In response to the ongoing conflicts in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, college students around the country gather in protest to voice their opinions regarding the Israel-Hamas war. Photos by Chloe Cook, Mallory Thompson and Naaman Omar. Design by Mallory Thompson.
Pg. 3 - Spring Sports Wrap Up
Pg. 12-13 - Shine on, Shotty!
Pg. 18 - Cost of a Concussion
Pg. 6 - Two Peas in a Pod
Pg. 19 - Raising for Regionals
Pg. 23 - Decades of Dedication
Pg. 24 - Behind the Brush
Pg. 27 - What a Waste!
Pg. 7 - Mothers of School
Pg. 21 - Freddie’s Crossbird
Pg. 25 - Fueling Finals
Pg 26 - Summer Concert Lineup
Pg. 8 - Blue Star Awards
Pg. 8 - Farmer’s Market Reopens
Pg. 9 - USD497 Art Show
Pg. 15 - Demands to Divest
Pg. 16 - State of Antisemitism
Pg. 9 - Streamline Coffee
Pg. 14 - Strife for Speech
EDITORS-IN-CHIEF
Lilly Wall
Nick Sprecker
Phoebe Morris
MANAGING EDITORS
Evie Chancy
Maria Mosconi
DESIGN EDITOR
Geneva Sabatini
PHOTO EDITORS
Mallory Thompson
Chloe Cook
SOCIAL MEDIA
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Katie Campbell
ASST. SOCIAL MEDIA
EDITOR
Delaney Bayliss
ONLINE
EDITORS-IN-CHIEF
Simon Williams
Ember Klein
ONLINE MANAGING
EDITOR
Baila Love
CAPTIONS EDITOR
Elinor Russo
SPORTS EDITOR
Rakshan Ossen
COPY EDITOR
Elliot Skillman
REPORTERS
Allison Mayhew
Arianna Waller
Avery Smiley
Claire Heinritz
Corinne Kingsley
Eli Roust
Emi Stone
Isabella Bobey
Katie Campbell
Lauren Jackson
Maura Langland
Meredith Shyrock
Thomas Patton
ILLUSTRATORS
Kinsey Lake
Avery Smiley
Kouri Demelash
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Isabelle Prô
Lilly Wall
Nathan Friedman
Nathan Kramer
Rachel Bruffett
Kinley Gigous
DESIGNERS
Allison Mayhew
Ainsley Linhos
Geneva Sabatini
Katie Campbell
Luna Hu
Mylie Brillhart
Sarah Masterson
Willow Marable
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.
Taylor Woods Junior
“I most importantly had an amazing time with amazing teammates and amazing people, which was so special about this season.”
Elle Cormaney“The girls track team was incredible this season with the amount of dedication and determination we put into every single practice and meet we attended.”
Jake Hedges Senior
“This season I’ve been feeling somewhat more pressure because it’s my last one and I want to do well, so I’m trying to just enjoy every match.”
“We pushed ourselves and did our best at every meet. Even if we did have back-to-back meets, we still kept the positive waves going.”
Boys Golf Aiden Graff-Hannah Junior
“The season has gone pretty well. We set the school record in one tournament by shooting 285 as a team, so I think we’re pretty solid. We just have to stay consistent.”
“Track is a great way to compete with friends, meet new people and challenge yourself all while improving as an athlete and teammate.”
Blaine Larkin Junior
“The team this year is very talented and we have the potential to beat good teams and win a state championship.”
Senior Abry Hill
“12-game win streak, boutta be 13, Sko Birds!!”
As finals approach and grades grow closer to being finalized, many students have turned to cheating to maintain their good grades. According to an Instagram poll on @fsjournalism, 76% of the 142 voters have cheated in school before.
Cheating in the classroom has become increasingly normalized among students, often times due to the integration of technology into classrooms. Anonymous Student No. 1 said cheating has become such a common occurrence that it feels like an open secret amongst students.
“Everybody does it. I know that I am a good student, and I use cheating as a reasonable solution because sometimes teachers pile on work. Even if I know the material, sometimes it's tedious to get it all done. It might just be easier to copy down someone else's answers,” Anonymous Student No. 1 said.
Teachers’ lack or inability to fully supervise during tests gives some students the confidence to cheat. Anonymous Student No. 2 said they cheat because they see it as easy to do and easy to get away with. Additionally, lenient policies do not discourage those who get caught cheating again.
“I cheat because I like getting good grades. And I know that if I cheat, I will probably get away with it,” Anonymous Student No. 2 said.
While students may be getting away with cheating, it is no secret to their peers. Sophomore Lucas Smith said he has never cheated, but still feels the effects on the testing environment as it has become a common occurrence in his classes.
"I'll be sitting at my desk, and there's a person in front of me, and then they just pull their phone out and look up the answers, and that's normal to see in most of my
classes," Smith said.
After noticing the common occurrence of cheating in his classroom, teacher Randy Clark said he worries about the long-term effects of habitual cheating when students advance to higher-levels of education.
“School is preparing students for the next level, which is at the college level, and those types of things won’t be accepted there,” Clark said. “So it's got to be addressed; you can't just overlook it.”
While cheating gets students through the immediate struggle, the unlearned content often re-appears, leaving students unprepared to learn new material. Anonymous Student No. 2 said they are worried about the effects of cheating on their learning as some teachers predicted.
“I used to cheat in all my math classes, and when I got to higherlevel math, I didn't know how to do any basic math,” Anonymous Student No.
2 said.
Despite the consequences of cheating, many students with heavy workloads, like Anonymous Student No. 3, feel like cheating is necessary to maintain good grades.
“A lot of students have things outside of classwork going on in their lives, and when teachers put like, three to four tests on one day without knowing,” Anonymous Student No. 3 said. “Students are rushing to get things done, and there isn’t a way to study for all of those tests. Sometimes it feels like cheating is a necessity.”
Assistant principal Amanda Faunce said teachers and administrators feel that helping the student navigate the problem is more important than punishing the student. Faunce said cheating almost always has a root and identifying the issue is the key to eliminating cheating.
“Most students aren't cheating because they want to cheat; they're cheating because there's something else that's going on that's prohibited them from feeling like
they know the information. It could be a significant lack of confidence in their own ability,” Faunce said.
When notified that a student is cheating, she said she finds a conversation is the most effective way to deal with academic dishonesty. Faunce said that after a conversation, students rarely cheat again.
“It's really important just having a conversation to figure out what the root reason is or the root cause of the dishonesty,” Faunce said. “And then talking through it trying to help solve the problem. How can we prevent this from happening again?”
Faunce said she recognizes the heavy load students carry, and suggests that students communicate with teachers for a solution instead of resorting to cheating. She also said that teachers have more sympathy for these situations than students realize.
“We're here because we care and we want to be helpful,” Faunce said. “Sometimes I think I would have been nervous to admit to my teacher that I was struggling or that I wasn't feeling adequately prepared, but it's really just taking the time to communicate.”
Mother’s Day takes on a special meaning for photography teacher and mom Sarah Podrasky after struggling with infertility for years. She and her five year old son, Phil, now share a tight bond.
Sarah Podrasky explained that before she had her son, on Mother’s Day she felt a piece of her life was missing and that the holiday would bring her sadness.
“I was obviously grateful for my own mom, grandmothers and other women in my life, but it felt like a highlight of what was missing in my life,” Sarah Podrasky said.
Now, she feels that Mother’s Day has become a more magical time, allowing her to celebrate and spend time with Phil each year.
“After facing that time of infertility and just not feeling like I would ever be [a mom], it made it even more special, magical
Sarah Podrasky and her son Phil share a special bond after she struggled with infertility
Story by Claire Heinritz
and meaningful to me,” Sarah Podrasky said.
Last year, they celebrated Mother’s Day by going to brunch and going plant shopping. Phil also likes to make cards, art and goodie bags for his mom on Mother’s Day.
“When he’s feeling generous, he’ll get a
bag at home and just put a bunch of random toys, cookies and stuff in it and say he got me a present,” Sarah Podrasky said.
To manage being both a mother and a teacher, Podrasky said her priorities have had to shift so that she can be there for him after she is done working.
“It’s also made me a little bit pickier about how much time I spend on school stuff outside of work because I want to be there fully for my son when I’m home,” Sarah Podrasky said.
Throughout the day, Podrasky says that she misses her “tiny little best friend” and thinks of him often during the school day. They have a routine before preschool to say goodbye that Podrasky says helps her when she is having a bad day.
“When I drop him off at preschool in the morning, we have a little ritual thing where I’ll kiss his hand and he’ll kiss my hand and we put a kiss in our pocket for later,”
Sarah Podrasky said. “If I’m having a particularly bad day, I put my hand on my chest and feel like I’m with him and it makes me feel better.”
by
Claire Heinritz38% 19%
Of moms have three or more children
eets Of moms have children under the age of 12 Of female teachers are mothers
On April 25, seven categories were nominated for the prestigious Blue Star Award. Sophomores Joy Malin, Piper Northrop, Nathan Friedman and Ebi Hegeman, seniors Rowan Banker and Cella Allison and the entire ensemble and orchestra were nominated for their performances in Free State’s production of “Bright Star” last fall. The Blue Star Award recognizes students’ achievements and excellence in musical theater within schools surrounding and in the Kansas City area. A ceremony took place on May 16 where students were publicly recognized for the award.
Photos by Nathan Kramer
treamline Coffee, a transportable coffee trailer, has now established itself as one of journalism’s personal favorites in town. The trailer, located at 4840 Bob Billings Pkwy, opened in August and offers an array of warm and cold drinks, including coffee, pastries, tea and more.
“Streamline Coffee draws inspiration from the charming coffee huts found throughout the Pacific Northwest. As a locally owned and operated establishment, we are passionate about bringing exceptional coffee right to your neighborhood,” Streamline’s website said.
The small business caters to the people of Lawrence, which is extremely refreshing to see. The coffee cups are biodegradable, adding a perk of sustainability to the experience. The business
even offers two drink options that feature dog latte art on the top, and 20% of the sales go to the Lawrence Humane Society. In addition to the Bob Billings location, the business is located inside the Lawrence Memorial Hospital West at 6265 Rock Chalk Drive, catering to both visitors and patients.
The baristas were extremely friendly and ready to help answer questions for new customers. Additionally, the space has outdoor seating, making it accessible to all family and friends. Most importantly, the coffee was delicious and full of flavor.
ith initial plans to be in Lawrence only for a short period of time, JV soccer coach, West Middle School basketball coach and occasional substitute teacher Daniel Schoettemer was prepared with escape plans to
According to Schoettemer, his swiftly developed friendships through his involvement in a church and subsequent opportunities to coach upended his initial scheme of an
He said he decided to give Lawrence a chance —
“I did not feel super qualified … It felt like a leap of faith knowing that the first year I would likely be coaching guys whose soccer IQ was higher than mine,” Schoettemer said. “It took a lot of convincing, but I decided to apply, and I got offered the job, leaving the interview. The fall of 2019, [I] started as a coach at Free State.”
Schoettemer’s approach to coaching is hard to find in other places. He said his love for teaching and fostering relationships with his players and students has sprouted a career involving mentorship, and he has found the parallels between coaching and mentorship to be immense.
Through this, he said he has placed an emphasis on his team’s chemistry and camaraderie and said he aims to help his players understand that the most important part of their experience, more so than winning, is their shared experience with one
“[Chemistry] definitely is the most, at least in my You can have the most successful season but it could still feel kind of empty without brotherhood and bondedness,” Schoettemer said. “A lot of coaches probably undersell how bonding off the field can really help
Schoettemer said that this approach has been fruitful during his experience as a coach, and it helps him to achieve an almost total buy-in from
“If you know the guys that you’re playing with, and you care about them, and you know the best parts of their life and the more difficult parts of their life, you will go to war for them, right? And then suddenly, it doesn’t become just about you, but you’re playing for ‘this,’” Schoettemer said.
Schoettemer said that his reason behind his loving philosophy, however, is deeply rooted in his upbringing and his own particular experience as a teenager trying to navigate the looming expectations of high school.
“When I was in high school, I felt constant pressure to be good enough, like I had to earn people’s love. I wanted to be perfect on the soccer field and succeed in the classroom and build a resume that colleges couldn’t say no to — and that led to a lot of insecurity — nothing ever felt good enough, and there was always a next thing to achieve,” Schoettemer said.
Schoettemer realizes the negative impact that his experience had on him, and he also understands that his experience is shared with so many students — and perfectionists — like him all over the community.
Through his developed Christian faith, he has developed his own virtues of altruistic love, and they have trickled down to his players.
“Learning about God’s unconditional love helped me so much — learning that I’m loved and accepted apart from the things I do felt so freeing, and I hope that Free State
students have experienced a little bit of that kind of love from me,” Schoettemer said. “You don’t have to be perfect or popular or put together to be worthy of love.”
Schoettemer doesn’t spend much time thinking about his legacy, but he is certain that he wants people to know that he has always had their back.
“I would want you guys [his students] to say that you always felt supported and rooted for, that I was a safe person and somebody you could go to and that there was an eagerness to share that space because of the belief that you felt,” Schoettemer said.
The
Free Press Design by
Katie Campbell
Whether as a coach, substitute teacher or friend, Daniel Schoettemer’s says his goal within the community is to be accessible and helpful
Storyby Nick Sprecker
“For me, coach Shotty means friendship. He is always planning fun events for us like breakfast at Big Biscuit after conditioning or kickball with a mini pool for a home base. Shotty has been one of my best friends and will continue to be for the rest of my life.
In an era of complete divisiveness, America is in the midst of funding two battles: the Israeli-Hamas war and the Russo-Ukrainian war. In these chaotic times, free speech has taken the stage, allowing Americans to do what they do best — share their opinions.
Free speech and open conversation are essential for upholding a functioning democracy. The action creates political accountability, allowing regular civilians to check authority and have a channel of diverse viewpoints. However, the value of speech is being brought to light by extremists on both sides of the political spectrum.
Around the country, university students are protesting against institutions that are funding violence overseas. These campus protests have stormed the nation, partly due to the differing campus interventions by police authorities, some becoming violent and leading to arrests and even academic expulsion.
Approximately 300 Yale faculty members have signed a letter condemning the criminalization of students engaging in peaceful protests in response to 48 students being arrested on campus. These students are now being faced with Class A misdemeanors.
Yale students who are exercising their right to protest are now being faced with up to a year in jail.
“Threatening students with sanctions of this kind is unconscionable and should not be the means by which Yale responds to peaceful protest,” Yale faculty added in the condemnation letter.
Students sharing their voices creates a complex situation for the country’s leaders to deal with: how do they protect free speech while protecting society from potential hate speech and harm? Where is the line drawn?
Hate speech is defined as an action that targets individuals or groups based on race, religion, ethnicity or other characteristics. It stands out at protests and rallies, taking protesting to a new level and, in hand, creating unsafe and intolerable environments.
Extremists use hateful rhetoric to dehumanize outliers and demonize opposing views, further fostering a political climate of fear and intolerance for civilians. The speech used to hurt others has concrete consequences with often tragic story endings.
According to USA Today, hate crimes rose 17% in America’s 25 largest cities.
As a country that is the “land of the free,” immigrants should be allowed to be free from the perception of foreign affairs. The war in Gaza does not establish the right to spew hate on Palestinians or Jewish Americans.
The challenge lies in navigating the gray areas: free speech and hate speech, censorship and protection. Speech and protest should not be silenced for the sake of safety, though hateful speech and violence should not be tolerated within communities. Should we silence hateful speech entirely for the cost of safety?
Instead, when discussing conflict, there should be value in uncomfortable conversations. The answer lies in fostering a culture of counterspeech. As citizens, we must challenge hate with reason, education and open conversation.
An open society depends on the free flow of ideas, even those that may be uncomfortable to hear.
College campuses are seeing a rise in protests and encampments amidst the Israel-Palestine war Story
by Lilly Wall
AColumbia University in New York in support of a ceasefire in Gaza, students and faculty gathered on the university’s lawn on April 17 to set up a peaceful encampment to protest against the school’s investment in entities that say they support or benefit from Israel’s war in Gaza.
Following Columbia University, over 50 college campuses across the country and around the world are seeing similar encampments; all the students are demanding their schools to cut ties with any sort of association with the State of Israel and to persuade their governing body to disinvest from companies contributing to the violence in Gaza.
Furthermore, according to the Protect Palestine Organization, the 30 largest university endowments have $493 billion in investments.
More than 2,300 involved with the protest have been arrested by local police and students are being suspended or even expelled from their universities for their involvement, according to the New York Times. In response to the protests, many university Presidents’ called for local police to evacuate the areas of encampments. One of these colleges, The University of Texas at Austin, state troopers were ordered to arrest those who refused to leave.
“UT Austin requested backup assistance from the Texas Department of Public Safety to protect the safety of the campus community and enforce our Institutional Rules, such as the rule that prohibits encampments on campus,” the school said in a statement.
As a result, 79 people were arrested on campus— 45 of them with no direct affiliation to the school, according to UT News.
Editor’s Note: This story was last updated on May 12. For more information, go to fsfreepressonline.org
97% of campus demonstrations over Gaza since mid-April have been peaceful. According to The Guardian.
In counter to these pro-Palestine protests, university students have begun to counter-protest in favor of Israel. Locally, at the University of Kansas, students from the KU Chabad House, a center for Jewish students, joined together to sing in the prairie, to put on Tefillin and to share their beliefs as Jewish students on campus.
Moreover, High school students began taking the initiative to express their voices for their take on the war. Teenagers from the Boston area took their stance side-by-side with MIT students to further amplify their demands. Similarly, on May 1, Lawrence High School students participated in a walkout with the encampment at KU urging for its divestment and a ceasefire.
In reaction to the protests, universities have moved remotely for the remainder of the school year. Furthermore, with fear that more tension will arise, some colleges, like the University of Southern California, have decided to cancel their graduation commencement ceremony for the class of 2024. Other universities, such as Emory University, have announced relocations for safety reasons.
As of May 6, the Columbia University encampment, along with many others, were taken down and cleared by the police force. At the University of Kansas, over 100 community members camped outside of Fraser Hall starting on May 1 in favor of Palestine while pro-Israel
Antisemitism on college campuses increases after Oct. 7 violence
Following Oct. 7, the ongoing conflict between Palestinians and Israelis has been brought to the public eye, sparking protests set up around the country on college campuses against Israel and Zionism. MerriamWebster defines Zionism as “an international movement originally for the establishment of a Jewish national or religious community in Palestine and later for the support of modern Israel.”
During these protests, a student journalist at the University of Minnesota, Alex Steil, said that antisemitic chants were used such as “Intifada is revolution is an armed struggle,” “Nothing but hate for Israel and Zionism” or “Al-Qassam make us proud.”
“These are the main examples I have heard from Jewish leaders on campus when they say there is hateful rhetoric on campus. In short, the protests themselves are nonviolent, but Jewish students hear the rhetoric espoused at them as violent,” Steil said.
According to Britannica, Intifada is either of the two uprisings in Palestine aimed to cease Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with the first Intifada happening from Dec. 1987 to Sep. 1993 and the second happening from March 2002 to late 2005. AlQassam, according to CNN, is Hamas’s
3,283
military wing, responsible for carrying out the Oct. 7 attacks.
The Anti-Defamation League has estimated that 73% of Jewish students have seen or experienced antisemitism.
Senior Ollie Ferrér said she believes that this rise in antisemitism comes from a conflation between Israel and all Jewish people.
“There has been a severe rise in Jewish hate and general anti-semitism ever since this conflict began. People need to know that this isn’t the fault of all Jewish people, there are very few Jews you will come across in your American city who will tell you that they think this war is good,”
Ferrér said.
Ferrér said she has found that most of the antisemitism she has experienced is on social media during political arguments.
“People are confused about a lot of
antisemitic incidents between Oct. 7 and Jan. 7 according to the Anti-Defamation League.
Story by Ember Kleinthings — ever since the most recent genocide in Palestine began,” Ferrér said. “When trying to explain in an Instagram comment section that this is not the fault of Israeli civilians, and instead the IDF [Israeli Defense Forces], I usually get comments back telling me how terrible Jews are and how we’re all bloodthirsty and evil.”
To combat antisemitism, Ferrér said that education helps to prevent Jewish people from being blamed for the actions of the IDF.
“People can fight antisemitism by educating themselves. Point fingers at the IDF, not at Jewish people just going about their days,” Ferrér said. “The demonization of Jewish people always comes swinging around full force every few years, and it sucks. I know all Jewish-Americans are so sick of it. Jewish people getting hate when this is the fault of the IDF is disgusting.”
According to the American Jewish Committee, the best ways to fight antisemitism are to engage with the Jewish community, be prepared for antisemitic incidents, protect Jewish people from hate, educate on and establish policies that fight antisemitism.
The U.S. has seen a increase in antisemitic incidents of harassment, vandalism and physical attacks according to CNN. 176%
The keffiyeh, also known as a hatta, is a traditional Arab headdress historically worn by Palenstians.
Historically, the keffiyeh was strictly worn by Bedouin men, nomads living in the Arabian Pennsylvania, to identify themselves in historic Palestine. During the 1936 Arab Revolt, the keffiyeh was first used to express solidarity with the revolutionaries. It was later adopted in 1960 to represent solidarity and resistance against Israel. Ever since, the headdress is worn in protest against Israel.
The fishnet pattern symbolizes the relationship Palenstians have to the Mediterranean sea.
The bold black stripes bordering the scarf represent the trade routes that used to run through the region.
The curvy lines resemble olive trees and stand as a major symbol of pride for Palestinians.
Behind the design
Derived from the poem, Judah’s Colors, the blue stripes symbolize the splendors of the firmament and white represents the residence of the priesthood. The blue stripes were inspired from the tallit (prayer shawl) to represent the symbolism of Jewish life guided by precepts of the Torah. In the center is the Star of David to reflect the unity of Jewish people. The State of Israel adopted this flag on October 28, 1948.
The Abbasid Dynasty considered black as a symbol of mourning after the Battle of Karbala.
The Umayyads ruled for ninety years and considered white their color of mourning as a reminder of the Prophet’s first battle at Badr.
The Fatimid Dynasty took green to symbolize their allegiance to the Prophet’s cousin, Ali.
Red symbolizes the descendants of the Prophet, the Ashrafs of the Hijaz and the Hashemites.
The five pointed star dates back to the Middle Ages when the earliest Jewish literary source mentioned a symbol called “Magen Dawid.” Later in the 17th century, The Jewish community of Prague first used the Star of David as their official symbol. It was later adopted by many other Jewish communities and became a common sign in Judaism. While the Star of David is recognized as an important symbol in Israel, not all those who practice Judaism and view the Star of David as an important religious symbol associate it with Israel.
While playing a soccer match during the fall of last year, senior center-back Utah Hester was stationed to clear the ball with a header but collided with the goalkeeper, hitting his head in the process.
Hester said that throughout the game, he did not feel any abnormalities; however, on his way back to school, he started to feel lightheaded and was immediately taken to a nearby urgent care facility by his teammates and coach. Upon Hester’s checkup, he was ruled with a serious concussion — its impact took a toll on his lifestyle.
Navigating through concussions as an athlete has become common in the realm of high school sports. Despite advancements in health and safety technology, its impact on studentathletes can negatively impact their careers.
According to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, the impacts of a concussion can severely alter an athlete’s lifestyle until they have fully recovered. Hester had to adhere to several instructions given by his doctor — a few being reducing screen time and refraining from physical activity.
“I didn’t even feel like the same person … you just have to be reliant on other people for everything because you’re not supposed to be moving around — not doing much,” Hester said. “[When] I thought I would feel okay for half a day, and if I tried to do anything over my limit, it just immediately would send me back to where I was.”
semester. I was trying to make all this work up with all of these symptoms that don’t really go away that quickly,” Hethcoat said.
Coping with concussions can be tough for some studentathletes where academics and post-concussion symptoms conflict with each other. When sophomore Lillian Hethcoat got a concussion while playing softball during November last year, she said her symptoms of chronic migraines and difficulty recalling memories made it hard for her to focus on her academics.
“I missed over a week of school in the first place, and I had to come back and make that up at the very end of the
Junior varsity soccer coach Daniel Schoettmer said there can be a real psychological load on an athlete after sustaining an injury or a concussion. He said returning back to playing after such events can be challenging and can take a toll on an athlete’s mental health.
“There is sometimes that back-of-your-head fear of, ‘Man, when I am in that situation again, or kick the ball that way or head the ball, could it happen again?’ ... That’s more of like the mental return to the play-piece, but it’s hard to like to sit out,” Schoettmer said.
Schoettmer said taking care of health is the pinnacle of balancing between physical, mental and social life in order to be successful as an athlete. He said his role as a coach is raising awareness amongst his athletes to take care of it.
“When we think about sports or athletics, we think about physical health and physical fitness, but I’m thankful that with coaches, research — and even if you’re on Instagram — you see more of a holistic focus on athlete health,” Schoettmer said.
Encouraging his player’s to be aware of their health and not over-do is one of Schoettmer’s goals. Similarly, research conducted by UCLA health stated that overdoing is the common reason why athletes tend to be injured. Both Hester and Schoettmer said the importance of knowing what your capabilities are as an athlete despite the struggle in deciding where to draw that line of limit.
“You’re really encouraging them [athletes] to really listen to their bodies, and so to feel our bodies are constantly giving us cues or red flags, if you know something’s wrong,” Schoettmer said.
Funds collected from sponsorships greatly contribute to covering expenses of Team Steam’s regional competitions
Story by Katie Campbell and Avery SmileyTeam Steam attended two regional competitions this year because of sponsorships collected by the marketing team, led by junior and chief marketing manager Lois Xie. She said the team greatly decreased hefty costs for over 40 robotics members.
Xie said a comprehensive budget is essential for the robotics department to pay for a multitude of supplies for their robot, including their drive software and coding programs. Entry fees for both competitions are approximately $9,000 combined, and transportation also requires a substantial amount of money.
The marketing team includes Xie and sophomore Nathan Kramer. Because of the funds that they raise, Team Steam is accessible to any student, considering there is minimal payment required throughout the season.
Senior and chief operations officer Peter Burdick said the only payment required from team members is travel fees such as hotel costs and food. Team Steam hasn’t been able to go to Oklahoma in the past because of their previously restrictive budget, but they were able to go this year because of additional money from donations.
Freshman Jacob Waiser joined the team in September without any robotics knowledge and was on the drive team for the regional competition in Oklahoma. Waiser said he moved here from England last summer, and felt very grateful to travel with the team.
Xie and Kramer originally planned to raise $5,000 this year. However, the team broke the robotics program’s record for the most money raised at $11,500. For the past two years, she has contacted companies related to STEM and engineering careers, and introduced their program.
“I go out to businesses in the local area and pitch our team. For example, we talked to U.S. Engineering and the KU Department of Engineering … We also invite representatives from these companies to visit us during a meeting in order to better understand what we do,” Xie said.
“You go to as many regionals as you can afford that year … This is our first year going to two regionals,” Burdick said.
Furthermore, Burdick said that going on trips like regionals not only helps the team to improve, but also helps with team bonding.
“There’s a lot of people that join this team and don’t know anybody. They come to find it as a big group of people that is fun to be with and really inclusive,” Burdick said.
Next year, Team Steam will remain accessible for students interested in the program. There is a rookie night in September where all new members can attend to get a feel for how the team works. For more information, contact junior President Julie Kong.
Interested in advocating for period poverty? Want to create change in the Lawrence community?
1) Travis and ______
2) President that introduced the New Deal
5) Italian Supercar
6) Artist of “The Last Supper”
7) Singer of “Little Red Corvette”
8) “Average ______”
9) The Big Apple
12) “More” in Spanish
13) Baseball team in Houston
3) Accumulate
4) Daily Word Game
5) School Mascot
10) Bigfoot’s Water Bottle
11) “______ On a Journey”
14) Support for a proposal
15) Grounds for the Silician Defense
16) Fire Truck Attachment
17) Anakin’s Master
Pops prepares underclassmen for Encore
MStory By Meredith Shryockany students are familiar with the annual Encore production, but far fewer are familiar with Pops, the underclassmen version.
Pops is a variety showcase for members of the freshmen and sophomore choir departments. The concert was held on May 17 with free admission.
“It’s essentially a smaller version of Encore with songs from the sophomore choirs Artemis, Apollo and the freshman choir Vox Novum,” sophomore Mimi Wood said. “It also includes completely student-led songs.”
The audition process begins weeks in advance when small groups and soloists decide on a song and create choreography. Students prepare for the audition on their own
Sentiments from teachers leaving Free State Collected By Maura Langland
TER ESAG IEB
“Eventually you’ll reach those few [students] who really will make a difference, that’s all that matters,” Grieb said.
“Education is about exploring our world, there are a lot of standards we have to meet and systems we have to fit into, but what we are really here to do is offer students an opportunity to learn the tools to make sense of the world around them,” Erwin said.
“[Being a design teacher] made me want to make stuff, so that’s why I’m leaving — so I can go be a designer,” Miller said.
The Free Press Design by
Abbie Veederand then perform their pieces for choir directors Joshua East and Olivia Henning with piano accompaniment.
“We’re looking for polish, clarity and strong ideas, as well as immaculate preparation. They need to think the piece through from start to finish,” East said.
Wood mentioned that when rehearsing for Pops, East and Henning give their students complete freedom to bring their ideas to the table.
“It prepares us for Encore by throwing us into the deep end by making us responsible for picking our own music, scheduling rehearsals, making choreography and reaching out to other students,” Wood said.
Moreover, East said that his favorite part of directing Pops is watching students learn how to take initiative and develop their own ideas for acts, solos and choreography. East hopes that the work that the underclassmen put into Pops will help prepare them for the rigorous aspects of Encore.
“Free State was the beginning of my career, and shaped me into the counselor I am today and I couldn’t have made it this far without the students. It’s literally been all about the kids and that’s gonna be the hardest part of leaving too is the students,” Jackson said.
“Students learn how to put groups together and solve problems in Pops, which is essential for success in Encore,” East said. “It also helps students realize which pieces are the most successful and showcase each students’ best.”
Since the freshmen and sophomores put in so much work, the anticipation grows for many of them. Sophomore Felix McGowan said that Pops being the last choir performance of the school year adds an extra layer of excitement to the night.
Similarly, sophomore Annah Steele said that the energy is similar to most other performances but with even more enthusiasm.
“The amount of excitement on Pops show night is almost overwhelming, but there’s also a lot of sentimentality since it’s our last show of the year,” Steele said.
“[My advice is] the road is not easy, there will be uphills and downhills but in the end, the reward is worth every effort made,” Smith said. “You never know how or when you will impact a student with your words and actions, light bulbs turn on and it is truly amazing to watch the process.”
“The student body has an interest in learning,” McDonald said. “Every principal I’ve taught under has made an effort along with my colleagues to make it an environment where learning is the priority.”
Read more about Ms. McDonald’s experience here!
ANNE TTE MCDONA L D
Firebirds discuss their favorite finals study snack
Marissa Hegeman“I see a lot of granola bars, coffee and energy drinks. Lots of students like to snack in the library while they are studying and leave their trash, so I see lots of chip bags.”
Librarian “
“
Jaehee Kim SophomoreMy favorite study snack is yogurt
Collected
by
Isabella Bobey
Firebirds’ favorite study drink:
40% water
24% energy drinks
20% coffee
16% tea
I like the Lofthouse cookies from the Bird Bistro because they’re easy to get and to eat at school when I’m studying. I also really like studying at Java Break or just here at the library.
Advanced Placement Studio Art 2D Design is a collegiate-level course like other AP’s at Free State; however, the class comes with a unique dynamic and set of demands with various requirements and expectations that differ from more academic rather than portfolio-based AP’s. Among other differences, students must develop a portfolio and submit it for grading and critique-style questioning in place of a traditional exam.
Senior Flora Smith is one of these students who has spent the year working in a largely independent class environment to build a portfolio. Smith described the structure of art teacher Rachel Downs-Doubrava’s class as solely independent with the aid of exercises and warm-ups to help students dive into their work in class, as well as with their approach to the portfolio they must build throughout the year.
“Downs provided us with an exercise, or ‘rivers,’ as she called it, where we come up with the central idea we want to work our portfolio around and then kind of stem out from that,” Smith said.
Building toward this central idea was the key piece in students’ establishing their portfolios. Discussing the theme she established in her portfolio, Smith described dreams as the central idea.
“Something that I see with dreams is something new and something that hasn’t been seen before, and it’s almost surreal in that way,” Smith said.
Expanding on that idea, Smith discussed how she wished to expand her scope within her art. Smith also wanted to use her theme as a way to convey her unique perspective.
“I wanted to capture [my theme] in creating things that I’ve never seen before and I wanted to put out into the world to show people: ‘here’s something different, here’s what I have to offer in my own very personal way’ — how I perceive dreams,” Smith said.
Story by Simon Williams Photos by Kinley GigousSmith also expanded upon her desire to work with different mediums and explore different ideas and how they can work together. Smith said experimentation was a big goal for her work throughout this process.
“I’ve noticed that I like to work with found materials, and I like to take from nature and ideas that are more naturalistic. Other basic things are that I love shape, form and color, and I’ve seen all of that come together in my own portfolio discovery,” Smith said.
Diving more into the specifics of her portfolio, Smith discussed a piece that she felt was most significant to her. This piece was inspired by the recent plastic bag ban in Lawrence and was submitted for the recent USD 497 exhibition.
At the exhibition, the multimedia piece made up of gathered materials from nature and waste such as plastic bags and hazard tape, earned her the Trailblazer Award — a student award and prize given to a 2D and 3D student artist whose work represents exceptional experimentation, innovation and skill — for her art.
Smith said the process of making the piece was enjoyable. Smith went into detail on how she had gathered or reused materials and objects for the piece.
“I spent winter break just cutting up plastic bags and stuff I found outside, and it was a lot of fun to create a piece with so much trash I had and vocalize something that I supported,” Smith said.
With the enjoyment Smith found in this piece, and through the personal success she garnered at its recent exhibition, Smith said that she has been left with boosted confidence heading into exam season.
“It feels good to kind of be confident in my skin and understand that people do like to see my work and that it has an influence,” Smith said.
JUNE 5 @ AZURA AMPHITHEATER
JULY 26 @ T MOBILE CENTER
FUTURE & METRO BOOMIN
JULY 30 @ T MOBILE CENTER
MORGAN WALLEN
AUG 2 @ ARROWHEAD STADIUM
AUG 4 @ T MOBILE CENTER
HOZIER
AUG 9 @ AZURA AMPHITHEATER
BLINK 182 + PIERCE THE VEIL
AUG 9 @ T MOBILE CENTER
According to ScienceDaily, only 35% of Generation Z has partipated in some type of traditional climate change activism.
Although there are recycling bins in every room to reduce the amount of plastic containers, students and staff sometimes turn a blind eye to recycling. However, one student and science teacher took initiative to try and combat this.
Senior and Johnson County Community College commit Elsa Carrillo made the decision to start a waste audit as her independent study, suggested by environmental science teacher Julie Schwarting. Carrillo said she is striving to implement environmentally friendly practices at school.
“[Mrs. Schwarting] came to me and wanted me to start this because she was worried that if we didn’t start it now, it would never get started,” Carrillo said.
According to the U.S Environmental Protection Agency, a waste audit is an experiment conducted to determine the percentage of recyclables in the school’s trash. Carillo collected data on waste production by each classroom and the findings will be used to inform more classes and implement new initiatives.
“More people should know about it and just be more mindful of what they are throwing away and how much waste that they’re producing,” Carrillo said. “I’m not perfect. I throw away a lot of stuff that could have been
Story By Arianna Wallerrecycled, but we need to think about it. Just one cup can make a difference.”
Because Carrillo is a senior, she said she is especially looking for students who are interested in participating with the waste audit in years to come after she graduates. She said she hopes that with more assistance, it can possibly help foster a sense of community engagement and environmental awareness among the student body.
“Presenting to the environmental science classes helped a lot. We were not only recruiting but also informing people about their waste habits,” Carrillo said. “It takes a simple moment to just think about what you are throwing away.”
Those interested in participating with the waste audit can find Mrs. Schwarting in room 427 for more information.
Photo by Lilly Wall
13 BAGS OF TRASH WERE COLLECTED FROM A SINGLE DAY’S LUNCH
300+
Unopened or untouched items (Estimated)
77 Forks and Spoons combined
