Issue 8: Getting Technical

northwest

VOLUME 45 - ISSUE 8 - FEBRUARY 21, 2014

The district integrated technology initiative policy announced the decision to give every high school student in the district a laptop .11

DRUMROLL PLEASE...14

49 students bring a different vibe to the annual talent show

THIS DISH SERVED .21

Looking for the best place to eat buffalo wings? photo illustration by nate compton

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY NATE COMPTON

TABLE OF CONTENTS

STAFF

VOLUME 45 - ISSUE 8 - FEBRUARY 21, 2014

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

PHOTO EDITORS COPY EDITOR WEB EDITOR WEB MANAGER GRAPHICS EDITOR STAFF GRAPHICS DESIGNER NEWS EDITOR OPINIONS EDITOR FEATURES EDITOR SPORTS EDITOR ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR STAFF WRITERS

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 Sarah Egger Atalie Black Lena Dennington Kylee Hartl Atalie Black, Keegan Dolinar, Deena Essa, Sarah Egger, Paige Eichkorn, Sophie Flores, Kylee Hartl, Haena Lee, Ben Lucier, and Alaura Moore

GUEST WRITERS

Jordan Arnold Britta Coleman Sean Collins Tess Holcom

ADVERTISEMENTS EDITOR ADVISER

Daniel Mirocke Susan Massy

PHOTO BY CARLEIGH WHITMAN

PHOTO COURTESY OF ANDRIOD HEADLINES

16 19

PHOTOGRAPHERS 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

11

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

11

GETTING TECHNICAL

Every student is receiving a MacBook Air this fall to use during school A MacBook Air will be checked out to every student next fall

16

THROUGH THE WARDROBE

19

Students gathered in the gymnasium for the annual Women Pay All assembly followed by the crowning and the dance the following night

ODE TO FLAPPY BIRD

Flappy Bird was all fun and games until it was deleted from the App Store

MARKETING Jon Anderson Austin Bondurant Mitchell Bolton Clay Droulliard Christophe Garcia Tristan Gerfen Nick Ghilardi Saliyah Henderson Carlos Hernandez Travis Hickman Taylor Kangethe Daniel Kashani

Celeste Lopez Evan Miller Tyler Nelson Mia Pallito Jane Peterson Quincy Rast Kelci Scott Max Schnittker Elizabeth Stithem Jordan Sumner Hunter Thompson Daniel Wood

EDITOR’S NOTE:

I

t’s Tuesday morning. I look at the clock: 9:30 a.m. I look at my phone, and it reassures me it’s going to keep snowing the rest of the day. With the expectation of a foot of snow, it looks like we’re not having school for the rest of the week.

I’ve always loved snow, this year especially. Graduation date is already set in stone, so seniors don’t make up snow days at the end of the year. (I’m hoping for at least three more this year, after all, it won’t affect me.) For me, snow days mean two things: I get to sleep as late as I want and, best of all, teachers can’t require me

to do anything.

We had six days off of school two weeks ago, and I didn’t crack a text book open until Sunday night at 6 p.m. Next year, things could be different. With the integration technology initiated program, everyone is going to have a laptop, making it easier for teachers to send work back to students during snow days. This will prevent classes from getting behind schedule, ultimately making sure the school year is not extended past Memorial Day. As a senior, none of this applies to me. However, even if I wasn’t

The Northwest Passage and smnw.com, the official, school-sponsored student media of Shawnee Mission Northwest High School have been established as forums for student expression.

The purpose of the Northwest Passage is to relay important and interesting information to the community, administration and students of Shawnee Mission Northwest High School.

As a news magazine, the Northwest Passage will cater to the interests and concerns of the student body.

The Northwest Passage is a 24-page newsmagazine distributed every three weeks during fifth hour.

Subscriptions are available to the community for $40.

The staff of the Northwest Passage firmly supports the First Amendment and opposes censorship. In

PHOTO BY KRISTI SENG

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY NATE COMPTON

GRAPHICS BY CALISTA BOHLING

there are over

100,000 educational apps

available with apple

14 21 07 PHOTO BY SARAH DEAN

PHOTO BY LUCAS SILVA

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY SAVANNAH KELLY

15 22 09 14

DRUMROLL PLEASE...

Students display their diverse talents in the fifth annual Talent Show

15

Roses for Prom

Prom committee hosted a rose sale on Valentines Day to raise money for prom.

21

THIS DISH SERVED

Buffalo wings are a common appetizer so we reviewed two great places to eat them

22

WINTER SPORTS

Winter sports are moving into regional and state competitions

07

info in ink

A statistical and numerical view of what is current in world news

09

CUPID IS CALLING

Valentines Day is the perfect time to show affection in relationships, even with friends and family, and anyone can celebrate it

a senior, the integrated technology initiative policy would be almost irrelevant to my schooling. I already have a MacBookPro. It’s less than two years old and fully up to the task of school work. Next year, students will be allowed to bring their own computers; however, they will not have the same software that the MacBook Airs will have. They will have apps preloaded on to them specific to math and science classes.

Something I hadn’t thought about until a few weeks

ago: what if your own personal laptop doesn’t turn on one day? Teachers already refuse to accept the excuse, “Well, my computer died,” and they certainly won’t accept that excuse next year. What if someone steps on my laptop?

Do I have to pay for it? What happens if my computer has technical difficulties? Who do I bring it to? What if it gets stolen?

These computers could be a huge step forward for education, but there are some answers we need first. This

has worked in many other districts, why can’t it work here?

accordance with Kansas statutes, the content of the newspaper is controlled and created by the staff of the paper. When questions concerning word choice, legal or ethical issues arise, the editorial board will address these concerns. If the editorial board cannot reach agreement on the handling of the issue facing them, the editors-in-chief will make the final determination.

Letters to if signed. and good policy but

Letters to the editor as well as any questions or concerns regarding either The Northwest Passage or smnw.com should be sent to either sarahegger.nw@gmail.com or graceamundson@gmail.com.

the editor will be accepted and The staff reserves the right to taste, but will in no way change not people the co-editors-in-chief

encouraged but will only be published edit for grammatical mistakes, length ideas or viewpoints. Letters may attack reserve the right to refuse any letter.

Sincerely, Sarah Egger Co-Editor-in-Chief

Colleen Winter Owner

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

W es t G l en E yec a r e Good luck in your basketball season this year!

Love, mom and dad

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

briefly PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY NATE COMPTON

a

trying to pay for college? College doesn’t have to be expensive

T

he time for thinking about where to attend college has passed for most seniors. Now is the time to figure out to pay for it. College can be expensive, from the actual tuition to the books, housing, food and transportation. U.S. News reports that the average annual cost of attending a four-year private college is $35,000. But, there still is hope for those who haven’t got a money tree in the backyard.

Scholarship Essay Question Hacks:

Studenthacks.org: “Tell Stories: Make sure to incorporate real stories into your essay if you’re allowed to. Personal stories can help you demonstrate the different points you want to make. Stories also can make your essay more interesting to read.” (http://bit.ly/1cGBojx) U.S. News: “Know your audience: Although we're looking at scholarship essays as a whole, it's important to realize that every scholarship provider is looking for a specific student who meets unique criteria. When you get your application, look closely at the questions, the organization giving the scholarship, and any past recipients you can find.” (http://bit.ly/1jGgMQz) Scholarships.com: “Show That You Are Well Rounded: There are many good students sending in scholarship essays. If you want to stand out, you need to convince the readers that you are more than just your grades. List organizations in which you took part and hobbies to which you dedicated time.” (http://bit.ly/MUuFw1)

PHOTO BY SAVANNAH KELLY

Last-Minute Scholarships: Attention all procrastinators. You know who you are. Yes, you.

The key to locking in scholarships is to start early. But you kept delaying those essays until the deadlines passed, right?

Well, your academic life isn’t over yet.

Here are some scholarships you can still apply for.

DoSomething.org: June 19 $7,500 Financial Education Scholarships: run a workshop to educate your friends on personal finances.

EnergizeStudents.org: March 10 $800/$500/$300 (depends on what you place) Why My School Rocks: write an essay and make a video about what you’d change about your school and how.

Zinch.com: weekly deadline $1000 weekly scholarship: write a threesentence essay (maximum of 280 characters) to answer the question of the week.

Minority Scholarships:

Kansas Board of Regents: May 1 1,850 Kansas Ethnic Minority Scholarship Program: African Americans, American Indians or Alaskan Natives; Asians or Pacific Islanders and Hispanics qualify to receive this scholarship after filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) deadline April 1.

American Chemical Society: March 1 $2500-$5000 Scholars Program Scholarship: for African-American, Hispanic/Latino, or American Indian students who want to enter the fields of chemistry or chemistry-related fields.

Alternative Scholarships:

Not all scholarships involve writing essays about the career you intend to take on. These scholarships are some of the most unique scholarships and need a little more creativity and imagination. You can even dare say they’re fun to apply for.

Little People of America Scholarship Must be no taller than 4'10" in height Chick and Sophie Memorial Duck Calling Scholarship For high school seniors who are able to call ducks “Stuck” at the Prom Scholarship Prom attire must be completely made out of Duck brand duct tape The Zombie Apocalypse Scholarship Short essay about your action plan if zombies were to overrun your school.

Frederick and Mary F. Beckley “LeftHanded” Scholarship Must be left-handed Van Valkenburg Memorial Scholarship For students with the last name Van Valkenburg or a variation thereof Flavor of the Month Scholarship Must submit a 250-word essay about which ice cream flavor accurately represents his or her personality

BY DEENA ESSA

Spring Blood Drive Pending P

lans are undecided for Student Council (StuCo) to host the spring blood drive scheduled for March 5 in the Main Gym with the Community Blood Center.

Students still must be at least 17-years-old to donate, weigh at least 115 pounds and meet the health requirements on that day.

Due to the district policy changes rules will be strictly enforced. Student will be required to stand on a scale and eat in

front of the Community Blood Drive staff.

The nurse, Cindy Alexander, will have to be present at the blood drive as well.

“We are not quite sure it is going to happen yet,” blood drive coordinator Tom Green said. “The district policies have been changing and we are not quite sure how long the blood drive is going to last.”

BY HAENA LEE

NORTHWEST PASSAGE 05 a

NEWS

a

briefly PHOTO BY AARON MESSICK

StuCo to host Dodgeball Tournament

P

atrick Shreve’s team took off their pants at last year’s dodgeball tournament before taking the court.

“I think that helped us by distracting the other team,” Shreve said earlier this week.

“I might have to use the same tactic this year.”

Just to clarify, team members played in athletic shorts.

“It’s a great atmosphere because each team is dressed in some ridiculous costume and all the students are watching,” Shreve said.

PHOTO BY CLARA DAVISON

a

StuCo will host the annual dodgeball tournament 12:30 p.m.

March 1 in the main gym.

Teams of six people can apply for an entry fee of $60 per team ($10 a person). The fee will be donated to the Johnson County Christmas Bureau.

Informational packets will be available early next week.

According to the rules, each team plays until everyone on the opposing team is called out.

If the same number of people remain on each team after the four minutes of regulation time,

a two-minute overtime will be played to determine the winner.

“I like hearing their [the team’s] arguments of why they lost and why they should be in still,” dodgeball commander Connor Johnson said. “But, I’m the final call on the questionable plays.”

Questions can be directed to Johnson or sophomore Nate Jones. Forms can be submitted during lunch in the mall the week before the final deadline Feb. 26.

BY PAIGE EICHKORN

CHIpotle fundraiser benefits AFTER PROM T

he Chipotle on Shawnee Mission Parkway will be hosting a fundraiser for this years After Prom on March 3.

Students must show the flyer for prom committee to get a percentage of the profits, the flyers can be physical flyers or digital (through cell phones and social media) which should make it easy for students to participate.

“The money goes toward buying prizes, renting carnival games and inflatable games, rent casino tables, decorations and food,” chairperson Stacy Bienhoff said.

BY KEEGAN DOLINAR

PTSA TO HOST mixer following basketball game

F

ollowing the boy’s basketball game next Friday, Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) will be hosting an all school mixer.

While most students would want to meet up with friends and hang out after the game anyway, this new event will make it easier by staying at NW and enjoying music, food, and lots of time to socialize in the school cafeteria.

“It’s a good idea, you want to hang out with your

friends anyway, and now you have an excuse to,” freshman Camryn Coffelt said.

The event will start immediately after the game and last until 11 p.m. Admission will only be permitted to NW students with $5 and a current school ID. The theme chosen for this after-game mixer will be “western,” though no western attire will be required.

BY ALAURA MOORE

Student Council to hold elections

PHOTO BY CARLEIGH WHITMAN

BY PAIGE EICHKORN

S

tuCo elections for student body president and vice president will be held Feb 27. Speeches will take place during seminar and voting will be afterward during fourth hour.

To qualify for the positions, students need at least one year of StuCo experience, must be a junior, and have at least a 2.5 GPA. Forms are due Feb. “This sets up who’s going to lead the school next year,” StuCo sponsor Sarah Dent said. “Their training begins fourth quarter. [We’re] preparing them to lead the school next year.

It’s exciting to see someone who was in a lower position last year move up to exec. board or president or vice president.”

Ballots will be counted fourth block and sixth block after voting, and the results will be announced by the end of the day.

06

FEB. 21, 2014 a

NEWS

a

JAZZ CABARET to be held in cafeteria

O

n Jan. 24, the jazz ensemble participated in the winter jazz festival at Johnson County Community College.

“You could say it’s a rebuilding year,” senior Philip Ruo said. “Almost half our band is new members, it’s

almost like we are starting fresh.”

The next chance to listen to the jazz ensemble is Mar. 7 at the Jazz Cabaret in the NW cafeteria from 6-10 p.m.

BY JORDAN ARNOLD

k in

nfo in

the total cost for senior

zoe ziegenhorn

to go to belgium for an entire year is

$5000

on jan. 26 good luck charlie

became the first

disney channel show to feature an openly

gay couple

COMPILED BY ATALIE BLACK GRAPHICS BY CALISTA BOHLING

The United States is on pace for its worst Winter Olympics since 1988 according to USA today sports

there are over

100,000 educational apps

available with apple

‘‘

If implemented appropriately,

the technology should aid student learning the first valentine’s day box of chocolate

was introduced by Richard Cadbury 1868 1868 1868

in 1868 1868

1868 1868

Just by buying technology, that does not automatically improve students achievement... You start seeing changes reflect on student achievement, but next year, just because all of a sudden you have a laptop, that does not equate to an increase in student achievement.” — Superintendent

Dr. Jim Hinson said referring to the Integrated Technology Initiative.

25.71% of flappy bird users gave the game a 1/2 star rating

NORTHWEST PASSAGE 07 a

NEWS

a

UNPLUGGED

i

Somewhere in between

When technology becomes a necessity, it may be time to take a break ATALIE BLACK.

It’s 10 p.m.; I haven’t touched my homework.

Instead, I’m checking my Snapchat for new snaps. When I finally close that app, I open up Facebook and start aimlessly scrolling through my newsfeed.

Why am I doing this?

I don’t care about the “boyfriend probs” a girl I used to go to middle school with is ranting about.

For some reason, I can’t put my phone down and, before I know it, another hour has passed. I’m still watching the week’s “best” Vines.

I turned my phone off from immediately after school to until the next morning every day between Feb. 10 and Feb. 14.

I did it partly because I was challenged and partly b e c a u s e my phone felt more a necessity than a utility.

While it seems like it would be fairly easy to ignore the calls and texts, it proved to be a real challenge. I found it was easier to just turn my phone off and shove it in my backpack for the rest of the night than to have it buzzing in my back pocket at work.

Although I couldn’t see what anyone was sending me, just knowing that they were trying to get ahold of me caused me to feel a little anxious.

At first, it was stressful, and I thought about ditching the plan altogether. I would pull my phone out of my pocket out of habit, but then I would remember the challenge when I found that it was turned off.

In the morning, I turned my

‘‘

phone back on, and by that time I wasn’t too worried about any missed calls or texts.

What I realized is, I can get so much more homework done in about half the time it takes me when I text someone during my homework session. I also have more free time to take naps, so I get more than four hours of sleep a night. It was easier to concentrate without my phone constantly buzzing with updates from all my apps. I stopped feeling like being on my phone was a requirement to keeping up with my social life.

If someone really wanted to talk to me, they could and did wait until school the next day to talk to me in person, or i could just check my notifications the next morning.

Most teens feel the necessity to constantly be updating and staying omnipresent on all forms of social media, and in my case, causing stress to go up as procrastination leads to late homework assignments and bad grades. With 91 percent of the world’s population owning a mobile phone, it seems as if we need to surgically remove the phone from our hand. Although my challenge lasted a little less than a week, for only a few hours a night, it gave me an accurate interpretation of how dependent I had become on my phone. In retrospect, this challenge was an easy change to improve my night time study routine and sleep habits.

For some reason, I can’t put my phone down and, before I know it, another hour has passed.

08

FEB. 21, 2014 Y

OPINION

Y

w

We all have our differences, but these differences are what set us apart from the rest BY CALISTA BOHLING

While most children grow up or dominant genes. The questions celebrating one birthday, you could regarding my background have left say that I celebrate two. While April me wondering where or if I really fit 11 is the day my family traditionally in. celebrates my date of birth, we also Everyone has problems fitting in at celebrate another day, May 9: my some point, but I guess you could say adoption day. Adoption isn’t a new my situation was a bit different. While concept, but it is something that has my appearance told people “Asian,” set me apart from everyone else. my upbringing said the opposite. No According to the adoption agency, matter how many non-Asian friends I was born near a village in Wuzhou, I make, I would always be labeled as China, and I was found outside a that one Asian kid in the group. On factory in the area. Not much about the other hand, while my outward my birth is really known; even my appearance enables me to fit in with real birthday, April 11, is approximate. other Asian kids, my personality does Since I was adopted at 13 months, I not. Because I was raised American, never had the chance to grow up or I don’t have that shared culture with to be immersed in the culture into other Asians. I don’t speak Chinese, which I was born. I and I know have no complaints nothing of what Eventually I’d like to return though, because it is to grow to China, but the life I have here up in an Asian the likelihood of ever is perhaps better household.

I than the life I left can’t connect finding my birth family is behind. However, with them growing up Asian because in their almost nonexistent.” in a Caucasian eyes, I’m not family is a concept that I struggled to really Asian. I have one foot on each grasp for a long time. side of the door, and I can never fully I often think about my birth be on one side. This concept always mother, and the Chinese family leaves me confused and struggling I have somewhere out there. I’ve between two worlds. been back to China once to pick up Even today, I haven’t been able my adopted sister, Ginny, but I was to place myself in any one category. so young, I hardly remember it. Instead, I’ve come to the realization Eventually I’d like to return to China, that I don’t need one. Sometimes the but the likelihood of ever finding my reason that people struggle to fit in is birth family is almost nonexistent. because they’re trying to categorize The unanswered questions of “why” themselves among their peers. As and “who” are constantly in my cliché as it sounds, accepting our mind. I can’t talk about the exact differences is something we can all day and time I was born with other benefit from. We are all different in people, and I’ll never know the health one way or another, and it is these risks I could have based on my family differences that set us apart from history. Even the heredity projects others. Instead of trying to conform you did in biology didn’t apply to to society, we should learn to accept me because my adoptive parents our own uniqueness and appreciate had not passed down their recessive the people we are.

‘‘

Cupid

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY SAVANNAH KELLY

staff editorial

IS CALLING

February 14 has a different meaning to everyone, as celebration of love or as just another “Hallmark Holiday”

V

By the Numbers

alentine’s Day has so many expectations. A typical Valentine’s Day is portrayed as the guy bringing the girl an extravagant gift after sweeping her off her feet with a grandiose dinner and a giant bouquet of flowers. That being said, there are many different ways to celebrate it.

My family has a tradition of making Valentine’s Day a family day. My dad has a family of all girls, so whenever Valentine’s Day comes around, he always takes it upon himself to make sure he is our “Valentine”. This year, we went to see Frozen. When we came home, we had a wonderful homecooked meal of chicken fried steaks.

Then we all exchanged homemade cards expressing our thankfulness and love for each other, which we have done ever since I was a child.

I don’t consider my Valentine’s Day traditional in the world’s eye, but it is in mine. Each year, I look forward to reading the compliments written by my siblings and my parents. It’s great to hear the people I love so much give me such heartfelt compliments. So, no, I didn’t spend it with my boyfriend.

But, I’m okay with that, because in my book, I had a fabulous Valentine’s Day. On Saturday, I went on a “date” with my best friend. We exchanged

stories of our weeks, and it was great to catch up. It’s not common that we just get to spend time together. We went to the Cheesecake Factory for dessert, and they told us it would be a 90-minute wait for the two of us. So, we went over and shopped at Whole Foods and wasted some time staring at interesting food. We returned an hour later and got seated. They sat the two of us at a 8-person table. Now every time a big party came in, the two of us would be sitting at a table they clearly could be sitting at. It made for a good laugh.

I was having coffee with my editorin-chief and realizing that many people don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day traditionally. In fact, those make some of the best stories to tell. We were laughing at her story.

I went to a wedding. But it was not the traditional wedding you would normally think of, with the bride and groom in their 20s, the bride dressed in white and a breathtaking venue. In fact, I didn’t even know the bride or groom personally. My dad has been dating Clara for five or six months now, and her dad, Bruce, decided to get married. The wedding took place at Truman Medical Center in the basement of the retirement home. We

spent 20 minutes wandering around the center before we found a group as nicely dressed as us, assuming they were also attending the wedding.

The room was filled with black tables topped with small vases that had a rose floating in them. Heart shaped streamers were hung from the ceiling. Everyone sat down at their table as “All of Me” started playing over the sound system. Bruce, dressed in a black suit with a red shirt, walked arm and arm down the aisle with his bride, Kim, dressed in a white blouse and a black and silver striped highlow skirt. The actual ceremony lasted approximately five minutes, and the reception began minutes later. It wasn’t your typical wedding, and it wasn’t your typical Valentine’s day, but that’s okay. I still had a good time and it was an experience I will definitely never forget it.

As we were laughing over coffee about the 90-minute wait at the Cheesecake Factory, I realized that Valentine’s Day isn’t at all what the movies say it is. It’s different for all of us.

We realized that Valentine’s day isn’t about the fancy cards and the beautiful flowers, although those are great. It can become a day celebrating

love in its broad spectrum. Any single person can celebrate their love for their family, friends, and anyone that positively affects their life. This is something impossible to do every day, because openly showing someone that you love them in cards or chocolate just isn’t easy on ordinary days.

Contrary to popular advertisement, Valentine’s Day is a day to celebrate your love for someone else. In many countries they celebrate Valentine’s Day as a day of friends. In Finland, they call it “Friends Day”. In Iran, they celebrate their mothers and wives. In the Philippines, they celebrate “Hearts Day”. In many Spanish-speaking countries like Colombia and Costa Rica, they celebrate “Lover’s Day”.

Here at Northwest, we call it “Valentine’s Day.” But, there are many different ways that everyone celebrates it. Many times, our own version of Valentine’s day is filled with more laughs and memories than any movie or Hallmark card could ever recreate.

So, make Valentine’s Day your own.

21

Staff Votes V S

agree

00 disagree

1

millions of dollars spent on cards every year on average

billion Valentine’s Day cards sent each year, according to the Greeting Card Association percent of valentines purchased by women

billions of dollars spent on candy in 2013

Ratio of single men in their 20’s to single women in their 20’s

billion cards sent for Christmas, making Valentine’s Day the second largest decade when Esther A. Howland (a.k.a.

“Mother of the Valentine”) began selling the first mass-produced valentines in America.

century when Americans began exchanging hand-made valentines

NORTHWEST PASSAGE 09 Y

OPINION

Y

Creative Cutz (913)-261-9029

Happy Hour Hair Cutz!

Mon-Fri 11-1 p.m. & 4-6 p.m.

Mon-Sat 8 a.m.-9 p.m.

Sun 10 a.m. -6 p.m.

8817 W 75th St Overland Park, KS 66204

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

Price Match Competitors Coupons 7 Free Foils w/ Color Service Free Wax w/ Chemical Service $9.99 Cutz w/Shampoo 10% off ALL Products

BY SARAH EGGER + SOPHIE FLORES + HAENA LEE

The school district has released their decision to implement the 1-to-1 policy next year; however, the news is preliminary and subject to change

N

ext fall, you will check out your textbooks and an Apple MacBook Air. Seriously.

Roughly a month ago, on Jan. 27, the SM Board of Education approved up to $20 million for the purchase of technology and training. The next day, the district placed an order with Apple for nearly $19 million.

Somewhat surprisingly, students and teachers first questioned how the massive implementation of new technology would be funded.

“We have not decided how we are going to finance the equipment,” Knapp said. “We have been offered financing through Apple and we also got approval from our board to sell general obligation bonds.

Apple financing is very similar to bonds except they are called notes.”

If the district approves the sale of bonds to finance the integrated technology initiative at Monday night’s board meeting, these bonds would be sold to corporations.

The proceeds of that sale go directly into the capital outlay fund. When the bond matures, the corporation will cash in the bond for its face value of the bond plus interest. If the

board chooses Apple financing, essentially Apple purchases all of the district’s notes to provide the funding.

Regardless of how the financing is achieved, every high school student in the district will receive a MacBook Air to use throughout his or her high school career beginning next fall.

“I knew this day would come,” sophomore Tatyana Brooks said. “I think it’s kind of cool because it’s actually a better and easier way to stay organized. [Classes] will change a lot. I know that when we first get the laptops everyone is going to change their background and do different cool things, but you know a lot of distractions.”

“I think using laptops instead of using papers will be a great way to save trees, but at the same time I am sure there are people who prefer writing than typing,” sophomore Lucilliana Shin said. “It also takes student responsibility to keep the laptops in good condition and the districts’ trust in students with laptops. I think we are getting laptops because all the other schools [in the area] are getting laptops. ” But perhaps the more interesting question for students and their teachers is

how the technology initiative will impact the classrooms.

Because of the nature of his class, Van Rose doesn’t expect much change.

Written on the chalkboard in Room 213 are the words “Test Today.” Students shuffle through their backpacks to find the review for the calculus test and put it on the table at the front of the room.

AP Calculus teacher Van Rose walks to the corner of the classroom and rolls the overhead projector, squeaking and rattling, toward a whiteboard at the front of the room. He flips it on and the “Calculus cheer” appears in black letters on the wall.

“Eu dx Exdx, secant, cosine, tangent, sine, 3.14159,” the students chant.

Rose sets the test on every desk. At the top are the words “No Calculator.”

In this class, students are allowed to use calculators only on the first test of the year to prepare them for the noncalculator AP test at the end of the year. Van Rose questions how computers would be used to help students learn calculus.

continued on next page NORTHWEST PASSAGE y

FEATURE

y

11

Getting Technical “The AP test is two thirds no calculator so the only thing I can think is ‘What are they going to allow on the AP Test?’ All of this other [technology] won’t be on the AP test,” Rose said. “All I need to be able to do is take roll and maybe have [the computer] average my grades, although I could do it manually.”

Despite his reservations, Rose has witnessed the change from chalkboards and overheads to projectors and SMART Boards in the years since he began teaching here in 1969. By this time next year, a MacBook Air will be in the hands of every high school student.

“We won’t be using the computers in my class,” Rose said. “We still have books. If we didn’t have books we would need the computers. Since we have books I don’t see a point to changing. It’s expensive. We study the science of revolution, 3D stuff, maybe a computer could help me show that better.”

Things are a little different just down the hall in Room 213. Physics teacher Bob Stewart expects to see significant change in his classroom and welcomes it. He uses an iPad to help teach students and keep himself organized.

“It will open a lot of doors to different ways to learn in the classroom,” Stewart said. “There have been times where I have been doing lesson plans and I thought ‘Oh maybe we can try this,’ but then I say ‘No, I can’t do that because not everyone has access to a laptop. There are new and different things that teachers are going to be able to do because everyone will have access to a laptop.”

Science teachers received grants from the Johnson County Community College for teaching College Now

12

FEB. 21, 2014 y

FEATURE

y

classes and used the money to purchase iPads for the teachers.

Stewart no longer has students submit lab reports using Microsoft Office, opting instead for the paperless and free Google Drive. “[Physics teacher Justin] Stigge had presentations that he could run and manipulate with his iPad,” Stewart said. “The only way I use it in the classroom right now is to plan [lessons], so I’m looking at [the iPad] as I’m teaching to see my lesson plan.

I’m the only one who has one in the classroom, so there’s not a whole lot I can do. When students each have their own, I can say ‘go to this website’ and ‘check out this app.’”

You have pending friend requests (Reply to all?)

Of course, the next big question is whether students will use the new technology appropriately or whether it will prove to be just as distracting as cell phones have proven to be.

“The presence of technology, which can be educational, can also be highly distracting,” English teacher Marc Gibbens said. “It has the potential to have negative effects on student’s attention span rather than positive effects. I think it is hard to know before the technology is present what its exact effect is going to be.”

Afterall, high school students won’t be the only ones to receive new technology. Middle school students will each receive an iPad. The technology will be phased in at the elementary level with 10 schools, including Trailwood, Westwood View, Santa Fe Trail, Brookewood, Comanche, Crestview, Highlands and Pawnee, as well NW feeder schools Benninghoven and Broken Arrow.

These schools will receive iPads

for each of their students next fall.

Twenty-three elementary schools will be given iPad carts for the 2014-15 school year, and full implementation will be achieved at those schools by the 2015-16 school year.

“We have been investigating this opportunity for quite some time,” Hinson said at the board meeting.

“It will help the students adapt to a more diverse learning style, boost motivation, and enhance what the students can do with this technology.”

In March, every teacher will receive a MacBook Air and an iPad and training will begin for them March 11.

Over the summer, Apple TVs will be installed in every classroom. “[This technology allows] a teacher to say, ‘Gosh, you’re doing a great job on this project. Why don’t you broadcast to the class what you’re doing?’” Hinson said. “The teacher can look at your laptop and show (using Apple TV) the whole class what you’re doing.”

Hinson admits that this is well beyond the expectation right now, but a possibility for the future.

Click “yes” to agree Students will sign a contract making them responsible for their laptops. If the contract is violated, the student will no longer be allowed to take the laptop home. Filtering software will be placed on the student laptops. Regardless of the location (students’ house, the library, etc.), the filtering software will be in place.

The question of social media access has yet to be answered.

“I think [social media is] one of the questions,” Hinson said. “Folks in our curriculum department, and the IT [information technology] department are discussing that right now.”

Not only will every student h computer to take home, the nu of textbooks will be reduced be many will be available online.

“Through access to inform through the internet, you have to timely and accurate inform Hinson said.

Hinson also said that b time students get history book example, they’re already out Online books outlive hardback because they can be revised easi often.

Other school districts have a made the change. In the North K City School District, a 1:1 L Initiative was adopted five year According to the laptop han students assume full responsibil any damage or theft. They also start their day with a fully ch battery.

According to their website, l better equip students for any anywhere learning and tea receive continued profes development to better equip th provide innovative instruction result, all have access to the be of a 21st Century education.

“My entire high school career been carrying around a laptop honestly I don’t know how peop it before. I don’t have a laptop at so this is how I get my hom done. It’s very beneficial and I’m other districts are starting to too,” junior Ricardo Gonzales sa attends the Sumner Academy and Science.

Many questions abo integrated technology init remain to be answered. Please your questions to @smnwdo and the Passage staff will attem provide answers in a second st be featured in the March

& A+

ducation iPad Apps Develope d 20, 000 E

Getting Technical pg. 2

have a umber ecause

ion Devices In Use At School 1. 5 Mill s

68% of students surveyed think the integrated technology initiative is a good idea

Results taken out of 160 freshmen, sophomores and juniors surveyed

Apple also revealed that 1,000 university and colleges around the world are using iTunes U, which is home to free lectures, videos, books, and podcasts from learning institutions.

already Kansas Laptop rs ago. ndbook, lity for o must harged

54%

of those surveyed feel comfortable carrying a laptop at school Results taken out of 258 students surveyed

its best quarter in

education

ever

generating over

$1 billion

in revenue on sales of ios and mac products For the quarter ending in September, overall educational sales were up 8 percent year-over-year, with iPad showing 22 percent growth over the same period.

mation access mation,”

by the ks, for tdated. books ily and

Apple CEO Tim Cook announced that the company had

94% iPad accounts for

of tablets in education.

of those surveyed do not have Internet access at home Results taken out of 258 students surveyed

laptops ytimeachers ssional hem to n. As a enefits

r I have p, and ple did home, mework m glad o do it aid. He of Art

out the tiative e tweet otcom, mpt to tory to h issue.

Michael Catt

@TheGreatCatsby

An iPad with a stylus would be much more useful and cheaper. It would also allow the school to go paper free, a MacBook won’t.

Josh Alexander

@JoshAlexander9

IB film was the guinea pig for this with our mini iPads and the district didn’t ask our opinion on this and what happens when someone breaks their computer? We didn’t sign anything or do anything about insurance. This will be a disaster the first year

Clara Davison

@ClaraDavison

Carson Wapp

@carsonitaaaa

great solution for people who should stay home sick but don’t because they don’t want to get behind in their classes.

I think the 1:1 policy is going to be revolutionary for Northwest. It’s awesome that we are given such an enriching opportunity.

NORTHWEST PASSAGE y

FEATURE

y

13

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY NATE COMPTON

Students display their diverse talents in the fifth annual Talent Show

T PHOTO by kristi seng

PHOTO by ALEXA STYERS

he curtain opens on junior Ben Johnson, prepared to serenade students in the Greg Parker Auditorium with an original song on his guitar.

“I’m not nervous; I just really wanna get this over with,” Johnson said. “If I screw up, then I’ll be pissed at myself.”

StuCo sponsored the Fifth-Annual Talent Show Feb. 10. When the lights came up on the fifth act, a cello trio of freshman Hannah Gruman, junior Clara Davison and sophomore Jessica Broll performed “Sail” by AWOLnation.

“All the possibilities of what could go wrong run through your head at some

point,” Gruman said. “What if my string breaks? What if my necklace gets caught on my cello? What if I explode? I mean those are common worries, but when you get comfortable on stage, you feel better.”

Sophomore Alpha Hill-Spearman was next to take the stage, performing “Brand New Me” by Alicia Keys. Backstage after her performance, she was relieved and happy.

“I loved it actually,” Hill-Spearman said.

“It was great to be back up there for another year. And how the crowd reacted, it was just like I’m on top right now.”

Hill-Spearman wasn’t the only sophomore who sang for the student body.

Hasan Farrokhmanesh performed the song “Somebody to Love” by Queen.

“I really like singing,” Farrokhmanesh said. “It’s just that I really don’t get the opportunity to do it that much. Being in the talent show is actually a big deal for me, because I get to perform in front of all my friends and family. It means a lot.”

The talent show featured ethnic dancing as well. Senior Simrun Hundal and her sister sophomore Kirun Hundal performed an original Indian dance.

“Dancing is important to me,” Hundal said. “It also allows me to be myself without any restrictions and without caring about what anyone else thinks. It was just a moment to be me.”

Junior Maggie Marx took a deep breath and closed her eyes before she took the stage.

She wrapped up the night with “Big White Room” by Jessie J. Before she began, Marx dedicated it to her late boyfriend Houston St. John, who was killed in a car accident in early November.

“Music is definitely where I’ve been finding my happiness and my strength, which is why I wanted to dedicate it to Houston,” Marx said. “I feel closest to Houston when I sing.”

BY PAIGE EICHKORN + DEENA ESSA

TOP: Senior Steven Skells sings an acapella cover of “Keep Your Head Up” by Andy Grammar along with the Varsity boys’ choir. Senior Ben Huddleston arranged the song for the choir to sing. ABOVE: Freshman Ally Smith dances to “Before He Cheats” by Carrie Underwood. “My favorite thing about dancing is that when you dance you can escape the world for awhile,” Smith said.

PHOTO by NATE COMPTON Freshman Hope Medis plays guitar and sings to an original mashup of Gold Digger by Kanye West, Bust the Windows Out Your Car by Jazmine Sullivan and Why Don’t You Love Me by Beyonce’. “How I put them together is kind of random,” Medis said. “I just hear a songs with similar sounds and a songs that I think are unique and put them together. It’s actually something I really like to do!”

14

FEB. 21, 2014 y

FEATURE

y

PHOTO by SHELBY BEAUMONT

Junior Maggie Marx sings a cover of “Big White Room” by Jessie J. “I love being in the talent show because it’s one of the few times I get the opportunity on that stage to just be me,” Marx said, “To just let out my emotions without caring what others think.”

PHOTO by KRISTI SENG PHOTO by ALEXA STYERS Sophomore Alpha Hill-Spearman performs “Brand New Me”

by Alicia Keys. “I don’t sing for recognition,” Hill-Spearman said, “I sing for empowerment.”

Freshman Kaite Mckluskey dances alongside senior Mckenzie Baker to “Sinners” by Lauren Aquillina. Baker and Mckluskey have been dancing together for twelve years.

“We practice 30 minutes a week... but we re-choreographed some parts literally 20 minutes before we went on,” Baker said.

Roses

for prom

Prom committee hosted a rose sale on Valentines Day to raise money for prom. photo by sarah dean

ABOVE: Senior Lauren King sets a yellow rose on the rose sale table to wrap on Valentines Day. The proceeds are going toward Prom. “I really like all the people on prom committee and we really work as a team,” King said.

photo by sarah dean

RIGHT: A rose slip is handed to senior Maggie Mulich for sophomore Jasha Abney to receive a rose from her aunt and uncle. The rose sale is run by prom committee in order to raise money for the 2014 Prom. “We plan the rose sale early every year because it’s always such a big event,” Mulich said. “We have to make posters, announcements and buy the roses. Once we get the roses we have to do everything from dethorning to wrapping them.”

LEFT: Senior Maggie Mulich puts money in the cash register after a student purchases a rose.

The different colors of roses mean different things; red is for love, pink is for appreciation or admiration and yellow is for friendship. “Personally I chose to help because I saw people doing it in previous years and it looked really fun,” Mulich said. “Also it’s cool to see what goes on behind the scenes of prom.”

RIGHT: A stack of roses sit on a table in the NW mall for Valentines Day. The roses were sold for $3.50 each.

“The rose sale shows that our school comes together to support high priced events like prom by participating in fun events,” Mulich said.

“Everyone loves giving and receiving roses, and at the same time they are helping raise money for prom.”

photo by nate compton

photo by alexa styers

NORTHWEST PASSAGE 15 y

FEATURE

y

Instagram #nwmedia sarahgodke

All in all I just really love do love you Malloy and I am sorry for so many photos!

tortordev

Soo incredibly blessed. Love you both so much!!

mmwangi86

#nwmedia

abbsmusson

Sorry Sam I’m with royalty now!

audrey_gleason

photo by sarah dean Junior Tacia Burgin cheers during the varsity cheer routine during the WPA Assembly on Feb. 14. This was Burgin’s first year on varsity.

#nwmedia

16

FEB. 21, 2014 y

FEATURE

y

photo by nate compton Senior Sam Gross cheers as the spirit stick is walked around the gym at the WPA Assembly. “To look at the rowdiness of the senior section for three years of your life and then be thrown into the mix is ridikky-donk,” Gross said.

photo by savannah kelly Senior Sean Collins escorts senior Mallory Wilhite down the aisle outlined by drill team members. Both Collins and Wilhite were crowned King and Queen of Court. “I was excited to know that my peers felt so highly of me and all I could think about was what were the chances that at the end of the night I would have my date crown me king,” Collins said.

Throug photo by carleigh whitman

Students gathered in the gymnasium for the annual Women Pay All assembly followed by the crowning and the dance the following night

S

tudents filed into the gymnasium for the annual WPA assembly. As soon as everyone found their seats, the seniors erupted into the class chant.

Senior Hannah Clevenger stood up first yelling “Seniors! Seniors!” and others around her followed until almost the entire class was chanting. After spirit club president Mikala Modiri asked the school to settle down, the varsity cheerleaders performed.

The assembly was coming to a close and drill team set up the archway toward the sophomore section of the gym. The WPA court lined up in order, anxiously awaiting their turn to walk in front of the school.

“Walking was very nerve wracking,” Senior Mallory Wilhite said. “I’m used to dancing in front of the school but not everyone is watching me during that so I’m less nervous. Before we were going to walk I thought I was going to pee my pants, well, dress technically. I was afraid I was going to trip or do something awkward, which I’m sure I did at some point.”

Last Friday night, during halftime at the basketball game, the Queen of Courts was announced. The girls lined up in the middle of the court, accompanied by their fathers.

“And your second runner up for Queen of Courts is...

Meghan McClusky!”

The stands erupted with cheers as the announced the first runner up as Tori Devonshire.

“And your 2014 Queen of Courts is... Mallory Wilhite!”

“It was genuine confusion when they announced my name,” Wilhite said. “Right before they announced

Senior Mallory Wilhite hugs senior Morgan Carl after being crowned the 2014 Queen of Courts on Feb. 14 in the Main Gym. Senior Meghan McCluskey was the first runnerup, and senior Tori Tummons was the second runner-up. “As they announced ‘and your 2014 queen

photo by nate compton Junior Savannah Taylor performs with the Cougar Classics drill team in front of the upperclassmen sections.

The Cougar Classics danced to the song “Bang Bang” by Fergie and Will-IAM. “The song is really fun to dance to because it’s so upbeat,” Taylor said. “It’s one of my favorite dances so far and I think our officers did a great job choreographing it.”

queen I had told my dad someone else’s name who I figured would be queen. I was excited for everyone and honored to have gotten to be on court. It’s definitely a memory that I will never forget.”

The following night was the WPA dance. A silver carpet lead the way to cafeteria that was decorated with handmade snowflakes strung from the ceiling.

At 9 p.m. students were asked to go to the gymnasium to watch the Big Man on Campus be crowned. The candidates walked to the center of the gym accompanied by mothers, awaiting the announcement.

The second runner up was senior Jake Horner and first runner up was Michael Nyhart.

“And your 2014 Big Man on Campus is... Sean Collins!”

Collins turned and hugged his mother as Wilhite placed the crown on his head.

“My legs were shaking and I couldn’t figure out why because I was trying to convince myself that I wasn’t nervous.” Collins said.

Wilhite and Collins walked together during the assembly and attended the dance together.

“I don’t think either of us expected that would happen,” Collins said. “I mean the chances of that happening. I’m not sure that’s ever happened before. It was cool because I got to go with her and see her get crowned on Friday, and that was cool for me. I got to go to the dance with the queen but then Saturday night I got to be crowned by my date.”

BY SARAH EGGER

of courts is...’ I leaned over and told my dad someone else’s name,” Wilhite said. “And when they called my name I was utterly confused!

Because I truly was not expecting it, but I’m so honored and it’s definitely a moment I will never forget.”

photo by alexa styers Freshmen Zacheraih Reagan, Libby Zimmerman, and Sydney Taylor yell “Northwest!” toward the freshmen section. The Drumline has been rehearsing this routine for over a month now. “[We are all] very close,” Taylor says, “[I love] being able to make new friends that play the same instrument as you.”

photo by nick kahtava Junior Donte Colum and senior Brady Anderson perform a skit during the WPA Assembly on Feb. 14. Colum and Anderson are Co-Spirit Kings.

NORTHWEST PASSAGE y

FEATURE

y

17

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.

BoaVida Recovery Creme aids in the recovery of dry, malnourished skin. It’s gentle enough to be used as an everyday moisturizer for both face and body and is specifically formulated to help damaged skin. The therapeutic and natural ingredient, cupuacu butter, helps to restore the lipid barrier layer of thirsty skin.

To order go to:

www.MyBoaVida.com

photo courtesy of android headlines

An Ode to Flappy Bird

photo courtesy of bloody disgusting

BY haena lee

Things won’t ever be the same Without you at my finger tips.

Your deletion in the app store was such a shame; How am I going to beat my high score of 56?

I will miss the sound of your wings when they flap; My trigger finger will just want to tap.

Oh, Flappy Bird, how do I continue life?

In only 260 days you were gone.

Oh wait, let me think about all that strife.

Guess what I am shedding light on?

Do you remember those mini heart attacks, Or that time I threw my iPod, and all its cracks?

There are things I will not miss: Like how I died, but didn’t touch the Mario World pipe.

I’m now my sister’s scapegoat for all of her deaths (I believe you were a penguin in another life).

My real frustrations were because of the “splat.”

I never learned to deal with that.

But now, the people are free from you at last, And, let me tell you, it feels great.

I no longer spend hours playing with you; I no longer have to save my friends from you.

In time, you’ll join other forgotten apps, Just like your relatives the Angry Birds

VAMPIRE ACADEMY

Y

et another book turned into a movie, I expected Vampire Academy to be another mistake waiting to happen. I read the entire series first, and I predicted that the movie would completely veer from the storyline and completely fail.

Surprisingly enough, it did stick to the book pretty closely.

In the Vampire Academy world, there are three types of Vampires.

The Moroi are “good” vampires that can walk in the sunlight, control certain elements and aren’t immortal.

Dhampirs are partially human and can eat normal food, are stronger and faster than humans and act as guardians to protect Moroi from the third type; the strigoi. The strigoi are twisted evil vampires with red eyes.

They also kill their victims and turn

BY kylee hartl

them into more strigoi; and their preferred meal? Moroi Basically, it’s about a girl named Rose, played by Zoey Deutch, who’s a dhampir who is a guardian for Lissa Dragomir, played by Lucy Fry, a royal Moroi, and the last of her line. Rose and Lissa are also shadow kissed, basically bonded. Rose can feel Lissa’s thoughts and emotions. They ran away from Saint Vladimir’s Academy after the death of Lissa’s family and were hunted down by the guardians including 24 year old, Dimitri Belikov, played by Danila Kozlovsky, a Russian stuntman and actor.

Dimitri brings Rose and Lissa back to the academy and becomes Rose’s mentor, as well as a love interest, however they cannot be together because of the 7 year age

difference and the fact both of them are dhampirs. On top of all this, Lissa becomes a victim of bullying and keeps receiving threats and finding dead animals. Rose is trying to figure out who is threatening Lissa as well as train to be Lissa’s guardian.

Much to my surprise, it did keep extremely close to the storyline.

Kozlovsky played Dimitri exactly how I imagined him when I read the books. Strong, bold and undefeatable.

However, I was disappointed in Deutch portraying Rose. I imagined Rose hot tempered but serious and mature for her age, whereas the actress portrayed her as an immature teenager with relationship problems. Another issue I had was the fact that in the books, Rose has killed Strigoi before. In the movie, she cowered in fear when a

Strigoi attacked.

The special effects were cheesy and poorly done. However it adds humor to the movie and I can withstand it.

Seeing one of the characters getting thrown and unrealistically being thrown through the air does get a few chuckles. I also find it hilarious that almost every character except Rose had a British or Russian accent.

I liked how Vampire Academy kept close to the book. Most of the acting was fine, and I was satisfied with the character of Dimitri. Anyone who liked City of Bones would like Vampire Academy. If you’re looking for a high school drama with supernatural elements, this is the movie to watch.

NORTHWEST PASSAGE

ENTERTAINMENT

19

photo courtesy of pynkmag

SUPER DULL

BY keegan dolinar + daniel mirocke

Although the majority of the Super Bowl commercials fell short of expectations, these are few that did not fail to impress.

A

“Wings”

father and daughter drive down the road and they reach 1000 miles and the father says “look honey every 1000 miles an engineer gets its wings,” then a montage plays of engineers getting their wings.

If you can bet on one thing every Super Bowl, it's that Volkswagen will consistently bring their A-Game and "Wings" (a small little montage of engineers getting their wings) was absolutely hilarious not only for the laughs throughout the years but for this commercial, it was imaginative and creative.

photo courtesy of punktastic

Ellen dancing to random music

E

llen DeGeneres is hunting for the perfect music in a small montage with different types of music while showing off the newest set of beats.

Strange. You only need one word to describe this entire commercial.

From the beginning you could tell this commercial was different with random shady animals in an alley to a hooded girl sneaking into a sketchy apartment. Then all of the sudden Ellen is dancing to random music then there was a family of bears and a wolf, the short version, it was random.

Bring Me the Horizon & Of Mice and Men

W

hen I first walked into the Uptown Theater, in Midtown, to see Bring Me the Horizon (BMTH) and Of Mice and Men, I was taken aback by the beautiful architecture. The theater used to be an opera house and a movie theater, so it seemed an odd place to hold a death metal concert. But, I liked the decor. The seats were cleared toward the stage to make room for the massive crowd of people. Even early in the night, the energy in the room was overwhelming.

The openers were Issues and Let Live. Issues combined techno and metal, and right off the bat, I could

20

FEB. 21, 2014

ENTERTAINMENT

Budweiser clydesdale puppy

T

The puppy. This year there were many tear jerking commercials with the abundance of Bud Light “hero” commercials, but it’s the Budweiser commercial that pulled at the heartstrings, "Puppy Love”. Even the manliest of men wearing their overpriced replica jerseys were teary. Admit it.

A few companies this year attempted to have a two part commercial. Ford and Wonderful Pistachios were the ones to do it. And man oh man did those pistachios crack me up. Stephen Colbert become a pistachio was one of the highlights of my Super Bowl viewing experience.

A

Puppet Master GoDaddy

woman quits her job by announcing her resignation with a puppet.

I understand what this commercial was meant to do.

It has been done before on the internet, folks quitting their jobs publicly to take on the rest of the world. But to do it in front of 111.5 million people is a little embarrassing, oh, and this woman’s business was making puppets. Luckily John Turturro was there so it was not all too bad.

American Tour

tell the show would get even better.

The lead singer of Let Live was wild, running back and forth across the stage, even climbing up onto the balcony, leaning over the edge and screaming into the mic. The excitement and energy of the crowd grew with every song.

The crowd multiplied when Of Mice and Men stepped onto the stage to sing their first song, “Bones Exposed.” Almost immediately, the crowd went wild, starting mosh pits, and jumping up and down in the darkness. The energy and excitement continued to build. I had never seen

Colbert pistachio

“L

et her go” starts to play in the background as a puppy runs up to a clydesdale.

After that the puppy comes back multiple times to see his new friend. The puppy is then released and lead back to the farm followed by the horses. The commercial ends with the horse and the puppy playing in the field.

his series of commercials are for pistachios starring colbert (with his eagle).

He goes on to state that pistachios are wonderful and he is wonderful, the end.

After a few more he comes back and says “i see the sales did not skyrocket in the last three seconds he then splits his head open to reveal he is actually a pistachio

Morpheus singing in the kia

A

couple returning from a date ask the valet for their key. The valet is Morpheus from the Matrix who offers them two different keys.

The usually stoic Laurence Fishburne busted out some beautiful vocals on this Kia commercial.

The ad also parodied several scenes of the Matrix, which fans like me were glad to see. Breaking character to be a little more lighthearted was a joy to watch.

BY kylee hartl

Of Mice and Men live before, but I was familiar with almost every song they played. Austin Carlile, the lead singer, connected with the audience, even when singing about divorce in one of his songs.

Finally, the band everybody came to see stepped onto the stage. The crowd immediately lost it, screaming as Oliver Sykes, BMTH lead singer, stepped onto the stage. They opened with “Can You Feel My Heart,” my alltime favorite. I could feel the passion as he hunched over, crying out lyrics into the mic. With confetti raining down on the audience, the energy in

the room ignited. And honestly, the performance spoke to me.

I saw BMTH live at Warped Tour, and I love the crowd involvement they command. Sykes gives orders, asking audience members to jump as high as they can, sing lyrics back to him and even to sit on the floor, put their phones away and then jump up as high as they can go. It’s like the craziest game of Simon Says you’ve ever seen.

A band that involves the crowd, sings amazing music and makes every single person feel like she belongs — that is Bring Me the Horizon.

thisDISH

SERVED wings

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY NATE COMPTON

johnny’s tavern b uf

or

s g n fa lo w il d w i

Winning Wild Wing Buffalo Wild Wings (BWW) specializes in exactly

what it’s name says-wings. So, if you are searching for a place to sit down and have a filling appetizer, BWW is the best option. With a casual environment of a typical bar, an unbeatable price, and over 21 options of your wings, BWW is the best place to find them.

Although it is not the most elegant environment, no place that specializes in wings is. Wings are made to be a filling dish to satisfy a certain craving. But, fair warning, if you do not like the frequent screaming of basketball or football, do not go to this restaurant on an important game day. However, if you are like me, and you enjoy the slightly loud environment, you can sit in the dining room and still enjoy the same great wings (and cancel out some of the noise).

BWW has an unbeatable price. Typically, the wings run for $5.99 for six of them. However, if you go on Tuesday they have their “Wing Tuesday” promotion--where each wing is 40 cents a piece. If you don’t like bone-in wings, Thursday is “Boneless Wing Thursday”, where each boneless wing is 50 cents (regularly $7.99 for seven of them). My best advice is to go on one of their two specialty days, but it is also a good price for a sit down meal being under $10.

As long as you like wings, there is an option for you. From their mild seasonings like salt and vinegar, to their blazin’ hot wings, BWW aims to satisfy. For those who like a little bit of spice, they have medium sauces as well.

Whenever I am craving wings, I always go to BWW. With a fun environment, decent pricing, and plenty of options to satisfy any of my cravings, I never leave disappointed.

BY LENA DENNINGTON

wings

Classic Wings at a Classic Tavern Where do you go for the best wings, a classic

bar food? Johnny’s Tavern, a classic bar and grill.

I love trying out those different styles of wings from various restaurants, like Thai-chili or teriyaki, but I always end up back at the original hot wing.

Johnny’s has the absolute best original hot wings that I have ever had. Just thinking about them now is causing my mouth to water. I can almost smell their fierce sauce.

Johnny’s Tavern has a hot sauce that will make you sweat, and if you truly like hot wings then that is exactly what you are looking for. It verges on almost being unbearable at times, but it never crosses the line. The sauce is only half of what makes the wing though. The other half is the quality. Their wings are bone-in, the way wings are intended to be, and are extremely meaty. When you order them double dipped the skin is extra crispy, which only adds to their perfection An order of wings and a side of fries is all you need for a full meal, some may not even finish that.

One order is only $8.99 and comes with about twelve large wings. The best way to order them is double dipped, which only comes in classic or flaming sauce, and an extra side of sauce too. You can also try their BBQ or Thai-chili sauce, or Simmon’s specialty sauce which is a mix of the BBQ and the classic. However the double dipped flaming or classic is what you will find yourself continuously returning to order.

If you are a true lover of hot wings then you know that the classic, bone-in hot wing will forever hold out above the rest. Johnny’s Tavern plays matchmaker with the perfect, spicy sauce and the perfect, crispy, high quality meat to create a flawless, classic hot wing that just cannot be beat.

BY NATE COMPTON

NORTHWEST PASSAGE

ENTERTAINMENT

21

w i n t e r s p o r t s

22

FEB. 21, 2014

SPORTS

Swim & Dive A

strong start to the season leads the boys swim and dive team into a promising season with Julian ColeNieves receiving a bid to the state meet in diving.

Since the first of the year, the Varsity team has gotten fifth in the SMNW Invitational, second in the Olathe Quad, and second in the Double Duo against SMW. “We are doing well this year. We haven’t won every meet, but we got state consideration.” freshman Will Hauser said, “ We have all bonded well as a team, and we are pretty fast!”

With a bid to the state meet in diving, and state consideration for the rest of the team, the Varsity team starts off the season strong.

BY britta coleman

PHOTO BY NATE COMPTON

PHOTO BY NATE COMPTON

PHOTO BY carleigh whitman

PHOTO BY kyle tong

Boy’s Basketball

Girl’s Basketball T

he lady cougars have had a strong season with a winning record of 115. Although their first few games in January were tough, they came back winning their next four games. On Feb. 14 the girls won at home by three points against SM East.

“It’s the third time we’ve played SM East this season, it’s always hard to play a team that many times and win,” senior Amanda Hoelting said. “Our team has been focusing a lot on our defense the past couple of weeks and I think that’s what kept us in the lead.”

The Lady Cougars play SM West at 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 21.

BY jordan arnold

PHOTO BY addison sherman

I

n their most recent outing on Friday night, the Cougars defeated SM East 50-33. After a low scoring first half, the cougars turned on the burners and outscored the Lancers by 15 points.

Key defensive plays were made off of steals by senior guards Jake Horner and Keaton Cross that led to easy transition points at the basket.

The Cougars continue to compete as one of

the top teams in the sunflower league and hope to keep the ball rolling. This Tuesday, Feb. 18 the Cougars will take on Olathe East at OE high school.

BY sean collins

PHOTO BY lauren edwards

Extremely Patriotic PHOTO BY NICK kahtava

PHOTO BY NICK kahtava

Bowling T

he NW bowling teams continue their season. So far, the boys team has placed second and third in all of their events but two, and the girls team has placed first in all of their events but two. The bowling team has high hopes of continuing their domination in league and state.

“The bowling team got off to a slower start but the guys are starting to improve,” senior Benjamin Higginbothem said. Not only is the

varsity bowling team excelling, the junior varsity bowling teams have yet to lose a game.

“For me it is amazing to watch the team support each other,” sophomore Mary Dennington said. “Whether you get a strike, or you get a gutter ball, the team is behind you the whole way.”

The team’s next meet is Regionals at Olathe East Lanes.

BY lena dennington

PHOTO BY lucas silva

Wrestling N

orthwest wrestlers gave it their all at the Sunflower League Tournament, taking 7th place out of the 12 schools participating.

Junior Mario Galvin took first in his weight class and Horizon senior, LaPhonso Mckinnis, took second. Other wrestlers that walked home with a metal included: Juniors Alex

Quinn and Adam Vanuasdall, and freshman DeVonte Smith all took fifth in their division.

“The amount of conditioning they have in order to wrestle for eight minutes straight, is amazing,” Coach Howard Newcomb said.

“There’s no time outs. When they step on the mat, its non stop working.”

BY tess holcom

Y

Every four years I get aggressively passionate about sports that I have never even heard of

ou should’ve seen me last weekend. It was 6 a.m. I am already annoyed by the loud Russian bull horns. I’ve got my red, white, and blue shoes on and a USA flag wrapped around me as the U.S. faces Russia in hockey. I can’t scream. The rest of my house is asleep.

I am engrossed in figure skating, slope style snowboarding and the not-so-popular biathlon. The Olympics bring out the patriot in me.

And although I’m rooting for every U.S. team, there’s also something incredible about watching a 40-year old Norwegian man win his seventh medal in the biathlon, a 15-year old Russian girl win her first gold medal in figure skating, and Americans taking home both gold medals in the first-ever slopestyle snowboarding competition. I cannot deny the satisfaction I feel when athletes doing amazing things, especially when some of them are younger than me. So, before you criticize ice dancing, or underestimate the difficulty of curling, remember — it is the Olympics.

The Olympics bring out the best, and worst, of the countries around the world. I find it interesting that different regions excel in different events, depending on whether it is the summer or winter. For example, African countries are stars in the summer Olympics, and Northern European countries in the winter.

The United States excels in both of them. And, let’s face it, cheering for a winning program is always more fun.

Let me just shed a little light on some of the “easy” Olympic sports. Although many believe that bobsledding is just a few people running and jumping into a giant sled that plunges down a slide, it’s much more than that. In 2012, I visited Olympic Park in Park City, Utah. The city was home to the 2002 Winter Olympics, and many of their facilities today are used for training and tourism. I was given the opportunity to do a trial run in the Olympic bobsled with my sister and a training Olympian. As I was

putting on my helmet, the Olympian explained to me the steps to take to stay in the bobsled. We weren’t even asked to less steer it. We just had to keep ourselves onboard. I can’t even imagine the steps they have to take to perfect this. As I watched them plunge themselves into an icy death-drop, I remember how much work actually goes into these “sleepy” sports.

Being an athlete myself, I have nothing but respect for every Olympian. I have to laugh at the critics dogging people like Hannah Kearney for receiving a bronze medal when she was predicted to win gold. Never forget the fact that you are sitting in your chair spectating, while this person is expected to give the performance of her life. I mean, is bronze really a loss? Certainly not. It’s disappointing that she didn’t receive the gold medal, but I can’t help but think of the pressure and how it impacts these athletes’ performances.

Whether they are standing on the podium, listening to their national anthem and receiving a medal, or they didn’t place at all, nothing can trade that moment.

While I watched the Olympics, I couldn’t help but think about all the athletes near my age or above who should be completely proud of whatever performance they put out there. They did, after all, get there.

The reality is these people are the best of the best. Each of them went through countless qualification rounds and they have all won a national championship in their country. Whether it’s the infamous Jamacian bobsled team or the lesser known Japanese ski-jumper at his seventh Olympics. Sure, they crown the best of the best with a gold medal.

But, keep in mind, the hours put into their performance is countless.

While 30th place doesn’t look good on paper, it is saying that they are the 30th best person in the world at that sport. Getting to the Olympics is an accomplishment in itself. They are among the best.

BY lena dennington

NORTHWEST PASSAGE

SPORTS

23

“I like snowdays and being able to go outside with my friends. I like the way [snow] makes everything look happier when it’s normally dull.

Whenever you step outside, you feel a million times better about life,

especially when you can throw snow at your sister.”

—junior Natalie Zimmerman

photo by carleigh whitman