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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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....
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...
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....
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...
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...
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...
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...
“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,...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Norah Hussaini is a sophomore. This is her second year with the Lib, and this year she is a webitor. Outside of school, she likes to bake (and usually burn/set on fire) desserts, watch sad and sappy movies,...
Zoe Klein is a senior. She is Lieutenant Governor of Texas Youth and Government, President of the LASA Youth and Government Club, and won the national mock trial championships. She is passionate about...
Malvika Pradhan is a news editor at the Liberator. She is a sophomore and hopes that she can contribute a unique viewpoint to the Liberator. Some of her hobbies include, swimming, art (though she is not...
Grace Woodruff is a senior, and this is her third year with the Liberator. She is one of the Graphics Editor this year, and is excited to work with her new co-editor. Outside of newspaper, Grace loves...
Nevin Hall, web editor, is a senior who is very interested in governing structures around the world, economics, and random history facts he can use for Quizbowl. He hopes to be able to bring some of this...
