Story by Kay Haas – News Editor/Copy Editor    This year, the Chinese Club and the Asian Student Union hosted their first collaborative potluck.     “The potluck was an event arranged by the Chinese Club in collaboration with the newly formed Asian Student Union with the goal of recruiting more students to join the club, and share our cultural food,” Wright said.     The Asian Student Union is a new club, formed by Jasmin Asif and Fatima Yousaf. The sponsors are Rocel Wright, college and scholarship coordinator, and Yanlan Jin, Chinese teacher.     “I want to be able to share the unique traditions that I grew up doing and share cultural awareness as well,” Wright said.     This event offered students the opportunity to experience new cultures and learn about people, and have a great time.     “[The Potluck was a] fun event in general to hangout with friends and share a good non-traditional Thanksgiving meal,” Wright said.     More events like this will happen this school year. For more information, follow ASU’s Instagram page and look for posters hung up around the school. Be sure not to miss these fun and educational events! 

Story by Morgan Hill – Assistant Editor-in-Chief/Sports Editor    With the looming drama of the College Football Playoff field ready to be set by the CFP committee, uncertainty is still in the air as to which teams will be in and which teams won’t. As of right now, the top two undefeated teams in Ohio State and Indiana are locks for the field, but both teams face off this weekend in the Big 10 championship game, which could cause some seeding uncertainty. Also in the Big 10 is Oregon, which looks to be locked in for a playoff spot and to possibly host a game.    In the SEC, there are six teams still in contention for playoff spots. In my opinion, five teams would most likely be in the playoff: Georgia, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Oklahoma, and Alabama. At this point, the sixth SEC team that is in contention is Vanderbilt, which still has a path to the playoff but is starting to look hard with other teams across the country peaking at this time.    However, in the Big 12, there are Texas Tech and BYU in serious contention for the playoff. Just like the Big 10, both teams play in their conference championship this weekend, as both teams are one-loss teams fighting for a spot in the bracket.    Outside of those conferences, there are other at-large teams looking to get in, such as Notre Dame, Miami, Virginia, and Tulane.    As there is much uncertainty right now, all will be resolved, and the CFP bracket should look clearer after Saturday’s conference championship games. The bracket will be permanently set on Sunday, December 6th, for the selection show. The real question that we will wait and see is who will be in and who will not. 

Story by Isabelle Flood – Editor-in-Chief/Social Media Editor On November 30th, the official bracket for the NCAA D1 Women’s Volleyball Tournament was released. Many fans are shocked about teams selected and the overall setup of the bracket.     The 31 division winners get an automatic bid to the tournament, but that leaves 33 spots left. With a 64-team bracket to be filled, the NCAA D1 Women’s Volleyball Committee selects the teams they want to fill those remaining spots. This is based on four major things: their win-loss record, significant wins, RPI (Ratings Percentage Index), and KPI (Key Performance Indicators).     This system seems like it would be effective and make fans happy, but the inconsistency in the committee selections and the unfairness in some divisions makes some fans hesitant to support.     “I think most of the teams selected are good; however, with the excessive number of small conferences across Division 1 volleyball, it leaves fewer spots open for teams in the Power Four conferences, which have a much more challenging regular season schedule,” Madi Benne, senior, said.     The top 4 teams in the bracket are Nebraska, Pittsburgh, Kentucky, and Texas. Nebraska is the only team undefeated, which is incredibly impressive for their difficult division and many ranked opponents they have faced.     Nebraska may seem like the obvious winner, but college volleyball is full of upsets. Whether you have a favorite team or just enjoy the sport, this tournament will be full of entertaining volleyball and high stakes match ups. The semifinals, on December 19th, and the finals, on December 21st, will be played at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City. 

Story & Graphic by Reagan Hill – Staff Reporter  With Thanksgiving break approaching, many teachers and students have made plans to spend time with their family and friends, surrounded by tons of love and good food. Leza Palguta, English teacher, plans to host family and friends for a huge gathering and spend the rest of the time catching up on sleep and enjoying preparation for the coming holidays.    “I love that we’re all together, and [her boys and their families] spend the whole time there,” Palguta said.    The Thanksgiving season brings many opportunities to come together and share a lovely meal with each other. There are many specialty dishes prepared that often carry fun memories or excellent tastes.    “I love green bean casserole, and I only eat it once a year! Seriously, why can’t we make green bean casserole for Sunday dinner?” Palguta said.    Although food is a crucial component of many Thanksgiving gatherings, most people often forget the true meaning and significance of this time of year.     “I think Thanksgiving is so underrated… It’s not even about the food, it’s about taking that time to stop and pause and go ‘even though things are hard, I have so much that I should be thankful for in my life,’” Palguta said.    With the true meaning of the season in mind, this upcoming break is sure to create lasting memories.  

Story & Photo by Emerson Godfrey – Staff Reporter   From classroom to office, everyone has an important role, but a lot go unrecognized. One overlooked position is a building administration assistant, which, at Lee’s Summit North, is taken by Leslie Minx. Minx has been working for the LSR7 School District since 2004. She moved to North in 2007 and has been trying different positions since.    “I started in here in the health room and just kind of moved around. And I just look for new places to go and learn new things,” Minx said.    Minx chose the position of building administrative assistant to challenge herself. She has enjoyed many aspects of working at Lee’s Summit North.    “Definitely the staff, the people, they are like family. And I get to know some really well, and that’s what makes it a great place to come work,” Minx said.    Ms. Minx is planning to retire in December, making this her last few weeks in this position.     “I got a lot of new things I want to do. Garden, raise chickens, probably sheep, I have grandkids to visit. But just knowing that if I want to go travel, I can travel, if I want to get up and I want to do this today, I can. All the projects I put off for a rainy day or for later, those are all coming to fruition now,” Minx said.    Ms. Minx has had a great impact on both Lee’s Summit North and the school district, whether seen or not. She will leave behind a legacy of leadership. But hopefully her retirement will allow her to make the day her own.

Story & Photo by Malaykah Mbeche – Staff Reporter    Maya Everett, English teacher, has been a high school teacher for 24 years now, but she has been teaching at Lee’s Summit North for two years.    Everett works with the Black Student Union [BSU] at North.    “I actually sponsored the BSU at my previous school and was asked if I would be interested in sponsoring the club at LSNHS, to which, of course, I responded: “Absolutely!”,” Everett said.    Everett not only works with the Black Student Union, but she also works with the National Honor Society [NHS] as well.    “I was asked if I was interested in supporting the NHS as a co-sponsor, and I agreed!” Everett said.    When she is not at school, she might be at a concert or a festival, and maybe even travelling out of town. She also spends her leisure time creating marketing materials for small businesses, organizations, and individuals.    You can find her in the English hallway on Friday mornings, welcoming students and blowing bubbles.

Story & Photo by Gracie Wolverton – Staff Reporter  After a season of overcoming changes and other obstacles, the North football team ended its season on Friday, November 7th.   In the first round of district play, the team lost 35-33 against cross-town rival Lee’s Summit High School.   The team overall had a well-received season; students believe the post-season games were cut short, but enjoyed the atmosphere of district play.  “Our team came back and almost won at the end of the game,” Max Matthews, senior, said. The Broncos look forward to cheering on their team again next season.

Story by Morgan Hill – Assistant Editor-in-Chief/Sports Editor    The 2025 LSN girls volleyball team will go down in history at LSN as the most successful volleyball team to date.    This season, the volleyball team pushed the standards of the program, working all the way to a state championship game appearance.    From the start, this team had big goals and lots of talent with a dream to get far into the state tournament, something LSN had never done before.    Prior to this year, LSN had not won a district championship in decades, and reaching for the goal of a deep state run had never become a reality.    Due to senior leadership from players Madi Benne, Piper Bahr, and Rhys Zinn, the Broncos were able to accomplish what was previously impossible.    The volleyball team achieved many great things, including a district championship, a state Final Four appearance, and a state championship game appearance, all of which were never before seen at LSN.    While the season set many new precedents in the championship game, the Broncos fell short in the fourth set.    However, the LSN community and former Bronco athletes are so proud of the volleyball team and all it has accomplished this season.

Story & Graphic by Isabelle Flood – Editor-in-Chief  A brand new club at LSN was started by Lena Scofield, Addison Harding, and Emily McEwen called Club Psych. This club meets every third Friday of every month in Ms. Hood-Johnson’s room.     Club Psych was created to help people learn about psychology and make projects surrounding the topics they learn about.     “Every month is focused on a different topic. We first learn about what we are focusing on that month, then do a fun activity correlated with it. For example, since October was mental health awareness month, we made a bulletin board called “take what you need” and added little slips of paper with inspiring quotes and sayings to help with any negative mental topics,” Lena Scofield, junior, said.     The main goal behind Club Psych is for students to get more involved in the school community without it being too overwhelming.     “It is very good to be involved, but sometimes being involved gets overwhelming and stressful. Club psych is a way to be involved but in a calming and educational way,” Scofield said.     School can get stressful and demanding at times, so having a place to relax and have fun within the school community is very important.    “We are here to spread positive vibes, a great way to be involved, and such a great way to meet new friends,” Scofield said.     If you are interested in finding out more about Club Psych, talk to Ms. Hood-Johnson or one of the founders of the club to learn more.