Northwest Passage Vol. 42 Issue 1

passage NORTHWEST VOL. 42

ISSUE 1

SEPT. 17, 2010

TAKING IT AS IT GOES

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A SENIOR IS BACK IN SHAWNEE AFTER LIVING IN VIENNA, AUSTRIA FOR FOUR YEARS.

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change of heart 12 AFTER A HEART TRANSPLANT, BEN MESEKE IS TEACHING AGAIN.

Kids 4 Kids /14

TWO SISTERS TAKE ON THE CHALLENGE OF STARTING A CHARITY. / PHOTO BY MIKALA COMPTON

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Firewood for sale Call Branden Deal 913-207-5688

contents

northwest passage staff Co-editors-in-chief

Features Editors

Copy Editor

Entertainment Editor

Design Editor

Sports Editors

MARIA DAVISON AND STEPHANIE SPICER LAUREN KOMER STEPHANIE SPICER

Assistant Design Editor BAILEY KOPP

Assistant Copy Editors

MORGAN JONES AND BRIANNA LEYDEN WYATT ANDERSON

MARIA DAVISON AND STEPHANIE SPICER

Ads Editor

KELSEY GASSER

Graphics Editor



News Editor

Co-editors-in-chief

RACHEL FERENCZ

Opinions Editors

MARIA DAVISON AND STEPHANIE SPICER

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Staff Writers

HAYLEY BATTENBERG, WYATT ANDERSON AND ASHLEE CRANE, BRIANNA LEYDEN RACHAEL DEMJANIK, DANIEL MAGWIRE, Photo Editors TESSA MILLER, DAVID FREYERMUTH AND ALEX REVIS AND HANNA MEIGS TYLER ABSHER

NORTHWEST PASSAGE / VOL. 42 / ISSUE 01 SHAWNEE MISSION NORTHWEST 12701 W. 67TH STREET SHAWNEE, KS 66216

SMNW.COM

LAUREN MINICK AND STEPHANIE SPICER

07/reviews

PEACHWAVE FROZEN YOGURT HAS SOMETHING TO OFFER EVERYONE.  NEWS 05 news briefs

Updates on happenings at Northwest

06 news schmix  ENTERTAINMENT 07 reviews

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Peachwave: Self-serve frozen yogurt is the trendy new treat. “j. biebz-‘u smile’ 800% slower”: Pop sensation Justin Bieber’s hit “U Smile” was slowed down.

Auto-tune the news: The Gregory brothers have made videos with auto-tuned voices of news anchors and politicians.

Diana camera: A retro camera is popular among artistic photographers.

 OPINIONS 10 Judging the Many by

the Few Radical sects create stereotypes for much larger groups.

10 Staying Connected

Sisters Junior Hannah and Senior Hope Wooten pack up shoes for the charity they organized themselves. / PHOTO BY ANDY WICKOREN

Gesturing with his hands, math teacher Ben Meseke discusses geometry with his students. / PHOTO BY MARISSA BRUNS

A staff member shares her experience with long distance relationships.

 FEATURES 09 meet your new teachers

New teachers share what they think about Northwest.

11 returning home

After being told she wouldn’t have a job for this school year, Katie Melcher is back teaching, coaching and sponsoring.

12 change of heart

Math teacher Ben Meseke returns to Northwest after a heart transplant.

14 kids 4 kids

Two sisters are building a charity up from the ground.

16 taking it as it goes

Senior Maggie Simms moved back to the United States after living in Austria.

 SPORTS 18 upcoming games 19 boss

the best sports photo and Q&A with the new gymnastics coach.

20 recruitment

Three seniors work through the college recruiting process.

The purpose of the Northwest Passage is to relay important and interesting information to the community, administration and students of Shawnee Mission Northwest High School. As a newsmagazine, the Northwest Passage will cater to the interests and concerns of the student body. Outside concerns and activities will only be covered if they somehow affect the school or students. the Northwest Passage is a 24-page newsmagazine. The paper will be distributed every two weeks during fourth hour. Subscriptions will be available to the community for $35. The Northwest Passage firmly supports the First Amendment and opposes censorship. The content of the newspaper will be determined and created by the entire staff. When questions concerning word choice, legal problems or ethics arise the editorial board and adviser will discuss the problem to find a solution. In these cases, the co-editors-in-chief will the have final say in all decisions. Letters to the editor will be accepted and encouraged, but will only be published if signed. The staff reserves the right to edit for grammatical mistakes, length and good taste. Letters may attack policy but not people. In no way will ideas or viewpoints be changed. The co-editors-in-chief reserve the right to refuse any letter.

TOC

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mapping your moves NEW FACEBOOK APPLICATION CAN LEAD ANYONE YOU HAVE FRIENDED TO YOUR DOOR... LITERALLY. Facebook launched a new application, Facebook Places, on Aug. 18. SInce then, the tab has showed up on millions of Facebook pages and in those pages’ privacy settings.

With smart phones now automatically containing Global Positioning Systems, GPS, Places is already installed into the iPhone, and the same feature is coming out for the Blackberry and Android systems soon. Without a smart phone, the user must use touch.facebook.com.

When using Facebook Places, Facebook will first ask if it’s allowed to know the user’s

location. From then on, the user can type in where they are, and tag who they’re with, just like they could in a status. Users can add different locations to their Places tab, or check into places that already exist. The difference is, is that once they type in their location, anyone on Facebook can see it and click on it. They can then click on the map and get exact directions step by step to where the user is.

Many questions have arisen with the privacy policy on this application. Every time a user checks into Facebook Places

and adds a location, it pops up on their friend’s Newsfeeds, just like a status. If the user does not change the new privacy settings, anyone they are friends with on Facebook can check them into Places without their knowledge.

Unlike other Facebook applications, Places is automatically in the users privacy settings and on their homepage. Most Facebook apps you have to click in to start using. / RACHEL FERENCZ

HOW TO DISABLE ALL OF THE NEW SETTINGS Log onto your Facebook.

In the right-hand corner of the home page, click on “Account.” Scroll down to “Privacy Settings.”

The following tab says “Include me in ‘People Here Now’ after I check in”. Click the box to disable it.

Continue scrolling down to “Friends Can Check Me Into Places”. Click Disable.

Click on “Customize Settings.”

Scroll down to the tab “Places I check into” and set it to “Friends Only”.

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NEWS BRIEFS

Senior earns perfect ACT score Senior Jacob Lindenlaub walked into his ACT college entrance exams in June with one goal in mind: a perfect score of 36. He had taken the ACT twice before, but only received a score of 35. He had decided that his third attempt would be his last.

“I’m pretty sure I would have called it quits if I didn’t get it this time,” Lindenlaub said. “ I don’t know that it would have been worth it to take it a fourth time.”

When he was finally sent the scores and saw that he had received a 100 percent in all four categories of the test (English, math, reading and science), he was excited and relieved.

“When I learned the results, I was pretty happy because I knew I could do it, and I had.”

Focusing was Lindenlaub’s main challenge in taking the test.

“I think the hardest part is getting in there and telling yourself to be calm and focus solely on the test; don’t let your mind wander,” Lindenlaub said.

For his junior year, Lindenlaub enrolled in the gifted program SEEK, which is open to students who have shown outstanding academic achievement throughout middle and high school.

“Most juniors enroll in SEEK as a means of test prep,” SEEK teacher Bob Anderson said. “That’s why Jacob was here.”

Lindenlaub learned the structure of the test and important strategies, such as how many questions he would have to answer per minute to complete the test on time.

When he was given practice tests, he received the results, and then worked to correct the areas that were less than perfect.

“I think [SEEK] did help me because it gave me a mental timer of how much time I had to do each test,” Lindenlaub said. “I knew I couldn’t waste time on reading or math because you have to do a question a minute or faster to get done in time.”

Lindenlaub plans to go to the either the University of Kansas or Purdue University, in Indiana. KU offers a full ride to any student who receives a perfect ACT score of 36.

“I think my main interest in KU is not having to pay for school at all and the familiarity. Purdue is a top college in terms of engineering, which is what I want to study,” Lindenlaub said.

Anderson and Lindenlaub have some advice for students who are planning to take a college entrance exam this year. Anderson thinks that test preparation should not be the sole means of preparing for college exams.

“The most important thing is to enroll in honors, IB and AP classes,” Anderson said.

“Not only that, but to work your hardest in / ASHLEE CRANE all of them.”

Students express themselves through poetry club The Word, the new poetry club, met for the first time last week. Junior Isabel Zacharias started the club in an attempt to spark more interest in what she loves to do: Read, write and perform poetry.

“I am really into poetry, and I want more people to feel the same way. That’s the main goal of the club,” Zacharias said.

Last summer Zacharias approached Lindsay Kincaid, English teacher and sponsor of the club, with the idea of starting a poetry club.

“There is a new movement from written to spoken word,” Kincaid said.

Zacharias started the club “to allow students to feel free to express themselves through spoken word.”

“Some students don’t always share their writing in class,” Kincaid said. “So Isabel has created a safe, not intimidating environment to share your writing.”

One way that Zacharias is working to create that environment is with an anonymous poetry box.

“I want to do a lot of anonymous poetry writing,” Zacharias said. “I am working on some

projects like hiding poems around the school, and I have created an anonymous poem box for people to show off their work.”

The box is located in Room 153 and is open to anyone who would like to submit a poem or short story.

One of the major projects for the Word is the Poetry Slam. The Poetry Slam is a competition that has been held every year for the past five and is organized by Kincaid. During the prom assembly, the top two students chosen at the school-wide Poetry Slam compete for the title of “slampion.” The top four finalists go on to compete in the district Poetry Slam, where they compete against other high schools in the district.

Last year, Zacharias was the runner-up at Poetry Slam, and she plans to use this club as a way to boost participation.

“The club is not just about poetry,” Kincaid said. “It’s about building self-confidence in your writing.”

The Word meets Tuesdays at 3 p.m. in Room 153. / ASHLEE CRANE

more nw news SEPT. 1: BONFIRE/ The bonfire was canceled this year because the field was too muddy and the weather report was calling for a chance of rain.

SEPT. 3: CLUB SIGN UP DAY/ Not including sports, there are over 60 different clubs that a NW student could join.

HOMECOMING CANDIDATES/

Female Candidates: Kaitlyn Carl, Maggie Cheatham, Gwen Devonshire, Hailey Esch, Lauren Minick, Kayla Morris, Cara Olson, Sara Osborne, Peyton Smith, Paige Stevens, Elodia Terrazas Male candidates: Phil Billaci, Adam Chase, Matt Frazee, Daniel Fry, Drew Goodger, John Kaleekal, Aaron Kenney, Jon Sestak, A.J. Spencer, Aaron Thornburg, Fritz Wood

SEPTEMBER Parent/Teacher

THURSDAY Night Conferences

No School,

FRIDAY Parent Teacher

Conferences

Homecoming Parade SATURDAY

7 p.m. /

TUESDAY Orchestra Concert

in Auditorium 9:15 a.m. /

THURSDAY Homecoming

Assembly in Gym

OCTOBER 7 p.m. / THURSDAY Homecoming Football Game

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NEWS

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VLADIVOSTOK, RUSSIA – U.S. and Russian fighter jets tested their ability to work together in a joint exercise in case of a national crisis.

MASSACHUSETTS, UNITED STATES Ron Sveden was found with a small pea plant growing in his lung.

JAPAN– Japanese work the most out of all other countries, using only 33% of their vacation days.

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – Swine flu pandemic has been officially ended by the World Health Organization.

CUBA – U.S. officials are looking to lessen restrictions on Cuban travel for citizens who have relatives on the island.

CHINA – A man spent two days up to his neck in human feces after falling into a cesspit under a public toilet.

MARUDA BEACH, BRAZIL Ed Stafford became the first person to walk alongside the 4,000 miles of the Amazon River.

CHILE – Rescuers are working to save 33 miners stuck in a Chilean mine. The process will take three to four months.

“lost and found” foundmagazine.com

People upload notes and photos they find, leaving a brief commentary on where they found it.

bromance

petamberalert.com

Now in the Oxford English Dictionary.

A nation wide service dedicated to finding lost pets.

n. a close but non-sexual relationship between two men, a form of homosocial intimacy.

unclaimedbaggage.com

One store in Alabama sells all the unclaimed baggage that is left in airports around the United States.

Netflix vs. Blockbuster

A GOOD TIME TO BE:

CAR SAFETY. After the 3 point seatbelt celebrated it’s 50th anniversary. The triangleshaped belt has saved over millions of lives.

DANCING IN THE HALLS, after the new minute bell was implemented. A popular song is played for a minute before the final bell. BUSY. After a study at the University of Chicago found that being busy increases happiness, even if the work doesn’t produce anything valuable.

A BAD TIME TO BE:

HULA HOOPS. After Las Vegas banned them because tourists were blocking traffic. PHYTOPLANKTON. As researchers at Canada’s Dalhousie University found that phytoplankton populations have dropped 40 percent since 1950. Phytoplankton are the basis of the marine food chain. A SENIOR NOT PHOTOGRAPHED, after the senior yearbook photo deadline passed. That’s so sad...

DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE PASSAGE?

WRITE US A LETTER

Oct.

2009

June

2010

June

Sept.

Sept. 13 – Blockbuster CFO steps down with possible bankruptcy looming

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We would love to hear your opinion about anything we published or other things going on around Northwest or in the outside community.

Letters can be sent to passageletters@ smnw.com or be brought to Room 151.

REVIEWS

lomography diana f+ 3.5/5

peachwave

As soon as I entered Peachwave at 95th Street and Mission Road, the teenage girl behind the register welcomed me. It was my first time, and I really didn’t have any idea what I was doing. But the girls working behind the counter were more than helpful in assisting me with sample cups and showing me how everything works.

In containers on the wall were about 16 different flavors, each with a self serve, pull down handle, so I could try just a little bit of every flavor I found interesting. From pomegranate to cheesecake and tiramisu, there were plenty of choices and combinations.

After I got my small cardboard cup, I made the decision to go with a fruity theme by choosing pineapple, mango, strawberry and peach.

Once I filled my cup, I headed over to the toppings. With more than 40 different toppings to choose from, you are guaranteed to find something you like. Fresh fruit and candy options are available as well as more unique toppings. Boba balls, tapioca beads that resemble pink fish eggs, are filled with fruity juice and they burst when you bite them. Another interesting topping is mochi, which resembles a white gummy bear in color and texture.

When I was done piling on different fruity toppings, I put my over-filled yogurt

3.5/5 cup on the scale to be weighed. At only 33 cents per ounce, I was completely happy with the price, which came out to be around $4.

I then sat down on a neon green bubble chair and completely enjoyed my delicious yogurt. The manager was constantly walking around talking to everyone, asking how their frozen yogurt was.

Peachwave may not be ‘manly’ but the taste is definitely worth it. Peachwave yogurt’s taste is fresh and intense. It’s also low in fat with some fat free options. It’s a healthier alternative to ice cream, so even if you do decide to go the sweet route, you don’t have to feel guilty about consuming a ridiculous number of calories.

With plenty of flavors and toppings there is something at Peachwave for everyone. / RACHAEL DEMJANIK

LOCATIONS 

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Deer Creek Market Place 6936 W. 135th St. Tel. (913)814-0088 Prairie Trails West 15044 S. Black Bob Road Tel. (913)390-0278 9424 Mission Road, Prairie Village Tel. (913)341-2348 Leawood Plaza 12130 State Line Rd. Tel. (913)345-8393

Ever since the all-plastic Lomography Diana F+ film camera hit the shelves in 2007, it has been an instant hit among artistic photographers. Combining the looks and feel of its 1960s sister, the Diana, with new technology, the F+ is perfect for any novice photographer wanting a vintage look for less cost. For only $50 dollars, you can get the Diana F+ camera body and a 75mm lens. And if you want additional lenses to broaden your artistic potential, don’t worry, Lomography makes five other lenses, including a fish-eye, each of which costs less than $50.

But just because this camera is more affordable doesn’t mean advanced photographers should shy away from it. The Diana uses 120mm film, which compared to standard 35mm film, gives off rich and saturated colors that pop right off of the print. This effect creates high contrasted and bright colored pictures.

Plus, the camera allows you to take multiple and partial exposures, meaning that you can take as many photos you want on one frame before advancing the film. These effects create unique photos that never look the same.

By far the best part about this camera has to be its convenience: It’s small, weighs next to nothing and is userfriendly. With minimal settings and a comprehensible manual, anyone can learn to use this camera. Lomography’s large online community is a spectacular bonus, with huge forums available to everyone.

On the other hand, its all-plastic construction makes it more prone to damage. Plus the cost of film and the cost of developing said film is expensive. If you can’t afford the film have no worries; Lomography fans have put the retro look of the Diana into an app for your phone.

This app gives a cellular device’s camera the same effects that the real Diana has.

Whether armature or professional, the Diana F+ is a great buy for anyone who loves artistic photography. / DANIEL MAGWIRE

REVIEWS

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3.5/5

“j. biebz-‘u smile’ 800% slower” The newest buzz revolving around pop-sensation Justin Bieber is slowing him down—not career-wise, but the speed of his songs. If you search on Google, more than 400,000 hits come up.

His new hit single “U Smile” has been slowed down by 800 percent, turning what was a three-minute song into a 35 minute masterpiece, comparable to the work of Enya. But even though this version is a huge success, it was not the work of his label.

A Floridian producer, Nick Pittsinger, made this melody using a free software called Paulstrech, that creates this effect on songs. According to Pittsinger, it started out as a joke.

“I shared it on Reddit, and it got popular on the site. I was watching it on SoundCloud go from 50 to 100 [listens] to 1,000 to 5,000. I was joking that it would be funny if it hit 10,000.” Pittsinger said in an interview with PopWatch.

Well, Pittsinger should be laughing, seeing as his version got 1.7 million listens in the first week alone.

Although Justin Bieber is a huge success, he is really quite annoying, at least until he is slowed down eight hundred percent. He then becomes relaxing, not the annoying teenage sensation that all of the every pre-teen girl is obsessing over.

Clearly, Justin Bieber slowed down is a success, and maybe he’ll gain more fans, or at least a bit more respect from this project. / TESSA MILLER

 UPCOMING CONCERTS Built to Spill (rock and pop) Beaumont Club, Sun. Sept. 19, 8 p.m.

So You Think You Can Dance Live Tour Sprint Center, Fri. Sept. 24, 7:30 p.m.

Kevin Hart (comedian) Uptown Theater, Fri. Sept. 24, 7:30 p.m.

Kottonmouth Kings (rap and hip-hop) Beaumont Club, Sat. Sept. 25, 6:30 p.m.

96.5 The Buzz Presents Beachball 2010 (ft. Smashing Pumpkins) Sandstone Amphitheater Sat. Sept. 25, 5 p.m.

Goodfoot (rock and pop) Uptown Theater, Mon. Sept. 27, 7 p.m.

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AUTO-TUNE THE NEWS Watching the news for me has always been a snooze-fest; I never thought I would be able to enjoy the news in the form of a catchy auto-tuned song. So when I recently stumbled upon a series of YouTube videos titled Auto-Tune the News, I was left with a new-found respect for the magic of auto-tuning.

The creators of the series, known as the Gregory Brothers, have taken clips from national and local news programs and auto-tuned the voices of anchors, senators and even President Barack Obama. Some of the issues covered include the proposed legalization of marijuana, health care reform and economic woes. The performers in the series cleverly “show up” via green screen in news rooms, presidential conferences and congressional meetings, dancing around in the background and cutting in with their own auto-tuned voices.

The videos have featured a few special guests. The king of auto-tuning himself, T-Pain, offers a way to pump up a speech by Vice President Joe Biden in the eighth episode of the series. Joel Madden, lead singer of Good Charlotte, shares his opinions on how lies on the Internet are “pure poppycock” in Episode 11. Many other political leaders and news anchors also appear in the series, whether they agreed to it or not.

The most popular video by far “The Bed Intruder Song,” which had about # views by the time this story when to print. It all started with Antoine Dodson, a young man from Huntsville, Ala., who went on a local news broadcast and expressed his frustration about the

5/5

intruder who broke into his home and sexually assaulted his sister. After this video surfaced, it instantly went viral.

Soon, the Gregory Brothers put their own version up on YouTube. They autotuned the voices of both Dodson and his sister, and the song became an instant sensation. It reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 as well as became one of iTunes’ top-selling songs.

Plenty of students have seen the videos and are responding positively. “I think the videos are pretty interesting,” sophomore Katelyn Hoffman said. “They pretty much draw your attention from the very beginning.”

“I think that they are hilarious,” senior Logan Gunther said. “I couldn’t stop laughing.”

In my opinion, it’s more interesting to listen to a song than just another talking head. That’s why turning clips from news programs into catchy three-minute music videos is such a brilliant idea. This auto-tuning craze keeps building and branching out, and auto-tuning the news is an innovative step-up.

Auto-Tune the News is becoming quite a sensation. If you need a good laugh, this YouTube series can give you just that. These hilarious music videos might change your perspective on both auto-tuning and the news.

As the series’s theme song states, “Everything is better auto-tuned.”

As the series’s theme song states, “Everything is better auto-tuned.” / ASHLEE CRANE

THEIR YOUTUBE CHANNEL: + VISIT http://www.youtube.com/user/schmoyoho

meet your new teachers

NEW TEACHERS SHARE THEIR THOUGHTS ON STUDENTS, LIFE AND EXPECTATIONS.

Colleen Farthing Special Education teacher

“I actually don’t live far from Northwest, and I have three kids. Two of [my children] attend Shawnee Mission Schools.

My daughter is a freshman at Shawnee Mission East and my son is a 7th grader at Antioch Middle School.

And then I have a fourmonth-old baby.”

Tammy Simms

Spanish 1 and 2 teacher

“I’m just excited to be here at NW. I’ve had a great couple of weeks, and I’m excited for the rest of the school year.”

Tara Maske

Leslie Selzer

“I really want all my students to succeed, that’s why I’m a teacher. I want them to get excited by geography, like I’m excited by geography.”

“Even though I am here half time, that doesn’t mean part time. When I’m [at NW] I am here full time.

I don’t think of my job as half of a job; it’s a whole job while I’m here. I want the students to know that I’ll be here whenever they need me.”

Social Studies teacherWorld Geography

Half day math teacher, Geometry and Algebra 1A

Laura Ramsey Special Education resource teacher

Virginia Hammes

SEEK/Gifted Education teacher

“I try not to have expectations. I just try to make sure everyone succeeds in what they’re doing, and to give my help to anyone who needs it.”

“I love NW; there are so many opportunities for students to excel, even just listening to the morning announcements, I get excited for all the things that are going on.”

Barbara Hoffman

co-teacher in English and Special Education “Because I’m such a reader, I love being around new adolescent fiction. I love to see what my students are reading because it gives me new ideas; there are always new books I want to read now.”

Max Cornell English 9 and 10 teacher “I think that hopefully [my students] will realize that I have their best interests at heart, and I’m trying to teach them things that will be valuable to them later on in their lives. The things [I teach] have a purpose, they’re not just random, and if [the students] don’t fully understand my purpose I hope they can trust that [I] have a plan.”

Jeff Dickson

Weight Training Instructor, Foundations of Physical Education teacher and girls basketball coach.

“I pay attention to what’s going on around the state, and I noticed Northwest was one of the top schools in Kansas and one of the best [schools] in the Nation. That’s why I applied for a Northwest position, I wanted to be a part of something like that.”

Tina Griggs

Social studies teacher- US history, economics, and foundations of law “I’m always available for any purpose; if [students] want to come talk to me about problems, issues, concerns, whatever, they’ll always have an open ear.”

/ HAYLEY BATTENBERG FEATURES

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judging the many by the few LAUREN KOMER

THE PARK 51 MOSQUE PROPOSAL REVEALS ANTI-ISLAMIC SENTIMENT BASED ON TERRORIST ACTIONS

HAYLEY BATTENBERG

staying connected WITH MY BOYFRIEND IN COLLEGE, WE’RE AIMING TO MAINTAIN OUR RELATIONSHIP.

His hair is now chopped short, naturally bleached from the summer sun. A faint smile hovers on his lips as I try to even out our height difference by standing on my tip-toes. The smile fades as we both look toward his car.

“I need to go...”

He’s off at college now. One hundred and sixteen miles away, beginning a new phase of his life, while I buckle down for my hardest year of high school.

We’re determined to make this work. I even bought The Long-Distance Relationship Guide: Advice for the Geographically Challenged, a funny, and overall positive, book.

“I know there are many more reasons for getting in a LDR (long distance relationship), and whatever reason you want your LDR to work, I agree it’s worth a shot,” the intro says. “You’ll also need a sense of humor, a lot of hobbies to keep you busy during the time between phone calls and visits .... If you find it difficult to talk about your feelings over the phone ... you need to start developing those skills now ... because LDRs come with a different set of problems from the ones that spring up in everyday, close-range relationships.”

Time for a mental checklist: Sense of humor?

(Check) We make each other laugh all the time.

Lots of hobbies?

(Check) Between journalism and band and work, I hardly have time to sleep.

Talking on the phone?

(Check) We talk every night, if not more. Actually hearing his voice, listening to him laugh or noticing how he grows quieter when I tell him I miss him are what have to replace the eye rolls, the smiles and the hugs.

I miss him. Terribly.

Yet we’re enduring, leaning on each other when one is doing worse.

When I got into a LDR, I searched for some advice that would help me overcome all hardships. It really boils down to a choice: You try to make it work or you don’t. I chose to try to make it work. Every relationship is different. You have to choose what’s right for you, and what will ultimately make you the happiest in the end.

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/ SEPT. 17, 2010

I am a white, mostly Christian, 16-year-old female. However, I wouldn’t want anyone judging me based on these facts.

I believe most students at Northwest, along with most people around the world, would agree with me when I say no one wants to be judged for anything other than their personality and achievements. Unfortunately, that’s not how people of the Islamic faith — as well as many other faiths, races and sexualities — are being treated.

People around the nation are protesting the construction of a mosque two blocks from Ground Zero, where the World Trade Center Twin Towers once stood in New York City, because they associate the attacks on Sept. 11 with the Islamic religion. What they choose to ignore is that the crimes were committed by an extremist group, al Qaida, which is wholly separate from mainstream Islam and its beliefs, just as white supremacy is wholly separate from Christianity. Accusing all Muslims of supporting al Qaida is similar to accusing every Christian in America of agreeing with Fred Phelps and the Westboro Baptist Church. The majority of Muslims around the world feel animosity toward the terrorist cell just as most Christians disagree with the Phelps family. Sadly, people sometimes do, but it is by no means the norm.

The fear and misunderstanding of Islam due to al Qaida causes individuals to associate every Muslim with terrorism. People need to understand the difference between extremist and mainstream Islam. In a poll taken this year, four in 10 Americans say they have an unfavorable view of Muslims, and five in 10 say they believe Muslims are more likely than any other religion to use violence to support their faith, yet only six in 10 actually know any Muslim Americans.

Most Muslims behind the project understand that the wounds of the Iraqi war and Sept. 11 are still fresh, but they want their fellow Americans to see that they aren’t the extremists they have been unfairly stereotyped as.

These stereotypes emerge in the halls of Northwest just as frequently as they appear in New York, Washington, D.C., and everywhere else in the United States.

But at Northwest, students don’t protest Muslims, they taunt them.

Instead of screaming racial slurs, students whisper prejudiced jokes. One version is not more right or acceptable than the other. Any sort of intolerance is still intolerance, even if the intention was not to offend.

Last year, Northwest chose not to acknowledge the anniversary of Sept.

11. While I wasn’t offended by the event going unnoticed, many other students could hardly mask their anger.

Numerous hate-fueled stories about “the terrorist Muslims” were shared, and more than a few of our turbanwearing peers were accused of being in cohorts with al Qaida. Racial slurs were mumbled between friends: taunts about long hair, disgusting smells and foreign accents. Joking or not, these statements are hurtful, hateful and completely intolerable.

Also, the students who wear turbans? They’re not Muslim, they’re Sikhs. Those are two totally separate religions. This is just one more reason people need to educate themselves before they voice their opinions.

I’m disappointed by the people who don’t take the time to learn about what they proclaim to hate. If you don’t understand it, how can you possibly know it stands for everything you detest?

I’m not entirely innocent of being ignorant myself; I’ve jumped to conclusions about people based on characteristics completely unrelated to their personalities. I try my hardest to stay unbiased in my opinions of people, but every once in a while I see someone who I automatically typecast.

It’s hard not to judge before knowing the facts, but people are individuals, capable of making their own decisions.

It’s not right or fair to judge the many by what the few are.

returning home

photos by brittany bonsignore

SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER KATIE MELCHER RETURNED AFTER FALLING VICTIM TO BUDGET CUTS.

“I was devastated,” social studies teacher Katie Melcher said. “Crushed.”

At the end of the 2009-2010 school year, Melcher was told that she would not be able to return to her teaching position for the coming school year because of budget cuts.

“She pulled the whole exec. board (Spirit Club Executive Board) aside and told us all.

We all cried because it felt like we were losing a part of our NW family,” junior Taryn Vogel, Spirit Club secretary, said.

With no concrete sense of what she would do, Melcher hoped that something would work out. “[I had my] dream job only to have it ripped away from [me],” Melcher said.

Melcher has known Northwest since she was 8 years old and attended her first Bonfire. With two older sisters, Melcher had been involved in school activities since her oldest sister, seven years her elder, began high school. Thirteen Bonfires later, Melcher was hired as a World History and World Geography teacher at Northwest.

“It’s home,” Melcher said. “There’s something about tradition that you can’t replace.”

As a freshman in 1999, Melcher was involved in track and field, band, StuCo, basketball and Spirit Club. Spirit Club became what the 2003 graduate’s niche in high school. She had wanted to be in the club since before she entered high school.

“No one should go through high school and not get involved in something,” Melcher said.

Melcher knew that she wanted to be a teacher, and she longed to be at Northwest. She felt as if she had been handed her dream job when she was hired, teaching at her own high school and revisiting the place she grew up. Melcher was the freshman and sophomore girls’ basketball coach as well as the sponsor of Spirit Club.

“She makes everything fun,” Vogel said.

“She is just really real. I feel so comfortable [going] to her if I ever have anything to talk about. She’s always there for us.”

Melcher became not just a sponsor, coach and teacher, but also a close friend of her students.

“She’s like my mom and my sister at the same time,” senior Natalie Lutz, co-vice

president of Spirit Club said. “She’s more than just a sponsor.”

The summer took an unexpected turn for Melcher. The automotive technology teacher, Rod Huse, retired late last May. According to Principal Bill Harrington, Northwest began its search for a new automotive technology teacher at the beginning of the summer. However, the same position was open at two other Shawnee Mission schools. Six weeks passed and there was still no sign of a teacher to fill any of the three automotive technology positions.

With an unfilled teaching position and high enrollment rates in the social studies department, the position was transferred there. Melcher was at the top of the recall list, so she hired back for the 2010-2011 school year.

“When I got the text that she was back,” Vogel said, “I screamed and jumped up and down.” / KELSEY GASSER

Social studies teacher Katie Melcher stops to talk to two students about their work.

Melcher converses with Spirit Club at a meeting earlier this year.

Melcher talks with Spirit Club member Jessica Tingle about spirit week.

FEATURES

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Math teacher Ben Meseke smiles at his class while his students work. / PHOTO BY MARISSA BRUNS

change of heart BEN MESEKE IS BACK AT NORTHWEST TO TEACH THIS YEAR AFTER A HEART TRANSPLANT. Sitting in front of the class on a Friday morning, math teacher Ben Meseke explained bypass heart surgery to his Honors Geometry students.

“You got veins and arteries going in and out of your heart. He ate too many McDonald’s french fries and all those fries are sitting in his veins and arteries and the blood is not moving through them. And if he doesn’t get if fixed quick, the blood is going to quit flowing and he’s going to have a massive stroke and probably die.”

“So what they have to do is, they have to go into your heart. And to get to your heart, you gotta get by these bones, there’s a whole bunch of bones in here,” he says, pointing to his chest. “So they have to saw this bone right here in two. And then they had to open him up.”

“You’re not going to get sick, are you?” Meseke asked a girl in the front row. She shook her head, “No”.

“All right. They take out the bad veins or arteries.

They take those out because they have too many french

12

/ SEPT. 17, 2010

fries in them and throw them away. They get new ones...where?” he asked the class.

“From your leg,” a boy in the back offered.

“From your leg. They cut into your leg because the ones in your legs are real stretchy. They cut a new piece out. They take the two in your regular cut, pull them back together and they...I don’t know how they put them back...they duct tape or super glue or something.

They put them back together. They take the new one and put it up here,” Meseke said, again pointing to his chest.

“A transplant,” he said, “it’s about the same thing.”

“Here we go. Would you do that?” Meseke asked the class.

“Would it hurt?” a boy asked.

“You know, it was really unusual for me but, this, it didn’t hurt at all,” Meseke said, pointing to his chest yet again. “I don’t know why.”

*** This was the first five-minute Friday, just like the last 13 years Meseke has taught at Northwest. Every Friday, for the last five minutes of class, he discusses a topic unrelated to math with his students. Generally, it’s a question that makes them think, just like this Friday. And just like every other year, the student’s aren’t too talkative the first time around.

But last November, Nov. 6, was the last fiveminute Friday, and no one was sure if there

was nearly perfect.

“They came in and they were just bragging about the new heart they got. I don’t know where it’s from, but they used the word “pristine” which just means, pretty darn good,” Meseke said.

Though he was walking the day, Meseke spent 10 days in the hospital, St. Luke’s, following his surgery.

When Meseke decided he was ready to come back to teaching full time, there were no positions open at Northwest because of budget cuts. Laura Berry had taken over for him in November of last year, when he left. She was slated to continue teaching at Northwest this year. But when a position became open at SM West, Meseke was offered the job.

He would have taken the position at West, but Berry made another offer first. Associate principal Lisa Gruman approached Berry, explaining the situation to her. Without Gruman even having to ask, Berry offered to take the position at West, so Meseke could return to Northwest.

“I just told her [Gruman], ‘That’s absolutely ridiculous. Meseke will come back to Northwest and I will go to West to teach. He belongs at Shawnee Mission Northwest high school,’” Berry said. “There wasn’t a lot of thought to put into it. I’d been at Northwest since November, so I’d been there a good six months. I loved it and wanted to call it home.

He’s been there for over 10 years. And he was not only loved as a basketball coach, but he was loved as an Honors Geometry teacher and just a figure in that school for all the students and all the parents and all the faculty. So I could never take that away from somebody else. I just wouldn’t have felt right for him to spend his last few years of teaching at a different place than he’d been at for so long.”

Berry is now at SM West, teaching Geometry and Algebra 1B. “My heroes used to be George Brett and Superman,” Meseke said. “Now they are my donor, who I’ve never met, and Ms. Berry. It’s just an awesome thing that she did.”

Meseke is waiting to see how teaching goes this year, before deciding about coaching basketball this winter.

“It’s a lot better than I thought it was going to be,” Meseke said. “It’s getting better as we go along and it’s just going to continue getting better.” *** “What if you were 62? Now would you do it?” Meseke asked his class.

Several boys automatically respond, “Yes.” “Let’s turn it around,” Meseke said. “How many say, ‘when I die, I would give up my heart to somebody else?’”

Everybody raised their hand, except one girl in the front.

“You didn’t raise you hand,” Meseke said.

“I don’t know if I would,” she said.

“You think about it,” he responded.

Standing in front of his class, math teacher Ben Meseke explains geometry in relatable terms for his students. / PHOTO BY MARISSA BRUNS

“My heroes used to be George Brett and Superman,” Meseke said. “Now they are my donor, who I’ve never met, and Ms. Berry. It’s just an awesome thing that she did.” would be another one.

“When I left in November, it was because when I tried to walk up the stairs; I’d get halfway up and have to stop to get some strength and go on,” Meseke said. “I was getting weaker and weaker and weaker.”

Every year before basketball season, Meseke has an appointment with his cardiologist, to make sure he is in good shape for coaching because of heart conditions he has had in the past.

“Obviously, I knew things were heading in the wrong direction.” Meseke said. “I was just getting so weak that I couldn’t do anything.”

According to Meseke’s doctor, there was nothing they could do for him at that point, except to get a heart transplant. And it could have be anywhere between a few months and a few weeks before a heart would become available.

The only thing Meseke could do then was rest. Doctors prefer to have a well rested body to perform the surgery on. They also wanted to make sure that nothing happened to Meseke before he could get the transplant.

“I was put on the list and I went home and waited. I would get up and dry my hair in the morning and when I was done my arms were —” Meseke shook his arms like they were noodles. “I could feel it every day.”

Meseke went through three days of medical testing, to make sure he didn’t have cancer or any other diseases that would complicate the transplant. The results came back showing that the only thing wrong with him was his heart.

“In March, March 13, I got a call. They said they had a heart for me.” Meseke said. “I drove to the hospital and waited. The heart came. I don’t know whose it was; I don’t know where they lived; I don’t know anything about them.”

Three different times over the time between November and March hearts came up for Meseke. But his doctors turned each of them down, saying that they could find something better. The fourth time, they found a heart that

/ MARIA DAVISON

the truth about ORGAN DONATION  According to OrganDonor.gov, 19 people die each day waiting for organ transplants because of a lack of donation.  Organ donation is supported by most religions as an act of generosity.  After donation, an open casket funeral is still possible.  Organ donation can only happen after you are dead, so even if you are admitted to the hospital if you are injured or sick, they will work to cure you first.  To become an organ donor, indicate the decision on your driver’s license or state issued ID or download the form from www.mwtn.org  For more information, visit donatelife.net or organdonor.gov

FEATURES

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Kids Kids

TWO SISTERS TAKE THE IDEA OF

COMMUNITY SERVICE OVERSEAS.

“Taliban kills eight more.”

“Death toll rises in the Middle East.”

“Troops finally withdrawing from Afghanistan.”

These headlines have been inundating the newspapers for years. And even though the situation in the Middle East is finally coming to a relative end for American soldiers as they continue their drawback, the civilians left behind continue to be in danger. Little kids play in minefields and run through their streets lacking vital necessities.

This is what prompted junior and senior Hannah and Hope Wooten to step in.

The two sisters, with the help of their mom, have set up Kids 4 Kids, a charity dedicated to collecting shoes and supplies for children and shipping them overseas to their soldier father for distribution.

“Our dad was the one who presented us with the idea while he was stationed in Afghanistan,” Hope said.

“He spent a lot of time with the civilians, and got to know what they really need, and decided he needed to start an organization so they could get those supplies.”

Because their dad is still on his third tour overseas, stationed in Afghanistan, Hannah and Hope have to start the whole process over here by themselves.

“I have never personally been to Afghanistan, but my dad has,” Hannah said. “When I interviewed him in eighth grade, he said he sees things he never want to see again, and if we help kids there, it will make their lives better. A lot of charities here helps kids that are here, but no one is over there for them, except the soldiers.”

Hannah and Hope actually started helping kids in the Middle East a couple years ago by sending care packages filled with sweet treats.

“We also send over teddy bears and candy. They love getting those over there from the soldiers,” Hannah said. “The soldiers are their heroes, figuratively and literally.”

Creating a charity is far more complicated than one might think. The girls have already gone through many legal motions: applying to the Secretary of State to be an official organization, applying for a tax ID from the IRS and becoming a 503-B, which would make donations tax deductible.

“Basically we’re starting from the very bottom. We have nothing yet; we are looking for donations of supplies we need, and straight money donations are

14

/ SEPT. 17, 2010

appreciated to go toward purchasing those supplies,” Hope said.

The sisters are still heavily involved in other charitable projects: They both are in Coalition, NHS and they work at a local animal shelter, the Pet Connection.

“I do community service because I think people in need should have as good a life as I have, or better, and if everyone does community service, lots of basic issues could be resolved. People could have food, animals could find homes and we’d be more aware of current events and social issues,” Hannah said.

People everywhere need help from other people; sending shoes, teddy bears and candy to kids in Afghanistan and Iraq is just one service that Hannah and Hope believe in.

“Not everyone has the resources to go over and volunteer, but with Kids 4 Kids, just giving shoes is, like, the best thing to a little kid in Iraq or Afghanistan,” Hannah said.

In CCC, a class both of the sisters take, helping others and daily community service is emphasized heavily.

“Community service is not something extra, not something added on. It’s part of your daily schedule. We make it important; we make it part of the day,” CCC teacher Ron Poplau said. “It’s a lifestyle, not a class.”

This “lifestyle” for the girls has led to going to elementary schools to help students, participating in the Oceans of Mercy Run and the CF (Cystic Fibrosis) Walk, working at the Shawnee Gardens retirement home and volunteering for Parents’ Night Out, where parents of special education students around the area can leave their children in the hands of responsible students and adults so they can have one night a month of relaxation.

“The number one thing Poplau says is that the doer of good becomes good,” Hope said. “Usually when I go and talk to him after helping at the elementary school, he always says, ‘It’s amazing how they’re influencing you. You may think it’s all for them, but we really get so much more out of it.’”

“It’s like the battery in your car: The more you drive, the more it gets charged. So, the more you do community service, the more you want to do it,” Poplau said. / BRIANNA LEYDEN

Sisters senior Hope and junior Hannah Wooten discuss plans for packing supplies to send to Afghanistan, where their soldier father will distribute them to children in need.

community service AT NORTHWEST

Many of the service organizations at Northwest (Key Club, Interact Club, National Art Society, International Baccalaureate, CCC for starters) have found that although they require community service hours, most members have fun doing it and end up getting more than necessary.

“A lot of members do way over fifty,” Key Club sponsor Carolyn LaFever said. “In most cases when working with people, you get more out of it than they do; it’s just all about how you feel when helping others.”

“Ubuntu” is what Poplau calls it, a South African word that relates the concept, “I am because you are.”

“My very existence depends on another. We ARE our brother’s keeper. We are born incomplete, and we complete ourselves through other people,” Poplau said.

“We would die without other people. We are born with vocal cords, but no words and have to learn them. We are born hungry, with no food. We get all that from other people.”

LOCAL CHARITIES  Fighting Poverty and Hunger Harvesters.

City Union Mission Salvation Army

 Helping Kids

Operation Breakthrough YouthFriends Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Kansas City

 Helping Animals Pet Connection Animal Haven

 Finding a Cause

Literacy KC U.S.O - Operation Care Package American Cancer Society

FEATURES

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Senior Maggie Simms listens to the teacher in class. Simms spent four years in Vienna, Austria and is back in the United States for her senior year. / PHOTO BY MIKALA COMPTON

Simms’ Vienna

When she lived in Vienna, senior Maggie Simm’s used the Ubahn public transportation system, which is a subway. Here are some of the places she went.

1. “Many people went here. It’s right by the

Danube River, and has restaurants, basketball courts, bikes and paddle boats for rental. There are also trampolines out on the water to use.”

2. “Prater Theme Park.”

3. “Around Schewedenplatz and Schnottenter were many bars and coffeehouses that we hung out in.”

4. “Zoo.” 5. “Artis International, an English movie theater.”

1 3 3

streets street. “

= “....Mariahiferstrate, a big shopping

= “This street was called Kärntnerstrasse, with a lot of shopping.“ “Within the dotted line is the main city center, where a majority of the clubs and bars we went to were“

16

/ SEPT. 17, 2010

5

4

2

taking it as it goes AFTER MOVING FROM AMERICA TO VIENNA THEN BACK TO AMERICA, SENIOR MAGGIE SIMMS HAS LEARNED HOW TO ACCEPT CHANGE. Senior Maggie Simms’ first day at an American high school, strangely enough, hadn’t been that hard to figure out. There were the few friends she knew who could give hear a ride and keep her from eating lunch on the bathroom floor. People had already helped her figure out the fastest way to get to most of her classes. And while she wasn’t really sure what the little yellow bathroom pass was all about, she figured it wouldn’t take long for it to catch on.

Anyway, after conquering a move to a new country, nothing could be that hard.

Simms grew up living a fairly ordinary American life. She was born in North Carolina and then moved to Shawnee when she was 4. During her elementary and early middle school years, she involved herself in multiple activities, including Girl Scouts and various clubs and sports. But when it was time for her to go into her eighth-grade year at Hocker Grove, life took a dramatic turn and she moved to Vienna.

“It was really random, actually. We knew my dad was going on a business trip to Vienna, but then, one night before he left, he explained to us that it was actually a job interview. Five weeks later we were packed up and on our way there. I was not happy about it. I mean, it was middle school. That’s when everyone is like ‘Oh, I’m so cool.’ And I was starting over,” Simms said.

Simms’ dad, David, works for IBM, specifically in helping business leaders be more effective in leading their businesses. Before the move, Simms’ dad still worked internationally, but it was through time constraints (waking up early or going to bed very late) to accommodate the different time zones he was dealing with. For him, the move meant being able to interact with people in the different countries more easily, and he was much closer business meetings.

“I traveled to places like Czech Republic, Turkey, Russia, Egypt and South Africa.

When you live in Vienna and go to any one of five countries around you, it’s the same as living here and going to, say, Oklahoma City. It was fascinating and very different,” David said.

For Simms, the move was still upsetting. She missed her friends back home and things were very different. As time went on, however, Simms became accustomed to Vienna and even began to enjoy it. Before long

she was even happy that the move had happened and started getting more involved in school. During her three years at the private international school she attended, she participated in volleyball, track and field, swim and dive, Student Council, National Honors Society, Habitat for Humanity, prom committee, Students for Tomorrow and a new student orientation club.

“The new student orientation club was just a way to help new students get around the school since every year about a quarter of the school is new people,” Simms said.

“Habitat for Humanity was especially a

because we weren’t supposed to be there until 9. It was awful.”

“I think at any age to leave your culture and be submerged in another, it’s a great thing to do,” Anne Simms, Maggie’s mom said. “It helps you learn more how to appreciate your country and if not that, then how to appreciate other people and their culture.

It really opens up the world. It’s definitely not easy, it’s hard. You see yourself as the stupid American but you have to go through it. Some days it’s hard, but some days it’s amazing.”

One thing that made the family’s move

"I THINK AT ANY AGE TO LEAVE YOUR CULTURE AND BE SUBMERGED IN ANOTHER, IT'S A GREAT THING TO DO. IT HELPS YOU LEARN MORE HOW TO APPRECIATE YOUR COUNTRY AND IF NOT THAT, THEN HOW TO APPRECIATE OTHER PEOPLE AND THEIR CULTURE. IT REALLY OPENS UP THE WORLD. IT'S DEFINITELY NOT EASY, IT’S HARD. YOU SEE YOURSELF AS THE STUPID AMERICAN BUT YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH IT. SOME DAYS IT'S HARD, BUT SOME DAYS IT'S AMAZING." — ­ ANNE SIMMS great opportunity, though. We spent about one year volunteering,and then, around Thanksgiving, we went to Braga, Portugal, and built houses for people.”

Interacting with other countries not only was a benefit for Simms’ dad but also for Simms. The school she attended had a variety of ethnic groups mixed within the total 600 students. Outside of school, Simms interacted with multiple types of people and nationalities. Her best friend from Vienna was half Venezuelan and half Russian. Also, she, just like her dad, traveled to multiple other countries. In fact, at one point the family had a competition going as to who had visited more countries. Simms had the experience of not only living within her country, but within the countries around her.

“For sporting events, we would play other international schools. So instead of going to [Shawnee Mission] West, we would go to Zurich, Athens, Munich or Budapest,” Simms said. “I remember when we went to Warsaw. We got there at 5 in the morning, and it was raining. We had to wait for four hours before we could get into the school

unique was that they never knew how long they would be in Vienna. Originally they were supposed to be there for two years, and then it was bumped to three, then four and finally a fifth. But, due to the economy, the fifth year never happened and they, along with other international families, were sent back home. Once again, Simms was forced to start over.

“There’s not much we could have done. I wasn’t ready to leave, but I’m not too upset.

[Shawnee] is where I grew up. Plus, I kept up with a lot of people,” Simms said.

In early August, the family moved back to Shawnee and the same home they use to live in. Simms returned to school in the same district and was reunited with the friends she hadn’t seen in a while. And even though she was glad to be back, her senior year was nothing like she expected.

“I thought I was going to graduate there.

I’ve never been to a football game, never been to homecoming and I can’t drive.”

Simms said. “To be honest, I have no expectations [for this year]. I’m just showing up to do it. Just taking it as it goes.” / MORGAN JONES FEATURES

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UPCOMING GAMES Football Sept. 17 vs. Olathe South 7 p.m.

Sept. 24 vs. Lawrence HS 7 p.m.

Oct. 1st vs. SM South (Homecoming) 7 p.m.

Girl’s Golf Sept. 27 at SM East 3 p.m.

Sept. 29 at St. Thomas Aquinas HS 3 p.m.

Sept. 30 at Olathe South 1:30 p.m.

Gymnastics Sept. 18 at SM East 11 a.m.

Sept. 20 at Emporia HS 6 p.m.

Sept. 25 at Lawrence HS 11 a.m.

Sept. 30 at Olathe East 6 p.m.

Volleyball Sept. 21 vs. SMNW Quad 5 p.m.

Sept. 25 at Tonganoxie Tourney 8 a.m.

Sept. 30. vs. SMNW Quad 5 p.m.

Oct. 2 at Lawrence FS Quad 9 a.m.

Girls Tennis Sept. 20 Lawrence HS Quad TBA Sept. 22 at Lawrence FS Quad 3 p.m.

Sept. 27 at SM 3:15 p.m.

Sept. 30 at Sunflower League 8 p.m.

Boys’ Soccer Sept. 21 vs. SM West 7 p.m.

smnw [PHOTOS.com] forgot your camera? we didn’t. check out:

Sept. 27 vs. Rockhurst HS 7 p.m.

Sept. 28 at Lawrence FS 7 p.m.

Sept. 30 vs. Lawrence HS 7 p.m.

Oct. 2 at Washburn Rural 12 p.m.

Coed Cross Country Sept. 18 Pella, Iowa 8 a.m.

Oct. 2 Baldwin City 8 a.m.

SPORTS

/ PHOTO BY DAVID FREYERMUTH

boss/

BEST OF SPORTS SHOT

// by maria davison

QUESTION + ANSWER WITH KAREN LEE GYMNASTICS COACH Q: What is your day job?

A: I work at 24-hour fitness. I am a fitness instructor. I teach aerobics, which is what we’re getting ready to do.

Q: Where did you coach before you came to Northwest?

A: I’ve coached in the private clubs, Lawrence Gymnastics Academy and Kansas School of Gymnastics.

Q: Were you a gymnast in high school and college?

A: I did club [gymnastics] at Elite and I also did gymnastics at SM West.

Q: What were the highlights of your high school gymnastics career?

A: I won state three years in a row. I competed through level nine, there are 10 levels. My high school team got second at state when I was a senior.

That was probably the highlight reel from high school.

Q: What are you looking forward to most this year?

A: I am looking forward to teaching the girls new skills and just seeing how far along the girls can come in three months time, to see what they can make of their season in the short time that we have.

Q: What are your goals for this year?

A: It’s so hard to tell, because we’re so early in the season, where we’re going to end up. So it’s hard to say, “We’re going to win state.” I try not to put a value on it in that way, like we have to win state to have a successful season.

Right now its just about learning and competing the skills that the girls want to. My goals are the girl’s goals.

Q: How is the team working together?

A: So far, so good. It’s been a little bit of a growing process getting everybody to know each other and starting to get to know each other’s work habits and how we all work together, but I think we’re starting to get on the other side of it, where we’re starting to just settle in to a groove.

SPORTS

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Senior A.J. Spencer looks for a team mate to pass to the ball while being guarded by an SM East player in the 2009-2010 season. / PHOTO BY KEVIN BUIE Senior Drew Goodger holds the spirit stick while wearing his football uniform at the bonfire assembly. / PHOTO BY BRITTANY BONSIGNORE

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/ SEPT. 17, 2010

matter of choice TWO SENIORS ARE GOING THROUGH THE COLLEGE RECRUITING PROCESS.

Being recruited by colleges can be an exhilarating but pressure-filled situation. Seniors AJ Spencer and Drew Goodger are currently feeling the pressure as they are recruited by collegiate athletic programs. Both athletes will soon be faced with the toughest decision: Which school will they go to?

Drew Goodger

A.J. Spencer

FOOTBALL

Football season is under way, and senior Drew Goodger is getting ready to show off his ability to universities interested in him. Coaches, some from D-1 schools, have talked to Goodger about playing for their football programs, some even Division I. Northern Illinois, Kansas State, Southern Illinois, Missouri Western, Kansas, North Dakota State, and South Dakota have already contacted Goodger.

“Choosing a school won’t be my decision; it will be the coaches’ decision to choose me and offer me a scholarship.” Goodger said.

South Dakota has been the only school so far to offer Goodger a scholarship, but he is not too interested in playing there Much like Spencer, Goodger will be waiting to announce and then commit to a college until well after the season.

He may even wait until the spring to announce it. This gives him a lot of time for schools to look at Goodger, and possibly give him the scholarship he desires. He worries a little bit that colleges may offer the scholarships to other athletes, and not have a scholarship for him.

The recruiting process started for Goodger when he caught the eye of college coaches last fall but going to

BASKETBALL camps is how Goodger got his name out there and how he really caught the attention of football programs.

“Coaches do not have time to come to your Thursday and Friday night football games. I began to meet the coaches in person at the camps I went to over the summer.” Goodger said.

Another huge thing that has helped get the attention of coaches are the highlight videos of Goodger’s best plays sent out with the help of head coach Aaron Barnett.

“All Star Video Sports takes the video and they are great. They let us pick out the game film, and they send it out quick. Coach Barnett has been a big help as he has established good relationships with some of the coaches, and helps me pick out the best film to send to the programs.”

What helps Goodger a lot is that he has nearly an entire season left to play in front of some interested recruiters.

Despite the 24-point losses to both SM East and SM West, it all comes down to how Goodger plays individually.

“As I am nearing the end of my recruiting experience, my advice for others that may be following me is just to go to all the camps you can. Make room in your schedule and get your name out there, because no one will do it for you.”

Most high school athletes dream of playing for a Division I university. Senior A.J. Spencer may be about to realize that dream.

“So far the schools looking at me are TexasSan Antonio, Middle Tennessee State, Louisiana Tech, Illinois Chicago and Hartford. Right now, I have no idea where I am going to go,” Spencer said.

These basketball programs are not the most prestigious in the league, but, they are all Division I. The whole recruiting process has been filled with ups and downs for this athlete.

“The coach at Santa Clara called me and seemed really interested. It even seemed like he would offer me a scholarship, but the next time he called me he said he had offered it to another guy. It was kind of frustrating but it’s either they don’t offer it or they do.” Spencer said. “At the time, I was frustrated, but now I use these experiences as motivation.”

Spencer plans to wait to commit to a school until basketball season ends. He wants as much time as he can get to decide, so he can make the right decision. Even though the decision won’t be until spring, Spencer’s time with the recruitment process is coming to an end and he wishes that he knew the things he knows now.

“Keep eyes on all schools. Talk to every school no matter what because you never know what will happen. Whether it’s Division I or Division 4, still talk to them because you never know what might happen.” / BRADY KLEIN AND ALEX REVIS

FEATURES

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/ PHOTO BY MIKALA COMPTON

“I have always loved sports and it’s a really good excuse to get passionate about the team while doing something fun and challenging and staying active.” ­—Senior Mackenzie Rex