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perfectionist, but is it really worth the

extra stress? pages 4-5

beauty isn’t everything, according to

hannah moran page 6

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saugust 23, 2012 page by sarah whipple

jayhawks raise the bar >admission to KU and other state universities to become more selective

by katie guyotUnderclassmen, start hitting those ACT

prep books. Beginning with the class of 2015, Kansas

regents universities will be tightening their ad-missions standards, and for the class of 2016, admission to the University of Kansas will be even tougher.

“These new standards will let students and parents know what sort of preparation is needed to be successful at a fl agship research university,” Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little said in a statement. “They’ll encourage stu-dents to strive for excellence in high school so that they’re ready when they arrive at KU.”

All six state universities will start using revised admissions standards for current high school sophomores.

Under these, applicants must complete the Kansas Scholars Curriculum and any college credits taken in high school with at least a 2.0 GPA, AND:

>earn an ACT score of 21 or SAT score of 980 (critical reading plus math);

OR>graduate in the top third of their class.

In June, the Kansas Board of Regents ap-proved KU’s proposal to further heighten its admissions standards for the school year of 2016-2017. The new criteria for KU’s automatic admissions system will require applicants earn:

>a 3.0 GPA in the Kansas Scholars Curricu-lum AND a 24 on the ACT (1090 SAT);

OR>a 3.25 GPA in the Kansas Scholars Curricu-

lum AND a 21 on the ACT (980 SAT).The university hopes that by raising admis-

sions standards, it can also raise retention and graduation rates. At present, approximately 80 percent of freshmen return to KU the next year, and only 60 percent of students graduate within six years.

“[W]e want to improve our retention and graduation rates,” Director of Admissions Lisa Kress said, “and the academic preparedness of the student.”

Currently, applicants to all Kansas regents universities qualify for automatic admission if they fulfi ll one or more of the following requirements:

>earn at minimum, a 2.0 GPA in the Kansas Scholars Curriculum; OR

>score at least 21 on the ACT (980 SAT); OR

>rank in the top third of their graduating class.

“It’s both good and bad,” guidance coun-selor Joel Frederick said of the new standards. “I think it’s good in that students will be better prepared for the rigors of KU. In other words, they’ll understand that when you get to KU it’s gonna be tough to be successful...

“Now, of course, the bad side of this is that there are some kids who don’t test particularly well and may have gotten motivated later on in their high school career, and they may have

done fi ne at KU, but they won’t be able to.” According to Kress, students who do not

qualify for automatic admission may still be admitted by a special committee that will review other factors yet to be determined.

“There could be circumstances that prevented you from meeting an admission requirement,” Kress said. “So, let’s say in four years you don’t quite meet them: we still encourage you to apply. You may be admit-ted through that second path by review of the committee, and if you don’t, if you’re denied, you can still appeal the decision.”

If a student is not admitted by appeal, Kress and Frederick both suggest pursuing alternative education options, such as junior colleges, private state schools and other re-gents universities.

“There is certainly nothing wrong with starting at [ junior college] and transferring to KU later,” Frederick said. “In fact, as expensive as the state universities are getting, the jucos are actually quite a bit more inexpensive, so that could actually help you in the long run fi nancially.”

Frederick predicts that neither set of upcoming admissions standards will strongly affect the number of Free State students who are admitted to KU.

“Traditionally, if a student comes to Free State and takes the regents requirements and scores well on the ACT, they’ll probably be ready to go to KU,” he said.

free press staff sam boatright- editor-in-chief katie guyot- editor-in-chief hannah moran- copy editorsarah whipple- design editorkimberly messineo-sports manager jacob hood- cartoonist maria carrasco- reportercheyenne culley- reporter adam gowen- reporter kyra haas- reportersarah lieberman- reporter

ryan liston- reporterrosemary newsome- reportergrace oliver- reporter catherine prestoy- reporterhannah reussner- reporter ciara sayler- reporter logan brown- designer kristina foster- designer darian koenig- designerjohn mccain- designer maria mckee- designer riley buller- photographer

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.

1432 5

London- Michael Phelps retires with 22 medals, 18 gold

global gab

our mission

>current events guaranteed to impress

United States- Midwest drought to raise food prices

Syria- Rebel uprising continues, UN remains split

Wisconsin- Gunman kills 6, then self at Sikh temple

California- NASA lands “Curiosity” rover on Mars

follow the bubbles to fi nd out which admissions standards apply to you

I am applying to a Kansas regents university

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no

this fl ow chart is not for you. check out the global gab for worldwide news

I am applying to KU

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I am a...

freshman freshman or sophomore sophomore

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>complete the Kansas precollege curriculum with at least a 3.0 GPA and a 24 ACT (1080 SAT, CR + M); OR >complete the precollege curriculum with at least a 3.25 GPA and a 21 ACT (980 SAT)

>complete the Kansas precol-lege curriculum and any college credits taken in high school with at least a 2.0 GPA; AND>achieve a 21 on the ACT or 980 on the SAT (CR + M); OR >graduate in the top third of your class

>complete the Kansas precollege curriculum with at least a 2.0 GPA; OR>achieve a 21 on the ACT or 980 on the SAT (CR + M); OR >graduate in the top third of your class

START

hometown hubby sam boatright

Introduced in India circa 400 BC, yoga originated as a religious exercise intended

to help worshippers reach the “supreme state.” Although this meditative practice has evolved from an exclusively religious practice to a form of exercise

through mediation and focus, yoga retains its roots in physical, mental and spiri-tual focus, and doubles as an effective way to relieve stress. The vinyasa class at

LAC offers a healthy balance between an intensive exercise

format and a meditative, slower-paced format.

La Prima TazzaNestled between

Liberty Hall and Free State Brewery, La

Prima Tazza would seem to be a stressful, noisy coffee joint.

However, the opposite is true. With its marble ta-

bles, cozy atmosphere, caffeinated drinks and wonderful people watching opportuni-ties, La Prima Tazza

stands strong as a true Lawrence gem. It is a

comfortable, interesting and relaxing place to catch up

on all that Advanced Algebra that you have probably been putting off.

Editors’ Picks

“hubsessions”

Lawrence Athletic Club

>best drink: Iced

Grasshopper, $3.50

>steven ozaki, 10“[I] watch ESPN, [and I] watch softball.”

>kate stanwix, 9

>what helps you get through a stressful day?

cour

tesy

of l

ulul

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baugust 23, 2012 page by sarah whipple

La PrimaNPrima Tazza would seem to be

a stressful, noisy coffee joint.

>best drink:

showing off what Lawrence does best

>$8 per class>also offers gentle and power yoga

“Chai tea lattes are the best study buddies. To save money, I skip Starbucks and make my own: ½ chai tea, ¼ milk and ¼ sugar.”

katie guyot

“For me, there’s nothing else like listening to comedians to make you laugh a little and forget any problems, at least for a chuckle or so. Some of my faves are Louis C.K. and Patrice O’Neal.”

sam boatright

“When I get stressed, I eat Life Cereal with frozen blueberries. It’s a nice pick-me-up...Cereal almost makes it feel like morning again.”

hannah moran

sarah whipple

“When I’m stressed out, I listen to the Lumineers, Norah Jones or Jack Johnson and I’ll play along on my drum set.”

fl aunting the hall’s latest fads

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“I sleep excessively.”

“Knowing that I get to go home.”

>abby olker, 12

“I should exercise but I tend to eat a lot and take a nap.”

>katie conard, 12

“Talking to my friends and listening to music.”

>noelle olson, 12

>amy oelschlaeger, 10

“[I] take a step back and re-evaluate.”

29-40: You are probably a perfectionist, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Just keep an eye out for your physical and mental well-being, and don’t let perfectionism get in the way of your appreciation for yourself as a person.

15-28: You aren’t a severe perfectionist, but you might have perfec-tionist tendencies. As long as you can maintain a healthy balance between expectations and satisfaction, you should be just fine.

0-14: Take a deep breath of relief and thank your lucky stars, because you don’t seem to suffer from the perfectionist bug.

I need not only to do my best, but also to do better than everyone else.

Anything less than an A is equal to an F.

My organizational mantra is, “A place for everything and everything in its place.”

I never do a sloppy job on even the most miniscule assignment.

It embarrasses me to admit my faults.

I feel uncomfortable and/or unworthy when people praise me.

The more I succeed, the more I fear failure.

I fear people will lose respect for me if I don’t fulfill their high expectations.

If I miss a single question on a test, I’m disappointed with myself.

I am distressed by anything less than success.

StronglyStronglyAgree Agree Neutral Disagree

Strongly DisagreeTake the Quiz >>>

Disclaimer: This quiz was made by perfectionists, not professionals. The Free Press cannot accurately diagnose perfectionism in a specific individual.

Just add up your answers: strongly agree=4, agree=3, neutral=2, disagree=1, strongly disagree=0

Score Yourself

StronglyAgree AgreeAgree Neutral DisagreeDisagree

Strongly Disagree

StronglyAgree Agree Neutral Disagree

Strongly Disagree

the pressure to be perfectby ciara sayler and catherine prestoy

Nobody is perfect. However, in today’s world, millions of teenagers choose to disregard these old words of wisdom and push for perfection. Whether it’s in ath-letics, appearance or even schoolwork, many teens strive to be what society calls “perfect.”

They strive to be fi rst-rate throughout their everyday lives, but in becoming what, in their eyes, a teenager should be, they create impractical goals.

“Perfectionism is viewed as having unrealistic expectations of performance, physical attributes or social status,” Ed Bloch, licensed specialized clinical social worker, said. Bloch is the co-owner of the Life Enrichment Center in Lawrence.

Often, perfectionism can be the starting point of many other challenges in a teenager’s life.

>behaviors of a perfectionistA teenage brain undergoes a

complete change when a person is maturing from a child to an adult.

A perfectionist may feel the need to be perfect due to his or her early childhood.

“There are many factors [which can cause perfectionism,] from brain imbalances, to early childhood conditioning related, to traumatic experiences,” Bloch said. “Parental behaviors and expectations may also play a part.”

>benefi ts of perfectionismTrying to be perfect may not be such a bad thing at times; in

fact, perfection in small doses can be healthy. “Perfectionist traits may lead to a greater excellence or higher

achievement,” Bloch said. “But this is a slippery slope.” Keeping busy with healthy activities can help perfectionists

focus on something that can benefi t them. “I always say a lot of exercise can help,” Dr. Shelia McManus

said. “It maximizes the endorphins in the brain indefi nitely. Read-ing helps as well so that when they cook up ideas, it comes from an informed place instead of a made up one.”

>consequences of the climbBeing a teenager is hard for anyone. Trying to fi t in while

balancing schoolwork and social image can be stressful, but for

perfectionists, it’s even harder. “[Perfectionism] leads to obsessive thoughts and behaviors

and mental health disorders such as depression, obsessive com-pulsive disorder (OCD) and anxiety,” Bloch said.

Many students, for instance, could score 89 percent on a test and be satisfi ed, but to certain perfectionists, 89 percent is closer to 50 percent than to 100. Anything less than perfection is marked down to failure.

“It’s a good idea to be humble and accept that you are not perfect,” McManus said. “In any way, shape or form a person can-not be perfect.”

Many teenagers want to succeed; however, there is a differ-ence between the pursuit of excellence and perfectionism. The

pursuit of excellence typically means that teenagers try their best, and real-ize that it won’t be perfect.

“Perfectionism is the extreme, rooted in uncontrollable energies to meet irrational expectations,” Bloch said.

Perfectionism can sometimes lead to low self-esteem and even foster eating disorders, such as anorexia and bulimia.

>a fl awless fi gure While many teenagers strive for perfect grades, others strive

for perfect bodies.They now think that the size zero model on the cover of Sev-

enteen Magazine is who they need to resemble. Once the goal of being perfect is planted in

a person’s mind, it can often result in intentional stress on the body. It may become a personal competition to be the skinniest person in the room, and that goal can overshadow mental and physical health concerns.

“A person gets in their head a feeling of controlling some-thing,” McManus said. “They weigh every ounce they eat and get so concentrated to the point of starving themselves.”

In a recent study done by the National Institute of Mental Health, 2.8 percent of adolescents are affected by eating disor-ders. Roughly one in 200 American women are forecast to be

anorexic and two in 100 to be bulimic.

>perfectionism in athletesAnother aspect of many teenagers’ lives is athletics, in which

they sometimes push for perfection.Rita Wieber, mother of United States women’s gymnastics

gold medalist Jordyn Wieber, recently told Charlene Prince Birke-land of Shine magazine about her daughter’s drive for perfec-tion in and out of the gym.

“We did notice that Jordyn had kind of an unusual intensity about her or an ability to focus at a very young age,” Wieber said. “She always puts so much pressure on herself.”

“I’m kind of a perfectionist,”Jordyn Wieber said. “I always want to go to the gym, I want to practice hard every single day. It’s always been a part of my personality.”

Free State senior John Corbett is a successful athlete, but he is not a perfectionist.

“I wouldn’t describe myself as a perfectionist, but rather as a hard worker,” Corbett said. “A kid who just fi nds a way to suc-ceed.”

Corbett is an athlete on the Free State track team, and also tries his hardest to balance other aspects in his life.

“Running has been a very large part of me since my fresh-man year,” he said. “At the same time I have been taking large amounts of advanced and AP classes that produce large amounts of homework. I found that falling into a routine helped me fi nd a way.”

Perfectionism isn’t always negative. Some-times, it provides an extra push to achieve one’s goal.

Overcoming per-fectionism can mean

challenging oneself, but it also means learning to accept fl aws.“Living in America I can see that I by no means have a very

tough life,” Corbett said. “When I get stressed out I just remind myself of where I am, what I have done in my life and what my goals are. After that I’m ready to go out and fi nd a way. I’m a happy kid living the only way I know how to.”

>teens grapple with the modern perception of perfection how do you deal with the pressure to be perfect?

“I do get stressed out easily, so I actually work out more. I fi nd that’s the way I relieve the stress.”>corrie mclean, 11

“To deal with the pressure of being perfect, I realize there is no such thing as perfect[ion].”>aspen brunner, 10

“There really is no pressure on me to be perfect. It doesn’t bother me that much that I’m not perfect.”>tanner mccune, 9

“I don’t deal with the pressure at all. I’m not a perfectionist. I really don’t care if I make mistakes or not.”>michael darnall, 12

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august 23, 2012 page by sarah whipple and john mccain

44% rated academics as “traumatic [or] very diffi cult...to

handle” in the last 12 months

According to the American College Health Association National College Health Assessment (Fall 2011), which includes the responses of 29,939 students at 52 postsecondary institutions:

54% of the students reported feeling overwhelmed by their

tasks in the last two weeks

almost ½ of the students had experienced

“overwhelming anxiety” in the past year

approximately 45% of the students had “felt things were hopeless”

at least once in the last 12 months22.6% rated

personal appearance as “traumatic [or] very diffi cult...to handle” in

the last 12 months

>stressed out statistics

perfecperfectby ciara sayler and catherine prestoy by ciara sayler and catherine prestoy

perfectionperfec

perfectionperfec

by ciara sayler and catherine prestoy perfection

by ciara sayler and catherine prestoy by ciara sayler and catherine prestoy perfection

by ciara sayler and catherine prestoy

august 23, 2012august 23, 2012august 23, 2012august 23, 2012august 23, 2012august 23, 2012page by sarah whipple and john mccain page by sarah whipple and john mccain

>examining beauty, from botox to biology by hannah moran

The woman looked inhuman. Wide blue eyes and overinfl ated lips sat

on a face of tightly stretched tan skin. Her tattooed eyebrows were thin, giving her a look of constant surprise. Coarse, bleach blonde hair completed “human barbie” Jenny Lee’s appearance.

I was bewildered at the image on the TV screen. I

fi gured she may have once been pretty,

but now her fea-tures were en-larged, shrunken, lengthened, or simply plastic. This woman had undergone

something like 40 cosmetic surgeries,

all to achieve her goal of being beautiful.

She failed.If beauty is the goal, looking like a real

person is always a good place to start. After some quality time on Google Images,

I found a surprising number of women have abandoned this “looking like a real person” notion. To some, resembling a child’s toy doll is the epitome of beauty.

Later that evening, with Jenny Lee’s plastic face burned into my memory, I realized how easy it was to cross the line between look-ing beautiful and looking inhuman. Bulging

lips, breasts the size of watermelons--I do not consider these extreme forms of beauty to be beautiful.

But then again, there’s the cultural thing. In 2010, Jessica Simpson (and a reality TV crew) decided to travel the globe to learn of beauty in different cultures. I was riveted, of course, but I kept thinking of how an entire show was based on something so subjective.

For example, a plethora of tan-ning products occupy drugstore shelves in the United States while skin whitening services are offered in Japan. I watch people roast, pur-posely un-sunscreened, slaves to their tan. Around the KU campus, I’ll also see people who protect their skin by toting parasols 24/7.

No one can affi rmatively say if tanning makes an individual more or less attractive, because even within the same culture, every individual maintains his or her own defi nition of beauty.

Universally, we all want to look good.For some, a face lift and tummy tuck con-

stitute beauty. For others, a nice smile suffi ces.If we channel our inner caveman, we’ll fi nd

that reproductive success is the basis for all attraction. Genetically, human beings’ goal is to reproduce.

If someone notices a potential love inter-est’s smile, his or her head thinks, “What a daz-zling tooth-to-gum ratio!” While their instincts are really saying, “Do you want to mix DNA

with this person?” On the most primordial, basic level, some-

one who is beautiful has features that indicate re- productive success.

For women, a low waist-hip

ratio is a key feature.

Various studies report that men gener-ally prefer

women with a

small waist and curvier

hips. Facial symmetry

and clear skin are two other universal bench-marks of beauty.

Oh, the lengths people will go to create an appearance of clear skin. Clear skin is consid-ered attractive, layer upon layer of foundation is not.

The mask-face is most prominent in junior high schools. Thirteen-year-olds are suddenly exposed to the vast, multi-billion dollar cos-metics industry and they believe its products are essential to being beautiful.

Liposuction, nose jobs, botox--it’s all cheating. In a way, makeup is as well. Beauty

doesn’t come in syringes or little lipstick tubes labelled “Hot Mama.” Biologically, beauty is the arrangement of cells into ways which attract mates.

If someone missed out on the attractive-ness genes, spend more time with them. The longer you spend with someone, the more attractive to you they become.

Beauty can be silicone breasts, bound feet, or septum piercings. Beauty can be being rail-thin or a size 10--women of both sizes have won the “America’s Next Top Model” competi-tion. The fact that various-sized women have won this contest is a testament to beauty’s aesthetic subjectivity. “America’s Next Top Model” exists because we want to know what famous people think is “beautiful.” But their opinion does not matter. The most beautiful women don’t always win this competition--the winner is usually whoever the judges fi nd most striking. A new season of the show premieres on August 24, offering 13 episodes of pure “beauty.”

Beauty can be resembling Barbie; it’s all specifi c to an individual’s preference.

But beauty is all about the person. Beauty is confi dent posture. Beauty is the willingness to smile. Beauty is giving the plastic surgery and cos-metic industries the fi nger and winking at the mirror.

write your life. in six words.

“It isn’t necessarily how someone is put

together but more how they present themself.

Someone could be naturally beautiful, but

unattractive if they didn’t present themself.”

“Beauty is whatever

makes you comfortable and whatever

makes you feel beautiful.”

“Beauty is the essence

of some-thing.”

>submit your six-word stories and your name to Room 115, fsfreepress@gmail.com, @fsfreepress on Twitter, or to a Free Press staff member

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august 23, 2012 page by sarah whipple

eye of the beau-holder

>adam gowen, 11

>catherine prestoy, 10

>kristina foster, 10

>kim messineo, 12

>kyra haas, 10

I do not know if any you readers are followers of the brilliantly witty and kooky NBC show “Parks and Recreation,” but recently I watched a particularly moving episode. On a spur-of-the-moment decision, Andy and April throw a dinner party, and surprise everyone by turning it into a wedding ceremony. All of this occurs after having only been dating for two episodes (which is about a month in “TV time,”right?).

While most dinner guests are delighted and warmly surprised, Les-lie Knope--played by Amy Poehler--opposes the decision, befuddled and, ultimately, worried about the young couple.

In a toast, Andy explains that the two just “did what [made them]

happy,” later adding that “[they] can’t stress enough how little [they] thought about [it].”

Andy’s toast stands as the most moving part of the episode, possibly of the season. In a world where people are only as prepared for life as their smart phone apps allow them to be, April and Andy act, prob-ably unknowingly, as rebels.

In their accidental act of defi -ance, the newlyweds go against all that is set in stone regarding modern lifestyle, modern anything.

Society has become so set on becoming happy--on fi guring out what makes us happy--that we are simultaneously making ourselves stressed and unhappy. Anyone who watches an episode of “Bridezillas”

can attest to the notion that people spending $20,000 on the “perfect” wedding only leads to stress, chaos and the most awkward weddings ever.

Andy and April’s marriage over-looks society’s mindset. The couple made no invitations, had only been dating for a short time and acted on an impulse--albeit a romantic and genuine impulse of love. However, they did what made them happy. So, why does society call that weird?

We live in a world of constant contact, perpetual stimulation and stiff economic and occupational competition.

Because of this, we tend to alien-ate the idea of true happiness being key, replacing that idea with material

goods and rewards, i.e. purchasing happiness. But does this makes us happy? Does it really make us happy? Or should we all be more like April and Andy, fi nding happiness within themselves and others and non-material things?

April and Andy are heroes, champions of genuineness and following their hearts, because they so clearly and obviously know what makes them happy, and they would be damned if anyone told them otherwise.

Has society lost sight of what truly makes us happy? No, obviously not. But maybe we are starting to over-think happiness. Maybe we aren’t as lucky as April and Andy, to be unaffected by constant

stimulation. However, maybe we put ourselves here, blindfolded by what we think happiness is, instead of just knowing that we’ve had happiness all along.

Often times, television refl ects the world in which we live--which is ironic that we use it as an escape from our daily routine. I ask of all you readers to be more like Andy and April--which does not mean you should all get married by the time Winter Formal rolls around--but to seek out what makes you happy.

You’d be happy to know that the couple is still together, going strong and soon to enter a fi fth season.

under the hoodby jacob hood

uncoveringuncovering sam boatrightboatrightboatrightboatrightboatrightboatrightboatrightboatrightboatright

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august 23, 2012 page by sarah whipple

from: katie guyotre: sports fanatics

dear free state free state free state

Dear coaches, athletes and devoted sports fans:

I don’t often move (or run, kick, throw, or bat) within the world of sports, so many of you probably don’t know me. Those of you who do know me might also know that if I tried my hand at one of Free State’s many sports, that hand would end up in a cast before the score advanced from 0-0.

However, my startling lack of athletic prowess doesn’t keep me from appreciating the role sports play in our school. No school-sponsored event can rally Free State’s green-and-silver spirit like a homecoming football game, a whirlwind track meet, or a basketball victory over Lawrence High. Pep as-semblies can try to compete, but the bleachers are always at their liveliest after the school lets out.

That’s why we at the Free Press want to revamp our sports coverage, from content to communication and readability to design.

As both student reporters and plain old students, we realize that there’s more to athletics than scores and trophies. Of course, those honors are always nice, but they aren’t the fuel to an athlete’s fi re. We’re aiming to report on the bones and muscles of Firebird sports--both fi guratively and,

perhaps in our health and nutrition issue, literally.

To make sure we aren’t ignoring those scores and trophies I mentioned earlier, we are also including a sidebar in the design of the sports page that will tell readers all the quick facts they need to know about past and upcom-ing sporting events.

What we need from readers is sup-port in our quest to make our sports coverage meet the standards of the school’s impressive sports program. Senior Kimberly Messineo was recently appointed sports manager of the Free Press, which means she’ll be in contact with coaches and athletes to get the latest news from the fi eld, the court, the pool, the track and the mat.

If readers have any tips or sug-gestions for the sports page, or for the newspaper in general, the Free Press would be ecstatic to hear them. Tweet at us at @fsfreepress, email us at fsfreepress@gmail.com, write us a post on fsfreepressonline.com, message us on Facebook, or tap us on the shoulder in person (you’ll usually fi nd us in Room 115).

We want to hear your stories. We hope you’ll stick around this year to hear ours, too.

Thanks for reading, Free State.

Katie

blissful thinking

sports t cker

by kim messineoSummer has drawn to an end,

but the fall sports season has already begun. Late night games and celebra-tions haven’t started, but the prepara-tion has.

Athletes have been preparing for the season since the beginning of sum-mer. Each sport has been conditioning to get in shape.

Conditioning consists of exer-cises decided by coaches to better the athletes. Exercises might include weight training, running and other workouts.

Seniors Michael Omon and Alex Heath are part of the soccer team, and have been taking part in conditioning throughout the summer.

“It is a lot of self weight training, sprints, and agility based workouts,” Omon said.

“Conditioning is extremely intense,” Heath said. “You’re going as hard as you can the whole time.”

Although the workouts are intense, the hard work is worth it.

“It makes me more optimis-tic about the season,” Omon said. “Because I know my teammates and myself have worked so hard to be where we are.”

Some sports have unique work-outs to better themselves. Soccer is a game of constant running. One of the workouts used in conditioning is sand sprints. Coach Kelly Barah had a sand

pit put in next to the fi eld specially for the team.

“They were fun, but it sucked hav-ing all of that sand all over you and your clothes,” Omon said.

Another running exercise that was a part of conditioning were suicides, in which they run back and forth along the fi eld touching each line along the way.

“We were doing suicides on the fi eld one day, and it was really hot,” Heath said. “After one of the suicides, Butters [a player] went and threw up and everybody started cheering. It shows that you’re giving it your all and everybody appreciates that because it’s making the team better.”

>teams prepare for season over summer break pre-existing conditioning

t ckerupcoming upcoming

freshmen freshmen LFS vs. BVW LFS vs. BVW

5 p.m.5 p.m.varsity

LFS vs. BVN5 p.m. @ home

freshmen and sophomores LFS vs. ONW

varsity varsity FS vs. Spring FS vs. Spring

Hill HSHill HS4 p.m. @ home

8/298/29 8/308/30

8/308/308/288/28jv/varsity

FS vs. ONW5 p.m. @

home

9/14

9/1varsity

coed meet @ JCCC8 a.m.

FP8

spor

ts

august 23, 2012 page by sarah whipple

upcoming upcoming

Various freshmen showed up for the soccer tryouts on August 13.

The fi rst soccer game is August 28. Football players stretch before

their fi rst tryout. The football team has been conditioning all

summer in preparation for the season.

Sophomores Alyssa Raye and Megan McReynolds ready themselves for the next serve at the tennis tryouts on August 13.

Senior Michael Omon stretches before participating in soccer tryouts

on August 13.

Sophomore girls prepare to hit the courts at volleyball tryouts

on August 13.

games games