Est. 1879
'Never never never give up' C team basketball player moved up to varsity for a game in honor of her terminally ill father By Mallory Thompson Sophomore Harley Phelps stood at the free throw line during the varsity basketball game against rival Free State on Feb. 24. For one game, Phelps had been moved up from C team to varsity. Trying to ensure she would make the next two shots, all she could think about was her form. But outside the walls of the gym, this 15-year-old had many other things to be thinking about.
Cancer strikes On Jan. 18, Harley’s father, Paul Phelps, was
diagnosed with a glioblastoma, stage four brain cancer. This type of cancerous tumor is most common after 50 years of age. Only about one in four patients survive two years. “There’s no cure — it’s incurable,” Harley said. The family first became concerned for Paul’s health when he started suffering from headaches. After a few weeks, his wife, Christina Phelps, urged him to go to the doctor. The next 10 days were filled with tests and procedures, including a CAT scan and biopsy. Harley remembers walking
Lawrence High School, 1901 Louisiana St., Lawrence, KS 66046
into school the 18th with a sinking feeling, knowing they would have biopsy results that night. “I knew it was going to be bad,” Harley said. “I had a feeling, I knew the whole day.” That night after basketball practice, Harley and her family sat down at the table and her father told them the news: He had stage four brain cancer. There wasn’t much the doctors could do about it. “I know that sounds like a bad way to tell someone, but I think that was best,” Harley said. “It wasn’t sugar-coated or anything. It was just
Sophomore Harley Phelps shoots a free throw Feb. 24. "There was a lot going through my mind," she said. Photo by Grace Rinkie
exactly what it was.” It took Harley a couple minutes to process what he had just said. After a few questions, everyone was crying. “It was just hard,” she said. “But I would say there’s probably going to be two hardest parts to this: when you find out and when he dies.” Continued on page 2 Vol. 122, Issue 8, March 7, 2012
NEWS
Phelps: Despite father's battle with cancer, family focuses on positives Continued from page 1 Paul believes this diagnosis doesn’t change anything for him, though. “It wasn’t good news that I had the worst possible scenario,” he said. “But that doesn’t change anything for me because I wasn’t going to live forever, so the number of days that I have haven’t changed because of this cancer. We’re terminal anyway. I don’t think this cancer changes me at all.” Research is being done that might help treat glioblastoma tumors in the future. This may include radioactive seed implants, stereotactic radiosurgery and new forms of chemotherapy -but that’s yet to come. It’s unsure how long Paul may survive his battle. “They don’t know, it’s different for every person,” Harley said. “It’s not an extensive amount of time -- he’s dying.”
Living with uncertainty Even with this new reality, life continues. There was still school and basketball practices for Harley. As Harley and her younger brother, Mason, go on with the regular work of their lives, Paul has taken on a fight for more time with his family. To ease the pressure on Paul’s brain, he endures chemotherapy and radiation therapy. “It’s just managing the pain that he has and reducing the swelling because when it swells too much, then his brain can bleed, so they have to reduce that as much as they can,” Harley said. “He’s not going to be 100 percent at any time. It just gives him time where it slows it down.” The effects of this treatment have changed the family’s daily life. Paul is tired, so the family has to plan ahead for even small excursions. Future plans have been altered as well. “I always said I wanted to grow up and go away to college in Boston because I love it there, but I don’t know,” Harley said. “I don’t want to have to leave my brother and my mom by themselves, I guess. I’m just not sure if that’s something I’ll still do because I don’t want to leave them behind.” Paul has been amazed at the strength of his family, from his wife -- “without her I couldn’t get through this myself” -- to his two children. “I think that both Harley and Mason have dealt with it very well,” Paul said, with tears in his eyes. “I know they have struggled, but they both inspire me with their own courage and the way that they conduct themselves in positive manners. It inspires me every day.” Rather than constantly dwell on the severity of the situation, the Phelps family has chosen to try and do the opposite. “We made a decision as a family to focus on the positives, and, even though we are in the midst of a very difficult situation, there are positives each and every day,” Christina said. “We just work as a family to identify those positives and stay focused on [them].”
Living for the moments Those positives can come in the form of little things: a free throw in a lopsided basketball game. Harley kept playing basketball after her dad was diagnosed. She played all season but hadn’t made a shot. Now, she was on the free-throw line during a varsity game. 2 | The Budget
“We are going to have to rely on each other because we’re not going to be strong at the same time. So we have to work with each other as a team to get through this." —Christina Phelps Harley’s first free throw sunk into the net. The crowd went crazy. So did her parents. Head girls basketball coach Nick Wood had asked Harley to play in the varsity home game against Free State in honor of her family’s battle with cancer. Then Wood told the varsity team that “something was going to happen on Friday night that was bigger than if we won or lost a basketball game.” “It was also a way to keep our mind off of the situation,” Harley said. “In that hour and a half, we [could be] focused on something else.” During the game, Harley sat on the bench, nervously waiting for her name to be called. The Lions were losing badly and the crowd sat bored until Wood turned to Harley. Harley felt the rush of adrenaline. “There wasn’t a second to be nervous between the time it hit me that I was going in and the time I had to play,” she said. The instant fans realized Harley was being put into the game, the gym erupted. The student section stood up, yelling and chanting for Harley. When she was taken out of the game, the student section shouted for Wood to give her another chance to play. “They started chanting, ‘We want Harley’ with about four minutes left in the game and when I subbed in a different player, I thought I was going to get booed out of my own gym,” Wood said. Wood soon granted their wishes. Then he approached Free State coach Bryan Duncan in hope of getting Harley to the free throw line. Duncan instructed his players to foul Harley. After making her first free throw, Harley stood calmly at the line ready for her second shot. Her dad could barely see her through tears of joy. “I just wanted to do it for my dad,” Harley said. The ball left her hands and once again sunk into the net. The student section continued to chant Harley’s name for the remainder of the game. “Everyone was really happy for her,” sopho-
Above: Harley Phelps receives a kiss on the cheek from her father, Paul Phelps. Paul was diagnosed with a glioblastoma, stage four brain cancer, on Jan. 18. “I really have no complaints,” Paul said. “There are so many people worse off than I am that it’s hard for me to even give a second thought to what I’m going through sometimes because there are people who are going through a lot worse things than I am.” Left: Parents Christina and Paul Phelps pose with their children, Mason and Harley Phelps. All are wearing shirts made for a girls C team basketball game to support the Phelps family with their journey battling cancer. Photos by Abby Gillam
more Kristen Gile said. “Everyone kind of knows what’s going on. She deserved it.” The other side of the gym even joined in with the cheering. Rivals united for one family. “The whole gym collectively seemed to automatically know that something special had just occurred,” Paul said. While Christina screamed so loud the whole gym could hear, Paul also was proud of his daughter. “She worked so hard to get to that point that I couldn’t have been more happy or proud for
Page design by Mallory Thompson
her at that moment that not only that she made it, but that an entire 2,000 people collectively were behind her,” Paul said. “I think that is just a testament to her character and her work ethic and the wonderful person that she is.” With the whole gym chanting her name, nearly everyone there had goosebumps. “It just let me know that the support was there for me,” Harley said. For that instant, the glioblastoma was the last thing on the minds of any members of the Phelps family. “Cancer can take away a lot of things, but it won't be able to take away that moment,” Wood said. March 7, 2012
BUDGET staff
OPINION
Late arrival is necessary
Students are already stretched too far and lost hours for LHS students will take toll and only cause more stress By Taylor Kidder Comic by Joey Johnson
About The Budget
The Budget is published every three 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 Journalism II course with occasional contributions from Beginning Journalism, Journalism III 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.
Feedback
Letters to the editor and story ideas may be submitted in room 139 or by e-mail to lhsbudget@ gmail.com.
Issue Editor-in-Chief Mallory Thompson
Editorial Board
Taylor Kidder, Online Lily Abromeit, News Mallory Thompson, Sports Yu Kyung Lee, Features Jacob Mason, Design Abby Gillam, Photo
Advertising Manager Maxwell Butterfield
Staff
Anessea Anderson Madeline Baloga Isaiah Boldridge Mackenzie Breithaupt Azer Chaudhry Jamiera Flowers Chelsea Foster Sarah Helwani Ashley Hocking Joey Johnson Ella Magerl (assistant online editor) Mara McAllister Joe Mills Weston Norris (online photo editor) Michael Peterson Kendra Schwartz Shelby Steichen Morgan Wildeman
Business Manager: Susan Bell
Adviser:
Barbara Tholen
March 7, 2012
Due to a failure to meet legal regulations of time in school, the Lawrence school district was forced to make up time at the end of the year. This time will be made up through the removal of several late arrival periods from March to April. Students do not need the late arrival time: They need more than the late arrival time. Taking away the minuscule amounts of time students presently have is ridiculous. Students require more late arrival periods — not fewer — and taking away the time students have is anything but an ideal solution. Already, students are barely getting enough sleep. Medical studies show that students need around nine hours of sleep, and many students have to wake up before 7 a.m. to get ready for school. The one time students are able to get the rest they require is on late arrival days when they are given one extra hour of sleep. This hour is barely enough for students to keep a proper sleep schedule, illustrated by students who still show up 30 minutes late for Thursday classes. Administrators claim that they would rather remove late arrival than renegotiate teacher contracts. While trying to get more days for teachers would be difficult, it needs to be done. It is ridiculous that the school district, the group responsible for educating youth on mathematics, made such an error. Students should not be punished for the district’s miscalculations. Administrators should fix their problem without removing the limited sleeping time students have. The district needs to add days to the school year and not remove late arrival. As undesirable as that is, it’s better to lose a few days than to lose the few hours of sleep students have.
Graphic by Weston Norris
What’s on your
mind? By Morgan Wildeman
Where are you going for spring break?
“I think I’m going to stay in town and focus on college stuff.”
TaylorDoonan
J'QuiAudena
Bella Whittaker
Courtney Gatewood
Cameron Reusch
“I’m taking a missionary trip to lndia."
“I’m going to Mars… and the moon..”
“Some friends and I are going on a ski trip to Breckenridge.”
“I’ll probably just sit at home and play video games."
Page design by Joe Mills and Lily Abromeit
Graphic by Azer Chaudhry The Budget | 3
NEWS
Teachers say AP tests tough but worth effort By Kendra Schwartz As students progress through high school, many choose to challenge themselves and take an Advanced Placement, or AP, course. The question by the end of the year for many students is whether or not they should take the AP exam. Although the majority of AP teachers encourage students to take this exam after their completion of the course, many students opt out. Although this option may seem the best for some students, there are many arguments as to why this might not necessarily be the best choice. Tracy Murray, AP European history teacher, said there are various reasons that convince students not to take the exam. “Sometimes students have personal issues going on that have distracted them from being able to be fully focused,” Murray said. “Students who haven’t experienced that level of growth in some of their skills sometimes decide it’s not in their best interest to take it.” Some students choose not to take the exam because they were unsuccessful during the year in their AP class. Students who scored poorly on tests throughout the year may not be as serious about the subject and therefore have little interest in taking the cumulative test over the material. For students who slack, it is nearly impossible to cram an entire year’s worth of college-level material in a few weeks prior to the AP exam. Other students may have financial concerns. The AP tests cost $87 each. However, for students
who qualify for free or reduced lunch, the cost of the AP test can be significantly reduced. Students with test anxiety also choose to omit taking AP tests to avoid the pressure. Although there is the pressure that success on an AP test can earn a student college credits, failure on the test will not effect the student’s college applications. Colleges do not require that students share their AP scores. For students, this should only encourage them that taking the AP exam is the right choice. Pamela Fanghor, AP Calculus teacher, encourages all of her students to take the AP exam. “With our school, we have it set up that if a student takes the Advanced Placement exam and they are a sophomore, junior or senior, or a ninth-grader, they don’t have to take the final exam,” Fanghor said. Students who have continuously tried their best in class should have no tribulations regarding taking the exam. The students who have not been keeping up however, will not be penalized by not taking the exam. In fact, it may be beneficial for the students who scored poorly throughout the year to still take the exam, because rather than taking the final and possibly lowering their grade further, they can remain unaffected by the final grade. Each individual scenario in student's lives will dictate their choice to take the exam, but the substantial reasons for taking the exam after completing an AP course overrule the reasons
AP Physics teacher Andrew Bricker teaches during his fifth hour class. Bricker encourages any student who has maintained an A or A- all through the year to take the AP exam. Photo by Weston Norris against it for many students. AP Chemistry instructor Karen Currey encourages all of her students to at least attempt to take the AP test in hopes of saving them time
and money in the future. “To me it’s a win-win situation: you might get college credit and if you don’t, you don’t have to take a cumulative test,” Currey said.
All you need to know about AP classes, from cost to tests By Ashley Hocking What are AP classes? Advanced Placement classes aim to prepare students for the challenges of college. AP courses aid students in gaining in-depth knowledge on par with a college course. AP students must sacrifice time to complete the elevated workload, which includes studying for tests with copious amounts of material, completing more homework and studying for the optional AP exam at the end of the year. How do AP classses affect students’ GPAs? To account for the additional work required, AP students are graded on a weighted scale unlike standard courses, which grade students on a scale of 4.0 or below. AP courses can greatly raise students’ grade point averages. What are AP exams and why should
students take them? AP calculus teacher Pamela Fanghor encourages students to take the AP exam because it gives college-bound students some idea of what to expect after high school. “It gets them ready for the rigor of college,” Fanghor said. The exams are a compilation of information covered throughout the school year. Benefits of taking AP exams include the fact that the scores don’t affect your overall grade for the class, and many teachers waive a cumulative final at the end of the year if a student takes the exam. While the AP exam is not required for students in AP classes, it is recommended. What is the cost benefit? At the University of Kansas, the average cost per credit hour for in-state students is $279. The AP exam costs $87, so it is a much cheaper alternative to paying in full for a college credit
hour. Additionally, students who qualify for the free- and reduced-lunch program can get their fees waived by the College Board to a much lower rate of $13 for the AP exam. AP drawing teacher Wendy Vertacnik urges her students to take the exam because it encourages them to not only think outside the box, but also, “it’s like another college scholarship application in a sense,” Vertacnik said. How do students prepare? AP chemistry teacher Karen Currey bases her tests throughout the year on the exam to help students prepare. She does this because “the school expects you to take the test if you’re in the class,” Currey said. While students are not required to take an AP class to take the AP exam, many teachers, such as AP European History teacher Tracy Murray advocate the need for students to partake in the course before taking the exam.
“It certainly helps to prepare them,” Murray said. “Without the preparation of the course, they will not be successful on the exam.” How is the test scored? The AP exam is scored on a scale of one to five, with a one being no recommendation, a two being possibly qualified, a three being qualified, a four being well qualified and a five being extremely well qualified. Scores of three or higher usually earn students college credit. Whether the AP credit counts depends on which college a student hopes to attend. Students should carefully consider the colleges they would like to attend and check their policies on accepting course credit hours before signing up for AP courses. Some colleges also allow students who score high enough on AP exams to skip beginner courses at the college level. This also helps lessen the financial burden.
In print. Online. www.lhsbudget.com Follow: @lhsbudget 4 | The Budget
Page design by Ella Magerl
March 7, 2012
OPINION
Orchestra teacher travels to NY with Lawrence Children's Choir By Ella Magerl Orchestra teacher Rachel Dirks will perform April 1 at Carnegie Hall with the Lawrence Children’s Choir. Located in midtown Manhattan in New York City, Carnegie Hall is one of the world’s most prestigious venues for music. Q: How did you get this opportunity? A: “I know the director [of LCC] really well, I’ve known her since I was a kid, and she really likes to have cello with her choirs. She chose four pieces for their program and asked me if I would go along.” Q: What will you be performing? A: “I’ll be playing on four different selections, all written for children’s choir, children’s voices. What I do is I provide a lyrical accompaniment that goes along with that.” Q: Is this the first time you’ve performed at Carnegie Hall? A: “I have performed at Carnegie Hall before, but I conducted. That was 15 years ago. I conducted an orchestra there.” Q: What are your feelings about performing? A: “Oh I’m terribly excited. I know I will be petrified when I go out on the stage, but I’m practicing hard so I don’t lose my nerve.” Q: Are you going to miss any school days? A: “I am, and I’m not feeling really great about that part, but that’s how it goes. I’m going to miss a couple of days.” Q: Are any of your family members or friends going to travel with you? A: “Absolutely. My parents are coming, and my son is in the choir so all of his grandparents are coming.” Q: Have you ever performed in any other major locations or venues?
A: “I have been really lucky, I’ve taken orchestras to Europe and San Francisco and New York, and I’ve had the opportunity to perform in some really cool locations. I’ve also been a soloist with several orchestras in not-as-cool locations, but still it’s been fun.” Q: How long have you been playing cello?
A: “Let’s do some math here... I’ve been playing for over 30 years.” Q: What's your favorite part about performing? A: “You know, I really enjoy that moment when everything locks into place and the music is beautiful and you’re not thinking about any-
Orchestra teacher Rachel Dirks shares a joke with her sixth-hour concert orchestra. Photo by Weston Norris thing but that moment. That is such a treasure when that happens, because it doesn’t always happen.”
Lion time: return of seminar Administrators consider bringing back a time for homework, teacher help under name of Lion Time By Shelby Steichen Major changes were made to LHS during the 2012 school year that both students and staff had to overcome. Freshmen were moved up, an extra hour was added to the schedule and seminar was eliminated. More changes may come with the discussion of creating “Lion Time,” a possible seminar-like addition. The current idea of Lion Time is a 30-minute span set aside for Link Crew to visit with underclassmen, teachers to work with students and students to work on homework. “It would be kind of like a teacher-student mentoring time,” Principal March 7, 2012
Matt Brungardt said. Although Lion Time would be somewhat similar to seminar, there would be major differences. “There were some real problems with seminar,” Brungardt said. Most of the changes would make Lion Time more structured than seminar was. “Lion Time would be a very defined list of things that we could do during that time,” Brungardt said. “We’re looking at it being only for academic use, not club meetings, not other types of things. Just a study hall time for students, and maybe with the possibility to travel to one other room.” Along with these changes, the creation of Lion Time would also affect the school’s current schedule, the biggest change being less late arrivals throughout the year. “On Thursdays, school would be
starting at 8 and not 9,” Brungardt said. “We’d return to how it used to be when we’d have six late starts throughout the school year.” Because Lion Time is still in the discussion stages, its benefits and disadvantages will be important factors to its creation. One of the main benefits is having more free time throughout the school week. “[Lion Time] would give us a block of time to do lots of activities that we just don’t have the time right now to do,” Brungardt said. Among these things are homework, makeup work, labs and LINK crew activities. But there are possible downfalls to Lion Time. “If we bring something like seminar back, we’re going to have to find ways to address the issues that schools were having before,” Brungardt said. The main issue that would need to be addressed is using Lion Time Page design by Lily Abromeit
effectively. “Some teachers described [seminar] as, you knew who ran the academic seminars and who ran the parties,” Brungardt said. “And kids would get into the hallways and hang out with their friends and run around.” Despite the fact that details of Lion Time seem to be ironed out, students may never encounter Lion Time. “[Lion Time] is just at the proposal stages,” Brungardt said. If Lion Time does end up being proposed, it will not be able to be finalized until teachers’ contracts are negotiated. This involves configuring teachers’ planning times and duty days. “It could be one of those things where it could take until the summer until a decision is made,” Brungardt said. The Budget | 5
FEATURES
Color blind student sees future in art Kittel excels in art despite the odds, plans to be designer By Yu kyung Lee Jim Kittel first found out he was color blind when he couldn’t see the leaves on trees changing color. He was 8 years old and already interested in art, pressing Play Doh into artistic shapes. But differentiating between the most basic of colors eluded him. “My parents realized that I have problems with red and green and fall colors,” Kittel said. “And also, one of the main reasons I found out is because I can’t really tell K-State purple from KU’s blue.” Kittel has hard time distinguishing blue from purple and red from green. Christmas and LHS-FSHS games: They all look brown to Kittel. He can distinguish colors by differentiating the shades, but telling two different colors of the same shade apart is difficult. “I have to ask people all the time what color a pastel or a marker is before I use it because a lot of the times I can’t tell,” Kittel said. He learned he was color blind in second grade. Nine years later, he decided to become an artist.
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Color blindness Color blindness could be a problem for the aspiring artist, but no one knows by just looking at his art. “It doesn’t seem to affect his artistic abilities,” said senior Amanda Fevurly, who is one of the editors of the yearbook on which Kittel is co-design editor. “His color pieces, they look like
8 | The Budget
what everyone else would do.” Kittel said most difficulties with being color blind come from everyday life. Playing games that match red and green cards is impossible and telling green from red stoplights is tough. And, of course, Kittel does have an occasional artistic blunder. “We were trying to find our color palatte for our theme for the yearbook and he would try to chime in on what he thought was like good colors together and some of them were just horrible, and he was like, ‘Sorry guys, I’m color blind,’ ” Fevurly said. Still, no one guesses Kittel is color blind before he tells them. Senior Maria Watson, who has been friends with Kittel for 12 years, only found out last year when Kittel told her. Now Watson likes to test his color blindness. “When he says something mean to me, I pull up a color blind test on the internet; it shuts him up,” Watson said. “Today, he is wearing like a long-sleeve baseball style shirt, and one sleeve is actually purple and one sleeve is blue, and apparently he didn’t know that the sleeves are two different colors.” Art
Kittel had always enjoyed art, and when he discovered his talent, color blindness could not stop him. “My parents exposed me to art when I was a kid,” Kittel said. “At the beginning of my junior year, I took drawing for the first time in high school and decided that I might be good enough to make it into a career.” And he is. He got top category in Kansas As Talented As You Think competition, two gold-key and a silver-key Scholastic awards, and was
Channel 6’s Art Star of the month in February. “He is highest caliber [artist],” art teacher Wendy Vertacnik said. “I noticed that on his first drawings, the figures were really well proportioned and he seemed to have a good control with modeling the form using value.” Kittel is off to an art school of his choice — his top two choices being Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design and Pratt Institute in New York City. Kittel is interested in graphics and wants to pursue a career in advertising. “I want to go into advertising because it’s a steady job, and I’m interested in the psychology behind what makes people want to buy stuff,” Kittel said. “A big part of that is obvi-
ously how you present things. I’m interested in the process of making stuff that people find visually pleasing.” Kittel realizes the irony of being a color blind artist, but doesn’t consider it a bad thing. “The fact that I don’t see it [color] same as everyone else is kind of ironic, but it didn't change how I look at art,” Kittel said. “It can make it difficult, but it also makes it different, and that can make it interesting.” Challenge Believe it or not, the biggest challenge for Kittel as an artist is not his color blindness. “It’s most challenging to not compare yourself to other people, because
Senior Jim Kittel works on his self portrait using charcoal. during portfolio class. Photo by Yu Kyung Lee it is really easy to do that, and that messes you up and makes it so you don’t do what you really want to do,” Kittel said. “You have to be confident in yourself and also put in a lot of time to figure out what you like to work on, what you like to do so you have a unique take on everything,” he added. “I think I’m getting there. Throughout this year and working on my portfolio, I’ve sort of figured out what I like to do and what I can do that is different than other people, but I still have a long way to go.”
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March 7, 2012
FEATURES
'Hunger Games'
5 ways to spend spring break week Premier enthralls students and staff Plan ahead to make
By Mara McAllister “Hunger Games,” the wildly popular young adult fantasy trilogy, hits the big screen March 23 with a movie adaptation. The trilogy follows the life of teenager Katniss Everdeen as she struggles to survive in the dystopian futuristic world of Panem. The “Hunger Games” is full of action and intensity as Katniss and other characters are slated to fight to the death in a competition. Like readers worldwide, students and teachers at Lawrence High are infatuated with the series. Junior Keyty Ashcraft has read the entire series and plans on seeing the movie when it is released. Ashcraft is a fan of the “Harry Potter” series, which influenced her decision to read the “Hunger Games.” “When I was little, I was a total — I guess I still am — but I was a total Harry Potter geek,” Ashcraft said. “I really liked the whole adventure side of it because you don’t get that many books, book series, that are like that. They’re kind of similar to ‘Harry Potter,’ and I really like that about them.” Science teacher Tim Kuhlman also believes that reading “Harry Potter” influenced his reading of the “Hunger Games.” “It was different from other things I’ve read, like ‘Harry Potter’ or ‘Lord of the Rings,’ because this is a world that could potentially someday exist,” Kuhlman said. “No one actually
expects wizards to pop up, but who knows, maybe in the future we’ll have an oppressive district and brutal hunger games. Not to say that’s likely, but it’s like ‘What if the world was really like that?’ It’s kind of fun.” The setting of the “Hunger Games” is pertinent to its popularity. The futuristic society in which the series takes place transports readers like Ashcraft to a new world. “It’s really intriguing how the whole government is set up,” Ashcraft said. “You just want to know more because there’s all these little details you want to know about it.” Another reason the “Hunger Games” is so popular is because of the characters. Senior Lauren Fleming likes main character Katniss Everdeen because “she’s a strong female character in a book, unlike in “Twilight,” Fleming said. While Katniss Everdeen is the main character, she is not the only popular character. Senior Mary Claire Carter likes Gale Hawthorne, Katniss’ best friend and romantic interest in the series. “I really like Gale,” Carter said. “I thought he was an interesting character just in his dedication to Katniss and how he acted during the whole thing.” Ashcraft is a fan of Katniss’ other love interest, Peeta Mellark. “Peeta’s so sweet,” Ashcraft said. “It’s kind of awkward when you fall in love with a fictional character — don’t tell my boyfriend.”
the most of break By Isaiah Boldridge
Fans of the “Hunger Games” are excited for the movie adaptation premiering soon. The movie stars Hollywood icons like Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth and others. Carter plans to attend the midnight premiere with her friends dressed as characters. “We’re all dressing up as people from the Capitol. So we’re going to do like crazy hair and paint our skin and what not,” Carter said. The release of the movie is exciting to fans as they look forward to seeing the world of the “Hunger Games” come to life on the big screen. “There is the opportunity to have some really cool visual effects and just to see how they execute that,” Fleming said.
Next week, students will rush out of school to the blaring sounds of the fight song, off to enjoy a week of freedom. Here are some ideas to make the most of spring break: 1. Play video games When spring break comes, many students said they will pull out their controllers and plant themselves on the couch. “I enjoy playing video games in my spare time,” sophomore Drew Green said. Just in time for spring break, games being released include Armored Core V, Ninja Gaiden III and Birds of Steel as well as sports games from MLB the Show 12 to Tiger Woods PGA Tour 13. All are set to release March 20. 2. Work out/Get in shape Many people have been getting prepared for spring sports by working out daily, as well as getting themselves academically prepared. But even if you are not doing a spring sport, you can still get in shape. “I am planning on working out everyday over spring break,” junior Austin Mater-Kimball said. “[I’ll be doing] leg presses because the legs are the most important muscle.” Other options include taking a bike ride, working out in the gym, going on long runs and swimming. Doing workouts and fitness programs now will get you ready for sports that are coming up
next so you don’t start out behind. 3. St. Patrick’s Day The St. Patrick’s Day parade will be here with leprechauns and pots of gold as spring break starts. The parade begins at 1 p.m. March 17 downtown. “I mainly just go for friends,” sophomore Husam Katir said. “It’s fun.” Parade organizers also will host the 23rd annual Shamrock Shuffle, a 5K walk/run. T-shirts will be given to the finishing racers. 4. Get out and see a movie You don't have to watch TV on your couch. Instead, you can go see the new movies at the theaters. “Yeah, I like TV,” sophomore Christopher Bowers said. “But I like going to the movies with friends, too.” New movies that will be out during spring break include “Seeking Justice,” “Hunger Games,” “The Wrath of the Titans” and “The Deep Blue Sea.” All have March 23 release dates. “Hunger Games” is one of the most anticipated movie coming out during the break. “I read the book,” sophomore Zachary Yoder said. “It’s a good book, and I am looking forward to the movie.” 5. Hang out with family Spring break can be a time for you to get closer with your family. It can provide time to get to know parents better and show that you love them. You can go to the lake or out to dinner or see one of the newly-released movie. “I like walking with my family,” freshman Raven Kramer said. “It’s like bonding with your family more and getting a workout.”
Do you have a great story idea for The Budget? Send it to lhsbudget@ gmail.com March 7, 2012
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The Budget | 9
NEWS
Showtime lineup set for April event By Jamiera Flowers The showtime results are finally up. Concert Choir and A Cappella Choir will participate in Showtime starting at 7:30 p.m. April 26, 27 and 28. Largest group “Showtime” by Roger Emerson is a combination of Concert Choir and A Cappella Choir. “Happy Ending” by Mika, which includes 136 juniors and seniors, is the other big group. Smallest group Beyond several solos there is one duet by seniors Babs Boswell and Scott Lamb. There are also a couple of trios. Juniors Zoe Fincher, Caroline Gish and Julia Price are singing “Parting Glass” by The Wailin’ Jennys. Senior Nick Cohen, junior Geoff Kelly and senior Rosie O’Brien are singing “Teach Your Children Well” by Crosby Stills Nash
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Junior Morgan Schneider practices her choreography for "Footloose," which will be performed in April. Photo by Abby Gillam Page design by Mallory Thompson
Young. Oldest song The oldest song being sung is “Blue Moon” by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, which being performed by junior Michael Gish, senior Wayne Johnson, juniors Alex Lawson, Thomas Nissen and Cal Young. “Blue Moon” was written in 1934. Newest song “Pack Up” by Eliza Doolittle, being sung as a solo by O'Brien and “King of Anything” by Sara Bareilles, an ensemble with juniors Ashley Arnold, Kelsey Consolver, Julia Drahozal, Fincher, Emma Kelly, Grace Morgan, Attie Pennybaker, Price, Zoe Reed and Hannah Rupprecht, are the newest songs being sung. Both were originally released in 2010. Correction from last issue: Students may not select songs used in the past five Showtimes but can perform songs used in older shows. A story in the February issue of The Budget contained incorrect information. March 7, 2012
Wrestlers take state
By Chelsea Foster For the Lions’ state wrestling team, it was a hard journey that ultimately ended in a top placing. The 10-man team walked away with third place at state. Freshman Tristan Starr made his state debut, ending with fourth place. Sophomore Garrett Girard completed his run with a sixth-place title, after winning his first two state matches, then losing the next three. Junior Caden Lynch, after a near-loss, managed to pull fifth place. All-American senior Nick Pursel defaulted to sixth place after his shoulder popped out of place, with a career record of 126-14. Senior Brad Wilson placed second, ending his career with a 67-37 record. The team fought hard, but in the end most were too far behind Manhattan and returning state champions Wichita Heights to pull a team win. This wasn’t the case for two LHS wrestlers, junior Hunter Haralson and senior Reece Wright-Conklin, who walked away from the competition state champions. Haralson, who wrestled in the 126-pound weight division, placed first in the state after beating Gardner- Edgerton senior T.J. Stokes. “It was awesome [to win],” Haralson said. “[It was] the best feeling in the world,” The win didn’t come easy for Haralson. “I was thinking I was going to lose to be honest,”
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Senior Reece Conklin traps his opponent in a headlock during the wrestling match against Free State earlier this year. Reece won state for the third time this year, a new record. Photo by Amanda Fevurly Haralson said. “It takes a lot of hard work and dedication [to be state champion,] I mean you have to think about it 24/7.” For Wright, wrestling in the 182-pound division, this was his third time winning state in his weight division. Wright is the first three-peat state winner in Lawrence High’s history. “I expected to win,” Wright said. “[Winning] was nice and a great way to end my senior career, and I just went out there and did what I had to do.” In his last year here as a lion, Wright is “ready to get out of here” but he’ll miss it. For the Lions, next year is going to come as a challenge. With three state-placing seniors graduating, the leadership will have to change. Wright predicts that Haralson, Lynch and junior Andrew Denning will step up next year and lead the team. “I think we’ll be not as great team — I mean we’ll still be good — but it won’t be as good as this year because of the injuries and stuff. But I predict we’re going to be one of the top schools still next year,” Haralson said.
Girls basketball wraps up a roller coaster of a season
By Sarah Helwani
The LHS girls varsity basketball team teetered between tremendous wins and heart-breaking losses this season. Part of the problem, members said, was inconsistent team chemistry. “Sometimes you feel really connected to the team and sometimes you don’t,” junior Emma Kelly said. “We would go into games, and we weren’t mentally ready.” And being mentally ready, they said, is just as important as teamwork. A 60-20 loss to Olathe Northwest was the girls’ biggest loss. The best game the team played was against Olathe South. Even though they lost the game, junior Kylie Seaman and Kelly both said the team’s sportsmanship helped March 7, 2012
members play better and highlighted how well they could work as a team. “We played like a really good team even though we lost,” Kelly said. “It just showed how good we could be.” The team also suffered a number of injuries this year. Seaman said that these injuries badly affected the team. “We lost two of our star players — Emma Kelly and Krista Costa,” Seaman said. But despite these obstacles, the team still pulled through at their game against Kansas City Wyandotte on Dec. 2 when they stole the win with 46 points. “[During the game] we felt on top of the world. It was a real confidence booster,” senior Christina Haswood said. Page design by Mallory Thompson
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Nerves rattle reporter as she dons Chesty suit
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Junior MacKenzie Breihtaupt struggles to fit Chesty's head over her own before the game against Free State on Feb. 24. At the last minute, she lost all confidence. Photo by abby Gillam
I was fully prepared to pump up the crowd as Chesty — but then I walked through the gym doors. I told myself three things: “you can do this,” “dance like there’s no tomorrow” and “walk with high knees — don’t trip.” I managed to walk with high knees, but I guess my conscience didn’t listen to anything else because I refused to dance and became extremely overwhelmed. When I successfully walked from the doors to the opposite side of the court, my confidence failed once again, and I turned around and began to walk out of the gym. I didn’t care who was in my way, or what I might run in to. I rushed to the doors. Suddenly, someone grabbed my arm and led me to the cheerleaders in the center of the court. I couldn’t see a thing, and I had no clue what was happening until I realized we were singing the Alma Mater. Next thing I knew, someone put their arm around me and began swaying back and forth. I clapped and danced and then quickly continued my journey to the doors of freedom. I had just finished singing about sportsmanship and courage but the lyrics of the Alma Mater were irrelevant by then. After five minutes in Chesty’s costume, I had sweated nearly a gallon. School spirit is important, but I just didn’t have it in me. I was overwhelmed and too stressed over the lack of vision and neck pain Chesty’s head caused me. Through all the challenging activities and opportunities I have tried, I just couldn’t accomplish this one. For any student who has been Chesty during an LHS game, I admire your bravery, enthusiasm and courage for accomplishing a task this difficult.
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While LHS battled Free State in girl’s and boy’s basketball, I faced the challenge of showing my spirit as none other than Chesty the Lion. Before the games started, I was excited to show my dance moves on the court in front of both high schools. But at the same time, I was full of nerves. What if an immature person decided to play tricks on me? What if someone tripped me on purpose? I could possibly be the laughing stalk of the whole school. Trying to forget all of that, I pulled out the Chesty costume and stepped into it. I’m aware that I’m not the strongest person in the world, but this costume was heavy. I had to have someone help me get my feet through, put my paws on and align everything. Everything was fine until I put the head on. I’ve never gone scuba diving before, but wearing Chesty’s head felt as though I was wearing a diving bell. It wasn’t helpful that I’m easily claustrophobic. Inside Chesty’s head is a built-in helmet to keep it balanced. Connected to the helmet is a chin guard. I felt like a football player going scuba diving. The helmet and chin guard were useful, but they were at the wrong angle. Standing straight forward only allowed me to see people's chests. Maybe that’s why he’s called Chesty. (Just kidding.) In order to look someone in the eye, I had to painfully bend my neck back and shrug my shoulders upward.
Yearbooks
By Mackenzie Breithaupt
March 7, 2012