The Oshkosh West
INDEX 2
When summer trends give way to September stress - welcome to academic life!
Page 2 3-5
news
Smallpox and measles and cholera, oh my! Science responds to anti-vaxxers.
Page 4 6-7
Sports
Golf team learns the grass is just as green on the other side of the street
Page 6 spread
8-9
National tragedies trigger numb shock in students, staff alike
Page 8-9 10
Commmunity Take a walk with your favorite furry friends at the annual OAHS Walk for the Animals
Page 10 Entertainment 11-14 TikTok: funny? Misogynistic? It’s all a matter of perspective.
Page 11 Features
15-16
Wildcat teacher provides fresh ‘ryf’ on artistic sensibilities at local exhibit.
Page 16
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www.oshkoshwestindex.org Volume 116, Issue 1
September 30, 2019
‘Cats travel to ‘unpathed waters, undreamed shores’
This Issue: opinion
“Your source for Wildcat news”
From the Ibis Budget Hotel Engstrom said. “The food was and restaurants endorsed by the come to life at a performance to watching Shakespeare in the mor e bla nd ; t he r e wa s not author J.K. Rowling herself. of Shakespeare’s The Merr y Globe Theater, the June trip to a s much g re a se or se a son“By far my very favorite part Wives of Windsor at the world England had it all. Every year, i ng. It was a lot healthier.” of the whole trip was seeing the famous Globe Theater. During students at West are offered opThe students and teachers Harry Potter tree at Oxford, and the trip, attendees not only grew portunities to travel international- visited many sights throughout standing at the tree that Daniel as students, but also as friends. “My favorite par t of the ly. This past Radcliffe summer, h i m s e l f trip was seeing the show at the th rough s t o o d at ,” Globe,” Brydon said. “Not just a jour ney E n g s t r o m because I like that kind of stuff organized s a i d . personally, but I think that it was primarily by A n a collective moment as the group the English i nt r ig u i ng realized the power of the theater department, surprise to experience. I think that was the students s t u d e n t s highlight of the trip for me. It were th r ust t h a t t h e was also one of our last days, into the chaperones so it was kind of bittersweet.” It’s safe to say that those world of had been British culh i d i n g on the trip developed a strong t u re with a throughout emotional connection to one an10 - day t r ip t h e t r i p other, teachers and students alike. “I’m definitely closer with to t he U K . was a brief “ W e o v e r n i g h t the teachers and students on the went on the p i t s t o p trip” Engstrom said. “I made a trip with 50 t o Wa l e s . lot of connections. Seeing teachphoto by Heather Kangas students and This made ers outside of school lets you get si x chaper- The wayward Wildcats huddle for a photo in front of the Tower Bridge in London. The band f o r m a n y to know them as a person rather o n e s , M r . of students and chaperones spent the day touring the sights throughout the city. i n t e r e s t - than an instructor. I gave BryBrydon being ing stories don a giant postcard signed by the leader,” senior Leah Engstrom the country, including Stratford- a n d m e m o r i e s . all the students at the end of the said. “We were there for 10 days, Up o n -Avo n , S h a ke s p e a r e’s “Wales was a very interest- trip, and it was very emotional and we went to places like Man- b i r t h p l a c e , S h a k e s p e a r e’s ing experience, and it was nice to see how he reacted to us apchester, Lake District, Bath, Lon- grave, Bronte county, Oxford’s just to understand the different preciating him. He truly put forth don and Oxford, so we left June New College, Windsor Castle, living experience,” Engstrom a lot of effort in making the 13 and came back on the 24th.” London, and the Lake District, said. “You had to be comfortable trip amazing for us students.” On the topic of the heightT he g r ou p of s t u d e nt s , featuring Rydal Mount, which with your roommates, especially all coming from English hon- served as the residence of fa- w it h t he showe r ors classes, were hit hard with mous poet William Wordsworth. being right next to t he real it y of i nt e r nat ional “The Lake District and Ry- the beds. Also, there travel within the first few days. dal Mount were really beautiful were some interest“We had three f lights on and it was very interesting to see ing happenings outthe way there, two, two-hour the countryside of England, see side of the hotel that flights and a seven hour interna- all the sheep, see the cute cot- we were able to see tional flight. On the way back it tages and the cute little shops,” from the windows.” was another eight hour flight to Tooke said. “Plus, when we went St ude nt s ha d Detroit, then a half hour f light to Windsor Castle, we got to see the opportunity to to Milwaukee,” Engstrom said. a glimpse of the queen, and not explore the counJunior A n na Tooke, like many people get to say that.” tr y in-depth with many others, was an emphasis on excited for the trip, literature. For Engbut had never been l ish t ea che r a nd out of the country. chaperone Brydon, “It was a once this was easily the in a lifetime opbest part of the trip. portunity to travel “The literar y with my friends to c om p o ne nt a d d s a place I have never a not he r level t o been,” she said. “In the tour,” he said. photo by Heather Kangas England we were “I like to think of Senior Leah Engstrom poses for a picture next to the Harry si x hou rs ahead, the literature part Potter tree, in New College, Oxford. The group took a trip to so it was ha rder as the cher r y on the prestigious school filled with references to the wizardry t o c o m m u n ic a t e top of the sundae. within the movie. w it h my f r ie nd s It wasn’t a crucial and family, and of piece, but it made course the jet lag the trip that much better. I think ened emotions, Brydon himself was insane. I was that you still gain a lot from go- was probably the most pasalso worried about ing to another country, seeing sion at e about t he st ude nt s. “I totally believe that this being homesick, but the culture over there, and seeing just the experience all the sights. But, me being an group was special,” he said. “The itself outweighed English teacher and seeing all the bond formed was really the coolthan the negatives.” literature come to life by going est part of the entire experience Another aspect to some of the locations is really for me. While the Shakespeare of i n t e r n a t io n a l rewarding and brings a new level part was a big highlight, the traveling that the of understanding to everything.” group was truly the biggest highphoto by Heather Kangas s t u d e n t s a n d The group clusters before Westminster Abbey, known for both Although some students were light for me. Everything the group chaperones had to its royal weddings and distinguished funerals, in London. Stu- not initially keen on the idea of did as a collective unit, especially adjust to was the dents enjoyed the architecture on their last full day in London. having to include a literary aspect, the goodbye to Adam, added to food. Althoug h it eventually grew on the travelers. the experience. It all showed the England still fea“ E s p e c i a l l y b e c a u s e character and quality of the group, tures staple fast food places, the Not only did the trip include this was an English t r ip, it and the fact that we were all able actual English cuisine that was beautiful sights, but it also ca- h e l p e d m e t o k n o w m o r e to become a close knit group in served at dinners was very dif- tered to avid movie fans such as about literature,” Tooke said. such a short amount of time referent than the everyday meals Engstrom herself. Students got The platoon of West stu- ally shows the power of the trip.” the Wisconsinites were used to. to see many Harry Potter film- dents and chaperones also got by Kailey Freund “T here’s a lot of meat,” ing sights as well as a few shops the chance to see literature
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September 30, 2019
Opinion
Volume 116, Issue 1
Ten second editorials...
Thumbs up What new theme would you like to see at a football game?
“What people would dress up for Halloween.” -freshman Evelyn Green
“Hicks or cowboys.” -sophomore Will Vu
Thumbs down
...To mom jeans! Honestly, this trend is the one I can hop on. They are cute, comfy, and high-waisted. Why would you not want to own them? ...To pink hair! I think that if done right, it’s really cute and fashionable. Not really practical, but this was definitely one of the better trends that the summer of 2019 came up with. ...To bulky dad shoes! Also not really something I would wear everyday, but some people can really pull them off. ...To thrifting! The best way to get cute clothes at a reasonable price instead of buying poor quality clothes that you pay way too much for. ...To tee shirt dresses! I thank you for promoting oversized shirts and making it socially acceptable to put in little effort and still look amazing. ...To camouf lage! Way to make a come back without looking like you’re going on a hunting trip. It’s a good look that anyone can pull off as long as it’s paired with a solid color (that isn’t neon orange).
...To bike shorts! I can not stress how ungodly hideous they are. They died once; we need to help clothing manufacturers kill them again ...To seashell necklaces! It’s like a choker without all the commitment. ...To neon colors! Come on, we did this in 2012, give it up. It’s no longer the 80’s. ...To really small glasses! They are a fashion statement that have no function and don’t really work as sunglasses. Why waste your money? ...To fanny packs! This is just one I can not get behind. I know so many people love them, and I just hate them. Why not just use a purse? Is it really that hard to hold something? I think not. ...To VSCO girls! I get the scrunchies and HydroFlasks, but no more ‘and I oop” or “sksksk.” Go back to middle school. ...To the fights! Come on guys, just get along. You’re interrupting my day and it’s annoying. Not a good trend...
The Oshkosh West
“Disney, just like last year’s homecoming.” -junior Stephanie Zellner
INDEX
Oshkosh West High School 375 N. Eagle St. Established in 1903 Volume 116, Issue 1
General Adviser: Trent Scott
“Lazy college kids or a rough Monday” -senior Koby Hull
“Pajamas would be comfy and fun to do” -Spanish teacher Mrs. Marisa Karll
Editor-in-Chief: Aspen Oblewski Editors: Zade Alzoubi (Sports) Keerthana Ambati (Features) Sophie Burke (News) Belle Cartwright (Photography) Abby Eaton (Features) Olivia Everett (Copy) Kailey Freund (Entertainment) Izzy Gabavics (Opinion) Akashraj Karthikeyan (Spread) Allison Kelly (Web) Joe Mayo (Sports) Katie Miller (Video) Ainsley Moore (Web) Jensen Muza (Video) Emma Olson (Community) Hannah Olson (Graphic Magic) Cora Pizon (Web) Jack Rowe (Ads & Business)
Javit Thao (News) Grace Weber (Production) Abe Weston (Photography) Hunter Willis (Web) Writers: Hannah Chung, Abigail Conklin, Zachary Eaton, Lily Fournier, Abigail Furcy, Caitlyn Gehl, Bryna Goeking, Lisa Gornert, Brian Huo, Sarah Kasper, Benjamin Kopper, Ksena Lomen, Bryn Millette, Sam Mollenhauer, Ellie Nessman, Evan Oblewski, Anna Powers, Bailey Staerkel, Sage Wesenberg Photographers: Abigail Conklin, Maria Jerebek, Madysun Sawicki Cartoonist: Dexter Plier Mascot: Mulligan and Chonk and Zuul
Non-Profit Organization Oshkosh Area Schools P.O. Box 3048 Oshkosh, WI 54902 September 30, 2019 Issue #1
The purpose of the Oshkosh West Index is to educate, inform, and entertain through eight publications each year. The paper will provide a forum for students’ ideas and opinions. All letters must be signed. Index editors reserve the right to edit all letters for reason of space, clarity, or libel. All letters express the opinion of their authors and not necessarily that of the Index staff. Drop off all letters in E25, direct them to www.oshkoshwestindex.org, or mail them to Index, Oshkosh West High School, 375 N. Eagle Street, Oshkosh WI 54902. Index accepts advertisements from businesses, faculty, or students, thus creating a market for saleable goods.
Stress & Anxiety: How do you deal?
All students understand the stress and anxiety of starting a new school year. It can be very tiring, and if stress and anxiety are not dealt with, it can lead to serious health problems. So the question is, how do you relieve unwanted stress? Personally, I believe the best way to deal with stress is to address the problem directly. The biggest factor of coping with stress, as well as anxieties, is first understanding what they mean. To get insight on the subject and how to best deal with the stress of a new school year, I reached out to Catalpa Health’s Licensed Professional Counselor, Maria (Spiegel) Vercimak, to get insight on the brain, and how to overcome and handle your reactions to situations. “The best way in dealing with what school is throwing at you is learning what you are responding to,” she said. “Stress is caused by trying to control things that you have no control over. Whereas anxiety is too many thoughts in your brain at once.” To break this down to very basic examples, stress is trying to control the amount of homework a teacher gives you, and anxiety is doing two homework assignments at once. T he main problem with st aying stressed and anxious is it negatively impacts performance. Why wouldn’t you want to do everything you could to make sure you’re performing your best? Vercimack elaborates on the negative impact stressors and anxiety can have on the brain. “The brain functions best when only focused on one thing,” she said. “When you are thinking about many things it causes anxiety in the brain; this makes it harder to focus.” Knowing how it affects your body and mind, the best way to continue is to apply it to situations. When doing any task, focus on one subject at a time and make sure you’re only paying attention to that subject until its complete. While multitasking can be helpful, it’s splitting your brain into two thoughts; this negatively affects the result of both things you’re focusing on and creates anxiety. You can split your focus, but it’s just not the way to successfully increase productivity and your work ethic. While you can’t stop your brain from wandering, knowing the negative effects can help you reduce anxiety and stress because you’re aware of the actions that you can control. Another good way to relieve stress is through exercise. It reduces levels of adrenaline and cortisol and increases happy endorphins. In other words, it eliminates some of the hormones that force your body and mind to tense up and makes you happier. The biological reason this works is because when you’re doing a sport you really love and you are focused only on that sport, this lowers your anxiety. The decrease in anxiety also helps reduce stress levels, relaxing your body, allowing you to do your best. Athletes that are truly focused on one thought will perform better than those who are preoccupied on other things. The same thing applies to musicians and those who are in theater. You simply cannot become a character without being fully immersed into the production. Going forward, I think students should take this to heart and really try to focus on one task at a time. No matter what you’re passionate about, knowing this can make a big difference. Whether it’s a letter grade, memorizing that last line, or a touchdown at the game.
by I. Gabavics & M. Bowen
News
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Volume 116, Issue 1
September 30, 2019
Safety, snowfall drive policy changes for students
Every year there are subtle changes that happen at all schools, not only in the district, but all over the state. Most policy changes arise from the need for greater student safety, and West is no exception, according to Principal Erin Kohl. “One of the biggest ones that we’ve made here is the door changes,” she said. “In the past, students were able to enter Door 1 and now they are no longer able to do that. We have otherwise made just a few changes to our current policies, but nothing major this year.” When it comes to the door changes and where students are allowed to enter through in the morning, many students don’t seem to understand the reason for the change. Previously, students were able to enter through Door 1, Door 24, and Door 38. Assistant Principal Rebecca Montour clarifies why this change was created. “It was really a security issue,” she said. “Kids were entering from everywhere and we, as staff, didn’t know who was coming and going and when it was happening. Having the two doors allows us to be more aware of where the students are. Those doors don’t then open until there is an adult super vising.” Most students do seem to have adapted to the change, but in the beginning, it was
more confusing for many. Complicating matters further was a change to the schedule. “The new star t time, which was a district change, was big,” Kohl said. T he ch a nge s t o t he new t i me schedules have seemed to throw many students off. Last year, zero hour began at 7:30 while first hour began at 8:23. This year however, zero hour star ts at 7:18 and first hour begins at 8:12. “A few k id s by t he fou r t h d ay were saying things like, ‘does school start earlier or something? Because I feel like I’m late everyday,’” Kohl said. School does end at the same time as last year, at 3:33. This will help to accommodate for any snow days this year. Last year, the OASD had to extend the school day in order to make up that time. This year, that time is already built into the day. Because of the extra minutes added, the school year has two make up snow days built in. When it comes to snow days, there have also been rumors of hybrid days. These would be days where students cannot be in school because of the weather conditions but teachers can post lessons to Canvas or give out some form of homework for students to complete at home. Those days would then count as contact days for teachers because students are
still receiving a lesson. The only days planned to follow this new system are during the ACT testing days due to the fact that only juniors will be in school. “If it goes smoot h ly a nd t he re are a large number of st udents that do pa r t icipate t hey could possibly, in the future, extend those hybrid days to i nclude snow days,” Kohl said. T h e r e a r e n’t a s m a n y p o l i c y changes as it initially appears. Minor tweaks were made to multiple policies such as the vaping and tardy protocol. The major change was the new tardy policy. In past years, a student would get a referral for tardies after being late to the same class three times. Because of that, it would take at least three days for st udents to get a tardy refer ral. Now, students can have consequences for being tardy after one day, if they’re late for three different classes, that is. “After being late to any three classes, students don’t even get a lunch detention. They come in and have a conference to find out what is going on,” Kohl said. “If they are late again after that meeting, that is when they would get the detention and be added to the watch list.” Many of the changes have been easy to adapt to for students and, as the school
year goes on, they seem to be adjusting well. Staff seem to be doing the same. “With the right training and knowledge of why we are doing this, many teachers seem on board,” Montour said. S p a n i s h i n s t r u c tor Alyssa Gauthier agrees. “Since the new change, I have actually seen a great improvement f rom the years I’ve been here,” she said. Teachers this year will have more flexibility at the end of the year. While the rumors of eliminating final exams are not true for this school year, teachers are able to change what they do with that hour. “The decision, in the end, was to leave the semester exams.” Kohl said. “But, teachers have a lot more flexibility with what that exam looks like. So, it doesn’t have to look like this formal paper and pencil test. It might be a performance for a music class, or a portfolio for art.” There have been several changes for the new year. To some, these changes are major. To others, they may not have even been aware. Whether noticed or not, new policies affect the staff and student body as a whole. “We are pushing to do more for the school every year,” Montour said. “It really does make a difference for everyone.”
Advanced Placement (better known as AP) courses include a wide variety of subjects that are offered to students, ranging from AP World History to AP Literature. The courses are designed to prepare students for challenging exams that both test ability and reward college credits. Compared to the state average, West students consistently dominate, raking in massive savi ngs for t hem selves and parents in the process. In Wisconsin, passing scores overall for AP exams are around 60%. At West, passing scores remain arou nd 70%. According to AP U.S. History teacher Andrew Britton’s class introduction letter, “On the 2019 AP U.S. History test, 93 Oshkosh West students took the exam, and of these students, 64 (68.9%) earned an AP grade of at least a 3. This compares to the worldwide average of 53.7% of students who earned a grade of at least 3 on the 2019 AP U.S History exam.” “The preceding years we were the upper 70s, so our pass rate has decreased recently,” AP coordinator Heather Kangas said. “Part of the reason why our pass rate has gone down is because we have expanded opportunities for younger students to take AP courses and exams.” Students take AP courses and the AP exam because it allows them to earn college credits, which can help families financially. The test fee is normally around $94. While at first glance, this cost may seem like a lot, the $94 is a huge discount for a credit that would normally cost about $594 in college. Students can even use these credits to enter school as a college sophomore, or sometimes even higher. Skipping years of college can save students and their families anywhere from around less than $10,000 to over $35,000. “We understand that 94 dollars is a financial hardship for some student’s f a m i l ie s ,” K a ng a s s a id . “ Fo r s t u dents who qualify for free and reduced lunch, we offer the exam at no cost.”
Katherine Matzke, a West alumni, is now a freshman at Colorado State University. She took 3 AP classes during her time at West: AP European History, AP US History, and AP Government and Politics. She not only saved hundreds of dollars but also developed vital study skills. “I had to do the most written assignments in A P U.S. H i s t or y,” M at z ke said. “It got easier because I learned about my lear ning st yle and what I need to do to be successful.” A P cl a s s e s a r e n ot fo r e ve r yo n e , bu t the benef its vastly reward the work. “You have to be very honest about the workload and rigor of the class but you also have to highlight the benefits that come with it,” AP World History teacher Michael Allen said. “It is a balancing act of being honest with them about what the course is about and the workload that comes with that but also what you get out of it, the pro’s and con’s.” AP classes provide experience to students, even if they don’t do well. “There is an avenue to get a lot of college credits through high school coursework,” Allen said. “I think it is a good option if anybody is thinking about going to a university, they do more so they don’t have to pay a hefty price when they get to college.” St udents taking AP English Literature will even be fully prepared for a second test, according to Trent Scott. “The beauty of Lit is that students can double dip and take the AP Language and Composition course,” he said. “There are schools across the state that offer an entirely separate course and still have low passing rates. Our kids walk in there with skill sets derived from English 3H and AP and just blow that thing away.” This sort of dominance pays off in multiple ways. “If you think about it, a kid pulling ‘5’s’ on both of those tests might qualify for between six and 12 college credits,
depending where they are going,” Scott said. “Effectively, that’s potentially a six thousand dollar return on a $188 investment. I’m just an English teacher, but I can appreciate that kind of math.” Ashley Hogan, currently majoring in kinesiology/pre-med at Purdue University, took away more than just the credits from her time spent in West’s curriculum. “Tak i ng A P Lit made me st and out in my English classes in college,” she said. “I did incredibly well in the t wo English classes I had to take.” Beyond academic benef its, Hogan is saving signif icantly. “ I’m personally saving $20,000 by graduating a semester early,” she said. “I’m technically an entire year ahead in credits but I have to finish my major plus medical school requi rements.” Jeffrey Straus, currently an assistant principal at Beloit Memorial High
School, recognizes the leg up West’s A P c u r r ic u lu m p r ov id e d fo r h i m . “Taking AP classes saved me a full year of tuition while allowing me to change majors six times and still graduate on time,” he said. “The rigor and level of thinking I learned in AP classes prepared me to do well in every class and job I’ve had.” Me d i a C e nt e r s p e c i a l i s t El ly n Lahr has seen the benefits from a parent’s perspective as both her daught e r s e a r ne d nu me rou s A P c r e d it s. “ T h e c ol l e g e c r e d it s r e c e ive d amounted to savings of tens of thousands of dollars in tuition, and both were able to take higher level courses as college freshmen,” she said. “The academic rigor of the AP and CAPP classes can help your student develop better study habits, which will help them a great deal in college.”
by Sophie Burke
Continued AP dominance saving students thousands
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September 30, 2019
News
Volume 116, Issue 1
Science, health experts advocate for vaccination It’s no secret that the numbers of unvaccinated children in Wisconsin school districts have increased. In the current school year, the state is seeing roughly 50,000 unvaccinated children enrolled. The cause of such a number stems back to false claims made by scientists, most notably Andrew Wakefield, that vaccines cause autism. As a result, many citizens panicked and quickly rethought the need to vaccinate their children, according to science teacher Vicki Ramus. “I hate to pick on actress Jenny McCarthy, but she said that vaccines cause autism, which is completely inaccurate,” she said. “The scientist who supported her has come out and publicly said ‘no...that’s not true... I made that up,’ but you still hear people saying ‘vaccines cause autism.” This idea has a direct connection with the 1,200 individual cases of measles that have been confirmed from January 1 to September 5, 2019. The majority of those cases have been among people who were never vaccinated against the disease . “The measles outbreak is happening because there is this myth out there that the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, MMR, causes autism,” biology teacher Sara Dobish said. “But we know it does not cause autism. However, people are still choosing not to vaccinate their children.” One out of five unvaccinated people i n the U . S . who get measles are hospitalized. Paired with the easy communicability of the disease, Ramus expressed her concerns over the threat measles could pose. “Measles is highly contagious,” Ramus said. “For every one person infected, they say that person infects 18 other people. It has one of the highest transmission rates of all diseases.” As this number of unvaccinated children increases, so to is the a rise in disease outbreaks in other states, aside from Wisconsin. The spread is beginning with measles, but several illnesses could be distributed the same way. Much of the spread of the disease is due to the limita-
tion laws on vaccines in different states. “All you have to do is say you have a religious exemption or some other personal reason that you don’t want your kids to be vaccinated and they allow that in Wisconsin,” Dobish said. “In California, they started to change it because they’ve had so many measles outbreaks that now you have to actually get a lawyer and go to court to give your reasons for why you don’t want your kids vaccinated. So, it’s a lot of extra steps that a lot of people aren’t going to be willing to take.” He a lt h t e a ch e r To ny G e r h a r z hopes the many benefits of preventing disease in updated vaccine technology can be a motivation to for more anti-vaxxers to change their views. “Hopefully, the trends will increase, with technology and medicine getting better,” he said. “There are many vaccines out there that have improved. For example, Gardasil, the HPV vaccine helps prevent cervical cancer. Hopefully parents allow their kids to get them.” With the number of those who are unwilling or unable t o
vaccinate, t h e r e is still a r ising debate of whether students must be inoculated. “As a health teacher, I would require schools to vaccinate children, but there are always some extenuating circumstances with families,” Gerharz said. “Hopefully, families always do what’s best for their children. I think public schools also have a right to protect all the kids. It’s a tough situation.” As imagined, this is a large problem for school settings, where hundreds of
students are crammed into small classrooms with low-ventilation on a daily basis. This is especially a problem for elementary schools, where children with fairly weak and underdeveloped immune systems intermingle. “The reasons we get vaccinated is because there are some awful diseases that can create catastrophic, life-altering conditions if contracted,” Ramus said. “So, if unvaccinated people come across certain pathogens, viruses, or bacteria, they have zero protection. Their immune system has never seen that before and they will contract the disease and potentially be affected for the rest of their lives by a condition that might have surfaced because of it.” However, not every unvaccinated person is guaranteed to be affected by disease. “Unvaccinated students do not affect o u r stu- d e n t b o d y u n less they would contract the disease,” West Health Assistant Dottie Durrant said. “As district nurses, we work closely with the county nurses to determine if students who are not vaccinated need to be excluded from school or just notified.” Regardless of who is vaccinated or not, the social effects have not yet been quantified. “I don’t k now how much it would affect the other kids if they knew who was unvaccinated,” Gerharz said. “Or how it would affect the staff members. I don’t think teachers are aware of who’s vaccinated and who’s not. That’s all taken care of through the nurses’ office. In my 30 some years here at West, I’ve heard of very few issues with that.” In recent years, the anti-vaccine move-
c a n’t b e va c ci n at e d d ue t o me d ical conditions or due to certain ideals. “Either they’re immuno-compromised or they have allergies to certain vaccines,” Ramus said. “Those individuals that can’t g e t v a c - cines rely on the fact that the majority of the population is vacci nated. So, it puts those people w h o can’t be vaccinated a t an increased risk of these diseases or infections that they would otherwise have protection from.” Despite receiving several vaccinations, some immune systems may simply not respond to the injections. “I had a student several years ago that had all of his vaccines and when he went to go volunteer at Mercy Medical and they needed to do an antibody test on him to make sure he was vaccinated because of the department he was going to be working in required it,” Ramus said. “They tested him and he didn’t have any antibodies to anything. Then, they re-vaccinated him for everything. He still had no antibodies after the fact. So, there are people like that, where their immune system doesn’t respond to the vaccine the way that it’s supposed to.” People in these types of situations rely on what is called herd immunity. Herd immunity is the ability of someone to resist a disease because the majority of the people around them are immune to it. The large majority becomes immune primarily through vaccination. “A nti-vax xers are ma k i ng it so that our population is no longer going to have herd immunity, and herd immunity is really important for people who can’t be vaccinated because they have underlying issues,” Dobish said. In order for society to promote vaccination, Ramus believes that people should truly understand the actual ef-
Source: Post Crescent
ment has grown, partly due to social media. “Anti-vaxxers are a danger to society,” said sophomore Anika Larson. “We are only one generation removed from polio and other deadly diseases. The entire scientific and medical community is in agreement that vaccinations are a vital part of public health. Yet parents decide to not vaccinate their children because they ‘read a blog online’ or ‘heard something from their friends.’” Althoug h a popular opi n ion, there are situations where people who
fects of vaccines rather than those previously claimed. In the face of inaccuracies and retracted research, she would love to see the pendulum swing in the opposite direction for the sake of public health “I would hope that the trend of nonvaccination would decrease,” she said. “I think there just needs to be more awareness and education out there as to how vaccines work, what’s in a vaccine, and
by H. Chung and A. Furcy
News
Volume 116, Issue 1
5
September 30, 2019
Amazon tragedy sets climate conversation ablaze Fires and dark smoke have been raging across the Amazon rain forest for months. The efforts made to preserve the most valuable ecosystem on earth from going up in smoke have proved somewhat futile, raising questions as to the short and long term implications. The reactions by governments worldwide have been to send fire fighting aid, while others are doing nothing at all. Researchers have expressed concern that the Amazon is just the latest in a string of signs, ranging from wildfires to hurricanes to melting ice caps, that rapid climate change threatens future viability of the earth’s environment. Jim Feldman, Director of Environmental Studies at UW Oshkosh, spoke out about these dangerous climate issues. “Obviously, no one can predict the future,” he said. “What the scientific community agrees upon is that at the current rate of human-caused warming, climate change will have an increasing impact on almost all aspects of human life.” One of the primary causes of the fires arose from the deforestation of the Amazon. The original intent for the deforestation was farmers’ need for more land because of the lack of nutrient rich soil on existing farmlands. The unintended effect of this destruction were these wildfires. There was an 80% increase of reported fires from only this last year. The Amazon takes in millions of tons of carbon emissions every year, and the fires are releasing large amounts of carbon, which in turn is affecting this climate change phenomenon.
“[There seems to be an] inability to see to come,” junior Kennedy Benesh said. the long-term impacts of human activity,” As students become more and more Feldman said. “No one burning coal in Eng- aware of the effects of climate change, land in the 1700s or their calls to action driving cars on Amerihave grown louder. can freeways in the This has proven es1950s was thinking pecially true when about climate change. the news of major The modern economy natural or man-made is so big, so sprawling, disasters becomes and so faceless, that widely available on no one has to see the social media outlets. consequences of their Recently, students economic choices. We around the world can buy cheap elecstaged a protest by tronics without knowwalking out of classes ing a thing about the and to the streets. working conditions “The biggest of the people who thing is the misconmade those electronception that the youth ics; we can eat fast don’t really know food or drink soda anything and they photo courtesy of Amelia Reed aren’t without knowing or taken serigraduate Amelia Reed participates in a climate seeing the environ- West ously,” senior Brenchange protest hosted at the University of St. Thomas. mental consequences Millions around the globe spoke as one on September 20, dan Rohloff said. of modern industrial standing up for Mother Earth and demanding change. Though stuagriculture. This indents are given little ability to see makes it harder to act.” power to assist on a governmental front, Science, and especially environ- there are many ways kids can make a mental classes should be teaching the change and reduce their carbon footprint. modern conditions rather than a past “To create change, students can also status, according to some students. make good choices regarding the environ“I just really think that instead of ment like using less plastic, recycling, and always getting so upset over the lit- eating less meat,” junior Andrew Engedal tle things, like politics, we should re- said. “Students can also convince busially be focusing on the fact that our earth nesses to change policies that are bad for might not support life in the centuries the environment by purchasing from en-
vironmentally friendly companies. This would result in companies changing their products to be better for the environment in order to gain more customers.” Effects of climate change are not confined solely to the environment but also affect safety, productivity, and efficiency of businesses globally. As temperatures rise, crops become increasingly difficult to produce and harvest. Smaller food supply creates an issue with consumer cost. The higher temperatures do not bode well for the sustainability of jobs confined solely outside in the blazing heat. The effects on global commerce could eventually become far less efficient as a result of the reduced output. Despite advancements in shipping technology, it would still be completely pointless unless the world can stop production of non-renewable energy and in turn reduce wildfires, like the Amazon rainforest, and eventually reverse the effects of man-made climate change. “We can live without oil and if we come up with an alternative then we would be in better shape” biology and chemistry teacher John Reiland said. “With oil, we are still finding more reserves but we need to be using those types of resources more efficiently. I don’t feel like people need to drive tiny cars but we should find more efficient engines. We still have to be more efficient with the growth of population. We have the technology to use things better, but we just need the will to do it.”
Everyone knows the consequences of smoking - cancer, emphysema, and chronic bronchitis. Tobacco companies have been the cause of thousands of deaths for decades, however, the new vaping industry has scientists and researchers uncertain and searching for the exact consequences the habit will bring. That search has been quickened by the recent spate of vapers going to the hospital with symptoms such as coughing, chest pain, shortness of breath, fatigue, diarrhea and vomiting. In the states of Illinois and Wisconsin, there were 53 patients whose symptoms were traced back to as early as April 2019. The first ever death relating to vaping was in Illinois and
there have been approximately 450 cases spread across 33 states and one territory. “It’s starting to become a bigger issue,” health teacher Tony Gerharz said. “I know some states are starting to ban flavors, Michigan being somewhat recently.” Most of those hospitalized were found to have been vaping with Vitamin E acetate, a dangerous chemical. Companies sold thickening agents which allowed the adjustment of THC levels in products, and many health officials claim that vaping could be linked to an illness known as lipoid pneumonia, a rare type of pneumonia in which oils or lipid containing substances enter the lungs. This prevents oxygen from circulating in people’s bloodstream.
Montour said. “This year, though, if a stud e n t i s caught with the device they just get the ticket from Officer Wissink.
by Samuel Mollenhauer
Vaping violations trigger national, local concerns
In addition to the deaths, new products have reached the market. There are now devices disguised as phone cases and Apple watches that may make it possible to sneak vapes into school grounds without teachers noticing. “It’s so important that if students see other people vaping, they should report it,” West Principal Erin Kohl said. “Even if it’s in the bathroom. We can see on the cameras and we are able to seek most of them out.” In the past it wasn’t too hard for students to sneak vapes into class. Many students would often hide in the bathroom to vape, or they would sneak i n one super quick puff in class when they thought the teacher wasn’t paying attention. According to an Index survey, at least 81.7% of the students know one person who vapes, 58.4% of those people are under 18, the legal vaping age. “I have walked in on a couple people vaping in the bathroom around the corner from my classroom,” Gerharz said. “Last year we walked in on a couple of young men that were vaping and I thought I was at the county fair because it sure smelled like cotton candy. An administrator just happened to be in the hallway at the same time so the administrator took care of checking the kids and they both were found with vapes on them.” Fines have increased in an attempt to curb the harmful habit. Now, for the first offense, the fine is $50. However, after every offense, the fine goes up by $50. Therefore, the first offense would be $50, the second would be $100, and so on. “Last year, students would get suspended if they were caught with a vaping device,” West Assistant Principal Rebecca
Howe v e r , if they are actually caught vaping in school, then they would get the ticket and the suspension consequences.” West also has a program within school that can help with deterrence. “Another thing is if you do report people vaping, you could get $50 through our ‘Quick 50’ program,” Kohl said. “They would only get that if the person caught vaping was vaping with an illegal substance such as THC or marijuana.” Like school policies, educational materials are struggling to keep up. “We’ve had to change in the last couple years; actually, our textbook is on the older side so there’s nothing really in there about vapes, but we got a brand new textbook this year and there’s like four sentences on vaping,” Gerharz said. “I asked the lady at the textbook company and she said because the industry was changing so fast that the book companies don’t even have a lot of information.” Like Gerharz, Kohl also feels an obligation for the school to do its part to stem the tide. “Students are putting their body in danger,” she said. “I feel that as a school, it is our job to educate people about the risks.”
by Ellie Nessman
6
September 30, 2019
Volume 116, Issue 1
Sports
Sports Construction sends golf off course Photo Poll Which fall sport are you most excited for?
“I am excited for soccer because I can’t wait to watch West in the playoffs.” - freshman Camden Herlihy
“Football- I am excited because I like to see all the school spirit at the games.” - sophomore Chloe Zache
“Football, because I get to play in Pep Band and hang out with my friends.” -junior John Weigand
“Football, because it’s a great end to my week, and I enjoy spending time with my friends and watching the game.” - senior Abby Wuest
“Soccer, because they have been pretty good the last few years and I want to see how they do again.” - English teacher Brian Phelps
Following a city vote that triggered “Golf is a sport that can be enjoyed to see the more experienced players demolition and earth movers galore, the for a lifetime,” he said. “I enjoy being able lower their scores as we head to regiongirls golf team lost their home at Lake- to see golfers from each season go on and als,” he said. “For our newer players: shore Municipal Course when Oshkosh enjoy the game even after they graduate.” for them to improve their game, have a Corporation began construction on its new Muza, who has played golf for many fun experience, and meet new people.” home office. Both girls and boys moved to years, uses the sport as a way to break Junior and multi-sport athlete Drew the Oshkosh Country Club. Since practice up her daily routine. She also has found Lasky views his time on the links as an began in August, players new and ideal release. He beold have focused on lowering scores lieves he can polish in preparation for competition. his skills in this sport Junior Ava Ar tus will miss for the rest of his life. the laid back at mosphere at “I love golf beL a k e s h o r e , i n c l u d i n g d r i n kcause I love the idea ing her favorite pink lemonade. of hitting the crap out “It is a shame it is gone; we all reof a small white ball. ally enjoyed golfing there,” she said. It’s a stress reliever,” Se n ior Je n se n Mu z a , who he said. “Golf is also played two years at Lakeshore and great because golfers two at the Country Club, absolutely can play their whole loves the new course. However, she life, unlike many other misses the permissive environment sports, where you get from the old stomping grounds. too old to play. My goal “The Country Club has guideis to keep on getting lines and rules which we have to better, so I can be really follow, like the dress code,” she said. good when I am older.” “There is also a proper etiquette Benesh enjoys we must uphold. When we were at many aspects of Lakeshore, most of the employees the game, and eswere our friends and we could fool p e c i a l ly love s t h a t around as much as we wanted.” she can be with her From an aesthetic perspecf r iend s wh ile playtive, junior Kennedy Benesh aping her favorite sport. preciated the view that Lakeshore “I love that we can provided during morning practices. photo courtesy of Sage Wesenberg be ourselves around “I real ly e njoy play i ng at Girls golf has moved from Lakeshore Golf Course to the Oshkosh Country e a ch ot he r, i ncludthe country club, too,” she said. Club. The girls hope to have a successful season at their new course. ing our coaches,” she “It’s a very beautiful course, and said. “If it weren’t for it’s a privilege to be able to play there. it provides a way to meet new people. the people on our team and our coaches, By no means is it better than Lake“Golf is definitely a stress reliever for I don’t think I’d enjoy it nearly as much.” shore, which had an amazing view.” me and I’m able to clear my mind,” she In any sport team chemistry drives Despite the change in courses, the said. “I also have really enjoyed meeting a success and senior Hana Eaton is appreciaCountry Club has welcomed the Wild- lot of girls from other schools and getting to tive of the bond that the group has created. cats with open arms. Correy Feller, who know them on a personal level. That is defi“Our team works really well together; has worked there since February, enjoys nitely something you don’t get out of most we are all constantly in touch about the the West golfers schedule because it is always changing a nd t he e ne rg y and although golf is a sport that everyone the team brings. scores individually, everyone will help if “It is a real someone has a question on course rules or pleasure to see all what is happening at every meet,” she said. of the excitement Besides the camaraderie, Benesh apthese young playpreciates the balance the tee box brings. ers have for golf,” “Nothing beats a good round of he said. “With our golf,” she said. “A lot of times it provides new family-friendan escape from the stress of teenage ly philosophy, the life. Playing golf as a high school sport We st gol f t e a m is one of the best decisions I’ve made.” is a perfect fit for Ne w t o t h e t e a m i s f r e s h m a n our game plan.” Tessa W hitcomb who, despite years C o a ch Nick of experience, still had to overcome Brandl has faced the pressures of varsity competition. many logisti“I have made so many friends throughcal conf licts. out the season so far,” she said. “I have felt “ Mov i n g t o so included by the other girls on the team.” OCC has been With time winding down in her high a challenge as school career, Eaton has treasured every t he t r avel t i me minute and can rest assured knowing she is a little longer, got more out of golf than just hitting the ball. course availability “Through golf I fully believe that can be limited, and my communication skills have really imthe range is a little proved,” she said. “There are many times smaller. But, the you are forced to play with another person course has been you don’t know and you cannot spend three great for us, and hours with a person not talking at all, that we are able to get would make for a real awkward game.” 17 kids out on the J u n io r Mc ke n n a Lloyd d e e pl y course at a time,” v a l u es relationships despite the photo courtesy of Sage Wesenberg he said. “It is a Junior Kennedy Benesh drives the ball forward. The team has developed loads of f r u s t r a t io n s of h e r c h o s e n s p o r t . unique experience team chemistry with one another, in hope of achieving success in regionals. “I always look forward to golf seafor ou r g i rls to son,” she said. “This year has been be able to see the fun so far. Sometimes I can get frusgame at the next level, and pick up little tips sports, but it is a super cool aspect of golf.” trated playing, but the team and the here and there as they watch and listen.” B r a n d l h o p e s t h a t pl a ye r s d o fun memories we have make up for it.” Brandl believes golf is an activ- more than just improve their averages. by Sage Wesenberg ity that one can never be too old to play. “My main goals for the team are
Sports
Volume 116, Issue 1
7
September 30, 2019
Wildcats aim to take final step on State journey It can be difficult when the big footT he t r avel proved wor t hwh ile. prints in the sand look all too familiar. “I’ve hit up a few different opportuniThe Wildcat boys soccer team has set the ties to go and learn,” he said. “Just like how bar high with years of dominance but are I expect the players to be working in the still looking to cap it off with a state cham- off season to get better, I try to do the same pionship. Athletes started training at the thing so I’m a better coach each year.” beginning of the summer to grow team With a current record floating around chemistry and focus its vision on state. .500, Callahan plans to work smarter As one of the captains of the var- and harder this year, hoping to make it to sity team, junior Grant Oster tag or- the playoffs and potentially state. With ga n i z e d pr a c t ic e s du r i ng va cat ion enough training and preparation, the coach i n hopes of galvanizi ng the squad. seeks to finish the season off in style. “We started captain practices in the “Almost all of our starting lineup is s u m m e r a n d t r a i n e d m u l - completely new, so taking that into cont i p l e t i m e s a w e e k , ” h e s a i d . sideration I would say our record is pretty “The goal was to make players better in- good. But for the rest of the year, I think we dividually, but at the same time we gained have some high aspirations,” he said. “Each team chemistry, which is crucial to success.” day we talk about things that we need to Coach Matt f ix and things Cal la h a n also we need to get shar pened up better at. I think his game, saying our aspirations he has worked are at the end harder this year of the season, in the off season we want to be than any other by peaking so we going to coachcan go as far as ing sessions. we can into the “I we nt t o playoff series.” Nor th Caro The last lina for a week t wo years, the -long coaching va rsit y soccer c o u r s e ,” h e t ea m wa s one said. “I went to game away from photo by Madysun Sawicki Chicago to go reaching its ultiThe team huddles up to decide its next move. The Wildcats are driven to reach t o a fou r- d ay state this year, a goal they have fallen short of the past couple campaigns. mate goal. This long coachi ng yea r, t hey a re conference with work i ng hard12,000 coaches and people from all over e r t h a n e v e r t o r e a c h state. the world. I went to a seminar in Milwau- “One struggle last year was not kee that was a day long to learn about the having enough intense practices,” Ostertag psychology of coaching.” said. “This year we are practicing much
more intensely in order to get there [state].” team works pretty well together,” he said. Fellow captain, senior Aidan “We all know each other and that helps. S a l z e r, k n ow s t h e t e a m n e e d s t o We’re not afraid to communicate, and we’re g ive it s a l l t o m a ke it t o s t a t e. not afraid to listen to each other either.” “A s Junior Sam a team, Bl a s kow s k i h a s we want seen g row th in another t e a m che m i s t r y conference from past years, title and to with the team go to state,” being a lot more he said. clo s e k n it t h a n “T hat has previous seasons. been a team “We definitely goal for have become more a l l of my of a t e a m t h i s high school year compared career, and t o o t h e r s ,” h e the past said. “We are all photo by Madysun Sawicki c l o s e a n d t h a t t wo yea r s Brenen Ewing lobs the ball forward in a game against Bayport. Despite a w e c a m e Senior cor relates to the tough loss, the Wildcats still hope to win conference. up one pitch.” game short But with of state, so this year is the year to do it. school, athletics, and other aspects of life, Achieving those goals simply comes it can be hard to balance it all. Ostertag dow n to hard work and wanting it. sees soccer as a way to become a better If we want to win conference and go student, and an improvement to one’s life. to state, it will only be possible by giv“Soccer is a motivation for good grades ing 200 percent in everything we do.” and it helps you stay out of trouble, doing T he players have lea r ned a lot good things to avoid ineligibility,” he said. about the sport, as well as about themIn his last season ever, Salzer sees selves. Junior Alex Niehans feels he soccer as a n act ive a nd enter t ai nhas not only grown as an athlete on ing activity and will always rememthe soccer field, but also as a person. ber his time playing or the Wildcats. “I’ve improved as an athlete by increas“Playing soccer for West has been the ing my speed and strength. I’ve also become biggest highlight of my high school camore extroverted as a person,” he said. “It’s reer,” he said. “There’s so much teamwork, really fun that you get to meet new people.” effort, preparation, and perseverance inSoccer provides a new network for people volved. The bus rides home after a big win of all ages to enjoy playing the sport. This listening to Miley Cyrus and John Denver network of players is also very important will be memories I remember forever.” to teamwork, according to Ostertag. “Our by Brian Huo
“Football has impacted me because Through its historic 100-year campaign, the NFL has captivated a fan base of hun- I have friends who like different teams. dreds of millions of people while reserving My dad, who also likes a different team, really brings out a whole day of the week my competitive for itself. The 2019 Suside,” he said. “It’s per Bowl clearly illusentertaining and trates the NFL’s impact, it’s a good way to as nearly 100 million spend time. I like fans and non-fans alike being competitive watched. For context, and I just love 2019 was not even the watching the sport. most watched Super I like the uniqueBowl in NFL history. ness of it as well.” The most watched SuEverything per Bowl was in 2015, about the NFL is when it aired for over exciting and fast114 million different paced and it’s not spectators. The NFL is much different this the most well- known year. With all the league in the world and, different injuries despite its success, it has that people have to faced challenges while reaching this status. In photo courtesy of KA Sports Photos overcome, along the 1960s, another big Aaron Rodgers looks down field during a game against the Redskins with new bonds season. The Packers hope to make the playoffs after two years of forming in every football league tried to last missing out on the race for the Lombardi Trophy. team when new steal the NFL’s spotplayers and rooklight. The American Football League, more commonly known ies join, the NFL is constantly changing. as the AFL, attempted to become the big- Sophomore Olufunsho Akinleye has some gest football enterprise. The league failed as big predictions for the NFL season, includthe NFL managed much higher ratings and ing continued success for last year’s Super later merged with the AFL. That was only Bowl champions, the start of the long lasting NFL legacy, The New Engand a constant love for football worldwide. l a n d P a t r i o t s . “I’m not really The impact of football can be seen from kids leagues all the way to fans who a big fan of the have been watching their entire lives. P a c k e r s , b u t I Senior Taylor Alexander has been watch- think they’ll be ing football since he was little and talks good enough to about the impact it has had on him, as well reach the playoffs as being a Seahawks fan in Wisconsin. this year,” he said.
“The Patriots are obviously always good, especially now with Antonio Brown. The Steelers won’t be as good unless their backup quarterback steps up due to Big Ben’s season-ending injury. It’s the Patriots or the Chiefs with their Mahome’s magic, I think he’ll step up and lead them this year for sure.” Another big part of the 100th season is the Huddle For 100. This is a way for NFL fans to win different prizes and experiences, while getting involved and giving back to their communities. Some of the different prizes participants have a chance to win are signed NFL and team themed merchandise, and even Super Bowl tickets. Experiences of a Lifetime is an amazing contest that has allowed many lifelong NFL fans to earn some great prizes. On their website, one can see some stories about the winners and the different prizes that they have won. Football itself is really important to many different people, for multiple reasons. It can inspire them and give them hope, while pushing them to work hard. Football has heavily impacted the life of freshman Nolan Reichenburger, and it teaches him how to work harder. “Football has been impactful for me because it helped me work harder,” he said. “Not just in football, but in everything I do.” Students’ love for the game
NFL catches more revenue during historic 100th season
can be seen in the attendance at games, and the many jerseys that people can be seen wearing all around school in support for their favorite teams. Freshman Jake Cornell loves watching football and all of the crazy jersey designs that come out each year. “I am excited to see how the 100th season goes,” he said. “I can’t wait to see what jerseys they bring out this year, especially for my favorite team, the Denver Broncos.” Aside from the new jerseys, a documentary has been in the works on the NFL’s app and website called “A Lifetime of Sunday’s.” The film showcases many different and unique people who have experienced the impact of the NFL throughout the years. Many of the people that are showcased have been watching football for many decades and it has reshaped the way they live their lives. The game of football and the NFL are very important to many people and many students in our own school. Freshman Kieran Patrick really enjoys going to NFL games. “The game was pretty im portant. Not just the outcome, but being there with friends and family,” he said. “I hope to go to another game soon because they are so much fun.”
by Evan Oblewski
G u n s G a l o r e : A m e r i c a’ s w t r i gg e r s p o l a r i z e d r e s p o Vietnam. Hiroshima. Gettysburg. Chernobyl. Famous places in the world that are not necessarily known for their appeal to tourists, but rather for the momentous events that occurred there. As the world progresses farther into the 21st century, places like Parkland, Sandy Hook, and Columbine have now been added to the list. With rising concerns regarding shootings across the nation, polarized groups have formed in order to oppose or advocate for increased restrictions and bans regarding g u n s . A s c it i z e n s t ur n their heads to scrutinize the validity of current gun laws, organizations such as the NRA and affiliated groups oppose f urther gun restrictions. Vice President of the Wisconsin Firearms Owners Dave Holub works to ensure the continued access of g u ns to A mer icans. He expressed concer ns about the potential effectiveness of any new gun laws. “The Wisconsi n Fi rea r ms Owners are the NRAchartered state organization to promote f i re a r m a ct iv it ie s , p r o -g u n p e t it ion s , gun safety and knowledge, and to protect our rights as gun owners,” he said. “We believe that making more gun laws only puts more restrictions on the law-abiding citizens and does not do anything to the criminals because they obviously don’t obey laws.” A prominent advocation for further gun restrictions is the notion of preventing those with malicious intent from gaining access to weapons. Firearms such as semi-automatic and automatic rifles have historically been used to inf lict the most death possible. Inspired by the near-fatal shooting of Jim Brady in 1981, Brady: United Against Gun Violence advocates to remove these weapons from circulation. “At Brady, we are not necessarily against the banning of all guns. Rather, we are against automatic and semiautomatic weapons,” Brady United’s Team Enough Managing Organizer Kisa Shapiro said. “We don’t feel that weapons of war belong in places of peace. More than that, we promote policies of safe and responsible gun ownership.” However, with the number of automatic firearms already in circulation and the persistence of possible perpetrators, such efforts may prove to be futile. “I don’t think that you can prevent
shootings. Evil people have been killing since they could hit people with a rock. They will always find a way to kill. There’s probably 400 million guns in this country and to think that you’re going to stop people from getting them when they are determined to do it - I don’t think it’s going to happen,” Holub said. “In all shootings - not just at schools - before a shooter even goes through the door they’ve broken so many laws already; I d o n’ t q u i t e understand why more laws would make a difference. The wor st t h i ng you can do in any society is killing someone, and if that doesn’t bother them I don’t k now what law you ca n make that can change that.” Re g a r d le s s of any potent ial for new laws to reduce the number of shootings, schools across the count r y have taken precautions to in an attempt to end incidents before t hey begin. In West, one major step was implementing ALICE. “The ALICE protocol is district-wide,” Principal Erin Kohl said. “The district’s emergency preparedness team, with representatives from the district and the Oshkosh Police Department, Oshkosh Fire Department, and Winnebago County Sheriff’s Department, had a collaborative effort in training all of our students and staff in ALICE.” In the past few years, with rising con-
cerns of school shootings, old emergency procedures were determined to be ineffective. This is why ALICE was implemented. “Back in the day, when anything bad would happen we would just go on lock down,” junior counselor Maci Wallace said. “And if there was ever an intruder in the building we would just huddle in the corner and wait.
That idea of just waiting and hiding - you’re just defenseless and it’s easier for someone to do harm. Now, with ALICE training we’ve learned more about how to counter an intruder and what to do in a situation. Now we have the power of choice.” In the past year alone, there have been some major changes at West. Some of these changes have proven to be undesirable in the eyes of some st udents, despite the advantage of increased safety. “ I k n ow a lot of students are annoyed about only being able to enter through Doors 38 and 24 this year and that they only open at certain times and you have to exit the building at a certain time,” Wallace said. “But those are all safety protocols we have in place. Now there’s also room numbers on the sides of the building and on the inside near the clocks. So, if anything bad were to happen, we could easily get authorities into the correct location.” If a gun or an active shooter was ever discovered on the West campus, Oshkosh Police and school admini s tration would work quickly t o s t o p t h e d a n ge r. “The school would re spond by a ct ivating the ALICE protocol,” Liaison Officer Mike Wissink said. “The police department and I would respond and take that individual with a gun into custody. Ultimately, it depends on what they are doing: are they just carr ying it? Are they shooting people with it? We’ll make contact with that individual and start an investigation to see w h a t thei r intent w a s .” This investigation would ent ail a glimpse into the background of t h e perpetrator. If they never actually used the gun, the police would look into a n y possible intentions they may have had. “The police department is going to ask a lot of questions: Did the perpetrator leave any mes-
w e a p on C u lt u r e on s e t o t r ag e dy sages? Were they actually planning anything or did they just have the gun on them? The investigation would include going to their house, interviewing their family, and checking their social media posts to see if anything was talked about.” Despite current protocols and recent changes, there could be some room for improvement, as junior Nathan Schultz suggests. “In the f irst place, yo u h a ve t o h a ve ext re me se cu r it y,” he said. “You might even need things like b u l le t p r o of g l a s s . And I know at some Milwau kee schools they make students go through metal detectors while they come in - that could be a step.” Another suggestion being debated across the nation is the notion of arming teachers in case of emergencies. If this ever occurs, it may allow threats at schools to end earlier. “If they want, I think teachers should be allowed to have access to guns at schools in case of emergencies, even if it’s only one or two, as long as nobody knows who they are,” Holub said. “The common denominator is that shooters almost exclusively go into gun free zones - so we need somebody to stop them. T h e only guy who c a n stop a ba d g uy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.” On the other hand, adding guns into teachers’ hands may prove to be a logistical dilemma as schools and lawmakers will have to decide who gets the firearms. In a worst case scenario, it may just add to the problem. “ W e ’ r e st rongly against ar ming teachers. In the past f ive years, there were over 60 incidents of mishandling guns on school campuses,” Shapiro said. “So, we know t h a t adding more guns to any situation creates more of a problem and more incidents: unintentional shootings, homicides, and suicides. We firmly believe in preventing
access to individuals who shouldn’t have firearms in the first place, rather than arming teachers to solve problems.” Ultimately, the real goal in gun violence situations is not minimizing the damage from a shooting, but it is preventing the incidents in the first place. This entails meeting potential shooters at the mental and emotional level and helping them realize that drastic action is not necessary. “I think we need to address mental health issues more often,” sophomore Anders Larson said. “School shooters are often former students and we need to find a way to build more support for them in schools and to give them someone to talk to.” Another significant part in prevention is noticing hints of planned shootings before they happen. Beyond that, it is up to staff to report any troubling signs. “The first piece in stopping shootings is all about knowledge,” Wallace said. “Often times people think there’s only one person like a counselor or an administrator that should be aware of w h a t ’s g o i n g to happen, but teachers are also responsible as they see st udent s e v e r y d a y. Statistically, people will leak infor mation if t h e y ’r e p l a n ning something like a school shooting to a friend or staff member.” However, while teachers have constant contact with students, fellow students are more likely to confide in their peers, and it is essential that everyone, not just staff, takes the initiative to report any indications of future violence, no matter how small or insignificant. “It’s really a big team effor t. As a counselor, I can talk to students but I think it’s so impor tant for ever yone to be infor med. As they say, ‘see something, say something,’” Wallace said. “It’s important that everyone reports anything troubling they see, even if they think it’s not serious.” In the challenge of completing high school and preparing for the future, students and teachers across the school are caught in many stressful situations. In order to prevent such pressures from culminating into gun violence at West, Kohl believes that everyone must learn to appreciate and respect each other. “I think another thing students and staff need to think about is that everybody in the school wants to fit in and wants to belong,” she said of building a welcoming and healing culture at West. “When you see the ‘new kid’ sitting alone, invite them to sit with you and get to know them. Get to know the people in your classes. Treat each other with respect. Those types of things - that kindness and empathy - go a really long way.”
Students wrestle over complex scope of gun control GABAVICS: Banning guns is a waste of time, and it doesn’t even begin to solve the problem. Those who are following the laws should not be punished for the actions of those who don’t. If the government banned guns, someone determined enough to get one would find a way. While I don’t think everyone needs to have an AR-15 or an AK-47, I believe that if a responsible gun enthusiast wants one, they should be allowed to get one. Schools are gun-free zones, yet we still have school shootings. While every angry teenager is not going to go play target practice with their classmates, it’s more common today than ever. We can’t exactly prevent them from happening, but we can have a plan in place and be prepared for if it were to occur. In that case, I think it’s a great idea to arm our teachers. Let’s say there’s a student shooter in the building. We have one officer who carries one gun. This one gun has only around fifteen rounds. If the assailant and our officer would get into a struggle, there are only these fifteen shots to stop the attacker - only fifteen. Obviously, not every teacher is going to want a gun in their classroom or even within the school’s walls, but there may be teachers who do want to have extra protection. However, there would need to be security measures in place. Students could not know which teachers had weapons. The guns would need to be placed in a safe at all times under lock and key of only the individual teacher, the police officer at said school, and other licensed adults at the school. The teachers would have to take a class learning how to use a gun properly, and pass a background check as well. This all goes with the rights given in the Second Amendment. To me, it means exactly what it says, anyone with a permit can have a gun. You have the right and should be able to use it how you choose, as long as it’s not harming others. It doesn’t matter what political affiliation you have; the rights we were given can not be taken away. We were given these rights for a reason, stop trying to take them away.
OBLEWSKI: Though a total gun ban sounds like a perfect, peaceful world, it’s also incredibly unlikely. Too many citizens would rebel against a ban of all guns because, let’s face it, Americans love using their amendments to justify outdated actions. They also just really love exercising their right to own and use guns (especially for the hunting season). The one problem that I have, however, is the legality of machine guns and automatic assault weapons. I see no problem with exercising a right that you were given, but I do see a problem with keeping potentially dangerous laws the way they are just because a group of entitled men agreed with them hundreds of years ago. Modern America has barely any similarities to 1791 America, especially when speaking on the need for assault weapons. These days, guns seem to be in headlines of tragedies much more often than ones of joy and rescue. The term “mental illness” also seems to be thrown around frequently in conversations about school shootings and how to prevent them. Yet, no one really specifies which mental illnesses are common among those who decide to perpetrate a shooting. I speak for almost everyone, if not every single person on earth, when I say that I know someone (or am someone) who has a mental illness. The World Health Organization confirms that around 450 million people suffer from some sort of mental illness. Obviously, all of those people are not murderers, so how wide is the spectrum between “mentally ill” and “murderer”? America seems clueless on an answer. This then strikes the question: who should be allowed to own a gun? Many also argue that conceal and carry is necessary for the United States, as many claim that you would be able to use a gun against an active shooter when needed. While this does happen, as guns are used over two million times a year for self-defense, does that mean that the Second Amendment should stay as it is, with no effort in adapting to modern America’s tragedies? For those who claim that there should be mental illness checks before being able to purchase a gun, what counts as ‘mentally ill’? The only real ‘mental illness’ shooters have in common appears to be being both white and male. Perhaps there needs to be a new diagnosis?
story by Akashraj Karthikeyan
graphics by Hannah Olson opinions by Aspen Oblewski and Izzy Gabavics
10
September 30, 2019
Volume 116, Issue 1
Community
Newly opened shop animates gaming in downtown Downtown gamers are in for a new good for us to do, to help out our artists adventure. Fans of card, board, and and bring in more traffic to the store.” A lt h o u g h it s cle a r t h a t t h e r e pen-and-paper role playing games will be excited to hear that Adventure Games we r e m a ny b e n ef it s t o t h e m ove , and Hobby shop has moved downtown Alecos will still miss the old store. “I liked Oregon Street,” he said. to 408 North Main Street. Until recently, the store had been empty since the Janu- “It had been a good location for us. I’ve ary of 2018 when Paper Tiger closed its had a lot of memories there over five doors. The hobby store is cur rently years, and I almost got it to look the way open for business in this new location. I wanted it to, and now we’re moving.” De spit e hav i ng memor able mo Adve nt u re G a me s’ ow ne r, Teddy Alecos, looks for ward to the ments back in the old building, Alecos increased space in the new building. is excited for the future. He was glad “I guess it didn’t really occur to us to see Adventure Games & Hobby take that maybe we should make that move, the next step in its adventure. English but then we saw that the new building was teacher Mr. Phelps expressed how it could still on the market almost 18 months later,” be hard for the business to stay af loat. “It’s a rehe said. “The ally nice store way we like and for a long to operate time, Oshour business ko sh d id n’t is we’re one have a gamg ia nt , op e n ing store until r o o m . We it opened,” he were kind of said. “Some running into would pop up a space probfor a month lem at our old or so, but locat ion, i n it’s a really that I couldn’t hard business br i ng i n a s t o la st. It’s many of the pretty big as ret ail prodphoto by Abe Weston far as game ucts that I wa nted to.” With Paper Tiger gone, Adventure Games steps in to bring a new ad- s t o r e s g o dition to Main Street. With the store’s debut on September 29, owners around here.” Being hope to meet gaming needs around the city. Phelps located on added how the main drag, this new area provides a chance most of the community might not be atto bring new attention to the store. Hav- tracted to the store, but hopefully the size ing a lot of events in the downtown can accommodate for the chance of growth. “It’s not the kind of store people usudistrict provides an opportunity to get the community involved in the shop. ally pop into strolling down Main Street, “Downtown has a lot of events go- although closer is always better,” he said. ing on that we may or may not be able “The space is a big one, so you have more to take advantage of,” he said. “I know space for people to play games. They have the artist walk is an interesting one. all those tables there, but it’s pretty crowded We have a couple artist friends, either if you’re going to have a tournament with they do jewelry or they do artwork for a bunch of games playing, so the more game companies; so that would be really space you can have for that, the better.”
Phelps touched on the fact that the lo- the fact that they are growing is nice.” cation wasn’t as important as the business With the new shop entering the Main expanding itself. He was pleased they were Street community and teens always lookincreasing the space to incorporate new ing for something to do, the store provides things and excited to see how the new store a variety of stuff to keep people of all ages might interact with the rest of Main Street. occupied. Senior Bryanna Hopkins recom“It’s a mended the n ice l it tle store to anytrifecta one who is a there for fan of action m e i f it ’s packed engoing to be tertainment. right across “ I f the street table-top from House RPGs are of He r o e s your gig, or and New even just a Moon,” he bunch of difsaid. “I’m ferent board sure that g a m e s , House of they’ve Heroes and got trading Advent u re cards and photo by Abe Weston g a m e s Adventure Games and Hobby shop brings a fun atmosphere to the all sorts of w i l l wo r k store, providing a space for the community to interact and play games things, so w i t h t h e together. The new store will provide a bigger space to bring in more fun if you fall cross-pop- inventory. under the u l a t i o n .” ‘nerd’ friend Many of House of Heroes’ comic-book group, then you’ll probably like it,” she said. fans will hopefully also enjoy Adventure Student and faculty opinions aside, Games’ inventory. Regulars of either store Adventure Games is providing the Oshkosh will likely benefit from their close proxim- community with a place to buy and play a ity to each other. West’s students had a variety of tabletop games. The new location similar perspective on the new addition is larger, more accessible, and will likely to main street. Senior Jacob Collins com- bring in more traffic, but only time will tell mented on his positive visit to the old store. if success is in the cards. Phelps appreci“I’d say it was a fairly nice experi- ates the store’s impact on the community. ence and the staff were pretty friendly,” “The great thing about most gaming he said. “I think more people will be able stores, and Adventure Games and Hobby to access it now because more people specifically, is that it’s more than a store,” will be on Main Street on a daily basis.” he said. “It’s a gathering space, it’s a place While some see this as a great ad- where people sit down and play games, eidition to downtown, some see that it ther on planned nights or just show up. I saw might not bring too much attention to five different people I knew and to any one it. Junior Jonathan Bowers, an avid of them I could have said, ‘Hey, let’s throw fan of board games himself, doesn’t down, x, y or z?’ So that kind of gathering think it was a very significant change. community space of like-minded people “It’s not t hat big of a move. I is as important as what they buy and sell.” mean, it’s going from Oregon Street by Benjamin Kopper to Mai n St reet,” he said. “T houg h
Super f r iends save d ay for pets of all sizes With paws and hands joined together, this year’s annual Walk for the Animals was a big hit all around. With the theme being “Be Their Superhero,” the walk brought fund raising to a whole new level as the Oshkosh Area Humane Society hosted the event on September 14. Stephanie Stazalka, the volunteer coordinator, spoke about the day’s importance of the event. “Walk for the Animals is a fundraiser for the medical fund at the shelter,” she said. “In one year, we have cared for over 2,100 small animals, dogs, cats, and more. It helps raise awareness for the animals in the community and helps fund medical needs at the shelter.” With all that had to be prepared for the event, it was nice to have people who care to help put this together. Through donations, key sponsors, and the staff of the Humane Society, along with 50 volunteers, the fund raiser took shape. Event coordinator Cheryl Rosenthal described what made the walk so special. “This impacts the community by reminding them how important the Oshkosh Area Humane Society is,” she said. “It’s a great way to be with people who love animals while celebrating and saving them.” With a bill of over 100,000 dollars a year on medical care, the Walk for the Ani-
mals provides a fun way to help raise mondents’ ti me because Star Trek was ey. Being able to interact with fellow pet such a big deal at the time,” she said. lovers and their lovable animals makes the However, the Humane Society feared purpose even more enjoyable. Senior Magthat this name would not be noticeably gie Konig found the walk to be a chance inclusive to all of the animals in the shelfor t he comter. Pat Rock, munity to join Oshkosh Area together and celHumane Sociebrate their pets. ety’s business “It’s a good administraplace for people tor, wanted to around the make sure that com mu n it y t o their purpose support the aniwa s clea r. mals, and a good “ T h e place to see dogs name changed and even swap because it re scue st or ie s made it seem about your anias if it was all mals,” she said. about the dogs, T his event but it’s about photo by Abigail Conklin has brought the Ninja, this lovable chihuahua, shows off his costume for this all the animals; community to- year’s theme, Be Their Superhero. To help with medical fund the money goes gether for over raising, the walk has provided a fun environment for all pets. to all of them,” 25 ye a r s , a nd she said. interestingly enough had a different name Rock also thought a walk would to begin with. Oshkosh Area Humane be a good fund raising opportunity inSociety director Joni Geiger elaborated stead of other ideas presented to them. on the meaning behind the original name. It can be hard to both raise money and “ Shelter Trek wa s what it wa s a l s o ge ne r at e a f u n e nv i r on me nt . c a l le d , t h a t w a s w ay b efo r e s t u “We saw that similar events had
succeeded across the country and we needed a new way to fund raise,” she said. With the annual walk becoming an attractive activity, Geiger expressed how the charity event was not only a great environment, but that it had an impact on everyone. “We have a target audience and this event is really impactful for those people,” she said. “They know they are giving back and are having fun in the process. And there’s an obvious impact on the animals; I mean every animal that comes through our doors has to see someone for some type of medical reason.” It can be difficult to provide medical needs for all different species of animals. Sophomore Preston Vaughn expressed how he thought the event could help all the pets. “ It d r aws awa r e ne s s a nd f u nd raises for lots of animals who need it ,” he s a id . “ It do e s help t he m .” With the event now d raw n to a close, t he shelt e r k nows t hat t h e i m p a c t w i l l l a s t f u r- e ve r. “This event creates a real kind of community and camaraderie between the people that attend,” Geiger said. “It is a good way for people to have a good time and also suppor t the animals.”
by A. Conklin and E. Olson
Entertainment
Volume 116, Issue 1
September 30, 2019
11
TikTok democratizes social media, self expression If you were to ask West students two or three years ago what they thought of the 2014 app “Musical.ly,” they probably would have laughed at you or rolled their eyes. As an app, Musical.ly offered nothing more than 15-60 second videos of lip syncing uploaded primarily by children. The app’s initial boom eventually fizzled down to the over-saturation of children, limited content and consumers, who expected nothing more than music lip syncing videos. Its weak foundation looked like it could crumble at the slightest touch. However, ever y t h i ng ch a nge d i n November 2017, when p a r e n t company By teDance merged with Mu sic a l .ly, giving brith t o Ti k To k . Besides the name change, ever y t h i ng stayed pretty similar; that is, until October 2018, when TikTok became the most downloaded app in the United States for that month. This likely occurred due to popular YouTubers, such as PewDiePie and Cody Ko, making videos about the app, which led to an increase of TikTok compilations and shares on YouTube, Instagram, and other social platforms. Many users are saying how reminiscent it is of the app Vine, which “died” in 2017. However, most Vine users were limited to six second videos with audio provided by the user, while TikTok allows up to one minute videos and the ability to share songs and audio across the app, as well as record your own. These small differences make a big difference in the ranking of these apps, as TikTok users spend an average of 52 minutes per day on the app that has been around for a
which usually shows only recommended content by already popular accounts, the For You Page is special in that every single video uploaded to the application has the potential to appear in front of any user. This makes the app appealing to small creators, as everyone is given a fair chance, which only increases the app’s popularity. One of the most unique options for TikTok is the ability to “duet” with other videos. This has been around since Musical.ly, where it was usually two people simply duetting a lip sync of a song, but
TikTok trends are set in stone, and people encourage those who think outside the box. Last summer, perhaps the most famous of TikTok memes, was the VSCO girl. “VSCO girl” stereotypes describe them as a subset of teenage girls that wear oversized shirts or sweatshirts, scrunchies in their hair and on their wrists, Birkenstocks on their perfectly pedicured feet, own a Hydro Flask, and say the phrases “and I oop” (notably created by drag queen Jasmine Masters) and “sksksk” (representing a keyboard smash that became a huge trend within Twitter over the past two years). VSCO girls are similar to the 2014 “Tumblr Girls,” characterized by colored vans and Converse, crop tops and high waisted jeans, and most importantly, seen as attempting to be hipster. Many videos in this trend had users of all ages cosplaying as or making fun of photo courtsey of Lil Nas X Facebook page a VSCO girl in endless, repetitive ways. TikTok duets is what helped elevate the In the beginning, platform. Many TikTok duets are used for the trend was funny and “cringe compilations” or various reaction creative. Each video and parody clips. There’s an added level of poked at something new, suspense for waiting to see how the ‘duet- in-line with stereotypes ter’ will react to a mystery climax, or being towards the girls, and were very creative. able to laugh at “cringey” behavior with Highlights include POVs, - the new kid someone else by stumbling upon and watch- is being harrassed by scrunchies and ing a random video that could be funny. endless “sksksk” - as well as the “evoTikTok challenges have successfully lution of VSCO girls.” Users started at launched many songs into stardom. 2019 day one as a normal person, and by the VMAs Song of the Year, “Old Town Road” last time passage, the individual would be by Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus, gained a covered in scrunchies and speaking only lot of popularity on the app. Without Tik- in keyboard smashes. However, it began Tok, “Old Town Road” would’ve probably to get dragged out. The trend was obvijust stayed as an underground, comedic ously received well on TikTok, but also on song on Soundcloud. Last spring, TikTok other platforms. This provided an easy, began testing the program “Spotlight,” cheap way for gaining clout by relating designed to give unsigned artists an oppor- any normal concept and suddenly switchtunity for people to ing it to be VSCO. Any girl with a puka listen to and enjoy shell necklace, bun, or water bottle was their music. Music bombarded with comments, claiming they group SALES re- were a VSCO girl. Even in the halls and leased a song called classrooms of West, if a girl pulls out her “Chinese New Year” that blew up on TikTok, and has now accumulated 21 million streams on Spotify. Compared to their four other most popular songs, only ranging from 4-15 million streams, “Chinese New Year” proves t o b e n ef it f r o m T i k To k v i r a l photo courtesy of the TikTok Facebook page ity. Musicals such as Six, Heathmere year; whereas users only spend 53 ers, and Beetlejuice have also been minutes on Instagram, 50 on Snapchat given an opportunity to grow outside and 59 minutes on Facebook, which are the Broadway community based on their social media platforms that have been outlandish, comedic, and f lexible lyraround for as long as Gen Z can remember. ics gaining popularity amongst users. Additionally, something that makes Another recent trend called “We’re The TikTok stand out amongst its social media Girls” involved various groups of people to counterparts is its “For You Page.” This walk in a circle and share funny secrets or is a page that opens immediately when jokes about themselves. The trend allows the app is launched, and shows the user a lot of freedom, as servers, Disney Cast videos from other creators they follow, or Members, AP Students, and practically evcould potentially discover. When juxta- ery type of person can have their own take posed with the Instagram Explore Page, that others will laugh at or relate to. No
metal water bottle and it hits the floor, an awkward silence fills the air until someone jokingly says “and I oop - sksksk.” However, some began to see the “VSCO girl” trend as misogynistic, as it was mostly led by young adult men. Teenage girls have been the butt of many jokes for decades, but everytime they are harassed for more and more “basic” and common items. Who ca n forget the absolute slander towards girls who read Tw iligh t or listened to Justin Bieber in the early 2010s? While those are more conscious choices, many girls and guys ali ke feel fr ustrated that young w o m e n were being made f u n of for something photo by Abby Wuest as si mple as using a metal water bottle or oversized t-shirt. Nonetheless, the trend has still blown up. On TikTok, the tag #VSCO has reached three billion views, #vscogirl reached 962 million, #andioop has 207 million. Although many still wish to call TikTok the new Vine, it has already grown to be so much more. Most Vines didn’t reach viral status until the app was shut down, whereas already many TikTok users can finish the ever-popular lyrics of “you’re a nice guy...” in a heartbeat. When looking at TikTok’s user ability to be creative, platform for small creators and artists virability, and cultural relevance, it becomes beyond obvious that TikTok is so much more than the new Vine.
by Bryna Goeking
12
September 30, 2019
Volume 116, Issue 1
Entertainment
‘Beep beep’: Pennywise floats back to theaters This year, Pennywise the Dancing make a devastating phone call to each of Clown (Bill Skarsgard) returns in the film his old friends: Pennywise, dubbed It, is IT: Chapter 2, a continuation of the IT re- back. Bound by an oath they made to each make released in 2017. other during their Based on the Stephen childhood, the LosKing book of the same ers Club is forced to name, these films folmeet again back in low seven childhood Derry to embark on friends as they face a quest to get rid of the shape shifting It once and for all, monster that torments preventing others their hometown of from falling victim Derry every 27 years. to the nightmareThough sequels are inducing monster. usually seen as worse While the first than the original and film fed more so on obvious cash grabs, IT: child-like fears such Chapter 2 was differas clowns, creepy ent in that it was highpaintings, and sewer ly anticipated after its monsters, the newpredecessor became est film takes the the highest-grossing fear factor to a new horror movie of all level, with creatures time. Living up to exphoto from IT Movie Facebook page and gore that will pectations of the more creep out and shock mature, adult incarnaeven the bravest hortion, IT: Chapter 2 provides more blood, ror movie fanatics. While the scary scenes gore, and creepy creatures than the first. of the first film were more psychological, Taking place almost 30 years after IT, this film is filled with more stereotypithe members of the Losers Club have grown cal horror and jarring carnage. Although up and seemingly forgotten the traumatic fear is relative, it’s hard to believe that a events of their childhood. While everyone scene with a clown-monster eating a child’s else has moved away from Derry, Mike head off wouldn’t terrify its viewers. Not (Isaiah Mustafa) has stayed back to moni- only did they increase the amount of viotor suspicious activity, and is now forced to lence from the first film, IT: Chapter 2
features a scene with the most blood ever used in a horror movie. The film also has plenty of unique and off-putting creatures to frighten you. From a giant Pennywise with spider legs to a small, terrifying bug with a human baby head, this film has no shortage of nightmare fodder. Though it’s a horror movie, the film maintains light-hearted and childish humor throughout. Just like in the first film, audience favorites Eddie (James Ransone) and Richie (Bill Hader) provide a majority of the humor and steal the show. Though the characters have obviously changed during the 27 years between the films, their humor when they are together remains the same, cracking multiple “your mom” jokes throughout the film. Since the cast is full of adults now, these immature jokes are now the film’s only way of connecting to the younger audience and making it relatable. In regards to the new cast, the directors could not have done a better job of selecting the talent. Each actor shares a shocking resemblance to their younger counterpart and, through their acting, they are able to portray small peculiarities that are specific to their younger versions. While the new cast is fantastic, they are adults and there is a loss of connection with the younger audience. Teenagers usually aren’t struggling with an abusive marriage or a taxing full-time job like the adults in the movie. But, even without the connection, it’s still hard to not appreciate the great acting that
the cast provides. While Eddie and Richie are the comedic relief of the cast, Billy (James McAvoy), Beverly (Jessica Chastain), and Ben (Jay Ryan) are more serious and provide a majority of the emotional and solemn scenes. The actors are fantastic at displaying their emotions through the screen and provide a few heart-wrenching scenes amongst all the humor and scares. IT: Chapter 2 provides an abundance of creepy creatures and gore to keep viewers on the edge of their seats. Even with the change in cast, the film does a great job of living up to the expectations established by the 2017 film by keeping the childish humor and psychological horror, while also adding more mature aspects and stereotypical horror movie butchery. IT: Chapter 2 is the perfect movie for anyone to get into the spirit for the upcoming Halloween season.
Moving on from the childlike inno- opener, “Wheels on the Bus,” is an upbeat cence displayed in her 2015 record Cry tune with a lively instrumental, contrasted Baby, Melanie with the deMartinez has picted drachanged the stamatics betion to the 12 years tween kids full of hormones, in school. tears, and the evMartinez deer-lasting effects picts a hectic of the prisons we bus setting know as elemenby singing, tary, middle and “There are high school. The two boys singer’s comeyelling beback album K-12 hind me and was released in I’m terriearly September fied… Maand fans were ya’s letting captivated. The Dan put his album was rehand up her leased along with skirt / And a full length film photo courtesy of Melanie Martinez Facebook page she’s got her depicting each hand down song. Martinez portrays the sense of what his pants.” Martinez is obviously the kind of it’s truly like growing up in school. From artist that will not hesitate to write about real arguments on the bus, to playground events going on behind the scenes when it fights and misogyny, K-12 serves as the comes to the horrors of high school and the perfect sequel to Cry Baby’s adolescence. mediocre dramas of teenage relationships. Compared to previous work, one can A much bigger issue that Martinez tell Martinez has grown as an artist. Her speaks of in K-12 is the sexism that is ever voice has always had a unique sound, with prevalent in our current social and political a rough pitch and frequent vocal breaks, climate. Fans see this as a recurring topic in and K-12 showcases them flawlessly. The the record, especially in the track “Straw-
berry Shortcake.” The song talks about the society, and listeners can truly see that way boys start to hypersexualize girls as Martinez does not hold back when it comes puberty hits, and how looks seem to be the to addressing real and prevalent issues. only important quality in a woman in their Musicians are some of the biggest ineyes. “It’s my fault, fluencers of our day it’s my fault ‘cause to day lives, espeI put icing on top / cially as more and Now, the boys want a more new music is taste of the strawberry created everyday. shortcake / That’s my It’s agreeable that bad, that’s my bad, no the messages muone told them not to sicians are sendgrab / Now, the boys ing should be ones want a taste of the that make a good strawberry shortcake,” impact on their lisMartinez belts, highteners, and Melalighting not only a minie Martinez gives sogynistic mindset that us exactly this in many people still have K-12. It’s rare to to this day, but callfind (especially ing back to a famous now with the shodquote from President dy music of 2019) Donald Trump that had and everyone shocked the nation. should think for “Orange Juice” a moment as they also tackles a conlisten to the record. photo courtesy of Melanie Martinez Facebook page troversial issue that It’s easy to see how plagues young teens Martinez worked around the nation: eating disorders. By hard on K-12 in order to create an expesinging lyrics like “Ooh, I wish I could rience that showcases not only her art, give you my set of eyes / ’Cause I know but also the issues that matter the most your eyes aren’t working / I wish I could to a vast majority of the population. tell you that you’re fine, so fine / But you will find that disconcerting,” Martinez atThrough the controversial inclusion tempts to showcase the reality of what it’s of social issues in her gorgeous allike to have body image issues. More spebum K-12, Melanie Martinez makes cifically, Martinez speaks about bulimia, an it known that she is back and better eating disorder characterized by repeated than ever. binging and purging. In the chorus of “Orange Juice,” she sings, “You turn oranges to orange juice / Enter there, then spit it out of you,” an obvious allusion to the cycle of bulimia that affects so many young teens, especially girls, across the nation. The stories depicted in “Orange Juice” and “Strawberry Shortcake” are common occurrences when growing up in a modern by Anna Powers
Despite the lack of witty pre-teen boys, IT: Chapter 2 still manages to captivate audiences with its wonderfully balanced combination of gore, emotional sequences, and double entendres.
by Caitlynn Gehl
Martinez holds up grim mirror to K-12 life
Entertainment
Volume 116, Issue 1
13
September 30, 2019
Caesar offers mixed palate of misogyny, p h i l o s o p h y
Grammy-winning, contemporary whether the controversies he experienced R&B singer Daniel Caesar, famously caused both the lack of buzz around the known for his hit songs “Best Part” fea- release of the new album and the change turing H.E.R, “Get You,” and “Japanese of direction in the style of his music. Denim,” has recently debuted a new album Nonetheless, Case Study 01 follows a meltitled Case Study 01. Featuring numerous ancholic theme, and the opener titled “Enfamed singer-songwriters and a track that tropy” sets the mood for the entire album. is meant to take the audience on a journey In a literal definition, entropy is a repthrough the artist’s philosophical connec- resentative quantity of the lack of thermal tions to life, the album was released June energy in a system, essentially a degree 28. Based off reviews listed on Apple Mu- of disorder in a system. Caesar uses this sic, the album seemingly did not take off idea of disorder to represent uncontrollable as much as his breakout record Freudian, chaos in his life, suggesting that it’s natural released in 2017. Accumulating an average for not everything to go as planned. In of 3.5 stars on Apple Music with many this song, Caesar expresses his thoughts mixed opinions on whether or not his new on existence and how he lives, stating that album is as good as his last, Case Study 01 “Sometimes I suffer, sometimes I bleed / hit its peak on the US Billboard 200 list Not all at once, time flows linearly / Only ranking at 17. In the music world, Caesar is forwards, never backwards / Seek the darkstill considered a rookie ness, seek the laughby critical platforms; ter.” Caesar is painfulhowever, he is close to ly aware that he can’t brea k i ng away f rom go back to alter his that label as his fan regrets, his pain, or base grows with newer mistakes (potentially listeners being exposed referencing past conto his music. Caesar is troversies), and all that widely known for creatcan be done is to exing a magical experience perience what life has that entraps the listener to offer, good or bad. i n eve r y sou nd a nd T he b e at s a nd vocal, and he exhibits flow of each song are this in Case Study 01. undeniably catchy and photo from the Daniel Caesar Facebook Page After the debut of very much fitting to Freudian in 2017, Caea psychedelic type of sar took a brief break from putting out sound. Caesar, well known for his dazzling music, and did not notify fans of when tone and vocals which, showcases them new music was coming out, or if there gracefully in each song, especially “Superwould be any at all. Thus, the release of position.” This song shines brightly on the Case Study 01 a surprise to his audience. album not only due to the magical range Caesar’s newer songs break away from of Caesars impressing falsetto voice, but his usual love ballads and tackle more also because of its heartfelt message which personal issues to the artist. Over his two connects to the central theme of the entire year hiatus, Caesar dealt with a shaky record. The word superposition in itself can hold on his mental health amidst criticism be explained as the overlap of two separate and backlash over some of his comments waves that would typically exist in different made on social media. Critics and fans states, and that opposites can fit together alike have frequently been questioning perfectly. Caesar reflects this message on
the songs chorus, stating that “Life’s all act with women, painting a crude picture about contradiction / Yin and yang, fluidity of Caesar’s morals, which is catastrophic and things.” The Chinese philosophy of yin to the sophisticated character Caesar is attempting to build in this record. and yang Despite how musically goralluded to geous Case Study 01 is, it is exby Ca e sa r tremely contradictory as a whole. e a si ly exOne must question if Caesar’s alplains that bum is truly meant to tell a story of the whole is his struggles when the world turns greater than its back on him, or rather is it about i nd iv idu al materialism and proving himself parts. What to be a bigger man than others see seems like him as. Is the album a message of disorder change, betterment, and success or can come just about sex? It becomes difficult together in to distinguish as the album goes on the end to photo from the Daniel Caesar Facebook Page and that is Caesar’s greatest mistake. work out He had a lot to say, but didn’t go exactly how it was meant to, a piece of philoso- about selecting and presenting those ideas phy that is obviously important to Caesar. in a intentioned way as to tell a consistent Apart from looking at life in general, story or message throughout the album. Despite the mixed and sometimes conmany times the album references Caesar’s how he’s elevated himself, mentally, and tradictory messages, the Case Study 01 is physically. This can be predominantly still an utterly alluring record. The record heard in the song “FRONTAL LOBE is not ground breaking by any means, esMUZIK” in which Caesar acknowledges pecially when compared to the 2017 release that no matter how often people doubted of Freudian. Case Study 01 is a perfect him, he is now better than what anyone be- choice if you’re looking for a very different lieved he could become. Although one must kind of sound than the typical Top 100, as give kudos to his achievements as a person, the songs feature a variety of artists and the phrasing used to describe his elevations audios from various speeches making it involve materialistic values, sex, and a compelling, unique, and elegant. bragging underlying tone, which is overall Despite his moral shortcomings detrimental to the record; especially as it and not-so-subtle flexing, Daniel appears as though Caesar is trying to make Caesar still manages to showcase very intellectual claims and messages. his enormous musical talent on his Another downfall of Case Study 01 is new record Case Study 01. the vulgar language and demeanor used to talk about women. In tracks such as “Open Up,” Caesar portrays women and his interactions with them as one track-minded and meaningless. One line in specific even goes as far to state, “I don’t feel like talkin’ unless it’s ‘bout me, or philosophy / Can we just get down to business?” This attitude is stereotypical as to what society has deemed by Ksena Lomena to be the way in which men typically inter-
Orange fades to Black as ser ies closes up shop The hit Netflix original series Orange is the New Black recently finished its six year run with its seventh and final season. Unfortunately, the show did not go out with as big of a bang as many were hoping for. This season is by no means bad, yet it seemed to lack the intensity which earlier seasons provided. Although the season lacked in some areas that fans of the show had grown to love, such as lesbian relationships, violence, and panty sweatshops, this year’s incarnation tackled crucial social issues currently plaguing our country that most other shows would not dare not speak up about. The final season primarily features Piper Chapman’s (Taylor Schilling) release from federal prison, along with the continuation of the narrative in her former, maximum security, residence. Throughout the final season, viewers watch Chapman’s struggles as she tries to adjust to life be-
yond the walls of Litchfield Penitentiary. inner dialogue within the first episode of Chapman can often be seen trying to bal- the season. Director Michael Trim then ance her new, low paying job as a waitress poorly executed the direction of the already with her parole and the restrictions that badly written shtick, ultimately causing the come with it. OITNB’s inclusion of the first episode of the season to have an unpropost-institutional struggle speaks volumes fessional feel to it. Kohan later redeemed on the reality of being released herself from prison, and the show’s by t r a g idepiction is extremely close to c a l ly bu t what truly happens. Schilling beautifully does an exceptional job, as per showing usual, at conveying her charhow inhuacter’s feelings and hardships m a ne t he through her acting, and one t reat ment must almost ask if she is playof t hose ing a character or truly going who come through these emotions herself. to America Moving away from the in“illegally” photo from the Orange Is the New Black Facebook Page truly is. credible plot line of Chapman in season seven, writer and The producer Jenji Kohan made a questionable reality of the tragic situations faced by artistic decision by giving characters tacky those who have immigrated to America was wonderfully portrayed by the cast and gave the viewers insight into the disgusting way America’s government and Immigration and Customs Enforcement - also known as ICE - treats human beings. Viewers watch as beloved former Litchfield inmates find themselves in an ICE detention center where they are stripped of their rights to any form of legal aid, and left to fend for themselves. The depiction of these circumstances further informs the general audience of the happenings inside of ICE detention centers. In fact, one of the characters on the
show, Tasha ‘Taystee’ Jefferson (Danielle Brooks), decides to create a program to help women who have been incarcerated get back on their feet by having a constant stream of money flowing and available to them. Jefferson titles the program “The Poussey Washington Fund” after her friend, who was murdered by a correctional officer while serving her time at Litchfield. While this not only a major plot point within the show, the cast and crew of Orange Is the New Black decided to actualize the program concept, titled by the same name of “The Poussey Washington Fund.” This fund will support eight pre-existing non-profit organizations that work towards social justice on behalf of the incarcerated and also focus on immigrant’s rights. Sure, maybe the finale of OITNB could have been executed better, but shoddy writing and directing aside, one must applaud the cast and crew of Orange Is the New Black for their substantial drive for social justice. Criticizing the flaws of the prison system and immigration detention, season seven of Orange Is the New Black makes for a satisfying and important series finale.
by Bryn Millette
14
September 30, 2019
Entertainment
Volume 116, Issue 1
Sony, Disney unholy alliance still far from sealed If you haven’t been following the news lately (and let’s be honest, who has? There’s only so many hurricane warnings that you can sit through before you get bored), then you might not have heard that Disney lost its valued rights to the Spider-Man franchise. It happened a little something like this: At the end of August 2018, following the massive hit movie Spider-Man: Far From Home, Disney tried negotiating its deal with Sony in order to get a share of the film’s nearly two billion dollars in profits. Disney had asked for 50/50, (in the previous deal, Sony got almost all of the profits), and Sony shot down the company hard, saying they wanted to keep the previous deal in which Disney would only get five percent of the profits from Spider-Man merchandise and advertising. Disney came back with a strong “no way,” and Sony retaliated harshly by saying, “Fine, then you can’t have Spider-Man.” This broken deal has fans of SpiderMan and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, commonly known as the MCU, across the world crying and hoping for Sony and Disney to come to an agreement, which could thankfully still happen. Negotiations (at least according to rumors on the internet) are currently still going on, with the latest development being that Sony has offered Disney a 30% share of profits and the rights
have refused to reach a deal and that SpiderMan will remain out of the MCU for good. So, what happens if a deal is never reached? Well, the biggest thing fans have to worry about is that Spider-Man would no longer be a part of the MCU. It would be as if he had never existed, with future movies legally not allowed to reference Spider-Man or the events of his movies. Fan favorite Tom Holla nd , t he actor behind Spider-Man, will likely continue to play his part, considering that Sony will have to make a new Spider-Man movie every five years to keep the rights to the character. However, as stated before, these movies will exist in a completely separate “Sony universe,” and would not be allowed t o r e fe r e n c e t h e M C U or any of its characters. While that sounds like Photo from the Spider-Man Facebook page the worst possible direction with news sites like ‘IGN’ and clickbait that the franchise could take, it does come filled, so-called “news” YouTube channels with a few advantages. For example, Sony like ‘Heavy Spoilers,’ falsely claiming that would have complete freedom to crossa deal has been reached, or even going as over Spider-Man with its Venom movie, far as boldly stating that the two companies or perhaps one of the previous Spider-Man
franchises in an epic “live-action spiderverse.” Despite this, many fans still would tell you that they’d rather have these things with the additional cherry on top of being in the MCU, which, while possible if a deal is reached, is much more unlikely. All of this clamor comes at the same time as D23, Disney’s official fan expo, where the company announces all of their future plans for movies and theme parks to the excitement of Disney nerds everywhere. So when the company revealed plans for a Marvel-themed section of Disneyland with Spider-Man as the central theme, it was certainly a weird situation, to say the least. Conspiracy theorists will say it’s a sign that Sony and Disney have reached a secret deal, but more likely it’s just that they didn’t have time to change the announcement before the expo. However, since the deal isn’t yet set in stone, it’s entirely possible that this Marvel-themed land could still exist, with Spider-Man front and center. So… now what? Can we expect a change in actors, storyline, or even a deletion of the Spider-Man franchise as a whole? The only thing that we as fans can be sure of at this point is that the future of Spider-Man will most definitely be different from what we are used to.
1. ‘Babushka Boi’ by A$AP Rocky After his time spent in a Swedish jail this year, it’s only expected that Rocky would come back into the music scene with something weird, but also amazing. While “Babushka Boi” is admittedly a bit BROCKHAMPTON-esque (or maybe I’m just losing my mind and think all songs sound the same), it’s an extremely good and pleasantly unique track that pairs perfectly with the summer of 2019. 2. ‘Hot Shower’ by Chance the Rapper, DaBaby, and Offset Although the critics are right and this is not the same as “old Chance,” this song still has a quality about it that makes me want to keep listening. I think it’s one of those songs that’s so weird and interesting that it doesn’t matter if it’s not that good. Despite the fact that Offset, possibly the worst member of the rap group Migos, is featured in this song, the inclusion of DaBaby balances it out, making for a quality, upbeat song. 3. ‘Short Kings Anthem’ by Tiny Meat Gang ft. blackbear A track I frequented on my international f lights to the UK, the group Tiny Meat Gang, consisting of commentary Youtubers Cody Ko and Noel Miller, manage to combine both comedy and a pretty decent instrumental into a quality song. 4. ‘BOY BYE’ by BROCKHAMPTON I’ve been a huge fan of BROCKHAMPTON since the initial release of the SATURATION trilogy, so when their new record GINGER came out, I was extremely excited. Sure, maybe I’m biased, and if this list was truthful, it would all just be tracks from this album, but I’m not sure Mr. Scott would approve of that all too much since this is supposed to be a variety of songs. So, I’ll just say that my personal favorite song from this record, “BOY BYE,” is a funky tune that’s perfect for blasting out of my speakers and annoying my sister. 5. ‘NASA’ by Ariana Grande I know what you’re all thinking. BORING. But I’m a white teenage girl, and this song is by Ariana Grande. Need I say more?
6. ‘I.F.L.Y.’ by Bazzi Created by the mastermind behind the viral song “Mine,” “I.F.L.Y.” manages to be a perfect combination between a love ballad and a happy-go-lucky, upbeat song. Bazzi’s unique voice paired with the gentle instrumental makes for a beautiful, beachy summer tune. 7. ‘You Need To Calm Down’ by Taylor Swift I’m a very strong believer that Taylor’s voice belongs in country music and country music only. But, this song is so catchy and reminiscent of her previous works, that I would be lying if I said it didn’t make a few of my playlists this summer and wasn’t stuck in my head 24/7. 8. ‘ARE WE STILL FRIENDS?’ by Tyler, the Creator Once again, I’m biased. Just as I am with BROCKHAMPTON, I’m a pretty big fan of Tyler’s work, so I enjoy almost anything he puts out, no matter how odd or out of the ordinary. But truthfully, “ARE WE STILL FRIENDS?,” the closing track of the masterpiece that is IGOR, is a perfect, lo-fi number for laid back summer nights with friends. 9. ‘Take What You Want’ by Post Malone feat. Ozzy Osbourne and Travis Scott Perhaps the weirdest collaboration to ever fill my ears, “Take What You Want” was a pleasant surprise from Post’s new album Hollywood’s Bleeding and a good closer to the summer. Not only do Ozzy’s plaintive wails contrast beautifully with Post Malone’s smooth vocals and Travis Scott’s deep rapping, but the instrumental is just enough to compliment the trio in a unique way. 10. ‘Homicide’ by Logic and Eminem Okay, hear me out. Those who know me will know that I despise Logic with a passion, and honestly couldn’t care less about Eminem and his rap skills. If we’re being fully transparent, this song kind of sucks, but just the concept of the two trying to out-rap one another on a poorly produced track makes me laugh and I couldn’t stop
to the Spider-Man villain Venom. Venom had its own successful movie last year and would enter the MCU if this version of the deal went through. Rumors, however, are just rumors, and nothing is confirmed yet. In fact, misinformation has been rampant,
by Bailey Staerkel
C o m i c s b y D e x t e r Kailey’s ‘freundly’ suggestions
In Nick Cave’s novel, And the Ass Saw the Angel, Euchrid Eucrow is an outcast mute cut from a drunken mother and living in a shack. In a town full of false prophets, incest, and ignorance, Euchrid is in danger of being beaten, run out of town or killed. When a child is declared the chosen one by the God-fearing townsfolk of Ukulore Valley, Euchrid is disturbed and sees her very differently. With his boiling rage and increased insanity, the end may result in tragedy for them both. This comic is just a peek into the horrifying, linguistic brio of Nick Cave’s acclaimed first novel.
Features
Volume 116, Issue 1
15
September 30, 2019
A d a y t h a t c h a n g e d e ve r y t h i n g Beaulieu playing “I think that every school should take time to remember what happened that day,” he said. “A moment of silence would make it that much more important to everyone because it’s something every student has to do.” But on the other side of the spectrum, Jacob Smasal, a new world cultures teacher, feels that West definitely does enough in remembrance of this appalling day. “I do think that we remember it well,” he said. “I don’t think that you necessarily need to have a bunch of pomp and circumstance every year to remember it properly. We as a society still honor that event and everyone knows what 9/11 is, to a much greater extent than any other terrorist action that the U.S. has ever faced.” Morrell agrees that this event in history did leave the U.S. a changed nation. Nevertheless, he finds the answer to why schools do not recognize that day; it has been almost 20 years and the severity of the event has seemed to fade. “I think with any school, any institution, the farther you get from the fence, the less we are actively involved in remembering it,” he said. “The first year, obviously we have got to remember it. But as you get farther and farther from that event, we kind of forget. And that’s just human nature.” The impact had a large effect on students. Kuerschner feels that the acts of terrorism that happened on 9/11 can happen anywhere and that we need to be aware of it. “The event makes me think even a little bit more,” he said. “Because of the
school shootings in the last 10 years, bombings and such, it can really happen anywhere or anytime. It’s a scary realization that terrorism is present, not only in big cities, but everywhere.” The majority of students who walk the halls of West were not alive during this event, but thanks to the media coverage, they understand the impact of this occurrence, and the relevance of remembering it. “I haven’t been around that long to truly experience the effect of it,” Kuerschner said. “Because what happened was so bad, you can’t really do to them what they did to you. The whole eye for an eye, or a tooth for a tooth mentality is just wrong in this case.” There are two main aspects that history teachers like Paul Stellpf lug seem to stress when discussing September 11th. The first is to grasp how it changed America, in regards to the creation of the Homeland Security department and huge national debt, due to military spending. But Stellpflug also hopes to take students back in time and show them what led to this horrific event. “I explain the history of how it came to be to students,” he said of a more comprehensive approach to the events. “I don’t want them walking into my room thinking 19 terrorists decided out of the blue to attack the United States of America. I want them to have an understanding of the history that led to that event.”
My name is Lisa Gornert, I’m 16 years differences between all programs and then old, and I’m an exchange student from choose the one that sounds the best for you. Sweden. I live in a small town with a popu- The way to get into the programs are all lation around 1,500. I arrived to the U.S. on different because every program has their the 14th of August and I’m going to be here own conditions and rules. T h e for one year. most imporA lot of people ask me tant thing is why I want to be a foreign how you are exchange student, and the as a person, answer is that I wanted to because you take a break from Sweden. have to be Not because Sweden is a aware of the bad country; I just wanted changes that to do something new and are going to something I have never h ap p e n i n done before. your life. It My anticipations for depends on this year are to have fun, wh at k i nd do all kinds of new things of p e r s o n and try to fit into the typiyou are, cal American culture. I just a nd if it’s want to enjoy this year and photo courtesy of Lisa Gornert going to be get memories and friends Swedish foreign exchange student, Lisa Gornert hard for you for life. poses in front of a series of archways. This picture The program I chose to was taken on her expedition to Milwaukee, Wiscon- t o a d j u s t . For me, it go with was Rotary Inter- sin with her host family. hasn’t been national. This is an internathat hard to tional service organization whose stated purpose is to bring together adjust. However, it’s a little strange when business and professional leaders in order when your host family does something you to provide humanitarian service and to would never do in your country. The more advance goodwill and peace around the open you are as a person, the easier it gets world. Rotary Youth Exchange’s idea is for you. The challenges I have had are when I to get teenagers around the world together want to explain something but I don’t really and become friends. Rotary chooses where you are going to know the word. You have to try to make live. You can make choices from one of six the people you’re talking to understand, countries but you can’t choose what state and this can be really difficult sometimes. for example. But that doesn’t mean that it is One time, when my host family and I were a bad thing. I was really curious where they talking about silly things we did when we were kids, when I told my story there was were going to place me. As I said before, Rotary is a really a misunderstanding because I said that I good club and they really want you to feel ate an ‘ant’ but they thought that I meant comfortable during your whole year. If ‘aunt.’ I will never forget their faces. Lanyou want to be an exchange student, my guage is often the hardest part. There are many differences between advice is to do some research about the
Sweden and Oshkosh, especially the school. Every student in America has their own schedule, but in Sweden, we have groups of students who have the same schedule and would go to each class together. You are usually in one class for three years, and that means that you get to know those people very well. You also call your teacher by their first name. It’s also kind of weird to see 16-yearold teenagers drive, because in Sweden, you have to be 18 to get your driver’s license. There is a lot more public transportation in Sweden. I think that my town has more busses going through the day than it has here in Oshkosh. I’ve also noticed that a lot of Americans do not really know how it is in countries that aren’t in the U.S, because the U.S. is so big that some people have never been outside the states. This means that you sometimes get questions that are really obvious for you, but not for them, because they have never been outside the U.S. The funniest questions I have gotten so far is if I have ever seen birds, if we speak Swedish in Sweden, and if we have polar bears in Sweden. Yes, we have birds; yes, we speak Swedish; and no, we don’t have any polar bears in Sweden. Also, it often happens that people think that Sweden is the same as Switzerland. If you are thinking about if you should be an exchange student or not, DO IT! You’re not going to regret it, I promise you. I know you’re thinking about your friends, family, and your girlfriend or boyfriend. You don’t want to just leave them behind. My answer is, you’re not leaving them behind. Some friends you are going to have forever and some of your friends you’re maybe never going to see again after highschool, and your family is always going to be there for you, it doesn’t matter where you are. Just do it.
September 11, 2001 is a date no American will ever forget. What happened that day has gone down in history textbooks as an act of terrorism matched by no other. The people who died had no idea that day would be their last. Michael Morrell, a history teacher, still remembers his experience upon hearing the news. “We were watching the news live that day,” he said. “When I turned on the news, it was right when the first plane hit the building. They didn’t know it was a terrorist attack. My kids were watching it live when the second plane hit the second tower. And when the bell rang, the kids did not move, they were glued to the TV because they wanted to see what was going to happen next.” The people needed to manage this crisis of national proportions was innumerable. 2,953 people were killed in the Trade Towers, not including the 27 others who sacrificed their lives to either stop the hijackers or help those in the towers. The importance of remembering such a powerful event is compelling in a way. “The sad thing is when the buildings came down, you knew there were so many people in those buildings and you felt so helpless,” Morrell said. “And it was sad because I knew our country was under attack, and we hadn’t had that since Pearl Harbor... I knew that this was going to change our lives dramatically, and it did.” Freshman Max Kuerschner shared his perspective on what schools are doing in remembrance for this day, and what he hopes to see in the future.
by Zachary Eaton
Välkommen! Gornert adjusts to America
by Lisa Gornert
new role in 2019
Detentions, discipline, dean. For the majority of the student body, these three words seem to be practically synonymous. But Cory Beaulieu, the new Dean of Students, wants to make it clear that his job title includes more than just “detention dispenser.” “My main job is to see how people are doing, help out with teachers and classes, and help students if they have different issues that need to be addressed,” he said. “It really is more about relationship building and understanding where people are at with things going on at school or at home.” Two weeks into the school year, Beaulieu has found that his new job has him all over the building. He works with the principals, student services secretaries, and teachers all over West. “I’m in different meetings with a lot of people from around the school because there’s a lot of communication that needs to go on with counselors, secretaries, people at the doors, and people at study hall,” he said. “There’s a lot of communication that goes on between all the people here that you wouldn’t really think of.” This brings up an obstacle that Beaulieu has had to face, being the dean, which is finding the most efficient way to connect with staff at all corners of the school. “Things have already been set up for a long time on how different parts of the school communicate,” he said. “But I am still working on fine tuning my system and kind of understanding what each day is going to look like. Every day is totally different, depending on what happens.” Working with Beaulieu for his first two years, English teacher Scott Thurwatcher expressed how he felt surprised when he heard the news of Beaulieu’s new position. He remembered how much the new dean enjoyed the classroom atmosphere. “I was more surprised because I know how much he loves the classroom,” he said. “It’s clearly a different office with a lot of different things there, behaviorally for instance, and I thought that would be the biggest transition.” But nevertheless, Thurwatcher is very excited to see Beaulieu thrive as the dean and trusts that his traits will compliment his new job well. “I believe Beaulieu genuinely cares about every student here, and he is as fair as they come,” he said. “I think his fairness is one of his greatest attributes.” Assistant principal Aaron Herm is positive that Beaulieu will create a safe environment within the school by ensuring fairness, which is part of the whole administration team’s goal. “He’s a believer in building positive, trusting relationships with students,” he said. “When dealing with discipline issues, he doesn’t just give a punishment and move on. Instead, he believes in helping the student understand the harm done by their behavior and having the student take steps to repair harm done with the people affected.” Beaulieu has strong hopes to empower the student body to hold higher standards in attitudes and academics by acknowledging the commendable Wildcats. “My long term goals are to develop the best relationship between all the positive things that are going on at school and things that happen where people just need a hand or need to correct an issue,” he said. “Finding that balance is a really big goal of mine.”
by A. Eaton and K. Ambati
16
September 30, 2019
Volume 116, Issue 1
Features
W i l d c a t ‘r y f s’ t h r o u g h a r t i s t i c s t y l i n g s For art teacher Jason Ryf, true creativ- each piece,” he said. “I love the process of ity strikes a balance between self expres- both creating it and having people see it.” sion and inspiration. That is why on SatA unique part about this event was urday, September 7, he and his girlfriend that it featured many small town artCharity Brand gathered together their ists, which was right up Ryf ’s alley. drawings, paintings and clay creations, “The gallery walk is just a nice way headed to the Art Space Collective in down- to get out and experience what other arttown Oshkosh, and put together a show. ists are doing,” he said. “And it’s not big, “We both famous artists; it’s local create art and it artists who are maybe mostly just sits just doing it as a hobby.” in the house, Ryf had prepared leading us to pieces of all kinds of t h i n k it wa s mediums, from ceramabout time to ics to water colors, but showcase our still could not decide on ar t and see which piece he liked best. the reactions “A r t work is l i ke f rom people, your kids; you can’t pick whether they your favorites,” he said. smile, laugh, Unlike Ryf, many or despise visitors at the show, like it,” Ryf said. art teacher Jessie WilThough cox, were able to pick they were out which piece they p r e p a r e d for felt the most moved by. anything, “I was really taken Brand and Ryf by the sculpture pieces,” photo by Maria Jerebek she said. “There was a received a very p o sit ive a n d Using old, jagged pieces of wood, Ryf created a sculpheart that was hurt and motivating re- ture of a heart in the process of being mended. Through was healing. Similarly, sponse to their intense symbolism in his pieces, the art teacher is able the brain, which obvito make a statement about human emotions. collection, ously had some probone of Brand’s main goals for the event. lems, and was hopefully healing as well.” “I love sharing art pieces to inspire The sculpture Wilcox alluded to others who like art and make my view- uses staples to show where the heart ers think about what they’re seeing, and had been injured. To OASD Superinhave it spark their imaginations,” she said. tendent Vicki Cartwright, a different For Ryf, the main motivation or the piece stood out. It was something that exhibit is to provide a special experience wouldn’t strike one as uncommon just for visitors and give them new ideas. by looking at its outward appearance. “I just think the gallery walk is a “There was a vase there, but you good place for people to go and experience wouldn’t have seen the uniqueness of it what’s going on,” he said. “It’s not neces- unless you looked inside, because right in sarily going to make you a better artist the middle, there was an item that stood by going to the art show, but you might, out, that was kind of cool,” she said. “It because it may give you other ideas or op- was like a little rock right in the middle.” tions of what to do. I think it’s a good way Overall, the works displayed at to open up your eyes to what’s going on.” the art show were one of a kind and The show was put on by the Art clearly displayed the significant time Space Collective, a non-profit organiza- and effort that both Brand and Ryf put tion. Each month, there is new art shown into preparation, as observed by School at the gallery walk, where different art- B o a r d P r e s id e n t B a r b a r a He r z og. ists can display their work. As a mem“I thought this art show was very unique ber of the Collective, Ryf was inspired and it was different from some of the other to showcase some of his own works. artwork I’ve seen Mr. Ryf do,” she said. “I like to show my art and creativity of The reason the show felt so spe-
cial t o at t e nde e s l i ke He r z og wa s process and then giving lots of options because Ryf ’s ar t also espoused an of what to do. I like helping, but I don’t important message to the community. want anyone’s stuff to be the same.” “What needs to be shared is the Ryf is particularly fond of teaching high fact that art comes in many forms, and schoolers because he is able to give them there is so much creativity and dif- more creative liberty than if he were teaching ferent ways of looking at things that students at the middle or elementary level. a re ref lected i n a r t,” Her zog said. “I like the high school level, because T he show wa s a g r e at way t o it’s a little bit more open, a bit more free,” p r o m o t e c r e a t i v i t y a n d h i g h l i g h t he said. “Kids are a little bit more into it bet he t a le nt t h at ex ist s i n O sh kosh. cause they have figured out what they like.” “It supports the artists within our Cartwright encourages students to community and gives them an opportunity take an art class because of how art can to get their work out there and get some introduce one to a different perspective. exposure,” Cartwright said. “As a com“Art opens your eyes and your mind munity member, it goes back to appreciat- in a variety of different ways in which to ing different perspectives and art forms, appreciate nature, the world, and everyjust to open my eyes and enrich my life.” day objects that we work with,” she said. Herzog also has a similar interCartwright believes skills and perspecest in ar t. She even took a class in tive will be beneficial in students’ future. college called A r t Appreciation, in “As you’re going through school and hopes of expanding her k nowledge. learning, you will more than likely have “Art inspires me to be open to new a job or career,” she said. “The ability to ideas and to new and different ways of look- think creatively and differently is so funing at things,” she said. “It allows us to be damentally important. Society and indusmore open minded of the world around us.” tries are changing rapidly, so you have to Getting a glimpse into the creative think creatively and to be able to problem minds of artists is something that Wilcox solve differently than those in the past.” looks forward To be able to obto i n t he a r t serve this kind of art show, especialis something that evly since she has eryone should have the wo r ke d w it h opportunity to do, and Ryf for a conmembers of the Oshsiderable time. kosh community can “Going experience it first hand. to an art show “Having this seems ver y available in Oshkosh fitting to me,” is really important beshe said. “I love cause so many times seeing what’s we can get so busy, going on in Mr. and taking the time Ry f ’s he a d .” to appreciate art is so T h o s e important whether it who attend the be traditional artwork, ar t show can ceramics, music, vicariously choir, or instruments,” experience Car t wright said. photo by Maria Jerebek t h e i d e a s of “These experiences the artists and “Found?” arises through the use of obscure brush really help the comcan get a taste strokes and color contrast. This work of art was cremunity become very ated by Charity Brand, who also contributed to the art of what t hey rich and for people to show, which was held on September 7. are thin k ing, live enriched lives.” as each creator is unique. The reason people are inf luenced “The creativity and ways of look- by art shows like these is because they ing at things and at life vary from person are able to grow after seeing the artists’ to person,” Herzog said. “Some people, feelings and thoughts. Brand agrees with like Mr. Ryf, have the ability to express Cartwright in this and stresses the importhemselves through art but the rest of tance of not being afraid to let one’s true us, myself included, don’t feel that we thoughts shine through in the work, despite are particularly creative in that way.” what people may think or say about it. Ryf was able to explore different art “ D o n’t b e t o o h a r d o n y o u rmediums at a very young age, allowing self, ar t is about expression and not him to have a wide range of experience. ever yone ha s to li ke it,” she said. “As a little kid, and I always did Ryf encou rages ever yone to t r y coloring books, I would trace the pic- their best at creating art, because there tures, and pretty soon I’d start drawing is no right or wrong when it comes to them myself,” he said. “I just always creativity. He wants his young artists to liked it. I wasn’t always ver y good have freedom in their exploration of art, at it. I don’t know if I’m good now.” both inside and outside of his classroom. Although sculpting, painting, and “Keep exploring,” he said of his drawing all create beautiful pieces of art to chosen passion. “Do your best , whethdisplay to the community in art shows like er it is terrible or not, keep trying!” these, Ryf finds that it benefits him as well and By persevering through the chalserves as a way to illustrate his personality. lenges that one might face as an artist, “To be honest, the artwork is for Cartwright believes art has the potenme,” he said. “I just like the process tial to unlock new doors of creativity. of making it and doing it. Once it’s “Becoming involved in f ine ar ts out there, it’s kind of like a release” in some form, helps you,” she said. “It Ryf takes this attitude with him as opens the creativity inside your mind. I he’s teaching and likes to give his stu- just encourage youth to become involved dent s a lot of f reedom i n how t he and go out there and who knows, maybe use their ar t to express themselves. you find something that motivates you “I’m a teacher, but at the same and you say, ‘I want to give that a try.’” time I don’t like doing everything step by step,” he said. “I like showing the by A. Eaton and K. Ambati