Free Press: Issue 2, Edition 24

the

Free Press

issue 2

“They’re never going to get that year back, so you don’t make up for it, you just move forward and hope to give this year’s group the best experience that we can.”

-Mike Hill

February 17, 2021

edition 24

“The state of our environment is growing more fragile by the minute.”

“These changes added to the overwhelming frustration and confusion of this school year. Nothing is as it should be.”

-Mary Kate Shultz

-Ella Kemp

FSJ Staff Designers Ella Marshall Hannah De Guzman Kaitlyn Fisher Lauren Tao

Photographers Addison Driscoll Emma Hardesty Karmina Douglas

Reporters Jack Bellemere Nathaniel Ankenbauer Nisa Khosh

Illustrator & Cartoonist Gus Cordova

Want more?

Visit our website here:

EDITORS

https://www.fsfreepressonline.com

Baya Burgess Photo Editor Mary Kate Shultz Copy Editor Zanna Ingram Copy Editor Ben Shryock Sports Editor Renna Folsom Business/Marketing Editor

Newspaper

Follow our social media: @fsjournalism

Isis Norris Editor in Chief Alexandria Brown Managing Editor Emily Zeller Design Editor

Yearbook

Elana Ho Co-Editor in Chief Emma Holsclaw Co-Editor in Chief Emma Nelson Design Editor

@fsjournalism @FSJPreps

Online

Alexandra Decker Co-Editor in Chief Maya Pavlyak Co-Editor in Chief Angel Singhal Design Editor Brooke Burgess Social Media Editor

@FS Journalism

@fsj_snaps

The Free Press is an open forum that accepts letters to the editor and guest writing which must include the writer’s name and telephone number. Letters may be edited due to space limitations, libel or inappropriate content. Submit letters to Room 203 or mail to the Free Press in care of...

Lawrence Free State High School

4700 Overland Drive

Lawrence, KS 66049 FSJournalism@USD497.org The opinions expressed in the Free Press are not necessarily those of the Free Press staff, the school administration or that of the USD 497 Board of Education.

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pages by Emily Zeller

TABLE OF CONTENTS 4 Safety First 6 Politics in the Classroom 8 Clearing the Air 10 Mandalorian 14 Sidelined 16 Permaculture Garden Reduces Carbon Footprint 18 Comparing Historical Events 20 COVID-19 Brings New Cleaning Challenges 22 Flex Days 24 Bird’s Word 26 Firebird Art 28 Opinion 30 Album Reviews 32 Photo Essay

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SPORTS pages by Emily Zeller story by Alexandria Brown photos by Addison Driscoll

Senior Daeci Walker guards her opponent. In Walker’s four years at Free State, she has been able to play under a variety of coaches. “Most people don’t get (different coaches) but I am thankful I’ve seen different styles of coaching,” Walker said.

Eye on the basket, senior Thayu Kimori gets ready to shoot free throws. Kimori has been a part of the basketball program at Free State all four years.

Senior Shannon Clarke moves the ball down the court. Clarke recently hit a large milestone by passing the 1000 career point mark. “It’s crazy to hit a goal set as a freshman,” Clarke said.

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Girls basketball returns after quarantine

safety

A

FIRST

fter taking a two-week quarantine in December, the girls basketball team is back on the court. The team welcomed in the new year by playing GardnerEdgerton on January 8.

The biggest change this year is the requirement of masks on the court, something junior MacKenzie Marcum has first-hand experience with.

“All the teams I’ve played on we’ve been required to wear masks during play.” Marcum said. “That part has sucked, especially during basketball trying to talk to teammates and simply breathing is a bit more difficult.”

The team quarantined for two weeks after a positive COVID-19 test from one of the athletes.

The only point of contact with the rest of the team was during one practice where no players showed symptoms or a temperature, according to head coach Chris Linner.

The Lady Firebirds are not the only team that had to quarantine. Across town, the Lawrence High girls basketball team also quarantined after an unrelated COVID-19 case. Earlier in the season, both the Free State boys and Lawrence High boys basketball teams were also quarantined.

Girls Varsity

4-6 W

L

Since the quarantine in December, there have been no other identified positive cases with the girls team or staff.

“We take temperatures every day upon entrance and have them answer screening questions before we let them into the gym,” Linner said. “We have them wear masks during the entirety of practice and sanitize hands regularly. [We] space them out whenever possible and do everything we can to make a safe environment.”

Linner called this quarantine a learning experience and said that the focus should be on the positive lessons that it has taught the team.

“I hope they can learn that this type of thing can happen at any time during the season and tomorrow’s practice or game is not guaranteed and to enjoy every moment we have together,” Linner said.

Despite the new precautions and the effect on the season, many players still love the sport and are determined to finish out the season.

“I definitely don’t like the changes it has made, but it’s really shown what teams’ players love the sport enough to play through a few disadvantages,” Marcum said.

Boys Varsity

12-2 W

L

5

politics in the

classroom

T

he morning after the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol Building, Principal Myron Graber sent an email to staff asking them to not “influence, polarize or disrupt” the classroom with personal opinions. Some teachers disagreed with the message and, despite the email, many continued to hold classwide discussions.

“While I respect where Mr. Graber was coming from and the difficult job he faces if community members are upset with what happens in the classrooms, I was uncomfortable at the request of ‘remaining neutral,’” French teacher Karen Gipson said.

Like many other teachers, Gipson feels discussions about important current events can be extremely beneficial, so long as they are kept civil.

“Everyone’s voice is to be heard, everyone’s voice is respected, everyone’s humanity is recognized, but opinions do not have to be respected,” Gipson said. “There is a difference between respecting people; honoring their right

pages by Emily Zeller story by Zanna Ingram illustrations by Gus Cordova

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to an opinion and respecting an opinion itself.”

Gipson believes students deserve a place to discuss their opinions, especially during a time where students might feel as if their voices aren’t being heard.

“If I can provide a safe place where even just a few students are able to process, reflect [or] voice their hurt and anger, then I owe it to them,” Gipson said. “Education is so much deeper than isolated contents and, even though I value world language, there are times when I need to put my lesson plans on the back-burner.”

Social Studies teacher Blake Swenson agrees

“If I can provide a safe place where even just a few students are able to process, reflect, voice their hurt and anger, then I owe it to them,”

-Karen Gipson, world language

FEATURE

teachers navigate difficult discussions

politics deserve a place in the classroom and that, while teachers should be expected to be respectful of all students, it is disingenuous to pretend they are neutral.

“If teachers are told or encouraged to be apolitical, then the message we send to students is that they should also be apolitical because politics is just too hard to engage in or understand,” Swenson said. “In my opinion, this creates less productive citizens and definitely makes them illprepared to fulfill their civic responsibilities.”

Swenson had his students watch a short PBS NewsHour video that recapped the facts of the event, provided historical context and explained any developments that happened overnight “Most students just asked more clarifying questions,” Swenson said. “These events do not require a class debate and I think that is what people think has to happen, but in reality, individual mindful reflection on an event like this is just as important as discussion and absolutely necessary before you engage in a discussion.”

pages by Emily Zeller story by Zanna Ingram illustrations by Gus Codova

Aimee Landwehr, who also teaches social studies, believes discussing the events at the Capitol was an important teaching moment for her classes.

“The insurrection at the Capitol was a direct threat to our democracy and one that contained numerous opportunities to investigate not only academic ideas, but the application of ideas students spend so much time studying,” Landwehr said.

Like both Gipson and Swenson, Landwehr made sure the discussions were kept civil and respectful while still allowing students to speak their minds.

“I am always grateful to hear what students have to say about things like this and do not regret facilitating the discussions that occurred in my classrooms,” Landwehr said. “In addition, I will continue to provide space and act as moderator so students can continue to develop the skills necessary in order to become productive, free people.”

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Clearing B

the

Air

iology and Chemistry teacher Daniel Hissong has always been passionate about science, but he never expected to be developing a technology to fight a pandemic.

Hissong started working with Tech-UV and Plasma Biosecurity in October, joining a mechanical engineer and a fabricator.

Together, they are creating an air filter that aims to reduce the number of coronavirus particles found in the air.

The company is working off of an experiment that shows a particular ionic density will inactivate coronavirus particles at a 94% success rate.

“This was tested using a decommissioned aircraft that was contaminated with the virus, then the [cabin] was ionized using the tech that we are studying,” Hissong said.

Tech-UV and Plasma Biosecurity is developing wall-mounted filters, filters that can be installed in a building’s HVAC system and a cabinet will disinfect its contents with UV light.

The company has started installing its products in businesses around the Lawrence area.

This project has been funded by the Small Business Technology Transfer program, a

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program run through the federal government that funds small businesses developing innovative technology. The goal of the grant is to eventually commercialize the product in development.

Travis Kohler, one of Hissong’s partners, is optimistic about the new technology researchers have been developing to help end the pandemic.

“We have never found ourselves in a pandemic before with the scientific knowledge that we presently have,” Kohler said. “We expect [this technology] will be a part of nearly every commercial/public building in the future.”

Hissong and his partners are planning on collaborating with the University of Kansas and increasing the practicality of their technology. Tech-UV and Plasma Biosecurity is still waiting for laboratory testing and approval.

Hissong understands why people may not have heard about his technology.

“I think people are more focused on problems versus solutions nowadays,” said Hissong. “It’s just easy to get distracted with all the things going on with our world.”

PROFILE Science teacher develops technology to help fight COVID

pages by Ella Marshall story by Nisa Khosh photos submitted by Daniel Hissong

Image with the white Air Scout over the bathroom door is in J&S coffee. “The air filter is a black box that’s meant to inactivite SARS-CoV-2.”

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Mandalorian

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CULTURE

Thoughts from a Star Wars fan

F

or as long as I can remember, I’ve been a Star Wars fan. I loved the storyline of the original movies and the world they were set in. That being said, the Mandalorian did not disappoint and lived up to the hype. The series, available on Disney+, takes place after the sixth Star Wars movie “Return of the Jedi.” The show follows the story of a Mandalorian bounty hunter searching the galaxy for jobs to fulfill.

The Mandalorian himself, Din Djarin, is a great addition to the franchise. His character develops extremely well over the first two seasons. At the start of the series, he’s portrayed as a hardened bounty hunter as if he’s already seen the most terrifying things the Star Wars galaxy has to offer like the Galactic Empire, the Confederacy of Independent Systems and crime families like the Hutts. By the end of Season 1, Djarin becomes a father figure to another character, Grogu.

Over Season 2, Grogu doesn’t do much or even develop as a character. He’s another member of Yoda’s species. Before this series, fans only knew of two members of Grogu’s species: Yoda himself and Jedi Master Yaddle, who only appeared in the Phantom Menace.

Djarin’s goal throughout the series is to bring Grogu back to his own kind, the Jedi, who are known enemies to the Mandalorians.

Throughout their journey the two characters

become very close to each other like a father and son. Djarin feeds Grogu and even has a little room for him inside his ship where Grogu can sleep. The two both face great challenges together as Mandalorian and Jedi.

I should mention, this show gets tremendously detailed with it’s lore. For example, quite a few characters from the Clone Wars series appear including a couple of iconic characters from both the Clone Wars and the movies. Creators Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni also took inspiration from the Star Wars Legends series of novels, which were removed from the canon storyline when Disney bought LucasFilm. Both Favreau and Filoni incorporate certain parts of the Legends books back into the canon storyline. It’s a good way to cater to long time fans of the franchise.

What really makes this show great is Moff Gideon, the main villain of the show who is played by Giancarlo Esposito. He is no Darth Vader or Emperor Palpatine but he definitely earned his title as a villain, though whenever I see him I always think of Gus Fring from Breaking Bad running an intergalactic fried chicken drug empire. This show has so much going on and it excels at implementing Easter eggs from the movies, shows and books into its story. I believe the Mandalorian is great for anyone who is or is not a Star Wars fan. I can’t wait for it’s return in Season 3. pages by Emily Zeller story by Gus Cordova illustration by Gus Cordova

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SIDELINED A

s Governor Kelly’s order to close Kansas schools for the 2020 school year was announced, senior Gage Callaghan felt lost. That March, he was preparing to finish his junior year as the catcher on the baseball team. A few days later, the Kansas High School Activities Association announced the cancelation of all athletic activities in the state. His days were usually structured around conditioning and practice, so filling his time with video games and sitting around the house just didn’t feel right.

“You just feel sick to your stomach,” head baseball Coach Mike Hill said, shaking his head in defeat. “They’re never going to get that year back, so you don’t make up for it, you just move forward and hope to give this year’s group the best experience that we can.”

With Callaghan’s hopes set on being offered a position to play on a college team, losing last year’s season his junior year could have been

“

detrimental to his recruitment. In the recruiting process, most colleges and universities aim to sign athletes by their junior year.

“That’s when you really start to develop as a player,” Callaghan said. “Coaches really start to notice what you’re doing good and how they can fit you into their program,” Because of this lost season, many colleges and universities will allow last year’s graduated athletes to keep their current spot on the team.

Ryan Prickett, sports information director at Fort Hays State University, emphasized the stress this places on colleges and universities.

“It spills down to the high school level because you’ve got such a stockpile of athletes here that are already on scholarships,” Prickett said. “We only have X amount of dollars to give in scholarships or the university commits X amount of dollars at conferences.”

In short, since there are now fewer open spots on most teams, the incoming freshman class will

They’re never going to get that year back, so you don’t make up for it, you just move forward and hope to give this year’s group the best experience that we can.

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”

FEATURE pages by Hannah De Guzman story by Isis Norris

Changes to college rules stress high school athletes have less of an opportunity to play.

“It can put them in a grind too, because [incoming freshmen] might have thought they’re gonna start there, but now they might not because these [graduated] kids are going to come back,” Callaghan said.

In Callaghan’s case, playing on a club team over the summer gave him just enough time on the field to attract recruiters. Now, he is in talks with several NAIA schools.

Callaghan and Hill are both cautiously looking forward to the upcoming season. After the football, boys basketball and girls basketball

teams all had to cancel several games due to COVID, Hill is hopeful that the coronavirus vaccine will help reduce the exposure and spread of the virus.

As one of the oldest members on the team, Callaghan feels the importance of his influence. He hopes to lead his team to the state championship, as the varsity team did when he was a sophomore.

“We have a lot of hard workers,” Callaghan said. “I’m personally just trying to pull that out of everybody so that we can be the best team that we can be and end on a high note.”

Spring Season Schedule March 30 April 1 April 6 April 8 April 9 April 13 April 16 April 19 April 27 April 29 May 4

Shawnee Mission Shawnee Mission-North Olathe North High School Shawnee Missioin North West Shawnee Mission Olathe Northwest Shawnee Mission South Olathe West Mill Valley Olathe South Olathe East

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FEATURE

Permaculture

Garden reduces Carbon Footprint

P

Junior Ella Kemp looks at the garden as a moment of peace for students and staff members.

“I view the garden as a serene place for students to relax and destress, as well as an area for students to either hang out or enjoy the scenery,” Kemp said. “This acts as an inspiring example of how we as a student body can instill positive change within our community and environment.”

While Free State currently only has one garden, there are plans in the works to expand it.

“Our overall vision also includes an outdoor classroom, food forest, and octagonal food beds surrounding the small fruit trees that are already in place near the garden,” Abeita said.

Building a garden by hand may sound like a stressful experience, but senior Maya Sabatini has

ermaculture, which may seem difficult and confusing, is starting to be seen as quite the opposite. Through Julie Schwarting’s Environmental Science class, the students have been able to develop a garden to reduce the school’s carbon footprint.

With the initial goal of permaculture being to help protect the environment, Sarah Abeita is set on reducing Free State’s environmental impact.

“Teaching students how to garden not only helps them gain practical skills that can be utilized later in life, but also helps to reduce the carbon footprint of Free State,” Abeita said. “By utilizing our outdoor spaces in smart ways we can become more eco-friendly while also producing useful goods.

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FEATURE The students in Environmental Club build garden designed to help the environment

fun while enjoying the nature around her.

“We went to a cemetery to collect seeds a few weeks ago, which was fun,” Sabatini said. “The cemetery was beautiful and it’s nice just to be able to have a group of people to be able to talk to regularly.”

Starting a garden of your own sounds like a difficult challenge, Schwarting is excited to help guide students through the process.

“Learning is always good and practice is even better, so go for it,” Schwarting said. “Don’t worry about making mistakes, that’s how we learn the most valuable lessons.

Kemp has words of advice for not just the Free State students, but the Lawrence community as a whole.

“The state of our environment is growing

pages by Hannah De Guzman illustrations by Gus Cordova story by Nisa khosh

more fragile by the minute,” Kemp said.

“Therefore, it’s very important to learn about the current state of the environment and how to implement little things into our daily routines to reduce our overall environmental footprint.”

Kemp encourages students to join Permaculture Club, as it is a fun way to get involved and learn about the environment.

“To get involved in the technical aspects of this project, make sure to attend the Flex Wednesday permaculture meetings hosted by [Julie] Schwarting,” Kemp said. “If you are interested in helping with volunteer opportunities, reach out to permaculture students working on the project or [Julie] Schwarting and we would love to help you find a spot in our team.”

Steps taken so far... plans drawn for an outdoor classroom, annual swales wrote a grant for the implementation of solar panels on the shed, which was recently approved broke ground for the swales collected seeds at the cemetary

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comparing

historical O

events

n Jan. 6 an insurrection took place in the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C. The mob, inspired by former President Donald Trump, gathered to protest Congress’s confirmation of electoral votes.

The Capitol Storming took many people by surprise, but that surprise quickly turned to anger.

Many compared the way the police reacted to the storming to the way they reacted to Black Lives Matter protests in the summer.

“I immediately thought that if any of them [the rioters] had any melanin in their skin they would be shot 100 feet before even getting near the capitol,” senior Nora Gerami said.

The Black Lives Matter movement has become a leading social justice movement in recent years. Seeing the difference in the police response in both cases is something that many students took issue with.

“I felt like the soft response of the police and national guard on the day of the attack in contrast to the police response to BLM protests highlighted the disparities between the two Americas that exist depending on

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your race,” senior Ethan Sharp said.

According to the Washington Post, the police did not arrive at the scene of the Capitol until at least an hour after the attack had started at the Capitol. In comparison, the police have almost always been present at BLM protests since almost the very beginning.

With the numerous protests that took place in Kansas City over the summer, many students in the Lawrence area have the firsthand experience with harsh treatment from police. Junior Shea Dailey mentioned that she has friends who attended the June BLM protests in Kansas City. When she saw the difference in the response from the protest to the riot, she felt that it was really wrong.

“After having close friends get tear-gassed and shot at [with rubber bullets] in Kansas City for peacefully protesting and then this happening without much pushback from the police is just so unfair to me,” Dailey said.

According to the Washington Post, Capitol police made 14 arrests on Jan. 6 and another 69 rioters were arrested by police in the following days. During a June 1 Black Lives Matter protest, D.C. police arrested 289 people.

NEWS pages, photos & story

by Angel Singhal

Students compare the Capitol storming to the BLM protests

250 Black Lives Matter signs line a security outside the White House on Jan. 2

Number of people arrestesd

200 150 100 50 0

Capitol Storming

Jun. 5 BLM Protest

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COVID brings

new CLEANING

challenges E

ven in the best of times, the custodial staff has a lot on their plate: cleaning classrooms every night and cleaning the cafeteria during lunch are just two of their many duties. However, students returning to classrooms in a hybrid learning environment bring even more complications to an already difficult job.

“A night shift custodian will easily walk a minimum of five miles in their eight-hour work shift,” head custodian Steve Craven said. “Every night, five nights a week.”

Welcoming a quarter of the student body back into the classroom requires near-constant cleaning.

Some of these new protocols include cleaning all high-touch areas and distributing disinfectant materials to each classroom.

To supply the new need of cleaning supplies, the district invested in Re-Juv-Nal and Tersano, two cleaning solutions. Tersano is more commonly used in the district and has been proven to kill 99.9% percent of all viruses and bacteria. However, once it is activated, Tersano has a 24-hour shelf life.

“That means every bottle has to be emptied out

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and replenished every day,” Craven said.

Despite this taxing routine, or perhaps, because of it, Craven is confident in the building’s cleanliness.

At a Board of Education meeting in September, executive director of facilities and operations Tony Barron, gave a presentation outlining the district’s plans for sanitation. Throughout, Barron assured the board the district’s custodial staff could maintain a safe environment within each school.

Barron could not be reached for an updated comment.

With talks of having students return to full-time in-person learning underway, Craven is wary of his staff’s ability to keep up with the increased demand.

“Going back to full-time now can not be done safely,” Craven said. “Not at all... we are just barely able to meet all the COVID protocols and get regular custodial duties done with just 25% hybrid.”

Despite future concerns, Craven praised staff and students for helping the custodial staff on a day-today basis.

“Everyone… has done a fantastic job with cleaning up after themselves,” Craven said. “That has helped morale a lot and we are very thankful for all the support and kindness everyone has shown us.”

FEATURE

Custodians handle changes with pandemic

Pages by Lauren Tao Story by Isis Norris with contributions from Jack Bellemere Illustration by Gus Cordova

“

Going back to fulltime now can not be done safely.

Not at all... we are just barely able to meet all the COVID protocols and get regular custodial duties done with just 25% hybrid.

”

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superflex

wednesdays

97%

Like Dislike

of students like Flex Wednesdays

Study Sessions Classes

85%

of students prefer study sessions

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INFOGRAPHIC

Here’s what students have to say about Wednesdays

Pages by Lauren Tao & Emily Zeller

A Student’s Flex Wednesday Schedule hour 1 homeroom hour 2 math 101 hour 3 ms down’s ekphrasis workshop

hour 4 finish chem lab (ind. study) hour 5 chem tutoring

hour 6 us history lecture hour 7 spanish 4 tutoring

Students’ Favorite Parts of Flex Wednesdays Undoubtedly Ms. Down’s Ekphrasis workshop @ravenclawethan

Mr. Watgen brings Free State Alumni who played band in college, and talk about college @brandon_tyler27

Independent work time, so I can work with my own schedule and not worry about being late @amanda_nelson712

I like the Amoung Us social time

@sportschief1103

Ms. Woolfolk taught us how to make baklava

@vivianmchm

All of them. Please don’t take this away from us @spencer_landis24

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Bird’s Word Free States reaction to capital attack Jeff Haas

teacher, he/him/his “My initial reaction to what I saw happening was both shock coupled with a sense it was not too surprising. The combo of those two seemingly contradictory reactions is what has become so challenging to process. The incident has been very unsettling for millions of people both within as well as outside the United States.

My thoughts continue to drift to the idea that... there is more at play than simply contesting the legitimate outcome of a singular election process. There are other symbols and actions which have occurred and continue to occur that suggest to me there are other grievances at work beyond or even behind the cover of electoral politics.”

Nethni Weerasekara senior, she/her/hers

“When I heard about the attack on the U.S. Capitol last Wednesday, I was in complete and utter shock. I don’t think there are words to describe the whole mess of emotion I felt. I was in disbelief something this insane could happen in our nation. Soon that shock and disbelief turned into anger. Seeing the pictures and videos of the audacity of the protestors and the blatant disrespect they showed set me ablaze. I was, and still am, furious at the protesters who broke into the Capitol building and at the president who encouraged it. It was unbelievable to see the great United States government crumble into chaos.”

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BIRDS’ WORD pages by Ella Marshall responses collected by Alexandria Brown

Ezra Joseph

junior, they/them/theirs “My initial reaction was pure frustration. Internally, I knew the risk of rioters actually having an effect on electoral votes was very low, which made me question the purpose of storming the Capitol. Logically, the only point of this march was to incite violence. I don’t understand how the politicians who endorsed Trump and his orchestration of violence do not see the blood on their hands, and I’m deeply angered by the lack of accountability and preparation in our federal government thus far.”

Freya Monaghan freshman, she/they

‘‘It was really surprising, I knew people who support Trump were mad about the election but it really didn’t seem like a smart thing for them to do.

It was surprising and it made me a bit confused.’’

Luke Campbell

sophomore, he/him/his “As I watched the situation unfold I was intrigued by the fact many news outlets refused to use the word rioters until Representative McCarthy came onto CBS and used it, almost as if they were afraid of using the term. I was frustrated Trump released a video instead of facing reporters, Biden’s speech was inspiring. It was clear Trump supported this from the fact he said they needed to take back the election and the fact the capital police were so outnumbered and unprepared.”

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FirebirdART Alex Daggett senior

“My main inspiration/goal is to try and portray psychological concepts and escapism through art and recently I’ve been experimenting with abstraction and surrealism more.

I find most of my inspiration from personal experiences and I try and organize my art how I feel my brain is organized, if that makes sense.”

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ART pages by Ella Marshall

Lucy Johnson sophomore “It was for a prompt called surrealist visions and I wrote a sort of story to go along with it. That picture is representing how, in the end, the character gave into the “darkness” that was following her throughout the story.”

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OPINION

First Semester Finals Schedule adds

Insult

I

to Injury

n a school year defined by confusion, stress and inconsistency, the first semester finals schedule was yet another punch. The organization of finals was harmful to students and cannot be repeated.

Late last summer, the USD 497 Board of Education decided to delay the start of school until September 8 to allow for preparation for online learning. With this change, the first semester was about two weeks shorter. It was not made clear to students before early December–five months after the initial scheduling decision was made–finals would be pushed to January. Later, everything was pushed back two more days, causing finals to also be split up by Martin Luther King Day. On the surface, this may seem like a harmless change. High school students

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are going to take finals either way, does it really matter when?

As a student, it does. Especially now.

This schedule was simply not practical.

Expecting students to recall class material after a three-week break is unfair and unrealistic. This left students with two options: stress and study over break, or wing it when it comes time for their tests.

Either way, this was problematic.

Many students felt nervous and pressured to study, making their “break” just as stressful as school. Students who feel less motivated about school or have other priorities likely put the books away entirely during their break. Presumably, those students performed more poorly on their finals than they could have on a normal timeline.

Even if students managed to get

Schedule Comparision Last year’s

This year’s finals break

through finals unscathed, starting second semester the next day was incredibly difficult. Many of my peers and I were exhausted after finals.

In several of my classes, we started taking notes on the first day. In those classes, group chats started blowing up: we were so collectively burned out that none of us had taken notes. This trend continued over the next couple days as we struggled to regain our motivation.

The schedule change put unnecessary stress on teachers as well, forcing them to simultaneously grade finals and begin their next set of classes.

From an overhead perspective, I can understand why this decision may have seemed necessary. If the semester would be shorter, just stick two more weeks on in January to give teachers enough time to

cover the normal amount of content—an easy fix. However, this just did not work.

With the short notice, the majority of my teachers didn’t introduce new content in the extra two weeks of the semester.

We had projects or assignments to work on, and finals to prepare for, but I did not observe the time being used for teaching more lessons. The semester could have ended in December and I would have learned the same amount of content.

On a larger scale, these changes added to the overwhelming frustration and confusion of this school year. During this time, teenagers are begging for consistency, clarity, organization and normalcy. As young people, we need some sense of expectations and structure. Nothing is as it should be. In this regard, the adults and leaders in our lives failed us once again. story by MK Shultz design by Hannah De Guzman

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album

REVIEWS Nobody is listening by Zayn Malik

M

any artists are kicking off the new year with the release of new music. On January 15, Zayn Malik, known mononymously as ZAYN, released his third studio album titled “Nobody is listening.” The album is a collection of relaxing acoustics and upbeat R&B featuring Malik’s wide range of vocals. The album talks about passion and love with songs like “Vibez” and “Sweat” while also covering topics of self-love in “Unfuckwitable.” English rapper Devlin and American singer Syd Tha Kyd join Malik in the songs “Windowsill” and “When Love’s Around” respectively. Malik tends to keep his personal life private but this album gives his fans a peek into his world and what he is thinking. “Nobody is listening” is now available on all major streaming platforms.

by Alexandria Brown

Blame Game by Beach Bunny

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ike the 2018 hit single “Prom Queen,” Blame Game by indie pop/rock band Beach Bunny packs a catchyyet-meaningful punch. The EP has a huge emotional range: from angry breakup anthems to deceptively upbeat beachy pop and straightforward examinations of society. Elements of feminism are woven into each song; songwriter Lili Trifilio does a masterfully casual job of discussing heavy issues. The EP embodies the authenticity, liveliness and weary optimism that has come to trademark Beach Bunny’s music.

If you’re a fan of Beach Bunny’s 2020 album Honeymoon, or indie music in general, Blame Game is worth a listen.

by Mary Kate Shultz

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CULTURE pages by Kaitlyn Fisher

Emphatically No.

by Cheekface

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I

n the chaos of the first two weeks of 2021, the L.A. trio Cheekface released a welcome distraction. Filled with fuzzy guitars and sarcastic one-liners, their sophomore album, “Emphatically No.” serves as an escape from an already exhausting year. In a deadpan delivery, frontman Greg Katz effortlessly transitions from discussing climate change to the restorative powers of Cinnamon Toast Crunch.

Over anxiety-fueled riffs, Katz compares life to the length of a CVS receipt in “Best Life.” Inspired by a Bernie Sanders speech, Katz declares, “We need state-mandated disclosures of people who aren’t nice/we need multiple choice tests and a small side of fries,” on “Emotional Rent Control.” If you’re a fan of the quirky vibes of the Talking Heads and the minimalistic riffs of Diet Cig, listen to “Emphatically No.” available on all major streaming platforms. by Isis Norris

Fake it flowers by Beabadoobee

ilipino-British singer Beatrice Laus, aka Beabadoobee, released her debut album “Fake It Flowers” on October 16 last year. The 20-year-old singer describes the album as a personal letter to her 15-year-old self that’s heavily influenced by 90s rock music. In songs like “How Was Your Day?” and “Sorry,” Laus reminisces on the people she hasn’t seen in months and friends she’s lost to drug use, respectively. Laus reflects on old bad habits in the more aggressive “Charlie Brown.” “So let me cut my hair and dye it red if I want to/I haven’t felt myself so comfortable/I’m not stopping now” she sings passionately on “Dye It Red,” a song about being your own person and doing what you want. If you enjoy a more modern take on alternative/indie rock, you may enjoy “Fake It Flowers.”

by Karmina Douglas

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Taking a breath at the turn, freshman Dawson Bonnell swims the 200 individual medley. Bonnell qualified for State in this event as well as the 500 freestyle.

This year the orchestra concert was live streamed in order to have a completely virtual audience.

Sophomore Jake Chun plays the cello during an orchestra concert this winter. The concert was live streamed and players socially distanced while on stage.

Seniors Cole Rodrick and Alex Allison wrestle at Free State Wrestling’s scrimmage and senior night.

Freshman Laythan Biddle and coach Randy Streeter high five.

page by Emily Zeller

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