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Freshman Sydney Herpich dribbles the ball up the field while an Olathe East player runs close behind her. Photo by Aislinn Menke

By Aislinn Menke

Posted April 18, 2018

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Dear Harbinger, Once upon a time, I spent hours o

Dear Harbinger,

Once upon a time, I spent hours of my time poring over flimsy paperback elementary school yearbooks thrown together by the PTA and meticulously crafted New York Times newspapers.

Anything printed and bound I got my hands on became my new obsessive reading material. So the second that being involved in journalism at school became an option, I signed up automatically.

Within my four years in journalism — spanning across two staffs and trying designing, writing and photography — I’ve been able to explore every single aspect of the publications that fascinated me as a child.

To read more, click the link in bio.

#storybynevahudson #socialmediabylucystephens

I was 11 when I watched my first episode of “ER.

I was 11 when I watched my first episode of “ER.”

My dad was watching it in our living room and I couldn’t sleep so I came down to see what was on TV. George Clooney appeared on the screen, saving lives and stealing hearts, and I fell in love — not only with hot doctors — but with medicine.

Throughout high school, I’ve taken almost every science class offered, totaling nine by the time I receive my cap and gown. Some call it excessive, but when you’re set on becoming a doctor in the fifth grade, every test tube and microscope feels like a step towards your life long goal.

To read more, click the link in bio.

#storybyveronicamangine
#photobyrileyscott
#designbygreysonimm
#socialmediabysydneyeck

Deciding what I wanted to do on Harbinger took man

Deciding what I wanted to do on Harbinger took many trials and a whole lot of error.

After being head editor for the Indian Hills journalism staff and taking Journalism 1 freshman year, I knew I wanted to be a writer and tell other people’s stories. So becoming a staff writer was a no-brainer, but I also chose to be a page designer to broaden my skills — big mistake.

I don’t remember much about my semester designing pages, but I do remember sitting in a cubicle in the library with former Design Editor Anna Mitchell during a deadline watching her redesign my whole page from the fonts to layout because of how bad it was.

Designing was clearly not my thing.

To read more, click the link in bio.

#photobyrileyscott
#designbygreysonimm
#storybyemmakrause
#socialmediabysydneyeck

Head pressed against the floor, then-7-year-old Em

Head pressed against the floor, then-7-year-old Emma Kuhlman peered through the dusty crack between her basement couch and carpet, hoping her dad wouldn’t notice. She breathed softly.

Inches away, her dad played “The Last of Us” on PlayStation 3 — a game far too gory to let his daughter watch. So instead of sitting beside him, she settled for spying between furniture gaps, aweing at the complex storylines and high-quality animation for hours — and falling in love.

To read more, click the link in bio.

#storybymichaelyi
#socialbyisabelbaldassaro
#pagedesignbykatiemurphy

As my fellow staffers reminisce about deadline dan

As my fellow staffers reminisce about deadline dance parties, stressful writing competitions or staying up until 2 a.m. to finish stories, there’s one thing that made my Harbinger experience unique — inter-staff relationships.

When I initially joined Harbinger, I wanted to improve my skills as a writer and learn how to become well-versed in social media and mass communications, but I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that I was also strongly influenced by my then-girlfriend who was on staff.

To read more, click the link in bio.

#storybydavidallegri #photobyrileyscott #pagedesignbybridgetconnelly

When senior Roman Preu was imagining traveling the

When senior Roman Preu was imagining traveling the world after graduating, it was something he didn’t think that he could actually accomplish. But one day when Preu and his best friend senior Will Turner were together, Turner’s dad brought up the idea of a gap year.

Maybe traveling was more than a dream.

Next year, these best friends will be taking a gap year to travel the globe before returning home for college.

To read more, click the link in bio.

#storybymyasmith #socialmediabyisabelbaldassaro #photobyrileyscott #pagedesignbykatiemurphy

In over our heads was an understatement.

If we’d been completely transparent in our applications, we would’ve noted that we’d never actually picked up a camera before. We’d tagged along to some photoshoots and made some silly skits with our friends for video production class, but Nikon and ISO was a foreign language. Despite our lack of preparedness, we took a risk and joined staff — together.

Our first day we were thrown into a video brainstorm without having any idea of how to use Adobe Premiere Pro, but we tossed out our ideas and began learning what makes a good video.

We pitched a trivia game show. A four-team, bracket-style trivia tournament to determine the smartest winter sports team, that would ultimately change our lives. We selected the contestants, developed the bracket and built the set. The only thing left was finding someone charming enough to host the show. Scorsese has De Niro, Speilberg has Hanks and Hendon has Dehan.

To read more, click the link in bio.

#storybyryderhendon
#storybyryandehan
#socialmediabysydneyeck
#photobyrileyscott

Even amidst remote schooling, history teacher and

Even amidst remote schooling, history teacher and Student Council Sponsor Brenda Fishman stuffed Lancer of the Day bags with pencils, pens and candy then drove around town to drop off the bags with her two dogs, Dolly and Abby, in the backseat. All to make sure the students received the usual rewards despite an online school year.

With Fishman’s time at East ending after 37 years of teaching and 27 years of sponsoring StuCo, her students say she’ll leave a legacy of selflessness and encouragement.

The mutual respect she has with her students on StuCo has helped them pursue their passions and ideas whether it’s making floats or coming up with ideas for school events for years, according to current Exec Board members.

To read more, click the link in bio.

#storybymaggiecondon
#designbysophiabrockmeier
#photobypaigebean
#socialmediabylylaweeks

Going into high school with two older sisters to g

Going into high school with two older sisters to give me a rundown of East was a blessing in disguise. But it also meant copying nearly everything they do, while also trying to leave my mark. They both had their “thing” going for them which meant I had to subsequently join cheer like my sister and eventually the blessing in disguise… Harbinger.

OK, this isn’t going to be a sob story about me not having a calling in life but, I can say that other than my late-night crying sessions about my photostory every other week, Harbinger gave me something to look forward to every day.

Originally having no interest in the whole journalism thing, I was constantly pressured by my upperclassmen friends to join. Finally, after months of avoidance, I caved and submitted my application at semester. Seeing my friends’ smiles after becoming a staff photographer made me ecstatic for class after winter break, thinking it would be a breeze — I was wrong.

To read more, click the link in bio.

#storybylivmadden #photobyrileyscott #pagedesignbygreysonimm #socialmediabylucystephens

The Lancers scored their first goal in the first f

The Lancers scored their first goal in the first four minutes against Pembroke. The goal was scored by freshman Ryan Feagans, the leading goal scorer for the team. The Lancers scored five goals in the first quarter of the game, and freshman Ian Horner did not have to make any saves. The Lancers scored only one goal in the second quarter, but made another seven goals in the remaining two quarters. Horner only let in one goal in the third quarter. The Boys JV Lacrosse record is now 11-2.

To view more of this gallery, click the link in bio.

#photobypaigebean #photobymollyscott #socialmediabypaigebean

Nothing to lose. That’s exactly what was runni

Nothing to lose.

That’s exactly what was running through my head when I applied for Head Photographer Editor after only one semester of taking photos of games and for Harbinger stories. Prior to January of 2023, I had probably picked up a camera three times.

In what world would I be suited to lead a 16-person staff of photographers? But I truly had nothing to lose — I’d either become an editor or stay a staff photographer. On the last day of school, I opened Instagram and was thrilled to see I ended up getting the position, along with my incredible co-editors Riley and Liv. We were all excited for the next year and began discussing plans in our group chat right away.

To read more, click the link in bio.

#storybykennaharrington
#photobyrileyscott
#pagedesignbygreysonimm #socialmediabysydneyeck

I thought I was going to die. Freshman me stood qu

I thought I was going to die. Freshman me stood quivering at the front of the journalism room, sweaty hands jammed in my pockets, and head down. I desperately tried to avoid the gaze of over 40 new classmates.

I was already nervous as one of only three freshmen who joined the Harbinger staff that semester, and on top of that, we were finally returning to in-person classes after a semester of online school due to COVID-19. Not a great start — but things were about to get a whole lot worse.

Tate — the all-powerful final boss of journalism advisors, and the villain in this story — was leading a lesson on how to take criticism. He said it was based on a scene from “The Mighty Ducks” where the goalie is tied to the goal and his teammates drill hockey pucks at him full-speed. Except instead of a player, it was me, and instead of pucks, my classmates started hurling every insult they could think of at me. Great.

Overlapping shouts of “Boo,” “You suck!” and far more unsavory things I can’t write here filled the room as I just stood there praying that they wouldn’t kick me off staff. This “lesson” felt less like a teaching moment and more like a near-death experience.

But that exercise in public humiliation taught me a valuable lesson: If I can survive whatever that was, I could do this Harbinger thing.

To read more, click the link in bio.

#storybygreysonimm #photobyrileyscott #socialmediabybridgetconnelly #pagedesignbygreysonimm

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