MAGAZINE FRESHMAN Aug 11, 2022 NW PASSAGE
Go SMNW Cougars! 13139 Shawnee Mission Pkwy Shawnee, Ks. 66216 erin@insurewitherin com www.insurewitherin.com business: (913)648 1100 fax: (913)648 8750 Erin Barrett, Agent, CLU, ChFC
smnw.com CONTENTS THE NORTHWEST PASSAGE FRESHMANAUGMAGAZINEVOL.5411,2022
Freshman Greta Grist and senior Sophia McCraney discuss anxieties about going into a new school and wondering what’s so special about senior year respectively. With her hands in the air, junior Katie Patrick conducts the Star Spangled Banner July 29 on the Northwest football feld. While conducting, Patrick keeps her shoulders and thumbs relaxed. “I feel absolutely honored to be the junior drum major,” Patrick said. “Marching band has always held a special place in my heart ever since I watched my brother in high school.”
4 columns
PUBLICATION OVERSIGHT Editor-In-Chief Grace Logan Editor-In-Chief Veronica Meiss CONTENT MANAGEMENT Co-Copy Editor Morgan Tate Co-Copy Editor Izak Zeller Photo Editor Sophia McCraney Photo Editor Evan Johnson Asst. Photo Editor Ashley Broils Asst. Photo Editor Kara Simpso n WRITERS Zadie ElainaTenpennyHammes DESIGNERS Ellie GretaZellerGrist ADVISER Susan Massy + cover design by Sophia McCraney back to school fashion Two student fashionistas share their secrets, their ways of expression and their chic outfits 5 map A complete map of Northwest6 new year, new staff With every new year comes a new batch of different teachers to get to know 8 new and improved After a year of construction, the mall is ready to be used by the student body 10 we heard you Freshmen share their expectations and seniors respond with what really happens at high school 11 student spotlight Four students share what makes them tick and what they do for the school community 14 MAGAZINE FRESHMAN Aug 11, 2022 NW PASSAGE From left to right: Collin Salzsieder, Emily Ersery, Zadie Tenpenny, Jennifer Portugeuz, Mallory O’Neal, Cash-Rule,CollierSophia Ellison OUR PASSAGE
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.Asanews magazine, 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 news magazine. The paper will be distributed monthly as possible. Subscriptions will be available to the community for $25. 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 power to make the final decision. Le ers to the editor will be accepted and encouraged. The staff reserves the right to edit for grammatical mistakes, length and good taste. Le ers may a ack 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 le er.
+ photo by Evan Johnson
FIRST JITTERSDAY
August 25: StuCo Elections Make sure you vote for your fellow freshmen!
Enjoying this summer was hard. I went down a rabbit hole about how nervous I am for freshman year. The thoughts of classes, the new teachers and a new consumedbuildingmytime off Not only is it hard re-adjusting sleeping schedules after summer, it’s especially hard to find the motivation to do anything school related. Going from no routine to having your day packed and planned is the recipe for major whiplash. No ma er how much I remind myself it’s 100% normal to feel scared, it does not prevent any school year panic. My main worry about being back in school is the workload. I am a huge procrastinator. I know my teachers are there to guide me, but few are available at 10:30 p.m. when the assignment is due at 11:59 p.m. In a perfect world, my anxiety would be fixed by just looking at my schedule. The world isn’t. My brain cannot stop worrying. Over countless grueling hours, I have learned how to distract myself from myself. If I see a class I don’t know or want, I immediately start to panic. I message friends to see if I have classes with them. But, what if I don’t like the class? School is about branching out and trying new classes and clubs. What’s the worst that can happen? Sure, it might not be my favorite class, but it might be. Why on earth do I make assumptions about it? Don’t wait for an answer, because I still don’t know. As much as I’m excited for high school, I am terrified. There’s so many unknowns regarding high school and a lot of the time, it’s hard to focus on the positives. All things considered, it is normal to be nervous about a new school and a new year. No ma er how anxious you are, don’t let the changes you may not be comfortable with cloud your excitement for the start of a new era.
The only thing different about my senior year is feeling prepared for the next step of life. As well as feeling a tad bit older. Now that I’ve had enough experience I have some advice. Just like everyone else, I have my fair share of wisdom. As an upperclassman student I’m going to offer it to you.
My experience working through changes going into high school What’s so special about being a senior?
Instead of the normal 7:40 a.m. start time of school, every Thursday school day from this point will start at 8:50 a.m.
Senior year doesn’t feel like an end. It never has. Just what most call “new beginnings.” I’m not one for cliches, because in all honesty, they make me sick. I guess I’m just not super sentimental.
Third, actually read the books you’re assigned for english, whether you find it interesting or not (at the very least read the entirety of the sparknotes) because teachers can, without a doubt, tell when you haven’t read them and you’ll make a fool out of yourself. I learned that one the hardTakeway.environmental education because that was the most fun I’ve had in a science class
September 2: Teacher Workday Enjoy the day off!
DIFFERENCESAME
Freshman Mixer All freshmen are invited to come to a mixer at 7 p.m. in the cafeteria! Meet your link crew leaders and have a great night!
September 1: Bonfire Come to the kickoff of fall sports in the student parking lot at 7 p.m. Enjoy performances from the marching band, cheer team, dance team and your own peers!
First and foremost, take any advice from seniors with a grain of salt. That includes mine.Next, don’t take people’s suggestions of “Easy A” classes. What is easy to them, might not be easy for you.
September 5: Labor Day Enjoy the day off!
+ by Sophia McCraney
September 1: Late Start Begins
+ by Greta Grist
EVENTSUPCOMINGUPCOMINGEVENTS
Findever.your comfort teacher. They may not get paid enough to show it but some of them really do care. High school is a special time where you get to choose who you want to be. Don’t let anyone make that decision for you.
August 18: Back to School Night Invite your parents to come to Northwest at 6:30 p.m. to take a tour of your classes.
04 | opinion Aug 11, 2022
COLUMNS
What makes senior year so different from any other? I don’t feel much different than I did freshman year. Sure, my number of core classes has decreased, but I’m still here for seven hours like a freshman.
August 12:
Where do you get your fashion inspiration?
“I know she’s not an older one, but I really like her fashion sense and how confident she is in everything she wears. That helps me a lot, because a lot of the times I’m like ‘Eh I don’t know if this will look good, I don’t know if I should try it.’ But then, I just have confidence in myself and I wear it anyways. It helps me branch out in my style.”
Scarf: Savers Shirt: City ri Jeans: Friend’s dad Shoes: Borrowed from sister
Specific Actress: Alexa Demi
“I was at a point where I wore sweatshirts, t-shirts and sweatpants every single day. If you wear that, that’s great. I just got tired of wearing it every single day. Now I’m at [a point were] I can’t wear the same outfit in two weeks.” Emily Ersery
I always wore the same outfits, and I wanted to change it up. I got a lot of my thefrominspirationTikTokandoutfits[di fferent creators] wore. How did your fashion sense evolve?
A lot of people think that they don’t have good style or they can’t pull certain things off, but as long as you have confidence in yourself and you feel good in what you’re wearing you should just rock it; because why not?”
Two students share their fashion inspiration and discuss their favorites’ fits
“I watch a lot of old movies; I really like 70s and 80s movies. The fashion popped out to me and I wanted to look like those actresses. That’s where I get a lot of my inspiration.”
Evie Hussaini BACK TO SCHOOL FASHION
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+ design by Ellie Zeller + by Grace Logan and Izak Zeller
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1ST FLOOR Map of NORTHWEST 135 132 131 130133126 127 128 129 116 117 104 121 115108114109 107 155111113 THEATRELITTLE 1816 19 9 GYM 1 39 OFFICE MEDIA CENTER 134 FL 122124 125123110112 101 103 103b Mall renovations are not represented on this map 105 NURSE Offce STUDENTLOTPARKING 106 138137139 156 157 120 119 118 ELA OFFICES 136 154153 151 POOL 7814121011 AUDITORIUM COUNSELOR OFFICES SHOPCOFFEE CAFETERIAMALLKITCHEN 37 SCENESHOP6 EAST ENTRANCE FACULTY LOTPARKING AUX GYM STAGEGYM WEST ENTRANCE STUDENT STORE Men’sStairs LEGENDWomen’srestroomGenderrestroomNeutralrestroomDoors FINEELACTE MATHARTS SCIENCE PE/HEALTH SOCIAL STUDIES SPEDWORLD LANGUAGES 06 | map Aug. 11, 2022
BASEMENT FLOOR2ND G 40 232 229 227 219 223 217 216 239238234215213208 205204203202210212201 I 242241 15 A M 230 243 206214207 221 218 224 225 226228 233 OFFICESCIENCECTEOFFICEMATHOFFICE CB D NTRAINERMENS’WRESTLINGLOCKERROOM COACHES’OFFICESPOOLCOACHES’OFFICES WOMEN’S TEAMROOMLOCKERLOCKERROOMMEN’SLOCKERROOM K E J Aug. 11, 2022 Map | 07
Zachary
“I went into physical therapy for a li le while and then respiratory therapy. I loved it, but I didn’t like the hours and I didn’t like the environment. I originally went to school for teaching. And I really like teaching science and biology and whatnot. So I was like, let’s get back into that.”
Steve Fischer | Physical and Earth Science
+by Morgan Tate +design by Greta Grist and Morgan Tate
Cordia Hammonds | Biology and Global Issues
What are your expectations for counseling at Northwest?
Cash | counselor: “I have a daughter who is a sophomore in high school, so I know that students have a lot of activities. My goal is that they should have enough work that they can get done in class if they’re working on the assignment and on task, but they shouldn’t have homework on a regular basis.”
“My family and I moved from Portland, Oregon. And so [it was] just a ma er of applying for jobs and Northwest was one of the interviews I had and it just seemed like a really nice fit and very welcoming and it seemed like an exciting place to work.”
What le ers of the alphabet will you be counseling?
“A through E.” What previous counseling experience do you have?
“It’s a lot of different things. Some of it is the paperwork side of it, changing schedules, looking at grad plans [and] those kinds of things, but then there’s also the mental health piece for students who may be struggling with various different things, from anxiety and depression to just kind of figuring out how to be successful at school.”
Are you nervous about the new school year in a new school?
“Yeah, actually, I am. I had trouble sleeping last night. Not because I’m worried about how the other counselors will be or the students, but being the new kid is tough. Learning the new procedures at schools and the new computer programs and the new student population can feel kind of overwhelming.”
What do you do as a school counselor?
Do you enjoy being a counselor?
What kind of workload do you give to students?
Aug 11, 202208| feature
“I had my degree in psychology and so I knew I wanted to work with children. I didn’t really enjoy working in child abuse investigation. It just really felt kind of traumatic and sad and overwhelming. But I knew I wanted to work with children in some respect. My mom [was] a teacher and my grandma was a teacher, so I liked the idea of a school se ing. I thought school counseling paired nicely.”
“I don’t know what expectations to have. I’m assuming that it’ll go well, and there’ll be difficult times throughout the year. But I think it’s going to be fun.
What brought you to Northwest?
With every new year comes a new batch of different teachers
New Year, New Staff
“This will be my ninth year as a school counselor, primarily at high school. I’ve had a couple of years in middle school. Before that, I worked with various children and youth agencies at the county level, working with children in foster care and doing child abuse investigation.” How’d you end up becoming a counselor?
“Yeah, I really do. Students, especially if they’re struggling, find success and accomplish their goals. It’s nice to be a part of that.”
“[I’ve] always wanted to be a theater teacher. I had a really terrible theater teacher when I was in high school. She didn’t really want to do her job. I was a senior so she just sort of let me teach her classes. I’ve kind of been teaching theater since I was 17. When I went to college, I knew this was what I wanted to do. I also knew that in the state of California, the theater And English credential is one and the same. I was going forward with the expectation That I would teach both, in California. When my husband and I moved out to Kansas, the rules were different. I went ahead and got my certification in both. I’m glad I did because it’s really hard to get a theater job without that English endorsement. That’s how I got my foot in the door at Hocker [Grove]. Because Hocker’s theater position was halftime theater, halftime English, I was teaching English there for a li le while as well. I built up the program big enough that I had not taught English for several years and I hope to do the same thing here.”
smnw.com 09| Feature
Tatiana Briceno | Integrated Math Two
“Of course. There is an element that is really nice because I learned so much from her. Everything I know about being a band director, all of my real world and record information, is from watching her. This is my first year in this position. She had been head director for 35 years when she left. That is longer than I’ve been alive. So yeah, it’s huge shoes to fill. But I’m excited about the potential. We’re keeping a lot of things similar to what they were, so it feels a lot like the band that they recognize and we’re able to add some fun and exciting new things.”
Katherine Cole | Counselor “I grew up in Caracas, Venezuela, and when I came here, I was an ESL student. I didn’t know English back then. So when I was 16, I was naturally good at math, and I would help my other ESL peers. That’s how my love of teaching began.”
How did you end up teaching what you’re teaching
What’s something new you hope to bring to this classroom?
Are you nervous about filling the shoes of former band director Penny Snead?
“For the most part, growing up my math teachers were really traditional. They would stand up there, and they would talk to the whole class. Then you’d get homework, you would either do the homework, after school or before class, and then bring it the following day and repeat. I want time in the classroom for the students to try and make mistakes, to work through problems and talk with me so that they don’t have to come early or after school.”
Nicholas Walters | Integrated Algebra One “I like to think I have a decent sense of humor. I’d also like to go ahead and bring as [many] current events in that I can, so we can really engage with what’s happening in the world attime.”the Jeffery Nesselhuf | Financial Literacy
Tell me about your teaching style
Shawnesea Holst | Theater and English
“My husband took a position in the KC Metro and we were transferred to this area. Looking at school districts, I wanted to join a great team with great administration and [Lisa] Gru man and [Eddie] LyDay really wowed me.”
Bre Eichman | Director of Bands
What brought you to Northwest?
Why did you choose to teach drama classes?
NEW IMPROVEDAND
Construction that updates light fxtures, fooring plans and seating reaches completion Aug. 5 in the mall. These additions have been implemented in an efort to create a more comfortable and welcoming environment for the student body.
+ photo by Kara Simpson
06 | feature Aug 11, 2022
“[Working in the new student store] will really help me learn more about my career path,” senior Bryson Mischlich said. “I want to go into fashion marketing and work for Nike or Lululemon.”
Johnstone wants to involve student ideas in fleshing out the student store and its merchandising. She also plans on involving teachers and students from other disciplines in the student store operations.
“[Kate Cervantes] teaches digital design, so I want her students to create the artwork [for the store],” Johnstone said. “And then business management is taught by Mr. Nesselhuf. Our Introduction to Business students are actually going to have a beautiful heat press, I’d like for those students to produce theTheapparel.”school store will be open during lunches as soon as the construction is complete. In addition, the updates include a retractable wall that connects the cafeteria and the mall as well as a more accessible art gallery.
“Our next big project is updating furniture to allow our classroom space to function be er than the traditional situation,” Gruman said. She added that students will be represented as furniture decisions are being made.
After a year of construction, the mall is ready to be used by the student body
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“The first thing students are going to notice is that it’s a lot brighter in the mall,” Gruman said. “We have a lot more lights.” Updating both the lighting and the sound baffling increased both the functionality and the aesthetic. “In between the lights are these large, grey tiles,” Gruman said. “They’re more rectangular and will make things a lot quieter. They’re more subtle and it looks more like a blended art feature.”
As students enter the west doors to the mall and turn left, they’ll find the new school store. The school store will be run by marketing students in Beth Johnstone’s class.
“[The art gallery] has the ability to show a variety of two dimensional or three dimensional pieces,” Gruman said. “We’re working toward providing time for [the art department] to curate exhibits in the art gallery. I look forward to seeing what they decide to do.”The new mall isn’t the end to the upgrades being made to the building. Classroom furniture is the next big change.
At first, the store will sell one t-shirt style and some school supplies.“Wehave some ideas for our first T-shirt, and then we’ll see where that leads us,” Johnstone said.
For the past year, the sounds of drilling and heavy construction have been the background noises for students frequenting the mall. The north side of the mall was boarded up as the mezzanine level and student study spaces were added. The mall construction is finally finished, giving the mall a cosmetic update, as well adding new features to the mall for the student body.One of the major changes is the addition of collaborative seating. The mall originally had only benches along the walls or long cafeteria tables where groups could gather. The renovation gives students more options. “There are a lot of places for students to gather and collaborate, both on the second-floor level and first-floor level,” principal Lisa Gruman said. “There’s some banque e seating for students to step away from the noise and everything. We also have café tables andThechairs.”collaborative area provides space for students to work on a project or study in small groups and are also available during class time. “Teachers can take an entire class [to the mall] for [a] socratic seminar,” Gruman said. “We have alternate seating out there for that and we will also have a conference room.”Theadditional mall space will also bring a new show to life, as Northwest’s Thespian Troupe is planning a spring showcase on the mezzanine level. “We’re going to be doing Spaghe i Showcase at the end of March,” junior Rose Cox said. Director Shawnasea Holst plans to have the underclassmen perform on the new mezzanine level and the upperclassmen will simultaneously serve spaghe i to the audience at tables below. The new mezzanine ceiling gives the addition of new light fixtures.
+
“We’ll get feedback from students and will use the opportunity to get different voices in the conversation,” Gruman said. by Morgan Tate + design by Veronica Meiss
Johnstone plans to also incorporate a thrift store into the new“I’dstore.like to have a free clothes closet for our students,” Johnstone said. “I’m not really sure how I’m going to do the thrifting part of it, but I’ve got some ideas.”
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trying to balance various classes
Expectations: Teachers — freshman CALLA HARRISON — senior LILLY HARRIS Reality: TeachersExpectations: Popularity Expectations: Assemblies Reality: Assemblies — freshman SOFIA ELLISON — senior BRODY CARLSON
nice that
more
— freshman AEDAN HIRSCH
smnw.com 13 | feature
“I THINK everyone has their own experience with a teacher. All of our teachers are very understanding. You just have to talk to them. It’s not like middle school or elementary where they’ll reach out to you if you need help. It helped me mature and realize I have to take things into my own hands if I want to be a successful student. But also there’s cons. You have to be on top of stuff and that’s hard sometimes.”
“THEY are loud and highly competitive. They
“IT definitely depends on what type of classes you’re taking. If you’re taking a rigorous course, then you might have a heavier load. Or certain classes, the teacher, have a heavier workload than normal. But it’s always teachers are willing to work with you if you’re feeling overwhelmed and clubs/sports.” really do feel so too.”
“I THINK that popularity will be like people looking up to you as a person, having a lot of friends and being involved in school activities and clubs. I am not too worried about popularity, because I have a lot of friends. I don’t think I need to be popular to have a good high school experience.” REALITY: Popularity
— freshman LILLY PETERS Reality: WORKLOAD “I’M expecting the workload to be a li le more time-consuming than middle school. My goal is to not procrastinate so I can stay ahead!”
WE HEARD YOU
“I THINK movies and social media represent teachers as very strict and inconsiderate of students’ struggles. At Trailridge, however, the teachers were amazing. I don’t see why it would be any different. I think there are definitely going to be teachers that I don’t get along with, but I think the vast majority are going to be phenomenal.”
“POPULARITY is kind of a non-factor at Northwest. There are definitely individuals that are more well known than others but there’s not a hierarchy so to say. Everyone has their foot in multiple friend groups which creates a great sense of community where the ‘jock’ and ‘mean girl’ stereotypes just don’t really exist.”
+by Zadie Tenpenny +design by Morgan Tate
like a special occasion,
the stakes are high to make each assembly count. Everybody is supportive,
Expectations: WORKLOAD - freshman COLIN SALZSIEDER
— senior ANNALIESE NGUYEN — senior IAN O’NEAL “THEY’LL probably be loud and kind of crazy, but also super fun and full of energy. I’m very excited for the assemblies!”
“I THINK we’ll have a lot more time to get our work done and we’ll have a lot of support from teachers.”
Freshmen share expectations for the school year while seniors state the reality
depending on
“Just keep practicing, it's important to try and balance stuff, but its also really good to try and challenge yourself. I am working on a really hard [part] but it’s ge ing be er. You just have to keep practicing.”
For thirteen years fresh man Mallory O’Neal’s parents have supported her passion for dancing
Her Biggest Fans
Collier Rule got his first guitar as a christmas present when he was seven years old. That was only the beginning. Ever since he was ten, he has been playing locally here in Kansas and nationally in Tennessee.Rule’s love for music flourished when he became inspired by the heavy metal band AC/DC’s song Thunderstruck “I really like playing music,” Rule said. “Because i have a wide variety of things to do . [My favorite part about playing music is] improvising and being able to do a lot of different things, playing wise, because there all kinds of different bands and songs to try out.”
Before freshmen Mallory O’neal was even po y trained, she was dancing. Since then, she has developed a passion for it – following in the footsteps of her mom.
“My mom and I had a duet for my very first dance [at] my first recital.” O’Neal said. “My mom started the dance with a solo, then she went backstage and got me. We did a short choreographed portion [together] and then I just danced around for a li le.”
Keep Practicing
14| Profile Aug. 11, 2022
“The competition was the first time I'd ever performed it in front of a big crowd,” she said. “I got really nervous but, since it was a solo, if I messed up I could just make something up.”
In her most recent solo, in eighth grade, she danced to Love Runs Out. She’s happy to announce that this year she’ll have a lyrical solo as well. As O’Neal has grown as a person and performer, her parents have been there every step of the way.
Her mom, a dance instructor at the time, was her first teacher.
SPOTLIGHT
Rule is no stranger to making mistakes, he has even made mistakes during live performances. He mostly plays with other people in bands, but he also has played by himself. He gets invited to play all sorts of different venues, including the midland, bars, and venues in“ItsNashville.reallyfun to be able to play music with other people who are professional musicians,” Rule said. “I just try and listen in to the band I’m playing with so I can have cues and know when certain parts come in. Rule has had many opportunities to play guitar in a lot of different places. Through hard work and practice, he is able to work through his nerves and make minimal mistakes.
+ Written by Elaina Hammes
student
+ Written by Zadie Tenpenny
musiciansprofessionalplayedRuleCollierhadwithliveonstage
Since she first started dancing, O’Neal has participated in numerous competitions. She danced her first competition solo when she was in seventh grade.
“They've never missed a single performance.” O’Neal said. “They take me to dance class every week and they always congratulate me. They’re definitely my biggest supporters.”
“My mom went to the same studio when she was younger,” O’Neal said. “Then [she] taught at the studio and then I started dancing at that studio.” Before she went to Nallia’s School of dance, she used to go to a different studio. She remembers her early dance classes fondly.“One of the best classes was close to Halloween,” O’Neal said. “We got to dance like whoever we were dressed up as. It was so much fun.”
+ Written by Grace Logan and Morgan Tate
O’Atis pushes himself everyday to be be er in football, and in life, he wants to improve himself and thinks his younger self would be proud of him now.
“[My mom] has gone with me on all my college vis its and she's helped me through choosing what I want to do for college,” O’Atis said. “Stuff that other people haven’t helped me with behind closed doors.”
She started doing Spirit Club to be more involved in the school. Being on StuCo exec and Spirit Club exec has put some pressure on her schedule. She has to a end all StuCo events and Spirit Club events, but she is trying to have fun and go with the flow.
When senior Adriana Jaime goes to each StuCo meeting, she thinks of only one word, family.
“Coach Black came to our middle school in eighth grade,” O’Atis said. “[He told me] ‘You look like you’d be a good football player,’ while I was playing basketball [so I told him no]. Then he said, ‘That sounds like something somebody soft would say.’ So [I decided] I’d play football freshmanFreshmanyear.”year changed O’Atis’ mind, the people and school support made him continue to play football. Having played football be fore, he didn’t doubt his abilities, and that hasn’t changed.
+Design
Lucky ThirteenNumberRunning back Malik O’Atis plans on being number 13 long after his high years are over How to Happybe Adriana Jaime is going to be a busy bee during the upcoming school year, but its worth it if she can see + Written by Izak
“I genuinely love this school,” Jaime said. “In the past couple years with [COVID-19], it has been kind of hard to get back into having spirit and having hopes for your high school experience.”Astheschool
After high school, O’Atis plans on pursuing football during college. He is worried, but his mom gives him the support he needs.
Jaime said. “[StuCo] really opened up my eyes a lot and really made me who I am today.”
This year, Jaime will serve as the publicist for StuCo, and will be responsible for running the dance commi ee. Her role in the past was to help the previous chair and plan out her schedule. She wanted to make things easier and lighten the load.StuCo isn’t the only organization she is involved with. She is also a recruiter on the Spirit Club exec board. Spirit club is responsible for assemblies, themes and general school spirit.
Jaime has been on StuCo since her freshman year, and she has seen the growth of everyone around her. Everyone is unique and the time that they’ve spent together has made it feel like family.“Ilove seeing people’s [selfimprovements] and [becoming] someone who they want to be,”
Four students share what makes them tick and what they do for the school community by Ellie Zeller
Running back Malik O’Atis wasn’t always a football person. He’d played it in second grade, but switched to basketball for some time.
“I don't have much experience with spirit club,” Jaime said. “But I love just ge ing out there. It was a switch for me [because] I got out of my comfort zone, but I liked that.”
“I've had number [thirteen] since freshman year,” O’Atis said. “I’d say it’s my lucky number. I want to be thirteen for all my years of playing sports, no ma er what level I play at.”
“I feel like he would be proud of me,” O’Atis said. “I went through a lot in elementary and middle school. I was in a bad place and I was a very bad kid. If he saw how far we’ve come and how we’ve matured, he would be proud of where we are now.”
smnw.com Profile |14
“I don't doubt myself, I know what I can do,” O’Atis said. “In fact everybody in the stateO’Atisknows.”still get nervous before games, but he has his pre-game rituals and superstitions, including the number on his jersey.
year ramps up again, Jaime will be very busy with her classes and organizations. But she is looking forward to making her fellow classmates smile.
Leading the marching block, senior Michael Houser plays the clarinet July 29 on the Northwest football feld. During this practice, the Marching Cougar Pride steps into the form of a “NW” and performs the song Hawaii 5-0. -senior Michael Houser “Band camp is insanely important. Not only do we learn almost every basic skill needed, but we also put a lot of our show on during the camp.”
