September 2018 by The Mission Paper

THE Shawnee Mission North Volume 98 Issue 1 September 28, 2018

MISSION

Kansas Election 4

Fall Sports 8-9

Homecoming 16

Inside the Issue...

HUDDLED together, the volleyball team talks strategy during a game. photo by Payton Slobodzian See more Fall Sports on pages 8-9 CARRYING Oliver Sanem over the crowd, students attend the Homecoming dance on Sept. 15. Nearly 800 attended the dance.

Editorial/Man on the Street......................Page 3 Teachers deserve better............................Page 4 Mornings with moms ................................Page 5 Every vote counts.......................................Page 6 Work/School balance ...............................Page 7 Fall Sports .......................................Page 8,9 Club carwashes........................................Page 10 Girls Basketball Coach............................Page 11 Homecoming...................................Page 12 Homecoming queen...............................Page 13 Marching band.........................................Page 14 For the record..........................................Page 15 Photos.......................................................Page 16

Staff

and their Instagrams Kayla Warren

Design Manager, News editor @k.kcw

photo by Evan Whittaker

See more Homecoming on pages 12-13

The Mission Newsmagazine is a student-run newspaper that publishes nine issues every year. The Mission is used by its staff as a platform for student expression. The views expressed by The Mission do not represent the views of the entire staff, the adviser or the administration. Some material used in accord with terms from the American Society of News Editors/Tribune News Service. Student submissions and letters to the editors are accepted at themission184@gmail.com

The Mission 2018-19 smnmission.com

Zeva Rose

Entertainment Editor @zevarose

Rilee Morrow

Sports editor, Ads @rileemorrow

Stephanie Whisler Website editor @

Mystika Barnes Opinion editor @mysti.ave

Jordyn Kelley Writer @kelleyjordyn

Cale Chapman Editor in Chief (Digital) @8_the_ocho

Grace Altenhofen

Editor in Chief (Print) N/A

Anna Miesner Writer @annaliz_03

September 2018

Where to find us: Twitter @TheMissionPaper Instagram @themissionpaper Facebook @themissionpaper

BIGGER MACBOOKS BIGGER PROBLEMS W ith new computers comes new responsibilities and also new powers. Those powers, however, aren’t for the students, but for the teachers and administration. There has been a lot of talk about those little icons popping up on your laptops. Those icons are teachers and admins watching your screen. Even though teachers have been able to walk around and look at your screens all this time, they can now do it from the comfort of their desks. Not only can they view your screen,

facts about North

they also have the ability to lock it. Previously, when teachers could only look over your shoulder if they thought you were off task, it was the idea that you were innocent until proven guilty. With the new ability to constantly monitor students, even when they’re acting responsibly, it implies that we are guilty until proven innocent. The reason they are doing this is clear; they don’t want us to be doing things we aren’t supposed to be doing. To students who are on task, this may be unnerving. It’s hard

2) North owns a scale replica of the Statue of Liberty.

4) It was originally called Shawnee Mission Rural High School.

5) The auxiliary gym was added in 2009.

on the street “I thought it was scary at first, but now I’m used to the hallways and the way things work.” Teniesha Peeler, 9

staff editorial

to focus under such pressure, and mistakes can be more easily made. Imagine you’re doing a timed write. If it’s on paper and a teacher is walking around, it’s no big deal: they’re just glancing at your paper. When you’re online, however, and your screen is being watched, it is inferred that they are watching your thought process and judging everything you type. As previously mentioned, the reason they are doing this is clear, but the ultimate question still stands. Is this truly necessary?

1) North was the first Shawnee Mission high school.

Freshmen

How it feels to be watched by your teacher

3) A time capsule is buried underneath the lobby. 6) The bricks at the top of the auditorium aren’t bricks, but paint.

What were your first impressions of North? “It’s really busy here. North is like middle school, but the classes are a little harder with a lot more people.” Malachi Ohlmeier, 9

“It’s a really good place with a good drama and choir program, but it’s scary.” Kate Mook, 9

smnmission.com

Teachers deserve better I

n the days leading up to the start of the 2018-19 school year, teacher contract negotiations were still underway between the Shawnee Mission School District and the National Education Association (NEA). One of the most contentious issues: raises for teachers. The NEA, the labor union that advocates for teachers across the country, and SMSD leaders began contract negotiations on June 25. While some parts of the negotiations were quickly settled, the most disputed topic was salary increase for teachers across the district. The NEA originally requested a 2 percent across-the-board raise for teachers; that request was later dropped to 1 percent. Even so, the district said that it did not have the money in the budget to fund a 1 percent pay increase for the 2018-19 school year. Eventually, the NEA negotiated step-and-column movement along the pay scale for most teachers, while those not be affected by step-and-column would receive a one-time 1 percent stipend. This is unacceptable. The teachers, at a minimum, were asking for a 1 percent raise. An across-the-board 1 percent raise would have cost the district an estimated $1.7 million, less than half of the $4.3 million in additional funding SMSD received from the state for the 2018-19 school year. Based on these projected figures, the district could have easily given teachers a raise. Instead, most teachers received only the pay increase they earned from step-and-column movement. Those who did receive a 1 percent pay increase will not be guarantee that money next year; the pay increase is simply a onetime bonus.

Shawnee Mission North

Chess Club Meets every Tuesday, Room 200

Interested in playing chess in a casual, fun environment? Never played, but want to learn? Chess Club is the place for you! Tuesdays 2:40-4:20, Room 200 Stop by Room 200 for more information

September 2018

Opinion

This is not enough to keep up with the ever-increasing cost of living, much less show teachers that their hard work and dedication are actually appreciated by those in charge. According to teacher.org, the average teacher salary in SMSD is around $50,100 per year. Using this estimate, a 1 percent raise for the average teacher would be $501. Assuming the school year is about 192 days long and teachers are required to be at school eight hours a day, the average teacher works 1,536 hours per year. Dividing these hours out of the $501 raise the average teacher would get, the teacher would receive an extra 32 cents per hour. By denying teachers an across-the-board 1 percent raise, the district is telling our teachers that they are not worth the extra 32 cents an hour. That estimate does not include the extra hours teachers put in sponsoring a club, offering after-school tutoring or responding to parent and student emails in the evenings. It does not include the money that comes out of teachers’ own pockets to stock their classrooms with necessary supplies. It does not include the cost some teachers bring on themselves by keeping snacks in the classroom for kids who might not otherwise have food. The district does not talk about those teachers. The extra time, money and dedication they put into their job is not acknowledged. Instead, teachers are told that even a 1% raise is too much to ask. If there’s no return on investment for these teachers who give so much of themselves to their job, what motivation do they have to continue to go above and beyond? opinion by Grace Altenhofen

GIVEAWAY Black backpack How to enter: 1. Go to www.smnmission.com 2. Hover over the “more “ tab 3. Choose “giveaway” 4. Enter your information into the Google form Winner will be announced on The Mission’s Twitter on October 5.

Sharing Heart SM North holds first-ever Mornings with Moms event

photo by Stephanie Whisler

photo by Isaac Wadman

photo by Stephanie Whisler

M North’s first-ever Mornings with Moms event took place on Aug. 22 and ran from 7-7:30 a.m. In the past, there had only been the annual Donuts and Dads event – but Student Liaison Dre Carnegie wanted an event for mothers and mother figures. “The event was fruitful,” Carnegie said. “[I] would like to have some extra time, but I know that students need to get to class.” The first speakers of the morning were SM Northwest Area Board Member Patty Mach and her husband Scott. “Patty and Scott are very involved in the SMSD school system and community,” Carnegie said. “I knew they would bring an awesome message.” The second speaker was UMKC Head Basketball Coach Jacie Hoyt. “Jacie wanted to share her heart,” Carnegie said. “She

loves giving back to the community and being involved in school events, thus why I reached out to her.” Patty was amazed with the turnout, and hoped to have an event in the future celebrating mothers and mother figures – as well as fathers and father figures, at the same time. “That would be interesting,” Patty said. “We’re so thankful that, that many parents are engaged with their student that early in the morning.” This engagement is the reason Patty and Scott enjoy attending events at North. “I love coming to North,” Patty said. “I always love talking to the students there. They are so engaging and interesting, and even thought we were there mostly to speak to the parents – I really enjoyed speaking with students.” story by Stephanie Whisler

smnmission.com

Every vote counts Vote counting disparity leads to tight race between Republican gubernatorial candidates

ris Kobach won the Republican nomination for Kansas governor with a narrow lead following an error in vote reporting by his office. As secretary of state, Kobach’s office is in charge of reporting the vote numbers counted by each county after an election. However, because Kobach himself was running for governor, some thought he should recuse himself from involvement in the electoral process. “It was the right thing for him [Kobach] to do,” Republican gubernatorial candidate, senior Tyler Ruzich said. “I think he should’ve recused himself sooner and done it of his own accord, and not tried to put the pressure on Governor Colyer.” Though eventually offering to recuse himself if incumbent Colyer requested it, Kobach did not see any purpose in the request. “I’ll be happy to recuse myself,” Kobach said in an Aug 9 interview with Chris Cuomo. “But as I say, it really doesn’t make any difference. My office doesn’t count the votes. The counties do.” However, there was a disparity between what officials in some counties counted and what the secretary of state’s office reported. In Thomas County, election officer Shelly Harms sent in the vote tallies, with Kobach receiving 466 votes while Colyer had 522. When she went to confirm those totals, she discovered that the secretary of state’s office had reported only 422 votes for

September 2018

Colyer, widening Kobach’s lead over Colyer by 100 votes. “It’s possible,” Harms said when asked if the 100 vote disparity could have affected the election outcome. “I can’t really say as I don’t have the results from other counties.” Harms has been serving as the election officer for Thomas County since 2005 and has not experienced a mistake like this before. Similar errors were discovered on a smaller scale in other counties. “There were discrepancies in votes in several counties, including the debacle in Johnson County with the voting machines,” Ruzich said. “Those 100 votes [in Thomas County] wouldn’t have decided the election, but it still needs to be considered if there could’ve been similar incidents in other counties we’re not hearing about as well.” Kobach officially recused himself Aug. 10, one day after Colyer sent a formal letter making the request. “I don’t think the secretary of state’s office should have much of a part in it, considering Kris Kobach is head of the secretary of state’s office,” Ruzich said. “I think more so an independent third body should be in charge of overseeing the election results and we should give a lot more power to the county election officials.” Kobach will run against Democrat Laura Kelly and Independent Greg Orman in the Kansas general election Nov. 6. story by Grace Altenhofen

WHO’S RUNNING? Laura Kelly Democrat

Affordable health care Fund public education Pro-choice Encourage rural growth Mental health advocate Reverse adoption bill

Kris Kobach Republican

Current Secretary of State 2nd Amendment supporter Pro-life Believes in secure borders Decrease taxes Fund public education

Greg Orman Independent

Affordable healthcare Fund public education 2nd amendment supporter Legalize medical marijuana Help rural Kansans get necessary services

Voter registration deadline: Oct. 16 Register online at www.kdor. ks.gov

work

b a l a school n c e

Students, teachers juggle school and work responsibilities

ith the start of the new school year, students are faced with the task of balancing both their work and school lives, which can prove to be difficult depending on work ethic, job hours and time management. For some, the workload is quite a challenge based on the clubs and activities they’re involved in. “Well I’m a procrastinator, so I stress myself out over that more than I do work versus school,” senior Jada Johnson said. “I’ll wait until last minute to realize I have this, that I needed to do, but I was at work so I’m not going to get it done until like 1 a.m.” Some students find themselves prioritizing work over school assignments. “I do so many school activities that I don’t really know if I have time for work because I’m always busy with school,” sophomore Evan Whitaker said. “So every free minute I have I’m working. I don’t have time for homework or I don’t have time for something else important. I prioritize my other activities over work, but when it comes to homework, if I’m working I’m going to prioritize that.” However, some students have bosses who are flexible to work around their busy school schedules. “My boss is very flexible with what times I can work and what not and I’ve told him sometimes I can’t work all week and he’s okay with that,” Whitaker said. Johnson said her boss is the same way as well. “My boss is really lenient and understanding when it comes to school and school activities,” she said. “I just give him my schedule in advance, so

when he makes new schedules he knows when to not schedule me and when to schedule me.” For some staff members at SM North, being a fulltime teacher and going back to school is something they have to balance as well. “You know a lot of the times I’m not able to start winding down until 9or 10 p.m. and I always have something that I feel like I’m forgetting,” social studies teacher Dillion Simmons said. “That’s probably the hardest part, I come to school in the morning and I’ll have like a wave of different stuff popping up in the email that needs to be handled that day. So that’s the hard part.” Stress for Simmons is something he feels he handles well and is able to move on from. “I don’t really allow myself to get super stressed out,” Simmons said. “You know I make sure that I’m always communicating on all fronts so I make sure I’m talking with my colleges, making sure I’m in the right place for the classroom.” Johnson, Whitaker and Simmons said they all struggle with the feeling of regret when taking on so much. Communication with your boss or even sometimes your class is the key to dilute some of the anxiety that comes with the workload. “I think it’s really hard to do both, like if you’re involved in lot and lots of activities, but you also want to work, I think there’s a balance,” Whitaker said. “Just be willing to be flexible as well as being able to make sacrifices either way so that you can manage both.” story by Jordyn Kelley

smnmission.com

Fall Sports Head football coach Zach Rampy stresses that education is something that you will be able to use all of your life.

Senior soccer player Christian Lipari said that grades are a number one priority for him during the season. “To me, it’s honestly fairly easy,” Lipari said. “Playing sports during school, it helps you focus on keeping your grades up. If I fail any classes that means I’m not going to be able to play at all during the season.”

“At the end of the day sports ends for everybody,” Rampy said. “So it’s really important that you have good grades, a good degree, try to go either to college or get some post high school education of some sort.”

LOOKING at the bar, sophomore Riley Hilton prepares to go through a routine at a meet. photo by Emma Jones

Fall sports is in full swing and balancing school, practice and games can be stressful and affect your social life. A few coaches and athlete gave their input on balancing school and sports. Head volleyball coach Crystal Foss tries to strengthen the bond of her team with activities outside of practice and games.

Sophomore cheerleader and cross country runner Christy Reiter has to use her time wisely if she wants to continue her sports. “Well usually I go to cross country then I go to cheer so I get around about 6:40 or so” she said, “Then I just do homework right when I get home and then eat and go to sleep.”

Sophomore gymnast Tatum Meyer said that it is sometimes hard to for her to balance school and sports but she manages to get everything done. “School comes first and sports comes second,” Meyer said. “Make sure you put your education first and put the time you need into getting all your work done. Also have fun with whatever sport you decide to do.”

PERFORMING a back heel, senior Sam Goldman keeps the JUNIOR Caitlyn Scaduto putts a ball at a tourball away from a Lawrence Free State player at a varsity game nament on Sept 4. photo by Jaclyn Honn on Sept 11. photo by Jaclyn Honn

September 2018

“We do team dinners for varsity teams and we encourage the younger teams to do them as well,” she said “This year we’re doing Big Sister Little Sister within our varsity team, and we usually do a homecoming practice with the whole program, and we take the whole program and mismatch it with other teams and have them play against each other. The winner plays against the coaches and it’s usually a fun time for us all to get together.”

Sophomore tennis player Glory Obi explains how she makes playing sports and being a student easier by finding a balance and prioritizing. “I have to at least pass five classes to play tennis and tennis is obviously something I like doing, something to destress so if I can’t keep up on my classes I can’t keep doing what I love,” Obi said. “One of the biggest things that I think is important is keeping a planner and a calendar for when stuff is going on.”

TENNIS player hits the ball to her teammate during a practice. photo by Stephanie Whisler

Sophomore golfer Maria Kristic said that the stress of keeping up with school and golf is worth it because she gets to do what she likes. “I would say that it can be challenging,” Kristic said. “because I have to do homework and I have to get things done in my classes and sometimes I don’t have enough time do get it all done. In the end it’s all worth it for me. I try to manage my time and make sure I make enough time for all my schoolwork and sometimes I’ll even come a little early in the morning and I’ll finish anything I need to work on.”

SOPHOMORE Keagan Stiers enters the track at the Twilight Meet on Sept 8 . photo by Emma Jones

As for excitement for games, AD Annette Gonzales explains what what she is excited about for North’s 2018 Friday Night Lights. She mentioned that she was especially excited about the new jumbotron. “I think our Pep Club is dedicated this year,” Gonzales said. “They’re not just going to come to a game and stand there, it’s not fun. I’ve seen wins, losses, wins, losses. Sometimes I felt like even when we were losing we had hundreds of kids there cheering and screaming. It was about the experience too, it was important for them too.”

LEG in the air, senior Jack Spencer kicks off before a vasrsity home game against Lawrence Free State on Sept 14. photo by Sam Goldman

smnmission.com

At THE CARWASH

Students host carwashes to fundraise for clubs

here are many different activities at North for students to give their time to and every activity needs a way to get more funds. One of the larger fundraisers that gets put on every year is a car wash. This year three of North’s organizations, Cross Country, Choir and Drama, had car washes in North’s circle drive. These car washes are an annual fundraiser for the clubs and can really boost their budgets. “We set up our car wash by the circle drive and had some music going on and Asher’s dad making his amazing hamburgers,” Varsity Cross Country Runner Sebastian Garcia said. “We did the car wash to raise money to help pay for our trips, for example, Minnesota and South Dakota.” There are many different things these organizations need funds for whether it’s a trip, new gear or general funds. “We did the car wash because choir

Standing next to Johnson Drive, junior Austin O’Dwyer advertises the Cross Country Car Wash. “My favorite part of the car wash was reeling people in to get their dirty cars washed,” O’Dwyer said, “It was very fun.” photo

provided by Sebastian Garcia

September 2018

doesn’t get a lot of funding and its nice to have money,” Choir Executive Board Member, Kayla Warren, said. Each car wash has the same premise, students line up around the circle drive as cars drive through and the students wash the cars with, sponges, squeegees and towels. Each club tries to make their car wash stand out with extra activities or products available that can attract customers. “Our car wash is different from the others because we combine it with our choir retreat and ice cream social,” Warren, said. No matter how different their car washes were the three organizations were successful both in raising funds and in having a good time. “It’s a tradition and a great way to build friendships,” Thespian Matthew Murphy said. story by Cale Chapman

Alongside other drama department members, senior Jonny Dihn Phan, works to rinse off a clean car. “It was nice to be able to work with people and cooperate to work for a common goal,” Dihn Phan said. photo by Will Baldwin

A change of tune

Diverse music lineup challenges marching band members

hree days a week, the marching band meets at 6:45 a.m. to practice and perfect this year’s show, “Against All Odds”. The show consisted of music from Beethoven, “Slumdog Millionaire”, “The Walking Dead”, “Miracle”, “Rudy” and patriotic music. The idea for such a diverse arrangement came from band director Chad Reed. “Honestly it was the theme being underdogs and against all odds that were just so many to choose from, so many great stories,” Reed said. “That, and we also wanted a variety of music both not just movie music, but classical music, like we have Beethoven and Dvorchak.” According to junior Aidan Randall, this year’s sections proved to be the best compared to prior years. “I think that my section is the best it has ever been in the history of Shawnee Mission North,” Randall said. “Honestly, we’re so good this year, we’re strong as individual players, we’re strong as a group, we can play together and we have fun.” Trumpet section leader senior Evan West also commented on his section of the show. “This year we’re trying to focus more on our big goal and practice a lot and be the best we can be,” West said. Drum Majors McKenzie Thompson, Zoie Mehl and Ian Jordan emphasize that flexibility and communication are the keys to getting everything accomplished. “Consistently having things done before they need to be done, always being ready to run back inside if someone forgot their coordinates or lost their fanny pack,” Thompson said. “I’d say just like always being prepared to deal with another situation that you don’t know what’s going to happen. The most difficult thing about it, is how much goes on in the background, how much we do outside of just conducting. I’m consistently at the printer, or I’m here an hour earlier than everyone else is.” With upcoming competitions at Lee Summit North and KBA, the competition is stacked high, but with perseverance and diligence from this band, Reed hopes it will put them above the rest. “It’s kind of like golf, you do your absolute best, but then it really depends on how everyone else does, you do your best product and hope for the best,” Reed saed. “That being said with the variety of music and the way the drill has worked out, they should do very well this year.” story by Jordyn Kelley

INSTRUMENTS in hands, the marching band performs during halftime of the Aug. 31 varsity game. “A lot of marching bands do pop songs, so I like that we’re playing things like Beethoven,” senior flute player Kassidy Toomay said. “It’s out-of-thebox and makes us unique.” photo by Jessica Lopez

HANDS in the air, senior McKenzie Thompson directs the band during a halftime performance. “I really like the diversity of music in our halftime show this year because I think it has a little bit of something for everyone,” Thompson said. photo by Jessica Lopez

Student submissions and letters to the editor are welcome at themission184@gmail.com

smnmission.com

Candyland

in the

Fieldhouse SINGING the last note of “Don’t Stop Believing”, senior Will Baldwin danced with his friends at Homecoming, “The dance was amazing,” Baldwin said. “We arrived to the dance right before it started and it was really cool.” Baldwin said his favorite memory of the night was “when they did Footloose.” photo by Evan Whittaker DANCING at her last Homecoming, senior Divya Hegde said she enjoyed the dance. “It was fun, before the dance I went to get Gyro’s for dinner,” Hegde said. For Hegde, her favorite memory of the dance was the last song, ”I was getting so into the song and I was dancing so hard my bun fell out.” photo by Evan Whittaker

SM North held Candyland-themed Homecoming Dance

or Stuco Executive Board member, senior Allie Kempfer, planning this homecoming was easier than past years. But this was no coincidence, since planning for SM North dance’s is nothing new for her. From planning last year’s Homecoming and WPA to assisting with the Dynamic Duo Mixer earlier this year, Kempfer has learned the ins and outs of school dances. “One thing that’s better this year when planning the dance is my stress levels,” Kempfer said. “Last year I was stressed about everything not going right and this year I know that even if it doesn’t go exactly how I planned, it’ll be fine and everything will work out.” This year’s Homecoming theme was Candyland. “I was looking for ideas and I saw a dance that was candy themed,” Kempfer said. This theme choice was a good fit for Kempfer, since this allowed her to incorporate candy and colors into the dance. Along with the creative theme came creative planning, which allowed Kempfer to feature a selfie station, the first of its kind for Homecoming, called ‘King Candy Throne’. Pep Club member, senior Matthew Murphy also

12 September 2018

attended the dance. “I’m looking forward to hanging out with my friends, and really getting to dance since senior year has brought me a lot of confidence,” Murphy said. For Murphy, the only leadership role he’ll be taking during the dance is leading all the dance circles. Murphy encourages students to attend these school events and dances. “I feel like it’s a high school experience that you have to have, it’s something I’ve always done,” he said. Senior Destinee Rogers also attended Homecoming. “I’m going with my boyfriend and a bunch of our really good friends,” Rogers said. Rogers encourages people to attend dances with friend groups. “I feel like going with a group is better rather than just alone or with two people. I mean, it’s fine going when in a relationship but I feel it’s more fun to go with a group because then you can be more involved,” Rogers said. The next dance is W.P.A on Feb. 9. story by Zeva Rose Gebhard

BECOMING A

eksi Macan was crowned SM North Homecoming Queen during halftime of the Sept. 14 football game. “It was something I’ll never forget, it was an unforgettable experience,” Homecoming Queen Leski Macan said. “I can’t believe I won because all the girls I was up against were girls I’ve gone to school with for the last four years and some since elementary school,” said Macan, who was nominated by cheer. For Macan, being nice to her peers is important. “If someone is having a bad day, just smiling at them and saying something can make their day better,” she said. First attendant Sita Gupta described the crowning experience as surreal. “It was unreal, I couldn’t believe I got it,” Gupta said. Gupta was nominated by Thespians, a group of upperclassmen that contributes and helps lead the Theater Department at SM North. “I feel like I was a good fit because I went to tech nights and contributed a lot,” she said. “I do feel like I’ve become sort of a leader.” Gupta said it felt really good being nominated. “I feel like people actually cared about me, and I’ve struggled with that a lot,” she said. Of the Homecoming weekend, Gupta’s favorite moment was at the Homecoming dance, “The last song of the night stuck out to me the most at the Homecoming dance,” she said. “I went with my friends and we were all screaming the lyrics to ‘Don’t stop believing’ and the realization hit me that this is my last Homecoming.” Second attendant Brooke Howard was nominated by Dance Team for her leadership. “It was amazing, the fact that the school thinks that much of you and to be nominated and chosen for third place is amazing,” Howard said. “I feel like I have a good connection with all the girls on the team,” she said. “Any senior on the team could have easily been nominated, it was a really hard decision for anyone on the team.” Since becoming second attendant Howard said she feels more social. “I find myself saying hi to more people in the hallways,” she explained. There were originally 32 candidates, each nominated by a club or organization within North. After a vote of the senior class, the field was narrowed to 11. “What we were seeing was that voting became a popularity contest,” pep club sponsor Tina Keith said. “By doing it this way, it represents the whole student population.” story by Zeva Rose Gebhard

Queen

Meet the candidates

Brittney Garcia

Noel Rivera

Brooke Howard

Mia Aramovich

Mia Esquivel

Leksi Macan

Sita Gupta

Aya AlSaid

Cameron Lewis

Caroline Colburn

Katie Kasunic smnmission.com

A world of experience New girls basketball coach joins SM North after coaching at Mid-America Nazarene

artina Mihailovic will be SM North’s new girls varsity basketball coach for the 2018-19 school

year. A native of Serbia, Mihailovic moved to the United States to play basketball at Cloud County Community College. After being sidelined by an injury sophomore year, she finished her college basketball career at Western Illinois University and Rockhurst University. “Basketball has been my first love since I was 12,” Mihailovic said. “I remember being just a little 3rd grader dreaming about playing college basketball in America.” After college, Mihailovic accepted a position as an assistant basketball coach at Park University, where she stayed for one year before taking a similar job at Bethel University. She remained at Bethel for 10 years before becoming an assistant coach at Mid-America Nazarene University. After three years at Mid-America Nazarene, Mihailovic accepted the new opening at North. “Coach Mihailovic has a wealth of experience as a player and coach,” North athletic director Annette Gonzales said. “She has great passion for basketball especially skill acquisition and performance and has demonstrated an ability to build and sustain a program.” Though coaching high school basketball is a change from Mihailovic’s experience on the collegiate level, she was ready to move on from being an an assistant coach.

“I was ready to be leading my own program, a program that I can rebuild, bring stability to and create something special in the future,” Mihailovic said. “SMN girls basketball has a lot of potential and a lot of talent within. It is just a matter of leading the program in the right direction with help, support and commitment from everyone involved.” This desire to engage with her players as well as the North community is an asset Mihailovic brings to the school, according to Gonzales. “She understands the importance of establishing relationships with our student-athletes and school community,” Gonzales said. Mihailovic’s goal for the upcoming basketball season is to make the team the best version of themselves they can be. According to her, this opportunity was made possible by the administration of North. “I would just like to thank Jeremy Higgins, Annette Gonzales, Kent Glaser and David Ewers for this opportunity,” Mihailovic said. “I am extremely excited to lead the [girls basketball] program.” by Grace Altenhofen

What the players say...

Noel Rivera, 12

“I really like her (Mihailovic). She seems tough and I think she’ll be good for the program.”

September 2018

Danielle Scaduto, 12

“I think having a new coach will help us prove that we’re not the same team we were last year.”

Madison Koller, 11

“She (Mihailovic) came here from coaching college basketball, so she has a lot of experience. Our team has a lot of potential and I think she’ll help us succeed.”

Inside

Mysti’s Beats

For the Album reviews, muscial commentary and more

Nicki Minaj: Not A Queen Anymore

ou can’t argue against it. Nicki Minaj has been the However, when you hit rock bottom, the only way you undisputed queen of hip hop since the release of her can go is up. “Chun Li” was a definite crowd pleaser, debut studio album “Pink Friday”. With her aggressive, “LLC” had some good punchlines, “Good Form” diswitty, clever and sometimes relatable bars, completely played Nicki’s wordplay, and even though it would’ve over the top outfits and hairstyles and a larger than life better fit an actual R&B artist like Beyoncé or Rihanna, personality and ego, we’ve all found something to love “Nip Tuck” was still decent. about Nicki. Unfortunately, at least for me, the love is The remaining songs should’ve never seen the light gone. of day. I was excited for the collaboration on “Coco “Queen” was highly anticipated, as it came at a time Chanel”. We’d have old school Foxy Brown meeting new when hip hop seemed to be filled school Nicki Minaj, playing off of with talented, new female emcees. each other’s strengths while show“...when somebody constantly The hip hop community was anxious casing their chemistry from their says they’re the best in the game to hear how Nicki would react to all shared backgrounds and stories. I and then names their album the new competition. The pressure “Queen”, they have to expect lis- was extremely wrong. Instead of proved too much for her to handle, teners to hold them to those claims. hip hop gold, Nicki gave us basic as this album is the worst project bars and boring flow. With all due This album was not ‘queen’ status.” she’s ever released. And she had the respect for the trailblazer she was nerve to title it “Queen”. for women in hip hop, Foxy Brown’s Let’s start at the beginning. “Ganja Burn” has a nice verse made it perfectly clear why we haven’t missed her vibe but it’s uneventful. “Majesty” just doesn’t work. music at all and proved that she has absolutely no place Nicki’s verses were okay but the chorus, sung by Labrinth, in today’s rap scene. didn’t match the rest of the song at all and even the “Rap This album was overall trash. Now I know that might God” himself, Eminem, struggled to hold it together seem harsh, but you have to understand, when somewith the beginning and end of his verse. Now there was body constantly says they’re the best in the game and a shining light with the celebrity roast session that was then names their album “Queen”, they have to expect “Barbie Dreams”. It was her fun yet ingenious lyricism listeners to hold them to those claims. This album was that made me laugh and nod with respect at the same not “queen” status. time. If the sound wasn’t enough of a turn off, it was the The album flatlines with the next five songs. Either lyrics. She didn’t try hard enough. I don’t care how big they were bad songs or they were decent songs that got of a “Barb” you are, you have to acknowledge the fact completely ruined by their excessive length. She ends that Nicki recycles her bars way too much. If I hear her the actual songs and then kills time by adding random call herself Chun Li one more time or that women are noise. At the end of “Rich Sex”, she “laughs “, soundcopying her hairstyles or that she’s a “Barbie”, I’m going ing like a toddler having a tantrum while simultaneously to scream. being strangled. But that was nothing compared to the I’m being completely honest when I tell you that my abomination of a song “Chun Swae”. Swae Lee’s whole favorite part of this album was when it ended. Nicki got contribution sounds like that infamously bad part in Futoo comfortable at the top spot because there was noture’s “King’s Dead” verse, not to mention Nicki’s annoybody to challenge her. But as stated before, there’s been ing voice and cadence. It just might be the worst song a change in the hip hop climate. With all these other I’ve ever heard. I’d rather listen to “Gucci Gang” for an female powerhouses taking over the game, Queen Nicki hour than listen to that again. has officially been dethroned. commentary by Mystika Allison-Barnes smnmission.com

through the

viewfinder [1]STRIKING a pose, senior Carson Swanson dances with the drill team during the Sept. 7 Homecoming assembly. “I like being on drill team because it gives me an opportunity to be social and bond with the team,” Swanson said. “And we have the best coach in the world. She’s both a mentor and a friend.” photo

by Evan Whitaker

[2]THROWING HIS HANDS UP, Pep Club exec. board

member Zane Irwin celebrates a win for Pep Club in games against student athletes during the Sept. 7 Homecoming Assembly. “I was basking in the glory of the pep,” Irwin said. “I was super excited to perform a great assembly for the student body.” photo by Hailee Mahoney

[3] RUNNING down the field, senior Billy Conway plays in the first varsity football game of the season. “I was doing my best to score,” Conway said. “Football’s my passion, I was put on this earth to play football.” photo by Sam Goldman

[4] HOLDING a sign, sophomore Anna Hathaway walks with the softball team during the Homecoming Parade. “I was feeling really excited because I was finally getting to be part of a group I could support and be with during parade day,” Hathaway said. photo by Jaclyn Honn

[5] MARCHING down the hallway, Stephen Blake plays his saxophone while the band parades around the school during first hour on Aug. 31. “Band is really fun,” Blake said. “Especially being in band in high school.” photo by Jaclyn Honn

September 2018