The Budget, Issue 1, Sept. 20, 2018

THE BUDGET

B

TECH PROBLEMS FLOOD THE SCHOOL

06 TEACHERS FIGHT FOR PAY INCREASE

08 PARA SHORTAGE

10

LAWRENCE HIGH SCHOOL

LAWRENCE, KS

VOLUME 126, ISSUE 1 SEPT. 20, 2018

THE BUDGET News

IN THIS ISSUE ! $

THE BUDGET

B

USD 497 faces para shortage page 10

Play a fun game to meet the new teachers page 15

Turf renovations continue into the year page 20

2018 Homecoming Court page 16

Students pursure passions through internships page 12

Volleyball off to strong start in season page 22

LAWRENCE HIGH SCHOOL

LAWRENCE, KS

VOLUME 126, ISSUE 1 SEPT. 20, 2018

TECH PROBLEMS FLOOD THE SCHOOL

06 TEACHERS FIGHT FOR PAY INCREASE

08 PARA SHORTAGE

10

LHSBUDGET.COM STORIES

YOUTUBE BEHIND THE SCENES: KTA PSA

New Superintendent has Big Plans Total Equality Alliance selected as finalist for GSA of the year

ON THE COVER — Challenges with technology marked the start of the school year, from getting computers updated to the launch of PowerSchool. PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY EMILY KRUSE

NEW FRESHMAN STUDENT COUNCIL OFFICERS

FOLLOW US: @lhsbudget

FIRST IN THE NATION

BY ANAHITA HURT

ONLINE EDITOR IN CHIEF Senior Vera Petrovic won a first place speaker award at the National Speech and Debate Association’s national tournament in June.

She competed with the East Kansas Red team in Worlds Schools Debate and was surprised by the honor.

“I thought they made a mistake,” Petrovic said about her award. “I was so scared. I was on the stage, and I was like, ‘I’m about to kill my teacher,’ like ‘he made a mistake.’ I was so scared. It was kind of crazy.”

Petrovic’s team made it to the octo-finals, three rounds before finals, before getting eliminated. There were 179 teams competing in World Schools debate, with 817 students total. “[World Schools Debate] is pretty abstract -- I don’t know, it’s kind of hard to explain,” she said. “It pulls together a bunch of different elements of debate, like policy debate and Douglas debate, and you get different topics for each round. And then you and two other people from your team take turns giving speeches, and you can stand up in the middle

2

of other people’s speeches and interrupt them, so it’s a very lively, vibrant form of debate.”

More than 8,000 people attended the tournament, including students, teachers and coaches from across the nation.

“It was a lot of kids, because it’s the national tournament for forensics, so you have kids competing in a multitude of different disciplines,” Petrovic said. “In Worlds Schools, I think we had 800 kids competing, and those 800 kids were divided into teams of about five or six.

So you were competing with a team, but you were still ranked individually based on speaking. And then you have a bunch of other events that were going on too, like acting and debate events too.”

CHAMPION — Showing off her trophy, senior Vera Petrovic brings home first place at the debate nationals in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Lawrence High School sent three debaters to compete against the best debaters in the country at nationals. “We competed as a team,” Petrovic said.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JEFF PLINSKY

SEPT. 20, 2018 PAGE DESIGN BY SAMI TURNER

News THE BUDGET

BRETT ‘CHIPPLE’ Student damages teeth in whipped cream pie eating contest at first assembly

“...I THOUGHT IT WAS SOMETHING IN THE PIE, AND THEN I GOT OUT, FELT MY TEETH, AND THEY WERE GONE.” —BRETT CHAPPLE, SENIOR LHSBUDGET.COM

GIRLS TRACK TEAM WINS STATE MEET

NEW KID ON THE BLOCK

The girls track team won the state championship in May, the first title for the team since 2015 and the school’s 108th title. “I was so proud of the girls and the way they showed up when it mattered the most,” coach Jack Hood said.

BY ANAHITA HURT

BY IZZY HEDGES AND SAMI TURNER

EDITORS

Civics teacher Scott Lane and his wife Katie had their first child on Aug. 22. When stuck trying to find a name, senior Baylee Unruh came to the rescue.

“She got really excited and brought us a list of names,” Lane said. “And I think it was number two, it said Bennett. I had never taught a kid named Bennett.

I went home to my wife Katie, and she liked it too, and that’s how it stuck. Baylee will forever have that influence, which is pretty cool.”

THE SAVE DATE 5 EVENTS YOU SHOULDN'T MISS HOMECOMING EDITION

1 SEPT. 26

PARADE 21ST STREET, 6:30 PM

2

3

SEPT 26

SEPT 27

RALLY 'ROUND THE LION HOMECOMING ASSEMBLY LHS, FOLLOWING PARADE AUDITORIUM, THIRD HOUR

4 SEPT 28

FOOTBALL GAME FOOTBALL FIELD, 7 PM

5 SEPT 29

BLACK LIGHT DANCE ROTUNDA, 8:30 PM

SEPT. 20, 2018 PAGE DESIGN SAMI TURNER

3

$5

Chicks Plate

Only valid at Lawrence Locations

EXPIRES OCT. 18, 2018

Walking Well Massage & Bodyworks 3200 Mesa Way

Suite A

ADVENT URE with magic Specializing in cruising, central Florida and Southern California travel!

Kristi Knox

Concierge Travel Specialist Owner/Agent Adventure With Magic 785-917-9206

kristi@adventurewithmagic.com www.adventurewithmagic.com Facebook: Jolly Holiday With Kristi

FOLLOW US @lhsbudget

Walking Well Massage & Bodywor School picture 3200 Mesa Way

Orthopedic Massage

Sports Massage

Orthopedic Massage

Restorative Massage

Corrective Exercise

Restorative Massage

Active Isolated Stretching

Myofascial Release/Pin & Stretch

Active Isolated Stretching

retakes

Suite A

Sports Massage

Corrective Exer

Thursday, Myofascial Rele Oct. 11 & Stretch

Kyle Rogers, BCMT/LMT 785.424.4917

Box Kyle Rogers, BCMT/LMTBlack 785.424.4917

walkingwellmassage.bodywork@gmail.com

walkingwellmassage.bodywork@gmail.com

Theater

Walking Well Massage & Bodyworks 3200 Mesa Way

Suite A

Walking Well Massage & Bodywor 3200 Mesa Way

Suite A

Orthopedic Massage

Sports Massage

Orthopedic Massage

Sports Massage

Restorative Massage

Corrective Exercise

Restorative Massage

Corrective Exer

Active Isolated Stretching

Myofascial Release/Pin & Stretch

Active Isolated Stretching

Myofascial Rele & Stretch

THANK YOU

Kyle Rogers, BCMT/LMT 785.424.4917

Kyle Rogers, BCMT/LMT 785.424.4917

walkingwellmassage.bodywork@gmail.com

walkingwellmassage.bodywork@gmail.com

TO OUR SUPPORTERS

Walking Well Massage & Bodyworks

Lending a Lion Paw Supporter 3200 Mesa Way Suite A

Order senior yearbook ads early for the best prices.

Walking Well Massage & Bodywor

Kyle Rogers, BCMT/LMT 785.424.4917

The final deadline toWay guarantee your spot 3200 Mesa Suite A in the yearbook is Jan. 11, but you will save Sports Massage Orthopedic Massage significantly by turning in and paying for your ad Massage Corrective Exer at the first Restorative or second deadlines.

FIRST DEADLINE: Friday, Sept. 28 Active Isolated Myofascial Rele SECOND DEADLINE: Stretching Friday, Nov. 16 & Stretch THIRD DEADLINE: Friday, Jan. 11 Ads start at $65.

Kyle Rogers, BCMT/LMT 785.424.4917

walkingwellmassage.bodywork@gmail.com

See lhsbudget.com/about/advertise/yearbook-senior-ads/ for more details. walkingwellmassage.bodywork@gmail.com

HEDGES INSURANCE

Orthopedic Massage

Sports Massage

Restorative Massage

Corrective Exercise

LAWRENCE

Active Isolated Stretching

Myofascial Release/Pin & Stretch

Red & Black Supporter The Ramaleys

News THE BUDGET

HELPING HAND — Fixing a MacBook, CJ Roush, fixes all the school’s technology problems.

Roush works in all the schools in the district to fix MacBooks and iPads. “When I was a kid, I would mess around with my family computer and break it, so I’d have to fix it,” Roush said. “I was doing that stuff at 6 so it just worked out.”

PHOTOS BY EMILY KRUSE

WE’LL

ET THROUGH IT

Roush shares 3 quick DIY tips to fix your MacBook dilemmas REPORTING BY MACY LANDES

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

RESTART “...restarting your computer, that’s always the No. 1 IT thing: ‘Did you restart it? Did you turn in off and on?’”

GOOGLE IT

PHONE A FRIEND

“Google it....Google really is your best friend. It’s helped me with my job all the time, if you just like specifically look up what it is.”

“... just asking your peers too, teachers”

SEPT. 20, 2018 PAGE DESIGN SAMI TURNER

5

THE BUDGET News

LAUNCHING

IN LIMBO

Laptop redistribution causes more problems than anticipated

BY MACY LANDES

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

E

ntering its second year, the oneto-one program gives students access to a MacBook to aid with schoolwork.

Although redistribution of MacBooks went smoothly — a vast majority of students had MacBooks in their hands on Aug. 16 — many students experienced problems logging in and using the internet weeks into the start of the school year.

“So there were some different things that happened over the summer,” technical support CJ Roush said.

“Students with zeros had the zero cut off at the beginning of their number, new students are still syncing with our new system...trying to navigate a new system with new issues that you’re seeing for the first time. It just takes time to get through all that.”

Senior Aurelia Balcazar experienced all these issues at once and was frustrated by how many of her classes already required her to use her laptop in the first week of school.

“In my debate class it’s completely computer-oriented, like I can’t do any debate unless I have my computer,” she said. “It just won’t work. So I think it’s just a class-by-class basis.”

Once her laptop was fixed, though, it was a pleasant experience.

“There was a lot of waiting, but CJ was really awesome,” Balcazar said. “He let me just like sit there, and I just read

6

a book while he did it. He was really cool. He just fixed it as best as he could and then he was really fine when I came back and it wasn’t working.”

From an administrative perspective, the redistribution was much more tedious than when one-to-one was first rolled out in 2017.

“Last year people could go through, and they could check out any laptop because they were all brand new, no one had owned a laptop before, which made the process actually go pretty quickly,” assistant principal Mike Norris said.

“This year was a little different because everybody was supposed to get their original laptop back, and the exception to that is the freshmen of course.”

In the long run, the experience should be rewarding.

“I’m hoping it [the new management system] is better once everything settles down,” Roush said. “I know there are a lot more features, and we get more support through this company rather than what we were dealing with before, so I’m hoping it just works out better.

But with new things there’s always going to be issues or problems as well.”

Besides, Norris says, teachers should take the first few days of school to get to know their students anyway.

“It’s good that everybody’s embraced it, and it’s changing the way they teach,” he said. “But I would challenge teachers to spend those first two days of school building relationships with your kids rather than already assigning Google Classroom.”

SEPT. 20, 2018 PAGE DESIGN BY ANNA PARNELL

READ MORE ABOUT THE POWERSCHOOL TRANSITION STRUGGLES WWW.LHSBUGET.COM

WAITING — Junior Chris Kogan gets help from Rachel Smith and Steve Wilson, who work tediously through stacks of laptops to get them all checked out and running as soon as possible.

Wilson said it took a lot of work and lacked some organization but is confident that next year the process will run smoothly.

PHOTO BY EMILY KRUSE STACKED UP — MacBooks pile up awaiting updates and resets. Many students faced computer struggles the first couple weeks of school. IT workers worked hard to sort out all issues and make sure every student had a working computer for the new school year.

PHOTO BY EMILY KRUSE

News THE BUDGET

POWERSCHOOL NAVIGATION Three steps on how to log in to your PowerSchool account.

1 Parents must create their account using this link: www.usd497.org/powerschool

2 Parents will receive a letter from the district that has your ID and a password to login for the first time.

3 Go to this link: https://usd497.learning. powerschool.com/do/account/ and sign in with your info or with your Google account.

SEPT. 20, 2018 PAGE DESIGN ANNA PARNELL

7

THE BUDGET News

TEACHERS SAY LACK OF INFO HURTS SAFETY District, teachers at odds over safety provisions in contract, adherence to current law in question

BY NIKKI AQUI

MANAGING EDITOR

Q

uestions about how to ensure teacher safety are among the unresolved issues as teachers and the district remain at odds over teacher contracts.

Both sides are waiting to meet with a mediator after reaching an impasse late last month. Much of the focus has been on teachers’ requests for a bump in pay beyond district offers to add $500 to the base salary — an amount teachers have scoffed at since the state increased district funding by $4.8 million this year.

But teachers with the Lawrence Education Association say they are also concerned by the district’s adamant opposition to adding language to the contract that would address teachers’ concerns about sharing student behaviors. This includes sharing knowledge of students who have violent or otherwise concerning histories — something teachers say is far from routine in USD 497.

The teachers’ union specifically asked that language in the contract be added to ensure administrators make teachers aware if they have a student who could pose a threat to teachers or other students. Examples may include, but are not limited to, a history of violent outbursts, self-harm or sexual offenses.

8

“When a student with a history of behaviors that may pose a threat to the safety of students and/or staff is placed in a teacher’s class, the teacher shall be informed of the student’s history of behaviors,” the proposed policy stated.

English and theater teacher Jamie Johnson said such information is important in order to maintain a safe learning environment.

“I’d feel far more comfortable in my classroom having this information,” Johnson said.

This sentiment is shared by teachers across the district.

“Think of it this way,” Free State teacher David Reber said. “If a student had a peanut allergy and nobody told the teacher, that teacher and student would probably be fine 99 percent of the time. But, there is also a chance that the student might be dead. Knowledge could have prevented that.”

But the district refused to add to the contract additional notification requirements for teachers. In particular, the district was concerned about additional changes suggested by teachers that would allow teachers to remove students from their rooms.

“The ultimate decision to remove a student from a classroom is an administrative function and procedures transferring an administrative decision to the teacher is [sic] should not be placed in

SEPT. 20, 2018 PAGE DESIGN BY ANNA PARNELL

the Master Agreement,” the district said in a written response at its last negotiations meeting on Aug. 29.

Furthermore, the district said, such changes could disproportionately affect students of color.

“Another broad area of concern is the impact the LEA language will have on the district’s equity work,” the district countered in its response at the late August meeting. “The goal should be to keep students in the classroom through the implementation of programming and professional development to address and improve behavior and reduce the punitive nature of interactions with students.”

Yet, adding the language to teacher contracts would build on existing requirements in state law and a district policy that does require notification of teachers in certain instances.

State law (KSA 72-89b03) requires that school employees should inform the superintendent when they have a student who has been convicted of a felony-level offense or has a related expulsion. The superintendent is then to investigate, and any school employee likely to work with that student is to be informed if the offense happened within the last 365 days.

If it is found that the student’s history had not been reported to their teachers, USD 497 policy says the superintendent

News THE BUDGET PROTESTS — Supporting the cause, community members of all ages gather to support teachers on Sept. 6 outside Liberty Memorial Middle School. Parents, teachers and students from across the district stood together on what was supposed to be Liberty’s open house night, a night teachers aren’t specifically paid to attend. “It’s a hard place to be when you’re a teacher, because they care so much about our kids, their jobs and their professions and doing what’s right,” said Jenny Skillman, the leader of the initiative.

PHOTO BY EMILY KRUSE

will investigate where the miscommunication has been.

But nine high school teachers in USD 497 said they have never been notified of students with troubling behavior or violent histories, despite later learning that they had taught students with such past behaviors. Several spoke on the condition of anonymity, and cited student histories that included sexual assault and violent threats.

“I have been working for 22 years, and at Free State for 12 of those years,” Free State journalism adviser and LEA President Laurie Folsom said. “I have never had an admin tell me that I have had a student that has ever been a danger to themselves or to others. I find that really hard to believe.”

David Cunningham, executive director of human resources and chief legal counsel in USD 497, acknowledged possible issues. His responses to The Budget’s questions were passed along in an email from Julie Boyle, the district’s executive director of communications.

“I cannot speak to the history [of how often teachers are notified via the policy], however, I am aware of a recent concern raised about a situation where a teacher was not notified,” Cunningham’s response said. “It is our expectation that administrators follow all board policies.”

He said he wasn’t aware of how

often the superintendent is called on to investigate issues, as is called for in state law and district policy.

“Unless staff makes the superintendent aware of a student with a criminal conviction, no investigation is possible,” Cunningham said. “I believe it is infrequent that we have students who have been convicted of a felony within the past 365 days that requires notification.

It is also important to remember students are normally juveniles and those records are confidential, so it is possible we may never know if there has been a conviction. It is a challenge for a school district to learn this kind of information about a student.”

Cunningham said staff members don’t go through specific training informing them of the requirement that information about expulsions and felony-level offenses be investigated.

“Training is not a necessary component of meeting the statutory and policy requirements,” he said. “If a staff person becomes aware of a student who has a conviction, the person should report it to the building principal and the superintendent. The building principal will communicate to affected staff once the investigation supports the need to notify.”

This week, Cunningham cited the state law as a reason notification requirements didn’t need to be added

to teacher contracts. When it comes to improving communication with teachers on such issues, he said efforts are ongoing. “...the district continues to work to ensure administrators understand reporting requirements so that we have an appropriate balance between protecting a students’ right to confidentiality and staff’s need to know if there are safety concerns,” he said in a statement passed along by Boyle.

Too often, Folsom said, teachers are not being informed.

“Treat us like professionals,” she said. “Expect us to act like professionals, deal with the bad actors and empower the majority of teachers to do the right thing. If the district doesn’t believe at their core level that we will do the right thing, I think that is the worst statement they can say to us, and so we are left to assume at this point that is what they think.”

Johnson says she doesn’t understand why she wouldn’t be informed of a student’s history in order to protect the safety of her students.

“It’s my job to keep my students safe, and that job gets bigger and scarier every year.” Johnson says, “I think that we have to keep our wits about us, of course, but I’d feel far more comfortable in my classroom having this information.”

SEPT. 20, 2018 PAGE DESIGN ANNA PARNELL

9

THE BUDGET News

QUICK TAKE

Average yearly salary of a classified staff member

$23,035

Number of job openings

26

Days off per year

8-9

New para hires per school year

7-20

Number of jobs many paras work just to get by

TESTING — Paraprofessional Quinton Cheney helps senior Ray Haskett work through a test for Haskett’s Senior Consumer Math class. “I get to bounce around between subjects,” Cheney said of his job as a para. “I get to learn from teachers while I help the students. It can be very humbling.”

PHOTO BY ELYZEBETH WORKMAN WORKING HARD — Paraprofessional Daytona Driggers works with a student to complete school work. As a learning-centered para, Driggers helps students meet their full potential in the classroom. “Its very unique,” he said. “You have to be able to humble yourself and go to a student that needs help and not sit back but be proactive and meet that student where they’re at and helping that student meet their potential.”

PHOTO BY ELYZEBETH WORKMAN

2

Source: USD 497

10

SEPT. 20, 2018 PAGE DESIGN BY ANNA PARNELL

HELP

WANTED

BY CONNOR SCHMAUS

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

P

receding the start of the school year, the Paraeducator Association of Lawrence (PAL) took another step toward equalizing the workplace.

In July, PAL voted to become an independent organization from its associate group, the KNEA. The decision to become independent from KNEA, which has remained an ally since the group’s foundation, was prompted by the constant fluctuation of employed paras in the district.

An insufficient living wage, which was one of the founding grievances of PAL, causes membership to be too inconsistent to meet goals.

“Because we have so much flux in para positions, it is hard to reach and maintain the numbers needed to get to the next level, which is being recognized by the Board of Education,” PAL executive board member Denise Fish said.

Current pay grades and lack of work benefits contributes to the large number of current openings for classified staff in the district, with more than 30 openings for paras alone. USD 497’s director of human resources Samrie Devin believes this hiring pattern reflects a problem common throughout the United States. “[The] shortage of special education certified staff is [a] concern not only in Lawrence but across our nation,” Devin said.

In order to improve financial conditions for paras, some suggest pushing for better wages.

PAL uses this tactic in tandem with the Lawrence Educators Association (LEA) in hopes of garnering more benefits from the state, which provides most of the funding for public education.

“The state of Kansas continues to underfund education, which directly affects the district’s ability to pay competitive (let alone adequate) wages

News THE BUDGET

Low pay and few benefits causes shortage of paras

for teachers and paraeducators,” LEA treasurer and board member Lindsay Buck said.

Buck also overseas special education at Lawrence High as the department chair. Her connection to paras in the school and the rest of the district optimized the relationship between PAL and LEA, both of which seek better financial situations as a way to better provide for the students.

“As special education department chair, my role is similar to all other department chairs in the district,” Buck said. “We are liaisons between our departments and other departments,administration and district personnel.” “...A CONCERN Since the beginning of the NOT ONLY IN school year, PAL has met several times to recruit and to hear new LAWRENCE BUT voices from within the district, ACROSS OUR advertising on the namesake Facebook page. Expanding mem- NATION.” bership has been a top priority —SAMRIE DEVIN, USD for the group, especially since 497 DIRECTOR OF the separation from the KNEA. HUMAN RESOURCES Even with this opportunity, many paras simply could not afford the commitment of membership.

“We constantly heard that although they supported the association, they just could not afford to join,” Fish said.

As of right now, the organization focuses on those who work directly with students to provide the greatest reach. By doing this, the priority stays with improving the experience of the students while making wages more liveable in a large group of staff.

“Although money is a challenge for most paras, they continue to teach because of their love of students success,” Fish said. “ We hope to expand that in the future to include all classified staff but that takes time.”

SEPT. 20, 2018 PAGE DESIGN ANNA PARNELL

11

THE BUDGET Features

Features

PURSUING PASSIONS

Students take on unique internships and employment opportunities

BY IZZY HEDGES

STAFF WRITER

CHLOE MCNAIR, JUNIOR LAWRENCE PUBLIC LIBRARY

As an intern at the Lawrence Public Library, junior Chloe McNair began a creative workshop that met every Friday from Aug. 24 to Sept. 14.

Interns at public libraries from different states, including McNair, traveled to Washington, DC, during the summer to create workshops based on their interests.

“Each intern is from different libraries, so we each come up with our own projects,” McNair said, “With my library, I wanted to create a space for teens of any race, religion, or anything to come in and share their own stories.”

On the first day of the workshop, the group watched a Ted talk called, The Danger of a Single Story. The next two Fridays of the project were workshop days, where participants could express their individual stories in any creative form of their choice. McNair will collect the group’s submissions and create a community zine out of the students work.

“I know for me, there are times where you feel like you’re not heard or you want to tell people a certain thing, because everybody has stereotypes or assumptions about different people,” McNair said, “Some people are just unaware, and I think this is the way to make people more aware. The students have a chance to share what they want to share without any judgment, which is hard to get sometimes.”

PHOTO BY EMILY KRUSE

14 12

SEPT. 17, 20, 2018 PAGE DESIGN BY ANNA PARNELL

Features THE BUDGET

SUMMER ABROAD GRAPHICS BY ALEX LANE

Tanis Amnotte, junior GERMANY

KLARA HINSON, SENIOR SENEGENCE COSMETICS

Klara Hinson interned at Senegence Cosmetics this past summer, outside of Los Angeles. Hinson was offered the paid internship by her cousin, who works at Senegence Cosmetics headquarters.

“I really got true work experience, and I learned a lot about a big corporate company,” Hinson said, “I learned a lot about the different types of marketing. I would say that would probably be the biggest thing I gained out if it.”

Hinson learned about marketing and business in a corporate makeup company. Hinson helped with projects, such as Lip Sense, the company’s lip line. Interning at a makeup company is helpful for Hinson, as she has a goal to study design at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising.

“If I do go to school up there, I would be leaving a lot behind, so I think it gave me insight on what that will be like, being out there by myself so far away from family and friends,” Hinson said.

“My favorite thing I saw was the Reichstagsgebaude,, which is where the German parliament meets”

Elijah Elkins, Junior IRELAND “i thought the Giants Causeway was cool”

PHOTO BY ADDISON THORNSBURY

MAC SANMIQUEL, SOPHOMORE LAWRENCE PIANO STUDIO

Sophomore Mac Sanmiquel began working at the Lawrence Piano Studio at the start of this school year, after taking lessons at the studio for five years.

“I think it’s a good experience because I feel like I’ve been on the receiving side of learning, and it’s good to pass on knowledge,” Sanmiquel said.

Sanmiquel helps with group lessons at the piano studio. He typically works with children around the ages of three to eight. Learning how to work with children is a skill Sanmiquel has gained from being a piano assistant.

“I enjoy seeing the improvement over the week of giving a kid a solo and seeing that they’ve practiced when they come back.”

PHOTO BY ERIN DOYLE

Tayte Markoulatos, Freshman JAPAN “The shrines were cool.

Chicken is better there, and everyone is very polite.”

SEPT. 17, 20, 2018 PAGE DESIGN ANNA PARNELL

15 13

THE BUDGET Features

FIDDLIN’ AROUND Fiddle Club works to perform at multiple events this year

BY ZORA LOTTONBARKER

STAFF WRITER

T

raditionally, Fiddle Club has only had one event to showcase its work. This year, senior Jack Foster is starting his second year as president by making some changes.

“Normally all we would do is prepare a song or two and the fight song for the school or for the fiddle float in the homecoming parade,” Foster said.

“But this year...we are going to play at multiple events and after concerts, and we’ll probably have a concert sometime in the spring.”

Foster arranges the music for the group himself, which can be a tedious process. Arranging music can take up an afternoon, or it can take weeks depending on the difficulty of the music.

“Most of the time when I arrange, I just listen to the music,” he said. “I try to figure out what key it is and try to see if that key is workable for the level of string players we have...sometimes a key can be too hard because it has too many flats or sharps in it. After I’ve found a

14

good key, I try to dissect the different parts of what I like and then change some things when I come up with an idea.”

Orchestra director Mariah Barnett provides support for the club and helps to set up events.

“A lot of it is student driven and student led. If [Jack] has a question he can come and ask me and say, ‘Hey will this work?’ I help set up events for them and make sure that they have a place and a time to perform, but for the most part it’s all Jack, the president,” Barnett said.

This is Barnett’s first year as sponsor.

“I think the initial thing that I have noticed about Fiddle Club is that it’s just a great community for kids who love enjoy music to come together to make music that we don’t always get to do in class,” Barnett said.

Fiddle Club has members from all grades, but most of its members are students in Symphonic Orchestra, the highest orchestra at LHS. “Our music is pretty adaptable for any level, so hopefully we’ll have a lot of freshmen join this year,” Foster said.

Senior member Ben Farney said he loves the atmosphere of Fiddle Club.

SEPT. 20, 2018 PAGE DESIGN BY SAMI TURNER

“I love playing cello,” he said. “And fiddle music is my favorite kind of music and putting those things together is a lot of fun.”

The highlight of the year for Fiddle Club will be its spring concert, tentatively called “Hungarian Night.”

“We are going to play a lot of different folk tunes, but the main theme and most of the songs are going to be Hungarian folk tunes,” Foster said.

In the end, Foster hopes that by compiling his arrangements over the year the concert will act as a finale.

“We’ll slowly just keep arranging and finding other pieces and sort of collecting them over the year, and by the time the concert comes around hopefully we’ll have a bunch of songs to play,” Foster said.

SIGN UP — Fiddling around, senior Jack Foster has taken on the responsibility of hosting Fiddle Club after school in the orchestra room. Foster plans to expand on activities the club does.

“Orchestra class is a lot more structured” Foster said. “Fiddle Club is a lot more of improvisation and a lot more casual and simple music.”

PORTRAIT BY MILO STOVALL

Features THE BUDGET

MEET THE TEACHER

Match the new teachers to their favorite slice of pie REPORTING BY FREEMAN SPRAY PHOTOS BY ERIN DOYL & ADDIE THORNSBURY

SHERYL CLEAVINGER

Introduction to Agricultural Science, Plant and Animal Sciences, and Vet Sciences

Sour Cream Apple

SHANNON HODGES

Senior Consumer Math, College Algebra and Algebra I

French Silk

MICAH TEMPEL

Modern World History and US Government

Dutch Apple

MELISSA JOHNSON

Carrot Cake Cleavinger/French Silk; Hodges/Sour Cream Apple; Tempel/Carrot Cake; Johnson/Dutch Apple.

Key

AP Literature, English 101 and English 10

SEPT. 20, 2018 PAGE DESIGN BY SAMI TURNER

15

THE BUDGET Features

THE COURT RULING Homecoming court members share what they would work to accomplish if they could rule LHS for a day REPORTING BY NADIA SANBURN ONLINE EDITOR PHOTOS BY EMILY KRUSE PHOTO EDITOR

BEATRICE LOPEZ

“All you can eat ice cream on Fridays.”

DEREK WHITE

“Force everyone to play the trombone. ”

HUNTER JONES

“Make more sports co-ed!”

NOLAN SMITH

“Start showing Lion Pride. And have longer lunches.”

16

CALEB MONDI

“Install a Dr. Pepper fountain next to all of the waters fountains”

EDEN KINGERY

“Ask someone else to rule instead.”

KLARA HINSON

“Exterminate the bugs and rodents.”

TIFFANI SMITH

“Make school start later (late arrival) every day.”

SEPT. 20, 2018 PAGE DESIGN BY SAMI TURNER

DAVIS REED

“Draft a petition with signatures of everyone who wants LHS to have equal representation in the LJWorld.”

GARY SCHMIDT

“Make lunches twice as long.”

MICHAELA CORDOVA

“Get a spirit shop in the school.”

VERA PETROVIC

“Make William ‘Young Money’ Yanek president of everything.”

BARNETT THE BUSKER

Features THE BUDGET

Orchestra teacher earns extra cash by using a unique tool

BY KENNEDY “KEN” BIGHAM

STAFF WRITER

S

ince her college days, new orchestra director Mariah Barnett has carried on a tradition in downtown Lawrence.

She spends her free time on Mass Street busking, which means playing music on streets or subways for donations.

“When I was [a sophomore in college], I was supposed to go home to see my family over the weekend, and I was broke,” she said. “I didn’t have any gas money, and I was like, ‘What am I going to do?’ I think I had 3 bucks in my account, and that was not going to get me to Salina. [I said] ‘I’ll go play on Mass, so I took my cello down to Mass Street, and busked, and made $28. That’s what started me. I needed quick cash.”

The money came in handy.

“Many times, we would be down to our last dollar, and I knew that if Mariah sat and played her cello on Mass for an hour or so, she could earn enough to fill our tank with gas so we could go to Salina to visit our families,” Barnett’s wife, Myranda, said.

The money isn’t the only thing that’s good about busking, assistant orchestra director Russell Clark said.

“We can make some money,” Clark said. “But it’s about fun, going out there and playing some tunes and doing something different.”

In addition to playing classical selections, Barnett will bring a looping pedal that gives her songs a more modern feel.

“A looping pedal will allow me to record as much as I want, and it’ll play

it back to me, and then I can record on top of that, and I can make multiple levels of sound harmonizing,” she said.

“I can do a whole lot where I accompany myself playing.”

Clark has mentioned that he also has a looping pedal and suggested he and Barnett busk together.

He had no idea that Barnett was a busker when they first met. He found out when she brought her pedal to class within the first few weeks of school to demonstrate its use to students.

“I met her first through Lawrence Community Orchestra,” he said. “She was just a cellist in the cello section. I was a violinist. Then, we started teaching Lawrence Youth Symphony together, and all that time, she never told me.

When she told the kids in class, that’s when I found out.”

While she doesn’t busk often due to weather complications, Barnett has found her experience busking to be overwhelmingly positive, and encourages others to try it out.

“To anybody that’s interested in getting started in busking, just go out and do it,” Barnett said. “You don’t have to be the best musician. It’s nerve wracking at first, and it can be scary, but once you overcome that. You become so much better of a musician.”

PEDAL TO THE METAL — Playing the cello while using the loop pedal, Mrs. Mariah Barnett demonstrates how she uses the device to accompany herself. The new orchestra teacher busks about six times a year on mass street and at the lake. “I’ll busk about four times just at the lake for the campground” Mrs. Barnett said. “thats mostly to perform for my family and friends.”

PHOTO BY MILO STOVALL SEPT. 20, 2018 PAGE DESIGN SAMI TURNER

17

THE BUDGET Sports

Sports

FALL SPORTS A sneek peak at sports teams as the year kicks off

BY COOPER WRIGHT

SPORTS EDITOR

TREY HULSE Soccer

ERIC GALBREATH Football

What are you most excited for this year?

“We have a team with experience. We are returning over half of our starting lineup from last year, and we are very capable of winning.”

What are you most excited for this year?

“To see where we’re going to go and how we’re going to improve.”

What are your goals?

“To hold the other teams to less goals than we have games.”

How has last year to this year changed?

“This year, we have a much stronger offensive force and are still strong defensively.”

18

What are your goals?

“To focus in and reduce mistakes to a minimum and play as hard as we can every game.”

How has has last year to this year changed?

“Everyone being experienced is way different, because now everyone is learning something new.”

SEPT. 20, 2018 PAGE DESIGN BY NOAH GINSBURG

JOSIE HICKERSON Gymnastics What are you most excited for this year? ”We have a really stacked team, so I’m excited to see how we score.”

How has has last year to this year changed?

“Place five times at state and for team place top three at state.”

How has has last year to this year changed?

“Our team grew a lot so we have a lot more talent this year.”

OLIVIA WALLEN Girls Golf What are you most excited for this year? ”I will hopefully be improving my short game and putting.”

What are your goals? ”This year my goal is I would like to shoot under 100 at least once.”

How has has last year to this year changed?

“I am much more determined because I have set a goal at the beginning of the year, and I know what I need to work on to get the strokes off.”

Sports THE BUDGET

PREVIEW

PODCAST WITH ATHLETES WWW.LHSBUGET.COM

COLE SHUPERT Boys Cross Country What are you most excited for this year? ”We have a good core group of four or five runners that is really strong, so hopefully we will run well at meets.”

What are your goals?

“A team goal is to get to state and individually to get to state myself.”

How has last year to this year changed? ”Losing Carson, he was a person to gauge myself against, so this year I’ll have to pace myself.”

LAYNE PRESCOTT Girls Cross Country What are you most excited for this year?

“We have a really solid team and we have a chance at state this year.”

MICHAELA CORDOVA Volleyball What are you most excited for this year? ” “To compete with the stronger teams and to come out on top.”

What are your goals? ”I’m wanting to get into 22:00’s and 21:00’s and as a team we want to be in that area so that we can score better than Free State.”

What are your goals?

“To get better every game and frustrate the other teams. A team goal is to make it to state and win.”

How has has last year to this year changed? ”We’re a lot younger this year, and we are definitely closer this year.”

How has has last year to this year changed? ”We have all played together. This year we will be smarter with our plays and be very competitive.”

CAITLYNN KLEIM Girls Tennis What are you most excited for this year? ”To be playing No. 1 doubles, I think my partner and I work really well together.”

What are your goals?

“To improve my serve, but overall I just want to play to the best of my abilities.”

How has has last year to this year changed? ”We have less seniors, so being one of the only seniors on the team, I’ve had to be more of a leader than I had to be last year.”

SEPT. 20, 2018 PAGE DESIGN NOAH GINSBURG

19

THE BUDGET Sports

TURF TROUBLE After summerlong renovations, district, athletes, experience unexpected issues

BY GARY SCHMIDT

EDITOR IN CHIEF

The Lawrence School District in 2009 took a groundbreaking step toward improving its athletic facilities, replacing the surfaces of both Lawrence High and Free State’s football, soccer, softball and baseball fields with new turf fields.

The typical lifespan of a turf field in 2009 was eight years. However, all facilities in the district are open to public use, increasing the foot traffic on football and soccer fields by a considerable margin.

With these factors combined, the athletic facilities were feeling the results of turf burn.

During the summer, the district began work on the $4.57 million project, replacing the turf on all eight fields.

As a result, many athletic programs spent the majority of the summer practicing off campus or at different fields.

However, many of the parties involved

20

SEPT. 20, 2018 PAGE DESIGN BY GARY SCHMIDT

believe this was a necessary tradeoff for the major improvements that came with the new fields.

First year athletic director John Hilton said the fields represent willingness from both the athletes using them and the community supporting them to have the best possible facilities. “THE NEW “By passing the bond for all the TURF HAS improvements, that tells me that BEEN GREAT, our community understands the ESPECIALLY importance of extra-curricular activities as part of the compreCOMPARED hensive high school experience,” TO THE OLD Hilton said. “It also tells me that they want our student/athletes to TURF.” have the best/safest facilities in —GARRETT HART, which to compete.”

SENIOR However, this support was tested during the summer when a setback was discovered in the construction process.

Longstanding drainage issues were discovered in both the soccer and baseball

Sports THE BUDGET

QUICK TAKE

$4.57

Million spent on renovations

8

Turf fields replaced

facilities, causing setbacks in both time and budgeting.

According to Hilton, with any project of this scale, such difficulties are expected.

“With any large project of this magnitude, there are always going to be challenges,” Hilton said. “When you start ripping into old facilities, you generally find some surprises that you don’t expect or necessarily plan for.”

The soccer field, among the first projects to be started, was finished prior to their season opener, but the baseball field still remains a work in progress.

According to Julie Boyle, executive director of communications for USD 497, the issue is a result of drainage trouble during the years.

“When the baseball turf was removed, there was sediment under the turf that prevented the water from draining properly,” Boyle said. “When the water puddles on the field, it will move the rubber infill, which may cause an unsafe playing surface.”

12

Years life expectancy

Normally, the boys soccer c-team practices on the baseball field, but without this field, it shifted around the schedule for the entire program. Now, the varsity team generally practices from 5-7 p.m., after both the c-team and junior varsity teams have finished. This shift is just one more the team has experienced this year, after having to practice at the soccer stadium, football field, tennis courts and baseball field at different points of the summer.

“It’s been a lot different just adjusting my schedule,” senior Garrett Hart said. “I have a lot less time to do homework because I don’t usually get home until after 7:30.”

However, with plans well underway to complete the baseball field, this issue looks to be remedied.

Despite implementation headaches, athletes, coaches and community members who rely on these fields are more than happy.

“The new turf has been great, especially compared to the old turf,” Hart said.

2009

First season LHS used previous turf fields

UPDATED — The football field is one of eight throughout the district to be overhauled since last school year with new turf.

The turf replacement efforts are ongoing on the baseball field.

PHOTO BY EMILY KRUSE

SEPT. 17, 2018 PAGE DESIGN GARY SCHMIDT

21

SETTING UP

THE BUDGET Sports

Excitement for strong season combined with concerns for parent

BY DANIEL DAVIDSON

SPORTS EDITOR

A

fter making it to state for the first time in nine years, the Lady Lions are ready to win.

Last year ended in the second match of state, but left the juniors with a new sense of energy for the future. The Lions carry confidence from the fact the varsity team is entirely composed of seniors.

“We’re in a really good place,” senior Sammy Williams said. “...WE HAVE “Last season TO KEEP we learned CONTINUING what we need to do TO PROVE to be more OURSELVES.” successful and now we know —LAUREN MACELI, we have the SENIOR capability of doing it.”

Another important key to the team’s success this year is years of playing together and close relationships that allow players to communicate better on the court.

“Because there’s so many people on such a small amount of court,” Williams said, “it’s important to know what the person next to you is going to do.”

Although the girls are primed to make a run for a state title this year, one of their biggest fans will not be able to make it.

22

Sammy William’s mother, Susan, was diagnosed with bone marrow cancer last spring. As her daughter is playing on the court, Susan will be in Kansas City receiving treatment.

According to Sammy’s teammates, the entire Williams’ family are fans of the team and involved with the program.

“They’re just the type of family who’ll say hello to anyone,” senior Baylee Unruh said.

“Their grandparents cheer every single girl on the team, even if they don’t know who they are.”

To show their support back to the family, the girls have created wristbands and shirts with “WILLIAMS” on the back.

Although Susan might have to miss the games in person, her husband Michael is making sure she can still watch. The Lions’ games will be live streamed on YouTube for Susan and anyone else to watch.

Energized with the momentum from last year and ready to be cheered on by their biggest fans, the Lady Lions look forward to proving themselves as a competitor once again.

“By other teams, I think we’re looked at like we’re the underdogs,” senior Lauren Maceli said. “This season they’re respecting us more, but we have to keep continuing to prove ourselves.”

MATCH POINT — The Volleyball team celebrates after scoring a point against Shawnee Mission North on Sept. 11. The Lady Lions won the match two sets to none (25-8, 25-9). PHOTO

BY EMILY KRUSE

SEPT. 20, 2018 PAGE DESIGN BY GARY SCHMIDT

FOR STATE

Sports THE BUDGET

SAVE THE DATE SEPT 18 HOME TRIANGULAR vs. Shawnee Mission Northwest and Shawnee Mission West MAIN GYM 5 & 7 PM

SEPT 29 LAWRENCE INVITATIONAL MAIN GYM 9 AM

OCT 2 SENIOR NIGHT vs. Free State MAIN GYM 6 PM

OCT 13 EMPORIA TOURNAMENT EMPORIA HIGH SCHOOL 8:30 AM

SEPT. 20, 2018 PAGE DESIGN GARY SCHMIDT

23

THE BUDGET Sports

LEADER OF THE New football coach takes over with high expectations

BY EMILY GORDONROSS

STAFF WRITER

L

awrence High welcomed new football coach Steve Rampy following the retirement of long-time football coach, Dirk Wedd, last year.

This year will be Rampy’s 40th year teaching and coaching, having just transferred from Pittsburg State University where he worked as the offensive coordinator for eight years.

Before that, he spent 29 years in the Blue Valley School District as a football coach and gym teacher.

When he first heard about the Lawrence job, he said he was not interested.

“Coach Wedd is a long dear friend of mine,” Rampy said. “I’ve known “YOU CAN’T him for 25-30 years. I knew he WALK DOWN going to retire, THE STREET AND was and he had told HAVE A CHESTY me at the time I needed to take LION SHIRT the job. I really ON WITHOUT wasn’t interested SOMEONE at the time, but as things happened, I ASKING became interested.

YOU ABOUT I interviewed and LAWRENCE got it.”

Rampy has HIGH...” been involved in —STEVE RAMPY, football for most of FOOTBALL COACH his life.

“When I first got to junior high I had really great, caring coaches,” Rampy said. “I didn’t really know what athletics

24

were about until I got to junior high, but they kind of sparked an interest in me.”

Moving through high school and then college, Rampy continued to play football. He loved the game, but had not yet considered it a career option.

“I love the intricacies of [football], the strategies behind it now at my age,” Rampy said. “I’m kind of an outside-the-box thinker. I was an art major when I first went to college, so I think that helps me a bit with the creative part.”

Rampy decided to be a football coach because he had a passion for it and a passion to teach others about it.

“To me, it’s the best game there is, because it requires athletic abilities and body shapes and sizes,” Rampy

SEPT. 20, 2018 PAGE DESIGN BY NOAH GINSBERG

said. “All shapes and sizes can play it, and it requires more teamwork than any other game does. It demands it...

That’s always appealed to me, the relationships of the game. I love it.”

Originally, Rampy wasn’t interested in even applying for the job.

However, the appeal of a new town and a new challenge intrigued both him and his wife.

“The town itself is very interesting for my wife and I,” Rampy said.

“We’ve never been here, never lived here so it’s got a lot of neat things.

The tradition of the athletic programs here, the expectations of excellence in not only the classroom but on the athletic field both. I think they expect kids to do really well both athletically and academically.”

As for the people in Lawrence,

LIONS

Sports THE BUDGET

NEW A.D. JOINS LHS ATHLETICS

Hilton takes on athletic director role after career in Kansas City-area

BY SYMON KNOX

STAFF WRITER

N

PLAY CALL — New head football coach, Steve Rampy, calls a play from the sideline during the annual fall sports Jamboree. Rampy, who is entering his 40th season of coaching, was hired this past spring following the retirement of former coach Dirk Wedd. PHOTO BY EMILY KRUSE

Rampy has been impressed with the Lawrence High spirit throughout the town.

“Lawrence itself is a very close-knit town,” Rampy said. “You can’t walk down the street and have a Chesty Lion shirt on without someone asking you about Lawrence High, and that means a lot to the people here. Winning isn’t everything, but it has to matter, and it matters here. They want us to do well, they want us to compete and have a good program, and we’re going to.”

ew athletic director John Hilton brings experience as a coach, teacher and administrator after taking over the job this fall. He discussed his background and interests with The Budget.

How long have you been involved in public education?

“I started as a coach in 1994 and started teaching in 1998 at Grandview High School.”

Why did you come to LHS? “In the last four years, I’ve been at Olathe North teaching and coaching. Prior to that I was assistant principal and athletic director at Bonner Springs High School, and I thought it was time for me to leave the classroom and get back into administration. And when I saw this job position, I knew it was perfect for me.”

Why did you stop coaching football?

“If I could still coach football and be an administrator I would. But one thing is that now I get a chance to help coach some coaches, and I have a lot more reach now, which is really great for me.”

What is your home life like?

“Right now my daughter is at Ole Miss, so my wife and I travel down there a lot to go to football and baseball games.”

What is your favorite food? Why? “I love barbecue, especially my own homemade

barbecue. I like spicy big barbecue. There really is nothing better.”

What is one thing that you want your students to know about you?

“I got into education because I want to impact students like my old teaches did. I want students to know that I care about them, and I want them to be successful, and unfortunately, as a role of an assistant principal, that interaction isn’t always positive, but I really want to find a way to be able to have positive interactions with students.”

What are some small things that make your day better?

“The support we have at Lawrence High is amazing. The front office staff and the security guards are so incredibly helpful with my learning all the new things about this school, and I’m so grateful for all of them.”

What is something you think everyone should do at least once in their life?

“Get out of your comfort zone. Whatever it is that’s new and even scary to you, do it at least once.”

PHOTO BY EMILY KRUSE SEPT. 20, 2018 PAGE DESIGN NOAH GINSBERG

25

THE BUDGET Opinion

Opinion

SAFETY TRAINING SUFFICIENT

GRAPHIC BY ARIANNA MYERS-ARENTH

District prepares teachers amidst national gun violence spikes

BY NIKKI AQUI

MANAGING EDITOR

A

fter the school shooting that took place at Marjory Stoneman Douglas last school year, students made it clear that shootings will no longer be tolerated or pushed under the rug.

As a result, the “Never Again” movement came to be.

It goes without question that students across the country are bold and brave, it was seen in “March for Our Lives.” But many students are scared, and their fears aren’t unwarranted. The

26

question needs to be asked: What is USD 497 doing to ensure the safety of its students and faculty?

Before school started, teachers underwent safety training provided by the ALICE Training Institute. Staff members were taught how to respond to emergencies, including an active shooter event. Teachers did the training at their own pace but it lasted about an hour and a half.

It’s hard to tell if that is an adequate amount of time to try to prepare staff for the worst-case scenario. Regular mass shootings are a new phenomenon, but it’s safe to say that the district is doing as much as it knows to do.

SEPT. 20, 2018 PAGE DESIGN BY MACY LANDES

Students at Lawrence High face a unique threat. Our building has about 10 doors where anyone can walk in at any time. Despite this, Lawrence High is armed with the most selfless staff, and courageous students.

Students at Lawrence High took it upon themselves to begin the “SAFeR” club, to fight for change.

It is a scary world with new threats arising every single day, but good will always beat bad, and love will forever outweigh fear. For these reasons and more, I firmly believe that we are protected not just because of the “safety training,” but because of those who surround us.

Opinion THE BUDGET

THE PROOF IS IN THE PLASTIC

Seeking plastic alternatives is key to sustainability

BY AMELIA VASQUEZ

STAFF WRITER

I

n May, a fourth grade class from Kennedy Elementary School presented its project on reducing plastic bags to the City Commission.

This brought Lawrence’s role in plastic waste into the forefront of an important discussion. Michael Steinle, member “SOMETHING of the SustainabiliNEEDS TO ty Advisory CHANGE.” Board, has —LISA BALL, SCIENCE been tasked with the job TEACHER of creating a new sub-committee with the goal of completing a 360 degree analysis of the economic, social and environmental impacts that plastic use has on our city.

“The bottom line is,” Steinle, said “people have to convey their food in some fashion, and we have to point them in directions that are sustainable, and plastic bags really aren’t that...We can use market forces to get people to do the right thing.”

AP Environmental Science teacher Lisa Ball wants to see plastic waste reduced.

“Something needs to change, some people are

careless about their plastic use,” said Ball, who also sponsors environmental club. Ball talks about her plastic bag use: “I definitely strive to use as little as possible, I try to minimize it, but there are certain cases where it is inevitable.”

Biologists have identified 200 “dead zones” around the globe, bodies of water in which life cannot prosper due to rapidly changing environments. The number of marine creatures killed by plastic entanglement grows every year.

Right now the average is 100,000.

Despite these terrifying figures, plastic has only been available on a large-scale commercial level for 60 years.

American

cities and states like California, Chicago and even Lawrence have been eager to look into greater regulations of plastic products in the last few years.

However, after the proposed bill that would regulate plastic bag use, House Bill 3529, died in the Senate, hopes for wide scale reform has been loss.

Our responsibility now, as citizens and constituents, is to not let this momentum die. Committing to everyday activism and environmental consciousness is important. We must be proactive on this issue.

GRAPHIC BY DIL HICKS SEPT. 20, 2018 PAGE DESIGN MACY LANDES

27

THE BUDGET Opinion

OWER DOWN?

Seniors face transcript problems with transition to PowerSchool SYMON KNOX

STAFF WRITER

O

n Sept. 25, 2017, the school board approved the purchase of PowerSchool, a system that would theoretically combine a variety of systems we use for management and virtual learning WITHOUT into one cohesive ACCESS TO OUR system.

With any new TRANSCRIPTS, program, glitches are expected but SENIORS from what I can AND EARLY tell, no one exGRADUATES pected how awful system really ARE NOT ABLE this would be at first. It TO APPLY FOR started off rough COLLEGE AND when students had no way of finding A NUMBER OF their schedule in SCHOLARSHIPS. the weeks leading up to school unless you had previously saved it on a as a PDF or somewhere other than Sky-

28

ward. On the first day of school, my little brother was able to troubleshoot his way into the system by trial and error of logging on multiple times and going through Google, so it was possible quite a few other students were also able to do so. But there was still a large number who were left clueless on what their first hour was until they went to the rotunda that morning.

Some of the initial issues like logging in were ironed out fairly quickly, but nearly a month into the school year teachers and students are still faced with major inconveniences.

Even though its annoying, all these problems so far are tolerable, and I am willing to cooperate and be patient because I understand that the district is trying their hardest to keep everyone happy. But one thing that I am less willing to be patient for is the inability to receive our transcripts.

Without access to our transcripts, seniors and early graduates are not able to apply for college and a number of scholarships. While talking to a group of counselors in student ser-

SEPT. 20, 2018 PAGE DESIGN BY ALEX LANE

vices, I was informed that as of Sept.

11 there were more than 80 students at Lawrence High and more than 100 students at Free State who have sent in requests for their transcripts, and the number is growing every day.

Students who are applying to colleges that have limited scholarship funds are being put on hold because transcripts are required for consideration. When applying to a school that awards scholarships with a restricted amount of funds, we are being put behind all other applicants who apply after us because the application cannot be fully processed without a transcript. This means that we may be losing out on hundreds or thousands of dollars.

I understand that this problem is slightly out of the control of Lawrence Public Schools, but it seems like there are little to no efforts being made to compensate for the limitation that is being put on us.

Our applications can’t be processed because of inefficiencies with the district’s learning management system. We deserve to be rewarded

Opinion THE BUDGET

for how hard we have worked the past 13 years and especially the past four years. We should not be penalized because of a system that was not ready to do all of the functions the district requires.

I have been told that transcripts are being built and it is a top priority for our PowerSchool team, but it would have been nice to have been told this information without having to talk to three different people and having to send more than 10 emails. This should be information we are getting daily updates on. This is our future after all.

GRAPHIC BY ALEX LANE SEPT. 20, 2018 PAGE DESIGN ALEX LANE

29

THE BUDGET Opinion

By Maya Weslander

THE JOURNALISM STAFF MISSION STATEMENT 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.

ABOUT US The Budget is published every four 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

30

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 and staff 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.

Keirian Tillman, Amelia Vasquez, Andrew Williams, Elyzebeth Workman, Cooper Wright.

STAFF Hailey Alt, Kennedy “Ken” Bigham, Erin Doyle, Megan Drumm, Noah Ginsberg, Emily Gordon-Ross, Dil Hicks, Sophia Kaufman, Cora Kelsey, Symon Knox, Alex Lane, Nola Levings, Zora LottonBarker, Arianna Myers-Arenth, Leslie Ostronic, Meriel Salisbury, Nolan Smith, Adelai Spears, Alex Stark, Milo Stovall,

LHSBUDGET.COM EDITORS William Yanek.............................Editor-in-Chief Anahita Hurt.................................Editor-in-Chief Aidin Manning ����������������� Social Media Editor Nadia Sanburn ������������������������������������Assistant Online Editor Freeman Spray................... Webmaster/Copy Editor David Obadare ������������������������������ Video Editor

SEPT. 20, 2018 PAGE DESIGN BY ANNA PARNELL

THE BUDGET NEWSPAPER EDITORS Macy Landes...............................Editor-in-Chief Connor Schmaus ����������������������Editor-in-Chief Gary Schmidt...............................Editor-in-Chief Emily Kruse.....................................Photo Editor Sami Turner...................................Design Editor Anna Parnell.................................Design Editor Nikki Aqui................................ Managing Editor

Mia Robinson................................. Video Editor RED & BLACK YEARBOOK EDITORS Emma Howard............................Editor-in-Chief Skylar Steichen...........................Editor-in-Chief Maya Weslander �����������������������Editor-in-Chief Addie Thornsbury �������������������������Photo Editor McKenna White ����������������������������Photo Editor Izzy Hedges..................................... Copy Editor Pam Vue................................ Senior Ads Editor JOURNALISM EDITORS Shayla Brillhart.........................Captions Editor Daniel Davidson ��������������������������Sports Editor Allison Ramaley ������������������������ Head of Sales Gage Miller.......................Ad Design Manager Sophia Rogers..................sales development manager Barbara Tholen �������������������������������������� Adviser

Opinion THE BUDGET

By Jaylynn Hicks Story and Illustrations done by Jaylynn Hicks

DEAR READERS, The beginning of each school year presents its own challenges.

This one came with more than most. All of the laptops broken, all of our district staff underpaid, all of teachers without a clear explanation of how to give us grades, or really do anything involving PowerSchool.

But despite these challenges, the school year still goes on. LHS is a place that breeds adaptability, and this year required more of this than most before. The greatest challenges are the ones that require the greatest solutions. The industrious work of LHS’ technology staff has placed fully-functional, fantastic laptops in the hands of all of our students once again. Teachers took a stand, and are fighting for their own rights for a liveable wage. And PowerSchool, well, we are all working on it together.

Gary Schmidt, Connor Schmaus, Macy Landes, editors-in-chief SEPT. 20, 2018 PAGE DESIGN ANNA PARNELL

31

Sports THE BUDGET

PHOTO OF THE MONTH LEAP OF FAITH — Math teacher Matthew Ellis shows off his gymnastics skills at the fall pep assembly. Members of the gymnastic team partnered with staff members to demonstrate a gymnastics skill and preform it in front of the student body. “I was asked by some members of StuCo in my first hour about a week earlier, and it’s hard to say no to those folks,” Ellis said.

“I was nervous going in to it, but it’s always fun to help at pep assemblies.”

PHOTO BY ADDIE THORNSBURY

SEPT. 17, 2018 PAGE DESIGN GARY SCHMIDT

21