new teacher gives life to art

club page 2

above and beyond:students with extraordinary

motivationpages 6-7

student volunteers

spread cheer in the season of

givingpage 5

FPFPFFthe

free

pres

sFissue fi vePissue fi vePedition sixteen Pedition sixteen Pdecember 13, 2012 Pdecember 13, 2012 P

by catherine prestoy Walking into the art room at 6 p.m. on

a Thursday night greeted by an enthusiastic group of artsy, inspired teenagers, Rachel Downs begins to explain the wintery woods inspired backdrop for the winter formal dance.

This year, advisor Rachel Downs created the Art Club. Art Club members have partici-pated in the homecoming parade, created the backdrop for the Winter Formal dance and simply create artwork.

“I tend to really push kids to feel comfort-able in expressing whatever they feel is neces-sary to express,” Downs said. “I am constantly creating, too, and I think that helps to encour-age students if you’re continuously making if you’re an artist yourself.”

Art Club members assemble weekly and work on a project, create their own individual art or listen to a guest speaker. Recently, club members have painted the ceiling tiles in the art room. The few ceiling tiles that sit on the roof of the room are basic patterns of leaves and abstract nature pieces.

After teaching at New Mexico State University for fi ve years, Downs wanted to get accustomed to high school life again.

“I wanted to work at high school because I really miss that part of my life,” Downs said. “I feel like this is a really important time for hu-man beings and their development and I feel very passionate about the arts.”

Downs knew from an early age that she wanted to be both a teacher and an artist. “I started painting when I was very young--two or three,” Downs recalled. “[I was] fi nger paint-ing with my mother and I decided I wanted to be an artist the day I left the womb. I was a fan of art very young and it just stayed with me. It’s really the only constant thing in my life.”

Downs’ parents always supported her artistic passion. “If it wasn’t for [my par-ents’] support, I wouldn’t be an artist and a teacher because I wouldn’t know those things

were so important,” Downs said. “Education is of the utmost importance. Doing what you love is what you should do.”

During the school year, Downs works alongside her students to encourage them with their work.

“I’ve been doing journal work or charcoal or pastel because I want to work alongside them,” she said. “I want to share that and I want to reciprocate back and forth with students about art and about life experiences and meaningful experiences.”

Art Club President Anna Cormack ex-

plained that she likes how Downs focuses more on the meaning of the student’s work.

“Whenever we’re working on a project she likes to ask us about more of the idea behind it,” Cormack said, “like the conceptual side of it, instead of the technique we’re using or the formal side of it. That’s different from my past teachers.”

Expression plays a key role in artists and their work. Downs found that expression is free for everyone to portray in their different ways.

“When I saw “Guernica” [by Picasso]--which is a 40-foot long painting about war--I realized I was certainly in a place where I was free to express myself...and that I understood that expression. [The painting] validated myself as a teacher and an artist.”

Downs explained her own art-work as fundamentally fi gurative with abstract qualities.

Her most inspirational piece, “Break Dance” portrays her process of being diagnosed with a chronic illness. “In order to deal with that illness, I had to deal with life before the illness and life after the illness. The fl eshy, right side [of the painting] is my childhood, before the illness. The dark, deeper side [of the painting] is adulthood, after the illness.” Downs had said it is an oil painting that would last for hundreds of years.

When asked to describe art in general, Downs explained, “[Art is] a mindset.”

For anyone dreaming of pursuing art in the future, Downs offers the best advice she can give. “Do it.”

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

on the cover

new teacher gives life to art

club page 2

above and beyond:students with extraordinary

motivationpages 6-7

student volunteers

spread cheer in the season of

givingpage 5

graphic by john mccain designer showcases his inspiration for this issue’s cover with free state on the right hand side

FP2

acad

emic

s december 13, 2012 page by sam boatrightone stroke of inspiration

>new teacher helps students fi nd artistic niche

top row, left to right: “Growth,” “Lovebirds,” bottom row, left to right: “Untitled,” “Break Dance.” *All works by Rachel Downs

>“the gene pool” by deena rodecap >“untitled” by john mccain >“shattered” by siena vance

“Students are my greatest in-spiration. Whatever I throw at them they throw right back at me beyond my expectations. The reciprocated communication between student and teacher is the most inspiring [thing].”

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student gallery: artwork as expression

growing in Lawrenceby sarah lieberman and sean chilcoat

Sophomore Savannah Reeb’s frequent Starbucks runs just got much more convenient.

The fi rst drive-thru Starbucks in Lawrence will be located west of Burger King. It is planned to be open in late 2012 or early 2013. News of the development has sparked excitement in the student body.

“I get coffee at least like every other morning, so I mean maybe it will just increase effi ciency,” Reeb said. “Maybe I’ll get to school quicker.”

Constant construction around Free State will result in new opportunities for students.

“I’m extremely happy,” Reeb said. “I think it will just create a ton of revenue. At the same time, because it’s a drive-thru, I think it’s going to be really backed up in the beginning and probably for a long time. I’m just really excited.”

While having two Starbucks across the street from each other may seem unnecessary, the new Starbucks will offer a new environment. The plan includes a lounge area and a drive-thru.

“I think it will also create another space for people to hangout and study,” Reeb said.

Starbucks isn’t the only building rising from the ground. A spotlight is placed on West Sixth Street as construction of a new community theatre accelerates. However,

students already involved in theater have some reservations.

“I do theater at the Lawrence Arts Center, and [the Community Theatre and the Arts Center] are kind of rivals so I don’t think I personally will be doing much theater, but if I get the chance I would like to try it out,” sophomore Ian Pepin said.

The theatre also creates opportunities for people who don’t act. Residents of west Lawrence can now more easily become an audience member at the new community theatre.

“Go out and watch theatre,” Pepin said.Senior Kerrie Leinmiller-Renick has

experience with Theatre Lawrence and is enthusiastic about the new location.

“I think it’s a great improvement of what they had,” Leinmiller-Renick said. “I was in a show there and it was very cramped spacing.”

It isn’t hard to see how important theatre is to Leinmiller-Renick’s life.

“I started theater offi cially in junior high and I did Summer Youth Theater,” Leinmiller-Renick said. “... It’s part of my existence in terms of this is how I like to present myself... So it’s meant a lot to me, and it still will as long as I’m old and gray.”

The new community theatre in west Lawrence is expected to prompt excitement throughout the city.

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news

december 13, 2012 page by darian koenig

>construction near free state will give more choices to students global gab >know what everyone is talking about

Sierra Leone- Self-taught 15-year-old boy impresses MIT with his inventions

United States- President Barack Obama is re-elected for a second term, congressional elections bring in diversity

Sydney- Red water caused by algea closes many beaches

Egypt-President Morsi disbands democratic constitutional con-vention, gives self near unlimited power amidst popular outrage

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D ouglas Adams’ “The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy” was life-

changing in the way that it modifi ed the way that I view myself, others and the world. The novel seems to have a personality of its own as it follows a wild journey through time and space. Told in a very humorous manner, it moves one through with a fast-paced narrative. Everything enhanced my concep-tion of the world as I turned the last page of the novel; it was suddenly vast and brilliant, life was full of potential, passion and playfulness. It helped me to better understand the meaning of life, the universe and every-thing around--to fi nd the happiness through living and enjoy life with a peace of mind.

tegan and saraTegan and Sara’s “So

Jealous” is the album that I can come closest to la-beling as life-changing. The Canadian folk-rock sisters are able to embrace new-wave fusions as their reedy

voices race through romantic histories both good and bad.

“So Jealous” grasps exactly what power pop is all about.

In the song “You Wouldn’t Like Me,” the line “I can’t say that I’ll love you forever/I won’t say that I’ll love you forever” lingers on after every listen. With Tegan and Sara, every song is perfec-

tion. In “Where Does The Good Go,” Tegan and Sara tug on all of your inner

vibes, setting off a powerful disembodied sensa-tion, as pure emotion rips through their voices. “So Jealous” has changed my life because it is an album built on honest emotion and spiritual strength. It was put together by two of the most beautiful, infl uential people in my life. It is an album with such an array of songs that all have the power to lift me up. Simply by creating something so sublime, Tegan and Sara can make my mind wander into indescribable realms.

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“Anything written by Kurt Vonnegut. Also, Charles Bukowski’s po-etry. And Breaking Bad”

>adam fales, 12

The heavy meaning of “American History X” is por-trayed in a beautiful way with alluring plot detail,

amazing cinematography and strong dialogue. “American History X” is a tragic yet touching movie. It fol-lows the life of a neo-Nazi member as he alters his ways and tries to prevent his younger brother from making the same mistakes he did. It holds so much meaning and, because of that, it becomes at times, diffi cult to watch all of the savagery. I would not go so far as to say that it was life-changing, but it certainly did open up my eyes. The most essential line of the movie--“His father taught him to hate. His friends taught him rage. His enemies gave him hope”--deals with a truth that most try to hide. Racism and discrimination are very much real; hate is unavoidable. The ugly truth is not to be ignored, rather realized and confronted. It caused me to take a look at my life and gain a better understanding of the importance of liv-ing life to the fullest in an upbeat, positive light. The harsher moments in “American History X” are painted by the artistic construction of the fi lm itself.

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“‘Harry Potter’ and ‘The Book Thief’”

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by grace oliver With winter break almost upon us,

students are winding down, packing for road trips and getting ready to settle down for a carefree 13 days of freedom. However, in the midst of all this fl urry of inactivity, there are more than a few students who brave the icy winds to volunteer around the community.

While some families set out cookies for Santa or wrap hastily bought presents on Christmas Eve, sophomore Jacob Holiday and his family, who are Jewish, serve food to the needy at First United Methodist Church downtown.

“On Christmas Eve, it’s usually just our family,” Holiday said. “Sometimes we invite other families to help, but it’s usually just us. We do about 60 turkeys and 10 hams.”

On Christmas morning, First United Methodist Church, located on 946 Vermont St., hosts the annual Lawrence Free Commu-nity Christmas Day Dinner to serve meals to needy citizens.

“It makes a lot of people happy, so it makes me feel good,” Holiday said.

Students have the opportunity to be just as active by participating in the commu-nity through a variety of school-sponsored

events with FYI, Key Club and National Honor Society.

“In Lawrence, it’s not hard to fi nd organi-zations that will take student volunteers,” said Key Club sponsor Jacob Larson. “I get e-mails from organizations who ask for Key Club students who want to volunteer.”

From October through January, Key Club, a national student-volunteer organization, takes part in Chocolate and Tea at Three (a charity auction event), Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF, bell-ringing and serving meals to the homeless on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

“The main thing that Key Club partici-pates in is bell ringing, but there are always events like food drives, toy drives and cloth-ing drives that they’re more than willing to participate in,” Larson said.

However, students have the chance to be involved in something completely new this year.

Peggy Nelson, the FYI, Inc. and National Honor Society sponsor, says that both clubs are teaming up to help out Blue Santa, an event sponsored by the local police depart-ment that gives gifts and decorates Christmas trees for each other and members of the community.

“This year we decided to try something different— it’s going to be things for teens,” Nelson said. “We’re going to put blue Christ-mas trees everywhere that will have items you can give to teens and their families, because those are the individuals that are most over-looked.”

At the front of her room stood a tall Christmas-tree shaped object covered in plates of broken glass. It wasn’t the enthusi-astic donation of an art student, but a project that members of FYI will submit for the Festi-val of Trees to be auctioned off.

“[The tree] is auctioned off and the money goes to kids living in the shelter,” Nelson said. “This year our theme is, ‘Lives Broken and Putting Back the Pieces.’”

Whether spending Christmas morning serving food or getting involved in the count-less volunteer opportunities through school clubs, students have the chance to make someone else’s holiday a little more jolly.

“As teachers and students, we have so much time on our hands during the holidays than the rest of the community,” Larson said. “I think we can put that to good use helping the community.”

51 Find a list of local volunteer opportuni-

ties online or in the newspaper.

2 Contact volunteer leaders through a meeting, e-mail, phone, or even Facebook.

3 Know when the volunteer group meets, and where.

4 Double-check and make sure volun-teering fi ts into your schedule.

5Get involved and stay in-volved!

Steps to volunteering

FP7

feature

december 13, 2012 page by kristina foster FP6

feat

ure

december 13, 2012 page by kristina foster

by rosemary newsome and hannah reussner

Backstage in the wings, she hears her name being intro-duced. She’s on. It’s time. Senior Alena Ivanov thrives in the spotlight. With each comedy act she performs, she furthers the realization that being a comedian is

her dream occupation.Whether a person’s dream is a physical feat or intangible state

of mind, people naturally seek to acquire success, but realisti-cally face obstacles. However, many driven and brave Free State students overcome interferences and emerge victorious.

“I think if you work hard enough you can do what you really love, no matter what,” Ivanov said. “You have to work hard and care about it a lot. And fi nd a way to do it through reality.”

Ivanov understands her goals--television time does not equate to instant stardom. However, her goal is not to become a celebrity.

Ivanov simply wants to enjoy her passion.“As far as stand-up goes, I think it’s completely feasible to be,

at least, fairly successful,” she said. The people I’ve met, they’ve been on TV, but they’re not like famous. But they live sustainable lifestyles.”

Ivanov is well on her way to reaching her goals.“It’s not like you just wake up one day and you’re a stand up

comedian. There’s steps you have to take.”In fact, Ivanov’s preparation for the future has already begun.

She does open mics at bars in Kansas City, where she is often asked to return after her stellar performances. She now gets paid to do stand-up, standing out from an age group that traditionally earns its income working in the grocery aisle.

Freshman violinist Jared Schoeneberg doesn’t get paid for his performances with the Free State Freshman Orchestra, but he has spent many grueling hours plucking at the strings of his violin. However, the long hours don’t overpower him in his road, as Schoeneberg frequently performs at concerts and even has an idea for the future.

“I actually want to be a violin teacher,” Schoeneberg said. Schoeneberg emphasizes to not let problems interfere with

something that is really important. Always fi nd another solution. “Don’t quit orchestra because you can always get harder

songs,” Schoeneberg said, “and it’s really fun to just practice and learn more how to play instruments.”

Though many students are quick to express their boredom during the school day with a wide yawn, Schoneberg demonstrates that Free State can be a medium for artistic expression, in music and beyond.

Senior Raul Cody, a passionate tumbler, has found his creative niche as the only male on the cheer squad--and no one could claim boredom when he fl ips on the gym fl oor.

As far as the fl ack he receives for his choice of expression, Cody shrugs it off. His hobby and cheer “sisters” outweigh any negative responses.

“I love them all,” Cody said. “They’re all very special to me. They’re all my ladies and it’s like having 19+ sisters.”

Cody’s uniqueness asserts that there is a lesson to be learned from his individuality.

“Do what you want to do and don’t let anything hinder that,” Cody said. “Any compromising feelings or stereotypes...stop you from doing something you actually have a passion for doing, for whatever reason.”

Just as Cody sticks out for his gender, freshman Samantha Farb defi es stereotypes regarding the ignorance of modern youth by getting involved in state politics. Farb’s love for the environment has led her to sue the governor of Kansas, Sam Brownback, for not upholding the Clear Air Act.

Her affection for the environment did not start with the gov-ernor’s actions; rather, it has been cultivated by her family and way of life for years.

“I’m vegan, so [my family and I have] always talked about sustainable ways of living and what we can do to help the environ-ment,” Farb said. “. . . [W]e were always really compassionate about the earth.”

Farb’s said her intentions have occasionally been misjudged, as online comments on news sites have raised concern over the valid-ity of her beliefs and reasons due to the stereotyped ignorance of her age.

“They think my parents are forcing me to do this,” Farb said, “and it’s not my choice, and someone at this age should not be interested in this stuff.”

Such comments have only confi rmed her belief in what’s right, teaching her not to let intimidations inhibit her dedication towards protecting the environment.

“I’m doing what I care about,” Farb said.Farb’s emphasis on the value of persistence resonates in Junior

TJ Everett’s tale of resilience. After recovering from a serious bike crash and a hospital

stay, Everett’s restoration process took several months, including plastic surgery and boring weeks spent on the couch with uncomfortable metal pieces holding together the bones in his face.

His recovery altered his views of the importance of everyday life, realizing he couldn’t take things for granted.

“It defi nitely impacted how I spent my time and it made me think a lot about what impact I have on people lives,” Everett said. “People were worried... and [I] realized how many people care about you when that happens.”

Unfortunately Junior Alex Cataudella is very acquainted with the idea of not taking things for granted, as her dad passed away when she was seven years old. When she turned 16, Cataudel-la got a tattoo of her father’s initials and a memorable picture she drew when she was little on her back between her shoulder blades.

“When I see it, it does [remind me of him],” Cataudella said. “It makes me feel proud and it’s a good way to remember him.”

Although her dad is no longer with her, the tattoo serves as a powerful remembrance of his legacy. As a word of advice to anyone else who is coping with the loss of a loved one, Cataudella expresses that it is important to not hide any feelings inside during this diffi cult time.

“I would say that you need to communicate with your family what’s going on with you and keep close with them,” Cataudella said.

From Cataudella to Everett and Farb to Cody, the bonds between family and friends serve as a springboard from which dreams can materialize and onto which faltering steps can bounce back.

Ten years into the future, perhaps Ivanov will be on televi-sion. Perhaps Schoeneberg will be teaching students the art of playing stringed instruments. Perhaps Farb will be ensuring that the Clean Air Act is enforced in Kansas.

dreaming in reality

“I played at a gig the other day . . . I played some songs there. I also had a concert yesterday. It’s

like the school orchestras LHS and Free State coming together and

some people do that on Saturday mornings.”

“I am the only guy [cheerleader]. As well as all of the other normal

duties you see- the chants and the regular stunts and some of the

tumbling- I also do a little bit of coed stunting which is basically

guy and girl stunting together and basically what that means is that I lift a girl up all by myself, as well

as I am the center of a couple cool pyramids.”

“I was unconscious and ended up going to LMH and then to KU Med and spent the night at the hospital and three days later I

had plastic surgery to reconstruct my nose and eye sockets.

Everything was all messed up. It was just a long recovery, as far as

concussions go.”

“My dad passed away when I was seven while he was deployed in Iraq.

Before he was deployed, I had one day when we were in a car together and I had a little pink highlighter and a piece of paper and I drew him this picture of a cat; cute

little seven year old drawing. Before he was deployed, he got it tattooed on his stomach.

On my 16th birthday I decided that I’d go on and get it done. So, I went in and got

the same picture and his initials in cursive underneath it.”

“In debate class everyday, we learn just about different ways of debating and how to become a better debater

for tournaments we go to. It covers all different things from practice rounds during class to learning how to be a

better speaker, learning what better to speak about or different structures of the arguments in the ways that you

should address them throughout the debate round.”

“What inspires me the most is God and his love for me and his love for everyone else and I think that just

knowing that he loves me and knowing that I can never amount to what he

has in store for me and that he always has something in store for me so my inspiration is his passion for me and

how I can try to relate that back to him.”

“I do stand up comedy in Kansas City. What I started out doing was Open Mics, which anyone can go to. Then

my second week, I did really well, and the club owner asked me to come and open

for a travelling comic, and they get paid. So I did free work, just so I could be with them. And then recently, a few months

ago, they started paying me to do stand up there, and around Kansas City

in like bars and places.”

“What I’m doing is trying to get Brownback to go through with

the Clean Air Act. It’s in right now but he needs to enforce it and he’s not. So if he doesn’t, then we are going to see more climate change and that leads to

a lot of stuff that we don’t want to happen.”

>jared schoeneberg, 9

>adam strathman, 10

>tj everett, 11>alex cataudella, 11

>alena ivanov, 12

>samantha farb, 9

>savannah reeb, 10

>raul cody, 12

>students power through mighty obstacles to achieve their dreamsabove images courtesy of: gerhard suster and bobby mikul

FP8

grap

hics

december 13, 2012 page by sarah whipple

midnight KS time would be... 6 a.m. London time 8 a.m. South Africa time 7 p.m. New Zealand time

time ticks down to the end of the world

“Now”-Matt + Kim“It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)”- R.E.M. “We Will Become Silhouettes”- The Postal Service “Love You Till the End”- The Pogues “Doomsday Clock”-The Smashing Pumpkins“Seconds”- U2 “All We Have is Now”- The Flaming Lips “Do You Realize?”- The Flaming Lips “Clocks”- Coldplay“Run This Town”- Jay-Z“Slow”- Grouplove “Rebellion (Lies)”- Arcade Fire

216hours left

photo by bluestem restaurant photo by bluestem restaurant

under the hood by jacob hood

fi nals 101 >your guide to surviving the last week

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

ASK QUESTIONS--don’t hesitate to ask your teachers any questions about the fi nal to make sure you know everything they will cover

PRIORITIZE--prioritize fi nals that will be on Wednesday fi rst, then focus on the fi nals set for Thursday so you aren’t stressing over everything at once

BREAKFAST--make sure to eat a suffi cient breakfast the morning of fi nals so you aren’t hungry during your tests. try toast with peanut butter and bananas or an omlette bursting with vegetables

STUDY GROUPS--start forming study groups now with reliable people in each of your classes that you know will help you get work done

DRESS FOR SUCCESS--dress comfortably so you don’t feel constricted by clothing. also, wear layers to avoid overheating or freezing in the different classrooms GET HELP--take advantage of any school programs available the week of fi nals. teachers are willing to help any students succeed and want students to come and seek their help

4.

“It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel

vintage ranch beef, roasted gem lettuce, bone marrow panade, potato gnocchi, red wine veal jus

"end of the world" playlist

photo by Nick J. Webb

5.dark chocolate cake with a honeycomb sphere, milk chocolate and banana sauce

bluestem restaurant, kcgordon ramsey at claridge, london

10 course meal @ $100 5 course meal @ $103

3. grilled venison back steak with baby beetroot and a light beetroot and chocolate jus

2. fresh black beard mussels steamed to orderand fi nished with riesling, tomato and fennel

1. rice crisped sweetbreads with caulifl ower brandade and candied apple-chili pickle

$50, 3 courses @ $108$80, 5 courses @ $380$14, 3 courses @ $60

antoine’s restaurant, auckland pachamamas, lawrence

conservatory restaurant, johannesburg

photo by goodiesfi rstphoto by goodiesfi rst photo by rhosoi photo by izik

7 p.m. New Zealand time

your last supper around the world

days in your last year 356

days until the world ends 9

FP9

profi le

december 13, 2012 page by sarah whipple

by ciara sayler Straight after earning his undergraduate

degrees, teacher Jason Springer set off to join the Peace Corps.

Funded by the United States government, the Peace Corps is an organization whose goals are to help people outside the United States to understand American culture and to help Americans understand the culture of other nations.

“I did quite a bit of volunteer work in high school and wanted to continue to do so but on a larger scale; therefore, being able to commit part of my life fully to a cause such as the Peace Corps seemed like the next logical choice,” Springer said.

“Additionally I had a strong desire to travel somewhere where I wasn’t considered a fi rst-class citizen, where I was the outcast. Immers-ing myself in foreign culture and living as a second-class citizen was extremely humbling.”

While in the Peace Corps, Springer had the opportunity to travel to Lomsak, Thailand, located fi ve hours north of Bangkok. This expe-rience changed his life.

“The most profound [experiences] would be my numerous journeys to the rural country-side where I saw a level of poverty that most of us in the U.S. can’t imagine,” Springer said. “The amazing thing about this was the level of happiness possessed by the people, even though they were living in horrifi c conditions.”

Studies done by the CIA show that the United States is the one the richest countries in the world. Springer’s journey created for him new perspective on the American lifestyle.

“It really reaffi rmed my beliefs about

priorities and how we in the West tend to have our priorities backwards,” Springer said. “We can become so consumed with our own prob-lems and our need to place the ‘self’ before the ‘many’.”

After two years teaching English in Thai-land, Jason Springer eventually transitioned back to the United States, where he makes just as large of an impact.

Along with his involvement in the Peace Corps, Springer is commonly known around school for his love for comic books, his ability to teach AP European History rigorously and his sponsorship of the Renaissance Committee.

“Comic books are a great snapshot into our American culture because, essentially, the characters within a given universe (Marvel, D.C., etc.) act as the new mythology for our culture,” Springer said. “The characters in comic books illustrate far more than the eternal struggle between good and evil; they illustrate that, sometimes in our world, those lines can be blurred.”

Considering that many don’t take comic books very seriously, Springer realizes that comic books actually hold an important place in today’s society.

“They show us that sometimes heroes fail, but that doesn’t stop them from overcoming obstacles in their way to reach their ultimate goal,” Springer said. “We don’t need to be perfect, we just need the wisdom to learn from our mistakes.”

Along with his involvement in many extra-curricular activities, Springer believes teaching was a calling for him and became his version of a superhero -- a teacher.

“[In my fi fth grade math class], I was assigned to help a student who consistently struggled to understand the material,” Springer said. “Seeing that ‘aha’ moment on his face when a diffi cult concept suddenly became clear felt amazing. The pride [my math teacher] instilled in me was the hook I needed to be-come a teacher.”

Springer continues with his tradition of service by sponsoring and leading the Renais-sance Committee.

Former student council member, junior Ella Schoenen, is one of many members on the Committee dedicated to making the school better.

“We enhance the school and try to rec-ognize our students and staff for everything they do,” Schoenen said. “I joined Renaissance Committee due to Mr. Springer because [he is] very realistic about things like fundraisers and school decorations.”

She feels Springer does an exceptional jobof relating to his students.

“[H]e takes into account that the typi-cal high school student body isn’t peppy,” Schoenen said.

As former student council sponsor, Spring-er decided to become sponsor of Renaissance Committee instead.

“The Renaissance Committee was some-thing that was brought to my attention by [Ed] West a couple of years ago and, from the moment I was exposed to it and the philoso-phy behind it, I thought it was a great idea and knew I wanted to be on board,” Springer said. “It was created to initiate recognition programs within the building for both students and

staff, as well as to fi nd ways to create a more positive learning environment for students and staff.”

The Renaissance Committee created room signs for teachers as well as room numbers painted in the hallways.

Springer juggles all of his commitments by employing a simple philosophy.

“I try to take life one day at a time and to not sweat the small stuff because [in life] there really are very few ‘big deals’,” Springer said.

Although they are on separate wings of the building, choir teacher Hilary Morton sees the spirit that Springer brings to Free State.

“[Springer] doesn’t waste time com-plaining or harping on negative aspects and immediately wants to fi nd a positive solution and move forward,” Morton said. “He inspires his students to do the same and is a very dedi-cated member of our staff. He’s dedicated to the classes he teaches as well as what is going on in the building or with Free State students, regardless of whether or not he knows them. He’s unafraid to be the voice of reason and always enthusiastic to cheer people along.”

Along with Morton, Schoenen also sees Springer’s will and drive.

“He’s just an all around great guy,” Schoenen said. “[Springer is] personal to people and I like that he’s honest, real and not disillusioned.”

Outside of school, Springer is as friendly and non-judgemental as in school, according to Schoenen.

“I can talk to him about anything and he’s less of a teacher when I don’t have a class with him,” Schoenen said. “He’s just a cool friend.”

springer superhero >teacher inspires students through service, classes

Dear Editors,I enjoyed the most recent edition of “The Free Press”

immensely. Dedicating the issue to academics in such a thoughtful manner was appreciated and provided several points to ponder. Among the topics that generated thought-ful reflection on my part was the editorial challenging the practice of using unweighted grades to determine our valedictorian(s). It wasn’t too many years ago that weighted grades were among the most controversial topics across many high schools in America. The amount of conversation has since declined, but the challenges remain the same. If you would afford me the opportunity to pontificate, I would like to share a few of my own thoughts.

First, let me be clear, I have no personal plans to confront the current system in any fashion. In fact, I have not chal-lenged the status quo in any school I have led throughout my career (this is the third school where I carried the title of

“Principal”). While I have always had an opinion on the matter, I never felt taking on such an issue was in my best interest in regards to moving the school forward. Changing the status quo as it impacts those toward the top of the academic ladder is very difficult, at best. In other words, I believe the potential for controversy and chaos outweighed any potential gain. (Any such change would require approval from the USD 497 Board of Education, by the way.)

Before I get too far into my letter, I should be up front in terms of my personal bias. I am not a fan of weighted grades and, therefore, would not be in favor of using weighted grades as a means of determining valedictorian status. My opposition to weighted grades is generally related to two is-sues; the controversy surrounding which classes deserve extra weighting and the impact using weighted grades to deter-mine valedictorian status has on student selection of courses.

Our school district has determined that Advanced Place-ment courses are the only courses that should be weighted.

While I certainly agree that Advanced Placement courses are rigorous and challenging, I would also suggest that we offer other courses equally as challenging (agreeing on what those courses are would be quite difficult). Before I provide an example, let me remind you that Free State High School, while offering a number of Advanced Placement courses, only provides access to about half the total AP offerings. Through thoughtful decisions, we offer only one AP course in a foreign language (Latin) and limited AP social studies offerings. We also fail to offer several AP courses that could be taught in some of our elective areas. I am not necessar-ily suggesting that these courses should be offered; that is a topic for another day. I am suggesting that not doing so has the potential to make a difference in valedictorian status if weighted grades are used as the sole basis for selection... (continued online)

Mr. West Principal of FSHS

FP10

new

sdecember 13, 2012 page by darian koenig

letter to the editor to see West’s full letter, go to our website at fsfreepressonline.com

by hannah moran On Friday, Nov. 2, sophomore Chelsea R.

Tebe left school for lunch. She did not return home until Sunday

evening. Fed up with parents and teachers, Tebe

was ready to escape. When one of her friends, a 2012 Free State graduate, showed up for first lunch, Tebe got in the car with her.

“I was having some issues at home and just with people here at the school,” Tebe said.“...I just kinda got in the car with her and just de-cided I wasn’t gonna go back to school.”

Tebe spent the next two days at her friend’s boss’s house outside of Lawrence, completely cut off from the outside world. Nobody knew her location.

“....A few people saw me get in the car with her, but they probably expected I’d come back at the end of lunch,” Tebe said. “I just didn’t.”

Meanwhile, Facebook and Twitter flooded with news of her disappearance. A police report was filed, and Fox 4 News wanted an interview with her parents.

Tebe’s grandmother received support from the Lawrence community through the Lawrence Journal-World’s website, though she lives four states away.

“Thank you ladies,” she commented on an online story. “I’m doing everything I can to keep from crying...I can’t sit by the phone. I can’t help in the search. I can’t even sit and hold my daughter’s hand. So I sit here by my own phone, play with Paint, talk on Facebook, post on other threads and do what I can to keep from going crazy.”

Tebe was unaware of the impact of her disappearance.

“At the time, I was thinking, ‘Oh, nobody cares,’” Tebe said. “So I was, like, not worried about it.”

Tebe said her disappearance was the result of a lapse in judgment prompted by severe depression and anxiety.

“It was just one of those things,” Tebe said. “I have these mental breakdowns, where I kinda just, ‘go’...away from everybody and every-thing.”

After two days in the country, Tebe went to her friend’s mother’s house to talk. The woman inquired as to why Tebe had run away, adding that if there was an unsafe reason for Tebe to go home, she would not make her return.

“It was around 10:30, 11:00 at night,” Tebe said. “Her mom sat down...She was like, ‘At this point, I just need to know what’s going on.’”

Tebe was taken to her father’s house, where her mother picked her up.

“We all sat there and talked for a little bit...everything worked out,” Tebe said.

At Free State, Tebe has a strong support sys-tem. Assistant Principal Patrick Kelly and culinary teacher Kerri Hess both work with Tebe to help her get back on track.

Instead of putting her on truancy for her excessive absences, Kelly instead gives her passes to leave class and cool down in the In-School-Suspension room for 15 minutes. Hess provides Tebe with dinner money on nights when Tebe waits for her brother to finish with theater practice.

“Chelsea is a smart girl who could really make a difference if she will hurry up and learn from her experiences and put her people skills to use,” Hess said.

Instead of chastising her, Kelly and Hess talked Tebe through her disappearance.

“They told me, ‘You don’t have to give me any details,’” Tebe said, “but they just wanted to make sure I know that they’re there for me.”

Tebe typically leaves during lunch, but Hess’ classes are first and sixth hour, which helps to motivate Tebe to finish out the day at school.

“Obviously because if I missed one or the

other she’s like, ‘What happened?’” Tebe said.The Monday Tebe returned to class, she

barely had a foot in the front door before her friends swarmed her, fum-ing but relieved.

“...Three people came out and hugged me and, like, wanted to hit me because they were like, ‘Where were you?’” Tebe said.

Rumors also spread about her disappearance.

“I had three guys walk up to me and ask me if I was shot,” Tebe said. “It was kinda one of those things where I was like, ‘Does it look like I got shot?’ I mean, I feel intact...”

“Running away” is illegal. Tebe now adds this to her list of pre-existing charges. She was on a

diversion already for driving without a license, failing to report an accident and leaving the scene of an accident involving damage. The court pardoned Tebe’s charges if she could stay out of legal trouble for the next 12 months.

However, Tebe will soon have a court date for running away.

“Like, you can get ISS, OSS, it doesn’t matter, but if you get into legal trouble those charges come back on you,” Tebe said.

Then, the Tuesday after Tebe returned to school, a boy pushed her. Tebe retaliated, and received a disorderly conduct charge. She re-ceived out-of-school suspension and a file was started on her at the Juvenile Detention Center.

Rumors swirled about Tebe’s time at JDC. In reality, she was only there for an hour as she ‘got booked.’

With all of her current charges, Tebe will likely have to serve time at the Juvenile Deten-tion Center.

“Come Dec. 18, you guys might not see me next semester,” Tebe said. “I’ll be straight

up with people because I don’t want them to wonder where I went.”

However, the prospect of JDC is not as formidable to Tebe as it may be to most. After seeing prison change her father for the bet-ter, Tebe is curious to see if JDC will help her change her attitude.

“I’m not saying it’s a good thing or any-thing but hopefully it might set my attitude straight...like, I don’t wanna go back there,” Tebe said.

Tebe also knows exactly what to expect during the time she will spend at the detention center.

“I’m slightly nervous about it, but you can’t go in there being scared,” Tebe said. “...[P]eople know if you’re scared, they will straight up take advantage of you, and so you have to go in there with confidence.”

Tebe attributes her will to fight to her parents.

“When I was little my dad used to put his hands on my mom...[M]y mom would straight up hit him back,” Tebe said. “She wasn’t scared.”

Tebe’s parents no longer live together.“There was this one time... my dad pushed

my mom out the door and through the neigh-bor’s door across the hall, took the door off the hinges,” Tebe said. “My mom got back up, had her keys in her hand, had a little mini flashlight on it and she...chipped my dad’s tooth because she just hit him with her keys.”

As a result, Tebe doesn’t let people, espe-cially boys, push her around.

“I’m pretty scrappy as it is,” Tebe said, “which can also get me into trouble and so, especially when it’s a guy, I think he figured out pretty quick that he doesn’t want to fight no more.”

However, motivated by her plans for the future, Tebe is determined to straighten up. She plans to get her child welfare and development degree from Haskell Indian Nations University.

“I love kids, I really want to work with them, help them,” Tebe said. “I really just need to straighten up and fly right.”

>student retains optimism after truancy, legal violations missing girl found, getting back on track

West Weighs In

FP11

columns

december 13, 2012 page by sam boatright

dear free state free state free state to: fi ction afi cianadosre: a short story for the holidays

In honor of the inspiration issue, I decided I’d spare you my usual sarcasm and write a short story instead. The fi rst draft was too depressing to be read during the season of several major holidays, and the second was a real bore, so here’s my third and fi nal attempt at optimism. In January, I’ll be back to my usual, glass-half-empty self.

Until then, have a great winter break.The moon still owned a faint watermark

in the sky when the fi rst clang shattered the silence of the cul-de-sac. Eli squinted through the dark curtains of his eyelashes at the clock on his bedside table, which, blurred through the sticky grit of sleep rimming his eyelids, could have read 6:29, 6:39, 5:38, or some other combination of transposed numbers that implied sleep deprivation.

As another clang sliced through the win-dow, he buried his face in his pillow and pulled the covers up over his ears. It was his policy as an eight-year-old never to wake up before 7 a.m. on any day except Christmas.

Clang—schoop. Clang—schoop. The clanging and schooping became almost rhyth-mic now, like the chugging of an overnight train. He could feel the gentle swaying of the wheels on the iron tracks, kicking up glitter behind the caboose and easing him into a light doze.

Eli was just boarding the train to dream-land when a fi erce “beep-beep-BEEP” yanked him back into his bedroom, which had become uncomfortably noisy for a Saturday morning in the dead of winter.

From across the hall, his mother’s

footsteps kept pace with the dial tone of the phone.

“Jane? I didn’t wake you up, did I?” she asked. Eli assumed this was the Jane What’s-Her-Face who lived in the beige house across the street.

His mother paused to let Jane speak, or at least to take a breath. “Simply unbelievable, isn’t it? At 6:30 on a weekend. I doubt he even knows what year it is, let alone the day of the week…”

“Oh, to be sure, he’s practically senile. Completely unapproachable. Rarely leaves his property. In fact, I’m a little concerned…”

As his mother proceeded to describe the signs of Mr. Albright’s condition—watching midday television, not attending block parties, refusing to buy Girl Scout Cookies, etcetera, etcetera—Eli wrapped himself in a blanket and inched into his parents’ bedroom.

He bypassed his father, who was snoring upright against a pile of pillows, and crawled under his mother’s elbow as she peeped through the blinds into Mr. Albright’s yard, which was mostly brown aside from the black garbage bag sitting in the dead grass. The old man was using a splintered shovel to round out a hole in his yard—clang, schoop, clang, schoop--and tossing the dirt haphazardly over his left shoulder.

Eli jumped into the elbow hovering over his head when his mother hissed into the re-ceiver, “Do you think so? I wasn’t going to say anything, but—oh, goodness, you’re right. Oh, gracious. It could certainly fi t a body. It’s the perfect shape. His dog, maybe? Or his wife?

We’ll need to be sure before we call--”She stopped with her tongue still pressed

to her teeth, slowly turning her gaze down to meet Eli’s.

“Eli, honey? Would you do me a huge favor?”

Naturally, Eli was soon trudging out the door in his Power Rangers pajama top and his Spongebob bottoms. When he arrived at the invisible line between their equally brown yards, Mr. Albright was still knee-deep in the ground, methodically scooping up small shovelfuls of dirt and depositing them beside the garbage bag.

“Mr. Albright?” he asked, balling his hands behind his back for courage.

The old man continued digging. “I’m Mr. Albright.”

Eli fi ddled with his fi ngers as he glanced back toward his house, where his mother’s silhouette hovered in the window, narrating the scene to a similar silhouette visible in the beige house next door.

“If your mother sent you to ask me to go back to bed,” Mr. Albright grunted over his shoulder, “you can tell her I’m almost fi nished here.”

Flushing, Eli stuttered, “I--I was just wondering--Mr. Albright, what’s in the bag?”

“A time capsule.” Another pile dropped to the ground in a poof of dark dust. “You know what that is?”

Eli shook his head.“You know what time is?”“Yessir.”“You know what a capsule is?”

“Something you put stuff in.”“What kind of stuff?”“Medicine and stuff.”“Exactly. A time capsule is like medicine for

time. In better times, you bury things that will make people happy in worse times--like books, artwork, photographs.”

Glancing at the bag, Eli asked, “What are you burying in your time capsule, Mr. Albright?”

“Why don’t you take a look?” he offered. Eli crouched down to peer inside the

capsule’s mouth. The treasures were cradled in silver wrapping paper that bounced the sun-light onto the black walls of the bag like stars in space. Each was dotted with a golden bow, and some were tied with ribbon.

“You’re Santa Claus,” Eli laughed as he stood to his full height of three-foot-nine.

“A tired Santa Claus,” Mr. Albright sighed with a mighty stretch. “I might need an elf to help me bury it all.”

He fi shed around in the bag and eventu-ally reeled in a oblong lump of silver wrapping paper, which he placed securely in Eli’s tiny hands. “That was my son’s when he was your age. Used to build sand castles with it when we went to the beach. Go on. Consider it an early Christmas gift.”

The paper crumbled away to reveal a worn but sturdy toy shovel, nearly identical to the one Mr. Albright was using, but plastic where his was metal. As he hopped into the hole and began digging, Eli imagined his mother groan-ing into the receiver. Then he shrugged, smiled, and sent soil showering over his left shoulder.

I partially owe my sanity to sitcoms. To sappy music, to pop art, to New York Times columns, to romantic comedies. Each of these artistic forms act as alternative universes, as life consultants, as stress relievers and pain soothers. If there’s ever something troubling me, I can sit down and watch “30 Rock” or laugh out loud to my favorite comedian.

It’s important to distinguish between us-ing art--yes, I would say the show “How I Met Your Mother” is art--as an emotional crutch and using art as a strict identifi cation of one’s self through the bands one likes, the movies one watches, the books one reads, etc. The former serves as a therapeutic consultation, the latter as a method of strict self-identifi ca-tion based on things that you like, not entirely based on who you are.

However, not only do these forms of art serve as stress relievers, but also as inspirers, molders and transformers.

This issue’s column isn’t a way to tell you all of the bands that I like and how “hipster” I am, but to explore the importance of art as a source of inspiration, of insight and of advice. It doesn’t matter if your favorite band is Creed, that you love the “Saw” series or that you’ve

read every “Twilight” book. What’s important is that those pieces of art serve as guidance that provoke thoughts and help you see your world from a different perspective.

And that’s one of the most valuable traits of art: the idea that each creation can mold a new perspective, a new outlook. The power that a book holds is incredible in that it can inspire you to be a better person and to encourage change and self-refl ection. Movies, music, paintings and other artistic expres-sions all wield the same power, the power that can change lives, inspire brilliant minds and envelop a culture.

How would we see the world if there were no Picasso, no Raphael, no Van Gogh? Would our imaginations and eye for detail suffer? Would we be weary in using abstract thought? How about if there were no Beatles, no Miles Davis, no Justin Bieber? Would the idea of popular music be set back decades? Would we be less inventive, innovative and daring? The fact that three incredibly different artists can all inspire millions of people and cause them to think differently is an incredibly cool thing.

I know I did just put the Beatles, Miles Davis and the JBiebs in the same sentence, but

that right there is the epitome of artistic power: it allows for every single person to relate, be it an avid jazz fan or a 13-year-old girl.

I don’t know if I can tell you the number of people that have told me how Bieber’s near-$80 million-grossing movie “Justin Bieber: Never Say Never” changed their out-look on life. To see a seemingly average and talented kid make it “big” was pretty inspiring to them.

The event of seeing Bieber’s movie is no less pertinent or valuable than me being blown away by the band Someone Still Love You Boris Yeltsin in downtown Lawrence, in a general sense. In fact, we should honestly all be constantly in a state of awe, marvel and surprise at the wonder that art has on people.

Art saves lives. Art creates lives. Art thrives and art dies, but it all affects someone. Or mil-lions of people.

When I started recording songs, I would post them online with the thought that if just one person liked them, that I would be making a difference, that I would be helping, inspiring, entertaining someone. And that

to me was more than enough, because the idea that I reached out to someone through a medium I love and somehow affected them was beyond cool.

Possibly the most relevant saying regard-ing this column is a lyric from a Wilco song, “What Light.” I encourage you all to go listen to this song--it really is universal and beauti-ful--but more importantly, I invite you to look at art with a new perspective, a knowledge that art is a universal form of communication and inpsiration.

Whether sowing the seeds of inspiration or cultivating a mind, art is one of the most poignant, universal and affecting things in the world. So, I will fi nish this column with one of my favorite lyrics, one that I encourage you to consider deeply and let sink in:

“And if the whole world’s singing your songs/ And all of your paintings have been hung/ Just remem-ber what was yours/ Is everyone’s from now on.”

uncoveringuncovering sam boatrightboatrightboatrightboatrightboatrightboatrightboatrightboatrightboatright

“what light”

FPspor

ts

december 13, 2012 page by riley buller

sports t ckert ckerupcoming upcoming

varsityFS vs. LHS

girls @ 5:30 p.m.boys @ 7 p.m.

@LHS

boys varsity wrestling9 a.m.

@Emporia

1/1012/1412/14 12/1512/15games

the boys of fall>football team’s record-breaking seasonby ryan liston

A nearly undefeated football season ended on No-vember 16 with a 48-21 loss to Shawnee Mission West. However, senior Kyle McFarland still feels that the season was a success.

“We had a successful season,” McFarland said, “We did good, but that last game wasn’t how we wanted it to end . . . We got hit in the mouth quick last game and didn’t respond.”

Senior Corban Schmidt agrees.“Even though [the season] ended early it was pretty

successful,” he said.Coach Bob Lisher felt that the season exceeded

expectations.“These guys surprised us with some of the stuff they

did do, some of the success they had,” Coach Lisher said. “Our season was a great success, other than the fact that we didn’t quite get as far as we wanted to get. When you look back we had a lot of accomplishments that we can be proud of.”

In preparation for games, the football team watched tapes of the opposing team’s games and shifted their game plan depending on whether the opposing team was mainly a running or throwing team.

Mondays and Tuesdays, the team would practice with all of their gear on. Wednesdays and Thursdays, they only wore shoulder pads and helmets.

Monday was defense day, Tuesday was offensive day, Wednesday was an overview day and Thursday was a run through. Friday was game day.

Before games, the team sat quietly in the locker room, waiting to begin.

“We’re really not allowed to do very much in the locker room,” junior Joe Dineen said. “We’re supposed to stay quiet, and we’re not supposed to listen to our iPods. We’re actually not even supposed to talk, so pretty much we just sat there.”

The players waited in the locker room while fans waited just as anxiously in the stands. When the football

team took the fi eld, the spectators jumped up and down, cheering for their favorite players.

Choruses of “I believe that we will win” spread like a virus throughout the entire student section. Many stu-dents often came dressed in outrageous ways; some fans wore gorilla costumes, squeezed into spandex “Superfan Suits” and stripped down to their paint covered chests, even during the coldest of games.

“[Getting pumped up] kind of just comes to you,” McFarland said. “We’re pretty quiet in the locker room, but once you walk out before the game time you’re already pretty pumped up and ready to go.”

Schmidt said his favorite part of the season was be-ing able to play with his friends. His family and coaches also pushed him throughout the season. McFarland, on the other hand, enjoyed victory the most.

“[My favorite memories were] when we beat LHS and Shawnee Mission East just because they were both good teams,” McFarland said, “and then the students rushed the fi eld.”

The team’s success came from hard work in practice, good coaching, and talented underclassmen stepping up. There was also a strong bond among teammates this season.

“This year, compared to last year, we seemed a lot closer to each other,” Dineen said, “We all were friends with each other and that just helped the team bonding.”

Dineen said teammates would spend their time outside of practice hanging out, going to parties, and watching opposing team’s games.

“We’ll hang out with each other and it helps to be friends with the people on your team,” he said. “. . . We were just a group.”

Lisher also noticed the strong camaraderie on the team.

“The chemistry of our team has been very good,” he said.

“Our guys get along well, they like playing hard for each other, they like playing hard for the school; they’re just very fun guys to be around.”

He also mentioned that the team had fewproblems due to a will to work and get better.

Dineen also commended the coaches for their perpetual support with special recognition for the coach who has motivated him the most.

“The coaches do a great job of motivating all the players,” he said, “But for me, personally, I’d probably say Coach Obi, Coach Oberzan [motivated me most] . . . Before the games he really got me fi red, ready to play.”

Coach Oberzan’s impassioned speeches in the locker room got the team prepared for the game. Every week he would have something new to inspire the players to perform well.

Saying farewell to the seniors isn’t easy for Dineen and Lisher.

“I’m going to miss our seniors,” Lisher said, “I’m go-ing to miss this team in general because it will never be the same team again . . . We appreciate what the seniors did, and we’re go-ing to try and improve on what they did and make them proud of

us next year.”

upcoming

Junior Joe Dineen celebrates after a play. Photo by Sonia Schoneich

The Free State student section gets excited at the Homecoming game against SME. Photo by Darian Koenig

Quarterback Kyle McFarland avoids SMW defenders. Photo by Catherine Norwood

12

photo by darian koenig

varsityvarsity3:30 p.m. 3:30 p.m.

@FS@FS