Cardinal Columns (May 2018)

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CARDINAL COLUMNS

M AY 2 0 1 8

y l i m Fais

l a r t en

“At risk” students find a home at Fondy Central

A FOOTBALL ECONOMY: THE COST OF A WINNING FOOTBALL TEAM -PAGE 11

Plus

-Page 9

Video games: Minecraft, Roblox and Fortnite oh My! -Page 15

Contact Us Cardinal Columns News Magazine Journalism Department - Room 2609/2610 Fond du Lac High School 801 Campus Drive Fond du Lac, WI 54935 cardinalcolumns@gmail.com adviser: smithm@fonddulac.k12.wi.us

Awards Northeastern Wisconsin Scholastic Press Association ‘14 Blue Ribbon Honors ‘13, ’15, ‘16, ‘17 Red Ribbon Honors Multiple Student Awards Kettle Moraine Press Association ‘15, ‘17 First Place Award ‘16 Second Place Award Multiple Student Awards Wisconsin Newspaper Association ‘15, ‘17 Newspaper of the Year ‘14 Second Place General Excellence Multiple Student Awards National Scholastic Press Association ‘14 Pacemaker Winner ‘15 Pacemaker Finalist Multiple Student Awards

Adviser Matthew Smith

Staff Robert Brown, Editor-in-Chief Brianna Burgess, Managing Editor Vyla Shea, Copy Desk Chief Camryn Oestrich, Art Director Robert Brown, News Editor Sarah Moore, Sports Editor Robert Brown, Feature Editor Bailey Breister, Culture Editor Brianna Burgess, Opinion Editor Eliana Torres, Social Media Manager Jenna Ahlstrom, Reporter Chase Chadwell, Reporter Maisie Kumbier, Reporter

The Fine Print A letter addressing the Editor-in-Chief or any topic covered in this magazine may be submitted to Room 2609/2610 (English Pod). This letter may not exceed 500 words. This letter must be accompanied by a name. Letters without bylines will not be accepted. Letters can also be emailed with the subject “Letter To The Editor.” Clearly defined email addresses and names only.

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Contents Writing Contest 3

Fond du Lac High School’s annual writing contest.

How’d it go this year?

Soccer 5

Momentum is building for the girls. How do they see the future?

Tennis 6

The game of patience and perserverence.

Construction Classes 7

Students constructing houses and their future in classes provided at the school.

Fondy Central 9

The school where it’s personal: a big family with students that learn in a different environment.

Vyla Shea reports.

Fruth Files II 11

Robert Brown picks up where others have left off in investigating the football program. In one of the longest investigations in Cardinal Columns history, he answers your questions.

Gaming 15

Between ROBLOX, Minecraft and Fortnite, we’re peeping the legacy and impact of these games.

(And we sure do love Meep City.)

Infinity War 17

The highly-anticipated film is under the microscope of star writer Camryn Oestrich.

Caps and Gowns 19

Decoration of them are banned. But should they be?

Freeloaders in Congress 20 Twenty-three percent of the House delegation are bunking in their offices in D.C. There’s a problem, but it’s not them.

Staff Pages 21

A fairwell to the ‘17-’18 staff of the Cardinal Columns.

News

WRITING ROCKS!

A LOOK INTO THE WRITING CONTEST HELD AT FONDY HIGH SCHOOL by

JENNA AHLSTROM

F

ond du Lac High School has been holding writing contests for 13 years, and in just the last five years has had over 100 stories submitted!

“It allows them for [a] creative outlet that isn’t going to be graded,” English teacher Elizabeth Reudinger said, “It validates their work in a different way.”

Fondy High School’s writing contest, which is officially called the Francis J. Roberts writing contest, has an average of 28 participants each year, the most on record being 46 one year. This year there were only 23 participants.

First place winner, Bryan Laronge ‘18, encourages other writers to participate, “Do it, even if you don’t win.” He won first place with his story, “The Swarm,” and the $100 prize money alongside it, “‘I had been working on a… group of short stories connected with a common narrative… I had written one before and I thought… see if what I’m doing has the effect I want it to have….

This story was a departure from what I usually write… the 100$ is a nice bonus.”

“You’ll notice there is a common phrase,” Laronge explains his story, “You don’t realise the effect it has… you’d be reading this on the internet, you see this phrase, and when you feel it already happening to you, it’s too late.” He said his story had started as the twist ending that he had envisioned and that he had built off of that.

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“I personally am always waiting for a chance to show off my writing and I’m sure a bunch of other kids are too,” Georgia Baker ‘20, said. “It kind of lets people actually use their creativity for a bit.”

Her short story was titled, “I Took a God Out for Fish Pancakes,” and it won her second place this year. “...I think we all want to show off what we can do and see where our writing places,” Baker stated further in her email.

Baker explains her story, “I Took a God Out for Fish Pancakes,” was “...about a girl meeting... a god in human form, and taking him out to get sweets at a cafe. It takes place in Japan and is based off of Japanese Shintoism.”

The contest itself might currently be held online through Google Classroom, but according to Ruedinger, not everything has been electronic over the years. Six years ago, participants would have had to hand write their stories.

According to Ruedinger, it was difficult to keep track and read over all of the papers that were submitted. She also stated that it was more difficult for the students to participate as well.

“We look forward to it because it’s papers that are written because they want to be written,” Ruedinger explains, “We see a different aspect [in] that, we see a different side to the [student’s] writing… It’s something that we enjoy doing…. Seeing future writers.”

“Do it, even if you don’t win.”

- Bryan Laronge ‘18

Over the past six years that have been kept on record, there is yet to be a freshman to win first place. On record it’s only been held by a sophomore, three juniors, and two seniors. Second has also never had a freshman on record either, but it also doesn’t have a senior either. However, third place has been graced by four freshmen and two juniors. In the past six years only one person has been able to place twice, the holder of that goes to Georgia Baker, who won third place as a freshman and second place as a sophomore.

Each year the judges for the writing contest are kept a secret and never even talked about. According to Ruedinger, this secrecy is, “So that kids don’t think favoritism is going on.”

The English teacher has been the sole organiser for the writing contest every year, “I can organise something that the kids are excited about,” Ruedinger said.

Reading all of the entries usually takes around a month and a half after all of the stories are submitted. Ruedinger further explains this, “It depends, really, on how many papers are submitted… we usually have 10-11 [judges], and that sometimes is between

5 to 7 papers each… it takes us a good month to read through and decide who is the winner.”

Both Ruedinger, Laronge and Baker all stated that the writing contest is a way for students to see where they are and a way for teachers to help better their students and understand where the younger generation stands in the world of writing.

“We’ve gotten fantasy fiction, science fiction, romance, memoirs, nature writing, historical fiction,” Ruedinger lists, “We get a lot of personal challenge stories… there’s been some mysteries here and there, all types of essays and short fiction.”

Ruedinger also explains that at some point they plan on doing a poetry contest if allowed.

FIRST PLACE WINNER BRYAN LARONGE

The Swarm

by Bryan Laronge

...“So tell me, How do you feel about bugs?” To that damnable site, I returned once again not driven by curiosity but fear. Had he also experienced the cursed vocalizations of The Swarm?

If so, why didn’t he warn me? My messages went unanswered for hours until he finally graced me with a reply. “Embrace it.” My dread was quickly replaced with rage. He had KNOWN! Hell, he had probably sent them to me. INFECTED ME. I was going to report him to the administrator of the site but when I scrolled down, I stopped dead. I saw it, the true form of The Swarm. The pictures that had once contained nothing but a ceiling fan and empty

An excerpt from the winning story corners now showed the unholy monstrosity that had been pestering me all month. It was denser than the swarms from my home, with more insects comprising it. In the swarm, I beheld the crude makings of a face. Two eyes and a mouth, the latter twisted into the demented grin of a child stepping on an ant and I swear on my life that as I looked at that photo, it’s grin widened to inhuman proportions and the eyes shifted to meet mine. I uttered a silent scream before slamming my computer shut. I sat in the dark and cried for hours, my only company the endless cacophony of chittering mandibles and buzzing wings....

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Sports

TAKING A LOOK AT THE LADY CARDS THE GIRLS TAKE THE FIELD FOR THEIR RIVALRY GAME AGAINST KIMBERLY (SARAH MOORE/ CARDINAL COLUMNS)

by SARAH MOORE

T

his year the Lady Cardinals Soccer Team may be younger, but they play as if they have been together for years.

“It has been a season of growing,” coach Brandon Petersen said, “we’re starting to see results that last year wouldn’t have achieved.”

The past few weeks the girl’s soccer team has been building up their strength and endurance to prepare for competition. With the exclusion of a few canceled games, they are now into their competitive season.

They had quite a few dismal matches in the beginning of their season, almost feeling like there wasn’t going to be an end to their losing streak. However, recently there is hope that their season will be turning around.

After ten games they have had three wins and seven losses. This ranks them as 126th in the state. They have five games left in their general season before heading to conference.

This season has been very special for these girls. Their stats do not tell the entire story. The teamwork they have displayed on and off the field this season is one for the record books.

“I love my team,” Olivia Mockert ‘18 said, “we play more as a team because we like each other.” Maybe it was their rough start that pushed this team together, but this team has truly become one.

“No one does anything for themself,” Petersen said.

The girls this year are closer than almost any team in the past.

“We work well together,” Morgan Ruelle ‘18 said.

With hours upon hours of practice, pasta parties almost every night, and a game almost every day. These girls spend more time with each other than at home.

“We just click,” Mockert said. The bond that these girls show helps them on the field and will hopefully turn their season around.

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TRICKY TENNIS TENNIS: A MENTAL GAME OF PATIENCE

by Brianna Burgess

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ym teacher and tennis coach Joe Sagen fondly remembers the state tournament three years ago, where doubles team Keenan Salen and Matt Riley were one game away from being eliminated. Instead of defeat, they beat the odds (and the other team) and climbed their way to the semi-finals. While they lost their semi-final match, they were pitted against Neenah, Fondy’s arch-nemesis in sports, for third and fourth place. However, they beat the odds once more and took third place.

“I get goosebumps thinking about it,” Sagen said. “It was a magical tournament.”

But that certainly doesn’t mean that this year wasn’t memorable. With players like Drew Jorgensen ‘18, Mohini Kumar ‘20, and Anna Mauthe ‘19, it’s easy to see how these are top contenders for state. Getting there wasn’t easy, though.

“Basically, we want them to be

RUGBY

the last one to hit the ball over the net in bounds,” Sagen said. “If they do that a lot, they win the game. If they do that even more, then they win more games, and then they win the match.” This doesn’t happen without teamwork, though.

“We’re like a huge family,” Mohini Kumar ‘20 said. “During tournaments, your teammates cheer you on during water breaks and stuff, even if they’re on different courts.” Some of that confidence comes from the new tennis courts.

“It’s probably the nicest facility in our conference, in a good 80 mile radius,” Sagen said. “Marian University wants to use our courts. Saint Mary Springs wants to use our courts.“

The courts costed approx. $630,000 due to the complete overhaul, but these new courts are expected to last about 30 years thanks to a better spectator experience with viewing aisles, bleachers, shade, and closer proximity to the action, along with sturdy construction of the actual tennis courts.

To join tennis, members are expected to provide their own rackets (unless there are financial issues), which works to the teams’ advantage when someone loses their cool on the court.

“I’d be lying if I said no one on the team hasn’t broken their racket,” Sagen laughed. “Every once and a while you just come across a personality that bothers you and gets under your skin, and sometimes someone will lose their cool.

It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, it’s someone blowing off steam. It’s not good because you can’t recover from that.”

Unfortunately for students (and, by extension, parents), rackets at the varsity level can cost $120-$180, along with $20 for the strings to the racket, not to mention a point penalty in the game for unsportsmanlike behavior.

Despite this, tennis is still a family.

“I don’t know where I’d be without tennis,” Mohini said.

STOUTMAN AND SIRENS ARE HERE!

by Jenna Ahlstrom

F

ond du Lac High School’s rugby season is here!

With both boys and girls teams (Stoutmen and Sirens) practicing all week, it’s easy to see the hard work they’re putting in. Boy’s rugby practices and games are every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 5 p.m. Practices are held at the home field at UW-Fond du Lac, according to Rugby team leader Rick Rodriguez. Open to any student at Fondy High School, from freshman to seniors, this sport team is always looking for more players. If it’s 6 MAY. ‘18 CARDINAL COLUMNS

a game then they will either stay at home or travel out to the regional school, such as Sheboygan, Oshkosh, Appleton, Little Chute, Green Bay and Wausau Highschool, to play as guests.

The girl’s program was set up differently than the boys. The girl’s program meets at UW-Fond du Lac Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5 p.m. for practice. Rodriguez says that the girls team plays full fournaments on Saturdays against a few various teams.

Various players in the past

that graduated from Fond du Lac High School have gone on to play college rugby, including recent graduates Brady Ryan and Jonah Dietenberger, who are currently playing Division One Rugby with full scholarships. Ryan attends New England College and Dietenberger attends Lindenwood University. Within the past decade, multiple Fond du Lac High School students have gone to play internationally.

With a Facebook page and website, the rugby team is open to any students with an interest.

B uilding the

Future

by SARAH MOORE

S

chool Projects bring to mind the intoxicating smell of glue and sharpies, the sweet slice of scissors running along paper and the scratch of colored pencils. Fond du Lac High School’s construction class, however, is taking the ordinary school project and raising the stakes.

Mr. Widmer’s class of four boys spend their class time balancing on wooden beams, reading blueprints, and developing real skills. Throughout the year, they have built a fully functioning garage.

The construction classes do projects like this every year, teaching skills that can directly correlate to jobs after high school.

“It’s what I want to do in the future,” Jordon Payne ‘18 said. “It’s just what I’m good at.” How many students can say they took a class that throws them directly into their future?

Construction gives them the unique chance to put classroom lessons to use.

Mr. Widmer follows the ideal of “picking it up as you go along,” and this is very prevalent in his class. He gives jobs that are challenging but pushes the boys to complete them to the best of their ability.

“I have worked on construction all

“It’s what I want to do in the future.”

- Jordon Payne ‘18

LEFT: THE BOYS LOOK AT THE BLUEPRINTS TO BEGIN THE NEXT STEP OF THE PROJECT. (SARAH MOORE/ CARDINAL COLUMNS)

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my life, but never on a job site,” Widmer said. “I have remodeled many houses and have the basics down.”

From his own “pick it up” experiences Widmer learned the basic principles and necessities of construction. However, outside help does come in to install electrical outlets and wires. Some volunteers from C.D. Smith will also stop by to check on their work and talk to the boys in the class.

Mr. Widmer teaches three construction classes: Construction Fundamentals, Construction 2, and Construction Applications. Each class will help in a project in the community, but it isn’t until Construction Applications that

they will have a project completely to themselves. Groups like Habitat for Humanity and Drexel will ask for help from the earlier classes when building houses or other projects.These early years help them apply skills, but in a guided environment to learn before they are set to work on their own.

These earlier classes teach skills such as plumbing, electrical fastening, and measuring. As well as, how to use all the power tools safely and efficiently.

Some boys are drawn to the atmosphere of the class as well.

“I just like building things and everyone in the class is pretty chill,” Ben Baker ‘18 said.

The boys in this class work almost independently. Home owners hire the class and pay for the resources and ma- STUDENTS TAKE A BREAK FROM WORKING TO TAKE A GROUP PICTURE. terials that they use throughout the project. (SARAH MOORE/CARDINAL COLUMNS) From the skills they learned in the fundamental course, and the owner’s preferencBaker said. There are safety guidelines that stop their work. es, they design blueprints and a 3D model. are put in place. For example, the students Some days are spent in the classFrom there they head to the construction just recently had to go through OSHA 10 room brainstorming or tweaking plans. zone.

Training. a ten-hour safety and health course However, these boys are learning to work

Walking on to the job site, it is that teaches the proper use of tools, ladders, and they aren’t being treated like high school easy to see that the boys know what they are and body protection. These safety proce- kids. They are expected to be places at cerdoing. They have a distinct routine. Grab- dures are practiced during every step of the tain times and expected to get work done. bing safety goggles, adjusting hard hats, construction; from erecting full sized walls The skills they learn will be carried into the and strapping tool belts set them into “work to fine detailing or “making it look pretty” workforce. The boys in the class buy their mode”. They wait eagerly for Mr. Widmer, Payne explains. own tools, expecting to use them in the fuobserving past work or looking over blue- The construction class is granted ture. prints before deciding what their job for the with plenty of tools and advice on how to get “I mean the school has tools, but day will be. the job done, but living in Wisconsin brings we know we’re going to use them so we’ll

“I give them instructions and trust a different set of problems to the work site. just buy them,” Payne said. them to get the job done,” Widmer said.

“Honestly the weather is the This out-of-classroom experience Everyone has a job, whether it is grabbing hardest part,” Baker said, “when it gets helps the boys to engage with their lessons heavy duty power tools or taking measure- really cold outside it can be brutal.” The hands on. Whether they go on to build skyment. They all work together as a pod, mov- cold bites their fingers and slows down scrapers or simply touch up the paint in their ing like a conveyor belt. work, but just as if on a true construction homes they have gained skills that they will

“It’s a very learn-as-you-go class,” site, they are on a deadline and they can’t carry for the rest of their lives.

LEFT: THE BOYS BEGIN THEIR WORK (SARAH MOORE/ CARDINAL COLUMNS)

LEFT: THE GARAGE IS COMING TOGETHER (SARAH MOORE/ CARDINAL COLUMNS)

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n a building of an “at-risk population,” two teachers, a lunch lady and a dozen-or-so students have found more than a school; they have created a home.

Fondy Central is a school branched off of the high school for the students that qualify as at risk. The term “at risk” umbrellas over a multitude of different scenarios such as credit deficiency, poverty, pregnancy, drug or alcohol abuse, behavior and mental health issues.

Being labeled as an “at risk” population of students, students at Fond du Lac High School see Fondy Central as the school for delinquents who couldn’t care less about school, but that isn’t accurate in the slightest.

“Because of the fact that we don’t have an administrator here, we can’t have kids that would be extremely disruptive since there’s only two of us,” teacher Dawn Kuhnz said.

just collect dust.

Teachers Dawn Kuhnz and Matt Esselmann have been working at Fondy Central together as partners for 15 years. Friends in and out of school, the pair work well and balance each other out within school.

Together with parents and the high school’s social workers, the two take on a team approach toward the student’s education.

“It’s like going to work with my brother ... he said I’m like the wife that he never wanted,” Kuhnz said with a laugh.

Because the student teacher ratio is 12:1, there is significantly more one on one time compared to the high school where the ideal student-to-teacher ratio is 30:1. This allows the students and teachers to bond and form a much more casual, but also more “I came here to stay away from caring relationship.

“Honestly, I feel drama and to get the help I need- like I’m almost their mom,” Kuhnz said, ed from the teachers to raise my smiling.

Each school grades,” -Aerial Washington day begins at 9 a.m. and the students start off in their assigned

Within these two classrooms are homeroom. For Kuhnz’s homeroom, the day students that left Fondy High whether to begins with 15 minutes of silent reading and a avoid drama, make up credits to graduate and lesson on literacy. Following that, she teacheventually go on to college or because they es regular English as well as social studies, would be too anxious being in a school of which are often fused together. more than 2000 students.

After

“I came here to stay away from lunch, which is drama and to get the help I needed from the at 11:15 a.m., teachers to raise my grades,” senior Aerial Kuhnz’s homeWashington said. room moves to

Written on a plaque on top of Matt E s s e l m a n n ’ s Esselmann’s smartboard is a simple phrase, classroom where “Leave your drama with your mama.” The they are taught saying seems to serve more purpose than to math and science.

Photo Courtesy: Bailey Briester

Foll o w ing the structured lessons, the students return to their homeroom at 1:15 p.m. where they have an online class to work on until 2 p.m., when the school day ends.

During class, Kuhnz announced that the students would be moving into Esselmann’s room so that the group could watch a video together. In turn, a voice from the back of the room complains: “You’ll be asleep during it anyway, sometimes I wonder if you have narcolepsy,” Kuhnz said.

Fondy Central is similar to the high school in the sense that students come to learn, but different in the approach that is taken towards not only the education itself, but the relationship that is developed between the teacher and the student as well.

CARDINAL COLUMNS

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THEY THEY BUILT BUILT AA FOOTBALL FOOTBALL POWERHOUSE. POWERHOUSE. NOW NOW THE THE PROGRAM PROGRAM MOVES MOVES FORWARD FORWARD WITHOUT WITHOUT THE THE MAN MAN THAT THAT STARTED STARTED IT IT ALL. ALL.

Head coaches Michael Gnewuch and Steve Jorgensen built a football powerhouse within Fond du Lac, restoring the winning tradition that the Cardinals saw more than three decades ago. To do that, the Fond du Lac School District hired a seasoned coach with experience from a WIAA Division I school and an an individual that could fill a teaching position. After joining the school district in 2012 and 2013, respectively, the duo led the Cardinals to consecutive WIAA playoff appearances with Gnewuch sporting a 46-21 record with the program.

There’s one problem. ing climateGnewuch wasn’t received well, especially in a teachin the aftermath “Act 10,” the controversial bill

signed by Gov. Scott Walker (R-Wis.) in 2011 that strips teachers of most collective bargaining rights and weakened teachers’ unions.

As a result, teachers saw pay drop and benefits diminish. Gnewuch’s and Jorgensen’s salaries fall within the 88th percentile of all teachers and counselors at Fond du Lac High School. Citing their extensive experience at other districts and previous coaching experience at other WIAA Division I schools, the Fond du Lac School District decided to pay the coaching duo more than $144,000 last year combined in salaries alone. “Other teachers saw it as unfair,” Athletic Director David Michalkiewicz said.

The duo has extensive teaching experience as well.

Gnewuch has 17 years in the classroom and two master’s degrees. By starting teaching before Act 10 was passed, many Districts in the state honor an advanced degree pay grade. In other words, teachers that received degrees higher than a bachelor’s degree prior to Act 10 make more money.

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R O IS F H T D A E R Y FOR Y DY A IT E N R U Y M M IT N O U C M M CO What’s stipend pay and how is it X..

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divided up among advisers?

Stipend pay provides advisers of different clubs, sports teams and other organizations financial reimbursement for their time assisting their respective programs. The base salary as of April 2018 is $31,000, an increase of $1,000 from a year ago. Based upon percentages of the base salary, a stipend is rewarded.

Percentages vary between different organizations and positions held in those organizations.

Are the coaches reimbursed fairly?

According to the Fond du Lac School District stipend record, both head coaches Michael Gnewuch and Steve Jorgensen received an equal stipend of $4,800 for their work on the coaching staff in the 2017-18 school year. That number, according to David Michalkiewicz, athletic director at Fond du Lac High School, is average to below-average compared to other Division I schools in the area.

“It appears we’re in the middle ground to below average in almost every sport [for stipend pay],” Michalkiewicz said.

“The base salary hasn’t changed in 10 years . . . it was time to revisit it.”

Sharon Simon, director of human resources of the Fond du Lac School District, said there’s a committee for that.

“We questioned if all of our advisers of all of our clubs, sports and other organizations were being compensated fairly for their work,” Simon said. “We decided to give [the advisers] a slight raise in stipend pay of $1,000 to the stipend base salary.”

Simon and others in the school district administration formed the committee this school year, but plan on making it permanent and plan to meet twice every school year, once in the fall and once in the spring to visit any issues regarding stipends.

If coaches are paid this, is there anyone else that gets compensated more?

According to stipend records, Steve Jorgensen also receives a stipend of $8,300 for a position described as “Strength and Conditioning Program Coordinator,” an adviser to a farreaching program Michalkiewicz said serves in many capacities.

“[Steve Jorgensen] in addition to his teaching salary is provided a stipend for being the coordinator for our strength program . . . he advises the strength program at the middle schools, coordinates efforts with the [Junior Football League] and is in charge of running the weight rooms at the middle schools,” he said.

A person that receives a stipend larger than the football coaching stipend is Steve Wilson, stagecraft teacher and director of performing arts at the high school. He, along with his salary, receives a stipend for his work directing plays and musicals at the high school level.

WHAT PART OF THE SALARIES ARE FOR TEACHING AND WHAT PARTS ARE FOR COACHING?

The salaries of all of the coaches at Fond du Lac High School, according to the Fond du Lac School District, are for teaching only. Pay for work for extra-curriculars is provided via stipends. To be clear, the Fond du Lac School District, when searching for a candidate for the job, were looking to recruit a football coach, not just a social studies or physical education teacher. Gnewuch and Jorgensen have taught in their respective subjects for many years, typically yielding a higher salary than others due to seniority.

Are there assistant coaches for football and what is their pay?]

These coaches serve as Freshman and Junior Varsity coaches in addition to some serving in a different capacity on the Varsity coaching staff. In total, there are nine football coaches between the three levels. These stipend numbers are based on the same salary of $31,000 and are listed as $3,300 for assistant varsity.

ARE THERE ANY NOTABLE INCIDENTS WHERE COMMUNICATION BROKE DOWN BETWEEN COACHES?

One notable includes head coach Michael Gnewuch and Ben Stumpf in an email dispute obtained via an open records request. According to Stumpf in emails obtained, he was “unwilling to dedicate every day of the week to football” and said that although he and Gnewuch held the same position as Asst. Strength and Conditioning Coach, Gnewuch asked him to resign due to his unwillingness to spend more time with the team. Athletic Director David Michalkiewicz disputes this. He said in part that “Ben was on the football coaching staff” and “it is untrue that he held a position in the Strength program.” He noted as Stumpf was on the coaching staff, Gnewuch had authority to ask Stumpf for his resignation. He also noted that he, Stumpf and Gnewuch had a discussion and he assessed the situation as “Ben and Mike didn’t see eye-to-eye on some things in the program.”

Although the final human resources decisions in regard to athletics are handled

by Human Resources Director Sharon Simon and Athletic Director David Michalkiewicz in regard to sports teams and their coaches, Gnewuch, as head coach, had the ability to ask Stumpf to step down.

why is gnewuch leaving fond du lac for mukwonago?

According to Gnewuch, he has family in Southern Wisconsin and would like to return to the area. He previously taught and coached in the Arrowhead Union High School District, in close proximity to his family. He said that although there is no good time to leave a program, he thought it was time to move back closer to his loved ones.

Although the idea that Gnewuch is leaving due to increased scrutiny from the community was raised, there is no evidence to support this claim.

what will be gnewuch’s legacy at fond du lac?

Gnewuch will be seen as Fond du Lac’s “football hero” that turned a team around from an embarrassing twowin season into a championship-caliber team.

He is highly respected across the state for his coaching ability, Michalkiewicz said, which is backed by Wisconsin Sports Network General Manager Travis Wilson’s assessment of Gnewuch.

“I've had the pleasure of interacting with the Fond du Lac coaching staff on many occasions, and I have always come away impressed with their professionalism and commitment to the student-athletes they work with. The job coach Gnewuch and company have done in turning Fond du Lac back into a premier program is tremendously impressive and has deservedly garnered praise from around the state,” Wilson said in an email.

*Following a nine-month investigation of the football program and a review of hundreds of documents including emails and contracts and after three open records requests related to the football program, we can conclude that there is no misconduct on the part of the Fond du Lac School District and the coaches involved in the football program. The ones responsible for the hiring of Michael Gnewuch and Steven Jorgensen were the appropriate officials in the Fond du Lac School District and then-Athletic Director Kevin Deering.

How did the school district find the new head coach?

According to Michalkiewicz and Simon, 13 candidates applied for the position over a two-week application period. Both reviewed the applications and then interviewed candidates, but came to the conclusion that Jorgensen, as current co-head of the program, would be the best short-term solution for the football program.

EXTRA: IS THERE AN IMPACT ON STUDENTS THAT PLAY SPORTS?

“Multiple research studies compiled by the National Federation of State High School Associations point to significant academic and personal achievement by student-athletes. A study of nearly 140,000 high school students in Kansas showed that, ‘athletes earned higher grades, graduated at a higher rate, dropped out of school less frequently, and scored higher on state assessments than did non-athletes,’” Wilson pointed out.

Despite the possible conflict of interest of the source, other studies concur.

Culture

BECOMING POPULAR IN A FORTNIGHT

WHY IS A SUCH A SIMPLE GAME SO POPULAR?

by BAILEY BREISTER

A

100 player, large scale battle royale game, Fortnite is the biggest game in the world right now.

Although it hasn’t always had such a success, ever since Sept. 2017, Fortnite has dominated the industry, and even at Fond du Lac High School.

The game puts you in a bus, and then you drop into a map, where you need to scavenge for weapons. All during this, you need to fight 99 other people. Only the last person alive can achieve the victory, the “win.”

Even today you don’t see many advertisements, but there doesn’t need to be. The way Fortnite spread was largely through word of mouth. “I play Fortnite because all of my friends play it, and it’s a really fun and engaging game,” Brandon Evans ‘19 (32 wins) said.

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The game allows you to play solo, but it’s definitely recommend you play with your friends.

“I play Fortnite because my friends play it, and it’s also good conversation with my students,” business teacher Logan Meyer (zero wins) said.

Fortnite is a game based more towards kids. But the explosion has taken not only the students, but the teachers also. “I think Fortnite definitely has affected this school, just look at that thread a few months back.”

Meyer said.

Fortnite Battle Royale is free and doesn’t advertise, but they also make money selling cosmetic items, like skins and dances. Meyer spent $10 on skins, and Evans $5. Thousands of peoples buy these cosmetics, which gives the necessary funding to the game, and allows the developer,

Epic Games, to make weekly updates, and new additions (The game took in $250 million last month alone).

All of these things are factors that make Fortnite so successful. They listen to the community. They add things when they need to be added. They take things away when there’s no point for them. And they made a high-quality product that stuck in the minds of many people. That’s the developer’s policy.

The success of any game is based on the playerbase with big musicians like Drake and Travis Scott, along with athletes like Paul George. These big names bring all the free publicity a game like this needs.

The combination between a free to play model, constant updates, and the promise of a good time with friends are all reasons why Fortnite has been so successful.

MINECRAFT: THE OG TAKING A STROLL DOWN MINECRAFT MEMORY LANE

by BAILEY BREISTER

M

inecraft is a game where you need to build and survive against monsters.

It also used to be the most popular game in the world. The creator of Minecraft even sold his creation to Microsoft for 1 billion dollars.

There isn’t any doubt that Minecraft controlled the video game market for many years, only dying out in the more recent years. With its simplistic gameplay, it was no wonder why it attracted so many players.

It is a game marketed towards the younger audiences, but people of all ages have enjoyed Minecraft and still do. Minecraft is still being constantly updated and added on to. This gives it important longevity, because it still has a strong player base of dedicated fans.

But today, I think Minecraft lost a lot of the charm that it used to have. Somewhere within all the updates it lost what made it really special.

Creating structures with your friends got replaced with already built

structures full of enemies, which is cool.

However, that is not what Minecraft used to be about, which is really unfortunate.

Luckily, on the PC version of Minecraft, you can play old updates, which really gives it that old nostalgia feel, the one that made the game so important and so memorable.

So if you haven’t played in awhile, or never played the game, it’s completely worth the try, and not that much money to boot.

to find something to play. Even with the slight chance of not finding a game you’d like, any player has the opportunity to make their own game exactly the way they want it.

Besides the dozens of opportunities players have to use their own creativity, players also have the chance to message and eventually create friendships among other players.

ROBLOX does more than just provide a place for players to play games. The game interface also hosts different fundraising events for the community.

In Sept. 2017, ROBLOX created two new hats that could be bought in the store. When a player bought either of these hats, all of the proceeds went to the international nonprofit organization Direct Relief for disaster relief in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.

Previously, ROBLOX Corporation also raised money for the “ALS Ice Bucket Challenge” and for hurricane relief efforts in Tex.

ROBLOX is more than just a game; it’s a chance to be independent and creative, make friends, help the community and to have fun while doing it.

After 12 years, ROBLOX is still relevant and worth playing.

by VYLA SHEA

I

n a time where Fortnite and PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUND (PubG) are sweeping the nation and downloaded on a majority of phones, it’s important to not only remember, but to appreciate where we started.

Created in 2006, ROBLOX was the initial backbone of the online gaming community. ROBLOX was a building block that helped lead to obviously more advanced and competitive games.

Previous attempts at a game like ROBLOX was tested in 2004 by the ROBLOX CEO named “DynaBlocks.”

Although there are hundreds of games that have been improved and advanced, ROBLOX should not be forgotten about, but celebrated instead.

With more than 40 million different games created by users within ROBLOX, it’s impossible to not be able

BY BLU3232 [CC BY-SA 4.0 (HTTPS://CREATIVECOMMONS.ORG/LICENSES/BY-SA/4.0)], FROM WIKIMEDIA COMMONS CARDINAL COLUMNS

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Culture Need to Know for:

Avengers: Infinity War

by Camryn Oestreich

“A

vengers: Infinity War” incites many emotions: joy, amusement, worry, and sorrow among many others. This film is emotionally moving and has a cliffhanger that leaves you just waiting for more.

Released Apr. 27, 2018, “Avengers: Infinity War” is a massive crossover between 18 different films; it mashes the original Avengers group, the Guardians of the Galaxy, Doctor Strange, Black Panther, and various other characters that have been introduced over the last 10 years. In total, there are roughly 27 main superheroes in this film, not including villains or the Stan Lee cameo.

Yet, with so many characters who have been introduced over a span of 10 years, it’s hard to keep track of what you need to know; especially since it isn’t something that’s gone over in the film. So here’s a handy chart containing all the information you should have before watching “Avengers: Infinity War.”

The Infinity Stones:

Photo Courtesy: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Space Stone: Last seen: With Loki at the end of “Thor: Ragnarok” (2017) as the Tesseract Shown capabilities: Teleporting anything, anywhere Time Stone: Last seen: With Doctor Strange in “Doctor Strange” (2016) in a magical necklace Shown capabilities: Going forward and backward in time; creating time loops Reality Stone: Last seen: With The Collector at the end of “Thor: The Dark World” (2013) as the Aether Shown capabilities: fulfill wishes of user; alter reality

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Mind Stone: Last seen: With Vision in “Captain America: Civil War” (2016) as a part of him Shown capabilities: controlling minds; creating a living, learning mind Power Stone: Last seen: With Nova Corps in “Guardians of the Galaxy” (2014) in an orb Shown capabilities: chain destruction of organic life; mass destructive power to wielder Soul Stone: Last seen: Unknown Shown capabilities: Unknown

The Heroes: Team Cap: Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, left the Avengers team due to not signing the Sokovia Accords, a legal document restricting the movement and freedom of superheroes in an attempt to reduce damage caused to cities and civilians. Those who were on his side were captured and later escaped and are currently in hiding. In the trailer, Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow, Sam Wilson aka Falcon and Bucky Barnes aka the Winter Soldier are all seen fighting by his side.

The Guardians of the Galaxy: Last seen in their ship in space after the Ravager’s funeral.

According to the timeline, it has been a year since then so Groot is no longer a baby sapling, he’s now reached his teenage years.

Nebula is presumably off trying to get her revenge on Thanos like she said she would.

The Sorcerers: Doctor Stephen Strange has been protecting the earth from interdimensional (and possibly multidimensional) threats as are his duties as the Sorcerer Supreme. He has custody over the time stone.

The Villain:

Team Iron Man: Tony Stark, aka Iron Man is living free due to signing the Sokovia Accords and has been seen helping Peter Parker, aka Spiderman. Parker isn’t officially an Avenger, but he is certainly a neighborhood hero.

Team Thor: Thor and the Revengers-which includes Bruce Banner/Hulk, Valkyrie, and Loki-- just left what was left of Asgard and were heading towards Earth in search of refuge for the remaining Asgardians left alive after the Goddess of Death, Hela wreaked havoc. Loki is carrying the space stone.

The Wakandans: T’Challa, or Black Panther was last seen after the brief civil war that occurred in Wakanda. Having just opened their borders for the first time, T’Challa, Shuri, Nakia and others have likely been busy assisting other countries in need and sharing their technology with the world.

Thanos: Last “seen” in the end credits scene of “Thor: Ragnarok” in his ship. Wasn’t physically shown, but the ship is his.

In the past, Thanos has made a few guest appearances, most prominently in a big floating chair in the middle of nowhere.

On the poster he is shown wielding the Infinity Gauntlet and two stones--power and space based on the color.

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18

Opinion

Cap and Gown Students should be able to decorate their own cap and gown

By CHASE CHADWELL

A

T FOND DU LAC High Again we have a dress code set School, you are not allowed to in place and as long as what you put on decorate your cap for graduation. your cap is not offensive it should not be a Doing so can preproblem. vent you in walking For example no “AT THE END OF THE obscenities, no ofthe stage.

This is DAY WE ARE HERE TO fensive or vulgar wrong. Decorating language, etc. You your cap and gown LEARN, AND TO HAVE should be able to is a tradition to express yourself.

FUN AS WELL.” some. Graduation is Freedom of speech a big achievement is a big thing, but to many. I feel that you should be able to as far as a school goes there are rules and do so as long as it follows the school dress regulations. There should be a new policy code. You pay for your cap and gown made up on this topic. therefor it is your property and you should I personally know a handful of be able to do what you want with it as long students who wish to decorate their cap, as it follows school standards. and these are good students, who just want 19

MAY’18 CARDINAL COLUMNS

to again express themselves. We put in the work to graduate. It is about us, because we earned it.

I would recommend that in the upcoming years for the school to make some changes, and like I said regulate what is needed, and ease up on the rest.

At the end of the day we are here to learn, and to have fun as well. It is graduation, we are excited, we have opinions, and rights that are not being met.

If the school is scared of a student taking advantage of being able to do so, then punish that student or students but not the whole senior class. Punishments should include not being able to walk at graduation and or cleaning up after graduation.

FREELOADING REPRESENTATIVES

by ROBERT BROWN

ave you ever slept on the job? Some of our representatives in Congress say they have to to make ends meet.

When we exercise our civic duty to elect our representatives to the United States Congress, we send people with houses, apartments, condos and with families from our home district to a city where housing is 407 percent more expensive.

We don’t cover their living costs in that city and that’s because most people come to the consensus that our Congressmen make too much money.

A member of the House of Representatives makes a $174,000 salary.

That hasn’t increased in a decade amid public pressure to continue freezing the salaries of Congressmen. To put this figure into perspective, “Sperling’s Best Places” adjusts the $174,000 salary from Fond du Lac to Washington, D.C. to $346,435 in order to maintain the same standard of

life. That cost of living, by the way, is 89 solution for all, because critics often cite percent more there than here at home. lack of rent and free services provided

According to a New York Post as a reason to evict the congressmen. By investigation, they’ve spotted about 100 providing living space to representatives, representatives at the in-house gym and we improve their quality of life, reduce the shower facilities in the Capitol. With a need for them to purchase a second home delegation of 435 members, that’s about or rent an apartment and help in the fight 23 percent of the total House of Represen- for efficiency. Congressmen cite the accestatives population that “squat” on Capitol sibility to their office as one of the pros of grounds. bunking in their Capitol office, so offering Some have called it unsanitary and a “close-to-office” solution wouldn’t be disgustsuch a bad ing, often Approximately one-fifth of the compromise. resorting

If this house delegation bunks in their to namesimple and calling, benevolent offices using idea doesn’t -New York Post investigation terms catch on, such as we’re forced “squatto accept a ters” and “freeloaders” while others see it living allowance or pay hike for Congressas necessary for their survival in D.C. men.

Evicting these Congressmen isn’t Let’s face it: if you’re in the a fix to this problem; there are other ways middle class and you make less than a to solve this without kicking them to the Congressman, chances are you see this curb. as absurd. But, if you’re living in a costly

Unused facilities like vacant city like D.C. half the time in addition to office space or undeveloped residentialsupporting another property that you’re commercial areas could be used to allevirequired to keep and a family at home, ate the housing crisis that the delegation paying them more to do their job isn’t as faces in D.C. Offering these facilities at a bad after all. reduced cost for tax purposes and services So no, these “squatters” shouldn’t provided would remove the tackiness of be kicked out because we need to solve cots lingering in the offices of our repthe root problem of a housing crisis before resentatives. This seems like a winning offering up the hardliner approach.

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WE’RE PLAYIN’ GAMES

RELIVING OUR CHILDHOOD IN THE 2017-2018 SCHOOL YEAR Staff was asked to choose their favorite childhood games.

Thanks for a great school year!

VYLA SHEA Copy Desk Chief Moshi Monsters 21

MAY ‘18 CARDINAL COLUMNS

BRIANNA BURGESS Managing Editor Neopets

Camryn Oestrich Art Director Oregon Trail

SARAH MOORE Sports Editor Poptropica

BAILEY BREISTER Culture Editor Minecraft

ELIANA TORRES Social Media Manager Webkinz

CHASE CHADWELL Reporter Mario Series

Je nn a Ahls t rom Reporte r coolmathgame s.com

Matthew Smith Advisor Donkey Kong

MAISIE KUMBIER Reporter Club Penguin

Honor Kester Emotional Support MovieStarPlanet

Sticks and Stones

Words Hurt Week shows the power of words, and their lasting effects

BY CAMRYN OESTREICH

W

hoever  said,  “Sticks  and  hang  out  with  you  because  my  mom  said  stones  may  break  my  bones  your  skin  is  made  of  dirt.â€?  but  words  can  never  hurt   Zakia  Trotter  ‘18,  said  that  me,â€?  is  a  liar.  Words  do  hurt,  and  often-­ what  hurts  her  is  when  people  say  times  they  stay  with  us  longer  than  any  things  like,  “You’re  really  smart  for  a  punch  or  kick  might. black  girl,â€?  or  “You’re  really  involved   On  April  26,  a  panel  was  held  for  a  black  girl.â€?  As  if  being  black  as  a  part  of  SAGE’s  “Words  Hurt  Weekâ€?  means  that  you  aren’t  intelligent  or  during  third  hour  in  Traci  Castellion’s  can’t  be  involved  in  school. room.  Here,  students  of  different  back-­  For  her,  these  words  used  to  be  grounds  discussed  taken  to  heart  the  discrimination  “It sucks that we feel and  serve  as  a  they  faced  based  on  setback.  Now,  gender,  sexuality,  or  we need to change however,  they  race  and  told  their  her  just to be welcome,â€? motivate  stories. to  prove  them   J e n n i f e r  wrong;Íž  the  col-­ -Mohini Kumar Lopez  ‘18  spoke  or  of  her  skin  on  the  topic  of  im-­ has  nothing  to  migration,  and  the  treatment  she  and  do  with  intelligence,  that  it’s  all  her. her  family  have  received  from  people   As  someone  who  is  biracial,  based  on  their  background.  People  have  Trotter  explained  that  she  often  feels  told  her  to  go  back  to  her  own  country,  she  is  always  being  pulled  from  one  that  she  doesn’t  belong  here.  side  or  the  other:  black,  or  white.  “I’m   Lopez  faces  insults  and  com-­ constantly  forced  to  choose  one  side,  to  ments  like  this  from  people  often,  and  check  only  one  box-­-­white  or  black,â€?  these  kinds  of  comments  leave  a  mark.  Trotter  said.  “With  white  people,  my  “I  always  wondered  what  it  would  be  lips  are  big  and  I’m  ‘so  black.’  With  like  to  be  white,â€?  Lopez  said,  “but  black  people,  I’m  whitewashed.  I’m  at  the  same  time  I  wouldn’t  want  to  constantly  being  forced  to  choose  only  change  myself  because  it’s  unique  be-­ one  side  of  myself.â€? ing  apart  of  another  culture.â€?  “It’s  never  going  to  be  fully   Other  people  also  spoke  up  healed,â€?  Trotter  said.  “To  help,  I  keep  about  the  treatment  they  have  gotten  going  to  community  things  like  this  from  others.  Mohini  Kumar  ‘20,  is  of  and  it’s  the  closest  I’m  going  to  get.  I’m  Indian  descent  and  has  faced  many  chal-­ thankful  that  I  continue  to  persevere.â€? lenges  with  this.  In  elementary  school,  a   “It’s  been  18  years  since  my  friend  of  hers  told  her,  “I’m  sorry,  I  can’t  dad  has  seen  his  parents,â€?  Lopez  said. Â

“I  went  to  where  my  dad  lived  and  saw  where  they  get  water.  The  river  was  dried  up,  and  we  walked  towards  a  hole  covered  with  a  plastic  sheet  that  had  EDUHO\ DQ\ ZDWHU LQ LW :H FRXOG ÂżOO XS to  about  three  gallons  of  water  to  bring  back.  I  can  see  why  my  parents  sacri-­ ÂżFHG HYHU\WKLQJ MXVW WR JHW KHUH DQG why  my  dad  never  got  the  education  KH ZDQWHG 3HRSOH MXVW GRQÂśW WUXO\ XQ-­ derstand  why  people  come  from  other  places  to  get  here  and  the  process.  On  their  way  some  people  were  raped  and  separated  from  their  family.  I  don’t  think  I  can  ever  heal.â€?