Story & Photo by Isabelle Flood – Social Media Editor    The 2024 NCAA Women’s College Volleyball Tournament is coming to a close with the National Semifinals on December 19 and the Championship match on December 22. The tournament has had plenty of upsets, but it was no shock that the four teams left are all number-one seeds. Pittsburgh and Louisville will play first at 5:30 P.M. on Thursday, leaving many fans excited for this match-up we have seen time and time again.     “I can’t wait for the Pitt and Louisville match. I expected them to go to five sets the first time they played but I think Louisville has regrouped and could beat Pitt,” Ava Lane, sophomore, said.     Pitt and Louisville are just some of the teams that have already played each other during the regular season. Nebraska and Penn State will follow that match, giving Nebraska a chance for redemption against the Nittany Lions after they gave Nebraska their second loss on the season. Nebraska lost in four sets, but claiming after that they were not focused and did not play their best.    “Nebraska and Penn will be a great game but I don’t see Nebraska losing to them again. Especially with their response to the loss and how they have been playing in the tournament,” Lane said.    Post-season is typically when teams will start to peak and play the best game they can. Teams like Kentucky, Mizzou, Stanford, and Creighton were peaking at the right time but just couldn’t get to the national matches.     “Mizzou surprised me this year. I did not expect them to upset SMU, and I definitely did not expect them to beat them in four sets,” Lane said.     Most are predicting a championship match between Pitt and Nebraska, but all teams in the semifinals are very talented and competitive contenders, and anything can happen.  

Story & Photo by Bailee Council – Assistant Editor   Through many lives, Rhonda Jones has lived many dreams that have led her to where she is currently. In her next chapter, she leaves to reunite with her family in Maryland and aspires to be an inspirational speaker. With dreams of starting a life coaching business, Jones also plans to write a book expressing her motos for the world.     Through the years, she’s worked her way up from elementary to high school.    “I started out doing elementary because I was intimidated by high schoolers at first,” Jones said.      For the past eight years, Jones has impacted students throughout the LSR7 district as a substitute teacher. The influence and love Jones shares with students had been unmatched, particularly in the Lee’s Summit North community. Jones also took on the long-term responsibility of being an ROTC substitute, reminding her of her time in the military.     However, when asked about her most memorable time in the military, Jones expressed, “My most memorable moment would be when I made my last rank as an E-6 because I was thinking about getting out…my “why” changed…North and being a long-term part of ROTC has prepared me for this next chapter,” said Jones.     Jones has proven to be a very transparent woman, and plenty of students and faculty would agree that she has become a universal safe space for the school. By learning her purpose and giving back to the people around her, Jones has left her mark on the LSN community. Moving forward, it is clear that Jones has many more people in the world to embrace her character    “Being an inspirational speaker is not going to be a job for me, that’s going to be who I am…being a substitute teacher helped me grow into who I am,” Jones said.     As Jones says her final goodbyes to LSN, students throughout Lee’s Summit thank her for her time and contributions. Moving into this next chapter many are excited to see what is in store, and many take inspiration from Jones’s passion in what she does.    “Put down the cell phone and create relationships with people because community and relationships are extremely important and love is the answer the everything,” Jones said.    Her life motto, to create a whole new world with all the things you do not know, has gotten her through the years and will carry her through the next. 

Story & Graphic by Kate Gerding – Editor-in-Chief     ‘Tis the season for college applications, scholarships, and essays. Most seniors planning to attend college next school year face several due dates in the coming months. Although this time of year can be stressful, there are many resources to make this process as easy as possible. Avaya Hall, senior, shared how the process has been for her and what she might have done differently.    “I have applied to roughly 18 colleges. I am completing my last one this week, and then I am officially done,” Hall said.    Even if you are applying for one or two schools, many applications are very similar in terms of what they ask for and what they are looking for in applicants.     “They ask for a lot: extracurriculars, teacher recommendations, supplementals (additional essays), majors, extracurriculars you want to do, honors colleges, if you are pre-law/med, etc.,” Hall said.    After general applications come the dreaded college essays. While they seem stressful at first, there are many ways to make your essays stand out to admissions officers.    “Be as creative as possible. Do not write a step-by-step on how you overcame adversity. Maybe avoid the sports injury trope, but be true to yourself,” Hall said.    Jocelyn Heinecke, senior, also shared her experience with applications and her advice for writing college essays.    “Make your opening hook something unexpected that will catch the attention of the reader. The people who read your essay have not only read yours but possibly hundreds of other essays, too. Make yours stand out,” Heinecke said.     Amidst all the to-dos, it is easy to mix up deadlines. Both Hall and Heinecke recommend staying on top of each school’s requirements.    “Scholarship deadlines are important to keep track of, too. There are hundreds of scholarships with different dates for their deadlines, so keep track of them well. Most of the scholarships I have applied to are due in early February,” Heinecke said.    The most important thing to remember through this process is if you are true to yourself and your values, you will end up where you are supposed to be. 

Story & Graphic by Morgan Hill – Sports Editor    The 2024 College Football season has been one of many nuances and challenges. However, the major challenge so far this season has been the College Football Playoff, especially due to it being expanded from 4 teams in previous years to 12 teams.     Last Sunday, December 8th, the field of 12 teams was released by the Playoff Committee and has incited many on how the committee prefers the format and therefore is starting to set precedents as to what the committee prefers to do.    “I think they choose teams that have a complete body of work. I also think they like to have some of the usual suspects blended with a few Cinderellas,” Jason Jones, history teacher, said.    The committee not only has to select 12 teams for the playoff but is constantly challenged with finding the best 12 teams. The 12 teams have to consist of the 5 highest conference champions as well as 5 at-large teams.    “They have a tough job,” Jones said.    With the release of the 12 teams, the format is set up so that the first-round games are played on campus for seeds 5-12. This surely will bring great atmospheres and even more excitement to the already thrilling games.    “Penn State will probably have the best atmosphere in round one,” Jones said.    With Penn State being one of the schools with the most tradition in the country they will be doing their famous “White Out” to hopefully create more of a home-field advantage in their game versus SMU.    As the Midwest is home to some of the best football teams in the country, there are four teams that represent the Big 10 conference in the playoff, the most of all conferences. One of which is Indiana, a great team but has never reached the playoff before.    “I think the Notre Dame/Indiana game will be a great game for CFB and the state of Indiana. Regional rivalries are the best,” Jones said.    With two teams from the state of Indiana playing each other in a heated match-up, it will most definitely make for a great game. The playoff begins on December 20th, with this great interstate match-up, and will continue to deliver great games all throughout December, all the way to the National Championship.

Story & Photo by Kay Haas – News Editor  Christmas is right around the corner, and that means everyone is shopping. Some shoppers are choosing to support local small businesses this holiday season. On December 7th, Downtown Lee’s Summit hosted its annual Lee’s Summit Farmers Market Holiday Mart. This Holiday Market featured a variety of small business vendors, selling everything from baked goods to lavender products.     One of the vendors present was Rock the House Bakery. Located in Peculiar, Missouri, the bakery sells a variety of breads, cinnamon rolls, and other delicious baked goods. Rock the House Bakery goods can be found at farmers’ markets across Kansas City.     Another vendor at the Holiday Mart was Shelti Farms. Located right outside of Kansas City, Shelti Farms focuses on lavender products. They have a variety of lavender soaps, candles, and even skincare products. You can find Shelti Products available on their website, sheltifarms.com, and at the Lee’s Summit Farmers Market.     Another fun aspect of the Holiday Mart was that the first 100 people to show up received a free 2024 Holiday Mart edition insulated tote bag.     If you want fresh products make sure to check out the local businesses in Lee’s Summit!

Story by Antil Snoddy – Staff Reporter    The historic rivalry between the University of Kansas and the University of Missouri tipped off this past Sunday at the Mizzou Arena. The 271st meeting between the two teams resulted in a 76-67 MU victory. Although MU finished on top this year, KU leads the rivalry with 175 wins.    The first meeting between the two schools was in 1907, which resulted in a 34-31 Mizzou win. Since then, KU has dominated the rivalry.     In 2012, the rivalry ended when Mizzou left the Big 12 conference but in 2021, nine years later, the two teams met again. The meeting resulted in a landslide victory by KU, with a final score of 105-65.   Sunday’s meeting ensued Missouri’s 4th win vs a No. 1 ranked Kansas. Both teams came into the game with 7-1 records with Kansas as the one seed and Mizzou unranked.    Tamar Bates led the Tigers with a season high of 29 points along with five steals. Hunter Dickinson led the Jayhawks with 19 points and 14 rebounds.     The Tigers took an early lead and never looked back. The largest lead was 57-33 with 14:15 remaining but at the 2:20 mark, KU was able to cut the deficit down to two points with a score of 65-63 after going on two crucial runs. While the Jayhawks did outscore the Tigers in the second half, their efforts were not enough.     Mizzou took this round but there are many more to come in this renowned college basketball rivalry.   Photo by Morgan Hill – Sports Editor

Story & Graphic by Talon Cleveland – Feature Editor    The season has come for the music rundown. Spotify Wrapped 2024 is now out and ready to be unboxed. For the second year running, Taylor Swift has been named the most listened-to artist with 26.6 billion streams. Swift is followed by Drake, Zach Bryan, Morgan Wallen, and Kanye West.     “She was my number one cause I had 20,000 minutes,” Ariana Visnich, senior, said, “I am not surprised that she’s my number one artist cause I have been to the Eras Tour twice.”    For those who do not know, Spotify Wrapped is a personalized bundle of top artists, the most listened-to songs, and how long you listened for. This year there is a new feature being presented. Music Evolution shows how your music taste changed from the beginning of the year till the wrapped.     “It was really surprising seeing how much my music taste had changed in just a few months,” Nicolette Wayne, senior, said.     Since Spotify Wrapped is a yearly event, it provides listeners with data to see how their music taste has changed over the years. The podcasts and playlists made by the AI DJ allow people to have a clash of all the music and artists they have listened to.     “I was excited to get my Spotify wrapped for this year. Frank Ocean is my favorite artist so to have him as my top artist of the year is so special,” Angelina Valdivia, senior, said.     When comparing the wrapped from the last few years Spotify is attempting to incorporate new elements each year. Each Wrapped becomes more personalized and showcases an individual’s music preference. 

Story & Photo by Ireland Lucas – Staff Reporter    Ms. Kennedy has been working at North for about four years and teaches freshman science classes. She has worked with students for five years and loves her job.     “When I was in college, I was teaching classes with another professor and I loved the idea of being a role model and a support system for other students, and during that time I was going to school for dental hygiene and I was taking a bunch of science classes and really enjoyed them so I combined my two passions of teaching and science,” Ms. Kennedy, science teacher, said.    Kennedy has a lot of different things that she loves that you might not know. Her favorite color is matte black and her favorite animal is her dog, Winston.     “I like to take my puppy on walks and trails, he’s a mini goldendoodle named Winston,” Kennedy said.    She also has some unique facts that people may not know about her.    “I used to work at a cheese factory where we made McDonald’s cheese,” Kennedy said.    Ms. Kennedy is proud to be a part of the Bronco Nation. Overall, she has a strong passion for teaching and can share that with all of her students.

Story by Antil Snoddy – Staff Reporter    The Northside Steppers are a talented group of individuals who have continually kept up an impressive reputation. The team recently had an open tryout where new students had the opportunity to show off their skills.    Students who want to join step should have a determined and devoted mindset as well as being fearless. Being aggressive and passionate in their performances and putting in the work at practice makes a good stepper, as well as wanting to get better and learn from those around them.     The team is very rigorous when it comes to who is on the team. They aim to represent North at the highest standard and pick the best performers for this.    When wanting to become a good stepper, students should aim to put on a brave face. When performing they cannot act scared or nervous, steppers have to walk on the stage and ooze confidence.    The step team has two teams: competition and performance. Not only do they perform at the annual step show but they also perform at pep assemblies, halftime at basketball and volleyball games as well as for any others seeking performances.     Being a Northside Stepper takes confidence and conviction. Performing with the group takes a lot of practice behind the scenes. With many new faces and opportunities, the success of the team is inevitable.   Photo courtesy of The Northside Steppers