Free Press: Issue 4, Edition 22

THE

FREE PRESS free press Issue 4 | 19 December 2018 | Edition 22

In This Issue...

Editors

Erin Liston Editor in Chief Nick Burket Photo Editor Greta Hayden Design Editor Jax Egan Co-Sports Editor Hayden Robinson Co-Sports Editor

Reporters

Ahmed Jakmouj Walker Koberlein

Designers

Juliana Wilches-MerchĂĄn Spencer Farrell

Photographers Cheyenne Fisher Tatum Clopton Megan Gannaway Riley Boehle Anna Riley Isabel Janssen

The Free Press is an open forum that accepts letters to the editor and guest writing which must include the writer’s name and telephone number. Letters may be edited due to space limitations, libel or inappropriate content. Submit letters to Room 201 or send to the Free Press in care of...

Lawrence Free State High School 4700 Overland Drive Lawrence, KS 66049.

The opinions expressed in The Free Press are not necessarily those of the Free Press staff, the high school administration or that of USD 497 Board of Education.

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Table of Contents News

Cuff It Up......................................4 Winter Sports Preview..................5

People photo by Tatum Clopton

Style Watch...................................6 Holiday Traditions........................7

Column

Lessons with Liston.......................8

Staff Editorial

Censorship....................................9

Photo Essay

Dungeons & Dragons....................10

Feature

Seasonal Depression......................12-13

Entertainment photo by Tatum Clopton

Artist of the Month.......................14 Holiday Gift Guide.......................15 Photo Recap..................................16

785-550-5090 photo by Erin Liston

bcclcc@yahoo.com

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Cuff itUp

C

uffing season, it sounds hostile, but in reality it is a term used by many teenagers on social media.

It is a time to find that special someone to spend the holidays and cold winter months with.

According to Urban Dictionary, the term differs cuffing from regular dating by seasonal change.

“During the fall and winter months people who would normally rather be single or promiscuous find themselves along with the rest of the world desiring to be “cuffed” or tied down by a serious relationship.

The cold weather and prolonged indoor activity causes singles to become lonely and desperate to be cuffed.”

Throughout the colder seasons, teenagers want to find a significant other to spend time and share winter dates with.

“I guess since it’s cold...people just want to take cute pictures and cuddle and watch movies and stuff,” junior Brehna Robinson said.

Many people get into relationships more in the winter because of the lonesome feelings they have. “[Cuffing season happens] probably because people feel lonely during the holidays,” senior Zack Pitts said.

Some view this as a time to show their freedom, even if they are in a relationship.

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Winter months bring in new relationships Story by WALKER KOBERLEIN

“I’m an independent woman and I’ll hang out when I want to hangout,” senior Cassidy Warden said. “It’s my choice and if I want to hang out with friends I’ll hang out with friends. It doesn’t matter who you’re hanging out with.”

Being part of a relationship during the holidays isn’t just giving gifts, it’s having someone to make memories with.

“Having someone else to share those memories and build traditions with is really fun,” senior Miles Kingsley said. “It’s a time where you’re supposed to bring yourself closer with other people and so having a significant other to share that with and give presents to and just spend the holidays with is really nice.”

Although cuffing season is seen as more of a joke on social media it is based off of the amount of people that get into relationships in the winter and why they do so.

For the teens who don’t have that perfect person, humor is used on apps such as Twitter, by posting about not having a ‘boo.’

Whether it’s loneliness or just wanting someone to spend the holidays with, wanting to be ‘cuffed’ is desired by many teenagers.

Winter Boys Basketball

Sports Preview

After losing in the state championship last year, the Firebirds hope to return to the state tournament.

Led by senior guard Noah Butler who scored a career high 31 points in the season opener. With a lack of seniors on this years team, Butler hopes to take on the role of team leader.

“I try to lead by example, if that means scoring then I’ll do that, if I have to dive on a loose ball or lock up the other teams best player then I’ll do that,” Butler said.

Girls Basketball

Finishing last season with only four wins, the team hopes to show improvement this season.

Sharing the ball and including teammates is something senior Sam Lawrence has prioritized in her final season.

“Since I’m a starter I just really want to get people the ball and make sure everyone’s included and organized,” Lawrence said.

The Firebirds have a 2-2 record showing promise to a successful season.

“We’re really getting stuff together and working hard so I’m excited to see what happens this season,” Lawrence said.

Wrestling

In a new season, the wrestling team hopes to return individuals to the state tournament and take the top spot on the podium.

Junior Joey Eddis who went to the state tournament last season wants to redeem himself.

“At the end of last year I lost a chance to place

at state so this year I hope to get on to the podium,” Eddis said.

This season, the team hopes to perform better as a whole rather than individuals.

“Our team this year is very cohesive and we work well together opposed to last year where we thought we had a good team,” Eddis said.

Boys Swimming

Heading into the season, the swim team sets high expectations. With contributions from multiple underclassmen like Reilley Moore, Brady Flynn, Ben Vorthmann and Riley Sirimongkhon-Dyck, the Firebirds are set for a successful season.

“We’ve got a couple of really good freshman this year and we have all of our returners so I’m excited to see how we perform when it comes down to the league and state competitions,” senior Jake Viscomi said.

With sights on winning the Sunflower League and competing at the state tournament the team has a long season ahead to prove themselves as a state title contender.

Coed Bowling

With an addition of Coach Burton to the staff, head coach Chuck Law hopes to see his squad compete at every tournament.

“I’m excited to see Law and Burton work together to really help this team succeed this year,” senior Bayn Schrader said.

Schrader has competed on the Varsity level for multiple seasons and hopes to finish his career at Free State with his best season yet.

“This year I’m set on making it in the top five at the state tournament,” Schrader said.

For the girls, Senior Reagan Finkeldie will continue to knock down pins and help them win.

Shannon Clark, a sophomore who's played basketball since kindergarten, aggressively reaches for the ball during Free State's first home game. "I played for my Dad's CYO team in elementary school so I always played and really fell in love with it in fifth grade," Clark said. She's hoping to continue basketball through college.

Picture by Tatum Clopton

story by AHMED JAKMOUJ pages by JULIANA WILCHES-MERCHAN

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StyleWatch sophomore, Sun

Where do you shop?

Flannels over hoodies.

What's your favorite animal?

How do you describe your style?

What is your favorite clothing item?

My Raf Simons.

Rolf

What fashion trend do you hate?

Lots of thrift stores like Wild Man, ATC and Goodwill.

Casual.

Photos by CHEYENNE FISHER Interviewed by WALKER KOBERLEIN

A Dog.

Tell us something interesting about yourself.

My hair used to not be curly.

What fashion trend do you love?

Beat up clothing-- pre-beat up.

senior, Ivy

Herndon

Where do you shop?

Brandy Melville fits my style really well. I’ve been shopping a lot more at local thrift stores, for awhile I had trouble finding stuff but I kind of learned how to pick things out. Urban Outfitters.

How do you describe your style?

What fashion trend do you love?

I have been really obsessed with wearing long sleeve shirts underneath short sleeve shirts or dresses. I can keep wearing my clothes from summer and fall during the winter too.

What fashion trend do you hate?

My style is constantly changing so I really hate cheesy graphic t-shirts it’s hard to put a fixed descrip- from places like Forever 21 like “But tion on it. Honestly, in a first coffee.” couple month it will be completely different. Right now What’s your favorite animal?

I’ve been wearing a lot of darker colors, I like big cats like tigers, lions, or which in the winter I tend to do. leopards. They’re fierce but also really grateful.

What is your favorite clothing item?

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I have a pair of white and cream Adidas Tell us something interesting about Falcons, they’re sneakers that I really yourself. like. They’re supposed to look like 90’s I dyed my own type sneaker. hair purple recently and I was worried that it would clash with all my clothes, but I think it turned out fine.

Bird’s

Word

What's your favorite holiday tradition?

“My family doesn’t have any specific traditions, but we just get together with our family and celebrate. We usually have our Christmas celebration with our extended [family], but I celebrate on Christmas with my immediate family.” senior, Noel White

“Typically I go see family in western Kansas, because we have a lot of family out there. We have all the family in Kansas all meet in one area and we have a two to three day extravaganza where we all have fun.”

sophomore, Riley Bredemus

“We celebrate Christmas and we have this ancient Christmas tree we’ve had since before I or even my sister was born. We’ll take it out around Christmas and set it up and every year it gets more raggidy and loses more needles and its kind of fun every time.”

junior, Louden Schwab

“I like decorating the tree with my family and making gingerbread cookies. We also have family over and we have a Christmas get together with everyone.” freshman, Estella Grove

“My family usually sets up the Christmas tree.

Sometimes we travel up to Minnesota where we live during the summer.”

junior, Will Burns

“Decorating our Christmas tree we set up each year and just listening to some Christmas music and baking some cookies” junior, Hanna Au Yeong

Photos by MEGAN GANNAWAY Interviewed by AHMED JAKMOUJ Pages by JULIANA WILCHES-MERCHAN

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Liston

Lessons with story by ERIN LISTON

How bullying impacts students and school atmosphere

photo by MEGAN GANNAWAY pages by GRETA HAYDEN

"Nobody should be judged or shamed for their differences"

senior, Erin Liston

W 8

itnessing bullying at any school is pretty common. I’ve been accustomed to this issue since I started public school back when I was six years old.

Yet, when I walked into a class my first day of senior year, I noticed one student in particular, a student who was being made fun of by others for his differences. I was angry and confused, so I decided to say something.

Instead of apologizing the students responded by saying they just wanted to treat him normally, but what I was seeing was not normal, it was bullying.

I made the decision to interact with this student to find out he was just a normal guy who likes video games and wants to talk

with others and have fun in class. Everyday I would hangout and have conversations in class with him. Through that I realized somehow we need to do something to try and prevent bullying happening to other students.

I know the issue of bullying will never fully go away, because it’s ingrained in people’s minds. For some it is a defense mechanism and other people bully because of their jealousy. Nobody should be judged or shamed for their differences, but people will continue to do so because they have low self esteem.

One thing I can say is just be kind to everyone you meet, you don’t know what they are going through or have gone through in their lives.

Censorship A staff editorial reflects a general opinion of journalism staff. Everyone submits their opinions and a reporter writes an editorial representing the opinions of the staff

C

ensorship is a complicated subject. On one hand it protects people, but on the other hand it shelters people from the education that they deserve.

High school’s purpose is to prepare its students for starting “real life” and what is out there in the real world isn’t censored or painted over. Exposing students to subjects such as racism and misogyny should be necessary in order to teach them what is incorrect and how to handle situations involving those in the future.

Censoring artists, authors and other professional peoples products takes away their expression and what they want to teach to the world. In the school musical “9 to 5,” audience members called for the play to be altered after opening night. One point of view is those parts were crucial to the storyline. Opposite of that is that there were children in the audience being exposed to sexual innuendos and substance abuse.

Administration should have viewed the play at a rehearsal or read the script. Some audience members were uncomfortable with scenes portraying drug use and sexuality. A way to solve part of the problem would be to have the production prominently labeled as PG-13 to warn the audience members.

Education should not be censored, but told truthfully. Exposure to sensitive topics can help people understand the world around them more. Even if the topic is controversial, it is still important to show to people.

photo illustration by Greta Hayden and Anna Riley

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make a perception check at

Dragons 20

Dungeons &

Club

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At the head of the table sits the Dungeon Master who controls the game as it goes along.

“The general community is nice and they’re all really focused on what they’re doing,” says freshman Ian Watt who’s been playing D&D for three years now.

“I think probably since the school started there’s been a Dungeon & Dragons club here,” sponsor Bryan Lloyd said about the culture of the gaming club here at Free State.

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Intricate lines are shown on a map or terrain of the common game Dungeons & Dragons.

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pages by GRETA HAYDEN photos by TATUM CLOPTON

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The Effects of Seasonal Depression Seasonal Depression explained, how to help cope

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Hotlines for additional help

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline- 1-800-273-8255 Crisis Hotline- Text DBSA to 741-741 National Hopeline Network-800-442-4673

D

uring the winter months, where everything is colder, darker, and a little bit more dreary, it may be hard to stay cheery all the time. While the holidays are coming soon, school responsibilities greatly increase as well as the time we spend indoors. These little things can add up until it becomes something bigger, like Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) or Seasonal Depression as many people call it.

“Seasonal Depression is when environmental elements have a profound effect on one’s well mental state of being,” drawing teacher Rachel Downs said.

“Change in light, change in weather, and/or change in general can sometimes be a precursor for confusion between the mind and the body.”

Senior Lia Ladner has dealt with SAD, as well as many more mental disorders.

“Starting around eighth grade, I started noticing that I was feeling different things than everyone else,” Ladner said. “Junior year is really when s#! went down.”

Ladner started having issues with depression and anxiety and in turn missed a substantial amount of school. She would now describe the feeling as feelings of paralysis, problems with breathing, having no motivation to do anything, as well as perceiving her peers had negative thoughts towards her.

“I ended up digging a hole that was so deep I couldn’t get myself out,” Ladner said.

In January of that year, she went to an independent therapist and things started to get better.

pages by SPENCER FARRELL story by WAKER KOBERLEIN photo illustration by ERIN LISTON

“Normally my therapy sessions are once every two weeks but during the winter time, I call it ‘the big sad,’” Ladner said. “During ‘the big sad’ I have a therapy appointment once a week or once every 10 days.”

SAD manifests differently in every single person, but it is still healthy to openly talk with trusted people.

“It is always and also helpful to surround oneself with support…supportive activities, people and environments,” Downs said. “[Some ways to cope] could be to journal, to write and draw through it, to express oneself, to release, to let go of some of the depressive mind activity.”

While learning what SAD actually is, it’s also important to know healthy ways to cope.

Ladner said her favorite thing to do is help others who are struggling like her.

“I’m always looking for ways where I can be like ‘let me help at this soup kitchen, I can donate to this drive’ especially in the winter time because it’s harder for disenfranchised people,” Ladner said.

She also likes to watch uplifting movies, like “Trolls,” and loves to make music with the groups she’s in, including Chamber Choir and Chamber Singers as well as Wind Ensemble.

It is important for anyone suffering from SAD to talk about it. Winter is a hard couple months for just about everyone, and it is crucial to discuss it.

“Everyone needs help [and needs to talk about it], that’s universal and no one should be ashamed,” Ladner said.

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Artists

of the Month

Charlie Smith, room 205 Jeremy Nuckolls, room 201

Charlie Smith

"I try to relate my feelings of being nonbinary, being overwhelmed, being a survivor of sexual assault and abuse and not having a consistent father figure through my art. It's tough stufff and really hard to let myself feel exposed like that."

Charlie Smith

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Charlie Smith, junior

Jeremy Nuckolls

Jeremy Nuckolls

pages by SPENCER FARRELL

Buy: • Cozy Blankets • Their favorite movie • Sweets • Books • Clothes

Buy: • Hammock • Sunglasses • Water Bottle • Gardening Gear • Hat

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Photo Recap

Swimming the 200 medley relay, junior Aiden Holt takes another breath before going under for another stroke. Holt’s teammates encouraged him to beat his personal record. “My favorite thing about swimming is the meets because I’m competitive and I like racing people,” Holt said. photo by Isabel Janssen Concerned, the three lead characters plot to blackmail to antagonist.

Margaret McPherson (right) played the role of Violet. “I saw so much of myself in my character,” McPherson said, “We’re both hard working women who like to raise a little hell.” photo by Anna Riley

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photo by Riley Boehle

pages by GRETA HAYDEN