Issue 7

NW PASSAGE MARCH 30, 2017 VOL. 48 ISSUE 07

AVOLT OF VOLK, A JACK ATTACK Student body president- and vice president-elect outline plans in their election day speech PAGES 08 & 09

PARKING LOT PARADE

IT’S ALL GOOD

DYNAMIC DUO

Displaying the Confederate flag leads to the suspension of four students

With a 400-page book due next week, the yearbook staff is working hard

Jared Habben and Charles Brockman are among the best wrestlers in the state

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PAGE 07

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Issue 07 March 30, 2017

7 8-9 11 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 24-page newsmagazine. The paper will be distributed every four weeks during second hour. 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 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 editorin-chief and editorial board reserve the right to refuse any letter.

02 MARCH 30, 2017 | Issue 07

Parking lot parade

Displaying the Confederate flag leads to the suspension of four students

A volt of Volk, a Jack attack Student body president- and vice president-elect outline plans in their election day speech

It’s All Good

With a 400-page book due next week, the yearbook staff is working hard

Dynamic duo

Jared Habben and Charles Brockman are among the best wrestlers in the state

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

STAFF WRITERS: Grace Gorenflo Jack Lynch

CONTENT MANAGEMENT: Design Editor Copy Editor Photo Editor Photo Editor

Shelby Beaumont Cadence Elder Taryn Smith Maddy Manning

SECTION EDITORS: Opinion & Lifestyle Editor Sports & Multi-media Editor Entertainment Editor Ads Manager

Will Gross Annalissa Houser Samantha Joslin Anastasia Kling Sonni Meyers Michael Rock Jordan Sherfy Josh Sherfy

STAFF DESIGNER: Asher Norberg Matthew Owens Benjamin Becker Sara Babcock

Rachel Albers ADVISERS: Adviser Assistant Adviser

Susan Massy Wes Mikel

I

On the Other Hand To gain insight about yourself, you need a helping hand: your own +BY SAMANTHA JOSLIN

used to spend hours perusing Twitter and Tumblr for astrology posts, searching for descriptions of what each sign is like or for fun information, such as each sign’s ideal pet or favorite kind of coffee.

I thought it was amazing that, somehow, the position of the stars could tell exactly who I am and what I like to do. This interest led me to researching other types of divination, like tarot card reading or numerology. Eventually, I stumbled upon palmistry.

It’s a hard thing to believe in if you don’t know the details. I started looking into palmistry as a joke: log on to any old palm reading website, click a few buttons and get your fortune told. It was fun to tell my friends that they would come into a big inheritance or have a successful career by age 30. But the more I read, the more real it became. I learned what each of the palm’s lines represent and what each flaw or detail means, and I found that my own palms were telling me crazily accurate things about myself, much like an astrology post could.

Before you read another word, look at your hands. If you’re like most people, you will see a

F

Level the Playing Field High school sports should not be based on school population, but on how well the team performs +BY MATTHEW OWENS

LEGAL LANGUAGE

our words, hidden in the plethora of studious language governing how the Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) classifies high schools rankings, are receiving a backlash from private, or “selective,” schools in the state of Kansas. “According to student attendance.” But it is not these words the schools are worried about. It is the fear of a line of ink crossing them out.

The problem that Senate Bill 145 is trying to address is that “selective schools” — better known as private schools — have an advantage when it comes to sports. Advantages include that their students do not have to come from a specific geographical area. From 2005-2014, private schools accounted for about seven percent of schools in Kansas but have won 32 percent of state championships.

This is the problem that the bill was brought forward to fix: making the playing field even. But, as with every bill, there are people on both sides of the fence.

“This would benefit smaller schools by moving elite private schools into more competitive divisions allowing the smaller schools to compete on more level playing field,” District 17 House member Tom Cox said.

I agree with him, changing what class private schools play in would help. But there is another side. I reached out to officials at St. Thomas

meaningless jumble of lines and bumps. What you don’t know is that you’re looking at a topographical map of your past, present and future character.

Priceless knowledge awaits if you only know how to read it; answers to questions like, “How can I be happier? How are my relationships doing? What’s next?”

The beauty of palmistry is that we can see and understand our strengths, weaknesses, tendencies and motives. You can become more aware of the changes that occur with every success and failure as you watch the lines of your hand shift and alter.

Palm reading is schematically associated with ramshackle circus booths advertising a $25 glimpse into the future and fluffy Cosmo articles where you can learn exactly what your broken life line means.

In reality, palmistry is more subjective and personal than that.

That’s why palmist websites are generally a comical pastime rather than a source of serious intrigue. If the practitioner doesn’t know the person she’s reading, it’s hard to be accurate. The lines on a palm, and their subsequent meanings, can be very individual.

So, avoid websites that ask you to select which picture of a life line, for example, looks most similar to yours and then give you a “reading” — that’s not real palmistry and results will be inaccurate. Instead, go to the bookstore and find a palmistry/ divination book, or use websites that have lots of information on what each line represents and could look like. The more research you do and the more information you compile, the better you’ll understand what each line and detail mean for you.

Aquinas (5A) and Bishop Miege (4A1). Neither is in favor of the bill.

“I do not feel that we should open the door to allow discrimination against any of the member schools,” Bishop Miege athletic director Mike Hubka said.

St. Thomas Aquinas president William Ford added that the position of the school was to “reject the legislation.”

This is not going to be an issue that is fixed overnight. According to KSHSAA Executive Director Gary Musselman, “KSHSAA did not propose the bill and took a neutral position.” KSHSAA has met with its’ board of directors, made up of athletics directors and administrators to discuss solutions.

“It is going to be researched for a while,” NW athletic director Angelo Giacalone said. “It is a complex problem that has picked up a lot of steam because of the dominance of the private schools.”

If the wording is repealed, the next question will be “what replaces it?”

In Missouri, the multiplier rule has been in effect for the past two decades. A private school’s population is multiplied by 1.35 and their classification is based off of that number. In Oklahoma, a single sports program would be forced to move up a classification if it has finished in the top eight in three of the past four seasons.

But I have a different solution, relegation. Relegation would rank individual sports based on how that sport finishes the previous season.

First, there would be two divisions based on school population. Division 1 would include schools who are currently in the 6A-4A categories and Division 2 would be schools who are currently classified in 3A-1A. The division line would not be crossed.

For instance, the farthest a 6A team could fall would be 4A. Vice versa, a 3A team could not cross the line to 4A. There would be no changes to the classes and there would still be 6A, 5A and so forth, but they would be based on how successful a singular sport is.

The last six teams in each sport would be relegated down a class and the top six would be promoted to a higher class.

For example, if a 6A tennis team finishes in the bottom six at the state tournament, the next season they would compete in 5A. In reverse, the state tennis champion in 5A would be promoted to 6A next season.

This creates a balance in the sports.

Teams will compete against those of their own caliber, no matter their population.

While this idea is not perfect, I think it would make the games more competitive. But, in the words of Giacalone, “Whatever decision is made, not everyone will be happy.”

HEART LINE HEAD LINE FATE LINE

LIFE LINE

KSA 72-130 — Explains how the Kansas State High School Activities Association classifies high schools Senate Bill 145 — Would remove the words “according to student attendance” from KSA 72-130 (above) Current KSHSAA Proposal — Would increase the number of schools in 6A, 5A and 4A to 36 from 32 NW PASSAGE | opinion 03

04 MARCH 30, 2017 | Issue 07

Forks OLD SHAWNEE PIZZA

The style of pizza and homey decor offer a unique experience

At the edge of downtown Shawnee sits the nondescript, standalone brick restaurant, Old Shawnee Pizza. The faded brick and sun-bleached wooden shingles belong in a small-town western Kansas.

Pizzas, pastas, salads, sandwiches and beer are advertised on the windows. The wood paneling and multi-colored linoleum floors give it a much more country feel than the modern style of d’Bronx.

Old Shawnee allows you to seat yourself in any of its first two levels. The main level is family-friendly, while the downstairs room has a stone fireplace, wagon wheel chandelier and features a bar. The upper level is primarily reserved for private parties, but has less personality than the lower levels.

The restaurant’s atmosphere and pizza were equally unique. Old Shawnee’s menu had a lot more options than d’Bronx.

At Old Shawnee you can choose from one of their signature pizzas or create your own personal pizza. The amount of cheese on the pizza was satisfying and the amount of sauce was perfect. The pepperoni added another element to the pizza, making it even more flavorful than the pizza at d’Bronx. The combination of the pepperoni and the greasiness of the cheese was very enjoyable.

One problem with the pizza was the crust, which was burnt and difficult to eat.

Another problem was that the portions were very small. A medium pizza has eight slices, which was not enough to fill me, as opposed to the giant New York style pizza slice at d’Bronx.

Despite the small portions and burnt crust, the flavor and one of a kind decor allow Old Shawnee Pizza to be the best place to get pizza out of the two.

Old shawnee Pizza

D’Bronx

+BY JORDAN SHERFY

PHOTO BY ABIGAIL ROBERTS PHOTO BY GRACE ROEDER

d’BRONX PIZZA

The place for d’Best cheese pizza and atmosphere

Located at 103rd and Metcalf Avenue, just a few minutes north of I-435, is a Kansas City staple: d’Bronx. Offering authentic New York style pizza at four locations around the KC area, d’Bronx is one of the best pizza places around.

The exterior of the restaurant is unremarkable, featuring a bland brick facade. However, the interior is posh and modern, with contemporary paintings and cozy booths. This was a welcome sight after Old Shawnee Pizza’s dated décor. The vibe was much more comfortable and relaxed, which led to an all-around better experience.

Keeping with its New York-inspired style, pizza is available by the slice.

Soups, salads and desserts are served as well. d’Bronx has a counter where you order and a server brings the pizza to your table.

The slices were about as long as my face, which was a satisfying improvement over Old Shawnee’s portions. The pizza itself was a lot better as well. Both the cheese and pepperoni pizza at Old Shawnee were covered in grease and nearly inedible. The cheese pizza at d’Bronx was sublime and cooked perfectly, with a soft and chewy crust.

The pepperoni pizza, however, was an utter mess. The pepperoni hardly tasted like pepperoni at all, and the crust was badly burnt.

Despite d’Bronx’s flaws, it is more enjoyable than Old Shawnee. d’Bronx had a very clean atmosphere that contrasted heavily with Old Shawnee’s small-town pizza joint vibe. Food-wise, d’Bronx is superior. Although the pepperoni pizza was a mess, the cheese pizza was so good that it redeemed the entire experience.

+BY MICHAEL ROCK

PHOTO BY ABIGAIL ROBERTS PHOTO BY SHELBY BEAUMONT

NW PASSAGE | opinion 05

TIME TO PACK UP StuCo cancels one of its major events, Sleep-in-a-Box

S

ince 2001, Student Council has hosted the annual Sleep-in-aBox fundraiser for the Shalom House Men’s Shelter, but after losing the support of pivotal clubs and the $1 million liability insurance policy, this tradition has come to an end.

Rotary Club of Lenexa provided the insurance policy that has allowed Sleep-in-a-Box to occur on school grounds since 2008, when the Shawnee Mission School District announced they would no longer accept responsibility for students participating in the event. Rotary Club was willing to take on this expense because Interact Club, a student chapter of Rotary International, participated in Sleep-in-a-Box. The Rotary organization supports student volunteer projects.

“Any projects that we do with the Rotarians have insurance that helps cover it,” Interact Club sponsor Jan Berg said.

For example, when Interact Club members volunteer at places like Hopebuilders Home Repair, the Rotary Club’s insurance policy protects them.

This year, Interact Club members did not choose to participate in the Sleepin-a-Box event and, therefore, the Rotary Club of Lenexa had no reason

+BY BENJAMIN BECKER & CADENCE ELDER to provide insurance.

“[Rotary club of Lenexa] can’t sponsor if we don’t have kids there,” Berg said. “It’s specifically set up to support Interact kids.”

Interact is not the only club to lose interest in the once popular event. Drill Team, NHS and CCC have withdrawn in recent years because sponsors and parents did not think the event was more of a fundraiser for the Shalom House, rather than a service project.

“The parents asked me to pull out of it [after last year],” varsity drill team coach Kelsi Horner said.

“They wanted the girls to do an actual service event instead of philanthropy and donating money. The parents wanted them instead to go to the Ronald McDonald House and serve a meal.”

The cancellation of this year’s event was not as abrupt as it may seem and has been developing over the last couple years as the event experienced an increasing drop in participation.

“Over the last couple of years, we’ve kind of been tracking [the] decline,” Dent said. “In the heyday, we had about 200 people and we were able to donate about $8,000 to the Shalom house. We were told at the time, back

in 2007-2008, that the $8,000 we donated made up about 30 percent of their annual budget. So a good chunk of their overall expenditures for the year were covered by our one event.”

Last year, 25 students participated in the event and raised $1,000, enough to cover the Shalom House for about a month.

When the event was established, only members of service-based organizations were eligible to participate and were offered five service hours. When NHS stopped offering service hours for the event two years ago and CCC followed their lead last year, participation plummeted, even as StuCo opened participation to any NW organization.

StuCo representative Claudia Shamet says StuCo hopes to find a replacement event that will allow them to continue to support the Shalom House.

“Sleeping in a box was good for educating students about homelessness and give an experience to spread awareness,” Shamet said.

“Not have that is pretty disappointing to me. I think if people knew how much they were helping, it could gain momentum again. But for now, it’s gone.”

Mindy Sherfy and her son, and Northwest Passage staff member Josh, tape his box together before Sleepin-a-Box began last year. Sleep-in-a-Box was pretty much a bust last year,” Sherfy said. ‘We slept inside at a comfortable temperature. There wasn’t anything authentic about it.”

CCC members Mannon Eubanks and Marta Stestiv work to set up their boxes at last year’s Sleep-in-aBox. Approximately 25 students participated, down from the 200 the event originally attracted. PHOTOS BY

MICHELLE MARTINEZ

06 March 30, 2017 | Issue 07

Student Council representative Will Gross delivers bags of popcorn to participants in the 2016 Sleep-in-a-Box. Last year’s event was held in the Main Gym. PHOTO BY

MICHELLE MARTINEZ

PARKING LOT

Junior Bryce Combs stands beside his truck in the parking lot. He was one of four students suspended for three days after they created a disruption in the parking lot. PHOTO BY NATE THOMPSON

PARA DE

Displaying the Confederate flag leads the suspension of four students +BY CADENCE ELDER AND ASHER NORBERG

I

t’s 8 a.m., Thursday, March 9.

Sitting in the driver’s side of his 1995 Chevrolet Silverado, sophomore Tyler Thomas revs his engine.

“Does this sound loud to you guys?” he shouts.

Thomas and his friends occasionally gather in the parking lot before school to tailgate. This morning is special, though, because it’s Thomas’ and his friends’ first day back from their threeday suspension.

“Me and Dylan [had the Confederate flags],” Thomas said. “Someone told me I couldn’t fly it because it was illegal.

I decided to test that theory. It was a spur of the moment thing. You will get suspended, but it’s not illegal.”

Thomas, along with sophomore Dylan Klahn and juniors Brandon Long and Bryce Combs, attached the Confederate flags to the back of his and Long’s trucks and had then driven around the circle drive of the parking lot earlier in the week before school.

Teacher Christin LaMourie noticed the trucks driving through the circle drive. According to LaMourie, there were two trucks flying Confederate flags, and one flying an American flag as well. “[The issue] wasn’t that they had

Did you know?

Confederate flags, [it] was why were they parading with it,” Lamourie said. “What were they trying to say or do? [The Confederate flag] could be interpreted as threatening to some people.”

According to Long, the boys were not trying to make a statement.

“We were just bored and we were like ‘Let’s just fly the flag around,’” Long said.

The group of boys were suspended due to the disruption the flag caused.

But, to Thomas, flying the Confederate flag had a deeper meaning. “[The flag symbolizes] southern pride,” Thomas said. “I understand why they think it stands for slavery, but I personally don’t think it does.

Robert E. Lee was a great leader, and that flag symbolizes him. We are just taking pride in our history and our great leaders.”

Before the incident with the flags, Thomas and his friends had taken up two spots per vehicle in the back of the parking lot with their trucks. After receiving a number of complaints, the SROs issued a warning indicating that the trucks would be towed if they were not parked within the spaces designated in the lot. According to Thomas, their

parking was supposed to make a statement. They discussed parking that way until everyone stood for the Pledge [of Allegiance], but realized that was an ineffective way to create change.

“I don’t look at the flag as representing the country. I see the people that fought for the country and died for it,” Thomas said. “That is why it really pisses me off when people don’t stand for the pledge.You can’t stand for 30 seconds for the people who died for your country so you can live freely?”

Long also stated that they were approached by a small group of students who were upset by the Confederate flag.

According to the Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District, the 1st Amendment protects students’ rights to freedom of speech, providing that speech doesn’t cause a disruption. Student Resource Officer Sean Tompkins indicated Thomas, Long, Klahn and Combs created a disruption.

“Legally, other than maybe driving recklessly, there was nothing illegal whatsoever about having that symbol,” Tompkins said. “That is a constitutionally-[protected] freedom of speech issue. [But] we are here to learn and not have political protests. A school environment is not about disruption.”

Sophomore Tyler Thomas stands on top his truck as he poses with juniors Bryce Combs, Brandon Long and sophomore Dylan Klahn. PHOTO BY NATE THOMPSON

The Confederate flag, then and now

1 What is commonly referred to as the “Confederate flag” in the United States is actually the Second Confederate Navy Jack and the Battle Flag of Northern Virginia.

2 This flag never officially

represented the Confederate States of America, which existed in the American South from 1861 to 1865.

3 The flag is seen by some as a

symbol of slavery and racism, while others see it as a symbol of Southern pride and heritage.

4 According to a national CNN

poll taken in 2015, 75 percent of African Americans and 25 percent of white Americans view the flag as a symbol of racism.

NW PASSAGE | feature 07

Claudia Shamet — Publicist I’ve been working really hard to be on exec board, and publicist was always the spot I found I would do best. StuCo is something I’ve dedicated most of my high school experience to, so I want to see the organization grow and continue to strengthen.

Michael Filsinger — Treasurer I’m just excited for my upcoming duties as being StuCo’s next treasurer. I think my main goal for exec board next year is to always keep in touch with one another and do our best to be leaders of the school.

08 March 30,2017 | Issue 07

Will Gross — Parliamentarian I have always loved the election process and campaigning has always been a really fun experience for me. It will be interesting seeing what goes on from the inside. I hope we can really bond the representatives of StuCo together so that we can improve the student body as a whole.

Porter Volk — President I’m passionate about affecting as many students as I can and [the students are] passionate about being a part of this school, and because of that, we can work very well together. My biggest hope for next year’s exec board is that we become an ubercohesive group and that all of our strengths are emphasized and our weaknesses diminished.

Jack Lammers — Vice President Vice president means a lot to me because it feels like people think I’m a good leader and that I’m responsible.

Working with Porter, I hope to get some new events to Northwest and I hope we are able to make sure everyone feels welcome and a part of something.

Rachel Perez — Secretary I am very excited to be secretary because I think this position suits my leadership qualities perfectly. My hope for exec board is that we stick together to help make StuCo the best it can be for the school.

A VOLT OF VOLK, A JACK ATTACK Student body president- and vice president- elect outline plans in their election day speech

I

f there’s anything I’ve learned from playing tennis, it’s that… oranges are the best snack to have in between matches.

Standing before hundreds of freshmen, sophomores and juniors, student body president candidate Porter Volk talked of his lack of athleticism, setting a personable tone for the next nine minutes of his speech.

“During the speech, my mouth was more dry than it has ever been in the entirety of my life,” Volk said. “All I was focusing on were the words coming out of my mouth. Toward the end of the speech though, I began to love it. I had the opportunity to talk about what I love in front of everyone, and it was such a wonderful experience.”

I prefer grapes.

Volk’s running partner, Jack Lammers, picked up where Volk left off. He continued the conversation with what his experiences in Student Council had taught him, and how those lessons fit into the pair’s plans for the 2017-18 school year.

Leadership combines creativity, motivation and teamwork to create the best possible environment for everyone around you. And that’s our focus for this next school year.

Along with presenting new events to the administration — such as an “anti-prom,” a Tissues for Teachers drive and a Lip Sync Battle — the two have a goal of making sure all students believe they have a place at Northwest.

If you can feel yourself as someone who is absolutely fundamental to the greatness of this place, then you will know you belong. You all belong here, and we want to make sure you know that.

It all starts, however, in Room 132, with StuCo students themselves.

“One thing Jack and I have talked about a lot is bonding in StuCo, which is an internal thing,” Volk said. “I feel like if we can comze together as an organization, we can better work to improve the rest of the school. If we can work better as a unit, we can work better on the events and the dances.”

The pair’s devotion to creating a united front in StuCo would not be possible without their devotion to the organization itself. Both Volk and Lammers initially ran for StuCo because of a push from a friend. Despite Volk originally being unsure if StuCo was the place for him, that push quickly grew into something much larger.

“For me, the election was the final step,” Volk said. “The first step was joining StuCo my freshman year. In a way, the election was a tangible culmination of all our passion, effort and dedication to the organization. I think it helped me put all my experience back into one of my goals, which was making myself and the rest of the student body confident in my ability to be a significant leader in this school.”

Both Volk and Lammers have been in StuCo since their

+BY GRACE GORENFLO

freshman year, Lammers as a representative of his class each year and Volk as a representative, a president and then, this year, a vice president. Like most StuCo members, each has run events and is involved in numerous activities outside of StuCo. Aside from these similarities to past leaders, the pair does stand out.

“Looking back to their freshman year, Porter was really quiet, and Jack was kind of loud and rambunctious,” StuCo sponsor Sarah Dent said. “When Jack and Porter paired up, I felt like their personalities were just different enough that they would complement each other really well. I think that just having that balance is going to help our organization say, ‘Here’s the time where we need to be serious, and here’s the time where we can have fun.’”

Although Volk and Lammers will be the faces of the 201718 Student Council executive board, Volk thinks this year’s campaign reflects the overall dedication next year’s seniors have to their organization and to Northwest.

“The students should have an expectation for a similar amount of intensity [as the campaign] when it comes to how exec board handles this next year — in terms of work ethic, motivation and accountability,” Volk said. “This position was clearly something we were emotionally invested in, and we all had something to offer. As far as I’m concerned, that hasn’t changed.”

A Novel Idea These new events will be proposed for next year

The Anti-Prom — A casual dance occurring between homecoming and WPA, possibly in November. It would include a theme so people could dress up, and would be very similar to the freshman mixer, but the whole student body would be involved.

Tissues for Teachers Drive — Students would donate tissues and hand sanitizer to their first hour class, most likely the third or fourth week in August. This would be convenient to the students and teachers, and would hopefully protect against some of the NW “plagues.”

Lip Sync Battle — Students would create a routine for a song they choose and audition for the event. It could be an actual battle where students compete, or it may just mimic the talent show, in terms of organization and execution.

Million Mile Run — An event promoting research for childhood cancer, encouraged by the Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation. The hope is that a total of one million miles will be run across the country. The students would log hours, with goals and rewards, to see how many miles the school could run collectively in one or two weeks.

NW Passage | feature 09

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10 MARCH 30, 2017 | Issue 07

It’s All fun worth it

Dropping the finishing touches onto a spread Feb. 14, the night of fourth deadline, editor-in-chief Tess Holcom adds a sidebar to the Jazz Band pages. The yearbook staff had to send 77 pages by 10 p.m.that night to make their deadline.

They did. “Deadline night is so stressful,” Holcom said.

“You don’t realize some stuff isn’t done until you try to send it. But there’s such a huge relief once you click the submit button. Everyone is so excited because, with four deadlines down, there is only one more to go.”

PHOTO BY PIPER SCHEURMAN

Good

With a 400-page book due next week, the yearbook staff is working hard +BY JACK LYNCH

I

t’s 9:45 p.m. Most students are at home watching Netflix or eating dinner. Some are even doing homework. But not these students.

Nestled in the northeast corner of Northwest is a hallway lined with awards dating back years. Enter this hallway to hear a cacophony of sounds and sights unlike any others in the school. Chance the Rapper is mixed with phone calls to friends and strangers alike. A dozen students try to find last minute quotes while slam poetry inspires designers on a last-minute spread.

It’s Hell Week in Room 151.

“Hell Week is when we have to send the most pages in the shortest span of time,” copy editor Jonathan Alexander said. “We’re at school every night working, making the book as [good] as possible.”

The 48th edition of The Lair is scheduled to be distributed May 16, after nearly six months of writing and designing, shooting and editing pictures, stress and responsibility. All of which was overseen by editor-inchief Tess Holcom.

“My brother had places in high school,” Holcom said. “He had marching band and he had cross country. I wanted to find my little [place].”

Going into her fourth year on staff, Holcom helped determine the theme for this year’s book: “It’s All Good.”

“A yearbook theme is a thread that binds the book together,” Alexander said. “Without it, it would just be a lot of stories and it would look the same every

year. But with a theme, we are able to encapsulate the year.”

The original sentiment behind “It’s All Good” was developed at the end of last year by staff writers Mimu GitongaMbogori and Lexi Bado. The final project in yearbook class asks staff members to create and develop a miniature yearbook with a potential theme and mood for the next year.

We went through all of [the mini books] and kept coming back to ‘It’s All Good,’” Holcom said. “Last year, we had ‘Yours Truly’ and people don’t really say ‘Yours Truly’ that often, so there was a disconnect from the student body to the theme. This year it’s ‘It’s All Good.’ You hear students saying it.”

But after the staff selected the theme, they were forced to reconsider it. Just two days into the school year, senior Treyvon Mays died. Could they really use a theme that literally says “It’s All Good” when things were not good?

“We had Treyvon’s death at the beginning of the year and our hearts dropped for him and his family,” Holcom said. “We started thinking ‘Our theme isn’t going to work. It’s not all good. It’s not going to be all good.’

But then, when we stood outside at the flagpole the next morning to mourn the death of Treyvon, [associate principal Eddie] LyDay was walking around hugging people. He was telling kids, ‘It’s all good’ and we realized, ‘It’s not all good right now, and it’s never going to be absolutely all good, but it’s okay.’”

Holcom credits LyDay with not only

reassuring the student body, but the yearbook staff.

Holcom is proud of this year’s theme and that she was able to help develop it.

She would not have had this experience, however, if she had not been on staff each of her four years at Northwest.

Holcom is one of only two returning editors; the other is photo editor Bryce Rex. “[That is] not unusual,” adviser Susan Massy said. “We’ve faced some real struggles with a lack of experience in key parts of the book, and that was tough. But we worked hard and it’s looking good. We’re excited.”

It’s seven minutes past midnight.

Six of the yearbook editors have been at McDonald’s for over two hours, eating chicken nuggets and mooching off of the free Wi-Fi. Holcom and design editor Molly Jewett fuss over the last of the pages. Managing editor Austin Bachert makes jokes. Rex and fellow photo editor Maya Lee prepare their last, and what seems to be their millionth, photo of the week. Alexander reads through stories — again.

Finally it’s time to go home. To sleep. To wake up for Friday and start on proofs. There is a smile on Holcom’s face. Massy was right.

“You learn that in life, you better approach it with, ‘Yeah, it may be awful right now, but it’s all good,” Massy said.

“In the end, it’s all good.”

The editors go home and fall asleep knowing...

It’s all good.

Journalism Conventions

Twenty-one members of the yearbook, newspaper, photojournalism and video production classes will be in Seattle April 5-10 to attend the spring 2017 national journalism convention.

“I think the national convention is a good way for us to apply our skills from journalism to a competition and see how we will place,” yearbook managing editor Austin Bachert said.

There are two conventions each school year, one in the fall and one in the spring.

While in an editing session, copy editor Jonathan Alexander and managing editor Austin Bachert discuss edits on a story. Group editing was a regular occurrence at work days. PHOTO BY BRYCE REX

NW Passage | feature 11

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12 MARCH 30, 2017 | Issue 07

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DYNAMIC DUO

Jerad Habben and Charles Brockman are among the best wrestlers in the state

H

artman Arena, a building that breaks up the plains that surround it, houses athletes’ passion and determination for the sport they play. Parents, siblings and students surround the mats that have been laid out on the concrete surface as they prepare for the roller coaster of emotions they will experience that day. This is the Kansas 6A wrestling tournament.

“It is huge fun,” junior Jerad Habben said.

“There is high intensity and high pressure all the time.”

For Habben and sophomore Charles Brockman, this experience was not new.

Habben has been to the tournament all three years of his high school career, including a fourth place finish in the 106 lb. weight class last season. This season, he went 2-2 in the tournament in the 120 lb. weight class.

Brockman is also a veteran, having competed in the tournament both years. This year he placed third in the tournament.

“Jerad and I worked harder this year,”

Brockman said. “I did not want that feeling of not placing again.”

Senior Devonte Smith also went 2-2 in the tournament in the 145 lb. weight class. The team placed 20th overall and also featured state qualifiers Gabriel Arreguin (106), Aiden Quinn (152) and Kevin Thompson (170).

“I thought we wrestled to where we were going to be,” head coach Howard Newcomb said. “I thought we needed a little bit of help to get Jared and Devonte through. The other guys, I did not think would probably place, they just didn’t have the experience.”

Habben and Brockman are not just some of the best wrestlers in the state, they are also good friends. They first met when they wrestled in NW’s Kid’s Club back in elementary school.

Although Habben is a grade above Brockman, that does not set their friendship back.

“His freshmen year is when we started hanging out all the time,” Habben said. “It will be a bummer when he has his senior year and I will not be there to be his practice partner.”

+BY MATTHEW OWENS

Because they are only one weight class apart, they are good sparring partners.

“He is such a good practice partner,” Habben said “A lot of people don’t have practice partners just the weight below them.

Charles and I are really good friends.”

And they have become even better friends this season.

While they were not seniors, Smith notesd how Brockman and Habben led the team, both on and off the mat.

“They led by experience and also by example,” Smith said. “Then they become sort of a teacher for wrestlers during practice.”

Newcomb notes the training and preparation that Brockman and Habben put in not only made them better, but the team as well.

“They take their sport seriously,” Newcomb said. “They have done a lot of things to get better. They hardly ever miss practice, they show up on time and weight, and they prepare like champions.”

1.

1. Junior Jerad Habben sits with sophomore Charles Brockman in the Aux Gym. Habben and Brockman went on to compete in the state tournament. “Brockman has always been by my side and there for me especially when I didn’t win state,” Habben said.

2. Junior Jerad Habben and sophomore Charles Brockman hold up the District Championship trophy in the SM West Gym. Brockman and Habben placed first and third respectively at regionals to qualify for the state tournament. “It felt great to win my 100th game in my high school career,” Habben said. “It made it better to have Brockman there with me.”

PHOTOS COURTESEY OF LINDSAY HABBEN 2.

NW PASSAGE | sports 13 NW Passage | sports 13

Spring Sports Previews From the opening whistle

Girls’ soccer team looks to rebound from an up-and-down 2016 season A seemingly endless expanse of sidewalk awaits the team as they run down 67th street for their two mile run. But resting in the back of their minds are the thoughts of the heights the team can reach.

Although they had been conditioning for months, preparation for the upcoming soccer season did not just consist of physical exertion. Connections were formed through scrimmages and kick arounds on their own time.

“The strength of the team this season has to be chemistry,” Boren said. “If we are going to be successful this season, it will be as group, not because of a handful of individuals.”

Senior Sydney Gerfen reaffirmed Boren’s belief that chemistry would be a key to success.

“The main strength of our team is that there are so many returning players,” Gerfen said. “We all know and trust each other. We understand how everyone tends to play.”

Although the the team did not lose many seniors

On the green

The starting block

+BY SONNI MEYERS

“We will be spending more time on our short game this year,” Bamburg said. “If you can’t chip and putt, you can’t score, which is the ultimate goal.”

Bamburg has three golfers in mind that can meet those goals. He is hopeful that these goals can also be met by newcomers, in order to help strengthen the team.

“We have three outstanding golfers — Christian Ghilardi, Jackson Grotegut and Joe Bultman — returning from last year,” Bamburg said. “I expect some of the other boys to put in the work and help those top three kids get back to state.”

The team’s first tournament is Monday at Lake Quivira. The tournament is the first of three rounds for the Sunflower League championship.

“I’m excited to just go out there and compete,” Bultman said. “I love playing tournaments and I can’t wait to get out there and try to win, both individually and as a team.”

Track and field requires more preparation than the average sport Track and field is different from most sports in the sense that it is necessary for aspiring athletes to condition year-round. According to coach Justin Stigge, the athletes rely on consistent preparation to do well.

“Most of us have been running all winter since the cross country [season ended],” senior Camille Henderson said. “We meet by the locker rooms every day. I think a lot of us are ready.”

Every event group has a different way of preparing for the season. The throwers are doing more lifting, while the runners have been running longer distances. According to Stigge, the players that perform the best at the end of the season are the ones that have been focused on it all year.

To be successful, a track and field team requires a well-rounded mix of throwers, distance runners,

14 MARCH 30, 2017 | Issue 07

from last year, those who did leave were crucial contributors to the success of the team. “[We lost] our leading goal scorer, a speed threat off of the edge and two center backs,” Boren said.

“All were four-year varsity members.”

The matchup that the Cougars have circled on their calendar is their opportunity to take down the defending state champion, SM West.

“I like playing against harder competition,” Gerfen said. “It gives us the chance to get better, to push ourselves and to compete at a higher level.”

With the roster finally complete, the Cougars have begun to prepare for the Vikings and the other opponents they will face with a new formation. Boren expressed his desire to play in a 3-4-3 formation, which is geared toward a more offensive production.

“First, we have to win more games than we lose,” Gerfen said. “Then we want to work our way through regionals and, hopefully, end up at state.”

The boys’ golf team looks to improve on last year’s finish at state After winning the Sunflower League and placing fourth at the state tournament, it will be hard to improve on last year’s finish, but the boys’ golf team is taking no days off.

“We have been hitting golf balls all winter and we will practice every day, including the weekends, to get ready,” head coach Jim Bamburg said.

With returning players and new profiles, the team is using the off-season to prepare.

“We have a bunch of new players on our team,” returning varsity member Christian Ghilardi said. “I like seeing how everyone is interacting, [with] all the new faces on the team.”

As the golf season begins, Bamburg is hoping other players will work hard to help the three returning varsity players make it back to state. Thinking about their goals, Bamburg has the team practice what he thinks is the key to winning.

+BY JOSHUA SHERFY

+BY ANNALISSA HOUSER

sprinters and jumpers.

“I think there is a certain amount of luck mixed with getting a group of kids who are like, ‘We are going to win that state championship,’” Stigge said. “It’s a very difficult thing to win a state championship and it’s something Northwest takes for granted. [It doesn’t] just happen. [The athletes] have to work hard.”

The team faces the loss of several accomplished athletes due to graduation, including sprinter Ian McCabe, high jumper Abbi Bird, distance runner Reid Thornburg and pole vaulter Sam Mosburg. It will be difficult to fill these roles.

“I think we have the work ethic and intensity to step up,” freshman Adam White said. “[The new players] should be able to fit in nicely with the existing system and make meaningful contributions.”

Meme team

Girls’ swim looks to improve their times and bond over a bee Two hours before school begins on Friday mornings, the members of girls’ swim gather by the pool, waiting to begin practice.

“We have been doing conditioning both in the pool and outside of it since January,” junior captain Piper Schuerman said. “Some of the girls are even doing swim year-round to stay in shape.”

The early practices and hours of muscular and cardio conditioning are a testament to the commitment that comes with being on the swim team. “[Head coach David] Pfortmiller definitely expects a lot from us,” Schuerman said. “He told us this year that he doesn’t want girls on the team who are just here to get in shape. He wants people who are going to be committed to getting to state.”

Although this year’s team is focused on doing big

Causing a racquet

things at the state meet, they aren’t abandoning the tradition that began last year, springing them to swim meet fame. The meme team will be returning for 2017.

“Last year, it was Pepe the Frog,” Schuerman said.

“But this year we are looking at using Barry B. Benson from Bee Movie as our official meme.”

The Sharpie-drawn memes create bonds within the team, an overlooked aspect in an individual sport like swimming.

“Every swimmer has the potential to earn points for the team,” senior Mills Vick said. “So even if you’re not at your best, you’re still getting points that contribute to the team’s success.”

The team hours in the pool have been logged, and swim is looking to make a splash this year on the road to state meet.

Boys’ tennis is set to find a rhythm in a season of change Losing contributors from the previous year’s varsity squad is tough, but all teams have to deal with it. Losing the head coach (Ken Clow) and almost every major contributor from the previous year’s team — that’s almost unheard of.

Now, Morgan Moberg steps in as head coach, looking to lead a team confident that these setbacks are not insurmountable.

“Losing seniors means losing experience,” sophomore Henry Tomasic said. “The first few matches will be a learning experience for a lot of the team.”

Junior Levi Van Hoeke reaffirms Tomasic’s beliefs that the absence of the seniors will not result in a disappointing season.

“I believe that the effect of [the departure of the seniors] will be that we [will] rise to the challenge and

Up to bat

+BY JOSHUA SHERFY

elevate our game,” Van Hoeke said.

The team has already begun building the connections for successful doubles pairs. Tomasic and Van Hoeke both have established what they believe to be a good relationship with their partners Anthony Gao and Ryan McGaw, respectively. With Moberg leading the way, Van Hoeke hopes to see a new era in NW tennis.

“I think we have a great coaching staff and an awesome opportunity to begin building the tennis program,” Van Hoeke said. “[The foundation will be ] built on hard work and fundamentals.”

The expectations for the season remain the same as the years prior, with the team having their sights set on a solid showing at the district championships.

Only time will tell if the ball will bounce their way.

The softball team looks to improve on team chemistry and win at state Last year the softball team’s chemistry was low, the injuries were high and the team did not make it past the first regional game. This year they are looking for a change of pace.

“I think we should mix up the positions per game,” sophomore Megan Formwalt said. “We should definitely be having more people at different spots, just in case. Last year we had a lot of injuries and people were playing positions they hadn’t played all year.”

The team is looking for a catalyst to strengthen their bond, creating a more cohesive unit.

“I’m really excited on how close the team will be this year,” Formwalt said. “There are a lot of underclassmen that I think that are really going to step up.”

The state tournament is what the the softball team would like to see in their future. In his fourth season as head coach, Anthony Kinney is trying new strategies to

Hit and run

+BY JOSHUA SHERFY

+BY SONNI MEYERS

achieve that goal.

“New things I plan on doing are defensive strategies [and] some kind of offensive plays,” Kinney said.

“Small goals would be developing players to be varsityready. If they are already varsity ready, [then] bettering their skills to become a better team as a whole.”

While the state tournament is the biggest goal for the team, they also have some important minor goals.

“Goals for the season are to make sure that everybody comes out of the season feeling accomplished and that they learned something,” junior MaKenzie Cooper said.

Along with athletic strategies, Kinney also hopes the girls will benefit from becoming a close-knit team.

“As for the overall program, [I am] just looking for different ways that the kids can bond together,” Kinney said.

NW baseball players have big goals this season and will be unstoppable in meeting them With just five returning lettermen, the varsity baseball team is looking for players to take leadership this season. Seniors Dylan Nedved and Joe Todd are planning to take charge and keep up the team’s morale in hopes of qualifying for the state tournament.

“Me and a couple of other seniors are going to step up, leadership-wise,” senior Joe Todd said. “We have been maturing as people and as players. We know where we need to go.”

Coach Domenic Mussat’s plan is to change the strategy of the game this season; he wants to take a more mental approach, focusing on having positive attitudes on the field.

“Our goal is the same goal we always have, to win Sunflower League,” Mussat said. “We expect the boys

+BY ANNALISSA HOUSER

to compete and play well; if we do that, we will be very successful.”

The players have been working all year to prepare themselves. They want to make it further this year, and that requires extra work. Many of the boys attend ed off-season training facilities to work out and improve their skills for the upcoming season.

“I want to make a longer run [this year] and try to make it to state,” Nedved said. “We were second two years ago and we still want that first place title.”

The players say they are ready to get back on the field and they are eager to see what the team will create this year, with the addition of new members to the team.

In the words of Nedved, “Let’s get that ice.”

NW PASSAGE | sports 15

“

Mr. Cougar was a lot of fun and I got to participate with some of my closest friends. I hope it is able to make its mark as a NW tradition for years to come.

[And] always wear a helmet. ” — SENIOR DREW VANDER LEEST