Sitting in the front row of the Black Box on Saturday, April 26, I had an unobstructed view of the students performing in the Black Box Theater Festival. The Black Box Theater Festival is an event that...

The crowds are uncontrollable as they prepare to watch robots, created by high schoolers from around the country, hash it out in the ring at the First Kansas City Regional competition. The victorious...

Surrounded by cracked textbooks and peanut-butter-covered-apple slices, senior Bridget Cary sits down at her computer. Powering off her phone, she gets ready to study for the upcoming tests. The dreaded...

“Who all has been affected by racism?” Sophomore Garrett Swisher asks the group of 7th graders in the West Middle School auditorium. About 20-25 teachers and students raise their hands. He points out...

One teacher in particular that stands out as one of my favorites is none other than Scott Smith. From the beginning of my Free State career I remember him helping lead the Link crew games, in which two...

Juniors Randall Schmidt and Sam Hay and senior Madeline Chestnut describe their journey for Encore 2014 and weigh in on their experience. Pre-Auditions When did you start preparing for Encore? Sam Hay:...

All throughout her childhood, senior Ashton Edwards was told she looked anorexic. What people didn’t see was the girl who was always hungry, who viewed her skinny as “disgusting,” and suffered severe...

At 8:10 a.m., with his navy polo shirt tucked into his belted khaki pants, senior Marcus Allen finds a seat at a round table in his school lunchroom and waits for the headmaster to open morning meeting...

Junior Parkin Srisutiva kicked off the matchmaker date by impressing junior Isabelle Haake with chocolate and a red rose. “It seemed liked the proper thing to do,” Srisutiva said. “Without chivalry,...

After a long drive from Philadelphia, Wilt Chamberlain sat down in a restaurant just outside of Lawrence. A waitress comes to his table and tells him he must eat in the kitchen or leave. At first, Chamberlain...