The Liberator

Entertainment
SXSW 2022 Photographs
May 9, 2022
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Web Exclusive
Studio Ghibli Still Splashing
May 4, 2022
Juan Ramirez (JC) Delgadillo
Studio Ghibli is a Japanese animated film studio that has been around since 1985. It is known for classic works like “Spirited Away,” which won the best animated feature in 2003, and “My Neighbor Totoro,” which won the Kinema Junpo award for best film in 1989. The Asian...
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News
The History Behind LASA’s New Campus
December 10, 2021
Sophie Chau
All buildings have a history to them, and LASA is no exception. Since the 1980s, AISD had two different magnet schools called the Liberal Arts Academy (LAA) and Science Academy (SA). The two schools merged into one magnet program on the LBJ Early College High School (LBJ ECHS) campus...
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Student Life
In-Person School Mentality: Students Transition Back to On-Campus Learning
October 15, 2021
Ella Lilly, Staff Writer
As students transition out of a year and a half of mostly online school, they are faced with a hefty adjustment. According to LASA wellness counselor Alicia Salinas, mental health and academics are affected by this change: switching learning formats alters social interactions, time...
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Student Life
Students in STEM Provide Fuel for the Future
October 15, 2021
Nayan Kondapalli, Staff Writer
Students interested in science can take a range of electives, like computer science, and organic chemistry, throughout high school to learn about possible career opportunities in STEM fields. However, many students still desire real-life experience. In order to become better prepared...
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Student Life
IN- DEPTH: Building LASA’s Future
October 15, 2021
Edith Holmsten and Ava De Leon
In 2019, 12 years after LASA became its own school, talks of moving locations to accommodate the growing student population were heating up. Then COVID-19 hit. But the construction of the school continued, and after many months of planning, moving, and email blasts filled with information...
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Student Life
AISD Offers Free Lunch
October 15, 2021
Sydney Jones, Staff Writer
In previous years, students in the Austin Independent School District (AISD) had to bring their own meals, buy food from school, or register for free or reduced priced meals. But as a continuation of a federally funded program last year, the district is offering free breakfast and...
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Sports
Trans Representation in Sports
October 15, 2021
Amelia Coleman, Staff Writer
On April 15, 2021, the Texas Legislature proposed Senate Bill 29, which requires transgender students to compete in sports that correspond to the sex recorded on their birth certificate. The complications of this bill have led some LASA students to speak out about the difficulties...
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Sports
LASA Move Yields Gallons of Traditions
October 15, 2021
Nayan Kondapalli, Staff Writer
With LASA finally receiving their own campus after their separation from LBJ, students are met with their own sports teams, and by proxy, their own traditions. This means that the LASA students of 2021-2022 set the grounds for what will define LASA in the years to come. A hopeful...
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Sports
Editorial: The Paralympian Accommodation Deficit
October 15, 2021
Ava Spurgeon, Staff Writer
The Olympics and Paralympics returned in 2021 after their 2020 cancellation, providing a source of hope and a goal to work towards for athletes. From Aug. 24 through Sept. 5, 2021, Tokyo hosted the Paralympic Games. The Paralympics are international athletic competitions similar...
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May 4, 2022

As summer approaches, many students are selecting internships to complete during their months off from school. Students have access to many different options for internships, and LASA students are able to choose whether they...

Students Study Abroad to See Other Settings

Lana Giles, Staff Writer

March 28, 2022

Over the summer, many students participate in study abroad programs which provide them with the opportunity to travel to overseas destinations such as Denmark, France, Germany, and Japan. Students get to choose between bustling...

Shadows Observe Stupendous Students

Ella Lilly, Staff Writer

March 28, 2022

Shadowing, which happens every year around January and February, allows for current eighth graders, freshmen, sophomores, and juniors to experience the LASA campus, classes, and student population. This process can help these...

Equity Council Ensures Equality

Ava Spurgeon, Staff Writer

March 28, 2022

This 2021-2022 school year, LASA is taking steps to increase representation and equitability on campus. The Equity Council is a group of student representatives who work towards making LASA a more equitable school and giving...

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Commentary

Staff Stance: Hypocrisy of the Carbon Footprint: Comparing Individual and Corporate Climate Responsibility

Beck Williams and LiLi Xiong

May 5, 2022

Turn off your lights when you’re not using them. Remember to reduce, reuse, recycle. Try to purchase products without excessive packaging. Sentiments surrounding the individual consumer such as these have circulated in...

Fake News: Emma’s 30

Emma McBride, Managing Editor

May 5, 2022

The first time I encountered The Liberator was before I attended LASA as an eighth grader at Kealing. I had gone to an elective fair LASA was holding for incoming freshmen and promised my mom I would give every table a chance....

Carl Bernstein is Not Allergic to The Liberator: Zoe’s 30

Zoe Klein, Copy Editor

May 5, 2022

I joined The Liberator because I legitimately believed I could become Carl Bernstein. I imagined myself sneaking around in too-luxurious hotels dressed in all black with a camera around my neck. But when I walked into the...

The Liberator Dispatch: Susan’s 30

Susan Ballesteros, Entertainment Editor

May 5, 2022

I've been told I can write complete and utter nonsense for this, and I would, except I feel like it ruins the spirit of it a little. I also don't fancy reading this back twenty years from now and cringing away in embarrassment....

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Student Life

Students Apply For Study Abroads Across the Globe

Sarah Garrett, Staff Writer

May 5, 2022

Many students participate in studying abroad as a way for students to immerse themselves in a new culture. After two years of travel being limited due to COVID-19, some students are going on study abroad programs this year...

Senior Reflections on the Year

Nayan Kondapalli, Staff Writer

May 5, 2022

The LASA Class of 2022 seniors had a different four years in high school than they expected. Their sophomore and junior year were both affected by COVID-19, which meant many juniors missed many academic and social experiences...

Ready, Set, Release the Robots: Robotics Team’s First Competitions Since March 2020

Ava Spurgeon, Staff Writer

May 5, 2022

Purple Haze, LASA’s resident robotics team, attended their first competitions since 2020 this spring. Their first one was in Channelview on March 12 and 13, followed by a competition in Amarillo the weekend of April 1. Senior...

PALS Upperclassmen Volunteer At Elementary Schools

Lana Giles, Staff Writer

May 5, 2022

Twice a week, upperclassmen go to elementary schools during third period and organize activities with younger students. Their trips are coordinated with the Peer Assistance, Leadership, and Service (PALS) elective class at...

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AVP Film Passes UIL Round One

Amelia Coleman, Staff Writer • May 5, 2022

“Think of the greatest movie you’ve ever seen and that’s the plot,” senior Mateo Selvera said of “everyone shall sit on a little donkey.” "everyone shall sit on a little donkey" was written, produced, filmed,...

Indie's Where It's At in Austin

LiLi Xiong and Katie Busby • May 5, 2022

For one week, SXSW takes over Austin’s music scene with an endless number of live concerts showcasing bands from around the world. Of course, there are many genres of music featured, but one genre they have a lot of is...

EDU Innovation Rocks SXSW

Sarah Garrett and Ella Lilly • May 5, 2022

While the second week of SXSW is packed with live music, film, new technology, and business adventures, the first week of SXSW has its own lineup. Focused on the youth and how they’ll change the world, SXSW Education (SXSW...

The Meow Wolf Experience

Delia Rune, Finance Director • May 5, 2022

A display of fantastical “islands” with windows that allowed visitors to peer inside and see the magic-themed scenes displayed within. That was the exhibit that the organization Meow Wolf showcased at this year’s SXSW. Meow...

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News

History of Trans Activism

Luci Garza and Malvika Pradhan

May 5, 2022

Transgender term is first used (1965) Psychiatrist John F. Oliven first coins the term transgender, refrenced in his work “Sexual Hygiene and Pathology.” Before this, German physician Mangus Hitchfield had used the...

Women’s Healthcare Spotlight

Malvika Pradhan, News editor

May 5, 2022

Planned Parenthood Planned Parenthood is a national organization that originated as a single birth control clinic in the Brooklyn borough of New York City in 1916. Today, there are now about 600 locations across the United...

Recapture Regiment to Redistribute Revenue

Luci Garza, News editor

May 5, 2022

In 1993, the Texas state legislature created the recapture program, a form of school financing that sends local taxpayer funding to the state in order to equalize school funding. Recapture, also known as Robinhood, first...

Austinites Adopt New Normal

Ava Spurgeon, Staff Writer

May 5, 2022

March 2020 was a turning point when COVID-19 closed schools across the country, and many adapted to adjust their lives by operating virtually making sure to keep a cautious distance. LASA students adapted by starting personal...

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Baking Brings Bounteous Boons

Adithi Ganesan, Club Contributor

Recently, there have been numerous baking trends covering simple, quick, and delicious recipes dominating social media. Baking shows like “Master Chef” and “The Great British Bake Off” on streaming platforms mesmerize...

Mitigating the Mental Health Crisis

Delia Rune, Staff Writer

The rise of the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to an increased focus on mental health. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 31% of the American population now reports depression or anxiety—double what was typical...

Austin's Alluring Area

Sydney Jones, Staff Writer

In the past decade, Austin’s population has increased by 34%, according to the Austin Business Journal. This makes Austin one of the fastest growing major metropolitan areas in the U.S., with people flooding in from all...

Austin's Amerindian Ancestors

Sarah Garrett, Staff Writer

Native Americans have occupied North America for approximately 20,000 years. The Nermernuh tribe, otherwise known as the Comanche, controlled the vast majority of Texas from the late 1680s until Texas won its independence...

Service Hours Yield Storied Honor

Sydney Jones, Staff Writer

LASA provides many chances for students to help their communities and the world, but one organization in particular teaches members many skills for the outside world, while also giving members service opportunities to help...

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