Freshman Magazine by Northwest Passage

NW PASSAGE AUG 11, 2017 VOL. 49 FRESHMAN MAGAZINE

Upper Classman Advice

Inside Northwest

Top 10 Clubs at Northwest

Seniors advise incoming freshmen on how to succeed

Having trouble getting from first to second hour? Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s your guide to every room in the building

Start your search for your new home

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Freshman Magazine August 11, 2017 Vol. 49

6 8-9 12-13 OUR PURPOSE:

The purpose of the Northwest Passage is to relay important and interesting information to the community, administration and students of the Shawnee Mission Northwest High School. As a newsmagazine, the Northwest Passage will cater to the interests and concerns of the student body. Outside concerns and activities will only be covered if they somehow affect the school or students. The Northwest Passage is a 16-page newsmagazine. The paper will be distributed every four weeks during fourth hour. Subscriptions will be available to the community for $35. The Northwest Passage firmly supports the First Amendment and opposes censorship. The content of the newspaper will be determined and created by the entire staff. When questions concerning word choice, legal problems or ethics arise, the editorial board and adviser will discuss the problem to find the solution. In these cases, the editor-in-chief and editorial board will have the say in all decisions. Letters to the editor will be accepted and encouraged. The staff reserves the right to edit for grammatical mistakes, length and good taste. Letters may attack policy but not people. In no way will ideas or viewpoints be changed. The editor-in-chief and editorial board reserve the right to refuse any letter.

02 AUG. 11, 2017 | FRESHMAN MAGAZINE

Upper Classmen Advice Seniors advise incoming freshmen on how to succeed

Inside Northwest Having trouble getting from first to second hour? hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s your guide to every room in the building

Get Involved Start your search for your new home

Best Class I Ever Took Students reveal what classes have made their high school experience valuable

STAFF: PUBLICATION OVERSIGHT: Editor-in-Chief Editor-in-Chief

STAFF WRITERS: Jake Ditto Anastasia Kling Nicholas Lorino Karina Mejia Grajeda Sonni Meyers Sarah Milks Matthew Owens Samuel Rice Kaili Sitz Catherine Taggart

Cadence Elder Jack Lynch

CONTENT MANAGEMENT: Design Editor Photo Editor Copy Editor Copy Editor Ads Manager Online Copy Editor

Rachel Albers Maddy Manning Asher Norberg Samantha Joslin Will Gross Annalissa Houser

STAFF DESIGNER: Kennady Bustamonte

ADVISERS: Adviser Assistant Adviser

Susan Massy Wes Mikel

The Basics What students need to know to be a part of the cougar community + BY CADIE ELDER

Excused Absences:

Attendance Policy: Go to the attendance office if: - You are ten minutes or later to a class - To check out to leave school early for any reason - To check in after returning from an appointment or other absence

If you are absent: - Have a parent/guardian call the attendance office (913) 993-7245 and leave the student name, grade and reason for absence - All absences without a note or call are considered unexcused - Students are allowed 11 absences per school year. - Students are given double the amount of time they were absent to make up work. For example, if a student is gone for two days, they have four to make up the work and turn it in to the teacher.

Nurse’s Office:

- Illness - Serious illness or death of a family member - Participation in school-sponsored activity - Religious obligations - Emergency situation requiring immediate action

School Song:

Stand up we are the Northwest Cougars! Kings of mountain, plain and shore. We are the Shawnee Mission Cougars, May our minds and hearts triumphant soar. United stand we arm in arm, We raise our banners to the fore. Remember, we are Northwest Cougars. Cougars now and evermore!

The nurse’s office is available if a student has an injury or is feeling too sick to remain in class. The nurse will determine whether the student returns to class or is called out for the day. Students cannot be dismissed unless the nurse is able to reach their parents. If a student needs over the counter medication, a form must be filled out in order for the student to be able to take the medication at school.

Monday, Tuesday and Friday Hour 1: 7:40-8:30 a.m. Hour 2: 8:35-9:25 a.m. Hour 3: 9:35-10:25 a.m. Hour 4: 10:30-11:20 a.m. Hour 5: 11:25 a.m.-12:50 p.m. Hour 6: 12:55-1:45 p.m. Hour 7: 1:50-2:40 p.m.

Daily Schedule: Wednesday - Odd Block Hour 1: 7:40-9:05 a.m. Advisory: 9:10-9:40 a.m. Hour 3: 9:45-11:10 a.m. Hour 5: 11:15 a.m.-1:10 p.m. Hour 7: 1:15-2:40 p.m.

Administrators:

Administrators: Principal: Lisa Gruman Associate Principal: Eddie Lyday Associate Principal: Nancy Tynon Associate Principal: Jack Johnson Athletic Director: Angelo Giacalone

Office Staff:

Principal’s Secretary: Colleen Lauer (913) 993-7203 Receptionist: Dana Gulick (913) 993-7300 Attendance OffIce: Jamie Prosser (913) 993-7245 Athletic Office Secretary: Cheryl Horseman (913) 993-7400 Nurse’s Office: Cindy Alexander (913) 993-7216 Counseling Department: (913) 993-7230 Bookkeeper: Kathleen Nicholson (913) 993-7210

Thursday - Late Start/Even Block: Hour 2: 8:50-10:15 a.m. Seminar: 10:20-11:10 a.m. Hour 4: 11:15 a.m. - 1:10 p.m. Hour 6: 1:15-2:40 p.m.

NW PASSAGE | feature 03

GREAT EXPECTATIONS Read Chapters

11-13 for tomorr

Rumor VS Reality Leave all previous conceptions behind

You can use electronics freely during class It’s easy to be distracted by technology, especially with laptops at your disposal. But, trust me: you’ll regret playing slither.io or checking Snapchat instead of paying attention by the time semester grades come out. Cell phones might be far more interesting than a lecture, but it’s disrespectful to ignore your teacher’s lessons, not to mention harmful to your grades.

Popularity matters The things that make you cool in high school won’t matter after graduation. Popularity is an invisible social construct; your focus should be on finding people who accept you and make you feel at home. Once students are engulfed into Northwest, they tend to forget about the “popular group.” And another thing – nobody notices one person quite as much as teens think they do. Nobody really notices when someone wears the same shirt after *gasp* only a week, and frankly nobody cares either.

School isn’t enjoyable High school is, admittedly, the necessary evil of all adolescent lives. However, it isn’t intrinsically awful. Classes might be harder, but they’re also more interesting; there’s an abundance of new faces to get to know; you’ll experience new freedoms that you didn’t have as a middle schooler. You can join classes like KUGR or theater where students are allowed to be more independent. Give yourself a chance to enjoy school, and you might be surprised.

Brands matter What you wear matters, the brands you wear, the shoes you strut, the backpack you carry. That is quite false. Your peers will not show you any different affection just because you don’t wear Sperry’s and Vineyard Vines shirts and khaki pants. Your appearance does not matter as much as people say it does in the world of high school. So don’t fret if you don’t have the brand new pair of Jordans or the new Beats that come out.

04 AUG. 11, 2017 | FRESHMAN MAGAZINE

+ BY SAMANTHA JOSLIN & ANASTASIA KLING

High school is harder than middle school High school is much harder than middle school, but don’t let that scare you. If you take time to study and ask your teachers for help when needed, you won’t have a problem. However, high school isn’t a place where students can succeed without doing work outside of class.

You’ll make new friends in high-school Northwest is full of students with unique interests, and there’s a place for everyone here. You’ll meet a ton of new people, and your first year is the perfect time to form new friendships. It’s normal to drift away from middle school friends, and getting involved will lead to forming friendships with new people.

Respecting your school is cool Northwest will be your home for the next four years, and you should take pride in that. Don’t be afraid to show school spirit by participating in spirit weeks and chanting “freshmen, freshmen!” during assemblies. Respect the teachers, janitors and upperclassmen, and attend football games and other events like the Freshmen Mixer and Bonfire.

Procrastination makes things harder This has to be one of the most commonly spoken rules of high school, and that’s because it’s true. Don’t procrastinate on doing your homework; use your class time, and you won’t have as much homework at the end of the day. Some people tell horror stories of several hours of homework each night, while some students never have more than an hour — either way, working in class and not waiting until the last minute will decrease your workload.

GREAT EXPECTATIONS Read Chapters

11-13 for tomorr

Rumor VS Reality Leave all previous conceptions behind

04 AUG. 11, 2017 | FRESHMAN MAGAZINE

+ BY SAMANTHA JOSLIN & ANASTASIA KLING

THE TRANSITIONAL PHASE Now is your chance to discover what you love

+ By Asher Norberg

iddle school is over. Freshman year is the beginning. A new school, new people and new opportunities. Drop your expectations at the door, because with new freedoms come new responsibilities, and whether you like it or not, high school is where you set yourself up for the rest of your life. You discover what you like and what you do not like; you discover people you love and people you wish would transfer to another school. High school is your last chance to be a kid and your first chance to be an adult. While you may not know what you want to do with the rest of your life, high school is the starting point. It is a little bit scary, being 14 and thinking about how you are going to make a living for the rest of your existence, but do not worry. There are a wide array of extracurriculars and advanced classes available at Northwest that make it easy to find things that interest you, and could translate into a career down the road. On the off chance that there isn’t a club that piques your interest, you can always grab

a couple friends and a sponsor and start your own. This is the time to explore every possibility, every interest. Believe me, it can get frustrating. You are stuck in a transitional phase. It’s this weird gray space between being treated like a child but expected to act like an adult. You are expected to sit and work for seven hours of the day, but still must ask to use the restroom. However annoying this phase may seem, it is for your own good. You cannot grow as a person without change, and high school offers plenty of that. The choices you make, the moments you have, and the people you meet will be with you for the rest of your life. None of us wants to look back on our high school experience and realize we wasted four years. It is imperative to a positive high school experience that you find your area of interest, get involved and be open to what’s to come. You never know who could come back to be a part of your life later down the road.

DIVE IN Becoming an involved student is key to success at Northwest

+ By Annalissa Houser

o, it is not like High School Musical. All those cheesy high school movies about cliques and the “popular” girls, that really all goes down in middle school. Middle school is hard for all of us: not enough time to find a place, but too much time to not have a place. And it will get better. If middle school is a lake, then Northwest is a sea. It clearly houses more classrooms than the average middle school, which is not so bad once you learn the pattern to them, but more importantly there are hundreds more students. There are so many close friends that I would have never met if it was not for getting involved at Northwest. I have also had the chance to become closer to friends by taking part in the same activities as them, such as French Club and Yoga Club. Principal Lisa Gruman is not lying when she says that Northwest has a home for everyone. I will always recommend signing up for every club

that sounds interesting, even if none of your friends want to do it with you. Not knowing anyone in a certain activity can seem daunting, but it will help you to expand the borders of your friend group. Chances are, you are not going to walk out of high school with the same people you walked in with. Right now, four years probably seems like a long time. In reality, it is not. It is what every senior says just before they graduate: “high school flew by”. Try not to let any one of those years be wasted trying to impress the whole school. It is not possible. The best way to begin these next four years is to dive in head first. There will always be students that think they are too cool to go to sign up for clubs, audition for plays, go out for sporting teams or dress up for spirit week. But to be honest, those are the freshmen that the other grades roll their eyes at. So the next time someone says “get involved”, listen to them.

NW PASSAGE | Opinion 05

THE TRANSITIONAL PHASE Now is your chance to discover what you love

+ By Asher Norberg

DIVE IN Becoming an involved student is key to success at Northwest

+ By Annalissa Houser

NW PASSAGE | Opinion 05

"Be kind to everyone you meet, you'll be spending the next four years with some of these people"

- senior Rachel Lee

Seniors advise incoming freshmen on how to succeed at Northwest + COMPILED BY ASHER NORBERG & SAMANTHA JOSLIN & ANASTASIA KLING

“I’d say that if you want to do something, do it. That goes for everyone, but I’ve seen so many freshman pass up on sports or clubs or fun opportunities because they think it will take up too much time and they end up regretting it. If you have an idea, share it. If you want to talk to someone new, do it. If you want to try out, do it. But if you want to stand in the middle of the hallway, please don’t do it.” - senior Payton Bennett

“Find a group of people to form your support system. It’s hard to go through high school by yourself” - senior Abigail Terrel

“Don’t take the time you spend at Northwest for granted because it will go by much faster than you think.” — senior Brianna Long

“Make sure to eat breakfast every morning. It sounds super parent-y but the classes right before lunch are made much less effective if you are hungry. Breakfast food is also amazing. - senior Julian Kuffour

06 AUG.11, 2017 | FRESHMAN MAGAZINE

“Be yourself, try your hardest in class, and enjoy the ride. Northwest is a melting pot of all types of people so you have no need to try to fit in, actually listen in class because this is your chance to learn and prepare yourself for college, and have fun.” - senior Cassie Gomer

“1) make as many friends as possible and put others before yourself. 2) Competitiveness has a tendency to develop wildly in high school, and it can sometimes be a good thing, but if you stay humble and don’t let it get out of control, you’ll have the time of your life these next four years.” - senior Porter Volk

“Don’t make things hard for the teachers or get on their bad side early because you never know if you’ll have that teacher in the future.” - senior Reid Stimach “Don’t procrastinate, get involved and don’t be afraid to meet new people. Study for your tests!” - senior Ellaina Mendez

UNSPOKEN rules

WRITE DOWN ALL IMPORTANT PASSWORDS

ALWAYS

h ave a pen or pencil and paper. DO NOT PLAY GAMES DURING CLASS

z z z

CHARGE YOUR COMPUTER

EVERY NIGHT.

Walk the side the

Participate in school spirit weeks and assemblies.

DO NOT CROWD THE HALLWAYS TO TALK.

PDA

in the hallways

on right of hallway.

PAY ATTENTION WHILE WALKING IN THE HALLWAYS

Do not speed through the parking lot after school

LL RINGS.

DO NOT CUT OTHERS IN THE LUNCH LINE.

EFORE T

O DO N T PAC K

B P U

NW PASSAGE | feature 07

INSIDE NORTHWWEST Stairs

WATER BOTTLE FOUNTAINS The water bottle refill stations have made refilling bottles easier and more efficient. They also prevent unnecessary plastic bottles from going into landfills. 12 of them were installed last year and are mostly located next to bathrooms.

Stairs

Mall Stairs

Stairs

08 AUG. 11, 2017 | Vol. 49

HAVING TROUBLE GETTING FROM FIRST TO SECOND HOUR? HEREâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S YOUR GUIDE TO EVRY ROOM IN THE BUILDING Important LOCATIONS

THE MALL: The central socializing spot on campus located between the office and main student entrance doors right next to the cafeteria. This area is very popular before and after school along with during passing periods. This is also where special Northwest events such as cappuccino day, crepe sale and new club day take place.

N M THE CAFETERIA: The NW cafeteria is set up with four different options. 1. One option is walking through the left side doors of the cafeteria; this is where full meals are served that change daily. 2. On the right side is the a la carte line that serves chicken and hamburgers, among other similar things. 3. A Pizza Hut pizza cart is located in the mall. 4.On the side cafeteria across from the main gym you can get cookies, sandwiches and other snack items.

SHORTCUTS:

The bathrooms connect the hallways so that you do not have to walk around the corner to get to your next class. Instead you just walk through the bathroom. While it might seem weird at first it can save you time and stress of being late to your next class.

TEACHER OFFICES: Each department at Northwest has an office, from Math, to Career Tech Ed, to English. This is where you can find teachers if they are not in their classroom to get extra help or make up an assignment.

ROOMS I, K, AND L: These are all rooms located downstairs and each serve a purpose. I is the weight room, K is the ISS room, and L is the copy room. Also located in the basement are roomâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s N and M which are the health room, a required class to graduate.

NW PASSAGE | feature 09

Attend the annual Bonfire to kick off the year.

Check the index of your yearbook every year to see how many times you are in it.

Go to the Freshman Mixer at the start of the year. Get to know some new classmates and maybe you can make a few new friends.

Perform an original spoken word poem in front of the school at the annual Poetry Slam.

Join one of the numerous clubs at Northwest. Get involved.

Try out for a sport; you could surprise yourself by your hidden abilities.

Attend at least one event for every sport.

Get your picture taken with all of your friends at the photo booth set up in the spring. Some of these images will appear in the 2018 yearbook.

Watch a forensics competition.

Dress up every day for each spirit week.

Perform in the annual talent show.

Go to After Prom for a chance to win a prize by playing games and spending your tickets.

Lead an elementary school class on tour of the enviro. lab for Environmental Education.

Attend school plays and musicals, and be sure to hang around to congratulate the cast afterward.

Walk through the art gallery in the mall and the art hall to see the works of fellow students.

Participate in the Adopt-a-Tot event with your fourth hour class during the winter to throw a party and give presents to a local child in need.

Audition to be in the cast or sign up to be on a technical crew for a play or musical.

Attend the College Clinic at Shawnee Mission East in October to learn about local colleges.

Volunteer to help with Student Council’s Halloween Carnival.

Help make a Homecoming float to outdo all the others.

Dance along with the drumline when they march through the halls before school.

Buy as much spirit wear as you can at Back-ToSchool Night to show your Cougar pride.

Opt out of a final by maintaining an A and taking the AP test for that class.

Persuade a teacher to teach class outside.

10 AUG. 11, 2017 | Vol. 49

Attend the choir’s Final Forté concert in May.

THINGS TO DO BEFORE YOU GRADUATE Junior or senior year, sign up to participate in Powder Puff football (for the girls), or Powder Puff volleyball (for the guys).

Attend the annual rock concert performed by the orchestras in February

Junior or senior year, take Cougar Community Commitment (CCC) and spend class periods helping out elementary schools or nursing homes.

Perform in a class skit at an assembly.

Make a point of meeting a foreign exchange student.

Find the 49 Waldos hidden in the hall murals.

Go to the last home game of the football season to see the Marching Cougar Pride Light Show performance.

Buy a rose for your crush from Prom Committee and have it delivered on Valentineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day.

Go to every school dance.

Go to a state game on the spirit bus.

Try out to be a NW Cougar mascot.

Get retweeted by @NWmedia

Watch the seminar show during TCB on every Wednesday

Go to Muckfest at Theater in the Park.

Got junk? Donate it to StuCoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Garage Sale during second semester.

Be a part of the Robotics Club and the team that creates a competition robot.

Go out for open lunch as a senior

Attend Spring Special, a dance showcase the Drill Team puts on in May.

Take a College Now class, and receive college credit through JCCC by passing with a B or better.

Help your class win the Spirit Stick at an assembly.

Buy a photo from smnwphotos.com.

Participate in White Board Wednesday during lunch and share what you love about yourself on social media.

Find a place where you feel like you belong at Northwest. Find your home.

NW PASSAGE | feature 11

TOP 10 CLUBS AT NORTHWEST Student Council

Sponsor: Sarah Dent Student Body President Porter Volk The quintessential high school club is Student Council.

This club organizes events like Homecoming, the dodgeball tournament, Adopt-A-Tot, and Orange Army t-shirt sales as well as the talent show, two carnivals and more. Student leaders run a variety of schoolsponsored events to benefit the student body, various faculty members and the community. “It is such a good feeling to perfectly execute an event and to have that sense of satisfaction from pleasing the rest of the student body or helping the community,” student body president Porter Volk said. “I’m quite biased, but running for Student Council was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I hope plenty of the freshmen take the same risk that all of us currently serving have already taken.”

KUGR

Sponsor: Billy Dent Executive Producers: Jacob Cobler, Eric Maxon, Allan Rodriguez & Daniel Vargas

STUDENT BODY PRESIDENT PORTER VOLK GIVES A SPEECH PRIOR TO THE ELECTION MARCH 2. PHOTO BY BRYCE REX

In KUGR, students create journalistic or informative videos and compile them for the school in the seminar show every month. In addition to the informative pieces, staffers also get a chance to make creative videos ranging from the somewhat serious, to music videos, to the untethered from reality “Molly Born fan club” series starring NW track star Molly Born. “KUGR, to me, is a place to come and be yourself and express your creative ideas,” Executive Producer Jacob Cobler said.

Journalism

Sponsor: Susan Massy Newspaper Editors-in-Chief: Cadence Elder & Jack Lynch Yearbook Editors-In-Chief: Kaylee Oakerson & Halli Said Photo Editors: Maya Lee, Maddy Manning & Piper Scheurman Students interested in writing, design, photography or leadership opportunities should consider journalism. Students can join The Lair yearbook staff, The Northwest Passage newspaper staff or photojournalism to take pictures for both publications. Students must try out in the spring to join the photojournalism class. Students who want to join the newspaper staff must take 21st Century Journalism (2nd hour). Yearbook (6th hour) has no prerequisite but is currently full. “Freshman should get involved with journalism because it introduces you to life-long friends and teaches you so much. It is a great way to get involved,” Yearbook Editor-in-Chief Halli Said said.

12 AUG. 11, 2017 | Vol. 49

MEMBERS OF THE MARCHING COUGAR PRIDE PErFORM AT HALFTIME PRIOR TO THE LIGHTSHOW PERFORMANCE. PHOTO BY ABBIE ROBERTS

Interact

Sponsor: Jan Berg Club president Abriel Jarrett

Interact Club helps individuals locally and worldwide through community service programs. Locally, the club builds ramps for disabled individuals’ homes and packages thousands of week-long meal plans to benefit families in need. Internationally, members went to Panama and Guatemala over the summer to build water filters for those without access to clean water. “Joining [Interact] as a freshman was really intimidating because none of my friends joined with me, but [members] welcomed me and I made many new friends,” president Abriel Jarrett said. “The work that Interact does throughout the community and in foreign countries is really inspiring and a big part of who I am.”

Debate/Forensics Sponsors: Kenneth King & Julianne London If you love to poke logical holes in the arguments of others, if you like hanging out with other students who will challenge your thinking, Debate will be your new home here. Debate students participate in tournaments throughout first semester and have work nights every Tuesday after school until the end of the season. This club is also a class. If you are more into expressive reading, a comedian or actor, consider Forensics. Like Debate students, Forensics students compete on weekends but throughout second semester and have work nights every Tuesday after school. “[Debate has] made me a much more effective advocate for my beliefs and has got me attention from colleges I otherwise wouldn’t be able to attend,” secretary Julian Kuffor said.

MARCHING BAND

Sponsor: Doug Talley Drum Majors: Sophia Hollman, Lauren Klein & Evan Wapp The Marching Cougar Pride performs at every home football game as well as competes against area marching bands two-three times during first semester. The group practices before school most days of the week, just prior to their first hour class. This year’s halftime show is “Imagine,” based on “Pure Imagination” from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. “Marching band has given me so many friends and great experiences,” drum major Sophia Hollman said. “I can look forward to a great morning at school with marching band starting my day.”

+BY Jack Lynch

Rebel

Sponsor: Ben Pabst Rebel Board member Meaghan Clarey REbeL promotes body positivity. They accomplish this through activities at meetings, the annual walk to REbeL, their “Be You” Week in the spring, Compliment Cookies and more. Every Wednesday, the club hosts Whiteboard Wednesday in the cafeteria during lunch, giving students and staff a chance to show what they love about themselves. “At REbeL, we try to make an environment that allows for open discussion about body image problems, but, more importantly, ways to accept your body whether you’re male or female,” REbeL board member Meaghan Clarey said.

DECA

Sponsor: Beth Johnstone Club president To Be Announced Distributive Education Clubs of America, or DECA, promotes leadership, marketing, management, hospitality and financial skills in high school. Members attend meetings and competitions and, during junior and senior year, students can join marketing to sell ads for the newspaper. “It’s always difficult to describe what DECA is,” 2015-17 club president Sara Babcock said. “Students who are in DECA learn life skills about business, including interview skills. The competitions involve fast pace on your feet role-playing.”

REbeL MEMBERS DISCUSS WAYS TO ADDRESS AND RESPOND TO NEGATIVE TALK THAT OCCURS WITH THEIR PEERS. SENIOR KATIE LEMMING GIVES HER ADVICE TO THE GROUP. PHOTO BY SIDNEY HENKENSIEFKEN. SENIOR MADDIE MUNSEY PERFORMS AS NURSE KELLY IN HARVEY. THE PLAY FOCUSED ON A MAN WHO WAS ABLE TO SEE A GIANT WHITE RABBIT THAT NO ONE ELSE COULD. PHOTO BY SKYLER BROGAN

Spirit Club

Sponsor: Kiera O’Boyle & Morgan Johnson Club President Abriel Jarrett Spirit Club, in all the high school movies, makes posters, speaks about school spirit and pumps up the crowd at assemblies. At Northwest, it’s no different. Prior to assemblies, Spirit Club paints banners, plans Spirit Weeks throughout the year, puts on assemblies and select spirit judges among other things. “Spirit Club is my way of giving back to NW,” club president Abriel Jarrett said. “The past three years have been so fun. I want to make our senior year the best yet, with fun new events and awesome assemblies that everyone will enjoy. This year we are really emphasizing ‘people’s choice’ and incorporating more of the student body’s opinion.”

The Greg Parker Auditorium houses a wide variety of events over the course of the school year, most notably the multiple plays and musicals put on by Thespian Troupe #888. Members of the troupe build and design sets, control the lighting and sound as well as act in shows. In the Repertory theatre class, students have the opportunity to write and direct shows of their own. “Theater is an amazing way to express yourself and open yourself up to new people,” president Maddie Munsey said. “It teaches you things that many other [clubs] can’t. It’s a way to gain public speaking skills, work ethic and confidence, among other things.”

Sponsor: Keli Rodgers Troupe President Maddie Munsey

Thespian troupe #888 NW PASSAGE | feature 13

BACK ON THAT GRIND

What you need to know about sports for the upcoming season

By MATT OWENS

JUMPING AT THE NET, ANNIE CONNOR (CLASS OF 2017) TIPS THE VOLLEYBALL TO BV NORTH IN THE AUX GYM SEPT 15. PHOTO BY MADDY MANNING

Volleyball SENIOR MICHAEL SCOTT APPROACHES THE FINISH LINE AT THE JCCC INVITATIONAL OCT. 1. PHOTO BY SHELBY BEAUMONT

Coach— Susan Specht spechtsusan@gmail.com

Cross Country

Last year’s record 16-22 Postseason—State tournament pool play

Coach— Van Rose nwrose@smsd.org Postseason Team- Boys’ 8th, Girls’ 4th at state meet Postseason Indv- Boys’: James Lang, 11th and Michael Scott, 14th; Girls’: Molly Born, State Champion, Camille Henderson, 25th. Advice— ”I would tell them to talk to as many people as they can. Cross country has some great people and getting to know all of them is one of the best parts of it.” —junior Abby Winter

Football

Gymnastics

Last year’s record 1-8 Postseason— Lost to SM East in first round of regionals.

Postseason Team— 7th at state tournament Postseason Indv: All Around - Celeste Gordon,14th; Balance Beam - Celeste Gordon, 13th; Floor - Ellen Schnacker, 30th; Bars - Celeste Gordon, 18th; Vault Zoe Kopp, 13th.

Coach— Bo Black nwblack@smsd.org

Advice— “I would say stay in the weight room throughout your four years of high school because it is a very physical game when you get to the higher level. Also stay dedicated, work hard and don’t take it for granted because the four years truly fly by.” —coach Bo Black

Girls’ Golf

Coach— Aaron Sayers nwsayers@smsd.org Postseason— Team did not qualify for state tournament Postseason Indv- Cassie Gomer, 29th, Sidney Henkensiefken, 69th at state Advice— “Don’t get discouraged. Golf is a lot harder than it seems. It takes constructive practice, lots of focus and dedication. It is one of those sports where you have good days and bad days. It is only natural to want to give up sometimes, but I promise if you stick with it, you will see the results you have been working so hard for.” —senior Cassie Gomer

14 AUG.11, 2017 | FRESHMAN MAGAZINE

Advice—“I think I would tell freshman to work as hard as they can every day. Also to enjoy the whole experience because you can make some of the best friends you’ll have through volleyball.” —senior Sabrina Creason

Coach— Jessie Rood jrood42@gmail.com

Advice— “Don’t be afraid to showcase what you’ve got and to really give it your all, because this is all about fun.” —junior Zoe Kopp

DREW VANDER LEEST (CLASS OF 2017) DRIBBLES PAST A BVHS DEFENDER. PHOTO BY BRYCE REX

Girls’ Tennis Coach— Morgan Johnson nwjohnson@smsd.org Postseason Team— 7th at state tournament Postseason Indv- Lilly Oliver and Tamerra Horton, 4th in doubles Advice—“All freshmen should give it a try. It is a no cut sport and you don’t have to have any experience with tennis to play. No one will judge you and everyone has so much fun throughout the season.” —senior Melissa Schmidt

Boys’ Soccer Coach— Todd Boren nwboren@smsd.org Last year’s record 10-6 Postseason— Loss in first round of regionals to West 1-0. Advice—“Don’t overthink tryouts too much, just go out there and play.” —senior Michael Filsinger

“I love english, especially when we study poetry. I love the romanticism period and the gothic period and when we work on that I get super stoked.” - senior Maree Corradino

“Photography, because it is one of my favorite hobbies and I enjoy the things we did in the class. My favorite thing was the photo scavenger hunt and I drove all around Kansas City to find the things on the list. Plus,I met some interesting people in that class.” - senior Hayley Schaefer

“It would definitely have to be choir, of course. Just the atmosphere as soon as I walked in on the first day — it seriously felt like home. It is a time where I have no worries or cares. Everyone within the choir is a person I consider family.” - senior Alyssa Mendoza

“ If I had to choose just one favorite it would have to be Orchestra, The teacher, Dr. Jeffrey Bishop, is one of the greatest teachers I’ve ever met. He cares about his students; in fact, he has even created a safe place for them in his class where nobody can judge. I love his class because I love music and it is a nice thing to learn and it is calming and fun, not to mention relaxing. The kids in Orchestra make the class a lot better because we are all a bunch of goof balls and we love and respect our teacher because he gives us a great experience.” — junior Keyon Jackson

“Gifted because Ms. Morrison helped me realize I wanted to do the IB Diploma program and helped me get on the path to being able to that the classes I needed to take.” — senior Camden Obertop “My favorite class would have to be Foundations of Law, Schaufler made it really enjoyable and if someone was failing in the class she did whatever she could to make that person succeed and pass the class. So, overall, it is a highly recommended class to take.” - junior Jackie McKay

THE BEST CLASS I EVER TOOK

“Symphonic Band with Miss Snead—it’s incredibly engaging, I’ve met most of my friends through band, and I just look forward to working with all of the talented people in that class every day.” - senior Jackson Brogan “ Honors English with Mr. Pabst. I loved the novels we read that year as well as the other short stories. Mr. Pabst created such a wonderful environment.” — senior Maddie Munsey “ AP Physics 1. It is one of the most challenging classes at this school but it’s just so much fun. You’ll experience just about every emotion, both positive and negative, when taking this class. As Stigge would say, ‘I think you all secretly enjoy the torture.” —senior Cameron Akagi “ IB Film. Going into it I was a little nervous because, while I had an interest in learning about films, I thought that I was going to be surrounded by all of these film buffs who would make me feel really dumb. However, that was not the case. Mr. Dent is one of the most relatable and encouraging teachers at Northwest. It really changes the way you watch movies and helps (you) better understand what the directors wants you to feel. The analysis we do in film has carried over into my other classes. You start to understand how people convey meaning through different mediums, and it’s a beautiful thing.” ” —senior Skyler Ford “Spanish 3 and 4 with Mr. Murphy. The way he engaged the class was honestly so fun. I enjoyed the moments I had in that class because I felt like I was truly learning something useful.” —senior Mihir Shroff

“AP European History. I love history in general but this class challenged me and made me look at situations from all different points of view. It was cool to look at all the different art and architecture and how it has changed over time and how it is significant. AP Euro was the first class that made me really appreciate history.” —senior Elizabeth Clarey

Students reveal what classes have made their high school experience valuable + BY ANASTASIA KLING

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Try going out of your comfort zone. The opportunities that are available when you explore new options are endless and you won’t regret trying it out. ” — SENIOR GIA VARGAS