Free Press Issue 2

free press 2011-2012

the

fsfreepressonline.com

@fsfreepress on Twitter

4700 Overland Drive, Lawrence, Kansas, 66049

edition 15 issue 2 september 22, 2011

Crossing the 15th St. Barrier

listen to the music Even though YouTube is blocked, there are other websites to use for music.

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home away from home All you need to know about living on campus and the different places to stay.

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story on pg. 3

college countdown Miranda Davis vents about the pressure to decide on a college and seek admission.

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No

#toptweetsoftheweek

news

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september 22, 2011

use the hashtag #fptoptweets to have your tweet receive 140 characters of fame.

?

No Problem!

Frustrated that YouTube is blocked? No worries, we got you covered. Here are some different websites to check out! by ryan loecker

TheAwkwardTweet: the

OverlandParker: I wonder what that baby wins for being Jay Z's 100th problem

awkward moment when you're scuba diving and catch Adele casually rolling in the deep.

Lord_Voldemort7: If you didn't arrive #backtoschool by crashing a flying car into the grounds then you need to work on not being so boring.

TFLN: (570) I found your bra.

How you get it off the satellite dish is your problem

1. SOUNDCLOUD - (http://soundcloud.com/)

Primarily for electronic music, SoundCloud is full of musicians and DJs with only a few songs to their name. This website allows you to “follow” artists, and every time they post a new song, it appears on your dashboard.You are able to “favorite” songs, which puts them in a playlist you can access anytime.

One cool feature about SoundCloud is the fact that it illustrates each song for you. Similar to Audacity, listeners are able to see the structure of each song, and even comment on their favorite parts.

2. LAST.FM - (http://www.last.fm/)

Top Ten

Similar to Pandora, Last.Fm is an online radio station, built specifically for each listener. Last.fm allows users to create their own pages. This allows bands that no one has ever heard of to gain exposure.

For example, if a listener were to type “Animal Collective” into Pandora, it would play other popular artists that may or may not sound similar. If a listener were to type the same thing into Last.fm, chances are it would play music that sounds similar, but is a lot less popular. Last.fm is able to do this by connecting with listeners’ iTunes accounts and recording every song they play.

The website eventually gains a feel for each listeners’ taste in music, and is able to recommend songs accordingly.

Songs That Remind Us of Fall

10. Leaves Do Fall - The Rosebuds 9. Perfect Day - Lou Reed 8. Autumn Shade - The Vines 7. Hackensack - Fountains of Wayne 6. Sometimes in the Fall - Phoenix 5. Black Night - The Dodos 4. The Past and the Pending - The Shins 3. Autumn Sweater - Yo La Tengo 2. Mysterious Power - Ezra Furman and the Harpoons 1. California Waiting - Kings of Leon

OTHER OPTIONS: 3. GROOVESHARK - (http://grooveshark.com/) 4. PANDORA - (http://www.pandora.com/) 5. iLIKE - (http://www.ilike.com/)

On the Cover

Friends Brie Mingus and Kelsey Kilburn played volleyball together at Southwest Junior High. Now, as ex-teammates competing as rivals, they still maintain a close friendship. photo by tori crawford

the free press staff

Ryan Loecker Editor in Chief

Miranda Davis Editor in Chief

Ian Patterson Cartoonist

Taylor Augustine Photographer

Megan Engleman Design & Photo Editor

Sam Boatright Reporter

Allison Harwood Copy Editor

Victoria Crawford Photographer

Katie Guyot Copy Editor

Kyle Freese Reporter

Amani Safadi Managing Editor

Sarah Whipple Designer

Allison Morte Managing Editor

Emma Machell Social Media Editor

Kimberly Messineo Hannah Moran Reporter Reporter

2011-2012

Sarah Rohrschneider Natalie Hiebert Designer Reporter

The Free Press is an open forum that accepts letters to the editor and guest writings. They must include the writer's name and telephone numbers. Articles may be edited due to space limitations, libel or inappropriate content. Letters may be submitted to Room 115, sent in care of Free Press to Free State High School, 4700 Overland Drive, Lawrence, KS, 66049 or submit online at fsfreepressonline.com.The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the Free Press staff, the high school administration, nor that of the USD 497 Board of Education.

Friends & RIVALS

september 22, 2011

sports

photo by tori crawford.

LHS

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FS HS

Defying a stereotype Lawrence High senior Kelsey Kilburn along with Free State senior Brie Mingus keep their friendship close despite the crosstown rivalry.

by allison harwood

Money can’t buy tradition. Tradition can’t buy victory. Firechickens. Lion hunting.

If there’s one thing high school students in Lawrence can count on, it’s an intense rivalry between Lawrence High and Free State. Students hurl insults at each other and the athletes they are so attentively watching. Free State senior Brie Mingus and LHS senior Kelsey Kilburn are two athletes who don’t condone such behavior.

Because of Lawrence’s relatively small size, there is a good chance members of the competing teams have played together on the same team before. Mingus and Kilburn played volleyball together while attending Southwest.

Both Mingus and Kilburn are co-captains of their varsity volleyball teams. Their memories of playing volleyball together date back to camp in seventh grade at Southwest.

“We were both really goofy,” Mingus said.

Mingus and Kilburn began playing competitively together when they were on the eighth grade volleyball team. That same year, they also began playing on the same club team.

“We goofed around at practice,” Kilburn said. “But when it was game time, we got serious and came ready to win.”

Mingus was quick to add, “We learned a lot from each other.”

Mingus also remembers that Kilburn always knew how to get her going. The two agree that they were close enough friends that they could tell the other one when they weren’t doing their best. They also agree volleyball has never affected their relationship. They’ve always been able to push each other in a positive way.

“She would tell me that I could do better, which would make me start to think that I really could,” Kilburn said. “As a result, it made me a better player.”

Unfortunately, 15th St. split these two into their respective schools. However, the first time they played against each other sophomore year, it wasn’t as strange as they might have expected.

“It was fun, it wasn’t really weird,” Mingus said. “It was fun to watch her play and see how much she had improved.”

The two also kept positive attitudes and perspective.

“We both definitely still had that competitive spirit,” Kilburn said. “But, I was happy for her if they won and she was happy for me if we won.”

Even though these two have been able to maintain good sportsmanship through the past three years of high school, they both acknowledge their student sections don’t always follow suit.

“After the games when people are fighting about who won or lost I just think it’s immature,” Kilburn said. “We’re the ones who played; they’re the ones who watched. We’re not taking it outside of the court. It’s just a game; you have to get over it.”

Mingus and Kilburn both offer advice to each student section to keep chants and cheers about building up their own school, not tearing the other down.

“I never really got the concept of saying mean things to people while they’re playing a sport,” Mingus said. “It really gets to some people. If you’re going to show up to watch a game, then just watch the game and cheer for your team.”

Kilburn adds, “I went to school with a lot of people on the other team. They’re my friends. Just be nice.”

731 Massachusetts, Lawrence, KS • 785.843.4191 Hours: Mon.-Fri 9 am - 7 pm • Thursdays 9 am - 8:30 pm Saturdays 9 am - 6 pm • Sundays Noon - 5 pm

All Free State students, faculty & staff • Receive 35% off all adidas footwear • Receive 40% off all adidas apparel, bags, socks and accessories.

Must present your student, faculty, or staff ID at time of purchase.

Want more updates, extra content and breaking news?

Check out fsfreepressonline.com or go to Twitter and follow us at @fsfreepress! Tell us what you think about Issue 1!

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Living the Life

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feature

e g e l ol

september 22, 2011

College applications, test scores and transcripts are some of the main concerns on seniors’ minds while enjoying their last year in high school. But there are other important necessities that have to be taken care of before that first day of class.

One of the main decisions to make when going into college is where students will take residence during the year. There are multiple places to choose from: scholarship halls, fraternities, sororities and, of course, the dorms. by natalie hiebert & kimberly messineo

Sororities and Fraternities

We have all heard the stereotypes. The wild parties and keggers, the size zero promiscuous Barbies and the not-so-funny hazing. But outside of these whispers or occasional TV show dramas, most high school students don’t know much about college Greek life.

Despite its negative connotation, being a member of a sorority or fraternity can be one of the greatest experiences in college. Not does Greek life offer place to live, sophomore through senior years, they also offer community service projects and build friendships that could last past graduation.

To be member of Greek life in college, students need more than the “life is a party” attitude. In most universities, each house requires most members to reach and attain a certain GPA throughout college.

According to the Kansas University chapter of Kappa Sigma, http://www.gamma-o.org/rush, those who are involved with Greek life have higher GPAs and are more likely to graduate college than those who are non-members.

“I think going Greek would be a lot less stressful than being in a scholarship hall but you are still pushing yourself,” Free State senior Courtney Huffman said.

Not only does Greek life help students find a sense of community, but it also encourages them to become involved in the community in and around campus. Sororities and fraternities are known for using their time to give back to the public. Whether that be creating a fundraiser for a sick child or volunteering to build a house for Habitat for Humanity.

Scholarship Halls Living areas such as sororities and fraternities have the reputation of containing rich, spoiled college students, who don’t deserve to live in such an elegant place. Although that might be true of some, there are other places where students really do have to work hard to earn a place in that building. Some of those places are the scholarship halls.

When someone applies to a scholarship hall, there are two main components that determine acceptance; http://housing.ku.edu/ you-belong-here/scholarshiphalls/ provides information on the application process. The first item is an essay. There are three different topics to choose from, and the student chooses one to write about. To be considered, students need a GPA of at least 3.2 and then be able to maintain a 2.6 GPA once they are living in the house.

One of the main differences between dorms and scholarship halls is that students have to do chores around the house each week. They get to put in a request at the beginning of each semester

for what they would like to do, but there is no guarantee that’s what they’ll get.

“I wanted an easy chore, so I requested laundry,” KU freshmen Rachel Heeb said. “But instead I ended up with cooking, and I’ve never really cooked in my life.

I have to cook a meal for 100 people tomorrow instead of 50; because it’s the day we eat with Krehbiel Hall.”

‘Schol halls’ have earned the reputation of being the more ‘scholarly’ places to live.

“I think it’s halfway between a dorm and a sorority,” Heeb said. “It’s a toned down version in terms of socialization.You don’t have to go through hazing like sororities, but you’re not limited to the few roommates like in the dorms”.

Rachel said she hasn’t felt any extra pressure from her peers to do well academically.

“I’m pretty much used to it. My parents always expected me to do my best and get good grades,” Heeb said.

Having opportunities like this are often the reason for the close friendships that are formed in the Greek system. Not only do these friendships last throughout college, but also can continue on throughout someone’s life.

“It’s a good way to be a part of something from the beginning,” Kansas University junior and Chi Omega member Claire McInerny said. “I came here wanting to meet new people and it was nice to automatically have a group that I knew and I could to go to if I needed anything.”

But not all sororities and fraternities are as inclusive and friendly as they seem to be. The frat boys and sorority girls stereotype still holds true for some universities. High school students worry that if they were to join, they would be seen as this type of person.

“I do not want to be seen as a typical frat boy and if I were to join I think people would see me as a partier,” Free State junior Adam Fales said.

This feeling is shared by many who are still on the fence about joining Greek life in college.

McIerny gives a few last words of advice to high school students who might be considering it.

“If you are still unsure, you should try it. I have found some of my best friends here and have had great experiences that are going to carry with me past college,” McInery said.

Greek life is different in every house, college and state. Deciding which house to pledge or whether or not to pledge at all depends on which school a person goes to and what type of person they are.

Pictured above, one of the Scholarship Halls on the KU campus.

Above is the Chi Omega sorority house sitting room.

The Chi Omega Sorority house is located at 1345 West Campus Road in Lawrence, KS.

Dorms For some, the idea of living with a complete stranger can be intimidating. Having to share a very small space and dealing with each other’s cleaning and organization does not seem the ideal way to begin the collegiate life. But the experience of living in a dormitory can be rewarding.

Living in a dorm immediately gives a student a makeshift family.

Not only does someone have a group of friends to go out to dinner with on a Saturday night, but a group of people to study with as well.

A standard residence hall is usually equipped with a laundry facility, game room, with a pool or Foosball table and a mail room.

A down side to living in dorms is that many universities do not offer halls that are equipped with air conditioning.

The rooms are typically furnished with a standard oak desk and dresser as well as a twin sized bed.

This may not seem like much, but most universities give students the freedom to decorate their rooms and sometimes even paint the walls. They also allow incoming students to bring a microwave, video games and other electronics.

Want to know more about student residency or would like to set up a tour of the residence halls at KU, K-State or other local universities?

Contact their student housing department or visit their websites.

illustration by ian patterson

Dance Techno '11 September 24, 2011 8:00-11:00 p.m.

picture by tori crawford

First 200 at the door will receive free glow sticks.

Mr. Roboto contest, with cash prizes

$2.00 with I.D., $3.00 without picture by tori crawford

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feature

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september 22, 2011

Over 40 door prizes!

opinion

6

Rush Hour Frenzy

september 22, 2011

Traffic last year was already hectic enough, this year, it's even more aggravating by allison morte He wants to lay on his horn in frustration and scream because it is happening again. It is 3:20 p.m. in the north parking lot and the line of parents picking up students stretches out ahead of him. He's got to be at work by 4:00, and it’s just another day he's going to be late.

This frustration is caused by the unaware, or maybe just inconsiderate, parents who drop off and pick up their children in the student parking lot.

The established area for dropping off students who don’t drive is on the south side of the building.

“After 15 years here it’s pretty much established as the norm to drop students off on the south side,” assistant principal Mike Hill said.

For this reason, the buses were moved to the south side at the end of last year to free up room for the scores of new parents who would be driving their children. This change was instated for the sole purpose of allowing parents to pick up their students on the south side of the school and avoid creating traffic jams.

However, now that the time has come, some parents have decided to drop off and pick up their children in the student parking area, adding the traffic of both the buses and parents and creating a chaotic mess that makes a ten minute drive home into a 30 minute lesson in patience.

While trudging back to our cars, seeing

underclassmen hop into their parents’ cars in senior parking and line up in front of us in the seemingly endless line can make already skeptical upperclassmen downright hostile.

After a long day of battling through freshmen and sophomores to move through the hallways, this overcrowding in the parking lot is the last thing we need.

Many upperclassmen have commitments directly after school like picking up siblings and going to work, and many can be seen practically sprinting out of the school the second the last bell rings, desperate to beat the rush.

For students in band or another class far from the exit however, this is nearly impossible. Sprinting in from a hot marching band practice, throwing my clarinet back in the case, and rushing to the exit only to find that parents are already shuttling their students to a long line has made me especially bitter.

Despite moving the buses to the south side to accommodate the number of parents, according to Hill there is no official policy

toward where parents drop off their children and the administration has no plan of action in mind. “[Administrators] don’t want to tell parents they can’t [drop students off] on the north side because in reality very few do,” Hill said.

But there is simply not enough room to accommodate the needs of buses, drivers, and parents on the south side of the school.

If parents continue to use the student parking area as an area to drop off students, the administration needs to create an official policy stating where parents, drivers and buses should be located and consider moving the buses back to the south side of the school.

Busses wait for students to get picked up and taken home.

The busses are located on the North side of the school.

Parents wait for students to get out of school.

Most parents wait on the South side of school making traffic congested.

Birds Word

Q: Do you think parents should be required to drop students off at the southside of the building?

freshman

Dakota Nepstad "I think that [parents] should be able to drop us off wherever they want because if they're leaving right after then it's not that big of deal, but if they're staying then they should go to the other side."

sophomore Adam

Gowen

"I think that they should drop them off in the south side because sometimes when you're walking into the school from the parking lot it gets congested."

junior

Robert Hernandez I think they should [drop their kids off at the south side] because it's annoying when you're trying to get out and you run into parents that don't know what they're doing. It's kind of hard to get with them in you're way.

Let us know!

seniorAvery AveryBeck Beck senior “I think they should be required [to] because it also makes a lot of kids late.”

Have any ideas?

Go to fsfreepressonline.com or mention us on twitter with your suggestions!

media

teacher Scott Smith "Parents should be out front, but seniors get over it."

M

september 22, 2011

Davis

t'Ryan #2: Rolfing

in the morning, and I’m expected to pick where I will start the next chapter of my life? Looking at it like this makes it seem, well, completely daunting.

I try to remember the positive things about college when I get all worked up. It’s a fresh start in our lives. We get to start calling the shots and making the decisions that will shape our adult lives. It all seems amazing, and in less than a year, we will be there. But it does seem like a whole lot of hoops to jump through.

I have learned that you can’t let college choices consume you. This is senior year, after all. I’ve heard that’s pretty fun. I’m learning to stress less about the tiny details, for right now at least. I’m trying my hardest to remember that where ever I end up, it will be a great school I love.

Or at least that’s what I’m telling myself.

It's the start of application season, ladies and gentlemen, and my inbox is taunting me.

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opinion

Loecker

ian's inspiration: "Needing a Kneader"

by ian patterson

E

very time I open my email account I wince. At this point I expect at least a couple emails from colleges telling me that “______ University is the right place for me to be!” It’s not as though I’m an exemplary student, I just checked a box on the ACT that said colleges could have my information and, boy, that was a mistake. It’s the start of application season, ladies and gentlemen, and my inbox is taunting me.

Ryan About ten times a day, every day, I go from being excited about Left Top: Ryan being told by Elaine Brewer college, to being nervous/terrified/ what rolfing is through pictures.

Left Bottom: Brewer working on Ryan's back horrified/scared out of my mind, and ribs. and I hope I’m not alone. College talk is one of those never ending most was when Brewer worked on my subjects between my friends and I, left arm. Up until about two years ago, kind of like prom dresses. We can I played baseball almost non-stop. I was always find something freak out a left-handed pitcher, and over time, all about because it is the number those fast-balls and curve-balls must have one thing we think about. done something to my arm. During the Where we will attend, what our session, there were times where it felt majors will be and the big price like there was a marble stuck in my arm, tag at the end are all big ones on which showed how twisted and tangled the never ending list of questions everything was. While Brewer seemed to we have to answer. As high school have no trouble working on my right arm seniors, where to go to college is with her hands, she had to use her elbow our first “big girl” decision. Mom for my left. and Dad can help (and probably It was not until the end of the session will have plenty of input) that I realized how helpful my rolfing but this is one of the session actually was. Over time, I have first major decisions developed a slouch because of my height. we have to make and But after the session I noticed myself have the final say on and sitting the way I should be. On the way have to live with the home, my left arm felt much lighter than consequences. it had before, and random movements, I don’t understand such as turning my head, felt less strenuhow society expects ous. Although the actual process of rolfus to make these huge ing seemed to fix a lot, I found learning decisions when most of about my body just as helpful. After us still have the attention seeing the pictures and hearing what span of a 6 year old (or is Brewer had to say, I learned about that just me?). I can barely what I should and shouldn’t do to decide on what to wear Miranda help my posture.

College LIFE

y one year “falling out of a 30 foot tree” anniversary is approaching and I thought I would try rolfing to help straighten me out.

Described to me by a friend as “extreme chiropractic,” rolfing immediately caught my interest.

While doing research on a local rolfing establishment’s website, I noticed that there was a section on the website specifically devoted to pain. Once I read “pain is an indicator of injured and overworked areas and is a sign of structural distortions in your body,” I began to get nervous because I hurt myself often.

Rolfing proved to be more popular than I originally thought. The first place I tried to schedule an appointment with was booked for a month. Luckily I was given the name of “advanced rolfer,” Elaine Brewer. For $100, I was able to receive the rolfing experience for an hour.

One would not find Brewer’s office by accident. The office is located in an random building, with no sign. Once my moral support (Stephen Bowman) and I arrived, Brewer almost immediately got me started. She began by examining my posture to see what needed to be worked on. Although she claims that my body was not abnormal, the structural flaws Brewer pointed out made me think otherwise.

Most of the rolfing session consisted of me laying on a bed, while she tried to get my body back to normal.

Throughout the session, Brewer was showing me pictures, giving me an idea for what she was working on and what she was trying to do. Although there were times where I was uncomfortable, I only experienced “pain” once.

Apparently two of my ribs are closer together than they should be, and the process of separating them is something I would not want to experience again.

The part of the session I enjoyed

lawrence guide

8

september 22, 2011

lawrence guide

the

by sam boatright

St Vincent

10/7/11 8 p.m. Liberty Hall Annie Clark—the alluring genius behind the moniker St.Vincent—stops by Liberty Hall on Friday, Oct. 7 to bring down the roof at one of Lawrence’s favorite venues. Although at first glance Clark may seem quiet and timid, the Dallas native radiates with passion on stage and delivers a sonic entendre of beautiful music while still rocking out.

Be expecting a little bit of everything from St.Vincent. Her music transcends genres, but in a way, forms its own, with dramatic compositions and gritty guitars. Tickets are a low $17, so one would be insane not to go. It’s pretty hard to beat the atmosphere at Liberty Hall combined with an energetic crowd being fueled by an even more amped up group pumping out amazing tunes. Just be prepared to rock. St.Vincent’s new album, Surgeon, was released on Sept. 13.

The Dodos

9/25/11 9 p.m. @ The Bottleneck Listen closely to The Dodos’ music. Beneath the syncopated rhythms and brittle-yet-warm guitars surges a rapid-fire pulse. This pulse races through every aspect of their music—the heartfelt, eerie lyrics, the soaring and whispered vocals and the smooth yet rugged melodies. Combined with a fearless and fun live show, the San Franciscan duo’s music boasts a bigger bark and a hungrier bite than most duos can produce, and it’s present on songs such as “Black Night” and “Fables.”

The band’s warm, fuzzy tones and on-stage enthusiasm will prove to yield an incredible show, especially with an intimate setting such as The Bottleneck. Expect the venue to be packed, seeing as many fans would never miss such a promising and exciting opportunity as this. With tickets only $12 a pop, this gives you even more reason to join the frenzy at the downtown venue. The Dodos will be performing with The Luyas on Sunday, Sept. 25. The show is all-ages.

Page One: A Year Inside The New York Times

began 9/16/11 @ Liberty Hall The Lawrence Guide doesn’t always suggest documentaries, but we’ve suggested this one for good reason; it stands out among other movies with its unusually appealing topic. Page One may be one of the best documentaries of the year.

Directed by Andrew Rossi, this documentary examines The New York Times-- one of the most prestigious papers in the world-- for a whole year, portraying what it’s like to work in such a respected news corporation.

Mainly following the Times media culture columnist David Carr, who reports on many issues throughout the

movie, the film gives a unique perspective on a worldclass corporation and a fading industry that we come into contact with every day.

The film, given three out of four stars from the Chicago-Sun Times and four out of five stars from The New York Times, has gotten positive reviews from most news sources and film reviews.

The film will arrive soon into Liberty Hall. For anyone who loves documentaries, or anyone who loves movies in general, this is a must-see.

LG Timeline: Kinetix October 5 @ The Bottleneck

Atmosphere September 26 at 8 p.m. @ Liberty Hall

Page One: A Year Inside The New York Times starting September 16 @ Liberty Hall

DATSIK September 27 at 9 p.m. @ The Granada