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Behind the lens: Photo students succeed in national photo competition. Features, page 12
Freshman makes impact on farm
Georgia Marshall works with horses to help adults, children with special needs By Lily Abromeit
Every Monday at 5:30 p.m. freshman Georgia Marshall can be found in a homey horse stable, making a difference. In February, Marshall earned Volunteer of the Month recognition from CLO’s Midnight Farm, which provides opportunities for people with disabilities to meet farm animals and ride horses.
1901 Louisiana St., Lawrence, KS 66046
Just a few months ago, Marshall would not have expected the award. On her first day at the farm, she was nervous and unsure. “Georgia was very quiet and reserved when she first started volunteering,” said Midnight Farm’s volunteer coordinator Brett Bauer. “She is now much more involved with other volunteers and staff.” Bauer said volunteers like Marshall provide an important service. “Many of our riders are not able to walk or perhaps have a language impairment,” Bauer said. “Riding and interacting with horses gets you up out of a wheelchair or leaves your physical disability at the gate.” The animals provide both children and adults
with a chance to escape the challenges that typically surround their disability. “The farm gives people a chance at freedom,” Baur said. “Horses don’t judge your ability to speak English. You can communicate without words or prejudice when you ride a horse.” This is exactly why Marshall thinks volunteering at Midnight Farm is so important. “I think riding horses is really interesting and fun and I think anybody, no matter what you’re like, should be able to experience that,” Marshall said. As a volunteer, Marshall participates in the therapeutic riding program. She grooms and saddles the horses, and more importantly, leads the horses for riders who are unable to do so on their own.
“Without the help of a leader, some of our riders would be unable to ride a horse,” Bauer said. “By participating in our lessons Georgia has given our riders opportunities that they would otherwise not be capable of.” Being able to help people in a unique way is what makes volunteering so memorable for Marshall. Continued on page 2
At the end of a ride April 1, freshman Georgia Marshall talks to Midnight Farm’s horse Cocoa with a young rider. Marshall volunteers each Monday evening. “I lead the horses around with their riders on them, and I saddle the horses and talk to the riders,” she said. Photo by Abby Gillam
Vol. 123, Issue 9, April 10, 2013
LHS among district schools to see improvements thanks to bond issue On April 2, voters approved $92.5 million in school bonds with the support of 72 percent of voters. Most of the bond funds will be spent at the elementary schools. Among the improvements, funds will be spent on upgrading technology infrastructure to allow students to use more portable devices and create more secure entrances. LHS will receive $3.9 million from this bond. Here’s a look at the upgrades in store for LHS:
CAFETERIA Expanded cafeteria/commons and food delivery and storage areas “For right now I’m not sure what it will do to the cafeteria, I haven’t been let in on those plans. I have heard that they’re going to go to the back of the building and put on more warehouse usage back there. It’s great.” —Pam Alt, cafeteria manager
BLACK BOX THEATER
schoolwide UPGRADES
Fine Arts
Science
E2
Rotunda
“Our current black box is too small to house an audience, so a new black box will give more space for the theater and small music events. The current black box will provide a storage area for the music department.” — Mike Jones, band director
Social Studies
Performing Arts
F I R E
Auditorium
Fire Alarms
Expanded to be similar in size to Free State’s black box theater
Electrical/ Security System Technology GYM
Career/Tech Ed
Continued from page 1 “I think I made a difference with them, just being able to do it,” Marshall said. “Because if it weren’t for the volunteers, they wouldn’t be able to.” At Midnight Farm, the riders are not the only ones who gain from the experiences. “The benefits of therapeutic riding are endless both for the riders and the volunteers and staff who are able to be a part of it,” Bauer said. Through her time at the farm, Marshall has found rewards specifically for herself as well. “It has made me more understanding and patient with people,” Marshall said. Since her first day, Marshall has also become more outgoing and more comfortable talking to strangers. This attitude didn’t go unnoticed by the rest of the staff at Midnight Farm. “She is very kind and caring with our horses and our riders,” Bauer said. “Georgia has been very reliable and often steps forward to work extra classes or trainings.” “Georgia seems quiet at first but is always ready with a smile,” Bauer said. But for Marshall, the change she sees in herself isn’t as important as the impact she’s having on the riders. “Just getting to see the kids’ faces when they do something right or they figure something out,” Marshall said. “They’re just so happy, it just feels good.”
Voters approve school bonds
Trophie Hallway
Marshall: equestrian program benefits all
Graphic by Nathaniel Reynolds
2 | The Budget
Page Design by Lily Abromeit
April 10, 2013
Make plans for
After Prom
Environmental friendliness has room for improvement
Saturday, May 11th LHS 11:30 pm - 2 am Free with prom ticket or buy a ticket at the door Don’t miss out on: Cash & Prizes Food Music Photo Booth Games Hang out with friends, enjoy great food and fun!
Be There!
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By Mara McAllister
the start of the program. “The district also encourages recycling, and when possible, uses energyStudents and staff at Lawrence High are familiar with the constant presence of efficient building materials and systems,” said Julie Boyle, district communications trash and food waste in the hallways. director. Despite numerous trash cans and Newer schools such as Langston recycling bins throughout LHS, some Hughes Elementary and South Middle students continue to treat the school like School were constructed using “green ara garbage bin. This commonplace litterchitecture” that took advantage of clean ing hints at a bigger underlying issue: Is energy and conservation. LHS environmentally friendly? The recently-passed school bond AP Environmental Science teacher issue will allow Lisa Ball believes the schools across the school has room for district to upgrade improvement, starting Environmental science teacher mechanical, plumbwith basic recycling. Lisa Ball offered these tips for ing and ventilation “I still see lots of being more green: systems to become students throwing more energy ef1. Pick up trash recyclables in the ficient. The goal of trash,” Ball said. “In 2. Recycle my classroom, I try to 3. Bring your own water bottle these upgrades is Carpool to make a number catch them and send 4. Conserve water of school buildings them to the recycling 5. Carpool “net-zero,” meaning box, but I am sure we they will produce as could increase our much energy as they recycling rate schoolconsume. wide with a little more “Professional education.” engineers have Senior and presiGraphic by Nick Steichen estimated that these dent of the Environupgrades will save mental Club Hazlett the district $280,000 Henderson agrees annually in utility costs,” Boyle said. with Ball. “Those savings can be re-invested in “We have recycling boxes everyeducation.” where, but I think people don’t know While the Lawrence school district how much they can recycle in them tries to go green, Saint John Catholic because they’re not just for paper,” HenSchool, only a few blocks away from derson explained. Lawrence High, is enjoying recognition On a grander scale, the Lawrence for its green efforts. St. John was recently School District began an energy conserrecognized as a Kansas Green School vation program in 2003 that encourof the Year by the Kansas Association ages staff to reduce their energy usage. for Conservation and Environmental Teachers are educated on the importance Education. of turning off energy-consuming devices The award applauds St. John’s ongowhen they are not in use, particularly at ing efforts to reduce waste and increase night and over breaks. environmental education. The efforts In addition, air-conditioning and began in the cafeteria where parents heating is automatically controlled, just and lunchroom staff worked to reduce as computers are automatically shut off food waste while maintaining a balanced at night. A district report estimated that lunch for students. roughly $3 million has been saved since
Being green
April 10, 2013
Page Design by Ashley Hocking
Recycling cardboard boxes, senior Erika Brown and paraprofessional Jamie McCall help LHS stay green. Photo
by Gage Nelson “We were alarmed at the staggering amount of food wasted, averaging 40 to 70 pounds a day,” parent Rachel Myslivy said. “We saw a larger, systemic problem with the food culture of the school.” So parents and students developed a new way to serve lunch and reduce waste. Previously students were served pre-made meals with set portions often resulting in wasted food. St. John students now pick the components of their lunch and get as much or as little as they want. This strategy was implemented in addition to composting food waste. Myslivy now estimates that on average St. John only throws away 10 to 20 pounds of food per day and saves $8,000 annually. Unike St. John, Lawrence High does not have a composting program in place. Currently St. John Catholic School integrates environmental education into all grade levels. Students perform various science experiments and even create art out of recycled materials. “Our school offers integrated environmental education across the curriculum and in all grades,” Myslivy said. “Working toward the Green School Designation provided a lens to focus our multi-faceted efforts across the curriculum.” Ball believes LHS staff can do more to incorporate environmental education into their curriculum. Currently, only two classes offered at Lawrence High focus on environmental education. “There is a way to incorporate environmental education into virtually every course, because of its multidisciplinary nature,” Ball said. “We are all affected by environmental issues on a daily basis so the more we can increase awareness, the better.”
The Budget | 3
Lawmakers seek to arm teachers Proposed law would allow schools to take up arms for safety By Yu Kyung Lee
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No one wants another Sandy Hook. But amid gun safety debates, the Kansas Legislature has approved a bill expanding the places people can carry concealed weapons, not reducing them. The bill, which was approved Friday and sent to Gov. Sam Brownback, comes from lawmakers who believe putting guns into the hands of school employees could make schools safer. Once signed by the governor, the bill would allow school districts to designate teachers and other employees to carry firearms. It’s a policy supported by the National Rifle Association. “The supporters of this bill would say people who are trained to use guns, people who have passed the background checks and tests to carry a concealed handgun, make places safer,” said Rep. John Wilson, a Lawrence Democrat. Wilson was among 38 House members who voted against an initial version of the bill, which sailed through the House with 84 votes in favor. The Kansas Association of School Boards is supporting the law because it would allow local school boards to decide if they want to allow armed employees. However, many in the Lawrence school district consider the idea a step in the wrong direction. “Certainly I recognize that people are concerned about school safety, but I don’t think that arming more people is the solution to ensuring safe schools,” said school board president Vanessa Sanburn. “There’s going to be a situation where one of the weapons is used on accident, and I think that the likelihood of that happening is much greater than the likelihood of an armed gunman or dangerous person coming to our schools with the intent to harm kids.” If a student or intruder gains access to a weapon at school, a potentially dangerous situation would escalate quickly, senior Lauren Pauls said. “I think it’s a terrible idea — being blunt and straightforward,” Pauls said. “There are a lot of things that could go wrong that I think they are not foreseeing.” For teachers, the idea of carrying a weapon in school is a hard one to swallow. The Kansas National Education Association, the state’s primary teachers union, said guns should be kept locked so students can’t accidentally access them.
“I am trying to be a nurturing educator and packing heat, it just doesn’t seem right for a teaching environment,” said Jay Hundley, the building representative for Lawrence Education Association. “And whether people admit it or not, if you are armed, you do act differently and you do approach people differently when you are armed, whether it is concealed or open.” Currently, the only armed personnel in Lawrence public schools are the school resource officers who are trained policemen. As policemen, the SROs are required to carry weapons, but they had to get extensive training beforehand. “I was trained in Lawrence Police Academy,” Lawrence High’s SRO Mike Cobb said. “It’s a 20 week program and almost a whole month is devoted to weapons training, weapon retention, overall safety of weapons, identifying weapons, and we do continuing education every year mandated by the state of Kansas and the federal government.” While any staff member designated to carry a weapon at school would undergo training, many said weapons in schools should be left to the professionals. “I don’t think it should be the responsibility of the teacher or your average citizen to be security and law enforcement,” Wilson said. “If anything, we need to consider increasing the budget for our law enforcement personnel. Because of their training, they provide better security than any citizen would be able to.” In the wake of the December shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School, the Lawrence school board has discussed how to prevent similar tragedies at home. Increasing the district’s partnership with local police was one of the plans discussed, Sanburn said. Single entrance to buildings and the elimination of portable classrooms are other safety precautions the district plans to take with the recently approved bond dollars. “Unless we build our schools like prisons, we can’t prevent and make sure that we will completely protect our students, but certainly, there are commonsensical things we can do to ensure safer schools,” Sanburn said. Even with the passage of the bill, it seems very unlikely the district will ever allow the staff to be armed. “I don’t think our district is one that would make any major changes to our weapons policy,” Sanburn said. “But certainly, the idea of armed teachers or armed custodians or just a lot of armed people in our schools — even not in our district — is concerning to me.” Instead of arming teachers, Sanburn said lawmakers should look to other solutions. “I do think looking at mental health care as a nation and doing a better job of investing in good mental health care for our citizens is another way to really help ensure that tragedies like this wouldn’t happen,” Sanburn said. “Mentally healthy people don’t shoot up elementary or high school kids.”
What’s on your mind? By Yu Kyung Lee
Order in the finance office or at www.yearbookordercenter.com
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What teacher would you trust or not trust with a gun at school?
Drew Green
I wouldn’t trust Ms. Rovenstine because I feel like she’d be scared with a gun. She wouldn’t know what to do.
Junior
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I can’t really think of anyone I can’t trust to have a gun. All the teachers I know are pretty trustworthy.
Heather Wisbey Sophomore
Bill Patterson English teacher
My first thought is Mr. Hood. I really think that he is one of the most conscientious colleagues that I know ... I’d trust Mr. Hood with a gun, and nobody else. April 10, 2013
New pope influences school trip Students traveled to Italy during spring break to experience culture, history By Ella Magerl
Latin teacher Jason Lichte and art instructor Wendy Vertacnik have taken students to Italy since 2000, but it’s not every year that they get to be in Rome shortly after a new pope has been selected. “The pope’s selection changed a lot of things about the trip,” Lichte said. “When we arrived in Rome, the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel had been closed for three weeks, and we went the first day it reopened, so it was really crowded.” For the travelers, having the pope selected right before they arrived added to the overall experience. “Being in Rome after the pope was elected was cool since the whole city was kind of bustling and on its toes,” junior Alex Ewy said. “We were also in the Vatican the day before the pope’s first public speech, so it was super crowded with people from all over the world.” However, sophomore Sadie Keller was glad the pope was chosen before they got there, as opposed to while they were in Italy. “We would not have been able to do a lot of things if the pope was still being chosen, and the city would have been much more packed,” Keller said. Pope Francis was selected on March 13, and the students left for Italy on March 14 and returned on March 23. As students approached the trip, they had to prepare for international travel. “This trip was the first time I had left the United States or been away from my parents for so long,” Ewy said. “I was really excited to leave the country, and I didn’t get nervous until I reached Italy and was in the midst of a bustling city where I didn’t speak the language, but I became more comfortable as the trip went on.” While for some students this was their first experience traveling abroad, Keller has been to other countries before including Ireland, Morocco, Mexico, Canada and the Dominican Republic.
“I knew I would be safe travelling in a large group and I was ready to have an adventure,” Keller said. “I decided to go to Italy because I was interested in Roman history, and I’m partially Italian.” Lichte has been taking students to Italy for 10 years. This year, 18 students partook in the adventure. Lichte was inspired to start hosting these trips from his experience traveling to Italy when he attended Baylor University. “The trip then was arranged around the idea that students would work ahead of time to learn all the information they needed to really enjoy the experience,” Lichte said. “We have modeled our experience after that one.” Starting 12 weeks before the trip, students attended six bi-weekly evening sessions where they studied the topography and history of ancient Rome and the origins of the Roman Catholic Church. At the end of the sessions, students had to take an exam over 17 Roman emperors and their contributions to
Rome, and another, labeling a blank map of Ancient Rome. Also, students had to write two research papers, one on an ancient Italian site and another on a work of art. “After successfully writing their research papers, students [created] brochures for each and [became] our tour guide while on location for that specific site,” Lichte said. The trip ecompasses locations in northern and southern Italy, as well as Rome. In southern Italy, students travelled to the island of Capri and the famous ancient city of Pompeii. “A couple of students began weeping when we arrived in Pompeii because they were so overwhelmed by emotion,” Lichte said. In Rome, the group visited sites such as the Pantheon, the Forum, the Vatican and the Trevi Fountain. “I got proposed to at the Trevi Fountain in Rome by [freshman Stefan Petrovic], and all the locals thought it was real,” Keller said. Visiting northern Italy, the group focused on
Capturing the moment, nine of the 18 members of the group smile for the camera. They were visiting the castle of San Angelo in Rome. “It’s like the pope’s fortress if something bad were to happen,” senior Sarah Sutterfield said. Photo
courtesy of Sarah Sutterfield the Italian Renaissance and the Middle Ages. The students stayed in Florence, where they got to see many of Michelangelo’s works, including his famous sculpture of David. They also got to see Botticelli’s Birth of Venus and Caravaggio’s Medusa. Visiting so many locations with a strong focus on learning gave students the opportunity to take in the culture and history of Italy, as well as gain valuable experience and insight. “I learned a lot about Italy’s history and about the political, economic, and cultural climate,” Keller said. “Also, I made some great friends, learned the difference between Roman and Tuscan pizza, [and] realized hot water showers were not a necessity.”
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April 10, 2013
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The Budget | 5
In print. Online. www.lhsbudget.com
Turn back the clock Senior class votes on ‘Roaring ’20s’ for memorable prom theme
The AreA’s LArgesT seLecTion
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by Keyty Ashcraft Black and white balloons float throughout the KU Ballroom, dancing silhouettes adorn the walls, seniors dance on the balcony that was once a stage. These elements will set the scene for this year’s prom. Last month, Student Council decided upon four possible prom themes: Roaring 20’s, Narnia, Bollywood and Alice in Wonderland. Seniors voted for their favorite theme. The results came in, and the 2013 prom theme will be Roaring 20’s. While the prom committee does help coordinate the decoration process, most of the responsibility falls upon decorator Debbie Payne’s shoulders. Payne decorated LHS proms for more than 30 years. “I’ve been doing this since 1980,” Payne said. “My degree is in design from KU. I’m actually a designer — an architect. For Lawrence High, I believe it was one of the many phone calls I made when I first got involved [in design] and we’ve kind of been doing it ever since.” The prom committee relies heavily on Payne when it comes to decorating. “I would say we’re more like
coordinators,” junior and prom committee member Abbey Berland said. “Because it’s not like Winter Formal where we have to decorate everything, we just kind of get everyone in place.” Payne takes StuCo’s ideas and turns them into a reality. “They generally give me a theme and then I try to put it all together for them,” Payne said. However, decorations are not the only factor that goes into preparing for the event. “It takes a lot,” junior and prom committee member Anna Meissbach said. “It’s organizing all the other StuCo members and their work schedules and pretty much just getting everything ironed out so it’ll run smoothly.” While StuCo depends on Payne for the design, she depends on them when it comes to putting everything together. “I meet with the students first, then we start ordering all of your products,” Payne said. “At that point, we start producing the most difficult things. There are times when I can actually reuse things, so get more for your prom actually. I don’t usually charge you for that.” In terms of this year’s theme, students are excited to see how it will turn out. “I just like that period,” Berland said, “but then my class doesn’t get it so that’s the disappointing
Roaring ’20s prom info: When: Sat. May 11 at Where: KU ballroom
8 p.m.
After Prom will be held in the LHS main gym from 11:30 p.m. — 2 a.m. and is free with purchase of prom ticket. Activities include: drawings for cash and prizes, food, music, photo booth and games. part. I think we’re holding out for Chinese New Year, we’re saving it for [our prom].” Payne is excited about this year’s theme. “It’s fun, flashy. Roaring ’20s is kind of glittery,” Payne said. “It’s not just your standard black and white, you’ll have a lot of silver and gold. ‘The Great Gatsby’ right now is a great example of the ’20s. So we’re going to do something like that. It’s just a fun time. Everything was big, people just partied and played. It’s kind of a perfect theme for your event.” While planning is still in its beginning stages, seniors are already starting to talk about what it will look like when it’s ready. “I love the jazz and glam of that era,” senior Kathryn Noble said. “I’m excited to see the decorations, outfits and music.”
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April 10, 2013
Performer excels Singer, songwriter, actor featured in six Showtime songs
Abe and Jake’s Landing 10:00 pm- 3:00 am
For Graduating Seniors of all 4 Lawrence high schools Come celebrate together — dance, hangout, play games, enjoy refreshments and win awesome prizes!
For more information: www.projectgraduationlawrence.org
By Ashley Hocking Solo performances, theater productions and choir competitions: These are the things junior Matt Rood lives and breathes. “I’ve always really liked singing,” Rood said. “It’s something I’ve always done.” Rood began his involvement in choir at a young age. “I started [doing] Choristers, an offshoot of the Lawrence Children’s Choir, when I was in third grade,” Rood said. “I just took off from there. I’ve been doing it ever since then.” Earlier this year, Rood competed in Northeast Kansas All-District Choir. Members of the choir had to first pass a rigorous audition, which included sight reading and the memorization of several pieces, to be able to compete. “They were really cool pieces,” Rood said. “I sang this German piece that was really sweet. It was called ‘An Die Musik.’ The other one was like this fast, high piece that showed off my range, and I did all these melismas that were crazy.” Rood’s dedication and musical abilities have not gone unnoticed by choir director Dwayne Dunn. “Matt continues to develop both vocally and in his leadership skills,” Dunn said. “He has amazing range and flexibility for such a young singer. We will really count on his senior leadership next year.” Rood’s musical talents aren’t solely vocal. He also plays piano and aspires to be better at playing ukulele. For the past two years, Rood has been taking private voice lessons with his voice teacher, Susan Hiers. Initially in his voice lessons, Rood worked on classical and Broadway music, but is now branching into more variety. “[Recently,] I’ve been getting into more pop stuff and exploring all different
April 10, 2013
kinds of music,” Rood said. When Rood made the switch to different genres of music, he wanted to get people’s opinions. He began recording himself singing and posting videos on social media sites like Facebook. “I’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback,” Rood said. “I love to sing, play piano and share that with people. I feel like if I can share how I feel about a song with someone, then they can understand how I feel about other stuff too.” Rood’s friend sophomore Clara Cobb has seen many of the videos and has also noticed the positive feedback Rood has received as a result. “There’s always at least 30 or 40 people that are just like, ‘Yeah, you go Matt. You keep doing what you’re doing’ and he should,” Cobb said. “He’s wonderful. He really is.” Hiers has been working with Rood to perfect his performance of the piece “Many the Miles” by Sara Bareilles for the past two years. He auditioned the piece for Showtime and will be performing it as a solo along with five other songs. This is something he has been working toward for years. “I’ve always wanted to be in Showtime,” Rood said. “I’ve kept a running list of songs I’ve wanted to do since I saw it years ago.” He will be performing a solo, a duet with junior Katie Gaches, a trio with seniors Taylor Moldenhaur and Morgan Schneider, as well as in a small ensemble, A Cappella choir and Chorale choir. Being so involved can sometimes take its toll. “Sometimes, I bite off more than I can chew. I’ll do everything I need to do and it’ll be really difficult, but then I’ll get sick,” Rood said. “I gave myself pneumonia one year when I was in Music Band, two choirs and Jazz Band.” In addition to an extensive musical background, Rood is also heavily involved in theater.
Belting out in song is junior Matt Rood. He is performing the song “Beautiful” in Showtime as a trio with seniors Taylor Moldenhaur and Morgan Schnieder. Photo by Ashley Hocking “I’m currently in my sixth show at LHS,” Rood said. “At the [Lawrence] Arts Center, I’ve been doing shows with Summer Youth Theater since the summer after fourth grade.” Rood has received many leading roles in plays and musicals. When Rood was in eighth grade, he played a controversial role in a musical at the Lawrence Arts Center. “I played Margaret Mead in ‘Hair,’ and I had to completely dress as a woman,” Rood said. Last summer, Rood was the lead in “Cabaret,” a musical performed by the Lawrence Arts Center’s Summer Youth Theater. “He was fantastic in ‘Cabaret’,” Cobb said. “He’s very, very talented.” His most recent performance was “Fiddler on The Roof” at LHS, in which Rood sang a solo. “I really enjoyed working with Matt on the LHS Musical, ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ this winter,” Dunn said. “He did a great job with his character and could be counted on every show to deliver a strong performance.” Rood plans to pursue a musical theater major in college. “Matt has so much music in him,” Dunn said. “It is hard for me to see his future without a serious interest in music.” For Rood, it is also hard to see a future for himself that doesn’t include music. “I feel like it’s an emotional expression. I can put things in a song that I can’t really say with words,” Rood said. “It means everything. I don’t think I could deal with stuff if I didn’t have singing and acting.”
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The Budget | 9
Junior baseball pitcher utilizes height, strength
Athlete attains balancing act
Student raises the bar this spring sports season, participating in three sports: pom, soccer, track By Shelby Steichen Running during practice is junior Bryce Montes de Oca. This season, Montes de Oca will be overcoming an elbow injury acquired last year. Photo by Ashley Hocking
By Trae Green Standing at 6 feet, 7 inches tall, junior Bryce Montes de Oca does anything but blend in this season on the Lawrence High baseball team. The junior will be an integral part of the Lion’s pitching rotation this year after sitting out last season due to an elbow injury. If opposing teams aren’t already thrown off by his size, Montes de Oca consistently pitches fastballs in the low 90 MPH range. That combination could throw off even the best hitters. “What makes him good is that he’s so long, and leverage is such an important factor when you’re pitching,” head baseball coach Brad Stoll said. “He’s 6 foot 7 and it just feels like he’s right on top of you.” Senior Adam Rea agreed Montes de Oca’s size is an advantage. “His hands are so big,” Rea said. “When he pitches, you can’t even see the ball until it’s already out of his hand.” Had the elbow injury not kept Montes de Oca in the dugout last season, he would have been a valuable arm on last year’s pitching staff. Instead of contributing on the field, Montes de Oca found other ways to help out last season. “[The Injury] was kind of a devastating blow because he wanted to be such a big part of the team,” Stoll said. “But the thing that he showed was great character, he came to practice every day, was a great teammate, he ran charts. He just showed how great of a person he really is.” Montes de Oca approached the injury with optimism. “I’ve been hurt plenty of times, I just try and deal with the rehab,” he said. “Usually
you come out better than before, so I tried to make the best of the situation.” When the injury healed, the hard throwing right-handed pitcher performed well at several national showcases. Those performances could possibly attract numerous college and professional scouts to watch the Lions this spring. Although most of the scouts will be in attendance to get a good look at him, Montes de Oca will pay little to no attention to the scouts for he is currently committed to play baseball at the collegiate level for the University of Missouri. “Very strong,” Montes de Oca said for the strength of his commitment to Missouri. The commitment is even strong enough for him to sacrifice a spot on the varsity basketball team in order to avoid a potentially serious injury and to focus on baseball. “Missouri offered me a scholarship, and that showed them having faith in me,” Montes de Oca said. “I wanted to give them faith and trust in me by just focusing on baseball. Also, my potential in baseball is better than it was in basketball, and baseball is just my favorite sport.” Stoll is excited about the prospect of having scouts, strictly in attendance to discover talented high school athletes, at their games this year. Even though he already has strong plans to play for the MU after high school, Bryce Montes de Oca could be part of the reason one of his teammates gets a chance to continue their careers after high school. “My message to the team is, Bryce is going to be throwing in front of 30 radar guns a night, maybe they [scouts] catch you as a third baseman, or a center fielder or a catcher,” Stoll said. “So it’s going to be beneficial to everybody, and it’s exciting.”
As spring sports kicked off once again, athletes grabbed their gear and prepared for another season of hard work. But this season, one junior athlete will be lugging around three different sports bags: pom, soccer and track. Junior Katie Lomshek has decided to partake in not just one, but three sports — all at the same time. Lomshek is a member of the track team, the JV soccer team, and recently finished tryouts for the 2013-2014 pom squad. “I thought it would be good to try and just do different stuff in high school and just try out different things,” Lomshek said. This year, Lomshek tried out for the girls’ soccer team, the first time she has played soccer since the age of 7. “Since I thought it was a no-cut sport, I thought it’d be fun and different to do,” Lomshek said. Being involved in multiple sports calls for long days for Lomshek. Attending multiple practices, working through a busy schedule of track meets and soccer games and coming home to the day’s homework becomes an intricate balancing act. “I usually go to track right after school since I have weights, so I go to weights and then I have track outside and then I go to soccer,” Lomshek said. “Then I do homework after my sports.” With pom tryouts beginning April 1, during the middle of Lomshek’s track and soccer seasons, even more was put on her plate. “I’ve gone to the [pom] clinics when I could,” Lomshek said. “And [tryouts] start at 5:30, so I tried to get out of soccer a little early so I could go to tryouts.” Though most students would find balancing three sports and homework a death wish, Lomshek’s coaches agree that being involved is beneficial to her all around athleticism. “Kids can become more rounded athletes when participating in multiple sports,” pom
squad coach Loralea Wood, said. “They gain more organizational skills and the ability to communicate with coaches about their schedules. Coaches are losing the opportunities to work with kids that just want to focus on one sport and making them better all-around athletes.” To Lomshek, her involvement also assists her in getting to know more people. “Like pom, we have all our girls, and track we have the girls and the boys and then for soccer there’s C-team, JV and varsity,” Lomshek said. “It’s just different to be with all different people surrounding me with those sports.” Despite the many benefits that come with being involved in multiple sports, there is bound to be conflicts in Lomshek’s schedule with soccer games and track meets. For her coaches, this is just a bridge they will cross when the time comes. “Depending on the game or meet we would talk and determine where she is needed,” girls’ soccer coach Justin Young said. “This is something that now the season is starting, the JV coach and I will need to talk with Katie to determine if there are conflicts and what we will do so that we can plan ahead.” If Lomshek is able to successfully conquer all three different sports and keep good academics, her hopes are to continue her involvement in all three sports during next year’s spring sports season. “It’s just really hard to do all of it,” Lomshek said. “But I hope [I can continue], I really do.”
Posing with her sports gear is junior Katie Lomshek. Lomshek chose to continue pom and track this spring sports season, and also tried out for soccer for the first time. She made the JV team.
Photo by Shelby Steichen
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10 | The Budget
Page Design by Mallory Thompson
April 10, 2013
OPINION
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. 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.
Issue Editor-in-Chief: Yu Kyung Lee Editorial Board: Mallory Thompson, Sports Yu Kyung Lee, Features Lily Abromeit, News Ella Magerl, Design Abby Gillam, Photo Mara McAllister, Online Staff: Keyty Ashcraft-Galve Brooke Braman Trae Green Ashley Hocking (Managing Editor) Forrest Lassman Felicia Miller Vail Moshiri Gage Nelson Harley Phelps Nathaniel Reynolds Grace Rinke Matt Roe Peter Romano Kendra Schwartz (Assistant Online Editor) Zach Spears Nick Steichen Shelby Steichen Morgan Wildeman
We need communication By Harley Phelps Running a school is like taming a circus. You have the ringleaders, the lion tamers and the audience. The key to circus success is the relationship between all members of the show and the way they are able to work together. In the case of LHS however, administrators, who should act as the ringleaders and lead the school in spirit and pride, act instead as more of “lion tamers” as they suppress the spirit of the student body. “I wish they would have let us have school spirit and carry on the tradition that we expected to find when we got here,” senior Jeff Mekus said. The relationship between the administration of LHS and its students is a strained one, lacking the crucial communication between the ringleaders of this circus and their lion tamers. The first obstacle blocking this communication is that students of LHS don’t know their administrators. When The Budget surveyed 25 people and asked them to identify each of the five principals when shown their pictures, 46 percent of the answers were incorrect. Not knowing the faces enforcing the rules strains the relationship between the student body and their leaders. Students may find it hard to respect and understand policies made by a silent administration. “It’s hard for us to understand their decisions because they don’t allow us to explain our reasoning,” Mekus said. “They don’t talk to the student body about what we are doing. They just assume we are doing bad stuff. They don’t allow us to have a voice in our own school.” Some of the administrators might occasionally be found walking the halls or standing near the cafeteria at lunch, but this presence may not
be enough. Many of them could learn from Mark Preut. Preut, who serves as assistant principal and activities director for the school, is more likely to be spotted at sporting events, StuCo meetings or school trips. “I have the opportunity to interact with students on a pretty regular basis with different activities that they want to be involved with,” Preut said. A more common place to find administrators is in their offices, disciplining. Although they walk around, interactions between students and the administration seem to most often occur regarding disciplinary action. During the first week of school, one administrator made a comment about hoping to never have to meet most of the students. The administrators were implying that they didn’t want a lot of trouble this year, but it still created an immediate distance. Even though this was said as a joke, it represents the restricted relationship the administration has with students. They limited it strictly to a disciplinaryonly relationship from the beginning. “I feel like unless you are a superstar or someone who gets into trouble, you get little recognition or acknowledgment from the administration,” senior Brea May said. Many students are used to coming from a junior high where they often experienced a closer relationship with their administration. It is understandably harder for principals to
bond with 1,500 students as opposed to only 400, but at the same time, the relationship is just as important in high school, if not more important. Students need to feel as if their administration wants to put effort into having a relationship with them. If students don’t feel like this is desired, they will not work to create one, thus enhancing a disconnect between those in charge and those under the reign. “I think we kind of know what [the students] want,” Principal Matt Brungardt said. “[But] I don’t know that there is the greatest connection.” It may seem as though high school students want limited interaction with their advisors, but the reason for this at LHS is because the only interaction that is done is with negative connotations. The relationship should be more than handling behavioral issues, rule enforcement and an occasional face on the sidelines. Our administrators should be seen in multiple lights, as both disciplinarians and as people you can confide in. Although students see the problem, it is harder for the administration to understand. “The assistant principals are seen in multiple capacities, when kids get in trouble they have to be the disciplinarian, then they try to do the outreach and sometimes the dynamic of being in the adult role with the teenagers poses barriers,” Brungardt said. In the passing of a fellow student, freshman Julius Kam-
waro Maina, the administrative presence was lacking when most people would have liked, and expected, to see it most. Maina died in October from brain cancer. However, this tragedy was acknowledged only with silence. “Each scenario is different. Because of probably the limited number of students that knew him, the length of [time he was here],” Brungardt said. “Sometimes when a student goes out and they pass away in a car wreck or something, that’s more surprising, then it’s a little bit different. We kind of monitored the situation through the crisis team and it seemed like, kind of the way it laid out, a decision was made to not do the allschool announcement.” Because of this, some students may not have even known about the passing of one of their fellow students. “It seemed like, because of the timing, we chose not to make an announcement, to do those types of things, we just let the normal communication come out,” Brungardt said. Julius may have been a freshman and had little chance to make an impression around the school, but to those who knew him, he didn’t go unnoticed. “He was always happy and in a good mood,” junior Sami Buffalomeat said. “I escorted him to his classes once a week, and he would always make sure to say ‘hi’ to kids as we passed through the halls.” The fact that the administration did not acknowledge the death of one of their own students during the school day disappointed Buffalomeat. “I was told by multiple people that there was no administrative presence at the funeral, and if this is true, it shows how little the administration cares,” Buffalomeat said. Administrators need to be present in our school to keep a healthy relationship and have a fully-functioning school. “The rich tradition of LHS is fading away due to the administration,” Mekus said.
Advertising: Isaiah Bell Ashley Castillo Business manager: Pat Treff Adviser: Barbara Tholen April 10, 2013
Graphic by Felicia Miller Page Design by Lily Abromeit and Trae Green
11 | The Budget
Artists enter national contest Two students win recognition and compensation for photographs By Peter Romano Mill Street Loft ARTS in New York held a photography competition this year with entries from five different states across the nation. A total of almost 500 students from schools in New York and Kansas submitted photos, but in the end only 68 entries were accepted. Of the 68 accepted entries, 11 were from Lawrence High. Sophomores Nina Friesen, Kearston Mohney and Alice Kelsey, juniors Tanner Glazer, Ashley Hocking, Haley Powers and Rachel Woolery and seniors Alex Hammerschmidt, Gracie Rinke and Sarah Sutterfield were eligible to win awards. Hocking received an honorable mention award and $50 for her photo “Inner Fire”, and
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Hammerschmidt won the Best of Show award and $400 for her photo “Here I Was.” When photography teacher Angela Perkins told Hammerschmidt she had won the competition, Hammerschmidt thought Perkins had lied to her. “I saw other people’s work and I know mine wasn’t as good,” Hammerschmidt said. “I was like, ‘Oh my God.’” Choosing a photo for the competition was not an easy decision. “Well my film, black and white film, tends to be stronger than my digital, so I sent mostly that kind of stuff in,” Hammerschmidt said. “The one I ended up winning with is a little bit different. It is more surrealist than the other stuff, so that’s why I chose it.”
Sophomore Alice Kelsey was one of the students whose photo was accepted into the competition. “I feel like it was the strongest compositionally,” Kelsey said. “It had more characteristics that were intriguing.” Lawrence High had more accepted entries than any other school. “The kids did really good,” Perkins said. “I think [this] really says something about the level of kids here at Lawrence High competing. We also got Best In Show, so one of the students actually had the best image out of any students in the New York and surrounding area. I would say that’s something for Lawrence High to be really proud of.”
are a few of the submissions that were accepted to be displayed at the Mill Street Loft in New York City.
Here I Was By Alex Hammerschmidt
Inner Fire By Ashley Hocking
Visitor By Alice Kelsey Shadowed Escape
By Rachel Woolery
100tvhersar y anni
kok c a l B & o red yearb Decay By Ryan Luna
April 10, 2013
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The Budget | 12