The Northwest Passage: Volume 54, Issue 1

NW PASSAGE Volume 54

Aug 11, 2022

BACK TO SCHOOL

FASHION p. 05

MAP OF THE

SCHOOL p. 06

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT p. 14

FRESHMAN

MAGAZINE

Go SMNW Cougars!

Erin Barrett, Agent, CLU, ChFC business: (913)648-1100 fax: (913)648-8750 13139 Shawnee Mission Pkwy Shawnee, Ks. 66216 erin@insurewitherin.com www.insurewitherin.com

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CONTENTS 4

THE NORTHWEST PASSAGE FRESHMAN MAGAZINE VOL. 54 AUG 11, 2022

columns

Freshman Greta Grist and senior Sophia McCraney discuss anxieties about going into a new school and wondering what’s so special about senior year respectively.

5

back to school fashion

6

map

8

new year, new staff

10

new and improved

11

we heard you

With her hands in the air, junior Katie Patrick conducts the Star Spangled Banner July 29 on the Northwest football field. While conducting, Patrick keeps her shoulders and thumbs relaxed. “I feel absolutely honored to be the junior drum major,” Patrick said. “Marching band has always held a special place in my heart ever since I watched my brother in high school.” + photo by Evan Johnson

Two student fashionistas share their secrets, their ways of expression and their chic outfits

A complete map of Northwest

With every new year comes a new batch of different teachers to get to know

After a year of construction, the mall is ready to be used by the student body

Freshmen share their expectations and seniors respond with what really happens at high school

14 student spotlight Four students share what makes them tick and what they do for the school community

NW PASSAGE Volume 54

From left to right: Collin Salzsieder, Emily Ersery, Zadie Tenpenny, Jennifer Portugeuz, Mallory O’Neal, Collier Cash-Rule, Sophia Ellison

Aug 11, 2022

+ cover design by BACK TO SCHOOL FASHION Sophia McCraney p. 05

MAP OF THE

SCHOOL p. 06

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT p. 14

FRESHMAN MAGAZINE

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 16-page news magazine. The paper will be distributed monthly 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 power to make the final decision.

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

WRITERS

CONTENT MANAGEMENT

DESIGNERS

Editor-In-Chief Editor-In-Chief

Co-Copy Editor Co-Copy Editor Photo Editor Photo Editor Asst. Photo Editor Asst. Photo Editor

Grace Logan Veronica Meiss

Morgan Tate Izak Zeller Sophia McCraney Evan Johnson Ashley Broils Kara Simpson

Zadie Tenpenny Elaina Hammes

Ellie Zeller Greta Grist

ADVISER

Susan Massy

COLUMNS

04 | opinion

FIRST DAY My experience working through changes going JITTERS into high school + by Greta Grist

Enjoying this summer was hard. I went down a rabbit hole about how nervous I am for freshman year. The thoughts of classes, the new teachers and a new building consumed my time off.

Not only is it hard re-adjusting sleeping schedules after summer, it’s especially hard to find the motivation to do anything school related.

Going from no routine to having your day packed and planned is the recipe for major whiplash. No matter how much I remind myself it’s 100% normal to feel scared, it does not prevent any school year panic.

My main worry about being back in school is the workload. I am a huge procrastinator. I know my teachers are there to guide me, but few are available at 10:30 p.m. when the assignment is due at 11:59 p.m.

In a perfect world, my anxiety would

be fixed by just looking at my schedule.

The world isn’t. My brain cannot stop worrying. Over countless grueling hours, I have learned how to distract myself from myself. If I see a class I don’t know or want, I immediately start to panic. I message friends to see if I have classes with them.

But, what if I don’t like the class?

School is about branching out and trying new classes and clubs. What’s the worst that can happen? Sure, it might not be my favorite class, but it might be. Why on earth do I make assumptions about it?

Don’t wait for an answer, because I still don’t know.

As much as I’m excited for high school, I am terrified. There’s so many unknowns regarding high school and a lot of the time, it’s hard to focus on the positives.

All things considered, it is normal to be nervous about a new school and a new year. No matter how anxious you are, don’t let the changes you may not be comfortable with cloud your excitement for the start of a new era.

What’s so special about being a senior?

SAME DIFFERENCE + by Sophia McCraney What makes senior year so different from any other? I don’t feel much different than I did freshman year.

Sure, my number of core classes has decreased, but I’m still here for seven hours like a freshman.

Senior year doesn’t feel like an end.

It never has. Just what most call “new beginnings.” I’m not one for cliches, because in all honesty, they make me sick.

I guess I’m just not super sentimental.

The only thing different about my senior year is feeling prepared for the next step of life. As well as feeling a tad bit older. Now that I’ve had enough experience I have some advice. Just like everyone else, I have my fair share of wisdom. As an upperclassman student I’m going to offer it to you.

First and foremost, take any advice from seniors with a grain of salt. That includes mine.

Next, don’t take people’s suggestions of “Easy A” classes. What is easy to them, might not be easy for you.

Third, actually read the books you’re assigned for english, whether you find it interesting or not (at the very least read the entirety of the sparknotes) because teachers can, without a doubt, tell when you haven’t read them and you’ll make a fool out of yourself. I learned that one the hard way.

Take environmental education because that was the most fun I’ve had in a science class ever.

Find your comfort teacher. They may not get paid enough to show it but some of them really do care.

High school is a special time where you get to choose who you want to be. Don’t let anyone make that decision for you.

Aug 11, 2022

UPCOMING EVENTS August 12: Freshman Mixer All freshmen are invited to come to a mixer at 7 p.m. in the cafeteria! Meet your link crew leaders and have a great night!

August 18: Back to School Night Invite your parents to come to Northwest at 6:30 p.m. to take a tour of your classes.

August 25: StuCo Elections Make sure you vote for your fellow freshmen!

September 1: Late Start Begins Instead of the normal 7:40 a.m. start time of school, every Thursday school day from this point will start at 8:50 a.m.

September 1: Bonfire Come to the kickoff of fall sports in the student parking lot at 7 p.m. Enjoy performances from the marching band, cheer team, dance team and your own peers!

September 2: Teacher Workday Enjoy the day off!

September 5: Labor Day Enjoy the day off!

“

BACK FASHION smnw.com

TO SCHOOL

Two students share their fashion inspiration and discuss their favorites’ fits

+ by Grace Logan and Izak Zeller + design by Ellie Zeller

feature | 05

I always wore the same outfits, and I wanted to change it up.

I got a lot of my inspiration from TikTok and the outfits [different creators] wore.

Emily Ersery

How did your fashion sense evolve?

“I was at a point where I wore sweatshirts, t-shirts and sweatpants every single day. If you wear that, that’s great. I just got tired of wearing it every single day.

Now I’m at [a point were] I can’t wear the same outfit in two weeks.”

Evie Hussaini

Where do you get your fashion inspiration?

“I watch a lot of old movies; I really like 70s and 80s movies. The fashion popped out to me and I wanted to look like those actresses.

That’s where I get a lot of my inspiration.”

Specific Actress: Alexa Demi “I know she’s not an older one, but I really like her fashion sense and how confident she is in everything she wears. That helps me a lot, because a lot of the times I’m like ‘Eh I don’t know if this will look good, I don’t know if I should try it.’ But then, I just have confidence in myself and I wear it anyways. It helps me branch out in my style.”

“

A lot of people think that they don’t have good style or they can’t pull certain things off, but as long as you have confidence in yourself and you feel good in what you’re wearing you should just rock it; because why not?”

Scarf: Savers Shirt: City Thrift Jeans: Friend’s dad Shoes: Borrowed from sister

NORTHWEST

06 | map

Aug. 11, 2022

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ELA OFFICES

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COFFEE SHOP

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NURSE Office

Mall renovations are not represented on this map

OFFICE

MALL

KITCHEN 10 11

STAGE GYM

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LITTLE THEATRE

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FACULTY PARKING LOT

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Map of

AUDITORIUM

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SCENE SHOP

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SCIENCE

ELA

SOCIAL STUDIES

FINE ARTS

SPED

Women’s restroom

MATH

WORLD LANGUAGES

Gender Neutral restroom

PE/HEALTH

Doors

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Aug. 11, 2022

Map | 07

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2ND FLOOR

08| feature

Aug 11, 2022

New Year, New Staff With every new year comes a new batch of different teachers

+by Morgan Tate

+design by Greta Grist and Morgan Tate

Zachary Cash | counselor:

What brought you to Northwest?

“My family and I moved from Portland, Oregon. And so [it was] just a matter of applying for jobs and Northwest was one of the interviews I had and it just seemed like a really nice fit and very welcoming and it seemed like an exciting place to work.”

What letters of the alphabet will you be counseling?

“A through E.” What previous counseling experience do you have?

“This will be my ninth year as a school counselor, primarily at high school. I’ve had a couple of years in middle school. Before that, I worked with various children and youth agencies at the county level, working with children in foster care and doing child abuse investigation.”

How’d you end up becoming a counselor?

“I had my degree in psychology and so I knew I wanted to work with children. I didn’t really enjoy working in child abuse investigation. It just really felt kind of traumatic and sad and overwhelming. But I knew I wanted to work with children in some respect. My mom [was] a teacher and my grandma was a teacher, so I liked the idea of a school setting. I thought school counseling paired nicely.”

What do you do as a school counselor?

“It’s a lot of different things. Some of it is the paperwork side of it, changing schedules, looking at grad plans [and] those kinds of things, but then there’s also the mental health piece for students who may be struggling with various different things, from anxiety and depression to just kind of figuring out how to be successful at school.”

Are you nervous about the new school year in a new school?

“Yeah, actually, I am. I had trouble sleeping last night. Not because I’m worried about how the other counselors will be or the students, but being the new kid is tough. Learning the new procedures at schools and the new computer programs and the new student population can feel kind of overwhelming.”

What are your expectations for counseling at Northwest?

“I don’t know what expectations to have. I’m assuming that it’ll go well, and there’ll be difficult times throughout the year. But I think it’s going to be fun.

Do you enjoy being a counselor?

“Yeah, I really do. Students, especially if they’re struggling, find success and accomplish their goals. It’s nice to be a part of that.”

Cordia Hammonds | Biology and Global Issues “I went into physical therapy for a little while and then respiratory therapy. I loved it, but I didn’t like the hours and I didn’t like the environment. I originally went to school for teaching. And I really like teaching science and biology and whatnot.

So I was like, let’s get back into that.”

Steve Fischer | Physical and Earth Science What kind of workload do you give to students?

“I have a daughter who is a sophomore in high school, so I know that students have a lot of activities. My goal is that they should have enough work that they can get done in class if they’re working on the assignment and on task, but they shouldn’t have homework on a regular basis.”

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Shawnesea Holst | Theater and English

09| Feature

Why did you choose to teach drama classes?

“[I’ve] always wanted to be a theater teacher. I had a really terrible theater teacher when I was in high school.

She didn’t really want to do her job. I was a senior so she just sort of let me teach her classes. I’ve kind of been teaching theater since I was 17. When I went to college, I knew this was what I wanted to do. I also knew that in the state of California, the theater And English credential is one and the same. I was going forward with the expectation That I would teach both, in California. When my husband and I moved out to Kansas, the rules were different. I went ahead and got my certification in both. I’m glad I did because it’s really hard to get a theater job without that English endorsement. That’s how I got my foot in the door at Hocker [Grove]. Because Hocker’s theater position was halftime theater, halftime English, I was teaching English there for a little while as well. I built up the program big enough that I had not taught English for several years and I hope to do the same thing here.”

Nicholas Walters | Integrated Algebra One Tell me about your teaching style “For the most part, growing up my math teachers were really traditional. They would stand up there, and they would talk to the whole class. Then you’d get homework, you would either do the homework, after school or before class, and then bring it the following day and repeat. I want time in the classroom for the students to try and make mistakes, to work through problems and talk with me so that they don’t have to come early or after school.”

Tatiana Briceno | Integrated Math Two How did you end up teaching what you’re teaching “I grew up in Caracas, Venezuela, and when I came here, I was an ESL student. I didn’t know English back then. So when I was 16, I was naturally good at math, and I would help my other ESL peers. That’s how my love of teaching began.”

Jeffery Nesselhuf | Financial Literacy What’s something new you hope to bring to this classroom?

“I like to think I have a decent sense of humor. I’d also like to go ahead and bring as [many] current events in that I can, so we can really engage with what’s happening in the world at the time.”

Katherine Cole | Counselor What brought you to Northwest?

“My husband took a position in the KC Metro and we were transferred to this area. Looking at school districts, I wanted to join a great team with great administration and [Lisa] Gruman and [Eddie] LyDay really wowed me.”

Brett Eichman | Director of Bands

Are you nervous about filling the shoes of former band director Penny Snead?

“Of course. There is an element that is really nice because I learned so much from her. Everything I know about being a band director, all of my real world and record information, is from watching her. This is my first year in this position. She had been head director for 35 years when she left.

That is longer than I’ve been alive. So yeah, it’s huge shoes to fill. But I’m excited about the potential.

We’re keeping a lot of things similar to what they were, so it feels a lot like the band that they recognize and we’re able to add some fun and exciting new things.”

06 | feature

Aug 11, 2022

Caption

+ photo Construction that updates light fixtures, flooring plans and seating reaches completion Aug. 5 in the mall. These additions have been implemented in an effort to create a more comfortable and welcoming environment for the student body. + photo by Kara Simpson

NEW AND IMPROVED

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feature | 07

After a year of construction, the mall is ready to be used by the student body + by Morgan Tate + design by Veronica Meiss

For the past year, the sounds of drilling and heavy construction have been the background noises for students frequenting the mall.

The north side of the mall was boarded up as the mezzanine level and student study spaces were added. The mall construction is finally finished, giving the mall a cosmetic update, as well adding new features to the mall for the student body.

One of the major changes is the addition of collaborative seating. The mall originally had only benches along the walls or long cafeteria tables where groups could gather. The renovation gives students more options.

“There are a lot of places for students to gather and collaborate, both on the second-floor level and first-floor level,” principal Lisa Gruman said. “There’s some banquette seating for students to step away from the noise and everything. We also have café tables and chairs.”

The collaborative area provides space for students to work on a project or study in small groups and are also available during class time.

“Teachers can take an entire class [to the mall] for [a] socratic seminar,” Gruman said. “We have alternate seating out there for that and we will also have a conference room.”

The additional mall space will also bring a new show to life, as Northwest’s Thespian Troupe is planning a spring showcase on the mezzanine level.

“We’re going to be doing Spaghetti Showcase at the end of March,” junior Rose Cox said.

Director Shawnasea Holst plans

to have the underclassmen perform on the new mezzanine level and the upperclassmen will simultaneously serve spaghetti to the audience at tables below.

The new mezzanine ceiling gives the addition of new light fixtures.

“The first thing students are going to notice is that it’s a lot brighter in the mall,” Gruman said.

“We have a lot more lights.”

Updating both the lighting and the sound baffling increased both the functionality and the aesthetic.

“In between the lights are these large, grey tiles,” Gruman said.

“They’re more rectangular and will make things a lot quieter. They’re more subtle and it looks more like a blended art feature.”

As students enter the west doors to the mall and turn left, they’ll find the new school store. The school store will be run by marketing students in Beth Johnstone’s class. “[Working in the new student store] will really help me learn more about my career path,” senior Bryson Mischlich said. “I want to go into fashion marketing and work for Nike or Lululemon.”

At first, the store will sell one t-shirt style and some school supplies.

“We have some ideas for our first T-shirt, and then we’ll see where that leads us,” Johnstone said.

Johnstone plans to also incorporate a thrift store into the new store.

“I’d like to have a free clothes closet for our students,” Johnstone said. “I’m not really sure how I’m going to do the thrifting part of it, but I’ve got some ideas.”

Johnstone wants to involve student ideas in fleshing

out the student store and its merchandising. She also plans on involving teachers and students from other disciplines in the student store operations. “[Kate Cervantes] teaches digital design, so I want her students to create the artwork [for the store],” Johnstone said. “And then business management is taught by Mr. Nesselhuf. Our Introduction to Business students are actually going to have a beautiful heat press, I’d like for those students to produce the apparel.”

The school store will be open during lunches as soon as the construction is complete. In addition, the updates include a retractable wall that connects the cafeteria and the mall as well as a more accessible art gallery. “[The art gallery] has the ability to show a variety of two dimensional or three dimensional pieces,” Gruman said. “We’re working toward providing time for [the art department] to curate exhibits in the art gallery. I look forward to seeing what they decide to do.”

The new mall isn’t the end to the upgrades being made to the building. Classroom furniture is the next big change.

“Our next big project is updating furniture to allow our classroom space to function better than the traditional situation,” Gruman said.

She added that students will be represented as furniture decisions are being made.

“We’ll get feedback from students and will use the opportunity to get different voices in the conversation,” Gruman said.

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13 | feature

Expectations: Popularity

Expectations: Teachers Reality: Teachers

“I THINK that popularity will be like people looking up to you as a person, having a lot of friends and being involved in school activities and clubs. I am not too worried about popularity, because I have a lot of friends. I don’t think I need to be popular to have a good high school experience.”

“I THINK movies and social media represent teachers as very strict and inconsiderate of students’ struggles. At Trailridge, however, the teachers were amazing.

I don’t see why it would be any different. I think there are definitely going to be teachers that I don’t get along with, but I think the vast majority are going to be phenomenal.”

— freshman SOFIA ELLISON

REALITY: Popularity “POPULARITY is kind of a non-factor at Northwest. There are definitely individuals that are more well known than others but there’s not a hierarchy so to say. Everyone has their foot in multiple friend groups which creates a great sense of community where the ‘jock’ and ‘mean girl’ stereotypes just don’t really exist.”

— freshman CALLA HARRISON

“I THINK everyone has their own experience with a teacher. All of our teachers are very understanding. You just have to talk to them. It’s not like middle school or elementary where they’ll reach out to you if you need help. It helped me mature and realize I have to take things into my own hands if I want to be a successful student.

But also there’s cons.

You have to be on top of stuff and that’s hard sometimes.”

— senior LILLY HARRIS

— senior BRODY CARLSON

WE HEARD YOU Freshmen share expectations for the school year while seniors state the reality +by Zadie Tenpenny

+design by Morgan Tate

Expectations: Assemblies

Expectations: WORKLOAD

“THEY’LL probably be loud and kind of crazy, but also super fun and full of energy. I’m very excited for the assemblies!”

“I’M expecting the workload to be a little more time-consuming than middle school. My goal is to not procrastinate so I can stay ahead!”

— freshman LILLY PETERS

Reality: Assemblies

“THEY are loud and highly competitive. They really do feel like a special occasion, so the stakes are high to make each assembly count. Everybody is supportive, too.”

— senior IAN O’NEAL

- freshman COLIN SALZSIEDER

“I THINK we’ll have a lot more time to get our work done and we’ll have a lot of support from teachers.”

— freshman AEDAN HIRSCH

Reality: WORKLOAD “IT definitely depends on what type of classes you’re taking. If you’re taking a more rigorous course, then you might have a heavier load. Or certain classes, depending on the teacher, have a heavier workload than normal. But it’s always nice that teachers are willing to work with you if you’re feeling overwhelmed trying to balance various classes and clubs/sports.”

— senior ANNALIESE NGUYEN

14| Profile

Aug. 11, 2022

student

SPOTLIGHT Keep Practicing

Her Biggest Fans

For thirteen years freshman Mallory O’Neal’s parents have supported her passion for dancing

Collier Rule had played with professional musicians live on stage + Written by Elaina Hammes Collier Rule got his first guitar as a christmas present when he was seven years old. That was only the beginning. Ever since he was ten, he has been playing locally here in Kansas and nationally in Tennessee.

Rule’s love for music flourished when he became inspired by the heavy metal band AC/DC’s song Thunderstruck “I really like playing music,” Rule said. “Because i have a wide variety of things to do . [My favorite part about playing music is] improvising and being able to do a lot of different things, playing wise, because there all kinds of different bands and songs to try out.”

Rule is no stranger to making mistakes, he has even made mistakes during live performances. He mostly plays with other people in bands, but he also has played by himself. He gets invited to play all sorts of different venues, including the midland, bars, and venues in Nashville.

“Its really fun to be able to play music with other people who are professional musicians,” Rule said. “I just try and listen in to the band I’m playing with so I can have cues and know when certain parts come in.

Rule has had many opportunities to play guitar in a lot of different places. Through hard work and practice, he is able to work through his nerves and make minimal mistakes.

“Just keep practicing, it's important to try and balance stuff, but its also really good to try and challenge yourself. I am working on a really hard [part] but it’s getting better. You just have to keep practicing.”

+ Written by Zadie Tenpenny

teacher.

Before freshmen Mallory O’neal was even potty trained, she was dancing. Since then, she has developed a passion for it – following in the footsteps of her mom.

“My mom and I had a duet for my very first dance [at] my first recital.” O’Neal said. “My mom started the dance with a solo, then she went backstage and got me. We did a short choreographed portion [together] and then I just danced around for a little.”

Her mom, a dance instructor at the time, was her first

“My mom went to the same studio when she was younger,” O’Neal said. “Then [she] taught at the studio and then I started dancing at that studio.”

Before she went to Nallia’s School of dance, she used to go to a different studio. She remembers her early dance classes fondly.

“One of the best classes was close to Halloween,” O’Neal said. “We got to dance like whoever we were dressed up as. It was so much fun.”

Since she first started dancing, O’Neal has participated in numerous competitions. She danced her first competition solo when she was in seventh grade.

“The competition was the first time I'd ever performed it in front of a big crowd,” she said. “I got really nervous but, since it was a solo, if I messed up I could just make something up.”

In her most recent solo, in eighth grade, she danced to Love Runs Out. She’s happy to announce that this year she’ll have a lyrical solo as well. As O’Neal has grown as a person and performer, her parents have been there every step of the way.

“They've never missed a single performance.” O’Neal said.

“They take me to dance class every week and they always congratulate me. They’re definitely my biggest supporters.”

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Profile |14

Four students share what makes them tick and what they do for the school community +Design by Ellie Zeller

How to be Happy Adriana Jaime is going to be a busy bee during the upcoming school year, but its worth it if she can see + Written by Izak When senior Adriana Jaime goes to each StuCo meeting, she thinks of only one word, family.

Jaime has been on StuCo since her freshman year, and she has seen the growth of everyone around her. Everyone is unique and the time that they’ve spent together has made it feel like family.

“I love seeing people’s [selfimprovements] and [becoming] someone who they want to be,” Jaime said. “[StuCo] really opened up my eyes a lot and really made me

who I am today.”

This year, Jaime will serve as the publicist for StuCo, and will be responsible for running the dance committee. Her role in the past was to help the previous chair and plan out her schedule. She wanted to make things easier and lighten the load.

StuCo isn’t the only organization she is involved with. She is also a recruiter on the Spirit Club exec board. Spirit club is responsible for assemblies, themes and general school spirit.

“I don't have much experience with spirit club,” Jaime said. “But I love just getting out there. It was a switch for me [because] I got out of my comfort zone, but I liked that.”

She started doing Spirit Club to be more involved in the school. Being on StuCo exec and Spirit Club exec has put some pressure on her schedule. She has to attend all StuCo events and Spirit Club events, but she is trying to have fun and go with the flow.

“I genuinely love this school,” Jaime said. “In the past couple years with [COVID-19], it has been kind of hard to get back into having spirit and having hopes for your high school experience.”

As the school year ramps up again, Jaime will be very busy with her classes and organizations. But she is looking forward to making her fellow classmates smile.

Lucky Number Running back Malik Thirteen

O’Atis plans on being number 13 long after his high years are over + Written by Grace Logan and Morgan Tate

Running back Malik O’Atis wasn’t always a football person. He’d played it in second grade, but switched to basketball for some time.

“Coach Black came to our middle school in eighth grade,” O’Atis said. “[He told me] ‘You look like you’d be a good football player,’ while I was playing basketball [so I told him no].

Then he said, ‘That sounds like something somebody soft would say.’ So [I decided] I’d play football freshman year.”

Freshman year changed O’Atis’ mind, the people and school support made him continue to play football. Having played football before, he didn’t doubt his abilities, and that hasn’t changed.

“I don't doubt myself, I know what I can do,” O’Atis said. “In fact everybody in the state knows.”

O’Atis still get nervous before games, but he has his pre-game rituals and superstitions, including the number on his jersey.

“I've had number [thirteen] since freshman year,” O’Atis said. “I’d say it’s my lucky number. I want to be thirteen for all my years of playing sports, no matter what level I play at.”

After high school, O’Atis plans on pursuing football during college. He is worried, but his mom gives him the support he needs. “[My mom] has gone with me on all my college visits and she's helped me through choosing what I want to do for college,” O’Atis said. “Stuff that other people haven’t helped me with behind closed doors.”

O’Atis pushes himself everyday to be better in football, and in life, he wants to improve himself and thinks his younger self would be proud of him now.

“I feel like he would be proud of me,” O’Atis said. “I went through a lot in elementary and middle school.

I was in a bad place and I was a very bad kid. If he saw how far we’ve come and how we’ve matured, he would be proud of where we are now.”

“Band camp is insanely important. Not only do we learn almost every basic skill needed, but we also put a lot of our show on during the camp.”

-senior Michael Houser

Leading the marching block, senior Michael Houser plays the clarinet July 29 on the Northwest football field. During this practice, the Marching Cougar Pride steps into the form of a “NW” and performs the song Hawaii 5-0.