issue 6: Revealing the Best of 2013

northwest

VOLUME 45 - ISSUE 6 - DECEMBER 13, 2013

Sit back and remember the highlights of the past year. 08

THE GIFT OF GIVING .06 Children from the Head Start program arrived Dec. 6 to receive holiday gifts

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY NATE COMPTON

A NEW ROLE .15

Fryatt, Brewer, and Summers were eager to volunteer to be winter sports coaches

W es t G l en E yec a r e A n d r e a B e a t t y, O .D .

J e f f r y G e r s o n , O .D ., F .A .A . O .

E r ic B e a t t y , O . D .

16202 M id l a n d D r iv e S h a w n e e , K S 66217

P h o n e : 913.962.2010 F a x : 913.962.2013

w es t gl en @ @w g e y e c a r e . c o m w w w .w e s t g l e n e y e c a r e . c o m

Colleen Winter Owner

WestGlen BC 2/0

09-24-10

13222 West 62nd Terrace Shawnee, KS 66216 Phone: (913) 962-0077 Fax: (913) 962-5577 Email: wbushawnee@gmail.com www.shawnee.wbu.com Twitter: @wbushawnee Facebook: Wild Birds Unlimited of Shawnee, KS

CONTENTS

REVEALING THE BEST OF 2013

From the inauguration of President Obama to Sporting KC winning the MLS Cup, our time line promises reflection as the year comes to a close

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PHOTO COURTESY OF HOMESHOPPING

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PHOTO BY LUCAS SILVA

PHOTO BY JORDAN ABSHER

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PHOTO BY KATIE DEWITT

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY NATE COMPTON

VOLUME 45 - ISSUE 6 - DECEMBER 13, 2013

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THE GIFT OF GIVING

This dish served

A NEW ROLE

CLUMSY NINJA

Children from the Head Start program arrived Dec. 6 to receive holiday gifts

With winter upon us, it’s always good to know where to get coffee, but which is better?

Starbucks or Blackdog?

Fryatt, Brewer, and Summers were eager to volunteer to be winter sports coaches

If you can get past the glitches, Clumsy Ninja is an almost flawless app game

EDITOR’S NOTE: Sarah Egger, co editor-in-chief

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still can’t believe it’s December already. I feel like the school year just started, and now I’m almost half way done with my senior year.

Every time I think about it, I get mixed feelings of nervousness and excitement: excited to be done with high school, but nervous about going off to college and leaving behind the friends I’ve made.

But, I’m not ready to worry about that too much right now with the holiday season upon us. The first Christmas I remember, I must have been 7 or 8 years old, my sister ran into my room and woke me up at 7 a.m. because she wanted to open presents. I, however, wanted to sleep, but I got up anyway. We both

ran downstairs and looked out the window to find a blanket of snow on the ground.

(White Christmases always seem the most magical.) We wanted to tear into our presents immediately, but my dad had to fumble around with the video camera first. He always felt the need to record birthdays and Christmases in their entirety until I was about 12 years old.

Later that day, we would spend part of the day with my mom and do it all over again.

This year is going to be different. My mom is coming back to town for winter break and has everything planned down to the hour: I have specific days and times scheduled for her and my stepdad, my stepdad’s family, and my dad.

STAFF

PHOTO EDITORS COPY EDITOR WEB EDITOR WEB MANAGER GRAPHICS EDITOR STAFF GRAPHICS DESIGNER NEWS EDITOR

Grace Amundson + Sarah Egger Grace Amundson Maddie Grimes Nate Compton Katie Addington Rachel Bateman Paden Chesney Nate Compton + Addison Sherman Lena Dennington Alaura Moore Haena Lee Mitch Feyerherm Calista Bohling Haena Lee

Sincerely, Sarah Egger Co Editor-In-Chief

PHOTOGRAPHERS

THE NORTHWEST PASSAGE EDITORS-IN-CHIEF DESIGN EDITOR STAFF DESIGNERS

My mom hasn’t filled me in on the schedule quite yet, but she assures me that every day is packed full of activities.

So, what’s in store for you? Food? Family?

Friendship? Fights? Whatever it is, don’t forget to take a moment to reflect on 2013 with our year in review (see page #). Did you set goals last year? Have you met them? What will you do differently this year? Just remember: You can’t really see where you want to be unless you look back at where you’ve been.

OPINIONS EDITOR FEATURES EDITOR SPORTS EDITOR ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR STAFF WRITERS

GUEST WRITERS ADVERTISMENTS EDITOR ADVISER

Sarah Egger Atalie Black Shelby Smith Kylee Hartl + Luke Megli Atalie Black, Keegan Dolinar, Sarah Egger, Paige Eichkorn, Sophie Flores, Libby Gregor, Kylee Hartl, Haena Lee, Ben Lucier, Luke Megli, Alaura Moore, and Shelby Smith Britta Coleman Sean Collins Daniel Mirocke Susan Massy

Jordan Absher Emilie Amunatigui Shelby Beaumont Nisha Bisht Ginny Bohling Randy Castellon Gabby Chavez Nate Compton Clara Davison Sarah Dean Katherine Dewitt Lauren Edwards Kate Jacobsen Nicholas Kahtava Savannah Kelly

MARKETING Jon Anderson Jordan Berry Abbi Bird Austin Bondurant Evin Copeland James Fisher Christopher Garcia Tristan Gerfen Nic Ghilardi Saliyah Henderson Carlos Hernandez Travis Hickman Mihailo Ilich

Teresa Pedroza Bryce Rex Kristi Seng Addison Sherman Lucas Silva Kristen Smith Taryn Smith Christa Stoll Lea Stuart Alexa Styers Sydney Taylor Nate Thompson Kyle Tong Isabelle Wallis Carleigh Whitman

Maddison Jarman Taylor Kangethe Daniel Kashani Mark Kimotho Evan Miller Tyler Nelson Jane Peterson Quincy Rast Kelci Scott Max Schnittker Elizabeth Stithem Hunter Thompson

The purpose of the Northwest Passage is to relay important and interesting information to the community, administration and students of the Shawnee Mission Northwest High School. As a newsmagazine, the Northwest Passage will cater to the interests and concerns of the student body. Outside concerns and activities will only be covered if they somehow affect the school or students. The Northwest Passage is a 24-page newsmagazine. The paper will be distributed every three weeks during fifth hour. Subscriptions will be available to the community for $25. The Northwest Passage firmly supports the First Amendment and opposes censorship. The content of the newspaper will be determined and created by the entire staff. When questions concerning word choice, legal problems or ethics arise the editorial board and adviser will discuss the problem to find the solution. In these cases, the co-editors-in-chief will have the say in all decisions. Letters to the editor will be accepted and encouraged, but will only be published if signed. The staff reserves the right to edit for grammatical mistakes, length and good taste. Letters may attack policy but not people. In no way will ideas or viewpoints be changed. The co-editors-in-chief reserve the right to refuse any letter.

northwest news a Students follow clues with new club

PHOTO BY CARLEIGH WHITMAN

BY ATALIE BLACK

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Northwest hosts Choir Festival A

eocaching Club me Nov.5. Club members search for camouflaged geocaches hidden around the school by other club members using coordinates and hints.

These geocaches contain prizes ranging from a dollar bill to a McDonald’s Happy Meal toy. Club president Patrick Shreve got the idea after working as an intern at The Commons over the summer.

“One of my jobs was to figure out what geocaching was and maybe use it as a way to attract people to the company,” Shreve said.

Geocaching is a real-life scavenger hunt that takes place worldwide via geocaching. com. Approximately 6 million people participate in geocaching, searching for more than 2 million hidden treasures.

Students use the Travel Compass Light

BY HAENA LEE

pproximately 266 choir students from schools in northeast Kansas participated in the Northeastern Kansas Music Educators Association’s (NEKMEA) District Choir Festival held in the Greg Parker Auditorium Dec. 7.

“The sixth [grade], eighth [grade] and high school choirs sing here with a guest clinician,” choir director Scot Schwartz said. “The students have been preparing for this for a long long time.”

Choir director-selected students from the school can participate in the festival. These students sing together as one choir. Those planning to audition for the all-state ensemble must participate in the district choir festival.

The high school choir sang with guest clinician Julie YuOppenheim, co-director of choral activities at Kansas State University.

Each year, the choir receives the opportunity to sing with a new clinician, a prominent expert in the field, to get professional feedback.

“It went well,” senior Steven Skells said. “Doctor Yu was a great clinician, and the talent pool was great.”

App to find the geocaches. Users plug in the coordinates of a hidden geocache and are able to view the relative distance between themselves and a geocache.

“We are doing mock caches,” junior Harrison Chen said. “We give [students] coordinates and hints, and they have to go find the cache. The first group back wins.”

With the weather change, as well as liability issues, the club is restricted to indoor geocaching, but members plan to do activities in the environmental education lab in the spring. Geocaching Club meets periodically after school in Room 204. For more information, contact Shreve or Debra Brewer.

“Our version of geocaching is a lot of fun,” Shreve said, “and will only get better this spring.”

Schedule changes due before winter break S

BY HAENA LEE

tudents planning to change their next semester schedule must do it before leaving for winter break Dec. 20. Students can pick up the form at the counselor secretary’s desk and must return it with a parent signature. No changes can be made after returning from break in January except for study halls and lab assistants.

“We looked at this last year, and it was very effective,” interim principal Lisa Gruman said. “It was disruptive to have all the changes in the schedule and schedules changing dramatically. If the student feels

Orchestras perform winter concert

misplaced, they can talk to their counselor to change that.”

After returning from winter break, students will receive all the enrollment papers for the 2014-2015 school year.

“Jan. 16, if you would like to come and have a question and answer session, I am working with parents of current freshman and sophomores,” Gruman said. “We will look at two- and three-year plans for students and will be looking at what will benefit you: College Now, [Advanced Placement] (AP) and [International Baccalaureate] (IB). ” PHOTO BY GABI CHAVES

BY ATALIE BLACK

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he orchestra performed “A Winter Celebration” Dec. 5 at 7 p.m. in the Greg Parker Auditorium.

Extreme Strings, the sixth-grade honors orchestra, along with the Chamber Orchestra performed “One Digit Ditty” and “Puppet Music.” Camerata played “Music Room Tidbits No. 1,” “Capitol Suite” and “Waltz of the Wicked.”

Chamber Orchestra performed “American Reel,” “As Summer Was Just Beginning” and concluded with music from the Disney movie Ratatouille.

“I think all [the orchestras] did really well, especially since a lot of the music was pretty challenging,” cellist Natalie Morris said.

Among the songs performed for the Chamber Orchestra performance was “Elegy,” written by senior Ben Huddleston as a memorial to his grandfather.

“The Chamber Orchestra concentrated really hard to make Ben’s piece go well,” orchestra director Jeffery Bishop said. “They really wanted to give him a great performance, which was nice.”

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NEWS

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PHOTO BY KATIE DEWITT

PHOTO BY LEA STUART

1 Dakota looks around his fellow classmates in the Northwest cafeteria Dec. 6. The students were gathered prior to going to their classrooms. The students were also surprised by a visit from Santa and a sing-a-long. 2 Sophomore Alexa Styers sits with Tayleigha while she opens presents on Dec. 6. Adopt-a-tot is a program where fourth hour classes raise money to buy Christmas presents for a child. “It was great to see the child interact with the older kids, to see the smile on her face, and to watch her open presents that she might not have had the opportunity to do,” Styers said.

3 Three year old David Sanchez hugs Santa’s leg during Ben Pabst’s fourth hour IB English 12 class Dec. 6 in room 155. Sanchez attends Don Hester Elementary school. “I think it’s nice that we can give back to children who are less fortunate than us and make their holiday special,” senior Heidi Forland said.

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PHOTO BY SARAH DEAN

THE GIFT OF GIVING Children from the Head Start program arrived Dec. 6 to receive holiday gifts

“I

think we have a special visitor coming today,” Adopta-Tot co-chairman Carolina Mach said. “Any idea who that could be?”

The children’s eyes widened as they yelled, “Santa Claus!”

“Is Santa really coming here?” another child asked.

“Ho Ho Ho!” The iconic red-jacketed, white-bearded man swept into the cafeteria. He walked around the room waving at the children sitting on the floor.

“Are you the real Santa?” some of the children wondered.

He introduced himself and the elf for the day, sophomore Nathan Jones.

Classes donate money and buy toys for preschool-aged children in the Head Start program each year as a part of the Adopt-A-Tot community service program. The families of most of these children would not be able to have a Christmas without this assistance.

The children arrive by bus around 9:40 a.m. and meet their Student Council (StuCo) pal for the day before going into

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PHOTO BY KATIE DEWITT

the cafeteria to listen to the Chamber Choir sing a variety of holiday songs. Then the children had a chance to talk to Santa Claus and tell him what they wanted for Christmas.

“My tot this year [Vanessa] just looked at me at one point and was like, ‘I don’t want to leave,’” Mach said. “She made me a picture with stickers and was like, ‘here you go.’ I didn’t ask for it, but it was just little stuff like that. That is what is so gratifying about this event, seeing the joy it brings to the little kids.”

Chen and Mach began preparations for the event in October. Unlike the previous years, the program was set up differently. Instead of putting a cap on the amount of money a class could raise, the goal was to reach $150-200 per class.

Students and teachers followed a specific, generic wish list of preschool-appropriate books and toys, $25 gift cards to a grocery store, winter hats, mittens, etc.

According to Mach, a staff reduction at Head Start and the inequality between classes in the level of giving prompted the changes.

“Adopt-a-Tot could set up classes who could raise a thousand dollars and get these kids everything they could have ever wanted,” Mach said. “That caused problems within the families like ‘why didn’t Santa bring me what I got last year?’”

The procedural changes met mixed reviews. Some students thought it was understandable to have the limitations, while others did not like having a cap on how many gifts they could give.

“I honestly didn’t like the changes,” senior Jocelyn Barrios said. “Students give a lot to the children, and it gives them joy to be able to open many presents on Christmas. But, I also see where Head Start is coming from. I guess they should be fair to all the kids, but at the same time, some of them need more than others.”

In the past, about 32 classes have participated. This year, 34 classes participated, helping more than 36 children.

“It is one of the best days of the whole year,” Dent said.

“There really is not much else that compares to this and the feeling that you get.”

BY SARAH EGGER + HAENA LEE

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PHOTO BY SARAH DEAN

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PHOTO BY KATIE DEWITT

4 Sophomore Nate Jones smiles to the crowd of preschoolers in the NW Cafeteria on Dec 6. Each child is “adopted” by a fourth hour class and receives presents that are purchased by each student. “It was fantastic getting to work with Santa”, Jones said “ I loved getting to interact and bring Christmas cheer.” 5 Senior Phil Shamet and tot David Sanchez open a gifts during Ben Pabst’s fourth hour IB English 12 class. Sanchez recieved a dinosaur along with other gifts. 6 Senior Connor Johnson and tot Jaelyn, age 4, play with superheroes and a fire truck in room 130 Dec. 6. Jaelyn was adopted by Fran Koenigsdorf’s students for the day. “I love my Iron Man,” Jaelyn said.

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FEATURE

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at the Area Festival.

May 2: May 10: Rhode Island, Delaware, & Minnesota The Great Gatsby, starring Leonardo legalize same-sex marriage.

DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan, Tobey Maguire and Isla Fisher, premiered in New York City.

May 3-4: Varsity and JV drill team members perform their Spring Special show in the auditorium.

Graduation for 2013 seniors was held on the football field.

May 20: Mile-wide category four tornado strikes Moore, Okla.

JULY — AUGUST

Wildfires in Colorado destroy more than 22 thousand acres of land.

Aug. 21: Aug. 29: Bradley Manning sentenced to more Freshmen Courtney Jones and Aug. 13: than 35 years in prison for leaking Hope Medis were elected for StuCo July 22: Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors hundreds of thousands of classified president and vice president for the Prince George is born to Prince start their first day of school.

July 1: U.S. Files to the website WikiLeaks.

Freshman class.

William and wife Kate Middleton, the Jim Henson was named the new Aug. 16: Aug. 22: duke and duchess of Cambridge. superintendent of the Shawnee Aug. 30: The Freshmen mixer, sponsored by Parents visited their students’ Mission School District.

Clubs Day was held before school StuCo, took place in the cafeteria. classrooms on Back-to-school Aug. 1: in the mall to draw in interested July 13: night.

Minnesota & Rhode Island begin Aug. 17: students.

George Zimmerman found not issuing same-sex marriage licenses.

Aug. 25: More than 34 wildfires occurring guilty of 17-year-old Trayvon Miley Cyrus “twerks” with Robin Thicke in several different states.

Martin's murder. during a performance of “Blurred Lines” Aug. 12: Aug. 19: July 15: at the MTV Video Music Awards.

Freshmen start their first day of high Fall sports tryouts began.

The Northwest office reopened, school. preparing for the school year ahead.

Sept. 20: Initial release of iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s, selling more than 9 million phones in the first weekend.

Sept. 27: CCC sponsored Cappuccino Day raised $1,917 for former teacher Mrs. Mayor.

Oct. 1: Standoff over Obamacare results in 16-day-long government shutdown.

Oct. 4: SMW senior Andre Maloney died after he suffered a stroke on the field of the Oct. 3 game.

Oct. 21: New Jersey becomes 14th state to recognize same-sex marriage.

Oct. 21: Twelve-year-old Jose Reyes shot two classmates and killed a teacher at his middle school in Sparks, Nev.

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Nov. 30: Fast and Furious actor Paul Walker dies in car accident.

Dec. 6: The winter tailgate was held before the first home basketball game of the season against SMW.

Dec. 7: Sporting KC wins the MLS cup in a PK shootout.

Dec. 13: Dec. 6: Fourth hour classes host parties for the Thespian Troupe #888 performs A annual Adopt-A-Tot event for children Christmas Celebration, their winter repertory class show. in the Head Start Program.

Dec. 5: Nobel Peace Prize winner Nelson Mandela dies at age 95 after a long illness.

Oct. 26: StuCo sponsored the ninth annual Halloween carnival for students form the elementary schools.

Oct. 22: Oct. 5: The homecoming dance, There’s No Dr. Harrington, principal since 1995, announces retirement.

Place Like Homecoming, was held in the cafeteria.

Oct. 15: Oct. 25: A 7.2 magnitude earthquake strikes The Marching Cougar Pride the Philippines. performed their 15th annual light show at the North Stadium.

SEPTEMBER — OCTOBER

Sept. 17: GTA 5 was released and brought in $800 million in sales the first day of release.

Sept. 5: Bonfire was held by Spirit Cub to get the student body excited for the fall sports season.

Sept. 13: Insidious: Chapter 2 brought in $41 million in the opening weekend.

Sept. 18: The iOS 7 update was released for the iPhone 4 and newer.

Sept. 16: Mentally unstable Aaron Alexis went on a bloody rampage through the Washington Navy Yard killing 12 people and wounding four.

Sept. 13: The fall tailgate was held before the first home football game of the year against Lawrence Free State.

Nov. 11-15: Students collected a total of 10,794 cans and $6414.96 for Harvesters

Nov. 22: Catching Fire premiered at 12:01 a.m., earning $161.1 million opening weekend.

Nov. 16: StuCo hosts the annual Mother, Son, Father, Daughter dance.

Nov. 12: Hawaii becomes the 16th state to legalize same-sex marriage.

NOVEMBER — DECEMBE

Nov. 5: SMW junior Houston St. John dies in a car accident.

Nov. 5: Students 17 and older donated 145 units of blood to the Community Blood Center.

Nov. 7: Thespian Troupe #888 performs on opening night of the fall musical Anything Goes.

Nov. 8: Typhoon Haiyan kills 2,500 people in the Philippines.

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Nov. 1: Gunman opens fire in a crowded terminal at the Los Angeles International Airport killing a Transportation Security Administrator and injuring six other people.

Nov. 4: Richard Shoop opened fire in a New Jersey shopping mall, injuring no one and later killing himself.

Nov. 5: Illinois becomes 15th state to legalize same-sex marriage.

DEC. 13, 2013

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Teachers packed up their classrooms and supplies, going home for the summer.

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o Revealing the Best January — February

BY SOPHIE FLORES + SHELBY SMITH

Jan. 1: To avoid a government shutdown, Congress passed a budget deal.

Jan. 13: 2013 Fashion Show

May 1: The elementary, middle, and high school orchestras performed the theme song of Star Wars

Jan. 21: President Obama is inaugurated for his second term as the 44th President of the United States.

Jan. 31: Thespian Troupe #888 premieres the winter drama “The Diviners.”

Feb. 11: Pope Benedict XVI announces his resignation.

Feb. 12: Seniors Anthan Swearingen and Christ Graves established Ramen Club sponsored by economics teacher Bill Sanderson.

May 16:

Feb. 19: JJ’s restaurant on the Country Club Plaza suffered an explosion killing one employee and injuring 15 other people after a cable company worker struck a gas line.

Feb. 23: Graduates Anna Guigli and Matthew Styers were crowned King and Queen for the 2013 Casino Royale-themed Women Pay All Dance.

April 20: Tyler Sliva and Laura Assmann were crowned Prom King and Queen.

April 22: StuCo sponsors Sleep-in-a-Box to benefit the Shalom House.

April 25: Thespian Troupe #888 performs the spring comedy The Good Doctor by Neil Simon.

May 24:

May 23: May 14: Students finished their finals on their “We Know”, the 2013 yearbook, was last day of school. distributed to students.

MAY — JUNE

April 12: Senior Connor McDonald becomes the 2013 Slampion.

April 13: StuCo hosted the 5th Annual Special Education Dance. More than 20 students in the district with special needs attended the event.

April 15: 3 were killed and an estimated 264 were injured by 2 pressure cooker bombs at the Boston Marathon.

march — April

May 6: Academic Honors and Awards were held in the Greg Parker auditorium.

March 7: March 2: President Sam Gross and Vice StuCo sponsors the annual Dodgeball Tournament to raise money for the President Connor Johnson win the elections for the StuCo Johnson County Christmas Bureau.

President and Vice President for the March 5: 2013-2014 school year.

After a struggle with cancer, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez April 6: dies at the age of 58 leaving Nicolas StuCo sponsored the annual Maduro as president in his place.

Garage Sale to raise money March 5: for leadership camps.

Students age 17 and older participated in the spring blood drive held by StuCo.

Jan. 16: Obama proposes sweeping changes to gun control in response to shootings in Aurora, Colorado and violence cases.

Jan. 17: The Senior, Concert, and Symphonic Bands perform songs including excerpts from “The Avengers” and “The Wizard of Oz” in the NW Area Band Concert.

Feb. 23: Senior LaPhonso McKinnis won wrestling state champion in his weight class.

June:

May 27: Memorial Day.

April 27: The Plant Sale begins, sponsored by environmental education.

April 27: Headstart Spring Carnival

Feb. 28: After only eight years, Pope Benedict XVI becomes the first pope to resign from the position in the last 600 years.

Feb. 25: Spring Sports tryouts begin.

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COMMON COURTESY

A Day to Remember

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Day to Remember is one of my favorite bands, so naturally I have high expectations for their newest album, Common Courtesy. I wanted to be blown away.

I liked Common Courtesy even better than the previous Homesick because it’s different in a good way. Where A Day to Remember is known for being “screamo,” the band managed to keep a balance between songs that had screaming, and songs that didn’t. I actually preferred the songs with less screaming.

Not only that, throughout the album, there are short clips from an interview of the band, which were funny and interesting to listen to. The interview clips told personal stories about the band’s travels, from the first time they had ever seen snow to how they would leave their van on while they slept and get criticized about it.

Normally I can’t stand interludes between songs, however, the interludes were actually a part of each song and you

PHOTO courtesy of HAS IT LEAKED

PHOTO courtesy of homeshopping

BY KYLIE HARTL

got a look into the band’s personality. It gives the album more a carefree vibe and it’s overall better.

My favorite song on the album is probably “I’m Already Gone,” because it connects to me on a much more personal level: “I’ve worked it out you’ll always bring me down / From here on out I’m doing things for me / I’m impatient now. I’m not the type for life alone.” My favorite albums always connect to real life on a personal level and It’s nice to find a band that’s like that.

The only negative thing I can say about this album is that it has bad language here and there, especially during interludes with the band talking. Fans of Sleeping With Sirens, Pierce the Veil, and My Chemical Romance would definitely enjoy A Day to Remember.

Overall, I’m impressed. Common Courtesy exceeded my expectations. I was blown away by the lyrics, which is exactly what I was looking for.

CLUMSY NINJA

BY BEN LUCIER

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DEC. 13, 2013 Y ENTERTAINMENT OPINION

Arbor Horror

by Jordan Absher

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hen people picture a ninja, the first things that come to mind are quiet, sneaky, and wise-quick thinking and fast reflexes. Most people would question the abilities of a “clumsy ninja” but then they would miss out on the fun. “Clumsy Ninja”, an App Store game developed

by NaturalMotion is a super fun interactive touchscreen game where you control the actions of your ninja. ‘Clumsy Ninja’ is not your everyday ninja for his name is precisely what he is-clumsy. He is on a mission to find his missing ninja friend, Kira.

As the player, it is your job to train him to become a TRUE Ninja in order to complete his mission. You control all kinds of funny, interactive moves like throwing your ninja, giving him high-fives, and sometimes even tickling him. Your ninja also has objects that you can use to train him like trampolines and punching bags. The makers of ‘Clumsy Ninja’ claim this game to be the first of its kind to use Euphoria Technology for touch devices, which is what makes at the top of its game in gaming technology.

Euphoria brings gaming technology to a whole new level. It has special modules that control what the character does, so for every result, you get a new unique kind of behavior.

This technology provides players with a realistic feel to playing games, making it a very fun gaming experience.

While Clumsy Ninja has a lot of potential for entertainment value, sometimes it did live up to it’s “clumsy” namesake. While playing this app on an iPad mini (with iOS 7) and an iPod touch 4th gen (with iOS 6), the game would always crash within five minutes of gameplay. The game maker said that the game is compatible (with iOS 5) and above, but the game crashed several times on these platform. If you can get past the “clumsy” play on the iOS platform, it can be really fun.

This game has not been released on Android devices yet.

Still, it is a lot of fun and currently has a 4.5 out of 5 star rating on the APP Store. Even though, the game has some “Clumsy” moments, it is fun to step into the role of this ninja. Who hasn’t pretended to be a ninja?

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thisDISH

With the winter season quickly approaching it’s always good to know where to get coffee, but which is better...

coffee houses

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PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY NATE COMPTON

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irst, I must admit that I do not like coffee. It might seem strange that I am reviewing a coffee shop when I don’t like coffee. But, if you’re like me and still want a tasty beverage in a casual study environment, Starbucks is the place for you.

Although Blackdog has tastier hot chocolate, Starbucks has a greater variety for us non-coffee drinkers. While Blackdog does feature Italian soda, smoothies and hot beverages, Starbucks features flavored teas, bottled energy drinks, frappuccinos, smoothies and hot chocolate. It’d be hard not to find at least one thing you like. My personal favorite is the strawberries and creme frappuccino. It’s a little sweeter than the Blackdog strawberry and banana smoothie, and at $4, it’s also cheaper.

Starbucks also has a better reward system, with a fancy plastic card and a mobile app that allow you to easily check your reward status, as well as the balance on the card. Blackdog has a punch card, but no phone app.

While it’s not the cheapest, Starbucks is the closest, with nine locations in the county, and the service is sure to come with a smile. They ask for your name, and although they don’t always spell it right, it’s always nice to see their personal touch.

Maybe it’s just me, but sometimes it’s the little things.

Starbucks also has a better environment for studying.

With great Wi-Fi and more windows, it just provides a more hospitable feel. No matter what city I am in, I always get the same service with a smile and a tasty beverage.

BY LENA DENNINGTON

PHOTO BY JORDAN ABSHER

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offee is honestly the only way I have even survived high school. A mug full of coffee in the morning to wake up, another cup halfway through the day to keep me awake in class, and then one more after school at Blackdog Coffeehouse as I do homework. Starbucks is close to Northwest and, therefore, an obvious choice. It does have excellent coffee; however, if you want a superb cup of coffee in a much more relaxed environment, you will want to drive the extra two miles to Blackdog.

Blackdog is a local coffeehouse, as opposed to a national chain. They are more concerned with customer satisfaction and will take the extra steps to get there — this includes figuring out how to make a drink that they do not normally serve. The warm colors, relaxed workers and soft couches make the atmosphere more inviting and comfortable — perfect for working on that English essay or just talking with friends.

Paintings from local artists hang along the wall next to the stage that is used for local musicians and open mic night every Saturday.

In addition to the superior ambience, the coffee, and noncoffee, drinks surpass those of Starbucks and are less expensive.

The Mocha Surprise is a fun and new treat each time you order it. They make a mocha and surprise you by adding whichever syrups they please, but they always do a good job. (I have yet to have a less-than-pleasing Mocha Surprise.) The Vanilla Sky Latte is another popular addition to the Blackdog menu. And, if you don’t like coffee, the Italian sodas and cream sodas are a must-have (I suggest a mango-raspberry Italian soda).

Blackdog is worth that slightly extra drive because the drinks are just that much better. The design is simple and beautiful, lending itself to a far more relaxed ambience. Add lower prices and a more personable staff and it’s hard to figure out why anyone would go to Starbucks.

BY NATE COMPTON

PHOTO BY JORDAN ABSHER

NORTHWEST PASSAGE Y OPINION ENTERTAINMENT

11 Y

Hey Northwest!

There are two major yearbook deadlines coming up.

Dec. 20th

is your absolute last chance to buy a yearbook.

We will not be selling them at the end of the year. Bring $59 to the bookkeeper to purchase your book.

seniors:

Dec. 20th

is your absolute last chance to buy a baby ad.

Please have all of your photos selected when turning in your order to Keegan White. Contact her for details at smnwbabyads@gmail.com or (913) 993 - 7286.

Adventure Sports Sea and Snow

Summer Aquatic Positions Assistant Pool Manager must be 18 years of age and hold current American Red Cross Waterpark Lifeguard Certification. Starting salary is $12.00/hr Lifeguards must be 16 years of age and hold current American Red Cross Waterpark Lifeguard Certification. Starting salary is $8.75/hr.

Swim Instructors must be 16 years of age or older. Training will be provided. Starting salary: $9.75/hr.

Concession/Front Desk Attendant must be 15 years of age.

Starting Salary is $7.25/hr.

Assistant Dive Coaches must be 16 years of age with prior diving experience. Starting salary: $9.75/hr.

Head Swim Coach must be 18 years of age with previous coaching experience.

Assistant Swim Coach must be 16 years of age with prior swimming experience. Starting Salary $9.75/hr Pool Employment Applications available on-line at www.cityofshawnee.org and at Shawnee City Hall, 11110 Johnson Dr., Shawnee, KS 66203.

Positions open until filled.

All positions require pre-employment drug screen.

Driver Education at Johnson County Community College

Drive Safe, Drive Smart • Kansas Board of Education certified instructors providing comprehensive training • 6 hours of driving • 6 hours of observation • 30 hours of classroom instruction • Optional at-home pick-up/drop-off service for driving portion of training • Automobile fleet includes a Toyota Prius hybrid car, which lessens the program's carbon footprint while promoting sustainability Course fee: $349. Register today for classes that begin in January and March!

For class dates and times visit www.jccc.edu/driver-training or call 913-469-4446 Johnson County Community College 12345 College Blvd., Overland Park, KS 66210

&

spiking Punting Powderpuff sports challenge students to take on unfamiliar sports as boys play volleyball and girls play football.

T

he auxiliary gym was filled with noise from the cheerleaders, bleachers full of people, and teams of boys who had decided to try their hand at volleyball.

The players were yelling, whether to communicate, to intimidate opposing teams, or just for fun. The teams all made their own T-shirts, ranging from all black, to crop tops.

“We only had one real practice and only a few of them made it,” senior team coach Taylor Kangethe said. “So on the day of the game we were worried that they would have a hard time picking it up but they were fast learners.

Varsity volleyball players coached two junior and two senior teams Dec. 4 as they competed against each other.

Kangethe and the other coaches were proud of how their teams played.

“Going into it, our team was the underdog and everyone thought we would lose all our games, but we ended up getting second to the other senior team,” Kangethe said.

The seniors won against the juniors

for the third year in a row.

“What’s a quarterback?” asked a girl.

“Girls, can you just listen for five seconds?” Senior Jake Horner asked.

Giggles erupted from the 15 senior girls, decked out in hoodies, ski masks, gloves, scarves and hats. Unable to feel their hands, the girls would fight on.

The center snapped the ball. Giggles turned into grunts as the defensive line bore down on junior quarterback Rachel Carder. On the opening drive, Carder was sacked.

With a temperature of 16 degrees and wind gusts of nearly 10 mph, the junior and senior girls held nothing back Dec. 7 in a game of powderpuff football.

“They do this sometimes without even knowing the rules or anything about the sport,” senior Connor Johnson said. “That’s what makes it so tough.”

On the turf of the SM North District Stadium, senior football players coached while their players struggled to hold onto the ball. On the sidelines, other

PHOTO BY LUCAS SILVA

PHOTO BY NATE COMPTON

PHOTO BY ADDISON SHERMAN

PHOTO BY CARLEIGH WHITMAN

Dec. 7 at SM North District Stadium. Richards was taken down and possession remained with the junior team.

2. Senior Mia Woodward gets tackled by junior Paige Umsheid. The seniors remain undefeated.

3. Seniors Mikala Modiri and Mia Woodward tackle junior Rachel Carder during the Powderpuff Football game.

The seniors won the game 3-0.

DEC. 13, 2013

SPORTS

is being able to play a rowdy sport like football,” senior Juliana Cook said. “I can’t do that often being a cheerleader, and once a year is good enough for me!”

The senior football players that are the coaches pick the girls they want to have on their team.

“The [football player] coaches told [senior] Maddie Frazier to text a group of us senior girls, and we had a sign up for any senior girl who wanted to play,” Kangethe said.

The rules for powderpuff football differ from regulation, but that didn’t always matter.

“Some girls can get pretty into the game, and others don’t know half the game of football,” Cook said. “But, that’s the entertaining part!”

Although the game time was cut down to 45 minutes due to the weather, the seniors remain undefeated.

BY SHELBY SMITH + SOPHIE FLORES

PHOTO BY LUCAS SILVA

PHOTO BY LUCAS SILVA

1. Junior Mia Richards attempts to fight off a tackle from senior Jillian Sommerfield at the powderpuff game

14

players huddled beneath blankets.

“I wore three layers of Under Armour and sweatshirts and two pairs of pants,” senior Taylor Kangethe said. “I had on two pairs of socks and gloves, but was still freezing the entire time.”

The games are meant to challenge students to try a sport completely different from what they are used to.

“Powderpuff is basically when a sport is played by the other gender,” senior football player Connor Johnson said. “So, the guys play volleyball, and the girls play football.”

The coaches for each sport are usually the junior and senior players of that sport. “[Having student coaches] allows for more freedom,” senior Meagan Johnson said. “It’s a nice benefit of being an upperclassman and getting more responsibility.”

Despite the cold, the girls value the experience of playing an unfamiliar sport.

“My favorite part of powderpuff

4. Junior Jake Malik laughs while huddling up with his team on Nov 14 in the SM Northwest auxiliary gym. The teams created their own uniforms.

5. Senior Sam Arnold tips the ball over the net. The seniors beat the juniors for the third year in a row.

6. Juniors Sam Sullivan, Kota Gottfried, Ethan Nowman, and Jacob Hansford huddle up before the match. The juniors lost to the seniors for the third year in a row.

TIME TO SPARE

the bowling team head coach left, After the bowling team head coach left the school, math After teacher math teacher Marcus Fryatt eagerly stepped into the position.

Marcus Fryatt was eager to step into the position

“A

PHOTO BY LUCAS SILVA

fter this week, I will only be available in the mornings,” math teacher Marcus Fryatt announced to his class. “Bowling starts next week, so I have to be there after school for the winter season.”

Fryatt has been teaching here for only two years and views bowling as an opportunity to expand his interaction with the students outside of the classroom.

“Last year after [former bowling coach Britt Haney] went to be an administrator at SM East, he approached me and asked me if I wanted to coach bowling,” Fryatt said. “For a new teacher, any opportunity to coach is a great one. It introduces you to new students and I know that the bowlers are a really fun group of kids..”

Fryatt is not the only new bowling coach; science teacher Debra Brewer will be replacing assistant coach Lindsey Kincaid (why did she step down).

“Mrs. Brewer and I are going to be working with everyone,” Fryatt said. “We don’t want to be exclusive to one group, so we are working with the boys and the girls for both the junior varsity and varsity.”

Stepping into the coaching position gives Fryatt a chance to meet students he might not encounter in his Geometry and IB Math classes.

“Working with students is why I wanted to become a teacher,” Fryatt said. “Bowling is a perk.”

Fryatt acknowledges that he is not the

STRIKING UP

D

PHOTO BY CHRISTA STOLL

ebra Brewer was named assistant bowling coach by process of elimination.

Well, at least that’s her story.

Because Brewer and former bowling coach Britt Haney were good friends, she heard a great deal about his experiences with the team.

“We hung around each other in school and outside of school and he was always talking about bowling,” Brewer said. “When he left to go to East he said he needed an assistant bowling coach. Ms. Kincaid, the assistant coach, took on an IB class so she wanted to give it up. I was basically chosen at last minute and I agreed to take it on.”

This is the first time Brewer and Fryatt will be working together.

S

PHOTO BY ADDISON SHERMAN

wimming has always been a large part of Ken Summers’s life, and this year he has assumed the position as head coach of swim and dive.

“I have lots of experience with coaching swimming,” Summers said. “ I’ve stroke judged boys’ and girls’ meets pretty much since I’ve been here.”

Summers was a swimmer in high school, and began coaching swimming in the 1960s.

In 1974, he started the girl’s swimming program at Raytown High School, where he taught for 28 years.

“I even coached the Raytown swim team

BY LENA DENNINGTON

Although randomly chosen to be assistant bowling coach, Mrs. Brewer is eager to work with this year’s team.

“He and I are both rule followers and we’re both linear, sequential kind of people,” Brewer said. “Because our personalities are similar, we’ll be just fine.”

Tryouts were held last week at Park Lanes and the coaches planned to select six boys and six girls on the varsity and junior varsity teams and up to three alternates on each team.

“Our first match is January 4 against [Lawrence] Free State,” Brewer said. “We will travel more, but our home meets are all at Park Lanes. We’ll go to Turner though and Wichita and Leavenworth. We can travel to wherever we need to travel.”

Although Brewer has no previous experience in bowling, she is confident in

Making waves

best bowler, but he thinks he can improve while practicing with the team.

“My highest score ever is a 205, which is decent,” Fryatt said. “But I can’t go out and do that every time. Hopefully, by the end of the season, I can consistently be over 200.”

Fryatt was a Nike golf coach, and played golf in high school. He has never been on a competitive bowling team or coached bowling before.

“I’m new to competitive bowling and I’m going to have the bowlers coach me up a little bit because some of them know a little bit more about it than I do,” Fryatt said. “I look forward to learning from them.”

her coaching skills.

“I’ve been getting lessons ever since I found out I was going to be the assistant coach,” Brewer said. “I’ll be fine.”

In fact, this is Brewer’s first time coaching any sport.

“I’m looking forward to taking on a new roll,” Brewer said. “I’ve done a lot of academic coaching in Science Olympiad and other academic things, but I’ve never been in a venue dealing with kids that have any athletic ability. I’m excited to see what kids have to offer in that different area.”

BY PAIGE EICHKORN

Summers became head coach of swim and dive and hopes to rebuild the team

against my sister who was swimming at Raytown South,” Summers said.“That was crazy.”

Although the team is made up of mostly freshmen and sophomores, Summers’ goal is to push as many of the swimmers up to varsity level as possible. Many of the varsity swimmers were seniors last season, so he considers this a season for rebuilding the team.

“We have a lot of people who are going to do reasonably well,” Summers said. “I know they’re going to make great progress, and that should set up a pretty nice position next

year. Because next year, those guys are going to start real progress and start competing heavily on the varsity.”

Although Summers and the team have their work cut out for them, this year’s increase in interest is somewhere to start.

“We have a lot guys that are beginner and JV level but there’s got to be a varsity and there’s got to be a JV,so they’re going to have to get better and the goal is for them to have a time that’s good enough to qualify and go to state.” Summers said.

BY LIBBY GREGOR

NORTHWEST PASSAGE

SPORTS

15

“When there was 30 seconds left and we were up by 13 I knew we had won the game.

It was relief and joy

because we had worked so hard for that win and we got it.”

— Senior Warren Specht

Winter sports

wrap up

boys’ basketball Dec. 6 VARSITY WON 58 - 44 AGAINST SM WEST

“One of our goals is always to play with energy and passion and I think that we did that very well especially on the defensive end of the floor.”

— SENIOR SPENCER COOK

girls’ basketball Dec. 6 VARSITY LOST 55-34 AGAINST SM WEST

wrestling

Dec. 7-8 VARSITY PLACED 6TH JUNIOR VARSITY PLACED 11TH “The wrestlers [had] been working tremendously hard the last few weeks to prepare for this tournament. It [was] a two day grind fest that test[ed] the limitations of their physical and mental toughness.”

— COACH HOWARD NEWCOMB

swim & dive

Dec. 7 SMNW PLACED 5TH IN THE 200YD & 400YD FREESTYLE “We could have done better, but not bad for our first meet.”

— FRESHMAN WILL HAUSER

photo by nate compton