The Northwest Passage: Volume 54, Issue 4

OUR PASSAGE

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 news magazine, 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 news magazine. The paper will be distributed monthly as possible. 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 editor-in-chief and editorial board will have the power to make the final decision.

Le ers to the editor will be accepted and encouraged. The staff reserves the right to edit for grammatical mistakes, length and good taste. Le ers may a ack policy but not people. In no way will ideas or viewpoints be changed. The editor-in-chief and editorial board reserve the right to refuse any le er.

PUBLICATION OVERSIGHT

CONTENT MANAGEMENT

Copy Editor Morgan Tate

Copy Editor

Izak Zeller Photo Editor Sophia McCraney Photo Editor Evan Johnson Asst. Photo Editor Ashley Broils Asst. Photo Editor Kara Simpso n

WRITERS

Ellie Zeller Greta Grist ADVISER Susan Massy

Overcoming Insecurity

Since age eight, I’ve had issues with the way I saw myself.

First, my thighs were too thick, then they were too skinny. My wrists were too small, then my fingers were too fat. I was never enough. As the year passed, my issues with self esteem continued to worsen.

Determining my self worth based on the numbers on a scale was a prime contributor to my negative self image.

I had been in gymnastics for eight years starting at the age of six. I began participating as a way to make friends. I could never in a million years imagine myself crying in the team bathroom’s handicapped stall picking bits of chalk from the crevices in the linoleum flooring.

It wasn’t until fourth grade, when I started to hang around the middle school girls in gymnastics and listen to their conversations. I knew they found my presence irritating, but they never said anything. They held my gaze only between side glances and remarks on all the things they hated about themselves.

They commented on the pastiness of their complexions, the

by Sofa Ball

Tryouts for “Once Upon A Ma ress” will begin at 3 p.m., Nov. 14. Sign up for a outside the Li le Theater.

After classes end on Nov. 18 , students will enjoy a nine-day break from school.

See you Nov. 28.

sausage-like resemblance of their fingers, the knobbiness of their knees or bragged about the non existent meals they ate with the exception of iced coffee.

Soon after, I began to hear their voices in my head. And, like them, I made sure I checked myself in each reflective surface I came by.

I never truly confronted the toxicity of those voices until I reached middle school. There, instead of rushing to each practice in fear of being late, I began to dread my arrival all together. I tried to stall by forge ing my shoes, my phone, my jacket or a hair band.

It wasn’t until 7th grade ended that I really considered qui ing. I decided to stick it out for one more season.

After our state competition, I walked out, overcome by emotion. I knew that would be the last time I would feel my teammates pat my back after a bar routine or get a pep talk from my coach before vaulting.

I like to think that after qui ing gymnastics my negative self image was gone. But the truth is — it’s not.

All I can say is that I’m determined to not only accept but love myself.

That’s a process I don’t expect to ever end.

Get ready to kick off the winter sports season at Not So Late Night.

It begins 7 p.m. in the Main Gym.

by Ashley Broils

The voices of the older girls and their body image issues echoed in my head and made me doubt my own self worth

Tears Behind the Smile

by laina a es

I cope with my depression and anxiety with a pen, paper and my own words

I am no longer afraid to admit how I’ve struggled with my mental health over the past three years.

I have dealt with both anxiety and depression, both of which are common among teens.

I had trouble opening up to others and ge ing the help I needed.

Instead I would lock myself in my room because I felt so much comfort in the darkness.

Everyone had different coping mechanisms for handling not just mental health, but life in general.

One thing I learned from my experience with depression was the ability to cope with my feelings by expressing them. Writing poetry helped me the most.

In September, to honor of Suicide Prevention Month. I wrote this poem:

“I know what it’s like, the feeling of complete & u er pain.

Nonstop cold. Nonstop sadness. Nonstop hurt.

I understand that everyone copes in different ways, some people drink until the sun comes up, some people smoke until they can’t tell their left from their right, some people vape ‘til their lungs give out,

and some people, like myself, take a simple blade to harm our precious skin.

But no ma er the way you cope, there are always be er ways.

& no ma er what, there are always people willing to listen to you, whether it be a physical face-to-face talk or a talk with a loved one above.

There is always someone there for you.

& for all those who we have lost in our lifetimes, may they never be forgo en, & may they live their eternal afterlife in peace.“

Mental health is such an overlooked struggle. I support many mental health associations and donate money so that people are able to get the help they need. Mental health is something that means the absolute world to me. I will do what I can to help others get through any and everything.

Many associations are available to help if reaching out to a close friend is too difficult. Resources such as the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, a nationwide resource, is available to help with mental health struggles. Another local Mental health resource is the Johnson County Mental Health Line, (913)268-0156, and the SOS Youth Hotline, (913)-324-3619.

Winter Choir Concert DEC. 8

DEC. 5

DEC. 12

Come see the Northwest choirs sing winter songs in the Greg Parker Auditorium at 7 p.m.

Winter Band Concert

The Northwest area bands will be performing in the Greg Parker Auditorim at 7 p.m.

Board of Education Meeting

The SMSD Board of Education Public Comments meeting beginds at 5:30 p.m. in the Board Room at the Center for Academic Achievement. The Board of Education meeting will follow beginning at 6 p.m..

Junior Elaina Hammes wrote a poem in honor of Suicide re ention Month. She ho ed to romote em athy with her writing. photo illustration by Claire Reed

FORKS DOWN CHICKEN TACOS EDITION

We try three Mexican restaurants in search of the best chicken taco

by Veronica Meiss, Evan Johnson & Sophia McCraney

OUR RANKING OF THE THREE

1

3SANCHOS STREETSIDE

JUAN JOSE’S TAQUERIA CHICKEN TACOS WITH CILANTRO AND ONIONS

$9.99

Juan Jose’s Taqueria is a new restaurant tucked in the strip mall on Shawnee Mission Pkwy and Pflumm. It’s a small area with an atmosphere that didn’t quite pull me in. After ordering, we sat down in a small leather booth and waited for our food to come.

I was slightly nervous to try the taco, but when I did I was met with a beautiful taste of chicken. The texture of the chicken, combined with the cilantro and onions was incredible. The corn tortilla definitely overpowered the taste slightly. What the restaurant lacked in presentation it definitely made up for in quality of the food. I plan on coming back to try their other dishes.

Juan Jose’s Taqueria provided a solid taco experience. After my first bite, the softness of the shell was fluffy and the texture of the taco complimented the other ingredients. A good ratio of chicken, cilantro and onions was also present. After squeezing the lime included with the dish, it added some welcome tanginess. After finishing the dish, I felt the most satisfied in comparison with the other locations. Out of the three tacos, this one was a step above the rest.

The tacos at Juan Jose’s Taqueria are about as authentic as they come. A corn tortilla filled with classic street taco ingredients. Cilantro, onions and the flavorful seasoned chicken chunks are all equally balanced and you get a taste of each one in every bite. Even the yellow corn tortilla contributed its own flavor to the dish. I highly doubt the lime slice is even needed, but it enhanced the experience even more. The texture was pleasant and this place was my favorite overall.

JUAN JOSE’S TAQUERIA

Senior Evan Johnson holds a chicken taco Oct. 25 at Juan Jose’s Taqueria.

Veronica Meiss - 3 out of 5

Evan Johnson - 4 out of 5

Sophia McCraney - 4 out of 5

design by Greta Grist photos by Brody Carlson

SANCHO’S STREETSIDE BAJA CHICKEN TACO BASKET

$13

Veronica Meiss - 2 out of 5

Sancho’s Streetside is a building off Neiman and 65th St. with a very run-down appearance. Walking in, it had a nice rustic bar aesthetic with several arcade games and televisions. After si ing down, a waiter was almost immediately at our table to take orders.

When I had this taco the first time, I really enjoyed it. The initial taste of the smoky chicken and overall flavors were excellent. When I went back to try the taco after my initial review, it was not as mind blowing as I remembered. There’s not much that was horrible about it but not much that was fantastic, either. It wasn’t anything special.

Sophia McCraney - 2.75 out of 5

The baja chicken tacos came in a group of three with chips and salsa on the side in a classic basket tray. I found the staff was very friendly and easy to have a laugh with. These soft-shell tacos were quite meat heavy, but its flavor was nice and smoky. I’m known for not doing great with spice, but I can appreciate it. At Sancho’s, the tacos had just enough spice to make your nose run, but not so much that it’s hard to eat.

After my first bite into the baja chicken taco, the smoky flavor of the chicken overpowered the rest of the ingredients. I didn’t feel I was able to enjoy the arugula, cheese or chipotle creme sauce through the thick taste of the chicken. Even though it drowned out the rest of the ingredients, the taste of the chicken was far from unpleasant. I enjoyed the subtle kick of spice in the meal. Overall, I think there was room for improvement with this Mexican dish.

MARGARITAS

Veronica Meiss - 3 out of 5

THE GRINGO WITH CHICKEN AND RICE $14.19

Margaritas, located on Quivira and 79th St., has always been my family’s go to restaurant for any sort of event; birthdays, graduations, awards at school, you name it. Despite coming all the time, I had never tried their chicken tacos.

Upon taking the first bite, I was met with the immediate taste of cheese. I couldn’t taste the chicken over the overwhelming flavor of cheese. I was only able to judge the taste of it when I took it out of the taco to try it separately. I definitely enjoyed the texture of the taco, the chicken added a nice buffer between the crunchy le uce and shell. While I did enjoy the chicken version of the Gringo, I definitely prefer the beef. Overall, I would recommend this dish to anyone who loves tacos.

The first thing I noticed when picking up my chicken taco from Margaritas was that the shell felt like a combination of a soft and hard shell. The texture was a li le odd, but did not detract from the taste of the taco. The contents of the taco were equally balanced and I feel that the ingredients worked well together to create a coherent taste. However, the taco played it very safe and I was not presented with any bold flavors. It felt generic, but not boring. The taco presented me with a familiar taste and felt as standard as chicken tacos get.

Sophia McCraney - 3 out of 5

Slightly expensive, the only hard shell taco was about as basic as tacos get. I have no complaints when it comes to flavor. I am a sucker for soft shell tacos so unfortunately, in my personal bias, these will ultimately rank lower. However the balance of hot and cold ingredients is acceptable although it is very cheese and meat heavy. Typically, when I go to Margarita’s chicken tacos are an afterthought because in all honesty the beef is ten times be er.

Evan Johnson - 2.5 out of 5

Senior Sophia McCraney holds a Baja Chicken Taco Oct. 25 at Sancho Streetside.

Evan Johnson - 3 out of 5

Senior Veronica Meiss holds The Gringo Oct. 31 at Margaritas Bar and Grill,

& GLOW GLOW GLOW GLOW glitter

The football field was packed, the energy was electric. The marching band was ready to start the 2022 Light Show. The announcer started counting down. “3… 2… 1!”

Lights snapped off in the stadium.

No humans were visible, only flashlights and glow sticks.

The annual Light Show was about to begin.

This long-time tradition has occurred for at least 40 years.

“I don’t know exactly when it started,” Marching Cougar Pride director Bre Eichman said. “I know It’s been happening for at least the last three band directors.”

The band marches their regular show at halftime before taking the fourth quarter to prepare for the show.

choreography. The original show is still performed for the Light Show, only in the dark.

“Light Show is a li le bit dangerous,” Eichman said. “This drill has a lot of moves where you’re really close to the [next] person. But they have practiced this thousands of times and so, in the dark with glowsticks, it’s a li le trickier but they’re well trained.”

The Light Show serves as a celebration for the marching band after many months of hard work.

“Let’s just mess around and have fun,” Reed said. “Light Show isn’t super serious, we still play the show and do our best, but there are a lot of spots where we were like, ‘this isn’t super important so just have fun.’”

After the proper Light Show, the drumline remains on the track and plays cadences for those who stay. It’s a fun time for the band and the crowd.

“The sideline is full of duct tape, wrappers, glow glasses, Christmas lights, strings and ba eries,” senior Dylan Reed said. “Everyone’s trying to look their best but also there’s a mess on the sidelines.”

The dancers a ached lights to themselves and the objects they used in the show.

“We have to put glow sticks inside of the poles,” senior Alexis Petry said. “That takes forever because some of them don’t want to go in. And then we also taped glow sticks to the cubes.”

In order to avoid any accidents in the dark, there are no changes to the halftime show in terms of music or

“We flipped Nick Ruschill over and I was right next to him,” Reed said. “They had the drums flipped backward and they were yelling ‘flip him over, flip him over.’ I don’t know if it was spontaneous or planned, but Graeme Hobbs picked him up by his legs and flipped him over.”

The series of songs came to a close with the classic Cougar fight song and brought the evening to an end. For the seniors, this was one of the last times they would play “Chaos Order.”

“I’ll definitely miss it,” Reed said. “but there’s a lot of stuff I’m looking forward to leaving behind — a lot of hard work.”

Wearing an LED purge mask, senior Sarah Roberts plays the snare drum during the light show on Oct. 21 at SM North District Stadium. After performing this season’s show, “Chaos Order,” the drumline marched toward the crowd playing cadences. “[My favorite thing about playing for students after performing is] the adrenaline rush it gives you and hearing everyone screaming,” Roberts said.

The Marching Cougar Pride lit up the field for the 2022 Light Show by Morgan Tate

design by Veronica Meiss

photo by Haylee Bell

“Everyone’s trying to look their best but also there’s a mess on the sidelines.”

— Dylan Reed senior

STUDENT COUNCIL HOSTS ANNUAL TRUNK OR TREAT

Children from across the Shawnee area celebrate Halloween in the parking lot by Veronica Meiss

write a

If you are interested in writing a le er to the editor, please email a signed le er to Susan Massy (nwmassy@smsd.org) or drop it off in her mailbox in the office. Your identity will not be hidden unless there is significant danger of physical harm. Remember to a ack policy, not people. If you have any questions, email Susan Massy.

The elements of the new cloakand-dagger movie, “Don’t Worry Darling,” connects the characters in the movie to victims in toxic relationships by Grace Logan

REDUCE REUSE RECYCLE

Each trash bag below represents 100 pounds of the trash generated by the average student. Together, NW students generate 2.6 million lbs of trash annually illustration and design by Veronica Meiss

Wasted Potential

The underestimated effects of waste pollution and how it can be reduced

Americans overlook the massive amounts of trash produced each day. Unaware of the candy wrappers and fast food packaging that pollutes their surroundings while scrolling through the latest social media posts.

The United States makes up 4% of the world’s population, produces 12% of its trash and 33% of its solid waste. Which should come as no surprise due to the fact that America is listed as the ninth wealthiest country in the world. Wealth directly correlates to waste production as the demand for consumer items increases.

While merchandising requests continue to grow, so does the amount of plastic pollution through packaging choices made by renowned businesses. In fact onehundred companies are responsible for more than 90 percent of all global plastic, according to the The Plastic Waste Makers index report.

In February of 2022, CEO of Amazon Jeff Bezos announced his donation of 791 million dollars to 16 organizations to combat the effects of climate change. Though, according to a new Oceana report, Amazon generated an estimated 465 million pounds of packaging waste. Which is enough plastic to circle the earth more than 500 times. This has polluted waterways and seas around the world.

As a result, recent studies estimate that 90 percent of all seabirds and 52 percent of all sea turtles have

ingested plastic as of this year. If we continue to produce waste at this trending rate that’s had a 204% increase since 1960. The environment will no longer stay silent.

Landfills rank as the third-largest source of methane emissions because they cause around 5% of methane emissions.

Every year the 139.6 million tons of waste which the United States produces end s up in landfills. Twenty-two percent of that waste comes from food and 19% from plastics.

The United States overall has created 268 million tons of waste.

So where is that 128.4 million tons of waste going?

The answer to this question should come as no shock to the public. This is no government conspiracy. National Geographic states that around eight million metric tons of plastic waste end up in the ocean each year. Theyhave concluded that 1.13 to 2.24 million metric tons have been contributed by the United States,.

These microplastics provide health risks to the human population and can enter the body through inhalation or consumption through food and drinks. They can cause damage to human cells and leaches harmful chemicals into the digestive tract leading to liver failure according to the University of Stanford.

THE VOTE

However, while it seems like nothing is being done about the poorly managed waste polluting surrounding ecosystems, many small businesses and well-known corporations are working toward solving this problem.

Patagonia was the first outdoor clothing manufacturer to transform trash into fleece and is currently launching a new line of sustainable jackets made from recycled fishing nets.

Zara, which is a brand that specializes in fast fashion, is ironically going green through its packaging. All of Zara’s orders are shipped in recycled cardboard boxes, with 1 billion recycled security tags and 10% thinner plastic bags when shipping clothing..

This may not seem like it’s making a huge impact on the environment but it’s not only reducing carbon emissions, it’s also diverting waste away from landfills. This encourages customers to be more mindful of the waste they produce.

The simplest acts such as reusing a bag can make a difference. An estimated 500 single-use plastic bags are replaced by using one reusable bag, meaning if someone shops for 70 years (from 18 to 88) they will save 350,000 bags.

If we want to save our planet, we each must take measures to reuse and recycle whenever possible.

A staff editorial is an opinion piece crafted by a single writer and voted on by the entire staff of the NW Passage. It is not an unbiased news article, but an opinion piece tackling a major issue. Here’s the staff vote:

THE COMMUNITY EFFORT

Northwest representatives speak about recycling

Earth First and other clubst have recently been pushing for students to put what belongs in each waste group in their respective bins at lunch. School administrators such as associate principal Bri on Haney have also been striving for students to do the same.

“I think anybody planning to keep the earth in the best shape possible for the next 50 years should be recycling every day,” associate principal Bri on Haney said. “We have recycling bins set up, but I don’t think, as a community, we do a solid job making sure we put our stuff in the right spot.”

There has never been a huge push to recycle by administrators, so many students feel as if they don’t have to do it.

“I don’t think people care that much [about recycling],” senior Rohan Shroff said. “I think the recycling bins are also usually pre y empty. It doesn’t really seem like the school or the students take

recycling as seriously as they maybe should.”

According the Republic Services, 50.8% of the average school waste stream is organics. That applies to waste that should go to composting. The next largest percentage is paper waste, at 31.4%. The third largest percentage is plastic, which is 12.7%.

After the waste is collected, it is taken to the Johnson County/WM Recycling Center where it is emptied either by hand or material. Once the waste is sorted, clean recyclables and soiled will be sorted into two different piles. If the recyclables were contaminated before coming to the recycling center, it will be immediately grouped with landfill. The clean recyclables are sold to businesses, manufacturers and other organizations so they can be reused.

“It’s very important that we recycle, and that the school recycles,” senior Bryson Mischlich said. “Even though our trash is very miniscule to all the world’s trash, if everyone in the world is doing it than it’s not just miniscule anymore.”

Of the 95% of Americans who say they recycle, 25% of them recycle “some of the time.” Fewer than half of them know the basics

of recycling, according to the 2021 Consumer Recycling Habits survey by the Paper and Packaging Board which is overseen by the United States Department of Agriculture.

“I understand everyone wants to just throw their stuff away and move on to the next thing they’re doing,” senior Erin Moody said. “Even I don’t know [what things] are supposed to go where, but I wish we did a be er job at helping kids know where stuff goes.”

Poor recycling quality is usually due to a lack of education. Most people know that recycling is a good habit for the environment, but are often unsure of what goes into the recycling bin which can lead to consumers turning to the trash bin in defeat, according to the University of Colorado at Boulder

“Make sure that you actually [recycle],” Moody said. “There’s recycling bins in every classroom, even if [your teacher] hasn’t told you. You can go out of your way and recycle. You don’t have to be told to do it.”

by Veronica Meiss, Sofa Ball & Grace Logan design by Greta Grist

SUFFERING

Junior Danie Eaves used to be the person scrolling through media, looking for the answer to all their woes. She had started developing tics and turned to the Internet for answers. TikTok told her that she had anxiety tics, which would go away in two to three weeks. She avoided going to the doctor because she thought they would disappear, but they didn’t. Eventually, she got a proper diagnosis of Toure es and received help. But social media almost led her down a different path.

Dismorphia: symptoms. Anxiety createa issues for Anxiety createa issues for Dismorphia: Identifying signs symptoms.

“When people are looking symptoms up, it hurts me knowing they’re thinking they have something, when they probably have something else,” Eaves said. “It’s really confusing a lot of people and it hurts me knowing that people out there aren’t ge ing the right help.”

Social media tends toward oversimplifying mental illness. This results in short posts about mental illness on Instagram or Tiktok listing different symptoms.

— Diagnosis

“In recent years, discussions about mental health have proliferated on social media, particularly on TikTok,” According to The New York Times. “And for those researching various disorders, it has become increasingly easy to find bite-sized definitions and self-assessment quizzes online.”

These posts don’t allow for subtlety when it comes to talking about mental illness.

“We’re capable of having nuanced conversations about mental illness, which would allow people to see a variety of definitions of whatever it might be, social anxiety, depression or whatever,” English teacher Ben Pabst said. “But we don’t have nuanced conversations, we have bites, which affects our understanding of ourselves because we throw simplified terms around.”

When teens self diagnose themselves based on terms and symptoms on social media, it can lead to a misdiagnosis. Misdiagnosis can be harmful to many teens because of the further damaging effects it can have on their own mental health and their ability to deal with whatever is going on. Even when they go to a mental health professional, who may give them different advice, people still insist on the diagnosis they gave themselves.

“Once they’ve seen it, read it and it sort of clicks into place, it’s hard for them to let go of that narrative and really step back and evaluate in a gray zone. People like to narrow in, focus, clamp down on it and then say, ‘Oh, here’s what I’m dealing with.’ And so a lot of times people want to wrestle with me in some ways about something they’ve read.”

Despite the harm that can come from certain posts about mental health on social media, other posts can spread positive awareness and broaden the larger conversation about mental health.

“It cuts both ways, because it has spread awareness,” Christian said. “I wish it was a situation where mental health was talked about in limited quantities, where social media developed the awareness for someone to take the next step, [instead of making someone] shut everything down on their own self diagnosis, but I do think social media has helped make mental health more understood. It’s been terrific because I see a lot more boys these days. A lot more men and boys, and all of that has come from an expanded awareness of mental illness.”

If someone is not doing okay and finds themselves pushed down the social media, selfdiagnosis rabbit-hole, experts agree there is one important step that can be taken.

“Talk to someone in the field,” Christian said. “It can be their guidance counselor at school or their school social worker, that’s the easiest. But they could also go to the mental health center for their county. Paying for therapy is really hard to do. There are options out there.”

“ “

Appointment

FALL SPORTS RECAP

Fall sports come to a close

FOOTBALL

The football season ended with a varsity loss against Blue Valley West Oct. 28. The final score was 52-28.

“I’ve never seen so many guys entirely focused on achieving the same goal,” Wide Receiver Sam Baldwin said. “After the game was over, all the seniors were very emotional and hugging each other, because we knew it was our last game we would ever play together. Tears were shed by all of us, but we knew we gave it 100% for the entire season. We had no regrets.”

Grieving the loss of the fnal football game, sophomore Jonty Harris-Webster talks with coach Brian Vesta Oct. 28 in the Blue Valley West Football Locker Room. The Cougars lost to the Jaguars 28-52. “It was a tough loss,” HarrisWebster said, “Knowing that you won’t be playing with some of the seniors and your brothers is very raw and photo by Cooper Evans

SOCCER

Varsity Boys Soccer ended their season with a loss against Shawnee Mission West with the final score

“This season was one of my favorites,” Bryson Mischlich said. “The jokes and banter that came out of practice and the things said made this season unlike the rest because we really bonded as a team. And this season I think I did well at organizing my defense but also keeping morale up with the younger players that I knew already going into the season and just being encouraging and their best supporter.”

photo by Sidra Sakati

Senior Skylar Anderson follows through on a pass Oct. 12 at Gardner Edgerton. The Cougars ended the season with a 5-8 record. “I think that our season was very one sided,” Anderson said. “We started in a slump, but won fve straight games toward the end of

by Veronica Meiss & Izak Zeller

Winter Sports

Tryouts start on Nov. 15

BOYS’ SPORTS GIRLS’ SPORTS Basketball

Bowling Swim Wrestling

Basketball Bowling Wrestling

COACHES

Boys Basketball - David Birch

Girls Basketball - Tyler Stewart

Bowling - William Dent Boys Swim - Ryan Lee

Wrestling - Zachary Davies

by Grace Logan

Creating Community

At the northwest football games, a voice booms throughout the football stadium shouting play after play. For the past two years, Troy Claycamp has been announcing for the varsity Cougars. People know his voice. Here’s what they don’t know:

Claycamp grew up in Blue Rapids, Kansas. His father was always a big part of his life. On special Sunday mornings, when the Chiefs were playing at Arrowhead Stadium, his father would wake him up at 5 a.m. and ask: “Do you want to go to the Chiefs game?”

“This was in the 80s, when the Chiefs weren’t great,” Claycamp said. “We could walk up pregame and buy tickets. There were always tons of empty seats, but it didn’t ma er to us. We loved watching football. Those are some of my best memories.”

As Claycamp got older, he became more involved in different sports. No ma er the activity, his father would always be in the backyard helping him practice.

“That poor guy probably threw 50,000 ba ing practice

pitches,” Claycamp said. “We were always in the backyard doing something, whether he was throwing fly balls or hi ing pitches. He was just always that guy that wanted to be involved in what was going on.”

In high school, Claycamp began playing football. There wasn’t time for early Sunday morning drives to Arrowhead Stadium anymore. Despite their busy schedules, the family would crowd around the T.V. after Sunday morning church and watch the Chiefs play.

“Dad would always be over in his recliner with his feet kicked up and the Chiefs game on,” Claycamp said. “The rest of us made our way into the living room and we would all end up watching it together. There was always family whenever football was around.”

Many years passed. Claycamp grew up, moved closer to the city and started a family of his own.

In 2010, Claycamp’s father developed a recurring cough.

In 2012, on Oct. 17, he was diagnosed with lung cancer. That same year, on Dec. 16, he died.

“We got just shy of two months,” Claycamp said. “We thought we had all this time and unfortunately, it didn’t work out that way.”

At the funeral, many of the guys from Claycamp’s childhood told him about how his father was the one who always threw passes or hit fly balls to them.

“I can’t tell you how many basketball goals he built for people,” Claycamp said. “If you drive around Blue Rapids, there’s probably still 25 basketball goals in people’s driveways that he built. He was the guy who always wanted to be er [the community]. It’s something I’ve tried to emulate.”

The influence of Claycamp’s father stays with him to this day. He a ends his daughter and son’s sporting events, similar to how his family did for him. He watches games with his son. He wants to build a sense of community through his work.

“[Students are] the next generation,” Claycamp said. “They’re the ones who are going to decide what that community looks like. I hope, in my own small way, that I’m helping them find the best way to do that. I absolutely think [my father] would be proud of me.”

Shawnee Mission School District commentator Troy Claycamp announces plays during the Cougars vs. Olathe East football game Oct. 21 at SM North District Stadium. Claycamp is responsible for announcing players’ names, action on the feld and other game related information. “I get a lot of help from the other people in the booth,” Claycamp said. “It’s a good group and it’s a lot of fun just being up there.” photo

by Evan Johnson

Football announcer Troy Claycamp hopes to emulate his father’s kindness throughout his work

MONTH IN PHOTOS MONTH IN PHOTOS

1) Wearing a neon anonymous mask, sophomore Chloe Hanshew plays third bass drum Oct. 21 at SM North District stadium. Each bass drum has a diferent part to play. “Everyone’s excited when we’re putting on the glow sticks and fashlights,” Hanshew said. photo by Haylee Bell

1) 2)

2) Junior Gabe Hoskins celebrates with his teammates Oct. 14 in the SM North District Stadium locker room. Hoskins was awarded The Turnover Chain which is given to the players who force turnovers each game.

“Getting the chain is one of the best feelings because you just made a big play,” Hoskins said. “Everybody is cheering you on.” photo by Evan Johnson

October wraps up with Light Show, cross country, boys’ soccer and “Ghost Hunt”

design by Sophia McCraney

3) Senior Owen Hooper hugs his mom, Brittany, Oct. 15 at Rim Rock Farm near Lawrence. Hooper and the team placed ffth overall in the state meet. “We did pretty good,” Hooper said. “It was kind of sad that it was my last ofcial cross country meet.” photo by Cooper Evans

4) Watching carefully, center forward Nester Reyes blocks his Olathe East opponent from stealing the ball Oct. 6 at the Shawnee Mission Soccer Complex. Reyes scored one goal as the Cougars defeated the Hawks, 2-1. “What I like about this position is that it allows me to be creative with and without the ball. It also allows me to score often,” Reyes said. “I have grown a lot just by playing because everything just becomes more natural.” photo by Sydney Jackson

5) Junior Sophie Horner passes an opponent from SM South Oct. 15 during the state 6A girls’ cross country meet at Rim Rock Farm near Lawrence. Horner placed 43 of 91 in the varsity race. “Rim Rock is a challenging course,” Horner said. “The hills are difcult. Having a good mindset is defnitely key to this course.” photo by Kara Simpson

6) Looking toward the video camera, junior Elaine Ghast hugs

freshman Gabriel Larkin Oct. 25 in the Greg Parker Auditorium. Ghast and Larkin played the characters Heather and Greg in the play “Ghost Hunt.” “Gabe was super fun to work with.” Ghast said. “This is his frst NW play, but he fts right in.” photo by Kara Simpson

NWP

Senior Sarah Roberts plays the snare drum during the Lightshow Oct. 21 at SM North District Stadium. Individuals in the drumline wear matching light-up masks according to what section they are in. “Lightshow, being one of our last performances, is a celebration of all of the hard work we have put into the season,” Roberts said. “It’s the only time we get to see the reactions on peoples faces frst hand when we play.”