Northwest Passage — Issue 3 — 2012

vol. 44 • issue 3 Oct. 19, 2012 photo illustration by Nate Compton

/ pg. 12

SWING SCHOOL

In light of the upcoming presidential election, students are divided on the issues and their choice for president.

Jekyll and Pryde

/ pg. 12

The Marching Cougar Pride showed its talent at the district marching festival.

3rd Street Asylum

/ pg. 15

This local haunted house will bring your worst fears to life.

THIS IS OUR IDEA OF A CLASSROOM.

LIVE, STUDY AND GROW AT THE HEART OF A CITY WHERE IDEAS BECOME ACTION.

umkc.edu/choose

Issue 3 • Vol. 44 • Oct. 19, 2012

PHOTO COURTESY OF KARLY BROWN

15

PHOTO BY KATE JACOBSEN

12

NEWS /

FEATURES/

05 • Northwest News Updates about happenings at 10 • Swing School Northwest.

In a survey of 1082 students, the political beliefs of Northwest 07 • Currently were revealed.

Pop culture and news from around the world.

12 • Jekyll and Pryde The Marching Cougar Pride performed with the rest of OPINIONS / the SM schools at the district 08 • The Pressure is On marching festival.

When a bad grade comes at ENTERTAINMENT / crunchtime, it’s not the end of the world; solutions are available for those willing to 15 • 3rd Street Asylum work at it.

This Bonnor Springs haunted house will bring your worst 08 • Too Old for Treats fears to life.

A staff member explains the unwritten rules for trick-or16 • Reviews treating, including the age Pokemon Black 2 and White 2, limit.

Perks of Being a Wallflower, 30 Rock: Season 7 + Ben Folds Five: 09 • Staff Editorial: Live Cutting What Counts When budget cuts hit schools, SPORTS/ fine arts are often the first programs on the chopping 18 • A Moment Makes it block. all Worthwhile A contributing writer 09 • More than a Test reflects on recent athletic Score accomplishments, and how While GPAs and ACT scores these small victories are are important in college something to cheer about. applications, there are other ways to stand out.

EDITOR’S NOTE: After watching the Presidential debates on Oct. 3 and researching the issues and where the candidates stand (page 10), I realized something: whether or not the topics are interesting, or the facts skewed, politics are important to people of all ages, including teenagers.

According to social studies teacher Tina Griggs, students should make an attempt to get involved in politics as much as possible.

“I think, too often, students don’t feel like politics are an interest to them,” Griggs said. “It doesn’t matter to them; [they think] ‘my vote doesn’t count.’”

Griggs signed on to be the sponsor of Young Republicans Club for this reason. She hopes that students who are interested in politics will use the club as a way to get involved in the election and become more educated.

Social studies teacher Rebecca Anthony, the sponsor of Young Democrats Club, thinks that students need this education in order to develop their own beliefs and know what they stand for.

“I think whether or not you are involved in politics is one thing,” Anthony said, “but [it’s another thing] to be aware of what the issues are and where you really stand, not what your parents believe, but what you believe.”

Students who are involved in politics, in my opinion, will be much more prepared later in life when they are the ones in charge of the country. We need to get educated in order to succeed as a nation in the future.

Sincerely,

Ashlee Crane Editor-in-chief

CYCLING FOR SUCCESS WITH MITCH FEYERHERM

STAFF EDITOR-IN-CHIEF / Ashlee Crane CONVERGENCE DIRECTOR / Aaron Messick DESIGN EDITOR / Bailey Kopp ASSISTANT DESIGNERS / Grace Amundson + Maddy Grimes COPY EDITOR / Mac Cook WEB MANAGING EDITOR / Edelawit Hussien PHOTO EDITORS / Mikala Compton + Nate Compton GRAPHICS EDITOR / Mitch Feyerherm ADS EDITOR / Paige Waltman NEWS EDITOR / Brooke Courtney OPINIONS EDITORS / Ashlee Crane + Aaron Messick ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR / Sam Bellmyer FEATURES EDITOR / Atalie Black SPORTS EDITOR / Gabby Lorino STAFF WRITERS / Sarah Egger, Nina Gramajo, Haena Lee, Baili McPheeters, Alaura Moore + Randy Prosser CONTRIBUTORS / Peter Campain + Grace Freeman

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 two weeks during third 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 a solution. In these cases, the co-editors-in-chief will the have final say in all decisions. Letters to the editor will be accepted and encouraged, but will only be published if signed. 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 co-editors-in-chief reserves the right to refuse any letter.

LIGHT THE NIGHT

The Cougar Marching Pride and the Cougar Classics drill team will be performing their 14th annual Light Show on Oct. 26 after the football game against SM West. The Marching band and drill team will perform during halftime, then, after the game, the lights will turn off. The Marching Cougar Pride and drill team will perform again, but this time with glow sticks attached to their uniforms and instruments, as well as the drill team’s flag poles.

“One hundred percent of the

credit goes to [the kids],” band director Penny Snead said. “[The light show is] a rare situation where I can be a spectator and be just as astounded as the crowd.”

The light show is completely studentorganized. Students are in charge of ordering the light sticks and decorating themselves and their instruments.

“Everyone should come out and see it,” sophomore clarinetist Brooke Bennett said.

“It’s so unique and a ton of fun to watch.”

/AARON MESSICK

JAZZ BAND PERFORMS FIRST CONCERT It’s not often that high school students admit to enjoying jazz; but after the Jazz band had their first performance of the year, many people are sure to be attending more of their performances.

No matter how well the band performed in this concert, they look forward to further improvement in the future.

“I thought it was a great first concert of the year,” Jazz Band director Doug Talley said. “The jazz band had the opportunity to play three pieces of contrasting styles, which is a great learning experience for them.”

The three contrasting songs performed that night were “Dat Dere”

by Bobby Timmons, “Dreamsville”

by Henry Mancini and “Cantaloupe Island” by Herbie Hancock.

“The key players tend to be the most experienced players who show leadership in helping the younger players,” Talley said. “This year, our more experienced players are Joey Kendrick, Kate Tarne, Grant Morgan, Brett Skillett and Isaac Booth.”

Talley spoke of another important section of the band, “All of our rhythm section players are absolutely essential to our overall sound.”

Although a large portion of the band is new, the group must work hard to learn the unique styles of jazz music.

“They are learning to read music more efficiently and

accurately,” Talley said. “We also work on jazz improvisation, which is the ability to make up a solo on the spot, and play it convincingly in an appropriate jazz style.”

Talley also works diligently to teach the students how to perform the music just right.

“Jazz style can be really difficult to learn,” Talley said. “The first step in learning to play with good style is to imitate masters of the style. In the case of jazz, most high school students, even those who are musicians, don’t listen to jazz, so they have trouble imitating it at first.”

/GABBY LORINO

Junior Isaac Booth plays the double bass on Oct. 4 at the jazz band concert in the Greg Parker Auditorium.

Photo by Clara Davison

Junior Abigail Zimmerman plays the piano at the Jazz Band Concert.

Photo by Clara Davison

News 05

northwest news FALL BLOOD DRIVE TO BENEFIT COMMUNITY BLOOD CENTER Student Council will be hosting their biannual blood drive between 8 a.m. and 2:30 p.m on Nov. 6 in the main gym. All of the collected blood will be donated to the Community Blood Center, a non-profit network that collects over 50 percent of the nation’s blood supply. Last year, students and faculty donated 168 pints of blood. To register, students can sign up in their English classes.

“There are always people that need blood, and we will be able to help them out,” blood drive co-chairperson Colton Allen said.

Last year, senior Peter Campain took about 15 minutes of his time to

donate blood.

“I’m making a big difference in the community without taking away too much of my time,” Campain said.

After a pint of blood is drawn, students get a chance to replenish themselves with free juice, water, soda and a variety of snacks. Registered donors are also given free t-shirts.

Students are not the only ones that are encouraged to donate.

“Ask your parents,” blood drive co-chairperson Tom Green said. “Parents can donate, [at Northwest] and teachers can too.”

/ BY HAENA LEE

Qualifications: • Must be at least 17 years of age.

• Donor must not have had blood drawn in the past 60 days.

• Must have stayed in the country for the whole year.

• Must not be on certain medications.

• Must weigh at least 110 lbs.

COMPILED BY EDELAWIT HUSSIEN GRAPHICS BY MITCH FEYERHERM

Study finds teens who play

days until election day

Stanford University

sports show notably lower obesity rates.

I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT YOU’RE VERY SPECIAL... AND THE ONLY REASON I’M TELLING YOU IS THAT I DON’T KNOW IF ANYONE ELSE EVER HAS." — Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PLUNGED FROM 8.1% IN JULY TO 7.8% IN SEPTEMBER, ITS LOWEST SINCE JANUARY 2009. THIS IS BECAUSE OF A SURPRISING IMPROVEMENT IN A JOB MARKET THAT HAD SEEMED LISTLESS IN RECENT MONTHS. Washington Post

goodreads.com

blood donations are collected, on average, in the U.S. in a year Red Cross

30 ROCK’S SEVENTH AND FINAL SEASON PREMIERED ON OCT. 4 NBC On the Day of the Dead, Mexicans keep alive a tradition that blends Catholic rituals with the preHispanic belief that the dead return once a year from the underworld reuters.com

ACCORDING TO AN ACT NATIONAL NEWS RELEASE,

28%

OF ACT-TESTED 2012

GRADUATES DID NOT MEET ANY OF THE ACT COLLEGE READINESS BENCHMARKS IN ENGLISH, MATHEMATICS, READING AND SCIENCE.

Huffington Post

News 07

THE PRESSURE IS ON

You have to put in effort to reach your goals with a deadline.

My parents say there are only two career options for me to choose from: I am to be a lawyer or doctor. I have told them many times that I haven’t decided what I want to be.

Then my parents tell me I can be anything — as long as it’s a type of lawyer or doctor.

They say that in order to become one of those people and to become successful in life, I need better grades.

Anything below an A is a bad grade and B’s are for failures, according to my parents.

I get in trouble for not meeting my parents’ academic expectations.

On top of that pressure, they want me to be the perfect role model for my two little sisters. If I do well in school, go to a good college and become a lawyer or doctor, my sisters will look up to me and follow in my footsteps.

And then there’s the economy.

With the economy not doing so well, my parents expect me to receive plenty of scholarships. Their dream for me is to go to either an Ivy League school like Princeton, or a Pacific 10 Conference school like Stanford. If I go to one of those schools and receive a scholarship, my family would be so proud of me.

Last year, I didn’t study for tests. I just reviewed, like most students do. In biology, my teacher warned all of us that the chapter test was going to be harder and told the class every day that we needed to study, but I didn’t do enough.

When my test was handed back, I froze. I got a 65 percent, 26 out of 50. One less and it would have been an F. With tests accounting for 45 percent of my grade, I knew it was going butcher my A. It was close to

the end of the year, so time was not on my side. While my teacher was going over the test, I started to cry, and it wasn’t a silent cry. I started to bawl my eyes out. I cried so much I had to go to the bathroom to cry more.

After I returned to class, feeling embarrassed, my teacher told me what I could do to get my grades up. She showed me my current grade, which was a C. Just looking at that letter made me cry even more.

She told me if I turned my homework in and did well on the last test of the year, it would bring my grade back up to an A. I knew then that I had to be determined and focused. I did all the extra credit assignments I could for that class because I was desperate.

I double-checked all the worksheets before turning them in, and I took

by Haena Lee my biology book home every day.

To study for the last test of the year, which basically determined my fourth quarter grade, I memorized everything. The day of the test, I was ready and confident.

When my teacher handed back progress reports, I was anxious.

I didn’t know if all that hard work and studying had paid off. When I saw my grade, I was on cloud nine — overjoyed that I had raised my grade before the quarter ended, thrilled that I hadn’t let my parents down.

I learned two things: 1) simple letters hurt; 2) take action instead of whining.

As long as you give every single ounce of your effort and ask for a little help, you can reach any goal.

TOO OLD FOR TREATS

by Brooke Courtney When the doorbell rings on Halloween night, I expect to see children younger than 11 years old standing on my porch, begging for candy in their cute little Disney costumes tripping over their “trick-or-treat” greeting.

What I get is something completely different; children older than 11 and, surprisingly, young adults dressed up as Lil’ Wayne and Nicki Minaj begging for candy they do not deserve.

I have a 20-year-old sister who still believes she should be able to trick-or-treat. While I do believe my sister looks like

08 Oct. 19, 2012

Trick-or-treating isn’t for every age group. Once you’re 11 years old, you should be done dressing up and going around begging for candy that isn’t meant for you. a fool, at least she has made a costume to get her candy.

As she leaves our house, my younger sister and I ponder why. I mean, don’t young adults and teenagers go to haunted houses and parties instead? Any time we do tell her to stay home or that she is too old, she denies it and says that Halloween has no age limit.

But when you are older than 13 ringing someone’s doorbell, and begging for candy, you look a little ridiculous.

Trick-or-treating is like believing in Santa: you should stop either before, or as soon as you are out of, elementary

school. If you no longer believe in Santa, stop trick-or-treating.

Basically, if you no longer need your parents to keep you safe while trick or treating, you are too old to go door to door demanding free candy.

Don’t most elementary school children go to bed before 8 p.m.? This year, I am just going to turn off our front porch light at 8 p.m. that way I know for sure I won’t have to deal with any 17-year-old Lil’ Wayne look-alikes or 20-yearold Nicki Minaj impostors banging on my door trying to get candy.

CUTTING WHAT COUNTS Creative outlets could be even more limited to students.

While 50 percent of Americans think that the state of the economy is the most important issue facing the country today, according to a CBS News poll, only 2 percent see education as the most important issue. This statistic seems out-ofplace, considering how closely these two issues are related. The economy affects the state of our education system, and vice versa.

The recession has brought a greater focus on financial responsibility, at the personal and public level. State governments are forced to scale back. As the pressure to cut spending mounts, policy makers look for places to cut. Unfortunately, those cuts are often made from education funding, which places a greater burden on a system already struggling to keep up.

Funding for education is mandated by the state constitution and given to school districts based on the number of students enrolled — Base State Aid per Pupil (BSAP).

According to the Kansas Association of School Boards, the latest budget has increased the BSAP. But new tax policies will result in less revenue being collected over the long term.

Unlike the federal government, the constitution of Kansas mandates that the state have a balanced budget. As

THE MAJORITY OPINION OF THE NORTHWEST PASSAGE EDITORIAL BOARD

19 AGREE

0 DISAGREE

revenues decline and costs increase, spending cuts will have to be made.

With education funding making up more than half of the state’s general funds, this funding will be on the chopping block.

This is a dangerous prospect to John Martellaro, director of the non-partisan group Kansas Families for Education, who says that, “not enough money is being spent across the board” to meet the constitutionally-mandated funding levels.

The state constitution stipulates that public education funding must allow for ongoing improvements.

When cuts are made to state revenues or education funding, it disproportionately affects underfunded programs. Some of the most neglected programs are those for fine arts: theater, music, debate, etc. And that’s before budget cuts.

According to Martellaro, these

programs already receive “less time and attention because of standardized test goals.” If budget cuts force the elimination of teachers, these programs are at the most risk.

Even though BSAP has been modestly increased and revenue losses are forthcoming, fine arts programs already feel the effects of budgetary neglect and a slow economy. Debate coach Jennifer Quick says there is “absolutely” an impact “in terms of [the debate team’s] ability to travel and to take overnight trips.”

Fine arts are important to overall education. They are a place where students can act creatively, developing artistic or communication skills that might not fall in the curriculum of math or English classes. And for many students, these classes provide a major incentive to be involved in school. Additionally, the skills developed through activities like acting and debate can complement the skills learned in the classroom.

Quick thinks it’s “contradictory” to expect student to learn one skill set while programs that complement those skills are neglected or eliminated. “Politicians and administrators don’t see the

Base State Aid Per Pupil (BSAP) has increased from $3,780 to $3,840 in the legislature’s most recent budget. State funding for education over the last five fiscal years: 2007-2008 $4,374 2008-2009 $4,400 2009-2010 $4,012* 2010-2011 $4,012 2010-2011 $3,937 2011-2012 $3,780 *after Governor’s Nov. 2009 allotment

connections,” Quick said.

But not everyone agrees. Theater director Keli Rodgers says that drama “never got that much [funding from the district] to begin with,” so the recent budget cuts had any real impact. Rodgers says that her program is largely self-reliant, paid for by ticket sales. “[More funding] would allow us to buy more and newer equipment,” Rodgers said.

But not all departments can raise funds independently, like drama.

As a state, district and school, we should value fine arts programs just as much as any core class or sport.

For some students, these are the only classes that matter. If fine arts programs in schools are to survive, the state legislature must provide adequate funding, and the district and administration must recognize their importance.

MORE THAN A TEST SCORE

Colleges shouldn’t use a number to determine an applicant’s competence.

Numbers are used to measure us.

Numbers in the form of GPA, ACT, SAT and SAT II scores, among others, are used to measure the intellectual capability of high school students.

A number is the barrier between you and the University of Kansas, or Harvard.

But here’s my question: is a number really going to accurately measure the readiness of high school students?

These exams test a limited amount of information. They are not open platforms to show one’s knowledge of various subjects; they are four-hour tests that are somehow supposed to summarize 12 years of education.

We are more than a test score. We are more than our GPAs. However, as the college admission process becomes more competitive, these numbers matter more. Although there are other aspects to our application, these numbers hold an immense amount of weight.

But are we just numbers? These numbers do not tell colleges about our work ethic, our drive, our passion and our determination.

They do not accurately represent us but show our test-taking ability and our memorization skills. Plenty of students with 4.0 unweighted GPAs score a 25 on the ACT, and plenty of

students with 3.5 unweighted score 30s on the ACT. The numbers don’t always match up, which indicates that they may not always be accurate.

Although we can’t change the way our education system works, we are more than just test scores. It is frustrating to see a hard-working student be at a disadvantage because of their inability to sit through a fourhour test and come out with flying colors. Test scores and GPAs may be important aspects of the college admissions process, but the student’s character and personal qualities should hold just as much weight on the admissions decision.

by Edelawit Hussien For now, the only way to make sure you distinguish yourself is by highlighting your leadership qualities, your passions, and your goals when you go to fill out a college application. An outstanding passion for art, politics, hobbies, sports or any activity for that matter can show colleges that you are more than the numbers printed on your transcript.

Opinions

09

ABORTION

• The majority of Democrats are prochoice: they support a woman’s right to chose.

• The majority of Republicans are prolife: they believe that life begins at conception, and a fetus should be given the same rights as a human.

SCHOOL Students were surveyed about their political beliefs, and the results indicated that the margin of difference at Northwest is smaller than that of the presidential race in any of the “swing states.”

by MAC COOK, BROOKE COURTNEY, ASHLEE CRANE, SARAH EGGER, NINA GRAMAJO + PAIGE WALTMAN

STUDENT SURVEY RESULTS*

52% MITT ROMNEY 42%

BARACK OBAMA

4% ANDRE BARNET 2% *OUT OF 1082 SURVEYS

AGREE

KEY

OBAMA

It is unclear as to whether or not Obamacare would allow for taxpayerfunded abortions.

The Obama administration has awarded several federal family planning grants to Planned Parenthood clinics that have had their funding cut by the state government (huffingtonpost.com).

ROMNEY

Romney believes that abortion should not be allowed unless the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest, or if it is threatening to the mother’s overall health. However, if elected president, Romney claims that any legislation involving abortion “would not be a part of his agenda” (www.washingtonpost. com).

I support a woman’s right to have an abortion.

46% 16% 38%

HEALTHCARE

GARY JOHNSON

10 Oct, 19 2012

There was a prohibition of legal abortion from the 1880s until the Roe v. Wade case in 1973. Roe v. Wade ruled that banning abortions during the first trimester was unconstitutional. The terms “pro-choice” and “pro-life” evolved from this case.

DISAGREE UNSURE

• The majority of Democrats believe that healthcare should be a universal system.

• The majority of Republicans believe that healthcare should be a for-profit system.

OBAMA

Under Obamacare, Medicaid will be reformed and expanded in order to help cover more people. Insurance companies would not be able to drop sick people from their plan, and they can not be denied due to preexisting conditions.

Americans pay what they can afford, and those with incomes exceeding $250,000 will be subject to higher taxes. If they choose not to purchase any form of health insurance, there is a penalty tax.

All Americans have the option to stay on their current healthcare plan. Obamacare

wants to ensure that all preventative care will be free on all insurance plans.

ROMNEY

Massachusetts, Romney’s home state, has the highest number of citizens with medical insurance in the nation.

Romneycare was made to provide all citizens with access to affordable health insurance in Massachusetts. All of its citizens were required to purchase health insurance, and the state subsidized those who were too poor to purchase health insurance on their own.

Like public 11% education, 13% basic health care should be 76% considered a right of all American citizens.

Health insurance

17% 39% companies should

44% The federal government should fund stem cell research.

not be required to provide free birth control.

23%

28%

49%

States should be given the power to scale back the March 2010 federal 36% health care reform 46% laws (also known as 18% “Obamacare”).

IMMIGRATION

• The majority of Democrats believe in leading illegal immigrants down the road to citizenship by requiring them to pay taxes and learn English.

• The majority of Republicans believe in self-deportation. Employers must verify that their workers are in the country legally, and if illegal immigrants can’t find work, Republicans believe they will voluntarily return to their home country, or a place where they can find work.

OBAMA

In June, under executive order, President Obama halted the deportation of at least 80,000 young illegal immigrants, after the DREAM Act failed to pass in Congress.

“This is a temporary, stopgap measure

that lets us focus our resources wisely while giving a degree of relief and hope to … patriotic young people,” President Obama said. “It's the right thing to do." (washingtontimes.com)

ROMNEY

Romney backed the E-Verify bill in 2011, which would require employers to check their workers’ legal work status.

At a January debate in Jacksonville, Romney said he is "pro-immigrant" but specified that he wants people to come to the United States legally. In response to Obama’s short-term order, Romney proposed measures to make illegal immigration easier for those wanting to come to the U.S. His policy is “aimed at keeping families together,” and will provide a pathway to citizenship through military service for undocumented immigrants who arrived illegally as children. (CFR.org, Council of Foreign Relations)

Illegal immigrants should not have access to social services such as Medicaid, welfare or public education.

42% 17%

41%

19%

51%

The federal government should stop giving tax credits to the wind power industry.

Humans are substantially responsible for global climate change today.

19%

60%

30% I support a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants already in the U.S.

ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY

• The majority of Democrats believe in investing in renewable and “green” energy.

• The majority of Republicans support harnessing domestic energy.

OBAMA

At the 2012 Democratic National Convention, President Obama said in his speech that he plans to keep investing in wind power, solar power and clean coal. Earlier this year, Obama rejected a project that would build an oil pipeline from Canada to Nebraska, on the basis of environmental concerns. He also achieved the first-ever regulations on heat-trapping gases blamed for global warming, and he has set a goal of cutting oil imports in half by 2020.

ROMNEY

America by 2020. He is in favor of quick approval of the Keystone XL pipeline and the exploitation of domestic energy.

Romney’s plan would include allowing the states to decide if they want to drill and mine on federal lands within their state’s borders.

Romney has pledged that the U.S. will become completely independent of energy sources outside of North

21%

42%

18%

The war in Iraq has made 35% 25% America safer.

40%

40%

13% 6%

41% 39%

81%

The U.S. National Parks and Forests should continue to be protected by the federal government.

The United States 34% should develop its 32% own sources of energy, 34% even if it comes with an environmental cost.

WAR/FOREIGN POLICY

• The majority of Democrats believe in a quick withdrawal of troops overseas.

• The majority of Republicans will “deter any adversary who would attack us or use terror as a tool of government,” according to the GOP platform.

OBAMA

In a 2007 statement, Obama said that the “Iraq war has left us less safe than we were before 9/11.” He believes that because of the war, violent extremism in the Middle East, as well as terrorism in America and abroad, have increased.

However, in a 2010 speech, President Obama thanked the troops that had served in Iraq, stating they have “made America safer.” He has also proposed a plan to have all troops stationed in Afghanistan to return home by 2014.

ROMNEY

followed, the U.S. was “under managed, under prepared, under planned, understaffed.” Romney thinks that troops should leave Afghanistan only after the generals on the ground approve.

In a debate during his 2008 presidential campaign, Romney said he believes the U.S. made the right decision by going into Iraq. However, he also believes that, while we succeeded in the takedown of Saddam Hussein, the years that have

We should pull our troops out of Afghanistan only 20% after the generals on the ground give the go-ahead.

GAY MARRIAGE

• The majority of Democrats support the legalization of gay marriage.

• The majority of Republicans do not.

In 2001, the Netherlands became the first country to legalize gay marriage. Since then, ten other countries have followed suit.

Massachusetts became the first state to legalize gay marriage in 2004.

Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont, New Hampshire, New York and the District of Columbia have since legalized. The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is a federal law that defines marriage as the legal union of one man and one woman in the United States. The majority of the states uphold this law and don’t recognize gay marriages at all, even if the couple was married in a state where it is legal.

Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, North Carolina and Washington are asking voters if they would like to legalize gay marriage by including it on the ballot in the upcoming election. Many polls are showing that the law is expected to pass in all five states (www.ncsl.org).

OBAMA

In May 2012, Obama became the first sitting president to publicly support the legalization of gay marriage. Although he was once opposed to gay marriages, Obama said that his stance has “evolved” over time. (www.nbcnews.com).

ROMNEY

When Romney was running for US Senate in 1994 he supported “full equality” for gays and lesbians (www.harvard. edu). However, Romney recently told Fox News that gay couples should not

be allowed to marry. “My view is that marriage itself is a relationship between a man and a woman. And that’s my own preference,” Romney said. Romney has also expressed no support of civil unions. (www.npr.org).

11% 21% Gay marriage

68%

should not be allowed in the United States

EDUCATION

• The majority of Democrats are committed to ensuring that every child has access to high quality public education and support increased spending on education.

• The majority of Republicans believe in the policies of school of choice, where taxpayers can decide if they want their taxes to go toward public education or other educational options, such as private and charter schools. Republicans note that massive increases in spending have, in the past, done nothing to improve education outcomes.

OBAMA

At a March 2011 public forum hosted by Univision, President Obama said, “There’s nothing wrong with a standardized test being given occasionally just to give a baseline of where kids are at.” However, Obama also said that he doesn’t want schools to be punished or judged solely on their test scores.

ROMNEY

Romney supports federally mandated standardized testing, suggesting that “what drives good education” in his state of Massachusetts included testing children to see if “they are meeting the standards that need to be met.” “insurance guarantor for the private sector as those companies offer loans to students.”

I support more government spending on education.

18% 13%

69%

The use of federally mandated 32% 36% standardized tests is improving education in 32% America.

Features

11

The Marching Cougar Pride roared, both with spirit and music, at the district marching festival. / BY ATALIE BLACK

T

he neighborhoods around SM South echoed with the booming of drums and the cheers of the audience that filled South District Stadium during the Oct. 2 district marching festival.

The festival was open for supporters, family and friends of those involved in marching band.

Each of the Shawnee Mission high school marching bands performed a show based on a theme. The first marching band to perform was SM East with the theme “Mangione Magic,” featuring Chuck Mangione’s “Land of Make Believe,” “Echano,” “Feels Good” and “Children of Sanchez.”

SM North followed with original

12 Oct. 19, 2012

music by Jay Dawson to go with their theme “Night Watch.”

Next to perform was SM West with the theme “Rhythm in Red” featuring “Sing, Sing, Sing,” “Fever” and “Malaguena.”

SM South performed “The Music of Danny Elfman,” which included themes from “Spiderman,” “Beetlejuice,” “Tales from the Crypt,” “The Simpsons” and “Edward Scissorhands.”

The last band to perform was the Marching Cougar Pride. This year the marching band is using music from the Broadway hit Jekyll and Hyde, with songs such as “Murder Murder,” “In His Eyes” and “Facade.” Music from Jekyll and Hyde is much darker

and more mysterious than last year’s theme.

“I always try to give the kids input [on the theme of the marching show], give them some ideas and I narrow it down to a few choices, and then usually it’s a decision between me and the students,” said marching band director Penny Snead.

The Marching Cougar Pride began practicing the last week of July with its annual band camp. They also participated in the Old Shawnee Days parade in June. Field leader Kate Tarne, and drum majors Sam Broll and Brett Christianson, were chosen in the Spring.

Drum majors and the field captain are the highest student

leader positions. These student leaders are vital to the performance of the marching band because they conduct the band performances and keep everyone where they need to be. They are chosen by Snead and the drum majors from the previous year.

The junior drum major is selected as field captain due to their year of experience as a drum major the previous year.

“The band votes on the drum majors during the spring. Each year, a junior drum major and a senior drum major are [selected] based on an audition — you conduct the band playing The Star Spangled Banner,” field captain Kate Tarne said.

Drum majors are responsible

for conducting the marching band performances. The senior and junior drum majors conduct different songs throughout the performances, based on their rank.

“The junior drum major specifically is in charge of conducting pre-game music and pep band music in the stands, the senior drum major conducts one song to the show, and the field captain conducts two songs of the show,” Tarne said. “Each of us conducts every song. It’s just different people on the middle podium,” The marching band shows consist of marching while playing music to create patterns on the field. Because the formation of these patterns must be precise, learning the marching routines can be difficult.

Students are given a different packet for each song containing the routine layout. Each student, based on the instrument they are playing, is given a letter and a number.

“We order [the drills] from a national company,” Snead said, “so we send them the numbers of kids we have per instrument, and the total number of kids on the field, and they generate the drill for us based on the number of kids.”

Marching band members arrive at school at 7 a.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday each week to practice marching for 90 minutes, including first hour to allow for even more practice; on odd block days, the total practice time adds up to 120 minutes. On Thursdays, the band also meets from 7-8:30 p.m. for rehearsal.

“I’d say a lot of work has gone into this season. It’s a pretty big time commitment,” Snead said. “The kids who are involved in marching band are really great kids, though. They’re used to being responsible, and so they commit the time, and they know what to expect, and when they’re rehearsing they’re there when they’re supposed to be.”

The marching band met the day before the SM Marching Festival to rehearse once more, making sure they knew everything they were supposed to do for the following day “I was really excited to see how many band members were willing to give up part of their day off to work on getting better, it really speaks to the dedication and the commitment to the group,” Tarne said.

Although the audience and the bands were split up by high school on the far side of the stadium, everyone was supportive for one another’s high school marching band.

“We really try and look at it not as a competition,” Snead said. “The SM Marching Festival is intended to be supportive and just a festival where everybody gets to show what they do.”

“I thought [the turnout for the district marching festival] was great,” Snead said. “Our whole focus was to enjoy others and to be positive.”

The festival does not mark the end of the marching band’s practices. It marks the beginning of the competition season for the band, which competed at the Kansas State University marching festival on Oct. 13, and will compete at the University of Kansas Marching Festival on Oct. 20. The band will also perform the annual light show at 7 p.m. on Oct. 26 in the North district stadium.

DOMINANT: Senior drum major Sam Broll conducts the marching band performance at the district marching festival. Broll was chosen as one of the drum majors in the spring.

ABOVE: The song “Facade” from the play Jekyll and Hyde is played by senior Carly Johnson and junior Sara Martin on the flute at SM South on Oct. 2. The Marching Cougar Pride has been rehearsing for their show since July 2.

LEFT: Junior Canyon Toshavik and freshman Ian Boyd play the xylophone for an audience

of family and friends. The band and drill team meet on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday mornings at 7 a.m. to practice.

RIGHT: Junior Daniella Santos performs a flag routine to “In His Eyes.” The Cougars were the last of the five bands to perform in the district marching festival.

photos by Nate Compton

Features 13

PHOTO COURTESY OF KARLY BROWN

What’s your worst fear? Bet you’ll find it here.

What’s your worst fear?

Bet you’ll find it here.

STREET

ASYLUM he perfect place to bring your fears and phobias to life opened Oct. 5 in Bonner Springs.

The 3rd Street Asylum, owned by Steve Hoffine and his family was designed on some basic elements of fear: snakes, spiders, clowns, claustrophobia, “and surprisingly pigs are a big fear for a lot of people,” Hoffine said.

This Halloween destination also has a spooky past that adds to the haunted theme. The historical building at the corner of 3rd and Cedar Streets was built on cemetery land in the 1800s.

Hoffine’s story is that not all the bodies from the original cemetery were moved before the high school school was built on that land. “ The families that could afford to move the bodies did but, for the people who couldn’t afford it, they were just left,” Hoffine said.

The school was closed in 1983 and remained vacant until 2010

T

when Steve Hoffine and his family purchased the building on a fouryear lease.

After purchasing the property, Hoffine had a medium come in to inspect the place.

“She said she could see a tall man with a top hat in the boiler room who was angry and didn’t want us here,” Hoffine said “She didn’t even want to go down there. She said she felt very uncomfortable. She [also] saw a lady on the top floor who was happy and glad we were here.”

So the story was that apparently the man stuck in the basement was in love with the lady upstairs, who was a teacher, and she didn’t love him back so he killed her. After he died, supposedly their spirits were both stuck in the building on opposite ends. Eternally separated.

“Some of the workers have even told us that they’ve seen figures walking down the hall that they thought was one of us, but when

they would go to try and follow it, it [would] just disappear into the wall,” Hoffine said.

Whether you believe in ghost stories or not, it definitely does add a little more to the fright factor in the building.

The 3rd Street Asylum is made up of three stories of mazes and rooms filled with props and actors dressed and designed to fit the insane asylum theme. Anything that you’re afraid of is guaranteed to be in this haunted house including rooms filled with spiders, snakes, clowns, bloody pigs, and insane characters around every corner waiting to pop out. It’s impossible not to let out a scream while walking through.

The staff started preparing in May, making most of their own props like spider webs made with a hot glue gun and airbags to create claustrophobic pathways. When you get a close look at the rooms, you can see that small details were definitely not forgotten.

Realistic eyeballs are used on props, and actors are given latex masks and professional makeup to keep guests scared without using the cheesy props seen in most other haunted houses.

The owners of this haunted house have broken down the science of fear to design this building.

“We don’t just go off of the visual aspects,” Hoffine said. “There’s a lot more to the psychology of fear. We use differents sounds and smells to really keep people on their toes.”

They do so by installing pressure pads in the floor that set off loud noises, and use air fresheners with an awful corpse scent to keep people wondering what’s going to be around the next corner.

Check out the 3rd Street Asylum, before it closes Nov. 2. For $18, some of your worst fears will come to life.

/ ALAURA MOORE

Entertainment 15

POKÉMON movies:

Silent Hill Revelations 3D — OCT. 25 Wreck-It Ralph — NOV. 2 The Man With the Iron Fist — NOV. 2 Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 — NOV. 16

albums:

Music From Another Demension!

— Aerosmith — OCT. 2 Take Me Home — One Direction — NOV. 12 Dos! — Green Day — NOV. 13 King Animal — Soundgarden — NOV. 13

sudoku 7 4 9 6

1 16 Oct. 19, 2012

books:

Astray — Emma Donoghue — OCT. 30 Eight Girls Taking Pictures — Whitney Otto — NOV. 6 Sweet Tooth — Ian McEwan — NOV. 13 Dear Life — Alice Munro — NOV. 13

video games:

Assassin’s Creed III — XBOX 360, PS3 & PC — OCT.30 Halo 4 — XBOX 360 — NOV. 6 Call of Duty Black Ops II — XBOX 360, PS3 & PC — NOV. 13 New Super Mario Bros. U — Wii U — NOV. 18

DIFFICULTY: moderate

3 5 1 4 6 4 9 3 2 8 7 3 6 1 3 6 1 1 5 8 7 4 3 1 5 2 1 6 6 2 9

BLACK 2 AND WHITE 2 Admittedly, I think many fans were a bit skeptical and surprised when they first heard Game Freak first announced that they were planning to release a sequel to Pokemon Black and White only a year after its release.

When it comes to the Pokemon series, the battle system since Pokemon Diamond and Pearl hasn’t changed; this is Game Freak’s “why fix what isn’t broken” approach. It’s always been about exploring the brand new region, seeing and catching the new Pokemon, and the new battles that stand in your path.

Pokemon Black 2 and White 2 took a gamble by giving us the latest region again, and no new Pokemon introduced, but despite this it still feels like a brand new adventure.

In Black and White, players were restricted to the regionspecific Pokemon until after the game was completed, which was a common complaint; now the player is able to catch Pokemon from previous regions right from the get-go. The player is able to participate in the World Tournament, where long term fans will see and battle the ever-so familiar gym leaders and champions from all of the previous games, accompanied by some nostalgic remixes of the gym leader and champion theme songs.

A new side game was added as well called Pokestar Studios where the player stars in several movies, which makes the player follow a script with objectives, but allows them the choice to follow them or not, which in turn will determine how the movie will turn out to be like. Also after completing the game, the player will unlock Hard mode (Black 2) or Easy mode (White 2), which alters the AI (artificial intelligence) of the trainers you face, and the levels of their Pokemon. Also a medal system was added,which are unlocked by meeting certain requirements.

While most of the Unova region stayed the same from last adventure, there still are enough differences to make it fresh. Four new towns were added, one of them being the player’s hometown as well as the first gym leader’s.

The gym leaders have also changed with three newcomers to Black 2 and White 2 and the five returning leaders from the previous game, which all have completely redesigned gyms.

So, is this game worth buying? I’d say, yes — for both long-term fans and newcomers to the series. It offers enough new content to long term fans to make it feel like a new journey. Plus, those returning gym leaders and champions are sure to incite nostalgia. For newcomers, this will be a fresh experience that should be easy enough to enjoy without feeling confused.

/ RANDY PROSSER

PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER

RATING: PG-13 RUNNING TIME: 103 MIN Starring Logan Lerman and Emma Watson, Perks of Being a Wallflower stole the audiences’ heart from the very beginning. Perks of Being a Wallflower had the audience feeling every single emotion that was portrayed.

Charlie, played by Lerman, is starting his first year of high school in the same year that his older sister is graduating. Charlie, unlike his older sister, has a hard time fitting in and is bullied by upperclassmen. One Friday night, Charlie is at his school football game and moves up to sit by a senior boy Patrick,who is played by Ezra Miller, who is in his woodshop class. That night, Charlie starts to become friends with Patrick and Sam, played by Watson.

As Charlie goes to find somewhere to sit at lunch on his first day of highschool, he experiences feelings of being left out when none of his old friends and even his older sister won’t

let him sit with them. Also, when Charlie finds out that he is now a “new friend” of Sam and Patrick, the audience feels all of the happiness that Charlie feels right in that moment.

Then there was the plot. Right when the audience thought everything was going just fine with Charlie, bam, you get hit with a crazy turn that was never expected. The storyline seemed like it was an overdone storyline, but it was new and fresh in a way. The emotions were raw, the twists and turns were original, and the acting was fantastic. Overall, the audience left the theater feeling that their money was well spent. The acting was spot on, and the directing was fantastic, considering the fact that the author of the novel, Stephen Chbosky was also the screenplay writer. Do you think that you could fall in love with a wallflower?

30 ROCK

Tina Fey has never disappointed when it comes to writing. Whether it was her run on one of the best seasons of Saturday Night Live or the surprisingly far-reaching high school comedy of Mean Girls, she has always impressed. Many of her fans, however, consider her NBC sitcom, 30 Rock, to be her crowning achievement. It is brilliantly funny, biting in its sarcasm and exceptionally relatable. 30 Rock is what other sitcoms want to be when they grow up.

30 Rock is currently entering its seventh and final season on air, at the request of Tina Fey herself. It’s nice to see a show that has aged well.

It relies heavily on Saturday Night Live- style topical humor, but it still remains strong because the celebrity faces are generally interchangeable.

The premise of the final season is that the current top executive of NBC, played by Alec Baldwin, is attempting to “tank” NBC and make it so unprofitable that it will be sold to another corporation, getting control away from their current parent company, Kabletown.

/ BROOKE COURTNEY EDITOR’S PICK

The dialogue is still fast-paced and exceptionally funny; its self-referencing is enjoyable without being impenetrable, and watching it multiple times still results in the discovery of new jokes.

While the show remains hilarious, it’s truly trying to draw itself to a definable conclusion, a rare case in network sitcoms, which have the unfortunate tendency to simply run until the writers run out of ideas.

The addition of Kristen Schaal (Flight of the Conchords, Bob’s Burgers) as the psychopath page Hazel was a fantastic contribution. She embodies so perfectly the worst of the current generation of lowest-common-denominator reality TV hopefuls.

Schaal counteracts the rest of the subtly insane cast well, and she is often an effective device to lampoon the rest of the cast.

The new season has started off well, and the next few episodes are already set up to do well. It will be a fitting farewell season for one of the best comedies we’ve had on television in a long time.

/ SAM BELLMYER

Ben Folds Five: LIVE Starlight Theater was flooded with rows upon rows of seats, and when it comes down to it, every seat is a good seat.

On Sept. 28, most of those hundreds of seats were filled as groups of people waited for Ben Folds Five to take the stage. People moved in and out of them with an energetic flow as they waited to be filled from their toes to ears with sound.

Concession stands lined the bottom right and left sides of the stage, and everything was easily accessible. An easily maneuverable environment made the listening experience even better for the audience members because it eliminated that minor annoyance of concert where seats are not present. Any concertgoer will admit that being crushed by sweaty, impolite people is no fun, so Starlight is definitely a great venue.

Sounds of Ben Folds’ piano playing began to blare from speakers that are gargantuan compared to his shiny black grand piano. Robert Siedge, bass player, strummed notes and beats I would expect the bass player to strum notes, but am not sure that you can strum beats. Saying that the drummer “banged away on his drum” is not a compliment. along with drummer, Darren Jessee, banging away on his drum set. The crowd stood in front of their cold green chairs and proceeded to sing and step to the lyrics that tend to tell a story. For slower songs the crowd was seated and the energy got to recharge as most people quietly sang to themselves. When “Brick”, a commonly known song by the Ben Folds Five, came on very few people stood, but the lyrics “She’s a brick and I’m drowning slowly/Off the coast and I’m headed nowhere/She’s a brick and I’m drowning slowly” are belted as the piano played gentle melodies.

Without a doubt Ben Folds can hash out some mean piano playing and gets the crowd to participate as much as possible. With all the flashing lights and fog machine behind them, it was hard to keep your eyes averted for very long.

The energy put into every song they played was outstanding, feelings were portrayed not only through lyrics but by actions. Soon enough the three band members stepped off stage and the crowd began to roar. Approximately two minutes later the roaring continued and got increasingly louder as they all sauntered back to their positions on the stage. As the Ben Folds Five went about their encore they ended with a song that will forever be timeless, One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces. This ended the show perfectly as Ben Folds rose from his chair slowly still pounding away on that ol’ grand piano. While Siedge and Jessee continued the song, he picked up his chair, walked back two or three feet, then chucked it at the piano keys ending the song and an incredible show. / MADDY GRIMES

Entertainment 17

A MOMENT MAKES IT ALL WORTHWHILE Sports give us a reason to erupt in cheers.

75¢

on Stubhub to see the Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros play their final regulation season game on

Oct. 3

this week I cheered with my dad.

“Yeah, some freshman is going to state in tennis, I guess.”

I heard several remarks like this in the hallway this past week. Our tennis team has never been at the top of the league, but we are sending four players to the state tournament this year. Our number two doubles team and our number one doubles team have both won their spots in the top six in the league, which means they get to advance to state.

But apparently, from what I hear in the hallway, the freshman going is getting the most attention. This freshman has competed in all of the varsity matches, winning 75 percent of them. She is playing with senior Claire Gordon, who has competed at the state competition for the past four years. This freshman’s name is Colleen Freeman, and she happens to be my sister.

I remember getting the phone call from my mom, telling me that Colleen knew she was going to state.

There was a moment of silence from my end of the phone, and then I erupted in cheers. I knew what a big

It has been 45 years since former Red Sox left fielder and first baseman Carl Yastrzemski won the last MLB Triple Crown.

days until state cross country at Rimrock Farms

BY GRACE FREEMAN

deal it was for Colleen.

“I had been hoping to get to state all season,” my sister said. “It was a relief when I finally realized I had made it.”

Cheering for sports is one of the more exciting things you can do.

This past fall season, we haven’t had too much to cheer for. But to me, that just makes the moment of victory that much better.

The victory we feel when our football team scores a touchdown or a cross country runner passes a finish line cannot be replaced.

It seems to me that we are always cheering, and it also seems to me that is the best part.

Whitney McMillon’s score in the regional golf competition. McMillon is the only NW golfer to qualify for the state tournament this year.

It turns out the Triple Crown is not only about horse racing. The term is also used when a baseball player has the highest batting average, the most runs batted in, and the most home runs in one season. No one had laid claim to this title since Carl Yastrzemski in 1967.

But, on Oct. 3, Cabrera did it, while in Kauffman Stadium.

The cheers that erupted from the stands could shatter your eardrums.

Cabrera was given a standing ovation, from Royals and Tigers (the team Cabrera plays for) fans alike.

Even watching from my comfortable living room, I felt a part of a huge moment.

To me, the Triple Crown is important because it is not something that happens everyday.

“It’s a big deal because it hasn’t happened in such a long time,” sophomore Griffin Robinson said.

“It’s a giant accomplishment.”

To put this in perspective, winning the Triple Crown is like winning three Olympic gold medals all in one year.

And that was not the only time

NINETY-SIX

I remember watching the game with my dad. To me, it was just another Royals game that we always watched together, me quietly doing my homework while my dad fell asleep in front of the TV. But this game was different, and, to be honest I didn’t even know it.

I was slowly sinking into my warm couch cushions, settling in for a nap when I heard my dad say a single word.

“Wow,” he said.

I looked over at him, and then at the TV to see what was happening.

I assumed the Royals had done something atrocious or committed some grievous error. Instead, when I looked up, all I saw was a man, not in a Royals uniform, on the screen. This man’s name was Miguel Cabrera, and he had just won the Triple Crown.

I always thought the Triple Crown was only won in horse racing. The Kentucky Derby, the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes are the three races, and if a horse wins all three, they are awarded the Triple Crown.

2,671

glow sticks will be used by the Marching Cougar Pride for their light show Oct. 26.

WHAT’S NEW ON

THE “NEW” COALITION

Although the organization has experienced changes in leadership, Coalition’s event "The Walk," as well as other events, remain the same.

by Sarah Godke

PHOTO BY CARLEIGH WHITMAN

Title Fight’s Floral Green

YOUTH IN ACTION

The punk band’s second full-length album stays true to its familiar grunge sound, and is sure to live up to expectations.

Members of Young Democrats Club and Young Republicans Club get involved in politics as the Presidential election approaches.

by Alaura Moore

by Ashlee Crane

FOLLOW US on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest for the latest NW news. facebook.com/smnwdotcom

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“Running in league really influenced me to run faster, knowing that this could have been the last race of the season. I wanted to make my mark on the school and show everyone that we have some really strong runners.”

— sophomore Carson Wapp photo by aaron messick