volume 50. issue 1 september 16, 2011 volume 50. issue 1 september 16, 2011epic

shawnee mission west

8800 west 85th street overland park, kansas 66212

students withfamily in the

militaryhow it a� ects their lives [pg. 4]

the

country club curfew

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ISSUE 1 THE EPIC 3

faces in the hallEmily

Purcellsenior

JamesDavisjunior

RachelKrueger

sophomore

Meredith Clark

freshman

What cartoon character are you

like?

Celebrity crush? Middle name? If a turtle loses shell, it is:

Bumblebee

Cameron Lamkin

Paige Parker

Channing Tatum

Justin Bieber

Lynn

Lee

Emma

Kelly

naked

homeless

homeless

homeless

Sandy Cheeks

Perry the Platypus

Phineas

On Friday night, the Country Club Plaza seemed to be missing some-thing...teenagers.

There is a new 9 p.m. curfew for anyone under 18 who is unaccom-panied by an adult. This curfew also applies to four other entertainment districts: Westport, Downtown, 18th and Vine, and Zona Rosa.

The law was put in place in response to the shooting on Saturday, August 14, where three teens were injured. The curfew is designed to reduce violence and crime.

It was introduced during a City Council session after a week of con-versations in the community and committee hearings. The council voted 13-0 in favor of the law.

“The crowds were getting far too large, increasing risk to everyone on the Plaza,” Danny Rotert, communications director for the mayor, said.

Police will be enforcing the curfew by looking out for unaccom-panied minors after 9 p.m. Violators will be taken to special “curfew centers” in the city, where their parents will be called and asked to pick their kids up. Also a fine of up to $500 can be imposed on the violator.

There are exceptions for the curfew though, such as, if an unaccom-panied minor is there for an event that the city approved the presence of minors, they are on an emergency errand for an adult, or they are going home from a school event or job.

Business on the Plaza shouldn’t be affected too greatly by the new curfew though.

“The majority of things on the Plaza are for adults, people with mon-ey to spend,” Marilyn Gencur, a sociology teacher at West, said

Bruce Adams, English teacher, works at the Apple store on the Plaza on Friday nights.

“Generally, I don’t think young people spend money. They’re not re-ally there to shop,” Adams said.

So far, reactions to the curfew have been positive. “We have now had three weekends without a curfew violation.

There have not been crowds of young people anywhere. Parents across the area have responded well, and generally our young people are safer as a result,” said Rotert.

by natalie stephensInspirational

quote?

What would Jesus do?

If it’s your time, it’s your time

Fear is stu-pid, so are

regrets

What would Ava

say?

by claire hugDue to a dangerous shooting, a new curfew has been set on the plaza for minors.

“I saw a lot of people on the first night of the curfew. I think a lot of people came to show their support,” Adams said.

Some young people are hesitant about the curfew. “I think it should be later, like 11. Certain things need to be done,

even after 9,” Erin Murphy, freshman, said. “I think it’s uneccessary,” Chelsea Kahn, sophomore, said. Still,

many people think that the curfew is a good idea and that it will help reduce violence.

“I have never been for violence. It’s disappointing to hear what our community has come to,” Madison Lane, sophomore, said.

“When you have that many kids together with nothing to do but hang out, there is a higher chance for trouble. I understand safety is of primary importance. People don’t want to go somewhere that isn’t safe,” Gencur said. “But I really see both sides. I understand the kids’ point of view of where they can go to hang out. But the Plaza is one of the best areas in Kansas City. It is something to be proud of. It can’t become a place where no one wants to go. I’m glad that they did it, but I feel bad for the kids without options for places to go.”

PHOTO BY ERICA HUIERICA HUI

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2 THE EPIC ISSUE 1

[A man with a .357 semi-automatic handgun jumped onto the hood of Rayna Garrett’s car and pointed it at her, so after trying to knock him off while she was driving, she decided to get help from the police...in an unusual way. Garrett made a two-mile drive to the Kansas City police station and didn’t stop. She crashed her car into the garage door of the station, the man fled, and he was arrested nearby.

[“I am a vampire, I am going to eat you,” Josephine Smith, 22, said as she allegedly assaulted a homeless 69-year-old man outside a vacant Hooters, ripping flesh off his face and arms. The victim managed to call 911, and Smith explained to the police that she had no recollection of the attack or why she woke up naked and covered with blood.

[British people value Facebook over toilets, or at least that’s what a survey by London’s Science Museum found. Researchers asked 3,000 British adults to rank what they couldn’t live without. Facebook came in fifth, while flushing toilets finished in ninth.

Book ShortageFifth graders at Benninghoven Elementary in Shawnee are experiencing a shortage of sci-ence, reading, and spelling books. The dis-trict has gained photocopy permission from the publishers so students can complete homework assignments. School officials are working to solve this shortage caused by class size changes during the beginning weeks of school.

news in brief

weird news

by connor henderson

PTSA meeting - @7 in Library 20 21

23

2526

27College plan-ning night in cafeteria @7

p.m.

29

snapshot

17 1819 22

28

Parent teacher conferences -

no classes

Varsity football game vs SMN

@7 p.m.Site Council meeting in Library @7

p.m.

FMP meet-ing 1:40-2:10 p.m. in Little

Theatre

Parent teacher evening confer-ences 5-8 p.m.

24

September16

SM West Patrons’ GalleryNew World Border, a national traveling art show, visited the Shawnee Mission West Pa-trons’ Gallery. The gallery features a variety of works created by internationally known artists dealing with the issues arising from in-creased security along the Mexico-U.S. bor-der. The show is open to the public through Sept. 30.

McAulliffe NightChrista McAuliffe Elementary School hosted NASA Family Night on Sept. 2 in honor of the astronaut and teacher the school’s named for killed in the Challenger Disaster in 1986. Antia Chambers, a scientist in the Thermal Systems Division of NASA, discussed with students about the development of state-of-the-art spacesuits astronauts use today.

Overtime VictoryThe West football team defeated the North-west Cougars 38-31 after a game with many ups and downs last Friday. The Cougars clawed back from a seventeen point half-time deficit to meet the Vikings in overtime. After scoring a touchdown in the first poses-sion of overtime, the Viking defense stopped the opposing offense to secure the win.

50th Year AnniversaryPlans for celebrations of Shawnee Mis-sion West’s 50th anniversary are underway. At its first meeting of the year StuCo voted West’s 50th Birthday Bash as the Homecom-ing theme. In addition, a 50th year planning committee has been established to host spe-cial events.

Presidential SpeechPresident Obama gave a speech to a joint session of Congress, laying out a $447 bil-lion dollar plan to boost an economy in the midst of the credit agency downgrade in Au-gust, stagnant growth, and high unemploy-ment. The American Jobs Act would provide assitance to the jobless, tax cuts to both em-ployers and employees, and investment in infrastructure and education.

[University of Virginia researchers found a tie between watching the popular Nickoledeon program Sponge-Bob Squarepants to negatively affected attention spans in 4-year olds. A more realistic program from PBS did not.

Parents listen as counselor Cindy Neely explains the College Now program and other changes at West at Back to School Night on August 26th.

Yearbook Photos

Progress Reports

DYLAN CROW

Pep Assembly 7:40-8:10

a.m.

30

country club curfew[N

EWS]

ISSUE 1 THE EPIC 3

faces in the hallEmily

Purcellsenior

JamesDavisjunior

RachelKrueger

sophomore

Meredith Clark

freshman

What cartoon character are you

like?

Celebrity crush? Middle name? If a turtle loses shell, it is:

Bumblebee

Cameron Lamkin

Paige Parker

Channing Tatum

Justin Bieber

Lynn

Lee

Emma

Kelly

naked

homeless

homeless

homeless

Sandy Cheeks

Perry the Platypus

Phineas

On Friday night, the Country Club Plaza seemed to be missing some-thing...teenagers.

There is a new 9 p.m. curfew for anyone under 18 who is unaccom-panied by an adult. This curfew also applies to four other entertainment districts: Westport, Downtown, 18th and Vine, and Zona Rosa.

The law was put in place in response to the shooting on Saturday, August 14, where three teens were injured. The curfew is designed to reduce violence and crime.

It was introduced during a City Council session after a week of con-versations in the community and committee hearings. The council voted 13-0 in favor of the law.

“The crowds were getting far too large, increasing risk to everyone on the Plaza,” Danny Rotert, communications director for the mayor, said.

Police will be enforcing the curfew by looking out for unaccom-panied minors after 9 p.m. Violators will be taken to special “curfew centers” in the city, where their parents will be called and asked to pick their kids up. Also a fine of up to $500 can be imposed on the violator.

There are exceptions for the curfew though, such as, if an unaccom-panied minor is there for an event that the city approved the presence of minors, they are on an emergency errand for an adult, or they are going home from a school event or job.

Business on the Plaza shouldn’t be affected too greatly by the new curfew though.

“The majority of things on the Plaza are for adults, people with mon-ey to spend,” Marilyn Gencur, a sociology teacher at West, said

Bruce Adams, English teacher, works at the Apple store on the Plaza on Friday nights.

“Generally, I don’t think young people spend money. They’re not re-ally there to shop,” Adams said.

So far, reactions to the curfew have been positive. “We have now had three weekends without a curfew violation.

There have not been crowds of young people anywhere. Parents across the area have responded well, and generally our young people are safer as a result,” said Rotert.

by natalie stephensInspirational

quote?

What would Jesus do?

If it’s your time, it’s your time

Fear is stu-pid, so are

regrets

What would Ava

say?

by claire hugDue to a dangerous shooting, a new curfew has been set on the plaza for minors.

“I saw a lot of people on the first night of the curfew. I think a lot of people came to show their support,” Adams said.

Some young people are hesitant about the curfew. “I think it should be later, like 11. Certain things need to be done,

even after 9,” Erin Murphy, freshman, said. “I think it’s uneccessary,” Chelsea Kahn, sophomore, said. Still,

many people think that the curfew is a good idea and that it will help reduce violence.

“I have never been for violence. It’s disappointing to hear what our community has come to,” Madison Lane, sophomore, said.

“When you have that many kids together with nothing to do but hang out, there is a higher chance for trouble. I understand safety is of primary importance. People don’t want to go somewhere that isn’t safe,” Gencur said. “But I really see both sides. I understand the kids’ point of view of where they can go to hang out. But the Plaza is one of the best areas in Kansas City. It is something to be proud of. It can’t become a place where no one wants to go. I’m glad that they did it, but I feel bad for the kids without options for places to go.”

PHOTO BY ERICA HUIERICA HUI

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4 THE EPIC ISSUE 1

in their absencestudents cope with their family members leaving to serve in the military.

by andy gottschalk and jordan johnson

West is home to several students with relatives in the military. While these students are here in Kansas, members of their families are away serving our country.

Cameron Desordi, senior, misses his older sister Lauren while she’s in Afghanistan, work-ing as a medic for the Army. His 24-year-old sibling left in May to go to Iraq. She was then relocated to Afghanistan.

“The Army proves that she’s responsible,” Desordi said. “I’m happy she’s serving her country.”

Desordi has since looked up to her sister more after she made the step to be a part of the Army.

“She’s the same old sister I grew up with but more mature,” Desordi said.He isn’t the only student at West with a relative in the military. Andrew Canon, senior,

was worried for his cousin Brian when he was shipped to Afghanistan for the Marines. Brian was in his early twenties when he was deployed to Afghanistan for several months.

“It was scary when I fi rst heard [he was joining the war],” Canon said.Canon respects his cousin for joining the military. Brian has served as an example for

Canon while growing up.“I defi nitely look up to him [Brian]. He’s a role model,” Canon said. “I’m just glad he got

home safely.”Katelynn Georgiana has even closer ties to the military.Junior Katelynn Georgiana has grown up with a military mom her whole life. Her

mother, Katrina, was already involved in the military before Katelynn was born. Katrina was deployed to Turkey to serve as a dental assistant, and after returning home,

gave birth to Katelynn. Katelynn’s mom then worked for the Air Force Reserves while Kate-lynn was growing up.

Katrina was inspired to join the military because her father was in the military for over 20 years.

“She [Katrina] followed her dad’s footsteps,” Georgiana said.Alli Blackwood, senior, was afraid that her uncle would not come home when he left

to go to Iraq and later Afghanistan. Dennis, Blackwood’s uncle, served as a commanding offi cer overseas. Blackwood was at fi rst frightened, but later relieved that he returned home. Dennis retired about a month ago.

“I am proud of him. It made him [Dennis] a better man,” Blackwood said. All of these students have learned to deal with their relatives’ absence. They feel a loss

while their family members serve overseas. Their pride of their relatives is apparent.“They’re putting their lives on the line to protect our country,” Blackwood said.

From left to right: senior Andrew Canon, junior Katelynn Georgiana, and senior Alli Blackwood. Photos by Landon Oschner.

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theintimidator by tim dodderidge

the drawing board:GARRETT WILSON

by

I just don’t understand. I’m not a 65 year old man, nor am I a narcoleptic. So why am I so tired this year? Why am I suddenly finding myself falling asleep at the drop of a hat in just about any situation? I know, I know. A 17 year old complaining about sleep deprivation is like an infant crying (coincidentally, I also like to complain about infants crying). But I’ll be darned if you can’t relate. What is it about this year? There has to some reason why I’m taking naps at least four days a week. I’ve noticed it in everyone; the constant feeling of drowsi-ness and inability to show enthusiasm towards hardly anything. So what do we do about it? I have some ideas:

1) Drink a BOATLOAD of coffee. It doesn’t even matter if you like it, most people don’t drink it for the taste anyway.

2) Use your lunch period to take a nap in the the basement’s cages. You may have to deal with the constant hum of heavy ma-chinery or rats nibbling at your ears, but it’s probably better than being tired...right?

3) Literally slap yourself in the face every five minutes. Assuming you don’t fall asleep within the parameters of those five minutes, you will stay awake all day.

There you go.

That’s really all you ever need to do to solve your sleepiness problem for good.

However, I understand that some of those ideas might be too extreme for some people (lame), so I’ve comprised a second list of ideas, the latter being a little more realistic:

1) Don’t stay up so late. It seems ri-diculous, but going to bed before midnight sometimes might actually be beneficial to your health. And for those of you who insist you can get by on four hours of sleep every night - con-gratulations. But the large bags under your eyes beg to differ.

2) Try and look at everything with a positive attitude. Talk to more people; have more conversations. You won’t be thinking about how tired you are if you are in the middle of a good time.

3) Take fewer math classes. I’m kid-ding, I’m kidding! But seriously...take classes you actually have an interest in.

I sincerely hope these ideas help you. We don’t have to be Zombie High School. We could be a school of endless pep, where stu-dents skip/frolic to class and sing their favor-ite musical tunes at top volume. As long as we obey the West Way, anything is possible! But anyway, at least give them a shot. Yawns are highly contagious, and I’m tired of spending more of my time yawning than being enlight-ened by my wonderful teachers (not joking, my teachers really are wonderful). I really do want what’s best for our school. It’s my last year here, and despite the fact that I have really enjoyed senior year so far, I would like to be able to remember it clearly 10 years from now.

I really wish I could tell you I wasn’t finish-ing this column at 11:30 at night, because that would ruin my “get more sleep” motto. But that would be lying. It’s Monday night.....Lord help me.

by alex leininger

a bucket list of sortsOne event in my life has changed my perspec-

tive. It changed the way I live currently and how I’m going to live in the future. It all started with a McDonald’s and 2500 calories sitting infront of me.

Earlier this year, McDonald’s offered a meal that was only meant for the crazy to try. It was the 50 Chicken McNugget meal, and it priced in at $10, a pretty fair price if you ask me. So a few friends and I decided to do something very dangerous. I mean, it literally was an unsafe and crazy thing to even at-tempt. We drove over to McDonald’s and all bought 50 piece McNugget meals and had a contest to see how fast we could eat all of them.

This hour I spent trying to devour all of these chicken nuggets was one of the most painful hours of my life. In the end, 26 chicken nuggets were eaten and I felt awful. Now I know how Joey Chest-nut must feel every Fourth of July. This was insanity. And after the conclusion of this event, I realized that I had learned two things that day:

1) I never want to see another Chicken McNugget again in my life.

2) It was totally worth trying.This event was the beginning of my, what I like

to call my “List of Fun Things to Do Because I Can.” The McNugget challenge came first. Up until now, I hadn’t even thought of making a list, but it actually could be really fun trying to do all of the things I’ve thought about.

Well, I started making an list, and there are some hilarious things on it. The first thing I added is some-thing I would like to call the Taco Bell Challenge, which consists of 2 miles of running (yes, I’m on the cross country team if you’re wondering), stomach-ing 12 tacos from Taco Bell, and then running 2 more miles to the finish. And if you throw up, you lose. Sounds pretty crazy, but if this was to happen, I would remember it for the rest of my life.

Some other things I want to do include: geocaching, a real-life version of Take the Money and Run (airing every Tuesday at 8 pm on ABC), fin-ishing a triathlon (a short one, of course), ordering a bobblehead of myself (which you can actually do, not to sound too conceited) to keep on my dresser, going to a game at every MLB stadium, becom-ing a National Park Ranger, being a radio DJ, and wrestling a bear (or maybe not). A lot of these things are just ambitions, but a lot of them I’ve already at-tempted to try and accomplish.

I know I may not be the only one creating what they call their “Bucket List,” but this is something to keep me distracted, something to keep me out of a rut, and something to prevent my life from getting away from me. This list may be comparable to some far-fetched storyline out of the movie “Yes Man,” but it’s all part of my goal of feeling more accomplished in life.

i’m so tired

leiningerthe

lexicon

ISSUE 10 THE EPIC 5

[AD

S]

6 THE EPIC ISSUE 1

Panzon’s (913) 492-9555 8710 Lackman Rd Lenexa, KS 66215

Interested in advertising in the Epic or on smwest.com?

Contact Scott Aldrich scottaldrich@smsd.org or 913.993.7929

yearbook ordersOrder your copy of the 2012 Saga yearbook now.

The deadline for yearbook orders is Dec. 2. Contact Amy Morgan amymorgan@smsd.org or 913.993.7911

for more information.Payment plans available.

senior adsEarlybird deadline (discounted prices!) Sept. 30

regular deadline Oct. 21

senior picturesdeadline extended to Oct. 1

Contact DeCloud Studios at 913.956.7200for an appointment.

Buy one sandwich, get one 1/2 off

with this ad8808 Santa Fe Drive

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fax 913.649.2294

We cater and deliver!

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ISSUE 1 THE EPIC 7

Editorial Board

In your few weeks back at West, you may have noticed some changes around the school. The biggest change, of course, is the new schedule. The school is now operating on a schedule with three all-class days and two block days, which has come to mean two big things: more homework every night and hardly any seminars. For freshman, the seminars are entirely new anyway, but the schedule is still a big change from Westridge.Complaints have been inevitable, ranging from “how am I supposed to get all of this homework done?” to “what’s the point of even having seminar anymore?” But the thing is, no matter how much complaining we do, the schedule is set, and we are stuck with it all year. This doesn’t mean we have to be happy about it, but while it’s here, we might as well adjust to it. The ideal thing to do is to expect fewer amounts of homework more often, rather than larger portions less often. The faster pace may throw us off for a while, but by December, it will be second nature. Also, students that ignored their planners be-fore might want to reconsider, because you all will have a lot more to remember.Believe it or not, the schedule is hard on teachers too, with having to portion the correct amount of homework and finding time to teach the entire curriculum, so don’t blame them. In essence, you might want to focus some of the energy used for complaining on adjusting, because it will probably benefit you in the long run. Another big change this year is the lunchroom. With it’s new glass entryway and white, polished interior, the general opinion is that it looks great. However, there have been a couple of non-decorative changes. The pizza has changed (once again) from Pizza Hut to CiCi’s, and a Snack Bar has been added. The Snack Bar features all of the dessert treats we are used to, except for (as most of us have noticed) our beloved soup cookies. Also, the walls are adorned with our school motto, the West Way. Yes, change may not be what we want or need. But with a positive attitude, you may just realize that it really isn’t that big of a deal.

The Times, They Are A-Changin’

Epic Staff

The “Epic” is the newspaper of Shaw-

nee Mission West, 8800 W. 85th St.,

Overland Park, KS 66212. It is pro-

duced by a staff of high school jour-

nalists dedicated to the principles of

journalism: to present facts and occur-

rences truthfully and without bias. Ar-

ticles of opinion or analysis are labeled

and do not necessarily reflect the views

of the staff and/or the publication.In accordance with Kansas law, the

“Epic” staff is entitled to freedom of the

press. Neither the West administration

nor the SMSD are responsible for any

article, advertisement, photograph,,

illustration or opinion piece in the

“Epic”.The “Epic” encourages letters to the

editor, but they must be signed and

submitted to room 11. The “Epic” is

published bimonthly. It is printed by

the Kansas City Star and is distributed

free of charge to students. For advertis-

ing information call (913) 993-7911.

co editors-in-chieftim dodderidgealex leiningerassistant/sports editorjoshua smithphoto editorlandon ochsnernews editorconnor hendersonfeatures editormolly norburgcopy/opinion editorterri harveya&e editormolly smithstaff writersabby banningkyle becherjenny brownmarleah campbellerin fellerandy gottschalkkendra hoffmanclaire hugerica huijordan johnsonhayden lasalleryan millermarina sarkisovalauren scobeenatalie stephensphotographersmadeline frankeljonah hengryan lansdonsarah mcgreevytomos ridenhouraaron robertscartoonistgarrett wilsonadviseramy morgan

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8 THE EPIC ISSUE 1

rearranging changesNew changes have brought both hope and worry to many Vikings. by molly norburg

As the school year begins, freshmen will not be the only people at West undergoing big changes and new experiences. Radical modifications in scheduling, club leadership, and the all-important cafeteria will force even the most seasoned in the West community to adapt.

SCHEDULEThe most drastic change for the 2011-2012 school year is argu-

ably a transformation in the scheduling of the school day. In previous years, West has used full block scheduling. After years of discussion, the district has mandated that all Shawnee Mission high schools be moved to the same schedule.

“I didn’t want to give up the block and [Shawnee Mission] South didn’t want to give up their 7-period day,” principal Dr. Charles McLean said, “So a compromise was selected.”

There is a mixture of feelings about the new schedule. The major-ity of teachers and students are frustrated with the alteration, but there are some that are excited.

“Many in the performing arts like the change,” McLean said, “many feel having daily contact is important.”

Laura VanLeeuwen, choir teacher, is looking forward to the new schedule. As leader of such a large organization, VanLeeuwen be-lieves it to be vital that she sees her students every day.

“It is so important in building a musical consistency that the classes meet as often as possible,” VanLeeuwen said.

However, some students and teachers alike enjoy the longer periods because it allows for more thorough discussion and more comfortable relationships in the classroom. Nevertheless, the major-ity are attempting to remain optimistic.

“It was sad to see block scheduling go,” social studies teacher Connie Benolkin said, “But I know from experience that we can make anything work.”

It is also causing clubs and organizations to get much more creative with finding times to meet. Groups at West are trying their best to cooperate with one another, but students may be forced to prioritize and miss certain activities.

“The schedule change will unfortunately make it harder for us to meet!” student body president Amy Hocker said, ‘We will have to meet outside of class before and after school to create time to get everything accomplished.”

CAFETERIAAnother radical, and more welcome, change is taking place in

the cafeteria. Construction crews have been working all summer long to complete renovations of the kitchen and cafeteria.

“The interior of the cafeteria and kitchen has been totally removed and new walls, windows, paint, flooring, cooking and serv-ing equipment installed,” McLean said.

The frosted glass exterior windows that surrounded the cafeteria are being replaced with clear ones, which makes the space feel more open and allows students passing in the hallways to peer easily inside. A complete makeover of the kitchen and serving area also makes the space feel bright and clean. In addition to these transfor-mations, new long tables are being purchased.

“The cafeteria and kitchen were part of the original construction back in 1962,” McLean said, “I have been working since I came to West to get it updated for our students and community.”

As the school year begins, McLean’s only apprehension related to the cafeteria is its completion.

“I am a little concerned that we are getting ready for school and the cafeteria is not finished,” McLean said, “But the construction foreman assures me it will be ready to serve food by August 15.”

SPONSORSEvery organization at West must have a sponsor, or adult leader

(usually a teacher or administrator), to gain approval and the ability to operate. Sponsors direct the group and keep them focused, giv-ing up many extra hours and weekends in the meantime. Connie Benolkin, social studies teacher, has donated her time to Student Council for many years.

“I had faithfully and happily worked with STUCO for 11 years and I began to think, you know, that’s a pretty long time,” Benolkin said.

With her daughter’s marriage and the arrival of a grandchild on the horizon, Benolkin decided that it was time to hand over the reins. She recommended that Dave Kissack, a science teacher who had assisted her in managing STUCO for two years, assume the posi-tion she was vacating.

Thankfully, Kissack accepted the position and the entire group of student body officers is optimistic about the change. Amy Hocker, student body president, maintains a positive outlook.

“There is always a certain amount of anxiety when dealing with new leadership,” Hocker said, “But I am confident that Kissack pos-sesses all the qualities needed to run a group like ours!”

Replacing Kissack as STUCO assistant is Nick Adams, science teacher, who was previously a sponsor for National Honor Society [NHS]. In Adam’s absence, Amy Blakemore (formerly Lundine) has stepped in as a new NHS sponsor. According to Becca Schmidt, se-nior, it has been a learning experience for the new group of officers as well.

“We’re working and learning together to understand the best way to run the organization,” Schmidt said.

However, Schmidt looks forward to the challenge of new leader-ship.

“I’m optimistic because we have lots of new ideas and want to change NHS for the better,” Schmidt said.

JONAH HENG

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ISSUE 1 THE EPIC 9

300words

Everyone has a story. This is the belief behind the series “300 words.” Each issue, a student or teacher is chosen at random and their story is told in 300 words.

“Growing

up in south Kansas City, Missouri males just had this

understanding that you didn’t really show or have emotions. You

just let the females run rampant with all that soft stuff. I never

really accepted that,” Renzo Boyice,senior, said.

Boyice based this rebellious mentality off of new friends, his

future band-mates, that told him so. Together they embraced

poetry, playing instruments, and rapping; Boyice did all three.

Through these things he found an understanding in his emotions,

but found the struggle within the standard ego of every male.

This resulted in the inability to be open up with one of his talents:

rapping.“I found that it wasn’t a weakness to let others know how you’re

feeling or what’s on your mind. Even at the age of ten I still had a

little bit of a male mentality and was embarrassed to share them,”

Boyice said.A breakthrough came in Boyice’s life when he moved to the

Shawnee Mission area in 2008. That year, on April ninth, Boyice

released to the public his first video containing one of his raps.

Though the video got no “likes” and a comment from his cousin

relating to his facial similarities to a relative, Boyice still kept his

head up.With influences, and role models in his head of artists like Kanye

West, Drake, Kid Ink, and his favorite J. Cole, Boyice has sought

success with each day.Though Renzo does a lot of solo work, he is

still a vocalist in his band “Kingdom”, which has recently signed

with a local recording label, First Class Records. Boyice is always

persistent to show that he will never give up on music, no matter

what happens.“As long as I’m still breathing with emotions and thoughts there is

no way I can stop,” Boyice passionately said.

I’m Different, I’m Renzo.

written by: joshua smith

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY: LANDON OCHSNER & JOSHUA SMITH

[FEATUR

E]

ISSUE 1 THE EPIC 9

300words

Everyone has a story. This is the belief behind the series “300 words.” Each issue, a student or teacher is chosen at random and their story is told in 300 words.

“Growing

up in south Kansas City, Missouri males just had this

understanding that you didn’t really show or have emotions. You

just let the females run rampant with all that soft stuff. I never

really accepted that,” Renzo Boyice,senior, said.

Boyice based this rebellious mentality off of new friends, his

future band-mates, that told him so. Together they embraced

poetry, playing instruments, and rapping; Boyice did all three.

Through these things he found an understanding in his emotions,

but found the struggle within the standard ego of every male.

This resulted in the inability to be open up with one of his talents:

rapping.“I found that it wasn’t a weakness to let others know how you’re

feeling or what’s on your mind. Even at the age of ten I still had a

little bit of a male mentality and was embarrassed to share them,”

Boyice said.A breakthrough came in Boyice’s life when he moved to the

Shawnee Mission area in 2008. That year, on April ninth, Boyice

released to the public his first video containing one of his raps.

Though the video got no “likes” and a comment from his cousin

relating to his facial similarities to a relative, Boyice still kept his

head up.With influences, and role models in his head of artists like Kanye

West, Drake, Kid Ink, and his favorite J. Cole, Boyice has sought

success with each day.Though Renzo does a lot of solo work, he is

still a vocalist in his band “Kingdom”, which has recently signed

with a local recording label, First Class Records. Boyice is always

persistent to show that he will never give up on music, no matter

what happens.“As long as I’m still breathing with emotions and thoughts there is

no way I can stop,” Boyice passionately said.

I’m Different, I’m Renzo.

written by: joshua smith

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY: LANDON OCHSNER & JOSHUA SMITH

a day that defined our generation: students and teachers remember September 11, 2001

Just because my family didn’t have any connections with 9/11 victims or felt the same sorrow that thousands of Americans felt on that day, we will forever remember that day once every year for more than just the day that terrorists started a new kind of war with our country, because my cousin will be turning 10 on September 11.

Yes, she is a 9/11 child. But that’s just the beginning. She was born on September 11, 2001, on a calm sunny morning in down-town Manhattan. No one in my family thought a tragedy like the World Trade Center collapsing would happen. Absolutely no one, and especially on a day that should have been so special to my aunt and uncle. They saw it on the news that morning. They feared that thousands of innocent Americans would be quickly rushed into the hospital where they were at, where my aunt was going to bring new life into the world; at this time there were also a lot of people leaving it.

Luckily my aunt was able to give birth that morning without any fears. Outside her window, she could see the buildings burning to ash. All she could see was confusion. The streets were littered with passersby; people on their way to work, just trying to make sense of something that simply didn’t. And eventually it was all over.

Now my family lives with the fact that my cousin was born on one of the most important (and saddest) days in our country’s history. She was featured on the Today Show. She’s one of the few people that was born with a significant date that will always stick with her no matter where she goes in life. Most of all, she represents hope. She represents all of the hope we have together, and the fact that we never give up.

But that’s just my father’s niece. My mother’s niece was also born on September 11. She wasn’t born on that day of grief, as she graduated from college last year, but I recall her crying and crying that day until she couldn’t anymore. 9/11 affected more than just those directly involved. It made us fear for our safety. This event made us wake up and grow stronger as a country. No matter what those terrorists did that day, we will always remember this day every year and realize not just that we are a year older that day, but a year stronger; a year more united than before. No one can steal away our pride and bravery.

Every year on September 11, I celebrate two birthdays of close family members, but I also remember one thing and a very impor-tant thing at that: I’m proud to be an American.

a symbol of hope

Every year on September 11, we remember those who perished in the terrorist attacks that occurred on that same day in 2001. This year marks the 10th anniversary of that time, and in these past 10 years, life has changed for students across America, as growing up was different having 9/11 as a part of their childhood.

by tim dodderidge, lauren scobee, and hayden lasalle

KAYLA CRAINFeelings: “I feel it was very tragic. I was in pain for the people who lost loved ones that day”Words For Those Who Lost Loved Ones: “ I want to say to the people who lost loved ones on 9/11 that they will continue being loved and missed.”

since 9/11america

2001- Newly elected President George W. Bush has to deal with terrorist destruction of The World Trade Center ,The Pentagon and rural Shanksville, PA.

2001- America goes to War with Afghani-stan

2005- Hurricane Katrina hits New Or-leans 2006- Saddam Hussein is executed

2008- America’s Stock Market takes a hit creating a recession

2009- Barrack Obama is put into office

2010- BP oil spill

2011- Osama Bin Laden is captured and killed

2011- A monument on the 10th an-niversary of 9/11 is built in New York City , featuring two waterfalls where the twin towers once stood with every name engraved of everyone who lost their life, including the victims of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.

CONSTANCE BENOLKINFeelings: “I was in disbelief, I was thinking how my students don’t really realize how big this is. My stomach was knotted when I heard about the plane that went to the pentagon. It was like the last straw.”

BRUCE ALLENThought On 9/11: “9/11 was really sad; one of the worst things I’ve ever seen in my life.”Do you remember anything? “All I remember were the towers coming down.”

by tim dodderidge

TOM FOX/DALLAS MORNING NEWS/MCT

a day that defined our generation: students and teachers remember September 11, 2001

Just because my family didn’t have any connections with 9/11 victims or felt the same sorrow that thousands of Americans felt on that day, we will forever remember that day once every year for more than just the day that terrorists started a new kind of war with our country, because my cousin will be turning 10 on September 11.

Yes, she is a 9/11 child. But that’s just the beginning. She was born on September 11, 2001, on a calm sunny morning in down-town Manhattan. No one in my family thought a tragedy like the World Trade Center collapsing would happen. Absolutely no one, and especially on a day that should have been so special to my aunt and uncle. They saw it on the news that morning. They feared that thousands of innocent Americans would be quickly rushed into the hospital where they were at, where my aunt was going to bring new life into the world; at this time there were also a lot of people leaving it.

Luckily my aunt was able to give birth that morning without any fears. Outside her window, she could see the buildings burning to ash. All she could see was confusion. The streets were littered with passersby; people on their way to work, just trying to make sense of something that simply didn’t. And eventually it was all over.

Now my family lives with the fact that my cousin was born on one of the most important (and saddest) days in our country’s history. She was featured on the Today Show. She’s one of the few people that was born with a significant date that will always stick with her no matter where she goes in life. Most of all, she represents hope. She represents all of the hope we have together, and the fact that we never give up.

But that’s just my father’s niece. My mother’s niece was also born on September 11. She wasn’t born on that day of grief, as she graduated from college last year, but I recall her crying and crying that day until she couldn’t anymore. 9/11 affected more than just those directly involved. It made us fear for our safety. This event made us wake up and grow stronger as a country. No matter what those terrorists did that day, we will always remember this day every year and realize not just that we are a year older that day, but a year stronger; a year more united than before. No one can steal away our pride and bravery.

Every year on September 11, I celebrate two birthdays of close family members, but I also remember one thing and a very impor-tant thing at that: I’m proud to be an American.

a symbol of hope

Every year on September 11, we remember those who perished in the terrorist attacks that occurred on that same day in 2001. This year marks the 10th anniversary of that time, and in these past 10 years, life has changed for students across America, as growing up was different having 9/11 as a part of their childhood.

by tim dodderidge, lauren scobee, and hayden lasalle

KAYLA CRAINFeelings: “I feel it was very tragic. I was in pain for the people who lost loved ones that day”Words For Those Who Lost Loved Ones: “ I want to say to the people who lost loved ones on 9/11 that they will continue being loved and missed.”

since 9/11america

2001- Newly elected President George W. Bush has to deal with terrorist destruction of The World Trade Center ,The Pentagon and rural Shanksville, PA.

2001- America goes to War with Afghani-stan

2005- Hurricane Katrina hits New Or-leans 2006- Saddam Hussein is executed

2008- America’s Stock Market takes a hit creating a recession

2009- Barrack Obama is put into office

2010- BP oil spill

2011- Osama Bin Laden is captured and killed

2011- A monument on the 10th an-niversary of 9/11 is built in New York City , featuring two waterfalls where the twin towers once stood with every name engraved of everyone who lost their life, including the victims of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.

CONSTANCE BENOLKINFeelings: “I was in disbelief, I was thinking how my students don’t really realize how big this is. My stomach was knotted when I heard about the plane that went to the pentagon. It was like the last straw.”

BRUCE ALLENThought On 9/11: “9/11 was really sad; one of the worst things I’ve ever seen in my life.”Do you remember anything? “All I remember were the towers coming down.”

by tim dodderidge

TOM FOX/DALLAS MORNING NEWS/MCT

[SPO

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justjoshua

Sometimes I wish that I could just control the sports world. Be the boss, and oversee every sport for a day.

I would solve any problem in it, make any team I want win, and always create an epic game every night, but guess what, I can’t. It seems like the only people that have an inkling of power in the sports world are the owners, the head honchos and no one else seems to have any say about their power.

There is no exception to the NBA, and in the end half of the basketball community doesn’t understand nor care at all about the lockout, but the owners, commissioners, and high and mighty people do.

We just want basketball, to see our favorite players and teams, exercise the sport that has become so near and dear to our hearts.

The NBA is only the current issue; the NFL still leaves a headache in my head after its summer spree of drama. Their little publicity stunt is punishing the quality of my football viewing. A perfect example would be Payton Manning, a neck injury leaves him questionable in the fi rst week of the season. How do you think that happened, by having nightmares dur-ing the summer tossing his head back and forth yell-ing “no” to the thought of no football season! I would like to be able to blame the preseason and future of the Chiefs season on the lockout but well who am I kidding by making that statement, that’s beyond this earth.

I love how the players stand up for themselves and come together as a team when their money is ques-tioned. Even the players that had the worst season, and have been yelled at all season to be a team, fi -nally get it when it has to do with their bank accounts. It’s like while playing Madden 11 on Xbox Live, try-ing to fulfi ll all they hadn’t done that season, they say “hey we should probably go stand up for our right to have more money, my wife wants a new addition to the house anyway.” The way I see it I don’t care at all who is cooking in your kitchen, till you’re cooking up on the fi eld, okay? If you’re not gonna play well you could at least send me a piece of chicken or some-thing to keep me content, while watching your glory days on DVD.

In the end, I’m anxious to see what happens. My time as imaginary boss is over, it’s time to face this crazy thing that people call reality.

This is just the way I see it personally, through this thing called my mind, this is just me, just Joshua.

head honcho mr. smith

by joshua smith

It’s time again for fantasy football. For the loyal and serious fans that follow the

sport of football, the next fi ve months are here. Drafting the best possible fantasy football team, and devoting to it week in and out.

Starting a Fantasy Football League is nothing easy to accomplish, and wanting to have a fantasy league with his friends was enough for Mike Small-wood, 1975 graduate of Washington High School and neighborhood friend, to do. As Country Hill West (Homes Association) League Commissioner, Smallwood developed a pretty good idea on how to organize a league and pick his team.

Knowing what players to draft and when to draft them is something that will take some time to grasp. Is the mind of the football analaysis the way to go?

“Look for undervalued players,” Smallwood said.

Like as rookies, back-ups who replace injured starters or players who develop skills over time. These players Smallwood looked for were the ones that were not talked about by the football draft ex-perts or magazine writers.

Running backs and wide receivers were his main targets. Picking a highly-paid quarterback such as Michael Vick would be as valuable as a 5th round pick.

“Which is a better pick,” Smallwood said.“Those high paid players are too greedy, I think

they affect how fans pick their fantasy teams,” Casey Olinger, Junior, said. “I mainly focus on the fast, athletic players.”

Doing fantasy football ( A virtual competition in which people manage professional football play-

ers versus one another through the computer) is a learning experience. Where to learn how to man-age a team and develop a strategy.

“My strategy is to watch the preseason and watch NFL Network 24/7,” Donte Hill, junior, said. “I check my roster once a week to see who has a bye before Sunday; I always forget if I don’t check it on Friday, and I spend most of my days leading up to the draft breathing fantasy football.”

Make sure to check the rosters to know who to play and who not to. Every team in the NFL gets one week during the year where they do not play, and their players do not score any points, so why play them. Also, check the waiver wire. Which is the players that were not drafted. Here they show the process and how they would do in the league, and possibly decide to pick them up.

“On draft day, pick your players on what or-der you are drafting, pick players relative to that,” Smallwood said.

Meaning don’t always have to pick or look at the “best player out there” and assume that they will do well the whole season and a standout. Look for some Cinderella players.

“Pick your favorite players because they are more fun to watch,” Olinger said.

Also, fantasy football does indeed come with advantages.

“Games are more interesting, it is fun to do with your friends, and all players can have an impact on your team,” Smallwood said.

“And if you do your team on NFL.com you can win prizes,”Hill said. “And you get to have your own team that is yours.”

my fantasy

12 THE EPIC ISSUE 1

freeze frameThe defensive line, prepares to make a stop on the defensive line, in their season opener, against the Lawrence Lions. PHOTO BY AARON ROBERTS

As the football season takes off, fanatics take control of their teams.

by kyle becher

Chandler BlantonAge: Height:17 5’10”Nickname: Favorite Class:Shaq Writer’s WorkshopZodiac Sign: Pump Up Song:Gemini Teach Me How To DougieRight or Left Handed: Ambition:Left Have a succesful senior year season

can you dig it?Senior Chandler Blanton has high expectations for the upcoming volleyball season.

[SPORTS]

ISSUE 1 THE EPIC 13

Watching senior Chandler Blanton play volleyball, many would think she’s been playing since she could walk, but Blanton only started playing volleyball in eighth grade.

She began in a recreational league, and con-tinued in that league during her freshman year. She had never played volleyball before then.

“Tori Wilkinson’s dad was the coach. He threw me on the court, so I just kind of did it,” Blanton said. “I had no idea of anything about volleyball.”

Blanton started on the freshman team at West, and said her skills have definitely improved over the years.

“I like playing volleyball because it’s a team-oriented sport, so no matter what team you’re on, you’re probably going to be close,” Blanton said.

In addition to playing varsity sophomore year, she started playing club volleyball for the KC Explosion. Blanton plays middle blocker, which most people say is the hardest position to play. Middle blocker has to position themselves to block the other team’s hits.

“Middle blocker is always moving, and you always have to know where you are on the court. You also have to block every single ball that comes over the net,” Sally Burkhart, sophomore, sad.

Burkhart is playing on varsity with Blanton this year. They have only played together during West’s state run last fall and during summer league, but Burkhart looks up to Blanton a lot.

“She has really good hits and gets everyone really excited,” Burkhart said.

“Chandler doesn’t know how to not try,” Ryan Call, volleyball coach, said. “She gives 100 percent all the time.”

This is Call’s fourth year as a volleyball coach. He has been coaching Blanton since her fresh-man year. Call has noticed Blanton’s determina-

tion and strong will to win.“She was injured once and I asked her to pull

back a bit. She couldn’t do it,” Call said. “She’s always going after it.”

“Chandler’s always been determined,” Paige Wolfe, senior and good friend of Blanton, said.

Blanton has noticed a few differences between this year’s varsity team and last year’s team.

“We’re a lot younger this year,” Blanton said. “We have some people playing different positions than they’re used to.”

Despite these differences, Burkhart, Call, and Blanton have high expectations for the upcoming season.

“We’re supposed to be better than last year, we have a lot of good hitters,” Burkhart said.

“I let the girls set their own goals. I asked them early on what they wanted to accomplish and they’ve set a pretty high standard,” Call said. “I know they’re going to do well.”

Blanton has similar goals for the season.“I want to improve our record from last year.

I’m hoping to have a really close team, and be a good leader as one of the four seniors,” Blanton said.

Blanton is a leader on and off the court. Besides volleyball, she in involved in yearbook, National Honor Society, Spanish National Honor Society, pep club, and she is a member of the varsity dance team.

All this involvement looks great for colleges, but Blanton hasn’t decided if she will play vol-leyball in college.

“I’m really not sure yet. If I end up playing, I’ll probably play at Rockhurst, otherwise I won’t play and just go somewhere for the whole col-lege deal,” Blanton said.

To see Blanton in action, the next varsity volleyball game is September 20, at St. Teresa’s Academy.

by jenny brown

PHOTO BY KENDRA HOFFMAN

Chandler BlantonAge: Height:17 5’10”Nickname: Favorite Class:Shaq Writer’s WorkshopZodiac Sign: Pump Up Song:Gemini Teach Me How To DougieRight or Left Handed: Ambition:Left Have a succesful senior year season

can you dig it?Senior Chandler Blanton has high expectations for the upcoming volleyball season.

[SPORTS]

ISSUE 1 THE EPIC 13

Watching senior Chandler Blanton play volleyball, many would think she’s been playing since she could walk, but Blanton only started playing volleyball in eighth grade.

She began in a recreational league, and con-tinued in that league during her freshman year. She had never played volleyball before then.

“Tori Wilkinson’s dad was the coach. He threw me on the court, so I just kind of did it,” Blanton said. “I had no idea of anything about volleyball.”

Blanton started on the freshman team at West, and said her skills have definitely improved over the years.

“I like playing volleyball because it’s a team-oriented sport, so no matter what team you’re on, you’re probably going to be close,” Blanton said.

In addition to playing varsity sophomore year, she started playing club volleyball for the KC Explosion. Blanton plays middle blocker, which most people say is the hardest position to play. Middle blocker has to position themselves to block the other team’s hits.

“Middle blocker is always moving, and you always have to know where you are on the court. You also have to block every single ball that comes over the net,” Sally Burkhart, sophomore, sad.

Burkhart is playing on varsity with Blanton this year. They have only played together during West’s state run last fall and during summer league, but Burkhart looks up to Blanton a lot.

“She has really good hits and gets everyone really excited,” Burkhart said.

“Chandler doesn’t know how to not try,” Ryan Call, volleyball coach, said. “She gives 100 percent all the time.”

This is Call’s fourth year as a volleyball coach. He has been coaching Blanton since her fresh-man year. Call has noticed Blanton’s determina-

tion and strong will to win.“She was injured once and I asked her to pull

back a bit. She couldn’t do it,” Call said. “She’s always going after it.”

“Chandler’s always been determined,” Paige Wolfe, senior and good friend of Blanton, said.

Blanton has noticed a few differences between this year’s varsity team and last year’s team.

“We’re a lot younger this year,” Blanton said. “We have some people playing different positions than they’re used to.”

Despite these differences, Burkhart, Call, and Blanton have high expectations for the upcoming season.

“We’re supposed to be better than last year, we have a lot of good hitters,” Burkhart said.

“I let the girls set their own goals. I asked them early on what they wanted to accomplish and they’ve set a pretty high standard,” Call said. “I know they’re going to do well.”

Blanton has similar goals for the season.“I want to improve our record from last year.

I’m hoping to have a really close team, and be a good leader as one of the four seniors,” Blanton said.

Blanton is a leader on and off the court. Besides volleyball, she in involved in yearbook, National Honor Society, Spanish National Honor Society, pep club, and she is a member of the varsity dance team.

All this involvement looks great for colleges, but Blanton hasn’t decided if she will play vol-leyball in college.

“I’m really not sure yet. If I end up playing, I’ll probably play at Rockhurst, otherwise I won’t play and just go somewhere for the whole col-lege deal,” Blanton said.

To see Blanton in action, the next varsity volleyball game is September 20, at St. Teresa’s Academy.

by jenny brown

PHOTO BY KENDRA HOFFMAN

written by // madeline frankel

fall sports previewAs a new season of weather comes, so do some of the new seasons of sports.

[SPO

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14 THE EPIC ISSUE 1

The gymnastics team has high hopes with most of the varsity team returning and gaining some new talent to help out the team. This year there are no seniors on the gymnastics team so younger members of the team are having to be leaders. Sophomore Rachel Braun has large expectations for the team this year.

One of the new freshmen on the team is Caroline Miller. Caroline Miller is an outstanding young gymnast that will help

the team out a lot this year,” Sophomore Megan Vanderpool said. The West gymnastics team is now the biggest gymnastics team

in the state with twenty three girls. Freshman Caroline Miller says that her favorite part about gymnastics is that if helped her meet a lot of new people and helped her get involved.

“It’s a good after school activity because it’s just the right amount of hours where you still have time to do your homework,” Braun said.

Most of the top varsity cross country runners are back again this year along with some talented new runners.

“We want to win state on the girls side and improve on the guys side,” Junior Catlin Hooper said.

Hooper was one of the girls on the varsity team that placed second at state last year.

“Emily Herbers, is a good addition to the girls team this year. Tez [Meshesha] and Mitch Kelly will also help out on the boys side,” Hooper said.

Junior, Brett Neely says that his goal for the team is also to do better in state. The tougher meets for the cross country team, according to Hooper, are runs at Rim Rock, in Lawrence. Hooper said that her favorite part about cross country is the people on the team because they are all really close, Neely agrees that that is also his favorite part.

With many new underclassmen on the football team this year it looks like it is going to be a good season,” said senior, Ricco Hopkins.

“My goal for the team this year is teamwork and for us to work hard because we have a very young team and of course success,” Hopkins said. Hopkins is a running back, receiver and outside line backer on the varsity team. Hopkins said that sophomore Andre Maloney and sophomore Austin Chambers are good additions to the varsity team this year. Freshmen Brandon Baudry’s goal for the freshmen team is to be undefeated, so far his favorite part about football is “game day.”

“My goal is to help every player be the best they can be and in doing so improve as a team everyday,” Coach Kenneth Benson, head coach of the freshman team, said.

“My favorite part of football would have to be shaking some-one or putting a move on someone. I just like the aggressiveness,” Hopkins said.

“This year one of the tennis teams goals is to send some people to state again and to get some matches on [Shawnee Mission] East,” Senior Megan Underwood said.

The tennis team has three freshmen on varsity and five new varsity people total.

“They [the freshmen] have really good strokes and they have a lot of power,” Underwood said.

One of the goals junior Sydney Miramontez has for the team is to be a top contender in the Sunflower League. Mira-montez said her favorite part about tennis is their brand new black tennis dress and the team.

“My favorite part about tennis is the team spirit, its always really fun to be with all the girls and all the team spirit,” Underwood said, “Come to all matches, it makes it so much more fun when we have support.”

This year the girls volleyball team has a variety of ages which should be an asset to the team. The varsity team is made up of three sophomores, three juniors, and four se-niors. According to Junior, Courtney Klema the girls volley-ball team will be fairly good this year.

Klema said “Sally Burkhart and Katie Tracy are good addition to the team this year.” Both Burkhart and Tracy are sophomores.

“One of our goals as a team this year is to beat at least three of the four Shawnee Mission teams,” Klema said.

Emily Finken, freshman, likes volleyball because it helps her get involved. This year the varsity team is coached by Ryan Call and the next varsity match is September 20 at St. Theresa’s Academy at 5 pm. The volleyball team is looking forward to many fans this year for support.

With 13 out of 23 members on the boys soccer team being seniors the outlook is good for this year. A new senior to the team is Andersson Obando, who plays on the outside wing, and according to Junior Kevin Baynham he looks like he will be a threat to other teams. Junior Matt Franchett’s goal for the team this year is to have a winning season. Baynham wants that the team will have more wins than losses and that they win at least the first regional playoff game. The next game is September 17, at Westridge Middle School.

“We love to have the support of our fans and it really means a lot when our fans come to the game,” Baynham said, “I love playing with the group off people on the team, they’re all like my best friends, I like that we have frequent games and that I get to play everyday,” Baynham said, Franchett agrees that his favorite part is how close they are as a team.

PHOTOS BY AARON ROBERTS

by madeline frankel & marleah campbell

GIR

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OLLEY

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An inexperienced girls golf team has high expectations for the upcoming golf season.“ I think a lot of us will progress throughout the season,” junior, Megan Anderson said.The team practices four times a week, aand each individiual can play in up to eight tournaments a season. Many athletes are hopeful that they will make

it to state.“It’s a fun group of girls and we get along really well..” Anderson said.

GIR

LS G

OLF

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ISSUE 1 THE EPIC 15

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marleah me

the big 12...10...9...8...

by marleah campbell

16 THE EPIC ISSUE 1

Sitting by the pool, spending all day with your friends, and going on an unforgettable vacation are just some of the things that you might think of when you think of summer. Most students spend their summer that way. However, for some students summer is all about reaching one important goal.

Three boys and three girls involved in the cross country program, put themselves up for a running challenge by deciding to do the 400 or 500 mile club. Seniors Jonah Heng, Molly Smith and Jeb Stewart, juniors Alli Cash and Ryan Cooney, and freshman Emily Herbers all put themselves up for

this challenge. For this club, the girls must run 400 miles and the boys must run 500 by the end of the summer. To most teenagers, or anyone really, this seems like an impossible task. Participating in this club makes these individuals feel stronger for the upcoming season, because they have put in so much hard work already.

I did the 400 mile club because I think it makes you a much better athlete. It also gives you a goal and incentive to work hard during the summer off season,” junior Alli Cash said.

In order to be successful in the 400/500 mile club, you must run everyday or on a certain schedule. If you get behind by even a week, you might get stuck rushing the last few weeks, trying to squeeze in a ton of extra miles. It is a big time commitment.

“Summer conditioning lays the foundation for everything we do. I heard a quote once that I think really applies to the kids that do the 400/500 mile club or run throughout the summer,” head cross country coach Jeff Onnen said. “Champions are crowned in October, but made in July and August.”

Many teammates are good examples of this motto. Herbers is the fi rst freshman to do the 400 mile club ever. Normally, individuals get their miles in at conditioning in the summertime, which

means freshman won’t typically do it because they don’t know about it yet. Not to mention, its a very tough thing to do your fi rst year. However, she managed to do what seemed like the impos-sible.

“Getting 400 miles was a big goal of mine. At fi rst I thought it would be easy, but as I ran more and the harder it became, the award meant that much more to me,” Herbers said.

You don’t get any kind of award or trophy for this big accomplishment, but most of the runners thought it was rewarding enough in itself.

“It gives me a great sense of accomplishment and pride to know that I have done something most people will not do in a lifetime,” junior Ryan Cooney said.

This is the fi rst year where the Big 12 is not staying true to its name.

That’s right folks, the Big 12 now has ten teams due to Colorado leaving for the Pac-12 and Nebraska leav-ing for the Big 10. And that’s just the start of it. Texas A&M recently announced their plans to leave the con-ference by the summer of 2012, and Oklahoma has considered leaving the conference as well. Almost ev-eryday new teams are talking about leaving the Big 12 for other conferences.

Fear not, fans who still have teams in the Big What-ever-the-Heck-You-Want-to-Call-This-Conference! Even though teams are departing and things don’t look good for the Big 12, there’s still hope.

Why? Four words: Nebraska and Colorado basket-ball. Yikes.

Last year, KU beat Nebraska by 20 on the road and Colorado by 26 at home. Let me tell you, those games kept me on the edge of my seat. Throughout my past years of watching college basketball, I quivered in fear every time I saw Nebraska or Colorado creeping closer on the Jayhawks’ schedule. Might as well say goodbye to any chance at going undefeated in the Big 12 with two powerhouses like THAT in the league.

Just kidding. Since the start of the 2004 season, Kansas is 29-0 against Nebraska and Colorado. The only thing these games are good for is KU’s end of the season highlight reel with every other highlight in-cluding a Nebraska or Colorado player either being dunked on or swatted.

Another advantage to the conference changes: we get to laugh at Texas A&M Football struggle in the SEC. Can the Aggies compete in football with a league that has won the national championship for 5 years run-ning? Absolutely not. The last time Texas A&M won a bowl game was in 2001. To put this in perspective, I was six-years-old the last time the Aggies ended their season on a high note. George W. Bush had just fi n-ished his fi rst year in offi ce. Camera phones weren’t even invented yet. Needless to say, it’s been a while. With the Aggies saying goodbye to the Big 12, they also say goodbye to college football’s third oldest ri-valry: Texas vs Texas A&M. Is Texas A&M willing to give that up?

For the Big 12 fans out there, it’s time to focus on this season. A talented league should keep us enter-tained this year, but enjoy it while it lasts.

Nobody knows where this conference is going to go. Although the conference confusion may not make any sense now, It’s almost certain that one day we’ll be rambling to our kids about “when I was your age, we had this conference called the Big 12...”

the mile clubCross country athletes achieve honors from summer work.

by marleah campbell

by molly smith

by the numbers500 miles in 3 months = 39.9 miles per week = 5.7 miles per day

9 miles biking = 3 miles running = 1 mile swimming

&

gadgets galore[A

&E]Is the iPhone 5 really for real? Is the HP Touchpad really worth buying? Find out below.

by landon ochsner and ryan miller

real or rumor? iPhone 5Students, teachers, and everyone in between

have been speculating the release of Apple’s new-est phone: the iPhone 5, or iPhone 4S. Along with the speculation of when it will be released, there are many rumors as to what will be different and changed on the new model compared to the older iPhones. Due to Apple’s very strict confidential policy of what will be new to their products and the recent resignation of co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs, it’s still very much up in the air what exactly will be on the iPhone 5. Although there are a few things that will most certainly be included, this is a breakdown what is likely to be changed to the new phone. DISPLAY: The iPhone 4 was different from the first three models because it had squared corners instead of having round corners. It is still uncertain what shape the iPhone 5 will have but what is for certain is that it will be thinner, slimmer, and have larger edge to edge display than all of the previous models. Along with that, the clarity of the images and screen will be improved. SOFTWARE: The newest iPhone will also include a completely new software system, which is also being released by Apple this fall. The iOS 5 software system will have changes in Photo App, Notification Tab, and web browsing. A new feature, iMessage, brings all your message types to one app, and lets you message unlimited for free, on either Wi-Fi or 3G. Also a new feature to the software is Newsstand, which brings all your subscriptions to magazines, newspapers, and journals to one place.

IMPROVEMENTS: According to multiple internet sources like iPhone 5 Talk, there are three known improvements to the new iPhone. It will include an eight megapixel camera, more advanced battery life, and the screen clarity will all be improved. In addition to those improvements, Apple is releas-ing a new system called iCloud to improve all of their products. iCloud is a system that brings your iPhones, iPads, and iPods together. For example, if you buy a song or app on your iPod, iCloud takes that item and syncs it to all your apple products, not just the one you bought it on. The iCloud sys-tem works for games, movies, songs, and pictures, making all Apple products easier to work with and more efficient.

RELEASE DATE: For those of you who are now itcing to buy the iPhone 5, the release date has not been set. The iPhone 5 is supposed to be available for pre-sale by the end of September, and released to the public by the end of October. Like I said earlier though, Apple isn’t on completely stable ground right now due to the resignation of Jobs, so the release of the new product may be slightly pushed back, but Apple won’t let the release of the iPhone 5 go past the holiday months.

Regardless of what is or isn’t included on the iPhone 5, and despite all the speculation, potential customers should be excited about its release. With the new additions of the iOS 5 software, iCloud, and a few twists, I believe the iPhone 5 will be a hot commodity this fall and winter.

review: hp touchpadHP continues its line of webOS devices with the

introduction of the new HP Touchpad.At first glance the Touchpad appears to be a

good looking piece of technology. It features a 9.7-inch LED backlight display, the same size as Apple’s iPad 2, a dual-core Snapdragon processor, Beats Audio, and a 10 hour heavy-use battery life. The specs of the device definitely give it the potential to be a leader in the tablet market.

If HP was trying to make a good first impression, they didn’t. The first thing I noticed after un-boxing it was how cheap the overall product felt. The back of the Touchpad is made up of an incredibly flimsy fingerprint attracting plastic, stamped with a small HP logo right in the middle. After this, I was really dreading turning the Touchpad on, afraid that hor-rors may await me. Up to this point, it seemed like an utter flop on HP’s part.

The Touchpad comes preloaded with apps for web browsing, email, music, pictures, Kindle, YouTube, Facebook, and the HP App Catalog. Initially, I expected the Touchpad to lack the quality and quantity of downloadable apps that Android and iOS devices have, but (surprisingly) it’s loaded with dozens of popular apps like Angry Birds and Pandora. After downloading Angry Birds, I decided to give it a try.

What the Touchpad lacks in aesthetics, it more than makes up for with speed. It loaded Angry Birds in mere seconds and had me killing pigs in no time. Not only are the apps fast, the web browser is too. It loads complex websites very quickly, and (using its Flash capabilities) plays videos flawlessly. HP markets the Touchpad as a powerful machine, and they aren’t lying. The company also markets the Touchpad as a great

multi-tasker.After a few hours of playing around with the

Touchpad and webOS, I was in love. Movies and photos look great, apps ran great, and overall, webOS is great. Keeping in mind how fantastic the software is, I must say the hardware is terrible, which is exactly why HP discontinued it.

HP originally claimed no more Touchpads would be made and webOS would be discontin-ued, but after great reviews from the buyers and a huge need for technical support, they decided to continue production of the Touchpad and develop-ment of webOS for an indefinite amount of time. As of now Touchpads can’t be found anywhere, but within a few weeks they should be seen at stores across the country. More than likely the price will be under $300, a very cheap price.

Overall, the Touchpad itself is nothing to write home about, but webOS certainly is. If you have the opportunity to buy one, do. It’s an investment that will serve you well.

The iPhone 4 (above) boasted things such as more efficient multi-tasking, retina display, Facetime, and HD Video Recording. Only time will tell if the rumored iPhone 5 will be able to top its predecessor.

RYAN LANSDON

ISSUE 1 THE EPIC 17

cd review: i’m with youThe Red Hot Chili Peppers follow up “Stadium Arcadium” with one of their weakest records to date.

by tim dodderidge

If there’s one thing I’ve learned about bands, it’s the fact that it is hard to replace band members. There’s no other band that makes this statement more true than the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

With their last record, the epic double-album “Stadium Arcadium,” the Red Hot Chili Peppers became a band that I just couldn’t get enough of. Californication” and “By The Way” also blew me away. So it’s fi ve years since then, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers are fi nally back. Their 10th release as a band, “I’m With You,” their fi rst without guitarist John Frusciante, was primed to compete side-by-side with the former. But, sadly, I’m With You dissapointed me a bit.

Obviously losing Frusciante hurts the band, but it was hard to recreate the guitar beats that the band typically featured. Throughout the album, replacement Josh Klinghoffer’s guitar melodies are scarce and weak. The band argues that this album is a “new beginning” for them, and I can totally see that. “I’m With You” is softer and the Red Hot Chili Peppers just aren’t the same band that I love and know. They’re just a toned-down version of their old selves.

This album has some highlights that make it enjoyable. The fi rst single, “The Adventures Of Rain Dance Maggie,” is a classic Red Hot Chili Peppers production, with far-out lyrics and we see Klinghoffer take charge with his guitar melodies in this song . Flea’s bass playing is more incredible than ever, as his toe-tapping bass lines are jazzy and sophisticated, adding a bit of missing funk to the album. The one song that may have people

coming back is “Brendan’s Death Song,” a slower song in memoriam of a friend, which, being the third song on the album, still kept my eardrums whet-ting for more. I was just waiting for that moment where the fl aming-hot guitar riffs would transform into a time-bending solo, like “Dani California” did to

open the band’s previous work. But the Red Hot Chili Peppers always built up to that moment where they should explode into their typical selves, but that mo-ment never comes.

On “I’m With You,” there are the more catchy songs like “Did I Let You Know,” which sees the band unsuccessfully try to recreate “Stadium Arcadium,” and one of the more succesfully-structured soft songs, “Factory Of Faith.” “Goodbye Hooray” kept me inter-ested, where Flea’s bass solos were mind-blowingly awesome, though the melodies seem simple and thrown together. That’s what I felt was the problem with a lot of other songs too.

But without Frusciante, the Red Hot Chili Peppers just aren’t quite the same band. They aren’t as heavy or exciting, and “I’m With You” just didn’t have a last-ing impact on me. Even with some standout tracks that I may keep coming back to, this album just isn’t as strong as past releases by the band, though

it contains a well-developed identity. Well, it looks like it’s time for me to pop in “Stadium Arcadium” again, while keeping “I’m With You” in the back of my mind. Though it’s a good album, it may prove that the Red Hot Chili Peppers are slowly but surely reaching their end of the road.

[A&

E]

movie review: shark nightIn the end, it was just a bad idea to even decide to spend the money to make this movie.

by abby banning

If you enjoy fake gore and bad acting then Shark Night 3D is the movie for you. Starting with a young lady being eaten by a shark in a lake, the attack goes unreported because two days later a group of college students go to a small island on the same lake. Before they get to the island they come across some freaky locals that one of the girls knows. Fast-forward a few hours and one of the guys is showing off his wakeboarding skills when suddenly his board gets bumped from underneath, causing him to fall. He stumbles to shore after a few moments of dramatic music and lots of fake blood with only one arm. Conveniently one of the boys happens to be a pre-med student. First, Mr. Pre-Med must dive back into shark infested waters to retrieve the arm, as if he could sew it back on or something.

After four other people die, only two people are left: Pre-Med and the girl who owns the lake house. The two of them realize who is behind the sharks being in the water. It’s revealed that the creepy locals with the help of the sheriff placed the sharks in the water and attached cameras to them in order to make a real life version of the Discovery Channel’s Shark Week. Somehow the two survivors make it out alive and kill all three of the bad guys. The movie ends unresolved with Pre-Med and the girl, who are now lovers, huddled together on a boat in the middle of the lake attempting to escape.

For all you American Idol fans out there Katherine McPhee, who fi nished as runner up in 2006, makes an appearance in this movie. She plays a crazy party girl who is best friends with the girl who dies fi rst. McPhee is actually not

that bad of an actor but her character is unlikable. Sara Paxton (Halloween Town, Aquamarine) plays the Sara’s character has apparently had a relationship with one of the locals that placed the sharks in the lake. Sara is defi nitely not a bad actor and was probably the most well known actor in the movie. Joel Moore (Dodgeball, Avatar) is also in the movie. His char-acter is a somewhat nerdy guy that ends up being one of the last to die. There are many lesser-known actors that defi nitely got in the movie not for their acting ability but their remark-able skill at looking fi ne in a bathing suit.

The movie looked just awful. During the whole thing my friends and I predicted everything and were almost always right. I also thought that the whole basis of the movie was completely unlikely. If the crazy locals wanted to kill people they picked the absolutely worst way to do it. The way that the movie depicted sharks made it seem like all they want to do is kill people. If you have ever actually watched Shark Week you know how completely wrong that is. Although there was a

clear plot it was a very poor one. Also, the 3D was a complete bust and abso-lutely unnecessary. All in all, Shark Night 3D was basically a waste of money.

18 THE EPIC ISSUE 1

by erin feller

[A&

E]

ISSUE 1 THE EPIC 19

A&E IN KCthe best of local arts and

entertainment in the kansas city metro area

by molly smith

Foo Fighters- 9/16 @ 7pm Sprint Center in KCMO

Taylor Swift- 9/24 @ 7pm Aroowhead Stadium in KCMO

Tech N9ne- 9/29 @ 8pmThe Grenada in Lawrence

Enrique Iglesias- 10/3 @ 7pmSprint Center in KCMO

Death Cab for Cutie- 10/3 @ 8pmCity Market in KCMO

Miranda Lambert- 10/3 @ 7:30pmKansas Expocentre in KCMO

Lupe Fiasco- 10/6 @ 8pmMidland in KCMO

Ben Rector- 10/8 @ 8pm Beaumont Club in KCMO

Sugarland & Sarah Bareilles- 10/8 @ 7:30pm

INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita

Reba- 10/29 @ 7:30pmCity Market in KCMO

Opiate- 11/5 @ 8pm Beaumont in KCMO

Jay-Z & Kanye West- 11/29 @ 7:30pmSprint Center in KCMO

Taking Back Sunday-10/8 @ 8pmThe Grenada in Lawrence

CONCERT WATCH

OTHER THINGS TO WATCH FOR

solid cookies-andrew furgeson, freshmantie dye shirts-jasmine carr, senior

varsity soccer boys-abby holliman, junior

slow drivers-sam lawrence, senior

snapbacks-brett sterbach, juniorfeathers-cady pendleton, freshman or

chris garciasophomore

doubletake

Winner-PeachwaveOverall you can’t go wrong with either one, fro-yo is fro-yo. Peachwave defi nitely has a better taste but when you’re looking for unique fl avors and a better atmosphere Bon Bon is the way to go!

When you walk into Peachwave there is a bright, modern, and fun atmosphere; with a whole wall of varieties of frozen yogurt and toppings to choose from. The best part was the cool chairs along with outdoor seating. Peachwave is the per-fect place to meet up with friends after any sporting event, band concert, etc.

Atmosphere

When I fi rst walked into Bon Bon I was surprised by how big it was. There were two levels, I repeat, TWO LEVELS! With a set-up similar to Peachwave, but the atmosphere was more quaint. Bon Bon gave a more of a ‘ coffee house feel’ with modern music playing, making it a better place to come and talk with friends.

The great thing about Peachwave is that you can get a different mix of frozen yo-gurt everytime you come. I stuck with my famous blend of cupcake, white choco-late, and oreos, which is always delicious. Peachwave changes out fl avors regularly. One of the new fl avors I would suggest is Strawberry Lemonade, which tastes very tangy but sweet.

Taste

Along with fro-yo, Bon Bon also serves gelato, cupcakes, and other baked goods. I was unimpressed with the choices of frozen yogurt, they were all very generic and lacked in taste. The gelato was very unique. I sampled some of the ‘choco-late chili’; unless you enjoy the mix of hot peppers, chocolate, and the burning of your throat, I would not suggest it.

It cost 39 cents per ounce so the price de-pends on your quantity. My total came to about $3.00. Cost

For a small cup of gelato is was $4.00. Their smalls weren’t even the size of the white al a carte cups in the lunch room. I didn’t feel like I got my money’s worth.

KC Improv Festival - 9/16Off Center Theatre in KCMO

KC’s Renassiance Festival -9/3 Bonnersprings, KC

Shakespeare Festival- 9/16Alcott Arts Center in KC

pauly d

fro-yo face-off Which frozen yogurt shop is sure to please your sweet tooth?

jersey shore character

conquering the cougars

(Top) Football players raise their helmets in anticipation of the kick-off to start their game against the Cougars. West went on to win 38-31 in over time.(Right) Junior Ben Lake stands ready to run his route in the varsity game against Northwest.(Far Right) Junior Joel Spiller returns his interception for a touchdown. The touchdown put West up 16 - 7 late in the second quarter.PHOTOS BY AARON ROBERTS

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