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The student-run newspaper of the Liberal Arts and Science Academy

The Liberator

The student-run newspaper of the Liberal Arts and Science Academy

The Liberator

The student-run newspaper of the Liberal Arts and Science Academy

The Liberator

The Line
Ethan Stern and Leah Lashus March 28, 2025

Global Pope Francis Faces Health Issues On Feb. 14, Pope Francis was hospitalized after being diagnosed with double pneumonia and a respiratory infection. For Pope Francis, lung and respiratory issues have affected...

AI and the Environment
Miles Andrews, Staffer • March 28, 2025

 The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping societal norms and industries by offering new information for disaster preparedness, energy efficiency, and resource management. However, this progress...

Raise Your Hand for Rally Day
Raise Your Hand for Rally Day
Ethan Stern and Leah Lashus March 28, 2025

Rally Day is a biennial gathering of educators and students that occurs when the Texas legislature is in its regular session. It is led by the Austin Council Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), an organization that includes...

History Often Rhymes
History Often Rhymes
Megan Gerold and Victor Martinez March 28, 2025

A majority of Americans are now closer to poverty and financial ruin than ever before. According to CBS News, nearly 60% of Americans cannot afford a $1,000 emergency expense and are essentially living paycheck to paycheck....

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Keep Austin Weird
Keep Austin Weird
Sadie Sarrat, Commentary Editor • April 2, 2025

Local legend Red Wassenich coined the slogan “Keep Austin Weird” over 20 years ago. Perfectly embodying the quirky, laid-back culture of Texas’ capital city, this phrase has served as motivation for locals to preserve...

Gentrification Moves to East Austin
Anita Sosa, Staffer • April 2, 2025

For the past two decades, Austin has been one of the fastest-growing cities in the country. This growth has affected the city's social, cultural, and economic fabric, mainly due to gentrification forcing out older residents...

This or That: Typing Up Notes versus Handwriting Notes
This or That: Typing Up Notes versus Handwriting Notes
Tingyu Cao and Ariana Rodriguez April 2, 2025

Handwriting: Word after word, my mind continues to spiral as the teacher’s fast-paced voice spews out confusing information. During writing, the phrases I thought I grasped during the lecture jumble together, turning...

Editorial: School Safety Suffers While Students Spiral
Editorial: School Safety Suffers While Students Spiral
Sadie Sarrat, Commentary Editor • April 2, 2025

Gun Violence of America reported that 971 school shooting incidents occurred in 2024 alone. The public schools in the United States are not apt to continue operating regularly with current measures in the face of threats....

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Opinion: T.V.’s Transformation
Megan Gerold, editor-in-chief • January 7, 2025

As my sister and I sat on the floor, watching the TV blaze in front of us, we were completely encapsulated in the world playing out in the pixels. But as soon as our 30 minutes for television were up, we pulled our eyes away...

Cultivating Austin Celtic Culture
Cultivating Austin Celtic Culture
Ellington Tough, Sports Editor • January 7, 2025

Hundreds of attendees strolled the grounds of Pioneer Farms on November 2 and 3 as Irish musicians sang and strummed in a celebration of Celtic culture. Since the Austin Celtic Festival (ACF) was first established 28 years...

Opinion: Streaming Snuffs Out Theaters
Opinion: Streaming Snuffs Out Theaters
Georgia Fink, Entertainment Editor • January 7, 2025

From the theaters that our parents grew up with to derelict cinemas now, streaming services have changed a lot about movies and TV shows. This change is something that I have always talked about with my dad, with him explaining...

FACING THE WORLD Rival Waves being pictured. From right to left, Paul Piñon, Marc Schulz, Joel De La Garza, Dave McLeod, Erik Salinas. photo courtesy of Daniel Cavazos
Riding Waves of Success
Mridhula Kumaravel, Staffer • January 7, 2025

In a city that thrives on live music, Rival Waves is staking its claim as a fixture in Austin’s eclectic rock scene. This dynamic band, combining the grit of classic rock with the urgency of punk and layers of alternative...

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Athletes Hunt for the Mamba Mentality
Adel Wells, Club Contributor • April 2, 2025

Before every professional, high school, and middle school sports game there is time to warm up, to stretch, jog, practice your skills, and get ready to play. Between the ears of every athlete is one of the most important...

LASA Archery on Target for State
LASA Archery on Target for State
Lauren VanderVeen, Staffer • April 2, 2025

After countless practices and hard-earned bullseyes, the LASA Archery team’s work paid off during a recent success at state qualifications. When the team was founded in 2023, Head Coach Kat Davis offered her guidance...

New Coaches Hit the Ground Running
Asher Zvi-Nova, Staffer • April 2, 2025

This year, LASA will have two new coaches leading the girls and boys teams throughout the season from Feb. 10 to May 3, John Goodell and Stephen West. Howard views them both as players’ coaches, loved by their trainees,...

Trump Bans Trans Athletes from Women's Sports
Trump Bans Trans Athletes from Women’s Sports
Ellington Tough, Sports Editor • April 2, 2025

During the 2024 election season, transgender athletes became a topic of contention between President Trump and former Vice President Harris. This dispute made its way through political debates as Republicans across the country...

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Higher-Level Education Means Higher-Level Stress
Higher-Level Education Means Higher-Level Stress
Anita Sosa, Staffer • April 2, 2025

It’s September of my first semester of senior year, and I’m drowning. I’m staring down the barrel of over 20 college essays on top of trying to keep up my GPA, prepare for debate tournaments, practice for band, and...

Raptors in the Wild: JC Ramirez Delgadillo
Raptors in the Wild: JC Ramirez Delgadillo
Rebeca Gonzalez, Student Life Editor • April 2, 2025

Raptors in the Wild is a segment for the LASA Liberator that highlights former Liberator editors and follows their career post-Liberator or in the wild. For this issue, the Liberator interviewed JC Ramirez Delgadillo, the...

INDEPTH: Texas Districts in the Red
INDEPTH: Texas Districts in the Red
Isabel Kramer and Rebeca Gonzalez April 2, 2025

Have students found themselves late on Sunday night, realizing that they have three tests and a project due the next day? Have they felt like they worked the entire weekend and yet there is still a mountain of work ahead?...

LASA Student Union's Rise
LASA Student Union’s Rise
Tingyu Cao, Staffer • April 2, 2025

Have students found themselves late on Sunday night, realizing that they have three tests and a project due the next day? Have they felt like they worked the entire weekend and yet there is still a mountain of work ahead?...

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Editorial: Fostering Global Connections Through English Conversation
Jenna Park, Club Contributor • March 24, 2025

February 2024 is a month I’ll never forget. That was when I first stumbled across the non-profit ENGin on VolunteerMatch. Never having volunteered before and hoping to make a difference,  my optimism led me on the path...

Humans of LASA: Chemistry Teacher, Farhana Ahmed
Humans of LASA: Chemistry Teacher, Farhana Ahmed
Tingyu Cao, Staffer • December 13, 2024

Farhana Ahmed began teaching chemistry at LASA last year. Originally from Bangladesh, Ahmed has been a teacher for 10 years at various schools. She first discovered her interest in chemistry through her study of organic chemistry...

Hang-Out Spots in the LASA Area
Mridhula Kumaravel, Staffer • November 19, 2024

As the school year kicks into full swing, students are flocking to their favorite hang-out spots on and around campus to socialize, study, and unwind. From cozy coffee shops to bustling hallway corners, these popular hangout...

Opinion: Should Breakdancing be an Olympic Sport?
Luca Sims, Staffer • November 19, 2024

At its core, breaking is an art form: it is fluid, incredibly diverse, and is very subjective. Breaking shouldn’t be a part of the Olympics for the same reason competitive painting shouldn’t. To judge or try to quantify...

The Bat Scene in Austin
James Constant, Staffer • November 19, 2024

With Austin's massive growth in the past 20 years, only a few select experiences have remained an integral part of the Austin experience. One of these key events is that of the Congress Avenue bats, a huge colony of over...

Art, Music, and Hardship
Luca Sims, Staffer • November 19, 2024

For centuries, music has been a vital tool in modern society to deal with hardships. These hardships can be a variety of issues, from economic to interpersonal. How we interact with hardship and express it through music differs...

Austin Restaurants Succumb to Struggles
Izzy Cravotta, Staffer • March 22, 2024

Austin has seen many of its favorite restaurants close down over the years, with rising rent, shifting tastes, and the COVID-19 pandemic all playing a role. All across the city, from Sala & Betty to Magnolia Cafe to Flipnotics,...

Improvements Coming to iMessage
Livia Hale, Staffer • March 18, 2024

Apple has been making changes to improve texting between iPhones and Android devices, addressing the long-standing compatibility issues. These upgrades aim to bridge the gap in communication features like read receipts and...

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The student-run newspaper of the Liberal Arts and Science Academy
The student-run newspaper of the Liberal Arts and Science Academy