce and sesame oil to taste and garnish with green onion and sesame

4 seeds and quickly stir and serve warm. recipe notes:

Use fish stock to give your tteokbokki for a more authentic taste, but chicken stock and water are both good substitutes for the soup stock you’re using.

“

MY DAD HAD

trouble finding measurements when it comes to tteokbokki, since we always measure with our eyes.

He can sense it.

CHINESE CONGEE D i s cover some cultural family recipe s f ro m The Har b i nger staffers

BY M A RSH PHOMORE

a cookbook a contributed ave Ukranian eek, almost ato and confuse an, but it’s

DECEMBER 4, 2023 | 15

A&E

INSTRUCTIONS If you’re planning on roasting a turkey for Christmas or New Year’s, consider making Chinese Turkey Jook for a warm and nourishing meal. Create a new tradition out of a centuries-old favorite.

INGREDIENTS -Turkey bones & extra meat, use the carcass or thighs -6 cups water plus 6 cups chicken broth -2 cups washed white rise, day or two

1

Simmer turkey bones and water-broth mixture in a large pot on the stove for one hour, covered.

old rice works best -3 tablespoons sliced ginger -3 tablespoons oyster sauce

2 masher and simmer for two more hours, stirring occasionally. Additional

- Chopped scallions,

3 Remove bones and ginger and ladle the soup into bowls.

green onion

Add rice, sliced ginger, salt, and oyster sauce. Mash rice with a potato liquid may be added to loosen the rice mixture.

Top with topped scallions and thin slivers of ginger and other toppings to

4 taste.

recipe notes:

Mashing the turkey in the broth will make the turkey stringy. If you like that texture, know that it’s actually more authentic.

A M E L IE WO N G JUNIOR

“

THERE’S ALWAYS ONE

or two bones that somehow ended up in someones jook after boiling an entire turkey. Me and my family were always paranoid before finding the person with the bone.

-Slivers of ginger or cilantro -Soy sauce, Chinese garlic chili sauce,

culture IN THE KITCHEN

16 | DECEMBER 4, 2023

story b y davi d al l e gr i

THE HARBINGER

d e s ig n b y grey s o n i mm

p h o to s b y m a g gi e co n d o n

A h i g h l i g h t of an Aust r i an, E t hi o p i an and Mexi can re staurant i n t he a re a , e a c h with it s own tra ditiona l dishe s

GRÜNAUER

K

101 W 22ND STREET

ANSAS HOLDS A melting pot

roasts and sausages from Germany and the

Mailälander Schnitzel — $25. This

of ethnic cuisines, ranging from

staple dish of Schnitzel — thinly sliced pork

is a parmesan-breaded Duroc pork

authentic Mexican restaurants to

that is breaded and fried — thought to have

Schnitzel topped with lemon caper

Ethiopian cuisine and European

originated from Italy.

sauce and served with Panzanella

My appetizer of Frittatensuppe was an $8

dishes. I went out to sample a few.

salad.

My first stop was Grünauer — an Austrian

soup made from beef broth stock, garnished

When it comes to Schnitzel,

restaurant located at the crossroads of Kansas

with a cut-up crepe and thinly sliced chives.

there isn’t much variety — it’s

The stock just didn’t add anything — I

breaded pork. But the flavor that

was just eating a wet, soppy crepe in salty

the soup lacked was made up by

water.

offered

the savory lemon sauce served on

music, a painting of a coffee bean wearing

something more than a salty broth, because it

the schnitzel. It had a smooth,

a Turkish Fez hat and a steaming Schnitzel

felt incomplete without accompanying meat,

oily texture with a sharp bite from the lemon

being served to a table made me eager to see

and left me wanting more.

and capers, making it the dish’s standout

City, Missouri. It’s the number-one-rated Austrian spot in Kansas, according to Yelp.

Walking inside, the sounds of faint jazz

The

what Austrian cuisine had to offer.

Austrian different

cuisine

countries:

from

wished

the

redeeming

many

unlike

Turkey,

the

Frittatensuppe’s

eagerly

N rich

a

beef

element

was

encapsulates coffee

I

heavy

stock

of

the

soup

element. The Panzanella was just as delicious

cream-based

soup,

because all of the vegetables were pickled and

light

stock

left

the

main

course,

anticipating

me

offered an even more tart flavor.

20 EAST 5TH STREET

Blue

NILE

ESTLED OF 5th

OFF and

The first vegetable was Gomen, a dish of sautéed

Broadway,

Blue

collard greens. It’s prominent in many cultures, but I’ve

For the meat, I got Doro Watt and Tibbs Watt. Doro

a

always had the problem of the dish being over-salted

Watt is a spicy chicken that’s slow-roasted and infused

dining

whenever I ordered it. I finally found a place that leaves

with a robust berbere spice blend. The Tibbs Watt is

Ethiopian

them bland instead of on the verge of giving you a heart

cooked in the same way, except it’s red meat. Whether

attack.

beef, chicken or a combination, each piece has a smoky

Nile

and

offers

ethnic

experience

of

cuisine where patrons eat without utensils.

cost $18.

taste while being elevated by the medley of spices that

Then I had the Misir Watt, a lentil stew that showcased

are mixed in.

char that complements the spices and pairs well with the

In traditional Ethiopian

the art of slow-cooking. Earthy lentils, aromatic spices

fashion, Blue Nile provides injera bread — a

and a velvety texture created a blend that had me

Blue Nile showed the beauty of the cultural exchange

sour fermented pancake-like flatbread with a spongy

savoring each injera-encapsulated bite. Next came the

of Ethiopian cuisine. Its diverse array of spices and

texture — instead of forks and knives.

Atikeltt, offering a comforting and hearty addition to

cooking techniques introduced me to a world of flavor as

the Ethiopian culinary ensemble. It’s made from diced

well as a new way of eating food.

I ordered three vegetables and two meat dishes which

sour texture of the injera.

San Antonios CARNERICA Y TORTERILLA carrots, potatoes and cabbage, each retaining its distinct

A

LTHOUGH

CARNERICA

Y

Torterilla San Antonios is a butcher

having some of the best tacos in the city.

On my recent monthly visit, I ordered two

For toppings, my favorite combo is

onions, lime juice, cilantro and their

Kansas

Lengua tacos and two Pastor tacos, for only

Avenue and 10th St. and grocery

$10. These authentic tacos are served in corn

Despite the mild title, this salsa has

store, it’s still home to the best tacos in the

tortillas without any cheese, but who needs

a kick and is much more flavorful than

city. It has been recognized by many magazines

cheese anyway? The meat’s rich, spicy flavor

the watered down tomato paste that is

including Forbes, for having not just some of

would only be buffered with the addition of a

served at many Tex-Mex restaurants.

the best tacos in the city, but some of the best

bland cheese.

and

grocery

store

off

of

“mild” salsa for texture.

The

taste

was

delectable

—

the

The Pastor pork is vertically spit-roasted,

tender meat, the heat of the salsa and

Although Carnerica y Torterilla San Antonios

making it very juicy and flavorful, but the

the piquant addition of the cilantro and

is a grocery store off of Kansas Avenue and 10th

Lengua is beef tongue — some of the best

lime juice all come together to leave

Street, it’s still home to the best tacos in the city,

tasting meat I’ve ever tried despite where the

your mouth on fire, yet still wanting

being recognized by magazines, like Forbes, for

meat comes from.

five more tacos.

in America.

2904 INDEPENDENCE AVENUE

smeharbinger.net/category/opinion

de s i g n by kai mcph ail

read this

Popular I te ms an d p e o p l e th at are f o u n d a ro u n d m ed i a

S t u de n t s’ opinions o n c u l t u ra l l y re l e v a n t b o o ks assi gned i n cl ass EL L EN BOW SER JUNIOR

“

DECEMBER 4, 2023 | 17

editor’s note DEAR SHAWNEE COMMUNITY,

MISSION

EAST

that students will show greater empathy on social media and at school moving

condone

forward. Please contact smeharbinger@

racism or threats of violence spread online

gmail.com if you’d like to share a story

or in any other form. We are saddened by

relating to the walkout or discrimination

the racist comments on our Instagram live

at East that has gone unheard.

The

Harbinger

does

not

coverage of the Nov. 27 walkout and hope Editors of The Harbinger

I FEEL LIKE [Woman at Point Zero]

gave me a new perspective on things that I take for granted. Like sometimes I really don’t enjoy school, but then I forget that it’s a privilege in some places. As a woman I’m greatful that I have the ability to grow up and be successful when that wasn’t possible in the past.

L EAH I MM FRESHMAN

“

abroad insight

s to r y b y b ri d ge t co n n e l l y

De sign Editor share s how living in Singapore has impacted her after m o vi ng b ack to t he U. S. I’VE LIVED IN seven states and two countries

day on the lunar calendar so we don’t clean the

— the most impactful being Singapore, Asia.

good spirits away and we don’t cut our noodles

The first four years of my life was when my

because the longer the noodle the longer the

family lived there. I learned a lot from the over

life.

five million people crammed in a country with

Even though I can’t remember how to count

an area 1,261.5 square miles smaller than Rhode

to 100 and introduce myself in Mandarin,

Island.

Singapore’s positive impact on me will never be

In third grade, I asked for my country project

forgotten.

to be Singapore because I was inspired by their extravagant culture. I showed off my red firecracker decorations and Singapore dollars to my class with a huge smile on my face — even with my front tooth missing.

THE RIGHT THING isn’t always

done. When I started reading the book at the beginning of the trial, I kind of knew that [the white men] would rule Tom Robinson guilty. It’s opened my mind about the past and how unfair it was and still is.

I took at home Mandarin languages with my twin sister for four years, but we couldn’t find any tutors when we moved so we were forced to stop. Once I got to East, I was ecstatic to see the Chinese courses taught and immediately signed up for Chinese 1. I took Chinese 2 the next year, and I regret not continuing.

My family celebrates Chinese New Year every year with red lanterns and oranges at our door. We wait to sweep the floor until the fifth

this or that?

S tudent s s h a re t h e i r o p i n i o n s p e r ta i n i n g to op- e d a r ti c l e s i n th i s i s s u e

DO YOU THINK IT’S IMPORTANT TO HAVE STRONG TIES TO YOUR CULTURE?

DO YOU THINK YOUR CULTURE IS ADEQUATELY REPRESENTED AT EAST?

YES NO

YES NO

* I n s t a g ra m p o l l o f 1 5 2 v o t e s

82% 18%

* I n s t a g ra m p o l l o f 1 4 7 v o t e s

48%

52%

18 | DECEMBER 4, 2023

THE HARBINGER

story b y l u c i an a me n dy

d e s ig n b y g rey s o n i m m

a comment

MORE THAN JUST

p h o to s b y ri l ey s cot t

M i c ro a g g re s s i o n s a re a b i g i s s u e a n d t h ey should be recognized and

I

re s pon d e d to a l w a y s , i n s te a d o f b e i n g o verlooked and disregarded STOOD IN line at the Fairway Hen House,

waiting to pay for the can of tomato sauce

I never want to cause a scene. It’s always easier to

just stay quiet.

Target employees will follow me around the

that my mom needed for dinner, when I felt a

store like I’m about to pull off the biggest heist of

tap on my shoulder.

“Wow sweetie, your skin is so pretty and exotic.”

the year, and I’ll just put my head down and make

Turning to face a bubbly middle-aged white

sure to keep my hands out of my pocket.

I’ll laugh awkwardly after someone tells me I’m

woman who I’ve never met before, I plastered on a

I used

to

think

that

microaggressions weren’t worth

“acting white” for enjoying activities like debate

getting upset about. At least not

The grin on the woman’s face was so genuine

or writing. I can’t remember how many times I’ve

when there were instances

that I knew she called me “exotic” as a compliment.

thanked someone for making a surprised comment

of

But white, blonde, blue-eyed girls aren’t the only

about how “well spoken” I am, when I just speak

attacked just because of the

people in America, there’s nothing different, exotic

the same way I’ve spoken my entire life.

color of their skin — who cares

smile and replied with a forced “thank you.”

people

getting

brutally

or foreign about my skin color. And being called

I just walk away when kids at school make jokes

something that I’ve only heard used to describe fruit,

about my favorite food being fried chicken. I simply

tropical locations and animals feels dehumanizing.

ignore the obvious stares in class whenever the

identity add up. Just because I’m not

continent of Africa is mentioned, as if I’m about to

being called a slur or dealing with

start preaching about the motherland.

hate crimes doesn’t mean I should

microaggression a statement or action that subtly perpetuates d i s c r i m i n a t i o n a n d s t e re o t y p e s a g a i n s t m e m b e r s o f a m a r g i n a l i ze d g ro u p s

Though seemingly innocent, microaggressions

if I have to deal with a little ignorance?

But

the

constant

jabs

at

my

just accept microaggressions as a

always dampen my self esteem. I’ve lived in Kansas

normal part of life. Being offended by

my entire life, and though I might not look the same

microaggressions

as all my classmates, I am proud to be a part of

hypersensitive or a “snowflake.”

doesn’t

make

me

Growing up Black in the Kansas City area where

the community. These small actions make me feel

I’m not reaching for the stars, I

71% of the population is white, according to Data

degraded and excluded— they reinforce the idea

deserve to be treated with the same dignity

USA,

that I am regrettably different, that I don’t belong

and respect as anyone else, I shouldn’t have

no matter what I do— and that angers me.

to settle for subtle prejudice just because

means

grappling

with

microaggressions.

Mocking stereotypes, the assumptions I’m not as smart as my white peers and the suspicious stares

I don’t want to be seen as the “angry black girl”

when entering a store may not seem significant

who makes everything about race but this treatment

I need to work on speaking up against

individually but the key about microaggressions is

isn’t fair and it isn’t right. My white counterparts

microaggressions and turning my awkward

that they add up. They shouldn’t be considered the

have the privilege to be seen and viewed based

laughs into, “It’s actually not okay to say

norm due to the impact constant discrimination, no

on their actions whereas my identity is constantly

that.”

matter how big, has on people of color.

invalidated by my race. When people just dismiss

It’s hard, but I urge other minorities

I should’ve said something.

these invalidations it just allows others to think that

to challenge themselves as well. But the

But before I could decide whether to speak out

they’re okay, and that people of color don’t deserve

conversation

basic respect.

person

against the woman’s comment or walk away, her

Microaggressions

hands were on my head, fingers running through

have

interactions

become

that

so

they’ve

a

jabs and move on with their everyday life. poorly-

microaggression was discriminatory. Ask

phrased questions can seem especially insignificant

sincere questions if you don’t understand

as overreacting or being a “snowflake” for getting

when compared to discrimination like hate crimes

someone else’s culture. And never call a

offended by something so “small.”

and slurs.

person “exotic.”

subtlety

of

microaggressions

makes

UNWELCOME intercations WHAT IS SAID

“Where are you from?”

“I don’t see race/color.”

“I would’ve never guessed you’re...”

VS.

a

or

Use the experience to learn about the implications of your actions and why the

responding to them complicated. It’s often seen

The

remarks

if

committed

didn’t realize that was offensive.”

individuals are expected to just accept these subtle casual

there,

you

defensive, you can just say, “I’m sorry I

twisted social norm. It’s wrong that marginalized

jokes,

end

that

a microaggression there’s no need to be

appearance.

Ignorant

out

ingrained

in

treated like some exhibit at the petting zoo.

shouldn’t

points

become

my dark curls. She gushed about my “unique” I just smiled and nodded, as if I wasn’t being

daily

there are worse possible situations.

Example s of microagre ssions and w hat t hey co m m uni cate

WHAT IT MEANS

You aren’t a “real” American citizen.

I’m denying the significance of your culture.

Every person of your race is the same to me.

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20 | DECEMBER 4, 2023

story b y n eva h u dso n

THE HARBINGER

d e s ig n b y grey s o n i mm

SHARING HER

p h o to s b y c l a ra p e t e rs

Celebration Diwali, much like other diverse cultural holidays, is impor tant d e sp i te l i t t l e k no w le dge a nd a wa re ne sss of it

bursting

H with

E AV I LY T A P E D BOXES from

Diwali doesn’t come with bright greeting

that several widely recognized holidays

cards or signature music on every radio

— two being Easter and Christmas — are

channel, but it’s still more meaningful to

rooted in Christianity. Although this is

me than Easter or Halloween. As much as

understandable because of our country’s

I love to celebrate other holidays, I wish

founding, that doesn’t mean we can’t

there was greater recognition for Diwali in

evolve to include more holidays. I mean,

the media.

Hanukkah isn’t even on that list considering

For me Diwali is a time to reflect on my heritage. Each year when it comes

the fact that one in ten Americans celebrate it, according to NationalToday.com.

around, I’m reminded to take the time

In addition to this, another reason

my

grandma

to learn more about and stay connected

for the lack of awareness surrounding

crunchy

chewda,

with my heritage through my mom and

smaller-scale holidays is that they remain

cavity-worthy ladoos and spicy chakli

grandparents, something that can be easy

primarily

— homemade Indian snack foods —

to forget having grown up in the Midwest

customs or traditions can’t hold a candle to

arrive at my doorstep each November.

while being heavily immersed in American

the amount of money materialistic holidays

culture.

like Thanksgiving or Christmas generate

The mail marks the beginning of

non-commercialized.

Diwali’s

Diwali — an annual Indian holiday

I used to avoid talking about Diwali

that celebrates the coming of the new year

at school. I’d tiptoe around using Indian

Culture and heritage are huge factors in

with a festival of lights and represents the

words like pooja or bharatanatyam — a

the foundation of most people’s identities,

victory of light over darkness. A holiday

traditional Indian dance form my mom

and if holidays similar to Diwali become

that should be better understood in Prairie

taught — anything that was too hard to

more widely known, those who celebrate

pronounce for my white friends.

them will feel more comfortable talking

Village.

I’m biracial and half Indian, and my family has celebrated Diwali my entire life.

Even

though

they

all

knew

I

was

biracial, I hated the follow up questions

for the country’s economy.

about it, expressing themselves and their beliefs.

and attention that came from bringing up

Now that I’m older, I love bringing

The holiday lasts five days during the

anything Indian that was unfamiliar to

up Diwali to friends or classmates that don’t

end of November. On the third night, my

them — even one of my favorite holidays.

family holds a laid-back — about as non-

Next year, New York will make Diwali a

than avoiding follow up questions about

traditional as it can get — at-home puja,

state-recognized holiday, so kids in public

my culture, I smile when I’m asked them.

or ceremony, where we honor the Hindu

schools will get the day off and attention

Answering feels like opening people’s eyes

goddess Lakshmi, who is associated with

will be drawn to a holiday that is often

and mind to a holiday that would otherwise

good fortune and prosperity. We wear

otherwise overlooked. I hope that Kansas

fly under the radar.

colorful kurtas and sit around my mom’s

and other states follow suit and that one

Cultural holidays like Diwali that are less

makeshift bedroom altar.

day this could even be done on a national

commonly celebrated at East should receive

know

anything

about

it.

Rather

The whole ritual lasts less than 30

level to send a clear message that all

equal acknowledgment and recognition as

minutes, but for me it symbolizes the

cultures, religions and beliefs deserve to be

the big-name ones. Let’s make a conscious

importance of upholding generational

treated with equal respect.

effort to create a welcoming holiday season

traditions.

CELEBRATING

Culture

How Diwali fe stivitie s in Nev a’s f a m i l y hel p to und erstand Ind i an cul t ure

This is important when you consider

ladoo

shared with family traditional Indian sweet handmade by Neva’s grandmother

for all.

kurta

worn during puja designs reflect culture traditional clothing

smeharbinger.net/category/sports

DECEMBER 04, 2023 | 21

Mark y o u r ca le nd a rs fo r th e se

UPCOMING EVENTS

4

DECEMBER

7 p.m.

G i r l s Va r s i t y B a s k e t b a l l @ S M E

5

DECEMBER

4:30 p.m.

6

B o y s Va r s i t y B a s k e t b a l l @ S M E

countdown

7

B O T T O M L E F T Alumni Will Feagans dashes along the 25 yard line to avoid junior Bo Morissey taking possession of the ball. A few seconds later, Feagan’s shot towards the goal was blocked

by Morrissey, giving his team possession of the ball. photo by alex sajna

4:30p.m.

DECEMBER

JV Girls Ba sketball @ SMN

L E F T Alumni Griffin Flies laughs after junior Calvin Duske made an error in passing the ball. A few seconds later, Duske dashed forward and scooped the ball moments before contacting the ground, resulting in East keeping possession of the ball. photo by alex sajna

B O T T O M R I G H T After catching a pass from the right side of the field, Junior Bo Morrissey rushes past the 25 yard line to make a pass towards the center of the field.

A few seconds later, East lost possession of the ball. photo by alex sajna

2

7 p.m.

DECEMBER

boys varsity basketball classic

ays lef

t

d

d e si g n by i s abel balda s s aro

B o y s Va r s i t y B a s k e t b a l l @ S M E

season outlook A positive look i n to t h e u p c o m i n g b o y s’ s w i m s e a s o n

BASED ON THE first

week

year increasing the depth and size

of

practices, the East team looks good

of the team.

when

talked

compared

to

its

opponents.

While the coaches have

technique

and

opportunities

There are many swimmers including

for success, they look forward to an

freshman stepping up to varsity this

impressive season.

DID YOU ATTEND THE NOV. 28 VARSITY BASKETBALL JAMBOREE GAMES? * I n s t a g ra m p o l l o f 1 76 v o t e s

YES

21% 79%

NO

game review

Va rs i t y Lacrosse P layer Bo Morrissey ’s review on the Nov. 2 5 A l u mni Lacrosse game

BO MO RRI SSEY DEF ENS E

“

IT WAS FUN to play because some of the Alumni were people [I] looked up to when [I] was younger when I watched East games, so playing against them was fun. It wasn’t an actual game so people were just messing around and having fun. Some of the players that came back still play in college so it was fun to play against such high level players.

22 | DECEMBER 04, 2023

abdoulaye THE HARBINGER

KANTE

d e s ig n b y ve ro n i c a m a n g i n e p h o to s b y c a ro l i n e m a r t u cc i , ra c h e l b i n gh a m & l yd i a co e

L E F T K anté plays SM Northwest in a game last season where he scored 15 points. “ The kid who is blocking me is my friend off [the] court but also my enemy,” K anté said. “ We lost the game but really want to win this season.”

S enior Abdoulaye K anté came to the U.S. to p ursue b asket b al l

photo by caroline martucci

WHILE LIVING IIN Mali, Africa, then-

weekend. In the meantime, he studied

middle schooler Abdoulaye Kanté made

for his exam.

After passing the test and waiting

a bet with his dad: if Abdoulaye could pass the test that would allow him to

a

go an African high school, — including

Abdoulaye moved to East his sophomore

a math, English, chemistry, physics,

year and continued his basketball career.

history and essay section — his dad

year

due

During

to

the

COVID,

now-senior

2022-2023

season,

would allow him to move to the U.S. for

Abdoulaye averaged 5.1 rebounds and

school. All Abdoulaye would have to do

0.9 assists per game and scored 125

is earn an athletic scholarship to fund

points over the course of the season.

Now in his final high school season,

his education.

So he picked up his first basketball.

Abdoulaye hopes to qualify for state

Abdoulaye

pick-up

and come back stronger from their

games with 18 to 20-year-old men at

loss during the first round last year.

an outside court in hopes of winning a

Abdoulaye also hopes to leave a legacy

scholarship to an American school.

by breaking school records for rebounds

began

playing

“Some of the courts were really bad,”

and assists.

Abdoulaye said. “Sometimes you get

Since moving, Abdoulaye has bonded

frustrated [because no one] cleaned the

with his teammates and has always felt

floor and you’d have to get new shoes

welcomed by the East community.

“My

every practice.”

But

story b y ada l i l l i e wo r th i n g t o n

Abdoulaye

refused

to

be

and

[East]

they’re

teammates

intimidated by his age gap with the other

Abdoulaye said. “I have

men and continued playing basketball

always felt like a part of

twice a day during the week and all day

the team. Since day one I

over the

nice

was shown respect.”

L E F T K anté shoots a lay-up in a game last fall against Gardner. “I was in foul trouble that game,” K anté said. “I want to play better now than last year.” photo by lydia coe

are

smart,”

L E F T Coach Shawn Hair tells K anté his four jobs: get rebounds, protect the rim, score and don’t get in foul trouble. “Hair was telling me to control my anger,” K anté said. “ We’ve been doing crazy drills at practice this year so that I can work on controlling anger.” photo by rachel bingham

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z ZUBILLAGA a P

24 | DECEMBER 4, 2023

d e s ig n b y grey s o n i m m

THE HARBINGER

Moving to K ansas from Spain and being born in Venez uela g i ve s seni o r Paz Zub i l l aga uni que cul t ural exp er i ence s

cop y b y c h r i sti an go o l ey

p h o to b y ri l ey s cot t

GLOBAL SNAPSHOTS Pa z ’s p ho to s fro m S pa i n

WHERE WERE YOU ORIGINALLY FROM BEFORE COMING TO EAST? I was born in Venezuela but after just a year of living there, I moved to Spain with my mom where I lived in a very small town.

My high school only had 400 people. I lived there until my freshman year, when I decided to move to the U.S. where my dad lives.

WHAT IS THE MAIN CULTURAL DIFFERENCE FROM SPAIN TO THE THE UNITED STATES?

People are not as open about becoming friends with you. In Spain people are a lot more open to meeting new people, but at East it was very difficult because everyone has their own group, until I joined the IB program. I also realized very fast that our school only has [very little] diversity, so it took me a while to get used to people not fully understanding my culture and where I am from.

DO YOU HAVE ANY FUNNY STORIES FROM WHEN YOU FIRST MOVED TO THE U.S.?

The funniest thing to me was watching people trying to spell my name, especially when I received passes to go to the counselor or leave at school. I even have multiple photos of all the crazy ways people have tried to spell it.

CREATIVE SPELLINGS

P hotos of time s that Paz ’s name has been misspelled

Briefs...

DECEMBER 4, 2023 | 25

s tor ie s by con nor vo gel

de s i g n by l i bby marsh

NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY INDUCTION Four junior were inducted as

National Honor S ociet y officers on Nov. 2 9

smeharbinger.net/category/news

THE

lancer minute

KC CURRENT STADIUM CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES

“I think it’s cool how interested people are

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

Monarch Build and JE Dunn have begun the

in the stadium,” Duchene said. “I’ll be excited

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

finishing touches on the Canadian Pacific

to finally see what [the stadium] looks like

Kansas City

when the season starts.”

re c a p p i n g re c e n t s c h o o l events

LOCAL

CONSTRUCTION

stadium — the first women’s

sports stadium in the world.

Monarch owner and East parent Courtney Kounkel is impressed with her crew’s ability to

The new stadium will provide an immersive experience for fans. Every seat will be placed no more than 100 feet from the field.

stay ahead of schedule as they remain on track

“When you experience a soccer game, it’s

for their official opening for the Kansas City

important to be really in the game,” Kounkel

Current’s home opener this March.

said. “Everything is about being closer to the

“We’re trying to push up the schedule a

pitch, closer to the players and closer to the

bit in order to get some temporary certificates

match so you can experience the game at a

of occupancy before the end of this year,”

higher level.”

Kounkel said.

These certificates are part of the logistics

photo by riley scott

Current fans like junior Henry Duchene

have this have the stadium be a community

look forward to seeing the stadium finally

asset,” Kounkel said. “There are so many ways

completed.

this stadium can be activated so that it’s a

rugby, lacrosse and various concerts.

“The goal of the ownership team is to really

Kansas City community asset.”

SMSD OPEN ENROLLMENT POLICY CHANGE

photo by riley scott

A B O V E SHARE’s dodgeball tournament raised hundreds of cans for charity. photo by riley scott

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

THE SMSD SCHOOL board will hold their

place once open enrollment happens because

last meeting of the year on Dec. 4 for parents

this will just be a state law that any kid could

and community members’ to discuss upcoming

go anywhere,” Peres said. “But we will have

changes to the district’s open enrollment policy

some sort of a process to dictate who comes [to

— allowing students to transfer to Shawnee

East] next year.”

Mission school from out of the district.

East’s district in kindergarten, is thankful for

open enrollment policy, was signed into law by

the lifting of restrictions and the new policy

Governor Laura Kelly on May 16. The new law

opening up more opportunities for students.

would allow students grades K-12 to attend

“[Before], I couldn’t miss a certain amount

any school within Kansas, including East, as

of days [compared to] other people,” Dickerson

long as they live in Kansas.

said. “I have to get better grades than other

Currently, there’s no official change in place

people just because, and I had to keep up to a

from the previous open enrollment program for

certain academic standard, or else I could lose

incoming students as administrators prepare

my [enrollment exception].”

Principal Jason Peres.

“I’m assuming that when they are close to completion, they will ask for our input,” Peres

JACK BROGHAMMER LEADERSHIP

“IT’S A GREAT honor and I’m excited to do this next year.”

make life easier for current transfer students, but also allow others to make their own academic choices regarding their education.

“It’s great, I think that it shouldn’t matter

will all reconvene and talk about it, finalize it,

where you live,” Dickerson said. “I think it

then push it out by January.”

should matter what school that you think you can fit into well, and you can thrive there.”

previous program, which required students to

This law will impact all major districts in

pay an application fee before transferring to

Kansas including Olathe, Kansas City, Kansas

East, along with adhering to certain academic

and Blue Valley, according to KMBC news and

standards.

will be put into place when students begin to

“I’m not aware that there will be a fee in

organization and all the officers ahead of me seemed amazing, I’m proud to follow in their footsteps.”

Dickerson hopes the new changes won’t just

said. “I imagine [principals and administrators]

This policy will be a change from the

SCHOLARSHIP

“I THINK NHS is a really great

Junior Maren Dickerson, who transferred to

HB-2567, which included the statewide

for state legislation’s new policy according to

character pillar next year.”

The venue will accommodate not only the

that must be completed before the official

A B O V E StuCo’s Chili Cook Off took place on Nov. 15.

“I’M READY TO represent the

women’s team, but also American football,

A B O V E Clips from the Nov. 27 walkout.

opening of the stadium in February.

CHARACTER

enroll for the 2024-2025 school year.

SERVICE

“I FEEL GLAD that my peers felt like voting me in[to NHS]”

GEARING UP for SUCCESS 26 | DECEMBER 4, 2023

T

story b y pre st o n h o o ke r p h oto b y pre st o n h o o ke r

THE HARBINGER

d e s ig n b y l i b by ma rs h

The R obotic s club is doing their First Tech Challenge in December and they have been p rep p i ng sinc e A u gu st

HE EAST ROBOTICS team is

team that you’ve never met before,” Lickteig

preparing for the annual “Tech

said. “And so you have to know their plan of

This is a big step up for freshmen from

Challenge” competition on Dec. 9

attack and know what they’re going to do.”

the robotics program at Indian Hills Middle

at Lakewood Middle School, with

Utilizing the bolts, screws and trinkets

the organization FIRST hosting 265 schools

around, the team assesses and navigates the

“The biggest difference would be the

from across the state.

other teams and figures out what areas they

complexity of what we’re doing,” Wild said.

need to improve in.

“We’re using a lot more advanced parts and

The competition utilizes a prompt to challenge participants to creatively complete

There

are

two

sections

during

the

because no one did that for us last year.”

School, according to freshman Carter Wild.

doing a lot more advanced functions and

the task at hand by coding, building and

competition: the autonomous section and the

testing robots. This year’s prompt is to lift

driver section. In the autonomous section,

various hexagons using a robot created by

participants can practice within 30 seconds

kickoff, then move up exponentially. After

students. The more hexagons the robot picks

leading up to the actual competition, testing

passing regionals and the city-based

up and places in a specific amount of time,

what is needed before the actual recorded

championship, the best of

the more points the team gets.

competition. The driver period is the alloted

the best compete to claim

This is the first competition this year,

time where students have to complete the

the

and East’s robotics team has been preparing

challenge to the best of their ability — the

Robotics Champion.”

vigorously

section where their scores are recorded.

for

the

past

few

months.

Freshman Carter Wild helps construct these

Sophomore Jacob Winfield believes that

robots and test their functionality in the ten

this year has been more challenging than last

days leading up to the event.

year since losing team members.

“Right now we’re just adding some final

“Last year we had a senior who pretty

touches to the robots,” Wild said. “Anything

much guided us through the whole thing,”

we

Winfield

can

do

to

get

more

points

in

the

said.

“This

year,

we’re

much on our own, so we have to do stuff for

works, like double-checking the code.”

ourselves. We have different types of wheels and

different

claw

designs.

are paired with another team to go compete against participants from other schools. Each

we didn’t have access to last year.”

Students have to anticipate the opposing team’s unique ways of gathering the most according

to

Sophomore

competitions

title

of

start

with

a

local

“National

Sophomore Sage Lickteig sacrificed her spot on the advanced team to help out the

they’ve never challenged before.

points,

The

Everything

changed, and we’re using different parts that

round they’re paired with a new team that

activities.”

pretty

competition and make sure that everything At the start of the challenge, students

BELOW The freshman team’s design for their upcoming competition.

Sage

freshmen team full-time.

“Instead of being on the advanced team, I’m

[helping]

build

their

robot

for

the

freshmen,” Lickteig said. “[I’m] helping

Lickteig.

“Every round you’re stuck with another

them

to

understand

HOW TO BUILD A

ROBOT

S teps to prep arin g for the tech ors chal leng e, acco rding to the com petit

all

the

new

1 2

terms

watch competition video

3

build and obot program the r

plan the robot design

4

ractice, practice, p practice

27 | DECEMBER 04, 2023

de sig n b y l i v madde n

THE HARBINGER

UNITY RISING

B E L O W One of the walkout organizers senior Jax Taylor chanted at the walkout as students gathered. “ We were chanting about the situation and it was an uplifting feeling,” Taylor said. “But at the same time, it was so nerve wracking having to speak for all those people.” photo by liv madden

S t u d e n t s h e l d a w a l ko u t to ex p re s s f r u s t ration towards the

admi n i s t ra t i o n’s d i s c i p l i n a r y p o l i c i e s f o l l o w i ng a fight bet ween a B l a c k f e m a l e s t u d e n t a n d a w h i te m a l e student who used racial slurs

R I G H T Senior Taylor King holds a poster while listening to her classmate. “Bre was our vocal point but our other message was to spread more awareness because this is not the first incident that has happened, and it will not be the last,” Taylor said. “If people think they can get away with this, then it will keep happening.“ photo by kenna harrignton

A B O V E Junior Kevin Gomez and seniors Ego Babick and Natalia Rios walk through the East parking lot holding a sign towards the principal and police officers. “None of us want to experience violence, and the fact that we are experiencing it at school is just unacceptable and we don’t want that to keep happening,” Babick said. photo by caroline martucci

A B O V E Principal Jason Peres supervises students during the walkout protesting racism at school. Students held signs and walked laps around the school parking lot and Mission Road. “[Administration] supports students expressing their voice,” Peres stated in an email to the school’s community following the event. photo by caroline martucci

SCAN ME PHOTO Scan this QR code to access more photos from this event

28 | DECEMBER 4, 2023

THE HARBINGER

cop y b y l u c y wo l f

d e s ig n b y b ri d ge t co n n e l l y p h o to s b y mo l l y mi l l e r

Ŕ NUMBERS

Hear from s t u d en t s an d s ee st atistic s about the diversit y b reakd own of Eas t

“ “

SCAN ME WEBSITE Go online to explore racial enrollment breakdowns of other high schools in the U.S. to compare to East

I S H YA

ŞŋSTATS

bhavsar JUNIOR I N D I AN

S tatistic s on diversit y in East

WE JUST CELEBRATED Diwali, the festival of lights and good over evil. This year it was on Nov. 12, and we had friends over, dressed up in traditional clothes, ate food and then went to temple on the actual day of.

2%

WHITE

ASIAN

BLACK

2+ RACES

HISPANIC/ LATINO

NATIVE AMERICAN/ ALASKAN

2.7% 4.4% 6.8% 0.004%

KELSEY stroud

JUNIOR PAR T N AT I V E AM E R I C AN

PEOPLE DON’T HAVE to outwardly look a certain stereotype or how you expect them to look to be their ethnicity. For a while I was a blonde and if I said I’m Native American, people would say “No you’re not.” But then on the opposite side people would say “You’re so tan, did you get a spray tan?” Just because I am a little more tan than most of my friends.”

“

90%

ō Ş STATS

National statistic s on diversit y in high schools

E VA

45.5%

15% BLACK

WHITE

IN THE ART exhibit at East, we have been planning a Latino art exhibit so that East can experience more of our culture.

That’s a positive way East has helped a lot of our community be recognized and shown throughout the school.

NATIVE AMERICAN/ALASKAN

5.4%

2+ RACES

galicia SENIOR L AT I N A

0.9%

28.4% HISPANIC/ LATINO

5.3% ASIAN