Friendly competition fuels growing
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Volume 122, Issue 3, Nov. 12, 2014
2 News in Brief
In Brief
DECA gives back Club members bundle together for children By Nikk McCollum The DECA chapter hosted its first DECA Gives Back project Oct. 23. Club members made blankets for Project Linus, an organization that gives blankets to sick and traumatized children. The project meant something different to each participant. “Coming from a family that has adopted underprivileged children as well as worked on making less advantaged children’s lives better, The Linus project means a lot to me,” senior Logan Hawley said. This is the first year that DECA has gotten involved in the project,
and members are enthusiastic about making a difference. “I am very excited to get the whole club involved in Project Linus to make sure that DECA is making a positive difference in the world and all the club members experience such a rewarding activity,” club president Emily Murphy said. “I believe helping sick children is hugely important because something as simple as a blanket can do a lot to help them get through one of the hardest times of their life.” Students made the blankets by cutting fringes around the edges of fleece fabric and tying the fringes together. Lisa Burns, who has advised DECA for three years, went into the project with a production plan
and goal. “My theory is if we have enough kids there, it will be set up as an assembly line,” Burns said. “Our goal is to do 10 to 20 blankets total.” Students who came to the event were eager to get to support the cause. “We get to help kids and I just love helping people,” junior Bronxton McGee said. “I think it’s really
Working with fabric, junior Bronxton McGee, sophomore Monica Marin Steffes, and senior Emily Laughlin are creating a blanket for a child in need during the Oct. 28 Project Linus meeting. Photo by Joseph Anderson important that we get involved with things like this so we can give help to those who need it.”
Downloads can help with on-the-go updates Lawrence Public Library
On Oct. 1, the Lawrence Public Library released its official app for smartphone devices. Created by Bibliocommons, a company that produces smartphone-accessible library databases, this app features the capability to check on your borrowed books, pay fines and rate your favorite books. Now cardholders can quickly manage their books on the go.
Skyward Family Access
Skyward released its public app for smartphone devices in 2012 and released a redesign during the summer. This app allows both teachers and students to easily access the Skyward database. Students can now check grades, messages and missing assignments on their phones or other mobile devices, just as they can on a desktop computer. Accounts are protected by a four-digit passcode. Graphics by Shawn Han
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MISSION STATEMENT The Budget is committed to providing the Lawrence High community with objective, inclusive news coverage that ensures relevance to its entire spectrum of readers. The staff devotes itself to the exercise of First Amendment rights and upholding the highest of journalistic standards. While the paper is a vessel to publish student voice, it conjointly acts as an educational entity holding the intent of bettering student journalistic ability and reader’s access to information.
ABOUT US The Budget is published every four weeks and distributed free of charge to students and faculty at Lawrence High School, 1901 Louisiana, Lawrence, Kan. 660462999. The Budget is produced by students in the Digital Journalism and Digital Design and Production courses with occasional contributions from 21st Century Journalism and guest columnists. The newspaper’s goals are to inform, entertain and present a forum of expression for students, faculty, administrators
and community members. The newspaper is financed through advertising and staff fundraising. The editorial staff is solely responsible for the content of this newspaper, and views expressed in The Budget do not necessarily reflect those of the administration of Lawrence High School or USD 497. Editor-in-chief: Zia Kelly Webmaster: Jacob Parnell Online Co-Editor: Savannah McCollum and Cortlynn Stark Copy Editor: Kansas Gibler Photo Editor: Joseph Anderson Design & Layout Editor: Allie Fischer Graphics Editor: Joaquin Dorado Mariscal Sports Editor: Colton Lovelace Ad Sales Representatives: Nicole Owens and Keeli Billings
Journalism staff members: Brittany Archer, Cooper Avery, Emma Bentzinger, Hunter Boehle, Jensen Edwards, Cynthia Falley, Jacob Goodwin, Adam Graham, Dymtro Guzhva, Shawn Han, Brandon Hegeman, Madyson Locke, Lizzy McEntire, Jaycee Mountain, Blake Nelson, Riley Nelson, Ben Rajewski, Kate Rettig, Madeleine Stegman, Nicholas Steichen, Anna-Marie Turner, Julia Wilson, Margaret Wiseman, Isaiah Young, Ryan Yowell. Adviser Barbara Tholen Business manager Pat Treff On the cover: High-fiving at practice, juniors Ayesha Dunlap and Anthony Harvey practice after school for an upcoming Special Olympics basketball game. Students in the IPS classes are competing in the Special Olympics this year. Photo by Jacob Goodwin
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The Budget
4 News
Alumnus loses governor bid House minority leader, LHS graduate falls to Brownback in governor race By Zia Kelly In a state where Republicans vastly outnumber Democrats, it is not often that you see a Democratic candidate run neck-and-neck against an experienced incumbent for the state’s highest office. Yet Lawrence High graduate Paul Davis, a Democrat, provided a strong challenge. Last Tuesday, Nov. 4, Davis fell to Republican Sam Brownback in the governor race with a 46 percent to 50 percent disparity. Republican incumbents Sen. Pat Roberts, Rep. Lynn Jenkins and Secretary of State Kris Kobach also took majority votes in their offices, in addition to a national majority of Republican seats in the U.S. Senate. Brownback, a former U.S. senator, first sailed to victory in the governor’s race four years ago — as was expected given his name recognition and the advantage Republicans have always had in the state. However, the game began to change when moderate Republicans questioned Brownback’s leadership. In the weeks and months leading up to the election, polling showed a close race and sometimes favored Davis. Although Kansas voters ultimately decided to keep Brownback in office, the Davis campaign had huge amounts of traction, particularly in the Douglas County area where Democrats always do well. “I think because he is a local guy it has more meaning to the community as a whole,” assistant floor director for the Davis campaign Christopher Miller said during Davis’ election watch party last week. “He was born here and raised here. And because people are familiar with him, I think it’s more influential.” Davis has been a popular public figure in Lawrence for many years, gaining support for his emphasis on public education.
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“Most importantly he is for education, and in Lawrence, we value education,” district wellness coordinator Jennifer Osborn said. “It is a priority for him to take care of our teachers, which is extra important since we are in a state that has experienced education cuts.” The politician got his own education in Lawrence. Davis started at LHS in 1986 and graduated in 1990 when there was only one high school in town. Although soft-spoken, those who went to LHS with him described Davis as focused. “He was a hardworking student in my class,” engineering teacher Charlie Lauts said. “He always did his assignments and overall in school, he was a good kid.” Lauts taught Davis in her Drafting I and II classes during her first year teaching and does not recall hearing the outspoken rhetoric characteristic of a politician. “He was somewhat quiet in my class,” she said. “[He] just sat down and did his work in class. He was never really a disturbance of any
kind. Everybody liked him. He was respectful and kind to everybody else.” As well as being a good student, Davis was well-liked among his peers, some of whom are still in the LHS community. “He was a very intelligent guy, a good golfer, and he had this sense that he was going to be a politician,” said coach Brad Stoll, a Davis classmate. “And he was going to be successful.” Those who knew Davis as a teenager were not surprised at his run at political leadership. “In elementary school everybody wanted to play Wiffle Ball and football, and he wanted to play politics,” Stoll said. “He had pictures of the Kennedys on his wall and the rest of us had George Brett and Larry Bird and Dr. J and things like that.” After graduating in 1990, Davis got a political science degree at KU, then went to law school at Washburn University in Topeka. He began serving in the Kansas House of Representatives in 2003, and was elected minority leader of
Giving his concession speech, Paul Davis announced the election results at the Davis/Docking watch party at Abe and Jake’s on Nov. 4. “Moments ago, I called Gov. Brownback and congratulated him on winning his second term,” Davis said in his speech. “Brownback is a man of conviction who loves our state. His lifelong commitment to public service is remarkable, and I congratulate him on his victory tonight.” Photo by Zia Kelly the House in 2008. Although Davis drew strong support in his home county (72 percent of Douglas County voters supported him), he lost key spots in Kansas, including Johnson and Sedgwick counties. “This was an intense and very competitive campaign where a clear division existed between what we thought Kansas needed to do to prosper in the coming year,” Davis said in his concession speech. “But the campaign is over. We have very real challenges to face as a state and the only way we can overcome these challenges is together.”
Nov. 12, 2014 5
District changes sex ed standards Curriculum aims to become more comprehensive, begin lessons earlier By Kansas Gibler New sexuality education standards that will build on Kansas standards have been adopted this year in USD 497. The new standards call for teaching contraceptive methods beyond abstinence, whereas the Kansas standards for health education only recommend abstinence to be taught. Health teacher Adam Green said he is changing his sex education presentation to fit the new standards for his freshman Health 9 classes. “I like what’s happening,” Green said. “I think getting more information to students can only be a good thing. What [students] decide to do with that information is completely up to them, but arming kids with tools in their toolbox to use in these situations can only be beneficial.” The state standards, which USD 497 had been using before this year, said students should understand “the positive and negative influences of family and peers on unhealthy behaviors (e.g., alcoholism, anorexia, sexual activity, etc.)” and can “identify the benefits of abstinence in substance use in sexual behaviors.” Neither statement mentions contraceptives other than abstinence. The state standards regard sexual activity as an unhealthy behavior and don’t mention contraceptives to protect students who are sexually active. Schools typically follow state curriculum standards, but they aren’t required to. Those standards may be used as a foundation for districts. USD 497 is building off of those standards by incorporating the National Sexuality Education Standards. The national standards require students to graduate high school knowing where to access accurate information about contraceptive methods and STD prevention. “Options for birth control, how to obtain birth control and education about the prevalence of sexually transmitted infections [should be taught],” said Dr. Loree Cordova, a physician at Watkins Health Services at the University of Kansas. “It seems that students don’t know how prevalent infections
are.” Though Lawrence schools have never had an abstinence-only curriculum, such programs have been shown to be ineffective. “There’s pretty good medical literature that says that teaching solely abstinence for teenagers is not helpful, and it’s not effective in terms of preventing pregnancy and in terms of changing health habits,” Cordova said. Cordova finds that the best way to educate high school students on sexuality is to present factual information. “I think the biggest tip [for sexual education] is just trying to make sure that you’re informed as possible from reliable sources,” she said. Health teachers have been preparing for this semester’s round of sex ed, starting with gauging how much students already know. The answers to a questionnaire will help the teachers prepare guest speakers for their presentations. “We present a lot of information to students, but often times we don’t know what it is that they want to know,” Green said. “That is probably the most important part in being able to learn anything, is having an interest in it. It’s important to get student feedback about what they’re interested in so that we can tailor the presentation to that.” Lawrence Douglas County Health Department nurse Cori Green and school board member Vanessa Sandburn will be leading the conversations as guest speakers in Health 9’s sexual education unit. Green has visited LHS health classes previously to teach freshman about safe sex and finding their sexual identities. “This year, we’re going to go to Lawrence High and Free State to be guest speakers, and I think it’s good that all of the kids will be told the same things,” she said Under the new standards, students will notice some changes. “They’re going to be talking about something other than just abstinence-only,” Green said. “There’s going to be contraception included in the presentation and education, so that’s a pretty major change.”
By Grade
This is what the national standards call for students to learn at each grade level.
By the end of 2nd Grade: •Explain that living things reproduce.
By the end of 5th Grade: •Define HIV and identify some methods to prevent transmission.
By the end of 8th Grade: •Define sexual intercourse and its relationship to human reproduction. •Examine how alcohol and other substances, peers, media, family, etc. Influence decisions about engaging in sexual behaviors. •Explain health benefits/risks of different methods of contraception as well as define emergency contraception and its use. •Describe the signs and symptoms of a pregnancy. •Identify prenatal practices that can contribute to a healthy pregnancy.
By the end of 12th Grade: •Compare and contrast the advantages and disadvantages of abstinence and other contraceptive methods. •Demonstrate ways to communicate decisions about whether or when to engage in sexual behaviors. •Describe the steps to using a condom correctly. •Describe prenatal practices that can contribute to or threaten a healthy pregnancy. •Analyze factors that influence decisions about whether and when to become a parent. •Asses the skills and resources needed to become a parent. •Compare and contrast the laws relating to pregnancy, adoption, abortion and parenting. Source: National Sexuality Education Standards Graphic by Joaquin Dorado
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6 News
Tech Ed classes go 3D with new printer
Device creates new options for students down for each layer, which By Kansas Gibler are each about .015 inch The Career and thick. Technical Education “It’s pretty cool,” Bower department acquired a 3D said. “There’s a bit of a printer Oct. 28. Teens who use marijuana daily before age 17 are 63% less likely to learning you The printer will make get their high school diploma thancurve thosewhen who’ve never used pot, get it, but executingaccording projects easier for first to researchers in Australia andafter New that Zealand. The study, easy. You have to alstudents funded of manufacturing by the Australianit’s government, was published in The Lancet how to3,700 use 3D Psychiatry 2014, know and followed individuals until teacher Joe Bower. in Septemberready thebe ageused of 30. CAD pretty well before you “[It will for] can do much on it.” testing students’ protothe report, “weBower recorded consistent associaandclear his and students types andAccording designs,”toBower tions between the frequency of adolescent cannibus use and all are excited about the possisaid. “It’sadverse something for young adult outcomes.” bilities with their new piece students to physically of equipment. create parts after they And a large long-term study in New Zealand showed that people “Well, last night madelost an average design them a 3Dsmoking CAD marijuana who in began heavily in theirI teens engine block,” of 8 points in IQ betweenanage 13 and age 38.Bower [computer-aided drafting] said. “This morning I environment.” made a cookie cutter. It’s The machine works fun. A lot of them have by an extruder that pulls been really excited. Probaplastic through a filament bly the biggest question of to heat it up and melt it. gotten has been, ‘Can we A carriage moves back and make a gun with it?’ And forth to complete layers of Photo by Jacob Goodwin the answer is no.” the object and then drops
What happens when
teens use marijuana? Teens are more likely to become addicted to marijuana. One in six people who begin
smoking marijuana as teens become addicted compared to one in 11 adults. —source: The National Institutes of Health
6 p.m. in the East Gym Monday, Nov. 24 Enjoy performances by talented LHS students and staff, and have a chance to win great prizes!
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Admission Price: a non-perishable food item or a cash donation
All proceeds support local organizations! Food Pantries and Adopt-a-Family
Nov. 12, 2014 7
Adding to the harmony By Ben Rajewski
New faculty assists choir and orchestra programs, popular with students With the choir and orchestra programs growing, additional directors and conductors were a must. This fall, Andrew Shaw became the assistant orchestra director and Randall Frye began as the assistant choir conductor. Both had half of a semester of teaching under their batons as they prepared for the annual music program Gala, which featured all music classes and about 600 students during performances last week. Although new to LHS, both faculty members had experience and training in music education. Shaw graduated from the University of Kansas and directed the KU Youth Chorus, Cordley Choir, West Middle School orchestra and Lawrence Youth Symphony. He said he is excited to have the chance to work with LHS students. “The biggest benefit I see is having the opportunity of working with wide variety of personality and talent,” Shaw said. Shaw sees his time at LHS as an opportunity to further educate and connect with students, was well
as help him gain experience as he works toward his goal of becoming a director of an orchestra department. “I expect to gain the knowledge and skills required to be a successful director of an orchestra department and to learn from the many esteemed colleagues that I have around me,” Shaw said. Frye attended Indiana University of Pennsylvania for his undergraduate degree in music education and pursued a master of music degree from Kansas State University. “My future plans include pursuing a doctorate and teaching at a major university, or becoming an accompanist for musicals and operas across the nation,” Frye said. Frye and Shaw have heralded praise from students and faculty alike. Frye conducts and helps accompany the choir ensembles. He has been popular among many of the students. “Mr. Frye is extremely skilled on the piano and in conducting,” senior A Capella member Jared Fangman said. “He is great to work
with.” Shaw helps to direct the concert orchestra, philharmonic orchestra and freshman orchestra, which is the largest in the state. “I love watching him work with the kids. He brings so much energy,” orchestra director Rachel Dirks said “He is such a hard worker.” Shaw has quickly embraced his job. Beyond the music department, he sponsors the new and popular Ping Pong Club. “It is a great way for me to get to know more of the great students at LHS,” Shaw said “Ping Pong Club is so great because we have a wide range of students involved from athletics, debate, music and more. Ping Pong Club is a perfect way to end Thursdays.” Both teachers had a big impact at Gala. Shaw conducted the freshmen orchestra, which greeted audience members as they entered through the rotunda, and Frye accompanied “Laudate Jehovam, omnes gentes” as well as “Across The Vast Eternal Sky.” “After seeing Gala last year, I expect it to be a rewarding experience being a part of it,” Shaw
said “ It is the most effective and efficient fundraiser that I have seen for a music program, and it is done with great musicality.” Both faculty members are impressed not only with the showcase and fundraising aspect of the show, but also how well it encompasses the program. “The amount of community, faculty and administrative support for this event is incredible,” Frye said. “This event allows so many students to be featured in so many uniquely different ways, showing the faculty and audience members how truly versatile each and every student at LHS can be.” Although Gala is the music program’s largest production, students and staff still have the rest of the year to look forward to. “Gala is a success because of the amazing people involved,” Frye said. “I’m so happy I get to work with these people day in and day out.” Accompanying a choral piece, Randall Frye assists in his first major concert at LHS. Photo by Joseph Anderson
The Budget
8 News
Kansas involved in immigration discussion State and national policies create issues for migrant relatives of US citizens By Zia Kelly When Lawrence High graduate Madina Salaty got married in 2012, she had no idea that her husband would be taken away from her just two years later. Salaty’s husband, Zunu Zunaid was removed from the country after living and working in the United States for 20 years because of a DUI he received in 2006. The infraction of law had no repercussions until after he married a US citizen. “It’s a sad reality that we don’t care about or even know about issues until it affects us,” Salaty said. “It is true for so many things. We just go about our lives until something affects us.” Salaty and Zunaid are an example of the hundreds of thousands of families that are affected by separation due to immigration policy. Not only is this a national issue, but it affects students here at LHS. “Usually [students dealing with familial separation experience] depression, anxiety, worry about what is going to happen to their family,” English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher Heather Lee said. “Because depending on where they are being deported back to... [it] isn’t really a safe place for people to be.” People who move to Kansas from another country are primarily under the jurisdiction of the federal government. However states play a role in immigration policy as well. “Lots of states try to have rules and regulations for immigrants, but for the most part, decisions about who can stay and who can go are not made at the state level. They are made at the federal level,” KU immigration law professor Lua Yuille said. “That does not mean that states cannot have any impact on the lives of the immigrants in their communities.” Although Kansas is a conservative state, Yuille explains that opinions on the issue differ among conservative politicians.
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“Within the conservative establishment, conservative politicians view the issue differently,” she said. “Merely being in a conservative state isn’t enough to tell you what the prevailing approach might be.” In recent history, Kansas has taken an active role in the national immigration discussion, according to Yuille. She said that this is largely because of Secretary of State Kris Kobach has taken an active role in the subject across the country. “I think right now Kansas — not wholly, but largely because of Secretary of State Kobach’s expertise and his prior experience — is starting to have that conversation,” Yuille said. “It will be interesting to see where Kansas stands. Kobach has been at the forefront of approaches like ones practices in Arizona.” The state of Arizona is highly-publicized for having hard-line policy on tracking down unauthorized immigrants. In Kansas, Kobach has championed tougher voter ID laws that purport to ensure all voters are U.S. citizens, although critics say they threaten to suppress minority and underrepresented voters. Although laws are subject to change as time goes on, the state
remains uniform with the majority of the country in the issues it is facing regarding immigration policy. “I actually think…. that the biggest issues facing Kansas are the same issues facing the rest of the country, and that is really about creating an internal legal system that is prepared to deal with the inevitably changing face of our nation.” Immigration policy is generally a complex and controversial issue because of its constitutional ambiguity. Recently, immigration issues have occupied national — but not necessarily state — headlines. The United States is facing an influx of immigrants who could bring the issue to the forefront, since the migrating population includes 70,000 unaccompanied children. Primarily coming from Mexico, El Salvador, Honduras and Guate-
mala, waves of the juveniles have flowed into southern Texas, and are currently being housed at temporary settlement camps, but they cannot stay there. At least not all of them. As a solution, many states, Kansas included, will be expected to take on some of the population. Yuille suggests that this will catalyze a greater focus on immigration in the state. “Texas is not prepared to have 70,000 [unaccompanied children]… in the long-long-term. All the other states are going to be asked to step up,” Yuille said. “States like Kansas, who are close to Texas, and we don’t necessarily have our own population of unaccompanied juveniles to deal with may be asked Continued on page 9
Nov. 12, 2014 9
Students investigate law careers
New public safety class gives students up-close look at careers in law enforcement
Listening to a district court judge, sophomore Hannah Upton went on the Career and Public Safety field trip to the Douglas County court house on Oct. 21. Photo by Joseph Anderson
By Ryan Yowell The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. While students may hear these words spoken on popular prime-time TV shows or in their government classes, they now have the chance to explore the meaning and application of the phrase. The Law and Public Safety class is a new addition to the career and technical education department. Social studies teacher Robert Conlon proposed and is now teaching the course, which introduces students to the field of forensics studies. “[The class is] an exploration of career opportunities for those interested in law and public safety,” Conlon said. During class, students get hands-on experience, including touring fire stations and role-playing real life police situations. “The most interesting thing is learning about the steps needed to obtain the career of your choice in law enforcement,” senior Alissa Begay said. “It shows you how to get into your career of choice.” Students learn through field trips and role playing. “I let them role play situations like being pulled over by police,”
Conlon said. “The students have done really well in these activities.” Students taking the class say they are interested in pursuing careers in law enforcement. “I want to be a firefighter,” senior Zack Sarmiento said. “We had a guest speaker who is a firefighter, and he said that he just went to a tech college to get his degree.” Conlon has two goals for the class. “I hope for the students to get out knowing their individual rights, and I want them to know the career opportunities provided in law enforcement,” he said. For students trying to decide what to do in the future, the new class helps them focus on their goals. “This class is different because I, in general, focus on law, and this is the only class I feel that goes in depth,” senior Taylor Smith. “So this class is a rarity for our school.” The course allows students not only to experiment with law enforcement careers but to learn the importance of public safety. “I want to open students’ eyes to seeing different opportunities in this profession,” Conlon said.
Continued from page 8. to step up. As that starts happening, the word is going to get out, and there is going to be a possibility is going to be a hot-button issue.” One of the primary goals of the current US immigration policy is to reunite separated families. However this concept does not protect all groups of people who arrive. For example, it doesn’t apply to homosexual couples or extended family members like aunts and uncles. “Now what’s interesting in that idea of family reunification is the definition of family,” Yuille said. “It’s somewhat narrow — at least in modern terms.” Since her husband’s removal, Salaty has become an activist for
is married to or a direct relative of a US citizen, they are entitled to a hearing with a federal judge, who will decide the case only after hearing the testimony. “It doesn’t give you a green card, they won’t not deport you, but you have the right for a judge, a human, to hear your case in person. Its not that way now,” Salaty said. To set the plan into action, Salaty has met with Congresswoman Lynn Jenkins in an attempt to persuade the Kansas delegation to bring it to Congress. So far, Jenkins has not cooperated with the request. “She is going with what she thinks her constituents want,” Salaty said. “My argument is that she is only hearing from this
very extreme faction, and I want more people to learn about this issue and say, “that’s messed up, separating families… why shouldn’t my representative do something about it?’” Salaty attributes much of the stagnation in policy change to a general lack of knowledge in the community, particularly among young people. “I’ll take any 18 year-old kid at Lawrence High School, who could go vote in November, and say, ‘Do you know anything about immigration reform issues?’ They would probably say no,” she said. “I didn’t know anything about it… until it happened to me, I don’t blame them for it. But I want to educate people on it now.”
immigration policy reform. She frequently gives talks around northeastern Kansas about the issue, and seeks out families that have experienced similar hardship. “Because of what was happening to me, I started reaching out to find out if there were other people facing this,” she said. “I really got hit in the face with the reality that there are tens of thousands of people out there facing this.” In addition to informing people about the issue, Salaty has gotten behind a bipartisan initiative called American Families Unite, which calls for the federal enforcement of an in-person court review for each immigrant-related case. American Families Unite asserts that if an unauthorized migrant
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10 News
More textbooks going online By Isaiah Young Backs ache and backpacks break under the sheer weight of textbooks, but all of that could soon go away. Last month, students throughout the district were surveyed about their personal technology and internet access. The district conducted the survey to get an idea of how feasible it would be to expect students to log onto their homework assignments with personal technology, which would be necessary if students were expected to read textbooks online. “I would like it,” freshman Rollin Love said, “because I forget my book at home often.” Even with online textbooks, printed textbooks wouldn’t go away entirely, Most classes would have classroom sets and extras to loan out. However, the online editions can be more easily updated and not nearly as heavy. Spanish teacher Pat Wittry has been using online textbooks in her classes for two years and has been able to navigate it fine. However, she is unsure about how some students are dealing with the transition. “It’s exciting but it’s also a concern,” she said. “I think with younger teachers it might be easier because they are experienced in that kind of work and know how to do it. Although a lot of my younger students don’t know how to use technology in an academic way.” Getting students to use technology as a learning tool has been a concern at the district level and was emphasized with the implementation of BYOD wifi.
However, in order to use the technology, students must have devices they can access their work on at school and at home. This is not the case for all students. Sophomore Sabrina Mason is among students that would be limited by a switch “I don’t have a phone or any access to WiFi at home,” she said. “I like having a hard copy. I like to be able to flip through pages and read. I’ll have a harder time studying without that.” Students without personal devices would be allowed to check out a hard copy textbook, but
Completing a problem, sophomores Quinton Hamm, Olivia Lemus and Reese Stellwagon utilize the online textbook in Leslie Dougan’s Algebra 2 class. “[The online text] relieves my stress of forgetting my book at home,” Lemus said. Photo by Cooper Avery. that copy would not automatically update itself or have as much information as a virtual text, which raises a concern that students without personal devices would be limited.
Student aides will now earn letter grades
University system pushes end of pass-fail standards, causing controversy over credits By Riley Nelson In response to regulations from the state’s university system, students will now earn letter grades for aiding. Student aides, who help teachers in their classrooms, deliver passes and complete other tasks, had previously received pass-fail grades. But the Kansas Board of Regents, which governs the state’s public universities, changed the way it would evaluate students for admissions. In schools where a passing grade is equivalent to a D or better, that pass grade would count as one point for
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calculating GPAs. That means that high-achieving students would have their GPAs significantly damaged, potentially hurting their admission to state universities. So, starting this year, students will receive letter grades for being teacher aides. This means student aiding, independent studies and any other classes currently pass or fail must now be graded with an A, B, C, D or F. The letter grade holds the same weight for calculating GPA as it would in another class. “It’s a workable solution,” assistant principal Mike Norris said. “However, I do not believe the
Board of Regents should have been able to force it on high schools since it has no authority over public education. It only has authority over the state colleges.” Most teachers aren’t in favor of the new regulation, but students have a different take on receiving letter grades for aiding. “I think it is a good idea,” senior office aide Kaitlyn Applegate said. “Since I don’t really do hard work while aiding, it would be nice to get an A and up my GPA.” The new rule has led to speculation. Considering the probability that students will now want to aid for an easy A, some say aiding
should come with certain requirements, such as a minimum GPA. “It would be kind of nice but at the same time it would be kind of a security blanket if a student has bad grades,” senior office aide Elizabeth Medlin said. “Students will think, ‘Oh, that’s easy, so let’s all be aide.’ So that would be an issue.” Now that aiding hours will be performance-reflecting grades, the expectations placed on students may change. “What each teacher requires of an aide might look different depending on the teacher and the course,” Norris said.
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14 News
Program helps students picture future
Van Go employs students in arts Kate Rettig While their classmates flip burgers and bag groceries at their first jobs, student who work at Van Go are free to spend their work hours creating art. Van Go Inc. is an art-centered agency for high school students. The program, which was founded by Lynne Green in 1997, provides high school students with after-school job training in visual arts. “It gives you skills to be successful in the world and once you have these skills, it gives you a foundation that you build upon for life,” freshman Maya Frasier said. “When you go to a different job, you already have these skills that you’re looking for. It just makes you more successful with your work and what you are dreaming for.” Van Go has served hundreds of teens in the community. According to the mission statement, the program aims to “improve the lives of high need youth using art as the vehicle for self expression, self confidence and hope for the future.” Van Go employees work on a variety of art projects, including park benches that can be found around town, as well on other installations, such as the tunnel under 6th Street leading to Pinckney Elementary. “We do paintings with acrylic paint, and we do mosaic projects,” Van Go social worker Amy Bertrand said. “Right now we are doing a project of dyeing fabrics. We’ve also done woodworking and working with fused glass.” The program provides students academic support, mental health services and life skills for the real world. “I was informed by my social worker that I should check out this art program since I’ve been showing her my drawings for quite sometime,” senior Jordan Wittbrod
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How to apply Applications packets are available through the high schools and social services, such as Bert Nash Mental Health Center. Students can get application packets through any of the school social workers or counselors. said. “She thought it would be a pretty good mix, so she gave me the application and I filled it out. I went there during the summer and it went off from there.” Wittbrod has been working at Van Go for more than a year. He said that Van Go helped him overcome depression and improve communication skills. “It has really helped me come out of my shell and boost my confidence and just find myself,” he said. One of the aims of the program is to give employees a place to release daily stresses and pains. Each day, they are given instructions and then are free to create. “My anxiety around people has gone down a lot,” Frasier said. “I am more relaxed at school because
once I go there, I get things off mind. Then the next day is a lot better than the day before. It’s made me a better person, and it’s made me a whole lot happier.” Frasier is one of the employee assistant leaders. Assistant leaders are chosen because of their behavior in the previous session. They provide direction and supervision to teammates. “They help lead everyone around and help those new people that don’t know what to do,” Frasier said. “They expect you to set a role model for the people who come in. They have high expectations for you, and you have to go to meetings and discuss your progress on the previous week.” Van Go also promotes self care for employees. Within the past five years, a program called Go Healthy was launched. Once a week, instructors teach employees lessons aimed at benefiting their health. The lessons can include sleep management, healthy relationships and physical maintenance. In the summer, Go Healthy was an everyday activity. During the work day, the employees were required to participate in a 30-min-
Painting a wooden rocking horse, junior Dakota Collins finishes her project at an after-school session at the Van Go studio at 715 New Jersey St. Photo by Jaycee Mountain ute exercise time including yoga, meditation and Zumba. “It was really fun,” senior James Harader-Ellett said. “We did yoga, Tai Chi, just a little bit of everything. My favorite activity was probably Zumba because I like to break dance.” Along with physical health, the program promotes skills that are necessary for entering the workforce, including work attendance, punctuality and problem solving. “A main emphasis is on job skills, so we are trying to let everyone be prepared for their next job life,” Bertrand said. “We also really support education, so we have a good connection with the schools. We encourage people after high school to explore college or trade school or whatever employment is the best fit for them. We’re just trying to help them with the decision that comes next.”
Nov. 12, 2014 15
Saddling up to compete Sophomore does equestrian for fun, competes on regional and national circuit
Showing his horse around an arena, sophomore Noah Kucza rides PCS Gabriel, a gelding. Photo by Joseph Anderson
Jaycee Mountain For sophomore Noah Kucza, riding horses has been a hobby since 2008. He took after his older sister, Sarah, who graduated from LHS last year. Beyond the siblings, riding horses runs in Kucza’s family. His mom has been riding since she was a kid. According to Sarah, they grew up around horses, and the sport ran in the family. “Everyone liked riding ponies,” Noah Kucza said, “so [after] my sister started riding horses in 2006, I started taking lessons, too.” It’s more than just riding horses for fun. Kucza is involved in competitions and shows as well. “The show season is from April to October,” Kucza said. “You go into this big arena and you go around in circles and then you turn around and go around in circles the other way, and you make the horse look good and fancy, and if your horse is pretty and looks good, then you’ll win.” From Oct. 11 to 18, he was in Oklahoma at the Grand National & World Champion Horse Show. Although Kucza did not compete this year, he went and watched his sister show her horse. She also supports him when he competes. “I love watching Noah, He is a natural,” Sarah Kucza said. “Noah is known for driving us crazy at home by not working hard or doing what we say but then we get to the show, and he pulls it all together to look awesome. Noah watched me ride and show for a long
time and so when his time came he advanced very quickly. I am very proud of how much he has accomplished with our horse Phil. One day I hope that Noah will be training horses.” The siblings bond over the sport and help each other during competition. Before each show, Noah and Sarah Kucza help each other get prepared to go into the ring. “We work so hard before we ever get to the show that once you are there it is just time to have fun,” Sarah Kucza said. “Noah is better at remembering this than me. We both help each other get ready to show as well as if he is showing, I get the horse ready and vice versa.” As well as getting support from his family, Kucza’s friends are also enthusiastic about his riding. “Noah and I are close friends and we work out together at UGL (UnderGround Lab Contemporary Fitness),” said sophomore Julia Randolph. “My favorite thing about him doing the horse shows is the stories he has about the horse rider ratchets.” Kucza’s proudest accomplishment was last years World Championship. “Last year I got third in the World [Championship].” Kuzca said. “There were 12 in my championship, but horses qualify all year round.” Equestrian is unique from many other sports that teens generally play, which is what Kucza likes. “[Horseback riding is] a sport where I have to rely on a living, breathing animal instead of a ball or stick,” he said.
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16 Features
Team stabilizes after turbulent postseason Basketball team projected to go far, reflects on difficulties off the court By Colton Lovelace A long offseason is finally over for the boys basketball team, and players couldn’t be happier. The team will feature one of the most experienced squads in the Sunflower League, making this season highly anticipated. The team will start the season at home against Emporia on Dec. 5 with its first game in “The Jungle.” “I am so hyped. We’re all on pins and needles,” senior John Barbee said. “We all have improved, and we’re ready to put the pieces together and just play.” Junior forward Fred Brou is also ready for the season to arrive. “I’m just looking forward to getting back together with the team again and playing basketball every day,” he said. “The team has been ready to play again since the day we lost to O-East. Everyone has worked super hard in the offseason to get better, and we expect the results to show.” Following a 17-5 season is not easy to do, but the goal for team members is to do even better. They will rely heavily on the guard play they’ve had from the last two years. “We...want to do better than what we did last year, and playing as a team, moving the ball around a lot more and not letting it stick in one person’s hand the whole game,” Barbee said. Last year, the team lost in the sub-state championship game to Olathe East — a huge heartbreak falling in the wake of assistant coach Kermit Aldridge’s death. This year, players believe they will best the rival Hawks. “Last year they were so tough and they’ll probably be our toughest opponent again this year,” Barbee said. “But I believe we will definitely be able to deal with them a lot better this year.” Juniors like Brou and Price Morgan will be called upon to step up and provide a big boost in the
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front court. They both played on varsity last year with Morgan a constant in the starting five. Both will give the team much needed experience this year in the front court. “Everyone expects us to do really well, and the pressure is on because we know we are capable of being really good if we play together,” Brou said. “Personally, I’m looking forward to playing more minutes and being a solid role player.” The three returning seniors, Anthony Bonner, Ben Rajewski and John Barbee, will also be expected to be leaders and carry the team to a deep postseason run. “They are all three great team players and have been waiting for this moment for years,” Brou said. The seniors will be missed after the season, making their presence
on this year’s team that much more important. “I’m definitely going to miss playing in front of our crowd and beating Free State in the Jungle,” Barbee said. The players will have the benefit of Coach Mike Lewis returning. They rallied to Lewis’ side when he was fired after last season and then rehired after players, students and parents spoke out. Junior Price Morgan said Lewis was the right man all along. “There’s no better guy for the job,” Morgan said. “He loves his players, his staff and Lawrence High. Everyone on the team is family to him, and he wants nothing more than for us to succeed.” Also on players’ minds will be Coach Aldridge. “He was a huge inspiration for us, and when he passed, it
Shooting past Olathe East defense, senior forward Anthony Bonner starts for the Lions at a home game on Jan. 31 last season. The team went 17-5 in regular season, beating powerhouse schools such at Highland Park and Rockhurst. Photo by Jacob Parnell was hard for us, but we all came together as a family and dealt with it as a team,” Barbee said. “I’m glad he’s in a better place now and he’s definitely going to be on every one of our minds with the season starting to come up.” Players are dedicating the season to Aldridge, and emotions will be high for the first home game. “Even in the hospital, he was more concerned with how we did in sub-state rather than his own health condition,” Brou said. “We all will miss his heart, fire and love for the game.”
Nov. 12, 2014 17
Athletes sprint into winter Winter sport athletes anticipate upcoming seasons, recall last season Information collected by Ryan Yowell, design by Hunter Boehle
Wrestling
Bowling
Boys swimming Girls basketball Boys basketball & diving
Last Season “We placed 18th in state last season” —Coach Kent McDonald
This Season “For fly I want to break one minute, for relay one second.” —Chase Odgers, junior
“We had a great season last year. Our record was 17-5 overall and 8-3 in our Sunflower League.” —Coach Mike Lewis
“All of returning players are on varsity.” —Justin Roberts, junior
“We improved our wins. We did better. We played better. We hung with people more.” —Marissa Pope, senior
“[We want to] Increase wins, and we have a new coach, so we have a different style of playing.” —Pope
“We won the Free State High School showdown.” —Dillon Schroeder, Senior
“I think we can get back to what we were, but it will be awhile before we get that good again.” —Alan Clothier, junior
By the numbers
17
Averaged points scored by basketball player Justin Roberts last year.
54
Personal best for swimmer Chase Odgers in the 100 meter freestyle.
250 “We hope to win state, but first we have to get there and win games.” —Schroeder
On how many matches he plans to win this season: “Hopefully all but one, maybe.” —Clothier
Dillon Schroeder’s personal best bowling score last season.
16
Marissa Pope’s estimated point average last season in basketball.
182
Weight class Alan Clothier won a wrestling state championship in last year.
CONGRATS
JOURNALISTS!
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18 Sports
Pro athletic initiatives spur change Concussions as hot-button issue in media trigger response at school level A common type of concussion is rotational concussion. When the head spins one way than another rapidly it can strain the brain tissue.
Concussions are caused by when the head experiences a rapid increase then decrease in speed. This causes the brain to hit the inside of the skull.
An estimated 53 percent of high school athletes have suffered a concussion in the past.
Since the frontal lobes (the part of the brain that lies right behind the forehead that control multiple aspects of the personality) don’t fully develop till around the age of 25, concussions may have a worse effect on youth.
If you have already had a concussion, you are more likely to have another concussion.
Source: www.concussiontreatment.com/concussionfacts.html and www.neurosurgery. pitt.edu/centers-excellence/brain-and-spineinjury/concussions
Graphic by Nick Steichen By Zia Kelly Among the countless lawsuits that pop up in professional athletics, it is not often that thousands of former players sue an association for the same issue. Yet, the National Football League in July settled a multi-million dollar agreement that holds the NFL accountable for the cost of medical treatment for former and current players. The claim was filed by more than 4,500 former players who now suffer from neurological issues because of the lack of proper concussion recovery. In light of the alarming frequency of ALS, dementia and suicide among former professional football players, concussions
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are being taken more seriously, and the NFL has addressed the problem publicly and taken initiatives to raise awareness in young players. “A lot of that came to light and then prompted more research,” athletic trainer Jeremy Goats said. “Because when you get these multi-million dollar lawsuits and high-profile players suing... it definitely puts a spotlight on it.” For parents and athletes, the news out of the NFL has been troubling. According to an article on ESPN.com, the concussion issue was first recognized by the NFL in 2005 when researchers found that a large number of for-
mer players had neurodegenerative diseases. In 2009, a Congress committee questioned NFL commissioners about the league concealing the link between concussions and later neurological problems. When the research came out, many doctors and parents became concerned about youth who begin contact sports at a young age. In fact, just following the release of the studies, Pop Warner football data reflected that participation in the sport for youths dropped substantially. While there isn’t a direct correlation between the studies and participation, many believe fear of injury has stifled participation. “It definitely has affected our number a little bit, it has to,”
Goats said. “Because there are some parents that just won’t let their kids do contact sports.” According to Goats, there have been 13 concussions across all fall sports teams, a fairly low number compared to years previous. While football shows the highest rate of concussion the school deals with, they are also common in other contact sports such as soccer and wrestling. Goats says that player-for-player soccer may even present a higher frequency of concussions. Although there may be some prejudice against contact sports, lawsuits have prompted not only studies, but safety initiatives Continued on page 19
Nov. 12, 2014 19 have trickled down to youth education and prevention, especially at the high school level. USA Football, for example, advocates for a “heads up” tackle technique to prevent head-to-head collisions and lessen the chance of brain damage. The football coaches have implemented the technique and take time before full-pad practices and scrimmages to to review it. “We put them in the best equipment money can buy,” Wedd said. “Our helmets… have the highest test for safety on the market, so I feel like our kids are wearing the best equipment.... and then we also teach them how to tackle correctly, how to block correctly, because that is important too, and we film everything so that they have had the correct instruction.” Although the athletic department takes precautions against head injuries, concussions are a common occurrence, particularly in contact sports such as football and soccer, and are often times unavoidable. “You can have the best protective padding, you can have the best ‘fill in the blank’ at some point, there is still the likelihood that someone is going to get a concussion,” Goats said. In light of this, the athletics program has recently focused on concussion testing and management to ensure brain injuries that do happen are lower in severity and don’t become a recurring issue. In the past few years, the school has offered the ImPACT neuro-baseline test, which is optional to all athletes and can detect changes in cognitive function. In principle, athletes are to take the test their freshman and junior years before season, and the results provide a benchmark for their
general mental performance. If the student is injured, the test provides a baseline for comparison. Although the test is not mandatory, Wedd said between 80 and 90 percent of his players take it. It is free. Goats envisions a more widespread solution. “I definitely see them implementing a mandatory test for the athletes,” he said. The athletic department has also changed the way it classifies and responds to brain injuries. In the seven years Goats has been at LHS, the state has administered new standards for concussion recognition and management, primarily ensuring that injuries are handled on a case-by-case basis. Opposed to being classified into a specific category, athletes are not allowed to play until they fully recover. “The primary thing… is that the kid has be be asymptomatic, which means they need to be without symptoms for 24 hours until the can start a return-to-play progression,” Goats said. The athletic program has implemented a five-step standard all athletes returning from concussions go through before being reintroduced into play. The progression ensures that symptoms are entirely gone before athletes are back to full-contact play and can be slowed down if more recovery time is needed. However, even with team initiatives to catch potential injuries quickly, players may know best when they have been injured. But, they sometimes try to conceal their symptoms. “I think they do sometimes because they really stress how even minor headaches can be a sign for a concussion,” Goats said. “Some players just want to play.
How much do athletes really know? We asked athletes who have suffered concussions in previous seasons how well-educated they feel about the issue. Here is what they had to say:
“I feel fine about it. Hopefully I don’t have to have another one.” —Micheal Sinks, senior
They do just like they would an ankle injury, knee injury or a knee injury… I know that some would try to hide it. But in the end it’s going to come out eventually, and at that point, they set themselves back, and it takes them more time to get back.” Wedd said his players understand the severity of concussions, and teammates watch out for their fellow players to ensure no one is overextending themselves. “I think nowadays kids know the severity of head trauma,” he said. “We will see a big hit every once in awhile and some of the other kids will point him off the field, because he is either talking funny in the huddle, and they know something is wrong. They are pretty good that they are being safe out there also.” Some students have not only been educated on the subject but have experienced the severity of head injuries. Senior Sammy Tuckwin got a serious concussion his freshman year that affected his physical health and academic performance. “I can’t strain my brain, and I can’t get stressed.” Tuckwin said. “I had to retake geometry freshman year.” While having to retake a class is more severe than most athlete’s consequences, the Sunflower League has recently seen some tragedies that further the awareness of sport-related brain injuries. Most recently, Olathe East football player James McGinnis collapsed during a game last month and subsequently went into emergency brain surgery due to blood clots in the brain possibly caused by high-impact collisions prior to the game. He is currently in rehabilitation, and is projected to be fine.
“I mean, once I got one I learned more about it. Just take your time getting back into it. I don’t know the difference between the seriousness of concussions, but I think mine was pretty mild because it hasn’t affected me long-term.” —Anthony Bonner, senior
“Everything has made us be more conscious of kids,” Wedd said. “We had a young athlete die last year...from an aneurysm at Shawnee Mission West… The Olathe East kid is having a good path to recovery, and we are excited… he is being rehabbed right now…” In the US, about 225,000 kids played football starting from the time they are young children. In the realm of youth athletic initiatives, there is strong emphasis on reducing heavy contact from a young age. Goats points out that even in youth leagues there is heavy contact in tackles, and in turn risk on head injury. “I do agree with the studies that say that when kids have a lot of contact at a young age it doesn’t pay off,” Goats said. “It doesn’t make them any better at the sport by starting at such a young age than if they start it at the junior high and high school levels.” Wedd has not noticed a fluctuation of numbers of players trying out in the summer since the studies have come out, but he defends participation of the sport for a variety of reasons. “As a coach you got to constantly reaffirm to parents that it is a safe sport,” Wedd said. “You always what is best for your child, and you always want them to be safe. And I do know this: from 3 o’clock to 6 o’clock the safest place in the world is on an athletic field compared to some of the things kids do between 3 o’clock and 6 o’clock... it is well-worth having adult supervision from that point and the discipline they get in athletics, or in any extracurricular activity… parents need to see the big picture.” Ryan Yowell contributed to this report.
“I am really lucky because my mom works at the hospital, and so I learned a lot about concussions through her. Being an athlete, your coaches definitely teach you a lot about protecting yourself from them, even though it doesn’t always work.” —Morgan Ross, senior
The Budget
20 Entertainment
Entertainment
Stude nt c band ollects shirts
Photos
by Coo per Ave ry
By Kansas Gibler The hallways are filled with shirts signifying students’ favorite basketball players or baseball teams, but junior Jill Baer’s wardrobe takes a different approach, revolving around her favorite bands. Baer has spent the last five years cultivating a collection of 55 band T-shirts. The shirts exhibit her love for classic rock and current indie rock music. She says she values each shirt with the memory of when she got it, coming predominantly from concerts and secondhand stores.
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“I got a lot of them at concerts that were really great memories — like when I saw Modest Mouse and Neutral Milk Hotel,” Baer said. “I’ve gotten some while thrifting, but also from Hot Topic and places like that.” Baer prizes her band shirts that have the most meaningful back stories, some being surprising gifts. “I had a Pink Floyd shirt that I got from a garage sale,” she said. “He just gave it to me because I was buying so many of his albums. I guess he figured I could use it. He wasn’t even selling it. He just went inside his house and gave it to me.”
Such a large collection comes with a price. Some shirts were acquired freely, but others retail upwards of $30 on bands’ merchandising sites. “I’m going to guess I’ve spent between $500 and $600,” Baer said. “That sounds pathetic.” Baer said that her collection is worth the money and effort. “To me the significance, like wearing a jersey for your favorite team, is supporting what you love,” she said. “I love music and bands, so I choose to support the bands that I listen to.”
Nov. 12, 2014 21
Opinion
Declaration of Rights of Man and of the Spectator With basketball season coming up, follow these rules to make the most out of your fan experience while not annoying others
Don’t be overzealous The law shall provide for such punishments only as are strictly and obviously necessary (violence, profanity, nudity, etc), and no one shall suffer punishment except it be legally inflicted in virtue of a law passed. Liberty consists in the freedom to do everything which injures no one else; hence no tossing of baby powder in the student section. This limit has been enumerated. The aim of all athletic association is the preservation of the well-being of students and mascots alike. Do not harass our mascot.
Don’t harass the opposing team No person shall be accused, arrested or imprisoned according to the forms prescribed by law. Anyone soliciting, transmitting, executing or causing to be executed, any arbitrary order, shall be punished. In addition, discrimination based on the loyalties of an individual is unlawful.
You don’t need a campsite to watch a game The security of the rights of fans does not require gratuitous accommodations. These forces are, therefore, established for the good of all and not for the personal advantage of those to whom they shall be entrusted. Those in the student section are and remain free and equal in rights. Accessibility distinctions may be founded only upon the general good. Since property is an inviolable and sacred right, no one shall be deprived thereof except where public necessity. Each individual is entitled the whole of one seat and therefore will be expected to take up no more and no less, unless in the situation that physical limitations render that impossible.
Keep language clean No one shall be disquieted on account of their opinions, including their more controversial views, provided the manifestation of their speech does not hinder a child’s upbringing. The free communication of ideas and opinions is one of the most precious of rights. Every citizen may, accordingly, speak, write, and print with freedom, but shall be responsible for such abuses of this freedom as shall be defined by law. Or in this case, probably, in-school suspension.
Watch your head. People throw stuff (beach balls are OK, water not so much). A common contribution is essential for the maintenance of the public property. This should be equitably distributed among all the citizens. (Or you could just clean up after yourself.)
No saving spots No body nor individual may exercise any authority which does not proceed directly from the nation. The people of our school nation deserve a chance to sit close if they arrive early. There is no right to save seats.
Don’t be a Debbie Downer Law is the expression of the general will. Every citizen has a right to participate personally, or through his representative, in its foundation. All citizens, being equal in the eyes of the law, are equally eligible to all dignities and to all public positions and occupations, according to their abilities, and without distinction except that of their virtues and talents. However, bothering to attend a gathering and bringing poor spirits is cause to be ostracized.
The Budget
22 Opinion
Opinion
BYOD sparks need for personal devices With capability to learn online, district should provide all students with iPads
Luna Stevens, freshman Guest editorial Heavy backpacks and outdated textbooks are everyday problems for a high school student, but with the technology we already use daily, they don’t have to be. It’s time we close the technological gap between school and the real world. Providing each high school student with an iPad or other portable device to replace textbooks would create equal access to online learning, save students from carrying heavy textbooks, and be better for the environment and the district’s budget. Bring Your Own Device is a great way for schools to integrate online learning into the classroom without extra money. This system is, however, flawed. While most students have iPhones and other devices to bring into class to use for BYOD, many do not. This would call for students to get bullied, increasing the divide between wealthier and
be used through current wifi networks. Other districts in the area, including Shawnee Mission, have already moved to this type of learning. Teachers have responded positively to the change, and say that it can increase one-on-one teaching with students. The biggest problem besides cost, would be students not having wifi at home to connect their devices to. This problem has a simple solution: information can be synced or cached to the device, so that everything could be accessed without a connection.
poorer families. In addition, those without devices will not have the same opportunities as those who do. Heavy textbooks have always been a problem, especially for high school students. It is recommended that your backpack not exceed 15 percent of your body weight, but with three or four textbooks, this limit is easily broken. Replacing textbooks could easily take 15 pounds off students’ shoulders. This solution would also be better for the environment, as textbooks add up to be pounds of paper and need to be replaced. Students would also have the ability to complete their work on these devices, so more paper could be saved. The main reason schools are not switching over to internet-based learning is the cost of providing every student with a tablet or laptop. However, the money spent on desktop computers could be spent on personal devices instead, and digital textbooks would cost significantly less than the paper copies. Schools can save $600 per student yearly by using technology instead of textbooks, according to a 2012 report from the Federal Communications Commission. Textbooks on tablets would not have to be replaced and could be constantly updated with new information. The devices could
Want to be featured in our next issue? Write an editorial expressing your opinion about school-related issues, and bring it to Barbara Tholen in Room 139 or send it to lhsbudget@gmail.com. Other contact information available at lhsbudget.com.
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Graphic by D ym
tro Guzhva
Expecting students to carry around heavy textbooks from class to class and home is outdated and needs to change. One-third of students surveyed in Project Tomorrow’s Speak Up survey are already using these devices, so the concept is not new or unheard of. Replacing textbooks with technology would not be an immediate solution, but with time, it could provide equal opportunity access to online learning, save students from having to carry around heavy textbooks, be better for the environment, and save the school money.
Nov. 12, 2014 23
Opinion
Keeping yourself healthy helps everyone As flu season approaches, students need to stop germs from spreading
Graphic by Joaquin Dorado By Isaiah Young Let’s face it. Humans are really gross. Every year since I started school, I’ve come back to school in August and a week later, I’d get sick and have to stay home. I used to think that it was just in the time of the year, but eventually I figured out it was the combined poor health habits of all people in attendance at my current school. I named this sickness the “back-to-school-plague,” and while I’ve never been able to avoid catching it, it’d very avoidable if we all took better care of ourselves. As students, we’re exposed to the germs to about 1,500 people daily. Eight janitors or 200 janitors, our school is going to be a great breeding ground for germs of all sorts. According to the Centers for Disease Control, people unconsciously touch their faces an average of 18 times per hour, transferring all of the germs on their hands into their eyes, noses and mouths. Unfortunately, when your nose is leaking, that number
increases, and unless everyone is washing and disinfecting themselves those germs are being transferred to and infecting anything and anyone that sick person comes in contact with. Each year, 5 to 20 percent of Americans catch the flu. The average is lower when more people get vaccinated and practice better health habits. People are generally better about maintaining healthy habits during and after pandemics, like bird flu, severe acute respiratory syndrome and swine flu. And hopefully with recent news of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), people will start taking better care of themselves again. With as many infectious diseases as there are, it’s important to practice some basic hygiene. Disinfecting surfaces before preparing food and before consumption can prevent cross contamination and food-borne illness. Covering or catching a cough in your shoulder or a tissue can prevent infecting others and keep germs off of your hands. And while no studies show dressing warmer will prevent
infection, dressing warmer keeps the body at a higher temperature ensuring that it can put more energy into fighting off invasion instead of staying warm. Even if everyone did this, people would still get sick, because a lot of diseases like tuberculosis, strep throat, meningitis and most influenza strains are airborne and can linger in the air for minutes. If you feel sick, just stay home. Just because you don’t have a fever doesn’t mean you’re not contagious. Some common symptoms that indicate a high level of infectiousness are sore throat, runny nose, a general feeling of exhaustion, congestion, puffy eyes, diarrhea, aches or pains, chills, sweats, overactive tear ducts, and dry mouth. However, it’s normal to experience all of these symptoms and not be contagious at all. Most often, to be contagious, a person either experiences a multitude of symptoms or experiences only a handful to an extreme degree. And it’s better to schedule a one-hour doctor’s appointment than to bring the Plague to school.
Staying well hydrated also helps fight off infection if a person is already sick. Blood is 92 percent water, and staying well hydrated helps everything in the body move faster. This includes viruses, but also white blood cells. That means a well-hydrated person is just as likely to get sick as anyone else, but because their circulation is better they will get healthy quicker. Finally, the number one ultimate secret to staying healthy and preventing infection is washing your hands. With soap and water. Not hand sanitizer. Soap and water. Washing hands doesn’t need to be an intense ordeal, but it needs to be periodic and thorough. The FDA recommends hand washing for 15 to 20 seconds after using the restroom and before meals. Three major meals and three trips to the bathroom a day total up to two minutes a day spent washing at most. I think humans can be less gross. I think we can spare two minutes.
The Budget
24 Advertising
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