The Kansas City area has been struck by two mass shootings in the past three weeks, creating a safety concern for students.
On Sept. 11, six people were shot in Westport at 3:20 a.m. Patrolling police officers took the two suspects into custody after they tried to flee the scene.
Sophomore Dasha Hamilton was planning on celebrating her birthday near Westport until the shooting in the area happened.
“I just thought it was best to stay on the safe side of things and to not put any of us in danger,” Hamilton said, “I’m sure nothing would have happened, but if anything did, we would have been glad to not be there.”
The second shooting happened at a Walmart in Shawnee earlier that same day where three people were shot. One person died, while the two victims were left in critical condition. The shooting erupted after a woman was placing her baby in a car seat in the store’s parking lot. This was when two suspects hit her in the back of the head with an unidentified object.
“[Going downtown] is definitely scary now,” Hamilton said, “I don’t worry too much, but I would be scared about if anything were to happen.”
NASA introduced a new astrological sign, Ophiuchus, which has left people confused on their changed zodiac sign.
NASA explained in a Tumblr post that the zodiac originally contained 13 constellations, including Ophiuchus, but the Babylonians chose only 12 constellations to fit their existing 12-month calendar when it was first created 3,000 years ago.
The change in the signs will cut each sign’s cycle to about 28 days, as opposed to the original 30-31 days. An Ophiuchus’s dates are Nov. 29 through Dec. 17 and is represented by a man holding a serpent. The standout traits are knowledge-seeking, admired and envied.
While sophomore Molly Kate Ford isn’t a huge astrological sign follower, she still relates to the common traits of a Gemini.
The shift of the astrological signs will make Ford a Taurus, but she “will always be a Gemini at heart.”
“Whenever I read stuff about my sign it’s always super accurate and I don’t get how the signs suddenly changed, and now I’m supposed to have a completely different personality,” Ford said.
The 13th sign is just now being introduced because the moon’s gravitational pull of earth has altered the alignment of the stars for about a month, which means all 12 of the signs’ cycles will be cut short.
East will be hosting the annual Shawnee Mission College Clinic on Oct. 13, put on by several different organizations including the PTSA and SMSD.
Representatives from more than 200 colleges and universities throughout the country are expected to be in attendance.
Students are encouraged to preregister online at gotocollegefairs.com in order to receive a personalized barcode with their basic personal contact information on it.
Most colleges will have scanners on hand which allow representatives to receive data through an individual bar code that each student brings with them to the fair. This allows the colleges to collect clean, readable data. Students will also receive valuable face-to-face time instead of completing multiple information cards.
Students can also prepare for the College Clinic by taking virtual tours of schools online and by using college planning websites. Counselor April Hazelwood recommends bigfuture.collegeboard.org.
“It would be helpful to make a plan of which colleges you absolutely want to get more information from,” Hazelwood said. “Prepare a list of questions you’d like to ask the admissions representative from each university and bring it with you.”
The free clinic is open to all high school students, regardless of their school or grade and will be open from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
For more information, visit shawneemissioncollegeclinic.com