Lawrence High School's The Budget, Issue 5, March 31, 2020

LAWRENCE HIGH SCHOOL

LAWRENCE, KS

VOLUME 127, ISSUE 5 MARCH 31, 2020

THE BUDGET

PAGE 12

DRUG EDUCATION FUNDING EXAMINED

PAGE 10 BREAKING DOWN TEEN SUBSTANCE ABUSE PAGE 14 LIVES OF STUDENT DRUG DEALERS PAGE 26 SUBSTANCE ISSUES IMPACT ATHLETES

SUBSTANCE STRUGGLES

THE BUDGET NEWS

IN THIS ISSUE

LAWRENCE HIGH SCHOOL

LAWRENCE, KS

VOLUME 127, ISSUE 5 MARCH 31, 2020

Phase 2 of school construction wraps up page 4

Student drug dealers share their perspective page 14

Community brainstorms solutions to safety issues page 7

Winter sports wrap up page 22

Breaking down teen substance abuse page 8

Students start Lawrence girl’s rugby team page 24

District tackles substance-use survey issues page 12

Opinion: Addiction doesn’t make you weak page 26

COVID-19

PAGE 12

DRUG EDUCATION FUNDING EXAMINED

PAGE 10 BREAKING DOWN TEEN SUBSTANCE ABUSE PAGE 14 LIVES OF STUDENT DRUG DEALERS PAGE 26 SUBSTANCE ISSUES IMPACT ATHLETES

LHSBUDGET.COM See extensive reporting about the pandemic on our website

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VIDEO

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SUBSTANCE STRUGGLES

ON THE COVER — The grip of alcohol, nicotine and illegal substances take hold of the student body. This issue looks at the lack of local data about student substance abuse and takes an inside look at the lives of students who deal drugs.

ILLUSTRATION BY RILEY UNEKIS

SPREAD THE WORD TO END THE WORD

BY ELLA TRENDEL

“We’ve noticed it a lot,” said senior Carly Cooper, who narrated the video.

STAFF WRITER “It’s good to get the word out that it’s not a thing to say ever. There’s not a good Students in the IPS program started context to use it in.” the semester by taking part in the nationTo achieve their, goal IPS created Powal campaign “Spread the Word to End the erPoints and videos to inform the student Word.” body about how damaging This campaign helps THERE’S MORE! words can be. The class also spread awareness about how met with interim principal hurtful the derogatory “R” Dr. Cynthia Johnson in hopes word can be. of making it a school-wide The campaign, which was campaign. first introduced to Lawrence “We hope this creates High six years ago helped inclusion across the school,” pave the start for Unified Watch: IPS Spread the junior Katherine Stineman Sports. word, to end the word said.

“We made this informaThe video, which was protional video that we had counduced by senior Mia Robinson, caught selors show classes,” IPS teacher Susie the attention of the Special Olympics, Micka said. “It really made a difference.” which plans to use it in its international The decision to take part in the cam“Spread the Word to End the Word” paign again came from students noticing campaign. prevalent use of the “R” word in the halls.

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MARCH 31, 2020 PAGE DESIGN BY SAMI TURNER

SPREAD THE WORD — Taking a stand, English teacher Abby Hoffman participates in the IPS video “Spread the Word to End the Word.” The video featured students in the program as well as teachers.

PHOTO BY KATHERINE WILLIAMS

NEWS THE BUDGET

“I FEEL LIKE ONE OF THOSE EXPERIMENTS FROM LIKE THE 1930’S WHEN THEY USED TO EXPERIMENT ON PEOPLE.”

BLACKOUT BLAST

—JUNIOR JACOREY THOMPSON ON THE POWER OUTAGE

LHSBUDGET.COM

Students pass time during power outage

ROBOTICS ROUND UP

BY MOLLY DAUGHTERY

STAFF WRITER

The STEAM robotics team worked early in 2020 to go to battle with Star Wars-themed battle bots.

In only six weeks, the team was challenged to create an original robot design to then battle other schools’ robots.

“It is very stressful because we would like to have it done as soon as possible,” said senior Charles Nigro, the team’s lead builder.

This year’s competition theme was Star Wars, something most members said they had great knowledge of. Compared to last year, Nigro said they were more prepared for the competition.

“Our goal is to win,” Nigro said. “It would be really rewarding to win.”

Head coach Jeannie Merritt mentored students but said many took up leadership roles to coach the younger team members.

“It’s like a company,” Merritt said. “There are 50 to 60 kids on the team. We have mentors to guide the kids but the teams are run by a CEO

and other positions… It’s a really big process.”

Gifted facilitator Emily Beecham said the competition is an opportunity for hands-on learning and wants to have her students participate in Battle of the Brains in the future.

“It’s something these kids can say, ‘Hey, I had a part of this,’ ” Beecham said. “They can have something to show for it by going to Science City and everybody else can actually experience their idea.”

The team took home the spirit award at its March competition. Its next event was canceled due to COVID-19.

FOCUSED — Gearing up, junior Subade Sulitan works on a component at a robotics meeting at the College and Career Center. Subade had been part of the team for a year and a half. “It’s really fun,” Subade said. “You do team stuff, build pretty cool stuff and then you have the field trips.”

PHOTO BY NOLA LEVINGS

SAVE THE DATE: SPIRIT WEEK EVENTS AT HOME

1

APRIL 6

COME IN YOUR PJS SHARE SOMETHING FUN YOU’VE DONE AT HOME

2

APRIL 7

DRESS LIKE A TEACHER SHARE SOMETHING YOU APPRECIATE ABOUT THEM

3

APRIL 8

4

WEAR A COLLEGE SHIRT FOR YOUR DREAM SCHOOL OR FUTURE SCHOOL

APRIL 9

BEACH DAY SHARE SOMETHING YOU LOOK FORWARD TO

5

APRIL 10

RED & BLACK DAY SHARE WHAT YOU LOVE ABOUT LHS

PAGE DESIGN SAMI TURNER MARCH 31, 2020

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THE BUDGET NEWS

NEWS

BUILDING BREAK DOWN

Annex is connected as phase two of construction wraps up REPORTING BY IRIS SHERRON

ENTRANCES

Construction where student services was located meant closing the entrance that students had been able to open with their keycards. Gym doors and the doors by the new weight room were made available for students to open with their keycards.

“I’m glad more doors are open than at the beginning of the year,” junior EmmaFrances Smith said. “It’s still kind of hard to navigate, but it’s better than before.”

WEIGHT ROOM With the new weight room located near foreign language classrooms, students could get a better workout because of the increased space and higher quality equipment.

“I think it’s pretty cool,” junior Charlie Elsten said. “There’s a lot of new technology, and it makes our lifts more advanced.”

The new weight room gave students access to new weights and cardio equipment.

“It’s nice because the weights don’t have rust on them,” Elsten said.

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MARCH 31, 2020 |PAGE DESIGNED BY SAMI TURNER

STUDENT SERVICES After the student service hallway was closed for construction, offices from student services moved to classrooms near the auditorium. Counselors shared classrooms with other counselors, creating a lack of privacy.

“I don’t like the openness and the lack of privacy in this office,” counselor Jennifer Hare said. “It feels like we all kind of have to juggle for privacy in this space.”

In the temporary space, counselors were spread out throughout a hallway instead of in a general space that connected all their offices.

“I don’t like the way we are separated,” Hare said.

NEWS THE BUDGET

NEW WALKWAYS New walkways opened in phase two of construction, expanded the school and made traveling to the innovation corridor more efficient.

During phase two of construction, one of the biggest changes to the building was the connection of the annex and the main building. The new hallway has classrooms and a wall made out of windows, allowing students to see outside over Louisiana Street.

“I like seeing all the dead grass right outside,” junior Corban Oberzan said.

Before the connection, students had to walk outside to access classes in the annex, causing a safety concern.

With the new connection, students stay inside. The connection of the annex is the start of keeping LHS a closed, one building campus.

CULINARY ROOM The culinary classroom moved from the hallway connecting E2 and the student services hallway to near the entrance of the main gym. From the new culinary room, students can access the basketball lobby and get to the restrooms.

The new classroom has primarily new cooking equipment and a new set up that puts the individual kitchens in aisles.

“I like how the counters are pretty low,” sophomore Avery Kingery said. “It’s nice because I can reach stuff.”

NURSE’S OFFICE The nurse’s office moved into Ben Ehret’s old classroom in the science hallway and was set up to resemble the nurse’s office. The beds were separated by curtains to give students privacy.

“There’s not much confidentiality,” school nurse Carol Casteel said. “I don’t even know if I could talk to somebody very confidentially in here. I’d have to go probably down to the counselor’s office.”

While the old nurse’s office didn’t have windows, the temporary nurse’s office did have windows because it was an old classroom.

“What I love are the windows,” Casteel said.

“Because I finally have windows after 10 years.”

PHOTOS BY KATHERINE WILLIAMS, CAM BOHMANN, ALEX STARK & CARLY COOPER PAGE DESIGNED BY SAMI TURNER | MARCH 31, 2020

5

THE BUDGET NEWS

ACTION

CALL TO

Safety conversation continues after community event

BY DANIEL DAVIDSON

winter break. Senior Jon Wertin suggestSchmidt said. “There is still so much we ed students be given more flexibility to can be doing with the remodel.” continue school work from the safety of The 18 questions students answered their homes when necessary. were printed on paper handouts, offern the wake of a gun being conMost students echoed a need for ing those not a part of the forum to give fiscated from a student on the better communication that lets students their input by submitting it in writing first day back from break, junior know information first. after the event.

Oscar Schmidt said they noticed “I didn’t hear about [the gun inciThe very same day that students themselves more regularly plandent] until I got home and my mom told led the community forum on safety, ning escape routes when walking into a me,” Schmidt said. “That terrified me Lawrence High and Free State students classroom. more after the fact than if I had learned were asked to take a survey on Student Schmidt’s frustrations were echoed in the school. That’s more scary to me Resource Officers. At the same time by peers during the Student Voices, than knowing in the moLawrence High students were taking Student Actions School ment would be.” that survey, a student was arrested by an Safety Forum in January, a According to Lewis, SRO for suspicion of battery on a police community event hosted at “...SAFETY IS SchoolMessenger is being officer, according to a news release from Lawrence High. Twenty stuprepared to be implementthe district. dents, including moderators CONSISTENTLY ed as a mass-text system for When results of this survey were Trevor Arellano and Sami ON OUR MINDS.” safety emergencies. Student discussed during the Jan. 27 school Turner, discussed 18 sepaphone numbers stored in board meeting, board member G.R. rate questions about safety —AMELIA VASQUEZ, PowerSchool will be used.

Gordon-Ross argued the importance of in school, such as “How can SENIOR As the discussion moved student-SRO relationship building. we prevent weapons from toward Lawrence High’s “Most of the students could name the entering the school while $46 million remodel, expected to finish security guards and they couldn’t name respecting personal privacy?” and “How in August of 2021, opinions began to the SROs because they didn’t have the do we increase transparency regarding differ. relationships with them,” Gordon-Ross safety issues?” These questions were Balancing student privacy, safety said. drafted by the moderators and based on and comfort led students to question Board members discussed what role student input. the need for metal detectors or tinted the SROs should have going forward, esWhile parents, Superintendent Anwindows. Several rooms in the new pecially as the city last year asked USD thony Lewis and school board members remodel rely more on natural light, with 497 to take on a larger role in funding were present, only the pre-selected the new glass corridor that the program. students were permitted to talk.

THERE’S MORE! connects the main building Independent of USD “We want to set a precedent for the to the former annex opening 497 discussions, police in rest of the district and community that to students this week.

Lawrence began wearing student voices are important,” Turner Junior Trinity Shorter body cameras this month — a said. pointed out that only some move that included SROs. The one point students seemed doors open to student badgAssistant principal and dito agree most on was that, after four es, which can become more rector of facilities, Quentin weapon incidents at LHS in the span Extended Version: Students than an inconvenience in an Rials, said school shootLead Safety Discussion of a single calendar year, it was easy to After Firearm Incident emergency. ings like Columbine have become numb.

“In a real emergency, completely changed the way “I think I speak for everyone here,” and I’m not at one of those weapons on school campuses senior Amelia Vasquez said, “when I say doors but I have my key card, how am I are treated. safety is consistently on our minds.” supposed to get in?” Shorter asked.

“When I went to school here, it was a In the three incidents where a Schmidt said student involvement in little bit different,” said Rials, a 25-year student brought a firearm to school, the rest of the remodel is important.

LHS alumni. “There were kids that had all claimed to carry their weapon in “I don’t think students were very rifles in the window in the back of their self-defense, the most recent occurrence much involved in the planning process…” trucks. Things have just changed.” relating to a dispute that escalated over

ONLINE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

I

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MARCH 31, 2020 | DESIGNED BY RILEY UNEKIS

NEWS THE BUDGET

SPEAKING UP— Senior Aryaf Muyidi joins fellow Lawrence High students in a student-run forum about gun-safety on Jan. 16. Usually, kids are the ones listening to the adults talk but this time the roles were reversed. “It felt empowering saying your opinions to the community, especially about such an important issue,” Muyidi says, “I seriously hope it made a huge statement.” PHOTO BY KATHERINE WILLIAMS PERSPECTIVES — Senior Jonathan Wertin speaks with fellow students and members of the community about problems that our school faces during the Community Forum on Jan. 16. “Me, personally, I was always the guy who felt safe at school,” Wertin said. “And now that I experienced this, I know there’s a lot of problems that I kind of overlooked or felt comfortable with.” PHOTO BY KATHERINE WILLIAMS MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS — senior Amelia Vasquez speaks up at a student-led community forum. The discussion approached topics about security concerns for the student body. “I was very grateful to have a platform for my concerns,” she said.

“It finally feels like the new administration is taking the mental health of the students seriously.” One outcome of the meeting was to establish a student mental health panel. PHOTO BY KATHERINE WILLIAMS

DESIGNED BY RILEY UNEKIS | MARCH 31, 2020

7

THE BUDGET NEWS

TOBACCO

TAKE DOWN Federal tobacco 21 law and vape flavor ban take effect

BY DANIEL DAVIDSON

Budget. “But as it is, the current federal these new federal laws have already flavor legislation is not enough to be generated discussion in class. meaningful.”

“One interesting point that was Tobacco 21 law, however, is made by one of my students,” Green something Hartsig advocated for when said, “was to raise the legal age to 25 federal ban on speciallyshe spoke to the Lawrence school because 18-year-olds can still buy these flavored nicotine pods board in September products from 21-yearwent into effect earlier this about the health impacts olds. Less likely from a month, leaving disposable of vaping. Prior to the 25-year-old.” “...AS IT IS, and tank-based vaping federal age change, the With both the systems untouched.

THE CURRENT school board had sent announcement of the The ban, announced in January, two separate letters to FEDERAL FLAVOR 21 law and flavoredrestricts manufacturers such as JUUL the city commission pod ban, initial details and NJOY to tobacco and mentholLEGISLATION in support of such about enforcement and flavored pods. Flavors like lemonade, IS NOT legislation. regulation from the Food mango and blueberry can still be found Nineteen states in e-liquids sold at vape shops, as well ENOUGH TO BE and Drug Administration and Washington, D.C. were scarce. as in disposable single-use vapes such implemented tobacco 21 MEANINGFUL.” On the state level, the as PuffBars. prior to the federal ban. —SARAH HARTSIG, preexisting enforcement Along with the Dec. 20 law making “It is a policy that mechanism for tobacco LAWRENCE-DOUGLAS tobacco and nicotine purchasing age has been proven to be products is annual 21, this ban aims to curb rising rates of COUNTY HEALTH effective in communities compliance checks, where youth vaping.

PROMOTION SPECIALIST underage individuals will elsewhere in the U.S.,” Lawrence-Douglas County health Hartsig said. be sent to a selection of promotion specialist THERE’S MORE! “Of course, it matters how vendors and violating retailers are Sarah Hartsig believes the well it is enforced and fined. exceptions to this ban mean whether the retailers are Hartsig said Kansas is revising its it will do little to that goal. aware of the law.” enforcement strategy when it comes to “Because it was so According to a study by underage nicotine sales while locally narrowly focused on the Institute of Medicine DCCCA runs a “reward and remind” pod-based systems, and in 2015, raising nicotine program. because it excluded mint Scan to catch up on past purchasing age to 21 would vaping coverage and menthol, I think that prevent an estimated we will see more product 200,000 plus premature VAPE — Tobacco products have been switching than anything deaths for today’s teenagers. restricted to people over the age of 21. else,” Hartsig said in an email to The Health teacher Adam Green said PHOTO BY KATHERINE WILLIAMS

CO-ONLINE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

A

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MARCH 31, 2020|PAGE DESIGNED BY KATE TILGHAM

NEWS THE BUDGET

QUICK TAKE

21

Age to buy nicotine products

Non-tobacco or menthol pods banned

Disposable and tankbased nicotine remains legal

90%

Percent of daily smokers who started as a teen

District joined class action lawsuit against JUUL in December

200k estimated number of premature deaths prevented by tobacco 21 laws

PAGE DESIGNED BY KATE TILGHAM | MARCH 31, 2020

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THE BUDGET NEWS

TEEN SUBSTANCE

BREAKDOWN Statistics reveal national teen use of drugs, alcohol and nicotine

PREVALENCE OF NICOTINE VAPING SOURCE: DRUGABUSE.GOV

1/4 12TH GRADERS

2

N LIOE L I M PL

PEO 12+ D ES OI AG N OPI ER

RD HA WIT E DISO 18 0 S 2 U IN

1/5 10TH GRADERS

1/11 8TH GRADERS

8TH-12TH GRADE DRUG USE IN THE PAST MONTH

SOURCE: DRUGABUSE.GOV

RESOURCES Alcoholics Anonymous | (785) 842-0110 (24/7 hotline) Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center | (785) 843-9192 DCCCA (Douglas County Citizens Committee on Alcoholism) | (785) 841-4138

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MARCH 31, 2020 | PAGE DESIGNED BY SAMI TURNER

Friends of Recovery | (913) 722-0367

AMPHETAMINES 2.2%

FLAVORED CIGARS 5.4%

CIGARETTES 5.4%

VAPING PRODUCTS 12%

MARIJUANA 14.5%

ALCOHOL 19.9%

First Step at Lakeview | (785) 843-9262

Heartland Regional Alcohol & Drug Assessment Center (RADAC) | 1-800-281-0029 Narcotics Anonymous | (785) 749-6631 Recovery and Hope Network (RAHN) | (785) 856-1222 Free services to adults with severe mental illness.

NEWS THE BUDGET DESIGNED BY SAMI TURNER, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF REPORTING BY ZORA LOTTONBARKER, NEWS EDITOR, & MERIEL SALISBURY, FEATURES EDITOR

ACCESS TO PRESCRIPTION OPIODS

COUNSELOR ADDRESSES DRUG ISSUES COUNSELOR KELSEY BUEK

32.5% OF ADOLESCENTS SAID IT WAS EASY TO OBTAIN OPIODS IN 2018 SOURCE: HHS.GOV

57% OF ADOLESCENTS WHO REPORTED MISUSING PRESCRIPTION OPIOIDS OBTAINED THEM FROM FRIENDS OR RELATIVES SOURCE: SCIENCEDAILY.COM

10.3 MI LL I

ON PE O PLE A G E S 12+ M ISUSED O PIO IN 2018 IDS

MARIJUANA USE SOURCE: DRUGREHAB.COM

12th graders who have tried marijuana 12th graders who have used in the past 30 days

12th graders who use daily

10th graders who use daily

5.9% 2.9%

49%

10th & 12th graders who disapprove of regular use

23%

23%

WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN SOMEONE COMES TO YOU WITH SUBSTANCE ABUSE ISSUES? “Generally we try to gather more information and try to figure out how long it’s been going on, and we make students aware of this but due to the nature of that we usually have to reach out to family.”

WHAT RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE HERE FOR STUDENTS? “We’re really lucky to have a large mental health team, and we have several social workers, counselors, school psychologist that all have had some training in that.

Two of our social workers are called WRAP social workers and they are actually employed by Bert Nash, so they have even more specialty training than the rest of us.”

CAN YOU DESCRIBE SOME OF THE COMMON TRENDS THAT YOU SEE? “I think a lot of the signs you would see would align pretty closely with depression so if you see your friend starting to act differently, dress differently, look differently those would definitely be big warning signs for sure.”

DO STUDENTS COME TO COUNSELORS WITH THESE ISSUES? “Sometimes. A lot of times with substance abuse we don’t hear about it until it’s gotten really, really bad just because those are things that a lot of people try to cover up even from the people that they’re closest with.”

PAGE DESIGNED BY SAMI TURNER | MARCH 31, 2020

11

THE BUDGET NEWS

SUBSTANCE DATA SHORTAGE After 7 years with no drug surveys, the results are showing

BY ZORA LOTTONBARKER

took the survey earlier this year. money to pay for programs to combat But it’s absence has had an impact. the problem.

Diane Ash, the previous drug prevention “Ms. [Kelsey] Buek and Ms. [LyniNEWS EDITOR specialist, lead multiple projects before sha] Thomas have tried to advertise and retiring in 2014. Even though several recruit members for the FYI Club, and even years ago, Lawrence High mental health team members have tried students either don’t sign up for visits, students reported using drugs to continue some of the projects that don’t sign up for meetings, or don’t at rates that far exceeded the Ash led, all of her projects volunteer for the presentastate average. were on a volunteer basis. tions,” school psychologist These days, it’s anybody’s Student response and Sylvia Trevino-Maack said. “...IT ALMOST guess if those rates of drug use have participation has fallen There are new growing fallen or grown.

ENTIRELY significantly since then. challenges that have arisen That’s because Kansas schools have Thomas has seen the since 2014, namely vaping.

ELIMINATED been barred from surveying students on direct correlation between Without additional money PREVENTION substance abuse and other risky behavthe loss of survey informato help attack substance iors due to a bill passed by the Kansas tion and a decline in drug AND AWARENESS problems, it had become Legislature in 2014. It put the brakes prevention programs in the PROGRAMS...” hard for staff to address on a survey that had previously tracked last six years. substance and drug abuse drug, alcohol, tobacco and other issues — LYNISHA THOMAS, “The loss of this proproblems within Lawrence throughout the state. gram [the drug prevention SOCIAL WORKER High, because of the lack “We have not completed the Comspecialist] reduced signifiof financial resources. munities that Care student survey since cant resources for students “I speculate that there 2013, before the legislation,” said social that had drug and alcohol abuse issues,” are more students vaping pot than worker Lynisha Thomas. “Kansas statThomas said. “Also, it almost entirely vaping nicotine but without student utes now requires active consent from eliminated prevention and awareness feedback, it is hard to tell,” Maack said. parents for students to participate in programs, and there were a significant “DCCCA (Douglas County Citizens data collecting surveys about drugs, alnumber of students that participated in Committee on Alcoholism) in collaboracohol, and family values. This means that these programs. One of our tion with Kansas University have offered parents have to sign consent biggest clubs at one point.” to provide high school students with an THERE’S MORE! for students to participate.”

FYI Club was one of the eight-week vaping cessation program.

The district may have many programs affected The challenge is that kids that are vaping found a solution to the by the lack of funding and are not interested in quitting, and parconsent issue. awareness. Through the FYI ents need to have consent for something According to Julie Club, student volunteers gave like this to happen.”

Boyle, USD 497 executive presentations in elementary The mental health team at Lawrence director of communications, and middle schools about High has made efforts to compensate for Scan to catch up the district added to the drug prevention, bullying and the loss of this information. on previous drug enrollment and registration education coverage cultural heritage. This lack “The mental health team usually has process a way for guardof funding can be directly a table with information about drug ians to give permission for correlated to the lack of prevention and other important topics students to be surveyed. information available about drug use in during parent-teacher conferences both This is a change made to combat prethe state. Without knowledge of drug semesters,” Maack said. Social workers vious roadblocks in the years following use, it is almost impossible to receive do presentations about several mental the 2014 legislation, and some students

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MARCH 31, 2020 | PAGE DESIGNED BY RILEY UNEKIS

NEWS THE BUDGET

ER W ANS EET SH 1) 2)

b

a a

QUICK TAKE c c

b b

c

health topics parents teacher confera c ences, too. The health classes also pro) 3 vide lessons regarding drug prevention for b all ninth graders.” a c Junior Sophie Bracker-Sturm believes 4) that talks from educators about drug b use might not be the best solution to the a c problem.

5) b “I personally don’t think kids will listen a to an educator but maybe if the conversation c 6) came from their parents or alumni who have b been affected by it that could speak on the a matter,” she said. c 7) Bracker-Sturm believes that careful use of b softer drugs such as weed aren’t as much of a a problem as harder drugs like cocaine and methc ) 8 amphetamine. b “If I’m being completely honest, I think most a of our community is smart enough to avoid hard c 9) substances and people that smoke weed and b drink take precautions to make sure they don’t a c endanger anyone, most of the time,” Brack10) er-Sturm said. “It’s not ideal, but I don’t think I b would consider it a problem.” a c Junior Abby Lingwall says that general aware11) b ness about the consequences could really help to decrease teenage use of drugs and alcohol. a c 12) “I would say general awareness is lacking in b our education on drugs a and alcohol,” 13) Lingwall said.

“I would like to see more information being shared about GRAPHIC BY RILEY UNEKIS the consequences of using drugs and alcohol in your teenage years. I think drug use is pretty significant in our school, enough so that we should definitely be having more conversations about the issue. I don’t think many people realize or care that there can be long term health effects to using drugs at such a young age.”

Year state lawmakers made it more difficult for students to be surveyed about drug use

2014

Gap in years between survey about substance use being given in Lawrence

7

Number of sophomores who took the survey this year

149 Seniors who took the survey this year

312

Enrollment question added to PowerSchool to enable LHS students to be surveyed

2019

PAGE DESIGNED BY RILEY UNEKIS | MARCH 31, 2020

13

THE BUDGET FEATURES

STUDENT DEALERS

Anonymous students share their experience selling drugs Editors note: While school-level data about student substance use is no longer available (see page 12-13), drugs remain readily accessible to students. The Budget agreed to keep the identifies of these students anonymous so they would speak candidly about their experiences and so readers could better understand their motivations.

REPORTING BY DANIEL DAVIDSON AND SAMI TURNER

STUDENT A SELLS ADDERALL, MARIJUANA, PSYCHEDELICS AND COCAINE HOW OFTEN DO YOU DEAL? “It depends. I normally make a deal every day. Like when finals season comes around that’s when my Adderall sales go up, they spike pretty high, especially with college kids. But my weed sales stay pretty consistent all the time.”

WHAT GOT YOU STARTED? “I started off using and then when my doctor started prescribing me Adderall, and I hate them so...[I thought], I’ll sell ‘em. But with weed I don’t really know… It was just an opportunity because I was a heavy smoker, like smoking weed everyday. And I realized with the amount I was buying, I could buy a little excess and make some profit.”

HOW DO YOU BALANCE SELLING WITH SCHOOL? “Normally, I would either have somebody drop by during my job or sometimes even at school, and I’ll do the sale there. Usually have

days off with no sales, and only in between job/school times at rare occasions.”

ARE YOU ANXIOUS ABOUT GETTING CAUGHT? “My contacts know that… if they do snitch, there will be repercussions.

I’m connected with a lot of them, so if I find out someone’s gonna snitch, then I know brothers, I won’t be falling for that…

That works great and it makes it much harder for them to buy from anyone.”

WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE SOME UNIQUE DIFFICULTIES OF BEING A STUDENT DEALER? “Difficulties is of course school security and technically you’re still a minor so being caught there is a lot more risk involved, especially with parents searching my room and stuff like that, but with being a dealer there is also benefits because it gives money.”

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO SOMEONE WANTING TO

GET INTO THE BUSINESS? “Personally, I would honestly say don’t. First of all I don’t want any competition. Second of all, there’s so much risk involved and once you get in, it’s really hard to get out. You do build a rep with these people, and it’s really hard to sever those, so it keeps you in the game. But if I were to help somebody just be talkative ask around because it’s not hard to find somebody that deals...”

JUVENILE DRUG ARREST RATES Sources: The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention | 2018 arrests per 100,000 people ages 10-17

369.9 Male

14

140.2 Female

376.4 Black

MARCH 31, 2020 | PAGE DESIGNED BY SAMI TURNER

297.4

Native American

264.9 White

71.3 Asian

FEATURES THE BUDGET

STUDENT B DEALS MARIJUANA EDIBLES DO YOU DEAL WITH OTHER PEOPLE OR BY YOURSELF? “I have two friends that I do it with.”

HOW OFTEN DO YOU DEAL? “Ideally daily. If I’m making a proper effort to push sales, then daily. If not, most days of the week.”

WHAT GOT YOU STARTED? “Truthfully, because we’re poor. We need a way to make extra money. I actually don’t work right now, so this is basically my only source of income. My friends they just need extra disposable income to do fun things they want to do.”

HOW DO YOU BALANCE SELLING AND SCHOOL? “A lot of dealing happens at school, so that’s a plus. It’s an easy place to knock out two birds with one stone. Other than that, I tend to put school in the back seat, or on the back burner as they say, and focus on this because I don’t have money.

It’s becoming a bit of a problem, and I need to correct the balance a little bit.”

DO YOU WORRY ABOUT GETTING CAUGHT AT SCHOOL?

HOW DOES YOUR JOB AFFECT YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR FAMILY? “I’m definitely more distant. I maintain my distance for safety. My safety and their safety.

My grandparents actually offered a place for me to live next year if I don’t get a place with my friends, and I already decided I couldn’t do that because of this. I wouldn’t feel right about bringing this into their house.”

WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE SOME COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS?

“Violence is definitely one of them. None of us are trying to shoot anybody. We just want to sell stuff and get our money. None of us own weapons. There are some people that do carry guns.

But those tend to be people who sell actual marijuana, like straight the flower, but most of the drug dealers I know of don’t own any kind of weapons. People think we’re thugs. We’re not. We’re just poor.”

“PEOPLE THINK WE’RE THUGS. WE’RE NOT. WE’RE JUST POOR.”

“Yeah, actually I do. I mean I regularly walk around with a backpack with one pocket just full of edibles. If I were to get stopped...then I would be in a lot of trouble. I try not to look suspicious. Nobody, I think, has any reason to suspect me to do anything illicit. I keep a low profile, don’t interact with the SROs or administration, don’t get in trouble, don’t get in fights. I avoid any reason for them to look at me.”

WHAT ARE SOME UNIQUE DIFFICULTIES OF BEING A STUDENT DEALER?

“Trying to stay safe at school. It’s a juggling act, trying to conduct business in a school where it’s twice as illegal and you can get in twice as much trouble. Also getting out of class if you need to. Trying to time things well. It’s not that big of a task, being subtle.”

DO YOU MEET CLIENTS DURING CLASS? “Yeah. I’ve met up with people

before class, during classes, after class, during passing periods.

Whenever people are available, I try to make work. Most of the time I try to do it between classes or after classes or during lunch or something. At most, once or twice a day. Sometimes with people I have classes with, we exchange during class.”

DO YOU PLAN TO CONTINUE DEALING FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE?

“We have plans to continue this for awhile, but it’s not sustainable for 20 years. I would obviously want to get a more traditional job so I can pay taxes and not be worried about the IRS noticing that I have way more money than I should when I don’t work.”

WHAT DO YOU EVENTUALLY WANT TO DO?

“I’m really into politics... If I sell drugs I can’t run for office, so obviously I would have to phase that out before then considering that. I’m intrigued by the idea of trying to run for public office. Obviously, who knows. That would take a lot.

It would be a lot of work to get to that point, but I could do that. It’s a dream of course. My dream job would to be a U.S. Senator.”

PAGE DESIGNED BY SAMI TURNER | MARCH 31, 2020

15

THE BUDGET FEATURES

ICED-OUT COURT Winter court shares weirdest combination of foods that they love

MORGAN HUNT “Cottage cheese and cherry tomatoes.”

LISA YANG “I’ve never tried two different foods together.”

TRACY ALLEN

SARAH CORY “Peanut butter and carrots.”

KEATON HOY

“Peanut butter and jelly.”

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MARCH 31, 2020

“Tortilla, stick of cheese and peanut butter — all wrapped up into the best thing ever. FR try it.”

PAIDEN BELL

“Honey on tacos.”

“I don’t like my food touching, and I’m super picky.”

AVERY HARRINGTON

AIDAN BANNISTER

“Anything with avocados on it slaps.” “Honey mustard and walnuts on toast.”

AMELIA VASQUEZ

KARLY JOHNSON

ALICE HULL “I’ll just eat whatever you put in front of me.”

“Dipping French fries into vanilla ice cream.”

HAVEN BELLERIVE “Vanilla or chocolate ice cream and fries.”

Go Lions!

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THE BUDGET FEATURES

CONNECTING TO CULTURE THROUGH

DANCE

Students embrace opportunities to compete in powwows

BY MERIEL SALISBURY

FEATURES EDITOR

D

ancing in powwows never fails to be a powerful experience for sophomore Shelby Bointy and junior Amaya Harris.

“When that drum stops, and you stop you kind of take it in for a second like, ‘Yeah, I just did that. Yeah, I can feel it,’ ” Harris said. “It just feels really good. There’s never been a time when I finish dancing and it didn’t feel good afterward. It always feels nice to dance.”

Harris and Bointy traveled with two other USD 497 students to Dewey, Okla., to compete in the Battle of the Plains Powwow on Jan. 18 and 19. They were both first-timers at the event.

Harris placed first in her category and Bointy placed third.

“We all traveled together in this little minivan. It was very cramped,” Bointy said. “I had to worry about my feathers the entire time because my suitcase isn’t big enough to fit them.”

Bointy and Harris are related and have both been dancing since they were children. Bointy remembered that she used to run into the arenas at powwows when she had just learned to walk.

“A lot of people usually say that they have been dancing since they could walk,” said Harris, who now dances jingle and southern traditional styles. “But I honestly have been.”

The size of the powwow surprised Bointy and Harris, but they both became more comfortable and excited to dance during its grand entry.

“Grand entry is a very formal type of entrance in which dancers of all different styles line up,” Bointy said. “Some people choose to dance and some others just choose to walk.”

It took Bointy some work to find a

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MARCH 31, 2020

style of dance that felt the most comfortin April before it was canceled because able. She now dances in the men’s fancy of the coronavirus pandemic. It is the category. largest powwow in North America.

“When I first watched her dance that “It kicks off the powwow season at the Haskell powwow, it made me tear for the summer,” Leona Antoine, the up because it made me realize that this club’s sponsor, said. “It’s one of those is what she wants to do,” Harris said. “I powwows that has a reputation to where could tell on her face that that’s what she if you place there, you’re pretty much wanted to do, so that was nice to watch.” guaranteed to place throughout the Especially because she is one of the summer at different powwows.” few females to dance in the men’s war Members of the club also planned on dance category, Bointy hopes that her visiting colleges in the area on the trip, dancing inspires others. including the South Indian Polytechnic “Hearing stories of those women Institute and the University of New war dancers convinced me to want to Mexico. They hoped to see the Ameriget into war dancing because I’ve always can Indian Art Institute. wanted to my entire life,” she said.

To raise funds for the trip, Intertrib“Now I dance that style full time, and al Club members sold shirts, and had I’m hoping that maybe I planned to host a powcan inspire other young wow at LHS this spring “I AM NATIVE women to want to war as a fundraiser, before the AMERICAN, AND pandemic interrupted dance.”

Harris has grown to life. Bointy and Harris I’M PROUD OF appreciate her dancing had looked forward to WHO I AM...I more as she gets older. representing LHS in New HOPE THAT MY “I know most kids Mexico.

DANCING WILL think it’s for the money “There’s a lot of pride,” or it’s just to look good,” INSPIRE OTHER Antoine said. “It’s really she said. “The older you YOUNG NATIVES cool to see because the get, you start to realize style that Amaya dances, TO LEARN TO that you should just do it jingle dress style, is the for the tradition and the DANCE AS WELL ” same style that I danced, people that you love and —SHELBY BOINTY, and so she’s just so smooth, for the people who can’t.” SOPHOMORE and she just has a really When Harris dances, nice style.” she thinks of the people Bointy feels pride about she has lost who can’t dance anymore, her dancing, too. and she feels them watching her in the “I am Native American and I’m arena. proud of who I am,” she said. “I like to “It always feels good because after I carry on the tradition of dancing and I dance I always take it in,” Harris said. “I hope that my dancing will inspire other could feel the energy being given to me young Natives to learn to dance as well.” by everyone watching and all my loved ones” Members of Lawrence High’s InterPROUD — Giggling in the arena, juniors Amaya tribal Club, including Bointy and AmaHarris and Devon Yellow Bird interact during ya, had hoped to go to the Gathering of Intertribal at the Haskell Powwow on Feb. 8.

Nations Powwow in Albuquerque, N.M., PHOTO BY MCKENNA WHITE

FEATURES THE BUDGET

MARCH 31, 2020

19

THE BUDGET FEATURES

HAPPY

th

4

BIRTHDAY

Sophomores finally able to celebrate leap year birthdays

PARIS SPOTTED TAIL

BY NADIA SANBURN

ONLINE CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

T

hree sophomores turned 4-yearsold this year.

Jalerio Wahwahsuck, Paris Spotted Tail and Darby Van Fleet were all born on Feb. 29, a date that only happens every four years.

Because of their Leap Year birthdays, they’re technically the youngest students at LHS. “Yeah, it’s unique, I guess,” Wahwah-

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MARCH 31, 2020

JALERIO WAHWAHSUCK suck said.

Van Fleet said it’s not that big of a deal.

“No, I mean, people talk about it a lot,” she said. “They’re like, ‘Oh, haha, you’re 4,’ and I’m like, ‘Yeah,’ but it’s not that different.”

Van Fleet usually tells people who ask her non-Leap Year age.

“I usually tell people that I’m just my regular age, like I’m 16,” she said.

Spotted Tail also tells people she’s a normal age.

“I usually say I’m 15, but if people

DARBY VAN FLEET ask, I say I’m 3,” she said before her birthday.

Wahwahsuck agreed.

“I usually tell people I’m 4 years old,” he said.

Spotted-Tail said being born on a leap year is both a blessing and a curse.

“I feel special, but sometimes it can get annoying, because everybody else has a birthday, and you have to wait four years to get a real birthday,” she said.

“But it’s really cool to be born on Feb. 29.”

Mia Robinson contributed to this report.

FEATURES THE BUDGET

FIRST-TIME REPORTING BY TREVOR ARELLANO

THESPIAN Addison Gish shares her first acting experience after joining the cast of the school winter play What is the ‘John Proctor is the Villain’ about?

“It’s all about feminism and like who you believe in situations.

Also the Me Too movement.”

How was the audition and rehearsal process?

“Auditioning was terrifying, but it was pretty laid back. And rehearsals were pretty intense some days, but we all created a family, so it was really nice. I looked forward to it.”

What is your character in John Proctor is the Villain?

“My character is Ivy Watkins. She is this goodie little two shoe girl that thinks that she has everything figured out, but then there is an incident in her family that changes everything. She then has to work through how she feels about that.”

How did you feel when you found out your role?

“I thought there was a typo. I was really, really excited and really nervous and really scared but mostly excited.”

What is unique about your character?

“I think she is a little clueless, not as much as Beth, and so I think she understands what is going on.”

How did you get into character?

“I kind of just started acting really rude to everyone. I also had a playlist. I listened to that helped a lot. And then just practicing with my other cast mates.”

What was the conflict within your character?

“Ivy Watkin’s father was accused of sexual assault. And then the teacher in the school, Mr. Smith, is also accused of having a relationship with a student.”

How does your character resonate with students our age?

“People our age probably don’t know who to believe, and Ivy was stuck in between taking sides with her family and the women.”

What do you think people took away after watching the play?

“I think it definitely opened the eyes of older people and maybe helped them understand more about the big bad F word: ‘feminism.’ ”

How does one go about joining the dramatic arts?

“Just go for it. Put yourself out there. Make connections. Accept feedback.”

PAGE DESIGNED BY TREVOR ARELLANO | MARCH 31, 2020

21

THE BUDGET SPORTS

SPORTS

LIONS ON A ROLL Two bowlers earn spots at state, girls win throughout season

BY CUYLER DUNN

STAFF WRITER

T

he bowling team used team bonding and talented young players to push themselves through a strong season.

Under first year head coach Gary Graves, the girls team has placed top three at every meet on the season.

The Lions had multiple underclassmen lead their team in scores, with help from senior leaders. They also used their unique position being a coed sport to grow a strong bond between team members.

“As a team, we all get along with each other and we all push each other and compete against one another which makes our scores go up,” senior Lana Chieu said. “Overall, the season was good.”

Chieu was one of the leaders for the

team this season. She originally joined bowling freshman year because of a senior friend at the time.

“Freshman year I made a friend that was a senior and she was like ‘you should come to join bowling.’” Chieu said, “and so then that’s where I am now and it’s one of the best decisions I made.”

The team sent two bowlers to the state championship. Senior Emilie Rodman finished 54th while freshman Maison Albarado wrapped up at 43rd place.

Bowling is one of only a few sports where both boys and girls compete at the same time, which allows for different team dynamics.

“It’s more of a coed sport than other sports,” Chieu said. “A lot of people don’t practice with both boys and girls, and since it’s a smaller team everybody is more involved with each other and we all become friends.”

Sophomore Carson Toews filled an

WINTER WRAP-UP

important role between JV and varsity this season.

“Bowling went well this season,” Toews said. “I was kind of the middle dude who jumped JV and varsity.”

Toews was one of many underclassmen on the team this year. The high number of young players gives hope to the team for future seasons as they continue to improve.

“Next year our team will be very competitive,” Toews said, “because there was only one senior on varsity, and we will be gaining a whole freshman class.”

Henry DeWitt contributed to this report.

TOP BOWLER — Seeking a strike, senior Emilie Rodman takes a shot at a bowling tournament at Royal Crest Lanes on Feb. 18. “I want to take all the girls to state,” Rodman said. “Individually we shine more, rather than as a team, but when we all score high, we get a bigger team score.”

PHOTO BY ALEX STARK

BY HENRY DEWITT, SPORTS EDITOR

Winter sports seasons conclude with wins, high hopes for the next season

GIRLS BASKETBALL

The varsity girls basketball team featured young players, composed of a mix of juniors, seniors and some sophomores.

The Lions blew out teams, beating Harmon High School 74-13 and Wyandotte High School 52-10.

The team fell short of the state tournament with a tough loss to Wichita Heights in the substate opener.

22

MARCH 31, 2020

BOYS BASKETBALL

The boys basketball season ended with the team’s sixth-straight trip to the state basketball tournament in Wichita on the eve of all sports shutting down due to the coronavirus. The Lions lost their first-round game to Blue Valley North, a tough end to a strong season. Senior Mayson Quartlebaum and junior Zeke Mayo proved an elite duo, creating highlightworthy plays every game. Between the half-court alley-oops and wild dunks, other players showed up this year as well, including senior Peyton Mallory, who established himself as a reliable perimeter shooter.

PAGE DESIGN BY TREVOR ARELLANO

GIRLS WRESTLING

Senior Abigail Afful was the single girls wrestler to finish the season during the first year of girl’s wrestling in Kansas. The move didn’t change much for Afful, who had been wrestling boys since her freshman year. Afful had a good season representing Lawrence High School well and competing at league and regionals.

SPORTS THE BUDGET

BOYS WRESTLING

The wrestling team showed flashes of greatness throughout the year, featuring a few breakout wrestlers. Freshman Jack Elsten came on the scene as a reliable wrestler for the 106-pound weight class. Sophomore Kevin Honas continued to show every match the immense skill set he had at the 120 pound weight class. At the regional tournament at Washburn Rural High School, Elsten took sixth, Honas took third and Trey Medina took seventh. Both Honas and Elsten made their mark at state with Honas taking fourth and Elsten finishing in sixth.

BOYS SWIM & DIVE

The Lions swim and dive team featured many star swimmers who made their way to state. Among the state competitors were divers sophomore Keyan Crawford and junior Salvador Good. The Lions placed eighth as a team in league, with junior Tyler Jones getting fifth in the 500 yard freestyle. Along with Jones, the swimmers that represented the Lions in the state tournament were freshman Max Whittaker, freshman Max Cowardin, freshman Christopher Oral, freshman Guilano Lulu-Peredez and freshman Ryan Christian. At state, Tyler Jones took eighth in the 500 freestyle.

PAGE DESIGN BY TREVOR ARELLANO MARCH 31, 2020

23

THE BUDGET SPORTS

A FOREIGN SPORT Student starts first-ever community girls rugby team

BY HENRY DEWITT

SPORTS EDITOR

S

ince junior Ella Williams was young, rugby been in her life.

Some of her earliest memories are watching her parents coach the KU women’s rugby team, being babysat by team members and running around at KU rugby practices. While her peers in elementary school were shooting basketballs and hitting baseballs, Williams was watching her dad play rugby.

She knew the sport she was most interested in was unusual to her classmates. But she liked that part of it.

“I’d come to school wearing a rugby shirt, and no one would know what it was,” Williams said. “I felt pretty cool.”

The summer before her sophomore year, Williams got an opportunity to travel to New Zealand to watch the KU rugby team with her family. This opportunity cemented passion for rugby.

From then on, Williams was searching for a team.

Last semester, Williams’ dad sent her a text saying she could play on a team at Harmon High School in Kansas City.

Williams jumped on the offer. She had never played organized rugby, but this was her opportunity to learn how. She was excited to go to her first-ever rugby practice. But when she got out of the car, she learned that it was not a practice, rather, a game.

With Williams’ first organized rugby experience being a game, she was forced to learn at a much faster pace than she anticipated. She finished the fall season playing with the Harmon team feeling unsatisfied. Only playing part of a season

with the team left her wanting more. the coronavirus pandemic led to massive She wanted to play rugby this spring, closures. The practices consisted of but this time she didn’t want to bring learning the game and getting everyone herself to Kansas City for every practice. comfortable with the sport itself. But Williams wanted to bring the rugby to the main challenge still remained in herself. She decided, with the help of recruiting. her parents, that she was going to start a “I would like to see Douglas County girl’s rugby team in Lawrence. produce enough rugby players that we “The biggest challenge will be can have our own, independent team recruiting athletes,” said Jason Williams, that is competitive with other KC area Ella Williams’ dad and a schools,” Jason William founder of the club. “Rugby is saids. “I would like to see us an obscure sport that is rarely “IT WAS PRETTY travel to tournaments and televised in America. In other win some hardware.”

EASY TO PICK countries around the world, Ella Williams hoped the you grow up watching rugby UP. MY FIRST Lawrence rugby team would on TV. So, we have to educate become a viable option for PRACTICE WAS girls that might not want to people about the sport, and then try to convince them to JUST BEING IN play traditional American try something new.” sports. She does not see A GAME.” With those challenges in the physical nature of the mind, Ella Williams started to —ELLA WILLIAMS, sport as a reason to not play. advertise the club. Hanging Rather, she sees the team JUNIOR fliers. Talking to teachers. aspect as a primary reason Telling everyone she could. At the first to join. unofficial practice, nine people showed “It gives you a lot of friends. That’s up. your family,” Williams said. “If you play “I have always done low-contact other sports but you’re not super good sports,” said junior Eva Ruiz, who at them, this is a sport that will make attended the first practice. “I was like, you feel good the whole time.”

‘Oh, this will be interesting, kind of high-contact.’ ” BRIGHT-EYED — junior Ella Williams (left) takes While interest in the club seemed to a short break in between two labor-intensive be growing, the attendance at practices rugby plays. Rugby practice took place twice started to go down. Parents not wanting weekly with different types of drills. PHOTO BY their daughters to get hurt. Kids not KATHERINE WILLIAMS wanting to get hit. And the fear of not knowing the rules drove people away.

IN MOTION — Looking up, junior Ella Williams “Anyone could play,” Williams said. (top left) gets ready to catch as she plays rugby “It was pretty easy to pick up. My first during a practice in February. The rugby team practice was just being in a game.” developed this school year thanks to Williams’ The Lawrence rugby team was persistence. starting its first official practices before PHOTO BY KATHERINE WILLIAMS

QUICK TAKE

123,719

USA Rugby members in 2018.

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MARCH 31, 2020

PAGE DESIGN TREVOR ARELLANO

28,441

USA Rugby members in high school in 2018

59

High school varsity rugby programs in 2018

SPORTS THE BUDGET

PAGE DESIGN TREVOR ARELLANO FEB. 27, 2020

23

THE BUDGET OPINION

OPINION

ATHLETI

ADDICT

More changes needed to help professional athletes addicted to opiods

BY HENRY DEWITT

SPORTS EDITOR

I

magine you are a professional athlete, every day giving your all and pushing your body to the limit through injury and fatigue.

Now imagine a single swallow of a pill can make all your pains fade away — temporarily, at least.

The hard truth is that opioid abuse is prevalent in athletics. In fact, according to the American Public Health Association, high-schoolers who participate in high contact sports like football and wrestling have a 50 percent greater risk of

26

MARCH 31, 2020 ASHER WOLFE

abusing opioids than their non-athlete peers. What this shows is that athletes are getting involved with highly addictive drugs at young ages.

This abuse can carry on for the rest of their lives.

For the athletes who make it into professional leagues, the rules in place make taking opioids to manage pain an attractive option. In the NFL and, until late last year, the MLB, drugs like marijuana and synthetic cannabinoids are banned.

Many professional athletes have spoken out about how marijuana has helped pain management despite far easier and more dangerous access to opioids.

“You really could go in the training room and get what you wanted,” Calvin Johnson, former Detroit Lions wide receiver, told Sports Illustrated. “I can get Vicodin. I can get Oxy[contin]. It was too available.”

That abundance of painkillers in sports has pushed athletes, such as Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre, who took 14 Vicodin pills at once during his 1995 MVP season, into admitting addiction.

While this is clearly a rampant problem in the NFL, players in the MLB,

OPINION THE BUDGET

IC

TIONS

NBA and NHL have spoken out about the player Chris Long has frequently said since prevalence of opioids in their respective retirement that marijuana helped him deal leagues. Fortunately, the MLB and the with his pain management, and circumNBA have started to take action. venting testing was easy, anyway. Whether After the overdose the players are caught with of Los Angeles Angels marijuana, alcohol or opioids, pitcher Tyler Skaggs this punishing the player should “YOU REALLY past summer, the MLB has not be the first thing that enacted a new drug testing COULD GO IN happens. The league needs to policy. In mid-December, offer help.

THE TRAINING the MLB announced it will Giving help to people in no longer test for marijuana ROOM AND times of crisis gives power and instead add drugs like back to them. Punishing GET WHAT YOU fentanyl, which was found athletes for their struggles in Skaggs’ system during his WANTED. IT WAS brought on them by the autopsy, to routine tests. If TOO AVAILABLE.” league is insulting and any opioids are found in an dangerous. These athletes athlete’s system, they will be —CALVIN JOHNSON, referred to help before they RETIRED DETROIT LIONS are scared to seek help are punished. because they do not want WIDE RECEIVER This echoes the policy to be suspended or fined. of the NBA which has not People need to realize tested for marijuana in years. However, that some of the strongest people sufthey still are similar to the NFL with ease fer through opiod addition. We praise of obtaining dangerous opioids. It seems athletes for how strong and seemingly like the future is moving more and more invincible they are, but they also suftoward the changes the MLB has made. fer through demons. We need to help Removing marijuana testing is a solution that many professional athletes people feel comfortable seeking out have come out in support of. Former NFL and conquering their addictions.

GRAPHIC BY RILEY UNEKIS ASHER WOLFE MARCH 31, 2020

27

THE BUDGET OPINION

OPINION

28

MARCH 31, 2020 | DESIGN BY SAMI TURNER

REVIEW:

OPINION THE BUDGET

‘TIGER KING’

TAKEOVER

Tiger King takes advantage of widespread boredom TONY RACY

comes great enemies. Carole Baskins, an animal rights activist and owner of Big Cat Rescue, wages a war against Joe Exotic and all private big cat owners. The highly complex story draws attention iger King: Murder, Mayhem, and not only to legal battles between the two, but also Madness” is nothing short of its plots of extortion, fraud, and even murder. The name. show even prompted a Florida sheriff to reopen a A phenomenal docuseries cold murder case from the 1990s. made over the last five years couldn’t come The show simply does not miss. Video at a better time. School is canceled, and compiled over the last 30 years gives us an everybody is stuck at home without anything intimate look at the making of their better to do because of the world. Each individual is highly coronavirus pandemic.

“ONE complex, and their stories don’t Staying in your house fail to humanize each one of them. for 24 hours can be very THING ISN’T However, as personalities continue to boring, especially if this lasts DEBATABLE. THE conflict with each other, it’s insanely for the next few months. hard to tell what is true or not, and What better way to stay CATS ARE THE who is in the right. entertained then to turn on One thing isn’t debatable. The your TV and open Netflix? LOSERS IN THIS cats are the losers in this fight. The “Tiger King” has FIGHT.” fact that there are only 4,000 tigers exploited this better than in the wild compared to 5,000-10,000 any other show could. in captivity in the United States will Exploring the world of private big cat leave you speechless. The uncertainty of how owners, the docuseries focuses on many are in captivity is shocking enough. The one zoo operator, Joe Exotic. Not show hammers this point hard. No viewer can only is he a big cat owner, he’s also finish the show not feeling bad for the big cats. a country singer, TV personality, The show is phenomenal. Not only is and failed politician. His cult of it entertaining, but it’s also informing and personality reflected in the show persuading, and its cultural importance can’t be has sent shockwaves throughout understated. While the shock value takes a lot American culture, and no one away from the story, the show lives up to most can stop talking about how expectations. I would recommend it to anyone wild the show is. who has the time (and who doesn’t?).

But with great power

OPINION EDITOR

‘T

RATING: 4/5 STARS GRAPHIC BY SOPHIA KAUFMAN DESIGN BY SAMI TURNER | MARCH 31, 2020

29

THE BUDGET OPINION

OPINION

COMPLEX ISSUES PUT IN FOCUS

BY SAMI TURNER

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

O

ne of my main goals with this paper this year was to shine light on stories, issues and perspectives that get lost amid the chaos of construction. But finding those stories is the tough part.

An issue that kept popping into our heads was teen substance use.

The federal government had just passed tobacco 21 laws and put more restrictions on vaping. There was our starting point.

We have covered vaping a handful of times, but had not recently gone deeper into other substance issues. While we were trying to find information to gauge the prevalence of drug use in Lawrence High, we found none. No one — not even administrators or school

30

MARCH 30, 2020

board members — has data about In this issue, I wanted to shine light on the prevalence of drug use in our the experiences these students have school, because students have not had and help people understand been surveyed in six years. their choices better.

That raised the question of Just because substance abuse how can we properly run and drug dealing may not be drug prevention education the brightest image of Lawrence without knowing the scope High, it’s still a relevant part of of the problem? We can’t. our community.

I wanted to take our One final note, we had investigation into substance wrapped up most of our work on issues at Lawrence High one Letter from this issue before Spring Break, step further by bringing it we all know the world has the editor and directly to the source: student changed. dealers. People discuss the effects of We took a break from finishing this drug use and push for prevention but issue so we could focus on covering rarely take time to understand what COVID-19 on lhsbudget.com. We’ll be leads someone to sell drugs. Drug bringing you more stories about the dealers are often presented as a third pandemic in our next newsmagazine, party — outside of our community. which we’ll publish in pdf format. We Yet there are a handful of students in hope to print one last issue of The Budget our classes who are dealers themselves. to feature our seniors. It’s one tradition These students are just as much a part we hope to maintain for the Class of of Lawrence High as any other students.

2020.

OPINION THE BUDGET

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, Anna Anderson, Trevor Arellano, Lance Atkins, Kadaan Barclay, Jojo Blackwood, Ashleigh Brown, Ben Cohen, Maxwell Cowardin,Molly Daugherty, Cuyler Dunn, Sarah Farhart, Lyndsey Fletcher, Maddy Freed, Josefine Graven, Rachel Krambeer, Myka Krauss, Jon LaRue, Andrew Liebegott, Addie London, River Lynch, Nancy Mai, Morgan Marsh, Cole Mondi, Caitlin Mooney, Owen Musser, Arianna Myers-Arenth, Ella Nobo, Elijah Paden, Ian Perkins, Kyra Ramirez, Lenissa Reed, Aiden Ridings, Ashlyn Schwarz, Amelia Smith, Cassandra Teichmann, Kate Tilghman, Ella Trendel, Ally Wheatman, Asher Wolfe.

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 Tony Racy ������������������������������������������������������������� Opinion Editor Alex Stark �����������������������������������������������Assistant Photo Editor

LHSBUDGET.COM EDITORS Daniel Davidson ��������������������������������������������������Editor-in-Chief Nadia Sanburn �����������������������������������������������������Editor-in-Chief Iris Sherron �������������������������������������������Assistant Online Editor Mia Robinson �����������������������������������������������������������Video Editor Jackson Yanek ��������������������������������������������������������Video Editor Cam Bohmann ������������������������������������������������������� Photo 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 Carly Cooper............................Photo Assignments Manager Arien Roman Rojas ������������������������������������������Captions Editor Ari Wilke ��������������������������������������������������������������Captions Editor Barbara Tholen ���������������������������������������������������������������� Adviser

MARCH 31, 2020

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THE BUDGET OPINION

PHOTO OF THE MONTH

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NOV. 25, 2019

UP TOP — Unstoppable, senior Mayson Quartlebaum slam dunks over an opposing player in a game against Shawnee Mission North on Dec. 20. “When I dunk, I just do it,” Qaurtlebaum said. “I don’t think. I just jump.” PHOTO BY CAMERON BOHMANN