Lawrence High School's The Budget, Issue 1, Sept. 25, 2019

LAWRENCE HIGH SCHOOL

LAWRENCE, KS

VOLUME 127, ISSUE 1 SEPTEMBER 25, 2019

PAGE 06

WHY THE SCHOOL YEAR WAS DELAYED

PAGE 16 MEET THE NEW PRINCIPAL PAGE 22 FOOTBALL PLAYER MAKES SENIOR YEAR COMEBACK

LEARNING IN PROGRESS

THE BUDGET NEWS

IN THIS ISSUE

LAWRENCE HIGH SCHOOL

LAWRENCE, KS

VOLUME 127, ISSUE 1 SEPTEMBER 25, 2019

Teachers track increased steps due to construction page 5

Homecoming Court weigh in page 19

Unexpected spaces changed into classrooms page 8

Fall sports athletes give a behind the scenes look page 20

New classrooms open as construction wraps up page 10

LHS athletics ranked No. 1 in the state page 24

Loss of district furniture adds up page 12

Opinion: Bring Spider-Man to the MCU page 26

Meet new LHS faculty Page 14

Opinion: Offer recycling and composting at lunch page 28

LHSBUDGET.COM STORIES

VIDEO LIFE IN THE SHED

School board passes resolution affirming student protections against immigration enforcement

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PAGE 06

WHY THE SCHOOL YEAR WAS DELAYED

PAGE 16 MEET THE NEW PRINCIPAL PAGE 22 FOOTBALL PLAYER MAKES SENIOR YEAR COMEBACK

LEARNING IN PROGRESS

ON THE COVER — Students walk past construction of the new addition that will connect the main building to the annex.

Since classes began in August, Lawrence High School has doubled as both a construction site and an active school.

As renovations continue, learning is in progress.

PHOTO BY CAM BOHMANN

LETTERING EXPANDED

BY ARIEN ROMAN ROJAS

STAFF WRITER Students are now able to letter in more activities after students and teachers pushed for a change.

Previously, activities that students could letter in at Lawrence High School were limited to activities that fell under the Kansas State High School Activities Association, including varsity sports, choir, orchestra, scholars bowl, forensics and debate. Many other schools across the country offer additional lettering opportunities for activities such as media, Unified Sports and visual arts.

Initially, the district would not allow Unified Sports to letter because they were not a KSHAA-recognized sport.

Unified Sports athletes, parents and sponsor Susan Micka put pressure on the district to open up its lettering policy.

After pushing for several months, Micka was finally able to awards letters to her athletes for the first time in May. “As soon as I presented them with their letter, there were tears,” Micka said.

An initial concern administrators had was lettering losing its status and

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significance.

“The conversation was about having the letter needing to count for something, it had to be something that acknowledged an accomplishment,” Assistant Principal Mark Preut said.

Meanwhile, visual arts teachers also worked on gaining their lettering capabilities. Photo teacher Angelia Perkins took inspiration from schools that already offered lettering for visual arts and had a “substantial process and point system.”

Hyland Ranch High School was one of those schools that inspired Perkins’ system, which includes taking part in arts programs, including competitions and gallery displays. Her letter policy was approved in the final days of the school year.

“If students are going above and beyond, working outside and inside of class hours, and helping out in the community, they should be able to be recognized for that hard work,” Perkins said.

EXPANDING — The district policy for lettering has opened up, giving students in the arts and Unified Sports more opportunities to letter.

PHOTO BY CAM BOHMANN

SEPT. 25, 2019 PAGE DESIGN BY SAMI TURNER

NEWS THE BUDGET

SHARED SANDWICH Students eat communal sandwich won by LHS alum

“IT SEEMED LIKE SUCH A COOL THING THAT EVERYONE WAS COMING TOGETHER FOR THIS RANDOM PERSON...I JUST WANTED HIM TO HAVE A SANDWICH.” —REECE WOHLFORD, JUNIOR, WHO SHARED A PICKLEMAN’S SANDWICH THAT A GRADUATE RECEIVED AFTER A SOCIAL MEDIA STUNT

LHSBUDGET.COM

A SHINING NEW LOOK

BY BENJAMIN ALAN ALLGEIER

STAFF WRITER A new district logo unveiled last month is updating the district’s look.

This new logo features a star as its centerpiece, with one of the star’s points replaced with a dot so it looks like a student. The student is the filament of a light bulb, which is wearing a mortarboard.

“The image represents that at the heart of our district are students, who are bright, creative, and full of ideas of how they will change the world,” said Julie Boyle, executive director of communications for USD 497. “It represents the ‘aha’ moments students have when their teachers help them gain knowledge and learn new skills in the classroom.”

Boyle said the mortarboard -- or graduation cap -represents the district’s mission of “ensuring educational equity and excellence so that students of all races and backgrounds achieve at high levels and graduate prepared for success in college, careers, and life in a

diverse and rapidly changing world.”

The new logo will be phased in gradually, Boyle said.

Some LHS students had a hand in reviewing it during the summer. There were six different designs presented, and elements like fonts and colors were interchangeable. Junior Riley Unekis, who had input on the logo, was not completely satisfied.

“Before inside of the light bulb there was a little filament person, but now there’s an actual star jumping person,” she said. “It’s interesting.”

This change comes about simultaneously with the beginning of the district’s fiveyear strategic plan.

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

1

SEPT. 25

PARADE 21ST STREET, 6:30 PM

2

SEPT. 25

RALLY ‘ROUND THE LION BETWEEN THE GYMS, FOLLOWING THE PARADE

3

SEPT. 26

ASSEMBLY DURING 3RD HOUR IN THE AUDITORIUM

4

SEPT. 27

FOOTBALL GAME FOOTBALL STADIUM, 7 PM CROWNING AT HALF-TIME

5

SEPT. 28

DANCE ROTUNDA, 8:30 PM

PAGE DESIGN SAMI TURNER SEPT. 25, 2019

3

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School Photo Retakes are Thursday, Oct. 10 Black Box Theater

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The final deadline to guarantee your spot in the yearbook is Jan. 10, but you will save significantly by turning in and paying for your ad at the first or second deadlines.

FIRST DEADLINE: Friday, Sept. 27 SECOND DEADLINE: Friday, Nov. 15 FINAL DEADLINE: Friday Jan. 10

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NEWS THE BUDGET

NEWS

TRAVELING TEACHERS Four teachers describe the challenge of changing rooms almost every class period as they waited for construction to wrap up REPORTING BY TREVOR ARELLANO

ZACHARY CASEY CAROL MCKANNA 6 rooms traveled to in a day STEPS TAKEN IN A DAY

5 rooms traveled to in a day

JEFF PLINSKY

5 rooms traveled to in a day

5,500

7,500

6,500

STEPS TAKEN IN A DAY

STEPS TAKEN IN A DAY 5,200 - 5,300

WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO STAY ORGANIZED? “I’m putting it all online.

Everything I can. In that way, it’s less stuff to shuffle.”

HAS CONSTRUCTION AFFECTED YOUR TEACHING?

HAS CONSTRUCTION AFFECTED YOUR TEACHING? “One hundred percent. ...In the classrooms [I’m using], things are running pretty smooth, and it’s been fine.

It’s hard because I can’t necessarily move desks around every hour or do assigned seats and stuff like that. But when teaching in the cafeteria and the hallway I bet I have their attention about 40 percent of the time. Huge loss of attention, and they get angry and frustrated, too, so students tend to bark back at me more.”

HAS CONSTRUCTION AFFECTED YOUR TEACHING? “Yes, it certainly impacts the lesson plans, and it impacts the workload because I’m having to recreate, rethink and revamp things that I have had pretty solidly put together prior to this.”

HOW HAS IT IMPACTED YOUR START TO THE YEAR? “It’s been really nice in some ways because I was always in my teacher cave over in the science department and rarely got out. And now I’m actually making a lot more connections with other teachers whose rooms I’m sharing. It’s my third year, and I’m finally getting to know people.”

HAS CONSTRUCTION AFFECTED STUDENTS? “I have definitely noticed that some students coming from the modules are struggling to get to where they need to be. It’s a lot. You have to go all the way through the gym and back up. I sense a little frustration with it too, understandingly.”

STEPS TAKEN IN A DAY

SUSAN MICKA

4 rooms traveled to in a day

“It’s definitely been hard because the technology is different in every class, so when I stop, the attention goes down.”

HAS IT AFFECTED WHAT YOU DO FOR LUNCH?

“I eat in the room I am in.

Last year I had a refrigerator and microwave, so I could bring leftovers and stuff that could make me happy, but I have been on a strict peanut butter and jelly sandwich diet, just to make sure it’s easy, and I don’t have to worry about another thing.”

HAS CONSTRUCTION AFFECTED STUDENTS?

“They don’t know the difference, but it has impacted me. I just haven’t felt like I’m doing my best yet.”

HOW ARE YOU FEELING AT THE END OF THE DAY? “I’m exhausted and I’m grumpy. I even get grumpy with my own children. I get a 5 - 5:30 p.m. nap on the couch when I get home.”

HOW HAS IT IMPACTED YOUR START TO THE YEAR? “This is my 24th year teaching, so in the past I have had my first couple of weeks pretty solidly nailed down, but I have had to revamp a lot of what I used to do in the beginning. And had to rethink it. There are some things that are working better and some things don’t. It’s been a learning experience.”

HAS IT AFFECTED WHAT YOU DO FOR LUNCH? “I typically eat in the classroom that I am in where I teach.”

PAGE DESIGN TREVOR ARELLANO SEPT. 25, 2019

5

THE BUDGET NEWS

DELAYED START Delays in construction led to a rocky start to the school year

BY DANIEL DAVIDSON

back the first day of school by six days to Aug. 21.

“Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of all those involved, we need fter an extension of extra time to deliver on our plans,” summer break, students Superintendent Anthony Lewis said a were welcomed back to letter announcing the delay. an unfinished school.

Delays continued and instead of McCownGordon Conextending summer break any longer, struction started on Lawrence High’s the school year started despite 36 $46 million reconstruction project classrooms being unfinished. To deal this summer as part of the 2017 votwith the shortage of rooms, various er-approved bond issue. According to measures were considered, including design director CJ Armstrong, about busing students to nearby Centennial a quarter of the 70-year-old building’s School for some classes. However, architectural documents were missing, safety and a secure campus were leading to some unexpected roadcore objectives of the reconstruction blocks heading into construction. project.

“We had a rough idea going into it Instead, teachers had to make use how the school was built,” said Armof the limited space left. All of it. From strong, an architect with Gould Evans. the gym to the auditori“There were just parts um, classes were packed that were a big question into unconventional mark and until you dig “ULTIMATELY, locations. into it, you won’t really IT’S A MATTER Some teachers did not know what you have. get their own space at all, We had to reverse engi- OF GETTING IN, instead having to move neer how do we think BUSTING DOWN from room to room each they built everything.”

ON THE SCHEDULE period. Many could be Question marks found working in the soon became problems AND FITTING IT IN library during their planas walls full of asbestos THE BOX.” ning periods. were uncovered and —BRIAN ROTH, Having to carry major structural flaws had to be fixed, forcing MCCOWNGORDON SENIOR around all his teaching materials from class to redesigns and a pause PROJECT MANGER class compelled debate while asbestos was coach Jeff Plinsky to go removed. fully digital.

Some problems, however, were “It was stressful, but that wasn’t unavoidable. Westar Energy diverted unexpected,” Plinsky said. “You move resources to disaster relief following forward and do what you can do.” the tornado in late May, which impactAs construction wrapped up in the ed their ability to do needed electrical 36 classrooms, teachers were given a work at the school. Heavy rains also day to move in while substitutes taught postponed work several days. their classes. Although substitutes “We encountered a lot,” McCownfilled-in during the day, many teachers Gordon senior project manager Brian still had to prepare their rooms during Roth said. “When you build a project the weekend without pay. like this where you are renovating an After a permit for student occupaexisting space… it’s little stuff that adds tion was acquired, students were welup, unforeseen items.” comed to the new classrooms on Sept.

With the construction process 11. Much still remained unfinished in lagging behind, the district pushed

A

ONLINE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

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SEPT. 25, 2019 PAGE DESIGN BY ALEX LANE

the new area, including the hallway floors and paint.

The financial cost and stress caused by the delays raises the question of McCownGordon’s responsibility. The construction company is contractually obligated to cover any damages endured by the district as a result of delays.

The extent of McCownGordon’s obligation is likely to be worked out later this month, according to Roth.

“Our staff will gather records of any costs incurred as a result of the delay and work with construction partners on reimbursement,” executive director of communications Julie Boyle said.

The project is expected to wrap up in August 2021, according to plan.

However, frequent interruptions have already thrown the aggressive construction schedule into question.

“It’s aggressive but do-able,” Roth said. “We may rethink how we do some of the other phases. Ultimately, it’s a matter of getting in, busting down on the schedule and fitting it in the box.”

According to Roth, many workers are putting in around 70 hours a week, working from dawn to midnight. Time will surely be on McCownGordon’s mind while pushing to wrap up phase two of the project during winter break. Phase two includes connecting the annex to the main building — work that students can already see and hear from the newly opened classrooms.

“Students are the reason I do this,” said chemistry teacher Victor Beckerman, who spent his first couple weeks teaching in the gym lobby. “So as long as students can get in here, we can get started learning.”

PILES AND PILES — Progress is made on the hallway leading to the innovations corridor in mid-July. The corridor opened to students in September.

PHOTO BY SOPHIA KAUFMAN

NEWS THE BUDGET

QUICK TAKE 7

Phases of construction

$46 million Total budget for construction

85

Daily workers during the summer

36

Classes that were displaced

6

School days delayed

PAGE DESIGN ALEX LANE SEPT. 25, 2019

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THE BUDGET NEWS

USING EVERY NOO With three dozen rooms unfinished on the first day, teachers

WOODSHOP

WOODSHOP TEACHER MIKE EVANS started the year with

no power tools or building materials in his classroom.

The only tools that his students had were tape measures after he was moved to a temporary space in the film classroom.

“I have found that too many students don’t know how to read a tape measure appropriately,” Evans said. “They can kind of get by, but we will talk about that and work on some of those things.”

In addition, Evans used the first weeks of school to get to know his students. While his temporary classroom had no tools or materials, his new room may be overrun by them. The new woodshop is smaller than the old one and will likely pose organizational challenges.

“What I’m worried about is the new shop is smaller and figuring out where to put all of the stuff to make sure that I can make it work,” he said.

Once settled, Evans planned to teach a safety course — one he would have taught within the first few weeks under different circumstances.

Photo by Cam Bohmann

GYM ENTRY

SCIENCE TEACHER VICTOR BECKERMAN dealt with a strange classroom location and intermittent construction noise while waiting for phase one of work to wrap up. Beckerman was located in the mezzanine outside the gym.

“I found it kind of funny at the beginning like, ‘Oh, I have a class in a hallway,’ ” sophomore Cassidy Dunn said.

A hallway wasn’t the easiest place to teach a chemistry class. The students couldn’t work in lab stations. They didn’t have access to materials. There were countless distractions, including construction noise.

“It’s about 50/50 hearing Mr. Beckerman, and him having to yell over power saws and construction vehicles,” Dunn said.

Photo by Katherine Williams

TEMPORARY These are some of the other spaces used for classes until new rooms opened Sept. 11, three weeks into the year Photos by Katherine Williams, Andrew Liebegott and Cam Bohmann

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SCIENCE IN LIBRARY

“She (Lisa Ball) couldn’t find the rulers, but that’s just basic stuff. When you’re moving around in a cart, you’re going to leave stuff behind.”

—Ashley Lopez, junior

SEPT. 25, 2019 PAGE DESIGN BY RILEY UNEKIS

ENGLISH IN HALL

“It’s way more exhausting than I thought it would be. I like to move, and I actually like to get out of the room. It’s the planning and preparation that goes into absolutely not forgetting anything ever.”

—Susan Micka, English teacher

NEWS THE BUDGET

OK AND CRANNY and students made due with strange spaces

REPORTING BY ADDIE LONDON

STAGE

WHEN YOU SEE SKELETONS propped on a stage, your first

thought isn’t likely, “Time for anatomy.” But, for Jo Huntsinger’s students, this was all routine.

After entering the makeshift classroom on the front of the auditorium stage, students had to sit close to their teacher to be able to hear her in the awkward space. Another teacher worked behind the curtain teaching another science class backstage.

“Sometimes, I can’t really hear Mrs. Huntsinger, but for the most part it’s OK,” senior Emmy Easley said.

The only time her students got to spread out was when they did individual work. Despite the strange conditions of the classroom, Easley said Huntsinger adjusted well.

“Mrs. Huntsinger has been teaching forever, and she’s great at it,” she said. “I’m pretty sure she could teach outside in a tornado, and still have her kids pass the test.”

After moving into her new classroom, Huntsinger planned to give students time to work on their labs.

Photo by Katherine Williams

CAFETERIA

WHEN NOT BEING USED for lunch or breakfast, the cafe-

teria made for a challenging classroom space.

The area housed multiple classes each hour with no walls separating them and whiteboards on wheels. Noise was especially a problem during sixth hour, directly after lunch.

“They put all the tables up and the chairs and they stack them really loudly,” junior Erin Doyle said. “Then they wipe everything down, and then they sweep, and they have a machine that cleans the floors. And then after that, they uncollapse the tables and unslam the chairs back down. It’s really loud.”

The noise was so loud that teacher Susie Micka decided she would rather teach without tables and used the hallway outside of Student Services.

Photo by Alex Lane

GYM BALCONY

“It’s just part of being a good team player, you know. And it’s not permanent, and hopefully we’ll be moving into a permanent really cool classroom here in a week.”

—Adam Green, health teacher

CONFERENCE ROOMS

“It’s actually kind of nice.

The chairs are nice. And there’s only like four of us in here.”

—Linc Lechtenberg, junior PAGE DESIGN RILEY UNEKIS SEPT. 25, 2019

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THE BUDGET NEWS

NEW YEAR, NEW ROOMS Newly opened classrooms pose challenges, rewards

BY ZORA LOTTON-BARKER & CUYLER DUNN STAFF WRITER

N

ew classrooms have started to change the ways students can learn and to help teachers be more effective.

On Sept. 11, students gained access to 36 classrooms that had been constructed — both during the summer and the first three weeks of school — as part of phase one of Lawrence High’s seven-phase renovation.

The new classrooms have new features designed by architecture firm Gould Evans.

“THERE’S “It will be a state of the art classroom,” said CJ A REALLY Armstrong, an associate at POSITIVE BUZZ. Gould Evans. “There will be all new furniture that gives IT’S A GOOD students some flexibility in ENERGY I how they want to learn and how they want to set up their FEEL.” classroom to best suit, wheth—Jeff Lyster, teacher er it’s group work, individual work, etc. All the technology will all be streamed, and it will all go to an Apple TV.” The new classrooms, along with new technology, were an upgrade when it came to lighting and structure.

“The rooms are going to have access to natural daylight,” Armstong said. “All the rooms have new lighting systems that are adjustable so that given the light levels throughout the day you can kind of vary it for what’s needed. They’ll have new interior walls, new paint, new ceilings and new carpets. Students are going to be walking into a brand new experience.”

Social Studies teacher Jeff Lyster could feel the energy as he helped lost students find their classes on the first day in the new space.

“Students haven’t had that much trouble,” Lyster said. “There’s a really positive buzz. It’s good energy I feel.”

French teacher Megan Hurt said she liked the new break out rooms off the hallway filled

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SEPT. 25, 2019 PAGE DESIGN BY SAMI TURNER

with World Languages classes.

“They are so nice for group work, conferences,” Hurt said. “They could be used more if they had interior doors or shades for privacy.”

Ceramics and jewelry teacher Deena Amont will have two classrooms when construction is over.

“One of the things that I’m most excited about the new space is that it allows the jewelry classes and the ceramics classes to be in their own separate spaces,” Amont said. “Up until last year, those two classes were taught in a combined room and those two classes don’t really work very well in the same space. There is a lot of conflicting materials. In ceramics we use a lot of water and clay, and in jewelry we use a lot of technology.”

Amont is one of her spaces with Environmental Science teacher Lisa Ball until Ball can move to her permanent space.

“I’m super excited to have a separated and more dedicated space now,” Amont said. “For this year, because of the high demand of space I’m only teaching ceramics in the ceramics room and then next semester when Ms. Ball moves to her permanent location I’ll be able to teach jewelry in this classroom. It’s kind of negative for students because a lot of my advanced students like to take advanced jewelry or advanced ceramics every semester, and this year they won’t be able to do that. In the long run, it will be worth it though.”

Teachers and staff worked to make the transition as efficient as possible after spending the first three weeks in temporary spaces.

“It will be a new learning curve, but we will get through it,” Principal Cynthia Johnson said during morning announcements on the day the new space opened.

FRESH SPACE — Framed by a new window, junior Joohye Oh focuses on her computer in one of the new classrooms on the south end of the building. Oh has two classes in the newly remodeled space in the school.

“Mostly I really like the new additions,” Oh said. “Some of the really expansive windows are nice, but I don’t like the fact that some of the doors are windows as well.”

PHOTO BY KATIE WILLIAMS

NEWS THE BUDGET

TAKE A LOOK AT RENOVATED SPACES

SCIENCE ROOMS

Most of the sciences rooms on the first floor were remodeled.

SECOND FLOOR

WORLD LANGUAGES

Rooms on the south end of the second Formerly in the annex, foreign language floor opened, including some history and rooms now sit just north of the soccer English rooms and the debate room. field in a newly renovated space.

PHOTOS BY KATIE WILLIAMS

INNOVATION CORRIDOR

Many CTE and art classes received a new home in what will become a main hallway leading to the front of LHS.

PAGE DESIGN SAMI TURNER SEPT. 25, 2019

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THE BUDGET NEWS

GONE MISSING Items thrown away due to lapses in district furniture policy

BY ZORA LOTTONBARKER

NEWS EDITOR

B

oth Lawrence High and Free State teachers struggled to find furniture at the start of the school year.

School district policy states that when it purchases new furniture, items being replaced are hauled to a warehouse to be evaluated and based on the condition, they may be reused elsewhere in the district, sold via an online auction, donated or recycled.

Yet, nearby residents could watch a steady stream of items disposed of outside LHS. Shawn Daughtery, who lives across the street from Lawrence High, report-

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ed seeing furniture being put into the dumpster all summer.

“I observed cabinetry, bookshelves, various woodwork pieces being carted off in personal vehicles as well as being dumped in large dumpsters — the type of dumpsters salvage companies use,” Daughtery said. “I’m sure the salvage company has a contract with the school district that allows them to do whatever they want with all of this. However, some of the furniture seemed intact prior to being dumped. It seemed a waste.”

USD 497 sent usable items the district no longer needed, including tables, desks and chairs, to an online sale or for donation to Habitat for Humanity and Peaslee Tech, according to Julie Boyle, the executive director of communications.

“Items that could not be reused,

SEPT. 25, 2019 PAGE DESIGN BY SAMI TURNER

especially if there were safety concerns with their condition, were recycled,” she said.

Despite this, several teachers report usable furniture being tossed.

Laurie Folsom, the journalism teacher at Free State High School, was walking into school in August when she found her classroom tables broken into pieces and shoved in a dumpster.

The tables had been bought by the district brand-new four years ago.

“They had been broken apart, and instead of disassembling them and using them elsewhere in the district or in the building, they had literally been broken apart in order to fit in the dumpster,” said Folsom, who is also president of the Lawrence Education Association.

Folsom recalled that the architect who designed the space estimated that

NEWS THE BUDGET TEMPORARY — Designing a newspaper page, sophomore Elijah Paden sits near a make-shift bookshelf in Barbara Tholen’s classroom.

Because a large library bookshelf was thrown away during the move, Tholen is now using temporary bookshelves as replacements until she moves into her final room in two years.

PHOTO BY KATIE WILLIAMS

each of the four tables cost $3,000.

“I’m just frustrated,” Folsom said. “I don’t understand that level of waste, and for it to happen in this one situation I am aware of, it could have been extrapolated to any building in the district. Every one of our buildings in the district has been touched by renovation in some way. If we have wasted $12,000 in one situation I know about, then how much are we wasting elsewhere?”

Not only have tables, and other furniture been thrown away, but greenhouses as well.

During recent rounds of construction, two greenhouses were removed at Free State. A new greenhouse was placed in a new location. Free State Advanced Placement Environmental Science teacher Julie Schwarting was told that the larger of the two greenhouses was given away in the summer of 2018.

“The ultimate fate of the large greenhouse is unknown, but I was told by a Free State parent that an individual from the community happened to be driving by as a crew was dismantling the greenhouse and that person asked if they could have it,” she said. “Apparently the greenhouse was given to them on the condition that they haul it off.”

At Lawrence High, journalism teacher Barbara Tholen reported losing a bookshelf and desk that she marked to stay.

“Last year, when we were getting ready for the move, I knew that the new space was going to be a lot smaller than what I had, which was pretty big,” Tholen said. “I had a lot of stuff and I knew that I wasn’t going to be able to keep all of it. I really thought a lot about what I wanted that new space to look like and what I needed to keep.”

She planned to have a large bookshelf, like those in the school library, moved to her room in the Butler Building.

“So, then I’m moving in, and you are kind of hunting down your furniture in this big room, and I was hunting for a long time and I could not find my bookshelf,” Tholen said. “It was really, really

frustrating because that’s what I was going to put everything on.”

Tholen asked district workers if they knew where her bookshelf could be and was told that it had probably gone.

“I spent all of this time hunting that day, and I finally ended up talking to someone from the district — one of the people who would have been part of moving stuff initially,” Tholen said. “I said ‘OK, well is it possible that this is still sitting over in the district warehouse?’ and I described it, and they said, ‘Oh, that probably got dumped out of the back of a truck.’ That was really disappointing for me because I had other things that I could have labeled for them to move, but I was told, ‘Only label what you really need.’ ” The library bookshelf wasn’t the only piece of furniture that Tholen lost in the move either.

“I’ve had other things that have gone missing, too,” Tholen said. “My desk has still never shown up, along with other stuff that I had. These were all things that I labeled. I mean, I labeled every single chair that I had to have moved. I don’t know what’s happened to a lot of that stuff. The worst part is that bookshelf.”

AP Environmental teacher and Advanced Biology teacher Lisa Ball lost several pieces of furniture as well.

“I don’t know what happened to all of the furniture but I did see a few pieces for sale at the ReStore shop this summer,” Ball said. “I never got some of my filing cabinets back. I just wish that the architects would have taken more time to talk to teachers about what types of furniture are most functional for the classes they teach. I am not a fan of the [new] teacher desks, which are actually just tables with a small two drawer cabinet. This is the only locking space I have in my classroom right now, and it is very small.”

When asked about the furniture policy after having heard about these specific incidents, Boyle reiterated that the district had no knowledge of furniture being thrown out.

“None of the concerns that you have shared in your email have been reported to district personnel involved with packing, moving and storing furniture,” Boyle said. “If a teacher witnesses a district employee violating board policy, they should report it to their supervisor for investigation.”

SAVED

FROM THE

DUMP

While teachers reported some items as missing, the district shared specific examples of items that were donated or sold.

Here’s a look:

ITEMS DONATED TO HABITAT FOR HUMANITY 1,099 student desks 21 rectangle tables 20 2-foot by 2-foot desks 105 rolling office chairs 300 hard plastic chairs

ITEMS DONATED TO PEASLEE TECH Donated 20 tables for the welding program.

Some furniture (about 350 desks) was stored and returned to LHS to furnish temporary classrooms.

$

Some items are being sold on Purplewave.com.

Source: USD 497

PAGE DESIGN SAMI TURNER SEPT. 25, 2019

13

THE BUDGET FEATURES

FEATURES

NEW IN T WN Meet Lawrence High School’s new faculty members

REPORTING BY SAMI TURNER, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

DATA COLLECTED FROM A SURVEY OF 17 NEW FACULTY MEMBERS

2019 NEW FACULTY PROFILE

186+

Collective years of teaching

1

17

1st-year teacher

80% FROM KANSAS

ENGLISH

LAWRENCE 50%

Top favorite class in high school

Total new faculty members

SPECIAL EDUCATION 11.8%

SCIENCE 11.8%

OTHER 23.5%

MATH 11.8%

HISTORY 5.9%

ENGLISH 11.8%

CAREER & TECH ED 23.5%

NEW FACULTY BY DEPARTMENT

FUN TEACHING MEMORY BEN JOHNSON

SPECIAL EDUCATION “I worked with a student in the autism cluster site who enjoyed dancing.

During her breaks, we would create a dance routine and practice in the small gym. It has many mirrors, so she could watch herself doing different moves, and her goal was to memorize as many as she could. Her memory was very good, and we would also make actions or dances to associate words with their definitions in plant and animal science. It worked very well.”

14

SEPT. 25, 2019 PAGE DESIGN BY SAMI TURNER

ALTAMONT 14% OTHER 35%

ROSEMARY HOMEYER HISTORY

“I turned my classroom into a boat, dressed up like George Washington and made students cross the Delaware while answering questions!”

CRAIG RUIS FISHER THEATER

“The first show I worked on with students at my last school was so much fun that I was having a blast teaching some choreography and wasn’t paying attention and fell right off the edge of the stage. In front of 75 students.”

JUSTIN FAIRCHILD

BIOLOGY & CHEMISTRY FIRST IMPRESSION OF LHS

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY The Art Effect’s Art Institute

“I was impressed by the resilience of the students and staff as they navigated the construction situation during the first weeks of school.”

TODD POTEET

FINE ARTS & CTE WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO LHS?

COLUMBUS, GA Hardaway High School

“I graduated from LHS, and it was a great experience. I wanted to come back to the place my art career started and work with students interested in the arts.”

CHICAGO, IL Riverside-Brookfield High School & Downers Grove North High School

KIRSTEN RUSINAK

LIBRARY/MEDIA WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO LHS?

ALTAMONT, KS Labette County High School

JULIE OSWALD

ALGEBRA & GEOMETRY FIRST IMPRESSION OF LHS

“Every teacher, administrator or staff member at LHS has been so kind and inviting. From day one, I felt like I was part of this family. The kindness from every team member has been incredible.

I also have felt so valued and supported by administration.”

“I decided to work at LHS because I was excited to return to the high school realm, was drawn to the prospect of participating in the LMC [library media center] redesign process, saw the opportunity to gain experience in an Apple-based district, and liked the idea of residing in the town where I teach. Lawrence, Kansas, and Lawrence High School are both very special places.”

LAWRENCE HIGH GRADS

EVE CUMMINS CLASS OF 1989

AMY BROWN CLASS OF 1993

TODD POTEET

CLASS OF 1989

LEAH HENRY

CLASS OF 1997

PAGE DESIGN SAMI TURNER SEPT. 25, 2019

15

THE BUDGET FEATURES

, y e H , ‘Hey ’ J a m it’s Ma

New principal leads with energy, engagement, ‘P.O.W.E.R.’

BY MERIEL SALISBURY

I

FEATURES EDITOR

nterim principal Cynthia Johnson routinely goes by two names at Lawrence High School: Dr. Johnson and Mama J. The nickname was given to her by students 33 years ago and quickly caught on at LHS. “They said, ‘You take such good care of us, you’re like our mama, so we’re going to call you Mama J,’ ” Johnson said.

“So here I am, still Mama J today.”

The student body quickly discovered that Johnson’s leadership style is different from what LHS has recently seen. Johnson is routinely in the hallways singing into a megaphone during passing periods. She checks in with students in the cafeteria and passes out ponchos on rainy days. On the announcements, she regularly tells students they are loved.

Johnson has also established clear communication between herself, Student Council and the LHS community.

“I am advocating for many different things, whatever is best for students… if it’s good for children, then that’s what I’m willing to do,” Johnson said.

Johnson’s career in education began with teaching speech, debate and drama.

She has also served as a principal for elementary and middle schools, a leadership coach, district-wide project leader, adjunct professor, director of alternative certifications and spent the past 26 years being a national consultant for school districts across the country.

Johnson’s greatest passion is school connectedness.

“School connectedness is a technical terminology for building relationships and the power that building relationships have in transforming schools into villages,” Johnson said.

As a seventh grader in Warrensburg, Mo., Johnson experienced the power

16

a caring teacher can interim status, assistant provide. principal Margene BroTHE POWER “I had one teacher Interim Principal Cynthia Johnson has hammer said Johnson’s that looked at me and pushed students and teachers to have impact will last. didn’t worry about all “Would you forget a “P.O.W.E.R.” with the word representing the things that were high school administrator different acronyms. going on in my life: that who sang? Would you forFor teachers, she said, [the acronym] I was a child of poverty, get a high school adminis“is important because every single that I stuttered, that I trator who practiced with student needs to be lifted. We have to was in special classes, the cheerleaders? Who connect with students and help prepare that I couldn’t read very hung out with the flag them for the future. The P stands for well,” Johnson said. “He core?” Brohammer asked. people, the O stands for optimism, wasn’t worried about “I know that she has a lot the W stands for work, the E stands that. He involved me in of talents. Lawrence High for empathy, and the R stands for speech and drama and would be a great spot for relationships.” ...took me to competiher. It is a great spot for For students, “P stands for plan, tions, and in that first her.” competition, I won first because you have to plan for the goals Johnson hopes to you want to achieve in life, the O stands serve as a reminder of place.” for observe, observe positive role The actions of this what hard work and models and add those characteristics teacher allowed Johneducation can bring. son to continue speech to your list, the W stands for work, the “I want to be a E stands for educate and the R stands living example of what is and drama competifor recalculate your route when you get possible when you work tions throughout high off track.” school and college — really, really hard… I was two piers of education very poor. Eight and nine she was told as a child years old, digging in the she would never complete. dumps,” she said. “A lot of people doubt“I did that not to prove anybody ed me. A lot of people told me that I wrong but to prove to myself that I wouldn’t do it, and I couldn’t do it. But don’t have to live down to what people here I am today still living the dream believed in me,” she said. “I can live up that I had, not somebody else’s words to what I believe in myself.” that they thought about me.”

Senior Frances Williams has noticed Johnson said she wants students to a change in the attitudes of her teachers. have dreams, too. That’s why, she said, “Just coming in on the first day you she regularly tells students they are loved could tell teacher moral was already over the intercom. boosted with her being her over the “I want to make sure that you hear summer,” Williams said. that because that’s exactly how I feel and Johnson’s leadership is exciting to that’s how we feel about the students Williams as well. that walk down these halls,” she said.

“I think a lot of the seniors… are PRINCI-PAL — At the Club Fair on Aug. 26, pretty amped about it… because this is senior Megan Drumm gives interim principal our first principal that we’ve had in our Cynthia Johnson a pin reading “You put the pal school careers that’s actually been more in principal.” Drumm got the pin on a visit to the hands on,” Williams said.

Herff Jones yearbook plant earlier that day. “I Although Johnson’s long-term future saw the pin and immediately thought of Mama J,” at LHS is unknown because of her

SEPT. 25, 2019 PAGE DESIGN BY RILEY UNEKIS

Drumm said. PHOTO BY ARI WILKE

FEATURES THE BUDGET

DO YOU FEEL THE P.O.W.E.R?

REPORTING BY ELYSSA HANCOCK

Students and faculty share what P.O.W.E.R means to them

CHRISTINE COURSEN math teacher “What power means to me… ‘P’ stands for people, ‘O’ stands for optimism, ‘W’ stands for work, ‘E’ stands for empathy, and ‘R’ stands for relationships. And that is all the components of what it takes to make a school successful and a building feels like it’s all working together.”

EMMA-FRANCES SMITH junior “I feel the power and what it means to me. I think she brought a whole new environment into our school, and it just makes it like so much more of a better environment and much more of a happy and exciting environment. Just like makes you feel empowered.”

Rose Hicks, senior

Maddock Oberzan, freshman

“What power means to me is to have an inviting space for everyone because a lot of this stuff is for other people and making it comfortable for everyone. And just spreading my power to other people, and I really like the power.”

“I think that it is a good way for her to get students to come together as a whole.”

PAGE DESIGN RILEY UNEKIS SEPT. 25, 2019

17

TIK TOK ST RS

THE BUDGET FEATURES

Students embrace new social media platform

REPORTING BY RILEY UNEKIS, DESIGN EDITOR

Sarah Derby, sophomore @sahraaha.d 34 followers

WHAT IS YOUR TIK TOK STYLE?

“Anything trendy and dance.”

ARE YOUR PARENTS SUPPORTIVE OF YOUR TIK TOK CAREER?

“My mom wants me to be cautious of what I put online because colleges can see it and not give you a scholarship.”

WHERE DO YOU DRAW YOUR INSPIRATION FROM?

“Trends and other peoples’ Tik Toks.’ ”

IF YOU COULD HAVE A SPONSOR, WHO WOULD IT BE AND WHY?

“Adidas or Nike, so I can get some good outfits.”

WHAT’S YOUR LEAST FAVORITE TIK TOK TREND?

“Some threads are used so much they get annoying.”

Caroline Dunlap, junior @yungglutenfreegravy 330 followers

WHAT IS YOUR TIK TOK STYLE?

“I like to pretend like it’s Vine and be funny.”

ARE YOUR PARENTS SUPPORTIVE OF YOUR TIK TOK CAREER?

“Yes, they don’t follow me, but I show them and they laugh.”

WHERE DO YOU DRAW YOUR INSPIRATION FROM?

“Life.”

IF YOU COULD HAVE A SPONSOR WHO WOULD IT BE AND WHY?

“Probably Walgreen’s.”

@Poopie.Particlez 99 followers

WHAT IS YOUR TIK TOK STYLE?

“Random and dance.”

ARE YOUR PARENTS SUPPORTIVE OF YOUR TIK TOK CAREER?

“My parents don’t care and they just don’t get it. They would just give me a pity laugh and think I am crazy.”

WHERE DO YOU DRAW YOUR INSPIRATION FROM?

“Other peoples’ videos and random stuff.”

IF YOU COULD HAVE A SPONSOR WHO WOULD IT BE AND WHY?

WHAT’S YOUR LEAST FAVORITE TIK TOK TREND?

“USD 497, I am going to build it up.”

A MESSAGE TO YOUR FANS

WHAT’S YOUR LEAST FAVORITE TIK TOK TREND?

“E boys.”

“Appreciate art when you see it.”

A MESSAGE TO YOUR FANS

“Stay positive.”

18

Haven Rethman, senior

SEPT. 25, 2019 PAGE DESIGN BY RILEY UNEKIS

“Pepa, I like the original but don’t like the spin offs.”

A MESSAGE TO YOUR FANS

“Follow me!”

FEATURES THE BUDGET

RADICAL HOMECOMING Meet the 2019 Homecoming Court REPORTING BY: SAMI TURNER PHOTOS BY: KATIE WILLIAMS

ABIGAIL AFFUL

BANNER WILLIAMS

WHAT RETRO VIDEO GAME CHARACTER WOULD YOU BE AND WHY?

WHAT WOULD YOUR FIRST ACTION AS A SCHOOL MONARCH BE?

“Pac-Man ‘cause what’s more relatable than running away from people to be alone and eat.”

“Give power back to my queen, Mama J.”

WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN 10 YEARS? “Getting my restricted license.”

JAYLYNN COLUMBUS WITT HENRY DE O YOU WHERE DRSELF IN 10 U O Y SEE S Y E A R S? -time LH

er 10 “First evoming Royalty.”

Homec

KATIE WILLIAMS WHAT WOULD YOUR FIRST ACTION AS A SCHOOL MONARCH BE? “Put bathrooms in the Butler Building for Barb Tholen.”

ER ALLIE GRAMM

JJ SMITH

WHAT RETRO VIDEO GAME CHARACTER WOULD YOU BE AND WHY?

SH ION WHAT ’80S FA U WANT TREND DO YOCK? TO BRING BA e s. Middl “Neon Color ed school me triback to bring this one but oddly no followed.”

a full “Make luncht vending pu d an ur ho the hall but machines in all free.” em th e ak m

BRYCE SMITH WHAT 80S FASHION TREND DO YOU WANT TO BRI NG BACK?

“Fanny packs– hopefully I’m “Yoshi cause he is cute, successfully doing this” and I like his tongue and he never fails me in Mario Kart or Smash Bros.”

NO TREVOR ARELLA

YOUR WHAT WOULD AS A FI RST ACTIONNARCH SCHOOL MO BE?

MATTEO KALUSHA-AGUIRRE WHAT WOULD YOUR FIRST ACTION AS A SCHOOL MONARCH BE?

“More spinach at lunch. I want it on every pizza, and I want it to replace lettuce. Spinach is just a superior leaf. It’s denser, tastes less like dirt and doesn’t wilt as quickly.”

HAVEN RETHMAN WHAT WOULD YOUR FIRST ACTION AS A SCHOOL MONARCH BE? “My first action would be to unblock Netfilx on the school laptops.”

SAMI TURNER WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN 10 YEARS? “Depends on how quick climate change gets us.”

PAGE DESIGN RILEY UNEKIS SEPT. 25, 2019

19

THE BUDGET SPORTS

SPORTS

FALL SPORTS

An inside look at this year’s fall sports as they kick off VOLLEYBALL

GIRLS GOLF

GYMNASTICS

BOYS SOCCER

ASJAH HARRIS

JOSIE ABERNATHY

REECE WOHLFORD

MATTEO KALUSHA-AGUIRRE

Photo by Katie Williams

WHAT IS YOUR GOTO HYPE SONG ON GAME DAYS? WHAT QUOTE INSPIRES YOU TO PLAY WELL?

WHAT’S YOUR PREGAME RITUAL?

WHAT’S ONE THING THAT EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE TEAM? WHAT IS ONE EVENT THAT NO ONE CAN MISS?

20

“How You Feel (freestyle)”

by DJ Scheme

Photo by Elyzebeth Workman “Take Me Home, Country Roads”

by John Denver

Photo by Carly Cooper

“Under Pressure”

by Queen

“My coach always says, ‘You don’t have to be perfect, just be good.’”

“I probably have to remember to slow down in between my swings.”

“Kat, [our coach], always tells us that the Lawrence team is the team to beat.”

“As a team we do a dance circle before we play.”

“Normally we go to Goodcents. That’s like our thing. We have our goals for what we are going to shoot that day.”

“I need to eat as much sugar as possible, like Gatorade chews and Pixy Stix and stuff.”

“We have hustle.”

“For us, it is definitely the Free State game.”

“Our team is awesome, and we’ve got freshman coming up.”

“We are trying to send a lot of people to regionals and qualify as a team.”

SEPT. 25, 2019 PAGE DESIGN BY RILEY UNEKIS

“We are all progressing at a crazy speed, and we’re going to get really high skills really fast.”

“State, if you can make it.”

Photo by Cam Bohmann “Black Skinhead”

by Kanye West

“Give everything.”

“Hydrate and take a nap.”

“About half of the team is returning even though they’re not seniors, and we’re high-key going to kick butt this year. High key.”

“Free State versus LHS. That’s it. That’s the one. We are going to clap their cheeks this year.”

SPORTS THE BUDGET

SPOTLIGHT REPORTING BY HENRY DEWITT

FOOTBALL

GIRLS TENNIS

BOYS CROSS COUNTRY

GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY

UNIFIED SPORTS

DESHON LEWIS

LANA CHIEU

CONNOR BEWLEY

SOPHIE DEWITT

AJ SANDERS

Photo by Carly Cooper “Hot”

by Young Thug

Photo by Katie Williams

Photo by Katie Williams

Photo by Katie Williams

“Pretty Girl Rock”

by Keri Hilson

“I kind of go for songs that have a lot of beat to it.”

“Usually we play throwback songs from the 2000s.”

“A big one our coach always says is, ‘Catch, come alive.’”

“...‘One point at a time’ because you can’t change the past, but you can focus on every point that you’re in...”

“Maybe quote some songs that have powerful lyrics.”

“Crush it, don’t kill it by Kyle, [Morgison, the assistant coach).”

“I normally run out the banner really slow. I’m normally the last one out.”

“I always have to warm up for a really long time or I suck at my first match.”

“Obviously a team huddle and getting each other hyped up. Maybe having a breakdown.”

“I have to have Koster (Coach Laura Brensing) roll out my calves every time as hard as she can.”

“I think everybody gets along together.

Instead of being cliquish, everyone talks to each other.”

“We are willing to go the extra mile. We are willing to really compete this year.”

“That we are going to be really freaking good, and we have a lot of talent.”

“Our duel against Bonner Springs.”

“Definitely Rim Rock.

No one can miss Rim Rock.”

“Seaman because everyone PRs.”

“Just that we work really hard.”

“Free State game.”

Photo by Carly Cooper “Boyfriend”

by Big Time Rush “ ‘You miss 100 percent of the shots that you don’t take.’ —Wayne Gretzky’ —Michael Scott.”

“Team layups and passing.”

“That we are IPS!”

“Pack the House.”

PAGE DESIGN RILEY UNEKIS SEPT. 25, 2019

21

THE BUDGET SPORTS

COME BACK SEASON

SPORTSMANSHIP — Senior Bryce Smith high fives teammate while doing drills at practice. Smith returned to the team after taking a break from the sport since his freshman year.

“Everyone was very supportive and helpful,” Smith said. “They helped me learn new lifts and push myself to get my body in shape for the season.

[They] pushed me to make me better than I thought I could be.”

PHOTO BY KATIE WILLIAMS HUSTLE— Tight end Bryce Smith jogs during a drill at practice.

PHOTO BY KATIE WILLIAMS

22

SEPT. 25, 2019 PAGE DESIGN BY SAMI TURNER

Senior tight end makes varsity after two-year football hiatus

BY HENRY DEWITT

B

SPORTS EDITOR

ryce Smith does it all. Tennis. Link Crew. The student body co-president. Anything to be involved.

Whether it is running a pep assembly or leading the student section, he is sure to make his presence known.

Last year as a junior, Smith watched from the student section, disappointed that the football team lost another game. He realized there was no point in yelling from the sidelines.

The only way he could actually have an impact on the team was to lace up his cleats, strap on the pads and take the field.

“I was frustrated with losing a lot,” Smith said. “I could potentially do something.”

After all, how hard could it be?

In third grade, Smith decided to bring his favorite video game, Madden, to life by joining the Gorillas, a youth football team in Lawrence, where he played mostly offensive line.

He was disappointed to find out that playing offensive line was not anything like Madden, but he still had fun playing with his friends.

After playing all the way through middle school, Smith joined the LHS freshman football team. At the beginning of the season, he played almost every down. Offensive line. Tight end.

Even getting reps on defense. Late in the season, Smith missed a game with the flu and did not play the rest of the year.

His heart was not in it like it used to be. Day after day of the same thing tired him out. He was done. Seven years of football ended after his freshman year.

The tennis season began in the spring, a sport that he had played throughout middle school. Now, after

quitting football, this would be his make varsity as tight end. Ultimately, main sport. that was his end goal.

Sophomore and junior year he When the season started, Smith played exclusively tennis. While he was named starting tight end. But loved the sport itself, something was Smith knew as well as anyone that his missing. work coming back was far from over.

His whole life he had done sports “He’s putting in extra time and to be part of a team. Win and lose as a effort in trying to learn the scheme team. Work as a team. Do everything again,” offensive line and tight ends as a team. However, the team mencoach Benjamin Ehret said. tality that Smith possessed was lost in Coach Ehret has high hopes for the tennis, an individual sport. offensive line. And Smith brings the From the student section of anothenergy that the team may have needed er home football loss, Smith realized last year. that he missed it. He missed the game.

“Bryce Smith is a spark plug,” MeyHe missed the work. Most of all, he er said. “Bryce is always able to pick us missed the brotherhood that a team up and get practice going.” sport brings. He decided it was time The work that Smith put in paid for a comeback. off. In just his second game back on His freshman year, he lacked a the field, the Lions played the Shawnee drive, only occasionally going to preMission East Lancers. With time season football workouts. winding down in the first half, the If he was going to make this comeLions found themselves on the fourback successful, he was going to have yard line. A touchdown would put the to put in the work. Hard Lions two possessions work. ahead.

“IT’S NOT ABOUT Every morning, he The ball is snapped. forced himself to go to the ME, I WANT TO BE Junior quarterback preseason workouts. Every Jackson Dooley under single one. Lifting weights THE BEST I CAN pressure. He throws it for the first time in his life. FOR THE TEAM.” up. The ball is caught He struggled. But he never —BRYCE SMITH, SENIOR by none other than stopped. number 84 Bryce Smith.

In just his second week Touchdown. of training, he strapped up his pads for The Lions would go on to beat the the first time in three years to do a full Lancers. Smith wanted to help the contact football workout at KU. team more than yelling from the side“He was rusty,” right tackle Drew lines. With a touchdown reception in Meyer said of Smith’s first practice, a victory, that wish became a reality. where he got most reps as a right tackBut Smith knows as well as any his le. After practice, Smith was asked role on the team. to stick around and block for the JV “It’s not about me,” Smith said. workout session.

“I want to be the best I can for the “It was humbling,” Smith said, team.”

“That’s embarrassing, a senior playing with JV.” NUMBER 84— Senior Bryce Smith observes He wanted more than JV, making from the sideline while the defense runs their sure that everyday he got better, hopedrill. “My expectations this year are to work fully making varsity. hard, get better as a team, win games, and After months of tireless work, he have fun,” Smith said. realized that he had a good shot to PHOTO BY KATIE WILLIAMS

THE BUDGET SPORTS

FIRST IN KANSAS With more than 100 state victories, Lions named top athletic program in state

L

awrence High School was ranked No. 1 in the state for its athletics programs.

The Lions currently have the most state titles in Kansas and one of the highest totals in the United States, which caught the attention of national media when Stadium Talk ranked LHS as the best athletics program in Kansas.

This isn’t the first time LHS has gained national attention. In 2008, Sports Illustrated named Lawrence High as the best athletic program in the state, and also in 2008 Lawrence was a finalist for ESPN’s “Titletown USA.” “That was one of the reasons I came to Lawrence High last year,” Athletic Director John Hilton said. “The great history, pride and tradition that this high school has.”

Hilton has only been at LHS for one year but knew about Lawrence’s rich history for its athletic programs in the community long before he came to Lawrence.

“The community has forever evolved around Lawrence High and Lawrence High athletic programs,” Hilton said.

“We have great support from the city, the alumni are very passionate about Lawrence High and all of our programs.

That’s what attracted me. It was important to me to come some place that had a tradition where the community understood how important athletics and activities were a part of the high school experience, and I’m lucky to be apart of it.”

Coaches appreciate the ability to represent Lawrence High.

“It is awesome to be a part of Lawrence High School as a teacher and a coach,” Jack Hood said.

Hood led the girls’ track team to back-to-back state titles and received a coach of the year award. He knows the pressures faced by students and staff to achieve athletically and academically.

“The expectations for student success, in all areas — not just sports — is tremendous,” Hood said. “The banners with 111 state titles make the expectation for the sports teams clear.

Other programs display their trophies or examples of student awards and that certainly sets a clear expectation for those programs and the school.”

Along with facing these pressures, Hood has seen what can make students succeed at the highest level on the track, field, court and in the classroom.

“We do not lower our expectations, we try and lift every student to be the best that they can,” Hood said. “When that is your building expectation, it becomes your program’s culture.”

Junior Aubrey Fischer said being part of the state championship swim team last year had a positive impact on her.

“I think it’s mostly because it’s been a long time since we’ve won at state, so it was more about getting to that point where we had enough people to get there,” Fischer said.

She stressed the importance of work-

LHS ATHLETICS HISTORY 1857

1914

1919

1956 - 1960

1960

1964 - 1974

Lawrence High established

First state title (boys basketball)

First state football title

5 straight football titles

High school football national championship

11 straight boys gymnastics state titles

24

SEPT. 25, 2019 PAGE DESIGN BY KATE TILGHAM

SPORTS THE BUDGET

QUICK TAKE

Football 27 state titles

Boys Gymnastics 21 state titles

Volleyball 16 state titles ing with teammates.

“A lot of it is just knowing what you’re putting into the team and watching what you’re doing matter and being there for each other,” Fischer said.

Fischer is excited for this year but is not letting last year’s success impact her focus for this season.

“We’ve lost a lot of our seniors so hopefully we can still place at state,” Fischer said, “but I’m not expecting too much yet.”

Hilton wants LHS to continue to grow and thinks the best way to do this is to continue to involve more students.

“We have a lot of kids involved, but I want to see even more kids getting involved,” Hilton said.

Hilton knows LHS is more than just the

No. 1 athletic school in Kansas. He believes playing and coaching the right way is what LHS athletics have been about for decades.

“I’m proud of how hard our kids compete and how our coaches model appropriate behavior for our fans, students, and for our athletes. I’m proud of the perception that people have of Lawrence High and how we do things the right way.”

LEGACY — In the season opener on Sept. 4, senior Asjah Harris goes up for an attack against Blue Valley Northwest. In 2018, the Lions were state champions, adding another banner to the gym wall. “It makes us feel really great,” Harris said about playing under the banners. “It means that we have to play for something bigger than just our team.” The Lions fell 3-0 to BVNW. PHOTO BY CAM BOHMANN

Girls Swimming 7 state titles

Boys and Girls Track and Field 5 state titles each

1975 - 1980

1990 - 1993

1995

2008

2018 - 2019

2019

6 straight volleyball state titles

4 straight football state titles

27th football state title — the most in Kansas

Named top athletics school in Kansas by Sports Illustrated

Back-to-back girls track state titles

LHS wins 111th state title, the most in Kansas

PAGE DESIGN KATE TILGHAM SEPT. 25, 2019

25

THE BUDGET OPINION

OPINION

Why I don’t feel so good about Spider-Man leaving the MCU

BY TONY RACY

STAFF WRITER

A

s soon as a wounded Spider-Man reigned victorious over Dr. Octopus, I was ECSTATIC, leaping high in the air off the couch as if I were Spider-Man. I was only a 7-year-old watching “Spider Man 2” on the living room TV, but the moment stuck with me. Spider-Man was my favorite superhero. In 2016, Sony and Disney came to an agreement to bring Spider-Man into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). I was deeply interested in the MCU because of its complex narrative and gigantic universe that included numerous Marvel characters that we all grew to love. Spider-Man was the perfect character to bring into the MCU. Unfortunately, die-hard Marvel fans, including myself, checked their phones in horror on the afternoon of Aug. 20 as the news articles and text messages informed them that Spider-Man would no longer be part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), a collection of movies that features Marvel superheroes, including Spider-Man, within the same universe. This is due to the recent split and contract dispute between Sony and Marvel that had allowed Sony to share the rights to the character and his solo film to Disney.

In the 1990s, Marvel Studios was forced to declare bankruptcy, selling away its most important franchises including X-Men to Fox and the beloved Spider-Man to Sony. When Disney pur-

26

chased Marvel Studios, it quickly made same time, making him a fan-favorite up for its debt by creating the MCU. among teenagers my age.

Disney used its surplus of revenue to I am appalled at how Disney has regain control over characters’ rights. handled the situation. Spider-Man has They made an agreement with Sony to appeared in five MCU movies that have share the rights to Spider-Man and allow generated almost $8 billion in worldwide him to have two solo films and appear in gross, with Disney receiving most of the as many MCU movies. profits. Yet, Disney believes that they Spider-Man was one of the most are unfairly paying more to create the important characters in the MCU to me. movies. Disney has decided that their As soon as he appeared on screen for corporate profits are more important the first time in “Captain America: Civil than our emotional investment in War,” he established a relationship with Spider-Man. Disney, not Sony, is to be Ironman that created a father-son duo blamed for this situation. neither of them had.

Moving forward, This continued to I believe Disney build until “Avengers: “...WE SHOULD should save the day by Infinity War,” where TAKE THE MOST paying for the entire Ironman was forced movies. “Spiderman: RADICAL APPROACH to watch Spider-Man Homecoming” and AND COMPLETELY die painfully and “Spiderman: Far slowly — one of the Home,” the NATIONALIZE THE MCU... From most emotional two Spiderman solo IT’S TIME TO PUT SPIDER- films in the MCU scenes of the entire MCU. His (tempocost $175 million and MAN BACK IN THE rary) death was the $160 million to make HANDS OF THE PEOPLE.” respectively. The motivation behind Ironman to make the current agreement universe’s biggest sacrifice in “Avengers: has Disney paying for most of the proEndgame,” where he sacrificed himself duction. However, Disney believes that to bring back half of the universe to life, the costs should be shared 50-50. Disney including Spider-Man. is one of the largest corporations on this This cemented Spider-Man as my planet and they believe they can’t afford favorite character within the MCU. He to pay just a little extra. This isn’t even was the sole reason Ironman’s characeconomically smart, as Disney would ter arch was able to be completed. He be losing profits from the movie in the brought emotional depth to the MCU first place, which means they actually that we hadn’t seen before. Spider-Man lose more money without Spiderman in was also hilariously relatable as he was the MCU than they do with the current just an awkward teenager experiencing deal. teenage life and superhero life at the If Disney didn’t want to do this, and

SEPT. 25, 2019 PAGE DESIGN BY MORGAN MARSH

OPINION THE BUDGET

instead wanted to simply end all cooperation with Sony, I believe they should buy the rights to Spider-Man entirely. Sony offered Disney $10 billion for the rights to Spiderman in the early days of the MCU. This would be perfect. We could continue to see Spider-Man in the MCU with no strings attached to Sony.

Disney might not believe these solutions are financially viable. That’s why Disney could raise the stakes with my third solution. Disney could buy all of Sony entirely. Sony has seen declining profits this century, and it would make sense if Disney wanted to buy Sony.

They purchased all of FOX this year and acquired the rights to all of the X-Men characters in the process. Disney could also use this opportunity to expand into the electronics market, giving Disney every economic reason to make this purchase.

There is always the likelihood that the villains at Disney may not act on this crisis. That’s why we should take the most radical approach and completely nationalize the MCU. Capitalism and corporate greed has clearly failed Spider-Man, and it’s time to put Spider-Man back in the hands of the people. If the government were to find a way to legally (or illegally) acquire the Marvel Cinematic Universe, we could put an end to the top 1 percent controlling the fate of the MCU and allow the people’s Spider-Man to flourish without Disney and Sony altogether.

The government would ideally bring back the same people that have been working on the movies so the MCU could still be great.

There is still hope for Spider-Man.

Sony has two more Spider-Man films planned, but without the connections and impact the character has brought to the MCU and himself, it will not be the same. Disney can not neglect our demands. Spider-Man is important to all of this, and I believe Disney needs to take action on the situation now.

Graphic by Arianna Myers-Arenth

PAGE DESIGN BY MORGAN MARSH SEPT. 25, 2019

25

THE BUDGET OPINION

OPINION

GRAPHIC BY ARIANNA MYERS-ARENTH

$ELL, DON’T TRASH District should keep more usable furniture out of the landfill STAFF EDITORIAL

tent, and perfectly good furniture got discarded without any consideration.

Neighbors of LHS saw items dragged to lassroom furniture is expendumpsters. At least one Free State teachsive. er personally saw newer tables from her A classroom set of desks room trashed. and chairs, for This is a huge waste, example, costs not only financially, but about $5,000. Little did you “THE AMOUNT know, the chairs and desks OF PLASTIC AND environmentally as well. The amount of plastic and metal that you see every day cost which are now in the landfill about as much as a new gold METAL WHICH due to lapses in the system is Rolex.

ARE NOW IN devastating.

That’s why district policy Because some furniture calls for old furniture to be THE LANDFILL is being discarded instead of sold unless it is so damaged DUE TO LAPSES the district is losing that it could not possibly be IN THE SYSTEM IS resold, out on what could be a lot repurposed. But this sumDEVASTATING.” of money. This money could mer, a lot of old furniture go to buying new school was thrown away, often supplies so teachers do not times when it was good have to buy their supplies out of pocket, enough to be resold. or to projects that work to improve the Some of the furniture was able to atmosphere at Lawrence High. be salvaged, and was either donated or The current rule in place is perfect: sold, as USD 497 points out. But the Save furniture if it is salvageable, then implementation of policy was inconsis-

C

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SEPT. 25, 2019 PAGE DESIGN BY ELIJAH PADEN

resell or donate it. The standards are not too hard to meet.

While the district policy was enforced during some parts of the construction process, it was not enforced across the board, which allowed for items to go disregarded and things to fall in between the gaps. That needs to change.

It needs to be clear who is enforcing this important policy. It is vital that this policy be implemented as thoroughly as possible, especially because so much money is at stake. The district must implement additional checks and balances to ensure good items don’t wind up in landfills.

This whole issue revolves around saving money and reducing waste. It is hard to comprehend the sheer cost of the school furniture. But at times when a teacher’s desk might be more expensive than their laptop, it costs USD 497 dearly when we don’t pay attention to details.

OPINION THE BUDGET

RETHINKING OUR TRASH School must offer more recycling opportunities for students, faculty

BY NADIA SANBURN

ONLINE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

S

ome days during lunch, I find myself at a dilemma.

I’ll grab a PB&J or some hummus and pita for lunch from the cafeteria if I don’t have time to pack something from home. Unfortunately, those specific meals always come in a plastic container.

I struggle with what to do: Do I take it home to recycle it? Or, do I throw it away, which damages the environment?

Lately, I have been making a considerable and conscious effort to use less plastic, and if I do use it, I try to dispose of it in the most environmentally friendly way possible. It’s hard to stick to that plan at school, when during lunch, there is no other option but a plastic container, and there isn’t a way to recycle it.

LHS should either implement a more effective recycling program or stop using as much plastic in the cafeteria.

My biggest concern is the clamshell packaging used in our cafeteria for serving things like sandwiches, hummus and salads.

Many cities do not recycle the clamshell packages used in our lunchroom, but our city is different. According to the City of Lawrence website,

“Plastic Deli Clamshells” are accepted in the recycling program. Assuming the school uses the city to recycle, this would make it a lot easier — just add the plastic containers to the paper recycling we already have.

According to NPR, the average American goes through more than 250 pounds of plastic every year, with most of it being packaging.

I’ll admit, I’m not perfect, and I’m most likely part of the problem — along with everyone else at LHS. We need to come together as a school to help our environment.

LHS should make recycling convenient and easy for all students to practice this important skill. Recycling bins should be put next to the trash cans in the lunchroom. The convenience factor would still be there, but students would have the option of impacting their carbon footprints by sorting their lunch waste into recycling and trash.

Unless LHS has a plan to use less plastic to package meals, there must be more recycling implemented throughout the school, especially in the cafeteria.

PAGE DESIGN ELIJAH PADEN SEPT. 25, 2019

29

THE BUDGET OPINION

OPINION

FACING CHALLENGES TOGETHER

BY SAMI TURNER

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

O Letter from the editor

30

SEPT. 25, 2019

n the first day of school, our journalism adviser, Barb Tholen, hit me with a dilemma: Do we put out a half issue, 16 pages, or a full 32-page paper?

Because of the delayed school start, our production cycle had been cut in half, but I knew we are not a half-done publication.

We had to produce a full issue.

I would be lying if I said I wasn’t apprehensive. We have a much smaller staff than last year,

and the majority of our members are new. But, throughout the production of this issue, I have observed the resilience of the journalism staff members. Firstyear staff members wrote three stories in the time they would normally have one, students stayed after school each day to get assignments done, and editors put in extra time on the weekends.

This resilience though was definitely not just within our staff, but emulated school wide.

Lawrence High has not been functioning like it normally does. Everything is upside

down. Classes in the hallway, bathrooms on the opposite side of the school, missing furniture and almost every useful website blocked (#ripnetflix).

Despite these challenges, everyone — teachers, students and administrators — have been making it work, together.

Instead of letting our community crumble, the Lawrence High community has used these tough times to build closer bonds. In this issue of The Budget I want to showcase the struggles and strength of our community as we tackled the start to this groundbreaking year.

OPINION THE BUDGET

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 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.

STAFF Benjamin Alan Allgeier, Trevor Arellano,

Cam Bohmann, Ashleigh Nichole, Carly Cooper, Cuyler Dunn, Josefine Graven, Elyssa Hancock, Jon LaRue, Andrew Liebegott, Addie London, Nancy Mai, Morgan Marsh, Caitlin Mooney, Arianna Myers-Arenth, Elijah Paden, Tony Racy, Arien Roman Rojas, Iris Sherron, Kate Tilghman, Ari Wilke, Elyzebeth Workman THE BUDGET NEWSPAPER EDITORS Sami Turner ...................................Editor-in-Chief Katherine Williams ������������������������Photo Editor Riley Unekis ....................................Design Editor Zora Lotton-Barker ������������������������� News Editor Meriel Salisbury......................... Features Editor Alex Stark........................Assistant Photo Editor LHSBUDGET.COM EDITORS

Daniel Davidson ��������������������������Editor-in-Chief Nadia Sanburn �����������������������������Editor-in-Chief Mia Robinson ����������������������������������Video Editor Jackson Yanek �������������������������������Video Editor RED & BLACK YEARBOOK EDITORS Megan Drumm �����������������������������Editor-in-Chief Sophia Kaufman �������������������������Editor-in-Chief McKenna White ������������������������������Photo Editor Alex Lane.........................................Design Editor Kenna McNally........................ Managing Editor JOURNALISM EDITORS Henry DeWitt....................................Sports Editor Nola Levings....................Marketing Manager/ Social Media Editor Barbara Tholen ����������������������������������������Adviser

SEPT. 25, 2019

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PHOTO OF THE MONTH

COACH — Huddled up, former Lion athlete and now Coach Stephanie Scarbrough lays out a game plan for the volleyball team’s upcoming set on Sept. 3. The varsity volleyball team doesn’t have many returners after winning state last year, but Scarbrough said she is excited for the upcoming season with another group of determined athletes. “Each year is a new year, a new group of leaders, and a new family photo to add to the wall,” Scarbrough said.

PHOTO BY CAM BOHMANN