Define Yourself

The health and stability of a shoulder is a crucial thing to a baseball player. One injury that could seriously damage the health of one’s shoulder is a labral tear, which is the tear of a piece of fibrocartilage, also known as rubbery tissue. So, when senior Luke Sosaya underwent labrum surgery on Oct. 6, the impact was significant. “The surgery really slowed down my life and forced me to be...

When sophomore Sydney Clarkin first walked into the Westside Family Church student ministry in August 2015, she never would have guessed that in a little over a year she would be up on stage speaking to the entire high school ministry about her spiritual journey. Clarkin started attending Westside over a year ago with her mom because of how attainable the times were to her family's schedule. ...

Through unfortunate circumstances, sophomore Rachel Kurovski has grown as a person and expanded her views by learning from the mistakes of her father, David Kurovski. Her father has been an alcoholic ever since she was in second grade, but the situation was less noticeable until her parents divorced in sixth grade. During her fifth and sixth grade years when Rachel first noticed her father was dr...

Prior to her sister’s birth, senior Charlotte Muttai had wished to pursue medicine, since six of her family members work in the medical field. Two years ago, her sister Arianna Muttai was born four months premature after an emergency C-section procedure. After the critical experience, Charlotte found interest in the nursing of premature babies in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of Shawnee...

Since he was seven years old, freshman Aidan Thomas has had an interest in filming, editing and sharing videos. He created his YouTube channel, Aidmation, shortly after discovering his passion. Thomas discovered his love for creating videos while hanging out with his friends on a normal day. “I was with a friend and we got scooters and [rode them] off this ramp that my dad made me. We fake crashe...

Deciding what to do after high school is difficult for most, however, senior Bryce Dean has chosen to join the Marines after graduation. He officially became a member of the Marine Corps on Tuesday, May 24. Dean has wanted to be involved in the military for awhile, but wasn’t sure what branch to become a part of until the last few years. “Ever since 8th grade, I knew I wanted to do something...

Being brought up by two Indian parents while living in Kansas has been difficult for junior Shanu Kaushal as she tries to balance both Indian and American cultures in her school and home life. During her upbringing, Shanu learned the language of Punjabi, the Hindu religion and the principles of the Indian culture, but her current life in America makes her adapt to be more like the other teenagers ar...

Every day, junior Haley Minor spends her evenings at Pinnacle Gymnastics perfecting her balance beam, vault, floor and bar skills. Currently in her ninth year of competitive gymnastics, Haley’s passion takes up nearly all her free time. Balancing school, family and friends with the sport proves a challenge that Haley has learned to overcome because of her constant dedication. Though her paren...

Wearing clothes not only expresses junior Parker Johnson’s personality, but also gives him confidence; Johnson finds a strong interest in fashion. At a young age, Johnson first became exposed to fashion by his grandmother and aunt. This year, Johnson has created the Fashion & Makeup club for others who share the common interest. “I hope people realize doing things like [fashion and makeup]...

From a young age, sophomore Dominic Martinez felt different from others. Recently, Martinez has confronted this feeling by being comfortable with his sexuality, allowing him to come out as gay to his friends and family. It took a great deal of self preparation, but the positive support from his friends and family made the process easier. Relating to people at a young age was hard for Martinez because ...

All childhood friends dream of becoming sisters, but for juniors Payton Shurley and Delaney Spoonemore that dream came true. Spoonemore and Payton met each other when they were both four years old, and both sets of parents went through a divorce when both girls were twelve. Shortly after that, Spoonemore’s dad and Payton’s mom started dating, which later lead to their marriage. The two girls...

The bell rang, signaling the start of school, and students from French teacher Charisse Highlander’s French III class stood up, placed their hands over their hearts, and recited the Pledge of Allegiance in unison on Monday, Oct. 10. Everyone took part in this weekly routine except for one student, junior Sofía Torres-Aranda, who chose not to stand, but not participate out of respect towards her own ...

After discovering his fascination for the sport of fencing at the age of seven, freshman Jadon Taylor has experienced many physical and lifestyle changes that have contributed to his ultimate fencing goal: going to the Junior Olympics, the largest sporting event for youth in the United States. Taylor participates in Saber, one of the three different styles of fencing. According to Taylor, Saber fen...

For most students, attending three separate schools before further education is the social norm. However, juniors Alyssa Noel and Sam Noel have attended nine schools from Omaha, Nebraska to Shawnee, Kansas due to their father being frequently relocated as a district manager for Sprint. Between living in Omaha, Nebraska; Columbia, Missouri; St. Louis, Missouri; St. Peters, Missouri and Shawnee, Kansa...

While most kids were spending time hanging out with friends over the summer, sophomore Lindsey Edwards was helping in an orphanage in Haiti, near the capital city of Port-au-Prince. Lindsey participated in a mission group through her church, and worked with the Fond Blanc Foundation to help build a recreation room in an orphanage. The trip was organized through Lindsey’s church and headed up ...

The familiar three-tone sound signifying the beginning of a period fills the hallways and  classrooms of Mill Valley, but freshman Shaina Issacsen waits to reach for her class materials — a more enticing prospect awaits her on a fresh page of her sketchbook. She begins a new portrait, first sketching out the right side of the face, then working inward toward the eye. From the first line, she feels ...

After spending hours recording, editing and creating his new song, a smile spreads across senior Marcel Meljanac’s face as he listens to the final product. Marcel, more commonly known to the public as “Lil Marcelo,” has been making rap music for over two years. He posts his music to SoundCloud, and currently has produced about 130 songs and released almost 30. According to Marcel, music has defined hi...