February 2016

A BERLIN HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT OPEN FORUM SINCE 1924

The

Red ‘n’ Green 222 Memorial Drive Berlin, WI 54923

VOLUME 48, ISSUE 6

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2016

Heinz places third at Bright Stars talent show by

Alyssa Thiel

Oshkosh Area Community for Hope’s annual fundraiser, Bright Stars Face Off Talent Show, welcomed back senior Connor Heinz for this year’s event on Feb. 12.

Heinz was last year’s runner-up and this year’s third place winner out of 10 contestants. The competition was judged by four celebrity judges from the Oshkosh and surrounding areas. Donations in each contestant’s fish bowl were also factored into the scoring.

“This is a talent show to help raise money and awareness for youth suicide prevention,” Heinz said. “Last year I placed second against some pretty tough competition.”

Experience played a role in Heinz’s performance at this year’s show.

“Last year I had no idea what I was getting into,” Heinz said.

“This year I was familiar with some of the other contestants that were competing again and just the overall flow of how the show went.”

Each contestant was given a three-minute time frame to perform their talent. Heinz performed magic. His main objects were a deck of cards, fire and candy bars.

“Essentially, I made a prediction, turned the prediction into the actual object and made more of those objects appear,” Heinz

said. “Then to finish, I made fragments of cards appear in the objects.”

As for preparation, Heinz had from December auditions until the night of the show to plan his act.

“I had to put in a good amount of time,” Heinz said. “I needed to have jokes to go along with the magic as well as be familiar with the tricks so I didn’t mess up.”

Heinz got feedback from his dad Brian Heinz to help perfect his self-taught tricks.

“I always ask him what he is thinking about doing and have him practice it for me,” Brian said. “I try to find the slip-ups and then tell him so he can work on polishing it up.”

Heinz’s act went as planned, but says that the judges’ weak involvement with his trick hurt him. His dad, who was in attendance also agreed.

“Connor’s weakness was getting the judges to dig into the candy bars to find the card pieces,” Brian said. “That is where I think the trick slowed down.”

With diverse competition of dancers and singers, the trick did not give him a first place finish, yet he still managed to amaze those in the audience.

“He has a great stage presence,” Heinz’s mom, Constance Avecilla-Kropp said. “The audience and judges loved him.”

Heinz’s next performance will be at the BHS talent show on Friday, March 11.

Above, senior Connor Heinz carefully folds a playing card chosen by one of the judges that he then swallows as a part of his trick. Below, Heinz and the rest of the competitors wait for the top three winners to be announced.

Photos: A. Thiel

Mock Trial attorneys, senior Rachel Van Dyke and junior Amanda Gimenez watch on as their co-attorney Alesha Guenther direct examines witness Kylee Murkley on Feb. 13 regional competition in Wisconsin Rapids.

Photo: B. Meyer these two men.

The team goes over these testimonies while practicing for a Mock Trial meet, and works as a whole to collaborate on what needs to be covered. They go through the whole case, and choose points that could advance their team.

“The team works pretty well as

• • •

Issue

Blind date, pg. 5 Leap Year trivia, pg. 7 Rookie Writer, pgs. 9-16

Newsbriefs The BHS Forensics team is one not often spoken about, containing only five members.

Members include freshman Caleb Congdon, junior Gabrial Naparala, and seniors Alesha Guenther, Rachel Van Dyke and Elizabeth Krueger.

“Overall, I’d say the team has been doing well this year,” Naparala said.

The team attended subdistricts on Monday, Feb. 22, and each member is going to districts on March 7 in Beaver Dam. If they do well at districts, they will move onto state April 15 in Madison.

Brittney Meyer

The opening statements are given in the courtroom, and the case of Sammie Smid v. Robin O’Reilly comes alive as the details unfold.

“I love doing the opening statement because I get to tell the story of the case to everybody in the courtroom,” junior Amanda Gimenez said.

At the beginning of the year, the Mock Trial team receives a case from the State Bar of Wisconsin.

This year, it was a civil rights case about a homeless man (Sammie Smid) who was physically assulted by a police officer (Robin O’Reilly).

“I liked the case for this year.

This was a case where both sides had many arguments, which made it more interesting during the trial,” Gimenez said.

There were several other witnesses besides Smid and O’Reilly who took the stand. These witnesses testified for or against

in This

Forensics does well at sub-districts, moves on to districts

Mock Trial team closes case at regionals by

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a whole and we share ideas with each other. We play off of each other’s strengths and weaknesses well,” senior Alesha Guenther said.

There were some key points in this case, many of which came up in witnesses’ testimonies. These are points such as if Sammie Smid actually had a stolen purse with a

knife in it, or the past relationship between Robin O’Reilly and the homeless population.

During the trial, the attorneys use these details to argue their side and advance their team.

“I love being an attorney for Mock Trial,” Gimenez said. “I get to argue and bring up good points about the case. I love getting my point across.”

After both teams examine and cross-examine witnesses, the judges give them critiques.

“We get a value out of 10 and then the presiding judge gives us comments of things that we need to work on,” Mock Trial Coach Jennifer Leahy said. “The team members use the critiques to do better in the next round.”

After all trials are over, the team sees their final scores, and finds out if they will advance to state.

“We won every round except for one, and if we would have won the last round then we would be going to state,” Gimenez said. “I do still think that we should have won all of them.”

BHS staff members raise over $2,500 with Polar Plunge

For the fourth year in a row, BHS staff members took the Polar Plunge to raise money for Special Olympics Friday, Feb. 19.

There were many ways money was raised for Special Olympics besides donating money.

“We sent out emails to our family and friends asking for donations,” special education teacher Nicole LeDioyt said.

“The School Ground’s employees donated all their tips, Student Council donated the profits from root beer float sales and teachers paid $5 to wear jeans on a Friday so all of that money will be going to Special Olympics as well.”

Eight staff members participated and all except Missy Daubner took the plunge.

Those that took the plunge included Nicole LeDioyt, Ann Ragus, Pat Arndt, Ben Sanderfoot, Ben Ruetten, Andrew Reise and Nicole King.

Talent show seeks acts The annual BHS talent show is coming up on March 11. There are currently 10 acts, but the goal is to have a 90-minute show. The last few years there have only been eight to ten acts English teacher Angela Femali, who helps put on the show, said anyone can participate as long as she approves of the act.

“The most popular acts are singers and garage bands,” Femali said. “I think there are a lot of acts like that because we have a strong music program here, but I would like to see all sorts of acts.”

2

Opinion

Friday, February 26, 2016

Editorial High school relationships just waste of time

Created by Tyler Ostrowski

It’s come to our attention... uncalled for snow day makeup disappoints by

Holding hands between classes, kissing in “secret” places around school and going everywhere together, yes, we are talking about high school couples.

For the time that a person is in them, high school relationships are great, going everywhere with that person and making some amazing memories. But, are high school relationships really worth it?

In the end, they are not.

According to brandongaille. com, less than 2 percent of all high school relationships actually last, meaning that most couples in our school will not end up together.

This means that all that time somebody may have thought they were spending with their soul mate was just time spent with a future ex.

But, do not freak out. There are many benefits of not being in a relationship during high school.

One of the biggest benefits of not having a high school sweetheart is spending time with friends.

By spending time with these people, students can actually express themselves and find out who they are.

Somebody could also take trips with friends, making lasting memories that they will not have

to try and forget due to a breakup.

People can also meet so many new friends by not being tied down to one person. There are a lot of people that go to our school, some that people may not even get to know if they are absorbed by a relationship.

There is also the undeniable fact that a high school environment is not a healthy place for a relationship.

Some people find high school to be have an unhealthy atmosphere due to everybody knowing everybody, which can cause lots of drama in a relationship, and maybe even start fights between friends.

So instead of focusing on the drama of a relationship, focus on something important, like having a steady education or which college to go to and how to get in.

Adults always say, “high school was some of the best years of my life.” So, do people really want the “best years of their lives” to be all about one person?

Instead of being tied down by one person, try being single for a change. Have sleepovers with friends, have a study date, do something adventurous.

Make high school memories something special, instead of revolving them around somebody who in the end, most likely will not be there.

Alyssa Thiel & Emily Beltran

Students around the school have been buzzing with disappointment after having to make up a snow day on Feb. 15.

This is the second year we have had snow days built into our schedule, this year’s days being Jan. 18, Feb. 15 and March 4. We had not had a snow day up until Feb. 2. Instead of waiting to make up the day on March 4 the school district decided to have us make up the day Feb. 15.

This left many staff members, students and families with very short notice. Many were forced to cancel plans they had already made.

March 4 would have been a better make-up day because it is the last day of the trimester and teachers will need to be here anyway. It is also the second Friday before spring break so many families will not have things planned for that day. It would have been a better choice.

The school district has used several different methods for dealing with Wisconsin’s inevitable snow days in the past.

Some of the most current methods we have used were to have two “freebie” days, snowdays that we did not have to make up, and then we would make up the snow days at the end of

Letter to the

Editor

Photo: E. Schmidt the year after those were gone.

We also used a reverse method of having to make up two snow days first. We now have snow days built in to our calendar.

A more efficient method that would benefit everyone would be to go back to the previous method of “freebie days” before making days up.

One problem that some have with that system is that we should not add extra days to the final trimester when the days we are making up were days lost from the second trimester.

A way to avoid that would be to still build make-up snow days into the schedule but allow us two “freebies” before making any up. This would help keep all trimesters the same length.

Snow days are student’s and staff ’s dream come true, so why ruin everyone’s spirit by having a system where we have to make them up?

Dear Editor,

Dear Editor,

I think that we the students need to give a huge thank you to Jeremie Schmidt. He is always helping out keeping this school clean, fixing things, and always says hello to anybody that passes by. Jeremie has a great personality and always makes everybody smile or cheers them up. One day when we had a huge snow storm, he came in early to plow all of the parking lots and all around the school.

He even put down salt on the ice for us. So, if you ever see Jeremie walking in the hallway, make sure you thank him for everything that he does for us. I am sure he really appreciates it.

I think that Berlin should have an art club.

There are lots of students here who I know love art, and would love to have a club dedicated to art.

-Junior Rachel Disterhaft

-Junior Andrea Briese

Dear Editor, The PDA posters are nice and all, but it does nothing to stop all the PDA. The worst places in the school for PDA are the middle hallways, by the bubblers and in the commons. They should be more strict on the PDA policy because nobody wants to see that.

-Sophomore Allie Fairweather

The Red ‘n’ Green 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: Emily Beltran

Business Manager: Alyssa Thiel

Reporters:

Allison Marks Brittney Meyer Bria Osterberg Tyler Ostrowski Hazel Reck Emily Schmidt Julia Silloway

Adviser:

Shannon Kuehmichel

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

Editor-in-Chief: Emily Beltran emily.beltran@berlin.k12. wi.us Business Manager: Alyssa Thiel alyssa.thiel@berlin.k12. wi.us

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Feature

Alumni prepare for newborn with heart condition by

Emily Beltran

Preparing for a newborn can often be very stressful and worrisome. Soon-to-be parents Danielle Kellesvig ‘08 and Joseph Trochinski ‘06 have more to worry about than just setting up a nursery.

During the couple’s 20-week ultrasound appointment, the doctor suspected something was wrong. They were sent to a specialist to look at future baby Ava Jean Trochinski’s heart on an echo cardiogram.

“Ava has an interrupted aorta and ventricular septal defect,” Kellesvig said. “Which is basically a hole in the heart.”

Ava is due March 26, but Kellesvig will be induced on March 21. Ava have heart surgery 5-6 days after she is born.

“She will have open heart surgery to repair the aorta first and then after that they will repair her VSD,” Kellesvig said. “They will leave her open for a little bit to watch healing and monitor infection.”

Within 4-6 weeks after the surgery Ava should be able to return home, but until then the family is hoping to stay at the Ronald McDonald House connected to the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Along with paying the medical

Danielle Kellesvig ‘08, Easton Kellesvig (3) and Joseph Trochinski ‘06 prepare for baby Ava who was diagnosed with ventricular septal defect and an interrupted aorta.

Photo Submitted bills the couple must account for the had a bake sale that raised $1,000 time they will be off work. Kellesvig for Ava, the couple has been workwill be taking at least three months ing toward finding funds to help off. pay for the procedure.

“I will be there for the first two “Our original goal was $5,000 weeks and then sporadically as I can and I would say we are probably on get off of work,” Trochinski said. track to if not get it, to get close to Once Ava returns home she will it,” Trochinski said. have a few minor restrictions and The couple said they are very she will attend check up appoint- thankful for the continued prayers ments to monitor her heart. and the community outreach while “She won’t be able to lay on her they prepare for the arrival of Ava. chest for a period of time, be fulWant to help? ly submerged in water and she Visit Ava’s gofundme might have to learn how to cry and breathe,” Kellesvig said. page at With the help of community www.gofundme. members and businesses like Farmcom/9thzy8as ers and Merchants Bank, who just

The donor registry drive was during parent teacher conferences and a boys basketball game that lead many Science teacher Benjamin Sandadults in the community to see what erfoot recently completed one of Sanderfoot had done and how the the many things on his bucket list: KIND Committee was passing on donating bone marrow. Sanderfoot his act of kindness. had his donation surgery on Tues“I feel awesome about what I did,” day, Jan. 26.

Sanderfoot said. “I would do it all “I was sore for about a week after,” over again.”

“Words just don’t seem like Sanderfoot said. “I was really tired, Sanderfoot is ineligible for one but I felt good.” enough to say thank you to the year from donating bone marrow Sanderfoot had no physical activ- students, staff and community again, but says he will do it one ity restrictions after the surgery, and of Berlin. It made it much easier more time after his year of ineligiwas told to go back to normal activbility is up. Although Sanderfoot coming back so quickly when I was hopefully able to save a life, he ity when he felt well enough.

“I took about two weeks easy received so much positive support went through a small amount of and then I was back to nor- and kind words from everyone,” pain to get there. mal activity,” Sanderfoot said.

“The worst part was probably Sanderfoot said.

Within four to six weeks, Be the missing school and the little bit of Match, which is the non-profit or“Many lives will be impacted by the pain I was in,” Sanderfoot said. “It ganization Sanderfoot donated efforts of the students, staff and new- felt like I slipped and fell on the ice through, will find out if the surgery ly registered donors,” Be the Match because my back was stiff and hip was successful. If it was an interna- Coordinator Kelli Vander Wielen bone ached.” tional patient, it can take up to two said. “We’d like to thank everyone for Sanderfoot said the best part about years to find out. their support and the opportunity to donating bone marrow was know“I will find out if the surgery was educate others about our life-saving ing that he had the chance to save successful and then the patient has program.” someone’s life.

Emily Beltran

Wordsmiths of Berlin’s first annual

Poetry Slam Saturday, March 12, at 7 p.m. in the Berlin High School Auditorium Talk to Mr. Reise for more details.

3

Students of the Month by

Sanderfoot’s bone marrow donation impacts community by

Friday, February 26, 2016

Tyler Ostrowski

Senior Noah Pomplun is BHS’s male student of the month for February, being commended for his academic merits and proficiency in sports.

“It’s an honor to be named Student of the Month,” Pomplun said. “It feels good knowing all my school work has lead up to this nomination.”

Pomplun balances his academics with his participation in golf, LINC Crew, cross country and the basketball team. Head Coach Andrew Kasuboski has been with Pomplun over the course of his high school career.

“He’s always been a top notch student,” Kasuboski said. “He has been diligent, making sure he gets everything done for class.”

This diligence has also come in handy on the basketball team.

“He is a great team leader,” Kasuboski said. “He has taken many young players under his wing and been a great help overall.”

Pomplun plans on attending UW-Platteville to major in mechanical engineering. Kasuboski says he believes Pomplun’s genu-

Alaina Labbus

the option to contact me if they choose,” Sanderfoot said.

Sanderfoot’s act of kindness paired with the KIND Committee in a Be the Match donor registry drive that was held Thursday, Jan. 28. Adults between ages 18-44 could register to be on the bone marrow registry list.

There were 12 people that registered.

Photo: Eagle Studios February’s female student of the month is senior Alaina Labbus.

She is known for being a great friend and an active participant in various school clubs.

“I appreciate being recognized for the hard work I’ve put in for the last four years,” Labbus said.

Labbus is an active participant in Student Council, the National Honor Society, musical, LINC Crew, KIND Committee, and is

Noah Pomplun

Photo: Reeves Photography ine feeling of responsibility will assist him in college.

“I’ve watched him grow up, in a way,” Kasuboski said. “Not only in playing basketball, but as a student as well.”

Pomplun’s best friend senior Ryan Wenig shared Kasuboski’s words.

“He’s one of the nicest guys I know,” Wenig said. “He’s been a great student for as long as I’ve known him.” a math tutor.

“It is amazing to see Alaina’s dedication in these clubs, in addition to her participation in class,” math teacher Nicole King said.

“The number of clubs she is in is astounding.”

Labbus takes her schoolwork and her relationships with the people she works with seriously.

“She is one of the most respectful and kind students I’ve had the pleasure of knowing,” King said.

“It is not just in class, but in everything she does.”

Labbus would like to attend either UW-Madison or UW-LaCrosse for biochemistry, and plans to minor in Spanish.

“I would like to be a paraoptometist,” Labbus said. “It’s a high level eye doctor.”

King says she believes that the field Labbus has chosen matches her personality well.

“Her natural devotion to everything she does and her kindness and patience with people fits her career choice perfectly,” King said.

“She will be a great medical student, and doctor in the future.”

School Grounds Flavor of the Month: Mocha Latte Room A100 Open Daily 7:45-10:15

4

In-depth series The Search for LOVE

Friday, February 26, 2016

Students

matched in school -wide survey, reactions vary

by

Allison Marks

The week before Winterfest was not only filled with crazy dress up days and fun activities, but also the anticipation of getting the results from the schoolwide MatchMaker survey.

MatchMaker was hosted by Student Council, and for just $1, students could buy their results and see who they would be compatible with in the school.

“We used to do it every other year, but when I mentioned it to the Student Council that we should do it again, no one remembered doing it,” Student Council Adviser Ann Ragus said. “It has been at least four years since we did the last one. We took too many years off.”

There were about 433 students

who took the test and about half of them chose to look at their results.

“I chose to look at my results because I thought it would be funny to see who I got and to get different names of people I don’t normally talk to,” sophomore Rebecca Mularski said. “I was really shocked to see who I got.”

There is a possibility, though, that looking at the results can make someone see a person differently whether or not they are compatible.

“It will just be different to look at them knowing we have similar interests,” sophomore Emilio Hernandez said.

Having everyone in school take this, and not only those who want to participate, has some benefits.

“I think it helps give people a better chance with certain people,” Hernandez said.

Depending on how well the stu-

o s h W ow Kn

dents seemed to enjoy this, will determine if it will be done again in upcoming years.

“We will not be doing this every year, though. Maybe every other year or every three years,” Ragus said. “If we do it too much it will not be as exciting anymore.”

Some students think it should be done again.

“I would be excited if they did it again,” Mularski said. “I think maybe they should do it once a year.”

Others think it should not be done every year.

“I would not be very excited if it was done again,” Hernandez said.

“You would expect to get the same people every time, besides the new kids.”

Although the MatchMaker will not be done again this year or next, it will probably be done sometime in the future.

Sophomore Dillon Herbst The Boyfriend

Advice for Rejection Keep your composure

Dress like you want to impress

Bring a flower or nice gesture Be sincere about saying no

Do not make him talk to the hand Created by Bria Osterberg

Most used app

Favorite soda

Favorite Sport

Eye Color

Favorite Hairdo

Swimming

Blue

Bun

Soccer

Blue

Down

Snapchat Rootbeer

Swimming

Blue

Down

Instagram

Rootbeer

Snapchat

WINNER Junior Brianna Hameister The Subject

You Bes t?

Junior Amanda Gimenez

The Best Friend

Fanta

Created by Emily Schmidt

ily ! a D ials c Spe

Ho m de ema sse de rts !

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In-depth series

Friday, February 26, 2016

5

Blind date goes better than planned by

Hazel Reck

The smell and taste of wonderful food, the sound of a strike while bowling and slippery roads is how juniors Elliot Chier and Emma Blazel spent their Valentine’s Day. Chier and Blazel were chosen for the Red ‘n’ Green’s first blind date set up. They were picked at random from a pool of top matches from the MatchMaker survey that most of the school took.

“At first I was nervous and did not know what to expect,” Chier said. “I thought the date was gonna be kinda awkward.”

That was just the opposite of what happened. Chier was the first to arrive at the high school. After ten minutes Blazel showed up and they took off from there.

“In the beginning we just talked a little, but it did not take long until we started talking a lot,” Blazel said. “Everything went way better than I thought.”

The first stop was at Little Corporal in Green Lake. Chier and Blazel were seated right away and it did not take long for them to order. They did not stop talking and laughing throughout the whole lunch.

“The food and our conversation was great,” Chier said.

“I felt like I was kind of a chatter box, but it was worth it.”

After lunch, they were supposed to go ice skating, but unfortunately the lake was closed. Blazel and Chier both agreed to go bowling and out for hot cocoa instead.

“Winning the first game made me so happy,” Blazel said.

“The second game was fun, especially team bowling with Elliot even though we lost.”’

After bowling they went in search of hot cocoa, and shared some adventures slipping around on the icy roads.

“It was so funny. I didn’t mean to, but I slid through two red lights. Thankfully everything was okay and it gave us something to laugh about,” Chier said.

After all of the driving around they finally ended up at Berlin Family Restaurant. They ordered hot cocoa and talked about the day’s events. Both said that the date went way better than expected and they would do it again as friends.

“It was way better than spending Valentine’s Day alone,” Chier said.

Emma

Elliot

9

9.9

Rate:

Rate:

Second date?

Second date?

Best part?

Best part?

Yes, as friends

Yes, as friends

Bowling

Bowling

What is the worst date you have ever been on?

“At a movie the guy tried to put his arm around me and hit me in the nose with his elbow,” Spanish teacher Jody Ziemann said.

“On our way to dinner the guy got a flat tire and I had to get a ride with someone else,” senior Stephanie Melchor said.

Berlin Community Scholarship Corporation “A home town success story since 1985” ATTENTION RECENT AND 2016 GRADUATES: Applications available now! l d l rde tota loca awa ow n s p d by d i e e h t s d a r r r a ope hola ents s aw 3 sc and d ship d r e a 1,09 cal stu l d o n Sch ,065 Fou ents to lo 4 d $99 resi

“During prom, he took me to a Chinese restaurant and at the dance I got food poisoning,” sophomore Amelia Roost said.

B C S C

Applications for high school seniors due March 29. Use BHS Local Scholarship application, available on school website.

For high school graduates due April 1. Go to www.berlinscholarships.org

Parents and Community Members: Become a donor! Go to www.berlinscholarships.org and explore the many ways you can invest in our community’s youth. With your help, we can provide Berlin Dollars for Berlin Scholars!

“I took a girl to a movie and she brought her 4-year-old brother,” junior Dylan Robinson said. “It was a disaster.”

“We almost got into a car accident because his tires were so bald and it was winter,” English teacher Susan Roubidoux said.

Text and photos by Emily Beltran

6

Friday, February 26, 2016

Arts & Entertainment

You tweet it, we repeat it Freshman Mari Beltran @mari_bleltran35

Really not liking this wake up @ 5 am to go play volleyball after winterfest thing.

Junior Ben Hinz @bhinz_13

What @mikeike521 looks for in a girl.

1. Has two eyes 2. One nostril 3. At least half a neck 4. Must have hair. Hit him up.

Junior Emma Rucks @emma_raee

"I think that we're best friends because we get hungry at the same time.” -syd

Science teacher Mr. Sanderfoot @Science_Mr_S

That moment when you're in class and that teacher just won't let you take your selfies... #struggle Senior MaKaela Thoma @makaelathoma

Wish I could just get my own house already so I can live out my dream of being a crazy dog lady.

Created by Hazel Reck

Parking Lot Prowl:

Senior Alyssa Ponto’s 1999 Ford Escort ZX2 lacks looks, style, practicality

by

Tyler Ostrowski

The 1999 Ford Escort ZX2, built on stolen parts from the rest of the line, lasted only five years on the market. Probably because it offered everything the big cars had in a useless tiny box.

Being based on Ford’s failing small sedan of the era, the ZX2 takes the best components of the 1998 Ford line-up and throws them into a sad package, removing two doors and smoothing the body’s edges.

The coupe’s age caught up with itself on the road, when a slapping sound arose from the rear end when I took the ZX2 over 20. The heat does not blow out of the vents, it simply leaks out. The entire car shakes when the brakes are applied. The back seat is useless. The list goes on for awhile.

To not sound entirely negative, the engine does its job well, which is what sold the ZX2 initially. Any pressure on the gas petal causes the front of the car to lift, throwing everything behind it backwards, including passengers.

Hijacked from the larger Contour sedan, the 2 liter Zetec four-cylinder makes 130 horsepower, which is overpowered for a car this small.

The one thing the ZX2 is guaran-

“Say what you want about it,” senior Alyssa Ponto said. “I don’t care.” Ponto has alliteratively named the Escort Edwin.

Photo: T. Ostrowski

Ratings out of 5: teed to do is turn heads. Not every Looks: look is one of awe, however. Most glances consist of confusion and disgust, usually towards its bathtubesque design, which looks the same moving forwards as it does backwards, only able to be told apart by the rear spoiler.

If only they knew what was under the hood. Faces of utter dejection would morph into faces of simple disappointment.

All in all, the Ford Escort ZX2 is not a total letdown. It is a simple car that does simple things; perfect for simple people who simply like to get up and go.

Performance:

Comfort:

Overall:

Quick Eats: The best spots to beat the clock during off-campus lunch The quickest place to drive to during the lunch hour is Subway. It only Drive takes about four minutes to get there, without having Minute wait in to go down Main Street.

The wait in line for food line and check out was not bad at all, but the workers could be more Food Grade: Afriendly.

However, the food was For a fast and easy lunch, week, giving one a cheap quite delicious. There were a lot of students go to Kwik meal.

Trip. It barely takes five There are a variety of minutes to get there, so no foods and drinks that are one has to rush to get back fresh, including Powerade. for fourth hour.

Even ready-made hot meals With three registers open, including soup or salad. the line inside goes quickly Students have enough and there are places to sit if time to get their food, one would like. bring it back to school and Another plus, Kwik Trip eat it with plenty of time to has deals most days of the spare.

Time To Eat?

4:40 2

plenty of options when choosing from the meat, cheese, vegetables and sauces. People can also get a drink with their sub, but the Powerade from the machine is very watered down.

Subway could clean their tables better as we found During the lunch hour, it newspapers and food scat- is quicker to go in and sit tered across tables. down at McDonald’s rather than go through the drivethru. With the drive-thru, though, students could Drive make it back to school in time to eat.

Minute wait in The food is very salty and is unhealthy, but it tastes line and check out pretty decent usually. The Powerade from the machine Food Grade: B

Time To Eat?

4:10 2

Time To Eat?

4:50 Drive 1:40 Order and get food

Food Grade: Cis really watered down, but the place is very clean, including the bathrooms.

McDonald’s staff is prepared for rush hour with enough workers with smiles on their faces.

Students have plenty of time to sit down and take their time eating. There is no rush to get back to school, so no need to speed.

Text and photos by Julia Silloway and Bria Osterberg

Arts & Entertainment

Friday, February 26, 2016

7

Voices in the hall What is the weirdest dream you have ever had?

“Someone died upstairs and there was blood dripping into my room,” senior Jordan Hardel said. “But, I could not get to them because my house was like a maze.”

“I once had a dream where I turned into a dinosaur and I kept chasing everyone around and eating them,” junior Trevor Mathe said.

MugsCoffeehouse,more than average cup of joe

Leap Year Trivia

Brittney Meyer

Located in downtown Ripon, Mugs Coffeehouse is more than just a place to grab a cup of coffee.

With a laid back environment, Mugs makes a person feel more than welcome.

There are many tables to sit at, along with couches. There are also larger tables in the connected room. One standout feature is the fireplace they have, making for a cozy and at-home environment.

Mugs features many local artists and their works all over the shop, which are great to look at while drinking a morning coffee. This also shows how much this small business gets involved with the community.

All of these features make Mugs a outstanding destination for anybody. The laid-back vibe makes it a great place for a study session or a simple hangout anytime of the year.

Their coffee is some of the best that someone will ever find. Mugs has every kind of coffee people could ever wish for, at an affordable price.

Mugs does not just have generic coffee though. They have a variety of different coffee drinks, including lattes, mochas and cappuccinos.

They also have various specialty drinks, such as the honey honey or berry truffle.

“I have this reccuring dream “I looked out my window and about my teeth falling out,” Kermit the frog was standing media specialist Sarah Gumthere. Then he looked at me tow said. She has even reand walked into the apartsearched it to find out what ments,” freshman Seth Block it might mean. said. “I went to go tell my mom, but she was an owl.”

Text and photos by Allison Marks

1. What, according to tradition, were women allowed to do on Feb. 29?

A. swim B. propose marriage C. ride horses D. dance 2. In the United States Feb. 29 is also known as what?

A. Labor Day C. Liberation Day

3. Which BHS student is a Leap Year baby?

One of the many places somebody can choose to lounge in while enjoying Mugs.

Photo: B. Meyer These are stand-out coffee drinks that one could not find anywhere else. They are not like regular kinds of coffee or espresso that somebody has tried before.

These specialty drinks have flavor that somebody would never expect.

There is more than just coffee at Mugs. There is a wide selection on the menu from sandwiches, ice cream and a variety of drinks, making it a stop not just for coffee lovers.

With an amazing atmosphere, great food/drinks and friendly people, Mugs is the perfect cafe destination.

Rating out of 5:

Menu for March 3: baked potato & soup

B. Children’s Day D. Sadie Hawkin’s Day

A. Dennis Bogutski B. Luke Dretske C. Trinity Turner D. Maria Rojas

4. What are Leap Year babies supposedly born with?

A. brown hair B. unusual talents C. abnormaly large feet D. pyschic abilities 5. Which United States city holds parades, festivals and pegs themselves as the Leap Year capital of the world?

A. Zoar, Ohio B. Ogden, Utah C. Bernville, Pennsylvania D. Anthony, Texas 6. Who took one day away from February and added a day to July?

A. Cato B. Sulla C. Julius Caesar D. Pompey

Answers: 1. B. 2. D. 3. A. 4. B. 5. D 6. C

by

“I was really afraid of my boss and that I was going to be late for work. My boss was a monster and she ate me because I was late,” sophomore Tyler Radke said.

source: www.examiner.com Created by Alyssa Thiel

8

Sports

Friday, February 26, 2016

Boys basketball sets goals for playoffs by

Julia Silloway

Throughout the season the boys basketball team has became closer as a whole through team bonding activities.

“This season we have had team dinners and gone bowling, but we are all already pretty close so we hang out after school anyways,” junior Peter Bruce-Allington said.

Team bonding helps the team come together and have a better connection with each other when playing and trusting each other with being in the right spots on the floor.

“I think team chemistry has helped us play well with each other this season,” Captain Noah Pomplun said. “If we are all on the same page then we play better as a unit.”

The boys have not just improved in team chemistry, but in overall basketball skills as well.

“We have most improved on our ball handling this season,” Coach Kasuboski said. “We have been able to handle their press well against other teams and our turnovers have gone down by a lot.”

With a 7-14 overall record and 2- 11 in the conference, they have

come short of one of their goals as a team of being .500. This has not stopped them from reaching other goals.

“One goal that our team set this season was to win our holiday tournament that we had in Westfield and we did,” Bruce-Allington said.

The goals do not stop there for the boys basketball team as they slingshot themselves into playoffs and think big.

“Our goal used to be to win a regional championship, but we have to take one game at a time and try to enjoy each game before it ends,” Pomplun said. “I think we just need to focus on winning our first regional game.”

As playoffs get closer, the team members have to prepare themselves to succeed.

“During practices the intensity is more amped up and the practices are harder,” Bruce-Allington said. “Instead of doing pushups as a punishment, like we did in the beginning, we now have to do sprints.”

During the seed meeting the boys were placed ninth in their bracket and drew Campbellsport (eighth) for their first regional game on Tuesday, March 1 at Campbellsport.

Juinor Peter Bruce-Allington looks to score in a game home against Campbellsport who they will face again in their first round playoffs.

Photo: EDGE Photography

Cheerleaders named Varsity and Rookie Athletes for February by

Emily Schmidt

Senior Captain Kailee Betler has been nominated for this month’s varsity athlete for her tremendous amount of energy she brings to the floor.

This is Betler’s fifth year of being in cheer.

“I made it to All State,” Betler said. “I am performing my solo with my tumbling sequence in it.”

Betler has had the opportunity to cheer with her biggest inspiration her freshman and sophomore year of high school.

“Hannah Voeltner has been an image I have always wanted to be,” Betler said. “I loved her dancing technique and the way she would perform.”

Alumna and former cheerleader, Hannah Voeltner, feels incredibly proud knowing that previous teammates dedicate so much time to their team.

“I love knowing that these ladies have such a passion for cheer just like I did,” Voeltner said.

Not only have previous teammates been

Senior Kailee Betler dances to one of her final halftime performances on Feb. 9.

Photo: E. Beltran an inspiration and help in Betler’s cheering career, so has Head Coach Dianne Weiske.

“Kailee has spent many hours at both my home and at the school in the off hours of cheer helping to create music, routines and dances,” Weiske said.

Cheer has impacted Betler’s life a lot.

“It has made me become more comfortable in front of crowds and a better leader,” Betler said.

VARSITY ATHLETE

Freshman Camryn Reck was nominated for this month’s rookie athlete for her conquering of many new skills “Reck has had a big year of change in her cheer world,” Weiske said. “She has always been a base in her previous years for stunting, and this year we needed another flyer, and basically threw her into this position with no experience.”

Reck has been cheering for the Bulldogs for four years which makes this her fifth year in cheer.

“It was definitely a big transition for me being a flyer this year and not a base,” Reck said. “The tumbling this year is way more extreme than in middle school cheer.”

At practice, Weiske notices Reck excelling in all areas of her cheering skills.

“She is an incredible tumbler, very sharp with her motions in both cheers and dances, and she has beautiful jumps,” Weiske said.

Reck has been watching Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders for as long as she can remeber.

“I remember watching that show a lot when I was younger and I always wanted

Freshman Camryn Reck performs the team’s hip-hop dance routine during the girls basketball halftime performance on Feb. 9.

Photo: E. Beltran to perform like them,” Reck said. “My mom has also been an inspiration to me because she was a cheerleader in high school.”

Reck hopes to stick with cheer for as long as she can.

“I would love to get scholarships one day to cheer in college,” Reck said.

ROOKIE ATHLETE

Up Next in Winter Sports Saturday, Feb. 27 •

Cheer and Stunt State Com- • petition @ Coliseum at the • Alliant Energy Center in Madison, 1:04 p.m. performance time

Tuesday, Mar. 1

Wednesday, Mar. 2

• Golf sign up meeting in LMC during CIA BBB regional game @ Camp• bellsport High School

Concussion Testing in • computer lab A124 during CIA Baseball sign up meeting in room A101 during CIA

Thursday, Mar. 3 Softball sign up meeting in • LMC during CIA

Created by Julia Silloway

Friday, Mar. 4 Possible BBB regional semi-final

r ookie Writer February 26, 2016

Key Club plans for DCON

by

Angie Evans

Key Club is getting ready for their 2016 DCON (District Convention) trip to Green Bay, March 11 through 13.

“DCON is the Wisconsin Upper Michigan District Conference,” sophomore Tyler Radke said. “People from high schools all across Wisconsin and Upper Michigan come to learn new things about Key Club, elect the new district board and to have fun.”

There is a total of 17 people going, plus advisers Sarah Gumtow and Sarah Markel who worked hard getting the Little Caesars Pizza Kit fundraiser into motion. They also started watching webinars with the Key Clubbers, which explain different workhops at DCON. “I enjoy working with the students, and seeing our Key Clubbers grow in leadership,” Gumtow said. “Since Mrs. Markel and I were both in Key Club back then, it is fun to be part of it now as well.”

With this being her third year going to DCON, junior Haley Brooks says she is excited to go to Green Bay once again to meet new people and learn more about Key Club.

“It is so fun!” Brooks said. “I love meeting so many people and the energy there is great the entire time. Everyone is always happy and excited to be there.”

Key Club members Lauren Disterhaft, Allison Marks, Haley Brooks, Megan Janzen and Rachel Bertzyk discuss last minute DCON planning with their adviser Sarah Gumtow.

Photo: A. Evans DCON is not just sitting in workshops for hours. There are also dances, dinners, award handouts and a talent show. With Radke being one of the lieutenant governors, she helped with making DCON possible.

“It takes a very long time to plan for a conference of this size,” Radke said. “We usually make all the decisions at the August board

meeting, then at the February meeting we run through it all and finish the decorations for the hotel and conference hall.”

DCON has different themes each year with last year being Harry Potter. But, this year the theme is Wizard of Oz. It is many people’s favorite film and book, so the decorations will draw the movie and book to life.

With the Wizard of Oz theme, each club decorates their halls with different decor. The BHS Key Club made homemade poppies, different signs, the apple throwing trees and much more.

Brooks is pretty stoaked for this theme with the different and fun ways to show her creativity.

“I do like the theme,” Brookssaid. “It is well-known and easy to

make decorations for and also easy to dress up for.”

There are just a couple short weeks left before DCON and the Key Clubbers have to get everything into order to have the best weekend of learning new things for their club.

“You learn how to make your club better. I am excited,” Brooks said.

Students travel to Trees for Tomorrow by

Mackenzie Kurczek

BHS students got the chance once again to travel into Northern Wisconsin to Eagle River, Wisconsin.

“We went January 27-30,” science teacher Patrick Arndt said.

For this trip there was not any fundraising.

“Even though there was no fundraising involved we still got a $105 scholarship (From Trees for Tomorrow) and each student that went this year only had to pay $60. Otherwise, it would cost $165,” Arndt said.

Berlin High School has been going to Trees for Tomorrow for 25 years.

“I have been taking kids to Trees for Tomorrow all 25 years,” Arndt said.

There is a key purpose of this trip for the students.

“The purpose is to continue environmental education with students about our natural resources, environmental ethics and healthy life style,” Arndt said.

The students got a fresh inch of snow every night for their activities the following days.

“The temperature dropped to at least 20 degrees every night. With the new snow and great temperatures, outdoor classes were great,” Arndt said.

There are many winter activities included at Trees for Tomorrow.

“We went cross country skiing and snow snowshoeing,” sophomore Claudia Arndt said.

Even with all of the outdoor activities some things are still new to people here in Wisconsin.

“I went skiing for the first time in my life and snowshoeing, too,” foreign exchange student Lilit Dallakyan said.

“Snowshoeing in the Northern Highland State Forest for the first time made the whole trip even more enjoyable,” Lilit Dallakyan said. The students and science teacher Arndt went to Eagle River for BHS’s 25th trip to Trees for Tomorrow.

Photo: P. Arndt

Opinion

Friday, February 26, 2016

10

Editorial

Lack of interest in nature found concerning

Photo Submitted

Caylie’s guide to survive: How do I survive the month of love? by

Caylie Krebs

Being single in February is not always the best. This is the month to pull out comfy clothes, watch love movies and eat junk food.

Buy junk food

Go to the nearest grocery store and buy all the junk food that can be bought. Buy snacks from chocolate to chips to ice cream.

Stock up on multiple kinds, not just one. Make sure to have enough to last several days.

Get comfy

Always look for the maximum level of comfort. Don’t have comfy sweats? Go out and get some.

Stack up pillows, stuffed animals and sprall out on the couch or even on the floor.

Watch the world’s toprated love moives

Find the best love movies that are stashed away in the basement or movie cabinet. Make sure they are the ones that result in teary eyes and fits of rage, but also have the most perfect, happy ending.

Binge on laziness all day

Wrap up in a warm blanket and stash food, pillows and stuffed

animals all around. Make sure to keep the remote close and the volume loud.

Post pictures of your single self

Let everyone know what is going on. Let them know that being in a relationship is not manditory. Make people envious, make them want to come over and binge on laziness and movies too.

Although all of the attending members for the Trees for Tomorrow trip, lead by science teacher Patrick Arndt, met successfully on Wednesday, Jan. 27 to leave for Eagle River, it was not that easy of a task to gather those members in the first place.

The group offered ten spots to students with good grades who were willing to explore the outdoors and take part in activities such as skiing, snowshoeing and other outdoor activities. However, only seven spots were filled, and the group even lowered the admission cost from $100 to $60 as an incentive.

We find this lack of interest in the outdoors concerning. Students should be inspired by the natural world around them and be excited not only to learn about it, but how to protect it. We should be anxious to snatch up a wonderful opportunity such as the one offered by Arndt. Some questions come to mind when considering the effort it took to recruit the group’s eventual participants.

Are students simply just not interested in nature? What is the cause behind this disinterest?

We wonder if students simply find it boring, or if they think the trip will be too much work. Is the

cost an issue for most who would consider it, and would more people consider it if it cost less?

Furthermore, what should we do to increase interest? What should we do to get students excited about nature again, and more than willing to go on a trip to learn about it and spend time immersed in it?

We should advertise for Trees for Tomorrow and what it entails more actively and should spread awareness of the importance of nature, with informal posters and meetings. We should advocate what students can do to increase their helpful presence in nature and decrease the ways they are interfering with the environment’s natural processes. The school should set up fundraisers if money for admittance is an issue, and bring more attention to the science and agriculture classes offered. All of these are possible ways we can bring an interest in nature back to our students.

Everyone should want to take an interest in nature and our environment because it is from nature that we came and to nature that we will return. It is our duty to protect the environment in which we live, and joining groups like Trees for Tomorrow will do exactly this.

Buy presents

Since no one else is buying presents, buy them yourself. Buy new clothes or that new popular video game or even some new expensive jewlery.

Nature cancelled

due to lack of

Invite single friends over

viewership

Nothing is better than hanging out with single friends in “the month of love.” Talk about the single life and secrets. Remind them that they are awesome just the way they are.

Tissues

Be prepared for what happens in love movies. Keep the tissues stocked and keep the tears in.

Joke about it

Everyone stalks, so go on all of the social media websites and laugh at all those couples and their sappy posts about how much they love each other.

Stop cigarettes for the sake of the future by

Photo: C. Krebs

Caley Huggins

Any way that it can be looked at it, smoking is a major issue in our world. The worst part is that with each passing year, the smoking age seems to drop lower. According to drugabuse.com, there are 13-year-old children that are already getting addicted to the drug.

A popular question is, how do these young kids do it? As in everything else a child learns in his/her early years, they learn from their parents.

A current study from cdc.gov recorded that 40 million adults around the United States consider themselves addicted to cigarettes. With some curious teenagers and an open package of cigarettes on the counter from their parents, it would not be a good mixture.

Lots of people go with the philosophy of “I’m going to die anyway” or “it will not hurt me too much.” Yet, if we take those words into consider-

ation, the true meanings of them do not relate.

Every time somebody smokes, the risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer and many other issues increase.

Why would anybody want to torture their own body? It is a question only addicts can answer.

Unfortunately, some children cannot help the surrounding that they were born in. Secondhand smoke can be harmful, too. Many of the diseases that smokers can develop are the same as for second hand smokers.

Not only is it physically bad for a child’s body to grow up with a smoker in the house, but it also is mentally and emotionally unhealthy. When people who are chronic smokers do not have the drugs they need, they become irritable. This could add stress not only on the smoker, but the entire family.

During high school years, the actions of peers and older classmen play a huge role. It is all about ‘being cool’ and ‘fitting in’. Yet, I can promise it is not cool to kill yourself one cigarette at a time.

Feature Alumna visits Manga Club

11

by

Friday, February 26, 2016

Parker Brasch

Manga Club opened up the LMC to welcome a special visitor, Berlin High School ’11 alumna Morgan Rohrbaugh, to talk to Manga Club on Feb. 10 about the books they have read and Rohrbaugh’s own experiences.

“Manga Club is basically this close-knit group of people who get together to choose a manga, read it chapter by chapter, and talk about it,” sophomore Saleena White said.

In this way, Manga Club is essentially a very specific type of book club, only being centered around manga, a Japanese style of comics.

“The books read right to left, unlike English, which is read left to right,” sophomore David Langdon said. “People often confuse manga with anime because it’s the same style, only manga is the comics and anime is the animations based upon the comics.”

Manga Club was founded last year by sophomore Tabitha Geen.

“I have a strong interest in manga and anime, and I thought it would be cool to make a club for it since we didn’t have any-

thing like it here at the time,” Geen said.

To Geen, Manga Club is a place where students can have fun and learn new things, not just read books.

“I’ve made lots of friends in Manga Club, and there I can talk about things I like and feel comfortable there. It’s a lot of fun,” Geen said.

The club is now run by Geen and adviser Sarah Gumtow.

“Manga Club is student-run, so it doesn’t get a lot of school funding and we do most of the things by ourselves,” White said.

“Mrs. Gumtow mostly just pushes the conversation along when necessary and oversees meetings. Sometimes we do other activities, though, like make bookmarks.”

However, Gumtow also arranges meet ’n’ greets for the club, such as the one that was held on Feb. 10 during CIA. Rohrbaugh spent 11 months studying art and language in the Japanese cities Fukuoka and Kyoto. She returned after graduating in December of 2015 to talk to the members of Manga Club and anyone who signed up for that day’s CIA about her experiences overseas.

“The thought process in Japan is very different than in Amer-

Morgan Rohrbaugh ’11 demonstrates how to tie a yukata, the summer version of a kimono, on junior Samantha Hill at the Manga Club meeting on Feb. 10 in the LMC. Photo: P. Brasch ica. They value the group over the individual, and their clubs are very serious,” Rohrbaugh said. She described how important respect was, and how underclassmen could not step over an upperclassman’s things but had to walk around them instead.

In Japan, Rohrbaugh was part of a taiko drumming club. The clubs there are very exclusive and Rorhbaugh was lucky to

be involved in one, especially with a teacher as talented as hers. Rohrbaugh demonstrated the drumming technique to the group and the skill that is required, commenting on the amount of practice time she put into perfecting the technique.

While passing around pieces of her drumming uniform and pictures of her host family, Rohrbaugh also discussed the three different types of languag-

es used in Japan, Kanji, Hiragana and Katakana, as well as the types of food available there.

One very popular type of food in Japan is curry rice, and another is okonomiyaki, or an omelet-like pancake with cabbage, eggs and mayonnaise.

The final thing Rohrbaugh demonstrated was how to tie a yukata, the summer version of a kimono, using her sister junior Samantha Hill as a reference.

transporting things to a different area,” band director Ben Ruetten said.

Solo & Ensemble has over 100 events just for students in high school.

Students who have done Solo & Ensemble know that they are going to be judged by someone they do not know. Some students do not mind it, but others tend to get uncomfortable by it.

“I like it because they actually tell you the truth and they don’t just say something nice to make you feel special,” sophomore Rebecca Mularksi said.

While many students practice for this event, some will not be participating in Solo & Ensemble.

“I never liked to do Solo & Enesemble because it is not worth

my time,” sophomore Matthew Filtz said.

Some students do not think it is necessary to be judged on how they play, do not care to improve their music skills or simply are just too scared to play in front of someone they do not know.

“I think it’s a waste of time to be judged to see if you are good or not,” Filtz said.

Freshman Ashley Stellmacher would not mind being judged, but would only do it if her friends were performing a song together.

“I feel more comfortable working with other people, and plus it would help me know how we play together,” Stellmacher said.

Solo & Ensemble will be on Saturday, March 5, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Students prepare for Solo & Ensemble by

Freshmen Ashley Stellmacher and Sammy Deppe practice a trio for Solo & Ensemble. Sophomore Claudia Arndt not pictured.

Photo: G.Hernandez

High Schoolers Guide to the Galaxy

Gaby Hernandez

With Solo & Ensemble coming up on March 5, many students have begun practicing their pieces.

Solo & Ensemble is when school districts come together and students from either band or choir compete in solos, duets, trios and large ensembles. The students will be judged by how they perform the music of their choice.

This year, Berlin will be hosting Solo & Ensemble again, due to Ripon dealing with construction and being unable to host.

“It doesn’t bother me, to be honest. We know how to do it well. We are organized and it’s also good for us. We don’t need to worry about

FCCLA

Family,Career, and Community Leaders of America

Gain leadership and employability skills Tonight and Tomorrow Night 7 p.m.

Tickets: $7 in advanced, $8 at the door

Focuses on: Family, Community Service, Nutrition, etc.

Meetings on Tuesday during CIA

In-depth series

Friday, February 26, 2016

12

Students, staff speak out on vandalism “I believe that we should have a policy that if anyone is caught vandalising, littering or whatever, that they should have to clean the entire area top to bottom,” business education teacher Luke Konrath said. “That would stop it immediately.”

“It makes me sick,” sophomore Steven Klika said.

“What’s the point of vandalising a chair?”

Computer lab chair

Hallway clock Commons floor “It would be nice if people wouldn’t be so messy!” custodian Jeremie Schmidt said.

CD Drive “We all expect a higher level of respect for all equipment,” district technology specialist Dave Wojtowicz said.

“All students’ parents pay taxes for all sorts of stuff.

Budgets are limited. When you see monitors and other things not being replaced if they’re broken intentionally, that’s why.”

Text and photos by Alex McClelland

Coat racks vandalised by

Caylie Krebs

Nothing grinds more gears than people breaking things that are not theirs.

The coat hooks at BHS have been ripped off, screws have been loosened and hooks have been bent.

Principal Lynn Mork and school liaison officer Doug Christensen are taking a stand.

“It makes me disappointed and frustrated,” Mork said. “Not angry, just frustrated.”

The coat rack is not the only thing being vandalised and people are getting sick of students

vandalising.

Mork replaced the hooks after they were ripped off just to have them broken again.

“We are trying to get the word out,” Mork said. “We have good kids here at BHS. We just need to figure out who it is and how to stop it.

The students may not be doing this on purpose, but it has to come to an end.

Vandalism is serious and the kids that are doing it may not always understand the trouble they could get into.

“Our school is wonderful.

Some people just need to respect

Talent Show 2016 Friday, March 11 at 7 p.m.

Berlin High School Auditorium Tickets are $5 available at the door

GOT TALENT?

it a little better,” Christensen said.

Even though these may seem like silly little hooks, it is still counted as vandalism in the law’s eyes.

Somebody could get cited for criminal damage to property, suspended from school and lastly, get court ordered to pay restitution.

Kid’s names have been turned in, but there has been no physical evidence of them bending the hooks or breaking them off.

“I think the vandalism is not cool,” junior Lauren Inda said. “It is disrespectful and makes our school look bad.”

Coat rack hooks located by the art and ag hallway have been vandalised. The inset picture shows a close up look at the way they are being bent.

Photo: C. Krebs

13

In-depth series

Friday, February 26, 2016

The locks goes downhill by

Caley Huggins

The locks have become a popular meeting place for many students of BHS. Yet, what is done down there is a mystery to many. Some people think of it as just a meeting place, but is that all that happens down there?

The locks is an open area at the end of Eureka Locks Rd. Many high school students meet there to eat lunch, converse, etc.

Some students go down to the locks simply for just a place to eat their lunch, according to senior Marlee McAllister. Although, some students have mentioned inappropriate behavior has occurred.

“The worse thing I’ve seen is a tree got cut down and we were all stuck down there while the cops questioned us about who did it,” McAllister said.

The most popular times that the students go to the locks are before school, during lunch hour, after school and before athletic events.

Lunch is the most popular time for the high school students to head down to the locks. This has

resulted in lots of garbage in the area, although there are garbage cans provided.

“We see a lot of garbage, especially Kwik Trip and McDonalds wrappers. It takes time out of our schedule to clean it up. Why would they throw it on the ground if they could throw it in the bins? Just a little upsetting,” Scott Zabel public works superintendent and parks director said.

Not only is garbage an issue, but lately there have been cigarette butts on the ground. With that, there comes the legal issue of underage smoking.

“Without saying any names, I have seen people smoking down there. They were over 18 though,” sophomore Evan Ceman said.

If the young adults are going to the same location as smokers, they could be put under the influence of this. It could become a major legal issue.

“There is talk that they want to close it down like we did with Riverside Park. In the future, we might have to barricade it. We can’t keep barricading these spots all over town. Yet, we are keeping an eye on it and watching for anything il-

After lunch, the locks are commonly trashed and has the aroma of smoke from the high school students. The trash gets thrown onto the ground instead of in the bins provided.

Photo: B. Elliman legal,” Zabel said.

The high school students would have a variety of different reactions to the potential closing of the locks.

“I think if they permenantly close the locks a lot of people will be up-

set. They already closed us out of Riverside Park and we all just want a place to go to eat lunch away from school to get a break during the day,” McAllister said.

If the high school students will follow the regulations and restric-

tions, Zabel says, there will be absolutely no need to close the location.

“I don’t surely know what they are doing down there, all I hope is that they are making good decisions,” Zabel said.

The City of Berlin Recreation Dept. is now looking for individuals (17+) who have skills to share this summer.

Parking lot, or junk yard?

ART MUSIC HOBBIES Trash is located by sidewalks, cars, and near garbage cans, but not in them.

by

Olivia Resop

n rli

d

*Must be certified in lifeguard training, first aid, CPR/AED in adult, child and infant.

ee d e

Help swim the citizens to safety by applying now!

representing it,” senior Adrian Laude said.

Throwing trash away will save the custodians the time of picking the garbage up by hand. They then can use that time not picking up after students, to clean up the rest of school. Then, no one will wonder is it a parking lot or a junk yard?

DANCE

SCIENCE

Call Karen today for an interview at 361-5422

Deadline March 10

BEA Spaghetti Supper

Lifeguard

sN

Be

When students walk into the parking lot, trash seems to be everywhere.

It is an increasing problem.

Whether it is cans, cigarette butts or chew cans, trash is a problem at school.

“People need to learn how to not be lazy and get out of their vehicles and throw it away,” sophomore Jeremiah Roggow said.

People come back to school and throw there litter right beside their vehicles.

“It’s direspectful, seeing all that garbage sitting there. We are trashing our school instead of

GYMNASTICS

Photo: O. Resop

The Berlin Aquatic Center For applications or more information, call 920-361-5400 or go to City Hall.

Helping to give local graduates a chance to go to college.

Thursday, March 10 4:30-6:30 p.m.

Ticket Prices: Children $4.50 and Adult $7.50

14 Arts & Entertainment #OscarSoWhite Friday, February 26, 2016

by

Photo: youtube.com

‘The Finest Hours’ smashes into theaters by

Cassidy Krall

With many brave and adventurous scenes throughout the movie, “The Finest Hours,” it keeps viewers’ hearts racing the whole time.

The movie relives a true story from 1952 about a coast guard rescue team from the Chatham, Massachusetts base that braves the massive storm that broke an oil tanker in two pieces to try and help the remaining crew.

After the front part of the oil tanker, the Steam Ship Pendleton, breaks off, it is not as lucky as the back half. As the storm rages on, the back half of the SS Pendleton’s crew rapidly tries to stay afloat while hoping they will be rescued in time.

As the SS Pendleton broke apart, the time spent on that part of the movie was perfect. When the movie moved onto the next scene, there was not any questions as to what was happening to the SS Pendleton.

While the storm continued to wreak havoc on land, the Coast Guard base struggles to keep everything running smoothly. As the news of the disaster reaches the Coast Guard, Chief Warrant Officer Daniel Cluff (Eric Bana) decides to order a risky rescue mission.

As the risky mission began to come together, a wave of shock passed through the crowd.

While coxswain Bernie Webber (Chris Pine) puts together a crew of three other men, an engineer from the SS Pendleton, Ray Sybert (Casey Affleck) takes charge and devises a strategy to keep

himself and the remaining crew alive.

While Sybert continued to fight to keep the SS Pendleton’s back half afloat, anticipation and hope for that crew began to rise with each passing scene of the SS Pendleton’s crew fighting to live.

While the anticipation grew, the scenes did not disappoint. Starting about a quarter of the way into the movie, up until right before the end, the suspense kept building and building. Each scene was perfectly timed out with giving just enough information to keep the movie rolling.

As Webber braves the massive storm and waves to try and get to the SS Pendleton’s crew, the possibility of completing the mission continues to become slimmer and slimmer.

As the movie raged on, the suspense continued to build. When the end of the movie came and the risky mission ended, the film was wrapped up with a happy, but also a little bit of a bittersweet ending.

Throughout the movie, many past revelations and rescues were discussed, but there was very little detail about what had happened during these past events.

Even with some of the confusion from the past, each of the actors played their own part very, very well. With “The Finest Hours” being a true story, the actors that were chosen were very good fits for the original people associated with this amazing true story.

Rating out of 5:

Berlin Track & Field First practice: March 7 at 3:30 Come join the fun!

Run Jump Throw Any questions contact Mr. Willett or Mr. Stellmacher

Olivia Resop

This year everyone is talking about the Oscars, and it is not about the great actors nominated, but the ones who were not. #Oscarsowhite was blowing up Twitter when the Oscar nominations were realeased.

For the second year in a row, the Oscars did not recognize any African Americans in the top four catogories: actor in a leading role, actress in a leading role, actor in a supporting role and actress in a supporting role.

African American actors that everyone seems to think should have been nominated, among the many, are Idris Elba for best actor in the “Beats of No Nation” or Jason Mitchell, who plays in “Strait Out of Compton.” Both men are great actors who should have been recognized.

Not only has this problem sparked one of the biggest controversies in the history of the Oscars, people who are uncomfortable with the situation plan to boycot it.

“No [I will not attend]. We’ve discussed it. We are a part of this community. We’re uncomfortable to stand there and say that this okay,” Will Smith said in US Weekly Magazine.

Will Smith and Jada Pinkett

Photo: contently.com Smith were the first to publically say they will not be attending the Oscars this year, and others may follow in their footsteps.

Other actresses and actors like Whoopi Goldberg said in US Weekly Magazine, that if you want to boycot something, do not go see the movies that do not represent you. Basically what she is saying is, if you are not going to the Oscars because they do not have any African Americans nominated, then do not go see the movies that do not have them either.

The Oscars will air live Feb 28, at 5:30 p.m.

In which corner do you belong?

Ag/Art: • Students usually cannot be seen because they are wearing camoflauge.

• Outside of school these students are often found driving big trucks.

• Radios are usually tuned to country stations.

Office/Elevator:

Spanish/Math: • Love-struck couples populate this corner.

• PDA is A-okay with them.

• Valentine’s Day is every day over there.

• People are often seen reading a book, listening to music, doing homework or like activities.

• Most who sit here prefer to stay away from large crowds.

Science/Math: • These people try to save water by clumping in front of bubblers to prevent usage.

• A common place to chat until the very last minute of passing time.

Text and photos by Mercedes Zabel

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Arts & Entertainment

15 Friday, February 26, 2016 Finish that love song: by Alex Kauble

Khan conquers Oshkosh

“Cause everything that don’t make sense about me ____ ____ ____ I’m with you”

“Boi I’m heres,” freshman Joey Rhien said.

Recently in Oshkosh a new restaurant has been added. Hu Hottis a Mongolian grill themed restaurant that provides tasty ethnic food to the public at a decent price.

The pricing for Hu Hot varies by the time a person goes to eat. During lunch time (11 a.m. - 4 p.m.,) it is only $9.99 to enjoy the buffet of endless Mongolian platters.

On weekends, however, it is only a dollar more. At dinner time (4 p.m. - 10 p.m.,) it is going to be $13.99.

I have eaten Hu Hot a few times now and I can easily say it is one of my favorite places to eat with my family, friends or even by myself.

I am surprised to see that it has received some negative reviews in the past. I have never been inconvenienced by this restaurant. I love to eat new interesting food and I like to get all of my friends to try

it, too.

At Hu Hot, customers are seated like they are at a regular restaurant. They have a waiter and get menus, just in case they want to order something other than the usual buffet meal, which I highly recommend. Everything Hu Hot has to offer tastes perfect.

Then the waiter will explain how the buffet works. Customers go up to the grill area and take a bowl. While at the buffet, they will choose meats, noodles and any veggies they may prefer and put it all in the bowl. They then come to the sauce station.

This can be tricky for some people. The waiter will encourage customers to pick five of the 20 plus sauce options because this will keep the food from being too dry. The reason this is an issue for some people is that the sauces Hu Hot provides are intimidating.

A good portion of the sauces are very spicy or signature Hu Hot

Bellissimo’s offers average experience “I like you,” sophomore Edgar Garcia said.

“Go Pikachu go,” junior Courtney Schmidt said.

“You’re dense when,” senior Alicia Brownlow said.

The real lyrics are “Makes sense when”

Created by Gabby Hernandez

by

Mackenzie Kurczek

Located in downtown Berlin, Bellissimo’s looks like a nice place to sit down and eat.

Walking into Bellissimo’s, the bar is the first thing that a costumer sees.

With booths to the right and the bar to the left, there are a few stairs that lead up to more seating.

Once seated, the drink order is taken right away. The server asked for our drinks right away, but was not friendly whatsoever.

After ordering a medium pizza with sausage, mushrooms and pepperoni, it took 20-30 minutes to receive it, which is way too long for just a pizza.

At first glance, the pizza looked greasy. If a napkin was placed on top, it would soak up a lot of grease. That looked really unappetising.

Also, the pizza appeared not to be cut because the cheese had melted back together.

However, the crust was not burnt or undercooked. It held up the pizza very well.

The toppings on the pizza were spread around evenly and looked very appealing to the eye.

Photo: A. Kauble sauces. No one knows how good they may or may not be.

It takes people with guts to try the spicy sauces, or people who like spicy food in general. I believe it is a great experience to taste all kinds of new flavors.

When the selected food is set up in a bowl, the customers take it to the grill in the center of the restaurant. There are multiple grill chefs that cook the meals right in front of their customers. This is the best

part, it pulls the whole experience together.

I highly recommend trying Hu Hot. Customers are there once a week after they give this wonderful place a shot.

Rating out of 5:

Junior Shelby Williams, What’s in your locker?

Expired apple cider Air pump Reindeer ornament

Photo: M. Kurczek The texture was not bad at all.

There was no sogginess to the cheese, the crust or any of the ingredients.

Overall, the pizza was filling, and very hot when it came out. There was a lot of sauce and the cheese was very thick. There was a lot of flavor and it was surprising how good it was.

The price for the pizza was a little too much. Most of the other things on the menu were a bit expensive, as well.

In the end the experience was okay.

There are things that the restaurant needs to work on, like the prices, but it was still good.

Rating out of 5:

Gym/ Basketball clothes

Random bin

Weirdest object: Reindeer ornament Favorite object: Basketball Shoes Oldest object: Lotion (Been there since freshman year) Last time you cleaned it: Jan. 29, 2016

Text and photos by Angie Evans

GRAFIX CLUB

GRAFIX CLUB could use your talent and creativity. Join up now!

Contact the President of the GRAFIX CLUB at hazel.reck@berlin.k12.wi.us Next meeting March 10 in C.I.A.

Be there!

16

by

Freshman swims at state Cassidy Krall

Throughout the many months of practice, the boys swim team had come a very long way, and one member went even farther.

Freshman Sam Ryf was the only boy on the team to qualify to swim in the final meet of the season, state.

“We had a small team this year, but I’m proud of Sam for making it,” Head Coach Bill Clewien said.

Since the only way to make it to state is to qualify at sectionals, Ryf is feeling proud. Being a freshman and going to state alone instead of with a team would be nervewracking for anybody, even if his team was there alongside him.

“I am confident that with my swimming I will be representing my team along with myself,” Ryf said.

While state was approaching, practice was sometimes more necessary than ever, but occasionally that was not the case.

For Ryf, his practice schedule had become just a little bit easier and more beneficial.

Dance team pushed aside by

Sports

Friday, February 26, 2016

Mercedes Zabel

Being able to get time in the high school gymnasium is crucial to every sports team at BHS, and at times it can be a hassle to get a time slot. That is especially true for the dance team.

To many individuals, dance may not seem as important of a team, but they still work to perfect their skills with as much effort as any other team does. That is why they deserve as much gym time as any other team.

The dancers perform at halftime for boy’s and girl’s home basketball games. They need time in the high school gymnasium beforehand to perfect spacing and lines on the court they will be performing on.

This past season (2015-2016), the only time the dance team could get in the gym was in the morning before the school day started for roughly 20 minutes.

It was a struggle for the team to get as much done as they needed to in the short amount of time available to them.

Though this will most likely be an ongoing issue in upcoming years, it would be beneficial for the dancers if they could get gym time after school, even if it is just a couple days a week.

State swimmer, freshman Sam Ryf, backstroked his way into eighth place on Friday, Feb. 19 at 7 p.m.

Photo: L. Ryf “With Coach helping me more one-on-one, it helped me a lot more,” Ryf said.

From many previous years of swimming experience, being part of the swim team and making it

to state definitely had Ryf excited.

“With his natural swimming ability, it definitely helped him to get to state,” Clewien said. “We just fixed up minor things that could make a huge difference.”

As state approached, Ryf and Clewien continued to work on small things and with each practice, Clewien continued to hope for the best for Ryf. “With all of Sam’s hard work I

was hoping he could place in the top eight and possibly the top six,” Clewien said.

After swimming at state on Friday, Feb. 19 at 7 p.m., Ryf swam his way into eighth place, just like Clewien had hoped for. Even with placing eighth out of 16, Ryf believed that he could have done better.

“I gained half a second on my personal record, Ryf said. “I am definitely ready and excited to swim with BHS next year and hopefully improve my time.”

Now that the season is over, Ryf and the other swim team members will have to find their own way to continue practicing for next year’s season.

“I know Sam will continue swimming with a club,” Clewien said. “I think that the best thing to do is for the boys to keep swimming during their off season.”

With an eye on the future, Ryf wants to improve his time and hopefully make it back to state.

“I am not sure if I want to continue my swimming career out of high school, but I will definitely continue to swim at Berlin until I can’t swim any more,” Ryf said.

Seniors qualify for All State team

by

Alex McClelland

After sending in videos showcasing their talents in accordance to WACPC guidelines, seniors Kailee Betler and Rachel Merrick qualified for the Wisconsin All-State Cheer Team.

“I think I deserve this title because I put my all into cheerleading,” Betler said. “ I always put my team first.”

Head Coach Dianne Weiske says she feels that not only Betler deserves it, but Merrick as well.

“Both girls have great poise and confidence to lead a crowd and are very talented in all areas of cheer,” Weiske said.

To win the award, Betler and Merrick now have to create a routine to perform at the All State Championships tomorrow. The routine needed to incorporate the girls tumbling, jumping, dancing and cheering.

“I had a lot of help from my two coaches, Magan Kosher and Dianne Weiske,” Betler said. “I also had help from my fellow teammates and tumbling coaches.”

Both girls share the same feelings when it comes to winning the championship.

“It’s kind of going to be like the cherry on top,” Merrick said. “I worked four years and just to get it (the qualification) is going to be great.”

Seniors Rachel Merrick and Kailee Betler will perform tomorrow in Madison to determine if they will receive their All State awards.

Photo: R. Merrick

Berlin soccer team wins YMCA bracket

by

James Hinton

The Oshkosh YMCA recently hosted a soccer league for high school boys in the area. The league ran from Jan. 5 to Feb. 16, at the YMCA. At the end of the league, Berlin had won in its bracket.

The teams of high-schoolaged boys were left largely to

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themselves throughout the season.

“There really is no coach,” junior Jacob Shapiro said.

The team also had no official practice dates and times.

“We just show up and play,” Shapiro said.

The games took place every Tuesday night, anywhere between 5 -10 p.m.

The Berlin team, which in-

cluded Shapiro, Ethan Buttke, Sam Cason and Jack McAllister won four out of the six games they played, lost one and tied the last.

The team won its first four games of the season. Shapiro commented that the team played very well during these games.

The league ended in a final tournament.

“The teams are organized by

how well they did in their season, and the final brackets are made,” Shapiro explained.

Berlin was placed in one of the top brackets, due to their excellent playing in the season.

“We played very well,” Shapiro said about the tournament, which took place on Feb 16.

The Berlin Team took first place in its group, winning their bracket.