Griffin RitesApril 22, 2014 Vol. 44, Issue 6Winnetonka High School

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:Preparing for prom

Alumni surpasses obstaclesDistrict partners for more space

Drinking gets dangerous

of all traffic deaths in 2013 were drunk driving related

deaths in Missouri were caused by drunk driving

34%

280

=10 people

1/3 of these deaths occurred during prom season

54% of teens

admit to having at least four drinks on prom night

The legal drinking age is 21 years old

News3- Calendar Test your best

4- District press conference

5- Speed limit change

6- Service project fund raiser

7- Ukraine vs. Russia

Opinion8- Student stress

9- Prom traditions

10- Opinion Poll Take your child to work day

Etc./Focus11- Prom costs

14- Alumni triumphs

15- Cultural awareness

18-19- Tonka Twins

Features12-13- Prom pressure

Entertainment16-17- Man on the Moon Winter Soldier Divergent Shakira

Sports20- Baseball

21-23- Track and field

22- Boy’s tennis

23- Golf

24- Girl’s soccer

Last CHANCE tojoin the

Griffin Rites staff 14-15

Pick up applications in F6 after school or during intervention. Apps are due by

APRIL 30th

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Staff members and policiesEditor-in-chiefCo-Copy editorNews editor Carolanne Murray

Etc. editor Emily Elliott

Front page editorTable of contents editor Kimberly Crockett

Opinion editorCo-copy editor Chloe Minnick Photo editor Allie VanHouten

Layout and Design editor Brianna Hartleb

Features editorVeronica Saldana

Entertainment editor Amber Murray

Sports editor Brian Albertson

Photographers/reporters Allie Davis Savannah Moore Kayla Pendergrast Ariel Thompson Jeff Thompson Tannar Walden

Adviser Dr. Shannon Rennaker

The Griffin Rites staff strongly supports the First Amendment and opposes censorship. Freedom of expression and press are fundamental values in a democratic society. The mission of any institution committed to preparing productive citizens must include teaching students these values, both by example and lesson. We welcome letters to the editor and reserve the right to edit them for grammar and length, but we will not change ideas. Letters may attack policies but not people. They must be signed and submitted to F6 or mailed to Dr. Shannon Rennaker attention at 5815 NE 48th St., Kansas City, MO 64119. Subscriptions are available for $13. Advertising space is also available. Please e-mail srennake@nkcschools.org or call 816.413.6000 ext. 8594 for information. Our organization is a member of the Journalism Educators of Metropolitan Kansas City, Journalism Educators Association and the National Scholastic Press Association.

By Emily Elliott

This year Key Club is hosting “Test Your Best Week” which is filled with activities for students during

EOC testing.“Test Your Best Week” was created to relieve stress

during the testing weeks.“We have these activities set up so students

are not as stressed while testing and to give them something to do during the really long blocks,” Gifted Resource Specialist Carrie Marcantonio said.

Key Club has a different activity for each day. “There’s a game room, chill room, a day to go

outside, and hopefully we will get puppies if things go through,” senior Ben Melvin said.

Snacks are being provided as well.“For snacks we are getting them from NHS and

the sonic cards we sold were part of our fund-raiser so if we need extra money we have it,” sophomore Kiera Hall said.

Key Club is trying to give students something to do.

“What I am hoping for is that kids don’t dread the week during those long test hours. We want to provide them with something to look forward to everyday and maybe they will end their testing feeling strong,” Marcantonio said.

It has been confirmed that playing with puppies will be one of the activities.

“I’m hoping we get the dogs because I want to see the students faces when they see them,” Hall said.

The only problem Key Club expects will be the amount of classes that will sign up for each activity.

“I think the only challenge we will have is if one teacher wants to sign up for an activity and it’s already full, those students won’t get to do what they want,” Melvin said.

This problem will go both ways from activities being to full to activities not having enough.

“If teachers don’t sign up then there will be chaos for us,” Hall said.

The goal for Key Club is not to just entertain students and relieve stress but to bump up test scores as well.

“I hope by doing this we will improve test scores and keep our spirits up for the week,” Marcantonio said. Students believe this will ease everybody’s mind off

Key Club hosts fun activitiesCALENDAR

April 25 - Student body and class elections

April 25 - Jazz Band St. Louis

April 25- Spring choir concert

April 26 - Prom 8-11 p.m. Sam’s Town Casino

April 28- Choir contest Liberty North

May 8 - Senior honors night 7 p.m. Auditorium

May 9 - Academic Blitz 2:45-4:45 p.m. LMC

May 10 - Academic Blitz 9-11 a.m. LMC

May 15 - Senior graduation 7 p.m. Community of Christ Auditorium

the test for a little while.“I think this will be a fun thing to do and it will

get students to not think about school or the test for a while,” Melvin said.

Key Club members and teachers are in charge of making this happen.

“Key Club volunteers that are not testing will have to run and organize a certain activity. We have to rely on staff for this,” Marcantonio said.

EOC “Test Your Best Week” will be held the April 28 through May 9.

3NEWS

4 NEWS

By Carolanne Murray

The North Kansas City School District is partnering with the City of Gladstone, Maple Woods and

Northwest Missouri State University to produce a facility that will house the Northland Center for Advanced Professional Studies (CAPS) program and Students in Academically Gifted Education (SAGE) program.

Although the alliance of all these groups is new, NKCSD and the City of Gladstone have worked together in the past.

“The school district and the city have been partners for almost 40 years in various activities. Obviously [the Gladstone Community Center] is a monument to that history and that partnership and certainly would not look like how it does without the school district,” City Manager Kirk Davis said.

The idea for the project surfaced after the Linden Square became the base of a downtown Gladstone. After the construction of the square was formulated, several businesses expressed interest in residing there.

“A $4.5 million office building was built adjacent to the public square, a private educational facility has expanded, three new businesses are located in the area, a new restaurant called Snow and Company just recently announced they’re opening a location here,”

Davis said. Along with all the businesses,

the City of Gladstone was originally searching for a research facility to be located in the area. In December, superintendent Dr. Todd White met with Davis to discuss a potential solution.

The district has problems regarding limited space. According to White, the district has grown from nearly 17 hundred students since 2007 and is expected to top 20 thousand by the 2015-2016 school year.

“What we’ve created here is the opportunity to have a building that will reside at 69th and North Oak that will house two important programs to North Kansas City Schools. First and foremost, it will allow us to continue to operate the Northland CAPS program. This year we have 28 students that reside in the programs. Next year we have capped the

enrollment at 500 so it has continued to grow and is putting pressure points on all our systems in order to provide the space necessary,” White said.

Also to be housed in this facility is the SAGE program. 14 additional classrooms will be opened up.

“Over the years, because we have grown, the gifted and talented program has been moved and modified from school to school and throughout the district. Those students deserve the opportunity to have a stable environment that is truly dedicated to the importance of gifted and talented instruction and their learning,” White said.

The facility is planned to open during the 2015-2016 school year.

New facility for CAPS and SAGE programs

Two students from the Northland CAPS program and a SAGE student from within the district reveal the proposed building plan for the centralized Northland CAPS and SAGE program. The building will be located at the corner of North Oak Traffic way and 69th street. The facility is proposed to open in 2015. Photo by Carolanne Murray

5NEWS

By Chloe Minnick

On March 3, the speed limit on 48th street changed from 40 mph to 30 mph during school hours.The speed limit

changes were put in place due to the heavy traffic on the main road.

“It was changed to slow traffic down. Winnetonka’s entrance sits on a hill. It would prevent accidents,” Deputy Scott Childers said.

After five wrecks, Childers called attention to the issue for three months, complaining about the dangerous conditions students and himself face.

“On a blind hill with 40 miles per hour speed zones, it was way to fast for traffic and students crossing,” he said.

Sometimes, traffic cannot be directed by an officer. When two officers are not available, due to their work

load or weather does not permit, Childers is not able to direct students.

“I am strongly advised [to direct traffic]. It’s to make kids safe. But sometimes, I’m not able to and it can be

dangerous,” he said.Childers’ original plan was

to install a traffic light at the student entrance. After a count of cars, the city concluded that there was not enough traffic to put in a light.

“I truly believe that when people see a cop, they freak out. They focus on my face and not the fact that I’m telling them to stop. A light would be much more visible,” he said.

Childers believes these changes will be beneficial, although a traffic light would be much safer and free him up to work inside the school. The

stoplight is his ultimate goal.“I think they will help is people pay attention, but I

don’t know if that’ll happen,” he said.The speed limit on 48th street will be 30 mph

before school from 6 to 8 a.m. and after school from 2 to 4 p.m.

Speed limit drops on 48th street

The Winnetonka High School community is adjusting to safer speeds and conditions especially before and after school when students are walking and there is more traffic. Photo by Allie VanHouten

Winnetonka Theatre Department presents “Rebel Without a Cause”

April 24-25 and May 1-2 at 7 P.M. Winnetonka Little Theatre Admission: $5.00Contact Dr. Sheri Coffman for more information at 816-413-5521 or at scoffman@nkcschools.org.

CastMan – Sean DaldrupBuzz – Karydan Elkins/Ryan SweeneyJudy – Hayley Sharpe/Janae Bell Judy Understudy – Katelyn Dubose

Plato – Yuki SakataMrs. Davis - Kaitlynn WardRay – Michael MadisonMr. Stark – Kevin PurkapleMrs. Stark – Taylor PerezGrandma Stark – Juli Cooley Belle –Janae Bell/Katelyn Dubose

Miss Hannington- Maddie FieldsCrunch – Tin NguyenGoon – Scott SharpMoose – Will WillhelmHelen – Alex ErismanMillie – Grace SchmidtPeggy – Kali HolmanLecturer – Ian Whittlesey

Mr. Brown – Jerry LewisMrs. Brown – Tannar WaldenOfficer Mullin – Eli StennerStudents – Maddie Fields, Samantha Comfort,Hayley Sharpe, Janae Bell

Photo:

Senior

Kole Evans

as Jim

6 NEWS

By Savannah Moore

On March 26, FCCLA (Family Career and Community Leaders of America) hosted the students versus

faculty basketball game with a resulting score of 69-68, and a win by the teachers.

“We doubled the numbers of teachers and students playing and everyone was very excited,” FCCLA coordinator Jeanne Thackeray said.

The faculty enjoyed the win, thanks to some amusing yet unfair advantages against the boys.

“It was fun playing against the boys and just getting out there,” social studies teacher Ian Johnston said.

Thackeray proposed the idea that had came from her kids’ middle school experiences.

“When my kids were in middle school the teachers would play the eighth graders,” Thackeray said. “We also thought about trying to build it into an alumni tournament.”

The purpose of the basketball game was to raise money for a service project.

“Our thought this year is to make lap blankets for the area nursing homes,” Thackeray said.

FCCLA has only hosted two student versus faculty games, but looks forward to hosting many more.

“I would do it again. It’s a good chance to play with the coaches,” senior Christian Brown said.

The teachers loved getting to bond with not only the students but also the other teachers.

“It was an awesome chance to get out there and spend time with some teachers that I don’t necessarily talk to all that much outside of it,” Johnston said.

Thackeray hopes to see a female faculty versus girl’s basketball game in the future.

“[We’re thinking about] maybe the female faculty would like to play the girl’s varsity team in the future,” Thackeray said.

Thackeray and FCCLA plan on hosting the event again next year.

Annual FFCLA basketball game

Maryjo ThompsonStylist

First ImpressionsSalon and Spa

Salon (816) 468-4900Cell (816) 659-3222

Facebook.com/MaryjosHair

Prom Updo’s

$40

9578 N McGee St.Kansas City, MO64155

Poetry Lounge

7 p.m.

Little Theater

$3

Lines, rhymes, and a radical reimagining

Students and teachers raise money for service project

May 9

th

7NEWS

Ukraine Population: 44,573,205

RussiaPopulation: 142,500, 482

Military personnel Tanks Military budget

139,000

774,500

735

2,850

Nuclear weapons

None

1,480

$1.6 billion

$78 billion

Russia and Ukraine comparison

8 OPINION

By Jeff Thompson

Underachievers getting special treatment needs to stop.According to the U.S.

Department of Education, the purpose of the No Child Left Behind Act is to “ensure that all children have a fair, equal, and

significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education and reach, at a minimum, proficiency on challenging State academic achievement standards and state academic assessments.”

In theory, this act makes sense for students who want to do good in school and need extra help.

Instead, schools have only been concerned with factors needed to boost funding. They are not focused on actually advancing students.

This has lead to unmotivated students getting unfair advantages such as exemptions or relaxed

grading scales.It seems that teachers favor

students with dim futures and ignore other students, ignoring insubordinate behavior.

It also seems teachers hold certain students to different standards and expect work from these students without reward.

If schools stopped rewarding other students for doing less quality work, more students would want to put forth effort and get good grades.

Students who do not put forth effort to graduate should be given less attention and less slack on assignments.

Unfair advantage to students

Pressure to attend college is too high

By Amber Murray

Most people with a B average are

pressured into college. Those who have all A’s are almost forced into college.

Being forced into college is extremely hard on people. College costs a large amount of money, even with scholarships students will most

likely still need student loans.

On average student loans take 10 years to pay off. Even if a person is incredibly smart there is no guarantee of

getting a job.The pressure to get

into college does not only come from questioning peers, it also comes from teachers.

Teachers are always questioning what you want to do and where you want to go. At least once a year everyone is supposed to look at colleges in advisory.

Teachers also talk to students about scholarship options and how preparing for college is important.

The pressure also comes from parents and siblings.

Older siblings feel that they must go to college to be a good example for their younger siblings.

They feel that they cannot break tradition and do anything other than college.

The fact that going to college is so ingrained into our society means that anyone who wants to go against this tradition is automatically

shunned from society. I feel that if a person

truly does not wish to go to college then others have no reason to judge them. No matter what their grades look like.

I think that even if someone has a 4.2 grade point average and they truly wish to not go to college and instead become a lion tamer, then they should follow their heart and become a lion tamer.

Sadly, they most likely will not. Most people do not want to break tradition for fear of being shunned from their families and society in general.

9OPINION

By Brian Albertson

With prom around the corner, there will be juniors and

seniors both sharing the dance floor, though it might be better to have two separate proms.

The school should organize two proms, a junior and a senior prom.

There would be more room for the students to dance, walk around and talk without being so chaotic. It would be more special for both classes. They can talk with peers in their own grade and socialize.

When it comes to who sets it up, the juniors would set up the senior prom as a sort of goodbye party. The seniors would then set up the junior prom as a thank you.

If a senior and a junior were to go together they should be able to go to both.

Underclassmen should be able to still go, depending on what grade their date is in.

Though underclassmen

should not go to prom by themselves, they should be able to go if they are asked to go by an upperclassman.

If there is an issue with not enough money in the budget, student council could have fund raisers or just increase ticket prices for a small amount.

Administration could save a lot of money by having prom at the school, which could accommodate the smaller number of students.

Many schools used to have prom at the school. It would make it easier for students to get to it.

Traditionally there were separate junior and senior proms and that is how it should be.

By Ariel Thompson

Everyone remembers the days when they

went to work with their parents. When I was little, it got all of the little kids so excited to go to where their parents worked. But what did they do? Color pictures? Play on

game boys? They did not do much. Their experience was not very beneficial. What about high school students? I think that

high school students should have to be able to participate in this activity. What if their parent or someone they know has a job they are interested in pursuing? They would probably like to see what that career is like before they make a final choice. High school students

would probably like to figure out if they need to take any special classes for the future. Even if the student does not want to do the same thing as their parents, seeing the real working world is beneficial. Since high school students are closer to the real world than children, they should be exposed to what the real world holds. Examples could be learning how to get along with people in the work place or how to manage time. There is a bad side to having a take your child to work day for high

school students. The students could use this as an excuse to just not to be at school. This may be the reason why there is no take your child to work day for high school students in the first place. Another reason we probably do not have take your child to work day is because many students already have jobs. Because it is more beneficial for high school students, they should be able to have an excused absence to go shadow someone at a work place.

Separate proms preserve tradition

Take your child to work day benefitsStudents should get an excused absence

10 OPINION

Should underclassmen be able to attend prom without a date?

Freshman Markaela Butler

“Yes, they should. It’s a good experience for them so when they’re seniors they aren’t pressured to go.” Freshman Jacob Allen

Senior Andrew GreenSenior Johanna Nelson

Junior Zackary MartinezJunior Miranda Buchanan

Sophomore Adam ClowSophomore Alexis Grisham

“No, it’s more for upperclassmen since they’re getting ready to graduate.”

“Yes, because some may be more mature than others. If they’re able to go with friends or alone they should.”

“No, prom should be just upperclassmen. It always has been. It’s something to look forward too all through high school.”

“I think they should be able to, but it’s at their own risk.”

“Sure, if they want to. I think everyone should be able to go.”

“No, I feel like it’s an upperclassman thing and it always has been.”

No, it’s a tradition that prom is for upperclassmen. It makes the experience more memorable for seniors.”

11ETC.

GirlsTuxedoDress

Nails

GuysAverage cost of attending prom

Hair

Shoes

JewelryAccessories

LimoDinner

TicketsTotal Cost Total Cost

Information provided by Seventeen Magazine

$200

$25$100$100$27

$45$35$32$50

$231

$452$393

Promenade Masquerade

DressTo

ImpressWith Prom 2014 Styles

Between ‘promposals’ and the right attire,

prom can be a stressful event, but add some peer pressure and the night can be even more demanding.

The pressure is on before even making the decision to go to prom. Some students believe that if a senior decides not to go to prom, they will be missing out on a huge milestone.

Not only are students pressured to go, but now they have to have a date. ‘Promposals’ are an invitation, which is usually made in an elaborate manner, where the invitee is asked to go to prom with the inviter. With the extravagant images and ideas that circulate social networks, it is hard to keep it simple. Colorful cupcakes and bundles of balloons are expected just to get a date to prom. Although

‘promposals’ are fun and exciting, some students believe that they are unnecessary.

After the acceptance (or possible rejection) it is time to choose a group to go to prom with. This might seem like an easy task, but when there are so many groups with friends sprinkled in all of them, it is hard to pick one. Students pressure each other to go in certain groups when in the end they will all meet up at the dance anyways. The best option is always to go with whichever group is the most comfortable fit. No one would ever want to feel awkward on his or her big night.

For the ladies, picking out a dress can be the most stressful part of the entire day. According to Statisticbrain.com, it can also be one of the most expensive. On average, girls

spend about $195 on a dress. Some girls pick them out months in advanced while others wait until the last minute. Whenever someone picks out the one, it is almost expected to spend triple digits on a dress that most girls will only wear once. Everyone wants their dream dress, but the cost can empty out a bank account quick.

For the guys, it may be a little easier to pick out a tie to match her dress, but the cost of a tuxedo is also pricey. On average, they will be almost in the triple digits to rent out. According to Sir Knights, the average cost of a tux can range around $100 to $150.

The expensive dinner was great, company was great, the dance was great, but now what? After prom parties are about to start and there are so

many options to go to. It is important to be safe and smart about party destinations regardless of the peer pressure to drink at a party. Statistics show that prom and graduation season, the months of April, May and June, are the most dangerous time for teens. One-third of the alcohol-related traffic fatalities involving teens each years occur during those months according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Although the legal drinking age is 21, it is not a secret that teens participate in underage drinking. It is important for students to know that it is illegal and dangerous to drink.

Prom will be April 26 at 8 p.m. at Sam’s Town. There is also an after prom party at Winnetonka from midnight to 2 a.m.

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12 FEATURES

Promenade Masquerade1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8

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How to tie a tie

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13FEATURES

By Savannah Moore

Normal teens will experience struggles, as everyone does;

but a brave and earnest soul by the name of William (Jim) Ressler tells a story unlike many of sickness, recovery and his willpower to beat cancer.

Ressler missed the majority of his senior year at Winnetonka

due to being diagnosed with cancer in his lymph nodes and blood on January 29, 2010.

“The plan was laid out in three stages: remission, intermittent, and maintenance. Remission took a month and they hit me hard and fast with frequent treatments,” said Ressler.

These different types of treatments lasted years all together including the month for remission, which began for Ressler on Feb. 20, 2010.

“Intermittent was 3 months of strong treatments but more spread out and maintenance was 3 years of daily oral chemo and once a month IV or spinal treatment,” Ressler said.

The treatments to cure any specific cancer can be torturous and painful and Ressler made it through all of it.

“I had IV chemo, chemo injected into the spinal cord, sots in my legs, bone marrow biopsies, daily antibiotics and chemo pills, and for a short time brain radiation to make sure it didn’t spread there,” Ressler said. “I had multiple blood and platelet transfusions.”

T-Cell Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia and recovering from this became the center of Ressler’s world as he struggled to adjust to doing work for school.

“Mr. Schuerman and other teachers were extremely helpful in switching me into three on-line courses,” Ressler said. “It’s remarkable that they worked it out so I could get my credits to graduate.”

Despite having a weakened body, Ressler tried to work as much as he could.

“In the fall I returned to work at Hy-Vee when I could. I enjoyed working because it gave me something to do. I do remember fainting at work one time just a few days after treatment. It was very embarrassing,” Ressler said.

He did not stop with a job and school, though. He also pushed himself to do a sport.

“I took up tennis and had a blast,” Ressler said. “I

probably pushed too hard but you get bored.” Despite missing his senior year in high school, he

praises the fact that he got to experience the most important parts.

“I was still able to do the highlights like prom and walking with my class, which was amazing,” Ressler said.

He has learned to accept that he missed some things, but he does not dwell on the thought.

“I’m enjoying college to the fullest now and it’s enough that I never think about what I might have missed out on,” Ressler said.

Ressler was eager to begin his life after high school, but was not able to do that for quite some time.

“It was probably harder to miss the first semester of college and when you’re sitting around waiting it gets really hard to be patient,” Ressler said.

Once given the go to start college, Ressler jumped on the opportunity to attend Truman State University.

“I am currently finishing up my undergrad with a Biology B.S. I graduate in the fall due to being delayed a semester,” Ressler said. “[In the spring] I go on to work on a Masters of Arts in Education, also from TSU.”

Ressler owns a yogurt business that he began by himself named Tru Yo in Kirksville, Missouri.

“I’ve been to Yogurtini a lot and always thought it’d be amazing to run a yogurt shop. I looked up the franchise fees and saw it was $250K to get started,” Ressler said.

Ressler learned many lessons through his journey.“I learned I’m not invincible, which is a hard pill to

swallow. You just can’t escape the thought of ‘that won’t happen to me,’” Ressler said.

He also learned that family and friends are essential in times of weakness, no matter how proud of a person you are.

“You don’t really know what it’s like to want to be with people until you are told you can’t,” Ressler said. “When your immune system is compromised you aren’t supposed to have any visitors and life is hard in isolation.”

Ressler encourages everyone to enjoy good health and freedom while it is available, because it is impossible to know when that may be taken away.

“You’re not invincible so make the best of it. I’m not saying go do something stupid but enjoy what you have,” Ressler said. “It’s never too late to try harder in school, learn a new skill, or join a new organization. Enjoy everything you can.”

Alumni pursues dreams after remission

14 FOCUS

15FOCUS

By Chloe Minnick

Gathering by the thousands, tribes from all over the country join to

celebrate their heritage in traditional pow-wows.

Junior Rina Stabler joins her fellow tribe members for Native American singing and dancing. Stabler’s mother, Angel, is part of the Chippewa and Iowa tribes, but she follows her father and is part of the Omaha tribe.

“It’s a place to meet new people and see people you haven’t seen in a long time,” she said.

All of Stabler’s family is involved in these pow-wows. Her and her mother sing and dance while her four brothers dance.

“I didn’t get into the singing or dancing parts until I was a little older. I didn’t start dancing until I was two,” she said.

Several aspects of these celebrations are kept authentic. The dress she wears includes beadwork, eagle feathers and applique work which is pieces of fabric sewn onto a larger piece of fabric to create pictures and scenes. The food is also traditional.

“I know bison and buffalo is served. There’s corn, wild rice and beans. Mostly, there’s a lot of vegetables,” Stabler said.

Sometimes, these gathering last up to three days.

Even when pow-wows are scarce, like during winter months, her culture is very essential in her life. She has no plans to let up on practicing her customs.

“I want to be able to carry on my traditions with my kids because a lot of it is dying out from lack of participation,” she said.

Involving herself in pow-wows has taken her all over the country. Stabler and her family have traveled to New Mexico, South Dakota, Wyoming and several other states. Aside from travel, being involved has taught her life lessons others may miss out on.

“It gives me a different view. My morals and values are different, our whole family is really close. The way I carry myself is different from others,” she said.

Stabler and her family attend pow-wows more often during the summer. Other than singing and dancing, drumming is central to a traditional celebration.

These celebrations have allowed Stabler and

her family to travel all over the country. Even though pow-wows are scarce in the summer, they are outdoors and in winter they are inside.

Being a part of her original heritage has become an important part in Stabler’s life. She plans on continuing to take part in traditional pow-wows long as she can.

Embracing native culture

Junior Rina Stabler stands proud at her family’s traditional pow-wow. She has been involved in pow-wows since she was really young. “It’s a big part of my life and it’s how I grew up,” Stabler said. Photo submitted by Rina Stabler

Student attends traditional pow-wows

16 ENTERTAINMENT

By Chloe Minnick

Like his first two albums, Kid Cudi’s newest release takes listeners back to the moon.On February 25, Cudi released

his follow-up album to his ‘Man on the Moon’ series, ‘Satellite Flight: The Journey to Mother Moon’ and did no justice to the gold he produced earlier in the series.

The first track on this album is an instrumental piece that sets the tone for the rest of the CD.

‘Destination: Mother Moon’ creates the melodic and relaxing scenery possessed by the entire album. That is, actually, all the album holds: multicolored melodies and softened tones. Lyrics are hard to come by in majority of the songs.

In the first lyrical track, ‘Going to the Ceremony,’ the lyrics are almost mumbled and hard to understand. Though, the songs contains more

instrumentals than lyrics, electroic sounds and auto tune mask Cudi’s voice throughout the entire album.

The lead single on the album, ‘Satellite Flight,’ contains the most lyrics. This song is a Cudi fan’s

best friend. He does a fine job of creating poetry when he decides to sing. His lyrics truly take a listener to the moon, zoning them out of reality.

Most of the tracks on this CD sound same. While the lyrics are different, the same three chords are repeated through each song.

‘Man on the Moon: The End of Day’ was nominated for three Grammy awards and his follow-up, ‘Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager,’ debuted at number three on the Billboard Top 200. Cudi’s new

album does not compare.Cudi’s track record for good music is nearly

spotless and this is a blemish on his record. Because of the repetition and unrecognizable lyrics, I give ‘Satellite Flight’ a C-.

By Carolanne Murray

Action scenes, conspiracies and a patriotic hero made ‘Captain

America: the Winter Soldier’ an overall good movie.

After S.H.I.E.L.D., the government agency aimed at protecting America, is compromised, Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), a.k.a

Captain America is faced with determining which members he can deem trustworthy.

Aside from Director Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) a.k.a the Black Widow, a majority of the characters are new.

These include Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) and the Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan). Both of these characters are important to the plot, but appear late in the film.

There were plenty of action scenes. There was everything from car chases to in-flight battles to physical fights.

Despite the name the film revolved mainly around S.H.I.E.L.D. It also included information about Roger’s past and a conspiracy that

led to drastic plot twists. There were many plot twists

throughout the movie, some of them were more predictable than others, but they were all amusing.

There were numerous references to other Marvel characters, including the Avengers, which without previous knowledge would have made the movie extremely confusing. It is assumed that the viewers are knowledgeable about all of the Avenger characters and plots.

The ending was incomplete and definitely sets the way for another movie to be made.

Due to the action scenes and underlying conspiracy against S.H.I.E.L.D., I give ‘Captain America: the Winter Soldier’ a B-.

‘Man on the Moon’ series plummets

‘Winter Soldier’ serves ironic twist

17ENTERTAINMENT

By Tannar Walden

The movie based on ‘Divergent’ was a big

success.It is set in a world

where people are divided into different factions based on human qualities.

A faction is a group of people that have a common characteristic.

In ‘Divergent’ there are five: the Dauntless, the Abnegation, the Candor, the Amity, and the Erudite. Then there are the factionless, they are the outcasts.

The main character is Tris, a divergent trying to hide who she is. Tris is played by Shailene Woodley and her boyfriend, Four, is played by Theo James.

A divergent is a person that has the personality traits of all the different factions. Divergents are hunted because they are “a threat to society.”

The movie starts with Tris taking a test to

determine what faction she should be in. While taking the test, she realizes she is Divergent.

On decision day Tris chooses to separate from the faction she grew up with. Throughout the rest of the film, she focuses on becoming someone different, her growth with a new group and how the decisions she makes effects others.

The director did a great job casting. The main characters are perfect for their roles. They are brave, fun, good-looking and kind. The effects were amazing, and looked real. The stunts were

also well done. The plot was a

little hard to follow. For instance, the names of Tris’ friends were not clear. It was hard keeping track of who was who. It did not really say names often, except for the main characters.

The make-up and costumes were alright for not having a lot to work with. Each of the factions had a different color. Everything has very plain.

Overall, the movie ‘Divergent’ was an excellent movie, but could have had more. I give ‘Divergent’ a B+.

By Allie VanHouten

Focusing on romance, love, her own writing and a little bit of motherhood

creates Shakira’s newest CD.The newest CD is called ‘Shakira’

and was respectively good, being her first album in four years it is missing some glam that is usually included.

As most of her past albums included up-tempo pop songs, this album had a different range with some country implied.

Shakira won the Billboard Latin Music award for Social Artist of the Year and Streaming Artist of the Year in 2013.

Shakira has been a goddess in the pop music world with her touch of Latin music. I think this CD had many people’s expectations up to high standards

that were not quite reached due to the noticeable flaws.

She has won American Music Awards, Favorite Latin Pop Singer in 2005, 2006, 2010 and 2012. Her past song “Hips Don’t Lie” won MTV video music award in Latin America, song of the year in 2006 and People’s Choice awards, and Favorite Pop Singer in 2007.

It seemed as if there was a piece of her missing in the album. It was not a hit after hit CD like her past albums.

I think the best song on the CD is “Can’t Remember to Forget You.”

Although there are some flaws, the CD was still a hit and an addictive listen.

I give ‘Shakira’ a B.

‘Shakira’ is unlike anything before

Casting creates perfect characters

By Brianna Hartleb

Although they share the same birthday, junior twins Melley

and Samsson Destahun have different objectives and attend different high schools.

“I like going to different schools because instead of going to school and seeing him all day, then going home with him, I don’t get so annoyed with him and we get along,” Melley said.

Another thing about going to different schools is that they do not know the same people.

“I like going to different schools because we have different friends and separate lives,” Samsson said.

Melley goes to Winnetonka, although her twin brother, Samsson, goes to North Kansas City High School.

“I went to Northtown to do IB, but realized that it wasn’t really for me,” Samsson said.

Despite going to different schools, the twins are still close.

“I consider him more like a friend I can talk to,” Melley said.

Melley enjoys having Samsson as a brother and friend, but there is a downside to being born on the same day.

“The only thing is that we share a birthday so instead of it being only your birthday I have to share it,” Melley said.

Gifted resource specialist Carrie Marcantonio first met Melley in AVID.

“I met her three years ago in AVID class. I have had the opportunity to work with her on some applications and now have her in Research Methods,” Marcantonio said.

According to Marcantonio, Melley is a determined and hard-working student.

“Melley is a mature, funny and an independent student. She sets goals. She treats everyone with respect and she sees people for who they really are,” Marcantonio said.

While some people may believe it is silly to have twins attend different school, each did what was best for them.

“It is important for students to make the decision that is the best for them, both educationally and personality wise. Winnetonka offers biomedical sciences, which is what attracted Melley to stay here, while Northtown’s IB program fit Samsson’s interests,” Marcantonio said.

Melly and Sammson plan on continuing at separate schools.

By Tannar Walden

Freshman sisters Maegan and Marissa Foster are fraternal twins; but they look and feel like they

are polar opposites. Normally people are able to tell them apart, but there are always the people that cannot.

“People use to be able to tell by the mole on my mouth, but now I have short hair and glasses,” Marissa said.

The girls say they have “telepathic” moments, as well.

“I’ll be thinking about something one minute and the next Marissa will say it out loud. And, we feel pain together sometimes, just randomly,” Marissa said.

The sisters are mainly different, personality wise, but they like a lot of the same things.

“Maegan’s personality is quiet, girly, helpful, never afraid to step in during a situation, a leader and has a good fashion sense,” Marissa said.

They enjoy doing choir and theater together. Both were in the winter musical this year.

“I was a Finnish dancer and Marissa was a zombie and a Frenchie,” Maegan said.

They both are artsy and creative. They sing, dance and like a lot of the same TV shows and music.

“Third grade was the first year we had separate classes. Now, we only have one or two classes together, only because those are the only times that offer those classes,” Maegan said.

Marissa is more of the tom-boy type, so they have never dressed alike.

“Marissa is tom-boyish, louder, she’s got the stronger stomach. She likes TV shows where people could possibly get hurt, where I would cringe,” Maegan said.

Since they do the same thing, they always want to rise above each other. Sometimes there is competition between them.

Freshman twins have love for theatre

Twins succeed with different paths

18 ETC.

Sophomore twins battle a busy schedule By Allie VanHouten

Sophomore twins Lindsay and Lauren Scott work together managing complicated sports schedules.The girls are identical twins born in Kansas City.

Lauren was born before Lindsay.Although they are twins, the girls’ personalities are

different.Their

personality can sometimes get them in trouble with family, especially when they were younger.

“The girls could instigate a lot of mischief growing up, what one didn’t think of, the other one did. It is double the trouble but twice the fun,” mother Lori Scott said.

The biggest impact on the girls’ lives is the world of sports.

“I started with T-Ball and didn’t enjoy it. Then, I did gymnastics for a year, then I stuck with volleyball and found my passion,” Lindsay said.

Lauren also played a few sports before she found her favorite.

“I have played T-Ball, basketball, volleyball, baseball and softball,” Lauren said.

The girls have actually played two sports together.“We played T-ball together in kindergarten and we

played volleyball together from fourth grade to eighth grade,” Lindsay said.

The biggest complication with the girls being committed to two different sports is there not being enough time.

“Being at two different places at the same was impossible,” Lori said.

The girls do what they can to support each other at their games.

“Our club sports aren’t at the same time so we can be there more often but during high school, our sports are the same so we can’t be,” Lindsay said.

Practice and game times have an impact also.“A big

problem I deal with is my practices being the same time as Lindsay’s game times,” Lauren said

The Scott family found a way to be able to keep up to date at how the other twin is doing at her sporting events.

“We will call the parent that is with the other twin to get updates throughout the tournaments so we know how each other is doing,”

Lauren said. The girls’ parents do a good job of keeping up with

both sports.“They usually go back and forth so they can watch

both of us play and to keep it fair,” Lindsay said.They have also found ways to keep the busy

schedules organized.“It is a must for us to keep a calendar on the fridge

so we know what we have scheduled each week,” Lori said.

The twins plan on being involved and dedicated to their sports and each other.

Sisters Lauren and Lindsay Scott differ in more than just what sport they play. Their personalities are also different. “I tend to be more outgoing and Lindsay tends to be quieter,” Lauren said. Photo by Allie VanHouten

19ETC.

By Kayla Pendergrast

Starting off the season with home runs the boys baseball team has started out on a rocky start.

“There is a lot of young new kids with teaching needing to be done but we have a solid learning system,” coach Brett Jones said. Starting their season with a win has helped the team with their confidence levels. “This season is going to have its ups and downs since we have such a young team,” junior Ty Bradshaw said. Even though they have started off strong, they still have room for much improvement. “Our pitching location is something we really need to work on,” freshman Ronnie Wiggington said. All though they have gained many new players there is still a

down fall in their loss of students in the past few years. “Over the past two years we’ve lost over 12 players which has caused us to have to reteach leadership skills to our older players,” Jones said. Though they have lost many players, they have gained strength in different areas. “Our hitting has gotten a lot better. We have scored a lot more runs this season,” Bradshaw said.

With graduating players they have gained many younger players who have contributed to the team in a great way. “I feel there’s no pressure being an underclassman on Varsity. It gives more of a competitiveness to help us get stronger as the years go,” Wiggington said. Mistakes have been made, but it has not stopped the team from working together to become better in every way they can.

Baseball rallies more runs

Senior Nathan Magrone pitches for Winnetonka during the game versus North Kansas City at Macken Park. Magrone has been in baseball since he was a child. “My dad first started me in baseball when I was young and I just stuck with it,” Magrone said. Photo by Amber Murray

20 SPORTS

By Kayla Pendergrast

Starting the season off with a strong lead, the track runners continue to

push for better finishes. “This season has started off well with good numbers and the weather is improving which makes for a more efficient practice,” coach Kaleb Stoppel said. With returning runners they have a lot to look forward to. “I’m looking forward to going to state since I made it to sectionals last year,” sophomore Tyrique Bennett said. With a lot of returning students

they also have many new runners. “We are working well with being on the same page and all wanting success,” senior Tyler Roy said. Along with the new students the coaching staff has also changed. “We have great returning experienced coaching as well as coaches who have had college coaching experience,” Stoppel said. Even though the track season has started strong there is room for improvement. “Work ethic and how hard we work is something we need to keep working on,” Roy said. Even with new runners as well as

returning runners they are confident. “After doing track for multiple years I’m more experienced and not as nervous to get stuff done,” Bennett said. With many new students joining the team they are looking forward to better outcomes. “We have many returning athletes with several new athletes that look to contribute to team scoring,” coach Stoppel said. With the work and improvement to still be done the track team keeps pushing themselves for better success.

Runners seek to improve work ethic

By Emily Elliott

The jumpers plunge into the new season with new and improved athletes.

They are showing progress from last year to this year already. “All jumpers this year are stronger and faster so I am looking forward to see what they produce as the season goes on,” coach Scott Fohey said. The athletes are ready to succeed as the season continues. “I’m excited because I have gotten stronger from last year to this year,” sophomore Alexis Grant said. The jumpers are already setting goals. “My goal is to break the long jump and triple jump record and to go to state. If I make it to state the I want to win too,” sophomore Esther Loukawila said. Fohey is looking forward to coaching the jumpers and getting them to state. “We work hard in practice everyday and I can record them during meets and practice to help them out as

well. Coach Davis helps them with strength to get them prepared and we watch a lot of films too, but I always tell them to trust their training and hopefully that’ll boost their confidence,” Fohey said. New rules are added this year about electronics. “We are now allowed to record performances, so we can fix errors and technique during practice,” Fohey said. The athletes enjoy the new rule. “I love how I can see exactly what I’m doing wrong so I can fix my mistakes,” Grant said. There are several new jumpers this season. “I have noticed that there are more girls than guys this year,” Loukawila said. Fohey expects the jumpers to excel during the season. “I see potential in all the jumpers, new and old. They are all young athletes and will get better throughout the season,” Fohey said. The next Varsity and Junior Varsity meet will be held April 24 Raytown South starting at 4 p.m.

Jumpers utilize video for training purposes

Track Schedule

April 24- JV conference meet 4 p.m. Raytown South High School

April 29- Platte County Invitational Platte County High School

May 2- Belton Varsity meet Belton High School

May 6- Conference meet District activities complex

May 17- District meet

May 24- Sectionals

21SPORTS

22 SPORTS

By Savannah Moore

Boy’s tennis is preparing to accomplish a

winning record this spring season.

“We have a lot more guys coming out this season, and it’s really exciting but it can be a little bit of an inconvenience at times,” coach John Morris said.

Because of the increase in numbers, coaches are switching up practices to ensure efficiency.

“We usually have scrimmages going on between the upper level guys on five or six courts, and then basic drills on two courts for the more inexperienced guys,” Morris said. “It can feel crowded at times.”

Along with adjusting practices, there is now more of a dividing line between JV and Varsity.

“Lot’s of years we have seniors on JV, but because of large numbers, the JV team [this year] will be mostly underclassmen,” senior Chris Harbison said.

The athletes have developed a better relationship with the coaches, expressing that they are comfortable with joking around and having fun.

“It’s easy for coach Wendt and I to connect to the boys because

we’ve worked with a few of them through different sports outside of tennis,” Morris said.

The push for academic and physical improvement has proved a challenge to the athletes.

“It’s vital to just stay calm, and not try to hit harder every time, but let the match come to you,” Harbison said.

As with every other sport, consistency is essential, and it seems to be the biggest thing the coaches work on with the boys.

“They always push consistency, and getting the ball back over with placement,” Harbison said. “Tennis points are most often lost, not won.”

The relationship between the boys and the coaches rolls over into matches, where they are constantly on the sidelines supporting the boys when they are down.

“We can only talk to the boys while they’re switching sides, so if they’re down we just try to make them relax,” Morris said. “Most of them know that once you’re down mentally, you’re opponent has won.”

The next match will be April 22 at 4 p.m. at Oak Park High School.

Boy’s tennis seeks advantage

While practicing at Winnetonka serving off, Senior Chris Harbison hits the ball. Harbison has been playing tennis since seventh grade. “[The best part about tennis is] getting to play with my friends.” Photo by Allie Davis

23SPORTS

By Veronica Saldana

Getting into the swing of golf, the boys are already medaling.

Senior Blake Taylor medaled in their first tournament at Drum Farm on March 24. He shot an 80 and medaled in 14 place. Junior Bradon Bush also medaled at the Winnetonka Invitational tournament. “It feels good, but it’s even better when we can medal in the first two tournaments,” Taylor said. Although he is not as experienced as Taylor, junior Devon Smith is playing his first season and is already scoring low and advancing on the team. “[The beginning of the season] was tough, but it’s getting better,” Smith said. Taylor along with the other experienced players has been helping the new players on the team improve. “I try to help them improve. I’ve helped with their swing and we are

seeing improvement with the younger players,” Taylor said. Assistant coach Nate Stephenson believes the senior golfers have done a good job at helping the younger players. “Having a couple of seniors with experience has helped. Taylor has done a really good job at helping the boys transition,” Stephenson said. Although the team is always aware of the different weather changes, it is still hard to expect the unexpected. “We’ll go from rainy to snow to 80 degree weather all in the same season,” Stephenson said. Even though the weather can affect the game tremendously, there are still high hopes for rest of the season including districts. “If you keep the boys focused theres good to come. Hopefully we can get the boys to go from districts to sectionals,” Stephenson said.

Boy’s golf medals in first tournaments

On the second hole sophomore Weston Wagner tees off. This is Wagner’s first year playing golf. “It sounded fun and wanted to try something new,” he said. Photo by Brian Albertson

By Kimberly Crockett

Training harder than ever on the aspects of throwing, they have yet

to slack or give up since day one. Practicing five days a week, working ambitiously, the team is trying to get their numbers higher and their strategies perfect before throwing. “I try to think about what I can or could have done to make my next throw better and farther,” junior discus thrower Andrew Niemeyer said.

Senior Diamond Mosby-Norris breaks down each throw and strengthens her agility. “My overall PR, my personal record, with throwing is 38 feet 4 inches, by the end of the year I hope

I break the record with a 40. With discus throwing my PR is 107 feet, also I hope I end the year, breaking my record with a 120 feet discus throwing,” Mosby-Norris said. Strengthening the practices and the numbers each year the practicing and the hard work keeps getting pushed second by second. “Coach Stamps has us focusing on more on the form getting our foot-work perfect before we actually throw,” Niemeyer said. When Mosby-Norris steps out on the field, she clears her mind of every practice, every game, and every tournament. “I previously threw in middle school at Maple Park and I really enjoyed it. I got some really good positive feedback from the coaches

there, so when I was entering high school I thought I would give it a shot and try to be good, even letter in it and become an overall better athlete by trying,” Diamond said. At the Grandview Invitational sophomore DeeNia McMiller broke the discus record with a toss of 120 feet 6.5 inches and senior Diamond Mosby-Norris broke the shot put record with a throw of 41 feet 1.5 inches. Both meet the All-American standard established by us.milesplit. According to throwing coach Jessie Fautz, DeeNia has a bright future in throwing. “DeeNia is a sophomore and will break the record again several times before graduation, I am sure,” she said.

Throwers continue to break school records

24 SPORTS

From: Winntonka High School TO: 5815 48th St. Kansas City, MO 64119

Girl’s soccer strives for winning recordBy Brian Albertson

The girl’s soccer team has stared the season out on a

good note. Coach David Flynn is proud of how the team is playing. “Everyone is demonstrating a good attitude on the field, everybody is in it to win it at this point,” he said. The players believe that there hard work is paying off. “We have been practicing everyday after school and have been pretty focused,” junior Kay-lin Williams said. Some seniors are playing for the first time. “I decided to play soccer because it is my last year of high school and I wanted it to be full of memories,” senior Yannel Russell said. Some believe the team is performing a lot better this year than last. “We are a lot closer than we

were last year, we have done some team bonding and are working better together on the field,” Williams said. Teammates are helping each other become better players. “The other players helped me understand what a team really is. The bond we share is something not many people can understand. My team gives me motivation to play better,” Russell said. Flynn has already set a goal for the team. “When I looked through the season we have a chance of hav-ing double digit wins,” he said. Many of the players have set high goals for the season. “My goal for the season is to beat my 9 game shut-out record and hopefully be an all state nominee,” Williams said. The senior game will be May 2 against St. Joseph Central at Northgate.

While playing against Staley, junior Mariah Eugenio runs to get to the ball first. Eugenio plays forward and outside midfileder. “My favorite part about soccer is getting to play with my teammates,” She said. Photo by Veronica Saldana