Caffeine addictions are normalized for high schoolers — but it comes at a cost to their health Story by Grace Rau
For Her Sake pg. 16
Junior Olivia Martz searches for meaning after the passing of her mom Story by Hope Hunt
Left - Seniors Tyler Salmon, Keaton Wagler, Aiven Riley, Van Collins and junior Ethan Taylor stand in the Main Gym. Photo by Ellie Rice
Below - Drinks in a vending machine Nov. 6 at Northwest. Photo by Jack Pischke
Photo by Addison Griswold
Below - Senior Easton Volk takes inventory of donated cans Nov. 8 in Student Council’s Storage Room. Volk loved to see classrooms full of cans but found boxing them up challenging. “This year we were super efficient and most days we got them boxed up before the class period ended, which is not usually the case,” Volk said.
Photo by Finn Bedell
STAFF INSIDE
Sofia Ball
CAFFIENE CRUSHED
Caffeine
Ragan
PUBLICATION OVERSIGHT
Editor-In-Chief Grace Rau
Managing Editor Bella Alvarado
Copy Editor Sofia Ball
Design Editor Greta Grist
Photo Editor Addison Griswold
Photo Editor Kara Simpson
Online Manager Bella Alvarado
WRITERS DESIGNERS
Grace Rau Bella Alvarado
Emma Wyckoff Kennedy Woolf
Jesus Lara Rivera Greta Grist
Hope Hunt
Sage McCarthy ADVISER
Quentin Brown Chris Heady
Sofia Ball
Sophia Ragan
by Finn Bedell
Shawnee Mission Northwest High School, 12701 W 67th St, Shawnee, KS, 66216
Photo by Finn Bedell
PROJECT REACH: A NEW CLUB AT NORTHWEST PROMOTES INCLUSIVIVITY
Story by Sofia Ball | Design by Greta Grist
Senior Brianna Deeble volunteered for her third time at Camp Barnabas last summer, a ministry in southwest Mo. that provides unique experiences to people with special needs, their siblings and other youth across the US.
“You see people who don’t know what they signed up for,” Deeble said. “They start off really anxious or standoffish, maybe disrespectful. But throughout the week you see this change as they start having fun and learning things they didn’t expect to.”
Through the pool parties, dining hall meals, bracelet making and karaoke, Deeble realized something.
At Northwest there are divisions.
There are people who don’t treat students who have disabilities with respect, or approach them at all.
There is bullying, ignorance and a general lack of education.
That’s what pushed her to create Project Reach this year, a club about forming sincere friendships and sparking conversation between those who do and don’t have disabilities.
“Me and Miss Jenkins were really surprised at how many people already were wanting to commit,” Deeble said. “Which is good. Because every school needs this, a community that changes how we view disabilities and reaches people who aren’t trying to be malicious, they just don’t realize it.”
Last year, there was a pledge made to prevent
70% of social media posts are negative towards people with intellectual disabilities data from the Special Olympics website
students from saying the “R-word,” a derogatory term used against people with intellectual disabilities. Deeble had friends who wouldn’t sign their name or take it seriously.
Deborah Jenkins, the special ed. teacher, said she got reports from cadets that students were prompting those running the table who had intellectual disabilities to say the “R-word” as a joke.
“I graduated in 1996,” Jenkins said. “When I was in highschool, that was a term you would say to someone, like, ‘you’re being ridiculous,’ ‘dumb’ or ‘stupid’ and it was used very frequently. I have a friend who still uses that word and have to remind her that it’s not okay.”
Project Reach is meant to be a safe space for all students. They usually meet before school in room 104 or have parties in other locations twice a month.
“I would just say pull up,” Deeble said. “It can feel really scary at first. But we’re never gonna put you in a one-on-one situation that you don’t know how to handle. You will genuinely be surprised.”
StuCo Reflects on Results from the Can and Coin Drive
Junior Kelli Adams sprints down the football field in bubble braids, soccer warm up sweats and pink long sleeves. It’s cold, rainy and late. Not the best night for Powder Puff — a student-led girls tackle football game.
The juniors are up by seven points. The game is almost over. But Adams runs faster, clutching the ball, black paint running down her face like mascara after a bad date.
Adams makes the final touchdown.
On Wednesday, Nov. 13, Powder Puff was put on by StuCo to bring in cans and money for the Johnson County Christmas Bureau, an organization that serves hundreds of families by providing them with household items, gifts and food around Christmas time.
Powder Puff belonged to a string of events in the first two weeks of November including Buff Puff, a boys volleyball game, the MotherSon-Father-Daughter dance, fifth hour class competitions and trick or treating for cans.
One of the biggest changes StuCo made this year was counting cans before they went into
storage, and using a master Google spreadsheet to automatically make calculations. StuCo raised 4,863 cans and $3,797.03, which is still less than last year’s total.
Adams and co-chairman senior Easton Volk believe this is due to a lack of advertising, whether that be through Instagram, poster making or dressing up for spirit days.
They proposed channeling their energy into posting on social media, talking with friends, raising the stakes for fifth hour classes and prioritizing verbal communication.
“You can always do more,” Volk said.
Despite not surpassing last year’s goal they’re still proud of the results and Northwest’s unfeigned enthusiasm. Volk was particularly sad when the drive ended with it being his senior year, but was grateful for that opportunity to be a part of something bigger.
“Because this charity is so local, you might not see where the money is going,” StuCo treasurer senior Ryland Prosser said. “But you can feel it.”
Story by Sofia Ball
Junior Valentina Maslovaric inspects donated cans Nov. 8 outside of a classroom.
Photo by Finn Bedell
Use at Your Own RISK
Students complain about a lack of reliability with vending machines
Story by Sophia Ragan | Design by Greta Grist
The vending machines at Shawnee Mission
Northwest have orange signs cautioning students to “use at your own risk,” but that hasn’t stopped anyone from buying chips or drinks throughout lunch and passing periods or at least tried to.
Students have kicked and pulled the machines if each time they aren’t given what they want. They also complain when the card reader takes their money, or when it eats their bills and coins — even though they’re warned against using them.
“It stole a five-dollar bill from me, and I’ve not used them since,” junior Sam Schill said.
Schill has had many other encounters with the vending machines that have steered him away. He’s witnessed students get yelled at for pushing them, and saw one of the machines get shattered.
Sophomore Hannah Philips pays with a card, and she still says about 90% of the time vending machines malfunction and take her money.
One time, she went to get a bag of cookies for herself and a friend. But when she made the purchase, nothing happened.
Philips bought another bag, thinking maybe she would get two since she already bought one, but she only received one. Phillips still wanted to buy one for her friend, so she paid a third time.
Again, only one fell.
With two bags in her arms, Phillips left after paying six dollars for cookies.
Students have blamed Northest for these mishaps, and according to associate principal Britton Haney make frequent complaints to administration or other faculty.
“I think they need to realize that [vending machines are] not the school’s — they’re a third party vendor’s,” Haney said.
Signs and products that can be purchased are provided by the sellers, not Northwest. ARC — Allied Refreshments Company — rents the space for vending machines, so Northwest admin can’t refund anyone.
Haney said that the best solution he can offer is to take a picture of the half-fallen snack and stop the person restocking machines to show them and get a free bag of chips, fruit snacks or cookies.
Still, students like Phillips will still use the machines daily, just to get that extra caffeine from a blue raspberry Ice drink.
“I need my sippy,” Phillips said.
Photo by Jack Pischke
Putting a Price On a Decision
College is already expensive, why make it cost more with application fees
College is already expensive with things like tuition, housing, books and other supplies making it one of the greatest bills you’ll ever pay. Students shouldn’t be required to pay for their application, too.
Best Colleges, a nonprofit organization that collects data to help students decide on college destinations, said the national average for applying to college is $48. However, that is rarely the full cost. Ivy League schools costs about $80 just to apply. Best Colleges reports that in 2023 to 2024, students applied to an average of five colleges or universities. This cost around $275.
A majority of colleges and universities require you to send an ACT or SAT score, two already expensive tests ($68 for the SAT and $63 to $88 for the ACT). College Board gives you the option to send four free scores to any organization. For anyone who wants to send more scores to another college or scholarship foundation, the cost per score sent ranges from $14 to $19.
For a student who applies to about five colleges, takes the SAT, and is willing to send two paid scores, the cost for just applying goes up to about $371.
These costs, while not groundbreaking for most, could be for some.
The education system is advertised to supply students with a better future. You study for the majority of your early life, graduate high school,
Vote
go to college, get a job and, suddenly, all your problems are solved. You’ve made it. If college and the education system are supposed to do all that, should it come at such a high price?
One could study for four years straight at high school, a place that is constantly drilling in the idea of college, yet, after four years all that work is inhibited by one single thing: the application cost into a better future in college.
$48 is the national average cost for a college application
What is wrong with the system?
College is an opportunity for higher learning, and should not be inaccessible. U.S. News said the common public in-state tuition is $11,011, and out-of-state tuition is $24,513 per semester. For someone looking for a private college, the cost skyrocket to an average of $43,505.
The University Daily Kansan reported that
KU broke enrollment records this fall semester, rising to 30,770 students admitted, the highest it has been since 2008. If each one of those students is paying the usual cost of tuition ($21,556), KU is receiving about $663,278,120 for just this year.
Do they really need my $40?
The fee, while a minor cost in the grand scheme of college, is useful. There is someone in admissions that has to look over every application and fees like this may be used to pay those who review applications.
While there are ways to get around the fee, for instance, scholarships like KU Scholars directly make it so the initial application fee can be postponed and added on to your overall bill. There are also other plans, for instance, students who qualify for reduced lunch might also qualify for a fee waiver.
Even then, that whole process is flawed. They require students to either have a scholarship or be in the reduced lunch program, cutting out the regular student who is neither here nor there.
Higher education like college shouldn’t be locked behind a paywall. College should be for everyone, including those who aren’t able to afford it. A system that prioritizes the money aspect of higher learning before it thinks about if it should is a flawed system.
And it needs to be fixed.
A staff editorial is an opinion piece crafted by a single writer and voted on by the entire staff of the NW Passage. It is not an unbiased news article, but an opinion piece tackling a major issue. Here is how the NW Passage voted on this editorial.
10 / 2 / 1 disagree agree abstain
La Vela y la Familia
Hoy no es ningún día especial.
Today is not a special day.
As I get out of bed, the cold morning air that filters through my slightly open bedroom window hits me like a boulder. Out of habit, I check my phone. The first thing I see, as if mocking me, is a photo of him in one of those quick scroll notes on the page before your home screen.
Mi viejo. My old man. No quiero llorar, esta vez no, ya no. I don’t want to cry, not
The process of mourning, and the distraction of family Story and design by Jesus Lara Rivera
this time, not anymore.
On my bookshelf is a long glass candle, the Virgin Mary printed on its casing. My dad used to light one of these on the same day every year, the day his father died. It was a way to mourn.
Una manera de dejar ir y para recordar. A way to let go and to remember.
The wick is already charred, the wax melted into the sides from being lit for two days. The Day of the Dead, and Dec. 5.
Pero hoy no es ese dia. But today is not that day.
I leave my room. I walk into the kitchen and see Walmart bags lining the floor. Chiles, a large can of maize, and classic tortilla chips. I look up at the giant pot, with burn stains from years past, boiling once again. They can only mean one thing: pozole, a brothy meaty stew
common in cold weather. My mom is in the kitchen.
“Viene tu tía hoy.” “Your aunt is coming today.”
Nov. and Dec. are the few months that I see my family a lot more. Fall and winter are seasons when we come together on random weekend afternoons or when it’s snowy and a bowl of pozole between family is better than being alone.
It took hours of cleaning and cooking, and staring out the window at cold winter landscapes. Two hours late at 8 o’clock, there’s a knock at our door.
They’re here.
Around them, two hours of eating dinner feels like two minutes. Two minutes of ignoring the world outside of that door. Two minutes of hearing my aunt and mom argue about the name of that one guy
It Only Took
Gwho used to sell this on that street back then. Two minutes of forgetting the charred candle. Today without them knowing, they saved me, saved me from the silence.
After they leave it’s just me and my mom, washing dishes.
As the last bowls are getting dumped into the sink, my mom turns to me.
“Para la otra semana vamos a ir con Sofía, van a hacer tamales.” “Next week we’re going with Sofia, they’re going to make tamales.”
A smile grows on my face.
I dry up my hands, hug my mom, say goodnight and lazily wander to my room. I don’t even turn on the lights as I grab the candle and set it on my desk. I light the candle. It engulfs my room in a golden haze.
“Te extraño.” “I miss you.”
Le dijo a nadie. I tell no one.
16 Years
This Thanksgiving break, I got to know more about my family members
Story by Sofia Ball
eating pizza and butter cookies in her basement while watching “Garfield” or “The Pink Panther.” Obviously, my young brain’s focus was very narrow, and I had a low tolerance for anything that wasn’t animated, on TV or coated in sugar/grease.
rowing up, I never really considered my family members to be real people with lives and personalities. This sounds crazy, but each time we went up to visit my dad’s side in Grand Rapids, Mich. During Thanksgiving, all the adults felt like extras in a movie.
After making the 12 hour road trip to see my Aunt Brandie, instead of running up and giving her a hug, all eight-yearold me really cared about was
This year was different. For one, my brother, Dre, didn’t come with us. He couldn’t get time off from his job at Dillards, and spent time with his girlfriend, Carol, instead, buying matching pajama sets and doing other cringey couples stuff.
My favorite cousins are much older than me. Brandon, who just got married, was in Georgia with his wife, Tessa. And Robert had his hands full with an adorable toddler and a marketing startup.
But that’s besides the point. During our trip, I spent hours with my Aunt Brandie, since we were crashing at her place. We tried out aloe vera hair masks, watched “The Devil Wears Prada” and every awful Hallmark movie, made mashed potatoes and had long late night talks.
I heard about her high school boyfriend who was an alcoholic, and why she’s looking for a new job. We decorated a room together with Beanie Babies and sticker books for when my second cousin Addy comes to stay. I made more jokes at her expense than at my own dad’s, which is saying a lot. And I got to know what a cool person she is.
I’m now kicking my 8-yearold self for screwing around with
toys and movies all that time in her basement. I could have been upstairs in the kitchen with grown ups, pretending my grape soda was red wine and butting into conversations. I could have been getting to know the people who share my blood.
I wish I’d spent more time talking with my grandpa and hearing his stories instead of trying to torture Tuesday, their tabby cat and watching “Home Alone” on the living room couch. He had a heart attack in May, and his hospice nurse is still on call.
Now I look forward to every holiday and the chance to hear their voices.
I guess they made the main cast list.
Photos by Lucy Wilson
What YouKnead To Know
Story by Sofa Ball & Bella Alvarado | Design by Kennedy Woolf
In honor of the new Einstein Bros. Bagels shop location opening up recently at 11910 W. 95th St. in Overland Park, we decided to try and review a variety of their specialty bagels. Actually we just wanted an excuse to eat bagels. But it’s also a reminder that you deserve an early morning or a ernoon, sweet or savory pick-me-up that doesn’t consist of Redbull, Iced Caramel Macchiatos, or Dr. Pepper, which is basically cardiac arrest in a cup. So here’s a taste of our experience. Feel free to make mental notes for your next order, or don’t.
Cheesy Hash Brown
Sofia - 5/5: There was no doubt in my mind that a er taking the first bite,this will fall into my top a er school or late start snack rotation. Hash brown bites were crunchy, and paired great with the cheddar. I believe there were also hints of garlic, which gave it a really fresh quality. There was a lot of consistency in flavor which I appreciated, and the way everything was toasted on top to perfection made it look like something from my Instagram feed. This feels very Sunday morning brunch, savory, simple and homey.
Bella - 3/5: Super good crunch to it, definitely a great addition to the cream cheese. With my bagel I need a solid crunch, and this definitely hit the spot. The flavor, however, was pretty bland. It tasted like a normal bagel with the slightest hint of hash brown. In my opinion, this bagel is nothing special.
Maple French Toast
Sofia - 4/5: This bagel looked and tasted exactly like french toast, warm, golden, sweet and dense. It’d be even better with a side of fruit. The cream cheese added that creamy buffer to balance out the cinnamon, and I thought the sugar sprinkled on top would be overwhelming, but I hardly noticed. This is better than pastries or most deserts because it’s filling, and not too rich. I’d absolutely order the Maple French Toast bagel again.
Bella - 2/5: This bagel wasn’t bad, but I’m more of a savory bagel type of person. It was definitely sweet, but I didn’t catch much of the french toast flavor. It sorta just tasted like pure sugar. The cream cheese was a good cut to the sweetness, but overall, not my favorite.
Spinach Florentine
Sofia- 2/5: You can tell by the rating that this bagel was — to put it nicely — not my favorite. The clump of what I’m assuming was once-frozen spinach which sat on top wasn’t good. I couldn’t really taste the cheeses, and, overall, this was really chewy. I wasn’t getting that light feel which I’d associate with most bagels. I do tend to really like spinach in general, whether that be in omelets, smoothies, sandwiches, salads or by itself, which is why this was a surprise. Wouldn’t recommend.
Bella- 2/5: Definitely the worst bagel. This was room temperature so the spinach and cheese became solid, giving it a unpalatable texture. The taste wasn’t horrible, but not exactly pleasant. I wouldn’t recommend it.
Cheddar Jalapeño
Sofia -3.5/5: Immediately I could taste the jalapeño, which added a ton of flavor, and spice levels ended up being just right. The so texture and cheesy crust were a nice combo, making it perfect for a breakfast or lunchtime sandwich. But, while I did enjoy these savory elements, overall, this bagel wasn’t really doing anything special for me. I’d order it again, but it’s not my first choice.
Bella -5/5: I absolutely devoured this bagel. I finished it and le no crumbs. The bagel was crunchy, spicy and cheesy. The jalapeño on top is perfect, and makes it much more enjoyable. Adding cream cheese makes it taste like a jalapeno popper. Definitely my favorite.
Pet Cemetary
After environmental education class animals pass away, science teacher Michael Pisani finds a way to honor their memory
Story by Sofia Ball | Design by Greta Grist
It’s 2021.
Students were dragging themselves to school.
Teachers were pulling up their masks.
Everyone was just trying to get through the day.
And in room FL, as history and econ teacher Matthew Wolfe was teaching class, he looked outside his window wall to see science teacher Michael Pisani trudging up the grassy path with a trowel.
“Usually when he’s outside my window so close it’s, ‘Hey I forgot my keys, will you let me in?’” Wolfe said. “That happens probably once every two months.”
Pisani still smiled and waved but to Wolfe’s suprise instead of popping the question he just started digging.
And upon closer inspection Wolfe saw Moto, the huge, slimy, squishy African Bull Frog who was around 40 years and — up until that point — had called Northwest’s environmental education classroom home.
But Moto was wrapped up in paper towels.
And Pisani was making a grave.
At that point, confused, Wolfe started a conversation through the glass while his students watched.
Here’s how Wolfe and Pisani remember that brief talk going:
What are you doing?
Burying Moto.
Why here? Why not out in the environmental ed. lab?
Because it’s too far to walk.
“Okay, part of it was to annoy him,” Pisani admits.
So the only reasonable thing Wolfe could think to do after the burial was have everyone in his class stand up for a moment of silence. Some students laughed. Others attempted to hold it in.
“This sounds bad, but we were just trying to have a lighthearted moment,” Wolfe said. “Not making fun of Moto being gone. But let’s not take everything so seriously.”
After burying Moto, Pisani went up to his classroom and came back with a ball of yarn, found two sticks and weaved them together. He stuck his poorly configured cross in the ground.
So began the pet cemetery at Shawnee Mission Northwest. Pisani was no longer freezing animals and then throwing them away, like he’d done for years. This, at least, seemed more humane.
Since that day almost four years ago, various small hamsters and geckos have been buried outside the window of Wolfe’s
room. Senior Gabe Gast made more crosses in Northwest’s woodshop class. Students text Pisani over breaks when their animals die, and, if he’s in town, they’ll bury them together.
At this point, Pisani knows not to name any of the animals or get attached.
“Don’t be painting me as unfeeling,” Pisani said. “When it’s a gerbil, no, I don’t get sad. I feed live mice to the snakes every week. It’s the circle of life.”
Junior Zoe Georgakopoulos takes fifth hour environmental ed. The veiled chameleon that she was assigned to take care of in class died last Oct.
“Thought I was gonna have my Rapunzel era, like, with Pascal,” Georgakopolous said.
“But he only stood on a rock in the corner of his cage all day. So I kind of just had the idea that it wasn’t gonna last long. Like, he’s not having fun in here.”
Georgakopoulos said that, after doing research, the chameleon was supposed to be a vibrant green, but due to stress he was more so ashy grey. He’d also stopped eating.
For weeks she had been putting out fresh water and crickets in what turned out to be an empty cage. Her Pascal had died.
Before then, she’d vaguely heard of the small cemetery, now overgrown with English ivy and parsley.
“It’s a nice thought,” Georgakopolous said. “I kind of expected him to flush them down the toilet.”
Photo by Kara Simpson
CAFFIENE
eine addictions are normalized for high schoolers — but it comes at a cost to their
Story & Design by Grace Rau
ast year, sophomore Colin Cummings stood in line for the water fountain. It was the final week of summer football conditioning, and the players had tubs of preworkout in their hands. They were “dry scooping,” pouring cupfulls of the chalky white powder into their mouths before taking a sip of water
Cummings was doing the
“I took, like, four scoops,” Cummings said. “A gram and eine.”
Pre-workout is a powder supplement that’s mixed with water to give athletes and gym bros an energy boost that improves focus and endurance before they exercise. Their main ingredient is caffeine — one scoop is equivalent to downing three cups of coffee, according to the Nebraska sports medicine program.
High doses like this can be harmful to teenagers’ health.
According to the Columbia University Irving Medical Center, kids and teens should consume no more than 100 mg
But, in that day alone, Cummings took 1,500-times
“I threw up from that,” Cummings said. “It was
At Shawnee Mission Northwest, 72% of teenagers that responded to a poll say eine is part of their daily routine, and 55% have more than the recommended amount. It dominates many aspects of teen’s lives — from the iced caramel macchiato
first thing in the morning to the scoops of pre-workout before sports.
Ca
ffeine has been around for centuries, but 17 and 18-yearolds are now consuming nearly double the caffeine they were a decade earlier, according to NPR news. Too much can lead to negative side effects like heart palpitations, high blood pressure, anxiety, sleep problems and more. Even the popular energy drink brand Celsius admits on their website FAQ page that their drinks aren’t recommended for children under 18.
In extreme cases, caffeine can be dangerous. Infamously, Panera discontinued its Charged Lemonade in 2024 — which could contain up to 390 mg of caffeine — afer two wrongful death lawsuits, one a 21-year-old female college student and the other a 46-year-old man.
“
” There was more than one instance in which all four would be chugged by the end of second hour – Junior Sam Ousley
But vomiting back up a gram and a half of pre-workout didn’t stop Cummings from using the caffeine-filled supplement again, nor will it stop others.
Junior Sam Ousley first started drinking caffeine in hopes of helping his ADHD, since studies have found that
it dulls the symptoms and boosts concentration. He used to bring four cans of Pr Pepper to school to get him through the day, but–
“There was more than one instance in which all four would be chugged by the end of second hour,” Ousley said.
Now he wakes up craving caffeine, with pounding headaches as soon as he opens his eyes — a common symptom of withdrawal.
“I would not survive if I did not drink coffee in the morning,” Ousley said flatly.
Now he’s trying to cut caffeine out of his school day, keeping his coffee and soda at home. Still, he estimates that he consumes 80 to 200 mg regularly.
Ousley acknowledges that he has “an addiction.” He’s tried to quit several times, but his resolve has never lasted.
“I decided it wasn’t worth it,” Ousley said. “I mean, the
Photos by Finn Bedell
CAFFIENE CRUSHED
benefits to caffeine are pretty clear. You’re more awake, more hyper, more active. In my case, much more focused.”
Energy drinks are the most popular way students at Northwest consume caffeine according to an Instagram poll, followed closely by coffee.
The National Library of Medicine says that energy drinks are ofen targeting teenagers through strategic advertising campaigns. Social media algorithms push ads tailored to teens, and influencers on platforms like Instagram and TikTok can be seen endorsing energy drinks as popular ways to get a boost. Even celebrities Logan Paul and KSI have created their own energy drink brand, Prime Energy.
Junior Louisa Bartlett loves Starbucks lattes and Alani energy drinks. She first started buying them in middle school afer seeing her friends at dance carrying around cans of Celcius.
“Like, everybody had them,” Bartlett said. “So I was like, ‘Oh, might as well.’ And I haven’t gone back since.”
Bartlett has tried to lessen her caffeine intake recently by going on an energy drink cleanse. It lasted for a few months, but she popped open a new can a few days ago.
“It was kind of disappointing,” she said. “Here we go again. We’re back on the grind.”
Access is rarely an issue with caffeine. Students will always be able to find a cup of coffee at the Starbucks drive through, energy drinks at gas stations and caffeine additives at the grocery store. Even at Northwest, students can grab a caffeinated drink from the vending machines.
School nurse Wendy Woods says that she sees students in her office for caffeine-related jitteriness about once a month.
Woods herself has seen a
nursing student have his heart restarted afer a caffeine overdose, and warns students with this story.
But, she does say there are safe ways for teenagers to consume caffeine.
“A good, old, plain cup of coffee — maybe some cream, try not to have a lot of sugar in it — or tea is nice,” Woods said.
She recommends drinking caffeine thirty minutes to an hour and a half afer waking up naturally to prevent dependency.
Even with all its flaws, caffeine isn’t going anywhere, especially for teens.
In the end, students will keep reaching for the colorful cans of caffeine.
What does 100 mg look like?
Teens should only drink 100 mg of caffiene a day. But what does 100 mg look like?
- One half a can of Celcius
- One cup of brewed cofee
- One shot of espresso
- Two cups of black tea
- Two cans of Dr Pepper
Story by Hope Hunt | Design by Greta Grist
Junior Olivia Martz searches for meaning after the passing of her mom
Junior Olivia Martz sat in silence at the South Carolina church. She sits like it’s a normal day, not like she’s sitting in the pew attending her mothers funeral.
A few months before, Olivia’s mother, Hayley, was admitted to the hospital.
She had been diagnosed with type two diabetes and was in a coma.
Days before everything happened, Olivia knew something was off.
Haylye seemed more affectionate than usual.
“She said that she appreciated me,” Olivia said. “I felt like this time it really meant something. She kept holding me.”
Hayley was a single mom of three — twins and Olivia. She couldn’t afford insulin to keep up with her diabetes, even though she was working into the evening.
That left Olivia alone, stuck many nights taking care of her siblings, taking care of the house. Olivia cleaned the dishes, picked up everyone’s bedrooms and did anything she could.
“I remember, for a while, I blamed myself,” Olivia said. “I thought, ‘Why was I so selfish?’”
Still, she felt like she could have done more to help her mom out.
Hayley’s diabetes took a toll on her family, and everyone was drained in different ways.
“I had to put on the mom role,” Olivia said. “My mom did what she needed to do to provide for us.”
Hayley divorced her husband when Olivia was around the age of ten. Olivia, her mother and twin siblings moved all over the state of South Carolina.
From Gaston County to West Columbia to Lexington.
Her father was never in the picture as she got older.
“He just always had a drinking problem,” Olivia said. “My mom was fed up with it and so she left him.”
When Olivia was younger, fights would spark when her dad was drunk.
“I remember there were times where I would try and stop the yelling,” Olivia said.
Sake
Most of the time, it would only consist of shouting, but once in a blue moon, things would get physical. That’s when Oliva would get headphones and take her siblings to their rooms, shielding them.
After the divorce between Olivia’s parents, her father moved to Montana. The next time Olivia saw him was at the hospital after her mother fell into a coma.
“Suddenly, I had to give him mercy and grace,” Olivia said. “That was really hard. Especially when you are sitting in the hospital.”
For a couple of days, machines closely monitored Hayley. Family joined Olivia in the waiting room. No one was telling her details. Hayley’s health continued to decline.
“
“ It felt like I was starting to lose a part of me, right in front of me.
- Olivia Martz
Olivia was in the hospital room when her mother passed away.
“They turned her oxygen off,” Olivia said. “Then turned off the heartbeat monitor and everything else. It felt like I was starting to lose a part of me, right in front of me.”
In the pew of that South Carolina church, Olivia didn’t cry.
“I just sat there,” Olivia said. “Nothing had hit me yet.”
With her dad in rehab, Olivia’s only option was to move in with her aunt and uncle to Kansas City after the funeral, a pair that they have spent little to no time with.
The transition felt weird at first.
“It was a reality check,” Olivia said. “They call this place home.”
But Olivia didn’t.
Over a couple of months she was able to form a bond with them.
“We have a better relationship now. “ Martz said. “It’s stronger, and I feel like I can trust them more.”
Olivia enrolled at Northwest her sophomore year.
The first couple days of school were difficult for her.
She always looked forward to seventh hour concert choir.
That’s where she met her best friend, Sophomore Phoebe Baumgartel.
“I treated her like we’d known each other for years, but I think it helped her get more comfortable and adjust.” Baumgartel said.
This fall Olivia played JV tennis. Olivia now sings in select ensemble choir. She just applied for a job at Target and goes to CrossPoint church every Sunday. Olivia attends youth group multiple times a week. She feels welcome, and has finally found a place to talk.
“What happened happened for a reason,” Olivia said. “I think it’s important to share what I’ve been through.”
Though she is always busy, Olivia still has those moments of quiet. Moments where she thinks about her mom.
“It was hard, especially on my 15th birthday,” Olivia said. “Because she was gone. I really miss her. She was the best for me and tried her hardest. I wish she was there to make me a cake and to surprise me or something. That was really hard for me.”
Olivia keeps thinking about her future. Graduating next year terrifies her, but she has ideas about what she wants. She’s thinking about going to Florida State, and becoming a teacher.
“I would like to succeed for her sake,” Olivia said. “I always knew that she wanted the best for me. And for me to try my hardest. I think that’s my way of honoring her because she gave this life as much as she could.”
Now, so will Olivia.
Sake
1,051 Olivia has moved miles across America
Photos courtesy of Olivia Martz
Photo by Kara Simpson
SPOTLIGHT Artist
Braden Bazzel
“I thought the car backed up to the water was a cool subject of the photo, especially with the mountains in the background and the contrast of the fall trees,” senior Braden Bazel said.
“‘Porcelain Shards’ is a very prominent memory of mine,” junior, Esther Santana Perez said. “I remembr the feeling of each vein and knuckle, and watching a lump of clay form into a hand reaching out. I found there was a certain intimacy when I was making this project, gliding my hands through each rough crevice and smoothing its imperfections. The fear of leaving everything up to faith when it is engulfed in fiery flames, knowing it could turn for better or worse, each time it’s a different experience. Whether it goes according to plan or not, I adapt and find beauty in the cracks of the clay. The pieces of clay that slid off in the process are like an avalanche and all I’m le with are shards and chunks, yet they create something astonishing, a part of me.”
Photo by Braden Bazzel
Art by Esther Santana Perez
Esther Santana Perez
SPOTLIGHT
Design by Bella Alvarado
Murphy Galloway
“The piece is called ‘Andrew the Anteater,’” sophomore Murphy Galloway said. “Andrew is a character I frequently draw in my own sketchbook. Anteaters are my favorite animal, which makes them incredibly fun to draw. The piece itself doesn’t have meaning, but being able to draw my favorite animal with my favorite medium is very therapeutic in a way.”
“This is just a macro I took of what I’m assuming is a dandelion; while out in the Shawnee Mission Northwest prairie with my 35mm f1.8 prime lens,” junior Sirius Minick said. “I love this photo because it was the first time I really explored the range of that lens and what it could do and be used for.”
Photo by Sirius Minick
Art by Murphy Galloway
That’s a Wrap
Spotify wrapped has become part of our identity
Story by Sage McCarthy | Design by Bella Alvarado
Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024, 11:17 a.m.
I was sleeping in because I felt ill, and when I woke up to check my notifications, there were maybe five people who texted me that Spotfiy Wrapped was out. I opened mine up, and saw my top song.
“Eat me” by denn.
Dang it.
Spotify had more than 120 million users in 2021, and at least half of them posted or shared Wrapped results on social media, according to TIME Magazine. The number of Spotify users has grown by 132 million since then. It shows how significant Spotify has become nowadays.
“What type of music do you listen to?” I, and many others, hear often. In this generation, music has become such a staple of who people are and what they assume of you.
When I play a song, it reflects on my mood and what’s going on in my life. Listening to Clairo means I’m usually studying or locked in. If I’m listening to rap means I’m probably driving or working out.
Most of the people I know, including myself, have an aux playlist — a playlist for when someone has me choose music — and a private playlist. Music is who I am,
and it reflects me.
After I opened my Spotify Wrapped and people asked who my top artist was, I wasn’t necessarily ashamed. I was kind of excited to see that I was a top 1% listener of Tyler the Creator, not only because he’s well liked, but also because that’s very different from my previous years.
But my top songs are a completely different story. Some of my top songs…
“This Charming Man” by The Smiths, “Vienna” by Billy Joel, “DOGTOOTH” by Tyler the Creator, very overplayed and very different from one another.
I understand why they’re my top songs, because I listened to them so consistently, but I think they’re overplayed.
For many, music is an everyday occurrence. But to me, and everyone else who anticipates Spotfiy Wrapped, it feels like learning something you didn’t know about yourself yet. It gives you a sense of identity.
Three Northwest basketball players plan to play college basketball. Here’s where they’re
Van Collins Missouri Southern State University
Senior Van Collins announced on Nov. 1 his commitment to Missouri Southern State University’s mens basketball team.
Varsity boys basketball team prepares for the upcoming season
Story by Sophia Ragan | Design by Kennedy Woolf
Aer going 25 - 0 last season, ending with a state championship, the same ve starters — seniors Aiven Riley, Van Collins, Tyler Salmon, Keaton Wagler, and junior Ethan Taylor — are returning to have a repeat of last year.
e Northwest varsity boys basketball team have been conditioning — they run the mile, jump rope, line jumps, step-ups on the bleachers, dribbling with tennis balls and basketballs, tenin-one’s, box jumps, more step-ups, more jump rope and more line jumps — all summer for their upcoming season.
“We played a lot of games in June against some very good teams which prepared us for the season,” head coach David Birch said. “In the fall we do two conditioning days a week along with two open gyms to get players in shape.”
e work is rigorous, but the basketball players are excited to improve and return to their playing season.
“We’re one of the hardest working teams, and it shows through our conditioning,” Salmon said. “I think the hard work and dedication will show
itself in season.”
With out-of-season conditioning and play, Salmon and the rest of the team are prepared to go into the season — even if they’re missing their seniors from last year.
“ e [former] seniors were a big part of the team,” Birch said.” Gabe Hoskins, Deven Bolton, Vince Nixon and Dom Nixon had major contributions to the success of the team.”
But current seniors Brayden Klahn and Ty Jackson will be seeing lots of the court this season. e both of them have worked hard to earn their spot on the varsity team.
“Everybody thinks the path we had last year was easy, so we have a lot of people to still prove wrong,” Junior Ethan Taylor said.
eir rst game was against Oak Park, ranked second in the KC Metro area by 810 Sports, on December seventh where they lost 78-44.
ey’re 0-1.
eir next game is today, December 12, at 5 p.m. against Bentonville West, at Blue Valley Northwest High School.
Keaton Wagler University of Illinois
Senior Keaton Wagler, officially signed with the University of Illinois’. Last season, Wagler averaged 12.5 points, six rebounds, three assists and was rated a four star guard by 247Sports.
Tyler Salmon Washburn University
Senior Tyler Salmon, the six foot eight shooting guard, signed with Washburn’s mens basketball team. Salmon averages about 9.5 points per game.
MONTH IN
Right Yelling, junior Navie Blount hoists the Powder Puff trophy in the air Nov. 13 at the SM Soccer Complex. Blount played wide-receiver on offense and safety on defense. “We did not think we were going to win, but our team still went in with confidence,” Blount said. “When you’re an underdog, it feels so much better winning.” Photo by Finn Bedell
Below Sophomore Jeremiah Amigo jumps out from a Christmas present Dec. 3 in the Main Gym. Amigo sings ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You’ by Mariah Carey during the sophomore skit. “I was pretty nervous but it was fun.” Amigo said. “It’s not something many people can participate in and it’s cool that you get to do it in high school.”
Right Sophomore Alex Cooper plays the cello Nov. 21 in the Main Gym. Cooper has been playing the cello for six years. “I really like the deep C string [on the cello]” Cooper said “I think it sounds really pretty.”
Wheeler
Right Senior Dominy Woodruff attempts to catch a football Nov. 8 at SM North Football Stadium. Woodruff played wide receiver and safety. “I just keep playing because I know good things will happen,” Woodruff said. Photo by Finn Bedell
Photo by Haylee Bell
Photo by Vivienne
IN PHOTOS
Design by Addison Griswold
Below Crouching, seniors Abby Livingston, Luke Dent, and social science teacher Sarah Dent get ready to jump up and dance Nov. 16 in the Cafeteria. At this moment everyone at the dance was close to the floor, waiting for the song’s buildup. “I liked the dance’s atmosphere,” Luke Dent said. “Everyone there loved to dance and wanted to be there.” Photo by Claire Reed
Left After winning Buff Puff, senior Easton Volk high fives the junior team Nov. 12 in the Main Gym. The seniors beat the juniors in Buff Puff, but lost to them in Powder Puff. “Celebrating with the entire senior class and all the teammates is amazing,” Volk said. “I love it.” Photo by Cooper Evans
Left Senior Patrick Marx gathers pennies for the coin drive Nov. 15 in the hallway. The coin drive is a school-wide event where students bring in coins, and all the proceeds go to the Johnson County Christmas Bureau. “My favorite part of participating in the coin [and] canned food drive is doing something that has a positive impact on the community,” Marx said. “I feel like that is what Northwest is all about.” Photo by Vivienne Wheeler
N W P “ N W P “
“It was a big crowd, so I was really nervous.” “It was a big crowd, so I was really nervous.” -sophomore Jeremiah Amigo -sophomore Jeremiah Amigo
Sophomore Jeremiah Amigo lip syncs to a christmas song during the Not so Late Night assembly Dec. 2 in the Main Gym.
