Northwest Passage — Issue 8

vol. 43 | issue 8 | march 9, 2012

northwest

photo illustration by david freyermuth

THE STATE OF PUBLIC EDUCATION

A look at the current challenges presented to the American education system, including the implementation of Common Core standards, the financial situation in Shawnee Mission and how other country’s education systems stack up. on page 15

FROM THE RUNWAY TO THE HALLWAY

20

A LEG UP ON THE COMPETITION

25

Substitute teacher Kayley Otto learned more from her experience in pageants than just how to fix her hair.

Juniors Lucas Karlin and Matt Peterson train with professional athletes.

Summer Lifeguards Wanted!

B

e a part of the fun at our state-of the-art aquatic center/municipal pools! The City of Shawnee is seeking enthusiastic and dependable workers to fill Lifeguard positions at both pools.

• First year Lifeguards earn $8.75 /hr and must be able to work through Labor Day (09/03/12).

FUNERAL HOME CREMATORY MEMORIAL CHAPELS 10901 Johnson Drive Shawnee, KS 66203 913-631-5555 www.amosfamily.com

• Applicants must be 16 years of age or older with strong swimming skills. American Red Cross Waterpark lifeguard certification is required. Lifeguard classes are currently available through the Shawnee Parks and Recreation Department. For more information on class cost and dates, please call 913-631-5200.

• Pool Employment applications are available on-line at www.cityofshawnee.org and at the Shawnee City Hall, 11110 Johnson Dr., Shawnee, KS 66203. Contact Sean Keenan, Recreation Specialist, at 913-742-6406 or skeenan@cityofshawnee.org for further information.

• Positions open until filled. All positions require pre-employment drug screen.

EOE M/F

northwest

PASSAGE | CONTENTS

Issue 8 | Vol. 43 | March 9, 2012 Shawnee Mission Northwest 12701 West 67th St., Shawnee, Kan., 66216

NEWS in brief

05

currently

06

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

ENTERTAINMENT

photo by mia creighton

10

reviews

13

westport wonderland Check out these hip restaurants in on 39th Street.

FEATURES

OPINIONS fight against bullies A bill in Tennessee would allow bullying and harm the community in the process.

07

caught on technology

07

A staff member spent a week without her phone or Facebook, and realized that she may be addicted to them.

15

13 photo by monique ware

fly me to the moon One presidential hopeful wants to begin a colony on the moon

08

prospects for a career at WalMart A work-study program in Detroit has been citicized for discouraging students.

09

in control of their destiny Shawnee Mission would benefit from the governor’s proposed school reform bill.

09

.

Iwatchstuff.com, Kid Cudi and Dot Da Genius’ WZRD, Matchbook Magazine and Grand Wok Chinese restaurant.

20

the state of public education A look at the financial situation in Shawnee Mission, implementing Common Core standards and how the U.S. educational system compares internationally.

from the runway to the hallway

Student teacher Kayley Otto discusses her experience in pageants.

SPORTS 25

25

26

a leg up on the competition

Juniors Lucas Karlin and Matt Peretson train with professional athletes.

madness of march

The location of the NCAA tournament games can be frustrating for fans.

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.

northwest

[ staff ]

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

EDITOR’S NOTE: Although the Kansas legislature isn’t currently calling for any more cuts to education, I still worry about the future of the Shawnee Mission school district.

Due to the current economic climate, everyone is hurting for money, including the state.

A deficit in the Kansas state budget part of the reason for the extreme education budget cuts tthat affected Shawnee Mission school district last year. As of right now, it doesn’t look like the district’s budget will be cut again next year, but it also probably won’t be increased. However, the district will still have increasing costs to cover. Without increased funds from one source or another, the district budget will be stretched even further to make ends meet.

Even as a senior, I fear that the students of the future won’t have all the opportunities I did in elementary, middle and high school. And the experiences I had to be involved in the newpaper staff, orchestra and symphony and cross country team made my high school career worthwhile. I know I got a quality high school education because of all the lessons I learned in those programs.

It would be incredibly sad to see any of the programs that make students’ high school experience worthwhile be cut because there isn’t enough money to support them.

Getting involved in the school and doing amazing things with the money we are given is the best way to convince the legislature to continue giving us money.

Maria Davison

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

Entertainment Editor | Ashlee Crane 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

LETTER TO THE EDITOR:

Co-Editor-in-Chief

It has come to my attention that Invisible Children, one of the charities supported by our own Coalition, is a scam. I am not merely writing this as a sensationalist piece on a whim; I’ve done my research and found that the Better Business Bureau, the agency that licenses credible charities, cited Invisble Children for nondisclosure concerning finances.

Consequently, Invisible Children was denied accreditation and presently has no BBB license. One would think that a charity that claims to be dedicated to raising money for the innocent victims of Ugandan civil war would have nothing to hide in the way of finances.

Even a cursory look at Invisible Children reveals a lot of sensational statistics and precious little concerning where donations go.

As I see it, Invisible Children is dubious charity dedicated to a declining political problem. Imagine if a person with no access to United States news were to come to this country and see footage of 9/11. Naturallly, that person would be shocked. Now imagine if a charity worker told that person, “If you donate now, your money will go to victims who, at this minute, are suffering.” But this isn’t the case. 9/11 is long in the past, cleanup has been done, wounds have healed, and families have tried their best to move on. Such a charity would be pretty ineffective.

This is what’s happening with Uganda’s war and child soldiers. Charity workers are asking for money for a largely nonexistent problem. While child soldiers were a relevant and pressing problem in 2004 when the charity’s documentary debuted, this is no longer the case. Joseph Kony, the leader of the LRA, is on his knees with illness, his troops having almost no presence in Uganda or neighboring Sudan. The practice of night commuting to escape village raids is now only done to access clean water and facilities in nearby towns.

As a supporter of relevant charities for similar causes, I find it appalling that wellmeaning, generous Northwest students are being out-and-out lied to by the directors of Invisible Children. As such, I implore the organizers of Coaltion to stop supporting this fraudulent charity and, in the future put in place a screening process to ensure such a situation is not encountered again.

Respectfully, Maggie Byrne

04

March 9, 2012

IN BRIEF StuCo to host garage sale Student Council will hosts its annual garage sale in April in the cafeteria. The doors will open at 8 a.m and close at 1 p.m. Thanks to donations from parents and teachers from the NW community, buyers will be able to get deals on clothes, furniture and more.

“We actually have pretty good prices,” StuCo vice president Grant Pittrich said. “You could get a bag full of clothes for five bucks.”

The proceeds from the garage sale are used to fund StuCo-sponsored dances, Blood Drive and Adopt-A-Tot, along with many other functions.

“Last year we made around $4,000,” Pittrich said. “So we hope to make about as much this year again.”

by jule kurbjeweit

Upcoming Events Spring Break March 12 – 19

Sleep-in-a-Box Info Meeting 7 a.m. March 21 Little Theater

Marcia Merrick Seminar Speaker March 22 Library

Sophomore Top 100 Meeting March 22 Little Theater

Report cards distributed March 22

Bates City After-Prom Fundraiser March 23 – 24

District Orchestra Festival 7 p.m. March 28 SM West

StuCo Garage Sale

8 a.m. - 1 p.m. March 31

District Area Band Festival 7 p.m. April 3 SM East

Senior John Riggs plays trombone during the Jazz Cabaret, hosted by the Jazz Band on March 2. The cabaret also included swing dance lessons. photo by Nate Compton.

Jazz Band Hosts Swinging Cabaret The auditorium and cafeteria were adorned with the traditional purple, green and gold of Mardi Gras March 2. The rooms filled with the sounds of swing and smooth rhythms as the Jazz Ensemble hosted the annual Jazz Cabaret and Swing Dance Night. Jazz bands from SM East, Trailridge and Indian Woods, and two NW alumni bands entertained the 350-person crowd of students and family members.

“It was an evening extravaganza of all sorts of jazz,” Jazz Band drummer Garrett Pfau said.

Icing Cupcakery catered the event. The proceeds went to the Band Boosters who help fund band transportation costs and entry into festivals.

Swing dance lessons were taught in the mall, with couples mixing and matching and learning the steps of dances of a bygone era. While many couples seemed nervous at first, they soon found themselves confidently sliding and gliding across the floor.

“A lot of people were tearing it up out there,” Pfau said. “The dancing was really spirited and the people were going crazy on the floor.”

After a few sets of Duke Ellington and Wayne Shorter numbers, the band cleared the cafeteria of chairs and tables and dimmed the lights, giving the cafeteria the feel of a swinging ’20s dance club.

The decorations made the night one to remember, as the Mardi Gras theme set the swinging tone.

“The parents go all out with the decorations,” tenor sax player Kate Tarne said, “the purple, green

and gold were everywhere - the decorations rivaled, if not surpassed, the typical dance decorations.”

The band then settled into a full swing set. The floor quickly filled with a mix of experienced swing dancers who did full aerials and turns and those who had just learned the basic steps an hour or so before.

Senior Rachel Nyhart showed up just for the swing set.

“I heard about it through friends, and I had a lot of fun,” Nyhart said. “It’s always a good time to dance with friends. I went with my sister, and her friends were there, so it was fun.”

Nyhart knew how to swing dance before the Cabaret, but her younger brother and his friends had a good time learning how to shuffle and jive with Bonnie Wiltrout, senior Brett Butler’s aunt, a former NW drill team sponsor and a professional dance instructor.

“There were several people just learning, like my brother and his friends. They picked up pretty fast on the moves and were dancing in no time,” Nyhart said.

“A lot of times people would go into the cafeteria and just start to dance, even though they didn’t do the [class].”

With free admission, cheap pizza, cupcakes and 12 high-energy dances, the evening was a swinging success. The Jazz Ensemble with perform next at SM West on April 20 for Jazz on the Bridge.

by kirk bado

news

05

Pop culture and news from around the world.

compiled by Hayley Battenberg

BY THE END OF 2020, WE WILL HAVE THE FIRST CONTINUOUS PROPULSION SYSTEM IN SPACE CAPABLE OF GETTING TO MARS IN A REMARKABLY SHORT TIME BECAUSE I AM SICK OF BEING TOLD WE HAVE TO BE TIMID AND I AM SICK OF BEING TOLD WE HAVE TO BE LIMITED IN TECHNOLOGIES THAT ARE 50 YEARS OLD,” —

restaurants listed on the 39th Street website — 39thstreetwestkc.com

FOR EXAMPLE, WHAT THE LANGUAGE WAS INTENDED TO SAY IS, THE DEFINITION OF BULLYING IS THE SAME AS IT ALWAYS HAS BEEN, BUT BE MINDFUL OF THE FIRST AMENDMENT. IN NO EVENT SHOULD A THREAT OF VIOLENCE BE MADE REGARDLESS OF THE POLITICAL, PHILOSOPHICAL, OR RELIGIOUS TERMINOLOGY USED,” — Family Action Council of Tennessee president David Fowler said of the proposed “License to Bully” legislation. (memphisflyer.com)

06

March 9, 2012

The Miss USA pageant began in

Walmart workers earn

25% less than most Unionized supermarket workers

republican presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich said at a campaign stop in Florida. (politico.com)

1952

Charges of aggravated murder, attempted murder and felonious assault have been filed against T.J. Lane, the teenager accused of shooting five students at Chardon High School in Chardon, Ohio. Daniel Parmertor, 16, Demetrius Hewlin, 16, and Russell D. King Jr., 17, were killed in the shooting; Nickolas Walczak, 17, was left paralyzed and senior Joy Rickers, 18, is in stable condition. (nytimes.com, cleveland.com)

67 basketball games are played during the NCAA’s March Madness.

$3.2 billion

over the next five years—the estimated cost of new USDA school lunch standards

did — afraid and insecure — do we really want to condone this speech in school? It may fall under our First Amendment rights, but it should still qualify as hate speech. The outcome is the same no matter how kindly you say “you’re going to hell.” Kids feel judged, uncomfortable, ostracized and hated.

If the Family Action Council really wanted to help further the Christian cause, which I believe is why they are pushing for this law, they wouldn’t try to convert by terror. Being threatened with eternal damnation is upsetting, and it only makes the fear and avoidance of church that much greater.

High school students, as well as those who may have different sexual or gender identities, have enough to deal with. They shouldn’t need to worry about whether they are going to be condemned on Monday as well.

School should be a safe environment, and establishing this Anti-Bullying Bill would just make school a more hostile place than it already is.

FIGHT AGAINST BULLIES A new Tennessee bill will do more harm than good for the religious, and the homosexual, community.

W

here does the bullying boundary stop and free speech start? That’s the question school districts in Tennessee are asking themselves.

State senators have proposed a change to Tennessee’s anti-bullying law that would allow students to tell homosexual peers they are “going to hell.” The confusing bill would supposedly be enforcing the First Amendment rights of all students, including those who want to express their religious beliefs in the hallway The proposed bill has caused quite the uproar, with both critics and proponents alike. Introduced by the Tennessee Family Action Council, the Anti-Bullying Bill will allow students, who are currently being stifled to express their Constitutional right to free speech. I commend the

Family Action Council for fighting censorship, but do they honestly think this won’t turn into a homophobic and destructive allowance? It doesn’t matter how calmly one states “you are going to hell,” the impact will nearly always be harmful.

Forget high school students for a minute.

Elementary school is a highly impressionable time, when children take to heart whatever they are told.

If a peer says, “Wow, that sweater is ugly,” don’t expect to see that sweater ever again. If adolescents are told, “You can tell your heathen friends they are going to hell,” the accused heathen children are going to worry about their eternal damnation.

As an unbaptised, non-churchgoing member of society, I was always viewed as “different” by my religious

E

CAUGHT ON TECHNOLOGY

very morning, when I sit down to eat breakfast, the first thing I do is open my laptop and type “Facebook” into the search bar. But as I began to log in one morning recently, I realized I couldn’t do it: I had decided a day before to go a week without Facebook or my cell phone. I wanted to show myself that I can do it, that my life isn’t just around my my phone and Facebook.

It’s strange how these two little things control my life. After the first five minutes of my week, I already felt lonely and so out-of-touch with everything. I was even scared; how would I make plans or creep on new people I met? I realized that I didn’t even check if anyone important had a birthday during this week. How would I say happy birthday, aside from writing on their wall?

I was still positive than I could do this. The first couple days went by easily. I thought only a few times about texting someone or logging into Facebook. I even made plans without my phone: I simply talked to my friends face-to-face. I didn’t even need those normal “call me when

schoolmates. It didn’t matter that I was raised as a Christian by Christian parents; if I wasn’t at church every Sunday, I was practically satanic.

The children I went to school with had been told by their parents, their pastors/ministers/priests and their literature that people like me, nonpracticing people, were going to hell. They were told it was their duty to save us. Do you know what saving means to a 10-year-old? It means scaring God into you.

I didn’t know why I was going to hell, but I was told it enough times to believe it. I thought that if these kids went to church, they knew better than I did whether I was getting into heaven. And because I am Christian, this destiny scared the bejeezus out of me.

If children are going to react as I

Experiencing a week without my cell phone and Facebook taught me how important they are for many people. you’re leaving” or “text me if you can’t come” comments. People still showed up, and so did I. But after those couple first days, life became terrible. I felt like a drug addict suffering from Facebook withdrawal. I spent time on other websites as much as possible, just so I wouldn’t go to Facebook. So many times when I didn’t have anything to do, I thought, “If I just look, no one will notice.” Still, I kept my promise and I stayed off Facebook. With my cell phone, I had problems when someone texted me. I felt like a bad person every time I couldn’t answer.

The fifth day without my favorite technology was the worst day I’d had in a while. Most people are depressed when their heart is broken or they fail something important. But I was depressed because I couldn’t log into Facebook. Facebook was the

only thing I could think about all day. When I got home from school, I was so conflicted: Should I do it or not? Then I realized it was my dad’s birthday. The only way to say happy birthday to my dad, who’s in Finland 5000 miles away, was through email or Facebook. It was perfect. There was no better reason for a Facebook addict to log in than saying happy birthday to her dad.

And so I gave up. After five days, it felt so good to be in the wonderful world of Facebook that I spent my whole afternoon there, checking all the posts from recent days just to make sure that I hadn’t missed anything. It felt so liberating to be able to text and browse my Facebook again. Funny enough, this feeling of liberation came from becoming a slave once again of my phone and Facebook.

BY ANNA MOILANEN

BY HAYLEY BATTENBERG

OPINIONS

I’m not saying that my reason why I did — or tried — this was that I want to get rid of my cellphone and Facebook account. I’m happy that we have these little helpers that make our lives a little bit easier and more fun. I just hope I will stop using them so much. I can’t remember the last time that I went for a walk without a cellphone in my pocket or a day that I failed to log into Facebook to keep track of my friends. I realize now that, yes, I am addicted to my cellphone and to Facebook. I just wish I didn’t feel like I had to be.

Maybe someday they’ll create a rehabilitation program for those who are addicted to their phones and Facebook. When they do, you’ll find me there.

opinions

07

OPINIONS

BY KIRK BADO

nited Stat U 1 5 es The

FLY ME TO THE MOON

Presidential hopeful proposes plan to start a colony on the moon

L

ate last month, Republican presidential candidate hopeful Newt Gingrich rolled out the platform that would guarantee the vote of all science fiction fans (a key demographic). Gingrich proposed that “by the end of my second term, we will have the first permanent base on the moon. And it will be American.”

It is not like any other nation has the right to colonize the moon. In 1969, American conquistadors made land fall on the Great White Rock, and planted a flag on its surface, claiming it for the good-old U.S. of A. The ancient Age of Discovery credo also applies here: finders keepers.

Thank the Lord that Gingrich has finally come out with the plan that would completely turn our economy around. The Apollo program alone cost more than $100 billion; just think of what that government

08 March 9, 2012

money could be going toward instead. Schools? Alternate energy?

Road repairs? Food programs for the hungry? Even weapons manufacturing? Nope, we have a planet/state to colonize, and nothing can stop that.

Engineers would have to be pulled from research facilities so they could work on the rockets and figure out how to tap into the water supply latent in the moon (yes, there is water there). Brave men and women would need to volunteer to set up the giant dome that we all can live in, and hopefully clear it of any and all alien threats. This will be the grand battle of the new century, spurring competition among nations who will want to trade with our new colony, to gain access to all the abundant resources that exist in the vacuum of space. Like moon gold, space dust or even unobtainium.

Maybe Newt wants to go to the moon for the same reason Kennedy did: to get a leg up on our enemies. In the ’60s, it was the Communists who we beat to the moon; now we have to beat the terrorists to the moon. We must establish a presence there first or else the terrorists could quickly develop the technology to launch attacks from space. Can you imagine trying to find them on the dark side of the moon? Or in all those craters?

If finding them in Afghanistan was hard, imagine a rock a quarter of the size of the Earth.

Think about the strategic advantages that I am sure Gingrich considered in this decision. The moon watches people — every single night. While the rest of the world is sleeping, the moon is right up above their heads looking right at them. No need for weather balloons with spy drones; we have the moon base.

The moon could also be an economic boost to flag manufacturers.

If enough people colonize the moon, it can apply to statehood. Think of all the schools, government buildings, and parks that will need to order new flags. This would be the first big boom to flag makers since 1959.

Millions of dollars into a struggling industry, without any bailout. And to think of how many old flags the Boy Scouts will have to burn.

Gingrich is brilliant for proposing this plan. If and when he becomes president, this will be a landmark decision that will change millions of lives.

But to guarantee that the first rocket doesn’t miss, Gingrich should really launch when the moon is at its fullest.

PROSPECTS FOR A CAREER AT WALMART

BY JULIE KURBJEWEIT

OPINIONS STAFF EDITORIAL

IN CONTROL OF THEIR DESTINY

Detroit’s approach to prepare students for the future is criticized for discouraging young people

F

ired teachers, cut programs and supplies and more students per classroom are usually the consequences of the huge budget cuts that affect schools all over the United States.

Detroit came up with a very different solution for their in-debt, inner-city, lowincome school district: a change in the curriculum that takes students out of the classroom and into job-readiness training, which includes, besides credits that count toward graduation, entry-level, afterschool jobs. And all this at one of the world’s largest companies: Walmart.

Walmart is the world’s largest retailer according to Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu and STORES Magazine and is renowned for unbeatable low prices but not necessarily the best quality. Despite what seems like a great opportunity, the program is getting mixed reviews.

With an estimated unemployment rate of startling 50 percent suggested by the city’s mayor and local leaders, a Walmart job may suddenly seem like a worthy endeavour.

According to the Detroit Free Press, the principal at one of the schools proudly and optimistically noted "the program [that] will allow students an opportunity to earn money and to be exposed to people from different cultures — since all of the stores are in the suburbs."

Apparently, the best idea the school district has to prepare their unfortunate students for a successful future is training them for a life as a suburban Walmart store clerk. Instead of giving the students a source of motivation, this program reminds them again that their prospects for a better future are just as big — or better said, as small — as the distance from an inner-city environment to a suburban Walmart store.

It’s the racial and classist overtone of this announcement that Donna Stern, the Midwest coordinator for the Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action, Integration & Immigrant Rights And Fight for Equality

By Any Means Necessary (BAMN) is fighting.

"They’re going to train students to be subservient workers" she told the Free Press. "This is not why parents send them to school."

What these students really need is the motivation to reach for a future that is better than what they come from at a time when finances are so bad that schools are being closed and even the very basic right for education suddenly seems a fragile gift. If these goals, both the motivation for and the accomplishment of training for a successful career, seem so difficult to reach, a Walmart job is probably better than nothing.

The “American Dream” and our right to pursue happiness have become something seemingly out of the reach of many Americans in this Great Recession.

So it is understandable that schools sometimes don’t inspire students to reach for the stars any more but teach them instead to be glad and thankful for what they can get, be it only the career of a suburban retail store clerk.

The Walmart program in Detroit surely gives the students several benefits: real-life work experience, a different surrounding with new challenges and new lessons and a paycheck.

But, we shouldn’t forget what we really want to give America’s youth: the chance to live their own dream did instead of removing the dust from the shelves of a business that should be a symbol of the success that can be reached with hard work, not a limit that is set around us.

In our own city, how will we react to the damaged budget and the lack of accreditation in the KCMO school district?

How will we face their massive school closures and welcome the thousands of students who will then enroll in our school district, in our school? Could a program like the Detroit system help keep spirits high? We can only hope that our local leaders will find a way to give the students such motivation.

Shawnee Mission would benefit from the governor’s proposed plan to allow school districts to raise funds locally

F

ortunately, the Shawnee Mission school district isn’t looking at any major budget cuts for the upcoming year, unlike the last three years.

That’s good news.

But even though the district probably won’t lose any more money next year, increased costs still mean the district is in need of money. With the $30 million in cuts that have been made over the past three years, the district budget will just barely break even this year, according to district budget and finance manager Tim Rooney, and that’s after some teaching and staff positions and programs were cut.

For next year, transportation costs for the district are on an automatic escalator. In the budget cuts of the last three years, teacher salaries were frozen, but teachers won’t continue to work forever without raises. And there will certainly be other increased costs across the district. Those increases all have to be covered one way or another.

In December, Gov. Sam Brownback proposed a new school funding formula as part of a three-part education reform bill. If the bill were to pass, it wouldn’t necessarily provide more state funding to Shawnee Mission, but would give the district the freedom to raise funds locally, without the cap on local taxation for education that exists under the current school funding formula.

Under Brownback’s proposal, Shawnee Mission could raise funds with just a school board resolution. As Rooney put it, the proposal would put Shawnee Mission “in control of its own destiny.”

Giving school districts local control wouldn’t fix all the problems. Under the new formula, Shawnee Mission would still receive the same amount of money from the state as they did this year, which is significantly less than they did five, or even just three, years ago. But instead of leaving them hanging out to dry, as the current formula does when the state makes cuts to education, it would give them the flexibility to make changes to the budget and tax rate as the school board sees fit.

This proposal looks like the light at the end of the tunnel for Shawnee Mission. But unfortunately, it doesn’t have very much steam in the legislature, where it’s sitting right now.

Rooney put it best when he said that a government closer to the people is the most effective. Giving the school board the power to raise taxes to support programs in Shawnee Mission is the best way to go.

opinions

09

REVIEWS

UPCOMING RELEASES MOVIE:

• John Carter — March 9 • Wrath of the Titans — March 30

BOOK:

• Guilty Wives — James Patterson & David Ellis — March 26 • Let’s Pretend This Never Happened — Jenny Lawson — April 16

photo courtesy of Laurence Barnes

Kid Cudi & Dot Da Genius

ALBUM:

• Meatloaf — Hell in a Handbasket — March 13 • The Shins — Port of Morrow — March 20

VIDEO GAME:

• Journey — PS3 — March 13 • Silent Hill HD Collection — various platforms — March 20

EDITOR’S PICK

If you are looking to catch up on films or TV shows that are set to be released in the near (or far) future, why not get a good laugh out of it, too?

Iwatchstuff.com is an entertainment news blog that brings you the latest in what “Hollywood and the Internet have to offer, and then, more often than not, making fun of it because it sucks,” as they described it on their website’s “About Us” section.

This site exists only because of the geniuses at Anticlown Media who, as they call it, “make really good websites.” Well said.

With stories on everything from freakish, nightmareinducing Avatar babies to the Shakespearian version of Pulp Fiction, iwatchstuff.com brings you the most obscure and fascinating stories.

The website also offers trailers of the various movies they choose to tell us about, giving sneak peeks in a much more convenient way than E! and Entertainment Tonight will ever be able to do.

Writers discuss the plot line of the film and how it’s generally an appalling idea for a movie, and that it will most likely crash and burn soon after its release.

The website’s coverage of film

10 March 9, 2012

WZRD

shorts is also fairly unique. If Toy Story creators are coming out with a new short about the Happy Meal version of Buzz Lightyear, I want to be the first to know about it. By perusing iwatchstuff’s archives, you can stumble upon new (or old) entertainment stories that will blow your mind — or maybe just make you laugh.

As far as entertainment blog sites go, iwatchstuff.com has to be one of the most unparalleled, gasp-inducing, witty “news” sources of all. The opinions that writers showcase about movies

URL: iwatchstuff.com

Kid Cudi is the new rock ‘n’ roll (I know, right?), but that’s not as surprising as it reads. Ever since he stepped onto the scene, he’s been turning heads.

With Man On The Moon, we heard what singing, rapping and some wellplaced guitar could do for hip-hop, although Lil Wayne’s 2008 Rebirth was a complete disaster. But Cudi executed it in a more experimental way than ever before. By collaborating with artists including Ratatat and MGMT, some of the most popular indie bands at the time, Cudi’s debut album was a stand-out work of art. He was so heavily influenced by different genres that it was too difficult to qualify what he was doing to hip-hop. And with his newest collaboration with Dot Da Genius, WZRD, it’s even harder.

With WZRD, we finally hear an evolved Cudi as he ditches his melodic style of rap and replaces it with fullon vocals. Without relying on the 21st century crutch known as auto-tune, he belts out non-orthodox melodies against crunching electric guitar, dirty synthesizers and distorted drums, embodying a new rock persona to match the collaboration. If we thought Cudi’s “Pursuit Of Happiness” was his shot at psychedelica, WZRD blows it

out of the water — but that’s not the surprise.

The biggest shock is Cudi’s lyrical content. Here’s a guy whose first two albums concerned smoking weed and “driving drunk.” With WZRD, the closest reference to drugs is the song “Dr. Pill,” in which Cudi sings, “Dr. Pill, Dr. Pill, give me something / I’m feeling ill now.” In “High Off Life” he sings, “I’m ODing on life,” which may indicate a permanent change for Cudi.

The whole album is clean, with no explicit material whatsoever.

If you’re expecting another Cudi hip-hop album, you might be disappointed. He embraces new creative realms with grunge rock and electro-experimentation, although there are still some hip-hop elements sprinkled here and there throughout the album.

WZRD is a reflective trip through the ups and downs of Cudi’s nonsensical mind, and the music reflects that. But I think he’s only touched base with his new collaboration with Dot Da Genius. I don’t think it’s a complete transformation for Cudi, but rather a stop on the way to something he hasn’t even figured out yet.

by evan shinn

what’s new on

PUBLISHER: Anticlown Media

Some Nights:

Fun.’s sophomore album spans many different genres and evokes a rollercoaster of emotions. are hysterical, leading to many wasted hours browsing the site’s archive for lost wisdom — and a couple of snickers — stemming from Hollywood’s finest film endeavors.

Wanderlust:

Paul Rudd and Jennifer Aniston’s newest movie of a couple’s stay at a carefree and accepting bed and breakfast is full of crude humor and cheap laughs.

by ashlee crane

11

REVIEWS

Matchbook Magazine Field Guide to a Charmed Life In the technological world we live in, many publications have gone digital. Matchbook Magazine: Field Guide to a Charmed Life, initially published in Jan. 2011, is an online publication that gambled on its own success by doing just this.

Matchbook covers fashion, decor, arts, travel and culture for the “Matchbook girl,” in the artsy, fashion-loving, afternoon-teadrinking, reading-for-fun demographic they are aiming for. If you’re not already this type of girl, you will be after reading Matchbook.

Matchbook Magazine is a well-designed, whimsical and fresh change from typical print magazines in stores. It also contains features unlike any I’ve seen before, including the editor’s latest obsessions, incomparable furniture and gift spreads, and a handful of interviews with artsy people specializing in anything from interior to fashion design. The

online magazine also keeps a blog, Facebook page, Twitter and a Tumblr to better connect with its readers.

URL: matchbookmag.com

The way I see it, Matchbook Magazine is a pioneer among digital publications. I chose many of the beauty products, books and clothing I’ve purchased in the past year because of the “clickable” pictures within the magazine. The digital form allows reader to instantly buy anything they see in the magazine. With all of these new features and capabilities, Matchbook may be the next Vogue.

by edelawit hussien

GRAND WOK Situated in a small hole in the wall in between Target and Wal-Mart just off of Shawnee Mission Parkway, Grand Wok is one of the best, and cheapest, Chinese restaurants in town. Whether dining in or carrying out, it is easy to get in and out quickly if you’re in a rush. The friendly employees greet customers as they walk in the door and provide great service until the moment they leave.

ADDRESS: 15810 Shawnee Mission Pkwy

photo by nate compton

The Grand Wok offers amazing deals. The portions are huge for such small prices, and their lunch special includes the choice of crab rangoon or egg roll, a cup of soup, rice and an entree for about $6. The house combination

STAFF PICKS Favorite album of all time Nothing Feels Good The Promise Ring

Bailey Kopp

On The Way To Wonderland Sunrise Avenue

Chinese Restaurant

includes a choice of two crab rangoon or egg rolls, or one of each, a generous helping of your chosen entree and a side of rice for only $7.

Grand Wok has a wide variety of appetizers, including traditional dumplings and all kinds of soups. The crab rangoons, by far the best appetizer that Grand Wok serves, are always warm and crispy and, when dipped in the sweet and sour sauce, are out of this world.

The egg drop soup is a flavor sensation, yet it remains simple. It has an interesting, oily texture and a roasted egg flavor, with thin egg noodles mixed throughout. Their steamed and pan-fried dumplings are outstanding as well. They come with a brown, sweet onion dipping sauce and are perfect as a meal or an appetizer.

The variety of main dishes makes it easy to try something different each time. If noodle dishes are your thing, the combination lo mein is hard to beat. It’s a mix of chicken, beef, shrimp, green onion and carrots, all covered in a brown sauce, and is probably the best dish for the money. For only $7.45, they serve get a huge helping of noodles and perfectly cooked meat with al dente vegetables.

Grand Wok easily has the best deals around, with a friendly staff and tasty food.

If you are looking for quick, decent Chinese food, this is definitely the place to go.

Anna Moilanen

Nebraska Bruce Springsteen

Daniel Magwire

Treasure Planet Soundtrack James Newton Howard

Brooke Golladay

The Violent Femmes The Violent Femmes

Sam Bellmyer

by connor thompson entertainment

11

Westport Wonderland

by hayley battenberg, photos by mia creighton

1

MUD PIE 1615 W. 39th St

For a while now, 39th Street in Westport, Mo., has been categorized as a seedy underbelly sort of area by quite a few NW students. However, in recent years the city has been morphing. No longer is it an adults-only bar town — it has bloomed in the last decade with hip new restaurants and funky little shops, perfect for high school students looking to explore the city they live in. There are dozens of restaurants on 39th Street, and for this review the Passage has picked out six for readers to check out.

3904 Bell St

D’BRONX

2

Reuben w/o sauerkraut — Call

me terrible, but I hate sauerkraut.

Everything else about the D’Bronx reuben sandwich is wonderful, though. The bread was toasted golden brown and crispy, not soggy with grease, and the thousand island dressing was thin and evenly distributed, just the way I like it. The corned beef, a highly underrated lunch meat, was piled high and cut thin, forming the best sandwich ever.

Mocha — The first thing I noticed was how

full the cup was — literally spilling over the lip and onto the counter. They don’t skimp at Mud Pie. The coffee itself tasted like coffee, something Starbucks has yet to manage with the massive amounts of chocolate syrup they dump into their mochas, and it was just strong enough to keep me buzzed and not bouncing off the walls. Better than most, this vegan coffee was worth the expense.

Chocolate Chip Scone — If there is one baked good that claims the title of “Most Likely to be Dry and Tasteless,” it has to be the scone. However, Mud Pie defies that reputation with their chocolate chip scone: a perfect mixture of compact consistency and moist layers. Combined with the mocha, the scone’s large size for a low price makes for an ideal afternoon treat.

Lemon Bar — Vegan baking is the best

baking. Mud Pie is an entirely vegan bakery and coffeehouse, and their desserts are some of the most delicious I’ve ever had. The lemon bar was sweet and slightly sour, not sugary like some, and the crust was flakey and moist.

Most lemon bars are slightly burnt and the ratio of custard to crust is entirely off, but Mud Pie’s was the most amazing balance of thick and creamy lemon custard and crumbly crust.

12

March 9, 2012

3

BLUE KOI 1803 W. 39th St

4

JAZZ

1823 W. 39th St

Honeydew Bubble Tea — Bubble tea sounds

weird: cold tea mixed with syrup, milk and tapioca pearls. But, it’s delicious. Some places put too many tapioca pearls and too much syrup into the mix, but Blue Koi masters the balance expertly. The honeydew was pronounced but not overwhelming, the tea was still detectable, and the tapioca pearls absorbed the taste of the drink instead of conflicting with it.

Fried Pickles — I was disappointed by Jazz’s fried pickles. I expected thin rounds coated in crisp batter and spices. I was met, however, with spears covered in a dry, brittle crust. The steaming hot appetizers dripped with juice, yet still managed to be tasteless and stale. Overpriced for four pickles, this wasn’t worth the money. I love Jazz, but their fried pickles aren’t up to par.

5

5

Terrace St

Wyoming St

Genessee St

Bell St

State Line Rd

39th St

3

1624 W. 39th St

Valentine Rd

38th St

4

MIAMI ICE

39th St

2

6

40th St

6

1

“Miami Ice” Bubblegum & Orange —

The “Miami Ice” is shaved ice atop custard, which sounds appealing. However, neither the bubblegum nor the orange was impressive. Each tasted spicy, not sweet, and more artificial than usual. The shaved ice and the custard bonded together, forming a solid barrier that was hard to crack. The custard itself tasted like cold, soft butter. All in all, it was pretty darn awful.

ALADDIN’S CAFE 3903 Wyoming St

Rosewater Lemonade — I’m

a huge fan of saffron, so Aladdin’s Cafe rosewater lemonade is my warm weather go-to drink. Absurdly sugary, the saffron, rose and lemon hybrid tastes more like flowers than fruit.

Some might not enjoy the ridiculously sweet concoction, but for sour-haters, it’s ideal. Don’t be thrown by the floating red strings, though, that’s just the saffron.

Greek Salad — Greek salads are on the menu for

every sit-down restaurant these days, so what makes Aladdin’s Cafe so special? The dressing. Bitter and pesto-textured, the secret recipe is why this salad is a cut above the rest. The normal vegetables are there — lettuce, black olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and carrots — and fresh. Bonus: It’s also affordable.

Rosewater Rice Pudding — Also

flavored with saffron and rosewater — Aladdin’s Cafe flavor favorites — the rice pudding was delightfully strange.

I’d never tried rice pudding before, mostly because it looks so mushy.

However, the texture was grainy and the flavor less bland than expected.

The saffron was apparent, but the undertones of rose are what made the pudding interesting. It was good, but maybe not nearly $5 worth.

Entertainment

13

ENTERTAINMENT

things

with Co-Editor-in-Chief David Freyermuth

photos by david freyermuth

Voxer

If there is anything I hate about 21st century communication, it’s texting. I hate wasting my time typing out a novel when I could have said it in five seconds. I don’t enjoy long phone conversations either. Voxer is the perfect middle ground.

Voxer allows you to instantaneously send voice recordings to other Voxer users from your mobile phone (kind of like a walkie-talkie).

With the application open, Voxer messages will automatically play, but when the application is closed, notifications will be sent to your phone just like a text message. FREE on the Apple App Store and the Android Market

Papermate flair pens

I might care about my handwriting too much, but these felt-tip pens are the perfect writing utensil. Although there are more than a dozen colors, my favorite is black. The water-based ink won’t bleed through paper, and I’ve been using them on almost every school assignment since the beginning of junior year. I don’t know what’s behind these pens, but I have extreme brand loyalty to Papermate now. $7.49 at OfficeMax

Reno 911 (TV-14)

After its cancellation in 2009, I hadn’t watched a single episode of Reno 911! and completely forgot how funny it was until now. After recently finding all six seasons on Netflix, I have been watching the hilariously inappropriate episodes every time I get the chance. I started at the pilot episode and have already made my way to the third season.

Netflix Instant Watch

icanhazcheezburger.com

Popular in blogs such as failblog, failbook and lolcats, icanhascheezburger.com isn’t anything that people haven’t heard about. However, other blogs maintained by them, including membase, the art of trolling, loldogs and photobomb, are just as addicting, yet slightly less viral.

Triangle (TV-14)

One of the only movies I can watch more than once, Triangle is one of the best mind-twisting thrillers I’ve ever seen. After a friend — and fellow Triangle lover — picked up a copy for 99 cents at a closing Blockbuster, my love for the flick has been rekindled. I’d recommend watching it with at least a couple of people, as it’s bound to spark a 30-minute discussion as to what really just happened. The state of confusion will only add to the suspense of the movie. $14.99 at Best Buy

Simon the Cat

It’s apparent to anyone who knows me that I like cats. I thought I had seen just about every cat video that’s on YouTube, until I recently found Simon the Cat. Simon is a cartoon cat that acts like every normal house cat I’ve ever encountered: pawing at the door and not coming in or leaving when it’s opened, ignoring you whenever their given attention and begging for food superfluously. He reminds me so much of my cats that it doesn’t even matter that he isn’t real. www.youtube.com

Sriracha Cookbook

Sriracha — or rooster sauce — is good with just about everything. Before I came across this book, my favorite things to put a dash of the hot stuff in were mac ‘n’ cheese, tomato soup and salsa. Compiled by chef Randy Clemens, the Sriracha Cookbook takes cooking with sriracha to a whole new level. With 50 different recipes, ranging from making your own sriracha sauce to including it in your soups, salads, breakfast and desserts, this cookbook has it all for sriracha lovers. $16.99 at Barnes & Noble

14

March 9, 2012

FEATURES

the state of public

EDUCATION

by Maria Davison, Julie Kurbjeweit + Anna Moilanen

Public education in the United States constantly presents a challenge. What is the best way to educate children? And how much does is actually cost to do that?

Stakeholders from all sides are weighing in. Here’s a look at the current financial situation in Shawnee Mission, how the implementation of the Common Core standards will affect public education nationwide and how the U.S. educational system compares to those in other countries.

FEATURES

As changes in the school funding formula make their way through the Kansas legislature, the financial security of the Shawnee Mission school district remains...

“Everything is up in the air — it always is with the legislature because they control everything. Without local control, we have to wait until [the legislature] does something.”

— Shawnee Mission budget and finance manager Tim Rooney

16

March 9, 2011

“The ongoing issue and concern with education everywhere is going to be funding, and I don’t see it getting any better. The big question is, what happens if we have to make the size of cuts that we’ve made for three years in a row for a fourth year?” principal Bill Harrington said at the beginning of the school year.

Due to budget shortfalls at the state level, Shawnee Mission was forced to cut more than $30 million over the last three years. According to SM budget and finance manager Tim Rooney, the legislature probably won’t be calling for cuts again this year, but they also aren’t looking at an increase in funding. At this point, the future of school finance sits in the hands of the Kansas legislature.

“Everything is up in the air — it always is with the legislature because they control everything,” Rooney said.

“Without local control, we have to wait until [the legislature] does something.”

In December, Gov. Sam Brownback proposed a three-part education reform bill to the Kansas Legislature. One part focused on overhauling the school funding formula, a second part called for a new system of evaluating teachers, and the final part would consolidate career and technical training (see sidebar for more information).

“The school finance part of this is having a lot of trouble because they don’t have a lot of school district support. The legislators who support those districts are not doing to much to help it, so little has happened,” Rooney said.

And according to Rooney, Shawnee Mission and Blue Valley are two of the only districts in support of the school funding component of the bill. Under the new formula, which would go into

effect in the 2013-2014 school year, about half of Kansas’ 286 school districts would receive more funding than they do currently. The other half would receive the same amount.

Shawnee Mission wouldn’t receive any more state money than they did under the old formula, but it would take the cap off how much local money could be raised.

The property tax in Shawnee Mission raises about $60 million relegated for education funding, but only about $831,000 of that money comes back into the district, putting Shawnee Mission in the lowest 10 percent of funding in the state.

“You can imagine going to your rich uncle and saying, ‘Can I have some money to help me out because I’m poor?

And why don’t you give me so much that it causes you to be poor,’” Rooney said.

“That’s kind of the situation we’re in.”

But if the new formula passes, Shawnee Mission could raise the local tax rate with a board resolution, without any cap on how much they could raise. All of that money would go to support Shawnee Mission directly; none would have to be sent back to the state. The board could raise the tax to support programs needed inside the district.

“We’d be in a lot better position,” Rooney said, “because we’d be in control of our own destiny.”

However, on the recent legislature turnaround day, the school finance bill didn’t pass the House or the Senate.

That could be partly because the bill is complex and the legislators have only had since January to digest it, according to Rooney. There may be some interim committees later in the congressional session to delve into it more deeply.

FEATURES

“I think that legislators, on one hand, look at what [the bill would] do for [their] community, but on the other hand, it would be a very expensive system to maintain,” Rooney said. “There may be some pressure to change [the bill] because our current tax sources can’t support it and they certainly don’t want to raise taxes.”

However, a school lawsuit that some estimate could cost the state almost a billion dollars is waiting

to be heard. That could push legislators to do something quickly.

Those involved in the lawsuit argue that the state is in violation of the constitutional requirements because the $3,780 of base state aid per pupil is well under the minimum $4,400 determined by the 2006 Montoy vs.

Kansas decision.

But the Democrats have a different plan, which would involve keeping the same formula, but adding money to the base state

aid per pupil. Legislators have discussed a local activities budget that would allow districts to raise money independently for outside activities, but nothing has come of this discussion as of yet.

“We’ve made some really serious cuts, and we’re down to the point where we’ve balanced our revenues and expenditures,” Rooney said.

“But, we’re concerned about what we can do with rising expenses.

Something has to give over time.”

The proposed school reform plan “I vowed to introduce a new school finance formula that increases local control, transparency, breaks the cycle of litigation, and focuses more resources on the classroom. Our proposal is a modern formula that will provide districts the flexibility that is necessary to meet today’s challenges, prepare tomorrow’s opportunities, and excel in education,” Gov. Sam Brownback said of his proposed education reform bill.

The proposed bill includes three parts. One deals with school funding, one with teacher evaluation and a third with career and technical training.

The school funding portion would do the following:

• The state would provide a consistent $4,492 in base state aid per pupil.

• The Property Tax Equalization Fund would provide more funding to districts with lower property values in order to offset property tax inequality.

• Supplemental Equalization would ensure that each district would have stable funding year after year.

• Unlimited local control of property taxes for education purposes would be allowed.

If approved, this new school funding formula would take effect in the 2013–2014 school year. The new formula would cost the State General Fund an additional $39 million. Under the new formula, no district would receive less money than they currently are and about half of the state’s 286 districts would receive additional funding. Shawnee Mission received approximately $184,529,720 for the 2011–2012 school year. Under the governor’s plan, that amount wouldn’t change.

The teacher evaluation section would do the following: • Teachers would be given a rating: highly effective, effective, progressing or ineffective.

• The ratings would be based on growth in student achievement, input from supervisors, peers, parents and students and the teachers’ contribution to the profession.

The exact criteria would be determined by the State Board of Education.

• $5,000 bonuses would be offered to highly effective teachers.

• Teachers rated as ineffective for two years in a row would not be able to teach. Schools could fire them after professional development opportunities.

• Teachers’ ratings would be posted on the the school district website for public access.

The career and technical training would do the following:

• School districts would no longer receive weighted funding for vocation training, but money from a vocation and technical training fund would be distribute to districts based on enrollment in those programs.

• The Kansas Board of Regents would pay the tuition of all high school students enrolled in career and technical training courses at community or technical colleges. They would also proved funding for transportation.

• School districts won’t receive funding for programs available at community or technical colleges within 30 miles.

Information from the Office of the Governor and the Kansas City Star

features

17

FEATURES

Common Core State Standards Initiative

In October, 2010 the Kansas State Board of Education approved the Common Core standards. All the states except Texas, Nebraska, Massachusetts and Minnesota have officially adopted the standards, which will be fully implemented by 2015.

The Common Core mission statement says, “The Common Core State Standards provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn, so teachers and parents know what they need to do to help them. The standards are designed to be robust and relevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge and skills that our young people need for success in college and careers. With American students fully prepared for the future, our communities will be best positioned to compete successfully in the global economy.”

According to associate principal Lisa Gruman, they were created with the goal of helping students to be college and career ready.

“They’ve looked at national programs, they’ve consulted higher ed, so it was a cross section of a variety of people who were involved in that,” Gruman said. “And then they came up with these particular standards.”

The main components of the Common Core standards are math and English language arts. Within each of those areas, there are several areas of standards, and even more complex standards within those areas. For example, withing both the English language arts component, there are 10 writing standards. There are additional standards within those writing standards. And those writing standards apply to social studies and science. Implementing those standard will also mean some changes int he reading material in English classes.

“What you would see as your typical reading passages in your language arts classes will change,” Gruman said.

“You might see them using the New Yorker now, you might see them using some additional informational text, more so than always just the textbook and the novels.”

How some math courses are taught will also be changed.

According to Gruman, the Common Core standards focus on helping students understand the “how” and “why” behind what they’re learning, especially in math processes.

The Kansas Assessments will also be based off of what students are supposed to learn under the Common Core standards, although, Gruman says, no decisions about what those assessments will look like have been made yet.

“I think the college/career readiness has been their with our curriculum and I think that’s a great curriculum to prepare [students],” Gruman said. “I think what we’re looking at is helping everybody access more of that. The courses will look different, a little bit, but I think we’ll continue with what we’ve doing, in terms of, our students will still be prepared.”

TIONAL UCA D S. E STACKS UP .

U HO W T H E ERM T S SY

TEST SCORES (2009)

Reading

Math

Science

Finland

53.6 (2nd)

541 (2nd)

554 (1st)

Germany

497 (16th)

513 (10th)

520 (9th)

Japan

520 (5th)

529 (4th)

539 (2nd)

Mexico

425 (34th)

419 (34th)

416 (34th)

US

500 (14th)

487 (25th)

502 (17th)

Source: OECD PISA 2009 database

Post-secondary graduation rates (2009)

44

Source OECD

28.5 37.8 19.4 40.4

Average class size (Public primary schools, 2007)

19.8 22.1 23.6 19.7 28.1

KEY

Finland Germany US Mexico Japan

Annual spending per schoolaged child

$5,653 $4,632 $7,743 $1,975 $3,756

Source OECD

Source: http://www.coolinfographics.com/ blog/2011/5/24/us-education-vs-the-world.html

School-life expectancy (Primary to post-secondary)

Spending on education institutions (Percent of GDP, 2006)

17 years 16 years 16 years 14 years 15 years Source: coolinfographics.com/blog/2011/5/24/ us-education-vs-the-world.html

5.84% 4.78% 7.38% 5.72% 4.99% Source OECD

FEATURES

INSPIRATION THROUGH VOCATION

by Jule Kerbjewiet + Anna Moilanen

German vocational teachers and a Finnish Sport Institute student share their experiences in vocational studies.

“W

hen I grow up I want to be a super star!”

This is just one very popular childhood dream, among other professions, including policeman, ballerina, pilot, secret agent and veterinarian, this is an all too common childhood aspiration. If everyone pursued their childhood dreams, however unlikely they may sound, we might have a world full of passionate people who love their jobs. But it seems that those dreams are often abandoned as the pursuit of academia becomes a priority.

Our schools appear to be designed to prepare future lawyers, doctors and teachers. The intellectual focus might be perfect for those students who easily absorb knowledge and enjoy academic rigor, but others have a hard time identifying with this often theoretical and abstract approach to teaching. The result is often bored students who struggle to pass and a high school graduation rate of 75 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

What many teens miss in education is action. It doesn’t have to be this way.

Educational systems based in vocational training, like those in Germany and Finland, have proven to be a popular and successful alternative to the American education system.

“For many students, the class material [in high school] is too theoretical,” German vocational teacher Wilfried Bongartz said.

“But [the students] are practically skilled and can therefore use their talents well [in vocational training].”

German teacher Ulrike Kurbjeweit adopted this same ideology when she became involved in vocational training.

“Those students who aren’t good at school can see that they do have very good skills in other areas, like in technical, culinary, apparel or social jobs,” Kurbjeweit said.

High school students, like Finnish Sports

Institute student Toni Andersson, are often attracted by the hands-on approach.

“I like to be social here [at the Sports Institute], and I can interact with real people and not books,” Andersson said.

A day at a vocational school looks very different from that of a conventional high school. Andersson’s days are filled with sports classes and subjects like nutrition. He spends more time working with people and less time staring at books.

Andersson’s decision to enter the Sports Institute after middle school changed his life entirely and included a move 200 miles away from his hometown.

“I’m pretty happy here, but sometimes I feel like I want to be with my friends at home,” Andersson said.

Even that Andersson’s school is far away, usually the most popular vocational schools are found near your city. Schools where you can learn to be for example a hairdresser, nurse, chef or electrician are pretty popular at least in Finland.

Getting into a vocational school means you have to go through a try out process. What kind of tests they have depends what kind of school you are trying to get into, like Sports Institutes test your athletic skills. Schools also count your previous grades from middle school and even your gender might help you to get in: guys get easier into schools which are pink-collars and opposite. Every year there are a lot of young girls and boys who didn’t get the letter which tells them they got in. This is why usually teens applies to a couple different schools same time, so if their dream school doesn’t let them in they still might have a school place somewhere else.

What these schools have in common is that they usually prepare for blue-collar, not white-collar careers. Instead of sinking into books for many hours every day, an apprenticeship is based on manual activities.

Teaching auto mechanics at a vocational school, Bongartz sees each of his students only twice a week. Most of their time is spent in the workplace. Thanks to a contract with a company, the students get on-the-job training where they are confronted with real problems to solve. The school then supplies the needed theoretical foundation.

“The great advantage of this [dual] system is the combination of theory and practice,” Bongartz said. “By linking both, learning is more successful because the student experiences the combination of [the two].”

The “training” aspect of vocational programs can only be provided for the students thanks to entrepreneurs and businesses who are willing to collaborate with the schools because they, too, get something out of it. In an apprenticeship, employers have the ability to help students develop into skilled employees who would be valuable to the business in the future. Knowing attitudes, strengths and weaknesses of the students helps employers make decisions about who to hire once training is over. This also gives the students a more secure prospect for the future than what many other graduates look forward to.

But there are several more options than direct employment after graduation.

“Some go on to another school; others use their training for another profession,” Bongartz said. “I have no hard evidence, but I would guess that half the students are no longer active in their professional training but have used the training to enter into another technical profession.”

For Andersson, who is going to graduate after one more year, the doors are still open.

“I don’t know yet what I am doing after I graduate,” Andersson said. “Maybe I will go get another degree or try to specialize in something.”

features

19

FEATURES

FROM THE RUNWAY TO THE HALLWAY Even teachers can learn more lessons from pageants than how to do the correct hair and makeup. by brianna leyden 26

March 9, 2012

FEATURES

T

he contestant walks from backstage, strikes a pose on her mark, struts a few more feet, turns in a circle and comes to a stop, with gown, teeth and hair gleaming, in front of the five judges. Fast forward a month, and that contestant, substitute teacher Kayley Otto, is standing in front of a seventh-hour World Geography Honors class teaching a lesson on political turmoil in Africa.

Otto competed in the Miss Kansas USA pageant, a prerequisite to the Miss USA contest, in December. After graduating from college in December 2010, with a major in social studies secondary education, and minors in Japanese and East Asian studies, this was a completely new stage for her.

“My history in pageants is none,” Otto said. “I did my first one December of 2011, and I did it because it was a challenge and something new, and I didn’t have a full-time teaching job at the time.”

However, coming into her substitute position at Northwest, she originally didn’t want anyone to know that she had participated in the contest.

“It was a secret because there is a stigma attached to pageants, and I didn’t do it to get my name out there,” Otto said. “I had time, and it was challenging; public speaking horrifies me. It seemed like something fun to do, and I felt like I’m at an age where what my platform would have been is something I would do in my daily life anyway.”

Every contestant chooses her own “platform,” an issue that she wants to raise awareness about.

Generally, these women choose problems that they already care about and would like to change.

Otto’s platform was health and wellness among middle and high school girls.

“I really promote abstinence and waiting to have sex until you get married,” Otto said. “I would have promoted that through churches, because I think there’s an appropriate time and place to talk about that, but my other thing was health and wellness with mental health and physical health for younger women. I’m really big on exercising and eating a healthy diet, so I could have helped with that aspect in schools.”

Of course, pageants include the standard evening gown, swimsuit and interview portions as well. The Miss USA system differs from the Miss America system in that it does not include a talent portion of the competition. ““The America system has a talent portion, and that’s what was just on TV in January,” Otto said. “The USA system is different; USA is more if you’re pursuing a modeling career or wanting exposure, and it includes only interview, gown

PRICE OF BEAUTY

and swimsuit. This usually airs on TV in June or July.”

Arguably the greatest stereotype about pageants is that they’re all about image, and not so much about substance, which is part of the reason Otto was hesitant to tell others about her participation.

“People are like, ‘Oh, she does pageants; she thinks she’s really whatever,’ but that’s not the case,” Otto said. “These are driven girls, and when I got there, it was awesome because I was around girls who are really motivated and have goals and dreams. They were really intelligent; they were just really good at doing their hair and makeup.”

The hair and makeup — undeniably, some of the flashiest components of the pageant. And for those who don’t know how to do it the “right” way, there are coaches specifically for this purpose.

“When you prepare, you get coached,” Otto said. “You bring outfits, and they tell you what to wear, how to walk and how to pose. They’ll go through interview questions with you. It’s really intense. I also went to coaching for my hair and makeup because my hair is straight, and right now, it’s popular to have really curly hair.”

All these details come together to create a complete image of the pageant queen that the judges are looking for.

“The judges that wanted someone ‘pageant-y.’

I’m sure they voted for pageant-y people, and the judges who wanted more happy-go-lucky voted for those,” Otto said. “So you never know which way the judges are going to be.”

The judges for Otto’s competition ranged from a model and a woman who runs a modeling agency to a special education elementary school teacher from Olathe.

“It’s hard to win, and I’d be scared to do it again because then I’d have to impress five different judges, and it was already hard enough as it was,” Otto said.

By the end of the weekend, not only did Otto walk away with the award for Best Gown, but she won first runner-up. However, she would not encourage everyone to do pageants.

“The sad thing about pageants is, especially for the little girls, that it’s teaching them that they need to have fake hair, fake nails, fake eyelashes, fake teeth, like they’re not perfect the way God made them and I disagree with that,” Otto said. “[Pageants] are great to do; I would encourage people to do them if they have confidence from within. If you’re basing your self-worth off pageants, you’re not going to get very far.”

Pageant entrance fee:

$1095

Evening gown:

FREE FROM COUSIN, FORMER MISS USA

Top: Student teacher Kayley Otto explains an assignment to students in her Honors World Geography class. photo by Carleigh Whitman.

Bottom: Student teacher Kayley Otto competes in the Miss Kansas USA pageant in December, 2011. Otto won first runner-up. photo courtesy of Kayley Otto.

Makeup:

$300 AT SEPHORA

Hair and makeup/general/ interview coaching:

$500

Creating your story at JCCC …

“College is not the end goal; it is part of the journey.”

Ben, Student Johnson County Community College 12345 College Blvd. | Overland Park, KS 66210 913-469-3803 | www.jccc.edu “Like” JCCC at facebook.com/JCCC411

Spring

SPORTS

2012 PREVIEW

Junior Amy Hein practices hurdles during tryouts on March 6. “[Freshman year] I started off with sprints, but the hurdles just came naturally because of my flexibility from doing gymnastics,”Hein said. photo by Aaron Messick

7

2

1

3

4

5

6

1) Senior Jennifer Howell heads the ball at soccer tryouts on March 1. Varsity’s first game is on March 22 at Blue Valley. Photo by Kate Jacobsen. 2) Freshman Claire Williams reaches for the end of the lane while swimming laps during practice on March 6. Williams swam freestyle, breast stroke, and back stroke. Photo

by Carleigh Whitman. 3) Sam Gay hits the ball at tennis try outs on March 6. Photo by Nate Compton. 4) Seniors Blake Evans and Luke Schnefke run together on March 6. Photo by Aaron Messick. 5) Sophomore Hank Raines prepares to throw the ball on March 6. “I’ve been playing baseball since I was little. My dad and grandpa played the same positions I play, and they helped me out a lot [when I was younger],” Raines said. Photo by Monique Ware. 6) Senior Luke Moore tries out for golf on March 1 at the Shawnee Golf and Country Club. Photo by Nate Compton. 7) Sophomore Hannah Clevenger bunts at softball tryouts on March 6. Varsity softball will play their first game on March 27 at the SM Softball Complex. Photo by Paige Waltman.

sports

23

SPORTS

A LEG UP ON THE COMPETITION by brady klein and davis millard

The experience juniors Lucas Karlin and Matt Peterson have gained training with higher-level athletes has helped their game and prepared them for their future.

M

ost high school athletes train in the off-season for their sport, but a small number of student athletes take the extra step and train with professional and collegiate athletes. This handful of athletes have been able to get a leg up on the competition, because they are able to learn from people who have played the sport professionally.

Two of these athletes who have trained with others at a higher level are Juniors Matt Peterson and Lucas Karlin. They both trained with athletes at high levels, which has taught them skills they can use for their play at Northwest.

Lucas Karlin

Junior Lucas Karlin is one of the few athletes at Northwest that does this. Karlin trains with Alex Carder, former Northwest and current Western Michigan quarterback .

24

march 9, 2012

Coming out of high school, Carder was ranked No. 12 overall in Kansas

by Scout.com, and was named an All-Sunflower League quarterback for three-straight seasons. An athlete with Carder’s skill set has an intricate knowledge of the game, which is the reason Karlin chose to work with him.

“Alex is experienced enough to know what works and what doesn’t.

He is extremely intelligent and has taught me a lot,” Karlin said.

Karlin has been a quarterback for seven years and is ready to step into the spotlight as the starting quarterback of next year’s varsity football team. One of his goals for the off-season is to strengthen his weaknesses, something Carder is good at doing.

“He knows exactly what you need to work on and will coach you to get better at it,” Karlin said.

Both Carder and Karlin previously trained with the same throwing coach named Skip Stitzell to perfect their form. The duo trains regularly during the summer and works on specific skills that apply directly to Karlin’s position.

“We always start with footwork, then a three-step drop, and end with some sprint outs,” Karlin said. As a quarterback footwork is key, which is why Karlin spends a good portion of time on it. Practicing sprint outs gets Karlin ready for the possibility of being forced out of the pocket, or the area the quarterback stays in to throw the ball.

Realizing that being passionate about your sport is not all that it takes to excel in it. Dedication, devotion, and practice are the keys to success.

Karlin trains hard year round, even when Carder isn’t around. He stays in shape by participating in other

SPORTS

Junior Lucas Karlin plays football. Karlin currently trains with former NW and current Western Michigan quarterback Alex Carder. photo by johnny tong sports, including basketball and track, but still lifts weights to get stronger. Carder’s main focus is to improve Karlin’s technique as a quarterback, but it is Karlin’s job to improve as an athlete.

“I think the most important thing is to lift weights. No matter who you train with for your position, you’re still going to have to be getting stronger and improving as an athlete,” Karlin said.

Teammates of Karlin’s often come out and help when he needs somebody to practice with while training with Carder.

“We always have a good group of guys who will come out to catch and run routes, which really helps me out when I’m working on a specific thing [Carder] is trying to teach me,” Karlin said.

The thing to remember is that any type of practice athletes do is better than nothing at all, but few go the extra step to seek help from a professional, or in Karlin’s case, a collegiate athlete. This type of training not only pushes an athlete farther, but improves their skill level immensely, and gets the athlete prepared for their sport’s season.

“Training with [Carder] helps my timing,” Karlin said. “Which will help once we finally get to put the pads on.”

Matt Peterson

Junior Matt Peterson has been playing baseball ever since he was three years old, when he played teeball. Peterson has continued to play every year, as he is looking hopes to make the varsity team this year.

Someone who has helped Peterson to improve his game, is Nate Tenbrink, who is a minor league baseball player for the Seattle Mariners’ farm system, has helped Peterson improve his game.

Tenbrink who is from Olathe, so he took a coaching job coaching the Midwest Blacksox, for a new 18 and under traveling team, the Midwest Blacksox, which is full of Johnson County players all over the Johnson County area. Peterson and two other NW players, senior Austin Howard and freshman Brad Foster, joined the team and spent the summer playing under Tenbrink. Tenbrink, who is only 23 years old, and has a possibility of getting called up this season to play for the Major League team. This has given him exposure to what a major league team is like, which in turn has caused him to teach what he learned to the players he changed the way he coachesd.

“You just know that whatever they did worked, and that they made it somewhere, so you know whatever they are telling you is serious and you’re going to get results,” Peterson said.

Being able to play for under a coach who is training professionally right now can be used as an advantage for players, as opposed to players who have coaches who never made it that far. Tenbrink’s experience coaching the team, has allowed the training to more closely resemble that of a professional baseball team. v“We used the exact same drills and workouts that the Seattle Mariners use. It is really exciting.”

Peterson said.

Baseball is not only about physicality. the physical aspect.

Tenbrink has taught Peterson a lot about the mental aspect of the game, because Tenbrink has been to the higher level and understands all the mental pressures that comes with the game.

“He’s a great guy and he helps teaches ing you the mental aspect as well, not just conditioning and drills.” Peterson said. “He has taught us a good mental approach at the plate and how you want to carry yourself on and off the field.”

Tenbrink also worked with the players in getting their names out there for college scouts to see.

“He recommends making a highlight video and just sending them out to college coaches. He’s got a lot of knowledge that he is willing to share.”

Even though Peterson who hopes is just a junior he will still take his advice, because he is looking to play in college is listening carefully to Tenbrink.

“Obviously, if I could I’d want to play pro baseball. I mean I love it, but I am definitely going to play in college no matter where I go,” Peterson said.

Right now, Peterson has taken all the advice he has learned from his summer ball coach, and he is using it now for his season with the Northwest. He is looking hopes to learn even more, as he plans to continue to play for Tenbrink. The Blacksox are going to be a fall team, as well as a summer one, so Peterson will gladly play for them as much as he can.

sports

25

SPORTS

MADNESS OF MARCH

For fans of NCAA Basketball, March is one of the best months of the year, but it can be frustrating to local fans because the games will not be close to home. by connor thompson

The NCAA Tournament is nearly upon us, and if you happen to be in Boston, Atlanta or New Orleans anytime soon, you might just be able to catch a game or two. But, why should March Madness be limited to these large, metropolitan areas when the teams, and the fans, could equally benefit from hosting the tournament in smaller cities, some of which may be closer to home, and the team’s fan base.

Teams like KU, UNC and Duke that are consistently good don’t usually get to play in cities all that close to them. But, these teams have huge fan bases that would likely shell out good money for the tickets to see their team play, if they were playing a little close to home.

The problem isn’t always that smaller cities don’t have the right facilities to make these tournaments possible, but that they don’t have the accommodations for a few thousand people to come and stay in town for a few days.

The problem with cities hosting their home teams is that fans of those teams often won’t spend

as much money during the tournament as those from out of town.

“For fans, there’s nothing more perfect than having a regional team compete for the championship close to home. But the fact is that local fans don’t need to pay for hotel rooms, dinners out or entertainment before and after the games the way out-of-towners do; thus, cities make less money when hosting a home team,” said Kathryn Glass, a writer for the Owriter for an Omaha news team.

Money aside, the aforementioned teams, which are consistently in the Final Four, deserve to have some home fans cheering while they play, not just the averages person who wants to say they have been to a NCAA tournament game.

One main reason the Final Four doesn’t play at a site where the team regularly plays is to eliminate an unfair advantage for the championship, and tons of cheering fans would obviously be an advantage.

There are people who can and will spend a lot of money to get tickets, but not everyone who is a

major fan will have that as an option.

Hosting the tournament in larger cities allows not only the NCAA to make money (bigger towns, bigger arenas), but the cities themselves make money as well. Metropolitan areas like these have more people to draw from as well as plenty of places for everyone to hang out before and after games.

Chances are, the athletes would probably like to play near their home town. It would be a neutral field still, but more of that team’s fans will be able to attend the game, instead of someone who couldn’t care less about the team, but wanted to go to a basketball game. But if those athletes play for a school that isn’t near a big city, they probably won’t ever get the chance.

Kansas City is a perfect town, near great college basketball teams, that has a nice and new arena that is one example of a city to be great to play (at least) some earlier tournament games.

9

The improvement in number of wins for the Lady Cougar Basketball team between last year and this year. This year their record is 16-6 as of March 5. Last year their record was 7-14.

26

March 9, 2012

2

Number of wins the Royals have as of March 5, they have played in only two games. They have outscored the Rangers 13-7 in the first two games.

5:04:82

BY THE NUMBERS

Sophomore Ben Koeller’s time in the 500 meter freestyle which earned him 10th place at the state swim meet.

8

Number of Big XII titles the University of Kansas has won in a row. They clinched the title after they defeated Texas last Friday.

what’s new on v

photo by aaron messick

Throwback: How to abide like The Dude

In the Coen Brother’s 1998 film, The Big Lebowski, Jeff Bridges gave one of the best performances in his career.

I broke down his character in search of finding out what it takes to be “The Dude”. by daniel magwire

Defeating the Odds

After a life-changing accident resulting in serious spinal injuries, junior Ben Koeller’s swim season appeared to be over. But against all odds, Koeller worked hard to recuperate and made it to state. by ashlee crane

Making Healthy Choices

For the first time in 15 years, the USDA has updated their regulations for school lunch menus. The effects of these changes will soon be noticed in the NW cafeteria. by ashlee crane

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

WRITE US A LETTER

6

5

1 3 4

1

7 1

8 1

3

6 2 4 8 5

5 3 1 3

1 8

7

2

5

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.

9

5 2 4

2 smnw.com

27

IN FOCUS

“It’s really important to people [to receive blood] and helps saves lives, so it makes you feel really good about doing it. If I needed blood, I definitely hope someone would give the blood to help me.” — junior Shelby Quint

photo by brittany bonsignore