The Oshkosh West
INDEX 2
Will you be my Valentine... actually, never mind.
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News Administration, faculty recognize students who accomplished an academic 180
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Sports Winter sports snapshots
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Community Axe throwing: it’s just like darts...with a slightly higher risk of decapitation.
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8-9
Diseases cause panic after the prevalence of coronavirus.
Page 8-9 Entertainment 10-13 Student artwork looks toward the future through medium of present
Page 10 Features
14-16
Pickle people perish perplexedly in physiology.
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www.oshkoshwestindex.org Volume 116, Issue 5
February 24, 2020
Wildcats risk hypothermia in name of charity, service
This Issue: Opinion
“Your source for Wildcat news”
T he r e is no b et t e r way pics does for the community. money for a group that doesn’t O’Neil decided that sen iors to show heartfelt support for a “The Special Olympics is a have any public funding is a would dress up as elderly people cause then submergi ng i nto great opportunity for individu- really good cause,” she said. and juniors as babies. Many freezing water while dressed als with disabilities to show off Morehouse was ver y ex- jumpers also looked forward to in crazy outfits. West students, their skills and demonstrate that cited to plunge with the O’Neil getting warm right after they as part of the O’Neil National they are just like anyone else,” students, because she knew that plunged into the ice-cold lake. Honors Society, came out to Krause said. “It is a great way she was supporting a cause that “It was f u n to d ress up Millers Bay at Menominee Park to normalize and celebrate in- she cared about in past years. as a big group, and the hot tub to do just this on February 15th. dividuals with special needs.” “I thought it was for a re- af ter wards was def i n itely a Co-adviser of this group and One of the asplus,” Halstead said. science teacher Sara Dobish pects that Dobish Many students look pointed out one reason students appreciates most out forward to the thrilling participate in the Polar Plunge. of the Polar Plunge aspects of the event, “It’s a badge of honor for is that the money but the jump itself is a students,” Dobish said. “The they raise stays close truly intimidating feat kids in O’Neil keep wanting to a nd t hey ca n r e for many participants. do it every single year when I ally see the impact it “I did jump last ask them, and they are always makes around them. year and I am crazy very enthusiastic about it. It’s a “I really like that enough to do it again,” unique opportunity to jump in the donations stay Krause said. “It is like the lake in front of a whole bunch local,” she said. “I getting hit by a truck, of people in costumes. There’s don’t like to do funyou can not breathe a bunch of hoop-la going on.” draisers where the and all feeling goes photo by of Abe Weston away. The process is to Students who had partici- money is being sent pated last year, such as senior to other places in the The senior boys take the leap of faith into the icy waters. The seniors were get to the lake, check Grace Halstead, have noticed that st ate, because we dressed as elderly people for this year’s Polar Plunge. in, wait in anticipation the plunge seems to attract a huge have people right in our commu- ally good cause, and it’s some- and then jump, run to the hot tub, crowd of support in Oshkosh. nity that could use the help. This thing I’ve worked with in the and then change and go home.” “It’s such a big community money helps pay for almost all the past through swimming. I just This fundraiser provides a event,” she said. “When I went Special Olympics sporting events thought this would be a f un different experience for particilast year, not only were there just that happen in the Fox Valley.” way to support that,” she said. pants and students alike, and for parents of O’Neil kids, but there Students at West have been Senior Samuel Geffers par- Geffers, it is a unique local event. were so many people and groups jumping as a part of this event ticipated for the first time this “My friend told me it’s like coming out to support and jump.” for 15 years, and each year they year, and agreed with Morehouse nothing he had ever experienced Before the participants make raise around $5,000. For a student that the cause was what inspired before,” he said. “I guess I was t h e big j u m p, him to join the plungers. He more excited for it, just because I t he r e i s mu ch wanted to be a part of the live in Wisconsin, but I had never preparation that group so that he could bring done the Polar Plunge before.” contributes to the awareness to the needs of the Morehouse was also excited success of this Special Olympics, and en- to be a part of something that is event. Dobish is courage others to do the same. making an impact on so many grateful that her “I think it’s something people’s lives in a way that not main task is to orthat’s not talked about a lot, ma ny people would expect. ganize the group and we need to showcase “It’s a nontraditional type of st udents, that these people that may of fundraiser, and jumping in while the team at have a disability have a lot of a freezing cold lake is a cool, the plunge takes talent as well,” he said. “It’s unique way to show support,” she care of the rest. really important that we keep said. “I would do it next year too “On the Speraising money so they can because it is a really awesome way c i a l Oly m pic s keep doing these activities.” to get involved and give back.” end t here is a A sid e f r o m r a i si n g The event helped Wildcats photo by Abe Weston ton of prepara- Juniors Jenna Kent, Ciarra Prill, Lauren Spiller, Morgan Antti, and Ava Artus (left money, the Polar Plunge realize the difference they could tion, with their to right) dip into the hot tub after jumping in the lake. The frigid waters shocked was able to unite differ- make in their community and, t e nt s a nd reg- the plungers, but not enough to keep them away from the charity event. e n t p a r t s of O s h k o s h . for many, it also encouraged ist ration and Despite the weather, many them to do more to help those incentives,” she said. “All I to participate, they must raise a people showed up in support. who are often unrepresented. have to do is set up the team.” minimum of $75. Most students, “I think it really brought the “This gets people to think Dobish also enjoys cheering like junior Sara Morehouse, community together, especially about other people who they may for her students on the side lines. reached out to family members with the different student groups not interact with on a daily basis,” “We have done this for 15 and friends to raise the funds. that were involved through West Geffers said. “Everyone might not years,” she said. “I never jump, but “I made an onk now someone I am a really good cheerleader.” line donation page i n t he Sp e cia l Something u nique about and my mom put it on Ol y m pic s , b u t this event is that all of the funds her Facebook page,” this is a way for raised remain right in Oshkosh Morehouse said. “I them to help and and are directly placed in the wrote a little mesto get everyone Special Olympics funds. These sage for it too and supporting those are used to help athletes get my family members who may have screened for events, participate have been donating. I a d i s a b i l i t y.” in regional and state events, think I’ve raised over With O’Neil a nd ma ny ot he r oppor t u n i- a hundred dollars.” students preparties provided right in Oshkosh. Seeing multiple ing for the jump “Special Olympics is for peo- students participati nto t he f r ig id ple who have special needs; wheth- i n g a t We s t , t h e w a t e r, K r a u s e er that is social needs or physical c o m m u n i t y h a s feels that the needs; it helps them to participate b e g u n t o d o n a t e photo by Abe Weston chilling experiin sporting events,” Dobish said. funds, sponsor, and A group of senior (citizen) girls take on the Plunge. The event raised funds for the Special ence brings them “They have wheelchair basket- even volu nteer at Olympics teams in the community. closer together. ball tour naments, a bowling the event. Dobish “It’s a good team, and swimmers. They have is glad that this event can pro- and North,” Morehouse said. “Ev- way to create bonds with indieverything. It’s a great way for vide the necessary funds for the eryone came together to show their viduals,” he said. “You are both everyone to be physically active athletes of Special Olympics. support for Special Olympics.” going through something toand participate in team sports.” “I think there’s a lot of kids A n o t h e r a s p e c t of t h e gether and it is for a good cause.” Senior Trent K rause ap- who have different things go- Polar Plunge included wearby A. Eaton and K. Ambati preciates what Special Olym- ing on, and being able to raise ing crazy outfits, and this year
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February 24, 2020
Opinion
Volume 116, Issue 5
Ten second editorials...
Thumbs up What movie inspires you the most?
“I like movies but they’re not inspiring to me, I just like comedy, basically.” -freshman Hans Larson
“I usually get bored and don’t finish them, so I wouldn’t say there really is one.” -sophomore Claire Garton
Has Valentine’s Day
Thumbs down
... To caucuses and primaries. If one can survive the repetitive questioning and obvious media pandering for ratings, these debates and primary elections offer an intriguing glimpse into the apparently self imploding Democratic party. ... To the end of an ‘impeachment trial’!Finally, after months of Trump’s impeachment in the news, it has come to an end, and regardless of one’s feelings on the outcome, I think we can all be thankful that the news will finally stop talking about it. ... To the Index website renovation! The Web Squad has been hard at work putting in new categories and reworking the Index website in order to make it more user-friendly and give it a new look. www. oshkoshwestindex.org ... To after Valentine’s Day candy sales! With the season of love over and done with, the candy going on sale is a great way to stock up and give yourself a little love, whether you deserve it or not.
... To the childishness from our political “leaders” who insist on transforming our great experiment in democracy into a competition on who can coin the most juvenile epithet. What a time to be alive... ... To the impending ACT testing. Standardized testing seldom offers a true insight into our learning and knowledge, but at least the scores can count for college admissions (and also a ‘get out of finals’ card!) ... To school not being canceled on February 14! Why allow students to go to school on mornings with -24 degree temperatures with 5 snow days built into our school year? We could have used sone of them for snow or cold. ... To the necessity of the new door policy. While we understand the need to tighten security around the building for obvious reasons, we regret the social conditions that make it necessary in the first place. Ringing the bell and waiting for admission will be a fun struggle if we hit -25 degrees!
The Oshkosh West “The Notebook cause I wish I had that relationship.” -junior Aidan Berndt
INDEX
Oshkosh West High School 375 N. Eagle St. Established in 1903 Volume 116, Issue 4
General Adviser:
“I like a lot of movies, probably the first Forrest Gump. It’s about someone who started from nothing and now he’s a pretty darn good captain.” -senior Madelyn Harwell
“People are going to think mine is stupid, I would say Remember the Titans… Isn’t it so good?” -English teacher Scott Thurwatcher
Trent Scott Editor-in-Chief: Aspen Oblewski Akashraj Karthikeyan 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) Allison Kelley (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: Drew Best, Jonathan Bowers, Hannah Chung, Trista Fleck, Abigail Furcy, Caitlynn Gehl, Ben Kopper, Sheng Lor, Sage Wesenberg Photographers: Trinity Funnell, Maci Lewellyn Mascot: Mulligan, Chonk and Zuul Non-Profit Organization Oshkosh Area Schools P.O. Box 3048 Oshkosh, WI 54902 February 24, 2020 Issue #5
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.
lost its heart? Ever since the 1300s, St. Valentine’s Day has been celebrated every February 14th, it has been treated as one of the most popular holidays in the United States. But for kids, it is solely an excuse to get a sugar rush from a box of candy filled up by other kids in their class. Everybody talks about how Valentine’s Day is the day to display your affections for someone, but why not just do that every day? The original Valentine’s Day was held as a Roman festival where a lottery was used to pair up men and women, so even before pendulum clocks were invented, the Romans were wasting little time trying to get a hookup. For some people now, that is all Valentine’s Day is, an excuse to get intimate with whomever they are with. In a time where at least 40 percent of marriages are ending in divorce, it can become increasingly harder to enjoy a day like Valentine’s Day. Divorce has become more of a routine phenomena in modern society than over a century ago, where divorce was only accessible to those that proved they were abused or abandoned. Nowadays, people get a divorce if they just don’t feel the same about their lawfully wedded partner. Back to kids on Valentine’s Day, not only do they think they are in love with someone they’ve gone to school for six months with, but they celebrate it by having a mini Halloween and gorging on sugary snacks until their stomachs can’t take anymore. People with a worsening metabolism realize that this is no longer a good idea, especially for anybody over 21. On top of all this we have the greatest failure of Valentine’s Day, all of the sob stories from loners. Anyone who is not in a relationship can’t truly enjoy Valentine’s Day. Sure their wallet is feeling the love, but now they usually sit home, eat chips, and watch romcoms on Netflix until the end of the day. If you go through a bad break-up, and you are alone on February 14th, you will probably be thinking about the girl that “drifted away” or the guy that told you that he would never leave you, and then broke up with you over text. If you are not getting the candy hearts on Valentine’s Day when you have before, that is probably what you will be thinking about when you see Carla’s new Instagram post with her boyfriend with the caption “Roses are red. Violets are blue. My Valentine’s date is cuter than you.” Valentine’s Day is cute, it has all the fun hearts and “XOXO’s”, and the mascot who is a petite man that can make people love each other by railing them with arrows. It’s adorable, but you could turn any day into Valentine’s Day. As long as you have a partner who you want to spoil and give the whole world to, you can turn any day into one of great memories with another person. The day is pointless, the merits are non-existent, because you can show anyone you want how much you care for them any day. Spread the love to others ever y day and you shall receive the same in turn.
by Drew Best
News
Volume 116, Issue 5
3
February 24, 2020
180 ceremony recognizes power of student growth
Usually, awards are given to the high“We saved t he end for t he top compared to her previous year was an- year I applied myself and tried a little bit est achieving students who reach the high- five growers in the school and they got other st rateg y that kept Czachorsk i more. When I saw how much it paid off, est grade point averages. They are given plaques,” Herm said. “The highest was from falling into the habit of getting it just made me want to keep doing it.” Zache’s best advice is to start off high the greatest recognition and near constant over a 2.0 growth in GPA. This was lower g rades. Previously, she menaccolades for never falling. However, just literally someone who turned their life tioned she hated coming to school, and school as strong as possible. When she as valued are those that have risen after around academically and behaviorally.” even left early, or skipped altogether. decided to start raising her grades, her the fall. On February “Looking back, motivation increased and allowed school 11, West held the 180° I regret those deci- to actually be the resource it’s meant to Awards Ceremony to sions a lot because be as opposed to a chore to get finished. “Freshman year is so important and recognize and reward had I actually been it’s so incredibly vital to start off on a high ove r 120 st ude nt s in school, I wouldn’t note rather than start on a low note and try with a growth of at have m issed so to bring it back up,” she said. “When I saw least 0.75 to their GPA much work and my the shift in my grades and focus in class, compared to their pregrades would have it helped me retain information better and vious semester. been much better,” made me want to focus harder because I “ T h e r e ’s n o t she said. “I made the started understanding things in class better.” really anything for changes on my own Another example for greater growth the people who are t h is yea r. Ot hers was due to the types of classes that stuheaded in the right may need more help dents took. A more personal schedule credirection, but maybe than that because it’s ated an opportunity for further success. haven’t made it to not easy to keep up “Most of my classes this year were that level yet,” assiswith self-motivation, electives, so they were things that I pertant principal Aaron especially as a teensonally truly cared for,” senior Keagen H e r m s a i d . “ Yo u photo by Isabelle Cartwright ager in high school.” Cline said. “It’s a motivation for me.” c o u l d b e b u s t i n g Senior Dakota Meisel walks onto the stage to accept his certificate from Principal Erin Kohl and Assistant PrinciFor ot he r s, Herm gave more insight into why he your butt as a stu- pal Aaron Herm. After an entire semester of improvement, many students were excited to receive recognition. l i ke Fox , mo thought so many students had this masdent and be working tivation came sive of a grade shift. It wasn’t just about r e a l ly h a rd t o i mprove you r GPA Herm clarified that the ceremony f r o m f a m i ly m e m b e r s a n d e ve nt s while nobody really recognizes you.” was designed to reinforce the school’s t h a t h e l p e d o p e n t h e i r e y e s . practicing academic or social skills. “I also think a common denominator Even look i ng at h is ow n pa st, goal of making sure everyone grows. “I think the thing that woke me up was He r m a d m it t e d t h at t h i s p r oble m Celebrating even more students allows when my grandmother passed, because is maturity, because as you grow up you has always existed. To him, it’s an for more positivity within the school. I realized you don’t know when things start to look at things differently,” he said. Herm believes that every student has i s s u e i n s o cie t y, not ju s t s cho ol. “What you celebrate shows what you are going to end or if you have missed “There’s always an elite group that value,” he said. “If we value growth, then opportunities,” she said. “If you don’t try a different method to improve, but hard wo r k r e m a i n s gets showered with recognition and the we should celebrate it.” hard work. opposite is this bottom group that ends Another one of the “They need up with all this negative attention be- recipients, senior Kento realize by cause they might be creating problems,” zie Fox, shared her first growing, they’re he said. “But if you’re in this middle impressions on the cerdoi ng exactly group and you’re quietly doing your emony af ter receiv i ng wh at we wa nt thing and improving yourself, a lot of an email about the event. and need them times that doesn’t get much attention.” “I just thought it was to do,” he said of Senior and awardee Dakota Meisel something really cool, esthe evening, and believes that society has a tendency to look pecially because it’s someprogram’s, focus. at those who are automatically proficient thing the school’s never Principal rather than those who struggle to get there done before,” she said. Er i n Koh l u nbecause of how students take in knowledge. “There was finally somede r st a nd s t h at “People focus on those who get it right thing for the underdogs, school is a place away because they don’t have to spend to show they’re actually of learning and extra time to explain things differently,” achieving something too.” that in order to he said. “You might not be good at learnSenior Callie Schwerin photo by Isabelle Cartwright succeed , some ing with people talking to you versus describes her own growth need to overcome learning things hands on. It’s simpler and how her progression Assistant Principal Aaron Herm reads positive comments about senior Seth Boegh as he receives his award. a struggle first. to not focus on other learning styles.” gar nered g reat reward. Teachers were encouraged to add to the celebration by recognizing many of the student’s achievements. “My hope is that students take away In agreement, senior awardee Alexa “I was able to get my GPA up by 1.68 now, it’s going to be harder for you to do Czachorski similarly realizes that because and I have a 2.5 GPA,” she said. “I have a what you actually want to do. She was my the concept that there’s always room to advanced students may require less atten- chance to do something with my life that I motivation for actually picking up what I improve and there’s always opportunities tion, they automatically have an advantage. probably wouldn’t have been able to do be- needed to and finally be in a good spot.” to better yourself, grow, and change,” she “St udents who grow into prof i- fore. I am so proud of myself and all of the For sophomore Chloe Zache, trans- said of the recipe for changing course when ciency need nurturing,” Czachorski said. kids who have turned their grades around ferring to West from a different city things seem to be too challenging. “So “Personally, I find it difficult to ask for because it took a lot of effort, but it paid off.” led to her starting off with poor grades. if you start off high school on the wrong help, especially if I need help repeatMeisel shares the real changes that After understanding her learning a bit foot or just are struggling a little bit, keep edly, because it’s a pride thing. I’m sure had to be made in order to qualify for more, she began to gradually improve. using your resources, keep persevering, a lot of other kids are like that too.” the award, but more importantly, help to “I had never really been briefed on trying your best, and reaching out to your Striving to create the best school maintain a healthier school experience. how important freshman year grades were, teachers for help and you can do it. We env i ron ment a nd mend t h is issue, “I had better time management skills so I didn’t really care about my grades, want students to believe in themselves and Herm brought up the concept of the this past semester,” he said. “When am I which was a huge mistake,” Zache said. know they can do better than they are.” awa rd s t o st a f f , who q u ick ly d e - going to have time to sit and do homework “Seeing that 1.8 GPA made me sad with by Javit Thao cided it needed to be implemented. or hang out with friends? I built it into a myself, but at the beginning of sophomore “It wasn’t my original idea but I was schedule so I knew from this time talking to the superintendent of the Pewau- to this time I would do homework.” kee district and we were talking about While remaining self-reliant is ways they recognize students in their dis- important, Czachorski also believes trict,” he said. “I kinda just latched onto it.” relying on others has been a key facBefore the ceremony began, West tor to her success this past semester. invited Senior Director of Talent at Am“Surround yourself with peocor Jill Nielsen as a keynote speaker to ple who are genuine and care about talk about the importance of growth. you, don’t waste your time on petty “The reason for inviting an outside things, and don’t be afraid to ask for speaker was just to recognize that continu- help,” she said. “Your teachers are ing to grow is important, even outside there to help because it’s literally of school,” Herm said. “It’s a life thing.” their job. And if, for whatever reaAlong with reading off names and son, your teacher is not helping you, giving certificates to students, teachers reach out to a friend or your school were also asked to add positive com- counselor to get the help you need.” ments as students grabbed their awards. Having a positive mindset
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February 24, 2020
Sports
Volume 116, Issue 5
Moments captured from Wildcat winter sports
photo from Oshkosh West Dance Team Facebook
The West dance team competed at State for kick on February 1 in La Crosse. Senior Jessa Nemeth took home all-team honors.
photo by Maci Lewellyn
photo courtesy of Tori O’Laire
Seniors Brady Meyer, Logan Grota, and Drew Best (left to right) stand shoulder to shoulder before their matches at senior night. The team took home the Andrew Wallace Memorial Cup against Oshkosh North High School.
photo ourtesy of Joe Mayo
Senior Caleb Fuller high fives junior Avery Saginak during pre-game. Fuller scored 23 points in the North-West game, leading the team to a 63-55 victory.
The Oshkosh West bowling team won conference for the first time since 2009 with a 14-1 record. State competition will be held March 6-8 in Wausau.
photo courtesy of Eric Bal
Members of the swim team pose for an underwater selfie. Junior Sam Blaskowski took second in conference for the 50-meter freestyle swim.
photo courtesy of Brad Jodarski
The West student section is decked out in white to cheer on the boys and girls varsity basketball teams as they both took home wins against Oshkosh North on February 7.
Sports
Volume 116, Issue 5
5
February 24, 2020
Grads reflect on past, present of athletics Sports Photo Poll With the change of seasons, what is your favorite spring sport?
“Track because it’s fun to hang out with friends I normally don’t get to hang out with” - freshman Sofia Kainz
“Golf because I hit dingers” - sophomore Will Vu
“I’m excited for baseball because I like the Atlanta Braves and because Dansby Swanson is my favorite” - junior Lauren Ziebell
“The start of baseball season. Go Brewers!” - senior Drew Best
“Baseball because I love going to Brewer games and eating hot dogs” - Spanish teacher Marisa Karll
Six Oshkosh West alumni were in- puter keyboard in high school. No one had window to play is so incredibly small, four ducted into the Athletic Wall of Fame on school-issued iPads; we used notebooks years and that’s it,” he said. “You never January 24. These former athletes were and a pen/pencil to do our homework. I felt want to have to look back at your high recognized for exemplary performance in no fear in going to school, we didn’t prac- school experience and have regrets because athletics and contributions to the devel- tice lock-downs procedures, only tornado you didn’t try out for a sport you wanted opment and growth of the overall athetic drills. Compared to now, school seemed to. I think when student-athletes use athletprogram. Inductees were seen to be part simple and uncomplicated. I am so grate- ics as an excuse for academic struggles it’s of creating an excellent athletic tradition. ful to have gone to school when I did.” absolutely ridiculous. It all comes down to Demler has also seen changes to whether or not you’re going to make the perOne of the inductees, Linnea Utecht, a four-year swimmer and softball player, his former high school, including the sonal choice to make academics a priority.” believes athletics made her a better person. lower school spirit in recent years. Demler wants athletes to become the “Swimbest they can ming creates be while they accountabilare able to ity that not play. Many every sport have a limhas,” she ited amount of said. “There time to play the is no one to sport they love, hide behind, so they need to no one to pin get out there a loss on but and seize the yourself. I o p p o r t u n i t y. learned that “ M o s t if I wanted high school something, I athletes don’t had to work get the opporfor it, and tunity to play that I would at the college get out of the level, so utilize sport what I the four years put into it.” of high school By beyou have to ing a twoplay,” he said. photo by Abe Weston “ W h e t h e r sport athlete, Utecht was Athletic Wall of Fame inductees Linnea Utecht, Jay Schmick, Patti Hoppe Stinski, and Trey Demler (left to you’re the star able to de- right) were recognized on January 24 at the Oshkosh West gymnasium. The alumni were recognized for of the team velop mul- their contributions to the growth and betterment of the athletics program. or the last tiple skills player on the from playbench, if you “One thing I have noticed at the events play you’re going to experience things ing each sport. “Being a pitcher, I felt a sense of re- that I’ve attended has more to do with you’ll never forget, and you’re going to sponsibility to be my best so that our team the student support than the games them- learn some great life lessons that will help would have the best chance at winning,” selves,” he said. “The games I’ve been to you with your personal development.” she said. “If I don’t put in the work, it have all had a relatively low student turnOne of the hardest aspects of beshows, and I let everyone down. If I am out, and when you look at the student sec- ing an athlete is accepting criticism. High not at the top of my game, the team suffers. tion during the game, half of the heads school is only a small portion of one’s Out of that role came a sense of responsi- are down looking at their phones. I don’t life, and becoming a better athlete possibility, not only to myself but to my team.” have a solution, it’s just an observation.” bly starts with knowing how to improve. Even the middle schools had kids that Trey Demler, who played baseball, “Don’t be the kid that only listens to basketball, and football throughout high came to the games and participated in the the coaching you get at the dinner table at school, learned valuable lessons from overall spirit in the community, Demler home,” Demler said. “Don’t be the kid who each sport he participated in. He learned recalls. The experience in these sporting thinks because you had success in middle that athletics give students a way to be- events used to be much more powerful. school that you’re good enough to get by “I remember the days when the bas- in high school. Allowing yourself to be come better physically and mentally. “Baseball taught me how to deal with ketball student section would be full dur- coached is going to help you reach your failure,” he said. “It taught me to have a ing the JV game already because everyone potential. Refusing to be coached is going short memory, forget the small failures wanted to be part of it,” he said. “Being part to cripple your ability to grow and cause within the game, and always be ready of the student section was such a big deal a lot of other problems along the way.” to move on to the next play. If you hang that the Oshkosh middle schools even got Utecht led as an example for all the your head and feel sorry for yourself when involved in the themes and would stand in West athletic programs. She points out that you make an out or make a bad play, it’s the upper level as an extension of the high future athletes must strive to make themjust going to create more problems.” school student section. The creativity and selves better, escaping the modern-day disSports not only make students be- energy that used to go into it was nuts.” tractions of technology and social media. Demler urges athletes to take advancome better people, but they also pro“Things like social media can either vide memories that can last a lifetime. tage of high school athletics, and use this make you feel ten feet tall or two feet “Playing football under the Friday opportunity to grow. Despite the struggle tall. But put all of that aside and ask yournight lights and playing basketball in a of time between athletics and academ- self: why? Why do I want to be an athjam-packed gym are two of the things ics, Demler sees high school as a time to lete? Get down to the real reasons why.” that I really loved about the high school prioritize both sports and the classroom. by Zade Alzoubi “As a high school student-athlete, your experience,” Demler said. “It never got old; it was always a thrill. I always felt like we had a ton of support from the students, staff, and the Oshkosh community.” After graduating in 1999, Utecht has seen athletics become more advanced. But there have also been major changes in the day to day life of West students that she has noticed. “There have been lots of additions to the athletic area,” she said. “Now there is a lot more security and protocols in schools to keep everyone safe. There was no social media back then, no one had a cell phone. I remember signing up for my first email address and learning how to type on a com-
6
February 24, 2020
BOYS BASKETBALL
Sports
Volume 116, Issue 5
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Varsity Record (Feb 13th) • 9-8 Updates • The boys will play their last game February 27th at home. Upcoming Event • Home against Fond du Lac on Thursday at 7:30pm.
Varsity Record (Feb 13th) • 8-11 Updates • The girls played their last home game February 11th. Upcoming Event • Their season is now over.
BOWLING
DANCE TEAM
Varsity Record (Feb 13th) • 14-1 Updates • The team won conference and qualified for state. Two bowlers also made individuals. Upcoming Event • State: March 6-8
Varsity Record (Feb 13th) • 4th D-1 Kick at Regionals • State Qualifier Updates • Jessa Nemeth is the first Oshkosh West Dance Team member to be a part of the WACPC AllState team. Upcoming Event • Tryouts start March 3 for the 2020/21 season.
HOCKEY Varsity Record (Feb 13th) • 4-19-1 Updates • Junior Dylan Sprister is the team’s leading scorer. Upcoming Event • Sectionals on February 25.
BOYS SWIMMING Varsity Record (Feb 13th) • 0-4-1 Updates • Junior Sam Blaskowski finished second in the 50 meter freestyle at conference. Upcoming Event • Their season is now over.
WRESTLING Varsity Record (Feb 13th) • 9-5 Updates • Junior Alex Hunter won conference. • Upcoming Event • Sectionals on February 25 if they qualify.
GYMNASTICS Varsity Record (Feb 13th) • 4-2 Upcoming Event • Sectionals on February 25 if they qualify.
Bryant tragedy highlights need to value every moment
NBA legend Kobe Bryant tragically to never take life for granted. His passpassed away in a helicopter crash on Janu- ing reminds all that life can be cut short. ary 26, one that also claimed the life of “At first the news came as an unbehis 13-year-old daughter, Gianna Bryant, lievable shock, as Kobe was so young, and seven others. The death of Bryant and and I never believed that something like his young daughter has left many students this would happen,” Rasmussen said. pondering the legacy of the 18-time All- “It has affected my life, as it showed me Star. Junior Jacquez Overstreet was at the importance of valuing everything basketball practice when he heard the news and every day, as it could be your last.” of Bryant’s death and was overwhelmed. Ju n ior Ma r ia Je r ab ek h a s a l so “My heart kind of sank into my stom- come to the realization not to take life ach and I got the chills,” he said. “Kobe for granted through the passing of so Bryant to me is a hero, a role model, and many celebrities and athletes recently. one of the greatest basket“Life is ball players to ever walk v a lu a ble , yo u on this Earth. He helped d o n’ t e x p e c t so many people in need such young and just was and always people to die so will be a great person.” fa st ,” Je r abek Senior Karter Thomas said. “I feel like a saw Bryant as more than lot of celebrities an athlete. To Thomas, have passed this Kobe was an idol, one who year or last year, will always be remema nd it shows bered by those who love you that life is the game of basketball. very precious.” photo from Kobe Bryant Facebook page “He was a role S e n i o r model for me in many R iley Wuest ways,” Thomas said. “I looked up to looked at Bryant as a role model, and him. He was my idol and I watched ev- feels he owes a lot to the late legend. ery step he did to be just like him.” Bryant’s power on the court has touched Junior Aidan Berndt also believes that millions around the world, securing a Bryant is one of the greatest to ever play legacy both on the court as well as off of it. the game and was touched by his impact. “Watching Kobe on TV as a kid “In my opinion, he was a top five player wa s one of t he of all time and always will be,” Berndt said. most highlighted “Many say that the game of basketball has m e m o r i e s I turned into a three-point shooting game h a v e , ” W u e s t and I believe that Kobe was the one who said. “Although started this. He had a great work ethic and I never met him, always tried to be the best player ever.” I felt like I had a Junior Ty Rasmussen has been watch- s t r o ng c o n n e c ing basketball since he was young and tion with him. He has taken the loss of Bryant as a lesson meant a lot to me
a n d wa s my r ole m o d el.” Growing up, many students that practiced the game strived to be like Bryant. For Berndt, Bryant’s passing hit very deep, and he will now consider every moment a blessing and think about truly living life. “I have heard it before and didn’t really take it seriously until this point, but we need to live every moment like it could be your last and don’t take anything for granted,” he said. “You never know when it will really be your last.” Along with this tragedy came not only grieving and resentment towards the cruelties of life, but also a hope for a better future - a changed outlook on life and thirst for taking advantage of the opportunities it offers. Senior Owen Braatz also felt broken up about Bryant’s death and realizes the importance of living life to the fullest. “This tragedy really opened my eyes to the meaning ‘never take a moment for granted’, because you never know when some life alternating thing might happen,” Braatz said. “So you gotta appreciate the good times and fight through the bad.” Similar to Braatz, Berndt also reflected on the inspiration Kobe had on many kids and how he aspired to be like Kobe as well. “I g rew up watching Kobe play basketball and he was always the player who I strived to be, I even had a Kobe jersey as a kid,” he said. “Watching his work ethic and a love for the game re-
ally transferred to me and my athletics.” This theme is echoed across the globe as Kobe Bryant’s renowned work ethic has touched the lives of many people. Swim coach and English teacher Kelly Wayne learned a lot from Bryant, including how to be a better coach and knowing how to push her athletes “The greatest athletes work hard and have a lot of determination and after basketball Kobe went beyond that and used his platform for good,” Wayne said. “As a coach, it is a good reminder to push your athletes towards not only working to the best of their abilities, but also being good humans as well.” Braatz has learned to always work hard through Bryant’s “mamba ment alit y,” conti nui ng to push th rough hard times in pursuit of perfection. “His legacy as an athlete is the reason I even care about basketball today, and his legacy as a person has always made me have a mamba mentality through the tough times,” he said. Thomas was inspired by the ba sketbal l lege nd a nd wea r s nu mber 24 because of the man who wore it on his way to the Hall of Fame . “I wear 24 for him because when I was a kid I looked up to him,” he said. “I’ll remember him every time I wear the number.”
by J. Mayo and S. Wesenberg
Community
Volume 116, Issue 5
7
February 24, 2020
Tamara’s creates tasty confections for a cause Tamara’s the Cake Guru, a shop known for creating delectable desserts and tasty treats, are now delivering sweet treats with a side of good deeds. The cake shop has recently endorsed a fundraiser to benefit orphans in need of help. The money earned from the fundraiser will be going to Holt International Children’s Services, an organization that specializes in helping provide for orphans and single parents in need. Tamara Mugerauer, owner of Tamara’s the Cake Guru, describes what the fundraiser entails. “We are selling little red boxes which are five dollars, and those five dollars will go to Holt International,” she said. “It’s also a good deal because with every box you get a truffle and then there’s an envelope for something free, like a dozen cupcakes, which is worth thirty-six dollars, and you’re only paying five bucks.” With the theme centering around Lunar New Year, the purpose of the fundraiser is in the hearts and minds of Tamara and her daughter, junior Liberty Mugerauer. Liberty, who started this for Miss South Central Outstanding Teen, also
has a personal connection to the project. she said. “We chose adoption as our first “I was adopted from China so I re- choice to build our family because we knew ally wanted to we didn’t need to help make the have a biological statement that evchild to be parents. eryone needs: the There are 153 millove of a family,” lion orphans in the Liberty Mugerauer world. We can prosaid. “There are vide homes. Chilplenty of people dren are in need in our community of a healthy home and you may not life. That’s what’s even realize that in my heart, that evthere are many ery child deserves people either in the a loving family.” foster care system Tamara’s the or that are looking Cake Guru has photo from Tamara’s Cake Guru Facebook page h o s t e d m u l t i p l e to be adopted.” At both Tamara locations, red boxes can be found filled fundraisers over the With her daughwith truffles that can be bought for a donation toward years which have t e r ’s m i s s i o n adoption organizations. Junior Liberty Mugerauer started relating to her gone towards adopthis fundraiser. personal wishes, tion organizations. Tamara Mugerauer explains how adop“Most of the time it goes to either Holt tion has affected her life and business. or Show Hope, another organization that “One of the big things that Liberty is helps kids get the surgeries they need to focused on is that no child is unadoptable,” be more ‘adoptable,’” Tamara Mugerauer
said. “We also always have what we call the ‘Lady Liberty’ cupcake that we have year-round. A dollar from every one of those cupcakes goes to Holt as well.” Not only does Tamara’s donate internationally, but some of the money even goes toward adoptees in the community as well. “Another thing that I do every single month is I donate to every child in the county that’s in foster care,” Tamara Mugerauer said. “They even get a free birthday cake, cupcake, or cookie cake.” With the message of love not only present in the baking, but within the red boxes, people can support the adopted children in their community, and internationally. Liberty Mugerauer hopes that this fundraiser also raises awareness about both the needs of children and the power of love.. “I would like the message to be that girls and boys in the world need families,” she said. “I feel that everyone should be able to have a family and know that they are loved by someone.”
by E. Olson, H.Chung, A.Furcy
Blades and Boards looks to chop down doldrums
If you can throw a dart, you can throw trigued to hear about the addition to Oshkosh. an axe. A new addition to Oshkosh enter“I think it would be interesting because tainment, Blades and Boards provides a I have always been into more outdoorsy place where people are welcome to come types of stuff, and it sounds like a fun and throw axes. With the first location in thing to do,” she said. “Obviously I’ve Wausau, another location opened on 2283 seen videos of it online, fail videos too, State Road 44 Oshkosh on July 2019. This which are scary. So you would have to learn fairly new facility has enticed people to the proper way to do it before you try it.” try it out. CAPP chemistry teacher WilSophomore Tyler Wright also exliam Stenz points out how these busi- pressed some concern about the activity. nesses are blooming out of public interest. “I think it’s pretty dangerous, but at the “I know that it’s really popular right same time it could be fun with correct trainnow, and this ing and superviis why they are sion,” he said. starting to sprout Luckily, Rowup all over the ell and her team place,” he said. have people in “Everyone is place to help like ‘well I can amateurs learn buy some axes how to throw, and boards and making sure put some cages everyone is safe. on the wall and “After you start my own check in, one of business.’” our staff, or ‘axe This was the masters’, takes reason why you and your Rachel Rowell, group to the lanes owner of Blades and we go over and Boards, safety and teach started the you the throwing business. Not technique,” she only because of said. photo courtesy of William Stenz public interest, The layout but because her Oshkosh’s Blades and Boards is a great place to gather with of the lanes are family and friends. Stenz and his extended family took a trip to family had an Green Bay and had a blast throwing axes. like cages. A interest as well. group is given “We have a son that is a senior in high an aisle which is made of boards and school and he has been throwing axes wire with a wooden bullseye at the end. most of his life,” she said. “Then we saw “You stand behind the line and throw that the sport of axe throwing was grow- at the target,” Stenz said. “It’s like playing; we thought ‘how great it would be ing darts, but with axes. So, if you’ve to have a facility and a place for fami- ever shot darts, this is just scaled up.” lies to go and people to have fun at?’” Stenz had the opportunity to throw Junior Hailey Kons, who enjoys outdoor axes with his extended family over winactivities, like hunting and running, was in- ter break. Because his experience was
spur of the moment, he didn’t have the I have had both locations,” Rowell said. opportunity to go to the one in Oshkosh. “Sometimes it’s hard for older students to “I went to the one in Green Bay and go and do something that’s cool and fun the only reason why is I’m not the kind for that age, but we are able to offer that.” of guy that would Stenz shared actually originally how this attracthink of this on my tion might attract own, but my sisterbusinesses who in-law’s husband want to use the is a part-owner,” facility to host he said. “So, over social events. Christmas they in“Companies vited my extended come in and family and I, so bring a group of we just went out their workers to there and started have a social outthrowing axes.” ing they can do Stenz reflected something that is on how his childcompetitive and hood gave this a little fun,” he experience more said. “They can of a familiar feel. play a few games “As a kid, photo from Blades & Boards - Oshkosh Facebook page and call it a day.” I grew up next The community now has a chance to have fun throwing Along with to the National miniature axes at a target. Opening this past July, Blades B l a d e s a n d Guard Armory in and Boards has created a fun environment for families and Boards offering groups of friends to hang out and enjoy their time. Oshkosh which axe leagues, had big woods out Stenz also enthere,” he said. “I would walk my dog and joyed the competitive aspect of throwing. hang out with friends in the woods and “If it touches the line anywhere on we would bring an axe and start throwing the bullseye, then it counts as the higher it at a tree to see if you could stick it.” number,” he said. “You will find out that Blades and Boards allows people some of your friends will probably be to bring in their own food, and also pro- able to do it, and some of them won’t. vides a selection of snacks and drinks. So if you can, you got one up on them.” While axes are being thrown, Stenz enThis hands-on activity will provide joyed the time he could take to talk and students and staff, as well as anyone interact with his family. He explained else, with the opportunity to go out and how this can be a more leisurely activity. try something new. Stenz anticipates “If you like to do something like the adventure of traveling out into the bowling, which is more like hanging out community with groups of people. with a group of friends while being ac“I have friends who still come into town tive, this is like that,” he said. “Only it’s on occasion ,” he said. “It’s fun when you get unique, because you are throwing axes.” together with a group of your friends, and While children under 18 must be accom- it’s better than just texting one another. You panied by an adult, Blades and Boards pro- get out and actually do something active.” vides a place for Rowell expects that Blades and families to come Boards will impact the community. and hang out, “I believe it is a unique addition to making it enjoy- Oshkosh,” she said. “There is a need for able for everyone. places that are fun and family friendly “I have seen for all ages of people to go. We love to a lot of happy work with the community, do the events, students and chil- and donate to all the great causes that dren of all ages in Oshkosh starts and stands behind.” the last years that by Emma Olson
At war with an enemy unseen...
Medical researchers take up arms aga
Influenza. Superbugs. Ebola. Bioweapons. And now, coronavirus. These words strike fear into the hearts of many. In a world with a population approaching eight billion, such medical “crises” hinder humanity’s attempts at longevity. Cancer, especially, has long evaded science's solutions for hundreds of years, always seeming one step ahead i n t h e search for a cure. “I think cancers are definitely in the public eye as far as a medic a l c r i s i s ,” CA PP biology teacher Vicki Ramus said. “People are worried about how to treat them and increase sur vival rates a nd lower t he ability of them to metastasize to other areas. Cancer is a huge ailment in our society right now. There are a lot of people aff licted and it’s ver y sad.” Due to a f undamental lack of understanding about what causes cancer, the disease takes it upon itself to spread throughout the body, taking up space and stealing nutrients from essential cells without its host suspecting a thing. “Cancer can be difficult to combat, and we don’t really know why,” CAPP biology teacher Sara Dobish said. “As much as we understand about cancer cells and how they operate, we don’t understand what causes them completely. People who are healthy can all of a sudden get cancer. Where did it come from? Physicians are seeing a lot of these instances.” These bar r iers to u nderstanding can make the discover y of potential cu res diff icult. “One of the big misconceptions about cancer is that we have all of these treatments that work really well, and there really are not a lot,” Dobish said. “Researchers just have not been able to figure out how to stop the division of those cells. Even if they can be stopped, cancer cells are so ‘smart’ that they will figure out how to not be killed by chemotherapy. Then, it just
comes back and we have to find another treatment for it.” Howe ve r, h o p e fo r t h e f u t u r e e xist s, a s a dva ncement s i n t reat ment s a re ma de. “We don’t have a wonderful grasp on how to treat cancer and how different types are going to react to certain treatments,” Ramus said. “However, they are making advancements and certain cancers actually have had increased survival rates for patients. People are gett i n g better
prognoses than we’ve ever h a d .” In an effort to relieve misconceptions about the illness, students in CAPP biology learn the basics of how cancer comes into being. For junior Nathan Schultz, it was surprising to hear how the disease can be more complex than expected. “What surprises me is how certain things in the cells must occur for cancer to form,” Schultz said. “Things have to go ‘perfectly right.’ It also happens more than we think in the body. It’s also surprising to think that only one cell could set it off.” With a combination of so many factors, perhaps the best combatant against cancer is its early detection. “Early detection of cancer is key, and it can become problematic for cancers that quickly reach stage four, meaning it has already spread a lot,” Ramus said. “Cancer can be life-threatening if it can’t be found quickly.” Thus, research towards cancer treatment has focus ed on early detection and termination of the cancer itself. “There’s biomedical engineers working on ways so that we can look at a urine sample and detect the presence of cancer cells in anyone’s body,” Ramus said. “It’s s up e r c o ol. You wouldn’t have to use this big scanni ng device. So, then people could be tested in more remote areas and it would probably be a lot cheaper too.” Beyond early detection, the best ‘cu re’ wou ld b e prevention. While cancer can occur r a nd o m ly, t he r e are a few things people can do to help themselves. “If we know better, we should do better,” Ramus said. “There are certain carcinogens, that if avoided, are in your favor for your health. For example, eve r yone k nows c ig a r e t t e s m oke causes cancer. UV exposu re cau ses skin damage and
cancer. People need to take better care of themselves and avoid things that are toxic and cause mutations in your cells.” O n t he ot he r side of t he sp e ct r u m , i nfectious diseases also present a ver y preeminent medical crisis, often receiving much global attention. “Obviously, the coronavirus has been big recently. It is related to the common cold, but in this case it is causing more severe symptoms in some people” Dobish said. “And now the World Health Organization has declared a global emergency over it. Bird flu is also a medical crisis. It is very fatal if it jumps from birds to humans. If it becomes transmissible by air, that will be a huge problem. Ebola has decimated villages in Africa, but that is a concern there and not here.” Unlike cancer, however, infect io u s d i s e a s e s c a n b e c o nt a g io u s , le a d i n g t o c o n c e r n o n h ow t h e y c a n s p r e a d s o q u ick ly. “I think we’re just so mobile as a society,” Ramus said. “We can get halfway across the world in a flight. It’s just that things are so easily transmitted and spread in long distances in less time than ever before in our history. The globe has become more local.” With a population of about 1700 students and many teachers, West could potentially become a harbor for the quick spread of disease. As such, health workers at the school do their best to address these issues and prevent a local outbreak. “We always advise students who are ill to go home or stay home,” school nurse Stefanie Rebholz said. “We also take guidance from ou r healt h depa r tment here to dictate regulations on how long a student needs to stay out based on the illness they have. We encourage students to follow these guideli nes so t hey a re not spreading things. Also, basic hygiene is important.” In the back of their minds, health staff are aware of the possibility of a major outbreak at West, even if it is unlikely. “I think there’s always a possibility when there’s a large number of people,” Rebholz said. “It depends on how many people are vaccinated, or if there even is a vaccine that covers whatever disease is going around. We watch the numbers. We document them on a website for the health department and keep track of stomach issues and influenza viruses going around.” Quicker than the spread of a disease, however, can be the spread of the media. While it does help to inform and educate people about the pathogens of the world, some news can be blown out of proportion. “I thin k it’s t wofold. Infectious disease definitely pose a threat to people,” Dobish said. “If coronavirus goes out of control and becomes a major pandemic, it would be a crisis. But with that and other diseases, I think that the news and media like to sensationalize stuff.” Such sensationalism was introduced d u r i n g t h e E b ol a o u tbreaks in Af r ica, causi ng ala r m worldw ide. “Misconceptions include that certain viruses will go everywhere in the world,” Schultz said. “It can happen, but not always. For example, the Ebola outbreaks a few years ago were very overblown. There were only a few cases in the United States and everyone’s hair was on fire. Really, it wasn’t a big deal, at least in America.” Still, Ebola, at least in Africa, had and has a large
ainst a daunting sea of microbial terror impact, revealing that many dangerous diseases can be localized in one area. Often, the severity of an outbreak is characterized by the area the disease emerged from. CAPP biology students learned this after reading Hot Zone, a narrative retelling the origins of the Ebola virus. “I learned that the CDC and the army were doing their job to make sure that viruses, like Ebola, stayed out of the population by taking the appropriate steps,” Schultz said. “Another thing I found in the story was that in Africa, vir uses can be a problem because of improper vaccination and improper sanitation.” Infectious diseases can still pose a large threat to society at a pandemic level, as was seen with the plague during pre-Renaissance Europe or the 1918 Spanish f lu pandemic. It becomes a matter of regarding facts without bias in order to filter between fact and fiction. “It’s hard to say that the news sensationalizes everything,” UWO biology professor Dr. Sabrina Mueller-Spitz said. “While infectious diseases cause lots of deaths, compared to conditions like coronary heart diseases, there aren’t as many deaths. However, they still are prevalent and shouldn’t be taken lightly.” Some diseases, on the other hand, can lack coverage. “Some waterborne pathogens can be dangerous, depending on the area,” Mueller-Spitz said. “However, these don’t receive as much attention as other diseases.” Overblow n or not, infectious diseases around the world affect m illions, and cu res can often be elusive. As such, preventative me a s u re s s uch a s vaccines hold promise in preventing the spread of disease. “I think a va cci ne k i nd of gives you a piece of mind, li ke with the flu,” Ramus said. “Even though the f lu vaccine doesn’t cover all strains, you feel like you have some level of protection. It’s that or you have no protection and all these viruses can infect you, especially for the vulnerable in society - the very young, very old, and the immunocompromised, who are more at risk than the average person.” Despite the prevalence of vaccines, there remains a large anti-vax movement, citing that vaccines cause harmful side effects. In recent times, the debate has raged on, ultimately proving these claims false. “Why would you put yourself in danger of getting a really bad disease because you believe some report by a celebrity that vaccines can give you autism?” Schultz said. “It’s been disproved so many times, but so many people believe it, especially millennials. I don’t agree with them at all. Now, children of millennials are starting to figure out ‘hey, I need vaccines’ and are starting to go and get them.” I n order to allevia t e s u c h a p r o ble m , i s d ef i n i t i ve a c t io n required by authorities to require vaccination? The question becomes a matter of personal rights. “ I a m pro - choice, but if it is a problem that affects everyone I think the government should step in and force anti-vaxxers to take vaccines,” Schultz said. “At school, it depends on what diseases are going around. If it’s a very major problem, yes, vaccines are needed. People should be forced to take them.” I n t h e m id s t of t h e va r y i ng o pi n io n s , c u r r e n t s c h o o l p r o c e d u r e s d o n o t n e c e s s a r-
ily keep vacci nat ions i n forethoug hts of many. “The fact that some students do not take vaccines is not an immediate concern,” Rebholz said. “With herd immunity, if many people a re vacci nated , t hen the unvaccinated people benef it from that. We are aware of the students who do not have the proper vaccinations. Some students may not have all their vaccinations, a couple
maybe don’t have a n y. We k e e p track of these students and keep them on our radar so if there is an outbreak of something, we would know who to contact as say ‘you need to be excluded from school.’” W hile vaccines have much potent i a l t o s u bve r t d i s e a s e s , t h e y a r e l i m it e d i n t hei r u se, a s t hei r product ion ca n be t e d iou s. “I would like to say that vaccines always stop the spread of disease, but the process to go and create a new vaccine can be slow,” Dobish said. “Until they come up with a way to develop vaccines in a more effective manner, instead of putting viruses into eggs and incubating them, we are not going to have vaccines very quickly.” While vaccines generally seek to defend against viruses, antibiotics defend against bacterial pathogens. However, in recent years, bacteria have been finding a way to undermine the effects of antibiotics, leading to a new, more dangerous type of infectious disease. “ S u p e rbug bacterias have become resistant to our antibiotics,” Ramus said. “That makes it very challenging to t reat these bacteria, as fa r a s st oppi ng them from reproducing in people’s bod ies, causi ng more i nfections a mong people.” The cause for superbugs' r ise stems f rom hu m a n a c t ion s. “What happens is t hat people do not take their full dose of antibiotics,” Ramus said. “Maybe they have a ten day prescription but by day seven, they are like ‘I’m feeling g reat’ a n d d o n’t t a ke the rest of their prescription. Even though they feel fine, that doesn’t
mean that all of the bacteria have been eliminated, so what you have left behind is the strongest of that bacteria left to reproduce, and those resistant bacteria go on.” Apart from typical superbugs and viruses, bioweapons have been pushed into the public's view. Viruses such as smallpox and anthrax bacteria have long been presumed to be potential catalyst of bioterrorism, but yet again, sensationalism may blow up the facts. “Is it realistic that a bioweapon attack will happen?” Schultz said. “The United States and many other countries have laws in place to restrict access to bioterrorist weapons. The odds one may be released seems really low. So, I don’t think it’s likely to happen.” Regardless, some concern does exist. “I know military personnel get the anthrax vaccine and the smallpox vaccine,” Ramus said. “With smallpox, it has been eradicated in the population and there are only supposed to be a couple of copies. However, there is a rumor that a sample was sold on the black market, but we don’t really k now." Cancer, viruses, bacteria, superbugs, and bioweapons. These are only a small part of a long list. It can become overwhelming, but for the West at least, some confidence can be taken from the fact that medical staff endeavor to keep both students and teachers safe. “We try really hard to keep up with everything, and there are so many things out in the news right now that it can get a little overwhelming.” Rebholz said. “But we do our best to consult with the health department to take the proper action and help everyone stay safe.”
story by Akashraj Karthikeyan graphics by Hannah Olson
10
February 24, 2020
Entertainment
Volume 116, Issue 5
Index website welcomes student writing, artwork “Magical Maria and The Fox”
Picture a 5’4” little 11-year-old girl. She stands as though she’s scared of taking up too much space and is trying to make her skinny frame as small as possible. She has shoulder-length hair pulled up into a careless ponytail. She’d recently dyed it a brassy shade of copper, but her brown roots were already showing. Her face isn’t so childlike anymore, but she hasn’t quite grown into her features yet. She wraps her brown leather jacket around herself tightly. Jeans don’t fit her properly at this weird stage of development, so they hang around her legs. Her prized Converse high-tops are already scuffed, though they were pristine last week. Her wide eyes dart around, searching for anyone who’ll flash a smile. That girl is me, my first day of 6th grade. I was attending Kaleidoscope Academy, a technology and project-based charter school within the building of Roosevelt school in Appleton. It was 45 minutes away from my house, but the trip got up to a full hour in the snow. I was the only one there coming from Oshkosh, and I didn’t know a soul there. My hands were shaking as dad and I drove up that morning; I was so excited to be going to such a cool new school, but I was very worried about making friends. I used to be a huge (annoying) fan of this British TV show called Doctor Who, and I was wearing a shirt that referenced the show so I could, “get in with
the right crowd” (i.e. other dorks like me). I noticed that at the new school that lots of people were hanging out in groups, but there were also lots of loners like me. So far, no one seemed unfriendly, but the first person to really introduce themselves to me was a very outgoing, fiery girl who my red hair and leather jacket had caught the eye of: Maria Serna. Or, as she introduced herself to me, “Magical Maria” (see, I warned you we were dorks). KA was an old, two story brick building that looked like an extravagant castle to me back then. There were stone gargoyles attached to the second-floor façade of the building that watched benevolently over the yard in front of the school, and a small third-story, that no one knew what it was used for, with four conical spires on top. Maria and I first encountered one another in the stairwell next to the lunchroom. What first struck me about Maria was how confidently she stood and walked. She was somewhat stocky, at least next to me, and her shoulders were broad. The second thing I noticed was her beautiful, naturally perfect teeth, which I still envy to this day. I still remember what she was wearing because, well, the two of us really only wore one outfit for the entirety of sixth grade. Hers was a pair of bootcut dark wash jeans that hugged her hips and thighs (in contrast to mine which were so baggy around my twig legs), and a plain tee-shirt underneath
her signature hooded purple sweatshirt. She had ash brown hair that brushed the top of her shoulders, and she usually hid half of her face behind a curtain of hair, as I remember she was doing when we first met. Her voice was confident and enthusiastic, so I heard her right away when she called out “Hey! New kid!” I turned to face her, taken aback and somewhat scared. I had never been bullied before so I didn’t know what to expect, but this shouting method seemed kind of lame to me. My second thought was: Am I really that obvious? Now, looking back, I think: What the heck, we were all new, it was sixth grade! As soon as I turned around, I knew this wasn’t some sort of lame bullying scheme, and that shouting “new kid” was the only way she could think to get my attention. Immediately she gave me that million-watt smile, and introduced herself. “My name’s Maria, but everyone calls me Magical Maria. I like you, kid.” I’m pretty outgoing myself, but Maria was a whole new level of confidence, off the charts for a sixth-grader. I liked her immediately too. We lost each other in the hall, but I saw her across the room in my next class. As soon as Mr. Schwantes told us to get up and find a seat at a computer, she swaggered over to me and promptly said, “I love your hair. Can I call you Fox?” I was a lit tle caught off-g uard,
again, by her confidence and friendliness, but of cou rse I said, “Su re!” That’s how I received the most prominent nickname I’ve ever had. It became mostly retired once I dyed my hair brown, to everyone except Maria. She and I became very fast friends. When we were together, we became the most uninhibited versions of ourselves (much to our teachers’ dismay). I didn’t care about what I wore, or how I looked, because I knew Maria thought I was cool. We didn’t care about fitting in, because we had each other’s backs. In a world of cliques, we were our own dorky island. Years later, I’m so thankful for the time we spent together and how lucky I am to have had such a loyal friend throughout the biggest formative period of my life. Her unconditional support kept me from going to a place where I was self-conscious or insecure. She’s probably the biggest reason I had a good middle-school experience. Loyal friends who build you up are one of life’s greatest gifts and even if they’re not forever, the time you spend together is a treasure. I can’t thank Maria enough for standing by me through everything, giving me the confidence to be myself, and making me so happy when everyone around me was anxious and sad. We were Magical Maria and Fox, and we were unstoppable.
by Kelly Kehoe
Art by Allison Kelley
Art by Parker Hurkman
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graphics by Hannah Olson
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Entertainment
Volume 116, Issue 5
February 24, 2020
11
Mundane ‘Manic’ plays it safe by leaning on past
The latest album by indie musician Halsey, titled Manic, could be summarized in one statement: decent concept, bad execution. Coming off her sensational 2015 breakout album Badlands, Manic was the singer’s first experience utilizing her full artistic integrity. The album was released in mid-January and received mixed, yet mostly silent reviews. No one has really been talking about this album, and although Halsey had many words to say, they fall upon deaf ears due to the album’s wannabe-indie genre. Ashley Frangipane, better known as her persona Halsey, is most notable for her distinct “indie girl” style of singing. “Indie” singing isn’t a specific genre, but can be best described as breathy, scratchy, and twangy. The lyrics are often sung with twisted vowels and slurred words, which is rather eye-roll-inducing to many, as Halsey speaks with a normal East Coast accent. It’s this voice that makes the lyrics hard to listen to, and sometimes even harder to make out. The album begins with the song “Ashley.” The lyrics, which portray the struggle between her personal identity of Ashley and public persona as Halsey, are washed out by the melody. In the chorus, she sings “I told you I’d ride this out / It’s gettin’ harder every day / Somehow, I’m bursting out of myself,” which is ironic, as the entire song sounds almost exactly like something
out of Badlands. Halsey introduces the stream-melodies; it’s the first time in Manic album as being more authentically her and that Halsey sounds like she is connecting the start of a new era, but the music is so with her audience. Songs like “clementine” basic that the complexity of the lyrics are and “929” also have strong emotion behind them, but any c omple t ely emot ion felt lost behind by the listener the overdrais easily overmatic, affectshadowed by ed singing. seemingly To b e random celebfair, the rity cameo inalbum does terludes. The begin to album feapick up a s tures Dominic the tracks go Fike, Alanis on. Perhaps Mor isset te, the strongest and SUGA songs on of BTS, and the album the interludes are “More” seem out of a nd “ 929.” pl a c e. T he y “More” is are simply a H a l s e y’s way to feature hear tbreakartists and ing account br i ng i n the of her several fans necessary miscar riagphoto from Halsey Facebook page for the album es, and the to succeed. f r u s t r at ion However, there has definitely been she feels after “a couple of years in waiting rooms.” Part of what makes the song growth in Halsey’s lyrics over time. Strayso emotional is the raw music. There are ing from the comical, meme-worthy lyric no overdramatic beat drops or too-main- “You were red, and you liked me because
I was blue, but you touched me, and suddenly I was a lilac sky,” that fans saw on Badlands, Manic opens up Halsey’s lyrical potential. But, no one is talking about it because it sounds exactly like Badlands. An artist can definitely have a style they stick to within their work, but Halsey’s lyrics and melodies seem to contradict this. The album seems like an uncomfortable mix of Billie Eilish’s lyrics and Melanie Martinez’s aesthetic. However, Halsey has definitely created her own niche within pop music, so at least her fans will like this album. Maybe that was Halsey’s intention to open up more to her fans, but this is lost on other listeners. The supposed artistic integrity Halsey tries to communicate is simply lost within a wave of boring music. Though the ideas were there, the execution was not. Manic falls flat with fans as meaningful lyrics are wasted on wannabe-indie music.
by Bryna Goeking
You won’t want to look away as season two hits Easily considered one of the most ses after he discovers that Beck had been popular Netflix series of the past few years, cheating on him with her therapist, Dr. You came back with a second season in 2019 Nicky (John Stamos). Attempting to escape after the first season blew up in late 2018. from the glass cage that Joe forced her into, Though the first installment of the series Beck wrote a memoir blaming Dr. Nicky origifor ever ything nally that Joe had aired done, which Joe on Lifepublished after time, her murder, reit was sult i ng i n the overtherapist’s imlooked prisonment for until it the crimes that was reJoe committed. leased In the last few as a seconds of the Netf lix season f i nale, OrigiCandace (Amn a l . by r Childers), Based Jo e’s ex-g i rl on the f riend who he little believed to be k now n dead, shows up b o o k in his bookstore. series This leaves both of t he the audience s a m e and Joe in awe. photo from You Facebook page name, The second t h e season picks show follows Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley, up where the first left off, with Joe and Gossip Girl), a sociopathic stalker who Candace. After a short-lived conversais both infuriating and charming. Ending tion in a coffee shop, Joe inevitably finds the first season with the appearance of a way to trick her and leave not only the Joe’s ex-girlfriend, who he believed he small café, but also the state. Joe moves had murdered, fans eagerly awaited the from New York to Los Angeles and release of the second season and were not changes his name to Will Bettelheim. Now disappointed with the result. Containing Joe believes he is in the clear and starts a multitude of plot twists and surprises, a new life, telling himself he will be You season two exceeds expectations “better” this time. Even so, he returns to left by the first season, leaving the audi- his old tricks rather quickly and begins ence in suspense and making it the per- stalking a girl named Love (Victoria fect show for a binge-watching session. Pedretti). His new victim seems much Be warned, spoilers of season one are to too pure and kind to be with someone come - however, if you haven’t watched as deceivingly charming as Goldberg. it yet, you must be living under a rock. Throughout the season, Joe aims to At the end of season one, Joe murders succeed in his relationship with Love, tryhis girlfriend, Beck (Elizabeth Lail), after ing to avoid the same tragic end that he had she discovers that he had stalked her before with Beck. He makes attempts at cooking, they supposedly met. Joe’s rage cataly- gets a job at the same place, and makes
many more moves to get closer to Love. Joe for the narration and makes the whole show seems like a true gentlemen at times, which 10 times creepier. Though it may seem is part of the reason why the show has weird to watch Joe staring into space for obtained its popularity. Girls love to see an prolonged periods of time with just the attractive man pining over a woman and voice in his head playing, this feature gives making huge efforts towards her. But even the show a unique and personal sense of when he seems to be improving, the show interiority. Knowing all of Joe’s thoughts reminds viewers that Joe is a sociopath. keeps the audience connected to him and Besides the extremely intriguing sto- makes watchers feel as if he’s their close ryline, the well-developed characters and friend, though one that is secretly a serial incredibly killer. This nearlytalented personal aspect actors also may also explain make the the attraction s h o w e xmany viewers have ce pt ional. to t he cha r acter Badgley is and how they are absolutely able to overlook i ncredible the fact that Joe and unseti s a m u r d e r e r. tling as Joe, You season two requiring surpasses expectajust a single t ions, ma k i ng it fa cial exan addicting show pression to that you’ll surely make your binge in one sitting. blood r u n Though the f irst cold. Even season made the k n o w show a hit, the secphoto from You Facebook page ing that ond is by far more Joe is a cold-blooded murderer, Badgley entertaining and interesting, and you’ll nevis able to make him seem desirable, as er want to look away. With both the intrigumany viewers have fallen for his de- ing story line and Joe, an extremely charmceiving thoughtfulness and good looks. ing sociopathic killer, You is a perfect show Though Elizabeth Lail was great as for fans of both thriller and crime shows. Beck in the first season, Victoria Pedretti and Badgley have much more chemistry Penn Badgley’s superb acting on-screen and the progression of their paired with an amazing storyline story is much more exciting to watch. makes season two of You a bingeThe characters themselves are much worthy, must-watch for thriller fans. more compatible than when Joe was with Beck. The couple is believable and even looks like they could be together in real life. Plot-wise, though not by much, Joe isn’t as obsessed with Love, making their relationship seem more genuine. One of the most distinguishing aspects of the show are the voiceovers by Joe that enlighten the audience to every one of his by Caitlynn Gehl thoughts. Badgley’s tone of voice is perfect
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February 24, 2020
Volume 116, Issue 5
Entertainment
Green Day stretches creative sound minus political satire After Revolution Radio received many mixed reviews back in 2016, American rock band Green Day’s announcement of their 2020 comeback made fans a bit skeptical, hoping they would hear those signature Green Day bass riffs instead of the newer sound that they had been pushing out for years prior. Though Father of All… does not exactly deliver a classic Green Day sound, it shows that the band knows how to take risks, grow musically, and hopefully never write another song like “Youngblood” ever again. Prior to the album dropping, Green Day released the album’s first three tracks to give listeners a feel for what was to come. “Father of All…,” “Fire, Ready, Aim,” and “Oh Yeah!” would eventually prove to be three of the best songs on the album, which was a bit disappointing upon hearing the remaining songs. Despite these tracks being pretty great, much better than many of their past works (I’m looking at you, Uno... Dos... Tré!), new music from the legendary band is sure to face much criticism because of their drastic sound changes throughout the years. Because Green Day’s sound has become much more poppy since capitalizing off of American Idiot’s success in 2004, classic rock and punk rock junkies alike are always the first to whine about each coming track. The very modern-sounding “Meet Me On The Roof” seems to separate itself from many of the album’s other songs, also providing a perfect punching bag for those aforementioned punk rock crybabies as the track sports a much lighter, poppier sound. While Green Day tracks have themes that range from romance to war to murder, “Meet Me On The Roof” is a sweet, youth-
ful love song paired with a music video starring Stranger Things’s Gaten Matarazzo. Though this album seems to be filled with questionable lyrics that sometimes seem a bit too childish for lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong’s usual work, “Meet Me On The Roof” proves to be nothing but a fun track to follow up the pre-released singles. My main source of disappointment for this album comes from the tracks “I Was
the same when the man singing it could be gearing up for retirement. On the other hand, “Junkies on a High” tells the story of a man watching the world burn while getting high and doing nothing about it. Though Green Day has written many silly, lazier tracks, including the self-stimulated “Longview” and the immature “Burnout,” “Junkies on a High” just seemed to come at the wrong time. Armstrong is not shy about his disdain towards President Donald Trump and the group actively protests against him, even chanting “No Trump, no KKK, no facist USA” during one of their live performances. The band itself has always been incredibly politically active, with their most popular hit “American Idiot” being about the presidency of George W. Bush and the acts of the American government in Iraq. So, why does the group continue to write songs about being lazy and not caring, especially in this political climate? I don’t think Green Day will ever be able to top the popularity of “American Idiot,” but with the photo from Green Day Facebook page current president in office, why don’t they try? If Armstrong a Teenage Teenager” and “Junkies on a just translated his feelings into lyrics, they High.” Lyrically, “I Was a Teenage Teen- might have another smash on their hands. Songs like “Stab You in the Heart,” ager” is one of the band’s weakest tracks and was even deemed “cringy” by a Genius “Sugar Youth,” and “Take the Money and user. Though it is the longest song on the al- Crawl” are tracks that I believe offer a bum, reaching nearly four minutes long, the glimpse into the usual Green Day sound entire track is only an annoying repetition and give listeners that rush of adrenaof a lackluster pre-chorus and chorus while line that they crave when tuning into the Armstrong whines about puberty. The three band. With lyrics featuring a significant men who make up Green Day are pushing other’s unfaithfulness, a craving to kill, 50 years old, so I think we can all agree and an anxious partygoer with a fastthat songs about high school just don’t feel paced tune to match, these songs pump
the album full of energy and prove to be some of Green Day’s best recent work. Father of All…’s closer “Graffitia” gives the album a much calmer finale than the previous tracks. Armstrong explained in an interview with Playboy that the song is about “factories that were closed in the Rust Belt of the USA and … black male teenagers who are shot by police officers in Chicago.” I originally thought that this album would be fairly disappointing because of the band’s lack of politically charged content as of late, but the subtle digs at the current rise of racism and older issues, like the rust exposure from factories, prove that Green Day still has the capability to attack the issues that they deem necessary. Father of All… excites me for what else Green Day has up its sleeve. Since this album followed the group’s 2016 album Revolution Radio, I had much hope that Green Day could top their previous vapid tracks. To my delight, they produced many songs within this album that I will be sure to return to. Though I believe that the band isn’t using their political awareness to their full potential, Father of All… was a surprisingly well-crafted album that trumps many of Green Day’s past works.
1. Jesus of Suburbia - American Idiot This nine minute track consists of five separate stories narrated by American Idiot’s main character, Jesus of Suburbia. Seeming like a “Bohemian Rhapsody” type of tune that deserves the title of a cult classic, “Jesus of Suburbia” is an enchanting, wild ride that will keep fans screaming for the song’s entire duration. 2 . Wa r n i n g - Wa r n i n g Inside the often overlooked masterpiece Warning is its title track of the same name. Consisting of lyrics packed with cautionary signs, like “This is a public service announcement … Emergency evacuation protest” and “Caution: police line: you better not cross,” I personally believe that this is one of Green Day’s most creative and underrated songs. 3. Governator - American Idiot Written and sung by bass guitarist Mike Dirnt, “Governator” openly makes fun of bodybuilder-politician Arnold Schwarzenegger. The title is a fusion of the words “governor” and “Terminator,” alluding to Schwarzenegger’s popular film The Terminator. By mocking the actor’s most famous line “I’ll be back,” this American Idiot track fits right with its aggressive lyrics and angsty vocals. 4. East Jesus Nowhere - 21s t Ce nt ur y Bre a kdown Though Jesus is mentioned in the title, “East Jesus Nowhere” is actually not about praising his name. Lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong claims that the song is “a call-out against the hypocrisy of religion,” written after Mike Dirnt had requested an anti-religious song when he was re-
pulsed by the hatred of the church. “East Jesus Nowhere” earned its high place in the top five because of its daring lyrical content and its status as a power anthem. 5. Longview - Dookie Named after where it was first performed in Washington, “Longview” reigns
8. American Idiot - American Idiot As much as I didn’t want to include “American Idiot” to avoid only including the band’s most popular hits, it would be horrendously wrong to say that “American Idiot” wasn’t in the top 10 of Green Day’s discography. Boldly criticizing the United States during George W. Bush’s second term after his reelection, Armstrong had gotten the idea to write this 2004 smash hit when he heard a Lynyrd Skynyrd sing about how proud they were to be rednecks on their track “That’s How I Like It.” And thus, thanks to a group of hicks, one of Green Day’s most commercially successful singles was born. 9. Platypus (I Hate You) - Nimrod Many of the tracks on this list prove that Green Day is no stranger to writing hatred-filled lyrics directed toward those who have earned it, and “Platypus (I Hate You)” is no exception. After 924 Gilman Street founder Tim Yohannan gained popularity within Green Day’s fan base by constantly censuring and attacking the band’s “poppy” sound, the band wrote an insult-filled song wishing death upon Yohannan before his passing in 1998. 10. She Dook ie Based on a feminist poem that Armstrong’s ex-girlfriend had showed him, “She” is an anthem about women’s rights (or lack thereof ). The singer explained that after dropping out of high school, his then girlfriend would express her feelings of oppression and objectification to him. Thanks to one feminist, we have “She”!
Pandering to the new wave of pop music yet sticking to its punk roots, Green Day’s new album makes for a sufficient addition to the band’s discography.
by Aspen Oblewski
33 years, 13 albums create 10 essential Green Day tunes and hopes for the downfall of the “moral majority.” I believe that this song is a wonderful addition to Green Day’s discography, considering the amount of backlash they have received in the past for their sound; “Minority” seemed to be a very experimental tune in Green Day’s
photo from Green Day Facebook page as one of Green Day’s most popular and memorable tracks. Providing a slow, dopey beat to match its hazy lyrics about drugs and constant self-gratification, “Longview” sets the mood on the band’s emblematic Dookie. 6 . M i nor it y - Wa rni ng Another song off the very underestimated Warning album, “Minority” is about wanting to be unique. Armstrong yearns to be “Unsung against the mold”
career, and it is one that obviously paid off. 7. H i t c h i n’ a R i d e - N i m r o d This Nimrod classic includes the story of an alcoholic attempting to stay sober, packed with figurative language that make the song that much more incredible. Including a violin solo from That Dog’s Petra Haden, and an infectious bassline throughout the song, “Hitchin’ a Ride” is one of Green Day’s most iconic tracks.
by Aspen Oblewski
Entertainment
Volume 116, Issue 5
13
February 24, 2020
Strength of Byleth fails to overcome sluggish game play Super Smash Bros Ultimate has just concluded its first wave of Downloadable Content: The Fighter’s Pass 1, where Nintendo unleashed intriguing new characters from other franchises to the game after its initial release. Throughout the past year, Nintendo fans have waited for each installment with baited breath, hoping to see their favorite character receive the iconic envelope. The Fighter’s Pass 1 includes all 5 Downloadable Content (DLC) fighters, sold together for $24.99. Alternatively, players could purchase each character individually for $5.99. Each character but the last has been a representative from another gaming company, introducing interesting mechanics and new ways to play the game. They’ve all been relatively well-received, but none were more divisive than the most recent addition: Byleth. Byleth is the main character of Fire Emblem: Three Houses, the most recent release in Nintendo’s sword fighting strategy series. Byleth can be played as either male or female, both in Three Houses and Smash. That game also features the four legendary weapons which Byleth wields in Smash. These weapons, Failnaught, Areadbhar, Aymr, and the Sword of the Creator, are Byleth’s tools for knocking opponents around in Super Smash Bros Ultimate. Byleth has the potential to be a great close range fighter with their powerful moves, but could alternatively be played as a long distance projectile fighter like previous characters, Samus and Pit. Byleth’s moveset is largely focused on keeping opponents as far away as possible. An individual’s play style could be a key point as to whether the character is considered top tier or bottom tier. It also seems like not
very many professional gamers think the considering their special attacks, including character is very good, which could mean an Up-B. Byleth’s Up-B is the Sword of the they won’t take much time trying to learn Creator, a tether recovery that grabs onto their moves and combos, becoming easily enemies and does decent damage. It can lost in their memories. However, if they do set up for aerial combos at low percent, and invest time in learning Byleth’s combos, is a great recovery overall. The Down-B it’s not impossible that someone will find is the battleaxe Aymr, a beefy downward something which increases interest in the slice that also hits above Byleth and has character. So what makes this character heavy armor near the end of the move. This tick? First, let’s discuss Byleth’s strengths. move breaks full shields and it unleashed Range is one of Byleth’s greatest as- an incredible knockback, being known to sets. Their kill heavyweight special f ighters, which and smash is a difficult feat. attacks The move takes hit f rom a while to come ridiculous out, but can d ist a nc e s definitely catch and in big the opponent arcs. This, slipping up, and combined is a g reat k ill with the option for shield strength breaks. Lots photo from Super Smash Bros. Facebook page of t hese of S mash fa ns attacks, makes the character pretty scary. that weren’t very pleased with Byleth’s Byleth also has one of the slowest but stron- entry were relieved when they discovered gest down-air spikes in the game, which that Byleth did not have a counter as a can spike at zero percent and does decent Down-B like the other Fire Emblem fightdamage itself. Their Up-B also spikes if ers so far (with the exception of Robin). their opponent is at a high enough percent, All of these moves combine to give and can reverse advantage if the enemy Byleth a strong advantage state. That is trying to edgeguard Byleth. Byleth’s means that when Byleth is winning, they recovery is excellent. Not only can it be keep winning, and it’s hard to turn the used multiple times, Sword of the Cre- match around on them. This is mostly due ator can also grab opponents and launch to their powerful attacks and long range. them downward, turning an opponent’s Byleth is also decent at ledge guarding edgeguard attempt into your free kill. The with Side-B, and Up-B can catch your opmove can even be used again afterward. ponent if they recover predictably, sendOne of the most important features ing them back offstage. With all of those of any character is their moveset. Byleth strengths, how could anyone consider has a particularly unique one, especially Byleth a low-tier? Well, Smash Bros is
about more than simply throwing strong attacks around. So what holds Byleth back? In a word: mobility. Byleth is very slow, almost as slow as Ganondorf - one of the most popular heavy characters. They have very little air speed, and some of their moves come out too slow in the opinion of professional Smash players. For all of Byleth’s power, they move like molasses, and their attacks are very easy to avoid with a faster character. It seems like such a simple weakness, but slow characters really struggle in competitive Smash Bros. and a lot of the toptier characters are the fastest in the game. What does all of this mean? Well, if you’re a competitive Smash Bros. player, Byleth doesn’t seem to be a great option for a character to play as within the game. But don’t let that discourage you! There’s a big difference between a professional Smash tournament and a group of friends battling it out on the couch. If you’re a Fire Emblem fan, a Ganondorf main, or just looking for something new, Byleth is certainly a viable option. Although a new Smash character may seem appealing to fans, Byelth lacks the speed necessary for a competitive player.
by J. Bowers and B. Kopper
Circles ties in swim mingly with past albu ms When Warner Brothers, the label of ly known throughout the music industry the late Pittsburgh musician Mac Miller. with aiding artists in production. He helped released his record, Circles, on January 17, produce critically acclaimed projects such fans were satisfied with the new project, as, Kanye West’s Graduation, Beyonce’s and multiple Lemonsongs reached ade, and the Billboard K a t y Top 100. The Pe r r y’s album was Teenage announced Dream . b y M i l l e r ’s Along family, a year w i t h after his death, these with the fampopular ily posting to projects, his Instagram Brion st ati ng, “We promsimply know it ised to was important dedicate to Malcolm for his time the world to to comhear it.” Unforplet e t u nately, the Miller’s rapper’s death unfinwas caused by ished a n ove r d o s e creation of fe n t a n yl , o f photo from Mac Miller Facebook page C i r cle s cocaine, and a l c o h ol . to bring Miller dealt with substance abuse for h i s m a s s i v e a u d i e n c e p e a c e the majority of his music career, elabo- o f m i n d a f t e r h i s d e a t h . rating on his addictive habits in multiple The debut single, “Good News” was different projects and through countless released days before the completed alinterviews with many online outlets. De- bum and continues to be one of the most spite this, the young musician’s death hit played songs on Circles. Overall, the track the rap community as a surprise, partly is underwhelming compared to the other due to the success of his record Swimming. songs on the record. Its sound is created The construction for this newly re- with an acoustic guitar, slow drums, and leased project Circles started before Mill- Miller’s sleepy vocals, and is similar to er’s passing, with the intention of it becom- an everyday, basic, lofi hip-hop track. ing a companion album to Swimming. Jon The track mimics the theme of SwimBrion, the producer of Swimming, also took ming, both complementing each other as the reins to work on Circles, and is famous- Miller intended, maintaining the artist’s
peculiar optimism during trying times. Another fan favorite sustaining the highly produced and upbeat track is “Blue World”. The track samples a 1955 jazz song, “It’s a Blue World,” by the vocal quartet Four Freshmen. The song breaks the audience from a seemingly melancholy album, sporting carefree vibes that fans often spot in his earlier work, such as his platinum track “Donald Trump.” Both “Blue World” and “Donald Trump” function with the sole purpose of focusing on the enjoyment of the audience while simultaneously breaking from the artists’ heavy topics. Miller’s vision of Swimming in Circles is best encapsulated in the record’s opening track, “Circles.” The song contains lyrics like “I just end up right at the start of line / Drawing circles,” that complement Swimming in subtle callbacks. In the track “So It Goes” off of Swimming Miller raps, “Just like a circle, I go back where I’m from,” mirroring the ideas within the 2020 record. Fans obviously have great adoration for Miller’s connection between both albums, and critics continue to be astonished by his brilliance.
Although Mac Miller is no longer alive to view the accomplishments he achieved with his new piece, his legacy will live on with his smooth jazzy tunes and joyous raps. Throughout Circles we see the young immature rapper grow into a sophisticated musician, producing individualistic sounds that function as his personal self-discovery. The album brings many fans closure from his unexpected death, almost as if Miller himself is sending a message of contentment since his passing. Mac Miller's posthumous record, Circles, allows fans to enjoy their favorite artist's presence through music that pairs past tracks perfectly.
by Trista Fleck
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February 24, 2020
Volume 116, Issue 5
Features
Artists cast vision of future on canvas of today
From portraits to abstract art to water- tember so that they could ensure enough color, artists express their ideas in many time to fully develop their art. Senior different mediums. On January 23, a select Averi Roloff wanted to participate in this few artists at West displayed their work at event after winning last year, so that she the Wisconsin Arts Exhibitions and Awards could represent her school and express state event: seniors Kalia Lor and Averi her own interpretation of the prompt. Roloff, sophomore Bryce Singstock, and ju“My goal was to portray Oshkosh nior Abe Weston all shared their creativity. West in a good light,” she said. “We have Art Department Chair Linda Gef- a lot of fantastic artists and it’s an honor fers felt t h is yea r’s prompt proved to be chosen as one of them to represent t o b e c h a l l e n g i n g f o r s t u d e n t s . West, especially two years in a row.” “ T he s t u d e nt s The idea to participate are given a prompt in the art show was brought that the work is supup by School Board Presiposed to reflect: ‘how dent Barbara Herzog last you expand the vision year, and after seeing sucto live life to the fullcess, the art department est and what is the decided to throw their hat impact on others?’” in the ring a second time. Geffers said. “They “We did it again this were told to let their year and we had another c r e a t iv it y sh i n e.” two students place,” GefDespite her fers said. “Our statistics ef for ts to foster are pretty good; out of 20, s t u d e n t s’ a r t i s t i c we’ve gotten four awards creativit y, Geffers so that’s why I’ve done the found that the prompt show again even though given seemed to stifle it requires a lot and it’s creativity by creating due in early November.” a na r row m i nd set The preparation for in her st udents. the show begins early, as photo by Isabelle Cartwright “Sometimes I Geffers mentioned. This Illustrating a future vision of herself, senior just wish we didn’t year, Roloff ’s thought Averi Roloff created a self-portrait. The h a v e t h e p r o m p t artists were judged based on their interest, process for addressing because I thin k it clarity, expression, and originality, along the prompt began with cou ld stomp t hei r with their use of materials. envisioning her future. creativity,” she said. “My original idea was “I almost feel like I don’t want to tell drawing one of my senior pictures because them the prompt next year because in the future I see myself looking back at I’d love to just see what happens.” this and thinking about who I was and seeAfter receiving the challenge, students ing who I will have become then,” she said. began their pieces right away in SepAfter the art students received the
prompt, they all interpreted it differently, “I would tell young artists to just go due to their own unique styles. As a se- for it,” she said. “In doing art you will nior ar t st udent, never k now what will Kalia Lor was happen so I would say, excited to place be creative, be you, and in the competition push for ward because because her inspiit will be a lot of fun.” ration for the piece Roloff was honored hit close to home. to have her art in this “ T h e lo t u s competition, and thanks f lower represents the teachers that mentored some of my culture her during her high school because even when career. She is increasthe lot us roots ingly proud to be called are in the dirtiest a st udent f rom West, waters, they still and hopes that the arts photo by Linda Geffers bloom into beauticontinue to gain funding ful f lowers,” Lor Junior Abe Weston and senior Kalia Lor proudly just as the other extracurdisplay their pieces, which they have been said. “At the time ricular activities have. working on since early September. One of the I t houg ht ab out requirements within the art show guidelines “We have a fantastic and did the piece was a short description of how the pieces art program and it’s imporI was i n a d a rk related to the prompt. tant that it is shown along place and I saw with other things, such as my f ut u re as ver y mugg y, because sports, because programs like that get cut I am going to be graduating soon, and a lot,” she said. “So it’s important even for there are a lot of paths I can take.” other schools to be able to have their art Lor is very thankful for the plethora shown in a place that’s notable and credible.” of art classes offered at West, along with Though Geffers was proud of her the encouraging teachers that teach them. students’ pieces, she was not able to at“I like that I can express myself through tend the event because it was held during a ton of mediums whether it be painting, school hours. She had no doubt, considerdrawing, or photography,” she said. “There ing last year’s results, that her students are just a lot of things you can do with art would do well in the state event, which and take that with you as you grow older. prompted her to encourage her budI really like how there are classes that can ding artists to participate once again. be provided by just expressing yourself.” “My hope was that students just Because of her experiences in the art have fun making art and if their piece programs at West, Lor plans on attending an wins, it wins,” she said of the Wildart school after graduation. She hopes that cat compet itor s. “I’m proud of all upcoming artists will pursue more opportu- four of them for the work they put in.” nities to display their work, as they continby A. Eaton and K. Ambati ue to experiment with different mediums.
News headlines are ever changing, many prominent figures spoke about the policies are being revised and big deci- cause they were all gathered there for. “First we went to the rally where Trump sions are being made every day in the spoke and there were other speakers, and United States at the national level. So then we went to the starting point where we what can teenagers, who sometimes feel stood for a few hours,” Young said. “Once helpless, do to advocate for what they bethe walk started we walked past Capital Hill lieve in? On January 24, the March for and then met up at a church afterwards.” Life was held in Washington D.C., and S p a d y r e members how the two Wildcats made the journey to attend. st reets were f illed with people who Ju n ior Jocely n Spa dy at t e nded wa nted t hei r message to be hea rd , t o s u p p o r t t h e m a r c h’s m i s s i o n . but not only by those around them. “The March for Life is a pro-life march “There were thousands and thousands in support of ending abortion as well as ending euthanasia; the main theme of it of people there, and we marched down one of the main streets is suppor ting and there were posters, life and keepp e ople ch a nt i ng a nd ing it sacred shouting, and there was f rom womb to a lot of praying as well; it tomb,” she said. was really cool,” she said. Spady and Those who went to sophomore the March for Life found Brianna Young, the at mosphere to be who wa s also welcoming, mixed with a able to attend, shared sense of purpose. appreciated this “I just felt immersed opportunity in love and kindness and to show others photo courtesy of Jocelyn Spady there wasn’t any judgt he dif ference Spady and Young huddle together, excited to attend ment for people who even one pe rthe events during the March for Life at Washington had abortions, it was all son can make. D.C. The girls traveled with the St. Raphael Parish to save lives that was “Sometimes and both expressed their desire to go on this trip the main purpose, saving I feel like there again next year. lives, not to shame anyis not much one or make anyone feel bad,” Spady said. that can be done as a teenager, but goAnother aspect of the trip included ing to this march allowed me to stand praying outside the Planned Parenthood up for what I believe in a peaceful way, building in Washington D.C, which was without causing any problems,” she said. the highlight of the march for Spady. The girls went with St. Raphael’s “It was very peaceful, we were Parish and the journey to the capital took n o t l o u d , w e w e r e n o t p r o t estaround 20 hours by bus. Once the group ing, we were just praying,” she said. reached D.C., they attended events where
Among the messages that these two and educated on our beliefs and know girls and their group were able to spread, what we want to vote for, so when the they learned a lot about abortion itself, time comes we will be able to,” she said. developing their conceptions on the topic. However, as much as the girls realize “During the march, they showed pictures it is important to be confident in what one on the big screen of aborted babies and believes, accepting and respecting others stuff like is also a huge that, and part of what I guess they stand for. I d i d n’ t “The underrealize lying purpose how truly of the pro-life awf ul it movement is was until about life and I saw the lov i n g o t h pictures,” e r s,” Spa dy Yo u n g said. “So if s a i d . you a re not photo courtesy of Jocelyn Spady T h e Thousands of Americans come together on the streets of D.C. for the March l o v i n g a n d m a i n for Life and proudly hold their banner for all to see. During the trip, junior accepting othtakeaway Jocelyn Spady and sophomore Brianna Young had the opportunity to visit ers’ beliefs, for Young, many places around the capitol and advocate for the pro-life movement. that’s totally h o w demolishever, was the lesson that advocating ing the actual purpose of the movement.” for what one believes in is vital, and Bringing it back to the local atmosphere, eve r yone’s voice shou ld be he a rd . Spady hopes that the school environment “I really think that it’s important that will not become one where beliefs and you speak out about what you are passion- opinions are thrown at each other. Instead, ate about whether its if you’re pro-life, it should be a place where young adults feel pro-choice, whether it’s LGBTQ rights; comfortable sharing their stands on topics, it’s really about speaking out about what and where students can feel valued for you’re passionate about so that you can both their beliefs as well as their choices. make a difference in the world,” she said. “I think especially here at West, it’s reAnother reason why Young wanted ally important that we respect each other’s to attend the March for Life was to prove beliefs even if you don’t agree with othto older generations that teenagers are ers,” she said of what she learned in her able to intelligently voice their opinions experience at the March. “We all need to as well as be informed on specific topics. try to be respectful of the beliefs of oth“I feel like since we are the genera- ers and realize they have feelings too.” tion that is going to be voting soon, it’s by A. Eaton and K. Ambati really important that we become aware
Students take up chance to march for a purpose
Features
Volume 116, Issue 5
15
February 24, 2020
Pickles dissected in name of science Free food fuels student brains
With the scheduling conundr um over, and the excitement of a new semester winding down, students have had time to reflect on the classes that they’ve completed over their high school careers. One that stands out to many, especially to seniors who will be leaving West in a matter of months, is anatomy and physiology, taught by science teacher Kim Hoyle. “Anatomy and physiology covers all the structures of the body and how they function together,” Hoyle said. “Our course here at West has a bigger focus on the actual structure part, and just because of time we don’t get too into the physiology aspect, so it’s a lot of memorization.” Although lear ning about the human body can be interesting for almost everyone, it can be fairly difficult, so the class is perfect for students looking for a course to challenge their thinking. “It’s a lot of information to cover in one semester, so typically it’s a lot of motivated students who aren’t afraid to put in the time and effort, in class and outside of class, and usually kids that are going to take more advanced medical related classes later on,” Hoyle said. Senior Leah Engstrom is such a student, taking the class in anticipation of a rigorous course to help p r e p a r e h e r fo r the challenges secondary education would br ing. “I took anatomy and physiolog y because I want to go f ur ther in biology for my future education, because I plan to go to medical school right now,” she said.“I wanted sor t of an int roduction and a brief overview to the human body, so that I had some background knowledge before college.” Even though the class contains thorough and exhaustive coursework, Hoyle still wanted to remind students that you can have f u n while lear ning about certain topics within science. “I cut out a couple of units that other teachers had done in the past that I know are covered a lot in UW Biology,” she said. “I thought ‘okay, we’re not gonna make them learn it again’, since many of my students have also taken UW Bio. So I decided to add in some more fun, kind of interesting things to get started in that extra space that I had.” In lieu of these topics that Hoyle withdrew from her teaching came fun labs that used the information learned in class. Students were able to participate in blood typing activities, were able to dissect cats, create fake wounds with household supplies, and even perform an autopsy on a pickle. “I created little pickle people under the premise of a gang war in the fridge between the Claussens and Vlasics, which are two brands of pickles,” she said. “There’s various pickle ‘deaths’ that happened, so each pickle has a different ‘cause of death.’ The kids have to cut them open and figure out what that is, describe all their features and injuries that may or may not have been fatal, and then put it all together in a report.” Not only were the pickles a unique way to introduce the class and some specific topics, but they also served an important
part in the students classroom curriculum. dom to balance it is important, cause I don’t “Even on people, autopsies are the really necessarily know what their other course load m a i n r e a l-world i s l i k e ,” application of the she said. “I directional termijust try and nolog y we lea r n make sure right at the beginstudents ning of the semeshave ti me ter,” Hoyle said. to work “I thought it was on t h i ng s a great way to get in class, some practice and checking in give kids an opporon what’s tunity to work with g o i n g the terminology we to work learned in class, it’s with their somethi ng that’s schedules, fun and easy. It also and trying introduces the disto be consection tools that s c i o u s of we use later on.” how much Not only did time we the instructor photo by Aspen Oblewski have overrecognize the eduNumerous pickles lie “dead” on dissection mats, ready for students cational benefits of to decipher the cause of the fatalities using the skills they learned in all for the the activity, but so class. This lab was one part of Kim Hoyle’s goal to make anatomy s e m e s t e r, while still did the st udents. and physiology more enjoyable and hands-on for students. making “I thought sure they can be interested in the class.” the pickles were a good way to start The enthusiasm that comes along off the class,” Engstrom said. “It sort with some students is one of Hoyle’s of sets the tone as a fun place to learn, while showing that we still need to main purposes in not only creating fun know the content pretty well.” labs, but also teaching as a profession. “I wanted to get kids excited about the O n t o p of t h e pick le s , same things that excited me as a student, Hoyle has also structured the and I enjoy working with young people class to give students a more and seeing them grow,” she said. “As diflaid back approach to lear nficult as teaching can be, it’s so rewarding ing about the human body. when you see kids get excited about the “I think everybody has activities that you put a lot of work into.” an interest in the human body Hoyle’s direction seemingly paid off, as and how it works and operates, so students left the class with a greater grasp there’s just so much you can do,” she said. on the topic they came in to learn, partially “Keeping it within the semester-long time r e - straint, I was trying to just add in due to the firsthand activities and labs. “T he a mou nt of f u n t h i ngs some more activities, and not Hoyle did make the class easier and so much direct instrucalso helped my comprehension, betion and memorization.” c a u s e t h e y g ave you ex a m ple s of Lily Balthazor, a sereal-world situations,” Engstrom said. nior also intending to purBalthazor agreed that despite the sue a career in medicine, course load, the good that came along recognized the enjoyable aswith the class outweighed the stress. pects of the anatomy and physiology class. “I learned a lot more than I was ex“We had hybrid days, which were really pecting to in a high school anatomy and nice and gave you some time to study when physiology class, mainly because it was so you needed it,” she said. “Mrs. Hoyle also hands on,” she said. “It was probably one of did fun things like every week like ‘Myth my more difficult classes but it was also the or Medical Monday’ and ‘What The Friday’ most fun where a n d we talkinterested about i n g .” interThe esting class left medical a lasting cases i mprest h a t s i o n always on its lead the students class a n d into a created f u n , f riendsomesh ips w h a t a n d sidebonds t racked photo by Kailey Freund between discusSeniors Lily Balthazor and Kailey Freund hold up their pickle, which anatomy and ever ysion. physiology teacher Kim Hoyle made to help the students learn about autopsies But we and get them to think about the subject in a new way. One semester long, the class one involved. s t i l l features a balance of lectures, notes, and labs. “It a lw ay s g o t lea r ned somet h i ng m i nd blow i ng.” pretty stressful at times, but Mrs. Hoyle Besides adding these changes to integrate a different learning style and and all of my classmates were super helpmake things more lighthearted, Hoyle ful when it came to studying,” Balthazor also thinks they helped manage the stress said. “Everyone was so close and fun in that’s paired with a tough course like this. the class, and I think we all developed “I know what the workload of the class good relationships with each other.” by Kailey Freund is like, so trying to give students the free-
Are you hungry? Help yourself! Signs with these words have been spread around West the past few months and students have excitedly taken advantage of the treats laid out underneath them. However, many, like junior Ava Artus, were not sure where these snacks were being brought from and who provided them. “It was kind of like a mystery to me and some of my other friends at first, and we have no idea where the food all comes from,” Artus said. “One time I saw there were a bunch of lunchables out and it was cool that someone did that, but I don’t think many students know where it’s all coming from.” Behind this secretive project is social worker Courtney Wagner, who is able to provide an answer for students and staff. “The food comes f rom the Oshkosh Community Food Pantry,” Wagner said. “And this year they reached out to the high schools too, because they started a new program at their agency.” The story behind this project started when Wagner was given boxes full of snacks and wanted to give them out to the kids who maybe could not afford bringing snacks from home. But after experimenting with this idea, she found it simpler to leave the food out, and students could grab the food when they needed it. “I wanted to make it normal and natural for all students, of any economic status and background, to have access to a snack if you are hungry and don’t have the money to go spend,” she said. One of the locations of the food carts has been by door 24, and secretary Sue Bruski, consequently, has been able to get involved and share what she thinks of the idea. “For me, it’s just a way for kids to pick up food, eat it right away and go on,” Bruski said. “If they weren’t feeling well in the morning and they didn’t eat, then when they are starting to feel better, they can grab something to eat.” Mary Poklanski, the secretary by door 38, noticed that putting the snacks in some of West’s central and busiest hallways makes it easy for students to quickly fill their stomachs while they rush to their next class. “Teenagers get hungry and sometimes they don’t have time to add a snack to their lunch or some of them don’t even have lunch,” she said. “I think it’s nice to be able to walk past different areas of the school and grab a snack if you need one.” Wagner’s primary reason for starting this idea was because of the mental benefits reaped from having a full stomach. “We know that when students are eating, they’re able to function, concentrate, and make it through the day better,” she said. Every time the food is put out for students, Artus notices that it quickly gets taken by fellow students, and the new venture has seen great success. “All the people who take the food really like it and it’s become a big surprise to see every morning what food is going to be out this time,” she said. Initially, it was a sur prise to see that students were picking up the fruits too, but overall, staff are glad that West began this new venture and are proud of what it shows about the student body. “I’m just glad that we can give the st udents the oppor t u nit y with some healthy choices, and I’m happy that students are taking advantage of it,” Bruski said. “The kids are so polite and nice about it, and ever ybody’s thankf ul.”
by Keerthana Ambati
16
February 24, 2020
Features
Volume 116, Issue 5
Snowblast offers frigid diversion to winter doldrums TEAM HEIGHT
LOG SAW
BOWLING
photo by Isabelle Cartwright Sophomore Courtney Carpenter gives it her all as she rolls the bowling ball in the parkling lot of West for day two of Snowblast week. All teams were made up of five girls and five boys; some got extra points if a teacher participated with them. photo by Isabelle Cartwright Junior Aidan Berndt waves as he and his team lie on the gym floor to measure the group’s cumulative height. The Snowblast week kicked off on February 3 as groups spent each W-hour participating in various activities.
SLEDDING
photo by Isabelle Cartwright Team #7 excitedly awaits its trip down Garbage Hill on the last day of Snowblast. For this finale event, groups had to make their own sled and were encouraged to get creative in materials and design.
photo by Trinity Funnell Wildcats huddle outside and watch as seniors Kardo Ali and Aidan Salzer work together to saw a log (preferably without losing a finger). For some events, only a few students had to participate at a time, but others got the whole group involved.
GANG SPORT
S N ❆ W B L A S T
SACK RACE
photo by Isabelle Cartwright Pairs of students line up in the snow outside West, ready to take off for the three-legged sack race. The week included a good balance of events inside and out, and on the last day of Snowblast, staff had made hot chocolate to warm up the cold participants after the sled race.
photo by Isabelle Cartwright Tied together as a team, seniors Ben Rogers, Anna Zimmerman, and Kylie Helm make a free throw while trying hard not to fall over. The main gym hosted many of the fun activities during the week.
TEAM WAISTLINE
photo by Isabelle Cartwright Mrs. Bailey helps measure team 31’s waistline as they huddle together and raise their hands high. The week’s fun ended with a winter dance on Saturday, February 8.