The Harbinger issue 15 2025-26

SHAWNEE MISSION EAST

7500 MISSION ROAD PRAIRIE VILLAGE, KS 66208

APRIL 27, 2026

VOLUME LXVIII

ISSUE 15

THE HARBINGER

PRINT EDITORS

Sophia Brockmeier

Libby Marsh

ONLINE EDITORS

Luciana Mendy

Lucy Stephens

ASST. PRINT EDITORS

Avni Bansal

Michael Yi

ASST. ONLINE EDITOR

Christopher Long

Caroline Beal

HEAD COPY EDITORS

Libby Marsh

Luciana Mendy

ASST. HEAD COPY

EDITOR

Grace Pei

PRINT PHOTO EDITOR

Paige Bean

ASST. PHOTO EDITORS

Addie Clark

Ava Towner

Tyler Russell

PHOTO MENTORS

Molly Scott

Sophia Cicero

Sylvie DeGalan

Zac Russell

Anastasia Flower

Vivien Glenski

Francesca Lorusso

Molly McDermed

VIDEO EDITORS

Preston Hooker

Emma Weidman

Bella Broce

Sydney Eck

Paisner

Rosemann

Julia Campbell

Francesca Lorusso

Madeline Glasier

Devon McFadden

Ella Slicker

Kennedy Moore

Eisley Foster

Elena Hull

Katie Cook

Lainey Hunter

Claire Troutwine

Abigail Baltzell

Evelyn Geheb

Emma Weidman

Lexi Madden

Maggie Rogers

Layla Love

Avra Welling

Liv Ruecker

Bella Thompson

RJ Kordalski

Allie Beaulieu

Graham Geheb DESIGN

Charlotte Walton

Sadie Jolicoeur

Lucy Cattano

Emily Enger

Jack Fitzpatrick

Eisley Foster NEWS

Kennedy Moore OPINION

Bridget Dean

Henderson

Rosemann

Glasier

Scan here to visit the Harbinger website with stories, multimedia, videos, photos and more.

Scan here to visit the Harbinger Instagram account to view galleries, stories, videos and more.

follow our social media:

Bella Broce

Lucy Stephens

SOCIAL MEDIA STAFF

Abigail Baltzell

Allie Beaulieu

Emily Enger

Libby Fitzpatrick

Evie Lewis

Rowan McGill

Adyson Cooper

Madeline Glasier

Devon McFadden

Sydney Eck

Lyla Weeks

Lucy Swope

Griffith

Blades

Sienna Williams

Bridget Dean

Hannah Rosemann

Roper

editorial policy

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 The Harbinger will not share any unpublished content, but quotes material may be confirmed with the sources.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

NEWS

Hearts Of KC

The KC Parade of Hearts displayed a new heart in Prairie Village stories by CHRISTOPHER LONG

THE KC PARADE of Hearts set up one of their 150 new 2026 hearts titled “Heartland Toile” outside of the Starbucks in Prairie Village on April 11. Designed and hand-created by Westwood View Elementary School art teacher and artist Paige Crosswhite, this heart is drawn to mimic pastoral blue and white patterns with famous KC locations like the Western Auto sign and the WWI Museum, according to Crosswhite.

“It’s kind of like just a love letter of things that give me joy,” Crosswhite said. “It’s art for art’s sake, because I want to teach my [students] that you don’t have to make anything [for other people], it can be

just to make you happy.”

The KC Parade of Hearts is a nonprofit organization that chooses artists to create the hearts and then auctions them off to raise money for local charitable organizations, according to Crosswhite. This is the third year that Crosswhite has contributed to the Parade of Hearts.

Crosswhite explained that every year, hundreds of applicants apply with a detailed layout plan for their heart and a personal story. She said that she incorporated her past art prints of Kansas City and wrote about the impact the heart would have on her students.

After getting selected, the artist picks up the heart — with a new design each

Testing Brings Progress

The district will continue encouraging periodic mini-assessments for K-12 grade levels

THE SHAWNEE MISSION School District evaluated the progress of its minitest initiative since the 2024-25 school year, on April 13. The district found that students taking the tests are much more likely to score proficient on Kansas State Assessments, according to SMSD Board recaps.

A mini-test, or mini-assessment, can be a test given and designed by a teacher to test cumulative subject matter understanding or a state-prepared practice proficiency test ahead of the Kansas State Assessments, according to SMSD Director of Assessment and Research Dan Gruman.

Gruman explained that based on his statistical analysis, students who take three mini-tests spread throughout the year have a much higher chance of scoring proficient on state assessments.

“I don’t want to be top down about it,” Gruman said. “We might say in an integrated algebra/geometry [class] in October, ‘Here’s a couple mini tests that would actually be pretty good to administer in October,’ but that’s as far as we would take it from

year — and receives a $2,500 stipend for materials and the labor involved in the process, Crosswhite said. Once the heart is finished, a Paradeof-Hearts-delegated sponsor determines where the heart will “live” during the parade. Once the parade is over, the hearts are auctioned off and the proceeds are given to various charitable organizations, like The University of Kansas Health System.

Marching

Through The

Prairie Village will host a parade for the city’s 75th Anniversary

the district office. We want that ultimate decision to be made [by teachers], and not by Dan Gruman.”

The initiative wasn’t necessarily mandatory or built into district curricula, but it was suggested among professional learning communities within each district school, according to Gruman.

The mini-tests have largely been a success, according to Gruman. Some challenges include the additional time it takes for teachers to create the assessments and SMSD’s ability to standardize minitests across the diverse classes within each subject area.

“[Implementing mini-assessments] should lend itself well to the concept of we shouldn’t be educating in isolation,” Gruman said. “So, as a teacher team four or five English 10 teachers, for example, should all be collaborating to support each other. The mini test piece of it supports that intention [and] supports that professionalism of education.”

THE CITY OF Prairie Village has planned a parade to take place on May 2 as part of their 75th anniversary celebrations. The event will start at 10 a.m. with over 50 people taking part in the “Prairie Village Through the Decades” themed parade, according to Prairie Village Assistant City Administrator Megan Buum.

Buum helped plan the celebrations and is excited for a parade different from Lancer Day or the 4th of July parade.

“Being a resident and an employee of the city makes [the celebrations] extremely personal for me,” Buum said. “I think everyone has been really pumped and excited about what we’ve got going in the city this year.”

“I’m looking forward to the themes,” Jehle said. “It’s a fun thing that entails food, games, fun and excitement. Some people, they hear ‘parade’ and will want to show up. And then they’ll get to learn about the colorful history of Prairie Village along with the festivities.”

SOME PEOPLE,

they hear parade and will want to show up. And then they’ll get to learn about the colorful history of Prairie Village along with the festivities.

CHASE JEHLE JUNIOR

The parade is free for anyone interested, and residents are encouraged to line the sidewalks of Mission Road starting on 79th Street and ending on 83rd Street, according to Buum.

Prairie Village resident and junior Chase Jehle has enjoyed past city events like the 4th of July parade and is excited to attend the parade with his friends and family.

After the parade, there will be a free jazz concert in Corinth Square with the Back Alley Brass Band playing, along with carnival and yard games and other family activities from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

“I see our community events as an opportunity to celebrate and bring people together,” Buum said. “Politics change through the years, laws change through the years, people’s perspective on things changed through the years, but one thing I think that the community can agree on is that Prairie Village is a fantastic place to live or to raise a family, and I think celebrating where we’ve been and the last 75 years is something that we can all agree on.”

art by JULIA CAMPBELL

locking DOWN features

How the Respondus Lockdown Browser will change testingeriod

DISABLED ACTIONS:

Mechanics like copy/paste, screen capture and function keys are no longer accesibleperiod

DOWN

SMSD is piloting a lockdown browser for Canvas that would help preserve test integrity but has been reported as glitchy

story by SLOANE HENDERSON

AT THE START of the fourth quarter, the Shawnee Mission School District began piloting a Canvas lockdown browser in all secondary schools — middle and high schools — in the district. Teachers had requested a tool to help preserve the integrity of tests for years, according to SM East instructional coach Kelsi Horner.

The lockdown browser program has been instated to prevent cheating, but students and teachers have reported that the system is glitchy and unreliable. The program works purely during Canvas quizzes and uses a separate application.

“The whole point of assessments is to see what [students] learned,” Horner said. “The other issue with that is if [they’re] cheating on it, then it’s no longer valid. So part of it is protecting the security of the test, and part of that is protecting the teacher’s time that they’ve put into it.”

Horner reached out to a few SM East teachers, like English teacher Erica Jackson, since teachers had been asking for a similar tool for years and had already been using quizzes in Canvas for the program to be tested with.

The lockdown browser is being piloted

through Respondus, a platform with various assessment tools for learning systems. It will be available until the end of the year, and depending on feedback from the schools, SMSD will decide whether to buy it for the 2026-27 school year.

Horner believes if the program is continued in the district, teachers might start using Canvas quizzes more instead of relying on paper tests, saving teachers time on grading and giving students their test scores back sooner.

“I think a lot [of teachers] are kind of holding out until there’s something that exists and we just haven’t had anything that was a guarantee,” Horner said.

English 10 and AP Macroeconomics classes. Although Macfee believes the idea of the program is good in classrooms, she finds the program itself to be slow and glitchy.

[THE LOCKDOWN

browser] is the best choice right now. If we don’t have a lockdown browser then we just print a lot. And they tell us not to do that.

The SMSD has not received official feedback yet, but Horner approves of the program and feels it works well in most classrooms.

ERICA JACKSON

ENGLISH TEACHER

SMSD Instructional Technology Coordinator Jenny Collier helped teams at the district to implement the program. Piloting the lockdown browser was free, but Collier is not sure what program would cost or where the money would come from.

Sophomore Sarah Kate Macfee has used the lockdown browser in both her Honors

time during the period. The second time pulling up the application took as long as the first, and most of her actions with the computer’s mouse were delayed, according to Macfee.

“I don’t love it,” Macfee said. “I’m fine with the whole idea of it, [and] I think it’s for a good cause, but it’s very glitchy. It takes a lot of work to figure out how to use it.”

Jackson has tried the lockdown browser with both her freshmen and senior classes, and has encountered similar technical difficulties trying to get the program pulled up.

While some of her students downloaded the application and got it working in a matter of minutes, other students still couldn’t get the program running days after Jackson worked through it during class.

Jackson used to use Apple Classroom

RESPONDUS MONITOR:

An integrated, optional webcam that records the student’s screenperiod

LOCKED INTERFACE:

Once an exam initiates, students cannot exit until it’s submitted od

to monitor screens, but says it often didn’t work and was unreliable, creating issues

Though Jackson thinks the lockdown browser works for now, her ideal solution would be a program that can lockdown the computer on any website — not just during Canvas quizzes. This would help manage students on computers during class time and ensure students stay on task, according to Jackson.

“We need [the lockdown browser], because we’re having to go back to more pencil and paper things because of [Artificial Intelligence], and because [students are] using resources they’re not allowed to,” Jackson said. “But then it’s hard to grade things on paper, because it’s hard to read their handwriting. It takes more time.”

Horner hasn’t faced as many problems downloading the platform as Jackson has, but noted that she’s heard of other schools in the SMSD with similar issues. Neither are sure if these issues are from the program or user error while setting it up.

“We’re told not to print so much, but then it’s like, ‘Well what do you want?’ Jackson said. “[The lockdown browser] is the best choice right now. If we don’t have a lockdown browser then we just print a lot. And they tell us not to do that.”

ELECTION EDUCATION

Youth and Government will host its annual politics panel tomorrow during seminar to educate students on current politics

POLITICAL

YOUTH AND GOVERNMENT

will be hosting its sixth annual politics panel on April 28 in the Commons during seminar.

Kansas representatives will travel to SM East and give a brief introduction of their role in the local government. The panel gives students a chance to learn about current politics, as well as ask any questions they might have, according to YAG president and senior Eliza King.

The four representatives attending the panel this year are evenly split with two democrats, Kansas Representatives Mari Lynn Poskin and Stephanie Clayton, and two republicans, former Kansas Representatives Stephanie Sharp and Charlotte O’Hara.

YAG typically aims to have four to six representatives with the same number of democratic and republican politicians. This helps keep the panel balanced and facilitate a variety of political opinions among students and representatives, according to King.

that, their political stances and have a chance to just see firsthand what politics look like in Kansas,” King said.

YAG plans the panel around two months in advance every year. They start by updating their ongoing list of Kansas representatives, modifying entries to match who’s currently in office and removing those who changed positions.

All members of YAG are assigned 5-10 politicians or representatives to reach out to via email and inquire whether they’d be interested in attending as a member of the panel.

WE EMAIL

We email probably 50 politicians in Kansas to invite them to attend the panel, and I’d say we typically get maybe 15 responses. Then we have to figure out what four politicians we want to speak.

ELIZA KING SENIOR

“We just want to give students an opportunity to really hear from current politicians, get an insight into their lives, what their jobs look like, and along with

“We email probably 50 politicians in Kansas,” King said. “We invite them to attend the panel, and I’d say we typically get maybe 15 responses. From there, we just have to figure out what four politicians we want to be speaking at our panel.”

Another important aspect of the panel, according to King, is YAG’s question form. Around one month in advance of the panel, they set up a Google Form where students can submit any questions to be asked. The amount of students that respond to the form vary greatly every year though.

They also have a live Q&A section where, if attending students want to ask other questions they can.

“Every year, there are some students who have some really cool questions,” senior YAG representative Ishaan Home said. “They’ll talk about some specific bill that’s being passed in Kansas State law, or maybe something being passed on the national level. Or they’ll talk about court cases. It’s really cool to hear students get so involved.”

YAG also encourages social studies teachers to offer the panel for extra credit to increase attendance and facilitate a larger discussion among members of the panel and students, according to King.

“[The panel] helps to create awareness for what’s going on potentially nationally and locally, hopefully spurring engagement [in politics],” social studies teacher Steve Klein said.

in Kansas are being held on Aug. 8, and representatives Clayton and Poskin, who are attending the panel are both eligible to run in these elections.

“I think it’s really good for students to just get to hear directly from people who are representing them,” Clifford said. “Some [students are] just now turning 18, so [we’re] trying to get interest in voting and civic participation. That way, when people do turn 18 [they can] register and then go out and vote, which is so important, not only for election years, but also the upcoming midterms.”

[THE PANEL] helps to create awareness for what’s going on potentially nationally and locally, hopefully spurring engagement [in politics],

Along with the politics panel, YAG also hosted Voterto-Voter last fall, which was an informational meeting and tutorial on registering to vote for seniors who can vote in the next election. Both of these events are useful for seniors and keep them up-to-date on what’s currently happening in the Kansas government, according to YAG secretary and senior Adeline Clifford.

STEVE KLEIN

SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER

YAG also helped register seniors to vote recently in the SHARE seminar and now they are able to in upcoming elections. The midterm elections this year

Although YAG hosts the Voter-to-Voter event and voter registration, the politics panel is an amazing opportunity to learn about the current local government, according to Home.

“An in-person event where you can ask questions in a respectful manner to [with] people who you might agree with or people who you might disagree with, does a lot more to change minds than arguing or debating people online,” Home said. “I think that having that in-person interaction is key to changing minds or learning new things.”

OPINION

hot take

GCords should not be available to buy or purchase online without deserving them

RADUATION: A SEASON

to celebrate 417 students in the senior class, with people hopping from party-to-party, bringing gifts, congratulations and a “good luck in the real world.”

May 19, a day all seniors look forward to, or dread. A day to show off their accomplishments made throughout four years of high school, flaunting their resumes and various tiny colorful cords draped around their neck as they strut across the stage to receive their diploma, even if they didn’t earn them.

I constantly hear from my friends and peers: “Should I buy this cord just for fun?” — a suggestion I strongly disagree with.

No one should be able to order a twenty- pack of cords online. It’s unfair to the student who truly completed the hard work. The district should have more restrictions and approvals for students who receive cords.

I love graduation. Though I’ve never personally been

many ceremonies and parties, and love the celebrations that commemorate the hard work a student undergoes in an academic career.

I learned very early on in high school that if your resume isn’t at least three pages long by senior year, good luck trying to keep up with the rest of your class. Triple-time varsity captain, non-profit founder, 1000+ community service hours, 4.7 GPAs, NHS presidents, national scholastic press association winners: the list can go on and on to describe what you can become at East. But what is the goal? College? No. Bragging rights? Maybe. Cords? Probably. Why is there such competition behind how many cords someone has?

It is truly impressive to see what people can do in just four years, and they are more than deserving to be able to decorate their necks in their accomplishments, but the student next to them who got a cord for doing a sport in just one season? I don’t think so.

It just simply makes me mad when I see the student who never immersed

Staffers share their opinions on graduation cords

LUCIANA MENDY SENIOR

YOU’RE NOT GOING to look at your grad photos and be like, ‘Oh that’s my NHS cord.’ You’re going to look around the people who are around you instead.”

BELLA BROCE SENIOR

I’VE LETTERED EVERY year for varsity tennis, but I get a letter, not a cord. I don’t really care, though, because I think our memories are far greater than a braided, tinsel thing. ”

Viewers responded recent Instagram polls reflecting this issue’s opinion stories

*Instagram poll of 262 votes DO YOU ENJOY GOING TO SCHOOL

Follow our Instagram to take our polls @smeharbinger TAKE OUR POLLS

TAKING

TAKING

BLAME

FOR: 8 AGAINST: 1

The members of the editorial board who agree with the viewpoint of the editorial are represented by for, and those who disagree with the viewpoint are represented by against.

Social media companies shouldn’t be held accountable for mental health problems that come as a side effect of addiction

*Names are fictitious

THERE’S A MCDONALD’S six minutes from SM East, open from 5 to 12 a.m. Hundreds of teenagers swoop through the drive-thru weekly picking up QuarterPounders or Happy Meals to enjoy during their 25-minute lunch period.

One student in particular, Savannah Smith*, eats McDonald’s every meal. Greasy hashbrowns for breakfast, salty fries for lunch and a crispy Coca-Cola to wash it all down. Every. Single. Day.

After three months of this schedule, Smith complains to her

parents that her unhealthy eating habits have caused her mental and physical health to decline. And she blames McDonald’s . The billion-dollar fast food chain should’ve told her their food was addictive, causing her to gain weight and therefore become depressed.

But the thing is, Smith is wrong — it’s not McDonald’s fault.

Any company, whether it’s fast food, social media or substances, shouldn’t be held accountable for the side effects they may cause due to overuse.

FURTHER THAN THE

SCREEN

A list of several different mental health issues that stem from an overuse of social media and screen time

Cyberbullying-related depression

Body image issues

Disordered eating behavior

Behavioral addiction

*According to Yale Medicine

intentionally created addictive social media platforms that contributed to her childhood addiction to social media. And therefore, led to her diagnosis of anxiety, depression and body dysmorphia.

Meta’s counterclaim: “Teen mental health is profoundly complex, and cannot be linked to a single app.”

The woman won and was awarded $6 million in damages from Meta and YouTube.

Poor sleep quality

Self harming behavior

Anxiety and depression

Short attention span

Desensitization

lawsuit, Instagram has done its part in creating anti-addiction features accessible to users with the click of a button.

Additionally, Instagram launched its “Take a Break” feature in 2021, installed on all accounts. This prompts users to take a break after scrolling continuously for extended periods. This feature in particular is built into the Instagram program and cannot be shut off.

Meta, the parent platform of Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp, was sued by a 20-yearold woman — known only as Kaley — in late March. She claimed that they

Addiction can be developed from nearly anything: from nail biting to cigarettes. But there’s a reason Marlboro isn’t responsible for every chain smoker’s lung cancer.

An addiction that turns into depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder or any other mental condition is usually more than just an overuse, says the Cleveland Clinic. Family history of addiction and increased stress can take the wheel of addiction, which social media companies have no control over.

Meta itself has even conducted research dating back to 2017 about the addictive nature of its products. The National Review notes how the teenagers addicted to social media were developing high reward tolerance and couldn’t stop themselves from spending time on platforms, similar to the behaviors of addicts. It’s no news that these platforms are, in fact, addictive, much like drugs or alcohol.

But no one is forcing someone to click “install” on the Instagram app, similarly to how no one is forced to smoke marijuana. It’s a personal choice.

And if a teenager with a family history of any addiction downloads Instagram, the app has specifically created features for any user to limit screen time overuse. The platform launched its “Your Activity” feature in 2018, allowing users to reflect on the time they’ve spent on the app daily. This also added multiple well-being features, including auto-enabled daily reminders to leave the app and the ability to mute certain notifications.

Coming eight years before the recent

Meta says this “empowers people to make informed decisions about how they’re spending their time.”

Whether or not a doom scroller decides to listen to this signal is up to them. Much like how Coors Light slaps an “enjoy responsibly” sticker on every can to protect itself from lawsuits, social media companies should be able to do the same by implementing screen time features. And similar to substances, social media platforms also have age restrictions to protect minors from overuse.

Both Instagram and YouTube are advertised on the App Store as 13+. However, according to PBS News, the woman who sued Meta told the jury she began using YouTube at age 6 and Instagram at age 9. She mentions how she would be on these apps all day long.

The CEO of Instagram won’t be going door to door checking every user’s birth certificate, making sure they aren’t developing a technology addiction in the third grade. It should go without saying that someone younger than the suggested age shouldn’t be downloading social platforms.

No company tells us how to live our lives. McDonald’s never asked Smith to eat a cheeseburger for every meal. And Instagram isn’t forcing anyone to spend hundreds of hours on their platform. It’s consumer’s choice.

We need to stop suing corporations as a shakedown and finally take accountability for who really caused the issues in the first place. Ourselves.

design by EVELYN BAGLEY

by KENNEDY MOORE

THE CROWD CHANTS, “M-I-NN-E-S-O-T-A.”

The Minnesota Gophers. Rows of bright yellow wigs and striped maroon and gold overalls took over the Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas. The College Gymnastics National Championship on April 18 was raging with energy for the 13thranked national team — the University of Minnesota Twin Cities Gymnastics team.

The flames shoot up as the gymnasts run onto the floor and excitement radiates from the stands and onto the athletes. After months of tracking and watching every gymnastics team from the comfort of my couch, my heart was racing in preparation to actually see the teams I know so much about in real time

The atmosphere to watch Louisiana State University, University of Oklahoma, University of Florida and University of Minnesota compete for a national title was much more exciting than my brother usually begging me to change the channel.

Even through program closures, the engaging routines and elite-level athletes make gymnastics the best pastime.

From January to April, a double-sided

Despite closures of gymnastics programs, college gymnastics is an up-and-coming sport that everyone should watch

SPOTLIGHT SPOTLIGHT ON STATS POINT ON THEBEAM

Attendance over the past four championships

2022- 10,250 17,417 18,582 23,312 202320242025-

The sport’s attendance rates over the past four NCAA championships and latest viewership projections

- The audience was up 36% and up 32% from the prior all-time high set in 2024

- The audience peaked with 1.3 million viewers

*according to Sports Business Journal

whiteboard on wheels stands in the entrance of my room.

A colorful six-by-eight grid tracks the team’s overall score for each meet. Then I navigate to virtuis.com to find the AllAround winner — the individual gymnast with the highest scores through all four events.

Every Friday, before the meet starts, I update the overall school ranking, which is calculated by NQS — essentially an average of team scores.

Looking closer at my board, you would see Iowa State University’s meets all scratched out. Leaving West Virginia and many teams without an opponent.

nationals. It was safe to say the athletes and I were upset. Shortly after, the community was hit with another setback from ISU, as the school dismantled its gymnastics program as a whole.

This is not a lone scenario; it falls seamlessly into the pattern of discontinuing gymnastics programs.

At the high school level, KSHSAA discontinued the Gymnastics program shortly after the Sunflower League shut the sport down. All the reports cited “lack of interest”and varying issues.

NEXT TIME

you’re at a college, check the gymnastics schedule — a $20 ticket can bring you excellent entertainment to an otherwise boring weekend

According to ISU athletics, the Athletic Director called off their season after only four meets on Feb. 7, — what about the athletes and their eligibility? The next few days, my Instagram feed was filled with ISU gymnasts and alums raging about the situation.

ISU hadn’t secured the gymnast’s eligibility — this four - meet season would take away a full year of athletics for the athlete. ISU gymnasts such as Haylee Hardin would definitely be able to qualify individually for postseason competitions such as regionals and

I just refuse to believe this is true.

While preferring to watch Friday Night Heights on ESPN 2 may not be the most common hobby for a high schooler, it’s more common than one would assume. Most of my friends don’t watch it as intensely as I do, but they’d still be interested if it were playing in the background.

Over spring break, I went to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to watch the SEC Championship. The crowded event center was filled with fans of the sport, not just people who came for a good time.

And while programs are shutting down, others are rising. Michigan State

completely surpassed its attendance record, requiring it to move into the Basketball Arena for their Home Opener, according to the Sports Business Journal.

Olympians such as Jade Carey, Jordan Chiles and alternates Joseclyn Roberson and Leanne Wong have made their mark on the collegiate stage, bringing in more fans and entertainment to the sport.

LSU gymnastics had an average attendance of 12,389 fans in the 2026 season, surpassing baseball with an average of 11,186 fans in 2025, according to LSU sports. Maybe baseball isn’t America’s pastime?

I love being able to sit down and watch any meet on YouTube TV and not pay for 100 streaming services. ESPN will get you access to all the must watch meets. The Sprouts Collegiate Quad is a marquee meet and you can join the 800,000 viewers in 2026 for next year’s showdown.

Whether you’re in Minneapolis or Athens, Georgia, you can expect the gymnasts to get you on your feet in the middle of their routine. The signature Georgia Gymdogs moon walk, and University of California, Los Angeles Tina Turner and Britney Spears routines never disappoint.

Next time you’re at a college, check the gymnastics schedule — a $20 ticket can bring you excellent entertainment to an otherwise boring weekend.

OFF THE

School dances are overrated and expensive

FLOOR

story by VANNESSA BLADES

ALL I COULD think about in eighth grade was how excited I was for homecoming. The dresses, the after party, the pictures — everything . I was getting FOMO (fear of missing out) before even reaching high school but I really didn’t know what school dances were truly about.

Yes, dances can be fun, but the stress isn’t worth it. The social pressure of finding a date and the best, most original dress is the worst feeling. The whole dance just feels like one big competition.

on my Snapchat private story 15 times asking people’s opinions on which dress I should wear.

All to just be stressed to the point of sobbing the night before the dance.

Then there’s dinner.

FINDING

A dress is easily the worst part. Yes, I am the most indecisive person ever, but every dress is either worth five paychecks or sold out.

Finding a dress is easily the worst part. Yes, I am the most indecisive person ever, but every dress is either worth five paychecks or sold out. And I’m not going to spend $800 on a dress that I’ll wear for three hours and never again, so usually I end up settling for borrowing one. But this makes the pressure of being original unattainable.

Freshman year, I ordered five dresses, each being at least $150, just to end up returning them all and rewearing my sister’s freshman year homecoming dress. And repeated the whole ordering and returning cycle to my junior year at the Sweet Heart dance. I had posted

Yes, dinner is fun with great food, but usually it’s filled with taking pictures for 30 minutes just to end up not liking any of them enough to post on social media. Everyone is competing for the best Instagram post to show off their dresses and outfits. It’s just one big social competition.

The dance itself can be fun, because you get to see friends who aren’t in your dinner group, along with people from different grades. The music is what makes or breaks the dance though. It always depends on who the DJ is and whether they can get the students dancing and having fun. But usually the dance doesn’t last long, because everyone leaves in about 30 minutes. It feels so forced to go to the dance, which is the whole point of the night.

which always causes drama because nobody can agree on just one. Then we have to find a host, which we always find at the last minute. Four times now I have caved to hosting two days before the dance and ended up with 70 high schoolers in my basement.

It’s not the worst , but cleaning up the next morning and picking up thousands of decorations can get annoying, along with making sure my house doesn’t get destroyed during the three-hour party.

Having a good after party costume makes it so much fun, but again, finding an after party costume can be so difficult and so expensive on top of everything else. And it’s always a competition on whose costume is the best.

EVERYONE

SYLVIE DEGALAN & EISLEY FOSTER

ELEMENTS DANCE

Vannessa’s rates the different key aspects at a school dance

4/5 because its fun for 10 minutes but then everyone leaves.

competing for the best Instagram post to show off their dresses and outfits. It’s just one big social competition.

The after-party is my favorite part, but it’s always the hardest to plan out.

First, we all have to agree on a theme,

ATTENDANCE RATES

The amount of people who came to dances in the 2025-26 school year

I skipped prom and homecoming this year and was expecting to have major FOMO, but realized it wasn’t the end of the world. I visited the University of Arizona and had so much fun — more than I would have had at prom because instead of one night of fun I got three.

I will say, one dance a year is fun, but four dances are just too much and far too costly. I mean, people spend around $1,000 for one night, then multiply that by four. Homecoming, chill ball, WPA, and prom yet they’re all the same thing.

DECOR

2/5 because they’re cute during the afterparty, but the next morning they’re a mess to clean up.

*Instagram

MUSIC

3/5 because it can be good, but sometimes it’s just bad old 2016 songs.

Seniors and staff participated in the senior service seminar hosted by SHARE to celebrate senior volunteers on April 14

A SENIOR SENIOR OUTREACH OUTREACH

PUNCH LOG

Seniors had progress cards and received hole punches after completing a station

In order to get a Chick-fil-A sandwich, seniors had to have their card fully stamped

different table set ups to engage in different projects for volunteering. Over 80 seniors attended and helped create products for eight different service projects including KC Paws and Uplift KC.

FEATURE

this week in PHOTOS

ABOVE Seniors Paige Stanfield, Eva Lowry, Adeline Clifford and Campbell Norris play the duck race carnival game at the Senior Service Seminar. Lowry’s duck won and added a win for KC Pet Project. Each duck had a service project assigned to it to incorporate the aspect of cheering for service photos by TYLER RUSSELL

DAYS OFF NO

Get to know sophomore Carmen Carroll, an avid Duolingo user current streak:

CARMEN CARROLL SOPHOMORE

I’VE DONE A bunch of different little bits of learning a bunch of languages for different places I’ve been and it’s been super helpful for just knowing some little basics.

photos by ADDIE CLARK

TOP LEFT Senior Ben Glasier checks the bottom of his quesadilla in foods class to make sure it’s not burnt. photos by SADIE JOLICOEUR

CURL LET

Learn about different curly hair routines students follow as they embrace their natural hair it

Clarifying shampoo

CLAIRE MARTIN SOPHOMORE

I TRY TO embrace it and I definitely feel like I’ve always gotten compliments. Even when my hair is curly and even though I don’t look the same as everybody else, I still feel beautiful.

934

the language

Different languages Carroll’s tried on Duolingo

Spanish Swedish French Italian Japanese Korean days

PENNY MAGRUDER SOPHOMORE

EVERYONE WITH STRAIGHT [hair,] their hair kind of looks the same. People with curly hair, just have so much more character and it just makes someone more unique.

KICK-OFF

in KC

How Kansas City plans to celebrate hosting a few of the World Cup matches

Outside of The Arena

Where to get the World Cup energy outside the arena

Fan

Fest

Performances

Concerts that will be happening at Fan Fest

TECH N9NE

JUNE 12-13

THE CHAINSMOKERS

JUNE 13

FLO RIDA

JUNE 19

CIMAFUNK

JUNE 20

GABBY BARRETT

JULY 3

ALL-AMERICAN REJECTS

JULY 11

This is one of the two decorated street cars in celebration of the World Cup. The city expanded the street car route in preparation for the World Cup

This is a pop up sign in the middle of The Power & Light District counting down the days till the first match

ARE YOU EXCITED FOR THE SOCCER OR THE EXCITEMENT IN THE CITY?

THOMAS HENSON FRESHMAN

I AM MORE excited for everything that’s happening around the city. Although I’ve played soccer my whole life, just the fact that it is in Kansas City is exciting and the city will be lively.

DO YOU THINK THE WORLD CUP WILL CHANGE KANSAS CITY?

COLLIN STROUD JUNIOR

I DONT THINK it will permanently change our city. Kansas City is already known as the soccer capital of the country and I feel like once the World Cup ends it city will go back to normal.

stories by GRACE PEI

FOLLOW ON IG:

A NEW GENERATION

TO DETAILS

SANTI HERRERA

ATTENTION HERRERA

Sophomore Santi Herrera does car detailing services and hopes to buy a shop for his business when he’s older

DRIVING IN HIS 2009

GMC Acadia with Bad Bunny blaring on the radio, sophomore Santi Herrera is on the way to his next customer.

Armed with his pressure washer, vacuum, air compressor, steamer and extractor packed into the makeshift shelves in his car, Herrera’s ready to clean.

First, he starts with the items scattered around the car. Then the pet hair. The crumbs in the seat crevices. The stains on the seat. For the next few hours, Herrera works to turn the dull, messy Yukon Denali shiny gray.

After finishing, he places two paper mats that say, “Thank you,” on the driver’s and passenger’s side floors to keep them clean. Then he snaps a picture of the car’s interior and posts it on his Instagram account, @pristinedetailingKC — just like the before-and-after car interior cleaning YouTube videos he watches in his free time that originally inspired him to start his business several months ago.

“It’s just relaxing, seeing

a car go from really dirty, and me being the one to clean it all up and make it look nice again,” Herrera said.

From when he started, he’s cleaned at least 20 cars and will continue to expand his business, hoping to eventually hire employees.

Herrera manages his developing business website — in addition to his Instagram account — on his personal computer, which is designated solely to his business.

He plans to eventually post YouTube videos of his customer interactions and car-cleaning process with Meta glasses as well.

As the mom of two young boys, sophomore Rehan Zahid’s mom, Christina, hadn’t had her car cleaned for five years when she hired Herrera.

“I remember [he was] working outside of my driveway in the cold, because he said he would get it done, and he did,” Christina said. “It was very impressive. I didn’t expect it to be that clean.”

Statistics about the future of auto repair

• 85% of DIY mechanics use diagnostic tools to avoid being charged at shops

• The U.S. general automotive repair industry is projected to be worth $59.8 billion in 2025, representing part of a broader $641 billion sector

• 71% of auto repair shops are independently owned and operated

• Vehicle repair prices rose 23% year-over-year in 2023, far exceeding general inflation

ROBERTS LUKE ROBERTS

Sophomore Luke Roberts started an auto repair shop a month ago to use his skills to make money

SOPHOMORE

LUKE Robert’s entire palm was covered in black grease and brake dust.

Positioned underneath the elevated car and holding a wrench in his right hand, he began changing a friend’s car brakes in his garage.

Roberts started his own business, Luke’s Auto Repair Mechanic, a month ago, and now he often finds himself under cars lifted by jacks to do repair jobs.

Car engine’s not running? Roberts will come to you instead of working in his garage. Need an oil change? He can do it for a third of a professional autoshop’s price.

“I’ve thought about getting my own shop [and] I might in the future,” Roberts said. “For now, I don’t know what I want to do with it, but it’s a good hustle to have.”

Since he was 12, he and his friends would fix vehicles. First mini bikes. Then motorbikes. Then cars. He went from fixing blownup engines on his

motorbike for himself to replacing CV axles for customers, who were often family friends.

“I was like, ‘Well sh*t, may as well make money doing it,’” Roberts said. And when he’s not fixing customer cars, he’s practicing on his dad’s 24-year-old car that constantly needs work done. After doing research and watching videos, he fixed the brakes, changed the oil and transmission fluid, drained the brake fluid and did electrical work on the car.

Despite his age, Roberts says he’s as capable as other mechanics when it comes to the basics, and often works with adult customers who find him on Facebook.

“I think older mechanics would definitely have more experience [than] me with certain things,” Roberts said. “But it doesn’t mean that I can’t do the things that they can do too [and] I’m good at the things that I do.”

BLINDING LIGHT

TRIGGER WARNING: MENTIONS OF SELF- HARM AND SUICIDE

*names changed to protect identity

story by LUCIANA MENDY

SOPHOMORE LINCOLN Godfrey was in seventh grade the first time he was told to kill himself. It started during lunch, with Godfrey telling a friend about a new crush he had on a boy. But a classmate sitting near him was listening. In the next few moments, Godfrey went from talking about a crush to being told that he should kill himself and repeatedly warned that he would go to hell as punishment for being bisexual.

come to terms with the fact that he will probably never go back to church.

“I’m more disappointed in others,” Godfrey said. “I kind of regretted being in church and letting myself just be around people like that.”

A MIDDLE SCHOOL CRUSH RELIGIOUS TRAUMA

Rev. Maggie Johnson-Phillips is an associate pastor at Village Presbyterian Church and often works with individuals who have experienced religious trauma. Religious trauma can occur when a person’s experience in their faithbased community is negative, stressful, degrading, dangerous or abusive, according to Johnson-Phillips.

Some students at SM East struggle with religious trauma due to negative and degrading experiences with their religious communities

As a Christian, at the time, Godfrey didn’t understand why his classmate was using his religion to threaten him. He was shocked because he believed that Christianity was supposed to be about spreading love, not hate.

“I was taken aback,” Godfrey said. “I always thought, if you’re a Christian, you support people.”

Like Godfrey, some students at SM East struggle with religious trauma due to negative and degrading experiences with religion. According to an Instagram poll of 85 SM East students, 40% have had religious trauma that has led them to leave or distance themselves from their religion. The causes can range from components such as fear-based teaching, excommunication, strict gender roles or emotional abuse.

AT SOME point, the lines kind of blurred, and it was like, ‘Yeah, I want you to join my religion, or you’re gonna go to hell.’

“[Religious trauma] is really when there’s a lack of trust or when there is fear and shame weaponized against people in the name of faith,” JohnsonPhillips said. “And so when particular institutions or people use God and use faith as a weapon to create shame and fear and anxiety, to tell you that there is a right or a wrong answer, that creates trauma.”

PORTER ANDERSON SOPHOMORE

Individuals can experience religious trauma no matter what religion they practice, according to Tamicka Monson, a therapist who specializes in religious trauma at her practice in Mission, Kansas. Religious trauma can have multiple side effects, such as paranoia and self-esteem issues, but mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety tend to be the most common, according to Monson.

Despite growing up Christian, Godfrey stopped going to church after he was told his identity was a sin. But that was only the first incident.

Fellow students have since told him that his sexuality is “an act of the devil,” a sin, and that the devil is inside of him. It was these comments that drove Godfrey to try to jump out of a moving car when he was in middle school and drink paint thinner a year later.

“I kind of thought, if everyone’s gonna hate me, what’s the point of living, right?” Godfrey said. “I thought, ‘I’m just one human in the entire world, out of seven, eight billion people. One person isn’t gonna matter.’”

Now, Godfrey is an atheist and has

“Religion can be a great thing if it’s individual,” Monson said. “Like if somebody’s saying, ‘Hey, I was saved, and [religion is] causing me to do good to other people.’ But when it becomes a source of hatred and vitriol, that can create other stressors and depression, and cause people to develop self-hatred and try to deny parts of themselves.”

Godfrey attributes the religious threats as a strong factor in his past suicidal behavior, and while it pushed him to become an atheist, he still has Christian friends and doesn’t have a problem if they want to discuss their religion around him.

Junior Keaton Golden grew up Catholic, but truly connected with his faith during

his sophomore year. Through his religious journey, Golden found a community in his church and feels accepted by those around him — something he wants others to have as well. He believes that if an individual isn’t being supported by their religious community, they should find a different church because there are people out there who want to help.

“If you’ve had a bad experience with, especially just like Christian churches, whether some Christian preacher has yelled at you, cursed at you or someone said something that really hurt you, they should not have said those things,” Golden said. “I promise you that that’s not how Christ is represented, and that’s not how we are supposed to be.”

PRESSURED INTO BELIEF

Sophomore Porter Anderson grew up religious. But during middle school, he became an atheist when he realized he was more driven by a moral compass than by a religious text. However, when Anderson’s friend learned about his atheism, he tried to convert Anderson back to Christianity.

Anderson admits that he understands his friend’s desire to share his faith because the Bible calls on Christians to preach the gospel. But eventually it escalated to a point where Anderson felt uncomfortable and pressured. It ultimately pushed him further away from Christianity.

“At some point it started to feel less like, ‘I love you, and I want you to join my religion, for the goodness of, you know, whatever,’” Anderson said. “At some point, the lines kind of blurred, and it was like, ‘Yeah, I want you to join my religion, or you’re gonna go to hell.’”

The forcing and manipulation of religion are a large component of religious trauma, according to JohnsonPhillips. Rev. Michael Vollbrecht serves as the senior minister at Colonial Church in Prairie Village and believes that evangelization isn’t meant to be forced, but to be shown through actions.

“We try not to just say it, but to put it into action,” Vollbrecht said. “We try to get involved in community activities, so that people know that whether you’re a Christian or you’re an interfaith person, or you practice, whatever you practice, or wherever you’ve come from, this can be a

welcoming place for you.”

FAITH AND ABUSE

SM East student Bethany Smith* wore a tank top for the first time in her life when she was 16 years old, something that used to be unimaginable with the strict modest standards she grew up learning in her Mormon church.

“Ten-year-old me would hate me currently,” Smith said. “Like, I’ve done so much stuff that 10-year-old me wouldn’t even dream of.”

The Mormon faith involves a lifestyle centered on following the Book of Mormon and a health code known as the Word of Wisdom, according to the Brigham Young University Religious Studies Center. Some themes involve abstaining from addictive substances, practicing chastity, attending weekly church meetings and focusing on family.

Smith has practiced Mormonism her entire life because her parents have told her she has to.

“If you don’t practice, you go to hell,” Smith said. “If you don’t believe in God, you go to hell. If you steer away from this singular path, you’re going to hell.”

Smith grew up in an extremely conservative environment where she was told by others in her church that in the future, her only job would be to “stay at home and make as many babies as possible.” After feeling isolated due to her more conservative clothing and mindset, Smith tried to adapt and wear shorts and a tank top to fit in with the other girls.

“I feel like I have a trauma response to [religion] because I associate my parents’ abusive behavior with the Mormon culture, and I mean it kind of is,” Smith said. “The way they’ve learned to parent is through the church.”

These intense expectations to follow the Mormon faith led Smith to be hospitalized multiple times after various suicide attempts, whether it was an overdose or self-harm.

“I would just cut my wrist, and I nicked an artery once, but it never- I never- I mean, obviously, it never worked, because I’m still here,” Smith said.

Since her suicide attempts, her parents “calmed down” a bit. Her father only screams at her once a month now, rather than every week. However, though her home life is more stable now, Smith looks forward to college and plans to leave the Mormon Church as soon as she moves out.

THE ROCKY PATH FORWARD

Monson explains that there’s never a clear timeline for religious trauma recovery and that it can still have lasting impacts years after an inciting incident. Smith’s religious trauma has impacted her relationships due to the self-doubt and fear of disappointing others she has developed.

I FEEL LIKE I have a trauma response to [religion] because I associate my parents’ abusive behavior with the Mormon culture, and I mean, it kind of is.

ANONYMOUS

“My dad really hated that, because he grew up Mormon too,” Smith said. “And so this was like, ‘not okay behavior.’ And so my dad, for a long time, told me that I was ruining the family, and he would tell me to kill myself.”

Smith says her parents’ religious faith drove their mistreatment of her.

Sometimes it was intimidation: screaming in her face after she went out with friends. Other times, it was humiliation: threatening to kick her out of the house unless she stood by the highway with the sign stating “I’m a terrible kid” for hours.

“I constantly think people hate me or talking about me or that, like I f*** something up, and I make everything a bigger deal than it actually is, and it really annoys me, but I can’t stop it,” Smith said.

Stats on the effects of high-control religion, according to Emotions Therapy Calgary percent affected

OF RELIGIOUS STATISTICS

1

self-esteem issues

Unhealthy religious groups identify certain behaviors and traits as morally superior

according to therapist.com

Treating religious trauma often involves grappling with an individual’s core beliefs and deciding whether or not their religion supports those, according to Monson. Recovery can vary, whether it’s a complete abandonment of religion or a deconstruction of religious beliefs. Like many others who suffer from religious trauma, Smith is still conflicted with her faith. She doesn’t identify as a Mormon, and although she believes in a god, she doesn’t believe he’s worthy of worship. 42% 56% 35% 68% depression anxiety complex PTSD severe PTSD

If a person loses their faith, they may become alienated from friends and family Individuals can portray God as vindicative, punishing people when they fall short Religion can manipulated to enforce the belief that some people are better than others Religious cultures often emphasize purity, which can lead to poor sexual development

3 5

hypervigilance loss of community perfectionism sexual dysfunction

2

4

their BACKSTORY

HowHalleandCoopermet

aCooper’sparentsneeded Hallenannyafterschool neighbors&Cooperare

Hallebegantobabysit Cooper

Her friend Vivien Glenskiwouldhelp out when unavailableHalle’s

afternoon PLANS

A typical afternoon in Halle and Cooper’s life

3:00 - Pick up cooper vvvvviat Panera

3:20-3:50 TV time

clockingMEMORIES in to make

story by LIBBY MARSH

JUNIORS HALLE

KLOCKE and Vivien Glenski were preparing for the Homecoming dance at Halle’s house — curling their hair and applying makeup — when Halle’s 6-year-old, redheaded neighbor, Cooper Rau, knocked on the door asking to play.

After trying on Halle’s freshman brother, Hudson’s suit, Cooper made his way to say ‘hi’ to the two high school girls.

Because Cooper is Halle’s neighbor, he’ll often appear on the porch swing outside her house wanting to play. When playing with Halle’s two younger brothers who are also red-heads, not only does Cooper idolize them, the three look, and act like triplets.

3:50 - 5:00 Play chess, vvvvviLEGOS, swing

5:00 Baseball or vvvvvsoccer practice

She’s been his babysitter for the past year and spends nearly every day of the week babysitting for families around her neighborhood. However, she’s developed a close friendship with Cooper beyond driving him to the park and watching movies with him.

Monday through Thursday, Halle picks Cooper up from Corinth Elementary School and babysits him until 5:30 p.m.

Cooper gets a half-hour of TV after school, and the two watch one of Halle’s favorite childhood movies: “The Little Mermaid,” “The Lion

King,” “Tangled” and, of course, Cooper’s favorite, “Tarzan.”

After this, the activity is up to Cooper. They can go to the park, go on walks, play outside, go to Halle’s house or play checkers.

“He’s just an impulsive 6-year-old,” Halle said. “He’ll just take off down the street on his bike or something and I’ll chase after him.”

Through absurd questions and dramatic tales of recess, Halle gets a look into the mind of a 6-yearold.

Cooper will ask her questions like, “What’s the fastest animal in the world?” or “Do you think an asteroid is coming to Earth?”

As the older sister of two brothers, Halle grew up around boys, which helps her babysit them.

“I don’t freak out when boys bring in worms from outside or something, and I’m just kind of like, this is like something my brother would still do,” Halle said.

Rau, said.

When Halle isn’t able to pick him up from school, she’ll let one of her friends know. Vivien will often pick up Cooper from school a couple of days a week and Vivien and Halle will exchange the booster seat in before class in the SM East parking lot.

Linda thinks of Halle as a reliable “old soul” — mature and trustworthy.

I MEAN

childcare is stressful, just trusting someone who’s around your kid that much in general. So there’s nothing more reassuring than just knowing your child’s in the care of someone who feels safe and familiar.

LINDA

“We just feel fortunate to have someone we trust so completely caring for him,” Linda said. “I mean childcare is stressful, just trusting someone who’s around your kid that much in general. So there’s nothing more reassuring than just knowing your child’s in the care of someone who feels safe and familiar.”

Babysitting gives Halle a look into the lives of the elementary-aged kids she takes care of, but they also get a peek into her life.

RAU COOPER’S MOM

Halle has been babysitting since sixth grade, having her mom drive her to jobs in middle school. She began babysitting Cooper because his parents work fulltime and needed a nanny after school so they contacted Halle to see if she would be interested.

“I ended up just reaching out to Halle, thinking maybe it was a long shot, just because I know she’s involved in a lot at school and busy,” Cooper’s mom Linda

During yearbook deadlines, Halle will bring home proofs — printed pages of the yearbook — to edit, and receive help from Cooper, who will stay up past when his brothers go to bed, looking over pages with her.

One day after school, the week the yearbook was due, Cooper visited SM East for one of Halle’s Hauberk deadlines — and was fed a healthy portion of candy by the yearbook editors.

“They’re just fun to hang out with and I can’t believe I make money doing this,”

B I L B L L L E

“Everyone has potential. Every person on this planet has something that they're good at, and they have unique gifts. As a teacher, it's really part of your job to appreciate that about kids and to try to help them be the best they can be.”

story by AVNI BANSAL

AROUND 15 ELEMENTARY schoolers were clustered together waiting at the crosswalk in front of Belinder Elementary School, chattering in the 60-degree afternoon air after a full school day. They stood behind a painted six-inch yellow line labeled “STOP.”

“What happened to your eye?” a kid in a bright green outfit asked.

“I got hit by a hockey stick!” another kid with a mullet answered proudly.

SM East parent Anne Lock laughs. Wearing a neon vest and visor, and rocking pink-tinted sunglasses, she presses the pedestrian button and steps onto the red-and-white crosswalk. She raises her bright red handheld stop sign. Her wide smile and wave act as a signal for the kids to go.

The loud, colorful cluster moves across the street — with some kids gripping a parent’s hand or others a hot pink scooter.

For Anne, this has become routine.

Every weekday for the past four years, she’s been at Belinder from 7:40 to 8:40 a.m. and 3 to 3:30 p.m., working as a crossing guard — a job she took up unexpectedly after the former crossing guard passed away.

CROSSING WITH

CONNECTIONS

After unexpectedly becoming a crossing guard, SM East parent Anne Lock has learned how the smallest moments matter

“I’m the first adult non-parent that [the kids] see,” Anne said. “It really helps just to be really nice and smiley. Not all kids like going to school — maybe they’ll get nervous or cry going in the door. I like being there and just being real.”

Anne knows around 80 elementary schoolers by name. She keeps track of who presses the pedestrian button each morning for three siblings, making sure Richie, Hank or Joey don’t have a turn two days in a row.

And every day, one boy comes up to Anne with a new stuffed animal to show her. She now knows that his stuffed eagle has a collar.

“These parents probably don’t realize how much I know,” Anne said. “I know what they have for breakfast. Half the time, I won’t even ask them a question. They just come up and tell me things.”

jacket that the crossing guard company gave me. I don’t care how stupid I look.”

But even when she’s dressed like a neon snowman in the middle of winter, she says the reason she sticks with the job is simple. She just likes seeing the kids.

IT REALLY helps just to be really nice and smiley. Not all kids like going to school — maybe they’ll get nervous or cry going in the door. I like being there and just being real.

ANNE LOCK CROSSING GUARD

But the job can be tough at times. Every February, Anne tells her husband she’s going to quit because of the cold.

“I wear snow pants if it’s below 40 degrees,” Anne said. “I have hand warmers and a heated vest that I got in a white elephant gift exchange. Then I wear three sweatshirts, and I have a huge

“Even on the coldest or rainiest day, I still cross at least 30 or 40 kids,” Anne said. “It’s really nice to be able to be there for them. And I know all of their names. They know me. I know their parents.”

Her son, junior Harrison Lock, has kept his mom company at the crosswalk around 10 times over the past four years, stopping by to say hello to old teachers and see Anne in action.

The first time he visited, he expected the job to be more of a “teacher thing.” Instead, he noticed how eager the kids were to talk to her.

“Even compared to the nicer teachers, I feel like they like her even more,” Harrison said.

He’s also heard stories about the unpredictable side of the job: bad drivers. Harrison said a car laid on its horn at his mom a month ago. Other times, drivers have blown through intersections right

to kids

before she signals students to cross.

While Anne has had to raise her voice at a student once or twice, Harrison said that usually isn’t necessary. Most of the time, the kids listen.

“When she talks about [crazy drivers] she seems surprised, but I bet when it happens, she’s pretty relaxed because that’s how she is in those situations,” Harrison said. “She focuses more on the kids and making sure they don’t [run across].”

At Hy-Vee over spring break, Anne ran into one of the elementary students she sees at Belinder every day.

Without her neon vest and hat, he didn’t recognize her at first — something she says happens often. So she gave him a hint, holding up her hand and saying “stop.”

When school started again, a teacher told Anne about a spring break assignment: three sentences about what each student did. The boy wrote about seeing Anne at Hy-Vee.

“You don’t even realize the impact that you have,” Anne said. “The kid I saw at HyVee went back and told his whole class that was his highlight of spring break. I think that family went to Seaside, [Florida], too, and he didn’t even mention that. He mentioned seeing me.”

A

Harrison Lock’s girlfriend, junior Gracyn Darrington, recalls cards from students on the Locks’ fridge, including one with a drawing of Anne in her yellow jacket that read “Happy Christmas.”

22 FEATURE

APRIL 27, 2026

SM East students share the stories behind their tattoos

Seniors Gail Diefendorf and Audrey Harbert celebrate their friendship through a matching banana slug tattoo

AFTER SENIORS GAIL

Diefendorf and Audrey Harbert fantasized about getting a tattoo together for a few years, the idea was finalized for them — at Chili’s. Over a triple dipper and iced tea, their idea of a matching banana slug tattoo had finally come to life, and they spent the duration of their dinner finding inspiration on Pinterest, with the tattoo now being scheduled for next week. The slug is placed on their lower arm and they’re symmetrically facing each other on the opposite arm. Both of them have gotten tattoos previously, and the banana slug was initially an inside joke between the two, but after finding out what the banana slug represents, they both knew

matching banana slugsto represent friendship

A&E

photo guess the

Take a look at these zoomed up photos of places around SM East and guess where they are

FSugar Llamas is a cute new sweets shop in Overland Park

OR MY SUNDAY donut outing — a tradition I made up in third grade — I decided to try Sugar Llamas, a new sweets shop that opened in the shopping center at 95th and Metcalf on April 6. Sugar Llamas is a midwestern chain known for its mini donuts, “dirty sodas,” ice cream and coffee in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where the franchise was started.

Upon entering the Sugar Llamas store in a stereotypical beige strip mall, I was met with a burst of neon colors from every corner of the room. A three-foot-tall stuffed llama stood by the ice cream counter on my left as I walked up to the register. When I told the man at the counter it was my first time visiting he immediately presented me with a free mini sugar-coated donut.

As I popped the sample mini donut in my mouth, I was pleasantly surprised. The donut wasn’t overly greasy or over fried, even though it was small — roughly the size of a golf ball. The miniature donut was crunchy at first, followed by melt-in-yourmouth contact with my taste buds.

At this first taste, I needed to order more.

The Sugar Llamas menu was slightly confusing

local spotlight

as their orders are based on how many flavors of mini donuts you want. I went with the option for sixteen mini donuts with four different flavors of my choosing. Along with my donuts, I ordered an iced caramel latte.

My coffee was swiftly prepared, and upon the first sip, was another surprise to my taste buds. The caramel flavor was faint in the background as the bitter coffee flavor took over — opposite my expectations of coffee from Sugar Llamas.

Then, a worker approached me with the box full of warm bite-sized donuts I had ordered. I brought the box to a table nearby before taste testing each of the four flavors I’d ordered: Cinnamon Roll, Peanut Butter Cup — my personal favorite — Cookies & Cream and Bam Berry.

The donuts were drizzled with colored sauces and toppings correlating to the flavors I ordered, but all had a sugar-coated base. The only flavor I didn’t like was the pink-and-yellow drizzled berry flavored donut that tasted too artificially sweetened.

While I couldn’t finish all the donuts due to the overpowering sweetness, I would recommend Sugar Llamas to anyone with a sweet tooth and an itch to try true, fresh donuts.

It’s Game Time

stories by SOPHIA BROCKMEIER

WORDLE IS LIKE Wordle is like the McDonald’s of fast food chains. The QuikTrip of gas stations. And definitely the Monopoly of board games.

You can’t possibly begin playing the New York Times games without a go-at-your-ownpace, word-focused game like Wordle. The game centers around guessing one five-letter word in six attempts — for those of you who haven’t visited the internet in the past five years.

Wordle’s by far my favorite NYT game. I love that the simple, word guessing puzzle can form a

W O R D L E S T R A N D S

LONG GONE ARE the days of simple, idyllic word searches. No longer is it enough to only find a word in a scramble of the alphabet; now you have to decode a vague clue and match each word in the scramble to this clue. Strands, a modern take on the word search, is overly complicated and unnecessarily vague.

This NYT game presents players with a 6x8 letter grid with one mysterious clue such as “Small change” or “We’re going under cover.” Then, players must find an average of seven words in the mess and one “Spangram” or word that touches opposite ends of the grid. Are you

community around interactions like “Did you get the Wordle today?” or “The Wordle was so impossible!” Because everyone’s Wordle is the same across the world, suddenly this 5-letter word becomes a unifying factor in everyone’s day.

The simplicity of Wordle is what gives the guessing game its strength. In fact, the game could hypothetically even be played with a pen and napkin at a coffee shop or the airport. The best games are those that don’t need a fancy setup or specific pieces. And Wordle fits just these requirements.

Five New York Times games each bring unique, or disappointing, experiences to gameplay

CONNECTIONS

STEP ASIDE OLD-FASHIONED mazes and Hangman. Connections is here to win the hearts of teenagers and retirees alike. When one clicks on Connections in the NYT app, they’re presented with 16 words, and have to sort them into four categories. Each category has varying levels of difficulty, signified by their color.

I’m a self-proclaimed Connections master. However, the infamous purple category — the hardest one — always stumps me. Well, on some days.

The purple category can range from “Things that are purple” (the answers were amethyst, eggplant, grimace and lavender) on Sept. 11,

PIPS

confused yet?

The pro? The clue can be interpreted in seemingly endless ways. The con? The clue can be interpreted in seemingly endless ways.

Most days, I spend my time just trying to figure out what the creators of Strands are trying to convey with their clue. Then, I’m lost in the maze of unfinished words, planted to make me fall for the creator’s trap. Strands is just too complicated and not a game meant for coffee shop napkins. I’d rather log onto my NYT account and play Wordle any day instead.

PIPS IS THE latest single-player NYT game, and let’s just say the domino-style game is not my favorite. If you’re looking for a mediocre challenge and a confusing “gameboard,” then behold Pips.

I’ll admit, I liked Pips at first. The bright colors and mathematical aspect of the game, of carefully arranging the dominoes in a pattern that fulfills all of the requirements, drew me in and the variability each day made me stay. However, once I began to play more than just once , I quickly learned that these are all just facades for an overall shallow

game. There’s no “end goal” or comparison with other players. Instead, the puzzle is set on a stopwatch to race yourself during playtime.

My favorite part of the Connections and Wordle is that I’m able to compare with other NYT game fanatics and shout in victory when I’ve guessed the word two chances before other players in Wordle or didn’t fall for the fake categories in Connections.

So, NYT games, to keep players engaged while arranging dominoes in Pips, add friendly-competition to fuel the game.

2024 to “Right” (the answer were the symbols “R”, an arrow, an angle and a checkmark) on April 1, 2025.

But I like this difference in difficulty of the purple categories. Some days I leave my puzzle-playing experience confident and proud that I guessed the hardest category first, while others I’m left defeated as I never guessed the matchings correctly.

So if you’re up for some unexpected difficulty or pleasantly easy puzzle, the Connections is only a click away.

T H E

M I N I

AH, AND FINALLY a breath of fresh air. Now, I present you with what the NYT does best since 1942 — crossword puzzles. Just this time, they’re a little smaller .

There’s no arguing that The Mini is a perfect way to warm up your brain in the morning before school or decompress after a stressful day of homework in bed. Structured like a typical crossword puzzle, with “across” and “down” clues, The Mini is simply a petite version — approximately only six by six squares.

As the saying goes, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. The Mini engages players as the clock runs at the top of the screen throughout

gameplay. When I finally muster up the courage to click the black “play” button on my screen, I enter (hopefully) 30 seconds of a mad frenzy to complete all the clues. And the ultimate punishment? Clicking the “Reveal Puzzle” button, unveiling my many mistakes, in defeat after I’ve taken an embarrassing amount of time to complete the small square.

So, The Mini easily encapsulates what the NYT games are all about — simplicity, time management and quick thinking — in a digestible size and player-friendly difficulty.

And let’s be honest, there’s nothing better than hearing the chime play when you finish a puzzle with 84 years of history behind it.

DRAMA DONE

The newest season of “Beef” was executed surprisingly well and proves Netflix can still produce a consistently good series... for now

RIGHT

IHATE WHEN a seemingly standalone movie or series gets a sequel or second season.

Money-grab continuations leave a bad taste in my mouth after a previously delicious piece of media. Not to say that “Jaws 3D” isn’t a masterpiece, but I think unnecessary sequels drag down the original work of art.

That brings me to Netflix’s “Beef,” which had a fantastic first season. To me, it would’ve ended as a great one-season show.

What I thought was a limited series kicked off with a small road rage incident between actors Steven Yeun and Ali Wong’s characters, eventually leading to a kidnapping, shootout and bloodbath, pulling a whirlwind of characters into the drama.

The show’s premise of a tiny conflict escalating to an out-of-control fiasco is both horrifying and fascinating. Yeun and Wong’s performances as self-loathing losers begged sympathy from viewers while calling for extreme judgment over the characters’ deranged actions. I finished the first season in two days because of this fresh and engaging structure.

But when I learned that “Beef” is actually an anthology series, due for a second season on April 16 with a completely new cast and story, I was afraid that Netflix wouldn’t be able to recreate the success of the first season without seeming unoriginal or forced, especially

after the fifth “Stranger Things” season flopped this past year.

I didn’t want to be left with that same terrible aftertaste.

However, season two balances those same tones of high-octane stress and inward reflection from season one while still maintaining an original plot and new, twisted characters. Of course, a small inciting incident between characters is still the catalyst for the beef.

ANTHOLOGY SERIES

A

where each season or episode is it’s own individual story with new characters and storylines

Cailee Spaney plays Ashley, who works a low-level job at a country club managed by Josh, played by Oscar Issac. Ashley finds Josh’s lost wallet and goes to his house to return it with her fiancé and coworker, Austin, played by Charles Melton. The young couple finds Josh and his wife, Lindsay, played by Carey Mulligan, in the middle of a heated argument about to turn violent. The two film their manager until they’re spotted and scared away.

After finding out she has an ovarian cyst the next day, Ashley decides to use the video as leverage against Josh to get a higher-ranking position with health insurance, thus kicking off a new feud and heating up the grill.

Josh and Lindsay then attempt to enact their revenge against Ashley and Austin in a back-and-forth game similar to the first season. But, for the sake of spoilers, I’d

encourage anyone interested to watch the show for themselves to fully experience the shocking moments in real time.

While the first season’s focus was on two insecure people finding solace in hating one another, the second is focused on how romantic relationships are affected in times of hardship. Contrasts from Josh and Lindsay’s marriage and Ashley and Austin’s engagement all provide a complex representation of how different older and younger relationships handle conflict.

Both couples fight with their partners about the morality of their actions during the feud while simultaneously combating their own internal struggles. The chemistry between the couples felt so seamless that I almost thought I was watching a mortifying reality TV show. Spaney and Mulligan especially deliver on all fronts, with the emotional complexity of an actual human being navigating these outlandish predicaments.

I’ve previously seen Spaney in “Priscilla,” which she was more than adequate in, but “Beef” showcases her true range, especially through Ashley’s desire to become a mother conflicting with her crumbling relationship with Austin. That same desire pushed Ashley to initially blackmail Josh, and the breakdown of her psyche as she copes with her decisions, past and present, is portrayed painstakingly well.

That pain goes for all the characters in “Beef,” though, who are indisputably terrible people. But that seems to be the point of the show. By taking seemingly normal characters and slowly presenting

them with situations where they can choose to risk the safety and sanctity of their lives for petty revenge and personal gain, the show grips its viewers by the darkest parts of their minds — the parts that would do the same in those situations.

Some viewers may find the escalation of circumstances to be disorienting or too outlandish to enjoy, especially after watching seemingly normal characters progress into these out-of-this-world scenarios. But seeing these characters develop into more malicious people through the adverse situations they’re presented with is some of the best writing I’ve seen all year, and the most creative work Netflix has ever made.

Yet I don’t think season two would’ve worked if the main casting was any different, which worries me about the future of “Beef.”

Did Netflix get lucky with casting compatible actors, or do they have the “Beef” recipe down to a science? While no third season is confirmed, creator Lee Sung Jin has expressed interest in continuing the series if inspired, as he based the first season off of his own roadrage experience, and season two on a married couple’s argument he overheard.

While I’m not sure how well “Beef”’s success predicts the future of Netflix’s consistency in television, I know I was already proven wrong with season two. I predict a third season would more than meat my expectations for another juicy and complicated mind-burger of a show.

And I’m hungry.

Pep Club organized the annual school-wide “Lip Dub” video that occurs every four years and features different activities and clubs

volume

RIGHT Seniors and SHARE execs Vivian Fraley, Charlotte Wissel and Maile Tormohlen lip sync to “Choosin’ Texas,” by Ella Langley for SHARE’s part of the “Lip Dub.” “My favorite part about the Lip Dub was seeing all the different clubs and sports get dressed up, and seeing how much fun everyone was having,” Tormohlen said. “It was fun to have a small group because we all coordinated what we were going to do.”

“Unwritten”

RIGHT SM East alum Calen Domingues films members of the student body singing to “Party in the U.S.A,” by Miley Cyrus during the last part of the “Lip Dub” before all students gathered in the gym. “Coming back to East was definitely a full circle moment for me,” Domingues said. “It was where I started my career in pursuing videography and got me to the place where I am today. I give my credit to the Lancer community for always supporting my work because I know I wouldn’t be where I am without them.”

BELOW Different clubs and activities made signs and other decorations for their part in the

LEFT After each activity and clubs’ part of the “Lip Dub,” students met in the gym to perform the school song together, led by the Pep Club.

“Planning the Lip Dub and seeing it all come together and how the whole student body came together as one at the end of the year is so special,” senior, Pep Exec Georgia Boyd said. “It’s just rewarding to see everyone so excited, and represent what they love about East. I know it’s going to be a memory that they’ll watch forever.”

SPORTS

UPCOMING EVENTS

GIRLS VARSITY SOCCER 4/28 vs OLATHE SOUTH 7 p.m.

@ Olathe District Athletic Complex Soccer Field

Approaching spring sports events to look forward to

GIRLS VARSITY SWIM 4/29 vs SM SOUTH 3:30 p.m. @ SM Aquatic Center

GIRLS VARSITY SWIM & DIVE

BOYS VARSITY BASEBALL 4/30 vs OLATHE NORTH 4:30 p.m. @ Creekside Baseball Complex

Girls varsity swim and dive participated in a meet against BV North on April 21

GIRLS VARSITY SOFTBALL 5/4 VS. BV NORTHWEST 4 p.m.

@ BV District Activities Complex

ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT

Sophomore Landry Duchene shares her experience as a goalkeeper on JV/varsity girls soccer

LANDRY DUCHENE SOPHOMORE

I PLAY CLUB throughout the year, and I’m on a platform team, one of the higher levels, I play ECRL. We practice four times a week, and I do goalkeeper training. So far we’ve had a pretty good season — we’re undefeated, we also played in our Olathe championship game and ended up winning.

CONNECTIONS

THE BEYOND

COURT

SM East teachers have a volleyball league called “The Lancer Teachers”

story by EFFIE ROPER

AS SOUNDS OF ricocheting volleyballs echo through the hollow arena and sneakers squeak on the glossy court, a group of seven SM East teachers dressed in Columbia Blue shirts, hoodies and sweatshirts are warming up, laughing between passes while calling out unserious plays.

When a teacher brought up the idea of creating a volleyball league at a staff meeting, hands raised across the room in support. After one person joined, it became a team of two, then three and now seven teachers make up the “Lancer Teachers” volleyball team.

The “Lancer Teachers” consist of varying educators spanning six departments – science teachers Joshua Parker and Meghan Stanley, special education teacher Gabriella Kolker, school social worker Leah Starks, social studies teacher Jacob Penner, Spanish teacher Abra Scanlon and math teacher Samantha Newlin.

The league quickly turned into one of the most unexpected highlights of the first semester, according to Kolker. A staff volleyball team that brought teachers from across the school together through growing connections, teamwork friendly volleyball tournaments.

basics while the others hadn’t played volleyball since high school.

Still, that didn’t stop anyone from diving into a new hobby— sometimes, literally diving in to score a point.

“We had a lot of fun and we laughed a lot,” Kolker said, “Sometimes we hit the ball off each other’s heads, but it was enjoyable.”

eyond the volleyball court, the team has created an unexpected community. Teachers who work on the first to the fifth floor used to only exchange quick greetings at meetings or in the busy hallways; now, they spend time playing together and building teamwork.

THOSE SIX WEEKS were always something I looked forward to. No matter how stressful things get, that was a really joyful thing to do.

JACOB PENNER SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER

The league began with a simple goal: create a time for teachers to connect outside of the walls of SM East.

Before matches, the teammates drive to the Berkeley River Market downtown every Monday for a pre-game meal. These gatherings have become just as important as the tournaments themselves. They give teachers a chance to unwind after long periods of teaching and grading homework and come together, according to Starks.

And before their tournaments, with no planned practices, the team warms up and plays three matches against a range of people from all around Kansas City from Prairie VIllage to Westport. Throughout their season, they played a total of six games, or 18 matches.

The teammates admit that not everyone had experience. Most were beginners, still learning the

THE OFFICIAL ROSTER

“This is my first year [teaching] at [SM East] so I wasn’t sure how I was going to make friends and meet new people,” Starks said. “It was really nice to be able to meet new people, especially since some of us are in different departments.”

And while there were no practices, there was still improvement. When the team first started, Penner had no experience and used to hit the volleyball into the net, but by the end of the season in October, he could do an overhand serve onto the opposing team’s side.

As the team started the first match, they weren’t focused on anything but having a fun time; finishing the season with a 1-6 record.

After the season, there was consideration of adding other activities, like kickball to expand their involvement in extracurriculars. But for now, the focus remains on their volleyball team for next year with no prepping and playing for the team bonding.

“I thought that was a really positive part of my life during that time,” Penner said. “Those six weeks were always something I looked forward to. No matter how stressful things get, that was a really joyful thing to do.”

“The Lancer Teachers” official roster with their subject and time spent at SM East

SCIENCE

JOSHUA PARKER 2 years at East MEGHAN STANLEY

5 years at East MATH

SAMANTHA NEWLIN

3 years at East

SOCIAL WORKER

LEAH STARKS

1 year at East

SOCIAL STUDIES

JACOB PENNER

3 years at East

SPANISH

ABRA SCANLON 2 years at East

SPECIAL EDUCATION

MS. KOLKER

3 years at East

A VAULTING

VOYAGE

Reeves’ journey to reaching his personal school record

8’6”

April 1, 2025

Reeves’ first JV meet

10’0”

May 2, 2025

Reeves’ first varsity meet

12’1”

May 7, 2025

Set freshman record

13’3”

April 10, 2026

Reeves hit his PR

Sophomore Chase Reeves is the second-best pole vaulter in the state and was the lead of the last two winter plays for SM East Theatre

POLE POLE

story by ELIOT HIGGINS

ASTUDENT WHO can say they were the lead role in a musical can be called a great actor.

A pole vaulter who can say they hold the best vault for a freshman can be called an exceptional athlete.

But for sophomore Chase Reeves, a pole vaulter and theatre star, who holds both of these accomplishments. Reeves would be best considered as multi-talented. But after participating in theatre for a majority of his life, pole vaulting is taking over as his main passion.

Reeves began acting in the fourth grade and has been performing in various shows ever since. He played lacrosse for a short period in his early elementary days. Once Reeves began high school, he started to miss playing a sport after having only done theatre since fourth grade.

Peters, this is more than attainable.

“I think he should have the school record by senior year,” Peters said. “That’s a long road, and a lot of things have to happen in the right order.”

Peters even goes as far as to say Reeves is the second-best freshman and is on progress to be the best sophomore vaulter Peters has ever coached according to Peters.

I THINK HE should have the school record by senior year. That’s a long road and a lot of things have to happen in the right order.

ERIC PETERS HEAD COACH

Reeves had narrowed it down to either lacrosse or track. Ultimately, he decided on track because he “thought it would be less of a commitment.”

Over time, however, Reeves found himself enjoying using a thirteen-foot pole to spring himself over a bar more than singing singles and wanted to spend more time practicing vaulting.

“I think the beginning of this season has really been like, maybe I should go farther with this to college, and I’m really just enjoying it,” Reeves said.

Reeves’ utmost goal is to break the school’s record vault of 15’5” by senior year. Currently, Reeves is at 13’3”. According to Head Pole Vault Coach Eric

Even though theatre is becoming less of a priority for Reeves after starting pole vaulting, it still plays a role in his life. During the last two school plays, Reeves’ afternoons were spent backstage.

“The last two years I’ve been the lead, so [rehearsals] were pretty much every day during the musical,” Reeves said.

Reeves’ pole vaulting is even more time-consuming.

During the pole vaulting season, Reeves practices from 3:30 to 6 p.m every day. On most weekends, Reeves will drive to SM East to practice sprints for an hour by himself. There are also year-round programs that Reeves attends, including SM East Summer Pole Vault. During last year’s school play, daily winter rehearsals overlapped with pole vaulting clubs.

However, Peters recognizes that theatre is also important to Reeves and therefore can’t fully commit all his time to vaulting,

“His biggest weakness is I don’t get enough time with him,” Peters said.

But with great talent comes great scholarship opportunities.

Although scholarships are definitely a possibility for Reeves, he doesn’t want to be tied down by pole vaulting.

“I don’t want to have to settle for a [division three] school, I want to have more of a college experience,” Reeves said.

Reeves has a 4.7 GPA, which gives more freedom when exploring colleges outside of sports. Instead of primarily pole vaulting, Reeves has a more academic focus for college. He recently got into a designcentered career path after researching different futures.

LAST YEAR I struggled with balancing [pole vaulting and theatre], but now that I’ve gotten better, I’m committing more to pole vaulting a little bit.

CHASE REEVES SOPHOMORE

“Last year I struggled with balancing pole vaulting and theatre, but now that I’ve gotten better, I’m committing more to pole vaulting a little bit,” Reeves said.

Reeves’s theatre has never interfered with spring pole vaulting, according to Peters.

Reaves wants to go to an out-ofstate college for architecture. If given the chance, Reeves would also pole vault for one of those hypothetical schools. Through trying to balance both pole vaulting and theatre, Reeves learned something about himself.

“I realize I want to put my time and energy into what’s going to take me farther in the future.”

ducking THE RULES

“DUCKING” OTHER JEEPS

Jeep owners follow a set of unspoken rules

Jeep owners place rubber ducks on other Jeeps they see, and these ducks are then placed in the windshield of the car.

THE JEEP WAVE

When passing each other on the road Jeep drivers wave to one another.

History: The Jeep wave is believed to have originated in WWII when the first version of the Jeep was used in combat. Drivers would give a two finger wave as a moral boost.

BOB MELMAN LARRY MARTYMIKE

Jeep owners have a tradition of displaying ducks in their windshield and SM East students with Jeeps share their duck experiences

IT

from Jeep.com

2020 The “ducking” tradition began in a small town in Canada when a Jeep driver bought rubber ducks and gave one to another Jeep owner with a kind note.

COVID-19

The note reading “Have a great day” was meant to spread kindness during the pandemic.

#DUCK DUCK

JEEP The duck recipient posted it on Instagram and #duckduckjeep began.

junior senior Mary began adding ducks to her collection after being ducked a week after getting her car in eighth grade. sophomore business teacher

MARSDEN mary

DUCKING EXPERIENCES

The people Mary has ducked and where she ducked them was ducked at a DECA competition sydney roth was ducked for the first time by Mary after getting her first car