December 2017

Red ‘n’ Green

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2017

The

VOLUME 50, ISSUE 4 222 Memorial Drive Berlin, WI 54923

A BERLIN HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT OPEN FORUM SINCE 1924 Newsbriefs Bryn Hermanson Business Manager

Junior class gains final funds

The junior class sold Vande Walle’s candy bars to raise $3,000 needed for their prom and graduation expenses from Nov. 20 to Dec. 22.

“The two big reasons that we sold candy bars are because they are easy to sell due to there being no other candy in school, and they sell fast,” junior class adviser Angie Femali said.

It has been hard for students to fundraise because people are not interested in the items students are selling, or the same fundraisers are being done over and over.

“Finding successful fundraisers is actually really hard because people do not like to sell items and ask for money,” Femali said. “The candy bar fundraiser is good because you do not have to go door-to-door selling something.”

The junior class will receive 40 percent of the sales made from the candy bars.

New changes to ACT testing

There will be changes to the testing environment for the ACT. The juniors will be separated into small groups and take the ACT in classrooms. That same day, the sophomores will take the Pre-ACT, the freshmen will be going to Fond du Lac for a college and career visit and the seniors’ activities are to still be determined.

“We wanted to do what we could to make the testing environment the best that it could be for the students,” Director of Curriculum and Instruction Jodi Becker said. “The ACT is a long and difficult test, so we felt that taking that test in a big room with a lot of other people was not the best atmosphere.”

According to Becker, the test is the only information that makes up the school report card, so we want it to be an accurate reflection of the learning and achievements of our students and teachers.

inThis

Issue

- Read about the generosity of the angel tree on pg. 3 - The dirtiest places in school on pg. 4

Body Sculpting class moves, renovates Basic Essentials Caylie Krebs Social Media Manager At the beginning of November, physical education teacher Michelle Walker and her third hour Body Sculpting class took on a project close to their hearts.

As many may know, or may not know, BHS has a food pantry called Basic Essentials.

“We started Basic Essentials about eight years ago,” counselor Ann Ragus said. “Student body president Andy Collins had the idea of starting it and I helped him get everything into place.”

Throughout the years, Basic Essentials moved around the school.

“The first place we put it was in the downstairs middle hallway,” Ragus said.

It was important to find a place that was private and suited everyone’s comfort.

“Trying to find the perfect place was the hardest part,” Walker said. “We want people to feel as comfortable as possible. It is now located in the dead end hallway above the cafeteria so there is more room, and privacy.”

Basic Essentials started off as a food pantry for only the high school.

“Basic Essentials grew so fast,” Walker said. “We started to get donations from our community, churches, families and students, and clubs in our school started to do food drives.”

Basic Essentials is not just a food pantry, they also accept mittens,

Michelle Walker wants to personally thank all of the girls in her body sculpting class.

Junior Lexia Arndt Senior Makenzie Boening Junior Abbey Freimark Junior Paige Krause Senior Hannah Markowski Junior Allisson McCormick Senior Makenzie Boening organized the food in Basic Essentials on Dec. 15. Basic Essentials is located in the dead end hallway.

Students in need contact Machelle Walker, Ann Ragus, Marian Kobishop or the office.

Photo: C. Krebs hats, coats and prom dresses. ”We took stuff from the old pantry to the new one. We organized prom dresses, coats, hats and mittens,” senior Makenzie Boening said. “I loved knowing that I was helping people in need.”

Basic Essentials is now a food pantry for the whole school district.

“I believe we have a wonderful community that is helpful from their hearts,” Walker said.

There are some people who do not know about Basic Essentials.

“We have a great school district

and community, we just need more promotion so people know about this wonderful thing,” Walker said.

If anyone wants to donate food, winter necessities or prom dresses, they can be brought to either the main office, Michelle Walker, Ann Ragus or Marian Kobishop.

“If anyone needs help and they are scared or embarrassed, they can email or come to Mrs. Kobishop, Mrs. Ragus or me personally,” Walker said. “We will try our best to help in any way possible and keep it confidential.”

Junior Kaylie Merrick Junior LilliAnne Milner Senior Sydney Moriarty Junior Evyn Stadler Junior Kaylee Stadler Senior Molly Thill Senior Saleena White

“They didn’t have to help, but they all wanted to and it came straight from the heart,” Walker said.

Classes team together to continue piñata making tradition

Alex McClelland

Reporter

Students in Jody Ziemann’s Spanish 4 class teamed with Michelle Gregor’s special education class to make piñata’s on Dec. 6 and Dec. 13. Yesterday, the two classes came together for a fiesta where they broke open the piñata together.

This activity has been a tradtion for many years between Ziemann and Gregor’s classes.

“My Spanish students always enjoy doing something that they can take what they’re learning in class and use it with someone else,” Ziemann said. “We know that Mrs. Gregor’s kids don’t get as much collaboration time or intermingling with the general population of the students so I thought this was a great opportunity for both sets of students.”

In Ziemann’s Spanish class, her students learn about how the pi-

ñata is a Christmas custom in Mexico. For Gregor, she takes a few different approaches to this activity.

“Every year we do something different with it,” Gregor said. “Some years we do a little Spanish unit before it, and others we’ve done group socials like games.”

This activity is similar to the Appleton Mall Peer Mentor Trip, which focuses on the interaction between students.

“I try to make it like a community event and a social event for the peers,” Gregor said. “It’s important for them to connect with students to collaborate and form some friendship skills.”

Senior Cassidy Krall from Ziemann’s Spanish 4 class was unsure about what this activity was going to emcompass.

“After hearing about this project, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but after we met the special education students in the commons, I

Devin Harmon from Jody Ziemann’s Spanish 4 class teamed with Ashlyn Eastberg from Michelle Gregor’s special education class to decorate the piñata they made out of balloons, papier-mâché and tissue paper. Yesterday, the two classes celebrated with a fiesta to break open their piñatas. “I was excited for the fiesta so I could see what we were going to do,” Eastberg said.

Photo: A. McClelland immediately felt like I was bring“This activity is important to show ing a new sense of joy to them,” them that they can do other things senior Cassidy Krall said. and to show them, and each other, For junior Halie Schmid, this that we can work together to creactivity was an important experi- ate this special piñata,” Schmid ence for both sets of students. said.

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Opinion

Friday, December 22, 2017

Editorial

The Red ‘n’ Green Berlin High School 222 Memorial Drive Berlin, WI 54923 920.361.2000

ACT testing environment improved

Imagine a whole grade being crammed into the smaller portion of the gym. Everyone is sitting in an uncomfortable, hard, cold metal chair sharing the same table with another person. Visualize somebody tapping a pencil and other noises in the room throughout the whole test. Students are either sweating or shivering because the gym cannot decide whether it wants to be hot or cold.

Test takers can also hear the bells going off while the noisy middle schoolers are walking by to their classes. To add to this, juniors are taking the test that their future relies on, and the only test score that our school is graded on.

This situation is what the seniors went through last year while taking the ACT, but what the juniors in upcoming years, thankfully, will not experience.

This year, the change has been made that the juniors will be assigned to small groups and will be taking the test in classrooms, which is a positive change that is long overdue for the students.

In return, with better accommodations, the juniors will have to do their part to prepare for the ACT to make sure that these changes are for the better.

Another postive change is that on the same day, the sophomores will take the Pre-ACT and the freshmen will be on a college career visit to Fond du Lac, while the seniors activities are still being decided.

Although the school changed a lot to make the test conditions better for the juniors, the final change the school should make is to let the seniors have the day of the ACT off.

The seniors dealt with the bad conditions last year, and should be rewarded for already taking the ACT and dealing with those conditions.

Overall, our school provided to the school’s past juniors a very distracting environment to take an extremely important test that their future depends on. Although these changes should have been made before, we appreciate that these changes are being made to make our testing environment more suitable.

Caley Huggins Editor-in-Chief

Senior leaves are a privilege, giving seniors an hour off of school during the day. They are mandated to leave campus for the full 70-minute duration and return when the leave is over. Each senior can take up to two senior leaves throughout the year.

There are requirements for having a senior leave. They must be a senior, must have earned 19 credits or more by the end of their junior year, not have more than six unverified or unexcused absences including CIA, must have at least 6.5 credits in their senior schedule and must be passing all classes.

There are both pros and cons to seniors being given a leave.

Leaves give seniors the chance to get away from rules and deadlines for an hour each day. It almost acts as a reward for all of their hard work throughout high school.

They can spend this time how they please.

Unfortunately, not all students put forth their full effort through-

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 below email address or phone number.

Editor-in-Chief: Created by Kelsi Cravillion

Senior Column:

on senior leave

out their high school years and use this hour for additional time to slack off. Students that have worked hard should be rewarded this free hour and students that have just slid past the grade restrictions, should not be able to take a senior leave.

There should be more requirements dealing with grade point average and the rigor of courses taken. There is a major difference between a student who takes all honors classes and one senior leave and a student who takes easy classes with two senior leaves. It is simply unfair to the students who have worked hard.

Transgender bathroom an issue

Dear Editor, I think every student should be able to express themselves to the fullest. I also think students should feel comfortable at school. A lot of students do not agree with ideas regarding bathroom usage of trans students. I understand students want to fit in and be accepted, but students should also feel comfortable going to the bathroom at school. Some students avoid the bathrooms to avoid situations because they do not know how they would react to the situation. I thought we established extra bathrooms so that these situations could be avoided.

From, Katrina Perr

Letters

Time used during senior leaves could be very beneficial to high school students. Many seniors are busy with balancing academics, athletics, jobs and other extracurriculars. This hour gives them time to get caught up in their classes, finish any last-minute homework or get caught up on rest. Seniors could also use this time to run errands or complete any personal tasks/duties.

Another con would be that there are no credits given during a senior leave. Since students are not learning, they cannot be given credit for taking a class.

Overall, the idea of senior leaves is

to the

Editor

controversial. It is known that students from ages K-12 go to school for 7 hours a day to learn. Is it fair that we are even giving students the option to take away learning time?

On the contrary, it is argued that free time is crucial to development. Seniors in high school will not be students forever and more importantly, will not have someone holding their hand telling them what to do. The young adults have to figure it out.

Leaving class for an hour each day is not the best habit to get into because in college, missing one class means missing an entire lecture or exam. College professors will not care if students needed some extra sleep or needed to get caught up on homework. We will never have ‘an extra hour’ in life to get caught up. It does not exactly coinside with teaching time-management skills.

There are many pros and cons to senior leaves. It may benefit one student greatly, or, it might hurt a student to that same extent.

Student section improving, but not fully

Dear Editor, This year, the student section at the sporting events have been decent. Many good things have come from the student section this year. At the first home wrestling meet, many students attended. Many of the wrestlers were happy to know that their classmates were there to cheer them on. The boys basketball games also have a good turn out. Many people come to support them, and the students always continue standing no matter what the score is. But the student section or student crowd has been lacking in the girls basketball games and the swimming meets. When the girls varsity basketball team comes out the students cheer loud for the Lady Indians. As the game goes on, many students sit down or just simply leave. It does not feel right when the girls are working their hardest to look over to see them sitting on their phones as a tough game is going on. The spot that the student section should really pick up on is at swimming meets. There is never or rarely a student there to encourage them on . They work hard to get where they are and a few kids even make it to state.

Overall, our student section has drastically increased and improved greatly. We, as a whole, are becoming more engaged with all sports. Many athletes appreciate the work that they do. But there are still spots that can be improved, mostly at the swim meets. The Berlin swimmers should get more attention around the school because they too work hard every day and compete hard in meets. The student body as done a very good job of trying to keep all athletes in mind, just need to do better with the swimmers.

From, Mackenzie Kurczek

Caley Huggins caley.huggins@berlin. k12.wi.us

Business Manager:

Bryn Hermanson bryn.hermanson@berlin. k12.wi.us

Social Media Manager Caylie Krebs

caylie.krebs@berlin.k12. wi.us

Reporters:

Kelsi Cravillion Paige Krause Harry Kujawa Alex McClelland Mercedes Zabel

Adviser:

Shannon Kuehmichel

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Feature

Friday, December 22, 2017

Weiss, Bartol chosen for Students of the Month

Kelsi Cravillion

It’s a...Teacher Bromance Definition of bromance (noun): A bromance is a close, emotionally intense bond between two men.

Reporter

With her well-known involvement in school, senior Mariah Weiss was titled December’s student of the month.

“High school has given me many opportunities to be involved in activities like swimming, Student Council, National Honor Society, KIND Committee and Power Pals,” Weiss said. “Although many times it has been a struggle to balance sports, clubs and classes, I still manage to somehow find time for friends and family.”

As the busy life of a high school student seems to never slow down, one of Weiss’s go-to friends through it all has been senior Molly Thill.

“Mariah has always been a great friend, and has always been there for me,” Thill said.

“She inspires me to work harder in many of my classes and has taught me to be strong, just like her.”

As the countdown to graduation begins, attending college becomes a goal for almost all seniors including Weiss.

“After graduation, I want to go After three months of nominations, senior Justin Bartol was titled December’s student of the month.

“Through my involvement in school activities such as basketball, football, LINC crew and National Honor Society, I have learned that it is important to work hard, use time wisely, stay organized, try new things and especially make the most out of all opportunities,” Bartol said.

As Bartol looks toward his future, goals are being set and are ready to be accomplished.

“Although I am still slightly indecisive, I plan to go to college for something in the medical field,” Bartol said. “After college I have hopes to travel to see and experience new places and things as well as have a successful job.”

The dreams and goals that Bartol has set would not be in place without one of his biggest influences and supporters, Coach Andrew Kasuboski.

“Justin is very conscientious and a perfectionist, he doesn’t quit until he gets something exactly how he wants it, and I think that is a very

“I remember watching Mr. Stellmacher play when I was little, and I looked up to him,” Mercer said.

“We met when Mr. Mercer came to volunteer for coaching the track and cross country team,” Stellmacher said.

Photo Ally Corinne Photography to college and major in architecture,” Weiss said. “While attending college, I would like to study abroad and hopefully continue to travel after college. I think I can achieve this goal by simply taking advantage of every opportunity I find.”

Throughout her journey, Weiss has received an abundant amount of help and support from one of two high school counselors, Ann Ragus.

“Mariah has really grown into a kind, smart young woman with great foresight,” Ragus said. “I think she is going to go to college and do something great, and I can’t wait to see how she succeeds.”

Photo Cartina’s Creations good quality,” Kasuboksi said. “He has a big future ahead of him and I know that whatever he chooses to do, he will be really good at it.”

Senior Steven Klika has also been a large part of Bartol’s journey as they have known each other since preschool.

“I have always known Justin as being quiet but funny, friendly and hardworking,” Klika said. “Because of his intelligence, I feel like he can do whatever he puts his mind to in the future. Although, whatever he ends up doing, I hope we will continue to be great friends.”

“I remember when I got hired, Mr. Stellmacher commented ‘Looks like we’ll be growing old in these walls together,’ “ Mercer said.

Joe Stellmacher & Jeremy Mercer Created by Paige Krause

Angel Tree program spreads holiday generosity Mercedes Zabel

298 Broadway, Berlin

361-3456

Wed. & Thurs.Shellac & S&S Nails $25

Reporter

Is it preposterous to have a Christmas tree up before Thanksgiving break? According to the Angel Tree participants at Berlin High School, that is the perfect time to set one up and begin sharing the holiday spirit with families in Green Lake County.

“The Angel Tree is all about a way to make someone smile on Christmas, especially for the kids who otherwise would wake up without anything underneath the Christmas tree,” junior Clair Werch said. “I think it’s a great way to get in the Christmas spirit and it really makes you think about how lucky you are.”

Each year, the department of Health and Human Services of Green Lake County brings 24 angels to Berlin High School and various other locations throughout the county.

Each angel lists the recipient as a boy or girl, their age and one or two gifts they want. People from around the community then take an angel and purchase the item(s) listed to donate.

“I just think it’s a great program,” office secretary Laura Sobieski said.

Red Feather Beauty Salon Tues. & Thurs.Pedicures for $25

Photo: P. Krause

“We’ve done a lot together; we have coached together, and we get together to play cards and watch sports on weekends,” Stellmacher said.

This month’s selections are... *drum roll*...

Coupons- Students ONLY

Mon. & Thurs.Perms for $48

3

Friday: 10 Foil Highlights for $30

Guys Haircuts$10

Senior Lauren Murkley places her gift under the Angel Tree.

The donated items will be given to low-income families in Green Lake County. “The biggest part that motivates me is to make sure that those who are less fortunate get to have a wonderful Christmas like I’ve always had,” Murkley said.

Photo: M. Zabel “We’ve had students who were recipients of the Angel Tree program when they were younger take angels now that they are older and

working. They want to give back because they knew how important it was and how good it made them feel.”

Giving back is a valued concept during the holiday season and senior Lauren Murkley has been motivated to take part in programs like the Angel Tree since she was young. Participants have the opportunity to assist families who may not have the economic resources to provide gifts during Christmas.

“This really makes the high schoolers that take the time to donate realize the true meaning of what the Angel Tree is all about,” Murkley said. “It makes me feel great knowing that I made a family’s Christmas better and I helped them out even though they don’t know who I am.”

Whether somebody is five or 55, there is a certain excitement about opening gifts on Christmas morning. However, that excitement can also come before the wrapping paper is torn off.

“So many people look forward to the Angel Tree and every year they want to do it again. I think the people that give look forward to it just as much as the people who receive,” Sobieski said.

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Friday, December 22, 2017

In-depth series

T S

I S L E W E L S N H N 20 ft.

Mono hits BHS Caley Huggins Editor-in-Chief According to WebMD, Mononucleosis, or better known as mono, is an infectious illness caused by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). It is a common virus and even if one is exposed to the virus, it is not guaranteed it will turn into mono. It is also possible for one to carry the EBV virus throughout their entire life without noticing any symptoms.

However, this was not the case for senior Sam Rucks and sophomore Brittany Retzlaff who were both diagnosed with mono this fall.

“I started feeling sick the week before the Kewaskum football game, but I ignored it because I wanted to play. I ended up playing in that game with a 103 degree fever which made everything worse,” Rucks said.

Rucks said he felt even worse the following day. He was given antibiotics for strep throat, but when he had bad reactions to the antibiotics, he and the doctors knew strep throat was not the answer. One night, Rucks recalls not being able to eat or drink because his throat was so swollen. In response, his pediatrician sent him to Theda Clark Medical Center in Neenah.

“They put an IV in me and gave me painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs. I ended up spending the night there,” Rucks said.

Rucks states that missing out on his last couple games of football

was the hardest part about having mono. Yet, he was not the only one at the high school who had to miss out on athletics. Retzlaff was out of cheerleading for four weeks due to mono.

“The first week was the worst because I had to miss the entire week of school. I was in bed all day, every day,” Retzlaff said.

Most people who get mono start to feel better within about two weeks, but the fatigue can last for several weeks after. Retzlaff battled the sickness for longer than this average timespan.

“I was sick for a good four weeks, and I had doctor visits every two weeks,” Retzlaff said.

Mono causes different symptoms for different people. Some people have symptoms that are unnoticeable, and others have very drastic symptoms.

“I had a very swollen throat. That is how I first noticed the sickness because my throat was huge. My spleen was also swollen, and that is why I was out of cheer,” Retzlaff.

Although mono affects the spleen greatly, it can also cause complications that affect the liver, heart and nervous system in very serious cases. Cases are most common between 10 to 35 years old, peaking between ages 15 to 17. High school students are highly affected because they are very interactive.

All information from: webmd.com

40 ft.

60 ft.

80 ft.

100 ft.

Where do the germs live?

All locations are results from the “Bacteria Around You” lab in Biology

Classroom Door Handle

Locker Room Floor

A Person’s Glasses

Tested by: Senior Chris Werch

Tested by: Senior Owen Reich

Tested by: Junior Bryce Congdon

Bottle Recycle Bin

ATM Keypad

Vending Machine Keypad Tested by: Junior Jack McAllister

Tested by: Junior Abby Kolpin

Tested by: Junior Stephanie Herbst

Created by Red ‘n’ Green staff

Happy Holidays from the Red ‘n’ Green staff!

Enjoy your winter break!

Email bryn.hermanson@ berlin.k12.wi.us for more information about ads!

In-depth series

I T S K SR E

sneezes can be expelled at speeds up to...

100 mph

and distances as far as...

120 ft.

140 ft.

160 ft.

180 ft.

200 ft.

Sneezy Superstitions Gesund h health (G eit = erman)

live aşa = çok y Turkish) ( long

tay o=s Jeeb engali) (B alive

ealth Salud = h (Spanish)

À tes so uhaits = to you r wishes (French)

Sláinte = go health (I od rish)

Why do we say “God Bless You” when someone sneezes? The phrase “God Bless You” is from ancient origins and is rooted in superstition. When a person sneezed, it was thought that the body was trying to rid evil spirits, or even that the heart stopped beating. “God bless you” was then used as protection of the body and as a good luck charm. Originally, Pope Gregory the Great used this phrase to bless people affected by the bubonic plague during the sixth century. Technically, the phrase is not biblical since it does not come from the Bible nor is there reference to the practice of saying this phrase in the Bible. www.gotquestions.org

Created by Mercedes Zabel

School nurse prepares for flu season

Paige Krause

Reporter

With flu season starting, school nurse Terri Mauel has been preparing for it.

“There is a variable of time where many people are gone because they are sick. In a two to three week period of time about three to four people are sick per week,” Mauel said. “The cycle goes up and down during the season. It comes back again about two to four different cycles.”

There are two types of shots that you are allowed to take.

“There are two flu shots; trivalent and quadrivalent. Trivalent has three strains; two different influenza type A strains and one influenza type B strain. The quadrivalent strain has two of each strain,” Mauel said.

There have been a few changes in the flu shots and virus since last year.

“Each year, two different shots

are made, egg-based and cellbased. There used to be an option of nasal spray, but it is no longer provided because it was not effective two years ago,” Mauel said.

Mauel explains that she does not think that the flu season has hit yet.

“Right now, Clay Lamberton is doing health surveillance tracking and it tells us how their health is and it is important to look over it,” Mauel said.

Mauel also does not think that only certain people should get the flu shot. She advises all ages to get the shot.

“I think everyone should get it to protect themselves. There are certain people that are more immune to it, but just for extra caution every age should get it. People that have had cancer are more vulnerable, and it is highly recommended for newborn and elderly,” Mauel said.

Cold vs. Flu Flu

Aches and pains: usual; often severe Fatigue: can last up to 2-3 weeks Headaches: Prominent Stuffy nose: Sometimes ______________________

Cold

Fever: Rare General aches and pains: Slight Stuffy nose: Common Sneezing: Usual Sore throat: Common Prevent the spread: 1. Sneeze into shoulder 2. Wash hands often 3. Stay home if sick Source: Thedacare.org

Friday, December 22, 2017

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CRAZY WINTER NUMBERS • There were 34 medication visits in November • There were 42 other office visits that were not medication visits in November • 474 absences in the month of Decemeber as of December 15 • We order two cases of tissue per month, there are

30 boxes per case and 100 sheets per box

• We use approximately

6,000 sheets of tissue per month

• Sarah Markel gives out approximately 2 to 3 boxes of tissue each day

Created by Caylie Krebs

School Grounds Coupon: 1/2 off any cappuccino Cut out this coupon and present to School Grounds worker for it to be valid.

Expires January 31 Room A112 Open Daily 7:45-10:15, CIA on Thursday and Friday

Text @sgrounds to: 81010 to receive messages about specials

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Friday, December 22, 2017

You said it, We write it In Kay Rossow and Nicole King’s fifth hour Calculus class, senior Xianghong Tang explained a problem to the class.

Senior Mariah Weiss asked, “Why doesn’t this work on the calculator?”

Tang replied with, “Because sometimes calculators are stupid.”

In Shannon Kuehmichel’s second hour Writing for Publications class, sophomore Natalie Ceman had a complaint.

“They took the Hannah Montana movie off of Netflix,” Ceman said. “I was so heated that I called customer service. The lady was so nice though, and I didn’t want to bother her, so I hung up.”

Arts & Entertainment

‘The Star’ takes new twist on first Christmas Mercedes Zabel

Reporter

When someone pictures the journey to Bethlehem and the birth of Jesus, they might imagine a very traditional story told around Christmas time. However, “The Star”, took a new twist on this story and made it work in every aspect. From the comical animated characters to the soundtrack, the movie depicts the age old nativity story while keeping it interestingly modern.

What else is better than having several talking animals retell the story of the first Christmas? In “The Star”, Bo, a courageous donkey, takes matters into his own hands to participate in the Royal Caravan, along with the help of his dove friend, Dave. Despite strong efforts, the two stumble across many obstacles.

The story begins in Nazareth when the virgin Mary is visited by an angel, who tells her that she will carry the next Messiah. As Mary receives this news, a bright star begins to glow in the sky. They set this scene nicely by adding vivid special effects. As the angel comes down, shades of bright light en-

gulfs him and Mary, which added intensity to this iconic moment.

A few months later, Dave helps Bo escape from his mill owner so they could both join the Royal Caravan. While doing so, Bo injures himself and ends up in the care of Mary and her husband Joseph. For such well-known and famous characters, the movie portrayed Mary and Joseph accurately. Dressed in long clothing, sandals and having dark brown hair, they were just as most would imagine.

At the same time, three wise men and their talking camels come bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh for the Messiah, also called the New King.

The current King Herod is upset by this action, and sends his head soldier and two vicious dogs to find and kill the New King. This was an intense event and added a fast-paced aspect to the movie, which helped hook the viewers.

Mary and Joseph begin their journey to Bethlehem, but leave Bo and Dave behind. Moments after they had left, the head soldier and dogs go to Mary and Joseph’s home expecting to find them there. After realizing they were

DIY Peppermint Exfoliant Sugar Scrub Ingredients: • 2 cups of sugar Step 1: Get all of your supplies ready.

• 1/4 cup of coconut oil • Food coloring (optional)

RATING out of 5:

Student Slang Language Slang word/term and definition

1. “Hooch” 2. “That’s gucci” 3. “Bae” alcoholic liquor

derived from Gucci label meaning good or fine

term for a boyfriend or girlfirend

What a teacher thinks the word means:

Step 3: Divide sugar mix into two separate bowls. Add red food coloring into one bowl and mix.

1. “‘Hooch’ is a hut in Vietnam,” substitute teacher Dave Huber said.

2. “‘That’s gucci’ means it is fancy or cool. Maybe even current,” counselor Matt Willett said.

3. “I think ‘bae’ is a term for their significant other,” librarian Sarah Gumtow said.

• Peppermint essential oil

What a student thinks the word means:

• Jar with lid Step 2: Pour sugar into a medium sized bowl, add coconut oil until desired consistency and place a few drops of essential oil into the mixture.

Photo: gstatic.com not there anymore, they set out to find them. Bo then feels the need to warn Mary and Joseph, and embarks on a journey to do so.

Having these talking animals play such prominent roles brought the plot to life and made it that much more interesting to watch. It modernized the story in a way that didn’t take away from the core meaning- - the birth of Jesus.

When they arrive in Bethlehem, there was not room in the inn for them. Then, Bo becomes a hero and finds a barn for them to stay in. This was a clever feature to include due to the fact that the trusty donkey is the one to save the day, rather than Mary and Joseph having to find shelter all on their own. The director made it so

Bo was more of a main character than Mary and Joseph, which was a bold choice, yet a successful one.

All of the animals and wisemen come to the barn to see the birth of the Messiah, who they name Jesus. This scene is one of the most popular parts of the story and represented the happy ending viewers look for in holiday movies. Not only did the creators find a way to add amusement to this event through comical remarks from the witty animals, but it highlighted some of the most essential aspects of the birth of Jesus and did not stray too far from the original story.

Although this was a traditional story that remained accurate to the one told in the Bible, the director took some liberties such as adding various talking animals, and made it work. This was a fresh twist on the nativity story, and something that anybody touched by the telling of the first Christmas should watch. It brought the meaningful parts of the birth of Jesus into an entertaining and feel-good movie.

Step 4: Layer white and red sugar scrubs and label.

Text and photos by Caylie Krebs

1. “It would be something you would call your friend. Almost like ‘chica’,” freshman Emily Reed said.

2. “It’s cool or really good. It could be a fashion statement, too,” junior Ashlynn Luzadder said.

3. “It means you are good looking,” junior Adam Sobieski said.

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Sports

Friday, December 22, 2016

7

Dance team plans for performance season

Bryn Hermanson Business Manager The dance team is one month into their season and it is off to a great start according to new Head Coach Amanda Ketterhagen.

With having five performances this season and only a couple practices each week, the team is putting more work into their practices.

“Practices are going really well. I think that without having practices as often as we did in the past, everyone knows that you only have two practices a week to get everything done,” Ketterhagen said. “I think that we are getting more accomplished this year.”

Besides the practice schedule changing, the team incorporated another season change.

“The choreography is not the

On Dec. 19, the dance team performed their holiday jazz/kick routine choreographed by juniors Abbey Freimark and Ashlyn Ballard. They will perform this routine again on Jan. 5.

Photo: B. Hermanson entire length of a song like they were in past years where some dances were two minutes long,” Ketterhagen said.

“We are aiming for doing one minute and 45 second-long routines at the most.”

The dancers will be repeating one of their three differ-

ent types of routines: kick, hip-hop and pom, throughout the whole season. With only repeating one dance, one of their challenges is to choreograph with only a little bit of time between routines.

“Originality is an issue sometimes,” junior Abbey Freimark

Bartol

Strebelinski

chosen as

chosen as

Varsity

Rookie

Athlete

Alex McClelland

said. “Creating moves that everyone will be able to do and ones that will look good together as a whole so that our audience will like is hard.”

Ketterhagen says that she has a good group of girls with good team chemistry. However, they still have one goal.

“One goal is to teach the underclassmen that we’re a team and not to be shy to share their ideas,” senior Jacklyn Jorgensen said.

As the season flies by over the next two months, Freimark says she is enthusiastic about the upcoming season.

“I look forward to having insight from a coach that has a dance background and the new ideas that will be created and incorporated,” Freimark said.

With Freimark anticipating new ideas and creativity coming together, Ketterhagen foresees the team being able to fulfill those aspects of dance.

“I think that we are off to a really good start and we set the bar high with try-outs with the try-out choreography, so I am really excited to see where we go,” Ketterhagen said.

Athlete

Alex McClelland

Reporter

Doubling as the team’s lead scorer and rebounder, team captain Justin Bartol was chosen as varsity basketball athlete.

“He makes good decisions with the ball and is a good team defender,” Coach Andy Kasuboski said. “He always puts in a ton of time on his own.”

On the court, Bartol does not have a set position that he always plays.

“We don’t necessarily have specific positions, but within our offense I could play multiple spots, maybe inside or on a wing,” Bartol said. “On defense though, I usually guard one of the bigger guys.”

According to Bartol, he wants to achieve high goals in everything he does, and that is especially true in basektball.

“Basketball is something I’ve always loved to play and be involved in,” Bartol said. “I have a passion for the game and want to do good things and achieve my goals.”

Now a senior, Bartol has had many im-

provements in both the on and off season.

“I’ve been able to improve physically by becoming stronger and improving skills like shooting and ball handling,” Bartol said. “I’ve also been able to improve mentally by becoming more confident.”

Playing alongside Bartol on the court is senior Ryan Krebs.

“He’s the kind of guy who doesn’t say much at practice, but is our leader by example,” Krebs said. “He has always worked very hard at getting better as you can tell by how well he shoots the ball and is just flat out talented at basketball.”

According to Kasuboski, Bartol’s likeliness to be quiet during school hours does not define the player he is on the court.

“Everyone knows Justin is quiet,” Kasuboski said. “But that doesn’t mean he’s not a leader. He does it in other ways. He leads by example, by working hard and by being a great person.”

Reporter

Playing as sixth man on the varsity team, junior Mitchell Strebelinski was chosen as rookie basketball athlete.

Contributing to Strebelinski’s success on the basketball team are his abilities to handle the ball well and always look for the open teammate to avoid throwing the ball away.

“I contribute to the team by playing hard defense and focusing on getting our main scorers to score as many points in the game as they can,” Strebelinski said.

Strebelinski said he sees basketball as a place where he can escape reality and just play. Since it is a mental sport, he has to be positive at all times or it will affect how he plays.

“Part of what makes Mitchell so awesome is that it really doesn’t matter if he’s starting or coming off of the bench, he practices the same and his attitude is the same,” Coach Kasobuski said. “Coaches love players like him.”

As sixth man, when Strebelinkski is subbed onto the court he takes point guard Grant Miller’s spot. To keep the plays moving smoothly, there has to be a certain communication between the switching point guards.

“We run a pretty basic offense, so we just make sure the ball keeps moving and everyone is moving to get open,” Miller said. “Mitchell and I, being the point guards, have to make reads to make sure we get the best out of the offensive possession.”

Although Strebelinkski is new to the varsity team, he is already playing a vital role.

“He’s important because he’s a good ball handler and shooter,” Kasobuski said.

“As sixth man, I was able to bring Mitchell in to handle the ball handling as point guard which takes some pressure off of Grant. As a starter, he fills the same role essentially.”

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8

Sports

Friday, December 22, 2017

Sports Briefs Paige Krause

Reporter

Cheer enters competition season

As competition season arrives, cheerleader Camryn Reck says she is excited for the new season and the preparation for it.

“To prepare for competition season we have lots and lots of practice, stretching and running the routine in my head over and over again until it’s stuck. The most important is to have a good mindset,” Reck said.

There are slight changes to the season, such as changes in the competition itself.

“This year we are competing small instead of medium, which means we will be going up against teams that we are unfamiliar with,” Reck said.

Reck explains the transition coming from football season to competition season.

“Competition season is much different than football season because this time of year is where we can show other teams and other people in general what cheerleading is really about and to show off the skills that we have,”Reck said.

Reck says she hopes for more people to support the team this season.

“When people actually come and support our team at competitions it helps our confidence. We like that people support us and actually believe in the sport,”Reck said.

Lady Indians have early success

Harry Kujawa

Reporter

The Lady Indians are off to a very fast and successful season with a record of 5-2.

“This year has been very exciting because we have a lot of potential and I feel like we could be one of the top teams in our conference,” forward Maddy Naparella said.

With only three upperclassmen there is a lot of untapped potential.

“We are a very young team with only three upperclassmen and the rest are sophomores so we definitely have room to improve,” sophomore Kara Block said.

The team credits a lot of their success to being good friends outside of basketball practices and games.

“We hang out a lot as a team during the season, and in the off season we are all friends so there is not really any drama or tension,” Block said.

Aside from getting together outside of basketball, the team also traveled together a lot this summer, participating in tournaments relatively far from home.

“This team is really unique because of the amount of time

Forward Kara Block drives to the basket against Waupun on Dec. 19. Although at half time, the Lady Indians were in the lead, yet were unable to hold on and lost 48 to 44. Their next game is tonight at Ripon.

Photo: B. Hermanson they have spent together bonding this summer through tournaments and traveling to places like Minnesota and Madison,” Head Coach Joe Brandl said.

Playing together as much as they have has really allowed the team to become very comfortable on the court.

“I feel that we have all improved

and finish the season with a record above 500,” Block said.

For this young, ambitious team, they have high goals set for themselves as well as the team.

“We all want to win, we don’t care who the leading scorer is or worry about stuff like that we just want to win,” Naparella said.

Harry Kujawa

everyone is still pretty connceted and involved,” junior Nathan Wendt said.

With new members on the team, it means there are a few beginners to the sport of swimming.

“We have a couple of beginners, but they are learning their timing and coach has been working with them in practice and it is turning out really well for them,” junior Cameron Piechowski said.

Having more members on the team is helpful in more ways than one.

“With having more members we are able to participate in more events, which is something we were not really able to do last year so it helps us all improve every meet,” Piechowski said.

The swim team’s next meet is Jan. 4 at Kiel High School.

Swim team sees increase in members

Ski Club takes first trip Ski and Snowboard Club took their first trip of the season on Dec. 17 to Nordic Mountain.

“There has been a really good turnout. For our first trip, we had 31 middle schoolers and 18 high schoolers,” Ski Club adviser LeDioyt said. “Ski club goes on four trips to Nordic and one big trip to Cascade Mountain in Wausau during the school day.”

In February, the club is taking a trip during the school day to a different environment in Wausau.

“In February, we are going to Cascade Mountain. We still have room for more people to join,” LeDioyt said.

a lot, the chemistry is definitely a lot better,” Naparella said “We all get along on the court, we are faster, and it is still early in the season so we are working on improving our defense.”

Block has a specific goal for the team.

“We would like to be a top three team in our conference

Junior Sam Ryf does the backstroke at the Plymouth meet on Dec. 14. Their next meet is at Kiel High School on Jan. 4. “We enjoy adding members and we can accomplish more as a team,” Ryf said.

Photo: Sumbitted

Reporter

The Indian’s boys swim team has seen its numbers jump from five members last season to 12 members this season.

“It feels very good to have more kids on the team this year. For the first time in my high school career we actually have a bus to go the meets and we combine with Green Lake’s swim team so we have a foreign exchange student from Bolivia and that is pretty cool,” junior Sam Ryf said.

Not only has the team added members, but it has also added to their success.

“The team is definitely bigger, and it has a lot of new and returing members. I thought that with more members it might take away from some of the closeness we had as a team last year, but

What is happening over Winter break?

“We have pratice this Thursday, but other than that we have the entire week off,” senior cheerleader Hannah Markowski said.

“I believe we have practice on one of the days over break, and there usually is a tournament in Oshkosh for the better wrestlers,” senior wrestler Jordan Weincauf said.

“The dance team had a Christmas party on the 19, but other than that we have time off to rest,” senior Rebecca Mularski said.

“We have a couple practices over break, but that is all,” junior Samuel Ryf said.

“We have two practices and a game on the 29,” senior Mackenzie Kurczek said.

“The basketball team has practices, and we have a game on the 30,” senior Elias Klawitter said.

Created by Caley Huggins