Content deleted Content added
Line 129:
<!--: [[Image:bla -->
Shawnee Mission West's mascot is the [[Viking]] and the official school colors are black and gold. West opened its doors in 1962; since then, it has been remodeled several times. Additions have also been made to the school, the most famous of which is "the bridge," an actual bridge between halves of the school that later had classrooms added beneath it. As of 2006, its population is 2,042. It is located in [[Overland Park, Kansas|Overland Park]]. Notable alumni include actor [[Paul Rudd]], NFL linebacker Steve Towle, basketball player [[Matt Freije]], comic book artist/writer [[Ande Parks]], actor/writer John Lehr, actor/director Jason Wiles, baseball writer [[Rob Neyer]], adult film actress Gwen Diamond, and seminary teacher Cris Howell. Every 4 years the West Pride Marching Band, along with the Golden Girls Dance Team, travel overseas to march in the New Years Day parade in London, England. The Madrigal Singers, currently under direction of Laura VanLeeuwen, were selected to represent West at Carnegie Hall 2006-07 year. The former principal, Dr. Karl Krawitz was the NEA III District Educator of the Year for 2004-2005. SM West is home to both an award-winning school newspaper, the EPIC, and yearbook, SAGA. [[Jaymie Stokes]], Miss Kansas Teen USA 2007, is a currently sophomore at West.
SM West has a student body population that is 8% African American, which is the highest African American population of any Shawnee Mission high school. Statistically, SM West is the most ethnically diverse high school in the district.
| |||