Story by Reagan Hill – Photography Editor     As the school year wraps up and the Class of 2026 makes their departure from LSN, it leaves behind a new group of seniors, the Class of 2027, to step up and take their place. With this, many students may be feeling nervous, excited, or even a bit of both in anticipation for their upcoming senior year. Fear not, Class of ‘27, as many current seniors have advice for the next graduating class.     “Don’t worry about senior year being perfect… Just go with the flow,” Bryce Hopkins, senior, said.     Other students have also provided reassurance for upcoming seniors’ future plans.     “It’s okay not to have everything planned out yet,” Jenna Dunn, senior, said.     While many seniors could endlessly speak about the quality of a high schooler’s last year and how to prepare for college and entering the “real world” as an adult, other seniors have advice on making the most of one’s last high school experiences.     “Enjoy every moment and make as many memories as you possibly can!” Annabelle Brown, senior, said.     Although senior year may seem intimidating for some, many reassuring voices can tell anyone about the joys of senior year and what to expect going into the new school year.

Story & Graphic by Emerson Godfrey – Assistant Copy Editor   This summer is all about new opportunities and making the most of the time spent. For many girls in the Kansas City area, this time well spent will be at Camp Garney Construction Camp, an all-girls camp at Herndon Career Center. This camp is a perfect opportunity for girls to learn and expand on their construction and engineering skills.    “Having girls in this space is massively impactful,” Hillary Griffith, Geometry in Construction teacher, said.    There is so much importance in allowing girls to feel confident in these skill sets.    “They should feel just as empowered to be able to do those things as any boy would in any of these classes,” Griffith said.    The Camp Garney Construction Camp allows for hands-on classes, learning experiences, community service through carpentry, and even gives participants high school credit and free meals.    The Garney Construction Camp is June 1-12, and will be an impactful experience for all girls who participate.

Story & Graphic by Malaykah Mbeche – Feature Editor    Graduation is a very special ceremony that only comes once for high school students. It marks the end of a chapter and the start of a new one, celebrating years of hard work.     “We get to move through a ceremony that honors both the graduates and all their accomplishments that have helped them get to this point as well as their families and community,” Lauren Hollingsworth, Social Studies teacher, said.    Family is a huge part of many students’ journeys throughout their school years. They encourage and enable students to join different activities, sports, and clubs. They put in so much work, effort, and support into their students’ studies, which is why it is very important to celebrate them.    “The ceremony is heart filling, the absolute best feeling as it connects to why educators and community members do what we do,” Hollingsworth said.    Teachers get their final opportunities to watch the students they helped grow walk across the stage and celebrate their final moments before they move on from high school.    “It reminds us that every student is our student,” Hollingsworth said.    It becomes a bitter sweet moment when teachers have to watch all these students they have known for years move on to bigger things.

Story by Ella Snead – Staff Reporter  The LSN boys volleyball season is coming to a close, and they have had a season with growth and improvement. Boys volleyball is a newer sport to LSN, and the teams are just getting bigger and better. We have a Varsity, Junior Varsity, and a C team, accompanied by the coaches Aubri Janes, Marti Strickert, and Halli Martin. These coaches work hard to bring the team together and continue their evolution as players.     “The boys volleyball program has continued to grow in a really positive direction. That said, the growth we’ve seen has been impressive.” Aubri Janes, Head coach, said.     They have had a great season full of learning and only have a couple of games left for the varsity team.     “We expect the guys to stay competitive, clean up some of the small details, and build momentum heading into the postseason. If we continue to play together and stay disciplined, we’re capable of finishing strong,” Janes said.     The Bronco boys volleyball varsity team has some high expectations for the rest of their season and is on track to finish strong!    Graphic by Gracie Wolverton

Story by Kay Haas – News Editor/Copy Editor    LSN just hosted their annual Senior Art Show and Show of Excellence at the Colbern Mid-Continent Public Library from April 12th to April 29th.     The Show of Excellence featured art from all different art classes. The best works from all different classes were chosen to be displayed.    The seniors in the Portfolio Art and IB Visual Art classes were also given panels where they were able to display any of the artwork from the past four years. Each senior wrote a statement about either their guiding idea throughout the body of work or their reflection as an artist and their growth as an artist.     LSN has had an incredibly successful year, starting with the school-first win at the Ray-Pec Art competition and the success at the UCM Art Contest. This was the perfect way to end and celebrate all of the art students’ hard work!    Photo courtesy of MCPL Instagram Account

Story by Morgan Hill – Assistant Editor-in-Chief/Sports Editor    Prom is this weekend for Lee’s Summit North juniors and seniors. The theme Under the Lanterns is a nod to the movie Tangled and is at John Knox Pavilion this Saturday, May 2nd, from 8 to 11 pm. The pep assembly is tomorrow after 6th hour and will kick off the weekend with a preview of the prom royalty and Mr. Bronco cast.    The senior prom candidates for queen are Addison Bleckinger, Vivian Chira, Jenna Dunn, and Lily Graham. The prom candidates for king are Bryce Hopkins, Jake Johnson, Frank Radman, and Jackson Reed. Be sure to bring your best outfits and dance the night away!

Story & Photo by Gracie Wolverton – Entertainment Editor   Leadership is a valuable quality for any student. The upcoming Student Council (STUCO) elections provide an opportunity for LSN students to develop their leadership skills and have an impact on the school.    “Student Council is a student organization that works to make the LSN community better through service and student involvement. We are the ones to organize dances, spirit weeks, and other student activities throughout the year. We work as a team to create a community at LSN, ” Olivia Vella, English teacher and STUCO sponsor, said.    Student council provides an opportunity for students to connect and work with other students in a collaborative environment. STUCO provides a way for new students to get involved with the community at LSN.    “The Student Council elections are over the course of a week and allow students to be part of student leadership at North… it is an incredible way to make connections with peers, harness creativity, and learn how to work with a team,” Vella said.    Students who want to make an impact at LSN should look into applying for STUCO in the upcoming elections    “Students should apply if they are looking for a way to get more involved with LSN as a whole and want to make an impact on the community,” Vella said.    Students looking to apply for Student Council can apply by visiting the LSN website and accessing the STUCO application link. Applications are due Friday, April 24th; the election will officially begin April 28th.

Story & Photo by Reagan Hill – Photography Editor    LSN’s annual Pink Out game was hosted last night at the LSN BAC. This exciting girl’s soccer game against LSW was an effort to raise awareness for women’s breast cancer. Players gathered together, decked-out head to toe in pink to show their spirit at this monumental game.     “My favorite part was getting all pinked out, spray painting my hair pink, and doing pink face art,” Savannah Horton, junior, said.     The team also carries several traditions throughout the years of doing Pink Out games. The main tradition is the players dress up head to toe in pink and has become a favorite part of pre-games.     “[Some] traditions we do are to decorate ourselves in pink hairspray, face paint, hair gel, and glitter. We also make a sign dedicating a person who has survived, who has passed, or who currently has cancer and recognize their fight,” Horton said.     Overall, the Broncos ended with a loss, despite their efforts towards a victory.     “The team fought hard and played well, even though we didn’t get the outcome we wanted to,” Horton said.     Although the loss was hard, the players still pushed through and ended up having an amazing time honoring those who have experienced breast cancer and dressing out for a good cause.

Story & Photo by Malaykah Mbeche – Feature Editor    Decision Day is an event to honor the seniors and celebrate the different paths that seniors have chosen to pursue after high school.     “When I came to North four years ago, Dr. Collins and I worked on a way to celebrate all of our seniors,” Dana Green, counselor, said.    At Lee’s Summit North, the event goes beyond recognition, creating a lively environment where seniors can come together and share their plans with one another.       “Those plans could be college, workforce, military, trade school, whatever the plan, we are celebrating it,” Green said.    Decision Day is exciting for seniors because it is a time when they can all come together and kick off their senior celebrations. Decision Day is a little party at school where seniors can have some of their last laughs together before graduation.    “Only Seniors are allowed in, and there is music, games, loads of food, and tons of giveaways,” Green said.    Decision day at Lee’s Summit North brings graduating seniors together to celebrate their hard work and plans, regardless of what paths they take. With a fun atmosphere, it gives students a chance to make final lasting memories together before graduation.