the harbinger
SHAWNEE MISSION EAST 7500 MISSION ROAD PRAIRIE VILLAGE, KS 66208 SEPTEMBER 14, 2026 VOLUME LXIX ISSUE 2
DROWNING? A generation of students raised socially and academically reliant on social media faces restricted access after the Meta lawsuit
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cover design by AVNI BANSAL page design by ALEX HARDEN
SEPTEMBER 8, 2026
online preview
political cartoon
political cartoon by HUDSON TERREROS
staff list EDITORS
PRINT EDITORS Avni Bansal Michael Yi ASST. PRINT EDITORS Alex Harden Sloane Henderson ONLINE EDITORS Caroline Beal Christopher Long ASST. ONLINE EDITOR Bridget Dean HEAD COPY EDITOR Grace Pei ASST. HEAD COPY EDITOR Reese Dunham DESIGN EDITORS Evelyn Bagley Lucy Swope ASST. DESIGN EDITORS Maddie Glasier Kennedy Moore ART EDITORS Julia Campbel Francesca Lorusso ASST. ART EDITORS Eisley Foster Hudson Terreros PHOTO EDITORS Addie Clark Sylvie DeGalan Tyler Russell Ava Towner ASST. PHOTO EDITORS Sophia Cicero Molly McDermed
VIDEO EDITORS Evelyn Geheb Emma Weidman ASST. VIDEO EDITORS Lucy Cattano Ana Schaefer
ART STAFF ARTISTS Abigail Baltzell Kennedy Garwood Trip Hagman Lila Henry
DESIGN
PHOTO
PAGE DESIGNERS Adyson Cooper Chloe Criss Sara Garry Anya Hudson Olivia Knighton Grace Marin Tillie Paisner SECTION EDITORS EDITORIAL Kennedy Moore NEWS Jack Fitzpatrick OPINION Lucy Cattano FEATURE Claire Troutwine
PHOTO MENTORS Vivien Glenski Liv Ruecker Bella Thompson Charlotte Walton
A&E Emily Enger SPORTS Alex Harden
STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS Holland Baldassaro Allie Beaulieu Anastasia Flower Graham Gehab Lincoln Godfrey Sadie Jolicoeur Layla Love Ashley Ramos Maggie Rogers MULTIMEDIA STAFF Porter Anderson Eli De La Cruz Rowan McGill EQUIPMENT MANAGER Tyler Russell
Read about ELA teacher Hannah Kipp’s Kansas Horizon Award nomination story by GRACE PEI WRITING
STAFF WRITERS Vanessa Blades Anne Bowser Aynslee Douglass Grace Gould Eliot Higgins Elena Hull Evie Lewis Mary Kate Ruane Willow Roberts Ashlyn Van Becelaere Sienna Williams COPY EDITORS Effie Roper Addy Newman
DIGITAL MEDIA
DIGITAL MEDIA EDITORS Evelyn Bagley Ashtyn Ingram ASST. DIGITAL MEDIA EDITORS Eisley Foster Devon McFadden DIGITAL MEDIA STAFF Libby Fitzpatrick Lainey Hunter Olivia Knighton Berkeley Robinson Anna Sullinger
Play this week’s Wordle at smeharbinger.net game by BRIDGET DEAN
BUSINESS ADS MANAGERS Aynslee Douglass Maggie Rogers CIRCULATION MANAGER Lainey Hunter CONTEST COORDINATORS Sloane Henderson Charlotte Walton PROMOTION MANAGER Zac Russell ASST. PROMOTION MANAGER Avra Welling
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 of Shawnee Mission East High School or the Shawnee Mission School District. The Harbinger will not share any unpublished content outside of staff, but quoted 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, multiple letters on the same topic or any commentary deemed insensitive within the letter. The Harbinger will not edit content, though letters may be edited for clarity, length, mechanics or profanity. Letters should be sent to Room 400 or emailed to smeharbinger@gmail.com.
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news
kc underground film fest
The Kansas City Underground Film Festival gives independent filmmakers a platform to share unique stories
by GRACE GOULD
THE KANSAS CITY Underground Film Festival will be held Sept. 11-19 at the Charlotte Street Foundation in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. The KC Underground Film Festival gives independent filmmakers a place to show their movies that might not get the chance to be aired on streaming services or in a traditional theater. Works can range from horror and comedy, to documentaries and animation, regardless of run time, genre or budget. “We really wanted to have something that
was centrally located, that was accessible and that people could come to and enjoy movies without needing to go out to the suburbs or pay a bunch of money for tickets or passes,” Willy Evans, co-creator of the festival, told KCUR. Instead of choosing movies based on commercial potential, festival organizers look for films with unique storylines and filmmakers who have something meaningful to say through their work. Junior Landon Solenberger says he’s excited for the festival.
bat watching & meditation by GRACE GOULD MOONLIT MINDFULNESS
BAT
Watching & Meditation will take place from 7:30-8:30 p.m. on Sept. 26 at Franklin Park. The night features bat watching, meditation and education about the environment. While the event itself is free, organizers encourage donations to support future programming. Local bat enthusiast Briana Anderson
will lead participants through the park, looking for bats flying through the trees. Throughout the walk, Anderson and other hosts explain why bats are important to the environment and how people can help protect them. Towards the end of the night and as the full moon rises, Amy Zoe Schonhoff, founder of Mindfulness in the Heartland, will lead a meditation centered around the full moon, the transition into fall
“People really only go and watch movies when they’re large productions with tens of hundreds of millions of dollars put into it,” Solenberger said “I’m looking to broaden myself by watching smaller productions.”
Bat meditation combines mindfulness with the sights and sounds of Kansas City’s nighttime wildlife
and humans’ connection with bats. Schonhoff said in an interview with IN Kansas City, “different forms of meditation can help people practice mindfulness.” The event reflects the organizers goal of using nature to help people slow down and reconnect with their surroundings. The organization recommends bringing water, a jacket and camping chair, if possible. The paved trail is
wheelchair-accessible, and children are welcome if they can remain quiet during meditation.
Kansas City Renaissance Festival brings history renaissance festival returns The to life through medieval entertainment by GRACE GOULD LOCATED IN BONNER Springs, the Kansas City Renaissance Festival is celebrating its 50th season this year. It runs Saturdays and Sundays from Sept. 5 through Oct. 18, and on Monday, Oct. 12. Most festival days run from around 10 a.m. to 7 p.m, but times could vary. Visitors enter a medieval-inspired village filled with costumed characters, shops, food and live entertainment. Some festival favorites include: the giant turkey legs, music, juggling, fire performances and jousting. Jousting tournaments, the most popular event at the festival, are held three times a day at 1, 3 and 5 p.m.
The festival began in 1977 as a benefit for the Kansas City Art Institute. Since then, it has grown into one of the largest Renaissance festivals in the country, drawing around 200,000 visitors annually. Performer Rod Sipe, who has spent decades performing his comedic and dangerous fire-eating act at the festival, explained the dedication behind his work. “It’s all timing, technique and feel,” Sipe told KCUR in a 2022 interview. “If you really want to do it, you’ll do it.” That sense of belonging has also inspired artists outside the festival. Filmmaker and former Renaissance Festival performer Jessica
Dressler helped create “Rennie” a comedy movie featuring quirky performers at a small-town Renaissance Festival and how the festival gives them a place to find friendship, love and a sense of belonging to their true selves. The movie was filmed at the Kansas City Renaissance Festival in October 2024. “It was the first place that I honestly felt I came to myself as a young adult,” Dressler said in an interview with KCUR.
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news
SEPTEMBER 14, 2026
design by BERKELEY ROBINSON art by KENNEDY MOORE story by SIENNA WILLIAMS
ONE STEP FORWARD The City of Mission Hills has bought the First Lutheran Church and is now working with residents to discuss what will replace it
WHAT’S THE LUTHERAN CHURCH? How Lutheran differs from the Catholic church
The Authority of Scripture believe only scripture has the authority and ability to determine doctrine
The Doctrine of Justification believes a person is saved only by God’s grace through one’s faith in Christ faith in Jesus is all that matters when it comes to salvation
Authority of the Pope don’t believe that the office of the papacy as such has any divine authority or that Christians need to submit to the pope’s authority
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Lee said several possibilities are being has been a part of Mission Hills discussed however, no final decision has for decades on the corner of been made. To gather residents’ ideas, Mission 6400 State Line Road. Now plans to demolish the building and replace it Hills held public engagement sessions with something new have left residents where residents could discuss what they wondering what will come next for the value about the property and would like to see it with the use of land. property. In May. 5th, 2026, two meetings were The church first approached the city about potentially selling the property in held at Indian Hills Country Club with a early 2024 after struggling to determine total of 142 people gathering. According to a summary report over the how to sustain the church and whether it could remain on the site. After months meetings, Mayor Andy Weed explained to of discussions, Mission Hills officially residents how the acquisition opportunity came along with why the purchased the property City Council chose to for $3.2 million on Aug. I THINK ANY of approve the purchase. 18, 2025, according to City these options would be In the summary report, Administrator Jennifer Lee. Weed also introduced the Lee said the city ultimately really cool and make a 6400 Task Force: a group decided to purchase the more exciting place for of Mission Hills officials church to protect the future residents to go. and residents with of the property so they professional experience HARPER could help determine the who were assembled to best outcome that would be ANDERSON help evaluate the future sophomore beneficial to the City. of the site. He explained “We’ve been longtime partners [with the church] in many things, how they’ll assist the community in and just had a good relationship, and they determining the future possibilities for said, hey, we’re struggling a little bit,” Lee the site. Rather than asking residents to choose said. “We just knew that we wanted to be involved in that process and really kind of between specific plans, the sessions focused on identifying priorities for the control what happens next.” According to Lee, the church is staying site and what role it could play in the open while Mission Hills considers the community, according to Lee. The community discussed what would next steps for the property. The city make the property successful in the years agreed to lease the property back to the church for at least 18 months, giving city ahead and voted on potential options. In officials time to evaluate the condition of the summary report, the most popular the building to future consider possible vote amongst residents was, greenspace and community gathering areas or parks uses for what the site will become. As part of the process, the city is seeking and open lawns. Within the summary report, financial input from Mission Hills residents before deciding what will replace the future lot of responsibility remained a top concern amongst residents, as they reportedly empty land.
HE FIRST LUTHERAN Church
“
questioned long-term costs and taxpayer impacts, potential tax increases, the financial rationale for the purchase and demolition versus renovation costs. Traffic, parking and neighborhood impacts were also discussed, as they considered potential overflow and limited spaces for cars to park, pedestrian safety and noise construction possibilities, according to the summary report. “I think we’re hoping for this feedback after the fall session will kind of help us down the path of what the next phase is,” Lee said. Sophomore and Mission Hills resident Harper Anderson said the church’s presence has been noticeable in her neighborhood for years. “I’m kind of surprised because it’s been there for so long,” Anderson said. “Some of my neighbors go there or their kids go to preschool there.” Anderson said she supports demolishing the building and thinks the new property could become something that gives residents another place to gather. “I think any of these options would be really cool and make a more exciting place for residents to go,” Anderson said. After decades as a church, the site could take on a new role in the community — but for now, d i s c u ss i o n s are still being had.
design by AVA TOWNER
photostory
FRIDAY NIGHT
THE HARBINGER
SCAN ME PHOTO Scan the QR code to purchase photos from Friday Night Lights
Friday Night Lights had its annual football scrimmages, arts performances and community gathering on Aug. 28 RIGHT Seniors Maya Monyakula, Marni Thurston and Rubi Hakes lead the girls flag football team onto the field for their introduction into the SM East community. “It was welcoming because we got to show everyone that this program is in place and we are ready to play,“ Hakes said. “I think everyone in the audience was shocked because of how many girls we had.”
LEFT Sophomore Jackson Wharton high-fives coach Wayde Pelc’s son during warmups for JV and varsity’s scrimmage. photo by BELLA THOMPSON
photo by BELLA THOMPSON
RIGHT Senior Hannah Klumpp dances in the Lancer Dancers “Boom Boom Pow” routine, choreographed by Klumpp and senior Lancer Dancers Marlowe Wagner and Maci Grecian. They performed this routine after the freshman and eighth grade scrimmage. “It was so much fun, and I loved seeing the kids show up for the East community,“ Wagner said. “It’s our favorite dance to perform.” photo by AVA TOWNER
LEFT The event took place on the football field, where family and friends brought chairs and blankets to watch. Due to the heat, people moved into the shade. photo by AVA TOWNER
LEFT The event
had a Kona Ice truck, where kids lined up and waited for shaved ice. The line wait time reached 35 minutes. Catered barbecue meals were also available for $10. photo by AVA TOWNER
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opinion
design by LUCY CATTANO
hot take
*Instagram poll of 240 votes
WHERE IS YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO GET COFFEE? HATTIES 10% STARBUCKS
72%
THE ROASTERIE 13% DUNKIN’ DONUTS 5%
comic strip
I
story by BRIDGET DEAN
The Village needs more local coffee shops
LOCAL coffee shops. Hattie’s, Hi Hat, Messenger, The Roasterie, Front Range, the list goes on. But as a resident of the neighborhoods surrounding the Village shops, my options are limited for getting coffee. French Market is great, but they don’t open until 8 a.m. — 20 minutes after school begins. Dolce, also great, but they specialize in bakery pastries and price all of their goods too expensively, including their $8.50 seasonal sweet coffees. Starbucks mobile orders get backed up and are never ready in time. Their chain coffee is generic and heading more towards trending energy and protein drinks instead of authentic espresso. LOVE
Though it’s technically a coffee shop, it’s not the close-knit locality I hope for. I’m not trying to hate against the options for coffee in the village, but I would appreciate an additional authentic shop, one where I can smell the espresso roasting just from passing by the store. One where I don’t have to be delayed 20 minutes to get my coffee, but rather, a barista who knows my name and usual order when I walk in the door. I found this at Hattie’s Coffee in Corinth. Upon entering the workers smile and ask how my morning is, unlike the brainwashed, overworked Starbucks employees. When another high schooler came in after me, the workers knew her by name and asked her about school. However, Hattie’s isn’t on my way to
school half the time and isn’t the most convenient. Maybe this shop does online mobile orders, maybe they don’t. Maybe they make food, maybe not. They can be whatever type of coffee shop they want as long as they are true towards authentic espresso that more than 125 million people across the world — including me — need to get through the day, according to fairtrade.net. I hope the city of Prairie Village hears my cry for a local coffee shop and that sometime in the near future, a new Crows Coffee or Cafe Corazon will open to fuel my coffee-addicted desires.
take our polls @smeharbinger
we asked you
Students’ opinions on Lancer day *Instagram poll of 288 votes
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE PART OF LANCER DAY? FLOAT DECORATING PARADE
37%
PEP RALLY 11% FOOTBALL GAME *Instagram poll of 286 votes
DO YOU LIKE THIS YEARS’ LANCER DAY THEME? YES NO
46% 54%
50%
2%
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editorial
SEPTEMBER 14, 2026
Character
k a e W
The Other Options
Different items that SM East could’ve purchased instead of Character Strong New Speaker System $3,000 New Science Supplies $5,000-$15,000
New Bathroom Stall Doors $350 per stall New TVs $60,000-$70,000
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design by KENNEDY MOORE cartoon by EISLEY FOSTER
Character Strong, SMSD’s solution to social-emotional wellness for high schoolers, is an overpriced, low-quality and poorly implemented program that shouldn’t be required
HEN YOU FIRST hear
about high school, the first thing they warn you about is the workload. Every class has homework, and missing a day means hours of catching up. But thank goodness for the two weekly study halls the district has built into schedules — seminar. With 90 minutes on Tuesday and 45 on Thursday, seminar offers the freedom high school is supposed to be all about. The freedom to meet with teachers, make up that physics lab everyone forgot was due or even just play table football and chat about weekend plans. But instead of seminar on Thursday, it’s advisory. 45 minutes dedicated to teachers across the school, begrudgingly clicking through a slideshow about some cliché school values. The Shawnee Mission School District decided that spending $459,770 on Character Strong, an overpriced socialemotional wellness program, was more important than student work time. Every SMSD student and teacher has now traded a weekly 45 minutes of work t i m e for a basic daily question, a seemingly-AI instructional video, some
cryptic slides and an activity like “Explain how your favorite TV show reflects your personality.” SMSD should eliminate the Character Strong curriculum from Thursday advisory because of its cost, lack of consistency and inability to resonate with high schoolers. The almost-$500,000 price SMSD spends on Character Strong is 20% more expensive than the median cost of a two-bedroom house in the U.S., according to Redfin. For SMSD, that’s eight entry level school psychologist’s salary for a year, according to SMSD’s wage matrix. Let’s pretend for a second that it’s not about the cost. It’s just as much about what a $500,000 Character Strong package gets you. It’s half a million dollars for questions of the day like, “Do you prefer pancakes or waffles?” or “If you could teach a subject in school, what would it be?” and slides designed with clip art graphics and videos preaching kindness and empathy. If SMSD wants superficial questions and basic slide templates, a free Canva subscription can do that job quite well. Heck, there are even dozens of free socialemotional wellness programs available online, including multiple unit programs by Yale University researchers. Character Strong’s quality isn’t the sole problem. Character Strong simply hasn’t been properly implemented for its cost. SMSD’s Character Strong subscription receipt mentioned “professional learning” as part of their rollout. But if they did such a great job training SMSD teachers, then why do students have different experiences depending on the classroom they’re in during advisory? Some teachers ignore it. Others click through the slides to make sure administrators can see they at least opened the “activity” for the week. Even the teachers that force students to sit through Character Strong and ignore the pile of classwork students have been assigned have zero interest in dedicating almost an hour per week to reteach high schoolers about kindness and compassion. Character Strong’s implementation isn’t even the weakest part. It’s the program itself. The curriculum Character Strong advertises as a “system that meets the needs of students” treats students like children. Imagine being a high school student. After rising through over a decade of education, most highschoolers are close to legal adulthood where freedoms like voting or buying a lotto ticket are in sight.
But, every Thursday, SMSD students sit through videos overexplaining kindness, sharing is caring and stranger danger. A system that treats students like infants doesn’t help them understand the importance of social niceties. What if a student is actually struggling with anxiety and procrastination? A cheery, basic slideshow with “The Importance of Not Procrastinating” won’t magically turn their work in on time. The moment teachers click open the weekly Character Strong and read the script written by for-profit educational mercenaries, all 1,800 students at SM East are playing New York Times games, checking their emails or scanning the posters lining each classroom. Students would sooner recreate the original Coca-Cola recipe than be talked down to by a video created by an ed-tech company happy to exchange their spleen for another subscription sold. Character Strong is meant to unite students, teachers and school districts in a wholesome connection, but as far as SMSD is concerned, it’s just another investment in the red. Character Strong is meant to be SMSD’s solution to the national high school problem of social-emotional wellness. A study done by two university psychology professors and researchers, found that across 213 social-emotional wellness programs and by studying almost 300,000 students, academic achievement improved by an average of 11%, according to Wiley Online Library. A focus on wellbeing helped dozens of school districts make true progress in academic proficiency, so it’s obvious SMSD is going after the same results. But for SMSD, Character Strong simply isn’t the right system. It’s pricey, improperly standardized across advisory periods and doesn’t resonate with students. At some point, SMSD must remember that the funding they’re given is the result of hard-working taxpayers, and doesn’t give them the right to go on technological shopping sprees. It’s near impossible to determine SMSD’s perfect fit solution to social-emotional wellness from an outside perspective, but it’s certainly not Character Strong. How about we cut our losses and terminate our contract with Character Strong before teachers and students continue to question whether SMSD cares more about them or checking off the box of social-emotional wellness?
design by ANNA SULLINGER photos by ASHLEY RAMOS story by MARY KATE RUANE
L ALL FOR A
LOGO The drop business model is inefficient and inconvenient for most buyers
SHOP THE
DROP
. . . . .
The pros and cons of brands using the drop business model
PROS
CONS
Builds excitement and attention around new products
Makes customers feel pressured and rushed to buy items
Makes products feel exclusive and special
Can frustrate customers who miss out on products
Little extra inventory, which means less risk of unsold products
Builds customer loyalty with reliable repeat drops
Limits the number of sales because there are less products available
Can lead to resellers buying products just to sell them for much higher
opinion OOKING
AROUND
THE
halls of SM East, one item seems to be a staple in many girls’ wardrobes – a Parke sweatshirt. With its arched letters and mockneck style, it’s hard to miss. But what does it take to get these sweatshirts? Parke operates on a “drop” business model. They curate collections based on season, style and material. They put the drop up for sale at a particular time on a particular day, meaning it’s near impossible to buy because of scheduling conflicts and glitches in their computer system. The drop business model is inefficient and inconvenient for buyers. When the collections drop, teenagers and middle-aged mothers alike race to the website. If students have class, they have their parents help them. For a sweatshirt. It feels life-or-death. The website shuts down until 9 a.m. CST. Once you add your items to your cart and go to check out, you get put in a queue for 10 minutes. But it’s never just 10 minutes. As the queue clock ticks down to zero, you think you’ve made it. After all, you were on the website at 10 a.m. sharp and only buying one thing. But then it knocks you back to 18 minutes. By the time you get down to zero again, the sweatshirt is out of stock. The next drop, it happens again. Maybe you get a hair clip if you’re lucky, but those cost $17 and are the same quality as any random one you could buy online, just with a huge logo on it. As it turns out, thousands of consumers are having the same issue as you. Too much traffic to the website causes it to glitch out. Then, if by a miracle you manage to buy something, it takes forever to
THE HARBINGER ship. Yes, it’s a lot for a brand to ship at once, but for still paying a shipping fee you would expect it to be handled better. And that’s only Parke. Many other brands also operate on a drop business model, with the same inefficient shipping and lack of stock. Drops and collections are often curated based on season and current trends. Although they’re undoubtedly popular, they’ll soon go out of style. While they can be seen everywhere, they can feel elusive because of the website glitches and high price tag. So how are so many people getting them if the website glitches so bad every single drop? Well, some people get lucky. Some have multiple devices open to the website for the occasion. And a lot of people get them from resellers. Resellers use platforms like Depop, Poshmark and Mercari to hike up prices. I’ve seen Parke items listed at $300, and a lot of the time, they sell quickly. But why? Reselling is a business model in which a product is purchased and later sold for a profit. In using a drop business model, brands are resigning themselves to resellers. If there’s an illusion of limited stock, a product is
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in higher demand, because the current clothing trends are so much about exclusivity. A brand may sell its product out, but the business model only hurts consumers. In creating such an urgency, it leads buyers to impulsively purchase, and soon secondhand sellers are free to hike up the prices by hundreds of dollars. The allure of having an exclusive item is understandable, but is it worth it? Although the business model is beneficial to the brand, it’s only beneficial to the brand. Decisions are not being made with customers in mind, and the only reason to purchase is for the feeling of “exclusivity.” Due to the popularity of Parke and its iconic mockneck, other brands have begun to copy the style. These brands are able to ship more efficiently and with greater care for packaging. They’re cheaper because they’re not as popularized. When they go out of style, donating them feels like less of a waste of money. There’s no reason for customers to be paying so much for a sweatshirt, a casual article of clothing, other than for the logo, which just so happens to be some influencer’s last name. The demand is a product of social media. There have always been popular brands, but when buyers have access to styles not just from their own community but from the whole world, fashion “trends” are often simply something the algorithm has picked on. Consumers need to focus on their own opinions. It’s not wrong to like the style, but is it worth the money? Ultimately, it’s up to the individual to decide, but don’t buy it just for the logo. .
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opinion
SEPTEMBER 14, 2026
design by LUCY CATTANO photo by HOLLAND BALDASSARO story by SLOANE HENDERSON
respect the
ART IST
can you separate?
T
Artists should be taken accountable for their actions
ALKING TO MY friends in the hallway, I hear my least favorite statement: “Oh they’re such a bad person, but their music is so
good.”
Trying to isolate an artist from its creator is willful ignorance and shouldn’t be accepted. People lie to themselves and think that if they separate art from its artist it fulfills some “moral obligation.” But, art West has made is an extension of the artist and trying to numerous divide only supports the musician. antisemitic and Let’s look at Ye, formally known as Kanye West. racist remarks He’s famous for his racist which have caused comments, antisemetic remarks and him to loose temper tantrums. Yet, he still has nearly partnerships, be 70 million active listeners each month banned on social on Spotify — surprisingly close to Taylor media, and more. Swift’s 100 million monthly listeners, among the highest on the platform. Now, I’m gonna go ahead and assume — based on the countless Ye listeners I know personally — that not all 70 million listeners share the same views as him. Which means that though Roan has a history listeners condemn Ye’s actions, they shield of yelling at themselves from that “side of him” when paparazzi and listening to his music. The worst part of it all is when refusing to take pictures with fans. artists try to “apologize.” After another one of Ye’s uncalled for outbursts, he’ll post a lazy, unremorseful apology on X or Instagram that reeks of his PR team. Then, every apology is immediately followed by another senseless remark that goes viral. Still, almost 70 million people still listen to him. Banks has Why should we continue to listen been known to someone who clearly does not care who to target and they hurt with their actions? insult countless Ye has been dropped by numerous brands — Balenciaga, Gap, Adidas, the list celebrities with goes on. They know he’s not the right fit to slurs, homophobic represent their brand because he’s simply statements, and not a good person, so why do we continue more. to listen to him as though his actions don’t implicate his morals? *pictures courtesy of IMDb
Controversial artists and their controversies
KANYE WEST
CHAPPELL ROAN
AZEALIA BANKS
Let’s look at an artist’s creative
acceptable.
process. It takes a musician years to come out with a new album. They spend endless hours working on a piece that is a reflection of themselves. The album represents how they see the world. Though not all of his songs mention his beliefs, some certainly do, including a self-released single in 2025 titled “Heil Hitler.” Noah Kahan, for example, is notorious for singing about his struggles with his mental health, depression and anxiety. Thousands of people have voiced their support for him and are able to connect with his music and mission to stop the stigma around mental health. However, when you listen to an artist like D4vd, you’re hearing lyrics alluding to killing an underage girl who he is now on trial for actually murdering. D4vd is a newer artist who rose to fame through TikTok and was organizing a world tour, until he was arrested for first-degree murder, sexual assault and mutilation of human remains. The body of a 14-year-old girl, named Celeste, was found in the trunk of his Tesla in September 2025. D4vd was arrested in April, and is currently in trial, though he pleads not guilty, according to ABC7 New York. After his arrest, people started reexamining his music and found dark, gory trends throughout his singles, including “Romantic Homicide,” released in 2022 after he had first connected with Celeste. The music video for this song depicts blood and body-disposal, making people question the relation. Still, over 16 million people still listen to him every month on Spotify. The fact that people are able to put racism, antisemitism and even child murder aside to continue to listen to someone’s music is appalling. It’s disrespectful to victims, families and sets an example that these actions are
Listening to music as though it’s divorced from its author and their actions continues to allow us to blind ourselves to the truth and willingly add to an artist’s profit, giving them a bigger platform to spread abhorrent messages. Yes, sometimes the best music comes from complicated, conflicting individuals. But there’s a difference between accepting someone’s mistakes and supporting someone whose morals are clearly, irretrievably sunk underwater.
design by ADDIE CLARK
photostory
LIFT& LEARN
THE HARBINGER
11
SCAN ME PHOTO Scan the QR code to purchase photos from the stunt clinic with the KU spirit squad
The University of Kansas “Spirit Squad” came to SM East on Sept. 2 to work on stunts with the varsity cheer team
LEFT A KU
RIGHT Junior Ella Croker gets lifted up into the air for a stunt. photo by GRAHAM GEHEB
MIDDLE Seniors Sahana James
and Avery Folger lift up a KU cheerleader to perform a full stunt while senior Hallie Pfieffer, juniors Tegan O’Brien and Livea Simoneau spot. photo by GRAHAM GEHEB
RIGHT
Seniors Sahana James and Avery Folger begin to lift up a KU flyer. James and Folger are bases and working with KU cheerleaders. photo by SADIE JOLICOEUR
cheerlander demonstrates how to base a stunt for members of the cheer team. photo by SADIE JOLICOEUR
BELOW Seniors
Scout Olson and Avery Folger high-five two KU cheerleaders after they completed a stunt. photo by SADIE JOLICOEUR
feature
this week in photos
LEFT Senior Aldebaran Hester removes a drain plug underneath a car during auto tech class. photo by MOLLY MCDERMED
BELOW Junior Darcy Kroening centers her pottery piece on the wheel. She is currently making a vase. photo by MAGGIE ROGERS
design by CLAIRE TROUTWINE
cadet teachers Students aid teachers in their classes and gain experience in education
SAIL PROGRAM: ITS REALLY FUN to understand how everyone’s brains just work differently and how we can talk and just getting to know them. I’ve made so many connections, now I sit with a couple of them at lunch, so it’s super fun to be close with just a different group of kids that I’ve never got to talk to before.
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ZELLA HANDZEL junior
CERAMICS: MY FAVORITE PART is just watching everybody’s piece, like, as I’m unloading, just, like, watching everybody’s piece come together and what they’re making.
“
page during free time in their child development class. photo by ANASTASIA FLOWER
I JUST WANTED to have a place where maybe [Glee Club] did some different music, maybe with choreography and stuff that we don’t do in the regular choirs.
“
KEN FOLEY teacher
junior
ENGLISH:
LEFT Juniors Lucy Myers and Zoey Allen color a coloring
meet the Glee Club
LUCILLE BIRCHER
I WOULD SAY it’s challenging coming
Started by Lexi Madden and Andie Bradley, Glee Club aims to bring show choir to all
WE HAD SO MANY amazing people sign up and it felt really cool to be able to see how many people were like, heck yeah, I want to do that. Singing and dancing is something that a lot of people don’t love, like being on stage, and it’s very rare that you do like that. It’s so fun to be part of a team and then we wanted to really exemplify that in the club.
“
ANDIE BRADLEY senior
up with [lessons], just because I have to make a free write, and I have to come up with what someone will write about, so it was kind of difficult coming up with new things.
“
HARLOW NEWBY
junior
CADET TEACHERS Students who assist teachers in their classrooms. They build lesson plans, help students with work, and create a positive learning environments
design by EVELYN BAGLEY art by FRANCESCA LORUSSO story by MICHAEL YI
TO FUSED S
new
ENIOR ELLIE BURGESS created her first
social media account in third grade, filming duets with friends on Musical.ly. At age 12, she started following her peers on Instagram, and in middle school, she used Snapchat to find friends at different schools. “I feel like when you go into seventh grade, that’s a big way of meeting people,” Burgess said. “You get added to group chats, and you add people on Snapchat, and that is just such a [channel] of connection when you’re growing up and meeting so many new people at once.” In high school, social media became part of the curriculum, helping Burgess recruit new talent for yearbook. She also needed GroupMe for the Club and CARE Fairs, and SuperFan to earn rewards at football games.
“We have to be really active on social media, posting ‘Apply, apply, apply’ and posting videos, and having people repost them,” Burgess said. “Because [social media] is like, word of mouth, but it’s better than word of mouth because you can just see, and you don’t have to have that conversation.” Students like Burgess grew up with social media acting as both a social medium and academic tool. In a poll of 283 SM East students, 58% reported creating social media accounts before the age of 14, with 58% reporting spending more than two hours a day on social media. Yet these platforms are soon to be restricted. Kansas won up to $134 million on Aug. 26 in a social media child safety settlement with Meta involving 46 other states, based on allegations that Instagram knowingly exposed minors to serious mental harms using addictive tools such as endless scrolling and algorithmic feeds. The full settlement is worth up to $18 billion and involves 52 state attorney generals. Students used to constant social media access will be limited to two-hour time limits, nighttime blocks and limits on like counts, as part of the Meta deal. Changes have yet to be implemented, and it’s not clear whether students will bypass them. Megan Bloch, Section Chief of Clinical Child
58 %
OF SM EAST STUDENTS
reported creating social media accounts before the age of 14 *according to a Instgram poll of 283
Psychology at University of Missouri-Kansas City, emphasizes that digital media use is extremely widespread, with both positive and negative effects. In her paper “Screens are Not the Enemy,” Bloch outlines how parents and teenagers should interact with screen time in a world where teens are reported to spend 8.5 hours daily interacting with digital media. Bloch advocates for a model where parents set good precedents and communicate effectively with their teens regarding good screen time habits. Bloch emphasizes that the association of social media with poor mental health outcomes doesn’t mean the relation is causative. “We don’t know if social media does actually cause anxiety or depression, or if those anxious and depressed teenagers are just more likely to use social media,”
that negative ef health cri warning, li show that s sleep habit for those conditions “I alway media is li
58
spend on soc
*accordin
keeps us c surprised o videos. And for children developed b When s TikTok at a to get on s ASMR and in 20-minu They we own phone limits, she s “I had n an option b on how to absolutely bad.” School d 5 or 6 a.m. felt like a la string of f watching h third-perso “I felt s vomit, and drained,” M nighttime h napping in ‘I’m awake! For Mill anxiety fla TikToks of Discord. Th connect wi art platfor community suicide atte
ws
THE FEED
THE HARBINGER A generation of students raised socially and academically dependent on social media faces restricted access *Names changed to protect student identities
state priorities,” but the Kansas Department She of Justice has yet to announce a plan for how the began to stay up late because she was afraid she’d miss a money will be received or allocated. “This settlement marks a down payment serious development in her friend’s condition. “I felt like I was supposed to be this 24/7 on an industry-wide transformation that will hotline for my friends, and for online people,” finally prioritize our children’s well-being Miller said. “I definitely felt like, if I couldn’t over corporate profits,” Kobach stated in his be of any sort of emotional help, then I wasn’t announcement of the settlement. With the $134 million Kansas is receiving, worth spending time with any of the people in Bloch says she would like to see funding for my life.” Miller eventually gathered the courage to school counseling, teen mental health resources leave the Discord server in the winter of 2022, and policy advocacy to restrict the use of specialized, addictive algorithms. and see a sleep psychologist. Part of the Meta deal involves Now, her parents have set tight THIS OF SM EAST STUDENTS limitations on beauty filters SETTLEMENT restrictions on her screen time, ding more than two hours a day on social media like those on marks a down payment including not being able to access cial media Snapchat or Instagram, that can on an industry-wide her phone after 9 p.m. ng to a Instagram poll of 283 Social media can create transformation that will often lead to comparison among teens. According to Ballard Brief, positive social spaces for finally prioritize our 40% of teens reported that social coming back for more. We are all teens, but also can facilitate children’s well-being over and over again by Reels, TikTok cyberbullying, according to over corporate profits media created insecurities about their own appearance. d this is very addicting, especially Bloch. In an SM East poll of KRIS KOBACH Senior Joe Dennett* learned n or teenagers who have less well- 188 students, a third reported kansas attorney how to Photoshop away acne and brains.” experiencing cyberbullying. general imperfections for his sister, who senior Erica Miller* first scrolled Junior Margot Fair has always used to buy him food to touch up age 12, she was among the last her age had perfect attendance. Last year, she social media. Cosplay videos, slime didn’t miss a single full day, even when she had her photos. Dennett now performs the work for fashion trends hooked her attention the flu. But in middle school, when her friends other people’s photos before they post, charging te windows on her mom’s phone. dropped her and started posting stories on $100 per customer. “I feel like everyone has a presence of re so appealing that when she got her Snapchat with her face covered with emojis, it in seventh grade without screen time felt like the world was ending, and she couldn’t fakeness online,” Dennett said. “So people feel pressured to live up to that. I think that a lot of stopped sleeping. show her face in class. ever understood that [scrolling] was “I had to miss like, a week and a half of it is that some people are trying to keep up with before,” Miller said. “So I had no idea school,” Fair said. “I remember I just went home everyone else by looking the best they can.” He describes his work as something a regulate myself doing it. I was just and I watched the Olympics the whole summer photographer would do anyway. Although he doom scrolling all night. It was so of eighth grade, because I had no one.” For Fair, social media is her income. Since admits that social media can create significant days after nights of passing out at 4, middle school, she’s posted reviews on TikTok self-esteem issues for some, he feels that for — if she slept at all — for various companies, and most people, cosmetic editing is a harmless ayover after an endless I FELT SICK , like I currently works for General practice that poses little risk and that almost flights. Like she was wanted to vomit, and Store, with some of her content everyone uses. “I honestly don’t find anything wrong with herself move around in I was tired, dizzy, and having gone viral with millions drained [editing],” Dennett said. “I notice it in people’s on. of views. But though she says she posts, but it doesn’t bother me at all.” sick, like I wanted to can’t live without social media, ERICA MILLER Although social media has been integrated in I was tired, dizzy, and cyberbullying hurts Fair more senior Miller said. “And then than any in-person bullying could. many classes, philosophy and English teacher hits again, after I’d been “I feel like bullying in real life is [usually] Meredith Sternberg feels that social media has all my classes, and now I was like, no more than five people,” Fair said. “But when coincided with a slip in student performance. ! I want to be on my phone!’” you’re getting cyberbullied online, like I have, Post-COVID, she felt demoralized by the sea of ler, her pre-existing insomnia and by the public, or if a video goes viral, it’s like the students staring at their laps during downtime, and assigned less homework when she grew ared up while switching between whole world is on you.” f squishies and conversations on Kansas attorney general Kris Kobach weary of grading zeroes. “There has been a slow erosion of intellectual he Discord community was a way to compared the Meta settlement to the consumer ith friends formed through a digital protection cases of the ‘90s, with tobacco. curiosity, a slow erosion of cognitive capability,” m. But when a 17-year-old in the According to Variety, the money “can be used to Sternberg said. “In terms of how much I can y began posting disturbing images of fund youth online safety initiatives, among other ask a student to read, and how much I can ask a student to write.” empts, Miller felt sick to her stomach.
Bloch said. Bloch says she does know that the ffects of social media are a public isis, meriting a surgeon general ike tobacco did in the ‘90s. Studies social media is associated with poor ts, depression and anxiety, especially with preexisting mental health like ADHD. ys talk to teenagers about how social ike a slot machine,” Bloch said. “It
8%
“
“
15
Sternberg feels that, in the first few weeks of the phone ban, students have already demonstrated greater stamina and better social behaviors. She says it feels good to see students talking to each other during breaks. “This has been very illuminating to me that we’ve only had three full weeks in school, but I’ve already seen better conversations,” Sternberg said. “I’ve already seen better work ethic. I’ve already seen better social behaviors.” However, Sternberg critiqued that hundreds of millions of dollars and sweeping restrictions were an effective and healthy solution to the problem. Instead, she emphasizes that students have their own agency, and lawsuits and legislation don’t resolve what social media prompts in teenagers. “I feel like there’s a victim mentality a lot of times, if it’s not my fault, it’s not my fault, the algorithm got me,” Sternberg said. “And my response to that is to change the algorithm. You know how to do that. You guys are all very smart. You know how to change the algorithm.”
RESTRICTIONS New Instagram restrictions from the child protection settlement
• “Robust” age assurance is used to more effectively verify the age of young users. • “Nighttime blocks” restricting children’s access from 12 a.m. to 6 a.m. • Stronger and more userfriendly parental controls. • Limited school-time access for children, eliminating push notifications on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
16
feature
design by CLAIRE TROUTWINE story by ANA SCHAEFER
STRUNG TOGETHER SEPTEMBER 14,2026
Siblings Wyeth and Penelope Devenny inspire each other through music
J
UNIOR PENELOPE DEVENNY stared in awe as her
older brother, Wyeth, shredded the electric guitar to “Even Flow” by Pearl Jam for the Mooncalves first concert in SM East alum Jack Pipia’s backyard. Inspired, Penelope whispered to herself, I should start a band, and started constructing the idea of putting together a band with senior Molly Chaffee. It would’ve never crossed her mind if the Mooncalves — a band created by SM East Alums from the 2026 graduation class singer Jack Pipia, guitarist Wyeth, bassist Charlie Gray and drummer Cabot Frandsen — hadn’t shown Penelope and Molly what their band, Nights at the Round Table, could become. “I pictured myself where [my brother] was,” Penelope said. “Being in front of a crowd and performing for people, because that’s what I’ve always wanted to do, and I was so proud of him for being up in front of a group because he’s not normally the type of person to get up in front of a large crowd.” The Devenny siblings had found their love of music together, even though their parents didn’t play any instruments. Whether they were singing songs by the Beatles while their father, Ben Devenny, pushed them on the swings or teaching each other how to read guitar tabs and sheet music, they grew closer: despite the constant bickering. In fifth grade, Wyeth started playing the trumpet, and in sixth grade he played the drums, but couldn’t find his instrument. But during his sophomore
year, he borrowed a guitar from Jack’s “Paul,” by Big Thief. father, Todd, and has played guitar When the band was first established every day since. between Molly, the guitarist, and Penelope started taking voice Penelope, violinist and singer, Molly lessons in fifth grade after constantly asked senior Vaughn Davis to be the singing around her house and later bassist while Penelope asked junior found an interest in violin after seeing Emery Suever if he wanted to be the it at her sixth grade instrument fair. drummer, even though some of them Now, she takes piano lessons, practices had never met each other. Starting singing through her band and plays out, it was an awkward and vulnerable violin in the SM East orchestra. experience, but they got into “the “[Penelope’s] friends would come groove” quickly, according to Molly. over to practice orchestra, “Spending time and eventually Wyeth I PICTURED with [each other] is our would have his guitar out MYSELF where [my fun,” Penelope said. in the middle of them,” “But when you add the Ben recalled. “If one was brother] was. Being in music on top of that, it’s playing, the other was front of a crowd and really playing together playing.” performing for people, that makes everyone After Wyeth improved because that’s what I’ve smile. Just seeing our his guitar strumming and accomplishments with bonded with his band for always wanted to do. how far we’ve come to two years, the Mooncalves be able to play what Penelope Devenny had their first concert in could have been about junior Jack’s backyard in May for two seconds of a song family and friends with now be 10 [seconds].” around 30 to 40 attendees. This turned Their mutual ambition for music into four more shows over the summer and sharing their talents with others, with the latest being on the stage at has made them close friends who will Black Box theater on Aug. 6 where they keep in touch even after Molly and performed their two original songs Vaughn leave for college. The same “Otherwise” and “Soldier Song.” way Penelope and Wyeth have a sibling “Going onto the other shows at real bond that’s joined by their love for places it got quite a bit more nerve- music. racking because we were in real green “I can imagine school breaks will rooms and venues,” Wyeth said. “We all fill the house with sounds of [Wyeth definitely were scared but it was always and Penelope’s] music once again,” Ben short lived, once the show started and said. “Sharing what they’ve learned we played a song or two, we were set.” over the course of a few months, The Mooncalves follow the soft rock bouncing new ideas off one another, genre while Nights at the Round Table filling in for missing band members are indie, covering songs such as “Hey and anything that may pop.” Lover,” by The Daughters of Eve and
“
NIGHTS AT THE ROUND TABLE
THE MOONCALVES
MEET THE BAND(S) The members of Wyeth and Penelope’s band and their musical backgrounds
CHARLIE
*Photos courtesy of Nico Henry and Penelope Devenny
GUITARIST, BASSIST, SOUSAPHONE
WYETH
CABOT
TRUMPET, DRUMMER DRUMS, GUITAR
JACK PIANO, GUITAR, VOCALS
VAUGHN BASSIST
EMERY
DRUMMER
PENELOPE
LEAD SINGER, VIOLINIST
MOLLY
GUITARIST
local lancer
design by SLOANE HENDERSON photos by HOLLAND BALDASSARO
THE HARBINGER
theatre shows Bray has PLAYBILL to PLAYBILL School been a part of and her roles 7th Grade
OKLAHOMA
Ado Annie
8th Grade
10th Grade
9th Grade
NEWSIES
ZOMBIE PROM
BYE BYE BIRDIE
Medda Larkin
Candy
Kim McAfee
How did you get into theater? “I’ve been singing since I was little. I’ve always loved doing it, but I never thought there was something that I could do and that [it would] be a hobby of mine. When I heard there was a musical at Indian Hills, I immediately wanted to do it, and I auditioned, I did the musical and then that was that.”
What was your experience like with your New York Program, On Stage Collective? “Something I was worried about going into it [was that I was ] very excited for the rehearsal in this studio and getting to better our set and stuff like that, but I did want to do New York things, and they really gave us a big chunk of time in the afternoon to do all those things.”
What do you hope to do with theater after high school? “I want to [major in] something like performing or singing. [Theater] doesn’t necessarily have to be the whole career for me. It could be something on the side that I do, but I know for sure that I don’t wanna lose that part of myself when I’m older, whether that be a whole career [or] something I do on the side. “
What were your favorite parts of the On Stage Collective program? “I got to see different parts of New York and different parts of people’s experiences of being an actor or performer on Broadway or in New York. I was with a lot of my theater friends back home because of Stage Right Performing Arts. A lot of my close friends are in [it] so it was really cool to experience New York for the first time with those people that I’ve also known for a really long time.”
17
L O L A B R A Y
Junior Lola Bray went to a New York theater program this summer to grow her acting skills and connect with friends
design by LUCY SWOPE photos by VIVIEN GLENSKI story by AVNI BANSAL
feat
feature
BELOW Hastings captures a shot of his lakeview while on a hike with his
brother Benny. Over the summer, he and his family visited the Grand Tetons. photo by ALEX HASTINGS
LEFT
Hastings works at his editing setup where he uses Adobe Photoshop to edit his images. Hastings learned how to use Photoshop in his seventh-grade journalism class. photo by VIVIEN GLENSKI
LEFT
Hastings’ Nikon DSLR camera with a D3500 body and Nikon AF-S DX 18140 mm lens were gifted to him five years ago. photo by VIVIEN GLENSKI
RIGHT
Hastings turns his lens vertically to frame a close-up shot of a flower bush in his backyard. photo by VIVIEN GLENSKI
ABOVE Hasting takes a farmland photo near the Lagoa do Fogo, a crater lake within a volcanic
complex. ”It’s really neat how the fields are shaped to fit with the flow of the land, rather than just squares,” Hastings said. photo by ALEX HASTINGS
SCENES of GREEN Junior Alex Hastings uses photography to slow down and experience his surroundings
ture
feature BELOW Hastings photographs the landscape overlooking
THE HARBINGER
19
alex’s RULES
a waterfall in Yellowstone, Wyoming. “This was the coolest canyon I’ve seen in my life,” Hastings said. photo by ALEX HASTINGS
Standards Alex has for his photography
R
AIN
POURED
DOWN
as biology students hiked through the Azores, Portugal, carefully navigating slippery logs and muddy trails. Junior Alex Hastings had his Nikon out. The camera wasn’t even waterproof. Rain poured down as biology students hiked through Azores, Portugal, carefully navigating slippery logs and muddy trails. Junior Alex Hastings had his Nikon out. The camera wasn’t even waterproof. “It’s never stopped working in the rain, so I just go with it,” Alex said. While the 15 other students worried about the slippery trail or their backpacks getting soaked in the unexpected rain, Alex was focused on photographing the forest around him. Biology teacher and chaperone Carolyn Bossung noticed the same thing throughout the eight-day school trip: Alex rarely seemed to be without his camera. “He pretty much brought his camera everywhere,” Bossung said. “He was ready all the time. He always took a second to take in the environment.” Taking a picture isn’t just about preserving a moment after it happens. It changes the way Alex experiences the moment, while he’s still in it. “Taking photos makes me more aware of my surroundings,” Alex said. “Because you’re always looking for something to take a picture of.”
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
No flash “flash is artificial” Look for unusual framing Take your time with landscapes Bring the camera whenever you can Photograph what you find interesting
Alex first became interested in “I’m like, how can I frame [the photo] photography in seventh grade, when he in a specific way, so I can show other took an introductory journalism class people what I’m seeing?” Alex said. and got his own Nikon. That thoughtfulness is what But Alex was taking pictures Bossung noticed in his photographs. long before he had much interest in She remembers one picture Alex took photography itself. through a wall at a beach, framing “Our kids all had little toy digital people, rocks, a boat and the sky. cameras,” Alex’s dad, Matt, said. “Alex “He wasn’t just going around taking and his younger brother Benny would a ton of pictures and hoping one came take pictures of their Lego creations out good,” Bossung said. “He was being when they were little, very intentional about sometimes even putting TAKING PHOTOS the setup and what he them all together to make makes me more aware was doing.” stop-motion films and Alex wants the picture of my surroundings, stuff like that.” to reflect what caught As Alex got older, because you’re always his attention in the first the subjects changed. looking for something place. He avoids using The Lego creations flash because, as he puts to take a picture of. disappeared, replaced by it, “flash is artificial.” landscapes and buildings. ALEX HASTINGS Instead, he photographs He photographs people the light already around junior and sports occasionally, him and edits the colors but nature is his preference. Family and lighting afterward using Photoshop. trips give him plenty of opportunities. In the Azores, he photographed Over the summer, he brought his Nikon flowers and lakes, along with anything to Michigan, Oregon and Yellowstone, else that caught his attention on the as well as on the school trip to the hike. The unfamiliar surroundings gave Azores. him plenty of new things to notice, while Nature gives Alex something sports some details reminded him of places he and other fast-moving subjects don’t: had been before. time. “The trees on the hike reminded me When he photographs nature, he of evergreen trees in Colorado, where stops to find a spot he likes. He can I hike with my family,” Alex said. “I think about the perspective and wait for took pictures of that because I wanted the right moment instead of trying to to show my grandparents how similar capture something before it disappears. it looks, but I also took pictures of
“
something that’s not there i n Colorado.” His favorite photo from the Azores trip came from a bell tower, where he could see the city of Ponta Delgada and the harbor below. By the end of the eight-day trip, Alex had taken 1,075 photos on his Nikon. Not all of them will be looked at again. Some become phone backgrounds. Others get sent to family. Now, he is putting together a digital photo album — to be printed later — of the Azores trip on Snapfish, adding his own pictures to a collection of family albums that stretches back to when he was a baby. Matt sees photography as a natural fit for Alex, who is “quiet and reserved” but enjoys both technical and creative work. “He really likes nature shots, and I mean, the landscapes and larger things like that too,” Matt said. Bossung sees a similar thoughtfulness in Alex beyond his photography. “He sees things, and he really looks at them, if that makes sense,” Bossung said. Without his camera, Alex said he would still experience the same trips, but he would feel less connected to what he was seeing. “Taking photos is all me, not anybody else,” Alex said. “What I see, what I enjoy, I take a picture of.”
design by EMILY ENGER photos by CHARLOTTE WALTON & LIV RUECKER
a&e
BACK to BREWING
guess the scent
Guess the scent of three popular Pickwick candles
Columbia Brew’s newest seasonal drinks
The Brew Lagoon
$4.00 Candle #1
Candle #2
Succulent grapefruit and aromatic cardamom open the fragrance before giving way to geranium, rose, oakmoss and vetiver. Fresh spice and earthy greens create a sophisticated scent that feels tailored, intriguing and quietly refined.
The sharp spice of pepper and Fresh orange and grapefruit mingle dark berry gives way to vetiver and with ripe peach, strawberry, melon seasoned woods, while leather, and kiwi, balanced by cool mountain tobacco, and black patchouli smolder greens. Evokes tropical fruit, clear beneath. Smoky yet refined, it carries skies and the easy energy of a the last glow of fall into the depths of warm-weather getaway. winter.
cardamom + geranium + oakmoss
precious woods + vetiver + smoky cinders
Candle #3
orange + grapefruit + peach
Candle #1: Black Cardamom, Candle #2: Hearth, Candle #3: Kona
I WOULD RATE [The Brew Lagoon]
this week’s arts &
it a seven out of ten. I like the caffeine as someone who doesn’t drink coffee. I think it could be cool to change out the Celsius flavors based on the time of year.
entertainment *Instagram poll of 179 votes
HAVE YOU BEEN TO CORNFLOWER BAKED GOODS? 94%
NO YES 6%
*read more about this on page 25 *Instagram poll of 175 votes
HAVE YOU SEEN COYOTE VS. ACME? 93%
NO YES 7%
*read more about this on page 24
“
SADLER HENRY sophomore
I HAD THE Party in a Cup, and I would rate it a seven and a half out of ten. The sprinkles in it kind of overwhelmed my mouth. It was really full and just the taste of it was very overwhelming.
“
HARPER FIESER sophomore
ONE OF MY favorite things about [The Brew Lagoon] was that it is half Celsius half lemonade so it’s not too much caffeine. It was very sweet so I definitely wouldn’t get it everyday, but overall I would give it an eight and a half out of ten.
“
GRACE TAYLOR sophomore
1/2 Celsius blue razz, 1/2 lemonade, 1 pump blue razz, 1 pump lime and blue glitter
Party in a Cup $3.00 3/4 iced coffee, 1/4 milk, 1 pump vanilla, 1 pump cake batter, strawberry cold foam with dot sprinkles
Blueberry Pancake Latte
$3.00 3/4 iced coffee, 1 pump blueberry, 1 pump brown sugar cinnamon, splash of cream and vanilla cold foam
a&e
design by ANNE BOWSER photos by GRAHAM GEHEB story by EVIE LEWIS
THE HARBINGER
A MixedBATCH
Cornflower Baked Goods offers a wide variety of treats with successes and disappointments VERY FEW THINGS stress me out in life other than realizing I have an assignment due right after lunch, giving a speech and choosing a meal at a restaurant. While the first two are basically inevitable, I willingly chose to take on the third challenge at Cornflower Baked Goods. Located in Mission Fields, a 12-minute drive from SM East, the bakery is situated in a row of quaint beige shops. The whole shop is fairly tiny, with limited seating areas inside and out, leaving customers standing close together during rush hour — around 10 a.m. Fortunately, my timing was perfect. I made it inside just before a line of customers stretched out the door, which only added to the
pressure of ordering. While waiting, I watched bakers frost pastries, put foam on coffees and pull trays from the oven in the store’s open-concept kitchen — a style where you can see the baking right behind the counter. Between the constant stream of fresh baked goods and the packed display case, every time I thought I knew what I wanted, I spotted something else that looked just as tempting. After changing my mind more times than I’d like to admit, I finally narrowed it down to three items: a brownie, a strawberry cinnamon roll and a savory roll.
Brownie A BROWNIE CAN come in many different forms and still be delicious. Whether it’s the chewy crispy corner piece, a gooey center bite or an edge piece that’s a harmonious combination of the two, there is really no way to go wrong. So when I saw that Cornflower’s “signature” item was its brownie, I immediately knew I would be paying the $6 for it. At first glance, it was very promising. For the high price tag, it was a bit small, but the sea salt on top and slight cracks led me on. However, the first bite made my excited smile drop. The brownie had a cakey texture rather than the chewy mouthfeel
I had envisioned, but it wasn’t inherently bad. The flavor on the other hand was nothing special. The chocolate wasn’t prominent and considering it was their “signature” bakery item, it was disappointing to see a seemingly impossible-to-messup brownie be so boring.
Strawberry Cinnamon Roll WHEN DECIDING MY
next item, my eyes were drawn to a baker carrying a pan of cinnamon rolls. The pan had so much frosting that you couldn’t see where one roll ended and the next one began. To make the dessert even more appealing, there were strawberries that had been marinated in strawberry juice on top of the rolls. The roll itself was $8.50, which seemed reasonable for the size. At first bite the dough was a bit dry, If I focused on the berries, I was reminded of my favorite strawberry shortcake ice cream bar from the ice cream truck I visited growing up. If I focused on the cinnamon, I reminisced about Christmas morning with my grandma. This roll was a unique menu item that will be a must-have when I come back.
Savory Roll DESPITE
Location 10555 Mission Road, Leawood, KS
but the tangy cream cheese balanced out each aspect of the flavorful roll well. What initially interested me most was the combination of strawberry and cinnamon. The spice actually cut through the sweetness of the frosting, and the fresh taste of the berries had the same effect as well. The two opposite flavors d i d n ’ t really mix to m a ke a new one,
MY SWEET
tooth, the last item I ordered was the savory bun to round out my palette. For $7, the milk bun was topped with a hefty amount of ricotta cheese, a thin slice of tomato and a leaf of basil. The bright white ricotta practically overflowed from the bun, while the tomato and basil added a pop of color that made the pastry look almost too pretty to eat. The flavors reminded me of a summer caprese salad and ended up being my favorite baked good that I tried. The ricotta was cool and creamy,
the tomato added freshness and the basil left a subtle herbal flavor behind. Every ingredient was noticeable without overpowering the others. It was a surprisingly sweet dough that allowed the toppings to shine. If you’re in the mood for brunch or don’t c r a v e sweets, the savory roll is the way to go.
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About Cornflower Megan Garrelts has a variety of experiences that have led to Cornflower becoming her newest project
Megan and her team made the menu for Rye and Bluestem which she co-owns with her husband, Chef Colby Garrelts
Megan is a multi-year James Beard Award semifinalist for Outstanding Pastry Chef Megan’s recipes have appeared in Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, The Wall Street Journal and Saveur
Megan coauthored cookbooks Bluestem: The Cookbook and Made in America: A Modern Collection of Classic Recipes with her husband
*according to Cornflower’s website
a&e
design by ASHTYN INGRAM photos by LIV RUECKER story by BRIDGET DEAN
PICKWICK & Pickwick & Co. candles embodies the perfect KC local business, while also handmaking high-quality candles
A GLOWING BUSINESS WHEN
KANSAS
CITY
candle company Pickwick & Co. was first established in 2004, it was run entirely out of a basement. The founders, Patrick Borders and Steve Hill, poured, labeled and shipped candles by themselves for over 15 years before moving into a warehouse in North KC, flourishing as they sold locally made and personalized candles. As Pickwick & Co. grew, lawyer, entrepreneur and mom of two, Alicia Koranda, was managing her own private practice for family law. When she heard from a friend about the opportunity to buy Pickwick in March of 2023, she decided to go for it and step away from legal work. Today, the company operates out of a large, two-story warehouse in the West Bottoms. Alicia has hired three full time employees who handmake around 300 candles a day — up to 1200 candles a week. “Originally when [I] started, I did everything here,” Alicia said. “I poured candles, I labeled, I’ve done all of the things, so I know how everything runs. If everybody is gone, Pickwick could still go on.” While the employees rapidly label, wick and pour the candles, Alicia concocts all the candle scents by hand in her office, mixing various fragrances at a chemist-like table. Seasonal scents are released every fall, winter and spring, including limited edition ones like the Kansas City 2026 Soccer in honor of the World Cup. Businesses and corporations can also partner with Pickwick to create a personalized candle. Christie Walton, coowner of Spruce Home and mom to two SM East students, worked directly with Alicia to create a Spruce candle exclusive to their store. When Olivia Bloomfield, a student in the same grade as Christie’s son passed away, the family, Spruce Home and Pickwick created a candle similar to one Olivia loved from a trip to New York. The candle is sold at Spruce Home and all of the proceeds go to a foundation in her name.
“That’s the type of thing that Alicia does with Pickwick,” Christie said. “She does a ton, but [she still] makes candles [personal].” Pickwick sends candles out to over 20 Kansas City businesses, most with their own store-curated candles, as well as other states including Texas and Washington. RSVP in the Prairie Village shops is the only retailer to carry the Prairie Village and Mission Hills candles. Alicia also partners with various non-profits across the Kansas City Metro Area, giving them discount candles for workers. As a mom of two, she has a soft spot for children’s charities and hosts a camp every summer with Camp Encourage to help kids with special needs. Alicia’s two daughters, sixthgrader Elena Koranda and freshman Sophia Koranda, enjoy helping out and still come in occasionally even though she’s hired full-time employees. “I used to check with a chopstick if there were any holes in the candles,” Sophia said. ”If there’s weak spots around the candles it would easily poke in, and then [my mom would] fill it back up with the candle wax.” Any candles that aren’t perfect and taken back to their house and stored in drawers with other candles that need to be tested. The family gets to test all of the new scents to make sure the wick length properly delivers the desired smell. Some scents are developed to replicate a nostalgic smell, such as the Olivia Bloomfield candle. “The tobacco and black cherry reminds me of my grandpa’s pipe and the tomato leaf reminds me of my grandma’s garden,” Alicia said. “I think that’s one of the really neat things about fragrances, that it can make you reminisce.” Sophia likes getting to smell the different candles and how it’s always carried into her mom’s car when she leaves the warehouse. She also enjoys telling people about her mom’s business and gives candles to her friends and family around the holidays. “I love that my girls see me as an owner and the president of the company because it’s important for them to see what opportunities are available to them and to know that they can be their own
boss one day,” Alicia said. Alicia has developed Pickwick & Co. not just into a unique candle company, but also into a community brand that works with Kansas Citians to provide high-quality, affordable luxurious candles for all. “I feel like Pickwick & Co. is kind of this beautiful accident,” Alicia said. “I think [the owners] created something really lovely and then it started to grow.”
WICK-EDLY GOOD SCENTS Not only does Pickwick & Co. have a sweet story, they also create highquality candles with more than 87 candle scents on their line, as well as seasonal candles every fall, spring and winter. Within the next week, the fall scents — the second most popular products following the winter season candles — will be available for purchase online and in select stores across the KC area. Alicia’s new self-developed scents this year are Pumpkin Souffle, Vanilla Amberwood and Midwest Morning. Of the three, I personally loved Midwest Morning for its tarty smell — which happens to be Alicia’s favorite of the three as well. After quite some time and smelling, I was able to rank my favorite of all Pickwick candles: Casablanca, Pumpkin Chai and Home Sweet Mahomes. Starting with number one, Casablanca smells like what I would imagine a speakeasy bathroom to have smelled like during the roaring 20s — cleansing, with a mysterious woodsy aftersmell. It’s earthy yet bittersweet once it has a minute to settle in. I came back to the Casablanca candle many times when choosing a favorite, notably making its appearance in my top three before working its way up to number one as I continually thought of its beauty. Second goes to Pumpkin Chai, a new addition to the fall collection last year. It has a nice pumpkin smell, but isn’t too overpowering and emanates everything I love about fall — morning walks watching the leaves fall, apple cider at the pumpkin patch, the whole season itself.
The candle is sweet, yet isn’t too pumpkiny — the ideal balance — something Alicia has been able to harness across all of the scents by mixing the fragrances herself. My third favorite candle would be one of Pickwick’s “claim to fame” candles, the “Home Sweet Mahomes” scent is available all year in honor of the Kansas City Chiefs. It smells like a sweet Midwest home with leather couches and vanilla breezing in from the kitchen. “My aunt burns the Patrick Mahomes one every football game and she says it’s good luck,” sophomore Sarah Kate Macfee said. Sarah Kate’s family buys Pickwick candles for their friends and family as gifts around the holidays, and jokingly gives the Leawood Candle to family friends who live in different parts of KC. Home Sweet Mahomes is her family’s favorite candle, according to Sarah Kate. One of the things I enjoy about the Chiefs candles are the colorful, unique labels. Rather than Pickwick’s general black and white label, the Chiefs and Mahomes’ candles are red and yellow with bright block lettering, catching the eye. All of the candles have the simplistic black holders with serif, cursive fonts except for the limited edition ones. While the fall candles have the classic style and labeling to them, the Dickens Christmas candle has a red label with a decorative edge to it to embody the covers of Dickens’ books — a creative style Alicia chose to enhance its uniqueness One of her notable changes to Pickwick is the added level of depth and meaning she puts into the candles. She designs the labels to perfectly match the scent and works seamlessly with the candlemen to produce her vision of the candle. The candles are priced at $28 online, but well worth it for the personalized touch you feel when lighting a Pickwick candle. With the new fall scents coming out, including Midwest Morning (lotus, oak and eucalyptus) and Pumpkin Souffle (smoked vanilla and amber wood), there’s a candle for everyone at Pickwick & Co.
a&e BELOW Employee Kyle Bardell grabs a candle holder to label it with a limited edition Pickwick scent sticker.
THE HARBINGER
BELOW Employee Chris Bardell pours essential oils into a melter to
mix with wax. The mixture is put into pitchers and poured by hand into the glass jars.
BELOW Candles are stacked along shelves where they wait to be packaged and distributed to stores across the KC area and other midwest states.
ABOVE After hundreds of candles are
wicked, they are left to dry on carts in the middle of the warehouse before the wax is poured into the jars.
ABOVE Employee Kyle Bardell applies a limited edition scent label to the candle holders.
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a&e
design by JACK FITZPATRICK photo by LIV RUECKER story by ALEX HARDEN
THE HARBINGER
COYOTE VS. ACME
MEET THE
‘TOONS
The cartoon cast of “Coyote vs. Acme”
WILE E. COYOTE
Plaintiff
FOGHORN LEGHORN
ACME CEO
DAFFY DUCK
former ACME test subject
ROAD RUNNER
key witness
I
“Coyote vs. Acme” is a breath of fresh air for America
F THIS REVIEW were to start with
something like, “As the credits rolled,” you’d have every right to write off my writing as cliché and to toss, burn or just destroy this story. But stay with me, and let me explain to you what happens as the credits roll for the adventure/comedy film, “Coyote vs. Acme.” One sentence tacked on to the end of an endless list of names in the credits reads: “To everyone who posted, shared, held up signs, and spoke when it counted. This film made it to the big screen because of you.” Allow me to be cliché just one more time as I take you back to where it started. It’s July 21, 2023. The theater walls were meant to be lined with posters for the film, tickets and merchandise were to be sold. People were to sit down and enjoy the product of countless hours of passionate work from an entire crew of talented workers. However, that date is forever irrelevant, because the top dogs at Warner Brothers took “Coyote vs. Acme,” and scrapped it for a tax write off. The public was outraged, rightfully so, and let their voices be heard. They wanted this movie to be released. So, Warner Brothers, feeling philanthropic, allowed other studios to buy the rights and release it. Which leads us to March 2025. Ketchup Entertainment announces that they’ve acquired the rights to release the movie to theaters on Aug. 28, 2026. “Coyote vs. Acme” is genuinely a good movie. Although I see how a Looney Tunes movie could sound pretty dumb, as if it’s destined to be buried in the children’s section of Netflix, or rot away as a Dollar Tree DVD, it was truly a quality film. The film is based on the New Yorker article from 1990, “Coyote V. Acme,” which is written as if it were genuine court reporting. However, instead of a human, or even a three dimensional plaintiff, it’s Wile E. Coyote from Looney Tunes suing Acme — the company whose products routinely fail, causing him to never catch his most delectable prey, Road Runner. The film is a mix between animation and live action sets and actors, similar to “Space Jam” or “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” and stars comedian Will Forte as low-tier lawyer
Kevin Avery. After Coyote gets injured in his most recent scheme to catch Road Runner — thanks largely to the defective Acme products he used — despite never getting to eat Road Runner, he’s fed, fed up with Acme. So, Coyote goes to Avery for help. His plan: sue Acme for the countless products that have failed him over his near 80-yearlong cartoon career as Road Runner’s predator. Yet, Acme, in their infinite corruption, won’t let Coyote have any taste of victory. So they assign the case to their finest lawyer, Buddy Crane, who’s played by John Cena. I’m not just a fan of this movie to take a stance against corporate greed — it’s truly worth your time. And it honestly baffles me that this film got shelved by Warner Brothers. The writing is done well, weaving a story that is admittedly predictable at times, yet still engaging. It was also just plain funny — I shrank down in my seat many times ‘cause I was embarrassed to be laughing so hard at such straightforward slapstick comedy. I thought I was mature, but seeing things like a Coyote-shaped hole in a billboard after he crashed into it really had me, and even a few adults in the theater, laughing pretty hard. Alongside that, the film also looked great. The shots seemed intentional and the colors were vibrant. The animation was generally good, even though in some scenes the cartoons looked somewhat awkward. Still, the animation worked well, especially since the animators had to adapt 2D cartoon characters into a 3D animation style all while being set in a live-action environment. I felt that Forte did a great job, considering his co-star was a Coyote who presumably never showed up to set. His delivery was dry and well-timed — he played the part of a down-on-his-luck lawyer very well. And Cena did great as the antagonist, selling the audience that he was in fact the sweet-talking, conniving, southern-drawl salesman of a lawyer that he played. For me, the greatest aspect of this film is its almost supernatural quality. The plot prophetically mimics the fight for this film’s release: a drawn out legal battle against a giant corporation who isn’t afraid to screw people over in the pursuit of capital gain.
But in all honesty, “Coyote vs. Acme” as a film isn’t that notable. Although I liked it, nothing was truly exceptional or that memorable. The film is important for what it represents. It’s important because it’s fresh air for America. We feel sick of the elites and their ploys, the corporations and their greed. It can feel like every day we’re marching towards a bleak future. We feel like our voices can no longer fix the problems we face. We’re sick of seeing the stomach of our democratic system grow fatter daily as it gorges itself on corruption. If protest and public interest helped release this movie, then we have the power to do more. If things like this movie releasing can happen, then there’s a bit of hope that I won’t end up living a life plagued with things none of us want. There’s hope I won’t be living off of 3D printed meat. I won’t have to marry an AI wife. Maybe my every step might not be tracked by cameras. Maybe fast food will be cheap again. I could find a home that isn’t in the shadow and smog of a towering data center i n my own back yard. E v e n though our future is likely bleak, this film is a reminder t h a t until they start screwing Flock cameras into our mouths, our voices can be heard. And we are the catalysts of change.
“That’s all Folks!”
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sports BELOW Sophomore RJ Galyean dribbles the ball and looks for an open teammate to pass to. photo by SOPHIA CICERO
design by ALEX HARDEN
I’M FEELING very good,
recent gallery
I’m feeling very excited. We’re looking very good, we’re havng fun and we’re focused for all the games.
“
OMAR SHARAWY sophomore
I FEEL GOOD. I feel like we’re on a good path. I feel like we can keep it up.
“
CARTER WILSON freshman
[THE SEASON] has been good, we started 2-0. We’re getting a lot better each day. I’m excited to see where we end up.
“ how they’re
RJ GALYEAN sophomore
feeling ABOVE Junior Benjamin Duarte chases the ball past a fallen Olathe North player. photo by CHARLOTTE WALTON
ABOVE Sophomore Omar Sharawy heads the ball after Olathe North’s goalie punted it. photo by SOPHIA CICERO
How three players on the Boys JV Soccer team are feeling so far about the season
recap of the Boys JV Soccer game events to game recap Aagainst Olathe North on Sept. 3 upcoming events Sporting look ahead to
by ALEX HARDEN
BOYS JV SOCCER defeated Olathe
North with a final score of 4-0. Temperature warnings before the game caused it to be postponed by an hour and a half. The game began with junior Gabriel Effinger scoring the first goal within the first four minutes of the game. Shortly after the first goal, freshman Carter Wilson was able to score his first goal of the new season after sophomore Drew Gantt’s goal was deflected, allowing
Wilson to rebound the ball and score. SM East was leading 2-0 at the end of the first half. The first goal scored after the second half began was due to junior Logan Hanner being tripped by an Olathe North defender, allowing SM East a penalty kick. With seven minutes left of the match, junior Benjamin Duarte scores the final goal, leading the Lancer’s to victory.
SEP.
12
SEP.
15
FLAG FOOTBALL BOYS SOCCER 9 a.m. @ SM West
AUG.
23 XC
7 p.m. @ SM South 9 a.m. @ Washburn Rural
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g n i ll Ro IN SEPTEMBER 14, 2026
sports
design by MADDIE GLASIER photos by AVRA WELLING story by ELENA HULL
ting
crea b focused on lu c w e n a is East Skate ity ing commun a skateboard
I
F YOU EVER find yourself driving
past Harmon Park from the afternoon to the late hours of night you may see a group of 15 boys skateboarding. This gang of skaters are a part of SM East’s newly formed Skate Boarding Club, “East Skate,” created by juniors Porter Anderson and Alex Hall, who aim to create a place for experienced and brand-new skateboarders to participate in the sport and help build the skating community by donating skateboards, equipment and teaching others. The club originated when Porter’s mom encouraged him to join an SM East activity. Porter, who had spent the summer skateboarding, got the idea to start SM East’s first ever skateboarding club. Hall and Porter had already been close friends and spent the summer skating together, so Hall was the first Porter asked to help h i m
execute
the idea. “At first I was really skeptical about a skate club,” Hall said. “[But as I] started getting involved in it, I [thought] well, if we’re doing a skate club, we’re doing a skate club, so we need to buckle in and make it as professional as possible.” Once Porter and Hall were settled as co-presidents, the two turned to the friends they’d been regularly skating with over the summer, wanting a group that would always be present for meetings and skating sessions. The group has been dubbed the “skate council.” In their group chat, the council members help Porter and Hall set goals for the club and plan agendas for their weekly meetings. “[When Porter and Hall] have an idea during a meeting I make sure they get all the main points and just really support them as much as I can,” senior Alex Fernandez said. “We’ve been working towards making the community bigger and better as a whole.” Fernandez, who has been skating since he was 7, created the club’s logo and has taken on the role of treasurer, alongside supporting the club as a council member. As treasurer, Hernandez has been focusing on the club’s more ambitious goals, such as selling clothing and hosting fundraisers and donations which will allow them to give back to the skating community via donated skateboards and equipment. “We want to build money to give back to the community a n d
eventually give [skateboards] to people and do fun things like contests,” Hall said. “With such a wide variety of people, we have lots of opportunities.” To raise money, Porter and Hall are planning to start selling merchandise, such as T-shirts and stickers. The creation of merch goes hand-in-hand with the club’s secondary focus: art. During in-school meetings, they’ll primarily focus on creating art and designing clothing. Porter aims to create a space where people can contribute to the club, regardless of their skillset. The type of art type of art created during meetings can be anything from paintings to clothing and graphic designs. While the in-school meetings will center around art, after school the council wants to teach inexperienced members how to skate. Since the council is made up of skilled skaters, they aim to encourage newer members to develop fundamentals and their own style of skateboarding by giving them one-on-one instruction and hosting sessions where newer skaters can experiment with their skills. “We’re trying to, more or less, bring them into an environment where they’re not necessarily comfortable,” Hall said. “We want to bring them out of their comfort-zone a little bit to build that growth and watch them grow as seasoned skaters.” Since starting East Skate, Porter and Hall have hosted their first meeting to a group of 25 people and hope to soon begin hosting skate-boarding
s e ss i o n s, creating a r t ,
filming promotional content and d e v e l o p i n g SM East’s skate-boarding community. Hall credits a conversation with a few older skate-boarders for outlining the club’s ultimate mission: welcoming others rather than just focusing on skill. “We were talking to some skaters that had some vast knowledge about the sport and they gave us a lot of advice about the real meaning of skating,” Hall said. “We’re trying to build a bigger skate culture where people can come and get on a board on days where they might not want to do anything else.”
SKATE SOCIALS Instagram: short videos with tricks and art
SCAN ME LINK Click the link to join the Instagram
Basic information about the club
Band: Used to share and plan meetings
SCAN ME LINK Click the link to join the East Skate Band
sports
design by KENNEDY MOORE photos by BELLA THOMPSON story by ADDY NEWMAN
THE HARBINGER
Historical Run
T
and take it all in and know that these kids are commences: Hike! Flags attached to working hard and I can only get them so far the players’ hips are flapping in the and it’s fun to see the results,” Henton said. In his last year coaching varsity volleyball, wind as the football is thrown. Senior Hadley McKinney chases after an opposing the team was three points away from going to state. As the game continued, Henton could team attacker and snatches their flag. Instead of casually throwing the flag to the tell how the team was coming together and ground and walking away, McKinney hands the supporting each other along the way. He’s had players that’ve gotten injured flag back to the opposing player — a manner and seen them come back from an injury and she learned from head coach and AP United finally feeling relief. States History teacher Alexander Henton. He’s had kids get home runs for their first “He brings a lot of hype to the team and encouragement to everybody,” senior and flag time in their high school career. He’s had kids who get a base hit after they’ve football player Maya Monyakula said. “He struggled all season to even hit the ball. teaches us good lessons about being nice to the He’s had basketball players who just want other team no matter what, the golden rule.” The relationships that Henton builds with to score a basket and finally hear the swish of athletes are different from the relationships the net. “Those are big moments,” Henton said. with students. He believes there’s a lot of value Henton takes pride in his teams being a in having unique conversations representation of SM East and and connections, according to [HENTON COACHES embodying sportsmanship. Henton. US] to learn from “Part of my job too is to be McKinney enjoys seeing that sort of mentor on how to Henton with his “dad” stance our mistakes and just and him running routes at become the best that we react when you’re blinded by your emotions,” Henton said. practice. possibly could be and “One of my pillars of coaching Junior and baseball player is just trying to be steady, the Garrett Wilkerson recalls just continue to work person that no matter what the Henton’s coaching style with together as a team to situation is, whether we’re up boys baseball [last year]. Henton just get better. big down big, whether it’s been would tell his players “that was a high moment, low moment, BROOKS our floor and next game we’ll be you can always look to me to be better at everything,” Henton AFFOLTER a stoic face, to be that rock.” junior told the players to boost morale. For fun, Henton took a “[Henton coaches us] to learn from our mistakes and just become the best that we volleyball coaching class in college. When possibly could be and just continue to work starting his coaching career, Henton was together as a team to just get better,” junior transitioning to a new teaching job at SM East and baseball player Brooks Affolter said. “[And as a student teacher, and he volunteered for the volleyball team. The next year, the head to] not to make the same mistakes again.” The baseball players also note his “iconic” coach offered him a job and from there he worked through C-team, junior varsity, varsity round glasses that he always wore. “I was able to be good friends with him as assistant and then to varsity head coach. When a baseball job opened up and he had the season passed on,” Affolter said. Henton loves having the opportunity to a good relationship with the head coach at the witness kids accomplish goals they’ve been time, Henton was recruited to coach. With flag working towards, seeing them have that football, Henton did a formal interview this year to get the spot of head coach, beating out moment. “Sometimes it’s nice to sit on the sidelines other candidates for his exceptional coaching across other sports.
HE GIRLS FLAG football play
“
Throughout Time
Different sports Alexander Henton has coached throughout his years at East BASEBALL D-team for three years C-team for this upcoming season
GIRLS BASKETBALL Freshman for three years JV for this upcoming season
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By investing in his athletes’ success, AP U.S. History teacher Alexander Henton has become a respected friend throughout the school
“It’s all about what the program is, what the kids want and all of that as opposed to me as a coach,” Henton said. “I’m always focused on the kids and getting better and it doesn’t matter what level we’re playing at. I want to help these kids get to where they want to be.” Henton played flag football in second grade, baseball his whole life, cross country for one year in high school, football and basketball in high school and was a volleyball manager his senior year of high school. According to Henton, growing up around sports helped get him a better understanding of the game, but as a coach he learns as well. “Having a wide variety of coaching experience you encounter a lot of situations,” Henton said. “All those situations are affable across all sports. You just continue to be better as a coach with all those experiences.” in high school and was a volleyball manager his senior year of high school. Afterward he did various other things involving sports. According to Henton, growing up around sports helped get him a better understanding of the game, but as a coach he needs to learn as well. “Having a wide variety of coaching experience you encounter a lot of situations,” Henton said. “All those situations are affable across more. And so you just continue to be better as a coach with all those experiences.”
VOLLEYBALL C-team for four years JV for one year Varsity assistant for two years Head coach for five years GIRLS FLAG FOOTBALL Head coach for this upcoming season
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alt-copy
SEPTEMBER 14, 2026
design by FRANCESCA LORUSSO photos by LAYLA LOVE
BUILT TO
WIN
Students organize, plan and build parade floats in preparation for Lancer Day
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART ABOUT THE THEME? I like that we knew what we wanted to do with it as soon as we got [the theme]. We had a bunch of different ideas, like the 3D horses and the fence.
“
WHAT MADE YOU CHOOSE THE FLOAT THEME?
IZZY MANIES sophomore
*Instagram poll of 220 votes
ARE YOU WALKING IN A GROUP OR RIDING ON A FLOAT? ON FOOT
39%
ON FLOAT
61%
54% OF STUDENTS
Are helping to decorate a Lancer Day float *according to an Instagram poll of 201 viewers
IZZY MANIES CHEER: KENTUCKY DERBY I LOVE GETTING to see everybody’s reactions [to the floats] and getting to know and work with everybody on the team. Even though it is a lot of work, that makes it all worth it in the end.
“
ANNIE TRENKLE
senior - girls tennis float organizer
There’s so many different costumes on the Masked Singer that you can dress up as. Like you can be anything you want, and I just felt like it was something that everyone would be able to do.
“
LILLIAN HAULMARK senior
BEST/WORST PART ABOUT FLOAT PLANNING: It’s kind of stressful, because no one answers my messages. But every year, it’s been us watching the seniors plan the float, so the funnest part is that now we actually get to be the ones planning. HAILEY STUBER senior
“
HAILEY STUBER & LILLIAN HAULMARK CHOIR: THE MASKED SINGER