Free Press: Issue 6, Edition 20

THE FREE PRESS Issue 6 Edition 20 2 March 2017

STAFF

Issue 6 2 March 2017 Edition 21

Print Co-Editors in Chief MARIAH HOUSTON ADELAIDE WENDEL

Online Co-Editors in Chief JACKSON BARTON SAMANTHA SPENCER

Design Editor

Designers

DRAKE RINER

ELISE GARD GRETA HAYDEN CAITLIN MCANDREW-BECKMAN ELIZABETH MULLINS GOLDIE SCHMIEDELER JULIANA WILCHES

Copy Editors DARBY GILLILAND MAYA HODISON JUNA MURAO

Photo Editors ALI DODD ANNA-MAYA HACHMEISTER GABRIELLE WHEELER

Multimedia Editor AUBIN MURPHY

Social Media Editor DARBY GILLILAND

Business Editors SPENCER BOWMAN SYDNEY VOGELSANG

Managing Editor KAYA SHAFER

Reporters JAKE CLARK WILL COOK MADDY JOHNSON SHELBY KELLY ERIN LISTON SAM MOHANTY CHRIS PENDRY AMELIA PETERS ROWAN PLINSKY REAGAN SULLIVAN

fsfreepress@gmail.com

Photographers MACKENZIE BICKLING EMMA JOHNSON PAIGE KIRKPATRICK CLAIRE PURCELL RILEY ROBERTS NICOLA SANTANGELO KLAIRE SARVER CHARLES SEDLOCK ABBIE STEWART

Multimedia LOGAN BARBEE DYLAN CRAWFORD KAMEREN PRATHER SKYLAR WILLIAMS Between breaths, senior Jordan Portela practices for State. Portela broke a state record at the last state competition.

Cover photo by ABBIE STEWART Pages by DRAKE RINER

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Business Staff CARLY OLIVER

FS Journalism

@fsjournalism @fsjournalism

FS Journalism The Free Press is an open forum that accepts letters to the editor and guest writings which must include the writer’s name and telephone number.

Articles may be edited due to space limitations, libel or inappropriate content. Letters may be submitted to Room 201 or sent in care of Free Press to Lawrence Free State High School, 4700 Overland Drive, Lawrence KS 66049.

The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the Free Press staff, the high school administration or that of the USD 497 Board of Education.

CONTENTS

2 3 4

SAM MOHANTY

4

NURTURING NATURE Environmental Club works to build outdoor recreational space

JAKE CLARK

6

DUCK DYNASTY State Thespian Officers discuss their leadership positions

JAKE CLARK

8

HUNGRY LIKE THE WOLF Gifted teacher shares mysterious past

Interviewed by CHRIS PENDRY

9

BIRD’S WORD What is your dream spring break vacation?

CHRIS PENDRY 12 MORE THAN JUST A GAME Athletes balance their sports, academics, art

Page by GRETA HAYDEN

16

ARTIST OF THE MONTH Junior Simon McCaffrey

3 4

NURTURING NATURE SAM MOHANTY

Environmental Club works to build outdoor recreational space

NEWS

5

W

alking out of school, junior Elizabeth Runyan noticed the sparse dead grass and bits of trash surrounding the building. After discussing the deplorable conditions of the outside of the school in an Environmental Club meeting, Runyan and other members began planning to build an Outdoor Commons by the south entrance. As an alternative to spending hours after school doing homework at a lunch table, the new space will provide a place for students to gather and work outdoors.

“It’s going to be a place where students are able to get outside, but also do their homework,” Elizabeth Runyan said. “We’re going to have native greenery to encourage natural Kansas biodiversity.”

Principal Myron Graber approves of the plan, asserting that the area needed to be put to good use.

“It’s an area that needs something to be done there anyhow,” Graber said. “The grass there is not very good, including the tables out there, so I think it would be a very beneficial plan.”

Environmental Club is partnering with engineering students to design the space, which will include a mulch walkway with three picnic benches surrounded by native plants.

The entire plan is extremely cost-efficient.

Seeds are being donated by Westar Energy and germinated by club members while welding teacher Tony Schwager’s woodshop classes will work on the picnic benches.

“We just want students to go outside more so that they have somewhere to go and relax,” senior Nyla Chaudhry said.

Right: Science teacher Julie Schwarting talks with junior Environmental Club members Juna Murao and Carly Oliver. The club’s goal is to make the school more sustainable and produce less wast to reduce the carbon footprint.

Photo by EMMA JOHNSON

Opposite page: This outdoor space, often seen walking into Free State through the south doors, is relatively empty and barren. The Environmental Club, along with woodshop and design students, hope to reconstitute the space into a place for students to relax or study.

4 5 6

Photo by EMMA JOHNSON

Continued from page 6 According to science teacher and Environmental Club advisor Julie Schwarting, staying inside all day tends to have a dulling effect on students and shortens their attention span considerably.

“Outdoor Commons is really important because it’s important to be outside,” Schwarting said. “I think sunlight helps people’s emotional attitude. There are lots of studies that have been done that show that being in nature tends to have a relaxing effect. It minimizes a lot of stress day to day, especially in a school.”

The Outdoor Commons will serve not only as a place to hang out and relieve stress but also a place to learn about Kansas’s variety of local and native plants.

“It’s also a place where people could, if we use native plants, learn about some native plants and enjoy them,” Schwarting said. “I feel like every little bit that we can do to increase native plants is going to be good for our ecosystem.”

Right: Working together, seniors Atticus vonHolten, Charles Sedlock, Max Limesand, John Eldridge and Tre Byers prepare native seeds for germination. The seeds will be nurtured until they are ready to be planted in the Outdoor Commons.

Photo submitted by JUNA MURAO

NEWS

Pages by ELIZABETH MULLINS

5 6

NEWS

7

DUCK DYNASTY

State Thespian Officers discuss their leadership positions JAKE CLARK

H

undreds of thespians from across Kansas whirred around the Century II Convention Center in Wichita, Kansas with rubber ducks in their hands. “Jenny” was written on the bottom of one rubber duck, and the thespian who purchased it was on a desperate search for the duck with the name “Forrest Gump.” Other pairs of ducks were named Barack and Michelle, Kim and Kanye, Dobby and his sock and Shrek and Fiona.

Senior Morgan McReynolds was the creator of this wild duck chase, and her idea was to attempt to create camaraderie between drama students from different schools in Kansas. McReynolds was

one of the five Kansas State Thespian Officers of 2016-2017, and one of three Free State students to ever receive this position.

“As a thespian member, I was elected last January and [helped] plan the social events that go on at Thespian Festival,” McReynolds said. “It’s a pretty big deal because there are only five [STOs] in Kansas. This year, we got to go to International Festival in June. They wanted us to take leadership workshops there so we would be really good officers. It’s in Lincoln, Nebraska, and everybody comes. We got to meet the International Thespian Officers which is like a State Officer but they travel around the country going to different state festivals,

and they get to speak in front of Congress.”

Two others from Free State have received the position: junior Anna Bial and Brianna Adams, class of 2015.

“I think it’s really important that women get the opportunity to be in leadership roles, and when I was there I noticed that all the adults that the STOs were working with on the Kansas Thespian Board of Educators with the International Thespian Society were all guys,” McReynolds said. “Sometimes I was like ‘I just want a woman’s perspective.’ I think the female perspective is just as important as the male’s perspective in leadership opportunities, and so I’m just really proud that

Below:

Continued from page 6 these really strong women at Free State have gotten the opportunity.”

Anna Bial went to the Kansas Thespian Festival in January, where she gave a speech to the board of directors for the festival. Bial memorized a minute-long speech and presented it confidently.

“I was really nervous, but once I started, I was pretty solid,” Bial said. “Honestly, I felt the most confident about that speech than I probably have ever felt about most other things because I went in there, and I hit it. I was like ‘here I am, and this is my speech.’ I had been running it so much that I knew it like the back of my hand.”

Bial received the news that she had become one of five State Thespian Officers during the award ceremony at the end of the festival. Bial was really excited when she heard the announcement, and she looks forward to the International Thespian Conference, where she will attend professional high school performances and learn from experienced theater veterans. “I think it’s going to be a huge learning experience,” Bial

said. “I’ll definitely learn more about the theater community in Kansas, and I’m really pumped about International Thespian Conference because I’m probably gonna learn so many things that I had no idea about.”

All three students attended Free State for the entirety of their high school careers. Bial said that she believes that there is a correlation between Free State and the high frequency of State Thespian Officers that have been selected out of the school.

“Free State does a really good job of supporting the arts in general,” Bial said. “There are some clear differences in funding but as far as support goes, it seems like you’re not disrespected if you’re a theater kid or a choir kid compared to if you’re [a] football player. The environment at Free State adapts to each side—the sports aspect and the arts aspect. There’s solid support and solid basis on each side and that’s really important.”

Brandishing their trophy, juniors Eli Börk, Hirsh Guha, Orson Becker, Chris Pendry and senior Ryan Leibold celebrate. The thespian troupe won second place at the Kansas Thespian Festival on January 6.

Photo submitted by MORGAN MCREYNOLDS Opposite page: Thespian Club, which includes junior Anna Bial and senior Morgan McReynolds, prepares for their annual trick-or-treat food drive. Bial was recently selected to become a State Thespian Officer for 2017-2018 and McReynolds was selected as a State Thespian Officer for the current school year.

Photo submitted by MORGAN MCREYNOLDS

6 7 8

NEWS

Pages by GRETA HAYDEN

HUNGRY LIKE THE WOLF JAKE CLARK

Gifted teacher shares mysterious past

H 7 8

PROFILES

9

aving access to classified government information used to be an ordinary circumstance for gifted education teacher Larry Wolf. Wolf was an operations research analyst at Fort Leavenworth for 16 years and now works as an Enrichment Resources teacher.

“He showed me the form for applying for graduate school [at the University of Texas] and it was a postcard, so I thought ‘hey that looks good,’” Wolf said. “I filled out the postcard, and I was given a teaching assistantship down there to work half time as I did my graduate work.”

“He’s quite the guy,” said junior Jared Lieberman, one of Wolf ’s students. “He’s like a grandfather figure—kinda quirky, really nice and interesting. He doesn’t tell us much about himself though; he’s mysterious.”

Wolf ’s mystery includes much more than his job at Fort Leavenworth. Wolf graduated from Harvard University in 1963 with a degree in Economics.

“I was able to come up with one test prep book,” Wolf said of his process for getting into Harvard. “That’s all our school had, so I used that and did a reasonably good job on the aptitude test that we were given. I got a National Merit Scholarship, so that made it financially [feasible]. I had the understanding that education is important to success in life, so I worked diligently.”

He aspired to be an economist right out of college, but when his roommate told him about his plans to attend the University of Texas for graduate school, Wolf was interested.

After his work as a teacher’s assistant to certain career politicians and is appalled that an economics professor, he became what he they might be careless with that.” aspired to be: an economist.

“I had the understanding that “Eventually education is important to success in I did become an life, so I worked diligently.” economist, but I only worked a - TEACHER LARRY WOLF couple years in that field, and I wound up going into the Air Despite the exciting nature of these jobs, Force,” Wolf said. “After about nine and a they weren’t exactly what he was looking for half years of active duty, I continued reserve in a career. Instead, Wolf ’s favorite work has duty, so I wound up with several years of Air been his teaching, which he has pursued for Force experience..”

11 years. After this year, Wolf is planning to Wolf ’s Air Force duty led to a position as retire. an operations research analyst, where he had “It’s really neat to be able to interact to use advanced mathematical and analytical with the students who are not only smart but methods to help investigate complex issues, motivated,” Wolf said. “I like to see to what identify and solve problems and make smart extent I can help them do what they want to decisions. In Wolf ’s case, he worked directly do with their lives and attain their goals in the for the Army to manage its weapons system, least expensive manner.” organization and logistics. In this role, Wolf had access to classified information in order

Gifted education teacher Larry Wolf skims a recent issue of his alma mater’s magazine. Wolf graduated from Harvard in 1963. “When I got the National Merit [Scholarship], I thought ‘Oh maybe [I’ll attend] Harvard, it’s close by to MIT and a neat place to go,’” Wolf said.

Photo by CHARLES SEDLOCK

to fulfill his duties. “[Having access to classified information is] a sense of responsibility,” Wolf said. “For example, I had to [keep] the safes locked up every night adequately and safeguard any material taken out of them. One who has been through a career like that looks upon

BIRD’S WORD

What is your dream spring break vacation?

Interviewed by CHRIS PENDRY

sophomore

8

ETHAN GOLDSTEIN

“Skiing in Colorado.”

9 sophomore

SAWYER NICKEL

10

“A trip to Hawaii with my new puppy.”

freshman

OLIVIA SLEMMER

“I’ve always wanted to go to Italy. I like their food and the architecture. Basically, how it looks in Rome, Venice and Florence.”

junior

LOPEZ HELWEG

“I’d probably go to Switzerland.

The economy and technology up there is really good. The scenery is great as well.”

Photos by CHARLES SEDLOCK Pages by ELIZABETH MULLINS

PROFILES

sophomore

LUCY ZUO

“I don’t really have a dream vacation spot, but my ideal spring break would be spent staying at home and resting.” senior

SIMON BURDICK

“Probably something outdoors like kayaking or canoeing or just going on a hike. Probably somewhere not in Kansas, because I’m a little tired of Kansas. Maybe East Coast; find some place I’ve never been before and just go get lost.”

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MORE THAN JUST A GAME

Athletes balance their sports, academics, art CHRIS PENDRY

F

FEATURE

reshman Meron Hayden spends most of her evenings practicing cheers, cheering at games or participating in competitions.

While she relishes spending time with her team, the number of hours she spends perfecting routines and stunting cannot surpass the number of hours she spends on homework if she wants to keep her spot on the squad.

“If your [grades] drop, then you can get kicked off the cheer team,” Hayden said.

It is the coach’s job to make sure their players are performing well in school.

“I think coaches here do a pretty good job of making sure the kids are working hard in the classroom as well as in the sport,” senior baseball player Jacob Pavlyak said. “It also takes up a lot of time playing the sport, so you have to focus on “Sports made me keep my grades your academics a little up. The biggest thing about more.” sports is that they make sure your For some athletes, their sport acts as a driving academics are high.” force for their education.

- SENIOR ZION BOWLIN “Sports made me keep my grades up,” senior Academics are extremely important to the football player Zion Bowlin said. “The biggest sports program. Poor grades could potentially thing about sports is that they make sure your limit an athlete’s eligibility to play. academics are high.”

Bowlin’s teachers understand if he misses a test or has late work due to football.

“If you’re falling behind in a class or you have a test to take, [teachers] are always lenient with you,” Bowlin said.

Some athletes have found it hard to balance schoolwork and practice, which usually runs for two hours after school.

Junior Cameryn Thomas is on both the basketball and track & field teams, which effectively take up her time after school almost year-round.

“I get home at 5:30, then do homework for pretty much the rest of the night,” Thomas said.

Most athletes have not noticed any sort of perks in the classroom due to their athletic activities, but acknowledge that prioritization of sports over academics becomes more prominent in college.

“At the collegiate level, you’re expected to have more emphasis on the sport rather than Pages by GOLDIE SCHMIEDELER

Opposite page:

Photo by ABBIE STEWART

Photo by ABBIE STEWART

FEATURE

Below: Reflecting on the game, junior basketball player Cameryn Thomas and soccer coach Kelly Barah sit in the stands. The last home basketball game took place on Feb. 17. “Sometimes, there’s high pressure situations and as an athlete, you have to learn how to manage the pressure and perform well under pressure.

Setting up to dive in, the boys swim team practices for State. The team includes seniors Jordan Portela and Evan Yoder, who have committed to attend the University of Minnesota next year.

Continued from page 12 school,” sophomore soccer player Gabe Kimuri said.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association has furthered its scholarship program in recent years. In August 2015, NCAA invested upwards of $160 million toward scholarships and other additional costs, something unheard of in any other fields, such as the fine arts or many academic areas.

For Firebirds, however, funding is dependent on the state.

“Our funds are frozen,” theatre director Nancee Beilgard said, referring to Governor Sam Brownback’s ongoing budget cuts after denying to increase state taxes.

The cuts are district-wide, something assistant principals Lisa Boyd and Mike Hill must balance. Boyd handles funding for school activities, such as forensics, theatre, art and music programs, while Hill manages sports.

“Regarding the performing arts, they all in-

dependently fundraise to support their groups,” life, even something as small as the morning Boyd said. “If there are additional funds needed announcements. for special activities such as the school musical or “You never hear results about forensics on sending groups to state events or competitions, the announcements, but yet you hear about the teachers of those groups can request addievery single swim meet,” Davison said. tional monetary assistance from [Principal Myron] Graber.” “ You never hear results about This monetary assistance has forensics on the announcements, been lessened by ongoing budget but yet you hear about every single cuts.

Many students recognize the swim meet.” imbalance between fine arts and - JUNIOR MAYA DAVISON athletics, even though the disparity is on a much smaller scale in high school.

Sophomore Morgan Dunn is first chair “I feel like most of the school is for sports, clarinet in Wind Ensemble and was formerly on 12 and not for the arts,” junior forensicator Maya the track and field team.

Davison said. “I haven’t seen anything direct, Dunn has striven to succeed in both athletics 13 but it’s definitely there.” and music, but has found that she is treated Davison has come to expect these differences differently for her involvement in each. in treatment, noticing them in everyday student “I feel like people don’t understand how

14

FEATURE

Continued from page 13

13 14 15

involved someone can be in music, so they think it’s not as important,” Dunn said.

Dunn has learned from both, but says she had to work harder for band than athletics.

“I feel like music teaches you motivation, because if you want to be good, you have to practice on your own and push yourself to practice,” Dunn said. “With sports, it’s just normal to show up to practice.”

Kimuri, a musician as well as an athlete, has discovered the importance of collaboration with a team in his sport and the importance of physical fitness. However, sometimes he gets more recognition for being a soccer player than a violist.

“Sometimes people don’t expect me to be a violist because they know I’m in soccer, and soccer is more publicized over orchestra,” Kimuri said.

Despite his gained popularity as a soccer player, Kimuri believes that his future would be more secure being a professional musician.

“The fine arts is usually lesser in students’ opinions than sports,” Kimuri said, “but in the end, the people in fine arts do better things because more people in the fine arts make it a profession than the people in sports.”

Like Kimuri, Dunn has found that others hold her to certain expectations for being both a musician and athlete: namely, that they expect her to excel in sports because of her race.

“A lot of people think black people dominate in sports, and if you’re black you’re expected to be fast,” Dunn said. “I feel like black people get a lot of stereotypes for [their race].”

Senior Sydney Lin, a cellist as well as a swimmer, says he faces stereotypes based on his gender, and feels more pressure to dedicate himself to his sport than to his musical talent.

“Guys in general are expected to be athletic,” Lin said.

Lin has also recognized imbalances between different sports.

“Everyone goes to the football games and basketball games,” Lin said, “but for swim meets you’d usually see like ten kids there.”

Sports culture affects everyday life for many, instigating passion, conflict and teamwork.

Although extracurricular activities have the potential to cause difficulties, Kimuri feels his activities have given him a sense of identity.

“I’m known by more people because I’m either the viola guy or the soccer guy or that guy in math class, but if I didn’t have those two things then I would just be that guy in math class,” Kimuri said.

“Everyone goes to the football games and basketball games, but for swim meets you’d usually see like ten kids there.”

- SENIOR SYDNEY LIN

Page by GOLDIE SCHMIEDELER

Above: Greeted by roaring cheers from the crowd, senior basketball player Jacob Pavlyak joins the starting lineup. Pavlyak is looking forward to continuing playing sports in college. “I think it’s going to be harder to balance the sport and academics, because college is harder, but I think it would be worth it,” Pavlyak said.

Photo by ABBIE STEWART

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junior SIMON MCCAFFREY

ARTIST OF THE MONTH

“The problems in the world [inspire me.] I like street art a lot. I base a lot of my art off of that.”

Page by GRETA HAYDEN