Red & BlueReviewSanta Fe Trail High School
Homecoming2012
Student section during the Perry-Lecompton game. Photo by Maria Penrod.
Ensembles by EmilyRevamp your style for fall without paying full price on page 5
Super Santa FeCheck out the terrific things that typical students are doing on page 7
Charged AthleticsCharger sports report on page 2
Teching OutThe good, the bad, and the ugly over all things technology on page 9
Get your kicks on page 6
Volume #45 Issue #1October 2012
Carbondale, Kan. sftredandbluereview.wordpress.com
Girls’ Golf
Girls’ golf started the season with a tournament at Jeff West. Chelsea Moore, 12, placed ninth as an individual. The next tournament was at West Franklin. The Chargers placed second out of five schools. Next the team headed to Silver Lake and took third. The girls are practicing hard for their upcoming tournaments.
>>Charger Sports
BY APRYL CORLEY
Cowgirl Up Allison Swisher, 10, said she
has been going to the rodeo
since before she could walk,
but she didn’t start actually
participating until the age of
eight.
Her grandma got Swisher’s
heart captured by the rodeo.
She decided to just go for it
when her grandmother asked
her if she wanted to join in.
The first time she competed she
said she was pretty nervous,
but after she started her nerves
faded.
Swisher enjoys the excellent
environment that surrounds
the rodeo. Her favorite event
that she participates in is
barrel racing because of the
adrenaline rush that she
gets when trying to beat the
opponents time.
“Just go for it, don’t be nervous
about losing. There’s always next
time,” Swisher said.
Student Sports Beyond School
BY DOYLE HESS
Trailblazer Garrett Abel, 12, has been
dirt biking for four years.
Abel enjoys the speed and
how high you jump on the
dirt bike. He enjoys going to
Oakland trails in Topeka, and
Budman track to fool around
on or to race.
“Don’t wreck, other than
that there aren’t any rules,”
Abel said.
The TV inspired Abel to
start dirt biking. The first
time he competed he said he
felt overjoyed, excited, and
nervous.
“After parents bought my
first bike and a lot of begging
on my part, they finally gave
the okay for me to start
competing,” Abel said.
PHOTO SUBMITTED PHOTO SUBMITTED
PHOTO BY MARIA PENROD
Cross Country
The Charger cross country team is a group of close-knit runners with goals. Nate Pawley, 10, explained what he likes best about cross country. “Not the running, I like the social side. If you’re not running you can just hang out,” Pawley said. “I like the competition of the meets,” Kiersten Metzen, 12, said. “Everyone is trying their hardest, putting out effort at every practice and meet. Our goal is to make it to state.”
Football
The team started off fresh, with a game against the Royal Valley Panthers. Varsity’s seniors stepping up to fill shoes this year are Garrett Abel, T.J. Kemble, Tim Wilson, Mason Tilman, Josh Zeller, Tyler Shaffer, Nate Warren, and Lane Clark. Improvements are seen in all of the players. “I think the coaches are working us pretty hard,” Jerad Uhl, 11, said. “It’s a lot of work and I think we’ve definitely gotten better.” “The whole team is really doing well this year,” Austin A. Smith, 11, said. “Everyone’s doing their fair share, even the freshman are stepping up.”
Volleyball
Charger Volleyball is back in action for the 2012 season. “Our goal as a team is to win every set, every match, every time. We have a vision of how good we can be and we need to perform to that level,” Joy Schmidt said. “It is no surprise that the people who get the most attention are the hitters. We are led by junior hitters Shelby Dahl and Jaeden Romine, but junior Amber Moore, and seniors Sara Schmidt and Carissa Wells also are crucial to our game,” Schmidt said. “We have an excellent setter senior Morgan Jolly, who runs the offense with confidence.” Schmidt said the backbone of the team are the passers, Jessica Abendroth, 11, and Sydney Morrison, 12. “If they don’t go, then our offense doesn’tgo.” PAGE 3BY KELSEY GARRISON
PHOTO BY MARIA PENROD
PHOTO BY KRISTY DEKAT
PHOTO BY JESSICA MCCOY
BY MARIA PENROD BY DOYLE HESS
Ringing in high school On September 13, sophomore students received their information packets on class rings. At the end of the month they chose what they want, and await for the delivery date in December. Kayla Gorden, 10, looks forward to receiving her ring, because she feels like she’ll feel older. “Class rings represent me maturing,” Gorden said. Dusty Masters-Ralston thinks it would be cool to have a class ring.
He sees getting a class ring as a right of passage. “I’m looking forward to my ring, because they’re pretty,” Taylor Vandevord, 10, said. Vandevord said class rings represent high school . Raquel Morris, 12, didn’t get her class ring her sophomore because she didn’t know whether she was going to make it to graduation. She will be getting her class ring from Wal-Mart this year. Morris said class rings represent what high school you came from, and the
interests you had while getting your diploma. After she gets her class ring she said she will feel pretty awesome, because she likes jewelry. “I will wear my ring until it doesn’t fit anymore then I’ll get it stretched so it will fit again,” Morris said. Tyler Thornton, 12, said he was really excited for his class ring his sophomore year, so much that he was asking everyone about their rings. He feels that class rings definitely represent a part of you, because everyone puts their interests on them. Thornton said he will wear his ring until it doesn’t fit.
Vintage Vitality
Dallan Cowley, 10, steps outside of his box each day when he gets dressed in the morning. Choosing things such as cuffed pants in muted colors, cardigans, button down shirts, and shorter boots. Dallan usually shops secondhand and when he ventures into retail stores, goes straight for the sales racks. He believes buying everything brand new is a waste of money because the trends are just going to change in a few months anyway. So why buy that brand new shirt from the mall when you found something just like it at a thrift store for $3?
Simple Chic Evie Seastrom, 12, said that she doesn’t necessarily follow trends but whenever she sees something in the store that she likes, she will buy it whether she thinks that it follows current trends or not. Simplicity is what Evie looks for; you can often see her in skinny jeans, or a simple dress and a pair of flats. Evie always manages to look casual in what she wears yet maintain a polished look. Evie very much likes to stick to herself when she is dressing. “I dress mostly to make myself happy. If I like it, that’s what matters most. And if you like it, that’s good too!” When deciding between retail or vintage/secondhand clothing stores, Evie usually goes for the retail stores like many others. She goes on to say that she wants to start shopping at secondhand clothing stores more often.
BY APRYL CORLEY
IMAGES BY APRYL CORLEY
Ensembles by Emily Summer weather is starting its transition into fall, which means no more jean shorts, flip flops, and bandeau tops. For this season, turn to things such as denim button ups, lace up wedge shoes, high-to-low dresses and skirts, and textured tights. In the beginning of fall, no one wants to give up their summer wardrobe just yet, and may end up wearing their summer pieces long after the appropriate time. To avoid looking out of place, try wearing a sundress with a leather bomber jacket, and pairing it with combat style boots. This makes you capable of holding onto your favorite clothes from summer without looking ri-diculous or freezing. Although the trends for this sea-son are very nice, don’t forget that trends do fade away quicker than you think. To avoid spending too much money, look for the clothes and accessories you want at vintage and second-hand stores. Chances are, these trends have already circulat-ed through in recent years and have ended up at stores such as Arizona Trading Company, Wild Man Vin-tage, and even Goodwill . Don’t be afraid to shop at thrift stores; you end up finding unique pieces that you won’t see anyone else wearing. Shopping at the mall
for all of your clothes makes you spend more money than necessary and you could also end up wear-ing the exact same thing as some-one else. People are usually weary of secondhand clothing because they believe it’s dirty and that they wouldn’t be able to find anything. When approaching secondhand clothing stores, go in with an open mind. Yes, the clothes are used. No, they are not dirty. The stores wash their new incoming clothing. Also, look at everything, don’t rule any section of the store out because you never know what you can find. Some people think they are too lazy to dress up and look nice. For these people, oversized sweaters, high waisted shorts, or a denim button down tops are all examples of things you can throw on in the morning and still look put together. If you don’t want to follow any trends, don’t. Dress how you feel and dress to make yourself happy. Feel-ing confident in what you’re wear-ing makes you feel better about yourself. Remember that trends do come and go, and you will always see retired trends jump in and out of style. Don’t forget that there is a whole other side to the world of fash-ion when it comes to male fashion trends. Many guys are scared of dressing out of what’s popularly ac-cepted in their school or community. Dressing how you truly want to dress shows self-respect, confidence, and most importantly, individuality.
PAGE 5
BY EMILY STEPHENS
IMAGES BY EMILY STEPHENS
Ringing in high school “After I got my ring I was like this is the best feeling in the world,” Thornton said. Science teacher Jesica Rhoades feels that class ring are an important high school experience. Rhoades doesn’t remember why she wanted one in high school . Her class ring is purple amethyst, because that is her birthstone. On one side of her ring was her school mascot, the bobcat. “On one side of my ring I have the yin yang. I put it on there cause I’m a dork,” said Rhoades.
Jesica Rhodes’ class ring from her days at Basehor-Linwood High School . Photo by Jesica Rhodes.
When I see the boys in town, it’s similar to watching a pack of sheep walk by. Everything is in this strict box of what is accepted and what is not. If you want to break out of this, start small . Many seem to make the excuse that they don’t have as many options as women do. I have to object and say that whoever says that is tragi-cally misinformed. Men have just as many options as women if not more. Trends for male fashion do not fade as quickly as female trends do and there are always the classic staple pieces that you can default back to you if you are out of options. Flannel shirts, cardigans, and fitted pants are always in style and always look good. Wearing things such as cardi-gans, denim button downs, and fit-ted pants is an easy transition that brings you out of the herd of sheep. Leather, oversized shirts and sweaters, and boat shoes are all examples of male trends for the fall . To find these pieces, look to Urban Outfitters, Pac Sun, Forever21 Men, and any secondhand store you can find. Shopping for men is often much cheaper than shopping for women. Men have just as many options as women do when it comes to cloth-ing, if not more. Especially if you’re looking in a secondhand store, you’ll usually end up finding many of these trends with ease. Your comfort zone is something you should often step out of, espe-cially in the aspect of clothing. Go out, search; find a style you like or mix and match to make your style even more you orientated.
Tyler Thornton, 12, shows off his class ring.
Get Your Kicks on Route 56BY KELSEY GARRISON AND
MARIA PENROD
Homecoming week was
eventful for students.
Many activities and traditions
were enjoyed. Some of the
Homecoming events included:
KAY volleyball tournament,
spirit week, parade, pep rally,
crowning ceremony, football
game, and the week concluded
with the Homecoming dance.
Para
de
Kic
ks o
n Rou
te 5
6
Football The Chargers line up against the Sabetha Bluejays at the Homecoming game. The Chargers lost 7-21. Photo by Maria Penrod
KAY Volleyball Bailee Bombardier, 12, looks on as Andrea Hinck, 10, of the Hardcore Setters, hits the ball at the annual KAY volleyball tournament, a homecoming week tradition. The Volley Llamas won the tournament this year. Photo by Michelle Abendroth
Master Mayes
Arlene Mayes organizing floats and people for the homecoming parade in Overbrook. Photo by Kristy Dekat
When it
comes
to homecoming,
Arlene Mayes, the
student council
sponsor, runs the
show.
“I have no sleep
for weeks,” Mayes
said. “But it is
important for the
kids and they enjoy
it!”
Winners “It was cool being crowned by my cousin Alex. It is an honor to represent my school,” Homecoming king Tyler Shaffer said. “I’m glad I won,” Homecoming queen Rachael Forrestt said, “But I wish we all could’ve won, because we’re all nice girls.”
Chargers on Parade Homecoming candidates break it down at the pep rally. Dance team and band prance in the parade. Football players wave to the crowd. Teachers support the Chargers on their float. Photos by Kristy Dekat
PAGE 7
“It was very exciting and fun,” James Sage said of his nomination. Rachael Forrestt said that the dance
was her favorite part.
James Sage and Rachael Forrett
Homecoming Royalty
Winners “It was cool being crowned by my cousin Alex. It is an honor to represent my school,” Homecoming king Tyler Shaffer said. “I’m glad I won,” Homecoming queen Rachael Forrestt said, “But I wish we all could’ve won, because we’re all nice girls.”
“I’m keeping the Shaffer-Dahl streak going, four years in a row,” Tyler Shaffer said.
“My favorite part was the skit,” Natasha Ward said. “Because we rocked it!”
Tyler Shaffer and Natasha Ward
“It was an honor and I had fun doing it,” Garrett Abel said.
“I didn’t think the skit would be that fun,” Kayla Courtwright said. “But it ended up being awesome.”
Garrett Abel and Kayla Courtwright
Spirit Week Dani Jo Kuney, 12, and Mckenna Reed, 12, celebrate favorite team day. Alisha Gibbs, 10, rocks out on rockstar day. Garrett Stout, 11, hurts on fake an injury day. Girls of every class show their class colors on color day. Shannon Funk, 12, reaches new hieghts on crazy hair day. Shelly Robinson struts in her Wildcat pride on favorite team day. Photos by Holly Ullery and Maria Penrod
“It is exciting and fun,” Lauren Erickson said. Sean Call’s favorite part was getting new shoes.
“It was cool to be a candidate,” Call said.
Sean Call and Lauren Erickson
Photos by Maria Penrod
Otis Flynn Reed was born
June 14th, 2011 to Ryan
and Kathy Reed. From day
one, Reed has been open and honest
about his son with his students.
About nine weeks after Otis
was born, they started noticing
the spasms. A trip to the doctor
provided a diagnosis of reflux and
they prescribed Otis a medication
for that. After a few weeks, with no
results from the medication, they
quickly took Otis back, knowing
something else was wrong. He
was immediately admitted into
Children’s Mercy Hospital .
Otis was eventually diagnosed
with a disorder known as infantile
spasms, which is a form of seizures.
On average, Otis will have 150-300
seizures in a day, coming in regular
clusters. When Otis jerks his head
down and his body pulls inward,
that is seen as one seizure. Otis is
often recovering from the stress of
seizures, which hinders his ability
to take in information.
Their recent visit to the
Children’s Hospital in Cleveland,
Ohio is described by Reed as a
very stressful week. Living in a
hospital room, just big enough to
feel comfortable, with a camera
monitoring them 24/7.
“Even when the lights were off,
they had an infrared light so we
were seen no matter what.” Reed
laughs.
Given the task of watching Otis
and pressing a button for each
seizure he had, a loud alarm would
sound in the nurse’s station each
time. With clusters of upwards
of 100 seizures at once, they soon
changed it to pressing once for each
cluster.
Mr. Reed
playing with Otis in his hospital
room at the Cleveland Clinic. Photo submitted.
During their visit,
Ryan and Kathy
spent much of their
time meeting with
doctors and watching
Otis get EEG’s. The
results revealed many
malformations on the
left hemisphere of Otis’
brain. The doctors
recommended two
options to them for
surgery.
One option,
known as a corpus
callosotomy, is a
procedure in which
the two hemispheres
of the brain are first
partially severed at
the corpus callosum,
if no results are
seen, they may completely sever
them completely. The seemingly
more extreme route is completely
removing the left hemisphere and
letting the right brain run on it’s
own.
“There’s a 50/50 chance of
progress,” Reed said. “We think
that’s a pretty good chance,
seeing as with no surgery it will
undoubtedly stay the same.”
In spite of the spasms, Ryan and
Kathy Reed do not tend to shy away
from social settings with Otis.
“You know, it’s not going to be
any fun for him to have a seizure
anywhere. For the most part, we
don’t stay away from social aspects
of life with Otis.”
Being on a steroid for some time
made it so Otis could not be in large
groups of people, as it would lower
his immune system’s ability to fight
disease.
One of the few things
that is highly regulated
in Otis’ life is his diet,
specifically the ketogenic
diet. The diet is intended to deprive
the brain of sugar, causing the body
to make ketones, which is said to
make the brain run smoother.
“Everything has to be measured,
he has to have a certain amount of
calories each day,” Reed explains.
The food they make for Otis has
to be mixed with some form of oil . A
recent meal Otis enjoyed was a plate
of macadamia nut pancakes, with
flavoring put into the oil to make it
into syrup.
Reed is tentatively planning on
another visit to the hospital with his
son.
Although he is stressed by his
son’s seizures, Reed would do
anything just to see Otis smile. He
loves his son and wants Otis to have
the best life possible.
BY EMILY STEPHENS
Amazing Otis
WORDS AND IMAGE BY
MICHAEL TIDBALL
There are many different
career paths one can follow.
A path that isn’t always
considered is the military. There are
a select few that have or will choose
that path, and one is senior Tyler
Thornton. He would like to join the
Navy for the aviation program.
“I’m going to make a career out
of it. I’m going to be an officer,”
Thornton said. Senior Ryan David
has already joined the Marines and
is currently in what is called the
delayed enlistment program. That
means that they are waiting for one
reason or another to enlist him. In
most cases, age, education (to finish
high school) or medical clearance
are reasons to be in the delayed
enlistment program. David’s plan is
to use the military to help pay for
college. Both Thornton and David
want to gain discipline from their
experiences.
Military members run the risk
of being deployed whether it be for
a natural disaster or for a tragic
event, such as 9/11. Once there is a
call, America is always first in line
to help. She has always answered
the call with a steady stream of
volunteers. Thanks to young men
and women that tradition will live
on.
The Proud
Pilot Vice
Moore in Spain
BY MICHAEL TIDBALL
PHOTO SUBMITTED
BY APRYL CORLEY
PHOTO SUBMITTED
seven to start her day, lunch was at
three in the afternoon, supper was
at nine at night. Moore went out at
midnight to the clubs. She said that
she enjoys Spain and the United
States equally in different ways.
The most exhilarating thing
Moore experienced while there was
learning to roll her R’s and when she
started to dream in Spanish. Moore
said that to this day she still dreams
in Spanish.
Moore plans to return in a couple
of years as soon as she gets enough
money.
PAGE 9
C helsea Moore, 12, left for
Spain in August of 2011
and returned in July
of 2012. She open her arms and
surrounded herself in their culture.
“I first felt overwhelmed, and I
was trying to understand my host
family,” said Moore.
She stayed with Jawier,
Mercedes, and Esther. She was
glad that they could speak English
enough that she wasn’t stressed
about being able to understand
them.
Moore said the diet is very
different there. In Spain, they eat
lots of fish and use a lot of olive oil .
She said the schedules are also
different. There Moore got up at
Nate Vice, 12, is a fully
licensed pilot after 3
years of training.
Nate Vice was first introduced
to aviation when he was 14. He
was one of the select few that were
able to participate in the Wright
flight program. Wright flight was
a program for students that have
exceptionally good grades; they
were then rewarded with one
flight in an airplane. In this case it
was a flight that would change his
life forever. After this flight, Vice
decided that he wanted to be a pilot.
“I have been a pilot for just about
two months,” Vice said. “It’s not
paticularly hard, just very time
consuming.”
His advice for someone wanting
to become a pilot is to check out the
organization called Post 8.
“It’s like the Boy Scouts but for
airplanes.” Vice said.
Vice would like to be a military
pilot in the Air Force.
Piercing Conflict
There is a lot of controversy in high school about piercings. “I can personally care less,” Jennifer Towle said. “However if it’s a rule well then by golly
you better follow it. I don’t think piercings are a big distraction unless it is a big honking thing, but the tiny one aren’t. I barely notice them. We set this rule so that kids will appear employable, but I have noticed that more professionals have piercings.” There are just a small variety of piercings in the school . The most common are noses and navel rings. When parents forbid their children to get a piercing, their child may get secret, unprofessional piercing. “I was 16 when I got my navel done, it was un-professional,” Chris Hawkins, 12, said. “It didn’t hurt because it was so numb from all the ice on it. I pretty much just wanted the piercing so I can be cute. But I think the school rule is stupid. We should be able to wear them. SFT is not changing with the times and students it still is stuck back in 1990’s.” “I was 16 when I got my navel done, because it was cute,” Brandi Gottschamer, 12 said. “All my friends said it felt like a little pinch but it freaking hurt to me. I think students should be able to express themselves the way they want to. I just hate how our school is so strict but schools like Shawnee and Washburn Rural are bigger and less strict.”
BY BETHANY HAND
IMAGES BY BETHANY HAND
Trail TrafficBY MICHAEL TIDBALL
IMAGES BY MICHAEL TIDBALL
Our nation is run by transportation, speed, getting where you need to go. To some a car is a simple form of
transportation but to others it’s a life style. Tabitha Grihm, 10, has no preference in par-ticular. “Just a big truck or fast car,” Grihm said. To some a car is a vessel of hope. Many don’t take pride in their cars but some do. Very few high school student drive the car of their dreams. “I would drive a 1969 Dodge Charger,” Aus-tin Reeser, 12, said. “It’s the coolest car ever.” The Dodge Charger was a popular car back in the day. It is one of the big three muscle cars of the late 60’s, including the Ford Mus-tang, Chevrolet Camaro, and Dodge Charger. “I would drive a VW because it’s a happy car,” Lari Jarrett, said. VW, or Volkswagen, is a German produced and generally a luxury car. The people at this school have very different views on what is and is not a cool car.
ReviewRed & Blue
EDITORMaria Penrod
STAFFApryl CorleyKelsey GarrisonBethany HandDoyle HessEmily StephensMichael Tidball
ADVISERKristy Dekat, MJE
CONTACT Santa Fe Trail High School15701 S ClaiforniaCarbondale, KS 66414Phone: 785-665-7161Fax: 785-665-7193Email: sftredandblue@gmail .com
EDITORIAL POLICYThe Red and Blue Review is an accessible public forum for the publication readers.
Editorials represent the collective opin-ion of the publication staff. Other opinions expressed in any Santa Fe Trail student publication are not necessarily those of the Red and Blue Review staff, the student body, faculty, administration or school district. Signed columns and letters to the editor rep-resent the view and opinions of the writer only. The publications are subject to state and federal laws, and the content reflects student thinking and is not necessarily in agree-ment with administrative policies.
The Red and Blue Review newspaper will act as an open forum for public discussions and field letters for all of the journalism publications. A forum, by definition, is “a market-place of ideas”, or “a public meeting place for open discussion.” Letters will be edited for content and length as well as spell-ing, grammar and other considerations.Let-ters will also be edited if the letter is in poor taste, and letters will be edited to fit space requirements. Letters that are libelous, obscene, or are an invasion of privacy will not be printed in the paper. All letters must be signed and verified before publication. The number of letters included will depend on page space that is available. The Red and Blue Review will not directly answer letters, unless a question is posed.
The opinion pages are a forum for the ex-change of comment and criticism, and they are open to students and others interested in Santa Fe Trail High School . All letters to the editor must include the writer’s name, signature and class position or role in the community. Typed, double-spaces letters are preferred, but legible, hand-written letters are acceptable. Emailed letters to the editor WILL NOT be accepted (since no signature will be included.) Letters should be limited to approximately 300 words, or about one- and-a-half double-spaced, typewritten pages. Poetry is not accepted for publication.
PAGE 11
Teching Out It is good and evil. Day to day, hour to hour, we mosey from one screen to another. Some say it is ruining our ability to communicate face to face. Others claim that we need to grow more proficient and fluent in technology to propagate success in college and in the job world. Regardless of how you view all the gadgets and gismos necessary for first world living, they aren’t go-ing anywhere. Technology charges full megabytes ahead, whether we want it to or not.Google plus Technology reaps benefits for all who embrace it. Through technology, my Dad works from home for a company based in Baltimore. He travels athwart the planet for his job, but we communicate with him daily. Heedless of his location on the globe, I find him perched on the counter, inside of a laptop. When I need to research a topic, everything I need to know (and sometimes more than I want to know) is just as close as the nearest web-enabled device. When I must find a song to sing for my musical audition, Youtube becomes my new best friend. I also possess the ability to buy anything my heart ever desired online without taking off my pink fuzzy slippers. Technology blesses us with the capac-ity to communicate all over this blue and green rock. It places more informa-tion at our fingertips than ever before. It allows The Red and Blue Review to be printed in California. Examples of its power and awesomeness surround us. But does cyber supremacy make us bet-ter people? iPhone owned Have you ever been seated around the dinner table with your family, set to share major news, and everyone is doodling on DrawSome-thing? Have you greeted a friend, waited for their response, and then realized that ear buds were imbedded into their brain? At certain points, all five inhabit-ants of the Penrod house sit in a differ-ent room staring absent-mindedly into a different screen. Is technology really bringing us closer together, when I spend more time talking to my friends on Facebook than in the flesh? Technology does have the
power to disconnect us from those physically present. It also grants us another way to be impolite and stupid. Answering a call or replying to a text while you’re chatting with real people is beyond rude, but we all do it. Some people are pulled toward their phones and other devices the way gravity holds me in bed until 11:00 am on a Saturday morning. When their phone vibrates, they leap for it like a cheetah on an antelope. Adults and teens alike can’t leave a room without their cell phone. That is ridiculous. VH1 should start a cell phone rehab show. We can’t even put our phones down long enough to drive. Our lives and the lives of our fel-low road combatants may be in mortal danger due to our phone obsession, but we keep on playing Words with Friends as we cruise 75 mph along I-70. In these situations, technology leaps away from its existence as a useful tool and be-comes disrespectful, obsessive, and even deadly.The good ol’ days Occasionally I wonder what Kansas was like for the pioneers who arrived here in the mid-1800s. They transplant-ed their families to this then-sparsely treed land. They built homes, barns, and everything they needed themselves. Now if you want to construct a decent house, it takes heavy machinery, power tools, and a trained construction crew. Sometimes I wish to experience Kan-sas as they did. No cars creating noise, pollution, or dust. No electric wires to obstruct the sunset. Making what you needed, living the simple life off the land. Then I descend to reality, and remember that those blessed pioneers bathed once a week and peed on dirt. Thankfully, I live in this era of thermo-stats, Advil, and How I Met Your Mother.
No matter how annoying tech-nology can be, it serves a purpose. It shows how far humans have come since they were peeing on dirt. But with this powerful technology comes a responsi-bility to use it appropriately. It is never a bad idea to put down your phone, sit on the patio with your dog, absorb some silence and gawk at a Kansas sunset. Unless a new episode of The Big Bang Theory is on, of course.
BY MARIA PENROD
Concert Curriculum Just because school has started up again doesn’t mean you should give up the joy of live music. With all the bands and artists coming to Kansas City and the surrounding areas, whatever genre of music you enjoy there is a concert to enjoy in the upcoming months. The Sprint Center is a more expensive venue with mainly well-known artists, such as Justin Bieber coming up October 26th, the cheapest ticket you can get is $244 and they run up to $5,000. The show is sold out but tickets are being sold at StubHub. Similar prices are shown for concerts such as One Direction, coming July 19th and Lady Gaga, coming February 4th. Sprint Center is a beautiful, large venue and if you have the means, a concert there is a great experience. For more reasonable tickets look to venues such as Uptown Theater in Kansas City where artists such as Crystal Castles, Dropkick Murphys are scheduled to play in October for tickets reasonably priced at around $27-$30. It is a smaller venue that is also host to weddings and birthday parties. Although it is a smaller venue, it is beautifully lit and gives you more of an intimate experience with whatever artist you are seeing. On the theme of extremely reasonably priced tickets, The
BY EMILY STEPHENS Beaumont Club in Kansas City is going to be host to Mayday Parade, The Maine and Minus the bear with most tickets being barely over $20. The venue is a smaller stage with a large floor that allows people to be very close to the stage and enjoy the music even more. Although The Beaumont Club is also a bar, people of all ages are allowed into the majority of events. The atmosphere is very calm and laid back to make you feel close to the artist you are seeing. Even closer to home, the Granada in Lawrence features a wide range of music such as Tech N9ne coming October 10th, Taking Back Sunday on Saturday 13th, and Sleigh Bells appearing October 23rd. The Granada is located on Mass street in downtown Lawrence. It is a smaller venue and is also a bar, similar to most of the smaller venues. All ages are allowed into most of the shows and the tickets usually vary between $15-$25, very reasonably priced for relatively well-known bands. The school year has started so keep in mind what day of the week the show will be on, and try to keep it on a weekend. If you can’t manage to find one on a weekend, be sure that you’re not busy and you’re okay with being a zombie the next day at school .
BY: D
OYL
E H
ESS
Because one student… decided to sass me…
…. And make sure you finish your reading of “Macbeth” tonight!
Mrs. Senhan? Why do you
have ashes on your desk?
Le Classroom…
Ashes
Of A
Problem
Student
Ashes In
Classes As
In Santa Fe Trail history, one teacher has stood out amongst the rest….
Let this be a lesson for you….
Le Mrs. Senhan!
DA DADADA!
WOOOOW!
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