Free Press | Issue 6 | March 29, 2024

THE FREE PRESS

Design by Allison Mayhew | Photo by Elinor Russo

Due to excessive snow days, the school fell short of educational requirements, creating a modified schedule. Students fought back against the schedule, wanting the first semester schedule to stay. Photo by Elinor Russo. Design by Allison Mayhew.

3

6

opinion

Pg. 3 - Expiring Election

Pg. 17 - Lunch Crunch

4

Pg. 4-5 - Schedule Shake Up

feature

Pg. 6 - Working Through March Madness

Pg. 9 - Reels get Real

Pg. 10 - Ramen Reboot

Pg. 16 - Let Her Cook

Pg 18 - Fueled by Faith Pg 20 - Phones Take the Throne, Books Left Alone

Pg 21 - From Bland to Blooming news

news staff.

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF

Allison Mayhew

Lilly Wall

MANAGING EDITORS

Ember Klein

Jayne Landers

ONLINE MANAGING EDITOR

Simon Williams

DESIGN EDITOR

Sarah Masterson

ASST. DESIGN EDITOR

Geneva Sabatini

@fsjournalism

CAPTIONS EDITOR

Elinor Russo

SPORTS EDITOR

Nick Sprecker

SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR

Maile Hickman

COPY EDITOR

Stella Mosier

ASST. COPY EDITOR

Elliot Skillman

ASST. SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR

Katie Campbell

7

Pg. 19 - Students to Strikers sports

Pg. 7 - KU V. K-State

Pg. 6 - Final Four Predictions

Pg. 12 - Lady Firebirds Swinging to Continue a Legacy

Pg. 13 - Second Season

Without Leitel

8 Pg. 8 - Picture This

14

PHOTO EDITORS

Mallory Thompson

Chloe Cook

NEWS PLANNING TEAM

Evie Chancy

Phoebe Morris

Maria Mosconi

REPORTERS

Ava Talbott

Claire Heinritz

Jonah Frye

Lauren Jackson

Meredith Shryock

Nomso Enyinnaya

Rakshan Ossen

Thomas Patton

socials. mission statement.

Pg. 14-15 - Encore A&E

photo gallery

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Baila Love

Elinor Russo

Gregory Mayhew

Nathan Friedman

Rachel Bruffet

DESIGNERS

Abbie Veeder

Ainsley Linhos

Katie Cambell

Luna Hu

Mylie Brillhart

ILLUSTRATORS

Kouri Demelash

Curious Free State journalists will amplify voices, gather superior sources and tell pivotal stories of our community in a visually creative way in order to serve our audience and foster quality scholastic journalism in Lawrence, Kansas.

Upcoming election sparks concerns about aging candidates

Editorial by Evie Chancy, Phoebe Morris & Maria Mosconi

When the new generation of voters make their way to the polls and step into the voting box, the few names printed onto their ballot will be over half a century older than them.

Despite the average American age of 39 years, the average presidential candidate age is 63 years old according to CBS news. Boomers only make up 4.7% of the population, but are the highest demographic registered to vote. Consequently, options on the ballot are not an accurate representation of what the population makes up.

Some new voters have found their lack of power in the recent elections discouraging — many even opting out of voting at all.

The 2022 census saw the highest Gen-Z voter registration, surpassing the amount of registered Gen-X and millennial voters. Ultimately, the boomers in office are not the ones who will see the long-term consequences of the choices they make. In events like the overturning of Roe V. Wade and the approval of the Willow Project, modern and traditional values clash.

In 2020, current president Joseph Biden was elected at age 77, and became the oldest president in US history when he turned 80 in office. With both leading candidates reaching above 80 if elected, we’re only setting the record higher.

Therefore, it is essential to put a maximum age on presidential candidates.

No matter who they’re voting for, boomer’s wealth control creates an imbalance of power at the polls. According to NASDAQ, boomers hold half of the wealth in the U.S. while millennials and Gen Z struggle to find jobs and pay off student loans. More than ever before, boomers are the only generation with the resources to run.

Despite being the generation with the most political power, the knowledge of their generation becomes farther from the world they’re currently leading.

After Biden was born in 1942, World War II would continue for three more years. In the decades between the candidates and young voters in age, many cultural shifts have occurred. For example, Biden has repeatedly referred to current European leaders by the name of their dead predecessors.

The memory slip-ups both Trump and Biden are exhibiting have caused voters to not only question the candidate’s cultural awareness, but also question whether their ages are catching up to them. According to the National Institute of Health, one in seven Americans over the age of 71 have been diagnosed with dementia.

Because of the health risks associated with aging, candidates should be prohibited from running over the age of 66, so they don’t reach 70 in office. Being in the new generation of American voters, it is essential for our government to represent us. In future years, we hope to see candidates more reflective of the next generation’s values and beliefs.

SCHEDULE SHAKE UP

After the March 7 uproar following the district’s new schedule release aiming to offset this year’s snow days, Lawrence Board of Education President Kelly Jones called a special meeting of the USD 497 Board of Education at 4:15 p.m. on Friday, March 8. Following discussion, a set schedule was made for students to make up the instructional time necessary to meet the staterequired minimum.

The full district plan: Wednesdays will remain early dismissal days for all students, elementary and secondary. Middle and high school students will instead attend a full week, Monday through Friday, for the final week of school, May 20-24. Middle schools will release students at 11:30 a.m. on the last Friday, May 24. Middle schools will start five minutes earlier, at 8:10 a.m., every day for the rest of the year. Free State will add six minutes to the end of each school day for the rest of the year, including on Wednesdays.

One of the many concerns expressed by Free State students and staff was the removal of Extended Class Time. After further discussion, the final schedule will keep ECT as well as the nine minutes allotted to Second Chance Breakfast for students who need a morning meal.

Initially, Executive Director of HR Kristen Ryan said that a meeting on Friday, March 1 was called to discuss the deficit of hours due to the four snow days USD 497 has called thus far. The verdict of the meeting was that five minutes would be added to school days and that four hours of “flexible personal development” would be implemented. After the snow days, elementary schools were in the green, and grades six through 11 were in a small deficit.

A schedule was released for students; it included the removal of Extended Class Time and short Wednesdays. Junior Mason Toevs said he felt a lack of student input with the decision.

“With the first edition of the schedule that they proposed that was sent out to teachers that morning, it was a lot of shock. It seemed, at the time, very much an underbaked decision. It seemed to fly in the face of how they’ve

Discussion

sparks set fourth quarter schedule

Story by Lilly Wall & Nick Sprecker

managed to have too many snow days in the past, which was they would just add minutes at the end of the day, which is how they’ve handled it in previous years,” Toevs said.

To meet state requirements, the district met with a state auditor to count and analyze instructional hours. It was determined that the “Hopes and Dreams Conferences” could not be counted as instructional hours, casting the district even further back into the red. It was also determined that Free State’s Second Chance Breakfast module does not count as instructional time, throwing them further behind in hours. Additionally, Free State lets school out 15 minutes before Lawrence High.

After Ryan and Jana Craig-Hare, Director of Data and Assessment, counted the instructional hours, they determined that Free State was 21 hours and three minutes in the red, Lawrence High was 13 hours and 20 minutes in the red and Lawrence Middle Schools were 17 hours and 32 minutes short.

When coming to a decision, members also stressed the effects the change would have on families, including parents who typically rely on younger children to be watched by older siblings who would now be in school longer each day.

According to Craig-Hare, members will revisit the options in future board meetings to improve the 2024-2025 school year calendar and address further changes such as a policy regarding snow days and increasing instructional minutes.

“Having that plan for if we have snow days — what happens at one snow day, two snow days and go through that so we can be proactive in looking at it before those days are used. If we have that cushion in there, that should help,” Craig-Hare

said at the meeting.

WORKING THROUGH THE

M E S NAD S

Students experience an influx of work during March Madness

Story by Claire Heinritz

During March Madness, sports bars and restaurants fill with customers eager to watch their favorite teams play.

With long waitlists at sports bars, working high school students rush to clear tables, serve customers and open up more tables. At times, the busy environment can be stressful for some of these students.

“There’s a huge influx of people leaving and entering, so we have to do it very quickly and carry a bunch of heavy food all around the restaurant,” junior hostess at Johnny’s Tavern, Rowan Glendening, said. “Everyone that works there could agree that it gets stressful.”

Although some students find the influx of work stressful, others said they enjoy

the exciting atmosphere that March Madness brings. Sophomore server at Johnny’s, Jacie Butler, said that during games, fans and employees can cheer on their favorite teams together in one environment.

“I know a lot of people find it stressful, but I enjoy it, because the environment is nice during the game. Everybody’s there to have fun and watch the same thing,” Butler said.

Commonly, high school students who experience a busier work schedule

during March Madness work at sports bars and restaurants. However, other jobs like babysitters are also affected by March Madness.

“I usually get a lot of calls to come in and ask if I can come babysit because they want to go see a game,” Glendening said.

To adjust to more customers, places like Johnny’s prepare their staff for the rush and make longer shifts. Senior Tyler Jeffries said he notices how well Johnny’s prepares him for the rush during March Madness.

“We always prepare way beforehand, like with having enough supplies,” Jeffries said. “We also communicate if there’s an issue going on and communicate before the issues happen.”

SUNFLOWER SHOWDOWN

Journalism staff members compare experiences being college fans of big-time rivalry in Lawrence

KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS

Col

umn

by Thomas Patton

There are many must-watch rivalries in college sports, but University of Kansas vs. Kansas State is certainly unique. With only an hour’s drive separating the two schools, getting immersed in the rivalry is easy to accomplish. Growing up a Wildcat fan in Jayhawk territory has pros and cons. Being able to follow the games, off-season moves and new developments of your rival keeps you fully engaged at all times. However, openly repping the purple in Lawrence is not received well for obvious reasons. I’ve received my fair share of heckling, but it just signifies the legitimacy of the rivalry between both fan bases.

Both sides take pride in the sport they excel in and are bitter at the losses in their lesser sport. For example, Kansas State fans relish football season where they have had success against Kansas for 15 straight years, while Kansas has dominated basketball season year after year. The teams trade blows through their dominant sport, but changes are developing.

Now with Kansas taking big steps in football and Kansas State building its basketball program around Jerome Tang, the games are becoming more competitive and making the games unmissable. The rivalry is heating up and will be this way for years to come.

Column by Nick Sprecker

In head coach Bill Self’s introduction speech to the press in 2003, when speaking about other decorated basketball programs, he said “those places are great, but there’s no place like Kansas.” Growing up in Lawrence, a deep sense of pride and community is present within our fanbase. There is no need to beat around the bush — when talking sports, the Kansas fan base hangs their hats on a program that is a cemented “blue blood” — the men’s basketball team.

A storied program that no one will ever take away from us; the birthplace of basketball, six overall national championships and the renowned Allen Fieldhouse, the revered cathedral of college basketball. The expectations never fade for the Jayhawks in March: hang a banner in the Fieldhouse.

The fan base down the road in Manhattan never disappoints to contribute to what is an exciting and often bitter rivalry. My K-State supporting friends always remind me of the sorrows their football program has brought Kansas throughout the course of my lifetime, and the classic response is to remind them that basketball season is right around the corner.

Kansas State ultimately adds an extra element to being a Kansas fan. There is no breathing room for either school, as the two fanbases certainly won’t allow for it.

PICTURE THIS

Digital cameras have a revival among students

n 2023, digital cameras re-emerged synonymously with the Y2K aesthetic popularized by social media like Pinterest and TikTok. Along with the revival of trends from past decades, they are

Cheap digital cameras sold on retail websites like Amazon give buyers easy access to the flashy and glamorous look of the ‘90s and 2000s. Additionally, photo editing apps often include a digital camera filter allowing users to achieve the same effect using photos from their cell

From an Instagram poll on @fsjournalism, out of 179 voters, 52% own a digital

Photo by Lilly Wall

Photo by Baila Love

Courtesy of Kinsey Lake

Courtesy of Phoebe Morris

Courtesy of Sophie Racy

Courtesy of Annika Lintecum

Courtesy of Jake Hedges

Interaction with Instagram Reels shown on students feeds Story by Allison Mayhew

What started as an attempt to mimic popular app TikTok’s continuous short-video platform style has now gained in popularity. According to LinkedIn, 30% of the time spent on Instagram’s platform is spent watching Instagram Reels.

Senior Tehya Jacobs, believes reels have risen in popularity after evolving in humor, combining the sense of TikTok and YouTube into one feed. Instagram uses an algorithm of user activity to recommend personalized videos on everybody’s feed, allowing users to find a niche of content that they enjoy.

When scrolling through Reels, there is a never-ending amount of content that is specifically tailored for each of its millions of users; from cooking to traveling to humor to lifestyle to fashion, every viewer’s interests are conveniently stationed on Instagram.

“They just feed you more of the stuff that they think you like,” Spanish teacher Paul Rosen said. “They appeal to people’s short attention spans.”

Though short-form videos are common across social media platforms alike, one difference has added a new aspect to video consumption — the likes on Reels are publicly displayed, sharing what videos students are interacting with.

“It’s a little overbearing, what people are liking should not be out there,” Jacobs said. “I don’t approve.”

Sophomore Laura Turner said that the feature stops her from interacting with videos, as she does not want others wondering why she liked them. However, Turner said that one of her favorite features of Reels is seeing the weird stuff that people have liked.

“It’s really funny,” Turner said. “Sometimes I’ll send Reels and say, ‘Why did you like this?’ because some people like some really weird stuff.”

With Instagram’s Direct Messaging system, videos can be sent with just a few clicks, further contributing to Reel’s popularity. Now, over a billion Instagram Reels are sent in a single day, according to LinkedIn.

“I send my wife a bunch of cute animal videos or dog videos,” Rosen said. “Then to my kids, I usually send reels of kids falling down and getting hurt.”

Scroll With Students

RAMEN REBOOT

Ramen Bowls’ bigger and better location

Story by Ava Talbott

Ramen Bowls is a popular Lawrence restaurant, bringing in many people every week. The business recently closed its doors on Mass Street, and on Feb. 29 reopened its doors at a new location about twice as big.

This new location is opening up new horizons for the local business. At its new address, 900 New Hampshire St., senior Mallory Qualseth works at Ramen Bowls and has witnessed a noticeable increase in the number of customers since the new opening because of the size of the restaurant.

“The new location is drawing in a lot more people. It’s just so much nicer,” Qualseth said.

Aside from the visual changes that customers are experiencing, staff members have been having some struggles adjusting to a bigger, full service restaurant.

“A lot of the servers have never done full service before, so they’re getting used to that because you have to pay more

attention to the individual tables then we did at the last location,” Qualseth said.

With several more tables and even a new bar comes more work and customers. Ramen Bowls recently hired sophomore Isaac Mosier to clean tables, and he said the job is different from any other he’s had before.

“I learned more about how a restaurant works and how local businesses do their thing,” Mosier said. “I know a lot more about how a tight community can really affect their customers.”

Both Qualseth and Mosier said that Ramen Bowls has a very healthy work environment. Along with fair pay, Qualseth said they form tight bonds with coworkers.

“They actually care about the workers at this place, which is different from a lot of other restaurants,” Qualseth said.

RAMENS ROOTS

Sidebar

by Evie Chancy

Ramen is a noodle dish served with broth and any combination of meats and vegetables. While, in the 21st century ramen is more closely tied to Japanese culture, the origin of ramen can be traced back to 19th century China before being diffused to Japan by Chinese immigrants. The word “ramen” is a Japanese adaption of the Chinese word lamain which translates to “pulled noodles.” What differentiates ramen from other noodles is the way the wheat noodles are made with mineral water called kansui. This is what gives ramen noodles the thickness and texture that it’s characterized by compared to other noodles.

With a bigger location comes a bigger kitchen, and Executive Chef Rozz Petrozz expresses excitement about bringing in new foods and focusing on Ramen Bowl’s original dishes. “I’m most excited to work on the original menu, go back to a lot of our classics, and also bring in a lot of new food that is on par with it. I feel like the sky is the limit with this kitchen,” Petrozz said. Photo by Nathan Friedman

STYLE SPOTLIGHT

What makes the fashion stars of school Collected by Nomso Enyinnaya

SENIOR ISAIAH WILKINS

Q: HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR CURRENT STYLE?

A: “My style is a variety of different general styles since I’m constantly changing it every day.”

Q: WHAT ARE YOUR GO TO STORES?

A: “I spend a lot of my time shopping online, I mainly look at clothing from ASOS and Zumies.”

JUNIOR ROWAN GLENDENING

Q: WHO OR WHAT INSPIRED YOUR STYLE?

“All the bands I listen to. I also watched a lot of fashion videos during freshman year and branched out to make my own type of style.”

Q: WHAT’S SOMETHING YOU WANT TO SEE MORE OF?

A: A:

“I want to see more people try/wear low rise jeans, I think they could look good on anyone.”

LADY FIREBIRDS

LEAVING HOMEPLATE

Softball players announce commitment to play college softball

During the past few years, the varsity softball team has set winning standards on the field. This year, ambitious senior softball players are set to break the odds.

In the midst of preparing for their final season of high school softball, some senior varsity players have announced their intention to continue playing the sport at the next level. Six senior players announced their commitment to play the sport at college.

The 2024 commits are listed as follows: Elsa Carillo to Johnson County Community College, Hannah Hayes to Kansas Wesleyan University, Gracie Rothwell to Iowa Western Community College, Bailey Smith to Iowa Lakes Community College, Aly Richardson to Colby Community College and Megan Kohl to Ottawa University.

BEHIND THE SCENES OF COMMITTING

For student-athletes who aspire to play the sport they love at a college level, they must first get the attention of college coaches.

With thousands of student-athletes showing their interest to commit to playing college softball, the fierce competition of getting a spot to play for a college team means more than just being part of the high school varsity team, Kohl said.

“You have to put yourself out there, including for colleges. They’ll reach out to you, but you have to express yourself,” Kohl said.

For these Firebirds to put themselves in the field to showcase their talents for colleges, they also have to stay on track with their academic commitments by keeping up with classes and after-school activities.

“Sometimes it can be really hard, but I just seem to remember that school comes first…even when I want to be at softball,” Hayes said.

It is the hard work and determination that brought these Firebirds where they wanted to be. With the mindset of achieving their goals, they often attend hitting lessons on top of practices. Kohl said that for high school softball, you have to practice every single day to be in a position to commit to playing for college.

For students who are in a similar position as these Firebirds, Carillo shared a piece of advice.

“Just relax and enjoy the time you have left with your teams now, because a lot of those girls [teammates] you probably won’t see anymore, and just enjoy the little moments. Be grateful that you’re able to play the sport and you’re able to continue what you love to do,” Carillo said.

BEING PART OF THE TEAM

Since Carillo joined the team, she said her teammates have always been there for her to help stay motivated during her time there.

“They talk to you as an individual, always knowing that I can have those girls that I can rely on [and] that I know that they’ll be there for me on the field and off the field,” Carillo said. “If I have a hard day at school, I can go on the field and just let it all out. All that stress will just be washed away after that.”

Most of these players have been playing the sport for all four years of high school. Kohl said that for them, being part of the team is like being part of a family.

“You make a lot of friends, and the girls you play with become part of a family. And you always welcome the new girls. You always help them out. That’s how it goes,” Kohl said.

With the academic year slowly approaching its end, this group of senior girls will part ways to enter their college softball realms.

“Softball has always been a part of my life, and I really wasn’t ready to let it go yet,” Hayes said. “I just wanted it to still be a part of me.”

Photos by Rachel Bruffett Story by Rakshan Ossen

Graphic by Allison Mayhew

WITHOUT LEITEL SECOND SEASON

Quotes Collected by Maria Mosconi Photo from archive

Joanna Romito, track coach

“He only wrote with a green pen. At home or at school, it was only green ink. That was to honor Free State; he was a Firebird through and through.”

“He was someone that everyone gravitated towards. He always had a smile on his face and was friendly with everyone.”

“We coached together for nine years and every day was good. There are no bad memories of him.”

Blake Wohler, senior track athlete

“He just wanted everyone to be the best they could.”

“For Monday Night Football he would come decked out in Chiefs gear. He had his Chief’s hat, socks and sometimes shoes.”

“He brought an attitude to the track team that made everyone happier when he was there.”

Jordan Rose, track coach

“He cared about everybody. No matter their level of learning, no matter their level of athleticism, he was always about improvement [and] about attitudes.”

“He just really loved working with kids, whether in the classroom or on the track, he was just always trying to help people be better.”

“He was always a person I could go to if I was having a rough day. He would always steer me right. He would give me a better mood; he always lifted people up.”

Ryan Whittlesey, senior track athlete

“He’d always go out of his way to start conversations and it made an impact on what the track community was like.”

“He’d always go out of his way to make people feel included. He would encourage people to do something or reach out to people.”

MARCH EVENT RECAP

On the pitcher’s mound, sophomore Nathan Young throws the baseball at the batter at a varsity baseball game on March 15. Photo by Mallory Thompson

On stage, senior Sophie Racy sings into a microphone during the choir program’s “Encore” on March 21. Photo by Mallory Thompson

On March 8, an emergency board meeting was called to discuss the updated schedule after spring break. Photo by Eli Roust

“The most challenging part is certainly balancing time and also finding time to myself outside of encore just because each number has so many rehearsals, but it all pays off at the end.”

Sophie Racy

Encore Performer

Dancing, senior Amy Lock participates in the annual Encore closing act, “Rhythm Of The Night.” Photo by Mallory Thompson

Smiling during senior night, seniors Wyvette Mayberry and S’Mya Nichols walk onto the court after a time out. KU Women’s Basketball beat Oklahoma 83-74 on March 2. Photo by Chloe Cook

Playing lead guitar, senior Alex Godinez sings his part in the quartet’s performance of “Ventura Highway” at Encore 2024. Photo by Anders Benson

LET THEM COOK

Taking a look behind the counter at the kitchen staff’s day to day

As students make their way through the lunch line every day, they are met with the same faces behind the counter. Despite how well-acquainted many are with these familiar figures, what they don’t see is the work that goes on behind the scenes to get food on their trays.

Members of the kitchen staff often begin their work day before most students even get to the school at 7 a.m. Despite a large portion of the student body eating school lunch, Food Service Assistant Mia Henderson said that very few of those students understand the work that goes into providing their lunches.

“It is hard work to supply meals for 1,000 kids,” Henderson said. “It’s not just throwing everything in the oven real quick. A lot more work goes into it than what they actually see.”

For every food displayed and offered in the cafeteria, numerous steps go into supplying, preparing and paying for it. To have enough food stocked for the students every day, Henderson says they have to unload six to eight pallets of food taller than them into the kitchen for a week’s worth of meals.

Director of Nutrition Julie Henry said it can take up to months of preparation for everytime they expand the menu.

“For each new item, we see if we can find a version of that product that meets our nutritional requirements and have a taste test. If it is good, then we see if we can get it at a price that fits our budget, and then we have to find a vendor who can supply it to us,” Henry said.

To keep up with the sizable menu and large student body, the kitchen staff splits up the responsibilities by food groups. With this method, every member of the kitchen has daily tasks, from creating the prepackaged meals to cooking the hot lunches.

“There’s a lot of baking, a lot of keeping track of numbers and rotating stock to make sure the freshest food is being served,” Food Service Assistant Sierra Larson said.

LUNCH

Students can benefit from longer lunches

Dragging through a seven-hour school day is taxing on the mind and body. Students work through test taking, writing notes or participating in class discussions for hours on end. For most students, lunch is the sole time to relax in the middle of their day, to see their friends and most importantly, to refuel.

It has become what students look forward to, and it is often the only opportunity to find a true break within their day. Lunch should be a dependable, wellfounded time, not some 20 minute oasis that students are just waiting for all day.

Before lunch, students attend four classes of concentrated learning. The equivalent of four classes in a regular day’s schedule equates to an estimated 240 minutes. Then, students get a 25-minute lunch period– one of the two only times students get throughout a seven-hour day without direct instruction.

Kids deserve to have freedom for themselves during lunch, and the numbers don’t add up.

Lunch can help reduce childhood hunger, support good nutrition and ensure that students can succeed throughout their daily tasks. It is crucial that students are provided with adequate time to eat for them to reach their full academic potential. Studies show that there is a direct correlation between a healthy diet and a student’s ability to learn and thrive.

For students who possess dietary restrictions, it allows them time to find healthy options. For low-income families, longer lunches are essential to provide a nutritious meal without time being sacrificed. A longer lunch time would largely benefit all students, even if it was just an extra five minutes.

While there is no current federal or state requirement for the amount of time allotted for lunch periods, the Center for Disease Control recommends that students have at least 20 minutes for lunch once they are seated. At Free State, students get less than their 25 minute period with all things considered.

are spent throwing away trash and returning to class on time, adding up to only an approximate 15 minutes being present at the lunch table, eating the meal.

Students deserve more time to both interact with peers and digest their meals. For students who do not have class with friends, lunch can provide essential time to interact with peers.

While students could bring snacks every day, many teachers maintain a no-food policy, and others may not be able to pay for an everyday snack to keep them afloat until lunch. Additionally, some items students snack on do not provide adequate, longlasting fuel for learning.

Good standing in physical, emotional and mental health is the key to student success. The disproportionate numbers could be fixed with an added five minutes or a passing period to lunch for students to get settled so they can properly digest their food and spend time talking to peers, therefore improving both physical and mental health aspects.

89% OF 313 VOTERS, 276 FEEL THAT THE SCHOOL LUNCH PERIOD IS NOT LONG ENOUGH.

OF 227 VOTERS, 177 REPORTED STRUGGLING WITH TARDINESS AFTER LUNCH DUE TO A LACK OF TIME TO EAT.

78%

FUELED BY FAITH

Junior Yusef Iskandrani balances fasting during Ramadan and soccer

Story by Ember Klein

As the sun sets on the night of March 10, junior Yusef Iskandrani and his family begin Ramadan. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Muslim calendar and the holy month of fasting. Throughout this month, Iskandrani and other Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset. After the sun sets they will eat a festive meal called an Iftar and spend time praying.

Ramadan is one of the holiest months of the year in the Muslim faith. Along with fasting, there is a focus on spiritual rejuvenation through special prayers and time spent reading the Quran. Ramadan is believed to be when the Quran was sent down from heaven.

Iskandrani said that another important focus for his family is spending time with each other during Ramadan.

“[One of my favorite parts is] definitely family time, because you don’t really do much outside or physical activity. [Instead] you spend a lot of time with your family which gets you a lot closer with them,” Iskandrani said.

While for some, the lack of energy from the little amount of food throughout the day may be tiring, Iskandrani said that it isn’t as bad as some would think.

“It might seem bad for you mentally, but if you fix your mindset, then it’s actually a lot better for you. It’s not as bad as you think it is,“ Iskandrani said.

During this month, Iskandrani’s life doesn’t quit moving, especially in soccer. Although boy’s soccer is not played during the spring for the high school season, Iskandrani continues to play club soccer during the offseason to improve upon and keep up with his skills.

“My practice starts at 7 p.m. and you’re supposed to eat at 7:30 p.m. So, I would bring a couple dates in a Ziploc bag and drink a lot of water,” Iskandrani said. “My coach is Muslim as well, so we break fast at the same time.”

However, with little food throughout the day to keep him energized, Iskandrani finds his performance in practice and games suffering.

“It definitely does affect my performance. My stamina goes down a lot. It brings my strength down a lot. My muscles are not really getting a lot of nutrition,” Iskandrani said.

To combat the lack of calories after the sun rises, Iskandrani takes some preventive measures to avoid any significant harmful effects during games. He says that waking up early, eating as much as possible and staying hydrated are all key parts to his continued success during Ramadan.

“There’s a lot of meanings to [Ramadan], but it’s good for just cleansing out your body from all the bad stuff that you eat throughout the year,” Iskandrani said.

Celebrating the victory of the game, junior Yusef Iskandrani hugs his mother. Iskandrani played throughout the club soccer season while observing Ramadan. “The most challenging aspect of Ramadan is being really thirsty. I cramp so much during the games because my muscles have no water or nutrition to last me my whole game. It’s extremely challenging, but I know god will help me through out the way,” Iskandrani said. Photo by Isabelle Prô

STUDENTS TO STRIKERS

Rise of worker strikes draws attention to students working in unhealthy environments

Story by Phoebe Morris

Worker strikes across the nation have begun to increase in the past few years. The resurgence of protests brings attention to hazardous jobs in the local area. More alarmingly, students working in dangerous atmospheres could potentially affect their overall wellbeing.

Employed students are expected to spend seven hours a day in school and then go straight into a four-hour shift. While feeling submerged under a pile of homework, sophomore Ellie Beightel works solo shifts in a daycare at a local all-female gym. The purpose is to provide childcare while mothers go next door to workout. Though Beightel enjoys this concept, she said she easily feels overwhelmed without a partner.

“Raising the pay would make it more worth it. But also telling the moms some of the things that are just hard to deal with. I struggle with dealing with all the kids at once,” Beightel said. “Having a partner would be easier because what’s mainly causing chaos is the ratio of kids to me.”

While current working teens feel this way, there are full-time employees who are found working a 40 hour week and still come home to an empty fridge. The current federal minimum wage is $7.25, meaning that an employee working eight hours a day, five days a week, would earn $15,080 per year.

Based on a survey collected by The Hill, Kansans need to earn at least $47,379 to accommodate their everyday needs. Meaning that a notable percent of employees do not have enough money to afford basic amenities.

Because of this, workers advocate for themselves by protesting across the nation.

Those involved in work strikes climbed 141%, according to a 2023 report by Labor Action Tracker. Around 539,000 workers went on strike

seeking to improve their work environment, which increased by 224,00 in just one year. If the nation is already seeing increased work strikes, what will the current student generation undergo when they enter the full-time workforce?

Sophomore Meera Lala worked part time at a local restaurant. After being put in harmful scenarios with other staff members, she felt the only way to maintain a healthy mindset was to quit.

“[They] would get mad at me for doing my job. [They] didn’t like the way I did it, but they would get mad that I wasn’t doing enough. So it felt like nothing was good enough,” Lala said. “This is childish behavior and I’m not gonna stand for it. I texted my bosses and I was like ‘I’m done.’”

According to an Instagram poll from @fsjournalism, 24% of employed students claim to work in an unhealthy environment. Many of these jobs held by students are in the service industry, childcare or low-paying positions. Increased attention to the conditions of workers in lower wage jobs, many of whom are students, reveals the stress is not worth the effort.

“From a customer’s view, they see it as this girl is doing her job. She’s serving and she’s cleaning tables. But to my view, I was cleaning the tables. I was on the phone or I was trying to help this customer. It just got too stressful,” Lala said.

PHONES TAKE THE THRONE, BOOKS LEFT ALONE

The rise of smart devices may be responsible for the reading slump among teenagers

There is an increasing concern among members of the Student Library Advisory Board about declines in reading among teenagers. According to the American Psychological Association, less than 20% of high schoolers read for pleasure, while more than 80% use social media daily.

SLAB member senior Liza Engelbecht said she believes that the rise of smart devices may contribute to this adolescent reading slump.

“People have been reading less because we’re being immersed by other things like TV and phones rather than books,” Engelbrecht said.

Offering a similar perspective, SLAB member junior Kaitlynn Sedich said that the loss of interest in reading may have to do with the availability of technology.

“While some technology does foster reading, it’s really hard when you have your phone right there and you can mindlessly scroll and not have to focus your attention when sitting next to you is a book that you’ve been meaning to read,” Sedich said.

Sedich also said that many students feel they don’t have time in their schedules to incorporate recreational reading into their day. With homework, extracurricular activities and after students, SLAB has implemented many practices library to get students more interested in literature. They have encouraged library, creating recommendations and in February, did blind dates with a book for

“Our main goal is putting ourselves on platforms that students care more about.

Story by Meredith Shryock

We now have a social media team, and we’re following some of the microtrends, coming up with our own, and posting book reviews,” Sedich said.

Librarian Marisa Hegeman has also tried to support student reading by trying to stay in touch with students and what interests them.

“I try to pay attention to what’s popular on social media and what kids want to read and stock more of those types of books: what they want to read, not necessarily what the adults think they should read,” Hegeman said.

A study conducted by Yale researchers concluded that reading for up to three and a half hours per week can increase life expectancy by two years. Beyond the many health and academic benefits, Hegeman said she believes that reading often has positive effects on character.

“I really view books as windows and mirrors, and they create more empathetic humans,” Hegeman said. “To read about a person or experiences that you might not have is very powerful, so they get to be a window for you into someone else’s life. It’s hard to be a teenager and it’s hard to be a human, so finding mirrors to see people going through similar struggles can be really important so you don’t feel quite so isolated.”

Photo by Elinor Russo

FROM BLAND TO

School project uses plants to liven up the halls

Story by Jonah Frye

What started as a way to create space in the greenhouse has become a source of beauty, collaboration and health throughout the halls. During first semester, students noticed plants starting to pop up around the school.

This was a collective effort between Sam Gleeson’s plant science class and Amanda Torbett’s woodworking class. The students worked together to build planters for Gleeson’s overflowing plant collection.

Torbett said that the student’s work added a much-needed touch and liveliness to an otherwise plain school.

“There’s not a lot of personality, if you will, around the school or a homey feel. It just kind of softens the overall look [of the school],” Torbett said.

Plants can also be very beneficial to students’ health, Gleeson said. Many studies have proven that plants have positive effects on students’ mood, focus, attention span and productivity. One study by John Daly, Margaret Burchett and Fraser Torpy, showed that plants can improve students test scores by 10-14% in science, math and English.

Along with implementing these healthy habits, senior Issac Barrett said that his goal in putting up plants was to make the school more beautiful. He loves nature and wanted to share his love of plants with his peers. Barrett’s impact has led both students and teachers to express feeling better by seeing more color and life.

“It makes the students more happy. It makes me happy, I like to see plants around,” sophomore Hannah Yagadece said. “The school is kind of dull and the plants really livened up the place and I liked how much color there was, even if it was just green.”

Creating and executing a vision that worked in the school was a significant challenge for the student groups. Though with the use of communication, they were able to problemsolve and successfully create a final product.

Woodworking students, junior Waleed Alky and sophomore Adrian Mendoza, said that they learned a lot throughout the process of creating the planters. The communication process was a big obstacle that they had to figure out and an important takeaway for the pair.

“You need a lot of planning, and a lot of communication between your team, and their team. If they don’t really communicate that well they’re not going to be satisfied.” Alky said.

Torbett said that real-world client interaction was a very interesting and unique opportunity and taught her woodworking students very valuable lessons.

“They suddenly understood why you need clear blueprints and clear descriptions, and clear plans and all that boring stuff that is so important,” Torbett said. “They had a really good time building it. They took a lot of pride in it.“

The plant science and woodworking classes weren’t the only ones who added plants to the school. Ceramics teacher Jacob Lewis has been given many plants over the years from people who are no longer willing to take care of them. He brought these plants into the school, giving them a new life.

Photo by Gregory Mayhew

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