News Briefs Issue 2

NCAA Pulls Championships from North Carolina

The NCAA and the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) have cancelled upcoming championship games that were set to take place in North Carolina in response to the HB2 bathroom law. The NCAA Constitution states the values of inclusion and gender equity, which directly contradicts with the North Carolina bathroom law. The law states that transgender people must use the restroom that corresponds to their biological gender.

The NCAA took out seven different championships, including the first and second rounds of the Division I Men’s Basketball Championship and the Division I Women’s Golf Championship. In total, four Division I championships, one Division II championship, and two Division III championships.  In addition, the ACC is also taking their league championships out of North Carolina for every sport.

“The NCAA and the ACC have misrepresented the laws and insulted the people of North Carolina,” junior Christopher Patrick said. ”It should not be removed because of the law.”

North Carolina has been hurt by this bathroom law, which will cause the state to lose an estimated $5 billion per year, according to a UCLA School of Law think tank. This isn’t the only sporting event that North Carolina has lost due to the bathroom law. Back in July, the NBA pulled all of the All-Star weekend festivities from Charlotte because of the bill.

SHARE celebrates its 30th Anniversary

This year, the largest student-run community service organization in the nation is celebrating its 30th anniversary. SHARE has been a major part of the Shawnee Mission East extracurricular roster since 1986.

“The 30 year anniversary is mainly a testament to all the people that came before us,” senior SHARE executive Chase Tetrick said. “We aren’t doing anything big to celebrate it but instead adding and expanding projects.”

There are a total of 46 projects this year that are taking place under the SHARE name, 60 student chairs for these projects and over 300 seniors participating in senior service day on Oct. 19.

SHARE has many projects available to students for achieving service hours. These actvities range from socializing with the elderly in Brighton Gardens to volunteering at school carnivals or to spending time with children with disabilities.  

The SHARE project that has expanded the most is Junior Board. Junior Board is a program where teams of students research the nonprofit world and compete in April for grant money, presenting a proposal to a panel of esteemed local executives. Last year was a test run of the program and it performed better than many expected, according to Tetrick. This year the executives foresee even more participation than last year.

SHARE looks to continue the tradition that has been established at Shawnee Mission East for many years to come by promoting positive community service.

Johnson County Police Officer Killed by Drunk Driver

A Johnson County Police Officer was killed by a hit-and-run driver in a pickup truck around 1:30 a.m. on the morning of Sept. 11. Master Deputy Brandon Collins was conducting a routine traffic stop when a pickup truck plowed into the patrol car Collins was in. Due to the impact, the patrol car was engulfed in flames, killing the officer in the process. Master Deputy Collins was 45 and had a wife and two daughters.

The suspected driver of the pickup truck ran from the scene. He was later captured, taken into custody and treated for injuries. The suspect is being held on charges of involuntary manslaughter while driving under the influence and leaving the scene of an accident.

“It is always terrible when a police officer dies, especially around here,” junior Thomas Sweat said. “I feel for the officer’s family and friends.”

Collins’ death is the third Kansas City area police officer so far this year, following the shootings of officers Robert Melton and Brad Lancaster. He is the first officer of the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office to die in the line of duty in 45 years.