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The Spartan Voice -----Volume II-----

Holiday Editi Take home you

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C o n te n t s

Musical Review of Legally Blonde District Band Recognition

Featured Underclassmen Alumni Spotlight

Debate Wrap Up Scholars Bowl Cheer & Dance

Meet the Teacher: Ms.Sutton Message From STUCO

11 Investigative Journalism: Collegiate Censorship History Bird is the Word Design Team 13 Pop Culture:

Adele’s New Album Scooters Can’t Move Swiftly Marvel with Malak Holiday Playlist Ryder’s Pi Theory Advice From Gossip Girl

19 Club Spotlight Spartan Voice Publishing Team Chief Editor Ms. London

Authors Sabrina Wilson Marisol Munoz-Morales Sharon Mabasa Malak Hamada Joyita Dev Emma Mantovani Guest Contributors Ryder Walsh Maya Torres

Review By Malak Hamada

On November 11th, 12th, and 13th, our very own high school classmates and students performed the musical Legally Blonde for all of us to enjoy. If you went to watch the show, without a doubt, you could tell how much effort and hard work the cast, crew, and director have put into this show to make it as incredible as it was. This upbeat and energetic musical filled the audience with laughter and engagement at every moment. There was not a single second that my friends and I found boring in the whole duration of the show. I am going to go over my favorite parts of this musical in the following paragraphs. My number one overall favorite part of this show was the court scene, specifically the song “There! Right There!” Christopher Henry and Jude Cunningham put on a hilarious performance that I am positive everyone enjoyed watching. Being able to sit in the front row when I was watching really allowed me to get a good look at the facial expressions during this scene, and I just want to say that those wonderfully articulated expressions really made this scene exceed my expectations. After the show was over, this was the one scene that I wished I could watch again just to experience the abundant laughter that was resounding all over the audience at that moment.“Whipped into Shape” was another scene filled with energy that really livened up the musical as a whole. Erihana Vincent played an amazing Brooke Wyndham along with her crew of dancers as they successfully performed this high-energy scene while also having to sing. Before watching the show, I wondered how this scene was going to look because I assumed that it must be incredibly hard to sing like that while exercising. After watching, I can confidently say that this is another scene that exceeded my expectations, and I would love it if I could watch it again in person at least one more time. The costumes for this musical were pretty spectacular and I absolutely loved the white sweatsuits for the Delta Nus. In fact, the Delta Nu outfits in general were very nice and fit the personalities of the characters very well. Speaking of costumes, the quick on-stage costume changes were impressive. For example, Ryder Walsh’s costume change during “Take it Like a Man” had me stressing out because I was wondering if he was going to be ready in time. Another fan favorite from this musical was the decision to cast Cricket Hawley as both the dog of Elle Woods and Paulette Bonafonté. Cricket did an amazing job despite the stress of having two roles and looked great doing it with her pink nails. Once again, I am incredibly proud of this cast and crew for successfully putting on a show with such a high caliber, and a special thanks to everyone else that worked behind the scenes to bring Legally Blonde to life. NEWS MAGAZINE

District Band EighteenRecognized Muscians

After a rigorous audition process, a total of eighteen Collegiate students were accepted into the All-District Orchestra, Choir, and 1234A Band! Additionally, the Collegiate #BandFam made history this past November as a Collegiate-record-breaking 16 band students were selected to be a part of the All-District Orchestra and 1234A Band. These eighteen students performed with the rest of the district musicians on December 4th at Andover Central High School. The eighteen Upper School students also have the opportunity to audition for the All-State Choir, Band, and Orchestra in January, and those accepted will perform at Century II in February. Congratulations to these musicians!

Junior Shelby Lair - Soprano - Choir Junior Hyemin Choe - 1st Chair Flute - Orchestra Senior Mark Feng - 3rd Chair Flute - Orchestra Sophomore Ayaan Parikh - 8th Chair Violin 2 - Orchestra Senior Andrew Highbarger - 1st Chair Percussion - 1234A Band Senior Ryder Walsh - 1st Chair Timpani - 1234A Band Junior Brandon Zhang - 1st Chair Mallets - 1234A Band Senior Faizal Valiandi - 1st Chair Euphonium - 1234A Band Sophomore Sam Cline - 1st Chair Tuba - 1234A Band Junior Aden Fayziev - 2nd Chair Trumpet -1234A Band Junior Joyita Dev - 2nd Chair Bass Clarinet - 1234A Band Freshman Shouvik Dev - 2nd Chair Oboe - 1234A Band Sophomore Paul Mines - 2nd Chair Mallets - 1234A Band Junior AJ Nagabhushan - 3rd Chair Percussion - 1234A Band Junior Nasseem Eldika - 6th Chair Trombone - 1234A Band Sophomore Mona Bagai - 6th Chair Trumpet - 1234A Band Senior Allie Kavalauskas - 7th Chair Clarinet - 1234A Band Senior Rebekah Miller - 10th Chair Trombone - 1234A Band

NEWS MAGAZINE

Outstanding Underclassmen What’s better than upperclassmen? Underclassmen! In the past few weeks, I, Maya Torres, have interviewed underclassmen to find out more about the future of our school. Here are the results. First is Aubrey Collignon, who is a figure skater. Yes, you read that right. We have a figure skater in our student body--pretty cool. She has been skating ever since she begged her mother in second grade. Aubrey says that she finds it really fun and does not know how she manages all her activities as she practices every single day after school. On top of figure skating, she participates in dance team as well as clubs. Aubrey has won the National Showcase in Colorado as well as received a Gold medal. She hopes to continue to figure skate.

Then we have Paul Mines IV. He works at the YMCA teaching around 50 (!) people Taekwondo. Paul started doing Taekwondo when he was “drafted” at three years old. But contrary to popular belief, he does not do it to be tough. He does it because he likes it. And on top of that, he swims at five in the morning and participates in many clubs. When asked how he manages everything, he simply said he doesn’t. Inspirational indeed.

Last but certainly not least, Chloe Turpin loves to ride horses and play the ukulele. She has been riding horses since she was seven years old and competes in Texas, Oklahoma, and Tennessee. Chloe first trained in a barn in Augusta but that burned down. But that did not stop Chloe! Long story short she got a new barn and practices around three times a week. Therefore it is in my opinion that if the underclassmen have this much talent in only three of its memebers, it is easy to see the future at WCS is radiant.

We are looking for outstanding underclassmen with extraordinary extracurriculars! If you’d like to be a featured underclassmen in the next Spartan Voice, please email spartanvoice@wcsks.com! NEWS MAGAZINE

ALUMNI APPRECIATION BY MARISOL MUNOZ MORALES

Alessandra Vedder

Alessandra “Ale” Vedder, a graduate of the class of 2021, is currently a Human Biology Major at the University of Kansas. Though she has only been a part of the Jayhawk community for three months, Alessandra has scooped up a job as a coach for a 16’s volleyball team, as well as become an active member of the KU Volleyball Club Team. Looking back at her time playing volleyball at Collegiate, Ale states, “During high school, I was heavily invested in the athletic department and I am happy to still be part of the sport I love.” When it came to choosing her major at the University of Kansas, Alessandra knew one thing for sure: “I had always wanted to be a part of the medical field--I was just unsure of the specific route I wanted to pursue. It ended up being a difficult decision for me. All I knew is that I wanted a major that would encompass both a scientific and human perspective on subject matters. A lot of college kids who want to enter the medical field tend to major in biology, chemistry, or biochemistry, however, medical schools encourage diversity in majors, so I wanted to try something different.” Even though Ale went through a lengthy process of deciding her major, she finally settled on Human Biology. “I struggled to pick my major for a long time, and to be honest, there are days which I still ask myself, ‘was this the right choice for me?’ Since my major relates to my future career, not knowing what I wanted to do with my life made it difficult to settle on a set path. I really had to take a step back and examine my goals, passions, and begin planning for my future, which allowed me to grow and reconsider my priorities.” While Alessandra was able to find a great major for herself, she encourages the WCS student body to not worry about having a definite major by the first semester. “My best advice for anyone who is not sure about what to pursue is to talk to your designated advisor, start the first fall semester as undecided, and take classes that seem interesting. I have a lot of friends who are still exploring what interests them while fulfilling certain graduation requirements. There is time to pick the right major and it is okay to begin college feeling confused and unsure. Just remember: College can be a great experience but many struggles come with it, like choosing a major.”

Although Alessandra is a fresh graduate, she does reminisce on some things she would change about her time at Collegiate. “Looking back, if there was one thing I would change about my academic experience at WCS, it would be taking classes I found myself passionate about instead of only courses that relate to my current major. It is important to explore different aspects of education because it can lead to discoveries that can shift our perspective and change our ideas about a future career. I know that this has probably been said countless times before but Wichita Collegiate School truly prepared me for college! However, I still think it is important to do the work and apply yourself throughout all four years. Putting in the effort will be very beneficial to your college experience and you will feel more prepared for the never-ending amount of responsibilities. Collegiate was a great place for me to learn how to deal with different issues, stress, and time management.”

NEWS MAGAZINE

B Y M A Y A T. A N D E M M A M .

Emma Mantovani and Katherine Grace posing for a photo after placing 3rd in the Haven Invitational.

2021-2022 Debate State Qualifications

This year’s debate season is wrapping up another successful year! Collegiate was able to win 5 sweep tournaments and total over 50 medals from season tournaments. With postseason two speaker and four speaker state coming soon in January so far state qualifications include: Emma Mantovani – two speaker Katherine Grace – two speaker Rahul Madhavan – two speaker Sky Funjinuma – two speaker Daniel Hechenberger – two speaker Joseph Gadalla – two speaker Ayaan Parikh – four speaker Satvik Kolla – four speaker Mark Feng – four speaker Christopher Henry – four speaker This year’s state will be in Topeka, Kansas and we hope to have some support in spirit for the entire debate squad of 40 people and the ones who have been able to qualify to represent Wichita Collegiate this year in policy debate!!

Scholars Bowl Updates

Scholars Bowl is in full swing! As usual, our team is dominating every tournament. In one of the recent tournaments, four rounds were so close they came down to the very last question. Mr. DeVries says that the key to success is to “know your stuff.” The team practices every Tuesday and Friday to hone their skills in Language Arts, Fine Arts, Math, Science, and more! The Scholar’s Bowl team will play in multiple tournaments throughout the month of January, but most importantly, we will be hosting one at Collegiate on January 17th (aka Martin Luther King Day)! We look forward to hearing more from Scholars Bowl in the weeks to come! NEWS MAGAZINE

The Scholars Bowl Team striking a pose after a tournament at Circle High School on November 30th.

With the Winter Sports Season in full swing, the Spartan Voice Team decided to interview the Cheer Coach, Ashleigh Hennessy, and the Dance Team Captains & Co-Captain, Allie Prater and Annie Turpin, about their hopes and expectations for the upcoming season! “This year we have the largest team we’ve ever had! With this big group, we’ve been trying hard to use their wide variety of skills to create different, more creative stunts,cheers, and routines. It’s a goal for us EVERY year for our cheerleaders to be dynamic stunters (able to fill varying stunting roles) and to improve our overall showmanship and presentation. Jordan, the assistant coach, and I are proud of how this group has progressed so far! During the Winter season, cheerleaders not only cheer for girls and boys Varsity basketball games (can’t wait for those away games), but simultaneously learn and perfect a high-level performance routine for a big showcase in mid-February. The commitments and schedules of the girls get very busy (and can sometimes seem overwhelming), so each year we advise our team to stay on top of their homework & their health!... To my cheerleaders (and really anyone)--don’t procrastinate on homework and projects, get homework done before games, make smart use of your “free time,” get enough sleep, and fuel your body with water & healthy foods. Set yourself up for success!”

-Ashleigh Hennessy, WCS Cheer Coach

C h e e r

“We are looking forward to dancing with our teammates and finishing out our senior year as captain and co-captain. We are also looking forward to performing at ISAS with some of the fellow dance team members! In general, we hope that our team can grow closer together through basketball season and keep our focus and finish strong this year! As we finish out the year, we encourage everyone on the team to stay focused and finish 110% stronger than we started. (But also have fun while we’re at practice and on the court!!). Lastly, we have some unique choreography coming up for the 2022 season! We’re going to be choreographing in small groups with at least one person from each grade level in high school, which that will be super fun! Our Christmas dance is about to be fire, so be on the lookout for that.... Also, we have a fun hip-hop routine coming up!”

-Allie Prater and Annie Turpin, WCS Dance Team Captain & Co-Captain

NEWS MAGAZINE

D D a n c e

BY MARISOL M.

M E E T T H E

Welcome Ms.Sutton!

By Sharon Mabasa

Meet this year’s newest Spanish teacher, Ms. Sutton! This is her 14th year teaching and she’s super excited to join the Collegiate community. Get to know Ms. Sutton in 10 questions! 1. What is one thing that surprised you once you joined Collegiate?

“I was shocked at how it genuinely felt like everyone wanted to be here. All the students and faculty are so involved in the community.”

2. If you could compare yourself with any animal, which would it be and why? “I’d have to maybe say a panda.”

3. Three things you cannot live without?

“Definitely fresh tropical fruit, coffee, and friends/family. My favorite tropical fruit is mango.”

4. If you got to choose a song that would play every time you entered a room, what song would you pick?

T E A C H E R

“Hmm...Beethoven the 5th would be funniest, but the one I’d actually probably choose any song by Vivaldi.”

5. How do you spend your holiday breaks?

“Traveling, I recently traveled to 14 countries in Europe, a few of them were Iceland, Spain, Italy, Finland, and Scotland! Also last summer I went camping in Maine.”

6. Best and worst parts about being a teacher?

“I’d have to say that I love when students know enough Spanish to make jokes and understand them. The worst part would have to be grading.”

7. Do you have any hidden talents?

“Well, I can do art, play piano, and juggle. I have been playing piano since I was eight.”

8. How long would you survive a zombie apocalypse? Why?

“I think I’d actually do pretty well because I think camping has taught me a lot of survival skills. Plus, I don’t think I need a lot of luxuries.”

9. Is there a quote or saying that you live your life by? “Ad Astra Per Aspera, which means reaching for the stars”

10. Do you have any pets?

“No, I don’t have any pets because I travel a lot.” NEWS MAGAZINE

Message From

Stuco

Join us for our MOVIE NIGHT to celebrate the holidays as a student body! When: Friday, December 17th right after our HOME basketball game! (will end at 11:30pm). Where: Wichita Collegiate Upper School Why: It’ll be fun! :) There will be popcorn, hot chocolate, and Christmas movies! (yay!)

---Hemispheres Preview---Hemispheres is a literary magazine that features student artwork and written pieces such as short stories, poems, or any other works. Hemispheres will be published next semester before spring break. Submissions can be submitted to wcshemipsheres@gmail.com between January 10th - 31st. If you are interested in being an editor you can see Mrs.London or Joyita Dev! Take a look at last year’s magazine! https://wcshemispheres.wordpress.co

NEWS MAGAZINE

Extinguishing the Fire: Censorship in 2021

An Investigative Journalism Piece by Sabrina Wilson

NEWS MAGAZINE

Many students have read Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 and are familiar with the image of burning books. Now it seems we don’t need to turn to books or movies to witness this dystopian behavior. Throughout American history, there have been controversies over books in schools: Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, George Orwell’s 1984, and Alice Walker’s The Color Purple are just a few that have come under fire. The past few years of political upheaval have led to a resurgence in controversies over literary curriculum and school library books. It always seems that these situations could only happen in a place far away and would never happen here, but this changed a few weeks ago when 15 miles away, 29 books were pulled from school bookshelves in Goddard, Kansas. Among the books stripped from shelves were The Handmaid’s Tale, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and The Hate U Give. Most of the books that were removed from circulation told stories of marginalized communities and were removed after a parent cited concerns over language and explicit content. The assistant superintendent for Goddard academic affairs explained the removal by stating, “At this time, the district is not in a position to know if the books contained on this list meet our educational goals or not.” He cited plans to assemble a committee of principals and librarians to review the books but did not provide further details on the duration or procedure of the review process. School reading lists are not only designed to prepare students for standardized examinations; they are also intended to broaden students’ perspectives. Mrs. White commented, “Reading has always provided us a glimpse into others’ experiences whether similar or different from our own. These windows and the discussions that arise in every English class as books are read are meant, besides teaching literary and reading skills, to develop some of the core characteristics that we as a school hope to instill in our students as described in our Portrait of a Spartan. It is our hope and goal to provide lifelong skills through the reading of current and classic novels from a variety of genres that are relevant to the current world our students live in.” Even though there are a variety of required works that are assigned in Collegiate classes, there are still opportunities to make choices. For example, Ms. London’s AP Literature and Composition I students have the chance to choose between The Handmaid’s Tale or 1984 and Beloved or The Underground Railroad. The books are paired together because they share similar themes while allowing students to have a choice in what they read. When asked about objections to curriculum, Mr. Mykel stated, “Parents should always be able to raise a question about a book, and, within reason, make decisions about whether or not their child should read a certain book, as in asking for an alternative assignment. They do not have the right to make that decision for other students and parents by having a book banned.” There is nothing wrong with parents being involved in their children’s education, but there is a clear line to be crossed. It is one thing for a parent to challenge prescribed curriculum; it is another thing for them to challenge books available for students to read in their free time. This is exactly what makes the situation in Goddard particularly egregious. The ban took works off library shelves where students could choose to check them out, as opposed to banning books in the curriculum. The superintendent’s desire to evaluate if the books supported the district’s curricular needs was bizarre considering the books were not required reading. By removing them from library shelves, students’ freedom to select reading material outside of class was eradicated. Furthermore, while a plan was made to review the material, there was no mention of reviewing the motivations of the parent who cited concerns over them. Perhaps if schools developed a concrete plan for reviewing both books and their challengers, then instances of literary objections could be resolved in a civil, non-frenzied way. What would happen if a book was challenged at Collegiate? Ms. Celestin, the school’s new Director of Curriculum said, “The goal of a well-rounded education is not that we all agree on everything, but that our students are equipped to go out into a world composed of disparate views and engage deeply with ideas and kindly with other people. If a curriculum is ever challenged, the Head of School in conjunction with the Director of Curriculum would listen to the reasons for the challenge and then make a decision on how we move forward while prioritizing the best interests of our students.” In Goddard, the books were put back on shelves and the district commented on their plan going forward to “Communicate with families that they do have access to the database of books their children have checked out, they can receive notifications when their children check out a book, and that they have online access to the catalog of books available.” Even though the books are back where they belong, the underlying problem still exists. There is an archaic mindset resurfacing that exposure to different views is harmful if they do not align with one’s own. The best way to stimulate conversation and progress as a society is to examine every facet of life and limiting access to books that provide knowledge of differing viewpoints hinders civilization. As Mr. Mykel explained, “Too often, objections to books are made because the text disagrees with their political or social views rather than on literary or artistic merit. A civil society and a representative society cannot survive unless there is room for difference of opinion to be expressed and considered.” There are over 50 countries in the world that restrict citizens’ access to literary works. Be grateful for the number of books sitting on shelves around the school, and if you feel compelled, take one and read it. If you want to take a direct stand against the Captain Beattys of the world, try to read one of the 29 books Goddard tried to ban. Once you’ve read something, that story cannot be taken from you, no matter how hot the fire gets. NEWS MAGAZINE

Bird is the Word BY SABRINA WILSON

In the previous issue, we discussed a snake slithering in the bathroom. This time our animal friend was found outdoors, but they were never meant to be on the ground. On Friday, October 29, Hannah Powell was told about a bird lying motionless outside the front doors to the Upper School. When she went to find it, little did she know the creature had already been rescued by the one and only master of nature: Mr. Trombold. Katrina Leddy had once again called on his expertise when she and a small group of students found the bird. Upon examination, it appeared it had flown into the window. One of its wings was injured, preventing it from flying, and Mr. Trombold said it “probably had a concussion. She wasn’t oriented real well.” They brought the bird into his classroom and laid it in an empty aquarium, where it remained unmoving on its back. Hannah Powell managed to track the bird down and said, “It looked pretty sad.”

Stupid window!

My head hurts.....

Fortunately, the training room was kind enough to loan some medical tape so that they could attempt to wrap the bird’s injured wing. Understandably, the bird was not a big fan of the bandage and always seemed to wiggle out of it. The day ended and Mr. Trombold took the patient home with him over the four-day weekend. He identified it as a female Junco. Juncos are known to temporarily stay in Kansas during the winter. The Junco improved quickly and was jumping around her cage by Sunday afternoon. He took the bird outside where she hopped into a bush. He recognized that “she was not interested in me catching her again,” so he let her be and hoped she would heal. The following weekend Mr. Trombold was outside when a Junco came flying out of that same bush, healthy as could be. Who knows for sure if this was the same bird, but I sure hope they are flying! NEWS MAGAZINE

Wichita Collegiate School

Design Team BY EMMA MANTOVANI

Wonder where Mrs. King’s fancy rolling cart or the table inside the wellness room came from? Look no further than down the high school stairs to Mr. Bullinger’s innovation lab classroom! A facet of the innovation lab called the design team was created by Mr. Bullinger this year to allow students to construct valuable creations for teachers and keep up with the need for tools to help with everyday life. So far, the design team has created a cart for Mrs. King, a bookshelf for Mrs. Ahmad, iPad holders for Mr. White and more! Mrs. King loves her cart and stated that the process of emailing Mr. Bullinger with her idea and some inspiration was very straightforward. Carter Garcia, who was the main head of the creation of Mrs. King’s cart, said that he loves the Design Team. If you are interested in Design Team, make sure to sign up for Innovation Lab this coming year to create some great designs!!

If you are a teacher who would be interested contact: designteam@wcsks.com NEWS MAGAZINE

Pop Culture

Scooter vs. Taylor Adele’s New Album The Real Meaning Behind it Will Shock You!

What New Marvel movie has everyone talking ? NEWS MAGAZINE

Adele’ Babes” Adele’ ss 30 30 is is about about “Divorce “Divorce Babes”” Babes”” AN ALBUM REVIEW

BY JOYITA DEV

inger-songwriter Adele released her fourth studio album, 30, this past November 19th. Before releasing the album, Adele went live on Instagram for the first time to answer fan questions. Needless to say, the Instagram live did not go as planned. At first, everything was normal. Adele was adjusting to the Instagram live atmosphere, welcoming the thousands of people who joined her stream. In the beginning, all the questions revolved around the singer’s inspirations and favorite songs. All took a turn when a user asked Adele whether or not she would collaborate with critically-acclaimed singer Peppa Pig. To this question, Adele replied “NAUR!” I almost didn’t listen to 30 because of the Peppa slander. The pig in question later stated in a video message that Adele not wanting to collaborate with her made her “really, really sad.” Furthermore, the muddy-puddle enthusiast asked Adele, heartbroken, “Don’t you like me?” Adele expressed immediate regret for her Instagram live statement and told the pig, “any time you want to go jumping in muddy puddles, singing in muddy puddles, I’m with you, babes.” The Adele-Peppa conflict had been resolved. After this fiasco, even more individuals began to bombard Adele with questions meant to confuse her. Adele was asked “when you would do if when you were okay so he said yes would go?” To this extremely clear question, Adele responded, “I don’t know what you mean there, babes,” and continued looking for more questions to answer. The most iconic part of the livestream was Adele’s answer to what her next album would be about. The singer had tackled heartbreak and despair in her previous three studio albums and many were excited to see more impressive lyricism. Adele gave a two-word answer to this question: “divorce, babes,” and said no more. Those two words encapsulated the master-piece that is 30, an album filled with songs about heartbreak, self-doubt, and regret. Those two words are all I needed to hear to know that I had to listen to her album. Though the studio album wasn’t as joyful as her Instagram live, it was good to see Adele turn her pain and frustration into art. My only advice for Adele is to collaborate with Peppa Pig on her next album and to continue doing live streams for her audience.

NEWS MAGAZINE

Scooters Can’t Move ........Swifty........ BY JOYITA DEV

On November 12, 2021, singer-songwriter Taylor Swift released her second re-recorded album, Red (Taylor’s Version). Even though the album has been out only less than a month, it has already broken the Spotify record for “most-streamed female artist in a day” and has achieved over 90.8 million streams globally. Red (Taylor’s Version)’s most anticipated track, “All Too Well (Taylor’s Version) (10 Minute Version)” has broken the record for the longest song to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Additionally, her December 2020 album Evermore has also been nominated for Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards. Great success has followed Taylor Swift throughout her whole career, but some have attempted to stifle her stardom. On November 3, 2004, CEO of Big Machine Records, Scott Borchetta signed a then 15-year-old Taylor Swift after seeing her perform self-written songs in a Nashville Café. In the contract she signed with the record label, Swift agreed to record six records for the label before parting ways. On November 19, 2018, the singer finally completed her deal with Big Machine and signed with Republic Records and Universal Music Group. Swift was thankful for Borchetta but was also excited for the chance to own her future master-recordings. This thankfulness for Borchetta wasn’t long-lasting however, as the CEO sold Big Machine Records to manager Scooter Braun, a man Taylor only had had bad experiences with. Swift “pleaded for a chance to own [her] work,” but was given the opportunity to only if she agreed to go back to Big Machine. Swift refused this deal and was not allowed ownership over her original master-recording of her first six albums. To combat this, Taylor decided to re-record her albums, Taylor Swift, Fearless, Speak Now, Red, and 1989. She will not be able to begin rerecording her sixth album, Reputation, until 2022 possibly due to a clause in her contract. Swift released her first re-recorded album Fearless (Taylor’s Version) in April 2021. Two months later, Scooter Braun revealed in an interview with Variety that he regrets buying Swift’s master-recordings. It’s too late for Braun to knock on Swift’s door, begging for forgiveness. Taylor Swift’s stardom is believed to only increase as she continues to release her music. NEWS MAGAZINE

TAYLOR SWIFT AND SCOOTER BRAUN

Marvel With Malak E

-----------------reviewing eternals-----------------

excited to see how they play out in the future. After reading critic reviews, the biggest issue that many have contrived is that it tries to fit too ternals released early November, and it has got to be one of the most ambitious movies that Marvel big of a story into just one movie. I would have to has ever created. This movie introduced a whole new cast agree because literally in the same movie that we are introduced to them, we already see the ending of featuring ten Eternals that are each unique in their own ways. Spoiler warning ahead for anyone that still has not Eternals like Ajak and possibly Ikaris, which seems abnormal for Marvel films. I am not going to say that watched Eternals yet. the movie was fast paced because there definitely Before I went to go see the movie myself, I heard were parts that felt slow, but it just had so much more about the terrible rating it had been given by critics on potential to explore some of the characters in depth. Rotten Tomatoes. Eternals is currently at a 48% on the I just feel like we did not get enough of the Eternals tomatometer, making it the worst ranked Marvel movie despite the length of the movie. When tragic events of all time according to Rotten Tomatoes, just behind happened to the characters, I often times did not feel a Thor: The Dark World. After reading all of these negative reviews, I went into the movie thinking it was going to be deep emotional connection to that character because I just met them. More specifically to the content of dreadful and horrendous. However, after watching it for the movie itself, one part I despised was when Sprite myself, I definitely do agree that it should not be ranked turned against everyone to join Ikaris in the name of that low, though I did notice the flaws that critics were love. I just know almost everyone was happy when that talking about. little Tinkerbelle-looking traitor was knocked out by Before we talk about the bad, let us first go over our savior Druig near the end of the film. the good parts. This movie travelled through 7000 years The end credit scenes for this movie were pretty of world cultures, and it did a good job of representation exciting and left me anticipating for what is to come in my opinion. It was fascinating to see how the ten next in the MCU. I feel like it would be interesting to Eternals were each influenced by their experiences on see how Harry Styles and his fandom are accepted into Earth. Although they fought the same battles together, the characters differed on how they ultimately perceived the Marvel fandom. Dane Whitman is also revealed to be the Black Knight, which explains his complicated humanity and their relationships, which ended up being an integral part to the movie. I loved the Greek mythology family history, and it is suspected that the voice who references within most of the Eternals, my favorite being calls on Mr. Whitman at the very end is none other than the hero Blade himself, played and voiced by Ikaris, which related to the myth of Icarus in which he flew too close to the sun. Kingo was an amazing choice for Mahershala Ali. Eternals has opened many doors towards expanding the MCU and I cannot wait to see comic relief along with his personal valet and assistant, how these storylines play out! Karun Patel. I loves the relationships between other Eternals, like Druig and Makkari for example, and I am

NEWS MAGAZINE

ALUMNI APPRECIATION BY MARISOL MUNOZ MORALES

Holiday Playlist The holidays hold a special place in many hearts around the country. To commemorate these fantastic celebrations, the Spartan Voice has compiled a playlist that contains all forms of holiday cheer. Scan the code below to open our playlist. While you enjoy our musical selection, feel free to indulge in the histories of Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa! - Marisol Munoz Morales

Kwanzaa was created in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga, a professor and chairman of Black Studies at

California State University. Following the Watts riots (a large series of riots that broke out in the predominantly black neighborhood of Watts in L.A.), Dr. Karenga researched ways to bring African Americans together as a community. In the end, Dr. Karenga combined aspects of several different harvest celebrations, such as Ashanti and Zulu, to form the basis of Kwanzaa. In celebrating Kwanzaa, families partake in dancing, singing, gifts, decorating the house with fruits, a black, red, and green flag, Kinaras (a candle holder that holds seven candles) and eating a large feast.

Hanukkah

(spelled Hanukka, Chanukah, or Channukkah), also known as the Feast of Dedication, is the eight day Jewish celebration that commemorates the rededication during the second century B.C. of the Second Temple in Jerusalem where Jews rose up against their Greek-Syrian oppressors in the Maccabean Revolt. Hanukkah, which means “dedication” in Hebrew, begins on the 25th of Kislev (on the Hebrew calendar) and typically begins towards the end of November or the beginning of December. Hanukkah is often celebrated by lighting the menorah, eating traditional foods, playing games, and giving/receiving gifts.

Christmas

is the historical celebration of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, which takes place on December 25th. Before Christmas was an official holiday, the main holiday for those who practiced Christianity was Easter, however, this changed with Pope Julius I selected December 25th as the official date when Christians would celebrate the birth of Jesus. For two millennia, people around the world have been observing Christmas with traditions and practices which are both religious and secular. Popular customs for the holiday include exchanging gifts, decorating (real and/or fake) Christmas trees, attending church, sharing meals with loved ones, and waiting for Santa Claus to bring presents.

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Ryder's Pi Theory! THE PHYSICAL LENGTH PI CONTRADICTION

The Physical Length Pi Contradiction recognizes the discrepancy between different methods of deriving an object’s length. For the following hypothetical, assume that all actions undertaken are done “in theory,” where physical limitations such as the Planck Length, atomic structure, or cutting inaccuracies are no longer relevant. Now, for the problem:

Assume you have an infinite number of thin metal rods of any integer length at your disposal. For personal reasons, you would like to reduce one’s length to exactly the length of pi meters. Because you are a smart mathematician, you decide to make it into a perfect circle with a radius of exactly ½ meters. Because the resulting circle has a circumference of exactly pi meters, we have just established that the physical length of exactly pi meters can exist. Now assume that you are given a single metal rod, 4 meters in length. You are told to cut a little bit off one end of the rod so that the resulting length is also pi meters. However, because you are still a smart mathematician, you realize that this is not possible. Because pi is an irrational number, and by the very nature of irrational numbers, the decimal of your desired length never terminates, making it impossible for you to decide where to make the incision on the rod. Remember that this is not a limitation of the equipment or your cutting ability, but rather the very nature of irrational numbers having a non-repetitive, non-terminating decimal. How is it that you can derive the length of pi meters by first making a circle, thereby confirming that it exists, yet it is fundamentally impossible to derive the same length by simply cutting it? Before you object, that the problem arises with the implausibility of a perfect circle, retry the problem with the desired length of √2 meters, where you first make a perfect right triangle with leg lengths of 1 meter each and a resulting hypotenuse of √ 2 meters. Try cutting that length from a metal rod of 2 meters. Because √2 is also irrational, you can’t, even though the length undoubtedly exists. The best solution to this problem will be published in the next Spartan Voice issue, and the first person to come to me with a satisfactory answer will receive $5 right out of my wallet.

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Dear Gossip Girl, The Gossip Girl advice column provides genuine, witty, and sometimes sassy advice in response to questions sent in anonymously. If you have questions or dilemmas to submit, email spartanvoice@wcsks.com.

_____________________________________________________________________________________ Dear Gossip Girl, I have a class that is really stressing me out. The workload is overwhelming, I constantly feel low on time, and I’m too far in over my head. I don’t know how to talk to my teacher about it. How should I handle this? Sincerely, Overwhelmed Beyond Repair Dear Overwhelmed Beyond Repair, I’m sorry that you’re feeling this way. I would recommend going to talk to your teacher but go in with a structured plan. Think about what the main source of your stress and anxiety is. Is it the content? Is it the pace of the class? Is it the inability to get feedback on your work? Pinpoint what you find overwhelming and see if there is a way to work it out. I would also talk to your advisor to see if they can help you evaluate your overall schedule. It’s okay to take something off your workload if it will decrease your stress and improve your happiness. If taking these steps doesn’t help you, I would go talk to Mrs. Ahmad or Mrs. White. Conversation can be the quickest way to resolve conflict. You’ve got this,

xoxo, Gossip Girl Dear Gossip Girl, No one reads the school newspaper that my friends and I worked so hard to put together. There’s a lot of good information in there and some of it is really funny. We spent several weeks trying to write good pieces and made it look pretty, but literally no one read it. There were paper airplanes made from it all over the commons and library. What can we do to get people to read it? Sincerely, XOXO Gossip Girl Dear me, I’m sorry that your peers haven’t acquired a taste for good journalism. Clearly, they don’t value the masterpiece that is print. I think this comes down to an age-old sincere lack of appreciation for the printing press. People act like the Internet is the best invention of all time, but we would not have the Internet without the O.G. printing press. Show some respect, peasants. Johannes Gutenberg doesn’t deserve this slander. Aside from that, I would really encourage your peers to read it and let them know that it is okay for them to take a copy of the Spartan Voice home! You don’t have to pass it around the lunch table. There are plenty of copies so you can read it at your own pace. If you have any articles you want to see written or write yourself, email spartanvoice@wcsks.com! Hang in there honey,

xoxo, Gossip Girl NEWS MAGAZINE

Club Spotlight Model UN If you signed up for Model UN, countries have just been decided, and be on the lookout to receive yours. The conference will occur on January 21st at Wichita State University. During this conference, students will work as delegates of their respective selected countries and work with other students to create resolutions to global topics.

Da Knight Club Are you worthy to be dubbed a knight? Last month Da Knight Club had various fun medieval-themed meetings during the spooky Halloween season and even hosted a “witch trial” in November. On Friday, December 10th, the medieval celebrations continued with a knight-themed White Elephant party filled with games and fun activities! If you’d like to join Da Knight Club text @wcsknights to join the Remind so you won’t miss any future events.

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