Issue 1: Summer 2016

NW PASSAGE SEPT. 30, 2016 VOL. 48 ISSUE 01

SUMMER

2016

An exit from the E.U. and Olympic glory bookended a summer filled with political disputes and pop culture phenomena

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Issue 01 Sept. 30, 2016

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Treyvon Mays

Senior drowns in neighborhood lake

Freshman Elections

Older siblings pave the way for freshman representatives

Summer in Review

An exit from the E.U. and Olympic glory bookended a summer filled with political disputes and pop culture phenomena

Teacher Awards

Ten teachers each received a $1,500 award for educational excellence

OUR PURPOSE:

STAFF:

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

PUBLICATION OVERSIGHT:

02 SEPT. 30, 2016 | Vol. 48

Editor-in-Chief Online Managing Editor

STAFF WRITERS: Grace Gorenflo Jack Lynch

CONTENT MANAGEMENT: Design Editor Design Editor Copy Editor Photo Editor Photo Editor

Shelby Beaumont Makaila Williams Cadie Elder Taryn Smith Maddy Manning

Asher Norberg Matthew Owens Benjamin Becker Sara Babcock

Agnès Aycock Kasey Gardner Samantha Joslin Anastasia Kling Michael Rock Jackie Sayers Josh Sherfy

STAFF DESIGNERS: Staff Designer Staff Designer

SECTION EDITORS: Opinion & Lifestyle Editor Sports & Mulitmedia Editor Entertainment Editor Ads Manager

Staff Writer Staff Writer Staff Writer Staff Writer Staff Writer Staff Writer Staff Writer

Rachel Albers Mia McDonald

SENIOR DROWNS IN NEIGHBORHOOD LAKE L

ate on the evening of Aug. 16, 2016, the body of senior Treyvon Mays was recovered from Lakeview Estates Lake in Shawnee. Mays swam into the lake with friends, but became exhausted and was unable to make it back to shore, according to a press release issued by the Shawnee Police Department.

Family, friends and students, both past and present, gathered along the edge of the lake on the evening of Aug. 17 at a vigil held to remember Mays. A visitation and funeral service were held on Aug. 26. Treyvon was laid to rest in Pleasant View Cemetery in Shawnee.

Treyvon Terrell Mays was born Jan. 13, 2000, to Sheilathia Mays and Anthony Reed. Mays leaves behind his sister, freshman Keahnjana Henderson, cousins, juniors Div’Yonia Selectman and De’Jhaknae Mays, three siblings, other family members and friends to mourn his passing “[It is] kind of like an empty spot in my life.

Things aren’t the same,” De’Jhaknae Mays said.

Treyvon’s family is thankful for the outreach and support of the Northwest community.

“It has brought our family closer, and it makes me want to achieve more because he was unable to achieve his goals,” Mays said.

Linking his arms with his teammates, Treyvon Mays walks on 67th street in the Homecoming Parade on Oct. 9. Mays

+BY JOSH SHERFY

played football during his freshman, sophomore, and junior years of high school.

+ PHOTO BY BRYCE REX

NW PASSAGE | news 03

SHOPPING

FOR A SHERIFF Law enforcement should not be for sale

Why do we elect sheriffs? It seems like this innocuous thing that we just do. We sign up for Costco cards. We pay too much money for water bottles and sunglasses. And, when we’re all done with that, we elect sheriffs. But why?

A sheriff is the chief peace officer of a county.

A chief of police is a city employee who owes their allegiance to the city or municipality. If a sheriff does a largely similar job but on a larger scale, as well as overseeing county jails, being a coroner and serving civil papers, why elect a sheriff but appoint a chief of police? All around Johnson County, signs call for us to elect “Cal Hayden for Sheriff” or Dennis Hammer or John Resman.

Why would an official, whose job it is to enforce the law, have to campaign for office?

There seems to be a short road between an official

having to spend money to win an election and people spending money to buy elections. In one Florida county, over $183,000 was spent on a sheriff election. $183,000.

That is nearly four years of a high school teacher’s annual pay. Working minimum wage it would take more than a full year of working eight and a half hours per day to reach that amount.

Why does nobody see this as a problem? Money in elections is a problem from presidential elections to state senate races to a local sheriff election. Why do people protest national problems, but ignore local issues that affected them more directly?

In law enforcement positions, especially, having to win an election is dangerous. If a person spends a great deal of money to get a candidate elected,

BY+ JACK LYNCH an incentive exists for that person to be offered leniency. A multitude of examples of donations affecting policy and enforcement exist. Donald Trump donated to the Florida Attorney General’s campaign. Subsequently the Attorney General decided not to investigate Trump University. Prior to that the political machines of Boss Tweed and Tammany Hall in New York during the Gilded Age, and the Pendergast machine in Kansas City during prohibition, helped the powerful at the expense of those who were not.

It would be easier, cheaper and potentially more fair to have a sheriff be a county employee appointed in the same manner as a city’s chief of police.

BUMP, SET, ADD KSHSAA should look into adding boys’ volleyball Hitting a volleyball over the net, diving across the floor, digging the ball to keep it alive. All for one thing: a point. Volleyball is great to play, it’s great to watch. It’s too bad it’s limited to girls.

Sure, there is powderpuff volleyball for juniors and seniors. But I am talking about real, organized volleyball, not just a recreational event.

I think before it could become a full-blown KSHSAA sport there should be a trial run in the state to see the interest. It would be like an intramural event but it would be organized, include after school practices and games and a chance for a “state championship.”

The event would include 5A/6A schools from all over Kansas and would run for one month.

It would be separated into four districts. District One would include the Sunflower League’s schools (except Lawrence schools), Blue Valley schools and other 6A/5A schools that want to participate in the KC area. District Two would included Topeka, Manhattan, Junction City, Salina and Lawrence schools. District Three would be Wichita and surrounding area schools. District Four would be other 6A/5A schools that are not included in the other three, such as Garden City, Dodge City, Great Bend, etc.

At the end of the regular season the top two teams from each district would compete for a “state championship” in a single elimination

04 SEPT. 30, 2016 | Vol. 48

BY+ MATTHEW OWENS

tournament.

Then if there is interest, the intramural can begin the process to become a state sponsored event.

“There needs to be at least 24 schools competing in the sport,” KSHSAA Administrator Fran Martin said. “If the schools want it to be considered a state championship event, they would petition the [KSHSAA] Executive Board to have the sport added as a championship event.”

Next in the process would be making sure that the operation of sport is feasible. This means figuring out if the sport can operate with existing facilities and if the addition would still meet Title IX Act of 1972, which was supposed to prevent discrimination in educational institutions.

“Normally … the nomination process would happen through various entities within the state, whether it was through different leagues or the athletic directors association,” athletic director Angelo Giacalone said. “Then principals and superintendents would get together and make the nomination to KSHSAA. Then KSHSAA would look at it from the board standpoint to see if it was something feasible at this time.”

Once a sport goes through this process and it is approved, it becomes a Kansas state-sponsored sport.

“There are a lot of things I want to see,”

Giacalone said. “ I think mens’ volleyball would be a good one, female wrestling would be a great one too. Again, I do not know what interest would be there with regard to the numbers.”

As for me, there are several other sports that I could see becoming a KSHSAA sport.

First is table tennis, a favorite sport of game rooms. Second is rugby, an increasingly popular sport here in the United States which is already being played at Northwest but is not a KSHSAA sponsored sport. Finally lacrosse, a sport gaining popularity in our region.

This is only a short list on what is the large cornucopia of sports that could be added. I think that boys’ volleyball should take the steps to become a KSHSAA sport. In creating the intramural sport in Kansas this would create a good foundation for expansion in making boys’ volleyball a KSHSAA sponsored sport in the future.

STUCO

Older siblings pave the way for freshmen representatives

DYNASTY +BY ASHER NORBERG

1.

“Hey Class of 2020,” freshman representative Kelsey Volk shouted. “I’m an energetic candidate who wants to see everyone get involved.”

Her older brother is junior class president Porter Volk.

“So far, it’s been pretty awkward, because I act differently around my friends than I do my sister,” Porter said. However, “we finally have some common ground besides the fact that we’re siblings.”

He sees his sister being in Student Council (StuCo) as a good thing.

Both siblings have supported each other in their campaigns.

“I’ve always been interested in joining Student Council,” Kelsey said. “But it was Porter who really encouraged me to run.”

He gave her advice on how to deliver her speech to the crowd once her big moment came, telling her to act confident, like she was having a conversation with a friend. Having an older sibling in StuCo can be an advantage for some of the freshman reps, but it does have its drawbacks.

“For a while it was hard being known as Porter’s little sister,” Kelsey said. “He has been great at helping me get acclimated to StuCo, but I want to see how I can impact this school as ‘Kelsey’ and not as ‘Porter’s little sister.’”

In addition to Kelsey, freshman class President Zac Jarrett is another freshman following in the footsteps of an older sibling.

“My older brother Bailey was a huge inspiration to me,” Zac Jarrett said. “Bailey did a lot of cool things on StuCo [that] I wanted to be a part of.”

Bailey Jarrett was student body parliamentarian of the 2015-2016 school year.

Family plays a big part in StuCo at Northwest.

“Our parents are very proud of us for getting involved with StuCo,” Zac said.

They are already prepping their younger siblings for StuCo in high school.

“Our younger brother Easton will be running for 4th grade representative at Ray Marsh,” Volk said. “He is planning to run for StuCo once he gets to Northwest.”

2.

3.

1. Freshman Colby Smith standing in from of his friends and peers trying to convience to vote for him on Aug 25 in the auditorium. Smith was one of the couple people to walk around to tell them what he wanted. 2. Freshman Tavin Mesh gives her speach at the freshman election on Aug 25 in the schools auditorium. She was 1 of the 12 students to give a speech. 3. Freshman Colby Smith goofing off with his other peers before the election on Aug 25 in the auditorium.

+PHOTOS BY MICHELLE MARTINEZ

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06 SEPT. 30, 2016 | Vol. 48

SUMMER 2016 Eighty-four days of pool parties, concerts, vacations and college visits.

The world watched records break and unspeakable acts unfold. Icons perished and athletes were cherished as Zika and PokĂŠmon Go infected the United States. This was summer 2016.

NW PASSAGE | feature 07

2016 RIO OLYMPICS:

SUMMER 2016

An exit from the E.U. and Olympic glory bookended a summer filled with political disputes and pop culture phenomena

Swim: Both the U.S. men’s and women’s swim teams dominated the 2016 Rio Olympics, earning 33 medals. Swimmers who stood out were Katie Ledecky and five-time Olympian Michael Phelps.

Ledecky earned five golds and one silver and Phelps won four golds and a silver and set two world records. Phelps maintained his position as the most decorated Olympian of all time, with a total of 28 medals.

Track and Field: Usain Bolt won three gold medals bringing his total to nine in nine Olympic events.

The United States won the 32 track and field medals, more than any other team in Rio. The American women’s 4x100m team won gold, making Allyson Felix the most decorated female track and field Olympian of all time. Felix medaled at the past five summer Olympics.

Women’s gymnastics: Simone Biles, Aly Raisman, Gabby Douglas, Madison Kocian and Laurie Hernandez, the Final Five, won a total of 13 individual medals. Nineteen-year-old Simon Biles outshone the competition earning four gold medals and a bronze. This also marked the last Olympics for retiring coach Márta Károlyi whose teams had won 29 Olympic medals during her 15-year tenure.

+ BY BENJAMIN BECKER, ANASTASIA KLING & JACK LYNCH + GRAPHICS BY MAKAILA WILLIAMS

MUHAMMAD ALI:

The former heavyweight champion of the world died June 3 at the age of 74. Ali was widely considered the greatest boxer of all time. He was renowned for his philosophical sayings as well as his controversial refusal to serve in Vietnam, a decision which cost him three years of his boxing career. Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 1984 and, as a result, had disappeared from public life until he lit the Olympic torch at the 1996 Summer Games in Atlanta.

BREAKOUT KC:

Each month, Breakout KC partners with local businesses to host a city-wide scavenger hunt. Each hunt is announced one week prior on the Breakout KC Instagram. The hunt is free and the only equipment needed by participants is a smartphone with a QR code reader, which can be downloaded in the Apple App Store or Google Play.

ZIKA:

NOMINATIONS:

The Republican and Democratic parties each announced their presidential nominations during their respective conventions this summer. On July 19 businessman and former reality TV star Donald Trump became the Republican presidential nominee. A week later, former New York senator and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was chosen as the Democratic presidential nominee. Clinton’s nomination marks the first time in U.S. history a female has been nominated for president by a major political party.

The Zika virus slowly spread across the world. The first case in the United States was diagnosed in Florida on July 29. Transmitted both sexually and by mosquito bite, the Zika virus primarily affects pregnant women causing microcephaly, which leads to severe fetal brain defects. In most cases, those infected show no symptoms and there is no known cure.

POKÉMON GO:

Summer sensation Pokémon Go took the nation by storm following its highly anticipated release on July 6.

Pokémon Go encourages users to explore their environment in order to catch Pokémon. Users are also able to visit Pokéstops and Gyms in order to gain items and experience points. Since its release, Pokémon Go has had an average of 9.5 million daily active users.

BREXIT:

The United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union (EU) in a referendum on June 23. The United Kingdom had been a member of the EU since 1973 when it was known as the European Economic Community. The U.K. was one of only two nations in the EU not a part of the Schengen Area, which lets citizens travel freely among the remaining 26 countries. Two of the main reasons for the U.K.’s exit were economic freedom and a concern over the growing refugee population.

OKLAHOMA EARTHQUAKE:

A 5.8-magnitude earthquake centered in northeast Oklahoma was felt throughout a number of states, from Illinois to Texas the morning of Sept. 3. The earthquake, which was felt in Kansas City, only woke some.

There was no significant damage to infrastructure despite it being the largest earthquake ever in Oklahoma.

08 SEPT. 30, 2016 | Vol. 48

RALLY MANTIS: ORLANDO SHOOTING:

The deadliest mass shooting by a single shooter in the history of America occurred at Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando. Forty-nine people were killed and 53 more were injured. After a three-and-a-half-hour standoff, police shot and killed Omar Mateen who earlier had sworn allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

A praying mantis that landed on the cap of Royals’ outfielder Billy Burns’ quickly became a local folk hero.

Following the arrival of ‘Rally Mantis’ on Aug. 7, the Royals rattled off 17 wins in their next 20 games. T-shirts and posters celebrating the bug were scattered throughout Kauffman Stadium. The arrival of the mantis provided a much needed spark to the Royals’ playoff chase.

NW PASSAGE | feature 09

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9/7/16

10 SEPT. 30, 2016 | Vol. 48

WORMING HIS WAY

Student assists in experiment at KU +BY MICHAEL ROCK

It all started with an email.

“I emailed the professor at KU, his name is Dr. (Brian) Ackley, last December and I asked him if he had any research opportunities,” Shroff said. “It was basically me volunteering there, but doing research as well.”

Shroff spent his summer studying a gene that may be involved in a human neurological disorder. Ackley said that the gene is supposed to create a protein that carries things around inside nerve cells.

Shroff and Ackley spent time researching nematodes called C. elegans which are used because they grow from an embryo to adult in two to three days and reproduce rapidly. They look like worms.

“These animals have many of the same genes that humans do and we think they do about the same thing,” Ackley said. “And so, when humans have diseases that are caused by mutations in their genes, we can use these animals to understand

why those mutations cause problems.”

Working with Dr. Ackley, Shroff injected mutations into the nematodes to observe their reactions.

“We had to ask a question: do all of the mutations in this gene cause the same kinds of problems?” Ackley asked. “So we take mutations that were found in humans, and introduce them into the gene in C. elegans, and see if the nervous systems are functioning normally. If the mutations are not the problem, the animals will be fine; if they are a problem, the animals will not be fine.”

Shroff says that this research may be used to predict how humans react to mutations, depending on what results show.

Although the data is not yet final, the experience provided insight into the world of academic research and allowed him to continue develop skills that Shroff learned from his former chemistry teacher, Jennifer Ancell.

“Mihir was (and still is) very self-motivated,” Ancell said. “He has always struck me as someone who wants to learn, to do his best and find the value in what we are doing, even if it wasn’t the most interesting thing. I have always valued his enthusiasm and the fact that he was never afraid to ask questions.”

ALL ABOUT C. ELEGANS • Caenorhabditis elegans, or C. elegans, is a transparent nematode about 1 millimeter in length.

• C. elegans has no respiratory or circulatory system.

• Most C. elegans are hermaphrodites.

• C. elegans emits a bright blue fluorescent light when they die.

• C. elegans is the first multicellular organism to have its entire genome sequenced.

Gonad

Gut Eggs

Pharynx Vulva Gonad

Junior Mihir Schroff examines amoebae under the telescope on Sept. 14 in Room 204. Schroff spent part of his summer at a chemistry lab at the University of Kansas studying C. elegans. PHOTO BY BRYCE REX

NW PASSAGE | feature 11

WOn’t TAKE THIS FOR

GRANTED

Ten teachers each received a $1,500 award for educational excellence By: Jackie Sayers and Samantha Joslin

T

Ten teachers received a total of $15,000 during a faculty meeting that initially seemed like any other. • Principal Lisa Gruman announced that each would receive $500 to use in the classroom and a $1,000 award for personal use from the Clay Blair Family Foundation. The winners were selected by a team of Northwest administrators. • “Jessica Barger,” Gruman said, “Jan Berg, Debra Brewer…” • “I heard the ‘Deb’ in Deb Brewer first,” Jenkins said. “And, when it wasn’t me, I was like, ‘All right, no big deal.’

I wasn’t expecting the award.” • Jenkins didn’t realize that her name was at the end of the list, below Sarah Dent, Joe Gehrer, Kenneth King, Susan Massy, Scot Schwartz and Mira Thomas. • Staff members had to meet predetermined criteria to be eligible for the award, including a minimum three years of teaching experience in SMSD and evidence of educational excellence. • “It was very difficult to select the teachers.” Gruman said “It made me very appreciative of our staff. We tried to pick a group that was cross sectional, a group that represents a wide range of students, academics and other elements of Northwest.”

DEBRA BREWER 12 Years at Northwest Q: How does it feel to be honored for your teaching?

A: “I think that we are all great at our job. I have a department that really supports every whim and idea that I have, and I have a co-teacher, Mrs. Demke, that I can bounce ideas off of with the honors classes.

I think that getting an award recognizes the department as a whole, not just me as an individual. I think that that speaks volumes to how we work together as a staff.”

JESSICA BARGER 13 Years at Northwest Q: How does it feel to be honored for your teaching?

A: “You know, you kind of look behind you and see all these other teachers that are in the building and you think, ‘Any of us deserve this.’ So it’s kind of like, why me? It was a really nice feeling.”

JAN BERG 17 Years at Northwest Q: How does it feel to be honored for your teaching?

A: “Well, I think it’s a great honor, although I don’t feel like I deserved it. I mean, I’m just doing what I would normally do, so it surprises me to be honored for just doing what I should be doing anyway.”

Q: How do you make your class different?

A: “I think every teacher has their own personality and I try to be personable with my students and let a personality come through in my teaching. I think that translates. I try to create a welcoming environment that they’re comfortable in.”

Q: What do you do to try to make your class different?

A: “I try to change it up, to just really make the kids own what they’re doing, and to take responsibility for getting things done and have fun while they’re doing it, while learning something new in the process.”

SARAH DENT 12 Years at Northwest Q: How do you make your class different?

A: “I’m actually kind of redefining myself this year because I’m teaching new classes, with taking over CCC and bringing back international relations. I guess when I taught world regional studies to freshmen, I wanted them to gain an understanding of the world around them. That it’s not just us in suburban Johnson County, but there’s a big world out there — that was my goal.

“And, now with CCC, that’s still kind of my goal as a teacher. This is a concrete way to say, ‘There’s a world outside, and now we can do something to actually be a part of change.’ We can volunteer at things and we can put ourselves out there in the community and we can really, actually, physically work at making our world a better place. So it’s kind

12 SEPT. 30, 2016 | Vol. 48

Q: What are you planning on doing with the grant money?

A: “I’m part of the Interdisciplinary Program of Studies team, and sometimes we do field trips. The buses are expensive, so we’re going to use the money to pay for the buses so the kids don’t have to pay for it.”

of neat getting to see that goal in action now with CCC.” Q: What’s your favorite part about being a teacher?

A: “The relationships with students. I like working with kids in StuCo, I like working with kids in CCC, in SADD [and] in the classes that I teach, like international relations. Just being able to know the kids outside of school is exactly what I hoped teaching would be like.”

JOE GEHRER

24 Years at Northwest Q: How does it feel to be honored for your teaching?

A:“It’s gratifying that I was chosen to be one of the 10 to receive this. I think that apparently the administration, or whoever made the decision who was going to receive the award, I guess they like what I’m doing.”

Q: What’s your favorite part about being a teacher?

A: “Having the lights go on for a student. It’s like you give them something and it’s like ‘Aha.’ Oh that’s great, that’s wonderful and that’s really the best part. That just makes my day.”

DEBORAH JENKINS 9 Years at Northwest Q: What do you think set your classroom apart from others?

A: “All the special education teachers in this building are exceptional. Every single special education teacher here deserves this type of honor, and I feel so special and lucky to be chosen. I know that I teach five subjects during the day and I know that since I have my students for all four years of their high school career, we become a family.

Last year I went to prom with three of my students so they could have someone there if they needed to talk or needed help. Since I have a son with medical special needs, I think I have an extra insight towards what families go through and those experiences they have, and it gives me a special heart for my class and my kids.”

Q: What is your favorite part about being a teacher?

A: “I have, from my students, complete and unconditional love. The excitement and pride they have when they’re able to do

something on their own and be independent is so gratifying. I’ve always had a heart for this population, even in elementary school I would ask to volunteer in a special education classroom. It’s my gift and my talent, and I enjoy every minute of being at school. When I come to work in the morning, I’m as happy as can be that I get to be here and I get to work with them.”

KENNETH KING 4 Years at Northwest Q: What sets you and your classroom apart from others?

A: “This is hard. There are so many other stellar teachers in the school, and I didn’t think for a minute that my name would be called. I think it’s because I don’t only teach my students debate or speech for a classroom — I’m teaching them real life skills. I know that the things I teach my students will be helpful apart from the classroom and apart from Northwest, regardless of what path of life they choose.

I’m not sure how many other teachers can say that, so it’s really awesome thing that I can.”

Q: How do you feel about being honored for being great at your job?

A: “I’m extremely flattered. I was shocked when I found out that I received this award.

I just didn’t think it would be me. There are teachers who do so much at Northwest, and that I received an award over them is very, very humbling, and extremely flattering.”

MIRA THOMAS

4 Years at Northwest Q: What was your reaction to finding out that you won the award?

A: “I wasn’t actually at the meeting, so I didn’t know that I won until a teacher texted me. She said, ‘You just won $1,500. This is not a joke.’ Obviously I didn’t believe her at first. I was shocked when I found out I actually won an award. It’s so gratifying. I never realized that other people see what I do in the classroom.”

Q: How does it feel to be honored for being good at your job?

A: “Obviously, it’s amazing. It’s so flattering.

I don’t have concerts or debate competitions or any other public event where people can see the work I put in. The only people who know what kind of teacher I am are my

students. I can’t put into words how honored I am that I am being awarded over teachers who are coaches or otherwise put extra work into Northwest. What I do is confined to the classroom, and being told that I’m great at it is such high praise.”

SUSAN MASSY 36 Years at Northwest Q: What is your favorite part about being a teacher?

A: “My students, as well as the community we have created over the years in Room 151, have always been my favorite parts of teaching. Students have made that room something special and it stays with them even years after they have graduated.

I love the fact that they keep in touch with me decades after they leave Northwest, and that they have such fond memories of their time here.”

Q: What was your immediate reaction to finding out that you won? What are you going to do with the award?

A: “[My immediate reaction] was surprise.

Heck, I was surprised to hear that someone wanted to give a cash prize to teachers.

I’ve had the privilege to win many awards over my career (my students make me look so good). Not one of them carried a monetary reward for me personally. This is just amazing. About the award? Right now, I’m still in the dreaming stage…and maybe that’s half the fun of it. I know I want to take part of the $1,000 and provide a lunch for my department just to say thanks for all they do.”

SCOTT SCHWARTZ 12 Years at Northwest Q: What is your favorite part about teaching at Northwest?

A: “My favorite part about being a teacher is the students, and my favorite part about what I teach is the music, and here I get to teach students music — it’s perfect.”

Q: What sets your class apart from others?

A: “I think that Northwest is full of excellent teachers, but as far as my classroom goes, I think my students enjoy coming here and learning about music, and they have the opportunity to learn about themselves through the music.”

NW PASSAGE | feature 13

smnw senior

Nate Ryan Class of 2017 F O RG E T YOUR C A M E R A?

WE DIDN’T.

CHECK OUT ANY EVENTS T H AT YO U M I G H T H AV E M I S S E D BY G O I N G T O

14 SEPT. 30, 2016 | Vol. 48

Strip Tease MATT LIBS Just one day after for, he or she

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+COMPILED BY MATTHEW OWENS

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(action verb)

They could at least limit the number of people allowed in a

This can have side effects. According to

I have taken part in

(name

. The line weaved in and out of aisles

(same relative)

(person you are close with)

hunt for the best bargain to save as much as possible. With

over is

, I was told to get in line and wait until my

was done

only a month away, we start to feel rushed to get blocking

(same fake holiday)

(location)

. Immediately after

(favorite type of chocolate)

once before. Although I didn’t

chaos would be greatly

, the

(a war movie)

.

(action verb)

, I did see the insanity some people are willing

(different celebrity)

+CREATED BY SARA BABCOCK

NW PASSAGE | entertainment 13

“

With our team, if you don’t do something big to advance while you’re playing, everybody on the sideline kinda gives up. Anytime you have a big play, it helps you get hype, so you get back on the field and play better. You start playing with motivation.”

-JaSean Parker, Senior