Issue 3, 2021-22 school year, The Budget

Page 6 New school board members begin terms amid budget deficit

Page 12

Politics invade high schools

Page 20

Chase Mondi flips his way to national recognition

THE BUDGET

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Lawrence High School Lawrence, KS Volume 129, Issue 3 March 2022

THE BUDGET BRIEFS

IN THIS ISSUE

Page 6 New school board members begin terms amid budget deficit

Page 12

Politics invade high schools

Page 20

Chase Mondi flips his way to national recognition

THE BUDGET

RED NEWS

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BLUE NEWS

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COVID surge puts Finger Puppets strain on students play a part in and teachers teaching history in this classroom

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Lawrence High School Lawrence, KS Volume 129, Issue 3 March 2022

Increasingly divided, Classroom discussions and schools have seen increase polarization and conflict driven from political partisanship and social conflict. Graphic

by Asher Wolfe

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Winter Court festivities returns after two year absence

18

Basketball team starts season strong, eyes state appearance

24

Review: Encanto offers place for heritage to be seen

WE’VE GOT MORE ONLINE Follow @lhsbudget Budget remedy ideas met with protest

Invasion of Ukraine sparks worry from LHS

SENIOR SINGS AT

Sign Language club returns for students

Athletic trainer leaves LHS after beloved era

MEET

CARNEGIE JACK

Ashton Rapp rides vocal talent to New York

BY JULIA BARKER Features Editor

T

hroughout his years at Lawrence High, senior Ashton Rapp has excelled vocally in the choir program, but his talents recently let to Rapp being selected to sing and perform six pieces at Carnegie Hall in New York City on Feb. 6.

Since the beginning of Rapp’s freshman year he’s been in the LHS choir program, starting as a high first tenor and now singing as a baritone.

“Students start learning how to use their breath support to help the tone be full and rich and carry have projection,” choir director Dr. Dwayne Dunn said. “Ashton has taken some voice lessons and worked really hard on

2

developing that part.”

As Rapp has grown vocally in choir, he has also grown into a leader in choir.

“He is one of our officers that helps take attendance and keep the group running.” Dunn said. “He’s definitely one of those role model students.”

His choir peers agree.

“He’s really knowledgeable about music,” junior Abe Roman said. “Just vocally he is a good leader.”

After graduation, Rapp plans on continuing to pursue music and vocal performance in college.

“I’ve applied to eight schools, and I’ve passed the pre-screening for seven of them. So I will be auditioning with them,” Rapp said.

“Hopefully, I get into some music schools.”

MARCH 2022 | DESIGNED BY CUYLER DUNN

Senior thrives at a national level in unique sport

Senior Jack Rasmussen competes in a sport uncommon for most high schools.

Jack is a competitive fencer. And not only a fencer, but a good one. Rasmussen qualified for the Junior Olympics in Salt Lake City. Here are Jack’s thoughts on his unique sport.

WHAT IS FENCING? “You don’t get hurt. It’s more like a sport and less like a brutal act. It’s not too much different from basketball or football. You can find a lot of enjoyment in it. It’s a great social experience.”

FAVORITE PART OF FENCING? “It’s very disciplinary. I learned a lot of discipline. It helped me build a lot of relationships and camaraderie with people. “ WHY FENCING? “I would definitely say that it allows you to develop more camaraderie with people around you and understand people and their struggles, that everyone doesn’t always win.”

Reporting by Jack Tell

BRIEFS THE BUDGET

REFLECTING ON CAPITOL RIOT Students remember anniversary of Jan. 6 riot; more about political issues in classrooms on page 8

Graphic by Kate O’Keefe

NEWSPAPER ADJUSTS TO CHANGES

EDITOR WINS JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR

Fewer copies, higher quality and more digital offerings part of changes prompted by loss of regional newspaper printer

By Cuyler Dunn You may notice that this issue of The Budget is different than the ones you’ve previously seen floating around the halls of LHS. Maybe you’re reading this issue digitally .

On Feb. 14, as this issue of the newspaper was being finished, we got news that our printer was forever turning off its printing press. Due to an assortment of reasons, we had to reassess the future of The Budget’s print editions.

The editors of The Budget discussed at length the direction we wanted to take the newspaper now that we had to reassess our situation.

What we decided is what you’re viewing now. We’ve improved the quality of our printing but are printing fewer copies, while doing more to promote our digital products, including a pdf version of the newspaper, as well as boosting content to lhsbudget.com and our social media, @lhsbudget.

These last few years have been full of challenges, and this one is no different.

Regardless of the format The Budget takes moving forward, we will still be here doing in-depth reporting and telling the stories of the LHS community.

Reporting by Jack Ritter The Budget’s co-editor-in-chief Cuyler Dunn was named Kansas Student Journalist of the Year by the Kansas Scholastic Press Association last month.

Dunn spent the past year building his portfolio and was surprised by the announcement during the Feb. 14 KSPA conference at KU. “I just want to say thank you to Barbara Tholen, who’s the reason I’ve done anything I’ve been able to do,” he said. “And all my staffers too. Everything I put into that portfolio was a team effort.”

Dunn’s portfolio will move on to the national contest with the winner to be announced at the national high school journalism convention in April in Los Angeles. Photo by Kenna McNally DESIGNED BY CUYLER DUNN | MARCH 2022

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THE BUDGET NEWS

Impacts of COVID surge felt

By Cuyler Dunn Finding subs has always been a challenge, but as the COVID-19 pandemic forced teachers to stay home and retired teachers sub less, the district has turned to having other teachers, who are on their plan periods, cover classes when substitutes can’t be found. It’s become a daily push to fill classes.

“There are not as many subs available to teach, which leaves us having to help cover each other’s classes,” said LHS sub secretary and receptionist Cindy McCaleb, who makes sure every class is covered. “This results in me begging people to cover classes, which is so hard for me to do.”

MORE ONLINE Read the full story at lhsbudget. com.

COVID-19 prevention supplies, such as tests and masks, sit on a counter in the nurses’ office as students returned from winter break.

Photo by Hannah Woods

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MARCH 2022 | DESIGNED BY MORGANNA HAAGA

NEWS THE BUDGET

RISING COVID CASES REQUIRES

ADAPTING

Omicron surge led teachers and student to adapt to absences

BY PERRIN GOULTER Staff Reporter

A

t the peak of the Omnicron surge, 26.7% of students were missing from the halls of Lawrence High on Jan. 20.

As sick students relocated to their homes, an entire year of online school helped prepare both students and teachers for the issues that can arise from being absent.

For junior Ayden Ammann, teachers supplied him with the strategies he needed to keep up with deadlines.

“Some teachers reached out and helped me figure out what I missed which definitely helped alleviate my stress,” Ammann said. “When I got back, they laid out everything I missed that would be hard to recover from.”

He also found some specialized strategies that worked to keep him on track.

“Something that worked for me was separating all my work and doing like 30 minutes of one subject then went and did something else to let my brain refresh and then would move to another subject,” Ammann said. “It was pretty helpful.”

He left the experience wishing that some teachers had done a bit more to help him in some areas.

“I wish that every class gave me a bit of a schedule and most of them did but the ones that didn’t when I got back I felt really behind and it was hard to figure it out,” Ammann said.

Junior Will Leuschen took the initiative to get in contact with his teachers to stay on top of things.

“I contacted my teachers the day I tested positive and they replied quickly saying it’s all good and gave me the work I will be missing,” Leuschen said. “All my teachers said they are happy to meet with me when I come back and further explain the content, which is a stress-reliever.”

For him, this strategy worked best to stay up to date with any assignments he may need to get completed.

“I just check in with them each day to see what I missed and what notes I can get off them,” Leuschen said. “When you’re in quarantine, it’s more up to you to check in with your teachers and see what you missed and get that work.”

He attributes his success to being proactive early on.

“I have done a pretty good job on staying on top of my work and getting in touch with my teachers,” Leuschen said. “If you make the effort to reach out to your teachers they will be more helpful throughout the time you are gone.”

Students aren’t the only ones who have been affected by the absences.

English teacher Emily Bjorlin has had to take steps to get everyone on the same page.

“I’m pretty good at putting stuff on Google Classroom and making sure everyone knows how to contact me so it hasn’t been a terrible strain but I just kind of feel bad because

“I felt

really behind, and it was hard to figure it out. That made me put most of my effort into one or two classes,

which left only a little bit of space for all my other classes.”

—Ayden Ammann, junior

CHANGE Policy changes allow students and faculty to return to school sooner after positive COVID tests.

Read more online.

I know that my class isn’t the only one,” Bjorlin said, “I’ve had great communication from all my students when they’ve been out which is unexpected and delightful.”

She has noticed a surprising amount of accountability coming from the majority of her classes.

“I’m very impressed with how my students have been handling it when they’ve been missing,” Bjorlin said. “I would say that my rate of missing and late work has barely changed and I’m very lenient about it because I’m not expecting you to get things in perfectly on time when you’re not feeling good.”

For her, the biggest thing is putting a focus on mental health and active communication with her students “I want to spend more time checking in on them as people and putting less stress on having to get through this amount of content because the content isn’t all that matters,” Bjorlin said, “Just because this person is sitting in my room I don’t know who in their life has COVID-19 right now. Making sure that as people they are doing okay is the top priority.”

During student worktime, English teacher Emily Bjorlin completes tasks at her desk. With COVID cases surging, Bjorlin said she had to adjust her plans. “Even if it’s slowing me down, I’m not stressing out about it because I am of the belief that students can’t learn if they aren’t doing well as people.”

Photo by Owen Musser

DESIGNED BY MORGANNA HAAGA | MARCH 2022

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THE BUDGET NEWS

NEW SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS PUSH FOR

COMMUNITY Newly-elected school board members face range of challenges

BY CUYLER DUNN Co-Editor-in-Chief

A

s the USD 497 school district stares down an onslaught of challenges in the present and the development of new directions for the future, recently-elected first-time school board members Kay Emerson and Andrew Nussbaum have pledged to make community a top priority for their terms on the school board.

The two new board members were elected in November and served at their first board meeting in January. Emerson received the most votes in the school board election with incumbent and former board president Kelly Jones in second.

Nussbaum took the third and final spot on the new board.

“Each board member brings a unique perspective shaped by their own experiences and beliefs,” school board president Erica Hill said. “Diversity of perspective is important, especially when facing challenging issues, such as the budget deficit and COVID-19. We have a board culture that strives to promote trust, collaboration and professionalism, and I’m looking forward to working with Kay [Emerson] and Andrew [Nussbaum] within this capacity.”

Emerson and Nussbaum both have lots of experience with Lawrence and USD 497.

Emerson began her journey with the district as a PTO parent, working to get involved

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with local schools and trying to shape them to be the best they could be for students.

Nussbaum comes to the board with years of experience as an employee with the district.

He worked at Free State High School for seven years before moving to the district building for the last four.

Key Emerson aims to grow community

Kay Emerson looks to engage the community to tackle challenges during her time on school board When talking with Emerson about her plans for her term on the board one word stood out: community. She made it clear that her main goal for her term was to empower the community of USD 497.

“I want to instill in our community…that you’re a part of the process,” Emerson said.

MARCH 2022 | DESIGNED BY ELIJAH PADEN

UPDATE Our online coverage is up to date with the latest on the school board and budget

“I think there is a lot of

power in

community

voice.”

—Kay

Emerson, school board member

“We’re only a seven member board, we need your help, we need your voices at the table.”

She spoke about ways she would love to see USD 497 community members get involved during her term, such as public comment during board meetings.

She challenged herself and her colleagues to ask the question “where can we build in more community discussion?” and actively seek out and implement answers.

As the district debates possible solutions to the multi-million dollar budget deficit it faces, Emerson emphasized the importance of making sure every voice was heard.

“There’s so much that goes into making these decisions and some of the core questions I have going into this is, ‘How is this going to affect X? Who are we leaving out that we possibly didn’t think about?’” Emerson said.

As well as having experience with the district, Emerson brings a financial background that gives her a valuable perspective on the economic side of the district.

Emerson emphasized that discussing and deliberating as a panel would be crucial to solving the district’s upcoming challenges.

Regardless of whether it is helping find solutions to issues or helping shape the district as it moves forward, Emerson said the process will involve making every voice heard.

“I think there is a lot of power in community voice,” she said, “and as a new school board member, I would like to see more of that.”

NEWS THE BUDGET

Andrew Nussbaum strives for equity

Former district employee Andrew Nussbaum looks to break down harmful structures and strive for equity While Nussbaum’s beliefs and ideas for what he hopes to accomplish on the school board are far stretching and extensive, at the core of his vision for the next four years is striving for equity.

As a former employee in the district for more than 10 years, Nussbaum has first-hand experience with different levels of the USD 497 structure and looks to use that experience to help amplify voices.

He challenged the district to evaluate whether the ideas they preached were being implemented in the best and most effective way.

“District hashtags such as #AllStudentsOneTeam ring meaningless when, predictably and unacceptably, the same students, same neighborhoods and same staff members continue to be neglected, dismissed and harmed,” he said.

He highlighted that at the center of public education there must be equal access and opportunity for all students.

“There is no excellence without a deeper equity,” he said.

Forming relationships is an important goal for Nussbaum, one that is a prerequisite to the development of many of his other ideas. He isolated that as a board member he is first and foremost a member of a community. Building a diverse set of relationships within that community is important to make sure he can best act for the community he represents.

“I believe that board members must be advocates,” he said.

“We have a position of power and responsibility while also having access and leverage.”

When it comes to the budget deficit, these same principles apply for Nussbaum. Making sure the most affected voices are amplified as well as having students and in-classroom staff put first is his priority.

“A board member is expected to listen to the community, especially those most directly affected by board decisions…simultaneously, a board member is expected to monitor, hold accountable, and evaluate the superintendent and district leadership,” he said.

As the board looks to take on current and future challenges, Nussbaum looks to make sure that the principles of equity, justice and relationship are always at the forefront of district decision making.

“As a board member,” he said, “I will listen, learn with and advocate to ensure we as a district actually prioritize what we promise.”

Taking notes, stakeholders take notes during a budget committee hearing in January.

Among those pictured is LEA president Lindsay Buck (second from left). Photo by Owen Musser

Budget deficit challenges school board Reporting by Jack Ritter As the end of the school year looms, district officials face a deep budget shortfall.

Lack of reserve funds, stark declines in enrollment district-wide and allowing for raises for staff each affect the position of the district.

As a result, USD 497 officials are weighing options to save money. For the immediate future, the school board has ruled out school closures but left on the board reduction of building budgets, sharing of staff for low-enrollment classes at the high schools and elimination of athletics or activities.

“The board is currently using a budget planning process to identify savings,” said Julie Boyle, executive director of communications.

Some fear that not improving staff pay will lead to a mass exodus of experienced educators.

“That is real, and it is untenable and unsustainable for the future of the quality of education in our district,” school board member Shannon Kimball said.

For the latest on the budget crisis and community response, follow our social media for live tweeting and updates as well as new articles at lhsbudget.com.

DESIGNED BY ELIJAH PADEN | MARCH 2022

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THE BUDGET NEWS

POLITICS

INVADE HIGH SCHOOL CLASSROOMS

Growing national partisanship finds its way into classroom discussions

BY CUYLER DUNN AND ARIEN ROMAN-ROJAS Co-Editors-in-Chief

Y

ou walk into the school and put on your mask. Surrounding you are signs asking people to wear a mask correctly at all times. Someone near you argues with a staff member about whether they should have to follow these regulations. One. As you head into the atrium a couple of School Resource Officers greet you.

Their presence makes many of your peers uncomfortable but comforts others. Two. They’re at the school because of a rapid increase in school shootings in the United States. Something that your classmates have been fighting back against for years. Three.

On the wall are posters for the environment club. Many of them had been involved in a climate strike earlier that week. Four.

Today is Thursday. The one year anniversary of the Jan. 6 insurrection. You think back to a year ago when your classes spent days discussing and processing the democracy-shaking events. Five.

You head to your first-hour government class. Today you will have a group discussion.

You brace for the political arguments and issues that will come up in class. Women’s

8

rights, racial equality, affirmative action, economic and social systems, abortion and LGBTQ rights are some of the most controversial issues that your class will grapple with throughout the year. We’re up to 11.

There is no longer any way for you to go through a week of high school without having to grapple with and interact with a slew of political issues.

Since the 2016 election, partisanship and political divisions nationally have risen rapidly. Highly contentious issues regarding COVID-19, election law, racial justice, women’s rights and more have found their way into schools in multiple ways.

“Why has it become so much more, I don’t know if polarized is the right word, it’s literally ‘us’ or ‘them,’ government teacher Jack Hood said.

“It’s definitely happened in the past three years.”

Hood started teaching AP Government during the last few years. Instantly he noticed the ability for political tensions to affect classrooms.

“There were certain things they were going to talk about and certain things they weren’t going to talk about,” Hood said. “Just because they didn’t want to have the discussions and have somebody get offended and get a call. I think it actually had a chilling effect on what you think would be a safe space for free speech.”

Hood said that contentious

MARCH 2022 | DESIGNED BY CUYLER DUNN

Politics in school Looking at times when politics have entered the classroom at Lawrence High School.

Political Perspective Staffers analyze Congress from different perspectives

Jan. 6 Insurrection Teachers speak with students after riot

Climate Students participate in climate strikes

discussion is present almost all of the time, but is most notable with some specific issues such as gun rights and abortion.

When it comes to class discussions, teachers are desperate for students to engage in constructive and meaningful conversation instead of monopolizing and dictating.

“That’s how you have a conversation,” Hood said. “And you model that for them and they either figure it out or they don’t. ” Students agreed that class discussions can be uncomfortable for those who view issues different from their classmates.

“It’s certainly tense,” senior Joey Gadzia said. “It also depends on what you’re saying.

Most people say the same thing and affirm each other but obviously if you dissent then it’s a little more tense and a little more abrasive.”

One challenge in recent years has been an increase in issues that are question of verifiable fact. Whereas moral and ethical issues have been debated for years, recent actions taken by the right to undermine the validity of elections and promote claims that have been proven false has presented new issues for the classroom.

For many teachers, Jan. 7, the day after the Capitol insurrection, was one of the hardest days of teaching they’ve had.

“One of the most difficult days of my teaching career was trying to explain, on Webex, what happened on Jan. 6,” Free

NEWS THE BUDGET State government teacher Jeff Haas the US political spectrum. With rampant said. “I had six government classes the misinformation and an increase in next day, and I thought that was a real censoring from social platforms, many unique challenge relating to that.” have been looking to how speech will Closed mindsets aren’t continue to manifest itself in exclusive to one party a digital age. however, as people with It’s a question that very “One of the all political views can find soon could filter down to the worst days of themselves too rooted in high school classroom. my teaching their beliefs to engage in “Both sides, left and right, good discussion. have gone up in arms about career was “That can be true of one side not being able to trying to explain, people of all political parties speak or shutting down on Webex, what that they are so set in their speakers,” Hood said. “I think ways they won’t listen to happened on Jan. we’re going to see a ripple other ideas,” senior Kenna effect of that here. I think we 6.”

McNally said. already are. I McNally is an active mem- —Jeff Haas, Free know for the State government ber of the Lawrence High last two-three teacher School Young Democrats years that’s club, as well as chair of Kanbeen a sas High School Democrats. pretty big She has been involved issue both politically for years and spoke about left and right. Because how political issues affect everyone. And what does free speech for her, being actively involved in how mean and how does those decisions are made is crucial. that look in a “Being able to be a part of that process is really important to me,” she said.

In response to intense polarization politically, questions of free speech have been challenged by both sides of

public sphere? The first thing we teach with freedom of speech is that your freedom of speech is not unlimited.”

The topic of freedom of speech and how it interacts with COVID-19 has been noticeable in academic environments, with mask mandates and other safety regulations that have been implemented.

“I would say frequently post-COVID it’s been that way,” Gadzia said. “I mean you have to see it everyday, you come to school and you hear it and you’re just in it.”

Some students believe safety precautions for COVID-19 have become too politicized, especially in school environments.

“Instead of people worrying about the safety of their classmates they’re worried about ‘does the political candidate that I support, does the political party that I support, believe in masks and their effectiveness?’” McNally said.

But regardless of political view, the impact that increased political tension and partisanship has had in schools is frightening and not showing any sign of stopping..

“I made the joke, I shouldn’t be able to tell who you voted for president based on how you wear a mask,” Hood said. “Things became almost like it was a political statement or a political attack to do something. It seems like people politicized things that used to not be political.”

Graphic by Anna Anderson

DESIGNED BY CUYLER DUNN | MARCH 2022

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THE BUDGET FEATURES

TEACHING WITH

PUPPETS

History teacher uses finger puppets to help students learn CONNOR THORNTON Staff Reporter

I

f you’ve been a student of history teacher Valerie Schrag you’ve more than likely had a finger puppet teaching your class at some point.

This is because Schrag has a grand collection of 14 historical figures in finger puppet form. The historical figures range from Barack Obama to Nelson Mandela.

The collection originated in Washington, D.C., nine years ago at the National History Day competition. When leaving the Library of Congress, Schrag and her team saw the gift shop where they discovered a finger puppet of Theodore Roosevelt.

“Of course we went to the gift shop and here were these finger puppets and wouldn’t you know there was Teddy Roosevelt,” Schrag said. “With his monical with a little chain of his eye with this big grin, and I thought this is too good, so I bought Teddy Roosevelt.”

The collection of finger puppets has continued to grow. Some are gifted by students, some bought

Meet the puppets Schrag reveals the story behind her puppets 10

online, others purchased on field trips, but the finger puppet team continues to grow as time goes on.

One question you may find yourself asking is why would anyone teach with finger puppets?

“Because it’s fun,” Schrag said.

“It’s just a silly way to remind us that history is always around us and that history doesn’t have to be dry and dull and boring. They can be finger puppets and sometimes all you need is just a little giggle in the middle of the day with a finger puppet.”

She is not the only one who stands by this belief.

“The finger puppets added youth and playfulness into many deep and dark topics we covered,” senior Sarah Derby said.

Not only do the finger puppets serve great purpose in the classroom, finger puppet Nelson Mandela has served as a good luck charm for the debate team, courtesy of senior Helen Viloria.

“Helen Viloria was in my classroom looking at them, and I was like, ‘which one do you want to take for good luck?’” said Schrag. “Last year’s debate theme was on crim-

inal justice reform, so she took on Nelson Mandela. They came back third in state.”

The story doesn’t end there though. Once again this year the team has taken finger puppet Teddy Roosevelt.

“Teddy Roosevelt is now hanging out with the debate team as a good luck charm. They periodically find their ways in different places,” Schrag said.

Being so highly valued comes at a price though. The finger puppets were hit with a kidnapping threat just this year.

“Someone threatened to take the finger puppets during the devious lick challenge,” Derby said.

However, the finger puppets remained safe and sound on Schrag’s whiteboard, and appear to be in good hands going forward.

“My whole class protested and swore to protect them,” Derby said.

Eight to a hand, teacher Valerie Schrag shows off her collection of finger puppets of historical figures. “It just became kind of this silly little thing,” Schrag said.

“It is completely silly and absurd, and it is the best thing ever.” Photo by Owen Musser

Reporting by Maison Flory

Where are they from?

“They are produced by The Unemployed Philosophers Guild, and there are over 200 of these men, women, artists, politicians, writers and major figures in history..”

MARCH 2022 | DESIGNED BY DECLAN PATRICK

Why do you use them?

“Because it’s fun, there’s no reason behind it other than its just fun and history sometimes gets a bad reputation of being boring, these are not boring. It inserts a little bit of humor into history; it also makes it a little more real.”

FEATURES THE BUDGET

Ulysses S. Grant

Nelson Mandela

Thomas Jefferson

Rosa Parks

Teddy Roosevelt

Claude Monet

DESIGNED BY DECLAN PATRICK | MARCH 2022

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THE BUDGET FEATURES

CHOIR PARTICIPATION

DROPS

Choir participation falls due to COVID pandemic

BY REED PARKER-TIMMS Staff Reporter

I

t is no secret that the pandemic has taken a toll on nearly everything, and there has been no exception on how COVID-19 has affected the choir program at Lawrence High.

With the abundance of online learning, many students have not felt as motivated as they once did during the massively popular era of choir pre-COVID. “Online choir was horrible,” senior Vivian Podrebarac said.

Due to the difficulties with online school last year, the number of students in the choral program dropped drastically.

While before the pandemic began, the choir department numbered about 250 students, there are now only 130 students.

This sudden change was shocking to the choral community. It caused a major adjustment to how students were used to navigating through the musical world.

“Due to the smaller size, it has been a lot harder to get the exact sound that we want,” junior Jack Pfeifer said.

Pfeifer is a part of what used to be the largest mixed choir ensemble at Lawrence High.

“Concert Choir” is now just another variation of Tenor/Bass choir.

It is now a lot harder to produce concerts and events because the majority of students haven’t had the opportunity.

“When we do Showtime this year we will have exactly zero students who have been in a

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Showtime performance before,” choral director Dwayne Dunn said. “Usually the older students can help the younger students out, but students can’t really provide that experience this year.”

While the struggles are evident, there are also some positives to these changes.

“Being apart of the merged choir has been a good experience and has helped me improve as a choir student,” said Pfeifer, “since you can tell when something is wrong since the amount of people aren’t there to hide it. Overall it was weird at first, but we have adjusted and benefited from it.”

Choir this year is different, but for students in their first year in Lawrence High choir, there’s no previous experience for comparison.

“I would say a lot of choir this year is not what you would expect, but it’s also been so fun.

We are learning so much and the classroom environment is so comfortable and friendly,” freshman Giulia Ventello said.

“I’ve been able to make more connections with the students and teachers in choir this year than any other classes.”

Overall, the changes this year have not been easy, but due to the strong force that Lawrence choir is, the students are able to make the best of it, making choir’s return to full capacity just that much sooner.

“People who struggled through the COVID/choir mixture, became closer and formed relationships with people they might not have in a regular year,” junior Jackson Green said.

MARCH 2022 | DESIGNED BY HENRY ADAMS

“I encourage you to continue and not be

demotivated by the drop because as people continue to come back choir will become more exciting than it already is.”

—Jackson Green, junior

WATCH Take a look at the Winter Postlude choir concert featuring the advanced LHS choirs and a KMEA preview program

“It also showed resilience in the music department as a whole, given the hit that it took. It’s awesome to see that it’s still going strong.”

Students implored their peers to continue on with choir as experiences open up again.

“My freshman year of choir was when I truly got very excited about singing and music,” Green said. “I encourage you to continue and not be demotivated by the drop, because as people continue to come back, choir will become more exciting than it already is.”

Performing, freshman Thomas Basham sings with the Lawrence High choir. This is Basham’s first year participating in choir. “I just enjoy the people and the vibe of that choir has.” Basham said. Photo by Audrey

Basham

FEATURES THE BUDGET

Meaning ful performance A Cappella choir performed for the Kansas Music Educators Association Conference in February. The program, called “Holding our Breath,” focused on themes of breathing and its centrality to singing and living.

“It has this kind of central theme of breathing...and how that is kind of even more important now than ever.”

—Arran Kennedy-Orive, junior

“There’s moments where I’m excited. There’s moments where I feel sorrowful. I don’t know it’s hard to explain, but it feels

“Hearing music with all of these different people from every different background come together for one final project

“We’ve been working incredibly hard...our main goal is to leave people watching with something they’ll remember for many years to come.”

—Jackson Green, junior

is really awesome.”

—Sofia Thomas, senior

very impactful.”

—Peyton Fowler, junior

DESIGNED BY HENRY ADAMS | MARCH 2022

13

THE BUDGET FEATURES

WINTER

FESTIVITIES RETURN

Students enjoy the first in-person formal dance in over a year

BY CUYLER DUNN Co-Editor-in-Chief of The Budget After almost two years without any indoor or formal dance, students enjoyed a return to the festivities.

The dance this year was hosted at Abe and Jake’s Landing, and was

the culmination of a week of Winter Court activities.

The annual Winter Court video featured sketches from famous movies and TV shows.

The video debuted at an indoor assembly that introduced all of the candidates. The week finished with

the crowning of Winter Court royalty Jabari Johnson and Layla Harjo at the boys basketball game.

Students celebrated the week by dressing up and enjoying the first formal dance since February 2020. The dance was hosted downtown at Abe and Jake’s Landing.

Dancing the night away, juniors Perrin Goulter and Jackson Green attend the Northern Lights Night-themed Winter Formal and take a unique approach on their head gear.

“My favorite part of formal was seeing everyone dressed up, all together and complimenting each other,” Green said. “It was a breath of fresh air for a lot of us.” Photo by Owen Musser Watching eagerly, the cast and crew of the Winter Court video crowd around a camera held by senior Zack Micka. “We felt like they [the court] would just go for anything,” Micka said. “They made it their own. It made it a lot more engaging, I think, and it made them a lot more likable.” Photo by Maya Smith

Meet the Court

AIDAN ZIMNEY Favorite temp?

“289 degrees Kelvin.”

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CHAYSE BURGHART Dance move?

CUYLER DUNN Drippiest Teacher?

“Dr. Dwayne Dunn.

“Simple whip and nae Have you seen the all beige fit? It’s fire.” nae with extra nae nae.”

MARCH 2022 | DESIGNED BY CUYLER DUNN

GRANT GLASGOW Song on repeat? “ ‘Butterfly Effect’ by Travis Scott.”

JABARI JOHNSON Favorite Conspiracy?

KATE O’KEEFE If you had to eat a bug?

“Area 51.”

“Grasshopper? They seem like they might have a nice crunch.”

FEATURES THE BUDGET

Standing with pride, seniors Sofia Thomas and Aidan Zimney (top right) lock arms at the Winter Court assembly. “It was really cool to be selected by my peers to be a part of such a fun activities,” Zimney said.

Photo by Sama Abughalia Surrounded by friends, freshman Parker Snoad-Rodenbeek dances on the night of the Winter Formal dance. “It was great, it was really fun, I had a great time,” Rodenbeek said. “I

KENNA MCNALLY Dance move?

“Irish jigging.”

LAYLA HARJO Favorite Bathroom?

“The girls locker room. I feel safe in there!”

RILEY HOFFER Business Idea?

“Spray-on Shoes.”

SIANA KING Song on repeat?

wouldn’t change anything. I had a lot of fun.”

Photo by Owen Musser Taking in the moment, seniors Layla Harjo and Jabari Johnson (bottom right) react to being crowned Winter Court royalty on Feb. 4. “It was weird because everyone’s eyes were on me and I don’t like that, but it was cool,” Johnson said. “My favorite part was when everyone was saying my name.” Photo by Audrey Basham

SOFIA THOMAS If you had to eat a “ ‘Like a Boy’ by Ciara.” bug?

TAYTE MARKOULATOS Favorite Bathroom?

“Ants because they “The one at the end of always steal my food.” the music hallway.”

DESIGNED BY CUYLER DUNN | MARCH 2022

15

THE BUDGET FEATURES

BROTHERS LOOK TO CAREER IN

FILM

Twin brother filmmaking duo is beloved by students and staff alike

BY ARIEN ROMAN-ROJAS Co-Editor-in-chief

B

rother duo, seniors Zach and Sam Micka, are notorious for their skits and films. Dedicated and creative, the two have become a beloved part of the film department and student body.

“I first met Zach and Sam when they were freshmen,” film teacher Zach Saltz said. “Right away I could tell that they had a lot of creativity. A lot of passion and enthusiasm for film and they were very creative on how they approached projects.

I’m really pleased to see the progress that they’ve made.”

Zach Micka was the first one to enroll in film classes offered, and Sam soon followed.

“My brother was already taking a video class, and I’ve always made videos ever since I had a camera,” Sam said.

From there, the brothers became engrossed with film, going above and beyond both in and out of the classroom.

Zach describes his first success: “My first hints of success came in my sophomore year when Jamari and I did a profile on Mass Street Soda and again with the 24 Hour Film Festival. I became hooked and have been going ever since.”

Zach and Sam often work together during their films, and Saltz has recognized them as good collaborators. But the brothers don’t always work together and want to make it

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clear that they are two distinct individuals, not a matching pair.

“We are just brothers: Sam and I are two separate people; we have similar interests but do not share a brain, so we collaborate really well because of our different outlooks,” Zach said.

During the pandemic, Zach worked on a short film with Jamari Smith and Aidan Von Feldt, and it won him a lot of praise from Saltz.

“He just did everything himself; he went out to film, got locations, got crew members, had a really good script and was just passionate about making it, so that was really cool to see,” Saltz said.

Meanwhile, Sam was working hard at projects for Saltz’s class.

“He worked super hard on things like his music video and his special effects project,” Saltz said.

Sam and Zach have different strengths when approaching their collaborations. Sam is often the writer while Zach is the editor. Both direct their films and have equal say in the creative process.

“The main goals I have with each project is to execute the concept so it is clear to the audience and if I’m lucky, elicit an emotional response or something to think about,” Zach said.

Both brothers said they draw inspiration from movies, TV shows and life. Depending on how they feel at the point that they’re writing the script, their work may appear serious or more relaxed.

MARCH 2022 | DESIGNED BY BRANDON PARNELL

“I think the storytelling thing and being able to

communicate ideas clearly is one of their strengths.”

—Zach Saltz, film teacher

VIDEO How the announcements are made with the help of the Micka brothers.

“Sometimes something happens to me and I think about how it would be a great scene,” Sam said. “I write a lot about the things that have happened to me, and it helps add realistic elements to our videos” As seniors, a part of the film crew at LHS, Zach and Sam also had the privilege of working on the Homecoming video with all the Homecoming candidates.

Planning for the video began as early as summer of 2021.

“Over the summer we came up with the idea and picked sketches for the most part, then Sam began writing it,” Zach said. “After we got the list of court candidates, we finalized the parts and scripts.”

Both agreed that the Homecoming video was a fun and interesting experience. Sam even went as far to say it’s been his favorite experience so far, and Zach attributed the success and enjoyment of it to the cast.

“It’s really cool to come up with an idea and have so many willing actors to help make it,” Zach said. “We immediately felt welcomed into the group and could not have picked a better court.”

The Homecoming candidates described their experience with the brothers with a positive attitude and admiration for their other pieces of work.

“Sam and Zach are both very passionate about their craft,” senior Noah Smith said. “I love the videos they put out. They put out great content consistently and I’ve liked seeing what they make while in Video Production 3 with them.”

A lot of the content that Sam

FEATURES THE BUDGET

and Zach make gets uploaded to their YouTube, Sunburst Studios. This can range from the Homecoming video, to projects produced for Saltz’s class, and short films they’ve produced independently.

But their main focus isn’t getting videos as fast as possible on their YouTube channel.

Instead their goal is create quality content and upload it to YouTube whenever they feel it’s necessary.

“We aren’t on the YouTube grind to make money. We just used it as a place to showcase our work and off load it from our computers,” Zach said.

Saltz hopes that the Mickas

will continue to pursue film after high school, but due to their diverse abilities he has confidence that they would be able to succeed in other fields as well.

“I think the storytelling thing and being able to communicate ideas clearly is one of their strengths so whatever format or whatever job or career that they pursue I would hope that that would be a big part of it,” Saltz said.

Fortunately for Saltz, both brothers plan on attending film school after they graduate high school.

“We both plan to go to film school next year and just keep

VIDEO The Micka brothers helped make the Winter Court video. If you missed it, you can watch it here:

making more videos,” Zach said.

“Obviously it would be great to make it in the industry but I’m going to set high expectations because the odds are so slim.”

“I want to keep doing what I’m doing, hopefully get better and make a living,” Sam said.

Saltz expects great things to come from both Sam and Zach,“I’m always excited to see what’s next, I guess I’m their biggest fan.”

Behind the camera, senior Sam Micka works filming the Homecoming video. “It was something that I’ve always wanted to do,” Micka said. “Everybody was really collaborative, and the whole thing was fun. I would do it all over again.” Photo

by Kenna McNally

DESIGNED BY BRANDON PARNELL | MARCH 2022

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THE BUDGET SPORTS

BASKETBALL TEAM

FIGHTS TO END

Lions have success, fall short of eighth straight state tourney

BY ANDREW PHALEN Co-Online Editor-in-Chief

O

ver the past decade, boys basketball head coach Mike Lewis has established the Chesty Lions as one of the state’s perennial powerhouses.

This season was no different as the team finished the regular season with a 16-4 record, good for the No. 2 overall seed in the 6A East bracket.

“He does a great job of being consistent with the ways he holds his players accountable on and off the court,” assistant coach Scott Lane said. “He is also very patient and allows guys the space to fail and try again and build on their mistakes.”

After a blowout victory over Olathe East, the Lions ultimately fell in overtime to Olathe West 73-69 in the sub-state championship.

Sophomore guard Zaxton King, who played junior varsity

as a freshman, was the Lions’ main scoring option throughout the season. King averaged 19.2 points per game on 45 percent from the field. King also supplemented his stellar offensive play with stout defense, averaging a team-high 2.1 steals per game.

The Lions also saw major contributions from senior forward Pearse Long, who averaged 13.4 points per game. Long proved to be a versatile asset for the Lions, using his 6 foot, 5 inch frame to average 5.2 rebounds per game while also leading the team in three-point percentage, shooting at a 33 percent clip.

Fellow senior starting guards Avion Nelson, Truman Juelsgaard and Baylor Bowen played pivotal roles in the team’s success.

Juelsgaard was the floor general for Lawrence High and Bowen, a transfer from Argyle, Texas, served as another viable scoring option and solid wing defender.

Off the bench, seniors guard

“I couldn’t be happier with my experience being a Chesty Lion. The relationships I have created through Lawrence High basketball are truly incredible.”

—Truman Juelsgaard, senior

Hobbs Herlihy and forward Grant Cleavinger provided countless sparks with their hustle and overall intensity. Junior big men Cole Watson and Lance Bassett also saw minutes due to their physicality.

While senior Jabari Johnson rarely appeared in games, his value was apparent to those around the team.

While the season ended sooner than anticipated, the senior class will still look back fondly on their memories of the program.

“I couldn’t be happier with my experience being a Chesty Lion,” Juelsgaard said. “The relationships I have created through Lawrence High basketball are truly incredible.”

Breaking ankles, senior Hobbs Herlihy looks to the middle at a varsity basketball game against Shawnee Mission Northwest on Feb. 4. “We’ve had a lot of good wins, and some tough losses,” Herlihy said. “We just have to keep our heads together and just focus on what’s next.”

Photo by Audrey Basham

Season recap HOME SETBACK STRONG START 12/4 • Manhattan • 65-55 W 12/7 • Lee’s Summit • 72-76 L 12/9 • Wyandotte • 66-43 W 12/10 • Grandview • 49-42 W In the Lions’ first four games — against all non-league opponents — they went 3-1 and claimed fifth place at the Blue Valley shootout.

Photos by Maya Smith

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MARCH 2022 | DESIGNED BY CUYLER DUNN

12/17 •SM North • 64-52 W 1/4 • Olathe West • 64-73 L In their second game of Sunflower League play, the Lion’s lost a frustrating game at home against Olathe West.

ROAD VICTORIES 1/7 • SM West • 78-51 W 1/11 • Olathe Northwest • 76-46 W 1/14 • Mill Valley • 69-51 W LHS rattles off three straight road wins against Sunflower League opponents to move their record on the season to 7-2.

SPORTS THE BUDGET

MID-SEASON TOURNAMENT 1/20 • Topeka West • 57-59 L 1/21 • Topeka • 73-62 W 1/22 • SM North • 63-46 W After losing their first game, the Lions’ rebounded to win their next two and take fifth at the Topeka Invitational.

END OF SEASON The Lions’ went on to win their next few games in the Sunflower League before heading to the playoffs, where they ended their season in the substate championship.

DESIGNED BY CUYLER DUNN | MARCH 2022

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THE BUDGET SPORTS

WATCH Chase Mondi practices his gymnastics skills

Mid swing, junior Chase Mondi practices at Emerald City Gymnastics in Overland Park. “All the coaches are pretty nice.

There’s a lot of younger classes that I like helping out with,” Mondi said. Photo

by Audrey Basham

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MARCH 2022 | DESIGNED BY CUYLER DUNN

SPORTS THE BUDGET

SWINGING TO NATIONAL LEVEL Junior first from Kansas to achieve national gymnastics honor

BY RYAN HARDIE

G

Sports Editor

ymnasts probably are not the first to come to mind when high school athletes are mentioned, but that shouldn’t serve to undermine the sport.

Chase Mondi, a junior competing for the Emerald City gymnastics program, defied expectations by electing not to become a football player like his brothers before him. An athlete at heart, Chase opted to pave his own unique path from a young age.

“Doing something different than the typical football, baseball, basketball was pretty cool for me,” Mondi said. “And then when I started to accomplish stuff that I never thought I could do, it made me keep going.”

Gymnasts are different from other athletes in a variety of ways. From the muscles they train, to the way they perform their craft, gymnastics are unlike any other performance art. Coming from a lineage of football players, Chase’s family members were supportive of his decision.

“I have competed with athletes and become friends with athletes from all over the country,” said Chase’s brother, Cole Mondi. “I have yet to meet another athlete who works on their craft more than him. He practices four hours a day everyday. He eats right, and I think he finds joy in working out.”

Though gifted athletically in his own right as a linebacker at the University of Kansas, Cole understands that Chase’s mastery of gymnastics is something totally different.

“I tried when I was younger,” said Cole Mondi, “I couldn’t even do the stretches right.”

Chase’s journey to gymnastics is not much different from your average participant. Starting young, continuing through with it and eventually competing in various events. Where he differs, however, is in his dedication to his craft that everyone he surrounds himself with can attest to.

Coaches, family members, friends and even rivals know that Mondi is willing to outwork everyone around him if it means performing at the highest level.

“The amount of work that he puts into it, it’s very, very impressive,” senior Levi Hinson said. “Because he made the decision to leave all of his teammates and all of his friends at his old gym to go out to a new gym in Kansas City. He has to drive an hour every day and give up all those things just to pursue gymnastics.”

Mike Thomas, the coach for Emerald City Gymnastics, is more qualified than just about anyone to vouch for Mondi’s work ethic and dedication to gymnastics.

“He has always been focused and serious. He doesn’t waste time or waste turns. He comes to practice to learn and improve,” Thomas said.

“Chase works diligently and yet you can tell he is enjoying his workout.”

A strong love for his craft is what drives Mondi, as it would be hard to dedicate as much time and energy as he does without it. He speaks glowingly of his events, and he finds plenty of success everywhere he competes, including nationals.

When asked about his proudest accomplishment, it was an easy decision.

“Probably winning nationals in May. That’s pretty dope. Floor is my

favorite event, and winning it all was pretty cool. Best feeling ever,” said Mondi.

Highly decorated, Mondi was also selected to the USA Gymnastics’ Elite Team Cup, an honor that has never, in the history of the sport, been done by a Kansan. As if making history as a junior in high school wasn’t enough, Mondi stays humble and is not above helping his teammates.

“He often offers suggestions and support to his teammates,” Thomas said. “Chase is everybody’s friend.

He helps his teammates and always seems to have a happy attitude.”

After a successful start to his gymnastics career, there is no end in sight to Mondi’s potential in the sport.

“Chase is doing great and is the best gymnast to come out of Kansas.

However, he has a long way to go to reach his full potential,” Thomas said.

“I expect him to be a star in college gymnastics, and I hope to see him compete in international events representing the USA.” While the goals set by others may seem overwhelming, Mondi has an even higher bar set for himself.

“I’m planning on going to college.

Soon I’ll decide on which one and then go to U.S. championships or a national team type thing. Or Olympic championships,” Mondi said. “World Championships are definitely a goal for me.”

Obstacles and difficulties will continue to present themselves to Mondi, but as he does so well, he will continue to vault them.

“Chase has been involved in gymnastics for so long it would be weird to think of him not involved,” Cole Mondi said. “It’s who he is.”

DESIGNED BY CUYLER DUNN | MARCH 2022

21

THE BUDGET OPINION

ALL ABOUT THE

MONEY

How the budget committee has failed students in favor of admin

BY FINN LOTTON-BARKER Staff Writer

T

he district budget task force failed at thoroughly processing all proposals and completely abandoned all pretense of being student-focused. Their actions showed they valued administrative resources over educator and child wellbeing.

As the effects of the deficit began to grow, the district looked for ways to eliminate waste and create a stable budget. A suggested cancellation to gymnastics at both high schools was followed by large student action, which has increased public attention to the issue.

Many parents and teachers called for the board to listen to them and include the community in the conversation. Many of these cries fell on deaf ears. The district instead solely trusted a task force to supply them with ideas for budget cuts.

The Budget and Program Evaluation Committee, or BPEC, was the USD 497 group devoted to solving the budget deficit by reviewing public school funding, monitoring current district balances, and processing and presenting solutions.

In these subcommittee deliberations there were no pros and cons about cutting administrator salaries, no weighing the overall effect on students and no calculation of money saved presented on the subcommittee’s evaluation. Why? If the money saved from administrative salary cuts wasn’t worth looking at, why was that not shown and proved publicly? I decided to run the numbers myself using the estimated salaries and job numbers from the 2021-2022 school year, provided in the extra data section of the BPEC admin

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file.

After a 10 percent cut to all 2021-2022 administrative salaries, the district would save an estimated $635,506. Leveling the remaining salaries that were over $100,000 at exactly $100,000, as proposed, would bring the overall amount saved to $788,357. Even after these cuts, some administrators would still be making almost two times that of teachers and retaining benefits of a high amount.

The 10 percent projection saves more money than the once-proposed reductions to All-City choir, novice band, novice orchestra, club sponsorship and gymnastics, which were ultimated taken off the list. It also does so without firing a single employee, relocating a single child or ousting a single teacher.

This, according to BPEC’s mission, was the ideal goal of all proposals.

In all of the evaluation forms, the subcommittees were recommended to always stay student- and learning-focused and to try to refrain from cutting staff. In actuality, all of the administration subcommittee’s final proposals involved changing staff and cutting employees, including the finalized thresholds set at the March 22 meeting.

The proposal to reduce administrative salaries would have no real effect on student wellbeing in the classroom, teacher resources or quality of learning. The only real outcome would be that some inflated salaries of administrators would be downsized for the benefit of the district. It’s not unfair to say that the committee — the only people directly affected by the proposal — had a large bias.

It’s entirely possible that cutting administrator salaries in this way would be unfair and wouldn’t contribute much to fixing the deficit. Maybe

MARCH 2022 | DESIGNED BY RILEY HOFFER

it truly would ruin the job market by lowering administrator salaries, and we wouldn’t be able to replace the people who leave for more money elsewhere. However, I would like to reiterate that it is not the burden of a high school reporter to analyze potential solutions of the budget deficit and weigh their effectiveness. It was BPEC’s job. And the fact that this idea wasn’t even documented after the first meeting, reveals that the committee didn’t function correctly.

If teachers are going to have to work around all of the changes coming toward them, administrators should share that burden.

Earlier this school year, the district swore to “cut in further” to the budget in order to improve staff compensation and retention, but if that cut comes from the school’s resources and education-based money and not from administrators themselves, then nothing truly changes. The district suffers, teachers are paid marginally better at the expense of education quality and administrators don’t contribute.

If a salary cut doesn’t happen soon, then high level administration will continue to suck up money for salaries until we are forced to lower it, and then they’ll leave anyway. Their notion of casually threatening to leave because they might get paid less than other districts is a slap in the face to the teachers who have put their lives into education in this district and worked twice as hard for half the pay.

Why is it essential that we keep administrative salaries high to maintain competitiveness if we don’t even try to do the same for paras and teachers?

Are actual, in the classroom educators not just as important to the education of children as administrators? Even if other districts pay paras as poorly as we do currently, USD 497 needs to

OPINION THE BUDGET

Graphic by Anna Anderson

GRAPHIC BY ANNA ANDERSON

put its foot down and carve its own path. The same goes for administrators. Just because other districts pay administrators so much money doesn’t mean we can’t change our patterns and set a better standard.

The district would argue that confidentiality surrounding administrator staff salaries means that any wage numbers can’t be discussed publicly. I would point out that the three percent increase to staff salaries being estimated at $3.5 million was completely public. If you can publicly provide that estimate , I don’t think it’s unfair to ask for the same regarding administrators.

With all of the turmoil surrounding COVID, the budget deficit and the general calamity that the past few years have brought, this lack of integrity by district administrators honestly isn’t surprising. The school board needs to put its students and

educators first and explore every possible solution, even the proposals that affect administrator salaries.

As a child of two teachers, I personally understand the difficulties that this year has brought on everyone in the district. Educators throughout the district are exhausted, and the strain of the pandemic has pushed many to the edge. I understand that this overwhelming stress applies to the whole LPS community, even administrators, and a cut to their salaries may seem unfair at a time like this.

But it deserves consideration from the entire community, not just from a focus group or committee behind closed doors.

Assistant principals, directors, superintendents and our admin are absolutely essential to the wellbeing of children in Lawrence schools. But if the administrative leadership of USD 497 can’t set aside their person-

al bias to fully analyze all possible solutions as they were instructed, then BPEC isn’t working, and the budget crisis will be solved at the sole expense of students and educators.

Movements like Save our Schools are especially vital during this crisis.

Their voices helped stop the closure of schools, at least temporarily. If the community isn’t vocal, if public concerns aren’t heard, then the crisis we face will be even worse come next August. If you care about your program or school or even your job then please act. Don’t just share a post on Facebook or like a tweet. Step up to the microphone during public comment. Protest in the outside the district office. Protect the wellbeing of students and their educators at all costs rather than blindly trust their overpaid superiors. Be critical, not compliant.

DESIGNED BY RILEY HOFFER | MARCH 2022

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THE BUDGET OPINION

FEELING SEEN IN

‘ENCANTO’

Disney movie perfectly encapsulates student’s Colombian culture

BY ARIEN ROMAN-ROJAS Co-Editor-in-Chief

A

s I sat in the movie theater between my mom and dad awaiting the start of “Encanto, ‘’ I didn’t have high expectations.

I was excited to see a movie set in Colombia, my birthplace, but not prepared for the roller coaster of emotions I was about to experience.

The first line was in a dialect that I was quite familiar with, from a motherly figure whom I knew well.

“Abre los ojos” — open your eyes — said Abuela Alma to little Mirabel as she sat on her grandmother’s lap, a woman who reminded me of my own.

From that point, it was impossible to stop the river of tears that escaped from my eyes. I felt a bit embarrassed because I have a reputation among my family for crying at the drop of a hat, but I couldn’t help myself.

I saw Alma passing down her family’s history down to her youngest grandchild, delicately approaching the tough subject of her life, and I subconsciously began missing my own grandmother and the experiences I had with her and her stories.

The opening music scene began with vallenato folclorico, music I had heard and grown up with during celebratory times in Colombia.

The tears continued until the end of the movie.

Many Latinos were shocked that “Encanto” was about Colombia. Although I found Disney efforts to represent diverse cultures refreshing, I kept expectations at bay. Disney could’ve been doing this for appearances, and they would likely butcher Colombian culture since it’s not recognizable.

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But even if it was awful, my parents and I couldn’t pass up the chance to savor some of that sweet representation on the big screen.

The movie centers around the Madrigals, a magical Colombian family of 12 unique members who oversee the town Encanto. The main heroine of the movie is Mirabel, the only one in her family not blessed with a magical gift and a sweet 15 year-old who copes with her isolated individuality.

Encanto’s muse was without a doubt Colombian, and it depicted multiple aspects that represented my country. Located in a valley inspired by the very real Cocora Valley, the attention to detail of the film was sublime. The food, clothing, music, animals, diversity of the people, even the architecture of the town was akin to the small pueblos from Colombia.

Even the characters displayed aspects of Colombian culture. Julieta, Mirabel’s mom, healed with food, as a lot of mothers do, since food made with love cures. Antonio, Maribel’s youngest cousin, could talk to animals and through him native animals were depicted. Through Isabela, Maribel’s eldest sister, the audience saw the abundance of Colombian fauna.

Often in the media and Latinx culture, Afro-Latinos are erased because of rooted colorism. But ‘Encanto’ ignored this trope. Pepa’s husband, Felix, was Afro-Latino, with dark skin and textured hair and their kids were mixed.

Encanto also combats toxic masculinity and beauty standards that Latinx media has pushed onto its audience. Isabella, the pretty sister, had indigenous features, not Spanish ones: straight thick black hair, dark tan skin, and an elongated nose. Felix

MARCH 2022 | DESIGNED BY ARIEN ROMAN-ROJAS

and Agustin, the two men that married into the Madrigal family, weren’t afraid to be secondary characters in the Madrigal matriarchy. The stress and responsibility of the family isn’t left to the women. Instead Felix and Agustin take on some of the burdens themselves.

Encanto also ties in a painful but universal experience of Colombians in its plot. In the ‘60s, a civil war began in Colombia, which left millions displaced due to armed conflict caused by guerillas like FARC, the Colombian government, and paramilitary groups. Alma, Maribel’s grandmother, founded Encanto after she and her husband were forced out of their home, leading to the murder Pedro, Alma’s husband. Refugees like Alma were left with intense trauma, and in Alma’s case the trauma manifested into a fear of losing her new home and family.

Often media that includes the war focuses on the glamorized role drug cartels play in conflict and not the effect of the war itself. “Encanto” shows the emotional impact on the people and the resulting turmoil that’s passed down to Alma’s family because of her experience. Encanto depicts how not dealing with your own trauma can affect loved ones.

A lot of lore from Colombia was tied into the movie, like the importance of candles and butterflies. The power of the Madrigal family comes from a wax candle that arose from Alma’s grief and distress. Alma and Pedro’s first encounter is during dia de las velitas (day of candles), a holiday celebrated by Colombians on Dec. 7 in commemoration of when Jesus was conceived. This day marks the beginning of Christmas and involves the

OPINION THE BUDGET

Dancing with classmates in Colombia, senior Arien Roman-Rojas takes part in day of culture activities at her preschool. RomanRojas lived in Colombia at the time. Photo courtesy of Arien Roman-Rojas

lighting of candles and paper lanterns.

It’s celebrated as a community — a time to rejoice and be with loved ones. There are golden butterflies, a symbol of hope and peace in Colombia, everywhere.

Because of Nobel-winning Colombian author Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s book 100 Years of Solitude, golden butterflies became a symbol of renewal, love, and hope that we’ll someday be at peace. In Encanto, the butterflies appear after Mirabel and Alma’s relationship

has healed and the family is at peace.

Encanto teaches about the importance of healing. The giftless Maribel is her family’s salvation because of her commitment to easing her family’s troubles. Maribel constantly has butterflies on her showing she’s the youthful antidote for the eldest generation.

Like Maribel, teenagers are now attempting to teach their parents and grandparents how their actions affect them, and how to healthily discipline

without invalidating. With willing and responsive adults, generational trauma will become less common.

Encanto represented my country. In that theater, I felt seen for too many reasons to count as Encanto emphasized the importance of family and familial ties for Latinos. This movie gave me and my parents a little sensation of what it’s like to be back in Colombia through the story of a wonderful family, paying homage to my beautiful country.

DESIGNED BY ARIEN ROMAN-ROJAS | MARCH 2022

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THE BUDGET STAFF

MAMMA MIA HITS THE STAGE Student musical wows audience with strong showings

Playing the role of Donna, senior Peyton Fowler rehearses for Mamma Mia, the winter musical. “I love the atmosphere and the energy of theater,” Fowler said.

“Bouncing off of each other and thriving off each other’s energies is such a wonderful experience.”Photo by Kenna McNally On stage, seniors Peyton Fowler and Ashton Rapp (playing Bill Austin) prepare for opening night of Mamma Mia during a Jan. 25 rehearsal.

Photo by Kenna McNally Embracing, senior Kate O’Keefe (Rosie Mulligan) performs with freshman Giulia Ventello (Sophie Sheridan) in Mamma Mia. Photo by Kenna McNally

LETTER FROM THE

EDITORS

LHS finds ways to shine in dark moments

BY ARIEN ROMAN-ROJAS AND CUYLER DUNN Co-Editors-in-Chief

H

igh school isn’t easy.

Everyday, student’s are met with uncountable challenges, beyond homework and quizzes.

Navigating an increasingly partisan and politicized society, having to engage in drills made to simulate life changing events, fighting the challenges of COVID-19 and watching as financial deficits threaten activities and schools all make four years of

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high school complicated to traverse.

But even in some of the darkest moments, LHS students and staff find ways to shine.

Whether it’s students finding their talents in film, nationally elite gymnasts and fencers or music maestros, LHS students continue to lead lives that are worth telling stories about.

But it isn’t just students. Staff and administrators also find ways to shine. For some that means creating an inspiring choral program even as the number of participants drop. For others it means finding ways to engage students with finger puppets and make learning fun.

MARCH 2022 | DESIGNED BY CUYLER DUNN

Maybe it’s new school board members looking to create a better sense of community or strive for equity even in the midst of difficult budget challenges.

High school isn’t easy. But even in the difficult moments, LHS community members continue to live lives worth filling pages with.

STAFF THE BUDGET

THE JOURNALISM STAFF MISSION STATEMENT

and fundraising.

The editorial staff is solely responsible for the content of this newspaper, and views expressed in The Budget do not necessarily reflect those of the administration of Lawrence High School or USD 497.

The Budget newspaper is committed to providing the Lawrence High community with objective, inclusive news coverage that ensures relevance to its spectrum of readers. The staff devotes itself to the exercise of First Amendment rights and upholding the highest of journalistic standards. While the paper is a tool to publish student voices, it also works to help students grow as journalists and help readers access information.

STAFF Sama Abughalia, Henry Adams, Anna Anderson, Claudia Baltazar, Audrey Basham, Milo Bitters, Maxwell Cowardin, Ava Crook, Anna Erisman, Maison Flory, Maddy Freed, Perrin Goulter, Morganna Haaga, Riley Hoffer, Ella Holthaus, Hayden Houts, Emmie Hurd, Cian Kasten, Henry Keeler, Sam Lopez, Jonas Lord, Finn Lotton-Barker, Karen Middleton, Caitlin Mooney, Jayden Moore, Channing Morse, Connor Mullen, Owen Musser, Aaron Novoseltsev, Emily O’Hare, Elijah Paden, Cami Palmer, Alden Parker-Timms, Reed Parker-Timms, Brandon Parnell, Declan Patrick, Ian Perkins, Danny Phalen, Ashton Rapp, Jack Ritter, Adam Schnurr, Jake Shew, Avery Sloyer, Maya Smith, Brady Stark, Maria Szydlo, Jack Tell, Kaie Thirteen, Paige Unekis, Jackson

ABOUT US The Budget is published every six weeks and distributed free of charge to students and faculty at Lawrence High School, 1901 Louisiana, Lawrence, Kan. 66046-2999.

The Budget is produced by students in the Digital Journalism and Digital Design and Production courses with occasional contributions from 21st Century Journalism and guest columnists. The newspaper’s goals are to inform, entertain, and present a forum of expression for students, faculty, administrators and community members. The newspaper is financed through advertising

Yanek and Tyller Zacher.

THE BUDGET EDITORS Cuyler Dunn....................... Co Editor-in-Chief Arien Roman-Rojas ���������� Co Editor-in-Chief Owen Musser...............................Photo Editor Asher Wolfe................................Design Editor Julia Barker............................. Features Editor

RED & BLACK EDITORS Kenna McNally................... Co Editor-in-Chief Kate O’Keefe....................... Co Editor-in-Chief Charlotte Stineman �����������������������Secondary Coverage Editor Maebelle Hamlin ������������������������Photo Editor

LHSBUDGET.COM EDITORS Andrew Phalen.................. Co Editor-in-Chief Tessa Collar........................ Co Editor-in-Chief Olive Harrington �������������Social Media Editor

STAFF EDITORS Ryan Hardie................................Sports Editor Ella Trendel............................ Captions Editor Addie London ������������������������������Copy Editor

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PHOTO OF THE MONTH Pleading for their school, a young student carries a sign in support of Woodlawn Elementary during a demonstration in front of Lawrence Public Schools district offices on Jan. 24. Woodlawn was one of a few schools that was considered to be shutdown or repurposed as part of budget cuts — a proposal that was ultimately rejected. “I hope we impress on them the importance of neighborhood schools,” Woodlawn parent Jennifer Strickland said. “The importance is larger than just individual students.”

Photo by Kenna McNally