Free Press Issue 2, Edition 22

THE

FREE PRESS free press

Issue 2| 1 November 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

Isaac Longren Alexandra Decker

Designers

Juliana Wilches-MerchĂĄn Maddie Day

Photographers Anna Riley Cheyenne Fisher Ruthie Mutuku Riley Boehle Isabel Janssen

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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.

Table of Contents Feature

Grit’s Homecoming.......................4-7

News photo by Anna Riley

Spooky Season..............................8-9 Who’s a Good Boy?.......................10-11 I Am Not Your Costume...............18-19

Art

Featured Art..................................14-15

Photo Essay

Spooky Sightings...........................16-17

Birds Word

Scariest Experience.......................20-21

photo by Cheyenne Fisher

Opinion

Homecoming Kings......................22-23

Entertainment

Halloween Style............................24-25 Lessons with Liston.......................26-27 Sports Conditioning......................28-29 Costume Capsule..........................30-31 October Recap..............................32

photo by Anna Riley

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Grit’s homecoming Hendersons' son comes home to finish out cancer treatment story by ERIN LISTON

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hroughout the past 10 months, Family and Consumer Science teacher and freshman football coach Nolan Henderson and special education teacher Laura Henderson have been separated due to their son Grit’s treatment for Embryonal Rhabdomyosarcoma at St. Jude’s hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.

Doctors recently allowed Grit to come home to finish out his treatment and be reunited with his family.

“We are not in remission, as some people I think have mistaken,” Henderson said. “Everything was just going so well that our doctors at St. Jude’s thought it was okay for us to go home and finish some treatment here.”

The emotion Henderson feels when he gets to go home and see his family together he terms as ‘indescribable.’

“There’s nothing like it,” Henderson said. “It’s

been awesome, I’m so happy to have him home. Life is much better right now.”

Henderson said the stress he felt when his family was separated instantly went away when they were reunited.

“It’s easier to go to sleep, it’s easier to wake up, it’s easier to go home,” Henderson said. “We don’t have a huge house, but it’s pretty big for one person. The house isn’t empty. There’s life, there’s messes, there’s childrens toys everywhere. Overnight, the stress just went away, even the first night.”

On the night of Grit’s arrival back to Lawrence, the football team surprised the Hendersons by gathering at their house to welcome the family home.

“When his family came into town, we all went to his house that night and they were all surprised,” freshman Jet Dineen said.

The Lawrence community has rallied behind the Henderson family.

“It’s just been amazing all the way around,” Henderson said. “From the wristbands to the t-shirts, to the Games for Grit, everything’s been so incredible I mean it’s just amazing. We wouldn’t be where we are without the support of the community.”

Upon hearing the news, the school community overflowed with support and continues to do so.

“I think one of the things that is great about Free State is that everyone is considered part of the Firebird Family,” principal Myron Graber said. “In this type of culture it is about supporting staff through the good and difficult times that life presents. These types of events are what life is really about, giving and helping others, and hopefully this builds the culture and community of support.”

Communities beyond Lawrence have recognized baby Grit’s determination and have contributed to supporting the Henderson family by wearing Team Grit bracelets and t-shirts.

“It seems like everybody knows him and us,” Henderson said. “Now nationally we’re on some St. Jude campaigns so we are seen all over the country and now people are starting to see the team Grit shirts and bracelets all over the place... It’s pretty neat. Neat for just knowing that people care and I wish everybody had that. I know not everybody does and that sucks.”

continued on pages 6-7

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One of the most important things Henderson has learned from this is to live life to the fullest.

“Little things that used to be a big deal don’t seem to be a big deal,” Henderson said. “You can’t take things for granted, you only get one shot at this thing and you might as well give it the best shot you have.”

Henderson reflects upon his family’s strength throughout the past year and the changes they went through together.

“To go through this and see what you’ve seen and dealt with things that you never thought were imaginable, it definitely changes you,” Henderson said. “It changes you for the better. It’s different, but it’s better and we’re stronger, and more appreciative of each other.

Henderson has become a stronger person after seeing and realizing how tough the treatment process for cancer is.

“I don’t let little things bother me because now I know what people who have had cancer and gone through chemo [go through] and watched my child go through [it],” Henderson said. “You just realize you got it better than most people, so definitely I wasn’t as tough as I thought I was and now I realize I’m a lot tougher than I ever thought I could be.”

Henderson teaches and shows that strength as a coach to his football team.

“I think it makes us work harder,” Dineen said.

“Also when we are hurt, we realize that it’s not that big of a deal when he’s going through something like that.”

Henderson wishes that his son continues to show the meaning behind his name and to not take life for granted.

“We will try to raise him with the expectations of doing your best for other people in your community and not complaining about things that don’t matter and not complaining about things that you don’t have because they can all be taken away,” Henderson said.

“I hope that he just continues to show that he’s got a lot of grit and toughness.”

Grit continues to be the smiley, happy baby seen in pictures posted and shared all over social media.

“He’s always smiling, always happy, always grateful to meet somebody new,” Henderson said. “He is really as happy as he is in those pictures. It’s not hard to get him to smile and do stuff and be happy, it’s awesome, we are really lucky.”

spread by MADDIE DAY photos courtesy of THE HENDERSONS

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grit /grit/ noun

1. courage and resolve; strengh of character

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Spooky Season STORY BY ERIN LISTON

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rick-or-treating, getting sugar highs, dressing up in costumes, the smell of all things pumpkin, watching scary movies, these all go into what Halloween is all about.

As kids, trick-or-treating was the most important part of Halloween, and to some it still is.

“I believe in the mentality [that] trick-ortreating can happen at any age,” sophomore Drew Leibold said.

Some teenagers leave their old traditions of trick-or-treating behind for different activities.

“I used to go trick-or-treating all the time and now I usually go to a haunted house or just hand out candy versus going to houses and getting candy,” junior Sabrina Gudenkauf said.

Some of the most valuable traditions held are with friends, Gudenkauf mentioned that every year her and her best friend have a tradition of being with each other.

“I always dress up with my best friend and we always make sure to hangout,” Gudenkauf said. “Even if it’s just for five minutes because we’re super busy that day we make sure that we see each other that day because we just always have.”

One of the most memorable things about Halloween for senior Addie Unekis was being able to obtain free candy.

Being showered in Halloween candy, freshman Takoma Lees looks to the sky. “My favorite part of Halloween is going to parties and hanging out with friends,” Lees said. photo by Anna Riley

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spread by MADDIE DAY photos by ANNA RILEY

halloween traditions

then

and

now

Halloween candy surrounds freshman Takoma Lees. “My favorite type of candy is most definitely Dum Dums,” Lees said. photo by Anna Riley

“I felt like I was scamming people even though it was just how that holiday works, but now it’s [my favorite thing] just seeing kids running around being excited,” Unekis said.

Due to Halloween usually falling on a weekday, school is still happening and most people don’t enjoy having to go back to school after the holiday is over.

“The day after [is my least favorite thing about Halloween] and having to usually go back to school,” freshman Takoma Lees said.

As spooky season sets in, the excitement heightens and the feeling of Halloween is everywhere.

“I like the spooky and skeletons and the whole

atmosphere people give out when Halloween is present,” Leibold said.

Halloween has been around for almost 2,000 years and even though the meaning of it has changed slightly, the tradition has remained steady due to costumes still being worn and decorations that embody the holiday.

“All the movies, all the decorations, all the stores bringing out their halloween stuff just brings more and more excitement every year,” Gudenkauf said. “I think that that general hype that it gets gives it a lot more attention.”

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Petting her puppy, Keely Hammontree plays with Charlie. Hammontree adopted Charlie about two months ago. “[Charlie] loves to play fetch and take long walks when I get home from work,� Hammontree said. photo by Anna Riley

Basking in the sun, Charlie looks up at his human for a treat. Charlie is an energetic puppy and loves to play outside. photo by Anna Riley

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pages by MADDIE DAY photos by ANNA RILEY

Who’s a Good Boy? future service dog promises comfort, energy

story by ERIN LISTON and ISAAC PAUL LONGREN

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eeking comfort, students all across school are happy when they see Charlie, the school service dog hopeful. Charlie is taken care of by special education teacher Keely Hammontree who adopted Charlie when he was abandoned.

“Charlie is three and a half months old,” Hammontree said. “He and his brothers were abandoned at one of my student’s houses when they were about five weeks old. I adopted Charlie when he was seven weeks old.”

Because he was abandoned, Charlie’s breed is unknown, but the veterinarian has given some clues as to what it could be.

“Charlie’s vet thinks that he could be either a Labrador mix or Golden Retriever mix,” Hammontree said.

Being active is one of the most common traits a puppy can have.

“Charlie is a very active puppy with lots of energy,” Hammontree said. “He loves to play fetch and take long walks when I get home from work.”

Along with Charlie, Hammontree owns another dog as well.

“Charlie also loves to play with his brother, Juneau,” Hammontree said. “Juneau is a 12 year old Siberian Husky. They like to play tugof-war together.”

Charlie’s cuteness does not go unnoticed as he trots through the halls. “[Charlie is important] because he is so cute,” junior Leah Matthews said.

Working towards becoming a service dog, Charlie has to go through months of training in Kansas City to ensure that he does his job correctly when he is older.

“Therapy dogs have to go through intensive training with trainers so that they can give affection and a sense of comfort to people in schools, hospitals and people in stressful

situations,” Hammontree said. “This training will take Charlie roughly two months to complete.”

Dogs can provide a bond other humans can sometimes not with people in crisis.

“I personally feel like therapy dogs are really important for people...,” junior Alyssa Hess said.

“You can see how much they help people, and the connection that a person has with a dog...I feel like a lot of people in our school could use that whenever they need it.”

Service dogs play an important role in some students’ education and daily life. They can provide contentment in times when students are under stress or pressure.

“School can be a hard and stressful place for people to be,” Hammontree said. “Charlie is important to Free State because he immediately brings happiness and comfort to those that he sees. He is always happy, and loves to make others feel happy, too.”

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spread by MADDIE DAY

studio 205

October

Skyler Martinek-Ballard "It's a really good form of expression and it helps calm me down."

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artist of the month

Laila Robinson

studio 201

It is a way to express myself and it is different than any other of the classes.

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A scarecrow cracks the back of its pumpkinheaded friend. This was spotted outside a chiropractor’s office on Sixth Street.

Photo by Anna Riley

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In the spirit of Halloween, the Raven Book Store has its windows decorated with spiderwebs. They are also featuring spooky novels for sale.

Photo by Anna Riley A red and blue motel is left abandoned. This haunted house can be found off of Sixth Street.

Photo by Anna Riley

Jack Skellington and spiderwebs cover the windows of Arizona Trading Company on Massachusetts Street.

Photo by Anna Riley Spider webs stretch across a front lawn. These spirited decorations are on a home near West Middle School.

Photo by Anna Riley

Spooky Sightings Pages by JULIANA WILCHES-MERCHAN

Photo Essay

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not

I am

W

your costume

earing offensive costumes during Halloween is just one of many examples of cultural appropriation seen in the world.

Defining cultural appropriation can be as simple as using a culture that is not yours.

“It means stealing from another culture or doing something another culture does, but not really treating it with respect,” junior Cass Dent said. “Kind of taking credit for it sometimes, that’s what cultural appropriation is to me.”

When wearing offensive costumes, most people are seen as ignorant because they are not educated on what their costume means.

“I don’t think they understand the meaning behind their costumes,” senior Ally Bido said. “They just do it for aesthetic purposes and not think about what it actually means.”

Costumes appropriating cultural symbols or that are caricatures can demonstrate a lack of

"It's like this person is just stealing and they don’t care, and I always feel uncomfortable by it." junior, Cass Dent

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understanding of the history and context of the costume. The person wearing the costume can unknowingly be signaling they are ignorant of cultures other than their own.

“It makes me feel kind of gross,” Dent said. “It’s like this person is just stealing and they don’t even care.

I always feel uncomfortable by it.”

Some people lose respect for others when they see a callous disregard for cultural appropriation.

“Usually when I see someone wearing a costume of that [nature], I’m like either they’re just an idiot, or I just don’t hold them in the same respect,” junior Hank Hurst said.

Some students think more people are aware of cultural appropriation and they see less of it now.

“I think the awareness of it has gotten better,” Bido said. “I see more and more people, if they do appropriate a culture, they most likely will get called out for it. People will educate them on why it’s wrong.”

Even though there’s more consciousness surrounding it, it’s difficult to eliminate completely.

“I think it’s gotten better, but it still has a long long way to go,” Dent said.

Halloween isn’t the only time cultural appropriation is seen in the world.

“I think people should just be more careful when choosing their costumes,” Bido said. “I think it’s a problem not just for Halloween, but for a lot of other things.”

Fixing the issue of cultural appropriation will continue to be an issue. Educating others is the first step to solving the problem.

“I would just try my best to let them know that it’s wrong without necessarily calling them out for being an awful person,” Bido said. “Just showing them why and how they can fix it.”

story by ERIN LISTON pages by GRETA HAYDEN photos by RUTHIE MUTUKU

Students speak out against culural appropriation during Halloween

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Bird’s Word What is the scariest experience you have ever had?

“I used to sleep on the couch while we were painting my room. One night, I looked over to the next room and I thought for five whole minutes that Slender Man was watching me.

Turns out, it was my brothers cello case. But, I looked over into the dining room and I swear I saw a man looking through the back door.”

Freshman, Iris Branden

“I used to live in this really old farmhouse, I’m pretty sure it was haunted. Things would always go missing and appear again. Even when there is no air circulation, candles would go out. We would hear noises upstairs and tapping on the window. The house was by a old cemetery and corn field so it was always creepy out there.”

Junior, Cameron Kent

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“Some of my friends were driving around a reservation, they got out of the car and started to walk around trying to find something to do. They heard something, and started trying to figure out what it was. One of them took out their phone and started recording. On the recording, you can hear a little girl saying ‘Do you want to play?’”

Senior, Stanley Holder

“There have always been strange noises and occurrences in my room and I used to think someone lived in the attic. Doors have started slamming shut on their own and there are banging noises all around the upstairs of my house and other things like that. Just recently I heard my guitar being strummed when I was in another room and when I came back there was no one in my room. Me and my mom are pretty sure there’s a ghost who used to occupy my room or somewhere upstairs I think he’s a friendly ghost and I enjoy having him around.”

Sophomore, Drake Ward

“Last summer, me and a couple of friends were messing around at the park. Then all of sudden, we hear some howling and in then distance. We see some orange-ish eyes. We were all freaking out because we thought it was coyote or something. As it got closer, we got even more scared and started to casually walk away. But then I hear a familiar voice and we soon realized that it was my dad and our dog.”

Freshman, Luke Raney

interviewed by ALEXANDRA DECKER pages by JULIANA WILCHES-MERCHAN photos by CHEYENNE FISHER and NICK BURKET

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One School, Two Kings

A staff editorial reflects the general opinion of the journalism staff.

Staffers submit their opinions to inform the writer.

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he reasoning behind this change was to make the process more gender inclusive, which started last year. Yet, when two kings were crowned, it made it seem less inclusive to some. Not throwing shade at either of the kings though, they both have qualities that made them deserving of the title and the opportunity, it just made a progressive change seem the exact opposite of what it’s goals were.

One of the main complaints was no queen got her shining moment. Even though all candidates got to stand out on the field and be honored during the week, none of them got to be crowned. From a girls perspective, this can appear less than progressive.

They pay for their dresses, shoes, nails, hair and makeup, and didn’t have a chance to shine. Having a queen for royalty also gives the females in our school a figure and a place, and this year many girls didn’t feel that.

Differing opinions are the equality that this system provided. Basing the winners of of who receives the most votes is the most fair way of determining homecoming royalty. Some were not surprised and think that it should be a common thing, and that

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only time will make this new tradition more ordinary.

Taking gender out of the equation bases the votes on the students likeable personalities and how well they get along with their student body, which gives a sense of a more balanced voting system.

Even though this system is balanced, some students think having this voting system will always result in two kings because of the way the student population votes.

This also makes the process less stereotypical because in most high school settings both a king and a queen are crowned, but when you take gender out of the equation you’re taking away a stereotype, which can be seen as a positive or a negative attribute of the change. Homecoming is just such a set in stone tradition some community members were surprised at the outcome, both good and bad.

With the social climate of the world right now, the decision to change the homecoming process would have happened sooner or later. Most think changing it this year was beneficial to be inclusive towards everybody, and thought it was logical to think ahead and think of the future when changing such a monumental week.

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Halloween Hailey Gotto junior

What is your costume?

I am going to be Dwight Schrute as The Scranton Strangler from The Office.

What inspired your costume?

I really like the show The Office, there is no other deeper meaning.

What is your favorite Halloween movie?

I like the claymation ones like Coraline and The Nightmare Before Christmas.

What is your favorite thing about Halloween?

I like the cold weather way more than I like the warm, I like the atmosphere of it all.

Where did you get your costume?

I made my costume, I searched for the ski mask and trench coat.

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Style

Scout Branden sophomore

What is your costume?

I am going to be Marshall Lee from Adventure Time.

What inspired your costume?

The ending of the show recently happened and that inspired my costume.

What is your favorite Halloween movie?

The Nightmare Before Christmas is my favorite children’s Halloween movie.

House of 1,000 Corpses is my favorite scary movie.

Whats is your favorite thing about Halloween? like the decorations and that everyone is excited for spooky season.

Where did you get your costume?

My costume is homemade.

pages by MADDIE DAY story by ALEXANDRA DECKER photos by NICK BURKET and RUTHIE MUTUKU

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Liston

Lessons by

How sexual assault in the media affects high schoolers

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Opinion by ERIN LISTON

pages by JULIANA WILCHES-MERCHAN photo by CHEYENNE FISHER

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ne American is assaulted every 98 seconds, according to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN).

Yet, only six out of 1,000 perpetrators will end up in prison. One in nine girls and one in 53 boys under the age of 18 experience sexual abuse or assault at the hands of an adult. Sexual assault is an issue seen everywhere. Recently, there has been some huge events involving the government that can play a big role on women’s rights.

Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, a psychology professor, recently spoke out about being sexually assaulted by Brett Kavanaugh, a supreme court nominee, when they were both teenagers. While this doesn’t have much to do with our school, it can really affect teenagers feelings and views on issues such as this.

Imagine being assaulted, and no one believing you. Teenagers are scared to speak out on these issues because they are scared that no one will believe them, and this fear increases due to events we see in the media, such as the allegations against Kavanaugh.

I’ve heard about these issues throughout my teenage years so much that it seems like it’s never going to go away. Sexual assault is a common issue in many high schools, even

ours. Standing up for it like Dr. Ford did is a way to spread awareness that this isn’t just a one time issue, it’s ongoing.

To me, Dr. Ford showed bravery. She stood up for herself and for the sake of this country. She also spoke up for so many others whose voices are not heard. Yet, many people criticize her for speaking out about it, and in times like these there are always going to be people for and against sexual assault allegations. In the end, Kavanaugh’s nomination was confirmed, even though his guilt or innocence was never clear. We could have a man guilty of sexual assault on the supreme court, and to me that just doesn’t seem right.

People everywhere are scared. They are scared that people who commit sexual assault are the ones holding the power, while victims’ voices remain unheard. They are scared of what this means for the future. They are scared that this problem will never go away.

Speaking up and speaking out about these issues has brought awareness around the subject of sexual assault in the past few years, but unless and until something changes, these problems will persist

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At one of the basketball tryout meetings, junior Wyatt Durland sprints to the opposite side of the room.

Durland encouraged anyone who wished to try out to go for it. “If you want to try out, go for it.” Durland said. “It doesn’t hurt to try. Even if you fail, it’s worth trying.”

Photo by Cheyenne Fisher

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Sports Conditioning

story by HAYDEN ROBINSON pages by JULIANA WILCHES-MERCHAN

O

ften times late in basketball games, wrestling matches or swimming meets, athletes begin to fatigue and the team that is better conditioned has the advantage.

With the fall sports season wrapping up, winter teams have already begun conditioning in preparation for those moments in the season. Boys and girls basketball and boys swimming are the winter teams that are currently in full swing for conditioning.

The after school sessions for basketball consist of a mixture of speed, endurance, and strength exercises that they hope will benefit them later on.

“It will definitely help towards the team,” Caely Kesten, junior girls basketball player, said. “It helps you stay on the floor longer and it toughens your mind and toughens you physically.”

As for the swimmers and divers, the workouts

Basketball Coach Sam Stroh talks to players about what needs to happen between conditioning and try outs. The basketball team prepared for several months for the season. “We spend a lot of time in the off season (June-Nov.) getting in basketball shape.” Stroh said. “Our guys have put a lot of hard work in the weight room and getting their bodies ready for the season.”

Photo by Cheyenne Fisher

are more concentrated on weightlifting and muscle building. Some of the high schoolers are currently swimming for clubs to get ready for the season.

“For swimmers on a club team, they do weights before practice and then swim,” sophomore swimmer Riley Sirimongkhon-Dyck said. “For most high school guys that are just high school [swimmers], they’re doing weights right now too.”

Amidst the grueling grind of conditioning, athletes have to be mentally strong and find ways to push through. Whether it’s wanting to have a strong season as a team or wanting to be in shape as an athlete, they have their motivators and goals.

“We want to get back to where we were last year and I think everyone wants to work hard as a team and push each other to the limit,” junior boys basketball player Wyatt Durland said.

Conditioning can also serve as a way for teams to build on chemistry and for athletes to get to know their teammates. Team-based training can help them enjoy it more and work harder because they aren’t doing it alone and they’re pushing each other to succeed.

“We compete which makes it fun, especially if you have people who like to work hard,” Kesten said.

“There’s a lot of bonding that goes into it and the energy we have in the gym creates chemistry.”

With an early start to the season, they can show up to the first practice in tip top shape and be ready to roll. Some athletes aren’t big fans of the exhausting and demanding work that comes with conditioning, but it seems like many are enjoying it because of the benefits they get out of it.

“I like conditioning,” Durland said. “I like working hard and staying in shape and we all want to be in the best shape so we’re ready for the season.”

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Costume

Capsule

2017: Wonder woman

2015: Left Shark 2016: Eleven (Stranger Things)

2014: Maleficent

2005: Darth Vader & Princess Leia (Star Wars)

2006: V for Vendetta

2004: Spongebob

2001: Legally Blonde

2003: Jack Sparrow (Pirates of the Caribbean) 2002: Harry Potter

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2013: Iron Man

2011: Sue Sylvester 2012: PSY

2010: Rapunzel

2008: The Joker

2007: Hannah Montana

1999: Britney Spears, Neo (The Matrix)

2000: Austin Powers

2009: Lady Gaga

1998: Cartman & Kenny (South Park) pages by JULIANA WILCHES-MERCHAN

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a month in review

Watching for the ball, Senior Annie Rozsak is the libero, or the defensive specialist. Inspired by her mom, Annie has been playing volleyball for seven years. “It’s a very time consuming sport, but there’s a lot more support lately,” said Rozsak photo by Riley Boehle Raising her hands, senior Helena All smiles to a cheering audience. All was awarded the National Merit Scholarship along with five other students. “I’m really grateful for this opportunity to continue my education after high school,” All said. photo by Anna Riley

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Waiting on her queue, senior Morgan Crabtree is ready to play her clarinet. Crabtree has participated in band all four years of high school. “I’m not a fan of the uniforms and learning the music can be difficult at times but getting to see the end product makes it all worth it,” Crabtree said. photo by Anna Riley