Free Press Issue 3, Edition 22

THE

FREE PRESS free press

Issue 3 | 30 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

Ahmed Jakmouj Walker Koberlein

Designers

Juliana Wilches-MerchĂĄn Spencer Farrell

Photographers Cheyenne Fisher Tatum Clopton Megan Gannaway Riley Boehle

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 photo by Tatum Clopton

Men at Work.................................4-5 High School Constituents.............6-7 A Warm Welcome.........................8-9 Make Way.....................................10-11

Art

Artist of the Month.......................12-13

Feature

Superior Schools...........................16-19

Entertainment

photo by Tatum Clopton

photo by Tatum Clopton

Clubsgiving...................................20-21 The Right to Know.......................22-23 Bird’s Word...................................24-25 Point Guard on Point....................26-27 Style Watch...................................28-29 Lessons by Liston..........................30-31 Local Joe........................................32

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Men at work V

vvmmm! Clank! Bang! These are the sounds students have heard during the school work day.

Some teachers find the noise a disturbance.

“It’s a little noisy, depending on what they’re doing,” science teacher David Reber said. “Some days it’s really annoyingly noisy. This morning the whole wall was shaking...and it stresses out my reptiles a little bit.”

Students can find it hard to concentrate with the racket.

“It’s hard to think when they’re working,” senior Caylus Cregg said.

Construction is slated for an addition on the east end of the building, a new cardio room outside the gym and new air conditioning and heating systems.

Principal Myron Graber estimates construction is on track to be done by August 2019.

“We’re on target with our timeline,” Graber said.

Students have been respectful towards construction

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workers during the day.

“We’ve had a little bit of parking issues, traffic issues,” Graber said. “For the most part, they have been able to get everything they need to get done.”

Much of the construction on the east end of the school is on new classrooms to relieve overcrowding.

“There’s going to be a total of eight classrooms,” Graber said. “Five on the second floor and three on the bottom floor.”

East end construction is estimated to be done by December 1.

“During second semester it’s going to change a lot in here [the Commons], so we have to have the new part done so we can use those classrooms while they’re working [on the second floor] during the spring semester,” Graber said.

The $87 million bond issue passed in 2017 made the $14 million in new construction possible as well as renovations to Lawrence High and all middle schools.

Other minor changes within the school include new

To unhinge one of the east doors, a construction worker uses a screwdriver to loosen the screws. Eight classrooms were planned to be added on to the school to provide more room for the increasing student population. “In ways, it will remind us that we’re here to learn.” associate principal Steve Heffernan said. “[It’ll] keep academics at the front of our thought process.”

pages by SPENCER FARRELL photos by CHEYENNE FISHER and RILEY BOEHLE

Up to date information regarding the building's construction ..

story by ISAAC PAUL LONGREN

light systems and new alarm systems.

“They put in a new fire alarm system, so you don’t need the pull stations anymore cause everything is activated by smoke and heat detectors,” Graber said.

With all of the changes happening, students may find it hard to focus in class, but in the end, the construction could benefit students and the school as a whole.

The noise is loud and very distracting and sometimes there are smells that are even more distracting and causes a lack of focus.

Eliza Haase-Divine, senior

Walking between construction sites, a worker carries tools. There were unintended results in the construction process. “We had to evacuate my classroom because of an issue with the construction which wasted a whole day of learning in that class,” senior Cassidy Warden said.

Building the new training room addition, workers put up the framing to start the project. They started this project during the summer. “In the long run it will be beneficial because we will have more space for students,” senior Cassidy Warden said.

Two workers collaborate together to finish drilling.

They worked to finish this construction before December 1. “I think the construction is beneficial in the big picture,” senior Andie Veeder said. “I don’t think the school should allow it to happen during school hours. It’s not worth the commotion it causes.”

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Shaping the future:

story by ERIN LISTON

High School Constituents Students speak out on the importance of voting

V

oter turnout is an issue that all generations face.

Yet, in the recent midterm elections 49% of eligible voters voted, according to CNN. Younger people are becoming more involved in the government and showing their efficacy by voting for people who embody their ideals and also due to a push to get young people to vote.

Young people are less inclined to vote because they are wary of the government.

“The younger generations tend not to vote because there is a lot of distrust towards institutions,” senior Jordan Hauber said. “However recently there has been a seemingly huge shift towards young people voting.”

Efficacy, or the belief that your vote matters, is also a reason why younger generations don’t vote. Hauber mentioned that being such a small part of something so large can make voting feel like it doesn’t matter.

“Being just a drop in a bucket makes it hard to feel important,” Hauber said.

For senior Emma Hertig having her political beliefs accounted for is a reason she voted.

“If you are of age and you have the ability to vote, but you can’t, then I don’t think that you really have the option to complain about things because you didn’t give your opinion when you could,” Hertig said. “I think it’s very important [to vote].”

Many young voters believe their vote will not make a difference, yet it can be a part of a majority of votes towards a specific candidate or cause.

“I really just like having a say in what goes on,” Hertig said “Not that my vote is a difference between making the decision or not, but it definitely helps in the decision so I like having a say.”

The midterms this year were observed closely and a lot of them were very close races.

“I voted because I really do think that every vote

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pages by GRETA HAYDEN photo illustration by NICK BURKET

has an impact on the elections,” senior Ambrosia Naramore-Winfrey said. “To think that my vote mattered really made me feel like I was using my voice in my community and addressing my values.”

Whether it be making the voting age younger or older is a controversy in the country.

“I think we should lower [the voting age] to 16 and cap it at 80 because there are more issues that directly affect younger people than older people,” Hauber said.

“Such as education spending, gun control, and most healthcare issues, other than Medicaid.”

Researching the elections is common of many government classes, and Hertig said looking up that information has influenced her thoughts and actions.

“I’ve been doing research on my own, but what’s really helped is we’ve been doing this project in gov class where we’re going through each candidate of all the parties for the upcoming elections,” Hertig said.

“It’s good to be forced to look up the information so I know what’s going on.”

Gathering information, Naramore-Winfrey used local sources such as newspapers and the Douglas County Democratic Party office and through Young Democrats Club. Yet she also used online sources.

“There’s also a great app called Countable that helps everyday people more easily stay informed about their Representatives/Senators and what they’re voting on in congress,” Naramore-Winfrey said. “You can see if they are voting for or against your values and then remember that for the next coming election if they’re running as an incumbent.”

No matter who you are, if you are of age you have the right to vote.

“Voting means that I get to be an active citizen in society and be involved in what direction I want my community to take,” Naramore-Winfrey said.

Holding a pencil, a Free State student writes down their vote. In Douglas County alone, a total of 76,617 people registered to vote while only 20,817 people voted in this midterm election cycle.

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A Warm Welcome

Teachers create comfortable environments story by WALKER KOBERLEIN

Looking at her computer, English and English as a Second Language teacher Elaine Hendrickson laughs. Hendrickson has made it a goal to learn all of her students names and “acknowledge them and their greatness.” “Honestly, a thing I love doing is saying “hi” to kids in the hallway,” Hendrickson said. “I am genuinely happy to see a lot of kids.”

A

major factor in a student’s desire to come to school everyday is their teachers. Some students get the opportunity to have one teacher who brightens their day.

With a welcoming environment, these teachers create a space where their students feel comfortable and accepted. When asked what teachers embodied this, some mentioned were: ceramics teacher Bryan Lloyd, English and English as a Second Language teacher Elaine Hendrickson and Integrated Studies teacher Adam Barmann.

Lloyd is in his third year teaching here and to make his students feel welcome the main thing he focuses on is humility.

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“I meet kids at their level,” Lloyd said. “Students can tell me about issues without being judged.”

One reason students see Lloyd as welcoming is due to him being a source of stability and kindness.

“If you talk to him or even just look at him you can tell he’s full of kindness,” senior Lily Begeman said.

“Every passing period he stands in the hall and says hello to every single person who walks in.”

One of Hendrickson’s main goal is to learn every one of her student’s names.

“I am genuinely happy to see a lot of kids, so it’s fun to walk down the hall and acknowledge them and their greatness,” Hendrickson said. “Sometimes it’s nice to just see a smile and wave.”

photso by TATUM CLOPTON pages by SPENCER FARRELL Holding a piece of paper, integrated studies teacher Adam Barmann speaks with a student. Barmann has been teaching at here since 2008 and also took a break 2012 to get his teaching degree. “The longer I have taught the more I see how positive relationships can impact students,” Barmann said. “I guess that is where I try to focus my attention when students are in my classes.”

Looking down, ceramics teacher Bryan Llyod helps (sic) Jade Wakolee with their work. One of Llyod’s main goals is to be addressed at the student level. “I want to show kids there is a time to be silly and have fun and a time to be serious, focused and work hard towards goals,” Lloyd said.

Comfort is something commonly seen in Hendrickson’s class by junior Shaza Al-Kassim.

“I love her humor and ability to talk to us and stick with us if we have any questions,” Al-Kassim said.

“Also I love her outfits because they are so snazzy and she’s so cute all the time.”

Barmann focuses on building positive relationships with his students.

“I think that relationships are the single most important part of the school community,” Barmann said. “We try to create a welcoming environment in our class and a place that students feel comfortable and safe while still maintaining high expectations for our students.”

This kind of attitude is important to a student’s learning. While understanding concepts is important, it is impossible without a working teacher-student relationship.

Junior Matthew McHenry is a student who has gone back and forth from both high schools in town.

“I have had a lot of different teachers that do his job and he’s one of the best I feel because he really cares about his students,” McHenry said.

Providing a comfortable learning environment is one of the many ways teachers support their students.

Positivity flows throughout the school by developing this type of setting.

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Make Way for the

Pages by JULIANA WILCHES-MERCHAN

Marketing Team

Working together to market products for district Story by ERIN LISTON

M

arketing for clients isn’t something typically done by high schoolers. Drag Strip Road Marketing is a new team this year. People from marketing, graphic design, and audio visual classes all come together to make up

the team.

The team helps their clients advertise and market their products and ideas.

“We basically seek out clients and then help them plan out what their goals are for growth, specifically advertising,” senior Jake Viscomi said.

The team is ran by CTE-Business teacher Amber Nickel, who leads the class and teaches them how to effectively market for clients.

“The vision for our student-run marketing firm… is students from both FSHS and LHS working together, managing accounts and developing creative and effective marketing campaigns for clients that represent our district, local small businesses, local non-profit

Designer Liam Hoey-Kummerow, a senior who’s been designing for two years now joined marketing because to him to was just another design class. “It’s interesting getting a real world experience out of this,” Hoey-Kummerow said. “I enjoy getting to work on something and seeing it out there.”

Senior Logan Barbee and Mitchell Spriggs work setting up for a video project. Both students have helped the marketing team with videos.

“I feel like being a bunch of high schoolers it shows strength for what we have,” Barbee said. “Also the fact that we are so young and doing something so big.”

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organizations, and even students’ products/services,” Nickel said.

There are three different teams within the full marketing team. There is the account services team which handles marketing, the graphic design team which puts out the physical marketing, and the audio visual team which creates videos for companies and groups.

Nickel provides the team with guidance, but doesn’t help them with every aspect of their work, since the team is student run.

“I describe my role as a facilitator and resource for students,” Nickel said. “I believe some of the most powerful learning comes from trial and error and that requires relevant, hands-on-experience to try out new ideas and practice new skills.”

This year is the first year that Marketing Applications has been offered as a class.

“This is the first time we’ve ever tried to do this, so

it’s a good start,” junior Mitchell Spriggs said. “Once we get this going and we can give good experience to anyone who wants to go into marketing or advertising.”

A lot of different marketing tasks are assigned to the team ranging from gathering information and presenting it in innovative ways.

“Students are responsible for business development, client relations, project management and creating innovative and professional materials,” Nickel said.

One project that the team has been working on is with the I C.A.N. foundation in Lawrence. This foundations goals are to use donations and buy or give needed items to underprivileged families.

“We’re gonna start marketing for their big fundraiser,” Viscomi said. “That fundraiser is taking down the seat backs at Memorial Stadium at KU, and for every seat back KU will give a certain amount to the foundation and we could make up to like $8,000 on that.”

A different task the team has taken on is working with the Lawrence Farm to School Program.

“It’s basically just encouraging kids to eat school lunch,” Viscomi said. “We’re trying to get it known that pretty much all the stuff food wise in the cafeteria is pretty much local within a certain radius.”

The video team has taken on this project by filming for the Farm to School Program.

“Once we get a job we’ll make videos for it,” Spriggs said. “Right now we are doing Farm to School and so we had to go to the fairgrounds and we had to film them.”

Another project mentioned is one involving the Kansas Department of Transportation.

“We’ve also been working with the Kansas

Department of Transportation on the S.A.F.E. Program, which is encouraging teenagers to wear their seatbelts and stay away from distracted driving,” Viscomi said.

Each team is different in the fact that they choose what tasks they want to take on.

“I think each job has their own strengths and their own weaknesses and I feel like the differences between those, it’s kind of up to you, it’s what you want to do,” Barbee said.

Many team members discussed that they feel like being on the team provides real world experience in a job like setting.

“I feel like we’re treated like adults when it comes to projects and deadlines,” Barbee said.

Another benefit to being on the team is being able to see the product that they worked on.

“We’re actually marketing stuff,” Spriggs said.

“We started our own company...it’s exactly like a real company only student level.”

Having a student run marketing team provides Lawrence with an efficient way to get their products marketed.

“Marketing can be very costly, confusing and time consuming for small businesses and entrepreneurs,” Nickel said. “These people will have more time to work on and build their own businesses and causes if we can help them develop and create great marketing.”

Functioning like an actual company, the marketing team gives its members a way to put out products and work on them like a real job would.

“It gives kids a chance to get actual real world application and experience,” Viscomi said. “You can take a marketing class here or you can take an accounting class here, but it won’t give you that same experience as actually maintaining communication with a client and actually putting out a real product in the world.”

“Our clients [are usually older people] and when they went to Lawrence High, Wakarusa was a dragstrip and they would race there, so they have fond memories of it. [Our logo] kind of looks like a road and a ‘d’ for dragstrip.”

junior, Erin Fagan

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Studio 201

Artist

freshman, Mike Tennyson

“I mostly want to make stuff I’m proud of [and that] I’ll be proud of in the future.

[Something] that suits me and my style.

[I prefer working with] colored paper, acrylic paint and bright colored materials of any kind.”

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of

Submit your art piece here for a chance to be featured in The Free Press.

Possible pieces include, but are not limited to, paintings, photography, digital design, and poems.

Questions? Email gretah.freestate@gmail.com

the Month junior, Bea Von Holten

Studio 205

“I’m really into exploring skin right now like freckles and blemishes. I’m really inspired by colors and figures in Kahinde Wiley’s paintings.

In my paintings, [I like using] really attractive colors and [portraying] really strong, confident looking people that stare at you.

I only started painting like a year ago so I’m really leaning towards oil paint as my number one medium right now.”

Pages by JULIANA WILCHES-MERCHAN

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New Super Envisions Schools

Superior

Story by ERIN LISTON

photos by CHEYENNE FISHER pages by JULIANA WILCHES-MERCHAN

Superintendent focuses on interacting, engaging with students, staff, community in first 100 days

L

eading a district can be stressful, hard work, but new superintendent Dr. Anthony Lewis has managed his first 100 days in the district wisely.

In the past, superintendents have made certain decisions without student influence, superintendent Lewis wants to make sure all students opinions are heard.

“I share with people a lot of times...a lot of school districts across the country, they will possibly make decisions at the district office or in a boardroom that ultimately impact students, and more often than not don’t involve students in those decisions,” Lewis said.

“If we’re gonna provide education and support to meet students needs it just makes sense to me that we need to talk to students.”

Lawrence Education Association President and journalism adviser Laurie Folsom has had the opportunity of talking one-on-one with Lewis.

“Dr. Lewis has made a point of being very approachable and available to anyone and everyone who might have an affirmation or concern about the school district,” Folsom said.

Having an affect on students education is a reason that Lewis joined the district.

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“There’s a lot of great things that are going on in this district, I just want to make sure that everything that we’re doing is aligned and that there is some type of impact on what we’re doing,” Lewis said.

Students across the district have noticed Lewis’s personality and have praised him for it.

“He’s very personable and charismatic all while maintaining a level of professionalism,” senior Seth Williams said.

Shortly after hearing about the job opportunity for superintendent, Lewis applied and received his first ever superintendency. Lewis took an interest in Lawrence Public Schools for a few reasons.

“I read some things and looked at some data on Lawrence and saw the wonderful things and great things that are going on in Lawrence,” Lewis said.

Another reason Lewis was interested in the job was the racial equity work the district has done.

“A lot of districts are just now starting to tackle that, and Lawrence has been doing that for over 10 years so that really excited me to really apply and to be here in Lawrence,” Lewis said.

After wrapping up his sixth Listening and Learning tour throughout the district, Lewis has compiled information by asking four questions: • What’s going well in the district?

• What are some things we can do better?

• What will it take to make Lawrence Public Schools the best district in the country?

• And just like any other school district we have some budget constraints and some significant budget challenges, but given that what should be our priorities moving forward?

“As a result of the listening and learning tours... we will sit down and kind of look at all the data we collected from those listening and learning tours and then we will map out a plan for success,” Lewis said.

Dr. Anthony Lewis looks at senior Alexis McKnight’s assignment for her Adv. Algebra 2 class. McKnight had positive feedback for Dr. Lewis. “I think he’s doing a great job,” McKnight said.

As the math class period comes to an end, Dr. Anthony Lewis overlooks the classroom. He liked to interact with everyone whenever he stopped at schools. “[I] talk to students and staff and walk through classrooms.”

Lewis said.

feeling of connection to the school, whether it’s an academic connection or a social connection and it’s a lot of things that sometimes we can do as adults that would impact their decision to want to stay in the building.”

District members took notice of how Lewis conversed with these students and thought it made him stand out more than past superintendents.

“I think it’s easy to have conversations with students who have already been determined the leaders of their schools,” Folsom said. “I think putting himself in situations where he’s talking to the disengaged students and he cares as much about what they have to say [is an example of his positive interactions with students].”

Some methods Lewis encourages teachers to use is keeping their class relative to each one of their students.

“One of the things I try to find out is what interests do they have and try to make that and inform our educators to make the content relevant to our students lives, not to our teachers lives,” Lewis said.

Lewis has been seen attending as many events in the district as he possibly can, which demonstrates his support towards students.

Lewis makes time in his schedule to reach students and ask them their opinions on what enhancements the district should make.

“I have at least one day a week that’s on my calendar that’s designated for school visits,” Lewis said. “I like to get out to schools and just pop in the classrooms and talk to students...I often get some pretty good responses from them.”

Reaching out to students that superintendents normally don’t, Lewis has discussed issues with students who spend time during school at the bridge on Champion Way in front of the school.

“I’ve already spoken to a group of students that were out by the bridge,” Lewis said. “It’s the reason that you’re not inside this building, and I would like to know that reason.”

Lewis asked these students about what would make them want to stay in the building and what the district and staff could do to make sure those things happen.

“There’s two sides to every story,” Lewis said.

“What I often find is when I talk to students that choose to leave the school building is that there’s no Continued On Page 18

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Dr. Lewis works with a student and looks over papers. Lewis loved interacting with the students here. “I’ve been amazed of coming into Lawrence is that we have some amazing students with some amazing ideas of things that we probably never even thought of,” Lewis said. “Just by having a conversation with students just makes our job a lot easier.”

“I’ve seen him at choir concerts, sports games, freshman orientation and just about every other type of event you can imagine,” Williams said. “He’s clearly dedicated to supporting and interacting with students and I believe that it’s making a positive impact.”

Lewis’s main goal is being a leading district and believes Lawrence has the potential to do so.

“My main focus or goal as superintendent is really simple, it’s just to make Lawrence Public Schools the best school district in the country really,” Lewis said. “I believe in giving our students our very best. I believe in making sure we are making decisions that are in the best interest of students.”

Caring about people from all different backgrounds, Lewis tries to reach out to as many people in the district as possible.

“Dr. Lewis doesn’t seem to have just a passing interest in what he can do to make the school district better,” Folsom said. “He cares about hearing firsthand from as many different people, from as many different areas of the district as what he can.”

Williams sits in on the school board as he is a copresident of the school, this has given him an insight to how much the district cares for its students.

“Through this experience I’ve gained a better understanding of how the district works, but more importantly, I understand how passionate he and

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the board are about further improving our district,” Williams said.

Seeking feedback from everyone he can, Lewis talks to people in the district that don’t always have a say and make them feel like a part of something greater.

“I just believe in creating that team atmosphere, it’s we, it’s not about me, it’s not about the board, but it’s about the we,” Lewis said. “Just treating people as if they were on an executive level, it doesn’t matter what your job is...you have a vital role in this district. I want to make sure that everyone is treated as such.”

Folsom believes one person can not be held accountable for all decisions made in the district, but that district teachers should colloborate to find solutions to the challenges facing the district.

“When it comes to the faith and hope that’s being put in Dr. Lewis, I think that part of my job [as union president] is to also engage our teachers and not putting all of the responsibility on Dr. Lewis to fix things,” Folsom said.

Always open to differing opinions, Lewis seeks out and relies on others to help him learn more to be the best superintendent he can be.

“I often say that the answers are in the room, I dare not perceive to have all the answers. I dare not pretend to have all the answers, but I do believe that the answers are in the room,” Lewis said.

Pages by JULIANA WILCHES-MERCHAN

Flash Profilestarring Dr. Lewis

What is your whole name?

Anthony S. Lewis, Ph.D. Hometown?

Talladega, Alabama Any preferred dress style?

Dressy – Sport coat/ blazer and dress jeans What are your favorite pastimes?

Watching Alabama Football #RollTide,

spending time with my kids, reading/ researching.

What is your favorite and least favorite food?

It’s a tie!

Favorite – Oysters and Brussel

Sprouts (not together)

Least Favorite – Blue cheese and goat cheese

What is the first thing on your bucket list?

To have a conversation with President

Barack Obama.

Cats or dogs?

I prefer dogs. If we were to get one it

would be a German Shepard.

Do you live your life by any philosophy? What is it?

I like quotes!

A Helen Keller Quote: “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”

Always treat others the way that you would want to the treated.

What's the most challenging and/or most important thing about your job?

Most Challenging – Needing to do so

much with so little. The limited budget is a challenge.

Most Important – Having contextual knowledge of this district and community in order to make data-driven and researched-based decisions that will impact students, staff and families.

If you had to describe your childhood as a taste or smell, what would it be?

Sweet and Salty What was your favorite school subject?

Science If a student has any doubt, comment or recommendation about how to better improve our school district, where can they contact you?

Anthony.lewis@usd497.org

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Give Thanks at

Clubsgiving

Members of different clubs attend this event to share their thanks with others. Student council invited all clubs at school to bring food and participate. “I wanted to meet the people that make the Free State community so diverse and enthusiastic,� junior Katerina Vallejo-Cooper said.

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Photo Essay

Enjoying food and friends, senior Will Byers and senior Hudson Flynn converse with their classmates. Many students attended to have fun with their friends. “I went to Clubsgiving because it’s a great event that brings people together to share a delicious meal and express thanks,” Byers said.

Food brought from different clubs and organizations sits at the table waiting to be eaten.

Clubsgiving was planned by student council. “It should definitely continue...because what brings people together better than good food?”

pages by SPENCER FARRELL photos by TATUM CLOPTON

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to Know Right

The

Students should be informed of threats

T

hreats have been made to the school recently, and the way students are informed about them can be disagreeable. In one view, students want to know more and make sure that their safety is the main priority of the administration. On the other hand, some don’t want to cause chaos about the school when announcing a threat.

Lately, administration has contacted parents and guardians about different threats made to the school, yet during the school day students are not notified. Whether that is the right way to let students know of a threat is the main controversy.

School shootings and other threats are very sensitive subjects in the world right now. Dealing with threats the way that the administration has been is the best way to possibly go about it.

Last spring break administrators attended ALICE training to strategize the way students and staff are prepared for potential threats. In the past the way that we trained for a threatening event was sitting in the class trying to hide, but now students and staff know different ways to deal with the situation if it happens.

Even though the training has provided safer ways to deal with threats, it doesn’t always account for every detail.

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Administration usually will send out emails upon a threat, giving the same message that the situation was handled and that there is no threat towards the school. In reality, students could have been in danger at one point if there was an actual threat, and informing them could help some feel more safe and comfortable because they would know what was going on. Receiving messages from parents frantically after they are informed is not the best way for students to find out about a threat because it can cause misinformation and rumors to roam about the school. Parents are not the ones at risk during the school day, it’s teachers, staff, and students who are put in danger. Students should have the right to leave if they feel unsafe because in a threatening situation, it’s their lives at stake.

Being transparent could create less confusion for students and staff surrounding the issue of threats. Teachers being informed during class could help solve rumors going around because they could calmly inform their students in a way that wouldn’t cause chaos. Most believe that students should be informed when their parents are, so that the parents don’t scare them by simply being concerned about their children’s safety.

Students just want to be informed and aware of issues going on in the school.

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

pages by GRETA HAYDEN

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Bird’s Word What do you like to do in Lawrence when it's cold outside?

“I like to go sledding on campus by the campanile with my friends or we just get together to do something fun outside.” junior, Grace Mechler

“I like to snuggle up in blankets and lots of layers. I just like to enjoy time with our pets at home.” freshman, Anna Hayden

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“My favorite thing to do when it’s cold outside is to play in the snow when we have snow.” junior, Trent Ediger

“When it’s cold outside in Lawrence I like to go sledding at KU and I like to hang out with friends and just stay home and chill.” freshman, Logan Krein

“Something I’ve done is building a huge fort in my friends basement and having a horror movie marathon.” senior, Sophie Johnson

pages by GRETA HAYDEN story by WALKER KOBERLEIN photos by MEGAN GANNAWAY

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Point Guard on

Point

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pages by SPENCER FARRELL photos by MEGAN GANNAWAY

Highly praised basketball player joins the team story by AHMED JAKMOUJ

After shooting the ball, freshman Mosae Downing-Rivers raises his hand. Downing-Rivers grandfather was former New York Knicks player Matthew “Chic” Downing. “I grew up around basketball,” Downing-Rivers said. “My grandpa went to the NBA and got drafted to the Knicks and my uncle went to the University of Maryland.”

D

uring this past summer, freshman Mozae Downing-Rivers spent some time in Orlando, Florida competing in the Junior NBA World Championship.

His team, the Drive5 Power Elite won the tournament with a 60-50 victory over the Africa and Middle East team.

After the victory, Downing-Rivers was looking forward to making the transition to play at the high school level.

“Just playing against better competition and playing with different people and coaches,” Downing-Rivers said.

Downing-Rivers is listed as a 6’2’’ point guard and elevates players around him with his high passing IQ. “I make other people better, I pass a lot,” DowningRivers said.

With an open spot in the lineup left by KU walkon Garrett Luinstra, Downing-Rivers looks to fill the shoes of the previous school record holder.

Complemented by KC Run, GMC product Noah

Butler has Downing-Rivers excited to take the floor with them.

This season, the duo of Downing-Rivers and Butler hope to light up the scoreboard against the sunflower league competition.

“I hope we win State,” Downing-Rivers said.

With four years of high school basketball ahead of him, expect Downing-Rivers to become a commodity to college coaches.

A skill-set so unique already made coaches at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee offer the class of 2022 point guard.

Free State head coach Sam Stroh received high praise from Downing-Rivers.

“He’s a players coach. He knows what he’s doing and how to adjust in game,” Downing-Rivers said.

With four years ahead of him, expect to see the freshman point guard to contribute on the varsity level this season.

Smiling, freshman Mosae Downing-Rivers looks over to the sideline of the court. Downing-Rivers replaced former point-guard Garrett Lunistra this year. “There is a lot of responsibility and development I still need to do before I can get to where I want to be,” Downing-Rivers said.

Dribbling the ball, freshmen Mosae Downing-Rivers focuses in on his technique. Downing-Rivers grew up in Atchison, Kansas, playing for the Atchison Kansas Jayhawks. “I played with Atchison Kansas Jayhawks till I was in fifth grade,” Downing-Rivers said.

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junior, Anastasia Bunting Where do you shop?

There’s no particular place, I go to ATC and pretty much wherever there is a sale.

What inspires what you wear?

What’s comfortable, I like being able to move around easily.

How would you describe your style?

You know, I don’t know. I go to Pinterest a lot and occasionally look at stuff on Instagram, nothing in particular, just whatever I can get my hands on.

What is your favorite clothing item?

Probably jeans.

What music do you listen to?

Alternative–really anything except country.

What fashion trends do you hate?

This is more on makeup but the wavy eyebrow thing on Instagram, that just bothers me.

What fashion trends do you love?

I’m really liking that ‘70s fashion is coming back. It’s nice.

photos by TATUM CLOPTON pages by SPENCER FARRELL story by WALKER KOBERLEIN

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Style

Watch

junior, Zeb Barnes Where do you shop?

I mostly shop at H&M, Rue 21, and Forever 21, that’s basically it.

What inspires what you wear?

You don’t see a lot of guys wearing crop tops, right? And the ‘80s Johnny Depp wore crop tops so that really inspires my look.

How would you describe your style?

My style is really bold.

A lot of my pieces are usually statement pieces.

What is your favorite clothing item?

I’m actually wearing them right now, they’re my leather pants.

What music do you listen to?

I listen to a lot of BROCKHAMPTON, Tyler the Creator and Kali Uchis.

What fashion trends do you hate?

I really hate velvet stuff, I cannot deal with that texture.

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Liston

Lessons by

Challenges of carrying on a legacy Story by ERIN LISTON

Surrounding their baby brother, senior Erin Liston and her three other brothers cuddle. They have shared many memories together throughout their lives. “We’ve all been very close with each other ever since we were little,” Liston said. “We have a bond that I wouldn’t trade for anything.”

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Pages by JULIANA WILCHES-MERCHAN

L

iving up to expectations set by an older sibling can be tough, especially if you feel like that sibling is smarter or stronger than you are. If you have an older sibling you know what it’s like. You’ll have the same teachers and coaches as them and even if people don’t mean to, they compare you to them.

I have four brothers, two older than me and two younger than me. It just so happens my older brother influenced me to join a lot of the activities he was involved in during high school, which I am so grateful for, but it came with a great challenge, to live up to the ‘Liston Legacy’ as some of my coaches called it.

Even though my experiences with those activities are completely different than his, at times I will feel inferior to his successes. My brother is one of the smartest people I know, and it makes it hard to not compare myself to his 4.0, varsity athlete, editor in chief lifestyle.

Although I have pretty good grades and I’ve competed on the varsity level and I am an editor, I still catch myself falling into the idea he was better

than me at all of those things.

Yet, when I get into that mindset I have to remind myself we are two different people. We have both been through things the other hasn’t.

Just because I believe he was better than me doesn’t mean he always has been or always will be.

All my siblings influence me in different ways.

They challenge me to think more realistically, they make me want to work hard for myself and others, and they show me kindness even when I probably don’t deserve it.

I can’t help but think my younger siblings feel the same way I do, about comparing themselves to me. If they do, I would hope they know I don’t view them as inferior, and I know my older brothers don’t view me that way either.

I hope maybe I can teach them a thing or two about life and maybe I can be influential in the academics and activities they partake in, just like my older brothers have done for me. Even though I compare myself to them, I would never trade it for the challenge it brings me to strive to be close to the type of people that they are.

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Local Joe

page by GRETA HAYDEN

Where to buy unique drinks while supporting local businesses

J & S Coffee

Orange Peel Garnish

4821 W 6th St, Suite E, Lawrence, KS 66049

Cortado Valencia- $3.40

Milk

rimmed with orange

Double shot espresso Orange and vanilla syrup

Cold brew

Alchemy Coffee and Bake House

1901 Massachusetts St B, Lawrence, KS 66046

Alchemy Mocha- $4.75 topped with ice

Dark chocolate almond milk

Java Break

Steamed Milk

17 E 7th St, Lawrence, KS 66044

Lieutenant Dan- $4.63 can be served hot or iced

Two shots of espresso Chocolate syrup Caramel syrup Vanilla syrup

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all prices include tax