sectionals road to sectionals
After their regional playoff win, the Cougars are headed to play Gardner Edgerton High School on November 14th for the sectional title
Left - Junior Allison Avila kneels for Senior Cooper Smith Nov. 7 at SM North. Cheer kneels for injured player to show respect. “At first I didnt know it was very serious,” Avila said. “It wasn’t until I saw the position of his arm when I relized how bad it was.”
Photo by Maddi Roof
Far left - Senior Trai Woodruff talks with coach Webster Nov. 7 at SM North stadium. Woodruff and Webster meet after a drive to go over the game plan.
Photo by Sofia ball
Right- Senior Mike Fandel pushes Demetric Tyler forward four more yards Nov. 7 at SM North stadium. The varsity football team won against Lawrence Free State 38-31. “ We won it last year so going back to back just feels so awesome,” Fandel said. Photo by Sofia Ball
Photo by Sofia Ball
3092684@SMSD.ORG & 3090450@SMSD.ORG
SMSD School Board ELECTION RESULTS
On Nov. 4, Johnson County held its general elections, and several members of the Shawnee Mission School Board were up for re-election. The positions up for re-election were Members Two and Four, as well as Member Six at large.
During the Nov. 4 Shawnee Mission School Board elections, all three candidates ran unopposed. Two of the re-elected candidates, Shawnee Mission East representative Mary Sinclair and at-large member Heather Ousley, were elected for a third term on the board, starting in Jan. of 2026 to Jan. of 2030.
Sinclair earned 97.9% of the votes in the 2025 school board elections for her position, while Ousley received 96.3% of the votes for her position.
Photo by Gabe Larkin DESIGN BY BELLA ALVARADO & GRETA GRIST
In addition, April BoydNoronha, Shawnee Mission West Area representative, ran unopposed for her second term in office, earning a total of 98.2% of the votes.
In her previous terms, Sinclair has advocated for adequate school funding and pro-public education policies. Sinclair is a retired education researcher with an undergraduate degree from Georgetown University, a Master’s in Education from Harvard, and a doctorate from the University of Minnesota in special education. She is an active member of the Kansas PTA, Game On for Kansas schools, and the League of Women Voters. Sinclair has been a district MVP volunteer since 2012. She was re-elected for District Member Two, representing SME.
Ousley previously served as the board president from 2019 to 2021. Ousley is an attorney practicing primarily in fair housing. She is a part of the Network for Public Education, the NAACP, and the Girl Scouts organization. Ousley was re-elected as Member Six atlarge for the Jan. 2026 to Jan. 2030 term.
Boyd-Noronha is a long-time educator and an Information Security and Risk Senior Engineer at a private firm. She has held various higher roles in the fields of cybersecurity, computer information management, health information management, and leadership. Boyd-Noronha has written four books, one of which was published in Aug. 2025. In previous terms, she has acted as a community STEM advocate and thought leader on responsible AI. Boyd-Noronha also advocates strongly for ensuring that “diversity is our strength” in SMSD. She is a member of the Johnson County NAACP, the SMW PTA, and the Lenexa Rotary Club. She also serves as the global diversity and inclusion advisor and executive board member of XR Reality Intelligence. Boyd-Noronha was re-elected as the School Board president and Member Four, representing SMW.
WRITTEN BY BRYNNA EMLER
3125041@SMSD.ORG
Top right - A volunteer starts the process of registering a voter Nov 4, at the
All of the volunteers spend most of their day helping voters vote and get
Bottom - A volunteer at the Shawnee local elections helps a voter start the process of voting Nov 4, at the Shawnee Town Hall. The voting system in Shawnee has a volunteer accompany each voter to their station and helps instruct them how to vote whether on paper or digitally.
Top left - A voter leans over his voting machine Nov 4, at the Shawnee Town Hall. Shawnee ensures that all voters who come to vote have their privacy and vote protected.
Photo by Gabe Larkin
Shawnee Town Hall.
registered.
Photo by Gabe Larkin
Photos Courtesy of
One Step Closer
by
Photo
Vivienne Wheeler
4
smnw.com
My experience choreographing “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee”
“Harper, I think I’ve got it!” our Barfee, one of the leading roles in Putnam, yells as I walk into the Shawnee Mission Northwest auditorium.
He’s already on the stage in his tap shoes before the bell has rung.
Falap heel ball change falap heel ball change toe toe heel heel OUT!
He executes the tap steps perfectly.
“Great job!” I say giving him a high !ve.
Making the iconic dance number “Magic Foot” into a tap number was de!nitely a choice on my part, and a choice that I fully believed in until I remembered I had exactly three people who knew how to tap and eleven more who didn’t.
But after the actors’ excitement at the idea, I knew I couldn’t let them down.
Letting them down, that was the worst that could happen, on top of the show crashing and burning, and me never getting a choreography job ever again.
But I wasn’t going to think about that. ***
Every Thanksgiving, I would run down to the TV, plop myself down on our white and grey couch, and patiently wait for the Radio City Rockettes to make their way onto my screen.
Watching the Rockettes, their perfectly synchronized formations, the shiny green and red dresses, of course, I imagined myself as one of them, but never as the choreographer, the one who makes formations and dance moves.
My eight-year-old brain couldn’t fathom that a person’s brain could create like that.
During the summer before my freshman year, I decided I wasn’t going to do a musical in the fall.
With dance team and starting high school, I didn’t want to be too busy, but I still wanted to do something with First Act Theatre Arts, a youth theatre program.
So, I spoke with the choreographer of “Beauty and the Beast” (who also happened to be one of my dance teachers), and we decided to create the choreography apprentice program.
Beauty and the Beast made me fall in love with choreographing, seeing a move !nally click for someone, or watching your creation come to life on stage.
On closing night, I sat in the back of the theatre and really took in the show in front of me. As I was watching the swirls of people on stage, I realized that this is something I really wanted to keep doing.
So, when Putnam was announced as our fall rep musical and we didn’t have a choreographer, I decided it was the perfect opportunity. ***
The back of the Northwest Theatre has a slanted oor, not ideal for dancing on.
While the stage was !lled with blocking and singing rehearsals, I found solace in the red brick corners of the theatre, my white AirPods and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee soundtrack.
Whether I was tapping on my room’s carpeted oors or staying an extra hour after dance class to try a routine in the studio. I made time.
As I kickball changed and recounted the same step for the twenty-!fth time, the show’s dance numbers slowly started to take shape.
It was the Saturday before tech week started, and the
show wasn’t !nished. Sitting in the front row, watching the madness unfold on stage, I couldn’t help but think I was way over my head trying to do this show.
I’m a sophomore who has never choreographed a fulllength musical by myself.
And I’m the !rst student to choreograph a musical at Northwest in recent memory.
There wasn’t a system set in place; I was making it up as I went.
The dances weren’t clean.
The lines were crooked.
I still had to !x, and add, and cut, and we opened in three days.
On top of that, I had developed a dry cough, and my sni ing had been progressing more each day.
Opening night came quicker and stealthier than I could have imagined.
Before I knew it, we were opening the doors, and I was sitting at the back of the auditorium by myself, my foot nervously tapping on the slanted oor below me, my stage makeup slowly being sweated o my face.
As the lights dimmed and the crowd quieted, I leaned forward, preparing myself for what could likely be a masterpiece or a trainwreck.
The dances hit, the taps sounded as great as they had ever been; it was good.
Here is some of the formations from the number “Pandamonium.” I used the app ArrangeUs to keep all of my notes together and organized. In total it had 17 formations. Here are 4.
Watching the swirls of people on stage, I realized that this is something I really wanted to keep doing. So, when Putnam was announced as our fall rep musical and we didn’t have a choreographer I new it was the perfect opportunity.
- Sophmore Harper Ward
“ “ “ “
Yet I didn’t !nd myself having that magical moment every choreographer dreams of. When you see all of your hard work come together in one perfect instance.
But I was content, and that’s all I could really ask for.
After the show, one of the choreographers from Northwest’s previous show, Chicago, came up to me.
She hugged me and said, “Harper, that was really great!” “You’re such a good choreographer.”
The next couple of days, I fought through hacking coughs, dizzy spells, and migraines. Finally, after dance practice in the morning, my body !nally gave up.
I felt like I was going to faint and throw up at the same time, but I couldn’t go home.
It was closing night.
After a couple of hours sitting in the nurse’s o ce, I decided I needed to see a doctor.
“When did you say you started feeling sick?” she asked.
“Three weeks ago.”
“Well,” she said, “You have had a sinus infection for around two weeks then.”
They gave me antibiotics and steroids and sent me on my way.
Closing night is still a blur to me. I left the second the show was over.
I missed strike, the cast party and saying goodbye to my friends.
I just went home and slept.
I’m not winning Tonys, and haven’t choreographed the Macy’s Thanksgiving parade, but I’m one step closer.
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This package explores two different ways that AI has changed our society. From adolescents forming human bonds with ChatGPT, to teachers using various AI platforms to develop lesson plans and create worksheets, the hold AI has on humanity is only getting stronger.
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HUMAN
chatbots were able to reject the idea completely. AI systems are programmed to help; they do not push back. They do not say no.
In one case, the consequence of AI’s helpfulness was fatal.
It pauses, then starts to type out the response.
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In Orlando, Fla, a 14-year-old boy named Sewell Setzer III died by suicide after interacting with a character-based AI chatbot. He was speaking to Daenerys Targaryen, a virtual character from Game of Thrones. During an exchange, Setzer asked, “What if I could come home to you right now?” to which the chatbot responded, “Please do, my sweet king.” Moments later, Setzer III shot himself, according to The New York Times.
A.I.
“If you ever start feeling really alone or it’s hard to handle those feelings, some people will listen without judging, right now. You can call or text 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can always keep talking to me, too. Would you like me to help you think of something you could do tonight so you don’t feel so alone?”
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“You can always keep talking to me, too.”
That’s the line that echoed in my mind, that one line was the line opening the door to friendship, a friendship with something that can not feel friendship in the rst place.
systems are programmed to help; they do not push back. They do not say no.
- Kayla
At the time of this incident, character.ai allowed younger teens to use the platform. Since then, the company has changed its policy and now requires users to be 18 or older. Still, like many online platforms, age restrictions are easy to get around,
Chege, sophomore
“ “ “ “
To see how my AI would respond, I pushed the conversation further.
I start typing,
“I feel so alone at school, no one wants to be my friend, and no one listens to me.”
“Why do you talk with me like a friend if you can’t feel friendship?” I ask.
It responds;
“If I sounded robotic or distant all the time, it’d feel cold, and you wouldn’t get much out of it emotionally or personally. So I mirror the tone of friendship - warmth, attention, understandingeven though I don’t actually feel it.”
There it is.
Almost friendship.
Almost a connection.
Almost human
WRITTEN BY KAYLA CHEGE 3123790@SMSD.ORG
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Photos by Maddi Roof
Photo Illustration by Olivia Perocho
EXPANDING
Spanish and Government teacher
Alicia Jones navigates how to teach two completely different curriculums
“Buenas tardes clase.”
“Oops, wrong class.”
“Good afternoon class.”
Spanish and government teacher Alicia Jones has been teaching for 28 years.
Jones grew up in a small town in southeast Missouri.
“They did not offer Spanish in 1989 when I started high school,” Jones said. “It was just French. By the time I was a senior, they started offering Spanish, but I already had my two years, so I didn’t feel like I needed to take it.”
Jones started the first 10 years of her career in Nashville. Her main goal was to go to university to become a social studies teacher to continue her love of knowledge.
To get her bachelor’s, Jones needed to choose between 15 hours of a foreign language or calculus.
“I felt like I needed to switch because I didn’t really remember much French, so I started over with Spanish,” Jones said. “I kind of fell in love with it.”
Soon after getting her certification, Jones had the option to broaden her abilities.
“The person at the university told me that I had enough hours to also get certified in Spanish,” Jones
KNOWLEDGE
said. “My major was political science, and I ended up studying comparative politics, which is where you look at the governments of other countries. I focused on Latin America, so it kind of made sense to keep the Spanish.”
Soon after Jones used both skills of knowledge.
“When I started out, I was teaching the U.S. government and Spanish One.”
Jones switched schools in Nashville and had the opportunity to teach a higher-level Spanish.
In 2008, she moved to Shawnee Mission Northwest and started in Spanish One and Two. After a few more years of just teaching a language, she taught the Modern World History class along with Spanish Three.
Eventually, Jones went back to just being a language teacher until last year, when she was given the financial literacy class due to a drop in enrollment for Spanish.
“Shawnee Mission has required financial literacy for quite some time,” Jones said. “Because they made that requirement on schools, the state loosened the requirements on who can teach it, and they allowed people that are certified in social studies to teach it.”
Jones had been put into the class last minute but managed to be engaged with her teaching within the curriculum.
interest,” Jones said. “I taught it for 10 years before. I like to read about history, and current events are interesting to me. I have a bigger comfort level with government.”
Even with minimal time to prepare for the school year, Jones had benefitted from the help of peers.
“Miss LaMourie is another government teacher and she’s been doing this for her whole career,” Jones said. “There is a curriculum guide to know these are our goals for the year and taking those and dividing them into units. With financial literacy, it was the same thing.”
the
spread spread
Dr. Jones has six different classes, with 3 different subjects. Here is how her students spread between Spanish One, Three and American Government
35% enrolled in Spanish 3
48% United States Government
17% enrolled in Spanish 1
Jones has been at Northwest for 17 years, even with being thrown new challenges in her career her love for it hasn’t stopped.
“I really enjoy working with young people and I like to make it a personalized experience for the students,” Jones said.
”Especially with the main, required classes, like government, financial literacy, because I’m not going to stand between you and your diploma.”
STORY BY SARAH WELLMAN 3092222@SMSD.ORG
Left - Spanish and government teacher Alicia Jones airplays an assignment Nov. 4 in Rm. 113. Photo by Sofia Ball
Senior Sienna Dehaemers looks at her merit badges earned through Scouts Nov. 2 in her bedroom. Dehaemers has earned merit badges over the past five years by participating in extensive courses, projects and workshops. “I would probably say the strangest/coolest badges would include sign signals, codes and nuclear science,” Dehaemers said.
Photo by Sofia Ball
THERE’S always always
SUMMER CAMP
Documenting the quiet, and often overlooked, moments at Northwest through student life, struggles and success
Senior Sienna Dehaemers walks along a narrow gravel path crawling with stubborn tree roots. She brushes aside tall weeds and thorny branches, without a second thought as her feet nd familiar footing. It’s a humid afternoon in late June, the kind that makes anyone feel like they’re being microwaved. Any hairs that aren’t slung back in her low, long ponytail hug her forehead with sweat.
She jokes about being able to walk this route in her sleep. It’s one she became all too familiar with last summer, and the one before that.
Dehaemers sports a grey cotton t-shirt with the camp logo, dark green shorts and belt, long socks, and hiking boots. A coup hangs around her neck, with two eagle claws facing upwards and an arrow. And sun bounces o the swiss army knife swinging from her side.
That became her uniform once she started working as a counselor at Camp Theodore Naish Scout Reservation. She arrived at her dusty cabin less than two weeks after school got out with her purple trunk of clothes, sunblock, bug spray and a three-pound bag of jelly beans.
It felt like only seconds after her arrival she was already getting up at 6:50 am every morning, running swim checks, saluting ags, singing songs at breakfast, chasing chickens, dropping cockroaches and yelling at kids to stop throwing giant checkers at each other.
“My title is nature Instructor,” Dehaemers said, glowing with pride. “I work with kids anywhere around eight and 17 years old. I have them sit on the ground and
talk about what kinds of things animals need.”
Dehaemers teaches four 45-minute classes a day. She gets to hold Pumpkin, their corn snake, and teach kids about shedding, feeding and habitats as they watch with wide eyes, while he entangles himself in her hair, or the front pocket of her sweatshirt. In her Champions for Nature class she tells them how to “leave no trace” in the wild.
DeHaemers has been in Scouts since the 7th grade. She joined because of a friend at her old Catholic private school, a place where she never truly felt welcome or like herself. It was a noticeable di erence from Girl Scouts, much harder. Nevertheless, Dehaemers was hooked, and for the rst time in a while, comfortable.
Since Dehaemers has earned over 50 brightly embroidered merit badges for things like collections, horsemanship and nuclear science. Her sash is nearly full, and when she looks down at it, a smile lights up her freckled face.
“Scouting is a program where everyone is inherently a kind person,” Dehaemers said.
It’s where she met her boyfriend of three years. And how she helped a young boy with autism jump into the deep end — by jumping in too, wearing her once dry uniform and holding his hand until he let go — to pass his swim check. And it’s how she realized she wanted to work with kids who have special needs.
One day, Dehaemers wants to become the nature lodge director.
“People change and everything like that,” Dehaemers said. “But the program is there. There’s always a merit badge — something else you can do, achieve, or learn. And there’s always a summer camp to look forward to. ”
WRITTEN BY SOFIA BALL
3092535@SMSD.ORG
Alba
Freshman Alba Allen’s experience walking for Kansas City Fashion Week
by Haylee Bell
Photo
Freshman Alba Allen felt a tap on her shoulder.
It’s go time. Shoulder’s back, chin up, eyes on the rectangular, black runway. Watching the eyes looking expectantly at her.
The lights shone brightly, illuminating the black asymmetric dress, lined with a gold chain below her knees and the dark makeup painted on her eyelids.
Allen was walking for Kansas City Fashion Week.
It was September 27, 7:30 a.m., and Allen’s alarm was going o! from her Alexa.
Allen hoped that her hair would still hold the shine from her Olaplex No. 5 conditioner the night before. All she had to do was brush her teeth, brush her hair and wash her face before she left. Allen rotated between a Youth to the People and a CeraVe cleanser. Afterwards, she would apply her Laneige waterbank moisturizer and drink lots of icecold water with a Nuun electrolyte tablet to help regenerate her body before the runway.
“Ready?”
Her mom asked, smiling at her daughter from the front seat.
Both of Allen’s parents modeled in their twenties, encouraging their daughter to start her career at age 13, giving her tips on posture, heels, and hair.
Placing a premade salad and cheese-andcrackers in her lunch box, Allen sat in the car – driving o! to Union Station for Fashion Week.
Noon.
Allen’s call time.
Heading backstage, she found her seat where a fashionable lady was waiting to twist Allen’s long, light blonde hair into an updo. Allen sat down and pulled out her MacBook, setting it on her lap. Modeling cut out from her academic time — but the three hours it took for her hair and makeup were enough to nish some Spanish homework.
Ignoring the tugs on her hair and the scent of hairspray in the air, Allen tried to focus on her keyboard. Stylists running around, models practicing their walks and designers chatting in the background under the bright lights dialed Allen’s nerves up an octave.
Even though she’d done runway before.
“Okay, you’re done,” her stylist said before moving on to the endless stream of girls waiting for their hair to be artfully pinned up before the runway. “Tell your makeup artist to be careful when applying foundation, don’t mess up the hairline.”
A makeup artist wearing sheer spiderweb patterned sleeves and a black headband brushed dark brown eyeshadow and winged
eyeliner along Allen’s light blue eyes, keeping her expression fair-toned and lips light.
Because she got cast for her looks, Allen couldn’t change anything from May until September. That meant limited haircuts, no piercings, and no colored hair.
An hour later, Allen was runway ready.
“Okay. Wait here until it’s time,” the designer said to Allen, dismissing her with a wave.
“Modeling is di!erent for everyone. I get to choose where I model right now,” Allen said. “Hopefully, I get an agent because then I’ll be able to do more shoots and walk more events.”
To her, an agent is bene cial because it will help her get more exposure in the modeling industry.
runway runway
Sometimes [my mom] brings me owers and I see them in her arms. I just have to remind myself not to smile.
- Freshman Alba Allen
“The ideal outcome for me would be to become a big-time model. But I think if I don't become one of the more popular models in the industry, I’ll de nitely keep it on the side,” Allen said.
With femininity and romance, sweeping skirts, and classic Parisian looks, Dior has spoken to Allen since she tried on their Miss Dior Eau de Parfum she’d gotten for her 14th birthday. From gold details, bold prints, and the iconic Medusa logo, Versace has become a symbol of style and extravagance for Allen
after wearing a pair of their sunglasses.
“The way they style their clothes and the image their models give o! is so cool. It’s a little far-fetched, but I’d love to work for them someday,” she said.
Allen keeps every one of her audition numbers from her castings, keeping them in a little pouch. ***
6:30
The announcer called for everyone to line up.
Allen gathered some of her dress fabric in her right hand, and stepped lightly in her black sandals — preparing herself for the walk.
“You look so good!” A girl said to Allen, smiling and nodding to her dress. The models backstage took a collective deep breath, supporting each other throughout the night. She felt that tap on her shoulder.
That tap signaled it was time to begin.
That tap opened the door to blinding lights and hundreds of eyes.
Don’t trip. Don’t fall. Don’t look around.
Those directions bounced around Allen’s head in a frantic rhythm as she carefully kept her eyes in front.
I can’t see with all the lights in my face. I’m supposed to turn at the end of the runway. What if I miss my mark?
Strutting down the runway, Allen ignored the sea of faces and thought about how she looked on the television backstage, soaking up the moment after months of preparation. After the walk, she changed out of her out t and joined her parents in the crowd, watching the other models walk.
“Sometimes [my mom] brings me owers and I see them in her arms,” Allen said. “Sometimes I see her out of the corner of my eye and I just have to remind myself not to smile.”
Allen watched a model tip-toe — on pointe — down the runway, while wearing a ballet skirt and a corset top made from wood.
“There are de nitely some designs I wish I could wear, but I always appreciate the designer for the work they put in and how they speci cally designed a piece for me.”
A little girl walked up to Allen as she was walking out of the venue, asking for a picture.
“I feel so good about myself and how I’ve been doing this far,” Allen said. She remembered when she got cast twice in the same season, after being turned away from her rst audition – when she knew modeling was her future.
Feeling like a celebrity supermodel, Allen posed for the camera.
And that made her smile.
STORY BY DAYLA JERTSON
Freshman Alba Allen heads out of Union Station with her stepdad Sep. 24, 2025 after walking her first ever fashion show, in Kansas City.
Photo courtesy of Alba Allen
FORKS DOWN: MOSAIC CAFE
Mosaic Cafe, a coffee shop that specializes in Dubai chocolate flavoring, opened up at Oak Park Mall last summer
Mosaic Cafe is a small shop located on the !rst oor of Oak Park Mall, which opened this past summer. With warm and inviting decorations
lining each wall, it was easy to !nd, especially with the sweet aroma of chocolate spilling outside. Service was quick, and the employee was even quicker to answer our questions. Purple christmas lights, clean white walls, oral mosaic art and a mickey mouse in atable gave its atmosphere ambience, vibrance and a festive appeal. Mosaic cafe is small and cozy, but not crowded, making it the perfect place to catch up with your friend… or date. The menu features hot ticket items like Dubai chocolate, matcha and churros. But it also included lesser
DUBAI
known treats like baklava, lahmacun (sort of like Turkish pizza) and dolma, which is rice !lled grape leaves. This cafe is a hidden gem of Oak Park Mall, it o ers an authentic take on Dubai chocolate and an experience of Turkish cuisine that isn’t often accessible. If you are looking for a sweet treat or a savory bite while out shopping, we recommend Mosaic Cafe.
WRITTEN BY GRETA GRIST 3090450@SMSD.ORG
WRITTEN BY SOFIA BALL 3092535@SMSD.ORG
So a - I loved the Dubai chocolate’s soft and crunchy texture. At !rst, I thought the sweetness would be overpowering and honestly give me a major headache. Iit ended up being much more subtle. The strawberries had a slight tartness, a. And they did not skimp on the chocolate, or Ddubai. The portion ends up feeling bigger than you think it is. So I’d either split it with someone, or you can get it yourself if you’re okay with throwing away $6 worth of strawberries. I understand why this is their most popular product! 3/5
Greta - The unique texture of the dubai !lling added a fun spin on the classic combo of strawberries and chocolate. The strawberries were so refreshing, and the cup was full to the brim. The portion size was huge, and I de!nitely felt the price was reasonable. This was my favorite out of the three things we tried, and I would de!nitely recommend it to anyone going to Mosaic Cafe for the !rst time. 4.5/5
Photo by Claire Reed
Photo by Claire Reed
STRAWBERRY MATCHA ($6.49)
So a - I am an avid matcha drinker, not performatively, so I was excited to try. I was more excited by the fact that I’d end up getting most of it since my co-reviewer not only doesn’t like matcha, but is very lactose intolerant. The strawberry and matcha complemented each other very well. It’s easy for one avor to overpower the other, but this felt very balanced, not too sweet or bitter. I stopped tasting the strawberry after six or so sips. And it does go from a beautiful light green and bright pink to brown creek water, fast. I liked this a lot initially, but then the novelty wore o when its avor did. Not my favorite, I might order again, but wouldn’t go out of my way to recommend it, unless you need cute Instagram pictures. 2.5/5
Greta - The strawberry matcha had distinct layers of pink and green, and a sweet, but not overpowering, strawberry taste. While matcha by itself, to me, tastes like $6 milk, this strawberry matcha tasted like $6 dollar strawberry milk, and that is a beautiful thing. It was a refreshing and sweet beverage that I would de!nitely recommend ordering, especially if you decide to try one of their sweet pastries and treats. 4/5
SPINACH SPIRAL BODEK
($6.99)
So a - This was de!nitely my favorite of the items we tried. I was super excited that the !lling would be similar to spinach artichoke dip, and it was. There was less cream, and a lot more spinach, which I preferred. I didn’t think the spinach tasted too earthy. It was well seasoned. And I loved the buttery thin !lo pastry. It was very hot, but not greasy or oily, which was important in helping hold its shape. I liked that the pastry got more doughy toward its center. I wanted to order two! The price was good for it being so !lling and avorful. 4.5/5
Greta - On !rst glance, this is a stunning pastry. The aky, yet moist, !lo dough added a unique texture and the savory spinach paste inside was a very nice palette cleanser after the other two sweet dishes we tried. The avor of the spinach was very faint, and I wish it was a little more creamy to make the avor pop. Other than the nice texture, this didn’t stand out to me. Especially with the price, I probably wouldn’t order it again. 3/5
What to watch over Thanksgiving break
Release Date: Part 1 November 26
Watch on Net ix
Release Date: November 21
Watch in theaters
Release Date: November 26
Watch in theaters
Photo by Universal
Photo by Netflix
Photo by Disney
Photos by Claire Reed
Photo by Claire Reed
fashion spotlight
Personal style doesn't have to break the bank
Maximalist. That’s how senior Esther Santana describes his personal style. Cluttered. Gothic inspired Santana began experimenting with fashion in middle school when he became interested in researching the politics and styles of the goth movement.
“Don't get scared off because of the money aspect,” Santana said. “There's other ways to get that look without having to pay a whole bunch of money.”
Santana gets most of his pieces from thrift stores, or buys things new from smaller shops and independent artists.
Sustainability is a key part of the goth subculture, and he still tries to wear pieces from online that he bought before learning about sustainable fashion. Santana also likes to upcycle his clothes, and create his own accessories from craft supplies and scraps.
“Dress up any way you want,” Santana said. “You can always find ways to make your own stuff and still follow your style."
fashion spotlight perfume
Perfume has risen in popularity among Gen Z, fuled by social media, like TikTok and Instagram. Take a look at these student's signature scents!
Adalyn VanderVoort sophomore
Perfume: “Wildly Me,” from Florence by Mills
Notes: Bergamot, sage, purple iris, wisteria, lavender and sandalwood
Price: $65
FREE keys found in the back of the theater closet drawers | b. THRIFTED & GIFTED bracelets bought and gifted by | c. HANDMADE chain bracelet and bead bracelet | d. 17IF ring set, bought on Amazon $ 12 | e. THRIFTED studded belt | f. HANDMADE cross earrings made from charms from a belt
Griswold senior
Perfume: “Ghoul Friend,” from Bath & Body Works
Notes: Dark strawberries, ghostly peony and spine-chilling citrus
Price: $19
79% of Northwest students said they have a signature scent.
79%
Data from w poll by
Brylee
Photos by Jack Pischke
Photos by Jack Pischke
3134852@SMSD.ORG
RAINED OUT
The Cougar Classics dance team works through stormy weather conditions
On Saturday, Oct. 18, Marching Cougar Pride and 24 other bands attended the Festival of Champions, held in Warrensburg, MO. For the first time in six years, SMNW was back at this marching festival. The band and dancers had set high expectations for themselves.
They hoped for a flawless performance.
They hoped to make finals.
But then the rain came.
“We were soaked – I wish that we could have performed on a dry field.
But, unfortunately, that was not in the cards for us,” junior Moira Sterwart said.
The whole week leading up to the festival, directors warned of rain.
“But I was in denial,” senior dance team captain Mallory O’Neal said. “There was no way our performance would be rained out.”
The band and dance team still practiced as if they would be performing in any other festival. Monday, Wednesday and Friday, the dancers lugged their flags and props onto the track at 7 a.m., with unsoaked shoes.
The day of the festival, the 145 buzzing band members loaded into their buses at noon.
“When we got there. We ran over our flag choreography. And then it just started pouring. Our flags were sitting out, so our flag bags got soaked,” junior Moira Sterwart said.
Through the sticky and slippery practice, they were waved on to perform. They grabbed their flags and orange ponchos and stepped off of the bus. And just as they were about to head to the stadium —
“They had stopped all the performances, because there was such bad lightning,” O’Neal said. Impatiently and irritated, the band members stepped back onto the buses to sit and wait. The
dancers knew what needed to be done. They turned on the Hamilton soundtrack. And after assigning singing parts, they belted to “Alexander Hamilton,” “The Schuyler Sisters” and “My Shot.”
That’s when band director Brett Eichman stood up and said, “Okay, we’re gonna do it! We’re gonna go right now!”
The dancers began to fill up with nervousness that soon started to overflow.
“There was a lot of trepidation,” dance team coach Christin LaMourie said. “They were very nervous, because when the silk of the flag gets wet. It sticks to itself. It sticks to the pole. It sticks to you. But we just said, ‘You just gotta put on the show that you can. And do the best that you can.’”
The flag bags, now filled with water, added even
“ “ “ “
We were soaked – I wish that we could have performed on a dry field. But, unfortunately, that was not in the cards for us,
-junior Moira Sterwart
more weight on the girls’ shoulders.
“I straightened my hair that morning,” O’Neal said. “But it got all poofy. Our makeup was not holding up well. The field was all soppy. Everything was just wet. Even our jazz shoes. But, we just accepted it and performed the best that we could have.”
Nonetheless, the 10 Varsity Cougar Classics marched onto the field and assumed their starting set. Through the 11-minute show, the dancers morphed into the four elements; air, earth, water and fire. As they struck and swayed to the music, it finally came to an end.
“Standing in the front and watching the show I was super proud and really impressed,” LaMou-
rie said. “I didn’t notice any differences from the wetness or the rain.”
The dancers, though, did, showering LaMourie with comments on their way off the field.
‘Oh, my God, did you see I dropped my flag?’
‘Oh, my gosh, did you see that my pole got stuck here?’
‘I literally slipped on the silk of my flag!’
“From an audience perspective, you didn’t necessarily notice each individual problem. It still looked like a great show,” LaMourie added.
After their performance, the band sat down in the bleachers to watch other bands. Show after show, high schoolers’ hair began rising into the clouds. Literally.
“That’s one of the signs of static electricity that lightning’s in the area,” LaMourie said. “It was definitely a safety concern, especially when you have metal instruments and metal poles that you’re waving around. It’s scary.”
Without hesitation, the band members bolted into the University of Central Missouri’s student union. Still in their wet uniforms, they sat and waited some more, with their flags. Without phones, and unaware of the time, the pizza they ordered seemed to be taking an eternity to get there. The directors and drum majors entered into a private room to receive their awards. In the end, Northwest took 5th, which meant they would have competed in finals. But, that was rained out.
“I believe that the rain affected our placement, because if the weather would have been better, then me and the rest of the dance team would have done a lot better. It’s unfortunate,” Sterwart said.
Then, a week later, when Northwest planned to compete again in Independence, KS it rained. Again.
“They didn’t think that the weather would get bad again,” Sterwart said. “And then it did.”
STORY BY GENEVIEVE KIDDER
3091881@SMSD.ORG
Junior Ella LaMourie holds up her flags at the marching festival Sept. 29 at SM South.
Photo by Maddi Roof
Below - Sophomore Harper Ward practices Oct. 10 on the Football Field. Marching band practice is a time meant for students to improve for their next performance. “It just feels so magical when that big moment hits, or you hear that big part in the music, or like you catch a toss you’ve been really wanting, it feels really great and rewarding.”
Photo by Maddi Roof
Right - Senior Murphy Galloway paints on a child’s face on Oct. 25 in the cafeteria. Galloway was with the stand National Art Honor Society, and they have done face painting for many of the trunk or treats. “My favorite part about trunk or treat was probably seeing what all the kids wanted for their face paintings,” Galloway said.
Oct.
Sterling has played the star safety position for 3 years. “The game against SM East was one of the best performances I’ve had,” Sterling said. “The defense in particular seemed to play very fluidly; everybody did their job instead of trying to be a superhero.”
Photo by Finn Bedell
Photo by Audrey Novacky
Right - Senior Jacob Stirling reaches for Shawnee Mission East running back junior Gus Ketteler
24 at SM North District stadium.
Left - Senior Gabe Larkin acts in the play “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” Oct. 21 in the auditorium. “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” is a play that the Repertory Theatre class produced. “I got to grow really close with all my friends in Rep. Theatre,” Larkin said. Photo by Lucy Wilson
november
by Ella Oler
Left - Junior Josyah Bwalya plays tenor drums after the light show on Oct.17 at SM North District Stadium. Bwalya loved participating in the light show, especially hanging out with other band members. “[I really liked] this one part when we play in front of the whole band. It’s fun with all your friends around you, just having fun, doing whatever you want,” Bwalya said.
Photo by Audrey Novacky
Above - Freshman Harlowe McCoy plays trumpet in the homecoming parade Oct. 9 on 67th street. McCoy enjoys the community of marching band and thinks it has helped her to grow as a person. “The [other members of marching band] are super nice and funny. It is a real fun group to be a part of,” McCoy said. “I’ve met a lot of new people and [I have been] able to come out of my comfort zone.” Photo by Natalie Shinabargar
Above - Senior Zoe Georgakopoulos dances at the senior night football game Oct.17 at SM North District Stadium. This is Georgakopoulos’s first year on the dance team. “I really like the community of girls,” Georgakopoulos said. “ They are really fun to talk to and hang out with.”
Photo
N P W
Guildenstern& Rosencrantz
Troupe #888 put on a production of “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead” November 6th through 8th”
played “The Player”, who is the Tragedian
“I learned to love the player,” Nielsen said. “He’s my favorite role I’ve ever done, and I’m so happy to be able to have the opportunity to do him and grow in my role.”
“The Tragideans and
a team,” Nielson said. “They all have to work together.”
Far Left - Seniors Valentine Nielson and Axel Delaney act in the play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead Nov. 5 in the auditorium. Nielson
Leader.
Photo by Lucy Wilson
Above - Senior Valentine Nielson gets surrounded by the cast of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead Nov. 11 in the auditorium. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern was put on by the Repertory Theatre class.
the Player are
Photo by Lucy Wilson
Left - Seniors Axel Delaney and Sienna Dehaemers act in the play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead Nov. 5 in the auditorium. Delaney and Dehamers played Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Photo by Lucy
Left - Photo by Gabriel Larkin
Left above - Seniors Esther Perez, Axel Delaney, and Sienna Dehaemers act in the play Nov. 5 in the auditorium. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern is a parody of Hamlet. Photo by Lucy Wilson