the
EYRIE
Volume 38, Issue 5
NEWS MARCH 29, 2019
4-5
• Restaurant offers dinner, show • Snow days affect school hours
6-7
• School holds fashion show
NEWS 8-9
FEATURE
10-11
• Student comes from Finland • Students complete CNA program
12-13
• Groups have superstitions • Students travel over spring break • Briefs: Performing Arts, BSU
14-15
• Boy Focus: Ethan Christiansen • Girl Focus: Hailey Pittman
16-17
• Students have different pets • English teacher shares literature
SPORTS 18-19
A&E
• • • •
Royals Spring Training Girls swimming Basketball wraps up Brief: Track
20-21
• Kansas City NBA team possible • Cheerleaders hold tryouts • Golden Girls
22-23
• Eyrie reviews Captain Marvel • Something about books?
24-25
• Eyrie reviews albums • Students share favorite TV shows
26-27
• Reverse racism • CBD should be more legal
OPINION 28-29 30-31 02 THE EYRIE
• Teachers use laptops in class • Google Classroom vs Teams
• Photographers share pictures • Eyrie Eats • Eyrie Kitchen
MARCH 29, 2019 NEWS
New Mural in hall
By: McKinley Schrader The 900 hall has gotten a fresh coat of paint, and along with two new murals. The first depicts a falcon, while the second displays the words, “Home of the Falcons.” Work on these murals began at the beginning of the 2018-19 school year and lasted roughly three weeks. The murals were created by Bennett Junkin, senior, for a school project, and required him to stay after school many days of the week. The murals were created in the hallway connecting the men’s locker room and the south gym, and highlight the what used to be plain walls. Other murals like the one in the 900 hallway are planned for the future, but it is unknown when they will be made, or where they will be located. Both of the murals were funded by the school, but the amount of money spent is unknown. in sports have positivdely commented on the mural.
FORENSICS
Forensics season started the last weekend in January and the state competition is the first weekend in May. There are thirteen to fifteen popular events that students may compete as a team and there are two to three individual events to participate in. With around forty students on the team and although they’ve only competed in four tournaments due to one being canceled because of the snow days, the team has already brought home over fifty medals all together. As students work together to place in tournaments, their coach Mrs. Ball hopes that the squad will feel improved as individuals at the end of season and will be cohesive unit that looks out for each other outside of school.
Ethics Bowl team loses in semifinals in Columbia On Feb. 2, the Ethics Bowl team travelled to Columbia College in Columbia, Missouri to compete for the chance to go to nationals in North Carolina. The team consisted of Jacob Krafft, Olivia Miller and Brenda Santiago, juniors, and Alex Burbidge, sophomore, who attempted to solve different problems in the most ethical and moral way possible, although Krafft was unable to join the team in Columbia. Judges awarded points to the team that solved each problem in the best and most ethical way, and the team with the most points won the round. The team lost in the semifinals after winning their first three rounds, but with all four members returning and the possibility of recruiting new members for next year, the expectations are that they advance to nationals in 2020.
The judges noted that the team had a great chemistry, and dominated throughout the competition, which was capped off with two sweeps. “I loved how cohesive it felt with my teammates,” Miller said. “Answering the judges’ questions and playing off of each other to answer was the best part.” The team lost on a controversial coin flip, as they would have been given a better question had they won the flip. Instead, they got a dead-end question, unable to elaborate. “I think we got cheated,” Santiago said. The team practiced looking over the cases every week since November to both think deeper about them and come up with a proper solution about each scenario. Next year they will compete again and will also “be sure to prepare using more ethical terminology.”
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NEWS MARCH 29, 2019
D I N N E R + S H O W 04 THE EYRIE
By: Mara Gee Despite its name, the New Theatre Restaurant has been around for quite some time. In 1971, Dennis Hennessy and his assistant Richard Carrothers bought and renovated a laundry on the plaza for their dinner theatre. They called it Tiffany’s Attic Dinner playhouse. From the dinner theatre’s much gained attention, Hennessy and Carrother’s decided to open a second theatre. This next theatre, named the Waldo Astoria, was completed in 1973. The pair’s next project was proposed in the late 80s by Andrew Happer, city councilman of Overland Park, and by 1992, the New Theatre Restaurant as it is known today, was fully functional. The building itself offers a relaxed yet exciting atmosphere. The lobby’s dark paint color contrasts perfectly with the bright light fixtures that are constantly changing colors. Contrary to the layout of the lobby, the theatre itself seats roughly 630 guests, a stage and the buffet area. There are two house entrances labeled “left and “right” for the tickets holder’s convenience. Guests enter the theatre on row 8 and are assissted to their seats from there.
For a typical evening show, doors open at 6 p.m. and the buffet at 6:30 p.m. Guests are given an about hour to eat and socialize before the show starts. The buffet - located in the wings of row 8 - contains a variety of selection without being overwhelming, the cost of which is included in the tickets. A server is available for guests and will provide drinks and dessert at an extra cost. Right before the show begins, the server will inquire as to whether guests would like dessert or not. If so, it is served during the intermission after the first 59 minutes of the show. Tickets are available online or over the phone and range from $34 to $61 depending on the day and seating choice. Shows are scheduled for every day of the week except Monday, due to the actor’s union requiring at least one day off for workers. Weeknights usually have 6:30 p.m. showings, Saturdays offer 12:15 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. shows., Sundays also offer 12:15 p.m. showings and occaisionally there are 11:50 a.m. shows on Wednesdays. Tickets are cheapest on Sunday matinees. The company asks that guests dress in business casual or better.
MARCH 29, 2019 NEWS
Snow days affect school hours By: Tristan Allen Due to the number of school days cancelled because of inclement weather, the school district is taking measures to ensure high school students graduate on time. So far, the district added an extra ten minutes to the beginning of the day, making school start at 7:50 a.m. instead of 8 a.m. and scrapped the high schools’ “late start” of 8:15 on even block days and started school at 7:50. In addition to the added minutes, the district changed March 18, which used to be the last day of a period of 10 days without school, from a professional day into a school day for high school students, causing outrage among some students. “Senior skip day… the day [they] took off of spring break. Let’s go,” Bennett Junkins, senior, said in a tweet on his Twitter account @bennettjunkin_ on Feb. 25.
What was behind the decisions the district made to ensure that high schoolers got enough time? LeEtta Felter, member on the board of education, said that the district “schedule[s] in more student contact time than the state requires and can usually handle approximately four snow days.” Since the district cancelled school more than four school days this year, measures had to be taken to ensure that high schoolers graduated on time. According to Felter, grades 9-11 were missing 16.38 hours required by the state in a school year and seniors were missing 12.63 hours. The adjusted schedule, according to her, would put students “in the positive student contact time by 2.04 hours or less for high school students, given [the district] have no further snow days.” This plan was impacted already. Felter explained that the district still needs to find an additional seven hours to ensure they meet state requirements. The district recently decided to turn
April 12, the lone off day in April, into another high school only day. Similar to the other rescheduled offday, seniors are calling for another “skip day.” “Senior skip day April 12th since they took that away from us too,” Cole McBride, senior, tweeted from his Twitter account @ColeMcBride3 March 20. Felter mentioned that one option to make up hours in school, while “not desirable” would be to have students come back “for multiple days after Memorial Day” while leaving fourth quarter as is. Clint Albers, principal, believed that general classroom activities have been affected most by the snow days. He also noted that “athletics did a pretty good job planning ahead.” “Everything got done within a day of when it was scheduled,” Albers said. According to Rick Schier, member on the board of education, “when the school is cancelled,...most events are cancelled.” One of these events included the district spelling bee, which was rescheduled four times.
Olathe South High School
Bell Schedule
Main Office: (913) 780-7160 • Attendance: (913) 780-7866 • Fax: (913) 780-7161 • Website: www.olathesouth.net
Monday, Tuesday, Friday
Wednesday
1st Hour . . . . . 7:50 – 8:40 2nd Hour . . . . . 8:45 – 9:34 3rd Hour . . . . 9:39 – 10:28 4th Hour . . . 10:33 – 11:23
1st Hour. . . . 7:50 – 9:21 3rd Hour . . . . 9:26 – 10:57
(2 minutes for announcements)
Falcon 50: Lunch A .. . 11:26 – 11:51 Lunch B .. . 11:51 – 12:16 5th Hour . . . . 12:20 – 1:10 6th Hour . . . . . 1:15 – 2:05 7th Hour . . . . . . 2:10 – 3:00
(Announcements)
Falcon 50: Lunch A . . . 11:01 – 11:26 Lunch B . . . 11:26 – 11:51 5th Hour . . . . 11:55 – 1:25 7th Hour . . . . 1:30 – 3:00 Falcon 50 Staff Office Hours by Departments:
A: Business and Computers, International Languages, Math, Social Sciences, and ½ P.E. (Lunch A) B: English, FACS, Industrial Tech., Performing Arts, Science, SPED/Read 180, Visual Arts, and ½ P.E. (Lunch B)
Thursday 2nd Hour . . . . . . 7:50 – 9:22 Advisory . . . . 9:27 – 9:57 4th Hour . . . . 10:02 – 11:34 (Announcements)
Falcon 50: Lunch A . . . . 11:38 – 12:03 Lunch B . . . . 12:03 – 12:28 6th Hour . . . . . 12:33 – 2:05 Seminar . . . . . . 2:10 – 3:00 Revised February 2019
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NEWS MARCH 29, 2019
Students Showcase By: Khadija Ceesay
Students recently showcased their fashion designing skills in a display of colors in the fashion show titled “Have We Met?”, which got its inspiration from the met gala. Opal Stephans and Taylor Schwartz, design teachers, collaborate every year to come up with a creative theme. This year, Schwartz looked to the Met Gala for inspiration and thought “that could be cool if we found inspiration from each past theme and dug into the history.” The show features handmade collections that students in design studio and sewing classes came together to perfect. Shwartz’s favorite scenes included that of Apparel Production II. Their scene depicted cubism in fashion all made by hand. She also enjoyed street style tech because it was “cool and edgy” and “Model as a Muse” by Izzy Pierce, senior. Izzy Mendes, senior, who is currently in design studio, created a jean jacket with diamonds for her scene. She said to make it work, she “pulled inspiration from Kanye West in the met gala two years ago”. Mendes says this years show is different from last because it “had more
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diversity” and there was more contrast amongst the scenes. Her favorite scene of the night was titled “Rubbish to Reign” by Nadirah Barbour, senior, because it had a rockstar vibe to it. The show’s theme was planned with students personalities in mind, said Barbour. Her favorite design alsocame from Pierce because “she made it really different .” Barbour’s collection was “Rubbish to Reign” which came from the look and feel of punk kids in Germany in the 80’s. She said this years theme “because we felt it fit our personality’s the most”. Pierce’s scene was titled “Model as a Muse” which featured secondary colors and loofa looking designs. She liked her scene the best because “it reminded me of Hercules.” Pierce also points out that students had a bit more freedom--which she said was her inspiration for the show as a whole--than they did in the previous years. There were many fresh designs like that of Emaly LeBaron, senior, who helped create flame pants that were “interesting.” This year, there were more students involved in the show “whether it was lighting, staging, or filming” said Ally Ford, senior.
MARCH 29, 2019 NEWS
Gala Worthy Outfits Ford designed head pieces for her models which was inspired by the 2018 Met Gala “Heavenly Bodies”. Others like Riley Degner, senior, went for different looks to show off their own personal style down the runway. She chose to make a skirt, pairing it with a black tube top and heels. She said that this year was different because new people were coming up with designs and fresh looks. “Overall this years scenes were all inspired by something different whereas last year it was just one general theme where each person got to reiterate it in the way that they thought was best.” Said Schwartz when asked to compare and contrast the years. She also commented that the staging is always different. “This year we used a thousand silver balloons to create the staging.” Though some students in the class couldn’t see the show because they were running it, they all seemed to have a great time during the process. Shelby Consani, senior, said the black and white floral dress that she made is one of her favorites. She also designed a skirt and scarves. Some students did not make them from scratch, instead they “had to take
material away on most outfits because they were too big” said Dani Peters, senior. While there was a lot of thought that went into the garments themselves, there were also those that helped out behind the scenes Haleigh Harris, senior, was backstage manager and watched everyone as they walked by; Degner’s scene caught her eye the most. “Instead of watching the show, I was running it. I loved being able to be apart of the show.” Overall, the show may have been full of different and unique ideas but it came together as a visually pleasing whole. “I love the fashion show because it gives us a way to show what you guys as students are doing and that it’s not just an arts and crafts class.” Shwartz said. She likes seeing students create outfits and accessories that can be walked down a runway and be worn by people which is the “best part of it”. Stephans has been running the show for a bit longer than Shwartz but she comments that it is something she does not see going away anytime soon. The classes involved in the show were Apparrel I, II, FAID, and Fashion Trends I and II.
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NEWS MARCH 29, 2019
Teachers use laptops
Integrating computers easy for some people; others feel indifferent, prefer paper learning
By: Emily Gray The use of laptops in the classrooms has been a highly debated topic since the arrival of the laptops in November. Some teachers have found it easier than others to intergrate the laptop into daily use. Daniel Kennard, English teacher, has his students use their laptops everyday. Kennard teaches College Prep English IV and has transitioned to a completely OneNote-based class. OneNote is an electronic version of a notebook. It allows students to store notes, pictures, videos, and handwriting. “I am enjoying the ability to save paper and distribute handouts without walking around the building and making copies,” Kennard said. Although Kennard has great things to say about the laptops, he says that some of his students would prefer to use paper instead of the laptops during English class. Besides this, Kennard thinks that the laptops have been a great inclusion to his classes. “Overall, I think the use of OneNote has been a great move for my classes and myself now that I’m really committed to it,” Kennard stated. Computer teacher Terina Platt doesn’t think that the laptops affect her classes because she teaches in a computer lab. “We cannot do without with the computer labs, because it would be very expensive to put software needed for Web Design, Graphic Design, and several other courses [on the laptops],” Platt said. Students are allowed to use laptops if they choose but because she is in a computer lab, Platt does not have to
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worry about students having their laptops charged and at school. “Computer use is an integral part of teaching technology-based courses. I appreciate having a computer lab, so I don’t have to worry about students having the correct software installed, nor do i have to worry about students having their laptops,” Platt stated Students have mixed feelings about the use of laptops. Maya Burke, senior, uses her laptop to write papers for school. Burke says that she uses her laptop for about three classes and that she mostly uses them when she needs internet access. “I think they’re helpful to an extent because most teachers still use the paper/pencil method,” said Burke. She also uses it for writing papers and checking math worksheets. Wesley Coats, junior, uses his laptop
for organization. Coats takes notes, edits PDF files for English, and uses it for documents for robotics. “I believe they are very useful as there is a wide variety of abilities you can do with them and they help me organize all my work,” Coats stated. Both students said that they wished teachers would incorporate the laptops into classes more.
PHOTO ABOVE Students pose for photo as they work strenuously on their new lapotops provided by the school district at the beginning of the school year. PHOTO BY Alek Mackey
MARCH 29, 2019 NEWS
in class Mircosoft Teams VS
Google Classroom: Which is more useful?
By: McKinley Schrader Many classrooms have been going digital as of lately, using websites such as Google Classroom to give and submit work. Although Google Classroom is more well known, other websites like it exist such as Microsoft Teams. Teams has become quite popular on its own, so the question stands: Which is better? Although both are equally functional, there are some notable differences between them. Google Classroom has the added function of linking a Gmail or Google account to it, allowing people to get notifications sent to their Gmail account. A similar function is available in Teams, however it takes extra steps to set up. Google Classroom is also able to connect with other Google apps, such as Google docs, and Google drive. This allows for concise transfer of files between such apps. Continuing with the trend, it is possible to do this with Teams, albeit a more time consuming process. As for popularity, Google Classroom in undoubtedly the most frequently used out of the two. The reason for this is the fact that it is so accessible. If someone has a Google account, they have a google Classroom account. Teams does have some better qualities than Google Classroom. Teams has a much more fluid layout than Google Classroom, so swapping between “teams” is quite easy compared
to moving between classes in Google Classroom. Teams has an integrated chat mechanic, similar to programs such as Skype and Discord. This allows for easy communication between teachers and students and allows group projects to be done in an easier and concise manner. Another void that Teams has filled is a schedule for events. While it is entirely possible to manually make in a separate document for Google Classroom, Teams has a feature that allows a “team” to create one and it will notify them when something on there has come up. As a majority of teachers have almost never used these tools before, many turn to Google Classroom due to its accessibility. However, it might be worth it to give both an equal chance and find which is better for the purpose they wish to fill. Kiley Michaud, English teacher, uses Google Classroom. “I hardly ever use it, and when I do it’s for a single essay. I don’t need something advanced, just something that allows people to turn in their work,” Michaud says. On the other hand, Teams can be used for more organized groups that wish to have a platform in which to communicate, turn in work, and organize a schedule for work. Both Google Classroom and Microsoft teams have their positives and negatives, but both are effective learning tools. Google Classroom is better for accessibility, and Teams is better for functionality.
THE EYRIE 09
NEWS MARCH 29, 2019 photo by Alek Mackey
Across the Sea Student traveled from Finland to study abroad By Amanda Turvey The experience of being an exchange student can be everlasting on students, whether it’s the foreign exchange students themselves or the friends they make living in a different country. South is no stranger to having many students from different countries around the world make the school their new home, and while it may be a difficult transition for some, one student in particular has taken to Olathe quite nicely. After living in Finland for sixteen years, the move to Olathe has been drastic for Oskari Pohja, junior,-- as Finland is known as the land of a thousand lakes, a very different geography from Kansas. “Living here is perfect. There’s not a lot of things going on like robberies or anything like that,” Pohja said. While Olathe is a decently sized suburb, Pohja used to live in Helsinki which is the capital of Finland. The capital of any country tends to be dangerous
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which is quite different than a Kansan suburb. Although Pohja agrees that Olathe is a nice town to live in, he also admits that he misses his home country due to the beautiful nature and large forests that fill the vast lands of Finland. “Here we have straight roads and not really anything going on, but regular living at home is just fine,” Pohja said. The home life is much safer here in Olathe but with extremely different nature scenes, it’s hard to compare two completely different nature landscapes. The school system across America is completely different than what it is in Finland as well. “In my school, where I used to be, we don’t pick classes,” Pohja said. As schooling and life in general was completely different in Finland, Oskari Pohja has adapted tremendously well to American lifestyle and enjoys living in Olathe. Olathes welcoming nature draws in many people, all across the world.
MARCH 29, 2019 NEWS
Southside takes on the Kauffman By Hannah Holliday The Southside Singers were busy throughout second semester. After many performances, they had their concert at their biggest venue yet: the Kauffman Performing Arts Center. The concert took place on March 24 at three p.m. It involved many other choirs, including choirs from other area high schools and choirs from Kansas University’s music program. Each choir sang three pieces, and all the choirs sang a combined piece, “The Shepard of Love” by Dan Forrest, to conclude the concert. The Southside Singers’ 26 members sang “Sure Stars Shining” by Z. Randall Stroope, “Wade in the Water” by Allen Koepke and “Omnia A Sol” by Z. Randall Stroope. They have rehearsed them since the week after winter break. Grace Folsom, senior, particularly enjoyed performing “Wade in the Water” because “the chords are really funky and there’s lots of clashing, but it resolves beautifully at the end.” Peyton Consani, senior, enjoyed “Sure Stars Shining” because she “is a sucker for dramatic songs.”
They worked on the pieces without breaks for hours, and “the rehearsals [were] intense,” said Folsom. The choir “works [to] perfect things.” Her favorite part of the rehearsals was “making beautiful music and hearing it come together.” Consani enjoyed “feeling the teamwork when the sections figured stuff out together after weeks of hard work.” Elise Peterson, choir director, was very picky with the choir during rehearsals. “I have never directed a choir at the Kauffman before,” said Peterson. “We’ll
have to experience it together.” One of the biggest challenges that the choir had to face was having to “completely memorize three songs in a short amount of time,” said Consani. Attendence to rehearsals was also an issue, as the choir focuses on blending within sections and then balancing the different parts. The Southside Singers will be singing again at their pre-festival concert on April 4 and at State Large Group on April 11. Visit the choir website for more information about performances.
CNA program helps aspiring nurses get closer to their dreams By Colton Mudloff Aspiring nurses Grace Hewitt and Cole McBride completed the certified nurse’s assistant course, or CNA, during the fall of 2018. The CNA program helps students learn and allows students to take the course for varying reasons. “I did the program because I want to be a pediatrics nurse,” Hewitt said regarding why she did the program. “I really want to know more about the field so I can know how to help and care for people,” Hewitt added. McBride, however, is more focused on his post-secondary education. “The program looks really good on a
resume or transcript,” McBride said. Both Hewitt and McBride aspire to become nurses and work in the medical field. The program can be done during the summer, taken as night classes, or, as Hewitt and McBride did, during the first two periods of the day during the school year. CNA training lasts for a semester, for the summer, and or the equivalent amount of contact hours through the Olathe Health Education Center (OHEC). “The training is very hands on and we had labs every Tuesday and clinics every Thursday,” McBride said. The labs are at OHEC where stu-
dents would learn how to take the height, weight, and blood pressure of the patient. “To get certified, you need a certain amount of clinical hours, your instructor’s signature, and you must pass the final test with at least a 75 percent,” McBride said regarding the requirements to get the certification. Hewitt and McBride were successfully certified in December of last year. Both have passed the final test and will continue their education in the medical field to reach their individual goals. The CNA program is a good option for students who are searching for a good jump start to their medical career and or continued education.
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FEATURE MARCH 29, 2019
S T U D E N T
SUP ERSTITIO NS
By: Colton Mudloff & Amanda Turvey
From band camp kidnappings to eating only green M&M’s, many students do something for luck before meets or performances. Some of the members of the bowling team claim lucky charms or traditions help them perform. “Eating the green M&M’s has been a thing at South for at least 10 years,” Josh Curry, sophomore, said.
Alissa Failes, junior, also commented on the traditions of band. “We also trace the big ‘s’ on each others’ uniforms, it’s kind of just a thing we do,” Failes said. Failes believes that the tracing of the “s” and the chanting the band does “hypes everyone up.” Band traditions start early in the year for the “newbies” to help introduce them into band. “At bandcamp it’s kind of tradition to ‘kidnap’ the newbies and get them breakfast,”Failes said. She believes that the kidnapping and chanting traditions have been around for “several years” and are “an ongoing thing” since she has joined band. Some of the band members like to go out to somewhere like Culver’s to celebrate together.
The members of the band hype each other up by chanting on their bus. “[The chant] gets us hype, so I think it works,” Kaylee Coker, symphonic band member, said. Coker continued that she is new to band this year, but she believes the chant has been around for a while. Lontgtime marching band member,
Solomon Webb, junior, has a quite different view. Webb is a member of band, choir, and sports management. “I don’t really believe in lucky charms or anything like that,” Webb said. Webb is a student who believes his following in religion is what drives his performance in band and choir. “I really just believe in unity and family. ‘We not me’ is a motto I think is really good,” Webb said regarding what helps him do well. Webb’s commitment to people he
cares for and his commitment to God is what keeps him positive and ready to work hard for the things he enjoys. He believes whatever a student needs is fine for them. “Some people think luck charms help, some don’t, I’m one of those people who don’t think they really help,” Webb said.
Performing arts prepare to compete in large group contest By: Hannah Holliday The performing arts programs are busy gearing up for music contest season. State large group contest is on April 11, and it takes place at various locations. The band will be hosting the contest at Olathe South, the orchestra will be traveling to Olathe Northwest and the choir to Olathe North. During their performances, each group will be judged on a one to five scale, with a one being the “surperior” rating. There will be three judges at each
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performance site. The band is taking two groups: the Symphonic Band and the Wind Ensemble. They have been preparing their music since “after the February 19 concert,” according to Chad Coughlin, band director. The choir is taking three groups: the Southside Singers, Chorale and the Falcon Women. The Falcon Women are the women combined from six and seventh hour choirs. The Southside Singers have 26 members, Chorale has 90 members, and the Falcon Women have 27 members. They have been working on their
music for around two months, including selections such as “Cantante Domino,” “Alleluia,” “Tambur,” “O Magnum Mysterium” and “Walk Together Children.” The orchestra is taking two groups: the Concert Orchestra and the Chamber Ensemble. The Concert Orchestra has around 102 members combined, but “they are divided into first, fourth and fifth hours [so] combined rehearsals are difficult,” said Greg Ferguson, orchestra director. They have been preparing their pieces for around a month. See the Eyrie website for the contest results after April 11.
MARCH 29, 2019 FEATURE
Club addresses current controversies By: Aly Gad
The Black Student Union (BSU), is a club that has been running for two years. It was created by the graduating class of 2018. BSU’s goal is to be a place where anyone can meet, putting race and culture aside, to celebrate the differences in cultures around the world. The club meets to discuss current cultural issues and bounce their ideas
off of each other regarding everything relating to culture. Starting next week, they are planning to start watching and discussing current event videos, having an open conversation to share everyone’s ideas regarding it. It’ll be a great conversation starter, introducing current, more relavant problems to the table of debate. They go on field trips as well, BSU saw Black Panther and Green Book, to name a few. BSU’s activities are funded
out of the student’s pockets. The hope is that BSU meetings are diverse and open to everyone “to help learn more about culture, because in this country we tend to separate ourselves more by race, but it’s not about race, it’s about culture,” said Kim Wahaus, BSU sponsor. The BSU meets on Thursdays during Falcon 50, session A. The next meeting will be on April 11 in room 216. All students are encouraged and welcome to attend.
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FEATURE MARCH 29, 2019
acting his way through senior year
ETHAN CHRISTIANSEN “The best thing about senior year is that you get to start planning for your future,” said Ethan Christiansen, senior, “It’s exciting to realize that the next chapter of your life is about to start.” Christiansen is making the most out of his senior year by being involved with the performing arts; Chorale and Southside choirs, theatre, and Vice President of the Choir Leadership Team. Along with working at Hyvee Market Grill on 151st street, he also helps his family whenever they need it and prepares for college. The best part about being in two different choirs for Christiansen is that he gets to sing for two different class periods. “I love singing,” Christiansen said, however, “The worst thing is that there is quite a bit of music and it can be a lot sometimes.”
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He loves theatre because “everyone is welcome and is a family,” Christiansen said. He loves participating in musicals because of “how over the course of the rehearsal process, the cast and crew can grow so close. It is so cool, too, to see people grow as people and as performers,” Christiansen said. Christiansen stays organized by taking it “day by day. At the beginning of the week I plan out big events, and then I just get through the week.” These activities helps, Christiansen said, “[him] experience the kind of responsibility I’ll be facing once [he] graduate[s]. Helping other people with their problems, scheduling, etc. is stuff that will flood in a lot after high school so i want to be prepared. “
When he was younger, he wanted to be a professional baseball player or an actor. Now, Christiansen plans on attending the University of Kansas to study education, because he’s “always felt compelled to teach and help kids.” The University of Kansas is his dream school. He also might study theatre, because he loves performing. “While it’s a big campus, it’s a good change from where I am now,” Christiansen said. If he could go back in time to before his freshman year and give himself advice about starting high school, he would tell himself “don’t be afraid of who you are. “Don’t try to be who other people want you to be. Be open, caring, compassionate, and don’t care about what other people think,” Christiansen said.
MARCH 29, 2019 FEATURE
senior year doesn’t weigh down
Hailey Pittman
Hailey Pittman is very active within the student community at school. She is a part of the Future Teachers of Olathe, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, the National Honor Society, History Club, choir and track. She is also a Falcon Mentor, a New Student Mentor, the vice president of the Tri-M Honor Society and a Falcon Strength captain. Outside of school, Pittman also helps out occasionally at a food pantry during the summer. “[These clubs] all impact me in different ways,” Pittman said. Of all these clubs, Pittman takes more pride in Falcon Strength because of the ways it helps her. “I can become stronger mentally and physically,” Pittman said. Pittman’s best achievement in high school accord-
ing to her was representing her school at the Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) championship for three years. This year, she plans to represent her school at the championship a fourth time “It’s been an honor to represent South at a nationwide meet,” Pittman said. After graduation, Pittman plans to attend Emporia State, where she will major in secondary education to become a high school math teacher and track coach. Pittman believes that all underclassmen should remember to never give up, and remembers a saying she learned from her time in middle school: “Good, better, best. Never let it rest until your good is better and your better is best.” She explained the quote as “a reminder to keep trying” at whatever she tries to do in life.
Good, better, “ best. Never let it rest, until your good is better and your better is best.”
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FEATURE MARCH 29, 2019
A Man’s Best Friend
Students share what they love about their pets
By: Faith Holliday
Dogs are said to be a man’s best friend, and students are no exception to this. These loyal companions are favored among students here. Zachary Hammerschmidt, junior, has a dog named Piper. Piper is a one year old beagle, and Hammerschmidt family has had her for nine years. “We had two dogs die, and we went to the pet store and saw her,” Hammerschmidt said. Piper, according to Hammerschmidt, has an energetic and loving personality. “She is always by your side, no matter what you are doing,” Hammerschmidt said. “Like a boomerang, she will always come back.” Hammerschmidt’s advice for those who want an energetic dog like Piper is to “make sure you have lots of energy.” Brianna Studing, junior, has many different pets. Studing has three bulldogs named Belle, Burton, and Lady, and a mutt named Muncie. Studing’s advice for those who want to adopt a dog is to “just do it.” Wendy Gomez, junior, also has a dog. “She’s a boxer and her name is Queen,” Gomez stated. Like many dogs, Queen never leaves Gomez’s side. “She’s clingy and needs constant attention,” Gomez said. “She also gives hugs.”
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Dylan Stanley, junior, has a dog named Joey. “He is half shih tzu and half poodle,” Stanley said. Stanley has had Joey for seven years, and he received the dog as an early Christmas present. “He is neurotic and barks a lot, but he’s very sweet and snuggly,” Stanley said. Stanley’s advice for future dog owners is to “make sure you can handle the responsibility of owning a pet. Elyse Musil, junior, has a bichon- shih tzu named Rizzo. “We wanted to get a family pet, so we convinced our parents by making up a song,” Musil said. Rizzo is eight years old and he takes daily medication for many healh problems. Emma Sayler, junior, has a miniature poodle named Charlotte. Although Charlotte tends to look like a rat, her personality is very loving and energetic. Pets of all shapes and sized are owned by students, but dogs are highly favored by all.
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MARCH 29, 2019 FEATURE
ALTERATIONS & CLEANERS
English teacher passes on passion of literature to her students By: Megan Stoerman From the very beginning Marci Gibbens, English teacher, has loved to hear students’ perspectives on topics and talk about literature with her students. When Gibbens was attending Taylor University in Upland, Ind. she originally planned on becoming a dietitian and then realized that she would rather become a librarian. While Gibbens was a junior in college she was an aide in an
English class, fell in love with teaching and has never looked back. In college, Gibbens enjoyed her close-knit community and conversations in her English class. One of Gibbens’ favorite parts was finding odd things to do around campus, because Upland is such a small town. Gibbens’ favorite things about teaching is showing students that there is more to life than just school and that there are more opportunities out there than just ones in high school.
Just like any other profession, teaching has its challenges. Gibbens says that one of the most challenging part of being a teacher is the distraction cell phones and social media bring to the learning experience of her students and to the classroom environment. Another challenge, due to the harder level novels and topics discussed in English, according to Gibbens is “getting students to understand the literature” and the situations that characters are faced with in novels. Some of Gibbens’ favorite things to do outside of school are playing board games and taking her and Marc Gibbens, English teacher’s, three daughters to all of their activities, and watching movies. Gibbens even added that “every year [she] sees the Academy Award nominees.” She is often up playing board games. No matter all of the challenges and obstacles that Gibbens faces in her teaching career, she feels as though this is exactly where she is meant to be.
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SPORTS MARCH 29, 2019
School track team Boys varsity basketball wrap up season starts their season He also noted that some- which was the best start durwith several meets By: Tristan Allen times players could have ing his time. Some other mo-
By: Mark Elliott
With spring sports that starting up, track practices and meets are starting up too. Practices and meets are starting up as the temperature rises. For the March meets the track team entered in the Olathe Early Bird on March 22. For the females, the Falcons came in first, Olathe West came in second, Olathe Northwest came in thrird, Olathe East came in fourth, and Blue Valley North took last. For men Olathe East took first, Olathe West took second, Olathe Northwest took third, the Falcons took fourth, and Blue Valley North took last. JV runners has a meet on March 28, and the Blue Valley Spring Classic is on March 29. For the April meets, on April 9 and April 11 is the Baker Relays and a JV meet at Blue Valley. On April 12 through the 20 there is a Varsity meet at Shawnee Mission South and Kansas relays at Lawrence. The remainder of the April meets from April 25 to April 30 is a JV meet here, varsity at Saint Thomas Aquinas and at Shawnee Mission North. From May 2 to May 16 is a JV meet at Olathe Northwest, another meet at Shawnee Mission North, one JV and Varsity at ODAC. On May 10 is the Sunflower league meet followed by regionals on May 1. State track will take place at Wichita State on May 24 and May 25. Some events that take place every meet are field events such as the pole vaul, long jump, triple jump and high jump, to name a few.
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Boys’ basketball finished their season with a 10-12 record. Dan Morrow, coach, felt that they “had a solid year,” but wished they did better. “With the level of talent we had, I though we would do a little better,” Morrow said. He did note that there were some new guys on the varsity team which has him excited for next year. Morrow felt that one of the team’s biggest strengths was their halfcourt defense.
passed the ball better and the big men, taller players on the court, struggled to finish at the rim. However, Morrow thinks that next year, having people return to varsity “will be a big part of [their] success,” since a lot of new kids made the varsity team this season. He also wants the big men to finish around the rim better next year. This season, Morrow was proud of the team’s 7-3 start,
By: Tristan Allen
second in McPherson and took second in league. Those are great things. We didn’t make it to State. That’s not good,” Allen said. Allen felt that throughout the season, the team took good care of the ball, made three-pointers and rebounded well. He also thought that his players were talented. Even though the team took good care of the ball, there were turnovers in the
ments from the season he is proud of includes winning the midseason tournament and beating Olathe East in triple overtime. This season was the last season Brady Johnson, senior, will play in high school. He believed that, despite some occasional drama, the team was close. “We had our ups and downs, but I feel like we were a close knit group.,” Johnson said.
Girls varsity basketball finish16-5 season The Lady Falcons’ wrap up the basketball season with a 16-5 overall record, ending their season with a loss to Shawnee Mission Northwest on March 2, kicking them out of the state tournament. Mike Allen, coach, feels conflicted with how the season went for his team. “We finished first in the Olathe East tournament, took
fourth quarter of games that Allen thought were responsible for losses. Other causes for losses that Allen noted include the poor shooting that the team had sometimes, especially at the free throw line. Next season, Allen hopes “all of the returners spend time in the offseason getting better” and plans to “reward those that are better by playing them more.”
Girls swimming coach begins first season By: Maddie Black
“I’m looking forward to watching the girls grow and drop time in the pool” says Deidre Peterson, girls swimmining coach. “My goals as a first year coach,” said Peterson, “is to make sure every athlete drops time and for every girl to walk away from this season with a smile on their face.” The team consits of two freshmen, 11 sophomores, six juniors, and six seniors
this year. Carolyn Wilson, junior, likes swim because of the people. “They are all friendly and encouraging,” said Wilson. Wilson has been a part of the swim team for three years and will participate her senior year. “Swim is a huge commitment. We have muliple practices per week.” said Wilson. With the new coach this year, Wilson says that Coach Peterson “wants to help everyone on the team improve and possibly make
it to state.” “Swimming taught me the importance of hard work,” said Wilson. The team has 17 meets, including league and state meets, this season. “I love being a swim coach because I love sport of swimming and I love working with kids who love swimming,” said Peterson. “There are a lot of very talented atheletes on this team,” said Peterson, “after the first week I noticed they are all very coachable and there is nothing better to a coach than a coachable
MARCH 29, 2019 SPORTS
Royals Wrap Up Spring Training By Alex Burbidge and Mark Elliott With Cactus League play over, the Kansas City Royals have more than a few takeaways after five weeks of Spring Training. Roster cuts and surprise additions to the team have taken their tolls, but headlines have been dominated by three main subjects: the injury to Salvador Perez, catcher, the resurgence of Bubba Starling, outfielder, and the remarkable comeback of Kyle Zimmer, pitcher. Playing their 17th season in Surprise, Arizona, the Royals finished Spring Training with a record of 18-121. The main news out of camp concerns Perez, who officially underwent Tommy John surgery for an injured ulnar collateral ligament on March 6. He will miss the entire 2019 season, which led to the signing of Martin Maldonado, catcher. Maldonado hit only .225/.276/.351, which is only a slight downgrade offensively from Perez, but what he lacks offensively, he makes up for defensively. Winning the Gold Glove Award in 2017, Maldonado led the Major Leagues in putouts in 2017 and 2018, as well as being the leader of defensive games, assists, fielding percentage and caught stealing percentage in 2017. However, he was also second in baseball in passed balls, with 13 last season. In his Royals debut, Maldonado went 1-2 with a walk and a double; however, he let several balls by him as the night went on. This issue should be corrected as the season begins, with him getting more adjusted to the pitching staff. Starling, most well-known for being one of the biggest draft busts in Royals history, had a monster spring, going 6-7 in his first seven at bats, good for an .857 batting average. He also hit two home runs in a game in a 12-5 loss against the Colorado Rockies. Though he was reassigned to Minor League camp on March 19, this is a major leap for Starling, who hit only .257 in an injury-plagued 2018 season in Triple-A. Having signed for $7.5 million after being drafted seventh overall in 2011, he has accumulated an extremely underwhelming .236 batting average in his career. At this point, even
getting to the Major League level will be a success for the Gardner-Edgerton graduate. Zimmer was also considered a bust, being the Royals’ 2012 first-round pick. He has also yet to make his Major League debut but could be primed for the closers’ spot after posting a mere 0.93 ERA in spring, as of March 20. Zimmer spent the winter working out at Driveline Baseball in Kent, Washington. He entered their program after reportedly topping out at only 58 miles per hour with severe arm pain. After months of work, he is back to routinely throwing 94 off the mound and is forcing his way on to the Major League roster. The Royals have signed two new arms to fill out the bullpen: Brad Boxberger and Jake Diekman. Boxberger most recently was the closer for the Arizona Diamondbacks but struggled in that role, putting up an ERA of 4.39 and a WAR of -0.7. Diekman on the other hand is also looking to have a bounceback campaign. After spending four years in a Texas Ranger uniform, Diekman became a free agent and signed with the Royals for $2.75 million with a mutual option for the 2020 season. With Ned Yost saying that there will be no definitive closer, both will get some save opportunities, along with Wily Peralta, Kevin McCarthy and Zimmer. Other notable news includes Danny Duffy’s injury struggles and Brad Keller getting the nod to be the starting pitcher on Opening Day. Duffy is out for Opening Day because of shoulder troubles, and after a drop in velocity in 2018, this could turn out to be disastrous for the Royals. Entering the third year of a
Image courtesy of AP Images Brad Keller, pitcher, delivers a pitch in a Spring Training game against the Cleveland Indians. Keller was given the start on Opening Day against the Chicago White Sox on March 28. He will be the 26th Opening Day pitcher in franchise history. five-year extension worth $65 million, Duffy’s contract is quickly turning into one of the worst in baseball after a 2018 in which he had a 4.88 ERA. Duffy has also had some issues off the field, having been arrested for driving under the influence of alchohol in August 2017. He is expected to be ready by the time his turn in the rotation comes around in the second week of the season, leaving the Royals with a four-man rotation until his return. Keller was the Royals’ ace last year; after being drafted in the Rule V Draft, he gave up only 0.4 home runs per nine innings, an unprecedented number for a rookie pitcher. Relying on his sinker, Keller will likely do much of the same on Opening Day and throughout the 2019 season. Being one of the most successful Rule V picks in recent memory, this hopefully will become the beginning of the organizations taking risks on more of these picks. The Royals drafted two in the offseason, Sam McWilliams and Chris Ellis, pitchers, though McWilliams was returned to the Tampa Bay Rays after having a 15.43 ERA in spring. Though 2019 will be another poor year record-wise for the Royals, great individual seasons and player development will provide excitement and bright spots throughout the campaign. If everything goes according to plan, they could be back in the playoff hunt by 2022.
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SPORTS MARCH 29, 2019
Kansas City NBA team could work out By: Tristan Allen
In May 2018, an anonymous National Basketball Association (NBA) executive told Jarrett Sutton of SEC Network that “Kansas City will get an NBA team at some point.” But should Kansas City get an NBA team? Kansas City used to have a team before they relocated and became the Sacramento Kings, and this was probably for the best. The Cincinatti Royals relocated to Kansas City in 1972 and renamed themselves the Kansas City-Omaha Kings, due to the fact that Kansas City already had the Royals Major League Baseball (MLB) team and that they split home games between Kansas City and Omaha for the first six years. When they stopped playing home games in Omaha, the team dropped “Omaha” from their name and called themselves the Kansas City Kings, until they moved to Sacramento in 1985. The team moved to Sacramento due to a change in ownership in 1983. One of the buyers at the time, Gregg Lukenbill, said that they wanted to improve the team’s performance and boost attendance, while also assuring the previous owners to keep the team in Kansas City. The previous season, they ranked 17th out of the 23 NBA teams at the time in attendance and failed to make the playoffs. A interview with Joe Benvenuti, another one of the buyers, revealed that the ownership group might have always planned on relocating the Kings to Sacramento, regardless of attendance. Whether or not there was an ulterior motive to move the Kings to Sacramento, attendance was abysmally low. In their final season, the Kansas City Kings only averaged 6,410 home game attendees. This can be attributed to not just their poor performance in the early ‘80s, but also the Royals’ pursuit of a World Series and the increasingly popular Kansas City Chiefs. A Kansas City-based NBA team cannot succeed if they cannot put people in seats, and in order for them to do so, they will need to have a decent stadium and a team that
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can win in the playoffs. The Sprint Center, located in downtown Kansas City, already hosts college basketball games and hosted a few NBA preseason games, so very few adjustments would need to be made to make the Sprint Center suitable for an NBA team. Creating a strong playoff team would be the real challenge because the team would have to get a star player or two to come to Kansas City, which could be a turnoff for potential players. In addition to having a strong playoff team, this hypothetical Kansas City team should also try to appeal to the area’s love for college basketball because doing that would also increase attendance at home games. The team should try to work out a deal to bring Bill Self, University of Kansas (KU) mens basketball head coach, on as a head coach and get a few talented players from local colleges along with a fan favorite onto the team, such as KU alumni Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers center; Markieff Morris, Thunder forward; Marcus Morris, Celtics forward and Frank Mason III, Kings guard. An NBA team would need to relocate to Kansas City to make this work. If the NBA were to expand, it risks diluting the talent found in the NBA which can hurt the whole league. The best teams to relocate would probably be the Orlando Magic and the Memphis Grizzlies, in that order. Moving the Orlando Magic to Kansas City would help them out because the Magic are overshadowed by Disney World and Universal Orlando Resort. However, this would probably create some league misalignment as a Kansas City team would probably play in the Western Conference. This would not happen if the Memphis Grizzlies, a Western Conference team, relocated to Kansas City. The soonest a team could relocate to Kansas City and have some success would probably be the 2023-2024 season. Both the Magic and Grizzlies do not have salary to pay out in that season and Embiid, who is critical to the success of the organization, would be an unrestricted free agent, given he does not sign an extension by then. Even if this works and an NBA team is brought to Kansas City, this could potentially be too much for the Kansas City sports market, lowering another team’s attendance and forcing that team to move.
MARCH 29, 2019 SPORTS
Next generation of cheerleaders By: Emily Gray Forty six members were selected to become part of the Olathe South Cheerleading team on Friday March 22. Clinics were held last week on Wednesday and Thursday where the candidates learned routines and had mock tryouts to prepare them for the real tryouts on Friday. Rachel Jetton, the head cheerleading coach, helped the senior cheerleaders come up with the routine that was used in tryouts. “The seniors usually take things from competition pieces in the past and skills from their freshman year,” Jetton stated. All grade levels tried out with the same routines and dances. This is the first year that sophomores could make varsity and freshman could make junior varsity (JV). For tryouts, the candidates were split up into groups of three based around the same grade level. Each candidate had to show toe touches, front hurdler, two connected jumps, and any tumbling skills that they
photo by Katie Dickerson
Victoria-Alexus Sysengrat, senior, looks at one of the school soccer games as she patiently waits to continue cheering on the players this past August. had. They also had to complete a cheer on their own. After each candidate showed off their skills, all three candidates together completed an offense or defense cheer, along with a dance. Candidates were scored on different qualifications like spirit, memorization,
and attitude during the clinic by the coaches. Judges looked for qualifications like entrance into the gym along with coordination, confidence, execution. Tryout results can be found on the cheerleading team’s Twitter “@OSHS_ Cheer”.
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A & E MARCH 29, 2019
The Shamaylan Connection ‘Glass’ weaves together other movies By: Tristan Allen M. Knight Shamaylan released the movie Glass which connects two of his previous films: Unbreakable and Split. Kevin Wendell Crumb, played by James McAvoy and featured in Split, suffers from dissociative identity disorder. He has 23 different identities. Taking place a few weeks after the events in Split, David Dunn, played by Bruce Willis and featured in Unbreakable, set out to capture Crumb, who was given the nickname “The Horde,” with his son Joseph. During a fight on the streets, both David Dunn, a.k.a.“the Overseer,” and Crumb are captured and sent to an institution for the criminally insane, where Elijah Price, a.k.a. Mr. Glass,
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Dunn’s enemy from Unbreakable, is held. Joseph Dunn, Mrs. Price and Casey Cooke, a victim of Crumb’s from Split, each visited to help their counterparts but failed. Mr. Glass, who was thought to have been in a sedated state, apparently was faking it the whole time and went to see Crumb to tell him to be ready to awaken “the Beast,” Crumb’s superhuman alter ego. After a brain surgery gone wrong, Mr. Glass told the Beast to attack David during the opening of a new building while also telling David that he planned to attack a chemical company inside the building which would kill hundreds of people. Glass and Crumb escape together while David followed in pursuit.
David and the Horde fight outside the institution they were held in, until Joseph tells the Beast that Glass was responsible for the train crash depicted in the film Unbreakable that killed his father. The death of his father led to Crumb’s mother abusing him which created the Beast and other identities Crumb has as a result of his dissociative identity disorder. The Beast thanked Glass for creating him then later wounded him and threw David into a water tank, which is his weakness. He escapes but is weakened by the encounter. Both Crumb and David end up dying, but it is revealed that Ellie Staple, the doctor in charge of trying to dissuade them from believing they are superhuman, is part of a secret society that hunts down superhumans.
MARCH 29, 2019 A & E
Top Young Adult Reads Starfish by Akemi Dawn Bowman “Starfish” details Kiko Himura’s journey to self acceptance through her struggles with social anxiety, an abusive, narcissist mother, and a crushing rejection from art school, as well as her half Japanese heritage with a distant father. This novel teaches that its okay to create your own identity over time.
They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera “They Both Die at the End” features two characters, Mateo and Rufus, who receieve bad news over the phone. Death Cast called to inform them of their deaths at some point during the day. Mateo and Rufus must work together to live their days to the fulliest- before it’s too late.
Lovely, Dark, and Deep by Amy McNamara “Lovely, Dark, and Deep” illustrates Wren Wells’s death of her old self. Following the death of her boyfriend in a car crash that should’ve killed her too, she runs away to her father’s cabin in Maine. Wren must decide whether to risk more heartbreak by breaking out of isolation, or to stay alone in the dark and deep.
Kids Like Us by Hilary Reyl “Kids Like Us” follows the teenage years of Martin, a boy diagnosed with autism as a child.Martin moved to Paris for his mother’s film, and he is forced to go to a school mixed with neurotypical students. With the help of his friends, Martin must push past his comfort zone to connect with others while remaining true to himself.
Matched Trilogy by Ally Condie “Matched”, “Crossed” and “Reached” takes place in a dystopian world where people are “matched” with the person they are supposed to marry. After Cassia is matched with her childhood best friend and she falls in love with someone else, Cassia must choose between love and order.
Inkheart Trilogy by Cornelia Funke “Inkheart” is a three-book series that features Mo and his daughter Meg who are able to bring stories to life by reading them aloud. Meg and Mo must work together to fight the evil forces that are brought to life from books and send them back to their literary realm. This book was also made into a movie.
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A & E MARCH 29, 2019
Infections of a Different Kind: Step 1
Album by AURORA
1. Queendom 2. Forgotten Love 3. Gentle Earthquakes 4. All Is Soft Inside 5. It Happened Quiet
6. Churchyard 7. Soft Universe 8. Infections of a Different Kind
AURORA has returned with her sophomore album “Infections of a Different Kind: Step One.” The album, featuring a choir of 32 members, was released on Sept. 28 unexpectedly, as the date was not released to the public beforehand. AURORA is a Norwegian singer-songwriter known for her eclectic style and sound. The short eight song tracklist begins triumphantly with “Queendom”, a song about self love and accepting others. The ending piece is “Infections of a Different Kind”, in which the mood shifts from happy and hopeful to tranquil and reflective. AURORA has a unique electro-pop/indie sound with piano ballads mixed in. Her sound has evolved over time into a perfect mix of indie and mainstream content. Overall, “Infections of a Different Kind: Step 1” is a highly underappreciated album, especially within the United States.
Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino 1. Star Treatment 2. One Point Perspective 3. American Sports 4. Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino 5. Golden Trunks 6. Four Out of Five
7. The World’s first Ever Monster Truck Front Flip 8. Science Fiction 9. She Looks Like Fun 10. Batphone 11. The Ultracheese
Album by Artic Monkeys
Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino is the most recent album dropped by Artic Monkeys, a pretty well-known indie rock band. Released on May 11, TBH&C consists of 11 songs, Every song on this album is filled with synth keyboards and reminds me of a sci-fi movie. Most of the songs focus more on Alex Turners vocals than any background noise, which makes it more impressive. It’s much easier to cover up bad singing with guitar, than to make a whole album held up by your voice. Most of the songs sound very much the same, it’s a good thing to have a pattern, but when I can’t remember each song by name, then we have a problem. This album also definitely follows the pattern of having a way better A side than B. Overall, it’s a 7/10. 24 THE EYRIE
MARCH 29, 2019 A & E
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OPINION MARCH 29, 2019
White Americans do not feel same levels of oppression as minorities By: Khadija Ceesay Racism is defined in the dictionary as “prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one’s own race is superior.” Throughout history there have been countless examples of racism, most stemming from the white population. A couple years ago, I listened to a friend of mine drone on and on about how white people can feel and experience the same kind of oppression as any minority. While this is true in specific places like South Africa, it is not seen as an issue anywhere else, especially America. To say that white people can know the pain and suffering of those they have continuously beaten against a wall is diminishing years of the oppression of minorities. Native Americans, for example, were treated as less than human and called racial slurs when confronted by white settlers. They were also driven out of the comfort of their homes and treked for miles to make room for people who did not respect them at all. Japanese Americans in the internment camps during World War II were treated like caged in animals and mocked by white children behind the fences all because of the fears and false
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accusations of whites that generalized the population. There is also the issue of latinos in today’s society being oppressed because of the push for stronger immigration. Let’s not forget the fight black people had to put up to even be seen as human by white oppressors and yet we are still overlooked. Racial conflicts involving black and white people is a growing factor in today’s society with issues like police brutality. These instances also beg the question of why we don’t learn a lot of these stories in the 12 years that we are required to take history classes. Yes, we do hear of some stories of minorities during times like the Civil Rights Movement, but we continue to learn about the same predominatly white communities over and over again. Books tend to skim over the more important inventions of Asians, Native Americans, Latinos, etc. A lot of the forgotten cases and incidents that are less talked about in these classes can be paralleled within our society today. One of my favorite quotes from the show Dear White People says, “Black people can’t be racist. Prejudiced, yes, but not racist. Racism describes a system of disadvantage based on race. Black people can’t be racist since we don’t stand to benefit from such a system.”
The show is a perfect perspective not only on what black people go through on the daily, but also parallels the struggle of other minorities. In recent hateful attacks, white attackers have shown their racially drive agendas. Minorities tend to be criticized and questioned more whether they do good or bad. Our problems are diminished in favor of white people and we are living in a constantly hateful society that can be seen as unsafe for many of us. Minorities are taken advantage of and seen as less competent because they are not part of the dominant race when in reality we are just as capable of anything white people can do and more. We are mocked, made fun of and given more disadvantages than that of any white person I know. Though it is ignorant to say that any white person has gone through the same oppression that they inflict on colored people, it is also ignorant to say that there have never been examples of reverse racism. Racism does not only apply to one race, but encompasses all of them. Though racism towards white people is a bit more complicated that that of other races. Diversity and inclusiveness of all cultures and backgrounds needs to be seen as more of an important issue, so that every race can be comfortable.
MARCH 29, 2019 OPINION
Controversial CBD
Meet one of the most helpful, unregulated drugs introduced to America in the past decade. By: Aly Gad Cannabidoil or CBD has been growing in popularity in the past year, but with popularity comes controversy. Most people are uninformed about CBD, others are uneasy about the lack of regulation in the industry. CBD and Tetrahydrocannabinoil, or THC, are the two leading chemicals in marijuana. THC is what gets you high, while CBD has all the positive effects of weed, minus the intoxicating chemicals. Because of the legal complications with marijuana, the Food and Drug Administration has decided to keep it’s hands off of the CBD industry for the time being. The most promising effects of CBD are treating epilepsy, treating anxiety, and having anti-inflammatory qualities. CBD has also been shown to have anti-depressant, anti-psychotic, and antioxidant purposes, as well as being a significant sleep aid. As of right now, CBD is legal worldwide. Contrary to its legality, it is still widely untrusted because of its close re-
semblance to THC. As medical marijuana is a common and legal thing that’s being used across the country, there really is no reason not to put an arm and a leg into research for CBD. If the FDA steps in to help fund research and regulate the manufacturing of CBD, it would be much safer and trustworthy. Because of the lack of regulation, manufacturers can put whatever they want in CBD and sell it to people with a vague label. A 2017 study shows that nearly 7 of 10 CBD products don’t contain the amount of marijuana extract promised on the label. Studies done on CBD also have raised some concern about the oil’s interaction with other prescription drugs. There has been research done to show that when CBD is given to a patient trying to help cure their seizures, it had strange effects when mixed with the patients prescription seizure medicine they were already taking. CBD, like any other prescription drug, isn’t something you can take without doing your own research. CBD af-
fects everyone differently, positively and negatively. Many things have slowed the production of safe, trustworthy CBD oil. In the FDA’s eyes CBD is still a drug, so it cannot be sold as a dietary supplement in food or drinks. It has been proved that CBD works better when paired with THC, though that’s stil illegal in many states, and overall illegal for patients under the age of 21. One of the tests with the most promising results are in the schizophrenia field. Last year , test results showed that patients who were given 1,000 mg of cannabidoil in addition to their regular antipsychotic medications experienced fewer hallucinations compared to those on a placebo. Another successful case was of an 11 year old boy who was dying from severe epilepsy, hadn’t had any seizures for 300 days since being prescribed cannabis oil. In current news, CBD oil is still barely regulated and untouched by the government. Steps need to be taken in order to properly, and safely, manufacture this life changing medication.
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PHOTO MARCH 29, 2019
TOP RIGHT Hector DeLeon, junior, passionately plays the baritone at a basketball game while helping cheer on the school’s team. PHOTO BY Katie Dickerson TOP Kobe McKinley, senior, runs down the court during a basketball game in an attempt to score a basket. PHOTO BY Anna Palacio RIGHT The combined school orchestra performs a piece at a recent concert. PHOTO BY Ashlee Troutt
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MARCH 29, 2019
PHOTO
ABOVE Jake English, junior, goes up to shoot a three-point basket while an opposing player attempts to block the shot. PHOTO BY Katie Dickerson LEFT During the school fashion show on Feb. 28, Taylor Ryff-Rayas, junior, wears a spicy red dress as she struts down the runway. PHOTO BY Alek Mackey
THE EYRIE 29
FOOD MARCH 29, 2019
EYRIE EATS Pilgrim Coffee Company
Jose Peppers
Address: 12643 Metcalf Ave. O.P. KS, 66213
Address: 13770 South Blackbob. Olathe KS, 66062
Food Style: coffee and pasteries
Food Style: Mexican
The new modern and hipster flare makes customers feel welcome upon arrival and ready to eat a delectable treat. Audrey North, junior’s, favorite part of her whole experience was “the flower design on [her] latte and the awesome taste of it.”
When you walk into Jose Peppers you are immediately helped and seated to a table. Right away you recieve chips, salsa and water. All the waiters are very nice and spark conversation with the customers.
54th Street Grill & Bar
Betty Rae’s Ice Cream
Address: 14750 S Harrison St. Olathe KS, 66061
Address: 7140 Wornall Rd, Kansas City, MO 64114
Food Style: bar food
Food Style: ice cream
The atmosphere was welcoming and the waitress was helpful and friendly. The cheeseburger was average for taste and the meal sizes are quite large. Service was amazing and efficient and seating was easy to get right away.
Located in the downtown area, this hole-in-the-wall ice cream shop has a cozy and inviting nature. The shop, open in Waldo since 2016, offers a host of unique and delicious flavors that are homemade. They also have a traveling ice cream truck.
30 THE EYRIE
MARCH 29, 2019 FOOD
THE EYRIE 31
The Eyrie Staff Editor-In-Chief Tristan Allen Mara Gee
Opinion Editor Khadija Ceesay
Feature Editors
Entertainment Editor Maddie Black
Business Manager
Megan Stoerman
Faith Holliday Hannah Holliday
Sports Editor
Webpage Editor
Adviser
ABOVE: The Bowling team practices at Olathe Lanes East. Photo by Alek Mackey
Reporters
Photographers
BELOW: Students dance at WPA, held in the North gym on Feb 22. Photo by Alek Mackey
Mark Elliott Aly Gad Emily Gray Colton Mudloff Amanda Turvey
Katie Dickerson Chris Inderhees Shelby Johnston Alek Mackey Anna Palacio Sam Ricks Ashlee Troutt
McKinley Schrader
Alex Burbidge
Heather Springer
About Us
The Eyrie is the official newspaper of Olathe South High School, distributed seven times a year. The Eyrie is printed by The Sedalia Democrat, 700 South Massachusetts, Sedalia Mo. 65301.
Responding to the Publication
Letters to the editor may be submitted electronically on our website EyrieOnline.org under the “Contact Us� tab. Letters may be published either on EyrieOnline.org or in our print edition. Letters may be edited.
Disclaimer
The Eyrie is a student publication and may contain controversial matter. This publication is not an expression of the Olathe School Distrct. Students are responsible for the content of this student publication.
BOTTOM: Alex Wallace, senior dribbels the backetball down the court to attempt a basket. Photo by Katie Dickerson