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

Austin ISD Approves Raise For All Staff
Austin ISD Approves Raise For All Staff
Malvika Pradhan and Sarah Garrett August 14, 2023

On May 18 the AISD board of trustees unanimously approved raises for all AISD staff, according to the district’s website. The compensation package included increasing the minimum wage for all staff to $20 per hour and a...

The Weeping Willow
Megan Gerold, Staffer • May 15, 2023

On March 15, President Biden approved a nearly $7 billion expenditure called the Willow Project. The proposal will allow the ConocoPhillips company to drill oil and gas in Alaska’s largest undisturbed plot of land, almost...

Graphic by Alexandra Valencia-Serrano
Austin's New Light Rail
Mars Leslie, Staffer • May 15, 2023

In Nov. 2020, Austin voters approved Proposition A, funding Project Connect. Project Connect is a 7.1 billion dollar budget to add two light rail lines and three rapid bus routes to Austin, according to Community Impact.  The...

OH The Places You'll Go
Aidan Gannon, Staffer • May 15, 2023

Several LASA faculty members will be leaving at the end of this year, from teachers, to counselors, and even an administrator. World Geography teacher Neil Loewenstern, U.S. Government and Politics teacher Ronny Risinger,...

View All
Graphic by Asha Rountree
Editorial: Disorder in the Court
Wintyr Rice, Commentary Editor • August 14, 2023

Inside the Supreme Court Currently the U.S. supreme court has a conservative supermajority, meaning that two-thirds of the justices are conservative. Among them is Clarence Thomas, who has been serving on the court since...

Editorial: Youth Push for the Polls
Editorial: Youth Push for the Polls
Beck Williams and Norah Hussaini May 15, 2023

From 1947 to 1973, the United States’ Selective Service System called more than three million young men for compulsory service in the Korean and Vietnam wars. Though they were expected to lay their lives down for their...

Photo courtesy of Helen Bigge
Don't Tell Anyone, But I'm Actually a Spy
Helen Bigge, Staffer • May 15, 2023

I don’t really read the newspaper. I absorb the absolutely massive amount of text occasionally broken into chunks by stunning photos and graphics, just staring at its immense presence while imagining what powerful beings...

Photo courtesy of Beck Williams.
Notes From the Old World
Beck Williams, Commentary Editor • May 15, 2023

For as long as I can remember there has been a book on my shelf that looks as though it came from a dusty antiques store or the dingy stacks of a university library. The pages are brittle and yellow, the spine moans when...

View All
Editors' Picks: Barbenheimer
Katie Busby and Victor Martinez August 14, 2023

Katie Busby | Entertainment Editor Barbie, released July of this year, was categorized pre-release as the ‘fun part’ of the internet phenomenon that is ‘Barbenheimer’— the theatrical portmanteau of the titles...

Graphic by Amelia Coleman
Blues on the Green
Katie Busby and Megan Gerold August 14, 2023

In the hot and humid summer months of Austin, Blues on the Green, the ACL radio concert series, is nestled among the trees of Zilker Park. The concert series — an Austin staple hosted across multiple days in the summer...

Ali Wong (middle) and Steven Yeun (right) answer questions in a QnA session after the Beef premier. Beef had its world premiere at SXSW on March 18, 2023. photo by JC Ramirez Delgadillo.
Review "Beef"
Helen Bigge and Juan (JC) Ramirez Delgadillo May 15, 2023

Whether it’s due to running late, heavy traffic, or a person cutting you off, there will be times where you want to curse out the other driver in a fit of road rage. No series exemplifies this feeling better than “Beef”,...

Global Innovators Showcase at South By
Juan (JC) Ramirez Delgadillo, Web Editor-in-Chief • May 15, 2023

South by Southwest (SXSW) is a city wide conglomeration of a variety of events ranging from film screenings, musical performances, and other creative events such as flatstock, an art exhibition, and the Creative Industry...

View All
PEDAL TO THE MEDAL | In the Texas heat, PE students cycled around Austin. This experience offered students an opportunity to engage with sports they otherwise wouldnt have.
Pilot PE Program Prospers
Victor Martinez and Charlotte Whalen August 14, 2023

From skating under neon lights in a roller skating rink to trying on a fencing mask for the first time, LASA students had the opportunity to immerse themselves in a multitude of sports this summer.  Principal Stacia Crescenzi...

Lacrosse Keeps Their Eye on the Ball
Lacrosse Keeps Their Eye on the Ball
James Graham, Staffer • May 15, 2023

The LASA girl’s lacrosse team is one of the two non-UIL sports at LASA but maintains a size of 20 players and two coaches. As a result of being a non-UIL sport, the team does not receive funding from the Austin Independent...

photo by Kayla Le
Hats Off, Seniors
Robby Cole, Staffer • May 15, 2023

Two years after opening as an independent high school, LASA has produced multiple students who will continue their athletic career at the college level next year. On March 30, 2023 LASA held its official signing day in which...

STATE: The varsity teams made it to state for the first time in AISD team tennis history. They competed against teams that have dominated the competition for decades and held their own as first time state qualifiers.
Tennis Team is an Ace on the Court
Annabel Andre and Sanwi Sarode May 15, 2023

This past fall season, the LASA tennis team became the first Austin Independent School District (AISD) tennis team to ever make it to state competitions in the team season. During the playoffs, they competed against A&M...

View All
Travel Abroad Takes Off
Travel Abroad Takes Off
Sadie Cravotta and Lasya Sangana August 14, 2023

This summer, multiple LASA students had the chance to travel internationally to participate in various study abroad programs, such as the volunteer abroad program with Amigos de las Americas in Costa Rica and a student exchange...

Students on a Lucky Streak Win Big with Bullock Prom
Jolie Grogan, Staffer • May 15, 2023

Every spring, LASA’s student council organizes a prom for juniors and seniors. Prom is traditionally held at hotels or other similar venues, but this year, prom was held at the Bullock Texas State History Museum for the...

Seniors Say Sayonara
Seniors Say Sayonara
Lily Wilkerson and Edith Holmsten May 15, 2023

Seniors have a wide variety of traditions, particularly at the end of the year. From events like senior salute and project graduation to long-running traditions like senior pranks, the year is full of traditions and activities...

Making Their Mark On Art / Liberator Editors Take On BIPOC POP
LiLi Xiong, Delia Rune, Juan (JC) Ramirez Delgadillo, and Alexandra Valencia-Serrano May 15, 2023

View All
A row of colorfully painted senior parking spots, created over the summer by the class of 2024.
Senior Parking Spots: Photo Gallery
Lilah O’Dair, Staffer • September 29, 2023

For the first time, LASA seniors were allowed to paint custom parking spots in the senior parking lot. Everything was fair game, from Taylor Swift song lyrics to the Finding Nemo seagulls to a parody of the Mona Lisa.

The two teams face off at the line of scrimmage split seconds before the play starts. During this moment of tension, players must be careful not to jump too early.
LASA Football's 2023 Season Opener: Photo Gallery
Deven Sharma, Staffer • September 5, 2023

On August 25th, the LASA Raptors opened the season strong with a 23-7 road win over the St. Andrew's Highlanders. The team showed strong improvements on both sides of the ball; senior quarterback Roman Edwards' offense scored...

BIG BEEF | Moreno Barbecues massive Smoked Brisket Burger made an appearance on the list of LASA students favorites.
Austin's Best Burgers, as Voted by You
Lily Wilkerson, Web Editor • August 14, 2023

Austin is a city known for its food, and burgers are no exception. With over a hundred restaurants in the city selling the humble hamburger, it's hard to know which are the best. The Liberator seeks to answer that question...

Editorial: Paying the Price for Platinum
Juan (JC) Ramirez Delgadillo, Web Editor-in-Chief • May 15, 2023

SXSW is an event packed with festivals, showcases, movie screenings, and so much more. With so much to see, badges are organized to give attendees primary access to enter  different events. The four types of badges are as...

BIPOC Pop Photo Gallery
Juan (JC) Ramirez Delgadillo and Sarah Garrett May 15, 2023

Humans of LASA
Mars Leslie, Staffer • May 12, 2023

Carson Lackey - Freshman Carson Lackey is a freshman that has participated in the Alley Cat Player’s production of Into the Woods. With an interest in historical fashion, Carson takes a liking for thrifting. With her...

No Body to Murder Photographs
No Body to Murder Photographs
Juan (JC) Ramirez Delgadillo, Web Editor-in-Chief • March 9, 2023

The LASA theater one class performs their first play of the year: Edith Weiss’ No Body to Murder on march 8th. A comedy about the characters at the “Come on Inn” threatened with the idea of a severe thunderstorm and...

TikTok's Influence on the Music Industry
Sadie Cravotta, Staffer • March 6, 2023

On Aug. 2, 2018 Musical.ly, after being purchased by the company Bytedance, was absorbed into TikTok, according to The Verge.  The app’s focuses range as far as what content creators make, from promoting small businesses...

View All
Staff Profile
Charlotte Whalen
Charlotte Whalen
Sports Editor

Charlotte is a sophomore and is so excited to be one of the sports editors this year for the Liberator! Outside of school she enjoys hanging out with friends, cheerleading and spending time with...

Sanwi Sarode
Sanwi Sarode
Copy Editor

Sanwi Sarode is a senior and one of the Lead Editors (Copy) for The Liberator. This is her fourth year with the paper and she wants to continue The Liberator's tradition of sending out interesting,...

Griffin Beam
Griffin Beam
Photo Editor

Amelia Coleman
Amelia Coleman
Graphics Editor

Amelia Coleman is one of the graphics editors for this year! They’re a Junior and this is their third year on the lib. They enjoy youth and government, theater, and hugging their two cats. They’re...

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