The Northwest Passage, Vol. 52, Issue 4

The Northwest Passage

N W P

Issue 4 Vol. 52 Dec. 17, 2020

Trash The Truth about

What really happens to our recyclables? pg 11-13

No Tomorrow

10

As practices begin, the Lady Cougars look to repeat their league dominance

Student-Led Classes

15

Sticking together while apart

14 | feature

Dec.10, 2020

smnw.com

TABLE of CONTENTS

We Heard You

5 6

Getting it Under Control

7

Year in Politics

8

Everything Matters

9

Winter Sports Preview

10

Columns

Students react to 2020 election COVID-19 skyrockets in Johnson County The presidential election and more

Football ends the season with a 6-4 record Lady Cougars look to repeat their dominance

Truth about Trash What really happens to our recyclables

11-13

Full Circle

14

Sticking Together

15

Holiday Ideas

16

Tremendous Tutoring

17

FurEver Hopeful

18

Here and There

19

How a musical begins and ends in Kansas

Student-led classes struggle in remote learning Activities to get you in the holiday spirit Junior Sarah Ellison creates WorldChangers It only takes one person to make a difference

World current events

November In Photos 20-21 A Look Back

NORTHWEST PASSAGE Issue 4 Vol. 52 Dec. 17 , 2020

OUR PASSAGE: The purpose of the Northwest Passage is to relay important and interesting information to the community, administration and students of the Shawnee Mission Northwest High School.

As a news magazine, the Northwest Passage will cater to the interests and concerns of the student body. Outside concerns and activities will only be covered if they somehow affect the school or students.

The Northwest Passage is a 24-page news magazine. The paper will be distributed every four weeks as possible.. Subscriptions will be available to the community for $25.

The Northwest Passage firmly supports the First Amendment and opposes censorship. The content of the newspaper will be determined and created by the entire staff. When questions concerning word choice, legal problems or ethics arise, the editorial board and adviser will discuss the problem to find the solution.

In these cases, the editor-in-chief and editorial board will have the say in all decisions.

Letters to the editor will be accepted and encouraged. The staff reserves the right to edit for grammatical mistakes, length and good taste. Letters may attack policy but not people.

In no way will ideas or viewpoints be changed.

The editor-in-chief and editorial board reserve the right to refuse any letter.

STAFF:

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

Rory Dungan Elizabeth Kuffour

CONTENT MANAGEMENT: Photo Editor

Claire Moore

Copy Editor

Emily Alexander

Online Editor

Ruth Demeke

Ass’t Photo Editor Sophia McCraney Copy Editor

Online Editor

Design Editor

STAFF WRITERS:

This month’s package focuses on the myth of recycling plastics and where your recycled containers really go. + Cover photo by Claire Moore + Cover design by Kasi Maniktala

Alex Barfield Yeretzy Blanco Michael Owens Veronica Meiss Olivia Nagorka Morgan Tate Grace Logan

+ Design by Karmela Davis

Stella Grist

Ally Pruente Erin Albers

STAFF DESIGNERS: Olivia Linville Kasi Maniktala Olivia Nagorka Alden Norberg

ADVISER: Susan Massy

Freshman Kate Reese celebrates winning a point Oct. 27 at Blue Valley West. The Cougars lost to the Jaguars 3-5 and didn’t qualify for the state tournament. “The loss was very hard for the whole team, especially the seniors,” Reese said. “ When we won a point or a set, we cheered like never before and had an energy that no one could miss.” + photo by Erin Dory

4 | Opinion

Dec. 17, 2020

Just Not Right

The unequal treatment of sports and extra-curriculars must end + design by Kasi Maniktala

NW

W

hen the SMSD school board approved sports and activities in September, they cited the Kansas State High School Activities Association’s (KSHSAA) Activity-Specific Considerations, a 36-page document that outlined COVID-19 guidelines for every fall sport and activity from soccer to quiz bowl. They created similar documents for winter sports and activities, all of which are available on the KSHSAA website.

20/ 9 For

Against

These guidelines include clear inconsistencies between sports. For instance, cheerleaders are not allowed to perform stunts while masked due to close proximity and the risk of a mask catching, tearing or falling off during the stunt.

However, the KSHSAA Spirit Considerations state that “if your school is in a mask mandated area, no stunting should occur at practice, game or competition per NFHS rule.”

In Johnson County schools, this means cheerleaders are unable to stunt under any circumstance, prohibiting them from performing a major part of their sport. Yet gameplay for other sports involving close contact, including football, wrestling and basketball, is allowed to occur entirely unmasked. There are slight differences between regulations for basketball and football, as well. For example, the KSHSAA Football Considerations ask players and personnel to “always maintain social distancing guidelines while on the sideline...when possible.” However, the basketball considerations provide a sevenpoint bulleted list of team bench protocols; Northwest has opted to replace the benches with individual chairs for each player, spaced six feet apart and in several rows.

The move from outdoors to indoors warrants additional mitigation protocols, but the extent to which winter sport guidelines differ from fall sport guidelines warrants some questioning: Did local leaders just not think of these measures until now? Or were they willing to look past potentially unsafe practices before, simply because athletes were outside?

The criticism is not in the fact that additional mitigation procedures are being introduced — if anything, it’s a good thing that those in charge are making more of an effort to keep students, staff and families safe as sports and activities transition indoors. The issue is that these recommendations were not implemented for the fall, when Kansas communities had an opportunity to be proactive about limiting the spread of COVID-19 and keeping numbers down in anticipation of the winter season. As a result of this oversight, winter athletes may be left feeling as though they are afforded less freedom and privileges when in reality, these restrictions should’ve been in place from the get-go.

Even more concerning than the sportto-sport inconsistency is the fact that members of non-athletic activities feel they have been an afterthought in all of this. The discrepancy is clear even in the KSHSAA activity considerations documents—only one page was released for pep band and two full pages for debate, while nearly every other KSHSAA activity received at least four pages of mitigation recommendations. It seems as though officials are not giving as much thought to how to keep non-athletic participants safe, or may indicate that those activities are considered less valuable.

KSHSAA initially banned all spectators from attending winter sports and events through Jan. 28. But this decision was called into question by community members and parents, many of whom cited their wish to support their children in person and be present in the event that their child is injured. In a special meeting Dec. 8, the KSHSAA board of directors voted 54-24 to reverse their original decision.

Starting Dec. 10, each participant (players, cheerleaders, dance team, band, etc.) will be allotted two tickets per game to give to parents or guardians (siblings are not allowed to attend, although they were allowed during the fall sports season).

However, the KSHSAA board’s reversal leaves room for local boards of education and health officials to act at their own discretion; the SMSD school board has full control over when, how and how strictly they enforce KSHSAA’s recommendations.

Because of this exception, it is imperative that the SMSD school board act with care and consideration moving forward. What matters more, preserving sports-centric school culture or the lives of students?

NW

Athletics Adapt to COVID A break-down of KSHSAA’s latest rules for winter sports

Wrestling Masks should be worn when not on the mat.

Wrestlers must use hand sanitizer immediately after each match.

Wrestlers are encouraged to shower and change into a fresh uniform after each round.

Coach chairs should be sanitized between each round.

Officials are not allowed to raise the arm of the winning wrestler to signal victory. They will instead turn toward the scoring table, signal with an open palm in the direction of the winner and say “match winner.”

Basketball Masks must be worn by coaches and event staff at all times. Officials must wear masks at halftime and before and after games, but they are not required to wear one during the game. Players must wear masks when off the court, but are not required to wear one during gameplay.

Pre- and post-game handshakes are to be replaced by a different “appropriate sign of respect and sportsmanship,” such as a head nod or salute to the other team.

Team benches should be modified to allow for six-foot distancing of all players, coaches and personnel.

Bowling Masks should be worn at all times, including practice and competition.

Bowlers should sanitize their hands after each game, and are encouraged to bring their own hand sanitizer.

Coaches are responsible for sanitizing equipment before and after practices.

The host should sanitize the settee area between competitions, and provide hand sanitizer at the scoring table.

Athletes and coaches are allowed to eat and drink, but must sit six feet apart and put masks back on immediately after

Players must use hand sanitizer before entering the court or after exiting the court during a substitution, and are not allowed to high five or fist bump during the substitution.

Boys’ Swim and Dive Swimmers should not be moved from lane to lane during practice.

The bars and fulcrum should be sanitized between divers at practice.

Warm-up times and lanes will be

Spirit (cheer and dance) Schools are allowed a maximum of eight cheerleaders on the baseline.

Dancers should be spaced six feet apart in the stands.

Cheerleaders are allowed to enter the court for 60 second timeouts, quarter breaks and halftime.

Masks are recommended, but stunting with masks is prohibited under all circumstances.

assigned to each team, and these lanes will stay the same for the competition.

During meets, all divers from one school should dive consecutively, then the bars and fulcrum will be sanitized before the next school’s divers compete.

Award ceremonies may be suspended in favor of giving wrapped awards to coaches to distribute to their swimmers individually

smnw.com

5 | opinion

In Loving Memory

My most fervent wish isn’t for more time, but to be worthy

“So you’re getting your permit soon, eh?”

“Yeah! My older brother is getting his license soon, as well,” I say, smiling and looking down at my greatgrandfather, who has an IV in + by Veronica his arm and a blanket over him.

Meiss “You know when I went to get my license...” my great-grandfather goes on about how he got a ticket on the same day he got his license, and I try to listen over the sound of my grandma and my dad talking on the other side of the room. While he’s talking, my heart fills with this weird sense of bitter happiness.

Two hours earlier, my father told my brothers and me that our great-grandfather just went into hospice care. Standing there, looking at him, listening to the heart monitor slowly beep, I try to absorb as much information as I can. I listen to the stories he tells as the next days pass, as well as the ones told by my aunts, my father and my grandmother in memory of him.

I had the privilege of listening to my greatgrandfather two more times before he passed away Oct. 21.

My great-grandfather was a Marine who served in Korea, Vietnam and Okinawa. He was the father of five, grandfather of 26 and greatgrandfather of 39. My great-grandmother was his wife of 60 years and preceded him in death by seven years, in December 2013.

I remember the words and stories that I heard during my great-grandfather’s eulogy. My father was the first to speak, recalling stories of both of his grandparents and the lessons he learned from them. Up next were all of his children, singing songs and telling more stories that I had never heard before.

My great-grandparents were two of the most caring people in the world. They never refused help to anyone in need. My great-grandmother was known to have one hand on dinner, another holding a phone while playing Scrabble all the while keeping score for a game of Dutch Blitz.

When a loved one passes away, people typically wonder what it would be like to see them again.

To hear their voice one more time or even to give them apologies and seek forgiveness.

But for me? While it would be great to play one more game of Scrabble with my greatgrandmother or listen to one more war story from my great-grandfather, I feel like there couldn’t be enough games played or stories heard to satisfy me. The joy of getting to talk to them again would only be bitterly impermanent.

I would rather have the lasting joy of continuing their caring and ever-present legacy than to talk to them again. They were kindhearted people who loved God and always made an effort to be as selfless as possible.

My only hope is to be worthy of the legacy of Robert Lee Davis (1928-2020) and Patricia Ann Davis (1933-2013)

Mental Reset Positivity and the importance of self-care in my search for me Be positive.

Look at the world with an optimistic point of view and everything will be okay.

It sounds easy, right? It’s not quite that simple for someone who struggles with mental + by Emily illness.

Alexander A little over a year ago, I was diagnosed with clinical depression and generalized anxiety disorder. But I’m not here to tell you a big sob story about my entire journey.

I’m here to tell you about all the things that helped me get to the point I’m at today.

I’ve always wanted to be known for spreading positivity among others. My biggest goal has always been to bring a bit of light into a room full of darkness. That’s kind of hard to do when you’re in a constant battle with your mind, when you are both mentally and physically exhausted.

Whenever I find myself falling into a really deep place, I search for different ways to quickly boost my mood. I should preface that by saying there is no easy cure for mental illness. It is a battle I am currently fighting and one I’ll probably fight for the rest of my life.

I have spent endless hours searching for quick fixes for my hopeless mood however, nothing seems to work.

It wasn’t until I was forced to stay inside for three months due to a global pandemic that things began to change. My boredom completely

consumed me. I started picking up unhealthy ways of spending my time, such as eating out of boredom and developing a minor on-line shopping addiction. I was broke, bored and unmotivated. I decided it was time for a change, and now was a better time than ever to make it happen.

I spent days scouring Pinterest and YouTube for inspiration that would motivate me to get out of bed. It started with a 30-day yoga challenge. I had dabbled in yoga before but could never commit myself to it long-term. I chose to start every morning with a cup of coffee and 30 minutes of yoga. I didn’t see a huge difference in my mood at first, but the simple satisfaction of starting my day with something productive was just enough to keep me going. It gave me something more to look forward than my next nap.

After a few weeks, I had developed a bit of a routine: wake up, have coffee, do yoga and then get ready for my day. I would still have my moments of desperation from time to time, but for the most part, I was improving. I learned to appreciate my little victories. .

“Good job, Emily. You got out of bed today.

Now keep going.”

I learned how important it is to take some time for yourself. No, I’m not perfect and I’m not cured.

But I did take a small step in the right direction.

So, get up, take a shower and reset. Its impact will surprise you.

No Shirt, No Shoes, No Mask, No Service Some U.S. residents claim mask mandates are a violation of individual liberties, but are they?

I’m sure the majority of our student body has seen many different anti-mask TikToks “proving” how “ineffective” these Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-recommended products can be. I have to say, it takes guts to hold a piece of fabric directly against a spray bottle to show millions of viewers what happens + by Grace Logan when you sneeze.

The only problem is that most people don’t sneeze streams of water at a surprisingly high velocity. Not only is there obvious fault with this “extremely scientific” test, but, overall, I have no idea what these protesters’ end goal would be. Do they expect us to stop wearing masks?

It seems that one of these impish anti-maskers has seeped out of digital platforms and made her way to Hillsboro, Oregon.

Tragedy struck a Costco in this small town when a stout, elderly woman in an obnoxiously bright salmon-colored blouse refused to wear her mask, which was already dangling off of her right ear. Chaos ensued when she sat on the floor and refused to move, shouting, “This is un-American! I have constitutional rights!”

While this unnamed fanatic’s frenzied shouts disturbed peaceful shoppers, she and many other anti-maskers bring up a very interesting question. Is it really a violation of constitutional rights to require masks in businesses?

As the law is something that has always piqued my interest, I have taken the liberty to research this issue.

Our Costco friend implied that this business not allowing her to shop, as a result of her refusal to wear a mask, violated her individual liberties. The Constitution not only outlines the rights of individual citizens, but it also divides power between the federal and state government.

To quote the Constitution, “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.” In layman’s terms, any power not granted to the federal government in the Constitution is given to individual states. This includes the power to protect people from local threats. This grants states the right to enforce health regulations (including a mask mandate) in order to protect the community.

Private businesses have the right to refuse service as well, with no legal repercussions – as long as it has no discriminatory motive. Have you heard the phrase, “No shirt, no shoes, no service?” If a business wants to refuse service, they must do so in accordance with the state law.

What are the consequences of not wearing a mask in public?

Well, you can be arrested, but only if you are asked to leave an establishment and refuse. This is, again, because businesses have the right to refuse service. It would be trespassing if you remained in the establishment. In some states, including Kansas, you would be violating health regulations, which states have the ability to enforce as a result of the Constitution.

Regardless of whether it is legal to refuse to wear a mask, I strongly believe we have to make a sacrifice for the wellbeing and health of our community. It is selfish to choose to not wear a mask or do so incorrectly when you know the risks it poses for not only yourself, but others.

According to the CDC, wearing a mask can slow the rapid spread of COVID-19.

With this information in mind, why wouldn’t you choose to wear a mask? design by Livi Nagorka

Dec. 17, 2020

6 | feature

WE HEARD YOU Students react to the 2020 presidential election + by Yeretzy Blanco

“I was scared as a [person of color] for myself and my family because I felt that no matter the result, there would be negative effects toward people of color.”

“I’m relieved someone with sense won the election. The opposing sides’ reaction was shocking to me but at the same time expected.”

Manvir Kaur - Senior

Alexis Ocampo - Junior

“ I think that there is a possibility that there was voter fraud involved, but I do not know if that will be able to be proven in court.”

“I don’t think it was an honest election. I want it to be honest and I want the real voices of the American people to be heard but there’s been a lot of fishy stuff going on.”

Jack Mudgett - Junior

Jazmin Brice - Junior

“There was a lot of anxiety throughout the counting of the ballots. Plus I think everyone was a little on edge no matter which candidate they supported because of the uncertainty. I was really happy with the results.”

“I think it’s really important that a bunch of people our age are getting involved in politics and care about the future of our country.”

Annaliese Nguyen - Sophomore

Isabel Semadeni - Junior

“I felt that this election was one of the most controversial, but most important, elections that we have had as a country. This election has broken up so many people and their relationships, solely based on which candidate they supported. ”

Cianna Blakeman - Junior + Design by Olivia Linville

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feature | 07

Getting it Under Control

COVID-19 infections have skyrocketed in Johnson County over the past few months

As another surge of the COVID-19 virus hits Johnson County, health officials are putting additional safety protocols into effect.

In the past month, daily COVID-19 cases in Johnson County have risen from 110 new cases a day to 441 new cases a day, according to the New York Times. In the last 14 days there have been 760 cases per 100,000 residents. There have been 244 deaths from COVID-19 in Johnson County since the introduction of the coronavirus. Deaths per day have also risen in the past 2 months from less than one death per day, to two deaths per day as of Nov. 8. Total cases have surpassed 20,000 and are still on the move.

Many Northwest students are concerned about the uptick in cases in Johnson County, citing the winter months as potential stressors.

“I am very worried about the statistics, especially because we are entering the holiday season,” senior Olivia Waren said. “The numbers are continuing to rise but people still are gathering and large groups. I am scared that an even larger spike is inevitable.”

Other students are skeptical of the infection and death rates.

“I feel like they are inaccurate, but [I’m] not sure if they are bad inaccurate or good inaccurate,” junior Sophia Brewer said.

Johnson County officials have introduced new restrictions to limit the spread of the virus. Any establishment that serves alcohol must close at midnight. Depending on the area, some restaurants could be expected to close as early as 10 p.m. Events are limited to 50 people or 50% capacity. All establishments must require social distancing and face masks. These new protocols were approved on Nov. 15 and went into effect Nov. 20.

During the board meeting, officials discussed how these new rules would be enforced. If someone reported a business not following the rules, then a health official would come down to the business and inspect the issue. This official would make the business aware of the issue and ask it to be fixed. If it is not resolved then the official would issue a violation and set a deadline for the violation to be fixed. If the violation is not resolved by the deadline, then the business will be fined.

Small businesses have been hurt by COVID-19 and their owners anticipate these new protocols will be even harder for them to get business. Restaurants on the Plaza are also suffering the same fate. With less hours and capacity limits businesses are bringing less revenue than before. Since March, small businesses have dropped 50% in sales, and restaurants that don’t do take out, are getting much less business.

Several students believe mitigation procedures such as wearing a mask and social distancing will aid in slowing the infection rate.

“I think if everyone is safe and wears a mask if they have to go out, then it would definitely help the spread slow down a little,” junior Katelyn Doering said. “I’m also not worried because I make sure I am safe and the people I have been around are safe as well.”

For some, it took contracting the virus to truly understand its impact.

“Before I got COVID I didn’t realize the severity of it,” senior Ashley Vil said. “With the statistics being what they are and things opening back up and people being careless [with] wearing masks, it is a lot more dangerous.”

Remote or Hybrid?

Northwest students weigh in on which learning mode they prefer + by Emily Alexander

Honestly, I enjoy being in the comfort of my own home but I miss being social and seeing physical people everyday. I also miss my teachers and getting to learn in person and the ability to ask questions and have conversations.

“Remote. I do better in my own home because I feel - junior Sarah Robinson more comfortable. Plus it’s easier to keep track of the schoolwork and what there is to do.”

“Hybrid is the worst of both worlds, you only get to see - senior Addilyn Brown your teachers a limited number of times a week and the switching from home to in person halfway through the week is tiring. At least in remote you can be settled in at home.”

- sophomore Savannah Miner “Neither. They’re both super annoying and hard to stay focused in.”

- senior Max Malik

“I prefer hybrid learning because you can see people and interact with your teachers, but I think we need to be in remote learning to keep everyone safe.”

- sophomore Jacqueline Smith

+ by Kyle Vogel

By the Numbers

How 131 Northwest students have experienced the COVID-19 pandemic + by Emily Alexander Have you ever had COVID-19?

105 responders

NO

80.2%

26 responders

YES

19.8% Do you know someone who has had COVID-19?

127 responders

YES

4 responders

96.9%

NO

3.1% Has someone in your immediate family tested positive for COVID-19??

YES

67.9%

89 responders

NO

32.1%

NO

45%

YES

55%

42 responders

Have you ever been tested for COVID-19?

72 responders 59 responders

+ design by Alden Norberg

Hanging On by a Thread

feature | 08

Dec. 17, 2020

+ by Rory Dungan

This year’s political climate has been dubbed most tumultuous ever

D

uring this year’s election season, you probably saw commercials on television pushing Americans to vote.

You probably saw celebrities wearing merchandise that encouraged their fans to fulfill their civic responsibilities. At every turn, the presidential race was being advertised as the Most.

Important.

Election.

Ever.

Then, former vice president Joe Biden was announced President-Elect by the Associated Press. The race between president Donald Trump and Biden extended beyond the Nov. 3 election day – for four more days, votes were still being processed in several key swing states. On Nov. 7, Biden landed a decisive victory by winning Pennsylvania, which put him over the threshold of 270 electoral votes. Biden also won the states of Wisconsin, Michigan and Georgia, which flipped in the four years since Trump’s first victory in 2016.

“You can look at two different

newspapers and they will tell you two completely different things, and both are saying that they’re right.

We, as a country, need to push for more accurate journalism.”

- senior Jacob Johnson However, the Trump administration pushed back against the election results, claiming that there had been cases of voter fraud in key states, including Pennsylvania. Groups continue to rally in support of president Trump, angry about the alleged inaccurate election results.

These events of early November are merely a continuation of what Young Republicans Club president Jacob Johnson sees as of a year full of political turbulence. “[There is] a lot of polarization; you could argue that started in 2016,” Johnson said. “I think 2020 has been characterized by a lot of protesting and social unrest. Even now, 16 states have authorized their National Guard because they’re scared of what’s going to happen with the election. I think that, in and of itself, is really telling of our current political climate.”

Johnson thinks that the tumultuous atmosphere of American politics is caused by inaccurate media reporting.

“The quality of our journalism has just tanked,” Johnson said. “You can look at two different newspapers and it will tell you two completely different things, and both are saying that they’re right. We, as a country, need to push for more accurate journalism.”

Johnson, who was a first-time voter this year, supported President Trump bid to win the election because of the policies he upheld during his first term.

“I’m pro-life, so that’s probably at the top of my ticket, and [Trump] checks that box,” Johnson said. “With foreign policy, he has been absolutely spot-on in almost every scenario that I can think of. I don’t think there’s really much you could say against him in terms of economics. I think he’s done a great job there.”

“I think re-electing Donald Trump puts a lot of the rights of those groups into question, and I don’t think anyone should have to live in fear of their rights being taken away.”

- senior Samantha Mudgett Young Democrats Club president Samantha Mudgett, on the other hand, disagrees with president Trump’s policies. To Mudgett, Biden would be a better fit for office, in part because of his promise to support the country as a whole.

“I think ultimately, Joe Biden will implement more progressive policies and plans that will better everyone in America, rather than a select few,” Mudgett said. “I would just really like to see everyone benefit during this presidency, rather than just a group of Americans.”

Mudgett had some concerns about another term of Trump’s presidency.

“The president was impeached in January.

The Coronavirus pandemic took a toll on the economy and cost almost 250,000 Americans their lives.”

“This is probably the most fraudluent election that anyone has ever seen.”

– Donald Trump 12/2/2020 Twitter

- senior Rory Dungan “My fear with Donald Trump being re-elected would have resulted in] the loss of rights or of liberties or respect for marginalized groups,” Mudgett said. “I think those groups are already hurting, [such as] people of color or the LGBTQ+ community. I think re-electing Donald Trump [would have put] a lot of the rights of those groups into question, and I don’t think anyone should have to live in fear of their rights being taken away.

In addition to the presidential election, other events throughout the year reflected on America’s current climate and amplified division. Black Lives Matter protests served as a reminder that some black Americans are still very unhappy about the unequal treatment they receive. The appointment of Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett in October raised questions about the potential overturning of Roe v. Wade. The president’s impeachment in January only increased divisions between Republicans and Democrats.

The Coronavirus pandemic took a toll on the economy and cost almost 250,000 Americans their lives.

Only a few days remain in 2020 – what will the new year hold?

+ Design by Alden Norberg

feature | 9

smnw.com

Everything Matters Football ends the season with a 6-4 overall record + by Rory Dungan

1. Senior Ty Black runs the ball Oct. 2 at St. Thomas Aquinas. The Saints beat the Cougars 34-35. “We were prepared all week and almost had the win, it was just upsetting because we fell so short,” Black said. “That game taught me how to bounce back from disappointment and move on.”+Photo by Josie Torres 2. Senior Noah Rogers jumps with joy after the cougars score a touchdown Oct. 9 at SM South. It was both the Cougars and Raiders homecoming, the Cougars won. “I help my teammates on the sideline by keeping the spirits high,” Rogers said. “Cheering on my teammates and telling them if I spot a certain player with bad habits on the opposing team that we can expose.” +Photo by Sloan Munson

2

All-Sunfl flo ower Awards Bo Black:

2020 Coach of the Year

Ty Black:

Mike Harris:

2nd Team Defensive Line

Kael Farkes:

2020 Player of the Year 1st Team Quarterback

2nd Team Offensive Line

Phillip Vesta:

Honorable Mention

1st Team Defensive Back

Justin Mitchell: 2nd Team Running Back

Duke Henke Lucas Ihde

Honorable Mention

Blake Reeder

Honorable Mention

+ design by Kasi Maniktala

Varsity football finished the season with their best win percentage since 2007 as well as a roster packed with award-winning players.

Five team members earned AllSunflower League first team or second team awards, a distinction given to outstanding players within the 6A league.

Three players also earned honorable mentions.

Quarterback Ty Black was named the 2020 Sunflower League Player of the Year as well as the 1st Team Quarterback.

“I’m very thankful,” Black said. “I’d like to thank my teammates. If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t be in that position. I just give the ball to my teammates, let them make plays. They make me look good.”

Black is also one of 10 finalists for the Simone award, an honor given to the top player in the Kansas City metro area. On top of Black’s accomplishments, his father and head coach Bo Black was named the 2020 Coach of the Year. Coach Black gives credit to his players for the award.

“It was such a good year, and we had everybody in alignment and everybody on the same page,” Coach Black said.

“It’s probably an award that’s misnamed.

It should be a team award that goes to everybody, from the assistant coaches to the football players to the managers to the trainers.”

This father-son award combination is an accomplishment not often seen. Coach Black acknowledges how special this moment was both for him and his son.

“I have never been into awards very much, but that one was really cool,” Coach Black said. “It’s fun to see it from both sides, being the head football coach and then being able to step back as a dad and realize the accomplishment that your son has made over the past couple of years.”

The team ended the season with a 6-2 record. Coach Black attributes that success to an accumulation of experienced upperclassmen over the past few years.

“One of the things that made them special was that we had quite a few seniors who had started as sophomores and who had been around for a long time,” Bo said.

“We had to rely on the experience and leadership that we had from that group.”

Although fan attendance was limited at this season’s games, the players were not the only ones who witnessed the team’s success. Manager Emma Mlivic was one

who was able to stand on the sidelines to cheer on the team.

“It was really cool to see everyone care for each other and motivate each other to do their best,” Mlivic said. “There was a lot of communication and figuring out what to do right then and there, because things can change in a split second.”

Mlivic has been able to witness the team’s growth in confidence during the past few seasons.

No matter when you are done playing, unless you win the state championship,

you end with a loss.

For the next week or so, it’s very disappointing,

but then you realize that we had a

good season and a great group of kids.

— Coach Bo Black, varsity football head coach “The team had more willingness to win because they knew how far they went last year,” Mlivic said. “They had the motivation to get further in the playoffs.”

Despite the team’s overall success, their season unexpectedly ended prior to the state championship game. In their third round playoff game, the team fell 6-30 to Blue Valley North. The loss was a huge disappointment to the team who had expected to make it all the way.

“We had the mentality, and we knew we were good enough to make it to the state championship,” Black said. “Unfortunately, offensively we just didn’t play well enough to beat them.”

Next year, Black plans to attend the Air Force Academy to continue his football career. As he leaves high school, the thing he will miss most is the bond he created with his teammates.

“You grow friendships for four years and then all of a sudden you don’t see them anymore,” Ty said. “Then, playing under my dad was really special, so I’ll miss those things.”

WINTER SPORTS PREVIEW

10 | sports

Dec. 17, 2020

+ by Mike Owens

No Tomorrow

Small but Determined

As practices begin, the Lady Cougars look to repeat league domination The Lady Cougars are coming off a great season last year where they made it all the way to the state competition, but fell short. With the Division 1-bound senior Kennedy Taylor returning, the Cougars are poised to continue to show their strength “A state within the Sunflower League.

Coach Tyler Stewart has the same championship expectations for the team as he did is our goal and last year. At the start of last year’s expectation.” season, Stewart said, “We don’t rebuild, we reload.” That same – Coach Tyler mentality resonates this season.

Stewart “A state championship is our goal and expectation,” Stewart said. “We were really close to pushing through last year, and we have some unfinished business to take care of.”

Senior Kennedy Taylor is worried about the season being able to take place.

“I feel super confident but also very nervous as of right now,” Taylor said. “The season is hanging by a thread right now with this pandemic. There could be a possibility

that we may not get to have a full season, but we are still going to practice and work hard.

Our team motto is ‘no tomorrow,’ which means we need to work like every day is our last.”

The Cougars will need a boost to accomplish their goals this season. Taylor thinks that they will get that boost from their underclassmen.

“I really believe that Maddie Mauch and Bennett Peck will be able to step up and help us,” Taylor said. “They both bring something different to the floor and I think that is gonna be the little boost we need to kick butt this season.”

Taylor who will be playing for the Colorado Buffaloes next year talks about her experience.

“It has been awesome, I have talked to my new coaches, teammates, and the other signee,” Taylor said “I’m really excited to play in the Pac-12 because it is the best conference for women’s basketball. It will push me to be the best basketball player I can be.”

A New Era Basketball team approaches the new season with excitement largely because of their new high-octane offensive coach Every team will be facing the same challenge this year: dealing with COVID-19.

But the Cougars have the added challenge of transitioning to an “We are very entirely new coaching staff. After proud of our speaking with two returning varsity head coach David Birch seems players and players, to be a match made in heaven for the how they team.

Birch is riding a high from an have handled impressive 22-1 record, including a the adversity perfect 8-0 record with a Frontier around this League Championship at Piper H.S. His offense averaged 72.9 points per season and a terrifying stat for any defense school year.” game, the Cougars are poised to face this year.

– Coach David Birch Missing out on a nearly guaranteed state title for his Pirates because of the pandemic, Birch is hungry to pick up where he left off, especially with a new squad.

Adversity will be a word to define this year and the Cougars have done a fine job of

handling it.

“We have had a lot of players step up with leadership,” Birch said “[We] are proud of our players and how they have handled the adversity around this season and school year.”

The athletes are being pushed a lot harder than in the past, with coach-led conditioning two days a week leading up to try outs and open gyms being a large part of Birch’s preseason approach.

“I would say that our strongest point as a team is how well we will be conditioned,” returning varsity player Landon Wagler said “In those three hours of practicing, 2.5 hours is conditioning. If you lose a drill... sprints; if you turn the ball over... sprints. The drills that we are doing also are conditioning drills, so you’ll always be tired during the practices.

Our identity this year will be one of the Sunflower League’s top teams and a team that will scare the opponents.”

Coach Newcomb’s squad lacks numbers but makes up for it with work ethic Wrestling coach Howard Newcomb had two state qualifiers last year, both finishing high in their respective weight classes. One, senior Alvin Horner, returns this year. Other than that, the “People team is short on numbers. are just not “Honestly, it is going to be a struggle,” motivated to Newcomb said “We have a lot of young, inexperienced wrestlers that are going to wrestle as a have to compete at the varsity level. Our one sport. (As a returning state qualifier has to try to get better school) we by wrestling with limited competition in the practice room.” don’t even Returning state finisher Alvin Horner cites talk about the lack of importance placed on wrestling at Northwest as one of the reasons more athletes wrestling.” don’t get involved.

— Senior Alvin Horner “Last year we had 30 people, this year maybe 12,” Horner said. “People are just not motivated to wrestle as a sport. (As a school) we don’t even talk about wrestling. We took two guys to state last year and heard nothing about it.”

Newcomb Announces Upcoming Retirement

Newcomb has spent his whole life around the sport and it will find it hard to say goodbye after this year.

“Coaching this sport over the past 33 years of my life has brought me so much joy,” Newcomb said “I love taking in student-athletes and devel- “It has been oping them into something they never thought very difficult they would be. to decide to “I have gotten to stand in the middle of the mat in the finals of the state championships hang up my and lift my kids high as all of their hard and whistle and intense work paid off with the ultimate win. retire from There have also been those hard losses when a young person’s dreams come crashing down wrestling and you have to do what you can as a coach to as well as lift them up and get them going again.

Shawnee “As we muddle through the unknown this season, I’m sure we will be met with new chalMission lenges. It is in the wrestler’s nature to overcome Northwest at and keep battling.

“One of my favorite sayings about wrestling, the end of the you can’t quit when you get tired, you can only school year quit when your opponent gets tired.

2021.”

“I have a lot of great memories from the sports of wrestling and football and I love them — Coach Howard both. I have a lot of great memories from Shaw- Newcomb nee Mission Northwest, and it has been a very difficult to decide to hang up my whistle and retire from wrestling as well as Shawnee Mission Northwest at the end of the school year 2021. I will leave with my daughter this year and pursue other interests I have in life.”

+ Design by Olivia Linville

Trash The Truth about

What really happens to our recyclables?

12 | feature

Dec.17, 2020

Trash The Truth about

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

These three words have been taught in every elementary school classroom across the nation. But the three Rs aren’t as effective as your kindergarten teacher would have you believe. In fact, the recycling industry is owned by the very corporations who appear to oppose it the most.

Increased manufacturing in the 1970s due to the Vietnam War brought the topic of air and water pollution to the forefront of American minds.

Environmentalists championed a movement to conserve plants and wildlife and decrease pollution around the globe. The movement hit the mainstream with the first Earth Day on April 22, 1970, and the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in December of the same year. “The Three R’s” became the catch phrase of environmentalist educators who continued to spread awareness on the cause throughout the decade.

But the slogan — particularly the third “R,” recycle — may not be entirely truthful. In fact, many of the items Americans recycle with the intention of helping the environment may just end up in the landfill in the end.

Recycling was branded as the easiest way for the average citizen to help the envionment from their home, school or workplace. The process was relatively simple: place recyclables in a designated bin, leave it for recycling companies to collect and let them take over from there. The benefits were clear: reducing the amount of waste sent to landfills, conserving natural resources, saving energy and creating over 757,000 jobs in a year, according to the 2016 Recycling Economic Information Study.

+ photo by Claire Moore

Can I recycle this?

YES

Aluminum Cans, Tin Cans, Aerosol Cans, Aluminum Foil/Pans, Cardboard Boxes, Paperboard, Junk Mail, Office Paper, Magazines & Catalogs, Phone Books, Newspaper, Paper Cartons, Plastic Bottles & Containers (with number 1-7 in the recycling symbol)

What really happens to our recyclables? + by Emily Alexander, Elizabeth Kuffour, Veronica Meiss

“Kansas City used to have three dump sites,” Northwest building manager Jeff Gillenwater said. “[Now] they’re down to two, and they’re both getting close to capacity. That means the next dump site is going to have to be made farther out of town because nobody wants that in their backyard, [and that’s] going to drive the cost up. So, recycling is so important. It’s a good thing.”

However, there’s so much more to the process than what is considered common knowledge.

Recyclables are bought and sold, just as raw materials are. The company that picks up curbside recycling is not typically in charge of manufacturing new items; their responsibility is to collect, sort, clean and sell the recyclables, which are then processed and repurposed by another entity. Like all other goods, prices fluctuate with the supply and demand both nationally and globally. In order to keep selling materials, companies had to sell the idea of recycling to consumers in the United States. But perhaps the biggest misconception surrounding recycling is the industry who controls it: Oil. Big oil produces the majority of plastic in the country, and thus has the most influence when it comes to recycling. In order to justify the production of plastic amongst a rapidly growing environmentalist movement, there had to be a solution on the other side to assuage consumers; thus, recycling was born.

“The feeling was the plastics industry was under fire, we got to do what it takes to take the heat off, because we want to continue to make plastic products,” former Society of the Plastics Industry president Larry Thomas told NPR in a joint investigation with Frontline. “If the public thinks the recycling is working, then they’re not going to be as concerned about the environment.”

The oil industry spent roughly $50 million a year on pro-recycling and proplastic advertising in the ’80s and ’90s, according to NPR. They also funded recycling initiatives including sorting machines, recycling centers, nonprofits and even benches made of recycled materials installed outside of grocery stores.

Gillenwater remembers one of the innovative uses of recycling that may have occurred as a result of one of these initiatives.

“While I was a Boy Scout leader 15 years ago, we had t-shirts that were given to us and they were made out of recycled soda bottles,” Gillenwater said. “And you know what? That just amazed me. It’s absolutely incredible what technology has done to reuse products that we have out there.”

Although Americans were convinced that recycling was an effective way to support the environmentalist cause many of them had come to support, big oil was hiding their underlying belief that nationwide recycling was never a feasible option in the first place.

“I can only say that after a while, the atmosphere seemed to change,” Thomas told NPR. “I don’t know whether it was because people thought recycling had solved the problem or whether they were so in love with plastic products that they were willing to overlook the mounting environmental concerns.”

Major logistical issues with recycling arose as the practice became more widespread. For one, plastic degrades with each reuse, so it can’t be recycled more than once or twice. Secondly, pick-up, sorting and melting was costly.

It quickly became more cost-effective to just produce new plastic than

NO

Plastic Bags & Film, Clothing, Plastic Tubes, Food, Liquids, Scrap Metal, Electronics, Glass, Frozen Food Containers, Fast Food & Takeout Containers, Tissue, Paper Tableware, Styrofoam, Tanglers (Stringy Items), Shredded Paper, Medical and Personal Hygiene, Yard Waste, Medication & Vials/Bottles. Pizza Boxes, Household Hazardous Waste

feature | 13

smnw.com

manufacture it using recycled materials — and that’s exactly what big oil did.

“They were not interested in putting any real money or effort into recycling because they wanted to sell virgin material,” Thomas told NPR. “Nobody that is producing a virgin product wants something to come along that is going to replace it. Produce more virgin material — that’s their business.”

Confusion with how to properly recycle also prevented post-consumer products from being repurposed. In 1989, oil & plastic executives lobbied almost 40 states to mandate that the triangle arrow symbol appear on all plastic, regardless of whether it could actually be recycled. This made consumers believe all plastic was recyclable, so recycling companies were suddenly inundated with plastic they couldn’t sell. Because of the costs associated with sorting out the non-recyclable plastic, it became easier to just send the whole delivery to the landfill. Coy Smith, the owner of a San Diego recycling business in the 90s, described it as “pure manipulation of the consumer.”

These issues persist today. Putting non-recyclable items in the recycling stream can cause damage to the processing equipment, increase sorting costs and, in some cases, cause the whole batch to be thrown out. This is called recycling contamination. When items such as paper plates, plastic bags, foods and liquids or even foam cups are thrown into a recycling bin, the recyclable items are rendered useless and thus dumped into the landfill.

Recycling contamination is a reality NW students confront every time they collect recycling with Student Council or National Honor Society. Should there be plastic wrap or film, flexible packaging such as chip bags and juice pouches, cups with wax or plastic coatings, plastic cup lids, packing peanuts, foam togo containers or tangling items such as wire or string in the load, it will risk rendering the entire load unrecyclable, sending it to the landfill. Furthermore, students emptying the recycling must be sure to dump the contents of the bag, but not put the bag itself into the dumpster. If even one student forgets this policy, they could risk contaminating the whole load.

“We’ve got three different containers: trash, recycling and compost,” Gillenwater said. “Compost takes anything you give them, which is awesome.

But recycling is extremely particular and they only want the products that are supposed to be in the recycling container. If you throw food in there, the whole thing could be contaminated and they just reject it all. if things are inside a regular garbage bag and tied up, they’ll take that and throw it away.

It’s extremely important that we all pay attention to what goes in the recycling container.”

Many locations in the area have separate waste containers for items like glass and plastic bags. To find the list of acceptable recycling items, Shawnee residents can visit the City of Shawnee website or RecycleSpot, a search engine which allows you to find recycling locations for specific items in the Kansas City metropolitan area.

Even with the environmentalist movement resurfacing amidst debates on how to approach climate change and recycling being a more common practice than ever, less than 10% of plastic produced in the last 40 years has been recycled, according to the EPA’s analysis on statistics from the American Chemistry Council.

“Sadly, I think less than 50% [of the recycling at Northwest ends up being recycled],” Gillenwater said. “When we first started the recycling and composting program at Northwest a year and a half ago, we had people there for a week monitoring every trash can and helping people sort, and we reduced the trash that we put in the dumpster by 80%. That’s possible. And [now] we’re doing much, much less than that. I’m hoping that in the future we can get to where we are doing more recycling, because it truly will make a difference.”

The oil industry makes over $432 billion a year, according to the Plastics Industry Association. Plastic production is expected to triple by 2050. To offset these statistics, some have proposed modifying the original “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” slogan to include a fourth R. Refuse.

According to the EPA, “The most effective way to reduce waste, and the most environmentally preferred strategy, is to not create it in the first place.”

Recycling’s Rocky Road NW students and teachers place items in classroom and office recycling bins.

Organizations such as Student Council and National Honor Society periodically collect recycling from every room in the school. Students emptying the recycling must be sure to dump the contents of the bag, but not put the bag itself into the dumpster. Doing this would risk rendering the entire load unrecyclable, sending it to the landfill.

The recycling is picked up and begins its route to a sorting location. Should there be plastic wrap or film, flexible packaging such as chip bags and juice pouches, cups with wax or plastic coatings, plastic cup lids, packing peanuts, foam to-go containers or tangling items such as wire or string in the load, recycling contamination has occured. This will risk the load being rendered unrecyclable.

Exiting the highway, a recycling truck makes its way to the Johnson County Landfill Nov. 30 off of I-435 and Holliday drive. + photo by Claire

Moore

The load is sorted into paper, plastic, glass and metal. These four categories are then further sorted: paper is separated into corrugated boxes, old newsprint, office mix and mixed paper, plastic is separated by type, weight and color, glass is separated by color and metal is separated into steel and aluminum.

The sorted materials are turned into raw materials such as paper fibers and cullet, which are used to make new goods.

These recycled items re-enter our school as consumer products, which must again be carefully disposed of.

Two trucks leave the Johnson County Landfill Nov. 30 off of I-435 and Holliday Drive. + photo by Claire Moore

+ design by Erin Albers

14 | feature

Dec. 17, 2020

How a local musical starts and ends in Kansas + by Morgan Tate

Jason Coats faces a crisis.

He has to put on a musical at Northwest – he’s the director, after all.

But COVID-19 has hit and his show must be virtual. Most licensing companies won’t allow their musicals to be fully online.

Coats still wants to put on a musical -- his whole troupe wants to.

Then he remembers Krista Eyler, his old friend from high school.

Eyler knew exactly what she wanted to do 28 years ago, when she was 16.

When she was asked to write an essay about her dream, she answered: to be in Les Miserables at the Imperial Theatre on West 47th St in New York City.

That seemed impossible for a 16-year-old in Overland Park, Kansas.

But 27 years later, Eyler stood on the stage of the Signature Theatre on West 42nd St, lights shining in her face as she sang the opening notes to the musical she wrote – “Overture.” Her dream came true but in a different way than she expected.

The dream came to life with a song.

Eyler sat at her piano plucking out a tune and thought: “This might make a good start for a show.”

She immediately Facebook-messaged Barb Nichols, a friend who directed one of Eyler’s previous shows.

“So, here’s a track. The first tune. Lilly is conducting the orchestra in her mind. It’s a rough mix, so don’t be too harsh.

Or be harsh. I probably need that!” She wrote along with the first song.

The next morning, Nichols messaged back, “That’s a rough cut? I think it’s gorgeous! Can’t wait to talk about it more on Monday.”

The two started the lengthy writing process. First, research. The musical takes place in the 1950s when the Kansas Philharmonic struggled financially and held events to get back on its feet.

Eyler and Nichols researched the time period and the true story of the Philharmonics struggles. Nichols provided structure to the story, and Eyler became the idea woman.

Eyler was also the composer and lyricist for the musical now named “Overture.”

Draft after draft of 18 songs were made until both Eyler and Nichols approved them.

Then it was finally time to put this show on stage.

The first issue they needed to address – fundraising.

Needing to keep their dream afloat, they sang their songs at house parties, sent letters to everyone they knew and used social media. Much of this money went toward the $10,000 needed to orchestrate, or arrange the music for an orchestra.

The show’s cast and crew were all locals, professionals Nichols worked with during her years as a director in the Kansas City area. In comparison to the initial fundraising process, the rehearsal process was easy.

“It’s all about casting,” Eyler said. “The people we asked were a dream. They were just the most generous, wonderful people you could ever hope to work with. Everything you would ask them to do was always, ‘sure,’ or, ‘no problem.’”

The first workshopped version they premiered was at the Kansas City Fringe Festival. They had already booked the theater they were going to use to premiere “Overture” locally, so the festival was a chance to advertise it.

That didn’t mean they were done adjusting the show.

“We were taking notes,” Nichols said. “Throughout Fringe, we were reworking [the show].”

After the local run in Kansas City, Eyler and Nichols received positive comments from those who knew the pair and came to see the show.

“At the end of our show, people would come up and have tears coming down their face,” Eyler said. “ I’d be like, ‘what’s wrong?’ And they [would say], ‘it was the ending, the ending got me. I wasn’t crying until the ending.’”

The email notification popped up while Eyler was at work as a reporter for KMBC Channel Nine news.

She almost fell out of her chair.

Hundreds of productions had applied, and she was getting an email.

Eyler immediately called Nichols.

Nichols didn’t pick up the phone. She was helping her husband mow the lawn.

“We had just gotten back from a trip,” Nichols said. “I almost bought a bottle of champagne, thinking, if I hear from Krista I’m going to celebrate. Then I thought, ‘no, don’t jinx it, don’t buy any champagne.’”

The email said that they were going to the New York Musical Festival.

When it came time to leave for New York, Nichols and Eyler drove in Nichols’s husband’s truck. All of the costumes and anything that couldn’t fit on a plane was jammed into that truck. The rest of the cast and crew flew out two days later.

It was the middle of July, and a heatwave struck New York with temperatures over one hundred degrees. Neither Nichols nor Eyler’s Airbnb had properly working air conditioning.

“Overture” co-writer and director Barb Nichols

“Overture” musical composer and co-writer Krista Eyler

“Every day I woke up and had something amazing to do,” Eyler said. “I remember having that distinct feeling of waking up in a 90-degree room and going, ‘it’s going to be the most exciting day.’”

Eyler performed “Overture” at the Signature Theatre and was awestruck.

It was terrifying, but cool. Of course, it wasn’t a perfect experience.

Things went wrong.

Eyler forgot to steal the baton — the basis of an entire scene. Luckily, the rest of the cast improvised around that mistake and got back on track.

At the time, it was scary for Eyler.

“I know what it felt like on stage... Absolute inner panic,” Eyler said. “I was having a major stroke on stage.”

“Overture” won Best of Festival at the New York Musical Festival 2019.

But that’s not where the story ends.

It ends here in Shawnee, Kansas.

It ends in Kansas, because Coats knew Nichols, Eyler and “Overture.”

Coats contacted them and they agreed to an online show.

That’s when he decided that Northwest’s 2020 musical would be “Overture.”

Nichols and Eyler are excited. Both believe that with Coats’ creativity, Northwest will be able to stage a great production of their work.

They’re excited to see what Thespian Troupe 888 comes up with.

And excited to see their production come full circle — back to Kansas.

+design by Livi Nagorka

smnw.com

STICKING TOGETHER

WHILE APART Remote learning mode forces studentled classes to come up with creative ways to achieve what was once easy... well, easier + by Grace Logan & Rory Dungan + Design by Erin Albers

feature | 15

KUGR KUGR, an advanced video production class, is usually lead by four Executive Producers (EPs) split into two different class periods. Now, because of the new A and B groups, the producers each have one in-person class to lead.

KUGR produces the Seminar Show, a skit compilation that comes out once a month, and Cougar Roundup, a weekly news report. Executive producers Abby Marx and Allison Ruschill are dealing with the consequences of being split up from each other, as well as trying to maintain the quality of the shows they are producing during hybrid learning.

“It’s hard for us to make progress and help people, when essentially each of the EPs is leading their own class,” Ruschill said. “We [have] to make sure that everyone is learning the same things and are on the same page at all times. You might want to work with somebody, but you can’t film at school because you’re not here on the same days.”

KUGR is being forced to come up with alternative ways to develop the projects they make, including conducting interviews in a safe way. “[We] can’t have two people next to each other without masks in a project anymore,” Marx said. “We’re trying to work through incorporating social distancing in all of our projects. We want to get to a point where we can make our quality just as good as it was before COVID. I think that’s our biggest problem right now.”

With a decreased number of school activities taking place, KUGR is also facing a shortage of content for their weekly and monthly shows.

“It has been hard to get some noteworthy stories going for Cougar Roundup every week,” Marx said. “We made a whole new section of Cougar Roundup called ‘The Report’ that we’re doing instead of our school recap, because there’s not a lot going on at school. ‘The Report’ is just going to be covering real news topics.”

As Ruschill points out, though, a lack of content at school can be a benefit to their program.

“Last year, we were in a rut of doing the same projects over and over again, whereas this year we had two projects, one on an HR [human resources] worker and another on a local business, which is something that isn’t often used,” Ruschill said. “I think that having the current circumstances really pushes everyone in the program to broaden their ideas and think outside of the box of what projects we can do to keep it interesting.”

On top of issues with content, KUGR faced an imbalance in the number of producers in each class. Ruschill switched the days she goes to school to evenly split the producers and to make things run more smoothly. As a result, there is less pressure on other producers to perform alone.

“With my last name being ‘R,’ I would have been in the B group, but if I hadn’t switched, there wouldn’t be a leader in the A group,” Ruschill said. “About one fourth of our program would be without in-person leadership. Being in-person and physically watching their projects is vital to giving critiques and building good relationships with the people in KUGR.”

STUDENT COUNCIL With the goal of getting the community involved in the school, Student Council organizes different events throughout the year. Much like KUGR, this group has faced challenges as a result of the hybrid learning mode.

Student Council is led by six executive board members who are responsible for planning most in-class activities. They also oversee all Student Council members, including committee chairs, who supervise specific events. With this chain of command, as well as trying to manage more than 50 members, they have run into some problems.

“It’s tough because our class is divided,” Student Body president Callan Taylor said.

“I’m not really seeing the other half of the class right now, so it’s like we’re functioning as almost two separate organizations. We’re just trying to keep the unity.”

Currently, Student Council is focusing on adapting events so they will be safe for students to participate in. This has proven to be a challenge while following masking and social distancing recommendations.

“We have ideas about different events that we can do, and we’re not able to get all of those approved,” Student Council Sponsor Sarah Dent said. “It’s challenging to work with a group of students where we’re trying to encourage them to think outside the box and use this as an opportunity to do new things, but it’s hard to do that when you face rejection. That’s just one of the challenges that we’re working to overcome.”

Senior Matt Steinmetz teaches the basics of a video camera operation Nov. 11 in room 151.

Steinmetz is one of the Executive Producers for KUGR. “Being a producer isn’t a hard job, but it’s a meaningful job,” Steinmetz said. “I want to make sure everyone’s year in KUGR is as memorable as it can be.”

Photo by Josie Torres

STUDENT-LED CLASSES Sophomore class president Frank Tomasic explains an assignment to freshmen Derek Larsen Nov. 12 in room 132.

“I try to help out classmates that I see struggling,” Tomasic said. Photos by Micah Reeves

Senior class vice-president Landyn Luttrell and StuCo president Callan Taylor explain the class schedule. “Typically, the executive board and I meet once a month and plan for each day,” Taylor said.

Digital Newspaper Production Digital Yearbook Production Digital Photo Media Leadership Practicum Advanced Video Production

Despite these difficulties, Student Council has been able to host two events, including an on-line Homecoming dance and a Halloween drive-thru event for local elementary school students. They have also successfully hosted freshmen, sophomore, and junior elections. “[The] Coronavirus really is a hard challenge for community events, because they usually have so many people coming together and being in close proximity,” vice president Garrett Goetz said. “For the Halloween Carnival, we usually have kids [come] in the school and do fun activities, but this year we had a drive-thru. [Families] came through that and we handed out candy.”

Many Student Council members are enrolled in the fifth hour Leadership Practicum class, but not all members could fit this into their schedule. This has posed a problem for helping new freshmen members get acclimated to the organization.

“We do have six freshmen that were able to change their schedules after elections and get into the class,” Dent said. “I feel like I know those students the best, because not only did I get to see them online, but I’ve also been able to see them in class. I’m feeling optimistic, despite all the craziness.”

Despite the variety of challenges this group has and continues to face, Dent, Taylor and Goetz remain optimistic.

“It’s definitely hard, but we work through and make solutions,” Goetz said.

The advantage of students leading a class is we relate to each other more than an adult would. It’s a good experience for me and for my classmates.”

–Lair editor Maggie Dolinar

Holiday Activities to Get You in the Spirit 16 | feature

Dec. 17, 2020

+by Logan Harvey

2020 is finally nearing an end, and the holidays are upon us. COVID-19 remains a dominating force that has changed our norms, so this year will be different than any other in the ways we celebrate the holidays. Here are some activities to help you get in the spirit of the year-end festivities.

Paper Snowflakes

This holiday activity is super easy to set up. Fold up a piece of paper numerous times and cut out designs. When you’re finished, unfold the paper to reveal a magical snowflake. Not feeling very creative? Go to https://bit.ly/3oSRmmY for templates do your own Google search. You can hang these all around your house or on your tree!

Christmas Light Drive

Throughout the city, there are commercial and residential areas that provide a beautiful display of lights. You may know some families who go above and beyond with their holiday decorating – stop by and take a look! You might even get lucky and pass a house that has a light-up show synced with music.

A great place to visit is Longview Lake in Missouri, located at 11101 Raytown Rd, Lee’s Summit, MO 64134.

Zoom Calls Since the pandemic began, the popularity of Zoom and other video calling apps has increased drastically. People are encouraged not to gather with others outside of their households, so Zoom provides a terrific opportunity to remain in contact with friends and loved ones. This trend will continue beyond the holidays, and could even change the way we traditionally spend time together.

Online Shopping

Online shopping popularity has grown rapidly for the last several years, and has surged during the pandemic. This year, the endless world of retail allows you to purchase the perfect gift from the comfort of your own home. And it’s easy to compare prices to get the best deal. Consider checking popular price checking sites like Bizrate.com, NexTag, and Pronto.com to make it easier to get the best price on whatever you are shopping for.

Holiday Baking Put on your apron and get busy creating holiday gifts in the kitchen. Gingerbread, sugar cookies and pies are holiday baking staples. If you’re feeling creative, you can turn some of these tasty treats into works of art, such as a gingerbread house or icing cookies and give them as gift or keep them all to yourself.

Secret Santa Instead of your typical in-person gift exchange this year, consider going virtual.

Groups of friends and family are able to create an online community where they can make a list and check it twice before submitting the list to whoever draws their names. After the gifts are purchased, each secret Santa will deliver their gift via a contactless method, such as leaving it on the front porch, sending by mail or even sending electronic gift cards by email.

Ice Skating Crown Center in Kansas City, Missouri, has beautiful sights and fun things to do. Ice skating at the outdoor rink allows you to get up and moving while listening to Christmas jingles. Plan a night out on the ice. Admission is $7 for adults and children, with a $4 skate rental fee. Located at 2450 Grand Blvd, Kansas City, MO 64108.

+ design by Alden Norberg

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Tackling Tutoring

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Junior Sarah Ellison shares about her tutoring program called Project WorldChangers + by Ruth Demeke

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Junior Sarah Ellison types up a writing assignment for her students on Nov. 15. Ellison started her own free tutoring program to help struggling students even further disadvantaged by COVID restrictions. “I love being able to see kids understand things they weren’t able to previously,” Ellison said. “Partially because it helps me know what I’m doing is working, and partially because their confidence increases.”+ photo by Sidra Sakati

eeing elementary students struggling in school amidst the pandemic in early September, junior Sarah Ellison saw a need and created a program to address it.

Project WorldChangers offers tutoring to students who struggle in school under the unusual situations created by COVID-19.

“Little things like [students] being able to read one more word than they could before, make me happy,” Ellison said. “[It] reminds me that although there’s a long way to go, actively making change is possible.”

Ellison’s idea to tutor students for free came when she noticed the reduced learning opportunities students had while operating on the remote platform.

“The struggle to read is compounded by the fact that they haven’t been able to actively practice in a classroom with a teacher, in an environment where that’s the intention,” Ellison said.

After seeing students struggle in classes more than usual, Ellison decided she wanted to act on it.

“If I’m going to obsess about it, which I know that I am, I have to at least put my mind at ease and come up with some sort of solution,” Ellison said. “Then the idea just started to flesh itself out.”

From Ellison’s experience in working at a preschool, she’s been able to see how on-line learning has affected some students.

“Focusing has been a big issue for a lot of kids,” Ellison said. “When you’re in your house and on technology, it’s easier to get distracted than it would be in other places.”

Although the majority of students she tutors are elementary level, Ellison offers assistance to any grade level, including middle and high school students. Ellison’s mother, a professor and associate dean at the University of Missouri Kansas City, helps by offering students of her own to assist in tutoring.

“She’s actively gotten some med students that need service hours, so she’s been reaching out to a few of them,” Ellison said.

Ellison began her project by creating a website and reaching out to teachers in the Kansas City Public School Districts on both sides of the state line.

“I figured that was an area where the need might be most prevalent in that it was a way that I could reach the most students,” Ellison said. “I sent emails to a lot of teachers and I did get some responses back. A few parents emailed and messaged me, and then we started corresponding.”

After seeing her program grow from receiving back from both teachers and

parents even outside the Kansas City area, Ellison realized this couldn’t be a one-man job. Her website continues to grow at a rapid rate – she receives 10 to 20 emails daily.

“I realized I’m not going to be able to single-handedly meet the needs, even if the number of students is manageable,” Ellison said. “The time frame just doesn’t work out for me.”

Ellison works on her program while being an International Baccalaureate Diploma candidate and working her parttime preschool job. However, she manages to stay on top of her work and hasn’t found much difficulty balancing her schedule.

“Balance is something I’m better at now than I have been in previous years,” Ellison said. “My ducks aren’t always in a row, but I’m fairly confident in my ability to wrangle them together when they need to be.”

With work, school and her project, Ellison –junior Sarah Ellison tends to stay busy and enjoys the packed schedule she has.

“I don’t have a lot of free time,” Ellison said. “If I do... I have a stress ball I like to squish, or I set aside 20 minutes to watch an episode of whatever it is I’m watching.”

Project WorldChangers gained the recognition of KMBC News as the channel wrote about Ellison’s project.

“It was a very strange experience to do [the interview] at my house, but it happened really quickly and I don’t think I could have ever anticipated that to happen,” Ellison said. “It was a strange experience, but it was awesome.”

Ellison would like to keep up her tutoring program for the future.

“I do think that [Project WorldChangers] could be something beneficial for a long time,” Ellison said. “Even outside of a pandemic, that need is going to be there, so I hope I can keep it up.”

“Little things like [students] being able to read one more word than they could before, make me happy.”

+ design by Kasi Maniktala

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Furever Hopeful

Dec. 17, 2020

It only takes one person to make a difference for an animal in need

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2 1. JJ delights in attention from junior Hannah Van Auken at the Always and Furever Midwest Animal Sanctuary. “JJ was really sick and nearly died,” Van Auken said. “She is a little on the wild side, but really really snuggly. She was recently adopted and her family absolutely adores her.”

2. Taking dogs out for exercise is just one of junior Hannah Van Auken’s duties at Always and Furever Midwest Animal Sanctuary. Cuddling with dogs like Austin is one of her favorite parts of working at the shelter. “Austin came to us in August,” Van Auken said. “Since then his personality has really blossomed. He’s now with a foster who plans on adopting him.”

Always and Furever is funded completely by donations. They welcome donations of time, goods and services to all shelters.

Visit their website alwaysandfurever.love to learn more about volunteering or to donate.

Instagram @alwaysnfurever Facebook Always & Furever Midwest Animal Sanctuary

Junior Hannah Van Auken cradles a newborn puppy, Hopper, Dec. 2 outside of the Ever After Farm in Spring Hill. Hopper and his mother, El, were rescued by Always & Furever from a kill shelter in Oklahoma before they arrived at Ever After Farm. “[The dogs] are now thriving here until they can be adopted,” Van Auken said. + all photos by Micah Reeves

+ design by Livi Nagorka

+ by Ally Pruente It takes an extremely kindhearted and generous individual to help others in need. That includes our furry friends who need a second chance. Junior Hannah Van Auken is just the person for the job.

Van Auken spends her time outside of school working at Always and Furever Midwest Animal Sanctuary. The shelter was started with the concept of providing a comfortable environment for dogs in their last days of life. Once Always and Furever took off, it began to grow as more than a dog sanctuary. Now, it is home to not only older dogs, but younger dogs and cats as well. Instead of cages, Always and Furever uses a more open concept – a barn located in Springhill, Kansas. The shelter also houses younger dogs at a location five minutes away from Van Auken and her family, which is where her story started.

“My mom and I began walking the dogs there two-four times a week,” Van Auken said. “We instantly fell head over heels in love with the dogs we met.”

When Van Auken and her mom volunteered, they enjoyed every moment of it. Van Auken’s mom became known as “the boarding lady” and the two of them began to promote the dogs they worked with on social media. Just as things started to fall into routine, scheduling became difficult and the boarding location the two worked at was moved closer to Spring Hill. However, that didn’t keep Van Auken from spending as much time as she could at the shelter. Her work at Always and Furever was just beginning.

“In March, we were both offered jobs at the barn, my mom as a boarding coordinator and me as a barn staff member,” Van Auken said. “I switched around jobs a bit, but I always worked directly with the dogs at the barn.”

As a barn staff member instead of a volunteer, Van Auken is able to help more than ever. The work is taxing in ways beyond belief, but it’s a job she wouldn’t trade for the world.

“I may get paid for the work I do at the barn, but I would 100% do it for free,” Van Auken said. “Rescue dogs, in my opinion, are superior.”

All rescues are important to Van Auken. She never goes a day without thinking of the dogs at the shelter. Of all the animals Van Auken has known through Always and Furever, two have left a lifelong impression on her.

“I’ve really enjoyed building strong bonds with some of the long-term dogs that live upstairs at the barn, especially TK (Travis Kelce) and Destiny,” Van Auken said.

“A bear with a baseball bat” was how Van Auken described Destiny in her younger years. With the brindle pitbull’s experience with abuse she doesn’t always trust new humans when she first meets them. But she trusts Van Auken. “[Destiny] loves to explore, swim, snuggle, chew up toys, chase balls and play with her furry friends,” Van Auken said.

Destiny eventually warmed up to Van Auken and built a strong relationship. Unfortunately, not all dogs adapt as quickly . TK or Travis Kelce was this way when he first met Van Auken. He didn’t know the difference between someone wanting to help and someone wanting to harm him. That motivated Van Auken to approach him.

“I was properly introduced to him and instantly felt drawn to him. I wanted him to like me, I wanted him to love me,” Van Auken said.

TK was originally adopted at a kill shelter in Saint Louis, but returned to the shelter a short few weeks later for heart wrenching reasons. His adopters left him stranded with no human contact or time outdoors. His paws became raw and red from being forced to stand in his own urine. Any trust he had left for humans was gone. TK ended up at A&F in February of 2020 and Van Auken worked hard to gain his approval, which took time and patience.

“I took him on walks and watched his personality transform. He loves to carry toys on his walks, play tug-o-war, snuggle, roll around in the grass, eat snow and give kisses,” Van Auken said.

TK still needs proper and time consuming introductions to new people. He needs a forever home where he can be and feel safe. He’s adopted a small circle of workers and volunteers that he trusts, and Van Auken is so happy to be a part of it.

“We all work hard to find him a family that will understand and love him the way we do,” Van Auken said.

“He’s honestly one of my best friends and I think I’m one of his best friends, too.”

Van Auken whole-heartedly believes all dogs deserve a chance. Like TK and Destiny, the animals that end up in shelters aren’t always ready for adoption right away. They just need a second chance to learn to trust again. Always and Furever gives them contact with people like Van Auken who can make it happen.

“Always and Furever is truly one of a kind because they tag (accept) the dogs that other rescues won’t normally take,” Van Auken said. “If that means tagging a hospice dog or cat, driving them to a vet straight after, and holding them while they peacefully pass away, that’s what they will do”.

Van Auken and her family experienced the heartbreak first hand, but are grateful for the French-English bulldog they met because of it.

“In May we brought home a medical foster to see how she recovered and evaluate whether she needed a hospice foster or just a regular adopter. She was a little awkward FrenchEnglish bulldog mix named Akeba, with this hilarious smile,” Van Auken said.

Akeba was a result of inbreeding which caused extreme health issues such as seizures. The Van Auken’s knew she was special and quickly adopted her once she made her way to A&F. While at home with the Van Aukens, Akeba’s health issues dominated.

“Her liver was practically nonexistent and it was causing her to have seizures among other issues, Van Auken said. “She had clearly had this problem since she was born.”.

Akeba lived 20 days with the Van Auken’s before dying.

“I’m so very grateful she found her way to us,” Van Auken said. “She will always always always be a Van Auken.”

Van Auken, her family and her co-workers lead with their hearts. Everything they do, the good, the bad and the ugly is for the good of the animals that come to them. A&F gives so many elderly abandoned animals what they need: a loving and caring way to live out their lives. This means everything to Van Auken and reflects everything she believes in. Finding forever homes for these pets is always Van Auken’s focus.

“There is a rescue dog or cat for everyone,” Van Auken said.

Here and There

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Critical Milestone COVID-19 vaccines in development show promising results “Today is a great day for science and humanity,” Pfizer Chairman and CEO Dr. Albert Bourla said in a statement issued by Pfizer on Nov. 18. “The first set of results from our Phase 3 COVID-19 vaccine trial provides the initial evidence of our vaccine’s ability to prevent COVID-19.”

Pfizer Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, and BioNTech, their partner, developed a COVID-19 vaccine that resulted to be about 95% effective. The company unveiled their results on Monday, Nov. 9, as COVID-19 rates skyrocketed across the United States.

According to the New York Times, the companies began a clinical trial for the vaccine in July, where they saw the vaccine being

effective 95 percent of the time. The FDA required any vaccines able to be submitted for authorization to be at least 50 percent effective, which meant that Pfizer and BioNTech cleared the bar.

According to CBS News, the United Kingdom is the first country to approve of the Pfizer vaccine, with distribution to the public starting the week of Dec. 6.

Pfizer also applied for emergency authorization by the FDA to be able to distribute throughout the US on Nov. 20, but distribution still has not begun.

Moderna, a biotechnology company, also has a promising vaccine in development. In a press release issued Nov. 30, Moderna’s drug is about 94.1 percent effective

at preventing COVID-19 and 100 percent effective in preventing severe cases. With that, Moderna applied for FDA approval on Nov. 30.

Both vaccines require two doses received a few weeks apart. Leibniz Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology professor Hajo Zeeb said in an NBC article that having two vaccines that show promising results is very reassuring and they are likely to be approved.

“We are reaching this critical milestone in our vaccine development program at a time when the world needs it most with infection rates setting new records, hospitals nearing over-capacity and economies struggling to reopen,” Bourla said in a statement released

by Pfizer on Nov. 18.

Rehabilitation, not Incarceration Oregon becomes the first state in the U.S. to decriminalize all drugs On Nov. 3, Oregon passed a bill called Measure 110 which decriminalized all drugs in the state. Oregon is the first state in the US to pass a bill with such measures.

Decriminalization is by no means legalization, but the key difference is that it sends those caught with drug possession or other drug offenses to rehabilitation rather than to prison. Oregon opted for a $100 fine or time in a rehabilitation center, funded by taxpayers.

Previously, many countries such as Portugal, the Netherlands and Switzerland have also decriminalized all drugs. According to Associated Press, the number of people being treated for substance addictions rose 20% in a 7-year period. Furthermore, the countries that passed decriminalization bills did not see any increase in drug use among their citizens.

According to the Drug Policy Alliance, there were more than 1.6 million drug related arrests in 2018, 86% of which were for possession only. With Oregon’s Measure 110, this number is expected to go down significantly, and

the number of those being treated for drug addictions will increase.

In addition to Measure 110, Oregon also legalized psilocybin mushrooms for health uses, such as treating PTSD or anxiety. Similar to the use of marijuana for health-related issues in 34 states, Oregon voted to allow the use of psilocybin mushrooms for medical purposes, not recreational.

According to the Associated Press, however, dozens of district attorneys in Oregon opposed this decriminalization bill because they believe drug use will increase as a result. Other district attorneys, including the one representing Oregon’s most populous county, approved of the bill.

“This is such a big step in moving to a health-based approach instead of criminal punishment, and we’re devoting significant new resources to help Oregonians who need it,” co-chief petitioner of Measure 110 Janie Gullickson said in an interview with the Associated Press.

Dec. 14, 2020

+by Stella Grist

In the Process To date, just two coronavirus vaccines have been approved. Sputnik V – formerly known as Gam-COVID-Vac and developed by the Gamaleya Research Institute in Moscow – was approved by the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation on 11 August.

Experts have raised considerable concern about the vaccine’s safety and efficacy given it has

not yet entered Phase 3 clinical trials. A second vaccine in Russia, EpiVacCorona, has also been granted regulatory approval, also without entering Phase 3 clinical trials.

No Respite Typhoon Vamco devastates the Philippines and Vietnam Since it first made landfall on Nov. 11, Typhoon Vamco has caused over $9.7 million in damage to the Philippines.

Dozens have been injured and countless homes have been destroyed in both Vietnam and the Philippines.

According to BBC, the death toll in the Philippines is 67, with dozens more missing.

Typhoon Vamco has caused winds of up to 103 miles per hour and immense flooding, according to Reuters. Tens of thousands of citizens were displaced as their houses flooded to their roofs.

In the provinces that Vamco was projected to hit in Vietnam, over 468,000 people

were planned to be evacuated to prepare for the impact. A mere week after Typhoon Goni, the most disastrous storm the country had faced in seven years, Typhoon Vamco caused even more damage.

“There has been no respite for more than eight million people living in central Vietnam,” Vietnam Red Cross Society President Nguyen Thi Xuan Thu said in an article

by Reuters. “Each time they start rebuilding their lives and livelihoods, they are pummeled by yet another storm.”

On Nov. 15, Vamco hit Vietnam. According to BBC, at least five people were injured, experiencing winds up to

56 miles per hour and vast flooding. Throughout the year in Vietnam, more than 100 people have been killed due to heavy rainfall and flooding in a series of storms. According to the International Federation of the Red Cross, about 400,000 homes have been damaged from these storms and roads, bridges and crops have been washed away.

According to the BBC, these areas are usually prepared for storms of this caliber, but their COVID-19 efforts have shifted focus from storm preparation and relief efforts. To learn more, visit Www.redcross.org or visit Www.wwf.org.ph to donate.

+ Design by Alden Norberg

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NOVEMBER IN P Dec. 17, 2020

Upcoming Events STORY

BY RORY DUNGAN +DESIGN All scheduled events are BY atOLIVIA risk LINVILLE of cancellation due to COVID-19. Check your email regularly for updates on schoolsponsored events. + by Yeretzy Blanco and Emily Alexander

Dec. 12 ACT Test

Dec. 23-Jan.4 Winter Break

JAN. 14 Talent Show

Jan . 18 NO SCHOOL

jan. 21-22 First semester finals

Jan. 25 no school

Cancelled Events + Design by Karmela Davis

Check your email for updates. The test will be held at Northwest in various classrooms.

Enjoy your break and happy holidays!

See your fellow students show off their talents.

DECEMBER: 4 VARSITY BASKETBALL Senior Mike Harris goes for a layup Dec. 4 in the Main Gym against Turner Highschool. The Cougars won their first varsity basketball game 72-24.” + photo by Sloan Munson

OCTOBER 26: FOOTBALL Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Enjoy your day off.

Che

End of second quarter.

See announcements for finals schedule

Teacher Work Day

Dec. 14: Winter Choir Concert

On defense, freshmen Evan Qualls works to send a SM West player into the snow Oct. 26 at Northwest. The Cougars and Vikings tied and went into overtime. “Before the game, I usually feel nervous, but after I feel proud of my team no matter the score,” Qualls said. + photo by Claire Moore

N PHOTOS

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NOVEMBER 13: CHEER (Far Left) Senior Madelyn Omanson holds her pom pom in the air Nov. 13 at SM North Stadium. The cheer team was doing a routine called “Fingers”.

“I chose to do cheer because to me it felt like the best way to get involved, being at every school event,” Omanson said. “Being able to cheer for your school is an awesome experience.”to run.”

+ photo by Josie Torres

OCTOBER 24: VARSITY SWIM Senior Alex Duewel rushes down the pool Dec. 5 at Lansing High School. Duewel completed the 100-meter butterfly relay in 62 seconds. “I’m excited for this season,” Duewel said. “[My] goal is getting top 3 in relays at state and qualifying for individual events.”

OCTOBER 24: CROSS COUNTRY Senior Shane Mullen runs Oct. 24 at Shawnee Mission Park. Mullen placed 1st and qualified for state cross country meet where he took 5th place.

“I don’t think I would be able to train without my team,” Mullen said. “We push each other everyday to run.” + photo by Claire Moore

NOVEMBER 7: GYMNASTICS STATE MEET Junior Kadence Peel celebrates a landing Nov. 7 at Newton H.S. The team placed 6th in the state championship meet. ““After finishing a routine it feels like a weight being lifted off of my shoulders,” Peel said. “Before I compete in an event I worry that I might fall, but after competing I gain a lot more energy and excitement for the rest of the meet.” + photo by Sophia McCraney

+ photo by Micah Reeves

“Band has been a place I can go to get away from all the craziness of life to focus on making music and enjoying the company of my friends and the extraordinary band directors,” Johnson said.

“Band is a second home where I can be myself and enjoy it all.”

-Senior Colby Johnston

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