Free Press Issue 11

SCHOOL YEAR IN REVIEW

LEARNING ONLINE Is social networking becoming part of the school

curriculum? Find out on

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page...

@fsfreepress on Twitter

events of the 20102011 school year

PUZZLE YOUR MIND Give the Free Press

crossword puzzle a

try on page...

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edition 14 issue 11 may 11, 2011

Free Press

the

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The most significant

MAKING CONNECTIONS

BEND AND SNAP Students work together in a unique learning environment to create lasting relationships

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2 News

May 11, 2011

News

Cover

Tech Knowledgey

"I think students use it socially right now and there's an opportunity to use it in a school setting."

in the classrooms

Social networking may become an important tool in the classroom by miranda davis IPS student Heather Whitson holds a bunny on the group's animal therapy day.

Photo by Lexi Griffith

Unless you have been living under a rock for the past several years you probably know what Facebook , Twitter or MySpace are. Teenagers use these social networking sites as a lifeline, even for their main tool of communication with friends. But it hasn’t occurred to many students to use these sites in the classroom. However, social studies teacher Bobby Nichols (@ clautnitch) is using Twitter in the advanced placement government a politics classes.

“I personally post interesting stories and current events and make announcements [for the class] via Twitter,” Nichols said.

Nichols is attempting to use this technology in classes for several reasons and has high hopes for year to come with these programs. He used web cam technology to teleconference with British high school students. He also uses Twitter to post articles and give updates about his class.

“I think that students use it socially right now and there’s an opportunity to use it in a school setting,” Nichols said.

Other teachers have also attempted to use different forms

of social networking in their classes as well. Earlier in the year French teacher Steadman Rogers used the Facebook address “Free State French” to friend French students and post homework, review activities and get information out about travel opportunities.

The marketing classes have also tried to get access to use facebook to teach students about it as a social media tool for businesses.

“I requested access to Facebook for my marketing classes at the beginning of the year, but was unable to get permission,” marketing teacher Phil Roth said.

There are also hopes in the future for a social media/ networking class. The possibilities of the class would include teaching students how to use online social outlets in an appropriate manor.

“I don’t think a lot of kids have ever been taught how to use Facebook,” Nichols said. “Is there an appropriate way to use social media? I think a lot of kids have learned the hard way.”

May 11, 2011

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Feature

A breakdown on how to deal with the last few days of school by allison morte and amani safadi

Finals time is one right of spring that all students, regardless of their age, dread. It’s the end of the year, and for many students homework and studying are not what they want to think about. When it comes to taking a final though, it’s unavoidable and crucial and should be approached strategically. There are several methods that can be utilized to increase success on the crucial test day.

Senior Madisyn Warinner advises studying as soon as the teachers give guidelines about what will be on the test. She also warns against focusing too much on only one test that you may think is going to be the hardest and letting the others slide.

“I prepared for my math final the best because I thought it was the hardest one,” Warinner said. “But for the finals that I thought were going to be easier I probably should have studied more.”

A useful method to determine how much to study for each final is online “grade calculators” that can tell you what grade you need to get on a final to maintain or raise your grade a certain amount by entering your current grade, the grade you want after your final, and the percentage of your grade that your final is worth. For example if you had an 89% in a class, wanted an A after your final, and your final was worth 15% then you’ll need to get a 96% on your final. This way you can accurately decide what grade to aim for on each final and how much time you’ll need to devote to each.

For extra updates and breaking news, follow us at @fsfreepress on Twitter!

But studying alone is not enough to ensure success on your finals.

Preparing mentally by getting 8-9 hours of sleep beforehand contributes to a good grade on test day.

Therefore cramming the night before is never a good idea, especially since it could cause you to wake up later than expected.

Instead, you should consider going to sleep earlier than usual, waking up earlier and having more time to relax and prepare mentally for the big day.

“I think doing some relaxation techniques and feeling confidence going into the finals would be helpful,” Counselor Gay Willson said.

Another aspect to consider before test day is brain and body fuel because what you eat beforehand can keep you energized and prevent distraction from hunger. It would also be a good idea to eat between each final or have candy with you to relieve stress.

“I wish I would have eaten breakfast,” junior Haley Hanson said.

“I was hungry.”

Some students also use some less conventional techniques for improving their chances on test day, like superstitions and lucky charms.

“I carry around a lucky bracelet that I received from my friend before I moved to Kansas,” junior John Koh said.

Whatever your methods for finals success, using some of these helpful techniques will be sure to improve your overall grades and performance on the finals day.

To be exempt from taking finals, a senior must have no out-of-school suspensions and meet the following qualifications:

1.

No unexcused absences for that particular class

2.

Five or fewer excused absences and an A or B average for that particular class.

3.

Three or fewer excused absences and a C average for that particular class.

4.

One or fewer excused absences and a passing grade for that particular class.

*All students taking class for AP or college credit are subject to teachers’ course requirements regarding the final exam. *Any school related absences are not counted toward absences listed above (i.e. band, choir, athletics, FFA, etc.)

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

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May 11, 2011

Puzzles

s Mn d u Pzle i z

Take a crack at this nifty word puzzle by austin fisher

Every year students in their last year of public education experience something felt by students everywhere: Senioritis. Some students at our school exhibit a clever symptom of their condition, filling out crosswords. Senior Taylor Beals plays crosswords every day during school to keep focused and alert when he doesn’t need to pay attention in class.

“It also gives me something to look forward to in the morning when I have hours of school ahead of me,” Beals said. “Crosswords rely on a lot of previous knowledge, and I have a lot of trivial knowledge that isn't really helpful or practical. I was surprised at first at how well I did on them,” Found in free copies of the Lawrence Journal World distributed in the Commons each morning, crosswords are something students can use pass through the early morning hours.

1. Special ceremony for seniors 2. Social studies teacher going on paternity leave 3. Muddy sport happening on May 21st 4. Popular frozen yogurt location near Free State 5. Music Festival in Kansas City, KS - August 5-6 6. Music Festival in Chicago, IL - July 15-17 7. Music Festival in Omaha, NE - August 13 8. Music Festival in St. Louis, MO - August 27-28 9. Music Festival in Ozark, AR - June 2-5 10. Last Girls Varsity Swimming event - May 21

Word Jumble: Members of the Free Press Staff COABJ

HACZ

AYNR

XIEL

ISTUNA

IMK

SOMLIALN

GAMEN

AEITK

LIAYEB

IHRCS

RENEITAHK

NAMIA

LHNIOLAS

REVORT

DIRMAND

11. New soccer coach 12. Prom King for Prom 2011 13. Five boys danced to this hit song by Beyonce in Encore 2011 14. Popular burger joint near Free State 15. Result of LHS v Free State volleyball game 16. Last name of counselor that is retiring 17. Photo Editor of The Talon 18. Destination for this year's band trip 19. Free Press birthday specialist

“We all live with the objective of being happy; our lives are all different and yet the same.” This quote

by Anne Frank is the motto of the IPS class, a course taken by general education students and students with special needs.

Eighty-two students have enrolled in the Interpersonal Skills ServiceLearning class this semester. But what makes this class so popular?

IPS was first offered as a class last spring and is designed to create and foster relationships between special and general education students. By working on projects together and interacting with each other, students build lasting mutual friendships.

“It’s all bout real life relationships,” IPS teacher Andrew Nussbaum said.

Many students say the class has helped them accept and understand others and has changed their perspective of what it means to be friends. But the most commonly used word while talking about their experiences is “fun.” Everyone

Opening Doors

Inter-Personal Skills keeps diverse students connected

by guest reporter rebekka deuse

enjoys events like “Animal Therapy Day” and trips to the pumpkin patch, which makes it easier for the students to grow closer together.

Another important part of the class are Community Impact Projects. Students with similar interests form groups and develop the projects to affect change in a specific part of the community.

“You just get to do a lot of stuff you would usually not do,” junior Callie Brabender said.

After implementing the projects, the students present their results in front

May 11, 2011

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Feature of the class and share their experiences.

But their own development is not the students’ only goal.

“We want to be ambassadors at school and in the community,” junior Hannah Arch said.

Arch has taken the class for one semester and said “it is ok to be uncomfortable around kids with disabilities.” But she emphasized the importance of stepping out of your comfort zone.

Carrying this message in school and being examples themselves, they hope to improve the environment at Free State for everyone and encourage people to pay attention to the students with special needs and maybe make some new friends.

The most important thing for senior Victoria Gilman is that people know that “they don’t need to be in [IPS] to be friends with the students in it. The door is always open.”

Animal Therapy Day on May 9 gave IPS students like junior Emma Sierra an opportunity to interact with peers as well as guinea pig, lizards, rabbits and many more animals.

Photo by Lexi Griffith

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May 11, 2011

A Final Word

cartoon drawn by

Zach Hill

designed by

71232012 1311201

Trevor Bird

Feature

May 11 2011

As the school year comes to an end, so does the school newspaper. We have dedicated the center of this final issue of the 2010-2011 Free Press to our seniors on staff who will not be joining us next year. Each senior has written or created something hoping to leave a lasting impression on the school and this newspaper.

Katherine Corliss Next year I will be attending Baylor University with zero of my current classmates (although Mitch Todd is going there too, if any of you guys remember him). I’ll be in the land of Chick Fil-a, cowboy hats and “y’all”. I could not be more excited; however, I decided to bring on the nostalgia to thank the people who got me here.

Sophomore Women’s Choir: Because of you I’ve had third lunch every Wednesday for the past three years. But really this class means a lot more than that. I’ve made so many friends and had so many great experiences. There were times it definitely sucked to be in the same class three years in a row, but I wouldn’t trade it. To all my singing sisters: thank you, always give your best, and try not to flat.

Newspaper Staff: I could write many, many words about how much I appreciate this class, but there are five other seniors who also need some space on this page.

Anyway, thanks for putting up with my inclass singing, dealing with me cutting apart your stories and for putting a smile on my face at least once a day. Some of my best memories from high school are thanks to you guys. I have full faith that next year you’ll put together a great paper. (Also, remember to always give Amani candy for secret Santa stuff. Just kidding.)

My Senior Year Crew: I really wish I would have been friends with you guys way earlier in life.You’re all wonderful people. Keep it real next year at college and go to Applebee’s every once in a while for my sake.

My Bible Study Girls:You girls are awesome. I love each and every one of you.

I’ve been so blessed to meet with you ladies every week (or so). Thanks a ton for all your time and for waking up early on Saturdays.

My Parents: Needless to say, you are the best. I promise I’ll be thanking you the rest of my life, but now I just wanted to let you know that I love you.

Kristen Miller: I cannot put into words how much I have appreciated your friendship over the years. I’ll never forget singing Shania Twain and Mandy Moore songs in your basement. I love you, girl. What ever happened to the milk shake stand we were

going to start? That was a really good business plan.

Nadia Hamid: Straight up, you are my favorite person to talk to. How did you become so good at telling stories? I’m really going to miss your hilarious stories and your “germophobia.” Good luck at KU; please don’t ever change.

Bailey Schaumburg and Kim Carter: I love you as much as I love Baylor. I could not ask for better people to be editors along side. This paper would be not good without you two.

My Lunch Table: You are only the best.

I’m so happy I get to eat with you every day. Thanks for dealing with my inability to tell stories. By the way, I’m baking y’all a cake for the last day of school.

My teachers: Well, you did it. I’m graduating. Thanks for all your effort; you guys got me into the 34th most selective school in the country. It’s somewhat obvious, but I’ve learned a lot in the past fifteen years from all your effort. Good job.

6th Hour Spanish III: Seriously, this the the best academic class I’ve ever taken, except for maybe kindergarten. Romero, you’re a great teacher. I’ve probably learned more life lessons than Spanish, but I think that’s the way to go. Thanks to the class for making me laugh to the point of crying on more than one occasion. Every single one of you is awesome. Adios mis amigos.

Victoria Gilman: It’s really hard to sit down and tell someone how awesome you think they are, here’s my best shot: So you’re my best friend and I’m going to miss you like crazy next year. I know that I can go to you with anything. Thanks for being such an amazing friend. Just remember, sometimes you have to say stupid things and expect people to think you’re stupid.

So there it is. I am grateful for so many more people, but my designer was getting mad at me for how much space I was going to take up. Thanks to all my readers, friends, family and teachers. I lead such a blessed life. And a big “thank you” to Zach Hill for letting me write as much as I did, you’re great.

Quietus

a poem by

bailey schaumburg Quietus The finishing stroke On a day unforgettable Yet so similar to all the rest.

Little ticks drone like a heartbeat, parallel Because when one dies The other sleeps, Imminent sleep, lurking In street alleys, faulty hearts and numbers.

Finding imperfections in doctors, Lawyers and pastors, Worst of all, somehow, mothers and fathers Especially when realizing They’ve been there all along, All laced with Regret.

But the day, the elusive, bittersweet day Buries treasures, the sky In which tragedies become laughable When discovering faces and dragons in clouds.

To live in the land of milk and cheese Of lazy journeys and fake dopamine Where quitting is really beginning, Where denial causes blindness, Eyes not seeing that the future is only An extension of now.

But for now, quietus The finishing stroke On a day unforgettable Yet so similar to all the rest.

Where fear dies, And peace is temporary

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Feature

Kim Carter I’ve been a member of the Free Press staff for three years now. This class has been my homeroom at Free State, and now it’s time to say goodbye. Sophomore year I never spoke in Newspaper, I was the only sophomore on staff and terrified of the upperclassmen. Junior year I loved having a class that I was comfortable in, I had Bailey and Katherine and was friends with most everyone on staff.

Then senior year came and Bailey, Katherine and I took over running the paper. Sophomore and junior year I read the senior columns, anticipating the day I would get to write one, so I

hope you’re ready. Here we go...

Ha, I’m just kidding, I’m not one to go on and on about how awesome everyone I know is. Basically, all I want to say is Free State is so awesome and so accepting. I’m so happy I could attend a school as great as this. Mrs. Folsom, Ms. Morton, and Mrs. Rothrock are the most amazing teachers I’ve ever had. Natalie Edmondson and Paige Robinson are awesome. Bailey Schaumburg and Audrey Hughes are fantastic. And I’m getting the heck out of here. Also, suck it to all the people who bullied me. Have a great summer!

Don’t get too crazy.

Austin Fisher “Young people of America, awake from your slumber of indolence and hark-en the call of the future! Do you realize you are rapidly becoming a doomed generation? Do you realize that the fate of the world and of generations to come rests on your shoulders? Do you realize that at any time you may be called on to protect your country and the freedom of the world from the creeping scourge of communism? How can you possibly laugh in the face of the disasters which face us all from all sides?

Oh ignorant youth, the world is not a joyous place. The time has come for you to dispense with the frivolous pleasures of childhood and get down to honest toil until you are 65. Then and only then can you relax and collect your social security and live happily until the time of your death.

Also your insolent attitude disturbs me greatly.You have the nerve to say that you have never known what it is like to live in a secure and peaceful world; you say that the present generation has balled things up to the extent that we now face a war so terrible that the very thought of it makes hardened veterans shudder; you say it is our fault that World War ll was fought in vain; you say that it is impossible to lay plans for the future until you are sure you

have a future.

I say Nonsense! None of these things matter. If you expect a future you must carve it out in the face of these things.You also say that you must wait until after you have served your time with the service to settle down.

Ridiculous! It is a man’s duty to pull up stakes and serve his country at any time, then settle down again.

“I say there is no excuse for a feeling of insecurity on your part; there is no excuse for juvenile delinquency; there is no excuse for your attitude except that you are rotten and lazy!

I was never like that! I worked hard; I saved; I didn’t run around and stay out late at night; I carved out my own future through hard work and virtuous living, and look at me now: a respectful and successful man.

“I warn you, if you don’t start now it will be too late, and the blame for the end of the world will be laid at your feet. Heed my warning, oh depraved and profligate youth; I say awake, awake, awake!

“Fearfully and disgustedly yours, John J. Righteous - Hypocrite.”

- Hunter S. Thompson, “Open Letter To The Youth Of Our Nation,” 1955 I’m finally done with high school.

Thank you Based God (Lil B).

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May 11, 2011

Feature

Emma Machell

HOW TO:

SURVIVE HIGH SCHOOL Advice from the Free Press Staff collected by emma machell

Katie Guyot

Make sure you’re in control of your own schedule. If you don’t have a chance to start on your endless hours of homework until 10 p.m. because of club meetings and team practices, then you’re probably going to be pretty stressed out. Leave yourself some breathing room.

Don’t sign up for 15 clubs at the club fair. It’s great to be involved, but knowing your limits will allow you to enjoy the high school experience even more.

Jacob Caldwell Don’t be loud, try to go unnoticed, and get on the seniors’ good side. If you successfully do this, you will have nothing happen to you on senior week, just like me.

Don’t be afraid to make new friends. Just because you don’t know anyone in your Spanish class or your Chemistry class doesn’t mean you should blend in. I met my best friends in classes I didn’t know anyone in. Join a few clubs, meet new people.You may end up making friends that last a lifetime.

Miranda Davis Allison Harwood

Don’t push yourself too hard.

Advanced classes in high school truly are advanced. Unless you want to spend all your time studying and doing homework, only take advanced classes for subjects you are interested in.

Also, get involved in school activities and sports.

Allison Morte

Have fun while you still can.

You’re not getting any younger.

The best advice I can give to incoming high schoolers is to get involved. Take classes that will challenge you and that you are passionate about. Pursue what you want to, not what your junior high friends are doing.

Even if you don’t think you will make friends, or be very good at something, do it anyway.

Ryan Loecker At Free State, there is a group of people for almost every interest one could have. It would be smarter to find friends based on your genuine interests rather than other nonsense such as popularity.

Megan Engleman

Amani Safadi Bailey Schaumburg Have the most fun that you possibly can.

Stay positive and don’t be scared walking into the school. There are a lot of stories about how the upperclassmen will be mean and how they will be tough, but that’s not necessarily true.

The majority of the juniors and seniors will welcome the freshman and sophomores. Just be yourself.

Kim Carter Kathrine Corliss

Say “hi” to everyone you possibly can. I seriously don’t understand why people avoid eye contact in the hallways. And get to know peoples’ names; that way when you say "hi" to them, you can say, “Hi (name).” This will make more people like you, you won’t sit at graduation and feel bad about all the people you don’t know, and you might even brighten someone’s day.

Austin Fisher

You come to school to listen but getting involved in school is the best way to meet many friends. Don’t let your preconceptions about people dictate who you interact with at school.

Don’t take yourself too seriously, be nice to everyone, and find your group of friends.

Don’t psyche yourself out, and keep an open mind. Just have fun while being smart about your actions at the same time. High school is supposed to be the highlight of your teenage years, so make it worthwhile.

Chris Allmon Starting high school is going to be your last chance to make a good first impression until you graduate.

Don't be shy and timid, act strong, make the first moves, talk to people before they talk to you, but don't over do it. There’s nothing more annoying than a showoff who won’t be quiet. Learn to be charismatic but modest.

Zach Hill

If you’re not going to go to class, fake sick, get excused by your parents, just do anything to avoid a truancy mark on your record.

Trevor Bird

Avoid skipping classes and getting ISS; it becomes a habit.

Check out fsfreepressonline.com for additional content!

May 11, 2011

Staying Between the Lanes by katie guyot

Girls swim team works together to stay focused

The pool churns like a foamy tornado behind legs ferociously but deliberately kicking the icy blue water. A hand slices through the surface until the palm slaps flat against the wall, and a face bursts into the air. At once the swimmer rips the goggles from her face to see the number for which she has labored so hard: her time, the driving force behind these aquatic athletes.

“It’s not always about winning; it’s about getting better,” senior Katy Thellman said. Thellman is one of three captains of the girls’ swim team.

“Getting better” implies cutting down one’s time, so the swimmer is essentially competing against both opponents and herself.

“Swimming’s not an easy sport,” said Annette McDonald, who coaches both the girls’ and the boys’ swim teams. “A lot of people think it is, but you’ve really got to put in your time and work on good technique.”

The weekly schedule can attest to her words. The girls practice at the Indoor Aquatic Center every day except Sunday, including afternoon practices running Monday through Friday. Additional practices are held from 5:30 to 6:30 a.m.on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, but McDonald said “not everybody goes to [those].”

“I had about eight people come for about an hour,” she said of that day’s morning session. “Eight out of 28, so 20 got to sleep in. Not bad.”

“It does take up a lot of time—it’s like two hours

after school every day—but you learn to adjust,” Thellman said. “You have to motivate yourself to do both to be able to get in swimming and homework.”

With state swimming competitions quickly approaching, practices are becoming increasingly challenging, sophomore Morgan Miller observes.

“Two days ago was the hardest of the season by far,” she said.

The effects of rigorous training are obvious when it comes to meets, according to McDonald.

“It’s really easy to see improvement,” she said.

“What you have is a time, and I can say without a doubt everyone has improved their time from the beginning of the season to where we are right now. The goal is to improve even more.”

Miller knows exactly where she wants to boost her speed.

“Right now I have a state cut in a relay,” Miller said.

“But I’m hoping to get an individual one in a freestyle stroke. We have two more meets, and JV League is the big one, where we’ll hope to get a lot of points and lose a lot of time.”

But there is more to being a swimmer than getting a chance to swim laps in the limelight. Miller also values the friends she has made on the team since her freshman year.

“It was a good connection to the high school when I was from junior

9

Sports

"I've met a whole lot of people that I wouldn't get to know otherwise."

high.”

Thellman, who has been swimming on the team since her sophomore year, appreciates the group’s companionship as well.

“I really just like being on a team because we always have good people, good friends, and I always make new friends. I've met a whole lot of people that I wouldn’t get to know otherwise.”

The coach agrees.

“It’s a really great group,” McDonald said. “They really want to be like a team, so we all wear our team uniforms; we all wear our team shirts. They stay and they cheer each other on. They’re sitting there watching the divers, clapping after every time they dive.

They’re at the end of the pool, cheering somebody on to make them go faster, and they’re always giving highfives.”

McDonald hopes that coming meets will warrant many more high-fives. State swimming prelims and finals are scheduled on May 20 and 21, respectively.

Until then, the girls will be training tirelessly to taper their times.

Want more Free Press?

Do it right from your computer! Check out fsfreepressonline.com for additional content, and interact through comments and polls. Or, follow us on twitter at @fsfreepress.

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© 2011 The College Board

10

May 11, 2011

Opinion

Good?

OR

School Year In Review

Bad?

by allison harwood

photo by megan engleman

Hype Inc. This club was especially active first semester.

They held tailgates before football games and filled the stadium with “hyphy” suits.

Commitment to Graduate Sign A neon green sign was put up on a wall in the Commons.

Orange Leaf Opens Up Across the Street This was an instant hit among students.

Open Lunch Debate The school board considered closing open lunch. This caused considerable uproar among students, especially upperclassmen.

All Seniors at Free State Included on Homecoming Ballot

Bacterial Meningitis Freak-Out

When members of the senior class found out that some seniors such as Homecoming King Owen Phariss were not included on the nomination list, they drew up a petition and presented it to Principal Ed West.

Several people at Free State contracted bacterial meningitis and people freaked out, bird-flu style.

Boys Basketball Game at LHS This was an incredibly fun and exciting game, but the fights and Facebook groups afterwards were all really unnecessary.

Return of Raise The Roof Just like Great Green Help, Raise the Roof did not happen last year but made a comeback this year thanks to the Spirit Squad.

LHS Forking Our Footbal Field During Senior Week The only thing that needs to be said: Really?

Unfortunately for this year’s seniors Great Green Help was not around their junior year, but it made a return this year.

Great Green Help was sponsored by Environmental Club and around half of the junior class participated.

photo by aaron groene

Return of Great Green Help

Two Kings and Four Queens Check out fsfreepressonline.com for extra content, and tell us what you think about Issue 9 Yes, we are now on Twitter! Follow us at @fsfreepress for news updates

Owen Phariss won Homecoming King and Rachel Heeb and Audrey Hughes tied for Queen. Later, Justin McCandless won Prom King and McKenzie Dever and Adriane Dick tied for Queen.

Syrupy Situations

May 11, 2011

11

Staff Editorial

Fast Facts:

Since 1970, there has been at least one hazing-related death on a college campus each year Among high school students, close to 25% reported being hazed when joining a sports team

by kim carter

A girl's personal experience into the horrors of girl hazing.

I want to begin this editorial with a personal experience. When I was in the seventh grade my house was trashed.

My brother was a freshman at the time and a group of boys vandalized our house, three times in the span of one month. They tee-peed our trees, poured spaghetti sauce all over our driveway and in my mothers gardens, sprayed cheese on our garage door, dumped trash and cereal everywhere and left empty beer cans with notes mocking us on our front step.

For those of you who don’t know my mother, this crushed her. She puts so much hard work into keeping our house nice and presentable, her gardens are

her other children. We ended up calling the police and the boys were caught, but from that day on I swore I would never vandalize any one's house, property, or car. My mother never understood why these kids would do this to our house, and even as a senior I don’t understand.

Boys can be jerks, but girls can be evil. When a senior boy shaves an underclassmen’s head they have the parents permission. The boy has crazy hair for a day and then shaves it off.You’re a cool underclassmen if you get your head shaved.

For girls, it’s a completely different story. Senior week sucks for underclassmen and some of the things other senior

girls do to sophomore and junior girl’s houses and cars is sickening. Pouring syrup into a cracked car window, smearing dog feces on someones car, writing evil messages on their driveway and windows.

Girls, we all know we let our emotions get the best of us sometimes, but when you do this to someone you’re not only affecting that person but you’re affecting her family. Her mother has to wake up and see that, her dad has to read “asian whore” written on the car windows. No matter what you justify your actions with, no matter what this girl did to you to make you so upset that you would smear dog poop on her car,

it doesn’t matter.You’re no better than her now.

I think that hazing is a part of high school and that it will happen no matter what, but I believe that seniors should be responsible about it. Boys, keep getting permission and shaving heads.

Girls, if you’re going to vandalize some one's house/property, just don’t.

Writing on cars, teepeeing, post-it note egging, (not real egging) anything that’s legal is okay.

Be nice, it isn’t worth getting in trouble with the law, no matter how much you hate her.

Question:

When does female related hazing cross the line?

Nick Hay sophomore

Skylar McCawley junior

"If it's enough damage you have to pay to have it fixed."

Hannah Brewer senior "Unless the person wants to be hazed it should be unacceptable."

"If they start shaving [girl's] heads."

Diane Toplikar librarian "I go on record as being firmly against any kind of hazing whether it is against males or females. These kinds of things, no matter what the intent is, it often gets out of control."

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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.

12

May 11, 2011

Kanrocksas

Lawrence Guide

Lawrence Guide:

August 5-6 $179 for a 2 day pass Recommended bands: Eminem, Flaming Lips, Kid Cudi, Girl Talk Distance from Lawrence: 40 minutes Location: Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas

Summer Festivals by ryan loecker

This should be interesting. After hearing there was a music festival taking place on the Kansas Speedway, my expectation was something similar to Country Stampede. Then, when told the name, my expectations shifted to a music festival featuring bands like 3 Doors Down, Creed and Nickleback. But, both those expectations proved to be dead wrong as “Kanrocksas” festival actually managed to set up a promising line-up. Attendees can probably expect a crowd consisting mostly of teenagers, and probably a lot of parents. With a variety of bands ranging from Eminem to the Arctic Monkeys, this festival proves to have something for almost everyone. Attendees who are interested in seeing one of the craziest live performances ever should plan on seeing the Flaming Lips.

July 15-17 $45 per day Recommended bands: Animal Collective, Fleet Foxes, TV on the Radio, OFWGKTA Distance from Lawrence: 9 hours Location: Union Park Chicago, Illinois

More Festivals!

Speaking from personal experience, this festival is worth attending. Compared to other festivals, the target audience for Pitchfork is much smaller. It is common for music festivals to book a large variety of bands in an attempt to please everyone. But, music website Pitchfork.com only books bands that get attention on their website. Chances are, if attendees like a few of the artists playing, they will most likely be entertained the whole weekend. This is basically a miniature version of the other Chicago music festival Lollapalooza, with a much more specific genre of music.

Wakarusa Festival in Ozark, AR

June 2-5 $169 for a full event pass. Featured bands include My Morning Jacket, Bassnectar, Ghostland Observatory, and STS9

LouFest in St. Louis, MO August 27-28 $64 for a two-day pass. Featured bands include The Roots, Cat Power, !!!, Surfer Blood, and Deerhunter. A five hour drive from Lawrence.

Maha Music Festival in Omaha, NE August 13 $30. Featured bands include Guided By Voices, Cursive, and Matisyahu. The venue is located 3.5 hours from Lawrence and is probably the closest non-Kansas festival out there.

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