NW PASSAGE
DEMOCRATSVS. REPUBLICANSPG.6
STUDENTCOMMONGROUNDPG.9 VOICE MATTERSPG.11
THERE’SNOBETTER FEELINGPG.13
NW PASSAGE
PUBLICATION
Editor-In-Chief Grace Rau
Managing Editor Bella Alvarado
CONTENT MANAGEMENT
Copy Editor Sofia Ball
Design Editor Greta Grist
Photo Editor Addison Griswold
Photo Editor Kara Simpson
Online Editor Bella Alvarado
ADVISER
Chris Heady
Grace
Emma
Jesus
Hope
Sage
Quentin
Sofia
Sophia
DESIGNERS
Bella
Kennedy
OUR PASSAGE
The Northwest Passage is a news magazine that aims to provide information to the student body of Shawnee Mission Northwest and amplify their voices. We strive to be a reflection of our reader’s interests and relay relevant news about our world and community.
We firmly support the First Amendment and oppose censorship. The content of our paper is determined and created by our staff. When questions concerning word choice, ethics or legality may arise, the Editor in Chief, editor board and advisor will discuss the problem and come to a conclusion. In these cases, the Editor in Chief and editor board will have the final say.
Letters to the editor are encouraged. The Northwest Passage reserves the right to edit for grammatical mistakes, length, clarity and good taste. Letters may attack policy but not people. The Editor in Chief and the editor board maintain the right to refuse any letter.
The Passage publishes nine issues a school year. Subscriptions are available to the community for $20.
Sophomore Erin O’Neal puts a tennis ball in the 3rd slot Oct. 1 at the Tennis Courts. O’Neal played doubles and got second place at the match. “You need at least 4 points to win,” O’Neal said. Photo by Claire Reed
Freshman Natalia Funez colors in her picture during art class Oct.15 in Room 9. Funez was drawing a picture of realistic watermelon lips. “I like to draw a little,” Funez said. “[I like] that I can have a little fun.”
Photo by Vivienne Wheeler
Seniors Alex Houghtlin and Nina Grunza hold up heart signs Oct. 2 in the Auditorium. Houghtlin sang a crowd favorite, a cover of “Wannabe” by the Spice Girls. “Hearing everyone in the audience laugh makes [performing] a lot more fun,” Houghtlin said.
Photo by Colin Cummings
Be Proud
On Oct. 10, Latino Student Union (LSU) put on their first ever assembly in the main gym during seminar to honor Hispanic Heritage Month. Some students in the club said their inspiration came from last year’s Black History Month Assembly.
“The kids were creative, they wanted to showcase their cultures,” math teacher and co-sponsor Tatiana Briceno Padron said. “The idea of a Quincineara dance came from my friend at Shawnee Mission South.”
At the end of last school year, LSU started planning a way to showcase Latino culture’s beauty, diversity and place at Northwest.
“I would love to bring more awareness as to why we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month,” Briceno Padron said. “It’s more about being open minded. There’s over 20 countries that speak Spanish, and you should never assume just because one person speaks Spanish that means they’re from Mexico. I’m from Venezuela, and I’ve gotten that a lot.”
Every year, there is a nationally recognized theme for Hispanic Heritage Month. This years’ is “Pioneers of Change: Shaping the Future Together.”
According to Briceno Padron and co-sponsor and Spanish teacher Heidi Menssen, this assembly was to be a celebration of different cultures while also understanding the history behind them.
The assembly’s events included a talk from guest speaker Luis Padilla, a game where students guessed Hispanic artists, a waltz where girls wore elaborate Quinceanera dresses and a performance by Mexican folklorico dancers wearing bright ensembles with tiered ruffles.
LSU would like to make this an annual event and find other ways to recognize and include the hispanic community at Northwest.
“With this assembly we wanna say ‘we see you, you’re here,’” sophomore and LSU member Tiffany Silva said.
Briceno Pardron hopes the main takeaway students and teachers have is to embrace their heritage.
“Always be proud,” Briceno Padron said. “You should never be ashamed of where you come from.”
Latino Student Union put on their first ever assembly to honor Hispanic Heritage Month
Innocent Prank or Serious Issue?
Boys at Northwest report having their privacy consistently violated in the school restrooms
Boys at Shawnee Mission Northwest report that stall doors are routinely being kicked in while using the main and locker room restrooms.
According to an Instagram poll posted by the Northwest Passage 37% of students at Northwest have had their stall door kicked in while using the restroom. 68% of those who answered were male.
“It’s not too deep,” junior Jackson Haworth said. “But, when it’s in the hallway bathrooms I’ve seen guys get pretty mad.”
Haworth said he’s been witnessing this since freshman year, and for the most part, people see it as a joke or some form of hazing. But others find it to be a violation of their privacy, and growing source of discomfort.
Boys will avoid using main restroms, especially during passing periods, and choose to use the privacy restrooms instead — even if it means walking halfway across the building.
Associate principal Britton Haney said administration is aware of what’s hpening.
“I would love for any of our staff members [to say something], but I would love to see it also occur from the student body leaders as well,” Haney
said. “Unfortunately, one of the worst things that could happen, and it is a possibility, is we just take all the doors off the stalls. And I don’t think anybody wants to see that happen.”
School nurse Wendy Woods has recently noticed an increase of people who use the restroom in her already crowded office.
“I don’t like it,” Woods said. “If that’s what’s happening, that’s what’s happening. But I do think something needs to be figured out.”
Broken or nonexistent locks on stall doors are also a contributing factor of this issue. Senior Carter Tomac said people will sometimes accidentally nudge them open in the locker rooms, and that a solution would be to buy and install brand new locks.
In the middle of an interview, Haney was called on his radio to investigate a situation in the first floor boys restroom.
“Sounds like I have to go do that,” Haney said with a sigh.
Stories by Sofia Ball | Design by Bella Alvardo
Photo by Addison Griswold
illustrationbyGraceRau
2024 2024 2024 Election
Cover by Greta Grist
Story by Sophia Ragan |
VS.Democrats
I feel like the
immigration
system is really broken, I feel like its bureaucratic because they are slow.
- Harniak Singh
“ I’ve always had more Republican beliefs. - Mackenzie Farkes
“
Students react to recent poll electing Kamala Harris
Recently, the Northwest Passage held a poll to see who the students at Shawnee Mission Northwest would vote for president of the United States if they had the chance to — vice president Kamala Harris or former president Donald Trump. Harris beat Trump with the majority vote of 64.4% to 35.6%.
In the 2020 election, Johnson County voted for Joe Biden over Trump by a 53% to 44% margin. However, the state of Kansas’ six electoral votes went to Trump, not Biden, in 2020 and 2016.
At Northwest, the results are news to some, yet others expected Harris’s win.
Senior Jackson Weems, who voted for Harris, believes that Gen-Z is starting to lean more liberal than conservative. Weems feels that Harris is the right fit for our future.
As a Democrat himself, Weems is very interested in politics and has been since he did a mock election and voted for Barack Obama in elementary school — then went straight home, and cozied up with a CNN magazine to read more about labor unions. He’s been learning what he can about politics since then.
“Government should really exist to expand [the] rights of [the] people,” Weems said. “I feel like the Democrat party does that the best.”
Weems thinks women’s rights, LGBTQ+ rights and healthcare should all be improved and protected by the law.
Senior Harniak Signh agrees with Weems. As a Democrat, he believes that gay marriage and LGBTQ+ rights are very important. Singh also wants immigration to be more efficient and reliable.
“My parents are immigrants, my family has been through the immigration system, [and] it’s always been very slow,” Singh said. “I feel like [Trump] would slow down immigration a lot more.”
Singh is also not surprised by the poll results. He feels that especially in the suburbs, younger voters are starting to become more liberal in their beliefs. Looking at the last presidential election where Johnson County voted for Biden, his assumptions are accurate.
Based on the diversity of students
and staff at Northwest, senior Mackenzie Farkes, the president of the Young Republicans club, anticipated the results.
When she took the poll, Farkes voted for Trump. She agrees with his political standing, and not Harris’.
“I’ve always had more Republican beliefs,” Farkes said.
But Senior Adam Hageman was shocked. As a passionate Republican, he believes students’ opinions could be influenced by the media and people speaking against Trump.
“Some major media organizations are blatantly against Trump and have a clear agenda of making him look bad,” Hageman said. “If that’s all the media someone consumes, [then] they probably won’t favor him.”
Both Farkes and Hageman want tax cuts and the economy to improve, as well as gas and energy prices to go down — all things Trump has been promising throughout his campaign.
“I think taxes are too high, I think gas prices are too high, I think groceries cost too much,” Hageman said. “And if [Harris] gets elected, I think that will continue to happen.”
As the actual presidential election rolls around, the school is buzzing with nervous energy — wondering who will become the president of the United States.
Will it result like our poll, with Harris winning?
Or will it fall the opposite way with Trump?
We’ll all find out afer Nov. 5. When those who can vote, will place their ballots in the box.
VS.Republicans
“ I think that if Trump gets elected, [then] there would be world peace again.
-Senior Adam Hageman
Poll Analysis
Top Issues -
- Senior Jack Weems “
“ I think this is one of the most important elections we will see probably in our lifetime
“
Students said they are most concerned about the economy, followed by abortion rights and immigration.
Sex -
Data from the Northwest Passage showed a majority of women voted for Harris, following a national trend of women tending to vote for Harris and men leaning towards Trump. The New York Times reflects this data, showing Harris leads women nationally 54% to 42%.
Final Vote -
As of Oct. 28, ABC News’ FiveThirtyEight has tracked national poll data with Harris leading Trump by 1%. At Northwest, Harris led the poll by 29%.
Data by Hope Hunt & Jesus Lara Rivera
Out of the 421 students who took the poll -
“
I didn’t just pick her because she was a girl, I picked her because of her points on civil rights.
- Junior Natalie Castillo
From the Northwest Poll
78.9%
Of female students voted for Kamala Harris
OPPOSITE SIDES
We interviewed two students with opposing political beliefs
conducted
by
Sage McCarthy Design by Bella Alvarado
On Tuesday, Oct. 22, we conducted an interview in which two students, junior Ben Hissong and senior Amelia Roberts, who are on opposite sides discussed their political beliefs between a divider. The divider was used so they wouldn’t know each other’s identities and to maintain civility and respect. Overall, they talked about abortion, gun violence, and what would happen if the other candidate were elected.
Guns:
It depends on age and the level you are, for example, if you’re in the military you have more access to higher-grade weapons.
- Ben Hissong
If you don’t allow people to drink until you’re 21, I don’t see why they should own guns. Even at 18 people are still acting stupid.
- Amelia Roberts
Abortion:
“If the baby was able to breathe on its own and live, it should be illegal under certain circumstances.
“It depends on how far in the pregnancy you are.”
- Ben Hissong
“I think abortion should be legal, I think everyone has the right to choose.”
-Amelia Roberts
If . . . is elected:
“If Kamala were president, think we would economically stay the same
“I think we’ll be fine with either president.”
- Ben Hissong
“If Trump becomes president, I think that means less rights for women and minorities in general.”
- Amelia Roberts
Interview
Common Ground
Young Democrats and Young Republicans sponsors are friends despite differing political opinions
History teachers Rebecca Anthony and Todd Boren might never agree on women’s reproductive rights.
For some people, a difference in opinion like that can split families in two, ruin friendships or destroy happy memories.
But even though they don’t always see eye to eye, Anthony and Boren can still enjoy lunch together. They still reference “getting the band back together” from that one karaoke night, singing “Sweet Caroline” in Florida with AP European history teacher Matthew Wolfe when they all showed up for the same IB history training.
“I have immense respect for [Boren] just like as a human and the fact that we might not agree 100% on some political issues isn’t going to affect that at all,” Anthony said.
Anthony and Boren have been friends since Anthony started at Shawnee Mission Northwest 18 years ago. Anthony teaches AP US History and Boren teaches AP and IB European History. Anthony is a Democrat, and Boren leans more toward
Thanksgiving memories? Destroy birthday memories?” Boren said.
Boren enjoys discussing politics, but agreed that there’s a time and a place.
Politics are an aspect of life, but Anthony also thinks politics shouldn’t be something that prevents people from functioning as a decent human being.
Although they both have their own opinions, Boren’s always been a believer that if you’re going to argue against something, you should know what the other side is standing for.
Anthony thinks the best solutions are going to come via compromise.
“We would agree at like a very fundamental level on most things. Like, should the government function? Yes. Is democracy good? Yes. You know, should we try our best to take care of people? Yes,” Anthony said. “I think most people can find a lot of common ground on the fundamentals.”
Boren says he has many really nice political talks with science
“ I have no issue listening to someone who has a different viewpoint than me
- Rebecca Anthony
“
Young Democrats sponsor Rebecca Anthony and Young Republicans sponsor Todd Boren pose for a photo in Room 151 Oct. 18.
Photo by Finn Bedell
Student Voice Matters
The Northwest Passage was the only student publication in the Shawnee Mission School District to publish a presidential election poll this year.
In election years prior, Shawnee Mission schools conducted mock elections in classes all over the district for students as young as first graders. But, according to an email from English and Social Studies School District Coordinator, Kristin Ridgway, this year no schools will engage in any mock elections with real candidates,” even in social studies and government classes.
Nevertheless, the Northwest Passage wanted to hear political opinions from students and collect data independently of the school district.
Mock elections are seen as a positive way for students — who are of or are approaching voting age — to practice exercising their right to vote. They create a platform for students to learn about real-world politics and become informed voters. Although mock election results have no impact on real government election results, they allow young, upcoming voters to have their voice heard.
The Northwest Passage values student voices, and collected our own polling data. This was before the district issued its statement.
In Kansas, student journalists are protected by the Kansas Student Publications Act, which makes newspapers such as the Northwest Passage free from censorship. As journalists, it is important that we strive to report only
the truth, be accountable, ethical and act independently. The Passage decided to publish our polling data because we believe that it would be in the best interest of our community to do so.
Though we live in an increasingly polarized world, preventing political discussions from happening will not reconcile differences. It’s through conversation that we find common ground and alter viewpoints.
In this issue, we tried to speak to students on all ranges of the political spectrum and shine light on a diversity of beliefs. Highlighting student perspectives is essential to the Northwest Passage’s mission. We believe that students are the future, and they deserve to have their voices heard.
A staff editorial is an opinion piece crafted by a single writer and voted on by the entire staff of the Northwest Passage. It is not an unbiased news article, but an opinion piece tackling a major issue. Here is how the Northwest Passage voted on this editorial.
Schools should encourage students to participate in mock elections THE VOTE 11/0/2 agree disagree abstain
Photo by Landon Horn
Season’s
Over
Teen athletes deal with injuries all the time — even if it means ending a season early
Story by Grace Rau| Design by Kennedy Woolf
Senior Enrique Reyes crashed to the soccer field’s turf.
His opponent, who, like Reyes, had jumped to head the ball, landed hard on Reyes’ leg.
He felt something in his knee slip. He couldn’t get up.
Reyes had never been injured before, not really. He’s only experienced the little scrapes and bruises that come with being a high school soccer player. Nothing like the hurt he felt then — but pain wasn’t what was on his mind.
“I was thinking if my season was going to be over,” Reyes said.
It can’t end like this. It can’t end like this. It can’t end like this. His coach and an athletic trainer rushed over to help. The game stalled.
If Reyes was hurt badly, then what? What’s an athlete without a sport?
More than 8 million American high schoolers play sports, and every year approximately 90% suffer some kind of injury, according to the National Library of Medicine. Injuries can range from rolled ankles to concussions — from sitting out a game with an ice pack, to never playing again for the rest of their high school careers.
Northwest athletic trainer Andrew Clark estimates that he sees around 25 to 30% of all players in the trainer’s office, and they most frequently need treatment for sprains and back injuries.
Reyes visited the emergency room after his injury on the soccer field.
“They just told me I would have to wait to get an MRI since I had no broken bones,” Reyes said.
The results came back: he had a grade one MCL tear, grade one PCL tear and a fractured tibia. Two torn ligaments and a fractured shin bone.
“The doctor said around two or three months,” Reyes said.
That’s how long he’d be unable to play. And that would carry through to the end of the soccer season.
Meaning he’d never play as a Northwest Cougar again.
Reyes was driving when he got the call about his diagnosis. He felt numb.
“My season’s over,” he said.
That was it.
Season ending injuries aren’t all that common, especially in a lower contact sport like soccer, according to Clark.
“It’s pretty rare,” Clark said. “I have seen some traumatic injuries, but I’d say maybe 5 to 8% [end seasons.]”
Reyes is a part of the small fraction of athletes that won’t step back onto their field, court or track again. He still comes to most games, cheering on his teammates from the sidelines. He hopes to play club soccer again once he’s healed, and might play in college if he gets an offer.
Since his injury, Reyes has felt a shift in his mindset. He won’t think of his health, or his time on the field, as a given. Every moment playing soccer again will be a blessing.
“I wish I didn’t take it for granted,” Reyes said of the time before his injury. “I didn’t know it was going to be my last game.”
Story by Sofia Ball | Design by Greta Grist
There’s No Better Feeling
Two years ago, junior Calla Hardison heard crying as she walked into the bathroom at wrestling regionals.
Looking around, confused, her eyes finally landed on the scattered chunks of blonde hair.
And straight ahead was the girl they belonged to, whose distraught, tear stained face was turned to a sympathetic coach. Her hands were clutching a pair of red handled scissors.
Six inches, maybe seven.
Gone just like that.
Hardison knew what it was about.
And offered to feather out her ends without taking much more off. She knew that weigh-ins were already over and the chance to compete had already passed, so it was all for nothing.
Afterward, she gave her a hug and said the length looked really cute, despite it being sort of lopsided. The girl thanked her and Hardison left to tell her teammates what happened in vivid detail but, to her surprise, they didn’t feel sorry.
It’s common knowledge that high school wrestlers will sacrifice a lot for the sport.
Whether that means losing weight.
Losing sleep.
Or, in that case, losing six inches of hair.
But head coach Zach Davies tries to nurture a positive environment for these athletes and stray away from the negative body images and extreme measures it takes to preserve them that wrestling is known for.
“Freshman and sophomores, younger kids, we’re not even focused on them losing weight,” Davies said. “I don’t promote it. Your weight is another battle to fight and we try to manage it with nutrition.”
Last year, he purchased a mindset training program to promote goal setting and boost selfesteem. At the start of each week the wrestlers have “Motivational Mondays.”
“We’re not only training our bodies to get in better shape,” Davies said. “It’s preparing your mind for the season’s ups and downs.”
The season officially starts on Nov. 18, which means they’re back to three hours of practicing moves, lifting weights and lots of sweating after school. That also means Saturday meets, apples for breakfast, treadmill runs and anxious mothers.
“It gets grueling,” Davies said. “So the first couple days I tell kids ‘this is gonna be the hardest thing you’ll ever do in your life.’”
Senior Cash Woods has been wrestling for eight years, and this will be his fourth spent on the varsity team at Shawnee Mission Northwest. By now he understands discipline, hard work and control.
“The hardest time of year for me is Thanksgiving and Christmas,” Woods said. “You just see people eating the best food ever, and you gotta stick to chicken and rice. I usually give myself one cheat and have, like, mashed potatoes.”
Hardison wanted to quit during her first year. She recalls the practice where her partner was out, so she wrestled girls in a higher weight class for 30 minutes straight. No stopping. Her throat started to close up. She had a panic attack.
“It was embarrassing,” Hardison said.
Junior Cadence Dearing struggles most during peak season. She’ll turn down hangouts with friends, avoid school pizza, cram homework and sometimes miss band events.
At 42 years old, Davies can still remember his losses as a high school wrestler. He remembers how physically demanding and mentally draining the sport can be. But he also remembers the friendships and lessons it taught him, and the intoxication of having your hand raised, of knowing you won.
Dearing, Woods, and Hardison have all admitted to feeling the immense weight of self imposed pressure, doubt and frustration.
So why do they eat chicken and rice on Thanksgiving instead of pumpkin pie?
Why do they take steaming baths and sleep in cool temperatures to burn calories?
Why do they brush off their mothers’ concerned comments?
Why do they come back after wanting to quit in the first season?
Not many people would, but yet they chose to.
“Because I see how much progress I’ve made,” Dearing said.
“Because the mental toughness and work ethic it gives me is like nothing else,” Woods said.
“Because there’s no better feeling than winning,” Hardison said.
High school wrestlers love winning, and some are willing to do whatever it takes
Calla Hardison poses for a photo in Room 151 Oct. 23. | Photo by Finn Bedell
MONTH IN
2. During Senior Night, junior Julia Dunn hugs senior Mariyah Williams after giving her a letter “M” Oct. 11 at SM North District Stadium. Williams has participated in cheer all four years of high school. “Freshman year I thought it would take forever to get to this point,” Williams said. “Now that I am here I’m kinda sad because I had so much fun with cheer in high school.” Photo by Cooper Evans
3. Placing a pin, junior D’Yani Warrior dissects an earthworm Oct. 15 in Room 234. Students taking zoology are often tasked with dissecting various animals to study how different organisms function. “I want to be a veterinarian and I feel like zoology was a good place to start,” Warrior said.
Photo by Andie Berg
Junior Axel Delaney acts in the play “Shuddersome” on Oct. 22 in the Auditorium. The REP Theatre class does a show every year. “Rehearsals have been a little rocky the last few weeks because we’ve been missing pieces,” Delaney said. “But now we are so good and opening night was amazing.”
4. Going around an opponent defense player, junior Traimyre Woodruff runs the ball Oct. 11 at SM North District Stadium. Woodruff ’s position of a slot running back requires him to run fast and have good knowledge of where to run to evade the defense. “I use my electric speed and I use my vision to run as fast as I can,” Woodruff said. “[To train] I do drills at home or I practice with my trainer.”
Photo by Cooper Evans
Photo by Lucy Wilson
IN PHOTOS
7. Juniors Penelope Alonzo and Valentina Maslovaric dance, Oct. 10 in the Main Gym. Preparing for the Hispanic Heritage Month Assembly took more than two weeks of practicing the choreography. “I loved [rehearsing] the dance,” Alonzo said. “[The rehearsals] were always so much fun and I loved the twirling.” Photo by Addison Griswold
6. Sophomore Erin O’Neal and junior Syra Honargohar strategize before their match Oct. 18 at Harmon Park. O’Neal and Honargohar placed 11th overall in doubles at Girls Tennis State. “I’ve been playing with [Syra] for awhile so we know each [other’s strengths] pretty well,” O’Neal said. “It was scary because most of the kids at state were seniors so there was a lot of pressure.” Photo by Kara Simpson
5. Sophomore Katie Housel paints on a kid’s face Oct. 26 in the Parking Lot. Housel participated in face painting during Trunk or Treat. Photo by Maddi Roof
“
“ It was really fun seeing all the kids. They were all so cute and nice. - freshman Kareena Bhakta
N W P
W P
Freshman Kareena Bhakta hands out candy to a kid Oct. 26 at the Parking Lot. Bhakta volunteered at StuCo’s trunk at the annual Northwest Trunk or Treat. Photo by Andie Berg