The Harbinger

The Harbinger The Shawnee Mission East community's number one source for breaking news and award-winning coverage. Dow Tate, the paper has won numerous national awards.

The Harbinger is the exclusive student-run newspaper of Shawnee Mission East High School in Prairie Village. Staffed by approximately 70 dedicated super-students and overseen by adviser C.

01/09/2026

The Shawnee Mission School District held their annual journalism showcase at the Center for Academic Achievement on Jan. 7. Students a part of their high school journalism program showcased their work to faculty, parents and other students.

The boys varsity basketball team will play SM North at SM East at 7 P.M.
01/09/2026

The boys varsity basketball team will play SM North at SM East at 7 P.M.



Whoosh. Crunch. Whirl.A flash of color flies past me, and I am immediately transported to the far away and imaginative w...
01/08/2026

Whoosh. Crunch. Whirl.

A flash of color flies past me, and I am immediately transported to the far away and imaginative world of Pandora. 

The bright dragon-like bodies of ikran continue to fill the screen as I grab a second bite of perfectly buttered popcorn and settle in to watch the third Avatar movie, “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” released Dec.19.

To read more, click the link in bio.


Since third grade, I have been waiting to see the downfall of Demogorgons, the Mind Flayer and the Upside Down. Even tho...
01/06/2026

Since third grade, I have been waiting to see the downfall of Demogorgons, the Mind Flayer and the Upside Down. Even though these graphic creatures would scare me through my television and cause many nightmares in 2016, I still loved the show “Stranger Things.” 

So, the Christmas present I was most excited to receive this year was three more episodes of “Stranger Things” season five. Yes, I should’ve been spending time with my family on Christmas Day. However, at 7 p.m., when Volume Two of the three-part season was released, I was comfortably set up on my living room couch, TV remote in hand. 

However, any excitement I had for this gift was crushed, like opening a present you’re sure is a new phone, only to find it’s a pair of socks. I stayed up far past my usual 11 p.m. bedtime to watch the three-hour-long episodes, but they were underwhelming. 

To read more, click the link in bio.



photos courtesy of IMDb

The Overland Park Racquet Club debuted their new AI-powered Electric Line Calling system for the first time in the Boys ...
12/29/2025

The Overland Park Racquet Club debuted their new AI-powered Electric Line Calling system for the first time in the Boys 18 National Tennis Tournament. The system was used in games from Nov. 28 to Dec. 1 after the club earned approval from the United States Tennis Association.

The system acts as a line judge, determining if a ball is hit in or out of bounds. Usually, line judges are simply an appointed umpire or the players themselves: humans, not machines.

If there is a disagreement between players about where a ball landed, they can challenge the call by checking the tablet on the side of the court that determines the exact spot the ball landed.

To read more, click the link in bio.



Sheryl Kaplan is an influential figure in the SHARE community. To read more, click the link in bio. photos courtesy...
12/27/2025

Sheryl Kaplan is an influential figure in the SHARE community.

To read more, click the link in bio.




photos courtesy of SME Hauberk & Pixabay

Senior Skyler Niang-Trost watches “Jeopardy” whenever it’s on, trying to keep his mind sharp, and builds up his enduranc...
12/26/2025

Senior Skyler Niang-Trost watches “Jeopardy” whenever it’s on, trying to keep his mind sharp, and builds up his endurance on the stationary bike in his basement.

His older brother and SM East alum, Trevin, has carried a map and compass in hand since he was little, always marking their location on family roadtrips.

Together, the two’s mental, physical and navigational skills make for the perfect team on their family’s favorite show, “The Amazing Race” — a TV series where duos compete in mental and physical challenges while traveling around the globe to an unknown finish line.

To read more, click the link in bio.



It’s the week before winter break, and you can see it.Students’ eyes are glazing over in the hallway and during class. Y...
12/23/2025

It’s the week before winter break, and you can see it.

Students’ eyes are glazing over in the hallway and during class. Yes, they’re sleep-deprived and consumed by the ever-looming threat of finals, but they’re also thinking about crowded holiday dinners surrounded by their families.

Here are stories about four meals students enjoyed over Thanksgiving break or will be indulging in over winter break.

To read more, click the link in bio.




12/22/2025

“Woohoo!” yelled a man who sped by me in his go-kart. I just got lapped.

I laid my heavy foot on the gas pedal, propelling myself around a tight corner. The sound of rubber burning against the track filled my ears.

“If everything seems under control, you’re not going fast enough,” the quote on the wall from Mario Andretti, the namesake of the Andretti Indoor Karting & Games in Overland Park that opened on Nov. 18., rang throughout my mind.

To read more, click the link in bio.




What started as a group of close friends slowly including a game of basketball into their hangouts, soon led to one idea...
12/20/2025

What started as a group of close friends slowly including a game of basketball into their hangouts, soon led to one idea: creating a league where they could all play each other. The Great American Basketball League — GABL made that possible for them.

The GABL is a recreational youth basketball program that allows players to create their own teams and schedule games wherever the program offers space to play. GABL gives kids ranging from first grade to high school a chance to play basketball, develop skills and enjoy the sport. 

As basketball season approaches, a group of sophomore boys formed four teams — Ho***rs Elite, Sauced Elite, Montferrand Academy and Kings — to play against each other throughout the league. 

To read more, click the link in bio.




French 4 baked Bûche de Noëls, also known as Yule Logs, in teams to be judged by French 6 students on Dec. 8.To read mor...
12/18/2025

French 4 baked Bûche de Noëls, also known as Yule Logs, in teams to be judged by French 6 students on Dec. 8.

To read more, click the link in bio.





The familiar mix of suspense, nostalgia and unease settles in as I click the play button on Netflix at exactly 7 p.m. fo...
12/18/2025

The familiar mix of suspense, nostalgia and unease settles in as I click the play button on Netflix at exactly 7 p.m. for Stranger Things season five. As the “New season” sign on the series cover opens, the giant Netflix logo pops up on my screen with the memorable “tu-dum” sound.

The first episode picks up 18 months after the final events of season four, as the show’s rag-tag team deals with the after-effects of the “destruction” of last season’s villain, Vecna.

New and unsettling events ripple through the town, with weird occurrences resurfacing, including demogorgons attacking people and children going missing. All hinting that something dangerous, and possibly even worse than Vecna, will appear.

To read more, click the link in bio.



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