“It was one of those ‘dream big’ schools for me,” Kate said. “I didn’t expect to be considered for [it] or even consider applying because of the cost.”

Despite the fact that both Emily and Kate have been accepted to USC, they admit that without substantial financial aid, the two will turn to either Drake University or Kansas State University, where they have already received financial aid packages. This is a decision many college applicants face – whether or not to risk going into debt for the prestigious college of their dreams.

“It’s really just something the applicants have to ask themselves,” said Wayne Larson, the Recruitment Coordinator at the Kansas University School of Journalism. “And that is, do [you] want to pay that high mark, and will that give [you] the clout so that [you] will be able to reasonably pay that off?”

The difference in tuition costs between Kansas University and the Forbes list of the top 10 colleges in the U.S. is an average of $21,772. The list includes high-caliber universities such as Harvard University, Stanford University and MIT.

View College Costs Across the U.S. in a full screen map

But is that esteemed education worth the price? That is a question that the Kulagas struggle with daily as they wait for news of whether or not they will be receiving a financial aid package from USC. Kate would rather attend USC than K-State, one of her back-up plans if the USC aid falls through. However, she knows that she and her sister won’t even consider attending USC at full price, since four years at USC would cost the twins almost half a million dollars.

“Do [you] want to pay that high mark, and will that give [you] the clout so that [you] will be able to reasonably pay that off?”

East alumni and USC freshman Logan Heley believes that after a year, the cost of tuition he has faced is worth the education, experiences and internship opportunities the school has given him. Like the Kulagas, he would not have been able to attend USC without the financial aid he received. Heley opted to go to USC instead of accepting better scholarship offers at schools he deemed less prestigious, and is grateful for his decision to do so.

“It was definitely worth it,” Heley said. “I must say, though, that I am a person who tries to take advantage of the opportunities that come to me and someone who’s less active in pursuing those opportunities will probably be less successful.”

Therese Bagsit, a recruiter for USC, agrees that the school is a center for hardworking individuals striving to rise to a high level in their profession. Due to their small class sizes and high end technology, she says that the school is a place for students who want to get ahead.

“Living in the Los Angeles area, applying for internships there, you just naturally are able to make more connections than you would somewhere else,” Bagsit said. “It’s important for people to make decisions based on what they can do financially, but in the longrun, USC is a place that is going to help you succeed.”

Larson believes that a student’s success is reliant on their ability to seek opportunities and push themselves, regardless of whether they are attending a state school or an Ivy League university. Because of this, he believes that a student’s willingness to pursue success is more important than the name of the college they graduated from.

“Sometimes what a school offers: it looks really attractive, and really cool,” Larson said. “And sometimes a school has got a really good name, but you’ve got to look past that. Other places can offer the same opportunities.”

The following video shows how admissions officers and East students approach the college application process.

Stefano Byer | Harbinger Online

Jeff Katz is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) with Freirich & Katz, LC who helps families and individuals through the process of filing taxes. He offered some helpful advice to teenagers on how to know if they need to file taxes, what forms they need to complete and some precautionary notes.

Question: Do I need to file taxes for 2011?

Answer: The answer is maybe. If you are a dependent (living with your parents and they pay for more than 50% of your living expenses), then you must file a return if any of the following apply:

1) You earned more than $5,800 in wages
2) You earned over $950 in interest income or dividend income (called unearned income, i.e. owning stocks or interest from a bank account)
3) Your gross income exceeded your unearned income over $950, or you earned income of $5,800

Question: What if I have unearned income over $950, but nothing else, do I still need to file?

Answer: If you have interested and dividend income only of more than $950, your parents may elect to report your income on their tax return instead of a separate filing. However if you owned and sold stocks you will generally need to file your own return.

Question: I have a job, what does that mean for me when filing taxes?

Answer: If you work for an employer, all payments you receive for services are taxable by both the federal and state government. Your employer will give you a W-2 form or wage statement which you want to hold on to for preparing your return.

Question: I work at a restaurant, do I need to report tips on my tax return?

Answer: All tips are considered income and thus subject to income tax. If you earn over $20 in tips in a calendar month you should report this to your employer using Form 4070. (from irs.gov)

Question: I mow lawns and occasionally babysit, do I need to file taxes?

Answer: If you are self-employed, such as mowing lawns or babysitting, you need to account for all your income received and report it on your tax return. If your net earnings (income minus business expenses) are over $400 you must pay self-employment tax and will need Form 1040. (from irs.gov)

Question: Do I deduct myself as a dependent on my tax form?

Answer: It is very important that if you file your own tax return and you live with your parents who provide your support (over 50% of expenses) that you do not deduct yourself as a dependent, but rather check the box: dependent of another.

The last bit of advice Katz had was to communicate and work with your parents as you file your returns. It’s highly recommended that your parents or tax preparer review and approve before you submit your paperwork. Even though they make look very simple, they are much more complicated when you get into it, Katz said.

If you have any further questions, you can consult the IRS website where they have a section dedicated to high school students.

In the fourth floor hallway before school, junior Ashley Allegri hears a conversation as she walks by groups of girls talking. “Are they banning leggings and dance pants or just leggings? What are we going to wear to school?”

“I heard people saying that Olathe and Blue Valley had tried to ban leggings, but it didn’t work,” Allegri said. “I first started to believe them because I could see where they were coming from, but I didn’t really see how they could enforce [the new dress codes].”

Over the past year, leggings and yoga pants have been a popular trend at East. There have been student rumors that the Shawnee Mission School District (SMSD) was going to ban leggings next school year. Although there have been rumors, Principal Karl Krawitz has no knowledge of this happening at East.

“I have not heard anything [about changing the dress codes], ” Dr. Krawitz said. “I can tell you, I have not had any parents, staff members say a word, no classified staff; I have had no one.”

Although East remains unaffected, school administrators across the country are adding to their dress codes. Some public schools are making their restrictions more firm and there is little room for interpretation. Schools have gone so far as to outlaw certain types of pants a student is allowed to wear at school such as leggings and yoga pants.

For example, in the Henrico Public schools in Virginia, students are restricted from wearing clothing that is “excessively tight or skimpy” according to their district Code of Conduct for the 2011-2012 school year. Students are no longer allowed to wear leggings, yoga pants or any clothing that may expose undergarments. Assistant Principal Lindsay Ingram of Deep Run High school in the Henrico school district declined to comment on regards to the dress code.

“We have not had any problems at East with dress code,” Dr. Krawitz said. “It seems that most of the student body follows the guidelines as they are written.”

In the SMSD, the Board of Education adopts the board policies annually at their organizational meeting held during the first week in July. A student can appeal to the dress codes if they choose. In this case, they would talk to the building administration and then the matter would be referred to the Board of Education.

“I just think [banning leggings] is kind of dumb because I don’t really feel that there is a difference between leggings and skinny jeans,” senior Anna Marken said. “I don’t see why leggings are any more inappropriate than wearing a skirt or a dress.”

Krawitz feels that his experiences with the dress codes at East differentiate from the other schools that he has been at.

“Of the five high schools I have been to, [East] is the one that has not had issues,” Dr. Krawitz said. “I can say one thing since I have been here, I think students here kind of do their own thing. I don’t think that they follow the trending crowd so to speak.”

According to Dr. Krawitz, each Shawnee Mission school does have the right to make their own extending dress codes. Each building administration can add to the dress code policies if they believe that a certain article of clothing or type of clothing is distracting to the learning environment.

There will be no enforced ban of leggings or tight pants for the 2012-2013 school year at East.

“There has been no administrative request to ban any particular type of legging or tight pants,” Associate Superintendent Leigh Anne Neal said. “Students should comport with the established dress code policy.”

Rallies have been held nationwide in protest of the shooting of Trayvon Martin.

View Trayvon Martin Rallies in a full screen map

Soundbyte: Twelve Year Old’s Perspective 

Haley Martin | Harbinger Online

“Things have gone smoothly, the volunteers have done great and the voters seem to understand the process,” said location organizer Theresa Segraves.

The caucus was held in place of a state primary, which was due to the fact the state legislature did not allocate any more for a primary.

“The counties this year have to run their own caucus because the legislature didn’t get us any money,” said Segraves. “We were able to raise money for this caucus through donations, and the Johnson County Republicans organized the event.”

While a primary is considered to be more ideal by many, Segraves said there are some positive aspects to holding a caucus.

“People go to primaries and they just go cast their vote, but in a caucus they’re more involved,” said Segraves. “You get to participate in discussion and talk to the candidates, it’s just a more involved way of doing things.”

The casted votes will be sent to the Johnson County Republican office to be counted, and results are expected by 5 p.m.

This change in policy is part of the No Child Left Behind waiver that Kansas applied for on Feb. 27. Although this is not of one of the main policies of this waiver, this specific policy points to the fact that this new plan is not a complete solution to the NCLB problem. In the past, NCLB attempted to rate schools based on whether they met their Adequate Yearly Progress standards (AYPs) through standardized testing. By 2014 all schools were expected to have 100 percent of their students passing these standardized tests. In trying to reach these yearly benchmarks, many teachers, schools and districts have fallen short.

In attempts to fix this faulty system, a four part plan was created and a waiver was drafted. This waiver outlines the new organization and standards that must be met. According to Kansas State Department of Education’s communications representative, Kathy Toelkes, the most important of these four parts is a new way of evaluating student achievement. Instead of focusing on passing tests, meeting standards and looking only at data, this new plan focuses on student growth.

“A phrase you are going to hear is ‘how much growth is being demonstrated by a student from August through May?’” SMSD district coordinator, Dr. Richard Cain said. “This is going to continue to be a more fair way of analyzing how much student learning is occurring.”

According to  Principal Karl  Krawitz, this new system has some major upsides and downsides.

“I can live with it a little more because showing improvement means I can show that you have improved year to year and I don’t have to compare you to other students,” Dr. Krawitz said. “The problem is that somebody is going to try to quantify this improvement. Once that happens, that rigid aspect comes back into play and then the whole purpose goes away.”

According to Dr. Krawitz, the ‘rigid aspect’ seems to be ingrained in the fabric of education. Despite attempts to discover a new method, it still remains present in the fact that the education system lumps diverse students into the same category. In addition to requirement for students to take certain classes, they are all required to take the same state assessments. Special education students are required to take the Kansas Assessment with Modifications (KAM), which is a shortened version, but still has the same content.

“Everything is so focused on everyone being a part of this general curriculum and being assessed on this curriculum,” special education teacher, Maureen Johnson, said. “I think it negatively affects the students.”

However, state education officials are optimistic that this new waiver will bring about great change in the academic realm. One of the main advantages they see is the future abolishment of AYP standards. During the next academic year, the AYP target standards will stay the same from the previous year and the year after that, 2013, the AYP standards will be eliminated a new system of evaluations will be put in place.

“The requirements for 100 percent proficiency by 2014 was very unrealistic in the minds of many people,” Kansas Department of Education’s communications representative, Kathy Toelkes said. “What is really beneficial about the ability to seek this flexibility is that it allows us to be flexible in our accountability system and to look at really what makes sense for our state.”

However, Dr. Krawitz sees these changes that this waiver brings as being bandages for a deeper wound.

“It seems like in education we start a lot of things and don’t finish them,” Krawitz said. “Policies go out of favor every few years and the next novelty thing comes in and gets everybody going and jumping around.”

Emma Robson | Harbinger Online

Principal Karl Krawitz has clearly been able to see the impact of the economy on the student population. Over his past three and a half years at East, he has witnessed the number of East students on free and reduced lunch grow from 1 to 10 percent.

“When you look at those numbers and that short period of time, going from really being negligible to 10 percent of your student population: something’s happening,” Dr. Krawitz said. “We’re seeing it from that perspective.”

Senior Brian Taylor* has been one of the students whose family has greatly felt the impact of the recession. Both of Taylor’s parents were daytime futures traders, involved in the stock market, but due to its negative downturn as well as local issues, they both found themselves without jobs. Taylor’s mother traveled abroad to look for work while his father continued to work on a long-time project, which should earn him a steady income from speaking engagements once finished. Even though most of the public’s attention has been on the events of 2008, Taylor says his family was first heavily affected when the housing bubble broke in 2005.

“It wasn’t long after this that we were thrown into a decaying situation involving a bad mortgage and plummeting property values,” Taylor said. “The ensuing recession pushed us deep into debt, and the eventual foreclosure of our home. We had to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in order to dispel a large amount of debt.”

The mortgage the Taylors had on their house came about due to run-over costs from their newly built house. Along with the housing factors and other circumstantial issues, Taylor’s family had to leave their house and move into another. Along with the large amount of debt and dwindling income, Taylor said that his family had to start using food stamps, despite every effort of theirs to try and get by without them.

Taylor is not alone, many other students at East are also feeling the impact of the recession.

Krawitz has noted that there has been more use of East’s in-house fund, called the ‘Love Fund’. The Love Fund was started from donations given by families, with the intention of creating a fund that could help students and their families at East. The Love Fund can be used to help cover costs of school lunches, initial registration and class fees as well as summer school. One of the ways that the Love Fund generates donations is through the annual carnation fundraiser.

Social counselor Becky Wiseman assists with the Love Fund, working with students and families to access the resources made available to them by the organization. Additionally, she helps East families find charities and organizations that can provide further help outside of school.
Wiseman believes that community help can greatly impact an individual’s financial recovery, but in the end it is still a personal responsibility to pursue help.

“I think people struggle asking for help, I think that is something that people struggle to do,” Wiseman said. “But we all at some point are going to need some support or some resources at one way or another and then hopefully, if they can get through this time, they can be at a place where maybe they can offer advice or offer assistance to someone else.”

Wiseman has seen families of East students move into the houses of other families, because they were no longer able to afford to keep their house, legally defining them as ‘homeless’. Times like these are causing people to stretch their resources and push themselves to their limits.

“It’s not that hard actually to live life a little bit smaller,” Taylor said. “Just driving to school everyday I drive past Mission Hills and I look at these mansions all over the place and it’s like, ‘What do you do with that money, why do you really need all this?’”

When it comes to getting through troubling economic times, Wiseman says that surviving the experience is all about learning how to adapt.

“The ensuing recession pushed us deep into debt, and the eventual foreclosure of our home. We had to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in order to dispel a large amount of debt.”–Brian Taylor*

“The truth is at the end of the day you have to work from where you’re at,” Wiseman said. “Changing your plans doesn’t mean ruining your plans, change isn’t necessarily always bad – it can really open up some amazing opportunities. It’s a different path and it’s OK that sometimes disappointment comes, and we deal with [it] and maybe have to go down a different path.”

Especially for students looking to go to college in the very near future, Wiseman believes someone can still have a great college experience, but it is important to put effort into searching out offers that are available to prospective students.

“Even though it may not be your first plan or what you had in place, it can still be really amazing and it can still support your future goals,” Wiseman said. “Talk with those colleges about what kind of scholarships or grants that are available.”

Students who make use of grants, scholarships and financial aid can also help alleviate some of the stress that their family is facing. Krawitz says that it is important for families to look for opportunities, especially when they are under financial pressure. This pressure, Krawitz explains, translates into stress that the whole family ends up feeling.

“When families are dealing with financial issues, such as what’s occurred with this economy, it puts a lot of stress on the family emotionally because parents certainly do not want to try and interrupt what’s happening in the lives of their kids,” Krawitz said. “So sometimes that means that the parents have to take on a little bit more hardship so that their kids don’t necessarily feel it — but kids do feel it.”

Taylor has felt the impact in more ways than one. Growing up amongst the whole difficult economic happenings, Taylor has seen himself and his outlook mature from the innocence that he once had.

“I lost a lot of, I guess you could say ‘childhood innocence,’” Taylor said. “I got pretty world-wise, and you learn a lot, like I’m never gonna be able to live a really opulent life ever, it’s been hammered into me now.”

The Taylor family’s financial situation is starting to stabilize, but is far from being back to normal. The entire troubled economic situation has shown Taylor that becoming comfortable with the status quo can prove to be dangerous, especially in the long run.

“The way that our culture is, we accept it as a norm, you just, you’re gonna take out a mortgage on your house, you’re going to have debt, “ Taylor said. “[Spending is] a bad, bad habit that we’ve grown up with.”

For families to be able to make it through financial difficulty intact, Krawitz believes that it’s all about having good motivation and being able to see the positive side of everything.

“Right now their life might be chaos, but we do know from studying natural systems that even anything that’s chaotic in the life of a person or an organization at some point returns to a sense of normalcy,” Krawitz said. “So if that’s the case, you have to be positive, you have to go out and you have to be willing to take on your circumstance and be willing to deal with it – and that means you have to persevere.”

*name changed

Grant Kendall and Spencer Davis | Harbinger Online

After two hours, he felt something. It was like somebody flipped a switch. Peterson noticed that every touch or brush against him felt “amazing.” People looked more attractive. He felt like he had goosebumps that wouldn’t go away. But Peterson, who in September got his first high from a drug sold by the name “molly,” said the feeling could best be described as “blatantly happy.”

“It was, like, intense,” Peterson said. “I just felt happy. I don’t even know how to explain it. It’s not like being drunk or high [from marijuana]. You just are happy and you feel cool. You feel good — you really just feel good.”

Molly, a street term given by the DEA to an alternative of Ecstasy called TFMPP, is among the newest drugs that has gained considerable name recognition at East. In a poll of 107 students, 43 percent say they’re aware of the drug, 32 people in that group know someone that has done it and 9 percent have tried it. In October, The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) labeled it as a “chemical of concern” and reported it is most common among youth and young adults.

At East, Peterson points to “good old fashioned peer pressure,” as the main reason it’s on the rise.

“I had friends that had done it so that kinda opened me up to it,” Peterson said. “So now that I have friends who have never done it, [they] maybe would be more open to it because I think it’s a thing that you’re definitely reassured that your peers are doing it too.”

Barbara Carreno, a public affairs officer at the DEA, says that the main appeal for TFMPP is that it is legal in all 50 states. While there are some misconceptions that illegal substances are molly — like a pure form of Ecstasy called MDMA — the DEA says the actual drug is not a controlled chemical under the “Controlled Chemicals Act” and there are no legal repercussions for possessing it.

A website that provides comprehensive information about drugs on the street called Erowid claims that MDMA is synonymous with molly, but Carreno says that this shows how “people can sell something as whatever they want.” She notes that a certain school or area can sell their product by any name they see fit — for instance, Peterson claims he was sold MDMA on both occasions he tried the drug.

But even by the DEA’s definition of molly, Carreno points out, it’s unsafe.

“Among other things, molly can slow your heart and breathing rates, impair your ability to move, and impair your body’s ability to regulate its temperature,” Carreno said. “Sometimes [this results] in dangerously high fevers, similar to ecstasy, which can cause fatally high temperatures that can’t be reversed, leading to heart, liver and kidney failure.”

Molly is also often mixed with a chemical called BZT to enhance its effects. BZT, more commonly referred to as Legal E or Legal X, is a controlled substance banned by law. Carreno often warns youth that with molly and any drug it’s easy for a dealer to slip something else in or hand out something entirely different. The most important question for a buyer to ask, according to Carreno, is “what’s in it for them?”

“Many suppliers want to make money at [teens’] expense and don’t have [their] best interests — health, safety, success, happiness, good relationships, personal and social growth — at heart,” Carreno said. “Sometimes they don’t even know you; they are in business to make money for themselves.”

Clinical addiction counselor Kevin Kufeldt from the Johnson County Mental Health Adolescent Center for Treatment said he has multiple drug dealers in session who have pawned off other substances as molly. For the most part, he sees a lot of kids selling capsulated bath salts — a more dangerous substitute for TPFMM. Kufeldt, whose job requires him to counsel troubled youth who have turned to dealing, notes that it would be surprising if pure form molly was surfacing around East.

According to Kufeldt, drug dealers from the Blue Valley School District have been known to pawn off black and blue gelatin capsules filled with bath salt as molly. He explains that they can buy and capsulize 14 grams of bath salt for around $300 and sell all of it for around $600 to $700. Individually each pill will be priced around $40. A lot of dealers even have a “hook-up” for cheaper prices so they can turn a bigger profit.

“Money is a driving motivator for a lot of these kids,” Kufeldt said. “Because in order to finance their own drug use, they need money; so they’re pushing [bath salts] off to people who are unexpectedly taking something they’re not aware of.”

He explains that while kids who get molly may expect a “heightened sense of euphoria,” bath salts give a much different sensation. He points out that the salt of choice, “Pump-It,” can create hallucinogenic feelings. Like alcohol, it can make someone black out or not feel cognizant of what they’re saying. It may make healthy people entertain the idea of committing suicide. And the reason that it has this effect, Kufeldt said, is because it causes a lack of sleep.

“If you have someone who has been sleep deprived for three days, the brain starts to play tricks on you,” Kufeldt said. “You can tie it back to military-type interrogation stuff where they’ll keep someone in custody awake for several days — it’s kind of like that type of deal where they almost become delirious.”

Kufeldt, who meets with teens in session four days a week, says that he’s spoken with kids that have dealt capsulated bath salts as molly in the Shawnee Mission School District. He explains that the Blue Valley District and around Rockhurst make up a lot of the area where he typically runs into bath salts. Kids, he said, will lie and sell their product as molly because students typically are hesitant to try something filled with “Pump-It.”

“Most people who are taking drugs are kind of weary about taking bath salts,” Kufeldt said, “because they don’t know what’s in them — they don’t know what it is.”

According to Kufeldt, this drug swapping and mixing often is what leads to negative reactions.

“It’s very dangerous [to the buyer] because they know their tolerance level for Ecstasy or molly,” Kufeldt said. “When they’re taking something that’s not molly, that’s when you’ll see a lot of overdoses or even death.”

Junior Angela Potter*, who was told that her molly was MDMA, says she had suspicions that she didn’t get the right drug about an hour into her first usage. The pill, at a concert, only helped her focus more on the music. Her friends told her that the drug would make her feel “completely happy” but she felt like it was kind of a letdown. According to her, there was never any strong sensation. She thinks it may have been an ADHD pill.

According to Potter, this kind of thing happens all the time. She said that naive kids who are looking for something fun to do may be easily coerced into buying something that is not what they wanted. Potter, who has tried the drug multiple times, says sometimes the powder in the pill has looked white and crystallized while other times it’s been more like “powder sugar.” She says it’s often hard to tell what you’re getting.

“I think that definitely by the time it gets to Johnson County, it’s probably been mixed with a ton of stuff and, like, I’ve heard of Tylenol being added to it, I’ve heard of Adderall being in it,” Potter said. “There aren’t a ton of people that are huge drug dealers in Mission Hills and Prairie Village, so I’m sure it’s not necessarily as clean and pure as it would be somewhere that’s a big drug capitol.”

Potter, who was “so scared” the first time she tried it, said that before she did the drug she asked her dealer a list of questions; she wanted to make sure she wasn’t getting “random powder in a pill.” She says that she inquired about everything from the drug’s effects to the person’s background. It made her feel better. She said that as long as she was with people she trusted, she didn’t see why not to give it a shot.

“You know, you only have one life to live,” Potter said. “Might as well try it.”

Carreno counters this point; she says that using any form of molly is reckless and can, in fact, waste a human life.

“Legal doesn’t mean safe. Molly is an industrial chemical that was not made for human consumption, and you put your health and safety at risk when you use it,” Carreno said. “And it’s important to think critically about things people want you to do or to buy — don’t just accept anything that anyone has to say, because it may not be accurate or in your best interests.  You live your life through your body, and you only get one — take as good care of it.”

While there have been efforts by the DEA to make TFMPP illegal, Carreno says that it comes down to Health and Human Services (HHS). Back in 2002 when molly first made a name for itself, she says the DEA temporarily made it illegal and sent their recommendation to the HHS that it be a “controlled substance.” After they conducted scientific studies, however, the DEA was overruled.

“When Health and Human Services sends us a recommendation that says don’t control it, we can’t control it,” Carreno said. “So it had to go back to being just a regular legal substance, we had to lift our temporary control on it — so the DEA did try [to make it illegal] but Health and Human Services didn’t agree with us.”

But dealing illicit substances like bath salt is a completely different story, according to Carreno.

“If someone is dealing bath salts, they can get in trouble for that — that’s illegal,” Carreno said. “And especially if it’s anywhere near a school, there’s extra penalties for doing something around a school on top of the basic penalties.”

Student Resource Officer Joel Porter said that while he hasn’t run into any cases of students buying or selling anything referred to as “molly,” it doesn’t surprise him that it may be at East. He points out that drugs often can move from district to district as kids get bored with alcohol or marijuana.

“It doesn’t surprise me if [molly] is here and if it’s not here, I would expect to see it show up,” Porter said. “It’s always a revolving door, things are always coming through and going out.”

Although he accepts that the drug may be at East, Porter stresses to kids that they can’t trust anyone. He points out that in the past he has run into students who have told him they got a different drug than they expected — especially with molly, he said that drug dealers will do “anything to get their money.” But Porter, who knows he may see and hear more about molly in the coming future, feels there’s no reason at all why students should waste their time on it.

“My advice to people getting involved in [molly] is…don’t get involved with it — obviously there’s the legal side to it but there’s also the health side of it and the dangers it presents to you,” Porter said. “It’s not worth it, you’re throwing a lot of your life away for that stuff.”

Matti Crabtree | Harbinger Online

At least, until midnight on Jan. 18, when suddenly, it wasn’t. On the 18th, Wikipedia went black. On its ominous homepage read the words, “Imagine a world without free knowledge.” Wikipedia’s protest of the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect IP Act (PIPA) had begun.

The giant online encyclopedia wasn’t alone. SOPA and PIPA, copyright laws designed by Congress to protect intellectual property on the Internet and save the entertainment industry from massive annual amounts of revenue lost to piracy, had been deemed by many members of the web community as unlawful censorship of the web. Google, Reddit and several more of the Internet’s largest sites went black in some form or another, all for the same reason: to protest the prospective passing of the two bills, which, if passed, would give the government the power to block sites that are suspected of hosting illegal sharing of pirated content. Opponents of the acts protest that the laws give the government the excessive power to censor the web.

Across the country, people hit social media sites to voice their concerns about the laws. Several East students joined in a protest that convinced dozens of senators to oppose SOPA. After visiting Wikipedia’s blacked-out homepage, junior Helena Buchmann emailed Missouri representative Emmanuel Cleaver and urged him to reject the bills. Junior Eden McKissick-Hawley, frightened by what she called, “a demise to our freedom and the idea of democracy itself,” joined in the protest, even though she didn’t think the acts would ever actually pass.

“If [the laws] did pass, I would feel terrible that I hadn’t even expressed my concern,” McKissick-Hawley said. “It’s part of being a part of your democracy, expressing your opinion and voting.”

Before the 18th, SOPA and PIPA were hardly national issues. Business teacher Jennifer Hair tried to change that. Before the blackouts, she took it upon herself to try to inform her students of the situation. In an in-class activity, Hair had her students read several possible benefits and drawbacks to the acts and showed them how they could get involved by contacted legislators about the acts.

Hair introduced the subject to students partly because she believes that it has special pertinence to their generation.

“[Students] are going to be facing [this issue] for several years – this concept is not going away,” she said.

When the blackouts finally came on the 18th, they spurred the public into action. Protests spread across the web. Twitter, the company whose site hosted much of the public’s protest, tweeted that between 12 a.m. – 4 p.m. on the day of the blackouts there were over 2.4 million tweets about the acts.

Mckissick-Hawley began to do her part by tweeting at Kansas representative Kevin Yoder.

“Representative @kevinyoder: Don’t pass #SOPA. Don’t pass #PIPA,” she posted.

But McKissick-Hawley wasn’t done yet. Next, she signed an online petition calling for Yoder to reject SOPA.
The efforts of McKissick-Hawley and hundreds of other Kansans were not fruitless. At 10:50 a.m. on the 18th, Yoder joined many other politicians in rejecting SOPA, posting the following message on his Facebook page:

“Thank you for your feedback regarding the Stop Online Piracy Act. Please review my statement below. I appreciate your feedback.

Washington, DC – Congressman Kevin Yoder stated his opposition to the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) today and will oppose the bill if brought to a vote in the House. While Congressman Yoder is concerned about copyright infringement, SOPA goes too far in combating it by imposing harsh restrictions on Internet service providers and websites that will stifle innovation across the web.”

Yoder’s anti-SOPA statement was just one of many released by politicians on the day of the protests. As thousands of Americans contacted politicians voicing their concerns about the acts, their representatives listened. In a single day, SOPA and PIPA lost 17 supporters and gained 86 new opponents in Congress.

According to NYU journalism professor and expert on the social and economic effects of social media Clay Shirky, it was the success of the protests which made them significant, not their scale. The protests demonstrated the power Americans still wield in their democracy.

“We showed that it is possible to defeat even bought-and-paid-for lobbying efforts with a show of real voter strength, making PIPA and SOPA not just losing propositions, but so toxic that no one even dared cast a vote for them in public,” Shirky said in an email interview.

To some, the efficacy of using social media sites as platforms for a major political protest came as a surprise. Emporia State political science professor Michael Smith had previously been unsure of the ability of social media sites to host effective political discourse between politicians and their constituents.

“I think the big thing with the social media is that what we haven’t yet seen is if the social media can adapt to longer, more in-depth engagement with ideas,” Smith said. “Twitter is obviously the stereotype, because you’re limited to a certain number of characters, and not every thought or every idea can be communicated in x number of characters.”

But the success of the protests on Jan. 18 has proven that social media can effectively channel political discourse, which is a good thing for opponents of SOPA and PIPA, because despite the defeat of those acts, their fight to protect their liberties on the web is not over yet. Next on the horizon is the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), an international trade agreement equivalent to SOPA and PIPA. Opponents of ACTA contend that the agreement would threaten the freedom of the Internet.

“Get ready to have this fight again,” Shirky said. “Freedom of the press is not just an abstraction, it’s a right you exercise every day on Facebook, and that “web publisher” actually means you. [This issue] matters an awful lot in your daily life, and is worth calling your Senators and Representatives the next time some industry tries to control speech in this way.”

Following the progress of SOPA closely, junior Sam Tulp has educated himself about all aspects of the bill.

“I am against this bill because of the justification it gives to further restrictions being made and further limiting of speech and censorship,” Tulp said. “I also feel this is an example of the rich and powerful lobbyists coming from the Music and Film industries using their money and influence to lobby and whine about how there are people out there circumventing copyright and ‘stealing’ from them.”

The purpose of SOPA is “to promote prosperity, creativity, entrepreneurship, and innovation by combating the theft of U.S. property, and for other purposes” according to the bill proposal. If passed, the government will give law enforcement the power to shut down websites that display unlicensed content. This may include copyright infringement, unauthorized fixation, selling or buying recordings or videos of live performances and handling counterfeit labels, goods and services.

The passing of this bill will cause the unauthorized use of copyrighted material to become a felony, meaning both the user and website owner could potentially face legal consequences. The punishment currently being deliberated is the five year jail sentence. The government will also demand all websites and telecom service providers to oversee that there is no pirated materials on their page.

“I am against SOPA because people don’t get a say in the government anymore,” junior Ivan Novikov said.

According to the bill, in the situation that a claim is made against a company, the provider will be given five days to cut off all business with the site in question. The short amount of time to take action could possibly lead to the complete shut down of a site if they do not react in time.

“While many are making claims that this Act could inhibit freedom of speech it is not necessarily that this bill specifically does (though there are certain provisions within it that make almost a blacklist of websites that the government can restrict and shutdown).” Tulp said. “It is not the bad in this bill but rather the further things that this bill can justify in the future.

In short, the bill will be able to take URLs out of the Domain Name System which allows people to find websites. Other sites that are associated with websites that have been blocked from the internet will be banned as well whether or not they violated the bill. Due to the bill’s vague wording, actions that will constitute for means of punishment are unclear possibly putting social media websites in the path of legal trouble according to internet bloggers. Today, social media sites such as Google, Yahoo and Twitter have made their position against SOPA clear by publicly opposing the bill and sharing their concern with lawmakers.

“Currently we use the DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) under this act blame does not fall on the hosts of websites and does not blame websites for copyright violations made by its users as these things are beyond their control,” Tulp said. “Under SOPA this would change and the potential exists for websites to be shutdown during times in which copyright infringement is being determined.”

#VoteSocialMedia, a past trending hashtag on Twitter, is just one of the ways people are speaking out against SOPA. Websites like www.americancensorsip.org encourage people opposed to the bill to talk to their senator. This website asks people to submit their contact information, and in return a representative will call each person to review discussion points and directly connect them to their senator. Mozilla Firefox also created a site similar to this.

“There are some new measures that could make downloading more difficult and riskier,” said Tulp, “but it does not seem as though the restrictions will at all dampen the way I will acquire my music.”

Controversy over SOPA has caused internet users to question their security within the Web and the power of the government; some bloggers comparing the desire to censor the Web to China’s Great Firewall, a nationwide system of Web censorship. Bloggers have also noted the similarities that do prevail such as “corporate self-discipline” which holds companies responsible for their users’ actions. For example, if a YouTube member posts a video of themselves singing the newest hit song, the company would be punished.

“There’s not a higher power that can police what the American government does besides us,” Novikov said. “And the only way that we can police them is prevention, and the only way of prevention with the American government is protest and civil disobedience.”

Kat Buchanan | Harbinger Online

These recent events in the media are only the jumping-off point for the conversation that administrators, students and professionals are having concerning students’ online conduct.

“I really think that if people become so aware of the negative side of social networking, it will implode itself–because no one will want to do it,” principal Karl Krawitz said. “I think people will back away from doing it, because there’s nothing out there to make them feel good about the way they can protect themselves.”

Dr. Krawitz has taken interest in the current lack of social media education among high school students for the upcoming spring semester. Dr. Krawitz said the administration has been sending out emails in hopes of bringing specialists into the school to present a new perspective on the world of social media, due to students’ lack of knowledge on acceptable online conduct.

“I think [students] somewhat still think that they’re confined in this vacuum that’s somewhat safe within the framework of individuals who they’re communicating with,” Dr. Krawitz said. “But it only takes one person to take that [username] and exploit it, at just the drop of a hat. Before you know it, anything you might have been saying about something or somebody is now everywhere.”

Similar to a panel of corporate specialists presented to the PTA this past semester, Dr. Krawitz hopes to bring in professionals to offer insight on social networking and how to operate within personal rights and ethics when using sites like Twitter and Facebook.

“I don’t see any downside to teaching social media etiquette,” attorney advocate at the Student Press Law Center (SPLC) Adam Goldstein said. “The wrinkle is that you always have the right to use bad etiquette. The school has the right to teach you what good etiquette is, but the only way to really learn a lesson like that is to have the option to do it wrong.”

Students do, however, already have that right, according to Goldstein. The online transgression has to be something illegal or an event that stops the operation of school–but, as Goldstein put it, “you can’t legally be punished for being disrespectful online.”

“First Amendment rights exist on social media,” Goldstein continued. “At least at the minimum, you have just as much right [to free speech] as you have sitting at home–legally, it’s the same as saying things out loud.”

Law professor at the University of Missouri, Kansas City (UMKC) June Carbone agrees, insisting that “posting offensive comments on Facebook is much like putting up a sign in your front yard”–it may be frowned upon, but you have every right to do it.

The administration’s concern lies in the fact that students are tweeting from school and school-sponsored events–not from home.

Students at East are allowed access to smart phones and electronic devices during passing period, lunch and before and after school–this, according to Krawitz, doesn’t likely deter students from using such technology during class hours.

“We all know that the system is so grossly abused,” Dr. Krawitz said. “Just like those who get to go out to lunch is abused–but we don’t have the personnel to manage it.”

Social networking during class can hold negative connotations from a student standpoint as well, providing an unwanted distraction from lesson plans. Junior Eden McKissick-Hawley feels that more than anything, social networking during class hours is counterproductive.

“Sometimes I think Twitter is a funny place where kids can say what’s on their mind,” McKissick Hawley said. “But there are a lot of negative repercussions that come when kids are reading what’s on Twitter more than they’re reading what’s in class–I think that, overall, it’s not a helpful thing for schools.”

However, high schools around the United States have taken strides toward embracing social media in the classroom setting, according to the New York Times–one of which is Silver Creek High School in Longmont, Colo.

“Silver Creek unblocked many social media sites, including Facebook and Twitter, two years ago after recognizing that they could provide learning opportunities,” Phil Goerner, a librarian at Silver Creek told the New York Times in September.

Dr. Krawitz feels that the goings-on of social networking sites like Facebook are better practiced at home, hoping to keep home matters and school matters separate.

“It’s none of our business,” Dr. Krawitz said. “It’s none of our business what a person says, does, whatever. I think the only time [what a student does outside of school] becomes our business is if it’s happening out there and it’s affecting an individual here–and as a result of what’s said out there, it turns into something real, a disagreement here.”

His care for the matter does, however, detail the conduct of students when representing or reflecting the student body as a whole in any given setting.

“If they’re representing the school–anywhere, at any time–especially during the day hours, then those things fall under the guidelines of the school,” Dr. Krawitz said. “Whether it’s here in the actual building or somewhere else.”

Carbone says while there isn’t necessarily a concern with “image” when it comes to the reflection of the school, there is still the matter of correct behavior.

“I think that schools have some ability to insist on a behavior code for students that emphasizes consideration for others and appropriate behavior in public settings,” Carbone said.

The potential of actually writing up a social media policy–outlining rules for web usage during school hours and events–is not on the administration’s to-do list, according to Dr. Krawitz, due mainly to a lack of personnel and manageable technology. Students’ rights advocates also show opposition to a potential content-tracking system that would keep social networking content under the administration’s eye during school hours.

“The school can monitor whatever it wants, although, frankly, I find the idea of grown people spending time doing nothing but reading teenagers’ social media sites a little creepy,” Goldstein said. “But, if that’s what they think the best use of their time is, they are legally entitled to do it.”

The idea of a lockdown on web surfing receives negative responses from the students involved, as well as the administrators and professionals.

“I think if I knew that my school was looking over my shoulder at what I was saying online, I’d probably be more careful–but I’d also think that that’s not their place,” McKissick-Hawley said.

Dr. Krawitz is also opposed to strict monitoring of networking content. He feels that while implementing a social media policy for the district or even East is out of reach, the more effective way to enforce change is to educate the student body on the consequences associated with social media usage, to the best of the administration’s ability.

“Education’s job is to help students understand what they’re getting into,” Dr. Krawitz said.

Dr. Krawitz hopes to further the wave of social media knowledge by adding the topic to class curriculum.

“I could see it becoming a part of our Legal Studies program,” Dr. Krawitz said. “In all essence, because of the nature of it, I think it probably needs to be.”

SRO officer gets arrested, resigns
School Resource Officer (SRO) Richard Pacheco resigned from his post at East just before Thanksgiving. Several days before, he was arrested after being accused of aggravated assault, and was released shortly afterwards. This, according to KCTV 5 News, was not his first run-in with the law–in 2003, two of his ex-wives filed for protection orders and he had been charged with a domestic assault. Three months ago, Pacheco was appointed Chief-of-Police in Mosby, Missouri, just outside of Kansas City. Pacheco was unavailable for comment.

Students prepare for new finals schedule
Finals week will be split up over two weeks this semester, with a weekend break in between students’ third and fourth hour exams. On Thursday, teachers will administer their first hour finals in a normal hour-and-a-half time period–after their first final, students will go to the rest of their shortened classes for quick reviews and study sessions. On Friday, students will take their second and third hour finals followed by an early dismissal where students can stay for lunch or leave after their last exam. Then, students will have a weekend to study and relax before the rest of their finals, with winter break officially beginning for 9-12 grade on Tuesday, Dec. 20, afternoon.

NATION

Court approves new race-based admission guidelines
The Obama Administration recently sent public universities court-approved guidelines detailing the act of admitting students based on their race. The guidelines state that schools are close to as diverse as they were in 1960–so they are taking action. The administration believes that students need to learn in racially diverse communities in order to be prepared to live and work in an interconnected world. It has also been suggested that secondary schools redraw their boundaries to become more diverse. Thus, students can be admitted by their race and other admission qualities to create a diverse community that will contribute to the learning atmosphere of colleges.

COMMUNITY

Johnson County Christmas Bureau sets up in KC
Gift-giving, cozy fires, enjoying the first of many snowfalls–the Johnson County Christmas Bureau aims to give every family a chance to enjoy these traditional holiday exploits without having to worry about making ends meet. The organization gives students a chance to contribute to their community by providing assistance to low income families in the area. Giving away donated toothbrushes, soap, bedding, toys and other common household necessities, they hope to improve the life of someone less fortunate. Donation boxes have been set up around the community including the Commerce Bank at 83rd and Mission.

PV City Council discuss tax hike
Prairie Village Council members had a meeting on Monday, Nov. 21 discussing whether or not a tax should be placed for the up-keep of local parks. The plan would be to increase the cities sales tax by a half of a percent which would produce $1 million in revenue to go to the parks. They would like to make improvements to the parks similar to the recent reconstruction and landscaping of Weltner Park. Council member Ruth Hopkins told the PV Post that she would rather focus on maintence and basic services before working on the city park plan. The council is working on coordinating a city-wide vote on the tax.

City honored for energy conservation efforts
The city of Prairie Village was recently honored as a 2011 Honoree for their Geothermal Project/Energy Conservation Measures from the Mid-America Regional Council’s (MARC) Sustainable Success Stories held at the Kauffman center this year. The city is working on weatherizing their buildings and installing a geothermal heating pump which will conserve 33,484 gallons of gas according to the project’s website. The city council approved the building contract in July of 2011 and they are in the middle of the contruction process. Once completed, the council is hoping to save the city a substantial amount of money.

Everything there is to know about Lloyd Robinson can be found pinned on a navy KCPD hat.

“That’s my history right there,” Robinson says pointing at it, stroking each medal and pin.

There’s a crest from Saint-Lô, France, where he was stationed most of his time in World War II, that fills him with memories of adventures with Captain Griffin and trucks filled with gasoline exploding. A gold Star of David reminds Robinson of his relationships with Jews during the war, a gold hook tells tales of German prisoners who worked for him.

Robinson, 94, lives alone in a humble wooden house in Mission, and has since his wife Martha passed away six and a half years ago. His pale blue eyes are hidden by wrinkles and bristling grey eyebrows that fan out like a garden rake, but those blue eyes light up when you ask him about anything on his hat. He has trouble breathing, and can’t speak for more than 20 seconds without having to take a few seconds to catch his breath again, but that doesn’t stop him from pointing out each medal or pin and telling you story upon story about where they are from, and how they are significant in his life.

“The Lord has blessed me with… with an incredible memory,” Robinson said.

Jake Crandall | Harbinger Online

He’d rather not speak about what they did, though.

Born and raised in Ottowa, Robinson and could tell you about growing up and dreaming of being a Chemical Engineer for a big corporation. About how he can remember buying his mother the first washing machine invented, and having to crank the side of it when he came back from college at the University of Kansas and wanted to get laundry done. He could tell you about how he almost fought in the famous “Battle of the Bulge,” because his general, who according to Robinson, “hated his guts,” and frequently tried to send him to the front lines.

Twenty pins and mementos hang on Robinson’s hat. Some war medals. Some walnut scrapings he’s found in his back yard that look like a smiley face. Some abstract pins that remind him of past friends, like the Jayhwak pin, that reminds him of Ernest Lindley, the seventh Chancellor of KU, who was the best friend Robinson ever had. He’d love nothing more, though, than to get one more medal before he passes away: a purple heart.

“You see…when I was walking on [Utah Beach] my leg hit a steak in the ground and cut through three layers of clothes and caught my leg… right by my knee,” Robinson said. “Of course, people don’t usually care about the engineer who got a scratch on their leg… but I slept in a foxhole with two mosquitoes that night and it got… infected a little. I don’t know, I just think it’d be… really nice to be able to show my great-grandchildren… their old grandpa got a purple heart.”

Robinson has sent a letter to the government, and is waiting on a reply.

In the mean time, Robinson doesn’t do much now-a-days. He tries to keep up with is three children and grandchildren, but he mostly putters around his old wooden house and reminisces. He has a study where he keeps everything. Every award. Every old picture. The walls are littered with newspaper clippings of important dates. Pictures of him and Martha sit quietly on his desk. He attributes his length of life to his old 1986 pick up truck, or as he calls it, his “alter-ego.”

“The Lord has blessed me with… an incredible memory.”

After being diagnosed in 1985 with Colon Cancer, doctors predicted Robinson to live no more than three years. He had a simple procedure by a local doctor, who is now deemed one of the best doctors in the country, and after, was cancer free. After the surgery, half of Robinson’s large intestines were gone, which explains why he can’t speak for more than 20 seconds without taking a break. Robinson walked out of the hospital, and spotted an ‘86 Chevy, and fell in love. He bought it, and has kept it ever since. The car is bent out of shape, and has worn rusty with age, and costs about $2000 a year to keep running, but in Robinson’s mind, it’s worth the money to keep it.

“The way I see it… if I can keep that truck running… then… I will keep on going,” Robinson said. “That truck is running like a top now, and I’m in good physical shape as well. I’ve been blessed to live this long…and see…what I have seen.”

Prior to last week, senior Emma Sullivan had never been to the principal’s office.

After tweeting “Just made mean comments at gov brownback and told him he sucked, in person #heblowsalot,” from Topeka on the annual Youth in Government trip, Emma found herself face-to-face with SM East Principal Karl Krawitz upon returning to school.

“As Dr. Krawitz sat there and lectured me for thirty minutes, I realized that [getting in trouble] wasn’t right,” Emma said in an exclusive interview with Harbinger Online.

“What he kept saying to me was, ‘Are you listening to me? I don’t think you get it.’” Emma said. “I really wanted to say, ‘I don’t get it,’ because I was pretty sure I couldn’t get in trouble for tweeting something.”

Observers across the nation have voiced their opinions on the situation after it was reported that a staffer from Governor Sam Brownback’s office contacted Youth in Government officials who contacted Krawitz about the tweet in emails. Many sources also stated that Krawitz insisted upon an apology letter, a fact that Emma claims was fabricated.

According to Emma, Krawitz told her about the consequences of her tweet and told her about who would have to face the public on the issue. He suggested a letter of apology, but never required one. Sullivan thinks the sources that believed the letter was mandatory simply misunderstood her previous statements.

The main source of much of the initial publicity stems from Emma’s sister, Olivia Sullivan.

“As a family, we decided that I should contact the media to give Emma some voice,” Olivia said.

Olivia called area publications, including The Kansas City Star and The Wichita Eagle, to alert them of the situation.

As the story was picked up by more publications, Emma saw her number of Twitter followers jump from 61 close friends to 12,000 people from all over the world. Emma thinks the jump in followers played a large role in the misunderstanding the tweet brought up.

“I feel bad in a way because I didn’t mean to put Dr. K in the middle of the situation.”

“In a way I wish I had changed my wording. At the time I only did have 60 followers and they were all my friends,” Emma said.  “Most of my friends aren’t into politics and if I had tweeted about this and that policy it would have been different. No one would have read it and no one would have cared. The way I worded it was towards my audience.”

After much apprehension, Brownback apologized on behalf of his staff, posting a statement on his website.

“My staff overreacted to this tweet, and for that I apologize,” Brownback said. Brownback declined to comment beyond this statement.

The Shawnee Mission School District also issued a statement.

“Whether and to whom any apologies are issued will be left to the individuals involved,” the release statement said.

Looking back, Emma recognizes how big the issue has become and how many people it has affected.

“I feel bad in a way because I didn’t mean to put Dr. K in the middle of the situation. I am trying to steer it away from him as much as possible.” Emma said. “People keep saying radical things about him getting fired but that is too extreme. What would you do if you were principal of a school and the governor of your state emailed you pointing out what one of your students said?”

Students held a rally to show support for their school and all students in the face of controversy.

America has already had a difficult time increasing interest in the areas of math and science, but now things are getting even worse. Despite national efforts made by President Obama and other prominent leaders, enthusiasm for fields such as science, math and engineering is waning.

According to a report by the National Center for Education Statistics, students getting bachelors degrees in engineering have only increased slightly, as compared to other majors, such as business, which have grown a great amount in the past couple of years. More and more students are dropping out of science, technology, engineering and math (abbreviated as STEM) majors, and instead changing them to subjects such as business.

Whitney Molloy, Director of Student Affairs for the UMKC School of Computing and Engineering, believes that the first semester sometimes just isn’t as exciting as students think it will be, causing them to lose interest and consequently drop out.

“[I] think that often students do not get to do enough of the ‘cool stuff’ in their first couple of years that attracted them to engineering in the first place, such as FIRST Robotics,” Molloy said. “They spend time in math and science classes trying to get the pre-reqs out of the way, and engineering schools lose them because we don’t keep them engaged.”

Jesse Sharp, who graduated from East last year, is currently going to New Mexico State University to work on a major in Aerospace Engineering. Although he is aware of the challenges facing him, he isn’t concerned that it will be a problem.

“I have heard of several people who have dropped out of the Aerospace Engineering major and head for a easier subject of study,” Sharp said. “The most noted reason is that the classes seem to be to hard after the first semester; sometimes it’s because it’s just not their thing.”

But the reasons don’t stop there. Sharp also sees how the money related to a job in engineering can skew the approach that students take when entering the program.

“I think there is an ever present thought that money will get you anything in life and so people foresee engineering to be a route that will achieve a high monetary status,” Sharp said. “However when they are done with a semester and start to realize the time commitment and the time that you will need to spend studying and what not, it comes to realization that they won’t be able to keep up with all the classes.”

Similar to the ideas of Sharp, Molloy has also seen how part of the reason could possibly be due to a lack of knowledge of what it really means to go to college to become an engineer.

“One of our students was just talking about this during a presentation,” Molloy said. “From a student perspective, he thinks students may not understand how rigorous the curriculum will be, the amount of math and science they will have to take, and what it really means to be an engineer.”

However, even though the economy is going through a recession, Molloy doesn’t think it is affecting STEM fields in a negative way at all. In fact, she feels that the economic situation is actually causing students to consider a career in technology or engineering. She has seen professionals return to college to get a degree in the field because there is an actual need for more engineers in the jobs realm.

“When you look at the top degrees employers are hiring for, or the top jobs that will see growth over the next 10 years, or even the top paying jobs, it never fails that at least seven of the 10 will be related to engineering and/or technology,” Molloy said.

Senior Christian Wiles plans on majoring in Mechanical Engineering, despite the challenges that will face him in the program. Wiles has a strong interest in math and science, and is actually looking forward to getting a degree that will allow him to explore these fields. Although not one hundred percent sure of what exactly he will be doing as a career, Wiles knows that his degree will allow him to do what he enjoys most.

“It’s a really flexible major; you can do a lot with it,” Wiles said. “in terms of designing parts to [working on planes], it basically lets you do anything.”

Due to engineering degrees being able to be used in a variety of professional settings, they really help to open up the door of opportunity for graduates.

“[Working in engineering is] really a lot of fun,” Molloy said. “You can apply engineering to anything you are interested in: the environment, airplanes, cars, health care. It’s pretty amazing all of the opportunities that are out there.”

The popularity of jobs that use STEM subject degrees can be attributed to the current need for more professionals who have studied in these areas.

“Our society is in great need of more STEM professionals,” Molloy said. “You hear it from everyone, including President Obama. There is no doubt that America needs to strengthen our education in these areas and produce more innovative thinkers to enter our workforce.”

However, in order for this to happen, there is a consensus amongst college and university leaders that changes need to be made in the way people approach engineering — both from a student and teacher perspective.

At UMKC, Molloy says that in order to make sure prospective engineering students stay in the program, they have done a number of things that aim to prevent students from switching out of STEM subjects. Some of these include first-year introductory courses, which help to give students a impression of what it is like in the professional world of engineering as well as become introduced the faculty, other students, and become encouraged to explore different disciplines of engineering.

“We also really encourage our students to join our student organizations or competitive teams, such as Robotics, Steel Bridge and Baja Buggy,” Molloy said. “[That way] they are able to have hands-on experiences while connecting with upper-classmen students who can serve as great mentors.”

In order for students to better prepare themselves for the challenges of an engineering major, Molloy thinks that it is important for students to have a realistic expectation of what they are signing themselves up for. Also, preparation in high school plays a significant part in getting a student ready to enter a program.

Wiles, who is currently at the top of his class, has been doing his best to get prepared for the difficult course work experienced in an engineering program. He has made sure he’s taken lots of math and science classes as well as kept on top of all his studies.

“I think [students should] spend time during high school talking to professionals, visiting colleges, meeting with college students and really understanding what it means to study engineering,” Molloy said. “There is absolutely a lot of math and science, and you need self-discipline and great study skills, but we too often scare students off from even trying it. They not only need to be encouraged to take more math classes, but to understand the value of what they are learning in those courses.”

Forget about First Fridays at the Crossroads. Come and see artwork created by your peers at the annual SME Art Fair.

The show will officially commence at 7 p.m. on Monday Dec. 5, but art teachers will be setting up displays throughout the week prior to the fair, allowing students to view the works, even if they are unable to attend the fair.

The Art Fair will feature artwork from students of all grade levels and art classes. Displays will be scattered throughout the school, but will be primarily occupying the second and fourth floors.

The pieces will be judged by outside judges and awards in the categories of photography, painting, drawing, sculpture, jewelry and digital art will be given out at an awards ceremony on Dec. 8.

Student Council gets ready for Culver’s Night

Student Coucil will be hosting a Culver’s Night this Wednesday Nov. 30 at the Culver’s on 7953 State Line Rd.

Members of the Student Council will assist the Culver’s staff by serving food to attendees. Students will be working from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. with 15 percent of the proceeds from all sales going to the Can Drive benefitting the Johnson County Christmas Bureau (JCCB).

This Culver’s Night is the penultimate event benefitting the Can Drive and represents the end of StuCo’s largest fundraiser of the year.

So far East has reaised 6,053 cans, while the money will not be totalled until after the Panda Express Night on Dec. 6 where 15 percent of the proceeds for the entire day will be donated to the JCCB.

COMMUNITY
PV City Council places zoning moratorium

The Prairie Village city council voted 11-1 on Nov. 10 to put in place a nine-month moratorium on all rezoning requests for the site of former district middle school Mission Valley and its surrounding properties.

The vote comes along with a formal Request for Proposal from the city seeking firm to coordinate public input of the planning process for the site.

Prior to the vote, commercial real-estate development company RED backed out of an agreement with the city to fund the planning process.

Some members of the council as well as the surrounding community hope that the land may be still used as a school. RED and Kansas City Christian have supposedly met, but no agreements have been made public.

New Wal-Mart coming to City of Mission

A new 150,000-square-foot Wal-Mart store is planning to come to the city of Mission. Wal-Mart plans to build the store at the $200 million Mission Gateway development that will take the place of the former Mission Mall (Johnson Drive and Shawnee Mission Pkwy).

The plan comes six years after a 2004 plan by Wal-Mart to buy and tear down the mall and to build a 203,000-square-foot Super Wal-Mart. A petition against the purchase garnered 1,970 signatures by Mission residents, and the Cameron Group of Syracuse, N.Y, instead bought the mall.

Gateway will also have a 70,000-square-foot, 2.5 million gallon aquarium as well as 150,000 additional square-feet of retail, 150,000 square-feet of office space, 300 apartments, a 35,000-square-foot movie complex and a 45,000-square-foot fitness center.

STATE
Brownback readies for new budget proposals

Gov. Sam Brownback wants to change the way Kansas distributes around $3 billion of state aid to its school districts.

The changes to the funding formula being discussed include calls for a new baseline for state funding per pupil to school districts without the complicated weighting factors that are in place. Most importantly, the bill proposes lifting the cap on how much districts can raise for their schools is being discussed.

Other legislation for the upcoming session includes moving away from Kansas’ reliance on income taxes as well as the drawing of new district lines after the 2010 Census.

WORLD
Euro zone in crisis

The focus of Europe’s debt crisis shifted last week, from Greece and Italy westward to Spain and France.

New coalition governments were formed in Greece and Italy who are now enjoying a brief truce in their battles with the markets. Now all eyes are on Spain, who is experiencing a struggling economy emerging from elections, and also to France where a new austerity program is being implemented and watched closely.

The Euro Zone debt crisis is very troubling for the United States and to markets around the world as the International Monetary Fund asks the U.S., who is it’s largest contributor, for more money to help fund euro bailouts.

Meanwhile the U.S.’ national debt reached the $15 trillion mark on Nov. 16 according to USdebtclock.org.

“It was just a really easy way to sneak alcohol into summer gym, and it was even easy to bring in to games,” Marsh said.

Marsh also stated that teachers didn’t suspect something as harmless as candy during class, so Marsh never got caught. He stated he liked the thrill of not getting caught and the buzz from the alcohol. He also said it made the vodka taste better, which makes it more appealing to others.

This practice continues to grow in popularity. It has replaced, according to sophomore Jane Doe*, “normal party booze like cocktails.” However, that sweet little gummy bear is more cruel than you think. After being soaked, a gummy bear can grow to around twice it’s size, and possibly more according to Doe. Since the amount of vodka absorbed by the gummies is so potent, one wouldn’t know how drunk they were until they were dangerously intoxicated.

“When I first tried it, it was like drinking Four Loko,” Doe said. “I couldn’t tell how drunk I was getting until I was in way too deep. I had to crash at my friend’s house for the night because I passed out.”

Faculty have been alerted of this trend, but are having difficulty stopping it. It is very hard to detect, since it doesn’t smell any different until it’s on a student’s breath, so many students get away with it.

“We are well aware of the situation,” Principal Karl Krawitz said. “We have yet to apprehend any students, since you’ve got to be really close to their face to smell it on them.”

Dr. Krawitz said that the staff believes it will be easier to catch students in the act once basketball starts, since the students must enter through a staff-regulated entrance to get into the game in the gym. According to him, this way it will be easier to smell any alcohol in such a tight space.

“We’re doing our best to prevent this at school, but it’s too hard to detect,” Dr. Krawitz said.

*name changed

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported in a survey early last month that teen condom use is on the rise. Eight in 10 teen males ages 15-19 surveyed as part of the CDC’s National Survey of Family Growth reported that they’d used condoms during their first sexual experience—that’s a 9 percent rise in condom use since the survey was last conducted in 2002. Along with this, 6 percent of teen females said that they used a non-pill hormonal method at their first sexual experience, up from a mere 2 percent.

Of the sexually active teens surveyed, 78 percent of females and 85 percent of males said they employed some form of contraception during their first sexual experience—numbers almost completely unchanged from the previous poll.

This is good news.

An incline in condom use with similar numbers of sexually active teens means that these teens are finding out that the “withdrawal method” isn’t a reliable option—and are reevaluating their definition of what contraceptives really are.

With 32 percent of a sampling of 320 East students answering that they have had a sexual encounter in the past 30 days, these safe stats from a national standpoint are a breath of fresh air for our teen population.

A report done by the Guttmacher Institute in April released that “among all women who have had sex, 99 percent have used a contraceptive method other than natural family planning.” Though the use of non-pill birth prevention techniques is nothing new to the teen scene, the trend of implementing a two-pronged approach to pregnancy control, or “doubling up” has seen an incline, according to the CDC.

Additionally, the survey found that 16 percent of teen males used a condom in combination with a female partner’s hormonal method, which is also up from the percent ranking in 2002, which stood at a meager 10 percent.

The number of teens sampled is the highest the national survey has polled before: 2,284 teen girls and 2,378 teen boys.

Junior Julie Sanderson* sat in the white office chair, trying to keep her mascara in check as she held back tears. It was time to hear the test results. She wiped away the drips of black makeup that had slid onto her cheek; she tried to sit up and listen. Part of her wanted to look strong. The other part wanted to curl up in a ball and sob.

Sanderson’s mind had been racing for two days since she missed her period. She says she had the proverbial “what if I get pregnant?” fear ever since having sex—a fear that maybe the condom broke or there were other unforeseen complications. For the 48 hours before her visit, pregnancy was all she could think about. She hadn’t been able to sleep or focus in class.

But finally, her thoughts were put at ease—even if just a little bit. She was OK.

“[Before reading the test results] she told me briefly about all the loving people she meets looking to adopt babies in the area,” Sanderson said. “It was just comforting. Mainly small talk, but helpful.”

Sanderson, whose test came out negative, is one of many teens in the KC Metro area who have called on the services of Planned Parenthood. The institution has seven facilities in Kansas, offering services ranging from abortion to distributing of contraceptives to an estimated 10,000 plus people. According to the company’s mission statement, their goal is “to provide comprehensive reproductive and complementary health care services in settings which preserve and protect the essential privacy and rights of each individual.”

For Sanderson, the program gave her someone she could talk to.

“Abortion was never once mentioned during my visit, it was never about that. It was about me and what I was going to do and if I was going to be OK,” Sanderson said. “I needed that; I needed someone taking care of me.”

But not all students are supportive of the program. Junior Roberto Sada, a firm supporter in pro-life causes, thinks that while Planned Parenthood has its benefits in providing sexual education and contraception, the distributing of abortions is a deal-breaker. Sada explains that people who are morally against the practice should not be forced, even indirectly, to pay taxes supporting it.

“Being morally opposed to abortion and somebody who would probably also support an amendment or a law against abortion I feel that it is a bad business choice,” Sada said. “It’s the wrong decision.”

This difference of opinion mirrors a much larger national debate. A Gallup poll filed in July reported that 40 percent of Americans would support a law prohibiting health clinics that provide abortions from receiving any federal funds. This has led to attempted budgetary cuts on the program in multiple states across the country and even an online petition, defundpp.net, aimed at changing “completely unacceptable” taxes citizens pay to the agency.

However, according to Director of Education at Planned Parenthood of Kansas and mid-Missouri (PPKM) Sarah Aenstaff, the federal money that goes towards Planned Parenthood is not used on after-the-fact medical procedures. Aenstaff is able to point out confidently that no public money is used to fund abortion services—the only federal money used, she says,  is “Title X” family planning to provide cancer screening, STI screenings, treatment, contraception and education.

Aenstaff also notes that abortion makes up less than ten percent of the services Planned Parenthood offers yearly. She says the company’s main objective is to “provide access and information to individuals in order for them to make effective decisions about their reproductive and sexual health.”

“PPKM provides services not solely to pregnant teens,” Aenstaff said, “but to all teens.”

Aenstaff feels strongly, in particular, that Planned Parenthood’s willingness to help anyone regardless of money is one of their best services. She says that while they accept a variety of payment methods and offer funding programs to assist clients, they will never say no.

“Our staff provides affordable care, and our doors are open to everyone.  No patient is ever turned away due to inability to pay,” Aenstaff said. “In these tough economic times, this component is of utmost importance to women and families.”

With Planned Parenthood, and abortion services in particular, money often comes into the equation. A study compiled in August by the Guttmacher Institute shows that a large majority of woman seeking abortions come from the lower class. The data shows that 42 percent of woman obtaining abortions have incomes below 100 percent of the federal poverty level ($10,830) and an additional 27 percent have incomes between 100 and 199 percent of the poverty level.

According to Mike Males, senior researcher for the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice in San Francisco, “you can’t understand abortion without first understanding poverty levels.” As part of his job, Males tracks statistics of unplanned pregnancy in poor and rich communities—looking for disparities between the two. His research, to date, has continued to show that abortion is often higher in areas of poverty. He attributes this to a lack of federal spending in poor areas and, ultimately, to cuts to programs like Planned Parenthood.

“There’s a lot of people that have the income to deal with [unplanned pregnancy] in private medical facilities and that’s fine,” Males said. “But I don’t think somebody else should be punished, especially when they’re too young to earn their own incomes or determine their own economic circumstance. I’m very much in favor of low-cost medical care being available across society—and they can raise my taxes to provide it.”

Regardless of income, Males feels the program is beneficial, even in areas like Prairie Village.

“All of us in society benefit from preventing disease and injury among all populations,” Males said.

Males, who wrote the book “Teenage Sex and Pregnancy: Modern Myths, Unsexy Realities,” also points out that there are a lot of misconceptions on the issue of unplanned pregnancy. In his book, he discusses the poverty issue in detail, but also focuses on facets of culture like the media and Hollywood—discussing how they are used as a “scapegoat.” His research has shown that while unplanned pregnancy is at an all-time low in America, the media continues to promote the notion that pop culture and Hollywood have corrupted our youth.

It’s these “scapegoats” that Males says distract away from the real problems. Males, who discusses the concept in his first published work “Scapegoat Generation” and in the follow-up “Framing Youth,” says that the stereotyping teens and creating fear in the media is prevalent in the Planned Parenthood issue. He points out that one of the main arguments against the program incites fear of youth—saying that kids may become reckless with sex now that they have a place for preventative actions.

“It’s a ridiculous argument. It’s like saying ‘let’s take the seat belts out of cars so that nobody will drive fast,’” Males said. “Then if you crash and go through the windshield you’ll drive more carefully. It’s that kind of argument.”

Junior Eden McKissick-Hawley agrees, saying that arguments against Planned Parenthood are often “filled with hypocrisy.”

“You can’t judge this situation in a general way,” McKissick-Hawley said. “One person’s need for an abortion might be totally different from someone else’s. Who are you to tell them what they do and don’t do?”

McKissick-Hawley, who formerly worked at Planned Parenthood as an intern and gave a testimonial in the program’s defense at a town hall meeting, says that a defunding of Planned Parenthood is like “taking away rights to your own body.” According to McKissick-Hawley, the information Planned Parenthood offers about sex is invaluable—if taken away, people lose both information about their own body and the steps to prevent disease.

“If you don’t tell a girl ‘you are at a huge risk of getting an STD’ and she hears that sex is fun from every corner of the media, from every discussion at lunch, she’s gonna do it,” McKissick-Hawley said. “People need to open their eyes and realize that they’re not helping anyone by having this predisposition towards education.”

She ultimately says that the debate over Planned Parenthood is a “human rights issue.” Mckissick-Hawley, an active member of Youth in Government Club at East and former field organizer on the Obama campaign, says the issue should not be right vs. left. According to her, it goes beyond partisan politics. She says  our youth is hurting as a result of politician’s inability to cross party lines to enact change.

“Politics [is just] not what it used to be,” McKissick-Hawley said. “And it’s sad that we are the one suffering from it.

Sada counters this point—he says that the case against Planned Parenthood is an issue of politics and there be a federal law banning it. According to Sada, if Planned Parenthood were to split up into two entities—one focusing on abortion, another solely on sexual education—than he would be behind the program. But until they do, Sada doesn’t feel like taxpayers should be forced to give them any money.

“There are a lot of people in this country who are morally opposed to abortion,” Sada said, “and they shouldn’t be forced into even indirectly contributing to something that they are deeply opposed to.”

But from the looks of things, there seems to be a future for Planned Parenthood. The issue at the heart of the debate, abortion, is steadily gaining approval, according to a study conducted in July by Harris Interactive. The study shows that 36 percent of those polled believe that woman should have access to abortion in “all circumstances”—the highest number in Harris Polls since 1985. Additionally, those opposed to abortion in any circumstance fell from 21 percent in 2009 to 17 percent this year.

For Sanderson, who went to Planned Parenthood a little under a year ago, the program gave her someone she could turn to that’s easier to talk with than her parents or friends. She feels that Planned Parenthood is only helpful, and does not do anything to encourage abortion or sex.

“Planned Parenthood existing isn’t what made me want to have sex; having health care doesn’t make you want to go out and get sick; AA doesn’t make you want to become an alcoholic because there’s hope for you should you find yourself in that position,” Sanderson said. “Planned Parenthood up and running just means kids can get help if they need it. It doesn’t encourage sex.”

Sanderson and Sada may disagree over the funding of Planned Parenthood, but both can agree that sex education is increasingly important in society. Sada, who wishes there was a national ban on abortion, believes that sex education can save lives.

“Increased sex education reduces abortions because it reduces the amount of unwanted pregnancies; it hopefully is able to increase the access of contraceptives to lower income people,” Sada said. “And for those of us that are privileged and go to East—and probably have learned quite a bit about pregnancy—it really increases some of our knowledge about STD and STI transmission.”

*name changed to protect identity 

What Happened:

The prisoner swap between two sparring countries, Israel and Palestine, has created more of a stir than expected.

The reason? Israel received one soldier, Gilad Shalit, in return for around 1,000 Palestinian prisoners. Israel has, in the past, made deals similar to this. In 1985, Israel released 1,150 prisoners in return for three Israeli soldiers. This is due to the dedication of the country to their army—each Israeli is required to serve in the army—as well as a strong value of life.

Shalit has been captive for just over five years now; in that time, Israel has launched an invasion into the Gaza strip that was the first since their withdrawal a year earlier. In these five years, Israel and Hamas, the Islamic Resistance Movement, have negotiated through Egypt to bring about a deal that would ensure Shalit’s safety and in turn return hundreds of Palestinian soldiers. Both countries have rejoiced in the return of prisoners, but some such as Israeli Ron Kehrmann worry that the deal has set a “base price”—the price of one Palestinian life for one Israeli life—for the lives of Palestinians and Israelis.

Why You Should Care:

The conflict between Israel and Palestine has gone on now for decades. America’s involvement in the Middle East has been closely tied to the relationship between these countries in both financial support and military involvement. While the swap indicates that there is some level of cooperation going on between these two countries, analysts at BBC News predict that there won’t be any breakthroughs due to the swap.

Disagreements between Palestine and Israel will continue to be a force within American politics and international diplomacy. This specific instance between the two countries is telling of the stalemate that continues to exist. Teens will undoubtedly have to deal with the tensions that lie between Palestine and Israel in the future, in fields from business to politics, from education to religion.

GOP Debates

What Happened:

As the Republican Primaries draw near, the Grand Old Party has struggled to find a candidate that holds a strong base of supporters. As of now, it seems that Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, Texas governor Rick Perry and former CEO of Godfather’s Pizza Herman Cain are the frontrunners for the nomination, on which Republicans will vote on Jan. 3.

Although Romney currently holds the lead in Gallup polls with a 20 percent backing from Republicans, each candidate has had their moment in the lead. This has led to competition from candidates, creating tension within debates. On Oct. 17, the debates in Washington, D.C. turned nasty as Perry accused Romney of lying about hiring illegal immigrants. Likewise, Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum accused all three frontrunners of supporting bank bailouts.

Heated debates such as these have given a “claw-your-way-to-the-top” mentality to the issue of the Republican presidential nomination. With time running out, the Republican Party has yet to band behind a contender who will most likely face President Obama in the 2012 election.

Why You Should Care:

Being politically aware isn’t just for those seniors who can vote in the 2012 election. The Republican primaries will determine who runs against Obama— therefore having a significant impact on the likelihood of Obama serving a second term. Likewise, watching these debates can show who can think on their feet as well as providing an opportunity to get a sense for where candidates stand on issues ranging from energy concerns to taxes to education. For students, simply becoming acquainted with these issues can build a basic understanding of politics.

The heated nature of these debates also show the lack of unity currently seen in the Republican Party and the rifts between viewpoints in American politics. It is increasingly important for students to be aware of all viewpoints in an increasingly polarized nation.

Muammar Gaddafi

What Happened:

After 42 years of rule over Libya, Muammar Gaddafi is dead. On Oct. 20, Libyan rebel forces captured and killed him in his hometown of Sirte, where he had been hiding since the fall of his government caused by the same rebel group who caught and killed him. Out of the recent speculation on Gaddafi’s death, a young rebel Senad el Sadok el Ureybi came forth on Oct. 24 as the murderer, confessing to the two gunshots found in Gaddafi’s head and chest.

Over four decades before the rebellions started in earnest, Gaddafi took power in a military coup. He had since ruled as a dictator, using oil as a key resource and lashing out at the uprisings in 2011. As Gaddafi’s forces retaliated, American and European forces began a series of bombings on Libya in March that fed into the violence and destruction of the country.

Because of the brutality and lack of generosity that Gaddafi demonstrated during his time in office, his death has been widely celebrated throughout Libya and the world. However, this has caused a rise, according to the New York Times, in “death porn,” or graphic photos and videos of Gaddafi’s body. This has also brought up concerns over the prosecution of such rebels—although the country is rid of a dictator, the rebels may need to be brought to court. Libyans plan to have elections in the spring, but may have trouble uniting their fractured country.

Why You Should Care:

Gaddafi’s death is yet another example of the “Arab Spring,” or the series of rebellions in the Middle East that have been taking place in the past year such as the revolution in Egypt. The photos of his death also call for a discussion of what is “right” to put out as public information, just as it was with the death of Al Qaeda’s Osama Bin Laden.

And for those of you who pay for your own gas, prices may go down as one factor of the oil industry is simplified—Gaddafi, who caused unrest in and manipulated the oil industry, is now out of the picture.

“It is important to let people know that we should have the right to read what we want and not have others tell us what is right and wrong,” Knop said.

Book Banning Week was started in 1982, in reaction to an increase in the number of books challenged. According to the American Librarian Association, ALA, over 11,000 books have been challenged since 1982 and more than a book a day faces removal from public access in school and public libraries due to challenges.

Challenges are formal written complaints attempting to remove or restrict material in a book that they deem as inappropriate. Throughout history, all types of people and groups have tried to ban books and continue to because they conflict with their beliefs. Many of them challenge books with the intention that they are protecting others from difficult ideas and information. In order to prevent a book from being banned parents, teachers, students, and other members in society advocate for a book or a collection to be kept in libraries.

What do you recall from that day?

“It was in second grade and half way through the day [my teacher] told us that something had happened really close ‘cause we were two hours away from New York City. They said that we were going to have to stay in our classrooms but call all of our parents to make sure our parents were okay. A lot of my friends parents worked in New York City. Then after our parents personally had to come pick us up from school.” Ree Ae Jordan//Senior

“I was about seven, I was in the first grade and I was at school. It was playing on the TVs in our classrooms. I remember people were talking about it in the halls. A lot of the fifth and sixth graders.” Sam Tulp//Junior

“I remember Richie Wagstaff one of my little freshman at the time, saying, “Ms. Beachy do you think this means we are going to go to war?” And I looked at him and I thought, Gosh if we do, would kids like him? Would my students have to go fight and be recruited? That was really hard, that was here, that was something I could see, the fear on their faces.” Laura Beachy//English Teacher

How were you notified, what did they say?

“A colleague of mine who doesn’t teach here anymore came in and I remember her face and her exact words. She said, “Oh my God Laura, a plane flew into a building in NY.” I really didn’t think that much of it. I thought, “Oh well that’s a bad accident, strange things happen all the time.” She looked very shaken up and I didn’t understand why.” Laura Beachy//English Teacher

“I was in school, they didn’t tell us what happened but they just said something bad happened then all of our parents came and picked us up.” Sam Tulp//Junior “My mom explained it to me. I was at a picnic in second grade and I remember seeing all the planes fly back to the KCI airport. I remember seeing the actual footage of it and I thought it was a movie or something.” Zach Jacobson//Senior

What was your reaction?

“It was more like I didn’t quite understand because I was really young. My parents tried to explain it to me it was like all over the news so I know my parents were constantly watching it so it was more like i just didn’t understand what was going on.” Ree Ae Jordan//Senior

“My mom was in the news at that point so when I got home she was busy and running around; it was a pretty hectic day.  My dad still had to go to work and he was busy; he worked with the banks so Wall Street was shut down at that point. It permeated my life for that period.” Sam Tulp//Junior

“I was actually really naive about it. I came back into my house, walked upstairs and both of my parents were just sitting on the couch watching the news. They just kept repeating the same video of the towers falling down. I just kind of looked over there and was like, “Oh, so, Hey I got out of school early.” Then my mom kind of took me aside and said, “Mark, do you know what happened?” Then she told me everything and I was like. But in my second grade self by the next day I had completely forgot about it.” Eli Mitchell//Senior

How do you feel the country is still dealing with the aftermath?

“Well we obviously have the debt crisis and that began all our debt because we went to war. It led to all the jobs that were lost, it is just like a chain.” Zach Jacobson//Senior

“I mean, it affected what we did after that point. We went to war over it. We were focusing on that event, and our reaction really shaped the US. It still matters today—it is obviously very important, it affected nearly 3,000 lives, which is quite a few people.” Sam Tulp//Junior

“I still feel like we’re the same people but we just have a lot more regulations and restrictions on freedoms just because it’s like, if you’re wearing a turban in the airport you have a bomb. Our mind-set has sort of shifted. It shifted to like, “We hate Arabs.” And then finally now we are kind of shifting back once we realized that they don’t have weapons of mass destruction and it was only Osama Bin Laden.” Mark Towster//Senior

The Act, signed by President George W. Bush in 2002, focuses on all children in public schools. The law set a goal for all students to be proficient in math and reading by 2014. All states are required to administer standardized tests each year, which determines whether or not the school has made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). If a school fails to make AYP they are determined to be “in need of improvement.”

When the act was passed it changed the way teachers constructed their class.

“Before, [teachers] might have spent time looking at the intricacies of “Catcher in the Rye” and compare and contrast it to another novel, and look at characterization, plot similarities, and the authors motivation,” Assistant Principal John McKinney said. “Now we’ve got to get through so much curriculum to prepare for the state assessment. The targets are getting so high it’s going to take away even more time from other elements of teaching to make sure our students are ready for the test.”

The Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, calls the No Child Left Behind Act a “slow motion train wreck,” and believes that it is hurting efforts to improve schools in America. His proposal is to grant waivers to states that are able to show three things. First, states must be working to improve teacher effectiveness. Second, schools must focus more on helping high school students be college and career ready at graduation. Finally, schools with low-test scores need to change their programs.

Although teachers might get more flexibility after a waiver has been granted to their state, being considered for a waiver is much more difficult. Part of being authorized a waiver includes a rigorous teacher evaluation based on student test scores.

“There is a lot more to teacher effectiveness than just math and reading scores. It has a lot to do with building relationships with students, trust, growth, and determining whether or not students come out of the class a better person that they went in,” the Shawnee Mission School District Director of Assessment and Research, Daniel Gruman said.

“Under the current system, we need relief,” Gruman said, “as district and as a state. With AYP targets continuing to climb there is an increasing likelihood that good schools won’t make AYP.”

Shawnee Mission East District school board member, Donna Bysfield says that there are other problems with standardized testing, especially with students from a foreign country.
“One concern is with foreign students,” Bysfield. “They have just moved here, and if English is their second language, they’re expected to take a standardized test that first year and are expected not to fail it.”

Bysfield also says that Shawnee Mission looks at things other than just standardized test scores. “At Shawnee Mission, we look at the number of students taking honors classes and that are in the National Honors Society, and we factor that in more than just if [schools] are making AYP,” Bysfield said.

Not only is Shawnee Mission East meeting standards, it is exceeding them. Just recently it was released that East exceeded the AYP benchmark for the 2010-2011 school year. The annual target for NCLB reading is 86.0% and 96.2% of East students received the standard or higher. In math, 96.5% of East students met the standard or higher, surpassing the annual target of 82.3%.

“We are in a unique position where we don’t have the at-risk numbers that some other schools do and that our kids traditionally do well on the Kansas Assessment,” McKinney said. “Students at East take [The Kansas Assessment] seriously. We are fortunate to have kids who are committed to representing themselves and their school to the best of their ability.”

Bysfield, Gruman and McKinney are in favor of changing the act, but say it is too early to tell how much it will affect the Shawnee Mission School District.

More details about the reform will be available in September.

Junior Kaley Blake has extended family living in Joplin, and went down the Monday following the storm to help with clean-up.

“When we first got there, it was really bad,” Blake said. “It was just miles of debris, houses were standing on a single wall. Every street in the city was damaged, obviously some more than others.”

Although her family was safe, Blake said it was hard to stomach everything she saw.

“I cried. You see this stuff on TV, but never think it will happen to you or anyone you know,” Blake said. “There were still bodies in the street, you could see people that had probably lived there most of their life looking completely lost. They were trying to figure out where they were going to sleep, kids were trying to figure out where they were going to go to school.”

Missouri Governor Jay Nixon has declared a state of emergency, and deployed troops from the Missouri National Guard to assist the city. The death toll is now at 139 and over 700 have been treated at hospitals, making the Joplin tornado the deadliest in the nation since 1953. There have been over 450 deaths attributed to tornadoes in 2011.

Blake said she plans on returning to help the efforts being organized by the government and American Red Cross.

“I’m not sure what I’ll be doing, but once finals are done I’m going back,” Blake said. “I filled out volunteer information with the Red Cross so I can go help however I can. If not for testing, I would probably still be down there. Everything is just in ruins.”

You can text “REDCROSS” to 90999 or visit the Greater Ozarks Red Cross’ website to donate.

Sarah Palin

BACKGROUND: Palin was virtually unknown until 2006, when she become the first woman governor in Alaska history. In 2008, Republican Presidential candidate John McCain chose Palin as his running mate. Although they lost, she became one of the big players in supporting Republicans in the 2010 midterms, in which Republicans received the House majority. She also capitalized on her new celebrity status, publishing a book and becoming the star of “Sarah Palin’s Alaska,” although it was later canceled.

CAMPAIGN: Since her rise in 2008, Palin has emerged as a leading voice of the extreme right. If she is going to win primaries and advance as the final Republican candidate, she will need to win over more moderate conservatives; as of now, her relatively small group of followers, even if they are super-dedicated, won’t have enough pull to get her past big names like Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee. Finally, Palin will have to quickly move past allegations that her Republican 2010 campaign resulted in the Arizona shootings.

Mike Huckabee

BACKGROUND: Huckabee was previously governor of Arkansas until 2007. In 2008, he and Mitt Romney became two of the finalists to become the Republican candidate for president. Huckabee ended up winning close to 21 percent of the primary vote, mostly in the South. Huckabee is generally known as a religious conservative. He is both pro-life and has strong views on immigration: he has previously insisted that immigrants should have to return home before applying for citizenship.

CAMPAIGN: The New York Times has listed 12 candidates that will possibly be tossing their hat into the Republican primaries. Of them, Huckabee and Romney stand out as the two candidates that moderates will probably favor most because of their experience. Huckabee, who is a Fox reporter, has come under fire for criticizing Natalie Portman’s pregnancy out of wedlock, and also for a recent comment about Obama’s birthplace. However, he and Romney still are the strongest candidates, possibly because there are no others who played a true part in the 2008 elections.

Barack Obama

BACKGROUND: President Obama has declared that he will be running for re-election in 2012. In his current presidential term, Obama started with a strong following: he won close to 68 percent of the electoral vote in 2008. His approval rating was initially 69 percent, according to a Gallup poll, but has since fallen to as low as 41 percent. Disagreements over his massive health care reform, as well as a relatively stagnant unemployment rate, have left former supporters criticizing the actual scale of his reform.

CAMPAIGN: Although Obama is currently in office, his campaign is already under way. His campaign manager Jim Messina has adopted the motto “Respect. Empower. Include. Win.” In the 2008 run, registering new voters was crucial for Democrats: according to the Democratic National Committee, 69 percent of new registered voters were Democrats in 2008. As the economy didn’t recover as well as many citizens had expected, Obama will have to work to win the electorate in several of the states that only narrowly sided with him in 2008.

Mitt Romney

BACKGROUND: After the recession, Republicans looked for a candidate who could run the country like a business. Although Donald Trump may serve as the extreme of this, Romney, who went to Harvard Business School and led a private equity investment firm, is possibly  the candidate with the most financial experience. He and Huckabee were the two finalists behind McCain in the 2008 election. Romney won close to 22 percent of the vote in the 2008 presidential primaries.

CAMPAIGN: Romney’s second campaign heated up with the publication of No Apology: The Case for American Greatness. This April, he has declared that he has formed an “exploratory committee,” which is a general go-ahead to assume he will run for president. Romney is widely regarded as a front-runner to be the Republican candidate in the 2012 election, even over the other leader, Huckabee. Romney’s Mormon background may alienate his voters, but he is adamant that it will be a non-factor. Although he isn’t the speaker Obama is, he provides crucial business savvy.

Last month’s preview of what the College Board refers to as the “New A.P” showed that they plan to provide a more in-depth curriculum framework of how they suggest the class be taught. While there is no clear plan for AHAP, the formal AP Biology Curriculum framework provides the teacher with guidelines and learning objectives as to how they should teach each unit. Some units will even include pacing suggestions for how long the class should spend on a certain topic.

Advanced Placement teachers, like AHAP teacher Vicki Arndt-Helgesen, believes her students often find the amount of material they are going to cover each year is daunting and, in her opinion, it is. Current AHAP student Tyler Germann admits that when he first saw the work load he would encounter he felt the same way.

“When we got our third or fourth book, I was like ‘Oh my gosh,’ he said. “But after a few weeks I got used to the homework and after the first ‘dessert’ (test) I learned these assignments really help you.”

Currently, according to Arndt-Helgesen, her AHAP class has to cover from the pre-Colombian era all the way to 2000 in a single year. This feat, she explains, is something not even a college class would attempt. According to the College Board “new” AHAP curriculum will include more pre-1607 history. Arndt-Helgesen has her concerns as to whether the added history will help or hurt her class.

“[You ask yourself] ] ‘What is it that this does?’,” Arndt-Helgesen said. “‘Does this end up helping us or does it end up creating greater stressors for our kids?”’

Course curriculum won’t be the only thing changing in the upcoming years with the “New AP.” According to the College Board, students can expect major changes when taking the end-of-year exams. With the new, clear guidelines the College Board is attempting to provide students with a better understanding of what will be on the exam. This is something AP Biology teacher Kimberly VanNice hopes will bring up the scores on the AP Biology exam. Last year, she estimates that only 12 students of her 28 students took the exam. According to her, of those 12 students most of them scored very low. This is not an uncommon trend. Last year the AP Biology exam received the most failing scores nationwide.

One of the major changes VanNice is looking forward to is the pacing suggestions with the course guidelines. She hopes it will provide a clear understanding of how much time should be spent on certain topics.

“That will help a lot,” VanNice said. “[It will say] you should spend a quarter on this and a quarter on this. It will help you, if you’re not there by the end of the quarter, to know you are behind.”

VanNice believes that the changes will help her teach the concepts much better than she is able to now. Right now, she says, she is forced to take out certain units simply because of time. With so much to cover, she feels she isn’t able to include more fun, hands on projects.  Arndt-Helgesen faces the same problem in AHAP. In her opinion, the large curriculum takes away time to do “value-added” activities, like reading extra articles. VanNice hopes the new outlined objectives will give her a more specific guideline to follow.

“[With the current curriculum] I feel like I have to teach everything in Biology which is not possible but there are no real guidelines that say this is important and this isn’t,” VanNice said.

Arndt-Helgesen agrees that it is impossible to teach everything in her class and feels she has to let herself off the hook for it. In her opinion, if you teach a good history class students will walk away with a good understanding of it, even if you miss something here and there.

Other changes to the AP exam include scoring and questions format. The College Board plans to add more essay questions to the AP Biology exam in place of multiple choice questions. Also, with these changes students will no longer need to worry about losing a quarter point for each incorrect answer on the exam.

The College Board released a formal outline of the AP Biology class will look like starting in the 2012-2013 school year but the fate of AHAP is still unknown. However, Arndt-Helgesen feels confident she will be able to accommodate any changes that are made, in fact, she has already started to think about how she will change the way she teaches.

“I’m really awed by how much [the students] grow,” she said. “The growth is pretty cool. It’s worth all of the stress.”

She stood with her mother on the green campus of the University of California, Irvine, for a college visit. Price tag: $50,000 a year.

Already, she was being told that the 30 college credits she had earned while in high school may not be transferable. The description of the honors program was vague, at best.

McClannahan, a National Merit Finalist and co-president of the Spanish National Honor Society, decided to cut UC-Irvine from her list. This fall, she will head to the University of Kansas to study Korean.

“If I had to finance $200,000 [over four years] and then get more degrees,” McClannahan said, “I wouldn’t be making that kind of money per year [after college], so I would just be going rapidly downhill in debt.”

McClannahan is one of the many high achieving scholars across the nation that are being forced to determine the value of an “elite” education. This determination was the focus of a recent article in the New York Times entitled “Is Going to an Elite College Worth the Cost?” The story cited multiple studies that called into question whether private universities are worth their higher costs of tuition.

Experts question whether or not the increase in prestige can lead to more successful future jobs. They worry that it might not be wise to pursue lower-paying careers at more expensive universities. Finally, they are wary of the detriments of long-term commitments to pay off loans.

Lee Furbeck, a senior associate director in the KU office of admissions, pointed out the fact that students like McClannahan that hope to attend graduate school at a more expensive institution can often help themselves out by choosing a public or in-state school for undergraduate studies.

“I often talk with students planning to continue their education after earning a bachelor’s degree about the economical advantage of attending a top public institution like KU as an undergraduate,” Furbeck said. “This makes attending a $50,000-$60,000/year graduate school more feasible.”

For the students that take the opposite approach and choose a more elite school right out of high school, the financial consequences down the road can have a long-lasting effect on the student, according to Mark Kantrowitz, publisher of FastWeb, a scholarship matching service, and FinAid.org, a student guide to financial aid

Kantrowitz has seen students that take out loans to pay for college and end up with six figures of debt after four years. Oftentimes, the student’s salary out of college is insufficient to repay the student loan debts.

“If you’re going to end up borrowing too much money for your education, it’s really not worth the sacrifice,” Kantrowitz said. “You’re better off at a less expensive school than spending like there’s no tomorrow and regretting it later.”

According to Kantrowitz, a heavy factor in college decisions should be the future career and salary of the student. While majors in nursing and computer science have the potential to pay back some of the loans, Kantrowitz said that students studying subjects like art or religious studies might not be able to lead to a high enough salary to pay off the college debts from attending an elite institution. In situations like these, Kantrowitz recommends to attend a more affordable school.

“One measure of a quality education is the amount of graduates employed in jobs that they enjoy,” Kantrowitz said. “Unfortunately, the students who borrow excessively may have to choose a job that is not ideal for them but pays them more in order to repay their debt.”

Everyday, Gary Carpenter, executive director of the National College Advocacy Group, hears from college graduates struggling to pay back the massive debts they accumulated from attending private institutions.

“It can be a very sobering situation when all of a sudden you realize, ‘I have $100,000 in debt and I have a job that just can’t support that kind of debt,” Carpenter said. “[The students wonder,] ‘How am I gonna get through this?’ They may end up going back and living with their parents.”

However, not all students that attend private universities accumulate massive debts. Cristin Weekley, East class of 2005, graduated from Stanford University in 2009. Cristin said she feels fortunate to have parents that were able to financially support her college decision.

Last February, Cristin used the connections she had made at Stanford to help get a job at the University of California, San Francisco as a research assistant. She attributes the high volume of Stanford graduates in the Bay Area as on of the reasons it has paid off to attend the school. Cristin’s father, Ky Weekley, agrees that the higher cost of tuition has paid off.

“We would have been happier with less expenses,” Ky said. “But I don’t feel like that was a bad investment.”

Carpenter concedes the investment in an elite, private university can help a job applicant stand out.

“It’s definitely going to get you in the door for the interview,” Carpenter said. “There’s no two ways about that. That’s all it’s going to do. Once you get hired, you’ve got to perform. If you don’t perform, it doesn’t matter where you went to school – you’re out.”

Carpenter can think of a situation within his own family when a student from a less expensive, state university was able to match up with the elite college graduates. His younger brother went to the State University of New York at Buffalo and received his space engineering degree. Now, he’s a space engineer at Boeing, working alongside graduates of

Stanford and M.I.T.

“The student is going to get out of their education what they put into it,” Carpenter said. “If they’re really excited about the school they’re going to and they’re excited about the major they’re in, they’re gonna dedicate themselves and they’re going to get an excellent education. The student makes the school – the school doesn’t make the student.”

McClannahan plans on making the most of her education at KU. She has researched several clubs and activities at the university, including one that pairs international students with American-born students to help the former adapt to American culture. McClannahan also plans on studying abroad, and she has been accepted to the school’s Honors Program, an opportunity that Furbeck believes can help lure students from elite universities.

“Students who are trying to decide between KU and [more expensive, private universities] are often interested in the University Honors Program, which actually can be more difficult to gain admission to than some highly selective institutions,” Furbeck said.

The KU Honors Program is one of the main reasons McClannahan’s mother does not see paying for a private, out-of-state school as a wise investment. When McClannahan’s parents attended a meeting for potential members of the program and their families, they were told that the KU Honors Program was ranked fifth among honors programs in the nation, tied with Harvard. And as she considers her daughter’s future, she has settled upon an analogy that works for her.

“I’ve always believed it’s just like shopping,” Cindy said. “If you can get two things of equal value, and one store offers it at half the price, then you should go there. If you’re going to be in the honors department that’s ranked fifth in the nation and you’re paying half the cost of a private university, then that’s worth it.”

In her right was a purple and silver can of Four Loko.

Monroe’s experience shows the effects of Four Loko, an alcoholic energy drink. The increasing usage of Four Loko has caught the attention of everyone from concerned parents to FDA officials. The drink comes in ten different flavors ranging from cranberry lemonade to blue raspberry and contains the equivalent of five shots of vodka and the caffeine of two Starbucks lattes. The FDA has now issued warnings to four different makers of these alcohol-laced energy drinks and hopes to have all Four Loko products off the shelves by the end of December 2010.

According to a recent article in the New York Times, Four Loko has been gaining popularity, especially around college and high school campuses. In the past few months, concern has rose among doctors, law enforcement and parents about the drink’s appeal to the younger generation.

“A lot of people feel like it’s marketed to young people,” St. Luke’s Hospital  ER doctor Chris Bowser said. “The trendy packaging combined with statements like ‘herbal supplements’ makes a nasty combination.”

The colorful packaging is only one factor that contributes to the popularity of the drink. A cult has grown around it, featuring YouTube videos of college students chugging multiple cans of the drink. According to Monroe, the first place she heard of the drink was at a party over the summer. Others are warned about it by parents or are aware of it from horror stories about the dangers of it.

“My mom actually told me about [Four Loko] for the first time. She gave me this YouTube link to go to about all these kids that had died from drinking too much of it,” junior Jake Stern* said. “But I drank it anyways just ‘cause it sounded new and interesting. I probably drink it about twice a month.”

Four Loko is accessible to kids in its price and convenience. Only costing around $4 per can, it costs less and less money to get wasted. According to Monroe, the oversized, 23.5 oz. cans are so high in alcohol content that one or two of them can last her all night. In reality, it only takes a few Four Lokos to cause severe motor control impairment and even unconsciousness because of their high alcohol content and large can, according to Bowser.

But the real reason they drink it, according to Stern and Monroe, is that it simply tastes good—and is easy to get drunk off of. According to Monroe, it’s just easier and a lot tastier than trying to mix a drink for yourself.

“It’s pretty cheap, and you can get really, you know… crunk from it,” Stern said. “It has good flavors but an interesting aftertaste, kind of like Red Bull.”

This kind of “crazy drunk” is different from that of any other drink, according to Bowser. Instead of the caffeine offsetting the effects of alcohol and essentially neutralizing it, the mix produces an agitated state of intoxication. This effect is magnified in Four Loko as to compared to other alcoholic that contain caffeine, such as Irish coffee.

“Figuratively, you could say that you could make similar drinks to this, and they may be just as harmful as Four Loko,” Bowser said. “But the issue in question is the fact that it all comes in a slick package.”

According to a CNN report, caffeine also wears off much quicker than alcohol does. Therefore, users crash much earlier in the night and suffer an increased likelihood of blacking out. Many attribute the side affects of this drink as a matter of bad judgment on the user’s part.

“I don’t think it’s really an issue,” Stern said. “But people drink it in excess and so they have problems with it.”

The nature of the drink as something that is produced nationally makes it appear that the combination of caffeine and alcohol isn’t something to be concerned with.

“I had heard that you’re not supposed to mix Red Bull and vodka,” Monroe said. “But seemed safer somehow to drink Four Loko because it was already made.”

But in the aftermath of the hospitalization of nine Central Washington University students, Four Loko and other drinks such as Joose  were brought under scrutiny.

To the dismay of fans of the “blackout in a can”, the FDA issued a letter to the makers of Four Loko, Phusion Projects, advising them to stop the production of their drink. According to the FDA, the key danger and a reason for pulling Four Loko off the shelves is the fact that the caffeine may mask the effects of the alcohol, so people consume more alcohol than they normally would.

In anticipation of the FDA’s warning, Phusion Projects has announced that they are going to remove the caffeine, as well as taurine and guarine (chemicals found in Red Bull and other energy drinks) from Four Loko. This would make Four Loko like any other flavored alcoholic drink on the market– except for its high alcohol content. By 2011, the switch should be complete and as of Nov. 22, the drink is outlawed in Kansas. According to the CNN, there has been a noticeable uptick in Four Loko sales as some partiers rush to stock up on the drink.

According to a recent CNN article, this switch from a highly alcoholic energy drink to, essentially, spiked, carbonated Kool-Aid is frowned on by some and looked at as an unnecessary government attempt to regulate consumer intake. But still others see the move to ban Four Loko as a necessity for the safety of both minors and of-age drinkers.

“Most of us in my profession feel it’s a good thing that they’re pulling these off the shelves,” Bowser said. “The danger is everything: the packaging, the alcohol content, the caffeine, the culture around it.”

Denning is one of a number of East students taking Adderall without a prescription to help raise test scores. Adderall is a mixture of four amphetamine salts that, when taken, stimulate the brain. The drug is used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) by improving concentration. Most students who take it illegally take it with the intention of increasing their scores due to higher concentration.  Principal Karl Krawitz has heard a lot about this problem at the college level, and would consider it to be a growing problem at the high school level.

After taking Adderall four times in a month and a half, Denning noticed her desire for the drug kept growing stronger every time she took it. It started to feel like drug use: she began to feel addicted. The day she knew she needed to stop was the day that she was looking for a dose with no reason. She didn’t have a test that day, she just craved it.  It became real to her at this point, she was becoming a person she didn’t want to be. Someone who she wouldn’t let herself be.

“I liked the way Adderall made me feel,” Denning said. “Not only did it improve my test scores on both the SAT and the ACT, but I was way more productive with my day and always accomplished a lot when on it. Everyone seems to do it, but I know from experience that it’s easily addictive.”

Denning hasn’t taken Adderall since July. She realized it could of had a bad impact on her health if she became dependent on the drug, and regrets that she took it four times in such a short time period.

“For people who take [Adderall] to stay awake and stay energized, it’s easily addictive,” UMKC Pharmacist Trish Marken said. “It can get to the point where your body will crave it and its hard to get out of bed in the morning because your body is used to having the drug in their system. If taken long and often enough, the person can turn into a drug addict.”

Rote knew that taking it this much could easily be the early  stages of addiction to the drug and didn’t want to be an addict or have the reputation. With fear for her future, she made a vow to herself to never take it again.

Senior Amber Steinwitts* has taken Adderall before the ACT two times. Her first experience, she took a 20 mg capsule, and she noticed increased concentration during the first half of the test, but not very much during the second half. Her second experience, she took a 50mg capsule with her breakfast about 30 minutes before the test, which helped her throughout the entire test by keeping her focused throughout. She says her experience with the drug provided a positive result because she ended up raising her ACT score by four points.

Although the outcome was positive, Steinwitts experienced side effects throughout her experience on the drug. After taking the 50mg dose, she said her body felt completely numb. She also experienced loss of appetite and couldn’t fall asleep until nearly 24 hours after taking the dosage. She wasn’t a fan of the side effects but still believes it was worth it because her score improved so much.

According to the FDA’s Medication Guide, common side effects of Adderall include weight loss, dry mouth, fast heartbeat, trouble sleeping  and headache. Steinwitts experienced almost all of these.  Symptoms can become so severe that they lead to heart-related problems like heart attack or stroke, and mental problems like bipolar illness.

“I would take it again, but I have no reason to,” Steinwitts said. “I don’t like taking or doing drugs. I only took it to improve my test scores.”

Senior Richard Cranesworth* has illegally sold Adderall to a number of students, including Smith. Cranesworth buys Adderall from coworkers and then sells them, usually around five dollars. He has sold to students for a variety of tests including the ACT or SAT, final exams and Chemistry. Before the most recent ACT test date in October, over 15 people approached Crane for the drug.

Cranesworth believes that there really is no harm in taking Adderall when not prescribed. He explains that if used correctly, and not all of the time, that no harmful effects can come out of it.

According to Marken, it is uncommon for someone to die from taking adderall without a prescription unless the person has a heart disorder. She also explains that if used illegally all of the time it can definitely lead one down the path to being a drug addict, which can lead to a lot more health problems.

“I took it once and I thought that other people should have the opportunity to experience the focus you get,” Cranesworth said.

Junior Tayler Malcolm* took Adderall before the ACT but it ended up having a negative outcome.

“I did worse [on the ACT] than the first time I took it, which surprised me,” Malcolm said. “I think it just got to my head that I was ‘on something.’”

Malcolm said she couldn’t really feel any side effects from the drug with the exception of being a little antsy along with a lost appetite. She was aware that she might have side effects, but didn’t really mind because she wanted to improve her score. She doesn’t think she will ever use it again before taking the ACT.

Senior Christa Edmundson* also had a negative experience with Adderall. She didn’t raise her test score at all and she believes it is because she was more distracted than before. Throughout the entire test, her body was very jumpy and shaky. Johnson says that she will never take it again because it was a waste of a test, time and money.

“I decided to take Adderall before the ACT because I felt a lot of pressure to get a good score on it,” Edmundson said. “I realize that not researching the side effects was ridiculously dumb of me because I didn’t improve at all.”

According to Krawitz, some people have negative reactions to the drug because everyone has a different system.  He explains that they don’t get the “high” to help them concentrate. The bad reaction to the medicine causes problems in the body, causing it to shut down.

According to Sandy Walsh, the Public Affairs Representative from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), drugs used to treat ADHD, like Adderall, are federally controlled substances and regulated as such by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The prescribing of them is restricted and physicians who prescribe these drugs must be registered with the DEA.

“Medicines can cause serious side effects if not used correctly,” said Walsh. “Incorrect use of medications, or use for non-medical reasons, can lead to abuse, addiction and serious side effects.”

Walsh also explains that not only is selling or giving away these drugs harmful to others, it is also against the law.  As well Adderall has a “Boxed Warning”—the FDA’s strongest warning about the potential for abuse that alerts physicians that the drugs “should be prescribed or dispensed sparingly.”

Kansas Drug Distribution Laws say that someone charged with distributing a stimulant like Adderall will receive the same severity of charge as someone charged with distribution of marijuana, depressants or hallucinogens. The penalty for the first offense can be as severe as four years of jail time.

According to Marken, there are multiple dangers associated with taking this illegally. These include increasing heart problems, addiction and possession of or consuming an illegal drug.

“Any time you take a medication that you shouldn’t be taking, there will be some sort of negative effect,” Dr. Krawitz said. “Sometimes the effect won’t be noticeable immediately, but they will almost always have long-term effects.”

Junior Spencer Grigsby* has ADHD but occasionally will skip dosages to sell to people who need it. He sells 25mg pills at about $10 each.

“When I skip my dosage, I just don’t concentrate as well,” Grigsby said. “I don’t mind going a day without it, and I make money off of it.”

Grigsby usually only sells to his close friends before an important test if they can’t find any other options. He wants to help people out, and personally doesn’t see any harm in selling his medication.

“I usually sell it to them if there is a lot of pressure from their parents to do well on a test,” Grigsby said. “I haven’t heard any bad things about people taking it without a prescription, it seems safe if they don’t do it all the time.”

Nancy Owen, a representative from ACT, says that the staff at ACT is unaware of illegal drug use before the test, but that they certainly do not condone it because it gives the person an advantage before the tests. Dr. Krawitz doesn’t consider taking Adderall to be cheating.

“Its not ethical, but it’s not cheating either because they aren’t looking at someone’s paper,” Dr. Krawitz said. “They are taking a drug to make them feel better but I definitely don’t support it.”

* = names replaced

All photos by Eden Schoofs.