the Northwest Passage — Issue 9

vol. 43 | issue 9 | april 6, 2012

northwest

WE CONNECT.

WE FIGHT. WE LOSE FOCUS.

WE ARE... photo illustration by david freyermuth

GENERATION Z

The Passage takes a look at the events and inventions that have ­— and continue — to shaped the way our generation influences the world. on page 17

MAKE HIM FAMOUS 22

Invisible Children’s “Kony 2012” video shines light on violence in central Africa, earning both criticism and praise

PERFECT TWELVE 25

When she earns a varsity letter for soccer this spring, senior Jessica Johnson will be the first NW student acquire a varsity letter for every season of of their career.

[

]

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northwest

PASSAGE | CONTENTS

Issue 9 | Vol. 43 | April 6, 2012 Shawnee Mission Northwest 12701 West 67th St., Shawnee, Kan., 66216

NEWS in brief

05

currently

06

Updates about happenings at Northwest Pop culture and news from around the world

ENTERTAINMENT

photo by Johnny Tong

11

reviews

14

satisfying success

technical difficulties

07

passage to ethiopia

08

A spring break trip to Africa to do charity work lead to a week of unforgettable experiences.

(not so) lazy, stupid Americans

17

we are generation x

22

make him famous

25 photo courtesy of Murray Close

A Finnish exchange student discovers that not all stereotypes about Americans are accurate.

09

bully problems

09

Give a chance, the contoversial documentary Bully might have the power to change lives.

The release of the first Hunger Games movie was well received by fans.

FEATURES

OPINIONS Two staff members discuss the benfits and disadvantages of modern technology.

Acne Care Products, Cowboy Junkies’ The Wilderness, SSX World Tour and Gamefirst’s Fallen Earth

The Passage takes a look at the how our generation will influence the world based on the technology and events that have already shaped our lives.

With the release of the “Kony 2012” film, Invisible Children received criticim and praise.

SPORTS

14

25

perfect twelve

30

the respect they’ve earned

Senior Jessica Johnson will be the first student in NW history to earn 12 varsity letters.

Women’s sports at Northwest deserve just as much recognition as men’s.

The purpose of the Northwest Passage is to relay important and interesting information to the community, administration and students of the Shawnee Mission Northwest High School. As a newsmagazine, the Northwest Passage will cater to the interests and concerns of the student body. Outside concerns and activities will only be covered if they somehow affect the school or students. the Northwest Passage is a 24page newsmagazine. The paper will be distributed every three weeks during fifth hour. Subscriptions will be available to the community for $25. the Northwest Passage firmly supports the First Amendment and opposes censorship. The content of the newspaper will be determined and created by the entire staff. When questions concerning word choice, legal problems or ethics arise the editorial board and adviser will discuss the problem to find 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 reserves the right to refuse any letter.

northwest

[ staff ]

Co-editors-in-chief | Maria Davison + David Freyermuth

Copy Editor | Brianna Leyden Design Editor | Bailey Kopp Web Managing Editor | Daniel Magwire Photo Editors | Mikala Compton + David Freyermuth

EDITOR’S NOTE: I’ve always liked to think I was more a part of my sisters’ generation than my own. I like to reminisce about the days of watching the Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers, playing with Tamagotchis and listening to the Backstreet Boys.

But these things aren’t from my generation.

The truth is, being born in 1994, I don’t remember much of anything from the ‘90s.

My sisters were teenagers in the ‘90s. They fully enjoyed all of these things and, most importantly, can remember a time without them. I can’t.

I’m a part of the generation that can’t remember a time without Internet, and that has allowed smart phones, laptop computers and iPods to become an overwhelming part of our lives. A generation that can’t communicate in everyday conversation, keep focus for more than a few minutes or stand to read a book before we watch the movie.

Our generation has its setbacks, but in a lot of ways we our shaping a better future.

Like junior Galen Gossman (page 18), I think we have become more aware of the atrocities taking place in our world and because of things like Internet and social media, we have become more willing, and able, to help.

The Internet is a wonderful thing. It can answer almost any question you have, teach you how to become an expert chef and organize your life with a few simple key strokes. But it also has the power to change an entire generation, for better or for worse.

David Freyermuth

Ads Editor | Paige Waltman News Editor | Hayley Battenberg

Co-Editor-in-Chief

LETTER TO THE EDITOR:

Opinions Editors | Maria Davison + David Freyermuth

Entertainment Editor | Ashlee Crane Sports Editors | Brady Klein Assistant Designer | Brooke Golladay Graphic Artist | Mitch Feyerherm Staff Writers | Kirk Bado, Sam Bellmyer, Rachel Ferencz, Julie Kurbjeweit, Davis Millard, Anna Moilanen, Evan Shinn, Connor Thompson + Paige Waltman

Contributors | Edelawit Hussien Adviser | Susan Massy

04

April 6, 2012

“Be the change you wish to see in the world.” — Ghandi This is perhaps the most well known quote applicable to a generational desire to affect their world for the better. This belief that the individual has a power and a voice all their own has been this generation’s weakness and strength. We want to stand for something perhaps before we know the weight of our stance. The organization Invisible Children has been at the forefront of this attitude, and their inspirational message has affected millions.

I would not consider this a bad thing in the least.

I do not believe that Invisible Children has acted out of integrity, but I do believe that they have had the intention of truly changing the world for the better. And while intentions do not get you where you need to go, they are a step in the right direction.

The Coalition, over the course of five years, has contributed to Invisible Children faithfully. I would like to point out that our monetary contibutions have been funneled into a program known as “Schools for Schools,” one of the most commended parts of their organization. I do believe in a program of rebuilding, educating, and stimulating a community. This, I believe, is the incredible power of non-for-profits, of the generation of world changers, of Tweeters and Facebook posters and Tumbling and Stumbling upon amazing possibilities. The facts are this: That while on their way to something beautiful the creators of Invisible Children have screwed up. It is up to us, as the people contributing to the cause they have highlighted, to keep them accountable to their mission. Idealism should no be put in place of practical change. Cynnicism cannot take the place of a deep desire to affect our world for the better. It is up to us — not Invisible Children — to know the difference.

Sincerely, Victoria Banks The Coalition

IN BRIEF Poetry is the point As of April 2, more than 100 students have signed up to perform in the seventh annual Poetry Slam on April 12 and 13. The Slam, which was organized by English teacher Lindsay Kincaid with the support of Carolyn LaFever and the English department, has grown in interest and support since its beginning in 2006.

“There were 93 people last year, [and] it has slowly evolved, from a tiny gathering to an all-out event. We bring in guests, poets to work with some English classes and performers to to provide inspiration,” Kincaid said. “We broadcast the event live.

There are people commentating the Slam. It’s kind of taken on a life of its own.”

The Slam will follow the usual rules: an original poem, under three minutes, performed without props, costumes or instruments by individuals or groups with five or fewer people. After performances, five randomly selected audience members will give the poem a rating from 10 to negative infinity, and the middle three numbers are added together to give poets their final score.

“It is all about winning the audience over.

The best poem doesn’t always win, the best poet doesn’t always win,” Kincaid said. “If you want to win our Poetry Slam, you have to put on a great performance, something that makes the audience go crazy.”

However, Kincaid warns that students shouldn’t be dissuaded by the fear of losing, because “the points are not the point, the poetry is the point.”

She believes the Poetry Slam is an event where students come together to support one another in their endeavors.

“Why should people care? Show me another event where the students fill a library, and sit quietly and attentively, respecting a fellow performer on the stage,” Kincaid said. “It’s the coolest thing I see, because the audience gets how difficult it is to get up on stage and share something personal.

There is just a level of respect.”

The Poetry Slam will be held in the library during fourth and sixth hour on April 12 and fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh hour on April 13. Both days will have performances during lunch. The two poets with the highest scores from these days will go on to perform at the prom assembly on April 20.

by hayley battenberg

Rock, paper, scissors tournament raises funds for Christmas Bureau The Rock, Paper, Scissors Tournament, which began April 2, raised $68 this year by charging a $1 entry fee for each student who participated. The money will be donated to the Johnson County Christmas Bureau (JCCB), which provides necessary items to low-income families in the area.

“When I was assigned this event, I [re] organized it [by] changing [the fee] from $2 to $1,” Student Council representative Connor Holman said. “I just wanted as many people to join and I wanted everyone to have fun.”

This will be the eighth year that the tournament has been held, as well as the eighth year that the semi-finalists compete during the

Prom assembly. The tournament champion will win a trophy after the assembly on April 20. “[The StuCo class that came up with the tournament] wanted to have an awesome fundraiser where they would be getting the school involved and helping out our community,” Holman said.

Though this year had 68 contenders, Holman would like to see more students participate in the future.

“It would be awesome if everyone from every class got involved. I really enjoy when there’s one person from every class at the Prom assembly,” Holman said. “Maybe next time they can split the bracket in fours for all four classes.”

by david freyermuth

Environmental Ed. to host plant sale The Environmental Education 1 and 2 classes will be holding their annual plant sale beginning April 14, and will run through May 2 on Wednesdays and weekends.

“We sell herbs like dill, parsley or basil; different varieties of tomatoes and peppers; annuals; perennials, like hostas, bleeding hearts and butterfly bushes; also hanging baskets. All of them range in price from $2.50 to $12,” environmental education teacher Stacy Robins said.

For an entire semester, students prepared soil, planted seeds, propagated plants, repotted seedlings and prepared flora for the annual plant sale. During the plant sale, either Robins or environmental education teacher Mike Pisani will be at the greenhouses with student volunteers.

“All of the money that we make from the plant sale comes back to the program,” Robins said. “We use the money to essentially fund the class. We use it to pay for animals and maintenance of the animals; we buy plants with the money, as well as general classroom materials. It makes us a self-sustained class.”

Seniors Jackson Foth and Megan Musson prepare plants for the sale during their seventh hour Environmental Education class in the greenhouse. photo by mikala compton

The sale is open to the public from April 14 through May 2 on the following dates: April 14, 21 and 28 — 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

April 15, 22 and 29 — 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

April 18 — 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

May 2 — 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

by connor thompson

news

05

Pop culture and news from around the world.

22 NW JOURNALISM STUDENTS PLACED AT THE KSPA REGIONALS. STATE WILL TAKE PLACE MAY 5.

compiled by Brianna Leyden

06

99%

of male teenagers in America reported that they play video games, compared to

94%

The controversial “Stand Your Ground” law, allowing people to justifiably use deadly force when they feel threatened, has hit the headlines of every newspaper in the country as Florida resident George Zimmerman uses it as his defense in the case of the shooting and killing of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin on Feb. 26. Hundreds of protests, school walkouts and petitions have called for the arrest of Zimmerman. ABC News

The new Angry Birds Space game had more than

10 million

of girls.

MILLION

people watched Invisible Children’s “Kony 2012” video in the first six days.

Business Week

downloads in less than 72 hours. msnbc.com

Pew Research Center

Sgt. Robert Bales, accused of killing 17 civilians, nine of whom were children, in Afghanistan is being held at the prison in Fort Leavenworth. The U.S. government has already paid $50,000 for each fatality to remaining family members. If convicted, he could face the death penalty.

Wall Street Journal

The Hunger Games raked in more than

$155

MILLION

in the opening weekend. cnn.com April 6, 2012

112

EVERYTHING CHANGES. IT’S ALMOST LIKE AN ETCH-ASKETCH. YOU CAN KIND OF SHAKE IT UP AND WE START ALL OVER AGAIN.” — Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney’s

aide Eric Fehrnstrom replied when asked about Romney’s policies, inciting mockery and jokes. NY Daily News

OPINIONS

Innovative technology allows young people to broaden their minds and have more access art, in turn fostering creativity.

Personally, I’ve been sitting on my butt looking at a blinking screen and smashing buttons for a long time now, and it’s going pretty great.

I adore my games, I really do, because it’s a different medium than anything we’ve had before. The iPhone gives us new ways to explore the world around us, and more access to music means inspiration comes to us anywhere.

In short, technology works the same way for creativity as it does for life. It streamlines it. An entire Gorillaz album, The Fall, was recorded entirely on an iPad, the Kinectica art fair is making more and more use of the Xbox Kinect to form an entirely new way to create digital art and games like Journey are forming to make entirely different uses of elements of gameplay and story to force a player to fill in the blanks.

Technology hasn’t hindered creativity, in fact it’s aided it.

Ask any photographer about how much Photoshop has helped them to better their projects, ask any writer how much the simple word processing program has streamlined their job immensely. Technology is an artists tool, not an artists block.

If you look on the internet you’ll find new comedians, the Loading Ready Run crew, Yahtzee, The Nostalgia Critic and others who are able to stream their personal brand of comedy across the internet, and have gained acclaim for it. Things like the Internet have allowed people to communicate their talents to one another and gain more resources to continue.

Recently the company Double Fine gained fame across the Internet, by gaining more and more money through the website Reddit.com, raising millions of dollars to create a sequel to their critically acclaimed game Psychonauts. The internet increased the earnings of a company loved by only a few, enough to let them do their own thing, profitably.

The real advantage of current technology is not the fact that it hinders creativity but the fact that it encourages it by making everything more accessible and open, making it easier than ever to make your vision a reality. It means that no longer are the rich the only ones privy to the art of moviemaking, or that the ones with connections are the only people capable of sharing their art with the world. It streamlines the ability to be creative, and gives us artists that are new, with different ideas every day.

While technology may make life easier, it also makes sharing life easier, and that is what leads us to a real, artistic world.

Due to the rapid advances in technology, the American youth is going to slowly lose their creativity because they are so infatuated with technology.

BY BRADY KLEIN

BY SAM BELLMYER

TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES Ten years ago, the Gameboy Advance was the next big thing. I remember my older brother had finally acquired $100 to buy one, and he couldn’t have been more proud. The Gameboy Advanced had better graphics, it was in color and the games were more in-depth than on the previous Gameboy.

But now, game systems like the Gameboy Advanced are beyond obsolete.

Technology continues to advance the game consoles in leaps and bounds. The new “big thing” is the Xbox Kinect, where the player is the controller. This would be all fine, if these technological advances weren’t starting to completely absorb young people. All these new video games and Apple products have become so addicting that kids are no longer living in reality.w This may be dramatic, but as I watch the way technology rules adolescents, it really makes me sad. The time wasted on these new devices seem to really be taking the creativity away from these kids.

In the 1950’s Ellis Paul Torrance, an educational psychology professor, assessed creativity in youth as a whole. He measured their creativity in many different ways and classified it into four categories: person, process, products and environment. The environment is the most crucial group to me, because in the environment we are growing up in, there is no limit to how much technology we have and this specific environment may be the cause of a complete drain in creativity for our generation.

When these kids grow up, their lack of creativity will be detrimental to society. The people who made great technological discoveries obviously didn’t have nearly as much technology as we do now, meaning they were forced to envision the technology, and then use their imaginations to innovate. I’ll admit that these advances are beneficial; but, the way children are obtaining them will eventually prevent them from using their creativity like these great inventors did.

I worry that in great quantities, technology will limit people.

Everything you see on these HDTVs and hear on the latest iPhone is something that someone else is telling you. You are no longer using your imagination.

I wish that people would limit the technology they used. Take my younger brother. Like my older brother, he can’t wait to get his hands on the next big technological breakthrough. But he is always on the computer or one of the four major game systems in our house. I am worried about how he will react when he is forced to give it up to get a job. Clearly, no one can spend their life looking at a blinking screen, smashing buttons forever.

opinions

07

PASSAGE TO ETHIOPIA A spring break trip to Africa lead to an unforgettable week full of life changing experiences.

P

eople always say you know you’re flying over Ethiopia when you start seeing green. As soon I saw the sahara desert winding down and the green forests of Ethiopia appearing, I mentally went through the upcoming week’s adventures. I couldn’t contain the excitement I had to meet the various people making an impact in the lives of Ethiopians and the very people receiving the aid. I knew from the moment I booked this trip that it make an impact my life but I didn’t just how large of an impact it would be.

As an Ethiopian living abroad, I’ve always had a calling to lend a hand to charity work down there.

Just understanding the struggles that many endure in a third world country keeps me humble and understanding that I’ve been blessed with luxuries some take for granted including Democracy, education, and the freedom of press. The many experiences I gathered have shaped me into the person I am today. Throughout my life, I grew up with the belief that even if you have very little, you should still give back. This spring break I took this belief of mine and put it to good use in various volunteering activities.

There were two major charity works that I can truly say have truly been life-changing for me. My first day in Ethiopia, my mother and I had the opportunity to tour a “nursing home” run by a local organization that provides shelter, food, and care for the elderly without families to take care of them. Shockingly, some were even abandoned by their families. “Nursing home” is into quotations because it should not be thought of as typical it didn’t resemble nursing home as like those seen around Kansas. This particular nursing home only contained small rooms with eight beds each: There were no furnitures, pictures, or flowers just a small bed for each resident.

It was heartbreaking to meet and interact with the individual residents. They residents were frail with sunken their cheeks sunk in. There were sSome had lost their sight and others struggled with mental issues. Some were not able to speak while others were unable to move because of an illness.

08 April 6, 2012

Although the organization was trying its best to provide enough care for the residents, it lacked the resources and money it needed. After meeting with the main director of the home, I learned one important issue they encounter frequently is the lack of adult diapers and blankets for the elderly (keep in mind heating and air conditioning are not prevalent in the country).

After learning of their struggles, we decided we had to act and make at least a small impact on the “nursing home.” We came back the next day to deliver adult diapers and blankets. We were given the chance to go to each resident and give them their new blanket. It was easy to see the joy in their eyes as they were given one and the gratefulness in the millions of thank yous they said. At that moment I realized that no matter how stressful school is or how insane high school drama can be, none of that matters because somewhere like in the world someone is struggling way worse than I am, even on what seems to be a really bad day. I could have back home.

The other volunteering work situation that really made an impact on my life was the work I did with my uncle’s organization, called Love For All. The organization helps pay for school fees and clothing and takes care of children with HIV. The last time I visited Ethiopia, the work my mother had done previously insured that 20 kids were set in all aspects of their lives for the next year.

For this trip, it was my turn to contribute to the organization. After contacting the main organizer for Love For All, we asked him to select 30 children who had absolutely no one helping them besides the organization.

Two days later, the 30 children and the guardians who brought them gathered in the

BY EDELAWIT HUSSIEN

OPINIONS

office building of the organization. After spending time to getting to know the children, each student was presented with new clothes, nine notebooks, pencils and pens. Right at the moment when the children were examining all the new things they recieved, it hit me that they all — all 30 of them — have HIV and the majority of them were orphans.

Everyone knows that HIV exists but most not may have not been hit in the face with the reality of it all like in that moment. Without proper medication, which most of them can not afford on their own, these kids may not be alive the next time I visit the country. I suddenly felt tears coming, but I had to hold them to keep a upbeat front in front of

AS AN ETHIOPIAN LIVING ABROAD, I’VE ALWAYS HAD A CALLING TO LEND A HAND TO CHARITY WORK DOWN THERE. JUST UNDERSTANDING THE STRUGGLES THAT MANY ENDURE IN A THIRD WORLD COUNTRY KEEPS ME HUMBLE AND UNDERSTANDING THAT I’VE BEEN BLESSED WITH LUXURIES SOME TAKE FOR GRANTED. them. Some of the children were quite young and probably did not understand what HIV was or even that they had it.

These two experiences, among others from this trip, really gave me a wake-up call. It They reminded me that there are so many people struggling, from the the elderly who lack caretakers to the children with HIV who have lost their parents to the disease. It reminds me that I shouldn’t always complain about what a horrible day I’m having. And, most importantly, it reminds me that there is no better gift than giving, whether it be time, prayers or money. If there is something I want readers to take from learning about my experiences is that they should choose a cause which they feel passionately about and make it priority in their life to make an impact for it.

(NOT SO) LAZY, STUPID AMERICANS

After living in Kansas for eight months, my perception of Americans has changed completely.

F

or most Europeans, including myself, the picture of Americans was clear: 1) Americans are lazy, overweight and think think they own the world.

2) Americans are materialistic and believe all advertising.

3) Americans are ignorant. They don’t know anything about other countries or what’s going on in the world.

But after spending eight months here, my opinion about Americans has totally changed, and I am beginning to wonder why many Europeans think this way.

Laziness is probably the biggest stereotype in Europe. It’s true that instead of walking or driving a bike from place to place, Americans tend to drive their cars. But the problem is that, at least people in the Kansas City area, can’t very easily walk or use public transportation.

It is also true that baking is fast — instead of making a dough from scratch, you Americans just to buy a cake mix. I couldn’t believe when I went to an ATM here and I didn’t even have to get out of the car. That would only happen in America.

But what I didn’t know before was that in Finland, we may be even lazier than people in

America are. You all go to school seven hours a day, and then participate in extra-curricular activities, charity work and and a job. In Finland, my school day might start at 10 a.m., and then I got a couple hours of free time in the middle of the day so I could go home and watch a movie, or I might get home very early in the afternoon. I only worked during the summers. I don’t really do any homework because I didn’t have to. I just hung out with my friends all the time, and that was normal for a teen my age.

I also expected to see more overweight people when I came here. But, to my surprise, many girls are half my size, and boys are in a lot better shape than I am used to. After seeing Super Size Me, I thought getting a super-size McDonald’s meal every day would be a normal thing. I guess not.

I see where the idea of the American superiority complex comes from: In Finland, we say America is the king of the world, or at least one of them.

But then I came here and people thought that I was cool because I am a European. Europeans wish they would be Americans, and Americans wish they could be Europeans. I guess the grass is always greener on the other side.

Some of the stereotypes are still true, or at

BULLY PROBLEMS

BY ANNA MOILANEN

OPINIONS

least partially. Amassing material things is more important in America than in Finland. We couldn’t ever even put this much stuff into our houses.

Maybe that’s the reason why many houses are bigger here than in Finland: You need space for all of the things. The expectation stereotype that Americans believe all the commercials they see is not true, but they are subjected to them more frequently. Having a commercial break three times in half an hour on TV? Commercials before videos on YouTube? That would never happen in Finland.

The stereotype that Americans are ignorant is also not true. Yeah, in general, American’s knowledge of other countries isn’t very good. But who am I to say that? Even though I know a lot about Europe or America, I don’t know exactly where India or Mongolia is located. I can’t expect you to know where frequently-unnoticed Finland is.

I’m glad that these ridiculous stereotypes are not true. Maybe Europeans created them because we are jealous. Or maybe we don’t want to admit that America may, in some areas, be better than Europe.

STAFF EDITORIAL

Given the chance, the Weinstein Company’s controversial documentary might have the power to make a difference in the lives of bullied students, but because of its MPAA rating, not many students will have the chance to see it.

B

ully was released unrated last week after a media firestorm that erupted when the Motion Picture Association of America slapped the film with an R rating.

The documentary follows the stories of five victims of bullying in middle and high school throughout the Midwest. Two committed suicide in order to escape the bullying, and a third is facing jail time for pulling a gun on her alleged tormentors.

Bully, which was originally titled The Bully Project, was rated R for its use of crude language, the majority of which comes from the mouths of the students in the film. More than 450,000 people signed an online petition aimed at changing the rating, but the MPAA stood behind their original decision. In a statement released after the rating was given, the MPAA acknowledged that Bully may be a useful teaching tool about the consequences of bullying both for parents and for school districts.

“Some parents may choose to take their kids

to this movie and others may not, but it is their choice and not ours to make for them,” the MPAA’s statement said. “The R rating is not a judgment on the value of any movie. The rating simply conveys to parents that a film has elements strong enough to require careful consideration before allowing their children to view it.”

Because the film was originally rated R, many schools now won’t be able to use it as the effective teaching tool it could have been. And, because it was released unrated, it will only show in select theaters in select cities.

None of the Passage staff has viewed the film, as it wasn’t playing anywhere in the Kansas City area. But we recognize that bullying is a problem in schools everywhere. According to Make Beats, Not Beat Downs, an organization aimed at decreasing bullying in schools, 160,000 students are absent from school every day because they for fear of being bullied. According to the Bully film, 13 million students in America will be bullied this

year.

Almost every student has witnessed bullying in some form during their school career, whether as a bully, a victim or a bystander. All too often, incidents of bullying are brushed off as “kids being kids” or ignored altogether. Students assume that because they played no direct role in bullying, they aren’t at fault.

But with Bully, director Lee Hirsch is attempting to change that. And even with all the media coverage of the film, few will have the opportunity to see it.

Bully probably isn’t a perfect representation of bullying in American schools and one 90- minute film won’t solve the problem. But as Invisible Children proved recently with their “Kony 2012” video, a powerful film with a point can demand attention from audiences deemed unreachable, most notably, high school students. And crude language aside, Bully deserves a chance to make a difference in the lives of bullied students.

opinions

09

photos

REVIEWS

ACNE CARE PRODUCTS

No teenager wants to admit they have an acne problem, mainly because blemishes are gross (even the word “acne” is disgusting). However, I’ll be the first person to step up and say, “I have naturally pimply skin.” It’s unsightly and embarrassing, and nothing seemed to work. After searching far and near for good blemish treatments, I think I may have found the best acne-clearing products on the market. by hayley battenberg

Peter Thomas Roth AHA/BHA Acne Clearing Gel

Peter Thomas Roth’s AHA/BHA Acne Clearing Gel combines glycolic acid, which promotes cellular turnover, with salicylic acid, a common pimple remedy. The chemists who came up with this gel deserve an award: After two weeks, my pores were smaller, dozens of blackheads had disappeared and my skin was clearer than it had been in months.

It did dry out the areas around my mouth and nose, though, so a smaller amount every other night might be the perfect balance. The price was well worth the results.

Philosophy Microdelivery Exfoliating Wash

Dead skin cells clog pores and cause flare-ups that turn into pimples, so exfoliating is a major step in any skincare routine.

Philosophy’s Microdelivery Exfoliating Wash isn’t full of harsh chemicals or overly drying — the microscopic beads are just strong enough to clear pores and smooth out surfaces.

However, if used improperly, exfoliators can actually cause skin to breakout more. The key thing to remember is: Don’t scrub with too much pressure, or too often.

8 oz. $25 sephora.com

$45 sephora.com

Say Yes to Carrots Repairing Night Cream

People often overlook the importance of a good moisturizer. They forget that proper hydration helps protect sensitive skin, improve skin tone, soften rough patches and provide moisture so sebum won’t clog pores, which actually helps clear up acne. Basically, without moisturizer, skin has a hard time looking healthy. Say Yes to Carrots Repairing Night Cream will give anyone a supple face, without causing breakouts. It even smells pleasant and earthy. photo by mikala compton

celebrities as hosts offers a pleasant spin on the show, which has been on a hiatus since 2007. Kutcher has signed on as an executive producer for the show, however, so here’s hoping for a guest appearance or a glimmer of his ridiculously overexcited presence.

Last week’s episode involved a series of pranks on the nation’s most mainstream artists of all time. The show started out with two of my least favorite of these: Justin Bieber, who planned the prank on Taylor Swift. It all seemed sort of fake; but maybe that’s because I was too distracted by how much I don’t like these pop stars.

However, the show went on the upswing when they brought in MTV’s own Rob Dyrdek, who’s more my speed as far as entertainment goes. He soon realizes that he is being punk’d, so Bieber resorts to scheming against yet another pop culture icon, Sean Kingston, with Dyrdek

photo courtesy of MTV

Punk’d has returned to MTV with a star-studded cast of Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus and the one and only Justin Bieber. Despite how much I strongly dislike this lineup, I’m excited the show is back. It’s just one more half-hour time slot of mindless television, driving MTV further away from the music. I love it.

Even though I will always have a spot saved in my heart for Ashton Kutcher’s overly-enthusiastic personality as he unveiled his pranks to “unsuspecting” celebrities, the idea of having new

$15 walgreens.com

now on the other side of the prank. Even though the acting by the prankers was mediocre at best, Kingston falls for it, and we all get a good laugh.

To wrap the show up, Bieber attempted to prove he is “unprankable” by turning Miley Cyrus’s trick on him around. It’s confusing, but it was referred to as the switcheroo, and it was mildly entertaining. Cyrus’s reaction to the

NETWORK: MTV

switch was classic, and one of the highlights of the show.

My only wish for the show is to get better hosts. The fact that Bieber opened the season seems to be for the sole purpose of bringing in the Belieber audience. Oh, I almost forgot — it also needs some better pranks.

by ashlee crane

entertainment

11

REVIEWS

THE WILDERNESS The fourth and final album in the Cowboy Junkies’ Nomad Series, The Wilderness acts as the glue of the 18-month project. The three other albums had definitive themes, but this one floats free. The emotional level is set high, with lyrics touching on parenthood and other comingof-age topics. The early Cowboy Junkies were dark and stern; The Wilderness is exceedingly happier and sentimental. After 25 years of recording, you can pick up the band’s maturity with this newest album.

The Wilderness’s composition is nothing special, although it is far more modern than the Cowboy Junkies I’m used to. The ambient electric and clean acoustic guitar duo is reminiscent of alt-country bands like Wilco, and the simplicity and humbleness will please any Bon Iver fan. Multiple times, bassist Alan Anton matches the sound off of the Grateful Dead’s American Beauty, most of the time leaving it simple and heavy, which is something he rarely does.

There is a tightness to the album, and everything has its place. Singer Margo Timmins’ solemn voice goes perfectly with her brother Michael’s guitar. Songs like “I Let Him In”

Cowboy Junkies

remind me of Rilo Kiley. The song “I Hate the Cold” has a She and Him vibe, with a Black Keys guitar riff. The best way I can describe The Wilderness is that it is a culmination of all the sounds of indie rock from the past 10 years. Add in Timmins’ voice, and the Cowboy Junkies make it their own.

LENGTH: 42:20 The Cowboy Junkies took a progressive stance with this album. The Wilderness has the classic qualities of a ‘90s collegerock album, but the band found a way to relate to modern ages.

The transition from smoky bars to coffee shops seems to be fairly easy for them. Both older fans and new listeners alike will be pleased with the album.

I’m not sure The Wilderness ties in as well with the rest of the Nomad Series, but that is beside the point; it’s is the best of the series because the others were too heavy. They broke free from the weight and gave the listener a quality album.

by daniel magwire

UPCOMING RELEASES MOVIE:

ALBUM:

BOOK:

VIDEO GAME:

• American Reunion — April 6 • Three Stooges — April 13 • Cabin in the Woods — April 13

• Through the Keyhole — Stephen King — April 23 • The Mark of Athena — Rick Riordan — May 14

12 April 6, 2012

• Nicki Minaj — Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded — April 3 Neon Trees — Picture Show — April 17

• Deadliest Warrior: Ancient Combat — XBOX 360 —April 17 • Prototype 2 — PS3 — April 24

photo courtesy of EA.com

SSX World Tour

Shredding the world’s highest peaks, gliding over large gaps and avoiding an entire mountain of trees in the dark are some of the biggest challenges in the newest SSX (which stands for snowboard super-cross) snowboarding game, SSX World Tour.

This edition (the sixth in the series) focuses more on a campaign format than being able to do a “freeride.”

The main campaign is directed toward the deadly descents of major peaks like Everest or Kilimanjaro.

The updated graphics are impressive, and even while playing on a small, non-HD TV, the player can feel like they are in the game. More crisp and sharp colors make the terrain easier to see, in turn making gameplay easier than previous games.

A new but frustrating feature is the new trick method. The steering stick used while normally riding is also used to perform tricks. In the past, the directional pad was used, so it is strange to use the steer stick.

While crouched, the rider winds up for a trick, whereas in the past, the rider would just be able to turn tighter. Another issue is that it’s hard to steer as it is. Not being able to crouch and make tight turns like in the past makes the game less enjoyable to play.

With the addition of special gear for each rider, there are more un-

PLATFORM: Xbox 360

RATING: E for everyone

lockables, so it takes longer to play through. Different riders have gear ranging from armor and oxygen tanks.

The deadly descents have alternating pieces of gear that are needed. For the one on Everest, an oxygen tank is needed. By far the coolest piece of gear is the flying squirrel suit, allowing the player to span massive gaps in terrain.

One thing that makes the game less exciting is the money. The items are not expensive enough to make them difficult to obtain, and each race or trick event gives too much money. This takes the challenge out of the game.

SSX World Tour is an entertaining game, but there are certain aspects that should be changed. After playing the original version, the steering is much worse, and much harder in World Tour, making it frustrating to play. The older games in the series are better, but this one is still well worth playing.

by connor thompson

11

REVIEWS

GAMERSFIRST’S FALLEN EARTH I only have a limited amount of space in which to tell how much I despise Gamersfirst’s Free To Play MMO Fallen Earth. This is a game with design straight from the mouth of a beast of the biblical apocalypse, and graphics that made me actually cringe the first time I saw them.

In fact, though it shames me as a journalist to admit this, I didn’t go any further than the starting mission. Why? Because I had to replay it five times, and I believe that there has to be a difference between playing a game and willingly punching yourself in the face.

LENGTH: 42:20 photo courtesy of gamersfirst.com

Fallen Earth is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game with third-person shooter elements, and if this sounds appealing to you, stop now, because it shouldn’t. You play as a newly-born clone in post-nuclear apocalypse earth, and it’s about as bland as

post-apocalyptic games get.

My current running theory is that the menu designer recently had a messy divorce with logic, and he was allowed to keep the baby: a mad love for Excel spreadsheets.

The character sheet is the worst, giving me hundreds of slots to customize, but choosing to label none of them.

The character customization just doesn’t matter because the player will never see the character’s face. The scrolling fights you the entire game, without exception, not letting you look left or right unless your weapon is drawn. It also doesn’t let you select a person’s body to loot unless your weapon is down, so you have to look with your weapon out, put it away, search, find what you want, exit and then pull it back out.

The story is simply disheartening, and it’s something I don’t think I’m ready to talk about yet; it was far too traumatizing. The music is a classic, MMO overture of nothing, and the atmosphere in the game is dead. I guess they were trying to make it look like a real post-apocalypse scenario, with nobody there, but they only succeeded in making it incredibly boring to walk through.

This game held my attention just a bit beyond the first objective of the first mission, but nothing about it is fun or interesting. The only reason a rational human being would possibly try this game would be if they didn’t exist. There is not a single redeeming quality about this game that I can find. It is awful, simply awful.

STAFF PICKS Favorite movie of all time The Art of Getting By Freddie Highmore, Emma Roberts

Connor Thompson

2001: A Space Odyssey Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood

Mitch Feyerherm

The Shawshank Redemption Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman

by sam bellmyer

Mikala Compton

what’s new on

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson

John Carter:

Andrew Stanton’s newest movie features groundbreaking design; however, it’s not much more than a time-killer.

Brianna Leyden

The Prestige Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman

Pauly D Project:

Jersey Shore’s lovable Pauly D has struck out on his own to pursue his DJing career in this new MTV show.

Kirk Bado

entertainment

13

REVIEWS

Satisfying Success The release of the movie version of The Hunger Games has fulfilled readers’ cravings. by brianna leyden + brooke golladay photo courtesy of Murray Close

N

ever has a movie in my lifetime been so great that I got goosebumps just by watching the previews — until The Hunger Games, that is.

By the time it opened March 23, anticipation had been building for months beforehand. With many books-turned-movies or over-eagerly-awaited releases, the actual movie itself can be disappointing or even infuriating if screenwriters take too many liberties with the plot.

So many aspects could have gone wrong — the movie might not have stayed true to what Suzanne Collins wrote originally; the director could have taken an approach that was too light-hearted or heavy-handed; the smallest detail like the background soundtrack could have been off.

The first complaint I had back when the movie was announced was the cast list. I had taken the time to read the books before there was talk of a movie. I already had images of my dream characters clearly pictured in my mind; I didn’t need Hollywood to come in and mess with them.

However, any concerns I had vanished almost as soon as the movie started. Although the acting was slightly stilted in the first scenes, both the actors and I grew more comfortable in their roles as the movie went on. Jennifer Lawrence led the rest of the stellar cast as Katniss Everdeen, the heroic Girl on Fire. Side-by-side with stars like Josh Hutcherson (Peeta Mellark) and Liam Hemsworth (Gale Hawthorne), she perfectly portrayed the hardened girl thrust into a situation larger than what she originally thought.

And while the teenage actors were great, the supporting adults were just as good, if not better. Stanley Tucci, Wes Bentley and Elizabeth Banks especially (Caesar Flickerman, Seneca Crane and Effie Trinket, respectively) were all amazing, as both their

14 April 6, 2012

personalities and their hair and makeup jobs brought their characters to life.

Speaking of the makeup and costuming, those departments went above and beyond.

Each aesthetic piece was carefully considered to add to the overall image. Just trimming Seneca’s moustache the right way or dying Effie’s hair the correct color created an image that clearly projected each person’s characteristics and desires.

And following the examples of other greats in the film industry, a movie can’t be without the killer soundtrack. The Hunger Games’ soft, haunting soundtrack not only fit well with the movie, but it is able to stand on its own.

After its release a couple weeks ago, it shot to the top of the Billboard charts.

Then there was the question that was on everyone’s minds — would the movie follow the book closely enough? Surprisingly, the writers made very few changes to the complex plot during the move to the screen. For the biggest differences, read the sidebar.

The Hunger Games wasn’t the latest attempt to create the next Twilight or Harry Potter-like movie series by dragging die-hard fans of the books through film after film after film...after film.

Regardless of whether viewers read the books or not, everyone walks away from it satisfied, happy and whistling an eerily familiar Mockingjay tune.

BOOK-TO-MOVIE DIFFERENCES Going from a book with little-to-no dialogue, told mostly through narration by the novel’s main character, filmmakers very cleverly incorporated most of the important things from the book throughout the movie, despite these few differences.

KATNISS’ RELATIONSHIPS WITH PRIM AND GALE

They weren’t touched on enough to make the results of the Reaping as intense and important in the movie as it occurred in the book.

“BEHIND-THE-SCENES” LOOKS AT THE GAMES

The interactions of the Game Makers, the commentary of Caesar Flickerman and scenes of President Snow added the need-to-know information through dialogue instead of through narration, as it was in the novel.

THE UPRISING IN DISTRICT 11

A bit unexpected, but it adequately translated the tension that was building up between the districts and the Capitol. However, the actual rebellion didn’t happen in the book series until Katniss and Peeta visit District 11 on their victory tour.

THE MOCKINGJAY PIN

The character Madge, who originally gives the pin to Katniss, isn’t in the movie at all, which affects her later appearances in the series.

THE TRACKER JACKER HALLUCINATIONS

The images portrayed in the book were maybe a little graphic for the moviemakers’ taste, but her abnormal state of mind could have been shown much more effectively than how they chose to do so.

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ENTERTAINMENT

things

with Co-Editor-in-Chief Maria Davison

photos by david freyermuth and mikala compton

Mighty Mango Naked Juice Smoothie Burt’s Bees Beeswax Lip Balm

I never go anywhere without a tube of Burt’s Bees Lip Balm in my purse or my pocket. This lip balm is the perfect cure for chapped lips, and a hint of peppermint oil leaves your lips feeling fresh. Target $2.99

Of all the delicious fruit smoothies Naked has to offer, Mighty Mango has to be the best. With the juice of more than an entire mango, oranges, apples, bananas and lemons in each bottle, its consistency is almost like biting into a mango, without all the work of peeling it.

Most grocery stores, $2.69

Fun. Some Nights

Fun.’s Some Nights is the perfect teenage angst album. The lyrics mimic every teenage cliche as leading man Nate Ruess’ powerful voice wonders “Who am I?” and “What do I stand for?” The album is the perfect combination of upbeat and calmer tracks, including Fun.’s breakout single “We Are Young.” iTunes $9.99.

CamelBak Better Bottle

If an average bottle of water costs a dollar, my $12 water bottle has paid for itself many times over. I carry this water bottle with me almost every day, so I can be sure to drink enough water without spending exorbitant amounts of money at the vending machines. It also has the added benefit of being more environmentally friendly than bottled water. Target, $11.19

Sonya Kashuk Radiant Tinted Moisturizer

I can’t stand cakey makeup, and most drugstore foundation brands have a tendency to be too thick. But Sonya Kashuk’s tinted moisturizer, which can be found on Target shelves, will even out skin without streaking or looking too thick. Paired with a bit of loose powder, it’s the perfect tool for natural-looking skin. Target $13.69

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April 6, 2012

Parenthood

I once read a review of Parenthood that called the NBC family drama “criminally under-watched,” and I couldn’t agree more. The show follows the four Braverman siblings (played by Peter Krause, Lauren Graham, Erika Christensen and Dax Shepard) as they navigate the waters of parenting, like their parents (Craig T. Nelson and Bonnie Bedelia) did before them. The acting and writing are both solid, and they are just the right amount of crazy to be a real family. The third season of Parenthood ended in February, but some episodes can still be found on Hulu.

Glacé Artisan Ice Cream

Ice cream season is almost here, and I think I’ve discovered the best ice cream in Kansas City. I stumbled into this little ice cream shop on Main Street one Sunday afternoon because I liked the sign, but the product turned out to be equally amazing. Glace boasts unique flavors like basil-lime sorbet, French lavender and Venezuelan spiced chocolate. It can be a little expensive, and both the Main Street and 119th Street locations can be a bit out of the way, but the price and drive are both definitely worth it. Two locations 4960 Main Street, Kansas City, MO and 4535 W. 119th Street, Overland Park, KS. $3.50 for a small, $4.50 for a regular.

FEATURES

we are

generationz

by Hayley Battenberg, Brianna Leyden, Ashlee Crane + Evan Shinn

W

e are the ones who grew up in a world after Columbine, 9/11 and a sudden wave of technology.

We are connected, and we are fighters. But sometimes, we lose focus.

We’re known for not caring about our future, caring too much about helping people in foreign countries, being stressed by the Internet’s overwhelming flood of information.

Simultaneously, we are viewed as having an easy life because of the amount of information that is, quite literally, at our fingertips.

Take a look at the extremely varied definitions thrown around by professionals and adults regarding who we are, and listen to our discussions about what we have accomplished and hope to achieve in the very near future.

GENERATION LAY-Z

Today’s young people are regarded by their elders as the rude, obnoxious youth they call Generation Lay-Z. Some

facts support this opinion. A third of American children are overweight; a fifth, obese. The proven increase in stress, anxiety and depression could be because parents and society aren’t clear about expectations and boundaries, according to The Huffington Post.

“There are so many people my age who I know who have yet to have a job.

They never have to pay for anything and they are lazy,” junior Mallory Neufeld said. “I’m really thankful my parents pushed me to take care of myself. If they didn’t, I might not be as independent as I am now. They kicked [me] out of that mindset that [I] can do whatever [I] want.”

According to the California Teachers Association, Generation Z uses technological avenues to promote apathy and sloth. If given the choice between texting and talking, between having an unpredictable conversation or sending a proofread response, teens seem to take the less risky route.

“I think technology can be a pro,

but we use it more as a safety blanket,” senior Lauren Chance said. “We don’t have to talk to people face-to-face or have human interaction all the time, but we still feel more connected.”

CONNECTION

Teenagers in this generation are constantly connected to something or someone, whether it’s one of their 1,000 friends on Facebook or millions of pages in hits on Google after searching one topic.

“There are some thoughts out there that because your environment is different, your brain is different,” said Charis Sawyer, professor at the Johnson County Community College Center for Teaching and Learning.

“One of the things is social skills, with teenagers spending a lot of time with social media instead of the interaction face-to-face. There’s some real concern about what’s going to happen to social skills and communication skills as time

goes on.”

On the flip side, more and more young adults are finding ways to bring their interactions online into the real world. The “Millennials” were the first to do so in the 2008 Obama presidential election. After effective uses of social media and online advertising, two-thirds of their generational group voted for him, according to Good Magazine. Recent uses of technology have resulted in global changes — just think of the “Kony 2012” viral videos and the blackouts of websites in protest of SOPA. “I think our level of international involvement is really on the rise — especially because of organizations like youth groups [and the Internet],” junior Galen Gossman said. “We’re really helping out with other countries because we’re realizing how much more we have and how much better off we are; we’re more willing to help now.”

Online protests may aid in getting the word out, but some worry whether Generation Z will be able to face real-time obstacles.

“I think one of the big issues will be problem solving in the future.

We’ll have much more information at our fingers, but I don’t know,” Sawyer said. “You can’t read a person’s face on email or a tweet. All you get is the wording. And we know that reading someone’s face is a very important skill; you can see whether they’re serious or joking or on the verge of tears.”

With all this virtual contact, teenagers are preventing themselves from developing socially. Will Generation Z have the ability to make direct connections in today’s online, 24/7 world?

“There’s definitely a lack of focused attention,” Sawyer said. “If we could just get everyone to turn off their cell phones and pay attention to what they’re doing — it seems like there are a fair number [of teenagers]

18

April 6, 2012

who are tethered to technology.”

DIGITAL NATIVES

Even though Generation Z teens are “digital natives” with a constantly emerging stream of new skill sets, they still face the same emotional and logical flaws of previous generations. It’s not that we share a common bond; we share the same brain systems.

“The old view used to be that it was just hormones, and teenagers acted differently because of hormones,” Sawyer said. “Now with this new research, they are actually finding out that the teenage brain is undergoing massive changes, and one of the biggest changes is the completion or the coming online of the prefrontal cortex.”

The prefrontal cortex, the portion of the brain located behind the forehead, acts as the body’s powerhouse of higher-level thinking.

“Planning, judgment, analytical thinking, problem solving, reasoning and all of those kinds of things take place in that area,” Sawyer said.

“They can show on brain scans that that’s a hotbed of activity.”

With this research on teenage brains, advertisers have come to another realization — this generation might actually be one that will mature faster than its predecessors.

Because children now are raised to be so tech-savvy, marketers have found that the business maturity of a late teenager or 20-year-old could match that of someone a decade older.

“I think we are more advanced because we do have the Internet, which means more research,” senior Lauren Chance said. “We can just Google whatever we need, and we don’t have to go through the steps, like going to the library. We don’t have to waste time getting to that point. We can just go and do so much more with the information that we have.”

The past 50 years...

BABY BOOMERS

GENERATION

GENERATION

• Came between the Baby Boomers and their children in Generation Y • 1965-1979 birth dates • 46 million members

GENERATION

• Children of the Baby Boomers • 1980-early 1990s births • Also called the Millenials • 78 million people The learning process lends itself to advances in technology. For students to absorb information, they need stimulation. No longer can teens learn by watching teachers write on a dry erase board. They have to see, hear and Google it to fully comprehend complicated concepts.

“The best way to learn in a classroom is to take information in several different ways, like visually, auditorily, writing it, kinesthetically [learning through movement and/or acting something out] and so forth,” Sawyer said. “We now know the more ways information is presented to the brain, the more different pathways it gets to the brain, the more the brain realizes its importance and wants to remember it for future use.”

Negative things have developed from the use of technology, too: the constant need for instant gratification and social recognition, or disorders like “acquired attention deficit disorder,” according to Harvard professor John Raley.

Generally, most people now can’t handle anything larger than bite-size pieces of information at a time, and they require constant feedback and

• Those born after World War II • 1946-1964 birth dates • About 80 million people

• Generally defined as anyone up to the age of high school seniors • Also called the New Silent Generation or the Homeland Generation because of the similarity to the Silent Generation of 1925-1945, or the emphasis on homeland security and safety • 23 million members and growing Source: TIME

attention from teachers and peers to satisfy their endless curiosity.

“As teenagers we’re still developing who we are, and we really rely on and look to others to form our own opinions about ourselves.

We need reassurance,” senior Drew Creighton said. “We do this especially with our peers and parents, who we depend upon to kind of start us off in the world.”

Generation Z may be too advanced and connected for their own good. Previous generations had to take the time to get to know people on a personal level, had to spend time looking for answers to their questions, had to work through things on their own.

“Before, we had time to sit back and read and ponder; you had to do some digging and thinking,” Sawyer said. “Technology is a wonderful thing, but it’s kind of a double-edged sword. The immediacy and the speed with which we can bombard our brain with new information — I think there’s a tradeoff there with the chance to think and have quiet time and learn.”

howwe seeourselves •

CONSTANTLY CONNECTED

Galen Gossman: “ I don’t text at all. I

hate texting so much; It takes like an hour to have a conversation. People get mad when you don’t respond, but it’s like, well, I’d rather be having this conversation in person.”

Lauren Chance: “But it’s gotten ridiculous. I’ll look around my classes and half the kids will have their cell phones out, checking Facebook or texting someone. If you’re hanging out with a person and they’ll start texting someone else, it’s really annoying, but it happens all the time.”

STATISTIC:

Americans teenagers use 631 voice minutes and 3,339 text messages per month on cell phones. misagarcia.com

•

INDEPENDENT

Galen Gossman: “I feel like that

really defines us, because we’re always fighting for a cause. We’re always fighting the power, fighting our parents, fighting the rules. I think that that defines us the most, us always trying to get our own voices heard. I think from an earlier age we’re trying to be too independent — instead of letting our parents help us out and show us the way, from an early age we’re trying to fight that.”

Harrison Chen: “I feel like we’re not as loyal, especially to our family. If there’s something that we don’t like, our morals are if you don’t like it than don’t stay with that.”

•

DISRESPECTFUL

Drew Creighton: “I feel like we’re

less respectful and responsible. Our generation is babied in a way — our parents take care of things for us, and we don’t have to learn much for ourselves. And with new technology, it’s just going to get even easier.”

Anna Thomsen: “My parents are always telling me how strict their

parents were, and how they would never be allowed to do things that I do. That generation really does think they were the perfect children. It’s just that our way of communicating has become shorter and not as formal.

It’s just because our language is evolving, and it sounds disrespectful even though we don’t mean it that

HISTORIC QUOTE:

“Our youth now love luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for their elders and love chatter in place of exercise; they no longer rise when elders enter the room; they contradict their parents, chatter before company; gobble up their food and tyrannize their teachers.” — Socrates, 5th century B.C.

way.”

EQUALIZERS

•

Mallory Neufeld: “I think our parents

grew up with their parents having those stereotypes, but as their own kids are becoming less and less racist, they also have to adjust to that. Years and years ago my parents would have been less okay with the interracial mingling, but they had to adjust because racism isn’t okay.”

Harrison Chen: “I don’t really see any racism, I just see a lot of stereotyping going on, but it’s more joking and I sometimes do it too. I mean, we make Asian and Mexican jokes about the kids on my soccer team.

Andrew Banks: “I do see a lot of stereotyping, and I agree with Harrison, I mean I don’t really see so much racism, but stereotypes. But, like he said, I do it too, so I can’t really talk.”

NEWS QUOTE: “This fight will not become just

a moment. We will not let that happen. This incident is about a movement. A movement for respect. A movement for decency. A movement to be treated equally, and not be stalked and stereotyped because of the amount of melanin in our skin.” — CNN blogger Roland Martin on the Trayvon Martin movement. cnn.com

•

FEATURES The NW Passage recently hosted a roundtable with members of Generation Z to gain a better view of how students define themselves and their peers. These quotes reflect a small portion of an hour and a half long discussion about views on technology, religion, politics, attitudes, moral values and the future. These students’ opinions concur with national statistics as well as professional quotes and research. Each section represents one stereotype or label given to members of the generation.

Freshmen: Andrew Banks, Harrison Chen, Emma Rutherford Sophomore: Anna Thomsen Juniors: Galen Gossman, Mallory Neufeld Seniors: Lauren Chance, Drew Creighton, Andrea Rodriguez

LIBERAL

Mallory Neufeld: “We are definitely

not conservative.”

Drew Creighton: “Yeah, I’d say most people are liberals and democrats.”

Lauren Chance: “Yeah, cause we are more free minded and accepting.”

Andrea Rodriguez: “And because we compare ourselves to Europe so much, and they’re kind of socialists, our liberal party has some socialist ideals.”

Lauren Chance: “All European governments are liberal in our eyes.”

•

Thomsen: “As far as standardized testing goes, I haven’t been affected much. I don’t mind teaching a little to the test, as long as it’s not a total focus on the test. When it’s overly-focused, it’s not beneficial or enjoyable to the student. It hinders our creativity. Teaching us to answer questions and repeat stuff doesn’t teach us to think.”

QUOTE:

“We have way too much testing. I think we’ve ruined the natural inclination of the brain to want to learn. The brain truly does love learning; you can see it in a toddler when the whole world is brand new to them and I think with all the testing we’ve done to kids all along, we are educationally doing a big disservice by not handing down the interest in learning,” professor Charis Sawyer

STATISTIC:

As of March 2012, 30% voters consider themselves Democrats and 46% of Independent voters have Democratic leanings. gallup.com

•

PROPONENTS FOR CHANGE

Drew Creighton: “With gay marriage,

it’s unfair for someone else to make that decision for you. We need to have a separation of Church and State. It’s wrong to put those two together, especially in this area.”

Mallory Neufeld: “I think it’s going to change, though. Because our generation is more and more accepting, it’ll probably happen in the future.”

STATISTIC:

Six states in the U.S. perform same-sex marriages. wikipedia.com

•

EDUCATED

Emma Rutherford: I think a lot of the

stuff I do, I do for college. I think I just do a lot of stuff because I’ve been told it will help me get into a better college and therefore have a better education. I was kind of raised that if you have a better education you’ll have a better life.”

TAUGHT TO THE TEST

Anna

said.

•

SECULAR

Andrea Rodriguez: “I think religion

has become really different for our generation, we kind of made it more about ourselves. More what we believe instead of what the church believes. We’re fitting our religion to ourselves.”

Lauren Chance: “We don’t really have denominations anymore. Some people will say they’re Christian because they’ve gone to church once and believe in God. That’s how religion works now. I don’t think our generation puts as much importance on religion.

STATISTIC:

6.3 percent of Americans are completely secular on the Pew Forum’s 2007 Religious Landscape Survey. They identify as unconnected to God, a higher power or any religious identity and believe religion isn’t a part of their lives. usatoday.com

STATISTIC:

21.6 million students were enrolled in college in 2010. cavalierdaily.com

features

19

FEATURES

by Evan Shinn

From the Outside “F

irst of all, you guys are technologically advanced, much more so than I will ever be,” CCC teacher Ron Poplau said.

“But the problem I see with technology, which is so characteristic of your age group, is that today’s kids are losing because they don’t get a human touch.”

When Poplau was a teenager, letters and landline phone calls were the most common form of communication. Now communication is overwhelmingly accessible, but, according to Poplau, that causes problems.

“I see you with a computer. I see you with a cell phone. I see you with an iPad. Our problem isn’t long distance; it’s short distance. We don’t know everybody on the block, nor do we care.”

World History teacher Todd Boren agrees with Poplau. He says that today’s generation is defined by its technology, especially the use of the smartphone.

Rather than causing apathy, though, he believes it’s creating a generation of teenagers who demand instant gratification.

“I think, and I’ve heard this from a lot people too, that the overall desire to learn and retain something is starting to go to the wayside a little bit because you have such instant access to basically any information you want,” Boren said.

Although he doesn’t think the use of technology is responsible for the apathy that adults theorize is rampant in teens, Boren does see a difference in the way students operate at school.

“What I’ve seen in 14 years, is that students are becoming a little less academically motivated,” Boren said. “[They’re] not willing to do the same amount of work.”

However, Poplau believes that teenagers now are more advanced than previous generations.

“The only thing I can give my students who are lightyears ahead of me in technology is perspective,” Poplau said.

20

April 6, 2012

PARENT (1967):

25th Amendment to United States Constitution ratified; interracial marriage legalized; federal debt $326 billion; unemployment 3.8%; world population 3.4 billion

Million Man March in Washington, D.C., held to raise awareness for African-American issues; O.J. Simpson judged not guilty of murder; Oklahoma City bombing

age 1

TEENAGER (1994): Federal debt $4.7 trillion; unemployment 6.1%; world population 5.6 billion; Friends debuts; the White House gets a Web page

PARENT (1977): Star Wars opens in theaters; women allowed into the regular Marine Corps and Navy; INTERPOL writes a piracy resolution that is shown at the beginning of all VHS and DVDs

age 11

TEENAGER (2004):

Massachusetts becomes the first state to legalize gay marriage; Janet Jackson flashes her breast during the Superbowl halftime show; Boston Red Sox win the World Series

PARENT (1969): Moammar

TEENAGER (1995):

Gadhafi seizes control in Libya; gay rights movement begins; Apollo 11 space launch; Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrich become first humans to walk on the moon; Woodstock; FCC introduces bans on cigarette ads from TV and radio; Sesame Street premieres

age 2

PARENT (1968): Motion picture

rating system debuts with G, PG, R and X; worldwide protests and government rebellion movements; United Methodist Church established; One Life to Live soap opera premieres

TEENAGER (2005): Pope

Benedict XVI becomes the 265th pope; Hurricane Katrina; a federal judge rules that public schools may not teach intelligent design; YouTube is founded; Twilight is published

age 12

PARENT (1978): Jim Jones’

cult commits mass suicide by drinking poisoned punch, beginning the “don’t drink the Kool-Aid” phrase; the Walkman is invented; the first test-tube baby is born; Pope John Paul II becomes the 246th pope

age 3

TEENAGER (1996):

Dolly the sheep is cloned; Tupac Shakur dies; the Big Twelve Conference is established

PARENT (1979): “Rapper’s Delight” by the Sugar Hill Gang becomes the first commercially successful rap song; ESPN debuts; McDonald’s introduces the Happy Meal

age 13

TEENAGER (2006): FDA

approves Gardasil, a cervical cancer vaccine; Pluto is no longer classified as a planet

TEENAGER (199T): TV ratings

system debuts with ratings TV-Y, TV-G, TV-Y7, TV-PG, TV-14 and TV-M; Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is published in Britain; Princess Diana and Mother Theresa die

age 4

PARENT (1970): First Earth Day;

barcodes on retail products introduced; Monday Night Football debuts; the North Tower of the World Trade Center is finished, making it the tallest building in the world

TEENAGER (2007): Panel

on Climate Change states greenhouse gases are negatively impacting climates and ecosystems; the iPhone is invented; Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is published

age 14

PARENT (1980): United States

stops diplomacy with Iran after hostage crisis; CNN is launched; President Jimmy Carter signs Proclamation 4771, which requires men 18-25 to sign up for peacetime drafts

FEATURES

Based on 46-year-old (born 1967) and 18-year-old (born 1994) • sources: infoplease.com, treasurydirect.gov and wikipedia.com

PARENT (1971):

Supreme Court forces school bus racial desegregation; 26th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution lowers voting age to 18; Walt Disney World opens

age 5

TEENAGER (1998): Europe

agrees upon the euro as their currency; President Clinton impeached by the House of Representatives; Google is founded

PARENT (1981): MTV

airs on TV; AIDS is diagnosed; Sandra Day O’Connor becomes the first female Supreme Court justice

age 15

TEENAGER (2008): Barack

Obama becomes the first black president; Proposition 8 overturns the California Supreme Court’s ruling that gay marriages are constitutional; the global financial crisis hits

To have a basic understanding of differences between growing up in the ’60s — when the majority of Generation Z’s parents grew up — versus growing up in the 21st century, here’s a compilation of major country and world events of the times.

TEENAGER (2001): Terrorists attack on

TEENAGER (1999):

Columbine High School shootings; Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace opens; Family Guy premieres; Microsoft releases Windows 98

PARENT (1973): Roe v. Wade,

the Supreme Court lifts state bans on abortions; Federal Express (FedEx) opens; the Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) is patented

age 6

Sept. 11; United States and Britain bomb Afghanistan for two months until the Taliban regime collapses; Wikipedia launches; Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone opens in theaters; National Academy of Science claims global warming rising due to human activity; Apple’s iPod becomes available

age 7

PARENT (1972): Watergate scandal begins; the surgeon general issues a report saying violence on TV fosters aggressive behavior in children; Pong becomes the first video game; the first form of email is sent

TEENAGER (2000):

Y2K scare; George W. Bush becomes president; Human Genome Project started

age 8

Richard Nixon becomes the first president to resign; People magazine debuts; Rubik’s Cube puzzle invented

TEENAGER (2009): H1N1 (“swine

flu”) epidemic; Michael Jackson dies; President Obama signs $787 billion stimulus package; Justin Bieber releases his debut album My World

age 16

PARENT (1982): Michael

Jackson releases his album Thriller; the first emoticons are created; the computer is TIME Magazine’s Man of the Year

developed; GPS becomes available for the public; President Ronald Reagan declares the third Monday of January as a national holiday, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day; the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) program is launched

age 17

TEENAGER (2010): 7.0

earthquake hits Haiti; BP oil spill; President Obama creates a health-care reform bill; “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is repealed and homosexuals may now serve in the military

Vietnam War ends; Saturday Night Live premieres; VHS and VCR systems are developed; Bill Gates creates Microsoft

age 9

PARENT (1974):

PARENT (1983): Crack cocaine is

PARENT (1975):

TEENAGER (2003): Saddam Hussein is captured; Arnold Schwarzenegger elected California’s governor; iTunes debuts

age 10

TEENAGER (2002): In his State of

the Union address, President Bush calls Iran, Iraq and North Korea “an axis of evil”; the Department of Homeland Security is created; No Child Left Behind is passed

PARENT (1976): Supreme Court

rules that capital punishment is constitutional; America’s bicentennial; Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak form the Apple Computer Company

TEENAGER (2011): Kate Middleton and Prince William

are married; Occupy Wall Street movement begins; Moammar Gadhafi’s government is overthrown, and he is killed by rebels; Osama bin Laden is killed; Proposition 8 is overturned; the final Harry Potter movie, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II, premieres; federal debt $15 trillion; unemployment 9.0%; world population 6.9 billion

age 18

for more “generation z,”

visitsmnw.com

PARENT (1984): Federal debt $1.5 trillion; unemployment 7.5%; world population 4.769 billion; Supreme Court rules that taping shows on VCRs at home isn’t a violation of copyright laws; Apple introduces the Macintosh personal computer

features

21

FEATURES

MAKE HIM FAMOUS With the release of Invisible Children’s newest video, “Kony 2012,” came a firestorm of both negative and positive feedback. by Maria Davison

I

f their goal was to make “Joseph Kony” a household name, Invisible Children has succeeded. Before their 30-minute video was released March 5, few recognized the name of the Ugandan warlord currently wanted by the International Criminal Court. But, since its release, the video has been viewed more than 86 million times.

And, according to Invisible Children’s “Kony 2012” website, making Kony, the leader of the central African rebel group, the Lord’s Resistance Army, famous was exactly their goal. Ultimately, Invisible Children hopes to see Kony captured by the end of the year.

The Kony 2012 campaign aims to make Kony famous so the U.S. government will feel pressure to continue taking action. They also hope to make

Kony an example for war criminals everywhere.

“We want Kony to be famous so that when he is stopped, he will be a visible, concrete example of international justice. Then other war criminals will know that their mass atrocities will not go unnoticed or unpunished,” Invisible Children’s “Kony 2012” website states.

“Kony 2012” makes the case that if Kony isn’t arrested by the end of the year, the time frame to do so will have passed. The video features shots of Invisible Children founder Jason Russell explaining the conflict to his 5-year-old son Gavin, handing him a photograph of Kony and calling him the “bad guy.” The video also includes shots of Jacob Acaye, a Ugandan who was captured by the LRA as a child and was featured in Invisible Children’s first video.

“I think their specialty really is to appeal to people,” Coalition leader Caleb Amundson said.

“I think the fact that they’re able to use their great skills in media and filmmaking to promote awareness is effective because it’s so emotionally geared.”

Invisible Children was founded in 2004 by Bobby Bailey, Laren Poole and Russell. Shortly after graduating from college, the three traveled to Africa intent on filming a documentary about the Sudanese civil war. While driving through northern Uganda, they witnessed a group of rebel soldiers shooting at a car in front of them. They then discovered the plight of Ugandan children who, in order to avoid being abducted by Kony’s rebels, were forced to walk from their homes to more populated areas to sleep in churches or

Footage from the “Kony 2012” video produced by Invisible Children. The video currently has 86.7 million views on youtube.com as of April 3.

April6,6,2012 2012 22 April

FEATURES

“[“KONY 2012”] MAY BE AN OVERSIMPLIFICATION, BUT IF WE ARE NOT WILLING TO GO OUT AND FIND THE ANSWERS OURSELVES, THEN THAT’S HOW ALL OF THESE PROBLEMS ARE GOING TO BE SUBMITTED TO US.” — senior Victoria Banks.

schools every night.

Coalition was founded at Northwest in 2005, a year after the original Invisible Children film was released to raise awareness for Invisible Children’s cause.

“At the peak of the conflict in Uganda, our founders sparked Northwest’s interest in Invisible Children and from there it became the Coalition,” Coalition leader Victoria Banks said.

The club has since expanded to support other organizations, including Love 146 and Not For Sale, both of which work to stop human trafficking.

“I think that [“Kony 2012”] has been extremely successful in doing what [Invisible Children] wanted to do ultimately, which was raise awareness about Kony,” Amundson said. “Negative press has contributed to thousands of people actually looking into the issue. Some of them found that they don’t want to support it and lots of people have found out that this is something we need to do something about.”

As well as receiving praise for raising awareness about the issues in central Africa, “Kony 2012” and Invisible Children have been criticized. Invisible Children’s finances and transparency records have been scrutinized, and the video itself has been faulted for oversimplifying a complex issue. “[“Kony 2012”] may be an oversimplification,”

Banks said, “but if we are not willing to go out and find the answers ourselves, then that’s how all of these problems are going to be submitted to us.”

The LRA began fighting in northern Uganda in the ‘80s, but, according to a Ugandan news outlet, New Vision, the LRA is no longer active in Uganda.

The rebel group is still active in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic, but the LRA has been weakened in the Democratic Republic of Congo to the point that they only have approximately 250 armed members, according to a United Nations spokesman.

“The issue is not resolved completely,” Amundson said. “There’s tons and tons of violence still in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic and other countries, just not necessarily in Uganda. And I think a lot of people overlook that. Invisible Children isn’t working exclusively in Uganda; they’re working in those other countries where the conflict is still prevalent.”

The LRA began as one of many rebel groups that began fighting in Uganda when Tito Okello’s regime was tobbled in 1983. In 1988, under the Gulu Peace Accord, the majority of the rebel soldiers were absorbed into the government’s army, but the leaders of the LRA refused to sign the agreement, and continued to terrorize northern Uganda from bases in southern Sudan and eastern regions of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The World Bank estimates that in the last 20 years, the LRA has abducted 66,000 children and young adults in the middle of the night and forced

them to participate in guerrilla warfare, making the boys blindly shoot at enemies and putting the girls into sex slavery.

In October 2011, 100 U.S. military advisers were deployed to assist the Ugandan army in capturing Kony. But the Ugandan military doesn’t have a perfect record. According to Human Rights Watch, the Ugandan government has also committed numerous human rights violations.

While many argue that Invisible Children is doing a good thing by raising awareness about a problem that needs attention, others see it as a play on people’s emotions.

“I believe in [Kony 2012’s] power to inspire, but I don’t agree with its play on emotionalism,” Banks said. “I like to know the facts. Give me the facts and then I can do something about it.”

Of the money Coalition has raised this year, none of it has been sent to organizations. At the end of the school year, they will divide it appropriately and then donate to the the charities they support.

“If you are a NW student and you want a say in where the money goes,” Banks said, “if you want to come to Coalition and say, ‘I don’t believe we should support Invisible Children,’ then come, because we’ll listen.”

SOUTH SUDAN

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

A ND

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO

A UG

(above) The LRA has affected these

areas in Central Africa. Graphic by David Freyermuth.

(left) On April 20, Invisble Children supporters plan to “cover the night” with “Kony 2012” posters similar to this one.

Photo courtesy of Paradux Media

features23 features 23

THE PERFECT

Senior Jessica Johnson has been a tri-varsity athlete since she was a freshman. by kirk bado

SPORTS

Seniors Kylie Lambeth, Jessica Johnson, Sarah Crawford and graduates Christine Nelson, Megan Kappelar, Lisa Imgrund, and Jennifer Sommerfeld receive their award for regional girls runner-ups on Oct. 24, 2009 at Haskell Indian Reservation.

Photo by Danny Lyons

This is Jessica Johnson.

See Jessica run. See Jessica kick. See Jessica dribble.

See Jessica win.

At the conclusion of the upcoming soccer season, Jessica will be awarded her 12th varsity athletic letter, a perfect record since freshman year. These past four years have been NW history in the making.

“It’s special, something that does not happen very often,” athletic director Richard Grinage said, “this is a student athlete who is good across the board and has maintained an extremely high GPA.” “I am very honored and blessed,” Johnson said, “to have the opportunity to compete and to be part of so many great teams.”

Johnson has been an athlete since she was 4 years old.

“My parents let me try a bunch of different things: gymnastics, dance, soccer and basketball,” Johnson said.

Now, in her senior year, it is all

26

April 6, 2012

finally paying dividends, with a state championship cross country season, a substate championship for basketball and a soccer season with a team looking to improve on its record from the previous season, and as always, beat SM West.

Since her first practice on the first day of summer, she has had no athletic offseason. That means that for almost 365 days a year, Johnson is participating in some type of organized sport.

FALL: CROSS COUNTRY “My favorite sport,” Johnson said, “is cross country.”

The work outs do not start on the first day of school. On any given weekday morning in the summer, you can find Johnson and the rest of the cross country team at Element Fitness Club.

Johnson leads the varsity girl group on runs of six to seven miles, followed by strength and core training. All those miles in the summer and in the fall paid off for the girls’ team when they paced to a state title.

Teammate Sarah Barnes was also on

that championship team and knows that Johnson contributed to their success in a major way.

“Every time before races, she would make us serious, make us work and bring us to victory each time,” Barnes said. “We all needed each other for the ultimate win, but we needed her, for sure.”

Johnson learned her leadership style from the seniors before her. And with two of the most prolific female runners coming before her, Johnson had some big shoes to fill.

“When I am struggling to this day, I will look back at what they did when they were in my position.”

But these accomplishments could not have happened without some setbacks. “[At] regionals this year, a girl passed me at the finish. If I would have beaten her, we would have won,” Johnson said.

Johnson takes the blame for that; but the very next week, she placed 12th, beating that same runner by 13 places.

“It was an amazing feeling to accomplish something we have worked so hard for,” Johnson said.

SPORTS

(dominant) Senior Jessica Johnson congratulates sophomore Makayla Ross after Ross scored a basket on Dec. 1 at SM West.

The Cougars won 44 to 34. Photo by Mikala Compton (far left) Johnson attempts to get the ball past a Maize defender on March 7 at Wichita State University. The final score of the state semi-final game was 31-51. Photo by Carleigh Whitman (middle) Johnson races at the Community America Invitational on Oct. 1 in Baldwin City. Photo by David Freyermuth (right) Johnson dribbles the ball on April 13, 2010. Photo by Mikala Compton

sports

27

SPORTS

SPRING: SOCCER

Senior Jessica Johnson dribbles down the court at Wichita State University on March 7 at the semi-final game against Maize High. The Cougars lost 31 to 51. Photo by Carleigh Whitman.

WINTER: BASKETBALL

The workouts start in the summer right after the cross country run.

While most students are sleeping in until the midday sun, by 10 a.m. Johnson has already run five miles and started her basketball strength conditioning in the weight room. While official practice does not start until after the fall season, Johnson takes part in summer leagues and strength conditioning. And when the winter finally does roll around, Johnson leaves behind the cross country spikes and straps on the knee pads. Emerging the last two years as a leader of the team, Johnson has led by example.

“Being competitive and working hard is automatic for her,” junior Anna King said. “Jessica is a leader in a nontraditional way.

BEGINNING OF THE END

When the soccer awards banquet eventually does come around and she is awarded the 12th letter, her jacket will be weighed down with 12 strips of metal and will be heavier than any other female athlete’s jacket before her. The award of the 12th letter will mark the end of Johnson’s high school athletic career and new challenges await Johnson.

She has bigger plans in her

28

April 6, 2012

She is someone you can look at for consistency.”

This is a common theme for Johnson. She is constant. After three years of such consistency, rebuilding and refining, Johnson and the other seniors were rewarded with the substate trophy on the same court that they lost it on last year.

“When we were going into overtime just like last year,” Johnson said, “we were having flashbacks, and we did not want to have that slip away again.”

After four years of hard work, through countless rebuilding years and changes in head coaching personnel and styles, everything seemed to click this year for the Lady Cougars.

“After all those years when we were so close, but not necessarily getting wins,” Johnson said. “This year we finally got those wins.”

sights now: most notably attending Northwest Missouri State in the fall to run cross country and track.

Running has always been a part of Johnson, even before she knew the advantages of it.

“I love running. Even when I was in third grade, I was the one person on my team out conditioning on my own,” Johnson said.

Not only is Johnson capping off a near-perfect career in athletics, but

“Soccer was the first sport I ever played. I was four or five, and I have been playing ever since,” Johnson said.

Near the end of basketball season, students were speculating that Johnson would decide to do track instead of soccer, as the numbers of soccer players dropped exponentially this year. But as always, Johnson listened to only one voice, her own, and decided what was best for her team, instead of herself.

“I felt pressure to do soccer because I have always done it, and I love my team and did not want to let them down. They were the biggest influence in my decision,” Johnson said.

She eventually chose soccer, and started the season with a goal in the second game.

“She is a very athletically gifted player,” soccer coach Todd Boren said.

“There are only two positions I would not play her in: center back and goal keeper.”

The same story of professionalism and consistency follows Johnson in her soccer career.

“She is reliable, coachable and

typically does not require a lot of instruction to understand her roles and responsibilities,” Boren said.

Johnson is like the perpetual motion machine, entirely self motivated, with a calmness that rivals that of Michael Jordan.

“She is a very go-with-the-flow player,” Boren said. “She never gets angry, and her mood is very consistant, much like her play.”

With the consistent play motif following her wherever she takes her talents, Johnson also carries the mantle of leadership to the soccer field.

“Because of her consistent level of play, because of her consistent emotional attitude on and off the field, the girls look at her and respect her as a role model,” Boren said.

While Johnson is not the best player on any team that she has been on, her level of effort and skills with leadership make her the most crucial member of any team.

“We do not expect Jess to take the game over,” Boren said. “She is not our go-to girl to score that goal...but she is a very team-oriented player on and off the field. She is a lead-by-example type of girl.”

As a junior, Jessica Johnson kicks the ball away from an SM West player at SM North on May 21.

The Cougars lost the game 0 to 1.

Photo by Hanna Meigs.

she is also a member of NHS, honor roll and was nominated for WPA Queen of Courts.

“She is a lovable person,” Barnes said. “She is an amazing athlete, well-rounded, good at school and a good friend.”

With all of that going for her, Johnson is still missing something.

“Time is the biggest thing I give up. It takes time to go to practice everyday, to put in the extra effort

at home, to give up time with your friends, then manage your school work on top of that,” Johnson said.

Yet, she would do it all over again in a heartbeat.

“She knows who she is as a person,” Boren said, “[She has] a good moral grounding. If she continues to do what she has done the last four years, she is going to shine.”

SPORTS

THE RESPECT THEY’VE EARNED Women’s sports deserve the same amount of recognition as men’s. by davis millard their games were a lot more entertaining to watch. The boys might have had more fans show up to their games than the girls did, but that’s about the only thing the boys had. The girls finished the year with 16 wins; the boys ended the year with six. “[The girls’ programs at Northwest] have proven that we are as good as the boys this year,” junior Kristina Purinton said. “People who say that we aren’t probably weren’t there to see us play.”

Do you still want to argue that boys’ sports are better? How about the girls’ bowling team?

They made a state appearance for the second year in a row, won regionals last year and placed second this year. The boys’ team finished eighth last year and seventh this year at regionals, and have only sent two individual bowlers to the state competition in the past two years.

“I think everyone should take a second look at the girls’ programs at Northwest,” Purinton said.

Girls’ basketball coach Jeff Dickson has had experience coaching both girls and boys and doesn’t agree with anyone saying that boys put more effort into their sport.

“Having been both a boys’ and a girls’ coach, I know that our girls work as hard or harder and are more unselfish and team-oriented than any boys’ team I have coached,” Dickson said.

Senior Liz Nelson thinks that the comparison between girls’ and boys’ sports is unproportional.

“It’s not an equal comparison. Boys and girls compete at different levels,” Nelson said. “Boys are naturally faster and stronger; that’s a fact proven by science. But both girls’ and boys’ perform to the best of their ability.”

Athletes themselves shouldn’t have to worry about this comparison that some people make

BY THE NUMBERS seven The number of pitchers the baseball team used in their first game against SM East.

30

April 6, 2012

13

Number of wins the Royals had in spring training play in the Cactus League.

5

The number of events that the girls swimmers have state consideration times for.

67-59

R

ecently, I’ve heard a lot of people joking about the Women’s NCAA basketball tournament, questioning why it’s being televised and asking if anyone actually cares about women’s sports.

The funny thing about hearing this is that it has been a dominating year for Northwest girls’ sports. Four out of the five fall and winter girls’ programs made an appearance at state (basketball, bowling, gymnastics and cross country) and one of those teams claimed a state championship (cross country).

These ladies went through grueling offseason strength and conditioning programs to prepare themselves for their seasons and put in just as much effort as the boys’ programs. The girls got everything they wanted out of their seasons, a winning record, and plenty of trophies. There is just one thing missing that they looked to gain — the respect and attention they deserve from the student body.

For some reason, boys’ athletics like to boast about how they are the superior athletes and that female athletes are less talented at our school. Last time I checked, we have yet to have a boys’ program win a state championship this year and only three programs (soccer, swim and dive and cross country) made a state appearance in the 2011-2012 season. Perhaps baseball or boys’ track and field will break the slump for our male athletics, but for now they remain empty-handed.

I don’t understand the argument that female sports are a joke; they work just as hard, train just as long and play just as many games as boys. Girls’ games/competitions are just as, if not more entertaining, than boys’ competitions.

Take this year’s basketball season — the girls’ team didn’t just have a more successful season,

between boys’ and girls’ athletics. As a girls’ coach, Dickson tries to remind his team that no matter what the people are saying, they’re still going to have games to play. He tries to remind his girls to ignore what people are saying and just play their best, which is much easier said than done.

“I tell them to not spend time worrying about things that we can’t control. [The girls’ basketball program] fully supports all programs at Northwest and wants all of them to be successful,” Dickson said.

Now I’m not taking a side here; I’m not going to say that girls’ sports are better, or even that boys’ sports are better. Girls’ sports have obviously had a more successful year than the guys. Those are just facts, but that doesn’t mean they’re better in any way or work harder than the boys, and vice versa. People don’t need to put any programs down by saying that either girls or the boys are better than one another, and Dickson agrees.

“I think too many people try to make the girlboy sports thing into a competition,” Dickson said. “We have great programs in all sports and I would like to see everyone rooting for everyone else.”

There really isn’t a reason for girls and boys to argue over who is better. Both give it their all and both compete in their games/competitions.

All I’m trying to say is that women’s sports deserve respect. There shouldn’t be a comparison on which is better, because both perform at high levels. It’s about time everyone gives girl’s sports the homage they deserve. Women’s’ sports have my respect; and I’d love to see the rest of the school feel the same way.

The score of the NCAA National Championship

183’11”

game between Kentucky

Distance thrown by senior

and Kansas, which

Eric Pinkelman in the JCCC

Kentucky won. This

Invitational, which is a 10

is Kentucky’s eighth

foot improvement from his

tournament title.

previous personal best.

what’s new on v

photo courtesy of columbia pictures

Easy Target

An anti-bullying program started in Lawrence last fall wasn’t able to help a boy who was the victim of bullying in my home country of Finland. by anna moilanen

Beyond your friends list

Teens are becoming more aware of the effects of sharing too much online and how their social networking profiles can affect their future. by ashlee crane

21 Jump Street

Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill might just be a dream team in their recently released movie, 21 Jump Street. by ashlee crane

A sickening health

With diet programs and “perfect” body images dominating the media, people around the nation need to focus more on being by julie kurbjeweit

sudoku difficulty: Do you have something to contribute to the Northwest Passage?

WRITE US A LETTER

We would love to hear your opinion about anything we’ve published or other things going on around Northwest. Letters can be brought to Room 151. Only signed letters will be published.

4 8 6 6 3 1 7 4 8 9 6 6 1 5 7 8 3 4 1 2 5 2 3 4 8 2 9 3 3 4 7 2 8 6 3 4 smnw.com

31

IN FOCUS

Senior Mack Preston pitches at the varsity baseball game against Blue Springs on March 31 at 3&2 baseball complex. Preston pitched in the later half of the game, helping the Cougars win 9-7.

photo by aaron messick