THE TRUTHS OF TANNINGStudies show that consequenc-

es can be deadly for trying to get that “healthy glow”

this prom season| 11

Who knows senior football player Drew Thornton better, his girlfriend or his team mate? Will the power of love or brotherhood prevail?| 17

FOR LOVE OR THE GAME?

shawnee mission west | 8800 w. 85th st. vol. 48 | issue 8the epic

overland park, ks 66212 | april 2, 2010

The Epic gives an inside look at the trials of being in a high school band as it follows Second Signal

on its path to making rock history. photo by jenna harwell

we’re with the band

Christian Leroy, senior, placed in the top five in the nation in the Student Televi-sion Network’s 60 Second Silent Film Con-test. The competition was held in Anaheim, California, and over 1,800 students from coast to coast competed. Leroy’s film was awarded third place out of all the competitors.

weird news

{april} 4.2.10 - 4.16.10

news in brief

No School - parent conferences

{new

s} snapshotA New Zealand woman has been

making a living the past few weeks by selling human souls. A small New Zea-land village has been introduced to a new type of sale, vials containing what a villager claims to be dead humans souls. These vials are being sold for close to $2,000 to any vil-lager seeking answers in life.

A 20-year-old woman was arrested for stabbing her husband of two years after he read her text messages. The woman is facing five years in prison and a $150,000 fine. Police say they receieved the call from the neighbor who heard some commotion. The couple said they will not file for divorce.

A man was stabbed with a meat thermometer in a California movie theatre after asking a woman to silence her cell phone. The man com-plained about the woman talking on her phone during the movie. The woman was removed from the theatre but then re-turned and stabbed the man in the neck.

Shawnee Mission robotics teams all com-peted in the Greater Kansas City FIRST Robotics Regional Competition. The com-petition called for teams to make a robot that could kick or push a soccer ball into opposing goals. The competition lasted four days, Friday and Saturday being the qualifying rounds. The Shawnee Mission West team finished in the second half of the field.

West hosted a vertical art gallery show for young elementary school students to come and show off their work. The art gal-lery was used to show off the upcoming artists work and encourage them to stick with art in the future. The students were given the chance to explain their art and why they did it to par-ents and teachers. The show was followed by a reception for the students and parents.

The Broadmoor Learn and Earn program had its best turnout this year after having to close registration because there were too many applicants. The Learn and Earn program is a competition and an opportunity for 5th-8th graders to learn the skills of baking, film making, and design that Broadmoor stu-dents practice everyday.

The Lackman Library is holding a book discussion group for teens called “What Do I Read Next”. The group meets the second Monday of every month from 4:15 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. at the Lackman Library in Lenexa.

Coalition held their annual 5K at Shaw-nee Mission South. The proceedings from running the 5K went towards “Love 146” an organization to help stop the trafficking and rape of children. Coalition reached their goal and raised over $1,000 in donations.

Dan Kornfeld, senior, was chosen to participate in the 2010 Kansas United States Youth Senate. Kornfeld flew to Washington D.C. to meet with members of the Senate. Each student delegate receieved a $5,000 scholarship from the Randolph Hearst Foundation.

57:00 p.m. - band-aids meeting 59:40 a.m. - late start 6

10

A history teacher was showing an example of a civil war muzzle loader gun when it fired. Nobody was injured and the teacher can not explain why the gun was loaded. He was fired, and none of the students or parents will press charges against the school or the teacher.

10 9:30 p.m. - after game party

11 5:30 p.m. - dance team banquet

7:00 p.m. - spring show

8

16 5:30 p.m. - jazz on the bridge

6:30 p.m. - ROTC formation

12 6:00 p.m. - cheer banquet

2

by scott holm

2 THE EPIC ISSUE 8

6:00 p.m. - spotlighter meeting

JENNA HARWELL

The Bizfest gave students the op-portunity to compete and learn about the business world. The four day competition was held at Indian Creek El-ementary. Students were able to shadow real business professionals and learn the ways of large corporations. Students learned how to make their own business plans and how to give a business presen-tation. The workshop gave students the chance to earn up to $5,000 in scholar-ship money.

Katrina Rivera and Mary Lipp, juniors, were some of the many NHS members that volunteered to help sell lemonade and brownies during lunch. The NHS board created LEMON(AID) for Haiti to raise money for the earthquake victims in Haiti. Students could purchase baked goods and t-shirts on the bridge as a fun way to get involved in raising money and awareness for disaster relief. This two week effort helped raise around $250. Money went to the national charity Hope for Haiti and will directly benefit the areas destroyed by the January earthquake.

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145 10 15faces in the hall

What is your biggest time waster?

by alex leininger

senior jordan bain

juniorkyle batchelder

sophomorecesar luna

freshmanmadolyn stallbaumer

Watching TV

Xbox live

Madden 10

Facebook

Drums

Pawn Stars

Tenacious D Pick of Destiny

Knockout

Grey’s Anatomy

Drums Modern Family

Sexy Chick

Guitar

Guitar

Family Guy

Tip of My Tongue

Guitar or Drums? What is your favorite TV show?

What is the last album that you bought?photos by raine mcguire

ISSUE 8 THE EPIC 3

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current event pop quizAre you up-to-date on current events? Try The Epic’s news quiz and find out!

A. Michigan StateB. ButlerC. BaylorD. Duke

A. Middle EastB. AsiaC. AfricaD. Europe

A. Kathy Lee GiffordB. Rosie O’DonnelC. Oprah WinfreyD. Howie Mandell

Which team is not in the final four?

Who announced a planned return to daytime television?

Recent studies show that dogs most likely originated in what region?

A. Los AngelesB. Hong KongC. TokyoD. Moscow

Air pollution spiked to record-high levels in recently, prompting the government to issue warnings against outdoor activities.

A. IsraelB. IraqC. IranD. Ireland

A. BelgiumB. IraqC. FranceD. Italy

A. Farmed salmonB. Jumbo shrimpC. Bluefin tunaD. Wild salmon

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spoke Monday before AIPAC, the leading pro- lobbying group.

Members of the Convention on Interna-tional Trade in Endangered Species voted last week not to ban trade in .

The president of was reportedly preparing to reshuffle his government after his party suffered a major defeat in weekend elections.

A. IraqB. IndonesiaC. ItalyD. Iran

The prime minister of endorsed calls for a recount in that country’s par-liamentary elections.

A. Ron WalkerB. Karen TrittC. Scott DoryD. Bruce Adams

A. 1988B. 1987C. 1979D. 2001

A. 1999B. 2003C. 2000D. 1993

Which West teacher was awarded Kansas Teacher of the Year in 2009?

When was the last time girls baske-ball won a state championship?

When was the last time boys base-ball won a state championship?

Answers: 1. C; 2. B; 3. A; 4. B; 5. D; 6. A; 7. C; 8. C; 9. A; 10. D; 11. B; 12. D; 13. A; 14. B; 15. C

A. 1968B. 1962C. 1971D. 1965

What year did Shawnee Mission West open?

A. Fred ParkerB. Ted HarperC. Frank HarperD. Fess Parker

Actor , best-known for playing frontiersmen Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett, died last week at age 85.

A. Abraham LincolnB. Teddy RooseveltC. John F. KennedyD. Gerald Ford

What president was shot while walking to California Governor Jerry Brown’s office? A. Will Farrell

B. Eddie MurphyC. Paul RuddD. Steve Carrell

attended West and has starred in numerous movies inclu-diung Role Models and I Love You Man.

by scott holm

4 THE EPIC ISSUE 8

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The West Way program has proved a success in its first year, but admin-istration hopes to move forward still in years to come.

“It’s out there, people know what it is, but we’re still on the first level,” Associate Principal Erica Warren said.

The Positive Behavior Supports group came up with the West Way program to help kids adapt safety and respectfulness into their daily lives and prepare them for the responsi-bilities awaiting their future lives.

As the program continues to grow, the PBS hopes to help more challeng-ing students and push them in the right direction for the future.

With building incentives to pro-mote the West Way, students have developed a kinder mind-set reflect-ing the three essential pillars: safety, responsibility, and respectfulness.

“Kids seem to like the Chipotle gift cards and the parking spots the best,” Warren said.

Students can do a variety of things to earn the recommendation of a teacher to get them a spot close to the school in the Antioch parking lot.

“I made Gill an example video for the beginning Radio and TV classes,” Claire Boyts, junior said.

Other things such as tutoring classmates, picking up trash in the cafeteria, being consistently on time to classes, or recycling can earn you a parking spot as well.

Raffle ticket coupons are also given out to students when teachers notice a small favor or nice deed be-ing done in the hallways. Tickets can be exchanged for small treats in the cafeteria and passes to leave seminar early.

Changes have been made to better the program and keep up its progress in the future.

Administration has done their best to promote nonconformity with-in the school and make students suc-cessful as individuals.

The students with the hard-est habits to change participate in a “Check-In, Check-Out” system with

teachers to prevent tardies and unex-cused absences. Students must check-in and out with teachers whenever they leave the school or a classroom to ensure consistent behavior.

Students and staff alike have noticed prominent changes in the school’s environment and appreciate the mannerisms stressed by the pro-gram.

“I’ve noticed a lot more respect in the hallways to both teachers and students,” Boyts said.

Using the “West Way” has created a popular phrase amonst students in the halls pointing out examples of good and bad behavior.

“One time I saw a freshman drop a piece of trash on the ground in the cafeteria so I shouted that it wasn’t the West Way and he turned around and picked it up.” Dan Kornfeld, se-nior said. “I’d like to think I’m making the school a better place.”

Incentives are constantly being added onto the program to further promote the “West Way.”

“Everyone likes to get something, and we’re always looking for new ideas and incentives to give away,” Warren said.

Warren personally encourages the “West Way” with disciplinary action focusing on the ideas displayed by the three pillars.

The PBS is also working to get more information out to parents and is hoping to construct a parent sup-port group to get the community more involved in bettering their stu-dents.

“Our goal is getting recognition to the kids who deserve it and making the challenged ones more successful,” Warren said.

The PBS is hoping to advance the program to the next level by next year.

“We’re trying to finish up level two training soon so we can move even further forward next year,” Warren said.

The West Way has promoted good behavior that disciplines students for their future.

west way: where are we now?Students and staff review the West Way program as its first year in action comes to a close

by katherine mcgowan | photos by jenna harwell

ISSUE 8 THE EPIC 5

{AD

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Please be eco-friendly and recycle

the Epic.

Thank You

Epic Staffeditor-in-chiefalex burnettphoto editorsally carmichaeldesign editorstuti desaicopy editorjessie hardestybusiness managercameron volkerasst. business managernoah hadennews editorscott holmfeatures editorslana fanousmichael higginssports editorsdanny neelydan premopinion editordani la londea&e editorelizabeth stephan

staff writersalison baileschris brownbrayden clarktimothy dodderidgeterri harveyandrew hoskinswhitney knightlyalex leiningercourtney lichtenbergermitch mansourkatherine mcgowantaylor neffconnor oberkrommatt smith

photographersjenna harwellpreston felgatedavid howellraine mcguirecord powell

cartoonistearvin chinchilla

adviseramy morgan

The “Epic” is the newsmagazine of Shawnee

Mission West, 8800 W. 85th St., Overland Park,

KS 66212. It is produced by a staff of high

school journalists dedicated to the principles

of journalism: to present facts and occurrences

truthfully and without bias. Articles of opinion

or analysis are labeled and do not necessarily

reflect the views of the staff and/or the pub-

lication.In accordance with Kansas law, the “Epic” staff

is entitled to freedom of the press. Neither the

West administration nor the SMSD are responsi-

ble 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 SMSD and is distributed free of charge

to students. For advertising information call

(913) 993-7911.

One can hear the groans billowing from any math or English class in the halls. The elder students crying out in despair over the inevitable trek they must make to school each day. This is the season when se-nioritis case reports are highest—the least productive time of the school year. This is fourth quarter.

Although the disease may not appear in any nationally recognized medical journals, nearly every upperclassman (Easy juniors, it’s still a long way off) cites the “illness” each year as a reason for declining interest in schoolwork. Real or imagined, the effects of senioritis are visible to anyone observing the school’s atmosphere—kids showing up fifteen minutes late on a “good day,” a ridiculous number of trips to the bathroom per block, and of course, flocks of seniors with gameboys ferociously training pokémon during classes (Haven’t seen that last one yet? We’re coming).

So why is it that the fourth quarter is an acceptable time to ride scooters to class and have an unjustified birthday party every couple of days in one of your even blocks? Well, most students would simply tell you that “it’s senior year” and continue riding their scooters to class. This is it, right? Our last hurrah, so let’s go out with a bang by slacking for the last nine weeks of school. Why is it that kind of logic doesn’t make sense until senior year?

The answer simply is that like grinding at after-parties, senioritis is a crutch, an excuse we use to compensate for our laziness (or lack of dancing abilities). It’s not an actual sickness. Did we really put in 15 quarters of work only to give up in the waning moments?

This is why someone needs to stand up and say “no” to senioritis; to reject the notion that the fourth quarter is a meaningless coast to the shore of summer. Unfortunately it won’t be the Epic. I mean, we already wrote the editorial board about it…and we all have some catch-ing up to do on pokémon.

The Disease

6 THE EPIC ISSUE 8

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the drawing board:earvin chinchilla

by

With all of the relaxing, sunny (snowy!?) days of spring break behind us, we have all entered the most difficult quarter of the school year.

Sure, third quarter was full of tests, quizzes and senior paper procrastina-tion, but fourth quarter is worse. While fourth quarter may have significantly fewer all-nighters to put the finishing touches on your eight page report on how Tupac is still alive somewhere in an attic with Elvis, it does have an intan-gible quality that no other quarter pos-sesses: [INSERT GRADE HERE]-itis.

Yes, junior-, sophomore-, and even the lowly freshman-itis DO exist. And while the lesser counterparts of seniori-tis are contagious, it isn’t safe to fall ill with one of these terminal diseases.

The prospect of coasting through our remaining 30-something days (I would’ve counted exactly how many, but I’m starting to show symptoms) sounds great. Trust me, it does.

However, now is the time where champions are made. Those that can still stand strong and are able to focus on solving for x when they’re really much more interested in solving for how nice the weather will be tomorrow — cham-pions.

Now is the time to settle in and make it just a little bit further before hitting the big red system shut down button (the one that takes two seperate keys to unlock) and completely giving up on the year.

After all, grades still count during these otherwise seemingly meaningless days. Nothing is worse than getting a getting a D in sophomore English be-cause you didn’t find any point in finish-ing that worksheet over the episode of Star Trek that you watched in class.

Also, for the three-fourths of you that aren’t graduating this spring, you’re coming back next year. With this in mind, it might be funny now to screw around in Mr. Onnen’s chemistry class this year, but I can guarantee he’ll re-member in two years when you come back for Chemistry II and hit you with an extra quiz. Who will be laughing then? Probably the gradebook.

And, of course, with the end of the year coming, that means AP tests are right around the corner. Yes, this is the most vicious anti-slacking system en-acted by the educational system.

Suddenly, at the very end of the year, students are forced to recall information from way back in fall. So zoning out and brain dumping everything MIGHT not be the best idea.

While, the -itis may sound like a great idea in theory, it just isn’t quite practi-cal...yet. Give it a few weeks, then shut her down for good. I’ll be doing the same.

Look for the “go-ahead” around the time the next issue of the Epic comes out.

IMPORTANTTHINGSwithdani la londe

ISSUE 8 THE EPIC 7

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a third-degree

by alex burnett

burn

by dani la londe Celebrityitus

The End is Near

There seems to be this violent plague spread-ing throughout the world that everyone has a weird fascination with the downfall of well-known peoples in our current pop culture.

But why should we care about why Angelina is so skinny or what Jon Gosselin is up to now with his teenage girlfriend?

Because it is what unites America, that’s why.

It is universal that people like to talk about other people. We like to see more famous or richer people than ourselves fail at something. No one takes notice if a celebrity is doing some-thing good, only if there is a big drug scandal, they get arrested or something along those lines.

We need a new, purer crowd of celebrities to come in and take the wheel from Britney. She is getting tired. We need people that it is hard to verbally abuse and laugh at. Of course, by doing this we will put a lot of the paparazzi and tab-loids out of work.

An example of who I think wears the celeb-rity crown fittingly is Olympic athlete Apolo Ohno. He knows how to act appropriately in public. He is humble and smart about his ac-complishments. During interviews he doesn’t cut the other teams down and acknowledges their talent as well. Although I could be a little biased because I have a huge crush on him, but who doesn’t?

But the whole reason he isn’t in all the news is because he is nice. He isn’t tearing up some-one else or making a fool of himself, and all of the other celebrities that are also like that don’t get noticed either. It’s really sad. Just once I would like to walk into the grocery store and see a whole magazine devoted to celebrity do-gooders.

Anyone can see that it isn’t just celebrities either. It goes for lowly state politicians as well. I see it all the time on TV and in the paper, people are just rooting for them to go down, like Sarah Palin. It’s getting ridiculous, Palin just signed on to host a TV show on TLC called “Sarah Palin’s Alaska” for a reported one million dollars per episode, but the only reason anyone will watch it is to make fun of her. It’s even here at school. There are some people who we just have to cut down because we feel like it is a part of what we, as students, need to do to other students to make ourselves feel better.

I really cannot stress enough how much we need to throw away this attitude. We desperate-ly need to acknowledge accomplishments and forgive mistakes.

Because of recent changes in Kansas’s

driving laws (a driver’s license can only be obtained if you are 17 years old) I have de-cided to write a column dedicated to the ba-bies of our high school on how to get your driver’s license. So let’s begin,

1, When starting out on the driving test with your evaluator by your side (it is guar-anteed that he or she will be a wrinkly old person who has zero faith in the youth of today and is counting on you failing), it is important to have a specific goal in mind, such as the number of road signs you plan to hit.

2. If Axe-spraying middle-schoolers who are walking to Sonic happen to cross the street right in front of your car, be sure to yell “10 POINTS!” and hit the accelerator.

3. When driving in a school zone, be sure to drive 10 miles less than the required speed limit of 20, and turn to your fellow evaluator, nod your head with all the care in the world in your voice say, “It’s for our children.”

4. Take time to demonstrate your multi-tasking capabilities by pulling out a book and start reading while driving, or take off your socks and put on a quick puppet show (extra points are given for creativity).

5. I have heard extra points have been awarded for best Beyonce interpretation, so pop in that “Single Ladies” song and belt it

out.6. For you intellectual types, impress

your evaluator by disproving Newton’s the-ory of Gravity, since we all know that was a joke. One that has worked for me is to claim that you can make the car fly, but you have to reach a speed limit of 120 miles, so it is absolutely necessary for you take ‘er out on the highway.

7. If ever there were a time to display your musical talent, it would be now. So yank out that old trombone and play “YMCA.” Crowd participation is certain.

8. If you just happen to be behind on your Christmas shopping or want to get an early start on it that year, display your knit-ting skills by making a sweater. Preferably in pink.

9. Politics has always been a good ice-breaker, so try and start a conversation on the new health care bill.

10. Make a friendship bracelet for you and your fellow evaluator, because after the long journey you two have made a life long alliance is basically assured.

All in all, none of these rules apply. In fact, if you believed every word I wrote and took fantastic notes on my list, erase everything you read from your mind. Driving is harder than it looks and it’s incredibly easy to get distracted. Believe it or not, no matter how hilarious the things I listed above are, you shouldn’t attempt them while driving (un-less you do a killer Beyonce impersonation then by all means, carry on). All I’m saying is driving is not a joke; I myself have almost been involved in a few car wrecks where a person was occupied with doing something else, such as reading a comic book. No joke. In the words of my father, Dr. Desai, “Driv-ing is a privilege, not a right.”

8 THE EPIC ISSUE 8

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Sunny Side Up

by stuti desai

This season, the Kansas City Roy-als are as qualified as Toyota gas pedals. This year could be one of the most brutal seasons in the century. Sure, I would like to have some optimism, but I just can’t. When you have a GM and owner, who consistently fails to address the team’s primary needs and acquire incompetent and senile players. It’s extremely dif-ficult to tolerate this abomination. In a town which baseball is so highly lauded, it’s hard. (sigh) The last five seasons the Royals have accumulated a total of 587 losses, with many more to come. Maybe if I don’t expect them to succeed, it won’t be as high of a disappointment. (We’ll see)

This year’s team might be one the weakest teams in recent memory. They have one the worst middle infields in MLB, no pop throughout the lineup, extreme lack of pitching depth, and no AAA prospects readily available. Even though their outfield may seem good, it’s as congested as New York City and that will cause some major disputes. All those deficiencies have 100+ losses written all over it.

The Royals do have some intriguing players on their 40-man roster in Grein-ke, the reigning Cy Young Winner. They possess two hitters that can hit in their sleep - Billy Butler and Alberto Callaspo. Joakim Soria, is one the most polished young closers in the game and David Dejesus in one of the best left fielders in MLB. One thing that the Royals do have going for them, is some young players to build off of, and possibly some trade value.

But the main problem with this fran-chise, is that they rely on players, that can’t and shouldn’t be rely on, for exam-ple Gil Meche, the number two starter in the rotation who gets injured too easily and is inconsistent. They are destitute of depth, an aspect that hurts all teams. The Royals play this game in their head, if this happens, then we’ll be successful, which just baffles me.

If you think the Royals have a chance at being highly competitive, you might want to go into a coma and come out in October when baseball season ends, un-less you want your eyes to start bleeding, it’s your decision.

Me CallCynical

by connor oberkrom

Optimism

How to Get Your Driver’s License

Everyone has a story. This is the belief behind the series “300 words.” Each issue, a student is chosen at random and their story is told. In a short 300 words, the essence of a person is captured.300words.

by alex burnett

ISSUE 8 THE EPIC 9

All at once the feeling began.

Thump…thump…

His heart started racing. His eyes rallied back and forth like the ball across a grass court. His breath became heavy.

Thump thump thump.

The beating grew faster. He felt a freight train in his chest, constantly gaining speed. Pumping faster, faster. He knew something was wrong. There was no avoiding it now.

His head spun. The room became foggy, hazy, then faded to black.

When he awoke there were teachers all around, in a panic. He felt a sharp pain, echoing from deep in his mouth.

His jaw was broken.

And now, four and a half years later, sophomore Kevin Cao shows no obvious signs of experiencing such a traumatic injury. Just a few weeks after fainting dur-ing his 6th grade Christmas music program at Overland Park Elementary and being rushed to the hospital, Cao had completely recovered.

Though in this case he was the patient, he someday hopes to be in a different role in a similar situation.

For seven years, Cao has been set upon attending the University of Kansas and one day becoming a dentist.

“I just always enjoyed keeping my teeth clean,” Cao said. “It’s always been important to me.”

Cao’s work ethic and drive to become a dentist can be attributed to his father. A hardworking machinist, Kevin Sr. serves as a role model to Cao and, of course, stressed the importance keeping his teeth clean.

And now, years after his accident, Cao looks back and knows that someday he will be in a similar situation, except in a different role. And as he looks down at the young patient, he will not only be looking at the product of his commitment to “keeping his teeth clean,” but he will be looking down at himself as well.

ROLE REVERSAL

Sally carmIchaEl

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10 THE EPIC ISSUE 8

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advertise with the Epic?

If so, call913-993-7911

We would love your business!

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by andrew hoskins | taylor neff

ISSUE 8 THE EPIC 11

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Imagine being separated from your parents by thousands of miles and hearing that a massive earthquake just hit where they are living. For senior Vanessa Salvant, this nightmare became all too real when a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck near Port-au-Prince on January 12.

Both of her parents fortunately sur-vived and were living in Port-au-Prince at the time. Their house was not damaged, but the buildings where they work were completely destroyed.

“I was scared, and was praying that they would be okay,” Salvant said. “It was a relief when they called me that night and told me they were alright.”

Salvant was born in Miami in 1992. At age one, she moved to be with her parents in Port-au-Prince.

When Salvant was young, life in Haiti was good. She enjoyed many of the free-doms and pleasures that Americans enjoy and was free to roam the streets and play with other children. Around the year 2000, however, the conditions in Port-au-Prince began to deteriorate. Crime was rampant, and because of a high kidnap rate, the streets were no longer safe.

As things continued to worsen, Sal-vant’s parents decided that Haiti was no longer a safe place for Vanessa. They sent her back to Miami to live with her aunt in 2006. She lived there for about a year and a half until her aunt moved and could no longer support Salvant.

During her sophomore year, she moved to Overland Park to live with her uncle and cousins. For Salvant, life in Overland Park was very different from what she was used to.

“There are no other Haitians here and the food is definitely not what I’m used to,” Salvant said. “I don’t like the cold or snow very much either.”

She started going to West at that time and became acquainted with Biotech teacher Brenda Bott. When Bott learned about Salvant’s situation, she knew she had to do something to help. She teamed up with English teacher Amy Lundine and, with the support of other teachers and Dr. McLean, was able to raise enough money to pay for Salvant’s parents to fly to the states.

“For me, this was a great opportunity to help with the earthquake on a more personal level,” Lundine said. “I’ve donated money to the Love fund and other organizations, but to help out

an individual was a great feeling.”It had been almost six months since

Salvant has seen her parents when they arrived at her uncle’s house on March 5. Weekly phone calls have kept her in contact with her parents throughout high school, but seeing their faces after so long was very emotional for her.

“I was so relieved to see them and that they were alive,” Salvant said. “We had a lot of catching up to do.”

Her parents have a travel visa and will be staying for about four months. They would like to live here permanently and are applying for U.S. citizenship sometime between now and then. In the mean time, they are focusing on catching up and just being a nor-

mal family. Since Vanessa is a senior, they are also trying to plan her future.

After high school, Salvant plans on go-ing to college in either Florida or Georgia, and is considering studying to be a dentist or a pharmacist.

The Salvant family has been through more than most of us could even imagine. Despite the horror of the earthquake and worry about their safety, however, they were reunited and are hopeful about their future in America.

reunited after tragedyOne senior feels the aftershocks from the earthquake in Haiti long after it ends

JENNA HARWELL

Salvant found a niche at West with the signature biotechnology program. Throughout her highschool years she has been invovled in several biotechnology cources.

!

Last September, Second Signal didn’t exist. Three of the four band members were a part of what used to be a band called Fixed Pieces. Their southern metal sound echoed through the speak-ers at gigs around the city, but after five years, differing opinions in music and their future caused the band to split. Sean Thibodeaux, ju-nior, Tanner Rauter, senior, and Joel Hodgdon, a junior at Mill Valley, were left to create a new band. These three mu-sicians accounted for vocals, and guitar, a drummer, and a bassist, yet they still sought another person to play guitar.

“We put an ad on Craig’s list for another guy and Dan-iel Weston (a sophomore at JCCC) responded,” Rauter said. Inspired by bands such as Breaking Benjamin and the Leo Project, Second Signal is on their way to making their Rock for Hope debut as a hard metal rock band. By auditioning and performing at the event (as well as re-cording their first CD), they aspire to gain a larger fan base.“We aren’t on iTunes, but we are on Facebook and Mys-pace,” Thibodeaux said. “Not many have heard us yet.”

The Beginning:It was 6:50 PM in the little the-ater. Kids were milling about, empty Quik Trip cups rolled across the floor, and Second Signal was making last minute adjustments before beginning their three-song audition. The brief screeching of guitars tun-ing echoed through the amps and student judges were set-tling into their seats.Just as they began their first song, the lights went out in near unison with the first crash of the drum cymbals. The bass player sported a Leo Project shirt, giving tribute to their source of inspiration. The song is called “No More” and the crowd listened intently.“It seemed so obvious that you

and I were meant to be,” they sang.The song ended with brief ap-proval and nothing more than brief because the band still had two more songs to play.The second song is “Don’t Say It’s Over” and it’s “a little more personal,” Thibodeaux, the lead singer, informed the crowd. “I’m sorry for the things I did to you.” The band really got into it, possibly even more than before. Hodgdon, the bassist, Weston, a guitarist, and Thi-bodeaux twisted their bodies back and forth with the beat. Rauter, the drummer, couldn’t hear anything but the beat of his drums because he was play-ing so loudly.

“It was hard for me to hear from the drums, but I think we did pretty well,” he said. Then came the third and final song: “Goodbye.” The tempo was racing and head bang-ing became a reoccurrence throughout the song.“This is not what I wanted; please tell me what’s going on,” Thibodeaux sang and at certain times he would be backed up with the screaming of “good-bye” from Hodgdon. To anyone who was listening, it was obvi-ous that they had practiced…a lot.“Thank you guys! We are Sec-ond Signal!” Thibodeaux yelled.Cheers filled the theater and the band began taking down

their equipment for the next band to start setting up. Ac-cording to one evaluation sheet, one of the judges was “diggin’” their performance. “Wow, that was amazing!”someone in the crowd said to their friend. “That felt like a concert!” One thing was for sure, the band was anything but short of energy. Proof of their effort glistened on their foreheads.Outside in the hallway they put away their equipment excitedly, knowing they had a good shot at making the cut. “I don’t believe in mistakes,” Hodgdon said. All they could do now was wait...

The Epic follows a hometown band’s journey as they try and make music history, starting with Rock For Hope.a

For those of you who are un-able to control your curiosity about whether or not Sec-ond Signal made the cut…they did. They will perform at Rock for Hope XV on May 7 along with four professional and four student bands. The concert (sponsored by Na-tional Honor Society) will benefit the Hope for Haiti foundation.“We chose Hope for Haiti as our charity because most of the money donated to them directly benefits Haiti,” So-ham Desai, senior and NHS President, said. “There are no middle men or people to be paid in their organization.”According to Nick Adams, NHS sponsor, it varies from year to year the amount of money NHS raises, but on average it’s around $4,000.“It’s a feel-good rockfest for

boys and girls to enjoy while helping out a good cause,” Adams said.How exactly did this “feel-good rockfest” first come about? It’s pretty simple, actually. About fifteen years ago, some NHS students wanted to come up with something different to do as a fundraiser and they thought, hey, why not a concert? And wala! Rock for Hope began and has continued annually.This year’s theme – “Third Rock From The Sun” – will require a good amount of decorations related to space, planets, and stars. So, for all the astronomy geeks out there, not only will there be planets, stars, and galaxies ga-lore but plenty of good music and junk food. It will be a light year to remember.

Rock FoR hope

i’M WiTh The BAnD.

I feel you creeping up in meYou’re something I don’t want to beThe blood leaves a trailA sign of the endWe needed you hereSo where have you been? You fight for your beliefsYou hide in your liesThey died for your angerWithout asking whyThey jumped into the darkAnd gave their own livesThey died for your freedomWithout asking why A constant flood clouding our eyesOur fear brings the dark to lifeInside of your hatredDo you think of us?We’re cold and we’re hungryAnd we’ve had enough

You fight for your beliefsYou hide in your liesThey died for your angerWithout asking whyThey jumped into the darkAnd gave their own livesThey died for your freedomWithout asking why It’s time to say goodbyeThere’s nowhere left to hide You fight for your beliefsYou hide in your liesThey died for your angerWithout asking whyThey jumped into the darkAnd gave their own livesThey died for your freedomWithout asking why They never ask why

Q&A WiTh SeconD SignAl

Tanner rauTer: drummer, senior

• How do you like your Chipotle burrito?Chicken, black beans, lettuce, and lots of cheese

• Pet Peeve?People smacking their gum and slurping their drinks.

• Most famous person you’ve ever met?Roy Williams (former KU basketball coach)

sean Thibodeaux: lead singer/guiTarisT, junior

• If you could solve one problem what would it be?The lack of heavy metal on the radio.

• Favorite cereal:Crunch Berries

• Best pick-up line:I’m single and you’re hot.

by whitney knightly and terri harvey | photos by raine mcguire | design by stuti desai

The AuDiTionS: MARch 26, 2010

“hiDe” By SeconD SignAl

Sean Thibodeaux, junior guitar player and lead vocalist, (above) and Joel Hodgdon, bassist (below), tried out to play at Rock For Hope on March 26 in the Little Theater.

Every hour, one American dies of melanoma. This year, an estimate 8,700 people died from the disease.

Experts have stated tanning beds are as dangerous as mustard gas.

But that does not stop teens, 2.3 million a year to be exact, from using tanning beds.

According to Dr. Shawn Sabin, a der-matologist at the Dermatology and Skin Cancer Center, tanning can cause skin can-cer, premature aging, eye damage such as cataracts and depress the immune system. Melanoma is the most dangerous type, ac-counting for 75% of all skin cancer deaths.

“Melanoma can form quickly and can go to other parts of the body. It spreads in a matter of weeks,” Sabin said.

For some students, tanning can be as routine as brushing your teeth. Sarah Hockla, sophomore, goes to tanning beds before dances or other big events.

“You look better when you are tan than when you are pale,” Hockla said.

Many teachers have experienced skin cancer in one way or another. Jim Thomp-son, math teacher, was diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma, the most common form of skin cancer that can cause disfigurement, eight years ago and had to have it surgically removed.

“I went to tanning beds in high school and college. Two to three times a week for a month,” Thompson said.

Like most people, Thompson did not think skin cancer could happen to him.

“It wasn’t a reality for me because no one in my family had cancer at the time,” Thompson said.

A year ago, Thompson found a similar spot. He has stopped using tan-ning beds, and instead uses spray tans.

Mimi Rainen, English teacher, grew up near Kentucky Lake, and spent most of her time outside. Around age 35, she found spots no bigger than freckles, and was diagnosed with basal cell

cancer as well. The victims of cancer who were born

during or after the Baby Boom era (1950s to 60s) had no idea of the consequences of tanning. Kim Hunter, technical education teacher, sat under a sunlamp to dry out oily skin as a teen.

“I thought I was making my skin better,” Hunter said.

Hunter had squamous cell carcinoma on her leg, which is the second most common form of skin cancer. She had a 45-minute procedure to remove it.

“I was awake and they had to keep dig-ging it out, layer by layer,” Hunter said.

Barbara Summers, French teacher, has had melanoma and said it was not a big deal when she was growing up.

“During the summer, or when I didn’t have school or work, I would be out every-day,” Summers said.

Recently, there have been studies that have identified a new kind of addiction, called Tanorexia by some experts. Using questionnaire similar to alcoholic screen-ing, researchers found that 26% of the 145

interviewed were “ultraviolet light tanning dependent.”

“It is easy to get addicted to tanning, but it is easy to stop,” Kayla Grodziki, junior, said.

Susan Foley, social studies teacher, has lost family members to skin cancer. She believes a contributing factor towards peoples’ obsession with tanning is the culture of today.

“Our culture has told us we look better tan. In other cultures, such as Thailand, lighter skin is better,” Foley, said.

“We think we have to be tan to be beau-tiful. We are trying to turn that around, you should be happy as you are,” Sabin said.

In the long run, a “healthy glow” is not worth the consequences to be suffered in the future.

“The damage is already done by the time you start caring,” Sabin said.

For more information about skin cancer and tanning, visit www.skincancer.org or www.pastybychoice.com.

14 THE EPIC ISSUE 8

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}

the truths of tanningby elizabeth stephan | photo by preston felgate

Studies show that consequences can be deadly for getting that “healthy glow.”

Spray tans are

a smart alternative to

tanning beds. They are

more affordable and less

harmful than UVA rays

in tanning beds.

TANNING TIP:

Hockla began tanning in September at Solaruim but changed to Electric Sun due to convenience.

{AD

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3 77 4

6 4 2 58 5 44 3 6 1

7 5 82 5 8 3

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????

ISSUE 8 THE EPIC 15

freeze frame

The girl’s softball team is returning a core group of girls. The two seniors, Taylor Balderidge and Morgan Grafton, look to help develop the younger players.

“The coaching staff wants to take the opportunity to educate the young women on the team,” Coach Debbie Giudicessi said.

Although the team is young, they expect to win. One area that will help the team is their chemistry.

“The team has seemed to form a strong team chemistry already. To be so unites this early is rare,” Giudi-cessi, said.

Even though the team does not have a lot of varsity experience, the senior leadership makes up for it.

“Our senior leadership has been very beneficial for our young girls,” Giudicessi said. “As the season progresses and our young girls gain varsity experience, they will also gain self confidence.”

One of the goals for the season is to be above the .500 mark, which is to win more than half the games.

“For us to win we need to manufacture more runs, give ourselves more scoring opportunities along with strong defense,” Giudi-cessi said.

Along with the goal to be over .500, the team also has a goal that doesn’t necessarily apply on the field.

“This year we want to make the playing experience as rewarding as

possible,” Giudicessi said.The team’s inexperience and the

fact that they have not played to together very long have not affected practices.

“We do a lot of work with our hitting, during practice there is a lot hustle and everyone works hard,” Balderidge said.

Though most of the girls have not played together and the team is young, there are benefits.

“We all get along and work well together,” Balderidge said. “The underclassmen really listen well and

are willing to learn, which

really helps.”

If you enjoy sports in any capacity at all, there’s no way you haven’t enjoyed this year’s NCAA men’s basketball tournament. There’s been a little something for everyone, unless you’re a Winthrop fan. Even if your team didn’t make it as far as you’d like (Insert your own KU joke) the tourney has far surpassed last year’s boring chalk-fest, and it’s clear as to why:

Upsets galore. Anyone who still has a perfect bracket raise their hand now. No one? As a matter of fact anyone with a perfect first round can raise their hand. Now explain why you’re raising your hand to the people around you and receive a well-deserved round of applause. Cornell in the Sweet Sixteen, Tennessee in the Elite Eight (I actually had that one), this year’s tournament has seen far more exciting, buzzer-beating, unanticipated finishes than last year’s “super-compelling” Ohio over Vanderbilt in the first round.

The underdog factor. This year’s Final Four is comprised entirely of underdogs. Butler is considered a “dog” for obvious reasons, but West Virginia, Duke, you ask? West Virginia has been a dominant force in the Big East all season long, but the shadows of Syracuse and Villanova have blotted out West Virginia’s chance at national prominence. Not to mention, everyone in the world (at ESPN) considered Kentucky “an unstoppable force” after they beat a 12 seed.

Michigan State for all of their injuries, was hardly given a chance in their game with Maryland, let alone Northern Iowa, let alone Tennessee. How many Final Fours does Tom Izzo have to will the Spartans to before we stop betting against him?

Finally there’s Duke. Okay, there’s no way a storried program such as Duke, also a one seed, can be considered an underdog. But wait, how many times has Duke choked in recent years with loaded teams like the Reddick-fueled effort in 2006? And this year’s tourney has already exposed numerous chokers, a la the Big East and a couple of other one seeds...*cough.*

Officiating. Now I’ll be the first to turn on a referee and demand that they lose their job or worse (If you’ve seen me at a girls basketball game you know what I’m talking about), but this year’s tournament has had exceptional officiating. No one’s gotten robbed, and the refs have allowed play to dictate itself, save a few close calls. (Nail-biter, missed foul call for K-State against Xavier anyone?)

So while your bracket may be busted—more like in flames—this may offer you a great opportunity. This year’s tournament has been great, I mean great! It would be shame to miss out on the experience of enjoying the tournament games because you have something invested in a bracket or one of the teams involved. So, I advise you to sit back, relax and enjoy what is sure to be an incredible Final Four. I’ve got the Michigan State “Tom Izzos” winning it all.

youth meets unitySoftball team believes unity will contribute to success

the bestdansports columnperiod

by danny neelyTourney Time

by brayden clark

16 THE EPIC ISSUE 8

{spo

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Carly Cassidy, junior, works the ball away from two defenders during the Lady Vikings’ first game against Blue Valley North. This year’s girls soccer features a multitude of young talent. The Vikings shut out the Mustangs 1-0 March 23.

Callie Clincy, sophomore, stands on third base awaiting a cut-off throw during the JV softball game March 29.

ALEX BURNETT

CORD POWELL

new additionsTennis team looks to rally after last year’s tough finish

by timmothy dodderidge

ISSUE 8 THE EPIC 17

{SportS}

Last year was a disappointing year for the boys’ tennis team, but head coach Jed Bair be-lieves that they can finish in the upper third of the Sunflower League this year.

This will mark Bair’s second year as the var-sity coach and his third year coaching overall. Bair also believes that the team comes into this year much stronger and more talented than last season.

Because there are no tryouts for tennis, a large number of players signed up to compete this year.

“It’s going to be a fun year; we have an in-experienced team, but I see good things out of this team,” Bair said.

The team is backed by two new additions, freshman Vin Pham and German foreign ex-

change student Henri Ortlieb. Some of the best returning ath-letes include senior Sam Sprick, junior Nick Dorau and sophomore Kevin Cao. Although there aren’t as many freshmen on the team as last year, Bair believes that they will be able to compete with some of the league’s best teams, such as Shawnee Mission East and Lawrence Free State.

“I’m excited about the season. Being able to be on varsity will be a lot of fun and [so will] possibly going to state,” Cao said.

Along with junior varsity coach Nicholaus Adams, the team will play the majority of their matches in April, with regionals and state oc-curring in May.

Drew ThrontonNick SylvesterErin Banman

worst habit

favorite ice cream flavor

favorite T.V. show

parents names

age of sibling(s)

chinese or italian food

total

cookie dough

spongebob

eating

steve and kelly

21

italian

snapping

lost

vanilla

steve and kelly

21

chinese

cracking neck

lost

cookie dough

italian

22

steve and kelly

for love or the game?Drew Thorton has been playing alongside kicker Nick Sylvester and walking the halls with him for four years, but has been dating Erin Banman for three years, so who knows “Big Red” better?

by katherine mcgowanand dan prem girlfriend

Sorry Drew, but looks like nobody actually knows you very well at all.

teammate athlete

ASHLEY CISNEROS

Henri Ortlieb, senior exchange student, has been a welcomed addition to this year’s boys tennis team.

18 THE EPIC ISSUE 8

{spo

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by chris brown

the legacy continuesYoung talent mixed with experience is sure to provide a spark for a successful season and a long post-season run for the girls soccer team.

CHRIS BROWN

Evey spring, a team of determined, driven women take the field to the dismay of their opponents. Under stadium lights, they work together as a team to con-tinue a legacy of success the Lady Viking Soccer team is famous for.

This year’s edition looks to only improve on that leg-acy. With talented players at every age level, the team is very deep and has many dif-ferent weapons to beat their opponents.

“I think our team is strong in all areas and has good substitutes to mix in with the starters,” junior and returning letter winner Carly Cassidy said. “Some of the girls have been play-ing together for a few years now, so we have a good idea of each other’s strengths and weaknesses.”

Not only a team with depth and talent, this year, the team has speed every-where you turn.

“I think that our team’s strength is the speed that we have in all positions,” junior Allyson Hall said.

Even with a talented and deep team, success is not always easy. Chemistry and leadership within the team both on and off the field is always a necessity for a long, successful season.

“We have some girls that are silent leaders and lead by example and others that are more vocal leaders on the team,” Cassidy said. “Every-one contributes to help the team work well together and achieve success. The two se-niors on the team hold the team together really well.”

Success comes from hard work and effort put in dur-ing practics every day after

school. Although sometimes strenuous, daily practice is a necessary part of the season. The team uses the practices to work on certain areas that they feel need improvement. Recently, these practices have been mainly focused on defensive positioning and tactics.

“We’ve been working mainly on defense but also some offensive drills,” Hall said. “Practices are tough, some parts harder than oth-ers, but it’s also pretty fun.”

“We work on possession, defense and conditioning at practice,” senior and return-ing letter winner Brooke Banning said. “It can be very tough at times.”

Along with defense and conditioning, the team also works on communicating to each other.

“We need to communi-cate more during games to help each other out,” Cassidy said. “Since we have a new team, we need to make sure everyone is on the same page.”

With all the focus on working hard and perfecting tactics for the games, some-times having fun can take a backseat. That does not seem to be the case with this year’s team. The coaches and play-ers together have found a way to balance working hard and having fun to make the season an enjoyable experi-ence for everyone.

“The team gets along re-ally well together, and we like to joke around,” Ban-ning said. “But we also know when it’s time to get serious and focus.”

Powered by young talent and experience, the Lady Vi-kings soccer team is a strong contender this year.

Junior Carly Cassidy takes a corner kick late in the game against Blue Valley North.

CORD POWELL

A FRESH Look

Sydney Miramontez is in her first year at West and in her first season with the girls soccer team. Like any other freshman, she started the school year with expectations and hopes of making the team, along with aspirations of playing under the lights in front of fans. But unlike the majority of her peers, she is playing at the highest level.

Since she was four, Miramontez has loved the game of soc-cer, and making Varsity as a freshman has had a big im-pact on her.

“It’s a big deal for me,” Miramontez said. “It’s a ma-jor accomplishment for me to be playing at the highest level for the school.”

Along with school, she has also been successful with her club team.

“I play for the KCFC Al-liance,” Miramontez said. “Also, this year I went to the National ODP Camp for five days. It was an honor to get to go and achieve my goal.”

Expect big things from Miramontez and from the soccer program in the fu-ture.

...for Lady Viking Soccer

ALEX BURNETT

ALEX BURNETT

lending a

Years of work lead junior track member to realize potential

March Sadness

that’sdebatable

by dan prem

One of the most exciting events in sports to-day, the NCAA tournament. It brings excitement, it brings glory, but of course eventually it brings sorrow.

The way I see it there is two ways of viewing the tournament: First there is the fan that loves to see the underdog do well and loves upsets. Second there’s the fan that’s on the bandwagon of all the good teams and likes to see the power conferences win.

Which brings me to my next point: What makes a conference a power conference? Is it an opinion, does it have to do with wins, or mon-ey? I think there shouldn’t be a classification of conferences like that, I mean if “mid-major” teams like Butler can make it to the final four then shouldn’t that be classified as a power team? Then you have the critical loss of Kansas to Northern Iowa in the second round, is Kan-sas a mid-major now?

This brings me to the sad, unavoidable con-clusion I have to face: Along with everyone else, my bracket is busted, in half.

Thank you upsets. They have officially ruined my hopes of being happy about my bracket. With my national championship pick officially out of the race, it brings little hope to being happy at the end of the tournament. The way I see it, teams get seeded from 1-16, one being the best of course, so if you get the honor of be-ing a seed higher than your opponent, you bet-ter win that game, no excuses.

Every now and then there will be a fluke that gets the sports world all fired up, and that’s what I like. But, two five seeds in the Final Four is too much for me. Give it up to Butler and Michigan State, they battled through diversity and made a great run. Everyone had dismissed Michigan

State after Kalen Lucas went down, but they are be dancing while Kansas, Syracuse and Kentucky watch from the couch.

Is it a question of desire? Shouldn’t the most talented kids in the country want it more, or are they just worried about making money and going to the draft? It’s a team sport, so, the best five players

that play together as one will have the best chance of winning; Michigan State and Butler are proof.

Although my bracket lies in shambles, I guess the rest of the tourney will be interesting. I’d much rather

see the top teams competing with one another on the biggest stage in college sports.

How will the rest of the tournament pan out? At this point it seems like just about anything is possible. My

money’s on Duke. We’ll see how things turn out. They fulfill my points: talent, team, and coaching. And, they’re a number one seed. That has to count for something, right?

by matt smith

ISSUE 8 THE EPIC 19

{SPORTS}

Jordan Chapman, junior, is looking forward to his third year of varsity com-petition on the track team. This year he is looking to improve his time and fin-ishes.

Chapman competes in several events. Individually, he runs the 100 meter, 200 meter, and 400 meter sprints. He also runs in the 4 x 100m, 4 x 200m, and 4 x 400m relays as a part of a team.

“My personal record in the 100 meter is 10.9 seconds and 22.7 seconds in the 200 meter,” Chapman said.

Chapman lettered as a freshman and a sophomore – his finishes improved each year. As a fresh-man, he finished 8th in the league. An impressive finish con-sidering there is a huge difference between a 15 year-old-boy, and an 18 year old man. Sophomore year, while running injured, he finished 8th at league and 7th at the district meet.

“I ran the end of the season with a groin injury, which was tough, but it’s not my charac-ter to quit,” Chapman said.

Chapman hopes that this season his history of improve-ment will continue.

“This year I’m looking to finish 3rd at league and either first or second at regionals,” Chapman said.

Chapman’s biggest poten-tial competition at the re-gional meet is Adonis Saun-ders from Olathe North. Saunders is a junior coming off state championships in the 100 and 200 meter

sprints.“I’ve known Adonis since elementa-

ry school. We used to play on the same basketball team and it has always sort of been a rivalry between us to see who is faster,” Chapman said.

Chapman has been working out all winter to get stronger for this season. He has really been concentrating on leg strength. In addition, he has been working on his starts.

“Getting out of the blocks is one of my weaknesses. I’ve really been trying hard to get my starts quicker,” Chap-man said.

Doug Chapman, Jordan’s father, ran for the Canadian Track Team in

the Olympics. He ran in the Mu-nich games in 1972. In college,

he ran for Oregon University, a prestigious track program. Doug obviously knows what it takes to be successful and has passed it down to Jordan.

“My dad always is encour-aging me to work out. If I ever get lazy, I’ll be hearing about it,” Chapman said.

Chapman has made several sacrifices. The toughest was giving up basketball

“Giving up bas-ketball was not easy, but in the end it was neccessary so I could focus on track.”

With Chapman’s natural abil-

ity and work ethic, this

year could be a very strong

year for him.

hand

Chapman, junior, has been competing in athletics since elementary school where he developed a rivalry with Olathe North runner, Adonis Saunders.

CORD POWELL

CORD POWELL

sudoku

answers? ?? ?

????

School Special!4 Hours

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20 THE EPIC ISSUE 8

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9240 Metcalf Avenue Overland Park, KS (913)-341-0961

Bryan Starchman’s recently re-leased and widely popular “Just Another High School Play” may

be deceiving as to whether it is really “just” another high school play.

“Just Another High School Play” is not the typical high school drama; it portrays the actual theatre itself. It is a behind-the-scenes look at a fictional theatre trying to put on a show.

“I chose this show because it was a chance to get a lot of the students on stage,” Michael Reiff, director said. “It is also very funny. When I read the script, I literally laughed out loud.” Reiff will be making his Shawnee Mission West theatre debut play-ing the director.

The director has left the cast to do the entire show by themselves because they have not showed up to rehearsals. This be-ing every theatre member’s worst fear, they all have no clue what to do. The stage man-ager, played by Hilary Martin, and the assis-tant director, played by Tim Wilkinson, step up to get the show going.

“Hilary and I are kind of like glorified emcees,” Wilkinson said.

This show differs from the dramatic per-formances put on this year. It is a lighter, funnier show that covers every part of a typical high school play.

“The original spring play was supposed to be Hamlet, but we changed it because it would be too “heavy” of a year having done ‘Wait Until Dark’ and ‘Les Mis,’” Reiff said.

Tryouts were March 2 and callbacks on March 3. To try out, the actors prepared a one-minute monologue, specifically a funny one since the play is a comedy. During call-backs, the actors read scripts from the ac-

tual play.“Callbacks are when you win or lose

roles,” Reiff said. About 50 people tried out and 23 made the cast.

The cast started rehearsing after spring break every day from 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. The first few rehearsals consist of read-throughs in which the cast sit down together and read their scripts out loud. Then the cast starts running the scenes to get their blocking (their movements on stage) and lines mem-orized. At the beginning of the show week, the cast comes in at 5:30 p.m. to get ready and starts running the show at 7 p.m. to get the feel for the actual show nights.

“I am basically on stage in every scene, so it will be challenging to remember every line. The key will be repetition,” Martin said. “To get into character I allow a few minutes before the show to go off by myself to really get into character and focus.”

The show includes many things such as audience participation, allusions to 15 different story lines including Romeo and Juliet, singing happy birthday Mr. Presi-dent and some improvisation. There will be plenty of props, such as a rubber chicken and a giant banana.

“I really like this play because it is about high school students and the theatre, and I have always been a part of theatre through-out my high school career, so I can relate to this play,” Martin said.

Putting on a show requires a lot of be-hind the scenes crews of which people may be unaware. The lighting crew, sound crew, props crew, running crew and front of the house crew help make the show happen.

“I write down everyone’s blocking, and I tell the lights when they are supposed to

go and when sound is supposed to happen,” Peri Montgomery, real life stage manager said.

The tech and set crews have Saturday morning work calls to work on the set. Since the show is incomplete, the set crew is making the set incomplete as well.

“Just Another High School Play” will be performed on April 23, 24 and 25.

“If you want to laugh hard and see a well produced show, then you should come see it,” Wilkinson said. “This is a great way to end the year with a happy note.”

ISSUE 8 THE EPIC 21

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just another high school play Just Another High School Play offers a chance for the theatre department to prove their comedic side

by courtney lichtenberger

(Left) Seniors Hilary Martin and Tim Wilkinson practice their roles as theatre students. (Above) Junior Christian Owen rehearses a scene from Just Another High School Play.

PHOTOS BY RAINE MAGUIRE

When I first heard about “Alice in Wonderland” I thought, “Oh no, remake.” I was then

pleasantly surprised to see that it was ac-tually based upon one of my most beloved childhood stories, the sequel “Through the Looking Glass.”

In this story Alice (Mia Wasikowska) has run away from a marriage proposal and once again follows the very nervous white rabbit down the rabbit hole in Underland, which Alice calls wonderland. There she runs into the marvelously creepy but kind Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp) and learns that she must rightfully restore the crown to the flitty White Queen (Anne Hathaway) as well as take down the Red Queen (Helena Bohnam Carter).

The casting for the movie couldn’t have been more easily predicted when the direc-tor is Tim Burton. Just hearing that name I knew that the movie would have elaborate costumes and a dark but magical appeal. However, I was a bit disappointed in some of the characters. The White Queen has a more essential role in the book but I’m really glad

they cut down Hathaway’s role. She didn’t bring out the sweetness and silliness as I ex-pected. It was more like a drunken woman

swaggering around the stage. Wasikowska was fantastic. She portrayed Alice as ex-tremely courageous and of strong moral val-ues. And there is never a doubt in my mind that Depp will electrify the audience when he comes up to bat. He represented the Mad Hatter not as fun and energetic but as dark and confused.

The plot was loosely told. There was the basic structure of coming back to Underland and defeating the Red Queen, but that was it. There were no little subplots or twists in the tale. The 3D was a nice bonus; it really made up for the lack of story. Now, having never seen a 3D movie before, I had built up all this expectation in my head that it would be amazing, but of course hype got the best of me. I was let down, but it was still pretty neat. It was fun to see all the kids in the the-atre reach out to touch the Chesire Cat as he floated out into the audience.

All poor plot aside, “Alice in Wonder-land” was a trippy ride through Tim Bur-ton’s directorial eye and is sure to delight even some of the harshest critics.

battle studiesJohn Mayer performs at the Sprint Center for his 2010 winter tour, Battle Studies.

by lana fanous

22 THE EPIC ISSUE 8

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by dani la londe

As a self-proclaimed 10-year art-ist, John Mayer is well known for his rugged looks and his

way with lyrics. On his 2010 winter tour, Mayer made his 29th stop KC.

The show opened with Michael Franti & Spearhead, a reggae-sounding band. I wasn’t familiar with the band until they played their last song, “Say Hey (I Love You).” The band played really upbeat mu-sic and got everyone pumped up for he main event. After an hour-long opening from Michael Franti & Spearhead, we waited for a set change.

Luckily during the 10 minute set change, I was entertained by two middle-aged women fighting over who poured beer on whom. Finally, security showed up and escorted the culprit from the are-na. I had been so intrigued by the rumble that the time flew by, and the next thing I knew John Mayer was being welcomed on stage by deafening cheers from the crowd.

Mayer started off with the second sin-gle on the album, “Heartbreak Warfare.” It’s safe to say that I’ve never seen so many women turn to hysterics in a matter of seconds. I was especially surprised to hear

that Mayer sounds just as good live as he does on his album.

In between most of the songs, Mayer took a short break and made a little small talk with the audience. For the few minutes allotted for his little comedy act, I felt as

though I was really attending a stand up comedy show instead of a music concert.

The show started to calm down after he played “No Such Thing.” The rest of the set list was slow and relaxing. This is the part when the audience took out their cell phones and occasional lighters and waved them in the air just like a cliché rock concert.

Mayer thanked the crowd for coming out to the Sprint Center for his concert and played one last song, “Half of My Heart.” He left the stage leaving everyone disappointed and wanting more.

But everyone knows the concert isn’t over until the lights come on. Five min-utes later, after the crowd relentlessly screamed for an encore, Mayer came out on stage in a KC Wizards jersey. Why he came out sporting the royal blue, I will never know.

Mayer played two more songs, “Why Georgia,” and “Gravity.”

I left the concert with a thrill and a slight disappointment that he neglected to play “Your Body is a Wonderland.” How-ever, I was looking forward to wearing my new, overpriced t-shirt the next day.

rising from the rabbit holeBurton’s “Wonderland” enthrals audiences but flops in hype.

ISSUE 8 THE EPIC 23

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A&E IN KCthe best of local arts and entertainment

in the kansas city metro area

by sally carmichael

take

Taylor Swift – 4/2 @ 6pmSprint Center in KCMO, $25

Tegan and Sara – 4/3 @ 7pmUptown Theatre in KCMO, $35

Passion Pit – 4/5 @ 8pmBeaumont Club in KCMO, $15

Beach House – 4/6 @ 9pmGranada in Lawrence, $10

Train – 4/6 @ 7pmUptown Theatre in KCMO, $35

AC/DC – 4/11 @ 7pmSprint Center in KCMO, $90

Julian Casablancas – 4/10 @ 8pmBeaumont Club in KCMO, $20

Never Shout Never, Hey Monday, The Cab, Every Avenue – 4/13 @ 6pm

Beaumont Club in KCMO, $15

It’s that time of year again. Tickets for the 2010 Kansas City Royals

baseball season are on sale now with the opening day on April 5th. With

spring break behind us, heading out to the ballpark lets us experience a

little bit more of what summer is all about. This is the Royals’ 38th

season and with a newly rennovated complex you can’t miss it.

Kauffman Stadium in KCMO, $8

KC Royals Baseball

The KC Rep proudly presents Venice, a story of war, love, tretchery and a quest for peace. Written by Mat Sax

and Eric Rosen, creators of last year’s Clay, it focuses on two brothers who

must lead their city out of a terror-ist war. The two are torn between

the memory of their mother as one tries to undermine the other. It also features an original score including

R&B, hip hop and opera.Uptown Theatre in KCMO, $35

Venice | April 9 - May 9

ARTS & THEATRE

CONCERT WATCH

world cup- amy rice, senior

dylan carter

english teacher benjamin bratt actor

javelin- dakota bain, sophomore

avatar - charlie taylor, sophomore

justin bieber- garret viets, freshman

sparkly vampires- austin strother, junior

stoichiometry- dylan lewis, junior

Even at 9AM, First Watch had a fairly large crowd. My 15-min-ute wait for a table was actually pleasant thanks to the fresh coffee being served, plenty of places to sit, and soft jazz music playing in the background. The interior was bright and cheery with subtle country influences.

Atmosphere

For 12:30PM on a Sunday, there were fewer people there than I expected. The décor was less refined than at First Watch- plastic tablecloths, mis-matched chairs, and fake plants in every corner. There was not much French inspiration in the furniture, as the name implies.

Despite the Saturday morning crowd, the waitress brought every-thing no later than five minutes after it was ordered. She was very friendly and attentive- ready with a smile anytime I needed something. Needless to say, I was very well taken care of at First Watch.

Service The waiter was inattentive, but he was very polite. There were glasses and a pitcher of ice water at the table, and my drink came about five minutes. I ordered my food and drink at the same time, and my food arrived shortly after my drink.

The coffee was rich, the tea strongly flavored, but my orange juice was full of pulp. I ordered a ham and mushroom scrambled egg skil-let, which also had potatoes and cheese mixed in. It was served with an English muffin and fresh fruit. I also tried the chocolate chip pancakes, which were enormous and really fluffy. Everything was fresh, well cooked and flavorful.

Taste My smoothie was a mix of pine-apple, bananas, and orange juice and was really fresh. My entrée was a Belgian waffle served with eggs and bacon. The waffle was crisp and airy and the eggs seemed whipped. I don’t think I’ve ever had any bacon better than the bacon at Le Peep- it was cooked perfectly and had plenty of flavor without the smoky taste.

Everything at First Watch was much cheaper than I expected. Each menu item was under ten dollars and the drink charges were low. The por-tions were large and filling, so it was a really good value, especially for the low cost.

Cost My bill $17, including tip. This seemed high, especially since the menu is under ten dollars. the smoothie was almost $5; too expensive considering the small size. Otherwise, the price was reasonable because the portions were large.

First watch2800 W 53rd StreetFairway, KS 66205

Le Peep7396 Quivira Road Lenexa KS, 66215

breakfast battle royaleFind out which breakfast restaurant is king

by alison bailes

Winner - First Watch While both have delicious food, First Watch offers a better all-around breakfast experience.

(clockwise from top left) David Howell, senior, performed “Furioso and Valse in D Minor” during his solo on the marimba. Percussion stu-dents performed solos on a variety of different instruments through-out the show. Brandon Draper, percussion instructor, led the group during “Ku Ku,” an African song played with djembes and other per-cussion instruments in honor of the percussionist Bongo Barry. The dance team performed along side the percussion students in the final few songs. Jay Miller, percussion instructor, played the tabla along with Draper during their performance together. photos by alex burnett

a performance that beats allThe percussion students put on the second annual drum show on March 24th. The show featured songs from many different countries, including Turkey and Ghana. Several students also performed solos on the snare drum or the ma-rimba in between group performances. This year’s show brought in many more people than last year’s, with money raised from the event going toward the percussion department. The percussionists, led by instructors Brandon Draper and Jay Miller performed many rhythmic numbers throughout the night, in-cluding “Flight to Turkey,” “Mad Billy,” and “Sandstorm,” the show’s final song that featured a special accompanying performance by the varsity dance team.