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photo by roberthuffstutter photo by steve snodgrass students take on teacher bias with presidental candidates page 2 a play-by-play of all the things students should know when it comes to political parties pages 6-7 the free press takes on the im- portance of teen- age voting page 10 F P the free press issue three edition sixteen october 4, 2012

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Page 1: Issue 3, Edition 16

photo by roberthuffstutter

photo by steve snodgrass

students take on teacher bias with presidental

candidates page 2

a play-by-play of all the things students should

know when it comes to political

parties pages 6-7

the free press takes on the im-

portance of teen-age votingpage 10

FPthe

free

pres

s

issue three edition sixteen october 4, 2012

Page 2: Issue 3, Edition 16

by ryan liston Even teachers have their own opinions

when it comes to politics. While many people feel that teachers should try to keep their political beliefs to themselves, others, such as liberal social studies teacher Isaac Akande, think that as a teacher they should provide ac-curate, uncensored information.

“If it were 1955 and we were teaching about the political issue at the time, Indian segregation, and I stood up there and was neutral about it, 50 years later it would seem ludicrous,” Akande said.

Akande’s views have changed over the years.

“I used to be conservative back in high school, and when you do research or statistics it changes your beliefs over time,” he said.

English teacher Lynne Renick does not feel that her teaching is influenced by her political stance.

“I’d rather choose my topics than choose my party,” she said. “. . . In teaching, I have to represent both [political stances] and allow my students to move both ways.”

Senior Austin Bailey admires his teacher’s ability to filter out her political views.

“Ms. Grinnell, for instance, is my govern-ment teacher, and she also teaches AP Politics,” Bailey said. “I have really been amazed at the way she manages to spend the same amount of time on both sides of an issue, which is important so that she’s not directing us which path to choose, but she’s...telling us more about both of the paths that could be chosen.”

Social studies teacher Matt Frost believes that teachers should try not to allow their poli-tics to affect their teaching, but that political discussions play an important role in a learning environment.

“In certain ways I don’t think it’s right to tell kids what you believe and that they should be-lieve it too,” Frost said, “but being [conservative or liberal] is part of our makeup . . . [Students are] supposed to be learning how to deal with people with different opinions.”

Often, it’s not easy to tell a teacher’s political beliefs from the vantage point of a school desk, particularly when a teacher doesn’t lean far to the left or the right.

“I have some conservative tendencies and I [have] a lot of liberal tendencies,” social studies teacher Robert Hassig said. “What I care most about is people...”

Hassig also approves of political discus-sions among students during his class.

“I encourage [debates] in class because it makes people think.”

Sometimes, however, political debates can be held outside of class.

“[Mr. Law and I] decided to talk after school once, and we had a discussion about politics,” Bailey said. “It was a nice argument--we didn’t yell or anything ... There’s always that line of where we’re debating politics ... we’re not actu-ally going to make personal attacks.”

Not all political debates among students are so subdued.

“I remember in ninth grade civics with Dr. Hyler, we spent a class talking about the Bush tax cuts,” junior Brenan Conroy said. “They were up for renewal. ... I brought up a couple counter arguments ... and voices were raised, let’s say.”

Just as teachers differ in their teaching styles, not all students view classroom politics with the same eyes.

“I think it’s fine [for teachers to show their political beliefs during class] as long as they’re open to people sharing the other side,” Conroy said.

Bailey, however, feels differently about the subject.

“I think it’s important that [teachers] remain neutral,” he said. “Plus, [they] have a whole lot of influence. God knows they have a lot of influence on me. I mean, they hold that magic wand called your grades.”

from the polls to the classroom>teachers balance personal biases with educational duties

FP2

acad

emics

october 4, 2012 page by katie guyot

free press staff sam boatright- co-editor-in-chief katie guyot- co-editor-in-chief hannah moran- copy editorsarah whipple- design editorkimberly messineo-sports managerlogan brown- ad managerjacob hood- cartoonist maria carrasco- reportersean chilicoat- reporter kyra haas- reporter

sarah lieberman- reporterryan liston- reportermaria mckee- reporterrosemary newsome- reportergrace oliver- reporter catherine prestoy- reporterhannah reussner- reporter ciara sayler- reporter kristina foster- designer darian koenig- designerjohn mccain- designer riley buller- designer

2012-13

The Free Press is an open forum that accepts letters to the editor and guest writings. They must include the writer’s name and telephone numbers. Articles may be edited due to space limitations, libel or inappropriate content. Letters may be submitted to Room 115 or sent in care of Free Press to Free State High School, 4700 Overland Drive, Lawrence, KS, 66049.

The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the Free Press staff, the high school administration, nor that of the USD 497 Board of Education.

our mission

by sarah liebermanFree State students have the opportunity

to witness a historical moment by attending the inaugural trip to Washington D.C.

Along with being present when Romney or Obama takes the Presidential oath, students will also be able to see a moon rock at the Museum of Air and Space, Lincoln’s top hat, the beautiful Library of Congress, the Watergate, The Smithsonian, and possibly the Holocaust Museum.

“We’ll be busy and seeing a lot,” Dr. Hyler said.

The deadline to sign up for the trip is Oct. 1. Packets can be picked up from Dr. Hyler or Laura Koenig.

The group departs early Jan. 19 and returns late Jan. 21. It is a Saturday through Monday trip, but school is not held on Monday so par-ticipants will not miss class.

The Constitution states that inauguration lies on Jan. 20. Some years, that date falls on a Sunday, in which case the president can choose to proceed with the inauguration on the planned date or postpone it until Monday. This may occur if Sunday is reserved for religious obligations.

This year the inauguration falls on a Sun-day, so the date of the inauguration will not be announced until a president is elected.

Dr. Hyler, one of the sponsors, has never attended an inauguration.

“I am very excited about the trip,” Dr Hyler said. “But if I get to go I

think just the idea of being in Washington when

the President takes the Oath of Office. … will be exciting.”

Certain students have strong opin-ions about who they’d like to see elected, but they

must sign up for the trip before they know who will be the next president.

Dr. Hyler doesn’t believe this will or should hinder students wanting to participate. “I think we honor the office of the Presidency regard-less of who wins.” she said. “And, yeah, some kids may be happier than others. The thrill of being at ... a presidential inauguration should kind of trump it.”

“I just want to go for the experience,” senior Elizabeth Bergee said.

Senior Patrick Liston agrees that regardless of who is elected, he looks forward to heading to D.C.

“I think it would still be fun,” Liston said. “... I’m excited because in like 20years from now you’ll be able to say you were there,” Liston said.

Editor’s Note: This story was sent into publication prior to the final decision of the inaugural trip.

the students will also visit the Smithsonian,

which is home to 137 artifacts, including:

>Abraham Lincoln’s golden pocket watch

>a working automaton from 16th-century Spain

>coins from ancient civilizations>Indiana Jones’ fedora

>students plan

trip to see inauguration of

mystery man

social studies teachers matt frost (left) and isaac akande (right) may differ in their political beliefs, but they can collaborate to teach students like senior abby casady about the fundamentals of united states government.

on the cover

photo illustration by sarah whippleonly one month remains until citizens pick their president

a weekend in washington

>departure date: Jan. 19>inauguration date: Jan. 20>return date: Jan. 21

Page 3: Issue 3, Edition 16

hometown politics hit the halls by hannah reussner

With all the attention on Mitt Romney and Barack Obama running for president in Wash-ington D.C., we often overlook our own local political celebrities right here in Lawrence.

Much like Obama’s kids, Sasha and Malia Ann, everyone in a political family fi nds that being in the public spotlight can be challeng-ing.

“Just having your dad gone for a while at work is hard,” sophomore Laura Corliss said.Corliss is the daughter Lawrence’s city manager, David Corliss.

“When he got the job it was really cool and I was really proud of him,” Corliss said. “[His position] is something he has been working toward since he was out of college...I’m really proud of him.”

Several students have parents who are a part of Lawrence’s government. Lawrence has fi ve city commissioners elected in a city-wide vote. Three are up for re-election every two years.

Every April, the commissioners elect one commissioner to be mayor and the other vice mayor. The three offi cials up for re-election in 2013 are commissioners Aron Cromwell, Mike Amyx and Hugh Carter.

Currently, the mayor is Bob Schumm and the vice mayor is Michael Dever.

Several students would choose to stay

away from politics after seeing what they see everyday.

“It doesn’t really affect my opinions, but I don’t really want to do politics,” senior Connor Chestnut said. “It’s just a lot of work and a lot of people hate you for it; not for me.”

Chestnut is the son of Rob Chestnut, who used to be a member of the Lawrence City Commission.

Children of other local political fi gures agree with Chestnut.

Being in the midst of everything that hap-pens in the Lawrence community requires long hours.

“They only have meetings on Tuesday nights, so basically every Tuesday night he will be home at eleven o’clock just because the meetings last so long,” senior Kylie Dever said.

Dever is the daughter of city commissioner Mike Dever.

However, even though the politicians sometimes have late evenings as they’re stuck in meetings or decisions, family is still a priority.

“Family is a priority for him so he tries his hardest to be home by 6,” Dever said.

Political life often stretches into the home sphere as well. Some families are required to attend mixers, miss certain holidays, and even face the diversity between the family members’ beliefs.

“We didn’t get to shoot off fi reworks for Fourth of July when he was on city commision because it would be hypocritical for him to be in city government and have him shoot off fi reworks,” Chestnut said.

These students also have to deal with dif-ferent beliefs throughout their own family.

Corliss, Chestnut, Thellman and Dever all said that sometimes they do have different thoughts on certain topics, but they just talk it out to understand each other’s views.

“The thing for my dad is that he looks at all sides of a situation and he is not going to vote one way or another just because of his political background,” Dever said.

Dever said that her dad analyzes both sides.

“But the hardest part is when your politi-cal beliefs are different from your friends’ or friends’ families,” Dever said.

Being in a family where one or both par-ents are in politics has its challenges, but it also has some benefi ts.

“Free football games and being able to know [when] stores are coming...to Lawrence,” Corliss said.

These perks are just the beginning. City commissioners and their families also get free tickets to some city events, interesting conver-sations and knowledge of local events.

“It’s just kind of cool to have a dad who is

well known and well liked,” Dever said.Challenges always occur; some bigger than

others. Every child of a political fi gure said that there is some hardship or downside to being the child of a highly infl uential member of the community.

“All the police offi cers know you and sometimes we have to attend boring mixers,” Corliss said.

Chestnut agreed. “ It’s a lot of time and a lot of work for my dad and he was pretty stressed. He likes doing it but it is a lot of big time commitment.”

Despite the ups and downs of being in a political family, Dever feels like it is just part of their life now.

“I feel like the fi rst time around it was really cool because I could turn on the TV on Tuesday nights and be like, ‘Oh that so cool! My dad’s on TV!’” Dever said. “But now it’s been seven years since that, so it’s just part of my life... It’s more of a habit now.”

These students agree that their moms and dads work extremely hard to help push Lawrence in the right direction.

“I get excited and I respect my mom a lot, so it’s good knowing she is holding an offi ce,” Thellman said.

FP3

news

october 4, 2012 page by sarah whipple

>students describe life as children of local politicians

Student Lunch SpecialMonday - Friday

1 Cheese Slice & Drink - $32 Cheese Slices & Drink - $5

(Toppings - .50 each)

PHOGeddaboudit!4931 W 6th : 785-856-6973

In a Hurry?

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California- Apple releases the iPhone 5, which features a larger screen and quicker network speed

global gab >current events guaranteed to impress

Libya- U.S. ambassador Chris Stevens is killed while working at embassy

Chicago- Teacher strike leads to debate over salaries in urban public education jobs

Guatemala- Thousands evacuate the country after the Fuego volcano shows signs of activity

China- First aircraft carrier goes into service to help defend the country

Page 4: Issue 3, Edition 16

hometown hubby maria mckee

The spry, party-ready, indie-rock duo from Brooklyn are

sure to turn up the volume as we head into colder weather. Known for being very free-spirited and loose, Matt & Kim

are very interactive with the crowd, changing the vibe of the

place to make it more personal and positive. The two have created a kind of indie-rock style that combines alterna-tive rock with a little bit of electronica and even a little

pop that gets fans in a danc-ing mood. Despite how busy

you will be dancing, you will fi nd yourself wanting to run up and give

Kim Schifi no a hug as she shoots a smile at her fans getting them even more pumped up.

bassnectar Best known for his electrify-

ing performances and light shows, Bassnectar combines layers of dense melody that confi ne the deep, rhythmic, beat of his gushing bassline. As Bassnectar shakes the

ground in Burcham Park on Oc-tober 5th, he will put on a show that

will provide all goers with just the fun they came in search of. Lorin Ashton, a.k.a. Bassnectar, was greatly infl u-enced by metal and rock bands, such as Metallica and Nirvana. Such bands have helped him form his progressive style of drum and bass. When listen-ing to Bassnectar you will become so absorbed into the booming rhythm

and bumping bassline, that you will fi nd yourself jumping to the beat. Bassnectar will not

only put on a show, but more an experience. Bassnectar circulates the vibing energy from himself to the crowd and back to himself, leaving the fans wanting more as they cannot quit moving.

wild west fi lm fesitval

“hubsessions”

matt & kim

wanna go? burcham park october 5th

$25

>rachel downs, teacher

“Marina and the Diamonds; she’s really pretty”

>mary gregory, 10

>what musicians are you currently obsessing over?

showing off what Lawrence does best

wanna go? liberty hall

november 3rd $20

fl aunting the hall’s latest fads

Financial Aid available to those who qualifyAccredited by NACCAS | Programs vary by location | Career Placement assistance for graduates

For Gainful Employment disclosures, visit www.marinello.com/disclosure

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salon/spa service!*salon/spa service!*salon/spa service!*salon/spa service!*

*Bring this ad with you to redeem offer. Good for one person, one service only. All services performed by advanced students under the supervision of an instructor.

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877.216.0692

Defining Beauty Education Since 1905

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“St. Vincent, The Gaslight Anthem, Tegan and Sara, Cat Power, and The Black Keys’ newest album, El Camino”

An eight-year Lawrence tradition, The Wild West Film Festival is a two-day intense,

short horror-fi lm competition. Filmmak-ers will have a chance to challenge themselves in a fun, exhausting, but fulfi lling way. Not only do you get the chance to support local artists, but proceeds will go to support charities. Teams can sign up online for $25 athttp://www.hollywoodhawks.com/wildwestfi lmfest/.

wanna go? liberty hall

october 28th

courtesy of julio enriquez

FP4

hom

etow

n hu

b october 4, 2012 page by john mccain

>luke peirce, 12

“Tallest Man on Earth, Starf*cker and Hoodie Allen” >jamie wilson, 11

“I’m always listening to The Doors and Depeche Mode”

courtesy of krystian_o

other upcoming dates: fi rst aid kit: the granada, october 29, $12regina spektor: music hall kansas city, november 7, $45

“Dubstep and hardcore metal”>hope o’conner, 9

Page 5: Issue 3, Edition 16

FP5

money

october 4, 2012 page by sarah whipple

penciling in the arts >kansas artists deal with government cuts

let’s g

et

frugal

by kyra haas “Politics swing,” Laurie McLane

Higginson said. Higginson is the Curator of Education at the Lawrence Art Center. “I’ve lived long enough to see that there are some who are re-ally strong art supporters, and there are some who are less strong art supporters. It swings back and forth through the years. You just have to fi nd a way to tolerate and fi nd a way to get through it.”

At the end of June 2012, many Kansas artists found that they had a tougher problem than fi nding the perfect color or subject for their next masterpiece.

They were faced with the new, diffi cult question of how they were going to be funded.

The Kansas Arts Commission (KAC), whose main purpose was to provide funding for art-related programs and businesses across

Kansas, was dissolved. Governor Sam Brownback cut the funding and re-allocated the commission’s duties to the Department of Commerce.

This halted all the funds that the KAC had previously distributed.

“I would say the true out-of-pocket loss was about $400,000,” former Kansas Arts Commissioner Chris Burger said.

Brownback’s decision to cut funding received national attention, very little of which was positive.

“All I can fi gure is there must be so much more power in politics than we know, because people sure do act against the public interest for short-term gain,” Burger said.

Larger institutes that received funding from the KAC, such as the Lawrence Art Center, have been able to fi ll funding gaps by looking to more private sources. Smaller agen-cies were the most affected.

“What it did was knock the feet out from underneath much, much smaller institutes,” Hig-ginson said. “It really col-lapsed some arts agencies.”

Kansas artist Lisa Gross-man had a web page on the KAC’s website and says she was one of the last people to receive the Mid Career Fellowship Award from the commission. Since the commis-sion was dissolved, “No one has that opportunity anymore,” she said.

When Brownback dissolved the KAC, many artists felt that he was sending a strong message about how he viewed their profession.

“I think it just gives the impres-sion that the arts aren’t important,” Grossman said. “But we know better. The arts are a huge part of the economy even in Kansas.”

However, the decrease in fund-

ing has not stopped the artists of Kansas. Professional and student artists continue to cre-ate and inspire, despite state actions. Organizations such as the Kansas Citizens for the Arts and the Arts Foundation have raised money and stepped in to fi ll the gap in funds left in the wake of the KAC’s dis-solvement.

“If you love making art you fi nd

a way, but [the budget

cut] just makes

it harder,” aspiring fresh-

man artist Lydia Palmer said.

The Lawrence Art Center’s private

funding sources combined with efforts from their develop-

mental director have ensured that scholarship funding is fully endowed so that anyone who wishes to take a class is not turned away because of the cost.

“What I’ve noticed since [Brownback] did this is an absolute resurgence or phoenix rising of the arts,” Higginson said. “We just said, ‘Well, we don’t have that; we’ll fi nd another way.’”

2.1

mill

ion

artis

ts li

ve in

the United States

designers 39%

performing arts 17%

artists (fi ne arts and cartoon)

10%

writers9%

architects10%

produc-ers and directors

7%

photogra-phers7%

Page 6: Issue 3, Edition 16

%%

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feature

october 4, 2012 page by john mccainFP6

feat

ure

october 4, 2012 page by john mccain

50 44

April 14-September 26

Source: Gallup Poll

Romney Obama

• Want to extend middle class tax cuts to 98 percent of families with incomes less than $250,000 per year

• Support allowing tax cuts for wealthy earners en-acted under the Bush administration to expire and closing closing loopholes and deductions for large corporations and wealthy taxpayers

• Support relief for the long-term unemployed• Fighting to ban hiring discrimination against the

unemployed• Want to provide the unemployed with reformed

and expanded training programs and job search assistance

• Prioritize closing the “achievement gap” and ad-dressing the high dropout rate

• Will expand public education opportunities for low-income students, such as magnet schools, charter schools, teacher-led schools and career academies

• Want to evaluate teachers in a way that gives “struggling teachers” opportunities to improve

• Working to allow students to manage their federal student loans so that they pay only 10 percent of their monthly income

• Support continuation of federal scholarships• Will reduce federal aid to schools that do not keep

their costs down• Want to double investments in science and hope to

prepare at least 100,000 math and science teachers in the next 10 years

• Want to extend Bush tax cuts until the tax code can be reformed by reducing tax rates by 20 percent “across-the-board”

• Hope to eliminate taxes on interest, dividends, and capital gains for the lower and middle classes.

• Believe the nation’s free-enterprise must be re-stored, partly by getting rid of “excessive” taxation and regulation

• Emphasize individual responsibility in working, saving and investing

• Will consolidate the current 47 federal training programs for the unemployed (which cost $18 billion annually) into block grants, putting more responsibility in local governments and less in the federal government

• Support “periodic rigorous assessments” on core subjects

• Want families to have alternative education op-tions, including single-sex classes, full-day school hours, year-round schools, charter schools and open enrollment requests

• Will give administrators, teachers and parents more independence in governing their schools

• Are wary about government-provided student loans and believe the government should be an “insur-ance guarantor” for privately funded student loans

• Will “reevaluate” any future decisions that further increase tuition

• Believe colleges across the nation have become “zones of intellectual intolerance favoring the Left” and wants state schools to eradicate bias

• Want to repeal DOMA and replace it with the Respect for Marriage Act, which would legally recognize same-sex marriage

• Recognize the importance of developing “constitu-tionally sound, evidence-based partnerships with faith-based and other non-profi t organizations” in dealing with issues like poverty, climate change and human traffi cking.

• Support Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court case that ruled that women have the right to choose to abort their pregnancies, and believe the govern-ment should leave this decision to women and their families, doctors and religious institutions

• Will enforce the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which requires the federal government to recognize marriage as the legal union of one man and one woman, and will push for a Constitutional amendment strengthening DOMA

• Contend that America must end the “war on reli-gion” by giving faith-based institutions sovereignty in their spheres of health services, marriage and abortion

• Will push to allow prayer in public schools• Want to propose a human life amendment to the

Constitution to make abortion unconstitutional and to give Fourteenth Amendment rights to unborn children

THEPOLLS

THEISSUESTHE DEMOCRATS THE REPUBLICANSBY

• Are making cuts to defense spending• Promote increased communication between the

United States and the rest of the Americas to com-bat drug and human traffi cking

• Will work to prevent the further spread of nuclear weapons and aspire to someday rid them altogether from the world, keeping only enough to protect U.S. national security

• Plan to end the war in Afghanistan by 2014 and then continue counterterrorism and training assistance

• “[M]aintain an unshakable commitment to Israel’s security” and will continue to provide the country with fi nancial and diplomatic assistance while seek-ing peace between Israel and Pakistan

• Strongly oppose President Obama’s proposed cuts to the military budget

• Propose to unite with allies to fi ght the wars on drugs, terror and human traffi cking

• Will react strongly to threats to America and serve justice through “surveillance, enhanced special op-erations capabilities, and unmanned aerial systems [drones]”

• Prioritize the defeat of Al Quaeda but oppose attempts to withdraw from Afghanistan on a strict timetable

• Affi rm unequivocal support of Israel and will ensure that Israel possesses a “qualitative edge” in weap-onry

In a time of political stiffness, comedians such as Jimmy Kimmel still manage to fi nd humor in the 2012 election season.

“Mitt Romney believes that marriage should be be-tween one man and one woman. Which is better than his grandfather, who believed that it should be between one man and fi ve women,” Kimmel joked.

Although it’s easy to poke fun at political candidates, there are important issues that Americans need to know about in order to make informed decisions at the polls.

“I don’t think it’s fair if people [who are old enough to

vote] can complain but then they don’t vote,” senior Addie Hart said.

Hart will be voting for the fi rst time this November.For 18-year-olds who will be lining up at the polls next

month and for younger students who want to keep up with the pundits, the Free Press has sketched out each party’s platform in the chart to the left, focusing on the issues that are most relevant to high school students. After reading the list, go to fsfreepressonline.com to vote for your candidate. In November, we’ll see who would win the election if Free State chose the nation’s president.

ashlyn evans, 12, republican

tate bremenkamp, 12, republican

I don’t agree with Mitt Romney’s social issues, the way he deals with China and his plan for the economy. He always fl ip fl ops. the economy. He always fl ip fl ops.

grace phillips, 12, democrat

addie hart, 12, libertarian

fi scal policy

education agenda

foreign policyand defense

social issues

I identify myself as a libertarian because I have really socially liberal views, but when it comes to fi scal issues, I am pretty conservative.

Balancing the budget and fi scal issues are more important than any other social issues. Social issues just need to take the backseat.

Mitt Romney’s plan for the economy [is that] we need to solve our country’s economy right now. For social issues he is against abortion, which I agree with.

>information taken from the offi cial party platformsby ciara sayler and katie guyot

Page 7: Issue 3, Edition 16

by jacob hood

by kimberly messineo

FP8

grap

hics

october 4, 2012 page by kristina foster

a sally streets comic

under the hood Michelle LaVaughn (Robinson) Obamaborn: January 17, 1964; Capricornage: 48dating: Began dating Barack when while they were working at a law fi rm in Chicago (1989)high school: Whitney Young High School (graduated 1981)college: B.A. in Sociology from Princeton University, 1985 & J.D. (Juris Doctor--professional law degree) from Harvard Law School in 1988

issues: importance of education and volunteer work and nutritionchildren: 2 girls

fashion: dress she wore to convention was between $350 and $600 (Tracy Reese) speech: written at a

12th grade levelguilty pleasure: french fries

favorite TV show: “Modern Family”

Michelle LaVaughn (Robinson) Obama

by jacob hood

Ann Lois (Davies) Romneyborn: April 16, 1949; Ariesage: 63dating: began dating Mitt while she was in high school(March 1965)high school: Kingswood School (graduated 1967)college: Bachelor of Arts degree in French from Brigham Young University.issues: MS and breast cancer awareness and teenage-pregnancy preventionchildren: 5 boys and 18 grandchildrenfashion: dress she wore to convention was between $1990 and $2490 (Oscar de la Renta)speech: written at a 5th grade levelguilty pleasure: donutsfavorite TV show: “Modern Family”weird fact: Ann dated another man in college while Mitt was away in France

under the hounder the ho d

getting graphicbattle roygals

Page 8: Issue 3, Edition 16

FP9

profi le

october 4, 2012 page by riley buller

danke schön

>german exchange students and their hosts share their houses and their culture

by grace oliver Although Lawrence has hosted many

German students through the high school exchange program, this year’s students have an advantage over their predecessors: they met their hosts several months ago, when the Free State students came to Germany.

“I was really excited because I had already lived with [Luise Janusch] when I went to Ger-many, so I was really excited to see her again,” senior Emily Vanschmus said.

However, being a host can have its down-sides. Senior Lexi Adams confesses that being a host can be a little overwhelming on top of Marching Band, Chamber Singers and college applications.

“It’s really diffi cult,” Adams said. “I wish I had more time to take [Lara Krummel] around places in Lawrence or hang out. I feel lucky to be a part of this, but I can’t give up commit-ments I’ve already taken. So, it’s diffi cult. I sleep less than I already do, but it’s worth it.”

Even with their busy schedules, the hosts have been able to show the German exchange students great places around Lawrence.

“We’ve been downtown, we’ve been out to eat, and I took [Janusch] to the state fair, where everything is fried and nobody has teeth,” Vanschmus said.

Luckily, poor dental hygiene among some Kansans has not seemed to taint their fi rst impressions of the region.

“There are a lot of different people here who can wear what they want and act how they like and be proud of who they are,” Janusch said.

However, the American spirit is not unfa-miliar to the students.

“Everything was like I expected,” Eva Jones

said, “just because Germans know a lot about Americans, like the stereo-types. I think they’re mainly true.”

“I think the biggest surprise when we came to America was that all the expectations that I had were true,” Lara Krummel agreed. “ I hadn’t expected that it would really be the way we expected like in the movies. People dress, well--some people dress like they do in the movies. They act the same. It’s really cool. In a good way.”

Germany’s school system is struc-tured unlike those of the United States and the United Kingdom.

“School is really different because our high school is from fi fth to twelfth grade, so we don’t have a junior high,” sophomore Florian Eichblatt said. “We have three types of high schools: Gymnasium for the really good stu-dents, Realschule for the average students, and Hauptschule for the students with bad marks.”

All four of Free State’s German exchange students go to Gymnasium.

“There aren’t extracurricular activities after school [in Germany] because you join groups with the town or the city,” Eichblatt said, “so the school spirit is one of the main reasons I came to America for one year. I really feel it here.”

Learning English is mandatory in Germany, starting right after primary school (Grund-

schule) at fi fth grade. In America, Spanish is the only language that can be

taken fi rst, in eighth grade. “At some point you start

to think [in] English, but you always have to con-

centrate all the time,” Krummel said.

“It’s hard, but okay because we learn [English] in school,” Eichblatt said. “I’ve been study-ing English for over

fi ve years and started French in sixth grade, so

that’s two languages for over four years. [In America]

you start languages in eighth grade, and that’s really late.”

The students have also noticed that classes at Free State have a largely relaxed atmo-sphere.

“The classes are smaller,” Jones said, “but I don’t know if it’s just here in the school. They’re not as disciplined.”

Adams noticed the opposite in Germany.“I never saw a kid even dare to text in

class,” she said. “They seemed surprised that I always brought my camera with me.”

Although they may seem a world apart, the American and German students have found common interests and are making friends for life.

While staying with their hosts, the ex-change students are practically members of the family.

“Having Lara around has brought the fam-ily together,” Adams said, “and I hope it stays that way after she leaves, too.”

You dont have to drink to have fun.

In Kansas, 7 out of 10 teens don’t drink.

Share a pizza

with your friends Visit a museum

Volunteer in the community

Challenge your family to

a board game and win

Journal your thoughts

Call a friend

Laugh at nothing

Dance Laugh a

t everything

Write a play Take a walk

Play with your dog Watch a movie

Watch it grow Play basketb

all

Dress up

Dress down Be yourself

Plant a garden

DrawTheLineLawrence.com

“I think the biggest surprise

when we came to America was that all the

expectations that I had were true. I hadn’t expected that it would really be the way

we expected like in the movies.”

>lara krummel

photo courtesy of lexi adams

Page 9: Issue 3, Edition 16

by catherine prestoy I don’t pay attention to politics. I haven’t

followed the election. I didn’t even know who Mitt Romney was until late in the summer. However, I truly wish I would pay attention to politics.

We as a staff absolutely believe that teen-agers should pay attention to politics. However, some of us believe certain grade levels have more of a responsibility in political participa-tion.

Freshmen and sophomores don’t have to immerse themselves in politics, but they should at least take the time to be informed. It seems reasonable that juniors and seniors should keep a closer eye on the nation since they’ll be voting sooner.

Forming an opinion is key. Listening to both sides of an argument will help people develop their own opinions, allowing them to make the most informed decisions when voting.

In a Free Press staff survey, the majority of us stated that we do pay attention to politics--although, not as much as we’d like to.

However, we unanimously agreed that high school students should have an enhanced understanding of political happenings.

Political decisions affect how we are edu-cated, how we are provided with healthcare,

how our country is protected and how much of our (and our parents’) paychecks go to the government to pay taxes.

Healthcare issues might not seem so im-portant to us today, but when we have to pay for our own cavities to be filled or for our own visits to the doctor’s office, we will care. We might as well start paying attention now.

One vote can swing an election or set into motion necessary political reform.

One vote can determine our na-tion’s future.

Political par-ticipation is one of the greatest factors in making the United States a democratically-rooted nation. Our ancestors risked their lives so we could vote and have an active voice in the government.

The opportunities allowing us to be politi-cally involved separates the United States from

many nations around the world. We as Ameri-cans often take for granted the power that we have in shaping our government through political participation.

If we use our votes, we in turn can elect officials who can

more accurately represent what we want and need

as citizens. Imagine how efficient our

government could be if we all partici-pated.

Democ-racy works best when every person is doing his or her job. Instead of view-ing government

as something in which citizens have

no place, we should view it as a collabora-

tion in which our voice is just as important, and even

more important, than the govern-ment’s. As a generation of people is starting to vote, it is our job to decrease voter apathy and participate in elections on every level.

Without political participation, our government would not reflect our values or be, as Abraham Lincoln said, “of the people, by the people, and for the people.”

If we will eventually be running the nation, we might as well listen to NPR or watch the news once in awhile.

Lastly, students should form their own opinions instead of simply regurgitating their parents’ beliefs. Everybody has different beliefs, values and morals, so forming an opinion tailored to one’s ideals is not a difficult task. Students should begin to think for themselves, because the future will soon be theirs.

We understand how difficult, frustrating and even boring it can be to follow politics. However, almost every highly regarded news organization has smartphone apps that will provide alerts on any and all political news. Romney and Obama actually have apps that present their views and provide up-to-date in-formation on their campaigns. The same tech-nologies that inundate us with political bias are now creating space for the clear, understand-able facts that help us mold opinions.

I told you at the beginning of this article that I didn’t pay attention to politics, but I’ve convinced myself I should.

We are the Free Press staff and we approve this message.

FP10

opin

ion

october 4, 2012 page by riley buller

who would win the election if

free state students were responsible for electing the president? visit fsfreepres-

sonline.com to vote for your candidate of choice. the free press will release the results

in november, just before the real election.

caring for the country >citizenship starts long before students hit age 18

letter to the editor>the free press is an open forum that accepts letters to the editor and guest writing, which must include the writer ’s name. these articles may be edited due to space limita-tions, libel, or inappropriate content. please send your let-ters to [email protected].

Editor,In the Sept. 13 issue, proponents of Intelligent Design and the Kansas School Board both

incorrectly use the term “Theory of Evolution” in an attempt to discredit it. Not acknowledging evolution is like not acknowledging gravity. Gravity is a fact: things fall. How gravity works is a theory. Evolution is a fact: things change. How evolution works is a theory.

Accepting the fact of evolution has nothing to do with belief or disbelief in God. Any reason-ably omnipotent God could create evolution.

David LudwickFree State staff

write your life. in six words. >submit your six-word stories and your name to Room 115, [email protected], @fsfreepress on Twitter, or to a Free Press staff member

she always says “life is good.” >lynne renick, teacher

never accept failure; always chase success.”

>riley buller, 12

Romney’s promises; like Kim’s wedding vows. >ciara sayler, 11

cold weather is the worst thing.>dante colombo, 12

becoming a cat lady at 17.>katie guyot, 12

puppy love. kitten love. our love.>sam boatright, 12

Page 10: Issue 3, Edition 16

Dear Newbies Behind the Wheel,Whatever your parents say about your

driving, rest assured: when I was learning the difference between the turn signal and the windshield wipers, mine said worse.

I can’t say the jabs, the jokes and the pan-icked passenger-seat gibberish weren’t well deserved. My parents could have won Medals of Honor just for remaining in their seats as I sputtered down Wakarusa in my mom’s mini-van, weaving back and forth across the yellow line like an infant playing Mario Kart.

For those of you who haven’t yet had the opportunity to give your parents naturally gray highlights, there is no familial fright quite like the ceremonious passing of the car keys. If your see the whites of your father’s eyes glistening when you enthrone yourself in the driver’s seat, know that those aren’t tears of pride collecting around his pupils--they’re the tears of a man who foresees a phone call with his insurance company in his near future.

In hopes of saving your moms and pops from premature heart attacks, I’d like to share with you the driving guidelines the DMV for-got to put on your test.

Katie’s Unoffi cial Supplement* to the Kansas Driving Handbook: Firebird Edition

*Based entirely on fi rsthand experience.1. Don’t forget to open the ga-

rage door before you back out.

And a subrule: always look behind you before you use that thing that is not called the prindle (but which I call the prindle anyway) to put the car in reverse.

Garage doors are stubborn. They know when there’s a dent the size of the Dead Sea in their metal walls, and they won’t budge until you get an expert out to hammer them back into place, maybe not even until you add in a new coat of paint as an extra apology.

Or, like me, you can dodge the issue by keeping your car on the street, where car washes are free when-ever Kansas isn’t experiencing a drought.

2. Be wary of stop signs.

For you, me and the infi nite majority of drivers in the world, a gleaming red octagon on the side of the road trig-gers an automatic refl ex in the right foot that brings the vehicle to a perfect halt.

It doesn’t matter what the sign says: it could be in Spanish, it could be printed in

size-six font, it could even say, “Go!” Red plus octagon equals stop.But apparently, this universal rule doesn’t

apply to some Free State drivers. Just a few weeks ago, I was rolling down Overland from Wakarusa and had to swerve onto the side-walk when a driver coming from the round-

about mistook “STOP” for “SPEED UP.” I nearly took out the poor,

neglected stop sign in the pro-cess--not that it would have

been any less helpful on my front bumper than it was in the ground.

When you get out on the road on your own, remember that stop signs are not magical. To be safe, drive as if every other person behind the wheel has a woman in

labor in the back seat and is trying valiantly to

get her to the hospital in time for the birth.

That’s why they’re speeding. Have some sympathy as you veer off

the road to save your fragile life. 3. Turn down the radio when

you’re trying to cut across 6th Street.

Racing through four lanes of 45-mile-an-hour traffi c requires patience, precision and more than a pinch of luck. That boost of confi dence you get from Florence + the Machine will do you no favors between Dillons and Orange Leaf.

4. Always keep a roll of paper towels within reach of the driver’s seat.

You don’t think the Kansas heat has the power to melt your steering wheel into a gooey tar pit until your hands get stuck at ten and two.

5. Move Heaven and Earth to avoid hitting a teacher.

I’ve had a few close calls while exiting the parking lot via the north entrance. Sometimes teachers act like deer in headlights. You would, too, if you saw a teenager on telephone books speeding toward you at thrice the recom-mended speed limit.

If, as you exit the parking lot, you happen to catch one of your esteemed professors packing their books and bags into the trunk of a car, don’t panic. They will see the fear in your eyes.

Instead, slow to a snail’s pace and cau-tiously lower the righthand visor so as to block their view of your face. You never know when an impromptu driving test could show up on your report card.

It all started as parties for Steve Hoffi ne.

“[Me, my brother and my friend] always had big [Halloween] parties with family and friends...and [the parties] just got bigger. A few years ago we had a 600 person party.”

And that’s when things sparked.After attending a haunted house

convention in St. Louis, Hoffi ne, his brother and his friend created The 3rd Street Asylum, an eerie, spec-tacular spook-center in historic Bonner

Springs, fi tted with clowns, spirits, demons and other fear-inducing attractions.

But Hoffi ne’s haunted house is not just your average, creepy, often laughable haunted house. Hoffi ne has the development of the 3rd Street Asylum down to a science.

“The whole theme of the Asylum is based on primal, instinctive fears,” Hoffi ne said. “The rooms inside the Asylum deal with all the senses you

have. In the Spider Room...fi shing line that you can’t see in the

dark rubs against your face...You think something’s crawl-ing on you.”

By tapping into such common and basic fears through the senses, the Asylum caters to every-body, from the most seasoned haunted house

enthusiast to casual fright seekers and haunted house goers.

The use of sensory involvement in the haunted house allows for a well-rounded spooky experience. In the Asylum’s Clown Room, nauseous cotton candy odors invade one’s nostrils; however, the smell in other rooms may not be so pleasant.

Visitors do not just have to deal with monsters and ghosts; some of the most intense frights visitors face are internally generated.

“Rooms get smaller and you get in very tight spaces,” Hoffi ne said. “Some of the tricks are to make you uncomfortable.”

This uncomfortableness enhances the haunted house experi-ence, aiding in the overall eeriness of the house by drawing on fears that are seemingly hardwired into us; claustrophobia, the dark, etc.

Hoffi ne’s haunted house is so scary, that even some of the actors working in the old building are too afraid to venture it alone. Some actors even report seeing spirits walking around the 1918 building, the historic location in which the 3rd Street Asylum inhabits.

“A psychic came out and did a reading on the ghosts that live in the haunted house,” Hoffi ne said. “She...talked to us about the ghosts that lived in the school. Some are friendly and there is a teacher (ghost) that watches over us apparently. [She said there is] a [ghost] that lives in the basement, who supposedly killed the woman living upstairs. He’s very angry and not very happy with us.”

Whether you believe in ghosts or not, The 3rd Street Asylum is guar-anteed to entertain, and/or scare the socks off of your feet. It also offers

a unique, more affordable, thrilling Halloween experience than Kansas City’s haunted houses--the Asylum costs $18 before coupons, while Kansas City’s most popular haunts cost $64. The 3rd Street Asylum is open every Friday and Saturday from 7 pm to midnight from Oct. 5 to Oct. 27, as well as on Halloween and Nov. 2.

If you’re too old to trick-or-treat--although I contest that as long as you dress up, you should get candy--or if you’re looking to do something adventurous and affordable, muster up the guts to visit The 3rd Street Asylum in Bonner Springs, Kansas. Bring friends, parents, or even a date--maybe they will reach for your hand in the scariest of rooms in (cue creepy organ music) The 3rd Street Asylum.

uncoveringuncovering sam boatrightboatrightboatrightboatrightboatrightboatrightboatrightboatrightboatright

FP11

columns

october 4, 2012 page by darian koenig

from: katie guyotre: new drivers

dear free state free state free state

haunted entertainment

keeping your car

where car washes

ever Kansas isn’t

I nearly took out the poor, neglected stop sign in the pro-

cess--not that it would have been any less helpful on

and is trying valiantly to get her to the hospital in

time for the birth.That’s why they’re speeding.

GO

convention in St. Louis, Hoffi ne, his

Asylum deal with all the senses you have. In the Spider Room...fi shing

line that you can’t see in the dark rubs against your face...

You think something’s crawl-ing on you.”

common and basic fears through the senses, the Asylum caters to every-body, from the most seasoned haunted house

photo courtesy of tasitch

Page 11: Issue 3, Edition 16

FPspor

ts

october 4, 2012 page by darian koenig

sportssports t ckert ckert ckert ckert ckert ckert ckerupcom-upcom-upcom-upcom-

varsityFS vs. multipleFS vs. multiple

opp. (meet) 5 pmopp. (meet) 5 pmopp. (meet) 5 pm@ St. Teresa’s Tri.@ St. Teresa’s Tri.

HOMECOMINGFS vs. Shawnee

East 7 p.m.@ home

varsityFS vs. LHS

7 p.m. @ LHS

varsity varsity FS vs. WyandotteFS vs. WyandotteFS vs. WyandotteFS vs. Wyandotte7 p.m. @ home7 p.m. @ home

10/910/9 10/1210/1210/1110/1110/1110/510/5 varsity

FS vs. multipleopp. (meet)

9 a.m. @ Rim Rock

games 10/11

by rosemary newsomeWe’ve all seen the signs around the school informing the student body of upcom-

ing rivalry football games, watched the halftime shows full of fl ips, and joined

in on the chants that seemingly start out of nowhere. This cultivation of

school spirit emanates from the pom-poms of the cheerleaders and the jazz shoes of the pom dancers- two different groups of people that combine to form Free State’s spirit squad.

Paige Hofer, head coach of the spirit squad, explains that while pom strictly dances, cheer

involves stunts and tumbling.“Cheerleaders do more

cheers with motion and jumps, like tumbling, gymnastics, and stunts,

whereas pom, even though they do chants at the game, do more dances,”

Hofer said.Senior cheerleader Emma Perry agrees that the teams practice physically different mo-

tions, but also have slightly variant respon-sibilities for trying to increase school

spirit. The cheerleaders typically launch the chants at games.

“We usually start everything . . . We take control and try and get people involved more,” Perry said.

Senior pom dancer Erica Lan-gwell explains that the pom team is responsible for the entertaining halftime shows at sporting events.

“They [cheerleaders] don’t perform

at halftime--we do,” Langwell said.

However, both squads are the elves behind the making of the patriotic posters plastered throughout the school.

Although they are defi ned differently, the pom and cheer squads are often mistakenly grouped together because they share the duty of promoting spirit at the game.

For practical reasons their uniforms are also distinctly different. The pom squad wears stretchy black pants that are more weather appropriate at chilly night games and certainly provide more coverage and fl exibility for their high kicks. The cheerleaders sport a more stereotypical uniform of fl ippy skirts and a patriotic LFS on their tops.

Despite lacking warmth, Langwell is jealous of her fellow spirit squad’s outfi ts. “I like the cheer uniforms, I think they’re cuter than the pom uni-forms so I wish we had those,” she said.

Both sports have a chance to show off their talent at places besides games, called festivals. Similar to a competition, festivals can be either cheer, pom or dual based, and participants compete for team and individual ribbons. “ They do perform and get . . . performance ribbons and performance trophies. You’re trying to get the highest level of trophy or highest level of ribbon you can get. Instead of beating another team you get a higher ribbon,” Hofer said.

Athletes from both squads have shared a passion for their sport since they were young. “I’ve been doing it since I was little and it’s always just been something I’ve enjoyed,” Perry said. “It’s

some-thing to

get me in- volved in at the school since I don’t really do other sports.”

Langwell also began dancing at a young age and plans to continue dancing beyond high school. “I want to dance in college but I haven’t decided where yet,” she said.

One might think the squads are full of drama and bitter feelings toward each team, but Lan-gwell disproves any of the rumors.

“We get along. We don’t really see them [cheerleaders] that much because we practice at different times. But we all respect each other,” Langwell said.

Perry agrees that besides the occasional argument over who gets to stand in front of the student section, the squads get along and are all friends.

Hofer equally enjoys coaching both squads, making no preference toward one based on their talent or sport’s responsibilities. “I really enjoy all squads. Of course the dynamics are always dif-ferent on different squads but they are all full of really good [people].”

the pep and the poms>cheer and pom squad unite in spirit to pump up the crowd

varsityFS vs. Mill

Valley6:30 p.m.@ home

dance

start chants

halftime show

pantsskirts

cheer at gamesmake

posters

FS vs. WyandotteFS vs. Wyandotte10/1310/1310/1310/1310/13

varsityFS vs. multiple

Pom squad members huddle in preparation for the start of the game. Pom squad dances at halftime, as well as pumps up the crowd alongside the cheerleaders.

Cheerleaders motivate the crowd, waving their fl ashy pom-poms and directing chants.

sophomore Haley Johnson leads a group of aspiring cheerleaders at a Free State cheerleading clinic.

Cheerleaders and pom squad conduct the crowd in the Free State alma mater after a football game.

tumbling

10/1510/1510/1510/15

breaking it down

breaking it downf

freshman Ireland Ziegler s

senior Emma Perry

pom squad cheer