Caution! Do Not Enter!

The Chronicle reflects on the vandalism and bathroom closures that have plagued North for the past few years

page 8

Contact Information

Mailing address: 600 E Prairie St. Olathe, KS 66061

Email: onpublications@gmail.com

Responding to the Publication

Letters to the editor can be submitted to the email address listed above. Letters may be published in print. Letters may not be personal attacks against an individual and may be edited for brevity or legibility.

Advertising

Dear Eagles, With full tummies and rested minds, we begin the final stretch of the semester. Whether you spent your break watching World Cup games, applying to colleges, or napping, we hope you feasted with your loved ones! But now, it’s time to get back on the grind, turning in late work from October and

studying for finals. And in a few short weeks, we will be home again, engrossed in the holiday spirit. With one semester coming to a close, The Chronicle staff reflects on the good and the notso-good memories from the school year. We wish you a great end to the calendar year and happy reading!

2022-2023

editors editors staff staff

Editors-in-Chief

Menaka Garapaty

Eve Loehrer

Copy Editor

Jackson Stephens

Online Editor

Mallory Graybeal

Advertising Manager

Vin Parazin

Staff Editors

Bria Dawson

Paige Keith Graphics Editor

Alex Rhodes-Irvine Staff Writers

Nate Gunderson

Whitney Graybeal

The Chronicle accepts advertisments. These can be submitted to the email below. Pricing and other information can be obtained by contacting us at: onpublications@gmail.com

Purpose

The Chronicle is the official high school news publication of Olathe North High School and open forum distributed to all students throughout the year.. This is the second issue of volume eight. The Chronicle is printed by Osage Graphics. This is a student publication and may contain controversial material. The Olathe Unified School District No. 233 and its board members, officers, and employees disclaim any responsibility for the content of this student publication; it is an expression of the School District Policy. Students and editors are soley responsible for this student publication.

KJ Jackson

Lili Madden

Reese Pope

Denise Villa-Hernandez

Staff Designers

Jasmine Saldana

Pidge Stephens

Photo Editor

Taylor Sales Adviser

Crystal Babb

Eve Loehrer

Menaka Garapaty

| Design by Vin Parazin

Clearing the Haze

By Jackson Stephens | Copy Editor Art by Alex Rhodes-Irvine | Graphics Editor

Since 2015, JUUL Labs has been smoking the competition when it comes to e-cigarettes. The company is most known for its trademark JUUL pods that add flavor to a vape device. These addictive products have gotten the company in trouble in recent years due to their prevalence in high schools across the country.

Two months ago, JUUL settled to pay $440 million to be split among 33 states and the territory of Puerto Rico due to an investigation led by Connecticut Attorney General William Tong.

health crisis and we’re taking action.”

The long term effects of vaping are still unknown due to its relatively recent emergence onto the market, but scientists are finding more and more evidence to point to its danger to students’ health.

One risk of vaping is the fact that nicotine is still present in 99% of commercially available vape pods, including pods that are marketed as containing 0% nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive chemical that impedes the development of the brain by inhibiting the parts of the brain that are responsible for learning, attention, and mood, which can put teenagers in a less than ideal situation when it comes to school.

A secondary risk of vaping is the materials that can be inhaled from the vape device. Several dangerous substances have been found in the aerosol that is expelled from the device, such as diacetyl, multiple carcinogens, and heavy metals like nickel and lead. None of these mate-

ducted by the University of Michigan, the number of underage vapers peaked in 2019, where 30% of 17-18 year olds reported having vaped at least once in the 30 days prior to the survey. By 2021 that number had dropped to 25% and has since continued its downward trend. Aside from vaping’s health risks, it also causes some academic problems. When students skip class to vape in the bathroom or other secluded areas they aren’t learning the material they need to know to succeed in school, which makes life beyond high school harder for them.

I’m under no illusions and cannot claim that it will stop youth vaping,” Tong said. “It continues to be an epidemic. It continues to be a huge problem. But we have essentially taken a big chunk out of what was once a market leader, and by their conduct, a major offender.”

The Olathe School District has also sued JUUL in recent years. The District filed a complaint against the company in September 2019, claiming that the sale of the pods and vaping devices is a danger to students’ health.

Shannon Wickliffe, the Olathe School Board President, said that “Vaping is an epidemic and, as community leaders, we’re taking the lead to protect our students and future leaders. The hidden dangers of vaping are triggering a

rials are conducive to one’s health, especially not for a still-developing adolescent.

According to a survey con-

A study done by the University of Rochester Medical Center found that both students and adults who vaped developed a “mental fog” that prevented them from focusing on information and remembering it at a later date. If students aren’t able to remember important information on tests and do poorly on the test as a result, that can potentially shift the entire trajectory of their life. There is still hope for students who vape. The sooner someone stops vaping, the less damage they’ll do to their lungs and the better quality of life they’ll have. The hard part of quitting vaping isn’t quitting - it’s staying quit. According to WebMD, nicotine withdrawal symptoms generally peak within three to five days of quitting and most people who relapse go back to vaping less than two weeks after quitting.

Two weeks after quitting nicotine, the physical symptoms will start to subside but the mental symptoms will persist a while longer. According to the National Cancer Institute, some of the best ways to handle the mental side of withdrawal are preparing for cravings ahead of time, surrounding yourself with people who will support you, and picturing the future you, free from nicotine’s hold and living your life to the fullest.

Information about quitting vaping can be found at teen.smokefree. gov or by calling 1-800-QUIT-NOW.

“Vaping is an epidemic and, as community leaders, we’re taking the lead to protect our students and future leaders”

-Shannon Wickliffe

Flight Crew Finds Fame

By Eve Loehrer | Editor-in-Chief

Earlier this school year, North’s Eagle Flight Crew found fame on TikTok. Flight Crew had three videos go viral on the app, boosting them to over 9000 followers.

On August 31, they posted two of the videos that took off: a video explaining the “rules of the student section” garnered over 400,000 views and 60,000 likes, and a video of the “top 6 chants” for gameday was even more popular, with 2.6 million views and over 700,000 likes.

Flight Crew received a lot of attention in the comments, but some of it was negative. In the comments of the videos, users posted comments like “that’s cool pull up y’all’s record” and “That’s y there’s 10 ppl there.”

In response to these comments, Flight Crew posted a follow up video after the football game on September 2, showing off the size of the student section during a game and North football’s victory over Olathe East. This video also reached a large audience on TikTok, with over 800,000 views and 225,000 likes.

“Every thirty minutes someone would text in our big group chat and be like ‘guys, there’s this many views, this many likes,’ and we were all just really excited,” senior Taylor Sales said.

Flight Crew is also active on Instagram and Twitter. Their teacher, Amanda Harrington, runs the Twitter, while Sales runs the Instagram. Flight Crew is most active on Instagram, post-

ing game reminders and themes, senior reminders, and general school reminders. Sales joined Flight Crew because she wanted to increase school spirit and excitement at games.

“I think it makes the games more fun because sometimes the game isn’t always how we wanted it to be on the field or on the court, but the spirit and having everyone there makes it more enjoyable,” Sales said. With football season over, Flight Crew is preparing for basketball. They have continued posting on TikTok, but haven’t reached the same level of success. “It was probably like ten minutes of fame,” Sales said. “But it was cool to see.”

The Olathe North student section, led by Eagle Flight crew, participating in the beach out theme at the September 2 game against Olathe East. | Photo by Jessica McCue

Kanye Kontroversy

By Bria Dawson | Staff Editor and Whitney Graybeal | Staff Writer

Kanye West is a singer, rapper, writer, producer, and fashion designer. He is also one of the most well known hip-hop artists of all time. For many years, West has found a way to become relevant in social media, a lot of times receiving a lot of backlash. West is one of the world’s best-selling artists, selling over 160 million records. He has won 24 Grammys and earned 75 nominations. As a person with a large following and impact, West has recently been taking some actions that not all agree with. Just this October, West was suspended from both Twitter and Instagram for making anti-semitic remarks. West said that he wished for “Defcon 3 on Jewish people.” Despite West’s comments, people are still drawn to his music.

“Kanye West has an impact on people’s lives because he touches on harder topics that many can find relatable without making his music sadistic,” sophomore Mia Suero said.

West’s social media suspensions may not seem like a big deal, but because West has such a large platform, people idolize him. West has an influence and his opinions can influence his followers. During season 9 Paris Fashion Week, West wore a shirt that said “White Lives Matter” while standing next to Candace Owens, an American conservative and activist, who was also wearing the shirt.

West has previously made comments that have received backlash. Taylor Swift, an American Pop-Artist, won Video of the Year at the 2009 MTV VMAs. During Swift’s acceptance speech, West ambushed the stage, interrupting her speech voicing his opinion that Beyonce should’ve won the award instead

Taylor Swift at the VMA’s in 2009,” junior Sareena Kandalkar said. “As a Swiftie and liking Kanye’s music, I really feel like Taylor Swift gave him his fame.” West has been open about his diagnosis of being bipolar. Bipolar disorder is a mental condition that causes depression and major mood swings. This condition causes a wide range of issues for those who suffer with it, causing someone to go through intense manic phases down to depressive episodes which can last for months. West has been open about getting help and working on handling his illness, although the challenges of being bipolar still do affect his choices and decisions.

“There is no defending him, but I also think jumping on him and hating him is ridiculous,” senior Mason McDonald said. “He’s obviously mentally ill, if you couldn’t tell from his Instagram and Tweets. Eventually he’ll get the help he needs. Besides, he wrote ‘Graduation’, so any hate is immediately invalidated.” Recently, multiple celebrities have spoken out against West’s anti-semitic comments, including his ex-wife, Kim Kardashian, who said that West needs to stop with his “hateful rhetoric towards [the Jewish community].”

of Swift. Some think that this problematic interruption boosted West’s career.

“I think Kanye got clout from

“He can’t really control being bipolar,” sophomore Logan Roth said. “At the same time, I feel like some things that he does, he can control but just chooses not to.”

Kanye Over the Years

“HE CAN’T REALLY CONTROL BEING BIPOLAR. AT THE SAME TIME, I FEEL LIKE SOME THINGS THAT HE DOES, HE CAN CONTROL BUT CHOOSES NOT TO.”

- LOGAN ROTH.

10

2009: Interupted Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech at the MTV Video Music Awards

2015: Said that “Racism is outdated”

2016: Reignited feud with Taylor Swift

2016: Supported Bill Cosby

2018: Stated that “Slavery was a choice”

2022: Wished for “Defcon 3 on Jewsh People”

a spotlight on Daniela Estefes-Santos

By Eve Loehrer | Editor-in-Chief

On October 14, senior Daniela Estefes-Santos spoke at the Latinx Education Collaborative’s Evolución Conference in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month. At the conference, Estefes-Santos discussed why Latinx representation matters to her as a student.

“I would say it’s just being [...] surrounded [by] people who feel the same way and [are] so passionate about keeping culture in the school and making sure kids know that they are wanted in the school,” Estefes-Santos said.

As 28% of Olathe North’s student population is Hispanic, Estefes-Santos believes it’s especially important to make sure that group feels represented.

“I think it’s definitely just making sure that the Hispanic percentage of the school, the Latinx community, is involved and seen doing things like this, like when a Latinx student does something for a school event or maybe a sports event or just out of school,” Estefes-Santos said.

Olathe North Spanish teacher and Latina Leadership sponsor Marta Silva presented Estefes-Santos the opportunity to speak at the Evolución Conference. Estefes-Santos said that Silva has helped her reach this point where she is able to present about her identity and what matters to her.

“I think it’s just her being a Latinx activist and her being a constant supporter of all her students and making sure that our voices are heard,” Estefes-Santos said.

As a senior, Estefes-Santos is the president of Latina Leadership Club. Olathe North also has a Hispanic Leadership Club, but Estefes-Santos explains that Latina Leadership Club fills a different need in the school.

“Latina Leadership Club is about building a community of Latinas and talking about the hardships,” Estefes-Santos said. “And not only just looking at them and talking about them, but also celebrating the hardships and also celebrating the good things that as a

Latina community we face and endure.” Recently, Latina Leadership Club raised money for the Hispanic Development Fund’s Cambio para Cambio (Change for Change) fundraiser which contributes to the scholarship funds of Latinx students in Kansas City. In the future, Estefes-Santos plans to attend Kansas State University and major in Architectural Engineering and Latin American Studies.

“I want to do engineering because there’s only such a little percentage of women, especially Hispanic women, in engineering, I want to do that to advocate for women in STEM,” Estefes-Santos said. “Then [I will] also study Latin American Studies to educate myself on my culture.”

Estefes-Santos’s identity as a Latina has pushed her to learn about her culture and advocate for others like her.

“Overall I was just grateful [for] being able to share my experience and share my story about just growing

up in a predominantly white area and being able to find the pride of my identity within the struggle,” Estefes-Santos said.

Latina Leadership Club members pose with their sponsor, Marta Silva. Latina Leadership Club raised over $6,000 for the Hispanic Development Fund and their funds were matched by the organization. | Photo courtesy of Daniela Estefes-Santos

Estefes-Santos before her presentation at the Evolución Conference. | Photo courtesy of Daniela Estefes-Santos

Toilet Tomfoolery

By Paige Keith | Staff Editor and Jackson Stephens | Copy Editor Additional Reporting by Denise Villa-Hernandez | Staff Writer

The first thing you see in the girls’ bathroom in the lower 900s is a purple pen drawing of boobs just left of the tally chart where you can vote for your favorite body part. In the upper 900 girls’ bathroom, you are welcomed by a marker scrawl on the stall wall that reads ‘my ex is trash.’

The vandalism in the bathrooms at North changes every day. No matter how hard the janitors work to remove the graffiti, more inevitably comes to take its place. Since the 2019-20 school year, bathroom vandalism has only gotten worse. Its peak was during the 2020-21 school year, when the graffiti became more apparent.

“I think it’s part of the school. It’s like a piece of history,” sophomore Mercy Hasty said.

The janitors work hard everyday to keep up with all of the bathroom wreckage, leaving room for new chunks of vandalism everyday.

“Vandalism is basically a massive middle finger to the custodians, which is very disappointing on many levels,” senior Isobel Li said. “Custodians already receive little compensation nor recognition for their work, let alone compensation for cleaning up defecation murals and replacing stall doors that were taken off for fun.”

The janitors spend time at the end of every day cleaning the bathrooms but damage beyond everyday wear and tear can slow them down.

“The vandalism] is unbelievably disrespectful to the janitors and cleaning staff that are in here working hard. I was

here at the school because of basketball until 9 pm last night, and they’re here. They’re always here, it’s unbelievable. They work so hard to keep our school clean and for people to [vandalize] the bathrooms and leave a mess for other people to clean up is completely disrespectful,” history teacher Brent Schulte said.

“It frustrates me and all of the teachers when the bathrooms are closed,” Schulte said. “We have a lot of vandalism down here in the 900s hallway, and then the mens’ bathroom is closed and I’m now out of a bathroom. That irritates me greatly, and my students. It’s a small group of people creating big problems and it makes me and most of us mad. Stop doing it!”

The trend, popularized by Tencent-owned social media app TikTok, involved students removing items from bathrooms in their highschools. Senior Noah Smith didn’t appreciate the trend, saying that “when property damage began it was not as cool, especially since basic life needs were being limited.”

Repairing the bathrooms can take hours depending on the extent of the damage, especially if a toilet or sink has been broken or stolen. Other, smaller messes take less time to clean up but still add on to the end of a janitor’s workday. “It depends on the size of the mess, but it takes roughly 20-25 minutes to clean up the messes in the bathroom. It’s a lot of work,” janitor Armando Sanchez said. Some students will remember the “devious lick” trend that came to North during the first semester last school year that resulted in most of North’s bathrooms being closed.

This trend was not limited solely to Olathe North. Schools around Olathe and the country suffered from property damage. Evan Noeth, a senior at Olathe Northwest High School, said that because of the trend, mirrors were ripped off of bathroom walls and doors were ripped off their hinges.

“Please think about the work we do, how much work we do, and the time we take.”

- Armando Sanchez

The Chronicle reflects on the vandalism and bathroom closures that haveplaguedOlatheNorthforthepastfewyears.

Graffiti in the lower 900s girls bathroom | Photo by Eve Loehrer

Another problem, Noeth says, was that due to the vandalism at Olathe Northwest, only five people were allowed in a bathroom at a time but only one mens’ bathroom was open in the entire school. This meant that if all the stalls were full, people who wanted to use the mens’ restroom either had to wait or not go at all.

“Once the trend started, the mirrors and towels dispensers in the bathrooms immediately disappeared. I had to walk to the gym restrooms because none of the close ones were open,” Olathe Northwest senior Easton Lane said. Fellow Northwest senior Shane Macrorie notes that “some of [Olathe Northwest’s] bathrooms still don’t have mirrors in them,” indicating the lasting damage the vandalism has caused.

The schools have to pay to replace stolen items and when the budget has already been reduced, that can put a strain

vandalistic acts? Is it because of their social environment, the way they were brought up, or something completely different?

The Olathe Public Schools Code of Student Conduct defines vandalism as “the willful or malicious destruction or defacement of any property.” The code also classifies vandalism as a Class II Offense, meaning that even the first offense can result in both in and out of school suspension, as well as being prevented from competing in or attending athletic events.

Knowing these consequences, it can be hard to believe that there are some students who still commit vandalism. And yet, vandalism is more common than most people think.

A primary reason for this is peer pressure. Many vandals deface public property because they want to enhance their status within their social group. They feel that “standing up to authority” in that manner makes them seem cool to their friends.

own self-esteem. An inhibited person who acts aggressively and is not punished feels relieved and encouraged.”

A tertiary motivation for vandalism, while less common, is committing the crime with the intention of canceling school for the next day. Some vandals believe that if they can do enough damage to the school, then the administration has no choice but to close the school for repairs.

Olathe North has not been closed due to vandalism in more than four years, so vandals operating under this philosophy will be sorely disappointed. Their efforts will not have been completely in vain however: oftentimes their actions will result in many of the school’s bathrooms being closed for repairs, forcing over 2,000 students to share two bathrooms amongst themselves.

“I do not like being on the verge of peeing myself, considering we’re also not allowed to use the bathroom ten minutes before or after the bell rings,” sophomore Angel Samano said. Some students believe that it’s not fair for the janitors to have to clean up after students who make messes in the bathrooms.

“Their job is to clean up regularly occurring trash and to keep the school running efficiently. It is not right to create more work for people already working very hard,” senior Matt Coffman said. The janitors agree with Coffman’s sentiment.

“Please think about the work we do, how much work we do, and the time we take. Value what we do in this school,” janitor Sanchez said.

on resources beyond the approved cuts because the district hadn’t planned on having to replace multiple bathroom fixtures.

“We can’t say exactly how much money it was but [it was] a lot,” Sanchez said. “It took a long time for repairs too.”

This raises the question: why do students feel the need to commit so many

According to the Arizona State University Center for Problem-Oriented Policing, many teens choose this method of increasing their standing because there isn’t a risk of them failing, like there is in a game or fighting. Another reason some students commit vandalism is because they are angry at either the administration of the school or their teachers for various reasons, such as feeling they shouldn’t have been punished for doing something they shouldn’t have, or because they are doing poorly academically and blame their teachers for their failure.

The Department of Justice says that “vandalism permits powerless individuals to strike out against the institutions which control them and to take charge of the situation themselves, arousing fear in others and raising their

Graffiti in the upper 900s girls bathroom | Photo by Paige Keith

“I do not like being on the verge of peeing myself...”

- Angel Samano, 10

Among Us family drawing in the lower 900s girls bathroom | Photo by Eve Loehrer

Let’s Talk Scholarships with Logan Van Winkle

By Eve Loehrer | Editor-in-Chief and Reese Pope | Staff Writer

Logan Van Winkle

ON College Advisor

Q: When would you advise students to start applying for scholarships?

A: “Anyone in high school can start applying for scholarships. When you’re a freshman, sophomore, junior, it’s a lot more difficult to get them because you’re usually competing against everyone in high school because there’s rarely scholarships that are specifically for those grades. [T]he best time to start applying as a senior is probably after you’ve applied to college itself because usually applying to college will open you up to scholarships from the universities that you’re accepted to, whether they’re automatic scholarships or their scholarship database. [...] Get into college, then focus on scholarship searching, and I would say the best time to really focus on that is probably from like November to March of your senior year.”

Q: Where are the best places to look for scholarships?

A: “To raise your chances to get scholarships, I think the best thing to do is to start looking in specific spots [...] Look at the schools that you’re interested in going to, see what scholarships they have available, then look locally, and that’s going to be, for us it’ll be Olathe, it’ll be the Olathe School District, and it will be Kansas City, like the greater Kansas City Metro area. Almost all cities have some sort of local scholarships, and so obviously the smaller the applicant pool, the more likely you are to get the scholarships.”

Q: How can students improve their scholarship essays?

A: “When going through the writing process of scholarship applications, I would approach it two different ways. Number one, I would approach it one at a time. It can be very tempting to work on several scholarships at once but you’re not going to put in the same amount of effort into ten scholarships if you’re working on all of them at the same time as you would if you have one scholarship and you’re just working on that one [...] Number two, I would say to keep track of what you’ve written. So sometimes they’ll have you write directly into a database, but I would recommend writing whatever essays you write in a Google Doc, keeping them ready, that way if you are working on a later scholarship and it has a question similar to an essay you’ve already worked on, you can pull that up, you can kind of retool it to work with the specific scholarship, and make your life a little bit easier.”

Q: Who can students go to for help?

A: “If students need help working on scholarships, I am always available. You can find my QR code on any of the many flyers around the school with my face on them. They can also go to their specific counselor, and also they can go to just Xello, obviously that’s not a person, but Xello has a large database of scholarships, some local, some more national, but there are over 200 on there right now for seniors and I know that they continue to update it throughout the year.”

Q: Anything else you want to add?

A: “Word of advice for the underclassmen, is if you do start your scholarship search, try not to get burnt out before your senior year because it’s important if you have that motivation, to start looking for scholarships early, however, because it is a little, it’s less likely that you’re going to get a scholarship as a freshman, sophomore, or junior. So I just really want to caution underclassmen to definitely look, put in that effort, but also know that senior year is when it’s really going to hit you hard and you will have a lot more opportunities with a lot higher chance of receiving the money. If you’re a senior and you have not started applying to college yet, I would definitely work on that because you have to, the earlier you get accepted to college the more likely you are to receive scholarships from college.”

New Clubs

By Menaka Garapaty | Editor-in-Chief and Lili Madden | Staff Writer

In the last couple school years, a few new clubs have made an appearance at North, adding to the large number of diverse organizations here at North. Founders and presidents shared the club formation process and their experience with the community.

Muslim Student Association

Abrahim Ansari, Founder & President

Q: Why did you feel motivated to start this club?

A: “Seeing the Muslim population increase within our students each year at Olathe North, I saw there was a essential need for a club or organization to be started in our school. Islamophobia is incredibly prevalent in our society and even our school environment. I’ve talked to many Muslims at our school and the hardships that come with representing one’s identity. One student spoke about the anxiety and how they don’t feel like they belong in this country when wearing a hijab. Hearing upon these struggles, I established the first MSA in the Olathe school district.”

Q: What is the main premise of this club? What do you hope to achieve?

A: “MSA seeks to promote inclusion of all religions and most importantly a safe and welcoming environment for anyone. We function to foster an environment where Muslims can interact with each other through a variety of social, educational, and religious activities. Our overarching goal is to build unity through diversity and education. The club aims to provide programs for people of all backgrounds, levels of knowledge and levels of piety to learn and meet with other Muslims here at Olathe North!”

Q: Is the club open to everyone? How can people join?

A: “Yes yes yes yes! We cannot stress this enough! Being Muslim or not is never accounted for in this club. Here at MSA, anyone is more than welcome to join. If you are curious or want to learn more about the club, come see me or our club sponsor, Ms. Fisher, in room 712.”

Q: What are your plans for the club this year?

A: “As this is the first official year of our MSA, preparation is still in the works. We plan on collabing with other MSAs around the area and host fun interactive events, including service projects. Part of MSA is discussing real world problems and how we can contribute to help out with solutions. For example, with the hijab crisis and the oppression women have been facing in Iran, we plan to help out and speak out about it, raising awareness. Make sure to join the GroupMe for more information about our events!”

South Asian Student Association

Menaka Garapaty, Co-Founder & President

Q: Why did you feel motivated to start this club?

A: “The club existed before the pandemic as the Bollywood Dance Club, but I restarted it because I really enjoyed the environment when I was a member my freshman year. We changed the name to the South Asian Student Association because while dance is a big aspect of our culture, we wanted to bring more cultural aspects to North.”

Q: What is the main premise of this club? What do you hope to achieve?

A: “We want to create a community for South Asian students, but more importantly, include others to teach them about our traditions. In past years, we have performed in the Diversity Assembly unaffiliated with any club, so this year we will perform representing SASA! We hope to host celebrations for holidays throughout the year to educate peers on our beautiful culture. With many customs becoming mainstream, we would like to teach people of their origin and significance.”

Q: Is the club open to everyone? How can people join?

A: “The club is open to every Olathe North student! Follow @onhs_sasa on Instagram to get updates for upcoming events. We plan to form a GroupMe, but for now, you can see me or Meirah Paul for more information!

Q: What are your plans for the club this year?

A: “After the Diversity Assembly, we want to fundraise for relief in South Asian countries so events like Cricket Day and Chai Time are in the works. Bollywood movie watch parties would be pretty cool too.”

K-pop Club

Ainslee Magee, Founder & President

Q: Why did you feel motivated to start this club?

A: “I wanted to start this because people don’t always feel accepted when talking about K-pop and I wanted to make a safe space for us to just have fun and talk and learn K-pop dances”

Q: How did you get people to join?

A: “I made sure to ask my friends to help spread the word and I made a poster to try and show what different groups there were and different things we would be doing.”

Q: Did you feel confident that people would join and acknowledge this club?

A: “I wasn’t totally sure that people would join and I was scared that I would only have like 5 people join, but in reality, tons have joined and I feel confident we can still get more.”

Debaters Go Off!

By Menaka Garapaty | Editor-in-Chief

The Olathe North Debate team has had a successful past few seasons, especially with a large number of recent accomplishments. The squad started off the school year strong with both novice (first-year) and DCI division debaters placing at some of the biggest tournaments in Kansas and Oklahoma. Their accomplishments have not come easy though; preparing for a debate tournament is a great time commitment, and competing with others of the same work ethic requires going the extra mile.

Sophomore Lynn Setter is a second-year debater and extremely involved in the program. She is proud of her season so far, especially with her

lecting their fair share of medals. The competitors started their high school debate experience with multiple placements in 2nd, 4th, 5th, and 8th. Setter is excited to see the novices grow and continue their successes.

“I believe that the older kids have the ability to go far, but especially the novices,” Setter said.

Some of the biggest wins for ON Debate are accredited to third-year debaters junior Andrew Dai and senior Isobel Li, a strong team who has proved their high skill over the years. At a tournament in Oklahoma, Dai and Li advanced to the partial octofinals as they competed against some of the best teams in the nation. Additionally, they debated with some of Kansas’s top teams at Washburn Rural and finished with a successful 7-1 record. Dai is ready to take on further challenges this season.

“[Isobel and I] are going to a tournament in Chicago with 120+ teams which is the biggest tournament all year,” Dai said.

The number of top finishes accomplished by the Olathe North debate teams are rewarding, but the victory does not come easy for the participants. Hours of preparation are required to gain a strong understanding of the season’s debate topic, as well as to develop a strong case and thorough arguments.

the actual competition is not easy either. “During a debate tournament, you don’t have much time off,” Setter said. “As we say, ‘it’s not a debate tournament if it’s running on time.’ We debate for about an hour and a half, going back and forth like a pendulum. We rant afterwards and go to the next round. It could be monotonous but it’s always fun to hear the different arguments.”

Setter explains debate can be a high anxiety event for anxious people. She thanks coaches Richard Belske and Larry Swanson for providing support to her and the rest of the debaters.

“Debate would not be nearly as special to me if the [coaches] weren’t there to keep me going, and honestly I would have never had the success I have without them,” Setter said.

Olathe North Debate is a strong program that is only growing in talent. As the season progresses, debaters will continue to work hard to represent Olathe North in the state and beyond.

first-place finish at the Olathe South tournament with her partner, senior Alex Brake. She hopes to only better her performance as the semester progresses.

“So far my tournaments have gone pretty well,” Setter said. “I placed third and first at my first two tournaments, and I am starting to level up in my competition.”

The novice debaters are also col-

During a debate round, there is an affirmative and negative side. The affirmative must propose a policy that supports the given resolution or topic. The negative’s job is to use on-case (cited evidence) and off-case (evidence of their own) arguments to prove to the judges that the affirmative case fails to solve the issue at hand. The work prior to the tournament is lengthy, and

“I BELIEVE THAT THE OLDER KIDS HAVE THE ABILITY TO GO FAR, BUT ESPECIALLY THE NOVICES.”

-LYNN SETTER, 10

“DURING A DEBATE TOURNAMENT, YOU DON’T HAVE MUCH TIME OFF. AS WE SAY, ‘IT’S NOT A DEBATE TOURNAMENT IF IT’S RUNNING ON TIME.’”

-LYNN SETTER, 10

Above: Junior Andrew Dai, sophomore Isabella Foster, sophomore Hannah Cleveland, and senior Isobel Li eating dinner at a restaurant in Oklahoma City the night before day one of the Heritage Hall TOC Qualifier. | Photo courtesy of Isobel Li

Bottom Left: Cleveland, Foster, Dai, and Li with former Olathe North debater and guest coach Kendall Kaut after they learned they broke directly to the octofinals at the KCKCC Policy Debate TOC Qualifier. | Photo courtesy of Isobel Li

Bottom Right: Debate partners Dai and Li holding their plaque after the Heritage Hall TOC Qualifier. | Photo courtsey of Isobel Li

Design by Graybeal and Keith

College Commits and Classism

By Mallory Graybeal | Online Editor and Paige Keith | Staff Editor

As seniors in high school, college is a topic that is frequently brought up throughout all aspects of our lives. While some students may be excited about their future plans, they may also be a cause for anxiety due to finances and student debt. We have previously heard it claimed throughout the student body that students who plan to attend in-state colleges, namely public schools such as Kansas State University and the University of Kansas, are lazy and didn’t apply themselves in high school. Not only is this belief incorrect, but also inherently classist. According to the Education Data Initiative, the average student in 2022 at an in-state institution spends $25,707 for one academic year. For a student attending a school out of state, this cost is $43,421. For a student that takes out their own loans, it is way more affordable to go to an in-state school than to go to an out of state one. When looking at an almost $18,000 difference in cost, whether a school is ‘prestigious’ or not may become significantly less important to those who are making their own financial decisions. Shaming a fellow student for picking a more affordable college option is discriminatory against their financial situation and just generally insensitive. Many students may also plan to attend graduate school. For students who are supporting themselves financially without help from parents or guardians, taking out loans for both undergraduate and

graduate school adds up fast. Going to an in-state school with lower tuition for an undergraduate degree in order to save money for graduate school, or to minimize the total amount of debt a student has when they enter the workforce, is a perfectly valid plan that should not be

“When looking at an almost $18,000 difference in cost, whether a school is ‘prestigious’ or not may become significantly less important to those who are making their own financial decisions.”

such, are painfully elitist and problematic. According to the National College Attainment Network, college is becoming significantly less affordable. The Network found that in 2019-2020, only 24% of public universities were affordable for the average Pell Grant recipient. During the 2015-2016 school year, it was 29%. It’s great that some students have the financial resources to attend more expensive schools, but they shouldn’t be making those that do not feel bad about their college plans.

looked down upon. Not everyone is in a situation involving financial support from parents that allows them to choose ‘fancy’ private schools for college and students who need to be aware of that. It’s important for students to recognize that while they are loudly talking down on public, instate schools in their classes, those sitting around them may not have another option. Beyond affordability, schools like KU and K-State are perfectly good schools. According to the U.S. News, KU is the 10th best medical school in the country for primary care. College Magazine listed K-State as the 4th best veterinary school in the country in 2018. Students who believe that in-state schools are less than due to their acceptance rates, and treat students who opt to go there as

In 2016, The Wall Street Journal found that going to ‘prestigious’ schools only helped graduates’ income in some fields. For STEM graduates, they found that the average yearly earnings 10 years after graduation didn’t have much variation. “If an engineering student chose to attend the University of Pennsylvania instead of Texas A&M, the average starting salary would differ by less that $1,000,” Eric R. Eide and Michael J. Hilmer said in the Journal. “But the tuition difference would be over $167,000. At the higher salary, you’d have to work for more than 150 years before you make up for that[…]tuition difference.” Ultimately, different students have different career goals and different financial statuses and plans. All of these deserve to be supported and no student should be made to feel bad about their college choices, as we have seen frequently done within our classes this year.

Pictured pennant courtesy of Adrian Martinez

North Nonsense Nonsense North ---- ----

By Paige Keith | Staff Writer

In my four years at Olathe North, I have felt my freedom diminish significantly. The tragic vending machine loss of the 2021-22 school year added insult to the injury of the loss of lunch privileges and bathroom freedom. Freshman year, a simple “Can I go to the bathroom?” would suffice. Now, an e-hallpass is required, and by the time my ancient laptop has been turned on to make my pass, I’ve wasted more time than actually just hustling to the bathroom. As we lose something new each year and more restrictions are placed, I declare that North has become more strict.

“Using an e-hallpass feels so un-

Prior to school being shut down for COVID, e-hallpass wasn’t used at Olathe North. Teachers would write physical passes or just trust their students to come back in a timely manner.

“I feel like after all that’s gone on, the school is trying to regulate it to where it doesn’t make sense anymore,” sophomore Bria Dawson said. “I think e-hallpass should be used for people that are constantly skipping, where the teacher knows they’ll be gone for ten minutes. Unless you have a pooping condition, no one should be in the bathroom for ten minutes. We all know you’re skipping. It also doesn’t make any sense why e-hallpass is enforced when none of the administration uses it. Like maybe one of my teachers uses e-hallpass so I just don’t go to the bathroom during their class.”

While North students voice their distaste towards e-hallpass, other Olathe schools have alternatives that are universally disliked.

“We have to have a pass physically written every time we go somewhere now because no one liked e-hallpass, so don’t worry it gets worse,” Olathe East senior Cameron Castaldi said.

ing accessible is problematic. “The vending machine restriction is so awful, I miss my snacks. I used to go during DS to get snacks when we weren’t busy which was great, but I understand people abused them or whatever. Still makes me mad though,” junior Camryn Ronning said. Some students of the class of 2023 who have witnessed a new restriction every school year feel as though North has become more stern.

necessary. Sometimes the laptops are slow and I’m in my classroom with no service so it takes way longer to make my pass,” junior Jimena Saldivar said. “I understand the reasoning behind it I guess but nobody likes it and most of my teachers don’t even use it.”

Other students agree that our method of hall passes is not accepted nor practical.

“[E-hallpass] is a little silly. I much prefer when you’d have to take like a lanyard to the bathroom and bring it back,” senior Dakota Oliva said.

I voiced my complaint very loudly in an issue of The Chronicle last year about the vending machines being restrictive. The point of a vending machine is for convenience, and now our vending machines serve no purpose further than being decor.

“I actually never used the vending machines, but I feel like it was unnecessary to restrict them,” sophomore Angel Samano said. “Lunch isn’t the most solid option for some people so the vending machines gave them a chance to not go hungry.”

Other students agreed that the vending machines not be-

“It’s been getting more and more strict ever since freshman year (2019-2020) because first Eagle Halftime went away, then we lost any option we had during Eagle Opps and eating during assigned lunch happened, and then the vending machines went away. I disapprove,” senior Morgan White said. While some blame North, others place full blame on the students. “Yes, North has gotten more strict since freshman year, 100%. It’s definitely because students are making bad choices and others have to deal with the consequences. Kids vape in the school or destroy the bathrooms, making admin mad and restricting our freedom to leave the classroom to go get water or go to the bathroom,” senior Izzy Neuburger said. “It comes down to it being the students’ fault. School is a place for education, not for pooping on the bathroom floor and thinking it’s funny.” It now rests on the shoulders of the students if North relaxes and goes back to their old ways, but at this rate, only time will tell.

“Unless you have a pooping condition, no one should be in the bathroom for ten minutes.”

- Bria Dawson, 10

21st Century Programs: Are they what they say they are?

By Vin Parazin | Advertising Manager

In eighth grade, the phrase “21st Century Programs” really piqued my interest. I was in middle school, and I was tired of having the football players and cheerleaders be the only ones to get attention from the administration. In high school, 21st Century Programs seemed to be the fix. Finally, academics could be the focus of a school, and I could do something that was radically different from what other high school students were doing. Four years later, I realized that this was not correct. Yes, the five 21st Century Programs at Olathe North provide students with ways to expand their learning into their desired field of interest. Being in a 21st Century program, however, didn’t give me immunity from the typical pitfalls of being in high school like I thought it would.

I believe that Olathe North has the stereotypical cliques that everyone has, but to a lesser extent. More of Olathe North’s cliques are based on 21st Century Programs. I’ve noticed that many kids are friends solely with people in their program, and each program has a specific stereotype associated with it. These cliques and stereotypes directly contradict my notion that 21st Centu-

ry Programs offer something unique from what non-program students go through. Cliques are just as ubiquitous to high school as Prom or Friday Night Lights, and

21st Century Programs emphasize them. I also imagined when I was in eighth grade, that the content of 21st Century Programs would be a world away from what other high school students would experience. Again, programs are just one hour of the day. They have tests and projects just like any other class. Some programs, like Sports Medicine, offer internship opportunities for seniors who are interested in helping out in the community for their future careers. These intern-

ships directly connect high school students with the workforce, which is a common goal of 21st Century programs. Not every program, however, openly advertises these internships. If all programs did fully promote internships, that would further enhance the experience of a 21st Century program. All of these reasons might seem like a turn off for younger students to apply to these programs, but age is one of the main reasons that 21st Century programs have lost their luster on seniors like myself. Quite simply: as kids get older, they change. I have felt that, since 8th grade, my career ideas and values have transformed. That’s completely natural, and I am appreciative that 21st Century Programs have aided me in my career goals, albeit in a way that was different from what I expected. 21st Century Programs are a helpful resource for students who are exploring their career paths. But for kids who are looking for a high school experience that is wildly different from other schools, 21st Century programs may not fit the bill.

NOT EVERY PROGRAM, HOWEVER, OPENLY ADVERTISES THSE INTERNSHIPS.

An image of Deirdre Zongker’s DS Language Arts room from when the Distinguished Scholars Program hosted an open house. | Photo by Alyana Spence

Olathe North Faces Issues with Racism

By Bria Dawson | Staff Editor

When I was a kid, I wanted to be white. I wanted to look like my peers, to be accepted, to be one of them. As I grew older, I realized that I would never be like them, never be accepted. So when I got the opportunity to go to Olathe North, I took it. I thought that if I went to a school with more diversity, people would listen to my opinions and I would finally be accepted. I was wrong. Becoming an Eagle did not change the fact that there are people in this world that are inconsiderate of others feelings and opinions. And no matter where I go, there will always be people that are racist without even knowing it. You would think that because a white person is surrounded by people of color (POC) constantly, they would see the struggles and listen to the opinions of those who have been put down for looking different. While hanging out with a group of people at someone’s house, we sat around a campfire and we were all talking, having a good time. Then, I heard someone scream “Yeah, (student’s name) is racist.” I was caught off guard and I asked them why they were saying these things. They proceeded to say that the student said the n-word multiple times. I was shocked at this fact because this student had never shown any signs of having hatred or bias towards black people. At the time, I didn’t know what to say. My jaw dropped. Across the room, the student whispered to me saying that they were sorry. I told the student that it was okay because I didn’t want to start anything but it was not okay. That’s when I decided to do some of my own research.

I started asking my friends that were in the group when the student said

the n-word. I found out that this was not the first time that they had said it. On multiple occasions, there have been incidents when they said these harmful words; one of them even being on video. As I was doing more research, I began to see that the student realized their mistakes and was trying to be a better person. The story does not end here. On September 23rd, I went to a football game

at Shawnee Mission South. Standing in the student section, I heard yelling coming behind me. I turned around to see a group of white students from Olathe North telling the student who said the n-word to say something. I didn’t know what they were trying to get him to say so I asked the person next to me. They proceeded to say that they were trying to get him to say the n-word. At that moment, I realized that this issue is not unique to my group of

friends. There are a lot of problems with this. Joking about the n-word is racist and encourages racism. The n-word was used against black people to belittle them. There is a lot of history with the word stems from dating black to slavery. Watching students constantly encourage other students to make fun of the word constantly and say slurs that were used against people who looked like me shows me that they are no different. Joking about the n-word is one thing, but letting people continue to say it is just as bad. When the kid said the n-word as a joke, many of the girls that were present were very uncomfortable with this. At that moment, they didn’t know what to do. And to be honest, if I was in that situation, what would I even say? How would I say it? They have voiced their opinions to me and they have never thought it was okay. They just didn’t know what to do to stop it. Many people don’t realize that when you continue to let people say racist things or things that offend people, you are condoning what they are saying. You are letting them get away with it. By staying quiet, you’re telling them that they can continue to say these harmful words without consequence. My entire life, I have watched people disguise racism as a joke. I will no longer sit back and tolerate racist behavior. I love Olathe North and wouldn’t choose to be anywhere else. However, this needs to be talked about and everyone needs to educate themselves. We need to focus on the fact that there is racism within Olathe North and something needs to change.

MY ENTIRE LIFE I HAVE WATCHED PEOPLE DISGUISE RACISM AS A JOKE. I WILL NO LONGER SIT BACK AND TOLERATE RACIST BEHAVIOR.

KU Hoops Season Preview

By Nate Gunderson | Staff Writer

In the single most improbable, heart-wrenching, National Championship game of all time, Kansas completed the single greatest comeback in National Championship game history. Rallying from 16 points down to number eight seed North Carolina, KU thundered back like a herd of buffalo across the plains to defeat North Carolina in the final seconds, 72-69. This was KU’s second Nation-

Ochai Agbaji, as well as Seniors Christian Braun, David Mccormick, and tournament hero Remy Martin. KU is notorious for coming up just short in March, making this hurdle even sweeter for KU fans. That being said, KU is back and primed and ready to defend that title. While most of last year’s team is gone, KU still returns senior forward Jalen Wilson who averaged 12 points per year last year. Wilson is ready to take a giant leap this year and is a potential National Player of the Year candidate. Along with Wilson, KU returns starting point guard and lockdown defender Dajuan Harris Jr., The Jayhawks are also bringing in five-star recruit and sharpshooter Grady Dick, along with four-star recruits Ernest Udeh Jr. (6’10, 230), and sophomore MJ Rice. However the biggest addition is sharpshooter-lockdown defender and one of the top transfers in the nation, Kevin McCuller Jr., who averaged 10 points per game for conference for Texas Tech last year. KU opens the year on Monday, November 7th against Omaha, then follow that up by playing North Dakota State and Duke, but head coach Bill Self is suspended for recruiting violations that

occurred all the way back in 2019. Despite this as well as losing a lot of key players from last year’s team, KU is arguably the best defensive team in the country. Dajuan Harris and McCullers are leading this charge respectively, as both are arguably the best defensive players in the nation. The last team to win back to back national titles was Florida in 2007 and 2008, but even they brought back key pieces. KU didn’t and yet somehow still managed to rebuild and potentially make another run, making this season all the more impressive if they could manage to repeat and defend that title this year.

al Championship under Head Coach Bill Self and 6th all time. KU was led by Big 12 Player of the Year and All-American,

WILSON IS READY TO TAKE A GIANT LEAP THIS YEAR AND IS A POTENTIAL NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR CANDIDATE.

Powder Rough? Powder Puff or

By Paige Keith | Staff Editor

Powder Puff is a game of flag football between junior and senior girls that is supposed to be a fun and lighthearted activity. However, that is not how the game played out this year.

Flag football is a variant of American football where instead of tackling the players, you remove a flag or belt from the ball carrier, but in spite of that, it seems that those rules were not followed.

“This year’s game was very violent,” senior Jaden Nelson said. “We were told there would be no tackling and minimal physical contact, but after the first play I was already bleeding down the side of my face.”

To sum up the game in a few short words, “the game was more violent [than last year]; blood was shed,” according to senior Bridget Andrew.

Nelson went into further detail about her injuries.

“I ended up getting my head slammed into the ground and blacking out later, which gave me a concussion for homecoming weekend. Powder Puff is supposed to be something fun to get people excited for homecoming but this year [the juniors] took it way too far.”

It appears that the Powder Puff game resulted in a plethora of sore players rather than sore losers.

“There was this one junior who was going beast mode and literally grabbed me by the throat after ripping out Jaden Nelson’s cartilage piercing,” senior Izzy Neuburger said. “I cussed her out and told Jason Scoma to take her off the field. The juniors were taking the game way too seriously. It’s literally just a game.”

While most seniors thought that the juniors took the game out of proportion, other juniors disagreed.

“I think that the junior class is really competitive and we all love win-

ning,” junior Sam Smith said. “I know everyone was eager to win, and we put everything we had out on the field.”

The one thing that seniors and juniors could come together and agree on is the winner.

“The seniors rightfully won, unlike last year,” said Andrew.

Regardless of the score, seniors are usually deemed the winner due to the fact that it is their last game, as was seen last year. Though this year, the seniors duly won, with a score of 18-6.

“I do believe they won fairly. It’s just a game and they played well,” Smith said.

but Powder Puff is a small amount.”

Eagle Flight Crew makes posters that hang around the school to promote various events, such as sporting events and student section themes. Without a budget, uplifting school spirit is difficult due to minimal supplies.

“We bought the paint and paper for all the signs and posters with our own money. I don’t really know what we do with the [Powder Puff money],” senior Bridget Andrew said. Powder Puff is a yearly tradition that ended more violently this year than most. The seniors ultimately won the game, but at the cost of blood shed.

The money that students paid toward their Powder Puff ticket to watch the game is used by Eagle Flight Crew, as their budget faced severe cuts, just like many other communities within the district.

“We don’t have a budget. Whatever we make from those events comes to us,” senior Taylor Sales said.

“We didn’t start with a budget this year,

“There was this one junior who was going beast mode and literally grabbed me by the throat”

-Izzy Neuburger, 12

Senior Rilee Irbee gets her flag pulled as she runs to the end zone. Many participants in the game complained about excessive force being used in the game. | Photo by Rayna Blessington

Design by Menaka Garapaty

A World Cup Wonderland

By Menaka Garapaty | Editor-in-Chief

For the first time in FIFA history, the World Cup will take place in winter – a key aspect of Qatar’s bid for the 2022 showpiece tournament. Rather than the usual June-July games, the Middle Eastern country will host in November-December when the region’s climate is ideal. The group stage begins November 20, where four countries in each group will compete for the top two spots to advance to the knockout stage. And on November 21, Team USA will take on Wales, captivating American fans over Thanksgiving break.

Compared to previous World Cups, there are high hopes for the US Men’s National Team (USMNT) this year. Over the last decade, football, also known domestically as soccer, has grown immensely in America, and so has the talent. A majority of Team USA plays for European clubs, such Christian Pulisic at Chelsea, Weston McKennie at Juventus, and Gio Reyna at Dortmund (for more information on the USMNT, a cheat sheet to prepare you for the World Cup is on the following page). With Americans playing at the European level, a higher standard is set for the USMNT and fans expect to see this performance at Qatar 2022. f

Seniors Joey Wiltanger and Bousso Drame will be few of many who spend their Thanksgiving break switching channels between football and American football. They both plan to watch the World Cup with their families, as they love the excitement surrounding the event.

“I’m planning on watching at my house, probably a lot of it with my dad. We’re both big football fans and are super excited to watch as much as we can,” Wiltanger said.

As a follower of Premier League, Bundesliga, La Liga, and more, Wiltanger can’t wait to see his favorite players from the European leagues represent Team USA. And he has some high expectations for them.

“I’m excited to see the US finally back in the World Cup [...] I think we will make it out of the group [stage] if we’re lucky, but seeing our form makes me nervous,” Wiltanger explained. “I am most excited for Tyler Addams. I love Tyler Addams.”

Drame, on the other hand, is

not nearly as focused on the USMNT as Wiltanger is. She is more excited to see the performances from other countries. “Men’s Team USA has never really been that good, so I don’t expect much from them,” Drame said. “I think Senegal will do much better than years past as long as they keep the discipline they demonstrated during AFCON [Africa Cup of Nations].”

History teacher Adrian Martinez is also ready to watch the best players compete against each other on the biggest stage. His attention is on USA and Mexico, confident the two countries will make it out of the group stage.

“Christian Pulisic will have a big World Cup for the USA, and Mexico will make it out of the group stage and past the round of 16,” Martinez said. However, the unethical practices surrounding Qatar’s World Cup preparation process upsets many football fans, including Wiltanger.

“I think that the controversy with how Qatar has handled the event could put some damper on the hype of this world cup, and I would be lying if it didn’t affect my hype for this World Cup and the next one,” Wiltanger said. Qatar built state-of-the-art infrastructure to house thousands of fans, including eight solar powered and air conditioned stadiums. The country poured over $200 billion into the event, only to tear the stadiums down after. However, these facilities have come at the expense of human rights. Thousands of exploited migrant workers have died throughout the building process due to poor working conditions and extreme heat. Corruption allegations between the Qatar bid committee and FIFA executives, as well as Qatar’s negative views on LGBTQ rights are additional causes of backlash and boycotts.

“I think that I view FIFA in a much darker light after this, so I do feel conflicted about the World Cup,” Wiltanger said.

Both Drame and Wiltanger can agree that a winter World Cup is a big change for the viewers and competing countries.

“I will have less time to watch [the World Cup],” Wiltanger

said. “But I think players will be playing better since it’s a midseason tourney.”

Drame explains that the viewing experience will not be the same for her as prior years, changing family traditions surrounding the sporting event.

“The World Cup has always been in the summer, so it will be interesting watching it while wearing layers of sweatshirts, rather than outside at a family friend’s house,” Drame said. For students or people employed, this World Cup will be especially hard to view with games interfering with work and school schedules.

“If [the World Cup] was in the summer, we would be on summer break and I could watch as many games as I want. Now I have to work around the school day,” Martinez said. While Drame, Wiltanger, and Martinez are year-round football fans, less-interested Americans will still tune in to the occasion, especially with the international tournament coming to home turf in 2026. Excitement, specifically in the Kansas City area, has sky-rocketed ever since KC won the bid to become one of 11 host cities for the North American World Cup. On June 16th, local fans gathered at Power & Light to celebrate the announcement that would put the Heart of America on the world stage. Drame is excited for the attention on her home city, as well as the mutual benefits that the 2026 World Cup will provide.

“The Super Bowl is great, but it’s incomparable to the entire world’s eyes being on one field,” Drame explained. “I loved the feeling of being united, and I hope that the World Cup can show Americans the beauty in football.”

Drame and Wiltanger plan to attend the Kansas City games with their respective families, continuing their World Cup viewing traditions.

“I can’t wait for KC to turn into a football capital,” Drame said. “I hope to meet people from around the world and see players that I’ve watched growing up be right in front of me.”

Design by Menaka Garapaty

A Beginner’s Guide to the USMNT Predicted Starters

By Arjun Garapaty | Guest Contributor

Position: Left Wing Club: Chelsea

What to know: They call him “Captain America” for a reason - he is the poster boy of this new generation of talent. Watch him be direct and create goal-scoring chances.

Position: Striker Club: Norwich City

What to know: Look for Sargent to make good runs off the ball and drop in deep when needed, but be weary of his inconsistent goal scoring record.

Postion: Right Wing Club: LOSC Lille

What to know: Weah is a young talent just like his father, the president of Libera. Look for him to carry the ball up the field and make that incisive pass.

Position: Center Midfield Club: Juventus

What to know: If Reyna is the “American Dream,” McKennie is “The American Nightmare.” He specializes in disrupting opponents’ attacks and turning defense into offense.

Position: Left Back Club: Fulham

What to know: Nicknamed “Jedi,” he is perhaps the most consistent outside defender. Look for him to run toe-to-toe with the world’s fastest attackers.

Position: Center Defensive Midfielder Club: Leeds United

What to know: Adams is the “engine” of the team, making crucial tackles and covering every inch of the midfield.

Position: Center Back Club: Fulham

What to know: With the longest Premier League tenure, Ream has plenty of experience against European opponents. Look for him to provide leadership.

Position: Center Back Club: Nashville SC

What to know: Twotime MLS Defender of the year, look for his unique ability to catch opposing defenses off-guard.

Position: Center Midfield Club: Valencia

What to know: Musah is perhaps our most technically-sound midfielder. Look for him to escape pressure with ease and progress the ball up the field.

Position: Goalkeeper Club: Arsenal

What to know: Turner’s stint as Arsenal’s #2 goalkeeper has solidified him as starter. Look for him to put his excellent shot-stopping ability on display, but be weary of his ability with the ball at his feet.

Position: Right Back Club: AC Milan

What to know: Dest often owns the right side of the field. Look for his frequent counter-attacks, but hope he isn’t a defensive liability by wandering too far up the field.

#8 Weston McKennie #5 Antonee Robinson

#24 Joshua Sargent

#21 Timothy Weah #10 Christian Pulisic

#8 Weston McKennie

#6 Yunus Musah

#4 Tyler Adams

#13 Tim Ream

#3 Walker Zimmerman #2 Sergino Dest #5 Antonee Robinson

#1 Matt Turner

m i d n i g h t s

Taylor Swift described her newest album, Midnights, as being “the stories of 13 sleepless nights scattered throughout [her] life.” Swift also released a second version of her newest album a few hours after the original, titling the new version Midnights (3am Edition).

By Mallory Graybeal | Online Editor and Whitney Graybeal | Staff Writer

Mallory’s Review

Before this album’s release, I had heard rumors that Taylor Swift was returning to pop music, but without a single it was hard to be sure, and I just brushed it off as rumor. Upon my first listen of Midnights, I was surprised and thoroughly impressed to hear it was true. The first track, “Lavender Haze,” was the perfect choice for the opening. I am a big believer in tracklist order and think that the first song on an album needs to be really good. In Swift’s previous albums, I found that “State of Grace,” from Red (Taylor’s Version), had a type of perfect sound that is unique enough to draw the listener into the album, but also capture the album essence as a whole. An opening track that is too basic or that strays too far from the vibe of the rest of the album will completely ruin it for me. “Lavender Haze” was the obvious choice for an opening track. It’s upbeat enough to immediately clue the listener in to the fact that Swift has moved back from the alternative energy of her previous 2 albums to upbeat pop music again. Upon hitting play, I was surprised and excited to hear the rest of the album, and I was not disappointed.

“Anti-Hero,” one of the singles from Midnights, lyricism thoroughly impressed me. As an ‘English kid,’ I am especially geeky about symbolism and hidden meanings, and Swift always delivers. In “Anti-Hero,” Swift says “Sometimes, I feel like everybody is a sexy baby/And I’m a monster on the hill.” I believe that Swift’s use of the term “sexy baby” refers to infantilization of women, specifically in the music industry. Swift has talked, including in her song “Nothing New’’ from Red (Taylor’s Version), about how she constantly feels as though she is just going to be replaced by an artist who is younger, new to

the industry, and ‘the next big thing.’ This leads me to believe that Swift describing herself as a “monster” refers to her age and the length of her career in the music industry. I also think that she could be referring to her height and weight, as those are things that she has openly spoken about struggling with, as they have been frequently criticized in the media. I have been a Swift fan since I was a child, as my mom also loves Swift and has bought and played her music around our house since my birth, and I found Midnights to be more emotional due to my knowledge of Swift’s past. Tracks like “Karma” make references to Swift’s past that any dedicated fan would have picked up on. The track itself has lyrics such as “Karma’s a relaxing thought/Aren’t you envious that for you it’s not?” and “Karma is a cat/Purring in my lap ‘cause it loves me.” These lyrics show growth in Swift’s view of the things that have happened to her in the past, specifically events that are believed to have inspired Reputation. A lyric from “Look What You Made Me Do” on Reputation says “The world moves on, another day, another drama, drama/But not for me, not for me, all I think about is karma/And then the world moves on but one thing’s for sure/ Maybe I got mine but you’ll all get yours.” Swift’s new track has a similar message as “Look What You Made Me Do,” that those who have wronged her will eventually receive punishment for lying and ruining her reputation, but with a more mature and healed outlook. Instead of having an angry tone, “Karma” is extremely upbeat and fun. By comparing the concept of karma to her favorite animal, a cat, and referring to it as “her boyfriend,” Swift shows

that this song is significantly less serious than “Look What You Made Me Do” is. Swift has previously described some of her songs as having been written in “glitter gel pen” and categorized “Karma” as one of them via her Apple Music playlists. She explained that “glitter gel pen” songs have “lyrics that make you want to dance, sing, and toss glitter around the room” during her Songwriter-Artist of the Decade acceptance speech at the Nashville Songwriter Awards. For an extremely dedicated Swift fan, hearing her healing from events in her life that I practically experienced with her is extremely emotional and added to my experience of listening to this album. Midnights is the album that Swift fans have needed. Her return to pop music is momentous and has already broken several massive music streaming records, including becoming the most streamed album on release day in history on Apple Music, Spotify, and Amazon Music. On October 31st, Swift also became the first artist in Billboard history to claim all top 10 spots of the Billboard Hot 100.

“Dear Taylor Swift,” I said in a letter that I had planned to send to Swift in 2015. “You are my role model! You are so nice! If I could meet you I would DIE!!”

Whitney’s Review

This album completely surprised me. Since Taylor Swift writes and sings in every genre of music, I had no idea what kind of style or feeling this album would have. I was expecting some slow, heart-wrenching songs. While the lyrics of “Anti-Hero” and “You’re On Your Own, Kid” are absolutely heartbreaking, they were upbeat and not what I had in mind, but this was for the best. This album had the feel of Reputation, Lover, and folklore all in one, because it had songs that were very much telling the truth, like “Anti-Hero” and “Karma.” This album also has songs with that folk soul beat like “mirrorball” on folklore. All of the love songs on this album are similar to Lover. Some fans on TikTok even recognized the fact that the song “Laven-

der Haze” on Midnights and “I Think He Knows” from Lover have the same beat. Some people were saying

that every song sounds the same, and while most of the songs had the same feeling, they all told completely different stories, melodies, and aesthetics. Taylor Swift is very good at making a vision and theme for her albums. Midnights is dark and mysterious but also shiny and sparkling. Some of her other albums like folklore and evermore tell stories when you listen to the album in order. Midnights might not flow the same way or have ‘characters,’ but this album tells a story as well. A story about how society sees love, a story about grief, and finding yourself. The fans who love folklore and evermore will most likely not love Midnights at first because it is so different, but if you keep an open mind and really digest it, you will realize the album tells a story and that “Bigger Than the Whole Sky” has emotions just as much as “champagne problems,” and “my tears ricochet” do. Midnights is very different from any other album she has, and it might take time to grow into loving it, but overall this is a masterpiece that Taylor Swift has worked hard and put a lot into. She has been busy rerecording her old albums for Taylor’s Version and still found time to write 21 songs for Midnights. My first time listening to Midnights was at midnight when it first came

Mallory’s Top 5

out. My initial thought was that it was different. This album is unlike anything she’s done. Now that I have taken the time and listened to Midnights many more times, I have grown to love it and understand the concept and story behind each song. Taylor Swift has such an impact on society. When Midnights released, Apple Music crashed. She is always trending on Spotify, TikTok, YouTube, Twitter, and every social media or music app. Whether you liked Midnights or not, she is breaking records. Every Taylor fan is going to listen to the album, so no matter what her numbers will be high. Her fan base is very supportive of her. Overall I loved Midnights. This album gives us everything. I can always find the right song to fit my mood. I was not disappointed. My favorite song changes every day because there are so many good options. This album deserves all the records it is breaking.

Whitney’s Top 5

“Midnights is dark and mysterious but also shiny and sparkling.”

1. Hits Different

4. You’re on Your Own, Kid

2. Maroon

5. Mastermind

3. Paris

4. Labyrinth

2. Snow on the Beach

3. Bigger Than the Whole Sky

5. Hits Different

1. Bejeweled

Theatre Photos Theatre Photos

By Alex Rhodes-Irvine | Design Editor

Photos by Eve Loehrer | Editor-in-Chief

Radium Girls

Left: Junior Simon Wicks, Mr. Roeder and freshman Elle Saale plays his wife, Mrs. Roeder.

Above: Junior Sareena Kandalkar, junior Mikayla Pelletier, and senior Rowan Riggs play dial painters, who later become ill due to the radium paint they ingested at work.

Above: Junior Mikayla Pelletier, as Grace Fryer, painting by her friend Kathryn’s grave.

Right: Freshman Ezra Purin, sophomore Rocky Kingsby, and junior Mikayla Pelletier sit at a table in the play “Radium Girls”.

Boeing Boeing

Left: Sophomore Elle Benton plays Gretchen, one of Bernard’s three flight attendant fiancees.

Above: Senior Andrew Coddington and freshman Natalie Toth’s charaters hold hands during their performance.

Left: Elle Benton, 10, and Kotah Kauffmann, 12, performing during an afterschool dress rehearsal.

Left: Sophomore Ainslee Magee plays as Gloria, an American flight attendant with a fondness for ketchup on pancakes.

Above: Junior Andrew Coddington and senior Kotah Kauffmann starred as Bernard and Robert in the farce Boeing Boeing.

Thanksgiving Questionnaire

By Reese Pope | Staff Writer

Since Thanksgiving break was recently, kick back and take a minute for this questionare. Let’s see what Thanksgiving themed item you are!

Keep track of how many A’s, B’s, and C’s you choose, then add them up in the end. Whichever letter you have the most of correlates with a Thanksgiving item!

1. What’s your favorite weather out of these choices?

a. Sunny and hot

b. Rainy and warm

c. Snowing and cold

2. If you had to choose between these fall activities, which would you choose?

a. Go to the pumpkin patch with a group of friends.

b. Go for a walk in a nearby park

c. Bake some festive treats

3. Which drink do you like best?

a. Hot coffee

b. Hot tea

c. Hot cocoa

4. What’s your favorite fall clothing item?

a. Sweatshirt

b. Flannel

c. Sweater

5. Choose a fall color:

a. Orange

b. Red

c. Brown

6. Pick out a fall Bath & Body Works candle scent:

a. Fresh balsam

b. Sweater weather

c. Sweet cinnamon pumpkin

7. What’s your favorite chocolate treat?

a. Twix

b. M&M’s

c. Snickers

8. What is your favorite sport to watch or play?

a. Football

b. Volleyball

c. Soccer

9. Pick a side for your Thanksgiving meal:

a. Green beans

b. Stuffing

c. Mashed potatoes

10. What’s your favorite Thanksgiving pie?

a. Pumpkin pie

b. Apple pie

c. Sweet potato pie

A. A Thanksgiving favorite, a turkey! You are a people person and enjoy spending your time in social environments. Just like a turkey on Thanksgiving, you are loved by many around you.

B. A Scarecrow!

Somebody who has a kind heart. You hold people close to you dearly while still reserving time for yourself. You are a well balanced person.

C. You are a pumpkin! You enjoy being in your own space and find comfort in relaxing activities. Like a pumpkin from your own porch, you can be just as loved even from afar.

December Confessions

By Whitney Graybeal I Staff Writer

“Never Gonna Give You Up is not a bad song.”

“I sleep with socks on and I don’t know why it’s so bad”

“There’s this one dude that use to hit on me when i was a sophomore and he was a graduate and now he’s a regular at my starbucks <3”

“I be peein in the sink and no one knows.”

“I lost the game :)”

“I was pissed my sister used all my soap in the shower so I sprayed all of her shaving cream down the drain”

“One time I saw black ice on the driveway and thought ‘my brother is gonna slip on that.’ I didn’t say anything. He slipped and got a concussion.”

“Last week, my parents gave me their weekly homophobia talk and immediately afterwards I left to go make out with my partner”

“I used to be able to shoot a bow and arrow with my toes as a kid”

the Hallways Heard It in

By Eve Loehrer | Editor-in-Chief

Read some wacky, authentic, out of context quotes from your fellow Olathe North students!

“That caterpillar has no right to be that hungry.”

“The Spaghetti-os quote was you?”

“It was a joke! But sour cream is actually a good moisturizer.”

“Snickers have the crunch of communism.”

“I still haven’t watched The Owl House but I have in spirit.”

“Homie is one body away from an STD.”

“My pronouns fell off.”

“He has the immune system of an oyster cracker.”

“Is this where you guys cuddle on the floor?

“If you’re not willing to or else, no do.”

“Mr. Martinez, your toes look stunning.”

“Fishnets are lingerie for dogs.”

“That’s not rizz, you gave her back her phone.”

“If you’re gonna go, might as well go all out. You know, pop off, long term mental ward.”

Northviews December

By Mallory Graybeal | Online Editor

Above: Seniors Jasmine Harris, Leandra Ho, Paige Quintero, and Karissa Rangel with junior Sydney Ratliff at the homecoming dance on October 1st. |

Photo by Mallory Graybeal

Above: The student section smiling at the boys’ Varsity soccer game against Olathe East on September 22nd. | Photo by Mindy Waldron

Above: Powder Puff patricipants holding a sign created by Eagle Flight Crew before the game on September 29th. | Photo by Rayna Blessington

Above: Senior Isabelle Campbell during a Varsity tennis match on September 27th. | Photo by Jessica McCue

Above: TJ Porter with Coach Taylor Stuart at the Varsity football game against Shawnee Mission West on October 27th. | Photo by Amanda Anderson