2016 Issue 7 of The Budget

Lawrence High School Established 1893 1901 Louisiana St. Lawrence, Kansas 66046 Volume 123, Issue 7 April 22, 2016

“We need to be protecting our children. When our children come to school, they need to be safe. We say all the time that school is a safe environment, but when you have something like this

— this truly bothers me.”

- Carolyn Wims-Campbell,

Kansas State Board of Education member

page 5

NEWS IN BRIEF

2 • APRIL 22, 2016

IN THIS ISSUE:

“We need to be protecting our children. When our children come to school, they need to be safe. We say all the time that school is a safe environment, but when you have something like this

Lawrence High School Established 1893 1901 Louisiana St. Lawrence, Kansas 66046

— this truly bothers me.”

Volume 123, Issue 7 April 22, 2016

- Carolyn Wims-Campbell, Kansas State Board of Education member

page 5

Cover by Ian Jones

COVER STORY

“The Budget” shines a light on the issue of students with sexual offenses.

Story on page 5

Schools uninformed of offenses........ page 5 Truancy guidelines unclear................. page 9 Devices delayed for high schools...... page 10 Drinking law protects students.......... page 12 Students benefit from work experience .............................................. page 14 Summer camp impacts students....... page 16 Soccer gets new start......................... page 18 State 4x4 team regroups................... page 21 Spring sports assembly photos......... page 22 Students prep for Showtime............... page 24 Blackbox opens.................................... page 27

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LETTER FROM THE EDITORS

By Zia Kelly & Kansas Gibler This issue of the newspaper takes on the most challenging story we’ve tackled this year — perhaps in the history of The Budget. We also believe it is the most important story we have yet to cover.

Beginning on page five, we look closely at the issue of how students with sex offenses are treated in public schools. Specifically, we look at the lack of communication between law enforcement/courts and schools in working with these students. It’s an issue that affected our school this year in two cases, but as we looked closer, we believe it affects schools throughout the state.

As we progressed into the reporting, we discovered how little the issue of students with sex offenses has been discussed. Yet, many sources we contacted were shocked to hear that schools aren’t notified when they have students with criminal backgrounds.

This story was reported during two months. Information was gathered from local public records to interviews in the Kansas Capitol. A variety of viewpoints were considered

THE BUDGET • PAGE DESIGN BY NIA RUTLEDGE

while reporting the piece. We labored over ethics as we worked to balance the journalistic duty to tell an important story with the belief that people deserve a second chance.

We hope students, faculty and community members take the time to read the story as opposed to listening to information relayed from person to person. The thing about word of mouth is that, like a game of telephone, words are distorted with the biases that we on The Budget staff strive to eliminate from our publication.

We chose to run this because as the school’s student publication, we have a responsibility to address the issues affecting students in the halls.

In some cases, students are aware

of these issues before teachers and administrators are. Many students knew they had classmates who had been charged with committing sexual offenses before teachers and administrators were aware, but students likely assumed people in authority had already been informed.

This story proves we can’t make those assumptions. Students have a responsibility to report things when they see them as an issue.

For this story we established the policy of not naming juveniles in criminal cases. This is a common policy for publications. While it is our duty as journalists to hold people accountable for injustice, we also understand the lasting effects criminal offenses can have on later opportunities in life, and we want to be respectful to someone’s ability to rehabilitate.

Our cover sums up our approach to this important topic and what we see as our responsibility as journalists: We must shine a light on issues that impact our audience. Only by fully bringing these issues into the daylight can our audience and lawmakers make informed decisions.

APRIL 22, 2016 • 3

Bone marrow drive will see second year at Showtime

By Macy Landes The bone marrow drive hosted by Health Occupation Students of America (HOSA) and Jo Huntsinger’s anatomy class is set to take place 3:30-7 p.m. April 28-30 in the cafeteria.

On the same day as Showtime, the drive is targeted toward the adult population (you must be at least 18 years old to participate) and minority donors, although anyone who meets the requirements to donate is welcome. This is because patients are more likely to find matches within their racial or

ethnic groups.

It will be the second year for the drive to occur during Showtime.

“If we do it during that time when people are coming in because people get here early for Showtime...they can quickly swab [their cheek], it’s a very fast rotation, and then they can just go stand in line like they normally would for Showtime,” pre-med teacher Jennifer Hare said.

Bone marrow transplants are needed for patients with various blood cancers including leukemia and sickle cell anemia. For many of these

patients, transplants are the only option for recovery.

Because transplants are many patients’ only hope, donors are asked to be fully committed to donating bone marrow. They can do this by calling back quickly, considering giving a blood sample for further testing and considering donating bone marrow to the patient if a match is found.

“I started just volunteering last year with the bone mar-

row drive,” sophomore HOSA member Diamonique Vann said. “And I really found it interesting that anyone could just save a life any time.”

Assassins take to the halls of Lawrence High School

By Kira Auchenbach Select seniors have to watch their back as they do their everyday routine.

They’re being hunted in a game called Assassins, and if they’re shot with a water gun they’re out.

“The whole game is based on secrecy,” senior Matt Jacobsen said. “So the only thing that each individual person knows is that what we tweet out what their next assignment is that’s all they know.”

The goal of assassins is to “kill” your target or assignment until either you’re dead or you win. First place gets $150, second gets $50 and third gets $25. Seniors don’t know who is targeting them, and must hunt and search to assassinate their targets.

“That’s part of the fun of the game is that you really have to search and talk to their friends and really do your homework on the person, find out where they work, where they live so you can map out a hunting ground for them,” Jacobsen said.

There are three safe zones where seniors can not be killed: LHS, including parking lots and sports fields; the inside of the target’s house; and the target’s

Assassins 2K16

workplace.

“I’m a very competitive person so if I set my mind to something like winning this I’m going to try my hardest,” senior Elaine Harris said.

Graphic by Anna Marie Turner

PAGE DESIGN BY NIA RUTLEDGE • LHSBUDGET.COM

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NEWS

Dark In the

APRIL 22, 2016 • 5

Schools not notified of students with sex offenses

By Zia Kelly

BY THE TIME

former Lawrence High senior James Gleghorn was arrested late at night in the back of a car with his underage girlfriend, he had been on the sex offender registry for more than four years.

Gleghorn was arrested on Feb. 14 by the Eudora Police Department and later charged with aggravated indecent liberties with a child. In those early morning hours before heading to jail, Gleghorn told police that fellow students found out about his previous 2011 offense: lewd and lascivious behavior and aggravated indecent liberties with a child younger than 14. Gleghorn said he had lost friends because of it, according to the arrest affidavit.

Yet, LHS officials said they were unaware of his record until after the most recent arrest — one of two examples of LHS students who have been convicted of sex crimes.

Continued on page 6

STUDENT OFFENDERS — Law enforcement isn’t required to notify schools when they have students who have committed sex offenses. Photo illustration by Ian Jones

PAGE DESIGN BY ZIA KELLY • LHSBUDGET.COM

6 • APRIL 22, 2016

In the dark Continued from page 5 Notification of the school by law enforcement isn’t required, as it is in some states. This means that students with criminal convictions may participate in school and extracurricular activities, including overnight trips, without school personnel knowing.

The LHS cases raise questions about the relationship between law enforcement and schools when students commit crimes. Among them, should schools know when they have students who have committed sexual offenses? If so, who should be responsible for notifying the schools?

The cases also raise questions about what schools can or should do if they know they have students with sex offense convictions. What consequences might those students face in school? What rights should perpetrators maintain and how should schools look out for victims of sexual assault?

Perhaps the most pressing question, though, is how schools should balance the safety of students with the obligation to educate all students — including students who have committed sex offenses.

Carolyn Wims-Campbell, who represents part of Lawrence on the Kansas State Board of Education, said she was surprised to learn that sex offenders could be in schools without educators knowing.

“We need to be protecting our children,” she said.

“When our children come to school, they need to be safe. We say all the time that school is a safe environment, but when you have something like this — this truly bothers me.”

In a school setting, adult sex offenders are treated

TO REPORT THIS STORY To report this story, “The Budget” consulted local law enforcement, state policymakers, state education agencies, people within the school, the Lawrence school board, a victims rights advocate and an education group in another state.

“The Budget” also reached out to the defense attorneys for the two student perpetrators. Both declined to comment but said they would inform their clients about the stories. School administrators declined to speak in detail about the cases. Superintendent Rick Doll said school board president Vanessa Sanburn’s comments adequately represented the district’s position. The story was edited with advice from three professional reporters, the Student Press Law Center and the Kansas Scholastic Press Association. differently from students who might have the same offenses.

For example, teachers must undergo background checks.

In addition, school employees are expected to look out for the safety of their students on and off school grounds. School employees are required to report concerns about students’ safety outside of school to the Kansas Department for Children and Families. However, there is no requirement that law enforcement notify schools when their students are suspected of — or even convicted of — crimes like rape. Even if schools knew, there isn’t any requirement for schools to share that information with the student’s next school if the student transfers.

“The police are not required to notify school districts when a student is suspected of a sex crime or any other type of crime,” said Lori Church, an attorney for the Kansas Association of School Boards, which works closely with school boards throughout the state. “They might do so as a courtesy, but there is no requirement for such reporting.”

And in the two cases of LHS students with sex crime convictions this school year, that courtesy was not extended.

THE BUDGET • PAGE DESIGN BY ZIA KELLY

IN THE DARK In addition to Gleghorn, another student transferred to LHS this school year after being charged with two different counts of rape and sodomy in another Kansas town.

In November, he pleaded no contest to reduced charges — two counts of aggravated sexual battery.

In this story, The Budget names Gleghorn because his most recent offense was committed after he turned 18. The other LHS student is not named, nor is the Kansas town he transferred from disclosed, because The Budget does not name juvenile offenders. Attorneys for both students declined to comment on their cases.

Although both Gleghorn and the other student were charged with their crimes before starting classes at LHS, the school was not notified by law enforcement or any other entity.

Trent McKinley, the public information officer for the Lawrence Police Department, said there is no requirement for the department to notify schools that have students with criminal records. The police, he said in an email, only deal with the initial investigation of the crime, not the trial or sentencing.

Those matters are the job of the Douglas County District

Attorney’s office, he said.

However, the district attorney’s office said notifying schools was not its responsibility, either. Cheryl Wright Kunard, assistant to the district attorney, referred The Budget to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, whose public information officer redirected the question back to the police department.

Vanessa Hays, the youth advocate with The Sexual Trauma and Abuse Center in Lawrence, said the lack of communication points to a wider problem with how schools address sexual assaults. While schools often have plans to deal with students who are physically violent, she said they also need plans for how to handle students with a history of sexual violence.

“It puts other people at risk [when schools aren’t notified],” Hays said.

It’s unclear just how many students with sexual offenses are in public schools. However, it is likely more common than schools know. In 2015 alone, Douglas County brought sex crime charges against 11 juveniles, according to Wright Kunard. Since 2010, 25 juveniles have been charged with sexual offenses.

Neither the Kansas Legislature nor the Kansas State Department of Education have addressed the issue, said Mark Tallman, a lobbyist for the Kansas Association of School Boards.

Wims-Campbell, the state school board member, was surprised to hear about the issue at LHS and said the issue of student sex offenders should be addressed through a state school board regulation. Already, she said officials have worked to better protect students from adults who might prey on them but the

APRIL 22, 2016 • 7

issue of students with sex offenses hadn’t been raised until now.

“I thought now that we would be doing so much better — we are with adults, with the educators — but I think we need to be doing the same thing with our children,” she said.

AT SCHOOL Gleghorn can no longer attend LHS because one of his bail conditions mandates that he cannot have contact with people younger than 18.

The other student, however, still attends LHS. The student transferred from another county in Kansas and began at LHS this fall. His offenses were against classmates — one 16 and the other 17 — whom he met through extracurriculars at his previous school last year, according to a local newspaper in another Kansas

access to future victims.” town.

Yet, without LHS knowing At a Feb. 22 sentencing about the student’s criminal hearing in the county where charges, he was involved in the offenses occurred, one activities earlier this year. His of the victims told the court case has since been transthat she hoped he would be ferred to restricted from Douglas participating “The police are not required to notify County Disin school school districts when a student is trict Court, activities. She where also asked that suspected of a sex crime or any other sentencing he not be put type of crime.” on the sex of— Lori Church, is scheduled fender registry Kansas Association of School Boards attorney for April 29.

Aland instead be though put through treatment. perpetrators “After a of crimes fair amount of research and are entitled to an education, contemplation, I believe schools are legally able to [he] should be banned from restrict students, including school club [sic] and be those with sex offenses, from required to undergo both sports, clubs and other opporinpatient and outpatient treattunities to interact with stument,” the victim said, accord- dents outside the classroom. ing to that local newspaper.

“Individual school dis“He’s a threat to students, tricts could probably restrict and clubs would give him students with offenses from

IN THE MIX — With no notification requirements, schools are unable to make informed decisions if students with criminal offenses need alternative education options.

Photo illustration by Ian Jones participating in school activities because students do not have a constitutional right to participate in extracurricular activities,” Church said.

Although some students may be listed on the Kansas sex offender registry, schools don’t regularly check that online database. A school administrator, who didn’t want to be named, said it was because there is no effective way to search the list for students. To search the registry effectively, the administrator said, would require devoting a significant amount of time and manpower.

Continued on page 8

PAGE DESIGN BY ZIA KELLY • LHSBUDGET.COM

8 • APRIL 22, 2016

In the dark Continued from page 7 USD 497 school board president Vanessa Sanburn said in instances when schools learn information about a student’s criminal record, that information is shared with teachers when that student’s presence could affect the safety of their peers. However, since juveniles are allowed special privacy rights when they commit crimes, those rights must be taken into account, as well.

“Privacy and confidentiality rights have to be balanced with safety,” Sanburn said in an email. “So often, staff are made aware of student’s past criminal activities, in order to monitor for safety on a ‘need to know’ basis.”

While under juvenile corrections supervision, some students attend school at the Youth Services Detention Center, Sanburn said.

“In certain circumstances, if a student commits a felony-level crime, we are able to expel a student if they are believed to pose a safety risk,” Sanburn said.

But with no notification requirement, the school district doesn’t always know when students have committed felony-level crimes.

POSSIBLE CHANGES In terms of the law, Anthony Hensley, the Kansas Senate minority leader, said something needs to change.

“I think that those kinds of things should be reported to the school,” said Hensley, a Democrat and longtime educator in Topeka. “The experience that I had while teaching special education at Capital City [School] was that kind of information was wellknown.”

Wims-Campbell said she and other state school board members could — and potentially would — create a statewide regulation that

protected,” he said.

As well as serving in the state senate, Hensley was a would establish reporting special education teacher requirements between school at the Capital City School districts if a student commitin Topeka. Capital City is ted a sex crime in one district known for taking in students and transferred to another who have been through the school. juvenile court system and ofOther states have already ten have been expelled from addressed the issue. Iowa other schools. As a result, stustate law mandates sheriff’s dents’ criminal histories were offices let schools know when well-known among teachers they have a student who is and administrators. registered as a sex offender, He said people who and schools may distribute work with students should the names of students who know the are on the students’ registry to “It’s a matter of transparency to know that backparents, grounds. students have that kind of background,” as those “It’s a —Anthony Hensley, state senator matter of names are already transparpublic inency to formation. know that Matt Carver, who is the students have that kind of Legal Services Director for background,” Hensley said. the School Administrators of Hensley said students Iowa, said the law helps keep could be given an individual all students safer. It ensures education plan (IEP), which both building administration could mandate their class and district-level personnel participation is different from know when students who are other students. For instance, required to be on the sex ofstudents with sex offenses fender registry enter schools. could report to a separate “We would say that it’s room for some classes to important and it is something isolate them from the general that we’re pleased to have in school population.

Iowa...as another means of “You could put them on ensuring that school adminisa special plan for their school trators are aware of the presday,” he said. ence of these sex offenders within the district,” he said.

THE CASE FOR AND “They can ensure that other AGAINST CHANGE students are protected and Senior Nicole Berkley so that they can ensure that found out about Gleghorn’s the student [the offender] is criminal record after she had protected as well.” been in the same Humanities Carver said once local law class with him for a semester, enforcement tells building adand said she would feel safer ministration about offenders, in classes if teachers knew the administration is required those things about their to tell the school board. Then, students. the board will hold a closed “I feel like the teacher session and work with the definitely should know, and student and their family to if he [the teacher] feels like determine their educational one of the students looks unaccommodations. comfortable because they’re “It’s just a means of around that person, they ensuring there’s an awareness should be able to maybe get of the presence of students them moved out of the class so that all students can be if people are getting uncom-

THE BUDGET • PAGE DESIGN BY KANSAS GIBLER

fortable,” she said.

Some people feel differently. Matthew Herbert, who is a government teacher and serves on the Lawrence City Commission, said juvenile criminal records often lead to lost opportunities and reincarceration of offenders. He said once that information is known, the educational environment for students who have committed crimes may be compromised.

“As it relates to young students, our goal is to enable them to be productive and successful and keep them out of that vicious cycle,” Herbert said. “Information is important, but it also leads to judgment, stigma and ultimately a different treatment in the classroom. Though I do not speak for other teachers, administration or law enforcement, I personally do not have an interest in knowing a student’s criminal background. What they have done in the past will not affect the way I teach them senior government or freshman civics.”

Further complicating the issue is the background of the offenders. Teens who commit sex crimes are often people who have been subject to similar abuses in the past, said Hays, of the Sexual Trauma and Abuse Center.

“A lot of the research shows that people under 18 who commit sex crimes have also been victims of sex crimes,” she said. “That complicates the situation a lot, and makes it a lot harder to know when that person should be punished and in what way and what kind of treatment they might also need.”

Church of the Kansas Association of School Boards said the challenge is balancing the rights of offenders, victims and other students.

“The bottom line for the school is that they have an obligation to educate all students,” Church said.

APRIL 22, 2016 • 9

TRUANCY

Truant students face consequences As absences pile up for many students, truancy guidelines are explained

By Macy Landes Truancy, in the LHS Student Handbook, is defined as “any three consecutive unexcused absences, any five unexcused absences in a semester or any seven unexcused absences in a school year, whichever occurs first.”

This means class periods.

If a student is not excused from their first-hour class, for example, and decides to skip that class three days in a row, that counts as three unexcused absences in a row, making the student legally truant.

“Truancy is not being where you are supposed to be,” assistant principal Margene Brohammer said.

“It is not attending classes….

If you’re at a funeral or if you have a reasonable excuse and your parents are in the loop, then that’s not going to be truancy. Unexcused is the part that’s important.”

Every few weeks, counselors, assistant principals and social workers meet to discuss attendance for the students they oversee. “...We understand that there are situations that come up and that things happen,” counselor Aaron Ebke said.

“What we look at when we meet together is, ‘Are students missing repeatedly?’

‘Is it happening often?’ [and] ‘How close are you getting to that three [unexcused absences] in a row?’”

Once a student is considered truant, there are many different routes administrators take in order to inform

students and their parents.

“We use different ways depending upon the situation,” Brohammer said. “But we work with families, we work with the student and again we want to get them the support that they need. Usually a letter is sent home but it might be a phone call. It might be in a conference with a student. Again, there’s not just a ‘one size fits all’ notification.

We do a letter, we do a conference with the student, we do parent conferences, and it might be the administrator, it might be the social worker, it might be the counselor.”

After being notified of the truancy, students are usually required to appear before a judge to explain why they weren’t coming to school.

There are exceptions though, which is evident through a student who asked to remain anonymous. We will call them Don. “I actually [instead of going to court] had a relatively brief meeting with my principal and the district attorney’s office instead,” Don said. “I did not meet with a judge.”

Just like there are different ways administrators discipline truant students, there are different reasons for students choosing not to attend classes in the first place.

“Most of the time [I skipped] because [of] the people here,” another anonymous student, Tina, said. “I try to stay out of trouble and stuff, but it seems like no one wants to listen to me.”

Administrators hear many of the things that drive students to skip school.

“Some students will say that it’s boredom because things are too hard, some will say it’s boredom because

makes the process of getting things are too easy,” Broback on track much easier. hammer said. “Some will say “Usually when our kids ‘It’s too many people,’ some say, ‘I’m going to give it a will say ‘I’m used to a larger try,’ they find out they don’t environment,’ some people hate it,” Brohammer said. will say it’s a feeling of inde“It’s not like it’s Brussels pendence and kind of getting sprouts or anything, attendaway with something, and ing, it’s just getting back into others will say that they don’t the habit that regular attenlike being dependent.” dance is… There are plenty Truancy can follow of students here at Lawrence students for the rest of their High who, every single class, lives. every single day, they’re “I talk about high school there, they’re taking care of graduation as, it’s not the business. So, it is possible to goal, but it’s the first thing not be truant.” you can do to set yourself up All in all, evading for the rest of your life,” truancy is the only way Brohammer said. “I to allow yourself to don’t want a bunch graduate. of 90-year-olds “If you want to looking back graduate, I expect and regretting y’all to go to school,” that they didn’t do Tina said. what it took when they were 17 or 18 to graduate.”

Seven unexcused But when stuabsences in a year dents are willing to make an effort, Bro-Three Five unexcused hammer consecutive absences in a says, it unexcused semester

absences

When are you considered truant?

Seven unexcused unexcused Seven absences in in aa year year absences Three Three consecutive consecutive unexcused unexcused absences absences

Five unexcused unexcused Five absences in in aa absences semester semester

Graphic by Coulter Strauss

PAGE DESIGN BY NIA RUTLEDGE • LHSBUDGET.COM

10 • APRIL 22, 2016

Middle schools receiving iPads while high school devices TBA One-to-one initiative will put devices in hands of all middle school students but leaves out elementary, high schools

By Kira Auchenbach One-to-one would enable students to have greater access to the internet and learning by giving them personal devices on which they could complete assignments.

With one-to-one, teachers would be able to expand their teaching plans beyond pencil and paper.

“I know in our science department we use a lot of

interactive sims (simulations) on different websites,” Alan Gleue said. “Some of those sims can not be run on iPads, and they need a Java or some sort of other platform that the iPads won't run.”

Devices for each student would be paid for out of a fund used to buy technology and make capital improvements but does not go toward teachers salaries, according to the district's assistant superintendent for educational technology programs, Jerri Kemble. The cost of buying enough devices would depends on what devices the school would get, how many they would buy and if they’re in stock when they’re ordered.

THE BUDGET • PAGE DESIGN BY NIA RUTLEDGE

“We want your learning to be much more personalized and for you to go deeper into things that are of interest to you,” Kemble said.

For now, one-to-one is only being done for the four middle schools, which will receive iPads. A committee of teachers will decide what device will be bought at other levels by testing out numerous options.

“My main concern is them using one device that fits all, and one device does not fit all,” library media specialist Charlotte Anderson said.

According to Kemble, one of the biggest struggles for one-to-one is students keeping track of the chargers for their devices. Another struggle for

CONNECTED — Working on a laptop, sophomore Dakota Miller completes work in Jack Hood’s fifth-hour Survey of US History class on April 4. Photo by Clara Severn one-to-one is student access to wifi at home. With a new device, teachers would need to get training on how to use them in class for things like turning in assignments and giving tests and quizzes.

Starting with the middle schools, one-to-one will bring new ways of learning through new technology.

“I really like one-to-one technology because I think it can make my poorest student feel rich,” Kemble said.

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12 • APRIL 22, 2016

ALCOHOL

For minors who drink, law will help in emergencies New Kansas law grants amnesty to those drinking illegally in situations where law enforcement, paramedics are needed so minors can seek help in emergencies

By Kansas Gibler From frats to friends’ unsupervised homes, underage drinking is a seemingly solutionless problem in a college town as big as Lawrence, with more than 28,000 college students.

A piece of Kansas legislation, signed into law by Gov. Sam Brownback on Feb. 23, will now protect underage drinkers who call 911 for help.

Social worker Lynisha Thomas sees the law as a positive thing for safety but is worried about possible misuse.

“I’m on both sides,” she said. “I can see good for it and I can also see bad, so it’s a law now, so follow it. Hopefully, that information [gets] out so people are more aware of that, especially so maybe it could prevent deaths.”

A student, who asked to remain anonymous because he was talking about underage drinking, said younger drinkers are typically social drinkers. He will be referred to as “John” in the story.

“I think high school and college stu-

dents drink mainly for social reasons and enjoyment, depending on the person,” John said.

Under the new law, students will be required to stay at the scene and cooperate with law enforcement and EMTs in order to receive amnesty.

The bill was pushed for by the father of a former KU student, Jason Wren, who died of alcohol poisoning in March 2009.

Binge drinking isn’t uncommon for area students. Nearly 22 percent of seniors said they drank five or more drinks in one occasion in the 2014 Kansas Communities that Care Student Survey.

With school breezing into May, the Lawrence underage drinking task force will be looking out for high school and college students in possession of alcohol.

Ultimately, the law offers students another way to get help in unsafe situations.

“I think the law will help encourage teens to contact law enforcement in those situations,” John said. “It’s

SENATE BILL 133 “Senate Bill 133 amends the crime of possessing, consuming, obtaining, purchasing, or attempting to obtain or purchase alcohol by a person under 21 to include immunity from prosecution for a person and, if applicable, one or two other persons acting in concert with such person, who initiated contact with law enforcement or emergency medical services; requested medical assistance on such person’s behalf because such person reasonably believed he or she was in need of medical assistance; and cooperated with emergency medical services personnel and law enforcement officers in providing medical assistance.”

—Summary of Legislation, alcoholnews.org Kansas Legislative Research Department

80% of teens admit to h

important for teens to know that in extreme situations, like it someone has alcohol poisoning, it’s OK to contact law enforcement to get that person the medical care they need, and that if they cooperate with the police, they will not be arrested or get in trouble.”

80% of teens to havingadmit drank alcohol least once bydrank age 18 alcohol at least once by age 18 80% ofadmit teens toathaving alcoholnews.org Source: alcoholnews.org

THE BUDGET • PAGE DESIGN BY KANSAS GIBLER

cohol at least once by age 18

underage drinking per year

surveybydone the Center by the for Center Disease for Disease Drunk driving Drunk incidents driving incidents per 1,000 perpeople 1,000 people A surveyA done Control Control and Prevention and Prevention asked drivers asked indrivers in 0-200 0-200 each state eachif state they drove if theyindrove the last in the 30 last 30 days after daystheyafter“had theyperhaps “had perhaps too much too much 200-400 200-400 to drink.”to drink.”

ssom.luc.edu

APRIL 22, 2016 • 13

Drunk driving incidents across the nation 400-600 400-600

++

600-800 600-800 800-1000 800-1000

livescience.com livescience.com

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PAGEhadDESIGN BY alcoholic KANSASdrinks GIBLER • LHSBUDGET.COM Students who have 5 or more in a row Students who have had 5 or more in the last 2 weeks.

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FEATURES

14 • APRIL 22, 2016

Students gain work experience The work experience program allows students to develop job skills on and off campus

By Gabriel Mullen Looking for a first job can be a challenge for anyone. That is why the Work Experience Program at LHS works to help bridge the gap for students with special needs who need extra help preparing for the work world. “[The Work Experience Program] gives students an opportunity to learn some of the softer skills of the workplace,” Work Experience Program coordinator Matt Klein said. “It talks about showing up on time and talks about what you need

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to do to be successful at any job — to necessarily the technical skills behind any specific career. It’s about learning the basic skills about a job before going out into the quote unquote ‘real world.’ ” Students often begin working on the school campus, mainly in the Lion’s Laundry room or with custodial staff.

“I started out working in the Lions Laundry Room with Shelly Vann,” said senior Alex Pickerel, who is now working at Westlake Ace Hardware. “[One of the skills I learned was]... communication and lots of effort to help with that.”

Students who want or need offcampus experience can work at local businesses, such as Westlake Hardware or the Humane Society.

EXPERIENCED — Senior Shyanne Garcia works at the Lawrence Humane Society as part of the work experience program.

Photo by Cooper Avery “I work at the Humane Society, and I clean the dishes for the dogs and put them away [afterwards],” senior Shyanne Garcia, another student in the program, said. “I only work second and third hour.”

After students have obtained experience on campus, they often begin to work at a local business in their area of interest.

“If students do a good job on campus but they need more vocational services, that is when we start partnering with businesses in the community to provide continued learning opportunities for work expe-

APRIL 22, 2016 • 15 rience,” Klein to be involved “I’ll work as hard as I can, I mean in and contact said.

Pickerel you just have to follow directions, potential job said he doesn’t opportuniand sometimes you need to help ties. Calls are know what caother people out, too. Those are reer he wants made to local to be involved both important for really any kind employers to in long-term. find a work of job.”

However, he environment still carries —Alex Pickerel, senior that is a good important fit for the lessons from client they are his experience working with. working in the “SomeLHS laundry times, we can room and the program in do formal inventories, somegeneral. times we gather anecdotal “I’ll work as hard as I can, information from people who I mean you just have to follow are familiar with the client directions, and sometimes and sometimes we spend time you need to help other people with the clients in different out, too,” he said. “Those are environments to determine both important for really any the environment where the kind of job.” client will be most successAs soon as he is done in ful,” Engstrom said. high school, he plans to get Just as students must be involved with one of many prepared to work effectively community-level organization at any job, there are ways that which will continue to help employers can meet students him find a job that is right halfway to help them feel for him. comfortable in a position Community Living Oppor- that is brand new to them, tunities is one of the primary Engstrom said. organizations helping young “Employers should know adults with special needs find that people with disabilities work statewide. The company often have difficulty with serves a similar role as the communication [and] so Work Experience Program, require clear, concise instrucbut works with people after tions and as much consistency they have graduated high as possible,” she said. “Also, school. they should be given feedback “CLO contracts with regularly so that any mistakes Vocational Rehabilitation [a they are making will not division of the Department become a learned pattern that for Children and Families] to is difficult to unlearn.” provide job placement services In order to make certain to clients who have open that students have the right cases with them,” said Deb workplace skills when they’re Engstrom, who is a Supported old enough to have a job, Employment Coordinator at Engstrom said work experithe Lawrence branch of CLO. ence opportunities are already “When I work with employintroduced in elementary ers, I want them to know that and middle schools here in an individual with a disability Lawrence, in addition to Work has the potential to be an Experience Programs at both asset to their business.”

LHS and Free State.

Just as the Work ExperiAccording to Klein, voence Program does at LHS, cational training experience CLO works to help people like what is provided by the with disabilities figure out Work Experience Program is what career they would like imperative to students with

disabilities.

“I think if you’re in the school, the beauty of this program is the structure and the support that comes with it,” he said. “You’re with a job coach, and then hopefully throughout your experience, your job and your placement, they can eventually step back and give [the student] a little more independence. That’s generally part of the learning curve of the job.”

WASHING UP — Garcia washes a pet food bowl at the Humane Society. Photo by Cooper Avery

PAGE DESIGN BY NIA RUTLEDGE • LHSBUDGET.COM

16 • APRIL 22, 2016

CAMP

Camp Barnabas brings students together Christian summer camp allows students to connect with others they might not meet otherwise

By Macy Landes When campers come to Camp Barnabas, they automatically know it’s no ordinary summer camp.

It could be because, as they arrive, their names are announced over loud speakers, or because, right when they get there, they’ve already met their best friend for the week (also know as a CIA).

Whatever the reason, campers go to Barnabas to have an experience they’ll never forget.

Camp Barnabas is a Christian summer camp designed for children and adults who have special needs. Volunteers and participants sign up for week-long sessions. This year, the camp will run from June 5 to Aug. 12.

“They [the campers] get to do typical summer camp things,” said science teacher Timothy Kuhlman, who has volunteered at the camp five times since he was in high school. “Things that kids like them probably grow up thinking or hearing that they’ll never be able to do, like get in a canoe and paddle around on a lake, or get on horseback and ride, or go through an obstacle course.

Things like that.”

Campers and volunteers come from all across the country to attend sessions on any three of the camp’s Missouri campuses. While there, campers are assigned to one volunteer, or CIA, and their cabin for the week.

Volunteers and campers are assigned on a one-to-one ratio, and sometimes a camper will have more than one CIA if needed.

“There’s a lot of activities

there...like archery, and we have parties, and we like to do stuff together as a cabin,” said freshman Nolan Smith, who has attended the camp.

Sessions, as well as being on different campuses, are categorized by age group and disability type.

“I went to challenge week twice, which those are campers that have cerebral palsy and spina bifida, sorts of things that usually they’re almost all wheelchair bound,” Kuhlman said. “I also went to, I forget what they call it, but they all had some sort of visual impairment. A lot of these campers had multiple difficulties, so my camper that week was entirely blind and autistic….Sometimes they get to pick whatever week they feel like they’ll fit in the best.”

Kuhlman said part of the experience for the campers comes from getting to spend time with people who have had some of the same challenges as they have, and many keep in touch with friends they make at camp after they leave for the summer.

“They get to go to a camp where everyone has been through the same sorts of things that they’ve done, and what their life has been like,” he said. “I know some of the campers that this is the one thing they look forward to all year.”

The role volunteers play differ between each pair of CIA and camper, but their main purpose is to be a friend to the participant.

“The primary duty the volunteers serve is being a best friend for the campers

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and giving them unconditional love,” senior Jesse Belt, who was a CIA last summer, said. “That manifests itself in many ways, from doing whatever the camper wants all the time — even if that’s playing on the swings for hours straight — to helping with the activities of daily life, which are things like eating, getting dressed and showering.

Ultimately, volunteers serve to ensure the campers are comfortable, safe and having as much fun as possible.”

Because of the physical and cognitive disabilities many of the campers face, they are often hindered from participating in recreational activities on a regular basis.

But at Barnabas, Belt said the CIAs do their best to let campers take part in things that other teens often take for granted.

“For a week they come to camp where they have their very own volunteer who will do everything they possibly can to make sure the camper has the best week of their life,” he said. “They get to do a lot of fun things they would never get to do at home.”

While being a volunteer can be exhausting, Kuhlman said journey they take at camp is a rewarding process for both CIAs and campers.

“I’ve seen some of the most cheerful people I’ve ever met at this camp,” he said. “...They just love being there.”

Barnabas helps to nurture relationships outside of camp as well.

“It makes so many great memories for everyone in-

volved,” Belt said. “Whenever you mention camp to one of the campers, their face will just light up with the biggest smile, and that’s really cool to see. Also it’s pretty common for campers to stay in touch with their volunteer, forming some really cool, long-lasting friendships.”

Summer camps are about having fun, but somber moments aren’t uncommon at Barnabas. Because many participants have terminal illnesses, there’s always the chance of one of them not returning the next summer.

“I think probably my biggest memory of the camp... is that they do a ‘cross walk’ at the end of the week,” Kuhlman said. “They have this cross at camp where they kind of hold chapel every once in awhile, and on it they have the name of every camper that’s ever come that’s passed away, because a lot of them have very challenging health issues….

There’s quite a few that are on that cross, and it gets a little more full every year, but they pass the cross through camp and we all just kind of take turns praying over it.”

The camp is also widely known for the life-changing experiences it offers participants. Some are affected by the Christian components of the camp.

“We talk about God, or worshiping Him, or singing about Him and praising Him about His son who died on the cross for us, for our... sin,” senior camper Kiera Snodgrass said. “That slavery

APRIL 22, 2016 • 17

of sin goes away because He wants us to be free.”

The camp can be influential for the volunteers as well.

“I was going through a lot of really bad personal stuff when I left for my first week of camp, and spending an entire week living entirely for someone else was such a healing experience,” Belt said. “Most of us don’t get the chance to do that, to have nothing but love for another person, and it definitely has been life changing.”

No matter what participants get out of it, though, they always have a good time.

“My favorite part of camp

is really having fun,” Smith said. “I love swimming, and I love the parties and making new friends.”

CAMPERS — Senior Jesse Belt (left) poses with his first camper Gray Garett at Camp Barnabas.

Photo courtesy of Jesse Belt

PAGE DESIGN BY NIA RUTLEDGE • LHSBUDGET.COM

Kicking it up a notch

SPORTS

18 • APRIL 14, 2016

THE BUDGET • PAGE DESIGN BY NIA RUTLEDGE

Girls’ soccer finds success with new coach

By Gary Schmidt It’s a simple law of physics: an object in motion stays in motion.

For the girls soccer team, the constantly turning coaching carousel has held fast to that law.

During the past eight years, the Lady Lions have had a revolving door at the head coaching position, seeing five coaches come and go during that short time.

The new head coach, Matt McCune, is here to change that.

On Aug. 31, McCune was announced as the new head coach of the team and came in with an established résumé to back himself up.

Starting his soccer career at the ripe age of 10, McCune began an odyssey that would see him cross the pond and back, and eventually wind up holding the reins in Lawrence.

McCune said his interest in the sport took off when he had the opportunity to try out for a youth national team, which he made. He represented the Central division of the United States in 1988. With the team, McCune traveled to Europe to tour with the USA team and play against the top youth talent in the region.

These experiences drove McCune to play in college at Ottawa University and then some stints with semi-professional teams.

It was also his opportunity with the US youth team that drove McCune into coaching, leading him to found the Vinland Valley Soccer Association.

Vinland Valley flourished under the leadership of McCune, who remains the club’s director and boys technical director, and is perennially one of the premier youth clubs in northeast Kansas.

Moving from youth programs to the high school game, is a step

DRIBBLING — Senior Micaela Riley plays in a game against Pembroke Hill March 22. The Lions won 2-1. Photo

by Ian Jones

up, but one McCune is welcoming warmly.

In his coaching, McCune has taken from the best and hopes to be able to apply his experience to the high school level.

“Everything I have done I have borrowed from other coaches, I try to copy winning coaches,” McCune said. “That doesn’t always work, but I feel that I have created a nice winning program through those coaching concepts and ideas. I’m just going to try and instill those same things with the high school girls.”

The Sunflower League is consistently one of the strongest soccer leagues in Kansas on both the boys and girls side of the ball.

Being able to establish a strong program given the fierce competition will be a big challenge and one that will possibly take time, McCune said.

“We are going to have our setbacks and our lumps, but if you want to build a winning program you have to coach the right stuff,” McCune said.

McCune is a big proponent of possession-based soccer and says that he tries to emulate the “tiki-taka” style of play made famous by FC Barcelona — lots of short and quick passes in tight spaces. The team has spent much of its season so far working on fundamental ball skills.

“Soccer, you see, a lot of times, teams will back away from the fundamentals and start playing kickball… we are just going to try and stick to the guns and teach them the right things. It’s just going to be a lot of fundamentals and a lot of technical stuff,” McCune said.

The work paid off early on for McCune, whose team was victorious in his first two matches in charge of the Lady Lions, securing a narrow road victory against Pembroke Hill, 2-1, and then by steamrolling Highland Park, 10-0.

Still early on in the season,

APRIL 22, 2016 • 19

McCune is maneuvering between different line-ups and formations, but the early successes of the season have come with the Lady Lions outfitted in a 3-2-3-2 formation, a derivation from the popular 3-5-2 formation.

Whether or not this will be the formation the team employs for the rest of the season is the question. With only three primary defenders on the backline, pressure is put upon the midfielders to drop back and defend, and pressure on the team as a whole to possess the ball to prevent counter attacks that can expose the backline.

“I don’t know how well this will work out right now, because really it is three defenders,” McCune said.

“We might have to go to four defenders and maybe play with a sweeper. I’m not the type of coach that is going to stay with a formation. You got to go with what will help the team win.”

Going from having the same coach over the past three years to suddenly switching to a new and more complex coaching style may seem a daunting challenge for

the team, but according to senior defender Elaine Harris, the girls are taking it well. “[The girls] have been responding really well,” Harris said. “They’ve been working a lot harder and seem like they care more.”

The difference between this year and last, according to Harris, is the effort given every day — from both the players and the coach.

“I like how he really pushes us,” Harris said. “Our old coach really didn’t do that.

He seems to care a lot more.”

Harris is one of two captains for the Lady Lions and so far has been a huge factor for the team.

“I guess I’ve had more of a leadership role,” she said.

“Since it is my last season I want us to do good, and I want us to push each other.”

That senior leadership, along with the team’s newfound tenacity, has carried the Lions this season.

On a frigid April 1 showdown against Seaman High, the Lions were down two goals with just under 17 minutes left in the game and were being barraged by shots from the Vikings. Freshman

goalkeeper Kaelyn Weiss, stepping in for the injured sophomore Tori Mosakowski, came up big with save after save to keep the Lions within reach. Finally, a fortuitous bounce off an in-swinging cross fell to freshman forward Anna Chieu who graciously tapped it home to bring the Lions within one.

From there it was the Lions who controlled the run of play, sending ball after ball into the box, only to be stifled by the stout Seaman defense. It was looking like the Vikings could escape with the win intact, until Chieu slipped in one last time and slotted it home with a cool composure to tie the game with minutes left in the match. With the game tied at three goals apiece, the game would have to go into overtime to have a winner.

The ball bounced around both sides, with no serious chances appearing for either team until junior midfielder, Carson Drake, the team’s other captain took matters into her own hands.

Off a give-and-go at the half line, Drake received her pass and took a touch into

HEADED TOWARDS A GOAL — Senior Sophie Minder works down the field in the season-opening win over Pembroke Hill. Photo by Ian Jones space, baring down the throat of the opposition. Touching past a Vikings midfielder, Drake looked ahead and saw no one from the Seaman backline step up to pressure the ball away from her, so she had a go. The diminutive midfielder sweetly curled a right footed strike up and over the Seaman goalkeeper, knuckling ferociously into the top right corner.

The full time whistle blew and pandemonium ensued.

Off the heels of a dismal 4-13 season last year, a comeback of that degree was previously unthinkable, but behind McCune, the unthinkable is now feasible. Much has changed in the girls soccer program as it equaled the win total from a year ago just four games in.

Coming back from the brink of death, off to a 4-0 start, and brimming with confidence, what a difference a year — and the wisdom of McCune — can make.

PAGE DESIGN BY NIA RUTLEDGE • LHSBUDGET.COM

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APRIL 22, 2016 • 21

TRACK AND FIELD

Relay team remains strong

Girls 4x400 relay team regroups after key members of state winning team graduate

By Colton Lovelace This season marks a new start for the girl’s 4x4 team as it looks to replace two of the best track runners in school history.

Senior Kyleigh Severa is back and so is junior Myah Yoder, who was an alternate runner a year ago on the relay team that claimed the state title in the event for three consecutive years. The girls team overall also won the 6A state championship last year.

The bonds Severa and Yoder built with those who left were irreplaceable, but they continue to do well in their event.

“The thing I’ll miss the most is the chemistry I had built with those girls,” Severa said. “We had bonded so much over the past three years, they were sisters to me. I will miss the special

4X400 RELAY RESULTS Meet: Free State Dual Date: March 29 Plate: 1st Meet: Topeka Relays Date: April 8 Place: 1st Time: 4:15.37 Meet: Free State Invitational Date: April 15 Place: 2nd Time: 4:08 memories we made and all of the inside jokes we had. They made track fun. Nothing will compare to that group of girls.”

Having such strong runners graduate is hard for a coach to deal with the year after, but Coach Jack Hood and the rest of the coaches

are lucky to have a deep and talented team to fill the open spots.

“It is impossible to replace all that senior class did for Lawrence High,” Hood said.

“Not only did they win the 4x400 three years in a row, they were a part of four school records — 4x100, sprint medley relay, 4x400, and Jensen [Edwards] broke the 800 record.”

Severa looks to set a very rare feat this year. If she helps win another title in the 4x4 this year, she will have won a title all four years at LHS. “A four-peat in the 4x4 would be awesome,” she said.

“I’m so excited to have been given the opportunity to do that this year. We’ve got a good group this year with lots of good freshmen. I’m so excited to see what we’ll do. I’m very optimistic, and I think

we might surprise people.”

Severa looks to break all of her personal records from previous years, including her 4x4 time from a year ago.

“My personal goals for this season are just to improve in my times and my jumps,” she said. “I want to try and reach my 19’ in the long jump and break my PR of 58 in the 4x4.”

If the team can add good, consistent running from new runners behind what it expects out of the upperclassmen, the Lions will once again be competing for a fourth straight 4x4 title.

READY TO COMPETE — Three members of the girls 4x400 relay team gather before a meet. They are senior Kyleigh Severa and freshmen Sanders Barbee and Evann Seratte. Photo courtesy of Jack Hood

LHSBUDGET.COM

22 • APRIL 22, 2016

ASSEMBLY

Sports teams mark start of new season Students gather for spring assembly April 7 STUNTING — Sophomore Abbey Warren (right) pumps up the crowd during the spring sports assembly April 7. Photo by Cooper Avery ON A ROLL — Junior Cole Brungardt (top right) scrambles with his teammates in a take on the game Hungry Hungry Hippos.

Brungardt said he thought the assembly “ran much smoother than last year’s assembly... I thought it was cool how they had every team play a little game or have a skit against each other.” Photo by Cooper Avery DIZZY — Spinning in circles, senior Joaquin Dorado-Mariscal (in Chesty suit) demonstrates the obstacle course that the girl’s swim team competed in. “I apparently almost hit someone with the baseball bat,” Dorado said, “but I wouldn’t know since I can’t really see very well.”

Photo by Cooper Avery AWARENESS — Speaking out, junior Nico Carlson (bottom center) speaks to Lawrence High’s student body about the importance of Autism Awareness Month. Students were asked to wear blue that day for autism awareness. Photo by Cooper Avery HARMONIES — Singing in a quartet, junior Michael McFadden (bottom right) sings during the assembly. “It was really fun, it was incredibly crazy... Everyone got really quiet while we were singing. It was kind of, really scary.” Photo by Cooper Avery

THE BUDGET • PAGE DESIGN BY NIA RUTLEDGE

APRIL 22, 2016 • 23

FEATURES PAGE DESIGN BY NIA RUTLEDGE • LHSBUDGET.COM

SIGNINGS

22 •MAY 12, 2016

SPORTS SIGNINGS

Senior athletes sign up to play at Whether at private colleges, state schools or junior colleges, students have found ways to continue their passions in sports

By Trey Hulse

Matt Jacobsen, Highland Community College: “When I met with the coaches, one of the big things that they pushed was how they really had been building their program and out of all the schools that I went to and all of the coaches I talked to, I liked their mentality more so than the rest of the coaches, and I’m excited to be a part of what their building up.”

Coulter Strauss, Lindenwood University: “I chose Lindenwood

THE BUDGET • PAGE DESIGN BY NIA RUTLEDGE

because of the success of the lacrosse program as well as the emphasis on academics.”

Caroline Dykes, Missouri University of Science and Technology: “I’m looking forward to learning a lot and playing for four more years and making a bunch of new friends, and the people there are pretty diverse so I’m looking forward to learning about different cultures while I’m there, too.”

Jedzia Hicklin, Bene-

dictine College: “The school I chose is close, but at the same time far away so I can still be close to my family, and it’s also a Catholic school which is what my family and I wanted.”

Amber Flummerfelt, Ottawa University: “I wanted to continue playing softball because I’ve never loved anything more in my life, so it only felt right to continue.”

Sophia Taylor, University of Northwestern Colorado: “I signed to Colorado because I really

like Colorado and I really enjoyed the atmosphere of the team and I really liked the coaches.”

Samantha Mills, Ottawa University: “I got a softball scholarship and I also really liked the school they have a really good athletic training program and that’s what I’m wanting to do, I look forward to playing softball, and I’m also going with one of my best friends she’s going to be my roommate, I’ve played softball since I was 5 so it’s always been a part

MAY 12, 2016 • 23

the next level

of my life.”

Amani Bledsoe, University of Oklahoma: “There were a lot of factors that tie into it [selecting a school].

It’s a crazy process but first of all the coaches, I get along with the coaches really well.

The environment and the city reminds me a lot of Lawrence.

It’s not going to be too far away from home either. It’s only about four or five hours away from Lawrence, so I can come back and visit. I just got that special feeling that told me it was the right school.”

JD Woods, Missouri

Western State University: “I just enjoyed playing football, so I wanted to continue playing in college. I looked for a college where I felt like I could call it home, good coaching staff and a place where I felt I could get along good with the other players.”

Justin Roberts, University of Toledo: “The coaching staff really had a good effect on me. Being one of the players on the visit helped me realize that I could play the next four years there, and I just really enjoyed my time there. The facilities were really

nice. It’s a mid major school but with the facilities you wouldn’t be able to tell, and they have a great support system. They get a lot of money from boosters and everything just looks great.”

Alan Clothier, Appalachian University: “When I went there, it was beautiful.

It was in the mountains, and I thought it was the perfect school for me. I hung out with the wrestling team, and I felt like I should be with them and they were coming up they are going to be really good in a couple of years. The other

coaches and the facilities were really nice.”

Anthony Harvey Jr, Newman University: “It was closer to home than my other offers, and Reece [Wright-Conklin] was a big part in my decision with the legacy he left behind — all the memorials they have in the gym, they’ve got two big posters in the gym and they have some leading up to the gym. The campus was just really nice and the criminal justice program is just stellar, and it’s where I need to go.”

PAGE DESIGN BY NIA RUTLEDGE • LHSBUDGET.COM

ARTS Showtime rolling out next week LHS tradition to be continued by junior and senior choir members

By Luna Stephens Choir’s biggest event of the year is coming upon LHS as singers intensely prepare for three days of Showtime performances.

An annual LHS event, this year’s Showtime will be April 28-30.

“It is a huge challenge,” choir director Dwayne Dunn said. “Often our most talented performers are also our busiest students… so trying to schedule rehearsals for so many groups of students is like putting together a giant puzzle.”

The complexity of the show lies in it not only having performances by the three

main choirs, but also that it features small ensemble groups of juniors and seniors.

“When I was in Belissima as a sophomore… [I] got to kind of test the waters,” said senior Kari Karnes. “It’s been really cool to increase my number of featured acts so my junior year I only did three and then this year I’m in six, so it’s been really cool to kind of progress like that.”

Showtime is at the end of the month, but work has already been going on around the clock to be ready for the big days ahead.

“It’s a lot of fun but it’s a lot of hard work,” senior Jasmine Harader-Ellett said.

“We’re doing a Christmas song by Ariana Grande so I’m really excited for that.”

Students working in independent acts have a lot of free rein in choosing what they want to do, selecting their

own group and song, and working on the choreography.

“They have to do everything,” Dunn said. “Choose the song, obtain a legal copy of the sheet music and a legal recording of the song, recruit members for their group, decide how the song will be performed.”

This kind of opportunity gives students lessons in time management and hard work that may not go into a regular choir concert. Small groups especially require a lot of work from students, with some of that work taking place outside school, as students have to audition beforehand.

“Before auditions, we work at each others’ houses and stuff,” Karnes said. “[We] learn the songs and the choreography and Dr. Dunn will fix harmonies or add parts or take away parts that don’t

sound good.”

After auditions, students work for four weeks with Dunn to perfect their ensemble and choir performances to be ready to showcase at the end of April, picking up lessons along the way.

“Many things are learned while doing Showtime,” Dunn said. “Some of them are about music.”

This will be Dunn’s fifth year overseeing Showtime, and he expects the same quality students have shown all year in choir classes.

“I truly enjoy watching all the student ideas and efforts blossom into such a great show,” Dunn said. “I know how talented the LHS students are because I hear them sing every day, but it is amazing how much they grow and mature as people during this process.”

SHOWTIME Beauty School Dropout (Elliot Abromeit & girls) Black and Gold Black Horse and a Cherry Tree Boondocks Broadway Here I Come (Bridget Casad) Can’t Hurry Love A Change is Gonna Come (Sierra Buskirk) Cheek to Cheek (Reagan Kanter) Dreams Everywhere You Look Hallelujah Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride I Just Haven’t Met You Yet (Matt Jacobsen) I Only Wanna Be With You I Want You Back Love is an Open Door (Kari Karnes & Matt Jacobsen) Madness The Man Who Can’t Be Moved (Cameron Stussie) Renegrade Runaround Sue Safe and Sound (Abby Hosek & Emily Walthall) Seven Bridges Road Together We Can Waterloo What’s Up (Bridget Casad & Elizabeth Godinez) *Not all songs included The Wizard of Ahhhs

26 • APRIL 22, 2016

New black box opens possibilities

With construction of the black box theater ending, performing arts classes have a fresh resource

By Kira Auchenbach The LHS theater department currently produces two plays a year. But with the recently completed new black box theater, the opportunity to produce more plays expands with more performance space.

“I’m excited that it’s there [the new black box], and we’re going to have opportunities to do smaller shows,” sophomore Mia Romano said.

Among the changes made to the front of the building during bond construction, the expanded black box theater can be used for theater productions, meetings, speeches and music storage.

With a new black box, the performing arts department will be able to expand its performances with more short plays, class space and extra playing space for the

band and orchestra.

“I think that just having another break out space for all of us to rehearse and practice for all of us would be amazing,” English and drama teacher Jamie Johnson said. “I’m hoping it gives us more performance opportunities” Although the school had a black box before construction, the new one, with a light grid and adjustable seating, is better equipped for student use. Assistant principal Mike Norris said the new addition cost an estimated $740,000 and is 3,700 square feet.

“It was sort of an equity project because Free State has a black box theater,” Johnson said. “We have one, but it’s old. It’s an older building, so it’s been around for a long time, and we are just really outgrowing our

THE BUDGET • PAGE DESIGN BY NIA RUTLEDGE

space.”

Johnson hopes to be able to use the new black box for rehearsal space, school productions and extra class space for the acting classes.

“I think it will afford us with more performances which...gives more students a chance to be on stage,” Johnson said. “There’s more people we can cast, and that’s optimal, being able to cast as many students every year so a bunch of people can have experience.”

The district also plans to hold small performances in the black box. Community meets and staff meetings can be another black box use.

The construction on the black box has also created additional storage space for the orchestra and band programs.

“Our orchestra doesn't

COMPLETE — The new black box theater will be used for future performances. Photo by Carli Stellwagon have enough storage in their space. They need uniforms, they need instruments,” assistant director of orchestra Andrew Shaw said. “When we transitioned from a 10 through 12 building to a nine through 12 building, the storage did not increase.”

Theater would like to do four productions a year, including smaller ones in the black box. It now has a light grid and seating that is able to be moved in different ways.

“I think that we will have to adjust — with anything that gives you limitations I think it also gives you opportunities,” Johnson said.

APRIL 22, 2016 • 27

Current representatives are too few and far to portray LGBTQ+ groups accurately

By Addisson Thornsbury You’ve heard of Ellen, Caitlyn Jenner, and a few of the characters from Glee. But when who are other important LGBTQ+ figures in media, there are few replies.

Why is there a lack of representation, or at least recognition?

Without this exposure, children grow up not knowing that being gay, or anything in between, is natural. It has become normal to be living in a heteronormative society.

Heteronormativity assumes that being straight is the only sexual orientation, and that marital relations should stay between those of opposite sexes. A heteronormative view is one that relies heavily on alignment of biological sex, sexuality, gender identity, and even gender roles.

Often, it even has a lot to do with homophobia and transphobia.

In media today, there are more shows, commercials and movies with homosexual characters. However their relationships are commonly portrayed negatively, there are rarely any characters who are not white, and not enough identities are shown.

Media automatically makes sure that gay male characters are very feminine and lesbian women are extremely masculine. Because when a character

doesn’t fit inside that frame, it makes people uncomfortable.

Tons of high school girls drool over finding their stereotypical gay best friend. But if they were to find out that he doesn’t like to shop or his voice isn’t the right pitch, they’d drop him in an instant.

But they wouldn’t think that all gay guys were this way if it wasn't for media stereotyping them.

But what is the worst part about this? It’s the fact that other identities are seen as nonexistent.

There are more than lesbian women and gay men.

Where are the bisexual, pansexual, asexual, nonbinary and other homosexual and transgender characters?

When it comes to whitewashing, there is a high possibility that people can not name more than three characters who are people of color and LGBTQ+ in television shows, movies, commercials, etc.

Our thoughts are commonly shaped by media influence, whether good or bad.

The stereotypes we commonly see are merely the perceptions of a single person, but they shouldn’t be ours.

OPINION

LGBTQ+ people in need of sufficient representation

Graphic by Inez Robinson

PAGE DESIGN BY NIA RUTLEDGE • LHSBUDGET.COM

OPINION

28• APRIL 22, 2016

Laws discriminate against LGBT people Transphobic legislation unfairly targets trans people in a space that shouldn’t be disputed

By Zoie German-Martinez In the past few weeks, a noticeable handful of state legislatures have brought forward anti-LGBT bills, specifically targeting transgender people.

For example, North Carolina’s anti-transgender bill states that if a trans person doesn’t use the bathroom matching their biological sex, they can be fined more than $1,000.

There’s already been a huge uproar about these laws across the country, and the North Carolina Attorney General has said he won’t defend the law in court.

However, both bills are part of an extremely large issue that’s been slow to be recognized. Gender is a social construct deeply embedded into everyday life, influencing everything from colors to politics.

The fight for equal rights for transgender people has seen few results. We have had more recognition, with actress Laverne Cox and reality star Caitlyn Jenner. Still, these new bills have passed in state legislatures around the country.

Female to male, or vice versa, trans people face an extreme struggle from the beginning. People use the wrong pronouns or name, and it’s a common misconception that something “made them trans.”

It’s even harder to be accepted as another type of trans: non-binary, or neither male nor female. People don’t tend to understand that gender is a spectrum and some people just don’t feel like a boy or girl. When telling someone your pronouns are they/them, they usually laugh or say,

THE BUDGET • PAGE DESIGN BY NIA RUTLEDGE

“That’s grammatically incorrect.”

On one memorable occasion, I was referred to as “it.”

Coming out is an important step in a society that’s extremely heteronormative and cisnormative. Yet for a lot of nonbinary people it’s usually ignored. People often don’t believe there are actually more than two genders and “they” pronouns can be singular. On a positive note, it’s become a lot more recognized in the past decade, but there is definitely more work to be done.

The belief of gender and sex being interchangeable needs to be erased. They are two completely different things — gender being what you feel is right and sex being what’s between your legs. People might say, “Duh, we know that,” but then why are bathrooms assigned by gender?

If we’re going to keep using gender to indicate what bathroom you use, then we should include non-binary genders by building gender neutral restrooms.

In the past decade, multiple colleges, such as the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and the University of Vermont, have added gender-neutral restrooms on their campuses. They aren’t everywhere on these campuses. For the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, gender neutral restrooms are only placed in extensively renovated and newly-constructed buildings.

Even at KU, there aren’t gender neutral restrooms in every single building. There are only 17 on the 1,000-acre campus. Regardless, this is a huge step in the right direction of acceptance.

Beyond bathrooms, people have a tendency to assume the terms “woman” and “female” can be used interchangeably. Even when I was

younger I didn’t understand the difference, but it’s huge.

Female is a biological term and woman is used for gender. Gender isn’t biological; it’s what you feel is right, which, yes, is extremely complicated. How do you know what feels right? How can you eloquently describe or label what you feel? This has led to an abundance of gender labels being introduced and lots of pronouns.

A lot of people are quick to dismiss the labels and pronouns because it’s “too complicated.” But it literally is as simple as someone remembering your name. Aren’t you a little hurt when someone forgets your name? Wouldn’t it be upsetting if they forgot it over and over again? And wouldn’t you feel hurt if someone didn’t even try because it’s supposedly too hard to pronounce or remember?

The erasure of non-binary people is an extremely harmful one. It leaves us feeling invalid, with a low sense of self-worth. The percent of trans people who attempt suicide is 41 percent, and in 2014 there were more than three cases of transgender teens who succeeded in committing suicide. Even in my family, neither of my parents use the right pronouns.

I’m still called a girl; hundreds — if not thousands — of trans people deal with the same issue or worse.

The concept of gender is a deep-rooted issue that’s going to take years to undo. It’s difficult and there will always be people who believe there are only two genders and that you should stay the gender you were assigned. Yet we have to recognize that gender and sex are different, so hopefully the symbols on restroom signs won’t feature only a person in a dress or pants.

APRIL 22, 2016 • 29

Gender Neutral

Graphic by Joaquin Dorado-Mariscal

PAGE DESIGN BY NIA RUTLEDGE • LHSBUDGET.COM

OPINION

30 • APRIL 22, 2016

COMIC

You see Skip, there are tons of students with MANY personalities and talents in LHS!

Allow me to explain further.....

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I’m in a pentagon!

Squares aren’t very creative shapes, Jacinda.

Chesty: Many students from various backgrounds and places around the world, differ in personalities from artistic to athletic, fun-loving to dead serious and responsible to the ... uh ...... irresponsible...

LHSBUDGET.COM

Go online for more A Day in LHS

THE BUDGET • PAGE DESIGN BY NIA RUTLEDGE

nope nope nope nope nope nope nope

nope nope nope nope nope nope nope

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nope nope nope nope nope nope nope

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... no hats in the building!

R EB EL

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..You know, I wish that some students will just follow some simple rules like.....

Cartoon by Jacinda Warren

APRIL 22, 2016 • 31

JOURNALISM

LAWRENCE HIGH SCHOOL

MISSION STATEMENT The Budget is committed to providing the Lawrence High School community with objective, inclusive news coverage that ensures relevance to its 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. 66046-2999.

The Budget is produced by students in the Digital Journalism and Digital Design and Production courses with occasional contributions from 21st Century Journalism and guest columnists. The newspaper’s goals are to inform, entertain, and present a forum of expression for students, faculty, administrators and community members. The newspaper is financed through advertising and 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.

STAFF Editors-in-chief: Zia Kelly & Kansas Gibler Design & Layout Editor: Nia Rutledge Online Editor: Meredith Chapple Graphics Editor: Joaquin Dorado Mariscal Photo Editor: Cooper Avery Captions Editor: Hannah Gaines Zenfolio Editor: Ian Jones Webmaster: Jacob Parnell

Video Editor: Griffin Nelson Sports Editor: Colton Lovelace Ad Sales Representative: Nicole Owens Journalism staff members: Nicole Aqui, Kira Auchenbach, Shayla Brillhart, Amanda Coatney, Veda Cobb, Tristan Delnevo, Ella Denson-Redding, Harrison Easley, Abby English, Allie Fischer, Shyanne Garcia, Emily Gordon-Ross, Zoie German- Martinez, Isabella Hedges, Krista Hopkins, Trey Hulse , Lourdes Kalusha- Aguirre, Caitlynn Kliem, Ahnya Lewis, Macy Landes, Kenneth McLaughlin, Jaycee Mountain, Gabe Mullen, Ethan Parks, Abigal Percich, Mason Phelps, Kaitlyn Preut, Jennifer Pomes, Kate Rettig, Claire Robinson, Susan Rockhold, Sofia Rommel, Aidan Rothrock, Alicia Ruder, Connor Schmaus, Gary Schmidt, Clara Severn, Carli Stellwagon, Nick Steichen, Skylar Steichen, Luna Stephens, Amanda Stinnett, Coulter Strauss, Addison Thornsbury, Anna-Marie Turner, Jacinda Warren, Eric Wheatman and Julia Wilson.

Adviser: Barbara Tholen

EDITORIAL CARTOON

“May the odds be ever in your favor Senior tributes” Dorado

Jacobsen

Follow the Twitter account for all assassins updates @AssassinsLfk Cartoon by Joaquin Dorado Mariscal

PAGE DESIGN BY NIA RUTLEDGE • LHSBUDGET.COM

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