The Student News Site of Shawnee Mission Northwest

SMNW

The Student News Site of Shawnee Mission Northwest

SMNW

The Student News Site of Shawnee Mission Northwest

SMNW

Cougar Hunt

Cougar Hunt

September 11, 2023

Inside the Oven

Inside the Oven

September 11, 2023

Starting Over

Starting Over

September 11, 2023

Lighthouse

Lighthouse

September 11, 2023

Senior Will Ensley Remembered after Death in Car Crash

Senior Will Ensley Remembered after Death in Car Crash

August 24, 2023

Big Screen Barbie

August 24, 2023

Fall Fashion: Cecelia Chen

Fall Fashion: Cecelia Chen

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Fall Fashion: Murphy Galloway

Fall Fashion: Murphy Galloway

August 23, 2023

New Beginnings

New Beginnings

August 23, 2023

Procrastinating Perfectionist

Procrastinating Perfectionist

August 23, 2023

Influential Seniors: Connor Haley [video]

Influential+Seniors%3A+Connor+Haley+%5Bvideo%5D

What influenced your transition from sports to theater?
In middle school, I did the musicals and I tried football for the first time. I was still a little unsure about which one I should stay with for the rest of high school, but at the end of freshman year . He said, “If you are pondering whether or not you want to do theater, just go to an audition. You don’t have to do it. If you get a good role, you can stick with it. And if not, you go back to sports.” And I happened to land a decent role in Grease. After that, I was like, “I should probably keep doing this.”

What kind of legacy do you want to leave at Northwest?
I found out who I was almost halfway through high school and that some people don’t really know until they get to college or after college. I don’t know if you are really trying to find out who you are. Try to find out who you are not first; that makes it a whole lot easier.

How did being involved in theater influence you?
The thespian troupe here helped me learn a lot about others, and most importantly, it helped me learn about myself. I learned how to treat others with respect and kindness, and I learned how to respect myself. I learned I was capable of doing I didn’t even think I could.

What would’ve happened had you stuck with sports?
I probably would still be goofy but might not be as good a public speaker. I might not have been able to understand what it is like to be other people, because by acting, you transform yourself into someone else completely, totally different from yourself. By doing that, I was able to learn a lot about humanity.

Where are you going for college?
I am going to the University of Texas in Austin; I’m going to double major in business and theater.

What’s your life goal?
If I play my cards right, I’ll maybe get to Saturday Night Live in New York. But, it’s a long way away, and you have to work your way up to something like that. I did, however, over winter break take some stand-up improv classes in Chicago, which is kind of the comedy mainframe of the United States.

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Influential Seniors: Connor Haley [video]