Issue 2, 2024-25 by LHS Budget

IN THIS ISSUE

New safety security system to be implemented in LPS

USD 497 considers new layout for high school boundaries

All-women crew works lights for LHS productions

Disrespect makes high school sports worse for everyone

WE’VE GOT MORE ONLINE

@lhs.budget

OPINION: Abortion rights should be protected

District moves forward with cell phone restrictions

Everyone is going nuts for

New line dancing club has students dancing with spirit

NEEDOH

NeeDoh cubes take the senior and junior classes by storm

BY AUDREY STOCK REPORTER

There is always some fidget keeping high schoolers stimulated, but this year, NeeDoh is the product taking LHS’s upperclassmen by storm.

NeeDoh cubes are sensory fidget toys designed by the cooperation Schylling. NeeDoh is designed both as a fun stimulant and an anxiety reliever.

Fidget trends spread like wildfire, and soon enough many students were obsessed. Senior Giulia Ventello’s love for NeeDohs sparked off of school grounds.

“The craze will probably die down within the next month, but I can see everyone who already has one still using it,” Fowler said. Ventello shares this perspective, but remains optimistic.

“NeeDohs did grow in popularity incredibly quickly, but I feel like it mostly reached the senior class, so maybe once we graduate it will die down,” Ventello said. “That said, I wouldn’t be surprised if it spread to the underclassmen who would be in full support of it.”

“I haven’t taken really good care of mine and it’s still in GREAT SHAPE,” —Violet Meinershagen, junior

“Every time I went to Provi Fowler’s house I found myself desperate to play with her NeeDoh, so I decided I needed to get one for myself,” Ventello said.

However, Fowler thinks they will soon become a fleeting trend.

NeeDoh owner junior Violet Meinershagen has found the product to be an effective stress reliever.

“I haven’t taken really good care of mine and it’s still in great shape. They are really good when I’m anxious,” Meinershagen said.

Ventello believes in the magic of the NeeDoh cube, and encourages anyone interested to get one.

“NeeDohs are a true gift and we would

At Lawrence High, we take pride in excelling in many activities at once. How are so many students so involved in such a wide range of activities? Take a look at us as we go behind the scenes of Lawrence High School. Cover by Wren Jay

be supporting a local business by getting them from The Toy Store — so it’s a win-win,” Ventello said.

Proudly presenting her prized cube, senior Ava Lee shows off her NeeDoh.

Photo by Zana Kennedy

CHECK IT OUT

An extra festive episode of the Lion’s Roar hosted by seniors Bryndal Hoover and Kylee Chee wraps up Room 308 Productions for the 2024 season.

Through journalism rival schools join

FORCES

High school journalism staffs team up for joint issue

BY ZANA KENNEDY

THE BUDGET, CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

There are few opportunities for cross-town rival high schools to team up, but this year, the Lawrence High School and Free State High School journalism pro grams found a way.

In mid-September, The Free Press approached The Budget to create a collaborative issue for the City Showdown Rivalry football game. The issue was designed to have no front or back, equally representing both schools and the unique strengths of each journalism program.

LHS’s side had stories diving deep into the school’s longstanding traditions of pride and accomplishments, while Free State reported on the history of the crosstown rivalry game, specifically.

The process of making this exclusive issue included multiple brainstorming meetings, creating a shared Basecamp drive to organize and monitor the progress of content, and asking staffers to take on extra designs, spreads and stories.

This was a fun but important project

R I V A L R Y

The Budget

Rivalry Issue Oct. 25 2024 | Edition 28

for both schools to show unity is achievable even during the greatest rivalry of the year. The purpose of journalism is to report objective, unbiased news, so how better to achieve that than content from both rival schools in one epic newspaper?

USD 497 introduces new tool for

SAFETY

Lawrence school district makes plans to implement ‘panic buttons’ for staff

BY DELANEY HAASE RED & BLACK, CO-EDITORIN-CHIEF

Lawrence Public Schools teachers now have panic buttons. Thanks to Safe Schools funding provided by the Kansas State Department of Education, USD 497 has purchased products from Centegix, creators of the CrisisAlert Panic Buttons. The buttons, which are portable and often worn on lanyards, are already used by Olathe and some Kansas City schools.

“Building principals and staff were pleased with the system.”

Liberty Memorial Central Middle School was one of six schools in the district that gave the system a trial run.

“They added an extra layer of security, especially in a large building like Central,” Principal Jennifer Schmitt said. “It provides a connection to outside support like law enforcement in situations with a high-level emergency.”

“We were VERY SATISFIED with the pilot in the six buildings last school year.”

—Larry Englebrick

“We were very satisfied with the pilot in the six buildings last school year,” deputy superintendent Larry Englebrick said.

The approval of this system covered an initial cost of $265,600 for the first year, which included shipping, installation, setup and training.

“Funding for this project will be split equally between the Safe Schools Grant and the Facilities and Operations Safety and Security Capital Outlay

Fund, resulting in a district expenditure of $132,800 for the first year,” said Julie Boyle, director of communications for USD 497. “For years two to five, the district will seek the Safe Schools Grant annually to cover 50% of the costs.”

According to Centegix, badges have two alert styles: a staff alert and a campus-wide alert. A staff alert “alerts local responders and administrators immediately of an ‘I need help incident,’ displaying a map showing who needs help and where they’re located on campus.” A campus-wide alert allows staff to “instantly initiate a campus-wide rapid response to emergencies.” This alert goes directly to first responders, activates audio and visual communication across campus, and contacts 911 with location details.

Art teacher Todd Poteet was the first at Lawrence High to use the button for a safety concern.

“There was a commotion in the hallway, and when I looked out through my glass doors, I saw that a bunch of students were filming something, so I stepped out,” Poteet said. “There was an altercation going on between two students so I pressed the button to get help.”

When the button is pressed, administrators are notified with the teacher’s location in real time, rather than the location where the button was initially pressed, which aids security’s ability to respond efficiently to an alert.

“There was an altercation I was involved in breaking up and the students were actually moving down the hallway while I was trying to keep them apart. If I would’ve called from my

room, we were no longer there,” Poteet said.

Along with the panic buttons, other safety features have been included with the CrisisAlert plan. Flashing strobe lights will be placed in hallways, classrooms and other areas to prompt a visual lockdown cue, an intercom communication through the system as soon as a button is pushed in specific situations, and the ability for district devices to display a lockdown alert on their screens.

“There is no higher priority for our school district than the safety of our students and staff,” Boyle said. “We appreciate our students, staff, school families, and community working together to look out for one another to help us maintain safe learning environments for all students and staff.”

SCHOOL SAFETY AT A GLANCE

Reporting by Eliza Naumann

$142,000 GIVEN TO KANSAS SCHOOLS FOR PANIC BUTTONS

SCHOOL SHOOTINGS IN THE US IN 2024 AS OF NOV. 27

SCHOOLS RUN TRIALS FOR PANIC BUTTONS IN LAWRENCE DISTRICT

GraphicbyArabellaGipp

TAKES THE CAKE

Cast members reveal their favorite cake flavors

Reporting by Eliza Pultz-Earle

“On a good day, I WOULD SAY RED VELVET. However, I recently had a bomb lemon cake, and I think it was pretty life changing.”

—Magnus Pollington, senior

“Marble CHOCOLATE cake.”

—Gladys Demby, senior

“Generally PUMPKIN SPICE, but then sometimes almond.”

—Shea Spiess, junior

by Josie Segraves and Arabella Gipp

Singing “Here in My Heart” by Tiffany, senior Adelle Spiess performs on stage during the fall play, “Tony and Tina’s Wedding.” Spiess’ character, Donna Marsala sang to the audience and to her boyfriend, Dominic, played by senior Thomas Sikes. “My favorite part of doing the show was the people in it. I got to hang out with all my friends and, like, the 80s-ness of the show,” Spiess said. Photo by Lydia Folks

Improvising, senior Parker Lopez performs in “Tony and Tina’s Wedding” with senior Cooper Grant on Oct. 23. Lopez and Grant portrayed brothers in the show, and made special memories through the production process. “We came up with this thing where we have our drinks and he proposes and we say, ‘What?’ And we look at each other and spit on each other,” Lopez said. “It’s really funny.” Photo by Lydia Folks

‘Tony and Tina’s Wedding’ finds success with

IMPROV

Audience participation fosters uniqueness for

BY LEILA ELKHAMRI REPORTER & WRITER

The theater program opened the auditorium doors to “Tony and Tina’s Wedding” on Oct. 24. Not only was the show exciting and hectic, but it also relied heavily on improvisation.

“Tony and Tina’s Wedding” followed the story of a drama-filled comedic wedding in New Jersey.

“The craziest wedding you can ever think of. Everything that shouldn’t happen is going to happen,” junior and cast member Tristan Allen said.

“Tony and Tina’s Wedding” was almost fully improvised with bits of scripted lines throughout. This created room for actors to make the characters and scenes their own.

every performance

to create something new, taking on a different version of the show each rehearsal.

“It changes a lot, because most of the time you have the script, but I can add on to my character and what he says, and it makes a lot of people break character,” Allen said.

Improvisation is just one of the many ways the cast sweetened up the play. Like many wedding ceremonies, “Tony and Tina’s Wedding” featured wedding cake for the audience to purchase and enjoy. Lopez said cast member connections were central to the greatness of the show.

“The CRAZIEST wedding you can ever think of. Everything that shouldn’t happen is going to happen,”

—Tristan Allen, junior

“Our scripts are more like a guide,” cast member and sophomore Sammy Robison said. “The actual ceremony is scripted out mostly, but the reception and interacting with guests is where that improv comes through the most.”

Senior Parker Lopez, playing the role of Tony, said the use of improv helped to make the show unique.

“It’s definitely more intimidating to take on, but I think it can result in a more personalized show in general, and I think it gives the cast more of a chance to show what they can do,” Lopez said.

Rehearsals also took an unconventional route due to the structure of the play. Instead of focusing on memorizing a full script, every day the actors were asked

“I like the group a lot. Fisher[the director] did a really good job casting everyone in the roles,” Lopez said. “It kind of really mirrors how we all act together anyways.”

From the exciting improvisation to the daring cake scene, Tony and Tina’s wedding was an unforgettable show.

“I’m just excited that we’re going to get to have fun with it, because, it’s improv,” Robison said. “We can just kind of mess with it and do what we want.”

Taking it all in, senior Grace Sanders listens while her cast mate makes a toast during tech rehearsal for “Tony and Tina’s Wedding” on Oct. 23. The cast and crew put on three performances of “Tony and Tina’s Wedding.” “I think my favorite performance was probably the last one because my younger siblings were in the audience. So, when I was walking down the aisle they all looked so shocked and so happy. I honestly started tearing up,” Sanders said. Photo by Lydia Folks

Push underway to address FAIR WAGES

Lawrence program develops work place skills for adults with disabilities

BY AVERY SLOYER RED & BLACK, CO-EDITOR-INCHIEF

There is been an ongoing fight to raise wages for people with disabilities.

The Fair Labor Standards Act has allowed employers to pay sub-minimum wages to some workers who have disabilities. Efforts to end the practice began under the Biden administration and are ongoing in some states.

While advocates for change say it’s needed to ensure people are fairly paid for their work, some debate what is more important: wages or life experience.

Gaining work experience is important for any individual. At Lawrence High, work experience coordinator Matt Klein works with students who have disabilities to build soft skills needed for employment.

“Those are the skills that are going to help them be successful at any job,” Klein said. “We do that on campus first. You’ll see students helping out with coffee, with newspaper delivery, with recycling, with laundry, with cleaning tables in the hallways, helping out in the library, helping clean the van, all different types of jobs.”

Klein’s program also helps students look for jobs off campus that align with their interests. Project Search is an employment opportunity for students after graduation. This allows them to get employed with more competitive pay.

“There’s also places like Van Gogh, students with IEPs automatically qualify for the services that Van Gogh provides; they still have to apply for a job there,” Klein said.

Klein encourages high wages but also wants his students to pursue their dreams.

“We can be exploited by our interest in earning money and that there are other things that are really important to have in the balance that we have…” Klein said. “We need to be a little bit more balanced and holistic about what are the important things that we need in our lives.”

It’s a common standard for payment to be based on the amount of work an employee can do. Klein believes everyone should be getting paid more than the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.

“Everybody should be getting paid. I think minimum wage is a joke,” Klein said. “It should be significantly more than that, because we know that there’s a difference between minimum wage and the self-sufficiency standard. Ideally, people would be getting paid a certain amount of money where they wouldn’t require supplemental services and income.”

work here very successfully.”

Cottonwood helps connect employees with other jobs outside of their facility. Jamie Meyer, a Cottonwood employee for 28 years, enjoys all the different contracts of her job.

“I like to do just about anything… and I do like cargo [straps],” Meyer said.

While work is important at Cottonwood, the connections employees make are also valuable.

“I like all the people,” Meyer said. “I could get used to working with these guys all of the time.”

“Everyone should be GETTING

PAID. I think minimum wage is a joke. It should be significantly more than that.”

—Matt Klein, LHS work experience specialist

Cottonwood Incorporated specializes in employing adults with disabilities. The various jobs focus on general skills that can be used in many different work settings. The company produces medical kits, Super Bowl-themed cups, and cargo straps. They also have work contract options designed to fit the employee’s preferred tasks.

Kara Walters, administrator of services at Cottonwood, believes in the importance of these accommodations.

“You may have to be able to do all five steps of a particular job. Here, that is not the case,” Walters said. “We’ll continue to look for those opportunities to give you the chance to try something out... If you can’t do it, for whatever reason, you still can

Whether it be at Cottonwood, or out elsewhere in Lawrence, in the end, the goal is for people with disabilities to obtain competitive, substantial pay in a job that they enjoy and fulfills their interests.

“Cottonwood really hopes for those choices to be available, because every person’s choice is going to be different,” Walters said.

“Employers out in Lawrence would absolutely love to have all of you.”

Putting together poppies, a Cotton Wood Industries worker assembles donation flowers. They put the petals on the stem and then attached a tag. Employees gave these flowers out on Veterans Day and Memorial Day. This is one of the many jobs available to workers. Photo by Eliza Naumann

In discussion, Jamie Meyer talks with other employees about their work experience at Cottonwood Industries. Meyer has worked at Cottonwood for 28 years. Meyer said she appreciates the various aspects of the job. “The money, you guys [her coworkers], the whole family,” Meyer said. Photo by Eliza Naumann

PAY GAP STATS

Reporting by Juliet Outka

22.5% 11% 12% of people with disabilities were unemployed in 2023 less on average made hourly by people with intellectual disabilities of people with intellectual disabilities are selfemployed

District struggles with plans to change high school BOUNDARIES

Committee discussions to change the LHS-Free State boundary paused amid questions

BY MIMI ROSADO-SCHMITT SOCIAL MEDIA, CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

After months of discussions, the USD 497 Boundary Advisory Committee delayed until next school year making changes to address enrollment gaps between Lawrence High and Free State.

Initially, their goal was to bring a recommendation for boundary changes to the school board for the 2025-2026 school year — that is not the case anymore.

Earlier in the fall, the committee had been speeding toward community meetings when committee members said they needed more data to demonstrates the impact of proposals. The school district then agreed to spend up to $45,000 to bring in RSP & Associates to provide further analysis.

When the BAC met with RSP & Associates, members reviewed data that did not reflect the two options that had been previously considered in their meetings. Instead, they focused on what was truly wrong with the current boundaries.

Without the pressure of a time limit, they were able to go in-depth on details they hadn’t thoroughly talked through in the past. Many members wondered if a change was even necessary.

“We’re not sure what we’re gaining as we

look at this and go through all the data,” a member said.

Along with the suggestions of no change, committee members proposed the idea of a more lenient transfer policy for LHS.

Throughout the meeting, the pros and cons of the feeder school option were heavily discussed, especially since elementary schools Hillcrest and Schwegler are expected to “over utilize” their building capacities within the next five years, according to RSP.

After discussing the elementary capacity limits, the idea of a true feeder school system was brought up by multiple members. That would mean students would all move on to the same school as a group when they leave elementary school and then middle school. Currently, they can be split into different middle or high schools.

“We like the broader picture of what feeder schools can do and the synergy that can develop from that,” College and Career Center principal Mark Preut said. “It’s a big piece to take on, and it needs to be done in a way that is a long-term solution.”

Other members suggested moving the boundary to 13th Street instead of the current 15th Street.

Dr. Larry Englebrick also raised the concern that USD 497 as a district is decreasing in numbers.

“All the indications are that we’re not

LOOKING AT OPTIONS

going to grow,” Englebrick said.

The decision to continue talks into next year came as the committee spent weeks focused on two options. An analysis of BAC data by The Budget showed significant challenges for each plan in accomplishing goals of balancing enrollment and demographics. Neither option successfully addressed socioeconomic imbalances and only one of the options balanced enrollment numbers between the schools.

The committee had been charged with finding a way to balance the enrollment differences between FSHS and LHS. Currently, LHS has about 300 fewer students than FSHS — a gap that is expected to persist in coming years. That gap prompted school board president Kelly Jones this summer to call for the committee to review high school boundaries for the first time since Free State opened.

“We need to work toward growing LHS enrollment,” Jones said back in June. “The boundary shifts may not need to be dramatic to achieve the desired outcome of a balanced high school enrollment and distribution of students by socioeconomic status.”

In addition to suggesting no changes for next school year, the boundary committee recommended it reconvene in September to start a more in depth decision-making process, including exploring feeder school systems.

Here’s a breakdown of the options discussed by the Boundary Advisory Committee this year

CURRENT

With no changes, 15th Street serves as the dividing line between the high schools. Declining enrollment at LHS has forced the loss of teaching jobs and program impacts.

OPTION 1

With the L boundary, anyone east of Massachusetts Street would also have attended LHS. According to a data analysis by The Budget, this would have flipped problems with enrollment and economic disparities.

OPTION 2

With this feeder school approach, Southwest and Billy Mills middle schools would have fed into LHS while Liberty Memorial Central and West would have attended FSHS. Currently, Southwest and Liberty Memorial split between the two high schools.

This would equalize enrollment but not demographics between the two schools, according to projections provided to the BAC. The district has long avoided an east-west split between the schools as it would exacerbate income inequalities. Find additional coverage at the link.

Graphic by Ruby Hull

IDEAS ON THE BOARD

Before settling on the Hype House theme, the film crew pitched several other ideas

The Kardashians

Filming a Kardashians inspired family feeling reality TV show

Survivor

A twist on the intense and iconic wilderness survival show full of fun challenges

YouTube

Rewind

A video highlighting all of the year’s trends in an internet video-style fashion

Ready to record, senior Opal Morris creates the 2024 Homecoming video on Sept. 25. This year’s video had a “Hype House” theme, depicting court candidates as popular influencers. “This was my first year doing a video like that,” Morris said. “I think we did a great job using all sorts of equipment like drones and stuff.” Photo by Arabella Gipp

Checking her camera settings, senior Arabella Gipp prepares to film senior court member Morgan Moeckly. “It was a lot of fun to work outside of school and being able to capture so many funny moments with my classmates,” Gipp said. Photo by Bryndal Hoover

Homecoming documented through a

NEW LENS

All-women crew takes over production of court video tradition

BY KAREN CRUZ SANTOS REPORTER

This year’s Hype House themed Homecoming video featured court members playing hide and seek in the home of senior Kaden Valbuena — run and produced by an all-women crew.

The crew consisted of seniors Opal Morris, Elise George and Arabella Gipp. The three girls were selected by video teacher Zach Saltz.

Morris, who has experience in photography, found the transition to video to be smooth.

“Photography carries a lot into videography... the same rules kind of apply to both,” Morris said. “So just expanding that and doing it more for the school has really been fun this year,”

As the lead on many creative decisions, she aimed to bring cinematic elements to the production.

“Just because it’s news doesn’t mean it can’t be creative,” Morris said.

George reflected on the transition from last year’s bigger group to a smaller one.

the filming process.

“I learned there’s a lot of waiting,” Sikes said. “I liked how everyone was interacting in the video.”

Senior Naomi Sui Pang, who served as a video editor and court member, appreciated having an all-women’s crew.

“Working with a crew and cast that’s so heavily female-run has been empowering,” Sui Pang said. “The environment is comfortable to work in, everybody is super understanding, and girls get the job done.”

Sui Pang, having had past experience producing the video, took the initiative of helping the crew adjust to the new environment. “It taught me a good lesson of knowing when we’re not to cross the line,” Sui Pang said. “They’ve been doing such a good job, especially since this is their first year in video three, it’s impressive how much they’ve been able to accomplish.”

“Just because it’s news doesn’t mean it can’t BE CREATIVE,”

—Opal Morris, senior

“I do feel like the more people that were in the room, the more complicated things were — more ideas were being thrown around, so more ideas, less planning,” George said. “But when it was less people, it felt much easier to manage, and much easier to get your ideas heard.”

Because of the small crew, teamwork was critical due to the limited time to shoot.

“We definitely had to share the load of all of the work, which is kind of a lot, but communicating through that was definitely a big part of our teamwork,” Morris said.

The crew faced pressure under the time crunch with changes in the script, length of the video, feedback from school administrators, and only two days of shooting for the eight-minute video.

“It was intense,” Morris said. “We shot all of our stuff within two days, and then the remaining four days is all about editing. It was definitely a fast-paced project.”

Senior court member Asher Sikes reflected on

George was proud to see her peers enjoy the video.

“It felt very rewarding because I would see things up there that maybe I edited or shot, and people would laugh,” George said. “There was a lot of relief as well because it was such a strenuous process, but once the finished product was on the screen, it was like, ‘OK, we did it. We’re done.’ ”

Senior court member Banks Bowen, enjoyed the production and bonds formed throughout the process on set.

“Being around people I don’t usually hang out with was fun, and I made new relationships,” Bowen said.

As this is her last year with Room 308 Productions, George encourages students to get involved with videography.

“If you have any interest in video, go for it, because I didn’t realize when I joined video production what I was getting into, but once I started, I really found out that it’s exactly what I wanted to do,” George said.

Pointing, senior Opal Morris directs the Homecoming video on Sept. 25. This homecoming video involved a game of hide and seek. “My favorite part to film was probably all of the individual hiding skits,” Morris said. Photo by Bryndal Hoover

Students showcase their artistic

TALENTS

BY GRACE SANDERS REPORTER

Portfolio students arrived to school read y to sho w off their best artwork t o colleges across the nation in September.

Portfolio Day was an opportunity for art students to receive feedback on their work and listen to presentations given by representatives from art schools. Before Portfolio Day, art students selected their best work to showcase to college representatives, who traveled from as far as Maine.

Schools presenting this year were Johnson County Community College, Washburn University, Maine College of Art, School of Visual Arts, Kansas City Art Institute, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design and Laguna College of Art and Design. Butler County Community College and Maryland Institute College of Art were also present but did not give presentations.

When students weren’t listening to presentations, they had the opportunity to show off their portfolio to colleges in the Maker Space or in drawing teacher Todd Poteet’s room.

During portfolio reviews, college representatives gave students advice and critiques. Sophomore Ari Kamat found the portfolio reviews to be helpful, as well as stressful.

“It’s kind of judgmental, but it can be very straightforward and honest, even if you don’t want to hear it, but they help you out, point out things that are good and bad, give you advice on what you should do in colleges and what kind of programs and scholarships you can get, which is very helpful,” Kamat said.

Senior Celeste Stinson also found the portfolio reviews valuable.

Art students display work for Portfolio Day

students.

“Basically it was sort of like an independent day,” Stinson said. “You could choose what you wanted to spend your time doing. And so for me, I sat in on one of the presentations, I showed my work to some reps, I ate some food, it was just kind of like a mix of whatever you wanted to do.”

“I’M REALLY GLAD I DID IT because I got some great feedback on my work.”

—Celeste Stinson, senior

“My favorite part of the day was getting the review from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago rep,” Stinson said. “She was just so knowledgeable, and she gave me some really good comments. I was nervous going in because that’s a really good art school, but I’m really glad I did it because I got some great feedback about my work.”

Several rooms in the art hallway had different activities students could partake in, including snacks made by Lawrence High culinary

FAVORITE PIECES

Overall, Portfolio Day was an event that inspired students, like senior Sophia Montrose.

“I didn’t go in with very many expectations, because I wasn’t expecting to present art, because I only had one piece I was showing, but the expectations were definitely met. It really inspired me to want to keep pursuing art,” Montrose said.

Presenting their work, senior Ena Chambers meets with the School of the Art Institute of Chicago at Lawrence High’s annual Portfolio Day in September. “I think that portfolio reviews are a critical step in every young artist’s life,” Chambers said. “We need as much feedback as possible from as many artists as possible.” Photo by Eliza Naumann

Students share work they presented on Portfolio

Day

Prairie Mulligan

Eliza Pultz-Earle

Celeste Stinson

Henry Farthing

Talking through her portfolio,

learns about art school options at Portfolio Day on Sept. 20. Pultz-Earle talked with many schools including the School of Visual Arts and Johnson County Community College. “They were really friendly and supportive of pursuing the arts and going to their school,” Pultz-Earle said. Photo by Eliza Naumann

Receiving critique for their artwork, junior Adrian Cahwee used watercolor as their main medium. Cahwee said there’s “nothing specific” their piece focuses on but their main source of inspiration was their sister. “She’s really good at art,” Cahwee said. Photo by Eliza Naumann

senior Eliza Pultz-Earle

Lighting the path to becoming a LEADER

Senior Molly Kelly steps up to lead the lighting crew at LHS

BY ANNE WOOLVERTON REPORTER

The Spring 2023 Showtime performance was set to come to audiences as scheduled when an opening in the Light Crew left producers scrambling to fill the tech gap. Senior Molly Kelly stepped up to the role, despite her lack of experience.

“I filled in at the last minute, on the spotlight, for Showtime sophomore year and had a lot of fun,” Kelly said.

As an involved student, nobody blinked an eye at her willingness to jump in and help.

Although Kelly had worked tech for some performances at the Lawrence Art Center before attending LHS, she thinks the experience was more confidence-building than educational.

“The way the stage manager there made our role in the production feel so important, she was definitely influential in getting me involved in theater,” Kelly said.

about different equipment and techniques, and on the bus ride home we asked [theater director] Mr. Fisher if he could teach us the light board,” Kelly said.

From there it only grew. Kelly has worked the lights on Showtime twice, LHS theater productions such as last year’s “Spooky Dog and the Teenage Mystery Machine,” and “Mean Girls the Musical.” She ran lights for the fall semester production “Tony and Tina’s Wedding” alongside Pultz-Earle.

Nearly two years after her first show working on the light crew, any observers would testify that Kelly’s involvement seemed inevitable because of her natural talent. Her peers have nothing but praise for her work ethic.

“She’s definitely BECOME A LEADER.”

Eliza PultzEarle, senior

Kelly’s on-the-spot role rekindled her love of tech, and she’s been involved in behindthe-scenes aspects of most productions since. Kelly doesn’t work alone though. In most shows, she is accompanied by her friend Eliza Pultz-Earle.

“Best friend forever, tech buddy, lifelong pal,” Pultz-Earle said. “Me and Molly have been friends since we were in primary school, and we’ve done a lot of tech stuff together.”

Pultz-Earle also recognized the growth in her friend.

“She’s definitely become a leader,” Pultz-Earle said. “She always comes in really early on the weekends, even when not many other people are there. She helps everybody around her know what to do. She’s very competent at what she does.”

Pultz-Earle and Kelly also attended the Thespian Festival to enrich their technical careers.

“Eliza and I went to a really cool workshop

Senior Renee Dvorske who has worked on the tech crew several times can attest to her commitment.

“I think she’s a very professional worker when she needs to be, but she’s also totally willing to learn and interact in ways that are not stiff,” Dvorske said.

Although behind-the-scenes theater work is not often recognized, Kelly’s story is evidence of Lawrence High’s ability to turn the ordinary into the extraordinary. Pultz-Earle admires Kelly’s work ethic.

“I would just highlight how much effort Molly puts into it. She’s always the first person there and the last person to leave,” Pultz-Earle said. “Sometimes it’s literally just her and Mr. Fisher, building something. I admire that for every show she’s been a good leader.”

Fixing the lighting, senior Molly Kelly shows off her skills. “I think it’s a misconception that it’s always men,” Kelly said. “High school theater is so female dominated to begin with, looking at run crew, lights costumes, etc., that seems to extend to tech.” Photo by Piper Journey

Altering settings, senior Molly Kelly demonstrates the difficulties of lighting. “From the outside, theater is a community with a very specific energy that I didn’t think I would be that suited to, but I’ve found that there’s actually a lot of space for creativity and involvement beyond the performance aspect,” Kelly said. Photo by Piper Journey

UP IN THE BOOTH

How to run the lighting board in three quick steps

Reporting by Zana Kennedy

1. Bring down electrics to manually angle the lights correctly

2. Program the lights for brightness, color and timing to function at the click of a button

3. To use, press the preprogramed gobutton

MEET THE COURT

Homecoming court members shares their favorite fall activities, candy, teachers and more

Reporting by Mimi Rosado

Photos by Kennedy Glasgow & Piper Journey

Favorite restaurant?

“I’m going to have to say Raising Cane’s.”

—Asher Sikes, senior

Who is the best dancer on court?

“Naomi has good rhythm, or Elise. She’s really good at the Footloose dance.”

—Sylvia Oparaji, senior

Favorite Halloween candy?

“Haribo Gummy Bears.”

—Kaden Valbuena, senior

Who is the best dancer on court?

“Bryndal Hoover.”

—Kylee Chee, senior

Favorite song?

“Ever Seen by beabadoobee.”

—Naomi Sui Pang, senior

Favorite teacher?

“Mr. Jones.”

—Morgan Moeckly, senior

Favorite teacher?

“Dr. Dunn because he’s the best.”

—Provi Fowler, senior

Favorite Halloween candy?

“Reese’s.”

—Elise Rathmel, senior

Favorite song ?

“My Girl by the Temptations.”

—Bryndal Hoover, senior

Favorite restaurant?

“Texas Roadhouse.”

—Lydia Folks, senior

Favorite fall activity?

“Watching Harry Potter.”

—Harper Dye, senior

Favorite restaurant?

“Tokyo Sushi, across the river.”

—Banks Bowen, senior

Singing the alma mater, senior Provi Fowler links arms with her fellow homecoming court members at Rally Around the Lion. Fowler enjoyed spending time with people who she would not normally interact with. “I had a really good time being able to just lay back and not have to worry about putting it together, from the band or the spirit squad or just the organizational point of view and just getting to enjoy myself,” Fowler said.

Photo by Cadence Scholz

Lit up with joy, senior Kylee Chee is recognized as homecoming court royalty alongside senior Kaden Valbuena. Chee believes in the impact of this Lawrence High tradition. “I think it’s important because all of these things kind of bring the school together, everybody goes to the parade, everybody goes to the game, and the school spirit when everybody’s dressing up, it’s just something you look forward to all year,” Chee said. Photo by Piper Journey

SPIRIT WEEK THEMES

Monday 9/30

Senior sunrise, Night in or night out

Tuesday 10/01

Home varsity soccer, Inside out color wars

Wednesday 10/02

Homecoming parade, Rhyme without a reason

Thursday 10/03

Homecoming Assembly, Home Varsity soccer, Soccer moms vs barbecue dads

Friday 10/04

Homecoming Football Game, Red out

Saturday 10/05

Homecoming Dance

LHS junior shines on and off the FIELD

Football player Josh Galbreath has received multiple D1 offers as he looks to future

BY CHANNING MORSE LHSBUDGET.COM CO-EDITORIN-CHIEF

With 61 tackles in the 2023-2024 season, junior Joshua Galbreath has already received six division one offers and is on his way to earning more.

Galbreath was given his first offer the spring of his sophomore year. Since then, Galbreath has received five more, including from last year’s Big Ten national champion, the University of Michigan. Galbreath, a three star linebacker and wide receiver, was ranked number one in sacks for 6A schools in the state of Kansas, and continues to stand out on the high school field after an eye-catching freshman season.

“I had a pretty good year and just didn’t look back from there,” Galbreath said.

Galbreath is an asset to the Lawrence

High School varsity football team on and off the field. Not only does he make crucial plays on the line of scrimmage and perform tackles only capable by a 6 foot 3 player, he’s also team captain.

“He’s a good leader, he’s pretty locked in on the sport. He’s just a good teammate overall,” senior wide receiver Jaylen Parks said.

Over the summer, Galbreath trained five days a week, going to some training camps at universities, including KU and K-State.

For the future, Galbreath is interested in a school that has “a good coaching staff that does not only want just football but also values me as a person as well. Just a good community to develop.”

“I mean he’s already off to a great start, week one he was [in] beast mode the whole game, and statistically he was incredible, made a lot of plays,” Head coach Clint Bowen said.

“He’s OBVIOUSLY HAVING SOME SUCCESS, so that he can just keep his eye on the path and keep going,”

—Clint Bowen, football coach

This season, Galbreath led the team through an outstanding first game on Sept. 6. He ended the season as second team All Sunflower League Defense. He hopes to become a four-star rated athlete.

COLLEGE OFFERS

“If he continues to do that it’ll be a really big year for him.”

With a bright future ahead, Galbreath has been keeping an open mind, not singling out one school to attend.

“He’s obviously having some success,” Bowen said. “So that he can just keep his eye on the path and keep going.”

Holding the flag, junior Josh Galbreath walks out for home game against Shawnee Mission West on Oct. 4. The Lions won with the final score being 55-0. “The key to good communication is everyone having a good relationship and being able to talk about the little things,” Galbreath said. Photo by Piper Journey

Waiting patiently, the boys’ varsity lineup stands on the field as the starters’ names are called.

Lawrence High played Olathe North on Sept. 12. Sophomore Jasper Piepergerdes felt honored to be a part of the group. “I mean first year starting varsity means a lot,” Piepergerdes said. “Being able to walk out there is like an achievement.”

Sprinting, senior Josh Lavin defends the goal from Free State player Eli Stone on Sept. 19. “I think there was a lot of improvement over the season,” Lavin said. “I felt we did pretty well as a team building off of what little we had.”

On the field, senior Garrett Ernzen strategizes for the next play. “Every game meant something to me this year,” Ernzen said.

“Being a senior knowing you won’t be playing with some of your closest friends again is a sad reality.”

Photo by Selah Wolfe

Photo by Lydia Folks

LHS boys soccer concludes a promising SEASON

The boy’s soccer season has came to a close, here is what you missed

BY CARTER KINGERY REPORTER & DESIGNER

This year, LHS’s varsity boys soccer team started off strong.

The successful season caused newly-positive mindsets for the players, and hope for the future. Players say they owe the season’s wins to keeping their heads up even in rough times.

As the season progressed, senior player Asher Sikes realized that winning games relied on more than just skill.

“I think having the right mindset after a loss and kind of apart from during a game, just having the right mindset and being together with each other, I think has been helpful,”Sikes said.

Sikes, the starting left winger for the team, played soccer all four years of high school.

In addition to a focused mindset, the team believed intense summer workouts contributed to their 5-2-1 record.

“I would say, really just working outside of practice. You know, we had a lot of summer workouts, getting reps in before the actual season started so then once we came into the season and started having games, we were confident in our ability to play the game together,” sophomore player Baden Masenthin said.

Positive mindsets, extra hard work mixed with the addition of talented younger players set the teams future potential to an all-time high. Even so, to junior varsity player Patrick Sandefur, the loss of five varsity seniors will hold a large effect on the team.

“It’s going to be a lot different. We’re losing most of the back line so that’s an area we’ll have to

focus on rebuilding, but we are also gaining a lot of experience especially in the midfield,” Sandefur said. “We’re going to have younger guys step up pretty big so I think we will be alright.”

Hard-working players who are eager to improve helped the Lions through a record-setting season, and hopefully will foster success in seasons to come.

“We’re really working on staying composed and just playing our game. Going into it with a different mindset of just playing our game no matter who our opponent is,” Masenthin said.

Dribbling, freshman Abdulhafiz Asuku plays against Free State. The game took place on Sept. 19 at home. The Lions lost to the Firebirds 2-4.

Photo by Lydia Folks

CARD TRAUMA

Soccer players share experiences with the card system

Reporting by Ethan Hanratanagorn

"A yellow card is usually a warning after you’ve been given another warning. So usually referees give you a warning verbally."

—Josh Lavin, senior

"Shawnee Mission Northwest this year got a red card for dangerous play. And that meant I wasn’t able to play against Free State.”

Jasper Piepergerdes, sophomore

Expectations for respect shouldn’t end in the STADIUM

High school athletics is not an excuse to abandon basic morals

BY CHANNING MORSE LHSBUDGET.COM, COEDITOR-IN-CHIEF

High school sports are being taken way too seriously and the disrespect that has resulted is unfathomable.

In most high schools, parents, coaches and athletes tend to take sports to another level, often leading to disrespectful comments toward players and coaches, and even physical fights. Lawrence High is not immune to this behavior.

Earlier this year at a boys soccer game, two parents from the opposing school got into a physical fight over high school soccer, raising the question: Why are adults fighting over high school sports?

There is a line between a joking, playful student banter, and verbally harassing someone.

trators getting upset by the yelling. Administration needs to be able to trust students, but that means that students need to stop being so immature, and realize that taunting players isn’t what is important, but if they wish to do so, do it without negatively commenting on someone’s appearance or yelling offensive slurs at them while they play.

“There is a line between a joking, playful student banter, and VERBALLY HARASSING someone.”

The school administration keeping such a close eye on students is exacerbating the problem. Since students see admin watching, they often push the limit to see what they can get away with.

The result of this is students yelling vulgar words and slurs at players and the adminis-

During the third quarter of a home football opener against Shawnee Mission South, a player on the opposing team was seriously injured. When the LHS football team saw that his injury was going to take longer than a minute to fix, they immediately stood up from kneeling. While the ambulance was on the field, players were tossing around a football, showing no respect for the injury that had just occurred. An ambulance came onto the field and someone in the LHS student section yelled “run him over.” This kind of behavior regarding high school sports is unacceptable. Even in a joking manner, that kind of comment is beyond inhumane.

It gets to a point when it’s beyond respect and just about human decency, regardless of

if you know the person or not. There was no way of knowing how injured the player was, and tossing a football around a little too close to the accident is not OK.

According to the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), participation in high school sports has led to an increase in poor sportsmanship, over questioning of calls, and even violent attacks. The intensity of high school sports has become too much, causing harm to players and officials.

Competition is healthy, but can become dangerous. There should be nothing as important as a human life on the line when playing a game in high school. Athletes are playing for fun and so fans getting overly upset takes away from their enjoyment.

No sport should be put above someone’s safety, integrity or respect. Being upset when a bad call is made or losing is understandable, but part of being an athlete or sports supporter is being able to appropriately regulate your emotions.

There is no other place in the world where it would be acceptable to treat human lives poorly like it’s a game. High school sports should not be the exception.

SPORTSMANSHIP

KSHSAA rules on sportsmanship

a. Be COURTEOUS to all (participants, coaches, officials, staff and fans)

b. Know the rules, abide by and RESPECT THE OFFICIAL’S decisions

c. Win with CHARACTER and lose with DIGNITY

Reporting by Ida Harrington

d. Display APPRECIATION for good performance regardless of the team.

f. Permit only positive sportsmanlike behavior to reflect on your school or its activities

CREDITS NEEDED

These are the classes offered at LHS to fill the one semester PE graduation requirement

Reporting by Piper Journey

•Ball Sports, 0.5 credit

•Lifetime Sports, 0.5 credit

•Fitness I, 0.5 credit

•Fitness II, 0.5 credit

•Swimming I, 0.5 credit

•Swimming II, 0.5 credit

•Physical Fitness and Weight Training, 0.5 credit

•Advanced Weightlifting, 0.5 credit

by Alexa Nauholz

Exceptions needed to requirements for a

PE CREDIT

Involvement in school sports would go up with an alternative to gym

BY JULIET OUTKA THE BUDGET, CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

On an average week in the fall, I dedicate 10 hours to cross country practice, not counting early morning meets each Saturday.

This is the reality for many other high school athletes, with the football team practicing before the sun comes up some days due to the heat, and track and field returning from school meets as late as midnight.

In addition to competing in an extracurricular sport, school athletes, like all other students, are required to take a semester-long PE credit to graduate. I believe students who participate in a school sport should be exempt from this requirement.

the PE half-credit just feels like another box to check off on the list to graduate.

In my opinion, the best thing about high school is the many different things you get the opportunity to try. Since LHS prides itself on having students who participate in a wide range of different activities, I believe requiring school athletes to take a PE class, and in doing so barring them from trying out another elective they are interested in, is not in line with the school’s values.

“The PE half-credit just feels like another box to check off on the list to graduate.”

PE classes are valuable and definitely should be offered, as they are a great way to introduce students to different aspects of physical activity. But the question is not if PE classes are good or not, it’s what this requirement is taking away from other electives one might want to take.

Since I already spend so much of my time participating in athletics at school,

Additionally, many athletes suffer from over exertion during their sport’s season, and having an additional PE class on top of practices can lead to injury.

Participating in a season of a school sport should be an alternative to taking a half-credit of PE. This would almost surely boost the low numbers in no-cut sports, such as cross country and girls golf. It would also encourage students to try something that is outside their comfort zone, and again, open the door for school athletes to take electives they might be interested in, but have not had the opportunity to explore.

Everyone deserves a SAFE SCHOOL

With a drastic rise in school shootings, it’s time for students to speak out

BY MIMI ROSADO-SCHMITT SOCIAL MEDIA CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Every day students risk their lives just by stepping into the building that should be reserved for learning. That is not a routine that I will ever get used to, and it feels like no one is doing anything about it.

Since I was five years old, the thought of a school shooting has been engraved in my brain. As kindergartners, we were taught to protect ourselves, just in case.

Lock down drills have also been a part of my yearly school procedures. It seems like just another day of practicing what to do if my life is on the line.

Since 2008, there have been at least 675 total school shootings in our country. One of these many shootings was in Winder, Georgia. That’s about 900 miles away from Lawrence High, but it could have been next door.

have to worry for her life too, because a part of working with kids has become having to protect them from murderers. My brother is a freshman at my school, and I can not even imagine the fear that I would feel for not only my life but his as well.

I have heard the argument that the problem is not the weapons themselves, but the people who carry them. That may be true, but why does only America have this problem?

“As kindergartners, we were taught to protect ourselves, JUST IN CASE.”

—Mimi Rosado Schmitt, junior

A 14-year-old had access to a gun, shot 13 people, and killed four of them. All at his very own school.

The lives of everyone at Apalachee High School will never be the same, all because of one misguided individual who cost students’ lives. There is no reason we should get used to this. Students have to worry and teachers have to protect.

My mother is also an administrator at a public school. I

The answer is gun culture. Guns have been in this country from the very beginning, but school shootings are a more recent problem. Society has changed and this problem has only gotten worse.

Some people feel the need to protect themselves, so they buy a gun. Some people like to hunt, so they buy a gun. And the reality is that some people are mentally ill, so they buy a gun.

If the problem is the people, the only solution is to restrict the people. Unfortunately, there aren’t many easy ways to elevate the mental health of American society.

This is not to say that restricting gun rights will end all school shootings because it won’t. However, more in-depth background checks should be set in place.

For the sake of safety in public schools, gun owners should have to go through a lengthy process including a stricter mental health evaluation.

AMERICA

Designed by Arabella Gipp

Graphic by Arabella Gipp

POV: Being a HOCO candidate

by Arabella Gipp

“This years homecoming court are....”

HYPE HOUSE video!!

Letter from the

What is your favorite kind of sandwich??

Bro I don’t even know.. What are these questions

I’m going to sound stupid at the assembly

EDITORS

Open your eyes to the vibrancy of our school culture

BY ARABELLA GIPP & JULIET OUTKA CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEFS

We chose this theme because we are a part of many extracurricular activities at LHS beyond athletics. Although school sports are close to our hearts, there are a multitude of other activities we are balancing. It is vital that our non-athletic passions are equally valued at LHS and in the district at large.

We hope that through this issue of The Budget, the stories and experiences of students and staff at LHS that normally stay in the background shine brighter. Our unique identities are at the heart of our school culture. Through this issue, “Behind the Scenes of LHS,” we wanted to highlight stories of students and school extracurriculars that are less visible.

Oour Homcoing royalty are...

The Editors-in-Chief of

The Budget for the 2025 school year are Bryndal Hoover, Zana Kennedy, Juliet Outka and Arabella Gipp.

SONG OF THE MONTH

‘Calling

all the Monsters’ by China Anne McClain tops our playlist

Check out our song of the month! Scan The QR code to listen.

“ ‘Calling All the Monsters’ makes me feel free to let my freak flag fly.”

— Rhubarb Brubacher, lhsbudget.com coeditor-in-chief

“I

love A.N.T Farm. I love China Anne McClain. I love monsters and freaks. Amazing beautiful song.”

—Beatrix Johnson, social media coeditor-in-chief

“It makes me feel like I’m a monster and China Anne McClain is calling ME.”

—Mimi Rosado, social media co-editor-inchief

“It’s

an amazing song. Very underrated. For sure a top 30 Disney song.”

—Lydia

Folks, Red & Black co-editor-in-chief

“ ‘Calling All the Monsters’ by China Anne McClain speaks to me because it’s a fearless anthem that embraces both the light and dark sides of life. It reminds me that we all have a little monster inside, and it’s OK to let it out every once in a while. It’s not just about facing our fears. It’s about owning them, dancing with them, and turning them into something powerful.”

—Bryndal Hoover, The Budget co-editorin-chief

JOURNALISM STAFF MEMBERS

MISSION STATEMENT

The Budget is committed to providing the Lawrence High community with objective, inclusive news that ensures relevance to its 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 works to help students grow as journalists and help readers access information.

ABOUT US

The Budget is distributed free of charge to students and faculty at Lawrence High School, 1901 Louisiana, Lawrence, Kan.

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 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

Aaminah Ahmed, Heidi Anderson, Clark Barber, Alexis Clark, Karen Cruz Santos, Leila Elkhamri, Ruby Flanner, Elise George, Kennedy Glasgow, Ethan Hanratanagorn, Ida Harrington, Ruby Hull, Harper Jay, Wren Jay, Piper Journey, Ronan Kemme, Carter Kingery, Claire Lindemyer, Sophia McLaughlin, Prairie Mulligan, Alexa Nauholz, Eliza Naumann, Jordan Nguyen, Zoe Peterson, Eliza Pultz-Earle, Oliver Reynolds, Grace Sanders, Cadence Scholz, Josie Segraves, Audrey Stock, Finian Tholen, Miles Wade, Selah Wolfe, Anne Woolverton, Eileen Zhao.

THE BUDGET EDITORS

Arabella Gipp ............................................... Co Editor-in-Chief

Bryndal Hoover Co Editor-in-Chief

Zana Kennedy Co Editor-in-Chief

Juliet Outka .................................................. Co Editor-in-Chief

LHSBUDGET.COM EDITORS

Rhubarb Brubacher Co-Editor-in-Chief

Channing Morse ..........................................Co-Editor-in-Chief

Ashlyn Tell Co-Editor-in-Chief

Naomi Sui Pang 308 Connection Manager

RED & BLACK EDITORS

Lydia Folks Co Editor-in-Chief

Delaney Haase .............................................Co-Editor-in-Chief

Avery Sloyer Co-Editor-in-Chief

SOCIAL MEDIA EDITORS

Beatrix Johnson ........................................... Co Editor-in-Chief

Mimi Rosado Schmitt Co Editor-in-Chief

Barbara Tholen ............................................................... Adviser

PHOTO OF THE MONTH

Treading

water, senior Josh Lavin carries senior Vale Aguinaga on his back as they swim in an IPS class water polo game. “[Water polo] was the most fun activity I’ve done in a class before,” Lavin said.

Photo by Bryndal Hoover