Free Press | Issue 2 | Nov. 1, 2024

THE FREE PRESS Issue 2 | Nov. 1 2024 | Edition 28 Illustration by Neylana Haque

Pg. 12-13 | Who is to Blame?

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The Free Press

CONTENTS FEATURE

OPINION

Pg. 13 - History of Gun Violence Pg. 17 - Just Ask Johnston Pg. 20 - Kansas Welcomes You Pg. 23 - Cut Loose With the Cast

Pg. 4 - What is the Media?

Pg. 12 - Who is to Blame?

A&E

NEWS Pg. 5 - Vice Presidential Picks Pg. 10-11 - Bending Boundaries Pg. 16 - Fourth Year Finalists Pg. 19 - Looking Through the Net Pg. 21 - Embracing Your English

Pg. 8 - Fall Word Search Pg. 9 - Fall Cookbook Pg. 22 - Must Watch Horror Movies

Lilly Wall Nick Sprecker Phoebe Morris

MANAGING EDITORS Evie Chancy Maria Mosconi

DESIGN EDITOR Geneva Sabatini

PHOTO EDITOR Mallory Thompson

CAPTIONS EDITOR Elinor Russo

Pg. 18 - The Participation Dilemma

COPY EDITOR

FOR BREAKING NEWS AND MORE CONTENT VISIT OUR WEBSITE! FSFREEPRESSONLINE.COM

Tiktok: @freestatejournalism

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF

SPORTS EDITOR

This cover is meant to represent our package story. In America, 12 children die due to gun violence daily while another 32 are injured.

Because of impacts from environmental factors to lax gun laws, gun violence has become normalized in American culture.

With no end or solution visible in the near future from officials, the responsibility to prevent these shootings comes down to everyday members of society.

Illustration by Neylana Haque

@fsjournalism

NEWS STAFF

SPORTS

ABOUT THE COVER

SOCIALS

4700 Overland Dr, Lawrence KS, 66049

MISSION STATEMENT Curious Free State journalists will amplify voices, gather superior sources and tell pivotal stories of our community in a visually creative way in order to serve our audience and foster quality scholastic journalism in Lawrence, Kansas.

Rakshan Ossen Elliot Skillman

ONLINE EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Simon Williams Ember Klein

ONLINE MANAGING EDITOR Baila Love

SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Katie Campbell

ASST. SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR Delaney Bayliss

PHOTOGRAPHERS Miles Beaty Liam Butler Chloe Cook Kinley Gigous Ebi Hegeman

Julia Velasco Lilly Wall Eden Weber Amelia Wiles

REPORTERS Katie Campbell Harper Finck Jonah Frye Owen Gerrish Eula Heriford

Lauren Jackson Rakshan Ossen Avery Smiley Emi Stone Amelia Wiles

DESIGNERS Katie Campbell Evie Chancy Kouri Demelash Harper Finck Neylana Haque

Zoe Kaul Willow Marable Allison McCall Lucas Smith Abbie Veeder

BUSINESS TEAM Ainsley Linhos Amanda McCall

Piper Northrop

The Free Press

APPLY TO

Design by Evie Chancy

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Collected by Evie Chancy

JOURNALISM

Positions available: • • •

• • •

• • •

• • •

• • • •

Reporter Have your writing published on the website, newspaper and yearbook.

Interview interesting people and tell stories from around the school.

Recommended prerequisite: 21st Century Journalism

Designer

Express your creativity with vibrant, interesting designs for the yearbook, social media and newspaper.

Use Adobe Indesign and Illustrator to compliment stories and photos to create cohesive pages.

Recommended prerequisite: Graphic Design 1

Apply by Nov. 22 ation • Requires a teacher recommend odds • Submit a portfolio for better ber • Interviews will be held in Decem

Fill out the form below

Photographer

Capture moments and tell a story through a camera lens at a variety of events.

Learn to edit photos and gain skill in Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop.

Recommended prerequisite: Photography 1

Video Production

Capture visually enticing moments at various different events and programs through video.

Build an understanding of the available equipment and professional editing software to allow for elevated, complex projects.

Recommended prerequisite: Video Production 1

Business

Sell advertisements to various local businesses across Lawrence Learn how to apply business and communications skills that will help you beyond graduation.

Work with others to boost Free State Journalism as a program.

Illustration by Neylana Haque

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The Free Press

Editorial

WHAT IS THE MEDIA?

Navigating the Complex Landscape of Modern Media

Editorial by Nick Sprecker

I

n an era of unprecedented information flow dependent on modern media, it is no question that news outlets and entertainment channels are crucial to keeping the human population informed. However, as the digital age has progressed, it has become increasingly common for individuals to become skeptical of the mainstream media carrying ulterior motives beyond just information.

television and radio to digital platforms such as social media and podcasts. Each medium serves distinct purposes, with traditional journalism aiming to adhere to ethical standards directed at accuracy while smaller digital platforms have the choice to blur the lines between news and opinion.

Given the definition of the media, it should be nearly impossible to generalize the “media” as its landscape Sweeping statements such as “The media is encompasses information that is both democratized brainwashing everyone,” or “That’s what and distorted. Even still, a 2018 Gallup poll found the media wants you to think,” imply that that 62% of Americans believed that the “media” was news outlets shape public opinion and biased one way or the other. Another Gallup poll in political views. Some even take it further, 2023 collected that only 27% of independents and insisting that media outlets are puppets, 14% of republicans had a great deal or fair amount of controlled and influenced by some confidence in the media. higher intelligence, whether it be the government or giant conglomerates, When Gallup asked the same question in 2003, only 1 stemming from the fact that a in 10 expressed “no confidence” while more than half few large corporations own a expressed confidence — what happened? significant portion of the media industry.

The decline in trust of a free press creates a dangerous spiral; the lack of shared and established news can While these claims can’t result in a society unable to engage with each other necessarily be debunked, they around a common set of facts— something that has oversimplify the diverse and been evidently proven by the increased polarization of complex nature of media today’s world. and don’t take into account the variety of sources, Disengagement with news perspectives and journalistic ethical standards that come often draws parallels to into play. It is important disengagement with politics, to define just all that the “media” encompasses and voting and civic life. to fairly evaluate the media’s influence in shaping — or not As the world becomes ever digitized, opportunities shaping — political and social for the erratic consumption of misinformation landscapes. grow larger. Digital media sprouts concerns of authenticating what is reported in the media; with The term “media” the emergence of artificial intelligence, concerns of encompasses a wide range deep fakes, manipulated images and automated article of channels, from traditional generation grow larger for everyday news consumers. outlets like newspapers, This is something that wasn’t possible decades ago — if people can’t trust what they’re seeing, how could Illustration by Kouri Demelash they possibly trust the news?

News

In today’s world more than ever, there is a noticeable discrepancy between the amount of republicans who “trust the news” (14%) in comparison to democrats (70%), as referenced by Gallup earlier. Social media echo chambers, occurring when algorithms prioritize content that matches users’ beliefs, create a worrying feedback loop that often drives polarization by ringing out opposing viewpoints. Another danger created through social media — party members become entrenched in their viewpoints, making common ground harder to find. As a result, people are weary of news that doesn’t align with their political stance. Former President Donald Trump significantly increased this mistrust during and after his tenure by criticizing the “fake news” media, frequently attempting to discredit negative headlines about him.

So? — Major, established news outlets like CNN or MSNBC aren’t as biased as some claim. While it is important to beware of small underlying biases that may exist, journalists work to uphold a professional standard and provide accurate information.

While editorial choices may reflect certain perspectives, their commitment to fact checking and responsible reporting shouldn’t be understated.

To get a blanched view of the news, try to read from multiple sources with different perspectives. Be critical of the information you consume, but not without reason. By taking these steps, you are working toward creating a more well-rounded version of yourself and of society.

The Free Press

Design by Neylana Haque

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VICE PRESIDENTIAL Collected by Lilly Wall

PICKS

HARRIS’S VP PICK: TIM WALZ AGE: 60 CURRENT ROLE: Minnesota Governor (since 2018) BORN: Nebraska VIEWS AND BELIEFS:

• Voted in favor of the Affordable Care Act • Voted to continue funding the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan • Supported tighter vetting of refugees entering the U.S.

TRUMP’S VP PICK: J.D. VANCE AGE: 40 CURRENT ROLE: U.S. Senator from Ohio (since 2022) and author BORN: Ohio VIEWS AND BELIEFS:

• Described his stance as pro-life but said he would like the issue to be left to the states • Sponsored legislation that would ban access to gender-affirming care for minors • Called for funding and construction of a border wall

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The Free Press

student news of lawrence free

Home

News

Feature

Opinion

Sports

VIDEO: POWDERPUFF FOOTBALL StuCo hosted Powderpuff Football on Sept. 25, 2024. In the final round, the juniors beat the seniors 12-6.

Video by Nathan Kramer

Scan to watch the Powderpuff video on our website.

Celebrating a touchdown, the sophomore team huddles around Tessa Nover-Estes as she clutches the football. The sophomores lost their game to the seniors. Photo by Anders Benson

NEWS: SAY GOODBYE TO THE SCANNER Lawrence police scanner is taken away Story by Lilly Wall

Scan to read about the legacy of the police scanner.

Checking the X page, a student looks at the Lawrence Police Scanner.

Due to the Lawrence Police Department encrypting their radio station, the Police Scanner is now nonfunctioning. Photo by Miles Beaty

The Free Press

Design by Geneva Sabatini

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state high school A sneak peek into our online publication!

Arts & Culture

Media

About

INFOGRAPHIC: CANDIDATES CLASH Examining the policy differences between the two options for president Collected by Logan Dinges

Scan for a breakdown of the candidates’ policies.

Donald Trump and Kamala Harris will face off in the presidential election on Tuesday, Nov. 5. Illustration by Neylana Haque

FEATURE: ONCE UPON A FESTIVAL Behind the scenes of the annual Renaissance Festival Story by Ebi Hegeman

Scan to read more about this annual event.

Visitors stroll through decked out buildings in a variety of costumes. Since the festival’s beginnings, everyone was encouraged to dress up for the weekend’s theme. “I like walking and looking at people’s outfits,” sophomore Emmett Henry said. “It feels like in modern day, we don’t get to experiment as much with older styles of dressing.” Photo by Ebi Hegeman

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The Free Press

A&E

FALL WORDSEARCH P U M V M U H C I C N Y O S U Z S C Y X C F R Q Y K M N N S F A P I Z R H R Y H A R

P U D N P O A A A A P Y F V

K I E V A K G R R J L I S E

I N B H R W O C W H N Q H F T Y F J E A E C U K E E S T

B O N F I R E O P O K R S N

O R P L A E U A T V U E M S N U O V S T V G D J O W P W

A Q U I L T O C T O B E R J

N G E H C H A A R L C S L O W O R E W N A E A T E S E N C R J O L A J U G L A Z W L

JACKET

PIE

PUMPKIN

AUTUMN

LEAVES

SCARF

SWEATER

FOOTBALL

COZY

BROWN

OCTOBER

HALLOWEEN

APPLE

ACORN

ORANGE

Answers on page 14!

By Nick Sprecker

The Free Press

A&E

Design by Zoe Kaul

MINI PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE DONUTS Recipe by Amelia Wiles

Coating Ingredients • • •

¼ cup crushed graham crackers ¼ cup white sugar ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice

Steps 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

Whisk together warm milk, yeast, sugar and let sit for 5-10 minutes.

Add in sugar, pumpkin puree, vanilla, butter, pumpkin pie spice and salt.

Add flour gradually and knead dough until sticky.

Let dough rest for 2 hours (sorry, patience is key!)

Use a piece of twine to form dough balls into a pumpkin shape.

Fry donuts at 350°F for 3 minutes on each side in a pot of boiling cooking oil.

Take out donuts and snip twine to remove.

Toss warm pumpkins in the graham cracker sugar mixture.

Whisk together cream cheese, vanilla, powdered sugar, pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice until fluffy.

Make a hole in the side of the pumpkin for filling with the cinnamon stick.

Using a piping bag or a make-shift Ziploc piping bag, pipe in the filling.

Place a small cinnamon stick in the top as the stem.

Enjoy your hard work!

Dough Ingredients • • • • • • • • • • •

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice 2 cups flour ½ cup pumpkin puree 1 ½ tsp active dry yeast 2 tsp sugar for yeast 1 ½ tbsp white sugar ½ cup warm milk 3 tbsp melted butter 1 tsp vanilla extract ¼ tsp salt cinnamon sticks for stems

Filling Ingredients • • • • •

8 oz cream cheese, room temp. ½ tsp vanilla extract ¼ cup powdered sugar 1 tbsp pumpkin puree ¼ tsp pumpkin pie spice

Photo by Amelia Wiles

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The Free Press

News

BENDING BOUNDARIES

Story by Lauren Jackson

High school boundaries revised for balanced enrollment

L

awrence Public School Board’s Boundary Committee is discussing a revision to the high school boundary that currently resides on Bob Billings Parkway. The committee initially proposed four plans including grade-level schools but has since narrowed the decision to two.

Mills middle school. School Board Vice President GR Gordon-Ross said a change is necessary as the board has concerns regarding equitable opportunities provided by each school due to a 350-student difference between Free State and Lawrence High.

The first plan, the “Lawrence L,” sends students north of Bob Billings and west of Massachusetts Street to Free State while the “Middle School Feeder Pattern” has Free State consisting of students from West Middle School and Central Middle School and Lawrence High comprised of students from Southwest Middle School and Billy

“Over the last 25 years, the growth pattern in the city has shifted north and west creating an imbalance in the city,” GordonRoss said. “Free State now has more students, thus they have more staff, and they’re able to offer classes that Lawrence High can’t offer.”

Option A: Lawrence High “L”

Alongside the equity issues, following the Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) division regulations, LHS is at risk of being demoted from 6A to 5A. The board does not foresee this issue resolving itself, making a boundary change imperative to preserve LHS’ 6A status.

“There’s a possibility that within not too many years, Lawrence High would drop from 6A to 5A,” Gordon-Ross said.

“Managing one high school that’s 6A and one high school that’s 5A is concerning to us; we’re drawing a boundary that brings balance back to the two high schools.”

Option B: Middle School Feeder Pattern

POSSIBLE FUTURE BOUNDARIES

= Student will attend Lawrence High = Student will attend Free State

tel Pa

“Anytime you lose students, that’s going to affect programs and offerings,” Renk said.

“I live in West Lawrence, near Langston Hughes which is close to Free State, . . . it’s much more convenient to drive my sister and I to Free State,” Randall said. “If the district decides to change the boundaries, we would not only have to become accustomed to driving across town to get to school and extracurricular activities, but we would also have to completely adjust our lives.”

“It would affect parents because they’d have to drive more, and that’s a bad idea because it will lead to kids being late to school. The amount of kids that are going to have to transfer next year will be a big chunk, especially because of how they’re taking North Lawrence.”

Sig n

ffe He

The board will vote in December on which plan will take effect for the 2025-2026 school year. Learn more in upcoming board meetings or visit Lawrence Public Schools’ website: usd497.org

oke H e

rnan

With this in consideration, the board is open to making transportation accommodations for those affected. Even with this, GordonRoss feels this will ultimately benefit the community as a whole.

“We’re going to impact a lot of people, but it’s in the best interest of everybody,” Gordon-Ross said. “We have to make decisions that are in the best interest of the district, even though we may impact some smaller subset of the district.”

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“The boundaries changing will hurt the students already in high school and the future students.

My brother might end up going to a different school because of an unrelated sports issue.”

Ste ve

While the board will allow students currently at either school to stay where they are, there aren’t the same guarantees for younger siblings. Students and parents including junior Breahna Randall feel that a boundary change will cause logistical issues for their families.

Design by Katie Campbell

“The true feeder schools would impact Student Council a lot. About two thirds of our kids went to Southwest, so they’d be going to Lawrence High if that is put in place.”

“It worries me that my sister might have to switch schools after her freshman year because that will be really hard for her.”

Photos by Amelia Wiles, Lilly Wall, Liam Butler and Mallory Thompson

Ro wa

Many parents and students have expressed concern about the effects this change will have on Free State. Assistant Principal Matt Renk feels that like any change, the building must adjust to this shift.

Me gh

The Free Press

lendening G n

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The Free Press

Editorial

WHO IS TO BLAME? O 12 Editorial by Maria Mosconi

children die from gun violence per day in America

Of American children,

4.6 mil

live in a home where at least one gun is kept loaded and unlocked.

There have been at least

50

school shootings so far in 2024 as of Sept. 19.

Black youth are

4 times

more likely to be killed with guns than their white peers.

Of gun deaths,

1 of 10

are age 19 or younger Collected from the Sandy Hook Promise and The Violence Project

n Sept. 4, just weeks after students and staff returned for the new school year, America was again burdened by gun violence in classrooms. Early that morning, 14-year-old Colt Gray armed himself, killing four individuals and leaving seven injured at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia.

A quarter century after the Columbine High School shooting, Apalachee High School joined the growing list of 416 other school shootings that have taken place since 1999, according to the Washington Post.

The aftermath of these attacks leaves frightened students, parents, staff and community members searching for who is to blame. However, the responsibility doesn’t completely lie with the person that pulled the trigger.

Unregulated gun ownership has become a long standing debate in American politics; many American’s national identity is associated with their right to bear arms. While other countries restrict gun rights following shootings, American politicians have been less keen to enact strict laws in favor of earning votes.

In fact, 32 states allow for teachers to carry concealed arms in case of a shooting. If lawmakers are more willing to arm teachers than to compromise on gun restrictions, then they are not interested in preventing shootings. When you have the power, why wouldn’t you use it to prevent a person from becoming a shooter instead of relying on teachers to shoot first?

Lax gun ownership laws make weapons easily accessible, with 68% of guns used in schools being taken from home or known personnel, according to the Sandy Hook Promise. In the second case where a parent has been charged following a shooting, the legal system held Colin Gray accountable for giving his son the murder weapon.

The Free Press

Feature

Design by Willow Marable

Collected by Phoebe Morris

A HISTORY OF

GUN VIOLENCE

START

Even without directly providing access to weapons, children are exposed to violence from a young age through video games, movies and media. Research has repeatedly shown this leads to violent tendencies in children, desensitizing students to guns and how deadly guns are.

While parents and politicians hold part of the responsibility when students and staff are murdered, society is the last deterrent before a shooting.

Before the shooting, Gray’s mother called the school to inform them of an eerie text she received from her son reading, “I’m sorry, Mom,” and urged them to check on her son. Later that morning, two teachers and two students were dead.

According to the Sandy Hook Promise, four out of five attackers' plans are known and unreported.

Yet, understanding the signs potential shooters often exhibit could eliminate the possibility of future gun threats all together. Following the shooting, Gray's classmates described him as reserved. While the majority of the time being quiet doesn’t correspond with being violent, 75% exhibit behaviors that concern bystanders, according to the Sandy Hook Promise.

Society's treatment of children that don’t “fit in” leaves them feeling isolated and often depressed. These traits are overlooked in men who are conditioned to suppress their emotions and receive less mental health resources, resulting in the inability to express or process their struggles. According to The Violence Project, men are responsible for 98% of mass shootings.

As a nation, we need to stop leading our lives as if children being murdered in school is inevitable: it’s not. Society would rather turn the other way than report or take action on a threat. Gun violence is not taken seriously. Children being murdered in school is not taken seriously. Society needs to start taking the warning signs seriously.

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1886: Presser vs. Illinois Supreme Court case that decided the Second Amendment prevents states from prohibiting citizens to bear arms.

1929: United States vs.

Schimitter Supreme Court case that enshrined citizens have the right to carry arms whenever necessary to defend the country.

1934: The National Firearms Act is placed.

Limits the use of machine guns, sound suppressors (silencers) and other weapons that were commonly used by criminals in the Prohibition Era. 1990: Gun-Free School Zones Act imposes penalties for possession of firearms in a school zone.

2010: McDonald vs. The City of Chicago Supreme Court case legalizes carrying a handgun for self defense within a house.

2022: New York State Rifle and Pistol Association vs.

The Bruen Supreme Court case rules that an individual has the right to carry a gun outside the home for selfdefense purposes.

END

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News

FOURTH YEAR FINALISTS Story by Eula Heriford

Performing arts programs become finalists for the fourth year at KSHSAA events

F

or four consecutive years, performing arts programs such as debate and forensics, theater, choir, band and orchestra have made it to the finals at Kansas State High School Activities Association competitions for performing arts.

Senior Anwen Williams has participated in events for debate, forensics and band for four years. Williams has taken part in national competitions after placing first in State events for KSHSAA Debate and Forensics.

“I really liked [the competition], because I didn’t really expect to do well,” Williams said.

“It’s really nice because the school shows you exactly what to do to get Activities Director Matthew Renk oversees students’ involvement with KSHSAA. Renk to those opportunities, said he has admired students’ perseverance so you don’t have to seek as they have made it to the finals the last four years despite numerous staff turnovers anything out yourself. It’s at the head director position in orchestra. very structured.”

KSHSAA organizes a multitude of events in sports and performing arts. These events are open to high schools throughout Kansas, and several can lead to national competitions and recognition. When making it to the regional or statewide finals, students must score higher than other teams and contestants to make it further.

“One of the really neat things here is we’ve had some turnover in our teaching positions in those marching bands, orchestras and even vocals,” Renk said. “Yet we continue to win that award, which shows how great and amazing our students are and how the standard has been set.”

Additionally, choir competes in State Large Group Festival, where they have received the top score consistently for years.

Associate Director of Choral Activities, Olivia Henning, has been teaching for eight years. While teaching, Henning said she has seen choir students grow into their place and expand their abilities.

“This is a place where a student can feel like they belong. It’s something to get involved in. That’s what it was for me when I was in high school. It was a place to be involved in something and belong to a group, and then it just became what I love to do,” Henning said.

English and theater director Bryce Jones has been teaching for four years at the school and 14 years in total. Free State’s theater program has won awards very consistently at KSHSAA provided events as well as the Blue Star Awards. At the Blue Star Awards, the cast of last year’s musical “Bright Star” received many nominations, including Outstanding Orchestra and Outstanding Ensemble.

Although Jones started teaching theater at Free State fairly recently, he said he has been able to watch his students develop several skills that will help them perform and lead them towards success and recognition for their achievements.

“Those recognitions are really cool for individuals,” Jones said. “So that they understand that their hard work is seen by other people, and not just those here in the school building, but also regionally or even statewide.”

Feature

The Free Press

JUST ASK

English department co-chair Kylee Johnston shares her advice for students writing their Common Application essays

JOHNSTON Collected by Avery Smiley and Katie Campbell

Q

Design by Lucas Smith

Q

17

What point of view should the e ssay be in?

A: It should be in first person beca it's a personal na use rrative.

What is a Common App essay?

A: It is the hub that a lot of state colleges use. They give seven prompt choices, 650 words max, and you write about one, such as ‘Describe an experience that made you have an important realization or change your mind about something.’ You submit it on the Common App website, and it goes to all the schools you have put on your list. It's very handy.

Q

ou think What do y ok for? colleges lo

.

e uniqueness

t to see voic

ith

rite w A: They do wan ody could w e days, anyb human.

What do you say to students who think they're behind?

Q

es ite Especially th 're just not qu want to can tell, they lleges co d an AI, and you , gh specific enou They're not you. makes you, t ha w know

A: I always reassure them, because there are

that some who start before their senior year, but apply to have don't You you. be doesn't have to still to an Ivy League school, and thus, if you're to, go to l schoo state what decide to trying March 1 is a perfectly fine deadline.

Q

How would you advise a student on how to get started?

A: I have a list of brainstorming topics that I use, so I would have them start thinking about who they are: strengths, weaknesses, pet peeves, opinions about the world and memories from elementary to freshman year.

Q

Q

What do you think makes an essay stand out?

A: I do appreciate humor. It’s hard to do when

you're writing something as important as a Common App essay, so you tend to go serious with it, but if you can show humor, even about hardships in life, that can be a unique take. I also think it's really effective if somebody is just vulnerable and honest.

It doesn't have to be a trauma dump, but you can tell when it's real.

Do you have any other advice to give?

A: Come to the Writing Center for help on Tuesdays and Thurs days after school or Wednesday ECT in the library. It's student-led, but you can also contact an English tea cher you trust. It's a good idea to check in with them and say, ‘Hey, I have a goal for myself of getting my rough draft done by this date. Could you read it for me?’ If you ha ve that set up with them, it make s you get it done.

Photo by Eden Weber

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Sports

THE PARTICIPATION Coaches and athletes lead the charge to revive participation

Photo by Eli Roust

DILEMMA Story by Rakshan Ossen

I

n the past, female athletic programs at Free State have maintained steady participation; however, recent involvement in girls sports has become noticeably low. Because of this, coaches and athletes have taken the initiative to recruit more players for their teams.

For Frantz, engagement with the community program also finds itself competing with is what she hopes will be the solution for the popular sports for the spring season. issue. Recently, the team has been working on building a community with middle school “We have really just tried to reach out to basketball players. anyone we know that might be interested.

For boys swim and dive, it’s very popular ”Our high school girls have done a really because it’s a winter sport and there’s good job of building relationships with some not a lot of sports going on at the time.

One of the programs most affected by this of those middle school players and younger For girls, it’s a lot harder because we’re is the girls basketball team. Two years ago, players,” Frantz said. competing with track and girls soccer, so when Summer Frantz took the position of it’s challenging for us to get girls,” varsity head coach, her goal was to rebuild the Furthermore, role models often inspire swimmer and senior Jocelyn Wilson said. program and get them to winning ways; young athletes to pursue sports. Whether however, due to decreased participation, she that is someone close like family, someone Wilson said it is the community support said this is becoming a slower process. from the local community or a professional and sports culture at school that pushes an athlete, the aspirations of young athletes athlete to succeed. When Wilson swims Frantz said the main reason for the lack of come from these people. at a home meet, among her supporters are participation is because students decide to her teammates, family and close friends; specialize in other sports and compete in When senior Daijah Preston, a third-year however, what she felt missing was the them year round. With basketball being part varsity wrestler, started her wrestling student support she knows when comparing of the winter season, the overlap between campaign during her freshman year, she was it to student sections for programs like boys club sports such as volleyball, soccer or inspired by alumnus Madyson Gray, a three- football and soccer. swimming replaces it. time high school state champion. Like Gray, Preston said she hopes to be in her position “Compared to football and inspire other young girls in the “The last few years, we’ve someday Lawrence community. and soccer, everyone’s

seen a lower number of girls basketball players, not just here, but in Lawrence in general … and we’ve really tried to address that by starting them young and doing some community outreach camps that sort of deal with the younger players,” Frantz said.

there, everyone’s cheering.

Over the four years Preston has been on the team, it has grown from three to ten It’s like a big deal, and wrestlers. Despite still being a small unit, [ for us] it’s just not as big Preston said that the dynamic was tight knit.

Preston and her teammates make it their of a deal,” Wilson said. duty every season to spread the word to their underclassmen to join the team.

Frantz, Preston and Wilson all said they will continue to advocate for recruiting “I like to advocate for [wrestling] because… athletes despite the challenges they face. it’s one of the fastest growing sports in For students who want to try out a sport in America right now in high school sports,” high school for the first time, Frantz shared a Preston said. piece of advice.

In the pool, after adding only three freshmen “I would just say, try it, you’ll never regret out of the 20 total swimmers on their roster things that you try, you’ll just regret the last season, the two-time state championship things that you don’t try,” Frantz said. winning girls swim and dive

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at bee girls n u voll p t o e yb thi all h s se a as o s n

fter last year’s 3-7 record season in the Sunflower League, volleyball is on the up with their 8-5 SFL record as of Oct. 21. The team, consisting of 11 players, said they are determined to fight back after last fall’s hard loss at substate.

Junior Annika Lintecum reflected on the season so far.

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“Along with just Sto having fun and ry B ending on a positive yE mi note, I know me and the team Sto really want to work to get to the ne state tournament this year,” Chapman said.

“This year’s team feels a lot closer than previous years teams,” Lintecum With five varsity returners, Lintecum said said. “From watching that volleyball on the court feels like a films to practicing every friend group, but with more focus. day after school. We get in “Off the court we just act like a little friend On the court we still have a great the gym and we get after group. connection but with a little more focus. it. Everyone has the same Sometimes it can be a struggle because we have a really funny team but when we goal: to win.” need to focus we do,” Lintecum said.

From attending summer weights five days In addition to the varsity returners, the a week to watching film, senior Karsen Chapman said their goals were to beat LHS, team consists of five seniors this year: libero Karsen Chapman with a total of 336 win substate and go to state. digs, middle blocker Ainsley Linhos with a total of 33 blocks, defensive specialist Allie Linder, manager Tessa Fritts and defensive specialist Lilly Wall.

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Junior Kennedy Flaschbarth said that the senior presence on the team is strong this year, and that the group has worked hard to make the team a family from early on.

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Benson year, which is helping contribute to “The seniors did an amazing job this their success of being sixth in the district. year of getting to know everyone early on,” Flaschbarth said. “During “Culture is one thing that never stays the the summer, talking to everyone and same. It’s something that we work on making it fun definitely carried over daily. Overall, culture in this program is to our season.” usually very strong. It’s very positive, and that’s what we try to keep,” Savage said.

This year, head coach Jayme Savage explains how the culture on and off the court is much stronger than last

Photo By Chloe Cook

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Feature

PER AS STRA PE A RA AD

Kansas WELCOMES YOU!

Foreign exchange student shares experiences of life while abroad

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n Aug. 10, junior Matthew Trefil students receive less homework, unlike his arrived in Lawrence from the town experience in the U.S. where exams are of Vsetin in the Czech Republic, and easier but the homework load is heavier. will stay in Lawrence with Laura Higbee and Sam Milner until the end of the school For Trefil, something that has remained very year. constant between cultures is the intrigue in video games. He said he and his friends Trefil was assisted in travel by two agencies, from the Czech Republic really got into CET USA on the United States side, and video games during the pandemic and have Studyline on the Czech side. He arrived kept it up since. However, in the Czech alone and said it is prohibited to meet Republic, he likes to do something with someone he knew from the Czech Republic. friends that isn’t as common in the U.S. A major difference for Trefil is the length of passing periods and breaks throughout the day. For instance, he said in the Czech Republic they have a 45-minute lunch compared to the 25-minute lunch in Lawrence.

“Here we have four and seven-minute breaks. [In the Czech Republic] we have breaks that are usually 10 minutes, our second break is 20 minutes and then from after 5th break there is only 5 minutes,” Trefil said.

“We sometimes do a tour when we pack our backpacks and just go somewhere. We either go across the hills, or we just hop on a train [and go] a few hundred kilometers from our town and be in the town there for one day,” Trefil said.

Story by Jonah Frye

“I usually go to competitions such as math, physics, Olympiad or something like that.

And not to brag, but I’m usually really good at it,” Trefil said.

In the Czech Republic, Trefil likes to run for fun and decided to join cross country at Free State. He said that he noticed how much more of an emphasis is placed on sports.

He said that in the Czech Republic, they would play sports in their breaks throughout school, and the more serious kids would play on a local club team, and occasionally on the school team.

“There is much more emphasis on sports.

For example, I was absolutely shocked when I went to cross country and there were 100 people there,” Trefil said.

In addition to the differences in sports, Trefil said that if he were telling a friend back home one thing about the U.S., he would tell them about the number of traffic lights.

“The crosswalks with stoplights are, for me at least, really annoying [since the] wait is Regarding school, Trefil said in the Czech about 30 seconds. The town that I lived in is Republic they are more traditionally focused three times smaller than Lawrence, and we with less group work and more lectures built Aside from traveling with friends, one of have one traffic light out there. Everything into the curriculum.

Trefil’s main hobbies is math and science. else is handled with roundabouts and so on,” When he isn’t in school, he said he Trefil said. “It is, for me, more comfortable He also said that exams are more sometimes participates in tech competitions. to live there.” challenging in the Czech Republic, but

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EMBRACING YOUR ENGLISH Free State introduces its first English Honor Society chapter

Story by Lauren Jackson

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events, student leadership and exposure to different facets of English. Additionally, NEHS gives students easier access to English-focused scholarships.

NEHS has more than 1,250 chapters in 36 countries, with 36,000 students enrolled between March 2023 and March 2024.

Coen stated that the foundations of NEHS are built on students who have a passion for English.

“There’s [lots of scholarships] related to reading a specific common book, and once you’ve read that common book, there’s essay prompts, and you can discuss it with your other members and then write an essay,” Coen said. “There’s also creative scholarship opportunities; for instance, monologues or screenplays. There are also thematic, specific scholarships, like social justice.”

ree State recently introduced a chapter of National English Honor Society sponsored by English teachers Kylee Johnston and Sophia Coen. Johnston and Coen said they worked to create the chapter with the goal of encouraging students to get more involved with reading and writing this year.

“The National English Honor Society is a nationally recognized honor society that’s geared towards students who want to pursue a career in writing, the humanities, analysis of literature in some way, journalism [and toward] people who have a love for reading and writing,” Coen said.

NEHS gives students access and opportunities to pursue English-based

Talking about a book, seniors Anwen Williams and Gillian Sellet smile during a meeting.

Williams, the vice president, and Sellet, the president, both organize and uphold meetings for the National English Honor Society chapter. Photo by Mallory Thompson

Senior President Gillian Sellet, senior Vice President Anwen Williams and the rest of the NEHS board organize events and oversee the club. Sellet feels that the expansive board gives ample opportunities for student leadership.

“We have a giant officer board,” Sellet said. “There are historians that find creative ways to keep track of what we’ve done in our chapter; we have a secretary, [a treasurer] and we have a PR chair.”

Additionally, NEHS plans on hosting events to promote the community’s literacy as well as raise money for the program. The board has plans for other events, including guest speakers and creating little free libraries: neighborhood libraries with take a book, leave a book policies.

“We are planning on doing a book drive around the holidays and things like that,” Sellet said. “So partially volunteering, partially donations.”

Learn more at Free State NEHS’s Instagram: @freestatenehs

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The Free Press

MUST WATCH HORROR MOVIE

By Lilly Wall and Phoebe Morris

Our editors’ favorite horror movies for the month of October

Indie Horror

Classics

• Skinamarink • Suspiria (2018) • Blair Witch Project • Pearl • Bones and All

• Halloween (1978) • Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) • The Shining (1980) • Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) • The Conjuring (2013)

Psychological Horror • Midsommar • Black Swan • Hereditary • Sinister • Us • Marrowbone

59%

Of students have watched a horror movie as of Oct. 21 Of an Instagram poll of 185

Illustrations by Lucas Smith

11%

Of students prefer Indie Horror Movies

38%

Of students prefer Classic Horror Movies

51%

Of students prefer Psychological Horror Movies

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Design by Harper Finck

CUT LOOSE WITH THE CAST Meet the cast of “Footloose”

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Collected by Owen Gerrish and Harper Finck Photos by Kinley Gigous

Q: What made you come back after your first show?

A:

I did my first show in 4th grade and I fell in love with performing right away. I loved the community of people working toward a common goal: putting on a good show.

Owen

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Q: What is your pre-show routine?

A: Before doing a show, I usually like to do b ol

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something to relax like listen to music or play an instrument. I also review my lines and music before a show.

Q: What made you come back after your first show?

A: The friends and community that theatre brings is

unmatched which made me want to return and when I heard what the musical was I thought it would be really fun to participate in another show here.

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Q: What made you come back

after your first show?

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A: The people! Everyone is so welcoming and

supportive and it makes for a really fun environment!

Q: What is your pre show routine?

A: My process for shows is to practice my part in

each song and run through my scenes with my sister.

As for any rituals before performing, I like to listen to my favorite songs while getting ready for each show.

Shows on Nov. 7, 8 & 9 at 7 p.m.

Revealing her secret identity, junior Harper York performs in Black Box Theatre Festival.

Photo by Evie Chancy

Hyping up the crowd, senior Asher Zelvy shouts into the student section before the traditional third quarter performance of “Hey Baby.”

Photo by Miles Beaty

Leaning out of a Jeep, senior Crow Bengoa throws candy to people attending the homecoming parade.

Photo by Miles Beaty

Before the Platte River Rumble JV girls race, a team huddles around for team spirit during Free State cross country’s annual Nebraska trip. Photo by Julia Velasco

Club in the air, senior Merrit Hale competes in a golf meet at Lawrence Country Club on Sept. 23.

Photo by Mallory Thompson

Mouth open, sophomore libero Mary-Grace Bradford screams in celebration after a score during the JV volleyball City Showdown game on Oct. 3. Photo by Nathan Friedman