Northwest Passage: Issue 3, Volume 57

W N PASSAGE Issue 3

October 16, 2025

Volume 57

9

TARGETS PACKAGE

Colossal divides are impacting this country, in regards to politics, religion, gender, sexuality, morals and more.

But rather than prompting curiosity or celebration, people have made differences a point of contention.

10DIVIDE THE GREAT

Political security remains a concern among students at Northwest

14 EXOTIC

YOU’RE SO

Asian culture is commodified and belittled at the same time

TARGETS PACKAGE PG. 09

CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE FOR MORE CONTENT!

PUBLICATION OVERSIGHT

Want the newspaper delivered right to your door?

BUY A

SUBSCRIPTION!

$25

Colossal divides are impacting this country, in regards to politics, religion, gender, sexuality, morals and more. But rather than prompting curiosity or celebration, people have made differences a point of contention.

for one copy of each of the 9 issues

Co-Editor-In-Chief Co-Editor-In-Chief Copy Editor Copy Editor Photo Editor Photo Editor News Editor Feature Editor Sports Editor A&E Editor Arts Manager

WRITERS

Grace Rau Gus Stirling Hope Hunt Sage McCarthy Sofia Ball Sophia Ragan Harper Ward Brynna Emler Dayla Jertson Kayla Chege

Sarah Wellman Olivia Perocho Genevieve Kidder

DESIGNERS

Bella Alvarado Kennedy Woolf Greta Grist Mary Kate Mitchell ADVISER Chris Heady

Cover by Greta Grist

email : ChristopherHeady@smsd.org for more information

Sofia Ball Greta Grist Sophia Ragan Grace Rau Maddi Roof Vivienne Wheeler Hope Hunt Harper Ward Sophia Ragan Grace Rau Grace Rau

Shawnee Mission Northwest Highschool, 12701 W 67th St, Shawnee, KS, 66216

news

feature

opinion

Students find themselves being targeted, even in group chats pg. 12

Closure is hard to find when you are pointing the blame at the wrong target pg. 04

Junior Husna Asalati has always felt out of place, and on the cross country team it’s no different, except she’s decided to own its pg. 16

Asian culture is commodified and belittled at the same time pg. 14

Band director, Brett Eichman shares his love of music with his kids pg. 18

How cosmetic products add to global waste pg. 07

Phones at concerts are not only a problem for viewers but also the performers pg. 22

Throwing Powder at football games is now banned in the Shawnee Mission School District pg. 06 Having vegan parents isn’t all that bad, well, kinda, but you learn to work around it pg. 05

a&e

Senior Halle Gray is chasing the chance of a lifetime, but at what cost? pg. 20 An overview of albums releasing this month pg. 21

sports

What the pressure of the homecoming game looks like to the players pg. 29

month in photos

The highlights of NW this month pg. 30

Students are scared to share their political opinions pg. 10

The 25-26 school year’s homecoming court pg. 26 Homecoming has developed into a mini-prom rather than the casual dance it used to be pg. 27

table of contents

Issue 3

|

Volume 57

|

October 16th, 2025

note

DESIGN BY GRETA GRIST 3090450@SMSD.ORG

ISSUE 3 NORTHWEST PASSAGE

letter from the

03

EDITORS A

s you can see, we’ve changed a few things about this issue. There are color schemes, show stoppers, packages and the most noticeable factor, it’s glossy, finally. See, as a staff, before establishing the content for each cycle we ask ourselves questions. What’s going on in the world right now? How are students at Northwest being affected? What are they talking about? Why do they care?

And the most important. How can we make them care? Colossal divides are impacting this country, in regards to politics, religion, gender, sexuality, morals and more. But rather than prompting curiosity or celebration, people have made differences a point of contention.

Our mission for this issue is to angle the spotlight on different students and their struggles with being different. This issue represents our student body and the struggles we face in and out of NW. Within the Targets package, all stories are meant to represent the different reasons as to why a student could be targeted.

We hope those who take the time to read this issue will think about ways they might be targeted.

And ways they might be the arrow.

Signed, the Northwest Passage Co-Editor-in-Chiefs, Greta Grist and Sofia Ball

Photo by Finn Bedell

04

ISSUE 3 NORTHWEST PASSAGE

FRESH

DESIGN BY GRETA GRIST 3090450@SMSD.ORG

opinion

COAT Finding closure is hard when I feared my 21st birthday and what it would do to me. I feared growing you’re pointing the blame at the up and letting it get that bad, like he did; like I was sitting in the backseat of wrong target

I

repainted my basement the lightest shade of pink I could find, and I ripped the wood panelling off the wall. I tore up the carpet and moved the couch from one side of the room to the other.

I needed to flip that place on its head, to turn it into something he wouldn’t recognize.

That I wouldn’t recognize.

I had my friends over more often to try and replace the energy that lingered in its darkest corners. I kept the lights on all the time, lighting the wood panelling with string lights. My toy kitchen moved to the storage room with the door shut. I tried my hardest to convince myself that it happened in a different dimension.

The front door; haunted by the sound of his key turning in the lock. The silent kitchen; still echoing from arguments that happened nine years ago.

Empty Budweiser cans on the kitchen table told me that I wouldn’t see dad today, but the clone of him I had created in my head to protect the image of my loving father.

His illness engulfed my entire life.

It sticks to me. It sticks to our house. It rots the wooden back porch. It taints the door frame marked with dates and names, with my father’s sitting above them all.

I spent so many years trying to blame anything but addiction. I tried to blame the basement, the notches in the door frame, and the ingredients in the bottle. I tried to take the situation and cut him any slack from it that I could, making excuses for him like ‘it’s just a rough patch’ or that I forgot to pick up my toys, and he was mad.

a doomed car.

If it was out of his control, if it was written in the stars for him to go down that path, I could find peace in knowing there was nothing more I could have done to help him.

But he isn’t in the backseat, and neither am I. It doesn’t have to be an ultimatum. Drink and lose control, or stay sober and afraid of who I could’ve become. It doesn’t have to be a tattooed thought in my mind, a constant reminder, or my cautionary tale.

That illness that tore my family apart, that made playing board games impossible with two people, that made Christmas morning so heavy; that is the enemy.

I thought my future was out of my control, like I was genetically predisposed to living an addict’s life. I was scared of Christmas Eve parties, the good wine, and, when I was younger, Sunday mass. I hated when the people around me drank, and New Year’s Eve became a holiday I celebrated alone.

To save myself, I thought that avoiding alcohol might spare me from what I’ve been afraid of, but that just means I’m letting it hold power over me, over my future. That mindset, that the problem is out of my hands, is what will lead me to the life I fear the most; that is the enemy.

After 3 coats of pink paint and 5 thrift store lamps, my basement isn’t some scary place that gave a home to my deepest fears, or somewhere I only go to do laundry.

It’s a fresh start.

WRITTEN BY GRETA GRIST 3090450@SMSD.ORG Photo by Sofia Ball

opinion

DESIGN BY SOFIA BALL 3092535@SMSD.ORG

TIPS FOR SURVIVING A

HOUSEHOLD Having vegan parents isn’t all that bad, well kinda, but you learn how to make it work

H

ome from school, I take one step over the threshold of our garage door before realizing something’s off. The familiar potent stench strangles my nostrils. I’m stifling gags as my feet shuffle forward. And I can feel my face turning the same avocado shade as our kitchen walls.

Nothing died.

Nothing’s burning.

There wasn’t a gas leak (although that might be better).

But something much worse. I try not to even say it out loud for fear my parents might hear, and I’d have planted the seed for a meal on next week’s menu.

Maybe if I’d prayed more, given to charity, been a better person, I wouldn’t be met with this fate. Because who really deserves it?

But here I am.

Split pea soup.

I can’t explain the taste. If I’ve ever had the stomach to try it, then I no longer remember. Or maybe I’ve blocked it out on purpose.

It reminds me of a repugnant sludge that Jack Black serves to orphans for lunch at church in the beginning of “Nacho Libre.”

And for once, I, too, find myself begging, “Can’t we ever have just a salad?”

If you couldn’t already tell by the produce constructed headline (if not, please get you’re eyes checked), yes, I have vegan parents.

But it really isn’t all that bad. Not like my sarcastic and melodramatic lede would infer.

Would I like for my pantry not to be filled with chick peas, sweet potatoes and nutritional yeast? Sure. Am I repulsed that my dad wants to make vegan “steak” he saw on the cooking channel, which is just a grilled slab of cauliflower? Absolutely. Am I a little tired of chugging ice water to make the kale go down easier? Well, of course.

And they weren’t always vegan. I can still remember the halcyon days when there was chicken for dinner instead of toasted tofu, or when my dad made our smoothies with milk instead of coconut water (which is what I imagine those hikers who run out of water supply and have to drink their own pee must taste).

But I guess it was a few years ago that something snapped. Maybe it was a midlife crisis or all the documentaries he had us watch on processed sugar and meat meat-packing industries. But instead of getting regrettable tattoos, growing a beer belly or quitting his job (that came later), he decided to go vegan.

And doctors might disagree, but I’d say that’s arguably worse. Because not only is he the one suffering over a pot of split pea soup now, I also have to suffer each time our fridge door opens, and those mushy, greenish brownish leftovers are giving me the thousand-yard stare.

Luckily, my parents aren’t the vegans you see going viral on TikTok who unironically protest killing animals with songs on their ukulele. Or think crystals have healing powers. Or debate waitresses on whether or not something was

ISSUE 3 NORTHWEST PASSAGE

05

really “locally grown” or “fresh.”

They’re totally normal-ish.

My dad works out about twice a day. He works from home at a standing desk with special vitamin D lamps. He takes magnesium pills the size of my fist before bed. I’d like to say he’s Chris Traeger from Parks & Rec., minus the enthusiasm.

My mom instructs yoga in her free time, goes on walks religiously, and is one of those people that make me jealous who can convince themselves fruit is dessert.

It’s very important for my reputation to note that I myself am not vegan. I order lattes without oat milk, and put grilled chicken on my Chipotle bowl, and I’ve eaten the occasional pint of ice cream in one sitting (I’ve only been caught once, and was let off with a warning).

And most of the time I buy my own food.

But occasionally, when I’m feeling lazy, or my bank account is sad, I’ll stomach corn chowder or veggie fajitas where we pretend portobello mushrooms are steak.

And I’ll convince myself it’s pretty good as a little part of me inside dies.

The point is, living in a vegan or ingredient household does not mean you’re hopeless. There are ways of surviving which include copious bags of dark chocolate chips, frozen fruit or soybased chicken strips. Or keeping humble stashes of graham crackers, fruit snacks and Goldfish under blankets at the foot of your bed.

But if there is one very important takeaway you should have, it’s that when life gives you split peas, please, for the love of God, never, ever, make split pea soup.

WRITTEN BY SOFIA BALL 3092535@SMSD.ORG

news

ISSUE 3 NORTHWEST PASSAGE

DESIGN BY KENNEDY WOOLF 3097078@SMSD.ORG

06

Senior Jackson Haworth throws orange powder in the air during the varsity football game Sept. 11 at SM District Stadium. This was spirit club’s first time handing out powder to throw. “It was a pain in the butt to clean it up afterwards,” Haworth said.

Photo by Finn Bedell

POWDER BANNED T

he Shawnee Mission School District has banned throwing powder at all football games after Shawnee Mission Northwest students threw orange powder at the varsity football game on Thurs., Sept. 11.

Northwest students have been asking for years to throw powder at football games and had been turned down, even though Shawnee Mission North students had a tradition of throwing powder in the stands for the last couple of years.

“We originally said no,” Athletic Director Heath Wilson said. “Mainly because our concerns of clean up being a problem, and then also it getting onto the football field and [where] the cheerleaders cheer.”

However, Wilson and principal Dr. Lisa Gruman approved the use of it for the first home game. There were around seven pounds of orange chalk powder distributed by the Spirit Club throughout the section during the first quarter. Students threw powder during the C-C-C-O-U-G-A-A-A-R-S chant in the second quarter. Powder floated toward the cheerleaders, band, dance team

and rained orange onto students dressed in black in the stands.

“I think where we misstepped was that we used too much powder,” Wilson said. “The bleachers were extremely dirty. It looked like cheeto dust.”

This caused a lot of cleanup for the North custodians, one of the biggest factors going into the ban.

“General clean up of the powder is plenty of water from a water hose washing it down,” said North building manager Paul Staudinger.

“The time to clean after each game is about 2 hours to wash off the powder in the section and adjacent sections.”

This led to the district ban on the powder. “[It] was nothing anybody was going against because we don’t want to make extra work for people,” Wilson said.

When asked about information on the ban, district athletic director Kent Glaser responded to questions with an AI overview about throwing powder. The AI overview states that the primary reasons for the ban could include “respiratory issues, slippery surfaces, eye infections, potential carcinogens, unfair conditions and property damage.”

WRITTEN BY SOPHIA RAGAN 3097001@SMSD.ORG

“

Throwing Powder at football games is now banned in the Shawnee Mission School District

Senior Genevieve Kidder laughs with senior Zoe Nixon after powder was thrown in the air Sept. 11 at SM North District Stadium. Photo by Finn Bedell

“

“I feel upset about it because it looks so cool, and I know all the students had lots of fun with it,” - Senior Maddie Myers

“

opinion

DESIGN BY DAYLA JERTSON 3129842@SMSD.ORG

ISSUE 3 NORTHWEST PASSAGE

07

Earth vs. Beauty Brands

Yes

48%

How cosmetics add to global waste

T

he beauty industry contributes to the global waste of plastic, water, and unrecyclable materials. The beauty industry around the world produces about 120-150 billion units of packaging globally, according to 4Ocean. To remedy this issue, many people have turned to companies that primarily use natural ingredients and recycled packaging.

Free from harsh chemicals, natural products are less likely to cause allergic reactions, inflammations or irritations.

Many buyers purchase deodorants without aluminum or soaps made from animal milk because they are commonly more gentle for the skin. If an allergic reaction does occur with the use of natural cosmetics, it would likely be due to ingredients such as essential oils, natural rubber, tree nuts, and natural dyes like beetroot and madder. Some ingredients are completely raw, like baking soda, while others have no proven benefits and are added because it’s a popular trend, like using lemon juice to whiten

No

52%

Data from Instagram Poll

teeth.

Sometimes, companies use marketing strategies to convey they care about the environment. “Greenwashing” is a term used to describe when companies – like Rhode by Hailey Bieber, Burt’s Bees, or Dr. Barbara Sturm – produce minimalistic packaging wrapped in neutral colors, showing they are “more sustainable” than other brands.

Over 70% of cosmetic packaging is non-recyclable. As of 2018, almost 7.9 billion units of rigid plastic were created just for beauty and personal care products in the U.S. alone, according to Euromonitor International. To know if something is recyclable, there is a resin identification code (RIC), usually appearing in a triangle of arrows that shows which grade of plastic it’s made from. Plastics labeled 1 and 2 can be recycled, but numbers 3, 6 and 7 cannot and should go in the trash.

Some recycling centers can process plastics labeled 4 and 5, so call your local center to see if they accept those containers before throwing them away.

WRITTEN BY DAYLA JERTSON 3129842@SMSD.ORG

Photo by Dayla Jertson

naturals

name brands

“

I personally prefer natural products but, I don’t really think the brand matters all that much to me.

Like, if it works, it works.

“

Do you prefer natural cosmetics over name brands?

- senior Natalie Castillo Torres

LY !

P AP OW N

Awesome jobs with flexible hours!

The perfect job for high school and college students.

Hours compatible with most school schedules, morning & afternoon shifts available. No evenings or weekends!

JCPRD.com/jobs

WANT THE PASSAGE

DELIVERED TO YOUR DOOR?

BUY A SUBSCRIPTION!

PROUD TO SPONSOR SHAWNEE MISSION NORTHWEST Kevin Clouse, Agent 6342 Long Ave Ste J Shawnee, KS 66216 (913) 962-1484 Certified Agency in Customer Excellence

Plans starting for as low as $25 /yr !

Scan to place reserve your spot!

American Family Mutual Insurance Company, S.I. and Its Operating Companies 6000 American Parkway, Madison WI 53783 ©2017 007251 Rev. 11/23 – 24131885

TARGETS Colossal divides are impacting this country, in regards to politics, religion, gender, sexuality, morals, and more. But rather than prompting curiosity, or celebration, people have made differences a point of contention.

10

ISSUE 3 NORTHWEST PASSAGE

THE GREAT Political security remains a concern among students at Northwest

F

or most people in 2025, the divide between Democrats and Republicans is becoming harder to ignore.

According to Gallup, a global analytics firm, the percentage of Americans identifying as moderate, or the middle ground, has decreased from an average of 43% to 34% in 2024, with Americans more likely to side strongly with liberal or conservative ideology. A poll by Gallup also states that 57% of adults in the U.S. avoid sharing their political beliefs for fear of facing harassment or poor treatment. In a podcast episode of “On the Media,” Lily Mason, a professor of political science at John Hopkins University, said about 80% of Democrats and Republicans think the other party is a threat, with about 40% to 50% of those people thinking the other group is “downright evil.”

Because of this divide, fewer people feel comfortable sharing or talking about politics, including students at Shawnee Mission Northwest.

“No, I definitely don’t feel accepted,” sophomore Kylee Hook said. “I feel like if I talk about my beliefs, more people just aren’t going to agree with me.”

Nearly 10 students declined to be interviewed for this story in fear of their political beliefs being on record.

“I sometimes feel fear that if I truly say what I think, then people won’t see me the right way, or like, see me the same way,” sophomore Gus O’Mally said.

For some students, this insecurity stems from experience.

Last year, during lunch in the cafeteria, sophomore Ren Conner sat at one of the long tables while conversations erupted over him.

When the topic of politics came up, Conner mentioned he did not agree with something — then someone at the table suddenly called him a slur regarding his sexuality.

“I felt singled out,” Conner said, “Like no one was standing up for me.”

Since then, Conner has been more hesitant to share his political opinions at school in fear that it would happen again.

DESIGN BY GRETA GRIST 3090450@SMSD.ORG

Even though many students at Northwest share Conner’s experience, there are spaces designated for having civil political discussions and debates, such as clubs like Young Democrats and Young Republicans.

Young Republicans meet in room 124 every other Friday morning. There, conservative students talk about current events and how they relate to the Republican party’s beliefs.

This includes national news like Charlie Kirk’s assassination, to international issues such as the military crackdown in Nepal. Their first meeting was on September 19.

feature

be a Democrat or liberal.”

The club attempts to help students develop political views and get students involved in politics.

“We are hoping to have action steps where the students will be able to get involved very actively in the political system,” band teacher and Young Democrats sponsor Brett Eichman said.

Before Eichman, history teacher Rebecca Anthony was the sponsor for Young Democrats from 2010 until last year. She quit because of fear of her involvement in Young Democrats

ACROSS THE SPECTRUM We put out a survey to NW students asking for where they fall on the political spectrum, here are the results:

9% 15% 25% 35% 25%

CONSERVATIVE

REPUBLICAN

CENTRIST/MODERATE

“I try to make sure, as a sponsor, that it’s not just focusing on what the conservative position is on key issues,” history teacher and sponsor Todd Boren said.

Young Democrats has not yet had their first meeting. President of Young Democrats, senior Malaina Perry said they’ve experienced a decline in attendance due to lack of activity in the club.

She wants to change that through consistent social media posts, hanging signs around school and sending out more GroupMe messages.

“It’s not a commitment,” Perry said. “You can come to one meeting or three. And if you aren’t interested that’s okay.”

Regardless of what beliefs a student identifies with, or how politically active they are, club leaders say meetings are open to everyone.

“The main idea is that we have a safe environment for people to ask questions and share what you’ve experienced,” Perry said. “You don’t have to be registered or specifically want to

DEMOCRAT

LIBERAL

affecting her daughter.

“My daughter is in 7th grade and she will be [at Northwest] in a few years,” Anthony said. “I don’t want anyone giving her grief for something I do with a club.”

Political division doesn’t always show itself; instead, it lingers quietly, in conversations between friends, classroom debates and meetings in clubs that struggle to gain momentum. As politics becomes more present in students’ lives, the division remains in some ways that are difficult to address. Finding a political common ground isn’t just a challenge. It’s a conversation students are too scared to start.

“You don’t want to be left out or bullied for your beliefs, so it’s easier to just hide it” Hook said.

WRITTEN BY KAYLA CHEGE 3123790@SMSD.ORG WRITTEN BY GUS STIRLING 3161009@SMSD.ORG

smnw.com

CAN WE

AGREE?

Would you say you surround yourself with people who are on the same leaning side as you?

surround me every day and that I want to become friends with. But I also really like church talking to those people that have different sides with me and like learning why they believe what they believe.

K: Not really, no. I feel as if I hang out with a lot more people who don’t have the same beliefs as me. Obviously, I do have some friends who have the same beliefs, but I feel like it shouldn’t change your relationships with people. I feel like that’s very misunderstood now. I try to surround myself with everybody to get different sides, because not everybody thinks the same way, and it’s all kind of based on how you were raised and just your own beliefs, it’s not just one set thing that’s right.

How do you guys feel about the political state of the country right now?

M: Most of my friends align with my beliefs that also just ties into where I live and, the classes I am in, just the people that

K: I feel like everyone’s gotten a little bit crazy. I think it kind of shows who people really are through their beliefs. I think the people really take out their beliefs and their political views and just like certain situations that don’t need to have political beliefs in them, which I don’t really like sometimes and I feel like both sides are kind of guilty doing that using political views and I think that’s kind of brought into our society when there’s certain things that

ISSUE 3 NORTHWEST PASSAGE

11

Sophomore Kayla Hudson and Margo Lympus participated in a Q and A regarding their opinions, while having different beliefs

happen that aren’t really political more just a societal problem and they blame it on political views.

M: I just think it’s really divided. Like, the divide between the two parties.

There’s been a strengthening in this divide.

And I’ve heard a lot. It’s like, oh, like, I’m not going to listen to them because they believe in something different. And I just think that’s really sad. People just aren’t really open minded if somebody has a different opinion than you. A lot of people, they just don’t want to go at all and just put these big stereotypes into these.

WRITTEN BY HOPE HUNT 3135243@SMSD.ORG

A NEW PERSPECTIVE MAILIN ZOPFL

GERMANY

Did you ever hear anything, back home about American politics at all?

Yeah, so in the news, I saw some things about it and also teachers talked about it because there was the election, it was a really big event, even though it wasn’t for our country. Some people talk about it here at Northwest. I see a lot on social media.

Foreign exchange students talk about their first impressions of the political divide in America

WRITTEN BY DAYA JERTSON 3129842@SMSD.ORG

AITANA SANCHEZ

SPAIN

SARA GONZALEZ

SPAIN

With all of the violence that’s been happening in our country, how have you felt?

[Charlie Kirk] died, I didn’t know who he was but I saw a lot of people talking about that, then they stopped shortly after and moved on, it seemed like. I’ve noticed that people seem hesitant to talk about that.

Have you seen anything different that you haven’t expected in relation to politics here at Northwest?

I thought it was going to be a lot, but I feel like no one is talking to no one. Some teachers in Spain talked about news because they want us to know about foreign governments.

Photos by Claire Reed

56% of NW students said the school doesn’t have enough spaces for discussing political beliefs Data from Instagram poll

12

ISSUE 3 NORTHWEST PASSAGE

FFLINE

Students find themselves being targeted, even in group chats

A

DESIGN BY GRETA GRIST 3090450@SMSD.ORG

t 9:05 a.m. on Sept. 16, senior Valentina Maslovoric sent out a message to the senior class GroupMe, reminding everyone to vote for the Homecoming court nominations by the end of the school day.

“I already did mine,” senior Adriana Lipari responded after one minute.

Thirteen people reacted to Lipari’s comment with a “thumbs down.” One senior boy replied, “cool dude.”

For Lipari, with reply after reply, the group chat that was once made for school-related announcements turned into senior boys saying what she found to be hateful and critical comments. Lipari says she’s dealt with bullying her entire life.

“It got to a point where it just like, okay, like, this needs to stop,” Lipari said.

She replied: “So why when I have a comment it’s a problem but when others do it it’s not a problem? I get ya’ll are ‘popular’ but people have feelings.”

Almost immediately, Lipari was removed from the group. Sixteen people in the GroupMe “hearted” the notification.

“I kind of felt rejected,” Lipari said. “That’s the senior class that I’m part of, but it made me feel like I did something wrong, when I really didn’t.”

Lipari is not the first person to experience online harassment at Northwest.

“It’s not just Northwest. It’s not just the senior class. It’s not just something that teenagers are dealing with. We are losing that in our society,” Student Council sponsor Sarah Dent said.

Cyberbullying has been found most common on social media platforms, whereas GroupMe can be seen as a professional and direct way of communication.

Regardless, seniors report feeling unsafe to share opinions or even Google Forms in the senior class GroupMe in fear of being bullied.

“Every year, there will be little hints of something going down in the group chat,” Dent said. “But it does seem to be a little more toxic than things that we’ve seen in previous years.”

In a 2021 study done by the Pew Research Center, 41% of all internet users reported experiencing harassment online. In 2022, the Pew Research Center found that 53% of U.S. teens found online harassment and online bullying are a major problem for people their age.

Still, some students find it hard to distinguish jokes from claims that could harm others.

“I think some people find it pretty entertaining,” senior class president Paxton Taylor said. “Just to see some bickering between a couple of randos. You can see it from their [GroupMe] reactions.”

Hateful TikTok comments or passive- aggressive

Instagram DM’s are now not seen as harmful or destructive. They’re seen as people simply expressing themselves.

“I think a lot of [what people say] is just to impress the masses,” Taylor said. “You don’t get a platform that big where you can say whatever you want and do whatever you want. So people just kind of take it and run with it sometimes.”

Being able to hide behind a screen has made it very easy to spread negativity and hate without any consequences. All the class group chats are made by Student Council members freshman year.

“The purpose [of the groupchat] wasn’t intended for spam or bullying,” Dent said. “Obviously, that’s not what we want to see happen. And there’s not adults in these group chats that are monitoring this.

[The group chat] is student- driven and student-led lead.”

With no monitoring in the group chat, it creates

NORTHWEST PASSAGE

33%

of NW students have felt unsafe or bullied in their class group chats Data from Instagram poll

11 an open space for unfiltered comments.

“What we’re hoping is that we can start addressing it and calling it out. If you see something or hear something — call it out in real time,” Dent said.

All SMSD devices provide Report Bullying applications for students. Once a report has been submitted, it goes straight to the administration’s email. Regardless of having access to these apps, it’s unclear how often they’re used.

“This senior class GroupMe is so indicative of a larger issue that we’re dealing with in our society that I wish there was a solution to,” Dent said. “I wish there was a way to say this is going to get better— but I’m not sure that it is.”

WRITTEN BY GENEVIEVE KIDDER 3091881@SMSD.ORG WRITTEN BY SARAH WELLMAN 3092222@SMSD.ORG

feature

targets

Photo by Sofia Ball

ISSUE 3 NORTHWEST PASSAGE

23

14

ISSUE 3 NORTHWEST PASSAGE

EXOTIC

opinion

DESIGN BY OLIVIA PEROCHO 3093544@SMSD.ORG

YOU’RE SO

Photos by Sofia Ball and Maddi Roof Photo Illustration by Olivia Perocho

targets Asian culture is commodified and belittled at the same time

“

No, but what are you?”

She says it as if wondering whether I am human or alien.

I played dumb at first — American.

But I knew what she meant when she asked, what response she wanted.

She didn’t want to know where I was born.

“You mean what type of Asian I am?” I respond, toying with the hem of my jacket sleeve.

She smiles from across the grey Trailridge lunch table, her head tilted. It’s funny to her. Once upon a time, it was funny to me, too.

In elementary school, it was funny to everyone.

Or at least, that was my perception, my formula for laughter.

Let them tell you things like “Can you do my math homework?” and “Ew, what are you eating?” and “Where are you really from?” and occasionally even “So you’re not a real Asian,” when they learn specifically that you’re Filipina. Pull your eyes back, let them call you things like ching-chong.

It’s normal. You’re the weird one for reacting.

And anyway, if you don’t do it yourself, someone else will. They’ll laugh either way.

It’s up to you: do you want to be in on the joke?

So you learn to make the jokes — “I ate dog for dinner,” or “My parents will beat me if I get a B.” Trade the pancit in your lunchbox for an Uncrustable, hot meals with rice in thermoses for Lunchables. Wear the

“I still have days when I wake up and I’m like, man, I wish I was a white girl.

Like, I wish I was, like, tan and blonde and blue eyed, I could get anything I wanted to.”

- Phoebe Baumgartel, junior

trendier, more casual wear that everyone around you is wearing, instead of what your parents pick out for you.

The learned instinct to repress and conform is all-too common among Asian kids growing up in the U.S. Too many Asian-Americans share the experience of laughing along to their ridicule.

Many remember being the perpetual butt of the joke at the lunch table, or being treated as a homework answering machine, or being mixed up with Asian friends, or wishing that we were anything – white, hispanic (as lots are assumed to be) – other than what we were.

“I still have days when I wake up and I’m like,

ISSUE 3 NORTHWEST PASSAGE

man, I wish I was a white girl,” Taiwanese junior Phoebe Baumgartel says. “Like, I wish I was, like, tan and blonde and blue eyed. I could get anything I wanted to.”

All while not making a fuss, lest you be deemed “sensitive.”

And then slowly, as we got older, something seemed to change.

Suddenly, it was cool.

The same people who once guffawed at our lunch were now going out to eat Korean barbecue, or sushi, or pho, and stopping for a boba run on the way. K-pop and K-pop-inspired groups overtook their playlists. TikTok creators fawned over Korean skincare, Japanese haircare.

Netflix “Continue Watching” bars overflowed with anime and Asian dramas. Matcha, an originally traditional Japanese drink, became the face of “performativity,” and little expensive collectibles popped up on fellow classmates’ phones and bags: Sonny Angel, Smiski, Labubu.

Now, instead of being outright derided, the approved parts of Asian culture and media are picked from and made into trends.

But how much better is that?

“A lot of people, I feel like, don’t really make an effort to learn about where, like, certain things originated from,” senior Jennie Lee says, “which

“At the same time, I find it really ironic, because the same people who are, like, drinking matcha, boba, and stuff like that were the same people that were, you know, mocking Asians.”

- Jennie Lee, senior

is kind of taking away from the culture as a whole. I wouldn’t say it’s better than straight-up discrimination, it’s just different,” Being Korean, she’s observed the same contrast between mockery and surface-level aestheticization of her culture. “I find it really ironic,” Lee says, “because the same people who are, like, drinking matcha, boba, and stuff like that were the same people that were, you know, mocking Asians. They want to, like, pick and choose, like, all the so-called good or bad parts of Asian culture.”

Often, the picking and choosing happens simultaneously with the now more latent disrespect.

Racism towards South and Central Asians, for example, is felt by many to not be taken seriously, online and in-person. “A lot of certain friend groups I hear make jokes about, like, India and Indian people,” junior Isabella Flores says. And Afghan senior Ehsan Asalati says “[he] [doesn’t] get, like, the smarts side” of anti-Asian racism, but instead the “terrorist side.”

At the same time, aspects of East Asian culture are seen as aesthetic, or even fetishized

15

and idealized. There are online instances of “Asian-fishing,” where people deliberately do their makeup so that they look plausibly Asian.

Certain standards and expectations are set for Asian people, and they often buckle under the pressure of living up to them.

“I’ve definitely felt a pressure to conform to Asian beauty standards that you see in, like, Western media,” Lee says, such as those rampant within the K-pop industry.

Even outside the realm of beauty, stereotypes are still very alive and very felt. “People, like, want to come up to you and be like, oh, we’re just saying that you’re smart, you know, like, it’s a compliment,” Asalati says. “It in a way is not, though. You’re still just using, like, certain people

“People, like, want to come up to you and be like, oh, we’re just saying that you’re smart, you know, like, it’s a compliment. It in a way is not though. You’re still just using certain people to generalize to the whole population.”

- Ehsan Asalati, senior

to, you know, generalize to the whole population.

And that isn’t fair even if you’re saying it in a positive way. Because, like, I mean, I wouldn’t see it as a positive.”

Anti-Asian racism is still felt by many to be normalized, even at Northwest. Filipino Freshman Rhia Perocho says that she feels like if you see “someone who’s, like, very obviously, like, Asian, [race-related insults] [are] going to be one of the first insults among people’s minds.”

One thing is common in both mockery and aestheticization: the objectification and reduction of Asian culture as a whole to a few digestible aspects.

The wave of Asian fixation is perhaps only the same disrespect repackaged in a Hello Kitty wrapper. And the Asian students of Northwest still feel the lingering effects of that disrespect, even if disgust has seemingly turned into adoration.

In the end, it’s a good thing that people embrace Asian culture. But it’s important to make sure we’re not unintentionally taking when we think we’re giving. And seeing other people’s acceptance -- even if it is surface-level -- makes it that much easier to take pride in even the aspects still untouched by micro-trend frenzy.

I look up from the grey Trailridge lunch table.

Her disrespect could be on purpose, or it could not.

Either way, I’ve grown past the point of doing it to myself first.

“I’m Filipino.” I say it and I’m not ashamed.

WRITTEN BY OLIVIA PEROCHO 3093544@SMSD.ORG

16

ISSUE 3 NORTHWEST PASSAGE

feature

BREAK

WITHOUT

DESIGN BY GRETA GRIST & BELLA ALVARADO 3090450@SMSD.ORG | 3092684@SMSD.ORG

Junior Husna Asalati leans on teammate senior Lauren Snyder to stretch before competing Oct. 11 at Haskell University.

“I was scared that people would say something to me, especially during meets,” Asalati said, referencing her Hijab. “But it people are a lot nicer than I thought.

Photo by Sofia Ball

targets

KING

Junior Husna Asalati has always felt out of place, and on the cross country team it’s no different, except she’s decided to own it

J

unior Husna Asalati’s feet pound the cracked pavement. Hard. The almost-90 degree heat is stifling. Thick droplets of sweat swim down Asalati’s neck. A stream of cars whoosh by on 67th street as she tries to keep her pace. The pack of cross country runners disappear around the corner.

Suddenly, Asalati is no longer trailing in the back.

She is running alone.

The rest of her team sports bright blue Hokas, Under Armor sports bras, and low ponytails. She’s decked head-to-toe in her hot pink tracksuit zipped up at the collar, chunky black Asics and a black silky hijab.

She veers around the intersection and a question pops into her head.

The question she always gets asked. From the moment they see her hijab, a headscarf worn traditionally by Muslim women practicing modesty, down to her Asics. During warmups in the wrestling room. And before meets.

Why do you do it?

“You usually don’t see people like me doing cross country,” Asalati said. “Sometimes I don’t think people even know I’m part of the team.”

At first glance, Asalati is shy. On her way to one of the six AP classes she’s taking, her head is down.

She knows she stands out, so she wears baggy jeans, oversized hoodies and trendy sneakers, she says, to try and fit in.

Asalati was raised Muslim. She tries to pray five times a day — once in the morning and three or four times after school. Both of her parents are refugees from Afghanistan. Asalati is the only daughter. She isn’t allowed to date. She doesn’t eat meat. She was homeschooled from third grade up until high school, two years ago.

She doesn’t have much of an athletic background, and last year Asalati was struggling to make friends.

She used to run with her dad when it was nice outside or occasionally on the creaky basement treadmill.

That’s what gave her brother Ehsan an idea.

“I felt really bad for her,” Ehsan said. “And I wanted to make an impact. Cross country seemed great. After all, it’s just running.”

Asalati refused to join cross country as a freshman and sophomore. She was too scared.

But Ehsan made it easier. He set up the physical needed at a local CVS, got his parents on board that it was a good idea, and talked with friends about looking out for her.

Asalati was still nervous, but the push helped.

ISSUE 3 NORTHWEST PASSAGE “I thought maybe if somebody else saw me doing this and they’ve been scared to do it, they might feel different,” Asalati said.

Weeks later, on her first day of practice, Asalati stared wide eyed at the pool water with dread. It was pool running day. As the girls changed into their sports bras, and boys swim shirts, Asalati joined them in the pool wearing her trusty track suit. Almost completely submerged, she reluctantly heaved her legs forward, trudging back and forth in the shallow end as her teammates synchronously ran in circles. The chlorinated water smacked against concrete as her anxiety surged. And Asalati’s layers were swiftly pulling her down like paper weights.

“It felt like I was drowning,” Asalati said.

She thought she was in pretty good shape already, but nothing could prepare her for that first practice, or the season ahead.

“Surely I thought someone would be slower than me,” Asalati said, beginning to laugh. “But no one was.”

At the start of her season she ran a 14 minute mile. That’s about double the time of a varsity runner.

She has a special route carved out by coaches that’s shorter, after she got lost the first time running

Husna’s PRAYER SCHEDULE

1 5 AM 4 SUNSET 2 3 PM 5 9 PM 3 5 PM with her teammates at practice.

They’ve had five races this year. Asalati has run two. She dresses differently for them.

“I know she was a little insecure about the outfit,” senior and c-team runner Lauren Snyder said. “She had to wear track pants. But everyone is supposed to wear these orange shorts. And they’re short. They’re really short. So she wore them over her pants. I didn’t think they looked bad. But if it were me, that would be hard.”

Sometimes people make jokes about it.

“Husna, your ankles are showing,” one girl said at practice, pointing to the gap between her white ankle socks and scrunched pants. “How scandalous.”

“Oh, yeah,” Husna said, a smile barely forming.

She brushes them off.

She knows the judgements strangers make about her. The prejudice held against Muslims. She’s used to standing out.

“They see the hijab first, and then me,” Asalati said. “I was scared that people would say something, especially at meets.”

Since the first grade she’s had to put up with bullying. Kids called her “terrorist” from the swingsets or said she had cancer. One boy was dared by a group of girls to punch her in the stomach at recess. Another boy tried choking her out as they waited in line to charge their iPads — for Asalati, and her parents, this was the last straw. So they took her out of public school.

Asalati has always loved wearing her hijab. But

17

today she feels more confident wearing it. She even forgets to take it off at home. And she handwashes it with detergent every night before bed.

“It makes me feel more beautiful,” Asalati said.

She was nervous of how it would make her stand out on the team. In seven years of coaching cross country, Dr. Johnny Winston says he’s never seen another student on the team run while wearing a hijab.

Asalati believes the challenges she faces are a gift from God. It’s what’s gotten her through life. And the cross country season.

“It means he’s bringing me closer to Him,” Asalati said.

Two weeks ago, her coaches had her take a break from running to rest her shins, which were in excruciating pain. Asalati spent practices in the weight room using the elliptical machine, doing core exercises and other strength training.

“I’d rather be running,” Asalati said. “But I don’t wanna be in more pain.”

Soon, Asalati hopes to heal completely, compete in more races and run the full three miles without stopping.

“I’m really hoping she has that moment where she pushes through and gets to see some success for all her effort,” Winston said. “Right now we’re just trying to help her build without breaking.”

Asalati have shaved three minutes off her mile time since the season’s start. It’s her first and last year on the team since she’ll be graduating a year early. The workouts feel easier, more routine.

Even now, none of her coaches can pronounce her name right.

“I don’t even feel like correcting them anymore,” Asalati said.

But to the surprise of coaches, runners and anyone who might’ve passed her by, Asalati has shown up to every practice, changed into her tracksuit and faced the weight room alone.

“What’s honestly amazing is that she’s never brought up quitting at all,” said Ehsan, who picks her up every day from practice around 4 p.m. “And I feel like if there’s anyone she would bring it up to, it’s me.”

She’s run in the pool when it felt like she was drowning. She’s attended every pasta dinner — they make a special batch of alfredo sauce since she doesn’t eat meat. She’s taken to her route down 67th street, her hijab flapping in the wind, on days when it was as if every passing car was watching her. When she didn’t feel like part of the team.

Asalati did it anyway.

“She could have gone out and picked up running on her own,” Winston said. “But she chose to be on the cross country team.”

There will be people who don’t understand why.

Now she has people to sit with at lunch. And to text after school. A community.

Asalati has come to peace with the fact that she’s not on cross country for awards, or recognition.

That she may never run with the pack. Or run a mile under 10 minutes. She’s there so that she can prove something to herself. And no one else.

But for her, it really is pretty simple.

“I love running,” Husna said. “I know what it’s like to feel scared. Like I’m the only one who’s different. But no one really cares. That’s what I tell myself.”

WRITTEN BY SOFIA BALL 3092535@SMSD.ORG

18

ISSUE 3 NORTHWEST PASSAGE

Band Director Brett Eichman stands hand in hand with his children, James and Juliet, Oct. 10 on the NW football field.

Photo by Maddi Roof

DESIGN BY SOFIA BALL 3092535@SMSD.ORG

all the quiet places

smnw.com

ISSUE 3 NORTHWEST PASSAGE

19

Born and

RAISED Documenting the quiet, and often overlooked, moments at Northwest through student life, struggles and success

J

uliet and James Eichman are the princess and prince of the Northwest Band. Their dad, the band director, Brett Eichman.

Since they were toddlers, they’ve been surrounded by music. Piano lessons, messing around on the drum kit and watching the yearly marching show.

You can spot them tagging along to rehearsals, where they listen to the symphony of woodwinds and brass and watch the swirling formations made on the field.

“I like going to all the practices because then when they mess up, they just, like, start over and it’s fine,” said Juliet.

Some of their favorite moments include watching their dad direct the band.

“I really like to see Dad really happy and in his element,” said James.

The students have embraced the kids as mini-celebrities.

At football games, they get high-fives and hugs from half the band.

“My mom said walking through the tailgate is like walking the red carpet,” said Juliet.

Though running a band program also takes its toll in the form of lost time.

Whether it’s late-night Monday rehearsals or Marching Competitions, where the buses roll back into school at 1 am.

“Sometimes he’s not there for bedtime. I don’t like that,” said Juliet.

But when he’s home, Eichman is battling James in Super Smash bros, or playing teacher with Juliet.

“I try really hard to leave as much as I can at school, so that when we do get time at home, we just get to hang out,” said Eichman.

They both want to be a part of the band once they’re older. James plans to play drums, and Juliette’s goal is to become a drum major.

“I like to watch the drum majors,” said Juliet, “they’re awesome.”

And Eichman gets to see their love for music grow in the little moments. When James is trying on a Tuba or when Juliet is in the stands conducting with the drum majors.

“It already seems like they are going to love it as much as we do,” said Eichman.

WRITTEN BY HARPER WARD 3125091@SMSD.ORG

ISSUE 3 NORTHWEST PASSAGE

No Time To Senior Halle Gray is chasing the chance of a lifetime, but at what cost?

I

n Senior Halle Gray’s dreams, she’s at a college audition. She’s next in line, standing on stage, then has to run away and throw up.

Gray doesn’t like that. So Gray doesn’t sleep. She lies in her bed and scrolls through her phone as the thoughts spiral in her head.

“Should I go talk to my mom?

Is she gonna hear me when I leave in the morning?

I should put my phone down; scrolling is not good for me.

But she doesn’t put her phone down; it’s the only thing that distracts her from what’s ahead.

Gray is the type of performer who can make her entire class well up during her rendition of “I Love You Song” from The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. “She has a beautiful voice that is unique,” said her college audition coach, Michelle Evans. “Her acting is so genuine, and it makes her really stand out.”

Now she’s auditioning for musical theatre colleges, one of the rarest spots in post-high school life. The best singers, dancers, and actors in America are all competing for roughly twenty spots per college, twenty people who have what it takes, twenty chances to make it.

That’s what keeps Gray up. She wants to be one of those 20.

And the other thing that’s keeping her awake, CAP. A chance to audition for more than seventy musical theatre programs.

“It’s a private audition that looks really good to professors,” Halle said.

But, it’s twelve hundred dollars, making the only option receiving a scholarship, something only a couple of students get every year.

Gray finally falls asleep, only to be met with a blaring alarm.

It’s 4 am. She has 45 minutes before her shift at Scooters, and twenty-seven days to get the CAP scholarship.

She has no time to waste. *** Gray’s love for theatre comes from the small moments, like when the last piece of fake snow falls to the ground during White Christmas. Since her first performance of Annie Jr., she’s been hooked.

Then, she moved to Kansas and started theatre at First Act. “I love First Act, the community is so immersive,” said Halle. “The purpose is not to put on, like a crazy production and be like the best of the best, but it’s just to learn and grow from your experience.”

And now, almost a quarter way into her senior year, she’s tired.

Tired from the constant go-go-go of her life.

The stress doesn’t stop. Not when she isn’t paying attention in English class. Not when she’s

feature

WASTE DESIGN BY MARY KATE MITCHELL 3134852@SMSD.ORG

half asleep at band practice in the mornings.

Not when she’s driving.

Gray’s white Chevy Cruze, affectionately named Adeline, slowly grinds down the grey street.

It could have been the bright sun reflecting off her car and into her eyes, it could have been the sunglasses rattling in her center console or it could have been her playlist of college audition songs in the background.

But it was too much.

Her chest tightened. Her breath became shallow.

And soon, tears were streaming down her cheeks.

She threw the sunglasses out of the console and tried to regain herself.

As she pulled into the First Act parking lot, she took a deep breath, a couple of sips of water, and walked into her jazz class. *** The sheets of white paper hover in front of Gray’s face. The line where she has to sign her name stares back at her. As the doctor guided her out of the waiting room, the weight of what she was about to admit hung in the air.

She climbed onto the patient table.

The doctor began the basic procedure. Checking her heart, asking questions about family history, and diet.

“Is there anything else that you’re concerned about?

I don’t want to do this, Halle thought.

But finally, the words she had been holding onto

ever-growing line of cars.

The other worker handed her a drink.

“This is an iced vanilla latte with an extra shot.”

She grabbed it, looked at the customer, then looked at the screen. “I’m sorry, what was that again?”

Her phone sat on the Scooter countertop for two hours, anxiously awaiting to tell her the good news.

Gray leaves for CAP in twenty-seven days.

She’ll drive to Saint Louis with her Mom, her trunk packed with sheet music, audition outfits and hope for what’s to come.

She wants to attend Webster University or Southeastern Missouri State University, somewhere close, so she can be around her sisters.

After college, it’s still up in the air; she could perform, direct, or become a teacher.

“I don’t know what my future’s gonna look like, and that’s good,” Gray said. “It’s exciting to have something to look forward to.”

WRITTEN BY HARPER WARD 3125091@SMSD.ORG

“

20

““

I don’t know what my future’s gonna look like, and that’s good.

It’s exciting to have something to look forward to.

- Senior Halle Gray

“

for so long left her mouth.

“I’d like to talk about anxiety and depression.”

“High functioning anxiety.”

That’s her diagnosis.

It means she can manage her life, but not without the internal struggle of feeling constantly overwhelmed.

“I just needed someone to say it for me,” Halle said. “I know it doesn’t define me.”

They recommended a therapist whom she plans to start seeing once her schedule slows down. *** Halle’s phone buzzed. Her head snapped away from the Scooter’s window.

“CAP,” said the heading in big bold letters.

She quickly took a screenshot of the email and flipped it over, bringing her attention back to the

Photo Lucy Wilson

a&e

DESIGN BY GRACE RAU 3141589@SMSD.ORG

ISSUE 3 NORTHWEST PASSAGE

21

FEATHERS, OUTRAGE

AND SHOWGIRLS My thoughts on Taylor Swift’s twelfth studio album, “The Life of a Showgirl”

T LO E BALLOON

By Ocean Alley

aylor Swift has taken over the world; she's broken every record in the book, has a legion of loyal fans and is currently engaged to Chiefs star Travis Kelce.

Her new album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” has certainly provoked many opinions about her and her songwriting, both positive and negative.

In my opinion, this album is really good for what it is and what it’s meant to be.

I saw someone online say something that really resonated with me: “You don’t compare a rom-com to a documentary.” This album was meant to be fun and upbeat, unlike Folklore, where the poetry and lyricism were the primary focus.

On the other hand, I do agree that some of the lyrics can come across as cringy or poorly written.

Like the lines from "Eldest Daughter,” “I’m not the baddest and this isn’t savage,” and “We all dressed up as wolves and we looked fire.”

But I also think that's kind of the point of the song?

Swift is trying so hard to be cool and failing at it, which reflects in the strange word choice; it gets a point across even if it's a bit hard to listen to.

By dust Genre: alt/indie Release date: Oct. 9

I

WRITTEN BY HOPE HUNT 3135243@SMDS.ORG

WRITTEN BY HARPER WARD 3125091@SMSD.ORG

Hope's Ratings: Sky is Falling

listened to Love Balloon By Ocean Alley. This was honestly not what I expected. Having not listened to any of Ocean Alley's music before, it really did sound like Harry Styles. A couple of the songs sounded like a little country, which isn’t really my jam, but I think other people might like it! I don't think I would go out of my way to listen to this album. I would rate this a six out of 10 personally.

Some high points of the album include “Opalite,” which takes me right back to the “Speak Now,” “Red,” and “1989” era of sparkling synths and catchy lyrics. It feels like a quintessential Taylor Swift song, made for dancing to in your bedroom.

I think a lot of the outrage and hatred towards this album stems from our society's fear of being seen as uncool or cringy.

The number of videos I have seen of people calling Swifties stupid or having bad taste has been alarming, and it makes me wonder why everyone is so upset that people are having fun.

Even though I agree that this is not Swift’s best album and I wish it had a couple more hits, it still means something to people.

It’s a source of happiness and escape for many. It might not be important to you, but it’s important to the new mother who's trying to make it through the day, or the healthcare worker who needs a little positivity after her last patient.

It doesn’t have to be perfect, and it doesn’t have to be art; it just has to bring people joy.

after the sun goes down

By Khalid Genre: pop Release date: Oct. 10

7/10

8/10

EARWORM

Soft

By LAUNDRY DAY Genre: pop rock Release date: Oct. 10

By LANY Genre: indie pop Release date: Oct. 10

7.5/10

6/10

DESIGN BY GRETA GRIST 3090450@SMSD.ORG

feature

F CUS

Phones at concerts are not only a problem for viewers but also the performers

I

n a crowd full of people, you wrench your neck upwards. You’ve been camping out in the heat with your feet aching from standing around, waiting for Chappell Roan to come out.

Kansas City is one of three cities she has decided to come to for her “Visions of Damsels and Other Dangerous Things” pop up tour. As Chappell Roan sings “Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl”, phones light up the sky. Your head weaves back and forth looking for a window to see the actual stage instead of the stage through someone’s phone. But there is no luck finding the actual stage.

It’s the only way you’ll be able to see. Whether you’re on the floor for general admission or in the nosebleeds. Whether you’re in a small downtown theater or at the T-Mobile Center. The only way to see is through someone else’s phone.

Thousands of phones all mirroring the same image become the “DVD loading screen,” all trying to follow the lead singer around. The image dizzies you, and your sticky neck starts to hurt as much as your feet.

A couple of hundred dollars later.

“You’re looking at the stage and there’s 20 phones between you and the stage,” Grace Chalfie.

Not only is it interfering with the views of the people around you, but it’s also interfering with your view.

“It takes away from the actual concert experience,” jJunior Aidan Benlon said. The disconnect is palpable. The concertgoers aren’t there for the performer anymore. They are there for the videos that will soon sit dormant in their Instagram archives because they’re embarrassed

A Guide to

Concert

Etiquette 1 NO MOVIES Record for no more than 1 minute per song, with the phone no higher than your head. Althought its fun to look back on those videos, live in the moment!

they posted a video of themselves singing so loudly in the background and the photos they took that they’ll soon have to delete because they’re out of storage in their Google Photos.

“You’re never going to look back on your videos and be like, ‘Oh! I forgot about that happening, and now that’s one of my core memories.’ Your core memories are going to happen when you’re actually experiencing the concert,” Chalfie said.

“ “

“

22

ISSUE 3 NORTHWEST PASSAGE

You’re never going to look back on your videos and be like, ‘Oh! I forgot about that happening, and now that’s one of my core memories.’ Your core memories are going to happen when you’re actually experiencing the concert, - Junior Grace Chalfie

“

By the second half of the concert, the person in front of you isn’t paying any mind that they’re still holding their phone up. With all of the movement from the lights and the band onstage, nothing in the video is in focus, and now, neither are you.

“I get to enjoy the concert more when I’m not seeing it through my phone because if I was just going to do that then I could just go on YouTube and watch it, “ Junior Luke Taylor said.

In order to combat this problem of phones, many artists have started banning phones at concerts through making concertgoers place their phones in a ‘Phone Locker’ or ‘Yondr

2 NO SIGNS

pouch’.

Phone Locker, a popular lockable phone pouch company used by concert venues, says that “we’re entering a new era of connected disconnection, where presence is given priority.”

Big names such as Bruno Mars have preached for many years about how harmful phones are in a performance/crowd setting, with Bruno Mars himself even putting into place a no phones policy at his concerts.

This practice, though it may be costly to the venues, is changing concerts for the better.

“I think concerts with a no phone policy are normally more fun because people are more engaged,” Benlon said.

Even though phones are distracting to concertgoers and the performers, there is some benefit.

“I think there definitely is a benefit with having your phone because when you’re waiting for an artist, it’s like, well, what else are we supposed to be doing,” Taylor said.

Phones also allow for promotion of artists as well. By posting videos on TikTok of lesser known opening acts, this can drive popularity towards those artists. Chappell Roan opened for Olivia Rodrigo on her “Guts” tour, which allowed her to gain popularity through TikToks being posted of her performance.

For now, the question remains whether more artists will push for a phone-free concert experience or keep concerts the way they are for now.

WRITTEN BY GUS STIRLING 3161009@SMSD.ORG WRITTEN BY GENEVIEVE KIDDER 3091881@SMSD.ORG

4 DON’T SCREECH

Don’t bring signs. There is almost no chance anyone but the people behind you will see it. Don’t block views!

Don’t screech your head off for every word of every song. People paid to hear the artist, not you. Keep that energy for shower concerts.

3 PLAY FAIR

5 BE PREPARED

Don’t push up to the barricade.

Everyone knows you don’t actually have a friend up there. Get there early and camp out for barricade, or party in the back!

With camping culture on the rise, people pass out all the time at shows! Hold up a flashlight to alert security you need help, and try to make as much space for them as possible.

smnw.com

Photo by Lucy Wilson

ISSUE 33 ISSUE NORTHWEST PASSAGE PASSAGE NORTHWEST

23

24

ISSUE 3 NORTHWEST PASSAGE

DESIGN BY MARY KATE MITCHELL 3134852@SMSD.ORG

a&e

Haunted Hotspots few blocks of The Edge of Hell. The Beast is Here are a few Halloween a multi-story haunted attraction, known for activities you can do this October its talented scare actors and realistic props.

K

ansas City has earned the moniker “The Haunted House Capital of the World” since the 1980s, having some of the longest standing and highest rated haunted houses in the country according to the VisitKC.com website. For years, the KC metro area has been a hot spot for the scariest haunted houses in the state.

Kansas City, Missouri, is the home to one of the oldest, continuously operated Halloween haunts. The Edge of Hell, located in downtown KCMO has been open for 51 years and is one of Full Moon Productions’ Halloween Haunts. The season started on Saturday, Sept. 13, and is open Thursday through Sunday starting on Oct. 16, with individual tickets costing $37. They use paid actors and movie-grade props to bring the scares to life.

“This haunted house was straight out of a nightmare (in the best way),” said Audrey McBride in a review through the Edge of Hell website. “I waited less than 30 minutes on a Sunday night and watched actors walk around scaring people and performers on the street. I wish I could go there every weekend.”

The Full Moon Production company also owns The Beast, a haunted house within a

It walks visitors through several stories set in different spooky locations, including foggy London during Jack the Ripper’s reign of terror and forests full of monsters. Due to being owned by the same production company, The Beast opens on the same dates as The Edge of Hell.

For those who prefer less scare-based activities, an alternative to haunted houses is the Louisburg Cider Mill and Country Store, located in Louisburg, Kansas. The Cider Mill is open year-round; however, they have many fall activities for their visitors. A few of the things they offer include a ten-acre pumpkin patch and the country store, which sells ciders and other fall treats, like their famous apple cider donuts. They also have a Zombie forest night, on Oct. 18, from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m, where volunteers dress up to scare visitors.

Regardless of how you choose to celebrate Halloween, there are a multitude of local attractions to choose from, scary or not.

Halloween Attractions IN THE KC METRO AREA

1: The Beast ($37) KCMO 2: The Edge of Hell ($37) KCMO 3: Macabre Cinema Haunted Attraction($37) KCMO

4: John Wornall Haunted House Tours ($25) KCMO

5: Basement Escape Room ($36-42) KCMO 6: Worlds Of Fun Halloween Haunt ($49 KCMO

7: Johnson Farm ($18.50) Belton, MO 8: Jack’s Hollow Haunted drive-thru (free) Gardner, KS

9: Louisburg Cider Mill ($16-19) Louisburg, KS 10: Exiled Trail of Terrors ($39) Bonner Springs, KS

WRITTEN BY BRYNNA EMLER 3125041@SMSD.ORG

IN KC

Above- Here, families pick out pumpkins Oct. 10 at Schaakes pumpkin patch in Lawrence. Families drive further than usual to come to schaakes for their free entry admission and huge pumpkins, along with other small attractions. Photo by Haylee Bell Below - Piles of pumpkins sit for sale at the Schaakes pumpkin patch Oct. 10 inside the Schaakes general checkout. Schaakes sells multiple varieties of pumpkins along with corn heads and general merchandise. Photo by Haylee Bell

HO CO

26

ISSUE 3 NORTHWEST PASSAGE

DESIGN BY GRACE RAU 3141589@SMSD.ORG

meet your 2025

HOCO COURT Seniors Lovie Dubbs and Sang Son were crowned homecoming king and queen of Northwest

Damien Flores

&Presley Borgman

Zaiden Robinson

Paxton Taylor

Rowan Bartelt

Mike Fandel

&Maddie Myers

& Kelli Adams

&Ava McMahon & Lovie Dubbs

Luke Chalfie

Mason Barth

Sang Son

Eathon Patton

& Sadie Babler &Lauren Snyder

Charles Lin

& Lilli Weber

news

&Malaina Perry

&Valentina Maslovaric

Eli Lopez

&Genevieve Kidder

feature

DESIGN BY KENNEDY WOOLF 3097078@SMSD.ORG

27 SPARKLY, FLASHY, ISSUE 3 NORTHWEST PASSAGE

SHORT

Homecoming has developed into a mini-prom rather than the casual dance it used to be

H

omecoming (HOCO) has gone from an informal football prep rally/dance to a fashion nightmare for the daughter’s

parents.

The school dance used to usher in the fall season, specifically football, and be more of a pep rally for students.

“We had the football game right there and then you just went back into the school and had the dance, that was my freshman year,” Shawnee Mission South alumni and Northwest mom Melissa Christy said. “My sophomore year, they started where you asked people, but it was like semi-formal.”

The guys would wear slacks or jeans and sometimes a tie. Girls would wear their Sunday best — a flowy, flowery dress or just a long dress.

“The style was definitely long dresses,” said Rebecca Anthony. “Versus, I feel like today, any dance other than prom, many girls are wearing short dresses.”

The dress code for HOCO now is sparkly,

flashy, colorful… and short. According to fashiongonerogue.com, a fashion magazine, social media’s rise in the 2010s kicked off the shift into this new style.

While some girls are comfortable in the short get-up, some feel awkward in the dresses. The NW Passage did a poll of 73, 90 percent of them said that hoco dresses are getting shorter, and 10 percent of people said they haven’t.

“I feel like clothing in general is just getting a lot more showy, especially with homecoming dresses,” said junior Ella Lamourie.

Retailers work to fit the trends and supply dresses that teens will buy.

“I feel like people like shorter dresses, so then people start making dresses shorter,” Lamourie said.

Some parents don’t love the idea of their daughters wearing dresses barely covering their thighs.

“I do feel like they’re really short,” Christy said. “As a parent, I would like to maybe not see them so short. I think everyone should be able to wear what they’re comfortable and confident in, but I think it’s kind of the balance of it’s still a school event.”

WRITTEN BY SOPHIA RAGAN 3097001@SMSD.ORG

Boy’s prep to Homecoming Tie Under Shirt “The tie was just like $15 bucks”.

“The white botton up was only $35”.

Suit Jacket

“The suit was a 3 piece so that was a cool $350”.

Of a poll of 73 students 90% 10% Said homecoming dresses are getting shorter

Receive 10% o! when you show Northwest ID! FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER ONLY!

DON’T FORGET BUY ATO BUY A YEARBOOK! YEARBOOK!

- THE LAIR

go to yearbookforever.com to purchase!

Follow them on instagram! - @smnw_yearbook

sports

DESIGN BY SOFIA BALL 3092535@SMSD.ORG

ISSUE 3 NORTHWEST PASSAGE

29

UNDERPRESSURE

WRITTEN BY SOPHIA RAGAN 3097001@SMSD.ORG

1.

Rituals

Pregame

“

Photo by Finn Bedell

““ “

“I am VERY superstitious. On game day, I get home, lay down in my bed, then leave around 3:30. I drive on the same route to 7/11 off of Midland, grab a grape Pedialite and go to the school. I get my ankles and wrists taped around 3:50. We sit in the weight room from 4:30 - 4:45 with the lights off.

We leave around 5:10 and get to the stadium. I walk the field and stretch by myself. I always feel off if I don’t follow this routine I’ve had since sophomore year.”

“

- Senior Mike Fandel

2.

Photo by Finn Bedell

“

“I wear same thing to the game every game. I always meditate at the goal post. I stretch in the same spot, wear eye black and say the same prayer every time.”

- Senior Blaine Harris

4.

“

T

he homecoming game starts the weekend off. Stands are full to see the Cougars take home a win and start the weekend on a good note. If they don’t win, though, some students could take the loss as the team sucks, even though they don’t know the full story.

“I feel like losing on homecoming is like, wow, let’s all the fans down,” senior Mike Fandel said. “But then they’ll go about their day, and they’ll have a nice night the next day for homecoming.”

While students at the game might gloss over the win or lose, the players are there to start their weekend with another win on their record.

“I think we have something to play for,” said senior Blaine Haris. “We don’t want to lose our Homecoming game. I think that ruins the weekend.”

A 2015 Northwest graduate, defensive coordinator Donte Colum has played under the same Friday night lights as the football

players he coaches now, and in his senior year, he won homecoming king.

“There’s more momentum around the game, sure. But our guys have done a great job keeping the main thing the main thing,” Colum said. “They’re focused on executing and handling business Friday night.”

Several Northwest football players are on court this year, and Culum knows firsthand how homecoming pressure can be.

“I felt it too, back then,” Colum said. “I had my homecoming poster ready after the game. There’s a lot going on, but we remind them to focus and be smart.”

High school football games are always more attended when they’re home games, and even more so when it’s the Homecoming game.

Crowning plays a good role in this.

At the HOCO game Friday, Oct. 10, over half of the student section was gone after halftime crowning.

The Cougars won 26-7 against Lawrence High School, starting the weekend off with an exciting win.

“

What the pressure of the homecoming game looks like to the players

2. Sophomore Wyatt Livingston clings to his jersey Oct. 10 at Shawnee Mission North Stadium during the homecoming game against Lawrence High School.

Photo byVivienne Wheeler

3. Sophomore Harper Hoge swings a

3.

six foot flag Oct. 10 at Shawnee Mission North Stadium during the homecoming game against Lawrence High School.

Varsity dancers are in charge of waving the flags during half time shows. “Using the flags in our show was hard to learn because you have to be super cautious,” Hoge said. “But worth it because they are so fun.” Photo by Maddi Roof

4. Freshman Olive Barth marches with

1. Varsity football players race through an inflatable cougar, some holding flags, Oct.

10 before the homecoming game against Lawrence High School. The team makes this entrance once a year during homecoming weekend. Photo by Maddi Roof

band in her cheer uniform Oct. 10 at the homecoming game against Lawrence High School. Barth plays the flute. “Being on band and cheer is really exciting,” Barth said. “Sometimes I’m stressed but I love it.” Photo by Maddi Roof

30

month in photos

ISSUE 3 NORTHWEST PASSAGE

september

Above - Alexa Ponce Bernal and Yefferson Mejia dance to a traditional Mexican dance called Poco Rico on Sept.16 in the Main Gym. It took a week and a half for both of them to learn the dance.

“My favorite part was displaying my culture for the freshmen this year,” Bernal said. “It’s important to keep showing culture in school to make it a safe place to express yourself” Photo by Ella Oler

Right Junior Paige Swanson applies glitter to Stella Miyares’s face Sept. 13 at the Olathe District Activity Center.

This is the first year that cross country has experimented with using glitter at races. “A bunch of other teams have done it,” Swanson said “It’s really cute.

And the more glittery you are, the faster you go.” Photo by Sofia Ball Right - Juniors celebrate in the main gym Oct 12. after winning the spirit stick. The spirit was rewarded to the juniors for showing the most spirit throughout the week and at the assembly.

Photo by Gabe Larkin

smnw.com

DESIGN BY MADDI ROOF 3145728@SMSD.ORG

ISSUE 3 NORTHWEST PASSAGE

Left - Senior Lovie Dubbs wins Homecoming Queen Oct. 10 at SM North District Stadium. Dubbs was nominated by Spirit club and FCA. “I just feel on top of the world,” Dubbs said. “Everyone is so supportive and so nice.” Photo by Lucy Wilson

october

Left - Sophomore Emily Wright pretends to smoke dressed as a gorilla for Crazy 8s Sept. 24 in the auditorium.

Crazy 8s is a student written and directed play. “My favorite part of Crazy 8s is always the community and friends that you gain along the way,” Wright said. “Its always just such a great moment and time because you get to know people more and the friends that you already have it just strengthens the bond and then you get to make new friends.”.” Photo by Kinzley Williams

Above - Senior Eleanor Roberts dances Oct.11 in the cafeteria during the 2025 homecoming dance. Photo by Jack Pischke

Above - Juniors Victoria Christopher, Gracie Klassen, Bianca Kayhill, and Celia Cohen run holding makeshift Formula 1 cars Oct. 9 on 67th St. The cheer team’s theme was race car drivers in the homecoming parade. “My favorite part was seeing all the other clubs and classes themes, and how everyone made their car,” Kayhill said. Photo by Finn Bedell

31

N MONARCH W RELEASE P Environmental Ed students release monarch butterflies on Sept. 5th

Above - Senior Charlotte Millard holds a Golden Orb Weaver Sept. 5 at Baker Mill Creek. Millard learned that spiders weren’t as scary as they deemed out to be. “I love spiders, they are fascinating. Being able to hold something so delicate but strong is an amazing feeling,” Millard said. “I don’t usually see them around, but if I see a spider I will always pick it up.” Photo by Haylee Bell Above - Environmental Ed teacher Mr. Pisani examines a butterfly with seniors Rey Rubin, Charlotte Millard, and Lauren Snyder, Sept. 5 at Baker Mill Creek. The students’ goal was to examine the butterflies and find monarchs to catch and bring back to class. “It’s important scientifically,” Pisani said. “It’s so they know how real people catch them and collect data that is needed.”

Photo by Haylee Bell

Above - Senior Charlotte Millard holds a viceroy Sept. 19 at Baker Creek. Students have to catch monarchs but are often tricked by Vicoryos who look similar to each other. “I learned how to catch, identify and tag monarch that day.” Millard said. “And also perform health inspections and take samples.” Photo by Haylee Bell

Right - Senior Lauren Snyder catches a monarch butterfly Sept. 5 at Baker Mill Creek. Photo by Haylee Bell