Five Things You Need to Know This Week: 9/2

1.) Russia Invades Ukraine

The inevitable has finally happened. After months of skirmishes and fighting along their border, Russian military forces crossed into Ukraine last week in what appears to be an organized invasion. The forces included artillery, tanks and uniformed soldiers, several of whom admitted on camera that they were under orders to invade Russia.

This apparent invasion is occurring at the same time that leaders of both countries are meeting in Belarus to discuss peace negotiations. However, these negotiations will be drastically different than expected due to recent Russian actions. The situation is still unfolding, but it would not be surprising if it ended in war.

2.) Nude Pictures Stolen, Leaked Online

About 20 celebrities, including Rihanna and Jennifer Lawrence reported that their online accounts were hacked over the weekend. The hacking was done by Chan4, an anonymous professional hacker, who later released intimate pictures of the celebrities. The identity of Chan4 is unknown, but the leak spurred the FBI to investigate.

The pictures were obtained from Apple iCloud storage, which is used when an Apple product backs up pictures or other data from the device onto the iCloud. Apple is currently investigating how the breach happened, but the leak reveals that there is a vulnerability in the iCloud storage system.

3.) Lancer Football Starts

Head coach Dustin Delaney begins his second season as the Lancer football head coach this Friday. The team will face off against Gardner-Edgerton in an away game that will set the tone for the season. Last year’s team came second at State to Derby, losing only two games in the entire season.

Despite losing key players such as quarterback Christian Blessen and defensive end Dominique Atkinson, the team will be returning a majority of the starters from last year’s team. This includes senior defensive end and D1 prospect Kyle Ball; senior quarterback Gunnar Englund, who took over the offense for all of playoffs last year; and senior soccer players Josh Zillner and Mitch Tamblyn, who will be kicking for the team this year.

Kick off is at 7 p.m. at Gardner Edgerton. Can’t make it to the game? Watch the live broadcast here.

4.) Senior Orders Due

All senior orders from Balfour, including graduation caps and gowns and class rings, will be collected on September 4 and 5. These order forms were handed out in seminar last week, and can be picked up in the main office. Orders will be collected on the ramps outside the cafeteria before school and during lunch.

5.) Band and Orchestra Set To Perform

The band, jazz band and orchestra have separate performances this week. The band will be performing tonight at the the Shawnee Mission Marching Band Festival, and the jazz band will be performing in their first concert tomorrow night at 7 p.m. in the auditorium. The orchestra also has its first concert of the year this week. They will perform at 7 p.m. in the auditorium on Thursday.