Issue 2, 2021-22 school year, The Budget by LHS Budget

Page 4 Pandemic changes nurse’s job

Page 6 Fights return to school halls

Page 14 THE BUDGET

Lawrence High School Lawrence, KS Volume 129, Issue 2 December 2021

Music classes positively impact students’ mental health

THE BUDGET BRIEFS Page 4 Pandemic changes nurse’s job

Page 6 Fights return to school halls

Page 14 THE BUDGET

Music classes positively impact students’ mental health

Lawrence High School Lawrence, KS Volume 129, Issue 2 December 2021

Still working on getting back to normal, students have returned to classes and music concerts while still struggling with the realities of COVID-19 and fights breaking out in hallways. Graphic by Asher Wolfe

IN THIS ISSUE 8

Racial slurs grow Club guides with social media students to influence their sources of strength

Science teacher takes studies to the ocean

Football team falls just short of state title game

Ending rape culture takes everyone

WE’VE GOT MORE ONLINE Follow @lhsbudget ‘Puffs’ finally David Platt plans Badminton takes the stage for to retire at end of Tournament fall performance school year draws crowd

SPECIALISTS’ HELP

ADDS UP

Interventionist stepping in with math help BY SAM LOPEZ

This position was created due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “Due to the pandemic, the last time most students had solid math fter noticing gaps in instruction was two years ago. A learning from the lot of students are missing fundaCOVID-19 pandemic, mental mathematical concepts,” Stephanie Clements Clements said. has been hired as Clements also helps teachers Lawrence High School’s academic by making sure that all of their ininterventionist. struction is well received. As academic interven“As hard as teachers tionist, Clements takes “It is my job to work, there is never a multiple approaches pinpoint the 100% guarantee that to help students. The their lesson will reach all majority of her work problem and students,” Clements said. takes place in the Intro help them solve “I work to help bridge to Algebra and Algebra I it.” the gaps.” classes. Clements is excited Clements utilizes data —Stephanie for the role intervenand observes classes to Clements, academic tionists will play in the determine students who interventionist future. may be struggling. After “This job has so much she has identified stupotential, which is very dents who need help, she exciting,” Clements said. “The job aids them during work time. is really only limited to the team’s “It is my job to pinpoint the imagination. Thankfully, at LHS, we problem, and help them solve it,” have great imagination.” Clements said.

Staff Reporter

DECEMBER 2021 | DESIGNED BY CUYLER DUNN

Science class hits the road for field trip to prairie

MEET

EMILY

Multi-sport athlete stars in different roles during fall

Sophomore Emily Brandt is the rare athlete to take on three sports in the same season, as a varsity athlete on the girl’s tennis, cheer and gymnastics teams. With so many activities, life is busy for Brandt (pictured at left playing in a tournament on Oct. 4). ON BEING INVOLVED “I love being involved. I like being at school and getting to know others, and I enjoy the different physical aspects of various sports, too.” WHICH SPORT WOULD YOU KEEP “Seeing as both cheer and gymnastics are rather difficult to participate in after 30, probably tennis. Tennis also has the benefit of being a lifetime sport. I see women in their 70s out playing tennis, so I’d love to be like that when I’m older.” Reporting by Jack Ritter/ Photo by Audrey Basham

BRIEFS THE BUDGET

BACK IN

STEP

Step Team returns to increased enthusiasm BY ADDIE LONDON Copy Editor

fter fizzling out, the Unity Step Team has begun to prosper at LHS once again.

In 2017, Free State social worker Audrey Pope-Trowbridge restarted the team. At Free State, the team began to gain traction and members. Within the last year the team has been approved to officially include LHS members and perform at LHS as well. “I have always had the goal for the team to be a united team of students from both schools,” Pope-Trowbridge said. “My personal goal was to find a way to bring kids together in our community, and to provide a sense of belonging and cultural relevance to the students who connect with this group.” The team performed at the homecoming assembly and Pack the House. They also have a competition, talent show and recital planned within the next school year. Although the team performs and competes, participation in shows is not a requirement to be a member. “Some people just like to come and be a part, or also participate in other activities or sports, so they aren’t in performances, but they are still a part of the team,” Pope-Trowbridge said. The team hopes to be a welcoming place to enjoy the tradition of stepping. The dance, which began in Black sororities and fraternities, has a long history for its performers.

“Stepping became a way that members of these student groups (known today as the Divine Nine) expressed love and pride for their organizations,” according to the website Step Afrika!, the first professional step dance company. Pope-Trowbridge and Unity Step members alike share pride in the history and all that the team has become. “I love the idea of being a group that is predominantly students of color, from both sides of town, being loud, heard, active and working together,” Pope-Trowbridge said. “I am motivated every day to come to work because of these kids. We started with seven kids, no knowledge of step, zero dollars, and nobody thought it would sustain or grow the way it has.” The team is embracing and demonstrating unity. “We named it Unity Step because we’re all united,’’ senior Olivia Cadue said. “A lot of us are of color, so we like that too, like how we can just have all of us come together to make something.” Along with uniting students of all backgrounds, stepping has instilled confidence in members, a confidence that they hope to share with their audiences and peers. “It can show other little kids or people of color that it’s OK to express yourself. It’s OK to do what you want,” freshman Bri Brass said. “You don’t have to be quiet, you can be loud if you want to, and it doesn’t matter.”

Stepping on the field, senior Olivia Cadue preforms during the homecoming assembly with the combined LHS and FSHS step team. “I’m so glad it’s combined now,” Cadue said. “Now us LHS girls can be involved as well!” Photo by Kenna McNally

THE BUDGET NEWS

COVID impacts learning By JULIA BARKER With a return to fulltime, in-person school, Webex has been tossed aside, leaving new challenges for students who are still being affected by quarantines. The days at home can leave students feeling disconnected from their classes and students and teachers as they navigate school life that is no longer online and fully accessible from home. “Any time a student misses consecutive days, they should email their teachers to keep communication open,” English teacher Susie Micka said.

MORE ONLINE Read the full story at lhsbudget.com.

Faced with more work, nurse Carol Casteel works in her office this fall. Before being the LHS nurse, Casteel worked for the county health department. “There we did HIV testing, counseling, and home visits for families, postpartum families, young kids,” she said. Her work at LHS now includes contact tracing. Photo by Owen Musser

DECEMBER 2021 | DESIGNED BY RILEY HOFFER

NEWS THE BUDGET

NURSE ON FRONT LINE OF

PANDEMIC

Amid pandemic, nurse’s job evolves to ensure safety BY MAXWELL COWARDIN Staff Reporter

n a normal year, nurse Carol Casteel’s office hums with students passing through to pick up medicine or sleep off a headache. It still hums, but now the doors to her office are closed. Entry with a pass only. Before the pandemic, Casteel worked on everything from distributing prescriptions to icing concussions. These days, she also has to balance the responsibilities of fending off a global pandemic. “I like prevention better than just doing hospital work,” Casteel said. “However, these past couple years, we can do too much, except for with COVID, of course.” In a normal year, Casteel cares for students with headaches and distributes medication every day, all day, five days a week. Now, a simple headache is a cause of alarm. A positive test can mean that students need to quarantine. Casteel has had to take on working out quarantine plans with families and contact tracing with health officials while still serving in a uniquely personal role for students. “She’s, in some ways, kind of like a mom away from home for a lot of our students while they’re here at Lawrence High School,” assistant principal Quentin Rials said. Casteel would rather prevent infections than track them, and it frustrates her that more people haven’t gotten vaccinated.

“It’s too bad that we couldn’t all get vaccinated,” she said. “But everybody has their own reasons why they didn’t want to get the vaccine. And I understand that. That’s difficult for some families. But that is kind of frustrating.” Whenever infections do break out, it can be a big deal, although vaccines, testing and COVID mitigation procedures have made it much easier. “We defer to her on everything,” teacher and girls basketball coach Jeff Dickson said. “She’s the expert. Whatever she says to do, we do. Simple as that.” Casteel started her pediatrics career in a newborn ICU. From there she moved on to nursing and public maternal health. By the time she moved from Wisconsin to Lawrence, she began to work with the health department. Since 2008, Casteel has been the LHS nurse, helping the LHS student body for 13 years. During those years, she’s had three of her kids go through LHS, one graduating in 2020. Casteel works at LHS because she wants to educate students about how to stop injuries before they happen. At this stage in students’ lives, every little bit counts. Even if it gets hard to keep up with the almost constant flow of students in and out of her office, Casteel appreciates getting to be around students. “It’s good to have students because they keep you on your toes,” she said. “They’re young. Everything’s always changing.”

NEW RULES USD 497 has implemented new COVID-19 quarantine and testing measures.

TEST TO STAY A program began this semester allows daily tests for individuals in close contact with COVID-positive people, letting them continue to attend school and take part in activities.

QUARANTINE EXCLUSION Students may be excluded from quarantine if they are fully vaccinated, which should reduce the learning time that students are missing.

THE BUDGET NEWS

COMBATING MORE

VIOLENCE

Interrupted year seen as factor in fighting as students return BY TESSA COLLAR Online Co-Editor-in-Chief

ith the return of all students this year, hallways have become zones for fighting as well. At the start of the year, conflicts were believed to have been more violent and greater in number than those seen before the COVID-19 pandemic sent students online. “Some of it is just getting back into civilization again, getting back into a routine of being in a community, instead of in your room, and it’s just you and a computer screen,” associate principal Mark Preut said. From the beginning of the school year to the end of October, LHS administrators reported eight fights and 14 suspensions related to fighting or violence against peers, according to information shared following an open records request by The Budget. The increase has been noticeable. “It was more in the beginning of the year, but even now, freshman year was no where close to this many,” junior Chase Mondi said. Freshman Bryndal Hoover said she thinks the uptick is a result of students being back. “A lot of people are used to doing whatever they want, most of the time, because we were on the online, everything like that,” Hoover said. “And small fights with people and drama is going to start once you hit high school, especially with the new freshmen coming from eighth grade. So I’ve seen a lot of fights break out with freshmen, but also with older classmen.” Staff and administrators cited several possible reasons for this increase, one being the lack of socialization many students experienced over the past year

“So there’s some behaviors that are atypical and pretty

alarming.” —Mark Preut, associate principal

FIGHT ISSUE From August through October, the high schools experienced:

Fights at LHS

Fights at FSHS

Suspensions related to physical fights at LHS

Suspensions related to physical fights at FSHS

DECEMBER 2020 | DESIGNED BY ELIJAH PADEN

of virtual learning. USD 497 mental health facilitator Jose Cornejo emphasized this idea, adding that other challenges individuals are facing can make conflict-resolution situations more difficult. “I think some of the challenges that we’re seeing is just that social piece of ‘how do I interact with people again?’ because I was so offline for about 18 months,” Cornejo said. “Some of us have a greater capacity to handle conflict or loss than others right now.” Preut noted the concerning nature of the fights this school year. “Usually when adults step in, things deescalate and they stop,” Preut said, noting that hasn’t always happened this year. “So there’s some behaviors that are atypical and pretty alarming.” Lawrence High School administration deals with conflict that takes place in the building through security listening for and intervening with early stages of conflict and recent ongoing staff training in restorative justice practice. Principal Jessica Bassett believes one way to minimize conflicts at school is through “relationship building and interpersonal and intra-personal development,” she said. “As students make connections with staff… and with other students, they begin to respect themselves, others and their environment.” Following fights, administrators and staff are working toward fostering connective conversations between involved students. “When students return from their consequence, they have restorative conversations with administrators or other staff,” Bassett said. “In the future we hope to be able to get the people from the opposing sides at the table to have restorative conversation and dually seek ways to repair the harm.”

NEWS THE BUDGET

00:00:30

FACTORS IN

FIGHTS

Security guard reflects on factors that contribute to problems in the hallways BY JAKE SHEW Reporter

When fights break out, they are often videod and shared by the student body. Graphic by Elijah Paden and Cuyler Dunn

t doesn’t take long after a fight breaks out for videos of it to be shared. For years, fighting has been an issue that has plagued LHS, and one that is fueled by a culture that glorifies them. This culture lies in the entertainment value students find in both from watching them from the halls and circulating videos around the students body. Security guard Danny Boone-Salazar often has to break up fights and is familiar with the student culture around them. When faced with fights, he notes that many students stop to film rather than intervene or contact teachers. “Nobody wants to help anybody,” Boone-Salazar said. “Somebody could be getting hurt, and all they want to do is pull out their phone and record. That’s really concerning, especially the part where you don’t want to stop and help out another human that needs your help.” When fights are filmed, it can have a direct impact on the severity of the violence itself. “Once you know that you’re in the limelight, you’re going to do a little bit more,” he said. Many problems this year, he said, seem to lie with underclassmen, who are less familiar with the school,. “For the most part our seniors do set a pretty good example,” he said. “The underclassmen just need to open their eyes and see what everybody else is doing.” He called on students empathize with their peers. “A lot of people want to see fights,” he said, “but at the end of the day nobody actually wants to be the fighter.”

THE BUDGET NEWS

NORMALIZING SLURS PROVES

DAMAGING

Social media platforms, like TikTok, contribute to normalizing slurs BY ARIEN ROMAN-ROJAS Co-Editor-Chief

ike other Black students, sophomore Jean-Luc Esperance said he’s been called just about every racial slur one can imagine. He’s heard them shouted while out running, normalized in jokes on TikTok and repeated in classrooms. “I’m an African American student, so that kind of happens on the regular,” Esperance said. In interviews, students of color agree that racial slurs are widely used at LHS. “I’d say they’re used pretty often, like almost on a daily basis,” junior Ayo Obadare said. A lot of factors can contribute to the normalization of racial slurs: common use among friend groups, lack of education or punishment, and social media. “Honestly it’s something

that I’ve had to deal with throughout middle school, so I’m kind of not as sensitive to it,” Obadare said. “They’ve probably never had the right type of discipline for it, or experienced the right punishments. Or know how it feels to be called a slur.” Students have noticed a correlation between the normalization of slurs and the wide use of social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram and the internet in general. “There’s a lot of jokes going around on TikTok of racial slurs being said,” Esperance said. “I think TikTok kind of normalized it for some people, so they think it’s OK.” TikTok, for example, can wind up recommending a steady flow of similar content based on algorithms, which can mean some users get inundated with racist content. Social media companies have come under fire for their contributing to the spread of hate and misinformation in

Slurs in the halls At least once a month

going around on TikTok of racial slurs being said. I think TikTok kind of normalized it for some people so they think it’s OK.” —Jean-Luc Esperance, sophomore

studies as well as in Congressional inquiries. A study conducted by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, a research company which specializes in finding solutions to extremism and polarization, monitored 1,030 TikTok videos during the span of three months. Out of those videos, 30% promoted white supremacy, 24% showed support for an extremist or terrorist, 139 videos were anti-Black, 90 were anti-LGBTQ+, 81 were anti-Muslim, 41 were anti-Asian, 25 were anti-migrant/refugee, and 26 posts denied the existence of the Holocaust. The report said that while some extremist content is removed, it’s done so inconsistently and often after spreading widely. Story continued on page 10 Language matters as the prevalence and normalization of slurs and hateful language is a heavy weight on the mental health of those who are targeted by them. Graphic by Anna Anderson

The Budget surveyed 266 students about the use of racial slurs at school Graphics by Brandon Parnell

At least once a week Daily

DECEMBER 2021 | DESIGNED BY BRANDON PARNELL

3% 9%

10%

At school or school activities, how often do you hear racial slurs or derogatory statements made toward people who are... Rarely or never

“There’s a lot of jokes

Black

Hispanic/ Latino

44% 29%

69%

6% 21%

19%

20%

Asian 71%

At school or school activities, how often do you hear...

15%

24%

34% the N word

29% 27%

10%

24%

18%

38%

21%

37%

sexist remarks against women

F slur 29%

10%

21% 32%

other insults about sexual orientation 31%

THE BUDGET NEWS

Impact of slurs The Budget surveyed 266 students about the use of racial slurs and other derogatory language at school Graphics by Brandon Parnell In what way or intent is this language used... 1% 17% 32%

Offensively

Both

Jokingly 39% 37%

30% insults based on Asian descent

insults based on Hispanic/ Latino descent

the N Word 44%

66% 29%

36%

32%

35%

40% insults based on sexual orientation

the F Slur 25%

35%

At school or a school activity, have you been referred to by or called a... 22%

79%

Yes No

51%

racial slur

26% homophobic/ transphobic remark

sexist remark

74%

49%

0.4%

Is it OK to call someone...? Yes

36%

No Only if both people are Black Only if the person saying it is Black

Is it OK to call someone...? Yes No Only if both people are LGBTQ+ Only if the person saying it is LGBTQ+

46% the N word

18%

3% 49%

31% the F slur

17%

Story continued from page 8 Because TikTok’s algorithm is set to show users videos similar to those they had previously shown interest in, termed “collaborative filtering”, it can create a negative cycle for users. If a user happens to land upon a racist video, TikTok will show them more. “It’s different on social media because I feel like people think that they won’t get caught, but they’ll end up getting exposed for it,” senior Litzy Torres said. “I hear about racial slurs being used at our school from social media.” Even though TikTok regularly monitors videos uploaded to its platform, many offensive videos aren’t taken down because they aren’t considered to violate TikTok’s terms and conditions. But overtly racist videos aren’t the only problematic ones. Videos that perpetuate stereotypes can normalize behaviors. In an article written by Brianna Holt of Quartz.com, she notes that white teens on TikTok, “Nonchalantly change their accents, use appropriated slang terms, and demonstrate certain mannerisms for comedy, [and] it’s obvious there is a gap in their understanding of, and respect for, different cultures.” Videos like these, which may appear comical, spread quickly. “I think social media plays a big role [in spreading slurs] because so many teenagers have social media and they see all the slurs and that gives them ideas to say slurs,” Torres said. Holt’s ideas corroborate the concept that teens adopt and interact with the

DECEMBER 2021 | DESIGNED BY DESIGNED BY BRANDON PARNELL

“I feel like it’s 50/50 among teenagers now because some are

educated on slurs and they know it’s not right to say them. Then with other teens, I feel like they don’t care and they’ll say it regardless even if they know it’s not right to say.” —Litzy Torres, senior racist behaviors they see in the media. “As a result of their real-life segregation paired with their access to social media, not only are young people unconsciously perpetuating racist stereotypes, they’re appearing foolish to millions of people online in the process,” Hold said. The most common slur used among students is the N-word, according to a survey of 266 LHS students. Humor was the most common reason for students using the slur, those surveyed said. But the slur continues to be damaging to people of color. “Honestly that’s not appropriate,” Esperance said. “That’s not OK, you shouldn’t be doing that to Black kids.” Students are often surrounded by friends who encourage and foster the use of slurs in their friend groups, students said. They worry that these types of behaviors will only be strengthened and continued unless someone teaches them not to do so. “I feel like it’s 50/50 among teenagers now because some are educated on slurs and they know it’s not right to say them,” Torres said. “Then with other teens,

NEWS THE BUDGET I feel like they don’t care and they’ll say it regardless, even if they know it’s not right to say.” Further complicating understanding of the word, teenagers are exposed to Black celebrities and media stars who use the N-word in their songs and daily vernacular, as the word has been reclaimed. That can make some white students think it’s OK for them to say it too because they treat it as slang. “The fact that a lot of famous rappers and celebrities use slurs sometimes, maybe they take inspiration from that,” Obadare said. Special education teacher and LHS alumna Ameshia Tubbs said she doesn’t remember many incidents involving racial slurs during her time as a student from 1993 to 1996, although there were still racial divisions. “It wasn’t like you’d have an incident with somebody, and there’d be a racial slur that came out of their mouth,” Tubbs said. “It was just tension that existed that never got addressed.” The history of the word still matters, Esperance said . “That word is rooted in a lot of years of segregation and just all around abuse to people of color in general,” he said. Esperance said that incidents involving LHS students using the slur make students of color feel unwelcome, unsupported and unheard by their peers and teachers. Punishments, he said, haven’t seemed to have made a difference.. “It seems like my school doesn’t really care honestly,” Esperance said. “These days people don’t care. They don’t want to try, which sucks because I don’t want to get treated this way.”

FINDING STUDENTS’

S URCES OF STRENGTH Club aims to improve student mental health ELIZA PULTZ-EARLE 21st Century Journalism

new club named Sources of Strength is focused on helping students’ mental health.

Part of a nationwide program, Sources of Strength is a unique peer-led club that is focused on mental health and suicide prevention. “Sources of Strength is basically a suicide prevention program,” Fatima Cruz, a junior and one of the student leaders of the club, said. “We’re not necessarily student psychologists because that’s not what our job is. Our job is to give others hope and learn to spread the word and be more welcoming of that type of information because sometimes for most people it is a very touchy topic and sensitive. So we want others to be able to express themselves and be able to talk to one another if they need someone.” Sources of Strength is an evidence-based program implemented across the U.S., showing improvement among students in the places where it’s been used, with suicide rates going down. The group also encourages positive behaviors, such as finding a trusted adult in their building or in their life, club leaders said. The program also got praise from the American Journal of Public Health, which said “Sources of Strength is the first suicide prevention program involving peer leaders to enhance protective factors associated with reducing suicide at the school population level.” The program was brought to LHS by the Lawrence Douglas County Health Department and the coalition Engage

Douglas County. Club members hope to help students feel more comfortable reaching out. One of their goals is to help give others hope, which they say is important right now coming out of the pandemic. “The pandemic really drained my mental health for like a month,” Cruz said. “I’d like to say I didn’t do any school work because of how stressful it was. It was online and no one had a clue of what we were doing and now transitioning into a new school year is going to help others really express themselves and get a better understanding of things.” The name Sources of Strength comes from the idea of a wheel outlining everyone’s possible everyone’s individual strengths, including family support, positive friends, mentors, healthy activities, generosity, spirituality, physical health and mental health. “Some areas might be bigger than others, some you may not find anything in that area, but it’s what kind of makes us a person,” said LHS social worker Carissa Welsh, who sponsors the group. Group members are also trying to promote and remind students of the resources they have at school, such as counselors and other members of the mental health team. “Part of Sources of Strength also will be helping put up things that say, ‘Hey there is help at LHS, there are people you can come talk to,” Welsh said. The group meets in room 341 at 1:45 every other Wednesday. Anyone is welcome to join. “It is never too late to join Sources of Strength,” Cruz said.

THE BUDGET NEWS

12 DECEMBER 2021 | DESIGNED BY MORGANNA HAAGA

NEWS THE BUDGET

FOREIGN EXCHANGE STUDENTS

RETURN

Exchange students travel to Lawrence in greater numbers after year when many postponed travels due to COVID-19 BY JULIA BARKER Staff Reporter

ith vaccines widely available, many things have been able to return toward normalcy, including the return of foreign exchange students. Lawrence High is now hosting five students from Denmark, France, Turkey, Spain and Poland. The exchange students will stay the entire school year and get the unique chance to experience American culture amid a pandemic. Many have goals of continuing studies, practicing English and getting the chance to have a once-in-a-lifetime experience. “I have so much expectations and I love U.S. education,” said Kutay Olguner, a junior from Turkey. “I have expectations for studying here and staying here for college. That’s what I am trying to do.” Taking part in an American tradition, exchange student Maria Szydlo (top left photo) trick or treats as a devil with classmate junior Maxwell Cowardin (dressed as a rooster).The journalism class trick-or-treated during fifth hour in November so Szydlo would have the experience after she was sick on Halloween. Photo by Audrey Basham Brought together by their travels, exchange students Justine Donnat Bouillud of France and Marta Gil Alarcon of Spain (far left) pose at LHS. Photo by Owen Musser Concentrating, Justine Donnat Bouillud works on an assignment in her Plant & Animal Science class. Photo by Owen Musser

WHERE THEY’RE FROM

Gustav Kirstein Joergensen, Denmark

Maria Szydlo, Poland Justine Donnat Bouillud, France

Kutay Olguner, Turkey

Marta Gil Alarcon, Spain

Graphic by Morganna Haaga Exchange students expressed their newfound love for Lawrence, and despite the many differences from their hometowns and home countries, they have found comfort in this small city. “I really enjoy Lawrence. For me, this city is huge because I live in a smaller city in France, but I’m used to the big city because I often go to Paris,” said Justine Donnat Bouillud, a senior from France. “However, this is a big change because I live close to Italy and Switzerland, so I’m in the French Alps. My house is surrounded by mountains. Lawrence is really flat, but I love it anyway. I also love the fact that we are close to the University of Kansas, because I think the city is quite dynamic.” Marta Gil Alarcon, a junior from Spain, said time in the country

has altered her expectations of the impact of guns. “Everyone is so scared about guns and arms because in Europe they are illegal,” Gil Alarcon said. “Once you get here, [you think] like, ‘Oh, they are legal. It’s going to be so dangerous.’ Once you are here, you really see that’s not the most important thing.” From this trip, the exchange students hope to take away valuable memories, friendships and to grow more independent. “I think this experience makes you more mature because you have to leave your country alone, and it’s like you are changing all of your life,” Donnat Bouillud said. “Of course, this year will allow me to improve my English. I also want to meet new people I can count on.”

THE BUDGET FEATURES

BY CUYLER DUNN Co-Editor-in-Chief

s Lawrence High School’s A Cappella choir cuts off its final note, the crowd erupts into cheers.

MAKING

MUSIC MATTERS

The return of music performances may come at just the right time to remedy a mental health crisis Graphic by Asher Wolfe

DECEMBER 2021 | DESIGNED BY CUYLER DUNN

Almost everyone in the auditorium has a smile on their face. Parents, proud to hear their children perform, giddily hold up cameras trying to get the perfect photo. Other community members are just happy to finally hear live music being performed again after COVID-19 forced a long respite from the melodies and harmonies. But of everyone in the packed auditorium, it’s students who have the biggest grins. Multiple of them with tears running down their faces. This is the moment many missed the most during quarantines and lockdowns. “At the end of the first choir concert of the school year, I felt myself tear up onstage and then straight up cry,” senior Sofia Thomas said. “I was just so happy to be singing with my peers again, and when Dr. [Dwayne] Dunn looked at us with such pride for our musical accomplishment I felt so joyful and ecstatic to be making music with Chorale and A Cappella Choir. Singing a beautiful song of hope after a year of isolation was one of the happiest moments of my life.” You need look no deeper than the lyrics they sang to understand exactly how these students feel. The final song of the program that night was “And for a breath…” by composer Ryan Main. Main is from the Kansas City area and worked directly with the A Cappella Choir to prepare the piece for an upcoming performance as an honor choir at the Kansas Music Educators Association convention. The lyrics for the song, taken from the poem “Barter” by Sara Teasdale, ring louder than the last note bouncing off the back wall.

“Music

is my love and comfort in life. It is something I will always understand and will always be consoled by.” —Sofia Thomas, senior

READ MORE Find the entire article online

FEATURES THE BUDGET For one white singing hour of peace Count many a year of strife well lost, And for a breath of ecstasy Give all you have been, or could be. Count many a year of strife well lost. The past year was most certainly a year of strife. Especially for those who thrive with performance, an act that has been nearly nonexistent since March 2020. The year of strife has melted from the minds of every performer on stage. Music is finally back. For many, fine arts classes are a place of refuge. “Music is my love and comfort in life,” Thomas said. “It is something I will always understand and will always be consoled by.” Studies outline a slew of positive benefits to music classes in educational settings including increased cognitive function and flexibility as well as improved social cohesion and stronger teamwork skills. “The social aspect of this is really powerful because you’re in it for four years, three or four years, you know, marching band three years, and you kind of get into your freshman year,” band teacher Mike Jones said. “So the networks that you build socially are huge.” Dr. Martin Bergee, a professor at the University of Kansas, analyzed the relationship between music and performance in math and reading. In his study, he found out that education functions best when applied holistically. That is because music is a unique educational model compared to core classes. It can access processing and learning skills other classes may struggle to. “Therefore, if your goal is to educate the person — to develop the person’s mind — then you need to educate the whole person,” Bergee said. “In other words, learning may not be as modular as it is often thought to be.” Former Lawrence High School orchestra teacher Rachel Dirks presented on the way mental health and music intersect during the summer of 2021. “I began wondering if these

conversations I had shared with my students, both in high school and college, were just as common for my music teacher colleagues,” she said. “After digging deeper into this topic, what I discovered was a mental health crisis unlike any I could have imagined.” According to Dirks, adolescence is a difficult time in human lives due to rapid changes in development. Add on to this an increase in mental health stressors, like toxic social media cultures and global issues such as climate change or COVID-19, and students are under more strain than ever before. These stressors require solutions from educational spaces. For music classes, simply being a safe place for students to go has been widely successful in helping create connections and anxiety releases that are... to being a modern teen. Jones has taught thousands of kids and is humbly aware of the effect his class has on students who struggle with mental health. “I’ve seen that many, many times where this class, my class or music in general, has really kind of saved people,” Jones said. “They are on the planet because of this class. And I realized that and it’s a big responsibility, for sure.” But when COVID-19 essentially shut down high school music programs across the country, these safe spaces were devastated, leaving in their wake a slew of students without the network that was crucial for their mental health. Junior Kalea Daboda was ready to drop choir after a difficult COVID-19 year, but after being approached by Dunn she decided to give it another try. “I am so grateful I did say yes because I would have missed out on so much,” Daboda said. For Daboda, staying in music class was a smart, last-second decision, but others didn’t stick around. About 50 percent of students left music classes at LHS amid the pandemic as online music learning could not offer the same level of engagement and opportunities and enrollment hasn’t yet rebounded.

A benefit of music classes comes from their nature as co-curricular classes. Out-of-school events, practices and performances allow students to create social bonds similar to an athletics team. During lockdowns, performances were abandoned altogether or heavily scaled back, gutting the social connection needed to form deep bonds. “You can’t make music together,” Jones said. “You can’t be social together. No matter if you see that person on the screen, it is not the same at all.” It also impacted the ability of teachers to reach students. For lots of teachers, their role includes more than just educating, especially for those who teach classes a strong community focus. “When I first started teaching, I did not think that my job would be so closely tied to students’ well-being or their mental health,” Barnett said. A lack of engagement creates the possibility for severe mental health concerns. Some students find engagement in other activities like athletics, but many of the unique benefits to music are lost, and most worryingly, students who have chosen to simply not engage in school activities as a whole could be at risk of isolation. Students who are heavily invested in music classes recommend their peers get involved. “Everyone should try some type of musical activity in high school,” Thomas said. “Even if you start out with zero experience, our directors have so much to teach, and the environment is so friendly and encouraging. Musicians are the kindest and most successful students in school.” For musicians, a difficult year and a half has been replaced by the power of music being felt in their lives once more. “The people who are here are loving rehearsing, they love doing it,” Jones said. They love being part of it and they’re happy to be back together and doing what we want, you know, which is making music together. So it feels like we’re back.”

THE BUDGET FEATURES

TEACHER SETS

OFF TO SEA

Science teacher Lisa Ball ends semester by taking part in a research project led by Robert Ballard, the scientist who discovered the Titanic wreckage

Passing out candy, Lisa Ball rewards students in her freshman advanced biology class. Photo by Sama Abughalia In search of data, Balls’ first- and sixthhour classes took a field trip to the Oak Hill Cemetery in North Lawrence to study death rates. “My favorite thing about the class is how it applies real-world situations to the learning,” senior Josh King said. Photo by Owen Musser Climbing a hill, Lisa Ball hikes on a field trip to the Konza Prairie Biological Station with her AP Environmental Science class this fall. Photo by Owen Musser

DECEMBER 2021 | DESIGNED BY TUCKER OUSDAHL

FEATURES THE BUDGET

BY FINN LOTTON-BARKER Staff Reporter

fter two years of waiting, science teacher Lisa Ball finally departed for Honolulu to take part in a scientific expedition aboard the USS Nautilus.

The trip was years in the making and had been delayed by the pandemic. “A few years ago we had a unique opportunity when Dr. Robert Ballard came to Lawrence,” Ball said of the deep sea explorer known for finding the Titanic. Ballard spoke to Ball’s students and talked about the Titanic, sea exploration and of course, the Nautilus project. “While he was here, his crew told me I should consider applying for this program because they’re looking for more teachers who come from the middle of the US where students don’t really know much about the ocean and they don’t get to interact with the ocean, because they want us to be ambassadors to their program and give awareness to students and communities that are far away from the ocean,” Ball said. After applying to the program, Ball was informed that she was chosen to join the crew as a science communication fellow, which would mean spending time aboard the ship. “In the fellowship our responsibility is to help interpret what is happening on the ship and share it with the general public,” Ball said. The fellows work with ROV pilots and other crew members and help explain the work being done. They share the information with people watching the Nautilus 24/7 live stream. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic delayed her mission significantly. “They are very, very cautious because they operate under international regulations,” Ball said. “They have to be extra careful, so they weren’t even allowed to bring more

than the skeleton crew on the ships in 2020.” Fortunately things improved enough with the vaccine rollout for them to start preparations over the summer. Even though the crew is able to continue missions with COVID, caution is still required “They maintain a COVID bubble,” Ball said. “They require everyone to be vaccinated, and they don’t allow us to interact with people if we are at port, but we will be out at sea most of the time.” This expedition isn’t just novel. It has serious goals in mind. The crew will be looking at underwater sea mounts and the evolution of deep sea species around them. “They’re not really mapped so the ship will be helping to map them and then they’re largely unexplored so on virtually every expedition that this ship does they find new species so who knows there could be new species,” she said. “Those underwater mountains are often like oasis for life.” The voyage won’t only offer a unique experience for the scientific community, but also for LHS students. During her December trip, Ball has interacted with students live from the ship. This opportunity not only excites Ball, but her students too. “I kind of hope to hear some more things about exploration,” junior Tate Landes said before the trip. “It’s a very cool experience that she’s going on so it will be nice to walk through what it was like.” Though field work is Ball’s background as a scientist, Nautilus is her first project in three years. Nautilus is different from most research projects, especially those available to teachers, making this even more significant for LHS. Previous projects have taken her to more arid climates “We were studying caterpillars and climate change, and I was in the mountains of Arizona,” Ball said. “That one was actually a summer

project, so I used that information in the classroom, but students were not directly involved. Before that, I had done a similar project in the bayous of Louisiana where we were kayaking through the bayou, and I was able to live stream for my students and teach from there.” Even with the difficulty and circumstance surrounding her upcoming project, Ball’s confidence and excitement are unwavering. “For me personally, I just love adventure and exploring and field of biology and it’s a whole new area.,” Ball said. “I’ve spent very little time on the ocean. Just to get out and explore and learn about these sea creatures that I don’t even know about and to actually experience things that I teach about and to be able to share those, it’s just incredibly mind blowing for me, and then to be able to bring real live science to my classroom and share that with my students is so cool as well.” Students are recommended to check on Nautiluslive.org, where there will be live streaming and information about the missions. “I should be able to do two ship to shore interactions per day, so I’m hoping to cover every period, maybe the week before finals to make that available if teachers want to join in on the live stream to see what’s going on,” Ball said. Teachers throughout the building have been watching the livestream from the ship to track Ball’s work. “I’m so excited for her,” business teacher Kim Hawks said. “I think this is an adventure unlike she has ever had or I personally have ever had. I feel so happy for her to experience this ocean adventure.” Exploring the sea, biology teacher Ms. Ball joins the Nautilus crew in finding new organisms in an unexplored section of the North Pacific Ocean. “We spent the first-day training and getting settled into the ship but remained in port,” says Ball. “We had a great expedition briefing from the lead scientist.” Photo courtesy of OET/ Nautilus Live

THE BUDGET FEATURES

A POET BY

NIGHT

One finger raised, English teacher Melissa Johnson talks to her Creative Writing class. In addition to teaching, Johnson has written poetry for 20 years. “I am just trying to write a poem here and a poem there,” Johnson said. “And after a while, I will have enough for a book.” Photo by Hannah Woods

DECEMBER 2021 | DESIGNED BY HENRY ADAMS

FEATURES THE BUDGET

English teacher publishes her poetry BY CASE NICHOLSON Staff Reporter

hen Melissa Johnson first began writing poetry, she envisioned sharing it with the

world. Among her published works is a new collection, “Green.” Senior Ava Tunge read “Green” before having Johnson as a teacher and named it one of her favorite poetry collections. “Ms. Johnson has honestly been one of the most impactful teachers in my high school experience,” Tunge said. “She goes above and beyond to make all students comfortable in her classroom.” Poetry makes up a significant portion of the English curriculum at LHS, making it an asset for her to be so experienced with it. “I belong to some Facebook groups for teachers and the most common thing I see for teachers is they don’t know how to teach poetry because they do not know much about poetry themselves,” Johnson said. “So I never really feel like that because it is something I have studied, and I feel like it is a strength of mine.” Poetry is often viewed as complex, but Johnson believes if her students see her work, they will

begin to view it as more accessible. “Often at the start of a poetry unit I usually do share at least one of my poems,” Johnson said. “I’m always worried that that will look tacky, but then I think it will show the relevance of it, and it’s something your teacher does.” For Rachel Schmaus, Johnson’s experiences are helpful as she tries to get her own work published. “She’s been really helpful in both motivating me to work and editing and all of that so it’s really nice to have someone who’s actively working in the professional field,” Schmaus said. While some people face burn out, this is not the case for Johnson. “Sometimes I am really tired at the end of the day, and the last thing I want to do is write my own stuff after teaching it and reading other people’s work,” Johnson said. Even when she isn’t writing, Johnson said teaching the subject keeps her connected to the craft. “I feel like it keeps me in that world even when I am in a dry spell because I am always thinking about poetry,” she said. Sharing her work, teacher Melissa Johnson holds a poetry reading at Watson Park in association with The Raven Book Store. “I was nervous,” Johnson said. “Even though I have done a lot of readings, I am nervous every time,” Johnson said. Photo by Cuyler Dunn

In her words “Visitation” By Melissa Johnson If I squint hard against the sun, I can materialize a crooked door cut into the sky. For an hour or two, I depart this place and enter the blue-tinged light of an old television. Beside my father on his couch for Wheel of Fortune, we try to guess the phrases first. During commercials, I show him photos of my husband, laugh when he scrunches his face in mock disapproval. I touch his Adam’s apple— new, plugging the hole cancer made— and hear his gravelly voice for the first time. Eventually, I smooth my skirt, kiss his cheek, slide open the screen door, barefoot in the green.

MORE ONLINE Listen to teacher Melissa Johnson read her poetry.

THE BUDGET SPORTS

POSSIBLE GYMNASTICS CUTS SPUR

SIT-IN

Student protest aims to save gymnastics program BY CUYLER DUNN Co-Editor-in-chief

tudents packed into the atrium during fourth hour Dec. 8 to protest on behalf of the gymnastics team in the wake of a recent district proposition to cut the program. About 350 students, wearing LHS gymnastics shirts and other Lawrence High apparel, skipped their classes to participate in the sit-in, which was organized by student body leaders and the gymnastics team. Across town, hundreds of Free State students also walked out of classes in support of the gymnastics team. Students held signs that read, “Save our sport,”“Don’t hurt our athletes for your poor planning” and “How are your paychecks, district officials? Who’s next?” Members of the gymnastics team spoke to the crowd, rallying support for the program and describing what the gymnastics program means to them. “This sport is so important to a lot of people, and it is a woman-dominated sport,” junior gymnast Sophia Zogry said. “We just want to be treated like every other sport.” In their speeches, students highlighted the culture of the program as a unique and invaluable experience that high school students should have. “I met some of my best friends going into high school gymnastics,” sophomore Charlee Burghart said. “When

I decided to do gymnastics, I was welcome with open arms, and I’ve never felt so safe in an environment.” Gymnasts at both Free State and LHS recognize their sport to be diverse and inclusive. “There are so many people of color,” Zogry said. “There are all types of people — not just women. Non-bionary people, people who just go by different gender identities, a lot of LGBTQ+ people, people from low-income families.” While the gymnastics teams at Lawrence High and Free State compete separately, they currently practice together at Jayhawk Gymnastics and share coaches. Both teams have qualified for the state competition each of the last four years with Free State winning state last year and LHS taking second in 2018, but many athletes say they feel disenfranchised by the USD 497’s actions toward the program. “They don’t really show appreciation or acknowledge us,” said sophomore state competitor Emily Brandt. “It’s hurtful. We do a lot and are very good at what we do.” During the protest, team members participated in a handstand competition and showed off other skills. At the end of the event, Student Body Co-President Sam Lopez spoke to the crowd. “I just want to thank all of you guys for being here,” he told the crowd. “When you guys leave today, I want you feeling like you made a difference.” Lopez spoke about the

DECEMBER 2021 | DESIGNED BY CUYLER DUNN

“This sport is so important to a lot of people, and it is a womandominated sport. We

just want to be treated like every other sport.” —Sophia Zogry, junior

UPDATE Our online coverage is up to date with the latest on the gymnastics team.

history of LHS being a force of change on controversial issues. He referenced a 2017 sit-in on behalf of transgender students. LHS also had a previous history of sit-ins to advocate for inclusion of students of color in schoolwide activities — events that are recorded on the mural extending the length of the building. “We have a history of being a force of change,” Lopez said. “The atmosphere here is dynamic, it’s progressive, and we’re always looking for ways that we can move forward, that we can move past any difficulties we face, that’s special. The type of spirit that we have here is second to none.” In his speech, Lopez thanked school administration for allow-

SPORTS THE BUDGET

Embracing, gymnastics coach Kat Farrow hugs sophomore Charlee Burghart during the sit-in at Lawrence High on Dec. 8. Photo by Kenna McNally Jam packed, the atrium fills with students at the beginning of the sit-in during fourth hour. More than 300 students were present for the protest. Photo by Kenna McNally Protesting, seniors Donna Gonzalez de la Rosa and Leia Poettker hold a sign critical of district administration salaries as the district contemplates eliminating girls gymnastics. The issue prompted a sit-in with papers containing district administrator salaries handed out. Photo by Kenna McNally

ing the protest to take place. LHS principal Jessica Bassett sent an email to staff on Tuesday night saying administrators wouldn’t pursue disciplinary action against students who choose to participate as long as it remained peaceful. “I believe it’s important that they learn to advocate for the things that they believe in and their right to exercise their free speech,” Bassett said. “I think that’s very important. It’s important that they know they could make a difference for their community, especially around the things they are passionate about. Making sure that they do that in a peaceful and organized way, but also in

a way to get the attention of those who make the decisions. I think this is a powerful act of freedom that every American needs to know and honestly, I actually appreciate the way that the team has come together and put this on, and the way the students at Lawrence High are responding.” Athletic director Mike Gillman also watched the outpouring of support for the program. “I think it’s going to bring awareness and at least have the conversation open to what their concerns are about the program, and I think that’s what’s really good about today,” Gillman said. The decision rests with the

VIDEO Watch a video of a handstand contest from the sit-in.

school board, which will eventually vote on the idea. School board member GR Gordon-Ross said the decision will come down to discussions at that meeting. “This is a recommendation that was put forth by administration and so we need to look at all the reasons why administration gave us and look at if it’s possible to address all those incidents,” said Gordon-Ross, who was at LHS observing the sit-in. Julie Boyle, USD 497 executive director of communications, listed many reasons for the recommendation to cut the program. Among the issues is a lack of facility space for storing equipment, costs for replacing equipment, rental space Continued on page 22

BUDGET NEWS

expenses, participation levels, and funding concerns, as well as staffing and safety issues. As the district attempts to close a $1.7 million budget shortfall this year and a $2-$3 million shortfall next year, Boyle said the gymnastics program costs about $32,000 to operate. “The district acknowledges the dedication, hard work, and success of the student-athletes and coaches, and understands the feelings of loss associated with this recommendation,” Boyle said. “This is a difficult decision.” The combination of issues is what led to the proposition. “The narrative of we’re just doing this to cut costs, we’re just doing this because we don’t like girls sports, we’re just doing this because of all of those other things, I get why that narrative is out there,” Gordon-Ross said. “I don’t think it’s entirely fair but no decision has been made.” Girls’ gymnastics has faced the risk of elimination before. Most recently, elimination was discussed in 2016 as Olathe and Shawnee Mission discussed the future of the sport. In 2020, there were 14 programs across the state and 99 participants, according to the Kansas State High School Activities Association. From 2000-2020, an average of 154 gymnasts competed statewide. Boyle said possible elimination has nothing with the addition of other sports, including Unified Bowling. “The district administration has been discussing the discontinuation of gymnastics for

several years…” Boyle said in an email. Gymnastics coach Kat Farrow spoke about the importance of gymnastics in the community and challenged the idea that the sport was dying during an interview when she stopped by the sit-in. “While there are a dwindling number of programs, our programs are actually burgeoning,” Farrow said of the district’s 22 gymnasts this year. “In order to constitute a gymnastics team, you have to have three all around athletes, and we have seven times that number.” Bassett spoke about her views on the importance of activities and sports in high school. She emphasized the empathy shown by student athletes from other activities. “I think it’s passion about, number one, their sport, but secondly, it’s connecting them to the entire school community,” she said. “As an athlete, I know how important my sports were to me. I also can look out and see that I see students from all sports and activities. I can see that they know and under-

Balancing on the beam, junior Sophia Zogry competes in a gymnastics meet on Sept. 15. Zogry is now concerned about the future of the program. “It’s really unfair and honestly infuriating because as a completely women dominated sport it always feels like no administrators listen or care about us,” she said. Photo by Hannah Woods

DECEMBER 2021 | DESIGNED BY CUYLER DUNN

“I think Lawrence High has a rich tradition of protest and this certainly fits in, and

this is one of those times when student voices should be heard.” —Jack Hood, history teacher

RECAP Review the full story and live updates from the sit-in on our social media thread

stand what it would feel like for them, so I think it’s more than just about the sport. It’s about the entire experience with athletics and activities in the high school experience.” The decision to propose cutting the program was made known the Saturday before the protest in an email from Coach Farrow to gymnastics parents. Quickly after, students began organizing on social media and spreading the word for the planned sit-in. Gordon-Ross said he was impressed with the showing from students. “I think it’s a pretty impressive show of support,” Gordon-Ross said. “I would say that a lot of these students probably didn’t know about the gymnastics program before this came out. I think that the unity that the student body is showing for a decision that they feel is unfair is pretty impressive. It’s pretty impressive to protest within a meaningful way and within the rules and within the bounds. This school has a history of that, and I think this is just one in the long line of things that this student body is coming together and expressing their opinion together.” Many teachers also stopped by to take a look at the turnout. “I think Lawrence High has a rich tradition of protest and this certainly fits in and this is one of those times when student voices should be heard,” social studies teacher Jack Hood said. Zogry expressed concern for what the decision would mean for gymnastics programs across the state. The worry from lots of students was about the precedent it would set — not only for gymnastics programs — but that other student activities could be targeted for cuts. “This is not only vital to LHS and Free State, but all other leagues will get shut down across the state,” she said. “It’s not just a Lawrence thing. This is bigger than just us.”

SPORTS THE BUDGET

Rolling down the lane, senior Ci Ci Huang participates in the last Unified Bowling team practice before state. “I loved the Unified Bowling season,” Huang said. “It made me feel really encouraged and welcomed in the school.” The team took 15th at state. Photo by Sama Abughalia With power, junior Treven Gill bowls during a team practice on Nov. 4 at Royal Crest Lanes. Photo by Sama Abughalia

KNOCKING DOWN

EXPECTATIONS

Unified bowling qualifies for state in first season of competition BY DOM LAPOINT Staff Reporter

lthough it was only their first year as a sport sanctioned by the Kansas State High School Activities Association, Lawrence High’s Unified Bowling team has already found success. As a newly-added sport, people were unsure of how the sport would look and if enough athletes would join, but that proved not to be an issue. A team consisting of seniors Anthony Watts and Ci Ci Huang, juniors Jackson Martin and Trevon Gill, and sophomore Ian Rhea had a standout year for LHS. The team entered regionals after a difficult regular season. But athletes scored higher

than expected and placed fourth — enough qualify for the state tournament. When the day of the state tournament arrived, LHS students, staff, cheer and pom members, and the marching band lined the atrium to send off the athletes. “We are all super excited to go out and do this,” said Martin, who waved to the cheering crowd. The team went on to finish 15th at state. Martin’s interest in bowling began with experiences competing with his family. “I go bowling with my family a lot, but this is the first time I’ve done bowling like this so it was really fun,” Martin said. Gill is already thinking ahead to 2022. “It was lots of fun,” Gill said. “I can’t wait for next year.”

VIDEO Watch the send off as the Unified Bowling team makes its way to state.

Although Unified Bowling is the first KSHSAA-sanctioned Unified Sport, there are other Unified Sports present at LHS that have been important to both the athletes and the partners who participate in them. “I think bringing Unified Sports into our high school has provided an opportunity for more students to interact on more of a social and physical level,” said IPS teacher Susie Micka, who coaches the other teams. The addition of Unified Bowling as a KHSAA-sanctioned sport opens the door for other Unified Sports programs to be sponsored by KHSAA, allowing them more funding and support. Unified Bowling coach Gary Graves is supportive of the direction. “There’s support from the state now and support from all the athletic departments,” he said.

THE BUDGET SPORTS

LATE-SEASON RUN FALLS

JUST SHORT

Football claims regional championship but misses state final BY CUYLER DUNN AND JACK RITTER

eading into the 2021 football season, the Chesty Lions stared down a series of unknowns.

A new head coach led a team with a swath of new starters after a loaded senior class departed. Add in a few high-power transfers, and the LHS football team didn’t know what to expect. Although the transition took some time, the Lions clicked at the right time on their way to a state semifinal appearance with a 9-3 record, one of their best finishes in recent history. “We grew together and made memories I will remember forever,” senior quarterback Truman Juelsgaard said. “Everyone bought in and didn’t give in to adversity.” The Lions started the year

with three dominant wins, then lost two straight road games to Mill Valley and Shawnee Mission Northwest. Following the defeats, they rattled off six straight wins, including taking down Olathe North on a last-second field goal and defeating cross-town rival Free State in a thriller, marking the team’s first home victory over the Firebirds since the stadium opened in 2009. “The past couple of wins we’ve had during my time here, we have had the much more talented team,” defensive coordinator Jeff Lyster said. “So it was absolutely huge to get our first home win and beat a more talented team this year.” The Lions entered the playoffs as the sixth seed, and after taking down Topeka High at home, they turned their attention to a couple of road contests. The Lions pulled off back-to-back up-

“We grew together and made

memories I will remember forever. Everyone bought in and didn’t give in to adversity.” —Truman Juelsgaard, senior

sets, defeating Junction City and Manhattan. The wins brought them to the state semifinals where they matched up with the top-seeded Derby High School. The Lions played the reigning 6A state champs but a costly mistakes allowed Derby to secure a 62-28 win. After an undefeated regular season in 2020, a head coaching switch and the loss of 18 of 22 starters, most people weren’t expecting much. But the Lions overcome the obstacles to put together one of the best seasons since their dominance in the 90s. Fighting for possession, senior Baylor Bowen runs the ball at the state semifinals game against Derby High on Nov. 19. The Lions lost 62-28. “My favorite part of football was getting to be able to have fun with all my friends every day, and getting the opportunity to be coached by my dad,” Bowen said. Photo by Caitlin Mooney

Winning Season STRONG START 9/2 • Olathe East • 28-7 W 9/10 • SM North • 37-7 W 9/17 • SM West • 35-7 W A high-scoring start to the season propelled the team to three wins in a new era under Coach Clint Bowen. A strong defense, limited opponents to a total of 21 points. Senior Bryan Zeckser blocks a Shawnee Mission West rusher. Photo by Caitlin Mooney

DECEMBER 2021 | DESIGNED BY ANNA ERISMAN

A SERIES OF LOSSES

CLUTCH PLAYER

9/24 • Mill Valley • 14-21 L 10/1 • SMNW • 24-41 L A dominant 5A team, Mill Valley (7-1 regular season), shocked the Lions by tallying 21 points. It was the two team’s first matchup as Sunflower League opponents and marked the Lions’ worst defensive showing of the season.

10/15 • Olathe North • 17-14 W LHS knocks off one of the top teams in the Sunflower League on a last second field goal by senior Grant Glasgow.

BACK IN IT 10/8 • SM South • 49-9 W Lions get back on a roll at their Homecoming game despite Bowen being sidelined after an ejection at the previous game. Photo by Kenna McNally

SPORTS THE BUDGET

RIVALRY WIN 10/22 • Free State • 27-19 W The Lions took down cross-town rivals Free State in a nail-biter, stifling a Firebird comeback attempt. Photo by Maebelle Hamlin

POST-SEASON START 10/29 • Topeka • 37-7 W LHS made quick work of their first round playoff matchup at home.

REGIONAL CHAMPS 11/5 • Junction City • 38-2 W LHS traveled to Junction City and upset the No. 3 seed to be crowned regional champions. Photo by Caitlin Mooney

SECTIONAL CHAMPS

SUBSTATE GAME

11/12 • Manhattan • 41-22 W Against the No. 2 seed, the Lions used a strong offensive showing to take down Manhattan and win the sectional championship.

11/19 • Derby After a strong start from LHS, costly mistakes allowed Derby to run away from the Lions and end Lawrence High’s season at the state semifinals.

THE BUDGET OPINION

IT’S TIME TO GET THE

COPS OUT

Why a gun and badge have no place in the halls of LHS BY JAKE SHEW Staff Reporter

olice officers should not be in Lawrence High School.

Uniformed officers cause anxiety among students. They serve no purpose other than intimidation and as a source of terror to discourage or deter crime. This tactic has never worked and will never work. Deterrence isn’t real, and I’m tired of pretending like it is. When you walk through the doors of Lawrence High School in the morning, you are greeted by a uniformed police officer. His hands rest on his belt, heavy with the weight of his gun in its holster, his taser, and his clinking handcuffs over his back pocket. He wears an armored vest that outlines his silhouette with the menacing bulkiness of his department-issued protection. The glint of his badge catches your eye as you walk past. His radio beeps briefly, and he reaches up to turn it off before resuming his wide stance. He is flanked by another officer and administrative officials. This image will remain in your mind for the rest of the day. As you continue with your schedule, you are reminded of these officers’ presence. The clunk of their shoes and jingle of their keys are the soundtrack of your algebra class. You pause your work as they walk past, their radio calling out codes that echo through the hallway. Your teacher chuckles, making a remark about

“Their entire presence is meant to

criminalize normal student behavior that could easily be corrected by regular staff.” —Tony Racy, LHS graduate

DECEMBER 2021 | DESIGNED BY ANNA ANDERSON

the renovated building’s acoustics, and you resume instruction. While you eat lunch, they are stationed at the exits of the cafeteria. They’ll stop you if you attempt to leave before the 25 minutes is up. When the final bell of the day rings, they’ll see you off into the parking lot. When you walk to your car, you’ll pass their cruisers in the staff parking spaces. This imagery might make you ask yourself a question that has crossed the minds of several students this year. Am I in a school or a prison? And even more potent: are these officers here to protect me or to intimidate me into staying in line? The answer to that question depends on who you ask. “It’s just that this is a high school, not a military camp,” senior Tayte Markaloutos said. “I don’t see why armed officers need to be inside the building.” Students, both past and present, share the sentiment that uniformed police officers are nothing if not anxiety-inducing. “Their entire presence is meant to criminalize normal student behavior that could easily be corrected by regular staff,” graduate Tony Racy elaborates. I’ve spent the past year talking to students about their experiences with police officers, largely surrounding the Black Lives Matter movement, as well as conversations with queer, disabled and otherwise marginalized students at both LHS and Free State.

What I generally found across the board is the conclusion that students do not feel more safe due to the presence of police officers at LHS. In fact, LHS students often feel actively uncomfortable or unwelcome in their school due to this presence. When asked about police officers in schools, Superintendent Dr. Anthony Lewis paints a vastly different picture. “The district has a strong partnership with the Lawrence Police Department,” Lewis said in an interview last year with The Budget. “Our top priority is to maintain safe learning environments, free from any form of discrimination or harassment.” Lewis served on the Governor’s Task Force for Racial Equity and Justice, which met in 2020 to discuss law enforcement training and bias protocols across the state. He took the lessons to the district, helping to draft an equity policy the district later passed. “This new policy speaks to our commitment to educational equity and our plans to apply a systemic change framework to school governance and resource allocation,” Lewis said. But students have a different perspective. Resource allocation hasn’t seemed to change. Officers still have more equipment than they could ever ask for. The plain and simple truth is that officers do not need vests, weaponry and handcuffs to deal with conflict in schools. In fact, they are rarely involved in day-to-day interactions. Most of that responsibility

OPINION THE BUDGET

falls to the security staff, who have built connections with students on how to healthily resolve conflict. There are no stories circulating the halls about good interactions with the school’s men in uniform, but students frequently swing by to say hello to any number of the security guards in the office. The reason that students are more comfortable with these folks is that they are actually involved in the school community. If you’ve ever had an interaction with Danny Boone-Salazar, you know that he has genuine concern and care for students. In your first interaction with him, and many of the other security staff, they will ask you your name, and extend an invitation to come down and talk just about any time. In an ideal world, we can engage in productive work with the rest of the student body and the community to create a culture where no security is required. But until that ideal world exists, the way to deal with threats is not through intimidation. It’s through support for each other. It’s through student-led action, like Can We Talk, the Gender and Sexuality Alliance or the new Sources of Strength suicide prevention program. While these are necessary steps forward, they require us to cut the weight holding us back. Having uniformed police officers in this space is actively working against our efforts to care for students through the lingering impacts of the pandemic. So what are we waiting for? An invitation? A sign? We’ve been receiving signs every day. All that’s left is action. Get the cops out of LHS, and we can begin to build a better future at LHS and beyond. Graphic by Henry Adams

ANXIET Y

THE BUDGET OPINION

MOVEMENTS AGAINST ASSAULT NEED

EVERYONE

Solidarity and consent are important in the face of sexual harassment BY ARIEN ROMAN-ROJAS Co-Editor in Chief

ver since the rise of the Me Too movement in 2017, social media has become an effective outlet for survivors of sexual assault to seek support, spread awareness and tell their stories. The Me Too movement reemerges every couple months since it’s a prevalent and important topic that continues affecting our society, and it emerged once again on TikTok back in April as a statistic that said 97% of women have experienced sexual harassment. The number came from a study conducted in the UK with women between the ages of 18 to 24. This percentage wasn’t hard to comprehend for many, since after it started trending, practically every woman who came onto my For You page shared that they too had been sexually harassed. Countless womans spoke out about their personal situations or touched on brief details that showed we were all victims of rape culture. All over Instagram and Snapchat, women posted stories addressing the problem with the number 97%. We discussed how it really is all women, how we need to dismantle rape culture, and most importantly, how men play the key role in addressing this situation. For many women, it was common sense to speak out about rape culture, but for some reason, it was harder for men. Very few men I knew posted about it. Some even went as far as to discredit the women who were merely asking for support. To men, asking them for

help in situations other men often put us in, was taken as an aggressive attack on their gender. But we need men to be reflective. To recognize problematic behavior. And to stand up against other men whose actions harm women. This isn’t a problem that is distant or far away. Women face sexual harassment and worse in every middle school, high school and college in the United States. Men too often don’t recognize that it is their duty to help protect women and their well-being. Most men haven’t been taught to be allies. Instead some are taught to band together as a wolfpack, giving each more power and enabling toxic behaviors that are hurtful and leave women vulnerable. An all too common example is when women try to reach out to their male friends about the harassment they have experienced. Men should first offer support. But if the accused happens to be a person the men know and like, chances are they will dismiss it as a minor infraction or simply as false. They may even accuse the woman of lying, discredit her story, cease contact with her, or sometimes verbally harass her for coming out with an allegation against their friend. Many men don’t believe women’s stories until they have what they deem to be sufficient proof. A serious enough case. Enough other people showing that they believe the story. When women come to friends at a difficult time, they need support and friendship. But when men fail to believe female friends in what was most likely a traumatic experience, it can leave them feeling hurt and discourage them from seeking out help.

DECEMBER 2021 | DESIGNED BY ASHER WOLFE

The root of the problem is clear. Too few men understand what giving consent entails. Everyone has been taught no means no. Decent human beings understand that once someone says no, you should stop. But saying no doesn’t only show up as explicitly saying the word, “No.” Consent is more than that. We must acknowledge the pressure women sometimes feel to give men something when pressured or based on the media they consume. But consent isn’t given under pressure. If a woman says “no” or “stop” but is repeatedly pressured with “Why not?”, this is not consent either. Consent isn’t hesitant. It isn’t just the absence of a no. It is enthusiastic and unequivocal. It leaves no doubts or room for interpretation. Consent is needed for any sexual encounter. Without that understanding, when cases of sexual assault happen, a lot of men don’t believe they’ve done anything wrong. They don’t understand the severity of the issue or didn’t realize their behavior was deplorable. Sexual assault education needs to be updated into modern terms. When we teach tweens and teens about sex-ed, we should also be educating them about consent in every scenario, without censorship. What role does consent play if both parties are intoxicated, on whatever substance that may be? What happens if one person is intoxicated but the other isn’t? What about if the woman is intoxicated but the man isn’t? Because women are just as responsible if they take advantage of men in situations where they are incapable of giving consent. What happens if someone doesn’t say no, but remains silent? What happens

OPINION THE BUDGET

Graphic by Jafiya Birdling if a woman silently relents after being threatened or manipulated? We must teach that no one owes anyone else anything sexually. Women shouldn’t be afraid of being rejected after they refuse to do something with the guy they like. Men should be taught that rejecting a woman because she says no means he is failing to recognize the depth of her value as a person. The media talks a lot about “enthusiastic consent” and as ridiculous as that phrase may sound to teenagers, the truth is consent needs to be enthusiastic. Exploring your sexuality while you’re young can come with a lot of awkward-

ness and apprehension. A lot of mixed signals could be given or received. It’s hard to differentiate between what one party is saying and what they really mean. But to avoid hurting and taking advantage of someone, make sure you’re comfortable with your partner. Ensure you can be honest about how you feel without fearing they’ll judge or hurt you. If you’re not comfortable with speaking up or being alone in their presence, reconsider the relationship. More importantly, men need to be taught to support women. No matter what. We are in an inherently vulnerable situation when it comes to sexual assault and harassment.

Men: You may not know how your friend acts around women or how a woman feels when she’s in your friend’s presence. Put yourself in her shoes, make her feel heard, safe and understood. Be the one that does more than the bare minimum. Social media platforms in the last few years have demonstrated that women’s voices can be heard, and they do make significant impacts. Sadly, our voices are not enough on their own. In order to make real change, we need more voices — especially men’s voices — in support of our movement in order to spread awareness and prevent more people from getting hurt.

THE BUDGET STAFF

EDITORS WEIGH IN: What was your favorite part of being back together?

ANDREW PHALEN Co-Editor-in-Chief of lhsbudget.com “Seeing all my teachers every day and having school events again.”

ARIEN ROMAN ROJAS Co-Editor-In Chief of The Budget “The most meaningful thing about being back together for me is just feeling a bit closer with everyone. I enjoy going to school more than I did during the pandemic.”

CUYLER DUNN Co-Editor-in-Chief of The Budget

KATE O’KEEFE Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Red & Black

KENNA MCNALLY Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Red & Black

TESSA COLLAR Co-Editor-in-Chief of lhsbudget.com

“Getting to work with my peers and friends in a multitude of different environments. I love doing all of the things I do, but I love the people I do them with even more.”

“The best part of being back is the general atmosphere of a journalism classroom. There is such an amazing sense of community this year that was missing when we were online.”

“I really missed the fun parts of school and getting to really know my classmates. Being in person has helped me to remember why I love LHS so much.”

“The sense of community. Singing together again, having class discussions, basic interactions with peers and teachers and fun activities that weren’t possible online remedied the isolation of the last year and a half.”

LETTER FROM THE

EDITORS

Being back together brought good and bad BY ARIEN ROMAN-ROJAS AND CUYLER DUNN Co-Editors-in-Chief

ust like many of our peers, we found ourselves a little overwhelmed as we progressed through our first few months back together. With this semester came all of the ups and downs of being back together. We’re getting back some things that we lost during the pandemic like field trips, pep rallies, more foreign exchange students in our building and winter sports with fans in the stands,

all of which are exciting and relieving. But while we’re all excited to be back, the return also lends itself to challenges that we have had to battle. COVID-19 still presents challenges for students, and the negatives of being in the same space again have also manifested themselves, both physically and verbally. Our performing arts department continues to persevere despite reduced participation from students, our nurse Carol Casteel works hard to keep our student body safe and healthy and teachers continue to successfully adjust to teaching during a pandemic. These past few months have shown

DECEMBER 2021 | DESIGNED BY CUYLER DUNN

the strong tradition of commitment to Lawrence High School. The LHS community has displayed more than ever how strong the bond that LHS students have is, and the lengths that we’ll go to to advocate for our peers. Reporting this month wasn’t easy, but it was real, and shows all sides of what it has meant to be back together.

STAFF THE BUDGET

STICKING AROUND Teachers continue to use tools they turned to for online learning ONLINE Related story at lhsbudget.com.

Graphics by Maria Pollington

THE JOURNALISM STAFF MISSION STATEMENT The Budget newspaper is committed to providing the Lawrence High community with objective, inclusive news coverage that ensures relevance to its 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 tool to publish student voices, it also works to help students grow as journalists and help readers access information.

ABOUT US The Budget is published every six weeks and distributed free of charge to students and faculty at Lawrence High School, 1901 Louisiana, Lawrence, Kan. 66046-2999. 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 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.

STAFF Sama Abughalia, Henry Adams, Anna Anderson, Claudia Baltazar, Audrey Basham, Jafiya Birdling, Maxwell Cowardin, Nina Cole, Maxwell Cowardin, Ava Crook, Anna Erisman, Maddy Freed, Perrin Goulter, Morganna Haaga, Riley Hoffer, Hayden Houts, Emmie Hurd, Henry Keeler, Dominic LaPoint, Kaitlyn Lathrom, Sam Lopez, Finn Lotton-Barker, Issac Loufa-Monroe, Karen Middleton, Caitlin Mooney, Connor Mullen, Owen Musser, Case Nicholson, Bianca Nieto, Emily O’Hare, Elijah Paden, Alden Parker-Timms, Reed Parker-Timms, Brandon Parnell, Declan Patrick, Ian Perkins, Danny Phalen, Maria Pollington, Ashton Rapp,

Jack Ritter, Jake Shew, Maya Smith, Maria Szydlo, Connor Thornton, Paige Unekis, Hannah Woods and Jackson Yanek.

THE BUDGET EDITORS Cuyler Dunn...............Co Editor-in-Chief Arien Roman-Rojas ��Co Editor-in-Chief Owen Musser �� Photo Editor Asher Wolfe....................... Design Editor Julia Barker.....................Features Editor

RED & BLACK EDITORS Kenna McNally...........Co Editor-in-Chief Kate O’Keefe...............Co Editor-in-Chief Charlotte Stineman ��Secondary Coverage Editor Maebelle Hamlin �� Photo Editor

LHSBUDGET.COM EDITORS Andrew Phalen..........Co Editor-in-Chief Tessa Collar................Co Editor-in-Chief Olive Harrington �� Social Media Editor

STAFF EDITORS Ryan Hardie....................... Sports Editor Ella Trendel....................Captions Editor Addie London �� Copy Editor

Yearbooks on sale now! www.yearbookordercenter.com School order number 3076

PHOTO OF THE MONTH After making a three-point shot, junior Tavaris Davie celebrates with senior Evan Bannister at Pack the House. The annual fall sports kick-off event was held on Dec. 1. “It was really fun,” Bannister said. “I liked it this year better than most years.” Photo by Kenna McNally