Issue 3: Fresh Traditions by Northwest Passage

passage

Volume 46 — Issue 3 — November 21, 2014

traditions

THE 400-YEAR-OLD AMERICAN HOLIDAY IS NO LONGER A CELEBRATION OF JUST A BIG BIRD, BIG THANKS AND BIG FOOTBALL, IT’S THE GATEWAY TO THE HOLIDAY SEASON PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY LUCAS SILVA

Weighing the waste...........................05 the picture of kc culture...................1 1 up in the lair....................................23

issue 3 table of contents

13 FRESH TRADITIONS The 400-year-old American holiday is no longer a celebration of just a big bird, big thanks and big football, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the gateway to the holiday season photo illustration by Lucas Silva

ON SMNW.COM SMNW.COM @SMNWDOTCOM @SMNWDOTCOM

The purpose of the Northwest Passage is to relay important and interesting information and concerns of the student body. Outside concerns and activities will only be covered to the community, administration and students of the Shawnee Mission Northwest if they somehow affect the school or students. The Northwest Passage is a 32-page High School. As a newsmagazine, the Northwest Passage will cater to the interests newsmagazine. The paper will be distributed every four weeks during fifth hour.

WEIGHING THE WASTE In a school of almost 2000 students, faculty and staff, food waste is a huge problem that we are trying to solve

THE PICTURE OF KC CULTURE

BEHIND THE BADGE

Galleries of the Crossroads Arts District allow visitors to experience the art culture of Kansas City

photo illustration by Nick Kahtava

photo by Atalie Black

Shane Fries comes out of retirement to become one of NW’s SROs

Although Little Shop of Horrors ended far from happily, it brought junior Dylan Klein under the spotlight for his debut role on the stage

photo by Emilie Amunatigui

photo by Nick Kahtava

20 22 REP IT OUT Sophomore Justin Flickner aspires to achieve elite status in weightlifting photo by Lucas Silva

NO SUNSHINE WITHOUT RAIN

LIGHTING THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD

Drama teacher Keli “Sunshine” Rodgers can be expected to direct as if in a professional setting

The Marching Cougar Pride ends their season with the annual Light Show

photo by Bryce Rex

photo by Kristi Seng

19 FEED ME

29 FORKS DOWN In a plate-to-plate battle, will Mr. D’s or Lamar’s Doughnuts come out on top? photo by Jordan Absher

NORTHWEST MEDIA HONORED

MINECRAFT MOVIE?

CCC HOSTS CAPPUCCINO DAY

MY TIMELESS BOOKS

The NW Media staffs and individual journalists bring home awards from D.C. by Deena Essa

Upcoming releases for gaming, movies and TV by Keegan Dolinar

The first Cappuccino Day of the year is told through a video recap by Grace Amundson

Seven books to read before you graduate by Rebecca Carroll

d Subscriptions will be available to the community for $25. The Northwest Passage firmly supports arise the editorial board and adviser will discuss the problem to find the solution. In these cases, and good taste. Letters may attack policy but not people. In no way will ideas or viewpoints e the First Amendment and opposes censorship. The content of the newspaper will be determined the editor-in-chief and editorial board will have the say in all decisions. Letters to the editor will be changed. The editor-in-chief and editorial board reserve the right to refuse any letter. . and created by the entire staff. When questions concerning word choice, legal problems or ethics be accepted and encouraged. The staff reserves the right to edit for grammatical mistakes, length

AS WE DEVELOP, WE MUST CREATE A SOUND BALANCE BETWEEN TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIAL INTERACTION + BY REBECCA CARROLL

ATHLETES ARE REFLECTIONS OF THEIR COACHES; A GOOD COACH MAKES A GOOD PLAYER + BY CALVIN LACERTE

hen I was very little, my with adults constantly on their favorite things to do were phone, even in the car or at the build forts, color and go outside. As dinner table, children are bound to I grew older, more opportunities pick up these habits. to communicate with the world It’s no surprise that I am appalled through a screen became open to by these behaviors as smart phones me, and my priorities changed. were new to us in elementary Fun became less about running school. But the young children of around in the summer air and more today are born into a plugged in about playing on websites like world, surrounded by people in total Webkinz and games on the Disney tunnel-vision. Channel. The more access I had to This is not to say that technology the world, the more interested I was usage should be totally eradicated. in investigating it. I could find any In fact, I feel I have been molded by bit of information I wanted with a much of the cultural input that I only few clicks. have access to through the internet. However, my family was sure to My interests have a lot to do with keep my brother and I at a balance; the types of Youtube videos I’ve we were only allowed seen and the blogs I Everywhere I go, I see internet access for have read that I would small children navigating short periods and we never see otherwise. their way through a were encouraged to I get book and music smartphone or tablet take frequent breaks recommendations, quicker than I can. to read or play with international news the dogs outside. This is not the case and so much more, all on one for many children today. platform. As time goes on and more I do believe that internet usage is advancements in technology are important in a child’s socio-cultural made, what was once innovative development. But, at the rate and only used by adults becomes the children are using technology today, norm for children. Everywhere I go, more damage than development is I see small children navigating their being done. way through a smartphone or tablet With technology usage at an allquicker than I can. It’s as if their time high and age of child web access parents use phones and tablets as a at an all time low, the priorities must way to shut their kids up. change. There is a time for internet And the sad part is, their parents usage, and a time for natural human are doing the same thing. These interaction that is necessary in the children learn from example, and well-being of a child.

WAYS TO UNPLUG

Read a booK Play outside Draw Take up an instrument Sit down for coffee and conversation Play a card or board game Bake something KNIT

opinion | nov. 21, 2014

GO TO AN ACTIVITY CENTER LIKE sky zone or a gym Reorganize or redecorate a space Go shopping Attend a school event that you are unfamiliar with If all else fails, there is always homework to do.

he NFL, NBA and MLB would If an athletic instructor doesn’t not exist if it weren’t for the strive to encourage or help their people behind the scenes teaching players, then their team can’t and leading the players. Little become better. Without leadership league football would be unheard from someone with considerable of if it weren’t for the instructors knowledge of the sport, the team’s developing and training the young progression becomes stationary athletes. and their performance will surely A player’s mindset on the field is emulate that. always important to coaches. In any A dedicated coach is someone sport the coachwho approaches ing staff is rein The coach of a team has the discipline sponsible for not a smart and important job of making only encouragconstructive way. their players believe that ing their players, If a team member they can succeed. Their but also mentally is struggling , confidence wins games. preparing them. their coach will An athlete’s emofind out why they tions at the beginning of a match- aren’t playing well and will try to up is the deciding factor of whether help them improve. Coaches will they will perform well. If they are forgive any mistakes that stem from nervous, the outcome of the game athletic shortcomings, but what will reflect it. frustrates a coach is blatant lack of An important goal of a coach is focus. That’s when you’ll see a player to help their players be the best get lectured and then forced into athletes they can be. The progression some gut wrenching conditioning. from little leagues to big leagues is Measuring a coach’s effectiveness possible because of the dedicated usually comes down to wins and how people mentoring those athletes they confront defeat. In the case of a into professionals. coach losing for an extended period Having a healthy, calm mindset of time, the question of whether he is critical to a player’s success. If is in the right profession is whether a pitcher is uncomfortable on the he is still willing to teach his team. mound or a goalie isn’t focused on Enthusiasm and patience are the game then their opponents gain imperative in an athletic mentor’s the edge. The coach of a team has the work. A coach’s reaction to losing important job of making their players is essential but at the end of the day believe that they can succeed. Their a coach has one goal, one desire: to confidence wins games. win the game.

TOP COACHES based on total wins NBA: Don Nelson: 1335- Milwaukee, New York, Dallas, Golden State Lenny Wilkens: 1332- Portland, Seattle, Cleveland, Atlanta, Toronto, New York

Pat Riley: 1210- Los Angeles(Lakers), New York, Miami Jerry Sloan: 1190- Utah Phil Jackson: 1098- Chicago, Los Angeles(Lakers)

NFL: Don Shula: 328- Baltimore(Colts), Miami George Halas: 318- Chicago

Tom Landry: 250- Dallas Curly Lambeau: 226- Green Bay Bill Belichick: 205- New England

MLB: Tony LaRussa: 2728-Chicago, Connie Mack: 3731- Philadelphia(Athletics) Oakland, St.Louis John McGraw: 2763- Baltimore, Bobby Cox: 2504-Atlanta, Toronto New York(Giants)

WEIGHING THE

STAFF EDITORIAL FOR / AGAINST

In a school of almost 2000 students, faculty and staff, food waste is a huge problem that we are trying to solve t’s 1 p.m. Lunch has just ended and a janitor lugs a bulging, black trash bag down to the basement. There’s a tear in its side, but he barely notices the hole. A Red Delicious apple peeks through the bag: plump and perfect. Unopened cartons of strawberry milk, baby carrots, uneaten rolls and juicy grapes are just a few of the foods students routinely throw away. We are wasteful. According to Joy Greenbaugh, food services manager, most of the food thrown away is fruit and vegetables. This was confirmed by a national survey conducted by the Food Assistance and Nutrition Research Program found an overall 12 percent food waste, with vegetables and fruits being the most wasted items, averaging at a higher waste of 15 percent. The total annual cost of food waste was estimated at over $600 million. At Northwest, on an average day, NW custodians throw away an average of 30 trash bags after lunch, coming down to a range of 200–300 lbs. of food, according to custodian Will Toomay. Students have taken advantage of the system

the Shawnee Mission School District offers. Adding a side of vegetables and fruits to an entrée allows students to pay only $2.40 for the entire meal, a reduction of up to . And students are able to make an unlimited number of free trips to the vegetable bar. Not only is food wasted by students during lunch, but waste occurs in the kitchen as well. Entrées not purchased the first or second day they are served are thrown away. In a typical day, Greenbaugh serves 1451 students. The kitchen staff cooks 589 entrées, of which 187 are thrown away. But, according to Greenbaugh, because of the planning that goes into preparing the meals, the waste in the kitchen doesn’t come close to student-produced waste. Since the U.S. Department of Agriculture introduced the Hunger-Free Kids Act in 2010, the National School Board Association survey shows that 83.7 percent of school districts saw an increase in plate waste.

A solution that 12 Shawnee Mission School District schools have adopted is composting: recycling food into a waste pile for soil nutrients or leftovers for animals. Composting can usually recycle up to 50 percent of the total waste in food, liquids and paper, too. In September 2012, the amount of cafeteria waste reduced from the 12 schools came to approximately 11.5 tons. That amount increased to 12 tons in October. A total However, when Greenbaugh and science teacher Michael Pisani approached former principal Dr. Bill annual cost with proposal to introduce composting of food waste Harrington at Northwest. Harrington did not approve the plan. was estimated With 12 Shawnee Mission schools, including SM East, already involved in a recycling program, at over we can’t understand why Northwest doesn’t participate in something similar. We encourage the NW administration to reconsider the proposal made by Pisani and Greenbaugh. But that is just a part of the solution. NW students should take only the food they plan on according to the USDA eating. Students who have no intention of eating one of the many apples thrown away every day should stop taking them. If you are only taking the grapes or carrots so you can throw them away, don’t. Maybe the idea of reducing the cost of lunch to encourage students to put fruits and vegetables on their plates isn’t working out so well.

$600 million

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY NICK KAHTAVA

nw passage | opinion

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a briefly girl effect returns as a Northwest club

irl Effect is back. The club was disbanded late last year due to low membership, after four or five years of activity. By the time that they had decided to disband, the club only had five people left. However, that changed at the start of this year. “I got several e-mails at the beginning of the year from freshman, foreign exchange students, from current Girl Effect members asking when the meetings were going to be,” Brewer said. “So when I replied that we disbanded due to lack of interest, they responded that it wasn’t a lack of interest, it was a time issue.” She encouraged interested students to talk to the former Girl Effect leadership. The club is devoted to helping struggling girls and women, focusing on victims of domestic violence and girls in third world countries. Girl Effect has just finished planning the events for the year including volunteering at women’s shelters, sending letters and packages to struggling women, and social media campaigns. “[Our main goal] is to get people involved,” event manager Zoe Davis

said. “[Especially] underclassmen, because of what happened to the original Girl Effect. There weren’t enough underclassmen involved enough to continue.” One of the ideas for this year is the “We Have Voices” challenge. Members pledge silence for a day to symbolize girls’ voices around the world that can’t be heard. The next day they go around and tell some of their personal stories to people. Each person will talk about one story of one girl living in developing countries. The event “We Have Choices” emphasizes the choices that most students have for luxuries, whereas others do not have as many options. One purchase a week for a month is used to help better the lives of people who need it. The newly reestablished Girl Effect meets on the first and third Wednesdays of each month at 7 p.m. “Our most important goal is really random acts of kindness,” Brewer said, “and to make sure we’re always being kind and promoting kindness throughout.”

PHOTO BY MAYA LEE

+ by sam athey

StuCo hosts annual halloween carnival

tudent Council sponsored the Halloween Carnival Oct. 25 for the children of Head Start, a program in Kansas City providing underprivileged young children with a variety of activities in the Kansas City area. The mall and first and second hallway were decorated by student groups. “My favorite part is getting to go to all the booths and see the happy kids,” co-chairman of Halloween Carnival

Sam Oberbroeckling said. “The purpose is to provide a safe friendly environment for the children to trick or treat.” About 15 clubs and organizations participated and created booths for the children to play and get candy prizes at. For instance, Student Council created a booth with two plastic pools filled with 100 pounds worth of corn for children to play with. There were other activities including a photo booth and a karaoke

station. “Our results were fantastic this year, better than we expected because the Royals’ game was the same night,” Oberbroeckling said. “Estimates were around 300 kids.”

+ by rebecca carroll & haena lee

debate tournament hosted at Northwest

orty-six teams from 12 schools competed in the Northwest debate tournament on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1. Northwest, however, was not one of them. “We are actually not allowed to compete at our own tournament because our students recruit the judges,” debate coach Kenneth King said. “It would be a little bit biased if we recruited the people that decided who won.” The tournament began with five

rounds that could be entered by any debater, no matter how many years of experience. After the five rounds concluded, the top eight teams advanced to the quarterfinals. In the finals, SM West faced off against Piper High School. West ended up victorious, while Piper took second place. SM East took third. NW debaters helped out in various capacities including concessions. The money raised from the concessions will be used to fund the debate squad activities and travel.

PHOTO BY KRISTI SENG “It’s just fun to see all the different teams and just see who’s who and if you know people that you compete against just to talk to them,” freshman debater Jordyn Pomerantz said. “As long as you know what you’re talking about, or you can be persuasive,” Pomerantz said, “you can debate.”

PHOTO BY JADA PEOPLES

+ by sam athey

nw passage | news

briefly a PHOTO BY GRACE BUZZARD

PHOTO BY GRACE BUZZARD

ccc hosts cappuccino day + by grace amundson The Cougar Community Commitment Executive Board hosted cappuccino day today to raise money for food and other necessities to benefit families in need around the Kansas City area. In total, cappuccino day raised $2021.01. Of that amount, $1646.94 was raised from food alone, $34.07 from donations, and $340 from t-shirt sales. “It was a complete success,” said sponsor Ron Poplau. “It went absolutely perfectly and I am so thankful for all the support from Northwest.” Cappuccinos, hot chocolate, “half-andhalfs,” lemonades and cookies were each sold for $1 in the mall from the start of the school day until the end of fourth hour. CCC t-shirts were also sold for $10 and general donations were accepted.

“All I can think about are all the families that will be helped from the dedication of [the executive board] and the generosity from the students and teachers,” said Poplau. Next semester, CCC will host the second cappuccino day. T-shirts are still available in room 208 for $10, and you do not need to be a part of CCC to purchase one. Next year’s executive board will be chosen at the start of second semester, and those juniors will aid the current board members in hosting the last cappuccino day of the year.

choral festival is held in Greg parker auditorium

PHOTO BY EMILIE AMUNATIGUI

news | nov. 21, 2014

PHOTO BY EMILIE AMUNATIGUI

he auditorium was filled with a feeling of apprehension Thursday night as the sixth graders and middle schoolers fidgeted in their seats. They were preparing for their first choir festival of the year at Shawnee Mission Northwest. The Choral Festival was held in Greg Parker auditorium on November 13. Friends and family gathered from all over the Northwest area. Performers included the combined sixth grade choirs, honors sixth grade choir, Trailridge Advanced Choir, Northwest A Capella Choir, and Northwest Chambers Choir. The concert began with all the choirs and the audience singing the Star Spangled Banner together, with the Northwest Chambers Choir leading. Afterwards the combined sixth grade choir performed followed by the high schoolers, middle schoolers, the sixth graders again, and so on. The choirs performed a variety of songs including the Chambers’ performance of “Kiss the Girl” from the hit Disney movie The Little Mermaid. “All the younger kids were there so they really looked up to the Chambers kids,” Senior

Kristi Sengpraseuth said. “When we were singing you could hear all the younger kids going ‘Wow, they’re so good!’ and that was really cool.” Sengpraseuth is a part of the A Capella and Chambers Choirs at Northwest. At the end of the concert, all choirs came together to sing one last song: “Heal the World” by Michael Jackson. Each choir sang by themselves, and then all sang together. “I think it was really cool to hear the transition of voices,” Sengpraseuth said. “It was like the evolution of voices and how we’ve changed throughout the years.”

+ BY GRACE GORENFLO & BENJAMIN BECKER

Canned food drive MATT WOLFE’S FIFTH HOUR CLASS CONTRIBUTES MORE THAN TWICE THAT OF NEAREST COMPETITOR.

etting a final can of chicken noodle soup on the top of a pile ranging from packages of ramen to containers of cake frosting, StuCo president Harrison Chen took a step back to look at the collection. Over 6,270 cans and $3,459 had been collected by the final day of the canned food drive. The totals fell far short of Student Council’s goal of 12,000 cans and $10,000. However, StuCo also collected cash and cans at the Mother Son/Father Daughter Dance and will continue to collect at the Talent Show. “In an economic time like this, the Johnson County Christmas Bureau warned us not to be too disappointed if we came in below our goals,” StuCo Canned Food Drive coordinators Ben Johnson, Drew Vanderleest and Harry Green said in an email sent to faculty members. Non-perishable foods and cash were accepted for donation to benefit the Johnson

County Christmas Bureau. Fifth hour classes participated in the drive. In an effort to encourage classes to participate, StuCo turned the fund raiser into a competition categorized by class size to see who could raise the most food and money. Matt Wolfe’s large fifth hour class stacked up 5,929 points per student to win the competition with twice as many points as the nearest competitor, Drew Magwire’s large fifth hour class. The cans and money will be sent to the Johnson County Christmas Bureau (JCCB) for their annual Holiday Shop, which serves over 36,000 families in need. In the past few years, the JCCB has experienced greater need for their services and, as a result, have been forced to deny a lot of people the services they need.

+ by Paige Eichkorn / photos by alexa styers

nw passage | news

Back in Action After having surgery performed on his bladder last Tuesday to remove a stage one cancerous tumor, Cougar Community Commitment (CCC) teacher Ron Poplau is back in action. With a short, five day recovery, Poplau is confident in the progress of his healing. “[The doctor] said he’s done the surgery hundreds of times and

that he thinks he got it all,” Poplau said. “but [getting surgery] has a way of making you feel like you are mortal.” A life-sized card greeted Poplau upon his return. The card was created by art teacher David Hunt and was placed in the mall to be signed by the student body and staff. Covered head-to-toe with

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY JORDAN ABSHER signatures and “get well” messages, the card stands as a tangible example of Poplau’s positive impact on the NW community. Poplau has always been focused on CCC. Even while he was laying in his hospital bed he was concerned with how things were going back in room 208. “You sit there and look at the clock and envision what’s

going on at school. Then again, you haven’t lived until they put a balloon in your bladder.” Because of his faith in God, Poplau had minimal worries about his surgery. With smiling confidence he claims that he “put it all into God’s hands… and she said she’d take care of me.”

+ by grace amundson

FROM THE CARD “We love you! Northwest wouldn’t be the same without your lively spirit. Can’t wait to see you when you get back!” — senior Brooke Nelson

news | nov. 21, 2014

“Get well soon! Thinking and praying for you!” — Math teacher marcus fryatt “We miss you! Feel better!” — senior tessa kohler

“Hey Pop! Thanks so much for being such an inspiration to those around you! Get well soon!” — Junior Katy Terry

“Poplau, you have done so much for us. Thank you for being such a great role model! You have impacted my life so strongly and I can never repay you for that!” — senior Savannah taylor

PHOTO BY HAENA LEE

Above: Installation art piece on Southwest St.

PHOTO BY HAENA LEE

Above: Large graphic art hung in the ArtsKC Gallery

PHOTO BY ATALIE BLACK

the picture of KC culture Above: Two men look at art at the ArtsKC Gallery

Above: The “Buy Art” sign is an installation piece located at 18th and Locust

The first Friday of every month, the galleries of the Crossroads Arts District allow visitors to experience the art culture of Kansas City

he heart of the Crossroads District, around 20th Street and Baltimore Avenue, is packed with obscure galleries are hidden in every shabby corner. The first Friday of every month, the galleries — with signs warning, “Beware of lowhanging art,” dogs running around indoors and old wooden ceilings with nails sticking out — open to the public. In a garage, sharing space with a muddy construction plow, intricately-crafted ceramics are displayed on makeshift plywood shelves. Music of the artist’s choice plays on a stereo in the background. The stereo, the shelves and the floor are coated with a layer of clay dust. In other galleries, displayed long

blank white walls, there are art made from white-out and crayon and graphite sketches ten times too small for their frames. There are sculptures made out of plants, kitchenware and painted chain link. “It’s probably our busiest day,” Cafe Gratitude waitress Leigh Woody said. “It’s cool because it brings people together for a unified purpose instead of just a whole bunch of people on the street doing different things; everyone’s mingling. It’s the one big activity that we have every month here.” It is a new experience every month because there are too many galleries to visit in one night, and each gallery has a distinct personality. No one coordinates everything by

themselves; independently owned businesses and artists create the shows. “Everyone’s responsible for their own,” Woody said. “People will set up booths on the street and it’s really independent; everyone does their own thing. It’s really impressive.” One of the best things about First Fridays is the casual atmosphere. The crossroads are more crowded than an art museum, but the noise is preferable to discomforting silence. The event is informal, and there is no pressure to interpret the artwork. “First Friday is born out of knowing that people may be apprehensive and unfamiliar with not only the crossroads arts district but entering an art gallery and not

feeling self-conscious about that,” Blue Gallery owner director Kelly Kuhn said. “Because art galleries can be intimidating. My partner and I opened Blue Gallery wanting it to be a less intimidating experience.” The artists and gallery curators hope to share their passion for art through First Fridays. “It’s challenging because unlike me, a lot of the world doesn’t think you need art to survive,” Kuhn said. “I am of that mindset, so is my partner. We’re trying to change the world’s attitude about art, overall. Both there’s a lot of collectors too, a lot of art, and know it’s a necessity and its impact and its ability to inspire us to just get us through the day.” + BY SOPHIE FLORES

“I’m sort of telling a story with all of these paintings. I started doing what I call a painted theatre project, where I paint portraits, objects, and interiors, but they were actually a stage, characters in the play, and props in the play.”

“I learned how to work with artists, connected with collectors who were looking for art but didn’t know where to begin. Helping them find pieces that they really loved. And then I learned that I had a knack for hanging a gallery, or hanging a personal collection. I had a fair amount of collectors and artists and art directors saying, ‘You should open your own art gallery.’ And it was just all I needed to hear. I was young enough and naive enough to give it a shot. And I knew that I would regret it if I didn’t try. So here I am 14 years later.”

“Kansas City is a great city for the arts because everything is situated together and so people can come to galleries and have events like First Fridays and go to multiple places that are in walking distance rather than drive all over.”

– PATRICK DUEGAW, artist

– KELLY KUHN, Blue Gallery owner director

– MAURA WRIGHT, Sherry-Leedy Gallery assistant

nw passage | Feature

Behind the SHANE FRIES COMES OUT OF RETIREMENT TO BECOME ONE OF NW’S SROs + By Haena Lee / Photos by Emilie Amunatigui ou’re good,” student resource officer Shane Fries said, as numerous seniors pulled out their ID cards for open lunch. “Thanks,” they replied. Fries does more than just check ID cards for open lunch. After graduating from SM West, Fries attended Washburn University and majored in Criminal Justice. After working for the Johnson County Sheriff’s office as a sergeant for 26 years, he retired last May came to Northwest this year. He dealt with anyone from thieves to murderers. As sergeant he booked anyone from thieves to murderers,, patrolled, and supervised 25 deputies and detectives. “I got bored being retired and this opportunity presented itself to me,” Fries said. “I thought I’d give it a shot to see how it is. I enjoy it so far.” As an SRO his job is to maintain the integrity of the building and the safety and security of the students, faculty and staff. “Instead of a negative environment this is a positive one,” Fries said “People here have seen kids come and go. Some of them come back and tell you how their lives are now and it

“Y

feature | nov. 21, 2014

makes you feel good to see that they were successful in whatever they chose to do.” He hopes to leave a better lasting impression for students rather than fit into the police stereotype of being someone who tries to get students in trouble. “I was hoping to be a positive influence for what high school kids think about police officers in general,” Fries said. “They probably think they hassle them. I was thinking back as a kid I never really had conversations [with police officers] because there were no SROs at school, so I had no contact with the police unless it was in a negative way, like getting a speeding ticket.” Behind the full sleeve tattoos, the police badge and uniform, Fries just wants to be someone students would be comfortable to talk to about anything. “I want people to be comfortable to tell me when something is going on,” Fries said. “Not just in school; if something is going on at home I want them to be able to tell me. Not only just with something of criminal nature, but when they need help.”

Above: Standing outside of the doors to the student parking lot, SRO officer Shane Fries smiles as he waits to check student ID cards before they go out to lunch. Only seniors are allowed to go to open lunch. Left: SRO officer Shane Fries stands near SM North stadium watching to make sure no one is causing trouble. This is his first year as an SRO officer at Northwest.

Where's Fries?

Where you can find officer Fries during the day

*for emergencies have the office radio him

student parking lot entrance

Mall

Nurse

Office SRO office

Cafeteria

Front entrance of the building

fresh traditions fres THE 400-YEAR-OLD AMERICAN HOLIDAY IS NO LONGER A CELEBRATION OF JUST A BIG BIRD, BIG THANKS AND BIG FOOTBALL, IT’S THE GATEWAY TO THE HOLIDAY SEASON hanksgiving is a holiday

T that comes with certain

expectations; the turkey, watching football and overeating. But there are no rules on how to count blessings, no set way to reflect on the past year and no religious ceremonies attached to this annual holiday. Four hundred years after the colony’s first successful harvest, it has evolved into a holiday open to any culture or tradition, uniquely celebrated by every family. + BY DEENA ESSA CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY LUCAS SILVA

nw passage | Feature

$12.3 billion was spent in stores on Black Friday last year (cnn.com) $1.964 billion was the total online sales for Black Friday last year (TechCrunch) The average Black Friday online order was $135.27 (TechCrunch)

twelve a.m.

traditions

WHETHER YOU CAMP OUT IN FRONT OF BEST BUY OR JUST PEOPLE-WATCH, BLACK FRIDAY HAS BEEN A TRADITION FOR MORE FAMILIES EACH YEAR + BY PAIGE EICHKORN

t 12 a.m. sharp, stores like Walmart, Target and Best Buy open their doors to welcome the crowds that define this afterThanksgiving shopping event: Black Friday. “I love to stand on the top floor of the mall and look at the swarm of girls ripping into the doors at Pink,” junior Maddison Jarman said. Victoria’s Secret, Pink is just one of the many popular stores shoppers rush to, as well as Target, Walmart and

Apple stores. “I bought a 28-inch HD flatscreen for $125 two years ago from Target,” Jarman said. Last year, overall sales hit $12.3 for Thanksgiving and Black Friday – up 2.3 percent from 2012, according to CNN Money. “We typically get a lot of Christmas shopping done on Black Friday,” junior Katy Terry said. “We generally spend a couple hundred, maybe.” Twenty-five percent of Thanksgiving Day shoppers say they arrived at a physical retail store by 8 p.m. and 37.3 percent said they arrived at a store before midnight, which was an increase from Thanksgiving Day 2013, according to the National Retail Federation

survey. “I’m gonna be right in the middle of it,” environmental ed teacher Stacy Robins said. “I’m hoping that the iPad Mini is on sale really cheap so I can buy two for my kids. I’m also thinking about going to Dick’s Sporting Goods hoping they have some good sales as well.” Shoppers use a variety of strategies to make it to their items, even if it means pushing people out of their way. “I have small stature so I can weave between people’s legs without getting smashed,” junior Connor McCabe said. “I climb on the shelves to get around people.”

On Thanksgiving night, tens of thousands of people gather for local entertainment performances at the Country Club Plaza Lighting Ceremony + BY SOPHIE FLORES 15 blocks of the Plaza are decorated with 280,000 multi-colored bulbs Totaling over 80 miles of lights

Thanksgiving

History

+ by mitch feyerherm

feature | nov. 21, 2014

The tradition bethen gan with one person, and grew as the Plaza did. In 1925, the head of the Nichols Company maintenance operation, Charles Pitrat, hung a sixfoot string of 16 colored light bulbs over the doorway of the Plaza’s first building, the Suydam building (now the Millcreek Building). As

more buildings were added, more lights were hung. In 1928, Pitrat hung lights over 47th Street to reach the new Plaza Theatre. In 1929, he framed the buildings and towers. The first formal lighting ceremony took place in 1930 and has become one of the city's oldest traditions. The task is much more daunting today. The strings of lights are made now to fit in the same spot every year. The lights are installed by four electricians in August while the weather is warm and removed by April. The installation

crew from Capital Electric uses trucks with lifts, ropes and shoes just like mountain climbers to keep their footing as they scale the Plaza buildings. A code on aluminum tags to identifies where each string of lights belongs, with a series of numbers corresponding to a building, location on the building and height. The lights are maintained daily. Every bulb will come down to a workbench to be inspected for damage. The burnt out bulbs are replaced and turned into souvenirs, one of thousands of bulbs topping every gift wrapped by the Plaza gift wrap service.

November, 1621: Plymouth 1623: The second 1789: George Washington 1827: Sarah Josepha Hale, Colony governor, William “Thanksgiving” is celebrated issues the first Thanksgiving author of “Mary Had a Bradford, arranges a threeafter the colonists at by the national Government, Little Lamb” begins an day feast for the Pilgrims Plymouth were forced to imploring the nation to give editorial campaign to and their Native American fast in light of a particularly thanks for the end of the recognize Thanksgiving as a allies. bad drought. War for Independence. national holiday.

egetarian THANKSGIVING NORTHWEST STUDENTS WHO FOLLOW A MEAT-FREE DIET CELEBRATE TURKEY DAY + BY DEENA ESSA

very year, millions of American dinner tables are laid with food from one end to the other, and at their center is a roasted turkey, the symbol of Thanksgiving itself.

Kate Mays

A vegetarian since before middle school, senior Kate Mays has been celebrating a meat-free Thanksgiving for almost six years. “I became vegetarian for moral reasons,” Mays said. “It’s not just killing and eating animals but the treatment of

Mihir Shroff

F o r freshman M i h i r Shroff, a Hindu and vegetarian since birth, his November break isn’t spent celebrating Thanksgiving. “It’s not that big in our culture, so we don’t really do much for it,” Shroff said.

Lily Ottinger A f t e r opho& Rozlyn Wohler smore Lily Ottinger came back a vegan from a debate camp at the University of Kansas, her friend sophomore Rozlyn Wohler decided to become vegan as well. “[KU] offered a whole

1863: Abraham Lincoln gives in to Hale’s pleas and establishes Thanksgiving as the final Thursday of every November.

But ever since vegetarianism and veganism became more popular in the U.S. around the end of the 20th century, Thanksgiving celebrators have had to accommodate this holiday to their diet, which often eliminates the turkey.

the animals beforehand.” At the age of five, after discovering that meat came from animals, Mays’ younger brother decided to become vegetarian. “I don’t think I would be a vegetarian if it weren’t for [my brother],” Mays said. “He showed me that it’s not hard at all.”

Mays celebrates Thanksgiving at her grandma’s house along with predominantly nonvegetarian family members. “[My brother and I] have to bring our own food,” Mays said. “There are a lot holidays where I would just eat the side dishes or I’d bring my own food.”

Mays’ main dish is a Tofurky — a Thanksgiving turkey made of meat replacements like tofu. “It can be awkward,” Mays said. “Especially when it’s, ‘Can I get into the oven a little bit, put my little Tofurky right next to your huge turkey?’”

“But the vibe around the house is a Thanksgiving vibe. We need to be nice to each other today and appreciate what we have.” Those who practice the Hindu religion usually do not eat meat, fish, poultry or eggs. “We don’t kill our friends,

and animals are our friends,” Shroff said. “One of our gods is actually a cow. [We believe in] treating everyone like they’re God so that includes animals too, and we don’t kill God and we don’t attempt to slaughter God.” Shroff and his family are comfortable celebrating the

holiday with friends. “It’s just been a tradition for a while to eat turkey and I really don’t want to do anything to that tradition,” Shroff said. “I wouldn’t eat much [at a friends’ house] but I would definitely go and spread the message and share.”

slew of vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options,” Ottinger said. “I always saw [one of the coaches] eating vegan food and so I figured I’d research it. Overnight, I went from meat-eater to vegan.” Although Ottinger believes strongly in her new diet, she doesn’t want it to overshadow

what she describes as a day “that’s supposed to be about family”. “You could have a good vegan Thanksgiving dinner,” Ottinger said. “But the fact is I’m going to be eating with almost twenty [nonvegans] so it wouldn’t be worth making a whole vegan

menu.” After a Thanksgiving lunch, Wohler and her mother set up their Christmas tree and watch Christmas movies. “For me, Thanksgiving has never been about the food,” Wohler said. “It’s mostly been about spending time with my family.”

1865: President Lincoln begins the tradition of pardoning a turkey from its traditional role of being killed and eaten during the Thanksgiving feast.

1973: The Plaza Lighting does not take place as a response to President Nixon’s recommendation not to use Christmas lights to reduce dependence on foreign oil.

1975: Black Friday becomes widespread in the city in which it originated, Philadelphia.

Traditional Thanksgiving NO DIET RESTRICTIONS TURKEY: A TURKEY ROASTED IN THE OVEN WITHOUT ITS ENTRAILS STUFFING: BREAD CRUMBS, CELERY, TURKEY BROTH, BUTTER GRAVY: TURKEY BROTH OR DRIPPINGS, BUTTER, FLOUR

Vegetarian Thanksgiving NO FLESH OF ANIMALS (E.G., MEAT, POULTRY AND FISH) ALLOWS FOR ANIMAL BY-PRODUCTS (E.G., MILK, CHEESE, YOGURT) TOFU TURKEY: MADE OF SOYBEAN SUBSTITUTES, USUALLY IN THE FORM OF A LOAF STUFFING / GRAVY: TURKEY BROTH IS REPLACED WITH VEGETABLE BROTH

Vegan Thanksgiving

NO FLESH OF ANIMALS (E.G., MEAT, POULTRY, FISH AS WELL AS EGGS) NO ANIMAL BY-PRODUCTS (E.G., MILK, CHEESE, YOGURT, WOOL, LEATHER AND COSMETICS CONTAINING ANIMAL INGREDIENTS) NO HONEY TOFU TURKEY: MADE OF SOYBEAN SUBSTITUTES, USUALLY IN THE FORM OF A LOAF STUFFING / GRAVY: TURKEY BROTH IS REPLACED WITH VEGETABLE BROTH, BUTTER IS REPLACED WITH OLIVE OIL

2003: Black Friday becomes and retains its position as the busiest shopping day in the year.

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THE BEST PLACES TO GO AROUND THE KANSAS CITY AREA DURING THE HOLIDAY SEASON + compiled by keegan dolinar & Paige Eichkorn & Deena Essa & Sophie Flores

Country Club Plaza

4750 Broadway St Kansas City, MO 64112

CARRIAGE RIDES: NOV. 28 – JAN. 18 THE SURREY’S CARRIAGE COMPANY AS WELL AS PRIDE OF KANSAS CITY OFFER CARRIAGE RIDES THROUGHOUT THE HOLIDAY SEASON. RIDES IN THE CINDERELLA CARRIAGE BEGIN AT $60 FOR 2 ADULTS. PLAZA LIGHTS: NOV. 27–JAN. 11 PLAZA ROOFTOPS, SPECIFICALLY THOSE OF MCCORMICK & SCHMICK’S, STARKER’S RESERVE RESTAURANT, THE INTERCONTINENTAL KANSAS CITY HOTEL AND BARNES & NOBLE, GIVE THE BEST VIEW OF THE DISPLAY.

Crown Center

2405 Grand Boulevard #200 Kansas City, MO 64108

ICE TERRACE: NOV. 7 – MARCH 7, $6 FOR ADMISSIONS, $3 FOR SKATES THE ONLY OUTDOOR, PUBLIC ICE SKATING RINK IN KANSAS CITY IS OPEN FOR THE HOLIDAY SEASON

feature | nov. 21, 2014

Town Center

Longview Lake

SANTA’S COMING TO TOWN...CENTER: 11 A.M. — 12 P.M ON BLACK FRIDAY, SANTA WILL MAKE HIS ARRIVAL AT TOWN CENTER TO DRIVE CENTER CROSSING FROM 11 A.M. TO 12 P.M. PICTURE TAKING IS OFFERED

CHRISTMAS IN THE SKY: NOV. 26, FREE JACKSON COUNTY PARKS AND 99.7 THE POINT PUT ON HOLIDAY SEASON E 20-MINUTE FIREWORKS SHOW. CHRISTMAS IN THE PARK: NOV. 26 — DEC. 31, FREE THROUGHOUT THE HOLIDAY SEASON, THE PARK IS DECORATED WITH A DRIVE 300,000 COLORED BULBS AND 175 ANIMATED FIGURE

Northwest gives thanks + compiled by rebecca carroll

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“I am thankful for Netflix and pistachio ice cream. They are there for me 24/7 when I am stressed. Plus, pistachio ice cream tastes good.” — SOPHOMORE ABEY LEWIS “One thing I’m thankful for this year is being able to surround myself with others with the same passions and generally being in a kind community.” — FRESHMAN JARED BERLIN

“I am thankful to all of my friends back in Oklahoma for supporting me through my moving away and my new friends here at Northwest who have made me feel so welcome. I’m also so thankful for my family that has always supported me through everything.” — JUNIOR ELIZABETH GIBSON

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“I am so very thankful for my Christian Youth Theatre family and friends. Especially right now after Seussical, I miss them all so much and I’m so thankful for the memories we made during that show. They’ve become my family and I thank God every day for bringing me to them. I’m thankful for theatre as a whole because you enter just a whole new world when you’re on stage. You get to escape reality and just become a whole different person and that’s the coolest feeling ever.” — SENIOR MARLEE BELL

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“I am thankful for theatre. It has gotten me through many a trial. I have such a strong relationship with theatre, I’ve truly become inseparable from it. It’s my home and where I am most content; where I feel most myself. It has matured me in more ways that I can even comprehend and all the people are so real, friendly and unique.” — SENIOR MAGGIE MARX

“I am thankful for good friends, family, and caffeinated beverages.” — SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER REBECCA ANTHONY “I’m thankful for a bed to sleep in and people who care about me.” — JUNIOR SOPHIE TOMASIC

5203 W 117th St Leawood, KS 66209

Johnson County Museum

6305 Lackman Rd Shawnee, KS 66217

M. HIS SLEIGH AROUND TOWN D IN SANTA’S SLEIGH.

A VERY FIFTIES CHRISTMAS: NOV. 29 – JAN. 3 $5 FOR ADULTS. THE 1950S ALL-ELECTRIC HOUSE WILL BE SHOWCASING TRADITIONAL 1950S HOLIDAY DECORATIONS.

10711 SW Scherer Rd, Kansas City, MO 64149

Snow Creek

ENTERTAINMENT AND A

E-THRU DISPLAY OF OVER ES.

1 Snow Creek Dr Weston, MO 64098

DEC. 13 — FEB. 21 PRESEASON TICKETS WILL BE SOLD ON BLACK FRIDAY AND CYBER MONDAY. THE PARK WILL HAVE SPECIAL HOURS FOR THE HOLIDAY SEASON BUT IS CLOSED ONLY ON CHRISTMAS EVE.

Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art

4525 Oak St Kansas City, MO 64111

NOV. 28 COCOA AND CONCOCTIONS, 5-8:30 P.M. HOT COCOA, SNACKS S’MORE KITS WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE IN THE CREATIVE CAFE TERRACE.

november movies

Theaters:

CINEMARK 20 CINETOPIA 18 AMC 30

Movies:

INTERSTELLAR HORRIBLE BOSSES 2 THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY DUMB AND DUMBER TO BIG HERO 6

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OF THE DECADES

Seniors Cole Nelson and Daniel Wood dance to the “Cha-Cha Slide.” Wood and Nelson both dressed as hippies.

JUNIORS AND SENIORS SPEND TIME WITH FRIENDS AND PARENTS IN THE CAFETERIA NOV. 9 AT THE MOTHER SON FATHER DAUGHTER DANCE + by Haena Lee/ photos by carleigh whitman

he Cafeteria was filled with poodle skirts, leather jackets and peace signs as students and parents participated in the throwback theme for the Mother Son Father Daughter Dance hosted by Student Counsel. “I really enjoyed the dance,” senior Natalie Zimmerman said. “I enjoyed it because it is my senior year and it is the last time I get to go dance with my dad at a dance before I go off to college.”

While there was a five dollar entrance fee at the door, StuCo also asked all participants to donate canned foods for the Johnson County Christmas Bureau. Approximately 160 cans were donated and $600 were raised. “Weather it falls the weekend before the canned food drive or the weekend after, it is just a great event to associate with the canned food drive,” StuCo sponsor Sarah Dent said. “It is just another way for us raise cans and cash outside of the 5th hour competition. It’s just another way to highlight the Johnson County Christmas Bureau.”

Although there were only 100 participants, next year StuCo hopes to pull in a bigger crowd. “This is a really fun dance,” Dent said. “I don’t think students necessarily think about the Mother Son Father Daughter Dance as a really fun night. Everybody that comes parents and students just have a blast. I wish from year to year we could pull in a greater attendance because it is so much fun.”

Mid-twirl, senior Daniel Wood dances with his mother during the Mother-Son Father-Daughter Dance. A line had formed in the middle of a song, and the couples of parents and students took turns dancing down the line.

Sophomore Courtney Jones and sophomore Will Hauser swing dance. Hauser was one of the hosts of the night.

Senior Denzel Richmond twirls his mother. Both Denzel and his younger brother, junior Deon Richmond, attended the dance and took turns dancing with their mother.

feature | Nov. 21 2014

Junior Blake Allen swing dances with his mother. The Allens won first place in the dancing competition.

FEED ME

ALTHOUGH THE FALL MUSICAL LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS ENDED FAR FROM HAPPILY, IT BROUGHT JUNIOR DYLAN KLEIN UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT FOR HIS DEBUT ROLE ON THE STAGE

(top to bottom) During her solo, senior maggie marx sings “somewhere thats green” in the Greg Parker Auditorium on Oct. 28. Little shop of horrors will be performed in the auditorium Oct. 30, Oct. 31, and Nov. 1.

udrey II, the bloodthirsty plant me it was from getting this part and in the musical “Little Shop Of meeting new people.” Horrors,” brings Seymour Krelborn, Seymour’s dreams came true a nerdy orphan from Skid Row, when the real Audrey saw that he was unexpected fame. It also gets him the right guy for her. They are finally the girl of his dreams, Audrey, whom together, but only until Audrey finds he named the plant after. At first, out what Seymour had been feeding Seymour just thought of Audrey the plant. She ends up sacrificing II as a sort of venus fly trap plant, herself to the plant so it can grow yet all the different types of food and Seymour can live the life of fame and care he gave it only that has come to him. “I felt like caused it to grow weaker. “I felt like [Audrey’s] One day, when Seymour [Audrey’s] voice,” voice,” senior Maggie Marx, cut his finger, Audrey II’s who played Audrey, said. senior Maggie mouth opened up, finally “For any girl that has ever Marx, who revealing what Audrey II felt underestimated, it was played Audrey, needed to grow. Human so refreshing and relatable blood. As the plant gets said. “For any girl speaking and singing about bigger and bigger, it starts how that there is a special that has ever felt to talk and demand that someone that would give underestimated” Seymour give it more than anything to make the world just blood. pure paradise.” Audrey II was attracting people This storyline is not one that ends from all over town and as the plant with a happily ever after. By the end, was getting more popular, so was all of the main characters, including its owner. Junior Dylan Klein, who Seymour, end up getting eaten by the played Seymour’s character, could plant. relate to his character’s unexpected “Little Shop is certainly risqué attention. and edgy,” Marx said. “But I enjoy “We are both kind of nervous the aspects of it all because it shows and shy at first, but then we gain that we can put on a variety of our confidence,” Klein said. “For successful productions in all kinds of Seymour, it was when he got all of manners.” + by Rachel barnes the attention from the plant and for

Junior Dylan Klein Performs the solo “grow for me” during a dress rehearsal on Oct. 29, 2014 in the auditorium. Although this is his first time trying out for the play, Dylan received the lead role of Seymour. Junior Elizabeth McElroy Performs on stage during a dress rehearsal in the auditorium. Mcelroy performs the character of Mr Mushnik in this false musical Little Shop of Horrors. Junior Dylan Klein and senior Maggie Marx perform on stage during a dress rehearsal on Oct. 29, 2014 in the auditorium. Dylan plays the role of Semour Krelborn and Marx plays the role of Audrey.

PHOTOS BY NICK KAHTAVA

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it out SOPHOMORE JUSTIN FLICKNER ASPIRES TO ACHIEVE ELITE STATUS IN WEIGHTLIFTING

wo hours a day, six days a week, prodigy weightlifter Justin Flickner finds himself in room I training, in an attempt to qualify for the Youth World Championship of weightlifting. “Weightlifting takes up a lot of my time,” Flickner said. “I don’t really have time for much else.” Flickner’s constant training has been to get him to the position he is in now. Flickner’s talent aren’t natural, he earned them. His present athletic passion was discovered through football. “I started trying out for football when I was about 10 and to be honest, at that point, I was rather weak,” Flickner said. “While I was training for football, it introduced me to weightlifting and I really enjoyed that so I just dropped football altogether.” Flickner is more comfortable training and

Close Right: Sophomore Justin Flickner lifts weights across his shoulders Oct. 28 in the training room of a church. Flickner will be competing in his next tournament to try and make a spot in the junior Olympics in Peru. “Weightlifting is basically my whole life outside of school with such a rigorous training schedule” Flickner said. Far Right: Sophomore Justin Flickner adds a weight on the bar as he practices squats. Flickner is an Olympic weightlifter for The Club Boris. “I love weightlifting because it is an individual sport. I don’t have to rely on teammates to get the best result I could possibly get” Flickner said.

PHOTOS BY LUCAS SILVA

feature | Nov. 21 2014

performing individually in lieu of a group. “Weightlifting is an individual sport,” Flickner said. “You don’t have to rely on a team to get you through. You only have to rely on yourself.” Being a weightlifter, Flickner’s diet has drastically changed after dedicating more time into his hobby. “I eat a lot more meat and other things that have a lot of protein than I used to,” Flickner said. “I’ve got to build muscle so I eat a significant amount of protein.” Flickner explained that his sporting idol isn’t a household name. “Norik Vardanian would be my athletic role model,” Flickner said. “He was trained by my current instructor, and is a great Armenian weightlifter.” Norik Vardanian placed 11th at the 2012 Olympics in the 94 kg (207 lbs) category. Flickner is training for a spot in the Youth World Championships for weightlifting. This event takes place in Lima, Peru in April of 2015. + BY calvin lacerte

daily meal routine: BREAKFAST: TWO PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY SANDWICHES

LUNCH: TWO THICK ALL MEAT SANDWICHES DINNER: LARGE PORTION OF SOME KIND OF MEAT AND A LARGE SIDE PORTION OF PASTA AFTER TRAINING SESSIONS: (ONE SESSION A DAY, SIX DAYS A WEEK) LARGE PORTION OF MEAT AND PASTA AFTER EACH TRAINING SESSION

average male his size would eat 65 grams, but he eats just around 100 grams

PHOTO BY KRISTI SENG

1 PHOTO BY CARLEIGH WHITMAN

2 1 Senior Jessica Kirchner pounds on her drums along with fellow drumline members during the light show on Oct. 24 at SM North. Kirchner was the drum captian and leaded the drumline show at the end of the light show. 2 Sophomore Nate Thompson and junior Cole Young celebrate on the sideline after a touchdown against the SM South Raiders during the game on Oct. 31 at the SM South District Stadium. This was the final game of the season with a score of 20-27. “I was glad to spend the last game with [varsity] on the sidelines” Thompson said. “It gets you even more anxious for what’s going to happen next.”

Senior Savannah Taylor performs the final act of “Wizard of Oz Meets the Wiz” on Oct. 24 at SM North. Taylor has been on Varsity Drill Team the past 3 years. “It was a great end for the football season in my final year,” Taylor said.

PHOTO BY ALEXA STYERS

3 4 Junior Rex Johnson congratulates his teammate junior Nate Jones on his third goal against ONW at SMAC. The Cougars won 5-0. “It was such a joy to see all our hard work throughout the season com together in one game,” Jones said. “We really played as a team and it was just an unexplainable feeling when we won, especially by 5 goals.”

PHOTO BY ADDISON SHERMAN

4 PHOTO BY NICK KAHTAVA

5 Junior Rebecca Carroll performs during the song “skid row” on Oct 24 in the auditorium. The fall musical “little shop of horrors” will be performed for audiences Oct. 30- Nov. 1. “It was different than any other production that I have done,” Carroll said.

nw passage | Feature

No Sunshine

Rain

without + by sophie flores

DRAMA TEACHER KELI RODGERS, CALLED SUNSHINE BY HER STUDENTS, CAN BE EXPECTED TO DIRECT AS IF IN A PROFESSIONAL SETTING

Q: A:

How do you think you are different from other directors?

“If there’s anything that I do differently it is to insist that both the actors and the technicians think about what they’re doing and learn to trust their good judgement. Most people who deal with kids give them all the direction and hand them everything that they need and they hold their hand while they do it, so they feel special and so that they don’t fail. I think that is very detrimental to people. I think you have to learn to fail. And you need to learn to fail in small ways where it’s not that big a deal, where you can just go, ‘I blew it. But next time I won’t.’”

Q: A:

What was your life before you became a teacher?

“There wasn’t one really. I think it’s sort of strange the way other arts avenues were sort of blocked for me in order to be sure that I channeled right here. So I think that where I am is exactly where I was supposed to be.” Theatre teacher, Kelli Rodgers, directs the cast of Little Shop of Horrors during dress rehearsal on Oct. 29 in the Greg Parker Auditorium. The musical Little Shop of Horrors was about a man-eating plant. PHOTO BY BRYCE REX

Q: A:

What does theatre teach people?

“I think you need to be bold in this world. And I think you need to have confidence in you ability to do things. And if nobody ever shoves you to do anything, than you just sit and wait for people to give directions the whole time and that isn’t going to happen, first of all, and second of all, how far can you get waiting for someone else to go why don’t we just hand you what you need? So I think one of the things theatre teaches is confidence.”

Q: A:

Why theatre?

“I wanted to be a collaborator. And those people who wish to collaborate are the ones who want to surround themselves with people who are highly competent in whatever area and then come together so that each competency enhances each other competency until the thing the group makes as a whole is something that nobody would have done by themselves. I find it really rewarding to work with people who are really competent at what they do and who are willing to give to the project so that they project comes out to be something really wonderful. In this case you’re talking about a show. I try to surround myself with the most competent people possible in the people that I cast and the crew heads. And that feeling of working together with people who are trustworthy and who think that doing good work is as important as I do. That’s what I want to do. And that’s what I like about this.”

feature | Nov. 21 2014

Q: A:

What do you need to know to be a director?

“I think to really do a job like this one where you’re teaching classes and trying to be creative at the same time, you have to have a mix of an ability to organize and an ability to have vision to see possibilities. And I think if I have any strengths, that would be it; I can see what’s here and see the possibilities based on whatever it is I’m looking at at the moment.”

Q: A:

When did you know you wanted to spend your life in the theatre?

“When I was six years old. My mom was a director at our high school in Stanley Mo. She and her friend Marilyn did all of the plays at the high school. And when I was six, my cousin and I were brought to a show. And afterwards we did all the scenes from it and sang all the songs from it. It was South Pacific by Rodgers and Hammerstein. Then the next year I think we saw Oklahoma! and we were both just taken up with it."

Q: A:

How would you describe your teaching style?

“It’s forthright. Because I treat people the way I want to be treated. And that is I tell them exactly what I think. Particularly if I have a problem, because you cannot solve problems with other people unless they know what your problem is and they tell you what their problem is. If they have the decency, the respect and the courtesy to tell me what they think and where they stand, then we can find common ground based on where we start from. I think my style is to just put it out there and people can like it or not. But they know where I stand. And it helps if they’d give me the same courtesy.”

UP IN THE THE YEARBOOK STAFF REVEALS THE THEME FOR THE 2014-15 YEARBOOK

top to bottom Journalism teacher Susan Massy explains to the Yearbook class how profile stories are written. The class is assigned to interview students and write profiles about their lives. Pressing on her temples, Rachel Lee responds to the roll question “What are your pet peeves?” on Nov. 13 in room 151. A variety of different questions were asked at the beginning of class to make taking roll a more interactive experience. Sitting on the table, senior Savannah Kelly listens to junior Rachel Barnes during class work time. Kelly’s Co Editor-in-Chief is junior Kaleigh Schreiber.

staff member Delaney Mirocke (senior) “Senior year. Everything’s up in the air. I don’t even know my favorite song, how am I supposed to coordinate all of this decision making? Everything’s a big bowl of alphabet soup written in Chinese and I don’t know what the heck to think. So most of the time, I watch Netflix because it solves all problems when you’re a teenager. Netflix is the only truly stable thing. That’s sad.”

ith their backs to a desktop Mac, CoEditors-in-Chief of the Lair, Savannah Kelly and Kaleigh Schreiber laugh as they contemplate outloud the student body’s reaction to the theme of the upcoming yearbook: “Up in the Air.” “I hope [students] do the thing where they’re like ‘Oh, I get it!’ when they open the yearbook and start reading,” Schreiber said. “At first they’re going to go ‘What?’ and then they’ll read the opening and go ‘Oh!’” The Lair’s theme for the upcoming year was inspired by the Digital Learning Initiative. While being a play on the word ‘Macbook Air’, the theme also characterizes the learning curve that students, teachers and faculty are experiencing. It also symbolizes the confusion and uncertainty of a typical teenager’s life. “We’re all connected because the first day of school was very confusing for a lot of us,” said co-design editor Kristi Sengpraseuth. “Whether it be seniors, figuring out which college to go to, or teachers figuring out their lesson plans: no one in the school really knows what’s going on.” The Lair attempts to offer a meaningful and relevant theme to students through every yearbook. Some of their past themes include My Shoes (2010), Traces (2011), For What It’s Worth (2012), We Know (2013) and last year’s theme,There’s Just Something. “We didn’t want it to be focused solely on the computers because that’s not all that this

THE STAFF’S TAKE ON THIS YEAR’S THEME

Mallory Baker (junior) “We are so excited for this theme because there’s substance without it being overwhelming. It’s about looking at the things that you wouldn’t normally see. It’s about being spontaneous and it’s especially about how a community comes together through adversities to solve problems.” Randy Castellon (junior) “The theme this year will be one to work with, in a great way. I honestly don’t know what it means yet, but does anyone? Its one that we have to wait until the end. Up in the air, somewhere out there is our yearbook, we just have to define it by how we feel, as a school. As one.”

year’s about and the theme has to pertain to the entire year,” Kelly said. “I think also ‘Up in the Air’ lends itself to everything is up in the air right now but what goes up must come down eventually.” The entire yearbook staff has been planning this year’s theme since early August. “Usually we don’t finalize our theme until December,” Kelly said. “It’s really awesome that we’re actually on schedule. Last year

“

It gives the yearbook a voice,” Kelly said. “If we didn’t have a theme, it would just be a book of stories, it would just be a story book. Because we have a theme, it makes it feel more personal. It connects everything.

”

[There’s Just Something] was our theme not because the whole staff was in love with it but because it was all we had in December. But I think the staff actually really likes this theme and is excited to work with it.” The top editors attended the Walsworth Elite meeting Sept. 26-28 to get their publishing company’s insight on their theme. “[Walsworth] loved it,” said Kelly. “They had critiqued most themes…and then when we presented ours they went ‘That’s the

Kristi Seng (senior) “Every year I watch the seniors before me stress about things like applying to colleges and figuring out what they want to do with the rest of their lives, and they all seem like they have everything figured out. However, now I’m the senior and it just doesn’t feel like it because I don't have anything figured out. It seems as though I’m winging it as the year goes….because I am.” Sarah Keegan (junior) “This year is full of unknown realities yet to occur. Everyday is a process towards the bigger picture. Only right now the picture is more of a blurred vision. Transition, adapt and accept.” Jai-kane Haskell (junior) “If you break the theme down into two parts: “Up” would be the question and “in the Air” would be the answer which remains unknown. That’s a way you could think of it.”

perfect theme’. Every other school gave us dirty looks but the [judges] loved it, which, this is going to sound really stuck up, but we hate that they loved it so much because we didn’t get much critique.” One of the largest classes, the yearbook staff consists of 41 freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors gather in Room 151 during sixth hour. “I hope we can work together really well as a staff and be really connected in the room and outside the room,” Schreiber said. “Every person is different outside of the classroom. You would not picture all these different people all together, but sometimes we can do it.” With 18 National Scholastic Press Association Pacemakers, the most prestigious award a yearbook could be win, the CoEditors-in-Chief already feel pressure to produce a final product that is well-liked by the student body. “I hope [the students] like it,” Kelly said. “Before anything else that’s what we focus on – the student body liking the book. Distribution day is hell for us because, what if they hate it? I want them to love it so much. It’s my senior book and I’m in love with it. This book is like my child. We’re actually making it. It’s weird that we have the final say on literally everything in the book. It’s crazy.”

+ By Deena Essa

Rachael Barnes (junior) “At first I thought of it as cheesy. But then the true meaning hit me. ‘Up In the Air’ can really mean anything. Who you are, where you are going to end up. High school is a place where many search and search for the the answers to those questions, but do they even exist? No one’s definition would be the same, it’s all about perspective.” Kara Bamberger (junior) “We have a starting point but are unsure of how it will end.” Tess Holcom (sophomore) “When you don’t have one true friend holding you down, you have a weightless, ‘up in the air’ feeling that is scary but eye opening. You can listen to the radio as high as it goes in the middle of the night because while everything is up in the air, I hope your dreams are high up there as well.”

nw passage | Feature

PHOTO BY KRISTI SENG Junior Gage Oberhue pounds his drums during the drumline show on Oct. 24 at SM North stadium. The drumline their training even before school starts. “Drumline has a major sense of discipline,” Oberhue said. “We like to prepared for everything.”

THE MARCHING COUGAR PRIDE PERFORMS THEIR ANNUAL LIGHT SHOW OCT. 24 AT THE SM NORTH DISTRICT STADIUM + BY HAENA LEE & RACHEL LEE

ach tuba player huddles around fellow band member Roan McAnerny before their annual Oct. 24 and put each other’s arms on their shoulders as they swayed back and forth at the SM North District Stadium. “What time is it?” McAnerny asked. “Tuba time!” the others shouted. “Tubas on three! One. Two. Three!” “Tubas!” They all shouted. They then dispersed and prepared to make their way for the field. The countdown for the light to be shut off began. “The best part was the countdown to when the lights shut off because there was so much suspense leading to it,” freshman Austin Anderson said. “When they finally shut off, everybody just went crazy.” The neon yellow glow sticks lit up one by one

feature | Nov. 21 2014

as The Marching Cougar Pride formed the yellow brick road for the drill team members. The dancers gracefully made their way down the road with flashlights duct taped to their ankles. Yellow, green, pink and blue glow sticks were attached to their bodies with more tape and connectors. “We had rehearsal the night before and we spent maybe half an hour just going over when to crack the glow sticks with the band,” senior Audrey Gleason said. “There’s not really anything special we change. We just do the same show, but modified a bit.” That night 3,152 glow sticks were used. After the halftime performance, the band and drill team members changed into their light show shirts and began decorating their instruments with glow sticks. “The [drill team] specifically gets in a circle

and before every performance and talk about all the work we’ve done,” junior Katie Ellis said. “[It] just gets the team pumped for the show. We also prepared all the glow sticks together in bunches to dance with and then put red and yellow ones in long plastic tubes and used those as flags instead.” After their performance the Marching Cougar Pride ran around the field while the lights were still off and celebrated. The drum line marched toward the crowd and performed for them. “Before the show I was so excited,” senior Savannah Taylor said. “The light show is one of my favorite performances during marching season. After it was bittersweet because I knew it was the last time I would ever be performing at a football game, but I was so happy with all that we had accomplished throughout the season.”

1 PHOTO BY EMILIE AMUNATIGUI

2 PHOTO BY KRISTI SENG

PHOTO BY EMILIE AMUNATIGUI

4 PHOTO BY EMILIE AMUNATIGUI

5 PHOTO BY KRISTI SENG

7 PHOTO BY KRISTI SENG

PHOTO BY ALEXA STYERS

Senior Mitchell Slocum decorates his trim with glow sticks in preparation for the annual NW light show on Oct. 24 at the SM North District stadium. Slocum has been involved with band since the 5th grade and has been a section leader for two years at Northwest. 2. The NW drill team raises their arms as the final notes of the performance are played by the marching band during the annual light show on Oct. 24 at the SM North stadium. 3. A percussionist creates light rings to wear across her chest for the light show performance Oct. 24. Over 3,000 glow sticks total were used by the marching band and drill team together. 4. The NW drill team and marching band perform at the annual light show on Oct. 24 at the SM North stadium. Compared to normal performance using weighted flagpoles with silk flags, for the light show, the drill team members have to accommodate with the non-weighted glow stick poles. 5. Following the conduction of their drum captain, junior Gage Oberheu and fellow drumline members rise and fall with their volume their volume and actions. The drum captains were seniors Jillian Borel and Jessica Kirchner. 6. Junior Brittany Funk organizes the glow-stick-filled poles at Sm. North on Oct. 24. The poles were used to replace the Drill team’s flags for the Light Show performance, each pole was hand-filled by each drill team member. “It’s so fun to be able to hang out with my teammates,” Funk says, “[having] a blast learning dances or the marching show. 7. Junior Tevyn Pak plays his saxophone at the annual light show on Oct. 24 at the SM North stadium. Marching band members ran the light show in practice about 10 times a week.

nw passage | Feature

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MItch feyerherm | Words & Ink

SUDOKU: MEDIUM DIFFICULTY

Jordan Absher | Lame Funnies

9 3 3 Mo gitonga-mbgori | A Roundabout to Nothing

4 3

9 7

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entertainment | Nov. 21 2014

7 3 8

PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIA NOCOOKIE

Unity, the newest installment of the Assassin’s Creed series is noticeably darker than its predecessors. This game takes place during the French Revolution complete with beheadings and amputations within the first few hours of play. The combat has also gotten much tougher. This time around I feel more in control of the main protagonist, Arno

Dorian. The player can decide what his armor looks like, how he will approach certain situations and the colors of his suit. The customization is by far my favorite feature to this game. The city itself feels alive. Against the background of the revolution, the Assassin vs. Templar feud is still going on. The storyline is intriguing and fastpaced as you hunt for your father’s killer,

but it does have forgettable characters with obscure names. Unity: it’s in the game’s title and I was expecting some sort of a co-op experience. But I was disappointed as the ‘united’ teamwork experience is only in a handful of missions. The servers are slow as of right now; it takes a few minutes

PHOTO COURTESY OF CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HER

PHOTO COURTESY OF FEDORAS

ASSASSINS CREED: UNITY to find a game to join, and even then, there is no guarantee play will commence at the start of a mission. I have ended up midway through missions unaware of what is going on. Sadly, I was one of those people who waited until midnight to play this game and it displayed problems early on: the load times are horrible and I’ve noticed framerate issues and the occasional freezing. I definitely expected more out of a next generation game. + BY KEEGAN DOLINAR

PHOTO COURTESY OF FILM AFFINITY

IT’S THAT TIME OF THE YEAR AGAIN. THREE RECENTLY RELEASED SHOWS STAND OUT THE MOST AND ARE ADORED BY MANY PEOPLE “BLACK-ISH”, “GOTHAM” AND “SELFIE”. EACH SHOW HAS EVOLVED INTO A DIFFERENT CATEGORY OF TV. + BY BEN LUCIER

Black-ish

Black-ish is a fun, humorous, and entertaining show to watch with friends and family. A rich black suburban family in Los Angeles, specifically the father Dre who even with is very wealthy and has a nice job, shows his everyday struggles due to the person he is and the way that others see him. It is a fun humorous sit com. He tries to blend in to his white society but still stays true to who he is.

Gotham

Gotham is very dark in tone and must see show to watch if you like DC. The show is mysterious, intense, and suspenseful making this a show that you should definitely continue to watch. Before Batman was in the picture, the City of Gotham was a corrupt city. Bruce Wayne’s parents were both shot in the back alley of an auditorium. This crime leaves an impression on all criminals of Gotham which results in the greater increase of crime. Today’s DC super villains all start their career in Gotham. Cat Woman, Penguin, Mr. Freeze, and the Joker all emerged after the Wayne parents’ death. James Gordon, a police detective of Gotham City, is on a mission to investigate the reasoning behind the crime and excessive murders. Its up to James to solve the mystery for why Gotham is turning into a major city of crime.

Selfie

Selfie has a good plot, but goes downhill with acting. Due to Eliza’s online social media frenzy, she is completely unaware of how lonesome she really is since. Eliza wants Henry to help her become more friendly with people to prevent being constantly humiliated. Henry is a successful and sophisticated businessman which makes Eliza believe that she can get help from Henry and hopefully make friends along the way. She wants to become the popular person she never got to be when she was in middle school.

PHOTOS BY NATE THOMPSON

GALAXY S5 The iPhone 6 has a bigger screen. Anything else? Apple is bigger, prouder, but overall, unappealing. The new look of the iPhone 6 is big, and sleek to look at. What excites iPhone users about the six is that the

ability to make credit card payments simply by presenting your iPhone to a cashier and scanning your phone. A fitness app called “Health” keeps track of your physical fitness by recording the amount of steps you

“SAMSUNG DEFINES TECHNOLOGY IN THE PALM OF OUR HANDS, SHOWING US WHAT SMARTPHONES ARE TRUELY CAPABLE OF.” screen size is a whopping 4.7 inches. However, this seems to be the only thing that stands out about the iPhone that catches your attention. iPhone has a new convenient app for its iOS 8.1 update called “Apple Pay”. This feature gives you the

take and the amount of calories you burn daily. Previous features from the iPhone 5S are included on the iPhone 6. Specifically, a fingerprint sensor to unlock your phone. Other well-known features like Apple TV, AirDrop, and

FaceTime and many other popular Apple functions. The Samsung Galaxy S3 and more recent models have been the turning point for Androids and other smartphone users. Perhaps people don’t realize the convenience of Samsung’s many electronic devices. It has an HD display that allows users to see more detail in color and images, a long, dependable battery,an improved camera, 30-minute water protection and a built in heart rate sensor. You can check your heartbeat by placing your thumb on the sensor behind the phone.

Another big improvement on the S5 is the camera. The phone includes a 13-16 pixel camera with amazing picture taking features and recording Ultra HD videos. This phone is definitely a photographer's best friend when taking professional pictures on a smartphone. The Samsung Galaxy S5 is also waterproof. Consumer Reports claim that the S5 can withstand a water depth of 3 feet and is able to remain underwater for 30 minutes. There are many other noticeable features on the S5 that are new. For example: the ability to increase the touch sensitivity when wearing gloves and a toolbar. These are just minor features. Samsung defines technology in the palm of our hands showing us what smartphones are truly capable of.

+ BY BEN LUCIER

nw passage | entertainment

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D . r M ’s

IN A PLATE-TO-PLATE BATTLE, STAFF MEMBERS COMPARE DOUGHNUTS FROM LAMAR’S DOUGHNUTS AND MR. D’S, WHICH BAKERY IS BETTER?

Lamar’s Doughnuts

sense of coziness permeates Lamar’s Donuts. Only one or two people can stand comfortably in front of the donut display. Nothing else at the store, from the almost dizzying selection of donuts to the size of the baked goods to the giant sign outside that illuminates the morning darkness, is small. The Original Ray’s Glazed Donut is huge — and it packs a much better punch than the average donut. Once the flavor of the slightly crispy exterior and the fluffy interior hits the tongue, the taste buds go wild. Other are the Bavarian Cream filled Lamar’s Bar and the Twotone Knot, two donuts that

contain perfect ratio of fat and sugar. Drinks include coffee, hot tea and juice. The apple fritter induces a state of mild euphoria, its combination of fruit and sugar in a giant doughy mass making it almost impossible to finish alone. The restaurant is beautiful in its simplicity. Its sparsely decorated interior feels like a 1950s diner. The atmosphere of the shop in the early morning darkness is a bastion of warmth and coziness in a sea of chilly weather. All in all, Lamar’s is a few steps up from any national donut chain and is well worth the small amount of money the donuts cost.

Mr. D’s + by Sam Athey

PHOTOS BY JORDAN ABSHER

person would not automatically look at Mr. D’s and say, “That’s where I want to eat,” but the dirty appearance to the place is counteracted by its excellent food. Everything about Mr. D’s is small. Small tables, small chairs, small menus and, of course, small prices. The old clock on the back wall and the ceiling are both stained yellow. Everything is quiet, but it’s a comfortable kind of quiet. Upon ordering, the woman behind the cash register immediately calculated how much I owed in her head. Important to note is that Mr. D’s does not take credit cards, only cash. I ordered a vanilla iced donut for the first time,

+ by Mitch FeyerherM

deciding to try something different and not knowing what to expect. Generally, I do not finish eating donuts. But this was different. I snarfed it down, and it was easily the best donut I had bought in years. It wasn’t overly puffy like most donuts are, but it had a satisfying crunch to it, which contrasts nicely with the vanilla icing. The seating is rather lowkey: just a couple of chairs similar to ones you’d find at school. However, it’s rather nice just to sit and keep low to the ground. I genuinely enjoyed the atmosphere. Mr. D’s may not be the cleanest or largest place on the block, but its food is still top notch.

s ’ mar

menu W H AT ’ S O N T H E

Lamar’s Cherry iced sprinkle

$1.20

Red Velvet White Iced $1.20

Maple iced $1.20

Mr. D’s

Regular Glaze $0.80

Chocolate Iced $0.80

Cinnamon Coated $0.80

nw passage | entertainment

+ by hadley sayers

fall Sports

Volleyball

he Northwest girls’ varsity volleyball team had a lot of confidence leading into sub-state, the game that ended their season with a 13-21 score. They had ended their regular season with a win against North, but they faced Olathe South, a team they had lost to earlier on in their season. As the Cougars took the court, you could tell the team’s five seniors were going to play as if it were their last game, for it very well could be. “All the seniors really stepped it up this game and played with so much passion and desire,” said head coach Sarah Sliva. Although the girls lost the first match 15-25, they came back and won the second 25-23, but lost the third 12-25. “We knew some girls left everything out on the court,” said Silva. “There were no regrets and they

+ by paige eichkorn

+ photo by nate thompson

did everything they could.” At their last game of the regular season, also the girls’ Senior Night, Northwest beat North, winning the first match 25-20 and the second match 25-14. “I think we all played really good as a team and I think the energy on the court was great,” said senior Tatum Graves. But this game was not just about winning; it was about the seniors and recognizing them for all the work and time they have invested in this program. “Because the majority of the team is graduating this year, it will be a lot different coming back next season without the seniors,” said junior Daisy Morris. “Don’t get me wrong, I love the sport, but the girls are what makes it all so much fun.”

Football

+ photo by emilie amunatigui

arsity Football loses to SM West, BV North and SM South in the last games of the season A close game with SM West seemed to set the negative mood for the next two games for the varsity football team. “I’m not into excuses,” coach Linn Hibbs said. “We have to coach better. We have to prepare better. We have to play better.” Against BV North the team faced a feat once again and found that they needed a new game plan corresponding with the team they would be playing. “Like every team [BV North] they’ve got good players we have to account for and different schemes we have to defend and run against,” junior Mark Petrie said. SM South had the victory at SM North Stadium. Although there were losses, the team is most proud of their victory against Olathe East at the Homecoming game.

+ by keegan white

Girls’ Golf

ince the girls’ golf team has a relatively short season, only lasting about two months, there is not much time to prepare for the regional, and potentially state, tournament. Junior Maddison Jarman, sophomore Gabby Cortez, and freshman Cassie Gomer all shot scores at regionals that were within 10 shots of the requirements to qualify for the state tournament, but junior Abby Radmanesh was the only Northwest girl to qualify. With the trophy and potential scholarships on her mind, Radmanesh teed up at Topeka Country Club Oct. 20 for state. The tournament having taken place at Topeka Country Club made Radmanesh anxious.

+ photo by haena lee

sports | nov. 21, 2014

+ photo by sydney beiry “The hardest thing was that it was a course I have never played on, and it was just different.” Radmanesh said. While she did not know how she was going to place, Radmanesh knew she would be able to pull it together for a good score because she was focused all year and trained every day to make it to state. Radmanesh’s training consisted of having a personal coach and taking lessons and playing on various teams and courses over the summer this year. “I just had to get my step up and be more self-motivated,” Radmanesh said. She placed 22nd out of 92 girls at state and looks forward to coming back next year to place in the top 10.

wrap up + photo by addison sherman

SEASON RECAPS FOR ALL FALL VARSITY SPORTS Follow us on twitter @smnwdotcom for score updates during each varsity game

Boys’ Soccer

+ photo by addison sherman

+ by randy castellon

fter a tough, disappointing pre-season tournament, the NW boys’ varsity soccer team kept their heads up for the rest of the season. “Starting 1-3 dug us a pretty big hole,” senior Cole Nelson said. “Our overall performance was where it had to be, but we were just unlucky with some of the results.” The Cougars had a rocky start to the beginning of their regular season games. After the first home loss to Washburn Rural with a score of 2-1, they began to realize what must be done. “We needed more communication in our defense and we just had to work as a team,” assistant coach Drew Perkins said. The Cougars ended their regular season with an 8-5-2 record. With that, they moved on to win three post-season games in a row and took home the regional championship against Olathe Northwest with a score of 5-0. “To win a regional championship by five goals is ridiculous, it’s basically unheard of,” Perkins said. “I couldn’t be more proud of those guys.” However, the boy’s varsity soccer team fell short with a loss at the quarter final state game against Olathe East, finishing off the season with a final overall record of 11-6-2.

Gymnastics + by tess holcom

his past season, Janice Baker returned to coach the girls gymnastics team after a six year leave. “Since it was my program for 35 years I felt compelled to [come back] and help,” Baker said. “I thought I could do a couple more years of coaching and I missed the relationship you get with the kids when

+ photo by kevin thompson + photo by haena lee

you’re coaching.“ The varsity team competed at SM West in the Kansas State Championships Oct. 25. They finished with their second highest score of the season, and placed sixth. Sophomore Olivia Williams tied for sixth on uneven bars, and fourteenth on floor exercise. While junior Leah Steinacker finished ninth on balance beam, eleventh on floor exercise and fourteenth in all around. “State went really well,” Steinacker said. “Between third place and sixth place was all really close. Individually I think we all did really well. We wanted to do better but it was good.”

Cross Country

+ photo by nate thompson

his season, the girls’ varsity cross country team placed third at regionals and qualified for state. Last year, the girls did not qualify for state. “It would have been better in any situation to simply say that we were hoping to be in the top 5 teams,” said cross country coach Van Rose. “That always left the possibility of winning.” At the state meet, Northwest was awarded fifth place and although the girls were hoping to have ranked higher, the excitement of being at state was reward enough for them. The boys’ cross country team

+ by alyssa gamba & camryn mcdonald

officially ended their season at regionals this year, but had their last meet offseason last Sunday in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. at the Nike Cross Nationals Heartland Regional. Because they ran in the open race, the boys didn’t receive a team placing, but the trip was about gaining experience from a larger meet. They ran with over 100 other boys from more than 20 other schools. “The atmosphere was buzzing,” junior Reid Thornburg said. “All in all it was just great to race with my teammates one last time.”

NW passage | sports

PHOTO BY REGAN KEY

“All of [my teammates] have been great leaders and mentors.

Each of them is like a brother to me, and I love and thank them for all they’ve done.” — junior Nate Jones