March 2017

A BERLIN HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT OPEN FORUM SINCE 1924

The

Red ‘n’ Green

222 Memorial Drive Berlin, WI 54923

VOLUME 49, ISSUE 7

FRIDAY, MARCH 31, 2017

Fire destroys student’s home

by

Angie Evans and Bria Osterberg

Feb. 21 was a normal day for most people, but a life changing day for junior Jackie Rodriguez when a fire destroyed her apartment building.

“I was just sitting in my brother’s room when my neighbors banged on the window signaling a fire was happening,” Rodriguez said. “The fire started in the shed next to my apartment, and we just had to run out without grabbing anything.”

At that moment, Rodriguez had a lot going throught her mind.

“The first thing that came to my mind was my dog. I wasn’t sure if my dog made it out,” Rodriguez said. “I was more worried about people and my dog getting hurt than the materialistic things that I lost.”

While some of her things were lost in the fire, she was able to salvage some clothes which were in drawers. The school and community have donated things like gift cards to Rodriguez and her family also.

“My family and I are doing well mostly because the community, especially the school has donated to help us,” Rodriguez said. “We had to stay in a hotel for a while, but now we have a new apartment.”

Throughout this experience, Rodriguez’s boyfriend, Fabian Salazar-Peralta has helped her by keeping her spirits up.

“When I come to school, I joke around so she can be happy and not always down. No boyfriend wants to see their girl down,” Salazar-Peralta said.

Besides Rodriguez’s boyfriend, her soccer friends have also helped her. Rodriguez’s

in This

Issue

- Families express fear of deportation pg. 3 -Talent show review pg. 6 -Mountain Bike Club presents new opportunities pg. 7

Newsbriefs

By Mercedes Zabel

Rube Goldberg excels in competition

Placing first for their presentation and receiving the teamwork award, science teacher Paul Bell’s physics class competed with their Rube Goldberg machine at the Waukesha Technical College on March 4.

The students placed sixth out of twelve teams.

“A lot of factors are looked at when competing, such as teamwork and creativity, plus execution and how similar it is to Rube Goldberg. We had to put aside our differences in order to get anything done and think of the effort in terms of a team instead of as one individual,” presenter Jeanae Gimenez said.

An unexpected fire occurred at the Quarry Apartments on Feb. 21, due to an unknown object in a shed next to the apartments. Junior Jackie Rodriguez’s home was destroyed, but everyone in the building got out safely.

Photo: A. Evans teammates, juniors Emily Cottello and Rebecca Mularski, along with the rest of the team, planned a way to give Rodriguez a reason to come back to playing soccer.

“We sent out a group text to all the girls on the soccer team, and asked if they would like to help Jackie out by donating $5 to $25 for the soccer supplies,” Mularski said.

Rodriguez thought they had to meet in the locker room to talk, but really it was a surprise that left an imprint on all of their hearts.

“We were really happy,” Mularski said. “It was really cool, and she wasn’t expecting it at all. It was sweet to see her hope restore itself.”

This plan made the soccer team happy, but made Rodri-

guez even happier.

“I was shocked when it happened because I was sad that I lost all my soccer stuff,” Rodriguez said. “I love soccer so much, and this really meant a lot to me.”

Not only were her soccer teammates and boyfriend a huge part of helping Rodriguez restore herself, so was one of her close friends, sophomore Damarisa Monarrez.

“I saw the fire over Facebook,” Monarrez said. “We once picked her up for indoor soccer, and that’s where I remembered she lived and I wanted to help.”

Monarrez had an idea for a bake sale and pitched the idea to the KIND Committee so they could help. But, the twist was it was a secret, and all donations would go to Jackie and her fam-

ily. They raised a total of $315.

“Doing this made me realize that things happen in a matter of seconds. Anything can change,” Monarrez said.

Rodriguez also has some input on how fast things can be taken.

“This experience is very challenging because it happened so quickly. It threw me off in school and it shifted my life,” Rodriguez said. “It was a good learning experience, though, because it made me more aware and cautious.”

This struggle changed Rodriguez’s character. Still not knowing exactly what object started the fire, Rodriguez is always looking at the bright side.

“I have had an experience like this where I didn’t have a home, but with time it builds my character,” Rodriguez said.

(Left) After collecting donations from the entire soccer team, juniors Emily Cottello and Rebecca Mularski give junior Jackie Rodriguez new soccer supplies including (Bottom) a soccer ball, shin guards, duffle bag, water bottle and cleats.

Photos Submitted

Sophomore Damarissa Monarrez hands junior Jackie Rodriguez a bag of clothes to replace some that she lost in the fire.

Photo: A. Evans

Key Clubbers host DCON, receive awards

While being the host club at this year’s district convention (DCON), held March 3-5 in Green Bay, Key Club earned first place for their scrapbook.

Vice President Angie Evans was also named a recipient of the Michael Bruckwiki Scholarship.

Not only did they receive awards as a club, but also as individuals. President Lauren Disterhaft won the Distinguished Club President Award and Evans received the Distinguished Club Vice President Award.

“We spent hours making our scrapbook, and Angie and I both put in tons of hours outside of school for Key Club. It meant a lot to us knowing our hard work paid off,” Disterhaft said.

Perfectly Imperfect 5 wins Trivia Night, tight contest

With a total of 1,485 points, the Perfectly Imperfect 5, consisting of seniors Julie Fleegal, Allison Marks, Hanna Nitzke, Ethan Buttke and sophomore Bradon Gulch, took first place in the all-night trivia contest on March 17. After 12 hours packed with questions covering everything from history to entertainment, and each being worth between ten to fifty points, the Perfectly Imperfect 5 won by a mere 10 points.

“Our strategy was to bring tons of books. We also printed out some results for the Grammy’s and Oscar’s just so we could have plenty of information to look through to get as many questions right as we could,” Fleegal said. “This was a unique night because nowadays you can just look up stuff up on the internet, but it was kind of fun to have to search through books on a time limit.”

2

Opinion

Friday, March 31, 2017

Editorial

The Red ‘n’ Green

School should teach time management skills

and many students here just do not know how to manage their time. Many of us are thrown into our responsibilities and workloads, much of which the school lovingly provides for us (schoolwork, clubs, sports, etc), without really being taught how to handle it. We are simply expected to learn how to handle it on our own.

Clearly, this is not working. Those same exasperated teachers who will lament that students do not know how to manage their time and schedules will surely agree.

Finding a way to teach all students how to manage hectic schedules, and how to use time efficiently, will help everyone. The benefits for students are obvious, and teachers would not have to deal with students that do not know how to manage homework and schedules.

The solution to this would have to be systematic, yet not interrupt regular classes. As an idea, could CIA advisers perhaps teach these skills when their students are freshmen and sophomores, when they are required to attend?

Students need to learn how to manage their time. However, students also need to be able to learn how to manage their time, which is where the educational system can and should come into play.

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Editor-in-Chief: Mercedes Zabel Business Manager: James Hinton Created by Emily Schmidt

Senior social commentary: Letters to the How much homework is Editor too much?

Girls’ bathrooms need work Dear Editor,

The girls bathrooms need improvements. The sinks are broken so you can’t wash your hands without trying more than one sink. Three out of the four sinks are broken in one of the bathrooms. Also, the soap dispensers in the locker rooms don’t get filled on a regular basis. This is why half of our school gets sick at one time.

Sincerely,

Frustrated females

Homework unmanagable Dear Editor,

The amount of workload that a student gets a night is unmanagable when you have more than one hard class that gives out homework. It’s really hard to get it all done if you work, are in a sport, have to eat with your family and have other after school activities going on. Homework sucks and teachers should be more aware that we don’t have just one class a day.

Sincerely,

Overworked student

2 April 25 il 2 r TEST Ap Prom

time

It is a well-known stereotype that the generation that currently makes up the student body lacks good time management skills.

Almost everyone has heard this at some point. Many of us can recall a time when a teacher or an older relative has scolded our entire generation for not understanding how to manage our time.

As annoying and patronizing as it is to hear this over and over, there is a grain of truth to it. How many of us can honestly say that we know how to utilize our time and resources in the most efficient way possible? Probably not many.

This is actually a problem for us, and something that does need to be addressed, but this problem will not go away on its own. Students will not magically figure out how to manage time better on their own.

Applying that logic to anything else is simply ridiculous, and it is ridiculous here.

At the Red ‘n’ Green, we believe that we need some official way to teach these students how to study and manage time. We need some sort of system for educating young people, so that they can become better people in the process.

There is a way to potentially fix this social problem. Schools are meant to educate people after all,

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 num-

by

Allison Marks

Pretty much every student thinks at one point in their school career that teachers give too much homework.

But are students really getting too much homework or is that just a matter of opinion?

According to a study done by the National Education Association and the National Parent-Teacher Association, there is a “10-minute rule” that recommends the amount of time a student should spend on homework each night. It should be 10 minutes times the grade they are in.

This means that a freshman should only get an hour and a half of homework a night at the most, whereas seniors should get no more than two hours.

A survey of 85 students in the school showed that 37 percent of students had between one to two hours of homework a night, but 39 percent had more than two hours. Many of the students were also enrolled in honors or CAPP classes, where the homework load is expected to be more. Still, many spend more time on homework than what is recommended.

Since the school and teachers encourage students to get involved with clubs and sports, and many students have jobs, there really is not much time for students to do homework and still have a social life.

Most students do not want to go to school, then clubs or sports, and after that work and finally go home to do homework. Students want to be able to spend time with their families and be able to attend school events with-

Social Media Manager:

Brittney Meyer Reporters:

Angie Evans Melissa Gerber Bryn Hermanson Caley Huggins Caylie Krebs Allison Marks Alex McClelland Bria Osterberg Emily Schmidt

Adviser:

Shannon Kuehmichel

The Red ‘n’ Green Photo: B. Osterberg out having to stay up really late doing homework.

Homework can help students learn the material better by trying it on their own. However, teachers should keep in mind that students have four other classes throughout the day where they are likely getting homework.

They should consider the kids who have after school jobs or participate in sports or clubs. Teachers should still give homework as it will help the students learn the material better, but should just give 20 percent of what the “10-minute rule” recommends for homework time for that grade level. This means if a senior should have no more than two hours of homework a night, each teacher should only assign 24 minutes of homework a night since that is one fifth of the recommended time.

Homework does help high school students learn and should not be stopped completely, but there should be a little less so students have time to spend with family and friends instead of always being in their rooms doing homework.

Berlin High School 222 Memorial Drive Berlin, WI 54923 920.361.2000

Editor-in-Chief: Mercedes Zabel mercedes.zabel@berlin.k12. wi.us Business Manager: James Hinton james.hinton@berlin.k12. wi.us We want to hear what you have to say....

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Feature

Seniors chosen for Student of the Month by

Mercedes Zabel

Confidence and determination are among many other qualities that are highlighted in senior Jeanae Gimenez.

They are also two of the factors that led her to be chosen as March’s female Student of the Month.

“I have always been really self-motivated because school is one thing that I have always enjoyed, so doing well in it is a really big reward for me,” Gimenez said.

Along with constantly challenging herself academically, Gimenez also participates in a multitude of extracurriculars, including Student Council and the swim team. Whether it be through her involvement in those activities or by simply being a charismatic person to turn to, Gimenez has impacted those around her.

“She has made her mark on the school by standing up for what she believes in,” senior Emma Rucks said.

“Jeanae has also been someone that is always around to talk to or to give some good advice. She motivates me to do better.”

As a result of her vast accomplishments, including being at the top of the class of 2017, Gimenez’s future looks promising in the eyes of history teacher Jennifer Leahy.

Richard Markham

Photo: Catrina’s Creations For being an active person in school and in the community, and for his ability to lift other’s spirits, senior Richard Markham has been chosen as the male Student of the Month for March.

“I am a leader by example. I don’t just sit in the back of the class and coast by. I like to get involved in classroom activities,” Markham said. “I overcame a whole ordeal of a broken leg and jaw during freshman year and have now accomplished all of my athletic and scholastic goals.”

In everything from FFA to football to academics, Markham has por-

Jeanae Gimenez

Photo: Nancy Gimenez “Jeanae is very bright and can think on her feet extremely well. I think she will do well at anything she chooses to do because she is willing to put forth effort to work hard and achieve the things she wants,” Leahy said.

As her days in high school count down and she continues onto the next chapter of her life with intentions of pursuing a career in actuarial science, Gimenez reflects on the essential knowledge she has gained.

“It’s important to go out of your comfort zone, that’s what high school is meant for. Do things you wouldn’t normally do. Even if you are in such a small town like Berlin, there are still so many opportunities, you just have to take them,” Gimenez said. trayed his responsibility, initiative and dependability. Now, he has his sights set on getting a technical diploma in electrical power distribution at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College.

“He has kind of figured out life on his own and how to be an adult. He started out as a freshman who didn’t always have the best attitude, but now he has grown and matured. He figured out on his own the importance of getting good grades and being a well-rounded student as far as being involved activities and athletics,” agriculture teacher Kimberly Dehn said.

As a role model throughout his four years, Markham has positively affected his peers. Although leaving high school can be an intimidating experience for some, Markham’s friends and educators are assured that he will lead a highly successful life due to his conscientious thought process and considerate personality.

“Richard has been one of my best friends for a long time, he is always there if I need him,” senior Zach Wilson said. “I am proud of how far he has come and confident in the fact that he is going to be a great member of society because he is such a nice person to everyone; he makes people’s days better and that’s a special thing.”

School Grounds Get Caffeinated!

Spring’s here! Get an iced coffee, a smoothie or a frappe!

Room A112 Open Daily 7:45-10:15 and during CIA

Friday, March 31, 2017

3

Who are those students? by

Caley Huggins

Imagine leaving home and attending another high school across the nation. Freshman Juan Alfaro and junior Estrella Alfaro had to do just that. They are new to the district, all the way from Fort Worth, Texas.

“I did not want to leave my friends. That was definitely the hardest part of moving,” Juan said.

Adjusting to the new school was rather difficult for the Alfaro duo, but senior friend Andrea Briese gave a helping hand through the beginning of their new schooling journey.

“I saw her (Estrella) in the hallway and she looked pretty lost. I wanted to help. I waited for her to get out of the bathroom and then walked her to the lunchroom on her first day. After she got her meal, I said she could sit by my friends and me. She’s been sitting by us ever since,” Briese said.

Juan explains that the people in the school have all been very

Freshman Juan Alfraro and junior Estrella Alfraro get accustomed to the new surroundings of BHS. Photo: C. Huggins welcoming and friendly. Coming from a school of over 2,000 students, Juan said that there are major differences between his school in Texas and Berlin High School.

“My other school was basically triple the size of this one. In Berlin, teachers have more time to work individually with students since there aren’t as many,” Juan said.

The reason behind the move to Wisconsin was to come back to their family.

“My family is originally from Wisconsin. We had just been liv-

ing in Texas for about four years until we decided to come back home to be closer with family again,” Estrella said.

Estrella has had an easier time adjusting than she expected, and says she hopes her family will stay so she can graduate from Berlin next year.

“I have never had much trouble making friends, but it felt effortless doing so in Berlin. This school is very connected, especially the students to the teachers. Berlin is accepting, and I really feel comfortable in this town,” Estrella said.

Families express fear of deportation by

Brittney Meyer

In 2016 alone, the ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) deported 240,255 undocumented immigrants (ice.gov).

People are now fearing deportation more than ever, which is starting to affect the lives of families in the Berlin Area School District.

“Families are fearing being deported, and being separated from their family members,” English Language Learning (ELL) coordinator Terri Garza said. “They even fear going to certain public places.”

An anonymous source who has illegal family members in the United States, has discussed the topic of deportation with their family.

“They always say that it won’t happen, but I know I have to take precaution just in case anything serious does happen,” anonymous source said.

Garza has spoken to a few families, some of which are on the verge of

moving.

“The families are standing still to see what’s going to happen,” Garza said.

“Some are targeting Canada.”

The school board itself has not been questioned about this issue, but Superintendent Dr. Robert Eidahl has touched on the topic.

“I have been asked about what the district’s response to immigration officials checking on our students is,” Eidahl said. “My response to the question is based on the Supreme Court decision of 1982 called Plyler v. Doe.” Plyler v. Doe states that every student may be enrolled in school, without being asked their immigration status.

“If asked, our answer is simple. ‘No, we have no undocumented students/ families that we know of.’ Unless they have a court order to search,” Garza said.

The words “illegal immigrants” bring a certain fear into the minds of some.

However, for the anonymous source who has illegal family members, they express their opinions about who these people really are.

“Many are forced to flee from their countries, and some come here to make a new start not just for themselves, but for their families,” anonymous said. “Get to know someone before you judge them. Categorizing someone as bad just because of their legal status is not right in any way.

Yes, there are some people who are bad and do bad things, but there are also those who are good and come to this country to spread good things.

Open your mind and educate yourself.”

Plyler v. Doe

- States cannot constitutionally deny students a free public education on account of their immigration status - Collecting and reporting information about their status is likely unconstitutional - Such measures lead to potential violation of FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) Source: americanimmigrationcouncil.org

In-depth series

T me

4

Friday, March 31, 2017

Q & A:

Adjusting to time change with frequent traveler Natalie Ceman A: “In Europe, it’s a 7-hour time change ahead. It

Red ‘n’ Green Reporter, Mercedes Zabel:

How many places have you visited and how frequently do you travel?

Freshman Natalie Ceman: “I travel about ev-

Mountain Pacific

ery three months. I have been to 19 states and two other countries, France and the British Virgin Islands. I really liked visiting France and Europe, New York and Las Vegas.”

Eastern Central

was a little difficult because I couldn’t really sleep on the flight. When I did it was only for about 15 minutes, but it felt like I had slept through the night so it was just really confusing for me.”

For those graduating, they might think

James Hinton back on all of their years in high school.

“It’s upsetting that your time here is almost over, but I also feel proud of doing what I did for all of these years.

There’s a sense of accomplishment to it,” Multerer said.

Even though they technically had years to prepare for this, many seniors feel that the end of the year is sneaking up on them.

“I feel like it’s not really going to hit me until I walk across the stage,” senior Alexis Steger said. “Everything’s kind of piling up on top of me. This is the last chance to get good grades and to do well.”

This time of the year is also for seniors to think about how they want to spend their last months in high school. Some see this as the time to put their nose to the grindstone and power through the

“It’s not really going to hit me until I walk across the stage.”

rest of the year.

“I try to give my all in anything I do. If I slack off now, what does that say about me?” Multerer said.

Others might see this as a chance to relax a bit before they jump into adult life.

“I am not working hard at all. It’s not that I’m not trying, I just don’t want to worry about it,” senior Zach Wilson said.

Some other seniors are simply looking forward to moving on with their lives.

“I am ready to go forward with my life, and to do what I want to do with my life,” Steger said. “I can’t wait to not be stuck in this building all day.”

All in all, many are looking forward to the freedom and challenges that posthigh school life has to offer.

“I am really looking forward to finally being considered an adult. When you are in high school, you are not really seen as an adult, even if you are eighteen or older. Being in high school is like being a half-adult,” Multerer said.

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“Re sen

Back in

Seniors make most of time left in high school With the last trimester of the year beginning, many seniors are left to consider the little time they have left in high school.

“It is really exciting and kinda scary to think that I’ll be on my own in five months,” senior Madeline Multerer said.

At this point in the year, many students have experienced different “lasts” of the year. These are made even more bittersweet for those seniors about to graduate.

“This was my last year of cross country, and my last time being in the musical at school,” senior Emma Blazel said. “It’s sad, but it’s also nice to be able to move on.”

This time of the year also has found many people reflecting on the past.

“Run 10 miles Garrett

Q: What is the easiest way for you to adjust to

the different time zone?

A: “It is easiest to tough it out and stay awake once Time zone divisions you get there, and then sleep when it’s night where Q: How many different time zones have you A: “Staying awake is the most difficult part of ad- you are so you aren’t jet lagged the whole trip.” been in? justing. Once you get there it’s the middle of the day, A: “I have been in all of the United States time zones but you think it’s in the middle of the night. You re- Q: When you travel, is it easier for you to go and the Central European time zone, which is what ahead in hours, or back? ally want to sleep, but you have to stay awake.”

France is in.”

A: “It’s easier to go ahead because it’s easier for me Q: What is the biggest time change you have to stay awake than to try and fall asleep when I am Q: Is it hard adjusting to time changes? experienced? not tired.”

by

“Clean my fish tank junior Alyse Bartol sa

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In-depth series “I can edit a photo session,”

yearbook adviser

“Wash my Grand Prix,” junior Lauren Murkley said.

Catrina Burgess said.

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Created by Angie Evans

“Correct 100 tests,” History teacher

“Type a five page paper for a class,” senior Sophia Lehr said.

“Catch 24 fish and fillet them,” senior Jacob Shapiro said.

Matthew Marquis said.

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“Students are so tied into things now. When I was in high school there were fewer distractions and more privacy,” science teacher Dave Reich said.

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“When you have been in high school and teaching as long as I have, you notice that things don’t really change except the changes in technology,” history teacher Gary Knoke said.

Text and photos by Melissa Gerber

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Friday, March 31, 2017

5

Time management challenges students by

Allison Marks

Time management is something a lot of students struggle with, especially once they reach high school. Things are not always planned for them anymore, and instead they have to start planning them on their own.

High schoolers start to become busier with sports, they get more homework and they become involved with clubs, after school activities, and jobs.

“Besides school, I have a job and I have Key Club and Graphics Club commitments. I used to also have Battle of the Books commitments earlier in the year,” senior Rachel Bertzyk said. “I would consider myself to be pretty good at time management, though.”

Although Bertzyk was lucky to acquire that skill, that is not the case for many students around school.

“Besides school, I work and have commitments through Key Club and church,” senior Paulina Piper said. “I’m kind of bad at managing my time, though.”

There are a few reasons Piper said she is not very good at managing her time.

“I get distracted very easily, and I’m busy with work,” Piper said.

There is one big thing that gets in the

way of Piper’s time management skills that most high school students can relate to.

“I could be better at managing my time if I did not have my phone next to me,” Piper said. “Then, I would not get distracted by it, and I would actually be able to get more homework and activities done.”

On the other end of the spectrum, Bertzyk figured out how to become good at managing her time without much help from others.

“I figured out how to manage my time on my own,” Bertzyk said. “With being involved with clubs, working and having homework, I had to learn how to manage my time.”

Knowing that many students don’t have this essential skill, Bertzyk has some advice for how to become a better time manager.

“Don’t try to do too much,” Bertzyk said. “Know your limits of how much you have time for, and know what things are going on ahead of time so you can plan for them.”

Piper also has some thoughts about how students could be able to learn a skill like that.

“I think there should be a class in school to teach that,” Piper said. “That way students can be better prepared for their lives.”

6

Friday, March 13, 2017

Arts & Entertainment

Talent Show showcases many acts The BHS Drama Club hosted the 10th annual Talent Show on March 10. A majority of the acts involved singing, but it was great to see acts including other talents.

“That was not what I was expecting” came up multiple times in my head watching the talent show.

The Planks, consisting of seniors Trevor Carlson and Luke Dretske and juniors Joseph Schmidt and Jeremy Wissell, performed a parody of “Old MacDonald” which contained jokes about farm animals, like one about a lactose intolerant cow.

The creative and unique rendition, written by Carlson, lead them to a first place title.

Another act Schmidt was involved in was the returning group of BD9, also containing members juniors Evan Ceman and Paul Van Dyke.

‘Arsenic & Old Lace’ takes BHS stage by

Caley Huggins

“Arsenic & Old Lace” was performed on March 24 and 25 by the talented actors and actresses of BHS. The plot of the play was about a family consisting of two unmarried aunts Abby (Sam Hill) and Martha Brewster (Sarah Huffman), and their nephews, Teddy (Jesse Viars) and Mortimer (Jeremy Wissell).

Abby and Martha are murderers who kill men with their poisonous wine. All the while, the aunt’s long-lost nephew, Jonathan (Joseph Schmidt), shows up at the house, accompanied by Dr. Einstein. Jonathan is a true criminal and ends up getting caught by the police, yet Abby and Martha Brewster stay under the radar and do not get caught.

The plot of the story was intriguing, yet at some places it was quite hard to follow. There was a lot going on all at once, especially with the quick scene changes and unique accents.

Sarah Huffman (Martha Brewster) was offended by a comment from Joseph Schmidt (Jonathan) in “Arsenic & Old Lace” on March 25.

Photo: C. Huggins

The actors and actresses themselves really got into their parts and portrayed their characters very well.

Sarah Huffman played the role of Martha Brewster very nicely. The facial expressions, gestures and voice of Huffman perfectly mimicked an old lady. Joseph Schmidt even changed his voice to a lower and clouded tone throughout the entire play to act as eerie Jonathan, which was impressive.

There were word stumbles and a few long silences throughout. If a person forgot their line it was noticeable, yet somebody just picked up and used a filler to carry it on.

Some of the sound effects did not match with what was going on. They gave character to the play, yet were a bit over the top.

The play was successful overall, yet it was not nessesarily polished clean.

With a bit more practice and time, this bunch could have pulled off a hit. It was still a comical and great play overall.

Rating out of 5:

“If you could star in any movie, which would it be and why?”

“Any Marvel movie. It would be really cool to take place in one,” senior Stephanie Torres said.

What does your future look like?

M.A.S.H. Directions:

H- House

Bryn Hermanson

M - Mansion A- Apartment S- Shack

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He started with the typical Like last year, the band came “broke college student” joke to on stage wearing ridiculous, but find a volunteer who also ended funny outfits. They sounded preup being fellow alumna Hazel pared and knew what they were Reck.

He amazed the crowd just doing. Overall, their perforas he did throughout his high mance got the crowd excited. school years.

A new performer that BHS has Overall, the emcees were over never seen before was freshman the top trying to entertain the Scott Michels, solving four differcrowd.

The acts themselves were ent rubik’s cubes. He solved each good, but there was not a great of the cubes in under a minute, variety of acts that displayed difand finished them behind his ferent and unique talents. back, which was quite impressive.

The Planks performed a parody Sophomore Calob Congdon Rating out of 5: of “Old McDonald” written by performed a contemporary dance senior Trevor Carlson piece to Taylor Swift’s “You BePhoto: B. Hermanson long With Me.” This performance took a lot of courage to perform as a solo act.

The second place winner was Josie Fuentes singing “How Far I’ll Go” from the Disney movie “Moana.” Amber Kirchoff received third place singing an acapella version of Cascada’s “Everytime We Touch.”

The show also had an alumnus performance by Connor Heinz Talent Show participants line up across the stage waiting for ‘16, who performed his famous awards to be announced.

Photo: B.Hermanson magic tricks.

Photo Poll:

1) Draw a swirl and count the number of lines 2) Starting from M in M.A.S.H., cross out every option that ends on the number of swirls you have 3) Circle the last option left in each category and predict your future Guys to marry: Channing Tatum Bill Nye the Science Guy Dr. Phil Zayn Malik

OR

Draw your swirl here

Girls to marry: Jennifer Aniston Taylor Swift Ariana Grande Rebel Wilson

Honeymoon: Career: # of kids: Cancun, Mexico Cage Fighter 1 Wisconsin Dells, WI Librarian 2 Bermuda Triangle Doctor 5 Ripon, WI President 100 Salary: Best known for: Pet: $10 Your lime green hair Dog $1,000 Your witty humor Giraffe $150,000 Your gross body odor Snail $10,000,000 Your sweet personality Rabbit Drive: Favorite Song: Magic School Bus “Shake It Off,” Taylor Swift Toyota Prius “Baby Got Back,” Sir Mix A Lot Bicycle “Nobody’s Perfect,” Hannah Montana Ford F-150 “Single Ladies,” Beyonce

Created By Alex McClelland

“‘The Purge.’ I could see myself hiding in a closet having a panic attack, never knowing if somebody was going to break into my house,” sophomore Kevin Sanchez said.

“‘Pride and Predjudice.’ I could be really fancy and pretentious, and not regret anything,” senior Amanda Gimenez said.

Text and photos by Brittney Meyer

Sports

Friday March 31, 2017

Mountain Bike Club presents opportunities to students, continues to grow by

Alex McClelland

The Mountain Bike Club was formed during the 15-16 school year by science teachers Dave Reich and Nick Kvam. This club can be joined not only for racing purposes, but also as a way to enjoy nature through leisure biking at the school forest trail.

“There are two different parts to the Mountain Bike Club, one is just being part of the club where you can go to the school forest where we started to develop a mountain biking trail. We would just do rides during CIA and a little after typically,” Kvam said. “The other part is there’s a Wisconsin Mountain Biking Association, where you can enter the competitive component of biking in the fall and race.”

Although the club was created out of interest from the current advisers, other aspects were taken into consideration to make the idea an actual thing.

“We, as advisers, had an interest in it, and there were other students who expressed interest in being part of this,

so we formed a club to use some of what we have available to us,” Kvam said. “There’s also a race that’s held at Nordic Mountain, and there are a lot of biking trails out there. As the club continues to grow we might also have weekend rides out there, as well.”

Club member and experienced racer junior Owen Reich is looking to spread his enthusiasm for racing to others inside the school.

“One of the most enjoyable things about this club is that you spend time in the woods and anyone can do it.

Racing is completely up to the biker, but I would encourage it because it’s a lifelong sport and it can be fun to interact with other racers from around the state,” Owen said.

While races only occur in the fall, leisure bikes on local trails will begin when the weather gets warmer and the school forest trail can be cleared up.

“This club is a chance for people to learn about mountain biking,” Dave Reich said. “Students who are interested in biking, being outside and excersising might want to check it out.”

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“I tore my meniscus and had a cyst in my knee. It happened during basketball season my sophomore year,” junior Mackenzie Kurczek said. “It still affects me when I run for track. It’s hard because I can’t really tell my coaches how I’m feeling.”

“I am in the process of doing track,” sophomore Camryn Reck said. “My spine hits a nerve and if I overwork it, my bones could separate it and I could become paralyzed.”

Injured Athletes How does your injury affect the sport that you want to do?

“I had a snowboarding accident and tore my medial meniscus and part of my ACL. I wanted to do track, but obviously with my injury I can’t,” freshman Erin Carlson said.

“I tore my ACL and my meniscus on my right leg and I have a weak tricep,” sophomore Dana Hohenstein said. “It affects me in track because I can’t run as fast, and when I exercise too much my knee muscles get swollen.”

Text and photos by Caylie Krebs

LaBuda, Derleth chosen as varsity, rookie for baseball by

Caylie Krebs

Senior Parker LaBuda was chosen as varsity athlete for the month of March.

“I picked Parker LaBuda because he is our only senior and he is a hard worker,” Head Baseball Coach Cole Boge said.

Like many other athletes who take their sports seriously, LaBuda not only practices during the season, but on his off time as well.

“I do many drills every day that my coach recommends, so I can improve,” LaBuda said.

LaBuda also does not just work on his skills, but on the skills of his team, too.

“Parker has helped out at youth open gyms, and has helped plan some of the practice

ts hir

T-s

things we have done this year,” Boge said.

Boge pushes him to do better, but LaBuda’s parents have also played a big role.

“My parents have helped me the most. They really pushed me to do better,” LaBuda said.

LaBuda hopes to accomplish fewer mistakes on the field and improve the output of the game overall.

“Parker has a great passion for the game,” Boge said. “He wants to make the best of his senior year.”

LaBuda has been playing baseball since he was five years old, but does not plan on continuing in the future.

“I feel kind of upset that it will be my last year on the field,” LaBuda said. “There won’t be a next year.”

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Freshman Garrett Derleth was chosen as this month’s rookie athlete for his hard work on the baseball team.

“Garrett has come in and worked hard since he started baseball,” Head Baseball Coach Cole Boge said.

Derleth has been playing baseball for six years and is excited for this upcoming season.

“My dad has really helped me and pushed me while doing this sport,” Derleth said.

Derleth hopes to become a better player as time goes by, enough to start on varsity.

“I try to practice during the summer,” Derleth said. “I do this to improve my

skills.”

Even though Derleth has been playing ball for six years, high school baseball is a whole new thing.

“Garrett has immersed himself into our practices,” Boge said. “He has learned a lot since he’s started. He has improved by coming to practice every day and picking up small tips along the way.”

Derleth has worked really hard to be a better player for himself, and for his baseball team.

“It feels really good to be named rookie for baseball,” Derleth said.

Derleth plans on continuing to play baseball throughout the rest of his high school career.

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Friday, March 31, 2017

Track teams place high at first meets

Sports

Melissa Gerber

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Sports Briefs

By Bryn Hermanson

Members of the boys track team competed at the Kolf Sports Center Field House at UW-Oshkosh on March 16. The boys placed fourth out of 22 teams.

Sophomore Mitchell Krueger finished first in his heat and placed eighth overall for hurdles.

“I have done hurdles before, but they suggested I do it this year because they needed more people to do it,” Krueger said.

Though he had previous experience with hurdles, Krueger was surprised with the competition.

“I expected a lot more competition,” Krueger said, “I thought it was weird I got first in my heat.”

This meet was not only the first meet of the track season, but also an indoor invitational. There was a limited number of entries, as only two athletes per school could participate in each event.

“It’s good to get started right away. You need to have seven practices before you can compete, and we had seven practices,” Coach Matt Willett said.

There was a co ed track meet

Golf sees changes this season

Sophomore Mitchell Krueger competes in the hurdle event on March 16 at the Kolf Sports Center Field House at UW-Oshkosh. He placed first in his heat and eighth overall.

Photo: E. Schmidt. also held at the Kolf Sports Center Field House on Tuesday, March 21.

Sophomore Camryn Reck finished second in her heat and was seeded fifth for the 60 meter dash, but finished fourth overall.

“I was pleased with my overall results,” Reck said.

At the meet on March 21, the boys finished second out of the 18 teams, and the girls finished

second out of the 17 teams.

“We’re going to improve on what we call ‘base work’, which is the main work of getting into shape,” Willett said.

Coaches still have to place athletes in events for upcoming meets.

“It’s still up in the air over who’s doing what for events,” Willett said.

Their next meet is April 4 at Berlin High School at 4 pm.

March 21 Meet Results:

-Ryan Bartol, Chris Werch, Jack Werch and Trevor Hendrickson placed first in the 1600 meter relay.

-Jack Werch placed second in the 60 meter dash.

-Bria Osterberg, Mari Beltran, Mackenzie Kurczek and Heather Hunt placed first in the 3200 meter relay.

Competitive shooters take advantage of trap leagues by

Emily Schmidt

The Kettle Moraine Trap League and Central Wisconsin Youth Trap League (CWYTL) are two different competitive trap leagues that Berlin offers to middle and high school students. Some students at Berlin High School manage to be in both leagues to better their trap shooting skills.

The Kettle Moraine league has a varsity and JV team. High schoolers can also letter in trap through this league.

“The Kettle Moraine league is always on different days during the week and we travel to different schools to compete,” junior Steven Klika said. “The youth league takes place on Saturdays at the Berlin Conservation Club for anyone to show up and shoot.”

Klika has been shooting trap for five years and plans on shooting every weekend for both leagues. His dad Steve Klika has been volunteering for four years for both leagues.

“Some of the tasks include helping in the sign-up process, opening and closing of the trap houses, and scoring and coaching shooters. As for the Kettle Moraine league, I am the coordinator and assist the coaches in the management of the Berlin Conserva-

tion Club team. Some of the duties for this league include making sure all shooters are aware of the location for away shoots and time to be present, loading scores on the website and managing funds,” Steve said.

Steve says he feels very fortunate to be part of the Berlin Conservation Club.

“One of the things I’ve enjoyed the most is meeting new kids from the surrounding area and getting them started in trap shooting and watching them improve over the years. I have watched several shooters go from their first year of shooting to being a state champion,” Steve said.

With limited numbers of kids from Berlin on the Kettle Moraine league, the shooters team up with Ripon, as they have in previous years.

“In the youth league, we compete against Ripon, but in the Kettle Moraine league we team up with them,” junior Andrew Fritz said.

Fritz has been shooting trap for four years and plans on shooting every weekend, too. If the shooters were to fall behind on shooting each weekend, it can be hard sometimes to catch up.

“If you know you’re going to be gone a certain weekend, you can shoot ahead for that week. If you miss a

Practice started for the golf team on Monday, March 27. As a new season approaches, the team sets new goals.

“The team’s goal this year is to have eight people get a 43 average,” sophomore JD Neubauer said. “The team also wants to improve on consistency.”

The team is prepared for the season and has a new head coach, Jeff Massen, and a female member this year.

“I feel like we have a really motivated group of guys and gals, and new coaches who are ready to make this team a solid unit,” Neubauer said.

Their first meet is during spring break on April 10 at Lake Breeze Golf Club in Winneconne.

Girls soccer looks to improve record

With varsity’s record of 1-16 last year, the girls soccer team is looking for new skills and new motivation this upcoming year.

“I want to be a winning team, but I also want the team, as a whole, to improve on ball handling and passing,” junior Courtney Rodgers said.

The team started practicing March 20, but some girls have been preparing for even longer.

“We do a lot of conditioning during the first few weeks of practice, and some girls do indoor soccer during the winter season,” Rodgers said.

Their first game is tonight at North Fond du Lac at 4:30 p.m.

Softball hopes to accomplish long-time goal Juniors Andrew Fritz (left) and Steven Klika (right) shoot on the first day of the Central Wisconsin Youth Trap League (CWYTL) on Saturday, March 11 at the Berlin Conservation Club.

Photo: E. Schmidt week, you can make it up the following weekend (for the youth league),” Fritz said.

The shooters can get behind up to three weeks for the youth league, but cannot get behind in the Kettle Moraine league. The shooters will take a score of zero if they miss a week.

The scoring for the Kettle Moraine league takes the top five shooters for each school and totals their points for that week. The youth league, however, is an individual scoring process and takes the highest average for the

week.

“The youth league is more of a practice for me,” Fritz said.

Fritz also pointed out that the youth trap league is more of a teaching oriented group for middle schoolers and high schoolers to practice than the Kettle Moraine league.

“The Berlin Conservation Club has been very fortunate to have some of the finest coaches and volunteers in making this a very respected program across the state and even the nation,” Steve said.

With a new sports season, there comes excitement from everyone. But for softball, Varsity Head Coach Dave Polakowski is the most excited.

“I’m excited every season. I have some good talent on my team,” Polakowski said. “We hope to compete and have fun while doing it.”

Even with a new team, the team goal is the same every year.

“Our goal is the same every season, and that is to ride on the firetruck through Berlin,” Polakowski said. “There are a couple ways to do this, but we need to win our conference or win our regional bracket.”

Varsity softball’s next game is Monday, April 3 at 5 p.m. at Cambria-Friesland High School.

Up Next in Spring Sports Monday, April 3 • •

Varsity Baseball @ Berlin, 4:30 • p.m.

Varsity Softball @ Cambria- • Friesland, 5 p.m.

•

Tuesday, April 4

Thursday, April 6

Varsity Track Invitational @ • Berlin, 4 p.m.

Varsity Baseball @ Berlin, 4:45 • p.m.

Varsity Softball @ Berlin, 4:45 • p.m.

Varsity Baseball @ Berlin, • 4:45 p.m.

Varsity Softball @ Campbellsport, 4:45 p.m.

Girls Varsity Soccer @ Wautoma, 5 p.m.

Friday, April 7 Varsity Track @ Wautoma, • 4:30 p.m.

•

Monday, April 10 Varsity Golf @ Lake Breeze Golf Club, 3 p.m.

Varsity Track Quad @ Ripon, 4 p.m.

Created by Mercedes Zabel