When senior Peyton Townsend heard about the cuts Governor Sam Brownback was enacting on the education budget, she was upset. Instead of sitting on her anger, Townsend did something about it: she created a ‘Brownbackistan’ design.

“I was inspired by that sticker it says ‘Kansas not Brownbakistan’. And I said ‘maybe I should draw a Brownbakistan’ as Kansas … I was really upset about what he said about (tax cuts) … and so now we can’t pay for anything and our state’s poor and we’re cutting back on fine arts in schools,” Townsend said.

Townsend’s design started out as just a joke, but after a few friends asked her to put it on a shirt she didn’t refuse.

“We got a few shirts and we put a little ad on Facebook … and then just everyone responded. It was crazy,” Townsend said.

What started out as a drawing in her sketchbook turned into a way to raise money for fine arts at Free State along with saving for her new tattoo.

“I didn’t know I’d make this much money so I guess I will have money to give back to the school. I’m saving up to get a tattoo,” Townsend said. “I (will) put (the remaining) money into the (fine arts programs)  because the first people that are getting fired are the people running the fine arts programs.”

Sophomore Rylee Clingingsmith feels that when she wears her ‘Brownbackistan’ shirt she’s making a difference.

“It makes me feel better to know that if people are reading (the ‘Brownbackistan’ shirt), it’s getting a message out,” Clingingsmith said.

Junior Jessica Vanahill didn’t agree with some of Brownback’s recent policies and thought the shirt was a great way to get her point across.

“I just thought it was a good way to show my lack of support for Brownback.I think that we need to change some things and I thought that would be a good way of expressing that,” Vanahill said.

Townsend considers fine arts an essential experience but acknowledges that our school district doesn’t require very much exposure to learning about the arts.

“Kids have to do math, kids have to do english and they don’t have to do art and choir and band and orchestra, but it’s so great for people and it’s important,” Townsend said.