Author Spotlight
The Harbinger Staff
Online Co-Editor-in-Chief
I’m all for having pride in my state, but the latest bill that Kansas legislators have passed makes that extremely difficult for me. Two days ago, both the House and the Senate approved a bill that bans a type of second trimester abortion in the state of Kansas. Because our beloved governor Sam Brownback promised he would pass the bill at an anti-abortion rally, it is basically guaranteed that it will become law. My anger surrounding this issue is unquantifiable, and I think my full opinion on the matter can be summed up in a quote used in this article: “They are willing to put the health of women in Kansas at risk in order to advance their extreme political agenda.”
Online Co-Head Copy Editor
Like most seniors, I’m pretty much checked out at this point in the year. My mind is fully in college mode. But reading this article from Rookie got me thinking about a factor I didn’t even take into account when considering where I wanted to go next year. Sex. How sex-positive is your university? Is it open and accepting to LGBTQ+ individuals? Does it have specific counsellors for victims of sexual violence or harassment? Is there free and easy access to contraception — not just limited to condoms — as well as advice on sexual health? These are just a few of the questions the article suggests you take into consideration. To get you started on your search for a sex-positive school, here is the results of a survey on the most LGBTQ+ friendly schools in the states, and an app from University of Oregon that gives sexual health advice.
Online Co-Head Copy Editor
When I was a four, I thought cops were so cool. I mean, I always thought being a paleontologist would be cooler, but being a cop was a close second. Almost every little kid I knew thought the same way too. Cops were cool. Cops were heroes. But every little kid I knew was like me: a white kid raised in a middle class household. I never realized other people could see the police through such a different lens. I didn’t realize another little kid like me could see the police not as a hero, but as someone scary just because of their skin color. I didn’t realize that until last year when I found this poem. I was just like that little kid, rattling off thousands of questions. The only difference from my heroes were his fear.
Online Sports Co-Editor
Like many other high school seniors, a few emails this week will determine where I live and learn for the next four years. College admissions decisions are on the way. The process is stressful, and it can feel like the success of your future depends on those applications. Here’s why that’s wrong: the name of the school you attend means nothing compared to what you do while you’re there. This blog from the New York Times explains why rejection isn’t such a bad thing, which is good news because the “top” schools’ acceptance rates aren’t getting any higher.
Online Sports Co-Editor
From my humble beginnings in life as an iTunes user, I’ve recently transitioned to Spotify’s music streaming service. I personally find Spotify to be much better than iTunes. But now, Apple is working with Beats to develop
their own streaming music service, to compete with its successful rival, Spotify. If you’re unsure which music service is the one for you, check out this side by side comparison of the top five music services.
Online Opinions Editor
Hawaii sounds like the ultimate place to live: white sand beaches, palm trees, the works. But the volcanoes the islands are made of are bound to erupt sometime, and on the big island of Hawaii, the volcano Kilauea has. The lava usually follows an uninhabited course to the ocean, but new fissure have pushed the lava towards a small town. Obama has declared the town a disaster region, and some residents have been evacuating, but those that stay can literally watch the lava creep towards their town.
Online Photo Co-Editor
Over the years, Will Ferrell has gone from acting as a cowbell player with a tight t-shirt on to an elf living in New York City. If you haven’t grown to love these characters like I have, check out this link of his 29 funniest characters and prepare to laugh hysterically.
Online Photo Co-Editor
I always have a hard time deciding between sweet or savory. In this quiz, a cheese product and chocolate product are paired up, then you pick which you prefer. It is much easier said than done, and the brie and dark chocolate one definitely got to me.
Eastipedia Editor
We all know that selfies are taking over the world, but this is a little extreme. Cops are now using selfies from a stolen phone to track down who stole it, and it’s making my head hurt how stupid people can be.
Online News Editor
School-wide outbreaks aren’t something unheard of, but a case at Olathe Northwest High School is putting a new spin on the classic case of strep throat or chicken pox. Twenty-seven students and teachers have tested positive for tuberculosis, or TB, this month. The case began after one of the students was diagnosed with TB earlier in the month. Officials are hoping that all of the cases will be resolved after Olathe Northwest’s spring break ends, and that all of the affected students will be able to return to school.
Homegrown Editor
Lately, I’ve been watching a lot of gaming YouTube channels that include commentary and gameplay in their videos. I’ve found that it’s a much cheaper way of enjoying the story of some games. A new story game that I’ve really enjoyed is one called “Life is Strange,” developed by Dontnod Entertainment and published by Square Enix. It’s being released in parts, and episode two was just released this week. They take a spin on the cliché topic of superpowers and time reversal. It follows a girl power by the name of Max Caulfeild and the drama and mysteries going on in her school, Blackwell Academy. Your choices in the game affect the story differently in depending on which paths Max will take. The game has great graphics and an absolutely amazing soundtrack.
Video Editor
In Canada, a recent recall of 5,000 bottles of grape-flavored e-juice left a lot of people wondering how this many bad bottles could have made its way to store shelves. This is due to the fact the Canadian government doesn’t really have a big enough department to enforce their regulations on e-cigs, so they remain largely unchecked. Vice did a story exposing just how unchecked the canadian e-cig industry.
A&E Editor
If you like Kendall Jenner or Gigi Hadid, you have jumped on the bandwagon of the it-girl, fashion fan club. These girls are gorgeous, fun and flirty. Everyone already knows Jenner’s parents are wealthy and well known, but Hadid also got her connections from her rich father, step-father and mother. But there is controversy over whether they got their careers from being beautiful, or from their powerful families, and the fact that they are friends makes it that more suspicious.
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