Commitment to Diversity
From the moment I started reporting, I committed to representing the student body of Lawrence High School in its entirety. However, when I joined staff I had no idea just how far back into history the Lawrence High School student body reached. Journalism has given me the opportunity to not only represent the diverse population of my peers, but the rich history of the school itself. I believe that commitment to diversity as a journalist means giving every student, living or dead, an equal chance at having a voice.
The Hall of Honor
In 2021, the editors of The Budget started a project with the purpose of increasing diversity in Lawrence High School’s Hall of Honor. In 2023, two out of three of their nominees were successfully inducted. After seeing their success and talking with my adviser, I decided that continuing this project was a perfect way to start off the second semester of the 2023-24 newspaper issues. ​
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I wanted to feature new and old Hall of Honor stories in our fifth issue of the 2024 school year. We picked out a couple features that hadn't been published during the original project and a few new candidates for me to write about in order to expand this initiative.
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The Harvey Brothers
While looking for nominees I discovered not one but three candidates — the Harvey Brothers. Frederick, Sherman, Edward Harvey made significant advancements in the Lawrence community by becoming some of Kansas University's first Black athletes, serving in the 23rd regiment during the Spanish-American war and pursuing careers as doctors and lawyers.
More importantly, they advocated against segregated education. They stood up for a young Langston Hughes after he was expelled for writing a poem about the "Jim Crow Row", the segregated row for black students in middle school and actively opposed the resegregation of KU's Athletics department by writing letters to the board.
Unfortunately, these siblings were not able to attend Lawrence High school due to segregation of Lawrence Public Schools. Instead, they attended an integrated school in Blue Mound, despite an 80 mile commute.
Because of this clear inaccessibility, I concluded they were just as worthy to be nominated to the LHS Hall of Honor because of their significant impact on the Lawrence community and the work they did to advocate against racial inequity in the local education.
It was voices like the Harvey's that contributed to the success of Brown V Board of Education, the court case in 1954 which unanimously ruled that segregation was illegal. I believe it is important to highlight the local voices that helped build up to national legislation. Every voice who advocated for Black rights mattered and still matters today.
Thomas Henderson
During my research last year, I came across a fascinating discovery. Despite the belief that John Spearmen was the first black board member, I believe I found someone who came even earlier: Thomas Henderson.
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This year I picked up where I left off researching Henderson: A forgotten preacher, and politician who served as the first Black Lawrence School Board member, but also the first Black After I visited the university library, I was told that there were no records of him in the Kansas Historical database.
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I wasn't so sure.
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After a quick google search I discovered a large document containing his life story, but we still could not find a photo of him. My advisor consulted history professor who not only worked with me personally on the piece, but was able to contact the historical society in Philadelphia Pennsylvania where he died.
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With this piece, I took the print package and published a special edition version online with this story included
These pages were uses in our fifth issue, last year for the 2023-24 school year. Included is the introduction page with the letter from the editors (inserted below), and two other stories written by alumni Tessa Collar.
Letter from the editors
By Zana Kennedy, Co-Editor in Chief of The Budget
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With countless walkouts, equity clubs and a mural of students involved in the Civil Rights movement, it is safe to say that Lawrence High School takes pride in its diversity.
However the question arises: How much is this reflected in our history? In 2021, The Budget took on a project to answer this very question by taking a deeper look at our school’s Hall of Honor, but quickly discovered it did not represent the diversity reflected in our school’s history.
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After in-depth research, students nominated three people of color: Leonard Monroe, a decorated Air Force veteran; John Spearman Sr, one of the first Black school board members in USD 497; and Debra Green, a significant LHS teacher. In October, both Green and Spearman were inducted.
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In this issue, we pick up where the project left off by continuing to nominate people of color who made significant contributions to Lawrence High, the Lawrence community, or the rest of the world after their graduation. Before graduating, Tessa Collar wrote two more features about Spearman’s sons who continued his work of advocating for civil rights.
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This issue will not only feature these profiles as we continue this project but will also introduce new nominees. Among them, the Harvey brothers, who will be submitted for induction. Placing the stories of these nominees side-by-side provides the perspective of two generations: The Spearmans, who got to witness the impact their work had on society, and the Harvey’s, who could only dream that their work would prevail on to the next generation.
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Each of their contributions were important to advancing racial equality in Lawrence.
Handwritten memoir by Edward Harvey
Photo of Frederick Harvey
Article clipping of Harvey brothers parents
Because the Harvey brothers in my original reporting were born in the late 19th century, I had to resort to the archives of the University Spencer Research Library. Here are some of the documents I uncovered.
Detailed Research
Inclusive Coverage across publications
IPS and Unified Sports
Lawrence High School is unique for many reasons, but most importantly for its inclusivity.
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The IPS and Unified Sports programs provide leadership opportunities for students with all levels of abilities.
​From participation in athletics to training for future jobs, LHS has created a safe environment for students.
I am proud to help promote such a unique and essential program through my writing.
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This story covered the work-experience program Prideful Coffee, which gives the opportunity for students to practice customer service skills by selling coffee to staff. This story talks about the impact this has on the participants and recipients.
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Although their main goal is to have fun, the Unified Sports team began its season as a nationally-recognized program.
With growing participation, this team was set up for a successful season from day one.
I wrote this piece because every athletics program at LHS matters.
Read full story here
Underrepresented programs
Many students participate in athletics, band and theater but what about the smaller programs within our school?​
I believe that every student organization, no matter how small, deserves a voice.
That is why I have completed reporting on small clubs like the Black Student Union, or lesser known programs like the career training opportunities at Peaslee Tech.​​
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For more detailed coverage of these stories, see the Features section of Reporting and Writing
Adjusting to staffers' abilities
With new staff coming in each semester, it can be tricky to fulfill the needs of both my staffers my publication.​​
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The assigning process can take trial and error. However after a couple weeks, I am able to assess which tasks work best for every person on staff.
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Some writers are eager to step up immediately to news and feature stories without missing a beat. On the other hand, others struggle with writing content on their own. For the more hesitant writers, I often assign Q&A's. This way they can practice writing questions and interview skills without the pressure of more writing.
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Designers similarly have different skill levels. For designers with art or graphic design experience, I often assign illustrative graphics or more complex designing. For new designers, or designers who struggle to complete their work, I often only assign a spread, so they can navigate and interact with InDesign without feeling overwhelmed.