December 2014

A BERLIN HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT OPEN FORUM SINCE 1924

The

Red ‘n’ Green

VOLUME 47, ISSUE 4

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2014

in This

Issue

- Teacher’s lunch hour pg. 3 - Crime series pg. 4-5 - Pentatonix review pg. 6

Substitute teacher shortage causes inconvenience by

Parallel Services Survey

Emily Beltran

The school district has partnered with Parallel Services, a substitute teacher placement service that finds substitute teachers for the school district as needed.

“The teachers now call in to the service, or request a substitute online rather than having me find substitutes,” Vice Principal Joe Brandl said.

This new service may sound much easier and faster, but an issue has risen. There have been numerous times where the school district has been short on substitute teachers.

“Parallel Services based the hiring of subs on last year’s numbers of subs needed, but this year we have more need than in prior years,” Superintendent Dr. Robert Eidahl said. “This resulted in the service not having enough subs for us.”

As of now, the new service has not saved nor lost the district any money compared to the previous way.

“It is supposed to save us money by the service paying the subs a different rate than the school district,” Brandl said. “They handle things like workman’s claims and insurance.”

Not having enough subs available for the district greatly affects the staff. Many teachers will be asked to fill in for others during their prep periods and it creates an inconvenience.

“We are hoping that around this

33 teachers surveyed Do you think Parallel Services has made it easier to request a sub?

70% said No How many times have you used Parallel Services to request a sub?

88% said 1-5 times 12% said 0 times Which way do you like better?

The past way of finding subs or the present with Parallel Services?

100% said past way Photo: E. Beltran Substitute teacher Eydie Reiser fills in for long term Chemistry and Physics substitute Mark Resch. Resch is subbing for science teacher Tim Cox while he is on leave. time we receive more midterm graduates from colleges that will get their licenses for the first time and come into the sub pool for the rest of the year,” Eidahl said.

Even if the lack of subs is resolved, having a multitude of substitute teachers will still affect the students.

“I feel that the substitute teachers we have had this year are not giving us the best ability to learn unless they are teachers we already know,” junior Alicia Brownlow

Newsbriefs Academic Decathlon adjusts to new advisor

The academic decathlon team has a new advisor, English teacher Susie Roubidoux. Roubidoux had to quickly take over the role for science teacher Tim Cox, who is on leave. She is taking on the task of managing the team’s progress on their speeches and helping with their essays. Many academic decathlon team members are impressed with Roubidoux’s willingness to take over on such short notice, including junior Britney Robinson.

“She is definitely going in the right direction with teaching us about regionals and preparing us for the next step in this academic competition,” Robinson said.

The regional competition is on Jan. 9 in Stevens Point.

Pampered Chef helps Dedering during holidays

From Dec. 4 through Dec. 11, the BASD hosted an online Pampered Chef Benefit for middle school teacher Tracey Dedering, who has been battling cancer. Family and Consumer Sciences teacher Whitney Fude ran the benefit through her personal Pampered Chef business. She donated 20% of the proceeds to Dedering and her family.

“Raising the money was something I felt we needed to do,” Fude said. “Just a little something for gifts, food and anything else she and her family need during this holiday season.”

said.

The lack of substitutes may end up helping or hurting the students, depending on how they learn.

“I think the lack of subs has almost helped our students, because when a teacher they already know from the school subs for the class, they may learn better,” Brandl said.

With fewer substitutes to choose from, the service ends up pulling the same subs repeatedly.

“I have been subbing way more this year than in previous years,”

substitute teacher Eydie Reiser said.

Parallel Services is used to serving school districts from more urban areas, which usually have a wider variety of subs to choose from.

“I think it was a culture shock to them because we have such a small area to pull subs from,” Eidahl said.

The district hopes that Parallel Services will adapt to the area, otherwise Eidahl said they will return to old ways.

About how many times this year have you had to fill in for another teacher during your prep hour?

18% said 0 times 61% said 1-5 times 15% said 6-10 times 6% said 10+ times Have you had problems with signing up/requesting a sub?

42% said yes 52% said no 6% indifferent Created by Emily Beltran

Spanish travelers’expenses reduced by

Lindsey Vang

The Spanish trip travelers conducted extensive fundraising throughout the last year and a half and gained the support of local donations, including the most recent donation from Las Brasas.

“I talked to the owners to see what day worked best with them,” Spanish teacher Jody Ziemann said. “A certain percent of money raised would go to the entire group.”

Las Brasas owner Aidee Lopez was supportive of this idea and wanted to give back.

“The community has been so supportive and we wanted to give back and support them,” Lopez said. “We donated $700.”

For all of the fundraisers, students individually received money towards their own costs.

“We sold around 2,000 pizzas, which were handmade and deliv-

ered,” Ziemann said.

Senior Ana Lundquist has participated in the pizza, poinsettia and Easter lily sales, as well as working concessions.

“I have personally made a few hundred dollars,” Lundquist said.

Along with the numerous fundraisers, there have been two other donations besides the one from Las Brasas.

“Walmart donated $1,000 and Farmers and Merchants donated $500,” Ziemann said. “This money will also be distributed to the entire group of travelers.”

Ziemann has totaled every fundraiser’s profit excluding the $2,300 that was donated.

“We have made $25,358.77,” Ziemann said.

Photo: D. Ziemann The Peru travelers finished the poinsettia sales and set them out on the tables across the commons.

2

Opinion

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Editorial Peru trip attendees achieve large discounts After a large number of fundraisers, the Spanish travelers has raised enough donations to send 32 students on a trip to Peru during spring break at a reduced cost.

This came with amazing dedication of the Spanish department and their students.

Since the announcement of a Spanish club trip to Peru, two and a half years ago, it was clear that many wished to go, but could not manage the financial challenge of raising the $3,000 fee to attend.

The families of some students who wanted to attend could not handle the cost, neither did most students have a steady source of income themselves.

The Spanish department took it upon themselves to raise the funds for those who could not raise them on their own.

Some fundraisers were homemade pizza sales and flower sales.

Generous donations from several local businesses also contributed to paying the costs of the trip.

The total cash amount raised for the trip was over $25,000, including

everyone’s numerous individual fundraisers and donations.

Spanish teachers Jody Ziemann, Jairo Granados and Missy Daubner took time out of their own lives to handle the fundraising process.

In addition to that, they still had to prepare and teach their daily classes.

The majority of students going on the trip also lent a hand in contributing. They sold various goodies and worked at many BHS sporting events.

Finally, the Berlin community itself had a big hand in providing these students with the funds needed.

If not for the cooperation of the town, the whole operation would have most likely collapsed immediately.

Cheers to the citizens of Berlin for their help and generosity.

It was an incredible work of commitment on the part of the Spanish department and a marvel of participation on the part of the community to help local students get out and see the world.

Mel’s Memoir: Melanie Haedt

Senior year has consisted of balancing homework and planning my next four years of life and school.

Applying for college and scholarships has consumed most of my weekends, and my social life has dissipated to a minimum. My dog has more of a social life than I do.

After much thought, I have decided I would like to be a radiology technician, meaning one who performs x-rays, CT scans, MRIs and mammograms. I want a job that includes human interaction and something in the medical field, and I found this as a perfect fit.

This summer I attended radiology camp at Bellin College. I never really knew that Bellin College existed, but the camp opened my eyes. At camp we practiced administering fake IVs, maneuvering a portable x-ray machine, and interacting with the very human-like mannequins that could talk and even simulate giving birth.

After the eye-opening experience at radiology camp, I scheduled tours of UW-Green Bay and Bellin Col-

lege with my mom. After touring them both, I fell in love. I wanted to finish high school and move on to college right then and there.

Out of the whole application process, the most terrifying was having an interview at Bellin College. Bellin only accepts 14 students a year into their radiologic program and I had to prove I am worth their education.

It was semi-uncomfortable being asked what is unique about me and what traits I can bring to the school.

The best I could come up with was that I am funny and nice.

I have been accepted to both UWGB and Bellin College and will attend UW-GB for general education courses and Bellin for the rest. I am incredibly excited to move to Green Bay and start a new life.

Along with getting accepted to college, sometime soon I need to come up with $20,000 a year to pay for this education. I have been applying for scholarships left and right because why not accept free money?

It is worth a try to score even as little as $500 because every little penny counts. So, if you know anyone, I could use some extra cash.

Photo:Photo: H. Trochinski

Berlin High School 222 Memorial Drive Berlin, WI 54923 920.361.2000 redandgreen@berlin.k12. wi.us The Red ‘n’ Green is printed monthly by Berlin High School and circulated free to students.

The purpose of the Red ‘n’ Green is to be an open public forum for our staff, students and readers. We want to create close ties between the administration, faculty, students and the Berlin community. We will give readers the opportunity to voice opinions. The Red ‘n’ Green will accept only signed letters to the editor, although names will be withheld upon request. We reserve the right to return letters for corrections before publishing. The staff will not print any material that is libelous, obscene or malicious.

Editorials are unsigned as they reflect the majority opinion of the staff. Editorial topics will be covered in a fair manner. However, controversial topics will be covered.

Subscriptions are available. Please contact the business manager at the above email address or phone number.

Editor-in-Chief: Melanie Haedt

College applications are worth the pain by

The Red ‘n’ Green

Business Manager: Taylor Greening

Reporters:

Photo: S. Klawitter

Confessions of a c i s u snob

by

M

Hannah Trochinski

Most high school students have bands they follow consistently. They probably follow all members on Twitter, Vine and Instagram, as well as subscribe to their YouTube channel and fan club.

Personally, I absolutely cherish Panic! at the Disco as their songs can vary from upbeat to depressing, but are all relatable (and yes, I watched the video where the lead singer explains each song). I love them and they were my first band tee.

I just jumped on that band wagon (pun) within the past year and a half.

Thanks to Pandora and YouTube I can spend hours listening to music while doing other things. By other things I mean dancing around my room pretending that I am the next Madonna.

I was once told by a classmate that she could picture me listening to headbanging music. This is the part where my friends will laugh. Up until fifth grade, I had never listened to anything other than country and Kidz Bop. While I do not listen to either of those anymore by choice, I still do not listen

to hard rock music either. Actually, my most listened to station on my Pandora account is a Broadway Rock station.

(It comes with newer musicals such as “American Idiot,” “The Addams Family” and “The Heathers”).

I also started listening to some of the older ones such as “Chicago” (“Cell Block Tango” specifically).

Pandora is a newer application to me, but YouTube is my baby. This is where I find most of my musical obsessions, most of which are parodies that I know better than the originals. It drives my music purist friends bonkers. It is super bad. Like MJ “Bad.” (I have yet to hear a cover that was better than his track.)

These obsessions include, but are not limited to, Pentatonix, Todrick Hall, Walk off the Earth and PAINT. They do mostly covers as well as original compositions, all of which make my ears go “YAASSS!” Everyone else can listen to their music that is repetitive, overly computerized and has no meaning behind it. I will be in a world where I am not tone deaf dancing to “Rent.”

Emily Beltran Sierra Klawitter Tyler Ostrowski Natalie Speers Garrett Steinbrink Alyssa Thiel Hannah Trochinski Kiersten Williams Lindsey Vang

Advisor:

Shannon Kuehmichel

Letter to the

Editor

Dear Editor, When it snows, the driveways and parking lots should be plowed before everyone gets to school.

With a full parking lot we need to be able to see the lines. It’s dangerous when even the busses are sliding around.

Sincerely, Slipping and Sliding Senior

Feature

Student of the

How the other 1/2 lives: Teachers’ lunch hour by

Natalie Speers

Contrary to popular belief, teachers’ lunch hours are not much different compared to those of students. There are groups, assigned chairs, sports talk and occasional gossip.

Many of the staff lunch groups have assembled according to similar interests. An all-guy group in tech education teacher Joel Johansen’s room has found a lot in common.

“We talk mostly about sports and old comedy movies and their quotes,” biology teacher Patrick Arndt said. “When we think of something funny or worth sharing we can just look it up on one of the computers in Jo’s room.”

In the library food lounge, there is a larger group of mostly female teachers who enjoy relaxing amidst adult company and co-workers that are of similar age.

“I choose to eat in the library because most of us are the same

age and therefore have relative things to discuss, like our kids or our jobs,” math teacher Shawn Erb said.

In some ways, having different lunch groups causes teachers to reminisce about their own high school days.

“In a way, it does remind me of high school,” history teacher Jennifer Leahy said. “We have groups of people that we get along with and choose to be with while we enjoy our free time and eat together.”

Not all teachers choose to eat at school. English teacher Andrew Reise leaves for lunch every day.

“At lunch, as much as I enjoy the lunchroom conversations, I like to let the attentive part of my mind rest for a while,” Reise said.

Although many teachers choose to eat with a certain group of people every day, they all agree that there is nothing exclusive about the process.

“We are all very welcoming,” Erb said. “Many teachers can float back and forth from different groups and never feel excluded.”

Month

Photo: N. Speers The lunch group in tech education teacher Joel Johansen’s computer room enjoys their packed lunches while science teacher Benjamin Sanderfoot plays the role of ‘newbie’ by sitting at the “kid’s” table.

Teacher Lunch-Group Members (of two selected groups)

Johansen’s Computer Lab Biology teacher Patrick Arndt Biology teacher Dave Reich Tech Ed. teacher Martin Wenig Band teacher Benjamin Ruetten Tech Ed. teacher Joel Johansen Science teacher Benjamin Sanderfoot

Alyssa Thiel

Former BHS 2004 graduate, Sara (Dean) Sheppard, has been serving as a missionary in Liberia since 2008. Sheppard returned to the United States in July and plans to return to Liberia sometime next year.

Together she and her husband work to fulfill needs of the elderly, sick and disadvantaged, along with bringing people together spiritually through the Bible.

“We see that there is a need for help in Liberia and that’s where God has called us to be and to serve,” Sheppard said.

Sheppard and her husband work for a Christian group called Serving in Mission (SIM).

“SIM’s goal is to take people from different denominations and bring them together to help in times of crisis while meeting spiritual needs,” Sheppard said.

Sheppard and her family live in Voinjama, a rural town near the border of Guinea. Voinjama was the epicenter of the Ebola outbreak.

“Cases began breaking out in April and we were forced to stay in Monrovia for two months until it passed,” Sheppard said.

Sheppard and her family came to the United States in July planning to

stay until August. During their time here, Ebola had broken out again in Liberia, meaning no missionaries are allowed back into the country.

“Once the Ebola crisis is back under control, we plan to return to Liberia until we have a church established and the Bible fully translated into the Manyakan language,” Sheppard said.

Recently, Sheppard and her husband John-Mark guest spoke to the Human Spirit class, focusing their presentation on “choices” and how their choices brought them to Liberia.

“I wanted to talk about the choices that high schoolers have to make every day that can impact the rest of their lives,” Sheppard said. “I wanted everyone to realize that these decisions they are making now can either devastate them or bring them to a place to succeed.”

Human spirit students said the presentation was compelling.

“What they are doing means a lot to me, going out and helping the world with the risk of getting Ebola,” foreign exchange student Sophia Quarcoo said.

The presentation ultimately left students with a sense of appreciation for Sheppard’s work.

“It’s hard to believe that people could be that passionate about something,” senior Kayla Klapper said. “It was really great to hear their story.”

Library Food Lounge History teacher Jennifer Leahy Spanish teacher Melissa Daubner Librarian Sarah Gumtow Math teacher Shawn Erb Substitute teacher Tyler Raddant Teacher aid Darlene Wolff Teacher aid Natosha Franke

Sara Sheppard ‘04, along with husband John-Mark and two children, Audrey and Noah, visit a friend’s house in the capital of Liberia, Monrovia, where they do mission work.

12

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What subjects are you most interested in?

“Biology and accounting.”

What college do you want to attend, and what will be your major?

“UW-Eau Claire for pre-medicine.”

Tips for high school students: “Enjoy the people around you and take advantage of opportunities.”

Photo: Eagle Studios

Austin Krentz

What have you enjoyed most about high school?

“I have enjoyed all night trivia and pep band.”

What subjects are you most interested in?

“Music and science.”

What college do you want to attend, and what will be your major?

“I want to attend St. Olaf for something science related and music.”

Photo Submitted Sheppard helps to sort fruit in preparation to take to a market. Markets are typically only found in large cities like Gbarnga.

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What have you enjoyed most about high school?

“I have enjoyed swimming and building great friendships.”

Alumna serves as missionary in Liberia by

3

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

10

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Tips for high school students: “Never say never and never be a hypocrite.”

Created by Taylor Greening

Have a great break from The Pocket Change!

Stop in for some refreshments... l

Schoo e r o f e B

Lunch

CIA

4

In-depth series

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Gravunder explores possible career path by

Students see d

Melanie Haedt

Junior Ryan Gravunder sits with Officer Schroeder in a police car on the night of Oct. 18, and they are about to pull someone over for speeding.

Gravunder was on a ride along with a Green Lake County police officer and witnessed multiple speeding tickets, a drunk driving accident and a drug bust.

The drug bust consisted of paraphernalia and pills.

“I actually got to help look for the drugs on the side of the highway,” Gravunder said. “The officer just handed me a flashlight and told me to start looking.”

Dispatchers and other officers told Gravunder he needs to go on another ride along because every night would not be as eventful as Oct. 18.

“I was surprised to have seen everything I did,” Gravunder said. “It was exciting.”

Not knowing what to expect, Gravunder’s mother, Candy Gravunder,

Photo: M. Haedt Pictured above is the view from the driver’s seat of a police car. On the ride along, junior Ryan Gravunder sat in the passenger seat to observe the duties of an officer. still was not worried about Ryan ob- forcement ride along because nothing can replace first-hand experience, and serving Officer Schroeder’s job.

“I have tremendous trust, faith, respect what a great way to learn more about a and admiration for our law enforce- future career choice,” Candy said.

To be elilgible for a ride along a person ment professionals and knew he would must be interested in law enforcement. be in good hands,” Candy said.

“There is a lot of liability, so we limit Not every ride along is as eventful as Gravunder’s, but Gravunder said it was ride alongs to men and women who want to go into law,” Berlin Police Chief a great experience and opportunity.

“I think it is fabulous that Ryan had the Dennis Plantz said. “There are many opportunity to participate in a law en- potential risks.”

City of Berlin park expulsion procedure This new policy states that individuals who are arrested, cited or in violation of multiple play vehicle ordinances (riding skateboards where they should not be) while present in a city park can be expelled from all Berlin Parks, which are listed with approximate locations to the right.

After one is arrested or cited for a violation with a park, they will be notified by mail. In the case of a juvenile being expelled, a letter will be addressed and sent to their parents or legal guardian. This letter will contain the reason for expulsion and length of the expulsion.

Once expelled from the parks, if one is found in any of the Berlin parks, he or she will be cited for trespassing within City of Berlin Parks. Exceptions can be made, though. This must be done with approval from the Chief of Police at least 48 hours in advance.

Source: Berlin Police Department

Parks in Berlin Riverside- Runs from Clark School House to the volleyball courts Nathan Strong- On Broadway Loncroft- Includes the Aquatic Center and the small park near it Forsyth- Near where the Boys and Girls Club used to be Berlin Firefighters- The small park across from Juliette Manor Volunteers- The small park near Diedrich’s Mound Street- Four blocks south of Kwik Trip on the right side Berlin Locks- Towards the south end of town Walkush Street Conservancy- Off of Pleasant Branch Rd. north of town Text by Hannah Trochinski

“I went out to my car after school and my mirror was hanging by a wire,” senior Jeanette Ostrander said. “When I came back from reporting it, someone had ripped it off completely and set it on top of my car.”

“I was going to take a friend home after school and when we got to my car, my mirror was dangling,” senior Ana Lundquist said. “I taped it back on, but someone took it off again about two weeks later.”

Large-scale drug bust create by

Sierra Klawitter

All small communities have tiny threads that connect individuals to each other. These connections help create awareness about the latest local news and events. Just after the city of Berlin and Berlin High School hosted a Heroin Summit, another hard drug was found within city limits.

According to “The Berlin Journal” (Nov. 20, 2014 issue), police officers arrived at 415 Walkush Street on Nov. 12 to speak to a 41-year-old man, following a set of burglaries that had been linked back to him.

The officers never suspected that something much more dangerous than theft would come out of the investigation.

Responding officers went to the property on Dec. 12 with a warrant to search the premises, finding not only the missing items, but a large-scale, clandes-

tine meth lab inside the garage.

“This was our first meth lab bust in Green Lake County,” Berlin Police Chief Dennis Plantz said. “Finding a lab such as this cannot compare to others. It’s one thing to train for this, it’s another thing entirely to live it.”

Following protocol, the next morning, a Chicago-based haz-mat team arrived and secured and removed all hazardous materials.

After initially finding the lab, officers retreated from the scene and arrested two suspects. Both suspects were transported to Green Lake County Jail to face felony charges.

Currently, the property is still uninhabitable, but residents were able to return temporarily in full-body suits to dispose of belongings that possibly had been exposed to toxic chemicals.

“To make sure the family can

retu furn thin in c be Plan A of “ susp with to t of m as t glar ing mai venu para “E the take awa Plan P to th area “T brin pois

In-depth series

damage to cars

Drug use in our high school

Text and photos by Hannah Trochinski

es awareness in community

urn safely to their home, all niture, clothing and anyng else that may have been contact with the drug must • Unlike other illegal drugs, methtaken out of the house,” amphetamine is 100% inorganic. This ntz said.

According to the same issue means that from the start, meth is com“The Berlin Journal,” the pletely manmade. The most common inpects have been charged gredient is the drug is ephedrine; the key h numerous faults related ingredient in many cold medicines. the making and possession • Long-term health effects include methamphetamine, as well problems such as depression; stroke; two felony charges of burry. Charges also include be- epilepsy; liver, kidney and lung damage; party to manufacturing and as well as permanent damage of blood intaining a drug trafficking vessels in the heart and brain.

Source: www.drugabuse.org ue and possession of drug aphernalia.

Photo: The Berlin Journal Even after making sure all of dangerous materials were en care of, it doesn’t take ay from the fear of meth,” ntz said.

Plantz later compared this he rise of heroin use in the a.

Think of the dangers heroin Chicago haz-mat worker helps to remove and ngs,” Plantz said. “It’s like secure hazardous materials that were collected son.” from the meth lab found on Nov. 12.

Key facts about methamphetamine:

by

Officer Christensen

It has been my experience in the past 13 years that many students experiment with alcohol, but marijuana remains the most common abused illegal substance by high school students.

There has also been use of synthetic marijuana, prescription drugs and inhalants. There is also a small number of students that use harder drugs such as heroin, ecstasy and cocaine. We are talking about the casual use of these substances which can lead to addiction and chronic abuse.

The 2014 BHS student survey backs my findings. According to the results, 39% of students admitted to “casual use” of alcohol as compared to Wisconsin’s average of 33%. Marijuana use was comparable to the Wisconsin average at 18%.

Prescription drug abuse was also comparable to Wisconsin average at 14%. The abuse of inhalants was slightly higher than Wisconsin’s average with an average of 9%. The use of heroin, ecstasy and cocaine was lower than the Wisconsin average at 3%. The alarming statistic was that a higher number of students (15%) have admitted to attending school under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance. The state average is 12%.

This leads me to the question, “when can police

search students for drugs”? In the “real world” police need probable cause to search your personal property. A school setting is different.

Police, when invited by or working with school administration, can search on the basis of reasonable suspicion such as anonymous information or a tip.

Wisconsin law allows police this leeway because school is not one’s private property. You share common space with hundreds of other students and staff. A student’s right to privacy is lessened when on school property versus out in the “real world.” Police (working with the school administration) can search a student’s locker or gym locker, backpack or book bag and contents, vehicles parked on school property and your person, if reasonable suspicion exists.

Wisconsin has “decriminalized” simple possession of a controlled substance and or drug paraphernalia for first time violators. Second and subsequent violations are charged as a crime with possible jail time and larger fines. The selling or distribution of any controlled substance on school property is charged as a felony. School consequences for any of the above violations may result in suspension and/or expulsion.

As always, the BASD wants to keep you informed and safe.

Cop’s Corner: True or False?

1) Police officers working with the school can search a student’s belongings on the basis of reasonable suspicion. True or False 2) Approximately 15% of BHS students have admitted to attending school while under the influence of alcohol or another controlled substance. True or False 3) Marijuana is the substance least-abused by high school students in general. True or False Answers: 1) True. Wisconsin Law allows police to search a student’s personal belongings on school grounds because school is not one’s private property. 2) True. The state average of students coming to school under the influence is 12%, while BHS averages around 15%. 3) False. Marijuana is actually the substance most abused by high school students.

“Someone keyed my car two separate times,” junior Ashley Kabitzke said. “There are three deep scratches going down the passenger side of my vehicle. The first time there was two, and the second time there was one.”

5

Cop’s Corner:

Police response: “We cannot be certain some of the damage done to these vehicles was caused by another vehicle,” Officer Doug Christensen said. “There is a lack of some physical evidence consistent with another vehicle being involved. The damage may have been caused by students walking or running in between vehicles carrying heavy objects (i.e. backpacks, etc.).”

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Created by Sierra Klawitter

6

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Arts & Entertainment

Roving Reporter: What would you do if you caught Santa coming down your chimney?

“I would say ‘Hi,’ take a picture, then head up back to bed,” junior Jack Peters said.

“I would give him cookies and milk, of course,” English teacher Susan Roubidoux said.

“I would beat him with a bat because I thought a stranger snuck in,” junior Shy Medrano said.

“I would shake him down and steal all the presents,” senior Conor Masak said.

Text and photos by Tyler Ostrowski

Food-lover undercover:

Chili’s burger perfection with bold flavors by

Natalie Speers

Is there anything better than being presented with four miniature, juicy, cheeseburgers after devouring half of a large bucket of movie theater popcorn? The answer is no, and any argument is invalid.

I have heard of Chili’s, a Tex-Mex bar and grill, but never considered sampling their cuisine due to my hatred of all things spicy. Alas, I was forced to give them a visit to honor a friend’s birthday wishes.

Prior to visiting Chili’s, I had eaten way too much popcorn at a theater for a 5’4” teenage girl. Feeling full and in the mood for anything but something spicy, I was overjoyed when I discovered that Chili’s menu also offers mildly-seasoned American food.

So, naturally, I ordered a burger and fries.

Big Mouth Bites sounds like an intimidating name for four miniature cheeseburgers with a side of seasoned fries, but I was not disappointed when I tasted my order.

Try to imagine a juicy, warm, crispy, cheesy, gooey burger that is bursting with charbroiled flavor. Now imagine that burger being the size of a tennis ball and accompanied by three other identical little burgers. Now stop drooling. That was my exact burger experience.

The fries that came with my meal were seasoned in taste, but lacked the

Photo: N. Speers Chili’s delectable Big Mouth Bites and seasoned french fries are creatively presented in a modern grill and bar style. necessary crispiness. However, the precise salty/slightly spicy flavor overshadowed all of their soggy shortcomings. Nice save, Chili’s.

Once I spotted an ice cream and brownie dessert with a lit candle coming towards our table and the waiter leading a jolly “Happy Birthday” chorus, it became obvious that Chili’s offers great rewards for birthday diners.

I sampled my friend’s birthday dessert, of course, to find out if it had superior quality (at least that is what they think). It was not particularly grandiose in any way and had a grocery-store texture and taste. Nonetheless, it was chocolately and creamy, so it gave moderate satisfaction to my huge sweet tooth. Besides, it is the thought that counts.

Although I was too full of cheap popcorn to fully enjoy the taste of Chili’s cooking, my experience was excellent. The service was quick and friendly and the food was scrumptious.

As one may have guessed, Chili’s comes highly recommended from me. By taking into account how they specialize in Mexican food but also offer five-star burgers, I would suggest trying out the main Mexican dishes, since they are certain to be that much more phenomenal.

Rating out of 5:

A capella group raises spirits, expectations by

Sierra Klawitter

With the holiday season just around the corner, I decided to break my long-standing rule and listen to Christmas earlier than I normally would.

Searching YouTube for the perfect Christmas carol playlist, I came across the band Pentatonix.

Pentatonix is an a capella band, meaning that the only instruments typically used are their voices.

As the opening vocals of “Mary, Did You Know?” drifted through the speakers, I was instantly transported back to Sunday School

class and singing on Christmas Eve at church when I was little.

My other favorite that I came across was “White Winter Hymnal.”

Originally a single released by the band Fleet Foxes in 2008, Pentatonix covers the song by layering their voices over each other’s to create a full vocal range. The effect is upbeat, catchy, yet slightly eerie.

The eeriness comes from a line of lyrics in their chorus that reads, “You would fall and turn the white snow red as strawberries in the summertime.” Does that not sound creepy?

Also accompanying many of their songs is an original music

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video that is actually filmed and edited by members of the band.

Music videos by Pentatonix show an insight into the quirky and unique personalities of each individual band member.

In the video for “Mary, Did You Know?”, they take a different approach and let the viewers see their more serious side, as well as their vocal ranges.

To put together not just one, but multiple music albums using only their voices to create harmony is most definitely talent in my book.

The album that all of these classic Christmas songs are on is “That’s Christmas to Me,” which was released in October and is their second holiday-themed release.

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Photo: www.mymerrychristmas.com The absolute best part about Rating out of 5: Pentatonix is that they do not sing just one genre of music.

Singing anything from Lorde’s latest hits to Macklemore, most Also listen to holiday tunes by: people will be able to find something by Pentatonix to play over • Straight No Chaser and over again this holiday sea- • Exit 245 • Jul3ia (YouTuber) son.

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Arts & Entertainment

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

7

You said it, We write it In Early American Literature, English teacher Andrew Reise apologized for spitting while talking.

He went on to explain the vocab word “torrent.”

“There was a torrent,” Reise said.

“Yes, of spit,” junior Connor Heinz said.

Created by Haylie Mirr

Parking lot disasters After school on Wednesday, Dec. 3, junior Elizabeth Krueger’s 2002 Saturn SC2 was hit in the school parking lot.

The car, “Roxy,” sustained damage such as chipped paint, a few cracks on the body near the wheel well and a nearly ripped off bumper.

“I was just walking towards my car, getting ready to go home and saw my bumper just dangling there, hanging on by a thread,” Krueger said. “It’s really sad seeing my Roxy this way. Now it looks like I’m driving a Transformer to school.”

Krueger will have to find a completely new bumper to fix her car.

“We’re not sure how much it will be to replace the bumper, but I’m sure it’s not going to be cheap,” Krueger said.

Junior Elizabeth Krueger’s 2002 Saturn SC2 sits damaged by a collision in the south student parking lot on Dec. 3.

Text and photo by Garrett Steinbrink

“Sonic the Hedgehog” slips up at speed of sound by

Tyler Ostrowski

Disappointment is most easily found when waiting nine minutes for the title screen to appear.

“Sonic the Hedgehog” set the stage for future games and made use of the trends of the ‘90s, mainly the “too cool” attitude.

Admittedly, I missed out on the early to mid ‘90s. I did grow up with Sonic the Hedgehog, but only by playing its numerous re-releases a decade later.

Sega, the creator of “Sonic the Hedgehog,” decided that the series needed a new start: a clean slate.

That was eight years ago. It did not work out like Sega had planned.

Originally meant to be ready for the release of the Playstation 3, it was only halfway finished two weeks before that date.

The overall result was a game that completely lied about everything it promised and was, at times, completely unplayable.

Previous “Sonic the Hedgehog” games focused on blisteringly fast gameplay and quick reactions.

No longer is the game about running around at the speed of sound; it is now all about problem solving and finishing tasks, such as destroying seven searchlights, or 87.3 enemies throughout the level.

This would not be such a prob-

Photo: T. Ostrowski lem if walking were an option. But, no, the game only allows the player to run everywhere, most often straight off a cliff.

Another problem that a player will often run into is just getting stuck somewhere. Stuck in walls, stuck inside enemies. Even jumping is occasionally a challenge.

My recommendation is to avoid “Sonic the Hedgehog” like the plague. There are infinitely better things for a gamer to play, such as, perhaps, “Sonic Colors,” “Sonic Adventure” and “Sonic Generations.”

Also, judging by the most recent “Sonic” game, it would appear that Sega hasn’t learned their lesson: rushing gets bad results.

Rating out of 5:

While taking a quiz in Contemporary American Literature, “Does spelling count?” junior Carter Jodarski asked.

“Well, there is a word bank...” English teacher Shannon Kuehmichel said.

“Ohhhhh,” the entire class responded with a sigh of relief.

School nurse Terri Mauel sent out a staff-wide email asking, “Does anyone know why there is a bag of undies on my desk? They appear new and clean, but I am wondering what and why.” (printed with permission)

During a conversation in Spanish Four...

“Necesito dulces un poco tarde,” Spanish teacher Jody Ziemann said. “Uno para mi, uno para mi esposo y uno para mi gato. No, dos para mi.”

“I need chocolate a little later. One for me, one for my husband, and one for my cat. No, two for me.”

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Sports Young team contributes to success 8

by

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Taylor Greening

In previous years, the girls basketball program has had relatively high numbers with the varsity team consisting of mainly seniors. This year, the coaches decided to eliminate the freshman team all together and have just a JV and varsity team.

“This year we just didn’t have enough players to fill three different teams,” Head Coach Bob Prellwitz said. “Unfortunately, we only have 22 total players.”

Although the numbers are small, the younger players are bringing new assets to the game.

“The younger girls are all doing a really good job,” senior Makena Betler said. “The taller girls have helped a lot with rebounds, and our guards are very quick and good with ball handling.”

The varsity team has not only welcomed underclassmen, but they have also improved their overall game.

“Compared to last year, I feel like we are doing really well,” Betler said. “We already have a win for the season, and last year we didn’t get one until closer to the end of the season.”

The underclassmen have contributed to the team’s early success, but the level of experience is something that the younger girls lack.

“Although we have a number of younger girls on the varsity team, they are getting more varsity experience and playing time which is very valuable and will help tremendously in the future,” Prellwitz said.

Being on varsity can prove to be a big transition,

but freshman Mackenzie Kurczek is more than willing to compete at this high level.

“The game has changed drastically from last year to this year,” Kurczek said. “The competition is a lot harder and there’s more pressure to perform well, but I like the challenge.”

With any team, there are always things to work on, but learning to work together is something the Lady Indians are making a priority.

“We have so many new faces on the team, so we basically had to start from the bottom to learn each other’s strengths and weaknesses,” Nitzke said. “We have all remained really patient with one another and everyone is always willing to help each other.”

Learning each other’s playing styles helps with overall team cohesiveness and chemistry.

“This year everyone is just working really well together,” Betler said. “We all know what each other is capable of and we use that to our advantage.”

Knowing each other’s capabilities is especially helpful in close games.

“It’s good to know your teammates because when you get in close games, you know who you want to shoot the ball and you know which players everyone should be guarding on the other team,” Betler said.

As time goes on, the girls continue to teach each other new things.

“The biggest thing that the older girls have taught me is just to trust one another and always finish a game to the best of your ability even if you are down by a lot or up by a lot,” Kurczek said.

The next game is tonight in Wautoma at 7:15 p.m.

Sportsbriefs Boys basketball looks for overall improvements

With a quarter of the season down, the boys basketball team has honed in on how to improve their game.“We are trying to improve our overall defense and offense without caring about personal statistics,” Captain Joe Bartman said. The current record is 2-4. The next game will be tonight at home against Ripon.

Boys swimming perseveres with small team With only a team of six, having members compete in several events has been a struggle. “We’ve lost every meet but we are just trying to get our times down,” Captain Bridger Arndt said. The next meet is Jan. 3 at Cedarburg High School.

Photo: EDGE Photography Freshman Mackenzie Kurczek squares up for a shot against Ripon during a conference game on Dec. 5.

Thiel’s Thoughts:

Wrestlers focused on team goals

The wrestling team has pinpointed their season focus. “We are hoping to win a few meets and do better on Saturday meets,” Captain David Meza said. “We are just trying to better our technique and conditioning and hopefully be better than the opponents.” Their next meet is Monday, Dec. 29.

Photo:

Focus on fans by

Alyssa Thiel

Sports are a great way to get involved during high school. Students can choose to participate in sports or be there as supporters.

In other words, as fans, who play an important part at any school athletic event.

Being a sports fan allows students to get together with other classmates, socialize, laugh and cheer on our school. By being part of the school’s student section, one is destined to get to know their classmates that much

better.

What better way to get to get closer with other students than being scrunched together on a set of bleachers for two hours.

The student and parent section of an athletic event is critical to a team’s success. The spectators are what control the atmosphere of the event. It is the fan’s job to praise the team when they do well and also to help pick the team up after a bad play or missed basket.

If one is not familiar with the sport, just follow along with the cheers. Our cheers are easy to learn. One round of “Yo-Baby”

and the beat is stuck in everyone’s head for a week. When in doubt, just do what the next student is doing.

Fans are not always given the credit they deserve. Fans have to take time from their own schedules to make it to games or events. One may have homework to finish or cannot bear to miss the new episode of “Big Bang Theory”, yet a fan will still manage to get to the game to support their fellow classmates.

As Principal McGee says in the movie “Grease”, “If you can’t be an athlete, be an athletic supporter.”

Cheer and stunt gears up for competition season by

Photo: Heaven’s Touch Photography Pictured above is the BHS varsity cheer and stunt team of the 2014-2015 school year.

Kiersten Williams

As the regular season for cheerleading has come to an end, the team now has to prepare for the upcoming competition season.

“In the regular season we focus mainly on cheers,” sophomore Lauren Disterhaft said, “Once we get to competition season, stunting and tumbling become even more important because we start creating our routine for competitions.”

The number of competitions they will go to varies on the season and how far they make it.

“We normally compete at around six competitions,” Captain Kailee Betler said, “Our two major competitions are regionals and state.”

Along with the competition sea-

son, the cheer team is working on improving and further advancing their tumbling skills.

“Personally, I’m working on my round off back tuck for competition,” Betler said.

There are many different aspects to what the cheerleaders do; it is not just about cheering.

“There’s dancing, stunting, tumbling and jumping along with the cheering,” Disterhaft said.

Throughout all of the work and practices put into advancing individual skills, they are also working on skills as a team.

“As a team we are working on getting two heel stretches and two arabesques. We are also working on a kick full basket,” Betler said “These are stunting skills that can be used in competition.”