Northwest Passage Volume 42 Issue 7

passage NORTHWEST VOL. 42

ISSUE 7

DEC. 17, 2010

A SPECIAL EDITION BY THE BEGINNING JOURNALISM CLASS

weight-less /20

WRESTLERS PUSH THEMSELVES TO BE IN A LOWER WEIGHT CLASS.

true father christmas /07 A NW DAD HAS ELABORATE CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS.

season of giving / 12 STUCO’S ANNUAL ADOPT-A-TOT RAISES $10,000 FOR HEADSTART STUDENTS. / PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY ANDY WICKOREN

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forgot your camera? we didn’t. check out:

A SPECIAL EDITION BY THE BEGINNING JOURALISM CLASS



PASSAGE STAFF

Co-editors-in-chief

Features Editors

Copy Editor

Entertainment Editor

Design Editor

Sports Editors

Assistant Copy Editors

Ads Editor

KIRK BADO + CAROLINA MACH LAUREN KOMER

STEPHANIE SPICER + BAILEY KOPP WYATT ANDERSON + BRIANNA LEYDEN

Photo Editors

TAYLOR ADCOCK

Graphics Editor TYLER ABSHER

News Editor

KATELYN ARROCHA + PIA HECKMAN

Opinions Editors KIRK BADO + PIA HECKMAN

KAITIE MAROLF + RAELEE WRIGHT ALAURA MOORE

contents

NORTHWEST PASSAGE / VOL. 42 / ISSUE 07 SHAWNEE MISSION NORTHWEST 12701 W. 67TH STREET SHAWNEE, KS 66216

12

ERIC HOLTON + CONNOR THOMPSON CLAIRE MARLEY

Staff Writers

JEFFERY ALLEN, JOCELYN BARRIOS, SAM BELLMEYER, LINDSAY BINDER, EMILY NICOL, ASHLYNN OWENS, ASHTON REVIS



SMNW.COM

Co-editors-in-chief LAUREN MINICK + STEPHANIE SPICER

12 / true father christmas A light-up dog is part of an elaborate display of decorations in Junior Quinn Truax’s front yard. / PHOTO BY DAVID FREYERMUTH

 NEWS 04 news briefs

Updates on happenings at Northwest.

06 news schmix  ENTERTAINMENT 09 reviews

10

Fronteras: Though there are similar restauraunts in the area, Fronteras is the best.

Town Topic: This 50’s style diner is in downtown Kansas City.

10 reviews

Burlesque: Boys and girls alike will enjoy the glamorous movie starring Cher and Christina Aguilera StudyBlue: The days of studying on three by five index cards are over.

 OPINIONS 07 a tale of two schools: Donating

04

(TOP) “Queso Especial” at Fronteras is served daily. / PHOTO BY DAVID FREYERMUTH (BOTTOM) Headstart students attending “Adopt-a-

tot”program play with their new toys. / PHOTO BY DAVID FREYERMUTH

12  FEATURES 12 true father christmas

A NW father celebrates the holidays with an elaborate display of Christmas decorations.

14 season of giving

For StuCo’s annual Adopt-a-Tot, students raised money and gifts for Headstart toddlers

 SPORTS 16 boss

The best sports photo and Q&A with junior connor stephens.

17 different kind of football

The senior girls were victorious in the annual junior versus senior powder puff football game.

19 looking through the crystal bowl

blood is a rewarding experience.

Four staff members pick their favorites for

holidays without a family: A foreign

the upcoming BCS bowl games.

exchange student reflects on not being with her family for Christmas.

08 the business of christmas: Business capitalize on consumers’ good will during the holiday season.

20 weight-less

Every year, wrestlers cut several pounds in order to “make weight.”

23 time for a play-off

The BCS bowl system is flawed.

birth of a facebook: A staff member reflects on the creation of his Facebook profile.

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 newsmagazine, the Northwest Passage will cater to the interests and concerns of the student body. Outside concerns and activities will only be covered if they somehow affect the school or students. the Northwest Passage is a 24-page newsmagazine.

The paper will be distributed every two weeks during fourth hour. Subscriptions will be available to the community for $35. 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 a solution.

In these cases, the co-editors-in-chief will the have final say in all decisions. Letters to the editor will be accepted and encouraged, but will only be published if signed. The staff reserves the right to edit for grammatical mistakes, length and good taste. Letters may attack policy but not people.

In no way will ideas or viewpoints be changed. The co-editors-in-chief reserve the right to refuse any letter.

NEWS NOODLES AND COMPANY HOSTS SMEF FUNDRAISER The Shawnee Mission Education Foundation (SMEF) partnered with Noodles and Company again Dec. 4 for a fundraiser benefiting the Excellence in Education grant program. Supporters representing 29 buildings in the district helped raise $3,000.

This is the second such fundraiser that Noodles and Company sponsored. The first benefit, held Oct. 7, also raised $3,000.

The program provides grants for district educators who want to introduce new programs or need financial support for existing programs. The maximum grant awarded is $3,500. Last year, 22 teachers received 11 grants, for a total of $27,225.

To receive a grant, teachers must submit their grant proposals. The proposals are then considered by how many students will benefit, if it will be used more than once and what the total cost of the project is. Ideas such as last year’s E-Readers program at Antioch Middle School are favored because they can be used more than just one year and, therefore, will benefit more students. / JEFFERY ALLEN

STUDENTS RELAX IN YOGA CLUB Yoga Club held its first official meeting Dec. 7.

Juniors Lauren Severance, Sarah Crosley and Kelsey Hulse founded the organization with the support of English teacher Janine Deines.

“We thought it would be a fun way to relax,” Severance said.

Yoga Club’s amusing posters caught the attention of many students.

“I think the banners with Nacho Libre in his stretchy pants were really cute,” junior Abby Gomer said.

Forty-four people, mostly female students, attended the first meeting in Room 128. After clearing some space, Severance and Crosley explained that yoga has its origins in India and combines physical and mental exercise. First, the students learned relaxed breathing, and then the student leaders showed some yoga beginners’ videos on YouTube.

Not only students attended the meeting.

“I have done yoga for probably the last three years at a real club. I love yoga, and I think it is a good exercise,” principal’s secretary Fran Illum said.

The next meeting will be after winter break in Room 18, which will provide more adequate space. / PIA HECKMAN

04

/ DEC. 17, 2010

Junior Jessica Prater sprays the prairie perimeter with her backpack water log.

Environmental Ed. teacher Mike Pisani designated students as sprayers and flappers in order to maintain the rampant fire. “I was nervous. I mean, one false move and everyone in the prairies burns to ashes,” Prater said.

/ PHOTO BY TAYLOR ADCOCK

ENVIRONMENTAL ED STUDENTS BURN FOUR NORTH MOST ACRES OF PRAIRIE Environmental Education 2 students burned four of the nine acres of prairie in the environmental lab on Dec. 3. This year, the prairie was burned in the fall instead of spring to avoid stunting the growth of wildflowers.

“We wanted to promote more wildflowers,” Environmental Education teacher Mike Pisani said. “So we did a fall burn because wildflowers are dead.”

Prairies must be burned or mowed in order to be maintained. The four acres burned this fall were not burned last spring. “[If it was not burned], secession would take over and eventually it would turn into a forest,” Pisani said. “In order to maintain a prairie so we can teach about prairies in Kansas, we burn it.”

Pisani, the students and several firefighters from the Shawnee Fire Department worked

together to burn the four northmost acres of the prairie using a ring fire. They began by starting a back fire, against the wind.

“You start burning it slowly, so you burn away the fuel,” Pisani said. “Then we kind of work our way around start a head fire, which goes with the wind and goes faster, and eventually the flames meet in the middle and it puts itself out.”

As a safety precaution, a buffer around the area to be burned was cleared.

“We make what’s called a fire break, which is just a cleared area where things can’t burn,” Pisani said. “We wet the outside down beforehand. We call the fire department just in case, so they like to come, just to make sure nothing gets out of hand.” / STAFF

STATE EDUCATION FUND OUT $50 MILLION FOR NEXT FALL The Kansas Education Fund will fall short $50 million for the 2011-2012 school year. This deficiency is likely caused by higher enrollment, more students qualifying for free and reduced lunch and a drop in assessed valuation of property in the state, according to the Kansas Association of School Boards. Despite the troubled economy, the state government is trying to avoid exacerbating the statewide budget problem.

If the $50 million shortfall is solved, “It puts us in a better situation than we were a year ago,” Gov. Mark Parkinson told the Kansas City

Star.

One solution being considered is to take $50 million from the $92 million that will be received from the recently passed Kansas Federal Jobs Bill. If the $50 million is acquired, Parkinson is confident that there will not be any midyear cuts.

“It will depend on how they are going to come up with the money,” Tim Rooney, manager of budget and finance for the Shawnee Mission School District said in an interview with the / CAROLINA MACH Kansas City Star.

LATINO FORUM TEACHES BUSINESS MANAGEMENT TO HISPANIC STUDENTS Eight NW students attended the Latino Forum Dec. 3 at the Indian Creek Technology Center.

The forum is an introduction to BizFest, a program that teaches Hispanic juniors and seniors how to manage a business and can lead to scholarship and internship opportunities.

Students learn to develop a business plan with the help of mentors from the Kansas City metropolitan area and are encouraged to enter the four-day BizFest competition later in the year. Winning the

NBA TEAM SEARCHES FOR NEW TOWN The New Orleans Hornets are about to make history for being the first team in the history of the NBA to be bought by the league.

The Hornets have hit hard times. They are bankrupt, attendance for home games has been teetering around the bottom of the league, and revenues have dropped for the past two years, according to recently released financial documents. Due to multiple changes in the management positions and clashes between the majority owner George Shinn and minority owner Gary Chouset, the Hornets’ prospect of staying in the Big Easy seems slim. To stop the franchise from collapsing upon itself, Commissioner David Stern has agreed to have the league purchase the team, pending approval from the NBA board of governors. If the purchase goes forward, the league would have the authority to move the team to whatever venue it chooses.

The short list for new venues includes Seattle, Las Vegas and Kansas City. According to Yahoo News, Kansas City is the front-runner for the franchise. The new Sprint Center, with no permanent tenant, is the main selling point to the league.

“Every time the Sprint Center has hosted basketball games, we have had good turnouts,” senior Jalen Lewis said.

Of those being considered, Kansas City is the only town with an NBA-ready arena. But analysts cite the city’s last attempt at an NBA team, the Kansas City Kings, as an argument against bringing another team to the city.

Another problem is the lack of money. According to local radio sports talk show host Nick Wright, the cost of purchasing and maintaining an NBA franchise in Kansas City would cost more than $365 million. A viable solution, he contends, would rest in a coalition of investors pooling their funds to purchase and maintain the / KIRK BADO franchise.

competition can lead to jobs and internships as well as full scholarships to colleges and universities.

“It is a great opportunity — not just for me, but for others who are attending it as well,” junior Ericka Marquez said.

Last year, 85 students from across the metropolitan area were accepted to participate in BizFest.

This year, the Shawnee Mission School District will host the program Feb. 9-12. / JOCELYN BARRIOS

JUNIOR BATTLES BRAIN TUMOR Junior Jenny Nelson was airlifted to the St. Louis Children’s Hospital Dec. 3 where surgeons removed most of a tumor from her brain stem.

The tumor was pushing against the back part of her brain, which controls her ability to breathe and swallow, as well as against her spinal cord, affecting her balance. Doctors would have removed the whole tumor, but feared the risk of permanent brain damage.

Nelson spent three days in the ICU and as of press time, no longer needed her IV or ventilator; however, she is expected to continue to receive medication through a feeding tube.

CCC hosted a Cappuccino Day last Friday and raised about $1,400. The money raised will be donated to Nelson and her family for medical expenses. Seniors Amy Miller, Arjun Kumar and Hope Wooten sold blue bracelets imprinted with “I’m with Jenny” on one side and “Fearless” on the other to raise an additional $140 for the Nelson family. / KATELYN ARROCHA

Students who wish to keep up with Nelson’s progress can go to:

WWW.CARINGBRIDGE.ORG/ VISIT/JENNYNELSON

where they will be asked to register before being directed to the site Nelson’s brother, Dave, updates regularly. Those who register can also leave personal messages.

more nw news MUSIC CONCERTS/

Students participated in various events to show off their music talents. On Dec. 4, the district choir festival was held at SM South. The orchestra concert was performed in the NW auditorium on Dec. 7, and the band concert was held Dec. 9. Finally, the winter choir concert was put on at the First Baptist Church of Shawnee on Dec. 14.

DEC. 10: CAPPUCCINO DAY/

CCC hosted another cappuccino day, and the student body raised over $1,400 to go straight towards Jenny Nelson, a NW junior who was recently diagnosed with a brain tumor. The money will help the family pay for her medical bills.

DECEMBER 16

7:40–9:10 a.m. /

THURSDAY 1st hour finals, then

shortened classes

17

7:40–10:50 a.m. /

20

7:40–10:50 a.m. /

21

7:40–10:50 a.m. /

FRIDAY 2nd + 3rd hour finals

MONDAY 4th + 5th hour finals

TUESDAY 6th + 7th hour finals

JANUARY 17

Martin Luther King MONDAY Jr. day,

NO SCHOOL

18

9:40 a.m. /

20

7 p.m. /

TUESDAY Late Start

THURSDAY NW area band

festival in gym NEWS

/ 05

Compiled by Claire Marley + Eric Holton

UNITED STATES

Dec. 12 : Four people in Detroit died in snow shoveling related accidents after more than 20 inches of snow fell in some areas.

RUSSIA EGYPT

CHILE

Dec. 4: A German woman died after being attacked by sharks in Sharm el-Sheikh. Area beaches were closed until the sharks were found. Three snorkelers were injured, and two sharks were killed by officials.

Dec. 7: A riot broke out between prisoners at San Miguel prison, leaving 81 inmates dead in the resulting fire and another 14 in critical condition. Chilean President Sebastian PiĂąera apologized to families of the late prisoners for the inhumane, overcrowded conditions in the prison.

Dec. 11: Three thousand protesters flocked to the central square in PetropavlovskKamchatsky to protest proposed time zone changes that would decrease the number of time zones in Russia from 11 to nine.

SOUTH KOREA

Dec. 8: The South Korean military reported hearing artillery fire coming from its neighbor North Korea. The shells landed in the Yellow Sea within North Korea’s border. This event sparked even more tension between the two countries..

ANTARCTICA

Dec. 13: A South Korean fishing vessel sank 1000 nautical miles north of the McMurdo Station in Antarctica. Five people died and 20 were rescued.

All information from map is from CNN.com.

100,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000

NUMBER OF STARS IN THE UNIVERSE HAS TRIPLED ACCORDING TO A RECENT DISCOVERY BY YALE ASTRONOMER PIETER VAN DOKKUM

300,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000

400 BILLION TOTAL STARS IN THE MILKY WAY SOURCE: BLOGS.DISCOVERMAGAZINE.ORG

06

/ DEC. 17, 2010

GOOD TIME TO BE:

BAD TIME TO BE:

A Big XII basketball fan.

Kansas, K-State and Missouri are all nationally ranked in the top 25.

An airline traveler.

Baggage fees have grown 22.5 percent since this time last year.

A dome repairman.

The Metrodome in Minneapolis collapsed Sunday after heavy snowfall postponed the Giants and Vikings game.

Julian Assange.

The WikiLeaks founder, was arrested Dec. 7 in Britain after the Swedish government called for his arrest related to sex crime offenses.

Nat Strand and Kat Chang.

The Amazing Race finalists become the first women duo to ever win The Amazing Race in its 17 seasons.

Passenger on a cruise ship.

Passenger's aboard a Royal Caribbean cruise ship were rocked by 70-knot winds. Thirty passengers were injured.

/D A TALE OF TWO SCHOOLS

PUBLIC, TO PRIVATE, TO PUBLIC. IF THERE’S ANYONE WITH AN OPINION, IT’S ME.

SAM BELLMYER

espite starting school in public education, I consider myself a product of private school.

Most of my memorable time was at Catholic schools. After attending St. Agnes from sixth to eighth grade, I found myself at Bishop Meige my freshman year of high school.

A few weeks before the beginning of my freshman year, I was sitting alone at a small gathering. We still were not allowed to attend most dances, so parents organized a freshman mixer so we could get to know each other, i.e., to make us all feel awkward. Here, I found out more about my classmates than necessary. I found out that one of our students was a published author who commonly wrote for a teen magazine, and another who would be in three of my classes was a repeat felon. Finals were a bit awkward, to say the least.

Despite knowing more about my classmates than I would like, private school did have its perks, one of which was its small population. My class

at Meige had about 200, and it was grand. I knew just about everyone, and we all had our inside jokes. Even the people who were quiet were quickly recognized for their strengths, which was something much of the class had in spades. Teachers were able to connect to students on a more personal level, and students could get more individualized instruction.

Interestingly enough, this small population was also the worst thing about private school: Everyone knew everything about everybody. The second two people began dating, the class knew. If you broke your leg, it would be out on Facebook with at least four ‘likes’ before you reached the hospital. Cliques were so numerous that it was a close 1:1 ratio of students to groups. The popularity pyramid was not quite as obvious here as at a public school, but still we all knew who was at the bottom.

Now returning to public school, I can’t help but compare the experiences. Public school’s

outstanding virtue is the infinite number of clubs. With all students able to create clubs, almost everything you can think of has some sort of group. Anime, video game, ukulele, yoga, library, sports of all kinds and anything else students can think and get a teacher to sponsor can become a club. The extracurricular activities are coming out the proverbial wazoo.

But, that wasn’t the only difference.

With the lack of emphasis on the social hierarchy at Miege, I thought Northwest would be equally accepting.

It turns out that the hierarchy is so obvious I can feel it.

When you get down to it, which is better can’t just be decided by any single person. It all just depends on what you like. Queen Bee will certainly feel at home in a public school, and quiet Einstein will likely love staying at a private school. They’re two schools, two worlds, two lives lived by the people. The difference make them what they are, and they’re why they need to exist.

HOLIDAYS WITHOUT A FAMILY

IT MAY SEEM HARD TO BE AWAY FROM YOUR FAMILY DURING THIS SEASON BUT, COMING FROM A FOREIGN EXCHANGE STUDENT, IT’S NOT SO BAD.

/A

ctually, the title is wrong. I have a family here: my host family. I feel like I am their real daughter. They give me warmth, safety and love. Everything about family that I left behind in Germany my host family has given me, too.

I guess because I have this loving, supporting and understanding host family, I don’t miss my family, friends or home country as much as I could. In Germany I only lived with my mom, so it is pretty exciting and unusual for me to have two siblings and be part of a “real” family. My biological mom and I are a great team; we support, listen and discuss everything together. I do the same here, but with a bigger family. It is actually easier than I thought to live with several people.

I enjoy being surprised by the diversity and differences of American culture. My first Thanksgiving was an interesting, new experience, and I cannot wait until Christmas to see all the differences between the German and the American celebrations. The

first surprise was the fake tree. I was expecting my family to buy a tree at a shop, like all the families in Germany do, so I was pretty amazed when they told me that they already had one. Then I saw “the tree,” which was actually a carton box with a tree taken apart in several branches, and everything was plastic. I had never seen anything like this before. The next three hours I decorated the Christmas tree with all the existing decorations. After I was done and was taking a break, I noticed that something was missing. I could not see exactly what it was. I did not get the Christmas feeling I usually have, when I put lights on the tree while singing “Last Christmas.” Then I got it: The smell was missing. The pungent smell of the Christmas tree.

I was surprised that Advent is not celebrated by very many people here.

Everyone in my home country will open a tiny door on a calendar every day of December until Christmas Eve and receive a little surprise, like sweets or pictures. Luckily my mom

from Germany sent me one, so I get my everyday surprise. Also, four Sundays before Christmas, we light a candle on the “Advent wreath” until we have four lit candles.

I hope these will remain the only things I will miss during the Christmas holidays. I guess this celebration day will be one of my biggest experiences.

So far I have not needed to have my biological mom around, but I’m used to that. My Christmas holiday has been different every year. One year I was unpacking my presents at my mom’s house, the other at my dad’s house and the next at my grandparent’s, so I am kind of used to not being with my mom at the holidays. In fact, I’m pretty much independent from her, sometimes more than she would like.

I can only hope that I won’t fall victim to homesickness during the holidays, so I can enjoy the different Christmas celebration. I am here in America for only one year, and I want to enjoy this short time.

PIA HECKMAN WHAT WILL YOU MISS THE MOST DURING THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS? “What I will miss the most?

Skiing and my family.”

—Marta Gutierrez (Spain)

“Hugs”

—Fernanda Vasconcellos (Brazil)

“Definitely my family” —Joe Lavet (Belgium)

“We don’t celebrate Christmas in China.”

—Yuffie Gong (China):

OPINIONS

/ 07

BUSINESS OF CHRISTMAS

YEAR AFTER YEAR, MAJOR CORPORATIONS ARE CAPITALIZING ON OTHERS’ GOOD WILL.

used argument. It is / I ttheis anmostoverover used complaint in the winter season. It is practically an undeniable truth. Christmas comes way too early and is far to commercialized. And no, it is not the holidays because, lets face it, when you see a scene of the holidays it is not a living room decked out in Kwanzaa decorations. It’s a Christmas tree with Santa. It has become our national holiday proving that tolerance is just a bit more appealing in theory than in practice. But the religious bias does not even matter anymore because it’s only about the materialistic fulfillment opportunities.

Do you remember when Santa was the mysterious big man in red who slid down your chimney, ate your cookies and drank your milk then left you a present if you were good? Neither do I. See, I only remember him as the spokesperson for every company that could sell me something. Apparently his elves are not working anymore

BIRTH OF A FACEBOOK WHILE ALL MY FRIENDS WERE OLD SCHOOL PROS IN THE VIRTUAL WORLD, I JUST TOOK MY FIRST SWING.

KIRK BADO

08

/ DEC. 17, 2010

because every name brand has him covered. And it is not even only toys and other childhood things. Santa sells everything from cars to jewelry. I am pretty sure my five-year-old sister does not need the latest model of sports car for Christmas. Maybe it is just me but I always thought that the gift giving was really meant for the children. Of course you give and receive gifts when you’re older, but there suppose to be small tokens of appreciation to show that at the end of the year you still like that person. It is not an excuse to be cheap, but do you really want to feel like you bought someone’s affection?

But maybe it would not be so bad if the commercials were not trailing Halloween. I do not think busting out the decorations and doing the shopping at the end of Thanksgiving would be that bad. Thanksgiving is practically dead due to the advertisements for Christmas. I swear I do not see a single turkey or pilgrim until the actual day of Thanksgiving.

Two family holidays should be about the same in importance but Christmas is knocking out Thanksgiving because of its gift giving tradition. Sure it was fine when we were children and toys were pretty much the coolest things ever but now in our mature age we really should be able to appreciate the joy of the gift of giving.

We need to get back to what the holidays were really are. Whether it was for religion, being with the important people, or if you’re like me, just adding a little beauty to a dead season. Giving gifts will always be part of the tradition and big companies will always exploit that.

There is not much we can do to stop this except maybe keeping our priorities straight and realize that the hassle and stress of the holidays is completely unnecessary. Affection is not displayed through items, as every children’s movie reminds us, but through the actions. It really is the thought that should count.

a newborn child walking / “L ike out of the womb, I begin to

the controls as my ensemble cast of backseat drivers shouted orders to me.

I frantically typed.

“You want this privacy setting!”

“Let everyone see this!”

“Tell ‘em what school you go to!”

“That’s a terrible profile picture!”

It took almost an hour, but finally the settings were straightened, the picture was posted and my first status update was issued.

“But now what?” I asked.

“Now you get some friends.”

And so it began. My Internet purity was tainted as I graffitied someone’s wall and began to roam free in the encrypted fields of Farmville.

Apparently this was just the beginning.

This wide, bright world was slowly overtaking my own real, dull world as I learned about poking, messaging, photo albums, mutual friends, Mafia Wars, events and digital thumbs up. I became overwhelmed with information and things to do, wanting to log off, but at the same time feeling

take my first steps into the Facebook.”

This was my first status update on the day I created my Facebook profile and, unlike most people, it was not in my middle or elementary school days. It was just two weeks ago, in my sophomore year of high school, when I was born into this virtual world, while all my friends were certifiably middle-aged. As one could imagine, I had some catching up to do. Caving to peer pressure, I created my own profile to see how this world of poking, Farmvilling and tagging really worked.

I will be honest: I am not the most technologically literate. I still do the one-finger ping on the keyboard and have difficulty adding attachments to e-mails, so, of course, getting used to Facebook would be a challenge.

I assembled a brain trust of only my smartest friends, and we set to work bringing Kirk Bado into the world of tomorrow. It was a challenge. I manned

JEFFERY ALLEN

the need, not the want, the need to stay connected. I have been sucked into a world of semi-witty one-liners and updates on someone’s math test. Is this all Facebook is? An app designed to distract a user from actual work? Is it a living, breathing soul sucker? Has Facebook transcended the definition of something that is “alive”?

It’s not so much that Facebook is alive but rather that it lives off the human need to be connected with people, and that need is what makes it so addicting. You get out of Facebook what you put in: If you dump your heart and soul into this enterprise, then Facebook will have a part of your heart and soul. My Internet virginity is now long gone, and I have few regrets.

I created an online version of myself, and have not looked back yet. These are just a newcomer’s thoughts, but maybe I will stick with it and see where this goes. Facebook is a great tool for communication, but like anything else, must be used in moderation.

REVIEWS

BURLESQUE

Burlesque is a glamorous, entertaining and exciting movie. Directed by Steve Martin, the movie plunges the viewer into the world of dazzling dresses, sequins, feathers and shining satin. It features a great soundtrack, a sweeping love story and Cher and Christina Aguilera in the leading roles, even if they aren’t some of the best actors.

Cher plays the owner of “The Burlesque Club.” She only sings one song, but it is well-known to her fans. Aguilera plays Ali, a sweet, innocent girl who runs away from her home in Iowa to Los Angeles. She finds a job at the same small, old fashioned burlesque club Cher owns. After fighting for a part in the show, Ali steals the spotlight with her voice.

After seeing this movie, you may notice that Aguilera has one of the best voices of the decade. She definitely owns Burlesque. If you have listened to her 2006 album Back to the Basics, the instrumental background and the heavy beats will sound familiar to you. She has also said that the dancing featured in her Back to Basics tour was

studyblue.com 4.5/5

poignant

poignant painfully felt; sharp; emotionally moving

5/5 influenced by the burlesque style.

Don’t confuse burlesque with stripping; it is much more graceful. In the 19th century, burlesque was more a show for people who could not afford to see expensive operas, and the burlesque clubs took the opportunity to mock the upper class. Today, burlesque is most known for its striptease, but it is more about the performance than the nudity.

Burlesque dancers can put on a show without showing off anything intimate; they move their bodies and amuse with clever song and dance. The whole movie is entertaining, but the corny fairytale love story is almost too perfect. I liked everything, except the happily-ever-after ending.

Girls will feel like princesses seeing all the delightful sparkling clothes, the wonderful makeup and the beautiful jewelry, and boys can enjoy seeing well-formed ladies dancing in shorter than short “dresses.” The movie is a must-see, and possibly could make burlesque dancing popular again. / PIA HECKMAN

The days of studying Spanish vocabulary words and anatomy body parts on three by five index cards are over.

Meet StudyBlue.com, the future of studying.

StudyBlue creates and stores interactive flashcards and “notes,” like study guides, that are then accessible on the internet or through a smart phone through a StudyBlue application.

After creating a profile on StudyBlue, you can make digital flashcards or notes of whatever information you need to learn, for instance, Spanish vocabulary. Save them under a specific class, in this case, Spanish, to keep all the flashcards and notes on your profile organized. From there, you can study them in almost any way imaginable. StudyBlue will present them in the order entered or a random order and with the word or the definition first.

As you go through the flashcards, you mark whether or not you answered each one correctly. StudyBlue remembers the ones you didn’t know and gives you a chance to go over them again.

If the information was put in as flashcards, StudyBlue will transfer them into note form and vice versa.

StudyBlue also puts the information into a quiz format, giving four answers options or a true or false question for every flashcard. And for studying moments before the test, StudyBlue puts them into a printable flashcard format.

StudyBlue also allows flashcards to be shared between students. For example, one student in a Spanish class could create a set of flashcards for the vocab words. Then, he or she could share them with every other student in the class to use.

Honestly, the concept is brilliant. Instead of carrying around a million awkward notecards, you can keep all of them organized online, easy to study anywhere.

/ MARIA DAVISON

UPCOMING EVENTS 98.9 The Rock’s Twisted XMas: Hellyeah (metal) The Midland By AMC, Dec. 18, 7:30 p.m.

Needtobreathe (rock) Beaumont Club, Dec. 18, 9 p.m.

Trans-Siberian Orchestra (symphonic metal) Sprint Center, Dec. 29, 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Joe Satriani (Rock) Uptown Theater, Dec. 20, 6 p.m.

Republic Tigers (rockalternative) Beaumont Club, Dec. 31, 10 p.m.

BB King (Blues) Independence Events Center, Jan. 18 ENTERTAINMENT

/ 09

REVIEWS

FRONTERAS

photos by david freyermuth

5/5 Fronteras’ top-notch food could probably be smelled from a mile away. Located at 79th and Quivira, Fronteras offers a wide variety of choices: fajitas, burritos, enchiladas, tacos and many other different authentic Mexican specialties.

You might want to check out the online menu before you go because the menu is fairly extensive. If you can’t make up your mind, consider the “Mexican Sampler.”

For only $9.99, you get seasoned chicken in a tortilla, four savory mini beef chimis (chimichangas) and two mini chicken flautas (a type of Mexican dish that has its inside ingredients fried and wrapped in a tortilla).

The dish comes with refried beans and rice. 7779 QUIVIRA ROAD It’s a good dish to (IN LENEXA PLAZA start with if you’re not BEHIND BANK OF familiar with this kind AMERICA) of food.

Another item to try is their cheese dip, the “Queso Especial.” It goes well with their crunchy, homemade chips and salsa that are prepared and served with every meal.

And, taco night begins at 4 p.m. to close on Tuesdays, during which all beef and chicken tacos are $1.50 each.

Being a local restaurant, they often offer coupons in the newspaper or in the Valpak discount guide.

The only downside is it may take a while to be seated. The restaurant is on the smaller side, and during busy times in the evening, you may have to wait. I would suggest you call ahead of time. If one restaurant is packed and you have to wait, you may want to try Fronteras’ other locations in Olathe and Overland Park.

Fronteras is one of a couple Mexican restaurants along Quivira. Dos Reales is down the street, and Margaritas is directly across from Fronteras. Of all the Mexican restaurants in the area, however, Fronteras is the best one in my opinion. / ERIC HOLTON

/T

own Topic Burgers is a little tiny burger joint in down town KC. Driving by it doesn’t look like much, but the few people that pull into their parking lot are in for a treat. The burgers aren’t particularly wonderful, and they are a bit too greasy, but the throw back atmosphere is something you really can’t pass up.

The kitchen, the bar, the dining room and the arcade are all crammed into a ‘50s style diner. A couple of regulars are almost always sitting at the bar, sipping coffee. The one woman behind the counter will gives the customer a little time to think up their order, then ask,” What’ll it be?”

I would recommend the double cheeseburger, but lay off the fries; they tend to be under cooked and soggy. She will write it down on a scrap of paper and hand it to the cook who is only a couple feet from her.

While you watch and wait for your burger to be cooked, you can walk a couple paces to the right and play Frankenstein Pinball. You will be handed your meal in a brown paper sack, and you can either sit at one of the 10 or so stools or take your meal to go. Sound good? You can hit up Town Topic any day, any time, its open 24, 7, at 2021 Broadway St. Kansas City, MO or 1900 Baltimore Avenue, Kansas City Mo. / CAROLINA MACH

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/ DEC. 17, 2010

TOWN TOPIC

2.5/5

courtesy of Nick Solares

smnw com {dot}

This guide has suggestions for holiday gifts for everyone from mothers to older brothers and boyfriends to little sisters.

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The Tallest Man on Earth, a swedish group’s newest album, Sometimes the Blues is Just a Passing Bird, is well known in Europe.

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Like our page: www.facebook.com/smnwdotcom Follow our tweets: www.twitter.com/smnwdotcom

Stuck? Solution can be found at smnw.com.

DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE PASSAGE?

WRITE US A LETTER

We would love to hear your opinion about anything we published or other things going on around Northwest or in the outside community. Letters can be sent to passageletters@smnw.com or be brought to Room 151. Only signed letters will be published.

ENTERTAINMENT

/ 11

true father christmas photos by david freyermuth

A NW FATHER TAKES DECKING THE HALLS (AND THE YARD) TO THE NEXT LEVEL.

Christmas is a time of joy, relaxation and insane gift shopping, and for junior Quinn Truax’s dad, Tom Truax, a time for doubled electrical bills—not that he minds in the least.

Turning off of 79th Street, Haskins Street looks like any other neighborhood at the beginning of December: Occasional houses illuminate the night with lights bordering windows and roofs, some playing host to a few inflatables, reindeer and a small assortment of other decorations out. Others hold nothing at all, but maybe a Christmas tree can be seen in the window or complete darkness. Then, the Truax display comes into view.

Large white lights zigzag from the treetops to the ground throughout a display that, at first glance is a glowing assortment of colors but then comes into view as a north pole fairy tale come alive. A snowman waves slowly to

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/ DEC. 17, 2010

every passerby. White candy canes line the street. In the middle of the yard at the base of the largest tree is a small lake containing a sailboat filled with penguins that overflows into a river of blue lights where a white fawn bends its head to drink. The fawn’s mother can be seen watching nearby.

The white lights are known in the Truax house as “the baseball lights” because to get them into the trees they use a baseball hook and string to put them up by throwing the baseball over the branch and pulling the string down. The cord then goes up and over the branch.

“The overall wow factor of the lights [is what I am most proud of]. It’s just different than anything else out there, no doubt about it,” Truax said.

White lights border the windows on the front of the house and flash in harmony

with the image of bells in the window to the right, blending the house with the Christmas carnival in front of it. A Santa and three of his reindeer sit on a teeter totter to the left of the driveway. A reindeer, penguin, Santa and snowmen ride a Ferris wheel in the far back right of the display.

The display began in 1999 when the Truax family moved into their Overland Park home and it has grown into what it is today. Truax usually starts on the display the day after Halloween and works from morning until night over the course of three weekends to get the display set up. But the display is not just a solitary hobby.

“I do most of it, Quinn helps sometimes.

My son used to help a little but not this year,” Truax said.

Truax’s daughter Quinn is his main light consultant. Truax’s wife often gives early

Christmas gifts of lights. The family spends over $2,000 on the display even though they buy the next year’s additions to the display when they’re on sale after Christmas has passed.

“I would say my wife [inspires me] a little bit because she likes to decorate in the house. I think that kind of gets me to want to decorate even more outside,” Truax said.

If a passersby stops to admire the display for a while, they may cut the engine to hear the Christmas songs playing in time with the flashing of the lights around the windows.

Songs including “Carol of the Bells”, “Deck the Halls”, and “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” put a finishing touch on the magic of the yard.

As if the house didn’t already give the message of “Merry Christmas” simply from the thought that has gone into it, a sign one the front of the house reads “Merry Christmas”

just above the double garage doors bordered with garland and white lights.

“I like to think of it as a picture story. I have my own stories that I think of and hope that people pick up on and I hope that I have enough stuff on display that people come up with their own stories as well,” Truax said.

A “Santa Land Here” sign flashes in the middle of the yard. To the right of it sits Santa’s runway, marked on the ground in white and lined with flashing red and green lights.

At the end of the runway, a reindeer pulls a sleigh filled with presents while to right of him a dog pulls a similar sleigh. A deer looks up at a hot air balloon as Santa comes down to the designated landing spot that Truax has marked with circle of red and white lights. To the left of the driveway, Rudolph parachutes down to meet Santa, who waves to those on the ground.

On the right side of the house “Noel” flashes in huge lights and Santa waves goodbye and hello. Frosty the Snowman’s head lights up that gate of the back yard fence where the snowflakes hang from the trees. A line of small Christmas trees marks the border between the Truax display and the neighbors’ yard.

“We’re pretty maxed out with yard space so we’re thinking of adding things to the roof, there’s nowhere to go but up at this time,” Truax said. “Maybe a star on the roof.”

Until that happens, the yard is festive enough to draw attention away from the roof. Mr. and Mrs. Clause sit in a swing in the middle of all of the festivities and appear to watch all of the festivities.. And behind them on the steps lined with snowmen heads stands Truax, a true Father Christmas. / KAITIE MAROLF AND RAELEE WRIGHT

FEATURES

/ 13

SEASON OF GIVING NORTHWEST STUDENTS DONATED $10,000 TO BUY GIFTS FOR HEAD START STUDENTS. A small blond boy sits cross-legged on the floor as an original version of “Jingle Bells” played by several NW band members rings through the cafeteria.

Nearly 30 other children sit around him, surrounded

by Student Council members twice their size. As the music concludes, children line up to see Santa.

Although most seem excited to tell Santa what they want for Christmas, a few start to cry.

“A lot of them were shy at first. But once they got into the groove of everything and they got to know their StuCo people, they had fun,” sophomore Galen Gossman said.

After Santa leaves, the children quiet down to hear Northwest choir members sing “Jingle Bells,” “Carol of the Bells” and “Frum-Frum-Frum”.

Following the choir and orchestra performances, each child is paired with one or two StuCo members, and they leave for their classrooms.

“Most of them are shy, but most of them have a relative [with them], so they are comfortable. A lot are interactive,” senior Paige Stevens said.

When Caleb first walked into Spanish teacher Kathy Tarbutton’s class, he had a Santa hat down over his face, and he refused to speak. But when he noticed the food and the presents, however, his enthusiasm visibly grew, and he tries to grab one

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of everything on the table. As he opens his first present, his face lights up. As the carefully wrapped paper becomes a carelessly wrinkled pile on the floor, Caleb’s excitement continues to grow as he unwraps a Buzz Lightyear action figure and a dog Pillow Pet. “It made me feel really happy because these kids got a Christmas and you think back to when you were young, and there was always that one gift you wanted. We made some dreams come true,” senior Paige Stevens said.

The effect of the brownies, icing, cupcakes, soda and chips is almost immediate as Caleb starts to cartwheel around the room. The students laugh and begin to loosen up as well.

“My favorite part was when Caleb and I walked into the classroom and Caleb opened his first present; the classroom was really excited,” Gossman said. “It felt great just to help those kids out and see their faces.”

The 45-minute class is almost over, and remaining presents are put into bags. Tots from classrooms around the school play with their gifts. One boy throws a green Nerf football to his StuCo counterpart as a train of helpers walk by carrying heavy boxes of toasters and other donations. Three children ride their new tricycles up and down the hallways,

chased by StuCo members.

“When I had to leave Caleb [it was emotional] because even in the short time period you have with them, you get to know them, and it’s the cutest thing ever,” Gossman said. “You kind of have a love for them.”

“It’s something that benefits the community. A lot of the parents are single moms, so it’s hard for them to provide. We are giving back,” Stevens said, “and it’s amazing seeing the happiness in their eyes.

Most of the parents cry seeing how happy their kids are.”

In addition to the emotional benefits for both sides, about $10,000 in gifts is given every year to Head Start children, according to StuCo sponsor Sarah Dent. “[Adopt A Tot] is probably one of the most emotional events [we host]. There is a certain amount of stress and pressure, because if we don’t raise a lot of money, it is the little kids that lose,” Dent said. “I have so many favorite parts, but my favorite is probably watching the little kids and having the high school students actually see where their donations go.” / TAYLOR ADCOCK

SPORTS

boss/

BEST OF SPORTS SHOT

// by connor thompson

QUESTION + ANSWER

WITH CONNOR STEPHENS JUNIOR, SWIM AND DIVE

Q: When did you start diving? Why? A: “My Freshman Year, because I thought it would be interesting and challenging.”

Q: Do you dive for a team outside of the school?

A: “I did my freshman year, and I haven’t since then, but I am going to start again after this season.”

Junior Andrew Konecny dives at the meet against Washburn Rural on Dec. 3. “The hardest part for me is remembering all the things I have to do in the short amount of time that I’m in the air.” Konecny said. / PHOTO BY CALEB AMUNDSON

Q: Do you have a day where you have to wake up like the swimmers do for Fridays?

A: “Yeah on Friday we have to be here at the school by 5:30 [a.m.].”

Q: What do you want to improve on for this season?

A: “I really want to improve on my entry into the water.”

Q: How did you get involved with diving at NW? A: “I was mad because I couldn’t go to the pool very much because I couldn’t drive and so I decided to swim in the winter to make up for that and ended up doing diving just for fun, and it all worked out.”

Q: What has been your biggest accomplishment?

A: “Making it to state last year.”

Q: How did you do at the State Tournament?

A: “Not as well as I wanted to because I got 25th.”

Q: What is your favorite dive that you do? Why? A: “Back flip one? And a half twist, because it just feels good when you hit the water.”

Q: What has been your biggest failure?

A: “Smacking on a back one and a half at JV League.”

Q: When is your next meet? Does it have any significance for the season?

A: “Friday [Dec. 10], and six schools will be there, it will have some impact on the league standings, but mostly I want to try to qualify for state.”

Q: Do you have a “signature” dive?

A: “Back one and a half.”

Q: Typical day for you outside of Diving?

A: “Just go to practice, do workouts, smack a few times.”

Q: Have you improved from last year?

A: “I have added a few harder dives into my repertoire.”

SPORTS

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different kind of football

JUNIOR AND SENIOR GIRLS FACED OFF IN POWDER PUFF FOOTBALL GAME ON SATURDAY DEC. 4 AT NORTH STADIUM, WITH SEVERAL RESULTING INJURIES. “Don’t get hurt, don’t get hurt,” someone yelled from the stands of North stadium on Dec. 4. The players on opposing teams were from the same school, weren’t wearing pads, and were junior and senior girls slamming into each other at full force.

Powder Puff football has been played by NW students for over 40 years but hasn’t been sanctioned for over 20 years by school athletic directors because that it isn’t a typical game of football. According to senior Paige Stevens who has coordinated the game the past two years, it is a predetermined display of senior dominance with biased referees and a full plan of plays.

“We have a doctor, we have a trainer, we have specialized equipment at boys’ football games to help ensure student safety. The girls are playing tackle football. Tackle football is a dangerous sport. I think if they played flag it would be fine. We play flag in P.E,” athletic director Richard Grinage said.

A number of girls sustained injuries during their four practices over the course of the month before the game and during the game itself. There were knocks to the head, bruises and even one case where stitches were needed.

One of the injured girls was senior Chandler Durkee. She sprained her ankle and strained ligaments in her knee. After the game, Durkee was taken to Shawnee Mission Medical Center along with senior Julianne Ibarra. Durkee was on crutches for a week after the game.

“It was worth it. It was an important game in general to the school and girls,” Durkee said.

Though there were injuries, most of the girls thought the game and practices were well worth it.

“It gets really competitive but after the game we’re all hugging and smiling and laughing. We’re just friends,” Stevens said.

Stevens scored the first of 14 points that led to the senior shut-out victory.

Every team needs a coach and, for the Powder Puff teams, NW football players fill those positions.

The boys come to practice with plays in hand and expectations for practice although the girls want to talk a lot, too. By the end of the month, the teams actually come out with some visible unity.

“It’s kind of hard to tell, but they’re actually running plays out there and they’re actually executing them very well,” Susan said.

Although the play may get a little rough, the tradition is deeply rooted at Northwest. That doesn’t change the fact that the game is not sanctioned by the administration. Legally, that means that the school district cannot be held liable for injuries that occur even if the event takes place on district property, according to director of student services Rusty Newman.

Injuries aside, all of the girls on the field may have never all been in the same place if not for Powder Puff. The game created a way for students who aren’t usually involved in the same activites to come together.

“I think it’s fun for the girls all to get together. A lot of these girls are very competitive and are on a lot of different teams... so you have softball players out there with soccer players and basketball players, all types of girls, even girls who don’t play sports in high school. They get an opportunity to be out on the big field with a uniform on and feel a part of a team. I think it’s cool,” Stevens’ mom, Susan, said. / KAITIE MAROLF AND RAELEE WRIGHT

SPORTS

/ 17

looking into the crystal bowl PASSAGE STAFF MEMBERS KIRK BADO, ERIC HOLTON, CAROLINA MACH AND CONNOR THOMPSON PREDICT THE OUTCOME OF FOUR OF THE FIVE UPCOMING BCS BOWL GAMES.

SUGAR BOWL

The high-powered Arkansas Razorback pass attack will be matched up against the staunch defense of the Ohio State Buckeyes. Despite the Buckeyes having the third least points against per game, they don’t have a strong enough offense.

The Razorbacks’ downfall will more than likely be their defense, especially if it comes down to one defensive stop late in the game. Arkansas will win the game with their strong passing game and go right over Ohio States’ defense. / CONNOR THOMPSON

ERIC: Ohio State 42–24 KIRK: Ohio State 56–23

CONNOR: Arkansas 33–17 CAROLINA: Ohio State 36–24

ROSE BOWL

TCU is a superior passing team with quarterback Andy Dalton leading them to a perfect season. The Badgers’ were runners up for a spot to play in the BCS title game and have steam rolled teams this year. On the other hand, Wisconsin has a power train of a rushing game that has smoked opponents all season long. Wisconsin’s offensive line has been stellar and has proved to be frustrating to defensive lines.

The game will be very close, but Wisconsin will pull out a slim win. / ERIC HOLTON

ERIC: Wisconsin 38–35 KIRK: TCU- 25–32

CONNOR: TCU 42–17 CAROLINA: TCU 36-21

OHIO STATE VS. ARKANSAS

TCU VS. WISCONSIN

UCONN VS. OKLAHOMA

AUBURN VS. OREGON

TOSTITOS FIESTA BOWL

Oklahoma has an more impressive resume, winning the Big South and beating Nebraska in the Big XII Championship Game, making their record 11-2.

UCONN’s record was 8-4 and won the Big East Conference title. The Sooners’ strong offense featuring Landry Jones pin-point passes will likely power through the Huskies’ mediocre defense and UCONN will have to rely on their strong running offense to grind it out in hopes for a victory. / CAROLINA MACH

ERIC: Oklahoma 27–24 KIRK: Oklahoma- 27–24

CONNOR: Oklahoma 35–10 CAROLINA: Oklahoma 38–25

BCS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

Two heavy weights, two Heisman candidates, only one may be crowned the king of college football. The Oregon ducks have this game all but wrapped up. Coming into the BCS games ranked #2 in the nation in the AP poll and #1 in the coach’s poll Oregon has its work cut out for them. But with the #1 offense led by Heisman candidate LaMichael James and their sophomore quarterback Darron Thomas, the Ducks should have no problem dispatching the fifty-fourth ranked Auburn defense. Be prepared the to see the Fighting Duck do plenty of push-ups. / KIRK BADO

ERIC: Auburn 31–24 KIRK: Oregon 45–31

CONNOR: Auburn 56–35 CAROLINA: Oregon 35-27 SPORTS

/ 19

WEIGHT-LESS WRESTLERS AT NORTHWEST ARE PUSHING THEMSELVES AND THEIR BODIES TO MAKE WEIGHT.

/A

s the winter sports season starts, teams are hungry for success and victory. There aren’t many athletes more hungry then the NW wrestlers... literally.

In order for some wrestlers to dominate their opponents completely, they will go to great lengths to “make weight.”

Coming home from a long day of school, maybe you go to the fridge or cabinet and grab a quick snack. If you’re in a sport and you come home from a two or three hour practice, your stomach is going to feel empty. Cutting back on meals can be a daily, painful part of wrestlers’ lives. Some other athletes may not know what it’s like because their weight is the least of their problems.

Food isn’t the only thing they have to cut back on. Water also adds weight so that means no

body weight. Our body uses it to help vital organs function properly, urination and for perspiration.

Wrestling, like many sports, makes you sweat a lot. That means you lose a significant amount of water that you can’t regain until after weigh-ins.

“The longest I went was three days without water,” varsity wrestler Bobby Urteaga said. “The only thing I had the whole time was an ice cube.”

Last year Northwest had several state competitors. Being that superb doesn’t just come from training yourself to the breaking point; it involves starving yourself half to death. If you’re like most high school students, you are starved by the time lunch rolls around.

Preparation for weigh-ins can be gruelling if you’re over your weight limit. It can also be a relief if you’re on track, but that doesn’t occur often.

“I prepare for weigh-ins by checking my weight a couple days before a tournament,” wrestler Kyle Zarda said. “If I’m over, I’ll stay after practice and jog.”

There are 14 weight classes for high school wrestling. The margin for weight gain and weight loss is slim. One pound over the weight limit could be the determining factor of whether or not a wrestler makes weight.

Practice for wrestlers is definitely not like any other sports’ practice. Swimmers show up to practice in a swim suit. Basketball players show up in shorts, jerseys, and basketball shoes.

Wrestlers take a much warmer approach.

“Last year I had to lose 16 pounds in a week,” Urteaga said. “I wore 7 to 8 layers of clothing to practice.”

“Two days before weigh-ins, if I’m five pounds or so over, I wear sweatpants and an extra shirt to practice, and I will spit in a cup.” — senior Bobby Urteaga food or drinks. No water to quench that parched dry feeling. No sports drink to offer a satisfying cool-down. There isn’t anything that feels more rewarding when you’re thirsty.

“Being dehydrated is very difficult,” JV wrestler Nick Sosya said. “Sometimes when you’re in class it can feel like the room is closing in.”

Water makes up roughly 60 percent of our

/ DEC. 17, 2010

20

Without the extra clothing, sweating wouldn’t be as easy, but it’s something the wrestlers are willing to do to make weight.

“Two days before weigh-ins, if I’m five pounds or so over,” Urteaga said, “I wear sweatpants and an extra shirt to practice, and I will spit in a cup.”

Wrestlers use multiple methods to lose a few pounds in a short amount of time. Healthy eating, exercise and most of all sweating helps immensely. Sweatpants become a major source of heat to get the wrestlers to start sweating.

Running in sweat pants feels like taking a jog on a 100° summer day. As Urteaga said, spitting in a cup is a another method used by people trying to lose weight. It gets rid of the fluids in your body one drop at a time.

When wrestlers actually do eat, the food is healthy, and snacks give the wrestlers enough energy to keep them going and get them through the day. They still can eat meals, but not anything five-course or feast-like. Fruit also plays a factor in fueling them, but the wrestlers don’t gain any additional weight from it.

“Realistically you’re killing your body, and it’s just terrible,” Urteaga said. “There’s no other words to describe it.”

The day leading up to weigh-ins is much anticipated. Hard work, correct diet, and focus is what determines the outcome of it all. It’s the time when the wrestlers can evaluate how well they prepared for the moment they step on the scale.

There is more to wrestling than meets the eye.

They don’t just go to practice and choke someone out, or tackle them to the mat. They put their bodies and their will power to a test.

“One thing to describe wrestling is,” Zarda said, “what you put into it is what you get out of it.” / ERIC

HOLTON

(ABOVE) Senior Matt Vanausdall immobilizes his SM South opponent during the 8th annual Cougar Invitational held at Northwest on Dec. 11. Vanausdall was one of four NW wrestlers that placed at the tournament. / BAILEY KOPP (FAR LEFT) Sophomore Blake Gordon pins his rival at the Cougar Invitational on Dec. 11. / BRITTANY BONSIGNORE (LEFT) During an after-school practice, senior Bobby Urteaga goes head to head with a teammate. / ANDY WICKOREN

SPORTS

/ 21

UPCOMING VARSITY GAMES Wrestling Dec. 17 at Johnson County Classic 3 p.m.

Dec. 18 at Johnson County Classic 10 a.m.

Jan. 5 at Gardner Lansing duel 5 p.m.

Jan. 8 at Dick Burns Mat Classic 9:30a.m.

Jan. 19 vs. Lawrence FS Jan. 21 at Husky Invitational 4 p.m.

Boys’ Swimming & Dive Jan. 8 vs. SM Northwest Invite 8 a.m.

Jan. 18 at Olathe South 4 p.m.

Jan. 21 at SM East 4 p.m.

Girls’ Basketball Dec. 17 at Lawrence HS 5:30 p.m.

Jan. 4 vs. SM East 5:30 p.m.

Jan. 7 vs. SM West 5:30 p.m.

Jan. 11 vs. Lawrence FS HS 5:30 p.m.

Jan. 13 At SM South 6 p.m.

Bowling Jan. 8 at Bishop Carrol HS 11 a.m.

 For a calendar of other NW sporting events, visit smnw.com.

CONNOR THOMPSON

TIME FOR A PLAY-OFF The current BCS system is flawed because it excludes quality football team from the championship. It is time to switch up the system and replace it with a play-off system.

The Bowl Championship Series (BCS) is the current postseason system for NCAA football.

Teams are selected to play in bowl games based on their season records. The same conferences, like the power conferences (SEC and Big XII), seem to be playing for the BCS National Championship every year. Other teams that have great seasons year in and year out are always excluded from the national championship game. The bowl system is ready for a change; college football needs a playoff.

A proposed 16 team play-off would replace the traditional major bowl games. This would create an opportunity for teams in less elite conferences to prove themselves on a larger stage.

Teams like TCU, Boise State and Utah are perfect examples of teams that have been overlooked.

These three teams have nearly perfect seasons every year, but never have made it to the national championship game because they are in non-BCS conferences. Non-BCS conferences are smaller because the majority of the teams have as powerful of football programs because their recruiting is limited to closer states. While the BCS conferences like the Big XII or SEC who recruit nation wide go out and get the top players.

TCU has been undefeated for two consecutive years. They don’t have as tough a schedule as Alabama or Florida but still can contend with the big teams. If any team from a lesser conference were to make it to the BCS National Championship, it would be TCU, barring a victory against Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day. Since 2008, Utah has gone 33–5, and defeated Alabama, a highly regarded team, in the Nokia Sugar Bowl. Today, the Utes are 10–2, 19th in the country, and will play Boise State in the MAACO Bowl in Las Vegas. This will give Utah a chance to prove itself as a contender. If there was a playoff for the postseason, it wouldn’t be left out of a major bowl.

Boise State hurt themselves this year by losing late in the season, their first loss in nearly two years. Boise State could have gone to the national championship on skill alone, but its non-BCS conference, and Late season loss to Nevada.

The FCS (Division I) and Division II have the best system. They have a play-off, which should have been set up in the FBS (prime time college football) years ago.

A new play-off system could feature at least one team from the major conferences, pitting the highest-ranked teams against each other.

A few people still like the current system, like the people who are in charge. But the current system is inefficient. A play-off series would be a better showcase of talent and more exciting for fans. The people (college presidents) who are in charge are the ones preventing the play-off from going through.

The advantages the NCAA is missing out on by using the current system other than a play-off.

Great teams get left out in the cold due to the fact that they are in a lesser conference.

Just because the current system is what some people like, it is inefficent. There would be a better showcase of talent if there were a play-off and that is the main reason that the BCS should switch to a play-off system.The bottom line is that the play-off is necessary to make the lesser conferences be heard. The football players work so hard all year, putting in a large majority of their time to play the game they love. It is unfair how the teams seasons are ended so early when they have the chance to be a national champion.

IN focus

“I think that [the new cougar mascot costume] shows a new age of pride and integrity at our school. New mascot, new tradition and a new era for our school.” — junior Liz Nelson

/ PHOTO BY MONIQUE WARE