Northwest Passage Issue 7

vol. 43 | issue 7 | feb. 17, 2012

northwest

graphic by mitch feyerherm

NEWS, ANALYSIS AND OPINION

Although many students can’t yet vote, a politically-minded group of both students and teachers stress that they at least know the basics.

on page 15

IN THE NAVY

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LAST SPLASH

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Senior Spencer Dawson enlisted in the Navy as a post-secondary path.

Senior Connor Stephens hopes to place well at the state diving meet.

big oppor tunities start at Pitt State

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• Designed for individuals who have a bachelor’s degree in an approved content area and want to teach at the secondary level, grades 6-12.

• Trains teachers in areas such as, math, science, Spanish, French, music and English.

• Courses will provide individuals the knowledge and skills needed for successful teaching including classroom management and effective lesson planning.

• Convenient class offerings in the evening, online and Interactive Distance Learning (IDL).

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12345 W. 95th, Suite 204 • Lenexa, Kansas 66215 913-529-4487 • kcmetro.pittstate.edu

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northwest

PASSAGE | CONTENTS

Issue 7 | Vol. 43 | Feb. 17, 2012 Shawnee Mission Northwest 12701 West 67th St., Shawnee, Kan., 66216

ENTERTAINMENT

NEWS in brief

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currently

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Updates about happenings at Northwest Pop culture and news from around the world

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top 10 books to read before you graduate These 10 novels and nonfiction selections all students should read.

super bowl ads: then and now A look at Super Bowl advertising over the years.

FEATURES OPINIONS don’t be afraid of the dark

A staff member reflects on the difference between European and Americans’ views of the world around them.

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news, analysis and opinion

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in the navy

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walk away or walk the stage

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counter-terrorism: stepping on the sixth amendment The National Defense Authorization Act steps on the constitution while trying to stop terrorism.

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getting around without getting bound Public transportation in Kansas City would allow more independence for high school students.

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how to keep students in school Pres. Barack Obama’s proposed plan to keep students in school until they turn 18 isn’t the best way to approach the problem of high school drop-outs.

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photo by mikala compton

Even though many students can’t yet vote, a politicallyminded group of students and teachers stress that they at least know the basics Senior Spencer Dawson joined the Navy.

Pres. Barack Obama proposed changes in the high school drop-out age.

SPORTS

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“i can do this”

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last splash

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spring into action

photo by nate compton

Senior Esdras CisnerosRodriguez boxes and wrestles.

Senior Connor Stephens hopes to do well at the state diving meet.

For seniors, the coming spring sports season will be the last chance to participate.

northwest

[ staff ]

EDITOR’S NOTE:

Co-editors-in-chief | Maria Davison + David Freyermuth

Copy Editor | Brianna Leyden Design Editor | Bailey Kopp Web Managing Editor | Daniel Magwire Photo Editors | Mikala Compton + David Freyermuth

Ads Editor | Paige Waltman News Editor | Hayley Battenberg Opinions Editors | Maria Davison + David Freyermuth

Entertainment Editor | Ashlee Crane

I’ve always been interested in politics. It’s been a regular dinner table conversation topic in my family for as long as I can remember. My parents encouraged me to understand what was going on in my country. And when I turned 18, more than almost anything else, I was excited to be able to vote.

The 2012 presidential election will be my first time voting, and like I said, I’m excited.

But I also realize that with the ability to vote comes more responsibility to understand the issues, the candidates and what each candidate stands for. Before we can pick someone to lead our country, we have to know where they will steer us.

Like senior Zoe Mays (page 16 or 17), I tend to share my parents political views, probably because I’ve spent so much time discussing it with them. But at the same time, I know why I believe the things I do. I can back up my views with my own arguments, not just the things I’ve heard my parents yell at the TV for years. Like senior Jonathan Volker (page 14), I try to read up on the issues themselves and try to understand the facts before taking a side.

As our politics survey clearly proved, a good portion of the student body doesn’t have any interest in politics. And that’s understandable. The issues aren’t simple and it’s often difficult to understand what politicians are all arguing about.

But one day, we will inherit the United States and all the problems that come with it. Chances are, at least some of those problems will arise from current problems. And if we’re going to make our country a better place to live when we’re in charge, we have to understand the current issues.

Maria Davison Co-Editor-in-Chief

Sports Editors | Brady Klein Assistant Designer | Brooke Golladay Graphic Artist | Mitch Feyerherm Staff Writers | Kirk Bado, Sam Bellmyer, Jordan Bray, Rachel Ferencz, Julie Kurbjeweit, Davis Millard, Anna Moilanen, Evan Shinn, Connor Thompson + Paige Waltman

Adviser | Susan Massy

Do you have something to contribute to the Northwest Passage?

WRITE US A LETTER

We would love to hear your opinion about anything we’ve published or other things going on around Northwest. Letters can be brought to Room 151. Only signed letters will be published.

The purpose of the Northwest Passage is to relay important and interesting information to the community, administration and students of the Shawnee Mission Northwest High School. As a newsmagazine, the Northwest Passage will cater to the interests and concerns of the student body. Outside concerns and activities will only be covered if they somehow affect the school or students. the Northwest Passage is a 24page newsmagazine. The paper will be distributed every three weeks during fifth hour. Subscriptions will be available to the community for $25. the Northwest Passage firmly supports the First Amendment and opposes censorship. The content of the newspaper will be determined and created by the entire staff. When questions concerning word choice, legal problems or ethics arise the editorial board and adviser will discuss the problem to find a solution. In these cases, the co-editors-in-chief will the have final say in all decisions. Letters to the editor will be accepted and encouraged, but will only be published if signed.

The staff reserves the right to edit for grammatical mistakes, length and good taste. Letters may attack policy but not people. In no way will ideas or viewpoints be changed. The co-editors-in-chief reserves the right to refuse any letter.

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Feb. 17, 2012

IN BRIEF Jazz ensemble to host cabaret Sounds of the big band era will fill the halls of Northwest on March 2 as the Jazz Ensemble hosts its 27th annual Jazz Cabaret in the auditorium. Other jazz bands from across the district and two faculty/ alumni bands will also be performing.

“It is a big event,” senior saxophone player Baylee Birkmeyer said.

“About 200 people came last year.”

The smooth and funk jazz will not just be for quiet listening, though.

“Toward the end of the evening,” jazz teacher Doug Talley said, “the jazz ensemble will perform a set of music for swing dancing.”

The action will move to the cafeteria for a set filled with aerials, lindy hops and doo wops. Dancing lessons will be available for novices earlier in the evening at the event, which is free to the public. Both live and recorded music will be played. Doors open at 6 p.m. and close at 9:30 p.m. Pizza will also be available at $1 a slice.

by kirk bado

Theater department presented winter play, Night Must Fall Thespian Troupe #888 presented the winter play Night Must Fall Feb. 2–4. The performance attracted an audience of 300, garnering $. During the first three, out of the four, nights the play was sold out. After filling all the allotted seats, students were asked to sit on the floor to make more room for the large audience.

Despite Thespian Troupe sponsor Keli Rodgers’ absence the week prior to the premiere, the play was a success by cast members’ standards.

“We got it all done,” stage manager Gabby Rehor said. “It was stressful, but in the end it was a lot of fun.”

Even with the popularity of the show, though, the troupe did not make much money from ticket sales. Since the activity pass allows students to see all shows for free, adult tickets are the only revenue the club receives, which is not enough to cover all expenses.

“Now, we lose money with every show we do,” Rehor said. “But that doesn’t keep the actors from launching plays. The next show is going to be the musical The Fantasticks.”

StuCo to transform cafeteria into wonderland for WPA “Walk through Wonderland” is the theme for Feb. 18 WPA dance.

Deciding on the theme, which this year is an allusion to Alice in Wonderland, is only one of the preparations Student Council goes through before WPA. “A lot of work goes into it,” junior StuCo representative Reagan Wilks said. “where’s the rest of this quote?”

Funded by the StuCo dance account, tickets will be printed, the decorations will be purchased and a DJ and photographer will be hired. StuCo members signed up to sell tickets in the mall until Feb. 15. Support also comes from volunteering parents in the PTSA, who organize and provide food and drink for the event. With all this help, good coordination is the key to a successful event.

“We have to make sure that everybody is on the same page,” Wilks said. “We need good communication to work well as a team.”

This year’s candidates for Queen of Courts are: Victoria Banks, Katie Biggers, Kelli Denton, Abby Gomer, Jessica Johnson, Charity Medis, Megan Musson, Liz Nelson, Julia Noland, Rachel Nyhart, Emily Taylor and Hailee Zatar. Big Man on Campus candidates are: Cameron Bock, Brett Cooper, Drew Creighton, Jacob Eskina, David Fancher, Bill Graves, Danny Lyons, Mason Oberheu, Jesus Ornelas, Grant Pittrich, Jack Roeder, and Jack Rogers.

by julie kurbjeweit

by julie kurbjeweit

photo by mikala compton

news

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Pop culture and news from around the world.

compiled by Hayley Battenberg

I’M IN THIS RACE BECAUSE I CARE ABOUT AMERICANS. I’M NOT CONCERNED ABOUT THE VERY POOR. WE HAVE A SAFETY NET THERE. IF IT NEEDS REPAIR, I’LL FIX IT. I’M NOT CONCERNED ABOUT THE VERY RICH; THEY’RE DOING JUST FINE. I’M CONCERNED ABOUT THE VERY HEART OF AMERICA, THE 90 PERCENT, 95 PERCENT OF AMERICANS RIGHT NOW WHO ARE STRUGGLING, AND I’LL CONTINUE TO TAKE THAT MESSAGE ACROSS THE NATION”

To enlist in the United States Navy individuals must be

— Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney said in an interview with CNN. cnn.com

Whitney Houston, the 48-year-old R&B singer, was found dead in her Beverly Hilton suite on Saturday Feb. 11. An autopsy has been performed, and the coroner has ruled out foul play, but the final lab results will not be complete for four to six weeks. cnn.com

ADELE WON SIX GRAMMYS on Feb. 12 — Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Pop Solo Performance, Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Short Form Music Video.

Kansas law says a student is truant if they have

7 million people

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Feb. 17, 2012

Ti c

at

$18.56

d

$2,613

ticketexchangebyticketmaster.com The JO’s (Johnson County Bus System) Standard Express 10-Ride Pass costs thejo.com

OR years old with parental consent. navy.com

· 3 UNEXCUSED ABSENCES in a row, · 5 UNEXCUSED ABSENCES in a semester or u XLVI S perbow · 7 UNEXCUSED he ls t ta to ABSENCES in a rt s t e ke school year. wycock.org

years old

signed Google’s petition opposing SOPA marketingland.com

“THERE WILL BE SOME PEOPLE WHO WILL WANT TO DISMISS US AS ‘CAME OUT OF THE [HARRY POTTER] SERIES AND DIDN’T DO ANYTHING AFTERWARDS’. THAT’S THE STORY SOME PEOPLE WANT TO WRITE. AND I HAVE TO MAKE EXTRA SURE THEY HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT,” — Daniel Radcliffe, star of the movie The Women in Black, said in an interview with The Sun. entertainmentwise.com

DON’T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK

Having lived in a safer country than the United States has made me aware of how dangerous it is in the United States — or are Americans just more careful?

S

ince we were children, our parents have told us to check for cars before we cross the road; they have warned us about getting into a vehicle with a stranger and reminded us not go out alone after dark. These warnings all seem to send the same basic message: The world is a bad and dangerous place.

I remember one night when I was alone for the weekend, and felt like going for a run at about 2 a.m. So I went.

Nothing could stop me. Running in a dark forest without any lights or other human beings made me feel good, and I didn’t feel scared even once. Could someone have kidnapped me?

It’s possible that someone could have killed me and buried my body to the forest, and that no one would have ever known what happened.

Well, not really. I was in Finland.

When I came to the United States, one of the first things I noticed is that people are more afraid of everything than I am. I can’t even count how many times I have heard here, “Aren’t you scared that someone is going to kidnap you when you are traveling alone on a train?” Honestly, I hadn’t ever even thought about it until someone asked me. Is that what they teach to American children? That a train is a bad place where kidnappers hiding?

Another “dangerous” situation is walking down a street alone. I guess my walks at night caused my host mom’s heart to race more than anything else, so I had to stop going for a run or a walk

after dark.

But is it really more dangerous over here or is it just an idea people have in their minds? According to a survey

by Mercer Consulting, Finland’s capital city, Helsinki, is the second safest big city in the world. Of the 49 safest cities listed, none of them were American. If we look at a list of the safest countries, we can find all the Scandinavian countries listed, including Finland, but, again, not the United States.

Apparently, that means that nothing

OPINIONS

by anna moilanen

there is always a lot going on. There is always a war somewhere and United States is usually part of it. America has the power to actually change the world by its actions, while smaller countries like Finland can’t really make so much of an effort by itself. Problem is, you can’t please everybody: there is always people who disagrees and want to let their opinion to heard in a violence way.

Because we are not as scared as most Americans, people in Finland are more open to going out in the streets and

IS IT REALLY MORE DANGEROUS OVER HERE, OR IS IT JUST AN IDEA PEOPLE HAVE IN THEIR MINDS? ACCORDING TO A SURVEY

BY MERCER CONSULTING, FINLAND’S CAPITAL CITY, HELSINKI, IS THE SECOND SAFEST BIG CITY IN THE WORLD. OF THE 49 SAFEST CITIES LISTED, NONE OF THEM ARE AMERICAN. really happens in Finland. Of course, it is a much smaller country, but rarely do I read the the national news and see that something really bad happened, unless it was somewhere else in the world. When, less than a year ago in Norway, one man killed more than 80 people, the entirety of Scandinavia was terrified. Nothing like that had ever happened.

The difference was noticeable when I came to Kansas: I hear almost every day on the morning news that someone has disappeared or murdered or kidnapped, and the TV anchors talk about it like that’s normal.

As big of a country as America,

traveling alone, or going to the forest in the middle of the night to jog. Not being so afraid of everything gives us more freedom and makes life a little less stressful.

Many Americans should let go some of their fears and enjoy all the things the world has to offer. I don’t want to be stuck at home and just watch television when there is so many things what I can do and so many places I can see.

Don’t worry about the world too much. Enjoy your life and, if something happens, it happens. I guess that is kind of a European way to think; the world is not such a terrifying place in our eyes.

opinions

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OPINIONS

connor thompson

COUNTER-TERRORISM: STEPPING ON THE SIXTH AMENDMENT

The National Defense Authorization Act has potential to help end terrorism, but it crushes part of the Bill of Rights.

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THE GOVERNMENT IS JUST TRYING TO PREVENT FUTURE TERRORIST ATTACKS, BUT IT IS OVERSTEPPING THE BOUNDARIES ORIGINALLY GRANTED BY THE CONSTITUTION.

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Feb. 17, 2012

ne of the greatest things about our country is the freedom of information. Granted, that freedom has been challenged and, at times, greatly restricted, but our ability to freely share and discuss information is ingrained in the American psyche. But in a country that has been fighting a War on Terrorism for more than a decade, our government has gone to great lengths to identify and spot suspected terrorists, and we’re all potentially in the crossfire simply because of the information we might access, for academic reasons or otherwise.

The most recent weapon the government has employed is the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which is intended to defend U.S. citizens and the country’s interests abroad, but is also something that could land any of us on a terrorist watch list and/or allow us to be detained by the government.

The NDAA sets aside $662 billion to fund counter-terrorist activities and allows the imposition of sanctions against countries including Iran, China and Russia. The main goal of the bill is to fund the fight against terrorism. However, when you get to Title X Subtitle D — “counter terrorism” — it starts to sound like the government might be overstepping its bounds regarding private citizens. This section focuses on the detention of people who the government suspect of being involved with any terrorist organizations or of committing terrorist actions.

The NDAA can surely help keep Americans safe, except that the power that this act gives could easily be abused. Anyone can be a target, and the thought of the government monitoring almost every action of every person in the United States is pretty scary.

The government is just trying to prevent future terrorist attacks, but it is overstepping the boundaries originally granted by the Constitution.

The sixth amendment states that, “In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be

confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.”

The NDAA states that “indefinite criminal detention” can happen. The president already has this power in a way, but this act would strengthen it. The American Civil Liberties Union has questioned both the act, and the president’s power, because it is clearly in conflict with the sixth amendment. The act imposes on the sixth amendment because of the fact that it allows the government to detain any criminal indefinitely with no bail, when the amendment states that the accused should be able to have a speedy trial when a crime has been committed.

I am all for doing whatever we can to prevent acts of terrorism, but when they are skirting the Constitution to do so, it makes me lose faith in my government. Having the power to keep proven terrorists under lock and key is one thing, but this act gives the government the right to detain anyone who is even slightly suspected of any terrorist actions against the United States or its coalition forces. This is stepping too close to being a police state where everyone needs to watch everything they do, so they don’t get arrested and detained until the government wants to do something with them.

It’s not that this act needs to be completely abolished; it just needs to be touched up a little bit. The officer in charge of making the arrest needs to be absolutely, 100 percent, without a doubt sure that this person is a terrorist, and a threat to my safety and my country’s safety.

There needs to be appropriate surveillance and due process before possibly detaining innocent people, because protecting these innocent citizens is one of the basic principles our country was founded on.

The Constitution might as well just be stolen

by Nicolas Cage, because if the government is not going to follow it, it becomes useless.

The country will turn to military rule, and it won’t matter what anyone says or does. We need to watch out for the NDAA. Although it sounds good and has the potential to “stop terrorism,” it needs to be adjusted to fit the legal confines set out by the founding fathers.

These have made our country one of the best in the world.

OPINIONS

GETTING AROUND WITHOUT GETTING BOUND jule

love for their cars is really heartwarming (however sedentary).

Cities are largely built for fourwheeled vehicles instead of twolegged people. That The right track into more independence makes me feel kind is public transportation. of crippled. I can’t hang out with friends magine yourself watching the city float by. One whenever I feel like it, go to the store or attend a after another, the buildings and their storefronts school event without asking somebody for a ride. pass. They all look different, yet one of them I can’t go out into the world and live my life on catches your eye. Suddenly you have the urge to my own. peruse the alternative style shop. Fortunately, your The roads that we have are so broad and original destination can wait, and you just jump comfortable that not many want to leave them. off the streetcar to indulge in some inspiration. Most people don’t want to make such a drastic You don’t have to find a parking spot, but can trust change. However, a solid public transportation in the system; sure, that there will be a streetcar to system would pay off in some many ways. take you wherever you want to go as soon as you Flexibility could add a whole new dimension in are ready. Imagine this freedom. a place like Kansas City. A good light-rail system As an exchange student, the independence that can take us anywhere: to work, downtown, to public transportation offers is one of the things friends’ houses, to church, to restaurants and, of that I miss most about home. I’m not able to course, to school. It could give us so much more drive, but here I am, in the United States, where independence. No longer would we have to ask the car seems to be man’s best friend. Americans’ parents to drive, pay exorbitant prices for gas or

kurbjeweit

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STAFF EDITORIAL

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fear driving in the snow.

In a society where people start driving very early, an issue of great concern among teens is drunk driving. Parents would be relieved if their children always had the opportunity to be driven home safely by someone who is sober.

Mass transit would also lead us to a much more environmentally friendly future. If we want to curb the effects of climate change, we must change our habits and travel more responsibly.

Despite all of these benefits, the initiation of a new transportation infrastructure in Kansas City seems far away. As much as people talk about it, nothing ever happens. Discussions got exciting when a recent public opinion poll of metropolitan residents showed support for light rail leading to the airport. In the end, it is money that kills the project.

Why pay more taxes when an all-over traffic infrastructure already provides a way to get around? Why create a whole new transportation system when everybody is so used to the way they get around?

The time has come to move on from the ’50s and build a system that meets the wants and needs of today’s travelers — a system that has the potential to rule the future.

HOW TO KEEP STUDENTS IN SCHOOL

n his Jan. 24 State of the Union Address, Pres.

Barack Obama proposed a plan to keep every student in school until they turn 18.

“We also know that when students aren’t allowed to walk away from their education, more of them walk the stage to get their diploma. So tonight, I call on every State to require that all students stay in high school until they graduate or turn 18,” Obama said.

Annually, more than 1.2 million students drop out of high school, according the the Alliance for Excellent Education. Those students who enter the workforce without a high school diploma earn, on average, $10,000 less than those who did graduate.

In Kansas, students can drop out of school when they turn 16. According to the Alliance for Excellent Education, “dropouts from the class of 2008 will cost Kansas almost $2.6 billion in lost wages over their lifetimes.”

Obama’s right. High school dropouts are a problem. If all students graduated from high school, it would significantly benefit the economy of the United States, as well as the graduates themselves. According to the U.S. Bureau of Census, in 2005, people with less than a high school diploma earned, on average, $17,299 a

In his State of the Union Address, Obama presented a plan to keep students from dropping out of high school. But that would be better accomplished by engaging students in school activities than by passing a law.

year, whereas those with a high school diploma Instead of forcing students to stay in school by earned $26,933 a year. Those with a bachelor’s law until they turn 18, schools should focus on degree earned $52,671 annually. ensuring that students succeed as freshman and The U.S. economy is in desperate need of a engaging them in the learning process. And the solution for high school dropouts. And forcing best way to do that is often through extra- or cothem to stay in school curricular activities, until they turn 18 sounds like art, music, THE MAJORITY OPINION OF THE really good in theory. theater or athletics.

NORTHWEST PASSAGE EDITORIAL But forcing students to Students who are BOARD stay in school is probably involved at school going to work about as often make friends in well as forcing wayward those activities and teenagers to do anything. feel more compelled In most cases, it just can’t to attend school be done. They can be everyday. forced to attend, but the Engaging students decision to learn is still theirs. in their school day will more likely keep them Most students who drop out of high school don’t in school than forcing them to stay there by law. succeed during their freshman year, according to Instead of trying to pass laws to keep students in the Alliance for Excellent Education. Students class, lawmakers at every level should be more who aren’t engaged academically and socially are focused on creating a school environment where another main group who tend to drop out. students would never dream of dropping out.

10 0 AGREE DISAGREE

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ENTERTAINMENT

s k o 10 b o

a d e r o t

n w o r ks o i t c fi E n g l i sh non ered in d f n ls a not of e v o n A combinatino of

aduate r g u o d. y l worl a e e r r e befo e th c a f

u to o y e r a p e class will pr

THE LAST LECTURE by Randy Pausch In 2008, Randy Pausch, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University, was diagnosed with cancer, terminal pancreatic cancer. After he received the bleak news, Pausch was slated by the University’s board to do a “last lecture” to the student body — a hypothetical speech detailing what he wanted students to learn. He made the decision to go through with the lecture, and the speech and his decision may change your life forever.

Pausch writes the lecture-turnednovel as a love note to students who

are trying to achieve their childhood dreams. Talking about brick walls, head fakes and elephants in the room, Pausch sets a light tone, despite the serious intentions and, in the process, creates the picture-perfect vignette of a man who loved life. Pausch published the lecture as a book which delves more deeply into the touching topics he mentioned in his memorable lecture; it comes off as a long-winded letter to his two young children.

Pausch died later that year.

MEMORABLE QUOTES: “We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand.”

EVERYTHING MATTERS by Ron Currie The end of the world has been fodder for novelists since the Bible prophesied doomsday. Never before has it been done more masterfully than in the debut novel by Ron Currie, Jr. Everything Matters opens with a fetus in the womb, and a disembodied voice telling the unborn baby the exact date and time the world will end, 30 years after his birth. The mysterious voice informs Junior, the child, just before

he enters the world, that he is part of a grand experiment to see if “anything really matters.” The title might give the answer away, but the plot closely follows the journey Junior takes to reach his own conclusion. Currie’s writing will tug on your emotional strings, all while telling you that every moment you live, you need to love, and you need to be, every moment that you live.

MEMORABLE QUOTES: “Everything matters not in spite of the end of you and all that you love, but because of it.

Everything is all you’ve got…and after Everything is nothing. Because it is all the same, it is all unfathomable, and it is all infinitely preferable to the one dreadful alternative.”

ON THE ROAD by Jack Kerouac High school is a time of freedom which we seldom appreciate until it’s over. Full of youth and wanderlust, teenagers are eager to find adventure and self-expression on their own terms.

On The Road captures the beauty of this youthful desire through the story of Kerouac’s wild adventures. The majority of the book focuses on Kerouac’s road trips with Neal Cassady, a fellow beatnik and follower of the psychedelic craze. This pair of madmen set out on

cross-country explorations, seeking fun in the form of women and booze.

Kerouac's spontaneous prose makes On The Road an interesting read. His frantic descriptions of the people and places he saw while traveling resemble poetry more than literature. Kerouac isn’t a philosopher, and the book isn’t intended to blow your mind; rather, it’s the energetic and simple words that make On The Road relatable to teenagers.

MEMORABLE QUOTES: ...because the only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle you see the blue centerlight pop and everybody goes "Awww!"

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bado

PLATO AND A PLATYPUS WALK INTO A BAR...

by Tom Cathcart and Daniel Klein During the course of life, we all, or at least the majority of people, spend some time pondering the big questions: What is the meaning to life in the universe? Did Sherlock Holmes really use deduction? How can I tell if my girlfriend is cheating on me?

All these important philosophical questions, and more, are answered in Klein and Cathcart’s look at Western philosophy through jokes and humor.

The stories are hilarious, and the explanations between the jabs make enough sense that the average person can understand them. Nevertheless, one can still hold his or her own discussion on Plato’s cave allegory.

MEMORABLE QUOTES: “Two cows are standing in the pasture. One turns to the other and says, ‘Although pi is usually abbreviated to five numbers, it actually goes on into infinity.’

The second cow turns to the first and says, ‘Moo.’”

FOR REVIEWS OF SIX MORE BOOKS TO READ BEFORE YOU GRADUATE, VISIT SMNW.COM

REVIEWS LENGTH:

49:28

RELEASE DATE:

Jan. 27

RECORD LABEL:

Interscope GENRES:

pop, indie, alternative

STAFF PICKS The celebrity you would enjoy switching lives with

Kate Middleton

“I want to be a princess. I want to be British, too.”

Hayley Battenberg

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f it weren’t for Saturday Night Live and the arrogance of the the indie world, Elizabeth Grant would still be known as Lana Del Rey, but unfortunately, the criticism and backlash that came with a faulty SNL performance in January has stripped her of her artistic name, killing her over-hyped career before it could even begin.

It’s interesting to think that an innercircle of hipster blogs (Hipsterrunoff.com) could destroy the image of a 25-year-old artist so quickly. Months before the overexaggerated SNL disaster, this “artist to look out for in 2012” (MTV) was already being criticized. Shortly after the release of her critically-acclaimed single “Video Games” last July, pre-Lana Del Rey songs, videos and pictures surfaced, suggesting that Grant underwent cosmetic surgery (lip injections) and a dramatic change in musical style in order to fit her, as she puts it, “gangster Nancy Sinatra” image.

Grant could have recovered from those criticisms and allegations, but once she hit the SNL stage, awkwardly fumbling through her two latest singles, it’s possible that she crushed any chance of making her debut album a success.

Even now, reviewers and music bloggers continue to analyze the controversy of Del Rey, and that’s probably why Born To Die is so anticlimatic. However, that shouldn’t take away from the music.

Strip Lana Del Rey of her backlash, and the music could turn any radio listener into a pretentious music-snob, and a bad one at that. From James Dean references to partying at the Hamptons, Del Rey’s oh-so-clever lyricism is targeted at white suburban kids looking to be cultured.

Sure, it’s clever, but trite at best.

To the masses, Lana Del Rey acts courtesy of constantin film

as a medium between the indie and commercial world, catering to the wants and needs of both listeners: sex, drugs and wealth. And she does this with a devil-may-care attitude. She juxtaposes twangy 50s-like vocals, hip-hop beats and orchestral strings in order to bring her lyrics to life — a melting-pot of genres and style only appropriate for the 21st century. Although it’s hard to relate to a metaphor that proclaims “Money is the reason we exist/ Everybody knows that it’s a fact/Kiss kiss” to be the national anthem, we, as listeners, can’t help but agree.

Born To Die’s sexist undertones glamorize a women’s submissive role in the pursuit of the American dream — a weird take on Lana Del Rey’s part — but, unfortunately, she hit the head on the nail of a society’s problem, although I doubt that was her intention. This alone is set to feed off of the fantasies of teenage girl listeners (I hope I never see a Facebook status that reads: “Money is the anthem/God, you’re so handsome”) because of Del Rey’s objectified take on sex and desire, but this just seems to be a marketing gimmick. I doubt that’s how she really feels.

Here’s my theory behind Born To Die: Del Rey and whoever else had the opportunity to work on this could have created a great album with a few potential hits, but they chose to settle for less in order to appeal to a hipster crowd. Unfortunately, that crowd doesn’t want it. The themes are there, although I doubt Del Rey has any clue what she’s talking about, and the production is pristine, thanks to producer Emile Haynie (Eminem, Lil Wayne and Kid Cudi), but the album lacks the ambition that came by evan shinn with Del Rey’s hype.

Reese Witherspoon

“She’s famous because everyone loves her and not just because she acts like a lunatic like other celebrities.”

Brianna Leyden

James “Bobo” Finding Bigfoot

Fay

from

“Only he can say, ‘That sounds Squatchy, bro,’ and get away with it.”

Sam Bellmyer

Chelsea Handler

“She can say whatever she wants, whenever she wants.”

Rachel Ferencz

Ben Rector

“His music has a great feel to it, and I want his voice.”

Davis Millard

entertainment

11

REVIEWS

UPCOMING RELEASES

NEW FROM

ANDROID

Here’s my take on the latest apps that have been released for Android phones.

by ashlee crane

MOVIE:

• Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance — Feb. 24 • Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax — March 2

ALBUM:

• Estelle — All of Me — Feb. 28 • Chiddy Bang — Breakfast — Feb. 28

BOOK:

• Steve Jobs: The Man Who Thought Different — Karen Blumenthal — Feb. 14 • All My Friends Are Still Dead — Avery Monson — March 7

VIDEO GAME:

• Syndicate — XBOX 360 — Feb. 21 • Blades of Time — PS3 — Feb. 28

THE WOMAN IN BLACK I hate modern horror and thriller movies for three reasons: there is too much unrealistic gore, there are too many exposed chests and the scenarios are highly predictable. I wasn’t a fan of Paranormal Activity, I couldn’t stand The Devil Inside and all the Rob Zombie movies are unbearable. Obviously, I was appalled when I heard Daniel Radcliffe, the much beloved Harry Potter, was branching into scary movie territory.

Radcliffe plays down-and-out lawyer Arthur Kipps in The Woman in Black, a supernatural period piece based on the book of the same name

by Susan Hill. The widower Kipps must travel to a mysterious village in the late 1800s to maintain his job, and by extension support his son, by organizing the affairs of a dead woman.

I didn’t expect to believe Radcliffe as a fragile person after seeing him for so long as a heroic wizard. He proved me wrong, though. Both convincing and pitiable in his role, the audience could believe he was a tragic protagonist in need of some serious help.

Upon arriving in the dreary village, Radcliffe meets the bizarre residents, and the audience begins to notice a pattern within the local families. Children in this town die at an alarming rate, and in violent and tragic ways. Radcliffe discovers a long-kept secret about one deceased child, the dead woman’s supposed

12 Feb. 17, 2012

son, while sorting through papers at her creepy home. The rest of the movie plays out as one would predict.

Lots of surprising bangs, thumps, creaks shadows haunt Radcliffe while at the house, and he takes on the part of Nancy Drew. Thankfully, there is no gore, but there aren’t any plot twists either. The “woman in black” is scary, the ghosts of the murdered children are scary and the villagers are scared. The conclusion is the only unpredictable aspect, but it would be rude to reveal why.

It’s the best horror movie that’s come out in a while, but only because I’m a ghost story fan. It was predictable as far as plot points and scare tactics go, but it wasn’t horrible if you’re looking for some clichéd fun on a rainy Friday night.

by hayley battenberg

RUNTIME:

1 hr, 35 min

TACO BELL You can never go wrong with anything on the Taco Bell menu. But after checking out its new app, I’ll think twice before I hit up the drivethru.

With the app, one can peruse the app’s menu, which is its fatal flaw. It gives customers the ability to view the nutritional facts of each menu item.

I’ll leave it at “Taco Bell is just not OK for your health.”

The app also has a game, but you can only access it if you purchase the Five Buck Box. Just scan the box with your phone’s camera, and you’re on your way to fun. But the money involved makes it a little less appealing.

When standing in line at the counter, just get on your Taco Bell app and hit up the Cravinator feature, which lets you choose what flavor of food you’re craving — “melty,” “refreshing,” etc. When you’re done choosing, the Cravinator puts together a delicious meal for you to enjoy.

This sort of technology could become a good form of advertising for businesses, but the “nutrition” that it gives details on might drive people away.

DR. PHIL’S PERSONALITY TEST The most ridiculous judge of character, in my opinion, would have to be Dr. Phil. His new Personality Test app was downloaded on my phone simply to serve as a good laugh and timekill.

Any halfhearted expectations I had for the app were dashed when I finished the 10-question quiz.

I am apparently “fresh, lively, charming, amusing, practical and always interesting,” things that I never would have even considered from the answers I gave. And when I stated that when entering a room, I enter quietly, searching for familiar faces, the results showed that I like being the center of attention — enough said.

If you want a good laugh I suggest this app. It’s the biggest joke I have ever downloaded and a waste of five minutes. Enjoy.

Other recommended apps:

BATTLE SHEEP

This livestock version of Battleship will entertain you for hours.

CUT AND SLICE Geometry has never been so fun.

what’s new on

RATING:

PG-13

The Vow

This rendition of a Nicholas Sparks novel is perfect for a romantic Valentine treat.

The River of Doubt:

NW Graduate Candice Millard tells the tale of Theodore Roosevelt’s dangerous journey down the mysterious “River of Doubt.”

11

SUPERBOWL ADVERTISING: In the very first Super Bowl in history, NBC executives agreed on the price of $37,500 for a 30-second spot. The number caused a huge response from advertisers, but today, companies are shelling out over $3.5 million on average for that spot, 87.5 times adweek.com, autoweek.com

then + now

1967

Apple’s ‘1984’ Super Bowl commercial ran only one time, but it established the idea of big branding campaigns for all types of advertisers. ‘1984’ is basically the “beginning” of Super Bowl ads. The late Steve Jobs accomplished his goal of “stopping the world in its tracks” with this commercial.

1984

The first high-profile Super Bowl ad, featuring Farrah Fawcett 1973 applying shaving cream to Joe Namath’s face, appeared in 1973. The ‘70s didn’t mind the sexual innuendos the ad implied — the controversial use of “selling sex” took off after this commercial. sfgate.com

BY THE NUMBERS the average cost for a

30-SECOND AD

Since 1990, the Super Bowl game has made $2.17 billion for network sales. There have been 210 advertisers with 1400 commercials, according to TNS Media Intelligence. The Super Bowl is shown to obviously be a huge asset for those advertisers. usatoday.com

1990

adweek.com

According to a comScore Networks survey taken by people who planned to watch the 2005 Super Bowl, almost 80 percent reported that they anticipated to use the Internet on the day of the game. The controversial ad for GoDaddy.com drove traffic up 378 percent above average. This showed how much of an impact the Internet began to have on advertising for the Super Bowl.

2005

that will aired during the 2012 Super Bowl was

$3.5 million 2000

After the success of dot-com advertising in 1999, marketers shelled out millions of dollars in advertising their Internetrelated companies. Eight of 19 of those companies are no longer in existence. businessinsider.com

superbowl-ads.com

some time slots even cost

as much as $4 million

Last year’s Volkswagon Super Bowl ad with the child decked out in Darth Vader attire has more than

50 MILLION views online.

youtube.com

2011

The 2011 Chrysler S u p e r b o w l commercial, featuring rapper Eminem, lasts two minutes, making it the longest in Superbowl history.

Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne told the Detroit Free Press the ad cost “less than $9 million.”mtv.com

Chevrolet introduces the Chevy Game Time App. This app was available for Android and iPhone and gives the consumer the chance to win one of thousands of prizes.

People who answer the trivia questions correctly are entered into a drawing, and everyone who downloads the app gets a “license plate” number which could win them a vehicle as they watch the Chevy Super Bowl commercials. adage.com

2012

Fox Network’s ads cost about

$100,000 each second of airtime.

features

13

ENTERTAINMENT

things

with Copy Editor Brianna Leyden

Suave Professionals dry shampoo

I’m not going to lie: with the recent influx of assignments, dance competitions and personal illness, I am often too lazy to to make my hair look fabulous every day. However, this dry shampoo provides the perfect touch-up to slightly oily hair, and it leaves behind a refreshing, fruity scent. $2.74 at Target

Boiron’s chestal honey

photo by reagan key

If you are unfortunate enough to be hit by the cold bug as I was, this is the only medication I will ever recommend. Made with honey, this is the only cough syrup I can take without gagging on account of the awful taste or having a cloudy head all day. This natural remedy has saved me from several lingering bronchitis coughs. $6.99 for 4.2 oz at Walgreens

Jon Cozart

After my sister sent one to me across the Atlantic Ocean for Christmas, I’ve fallen in love with this international company and their endless supply of witty T-shirts, sweatshirts and accessories.

This sweatshirt manages to be comfy enough for a day of lounging at home while staying cute and fitted enough for a day out on the town. £39 at chicksrule.co.uk or, for US products visit: http://www. davidandgoliathtees.com/ photo by david freyermuth

Buffalo chicken bites

Everyone has their guilty pleasures, and these questionablychicken chicken bites are mine. Although they look like radioactive waste, they are addicting, as well as cheap — two of my favorite words.

2 for $2 at QuikTrip

The Eragon series is one that I started to read as a child, beginning with the first magical novel about a boy and his dragon. With the release of the fourth and last book, Inheritance, this past November, I’m hoping to find time to finish it. Re-reading a nostalgic childhood book sounds like the perfect activity for a snow day — if we ever get one of those. $14.98 at Barnes & Noble

Warm steam vaporizer

With this winter’s dramatic temperature and climate changes, this steam vaporizer has been a lifesaver. Not only does it regulate the humidity in my room, but steam treatments like this have been proven to reduce the duration of common colds and coughs as they clear out the chest and throat at night. $15.99 at Walgreens

14

Feb. 17, 2012

photo by aaron messick

Inheritance by Christopher Paolini photo by reagan key

This nerdy, adorable Glee fanboy has made some of my favorite videos and original compositions on YouTube, ranging from “Harry Potter in 99 Seconds” to “Duet with Myself – Ex-Girlfriends Suck.” Check him out at http://www.youtube.com/ user/Paint.

David & Goliath sweatshirt

FEATURES

I Voted

NEWS, ANALYSIS and OPINION

VOTE

Although most high school students can’t yet vote, many argue that being informed about political issues now is important to understanding the future of their country.

Every Friday in Sara Schaufler’s AP Government classes, students hold a lively discussion about current events, often revolving around nuclear weapons in Iran, new discoveries in the scientific community and U.S. politics.

“Sure, I have some kids that read their Yahoo news page every day, but a lot of kids never read the Yahoo news page. And the [current events] I get are from NPR or the global security newswires,” Schaufler said.

Schaufler spends an entire class period a week discussing current events because she thinks it’s important for her students to know what’s going on in the world.

Senior Jonathan Volker is one of the students in Schaufler’s class.

Volker is interested in politics and thinks it’s important for other students to pay attention to what’s going on in Washington.

“If we don’t pay attention, if we don’t learn about what’s going on in our world, it will all fall apart,” Volker said.

Schaufler agrees that it’s important

for students to pay attention to politics.

“It’s their country, too,” Schaufler said. “I mean, even though some of you aren’t voting yet, it’s best to understand the system now, so when you do have a chance to get involved, it’s not something new.”

Volker does his best to understand the facts behind all of the heavily debated political issues.

“I just had to go do research. For things like the environment, you don’t want to read newspapers or watch TV. They are all biased. They are giving you facts that are mutated into their view of [the situation].”

While most of Volker’s views are conservative, he holds liberal opinions about what should be done with education and the environment.

“For example, I go to usgs.gov, the U.S. Geological Survey, and I see how much carbon dioxide we’re actually putting into the air,” Volker said. “I learn how much we’re putting out versus how much nature puts out on its own. I find a source that’s not political and learn the subject matter

before I apply it to politics.”

While Volker’s opinions on most issues are based on scientific evidence, his views on same-sex marriage and abortion are based on his religious beliefs.

“Killing a fetus is the same as killing a human in my eyes.”

Schaufler encourages all of her students to form their own opinions about the issues and have their own experiences with the political system.

“If it was an election year this year, one of my independent studies would be that you have to volunteer on a campaign,” Schaufler said. “Once they do it, they love it. They can really see politics in action instead of just mudslinging ads on TV. It’s just a neat learning experience.”

According to Volker, it’s important for everyone to be informed about politics.

“Our economy will fail and our government will fail. By not paying attention you will allow your world to fail. As much as people think their vote doesn’t matter, it does. Every vote matters.” by maria davison

opinion

by julie kurbjeweit

SEEING THE WORLD WITH OPEN EYES Understanding politics is a key to have an impact on the world.

I

used to look at these middle-aged, gray-haired gentlemen in boring suits, and wonder what the heck made them so important. “Politics” was an empty word with a dull sound, and politicians lived in a different universe than the average person. They were a bunch of people with the duty to represent my will in the government, but I didn’t even know most of their names.

Of course, I want to know what’s going on in the world. But when I look at newspapers or watch the news, the events they cover are so far away that they don’t really seem to matter that I couldn’t do anything about. Why should I care about something that never seems to affect my little world?

But somehow, in the last few years, the world seems to have become much bigger and more real. I guess I opened my mind to the world, and the world kept on widening my own horizon in return. I suddenly started seeing and discovering new things and caring about them.

In the fall of last year, I applied for a scholarship to support my exchange year in the United States. The official mission behind this government-sponsored program was to send young ambassadors abroad instead of short-witted teens who wanted to experience their own high school musical.

For a chance at this opportunity, we had to present the program directors with knowledge about not only U.S. but also our own history. The sponsors wanted to see that we had some sensitivity for a different culture before we blindly jumped into a different world.

Basically, these officials told me that I was only worthy of winning the scholarship if I got myself a new interest in politics. Why not try to get into something that I always wanted to understand better and win a quite a bit of money for it? It was going to be a fun challenge.

By exposing myself to politics and history, I was able to get the funding to study in the United States and, in turn, learn so much more about the world through firsthand experience than by just studying.

Developing an understanding about my country and its people helped me see and understand things that otherwise I wouldn’t have paid any attention to. By that I’m not saying I understand better what a certain war memorial or government monument may mean, but why people think in a certain way, why they live a certain way. It has helped me see that there’s a reason why the right to bear weapons is the Second Amendment, even though I personally want to stay as far away as possible from any tools that are made to kill. I can understand why so many Americans don’t want to be forced to purchase healthcare, while I am very thankful for the security that this system brings.

Maybe I am some kind of politics or history geek, but I don’t want to walk through life blindly. There is so much out there that I want to discover and experience. Caring about something bigger than my neighborhood makes me feel like a more important part of it. I feel like I can have an impact on it; I can make a change. I’m not just a little somebody who doesn’t have a say in this complicated world. It is actually waiting for me to leave my footprints.

16

Feb. 17, 2012

E U S IS

S

In the 2012 presidential election, the state of the economy will be the most important issue among voters, according to CNN. But healthcare, immigration, foreign policy and social issues like gay marriage and abortion will still matter to many. Here’s a look at the debate around the issue and breakdown of what each of the top runners plans to do if he is elected. by maria davison

THE

THE ECONOMY

The state of the U.S. economy will be the deciding factor in the 2012 election. Since the near-collapse of the U.S. banking system in 2007 and 2008, approximately 8.8 million jobs were lost. But the economy is slowly improving. Nearly 245,000 jobs were created in January of this year, dropping the average national unemployment rate to 8.3 percent, its lowest point since February 2009.

This was the fifth consecutive month of increased employment. The United States also has a $14 trillion debt that’s getting deeper every day.

Each candidate has his own plan for reducing the national debt while creating more jobs for Americans.

HEALTHCARE

The health insurance debate will also be pertinent in the 2012 election. The Affordable Care Act was passed in March 2010 by President Barack Obama with the help of a democratically-controlled Congress, but the plan has taken much criticism from both the left and the right since then. Obamacare, as the law has been coined, would prohibit insurance companies from discriminating against people with pre-existing conditions and provide insurance for those without medical insurance.

According to the Congressional Budget Office, the law will save more than $100 billion in the next 10 years. But critics say Obamacare is essentially the “socialization” of medicine in the United States and will cost taxpayers.

Romney: If elected president, Romney claims he give states the option to opt out of the the Affordable

Mitt Romney (R): Romney’s planned economic policy would include cutting taxes and lifting regulation on business.

Newt Gingrich (R): Gingrich plan includes cutting taxes with the hope of increasing job creation.

Ron Paul (R): Paul has proposed eliminating the federal reserve and moving back to the gold standard.

Rick Santorum (R): Santorum’s plan ofr the economy would include cutting government spending and cutting taxes on corporations.

Barack Obama (D): During his first term, Obama passed a stimulus bill which provided temporary economic relief. He also increased regulations on corporations.

Care Act. However, as governor of Massachusetts, Romney supported and signed a health care bill very similar to the Affordable Care Act. Gingrich: Gingrich’s plan for healthcare includes repealing the Affordable Care Act and implementing a new plan that “puts doctors and patients in charge of health decisions.”

Paul: Paul supports repealing the Affordable Care Act, but giving more access to health savings accounts.

Santorum: Santorum doesn’t believe in government control of the health care system, but rather a “patient centered approach.”

Obama: Obama, with the assistance of a democratically controlled Congress passed the Affordable Care Act in 2010 which has been heavily criticized, often by Republicans.

FOREIGN POLICY

In addition to a host of domestic problems, the United States is currently dealing with foreign conflicts, including the search for peace among Israelis and Palestinians, the potential nuclear threat of Iran and the Arab Spring uprisings in Middle Eastern and North African countries against their oppressive regimes.

Romney: Romney has criticized Obama for not being forward enough in his approach to foreign policy. He plans to reverse the cuts that have been made to defense in the last four years and lay out a clear vision for foreign policy so the world knows exactly where the United States stands.

Gingich: As president, Gingrich would support a strategy to

fight against radical Islamism and rethinking the way the United States has approached the current situation in the Middle East.

Paul: Paul firmly supports focusing on domestic problems instead of foreign problems.

Santorum: Santorum believes the United States is fighting a war on Radical Islam, instead of a War on Terror. He supports

involvement in the problems in the Middle East.

Obama: Obama had huge success in May 2011 when Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was captured and killed in Pakistan.

He supports withdawing from Afghanistan in a “responsible way” and pressuring dictators in North Africa and the Middle East to step down.

v

THE

E R

S T L SU

DO YOU BELIEVE IN CLIMATE CHANGE/GLOBAL WARMING? no opinion (83)

Here’s where NW students stand on some of the biggest national issues.

no (112)

Out of 490 students surveyed.

DO YOU BELIEVE THE UNITED STATES HAS A RESPONSIBILITY TO DECREASE ITS CARBON EMISSIONS?

DO YOU SUPPORT LEGALIZING GAY MARRIAGE?

Yes (333)

Yes (259)

no opinion (116)

no opinion (133)

Yes (295)

DO YOU SUPPORT TAXING WRALTHIER CITIZENS AT A HIGHER RATE THAN POORER CITIZENS?

DO YOU SUPPOER DEPORTATION OF THOSE IN THE COUNTRY ILLEGALLY?

Yes (229)

Yes (220)

no opinion (147)

no opinion (147)

no (41)

no (98)

no (151)

no (123)

DO YOU SUPPORT RESEARCHING ALTERNATIVE OR “CLEAN” SOURCES OF ENERGY?

WHAT IS YOUR STANCE ON ABORTION?

DOES THE UNITED STATES HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO PROVIDE MILITARY SUPPORT IN COUNTRIES WHERE THEY HAVE RECENTLY INTERVINED? Yes (184) no opinion (177)

DO YOU SUPPORT A FEDERALLY FUNDED HEALTHCARE PROGRAM THAT WOULD PROVIDE EQUAL ACCESS TO MEDICAL CARE FOR ALL CITIZENS? Yes (292)

no (129)

no (91)

no opinion (58)

no (14)

Yes (418)

no opinion (121)

Pro-life (186)

Pro-choice (183)

no opinion (107)

features

17

IMMIGRATION

With millions of undocumented immigrants living in the United States, Republicans want to secure the border and more strictly enforce current laws on immigration while Democrats would like to see more paths for illegal immigrants to become citizens.

Romney: As president, Romney would support securing the borders and more consequences for employers hiring illegal immigrants.

Gingich: Gingrich supports making English the official language of the United States and securing the southern border of the country. He also supports deportation of illegal immigrants who have committed crimes.

Paul: If elected president, Paul would secure the border and end birthright citizenship in an attempt to completely end illegal immigration.

Santorum: Santorum supports securing the border against illegal immigrants and opposes giving governmental resources to undocumented immigrants.

Obama: Obama, in 2008, supported a plan for undocumented immigrants to become citizens, but nothing concrete has been laid out during his time in office. He supported the DREAM Act, which would have given immigrants who came to the United States before they turned 16 the opportunity to become citizens. The act, however, has not been passed.

GAY MARRIAGE + ABORTION

Same-sex marriage and abortion will continue to be important issues to many in the 2012 election, especially among social and religious conservatives.

Romney: Romney supports an amendment to the constitution defining marriage as a bond between a man and a woman. On abortion, Romney claims to be a firmly pro-life candidate, but some of his critics argue that he didn’t sign an antiabortion pledge when he was governor of Massachusetts.

Gingich: Gingrich also supports federally defining a marriage as between a man and a woman, so as to overturn any state laws to the contrary.

Gingrich is also firmly antiabortion and plans to defund Planned Parenthood if elected president.

Paul: While he believes marriages is traditionally between a man and a woman,

Paul also believes the government should stay out of the issue of marriage. Paul had a career as an Obstetrician for 30 years before becoming involved in politics.

As such, he firmly believes that life begins at contraception, but would support putting the issue of abortion in the hands of the states.

Santorum: Santorum firmly opposes both samesex marriage and abortion. He supports a federal definition of marriage as between a man and a woman and opposes abortion even in cases of rape of incest.

Obama: Obama supports repealing the Defense of Marriage act, which would allow same-sex marriages to be federally recognized. On abortion, Obama opposes a constitutional amendment that would overturn the decision of Roe vs. Wade, which made abortions until “viability” legal.

by evan shinn

PARENTAL CONSENT Religion and the political views of students’ parents often play into how students form their opinions.

I

magine if all the students at Northwest replaced their favorite collegiate team with a political party. What would factor into their decisions? According to senior Logan Coffman, the same factors would apply.

“It’s like the KU versus MU rivalry,” Coffman said. “The only reason people are KU or MU fans is because their parents went to KU or MU. [The majority of students] can’t think for themselves; they believe what their parents have spoon-fed them their whole lives, and that’s what they base their political ideologies off of.”

Senior Zoe Mays agrees with Coffman, admitting that she has grown up with many of the same political ideologies as her parents.

“I definitely grew up in a very liberal household.” Mays said.

“My mom was giving me feminist literature when I was in middle school, so I was definitely influenced by her thinking, but I also think that way naturally. Even if my parents had been conservative, I’m pretty sure I would’ve turned out liberal.”

Although Mays grew up in a liberal environment, she doesn’t allow that to decide her views, making a point to educate herself so that she can form her own opinions.

“I’m very liberal, but I’m not narrowly-minded liberal,” Mays said.

“I read several different newspapers.

I read some sort of news source every single day, and I’m very fascinated by it. I form my own opinions, and I don’t regurgitate what I hear from others.”

Foreign language teacher Doug Murphy suggests that political ideologies may derive from something deeper than just parents.

“My personal opinions, in some fashion, will always line up with somebody’s political views,” Murphy said. “Those things extend out. So, I think sometimes, kids, even if their parents don’t talk politics, their world view — the way they think people should interact and help each other — lays the groundwork for a politician to step up and say, ‘I think this is how we should make America better.’ I think the family you swim in shapes your world view, and your world view starts to line up with those [politicians].”

Aside from parents and world views, AP government teacher Sara Schaufler points out that religion plays into the role of a student’s political ideology, especially when it comes to topics of gay marriage and abortion.

“A lot of religions preach from the pulpit, and tell people how to vote, and they’ve been doing that forever,” Schaufler said. “Some people think it’s wrong. Some people will stop going to a church where their minister or pastor is teaching from the pulpit, telling them who to vote for.”

Schaufler thinks that religion plays a key role in a student’s political ideology, but sociology teacher Drew Magwire disagrees.

“I think the majority of high school students are not very heavily influenced by religion,” Magwire said.

“I would say, it’s a small percentage.

At tops, 10 percent of the kids are really affected by religion in the decisions that they make, what they do with their friends. It’s probably less 10 percent. A small number of students are deeply affected by religion, and that, too, is because of mom and dad.”

by evan shinn

18

Feb. 17, 2012

T I E E S E W W HO without hearing both sides. I think high school students pick a side that they are emotionally attached to, and pick only the information they like. Then they violently explode their views on uninformed students, widening the gap between only partially mentally developed teenagers and political awareness.”

— sophomore Ben Huddleston

HOW DO YOU VIEW THE JOB CONGRESS IS CURRENTLY DOING? HOW IMPORTANT IS IT FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO PAY ATTENTION TO THE ISSUES? “It is very important because the choices they make now will affect us in the future.” — freshman Douglas Debose “More important for juniors and seniors than underclassmen.” — junior Ben Koeller “I am to politics as Gatsby is to Daisy.” — senior Zach Birt “A lot of times, I see a mass of Facebook posts all with the same idea (see ‘SOPA’). With knowledge of history, I know that any time a mass of people agree on the same thing, a majority of them are uninformed. So I read an article and take a moderate stance. I don’t make decisions

“We need to move away from bipartisanship.” — senior Sarah Crosley “Incredibly inefficient. There is too much finger pointing between the parties and too little progress being made.” — sophomore Olivia Broome “It’s embarrassing at the best of times. The rest of the time, most of the time, it’s infuriating how little good is accomplished there.” — sophomore Libby Fisher “Terrible. They have done nothing useful recently. They have renewed the U.S. slogan, made pizza a vegetable, tried to pass SOPA and PIPA and made it so citizens can be arrested for suspicious stuff.” — senior Cy Shamet “Most people are unhappy with how slow Congress is concerning passing

The majority of high school students can’t vote, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have opinions about the issues surrounding the United States. Here’s how NW students view political involvement, the debates in Washington and political parties.

legislation, but it seems like no one realizes that’s what’s supposed to happen. Our system was set up so that nothing could be accomplished quickly, save for disasters.” — senior Jake Moix

HOW DO YOU VIEW THE JOB THE PRESIDENT IS CURRENTLY DOING? “He’s doing the best he can with the endless stream of filth he’s been thrown into.” — senior Jack Rogers “He is getting a lot of criticism (and rightfully so, in some instances).

But he has been very proactive, altogether.” — senior Edward Radulescu “What job? He spends all of his time playing golf. He needs to stop lying to Americans and get out of office.”

— sophomore Sara Laney “He is doing poorly and focusing on aspects which are either not important or based on misplaced morals.” — senior Connor Stubblefield “Definitely not what he promised.

But that’s politics, nothing new.” — sophomore Kris Geis “He isn’t doing much good or bad.

Obamacare is an obvious negative, but his fight for all kids to have higher education is nice. He is just spending money where it isn’t needed and adding immensely to our national debt.” — junior Luke Fields “If you voted for Obama in ‘08 to prove you weren’t a racist, please vote for the other nominee in ‘12 to prove you aren’t an idiot.” — senior Jonathan Volker

WHAT POLITICAL PARTY DO YOU IDENTIFY WITH? “I have always thought of myself as a Republican, but I do agree with many of the Democrat’s ideas.” — senior Mason Oberheu “I have Republican parents, but honestly, I’m right in the middle.” — senior Toni Britt “Whatever is more agreeable with Christian views.” — sophomore Ben Higginbothem “I’m neither a blind Republican or a blind Democrat. Right now, I’m a Democrat because I can’t take the Republican candidates seriously.” — sophomore Eva Sailly “No one should limit themselves to a single party.” — sophomore Josh Van Auken “I will probably vote independent out of protest.” — senior Eric Harmon “I’m conservative on the economy and financially. I also support the military. However, my views on the environment are liberal.” — senior Jonathan Volker “I’m a human being. The founding fathers were all against political parties and history has proven them to be correct.” — senior Brett Cooper “Independent. Socially liberal and economically responsible, more or less. A country can’t function being radically one way or another.” — junior Aaron Bullard

features

19

FORTY SNEAKERS SMACK THE PAVEMENT AT THE CORNER OF 95TH STREET AND QUIVIRA, rising and falling, setting the pace for the next few miles.

As the teenagers trickle back from the 5K, their core workout begins: five sets of 10 sit-ups, four sets of 10 push-ups and three sets of 20 lunges. This is just a weekly routine for senior Spencer Dawson and the other newly enlisted members of the U.S. Navy.

“I started working with the Navy in October of last year, and I signed in on Dec. 3,” Dawson said. “I’m was a little nervous; this is a big task to take on.”

According to Navy.com, Dawson and more than 400,000 men and women will join the Navy’s ranks this year. The Navy is often the first to deploy when the United States is asked to become involved in a international issue. It is the second largest branch of the military, right behind the U.S. Army and A r m y Reserve.

“Already, [joining the Navy] has changed me,” Dawson said. “[I’ve gone] photo by nate compton from being apathetic and mediocre to someone with personal drive and activity [in my life].”

Military recruiters make a point of discussing how active duty can change a person. Once a month, new recruits participate in an open forum with senior officers about what’s expected of them.

“We all have to mature out of the protective bubble of childhood,” Dawson said. “We have to learn about our abilities and begin to understand the responsibilities Senior Spencer Dawson has chosen required to manage in the real world.” a less common post-secondary Dawson will have to learn these path — enlisting in the military. responsibilities in hyper-speed — it’s required.

IN THE

NAVY

20

Feb. 17, 2012

“For the Navy, you have to pass every class, have no more than two misdemeanors or parking tickets, and be on track to graduate,” Submarine Second Class Petty Officer Joseph Graham said. Graham is Dawson’s recruiter and an STS2SS, or sonar technician second class petty officer submarine warfare specialist.

“A lot of people think the military should be a second chance for people who get in trouble, but it’s different for the Navy. You have to be dedicated.”

The procedure beyond expectations is just as rigorous. Along with the character requirements, anyone looking to join the Navy must go through a long process involving testing, both mental and physical, training and intensive schooling. Dawson is just beginning the first stage. “[The day I enlisted] I ended up leaving my house for the station at 4 a.m. Right as it opened up, I and 40 other kids from Kansas, Missouri and Illinois all went through the stations in groups getting hearing tests, vision tests, blood drawn, pee tests to make sure we weren’t on anything and [we had to] walk to prove we could move successfully,” Dawson said. “Then we took the vocational battery, a general knowledge test. I got home at about 6 p.m. that day.”

Now Dawson participates in mandatory physical training with the DEPPERS (delayed entry program), and once a month he has to go to meetings to talk about boot camp or future Navy events. Next year he will go to the Naval Nuclear Power School in Charleston, S.C., for two years to learn how manage the nuclear reactor on the submarines he will be serving on.

All that work will be paying off, though, and fast.

“Two years down the line, I can get $90,000, whereas most high school kids in two years will be $90,000 in debt from college fees,” Dawson said. “I’ll also have 89 college hours, which no one will have yet, and a job working the submarine’s nuclear reactor, which I’ll be getting paid for the entire time.”

Dawson didn’t find it hard to decide on this path for himself. With multiple benefits, numerous connections and a low-risk, highoutput position, he knew his mind was made up.

“I never really thought about why [I joined the navy],” Dawson said. “I just wanted to do it.”

by hayley battenberg

FEATURES

WALK AWAY OR WALK THE STAGE In an attempt to push students to graduate, Obama’s proposal for raising the legal dropout age to 18 in all states is an idea that could have either beneficial or unsubstantial results. by ashlee crane

I

n the Jan. 24 State of the Union address, Pres. Barack Obama remarked, “We also know that when students don’t walk away from their education, more of them walk the stage to get their diploma. When students are not allowed to drop out, they do better. So tonight, I am proposing that every state — every state — requires that all students stay in high school until they graduate or turn 18.”

Kansas law states that all children between the ages of seven and 18 are required to attend school. However, students who are 16 or 17 can withdraw from school. They, along with their parents, must attend a counseling session; the parents or guardians then sign a disclaimer releasing students from the responsibility of attending school, while still encouraging them to pursue other learning opportunities.

“I think a lot of times, kids just don’t like school; they don’t fit in

well for some reason or another; this isn’t what fits them best,” associate principal Tom Moss said.

Some people have responded positively to Obama’s proposal. Math teacher Aaron Sayers because he has encountered many students under the age of 18 who “can’t make their own decisions,” they are all incapable of making the right choice when deciding whether or not to drop out.

He also relates the success of high school dropouts to life after college.

According to the Minnesota Office of Higher Education, people who get a high school diploma (or an equivalent) earn on average $10,000 more annually than dropouts who do not return to school or earn their GED. “Nowadays, I think that you definitely need a high school education to get almost any job, so I think that we’re getting to the point where every student should be able to make it through high school,”

FROM THE ATTENDANCE OFFICE

to get passes; they all had taken sheets of notebook paper, ripped them in five pieces and signed Jamie Prosser shares some of the strangest stories from the attendance office. their parents names.

They came right after [one] another, and I took “I had five freshmen boys, the passes and pieced them who had been late to school, back together and realized they come to the attendance office had just ripped notebook paper.

Sayers said. “Unless you are going to work in the fast food industry, most employers are at least going to want to see that you have a high school diploma if you’re over the age of 18.”

In a 2010 study by Duke University, researchers said that increasing the dropout age, as Obama has proposed, would “show only modest effects at best.” In 2002, a study which examined the impact of a higher dropout age (raised to 18 in 1997-98) showed that the dropout rate fell less than one percent by the 2000-01 school year.

Instead of improving this rate, the change in dropout age also brought another problem: truancy. After the change, truancy rates in the Topeka Unified School District shot up 33 percent, showing that the students who would have normally dropped out simply didn’t show up for school.

While there might not be a significant number of truant students at Northwest, Moss still sees recognizes it as an issue.

“As far as I’m concerned, if there’s one student that’s truant, there’s a problem,” Moss said.

According to Kansas state law, being “truant” is defined as being inexcusably absent from school on three consecutive days or five days in a semester.

After a student is deemed truant, his/her record is then reported to the District Attorney, who checks for a history of truancy. Some students may qualify for truancy diversion classes or may be taken to court upon a judge’s request, sometimes ultimately leading to time served in juvenile detention.

“Sometimes that’s what it takes, but that’s a last resort,” Moss said.

Even though laws exist to keep students from skipping school, Moss thinks that sometimes, it’s not efficient to keep all students in

They could have at least waited instead of trying to turn them all in at the same time.” “[Students will] have a friend call and try and be their ‘parent;’ I’ll ask them how to spell their name, and half the time they can’t even pronounce it, let alone spell it. It’s those kinds of things that are almost insulting to our intelligence.”

school.

“The county has so many truancy issues with students that sometimes [the law] doesn’t act as quickly as we would like it to act,” Moss said. “A lot of times we’ll turn in the student into the district attorney, and it may be a couple months before they have the hearing. So from the time you turn the report in to the time of the hearing, a student can miss a lot of school, and the whole objective of any truancy law is to keep people in school.”

But, in other ways, Moss sees the current truancy system as helpful in keeping kids from skipping.

“A lot of times kids think, ‘Why are you punishing me?’ We’re hoping that the consequences that they have to serve will help them think about [not skipping school]. Sometimes I think that what we do only helps the kids that are on the edge.”

Evidence has shown that there are positive and negative results from actions like Obama’s proposal.

There are conflicting interests on the subject, which can be seen inside and outside of Northwest.

“I like the way we have it here. I wouldn’t want it to be mandatory [to be 18 to drop out], with absolutely no way to work it out [when the student is] younger than 18 because there are some students that just don’t want to be here. Forcing them to be here is not the best thing for them,” Moss said.

“I don’t think it’s worth it for a student under the age of 18 to dropout, but over the age of 18, I think they can make their own decision,” Sayers said. “I would at least like to have a conversation about it before they do it. But I will never be in their corner as far as dropping out goes.”

“One time, a mom came in to check on her child’s attendance.

She looked at us and said, ‘I didn’t call in for my son on any of these days.’ The person who had called her son in sounded exactly like her; we came to find out it was the son who was calling all along and was able to sound exactly like his mom. It was creepy.” by rachel ferencz

features

21

JCCC Honors: Dig deeper. Aim higher.

“As an Honors student, I am able to enroll in classes early and have extra one-on-one time with my Honors professors.”

Brandon, JCCC Honors student and Shawnee Mission North graduate

Johnson County Community College’s Honors Program stimulates and challenges academically talented students. An Honors application is required for admission. For more information, call Pat Decker at 913-469-8500, ext. 2512, or visit www.jccc.edu/honors

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WINTER

SPORTS

The ball is stolen fom sophomore Jake Horner by a Bishop Miege player on Jan. 20 at Saint Thomas Aquinas. The Cougars lost 54 - 43. photo by nate compton

Junior Colton Almos wrestles against his Washburn Rural opponent on Feb. 8. Almos won his match, but Northwest lost the dual. photo by brittany bonsignore

Junior Collin Weems watches to see where the ball will go during the bowling meet on Feb. 1. Weems was on rotations for this meet. photo by carleigh whitman

Senior Katie Biggers defends against a SM West player on Jan. 6. The Lady Cougar Varsity Team won 48-40. “We played with fight in our hearts and a will to win the game. Our team sets certain goals before every game, and we accomplished those goals that we set,” Biggers said. photo by clara davison

Swimming down the lane, Senior Timmy Li competes in the 100 meter butterfly on Jan. 7. “[Being a captian], I felt a lot of pressure on myself to do well this year,” Li said. “So far, I’ve been doing better than I expected in ‘the fly.” photo by david freyermuth

sports

23

SPORTS

“I CAN DO THIS”

Senior Esdras Cisneros-Rodriguez takes a deep breath and walks toward the mat. His mind races as his nerves begin rise uncontrollably. Then he remembers all the work he has done and refuses to let his nervousness get the best of him.

Cisneros-Rodriguez participates in two very physical sports, which both involve fighting.

He boxes at Turner Boxing Academy and is a varsity wrestler.

He started going to a gym near his house with his dad, and eventually decided to try boxing when he was 14 years old.

Once he began fighting competitively he quickly he worked his way to the 2010 Novice Golden Gloves competition. He won the competition and made a name for himself in the amateur boxing world.

“Winning [the Golden Gloves] felt like all the hard work and sacrifices I made had paid off,” he said.

And Cisneros-Rodriguez continues that work ethic, taking break from boxing only when he needs to concentrate on wrestling. A year after he began boxing competitively, he joined the wrestling team. “[Wrestling] was a suggestion from my friend’s parents. They thought I’d do well, so I went to the wrestling room one day and just started working,” Cisneros-Rodriguez said.

He was 15 years old, which put him at a disadvantage with the other wrestlers, many of whom had been wrestling since elementary school.

“I was always trying to catch up to everyone. I had to work a lot harder and get my butt kicked a few times, but it helped me out.”

He also was at a disadvantage due to the health issues that have plagued him since he was a child.

On the surface, sports like boxing and wrestling appear to require only physicality. Senior Esdras Cisneros-Rodriguez has earned that the mental aspect of the sports is far more important.

Senior Esdras Cisneros attempts to take down a SM north wrestler on Dec. 10 at the SM northwest invatational. Northwest placed eighth out of twenty nine teams. photo by aaron messick “I’ve had a lot of health issues in the past, and I get sick a lot,” Cisneros-Rodriguez said.

“I have insomnia, so it always comes down to the mental side, just telling myself, ‘I can do this.’”

All the extra work eventually paid off as he has made the jump from junior varsity wrestling, to a leadership role on the varsity team.

With the graduation of last year’s leaders, the team is now very young; however, Cisneros-Rodriguez still sees them as a solid team.

“The season has gone pretty well,” Cisneros-Rodriguez said. “We have a lot of new kids on the team, but we’ve done pretty well this season.”

Cisneros-Rodriguez has placed in

all but two of the matches so far. He has definitely come along way since he was a sophomore who had never wrestled before.

Even though he has been wrestling now for three years his mother still has not quite gotten over her fears of him participating in the sport.

“My mom gets really nervous, she doesn’t come to a lot of my wrestling meets, because she doesn’t really understand and she gets scared. But she does come to all my [boxing] fights, she’s always there, and very supportive at home,” he said.

Although these two sports appear similar on the surface because they both include fighting, they are remarkably different and very

difficult in their own right.

“Wrestling is definitely more difficult on your body, but boxing is more difficult skill-wise and mentally.”

After this year, CisnerosRodriguez hopes to compete in one of these sports at the collegiate level.

He’s waiting to see which one will offer him the best opportunity.

But for now he is not looking that far into the future. He still has his final wrestling season to complete, and because of that he has eyes set on only one thing.

“I just want to make it to state,” he said confidently.

by brady klein

24

Feb 17, 2012

SPORTS

LAST SPLASH Senior Connor Stephens toes up to the edge of the diving board, gently bouncing up and down to prepare for his best dive, the back somersault one and a half twist. He focuses, inhales deeply and takes his biggest bounce yet, leaving the safety of the board, twisting and arcing until he hits the water with a slight splash.

“I usually consistently get [a score of] seven on that,” Stephens said. “You just keep working all your dives and try to get them as best as they can be, and then when your meet comes up, you pick good dives that have been doing well for you at practice lately.”

This method has definitely worked for him, as he has been the top diver all year.

“I qualified for state in every meet and got the highest scores, and I’ve been getting PR’s every meet,” Stephens said. “[For state,] you

STATS

With the end of his senior diving season approaching, one student hopes to win big at state.

have to have a list with a degree of difficulty of 10.8 and a score of 190.”

Training for his senior season started long before the actual start of the swim season.

“I dove for the Jayhawk Dive Club in Lawrence this summer, so I’ve been diving for like the last eight months straight,” Stephens said.

However, he wasn’t always into dive. He started his freshman year primarily on the swim team.

“I started swimming my freshman year because I wanted to keep in shape for baseball, and I decided to do diving because I thought it looked fun,” Stephens said. “My freshman and sophomore year I swam until 4:30 and dove from 4:30 to 6. Swimming is more a cardio workout all the time; diving is just quick bursts of energy that you try to control and get in the water nicely.”

The influence of the older divers

Highest Score Up To Date

387.2

through his freshman and sophomore years is one of the reasons he continued to dive.

“I had [2011 graduate] Cameron Keeling and [2010 graduate] Luke Calkins,” Stephens said. “They were both good leaders to look up to. Luke got second at state all four years that he dove in high school and he is now diving at the University of San Diego, so he’s a good role model. They just pushed me to do dives that I never thought I’d even try. They were doing really, really hard dives and I was just like, ‘OK, I can do that,’ and tried it and made it.”

Because of their leadership, Stephens now tries to do the same mentoring with this year’s freshman and sophomore divers.

“Jamison [Durkee] is our freshman diver this year; Julian [Cole-Nieves] is our sophomore, so they’re both going to be returning

Meets Won In Total

4

divers next year. I’ve been trying to help them,” Stephens said. “I just try to keep them focused and keep pushing them to do new dives that they don’t want to do, but they need to so that they can go to state.”

Not only is Stephens working with his teammates to help them quality for state competition, but he has his eye on a goal even further in the future — college teams.

“I’m looking to get a top five finish at league and top eight finish at state to get on the medal platform and hopefully score some points for the team,” Stephens said. “I’m also trying to find somewhere to go; I have a couple [schools] looking at me right now.”

by brianna leyden

Level of Difficulty Is Approx.

11.4

sports

25

SPORTS

SPRING INTO ACTION If you have yet to get involved in a spring sport, but you would like to, this spring season is your last chance for this year. by brady klein

felt so out of place; but I stuck with it and continued to run.

Sports are not just for the best athletes and the most talented, they are there for anybody who is willing to play them. Seniors only have one more season to be involved with sports at the high school level, and if they had ever thought of getting into a sport, now is their last chance.

Organized sports in high school can do many things for someone who has wanted to get involved.

An athlete can meet new friends, learn things about the sport and life and improve in a sport that they love. High school sports are a lot more serious and competitive than recreational sports.

I have now run cross country and

track for three years each. These were the best decisions I have ever made, not just because I love running, but because I found a many great friends as well.

Running taught me that my premature judgements of organized sports in high school were completely wrong. I never expected to participate in sports after I was cut but, on a whim, I went out, and made my high school experience memorable.

In the spring, track and field and girls’ swimming have no tryouts.

Anybody who goes out can make these two teams.

If you enjoy playing a sport, don’t avoid it because you’re afraid of high school sports. Don’t let the monetary factor or a scary coach

BY THE NUMBERS

0 26

Number of times KU and MU will play each other in NCAA sporting events, if Kansas stands by their refusal to play them. This is because Missouri is leaving the Big

Feb. 17, 2012

600+

Number of miles the varsity distance team has ran this winter, in preparation for the upcoming track season.

111,300,000

W

hen I was a freshman, I was excited to play my first sport in high school: basketball. I was convinced I was good enough, so I tried out out, but didn’t make the team. After I was cut, I vowed never to play high school sports again. I thought all the coaches just played favorites, and it was just a bunch of practice with little action.

However, I was completely wrong in that judgement, as I soon found out that high school sports would be the most important thing, that kept me focused, active and involved.

Due to my mother’s constant pestering, I broke that vow I made earlier that year and ran track my freshman year in the spring. I nearly quit after the first week, because I

intimidate you. Don’t let excuses get in your way. I didn’t want to run cross country because I was lazy. I didn’t like the idea of running in the summer. However, I toughed it out and just did it. Here I am, three years later, realizing that I made the best decision for me.

Not everyone likes sports and not everyone has the talent to play just any sport, but honestly it is not that difficult to find a sport in which you can excel. I thought basketball was my thing, but I failed at that and moved on to track and then cross country. I believe the chance for anyone to participate in a sport is there. All you have to do is try it, otherwise you will never know if you are good enough.

Number of people who watched the Giants defeat the Patriots in this year’s Super Bowl.

11 Number of varsity letters senior Jessica Johnson will have obtained at the end of this basketball season.

what’s new on v

photo by sarah dean

photo by aaron messick

The Big Biscuit

If you’re looking for a great place to enjoy a quick and delicious breakfast then check out The Big Biscuit, located in Shawnee. by davis millard

Death of the net

With several bills in Congress looking to censor the Internet, what will become of it? by sam bellmyer

Naka-Kon Anime Convention

Look for coverage of the anime convention held at the Overland Park Convention Center last weekend. by sam bellmyer

sudoku difficulty: Do you have something to contribute to the Northwest Passage?

WRITE US A LETTER

We would love to hear your opinion about anything we’ve published or other things going on around Northwest. Letters can be brought to Room 151.

Only signed letters will be published.

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IN FOCUS

“It was exciting for a lot of people [to recieve roses], like freshmen because it was the first time they had ever done anything like that.” — junior Laura Crosley

photo by carleigh whitman