Free Press | Issue 3 | Dec. 4, 2024

THE FREE PRESS Issue 3 | Dec. 4 2024 | Edition 28 Illustration by Willow Marable

Pg. 12-13 | Did You Know?

Turn to page 12 to read about our spotlight package on staff members

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The Free Press

CONTENTS FEATURE

OPINION

Pg. 10-11 - StuCo Switch-Up Pg. 12-13 - Did You Know?

Pg. 14-15 - Spotlights Pg. 16-17 - Spotlights Pg. 26-27 - Round and Round

Pg. 7 - American Journalism Needs Opinion

A&E Pg. 3 - Lawrence Food Crossword Pg. 22-23 - Fall Recap Photo Gallery

NEWS Pg. 4 - Phone Policy Debate Pg. 6 - Opting for Neutrality Pg. 8 - Local Results Pg. 9 - Trump Wins Presidential Election

THE FREE PRESS

TikTok: @freestatejournalism

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Lilly Wall Nick Sprecker Phoebe Morris

MANAGING EDITORS Evie Chancy Maria Mosconi

DESIGN EDITOR Geneva Sabatini

PHOTO EDITOR Mallory Thompson

CAPTIONS EDITOR Elinor Russo

SPORTS EDITOR

Pg. 20 - Fall Sports Rundown Pg. 21 - The Balancing Act

COPY EDITOR

ABOUT THE COVER

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

@fsjournalism

NEWS STAFF

SPORTS

This cover is meant to represent our package story. In the district, hundreds of staff members from teachers to paraeducators to administrators work daily to contribute to student success.

To uplift those who aren't regularly, this collection aims to feature four personal stories and experiences of those that nurture Free State's students.

Flip to page 12 to begin reading.

Design by Willow Marable

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 Ceci Bennett Anders Benson Liam Butler Chloe Cook Nathan Friedman

Kinley Gigous Eli Roust Julia Velasco Amelia Wiles Eden Weber

REPORTERS Logan Dinges Ebi Hegeman Eula Heriford Lauren Jackson

Baila Love Olive Minor Ava Talbott

DESIGNERS Harper Finck Neylana Haque Zoë Kaul Willow Marable

Allison McCall Lucas Smith Abbie Veeder

BUSINESS TEAM Ainsley Linhos Amanda McCall

Piper Northrop

The Free Press

Design by Willow Marable

LAWRENCE FOOD

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Collected by Phoebe Morris

CROSSWORD Answers on Page 18!

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DOWN 1 Window served Mexican food that is open until 3 a.m.

2 Located inside a bike shop 3 Named after the same owner of Johnny’s Tavern 4 New Orleans style food 5 Sports bar located in West and North Lawrence 9 Relocated at the Casbah after originating as an Irish pub 11 Same name of a show at Free State

ACROSS 6 Italian cuisine named after an herb 7 Diner named after a former First Lady 8 Restaurant named after a type of rock oven 9 Restaurant named after the first windpowered mill in Kansas 10 Rated #1 bakery of Lawrence 2024 12 Six time best of Lawrence underground pizzeria 13 Same name of a noisy animal

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News

The Free Press

CONCLUSIONS CLASH Story by Simon Williams

Plans for a district-wide phone policy continue with hopes of addressing educators’ concerns

Editor’s Note: This story is developing and was last updated Nov. 17. Follow our online website for recent development.

T

his summer, following a teacher petition in June and updated cellphone policies in surrounding districts, the USD 497 school board decided to take a closer look at formalizing high school student handbook cellphone policies into an official school board policy.

This decision followed a mistake made, where the district’s elementary school cellphone policy was input into the high school handbook: a policy that banned cellphones entirely within school buildings.

School Board Vice President G.R. GordonRoss said that the school board saw some teachers, unaware of the mistake, came out in support of a total ban.

Science teacher David Reber, one of 80 teachers who petitioned to the school board, said he believes a bell-to-bell ban is the best and only way to address concerns with student cellphone use.

framework surrounding consequences for not adhering to the policy.

“We believe that, properly managed, [phones] can be effective,” Gordon-Ross said. “We’ve just never seen it be properly managed. The response that we have is, ‘What you’re doing now doesn’t work,’ which is true because we have heard from staff that they don’t feel like they’re supported from their building leadership to do it correctly.”

On the logistical side of the policy’s development, school board member Anne Costello said the Board Policy Committee researched other cellphone policies and wrote a first draft of the new phone policy based on that research.

“Committee members then asked the Directors of Elementary and Secondary Education to “If 25 to 30 teenagers come into this room and they all have the device with them, it’s gather feedback on the a losing battle. There’s absolutely no way. If I tried to police the phones, I wouldn’t have draft from high school time to do anything else,” Reber said. communities, including The current cellphone policy permits phone administrators, and usage before school, during passing periods, to work with them lunch and after school. to develop the policy Gordon-Ross said the aim of a revised guidance,” Costello said. and formalized policy is to better support teachers by making the current handbook policy more explicit and add additional

Gordon-Ross said that based on his knowledge as a member of board leadership, the Policy Committee has no intent to implement a bell-to-bell ban, citing that the school board wants teachers to have the ability to control cellphone use as they see fit in their classrooms.

Gordon-Ross added that should the new phone policy prove inadequate, the school board would be open to revisiting the issue of a total ban.

“There is no intent to remove phones from the building or to completely put a 100% ban on phones,” Gordon-Ross said.

However, Costello said that the phone policy would include a bell-to-bell ban.

“The current draft of the policy includes a bell-to-bell phone away,” Costello said.

Costello added that the board reviews policies regularly.

In response to the potential new policy, English department co-chair and teacher Kylee Johnston said she believes that even with increased support for teachers to implement individualized cell phone policies, it would fall short of addressing her worry that a high percentage of high schoolers still struggle to manage their cellphone use.

The Free Press

News

Design by Abbie Veeder

WHAT DO STUDENTS UTILIZE THEIR PHONES FOR? Junior Fiorella Leistner

“We are at a point where we know that cellphones are a hindrance to many students’ academic and mental well being, so we just need to be responsible,” Johnston said. “If it’s just individualized teachers trying to enforce, that makes it quite difficult.

We need to have a unified policy that admin enforces for us teachers.”

Per Gordon-Ross, the first read of the policy is scheduled to reach the school board on Nov. 25, and will be put up for school board vote in December.

“My iPad is dead a majority of the time.

The majority of my assignments are done on my phone. For that to be restricted would be really inconvenient.”

Senior Tobi Allen

“I need to be in very active communication with who I may be driving to and from places and when things are happening, such as being on the video production team and having to work with the team on whatever project.”

Junior Hank Dunhan

“I mostly just use my phone for listening to music, honestly. And that’s a big part of school for me. It really helps me focus and it helps me a lot throughout the day.”

Sophomore Kami Chartrand

“I like having my phone on me in case of emergencies because I live a while away.”

Collected By Ember Klein

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News

The Free Press

OPTING FOR NEUTRALITY

News outlets made the late and historic decision to not endorse a presidential candidate

Story by Maria Mosconi

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dding to the historic makeup of the 2024 election, the Washington Post announced just 11 days before Election Day that the paper would not endorse either candidate for the first time in 36 years.

A few days earlier, the Los Angeles Times also broke tradition, choosing not to publicly support either candidate. Both papers’ owners, Jeff Bezos and Patrick Soon-Shiong respectively, denied the editorial decision to endorse democratic candidate Kamala Harris, according to CNN and CBS news.

Moreover, Washington Post publisher Will recent history, angering many of the paper’s current Lewis said it aligns with the paper’s morals and former staff. as they believe its readers have the ability to choose for themselves.

Regarding the Los Angeles Times, three editorial board members resigned because of the paper’s However, this decision has led a quarter of silence, whereas one-third of the Posts’ editorial a million readers to cancel their Washington board has stepped down.

Post subscription as of Oct. 30.

Despite backlash, The Washington Post said it does The announcement came within two weeks not plan to back either candidate in future elections. of an election where the results have been talked about as the most consequential in

The Washington Post originally endorsed Jimmy Carter in 1976 following Richard Nixon’s Watergate scandal.

Endorsements are written by the editorial staff whose jobs are to report their opinions while news staff report unbiased facts regarding the election.

The papers defended the choice as Bezos said in a note from the owner that it would increase credibility for The Washington Post by not showing support for either side.

Illustration by Kouri Demelash

The Free Press

Opinion

Design by Geneva Sabatini

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AMERICAN JOURNALISM

NEEDS OPINION In wake of Washington Post controversy, opinionated journalism becomes more important than ever

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hat would the media look like without opinion?

That question remains in our minds after knowing that three of The Washington Post editorial board members recently stepped down in light of recent controversy regarding the refusal to endorse a presidential candidate as an editorial board.

As student journalists, our job is to report on the biases within our student body.

In every issue, we publish opinions and editorials with the goal to amplify different perspectives.

Opinion by Phoebe Morris, Nick Sprecker and Lilly Wall

of freedom and open expression are embracing authoritarian ideals that threaten a foundational constitutional right; as journalists, it is excruciatingly alarming.

Editorial journalism is the lifeblood of American democracy. It gives us a voice. It reminds the After Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos people that our voices squashed the publishing of The Washington Post editorial board, three writers stepped matter. It’s more than just down from their positions. words on a page; it’s a Endorsing a political candidate is absolutely The Post was stripped of their editorial appropriate in the form of editorial writing. call to action — a plea to voice. In the midst of an undeniably altering If the government were to challenge the justice. election, the dangers that former president responsibility of our school publication to Donald Trump poses to our country’s democracy is irremediable.

For the Post, this endorsement was their chance to speak on a perilous corner America is turning into.

Bezos called ending endorsements “principled,” per CBS News, to ensure neutrality and avoid bias. However, the timing of the election makes it less about ethics and instead about managing perceptions to keep business booming by ensuring Donald Trump continues his tax assist policy for the ultra wealthy.

The decision was extremely disappointing, especially considering the timing came 11 days before Election Day.

There is nothing more democratic than civic discussion and engagement — especially through a news outlet, where America protects freedom of press. So, Jeff Bezos’ decision to block the publishing demonstrates a true abandonment of a newspaper’s fundamental right to exercise its constitutional rights.

express diverse voices, including our own, it would undermine the very purpose of a scholastic publication.

It is disheartening that certain members of a nation founded on the principles

When things boil down, opinionated writing is not only the core of journalism, but it embodies a deeply cherished virtuous right: the preservation of diversity and selfexpression.

ed•i•to•ri•al / edə'tôrēəl/ ' noun

a newspaper or magazine article that gives the holistic opinion of the editors or publishers.

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The Free Press

News

CAL ELECTION

RESULTS

Take a look at local election results in the area

US HOUSE REPS. LEGISLATURE District 1: Tracey Mann (R): 68.9% Paul Buskirt (D): 31.1%

Derek Schmidt (R): 57.1% Nancy Boyda (D): 38.2 John Hauer (I): 4.6%

District 3: Sharice Davids (D): 53.3% Prasanth Reddy (R): 42.7% Steve Roberts (I): 4.0%

District 4: Ron Estes (R): 65.2% Esau Freeman (D): 34.8%

COUNTY COMMISSION

Kansas Senate District

District 2

No. 2

Shannon Reid (D):

Marci Francisco (D): 22,244 votes 77.88% David Miller (R): 6,256 votes 21.90%

District 2:

Collected by Ember Klein

Kansas Senate District No. 3 Rick Kloos (R): 4,356 votes 40.73% Dena Sattler (D): 6,330 votes 59.19% Kansas Senate District No. 19 Patrick Schmidt (D): 4,313 67.06% Tyler Wible (R): 2,110 votes 32.80%

DISTRICT ATTORNEY Dakota Loomis (D): 33,997 votes 64.12% Mike Warner (R): 18,960 votes 35.76%

4,899 votes 68.57% Brad Chun (I): 2,228 votes 31.18%

District 3 Karen Willey (D): 7,008 votes 57.04% Pam McDermott (R): 5,266 votes 42.86%

District 4 Gene Dorsey (D): 5,849 votes 57.68% Tim Bruce (R): 3,557 votes 35.08%

District 5 Erica Anderson (D): 5,405 votes 51.74% Rich Lorenzo (R): 4,420 votes 42.31%

The Free Press

News

Design by Willow Marable

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TRUMP WINS ELECTION Story by Lilly Wall

Students reflect on Trump and Vance’s presidential election win

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fter months of campaigning, former current issues, including our horrible prices president Donald Trump will be the on everyday items, cars and houses, [that 47th president of the United States. can be accomplished],” Gillman said.

Trump served in office from 2017 to 2021 and, at 78 years old, will be the oldest ever president in office.

However, freshman Penny Coleman said she supported of many of Dem. Nominee Kamala Harris’s plans, including her beliefs on abortion and economy. She said Out of the seven swing states — Arizona, the election result was heartbreaking and Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, criticized Trump’s character.

Pennsylvania and Wisconsin — all states turned red in the electoral college, clutching “I hope that Trump gets Trump crucial numbers in the race to 270.

According to the Associated Press, 1.6% of popular votes as of Nov. 10 were put toward third party candidates. Junior JT Reese voted for Ind. Robert F. Kennedy because of the candidate’s views on abortion, immigration and economic policies.

“I’m hoping Trump can be less strict on abortion laws, regulate the economy and slow down impeached and put in illegal immigrant flow,” Trump and VP pick J.D. Vance’s win was jail for the 30-plus crimes declared by the Associated Press at 5:34 Reese said. a.m. CST on Wednesday morning. that he has committed,” Democrat nominee Kamala Harris pledged Coleman said. “If this Knowing the results, senior Landon Gillman to a peaceful transfer of power at a speech said he is very pleased with the election. does not happen, I hope on Wednesday, Nov. 8. Trump has been Gillman’s biggest policy of Trump’s that already fast at work announcing his cabinet that the Supreme Court stood out was the economy and how he dealt members, including Susie Wiles as White with it in his first term. will let abortion remain House Chief of Staff and Matt Gaetz as U.S. legal in the U.S., as women Attorney General.

“Most students want to own a house someday and under a president who has should have the right to Trump will be sworn in at the presidential already been in office and dealt with the their own bodies … This inauguration on Jan. 20, 2025. election was a terrible day for our country.”

312

226

TRUMP

HARRIS

270 to win

70,383,093 votes (48.2%)

74,312,688 votes (50.2%)

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Feature

The Free Press Sept. 25, StuCo invited each grade level to compete in a flag football Powder On tournament. Participating students were separated by grade level and a t-shirt that matched their grade’s respective color. This year, the Puff given junior class won and was congratulated with cookies.

Before the annual powderpuff game, the seniors run through their team sign on Sept. 25. Photo by Anders Benson

Freshman Joshua Eason tosses out candy during the Homecoming parade held on Sept. 26. Photo by Miles Beaty

Hoco Parade

Free State’s annual homecoming parade was held on Sept. 27. Clubs and athletic teams created elaborate floats and tossed candy to community members along the parade route.

STUCO

EVENTS

Story by Kinsey Lake

Hoco Dance

Rodeo-co was held on Sept. 28 in both of the gyms. There were carnival games, cake walks, tattoo stations, music and several other activities run by StuCo members.

Voll-He-Ball

Freshman Joshua Eason and senior Daijah Preston demonstrate one of the games offered during the homecoming dance themed “Rodeo Night.” Photo by Kinley Gigous

A recap of this year’s events hosted by Student Council

StuCo invited teams of six to eight students to dress up and play in a Voll-He-Ball tournament on Sept. 23. Two teams left with a complimentary Eileen’s cookie cake — one went to the winner of the tournament and the other to the team chosen as best dressed.

Junior Javi Grosko prepares to serve the ball during the annual Vol-He-Ball tournament held on Sept. 23. Photo by Eli Roust

The Free Press

Feature

Design by Harper Finck

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STUCO SWITCH UP

During trivia night, freshmen Xayver Watkins, Aimee Ray and Leighton Scott discuss their team answer. Photo by Chloe Cook

Mr. Heffernan takes on Student Council sponsor

Trivia Night

On Oct. 28, teams of three to six students competed in the annual Trivia Night in the black box while also dressing to impress. Team “No Monkey Business” won first place and team “Clue” won best dressed.

Senior Elle Cormaney decorates a Halloween card to hand out with candy to teachers on Nov. 1. Photo by Chloe Cook

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Story by Lauren Jackson

ollowing the recent opening for Student Council sponsor, science teacher and cross country coach Steve Heffernan took on the position. Heffernan said his goals going into the new position are centered around creating a school connection.

“One of the goals we had was to help kids who don’t connect with Free State as well,” Heffernan said. “I challenge them to do that through activities and things during the school day so more people feel like they’re part of the school.”

In his first year, Heffernan has emphasized developing a strong sense of leadership, which he said he wants to continue to promote as the sponsor.

Junior Julia Velasco writes Halloween cards to be handed out with candy to teachers on Nov. 1. Photo by Chloe Cook

Candy Grams StuCo members made “boo bags” holding candy with handwritten Halloween notes attached to them and distributed them to all staff members during the day.

Photo by Ameila Wiles

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DID Feature

The Free Press

KNOW

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YOU Feature

The Free Press

W?

Design by Allison McCall

From teachers to paraeducators to administrators, staff members behind the scenes of Free State High School work to contribute to student success during various hours of the day. To uplift those who aren’t regularly, this collection aims to feature four personal stories and experiences of those that take care of Free State.

Flip the page to begin reading.

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Feature

The Free Press

LORI QUEEN

Story by Eula Heriford

Administrative assistant describes daily work

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ori Queen is an administrative assistant who has been working in the USD 497 school district for 23 years, and at Free State for five years. Her main responsibilities include attending meetings, assisting the assistant principal and checking for any truancy paperwork.

However, she said that her primary goal for the day comes to mind while watching students enter the building.

Queen said there was a substantial amount of truancy in students, and that she wants the office and resources provided there to help make change.

“I would hope our office environment is somewhere where students can come when they feel troubled, if they need a safe place, whatever’s going on at home, in class, with their peers,” Queen said. “It’s like what it was like with my daughters. You want to raise self-supporting successful adults.

You want them to be happy and healthy, and I want that for every student here.”

and have self worth, confidence and good self-esteem,” Queen said.

After working as a paraeducator at Sunflower Elementary for 18 years, Queen moved to Free State. While working with a new age group, she said she has noticed particular issues concerning teenagers with media consumption.

Queen said the enjoyment of her work and beliefs on the value of education are the main motivators for working in education.

However, she said that her favorite part of the job is the environment she works in.

“Everybody I work with is awesome. We have a great team in here, and we talk and we laugh. This is my work family,” Queen said. “I look forward to coming in every day.”

“I hope every student knows that they are special and that they can’t compare themselves to anyone else or to social media. They need to feel valued

Working at her computer, administrative assistant Lori Queen offers help to students in the front office.

Photo by Liam Butler.

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Junior Anton Funke The office staff at Free State has been incredibly helpful and efficient, always assisting me with whatever I need and ensuring everything runs smoothly.

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Librarian Marisa Hegeman I’m so appreciative of the entire office staff. Working in a school comes with crazy and unexpected challenges and the office staff is always quick to respond.

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The Free Press

Feature

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Design by Amanda McCall

DALE COWHART Night custodian details his position

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ale Cowhart, head night custodian, has worked at the school for 13 years. According to Cowhart, he started as an entry level custodian before his promotion but always favored night shifts.

Cowhart said he found his footing in Navy Intelligence out of high school, which taught him specialized skills, including Russian. From there, he bounced around in law enforcement and product advertising before accepting the role as a custodian at Free State.

When he joined the crew, Cowhart said he quickly realized his favorite part of the position: fostering connections between his staff and students.

“I've always liked the crew to take care of the folks here like they would take care of their own families,” Cowhart said.

Story by Ebi Hegeman

after games to setting up events like the ACT, the nighttime custodial staff works behind the scenes till 11:30 p.m. every week.

with students and faculty, as well as the crew he leads.

The night staff employs six custodians, allowing them to form personal relationships.

In dealing with the variety of unexpected messes high schoolers make in a day, Cowhart said he finds it necessary to stay organized with routine and a quick schedule.

“I recognize [the crew's] humanity, their desire to be professional, desire to get the job done and let them know just how much we really appreciate that,” Cowhart said.

“Someone's going to throw up, someone's going to vandalize something and those are things that you need to take care of immediately,” Cowhart said.

Custodian Dale Cowhart wheels trash cans through the hallway.

Photo by Ceci Bennett

With long night hours, Cowhart said he hopes that students Despite last minute problems recognize the hours his workers popping up, Cowhart said he still put in daily. From cleaning up finds joy in routine interactions

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Junior Sorcha Keating Custodians are a vital part of school because they create a clean environment that’s more enjoyable to learn in.

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Senior Selma Burton It’s super beneficial to have janitors because they help with trying to keep things clean while having a sometimes difficult student body that doesn’t always respect them.

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Feature

The Free Press

HEATHER HILT Paraeducator works to uplift students through job

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eather Hilt has worked in the USD 497 school district for 20 years.

She started as a library assistant at Broken Arrow before accepting a paraeducator role at Billy Mills Middle School, where she worked with medically fragile kids for six years.

Now at Free State, Hilt acts as a paraeducator, helping students with math during ECT and splitting her time

Story by Mallory Thompson

throughout the day helping students in different classes. However, she said that splitting her time can become rapidly stressful, feeling like her attention is divided among the students.

“It’s a lot more stressful, and I feel like kids aren’t getting the full us like they should because I’m having to split up my time between the two [classes],” Hilt said.

Hilt’s main responsibilities as a para include helping students during ECT, attending classes with them and taking notes for them. She said that the one-onone time she spends with students allows her to create a bond. Once she knows the student, she said it is easier for her to teach them the content.

“I’ll take the instruction, but then I will change it so it’s easier to understand, so I might [phrase it into] something that they’re interested in,” Hilt said.

Hilt said she feels like these bonds go beyond the classroom and make all aspects of her students’ lives easier. She said she hopes to bring joy to her students and often celebrates their birthdays.

“I have gotten close to some of my students, and I hope that they’re doing really well now that they’ve moved on, but you just don’t know where they’re at in the future,” Hilt said. “I’ve just worked so closely with some of them that it’s hard to see them go.”

Working through a math problem, paraeducator Heather Hilt aids a student through their homework. Teachers like Hilt help students when they are having a difficult time in classes.

Photo by Eden Weber

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Junior Kara Alexander Paras are essential because they allow many students that need a little extra help to learn and grow to their fullest potentials.

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Senior Addyson Crum Paras are important in schools because they provide essential support to teachers and students, helping to create a supportive learning environment.

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The Free Press

Feature

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Design by Phoebe Morris

ERIN CAMPBELL Story by Phoebe Morris

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s the founder and current Head of the Autism Program, Erin Campbell has been a Firebird since the school’s opening. She transferred over along with 110 other senior students as the first graduating class in 1998. Even at a young age, Campbell said she knew her passion was to help students in the special educational program.

“I’ve always been drawn to kiddos who needed more support. Even when I was a student, I chose the kid who needed more help to be in my group for group projects or in PE class. It’s always been a passion,” Campbell said.

Campbell came back as a paraeducator in 1999, and she started the Autism Program

Free State alumni takes on head of Autism Program in 2009. Even with challenges along the way, Campbell said she enjoys watching her students grow and develop their skills as the year progresses.

“It’s gone up and down. I’ve had as many as two kids. Now we’re up to seven, which flows like a roller coaster depending on the needs of the kids,” Campbell said. “It just makes me so happy to see them. Sometimes we take the little things for granted, and to see our kids be so successful with other people warms my heart.”

“IPS gives [students] a place where the adults are not their support. They have friends who are their support,” Campbell said. “If you were to walk in IPS right now, you’d see mostly adults are back here in the back. It just allows them to be themselves, and that’s how you are with your friends.”

Campbell said she feels she connects with each of her students on a deeper level to create a positive and encouraging environment for them. With the help of the IPS program, she watches her students, whom she said she adores greatly, feel included within a supportive community of peers.

Cutting out a piece of paper, Erin Campbell helps a student with an assignment. Campbell helps students understand their assignments so they are more successful in the classroom.

Photo by Julia Velasco

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Senior Liv Brown She’s influential in the sense of doing better and being the best you can be for others, and your community as well.

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Junior Evie Landis Erin is an essential part of IPS, always ready to help others with whatever they need or even just put a smile on their face, her presence is deeply valued here and we all appreciate her so much.

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Feature

The Free Press

FALL SPORTS RUNDOWN Collected by Logan Dinges

“The Cross Country team has built such an inviting culture and incredible atmosphere.

The team feels like a family.” senior Austin Drewry Photo collected from Austin Drewry

“The past four years of playing soccer for Free State have been the best moments of my life. It’s impacted me by teaching me that not everything is about winning, but it’s about the relationships you make with people.” senior James Spear Photo collected from Sydney Brozik

senior Yusef Iskandrani Photo by Mallory Thompson

“The season had a lot of ups and downs, but in the end we are all proud of our accomplishments, especially qualifying for state as a team.” senior Merrit Hale Photo by Mallory Thompson

“Overall I am very proud of how our girls did this season and I’m happy I was able to be a part of the team.” senior Anne Cross Photo by Lady Ortega-Perez

BOYS CROSS COUNTRY

The boys cross country team had mixed results in its six regular season meets. The team placed in the top three at many of its meets but struggled at others, suffering from injuries and occasional rough races. At the league meet, the boys finished ninth out of 14 teams, losing a tiebreaker to Lawrence High School. The team lost the chance to run at state by one place, winning fourth at the regional meet.

BOYS SOCCER The boys soccer team started out strong with a couple of good wins.

However, injuries started building up in the middle of the season, leading to a low point in their season — the big loss to Shawnee Mission East.

Although it took time, the team was able to build back up, taking a 2-0 win against Derby in the first round of the playoffs before losing to Washburn Rural in the second round.

FOOTBALL “No matter the score or the outcome of the season, I wouldn’t wanna do it with any other team.”

Examining the fall sports seasons

With an 8-3 record going into playoffs, the team achieved some strong wins and upsets such as beating the favored Lawrence High School. The team had a strong win over Olathe West, beating them 4926. The next week of the playoffs brought disappointment to the team, losing to Blue Valley Northwest 14-49.

GIRLS GOLF The varsity girls golf team was made up of seven members. Free State got 3rd with a 418 team score (+134) at the regional competition at Cypress Ridge Golf Course, allowing Hale and the rest of the team to qualify to state. There, the top Free State golfer placed 43.

“The girls cross country season across varsity, JV and C-Team showed true toughness and improvement. We all made the team a priority and having that bond while participating in the sport made the season so much fun and rewarding. This season made us all love the sport of running a little more.” senior Elle Cormaney Photo by Amelia Wiles

“The tennis season was one of my favorite seasons so far! My favorite parts of the tennis season were the varsity practices, because I loved everyone on the varsity team and enjoyed being able to play with people who liked tennis as much as I do.” junior Cami Lee Photo by Nathan Friedman

“We have had a lot of success and an awesome team that works very well together. We swept LHS and are ready to compete in substate.” sophomore Daisy Devlin Photo by Chloe Cook

The Free Press

Feature

GYMNASTICS

Despite the smaller size, the girls gymnastics season brought great success. The bond that came from a smaller team brought the girls closer together, creating a fun and encouraging environment.

Throughout their meets, the girls continually placed in the top ten, landing an eighth, sixth and fourth place finish.

Design by Lucas Smith

THE BALANCING ACT F

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An inside look at the season transition of multi-sport athletes

Story by Rakshan Ossen

GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY The girls cross country team has been especially successful this season, placing in the top three in most of their meets. With a second-place finish at regionals, the girls team qualified for state and finished in eighth place.

GIRLS TENNIS Girls tennis had success this season, with its two top singles players maintaining strong winning records of 27-9 for Cami Lee and 24-8 for Annie Pilakowski. The team secured the ranking of twelfth best team in Kansas. Further, the team qualified two players to the state tournament, where they had strong showings and put a player in the top ten at the tournament.

VOLLEYBALL The girls volleyball team had a few losses, but overall secured an 8-5 record in the Sunflower League.

Bouncing back from the lows, the team persevered through challenges and prepared themselves for important aspects of their season, like beating LHS and going into the playoffs strong.

or multi-sport high school athletes, transitioning between two seasons can be demanding; however, some athletes decide to take up the challenge.

Junior Ava Corbin, a volleyball, wrestling and track athlete, said that shifting from one sport to another is psychologically and physically demanding. Although, knowing that she is not alone in this journey, Corbin said she stays mentally upbeat.

“It can be very draining, but the people that you do it with will help you,” Corbin said. “Going through those seasons with other people and having other people experience the same thing, it’s a really great experience.”

As the physical demands vary from each sport she plays, Corbin said she always keeps in mind her health and acknowledges her body’s limits.

“You should keep in mind your goals … , and take into account that what you’re doing to your body now is affecting how you will perform in the future,” Corbin said. “[Make] sure you’re taking into consideration your health first before pushing yourself too hard or doing things that your body isn’t trained to do.”

For Corbin and other multi-sport athletes, having to balance between school and sports can be challenging.

Having an outlet to express her concerns is one way she said she deals with the intensity of sports.

“I talk to my parents, and see what their opinions are on if I should slow down or take more recovery time, because there are times when I’ll be doing too much,” Corbin said.

For multi-sport athlete sophomore Anderson Bateman, using KSHSAA’s buffer week between sport seasons helps him get ready before competing again. Bateman said that focusing on rest and recovery during the twoweek break is essential before diving back into practice.

“It’s kind of a hard transition from getting used to what you’ve been doing … but it’s a fun transition,” Bateman said.

Junior football and basketball player Braden Wilmes said that he draws inspiration from his fortune as an athlete and person.

“The biggest thing that I’ve learned is that you need to balance your time,” Wilmes said. “Whether it is weightlifting, conditioning, practice or film, I plan my time wisely and get done what I need to get done. It gets overwhelming mentally at times, but I just think about all of the people who wish to be in my situation and try to enjoy every bit of the adversity that I can.”

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News

The Free Press

FALL At the regional cross country meet at Rim Rock Farm, sophomore Emery Frye runs along the course, securing her spot as a 6A State qualifier. Photo by Amelia Wiles

Junior Annika Lintecum, prepares to serve the ball during a varsity volleyball game against Mill Valley on Oct. 10. Photo by Miles Beaty

On stage, junior Owen Gerrish and sophomore Emmett Henry perform in Improv on Oct. 29. Photo by Evie Chancy

Writing down the answer, the team “Milli Vanilli” competes in the annual StuCo Trivia Night on Oct. 28. Photo by Julia Velasco

Before the City Showdown football game on Oct. 25, Brittany Cummings and other USD 497 staff are recognized for their impact on senior football players. Photo by Anders Benson

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Design by Neylnaa Haque

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Eyes on the ball, senior Yusef Iskandrani chases down the field during the boys soccer senior night on Oct. 17. Photo by Mallory Thompson

Under the lights, junior Owen Börk preaches to his congregation during a dress rehearsal of Footloose on Oct. 29. Photo by Eli Roust

Celebrating after a tackle, senior Parker Moore heads toward the Free State sideline as the clock runs out. Photo by Nathan Friedman

RECAP

Poms in the air, senior Peighton Stewart performs with the dance team during halftime of the senior night football game on Oct. 18. Photo by Mallory Thompson

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Opinion

The Free Press

HOLIDAY Christmas celebration should begin on Nov. 1

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s we put away our Halloween costumes, there’s a hint of melancholy in the air. Some turn to the next holiday to feel that sense of warmth during the darkest and coldest months of the year.

For those who celebrate, Christmas is one of the most important holidays of the year — a time to celebrate family and friends and reflect on the past year.

When should celebration begin? I believe Christmas celebrations should start on Nov. 1.

The best part about Christmas is the build up to it and the traditions that take place before Dec. 25. Activities pile up, and an adequate amount of time is necessary to fulfill the multitude of different Christmas traditions, so therefore some start celebrations earlier than others.

Christmas, for me, brings a different kind of joy. There’s just something about that feeling when the lights and decorations start popping up everywhere. It could be that hint of magic in the air. Maybe it’s all of the festive music and movies popping up

TIPS FOR FINALS STRESS

By Nick Sprecker As the end of the semester nears and workloads increase, burnout, stress and anxiety commonly rise in students. Below are a few small tips for handling and combating any stressors you may encounter as your winter ensues.

Opinion by Ava Talbott

again, or perhaps even just spending extra time with family and friends.

One month out of the 12 simply isn’t enough time to fully immerse in the Christmas spirit. I believe

that at the very least — Christmas should be celebrated alongside Thanksgiving so the joy of the holiday can last throughout both November and December.

Illustration by Kouri Demelash

GET A FULL NIGHT’S REST: Lack of sleep can cut learning ability up to 40%, per The National Institute of Health.

Memories and things you learn won’t be retained as well with insufficient sleep, so be sure to get 8-10 hours each night.

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Opinion

Design by Zoe Kaul

DEBATE Opinion by Baila Love

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Christmas celebration should begin after Thanksgiving

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hristmas has been around for hundreds of years and has evolved within different countries and cultures, so it’s hard to define exactly when the holiday season starts. However, I think we need to start at what Christmas really is. For me, Christmas is winter; Christmas is studying at a coffee shop before winter break and staying inside with my family during big snow storms.

To me, this holiday is synonymous with December. Christmas should start Dec. 1 as that’s when there is the most festive energy.

December is really when Christmas is in full swing, but the moment Halloween ends, companies start pushing out Christmas themed advertisements and products.

In today’s fast-paced world, it’s incredibly important to live in the moment, and the 30-50° weather of November does not capture the Christmas “moment.”

Starting the festivities early degrades the celebratory spirit, since you’re beginning it so early, tiring it by the time Christmas actually comes around. So, in reality, there is no real essence of the holiday to be celebrated in the early days of November.

Though Christmas has the power to bring joy to people worldwide, that power is limited to just December.

There is no reason to celebrate Christmas early when it doesn’t feel like Christmas at all.

DON’T PROCRASTINATE:

GET SOME EXERCISE:

To avoid feeling overwhelmed before finals, break projects and study tasks into smaller, manageable to-do items.

Managing your tasks this way will help you stay more organized and more prepared for finals.

Exercise is a natural form of antidepressant; it releases endorphins that help promote a positive mood and release stress.

Pick your favorite form of exercise — bonus points if it is outdoors!

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Feature

The Free Press

ROUND AND ROUND Bus drivers and the rides they give are an essential part of many students’ day Story by Evie Chancy

Photo by Baila Love

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ithout the bus drivers diligently picking up and dropping off students, many of the 1,600 registered bus riders in the district would not have a stable ride to and from school.

Because of the unique nature of driving a school bus, filled with as much as 70 kids as well as being longer and wider than any other car, bus drivers like Bill Pewell have to go through specialized training and tests to get their bus license. Pewell said the most difficult part of driving a bus he had to learn was keeping his focus on the road and contents of the bus.

“Us professional drivers are on the lookout for other vehicles, pets, animals, pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcyclists, anything,” Pewell said. “We have to watch everything that’s going on inside the bus and outside the bus.”

Feature

USD 497 Director of Technology David Vignery oversees the bus drivers across the schools, and said the importance of bus drivers safety wise and socially cannot be overstated.

“School bus drivers might be the first ‘Hello’ and the first smile that a student receives each school day. They also might be the only individual that asks the student about their day after school,” Vignery said. “School bus drivers are instructors, mentors, friends, a listening ear, another set of watchful eyes and adults who truly care about helping kids.”

Despite how rowdy the buses can get, Pewell says he doesn’t hold it past the students as he feels it’s not malicious and students are receptive when he tells them to quiet down.

The Free Press “They get excited with things going during the day at school. They climb on the bus excited about it wanting to share with their friends, and sometimes things get a little out of control and you just have to remind them of that,” Pewell said. “Protecting the kids is the same as protecting your own kids, and you have to watch out for them.”

For many like bus driver Susie Zhunt, the unique conditions and hours of the job is what drew them into the position. The majority of their job taking place during the early morning and mid afternoon allows them free time to do as they please.

“It’s very convenient for me. The time is very flexible. I have so much time in the afternoon; it’s why I became a bus driver,” Zhunt said.

Design by Evie Chancy

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Over the years or months of driving students twice a day, bus driver Gabe Ridley said he has built a relationship and rapport with some students.

“The connections I make with the kids are always awesome. There’s been a few routes I’ve done that the kids I drive will sometimes see me out shopping, and they always come up and say hi, and it’s always sweet to see,” Ridley said.

Bus driver of over six years Dave Nichols said he’s most grateful that the job gives him freedom and the opportunity to help out kids in the community, and he feels like the students appreciate him for that. “​​They appreciate just getting to school safely and being treated nicely,” Nichols said. “They have an appreciation for the help they’re getting; the services we provide and get some here, and get them here safe.”

FIREBIRD

FALL