O holy sale

Jeffrey Tangney | Copy Editor The Christmas season kicked off with a bang on Black Friday. Or did it start on magenta Saturday? Was it Blue and Pink Friday? Camo Thursday? Green Tuesday? All the crazy color-coded Christmas specials (yes these are all real gimmicks put in place this year) make it easy to remember that Christmas is about the presents and stimulating the economy. Wait, that can’t be right. Yes, the commercialization of Christmas and the crazy schemes retailers use to lure customers make the true meaning of Christmas and the real dates of Christmas seem trivial compared to the money-saving deals on Black Friday. The realization that the holidays have become less about…

Tweeting teen’s rights infringed

Collegio Editorial In November, Emma Sullivan, a high school senior from Shawnee Mission participated in a Youth in Government program that involved a speech from Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback. Apparently unimpressed, as the governor spoke, she tweeted “Just made mean comments at gov. brownback and told him he sucked, in person #heblowsalot.” Although Sullivan said she was “just joking with friends,” Brownback’s staff contacted the Youth in Government program, which contacted Sullivan’s school. Sullivan was verbally disciplined at school and told to send Brownback an apology letter. It is the opinion of the Collegio that Shawnee Mission East, as a public school, has no authority over students’ conduct outside of school, especially when it pertains…

Higher E-ducation

No pressure, no problem by Ellen Wieberg Many people struggle with the typical classroom setting for various personal reasons. Some may become bored with lectures instead of being personally involved in their work, some may have full-time jobs with children at home and no time set aside to go to a scheduled class every other day, and then there are plenty of people who just can’t focus with the distractions a classroom presents such as your cute lab partner or the guy behind you who won’t stop smacking his gum. Whatever the reason, students see many benefits to online classes. The convenience of having your coursework online, by your side at all times, is one…