NEWS SEPTEMBER 23, 2021
Distribution and labor shortages impact schools Behind the scenes: Drum majors and Flight Crew Students deserve mental health days
Three years, Three lunches Due to COVID, lunch has more problems and changes than 2 previous years.
What does modesty really mean in dress codes? Is a men’s volleyball team possible? Photo by Devon Schmidt
The Eyrie Staff Editors-In-Chief Mark Elliott Morgan Montgomery Managing Editor Sydney Slaton Layout Editor Abby Wallace Reporters Quinton Coats Color Greenwood Allyson Hester Hudson Marmon Abby Pierce Dalton Roberts Mya Roberts Jalil Smith Riley Story Olivia Swaney Tim Wood
Artists Kai Magana Lily Redding Rhianna Scott
Adviser Heather Springer
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By Dalton Roberts The past two years the school has only had one lunch line at the 800 hall,compared to having four lines and a snack line. we also have less options than two years ago The reason there are only two lines is due to low staffing. “Two years ago when [South] had 17 cooks, now we have 7,” principal Dr. Dale Longenecker said. Cafeteria staff are helping the cooks with the lines. “When we opened up school I went to our lunch manager and asked how many lines and she said we can barely run one,” Longenecker said. “They don’t have enough manpower to do it so we’re
helping run the cookers.” Getting food for the school right now is a problem due to supply chain issues . “We are fortunate that we haven’t lost our distributors yet, but many of the wholesale distributors have dropped small restaurants, Wichita schools, Manhattan schools also got dropped. Because they don’t have any food to distribute it and drivers to bring it out,” Longenecker said. The other schools are doing 4 lunch shifts and it has become a problem. “The way the 4 lunch shift works is that 500 students come in for 15 minutes to eat lunch and then in their last 10 minutes the next shift is coming in and getting
SEPTEMBER 23, 2021 NEWS
Photo by Devon Schmidt
lunch. So the 2nd and 3rd lunch shifts have lunch to themselves for 5 minutes and in the time of the merging there are 1000 students,” Longenecker said. However, the commons can only accommodate chairs for 700 students to sit in. “What the other schools have to do is when the next group comes in everyone from the current group has to stand up so the next group has seats,” Longenecker said. Within 5 to 10 minutes, everyone has food but some problems arose from that. Students began getting seconds because they felt they didn’t have enough to eat. Due to this, the staff have been closing the lunch door with about 10 to 15 minutes left. Photo by Devon Schmidt
Photo by Devon Schmidt
“We are shutting the doors so that students don’t get seconds because we can’t get food in right now, and so we can start getting food prepared for the next lunch period. A solution for students getting seconds could be to bring some food from home like a PBand J,” Longenecker said. The labor shortage isn’t limited to just cafeteria workers. There are many jobs open district wide “We had job fairs last Wednesday, and there are openings across the board. I think we have 150 para spots open, close to 100 cooks, 100 custodians open,” Longenecker said. “There are elementary schools that have secretaries handing out lunch because they don’t have cooks.”
The reason students are asked to stack chairs at the end of lunch is to help out the custodians because of short staffing. Oftentimes assistant principal Dr. Ben Sutherlin who is supervising lunch comes by with a trashcan to get trash faster for the custodians. “Countrywide there is a struggle in supplies and workers for lunch, so we are having trouble feeding our 2,000 students a day” Sutherlin said. While all this is happening staff are looking out for our best interest. “I wish we could have enough food and staff for more lines but I don’t see that happening anytime soon” Longenecker said. Photo by Devon Schmidt
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PHOTO SEPTEMBER 23, 2021
TOP LEFT Cheer Team reforming at the Sept. 3 pep assembly. PHOTO BY Heather Springer TOP Senior Macy Garafola preparing for an intense ralley. PHOTO BY Andy Forest RIGHT Mr. Schwarz seconds before taking out a student in the Sept. 3 pep assembly. PHOTO BY Heather Springer
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SEPTEMBER 23, 2021 PHOTO
ABOVE Cooper Whitley, senior, getting tackled after a quarterback scramble in a game against Mill Valley on September 10 PHOTO BY Coral Netten LEFT Austin Allen, Junior, runs the ball in a football game against Mill Valley on September 10 PHOTO BY Kate Tankersley
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NEWS SEPTEMBER 23, 2021
Shortages across the world The covid-19 pandemic has made factories slow their production.
Photo courtesy of: Wikimedia Commons
Photo courtesy of: Flickr
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By Tim Wood Due to the recent pandemic, factories are facing supply shortages for paper, which is affecting local schools. English teacher Gary Glenn didn’t know much about the paper shortage. “I don’t think it has affected me too much at this point,” Glenn said.w Glenn uses his digital resources that he has resorted to over paper throughout this year.“I use GoogleClassroom,” Glenn said. “ I try to use digital resources as much as I can” Covid-19 has limited teachers from using paper for students throughout the 2020-2021 school year.“I probably used the same [amount] as last year because I used Google Classroom,” Glenn said
The pandemic has made teachers prefer technology over paper “I would prefer to use technology but sometimes my students have trouble connecting to the internet in this room,” Glenn said. “ Sometimes it’s a challenge but I would prefer to do that full time.” English teacher Mrs. Laurie Plankers feels the shortage is more about caution than an actual shortage. “I feel like when I look, I still see stacks,” Plankers said. “I think that teachers are pretty prudent… we try to do it online, but you have to account for the internet and things like that.” Plankers believes using technology is easier than using paper throughout the 2021-2022 year. “It’s easier honestly and some of
SEPTEMBER 23, 2021 NEWS
it’s harder so like, if I’m trying to correct a paper I still half to print it out and write on paper,” Mrs. Plankers “If it’s like an article with multiple choice questions it’s easier on the computer to grade.” Teacher Ms. Hightower discusses the shortages in Olathe South Highschool. “The paper shortage makes me feel stressed and anxious, but to compound the paper shortage issue, it makes it worse that we don’t have consistent WiFi access,” Hightower said. “So really, it makes me feel at some point that we are going to run out of options and that’s going to be a very difficult day.” Hightower thinks using technology is about the same as paper “I think I prefer a mixture of the two original like, I think a couple years ago, I would have said yes, and I prefer to collect paper, but I think there’s like a lot of different platforms like Turnitin.com that can make it really simple for me to grad
Photo courtesy of: Public domain pictures
e and to have it all in one place so I think its nice to have an online format.”
Photo courtesy of: Wikimedia Commons
questions it’s easier on the computer to grade.” Teacher Ms. Hightower discusses the shortages in Olathe South Highschool. “The paper shortage makes me feel stressed and anxious, but to compound the paper shortage issue, it makes it worse that we don’t have consistent WiFi access,” Hightower said. “So really, it makes me feel at some point that we are going to run out of options and that’s going to be a very difficult day.” Hightower thinks using technology is about the same as paper “I think I prefer a mixture of the two original like, I think a couple years ago, I would have said yes, and I prefer to collect paper, but I think there’s like a lot of different platforms like TurniTHE EYRIE 7
PHOTO SEPTEMBER 23, 2021
TOP LEFT Football Player Eli Alexander, senior, goes out for a route against Shawnee Mission West. PHOTO BY McKinzi Sowles TOP RIGHT Soccer player Max Easton, senior, smiles at his fellow teamates PHOTO BY Ava Meyerhoff RIGHT Soccer Player Gio De La Isla, senior, getting ready for a game under the lights PHOTO BY Kate Tankersley
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SEPTEMBER 23, 2021 PHOTO
ABOVE The Falcons running on to the field for a road game against Mill Valley week two PHOTO BY John Hendrickson LEFT Football Player Erwin Nash, senior, hauls in a touchdown against Mill Valley week two PHOTO BY John Hendrickson
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FEATURE SEPTEMBER 23,2021
New year, new faces Ten new teachers became Falcons in August 2021, bring a wide variety of experiences and backgrounds to the Falcon family. Welcome new teachers! By: Allyson Hester
Dr. Sutherlin (Athletic director) Schools Prior: BVN as a Special Ed Teacher and Football coach, BVW coached football and taught Special Ed, SME head wrestling coach and taught Special Ed, Turner School District as an administrator Favorite part: getting to work with all kids. He is so excited to become a Falcon. Travel: He wants to go to Rome to take in all of the history and eat some good Italian food Mrs. Jeagers (9&10 Resource Special Ed) Schools Prior: Olathe North; 9 years. Four years as a para-educator and 5 years working with Special Ed. Favorite Part: She likes getting to know her students and understanding what they like. Travel: Her and her husband are avid RV road trippers so her dream trip would be to go on a U.S road trip with their RV. Ms. Nicol (FACS) Schools Prior: Tonganoxie HS for 2 years Favorite Part: Forming relationships with students and seeing them grow through the years Fun Fact: She is one of the Junior class sponsors Hobbies: While not at school she enjoys planting cooking, baking, and traveling
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Mr. Loecker (Math) Schools Prior: 9 years at BSHS where he taught many different math classes and coached baseball Fun Fact: He has had 2 brain surgeries within 6 months and he has the same condition as (famous wrestlers name) Favorite Part: Building goods relationships with his students
Mrs. Katzer (English 1 & 3) Schools Prior: She taught at two differen’t schools in TX where she grew up College: She graduated from KSU with a degree in secondary education Hobbies: She enjoys hanging out with her 6 month old daughter Fun Facts: She just moved here in June with her husband, who she met in Kansas, and daughter. She moved here from Texas. Travel: She wants to travel to Greece and she would lay on the beach and read a book
SEPTEMBER 23, 2021 FEATURE
Ms. Work (English 2 & 3) Schools Prior: This is her first year teaching Favorite Part: Her favorite part of tecaching is getting to know her students Fun Fact: She is one of the junior class sponsors Hobbies: She enjoys going to poetry slam sessions and eating food with her friends Travel: She wants to visit Scottland because that is where Harry Potter was filmed
Mr. Jay (physical science) Schools Prior: He taught at St. Mary’s High School and in KCK as well. There he taught many differen’t science classess Fun Facts: He was section leader in the marching band at Kansas State University and he also has spent several summers in the Middle East, W.Asia and E. Africa Favorite Part: Helping struggling, yet hard-working students who are sincere about their education and their future Ms. Miller (Gifted) Schools Prior: She taught at FT for 9 years as a gifted teacher Fun Fact: She is able to have fluent conversations in arobic and she is also the scholars bowl sponsor Hobbies: She has many differen’t hobbies and they change often but currently she is really into researching things to do with geneology, which is the study of ancestery. Ms. Spears (School Psychologist) Schools Prior: 10 years at Tokeka Public Schools Favorite Part: Getting to work with all students Fun Fact: Has visited 12 different countries so far outside of the United States and hopes to do more after COVID calms down Travel: Goes to Colorado Springs because her mom and sister live there and she always loves when she is able to visit there
Mrs. Sapenoff (English) Schools Prior: She taught at Plaza Middle School on the Missouri side Fun Fact: After she graduated college she went to Honduras for a year to live there and teach Hobbies: She enjoys hanging out with family, going to target, and she enjoys going with her husband to play disc golf Travel: She wants to visit Greece because she is a big fan of Mama Mia
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new educators
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different schools
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Olathe South
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FEATURE SEPTEMBER 23, 2021
Being a drum major is more than waving hands during halftime of a football game. By Abigail Pierce
Many people may see a drum major as the person who stands in front of the band during performances and waves their arms around. The truth is, it’s much more complex than that. Drum majors, Reece Beckman, Sarah Day, and Larissa Coughlin, all of which lead completely different lives, but all have one thing in common- their dedication to the Falcon Regiment. Sarah Day was a part of the flute section for her first three years at South, before becoming a drum major. “It was a last minute decision” Day said, regarding her audition to become drum major. The drum majors do much work behind the scenes. They show up to school every morning at 6:15am to get everything set up for rehearsals. Drum majors Reece Beckman, Sarah Day and Larissa Coughlin conduct the marching band during a morning rehearsal. The band starts early four days to allow for additional rehearsal time. Photo by Devon Schmidt
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Drum majors also work closely with the directors. “They’re like assistant assistant directors,” said Chad Coughlin, head band director. “We email them something we need done, and they do it without question.” Not only do they help the directors, but they also assist every section of the band to the best of their abilities, whether it is a question about the music or a social issue within the band. “I feel like I can talk to them about anything” junior Kyle Wiman said. Wiman is a part of the drum line, a section in which none of the drum majors have much experience in, as all three of them play wind instruments. “It doesn’t really affect the section,” Wiman said. “We have
percussion teachers to help with the musical side, while the drum majors help with the mental stuff.” These seniors have been dedicated to the band since they started high school. They have all been in marching band since their freshman year and have continued to grow as musicians. But even before the Falcon Regiment, they had all been playing for years. Beckman has played the trombone since 5th grade, but music has always been a part of him. “My mom and dad were both musicians,” Beckman said. “And my mom was a drum major too.” One drum major in particular had a closer look at the band from a very young age. Larissa Coughlin, senior drum major, is the daughter of Chad Coughlin.
SEPTEMBER 23, 2021 FEATURE Photo by Devon Schmidt
in order to keep their secttion organized. “I must rely purely on them to be on time [with the music],” Wieber said. Each drum major has to be individually talented and a leader, but they also need to be able to work together. If they can’t work together, they won’t get things done as efficiently as they need to. “They balance each other out,” senior trumpet section leader Meghan Arias said. “Where one may have a weakness, the others make up for it.”
“The quality of the per-
forming arts wouldn’t be as good without the student leadership.
““
Coughlin has been in the marching band since her freshman year of high school, but grew up surrounded by band. “He expects more of me. He doesn’t want the other students to think I have an unfair advantage,” Larissa said. Drum majors strive to improve the band to the best of their ability. They’re always the first ones to arrive and the last to leave. “You can tell they have a sense of ownership,” assistant band director Dr. Michael Filla said. Filla has gotten to see these students grow throughout their years in the band. He noticed that even during their freshman year, “they all had ambition to be good at what they do.” A section leader is essentially the manager of their specific section. Much like a drum major, it is their job to keep order and organization in their section. “[The drum majors are] nearly on par with the directors when it comes to leadership and time commitment,” senior sousaphone section leader Michael Wieber said. Section leaders watch the drum majors during performances
Being a drum major may seem like a dream to some people, but there are some struggles that come along with it. “I struggled at first with the fact that I didn’t get to march with the band,” Larissa said. A drum major’s main responsibility is to stand above the band and conduct, keep the band in time, and make sure everything looks organized. Although there may be some difficulties, the drum majors enjoy their job leading the band. As with many leadership positions, there are benefits of being a leader of the band. “You get to make new experiences you wouldn’t get as just a member of the band, and have a lot of fun doing it,” Beckman said. “You get to know the overall band community rather than just your individual section.” The goal is to bring a little more attention to the music programs, who go unnoticed by many. “Band isn’t really talked about, it’s like we’re hidden in the shadows,” said Day. “We would just like to be recognized as more than the halftime show at football games.”
- Dr. Michael Filla, Assistant
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FEATURE SEPTEMBER 23, 2021
Behind the Scenes: Falcon Flight Crew
photo by : Heather Springer
By : Quinton Coats The Falcon Flight Crew, consisting of 17 of the most energetic, passionate students. You’ve seen them in the halls sporting their baby blue shirts and in the front of the stands at sporting events, but what goes on behind the scenes? What goes into a big event? What goes on inside The Falcon Flight Crew? A lot of preparation goes into planning an event such as a pep assembly or a football game. “From making posters to planning pep assemblies and planning spirit wear for the games” says senior member of the FFC Jackson Mervosh. The posters are anything from messages hyping up the sporting events to encouraging students. “Getting the word out...” is another 14 THE EYRIE
key aspect of planning a big event, says Bayli Schmitt, leader of The Falcon Flight Crew. Announcements are sent out through Twitter, Instagram, and the aforementioned posters put up throughout the school. Every hour 6 of the school day, the crew meets up to discuss, prepare, and brainstorm ideas to get ready for the next event taking place. Once the students get to class, “Miss Schmitt briefs us on what we are supposed to do for the hour.” says Senior Ashton McCombs. The group uses this time to go over what needs to be done such as decorating posters, making informational, sometimes hilarious, videos, and preparing the traditional colored powder to throw during the “I believe” chant. The group is led by Schmitt
but what about the students? Who is influential throughout the group of 17? The Flight Crew is made up of all upperclassmen, the students who have taken part in the events before they started preparing and planning them. One member of the group stood out from the rest. “... Ashton Mccombs…” says Junior Tucker Armstrong. He has become a group favorite as the students that were interviewed said McCombs is the most influential in The Falcon Flight Crew, and when the man himself was asked who is the most influential? “Definitely myself…” says McCombs. Next time you head to an Olathe South football game or attend a pep assembly, be sure to pay close attention to the students in the front of the student section or going ballistic on the gym floor. Take McCombs’s word, “...Don’t forget to get hyped up.”
Faces Behind Falcon Flight Crew Follow FFC on Social Media Instagram @oshsbirdhouse
Twitter @OS_BirdHouse
Students of the FFC
Miss Schmitt, adviser of the Falcon Flight Crew Sydney Albers, Senior Tucker Armstrong , Junior Breigh Bigelow, Junior Max Easton, Senior Alison Fisher, Junior Jacqueline Jose-Flores, Senior Halley Garcia , Senior Jarrett Halliday, Senior Raegan Halliday, Senior Ashton McCombs, Senior Jackson Mervosh, Senior Sarah Proberts, Senior Lily Redding, Senior Olivia Sander, Senior Tracey Scott, Senior Olivia Swaney, Senior Elizabeth Webb, Senior
image by John Hendrickson, senior
THE EYRIE 15
OPINION SEPTEMBER 23, 2021
Take A Break? Students and teachers alike deserve to have mental health days to recoup and destress for a day. By: Morgan Montgomery
Many companies are required to give their employees built in mental health days. This, however, is not the case for schools. Neither teachers nor students get designated mental health days and that needs to change. Biology teacher Mr. Reed Howard thinks mental health is very important. “Teachers have sick days and I think you should be allowed to take sick days for any and every reason why you don’t feel like you can do your job at school,” Howard said. “And I would say that includes mental health issues along with physical health issues. And I think students are kind of in the same boat, if you are feeling sick, you stay home, whether that’s physically sick [or] mentally sick.” Freshman Annie Hamilton agrees that there should be mental health days, as sometimes students just need a break.
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“Teachers don’t always know what all their students are going through, and sometimes having a break from school is really good for your mental health,” Hamilton said. “[Mental health days] give [students] a break from the stress of school to regroup and not have to worry about school for a whole day and not have to worry about their grades and just kind of relax.” Howard also thinks mental health days would benefit everyone involved. “If you’re coming to school and you’re physically sick, then you’re obviously not able to perform at the level that you should be able to perform and might be prolonging the period of time that it would take to get better,” Howard said. “So treating mental health days just like you would a physical sickness, in theory, I would believe would help you get better faster, and therefore
be able to get back to being productive more quickly.” Psychology teacher Mrs. Jennifer Schlicht agrees that there should be mental health days, but they should just be lumped in with teacher’s sick days. “I think that taking care of your mental health is also taking care of your [physical] health,” Schlicht said. “And it should just be two things together, we shouldn’t have a separation between mental health days or sick days should just be taking care of ourselves no matter what.” Howard also thinks they shouldn’t be labeled as mental health days, but just as sick days. “I think they should all be included in the same perspective. They’re not necessarily diagnosed the same way. But I feel like physical health and mental health could be or should be valued, at the same level.” Howard agrees. While the perks of mental health days greatly outweigh the disadvantages, there are still some, such as the strain on the financial aspects. “We have a defined number of sick days that are provided to us simply because of the financial component to covering for you when you’re gone. If you’re gone for a long time, then the district has to pay a substitute to cover for you. So that’s why we have sick days built in to cover that. But if we use up our sick days, then it becomes a different type of responsibility.” Howard said.
SEPTEMBER 23, 2021 OPINION
There’s also the fact of missing work and the fact that the work you miss would have to be made up as well. “If you’re gone for a physical illness, you still have to make up the work that you miss. And I would assume mental illness should fall into the same category. If you need to be gone, that’s fine. But you’re still responsible for making up the work that you would miss on any of those days where you need to maybe stay home,” Howard said. Despite these problems, mental health days would be beneficial to teachers and students alike. “I just think [having mental health days] allows us to take a step back, recognize that the world will not end If we miss a day of school, and that sometimes there are things going on in our lives that are more important than turning an assignment in on time, or preparing a knockout lesson and that sometimes we we cannot be our best for other people if we’re not at our best ourselves.” Schlicht said. When it comes to the number of days a student has, the answer differs. “I think there should be like three or four per year, like two per semester because one isn’t enough, but five is probably a little bit too many,” Hamilton said. “You probably need like two per semester because you have the first and second, and like third and fourth quarter and those can be very stressful and finals at the end and stuff like that.” Whereas Hamilton thinks
there should be a set amount of days, Howard thinks it should be like physical illnesses, no set amount but however many a student needs. “For students, [they] don’t necessarily have a restriction on the number of days [they] could be gone for a physical illness so I don’t necessarily think that there’s any reason why you shouldn’t also be able to be going through mental illness,” Howard said. Schlicht also agrees there shouldn’t be a set amount. “I mean, I don’t know that there’s any kind of rule specifically that says you get x number of days, I think that your parents call you out and at some point, you need a doctor’s note, but I think that like you’re taking mental health days you probably have seen a doctor.” Schlicht said. Schlicht and Hamilton both said they would use mental days, so it would benefit both students and teachers alike. “I do [use them]. Like there are days when I’m not feeling the greatest, whether it’s physically or even mentally. And I do take a day off, to be able to rest and recharge to make sure that I can do my job effectively when I come back, so yeah, I would say that I would use them and I do use them in times when I feel like I need to stay home to get better. And then come back, ready to help students and do my job,” Howard said.
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OPINION SEPTEMBER 23, 2021
Where Should You Go? photo by springer
If you aren’t comfortable using a certain restroom, where should you go? By: Color Greenwood
able using gendered restrooms, they have only two other options. The idea of gender in “There is a restroom that I clusive bathrooms has seemingly believe is in the hallway on the way been flushed away, but it should be to the locker room area,” student brought back to the surface. counselor, Chad Hoffman said. Teachers, counselors and “You can lock it, so it could students alike, all agree that stube like a multipurpose restroom.” dents should be comfortable with There is still another option, if that using the restroom at school. one is not available. “I think you should be “The other opable to have a tion is to use the bathroom where nurses restroom you feel comfort“Our kids deserve to as well,” Hoffable,” English man said “Those have a place to go. teacher Cynthia are the two places Roth said. “I We have to do what’s that we have just want my available.” best to take care of students [to be] “The discomfortable.” our [Students].” trict says that you Some- Jo Ball can use the baththing should room that you be done, using identify with,” the restrooms DeCelles said. at school should be safe and easy “[The district is] trying to figure out for every student, teacher and staff ways to make it feel more inclusive member. and less discriminatory.” “I’m not sure that gender Is trying a good enough opneutral bathrooms would be the tion though? solution,” student counselor Sarah “I understand that there DeCelles said. “I prefer the idea of are female and male bathrooms.” just having gender inclusive bathStudent Francesca Martini said,”but rooms.” maybe have one bathroom desig If students aren’t comfortnated as gender neutral, so then 18 THE EYRIE
everybody would be included in this specific thing.” Students can use whatever bathroom they identify with, as long as they communicate with their counselor, so they can back you up in the case a situation arises, but that leaves no options for nonbinary or gender-fluid students. “The thing is, people see you going into [the restroom], they’re gonna be confused,” Student Savanna Crabb said “... and that’s why those kinds of bathrooms should probably be implemented, so that they don’t get confused that way and don’t lash out.” Students just want to use the restroom comfortably, they often don’t mean to harm or offend anyone, but it can often be misunderstood. “Whichever one [they] feel most comfortable with, go ahead and use it by all means,” Hoffman said. “[They] should at least have that conversation with me...So an authority position can help foster that situation.” Students should just have a place to feel comfortable when they are using the restroom at school. “I don’t think that you have to
SEPTEMBER 23, 2021 make a declaration [to the counserves more attention. It should be selors] just to use the restroom.” brought to the light, so students can Debate teacher Jo Ball said. “We’re know what they should do to make seeing a story before it’s meant to themselves comfortable. be seen.” The Olathe School District Students deserve respect policies barely reference the idea and the feelings of comfort when of supportive measures related to using the reststudents who room. identify with a “I think different sex or “I’m always trying to it would honor gender. those kids, [hav Five years be forward thinking ing gender incluafter a controversive bathrooms],” and progressive.” sy at Olathe East, - Sarah DeCelles involving transBall said. Every gender students student deserves and them using to feel equal the restroom, while at school. no real solution “We can’t just ignore a has been produced. Olathe School whole part of our demographic,” District policies were not changed Roth said. “You know, our world is after the controversy during 2015, changing, our population is changat Olathe East High School. ing, people are changing, so we The school seems to have need to change with it.” no plan in place to address it either, This is a situation that desome think it is because of the pos-
OPINION
sible backlash of parents and possibly even religious communities. “Why does it have to be a controversy?” Hoffman said. “It’s something in our society that we have to address and deal with.” Diverse opinions point in different directions whether it may or may not be discriminating, but it could be considered an oversight. The teacher’s priorities always rest on the students safety and comfort when using the restroom. “It’s a lack of accountability on our end, as a school,” Hoffman said. “Especially if we have transgender identifying students.” Something needs to change, or something needs to be said. “If you want to have a school based on the diversity of everyone…” Martini said. “Then include everyone.”
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PHOTO SEPTEMBER 23, 2021
TOP LEFT Garret Reckrodt jumping to make sure he can sucuer the ball and gain more yards. PHOTO BY John Hendrickson TOP Ava Mead on the fallow trough of her swing PHOTO BY Audrey Stover RIGHT Thornburg telling Dr. longenecker, Mr. Witters and Coach Christopher dad jokes PHOTO BY James Neely
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SEPTEMBER 23, 2021
PHOTO
ABOVE Student section with amarican pride watching the game VS NULL VALLEY on September 10th PHOTO BY Coral Netten LEFT Mark Deaner running during a cross country meet PHOTO BY megan proberts
THE EYRIE 21
OPINION SEPTEMBER 23, 2021
Is Modest really Hottest?
The word modest is being wrongly used when describing dress codes in school.
Image by Kai Magana
By: Mya Roberts Dress codes bring a lot of controversy into schools. They have always seemed to cause discrimination against students. Dress codes should be made to include students and teachers, however they may identify. One gender should not be excluded or picked on more than others. Dress codes should allow students to feel good in their own skin and should allow them to express themselves in a way that makes them feel comfortable. Modesty shouldn’t be used as a word that teachers use when explaining the dress code because it can have 22 THE EYRIE
so many different interpretations and could be thought of in the wrong type of way. Counselor Chad Hoffman believes that the dress codes should be made to include the entire school population. “If you’re going to make a dress code, it has to be a dress code that is acceptable for anyone and everyone, as well as staff members,” Hoffman said. Students and staff members should be able to wear what makes them feel good. Staff members shouldn’t be able to wear something that the students
cannot. The teachers should be setting an example, if they are wanting the students to follow some sort of rules. Everybody should be able to feel comfortable while spending their whole day at school. Students shouldn’t have to stress over trying to pick out an outfit that may get them dress coded, school is stressful for some already. Counselor Danielle LeGrand believes that what is worn to school should be appropriate and what is expected for one gender should also be expected for all genders; there shouldn’t be a discrimination between them. “It should be consistent
SEPTEMBER 23, 2021 OPINION cross every single kid in the school,” LeGrand said. When it comes to the dress code it should be practically the same for all genders. Boys shouldn’t be able to wear wife beaters or tank tops if girls aren’t allowed to wear spaghetti strap tank tops. There should not be discrimination against students when deciding to make a dress code. The dress code should make sure that every student is accounted for.
only have females in mind when they were providing that presentation,” Hoffman said. “Because that would not be necessary, I couldn’t back that type of thinking, when we’re talking about dress code.” That multi-defined word should not be used while trying to describe a dress code because someone may take it in a different way due to religion or self interpretation, whatever it may be. Change is occurring with
also need to learn that what other people are wearing should not be distracting them from their learning. Dress codes should be made to allow the students, themselves, to feel comfortable when they have to sit in a classroom and learn. These dress codes have to be made to allow students to be themselves. If that doesn’t happen there may be some bigger problems to solve in the future.
“Dress has changed a lot over the years since I was in high school and I would like to see schools across the US catch up.” -Danielle LeGrand - Counselor When giving a presentation to the whole school the words “dress modestly” were used when explaining the types of clothes that should be worn at the school. The word modest means so many different things and should have been replaced with something that doesn’t have so many different interpretations. Hoffman agrees that dress modestly shouldn’t have been used in those presentations and hopes that it wasn’t directed towards a specific group of the student body. “I would hope that whoever put that presentation together, did not
dress codes and LeGrand hopes that schools can accept the change. “Dress has changed a lot over the years since I was in high school,” LeGrand said. “And I would like to see schools across the US catch up.” Change was well needed. It had to happen and it still does. Dress codes shouldn’t be made to make other students feel comfortable and stay on task. Students shouldn’t have to worry about finding clothes that don’t distract other students. Nobody should have to worry about what other people are thinking about their clothing. For this to happen students will
Senior Veronica Blalock wearing clothes that may get her dress coded image by Audrey Stover
THE EYRIE 23
OPINION SEPTEMBER 23, 2021
Error 404: image by Heather Springer
Quality Student Laptops Not Found
Student laptops have been used for many things throughout the school year, but do the students and staff find them functional?
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image by IT PRO
SEPTEMBER 23, 2021 spot instead of having a bunch of worksheets to keep track of.” While some students have slightly positive views, there are many that don’t. Junior Gideon Fain is one of those students. “They run slow, and the district puts so much software on it that it makes the computer run terrible overall,” Fain said. “The only pro is that they are portable and they are somewhat easy to use in a classroom setting.” Natalie Gullick agrees with Fain’s sentiment. “They are awful, they break easily and they are slow,” Gullick said. “[There are] no pros. I could use the same computer at home, it does everything these computers do, but better.” Thomas Shankel also agrees with Fain’s statement. “I mean, I don’t know why but they do not seem to function like they are supposed to,” Shankel states. “The stationary computers work just fine though.” There are even some students who just down right hate the computers. “They suck, they are horrible, the iPads in middle school are better,” 11th grade student Isiah Bagby said. “They are slow, they aren’t consistent enough, and they are clunky.” Ty Van Buskirk is a little understanding about the situation “Education is a bit easier to
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OPINION
access especially if you are absent for one day,” Buskirk said. “Honestly, I feel like there is a lot [more] that can be done.” Some Sophomores, like Madeline Angel, think that the computers “serve their function, they just don’t do it well.” “Last year, my computer would take 30-45 minutes to turn on and [it] would continuously crash,” Angel said. Other Sophomores, like Ngan Nguyen, have very neutral stances on the issue. “I don’t think that they’re bad, but they aren’t that good either,” Nguyen said. “Sometimes booting the laptop up takes ages.” “The computers seem to do perfectly fine,” Wise states. “It loads much faster compared to other computers at other schools, and it also is easier to handle.” Even though students might have negative outlooks on the laptops, Principal Dale Longenecker brings up good counterpoints. “It’s a pretty solid computer, but you could buy one better with more money,” Dr. Longenecker said. “The computer doesn’t stop us, but it does annoy us. Any computer at any level would annoy us.” Longenecker believes that students and staff would find issues with any computer.
I get complaints about how bad they are, but then again, we could buy brand new computers and still get complaints, Longenecker said.
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By Jalil Smith Student laptops are far from exceptional when it comes to efficiency. Sometimes, the laptops exit off of the WiFi unexpectedly. Other times, the laptops update while doing an important assignment. Although students and administrators have many different things to say about the computers; they all seem to share the same sentiment: The student computers could be better. Junior Ethan Ellot believes having the computers is slightly better than having no computer at all. “The student computers are fine, marginally better than not having them,” Junior Ethan Ellot said. “Everything we do online is better than doing it on paper.” Junior Jacob Sears agrees with Ethan. “The computers are okay with what we need them for,” Sears says. “They are smaller than a normal computer, therefore I can carry it better.” Junior Aiden Silva, partially agrees with both Ellot and Sears. “They are all right, they get the job done, but that’s all they do,” Silva said. “My middle school iPad can hold WiFi better than this.” Some freshmen seemingly like the computers. “They are cool,” said Isiah Walker. Sophomore Grayson Yoder believes that the computers are effective. “I feel that the computers work well,” Yoder says. “Though I wish it were easier to change keyboards languages, as I typically use a German keyboard instead of an English one.” Similarly to Grayson Yoder and Isiah Walker, there are students who think that the computers are great. “I like them a lot,” Campbell Garafola said. “They make it easy to keep online work in one
THE EYRIE 25
PHOTO OCTOBER 4, 2019
TOP LEFT Freshman Drake Bonzo messes around on the sideline. photo by Gracie Akers TOP Junior Dan Palacio smirks to someone off camera. photo by Devon Schmidt RIGHT Senior Daxon Steinbacher cheers on the soccer team at home opener. photo by Ava Meyerhoff
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SEPTEMBER 23, 2021 PHOTO
ABOVE Students enjoy Senior Sunrise before school September 2. photo by Coral Netton LEFT Quaterback Cooper Whitley, senior, observes his defense at work from the sideline. photo by John Hendrickson
THE EYRIE 27
SPORTS SEPTEMBER 23, 2021
The Future of Men’s Volleyball What you can expect to see in the way of men’s volleyball this year.
photo by Hudson Marmon
By: Hudson Marmon
Forming a men’s volleyball team
could bring many benefits to students, not only here, but statewide. Scholarship opportunities, bonding among peers, physical activity and getting students involved are all pros of creating a men’s team. However, one crucial problem stands in the way of making this idea a reality. “It is not a KSHSAA sanctioned sport, ” athletic director Dr. Sutherlin, said. It wasn’t that there was something wrong with men’s volleyball that made KSHSAA 28 THE EYRIE
disapprove, but rather it was the history behind it.
“Volleyball was created as an opportunity for young ladies to also have another option for their athletics.”
“Up until... maybe four years ago, men were allowed to be on a girls volleyball team” however due to problems caused by this rule “that has since been removed in the last three years.”
The Kansas State High School Activities Association or KSHSAA is the organization that oversees all interscholastic activities. In doing so they create rules and regulations that are to be followed in order to keep events running smoothly. “The KSHSAA interscholastic volleyball program is designed for girls in grades 7-12,” this can be found under Rule 43 of this year’s volleyball rule book. Once again showing that the system was created with a female audience in mind. Athlete Adriana Tetley explained how her skills fortified in
SEPTEMBER, 23, 2021 SPORTS Volleyball carried over to other sports
“my parents tell me all the time that my vertical is better, so that’s probably improved for basketball” she said. “Girls would really support guy’s volleyball because it’s really energetic and fun to watch so I think it would be really good for school spirit,” but Adriana isn’t the only one who thinks a team could benefit the school.
In a survey taken by 101 students, 100% of them supported a men’s volleyball team. In addition, 87% said they would be interested in attending the games concluding that there is a demand for men’s volleyball. With that being known, the question becomes: how will that demand be met? Without the acknowledgement of KSHSAA, there isn’t much hope for an official men’s volleyball team, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t alternate ways of playing. Doing so could be as simple as starting a men’s Volleyball Club, those who
want to play will join. Stay positive, and if you feel that volleyball is worth pursuing, don’t let KSHSAA keep you off the court.
photo by Heather Springer
Yes
Survey Data Yes No
100%
Should there be a mens volleyball team?
87%
13%
Would You Be intrested in attending the games?
photo by Hudson Marmon
THE EYRIE 29
SPORTS SEPTEMBER 23, 2021
Fantasy Football Power Rankings Each position is ranked 1-5, along with draft strategy, and advice on players to avoid
By: Mark Elliott
NFL and fantasy football is back, which means madness every Sunday, Monday, and Thursday. A decent amount of rankings have changed from this year to last, with injuries, players leaving their prime and players entering their prime. Quarterback is a position you usually don’t want to draft one in the first three rounds, unless that QB happens to be Patrick Mahomes. The reason for this is instead of getting a point for every 10 yards like other positions, QBs get one point every 25 yards. Their passing touchdowns are also only worth 4 points, but any other position it is 6. This is what makes quarterbacks draft stock go down. If you wait to pick a QB, you can get more wide receivers and running backs, but if any of these top 5 QBs are available, they should be considered. 1. Patrick Mahomes- Kansas City Chiefs
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2. Kyler Murray- Arizona Cardinals 3. Russell Wilson- Seattle Seahawks 4. Josh Allen- Buffalo Bills 5. Lamar Jackson- Baltimore Ravens Running back is the position likely to be taken in the first round. Receiving running backs are very important as it allows them to get more points and total yards. Running backs also tend to have very short primes, making the top fantasy running back different almost every year. For example, in 2018, Todd Gurely was the top fantasy running back, now, in 2021, he is a free agent yet to be signed, so be sure to try and get any of these 5 reliable elite running backs. 1.Christian McCaffery- Carolina 2. Dalvin Cook- Minnesota Vikings 3. Alvin Kamara- New Orleans Saints 4. Derrick Henry- Tennesee Titans 5. Nick Chubb- Cleaveland Browns Wide receiver is probably the most important position in
fantasy football. This is because the way scoring works. Most leagues play by PPR, which means one point for every reception, and receivers are doing almost all the catching, so they are put in the fantasy football spotlight. It is super important to have a good receiving core for any fantasy football team. Shoot for getting any of these 5 superstar receivers. 1. Davante Adams- Green Bay Packers 2. Tyreek Hill- Kansas City Chiefs 3. DeAndre Hopkins- Arizona Cards 4. Stefon Diggs- Buffalo Bills 5. Calvin Ridley- Atlanta Falcons Tight ends are almost exactly like quarterbacks, you don’t want to reach on a tight end too early. They don’t get as many targets as receivers, so they are a lower value position. Unless it is a tight end that is involved in the offense as much as receivers are, they should be taken in the 6th round or later. Any of these 5 guys can go anywhere between rounds 2-4, because they play like a receiver. 1. Travis Kelce- Kansas City Chiefs 2. George Kittle- San Francisco 49ers 3. Darren Waller- Las Vegas Raiders 4. Mark Andrews- Baltimore Ravens 5. T.J. Hockenson- Detroit Lions Defense is also a lower value position, but can sneakily win you games. One strategy is to pick up
the defense who plays the worst offense that week. Defenses should definitely be taken toward the end of drafts at the 9th round or later. It is rare to see a defense that consistently has 10 or more points each week of the season, these 5 teams have a chance at doing that 1. Los Angeles Rams 2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 3. Pittsburgh Steelers 4. New England Patriots 5. Washington Football Team Kicker is not really a important fantasy football position. Although, you never know when you will be down 8 points on a Monday night and you have left is your kicker. Get any of these top 5 kickers who have ice in their veins. 1. Justin Tucker- Baltimore Ravens 2. Harrison Butker- KC Chiefs 3. Younghoe Koo- Atlanta Falcons 4. Mason Crosby- GB Packers 5. Wil Lutz- New Orleans Saints With all of those players being the best bet to make a championship run with, there are also players that may seem like a good pick but need to be avoided, such as Bengals running back Joe Mixon. Mixon is a great running back but, sadly, plays for the Bengals. They have a terrible offensive line, and Mixon will likely be battling injuries and inconsistent. Another running back that should be avoided is Saquon Bark-
SEPTEMBER 23, 2021 SPORTS
ley. He has the talent of a top 6 running back, but plays for a bottom 10 team in the New York Giants. Barkley has been battling injuries since college and his sorry excuse for an offensive line or quarterback doesn’t help his situation at all. It would also be the wise choice to stay away from the Steeler’s wide reciever room. Juju Smith-Schuster, Chase Claypool, and Diontae Johnson. They are all good recievers, but fantasy wise this will be a very inconsistent group. Especially because they all usually get equal looks, no one player is going to have top 15 reciver upside. They will all also be super touchdown dependant. There are also plenty of players who are not as popular as
other players, but these guys will win leagues. One of those players is Washington runningback Antonio Gibson. Once he was the starter last season he shined in the spotlight and is the first running back to succeed in Washington in a long time. He is set to get all the runningback workload, and he is also a recieving threat which makes him a really good second round pick. He will be a fantasy RB1 this year, and will most likely finish top 10 among runningbacks. A receiver that is getting heavily underrated is Chargers receiver Keenan Allen. Each year, no matter who has been throwing the ball to him, he always produces great numbers. He is also a top 5 route runner in the league so he is often creating lots of space. Justin Herbert, his current quarterback, loves throwing the ball to Allen. He is a receiver who has a good chance at having at least 8 100-yard receiving games. This a great WR2 option in all fantasy leagues. The biggest steal is Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts. He is being drafted very late but he is a great dual threat QB. Hurts is for sure a QB that is up and coming, and is going to prove a lot of people wrong. It is now time for rivalries, huge crowds, tailgating, celebrations, and more as the best time of the year is back. But this year another regular season game was added, which means there will be an added week of madness. THE EYRIE 31