The Northwest Passage, Vol. 52, Issue 8 Senior Magazine

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Issue 8 Vol. 52 May 19, 2021 Senior Magazine 9-24 A celebration of the Class of 2021

Been A Long

Time Coming

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TABLE of CONTENTS 4

Power Shift

Police reform is a crucial step to end police brutality and take steps closer to racial equality

Leaving the Spotlight

5

This or That?

6

Theater director Jason Coats takes medical leave for the rest of the semester Students wishing to complete credits over the summer can choose between Summer Academy and E-School

7

Reimagine and Reform

State lawmakers pass legislation in response to recent incidents of police brutality

10-11 12

Senior Columns One Game Away

Senior athletes sign to continue their athletic careers in college

Pandemic Prom

13

Prom Committee grapples with pandemic-related restrictions

14-15 16-17

Prom Court So much more to do Seniors make plans for next year and beyond

Influential Seniors

These members of the class of ‘21 left their mark on Northwest

18-22

Final Words

Seniors give their final words before they graduate

A Modern Tale The theater program’s student-directed spring play emphasized themes of action and adventure

Deep Roots

The Hoelting family tree is one with many branches, but their roots are here

Change of Plans Senior Jenna Wilson searches for a nanny position abroad

Current Events Upcoming Events

Month In Photos

23

This photo illustration depicts a graduate looking back at the time they spent at Northwest.

Issue 8 Vol. 52 May 1 9, 2021

OUR PASSAGE: The purpose of the Northwest Passage is to relay important and interesting information to the community, administration and students of the Shawnee Mission Northwest High School.

As a news magazine, the Northwest Passage will cater to the interests and concerns of the student body. Outside concerns and activities will only be covered if they somehow affect the school or students.

The Northwest Passage is a 24-page news magazine.

The paper will be distributed every four weeks as possible.. Subscriptions will be available to the community for $25.

The Northwest Passage firmly supports the First Amendment and opposes censorship. The content of the newspaper will be determined and created by the entire staff. When questions concerning word choice, legal problems or ethics arise, the editorial board and adviser will discuss the problem to find the solution.

In these cases, the editor-in-chief and editorial board will have the say in all decisions.

Letters to the editor will be accepted and encouraged. 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 editor-in-chief and editorial board reserve the right to refuse any letter.

25 26 27 29 30 31

A Look Back

NORTHWEST PASSAGE

ToC | 03

STAFF PUBLICATION OVERSIGHT: Editor-in-Chief Editor-in-Chief

Rory Dungan Elizabeth Kuffour

CONTENT MANAGEMENT: Photo Editor

Claire Moore

Ass’t Photo Editor

Sophia McCraney

Copy Editor

Emily Alexander

Copy Editor

Stella Grist

Online Editor

Ruth Demeke

Online Editor

Ally Pruente

Design Editor

Erin Albers

STAFF WRITERS:

STAFF DESIGNERS:

Yeretzy Blanco Veronica Meiss Morgan Tate Grace Logan Kyle Vogel

Olivia Linville Kasi Maniktala Olivia Nagorka Alden Norberg

Junior Macee Emery headbutts the ball April 13 at the Shawnee Mission Soccer Complex. This is Emery’s first year at SM Northwest and on the varsity soccer team. + photo by Claire Moore

ADVISER: + Cover photo by Claire Moore + Cover design by Olivia Linville

Susan Massy

+ design by Livi Nagorka

4 | opinion

Power Shift

May 19, 2021

Police reform is a crucial step to end police brutality and take steps closer to racial equality The murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin has seared the issue of police brutality into the minds of Americans. The April 11 murder of Daunte Wright in Minneapolis and the murder of 16-year-old Ma’Khia Bryant, which occurred on the day Chauvin’s guilty verdict was announced, both served as incredibly cruel reminders that the verdict alone makes no difference. This begs the question: when will we see real reform?

For decades, the police have disproportionately targeted people of color, more specifically, Black people. According to the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, three times more unarmed Black people are killed by police compared to unarmed white people. While charging Chauvin with murder was definitely a step in the right direction, concrete reform needs to be made soon before more lives are lost.

The conviction of Chauvin was only a stepping stone in the fight for justice. As the trial was underway, Wright was killed by Brooklyn Center police officer Kim Potter when the officer mistook her gun for her taser in the outskirts of Minneapolis. One officer’s gross mistake cost Wright his life.

Police officers don’t have room to make mistakes, as they often hold someone else’s life in their hands. The United States’ long history of police brutality demonstrates the dire need for police reform.

“We cannot afford to make mistakes that lead to the loss of life of other people,” Brooklyn Center Mayor Mike Elliott said in an interview with the Associated Press. “We’re going to do everything we can to ensure that justice is done and our communities are made whole.”

Regardless of whether Potter accidentally drew her gun rather than her taser, it is still evident reform is necessary.

If it was, in fact, an accident, it clearly shows the blatant incompetence of this police officer and likely many more on duty. First, a handgun weighs three times more than a taser.

Second, according to the New York Times, the Taser x26p (the model police use) is bright yellow. Handguns are entirely black. They are also fired differently: one uses a trigger while the other uses a button. The difference between these two weapons is clear and Potter should have realized she was holding the wrong one. That is, if it was an accident.

The evidence points to the idea that was no accident. After serving for 26 years, Potter should have realized she had the wrong weapon when she picked it up. On the other hand, Wright was originally pulled over for having an air freshener hanging from his mirror. It is difficult to understand why Potter felt the need for a taser in response to an air freshener, it is even more difficult to understand how it ended with a gunshot wound to the chest. Even if Potter’s intentions were to use the taser, it still would have constituted excessive force in dealing with a man accused of a nonviolent crime.

Hence the need for reform. The very idea of it, however, can be daunting. How is it possible to change the power dynamic of those who hold power over us? Some advocates of police reform ask for more education and training of police officers, hoping this will reduce the number of mistakes on the field that can end lives. Sue Rahr, Head of Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission, argues that recruits should be trained to engage others in

14 / 1 / 3 agree

disagree

abstain

courteous conversation, and evaluated during role play exercises on their ability to listen, show empathy, explain their actions, de-escalate and leave everyone they encounter “with their dignity intact.”

“Currently, training focuses too much on firearm skills and omits vital exposure to non-lethal weapons and conflict management,” Harvard Director’s Intern David Gutierrez said in an article for Kennedy School’s Institute of Politics.

“The median time of basic recruit training is 18 weeks, not counting field training. Nationally, police departments spend an average of 60 hours on firearms training and 44 hours on self-defense… The emphasis on firearm skills and self-defense should not compromise the training on mediation skills and conflict management.”

Another possible route of reform is reallocating funding from the police department into programs designed to cut down crime rates from the source. For example, reducing homelessness, funding mental health programs and decreasing poverty rates. Defunding the police doesn’t necessarily mean abolishing the police altogether, although complete disbanding has gained support. The term defunding can be misleading. In this usage, it means taking a portion of the police budget and using it elsewhere.

“It’s not just about taking away money from the police, it’s about reinvesting those dollars into Black communities,” cofounder of the Black Lives Matter movement Patrisse Cullors said in an interview with WBUR, Boston’s National Public Radio. “Why is law enforcement the first responders for a mental health crisis? Why are they the first responders for domestic violence issues? Why are they the first responders for homelessness? The public has allowed for us to have militarized police forces in our communities and we have to stop it.”

Similarly, other advocates of police reform also ask for a shift in power from police officers to those they oppress.

Brooklyn Law Professor Jocelyn Simonson explains a possible means of reform in the Yale Law Journal.

“Unlike most legal scholars, movement actors are not just focused on changing policing policies, procedures or laws,” Simonson said. “They are equally focused on transforming the landscape of power in policing… [shifting] power over policing to those who have been most harmed by mass criminalization and mass incarceration.”

Shifting power from the oppressors to the oppressed could be a way to avoid police brutality and reclaim the power that has been held over them for centuries. Simonson writes that these reforms will counteract the history of violence against Black people in the United States and produce real change.

This country is in dire need of police reform, whether that means more thorough training or reallocating a portion of police department budgets to less militaristic means. Too many lives have been lost due to the current policing system.

These may seem like radical changes, but they will save lives.

Police Brutality By the Numbers

All statistics from Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS)

1 in 1,000 2.5 times

Black men are about

Black men are killed by the police

as likely to be killed by police than white men

Black women are about

1.4 times

as likely to be killed by police than white women

Police are responsible for about 1.6% of all deaths of Black men between the ages of 20 and 24, compared to 0.5% of white male deaths between the ages of 20 and 24

+ design by Livi Nagorka

smnw.com

news | 5

Leaving the

Spotlight

Theater director Jason Coats takes medical leave for the rest of the semester

by Ally Pruente & Stella Grist Members of the theater program were thrown a curveball as director Jason Coats Long COVID-19 forced him to take medical leave for the rest of this school year.

Long COVID-19 causes individuals to carry COVID-19 symptoms anywhere from weeks to months. Long COVID-19 can affect people of any age or quality of health, and can even affect people who no longer test positive for COVID-19.

According to research by University of California at Davis, only about 10% of COVID-19 patients become “long haulers.”

Long haulers may experience fatigue, shortness of breath, body aches, inability to exercise, headache and difficulty sleeping, according to Harvard Health Publishing.

Coats is struggling with almost all of these symptoms, but his “major symptoms include chronic fatigue, joint and muscle aches, shortness of breath and breathing issues [as well as] ‘brain fog,’” he said.

“There are issues with other body systems, but those are the ones that are the most pervasive.”

For Coats, the onset of these symptoms was rapid. Before the pandemic, he was active: running two to three miles regularly and lifting weights several times per week. Now, walking up the stairs of his own home is physically taxing.

Coats developed COVID-19 symptoms in February 2020, before the public was aware of the disease or how to fight it.

His initial symptoms lasted only five days, but the symptoms returned long after February’s illness.

“The effects I’m feeling now are not because of an active infection, but are delayed effects from that infection from over a year ago,” Coats said.

According to Yale Medicine, as many as 40% of long haulers experience a reduction in symptoms after their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine for unknown reasons. Coats, however, did not experience this.

“There is anecdotal evidence that the vaccine has helped some folks with Long Haulers,” Coats said. “I had hoped that after my second dose, that would be the case for me.

Unfortunately, it was not.”

Being a teacher is no easy feat, especially in a year where nothing is set in stone. When Coats first came down with long COVID-19 symptoms, he began feeling like he couldn’t teach as he had before.

“Teaching is not only mentally taxing, but many people don’t realize how physical the job is—especially as we were returning to full in-person learning and full in-person theater rehearsals,” Coats said. “I was physically unable to stay awake, move without pain or focus.”

Besides the physical effects, Coats recognizes the mental challenges created by a chronic illness.

“When you devote yourself to a career or path such as teaching and performing arts, you feel like a part of you is dying when you are not physically capable of doing the job anymore,” Coats said. “You feel like you are abandoning your students and colleagues.”

Coats has faith in his fellow performing art teachers and knows how dedicated his students are. Being away from the theater program isn’t easy, but he knows they can conquer the remaining productions in his absence.

“The theater students are driven, resourceful and compassionate,” Coats said, “There is no doubt in my mind that they will find [a] way to make things work.”

The pandemic, in all its ways, is new to us, and long COVID-19 is no exception. Coats knows that there is still a great deal of research to be done. Through his unique experience, he has learned a lot about the disease and possible side effects that aren’t well known.

“Everybody is experiencing extreme ‘pandemic fatigue,’ along with fatigue from the many other stresses that this year has brought,” Coats said.

“This experience has taught me that it is just as important now as it was this time last year to make kindness and compassion the driving forces behind all of our decisions.”

FAQ’s - Is Long Hauler’s the same as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CSF)?

According to research done by Harvard Health Letter Editor, Anthony Komaroff, Long Haulers is very similar to CSF, but it is not acquired in the same way.

- Is Long Hauler’s the official name of the illness?

Long Hauler’s, or long COVID-19, are both terms used to describe this chronic illness. The National Institutes of Health (NIH), however, plans to provide a more official name. So far, the NIH has suggested “post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection,” or PASC. (SARS-CoV-2 is the virus that causes COVID-19.)”

- Who can become a Long Hauler?

As of now, there is no direct way to determine how someone does or does not become a COVID-19 Long Hauler.

Continued symptoms are more likely to be seen in ages over 50, but information will be limited until more research is conducted.

- What are common symptoms?

Those who suffer from Long Hauler’s may experience fatigue, shortness of breath, body aches, inability to exercise, headache and difficulty sleeping, according to Harvard Health Publishing.

+design by Livi Nagorka

This or THAT?

6 | news

May 19, 2021

+ by Morgan Tate

As summer approaches, students who wish to make up failed classes or get ahead on credits are faced with a choice: Summer Academy or E-School.

Summer Academy will be offered fully in-person at SM South, and runs for three weeks with five hours of class time each day. E-School is an entirely virtual program that students complete at their own pace.

Summer Academy

SM students will attend three weeks of summer classes in person at SM South

Classes will be smaller.

You’ll have to wear a mask.

And you’ll have to sit three to four feet apart.

But not much else will change for Summer Academy – just like a normal summer, Summer Academy will go from 7 a.m. to noon for three weeks and will be held at Shawnee Mission South this year.

Students will still only go to one

class of their choice, similar to the current Summer Academy setup.

Many classes will be offered such as health, gym, government and various English and math classes.

However, gym classes will see most of the changes because of the close physical contact involved in most sports, so more modifications will be made to keep those classes equally safe.

“We will do as much as we

can to make it less of a contact type of situation, and more of an individual type situation,” Summer Academy principal Eddie Lyday said. “Instead of playing more games of basketball, we’re going to do more skill development. [We’ll] still learn the activities, [just] not in a competitive setting.”

E-School

SM students may choose E-School to complete credits virtually over the summer A spike in attendance at E-School took place during the summer months of 2020.

But now, the rise in vaccinations and the opening of schools caused E-School attendance to drop, approaching pre-COVID levels.

During COVID-19, E-School became a valuable resource for those wanting to learn and get credits out of the way when there were no other options.

“I just think parents and students were looking for more of a traditional schooling,” E-School principal Laura Brogdon said, “They had missed it for an entire nine weeks of last year, so I think they were ready to get back to some kind of schooling, maybe get a jump start on some credits. They

weren’t as burnt out as they would have normally been from a school year.”

But now more students are looking for an in-person approach.

“I think that more and more students are going to be comfortable with going to Summer Academy for those types of things,” Brogdon said. “If there was a student who needs to recover a credit, but is very concerned about going in person and needs to make up one of those credits, I would encourage them to talk to their home building counselors and then reach out to Mr. Lyday and myself and see if we can make something work.”

Those who choose to stay with E-school deal with the pros and

cons of the program, such as its flexibility.

“I know I’ve talked to several parents and families who are going to be taking vacations or they’re going to be at camps, so they will still be able to work on those days just at a different location,” Brogdon said. “At the same time, that flexibility can be a con, because if you’re not accountable [you will struggle to] meet those deadlines the program sets forth for you.”

Similar to a normal year -- with a few extra steps.

Multiple plans for summer programs are ready if COVID-19 infections rise, but in the meantime, summer school plans will remain the same.

design by Erin Albers

REIMAGINE AND State lawmakers pass legislation in response to recent incidents of police brutality

+ by Yeretzy Blanco, Ruth Demeke, Rory Dungan, Stella Grist, Elizabeth Kuffour & Alden Norberg An outcry for police reform has resulted from the recent police killings of people of color including George Floyd, Daunte Wright and Philando Castile. Public pressure has prompted governmental agencies and police departments across the country to make significant structural changes.

One month after Floyd’s death, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly established a Commission on Racial Equity and Justice with the goal of more closely examining relations between law enforcement and the community.

“As Governor, I am committed to ensuring this latest tragedy does not fade into the next news cycle,” Kelly told the Kansas City Star. “Communities of color do not have the luxury of time for leaders to address these issues.”

According to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Black people make up 5.6% of the Kansas population, but 19.2% of the state’s arrests. Kansas police have shot and killed seven men since Floyd’s death in May of last year. The ACLU is suing the Wichita Police Department, citing a gang list kept by the force as resulting in racially-biased policing.

Kansas’ Commission on Racial Equity issued a 91-page report with 60 recommendations for reform to Kansas law enforcement, including increased implicit bias training and an overhaul of the process used to address community complaints. Kansas lawmakers introduced 10 police reform bills this legislative session, many of which incorporated the commission’s guidance. Only one, a bill requiring the state Attorney General to arrange training on missing and murdered indigenous Kansans, has been passed and signed into law.

More than a dozen states have passed laws affecting police department funding or policy. In the wake of Floyd’s death, Colorado lawmakers passed one of the most comprehensive laws, Senate Bill 217, which imposes new rules on law enforcement agencies when dealing with police use-of-force cases and rescinds professional certification for officers who are found to have used inappropriate force. If a colleague is found to have ignored the use of inappropriate force by a fellow officer, they will also be subject to losing their professional certification. Additionally, the bill prevents officers involved in such instances from being hired elsewhere. Colorado officers can no longer claim qualified immunity as a defense and can now be sued for up to $25,000.

“Taking into account how police officers can kill people with immunity, everyone has a right to be outraged and angry,” junior Janmeet Singh said. The current climate is very toxic and violent. I think the police are aware of their actions and hopefully justice in the future will be served.”

Lawmakers in red states have been more resistant to passing reform measures. In Texas, bills similar to Colorado’s Senate Bill 217 have been introduced, but have rarely gained approval by the state’s legislature. Texas’ George Floyd Act, modeled after the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act passed by the U.S. House of Representatives in early March, aims to eliminate qualified immunity and hold officers accountable for acts of violence against civilians. Other bills introduced in Texas include restrictions on the use of chokeholds and a requirement for officers to intervene in the case of their partners’ illegal use of force.

In Minnesota, lawmakers have slowly started passing reform bills due to pressure from the public.

Kansas Implicit bias training New community complaint system Training on missing and murdered indigenous Kansans

Colorado Rescindment of police certification for officers using inappropriate force Elimination of qualified immunity

REFORM news | 7

Last summer, after Floyd’s death, lawmakers passed a compromise bill that bans chokeholds and changed the state’s deadly force rules. More recently, they voted a law into place to protect citizens from police officers using inappropriate conduct.

“I am excited about this,” Minnesota state legislator Liz Boldon said to KTTC News. “There was a lot of really hard work that had gone into this bill. And it has some really strong and important provisions.

It has some funding in it for body cameras and training. It has provisions in it for the ability to collect misconduct data. It has the ability for communities to create and expand civilian oversight bodies for law enforcement.”

Minnesota lawmakers have also introduced legislation that includes a clause allowing mental health crisis teams to answer some 911 calls, rather than police.

“Social and mental services are really important as well, so I’m glad that we are putting more focus towards that,” junior Max Dory said. “It’s definitely a problem that police do not have training for those situations.”

Minnesota’s legislation bans traffic stops over broken tail lights, air fresheners hanging from rearview mirrors and out-of-date vehicle registrations. It also bans the use of no-knock search warrants in cases that do not involve first-degree murder, hostage-taking, kidnapping, terrorism or human trafficking.

It modifies the peace officer code of conduct to prohibit peace officers from affiliating with white supremacist groups or international or domestic extremist groups. The bill also requires bodycam footage of deadly force incidents to be released to the family and representatives of the deceased within 48 hours of the incident.

But not all states are rethinking their approach to policing. Florida, for example, passed a bill expanding police protections exactly one month ago. The bill establishes a new crime, mob intimidation, which is defined as an attempt by two or more people to compel someone into assuming a viewpoint or taking an action that they disagree with. The bill redefines a riot as an event involving three or more people that results in injury, property damage or imminent danger. Along with this, the bill gives drivers immunity from legal action for hitting protesters if they obstruct roadways, penalizes local governments if they reduce police budgets, denies bail to an accused rioter until their first court appearance and raises the degree of felony charges for crimes such as property damage, roadway obstruction, toppling monuments and confrontation in public spaces, which can result in fines, prison time and loss of voting rights. “[This bill is] unnecessary, it’s definitely targeting a group of people who are wanting to speak their mind [and] classifying people as something that they are not,” Singh said. “Overall this new law will not have a good outcome, within the police and the society. It’s made to fail.”

With each state enacting varying levels of reform, some are left wanting more change.

“I would want the justice system to be built [in] a way that I would not regret standing up for the Pledge of Allegiance,” Singh said. “When I hear ‘justice for all,’ there is not justice for all. If a police system revolved around justice for all, that would give me a reason to stand up for it.”

LEGISLATION BY STATE Florida

Establishment of mob intimidation crime

Redefinition of riots and reduced protection of rioters

Minnesota Ban on chokeholds and change of deadly force rules Creation of mental health crisis teams Ban on no-knock search warrants in some cases Modification of the peace officer code of conduct

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been a long

time coming united under the class of ‘21

10 | feature 14

SENIOR DESIGNERS

FINDING MY PASSION

In the one year of my life that I wasn’t dancing, I was able to explore and plan my future

Growing up, you experience things that shape who you + by Kasi Maniktala become. Throughout Staff Designer my life, I didn’t think I needed to know what I wanted to do. Many people don’t figure it out until they are in college. As a person with anxiety, planning my future has always been a very stressful topic that I tried to avoid.

I have been involved in dance since I was two years old. As soon as I took that first class, I loved dancing and decided that was what I wanted to do. As the years went on, I kept that same dream, but by the time I got to middle school, dance was starting to feel like something I had to do instead of something I chose to do. I still loved dancing and I didn’t want to quit, but I just wasn’t sure if it was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. The environment can be very draining, and I didn’t want to continue being unhappy.

At the beginning of my sophomore year in high school I tore the labrum in my hip.

I had to undergo surgery, and I was out of dance for the rest of the year. This was the

first time in my life that I can remember when I wasn’t dancing. My routine felt way out of balance. On the bright side, it gave me the chance to experience my life without dance and decide what I wanted to do about my future.

I have always been interested in how people think, and I have always wanted to help people. The same year as my injury, I took a psychology class. I really enjoyed it and felt like I could turn sports and psychology into a career. By the time I was cleared to return to dance, I had figured out how to combine my passion for dance with my desire to help others.

The dance world can drive young dancers to quit because of how harsh it can be. It is very competitive and can give young girls and boys many body image issues. I want to be able to help dancers gain their confidence and be able to enjoy it. I really believe that it is needed for the athletes and coaches as well. I want to help athletes, more specifically dancers, maintain their passion for their sport as well as cope with the challenges.

I’VE ALWAYS KNOWN

My heart says art, but reality says otherwise I was three years old when my grandma bought me a cheap watercolor set from + by Olivia Linville the only Dollar Tree in Staff Designer her town. She gave me the paints and my grandpa’s old watercolor paper. I made tons of paintings that still decorate my grandma’s tiny house in Alabama. She has always encouraged me to create art, even if I wasn’t very good at it. That desire has followed me through elementary, middle and high school.

But loving art eventually became a problem for me.

The junior year is when the school really starts pushing students to choose a career path. I remember having to take career path quizzes in Seminar and that my top two career options were ridiculous: vending machine stocker and taxidermist.

Those results brought about two brutal realizations: 1) career quizzes are definitely rigged and 2) I still had no idea what I was going to do.

I spent the rest of my junior year ignoring the test results and leaving the stress as well as the decision for my senior-year self to deal with.

The pressure of that decision did not go away. When I had to choose what I wanted

my major to be, I chose ‘undecided.’ I had the rest of my senior year to play around with the hundreds of choices that would determine my future. Deep down, I’ve always known I wanted to pursue art in college, but didn’t know how to bring it up. When I began telling adults and relatives, the criticism hit, and it hit hard.

The remarks from people who I thought were there to support me tore through my skin. They said I’ll end up broke and homeless, that I wouldn’t ever find a good job or that I should just be a housewife instead. Eventually, I found ways to avoid the questions at all costs and let college as a whole sink into the back of my mind, so I could forget about it.

Of course, today we can count the hours until we graduate and I’ve felt more inspired to be myself and enjoy the things I want, without people belittling me for it. Sure, a career in art may not ensure a stable job, but even with all the mocking and discouraging words, I know I am still going to follow my dream of creating art.

I have my whole life to figure out what I want to do. I’m not going to waste time worrying about what other people think.

I never want to look back and regret not taking the first step toward my dream.

May 19,2020 2021 Dec.14,

COMMAND-Z

As much as we all want an undo button, we must realize what we would lose because of it Command Z is a graphic designer’s best + by Erin Albers friend. It’s the undo Design Editor shortcut on basically every computer software. In my four4 years of being a designer, I’ve probably used this shortcut thousands of times. I must havegot to admit, It would be nice to have an undo button in the real world.

Everytime I say something stupid or everytime mess up, I could just click command Z. This undo button would solve thousands and thousands of problems.

It would raise my grades, make me less awkward and iIt would probably save me from several embarrassing moments. , but the more I think about it the less I want it.

Of course, an undo button would be nice, but think about if you pressed undo on every little mistake you’ve made. How would you learn? Making mistakes isare the biggest way we growlearn. Life is better lived authentically. There is no such thing as a perfect person, we all have flaws. So, lI say let’s embrace those flaws and learn from our mistakes.

All of those dumb little mistakes Ii’ve made have taught me lessons. When I procrastinated for three3 months on a big Eenglish essay and got an unfavorable grade, I learned to just buckle down and do the next assignment on time. When I was arguing with my friend and said a not- sonice thing, I learned to slow down and think before I speak. There’s tons of real world examples of how mistakes can turn into something amazing. In 1938 Ruth Wakefield was trying to make chocolate cookies but then realized that she didn’t use the right chocolate. The chocolate didn’t melt like she thought it would. Her mistake resulted in one of the tastiest snacks out there, chocolate chip cookies.

It’s important to live authentically and learn from your mistakes. As nice as having the command Z button in real life sounds, it’s not worth losing the self growth that comes from messing up. So let’s just keep the undo buttons on our computers. A world without mistakes results in a world without chocolate chip cookies and that doesn’t sound like a good world to me.

ROTTEN ENVIRONMENT We can shape the future through understandings and progress Our lifestyles have been commodified + by Alden Norberg against nature. In Staff Designer the United States, you can throw around buzzwords like climate change or cultural appropriation and almost anyone will understand what you are talking about. Most of us are now conscious of the horrendous actions taken against the people and the planet. Every aspect of modern life has been shaped by out-dated values from our predecessors.

Why do humans act without consideration for the consequences of their actions toward the Earth? With this broad query, I began my research to how I view the world.

This impunity can be linked to various things including capitalism but it did not start there. I found that one source came from the ‘enlightened’ West’s JudeoChristian belief that man was created to have dominion over Earth. This set up the West’s indulgence in the belief that humans have intrinsic value while other life are resources that may justifiably be exploited.

The Shawnee Methodist Mission was created by Thomas Johnson, a pro-slave reverend. He created the ‘indian’ labour school to “civilize” (erase indigenous culture) native children into EuroAmerican culture. The Shawnee Mission

School District is a direct outcome of this and includes North’s cultural appropriation of their former ‘Indian’ mascot. The belief of Johnson and others like him who believe in their superiority has previously applied to allow them to dehumanize marginalized groups.

Exploitation of natural resources and creations to make our way of life easier has expanded our separation from nature.

Oil generates a variety of things, but it’s an unreliable source since it’s limited and creates an abundance of carbon in the atmosphere. Plastics choke our oceans and sides of the highway. Factory farming causes deforestation, contaminated water and treats animals as objects instead of life beings. All of this was commodified to fit our way of life while adding to climate change.

We have to strive to unlearn this outdated view of placing ourselves above nature, not because I am some tree hugger, but because humans are bound to Earth and have a tremendous impact upon it. We must educate ourselves on accurate history and hold people in power accountable.

My understanding of the world is everchanging, shaped by the news, studies, scientists and activists that I have learned from. We can not accept ignorance any longer.

SENIOR WRITERS

smnw.com

ONE DAY AT A TIME

Self-worth shouldn’t be based on your productivity There’s a large amount of pressure put onto people + by Ruth Demeke to show their value Online through strength and perseverance in labor. This mindset shouldn’t be what people rely on. The selfworth theory supports that your worth is dependent on the ability to achieve goals competitively. I started to question why self-worth can’t rely on accomplishments.

Pressure put on people through that isn’t healthy or beneficial since it brings a greater fear of failure. I believe it’s okay to just exist and to value yourself based on your own core beliefs.

I haven’t had any major issues with motivation prior to this year, but the long lockdown and the amount of time I spent in my room doing absolutely nothing has led me to a point where I find the smallest tasks too much to do. It was taxing to do the most simple tasks and regular activities that don’t require a lot of energy. I found myself dreading things that I usually enjoy.

Looking back, I realize that I would spend days doing absolutely nothing. I would just

lay on my deck or sit idly in my room as time passed. I can’t imagine how I managed to do that for weeks straight, but I did.

With the immense amount of time of doing nothing, I would end up spending hours reflecting on my values and beliefs.

There doesn’t need to be a great amount of stress focused on what you have achieved.

Constantly revolving my worth around productivity within school, or how often I would do different tasks, wasn’t healthy for me. Separating my self-worth from my achievements, and taking a step back to realize that it’s important to focus on selflove as well, has made me re-evaluate my beliefs and improve myself.

Society’s high regard towards a strong work ethic is something that has been deeply placed and practiced for years.

I don’t want to preach that we should throw away our achievements and laze around expecting to live happily ever after. However, I want people to recognize that the pressure that’s put on them isn’t necessarily what should drive your selfesteem.

TIME WILL TELL

It’s okay to be completely clueless about what your future might hold The most common question I receive as an + by Rory Dungan 18-year-old high school Co-Editor-insenior is, “What do you Chief want to do with your life?”

But what does that even mean? And why do I need to go to college with an alreadysolid plan for my future? It doesn’t seem natural that someone my age should be dead-set on every minute detail.

Maybe it’s just not enough anymore for us to go school to find our passions, to use a post-secondary education as an outlet to discover what we didn’t already know about ourselves. Maybe our society has regressed to a point in which we don’t have the ability to let kids take time to find our way in the world.

Or, maybe, we just need to change the narrative.

Many high school seniors I know have no idea what they will study in college. Some aren’t sure where they will go for college, and others may decide that continuing their education isn’t for them. We need to accept those who have no clue what their future might look like as well as those who choose unconventional paths. These choices are valid, too.

I’m going to the University of Arkansas to study nursing in the fall. Studying in a STEM-

related field is the plan, at least. It may seem like I have it together, like I know exactly what I want to do for the rest of my life. But what happens if I realize that I’m just not cut out for a medical career?

Just because I try things I don’t end up liking doesn’t mean I wasted my time or that I’m not smart enough to pursue them. It simply means that I have the opportunity to eliminate what isn’t a good fit, and that I can eventually find what I’m truly passionate about.

And if it turns out that I’m not passionate about nursing or STEM, I’ll try again. It may seem discouraging to have to completely change course, but it’s worth reaching a meaningful destination.

I hope that the class of 2021 can realize what’s truly important as we graduate and find ourselves in the adult world. We don’t need to have a step-by-step plan for what the coming months and years will look like.

We don’t have to constantly be stressed out about finding our purpose or reaching a hypothetical destination (which, by the way, will never be attained if that’s all we focus on). The only thing that we need to do now is take baby steps in the right direction.

Life is a journey. Stop worrying about what the future holds, or you will never be able to enjoy what you have now.

feature || 15 11 feature

UNAPOLOGETIC

+design by Kasi Maniktala

How I learned to not care what others think

I’ve gone through a lot of changes during my four years of high school and with those + by Emily Alexander changes came lessons Copy Editor learned.

Those lessons are direct results of my many ups, downs and loops on this crazy rollercoaster life. Through my own battles with self-image, mental health, friendship, sports and just high school in general, one specific thing I learned shines more than any other. Be unapologetic.

What does that mean—unapologetic. The dictionary definition of unapologetic is “not acknowledging or expressing regret.” But how does that relate to me, a senior in high school? Well, it’s pretty simple when you think about it. It really all came down to not caring what other people thought of me.

I hid in the shadows during my first two years of high school. I got up, went to class, went to softball or cheer practice and then went home without a word. I constantly wondered why I was unhappy and had no friends.

What could I have done wrong? I was doing everything I needed to do to make people like me right? Wrong. I was a pushover.

To be honest, I don’t really know exactly what happened, but one day something just clicked in my mind. It was as if someone flipped a switch in my brain and, all of a sudden, my entire outlook on life completely changed. I was done trying to please people. I wore what I wanted to. I said what came to my mind. I finally let my big bubbly personality be known to everyone around me.

So back to that word, unapologetic. That has been my motto for the last two years. I should never have to feel embarrassed for being myself. I should never feel sorry for doing the things I enjoy.

Today I am ten times happier. I have a group of friends I love, an amazing job and I’m graduating high school — all because I am finally confident enough to be myself.

I’ve finally learned that I am happiest when my choices reflect the person I have always been.

WORDS OF WISDOM

Advice from my greatest influences became my words to live by For a long time, I prided myself on being + by Ella Kuffour the “therapist friend.”

Co-Editor-inI often wondered if my Chief advising ability came from intuition, life experience or both. But until recently, I hadn’t realized how much my life was shaped by advice I’ve been given.

I don’t remember much from my formative years, but stories always stuck with me. I think that’s why I gravitated toward journalism. Seven-year-old Ella asking her grandparents to share childhood tales is no different from 17-year-old Ella conducting an interview for the Passage — in fact, the former is probably more fearless in her pursuit of the truth. As a result of that relentlessness, I’ve accumulated mantras from the most influential adults in my life, the advice I undoubtedly pass on when given the opportunity.

My grandma has been a social butterfly since the second she sprung from her cocoon, hosting taco Tuesdays and tennis clubs. Her radiance and likeability won her Miss Kansas and later Miss Congeniality.

But if you ask her to share a story, she’ll likely recount the time she left her dog tied to the grocery store bicycle rack or her inability to remember the words to “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.” I hear her voice in my head: “Remember to laugh at yourself,

Ella. A sense of humor is your greatest asset.”

My grandpa wakes up every morning at 7 a.m. to run on the treadmill and watch the news. He wears the same outfit every day, substituting his white polo for a blue one on holidays. But it’s not his evenly spaced hangers or meticulously mowed lawn that bring him joy, it’s family. I see him flipping through photos of distant relatives, telling me to “be the family historian,” to “keep the ones I love close to me always.”

For someone so young, my mom has the wisdom of someone who’s lived 100 lives.

I was in fourth grade when she reminisced about her best friend Mindy, who died in childbirth when I was a baby. She recalled Mindy’s flashy outfits, bright smile and easygoing nature. “Only be friends with people who are easy to be friends with, Ella,” she tells me. “Those are the people who are meant to be in your life.”

My dad deals a lot in clichés, but constantly reminds me that, being from Africa, he has limited language and relies upon simple idioms. Even so, the advice that comes straight from his own brain is what I rely upon the most. The most influential 15 words in my life were spoken in the Freddy’s drive-thru. “You’ll have a lot of lovers. But you’ll have haters too. Who gives a diddly.”

12 | sports

ONE GAME AWAY

May 19, 2021

SWINGING FOR SUCCESS Since the age of four, senior Sarah Milks has grown a love for the game of softball.

Milks has decided that her long journey from kindergarten tee-ball to the varsity Northwest team doesn’t end with high school graduation.

Next year, she plans to attend Coe College and play softball while Sarah Milks pursuing a major in Coe College, Softball nursing and a minor in kinesiology. Milks is excited for the opportunity to further both her academic and athletic career. “[The best part is] knowing that I will still be able to play the sport I love while getting a good education,” Milks said.

With the school year coming to an end, Milks has already started preparing for her life after Northwest. Milks advises anyone wishing to play college sports to get on top of things early.

“Be proactive about sending out emails to coaches,” Milks said. “That is something I wish I would have done looking back.”

Milks has always relied strongly upon her family, and thanks them for everything. She never realized how important they were to her journey until this point.

“It’s cliche, but [my biggest influences were] definitely my parents and my grandpa,” Milks said. “I never realized how much my grandpa pushed me when it came to the realm of softball until he passed earlier this year. I am just so happy he was able to know that I was going to play college softball.”

HARD WORK BEATS TALENT Senior Michael Harris plans to attend Southeast Missouri State University and play football next year. Harris has loved playing football since he was five years old. He is excited and prepared to continue his football career at the college level. “[The best thing about playing in college is that] I get the opportunity to Michael Harris continue playing the sport Southeast Missouri St. University, I love,” Harris said.

As the end of this year Football quickly approaches, Harris hasn’t stopped practicing. Although he won’t begin playing for his college football team until this fall, he’s already running to get faster, lifting weights and pinpointing new ways to advance his technique on the football field.

Ever since kindergarten, football has been a major part of Harris’ life.

His dad has been a major contributor to his journey. “[My biggest influence is] definitely my dad, working with me since I was five years old,” Harris said. “[He was always] making sure I had all the tools I needed to make it this far.”

As well as playing football, Harris plans to major in sports management. He advises underclassmen in athletics, and in life, to work hard and use others as motivation to be better.

“Don’t ever stop working hard,” Harris said. “Someone is always working just as hard or harder than you, don’t be passed up by anybody.”

Senior athletes sign to continue their athletic careers in college + by Ally Pruente

As the year comes to a close, sports teams come together and send off their seniors with a celebration of their hard work. Last games are played, final matches are scored and concluding races are run as the curtain begins to close on high school sports seasons. But for some seniors, that last game isn’t really the end.

Throughout the year, Northwest athletes have been signing to continue athletics at a college level.

Lilly Riddell Washburn University, Dance

Hadley Patton Johnson County Community College, Dance

Audrey Bennett Chadron State College, Volleyball

Shane Mullen Washburn University, Cross C0untry/Track

Ty Black United States Air Force Academy, Football

Zoe Newcomb Neosho Community College, Softball

Connor Buffon Dordt University, Football

Kari Pauli St. Mary’s College, Dance

Billy Dillon MidAmerica Nazarene University, Basketball

Chris Starks Dodge City Community College, Football

Kylie Dunn Bethany College, Basketball

Kennedy Taylor University of Colorado, Basketball

Rylee Gunter Ottawa University, Dance

Phillip Vesta Baker University, Football

Alvin Horner-Luettel Cloud County Community College, Wrestling

Justin Mitchell Dodge City Community College, Football

Taylor McCarthy Regis University, Volleyball

Ty Blecha Missouri State University, Baseball

Reanne DeBose Iowa Western Community College, Volleyball

Emma Mlivic Baker University, Soccer + design by Kasi Maniktala

smnw.com

feature | 13

PECULIAR PROM

Prom Committee grapples with pandemic-related restrictions +by Elizabeth Kuffour

P

rom is a quintessential high school event. Showcased in movies, television shows and international media, prom is something of a rite of passage for American teens. It’s the kind of thing you’re supposed to tell your kids about, the thing you reminisce over when you reconnect with old friends. After the COVID-19 pandemic brought about the famed event’s cancellation last year, many NW seniors hoped for a chance to attend prom at least once before graduating. Juniors hoped for a return to normal, an opportunity to experience the event in both of their upperclassman years like past classes. Prom Committee sponsor Brooke Moore took these requests into consideration when she and the committee began planning the event this year.

“At the beginning of semester two, we were told there would be no prom,” Moore said. “However, as vaccines started to ramp up, COVID-19 numbers [were] declining and [we heard] other schools were trying to get something going, we had a few weeks of back and forth with the school board and county health department to approve a plan for prom. We found out we could host an outdoor prom with all junior and senior students in attendance at once a couple days before Spring Break, so [we had] basically just under a month to put a prom together.”

Many of the hallmarks of prom are not advisable during a pandemic.

Gathering a large group of people for an extended period of time was the first major concern; as a result, prom was cut one hour shorter than in previous years. Attendees had to arrive within 30 minutes of the event’s start time, but were free to leave at any time. Additionally, outside guests were prohibited in an effort to limit the number of people in attendance. Location was another topic of discussion — prom is typically hosted in a hotel ballroom, but worry arose about hosting the event in an enclosed space. This year, prom was held outdoors at North District Stadium. Masks are another new addition to the event, in keeping with typical school-day policies. Refreshments other than water were not offered to prevent students from having to remove their masks to eat or drink.

With all the restrictions and modifications placed on this year’s prom, Prom Committee opted to offer admission for free. Students simply signed up to attend the event during lunch the week of April 26.

“Dr. Gruman recommended [tickets] be free, and I agreed,” Moore said. “This may pose some financial challenges for planning prom next year, but overall, I think it was the right choice. The senior class has lost

so much in the way of school traditions due to the pandemic, this is the least we can do.”

The loss of after-prom was an unfortunate occurrence in the eyes of many Northwest community members. The event, which is planned by the Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) and held at Northwest in the early hours of the morning following prom, is an opportunity for students to play carnival games and win raffles for big-ticket items. In the early stages of prom planning, building administration had planned to host only after-prom as opposed to both events. But when district administrators issued sweeping approvals of prom events for other SM high schools, after-prom was forgone in favor of a more traditional prom experience. PTSA instead incorporated the raffles into the events of the dance. Each student received a bundle of raffle tickets when they picked up their tickets to the dance, which they could use to enter more than 20 prize drawings for items ranging from Royals tickets to a Macbook Pro. Moore was grateful for the opportunity to work with PTSA to incorporate raffles into the dance.

“I was excited to include them in our Prom event for a nice two-inone,” Moore said. “They did an amazing job fundraising for prizes and many students walked away with some awesome prizes like Apple Watches, computers, TVs and gift cards.”

Though prom underwent a significant transformation this year, many upperclassmen were grateful for the opportunity to attend prom in the first place. Moore is proud of the outcome of the event, and hopes to see a return to usual conditions should circumstances allow.

“My hopes were that prom could just happen in general,” Moore said. “Once it was on the calendar, I really wanted students to dance, and I worried the large stadium atmosphere would inhibit that. I was very pleased to see many students dancing and having fun.”

2 1. Among the crowd, senior Riley

Brokeshoulder dances with friends May 1 at the North District Stadium.

Due to COVID-19, this year’s prom was held outdoors and required face masks.

“I thought that prom was as good as it could’ve been, considering the restrictions that needed to be followed,” Brokeshoulder said. “It was still really enjoyable.” +photo by Anna Torres

2. Senior Zoe Newcomb is crowned

Prom Queen May 1 at the North District Stadium. Newcomb was nominated by Young Democrats, baseball, Skills USA, Link Crew and softball. “It didn’t feel real,” Newcomb said. “It literally felt like a scene out of a movie. I just remember thinking no way that actually just happened.” +photo by Kyra Highlander

+design by Kasi Maniktala

Prom Court

May 19, 2021

14 | feature

+by Ruth Demeke +design by Kasi Maniktala

AJOONI HUNDAL & JACK SCHNITTKER Prom Committee, Spirit Prom commitee, ChickClub and Spanish NHS fil-a Club, Link Crew and What is your dream boys’ tennis

travel destination? What is your biggest Japan in the spring to fear? see the Japanese cherry Wade Vielhauer blossoms What is your pet What is your favorite peeve? type of food? People sneezing I could eat Italian or Mexican food anytime. What is your favorite TV show/movie?

What is your special Spongebob talent?

I usually finish a Costco gallon of milk in about a day, so my mom gets seven gallons of milk a week.

Thespian Troupe, Choir, Skills USA, Baseball, Croc and CCC Club, and Softball

What is the best song of all time?

“Yellow” by Coldplay

What is the best song of all time?

“History” by Rich Brian

What is your biggest fear?

Spiders, I have terrible arachnophobia

What is your biggest fear?

Dying. Eh, let me rephrase; dying before I have lived a good life

What are you going to miss about Northwest?

I will absolutely miss being with my family in choir.

What is your special talent?

Thinking outside the box

Band and Tri-M Tri-M

What is your biggest fear?

I’m very scared of deer.

My dad once hit a deer on the road and I’ve been traumatized ever since.

What is your dream travel destination?

Thailand, there’s a cool elephant reserve What is your special talent?

I am the Michael Phelps at RipStik

What is the best song of all time?

“On The Sunny Side of the Street” by Louis Armstrong What is your favorite TV show/movie?

“How I Met Your Mother” What is your best advice to future students?

Always do your work and keep motivated

3

2

LILLIAN BOWEN & COLIN NACHBAR

LACIE PERRY & PEDER THOMAS

KATELYN DAHL & BRANDON BERLIN Project Lit, girls’ swim, Student Council Spanish NHS, and Link What is your biggest Crew fear?

What’s your favorite TV show/movie?

“Friends”

What is your special talent?

Teaching swim lessons What will you miss the most about Northwest?

I will miss so many things but especially school assemblies and girls’ high school swim.

Dying without accomplishing anything What is your special talent?

I’ve very good at ignoring people without noticing it. Im just deaf What are your future plans?

I’m going to K-State to major in horticulture and minor in business

JULIE JOHNSON & MASON PATTERSON IB Diploma, girls’ swift Link Crew and track & team and Math NHS field

What is your biggest Best song of all time? fear? Something from Mozart Failure or Beethoven probably What is your favorite What is your dream type of food? travel destination?

Mexican 100% Russia (St. Petersburg or Moscow) What is your favorite TV show/movie? What is your biggest “The Shining” fear?

Tom Brady stans

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feature | 15

1

ZOE NEWCOMB & DREW DICKERSON Young Democrats, Softball, baseball, baseball, Link Crew, Skills USA and Croc Skills USA and softball Club What is your pet peeve?

Hearing people chew

What is your special talent?

I am really good at barking like a dog What is your best advice for future students?

Get involved and really embrace the rest of your time

What is your biggest fear?

Not being successful in the future What is your special talent?

I can yo-yo What is your best advice to future students?

Cherish and enjoy the time you have, it goes by fast

3

NESSIE GRAGG & VANN SKINNER

Young Democrats and Girls’ soccer varsity cheer What is the best song

What is the best song of all time?

“Santeria” by Sublime

of all time?

“All Falls Down” by Kanye West

What is your pet peeve?

When people interrupt me or talk down to me

What is your dream travel destination?

Iceland

What’s your special talent?

I can do a pretty mean cartwheel.

What will you going to miss about Northwest?

Mrs. Johnstone and Mrs. Brewer

GRACE BRADLEY & COHEN MITTS KUGR Link Crew and girls’ soccer

What is the best song of all time?

“Hotel Room Service”

by Pitbull

What is your biggest fear?

Jack Schnittker

What is your biggest fear?

Clowns, absolutely hate them

What is your special talent?

I can eat broccoli and peanut butter.

What is your favorite What will you miss type of food? about Northwest?

Tacos, hands down The student section at sports games

2

ASHLEY VIL & BRADY KING

Prom committee and track & field

What is the best song of all time?

“My Girl” by The Temptations What is your biggest fear?

That I’ll be in a boat crash and get stranded on a totally deserted island What is your special talent?

I can pick stuff up with my toes.

Student Council and CCC What is the best song of all time?

“I Wanna Dance with Somebody” by Whitney Houston What is your biggest fear?

Not enjoying life What are you going to miss about Northwest?

Mrs. Dent, the community and friends

JACY WILLIAMS & MASON KARLIN

National Honor Society National Honor Society and varsity cheer What is the best song What is your biggest fear?

Being kidnapped

of all time?

“White Ferrari” by Frank Ocean

What is your favorite type of food?

Pasta

What is your favorite type of food?

Breakfast food

What is your best advice for future students?

Grades aren’t everything and just enjoy high school while it lasts.

What is your best advice to future students?

Take school seriously from the start; you will thank yourself later.

OLIVIA WILLIAMSON & JACOB MARS Student Council SADD

What is your biggest What is your favorite fear? types of food?

Losing all of my teeth Italian and going bald What is your favorite What is your pet TV show/movie? peeve? “Ratatouille” When people use “whenever” incorrectly What is your best advice to future What is your best students? advice to future Live for your own students? happiness.

Be nice and welcoming to everyone; it pays off.

16 | senior map

May 19, 2021

SO MUCH MORE TO DO

Seniors make plans for next year and beyond + design by Erin Albers

1

2

3

4 5 18

13 6

15

9 12 11 10 8

O R E G O N 1

14 20

31 21 22 19

25 24 27

26

PORTLAND STATE Alden Norberg

2

32 33

17

16

OREGON STATE

28

23

Nessie Gragg 3

UNIVERSITY OF PORTLAND Jayley Smith

4

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON Teagan VanBlarcom

I 5

D

A

H

29

NEBRASKA 13

O

BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY IDAHO

6

T

A

14

BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY

7

UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA Mason Karlin AJ Makkyla Callan Taylor

COLORADO 8

AIR FORCE ACADEMY

OKLAHOMA 16

COLORADO STATE COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES

17

UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO BOULDER

I 18

COLORADO CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY Ashley Vil

O

19

20

W

24

A

25

26

IOWA STATE Kasi Maniktala Hailey Stone

30

NEW YORK 31

27

H

I

O

MIAMI UNIVERSITY Cierra Ladesich

TENNESSEE 28

MOREHOUSE COLLEGE Corbin Washington

Varshini Murugesh

O

TROY UNIVERSITY Mason Morris

Ella Kuffour

Sarah Milks

UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN IOWA

29

G E O R G I A

NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS URBANA-CHAMPAIGN

IOWA WESTERN COMMUNITY COLLEGE

A L A B A M A

DEPAUL UNIVERSITY

COE COLLEGE

Lauren Sanders 22

I L L I N O I S

DORDT UNIVERSITY

Reanne DeBose 21

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS Katelyn Dahl Maggie Dolinar Rory Dungan Duke Henke Ayrianna Smith Samantha Mudgett

Erin Albers

Connor Buffon

Kennedy Taylor 12

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA TWIN CITIES Alex Marvine

Julie Johnson 11

23

OKLAHOMA STATE

M I N N E S OTA

Trevor Hale 10

ARKANSAS

Madison Garner Cal Hansen

Ty Black 9

UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA LINCOLN Kelly VandenBos Nathan Zankel

Anna Hales

A R I Z O N A

COLLEGE OF ST. MARY Emily Price

15

H

CHADRON STATE Audrey Bennett

Madelyn Omanson Regan Rigdon

U

30

7

NEW YORK UNIVERSITY Victoria Vann

MASSACHUSETTS 32

BOSTON COLLEGE Kate Edmonds

33

TENNESSEE STATE

BUNKER HILL COMMUITY COLLEGE

Esther Bella Ngoa

Josue Dubique

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senior map | 17

M I S S O U R I 44

46 48 35 45 50

2 33

38

41

39

57 43

59

51

52

53

55

47

UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI Abbi Hamilton Kaiden Horton

53 58 54

34 36 37 49

42

52

Olivia Linville Olivia Williamson

UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI KANSAS CITY Bethel Hailemariam Abby Marx

56

40

54

Jaxon St. Clair

ROCKHURST UNIVERSITY Meghan Garrison

60 55

Bijou Muragizi

UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL MISSOURI Jane Robinson

K 34

A

JOHNSON COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE Phillip Adams Arianna Allen Amber Allison Rachel Allison Caleb Anderson Kaitlyn Assel Jack Barnhart Jennifer Barrera-Martinez Grace Bradley Addilynn Brown Julia Carson Emani Dilunga Cristiany Freire Gentry Gardner Steven Garrett Jayden Gilreath Victoria Goodwin Brian Harrell Grace Harris Jean Paul Herrera Madison Herring Nadya Hodson Abigail Huber Zyair Hughes Lucas Ihde Ashley Jaimes Aguilar Samantha Jenkins Isaac Jonah Victoria Jones Gurleen Kaur

35

39

Lily Willming

40

Morgan Kastelan Griffin Lamb Mackenzie Masters Grace Rippee Olivia Sanders

WASHBURN UNIVERSITY Alaysah Allen Shane Mullen Lilly Riddell

42

Sam Steinlicht Ali Windoffer

WICHITA STATE UNIVERSITY Tajanai Adams

43

Peter Opoku-Ware

KANSAS CITY KANSAS COMMUNITY Alex Herr

44

45

CLOUD COUNTY

Davon Selectman 48

Chris Starks

BETHANY BENEDICTINE

49

MID AMERICA Billy Dillon

50

MCPHERSON

Carlos Flores 47

OTTAWA Rylie Gunter

ST. MARY’S Karie Pauli

Kylie Dunn

Emma Mlivic

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PITTSBURGH STATE UNIVERSITY Isabella Alaniz Emily Alexander Ava Cheesman Bryce Dewsbury Drew Dickerson

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NEOSHO COUNTY Zoe Newcomb

SOUTHEAST MISSOURI STATE Michael Harris

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DODGE CITY COMMUNITY COLLEGE Justin Mitchell

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EMPORIA STATE UNIVERSITY Macey Eichkorn Lauren Groneman

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MISSOURI WESTERN STATE UNIVERSITY Catilynn Fowler

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METROPOLITIAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE Abigail Avila-Castillo

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May 19, 2021

E R I N

ALBERS Attending DePaul University

INFLUENTIAL

Who would you like to thank?

Everyone knows StuCo is like a huge family. It was a canned food drive and I was with this guy named Henry and this girl named [Rachel, and] we were on the same route for cans and we were trying to have fun with it, so Henry and I were sitting on top of all these cans on this giant cart. [Rachel] was pushing the cart really fast and we banged into a wall. There was a huge hole in the wall, so that’s definitely how I made my mark on Northwest like, literally, causing damage to school property is how I made my mark on Northwest.

What will you miss most about Northwest?

If you could say one thing to the underclassmen, what would it be?

The number one person I’d want to thank is my older sister, Rachel. She’s the one who influenced me the most, growing up [and] just bringing me into Northwest. I definitely want to thank her because she’s made me a big part of who I am today. The peers that I want to thank super quick, are just Maggie and Rory have influenced me growing up. Just like to make it cheesy, my boyfriend Colin. He’s a homie, I’m gonna thank him.

Obviously it’s been a good school, but the people who’ve shaped me. They have shaped me to become who I am today. I’m definitely gonna miss them the most. I think I’m just gonna miss all the experiences that Northwest has given me. I’m just going to miss the familiarity. Just the feeling of going to a place you always know what’s going to happen and it’s really familiar and it’s home.

Who was your most influential teacher?

Top three teachers are easily like Mr. Dent, Mrs Dent and Cough, because they all have shaped me and like different ways. Mrs. Dent is the nicest teacher ever, so she has helped me a lot to be emotionally better.

Mr. Dent likes to tell it to you straight, and he’s super helpful, so he’s helped me with that aspect of things.

Cough is just Cough. She just knows what the best thing is to say at the right time, so she just helped me in that aspect.

What will you always remember about Northwest?

CALLAN

TAYLOR Attending University of Arizona

What activities are you involved in at Northwest?

I’m the student body president of Student Council [StuCo]. I’m the treasurer of National Honor Society.

I’m the recruiter of CCC. I’m a member of the Spanish National Honor Society. I am involved with the Unified Special Olympics program. I am part of the cadet and interpersonal skills teaching class. I was a captain of the basketball team, and I am on the varsity baseball team, as well.

Who would you like to thank?

The person I would most like to thank for my Northwest experience is Mrs. Dent. I don’t think much of what I’ve done in high school would have happened if she didn’t convince me to run for StuCo my freshman year. That opened so many doors for me, and really showed me the value of getting involved in school.

What will you miss most about Northwest?

I’ll miss the people of Northwest the most. Obviously going away to college next year, I want to see a lot of the people that are in my school right now, next year, and I’ll miss seeing all the people every day, seeing the community, how much everyone loves the school and how much everyone supports each other.

What will you always remember about Northwest?

I’ll always remember the memories I made within the school and like doing school activities. Tearing down and setting up for dances. Counting cans for the canned food drive. Hearing in the student section of basketball games and going to state in basketball.

Those are the kind of memories that I’ll carry with me in life.

Basically everything the Link Crew leader says is true. It sounds sappy and gross, but find your family because without a family, you’re just going to be going to school for eight hours a day, going home and going back to nothing. So, you want those eight hours a day to be meaningful. Don’t just go to school to go to school. Don’t just go to school to get the grade. Take advantage of all the other stuff, because you never know what’s gonna happen.

If you could say one thing to the class of 2021, what would it be?

It’s more of a question for our senior class, and it kind of relates to all the battles that we’ve gone through in the past year with the pandemic and everything like that. Think about who you were in February of 2020, pre-COVID-19. Now, think about who you are now. Then, think about who you want to be in a year, because if you guys have any dreams or aspirations that you want to accomplish, I would highly recommend starting that right now, because who knows what’s going to happen next year.

How have you changed since freshman year?

I think I’ve become a lot more, not that I was shy freshman year or anything, but I feel like I’ve become more myself. I’ve become more comfortable in my own shoes. And I’ve definitely become more confident since freshman year.

What was the favorite class you have ever taken at NW?

My favorite class I’ve ever taken, well obviously, Student Council is such a fun class and like the dynamic of the class is very fun with it being student led. Cadet class is a similar way with building those relationships. Academically, my favorite class I’ve ever taken is probably IB English with Mr. Pabst.

What are you most proud of yourself for?

I think what I’m most proud of is all the organizations that I’m a part of. Seeing the people I’ll be taking them over next year and in the coming years. I’m proud that I’ve left it better than I found it in. Student Council’s up and coming Exec Board, I fully believe that they’ll be able to take the organization to the next level. And so I’m proud that the organization is in a place, after I’m leaving, where it will still prosper

If you could say one thing to the underclassmen, what would it be?

I would say prioritize enjoying your time in high school, because it goes by very fast. Everyone says that, but you don’t really realize until second semester your senior year. So, don’t go out with any regrets, you know? Just do it. Whatever you’re thinking about doing, just do it.

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SENIORS What activities are you involved in at Northwest?

in cursive for fun. I was a very different person from who I am now. People who know me now probably wouldn’t even recognize me back then.

But, somewhere around sophomore year a flip just switched but I became more extroverted and super talkative.

What will you miss most about Northwest?

How does it feel to be named an influential senior?

I am one of the co-editors for the school newspaper, the secretary for student council, captain of the dance team, a college ambassador and I am involved in [National Honors Society] (NHS).

The sense of community, as a whole Northwest is very connected. There are so many communities to get involved in and there are smaller communities within the bigger ones, which is something I’ve definitely benefited from. So I feel like it’s going to be odd to start from scratch

Who was your most influential teacher?

Susan Massy, I knew I wanted to do journalism coming into high school. But I wouldn’t have come out of high school knowing that’s what I wanted to pursue if it weren’t for her. She’s a very supportive individual in general, but if it were someone else in that position, I wouldn’t have attached myself as much as I did.

What will you always remember about Northwest?

The assemblies, that’s the thing I have missed the most this year. Assembly days were always some of the best and most memorable for me. I feel like our assemblies are unique and not a lot of schools do it like us.

How have you changed since freshman year?

Being someone who’s worked on the paper it’s always been people who I’ve looked up to, people who I think really deserve it. Being on the flip side is different, the reassurance is nice because I don’t always think of myself to be that type of person.

E L L A

KUFFOUR Attending Northwestern University

If you could say one thing to the underclassmen, what would it be?

Be open to change not only in your person or personal life but in your environment as well, it goes together.

If one changes the other does as well, letting that happen will benefit you and eventually form you who you’re meant to be.

If you could say one thing to the class of 2021, what would it be?

I would tell them that I love them and that I’m glad we all got to experience everything together, we’ve all grown a lot stronger due to that. I’m so proud of everyone’s future plans, and I’m sure they will go out and change the world.

When I came in as a freshman, I was the most introverted person you would ever meet. I kept to myself and the person who wrote their notes

What activities are you involved in at Northwest?

I’m involved in varsity baseball, varsity football, I’m the CCC co-president, I’m in StuCo, NHS and also Cotillion.

Who would you like to thank?

Most importantly, I have to thank my parents. They’ve always pushed me to be the best person I can be.

I have definitely become more outgoing and more confident in myself. I wasn’t someone who was willing to go out of my way to talk to someone, but now I have matured and have become someone who is looking forward to meeting new faces and getting new relationships.

What are you most proud of yourself for?

What will you miss most about Northwest?

What I’m most proud of myself for is hearing positive things from teachers about how I’ve been in classes and my character. That goes a little bit further because I have siblings coming to Northwest, and being able to set a name for myself and for my siblings means a lot to me.

Who was your most influential teacher?

How does it feel to be named an influential senior?

Being an influential senior is kind of surreal. You don’t really think about being an influential senior, you don’t do your best to become that, you just be yourself and be the best version of yourself. It’s really cool to hear that I was able to make a difference in students’ lives.

I will definitely miss seeing everybody that I’ve grown up with. As I move to college, I will definitely try to keep certain people in my life, but it is hard. I’m also going to miss the teachers a lot, because I love my teachers and they have been there for me since day one.

My most influential teacher is Mrs. Dent because of her positivity. She is always showing me that there’s light in a world full of darkness, and she never has a frown on her face. I really respect that, and I look up to her for that exact reason.

What will you always remember about Northwest?

The thing I’ll remember most about Northwest is definitely baseball. I won’t be playing baseball in college, and this is the last time I’ll have a group of guys as teammates in a great sport.

What was your favorite class you have ever taken at Northwest?

My favorite class that I have ever taken was speech class my freshman year. I was with six of my really good friends. It was just a really funny class because we gave speeches and we laughed at each other because our speeches were really bad.

If you could say one thing, to underclassmen, what would it be?

If I could say one thing to underclassmen, I would say being uncomfortable is a good thing. As [you] grow, there are a lot of situations that are definitely not going to be something that [you’re] comfortable with, but it’s always good to step out of your comfort zone and explore new things. In the long run, it’s going to shape who you are.

LANDYN

LUTTRELL Attending Kansas State University

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May 19, 2021

AJ

MAKKYLA Attending University of Arizona

What activities are you involved in at Northwest?

Sports wise, I was in cross country, bowling and I’m in baseball right now. I’m also involved pretty heavily in the band. I do Marching Band, Symphonic Band, pit orchestra, jazz band and a couple other miscellaneous things, and then Link Crew. I’m NHS president. And I’m also in cotillion.

Who would you like to thank?

I just really love this school and I love the student body we have here. It makes it easy to just be nice to everybody here because I really like the community we have and all the people here. That made it easy for me to be myself and touch as many people as I can and I guess that’s reflected in this and I just got to thank the teachers and our executives for building this community that we have and, of course, the students for making Northwest such a great place to be at.

What will you miss most about Northwest?

It’s got to be the people. Kind of the same thing there, I mean the community we have is awesome. That’s just one of my biggest things about moving away to college is leaving behind so many people that I’ve gotten to know for the past for four, six [or] 13 years, whatever it is. We just have really great people here at Northwest. Not even just the students, I mean the staff we have, teachers are awesome, top to bottom, our coaches, our club leaders. That’s really what makes Northwest a great place for sure.

Who was your most influential teacher?

feel comfortable and good about myself and she’s just been the best role model for me, for sure.

What will you always remember about Northwest?

I would say the school spirit is a big thing I’ll remember about Northwest. Coming from Trailridge it was just a step up. It’s the same people but we just, we really grew up here in this community together. It created such an awesome environment and we all love the school, the assemblies, the basketball games and football games. [We would] just be crazy and a whole lot of fun.

What are you most proud of yourself for?

I would say I take pride in being nice to everybody.

I think that’s the thing that’s the most important thing to me. The biggest tip going into high school is just you know, it doesn’t matter what you do, all the awards you get or whatever, but people are gonna remember how nice you are to other people and how you treated them. So I feel like I’m most proud of myself for, no matter who you are, just treating you like a human, getting to know you and being nice to you. I think that’s what I’m most proud of.

If you could say one thing to the class of 2021, what would it be?

I think it just goes back to being nice to everybody, just always. You never know what a smile or just an offhand conversation or sitting with somebody at lunch will do to just make their day or their high school experience, even. I mean that’s what makes Northwest great.

I would say probably Ms. Snead. I’ve known Ms. Snead since seventh grade, since she does middle school band as well. Band has always been the best part of my day. It’s a great way to break up my classes and get to go to band and have a good time with her always. She made it fun, made me

OLIVIA

WAREN Attending Kansas State University

What activities are you involved in at Northwest?

[I am in] varsity cheer, I’m CCC vice president, Link Crew, Special Olympics, Writing Center tutoring and NHS vice president.

Who was your most influential teacher?

I would say Mrs. Anthony, Mrs. Walker, Mr. Mach and Mr. Wolfe. Those have been my favorite teachers at Northwest. I think I had all of them junior year, and they were just really encouraging. A lot of them teach really difficult classes, and I feel like they just really helped me get through all of those classes.

What will you miss most about Northwest?

[I will miss] just seeing people every day. I feel like that’s something that past high school, you don’t really get because you have things going on where you aren’t in a classroom for seven or eight hours a day.

So really, just seeing everyone in the moment is like, it kind of sucks to be at school for that long but [I’m] going to miss it.

What will you always remember about Northwest?

I would say getting third at state sophomore year in cheer that was really exciting. The bonfire assembly junior year, I think that was when my class won the spirit stick. That was probably my favorite. I’ve always liked the bonfire assembly. Those have been some of my favorite memories.

What was your favorite class you have ever taken at Northwest?

I would have to say AP Psychology with Mrs. Walker junior year. That class I always looked forward to because she just made the class so fun. She was always so encouraging. We started out each class with little things, I think is what she called it, where we would just go around and people would be able to say

things, little things, that made them happier that [had] happened that week. The class was really small, but everyone in it was so fun, and it was just a good community.

How have you changed since freshman year?

I went to a small little Catholic school until seventh grade, so [Northwest] was definitely a big change for me. I feel like I became much more outgoing as a person and definitely better with public speaking. I used to freak out about that. I feel like I’ve just really become more relaxed about certain things and gotten to know a lot more people, and gone out of my comfort zone.

What are you most proud of yourself for?

I’d say GPA, certain AP scores and getting AP scholar with honors. Also just getting involved and doing things that I normally probably wouldn’t have done four years ago, that probably would have really scared me. So that’s the main thing, just breaking out my comfort zone.

If you could say one thing to underclassmen, what would it?

Do things that you don’t think you would be good at because you never know. Just go for it. If you fail, you fail, but it may turn out for the better. You never would have known if you hadn’t tried.

If you could say one thing to the class of 2021, what would it be?

I’d say thank you, it’s just been a really fun last four years, and it’s weird that everyone’s just going to go off and do their own thing.

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What activities are you involved in at Northwest?

Cross country, basketball, bowling, baseball, [Student Council (StuCo)], KUGR, [National Honors Society (NHS)], Young Democrats [Club], AP and IB classes, Cotillion and Graduation Committee.

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How have you changed since freshman year?

I definitely talk more since freshman year, and I am a lot more confident. Nowadays, if I see someone and I need to talk to them, I feel comfortable enough to approach them, which wasn’t always the case for me.

Who would you like to thank?

What are you most proud of yourself for?

What will you miss most about Northwest?

How does it feel to be named an influential senior?

I’d like to thank all of my friends and teachers for welcoming me into NW when I first arrived here, as well as my parents for always keeping me on top of things.

I will miss the atmosphere of NW the most. Whenever I’m in the school, I never feel nervous or under pressure. Everyone here is so welcoming and kind, I will never forget it.

Who was your most influential teacher?

Mr. Dent was my most influential teacher, I had him seven out of eight semesters at NW and also for two seasons as a bowling coach. He has taught me how to work hard and have fun at the same time.

What will you always remember about Northwest?

I will always remember all of the school spirit we all have, I always got so hyped at assemblies when everyone went crazy over such small things. It was the first thing I realized was special about NW and it’s stuck with me through all four years.

I am proud of my leadership where it is needed. I enjoy trying to get people enthusiastic about activities and it’s a lot of fun to see them perk up over time.

E V A N

B AT T L E S Attending University of Kansas

I am extremely honored to be named an influential senior. There are so many great people at NW. Everyone is so caring and I’m lucky to be part of this class.

If you could say one thing to the underclassmen, what would it be?

Get involved and take chances. There are tons of ways to meet people and create new experiences at NW, so take advantage of it

If you could say one thing to the class of 2021, what would it be?

Thanks for all the laughs and smiles, I’ve really enjoyed all the good times we’ve had. You are all incredible people, keep your head up high. Good luck to you all, I wish you the best.

What was the favorite class you have ever taken at NW?

My favorite class I took at NW was KUGR because it provided a little break in the day, but was still stimulating enough that I could go right to a hard class and concentrate.

What activities are you involved in at Northwest?

I was involved in basketball, Young Democrats [Club], [Black Student Union (BSU)] and Track and Field.

Who would you like to thank?

I really just want to thank my parents for always being there for me and pushing me when I don’t feel like giving my all.

How does it feel to be named an influential senior?

It feels very awesome to be named an influential senior because I always try to treat people the way I want to be treated

If you could say one thing to the underclassmen, what would it be?

What will you miss most about Northwest?

Take school seriously because before you know it will be your senior year.

Who was your most influential teacher?

If you could say one thing to the class of 2021, what would it be?

I will definitely miss the friends that I have made.

Miss Ojeda is my favorite because she was a coach on the basketball team and I got to see her everyday. She is also just an amazing teacher. She takes her time explaining the material and will break it down even more if you still don’t understand

What will you always remember about Northwest?

[I will miss] how awesome the assemblies are.

What was the favorite class you have ever taken at NW?

My favorite class was definitely Advanced Foods.

Advanced Foods was fun because we got to cook, which I love to do. [Also,] the people in that class were amazing and I still talk to them to this day.

How have you changed since freshman year?

I’m a lot more organized than I was freshman year and I am taking school more seriously now than I did as a freshman.

What are you most proud of yourself for?

I am most proud of the fact that I will be graduating very soon and that I get the chance to play in the PAC12 for basketball.

Class of 2021, we finally did it. We are graduating. We have been through so much together, from the ones we lost freshman year until now. So let’s go out in style.

KENNEDY

TAYLOR Attending University of Colorado Boulder

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May 19, 2021

JUSTIN

MITCHELL Attending Dodge City Community College

What activities are you involved in at Northwest?

Football and FCA, I play pretty much everywhere but this year I was primarily the running back.

Who would you like to thank?

I would thank coach black, for teaching me a lot of life lessons and teaching me everything I know about the game.

What will you miss most about Northwest?

I’m gonna miss the people, my coaches, teachers, my friends and my teammates.

Who was your most influential teacher?

How does it feel to be named an influential senior?

It’s an honor to be respected enough by my peers for them to say that about me. It makes me feel like I had an impact on people and for that I’m grateful.

If you could say one thing to the underclassmen, what would it be?

Take your junior year seriously and no matter how hard or impossible it might seem, push through it.

If you could say one thing to the class of 2021, what would it be?

We made it, good luck to everyone in the future. I wish nothing but the best for every member of my class.

Mrs.Young, she’s influenced me a lot in how I think about some things and showed me different points of views. She just opened up my brain to think about things I never thought I would.

What will you always remember about Northwest?

The memories I made on the football field and prom.

What was the favorite class you have ever taken at NW?

Math with Ojeda, she’s always made me feel like I could come in at any time and talk about anything.

How have you changed since freshman year?

I feel like I’ve matured in a lot of ways and I’m a lot more dedicated now.

What are you most proud of yourself for?

Getting through high school.

COLBY

JOHNSTON Attending Kansas State University

What activities are you involved in at Northwest?

So I’m involved in the bands. That’s marching band, symphonic band, jazz band, basketball band, symphony orchestra and pit. I’m also in Tri M, Music Honor Society, Math Honor Society and National Honor Society. I’m in the Shawnee Mission School District Cotillion. I’m in Young Republicans. I do track and field and Ultimate Frisbee club.

Who would you like to thank?

The seniors who came before me. My freshman year, Jackson Brogan was one that really influenced me. He’s a role model, he kind of pushed me to try everything I can, put myself out there and just put myself to a higher standard. Just do whatever I can to improve myself and help those around me.

What are you going to miss most about Northwest?

I’m really going to miss the band family. It’s a stereotype within a lot of programs, it’s family, but I’ve felt that band is really a place I can be myself in and find people who have every other different interest.

Who was your most influential teacher?

I’m trying to pick between two of them, Miss Snead and Miss Barger. I had them for the longest and just having their influence both in academics and leadership positions and whatever I’m involved in and their support through those endeavors. It really meant a lot.

What was the favorite class you’ve ever taken at Northwest?

That kind of middle ground between academics and music was Music Theory. I’m taking that currently this year, and the teacher is awesome, and finding out why music works or what makes a piece sound the way

it should or sound the way the composer intended.

And just seeing what makes music, music and why things are done certain ways as opposed to just being a listener to it. You can begin to understand the pieces.

It is really awesome.

What are you most proud of yourself?

[Becoming] drum major. It was a huge thing for me.

I’ve learned so much through that position and the people I met through it are amazing. That’s probably my favorite accomplishment because through that, [I’ve been able] to give back to other people. It means a lot because I know how much I appreciated people who are in those roles, When I was a freshman, sophomore and junior.

If you could say one thing to the class of 2021, what would it be?

Thank you for all the time, all the shared experiences we’ve had, especially with COVID-19. Just being able to push through it with everyone, and just all the experiences I’ve had with them. Getting to know all the people I have, all the seniors I have, and how much they have impacted me. I hope I’ve impacted them the same degree they have [impacted me].

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smnw.com

WE HEARD YOU Seniors give their final words before they leave Shawnee Mission Northwest + by Veronica Meiss

Allison Ruschill

Grant Johnson

“I am going to miss KUGR and making videos in 153. Staying late for work nights is always a fun time and [where] I got to know some really cool people.”

“It took me so long to realize how good of an experience high school was. [Compared to freshman year], I have changed for the better in so many ways. After suffering from a year of no school, it really shows how much I took [school] for granted.”

Ciara Sandnes

Gentry Gardner

“I think I’m really going to miss the social aspect of [high school]. Being able to connect and interact with so many different people is important to me and Northwest really created an outlet of sorts for that. I think I’m already missing it, especially since I’m doing remote [learning]. Things feel like they got taken away early.”

“The student body and school community [have] been nothing but good to me. Whether that means people supporting me when things have been rough or celebrating with me when I’ve accomplished something, there have always been people there for me. I’m really happy that I had the pleasure of being a Northwest student.”

Johnny Watts

Matt Steinmetz

“[I’m going to miss] the community and the people that are always cheering me on. It’s so unique how everyone is different but yet still the same when we come into [Northwest]. Be who you want to be and don’t care what people think about you.”

“To the incoming freshmen, I just want them all to know that they need to get involved. Looking back on myself as a freshman, I was scared to get involved. It will be scary but you won’t regret it because you get to build great relationships with your classmates.”

Alex Barfield

Claire Laws

“Don’t stress about school too much. It’s great to take honors courses and challenge yourself academically, but if it is affecting your quality of life and mental wellbeing, then take it easier.”

“I’m probably going to miss the friends that I have here like people that I’m going to leave behind because they’re still here for another year or people who are going to different colleges than me.”

+ design by Alden Norberg

CELEBRATE

by Jessica Cox and Clark Russell Hey, it’s been a long time coming It’s here now, we’ll soon be on our way Hey, why don’t we celebrate?

Is it sad? Sad that we can’t stay All of us, students together strong, move along, United under the class of 2021 Little did we know it’s now ending It felt like there’s so much more to do Don’t give up now just keep going It’s just beginning for me and you All of us, students together strong, move along, United under the class of 2021 We’ve got it now, we’re moving on with our lives Just come with me, and everything will be alright Growing up, we can’t prevent that But don’t forget the memories that take us all back All of us, students together strong, move along, United under the class of 2021 We’ve got it now, we’re moving on with our lives Just come with me, and everything will be alright All of us, students together strong, move along, United under the class of 2021

Senior Jessica Cox plays the piano and sings the senior song at the prom assembly April 30 in the Aux Gym. She and senior Clark Russell wrote and performed “Celebrate” for a limited audience of seniors from various clubs, sports and activities. + photo by Josie Torres

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feature | 25

A Modern Tale

+ by Rory Dungan

The student-directed spring play emphasizes action and adventure In a shift from the classic comedies of the past spring plays, “She Kills Monsters” is a modern, action-packed show.

The plot featured Agnes, a teenager, who embarks on an adventure created by her deceased younger sister. The game she plays, Dungeons and Dragons, is one that is played by millions in real life.

“Agnes, who I’m playing, is a senior in high school,” senior Kate Edmonds said. “Her younger sister, who’s a freshman, just died in a car accident. Tilly, the younger sister, is more nerdy and into Dungeons and Dragons, and Agnes is more of the stereotypical cheerleader.”

Agnes journeys through Tilly’s D&D module while learning more about the sister she was never close to in the real world.

The show is completely student-directed. Senior Jacob Parker is the head director and senior Claire Laws is the stage manager and the unofficial assistant director.

“Technically, I’m in charge of communications between actors, the director and crew heads,” Laws said. “A lot of what I do is facilitating communication between crews. I also help [Parker] out with giving extra advice with blocking or acting. It’s basically just a hodgepodge of everything that there isn’t really a person for, and it falls to me.”

Parker’s job as the director entails working directly with the cast during rehearsals to perfect the show.

“Most days, what I do is come in around 3 [p.m.] for rehearsal, and I will give notes and essentially give my vision for the show and collaborate with the actors,” Parker said. “I work with them to form the best show possible. I try to provide movement around the stage, as well as create a cohesive unit and bring everyone together for the final production.”

In an unforeseen turn of events, director Jason Coats was forced to take medical leave for the remainder of the year due to ongoing issues with COVID-19. As a result, the cast and crew are dealing with unexpected change.

“The person I work most closely with is our sponsor and technical director, Judy Tuckness,” Parker said. “We call her ‘Mama T.’ She’s the technical director, but for this show she has also become our sponsor since Coats is on medical leave. We have a lot of meetings about how

we want specific things to look, as well as making sure everyone is behaving professionally.”

However, the loss of Coats is not the only recent change in the theater department. Edmonds, who moved from California to Kansas last summer, is playing her first lead at Northwest in “She Kills Monsters.”

“There’s definitely some pressure,” Edmonds said. “I’m surprised I got cast as the lead since I’ve been here for less than a year. I’m not dreading it, but I need to get on my memorization because, if you’re not memorized, the rest of the show won’t look good.”

So far, Edmonds enjoys working with the rest of the cast and crew.

“Sometimes you have more chemistry with some actors than others, but I really like the whole theater group in this production,” Edmonds said. “It’s on the smaller side, [and] there are about 12-15 people in the cast. Everyone is very supportive and encouraging.”

The rehearsal schedule, which spans several weeks, is one that Edmonds is already familiar with.

“We always start out with character work, and that goes for any high school,” Edmonds said. “Then we get into blocking and running the show, and you have to be off-book about halfway through the rehearsing time period. Blocking is the director’s vision of where the characters are moving or where the actors are moving onstage.”

Since the show is directed strictly by students this spring, both Parker and Laws play a vital role in the culmination of the production.

“This show is completely student-directed, so if me and Jacob weren’t here, there wouldn’t be a show at all,” Laws said. “I make a meaningful contribution here, and I really like seeing the product. There’s something rewarding about show night, the months of putting work into something finally coming together.”

Laws encourages students to see the show because its modern themes make it more appealing to a teenage audience.

“It should be a really fun and engaging and fun-towatch show for all audiences, so if you’re going to come to a show at Northwest, come to this one,” Laws said. “It’s going to be good.”

Reciting her lines, sophomore Zoe Connor holds a prop sword May 6 in the Greg Parker Auditorium. Connor plays the main character role of Tilly Evans. + photo by Micah Reeves

Meet the Cast and Crew CAST Agnes Kate Edmonds Tilly Zoe Conner Chuck Jayce Lamb Miles Jade Taylor Orcus/Ronnie Asher Demo Vera Danie Eaves Kelly/Kalliope Lillian Bowen Lily/Lillith Olivia Williamson Tina Anistyn Kempf Gab Gracilyn McMannessi Farrah the Fairy Cat Sanders Steve Nat Rogers

Narrator & female swing

Morgan Tate Monster ensemble & male swing

Thomas Johnston Monster ensemble

Elaine Gast

Rose Cox

Grace Allen

Emma Sheerbush

Margo Schuerman

CREWHEADS Lights crewhead

Matthew Kucharczyk Sound crewhead Drew Jaime Publicity crewhead

Alyssa Kempf Costume crewheads

Autumn Posey

Savannah Miner Props crewheads

Caleb Anderson

Cody Sprague

Set crewhead Sophia Mendus Hair and makeup crewheads

Elaine Gast

Rose Cox Stage managers Xavier Williamson

Claire Laws

CREW Jacob Parker Claire Laws Grace Allen Ashley Bonewits Ethan Jones Katelyn Doering Zoe Conner Kate Edmonds

Lily Reiff Morgan Tate Nat Rogers Fawn Torres Mattaya Hager Catherine Ancell Layla Harris

Junior Sophia Mendus paints a stage prop May 6 in the Greg Parker Auditorium. As the set designer for the spring show, Mendus creates set pieces that are functional for the play and manages their construction.

“We have around 15-20 set pieces,” Mendus said. “”It’s taken us two months of being at the school Monday through Friday until 7 p.m. to build and paint them all.” + photo by Micah Reeves + design by Olivia Linville

Deep Roots 26 | feature

Since the day Northwest was built in 1969, the last name Hoelting has echoed through the hallways. The family has had at least one student enrolled here at any given time for 51 years.

Senior Albert Hoelting III and his two cousins junior Adam and sophomore Will Flickinger are some of the last members of their generation of the family to walk these halls. But regardless of how many Hoeltings are here, the bond they’ve created in the NW community is something that’s truly never-ending.

Albert and Alice Hoelting were the backbone of the family, setting the stage for the long-lived legacy. Starting out as farmers with only an eighth grade education and little money to their name, the couple found a niche in homebuilding.

From St. Louis, they began to build their home along with their family. “[Albert Sr.] supported his family by building a slightly larger home as his family grew, and that turned into a lucrative business for him,” Allyson Starnes, Albert III’s second cousin, said. “Shawnee became a huge deal. That’s what we’re rooted in, that’s how we got here.”

Albert Sr. and Alice had 11 children: eight boys and three girls. The eight boys all became involved in the homebuilding business, just as their father had. A few of their sons have become homebuilders as well, carrying on the tradition to a third generation.

The original 11 children had a total of 36 immediate grandchildren. To this day, the children and grandchildren all reside in areas near or in Shawnee, providing a sense of closeness between them all.

“To be able to grow up with your family and see cousins of cousins’ kids grow up, I think is pretty special,’’ Aaron Starnes, Albert III’s second cousin said. “I don’t think there are many families around the country that have done what we’ve done.”

As the family members have attended Northwest for generations, the school had begun to feel just like home. The

May 19, 2021

The Hoelting family tree is one with many branches, but their roots are here + by Ally Pruente

Hoeltings were never truly alone because they knew, or had known, at least one relative while they were here. It created a sense of belonging to the NW community, and bonded them even closer.

“It was just so cool to be able to say we had so much family in such a small space,” Brandi Hoelting-Perez, Albert (II 2nd cousin said. “Because of how much family we had, it felt like Shawnee was just a small town.”

Northwest provided not only a way to bring the family together, but some life changing moments. The family has had eight high school sweethearts, although some aren’t together today.

“We definitely have a lot of sweethearts that came out of Northwest,” Starnes said. “Brandy and her husband, Scott and Jamie, Rick and Marlice, and I think there’s probably more.

I would say there were probably six or seven couples in our family that came together at Northwest.”

Hoeltings have been on Homecoming and WPA courts (the Women Pay All dance was the precursor to Sweetheart dance). They have held school records, served as leaders in various organizations (including The Northwest Passage) and have played almost every sport Northwest has to offer. Albert Hoelting III adds to this legacy and is proud to be a part of such a close knit family.

“It’s definitely a little bit sad [to be one of the last Hoeltings at Northwest],” he said. “My family has had such deep roots here.”

Regardless of last name, the family doesn’t think their legacy is anywhere close to over. The next generation will continue to leave its mark, just as the last 38 Hoeltings have before them.

“I certainly don’t feel like I’ll be the last one,” Albert III said.

“We may have [family members] move back here, and I know my sisters have plans to live in the Shawnee area… it’s just a matter of time before the next wave of Hoeltings.”

Senior Albert Hoelting III is the 38th person with the Hoelting last name to attend Northwest. Hoeltings have been attending this school since it opened in 1969. + photo by Kailee Alexander

51 Years of Hoeltings... and counting Tim

1970

Mark

1971

Robert

1973

1974

Barbara

Paula & Ken

1977

Mike

1980

Albert Jr.

Megan & Kenneth

Bobby

2007

2010

2009

1981

Matthew & Brandy

David Jr.

1983

Geoffrey

1984

Theresa & Richard

1988

John & Glen

Rachel

2012

Abigail

2013

1991

Scott & Jennifer

1994

1996

Loretta & Annette

David

2014

Amanda

2015

Thomas, Michael & Clifford

1998

Nicholas

1999

2000

Amelia

2017

2001

Clavton

Justin

2016

Heather

2005

Sara

Albert III

2018

Brandie

2021

+ design by Alden Norberg

smnw.com

CHANGE OF

feature | 27

PL NS

After the Rotary Club canceled her foreign exchange, Senior Jenna Wilson works to find au pair position

+ by Grace Logan Across the Atlantic Ocean, quaint monotonous villages, medieval cities and the breathtaking scenery of France would have been senior Jenna Wilson’s home for a year. She planned to travel with the Rotary Exchange Program, where she would stay with a host family and study abroad for a second senior year of high school.

“I had Mr. [Doug] Murphy for French 2 and he’s a big advocate for taking foreign exchanges,’’ Wilson said. “Throughout that whole year he convinced me that this is what I was going to do, [that this would help me] get out and figure out what I want to do.”

In spite of the COVID-19 pandemic that raged world-wide Wilson believed that a solution would be reached by the time of her departure. In the middle of April, a representative from the Rotary Exchange Program informed Wilson via email that her trip had been canceled.

“It’s been upsetting,” Wilson said. “My entire plan was to have another senior year of high school in a different country and have all those experiences. I was heartbroken that something that I’d been waiting for so long got taken away from me.”

The news put Wilson on the hunt for another opportunity abroad. Wilson learned of an alternative option from her childhood caregiver named Lizzie Gremminger. “[Lizzie] studied abroad in college, was a nanny in France and now travels the world teaching English to young kids,” Wilson said.

During her free time, Gremminger backpacked across Europe.

“

I’m really excited to experience other cultures as a local rather than a tourist.

— senior Jenna Wilson

”

The tales of those travels inspired a very young Wilson to look for opportunities to explore the world.

Currently, Wilson is working with an agency to find a position as an au pair. This would allow her to live with a host family while providing childcare and performing household tasks. The majority of positions available would like an au pair to teach the children English as well.

“Most [families] expect that you speak English very well,” Wilson said. “Just so you can teach the kids English and they can grow up speaking it, but you also have to be able to speak [their native language] so communicate with the parents.”

Wilson has taken five years of French, starting during her 8th grade year, however she still has some concerns about a language

barrier.

“I feel like I pick up languages pretty quickly so I’m not extremely worried, but it is going to be a learning curve” Wilson said.

Wilson has been in contact with families from both Italy and France. Her focus is on researching and making connections with others who have experienced traveling abroad. Although nothing is concrete yet, Wilson is happy with her decision.

“I’m really excited to experience other cultures as a local rather than a tourist,” Wilson said. “Rather than being on vacation and staying in a hotel, I’ll actually be living there and a part of the community.”

Wilson’s parents have provided unconditional support for her dream of traveling abroad, however, other family members have voiced some concern.

“My grandma is a little bit worried that I’m never going to go to college or get a higher education, just because she didn’t get one herself,” Wilson said. “I think that she’ll come to terms with the fact that I’ll do what I need to do when I’m ready, but right now, college isn’t the best option for me.”

Despite the setbacks she has faced with the Rotary Exchange Program, Wilson remains positive.

“I know that there are safe ways to travel right now,” Wilson said. “This is what I’ve wanted to do since freshman year, and I’m not going to let COVID-19 stop me.”

SISTER, SISTER Freshman Joy Wilson has learned a valuable lesson from her sister

Jenna Wilson, being a naturally spontaneous person, continues to go against the tide while pursuing an education through experiences abroad. Unlike Jenna, her younger sister Joy doesn’t plan on taking any time off between high school and college. Despite their conflicting personalities, Jenna has changed Joy’s perspective on life permanently.

“

[Jenna] has defintely shown me that I have so many opportunities and if I want to do things I defintely can.

— senior Jenna Wilson

Senior Jenna Wilson holds Liam LaMourie’s hand May 12 in room 122. After Wilson’s exchange was canceled she decided to become a nanny. “All of the other exchanges that were still happening were extremely expensive,” Wilson said. “Nannying seemed like the best way for me to still live abroad and gain cultural experience.” + photo by Sophia McCraney

”

+ design by Olivia Linville & Ruth Demeke

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May 19, 2021

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CURRENT EVENTS

news | 29

This month’s current events include the Supreme Court Trial of Mahanoy Area High School v. Brandi Levy as well as the Derek Chauvin Trial and appeal, Biden’s plan to reduce climate change and a Covid-19 update. + by Grace Logan

MEDIA MAYHEM

Students’ First Amendment rights are called into question after Brandi Levy was suspended over a crude post on Snapchat during her freshman year Fifty-six years ago, the Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District verdict set the standard for the rights of students. However, as the legal system attempts to modify the law to meet new standards of the digital age, students’ rights have been thrown on the chopping block.

In December of 1965, a group of students including Mary Beth Tinker, John Tinker and Christopher Eckhardt planned to wear armbands advocating for a peaceful solution to the Vietnam War. The principals of the Des Moines Independent Community School District learned of these protests and decided to proactively prohibit students from wearing armbands. The Tinkers and Eckhardt all refused and subsequently were suspended.

Their parents then sued and the case worked its way up to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court ruled that students and teachers do not “shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate.” This landmark case would forever impact the rights of students.

However, a case similar in nature has been brought to the Supreme Court this year.

Brandi Levy was ending her freshman year with the hope of being selected for the varsity cheer team at Mahanoy Area High School in Pennsylvania. Levy was placed on the junior varsity team, which prompted her to post vulgar messages targeting both sports on her Snapchat story.

“I was upset, I was angry,” Levy said in an interview with the Associated Press. “Every 14-year-old kid

speaks like that at one point.”

The daughter of the cheer coach was one of Levy’s 250 Snapchat friends who were able to view this message, and she later showed it to her mom. The coach punished Levy by suspending her from the junior varsity team for the rest of the year.

Following the suspension, Levy’s parents filed a federal lawsuit claiming the disciplinary action taken by the school violated her First Amendment rights. Levy was off campus at Cocoa Hut, a local convenience store, at the time of this post. Lower courts were in favor of Levy, agreeing that this disciplinary action violated her constitutional rights to free speech.

After multiple appeals, this case was argued in front of the Supreme Court April 28.

Supreme Court judges are once again tasked with determining the freedom of speech for students.

Now, they must factor in the role of social media. If the Supreme Court rules in favor of Levy, schools will no longer have the ability to monitor potentially harmful online activity, including bullying. If the verdict is in favor of the district, school administration effectively has jurisdiction over all student speech, even if off-campus. No formal ruling has been made as of May 14, as judges continue to debate the constitutionality of the situation.

CONVICTING CHAUVIN

Derek Chauvin’s lawyer demands a retrial after Chauvin’s guilty verdict Two months shy of a year since the murder of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, Derek Chauvin finally faced prosecution.

The charges brought against Chauvin included second-degree manslaughter, second-degree unintentional murder and third degree murder. In total this will be a maximum sentence of 75 years, however Minnesota sentencing law recommends roughly 38 years. Judge Peter Cahill presided over the case, and is noted to be fair and decisive according to NPR. The witness list included multiple Minneapolis police, several medical experts and witnesses from the scene.

Chauvin’s defense attorney Eric Nelson argued there were multiple factors that could have contributed to his death, including drug overdose. Nelson’s primary goal was to instill doubt in the jury, but he was ultimately unsuccessful.

Following the closing arguments, jury deliberations lasted for approximately 10 hours over a span of two days. On April 20, Chauvin was found guilty of all three charges.

“He did what he did on purpose, and it killed George Floyd,” Steve Schleicher, a member of the prosecution team, said to the jury in his closing argument.

As of May 5, Chauvin’s lawyer has filed a motion for a new trial on the basis of jury misconduct. This motion for retrial was made after a photo surfaced of Brandon Mitchell, a juror on the case, at a march in

Washington where Floyd’s family spoke during the summer of 2020. In this photograph, Mitchell wore a shirt reading “Get Your Knees Off Our Necks.”

According to CBS News, Nelson stated in this motion that many errors were made throughout the trial, including “abuse of discretion that deprived the defendant of a fair trial, prosecutorial and jury misconduct, errors of law at trial and a verdict that is contrary to law.”

Chauvin’s attorney also argues that Judge Cahill’s refusal to change the location of the trial and the pretrial publicity did not allow Chauvin to have a fair trial. Despite all of these claims, University of St. Thomas law professor Rachel Moran told CBS Minnesota that overturning the verdict of Chauvin’s trial is unlikely.

PANDEMIC PROTESTING

Despite President of Columbia Ivan Duque withdrawing a proposal that increased taxation, continued protesting has become a human rights concern Citizens have continued protesting in Columbia since April 28. With weeks of violence plaguing more than 247 cities in this South American country, hundreds of citizens have been injured and at least 25 people have been killed.

These protests began after President Ivan Duque suggested a bill that would increase national revenue through taxes. The goal behind this proposal was to combat the strenuous effects COVID-19 had on the Columbian economy. According to CNN, Duque also hoped to maintain vital social programs such as credit lines for businesses struggling and unemployment compensation.

“The reform is not a whim,” Duque said to CNN. “It’s a necessity to keep the social programs going.”

The problem facing Duque, and all politicians, was that this proposal would disproportionately impact the working and middle classes, which would subsequently increase the already large economic gap.

The target on the backs of middle and working class citizens sparked a great deal of opposition towards this proposal and eventually prompted protests. Duque has since withdrawn this proposal, yet protesting continues.

These protests have entered the international spotlight as they spark many human rights concerns.

Police have handled protests harshly, using teargas and batons. According to CNN, multiple videos

have gone viral demonstrating police brutalizing protesters, and nongovernmental human rights organizations say the death toll could be higher.

On May 4, the U.S. State Department released a statement requesting “the utmost restraint by public forces to prevent additional loss of life.”

CNN noted that they were told by Interior Minister Palacios of Columbia during an interview that arrest warrants have been released for some officers involving protesters’ deaths. Palacios also mentioned to CNN that over 580 officers have been reported to be injured and 11 police forces are currently under investigation in association with the 25 protesters who lost their lives.

President Duque has implicated “drug-trafficking mafias” and continues to push that they are causing violence and taking advantage of the chaos.

Columbia is not only struggling from a political standpoint, but unemployment has increased from 9% to 16% as a result of COVID-19.

There appears to be no end in sight as Columbia continues to face both social and economic issues. + design by Livi Nagorka

THIS MONTH

May 19, 2021

30 | feature

Upcoming Events Check your SMSD email regularly for information about school events.

May 19 Seniors’ Last DAy

May 19 Senior Yearbook Distribution

May 20 Thespian Honors and awards

May 2o

Underclass Yearbook distribution

May 22 Final forté

May 24-27 UnderclasS Finals

May 26 Graduation

May 27 Underclassmen Last Day

+ by Stella Grist

The seniors’ last day of high school will be May 19. Graduation rehearsal as well as the viewing of the KUGR Senior Show will take place that day.

Seniors can pick up their yearbooks in coordination with graduation rehearsal. A few yearbooks may still be for sale at that time for $70 cash.

Thespians will celebrate a year of productions and honor outstanding members beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the Greg Parker Auditorium.

Yearbooks will be distributed to freshmen, sophomores and juniors at the beginning of their seminar classes. A fewChe yearbooks may still be for sale at that time for $70 cash.

Choir, band and orchestra will perform their first and final in-person concert of the year at 6 p.m. on the football field at Northwest.

The full schedule can be found on SMNW.com.

Monday: 3rd & 4th hour finals Tuesday: 7th hour final Wednesday: 1st & 2nd hour finals Thursday: 5th & 6th hour finals This year’s graduation will start at 7 p.m. at the North District Stadium. Admission is by ticket only. In the event of inclement weather, SMSD will move the ceremony to a later date.

The last day of school for underclassmen is Thursday, May 27. There will be an early release that afternoon at 1:05 p.m.

April 30: Prom Assembly Sophomore Katie Burke and junior Meg Qualls spell out “cheer” with their bodies April 30 in the Aux Gym. Burke and Qualls were introducing the cheerleaders’ performance at the Prom Assembly. “I was really excited we got to have an assembly,” Burke said. “It was the first leadership activity I’ve done for the Spirit Club exec board and it was fun to experience an assembly from that role.” + photo by Josie Torres

April 2: Baseball Sophomore Josh Bengfort smashes the ball into the outfield April 2 on the 3&2 fields. The Cougars beat the SM East Lancers 8-2. “It’s a lot of fun being surrounded by guys who want to win and compete everyday,” Bengfort said. + photo by Ashley Broils

IN PHOTOS

smnw.com

feature | 31

+ design by Alden Norberg

April 16: Prom Committee To publicize prom, senior Danielle Estrada paints a poster April 16 in room 121. This year’s prom theme was “Under the Stars” because the dance was held outside at the SM North District Stadium. “I think the theme fits our situation perfectly because we will actually be under the stars,” Estrada said. “To further publicize, we’ve let everyone know that prom is free this year and there’s also a raffle.” + photo by Erin Dory

April 28: Boys’ Golf Freshman Quinn Anderson putts the ball April 28 at Tomahawk Hills Golf Course. The event was later put on weather delay due to lightning. “I have learned that your mindset matters most,” Anderson said. “I like playing as a team because you can connect with your teammates and help each other out. You can affect your teammates’ round of golf, they can affect yours and you can help one another.” + photo by Sidra Sakati

April 24: Track & Field Sophomore Ian O’Neal races down the track April 24 at Blue Valley Northwest.

O’Neal is the first runner for the 4x8 team, followed by sophomore Adrien Lee and finished by sophomore Max Waren. “The mid-distance guys and I have been doing a lot of figuring things out from meet to meet,” O’Neal said. “It’s been fun and challenging. My favorite memory from this season was when I was the anchor for our 4x100 and I beat the other guy to get us the win.” + photo by Micah Reeves

Junior Chris Ramsey leaps over the hurdle April 24 at BV Northwest.

Ramsey completed a 300H in 44.25 seconds. “The people who’ve come out and shown up this year, they work hard and little by little we get better,” Ramsey said. + photo by Micah Reeves

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