THE
FREE PRESS free press Issue 8 | 20 May 2019 | Edition 22
In This Issue... Editors
Greta Hayden Editor in Chief Nick Burket Photo Editor Emma Milburn Design Editor
Reporters
Ridwan Firman Vivian Moriarty Erin Liston
Designers
Emily Zeller Angel Singhal Bobbie Morrison
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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Photo by Isis Norris
Table of Contents News
Seniors with Full Rides.................4
Profile
Ian Haas........................................5
Photo by Isis Norris
Fashion
Style Watch...................................6 Bird’s Word...................................7
Opinion
Morality........................................8 School Improvements....................9
Art
Art Club Photo Essay....................11
Feature
Senior Goodbyes...........................12-13
Entertainment
Water Warriors .............................14-15 May in Review..............................16
Provided by Ian Haas
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Seniors With Full G raduating from high school and moving on to college is a monumental step in life. Going from living with your parents and family every day to being confined in a dorm room with a complete stranger would take a while to adjust to. This is only one of the many other difficult transitions students have to make once they go to college. “One thing that will be difficult to adjust to will be not being around my parents because they have been a huge part of my education,” senior Nora Agah said. “It might be difficult to not have people there to talk things through with, since they have a lot of STEM experience.” However, college does not only bring difficult transitions, but it also encourages experiencing new things and allows students to plan out their life in an organized fashion. “When in college, I want to gain more stability within myself and a better knowledge of what progression I’m going to follow in my life,” senior Felix Rosenbaum said. Some students are enthusiastic about to going to college because they will be able to go through new and larger than life experiences.
“I feel really excited,” senior Jax Dineen said, who was granted a football scholarship to K-State. “I’m a little nervous going into a new team and a new coach but I’m really excited to see what I can do at the next level,” Dineen said. Although much anticipation and excitement is built up prior to going to college, there are plenty of things from home that will be missed. “I will definitely miss a lot of my friends,” Agah said. “I have met a lot of really nice people, including teachers, that have been really supportive of me and really kind and I will definitely miss them,” Although there may be adversities that students will face, college is an important step in one’s life that will teach a variety of lessons, both in academics and in life.
KU Pell Grant
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KU Volleyball
Ridwan Firman design by Emily Zeller photos by Baya Burgess story by
Jax Dineen
Lyla Beckingham
Rachel Hickman
Rides
K-State Football
Felix Rosenbaum Warren Wilson College
Nora Agah
Universtiy of Texas
All Aboard the
Braid
story by
Vivian Moriarty Emily Zeller
design by
Train
O
wning a business at a young age is challenging. Students in all grades are starting their own businesses, using their creative skills. Junior Ian Haas is striving for a well known and successful business. Haas learned the skill of braiding and other forms of creating hair styles for years. Haas braids or does clients’ hair for special occasions, and then charges them a minimal fee through a business known as ‘The Braid Train.’ “I basically do what a hair salon does, but cheaper,” Haas said. His skills came from a more modern training method used to learn anything from handlettering to building a house: YouTube. He credits @cutegirlshairstyles as his go-to for tutorials. Like a lot of other successful activities, starting a business oftentimes requires lots of
trial and error. “It was definitely a little awkward to ask people to pay me to do their hair,” Haas said, “because I wasn’t used to that initially. But now that I understand how to ask correctly, it’s a lot less awkward.” As important as trial and error is in business, experience formed overtime is vital for success. “When I first started having people pay me to do their hair it was a lot less organized,” Haas said. “I didn’t have any set prices or anything, but now since I’ve done it more it’s more solidified.” If you have a need to get an updo, braids, or ‘half up bangs’ Haas’ prices are very much affordable. “For updos I charge anywhere from $2025 and for half up bangs I charge $10-15,” Haas said.
A French Fishtail braid created by junior Ian Haas. Inspired by his mother to start braiding, Haas began looking at videos to learn how to braid. “My mom showed me how to French braid and I really enjoyed it,” Haas said. photo provided by Ian Haas
photo by Sahra Barker-Hastings
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MayStyle
story by BROOKE BURGESS page by ANGEL SINGHAL photo by SAHRA BARKER-HASTINGS
Junior Leslie Cruz
Where do you shop? As of lately, Forever 21 and any thrift store; I like Plato’s Closet because there are always good finds. How do you describe your style? Comfortable and sometimes bright. What is a fashion trend you want to try but haven’t yet? The really baggy camo pants; those are really cute but I just don’t think I can pull it off. Who influences/inspires your sense of fashion? Celebrities, especially when I see an outfit that I like I will probably try and find something similar and style it however I want. How does your personality influence your style? I like to say that I’m pretty laid back, and my style is pretty comfortable most of the time. Even if my outfit is a little dressier than usual, I still try to be comfortable. Tell us something interesting about yourself. English is my second language and my first is Spanish.
Freshman Lucia Cloud Where do you shop? Urban Outfitters and Arizona Trading Company How do you describe your style? Retro chic What is a fashion trend you want to try but haven’t yet? Denim on denim Who influences/inspires your sense of fashion? Audrey Hepburn has always been a big influence on my style because she always looked so put together and classy. How does your personality influence your style? I’m a perfectionist so when it comes to my clothes I like everything to match perfectly and I have one clear theme. Tell us something interesting about yourself. My little brother is blind.
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Word
Bird’s
story by RIDWAN FIRMAN page by ANGEL SINGHAL photos by SAHRA BARKAR-HASTINGS
What is your dream vacation?
I really want to go to Verona, Italy because my grandparents went there once it seems really cool. Sophomore Alex Dagget
I would probably go to Amsterdam on a boat tour down a river. Junior Emily Stone
I would like to go Japan and visit mount Fuji because when I went there before, the mountains looked really beautiful and I’d like to experience that again. Freshman Viet Nguyen
My dream vacation would be anywhere in the mountains on a nice day with a cool breeze next to a little stream. Senior Gabriel Jepson
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photos by BAYA BURGESS
GRETA HAYDEN pages by GRETA HAYDEN story by
Lessons with Hayden Struggling to find what's truly good' in this world
E
verything in this world feels so tainted. Is there any true ethical consumption? With everything in this world is so intertwined, my consumer habits have their impacts. The morality of it all is so confusing, and there doesn’t always seem to be a correct answer. I watch “The Good Place” almost religiously. I love watching the plot unfold and, as it unfolds, see different takes on morality. I ask myself quite often, “Would I make it into ‘The Good Place’? Or would I doomed to eternal torture?” Looking at my choices, I’d likely be tortured forever if I ever die. I credit this to my decisions as a consumer primarily. Sometimes, I buy an iced coffee. Alright, so I have my prized drink, but what came before that drink? The company from which I bought it has a partnership with Monsanto, a company that produces chemicals and genetically modified plants. Monsanto produces a popular herbicide that kills bees. Bee populations are already declining rapidly, and without bees, we would all probably die. Monsanto also has patented seed, and will sue farmers for violating the rule of “saving seed,” which is the practice of saving seeds each year without buying new ones the next. That violation also extends to plants that were contaminated accidentally. If a crop has the genes Monsanto patented and the farmer isn’t paying, there’s a likely lawsuit. That’s something I don’t support. So by buying coffee, am I responsible? I paid money to a company that essentially condones these practices
by partnering with this country. On the flip side, am I not at fault because I’m not directly killing bees or suing farmers. However, based on my beliefs, I think I am. What about driving my car? I live in an area where it’s extremely difficult to go places without a car. The closest bus station is about a 30 minute bike ride, and sometimes that’s not a viable option because of the weather or what I’m carrying. My car isn’t a hybrid or any sort of green car—it runs on fossil fuel. By driving my car, I’m adding carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, along with the emissions from the fuel used to ship the car itself. My iced coffee is a luxury. My car could be considered a luxury, but without it I couldn’t go places without inconveniencing someone else. Both my parents work, and I don’t want to be dependent on friends to give me rides. There’s so many other unanswered questions. Should low income families be responsible when buying inexpensive meat from animals raised in a feedlot? Are lawyers responsible if their guilty defendant is acquitted? When charities give out free meals, are they guilty when the meals come in styrofoam boxes? Do we lose points for laughing at and sharing offensive memes that perpetuate stereotypes and biases that hurt others? I keep wondering if I’ll wake up after I die on a couch and see “Welcome! Everything is fine.” When in reality, I’m faced with eternal punishment for moral crimes I didn’t know I committed. I know I’m not perfect, but still I want to be aware of my actions.
nothing
Nothing Changes if
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.
S
mall changes can lead to great outcomes. Our district does many impactful things for students. Yet, sometimes our voices are not heard. One thing that would benefit students is to free them up to focus on the classes they care about the most. On the downside, this would possibly take away from other classes, but it might be helpful for students in their future careers. This might help to make everyone’s learning experience equal. Let’s also make class workloads equal and to have more consistent class structures. This year was challenging because snow days created the need for schedule changes fourth quarter. Adjust the snow day policy so students can have a say in what the make-up schedule looks like. Some people have really been affected by the time changes and would have preferred an extra day to be added rather than extend the school day. It is hard to please everyone, but getting student input is a way to help students buy-in to a decision. On the topic of start times, changing in 2020-21
Changes
to a later start time was not what everyone wanted. Possibly having options for students who have out of school activities that wouldn’t change times would be beneficial. Although it could allow students to get more sleep, some schedules could be affected. With all of the gun violence happening in Lawrence, people would feel more comfortable if the administration was more transparent about threats happening at our school. Yes, it could be confusing and scary for students to know, but it is necessary if we want to be more aware in those types of situations. We also need to discuss gun violence more openly and enact change rather than ignoring it. Balancing funding between construction, education, sports, arts and clubs is difficult for our school, but it could be organized better in order to ensure everyone has what they need to thrive. Lastly, this school should go green. Not all classrooms have recycling bins, and we aren’t required to use them. Even just a small step in recycling could make the biggest difference.
Your opinion matters, too. Write to the school board, district, and even us. We are all in this together.
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#livenaismith
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club Art photo essay
Pages by BOBBIE MORRISON Photos by ISIS NORRIS
At Art Club where the chalkboard is planned and drawn, junior Leah Matthew looks over it with a friend. Matthews enjoyed creating art while being surrounded by other artists and friends. “Art club is like one big family,” Matthews said. “It is completely chill, judgment-free and friendly.
With clay on his hands, freshmen Jacob Rasmussen molds a sculpture. For Rasmussen, Art Club is a way to not worry about someone judging him or his work and be able to express himself. “ [Art Club] open to everyone you don’t really have to worry about anything or worry about someone judging you and you can just work on art,” Rasmussen said.
In his first time attending Art Club, sophomore Wilder Myslivy works on his art. Myslivy enjoyed being able to express his creativity. “It’s a good time,” Myslivy said.
Cleaning the blackboard, sophomore Scout Branden prepares to draw. For Branden, Art Club is a set time to express himself and work on art outside of the “It gives me a set time to work on art when normally I’d be busy with other extracurriculars and school,” Branden said.
Focusing in on her work, freshman Erin Rule sculpts a bowl. For Rule, Art Club is a way to express herself through her art and not feel judged by her peers. “It brings me the ability to express myself through art,” Rule said.
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story by Erin Liston pages by Bobbie Morrison photos by Isis Norris
Firebird
Farewell
Seniors looking back, moving forward Caitlin McAndrew-Beckman Going into high school I really thought it would be like “High School Musical,” I was wrong. Well sort of wrong… for one there was definitely less random singing (unless you’re with Emma or it’s Encore season). While there is no Ms. Darbus, there were plenty of teachers that have made high school pretty great, and I thank them. The best thing about Free State has been the people. I have made so many new friends and grown closer to old ones. While not every moment of high school was the best, for the most part it’s been pretty great. “What we leave, what we take with us no matter what, It’s something we’re part of...Step into the future, We’ll hold on to, high school…” -High School Musical 3
Erin Liston “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” -Ferris Bueller. High school and life in general go by really fast. These past four years have kind of been a blur, but in a good way. I’ve learned a lot about myself and have grown into a better person. I’ve cried in the bathroom maybe 20 times, but it’s been fun. I am grateful and happy for the people I’ve met and the friendships I’ve made. This year has been one of the best years of my life, filled with many lasts. I’m looking forward to starting a new beginning in my life, but scared to start all over. Thank you Free State, even though I have senioritis and don’t always want to come to school, thank you. Shoutout to Coach Heff. Peace out Girl Scouts!
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Emma Johnson I’m so ready to be done with high school now that I’ve pretty much got next year all planned out. But it’s crazy to think some of the people I’ve been going to school with since kindergarten won’t be there next year. I got so lucky with the friends I made in elementary school. I’m still friends with them now so I don’t have any worries about what will happen to us in the years to come. But being away from them next year will BE SO HARD. So will not being in ceramics class. Okay was that 100 words?
Jax Egan “Sometimes I push the door close button on people running towards the elevator. I just need my own elevator sometimes. My sanctuary.” -Kanye West
Corinne Scales My experiences at Free State were mostly positive experiences and for that I am grateful. I found the people I enjoy being around and the classes I actually enjoy taking. I will miss select people, but in the end I guess I had a decent time.
Walker Koberlein
Free State will always be a special place to us. I love Lawrence and everyone in it, but I’m SO ready to go to Wyoming and be outdoors. High school was some of the best years of my life, and I loved being involved in many activities, including my favorites choir and cross country. This year I have gotten to experience so much life in such a short time. I’ve gotten to go on an exchange program, faked myself as a delegate of Uruguay in the IAEA and experienced the wonders of Encore 2019! I got to learn so much about myself, my surroundings and my friends. Once a Firebird, always a Firebird.
Jori Rudisell I will miss Free State, but I am so happy it’s finally my time to graduate! Although I won’t be going far to JCCC, it’s still bittersweet leaving a place where I met so many wonderful and kind people who have shaped me into the person I am today. I am thankful to have had the opportunity to have been apart of many activities such as tennis, choir and journalism! I am just forever grateful I was able to attend a school filled with teachers who care and want you to succeed. I still can’t believe it’s my time to go, after so many years of school this year has by far been the shortest. Thank you Free State for all you’ve done!
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Warriors
Water
pages by EMILY ZELLER
Seniors continue end of year water tag game • Must use a water gun • No trespassing • No tags between 11 pm-6 am • Must follow and submit tags to Water Warriors Twitter @fswaterwarriors
Place of worship
Round 1 126 players
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• No re-entry after being tagged • No use of physical force • Must tag assignment within a week • Must take a confirmation photo or video • No vandalism or damaging property • $5 entry fee
School campus and sponsored events
Round 2 47 players
Round 3 18 players
Place of work
Round 4 5 players
Finalists:
Will Davis Advice
“It takes a little bit of strategy, but it mainly takes a lot of luck to win so don’t spend your weekends locked up in your room trying not to get shot because you still probably won’t luck out enough to win.” -Will Davis
Grand Prize: $630 Malachi Daniels Strategy
“My strategy was just to get my person out early so I could lay low and not worry about people knowing who I have.” -Malachi Daniels
Miles Kingsley Advice “Establish a very small circle from the beginning of friends you know that you can trust, and even be hesitant with them.” -Miles Kingsley
Julia Larkin Strategy “I mostly just tried to like stay inside, kinda lie to everyone about who I had and then I would try to sneak up on my person.” -Julia Larkin
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Review
May in photo by Isis Norris
photo by Baya Burgess
photo by Kameren Prather
After the Thespian Club Egg Hunt, freshman Anna Hayden empties the eggs she found to collect her prizes. The first ever egg hunt was organized in order to raise awareness for the Thespian Club. “It’s fun to express yourself through the arts and theatre,” Hayden said.
page by EMMA MILBURN
Stepping up to serve, freshman Isa Evans plays against her peers at Mud Volleyball. Students like Evans spent their Saturday morning at Broken Arrow Park. “The hardest part was definitely the mud,” Evans said. “Every time you tried to jump or move you had two options: you would either get stuck or you would fall over in the mud, which made it even more fun.” In tandem with sophomore Spencer Greenwood, freshman Katie Greenwood sings a duet. Choir for Greenwood has been a way to interact with her teachers and peers. “I really like music,” Greenwood said. “The class has helped me learn more about it and boost my confidence as well.”
photo by Isis Norris
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During his final Improv Team performance of his senior year, Mason Canada performs a skit with his teammates. Even though he is in his final year, improv still provides challenges and rewards. “I’d say the hardest thing about improv is getting over the crippling fear that you’re going to do bad… but once you get past that, you’re basically immortal,” Canada said.
