Top-seeded team
making run
at state
championship page 12
1901 Louisiana St., Lawrence, KS 66046
Volume 122, Issue 6, March 4, 2015
2 Briefs
Good attendance lays fertile ground for skipping finals Restrictions apply for seniors hoping to shorten senior year Senior Finals Exemption l a n i F NO 5 or fewer excused absences and a A or B average, OR 3 or fewer excused absences and a C average, OR 1 or fewer excused absences and a passing grade
Final
al NO Fin
Look to lhsbudget.com for all the latest news and updates. And follow @lhsbudget on Twitter and Instagram. VIDEO: Jersey Girls
Senior girls describe how they pass down the same basketball jerseys each year to the next group of spirited fans. http://goo.gl/JyduCx STORY: Students evacuated after smoky auto shop sets off alarms
If not
Final
Final
es rdi
Smoke from the auto shop set off the smoke alarms at Lawrence High shortly before the end of fifth hour. http://goo.gl/RPNY6y
0 ta n1
ha re t mo
Final 5 days of excused absences Unexcused absences
The boys wrestling team marked senior night with matches against Baldwin High School. http://goo. gl/5XpGYv
suspensions
QUIZ: ARE YOU AN LHS SUPERFAN?
Do you have? lhsbudget.com
PHOTOS: Wrestlers celebrate senior night
Graphic by Dymtro Guzhva
Take this quiz to see if you’re a super-fan. http://goo.gl/YRIvBt
March 4, 2015 12 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.
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.
Editor-in-chief: Zia Kelly Webmaster: Jacob Parnell Online Editor: Cortlynn Stark Copy Editor: Kansas Gibler Photo Editor: Joseph Anderson Assistant Photo Editor: Cooper Avery Captions Editor: Jaycee Mountain 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, Emma Bentzinger, Hunter Boehle, Meredith Chapple, Savanna Chino, Dakota Collins, Abigail Damron, Jensen Edwards, Cynthia Falley, Hannah Gaines, Jacob Goodwin, Adam Graham, Dymtro Guzhva, Shawn Han, Brandon Hegeman, Krista Hopkins, Ian Jones, John King, Madyson Locke, Lizzy McEntire, Griffin Nelson, Riley Nelson, Ben Rajewski, Kate Rettig, Aidan Rothrock, Madeleine Stegman, Luna Stephens, Nicholas Steichen, Anna-Marie Turner, Matthew Walter, Julia Wilson, Margaret Wiseman, Ryan Yowell. Adviser Barbara Tholen Business manager Pat Treff On the cover: Running to the basket, senior Anthony Bonner was the top scorer in the Feb. 27 Free State game with 21 points. Photo by Joseph Anderson
Checkers Low Food Prices
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GO LIONS! The Budget
4 Briefs
In Brief
Chang honored for academic efforts
By Meredith Chapple The Presidential Scholars Program is open to select few, and senior Brian Chang has been chosen to be one of those few. “It was honor,” Chang said. “I didn’t know much about the program at first, but the more I learned, I was very excited.” The Presidential Scholars Program is presented by the Department of Education and the White House. The award was started in 1964 by the executive order of the president to recognize the nation’s most distinguished seniors. In 1979, the program was expanded to include seniors who are exceptionally gifted in the arts. Chang said he was beyond surprised when he found out he
had been nominated. “The nomination was based on SAT and ACT scores,” he said. “I had didn’t have any part of it. I was chosen by the government.” Finalists are invited to participate in the National Recognition Program in June in Washington, D.C. “I am very excited for this,” he said. “The rewards of being selected are tremendous. You get to go to D.C. expenses paid, and you get to meet the President. I also realize that it is a tough competition.” Senior Brian Chang reads during his fourth-hour Latin class. Photo by Savanna Chino
Students cast to write, perform next theater production Individuality fostered through original play
By Kate Rettig Dialogue, plot and a satisfying conclusion are the key to writing a successful play. For the first time in the theater program’s history, a group of 28 students have been cast to write and produce the spring play.
The play will be performed 7 p.m. April 10 and 11 in the auditorium. “I was inspired by Ms. [Angelia] Perkins’ individuality project with photos,” director Jamie Johnson said. “I thought, why don’t we do an original play and base it on this big concept of identity, then let the students decide how to tell that.” Students have six weeks to com-
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plete the play. With no structural requirements, students are free to create what they want. “I thought it was a cool idea,” sophomore James Lynch said. “I think it would be more fun instead of trying to learn something that’s already been done 100 times.” The audition process wasn’t the typical reading of a monologue or singing a song. Students
were asked to write their thoughts about the theme. The students were also interviewed as part of the process. “I was excited to do it,” freshman Allison Day said. “I was really excited to audition. I kind of want to do something with the actual students of LHS like how people interact and what they think about things.”
March 4, 2015 5
New choral group forming later this month He also wants to give students an opporAuditions set for group tunity to write their own arrangements of songs. that take on popular tunes popular Freshman Colin Bradt plans to audition By Abbey Damron It’s not often a choral group has a beatboxer in the mix, but the newest addition to the choir staff wants to take a select few performers in a new direction. Based off Pentatonix, an A capella group that has taken the web by storm, assistant choir director Randall Frye is putting together a small vocal ensemble he has labeled ROAR. Frye will hold auditions March 23 and 24. Five to seven students will be accepted. He will be choosing a soprano, a high tenor or low alto, a tenor or a lead, a bass, and beatboxer. Frye’s vision for ROAR will vary depending on the students who make the cut. He wants to allow students the rare opportunity to work in a small vocal ensemble. “[I want them to be able to] work with different groups throughout the area that specialize in this style of music,” Frye said.
for the group. “I love to sing and I love being in choirs,” he said. “I feel like this would be the next step up for me to kind of go up to another level and sing more music.” Frye suggests students prepare minute-long arrangements of classic rock, contemporary pop or rap music. He wants to motivate students by allowing them to perform a different genre of music than they sing in the choral program. “[I want students to] have fun making music and ultimately learn more about vocal blending and all of the things the human voice can do,” Frye said. Accompanying senior Taylor Webb during a rehearsal, assistant choir director Randall Frye will be holding auditions for ROAR on March 23 and 24. He will select five to seven students, each with a specific vocal range or skill. Photo by Joseph Anderson
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The Budget
6 Features
Senior sets example for youths Students recognized as distinguished volunteers in Boys and Girls Club scholarship program By Kate Rettig
lhsbudget.com
Senior Grace Barr stood holding back tears on the podium at the Lawrence Arts Center stage. “I told myself I wasn’t going to cry,” Barr said to the crowd of cheering people as she accepted the Boys and Girls Club Youth of the Year award on Feb. 4. The Youth of the Year program honors teens affiliated with the Boys and Girls Club who have provided a positive example for the kids in the program. Each local club selects a winner to compete in state competitions. State winners can move on to regional and national level competitions to receive up to $50,000 in scholarships. “I wasn’t expecting it,” Barr said. “It was a great feeling knowing that I had all this support from people from school, Boys and Girls Club, my mom and my
family.” Seniors Breanna Bell, Christian Espinosa and Jazmen Fowler were also among the six candidates who competed for this award. As a winner, Barr received two $1,000 scholarships, and she will move on to the state competition this month. “Grace is an excellent representative of the club, and she is a living example of how the club has had really positive impact on her life,” Boys and Girls Club board directors member and English teacher Keri Lauxman said. “Her speech that night was very personal. It talked about her story and how her involvement with the after school program and program directors have fostered her confidence and her success that she has achieved as a young
woman. She is a really great representative of what those programs can foster in young people.” Faced with the challenge of a having a parent who struggled with addiction, Barr said she received support in Boys and Girls Club. “My mom was addicted to meth and I didn’t find that out until freshman year,” Barr said. “So I was angry all the time and I was mad at everyone. Then I joined Boys and Girls Club as a group leader and just being around the kids. They’re always happy. It’s just a great environment Assisting with an art project, senior Grace Barr volunteers with the Boys and Girls Club at Schwegler Elementary every day after school. Photo by Zia Kelly
March 4, 2015 12
Getting involved Boys and Girls Club board of directors member Keri Lauxman discusses how students can volunteer with the program: How do students get involved? “Students become club members by enrolling and participating in the club’s safe, engaging, healthy after-school programs. There are club sites at all district elementary schools and the Teen Center on Haskell for middle and high school students. Daily, the club serves a total of over 1,000 area students across the various sites. As for volunteer opportunities, the club hosts several fundraising events each year and hires older students to assist with daily programs at the 15 area sites. Contact the club for volunteer and paid positions.” What do student volunteers do?
Holding the signs StuCo made them, senior Youth of the Year candidates Christian Espinosa and Grace Barr took the limo in the background to the Lawrence Arts Center to prepare for the competition. photo by Cooper Avery to be around. Then my mom overcoming her addiction also helped. It’s just made me into a more positive person, and it opened my eyes to world and what really goes on.” Barr hopes to attend Baker University or Kansas State and major in vocal music education and early childhood education. “I want to have my master’s degree, and I want to be working in some type of school or educational place,” Barr said. “I also want to own my home because my mom never owned a house, so that’s one
of my biggest goals.” In November, the candidates submitted packets of three essays, including reference letters and community service. The candidates also personally interviewed with a panel of judges before they were selected to speak at the ceremony. “I was kind of nervous because I knew some of the people who had ran for Youth of the Year before, and I knew it was a very tedious project,” Bell said. “She [Bell’s program manager] asked me and I was very honored that she selected me, but trying to figure
out if I wanted to do it or not. I saw how happy everyone was going it together and being around all of the great coaches, I was like ‘Let’s do it. The work should go easy.’ ” Students involved in Boys and Girls Club can be nominated or submit an application to participate in the annual event. The state Boys and Girls Club competition is taking place in Topeka on March 9. Barr will be giving a speech for the larger prize. In each of the candidate’s speeches, they talked about how Boys and Girls Club had impacted their lives and helped them overcome challenges. “Just being at the Boys and
“Event volunteers can assist with logistics of events on an as-needed basis.” What do student volunteers get out of the experience? “Volunteering is a rewarding experience regardless of the organization or cause. In addition, I believe it to be an essential civic responsibility. If we want to have solid community programs, opportunities and resources available in Lawrence, we must give back to keep them alive. Ensuring young people are safe, fed, cared for and engaged in healthy, productive, creative endeavors is what matters to me, so I support the Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence. My advice: Find something that you care about be a part of keeping it alive in Lawrence. You’ll be amazed at the intangible reward you receive in return.” Girls Club, I’ve gained self confidence,” Bell said. “Growing up that was the one thing I struggled with. School wasn’t always easy for me, so sometimes I doubted myself. Once I joined Boys and Girls Club, I saw other kids have single-parent households and seeing some of the challenges they went though. I was able to step into their shoes and help them overcome that.” Each of the candidates brought their own personality and story to the podium and had the experience to take with them. “It was really cool for me [to be nominated],” Espinosa said. “I’ve had friends that participated in this. It was really special for me to be a part of it this year.”
“Just being at the Boys and Girls Club, I’ve gained self confidence. Growing up, that was the one thing I struggled with. School wasn’t always easy for me, so sometimes I doubted myself.” —Breanna Bell, senior The Budget
8 News
New faces in the crowd
Incoming freshman class size exceeds usual numbers By Luna Stevens
lhsbudget.com
Each freshman class is a little bit different. Lately, it’s been the size of the classes that sets them apart. Last semester’s incoming class was bigger than the last, which was bigger than the class before that. However the class of 2019 is projected to have 425 to 475 students, making it the biggest incoming class in recent years. This year’s freshman class is 380 students, bigger than most have been. However only 325 students are graduating in the class of 2015, leaving 100-150 more students in the building for next year. Contrary to student-held beliefs, concerns aren’t about space but rather adequate staffing. The board of education sets student-to-teacher ratio limits, the current being 21 students per certified staff member. This includes not only teachers but guidance
counselors and other staff as well. Keeping the current ratio will result in having to hire new staff. However, if the ratio was changed to 22 or 23 students per staff member, less hiring would be necessary. Some teachers think more staffing is necessary, as class sizes are on the rise. “It is not fair to the students to be placed in crowded classrooms where it will be more difficult to get individual feedback and instruction,” English teacher Paula Bastemeyer said. “Especially if students are new to the building and curriculum expectations, they need more interaction with their teachers, not less.” Supplies and materials can also restrict class sizes. The rising number of students in the building has caused somewhat of a resource strain. “My classes have been
pretty big this year,” Advanced Biology teacher Lisa Ball said. “I really wouldn’t want to see them get too much larger because I’m running out of lab materials.” Large incoming classes aren’t a new issue to the district. Student population ranges from 1,450-1,600 students per high school each year. The incoming class is estimated to bring the total student body to about 1,600 students, but the number will not be finalized until enrollment is finished. “It happens in cycles,” assistant principal Mike Norris said. “Sometimes you get bubbles of big classes and sometimes you get bubbles of smaller-than-usual classes.” Explaining a class project, engineering teacher Charlie Lauts introduced her CTE classes to groups of incoming freshmen on Feb. 5. Photo by Lizzie McEntire
March 4, 2015 9
District to offer new AP program Sophomores get enrollment opportunity with college-applicable credit
By Kansas Gibler Advanced students will see more opportunities to be challenged next school year. This fall, USD 497 will introduce AP Capstone, a program formulated by the College Board to support students by assisting them with Advanced Placement skills. “It is an attempt to bring some AP students’ studies together to find a central path to unify research and composition,” English department chairman Michael Carriger said Students must get a three or higher on at least six AP Exams (including the two Capstone Exams) to receive the AP Capstone Diploma. Alternatively, students can opt to take just the Capstone courses and receive an AP Seminar and Research Certificate at graduation. Capstone is supposedly the College Board’s answer to International Baccalaureate (IB). For a long time, the IB program has led students into adulthood, equipping them with skills that colleges look for.
“We want to provide, a rigorous course of study. More options for those students who are both advanced in their studies and advanced in terms of their ambitions for college.” — Micheal Carriger, English teacher “IB has been around for decades and is established and is very effective and beneficial for a certain set of students,” Carriger said. Carriger, like several other high school teachers in the district, was put on a committee charged with investigating IB and how the district could go about implementing it. “Initially we were looking at the possibility of implementing the International Baccalaureate,” school board member Rick Ingram said. “We investigated that for two years, [members of the board] actually visited one of the schools in Johnson County where they have [IB].”
Ingram had originally proposed the idea of implementing IB in the district. They soon determined IB would be extremely costly and would be have to be completely separate from the pre-existing AP curriculum. “In the end, the committee who was investigating this recommended that these are both great programs but in fact AP Capstone is a little more consistent with what we do now, it’s a really good program, and we’d like to go in that direction,” Ingram said. Besides consistency, money was a large issue when considering IB. “The AP Capstone program is, for a district, much less expensive as there are no participation
fees or registration fees paid by the district,” USD 497 director of teaching and learning Sarah Oatsvall said. “The only expenses a district incurs to be a part of the program is the cost of the required professional development for teachers who will be teaching the AP Seminar and AP Research classes.” After making the decision to implement Capstone, the district now has to deal with staffing and scheduling for the classes. “We needed to figure out which teachers would be interested in teaching it,” Carriger said. “And who best brought the skills needed to teach it well.” Currently, English teacher Kim O’Brien is set to teach the AP Seminar and AP Research classes for the next few years after attending training this summer. “Ms. O’Brien is going to do a fantastic job,” Carriger said. “She’s interested in research, she’s interested in writing, she has a wonderful mind that is open to all sorts of issues and topics around the world.”
Graphic by Dymtro Guzhva
The Budget
10 News
Kansas avoids disease outbreak
Immunizations become hot topic, health officials look to reinforce standards
By Zia Kelly After being nearly eradicated for a generation, 102 cases of the measles were reported in the United States in January alone, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Reports from January came from 14 states, including Colorado and Nebraska although there has yet to be a case in the state. Headlines across the country have pointed to a possible underlying cause — a recent wave of parents questioning the necessity of vaccinations. While the nation has deliberated on the recent measles outbreak and anti-vaccination movements, both the school district and the community have increased vigilance toward immunizations. State, county and public school health departments have encountered the debate and look to provide students with safe options. Public education ensures that all students entering schools meet the determined immunity
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standards before they are allowed to attend school. Vaccinations are enforced at two main stages: upon entering kindergarten and entering high school. According to the Douglas County Health Department, 80 percent of students entering kindergarten in 2012 were up-to-date on vaccinations. Most of those not included would have been vaccinated soon thereafter. However, the state of Kansas allows specific exemptions for immunization. Nationally, immunization exemptions take three forms: • Medical exemptions that generally stem from a drug allergy or being immunocompromised. • Religious exemptions. • Philosophical exemptions, meaning parents oppose vaccination without religious justifications. Of those, Kansas schools only accept medical or religious exemptions. There are 185 students within the district who are exempt from
the measles vaccine — 176 for religious reasons, the remaining nine for medical reasons. Medical exemptions require students to be annually-approved and signed-off on by a doctor, and those religiously-exempt need a parent to sign at the beginning of their public school career. According to the Kansas Department of Health, 1.4 percent of incoming kindergartners in the 2012-13 school year were exempt from immunization. Seventy-five percent of exemptions were religious. These students are protected by the “herd effect,” which means there is immunity among the majority of students, who were immunized, so diseases are unlikely to persist among the population. “We have a handful [of non-immunized students],” school nurse Carol Casteel said. “If there is a medical reason and they can’t get it, there is a protection because other people around them have immunity.”
However, the effect begins to break down if there are a high number of susceptible students in schools, so they attempt to keep the number of non-immunized children low. “When children are exempt from vaccination and they are a close contact of someone with a vaccine preventable disease, they are at risk for contracting the disease and subsequently spreading the disease to unimmunized or under-immunized individuals,” Kansas Immunization Program nurse Patti Kracht said. “Therefore, it is important that the percentage of exemptions in schoolaged children remain low.” Although the state has not had any reported cases of measles, the Department of Health confirmed persistence of pertussis and varicella in schools across the state. The Douglas County Health Department looks to get all citizens immunized and often has to sell the importance of vaccinations to skeptical parents.
March 5, 2015 12 Health Department nurse Janie Thornburg said that common apprehensions come from prejudices about the safety of the procedure and drugs, including a paper that came out in 1998 that suggested a link between the Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine and autism. The link was disproved soon after, but the fear has not been entirely dissolved. Department nurses look for ways to connect with parents to find health solutions. “We talk to them about what could happen if they don’t vaccinate their child,” Thornburg said. “I think probably the most important thing is to build trust, build that relationship with the parents and tell them that they are safe and give them information about it.” There are indisputable links between public health and socioeconomic conditions, however state health policy requires that local health departments put funds toward childhood immunizations to ensure that all entering the school system are eligible to attend. According to the 2015 Dougas County Health Department budget, $160,368 will be put toward public immunization
services. Families that are unable to afford regular services or that are uninsured are, by law, guaranteed vaccination and generally will also qualify for Medicaid or private financial assistance. “Money should not be a factor when it comes to getting children immunized,” Health Department
communications director Karrey Britt said. In response to community health concerns about the measles outbreak, the Health Department hosted a series of public clinics that offered the vaccine throughout February and early March. The vaccine is also offered on a
walk-in basis at the Health Department facility at 200 Maine St. “Vaccines have been one of the greatest public health achievements to prevent disease,” Kracht said. “Parents today have a hard time understanding what it would be like if we did not vaccinate. I hope we do not have to find out.”
Percentage of Kansas teens up to date on the recommended immunizations
Graphic by Shawn Han
100%
93%
92% 86%
85%
87%
90% 84%
US Kansas
88% 78%
75%
60%
50% 38%
25% 0%
21%
Tdap
MMR
Hep B
Varicella
MCV4
HPV
Paying respect to an artist Artist who created well-known Chesty statue died in February By Aidan Rothrock Anyone who walks by the circle drive can easily see the bronze sculpture that is the Chesty Lion. Elden Tefft, who created the sculpture outside the main entrance of the school, died on Feb. 17. Tefft was a talented sculptor and professor, famous for his reintroduction of lost-wax casting to the United States and his many sculptures around the Lawrence area and around the world. “Elden Tefft was a world-renowned sculptor. He was really well known for several different reasons,” ceramics and jewelry teacher Deena Amont said. “One reason, of course, is that he just
has so many hundreds of sculptures all over the entire world.” Tefft is famous not only for his sculpture of the Chesty Lion, but also for sculptures around Lawrence, including the statue of Moses outside of Smith Hall and the Academic Jay outside of Strong Hall. For LHS, Tefft created the Chesty Lion, sitting proudly atop his concrete pedestal. “Chesty, of course, is just such an icon for Lawrence High School. It’s so representative of our school,” Amont said. “Prior to his sculpting Chesty outside, it’s my understanding that Chesty was only depicted as a two-dimensional logo or two-dimensional artwork. So, what Elden did was he had to take previous artist’s work that
was two dimensional and turn that into a three dimensional sculpture, and I believe that’s the first time that was ever done with Chesty.” Elden Tefft isn’t necessarily well-known by current LHS students, but his work is seen every day by those entering and exiting the main entrance. “Sometimes artists are kind of anonymous, and students and other people pass sculptures like the Chesty Lion and maybe don’t even realize anything about the person who made it,” Amont said. “So, I think it’s really important to acknowledge and honor the artist who’s touched a lot of people’s lives even though you might not even realize it.”
The Budget
12 Sports
Student hair guru shares styles on web
Senior takes role in YouTube community, educates viewers on natural hair
Shooting for a state title Demonstrating different hair styles, senior Brenna Bell has used her YouTube channel, NatruallyBlessdKinks,since 2010. The images are screenshots from Bell’s videos.
Success in the regular season yields high expectations for tournament
said. “Defense and making sure year.” By Cortlynn Stark and Zia Kelly we’re being in help and help side The boys currently hold a 19-1 The fourth day of spirit week and making sure someone gets record and the top seed going into took Lions back in time with around one person to stop them sub-state, which starts today. “throwback-Thursday.” The boys from going to the basket.” Since their final regular season basketball team might have the Keeping up the solid foundavictories over Shawnee Mission East same time-traveling power as they tion,from the varsity players have built and Free State lastBell week, team approach the post-season. hasthe come a long way her initial By Luna Steven will be key, strategy is only hasonbeen to take The destination? Back toits1995 ramblings. Sheonreaches thousands of but people As YouTube celebrates tenth year the gearing-up the battle when their two opponents. when the Lions last wonturn the state and many of her viewers half ask questions, leave going into a web, people worldwide to the platform to sub-state “You can look at is as a and five- a little high-pressure championship. compliments bit of hate. situation. Players are learn, entertain and share. making that the game tournament,” Lewis this said.button called The team looks to follow “There’s thesure ‘dislike’ but-team mentaliSenior Breanna Bell uses up herits YouTube “You have to win two in your ty is where it needs to be. most successful season in recent ton and when I started making videos I didn’t channel, NaturallyBlessdKinks, to teach people sub-state and then you have to win “[We need to work on] just years with a just-as-impressive think it was going to bother me,” she said. “At about natural African American hair. three in the tournament be state tightening little things,” senior post-season they on YouTube times it wastokind of annoying to getup feedback Bell hasperformance been makingasvideos guard Kyle Hoffman said. “Keepenter theyears, tournament major grade.champion.” but then after a while it was whatever. I’m helpfor five startingasina seventh Since The team is ranked at top seedpeopleing our heads screwed on straight prospect for the state championing so many other and that one person then she’s revamped her YouTube personality, in its sub-statewho class. and focused on the mental aspect. ship. decides to click dislike or send me a stupid reaching well over 50,000 video views and has However, the last thing the We definitely have the talent to get “I make the comment to people message, I don’t need to worry about that.” partnered with Google. is get tripped there.” that life is always good when you’re Lions want to do Bell’s partnership with Google has made Her channel has giveaways, hair tutorials up in the tournament. The team The five-game tournament Lewis winning, but we’ve got a good companies eager to send her free products to and product reviews all focused on natural concentrates on specific tactics to described is the accumulation of all group of boys and we’re working use in videos. hair. keep their plays strong as they go sub-state and state games that lead hard,” head coach Mike Lewis said. “It’s really beneficial,” she said. “So when I “The first time I heard her I thought she into these vital match-ups. up to the championship. “We played a really competitive was talking to herself in the bathroom,” Brean- go to companies and say ‘I’m creating a video “What we’re really focusing on Kansas has 32 6A schools schedule and played a lot of good about this would you like to help out and na’s brother Josh Bell said. “I kinda peeked in is our team defense right now,” that KSHSAA divides into four, basketball games, and we’ve come sponsor this?’, they’re just more willing.” the door and she was rambling, then she toldsmall forward senior John Barbee eight-team leagues. LHS will be out on top. We’re having a good Continued on next page... me to go away but she was making videos.”
up against all Shawnee Mission schools, Free State and Wyandotte. “Our sub-state is a good substate in terms of there are a lot of teams that are capable on a given night,” Lewis said. The two teams that LHS plays are determined by rank, and since the Lions are the top seed they will be playing one of their games at home. Two of the eight teams in each sub-state league will advance to the state tournament in Wichita at Koch Arena on March 14 and 15. The eight teams will play a quarter, semi and final round to determine the state champion. Although the Lions have dominated the Sunflower League this season, the post-season will open them up to some harder competition, including the opponent in their one lost game, Wichita East,
“Just be yourself. Like at first its always a little scary because you’re just talking in front of a camera, but just be yourself and people will like you.”
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- Breanna Bell, senior
March 4, 5, 2015 13 15
Students participate in YouTube community
which remains neck-and-neck continue to play in his memory, raderie with good basketball players with LHS in state 6A rankings. pledging to pursue the state title in you have a pretty special team. The success of this season his name. There are teams that have a lot of succeeded the turbulence of last The team devoted their first good basketball players but don’t year that included the firing and home game, which was against Emhave camaraderie like this team. Look to lhsbudget.com news on andDec. 5, to his memory. rehiring of Coach Lewisfor as all wellthe as latestporia That is the way I will remember updates. “When Coach Aldridge passed, the passing of junior varsity coach this group, as one that stuck toit was huge,” Barbee said. “We came gether for three years through good Kermit Aldrich, who died of cancer last spring. together as a big team and knew we times are bad times and found a The team took the loss of the had to do it for Coach Aldridge, way to really play a lot of good beloved coach with difficulty but and every night that was on our basketball.” minds.” This season is the sixth Lewis Overcoming the events of has spent as head coach, and it is Maneuvering past an Olathe Northlast year brought the team closerWisdom, his most successful record to date. Xavien senior: west player, junior Justin Roberts helped together. The three year build-up of his playlead the Lions to a 70-34 victory at home User Name: Xavien Wisdom “I think we have a really good ers and his record have also led to on Feb. 13. Roberts scored 13 points. the build-up of community support camaraderie about us,” Lewis said. Photo by Joseph Anderson and doing fan expectations. “I think if you can mix Why good do camayou like youtube?
The team has empirically excelled under the expectations and looks to keep straight faces as they head into tough match-ups. “We kind of like the pressure, I think,” Hoffman said. For now, the team’s task is to get through their sub-state games, the first taking place at 7 p.m. tonight at home against Shawnee Mission Northwest. “Nothing will be given to us, and we will have to work extremely hard,” Lewis said. “If we are blessed to get there, we will have to work extremely hard to figure out how to win three games.”
We asked students who make videos about their channels, experiences
“Well I originally started doing it [because] I just liked being able to have a video that was mine on the internet, but like now that I have VIDEO: Senior teaches thousands about natural hair people that watch my videos and like care about what I have to say I like being able to inform Senior Breanna Bell has had her own YouTube channel for more than five years. She is partial partners with Google and people on things” was invited to a hair expo because of her channel. In this What do you like about the youtube community? video, she talks about what it’s like having a YouTube channel “What a lot of people don’t understand about and gives future YouTubers advice. YouTube is that there is a lot of different communities within it, and the community I’m apart of is really cool because they are like cool guys John Barbee, senior Justin Roberts, junior and all supportive of everything. As a whole I 1. “My dad wanted me to play baseball instead of 1. “After the tryouts we decided to try our hardest, not lot of basketball for the first year of my life.” think its a cool thing becausesotheres we could get theaseason started off on a good 2. “Michael Jordaninis my favorite hooper.” start and working out to see how good it could work Bell spoke at a natural hair expo hate.”
5 facts about the 5 starters
3. “InGirls my opinion, LHS could beat Kentucky.” out for us.” Kansas City called Curly KC, and 4. “Ishe have Michael Jordan body spray, and I 2. The highlight of the season was “definitely Kyle shared the story of how gotsome started usedguru. to spray on my jersey hoping I would play like [Hoffman] getting the three points, dunking some as a natural hair beauty Sheitplans him.” of the players, and just being with the guys every to get her license to continue working He hascapacity lucky socks. day.” with natural hair in a5.greater 3. “I can dunk sometimes but not many people and many think she has the ability to do Anthony Bonner, senior know that since I’m short.” so. Bridget Casad, junior: 1. “I am deathly afraid of heights, and I always have 4. “When I was young I used to collect Pokemon “Here in Lawrence there’s not really an been.” cards, but I stopped about 5 years ago.” African American salon, so that’s [why] 2. “Ithat like area. to listen to old bigis your channel? 5. “Not many people know that I lived in Oklahoma, What she wants to come into A lot of school music before games. It calms me down.” and I’ve moved quite a bit due to my dads’ job.” people think she’d be very successful if she 3. “When I was younger, like elementary“It’s school,aI thing me and my friend made. We wanna pursued that,” Josh said. talk about movies and give a Ben funny insight used to like football more than basketball.” Rajewski, seniorfrom Bell hopes to continue to be involved 4. “I started my basketball career at agethe 3.” teenage girl population.”1. “I tied my career high for scoring against Shawin the natural hair community things by 5. “15 is my lucky number and my favorite number. I nee Mission Northwest with 18 points.” participating in future expos, continuing What do you like about being on YouTube? hope to get it when I play at Colorado State.” 2. “I would rather use a shoelace than a belt. Belts her partnership with Google and making “I always like making the films and stuffandwe did are constraining uncomfortable.” more YouTube videos. The challenge now Price Morgan, junior 3.way “I got atoFisher Price basketball goal for my first in film class. So, just another express is finding the time. 1. “Not a lot of people know that I play guitar.” birthday.” “Hopefully after high school yourself because you can do 4.it“My through the writ2. “I am not aI’ll fanhave of pizza and never have been.” favorite part about each season are the more time on my hands more 3. “Ito wasdedicate absolutely terrified of haircuts ing, until thethrough age team dinners. Anything can happen, and it’s always the acting, through the singing and time to that,” she said. of “I 7.” really want to, a good time being around such quality guys.” it doesn’t cost a ridiculous amount of money.” it’s so cool.” 4. “Some say that I am the greatest ping pong player 5. “I have attempted and made more three point of all time.” 5. “I hope to be an engineer someday.”
field goals than two point field goals this season.”
Sidebar by Kansas Gibler and Griffin Nelson
The Budget
14 Features
Student hair guru shares haircare tips on the web Senior takes role in YouTube community, educates viewers on natural hair
Demonstrating different hair styles, senior Brenna Bell has used her YouTube channel, NatruallyBlessdKinks,since 2010. The images are screenshots from Bell’s videos.
By Luna Stephens As YouTube celebrates its 10th year on the web, people worldwide turn to the platform to learn, entertain and share. Senior Breanna Bell uses her YouTube channel, NaturallyBlessdKinks, to teach people about natural African American hair. Bell has been making videos on YouTube for five years, starting in seventh grade. Since then she’s revamped her YouTube personality, reaching more than 50,000 video views and has partnered with Google. Her channel has giveaways, hair tutorials
and product reviews all focused on natural hair. “The first time I heard her I thought she was talking to herself in the bathroom,” Breanna’s brother Josh Bell said. “I kind of peeked in the door and she was rambling, then she told me to go away but she was making videos.” Bell has come a long way from her initial ramblings. She reaches thousands of people and many of her viewers ask questions, leave compliments and a little bit of hate. “There’s this button called the ‘dislike’ button and when I started making videos I didn’t
think it was going to bother me,” she said. “At times it was kind of annoying to get feedback but then after a while it was whatever. I’m helping so many other people and that one person who decides to click dislike or send me a stupid message, I don’t need to worry about that.” Bell’s partnership with Google has made companies eager to send her free products to use in videos. “It’s really beneficial,” she said. “So when I go to companies and say ‘I’m creating a video about this would you like to help out and sponsor this?’, they’re just more willing.”
“Just be yourself. Like at first it’s always a little scary because you’re just talking in front of a camera, but just be yourself and people will like you.” — Breanna Bell, senior lhsbudget.com
March 5, 2015 15
Students participate in YouTube community Students who make videos talk about their channels, experiences Sidebar by Kansas Gibler and Griffin Nelson
Xavien Wisdom, senior User Name: Xavien Wisdom Why do you like about posting to your YouTube channel? “Well, I originally started doing it [because] I just liked being able to have a video that was mine on the internet, but like now that I have people that watch my videos and like care about what I have to say, I like being able to inform people on things.” What do you like about the YouTube community? “What a lot of people don’t understand about YouTube is that there is a lot of different communities within it, and the community I’m a part of is really cool because they are like cool guys and all supportive of everything. As a whole I think it’s a cool thing because there’s not a lot of hate.”
Bridget Casad, junior What is your channel? “It’s a thing me and my friend made. We want to talk about movies and give a funny insight from the teenage girl population.” What do you like about being on YouTube? “I always like making the films and stuff we did in film class. So, just another way to express yourself because you can do it through the writing, through the acting, through the singing, and it doesn’t cost a ridiculous amount of money.” Bell spoke at a natural hair expo in Kansas City called Curly Girls KC and shared the story of how she got started as a natural hair beauty guru. She plans to get her license to continue working with natural hair in a greater capacity and many think she has the ability to do so. “Here in Lawrence there’s not really an African American salon, so that’s [why] she wants to come into that area,” Josh said. “A lot of people think she’d be very successful if she pursued that.” Bell hopes to continue to be involved in the natural hair community things by participating in future expos, continuing her partnership with Google and making more YouTube videos. The challenge now is finding the time. “Hopefully after high school I’ll have more time on my hands to dedicate more time to that,” she said. “I really want to, it’s so cool.”
Order yearbooks now in the school finance office or at
At lhsbudget.com, watch a video of Bell discussing her YouTube channel. http://goo.gl/O9jzY4
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The Budget
16 Sports
High expectations set for varsity track team By Ben Rajewski The 2015 track and field team looks to build on last year’s success and is projected to be a state contender in multiple events. There are many notable athletes to watch for. SPRINTERS During football season, junior running back JD Woods was the fastest player on the field. Being speedy is a feeling he is used to. He uses that speed to run the 100 meter, 200 meter, 4x1 and 4x4 for the track team. The 4x1 team is composed of two other football players, sophomore Trey Moore and junior J’mony Bryant. “We went to state last year and got ninth in the 4x1,” Woods said. “I think the 4x1 boys can win a lot, we can run 41’s and low 42’s [seconds].” Woods believes he has the chance to vie for a state title. “I think I have a good chance to make a run at state in the 100m and 200m,” he said. JUMPERS The long, high and triple jumpers will be led by junior Kyleigh Severa and seniors Tae Shorter and Logan Shields. Shorter is the lone male triple jumper for the boys team and looks
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to build on last year’s success. “I’ve been grinding in the offseason,” Shorter said. “It’s all about getting better and beating your personal record.” Shields, a high and long jumper, recently committed to Cloud County Community College to continue his track career and hopes to use that as momentum to propel him into the season. “I think committing will give me confidence,” Shields said, “Last year I got eighth in state with 6’4” jump. Hopefully I can win it this year.” Shields jumped an unofficial 6’8” in the high jump in practice, and with numbers like that he may find himself on the podium come state meet time. “A 6’8” [jump] would get me first in a lot of meets,” Shields said. “I have to go out and try to do it every meet.”
Last season they used their momentum and won their first title by a tenth of a second and their second title by a full seven seconds. “We almost broke the state record last year,” Pope said, “It is definitely something we are shooting for this year.” Preparation for this season has been in the works for all of the girls as they hunt for the three-peat. “Jensen and Kyleigh have been running indoor track and the rest of the girls have been in speed school,” Pope said, “I have been in basketball.” The atmosphere of the 4x4 has a big impact on the entire team, and the crowd will certainly be electric moving toward a third straight championship. “The hype of the 4x4 is huge because its the last event of the night, the lights are on and everyone is around the track,” Pope said.
GIRLS 4X4 After winning state two years in a row, the girls 4x4 team will pursue a third straight state championship. The team will be composed of seniors Marissa Pope, Jensen Edwards, Leah Gabler, junior Kyleigh Severa and sophomore Myah Yoder.
The girls 4x400 meter team is gearing up for a highly-anticipated season. Junior Kyleigh Severa, seniors Leah Gabler, Marissa Pope and Jensen Edwards have trained on the off-season to improve their time for the state meet. Photo by Cooper Avery
March 5, 2015 17
New additions push team forward Lions gain ground with help of speedy freshmen By Colton Lovelace
This year’s swimming and diving team was led by a strong group of freshmen who buoyed the varsity team throughout the season. State qualifiers this season included freshmen Stephen Johnson, Isaac Springe, Alex Heckman, sophomore Patrick Oblon, juniors Chase Odgers, Hunter Boehle, Matt Ramaley, Jack Ryan, Izaiah Bowie, seniors Guillermo Hernandez and Ellis Springe. The team placed 11th at state overall. Johnson qualified in the freestyle and got a first team, allstate selection at the end of the season. “This year has been really fun,” he said. “We had a lot of good, quality team wins throughout the season.” He took second at state in the
500 meter freestyle and sixth in the 200 meter freestyle, a strong outing for a freshman in his first varsity meet. Some would think that the transition to varsity would be hard for a freshman, but newcomers like Johnson had a smooth ride. “It hasn’t been too difficult but some of the competition I went against has been tough,” he said. “But overall, the transition has been pretty seamless.” The freshmen weren’t the only swimmers who had success this year. Many returners also had successful seasons. Ryan, a returning varsity athlete, was content with his performance. “I’ve had a pretty good year, I medaled at the JV league, which I thought is pretty good,” Ryan said.
Putting time in during the off-season amounted to improvements in this year’s meets. “I improved a lot of my times,” Ryan said. “ My best new time was in the 500. I got a 2:06.9. I also improved my time in the 100 where I got a 59.69.” Ryan believes the new freshman amped up the competition within the program, making everyone in the squad better. “They’re quite good, they qualified for state in their first meet,” he said. “They’ve had quite the impact on the team, they’ve led on all of the relays. They’ve been very impressive.” Although the diving program has been historically small, the team managed to send a competitor to state this season. Junior Izaiah Bowie qualified for diving in the third meet of the year. This
was the first year he qualified. “I think I’ve done pretty good,” he said. “I thought I qualified in my first match, but I came up just short. But I got it in my third match here at home, so it felt good.” Bowie qualified for finals at state, taking 11th place overall. “I was really happy,” he said. “I felt like I did really well but there was also a lot of really good divers there and I wasn’t sure whether I [they] were going to push me down and not let me through because my scores weren’t good enough, but luckily they were.” Swimming breast stroke at a home meet in January, junior Chase Odgers was part of the varsity swim team that took 11th at state. Juniors and seniors benefited from a new group of talented freshmen. Photo by Joseph Anderson
The Budget
18 Sports
Lacrosse draws junior to Johnson County Sport not offered in Lawrence schools, Strauss plays with O-East By Colton Lovelace Out of the sports offered to students at LHS, to junior Coulter Strauss, there is one glaring hole: lacrosse. Since lacrosse isn’t offered here, Strauss travels to Johnson County and plays for rival school Olathe East. A limited number of schools — including Olathe East and South, Rockhurst and Blue Valley West — offer lacrosse programs so those schools include players from around the state on their teams. Strauss has taken the 30-minute commute to the Olathe East football field to practice with the varsity squad since his freshman year. “It obviously isn’t my thing to do,” Strauss said. “But it is a pretty easy drive out there, and it is most
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definitely worth it.” Mike Strauss, his father, doesn’t think the long drive is too bad because of what it is worth to his son. “I don’t mind it because I know how passionate he is about playing lacrosse,” he said. “And plus, we get to spend some time together.” The original plan for him was not to play at Olathe East, but that’s where he ended up. “I knew going into my freshman year I couldn’t play at LHS so I knew I would have to travel out of town,” Strauss said. “I originally thought I was going to end up at Blue Valley West because that is where my youth team that I played with was from, so I was a little surprised to find out that I was going
to play for O-East.” Strauss sees lacrosse as a very physical sport. “I like it because it is a really good combination of skill and physicality and really requires a lot of teamwork as well,” he said. Last year Coulter was given the team’s MVP award for his outstanding play on the field, but instead of receiving it, he turned it down and gave it to another kid he thought was deserving. “I thought our goalie deserved it,” Strauss said. “He was the key part to our team. When he played well, we played well.” In the past, there has been interest in LHS starting a lacrosse program, but it has never actually gone through. No school west of Olathe and east of Garden City
plays lacrosse, leading to Strauss’ travels. If LHS were to try and get a program together, Strauss said he would help out as much as he could. “At this point in my high school career, I would stay committed to the team I’ve been on the last few years,” Strauss said. “I would try to be involved with the program as much as I could possibly be.” Running down the field, junior Coulter Strauss plays lacrosse with his Olathe East team. He has played on that school’s varsity team since his freshman year. Photo courtesy of J. Bigelow
March 4, 2015 19
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The Budget
20 Entertainment
5 Places to visit during spring break
Stay busy this spring without breaking the bank or leaving town Content by Kansas Gibler
photos by Joseph Anderson
Lawrence Museums
The Spencer Art Museum
The Spencer is right at the top of the hill on KU’s campus, with art from many cultures and time periods. The building houses paintings, photography and sculptures from all over the world that are free to view. Several of the museum’s exhibitions will be leaving in April and May, so now is the time to take a date up to campus.
The Watkins Museum
The Watkins Museum preserves items that hold historic importance to Douglas County. The collection consists of mostly items from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Though it seems like a dull field trip, it’s a pretty exciting stop. Just to the north side of the building is the Japanese Friendship Garden, which honors Lawrence’s exchange with Hiratsuka, Japan. Spring is the best time to go, as all of the flowers and trees have just come back to life.
Downtown & Beyond
Liberty Hall Cinema
History and entertainment, two completely separate things, come together at Liberty Hall Cinema. Throughout the week, you can see concerts and movies or go next door to the Liberty Hall owned coffeehouse, La Prima Tazza.
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Lawrence Public Library
Since its lengthy renovation, the library has added a lot of new resources for residents to use. These include a studio, more computers and video games in the Teen Zone. But students shouldn’t feel limited to just the Teen Zone. Students can utilize the study area for projects, which doesn’t have to mean school work.
Natural History Museum
After visiting the Spencer, you can hike up the hill (or go through the Union) to get to the Natural History Museum. Here, there is a wide collection of bugs, animals and other natural specimen waiting to be examined.
March 14, 2014 21
Opinion
Program insufficient for major STEM field
Computer science curriculum flawed, needs revision to fit future careers By Jacob Parnell As our country continues into the digital age, computer science and engineering careers are one of the fastest growing job markets in America. So you’d think that LHS would be expanding its information technology courses to include more for students who want to go into this field, but they are not. I have taken every information technology course this school has to offer, and I can say that these courses are not satisfactory for students planning on going into computer science. Let’s begin with the course material. In Web Page Design, we only learn the basics of HTML (the standard markup language for developing web pages) from a 15-year-old textbook without learning about other essential web languages such as CSS and JavaScript. Technology advances too fast to learn from a textbook, let alone a 15-year-old book. Halfway through the semester, we start fresh in Adobe Dreamweaver — what we should have been working with from the beginning of the semester. In Software Development, we began by learning Visual Basic (a programming language that is not widely used) and then began learning C++ (a more popular programming language) halfway through the course. But then in Game Development, we began the course by starting with C++, again, at square one. And then in AP Computer Science we began a new programming language, Java, from the basics without revisiting the other languages we learned before. The structure of all of the computer classes makes little sense for becoming proficient at using multiple computer languages — languages that anyone who is going into computer science should know.
The coding activities we do in class are straight out of a textbook most of the time. In Software Development and AP Computer Science, we had to think in order to figure out the assignments for the most part, but in Web Page Design and Game Development, all of our activities consisted of copying code straight from a textbook. Because of this, students were not comprehending the material, so when we made our own programs for the final assignment, many students had no idea what to do. So what would make it better? I would get rid of the courses Intro to IT and Game Development. Intro to IT simply teaches you about Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint — programs everyone learned in middle school. Game Development can be integrated into Software Development. With these two open options, I would replace them with Software Development II and Web Design II. These classes could expand on
material learned in already-existing classes. I would then hire teachers who are experts in computer science that can better help students when they need it. Then I would change the curriculum so that the teachers teach us the subject rather than letting us read out of books. Also the assignments in these classes should require students to create their own codes opposed to just copying them so students better comprehend how the programs work. The current computer science curriculum is not OK. Students will take these
courses not because they want to enter computer science, but because they want an easy A which leaves a void for the students who are interested in the field unfilled. And though the new College and Career Center will offer advanced computer courses, the program at LHS needs to fit students for the career paths of their choice. Graphic by Ella J. Denson-Redding
The Budget
22 Opinion
Opinion
Graph ic by
Down to the buzzer Shot clocks necessary
Allie F ischer
By Hans Marten Menk Slow-moving high school basketball games need a revolution: the shot clock. Used to limit the time teams can keep ball each possession, the shot clock works well in college and professional basketball games. Yet high school games are played at a snail’s pace when teams can hold the ball forever. The Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHAA) should introduce the shot clock for basketball games to quicken the pace and add more excitement for players and fans. The best atmosphere is created when games are close and there is not much time left. Having the shot clock in those situations would definitely be an advantage because teams can focus on playing defense and score when they get the ball back. They wouldn’t need to foul. They could leave the clock running and keep high pressure on the offense. “Toward the end of the game if you try to score and try get the ball back, you can [could] just let the shot clock run down instead of having to foul the other team
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to improve game pace
because they are going to hold it,” junior point guard Justin Roberts said. College basketball embraced the shot clock for such reasons. In 1957, Oklahoma State decided to take KU star Wilt Chamberlain out of the game. The Cowboys held the ball for the last 3.5 minutes without any intention to score. Likewise, toward the end of high school games, teams use much more time holding the ball than in any other game situation. If the players were on the clock, games would be exciting until the last second. “If you didn’t have a shot clock like we do now then you can just hold the ball whenever you’re up and you’re scared of getting beat,” junior Bronxton McGee said. “Or a team coming back, you can just hold the ball the rest of the game and be fine. But as a fan, some people don’t want to watch a slow game like that.” With the shot clock, teams would be rewarded for playing hard defense until the end of the game and might get the opportunity to win. Fans, who like watching
high-scoring games, would enjoy those even more. Scoring would increase because teams would have to take shots quicker in order to avoid a shot clock violation. Additionally, scoring among players would be more balanced. High school basketball teams are often led by one or two special players, so they run their offense until one of those guys gets the ball and is able to score. The shot clock would force teams to pass the ball around because every player can hold the ball only for a limited amount of time. Coaches like varsity head coach Mike Lewis would appreciate the shot clock. In his opinion, teams don’t hurry offensively. Having the shot clock would force those teams to quicken their offenses. Also, the shot clock prepares players for higher levels of competition. High school games are eight minutes shorter than college games, so the game time should be used as effectively as possible. That could be improved with the shot clock. For this reason LHS senior guard Ben Rajewski supports introducing the shot clock. “It makes you play faster, it may have to get you have to run
your offense faster, you have to get up a shot quickly and it really benefits teams that run the transition,” he said. Some people might say installing the shot clock for high school basketball is not worth the expense since it isn’t as competitive as college basketball. But this doesn’t have to be true. However, the equipment can only be implemented if every high school in Kansas is able to afford the costs. KSHAA has 384 high schools, separated in 40 different leagues. It would be a huge decision to change any rules because KSHAA has to respect the opinions and resources of each school. If coaches and sports administrators could come together, then there is the possibility to change the regulation. As a result, fans would get more excitement for their money and teams would have more opportunities strategically. Therefore, it is essential to introduce the shot clock for high school basketball. An amount of 30 seconds on the clock would be fine to give the game a huge change. KSHAA has to pick up pace on this topic to speed up the game for players and fans.
March 4, 2014 23
Opinion
Gov. Brownback’s Republican Party should check its guest list closer.
Brownback’s repeal hurts Kansas employees LGBTQ+ community marginalized by lack of government protection By Meredith Chapple Our governor, Sam Brownback, has decided to ban basic rights every Kansan should have. A recent executive order made by Brownback took away protections state workers had from discrimination due to their gender identity or sexuality. It was a big step in the wrong direction. This decision flies in the face of what students are taught: to respect others. Gov. Brownback needs to reverse his action, which will lead to distrust and controversy within the state. The original executive order was issued by former Gov. Kathleen Sebelius in 2007. Her order prohibited discrimination against gay, bisexual and transgender state workers. On Feb. 10, Brownback made an executive order of his own to cancel the forward-thinking action of Sebelius. He justified himself by saying “any such expansion of ‘protected classes’ should be done by the legislature and not through unilateral action.” Brownback, at least politically, believes state employees were getting special privileges by be-
ing protected from harassment. But taking away the ability to fire people based on their gender and/or sexuality does not raise those employees above their coworkers. It makes them equal. Brownback’s action could result in discrimination against people in the LGBTQ+ community. It means people can be fired not because of their work ethic, but because they are gay, bisexual or transgender. It means a person can be discriminated against because they want to be open about who they are in their workplace. Brownback’s order contradicts the constitutional separation of church and state. Prejudice against homosexuality is perpetuated by religious beliefs, and Brownback is asserting his beliefs at the expense of non-hetero, non-cisgendered Kansans. Brownback’s order destroys the trust and respect between the state and its employees. “I wouldn’t feel safe applying for some jobs,” said sophomore Michael McFadden, who is openly gay. “I wouldn’t feel safe going to certain places.” When people don’t feel protected in their own state, the government is doing some-
thing wrong. Fortunately, students believe that the effect of Brownback’s action should not change too much here in Lawrence. City law offers protections for residents who are transgender from discrimination in housing and employment. “I think in Lawrence we’re a very accepting community, and I think that’s one of the reasons us high schoolers are able to identify as gay or transgender or whatever we want to be,” sophomore Noah Kucza said. “We’ve been raised in such a great city that’s so accepting of everything.” Threats against LGBTQ+ workers are real. Before Sebelius offered protections to LGBTQ+ workers in 2007, Kansans described the discrimination they had faced in the state. They hoped her order would lead to additional protections for all workers in Kansas, but Brownback is bringing us into the past rather than progressing with other states. For now, Lawrence stands as an example for the rest of our state. Every Kansan deserves the same respect.
The Budget
24 Features
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