Engineering students
construct
for a cause page 14
1901 Louisiana St., Lawrence, KS 66046
Volume 122, Issue 7, April 8, 2015
2 News in Brief
Senior class, ‘Leaves of Grass’ Students fundraise for iconic signature said. “The English department especially By Kansas Gibler expressed that our senior class seems to be Past classes have donated a Chesty very successful and eloquent in the fine statue, a mural and several trees. But this arts and in English, especially.” senior class wants to contribute someA permanent location has not yet thing unique. been decided for the gift, Throughout April, but NHS and StuCo seniors will be raising have thrown a few ideas money to fund their around. class gift of Walt Wit“We haven’t put man’s signature. down a plan for where English teacher we’re going to put it,” Michael Carriger came Lee said. “We’re hoping, across the signature just a discussion that we online. What makes had, to incorporate a lot it special to Lawrence of different parts of our High is that the signasenior class in this gift. So ture includes the date maybe getting a bookshelf and location where it or something that could go was signed: Lawrence, with it made by woodshop. Kansas, on Sept. 16, Or, like a bench made by 1879. photo courtesy of Andy Hallman the art department, so we The senior class’ could incorporate all differcharacter was the inspient types of people in our senior class for ration for the gift they’re giving, senior our senior class gift.” Joo-Young Lee said. Seniors are currently collecting money “We are the first freshman class to be to fund the gift. Talk to Michael Carriger here, so we wanted to leave some kind of in room 201 about how you can help. legacy of being here for four years,” she
New school schedule
Schedule proposed for next year wouldn’t change from week to week Monday, Tuesday, Friday 8:05-8:56
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lhsbudget.com
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April 8, 2015 3 through advertising and staff fundraising. The editorial staff is solely responsible for the content of this newspaper, and views expressed in The Budget do not necessarily reflect those of the administration of Lawrence High School or USD 497. 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
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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: Securing a supporting board, seniors Sam Clark and Brent Cahwee work on a playhouse in Charlie Lauts’ fifth hour engineering class. The house will ultimately go to the CASA organization. Photo by Cooper Avery
YEARBOOKS FOR SALE NOW. $60 IN THE FINANCE OFFICE The Budget
4 News in Brief
Students gear up for AP exams
Resources available for exam preparation by Meredith Chapple
lhsbudget.com
Prom, summer and finals are only a few things on students’ minds during fourth quarter. In addition, students enrolled in Advanced Placement courses will be preparing for AP exams. With the exams taking place from May 4-15, studying for exams may seem like another item on the laundry-list of tasks students need to finish before the end of the year. These tests can determine whether a student gets college credit for the class, so preparing for the tests is essential. There many resources readily available for AP students that maximize studying efficiency leading up to AP tests. Some AP teachers host study sessions after school. The sessions allow personal time between students and teachers so they can figure out what they need to focus on before the exam. “What we do is we first start by going over the format of the test itself,” said AP US History teacher Valerie Schrag, who hosts some of the review sessions. “Then each
week we have a different time period that we look at to both dust off the cobwebs of things we learned early in the year, but also to refine and revise the skills that we need for success on the AP exam.” Students who took the exams last year will, along with a new test format, be getting used to a new setting. AP exams are now going to take place at Centennial Adult Education Center. This way, there will be no disruptions from school bells or people walking by in the hallway, like there would be if the exams were taken here. While much of the necessary preparation can be done in class, students should invest time outside of school to get ready. Print books are widely available for AP students to purchase and utilize. Barnes & Noble and Amazon sell Listening to a lecture, junior Josh Bash attended AP US History teacher Valarie Schrag’s first AP review session on March 30. Photo by Hannah Gaines
P
April 8, 2015 5
Exam preparation decoded in
Tips From AP Teachers
5 4 3 2 1...
Tips From AP Students
Ann Foster
Pam Fangohr
Kennedy Dold
Andrew Bell
“Bozeman science is good for AP Chem and any of the sciences. Khan Academy is another one people use. It’s an online one for math. Also, the AP Central site is good. They put up old tests for all AP Exams. That’s a really good resource is to go directly to AP Central.”
“The best advice I tell my kids is to go online to the College Board website, and you have access to all of the free-response questions. That’s what I would encourage the kids to do, because when you go buy a book and review off of it, those questions are not College Board questions. There’s a twist to sometimes how they write questions.”
“ ‘Crash Course’ by John Green. He’s the author of ‘The Fault in Our Stars,’ but he does this YouTube series where basically any AP class you are taking, there is a 50-60 episode web series that covers the topics as you discuss them in class.”
“Take a practice test, is what I would say, on the internet and time yourself. It doesn’t have to be the full thing but just to give yourself an idea of what it’s going to be like when you actually do it, so that way you’re not ruining all of your knowledge and preparation by being nervous. Learn how to manage your time while you’re taking a test.”
AP Biology
AP Calculus
Barron’s Educational Series, which are geared AP exams preparation. Workbooks cost anywhere from $15-$34. The school and public libraries stock similar books and can be a good place to study before or after school. There are also technological alternatives to traditional study materials, which students may find more engaging as well as less expensive. YouTube is good for a lot more than cat videos. There are channels that present course material in a visually-engaging way. They can be a good break from staring at a textbook. “Bozeman Science is really good because they have 10-minute
Senior
videos on specific topics,” AP Biology teacher Ann Foster said. The website has videos that go into detail about subjects taught in AP classes. The College Board changed the format of the exam this year for classes like AP US History, so now it will be more difficult to prepare by studying previous exams. “This year is a different year because APUSH curriculum experienced a fairly substantial redesign for the school year,” Schrag said. “The test is a new test that has never been given before.” Preceding this year, there were 80 multiple choice questions and three essays to complete. Now there are fewer multiple choice questions, four short an-
Junior
swer questions and two essays. Staying calm and relatively stress-free during test time can be just as important as knowing the content. “Take a break from studying every once in a while,” junior Andrew Bell said. “Take a walk instead of studying.” Although resources like videos, websites and textbooks help to prepare for the AP exam, the most important way to get a good score is to pay attention in class. “Cramming at the end to study for an exam isn’t how I studied, and it’s not how anyone else should study,” Dold said. “As long as you take good notes throughout the year, you should be fine.”
“As long as you take good notes throughout the year, you should be fine.”
—Kennedy Dold, senior
Other tips to prepare for your big test day •Take a pre-test so you know how to focus your study efforts. •Form study groups. •Start reviewing well in advance. •Don’t cram the night before. •Get plenty of sleep the night before. •Dress comfortably. You’re going to be there a long time. •Use the bathroom before your test begins. You won’t be able to leave. •Eat a good breakfast the morning of the test. •Attend class review sessions if possible. •Arrive early to your exam. •Understand the structure of the exam in advance.
Other Resources to get ready apstudent.collegeboard.org • Free response questions • Preparation tips www.apstudynotes.org • AP English • AP European • AP History • AP Psychology • AP U.S. Government • AP U.S. History • AP World History App AP Exam Prep by McGraw-Hill (in the iTunes store) • 400-500 questions and answers for different tests. • Full apps costs $9.99 and are unique to each test. Graphics by Anna-Marie Turner
The Budget
6 News
Sweet talking paves the way to nationals Veteran competitors qualify for national forensics tournament By Riley Nelson Every serious debater looks to go to the national tournament, and LHS qualifies speakers almost every year. This season two upperclassmen will represent the program in at National Speech and Debate Tournament in Dallas, Texas. Veteran competitors junior Stefan Petrovic and senior Hayley Luna qualified for nationals this year. Petrovic qualified his freshman and sophomore years, but didn’t compete following his sophomore year because he was in London on a school trip. “I am incredibly honored and excited to be able to represent LHS, Lawrence and East Kansas at the National Speech and Debate Tournament,” Petrovic said. “As of now, I will be competing in congressional debate and I hope to debate and pass more bills than our Congress in D.C. That shouldn’t be hard.” Luna qualified her junior year and made the short trip to Kansas City to compete in
Giving an in-class practice speech, senior Hayley Luna discusses a piece of legislation that would reconfiguring cyber security in banks. Luna will compete for the second year at the National Speech and Debate Tournament in June. Photo by Hannah Gaines
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last year’s national tournament. She placed in the top 50 for her event. “I am really excited to be heading to nationals for the second year in a row,” Luna said. “I am looking forward to representing myself, my family, my school and my coach. I’m also looking forward to traveling to Dallas as opposed to Overland Park. This year has been so much fun.” Aside from the national competitors, leaders of all ages have stepped up to improve the team’s record. “It’s really nice to look back and see improvement from last year,” sophomore second-year speaker Sung Ho Hwang said. “I plan on competing every year and improving.” The team number has grown significantly. Of the 68 team members, more than half are new. Among them, is sophomore Sarah Easum. “I really like forensics and debate because it’s cool to be able to express yourself in various ways,” Easum said. “My first tournament of the season, I got fourth in public forum debate, and that was really exciting.” Debate and forensics coach Jeff Plinsky has noted improvement this year. “We are ahead of our pace of success this year, in terms of medals and state qualifiers, compared to last year,” he said.
April 8, 2015 7
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Breaking ground Construction this summer will bring change to building By Ben Rajewski U-Crane Construction
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he front of LHS, including the main office entrance and cafeteria, will get a face-lift in coming
months. Plans are set and work is moving forward to renovate the northwest face of the building around the front office and cafeteria. The cafeteria is to be both expanded and outfitted, explained assistant principal and director of facilities and security Mike Norris. “With the cafeteria, what you are going to see first is change in the kitchen and loading docks,” Norris said. “For the cafeteria itself, you will see expansion, moving it further out where the glass windows on the north side are now.” The expansion of the cafeteria will allow for patio seating for students. Patio seating will be lo-
cated on the north of the cafeteria beyond where the glass windows are presently. “I would enjoy the new outdoor seating,” senior Logan Applegate said. “It is nice to enjoy meals outside.” Students are excited about the prospect of the new cafeteria with changes including bar-style seating around pillars. “Having an updated and bigger cafeteria will be very nice,” junior Keilani Daboda said. “It is very crowded in there right now.” Plans include removing the wall partitioning the cafeteria from the rotunda — where the bell currently sits. “The bell will be moved to the display case in front of the auditorium,” Norris said. “That is its original location.” The Lion’s Den will be relocated from its current space on the north side of the cafeteria. “Where the Lion’s Den is now
will not exist anymore; it will be opened up,” Norris said. “The StuCo window will stay where it is now and the glass case next to it will be opened up for the Lion’s Den.” In addition, a new black box theater will be constructed off the music wing immediately west of the orchestra room. The new construction will allow the current black box theater to be converted to a storage room for band and orchestra. “The current black box theater will still stand,” Norris said. “We will be constructing a new one in the area where the music wing entrance is located.” Students still see room for other changes at LHS. Among the ideas, senior Zakary McAlister’s suggests a covered pathway to the annex. “It would be cool to have a covered walkway or skywalk to the annex,” McAllister said. “It gets
very cold during the winter.” Staging for the planned renovation began last month. The finished product is expected to be completed by the beginning of next school year. “When you come to the front of the building, with the new black box theater, cafeteria expansion and new front entrance, it will all look new,” Norris said.
JUST THE START
While bond projects are planned for this summer, they only address some of the needs at LHS. In coming pages, The Budget looks at other efforts to improve the building. •Map of bond work, page 8 •Safe entrances, page 9 •Planning for the future, page 10 •Students speak out, page 10 •Staff editorial, page 23 The Budget
8 News
Bond project to reshape main entrance
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Graphic and Reporting by Aidan Rothrock
The areas under construction will be the black box theater, the cafeteria and the front entrance. • Area A — The parking lot is being redone over the summer to accommodate the change in size of the cafeteria and the addition of the new black box theater. • Area B — A new “Secure Entrance” is being added to the front of the school, with a second set of doors inside the building. • Area C — The glass-and-metal wall on the north side of the lunch room will be expanded to the north by about 20 feet. There will be pillars erected to maintain internal support. There will also be counters fitted around the pillars, as well as bar seating along the north wall. Outdoor seating is also being considered. • Area D — The current Lion’s Den will be removed and relocated in the StuCo window. The two will share an expanded space. • Area E — The west wall of the rotunda (where the bell is located) will be removed. The bell will be moved to its original location in the display case adjacent to the main doors of the theater. This will create what assistant principal Mike Norris describes as a “commons” effect, with the rotunda being completely open to the lunch room. • Area F — The black box theater is being moved from its current location to a new addition that will be built during the summer. There will also be a small hallway addition. lhsbudget.com
Office c B
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April 8, 2015 9
Secure building out of reach
Effectiveness debated as district attempts to address building safety with new addition By Zia Kelly Lawrence High School will have one secure entrance next year. But even as the school district invests in securing the front doors, it will still struggle with the 21 other entrances that remain unlocked throughout the school day. This summer, the district is following through with a promise to secure the entrances at each school building as part of the $92.5 million bond issue approved by voters in 2013. The LHS entrance has a projected cost of $180,000, according to assistant superintendent Kyle Hayden. In the fall, the doors behind the Lion statue will feed directly into the main office where someone will greet students and visitors who enter the building. The concept of a safe entrance is to funnel all people through a single entrance, so that they are supervised by staff. Ideally, this ensures all people who enter the building are authorized to be there. But as LHS stands, a single entrance is impossible. Students and teachers need to go between classes in different parts of campus — not all of which can be accessed from the main entrance. “From a police standpoint, it would help us if we had locked doors around this building,” school resource officer Mike Cobb said. “If that was an option for the school, that would really help us.” Making all classes are accessible from the main entrance would be tricky. There are three different building on the campus. And several classrooms in the main building, including the woodshop, engineering and journalism classrooms, can only be accessed from outside entrances. Fixing the problem would likely require
another bond issue. This summer’s work leaves many parents concerned. “We have 25 classrooms that are not accessible from the main entrance,” Site Council member Norine Spears said. “That tells me that we don’t have a good assessment of the challenges that we have today, and that is what we need.” Cobb said he supports this summer’s renovations. “I think any safety upgrades in this building would be awesome,” he said. “I mean it won’t alleviate all safety concerns, but it would certainly hamper people that are trying to do bad things.” Free State is a step ahead in the safe entrance process, as work there began this year, according to Free State assistant principal Mike Hill. For their facility, changes will bring the traffic flow to a single entrance and exit for the building beginning next school year. “Kids late to school will be forced to check in through the attendance office as it is the only entry into the building,” Hill
said. The Free State building will be more secure since it is a closed campus, and some have noted that the disparity in security is an issue of safety and equity. “If one school is more secure than the other one, we need more resource officers,” Spears said. “We need to be able to look at all of our entrances.” Cobb believes that the school’s safety concerns will be best met with the cooperation of people in the building. “Students, teachers, parents and the administration [need to be involved in] finding some type of way they can all be happy with safety upgrades,” he said. One safety change the school can make happen next year is closing off the drive between the two gyms, where students must walk to get to class. That change came out of a 2012 assessment school resource officers did to see how the school met Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design standards. Cobb said closing-off of the
Exiting through the front doors, seniors Isaiah Young and Jose Tryon pass through one of the 22 open entrances that the school has during the day. The front entrance will be remodeled to be more secure next year. Photo by Cooper Avery drive will be the first strides toward the CPTED goals. However, this summer’s renovation cannot address the biggest issue that the CPTED assessment recognized: the insecurities that come with having an open campus. But Lawrence High may soon get attention to address those problems. “In the short-term, we need to address safety concerns around the main entrance and more space in the cafeteria to accommodate growth in enrollment,” said Shannon Kimball, school board president. “In the long term, I believe we need to engage in a master planning process for the Lawrence High campus, with an eye toward a larger renovation of the facility.”
The Budget
10 News
What parts of the building need improvement? Reporting by Abbey Damron
Shortcomings of school targeted for updates Parents, teachers consider future building improvements
“In pre-med we figured out the bathroom needs to be bigger for handicapped students because it’s really hard to get around or even fit through the door so they could redesign bathrooms for the students in wheelchairs.” —Annie Grammer, sophomore
“The locker rooms aren’t in the best shape, the bathrooms don’t have locks that work, and the bathroom floors and walls are dirty.” —Devin Van Schmus, sophomore
“Construction on connecting it [the building] so students don’t have to walk out to the west gym and annex and out to journalism or auto. We are the oldest building in Lawrence, and I think some new updating is very much overdue.” —Brooklyn Sumonja, junior
lhsbudget.com
By Kate Rettig The ceilings leak. The bathrooms reek. The mice squeak. These are some of the many issues that the student body deals with on a daily basis. Parents, teachers and administrators are taking note of the issues the building has and have begun seeking solutions. The Site Council, a group of faculty and parents, met with a group of KU architecture students to discuss ideas for improving the school building earlier this semester. The KU students divided into groups and toured the site. During the tour, the students looked for structural and safety issues. Among the issues, the group determined the annex as a major safety problem. “Each group looked at the site that Lawrence High sits on,” Site Council member Pat Treff said. “I think a consensus across the group was immediately, in order to dissolve the security concerns and to make our building what it should be, you have to get rid of the annex. The annex is old and requires so much more money to keep it working.” Along with the separate building, architecture students expressed concerns about more than 20 unlocked entrances. “There’s such a big thing about safety and schools,” engineering teacher and Site Council member Charlie Lauts said. “All of the elementary schools are being remodeled so that there’s one way in
and one way out. Here at Lawrence High, there’s 22 different doors that you can go in and out of, and all of them are open throughout the day.” This month, the KU students will present new building plans. The presentation will include blueprints and drawings to display their solution. The students are also required to estimate the total cost of construction. “Right now, it’s in the dream stage,” Lauts said. “You know, this is something that will be nice because once KU presents to the Site Council, then the Site Council will choose a solution that they think will be the most doable. Then they have to present that to the superintendent.” The last major building renovation was in the fall of 1995. LHS has not updated safety entrances since then although the front entrance will be redone this summer. “As a parent, I like the character of LHS, but it is a little frayed around the edges and that’s to be expected in an older building,” Treff said. “But it takes a lot of money to maintain this older building, and at some point, we have to decide if we want to have a high school facility to be proud of.” In addition to the exterior issues, interior issues such the hallways and handicap accessibility have come to light. The older hallways are narrower than those at Free State, and students find them crowded and
difficult to navigate. “My longest walk is from the choir room to Ms. [Karen] Currey’s room,” sophomore Amanda Hilmes said. “They’re on the opposite sides of the building, and E2 is really hard to walk through.” Challenges are even more significant for students with injuries or disabilities that require them to use ramps and elevators. Sophomore Carson Drake struggled to get where she needed to be after hip surgery this year. “One day, the elevator [in the main building] broke down, and I missed second hour class because I had no way to get up the stairs,” she said. “The most troubling was the annex elevator because my scooter did not fit in it. I would get off the scooter and crutch to the elevator and leave the scooter on the lower floor. The handicap facilities worked for the time that I had to use it, but getting around was harder than normal. I definitely think there could be improvements, but it is pretty handicap-friendly for the most part.” With assistance from KU architecture students and parents and teachers advocating for a safer and better learning environment, it will be up to the school board to push for big changes. “That’s not to say that we don’t have a lot of great things going on here,” Treff said. “But I think it’s time that we put some resources into the LHS facility and make it, like I said, a building that we can be proud of.”
“As a parent, I like the character of LHS, but it is a little frayed around the edges.” —Pat Treff, Site Council member
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14 Features
Building for a cause Fellowship of engineering students partner to create Hobbit house By Luna Stevens
Students in Charlie Lauts’ fifth-hour engineering class are used to seeing their designs on a computer screen, but this semester they have the chance to build a child a precious playplace. Engineering students partnered with CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates), to create a Hobbit-themed playhouse. The structure was designed and is being built by students. The house must be ready in time for graduation, when supporters will begin selling raffle tickets. Raffle profits will go to CASA. Lauts’ class began working on the house in March and will present it on May 19. The class got start-up money from the organization for building materials. “Since we’re doing the class
anyway, it’s very nice to be able to give to a cause,” senior Tanner Smith said. The experience of constructing the playhouse is unique to the students in the architecture and engineering classes, who often only make computer blueprints or small models of their ideas. “I think it’s been really exciting mostly because a lot of these kids have taken classes where they’ve done all the drawings but they’ve never been able to produce anything they’ve drawn,” Lauts said. “So now they’re actually being able to see something come from a 2-dimensional drawing on a computer to a real 3-D thing they can actually walk through.” The CASA board of directors decided on the Hobbit design
and relayed the idea to the students. The organization trains volunteer adults to work with children who are going through the legal system and are without a permanent home. The kids who the program reaches out to are often victims of physical and emotional abuse. Although CASA will get the profits from the raffle, students building the structure also benefit from getting the hands-on experience of seeing their blueprints through to a finished product. “Since we’re all going into architecture-related fields, we’re all getting hands-on experience to see our projects go from concept to actually building them,” senior Brent Cahwee said.
“We’re all getting hands on experience to see our projects go from concept to actually building them.” - Brent Cahwee, senior
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Top: Junior Seth Israel holds up a supporting board while the class puts up the walls of the playhouse. Above: Senior Sam Clark uses a hand saw during fifth hour engineering class. Photos by Cooper Avery
April 8, 2015 15
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Sophomores discuss their shoe collections Sophomores Nico Carlson and Joe Fritschen talk about their collections and their interest in shoes.
Students respond to Brownback’s policies We talked to eight students about Gov. Sam Brownback and his recent education cuts and other decisions.
Fans make the trip to Wichita for state
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We feature students who made the trip to Wichita for the basketball championship weekend.
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At lhsbudget.com, you’ll find up-to-date scores, news, videos and a calendar of everything happening at LHS.
The Budget
16 Features
Nimkar takes the crown By Cortlynn Stark
Senior chess player takes first at state competition, headed to nationals While the basketball team prepared for its state championship game against Wichita East, a different state championship contender was also gearing up for a tough competition. Senior Kaustubh Nimkar took first place at the state chess tournament at Wichita North High School on March 14. “The first couple rounds were pretty easy,” Nimkar said. “My third round was especially hard, because I kind of made a few mistakes in the opening, but in all of my games I managed to get the win.” Nimkar won all six of his rounds to take the championship despite facing the state winners from the past two years. He will advance to the national tournament Aug. 1 in Arizona.
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Online Go to www.lhsbudget.com to watch a video about Kaustubh Nimkar. Chess has played a big role in Nimkar’s life since elementary school, he said. “I think after the third grade I became more serious,” Nimkar said. “It’s not just that I started enjoying it more, it was kind of like basketball to me. I just loved the competition.” In seventh and eighth grades he won the state championship at his level. His freshmen year, he won first place in his division of the U.S. Chess Federation’s National High School Chess Champi-
onships and went on to take third place at the state competition the same year. As the years have passed, he’s become more involved in the chess-playing community, practicing at different chess clubs like the Lawrence Chess Club and LHS’s own club, where he occasionally plays against sponsor and science teacher Andrew Bricker. Nimkar has won chess games in as little as four moves. “Usually he checkmates me pretty quickly,” Bricker said. “But sometimes he lets me hang around for a while.” Nimkar also plays against sophomore Apramay Mishra during chess club. “Every game we just help each other get better,” Mishra said. “It’s fun because we’ve been playing
against each other for a while. We’re pretty evenly matched.” Nimkar knows the game exceptionally well. Bricker acknowledged that there is nothing new he taught Nimkar about chess, and applauds Nimkar’s drive to succeed. “Kaustubh is not afraid of defeat. That’s part of what makes him so tough to beat,” Bricker said. “It’s something I’ve learned from his demeanor before, during and after tournaments.” Holding his opponent’s pawn in one hand, senior Kaustubh Nimkar contemplates his next move during a fall chess club meeting in sponsor Andrew Bricker’s classroom. Photo by Joseph Anderson
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18 Sports
Lewis named coach of the year
Basketball coach honored by league by Meredith Chapple
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Boys basketball coach Mike Lewis was congratulated by fellow coaches at the final Sunflower League meeting of the year. After a successful season, he was recognized as the Sunflower League’s Coach of the Year on March 15. The 12 Sunflower League coaches voted for Lewis to receive the honor for his and the team’s sportsmanship and skill throughout the season. The varsity team went 11-0 in the Sunflower League. Lewis sees the award as a reflection of how well the team played together. “It’s based on our team and how we performed,” Lewis said. “They were coachable, they played hard, and they were a good, talented group.” Players think Lewis won this award because of his positivity. He ensures that his players have the same, constructive mindset. “Anytime you mess up or miss a shot, he never gets on you,” sophomore jv/varsity player Braden Solko said. “He always tells you to keep shooting and keep your head up.” Lewis’ attitude was well-reflected in the team’s style of play as well as players’ knowl-
edge of the game. “He’s a father figure to almost everyone and does what’s best for us,” sophomore varsity player Jackson Mallory said. “He knows everybody’s strengths and weaknesses, and he knows the other team.” But Lewis’ impact on players is farther-reaching than a season record. He ensures that team dynamics off of the court are just as strong. “If one person’s going through something, everybody is there to pick them right back up,” varsity player Fred Brou, a junior, said. Players said there’s no doubt in their minds that Lewis deserved the award. Players describe his good attitude and his ability to work well with his team. “Everyone is always having fun and smiling,” Mallory said. “Coach Lewis has a lot to do with that. He always tells us to be happy.” Calling out a play, boys basketball coach Mike Lewis took his varsity team to the 6A state tournament in Wichita on March 13 and 14. The team took second overall. Photo by Cooper Avery
Lewis himself works to get better at coaching. To win Coach of the Year it’s not only important to work internally with the team, but success also requires focusing on cooperation with other Sunflower League teams and coaches. “Outside of the season, I work hard at getting better as a coach,” Lewis said. “I think I’ve earned the respect of the coaches who I coach against.” This season, Lewis finished his sixth year with LHS with an overall 24-2 record and a second-place finish at state. However, he has been coaching since he was in high school. He said the coaches he had as a player impacted his
decision to become one. “Looking back, I had good coaches in my life, and I saw a lot of positives from them,” said Lewis. “I think my environment and where I grew up and the coaches that influenced me, guided me into coaching.” LHS’s overall high-standings in the Sunflower League rankings create a positive contrast to this time last year when Lewis was abruptly fired and quickly reinstated after outcry from the community. Players believe that experience brought them closer together and increased their drive to win. “He impacted it a lot with him getting fired and everything,” Mallory said. “It brought us all closer and
April 8, 2015 19
made us want to do it all for him and for each other.” LHS had the hardest schedule in the Sunflower League, playing the best teams in the state and most often coming out victorious. “I’m just really proud of the way our guys handled our season as a whole,” Lewis said. “I’m really proud of the way they stuck together and proved that they’re a true team and have good camaraderie.” Lewis prepped his team for the final minutes of their semifinal state game against Shawnee Mission North. The Lions overtook the SMN Indians 78-64 on March 13. Photo by Joseph Anderson
Sunflower League selections for basketball Justin Roberts Sunflower League All-League First Team
Anthony Bonner Sunflower League All-League First Team and Player of the Year
Price Morgan
John Barbee
Sunflower League Honorable Mention
Sunflower League Honorable Mention
E’Lease Stafford
Matia Finley
Marissa Pope
Sunflower League Honorable Mention
Sunflower League Honorable Mention
Sunflower League All-League Second Team
The Budget
20 Entertainment
Spring, summer movie preview
Medley of movies to be released in the next few months By Kate Rettig
The Age of Adaline: Lightning has a mysterious quality that gifts its victims some type of superpower. In this upcoming romantic drama, Adaline Bowman receives the gift of immorality. For more than eight decades, she has lived in solitude and feared of someone exposing her secret. Then she meets Ellis Jones, a charming philanthropist. He breaks the barrier Unfriended: This upcoming horror movie uses the idea of social media to tell the classic story of a dead person seeking revenge. The movie Unfriended takes place a year after Laura Barns’s death. After being bullied for an video of herself in the internet, she killed herself and came back to haunt her bullies. This movie is told through the computer screen of Blaire, one of the people who had bullied Insidious: Chapter 3: Fans of the movie Insidious Chapters 1 and 2 have reasons to look forward to Chapter 3. This prequel is set before the haunting of the Lambert Family. The ghost-busting team of Elise, Spencs and Tucker take on their first investigation of an evil entity. The demonic spirit targets teenager, Quinn Brenner. It’s up to the team to protect Quinn before it’s too late. The trailer immediately caught my attention. It was thrilling and suspenseful. I’ve always been a fan of supernatural horror films so I’m looking forward to this one.
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she set against the world by showing her love and passion for life. Then at a weekend with his parents, Adaline is threatened that her secret of immortality will be exposed. I’ve been excited to see it ever since I saw the trailer in theaters. The concoction of Blake Lively, a thrilling romance and a life changing decision will make a great movie date with your friends.
Laura. As Blaire is video chatting on Skype with five other friends, a seventh caller asks to join. The six friends become the prey of the unknown online presence. The movie got positive reviews from the Montreal’s Fantasia Film Festival. The trailer of Unfriended is deceiving. With all of the screaming it makes it look like a stereotypical teenage horror movie. However once you look into the reviews, the movie looks worth seeing. Paper Towns: Based on John Green’s best selling book, the upcoming movie is about Quentin Jacobsen and the mysterious Margo Roth Spiegelman. The two have an all-night adventure into the city of Orlando. Quentin falls in love with Margo as the night goes on. Margo disappears the day after and Quentin and his quirky friends go and look for her. After reading the book, I’m excited to see this movie. The last John Green movie was satisfactory, so as long as it follows the book and doesn’t stray from the plot too much, I’d love to see this book come alive on the big screen.
April 8, 2015 21
Opinion
KSHSAA unaccommodating of student press Staff members handicapped by unnecessary restriction, undermining journalistic education By Zia Kelly Alongside the team benches at the state basketball championship sat anywhere from 20 to 30 media workers from across the state. But some vital media members were in short supply: high school reporters. Although student press is a major component to tournament coverage and the platform most accessible to students and parents, the Kansas High School Activities Association is stingy when it comes to admitting student journalists. They make covering games significantly more difficult and undermine the educational value and importance of student press. Unlike the specta-
Graphic by Joaquin Dorado Mariscal
tors in line to buy tickets at the Charles Koch Arena box office, we were not there to just watch the game. We came with bags of heavy equipment and tight deadlines. For our efforts, we were alloted two floor passes for our photographers, although they still had to pay admission — unlike other members of the press. Luckily for them, they had plenty of room to move about the endlines to get shots, since the sidelines were nearly vacant. At college games, the only other events held at Koch Arena, the floor is packed with media personnel. Photographers are often stacked two-deep on the endlines. Mike Yoder is the senior photographer for the Lawrence Journal World, one of the news outlets that covered the event. He said most professional news sources only credential one or two photographers and reporters for high school events, but students should be given more access. “For high school events...there should be more ac-
commodation made for student journalists,” he said. Yoder pointed out that limiting press credentials makes sense to avoid crowds around the sidelines. At state, that was not the case. A few other photographers were on the floor shooting but there was no reason that we couldn’t have all six staff members down there. We were pointlessly denied a third pass for our videographer to shoot, which made getting footage very difficult. We were told our videographer could share one of the press passes, but that made little sense, since everyone was there to cover the same game. The writing staff had our own issues. Since we weren’t permitted to be in the press area, we sat in the stands. Initially, although not ideal, it worked. However once the student section moved in, teetering a tablet on my lap while trying to finish halftime reports became difficult as the backs of our chairs were slammed every time the Lions were on defense. This was an unnecessary struggle. There were four tables outfitted for the media on the sidelines with at least 20 vacant seats. Since we were doing the exact same thing those reporters were doing, why were we not permitted the same access? As a student-journalist, I find it difficult to understand how KSHSAA — a group that understands its mission to support student athletes — does not give us access to our own events and support our student publications. It seems rather contrary to their purpose. From 10 a.m. that Friday morning through the final game against Wichita East, six staff members from The Budget, livetweet play-by-play coverage of each game, published nine full-scale
stories and reports, and posted five multimedia stories. We worked nearly non-stop filming, reporting, writing and editing content. We did our job as a news publication and had a lot of fun while we were down there, but we clearly put work into covering the event and not having the support of KSHSAA was not only a handicap but also undermined our work. KSHSAA said that giving two press passes to each school is just their policy. “The KSHSAA policy for school media is that each school is granted two school media passes to use for students like yourself,” KSHSAA sports communications representative Jeremy Holaday said. “We grant two passes per school for the possible 16 schools that could qualify for the state basketball tournament to ensure that every school is allowed the same opportunity.” This policy does not safeguard equality. Sixteen schools playing in the state tournament in Wichita does not mean there will be 32 high school journalists on the court. Students will only cover their own games, so as it stands, the policy allows four students on the court — well below capacity. To ensure all schools are accommodated, KSHSAA needs to reconsider its press credentialing procedures to better include student reporters and photographers. We believe the best solution may come out of cooperation with the Kansas Scholastic Press Association, the state’s high school journalism authority. Surely, the two organizations can come up with a policy that better addresses needs of student press. After all, the goal should be to make sure all students can do their best work on and slightly to the side of the court.
The Budget
22 Opinion
Opinion
‘What’s wrong with your eye, Chesty?’ Mascot costume has fallen into disrepair Story and graphic by Joaquin Dorado Being Chesty is an interesting experience. It is fun to be Chesty during a game and mess with people as well as have a good laugh with them. It’s all in good fun. I have one-sided conversations with parents, coaches and spectators. I high-five kids and hug others. But whatever the occasion, I always get asked the same question: “What’s wrong with your eye, Chesty?” I can’t really answer the question while I am in the suit, so I either shrug and walk away or I pretend I didn’t know that there is a hole in my eye and I make a scene about it for comedy. My favorite is when I flap my arms, make fists and people respond “You got in a fight with Freddy?” Since I began wearing the suit my sophomore year, I have strug-
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gled to keep it together and ready to keep the student section entertained. It has been worn out from time and mistreatment over the past decade. It is about time we invest in a new Chesty suit. For starters, the suit is more than a decade old. The school purchased the costume in 2004, and many students have worn it since. Compared to the amount of money that is spent on other spirit uniforms and equipment, it seems that one of the biggest symbols of school spirit has been left out. The suit is ripped in multiple places. I constantly need to sew parts of it back on. His tail is barely hanging on, his left eye has a humongous hole in it, and his feet are torn up terribly. Why has a school with so much pride in tradition let their mascot fall into disrepair? Especially when the Lion itself is an important part of school history. The Chesty Lion was created in 1946 by Paul Coker Jr., who is also known for creating the iconic cartoon character Frosty the Snowman. It has been utilized and tailored to many activities and academic departments throughout the years. Chesty can be seen around the school wearing a football helmet, with a soccer ball, in a business suit and in a marching uniform. He is used to represent students from different places with different interests. Although LHS has many unique traditions, from mud volleyball, to senior week, to the pink out game, Chesty is what ties it all together. Chesty is a symbol of the school. So why would we let Chesty — the visual representation of LHS — look shabby? The LHS community is proud of its traditions and accomplishments, which should be represented in the mascot seen wandering around the field, court, pool or wherever he dwells.
April 8, 2015 23
Opinion
Staff shares school suggestions Bond construction doesn’t address all building issues, so here are our requests Lunchroom
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7
1. Putting drinks and snacks in a healthy vending machine would cut down on line lengths. 2. Flow of cafeteria line needs adjustments. 3. Recycling and composting should be available. 4. A school garden could get students involved and provide food.
Library
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5. The school library closes too early. It should be open until 5 or 6 when students are often picked up from the building. 6. Library computers are often used for video games while students need to use them for academic reasons. We should have a time limit or restrict them from recreational use.
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Parking lot 10
7. The pavement on the parking lot has seen better days. Pot holes are very noticeable while trying to enter and exit the school. The lots should be repaved. 8. There are no clearly-marked walkways from the parking lots to the building, so students and cars cross anywhere they please. There needs to be clearly-marked walkways for safety reasons.
Other facility improvements
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9. The bathrooms are dirty. The placement of the toilets in the stalls makes no sense. Ultimate experience: Peeing with your shoulder against a stall while looking up to a beautiful ceiling of water stains 10. We need better central air. Some classes are freezing while others are much too warm. 11. The CTE classrooms should be accessible from the rest of the building instead of the walk outside. They are in the same building so there should be a connecting hallway to them.
The Budget
April 8, 2015 24
The Budget