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by Allie Kindred
“I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!” This is the song that we all hear during the summer. Not only is ice cream a summer favorite, but so is frozen yogurt and gelato.
Peachwave and Paciugo Gelato are just few places in Kansas City that will really get your taste buds wanting more sweets.
Peachwave is a self-serve frozen yogurt store located off Metcalf that is great for children and teens because they get the opportunity to make and create their favorite treats.
When you first arrive, the environment is very welcoming and friendly. They have a variety of different yogurts that range from fruity flavors to normal ice cream flavors, along with a toppings bar that has just about anything you can imagine.
Not only does the yogurt taste good, but all the selections are either non-fat or low-fat. When finished, I felt very refreshed and not so unhealthy.
Paciugo on the other hand was a very different atmosphere. This store leans more toward adults, but still has a friendly environment.
Not only does this store have sorbet and gelato, but they also have an espresso bar with a variety of coffees.
Town Center is a great location for this store because you can include getting gelato in your activities, unlike Peachwave which it is out of the way.
Overall, both places are great if you want a summer treat on a budget.
by Grace Wernicke
Only 20 artists have ever made Entertainment Weekly’s “Best Summer Songs of All Time” list.
In the top five were the Lovin’ Spoonful’s “Summer in the City” (summer of ’66), the Beach Boys’ “California Girls” (summer of ’65), Alice Cooper’s “School’s Out” (summer of ’72), Martha and the Vandellas’ “Heat Wave” (summer of ’63) and the Drifters’ “Under the Boardwalk” (summer of ’64).
Some students have never heard of Sly & The Family Stone’s “Hot Fun in the Summertime,” ranked at number nine, so most of these summertime classics are remembered by teachers and parents.
Penny Fenning, English teacher, named a few of her favorite summer songs, which matched up with those on Entertainment Weekly’s list.
“The Beach Boys’ ‘I Get Around’ from the summer of ’64 was one of my favorites,” Fenning said.
Although Entertainment Weekly didn’t find them up to par, “Summer Breeze” by Seals and Crofts remains the favorite summer song of Tim Oberhelman, science teacher.
“Summer Breeze is a 1972 soft rock song, and it’s my favorite,” Oberhelman said.
The song has been covered by multiple artists and appeared in the 1993 film of “Dazed and Confused.”
Some students remember the classics such as The Doors’ “Light my Fire” or Madonna’s “Borderline,” but most only recognize artists from today, like Sublime and Bright Eyes.
“Whenever I listen to ‘Colorado Sunshine’ by 3OH!3, it really makes me think of summer,” Michelle Newton, junior, said.
Sean Streeter, junior, likes the song “Summer of ‘69” by Bryan Adams.
The song features lyrics such as “I got my first real six-string / Bought it at the five-and-dime / Played ‘til my fingers bled / It was summer of ’69.”
“If I had to pick one, that would definitely be my favorite song” Streeter said.
Nick Palacios, junior, favors lyrics featured in Sublime’s “Summertime.” These lyrics, “summertime and the livin’s easy” were also in a more classic summer song by ‘Progy and Bess,’ who wrote a song of the same name.
“It’s a really good song, something that I like to listen to,” Palacios said.
The lyrics of the Entertainment Weekly’s ‘Best Summer Songs of All Time’ list definitely remind anyone who listens to them of summer.
However some students aren’t listening to what adults consider “classic summer songs.” Instead of listening to The Beatles, teenagers are filling their ears with new lyrics by Katy Perry and We the Kings.
Still, each of these songs means something about summer to the students, and maybe something will happen over the summer to help these songs become new summer songs filled with memories.
by Seokwon Kim
“Robbin’ in the hood straight Robin Hood from the poor to the rich like I said I would,” these are lyrics from Jaw-zizzle, you might not have heard of him but I’m sure you have heard of Jacob Welander, senior.
Welander, a.k.a. Jaw-zizzle, isn’t exactly clear as to how all of this started.
To Welander, the beginning was when “one night at a friend’s house [he] hit record on the computer and just went off.”
Welander has written and recorded over 70 of his own rap songs in five albums.
The actual name of Jaw-zizzle originates from a combination of his initials for JAW and contrary to the opinion of any Latin teacher around, “zizzle” being Latin for “king of the playas.”
A similar artist that Welander has strong influences from is Weird Al Yankovic. To Welander and his music, Weird Al is his “Obi-wan,” a star wars reference to a figure that one respects and looks to for guidance.
With song titles such as “Try to Find the Deeper Meaning of this Song” and “The Magic Schoolbus Minus the Bus,” Welander maintains that he is rarely serious in his music and lifestyle as many of the songs are either parodies or make fun of something.
Welander says that nature is what inspires him most and he mediates for weeks on end before writing.
“My favorite album that I have made so far would have be ‘Ain’t Nothin’ but a Mobile Lizard,’” Welander said.
As to how people feel about his music, Welander explained that “some people like [his] music and some people think it’s stupid,” but being indifferent to the negative feedback, he plans on continuing the ongoing project for as long as his vocal chords are functional but just as a hobby and not as a potential career.
For one of his fans that have listened to his music, “Jaw-zizzle’s music is extremely imaginative and a lot better most of the mainstream rap offered today.”
The equipment that Welander uses to record and edit his music is simply a Rock Band microphone and a program on his computer called Audacity, which is pretty cheap and affordable, compared to some high quality recording machines.
Welander only writes and records the music every once in a while and as time-consuming as making music can be, Welander says that determination can really get the ball rolling and that it is worth it when people tell him they enjoy his songs.
Welander mentioned that the most random person that commented on his music was a listener from Sydney, Australia.
His next album that is coming out soon is titled “Why Stop When You Can Yield,” and can be found on MySpace and www.cllct.com/art/jawzizzle. Welander plans on attending Pitt State University, where he plans to major in broadcasting.
by Trevor James
In a time and place as eerie as this, there is very little that people can all agree on. But one thing that everyone has in common is a love of music. Unfortunately, music education programs have been among the many to suffer in the face of school district cutbacks.
Kansas has already cut over $200 million from its school districts in the past year. This district alone has cut $4.5 million from its budget this year, and more than 250 teachers have lost their positions in response to this.
“[Music classes are] a critical part of education,” Cynthia Sheppard, choir teacher, said. “They are one of the things that help us get in touch with the human side of ourselves.”
Sheppard went on to say that the discipline required in music courses draws from both the creative and organized sides of the brain, which is why many employers favor candidates who have taken music classes.
This is very true. In fact, students who take music classes have shown to be more likely than non-musicians to be admitted into medical school, maintain a higher G.P.A., score higher on tests, be less aggressive, and be less prone to future drug and alcohol abuse.
“Music is the international language that brings people together, and we don’t want to lose that,” Cameron Keeton, junior, said.
Keeton is one of over 400 students in the school who participate in band, orchestra, and choir. If all of these music classes were cut, it would certainly be quite devastating.
The Blue Valley school district has already taken steps in cutting music classes as a result of budget cutbacks, and many wonder if Olathe will soon follow suit.
Patricia All, superintendent for the Olathe school district, has proposed $10 million in reductions for the next school year.
Being forced to make difficult decisions in education cutbacks certainly is not an easy thing to do, but, state-of-the-economy-permitting, the school districts should be able to sustain a sufficient amount of money to support music programs.
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