The Eyrie - February 6, 2019

the

EYRIE Volume 38, Issue 4

NEWS FEBRUARY 6, 2019

School in opposition Smart enrollment helps students 4 over impeachment during senior year Student anonymously opens up 6 about experiences with vaping Fashion trends express students’ 8 personalities Insight into lives of Megan Weldon 10 and John Dawkins Robotics team hosts international 12 competition Girls and boys’ basketball season 14 overview KU basketball season leaves fans 16 questioning team A look into the upcoming Kansas 18 City Royals season The Eyrie’s photojournalists’ best 20 work so far School production of “Beauty and 22 the Beast” enchanted all Theater department decorates 24 bricks found in classroom Opinions on BV district lawsuit, 26 cultural apropriation A day in the life of design teacher 28 Taylor Schwartz My Turn: The Eyrie Kitchen and 30 dangers of social media

Table of Contents

Colton Mudloff

President Donald Trump took office at the beginning of 2017. Trump received the electoral votes needed for him to take office; however, he lost the popular vote to Hillary Clinton.

Before Trump had even given his inauguration speech, many high-profile Democrats, as well as some Republicans, spoke out against Trump’s election.

Soon after Trump won the election, Democrats started their campaign to impeach him. Those who spoke out demanded that Trump should be taken out of office as soon as possible.

Early in his presidency, Trump fired former FBI Director James Comey and asking him to “let go” of the investigation into former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn. This action was especially criticized for being suspicious, because Flynn’s dealings with Russia had led to his resignation.

“If you have the information to impeach, you should impeach,” a teacher said.

The efforts to impeach Trump have recently been spearheaded by California billionaire Tom Steyer after his creation of needtoimpeach. com, an attempt to collect online signatures from those in favor the impeachment petition.

Steyer’s campaign has been successful in gathering over seven million digital signatures within the past two years.

the EYRIE Olathe South High School 1640 E. 151st St. Olathe, KS 66062 www.eyrieonline.net (913) 780-7160 / FAX (913) 780-7170

02 THE EYRIE

Advisor Heather Springer Executive Editors Tristan Allen Mara Gee Opinion Editor Khadija Ceesay Sports Editor Alex Burbidge Entertanment Editor Maddie Black

Feature Editors Faith Holliday Hannah Holliday Business Manager Megan Stoerman Media and Webpage Mckinley Schrader Reporters Tristan Allen Maddie Black Alex Burbidge

Khadija Ceesay Mark Elliott Alyson Gad Emily Gray Mara Gee Faith Holliday Hannah Holliday Nalia Lowry Colton Mudloff McKinley Schrader Megan Stoerman

Member of KSPA, NSPA, JEA, CSPA CSPA Gold Medalist

Steyer, having confidence in the Democratic Party majority in the House of Representatives, believes that his website – backed by the people’s digital signatures – will be enough to pressure the senate into voting Trump out of office.

Others do not want to impeach Trump because they approve of the job he has done.

With Trump’s current support, and the fact that he has not been criminally convicted, he is not likely to be impeached.

“I don’t see us impeaching a president just based on accusations,” a teacher said.

Those seeking Trump’s impeachment, Rolling Stone warns, may want to consider what the aftermath of Trump’s impeachment would look like.

Following Trump’s possible impeachment, current Vice President Mike Pence would take over his duties.

Pence, like Trump, is Republican; however, Pence has made many statements in opion-editorials that revealed his anti-gay beliefs, anti-abortion policies and his belief in homosexual conversion therapy.

With this in mind, Rolling Stone advises voters to wait for Trump to serve the rest of his term and elect a different candidate to oppose Trump’s re-election.

Both the anonymous teachers and students interviewed do not feel like impeaching Trump for vairous reasons, at least not yet.º Amanda Turvey Photographers Katherine Dickerson Chris Inderhees Shelby Johnston Alek Mackey Anna Palacio Samantha Ricks Paula Shockey Ashlee Trout

NSPA All American & First Class Award Quill & Scroll First

FEBRUARY 6, 2019 NEWS

Plans for office Laura Kelly hopes to update outdated policies McKinley Schrader Laura Kelly was inaugurated to office on Jan. 14. As new governor, she has many plans for her term, some of which she has already revealed.

The changes she plans to make will be implemented very quickly, as she made statements over what her changes would be the day after she won the election.

On Jan.15, Kelly reinstated protections for minority groups.

This includes protections from discrimination in the workplace, and many other places.

Kelly has stated that she wants to “recover from the Brownback tax experiment,” by putting more funds into Kansas schools.

This will mean more money for teachers, classrooms, and extracurricular activities, although it is unknown how long it will take to address this issue.

Another subject Kelly plans to touch on is Medicaid. She plans to make Medicaid, “more accessible to lower income families,” which will increase the overall health of Kansas citizens.

The foster care system is another subject Kelly has brought up.

The current foster care system is “outdated” to her and she wants to change it, although it is unknown how exactly it will be changed.

Although not brought up often, the way people are sentenced to prison time or other similar

consequences is sometimes unfair to the offender’s family.

The offender “loses their job, family, and they become unemployable,” Kelly says. She has considered changing the way offenders are sentenced.

Kelly will appoint Roger Werholtz, secretary of corrections, as the head of the Department of Corrections, as she stated on Jan. 8.

Kelly also has hinted at getting rid of the death sentence in Kansas. She’s hinted at it multiple times in her speeches, and

by Werholtz, who is open about wanting to get rid of the death sentence.

Kelly claimed that all of her actions will “not require a tax increase.” This decision can be helpful

photo courtesy of KCUR

to Kansans who wish not to see the taxes increase further.

Kelly’s changes will affect everyone, including students, teachers, citizens, etc.

Students will have better schools to attend with a larger

budget. Citizens will have a more free state with more rights and more protections.

All of Kelly’s actions hope to be beneficial for all of Kansas, but time will only prove how most of them work in action.

infographic 7 x 1.94 in.

THE EYRIE 03

ACADEMICS FEBRUARY 6, 2019

SNAP Shots Announcements now on intercom instead of video As many students have noticed, the video announcements no longer exist and have been replaced with spoken announcements over the intercom.

This change was enforced by administration as the video announcements lacked teacher support since most teachers were not playing the announcements and it is a district policy for every student to hear the announcements.

This change is permanent and the only video announcements that will be shown will be played in the commons during Falcon 50 on even block

Eyrie transforms from newspaper to magazine style For the past 16 years, the school has printed a tabloid-style newspaper. Now under new advisement, - which has inspired a new creative outlook on all design aspects of the paper - the student-run staff has mutually and excitedly decided to change it up for coming years.

“I think the magazine layout will be a fresh change from the tabloid-style paper,” Tristan Allen, co-head editor, said.

This new format of the newspaper presents opportunities for new and more content. Senior standouts are still be selected for the boy and girl focus sections, brief overviews on sports happenings are covered.

“Changing to the 32-page, full color, format has given my staff more freedom to write and design more like a magazine and less like a traditional newsprint,” Heather Springer, newspaper advisor, said. “It also gives us the opportunity to feature our photojournalists, which the traditional tabloid style didn’t.”

04 THE EYRIE

24

to walk out

door

Graduation Requirements

• Four English credits • Three Math credits • Three Social Science credits: Modern World History, U.S. History, U.S. Government and one other social science elective • Three Science credits: Life Science, Physical Science and one Science elective • One Physical Education credit • One Fine Arts credit • One Practical and Consumer Studies credit • One Technology credit • One Applied Communication credit • Six elective credits

FEBRUARY 6, 2019 ACADEMICS

Advice on enrollment Ways underclassmen can enroll to make high school easy

By Mara Gee

Underclassmen tend to view senior year as a breeze. It’s the last year of high school, most of one’s credits are accounted for.

Time to lay back and relax.

However, one cannot get to that place without putting in some work beforehand.

Writing out a fouryear plan can give one insight as to what he or she needs to accomplish as well as how many hours he or she has left to fill with electives.

The first things to get out of the way are required credits.

For core classes, the high school requires students to take three

credits of social studies, three credits of math, three credits of science, and four credits of English.

On the collegiate level, those requirements may be different. To be sure one is completing all the coursework he or she needs, check the website of each college for which one plans to apply for their list of requirements.

Also, making sure one meets the requirements listed by the Kansas board of Regents will secure one’s ability to qualify for any Kansas college, not including the University of Kansas (KU).

Those requirements being that one must graduate, have a cumulative

GPA of at least a 2.0 on a 4.0 scale and earn a composite score of 21 on the ACT or rank in the top third of his or her high school after three and a half or four years.

Carrying out one’s high school career in this way will leave one with English and government during his or her senior year.

To relieve one’s course load by senior year, one may aide for a teacher for an hour, take AP Studies or apply for early release or late start.

Students may also be interested in enrolling in courses that count towards college credit, which may result in a reduced amount of years spent in college.

Check It made a four-year plan completed high school requirements OR are on track to do so

made a list of prospective colleges and looked up their requirements applied for scholarships (not all are reserved for senior year) enrolled for College Now courses (if desired)

THE EYRIE 05

FEATURE FEBRUARY 6, 2019

Smoke Screen!

A behind-the-scenes look into underage vaping

06 THE EYRIE

FEBRUARY 6, 2019 FEATURE

Anonymous student shares reasons why they use vapor devices Tristan Allen A 2018 survey sponsored by the National Institute on Drug Abuse found that over 20 percent of 10th and 12th grade students vaped in the last month prior to the survey, and the same survey found that over 30 percent of students in the same group used a vapor device at least once in their lifetime.

Jerome Adams, U.S. Surgeon General, declared teen vaping as an “epidemic” due to the amounts of nicotine usually found in vapor devices.

Why do students vape? The answer can vary person by person, but Robin, a student

who agreed to an interview in exchange for anonymity, shared their experiences using vapor devices.

Robin started vaping in their freshman year after seeing other people doing so.

“I just wanted to see what it was all about,” Robin said.

Since then, they managed to “hit” their vapor decice around once per day.

“If I’m not doing anything, I’ll hit it,” Robin said. Robin also noted that his “hits” are not big hits.

There is a variety of vapor products, and Robin claimed to have “really tried everything at this point.”

Despite the fact that seven out of 10 teens are exposed to e-cigarette marketing according to another survey sponsored by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, Robin claims that advertising did not influence them to vape, but rather “[their] surroundings that influenced [them].”

Even after more than a year, Robin still vapes.

“It’s something I’m used to,” Robin said.

Robin does acknowledge that there are health risks that come with the use of vapor devices.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse re-

ports that 66 percent of teen e-cigarette users say that their device only has flavoring, and another 13.7 percent say that they are unsure of what they consume. Only 13.2 percent of teen users say that nicotine is an ingredient in their ecigarette.

Robin said that they themself “know the chemicals that are in [their e-cigarette].”

As a student, Robin attended some of the school’s advisory lessons about the dangers and risks of vaping. They did not have any praise.

“I feel like [the lessons are] kind of pointless,” Robin said,

“They’re more worried about us doing it in school.”

The lessons do not convince Robin to stop vaping. If they were to stop vaping, there would need to be some kind of negative impact.

“If I don’t see it affecting my life, I don’t see any reason to stop,” Robin said.

While Robin does not plan to stop vaping “right now,” they did say that they might stop vaping “within the year.” “[Vaping is] not something I’m doing my entire life,” Robin said.

If Robin were to quit vaping, they

The Eyrie does not support the use of vapor devices and or other drugs, nor do the Olathe Schools.

If you feel you are addicted, call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) hotline: 1-800-662-4357 THE EYRIE 07

FEATURE FEBRUARY 6, 2019

TRENDING

by Faith Holliday

Lizzy Simpson

WHERE do you shop for clothing?

My sister’s closet.

WHO or what inspires your style?

My sister, my friends, and older fashion from the 70s through 90s.

DESCRIBE your personal style in three words.

Edgy, floral, and unique.

WHAT advice would you give to others trying to find their style?

You don’t need to settle for one “style.” You can dress in all pastels one day and all black the next. Only you can define who you want to be.

08 THE EYRIE

Mr. Hubbard

Gabby Sharp

WHERE do you shop for clothing?

Anywhere with super big discounts.

WHERE do you shop for clothing?

I go thrifing at Plato’s Closet or Savers a lot.

WHO or what inspires your style?

I’m not sure I have a style... I probably buy what I think will look good on me.

WHO or what inspires your style?

I try to use my creativity as my inspiration, but I like stuff from the 70s and 80s.

DESCRIBE your personal style in three words.

Cheap, comfortable clothes.

DESCRIBE your personal style in three words.

Colorful, bold, unique.

WHAT advice would you give to others trying to find their style?

Go with what you feel good in.

WHAT advice would you give to others trying to find their style?

Go for it. Bold confidence makes an outfit look even better.

NOW

FEBRUARY 6, 2019 FEATURE

EDSEL

Emma WHERE do you shop for clothing?

Zara, Forever 21, Target, and H & M. WHO or what inspires your style?

Myself.

DESCRIBE your personal style in three words.

Mix of several.

WHAT advice would you give to others trying to find their style?

Wear whatever makes you happy.

Edsel Quintana Puente

Mrs. Hannon

WHERE do you shop for clothing?

Express, Aeropostle, and H & M.

WHERE do you shop for clothing?

I shop at The Loft and TJ Maxx.

WHO or what inspires your style?

Alex Castro, teachingmenfashion on YouTube, and Alpha M.

WHO or what inspires your style?

I am inspired by earthy colors and bright, bold patterns.

DESCRIBE your personal style in three words.

Wild, chill, and authentic.

WHAT advice would you give to others trying to find their style?

Don’t be afraid to stand out from your “group“.

DESCRIBE your personal style in three words.

Classic, tasteful, and uncomplicated.

WHAT advice would you give to others trying to find their style?

Find a few key pieces you love and build your style around those items.

THE EYRIE 09

FEATURE FEBRUARY 6, 2019

senior year is roaring by

John Dawkins

John Dawkins, senior, will be performing as The Beast in the theater’s latest production, Beauty and the Beast.

The production that Dawkins is starring in will be performed from Jan. 31 to Feb. 2.

As a member of theater, Dawkins thinks that participating in the theater productions is “fun and exciting, and takes dedication to craft an awesome product.”

Playing the role of the beast is not the easiest thing, as Dawkins says. “Its honestly a challenge. While some days it’s more relaxing, other days it becomes a challenge to get through rehearsal,” Dawkins says.

As the day of the show approaches, Dawkins has been anticipating the performance. “I’m looking forward to the perfor-

10 THE EYRIE

mance,” Dawkins says. “All the practice and rehearsals are finally going to pay off.”

As a member of the theater, some degree of stage fright is inevitable. “Most of it comes right before the performance, but as we get further in, it becomes easier to say your lines and just have fun performing,” Dawkins says.

Dawkins was interested in theater for some time before he was in high school. “I had always seen myself playing a role on the big screen, and I knew theater would be the perfect platform [for that,]” Dawkins says.

Dawkins favorite show that they have previously done was The Addams Family. “That one was a fun experience for everyone, viewers and actors alike,” Dawkins says.

Although theater has its ups, it doesn’t come without its downs. Dawkins

says, “the one thing I dislike the most is all the drama that goes into theater,” although you can stay out of it for the most part.

As one would would imagine, being in theater requires a lot of work , effort, and time. Rehearsals happen anywhere from once to twice a week, and learning lines requires a lot of mental focus. “I’ve gotten used to it,” Dawkins says, “but that doesn’t mean it’s any easier.”

As a senior, Dawkisn has to decide if he wants to continue his pursuit of theater in college.

If he does decide he wants to, he also has to choose a college with a good theater program.

Along with theater, Dawkins also participates in Falcon Mentors, diversity council, senior committee, and is the president of the Black Student Union.

FEBRUARY 6, 2019 FEATURE

singing through senior year

Megan Weldon

Putting yourself on display for an audience without a plan sounds terrifying to most. To Megan Weldon, it’s just another day as captain of the improv team.

Weldon’s artitstic abilities don’t end with improv; she also sings in choir, is in the Advanced Repertory Theatre class, and was the lead in the fall play, 39 Steps.

Being the lead helped to boost Weldon’s confidence in her acting abilities, mainly the ability to memorize lines.

In her free time, she watches other theatre productions and writes short plays. To continue following her passions, Weldon plans to go to an out of state college to major in theatre.

Weldon’s biggest worry about leaving high

school is leaving her three dogs.

Lily the Maltese Chihuahua, Lucy the yellow lab, and Heidi the golden retriever are a big source of comfort for Weldon, and they help to relieve stress, especially during the week of a show.

“

If you want to wear the lipstick, wear the lipstick.”

She is also in Student Naturalist. Taking care of animals gives a sense of accomplishment and helps her develop a sense of responsibility.

Some of her favorite animals to take care of include Pepper, a ferret, and

the ducks that they bring in occasionally.

Weldon emphasizes that “time management is extrememly important” for getting through high school, especially when involved in multiple performing arts programs.

It is important to “put yourself first” to avoid burnout. Mental health has to be stable to do the best possible.

During senior year especially, Weldon believes deeply in having healthy relationships.

“Don’t be afraid to cut off toxic people” is one of the mantras that Weldon lives by.

Weldon is also an advocate for self expression.

Her advice to anyone questioning themselves is “if you want to wear the lipstick, wear the lipstick.”

THE EYRIE 11

FEATURE FEBRUARY 6, 2019

ROBOTICS ROUND-UP Robotics team hosts international robotics competititon including teams from China and Mexico.

By Aly Gad and Maddie Black The Heartland Regional F.I.R.S.T robotics competition, the first of three that are happening, is being held at Olathe South this year.

The event is free to attend and open to the public. International teams will be attending as well. Four from China and one from Mexico.

It will be held on March 14, 15 and 16.

7:45 am to 8 pm, 8 am to 7 pm, and 8 am to 6:30 pm. Thursday is a practice and build day and then Friday and Saturday is when the games are held.

In this competition, there is a challenge, which is centered around the theme of Deep Space. They have six weeks to build one robot, around four feet tall and 125 pounds.

The competing teams are not given a template before building their robot. They have to design, build, wire, and program it all by hand. “We pretty much have to guess how to build it to best match the requirements of the competition,” says Carolyn Wilson, junior.

At the competition, they have to drive the robot, with a remote control. Which they also have to build themselves.

The robot has to be able to play games that are set up for the competition. “In years past we had to climb a rope, do a pull-up, and place cubes on a eight-foot tall scale,” says Wesley Coats, junior.

The robot has to have strong enough

12 THE EYRIE

arms to lift and place a 13 inch diameter kickball.

The robots are made of mainly aluminum.

They are in the week four of build season and “our chasis is complete and waiting for the assembled elevator to be attached,” says Coats.

The Olathe South robotics team is not competing during this event, they have to focus all of their attention on hosting. This is a huge event and they currently need volunteers to help host.

“50 people per shift are needed to make this event run smoothly,” says Wilson. This is the perfect opportunity to get volunteer hours.

Besides preparing and setting up for this competition, they are working on fundraising. The robotics team is not supplied with any funding from the school, so they do all of their own fundraising.

Garmin is one of their biggest sponsors, and they supply the majority of the team’s mentors.

They hold a robotics camp in the summer time, for elementary and middle school age kids. As well as doing a lot of community service.

The week after the competition at south, there will be a similar one held at Rockhurst high school, which they are competing in. The Greater Kansas City Regional competition is on March 21, 22, and 23.

FEBRUARY 6, 2019 FEATURE

ABOVE- This robot named Teddy taught the Team 5268 a lot of things including a new mechanism called the “ChooChoo” and pneumatic wheels. This robot was designed to be a ball shooter and had LED lights. These lights would signal the ball collector to shoot.

ABOVE - This robot was designed to be a vault fillers and a switch shooter for the game “Power-Up.” By the name of Mr. Miyamoto also includes LED lights that displayed sponsors and samples of the old eight-bit video games. Another feature of this robot is the 12 motors.

ABOVE- This robot by the name of Aida de Acosta is a scoring machine that has mechanism wheels and adept gearing.

There are a total of five to six gears and has an autonomous mode. This robot even made it to the quarter finals but it lost in the final second.

THE EYRIE 13

SPORTS FEBRUARY 6, 2019

Kobe McKinley, senior, dribbles the ball while guarded by Lawrence Free State. South lost the game 58-59. photo by Alek Mackey

Caroline Harshbarger, senior, looks behind her on the court. photo by Shelby Johnston

Brady Johnson, senior, drives to the rim against Lawrence Free State. photo by Alek Mackey

14 THE EYRIE

Isabel Pierce, senior, shoots free throws against Lawrence Free State. The Lady Falcons won 45-40. photo by Shelby Johnston

FEBRUARY 6, 2019 SPORTS

Boys’ basketball wins tournament

Girls’ varsity team top 10 6A team

Mark Elliott

Mark Elliott

Winter sports are coming to an end and starting their state tournaments, including boys’ basketball. So far, the boys’ basketball program altogether is 45-10. The varsity basketball team was entered into the Spring Hill Tournament and went 3-0, winning the tournament’s championship game by a score of 53-34. They played Blue Valley South West in the semi-final round of the tournament and came out on top by a score of 46-27. It was the Falcons’ first tournament win in five years.

On Jan. 29th the Falcons varsity basketball team played an extremely talented Shawnee Mission Northwest varsity shooting team and their shooting skills showed, as the Falcons got blown out. All five teams played Bishop Miege’s teams. JV, A, and B, freshmen and sophomore teams all topped Miege, but Varsity fell off in the fourth quarter. Two seniors on the team Kobe McKinley and Brady Johnson were named all-tournament team. On Jan. 11th the Falcons beat Shawnee Mission West 60-57 at home. Brady Johnson hit a buzzer beater three pointer to win the game.

On Jan. 4th the Falcons beat Shawnee Mission South 58-52.

The other four teams, however, were much more successful and were able to handily beat Shawnee Mission South’s respective basketball teams.

Winter sports are coming to an end and starting their state tournaments, including girls’ basketball.

The girls’ varsity team consistently ranked as one of the top 10 6A teams in polls ran by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association (KBCA) Girls’ varsity entered the MAC tournament and lost to McPherson in the championship 49-37. That brings the Lady Falcons to 10-1 on the season.

The Lady Falcons are also Sub-State champions 14 years in a row. This girls’ basketball program has been very successful this year and years past.

In the semi-finals the Lady falcons played Manhattan and won big 62-21. Dani Winslow hat 18 pts and 16 rebounds and Raegan Halliday had 12pts and 6 assists.

In the first game of the tournament the Lady Falcons played Valley Center and beat them 51-31.

On Jan. 11th the Lady Falcons beat Shawnee Mission West 62-38, and 2 days before Free state fell to the Lady Falcons 45-40, a defensive game.

JV was also able to beat Free State 63-31. The first week of basketball Varsity defeated Shawnee Mission South 6435, and JV also won 50-19.

SNAP/Shots Wrestling season nears Swimming wins in relays, close undefeated in duels swimmer breaks record The wrestling team’s season started on Nov. 12. They will end their successful season with a state tournament, which will be held on Feb. 22 and 23. The team is also undefeated in duals, winning all eight of their matches against schools from Santa Fe to Blue Valley. Five wrestlers on the Olathe South team are ranked in Kansas 6A, and the team is ranked eighth t overall in state.

Tyler Markovetz, senior; Owen Wilson, freshman, Maguire Clemmons and Joshua Giles, sophomores, won the JV League 400 meter free relay.

Fletcher Smith, sophomore, broke the school record for the fastest 100 meter backstroke with a time of 56.8 seconds. Students can follow @FalconsSwimDive on Twitter to stay updated.

THE EYRIE 15

SPORTS FEBRUARY 6, 2019

Rock Chalk KU basketball will not make playoff Tristan Allen While the University of Kansas (KU) men’s basketball team may be 16-5 overall as of Jan. 29, fans should not expect the Jayhawks to make a deep playoff run.

First off, KU is currently 1-5 in road games. To make matters worse for Kansas, only two of these teams were ranked in the Associated Press’s (AP) Top 25 power rankings. In a single-game elimination tournament, it would not take too much adversity to at least endanger the Jayhawks season.

Another hindrance for the Jayhawks’ season is the lack of size on their roster.

Udoka Azubuike, center, tore ligaments in his right hand and the surgery required for it ended his season early.

Azubuike is the tallest player on Kansas’s roster at seven-foot-one, and the next tallest player, six-foot-ten David McCormack, does not even play 10 minutes per game.

The Jayhawks lose even more size after the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) deemed Silvio De Sousa, forward, ineligible to play after a former Adidas employee testified that he payed $2,500 to De Sousa’s guardian.

An attorney for De Sousa recently called for the NCAA to reinstate him, cit-

ing that De Sousa “cooperated fully and completely” with the investigation and that any action done against the rules was “without [De Sousa’s] knowledge or involvement.” KU would perform better with De Sousa back, regardless of whether or not he is innocent.

This is not the first season in recent years Kansas had a lack of size on their roster. Bill Self, head coach, found success despite the lack of size by having four guards in the starting lineup. While KU may have had success rolling with a fourguard lineup, going this route means sacrificing size. Opposing teams can utilize some mismatches among players and have an advantage in the paint.

The previous small lineups of Kansas’s past worked because they had reliable three-point shooting. Kansas made 35.6 percent of their three-point shots this season, but in seasons past, the team shot at least 40 percent from outside the perimeter.

A small ball lineup can work, but only if they can space out the floor with a three-point shot.

KU should still be able to win a conference title. They are 5-2 against conference opponents as of Jan. 29.

In addition to the conference title, the

Jayhawks should be able to make it out of the first round, given that they are a higher than average seeded team.

However, doubts begin to settle in during the second round.

While Kansas does have their weaknesses, the Jayhawks do have a roster with some experience playing in the tournament, with several players from last year’s Final Four run returning this season, such as Lagerald Vick and Dedric Lawson, forwards.

Unfortunately for the Jayhawks, experience will not be enough to make up for a lack of size and three-point shooting. They will take an exit in the second round of March Madness.

On the bright side, Kansas might still have a chance to finish with a better record. As of Jan. 29, the Jayhawks are 165, which is just one game worse than last season, when they were 17-4 through 21 games. Last season, KU finished with a 31-8 ovrall record, winning 79 percent of their games. The team will only play 31 games this season, which actually helps them improve their win percentage from last season, since they will not have to play as many games. Even if they do not make the Sweet Sixteen, the team can at least say they did better than last year.

Ideal Starting

5 for KU 16 THE EYRIE

Devon Dotson Guard Eligible to play

Marcus Garrett Guard Eligible to play

FEBRUARY 6, 2019 SPORTS

Season flop

photo courtesy of AP Images

Dedric Lawson Forward Eligible to play

Silvio de Sousa Forward Suspended from play

Udoka Azubuike Center Injured, out for the season THE EYRIE 17

SPORTS FEBRUARY 6, 2019

In Season of Dispair,

Alex Burbidge

In the 2018 season, the Kansas City Royals finished with a disappointing but unsurprising record of 58-104.

Sparked by a late-season surge in which they played .500 baseball, they managed to turn what would have been a disastrous season into one that has placed a sense of hope in many fans.

This hope comes from the next generation of Royals. Gone are the days of Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas and Loreno Cain; soon it will be time for Ryan O’Hearn, first baseman; Brad Keller, pitcher; and Adalberto Mondesi, shortstop. Dayton Moore, Royals general manager, believes that a core led by these three players will contribute towards bringing home the franchise’s third World Series championship.

Ryan O’Hearn showed excellent promise during his cup of coffee stint in the Major Leagues. While only sporting a batting average of .262, he showcased the power he’s known for, swatting 13 home runs at the Major League level. Though he had only 149 atbats in 2018, O’Hearn will most likely be the Royals’ Opening Day first baseman and if he can keep up his pace from the previous year, he will be a star for many years to come. Reports have surfaced that the Royals are interested in signing veteran first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, who was released from the New York Mets mid-season last year. If they do sign Gonzalez, that would take significant playing time away from O’Hearn, as both are left-handed

18 THE EYRIE

hitters and wouldn’t play on a platoon basis, but rather who is swinging a hot bat at the time.

Taking chances on players like Brad Keller are what rebuilding teams like the Royals should do; drafted in the Rule V Draft by the Cincinnati Reds and immediately traded to the Royals, Keller was required to stay on the Major League roster for the entire year.

He didn’t disappoint and was the Royals’ bona fide ace once he was moved into the starting rotation. With a 3.08 ERA and surprisingly low 0.4 home runs allowed per nine innings, photo courtesy of Associated Press Keller was arguably the biggest Salvador Perez, catcher, and Brian Goodwin, outfielder, both score and celebrate with each other. surprise of the season for the Royals. round picks the Royals had during

Adalberto Mondesi, once the 2018 MLB Draft. Both were imheralded as the Royals’ No. 1 prosmediately ranked as the #1 and #4 pect, disappointed at the Major League prospects in the entire organization, level during his first two seasons in respectively. the Major Leagues, hitting a combined

Though Singer did not pitch .181/.226/.271 in 2016 and 2017. Howin the system during the 2018 season, ever, he excelled during the 2018 season, flashing both the speed and power Kowar did and he pitched well in his that was talked about as he progressed first season as a professional. Pitching through the Royals’ system. In not even to a 3.42 ERA, his fastball is ranked a half season, Mondesi hit 14 home runs as the second-best in the organizaand stole 32 bases, showcasing a combition, only to Josh Staumont, who is nation of speed and power that hasn’t in Triple-A. The third first round pick been seen in Kansas City since the days the Royals had was Lynch. He also of Bo Jackson. pitched during the 2018 season for

Though they are still in the low Burlington and Lexington, and exMinor Leagues, the future of Kansas celled with a 1.58 ERA between the City baseball also lies in the hands of two levels.

Brady Singer, Jackson Kowar and On Jan. 16, Eric Skoglund, Daniel Lynch, pitchers. Singer and pitcher, was suspended for using Lynch, teammates at the University performance-enhancing drugs. Skof Florida, were two of three first oglund was supposed to be in the running for the fifth spot in the starting rotation, but his photo courtesy of Associated Press suspension now makes the Adalberto Mondesi and Meibrys Viloria give each other a high five. frontrunner for the Mondesi hit a two-run home run competition Jorge against the Minnesota Twins but deLopez, who pitched spite this, the Royals lost the game 9-6. one of the greatest

FEBRUARY 6, 2019 SPORTS

Royals find hope in rookies

games in Royals history when he infielder, and Billy Hamilton, outfieldthrew eight perfect innings and came er. The two are three outs away from the 24th perfect very similar in that game in Major League history. Howthey both can’t ever, he regressed after that, pitching hit at all; Owings a combined 5.1 innings and allowing hit a dreadful a whopping 10 runs to score during .206 last year, the rest of the season, good for a 16.88 while Hamilton ERA. was a leadoff

Improving the bullpen perhitter who formance is another place where the could not get Royals have to go back to their funon base, damentals, as in 2018 the pitching with a .299 staff allowed over five runs per game, on-base which was the second-worst mark in percentage and the big leagues. Building around Keva .236 batting in McCarthy should be the top prioraverage. ity; anchoring the bullpen for the past Owings three years, he will be put in either a on the other big setup role or possibly even be a handwill be a closer. With a 3.23 ERA over two full backup utility seasons at the Major League level, Mcinfielder, likely Photo courtesy of Associated Press Carthy is projected by Baseball Referholding down Ryan O’Hearn crosses home plate after hitting a home run. He ence to do much of the same in 2019. that spot until was greeted at home plate by longtime minor league teammate

Tim Hill is looking to have Nicky Lopez, Hunter Dozier. It was O’Hearn’s second home run of the game. a bounce-back season in the Major second baseman, Starling. Likely the Opening Day cenLeagues. In his rookie campaign, Hill earns a call up from Omaha. As a ter fielder, Hamilton represents Dayton led the Royals with 70 games pitched. backup with the Diamondbacks last Moore’s revitalized focus on speed. Other However, he had a 4.31 ERA and season, Owings was nothing short of players part of this revolution include Terpitched only 45.2 innings, finishing todreadful, sporing a mere .574 OPS. rance Gore, Whit Merrifield and Adalberwards the middle of the pack in both However, the Royals hope that he will to Mondesi. All four players average 40 or categories. Being a submarine lefty, he be able to rediscover what he did in more stolen bases per year over their cawill be a valuable left-handed special2016, when he hit .277 with a Major reers; no team has had three players steal ist for any team League-leading 11 triples. Owings will 35 or more since the 1990 Montreal Expos. and should be kept probably be to the Royals what Ryan

The 2019 season will be another around to see if he Goins was last year: a seldom-used intumultuous year for the Royals, though can transition into a fielder who will be released in July to make room for a highly-regarded prosthey can make it a progressive year by more prominent continuing their rebuild. Rebuilding role and eclipse pect (in this case, Nicky Lopez). teams should try to get highly-ranked the 70 innings

Hamilton will enter an alreadydraft picks, and if the team’s sixth 100-loss pitched mark crowded outfield that features Jorge Boniseason is needed to get a prime draft spot, for the first facio, Brian Goodwin, Alex Gordon, Brett then the team should take all means necctime in Phillips and Jorge Soler, as well as nonesary to do so. If they keep on tanking his career. roster invitees to Spring Training such as like they did in 2018, they could be

The Royals Elier Hernandez, Erick Mejia and Bubba a dark horse candidate for the have signed two 2021 playoffs, and surely, if new faces to contracts: Photo courtesy of Associated Press everything goes according to Chris Brad Keller delivers a pitch during a Dayton Moore’s plan, the game against the Seattle Mari- team will be back in Owings, ners. Keller excelled during the the playoff picture season, pitching to a 3.08 ERA. by the 2022 or 2023 seasons.

THE EYRIE 19

FEATURE FEBRUARY 6, 2019

TOP RIGHT Izzy Pierce, senior, gears up for the Lady Falcons Basketball game.

PHOTO BY Shelby Johnston TOP The Lady Falcons obliterated their opponents.

PHOTO BY Alek Mackey RIGHT Wrestlers Kenzi Mason, sophomore, and Izzy Pierce, senior, take each other on at one of their matches.

PHOTO BY Alek Mackey

20 THE EYRIE

FEBRUARY 6, 2019 FEATURE

ABOVE Senior Alex Matsko competes at an anrea invitational, hosted at Chisholm Trail on Jan 16.

PHOTO BY Alek Mackey LEFT Isabel Mendez, senior, intentively traces on the tracing board during Ms. Schwartz design class.

PHOTO BY Sam Ricks

THE EYRIE 21

“Beauty and the Beast” enchanted audiences FEATURE FEBRUARY 6, 2019

By Megan Stoerman A tale as old as time continued its enchantments around the world at the school this past week.

The production of “Beauty and the Beast” said called “eye candy” and “cost a small fortune” according to David Hastings, theater teacher.

Costumes were rented from the Kansas City Costume Company and the theater even flew in professionals from Las Vegas, NV to help make characters fly throughout the auditorium, further elaborating the technique and overall experience of the show.

Cast members also loved the costumes, although Grace Strong, senior, who played Belle, said that she did not like her shoes, saying that “they hurt [her] feet.” John Dawkins, senior, who played the Beast, loved his headpiece and Ethan Christiansen, senior, played LeFou, said that his favorite part of his

22 THE EYRIE

costume was his wig, saying that “it’s absolutely stunning.”

Every day from 3:15 to 5:45 the cast practiced at school preparing for the big show. Practices were filled with blocking out the scenes, running the show from where they left off previously, and “making the chemistry correct” according to Dawkins.

One of the hardest aspects of the show, Hastings said, was melding all of the different experience levels together.

The show was filled with some students who had never previously been in a theater class in high school and students who are in Advanced Repertory Theater class, the highest theater course offered at the school.

Strong, who played the lead role as Belle, was one of the students who had never been in a theater class in high school before. She said that because of this the production was “a lot of work, but lots of fun.”

The only parts of the show that cast members would have changed about the show was that they wanted to have rehearsals over winter break to keep the content fresh in their heads and starting to work with microphones earlier to get used to them.

Favorite scenes of the musical were singing with the pit and seeing how far the cast had come. Christiansen also loved “seeing the amount of work put in” by everyone involved.

Seeing how characters and the cast had evolved was also a favorite of those interviewed. Strong also loved “getting to turn Belle into [her] own personal character.”

Dawkins also liked being “super dynamic” with the Beast and seeing “the change from act one to [act] two.”

Overall, the school’s production of “Beauty and the Beast” invited audience members to continue being their guests.

FEBRUARY 6, 2019 ENTERTAINMENT

W: 3.9728 H: 3.685 TOP - Gaston, played by Ezra Stanley, senior, dips Ethan Christiansen, senior, during their duet about the qualities of Gaston. Photo by Heather Springer ABOVE - Gaston, played by Ezra Stanley, senior, relishes in his splendor and might as the Silly Girls played by Elise Bowles, sophomore, Riley Horspool, freshman, and Grace Folsom, senior, sit below him crying in adoration. Photo by Anna Palacio

LEFT - Mrs. Potts, played by Maya Burke, senior, embraces Chip played by Rylee Herr, junior, after they have been turned back into humans. Photo by Heather Springer

THE EYRIE 23

FEATURE FEBRUARY 6, 2019

Scene Shop

SUPERSTARS

Khadija Ceesay

If one were to walk into the scene shop, they would be surrounded by the colorful bricks that paint the walls.

“The first year I was here there was no paint on the walls, my office was just tan and beige” said David Hastings, theater director.

He wanted to make the scene shop his own and started asking students to help transform the dull space into a sight to see.

He encouraged students to design a brick during their last semester of school with things like shows they’ve been in, the year they graduated and their names.

The dates go as far as 2002 and 2003 and are still continuing to fill up as the years go on. Past students like Liam Chewning and Natasha Arnold who graduated in 2017 have transformed dull colored bricks into beautiful works of art complete with examples of each show they’ve been in and even pieces of art they like.

In fact, Natasha Arnold’s brick is the favorite choice of Megan Weldon, senior. “Natasha has such an artistic personality and it really shows on her brick”. Weldon also likes the idea of each thespian having their own brick because “you get to leave a mark on the theatre that never gets taken down”.

As of now, Weldon does not have a set idea for what she will do with her brick but has time to figure out a creative idea for her design.

Ethan Christiansen, senior, wants his brick to represent him and wants it to be “colorful and neat”. He also wants it to be professional so that it will last.

John Dawkins, senior, is sure of what he wants to paint on his brick. He wants it to be Beauty and the Beast inspired because of his role as the beast in the musical.

“I definitely want something that has to do with Beauty and the Beast

whether that be an outline of the beast or a rose; something related.”

He has a few favorite all-star bricks in mind but his favorites are “one that has a piano” because the “detail is insane!”

Aaliyah Pierce’s brick from last year has also made his list. “She has

polaroid’s of different shows she’s set designed for and its super aesthetic”.

Some students are looking forward (and ahead) to their brick for their last year. Junior Hayley Cogbill says if she could make her brick right now it would include her name and all of her favorite lines of show’s she’s been in surrounding it.

24 THE EYRIE

FEBRUARY 6, 2019 FEATURE

photo by Khadija Ceesay

Megan Secrest, 2018 graduate, designed her brick around one of her biggest musicals. Thouroughly Modern Millie. Many seniors have also tried to incorportate their favorite shows and style into their bricks. photo by Khadija Ceesay Darin Marin, 2017 graduate, painted one of his favorite shows on three bricks. David Hastings, theatre director, agreed to let seniors paint show posters depending on the quality of the work.

photo by Khadija Ceesay

Students like Emily Miller who graduated in 2012, designed her brick to center around her favorite show and a piece of her life.

Miller participated in Almost Maine during her four years and also values photography.

This kind of design and creativity has been evident in many bricks throughout the year and has served as a basis for their bricks.

photo by Khadija Ceesay

Chealsie Crum, Senior, stands before the first wall of bricks, gazing at all the creativity that came before her.

She is gaining inspiration from graduates like Brittany taylor, and Aaliyah Pierce 2018 graduates; Nathan Bartocca and others.

Crums brick will soon join the Thespian wall of fame at the end of this school year.

THE EYRIE 25

FEATURE FEBRUARY 6, 2019

Dancing alon

ga thin line

BVNW student files lawsuit against district accusing former choreographer, coach of racial discrimination on Dazzlers team Khadija Ceesay A former Blue Valley Northwest high school student is filing a suit against the Blue Valley district on claims of racial discrimination among other things that went on during the last semester of her high school career.

Camille Sturdivant, who graduated from BV Northwest in May of 2018, testified that her dance team choreographer, Kevin Murakami, told her that her skin was “too dark” and would somehow clash with the costumes and the other dancers.

She was also told she would stand out heavily among the rest of the girls because of this fact.

Just last year, the team’s head coach, Carley Fine, was fired because of the racially discriminating comments she made about Sturdivant which is also part of the lawsuit.

During her last semester at the school, Sturdivant was given Fine’s phone to play music for the routine the team was going to practice and came across a string of text messages between Fine and Murakami.

The text messages were bashing Sturdivant for her recent success on making the University of Missouri dance team and expressed their disgust for her recent achiebvement based on her color.

“It actually makes my stomach hurt” one of the texts read.

Then, she followed it up by saying “Bc she’s black. I hate that.”

This issue begs the question of ongoing racism in ordinary communities and how districts and people in those communities handle such a problem.

It also makes me wonder why people haven’t brought the situation to light earlier and how such a person could get hired for a distinguished job at such a high quality school.

Racism has been around for years and years and still

26 THE EYRIE

continues; there have been examples of racism on every corner but for what reason?

No one can control the color they were born as, or the environment they were born into or what culture their family adopted.

All we can do as people is learn to accept one another for what we are and how we have changed as people to better ourselves. What does one gain from being ignorant of something someone cannot control?

The comment Sturdivant’s It actually makes that choreographer made my stomach hurt. about her standing out is not a bad thing at Bc she’s black. I hate all. In fact, diversity that.” should be encouraged schools and —Text message from throughout communities.

Carley Fine, D i f f e r e n c e s make everyone better as head coach a whole and to exclude a minoritiy to “better” a performance or activity is wrong in every way.

Sturdivant was right to report this issue so that other minorities that go through that dance program do not have to go through the same discriminiation and disrespect.

Teachers of all kinds, no matter the subject, should be unbiased towards students and promote the essential idea of inclusiveness and diversity within communities.

Even the smallest push towards acceptance can help to prevent a problematic issue like this from arising once again.

“

FEBRUARY 6, 2019 OPINION

The Controversial Issue of Cultural Appropriation Khadija Ceesay Throughout the years cultural appropriation has been an issue that people have seemed to sweep under the rug time and time again.

In the past three years or so, there have been more signs of appropriating cultures in media, society and even in communities around me that I have observed.

Even the smallest things can be perceived as offensive (such as dressing up in a sombrero and mustache or Native American headdress for Halloween) and disrespectful to someone’s culture.

Words like “savage” and “rat” - to name a few - have also become controversial because of the context in which they were used during the period of intense racism towards Natives and AsianAmericans.

Because of these claims, people have also been critical of the actual use of the words and have challenged the depth of the appropriation.

Blackface, which was used in the early 20th century by nonblack performers as caricatures of African-Americans, has also been called out by several celebrities.

Pictures have been surfacing of actors and performers mocking the racist tradition instead of bringing light to the awful issue.

Recently, a Florida senator resigned after pictures of him in

blackface attire surfaced.

Even after years of change and progression, it seems some people have not learned from others’ mistakes.

Cultural appropriation is not the only issue we face as people though. Derogative slurs and comments, that even children as young as 10 have used against people of color, has also become a growing issue.

I can recall several times I have overheard students use the n-word when singing a song or referring to their friends, unaware of how offensive it is to black people.

Cornrow-style braids and dreads have also been worn by non-blacks to “make a statement,” but are seen as a heavy form of cultural appropriation.

People have questioned that opinion. The reason it is so touchy is because many people have seen blacks as “dirty,” “lazy” and “lowly” based on these hairstyle choices. Yet when a white person wears them, they are suddenly seen as “fashionable” and “innovative.”

Why praise someone for appropriating another culture?

There is a fine line between appreciation and appropriation and some people don’t understand where that line is.

It makes me question the level of acceptance citizens of this country have and if we are making moves forward or backward.

speak

OUT

Do you feel cultural appropriation is a problem? Why or why not?

“Compared to the past, it is much less prevelant in today’s political climate where we must be politically correct in every moment. I cannot think of an instance off the top of my head where I’ve seen this.”

-Alex Burbidge, sophomore

“I think it can be an issue, just like race can be. The problem is when you attack someone who isn’t actually culturally appropriating anything.”

-Faith Holliday, junior

“Some instances definitely depend on how people interpret the situation, which may not necessarily be how the individual accused interpreted it.”

-Mara Gee, senior

THE EYRIE 27

Day in the

FEATURE FEBRUARY 6, 2019

Life of Ms. Schwartz

By Emily Gray

Design classes for students can be a great way to learn practical life skills. Design teacher, Taylor Schwartz, used these skills to create her own mini business while also teaching. Schwartz has had the hobby of sewing since seventh grade.

“I just find it relaxing,” said Schwartz

For her mini business, Schwartz creates custom bomber jackets. Her business has been running for about a year.

When she is not working on her business, Schwartz is working on new ideas for her classes.

“My love for design started when I was in high school at Olathe East and I had really incredible teachers who helped me understand that these design classes were teaching me things I can use in all aspects of my life even if I never wanted to go into design,” Schwartz stated.

A typical day for Schwartz starts pretty early. If she’s not running late, she attempts to make a pit stop at Scooters to get her favorite hazelnut ice latte. Then she has a normal teaching day.

Schwartz teaches Interior Design 1 and 2, Apparel Production 1 and 2, and FAID Studio.

Interior Design 1 focuses on the basis of interior design. For the final, students repurpose a piece of furniture and the design a room around the furniture item. Students also create a design board that show their personal aesthetic and style.

Interior Design 2 uses everything learned in Interior Design 1 on a larger scale. Projects are either on your own or in small groups and are mostly residential interior design.

28 THE EYRIE

Students also learn how to work with a client through projects. The final for this class is creating a dream home.

Apparel Production 1 is a sewing class focused on making clothes. Students start with easier items like pajama pants, then more into more difficult clothing. If the class is taken second semester students gets to create an item for the fashion show and get to walk the runway.

Apparel Production 2 is also a sewing class, but it is more independent and advanced. Students create a fashion line for the fashion show, are able to design their own fabric, and work more on group projects.

They are also able to design costumes that aren’t necessarily worn every day.

FAID Studio combines sewing, interior design, and fashion design students. This class is yearlong that focuses on four main projects. One project is retail design, where students design the items they will sell, the interior space, and create a business plan. Other projects include magazine design where the students take their own photographs and create a magazine layout, costume and set design where students read a book that hasn’t been made into a movie and design sets and costumes for three scenes, and a commercial design project.

With this project students showcase all they have learned by creating either a restaurant or a hotel, the uniforms employees would wear, draft the floor plans, and design interior spaces.

After school, Schwartz runs errands or gets chores done around the house. At the end of the day, if she has time, Schwartz will

catch up on her favorite shows on Netflix and BRAVO. “Originally I went to school for costume design. The program I applied to only accepted four applicants so when I wasn’t selected I decided to teach what I love to do which is design!

So, I went to college in North Carolina, but decided to move back to KC to begin my teaching career,” Schwartz said.

Outside of school, Schwartz likes to relax and hang out with her cats, Scott and Callie. A New Year’s resolution that she has is to read at least 12 books this year.

Schwartz also likes to go out and explore new places as often as possible outside of school.

“I still think back to high school and have those teachers to thank for getting me where I am today.

Also without design, our world we be so boring and I find that that inspires me daily,” Schwartz stated.

FEBRUARY 6, 2019 FEATURE

THE EYRIE 29

OPINION FEBRUARY 6, 2019

Quit looking at your phone!

Social media’s negative effects on society

By Maddie Black Over the last few years social media platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, YouTube and Facebook have had a powerful impact on society.

Many people use social media for different reasons like sharing valuable and entertaining content to others; to define themselves; to grow and nourish relationships and to get the word out about brands and causes they like to support. These factors have influenced social media networks to develop from being a way to keep in touch with friends and family to being used in ways that have a real impression on the public.

However, social media has caused more bad then good. Depression, anxiety, cyberbullying, FOMO (Fear of Missing Out), unrealistic expectations, negative body image, unhealthy sleep patterns, and general addiction are some examples.

Social media can be a safe haven for people trying to make new friends. In fact, it made making friends easier. However, it also makes it easier for bullies to find their victims. Cyberbullying is one of the main causes of depression and anxiety. It is affecting both kids and adults.

FOMO is the most negative effect that social platforms cause. This can cause anxiety from the fear of missing out on a good event or emotion that someone else is getting.

This next cause is not a surprise. Social media helps influences unrealistic expectations of friendships and life. Youtubers make this easy along with Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat. All social media platforms lack online accuracy. One way to help prevent this is to stop lying.

30 THE EYRIE

I’ll admit, before my junior year I was addicted to social media. I would always be on Instagram seeing what Tom Holland, “Spiderman: Homecoming” actor ,was doing, tweeting about what I ate for breakfast, or even watching YouTube during class. I was seriously addicted.

Then I started to realize how affecting social media is physically and mentally. My sleep schedule was terrible; one night I would get the normal, eight hours of sleep, but then the next night I would get two hours of sleep. During school I could never focus because I was always anxious about what people were posting.

I realized this unhealthy addiction my junior year.

I deleted Facebook, along with four Instagram accounts, and one Twitter account. Social media is not a good thing.

I have witnessed people getting bullied, having depression and setting unrealistic expectations. There are more important things to do then sit around and look at your phone.

Do me a favor, the next time you go on social media, stop and think if you have any of these symptoms.

Remember that everyone who has social media probably has one of these symptoms. If you do, then I recommend taking a break from all social media platforms.

When I took a break, I got closer with my family and friends. Now I try to limit the amount of time I spend of social media and spend more time with my friends and family. I’m even considering getting rid of all social media so I can live in the moment.

FEBRUARY 6, 2019 FEATURE

THE EYRIE 31

Jordan DeLeon, senior, sings as Lumiere in the production of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast.

Photo by Eyire Photojournalism