Issue 1 2017-2018

The Oshkosh West

“Your source for Wildcat news”

IND E X Hogwarts casts spells over Homecoming www.oshkoshwestindex.org

Volume 114, Issue 1

September 29, 2017

This Issue:

2

OPINION

Latest speech provides yet another step down the rabbit hole of absurdity for Trump

page 2 NEWS

3-5

Practice proves perfect as bomb threat evacuation runs smoothly

page 4 SPORTS

6-7

Wildcats ready for the playoff hunt as momentum builds

page 6 8-9

SPREAD

Community digs beneath the surface to beautify schools

pages 8-9 10-11

COMMUNITY

Humane Society makes great financial strides through “Walk for the Animals”

page 11

ENTERTAINMENT

12-14

Fashion Week slays the New York City Runways

page 12 FEATURES

15-16

Students prove traveling abroad is their cup of tea with London trip

page 16

Scan to visit the new and improved Index website www.oshkoshwestindex.org

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“The choir department deThe commotion of the new victor ious enjoyed the t i me his fellow teachers there to enschool year was quickly pushed spent with their classmates. tertain him as he dangled from cided that we were going to do “I really like being involved,” the wall, but the events of the pep Potter Puppet Pals,” sophomore a side by t he excit e me nt of Grant Horton said.

West’s homecoming week. Not sophomore Sitota Troedel said. “ We a l l picke d only were Harr y Potter fans “I felt kind of sad because we our parts, dressed ecstatic, but the student body lost t he cont est , [alt houg h] up as Hog war ts was enthusiastic to extend the I did n’t really care because cha r a ct e r s, a nd fun of the summer and gather we were so into the game.”

The st udent involvement sang ou r lit tle together for a variety of activities. hearts out. We got “I thought it was a great during this homecoming week f i rst place with theme because there were so many did not stop with the conclusion only having one different angles that you could of the activities, and the school day to practice at take it,” Principal Erin Kohl said. spirit continued with the pep rally.

“The pep rally was a great lunch. We thought The efforts of West’s Student it would be a lot Government and administration way for the st udent body to more diff icult produced a compelling week come together and celebrate bethan it ended up that reached all grade levels. ing Wildcats,” Kohl said. “It’s From hallway decorating to the a g reat way to boost school photo by Ashlyn Casey being, so seeing it all work out in Three sophomores tap into their creativity to decorate pep rally, the homecoming game spirit and get kids connected.” their hall in the hopes of emerging victorious in this year’s the end was reAs a way to get the student to the dance, there was much to homecoming hallway decorating competition. In keeping ally refreshing.” prepare for in this year’s lineup body involved in suppor ting with the Harry Potter theme, sophomores were given the D u r i ng t h is of events. Luckily, Student Gov- a cause, Student Government house Ravenclaw to inspire their hallway decor. on. eventf ul week ernment was there to help plan. spent time collecting money to a t We s t , t h e “I was the head leader of support the victims of recent hurorganizing everything that was ricane catastrophes. As students rally were enough to keep anyone f loats were not the only things going on, making sure everything pulled out their wallets, they entertained. Although full of new being decorated. Every year at and exciting events, pep rally the begi n ni ng of homecomwe n t s m o o t h l y,” traditions continued as the ing week, each grade is given senior and Student dance team and varsity foot- the opportunity to decorate the Government Presiball players joined to perform hallways of their wing accorddent Cassie Laibly their annual hip-hop routine. ing to the designated theme. s a id . “ I h a d t he “We don’t get to per“I’m a huge Ha r r y Potmain role of Tape a form hip-hop for anything ter fan so I brought the ideas of Teacher, and my job else,” senior Lauren Grill what we should do for the spewas getting the word said. “So it was really fun ciic hallways and laying it out,” out to st udent s.” t o b e able t o do t h at.” Laibly said. “They turned to me Adding new As the activities con- to explain things, but everyone oppor t u nities for cluded and the school day contributed supplies. It was really par ticipation, the was coming to an end, the exciting to win because it was school seemed to homecoming court was an- a fun way to start senior year.” bubble with excitenounced. Ben Willeford and Another incredible homement comparable photo by Ashlyn Casey to Hogwarts. The English teacher Brett Hartman contemplates his decisions as he is Lauren Grill were crowned c o m i n g w i n w a s t h e fo othomecoming king and queen. ball ga me on Fr id ay n ig ht. s c h o ol p r e p a r e d duct taped to the wall by fellow teachers and Student Government “We didn’t think we were A la rge crowd gathered for w i t h a h a l l w a y members. He suffered for a good cause, as every piece of tape going to win, so when we did a n e xc e l l e n t p e r fo r m a n c e . decorating extrava- represented a dollar donated to help hurricane victims. it was surprising,” Grill said.

“We haven’t won a homeganza, and the fun The members of the home- com i ng ga me i n forever, it continued with dress up themes were given the choice to choose and activities throughout the day. a staff member to tape to the coming cour t enjoyed riding was a really good feeli ng,” “It was really our goal to add wall of the gym. In the end, Eng- in the back of the trucks that junior Aidan Zeimet said. “We more events,” Kohl said. “We add- lish teacher Brett Hartman was escorted them through the pa- wanted to win it so bad, and ed lunchtime events; we wanted chosen to be taped to the wall. rade, and students like senior everyone played really well.”

“I thought it was a lot of Bronwyn Wolbers enjoyed repThe team felt the added presto create more opportunities with the loat building and Triwizard teachers so I didn’t think my resenting their clubs through sure of the special week as they played. For these Tournament to try to get more odds of being football playkids involved in participating. We chosen were ers, losing was also added evening events which t h a t h i g h ,” not a n opt ion . we’ve really never had before.” Hartman said.

Though “There were As the activities commenced, a lot more people grades came together to compete Hartman was there paying against each other. One of the main wear y about more at t ent ion events was the signature men’s wi n n i ng, he to whether or not volleyball competition in which endu red t he you play good, the seniors emerged victorious. a n n o y a n c e and if you win “I was pretty excited be- of the stuffy or lose,” Zeimet cause we don’t have a boys g y m a n d photo by Ashlyn Casey said. “It’s a homevolleyball team here,” senior s t i c k y t a p e coming game so L au k a se n L o s a id . “ It wa s for the good The girls of the junior and senior classes compete against each other for the championship in the annual Homecoming powder puff football competition. Destroying the seniors’ previous people [will] repretty exciting playing with my of the student victory streak, the juniors came out as this year’s champions. member it more.” friends against the other grades.” body as well The pressure While many students were a s i n s u p primed for the idea of compet- p o r t of hu r r ic a n e v ic t i m s . the decorations of their f loats. was no match for the Wildcats as “[Being taped to the wall] “It’s become a club tradi- they beat the Kaukauna Ghosts 43ing, some students were less than thrilled about the idea and had to was weird and very hot. I had tion to do a homecoming loat,” 20, giving the West student body be coerced. However, in the end, to wear layers to cover up so Wolbers said. “Each year we work a wonderful finale to the week.

“It’s such a fun time for those who did participate found skin or hair wouldn’t get ripped really hard on making it the best the experience to be exceptional. off,” Hartman said. “It took a we can; it took a lot of time and kids to come together and be to“Mr. Peterson forced us to very long time to get all of the effort to put our loat together.” gether,” Laibly said. “You may In true homecoming fashion, not know them if they’re not in join, he came to our table and said tape on to keep me up,” he said. that four of us had to do [the com- “Sitting through the entire pep the parade was a competition to your classes but it brings the petition],” junior Adam Panske rally was long, but Mr. Scott see who could create the best whole school together - that’s said. “I had the time of my life.” came over and threw cheese balls loat. After the judges cast their one of the best things about it.”

A s t h e g a m e s a n d a c - at me, and I tried to catch them votes, the choir department took

by C. Chandler and t iv it ies concluded , st udent s in my mouth to pass the time.” home the win with their take on A. Wojahn Not only did Hartman have a loat with a Harry Potter theme. who found themselves less than

2 September 29, 2017

Opinion

Volume 114, Issue 1

Ten second editorials...

Thumbs up How do you feel about this year’s homecoming?

“The games during homecoming week and the pep rally were fun.”

-Jacob Schneider, freshman

“The people wanna dance, if you know what I mean.”

-Morgan Gehri, sophomore

... To the football team for winning consecutive games and giving us playoff fever. ... To administration for attempting to clean up our act. ... To T-Bell’s $5 boxes right now. That steak quesarito brings on major Mexican cravings despite Trump’s “wall.” ... To the staff and administration for handling the far too real bomb threat so well and moving 1700 students to safety. ... To an undefeated boys soccer team... 15th in the nation sounds pretty nice. ... To the homecoming shirt designs this year. Mr. Ryf made a shirt that will outlast one day! ... To Hartman getting taped to a wall for a great cause; a litle humiliation for the hurricane disaster relief. ... To senior hallway decorating, winning yet another year. ... To Mr. Wachholz’s new post as dean of Perry Tipler.

Good luck and goodbye to those extra special Wildcat Wednesdays. It will never be quite the same without you!

Spiral darkens:

Thumbs down ... To the constantly changing Trump Administration.

Can’t we have a little bit of consistency with our chaos? ... To lashlights and a new record for ‘most people to leave a high school dance early.’ ... To a new (and terrible) TSwizzle aka Taylor Swift. You dug yourself into this hole. ... To Kevin Durant’s Twitter messages. Apparently snakes disregard etiquette. ... To Aaron Rodgers’ mustache... It’s just not right, even for training camp. ... To the new Apple products. $1,000 for little to no advances. ... To the poor ventilation in this school. The A-wing is blessed to have such nice air conditioning. ... To life without last year’s seniors. Good luck wherever you are. ... To shorter classes. The three minutes are missed. ... To multiple hurricanes, earthquakes and wildfires; Mother Nature has a bone to pick with climate deniers.

The Oshkosh West

INDEX “Homecoming was buns.”

-Sean Bougie, junior

Oshkosh West High School 375 N. Eagle St. Established in 1903 Volume 114, Issue 1

General Advisor: Trent Scott

“The teachers should have told us about the grinding ban sooner because it ruined homecoming for the juniors and seniors.”

-Jenna Hansen, senior

“It was interesting.”

-Matthew Mauk , Social Studies Teacher

Managing Editors: Aliza Hitz Katie Landolt Editors: Kynda Alzoubi (Entertainment) Jack Buechel (Graphics) Ashlyn Casey (Photography) Victoria Chanez (News) Carly Chandler (Features) Jared Erdman (Business/Ads) Mikayla Heath (News) Shay Jerabek (Web) Caelyn Jischke (Web) Maia Kent (Sports) Jada Pieterick (Community) Amelia Reed (Production)

Daniel Seekings (Opinion) Maddy Smith (Community) Jess Trembly (Entertainment) Annabelle Wojahn (Features)

Writers: Nithya Ambati, Zade Alzoubi, Addison Barber, Natalie Jackson, Liz James, Akashraj Karthikeyan, Trinity LeFlore, Alyssa Menzel, Emma Olson,Grace Phillip, Ihsan Rizky, Natalie Roesch, Alison Voss Photographers: Addison Barber, Abigail Eaton, Hannah Olson, Amiliana Roa Mascot: Mulligan Non-Profit Organization Oshkosh Area Schools P.O. Box 3048 Oshkosh, WI 54902 September 29, 2017 Issue #1

The purpose of the Oshkosh West Index is to educate, inform, and entertain through eight publications each year. The paper will provide a forum for students’ ideas and opinions. All letters must be signed. Index editors reserve the right to edit all letters for reason of space, clarity, or libel. All letters express the opinion of their authors and not necessarily that of the Index staff. Drop off all letters in E25, direct them to www.oshkoshwestindex.org, or mail them to Index, Oshkosh West High School, 375 N. Eagle Street, Oshkosh WI 54902. Index accepts advertisements from businesses, faculty, or students, thus creating a market for saleable goods.

Trump rhetoric hits another low Our dear President Donald Trump spoke in Huntsville, Alabama earlier this month, hoping to get community members to elect Senator Luther Strange. However, he ended up drifting off subject a tad, possibly due to the fact that he’d only met Strange once, and therefore had a limited ield of discussion points. He tackled many different topics, including but not limited to: how tall Senator Strange is, the progress of the infamous “Wall,” Rocket Man, AKA Kim Jong Un, Russians, how much he enjoys red camera lights, and, most memorably, the proper reaction to kneeling football players.

After inexplicably calling Senator Strange “Big Luther,” Trump voiced his displeasure with the NFL players who kneel during the National Anthem, and discussed his belief that the situation should be handled by telling the owners to “get that son of a b**** off the ield right now, he’s ired. He’s ired!” While disagreeing with these players’ opinions is tolerable, if ill-advised, calling fellow Americans ‘sons of b****’ is probably not going to get him more votes at the next election, if he makes it that far.

Unsurprisingly, Trump’s disrespectful comment failed to address the fact that the players are kneeling in protest of social injustices, injustices for which Trump is in a uniquely advantageous situation to deal with. However, instead of taking the initiative to handle the issues, he elects to complain about the inconvenience caused to his personal enjoyment of the game.

In Trump’s continued ramblings about the intricacies of football, he elected to voice yet another uninformed comment concerning the recent actions of the NFL, saying they were “ruining the game” by implementing strict policies intended to prevent concussions. While these policies may have committed the oh-so-grievous sin of making the game less interesting for Trump, they also signify major progress concerning the safety of the sport. Were it not for his doughy lack of athleticism, one would wonder if he had also played football without a helmet.

These policies are invaluable, and not to be dismissed, seeing as NFL-caused concussions have created serious and lasting repercussions in players’ lives. Formidable conditions such as C.T.E., a form of severe brain injury, have been commonly found in a mulitidude of NFL players.

While the steps being taken to preserve the quality of life for some of America’s most beloved athletes may mean the game is less entertaining for Trump and those who share his opinion, with a little research he could understand why the NFL insists on the enforcement of concussion protocol.

It is frankly alarming that the President displays such blatant disregard for an issue as serious as this one, not even taking the time to understand the consequences affecting many American football players and their families.

This is just another on the long list of subjects that the president has misunderstood and subsequently disrespected. In the course of two hours on a stage in Alabama, Trump displayed his ignorance and disregard for a huge portion of the subjects he spoke of, resulting in an utterly useless and painful trainwreck of a speech.

by A. Casey and M. Kent

3

News

Volume 114, Issue 1

September 29, 2017

Badger State participants gain grasp of government Government and politics are two top- one of the highlights of their experiics of discussion that have been on the ence, Buechel’s favorite part of the prorise, especially after the last presidential gram had more to do with the people election. As students have reportedly been he encountered throughout the week. becoming more involved in the political “I met a lot of friends and it was a arena, politics are no longer conined to good chance to step out of my comadults. Badger State is an event created for for t z one, me et s ome new p e ople high school juniors, both boys and girls, and have fun while doing so,” he said. who have interest in government and Reed’s memories of her stay during the citizenship. The idea is that all week are of getting of the participants have become to learn about govcitizens of a fictional 51st state ernment with realwhich functions under State of world applications.

Wisconsin laws. This past year “Social studies three West juniors, Jack Buechel, courses in school Ky nd a A l zoubi a nd A melia are not my strongest Reed, were chosen to participate. classes, because I Alzoubi summarized the sometimes struggle prog ram i n her ow n words. to relate to the “Badger State is a week-long events I’m lear nprogram at University of Wisconing about through sin-Oshkosh about government a t extbook ,” she and politics,” she said. “There Photo courtesy of Kynda Alzoubi said. “But when you were city, county and state level are in a fast-paced, Senior Kynda Alzoubi meets with governments, and we got to run Governor Scott Walker during mock government, for off ice and propose mock Badger State. Participants at Badger t h e c o n n e c t i o n s bills, amongst other things.” State were educated on government become so real.”

The citizens elect oficials us- and politics at local and state levels.

Ever yday life ing standard procedures, includs k i l l s we r e a l s o ing campaigning for their desired ofice. improved by participating in this event.

“It was really f un to coordinate “The spontaneity of every speech that because politics is something that I had to give was a huge confidenceI’m really interested in,” Alzoubi said. booster,” Reed said. “I had to think of B e s i d e s m e e t i n g G o v e r n o r - things to say on a whim to convince people S c o t t Wa l ke r, A l z o u b i h a d m a ny that I was the best candidate, and I have other highlights throughout the week. no doubt that those skills will transfer to “I e njoye d m a n ag i ng t he ca m- other areas of my life such as class prepaigns of those running for state office sentations and job interviews,” she said. positions,” she said. “I myself ran for A mock government is similar to county ofice as district attorney and also situations that real politicians are a part wrote and proposed a party platform.” of. Social studies teacher Paul StellpAlthough the academic aspect was flug encourages this event for students.

“It’s a great lesson on how our demo- future: the best of the best,” she said. cratic republic is supposed to work,” he Alzoubi observed that there were said. “One learns irsthand just how dificult experiences at Badger State that she it is to legislate.” c ou ld not g a i n si m ply f r om Stellpf lug her education inside of school. ack nowledged “When you’re in high school, the specif ic asthe environment is a lot less compects of governpetitive,” she said. “This broadened ment students my horizons to meet others out there get to recreate. who are immensely successful.”

“Students As for future Badger State parlearn how to neticipants, Alzoubi had words of adgotiate on public vice for those who may be interested. policy issues “Social studies classes like AP and, most imGovernment and Politics and other portantly, how to AP courses prepare you well for an cooperate while experience such as this,” she said. compromising Reed encourages anyone with photo courtesy of Amelia Reed to get something Senior Amelia Reed poses next an interest in government or leaddone in the public to American Legion Auxiliary Girls ership to apply for the program sphere,” he said. Nation representative Grace Boyle. when the option becomes available.

R e e d This experience helped immerse “I hope to see the number of p r o m o t e s Reed into the workings of the United applicants from West grow, bet h i s o p p o r t u - States government. cause people don’t understand how nity, appreciating great of an experience Badger State t h e k n o w l e d g e s h e h a s g a i n e d . is,” she said. “The only way to get that kind “Politicians are the reason behind of real-world experience is to attend the our plowed roads in the winter and our conference, so I encourage anyone who is state parks opening in the summer,” she interested to apply. You won’t regret it.” said. “It’s so important to understand loAlong with the political knowledge cal and state government, because you gained during the weeklong stay, parwill someday be voting for the leaders ticipants also acquired an advanced level that make decisions for you on a smaller of competence in many areas of life. Alscale than federal representatives can.” zoubi picked up some tips on collaboration.

Fo r A l z o u bi , t h i s o p p o r t u n it y “It’s a great way to get involved in also gave her the chance to get to know the community,” she said of the event. herself bet ter and gain perspective. “Even if you don’t necessarily want “It was humbling because so many to go into politics, it still teaches you a of the girls there were well-achieved and lot about working with other people the type of people that you would look and how to react in certain situations.” up to. These are some of the people

by Alison Voss that you may be competing with in the

Global Academy seniors hit capstone year in style Being equipped with a global education for the future, as well as for the workforce, is knowledge strived for in the Academy of Global Studies. Whether in the irst or the fourth level, students at West taking part in this program make strides toward becoming more globally aware, thus preparing students for life beyond high school. After receiving a U.S. State Department International Research and Exchanges Fellowship to study Global Education, Spanish teacher Kathy Heinen continues to oversee and develop the program into its latest incarnation. Now consisting of four levels, students from all grades study along with their peers and are developing into global citizens along the way.

“Being that the goal of the American educational system is to prepare st udent s for life, t he Aca demy for Global Studies fits into that framework, because we ask our students to prepare for a shared global future,” Heinen said.

Heinen works with students who strive for a deeper understanding of the United States through the various studies presented in the cur riculum.

The main goal of the academy is to educate students with a global outlook.

“Teachers in the Academy present curriculum emphasizing deeper learning so that students irst understand how the world is changing and then work to improve our shared future,” Heinen said.

T hese st udents a re on t he pat h t o a ch ieve t hei r Global E ducat ion Ach ievement Cer t if icate. Aca demy I English teacher William Brydon says that it is deinitely a great thing to have.

“The advantage of having the Global

Education certificate is to physically show future employers and colleges the worldly knowledge that many students do not have,” he said. “But more holistically, it also signiies that you have gone to lengths to craft your education around being a global citizen, and setting yourself up to be a change agent in the future.”

In the fourth level of the Academy, the Senior Capstone course, students are asked to act on what they have learned by creating a project to make Oshkosh more globally aware. Senior Ashley Fontaine is currently working on the Capstone project using problem solving and organization skills which are valuable beyond high school into college, and also in the workforce.

Heinen sees this process taking place.

“Those who are working on their Capstone projects are applying their knowledge in the community, and developing ways to make the world a better place,” Heinen said.

“Then after inishing their projects, students will be recognized as Global Scholars by the Wisconsin Department of Education.”

The class of 2018 is the irst group of students to go through the Global Academy.

As the curriculum develops, teachers are learning new ways to teach. Fontaine witnesses the teachers adapting the curriculum and changing things that need to be changed.

“Parts of our experience were a little rocky at times, but still I can’t remember a time where we couldn’t work something out, and learn from the experience,” she said.

Junior Ariana Jiricka has shared e x p e r ie n c e s w it h i n h e r t wo c o m pleted years of academy. As she looks over the past year, she sees growth.

“Everyone in Academy has grown

closer to each other, and accepting of each other,” she said. “I enjoy getting to know everyone more, and being in a comfor table setting ever y day.”

Ref le c t i ng on he r ex p e r ie nc e s in the program throughout her West ca reer, Font ai ne has def i ned sk ills that will be used in her f ut u re.

“I have also seen myself grow not only as a student, but also as a person.

The close relationships in the Academy helped me get rid of fear and anxiety caused by public speaking,” she said.

Breaking the walls of her comfort zone as well, sophomore Riley Shew credits the Academy of Global Studies for developing her into who her is today.

“I used to be quiet and shy, but as I became more comfortable with the Academy setting, it helped me to be more outgoing and expressive,” she said. “I honestly feel like that is all thanks to the Academy, because it really pushed me out of my comfort zone, and it really changed me as a person and a student,” she said.

Focusing on the AP European History course that was included in level two, Jiricka acknowledged that the classes have really caused me to push herself.

“Because there are classes in the Academy that I probably wouldn’t have taken, it led to going out of my comfort zone,” she said. “Everyone encourages one another to take those hard classes, and that is what has helped me to be a better student.”

The Academy for Global Studies has affected not only those involved, but those outside the program as well.

Andrew Britton has stated, from an A.P. US History teacher perspective,

the difference of students within this program being integrated into his class.

“Last year was a big adjustment for me because my students were coming from completely different experiences from World Cultures, AP World, or AP Euro,” he said. “Nonetheless, in the long r un, it’s a g reat thing.”

From Britton’s prior experience teaching the AP U.S. course, having Academy students who have completed AP Euro and are taking American Literature within the junior curriculum increases the level of discussion and perspective in class.

“The juniors are studying American History in their English classes so it syncs together well with AP U.S. History, and certainly helps enhance my class and helps the junior students better grasp the curriculum,” Britton said.

Not only does this st r uct u re benef it t he st udent s, but t here a re also prof its for the teachers as well.

“A second benef it is that I, Mr. Law ton, Mr. Allen, and Mr. Stellpf lug can all collaborate on best practices for A P Histor y given that the exams are now uniform,” Britton said.

Looking into the future of the Academy, Heinen inds collaboration with her coworkers as the key to success, a trait they look to model for their students as well.

“Every summer Academy staff spend several days together looking at how the year went and revising the curriculum,” she said of the team. “They believe that it is “a ‘work in progress’ and that every year the Academy staff will be improving opportunities for students.”

by Nithya Ambati

4 September 29, 2017

Volume 114, Issue 1

News

Student government: New year, new staff, new ideas A new school year calls for new leader- Student Government, which allows for their belts, the new leadership has already ship in Student Government. After a hotly a fresh new input of ideas and everyone had to step up and begin working together. contested election in the spring of 2017, has their own background, which makes “Having Homecoming the second Cassie Laibly and Josh Fannin were voted us work really well together,” she said. week of school was tough but we made as West’s 2017-2018 president and vice T houg h u n su re of t hei r coop - it work,” Laibly said. “It was an oppresident, bringing fresh faces to student e r at ion i n t he b eg i n n i ng, Fa n n i n portunity to see the government come government. Maia Kent and Jared Erdman also is excited for the year, as the of- together for the f irst time this year.” have t a ken Along with over the Homecom i ng comsecretary ing up quickly in the and public ye a r, m a ny eve nt s relations were added to Homepositions coming week, tr uly respectively. pushing the goal of Matthew the oficers to increase Mauk and student participation.

P a t r i c k “Homecoming Bertram, week went well, esa d v i s or s of pecially because we t he St udent got more involvement Government, and students had more are enthused options throughout the about the week,” Fannin added. n e w y e a r ’s Homecoming was lea der sh ip. the f irst of Student “I am exGovernment’s many cited to work early year events. The with the new photo courtesy of Kynda Alzoubi group has many more l e a d e r s h i p Student Government members come together on Friday, September 22 to meet and discuss the blood drive. The planned throughout o n S t u d e n t blood drive will occur today, and all students who are able are encouraged to get involved. t he ye a r t o c ome.

Gover n“The overall goal ment. We have a great mix of veterans ficers have become a collective team. is to beneit the students and help them do a nd new fa ce s, br i ng i ng a u n ique “We really dove i nto t he new things for the community,” Laibly said. out lo ok o n t he ye a r,” M a u k s a id . school year and are trying to focus on Some of the most popular benLaibly, taking over many responsi- what’s best for the students, whether eits held by Student Government are mulbilities as president, appreciates the other that be through Homecoming or other tiple blood drives held throughout the year. new officers and class representatives. events we have coming up,” Fannin said.

“We hope we can continue help “Many representatives are new to With Homecoming already under i n g t h e c o m m u n it y t h r o u g h blo o d

drives because they have been ver y successf ul in the past,” Mau k said.

T he t e a m hop e s t o a ssist w it h many problems around the community.

“I would like to do the Open Mic Night fundraiser again this year, raising money for people who need service dogs,” Laibly said. “It was our very irst year doing it and we ended up raising over a $1000, making it the largest fundraiser of the year.”

The students have also raised money for the nat ural disasters around the country by doing the “Tape a Teacher” fundraiser during Homecoming week, and have many more plans for the year.

“Something I would like to do is try to add activities in the dead area between Homecoming and Homecoming II and help raise money for the community and our school along with allowing students to have something to look forward to throughout the year,” Laibly said.

The new “W Hour” adds many new opportunities for the student body to become more involved with its government.

“The W hour gives us a chance to reach out to freshmen, which is something we have not been able to do for years,” Mauk said.

With more st udent par ticipation and many activities planned for the rest of the year, the team cannot wait to serve the community along with the st udents of Osh kosh West.

“We want to let st udents k now they are represented and they can reach out to us whenever,” Fan ni n said.

by Maia Kent

Summer renovations set up students for success

As the 2017-18 school year begins, West inally wraps up all of their summer construction projects. The track replacement project has inally come to an end and students are able to begin their training for various sports and events held on its surface. Beyond the track, there is also a buzz of new improvements with other projects such as the teacher parking lot and the addition of air conditioning in the media center. Track coach and English teacher Brett Hartman experienced conlicts due to the improvement process over the summer.

Originally, the track was set to be inished

by August 16, but due to certain delays it just became open to students earlier this month.

“It was just f inished September 6. Ever ything, as far as I am aware, is now done. We got so much rain just before the end of the summer, that they couldn’t lay the rubber down without it getting r uined right away,” he said.

Summer initiatives such as West’s CATS prog ram were also af fected.

“Over the summer West offers their CATS program and usually we do half of it out on the track and half of it in the weight room. So this year, we had to do a lot more in the parking lot or on the hill,” Hartman said. “We did the hill more than we wanted to, but it is all we had. It wasn’t

ning on something no one cared to replace,” he said. “Along with that safety is no longer an issue; there are no more holes in the track that kids could step on. There are no longer any issues regarding possible injuries, we can wear our spikes on it, and we no longer have t o wo r r y about slippi n g a n d falling and getting their foot st uck beneath the track.”

L ooking into the major benef its photo by Ashlyn Casey that come The old track (left) has inally been replaced and forgotten through the construction of the along with new surface (right). Throughout the summer of 2017, West’s track went under construction the track, and was fully redone due to damage and wear-and-tear. j u n i o r ties of other schools were contributing Jenna Kiraly is also excited as an athlete.

“It ma kes t r ai n i ng d if ferent be factors to the replacement of the track.

Ha r t m a n e mph a si z e d how i mp or- cause there are not as many injuries tant the new track is to the runners. s uch a s sh i n s pl i nt s , a nd it b o ost s “For the kids who are already out, it the morale of the r unners,” she said.

The improvements were specifically kinda gives a new sense of pride; we actually it in now instead of being stuck run- carried out to better impact as many people as possible. Safety was not only a factor in the new track for athletes, but also in laying a new parking lot for the teachers, with the addition of new lights to bring it up to code.

“The project was chosen by the district and the maintenance department and even though the parking lot was in rough shape, the primary reason for it was to add more lighting because it is just really dark.,” Principal Erin Kohl said. “It was basically a safety concern anytime you have a really dark area and people walking to cars a lot. In order for us to get all of the electricity and all of that ran out there the whole parking lot got replaced as well.” ideal by any means, especially running on the black top when the risk of injuries goes up, but we saw these things as small worries in order to have a new track.”

Both the safet y of the athletes as well as competing with the facili-

Improvement to the interior of the building include the addition of air conditioning in the media center. This is due to its wide amount of resources available for all students and staff members. Media assistant Ellyn Lahr is excited for this new change.

“The media center is one of the most multipurpose rooms in the entire building, leading to a huge number of people passing through at any given time. And when you are here, it is for an extended period of time,” she said. “It is the perfect space to have temperature controlled, because before we were never able to keep a consistent temperature.”

Along with the comfort of everyday users, the installment in the media center was also due to the large amounts of energy that would need to be used to operate the air conditioning throughout the school.

“Oshkosh West is huge. What the limited air conditioning unit allows us to do is just cool and heat the spaces that are in operation all year and not have to heat the whole building,” Lahr said.

In order to benefit as many people as possible, the air conditioning was strategically placed in the media center over ot her locat ions such as classrooms and hallways in the building.

After all the improvements made at West over the summer, the new facilities are welcomed by those who will be using the spaces most often.

Kiraly, running track in the spring, already has high hopes for her season because of the improvement made.

“As an athlete I am very excited for the new track and hearing about all of these new improvements to the school,” she said about the changes. “The track will allow us to finally be able to wear spikes, and we can all feel West pride in our new track with the Wildcat logo.”

by Mikayla Heath

5 Dance behaviors cause Homecoming exodus The games and dress up days com- from parents,” she said. “Even a common to homecoming week simply serve as munity member heard from a student that build-up to the game and the anticipation the student was disgusted and didn’t want of the dance. This year’s closing night did to come to another dance because in that not bring the joy associated with the dance student’s words, the ‘dancing is gross’.” because of one action: grinding. A dance Student Government advisor Matsexualized beyond thew Mauk has the typical commubeen involved nity standards, often with homecomdescribed as dirty or ing over the past suggestive, engenfew years, handered a controversy dling the setup, resulting in the deinancials, and parture of multiple cleanup of the students from the dance.

Mauk dance. The mass prefers to keep a migration caused a solid attendance move to alternate at the dances, sites of entertainment putting Student photo by Ashlyn Casey off of school grounds.

Government in Though it took many Homecoming court for 2017: From top left to right are the black inanfreshman Max Pieterick and Baylee Cottrell, juniors Aidby surprise, the rule an Zeimet and Lauren Olejnik, seniors Ben Willeford and cially. With this was not formulated Lauren Grill, seniors Leah Fleury and Hunter Rusch, and in mind, he is out of thin air. Princi- sophomores Brenden Rohloff and Hannah Birschbach. always looking pal Erin Kohl attests Ben Willeford and Lauren Grill were crowned homecom- to create an atto the consistent op- ing king and queen at the end of the pep rally. mosphere which position to the form keeps the maxiof dancing from parents and students alike. mum amount of Wildcats coming back “We’ve been talking about it for a to the dance year after year while upcouple of years, especially last year in holding school policy and expectations. the spring, we had conversations about “Cleaning up the dances by dancthe dancing, as we have had phone calls ing more appropriately has been a topic

of conversation since I have been part of heard that you guys were going to crack student government, so I was aware that down a little bit on the grinding,’” Kohl said. there was concern expressed by parents On the night of the dance, some preand by some students,” he said. “So I knew cautions were taken to enlighten and forethat there were concerns shadow the enforcement about the dancing.” to come, but the warnings In a response to this fell on many deaf ears. disapproval in the school “The administration and community, Assistant was told that as they were Principal Rebecca Monchaperoning the dance tour looked to follow up that they need to remind on the rule that had been kids that they needed to in place but not enforced. dance appropriately,” “We were thinking Kohl said.

“There was photo by Ashlyn Casey of really cracking down Willeford and Grill are crowned Homean announcement made on some of the really coming King and Queen during pep rally at the start of the dance bad stuff, and we kind festivities. While the week’s events were as well, although I know of asked student govern- a success, the dance itself triggered that not all of the kids ment if they could get the conlict and conversation. were there at that point.” message out, if they could Kohl stays adamant maybe make some funny commercial, or in the inclusivity of the event, free of grindsomething that we could show during W ing, and hopes for improvement in the future. hour,” she said. “The videos never ended up “Not one student was told that they had being made, so I think that student govern- to leave because of the dancing, so it was ment probably felt a little bit uncomfortable very disappointing that so many students addressing the issue, which I totally under- left their own student government a little bit stand because it’s not their job; it’s our job.” high and dry,” she said of the night’s events.

Despite the lack of advertisement, word “It was too bad that the impact that the dance still got around to a portion of the student had on the students was not as intended, but body, but only surfaced in the form of rumors. I think that the kids that did stay had a blast.”

“I know that some of the word got spread because some of the kids had said ‘yeah we

by Daniel Seekings

Evacuation drill pays off during bomb threat On September 13, 2017 West received “If there had been a student in posa bomb threat during the school day. Mak- session of a bomb or device to let a ing the executive decision in coordination bomb off, that student would know we with both the Brown and Outagamie County would be evacuating the building and Bomb Squad and the Oshkosh Police Depart- could have tipped them off,” she said. ment, the administration at West evacuated Creating the press release for parents the building, ending in the result of sending as well as the public, Gundlach and othstudents home. While administration was ers at Central Ofice had a system to stay on site making a plan to lessen the chaos, in touch with those at the high school. In Deputy Superintendent David Gundlach, order to get the message out clearly with along with other administrators, worked as little confusion as possible and without together at Central Ofice to put together a false information from students, communipress release in order to inform the public. cations to parents were sent before the alarm “We kicked in our incident com- for the evacuation was pulled, via campus mand process. The Superintendent and messenger, email, Facebook and Twitter. the Executive Director “We were creating the from administration came campus message for parents over to West,” he said. and students and as soon “They worked with the as we were done with the building staff and creGoogle Doc, many people ated a game plan in oredited it in order to make der to follow the school the process quicker but still district’s safety plan.” have accuracy without being Working for law enmisleading,” Gundlach said. forcement as well as the “At 10:54 the communicaschool district, School Litions went out, at 10:50 the aison Oficer Mike Wisire alarm was pulled, with sink helped with commuthe foreshadowing that at nication for the evacuation.

10:56 the majority of stuphoto courtesy of Notebook dents would start piecing the “We, the law enforcement, started talking about Principal Erin Kohl followed district situation together,” he said. how to evacuate and with evacuation procedures, keeping Kohl inds the drills administration came up West students and staff safe. the previous day as an with the evacuation plan. important factor in how Typically, the decision is left up to the ad- well the response was to the evacuation. ministration to decide whether to evacuate or “We were able to get nearly 2,000 peonot, and then we take it from there,” he said. ple out of the building in just over a minute To inform the teachers of the so it was a very effective response,” she said. situation, update emails were sent Bailey also notes that the drills throughout the morning. Math teach- were helpful in such a drastic situation. er Doris Bailey received these.

“Our instincts were just to follow “I got several emails through- procedure we did and practiced the day out the morning of various differ- before,” she said. “For some reason it ent things that led up to the one email was the end of the hour and I told my stuthat said we are evacuating,” she said. dents to leave everything behind, but they Safety concerns inluenced could take their phone if they wanted to, the decision to email teachers in- because we didn’t know we weren’t comstead of making an announcement, ing back, leaving everything like normal.” according to Principal Erin Kohl.

With patience from students,

only

important questions remained. from the day was documented and shared.

“When we got out to the football ield “The admin sent an email containing area, there was some questions of leav- all activities and co-curricular events that ing from students who would normally be were altered, lost or had to be reschedleaving, because they did not have other uled and the district attorney got it in case classes after my class. There was no con- they were found so they knew how much fusion, just the question of what to do, the day was basically ruined,” Wissink especially because, I have seniors. Some said of the evidence gathering procedure. of them had to go to work, but their keys The decisions and protocol followed were inside,” Bailey said. over the course of these From a student’s perevents had overwhelmingly spective, sophomore Mary positive feedback about the Oman knew little of the sitdrill as opposed to negauation as it was unfolding. tive, according to Kohl.

“Well, in our class “There were a couple our teacher didn’t really parents concerned with the tell us anything, he just distance between the track told us to go outside,” she and the building. This issue said. “They could have imwas addressed to the police proved it by letting us know department and bomb squad the information they did and they felt comfortable have such as telling us to enough that students were photo courtesy of Notebook far enough away,” she said. grab our keys and wallet.”

After being re- Math teacher Doris Bailey led her The track is a straleased to leave, Oman students successfully out of the tegic location thought spent time with her peers building during the evacuation. out by the West adminas they waited together. istration for various rea“We walked to Taco John’s and sons in case of an emergency evacuation. then got a ride,” she said. “Basically “It was identiied as a meeting spot just chilled out until we had our ten- because there are bathrooms. In addition nis match afterwards which by then to the bathrooms, large group announceI wasn’t really focused on tennis.” ments can be made more eficiently as well.

Dealing with the after ef- We have internet access and we can also fects of the threat, Wissink is in con- evacuate to two other sites in the cities if tact with the District Attorney. need be,” Kohl said. “On Westield by the “There is actually a charge that ap- track, there is a great access for busses to plies due to 9/11 and with everything pick up kids to bus to another location.” happening in recent years, there is actuAfter the bomb threat, Gundlach ally a terrorist charge that it falls under encourages parents to check their noand that is the charge if the individual(s) tiication setting on Ininite Campus in are prosecuted that will apply,” he said. order to stay updated with new inforMany civil rights may be taken away as mation in case of another emergency. well if a suspect is convicted of a felony charge.

“I urge parents to sign-up for emails “Ultimately, if you are charged and text alerts through Ininite Campus with a felony you can never hunt, nev- to stay aware of what is happening. Also, er vote, never own a gun and you can- following the district’s Facebook page not join the military,” Wissink said. and Twitter account can also lead to more In order to convey the magnitude of the knowledge of situations in the future.” threat and the disruption it caused, everything

by Victoria Chanez

6 September 29, 2017

Sports

Volume 114, Issue 1

‘Cats resurrect winning ways as playoffs beckon ‘Friday Night Lights’ are something For the first time in his high school that the student body looks forward to ev- career, the playoffs aren’t just a dream for ery week, no matter what. For the past two Derek Kroll, senior tight end. years, players and fans persevered despite “If we keep on focusing on winning not ready for prime time results as victories the next game, I think we can be very sucwere few and far between. With three wins cessful,” he said. “Winning games gives in the book already, more than the past two us more confidence and makes us work years combined, players and fans rabidly harder.” await the remainder of the season.

Behind the Cats’ wins stands the mixSenior Bryce Koch, one of the team’s ture of new and veteran coaching staff. r e c e ive r s , Christobelieves pher Kujasuccess is wa, former founded in head coach self assurof Oshkosh ance.

North, was “I am added to feeli ng a the coachlot more ing staff conf ident a t We s t than last this season year. We’re and is very winning proud of more than their acwe have photo by Ashlyn Casey c ompl i sh t h e p a s t West football players cheer on teammates from the sideline as they score ments. few years, during the 2017 Homecoming game against the Kaukauna Ghosts on “ I a d d i n g a Friday, September 15. Eventually, the team scored their third win of the have got better vibe season with a 43-20 victory, the biggest win of the year. a chance in practice, to get to allowing us to feel more confident with know these young men,” he said. “Each what we can do,” he said. day they are learning to expect more than Junior linebacker Blake Framke sees they thought they could give, and that is the team building better connections extremely satisfying for any coach new or through friendships with one another than old.” before.

The transition to a new coaching staff “We deinitely have better team chem- has gone as well for the team as it has for istry this year,” he said. “We have really Kujawa. kept our goal to make it to the playoffs in “Coach Kujawa and Coach Zangl the front of our minds, both encouraging bring great energy to practice and game hard work and wins.” days. They know what they are talking

about and push us to do better,” Framke said.

While the new additions have helped, the foundation was already in place with returning coaches.. Ken Levine, head coach, admires the team’s accomplishments this season.

“We have pushed the team to change their personnel,” he said. “It’s many of the same players as last year, but they are a year bigger, stronger, faster, and more experienced than a year ago.”

With this new mind set comes new changes for the team. Koch sees the changes in practice.

“We are trying to save our legs more in practice and aren’t actually tackling this year,” he said. “We hit pads, not each other, and we just wrap up. We don’t tackle to the ground, which was not always the case last year.”

Kroll enjoys this new system for practicing, as it seems to be improving the team’s performance on Friday nights.

“Avoiding tackling in practice makes us want to hit harder at games because we can’t during the week,” Kroll said.

Avoiding injuries has been a major drawback in the past for the team, which they have managed to avoid this season with superior health.

“A big key in our success is that our team as a whole has stayed much healthier than the last few years,” Levine said.

The coaches strategically planned the summer training schedule as well, prepping the team for the season.

“I really think that much of our success this season can be attributed to the team’s hard work within the strength and conditioning program all summer,” Levine

said.

The squad has already beneitted from the new weight room. While such physical training and mental outlook provide a base for success, the support by the student body is essential to a positive vibe on Friday nights.

Senior Payton Alford recognizes the importance of attending games not only because the games prove to be more enjoyable, but also to help the boys’ outlook.

“Everyone in the fans section gets excited when the team wins,” she said.

“That excitement gets bottled up and carries on into the next week, making each week more exciting than the last.”

Morgan Staerkel, junior FANS leader, believes that fans are essential.

“The cheering becomes vibrant and exciting when the team is winning; you can tell the energy is rising within the team as the fans cheer,” she said. “You can tell how appreciative they are of the cheering, especially after the game.”

With a new atmosphere, coaching staff, and practice agenda, the team has risen through the ranks as everything is inally coming together.

“We believe in the game plan and are starting to execute what we are being coached on in practice,” Framke said.

With the season almost halfway over, fans and players have a lot to look forward to and with high hopes of making the playoffs. Players are both motivated and anxious to see how the season plays out.

“It’s kind of how you feel on a first date, nervous, but excited for the end results,” Kroll explained.

By N. Roesch and M. Kent

Sports Spotlight: ‘Bennysports’ continues to lead Senior three-sport athlete Ben Kohl, better known as ‘bennysports,’ has proven himself a vital player throughout his years at West. Playing varsity football, basketball, and baseball all four years, Kohl has excelled both athletically as well as being voted a FANS Club leader and member of the SAVE club for the class of 2018. This year Kohl has been recognized due to the new found success of the football team, something which he gives all of his teammates credit for.

“Everyone on the team has a responsibility and I just try to do whatever I can to help the team,” he said.

Kohl has not only been successful on the ield, but has also proven to be an encouragement to his teammates both in their personal lives and during games. Senior Deante Jefferson, senior teammate of Kohl’s during the football season, admires this attitude.

“Blocking for him is a real honor; he really cares about everyone on the team, always has a smile on his face, and in his bad moments, he always finds ways to

bring everyone together,” he said.

This football season is off to a better start than most, giving Kohl and the rest of the team the conidence boost that might not have been there in the previous years. Head football coach Ken Levine has worked with Kohl for three years now and has seen his growth from up close.

“One of the biggest factors to his growth and improvement is his knowledge of the offense and experience. Where in other years he may have forced a throw, this year he is making better decisions with the ball,” he said.

With this conidence, Kohl has been able to lead the team in a positive direction.

“We are playing much better as a team and it’s leading to wins. The team mentality has been fantastic and I think people are having fun and are excited to play, which translates to wins,” Kohl said.

Kohl not only has the physical ability but also the mental strength to be a successful athlete.

“Ben has good understanding of what his coach is thinking most of the time - not

the scary stuff - just the football stuff,” well.

Levine joked.

“Being a three sport athlete for all Bringing mental capacity and un- four years of high school, he has had many derstanding to the game, Kohl’s abilities different teammates and has the personaltransfer into his year-round athletics. As ity to interact positively with them all,” he w i nt e r r ol l s said. around, Kohl Gerharz t ransfers his noticed Kohl’s football abiliathletic excelties to playing lence from basketball for the very start the Wildcat when he be varsity team. ca me Koh l’s Senior A ncoach during drew Thiele, t h e s t u d e nta teammate athlete’s freshduring the man year on football a nd the team - a basketball rarity. photo by of Ashlyn Casey seasons, “Only h a s b e - The offensive line blocks the Kaukauna Ghosts as senior Ben Kohl three players come close prepares to throw the ball to a fellow teammate during the 2017 Home- h a v e e v e r coming game on September 15. Kohl proceeded to score a touchdown, with Kohl been starters helping the Wildcats claim another win for the season. t h roug hout as freshmen the years. since I have “Ben has always been a good team- been head coach for last 30 years, Ben mate; he is always supportive to everyone being one of them,” Gerharz said.. on the team, and always someone you can With college around the corner, Kohl trust on the court with you,” he said. is unsure of where his future in sports and In the spring season, Kohl brings the academics will take him, mainly because same mentality to baseball games, playing he is uncertain of when he’ll be ready. shortstop for the West team. Brayden Ew“I’m not sure what I want to do after ing, senior teammate in both football and high school yet. I really like University of baseball, agrees with Jefferson’s view on Wisconsin-Madison, but that would mean Kohl’s positive attitude. that I would be done playing sports and I “Ben is always motivating everyone don’t know if I’m ready to give that up yet,” and he always looks at the positive side he said. “I want to igure out what I want to even when things go wrong,” he said. do in college before I make any decisions Tony Gerharz, the head varsity base- about sports.” ball coach, has coached Kohl for the past

By N. Roesch and M. Kent three years, and admires his mentality as

7

Sports

Volume 114, Issue 1

September 29, 2017

SPORTS BRIEFS: Autumnal Updates CROSS COUNTRY Varsity Record • Both boys and girls placed eighth at the New London Bulldog Invitational Stats • Sophomore Brady Meyer placed 58th in the conference for boys.

• Junior Jenna Kiraly is currently 34th in the conference for girls.

Upcoming Competition • Both boys and girls will compete in Oshkosh today.

GIRLS SWIM & DIVE Varsity Record • 1-1 Stats • The team defeated Fond du Lac High School 94-89.

Upcoming Competition • The team will compete in an invitational at Middleton High School today.

FOOTBALL Varsity Record • 4-2 Stats • Ben Kohl was nominated for the WisSports Player of the Week award for the week of September 17-23.

• The Wildcats are playoff eligible for the irst time since 2010 Upcoming Competition • The team will play North High School on October 6 at home.

BOYS SOCCER Varsity Record • 9-0 Stats • The team is currently undefeated and irst in the FVA and ifteenth in the nation.

Upcoming Competition • The team will compete against Appleton West at home on October 3.

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL Varsity Record • 13-12 Stats • The team has an average of 8.2 kills per set.

Upcoming Competition • The team will play Kimberly High School at Kimberly on October 3.

GIRLS TENNIS Varsity Record • 13-8 Stats • Senior Kimmy Steinert placed 4th in the Nicolet Sweet 16 tournament.

Upcoming Competition • On October 3rd, the team will compete in the WIAA Subsectionals tournament at the Fox Cities Racquet Club.

DANCE TEAM Varsity Record • The team will begin competing in the winter.

Stats • The team has perfor med at home football games, along with the school-wide pep rally.

Upcoming Competition • The West Dance Invite occurs on January 6.

GIRLS GOLF Varsity Record • 8-1 Stats • The team is ranked second in the conference.

Upcoming Competition • Sectionals will occur on October 3rd.

Wildcat soccer claws way to perfect record, national recognition “I think this is the strongest bond we time we have beaten Neenah in the past offer ing club leag ues and involvehave had as a team, which greatly contributes 10 years,” Callahan said. “The program ment for even the youngest of players. to a positive outlook on the game,” Dey said. probably hasn’t won that many more games “I have been playing soccer since I With this positive outlook, play- against Neenah in its 35-plus year history.” was very little, 4 or 5 years old, and I’ve ers are not afraid to confide in teamThe Rockets game proved to be both had a passion ever since,” Heredia said. mates during the game. Senior Jack difficult and motivating for the team.

That pool of talent and expertise L a Font a i ne, a d efe n s e pl aye r, b e “ We f i n a l l y b e a t N e e n a h t h i s certainly eases the burden for the coachlieves in the importance of this bond. ing staff as “We always strive to pick each other they develop up and work to help each other when misstrategy and takes are made during games,” he said. planning Beyond p e r son a l r elat ion sh ip s , for upcomthese bonds also cont r ibute sigi ng ga me s. nificantly to the team’s overall success. “ W e “This is the most successful year have so in the program during my four years at many talWest, and probably the most successful ented players season our school has ever had,” Dey said. and so much Family bonds forged in the f ire depth,” Calphoto by Amiliana Roa la ha n said. of compet it ive adversit y have tempered the Wildcats for post season play. Varsity players rush to the ball during home action against Appleton West on T h e “Some seasons there are players that Sep. 18. West inished off the Terrors 7-1, maintaining its undefeated title. players share aren’t so close or someone dislikes another s ig n i f ic a n t teammate for something that has happened history, both off the ield,” Heredia said. “Since we all ye a r, wh ich wa s a big mome nt for with one another and with the sport in have very good relationships, it helps us t he t e a m b e cau se of t he ch a l le nge general. All of the team members have connect on the ield when we are playing.” they have always brought,” Dey said. been long-term soccer players and are This team spirit was espeDuring this game, the fans became an teammates outside of the West season. c i a l l y i m p o r t a n t w h e n t h e b o y s essential part of the team’s win, contributing “Most of us have played soccer played Neena h, t hei r biggest r ival. to the atmosphere and positive atmosphere. together before, so we already know “As a program this is only the second “The fans are ver y encouraging, how our teammates play so there are and there are a lot more people showing no su r pr ises t here,” Heredia said. up than in the past,” LaFontaine said. “We are also friends off of the field “It contributes to the vibe of the game, which is one of our biggest strengths.” ma k i ng wi ns even more enjoyable.”

With just a few weeks of their Attend our Open House on Tuesday, Oct. 3 The soccer program has grown greatly season left, the boys hope to continue and save the $30 application fee. (for qualified applicants) throughout the years, both in size and talent, their success and make it far in playoffs, allowing for the Wildcats to have many while keeping up the positive vibe of the options while playing a challenging game. team. A chain is forged of many links, “When players get tired or injured, we a bond that holds the Wildcats together. can sub in players that do just as well, which “It ma kes ever y t h i ng so much has allowed us to wear teams down and score easier when the team all plays for the a lot of goals late in games,” Callahan said. benefit of each other,” Heredia said.

While some sports suffer from spo- “not for the success of one individual.” radic t raining and involvement f rom

By Maia Kent athletes, soccer differentiates itself by

Undefeated. Untied. Perfect. Wildcat soccer roared to life, riding a perfect 9-0 record to a irst place FVA ranking, and a remarkable fifteen place in the entire nation. With 10 games under their belt as of the writing of this story, the boys have thrashed some of the most talented teams in the conference. Head coach Matthew Callahan is impressed by his players’ success.

“Right now we are [undefeated] and in irst place in the FVA conference,” he said.

Junior players are especially standing out, both at games and in practice, a ccord i ng t o Cal la ha n. Ju n ior E d gar Heredia, an attacking midfielder, has been a prom i nent team leader. “ We h a v e b e e n p l a y i n g r e ally well,” he said. “It stems f rom having so much talent on the team.”

Hered ia , li ke ma ny of h is t ea m mat es, ha s a not he r yea r of ch a si ng t it le s t o lo ok for wa rd t o.

“Many of the players from last year are still on the team, and most of them will be on the team next year as well,” Callahan said. “That has beneited us in that we have a lot of players that have experience playing at a very competitive level.”

Senior A ndy Dey, varsit y goalke e p e r, t h i n k s close -k n it relat ionships provide strength in their games.

Save $30 • Apply Oct. 3

www.fvtc.edu/OpenHouse

Oshkosh goes Under the Sh Oshkosh Curb appeal:

where it all started

From roaring Wildcats, Panthers, and Tigers to howling Wolves and soaring Falcons and Eagles, the mascots and students in the Oshkosh Area School District are never short on school spirit, which is shown as they raise the bar for test scores and participation in advanced classes, sports and music. Commission Chair for Oshkosh4Education, Beth Wyman, came to realize that while the students that ill the halls had transformed the reputation of their schools, the outside of the buildings were falling further and further behind. Thus was born Project Curb, a grassroots movement that beautiied the exterior of 18 schools in the Oshkosh Area School District.

“Oshkosh4education was born in 2012 due to the fact that our schools were not necessarily connected to what was happening in the rest of the community. We went all the way to Mobile, Alabama to learn about a similar program that they have called ‘Yes We Can.’ From that, our strategic plan was born,” she said. “Our district hadn’t had a strategic plan in over 13 years, so many of the ideas weren’t focused for just the district; they went every which way.”

Oshkosh4Education has blossomed into an organization doing far more than originally intended. One example of this is Project Curb. An acronym for Collectively Upgrade, Restore, and Beautify, this project works to update the exteriors of schools in the Oshkosh community.

“The Curb Appeal Project is a community effort to beautify the exterior of our schools. We learned in the focus groups for the strategic plan that a lot of neighborhoods wished that the outside of our schools looked a little better and could be a little bit more inviting to outsiders, their friends, their guests, and their families,” Wyman said. “Our schools are becoming more community-based, more neighborhood-based, and there are more neighborhood associations.”

Wy m a n b el ieve s t h at t h i s c om mu n a l d e sire has one common thread -- the recent excitement and pride running rampant throughout the city.

“We decided to do Project Curb because it seems that Oshkosh has a buzz about it and the schools are doing well in test scores; we have the Chromebook initiative, and our schools are kind of rocking it right now and we can’t do a lot on the inside of schools,” she said. “We are the watchdog for the grades, for the strategic plan

work was do built in 1901 Althoug landscaping d to make sure that the district is living up to what they unteers wer say they are going to do and we can certainly ask the of the school. I questions, but the outside of our schools is some place future, Prin where we can be an advocate for our schools.”

“W O t he r t h a n t he O sh ko sh4E d u c at ion things t organization, this project wouldn’t be posings, s sible without the large volunteer base and the ne the donations from community members. love to s With over $160,000 dollars in donations, side o and immeasurable resources, all aided in the colors o completion of this extreme exterior makeover. becaus “Our motto is ‘We need green thumbs as now t much as we need green paper.’ This was an opreally l portunity for people to dig in and give us their put so green thumb if they didn’t have extra money to signag donate,” Oshkosh Area School District Board Schoo of Education Member Stephanie Carlin said. “I signag love that this was a project that really everybody the en could get involved in. We collected money in D any way, shape or form that we could. We had cosme website donations, we had in-kind donations. For resonat example, Real Nurseries nity, d gave us a lot of green confid thumbs and a lot of kosh a their time. The labor schoo that they have given us “Yo photo by Aslyn Casey is just unbelievable.” Volunteers at Merrill dig up an area along the outside of the school in order to plant new impre I n orde r t o get bushes underneath the window. They pushed themselves to the limit, working from 8:00 to a buil this much recog nition noon in an effort to better their community. ters. N and support from the comwhere munity, Oshkosh4Education needed Even with assistance from the public, priorities need- going, you to advocate for their project and ed to be established to ensure the schools with the most impression o advertise it to the community. One needs got the landscaping and beauoutlet utilized by the organization tification upgrades that they needed. was the Oshkosh Farmers Market.

“We had donors that specifically Carlin, who manages the Facebook donated to a bench, to a tree, to playpage for Project Curb, regularly ran ground amenities, and those are for the booth and attests to its success. primarily the schools who have limited “The Far mers Market was resources or don’t have PTO’s that can awesome. We had people that help fundraise for it. Certainly we tried would stop by our booth and to help all of the schools, but it was those ask us about the project and with the most need that we placed on what they could do to help. high priority,” Wyman said. “The most Throughout the summer people would start to ask us ‘how’s it going?’ or ‘are you getting closer?’ We also had a little sign for checking off boxes for how close we were getting or who was ordering benches and trees,” she said. “We had regulars who would stop by every weekend and ask how we were doing and stop and tell us that their church or group was signing up to help. It was fantastic.”

Beautification set in motion, volunteers start exterior makeover s the sun rose on September 23, volunteers grabbed their shovels and gardening gloves and took to the curbs of Oshkosh on a mission to abolish the cobwebs and resurrect the district’s glory days. At 18 schools across the city, these community members removed and replanted in an effort to match the outside of these building with the vibrant spirit of the inside. The irst wave of this project was made possible by countless donations, of time, money and resources. Creating a plan for this many sites and volunteers was made possible by many, including City Forester, Bill Strum.

“Myself and Lisa Mick, from UWO grounds department, visited all of the school sites back in March and we made recommendations for landscape improvements on all the sites.

We were looking for projects that could be well managed by volunteer groups, so we didn’t want to get into anything too complicated like tree removal or tree pruning or anything like that,” he said. “We assessed all the sites, came up with listings for each property on what could be done and what we think would enhance the appearance of the schools.”

After surveying the work sites, Stur m for mulated a specific list of jobs t o b e d o n e a t va r iou s schools t h roug hout t h e c o m m u n i t y.

“We wanted to enhance some of the building entrances to try to make it look

good from the street as best as possible. This would help at each school to make sure the opmake it interesting for residents and the community -- to eration went smoothly and eficiently.

“There’s different jobs to do , which see a nicely organized site,” he said. “Different landscape contractors have come forward and volunteered to do some we were told ahead of time. Then we of the preparation ahead of this event. Real Nurseries was have crew leaders who are delegating Two young girls water the plants in the com really instrumental in coming in, cutting out sod, tilling up out the different tasks that need to be as a part of Project Curb. Aiding in the ef the beds, and doing some of that work that we didn’t think done,” Olson said. “If volunteers have many children tagged along with their paren we could manage quest ions t hose a re painted our f with a volunteer the go-to people. We got a consci g roup, so t he re also have a resource the playgro were than kf ul a here that’s been part of solve their con lot of professional the project planning, ing on the se r v ice s helpe d Bill Sturm, from the o u t a s w e l l .”

Despite a city of Oshkosh, and stresses th During Projhe’s kind of oversee- c o n s i s t e n ect Curb, Merrill ing the whole event.” t he Osh ko School received an St ur m, who was extreme makeover.

“A s a the site director at Mer- work with t Mer rill’s Princirill, attests to the perfor- the Oshkos pal Cindy Olson mance of the volunteers. don’t just w was glad to hear “Merrill ran very as horicultu that Project Curb smoothly, probably be- with a com was finally being cause I’m running it,” he to make su put i nto act ion. said. “No, just kidding. is more co “We’ve been We have a good base of talking about this West al photo by Ashlyn Casey volunteers here today. urday. Althoug beautiication projTeachers and students alike work on maintaining bushes outside door 38 by putting ect, the idea from down mulch and trimming the hedges. Similar cosmetic changes were made just outside Eve r yone h a s b e e n much small pretty active and every- still done to h Oshkosh4Educa- the Alberta Kimball Auditorium during Project Curb. one got here fairly early. tion, since January “At We so for it to be inally happening is very exciting and to It went very well. We knocked out the planting bed by the sign planted some see the community come together is super exciting for early on and we also had a head start on weeding the memo- up the area b our school and the community as a whole,” she said. rial garden. Later on we will planted a tree in that garden.” Assistant P Olson, being one of the volunteers, comments on the Volunteers were presented individual jobs to work After a on at each site. With a short four hour time frame, vol- speciics of the various jobs she was tasked with.

Olson ref l “I was a weeder and a planter,” she said. “We re- nit y, seein unteers were put under the command of a site director

Shovel to bring out inner beauty

work was done at Merrill. It is one of our oldest schools, built in 1901, so it required the most landscaping work.”

Although West didn’t have an exorbitant amount of landscaping done with this round of landscaping, volunteers were still present and working on the exterior of the school. In order to come up with speciics for the future, Principal Erin Kohl created a wish list for West.

“We were asked to put together a wishlist of things that we would like to see outside of our buildings, so their hope is to start working on that with the next wave. One of the things I would really love to see at West is all of the yellow spots on the side of the building get painted with our school colors or just at least a fresh coat of some color because it just looks dingy,” Kohl said. “I think that now that door 38 is a visitor’s entrance, I would really like to see that area spruced up a bit. And put something more in our school colors or some signage saying that this is Oshkosh West High School, and I would also like to get nicer signage outside of door 24 because that is the entrance that is the most heavily used.”

Despite how these are small cosmetic changes, the impact still resonates within the community, displaying the true confidence the Oshkosh area has in their school system.

“Your first yn Casey impression of new a building mat8:00 to ters. No matter where you are going, you get your impression of a place

photo by Ashlyn Casey er the plants in the community garden on the North side of Merrill Curb. Aiding in the effort to help beautify Oshkosh Area Schools, ed along with their parents to this community event.

painted our four square lines on the playground. We got a conscious discipline time machine put out on the playground to help students when they try to resolve their conlicts. In addition, we did a lot of planting on the south end of the building here at Merrill.”

Despite all of the work done at Mer- rill, Sturm stresses the impor tance of consistency th roughout t he Osh kosh com mu n it y.

“A s a Cit y Fo r e s t e r, I work with the entire area within the Oshkosh City limits,” he said. “We don’t just want individual elements, as far as horiculture, we would rather look at it with a community wide perspective and try to make sure that everything looks good and is more continuous throughout Osh kosh.”

West also received some landscaping on Saturday. Although the extent of the beautiication was much smaller than other schools in the area, work was still done to help West be in keeping with the community.

“At West on Saturday, we planted some trees, we planted some shrubs by the auditorium, and we also cleaned up the area by door 38 by putting down some mulch,” Assistant Principal and volunteer Becky Montour said.

After all the work was done for Project Curb, Olson ref lected on the generosity of the communit y, seeing it as a t remendous sig n of suppor t.

when you are walking up to the door. It says a lot about the community when you drive by and look at the schools. If they look bad, it shows that you don’t care that much about your schools, but that couldn’t be further from the truth,” Carlin said. “The community really cares about our schools and we want the exteriors to relect that. This whole effort is so astonishing. I am just so proud of our community and how everyone can come together. We had so many volunteers; we had UWO involved; we had so many businesses. It was amazing.”

“We need green thumbs as much as we need green paper.”

- Board of Education Member, Stephanie Carlin

“This is my school, I’m the principal. And to know that the community came together, and cares about us, even those that don’t necessarily have a connection to Merrill Middle School or Merrill Elementary School,” she said. “That they also showed their support by coming together to take care of us means a lot.”

story by Aliza Hitz and Katie Landolt graphics by J. Buechel

10 September 29, 2017

Volume 114, Issue 1

Community

Buck’s G-League arena herds in possibilites

photo by Ashlyn Casey Oshkosh has been chosen as the new home to the Buck’s G-League arena, where its development league called “The Herd” will play. The arena is predicted to open in the fall of 2017, and the “Herd” team will begin playing in the 20172018 season.

photo by Ashlyn Casey The soon-to-be-open 3,500 seat arena will feature the latest technology and a wide variety of entertainment conveniences.

Oshkosh construction directors have worked hard to provide not only a professional court for “The Herd” to practice and play on, but also a gathering place for community members.

photo by Ashlyn Casey The cost of the arena has added up to approximately $18 million, but the total cost will also include improvements to the surrounding streets and other expenses. This area will provide the community with a location for youth sporting events and other events.

photo by Ashlyn Casey The economic growth within the community will not be inished after the inalizing of the arena, as city oficials plan to expand around the area. There will be an emphasis on sports and entertainment, which will potentially lead to a growth in Oshkosh’s overall economy in the local area and beyond.

Riverwalk renovations aim to cause wave of visitors It’s no secret that Oshkosh residents for all ages to come down and f ish, love to celebrate on the water, as seen bike, boat, relax and enjoy the river.” through events like Waterfest, the Dragon Even though the plans are all drawn Boat Festival, and riverboat tours. Recent- out, Burich has remained open to ind ways ly, Oshkosh has found a new way to honor to bring more people to the riverwalk. their waterways by developing a riverwalk “I think we need to do a bit more to stretching along both sides of the Fox River. draw all age groups down to the riverOshkosh Planning Director Darryn Burich front by doing more things to activate claims that this new attraction has brought that space,” he said, “I think bringing in in bikers, anglers, and visitors looking to art, food, entertainment and other activenjoy what downtown Oshkosh has to offer. ity modes would bring more people in.” “ T h e H i s t o r y t e a ch e r original conMichael Allen agrees cept for the that having an area of riverwalk i nt e r e st t o you nge r came from a people is key in the de1971 re por t velopment of Oshkosh. c a l l e d ‘A “You need those City-A River’ public spaces to draw issued by the people, especially R iverf ront younger people, into Beautiication that downtown area” he Committee,” said. “If there is nothing he said. “The to do, then there is no photo by Ashlyn Casey i d e a w a s New additions have been added to the riverwalk in order real draw for new people proposed that to draw in community members of all ages. They plan on moving into Oshkosh; we i mprove encouraging more individuals to take part in riverwalk ac- o t h e r w i s e O s h ko s h t h e r i v e r tivities, including artists, food vendors and entertainers. continually gets older. and make Anytime you have pubit more accessible to the public. From lic areas, it draws families and their kids.” that concept the Fox River Cor ridor To get a better understanding of what R ive r wal k Pla n s we re develop e d .” the Riverwalk project will consist of, This report recommended the idea and to get the community more involved of making the river a more welcoming with the project, Burrich and the Planand appealing location for the public. ning Division of the City of Oshkosh “Oshkosh has a great asset with turned to residents to get their input. t he r iver com i ng t h roug h at about “There was a visioning session that grade level,” Burich said. “So it is easy we conducted to see what people wanted or

not wanted to see along the riverwalk,” Burich said.

These sessions proved to be a p osit ive factor in deter mining what map courtesy of Liz James t h e c o m - The Oshkosh community aims to begin more fully utilizing the waterways the city has access munity was to. City oficials have done this by adding new parks and walking paths to encourage comi nt e r e s t e d munity members to take advantage of the Fox River. in. As ideas were tossed back and for th between such as a boat dock, a ishing area and a members of the community, additions swimming beach will be beneicial to the were made to the riverwalk to include his- community. Burrich shares similar ideas and torical signiicance and nature emphasis. understands that the land of Pioneer Drive “We will put some historical markers has potential to be a hotspot in Oshkosh. in at some point that illustrate and show “I am excited about the riverwalk and the history of Oshkosh,” Burich said, what it will do for the downtown area,” “It cleans up what was former industrial he said, “but I think the area around the space along the river by adding new and Pioneer Island, that hopefully will create accessible public space and removing another public plaza at the point, is gosome of that blighted old industrial look.” ing to be really cool once we get it built.”

One speciic area that has the attenSenior Hannah Powell is also looking tion of both the public and city direc- forward to seeing the completed project tors is the land of Pioneer Drive. For and how it will beneit Oshkosh as a whole. local residents of Oshkosh, this land “I think the River walk will help was home to a well-known resort that Osh kosh come t oget he r a s a comhas deteriorated over the past decades. munit y and be a place more people “I’d like to see them use the Pio- enjoy being in,” she said, “by having it neer site to create some public park,” downtown, not only will it be beautiful, Allen said. “It’s too much waterfront but it’ll be right in the heart of the city.” proper t y to just be sit ting vacant.”

by Liz James Allen believes that including additions

Community

11 Volume 114, Issue 1

September 29, 2017

Humane Society Walk turns barks into bucks Every animal that enters the Oshkosh cording to the com mu nications and Humane Society needs some sort of medical education coordinator Cheryl Rosenthal. care, and this intense amount of care comes “Like all of our funding, we rely on with a price. In order to raise money for private donations, bequests, sponsorships the medical funds, the Society sponsored and grant money,” she said. “Less than ten their annual “Walk for the Animals” event percent of our over one million dollar budon September 17, which is now the biggest get comes from our contract with the city of event of Osh kosh the year to pick when it up st r ay comes to cats a nd helping dogs.” homeless The walk animals. has taken Grant cop l a c e ordinator in the for the Osh kosh Hu m a ne c o m Societ y munity Jen n ifer for many Ollanyears, but photo by Addison Barber has more keto understands Participants start off the walk day with their canines riding shotgun. This year recently that this the “Walk for the Animals” event brought in over 500 participants from around become e v e n t the community. known w ill not by anpay for all of the medical expenses, but o t h e r n a m e . they set a goal to raise as much money “This event has been around for at as possible to help the animals in need. least 20 to 25 years,” she said. “This is the “The goal this year was to raise fourth year of the ‘Walk for the Animals’ $50,000 which is just half of our medi- but the 20 to 25th year doing something cal budget,” she said. “This helps over along these same lines. Every year the 2,500 animals, which means that this crowd keeps getting bigger, as we had beevent alone helps probably 1,300 animals.” tween 500 and 800 people attend this year.”

The funding for the Oshkosh HuFrom face painting and pet portraits mane Society comes straight from the to a silent raff le and getting a picture pockets of community members, ac- taken on the purple carpet, a third year

Cr uise line tur ns guests ‘loos’ on the Fox Blending rich historical background with a pleasurable and relaxing excursion on the waters of the Fox River, On The Loos Cruise line has been making waves in the community, providing a change of pace for city dwellers and rural residents alike.

With a variety of cruises to choose from, On the Loos aims to educate not only those who are temporary visitors to the area, but also those who are permanent residents.

Jessica Johnson, one of the organizers of the cruise line, knows that the waterways of Oshkosh have always been in her blood, and she wants others to witness the different aspects of the Oshkosh community. Her family built the houseboat in the 80’s, and the same vessel is now being used for the company.

“We thought it would be a good idea to start the business since Oshkosh has all of these beautiful waterways,” she said of the local environment. “It gives the local people, and people from all over the world that come to visit, a chance to see our city from a different perspective.”

However, this family had more in mind than simply showing off the Oshkosh community. The cruises, Johnson believes, will enrich the general Oshkosh community, which allows the cr uise line to give back to the communit y both culturally as well as financially.

“We love meeting people from our city and helping it grow,” she said. “On Monday nights we have ‘Cr uise for a Cause’ which gives local organizations a chance to be on the water and raise money for their organization.”

Other than hosting local organizations, On the Loos features their own specialized events every week. These events are all focused on promoting and spread-

ing the culture and values of Oshkosh, which Johnson and her family believe are important for community members.

“My Aunt Roni Loos and one of our Captains, Gary Konrad, are the narrators for our Narrated Cruise on Tuesday afternoons,” Johnson said regarding the informational aspects of the event. “They will tell you anything and everything you need to know about Oshkosh during this cruise.”

River boat cr uises may not seem like traditional high school fare, but senior Leah Fleury indicated a desire to take the cruise for several reasons. “ I t h i n k it wou ld b e i nt e r e s ting to lear n our cit y’s histor y,” she said. “It is impor tant to lear n about the history and landmarks of our city.”

Senior Meagan Gramins also favors getting the chance to take the cruise, highlighting the idea that the river boat cruise of Oshkosh is beneficial to all.

This includes those who have spent most, if not all, of their lives in the cit y.

“It would be f u n havi ng a tou r on a boat and it would teach me more about the city of Oshkosh,” she said.

Prior to stepping foot on the boat, many citizens are perfect strangers with only an interest in the city of Oshkosh tying them together. These relationships illustrate the impact the culture of one community can have on the individuals that Johnson has on the cruise. In the end, the cruise does more to form relationships than simply experience geography.

“I think the most important part is that they realize that the people of Oshkosh are pretty great,” she said. “People really seem to get to know each other during our cruises.”

by Grace Phillip

event participant felt that the “Walk for country, Rosenthal finds it important to the Animals” event had many activities for keep in mind that there are so many local pet owners and their companions to enjoy. animals that are in need of a home too.

“There “ W e are so are getting m a n y a lot of peothings to ple wanting be won for to adopt a yourself Hu r r ic a ne a nd you r Ha r vey or furry best Hu r r ic a ne f r ie nd ,” Irma dog,” she said. she said. “It “I also shouldn’t be love seeing about where the rescue the dog dogs t h at came from have been or how photo by Addison Barber saved by sensational the medi- Junior Madison Larson poses alongside her dog Scout prior to the start their stor y of the “Walk for the Animals” event held on September 17. She, along cal fund. It is; it should with scores of other participants, took part in this event to raise money for really helps animals in need of a home. be about p e ople saving the see what life of a pet t h i s i s a l l a b o u t . ” and giving it the home it needs. It should Despite all of the crafts and ac- be about what the adopter has to offer the tivities that the event has to offer, for junior pet and not what kind of story the adopter Madison Larson, the best part of the walk will be able to tell their friends for the rest was when she was of the dog’s life.” able to meet other T h e “ Wa l k participants lookfor the Animals” ing to help animals. gained more partic“ T h e ipants than in prewalk was such a vious years and the fun experience for Hu mane Societ y my dog and I,” she happily announced said. “We got to that they exceeded meet so many cool their goals by people and pets and raising a total of it was awesome to $57,076. The event see so many people was successful in coming together to terms of meeting help the animals.” their donation goal Not only was as well as allowing t h e m a i n fo c u s people to gather of t he eve nt on photo by Addison Barber together to sup r a i s i n g m o n e y Leonard and Piper get dressed up for the walk as the port a good cause. t o s u p p o r t t h e Corgi versions of Superman and Superwoman. They “T he event homeless animals walked with their owners as part of the day’s efforts is about bringing in need of medi- which raised $57,076 for animals without a home. people who care cal attention, but about animals there was also a tent set up to collect together,” Ollanketo said. “It’s kind of a donations to help rescue homeless pets feel good thing where you can bring your in the South due to the recent hurricane best friend and help others in the process.” devastations. Despite the efforts to raise

by Addison Barber money for the animals in need across the

12 September 29, 2017

Entertainament

Volume 114, Issue 1

Strut yo’ stuff: NYFW features fall fashion trends

photo courtesy of Fenty Facebook page Rihanna’s debut fashion line, as avant garde as the singer herself, included looks very reminicent of the early 2000’s.

If there is one message Riri sends through her work, it’s that art is meant to be as unpredictable as it is gamechanging. Her usage of monochromatic jumpsuits, track pants paired with crop tops, and basketball-jersey-inspired dresses all made it clear that the sporty chic trend will surely be back to push boundaries, and dominate wardrobes.

photo courtesy of Zimmermann Facebook page The popularity of a soft and vintage romance aesthetic has never ceased to exist within the world of fashion. Zimmermann went so far as to circulate its entire collection around such a style, working in those 18-19th century vibes while maintaining modern silhouettes. Rufles, lace, and loral textiles dominated this runway, proving the upcoming season will be one in which a soft asethetic will merge with powerfully structured frames.

photo courtesy of Zac Posen Facebook page Embellished detailings are sneaking their way into practically every piece of every collection this season and for a good reason. This textile-detailing technique can serve a number of functions: Whether a sequined embellishment works to elevate a look, or a tattered embellishment plays on the eyes’ perception of depth, its wide range of usage is sure to create drama in any outit.

photo courtesy of Balenciaga Facebook page For its ready to wear fall collection, Balenciaga borrows from the boys, inverting gender roles while creating a refreshing new power look.

Applying masculine silhouettes, with big shoulders and narrow waistlines both a common theme, the collection juxtaposes such chiseled construction with light pastel-colored textiles for a runway-dominating aesthetic.

photo courtesy of Marchesa Facebook page Tie-dye and ombre seem to be terrifyingly outdated patterns of the past (am I the only one with painstaking memories of fourth grade fashion)? However, the domineer of upscale fashion, Marchesa, assures us the trend is back, and with vengeance. Incorporating these chromatic themes into more high-end pieces, a never-before-seen look pairing brilliant colors with dramatic silhouettes will claim its place at the top of the fashion game.

by Kynda Alzoubi

The It factor Hollywood has been searching for Thoroughly terrifying and utterly mindblowing, the ilm adaptation of Stephen King’s It exceeds expectations and promises enough trauma-fueled nightmares to last a lifetime.

Seamlessly translated from book to screen, It redeines the rules of horror and raises the bar for its genre by tapping into psychological elements in leaving a haunting impression.

Far from the typical scary movie, It combines a stellar plot, outstanding character portrayal and a profound commentary on people’s internal evils that challenges audiences.

Following a group of seven teenage misits known as the Loser Club during the summer of 1989, It takes place in the small

town of Derry, Maine. The scares begin instantly with the brutal murder of the adorable Georgie (Jackson Robert Scott) and the

to band together and overcome their own personal struggles to defeat the murderous clown.

King has admitted that It is one of his most personal writings, which makes the plot all the more elaborate and intriguing to see projected onto the big screen.

Hitting on some very sensitive and complex topics such as chronic bullying, sexual and verbal abuse, and neglect, the story stands as one string of metaphors after another, suggesting that maybe everyday life is scarier than the monsters photo courtesy of It Facebook page that quite literally terrorize the kids in the lick. While introduction of the ancient, shape-shifting it’s dificult to determine how much of the evil that takes the form of Pennywise the tale King himself can relate to, the additionDancing Clown (Bill Skarsgård, Allegiant). al meaning that his connection generates Emerging from the sewers every 27 years makes It’s implied message all the more to wreak havoc on the town and prey on the powerful. fears of innocent children such as Georgie, Even with the multitude of frights that the infamous Pennywise forces the teens plague movie-goers from start to inish, what’s truly horrifying about It is the ability of the ominous Skarsgård to perfectly embody the chilling role of Pennywise. Personifying fear itself, Skarsgård has a vital and hefty responsibility, which he remarkably executes with ease. When charged with bringing to life a character that carries such magnitude, it’s all too easy for important elements to be lost in translation; however, Skarsgård effectively depicts the best components of Pennywise. Having tons of experience already under his belt, Skarsgård once again proves his talent and commitment to the craft. The authentic terror seen in every one of the his interactions with his younger costars adds to the story-

line without being over the top, an appreciated quality of It. Taking on the part of the guilt-ridden older brother, Billy, Jaeden Lieberher (St. Vincent) succeeds in adding a lighter mood to an otherwise depressing and dark plot.

At 14 years of age, the sophistication of the teen’s acting and his dedication to the role is something that should not go unrecognized. Lieberher’s emotional connection to the part is relected superbly onscreen, allowing the audience better insight into the pain his character experiences bearing the weight of his little brother’s death on his conscience. Despite the hardships he goes through, Lieberher manages to incorporate both the hardships and joys of growing up, creating a truly multi-dimensional role that will be exciting to see developed further in time with the tale’s second chapter.

Already the highest grossing horror ilm of all time, It sheds light on important issues while disturbing audiences to their core. Incomplete by design, dedicated fans of the lick can look forward to a second installment in the near future. In the meantime, the carefully crafted cinematic experience is sure to sufice.

Boasting depth, horror and a phenomenal cast, the ilm adaptation of Stephen King’s It expertly brings fear to life.

by Jess Trembly

Entertainment

13 Volume 114, Issue 1

September 29, 2017

B l e a c h e r Around the world in 100 days: Report puts West students spend break abroad fans in play Far-too-personal photos and posts are already at society’s disposal at the click of a button, so, hey, why not add sports to the list? With the NFL season and UEFA Champions League just getting started, the world’s favorite sports have the masses overcome with an obsession much too fervent to contain. Always eager to hear who won the game and always eager to ind out how that venerated player (Aaron Rodgers) performed, it’s no surprise everyone dedicates so much time to keeping up with the latest in sports. Luckily, Bleacher Report makes this a much more accessible task. With updates on every sport, this notiication-based app provides subscribers with an outlet to the entire world of sports.

With customized settings, the app caters to exact interests and needs. Selecting a sport, player, or topic funnels out the news in which viewers have no interest, a feature that ensures the app won’t be seen as annoying or irrelevant. From league news like the latest transfer or trade rumors to the latest in team or player rankings, Bleacher Report’s notiications are instantaneous, keeping app-users in the know at all times.

Founded by David Finocchio in 2007, this is quite simply a vital app for major sports fans created by major sport fans.

Starting as no more than an irrelevant newsfeed with little traction, the ingenious and much needed idea grew into one of the most popular apps in the U.S. Wanting to appeal to a demographic larger than only those who loved the game, it incorporates aspects of sport style trends within the app.

New releases in shoes, trend forecasting in jersey style, uniform watches, and other updates keep fans aware of what apparel is out of date, and what will be hitting the shelves soon. This makes Bleacher Report something useful to people who’d like to use the application for more than just fun, giving an organized sense of seasonal trends.

Yet for those who want no more than to delve into their favorite sport, fear not: The House of Highlights tab imitates a Vine-like feature for your entertainment.

With videos of wacky people doing outrageous stunts, tricks, shots, everything from 360° dunks to insane golf trick shots are available at the click of a button.

Widening the scope from your particular sports of interest to the general sport world isn’t hard. The homepage provides an organized and constantly-updated look at everything happening at the moment.

From the most speciic details and stats to the most general, Bleacher Report erases the need to Google search any questions, providing an organized and eficient approach to the ultimate sport statistics consumption.

In a fast-paced world, staying up-todate on NFL games or Cristiano Ronaldo’s game stats can become a tedious task, distracting from those daily responsibilities.

However, Bleacher Report provides the solution, with an unparalleled sport database. Literally every detail of every sport is on the app, making Bleacher Report somewhat of a necessity to sport fans both

by Zade Alzoubi

As the school year winds down, students can’t help but let their minds drift to the possibilities of what summer has to offer. While the majority of the student body decided to keep it local, some opted for an opportunity to embark on journeys to unknown lands for the chance to experience culture on a irsthand account. From the Native American reservations of South Dakota to the heart of Barcelona, Spain, students immersed themselves in environments unlike anything they had ever experienced, stepping out of their comfort zones and learning something along the way. Some of West’s travelers, including those who have graduated, took the opportunity to recount their adventures, sharing thoughts on why a summer trip abroad can be so impactful, hoping the footsteps left behind may guide new paths in the future.

Destination: Dominican Republic Traveler: Natalie Roesch Last summer, I spent three weeks in the Dominican Republic for a sweaty yet educational service and leadership trip.

Despite it being the most painstakingly hot place I have ever been to, this trip is deinitely something I will never forget. Daily visits to a local summer camp for less fortunate children allowed me to have a irsthand look at those growing up with next to nothing. Helping the kids with arts and crafts or simply just playing with them gave me the opport u nit y to both e d u c a t e them a n d also ill their lives w i t h j o y. I w a s joi n e d by 30 photo courtesy of Natalie Roesch other people from all over the United States, which was an experience in itself. Living with a host family gave me an opportunity to immerse myself into their colorful culture, something we expanded upon with trips outside of our involvement with local care centers. Spending weekends experiencing tourist attractions such as a local beach or an eco-lodge, we hiked and swam at exotic venues. The constant exposure to the Spanish language and the Dominican culture is an experience I would not exchange for the world and I hope to one day go back and visit my home away from home.

Destination: Germany Traveler: Alissa Arneson

Destination: Poland Traveler: Maddy Smith

I caught the “travel bug” back in the summer of 2016 when I participated in the Spanish trip to Panama and Ecuador. So, when I found out that I could travel to Germany this past June, obviously I jumped at the chance. This trip was all about reuniting with one of my best friends, Cynthia, who I had the privilege of hosting in October of 2016 when she came to the U.S. The immediate moments after we landed in the Frankfurt airport were illed with tears, hugs, and laughter. From then on, the journey only got better. For me, some of the biggest shocks that I encountered, although they will most likely sound like “first world problems,” were that there is no air conditioning in their houses, water is not free, ice is not commonly put in water, and dinner is normally served around 10:00 p.m. But, differences aside, Germany is a stunning country. We experienced numerous castles, a boat ride down the Rhine river, a tour of Heidelberg, and, probably almost everyone’s favorite nightly adventure, Hessentag. Hessentag is the annual festival that is held in a different location somewhere in the state of Hessen every year. With our luck, 2017 was the year Rüsselsheim was the host. It was an incredible way to experience the culture in Hessen as there were many different performances, booths, and, most importantly, German food. For me, my favorite part of the entire trip were those moments where it was just Cynthia and myself when we spent hours talking and laughing or watching movies late at night. The hardest part of the trip was the goodbye. It was not knowing whether or not I would see some of the German students again or, if we would see each other again, when. Not many people can say that they have best friends/sisters who live across the Atlantic Ocean, but I am so thankful that I can. Germany will forever have a piece of my heart.

This past summer I had the opportunity to travel to Zielona Góra on a mission trip, where I and others from my church t au g ht a music camp in a local school.

Being able to c o n n e c t a n d form relationships w i t h photo courtesy of Maddy Smith some of the local Poles through music was a touching experience, but only the tip of the iceberg in terms of what the trip had to offer. As this was my irst time in the country, I was also able to learn more about the Polish language and culture, something I had not been familiar with previously. During the trip I had the opportunity to visit the Auschwitz concentration camp. I learned so much more about the Nazi takeover of Poland and how the oppressed were affected, and it was amazing to see the different aspects of history irsthand, a nice change of pace from the typical learning we do in the classroom.

The last two days of our trip were spent in Wroclaw, a beautiful city surrounded by old European-style buildings. The opportunity to experience a new atmosphere made this trip one to remember, and as an avid traveler, I hope to return to Poland next summer for a few more memories.

Destination: Spain Traveler: Ihsan Rizky Camp Nou, La Rambla, and La Sagrada Familia, all located within the stunning scenery of Spain, were the highlights of my trip overseas this summer. Having visited more than 15 countries in the world, these sights were among some of the most beautiful I’ve seen. In regards to attractions, I visited the Camp Nou, one of the world’s most revered soccer stadiums and home to one of the best football clubs in the world, FC Barcelona. Its breathtaking structure and size was immense, unlike any I had ever seen, truly showing how much love the Spanish people have for their the sport.

Beyond Spain’s love of soccer, the country is also known for their architecture. Such a

spectacle is one I experienced while touring La Rambla, a long street lined with a plethora of vintage shops and restaurants, which leads to the local Barcelona Beach.

Such scenery makes for a perfect afternoon stroll. Antoni Gaudi’s Catalonian architecture is one of the greatest features of La Rambla, with heavy, classic Gothic inluences which can also seen in La Sagrada Familia, a Roman Catholic church done by Gaudi in 1882. In terms of food, Barcelona, which is located near the Mediterranean Sea, offers a wide variety - speciically seafood, paella, and tapas, things we call appetizers or snacks in the U.S. Overall, the extravagant soccer scene, spectacular architecture and tasty dishes made my trip to Spain deinitely one for the books.

14 September 29, 2017

Volume 114, Issue 1

Entertainment

Primed to push boundaries, Assassin ires blanks With clichéd action ilm after clichéd himself worthy of entering the big leagues action ilm, the whole ‘bad guys face off of action adventure. While it originally with heroes and ruin half of civilization’ appeared that the former MTV actor had plot line has grown as stale as the day-old initially been hired in an obvious attempt bakery products at Wal Mart. Honestly, a to draw in a larger audience of swooning macho car chase or larger-than-life ight females, his portrayal of Rapp, the once scene in the heart of New York City no lon- joyous and now traumatized vengeanceg e r s u rseeker, is so prises any hauntingly c r o w d m ag n i f ice nt (Avengers, t h at a nyone Godzilla, doubting his anyone?). talent will W h i l e be i nst a ntly falling proven wrong. victim to H e ’s m o r e this t r ite than just a action pret t y fa ce; archetype, he’s a pretty American face that can Assassin photo courtesy of American Assassin Facebook page take life in a manages multit ude of to go beways. yond this chestnut and offer stellar acting Paired with O’Brien’s tasteful peralongside a refreshing take on casting, set- formance, the lack of a cheesy love story ting it above the competition and on its way feels refreshing against the all-too-typical to becoming the next big action ilm series. romances tucked into most cinematic plot Leaning on the plot of Vince Flynn’s lines. The lack of a hero falling in love novel American Assassin, the ilm follows with his partner in crime or having steamy the relationship of Cold War veteran Stan sex with some random girl along the way Hurley (Michael Keaton, Birdman) and makes Assassin almost one of a kind in an CIA black ops recruit Mitch Rapp (Dylan age where majority of movies are overly O’Brien, Teen Wolf ), both assigned to the sexualized. Love, in fact, is completely investigation of mysterious terrorist at- torn from the plot line - the ilm didn’t even tacks. Knee deep in stylistic action vio- have the classic father (or signiicant other) lence, the ilm quickly follows the govern- chasing down the villain that kidnapped ment’s plan to prevent global war primarily their loved one only to save them at the last through Rapp’s murderous skill set, all second and bring them into a gargantuan while providing a nail-biting conclusion. embrace. Sure, the theme of love does play Performing with a ferocity not seen in a role in shaping who Mitch Rapp is in the any of his previous works, O’Brien proves ilm’s beginning, but that serves as little

more than a backstory.

Another refreshing twist lies in the relevance of powerful women of color in the ilm. Sanaa Lathan plays CIA Deputy Director Irene Kennedy alongside Shiva Negar, who plays Annika, Rapp’s partner with a dark secret. Both women prove to be confidently devoted to their work, willing to risk anything to see their mission complete. They are constantly met with disapproval by men, allowing them to stand their ground and produce a dignifying feminist message. Hollywood’s inability to hire women, especially those of color, on the scale of white males in action movies usually leaves them in the shadows as minor characters, representing little more than a sexual fantasy or the helpless girl yet to be killed off. Giving women a chance at the action-packed spotlight, following in the footsteps of recent ilms such as Hidden Figures, hopefully works to create a new status quo in the world of ilm. Otherwise, we’ll just have to wait for the latest Wonder Woman installment to hit the theaters and somewhat restore our faith in some semblance of equity.

Despite the remarkable cast and its feminist forays, too many aspects of the ilm remain annoyingly predictable, especially with that clichéd conlict featuring the wise expert who cannot stand the wild youngster’s unconventional ways. It seems as though no action movie can escape this stereotypical duo, this time portrayed by Keaton and O’Brien. Like any stubborn conlict, the tension is birthed in the irst moment they meet in none other than the classic government-funded boot camp environment. Constantly butting heads, the duo eventually levels off as they work

“Everything Has Changed” for Taylor Swift and the vindictive pop sensation is ready to stake her new claim in the music industry. When she irst became famous in 2006, Swift was a sweet country girl who wanted the perfect “Love Story.” As the years passed and her fame grew, she drifted away from her country roots and embraced the breakup song template which has since shaped her public image. Now, Swift has once again taken a new direc-

has been praised by many, who recognize but just failed. The song is not catchy and Swift’s intensity and boldness. has no real beat or point to it.”

“I really like the part of the song where Overall, Swift shocked everyone by it slows down,” junior Syd Esslinger said, dropping this diss track. People may say “It gets super she is crazy for intense.” mak i ng a song Others, and music video such as senior like this, but it Tiin Rabe, is a pret t y fair agree. “‘Look reaction for all W h a t Yo u of the drama and Made Me Do’ breakups she has is the perfect gone through in clap back the recent years. song that can She should be apbe applied to plauded for all of anyone’s life,” the work she put Tiin said. into incorporatDespite ing all of her beef the depth and i nto t he mu sic ch a r a ct e r t o video. Now all this song, there is to do is some still photo courtesy of Taylor Swift Facebook page sit back and see if a r e n’ t s u r e her enemies can how to feel about it. just “Shake It Off.” “I miss the Taylor Swift that was riding shotgun with her hair undone in the Reinventing both her look and front seat of his car. Her new song kind music, the “new” Taylor sends shock of sounds like the ‘I’m Too Sexy For My waves across the world and reclaims Shirt’ song,” sophomore Zoe Slife said . her title as Princess of Pop. In fact, the song is so similar to “I’m Too Sexy” that Swift and the song’s producer, Jack Antonoff, credited the original singers, Fred Fairbrass, Richard Fairbrass, and Rob Manzoli, as co-songwriters. Others simply just don’t like the sound of it.

“I think that it sounds horrible,” senior Jess Retzloff said. “It’s almost as if Taylor Swift was trying something new to spice

by Alyssa Menzel up her career and keep it from being boring

together and finally reach a civil understanding. This tired trope is augmented by the ‘hidden mole on the team’ scenario.

His “miraculous” discovery is too easy as, unrealistically, the spy lets something slip - something which can hardly be practical with the thorough background checks that agents receive in the real world. Furthermore, the “man from the past” character finds his way into Hurley’s side of the story, an old cohort confronting him with vengeance and blaming him for everything that went wrong in his life. No matter how hard the directors, producers, and writers work to create a never-before-seen film, they will always fall back onto the stereotypical and clichéd story line, making every ilm ultimately one and the same.

The lackluster and plenteous predictability leaves Assassin with little hope of success, only redeemed by the tasteful portrayals of characters and pleasant take on women’s roles in action films. While not breaking free from the artistic prison known as action adventure, the ilm still manages to at least attempt a jailbreak.

A progressive take on gender roles and character casting allows for a refreshing change of pace; however, American Assassin still falls victim to the action archetype.

by Natalie Jackson

Diss track sends innocent image to ‘swift’ demise tion, ditching her old style and hunting for revenge. Debuting this fresh image with her most recent single off her upcoming album, Reputation, “Look What You Made Me Do” shocked the world and received plenty of mixed feedback. However, after giving it another chance and really tuning in to the music, it is deinitely a banger, and the music video assists in making it one of her most iconic songs yet.

Such a new route in her musical career

Features

15 Volume 114, Issue 1

September 29, 2017

New year brings fresh new staff to Wildcat nation tion into school life as best as possible.

“I think helping students transition is very important, sometimes some stuIt’s September and with the start of dents don’t realize the connections they the new school year comes new classes, have or that they can come down here and new activities, and a new set of faces see me,” she said.

“I think a lot of people throughout the halls, both of students and think a school counselor is someone who teachers. New staff member Maci Walchanges schedules; yeah we change a lot lace will take on the role as the freshman of schedules, but we really are here for counselor for this school year. Formerly students emotionally.

When things get employed at Carl Traeger Elementary stressful or dificult, we are always here School, Wallace has not gotten used to to help students in many different ways.” the busy atmosphere at West quite yet.

Not only does Wallace enjoy her new “ It ’s d e f i n i t e l y d i f f e r e n t ,”s h e job and the opportunity to help her stusaid. “I’m used to little kids. Workdents, but enjoys connecting with them on ing with high schoolers is a lot differa personal level. When she isn’t helping ent, but I’m really liking it because I students throughout West, Wallace loves can talk to them and just act as myself.” to ride bikes, watch movies, New students hang out with friends, just are not the only like her students, and she thing that Wallace especially loves to travel. will have to adjust “I’ve got my whole to this year. Along office travel themed,” she with a new position said.

“In my graduate school and a new set of program, when I was learnstudents, she also ing to be a counselor, I studhas to get used to ied abroad in Malaysia for a new bu ild i ng. three weeks. I worked with “I’m really likstudents in a foster home, ing West, and it’s photo by Ashlyn Casey an orphanage type place, taking some getMaci Wallace starts her position as the new to see how students learn ting used to,” Walfreshman counselor. Fisher worked at Carl and grow across the world.” lace said. “I went to Traeger Middle School before coming to Over the course of her North High School. West. time spent traveling and North is just two studying, Wallace has acsqu a r e s st a cke d cumulated a great deal of knowledge and on top of each other and this building is wisdom that she now wishes to pass on to huge. I still have no idea where I’m going.” her new students.

For Wallace, this new job D e s p i t e t h e s e m i n o r i n c o nve is about much more than just scheduling; to niences, Wallace is adapting well and her, this job means helping her students in has chosen to embrace her new position at West with a positive attitude. their journey through high school and life.

“I think it is important for students “I really like the spirit, even on the to really take opportunities when things dress up days. I’ve seen so many people, arise, to not be afraid, to really get out of not just students, but staff members who your comfort zone,” she said. “when you dress up as well,” she said. “I like hearactually do things that are challenging or ing how many students are involved, maybe scare you a little bit, you are going and hearing students talking about clubs to beneit from it so much. For students, I and how excited they are for certain want them to really just keep trying new things, and students going to the football things and be adventurous, I think that’s games and to different athletic clubs.” going to help them learn who they are.”

While Wallace may be excited to participate in the school spirit, her main

by Akashraj Karthikeyan goal for this year is to help students transi-

Homecoming celebrations are just one reason why Fisher is looking forward to a new and exciting part of her life here at Although many new changes accom- West, although she doesn’t get much time pany each school year, the student body off with two kids and another on the way. will still be reminded each Wednesday “I have a one-year-old daughter, I’m of what it means to be a Wildcat. Con- pregnant, and I have a nine year old steptinuing the weekly roar and Wildcat Win daughter,” Fisher said. “So I’m super busy giveaways will be Andrea Fisher, the new with my family right now. We’re just kind Dean of Students here at West. Not only is of busy, trying to get out and enjoy the it her irst year at this weather while we can.” school, but also her Analogous to so many first year as a dean. incoming freshman, Fisher Howeve r, she h a s was a lit tle intimidated skills from her previby West. Compared to the ous job to prepare school she used to work her for the transition. at, West was a big change “I was at Webster i n s c o p e a n d a t t it u d e.

Middle School for “[West is] huge, but eight years before I Mrs. Kohl gave me a great ca me here,” Fisher tour,” Fisher said. “So then said. “And I taught I just spent a lot of time in the EBD (Emophoto by Hannah Olson walking the building and tional and Behavioral Andrea Fisher joins the Oshkosh West trying to get to know the Disorder) program.” administraion as its new Dean of Stuclassrooms and wi ngs.”

However, Fisher dents. Fisher spent the last eight years So far, it seems that has always wanted to teaching at Webster Middle School.

Fisher is getting around become a dean, and just ine, and with the help since her former job was comprised of similar of her fellow teachers, she truly enjoys tasks, she began to look for a new position. being a part of the West staff. Though “ I k n e w I w a n t e d t h i s j o b ,” she has only been here for a short while, s h e s a i d . “ S o I w a s j u s t a l w a y s Fisher is al ready gai n i ng fam ilia rwat ch i ng out for D e a n p osit ion s.” ity with the rest of an immense staff.

Then, to her delight, Fisher scored an “I’ve only been at it for five days interview here at West that would make now;l this would be my sixth day, but so her dream a reality over the summer. far so good,” she said. “I’m enjoying the “I was just ready for a change, and job, I like the people I work with, and I I wanted to take a step back to high feel supported, so it’s been really nice.” school,” Fisher said of her decision. “I did Fisher will not be stopping anystudent teaching in a high school a long time soon; it’s just another step to time ago, so I knew that it was the route achieve her dream position. So in this I wanted to go. I applied and got the job!” school year, and maybe a few more, Not only is this new position exciting she will be working hard to prepare for her, but she is also able to experience a herself for the next stage in her career. whole new age group which makes Fisher “I’m ju st g row i ng a s a profes even more enthusiastic about her job. sional myself, in the future I want to be “The age of the students is very a principal,” Fisher said. “It’s just interdifferent than in middle school, so that’s esting to learn from Mr. Peterson, Ms. fun,” she said. “And then there’s all of Montour, and Mrs. Kohl, I’m learning the school spirit and the homecoming from them to get my feet on the ground, stuff. We just had the dodgeball tourna- I’m just so excited for the experience.” ment last night, as well as hallway decorating, so that was fun to be a part of.”

by Emma Olson

ing hours will take a little getting used to.”

Despite the early mor nings, becoming a staff member at West has fulfilled one of Thurwatcher’s lifelong dreams since his days as a st udent.

“This is actually, believe it or not, my dream job. I am an Oshkosh West alumni, and it’s been kind of a passion dream of mine,” he said of his own experiences as a high school student. “I wanted to be the next Mr. Lynch, who inspired me. He had made an incredible impact on my life. He was our high school speech coach, drama and forensics director, and he directed the plays. So I set out for that and here I am, and I’m actually in that same kind of capacity so it’s been pretty exciting.”

Now that Thurwatcher has achieved his dream, he is focusing on developing a connection to both his drama and English students. Thurwatcher has many of the same interests as the students at West.

“I’m a huge sports fan, so you can find me watching college football on Saturdays, NFL football on Sundays, and also baseball,” he said. “I love music, I see a lot of concerts and live music performances. I’m a big theater buff, so I like to go to the theater, plays and shows as well.”

T hu r watcher is th r illed to have the opportunity to share his love of the theater and acting with the Sock ‘n’ Buskin club this year as their director.

“For the fall play we are doing a one are eager to see what this year has in act competition; it’s a state competition,” store for them, especially regarding the Thurwatcher said. “The show is called switch of directors. While sad about leav‘Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon,’ so ing, English teacher and former Sock ‘n’ we will have district and then our sec- Buskin director Brian Phelps is excited to tional competition to qualify for state.” see what is next for the Drama club and No t leaves the position to Thurwatcho n l y er with complete conf idence. d o e s “Mr. Thurwatcher is my guy, ThurI have utmost confidence that watcher he will continue our tradition of bring excellence, both in the quality h i s of our performances and in the enthusiexperience of the students,” he asm for said. “He is a teacher of great theatre talent and experience and will to the be able to take the program even drama further than I was able to, I look photo by Hannah Olson d e p a r tforward to seeing where it goes!” m e n t , Scotti Thurwatcher joins the drama department as Energized by the developits new advisor. Thurwatcher worked in managebut h i s ing opportunities for the year, ment before coming to West. passion Thurwatcher is looking to the opens future as well, hoping to make a up doors to more acting experiences that permanent impact on the students at West. the members of Sock ‘n’ Buskin can enjoy.

“I love how the staff is so engaging and “He has a lot of connections with a lot of supportive and friendly and outgoing and people in the drama world, if you will, so he welcoming,” Thurwatcher said of his frecan get us a lot of opportunities,” president netic on the job training. “It’s been fun getof Sock ‘n’ Buskin, Sadona Thompson said ting to meet the students early on. I think the of the adjustment to new leadership. “We most exciting thing is the possibilities for just did a backstage tour of Wicked this past the school year, everyone’s been awesome.” weekend which was super cool.”

by Keerthana Ambati Thompson and the whole drama club

Maci Wallace

Scotti Thurwatcher Lights, curtains, action! West’s drama club members will prepare for their fall production under the direction of a first year English teacher taking the stage as the Sock ‘n’ Buskin director. This new advisor, Scotti Thurwachter, is adapting well to his new position at West as he achieves his dreams in the process.

“I think it’s going well, it’s a little chaotic, right now I’m team teaching three different classes,” he said. “There’s a lot of preparation between collaborating with two teachers and then getting the classes I have by myself together as well, so it’s been a pretty crazy irst couple of weeks.”

Previously, Thurwatcher spent time in a very different ield, as he worked in the bar and restaurant industry in management. Though this is his irst teaching job, Thurwatcher has been able to ind a few similarities between his past and his future.

“I think that the biggest thing anywhere, whether it’s there or in education, is that collaboration and team is what’s important. That’s one of the nice things about West; there’s always someone there to lend support,” Thurwatcher said. “So it’s really similar in that aspect. But I’ve always been a night owl, and these morn-

Andrea Fisher

16 September 29, 2017

Volume 114, Issue 1

Features

W-hour sparks exploration among Wildcats Within these concrete walls, there is an accumulation of over 60 clubs and activities that students are encouraged to participate in. With all of these activities happening under the same roof, it can be hard for students to ind time to participate in everything that they wish to. For many students, with only so many hours in the day, it can be hard to decide between the various activities. However, students will no longer have to fret, as a new addition to the curriculum, W-Hour, will allow students to not only participate more but to embrace the possibilities the school can offer.

“The original reason why we had to come up with something is because the State of Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction has a new mandate for academic and career planning,” West Principal Erin Kohl said. “Most Mondays you will be going to your homeroom, and that’s where you will be doing a lot of that planning.”

The idea for the rest of the week, however, eventually evolved into something more appealing to both students and teachers which will soon be a fundamental aspect of life at West. Teachers are now eligible to create sessions with a wide range of activities including student help sessions.

“I am starting a tutoring program for social st udies,” h istor y teacher Andrew Britton said. “I am also planning on doing a couple of debates.”

It’s not just the teachers who are getting excited about the opportunities. Plenty of students already know how they plan to utilize this time and many are excited for the ability to use it to their advantage.

“I like W-Hour because now I don’t have to go in during lunch or something if I need help from a teacher,” junior Nick Ziglinski said. “I can just go during W-hour and not have to use my own free time.”

Though this hour will prove to be a

helpful tool for the year to come, the setup has proven to be quite an obstacle. As students and teachers struggle to learn the ins and outs of W-Hour, students still believe in the positive aspects of this program.

“Although right now W-Hour is kind of a hassle, further into the school year, I think a lot of students will be thankful for W-Hour,” sophomore Danielle Laibly said. “I am not a part of any clubs at the moment, but I’m hoping now that I have a daily opportunity to meet with clubs, I will be more involved.”

Getting involved with new clubs and activities during W-Hour will be on the agenda for numerous students at West this year.

“I think in the past a lot of students didn’t want to go to club meetings because they were behind in school, or they couldn’t because they were involved in more than one club that met at the same time,” Laibly said. “W-hour gives those students the chance to meet with teachers and go to clubs and activities every week.”

Though many problems regarding clubs and activities have already been solved due to the installment of W-Hour, the problem of overlapping club meetings still stands. However, advisors are working together to create a system to avoid these potential complications.

“Our club advisors are working on creating a calendar to indicate what days of the week they are thinking of offering their clubs and how often,” Kohl said.

“So if I am a club or activity advisor I can take a look at it, and know the kids in my club are also in a different club, too.”

Though many teachers and faculty members are looking forward to the possibilities of W-Hour, the potential issues revolving around the loss of time may seem like a daunting challenge for them. Many faculty members

and students find themselves worried for the work time that will be compromised in order to accommodate W-Hour.

“By shortening the class periods, students have less time to complete the class work, which could create more homework by the end of the day,” Laibly said. “Also, in science and other hands-on classes, there is less time to inish labs and other projects.”

While every minute spent in class is crucial, both Kohl and Britton believe that this loss of time will prove irrelevant compared to what students will see through all of the opportunities awaiting them in W-Hour.

“The students aren’t necessarily learning more just because they have three more minutes a day,” Britton said. “The tradeoff is a good trade-off; the potential for students to get a lot out of W-hour is going to counterbalance the three minutes lost.”

To ensure that the sacrificed time is not wasted, an efficient program has been developed to reg ulate smooth scheduling for this period. The software designed for W-Hour is catered to teachers and provides added convenience to educators, as it was developed by a cu r rent teacher and West g raduate.

“The dist r ict looked at a bu nch of different programs and the person they picked to do the program is a former Oshkosh West student,” said Britton. “Joe Connelly invented a program called Edficiency that actually works.”

Observing the accomplishment of this former Oshkosh student as well as his product’s success in the nationwide marketplace serves as a thrill to Britton.

“Part of who he is, is what he got f rom Osh kosh West,” Br it ton said.

“Now to see him come up with this program that is superior to other produc t s out t he r e is r e a l ly excit i ng.”

One feature that makes the program so

convenient is that it regulates student participation in clubs and activities. Though students have the ability to attend the events they wish to participate in the majority of the time, teachers are given the power to alter their students’ requests if they see it.

“If I do have a student failing a class and I call them in during W-Hour, only if another teacher calls them in for high priority are they excused,” Britton said of the program’s emphasis on academics and improvement.

“The students’ own choices cannot supersede the teacher if they are failing.”

Students may ind this regulation to be yet another hassle surrounding W-Hour; however, in the long run it may function as motivation for students to study efficiently and to the best of their ability.

“I think it’s great because less motivated students who don’t like it are actually going to do their work now,” Britton said. “They’ll igure out that being called into their classes every day really isn’t fun, maybe they’ll think, ‘I really want to be doing something else, maybe if I did my homework this wouldn’t happen.’”

With this time set aside each day to focus on the students’ interests, school work, as well as career plans, students may look forward to W-Hour and the opportunity to obtain additional knowledge that will aid them in their life after high school. This new W-Hour will prove to be more than just an activity period for the students of West, but rather a crucial asset to their overall future. This would be Kohl’s hopes for the new program.

“There’s so many things that kids need to learn in order to be college, career, and community ready that don’t happen in your content area classes,” she said. “So I think a lot of that will be very beneicial to students.”

by A. Voss and L. James

London Calling: Wildcats invade the island For the students of West, this past time to develop, as planning and recruitsummer was filled with endless fun and ment began early. Excitement was able to adventure. For 20 students in particular, grow in the process, and students looked the summer consisted of an eye-opening forward to the fun event for many months. opportunity to explore a distant coun“I was hoping to maximize my worldtry and understand the backgrounds of view,” West graduate Ava Fojtik said. “I great literature and its role in the world. also wanted to spend some time with my “The purpose of the trip abroad was good friend, Mr. Brydon. I achieved both.” to widen the students’ literary lens,” EngExplor i ng another place abroad lish teacher William Brydon said. “We did brings a multitude of learning opportunithis by exploring some of the locations ties, and simply observing a new place and cities that filled with differences firsthand inspired some of a l l ow s a d e e p u n d e r s t a n d the great authors ing of another group of people. a nd text s t hat “For me, the pur pose was the students will to engage yourself in cultural read throughout activities and lear n different h i g h s c h o ol .” types of cultures compared to Involvement the United States, and also learnin learning is an ing about England in general,” important aspect junior Sky Carroll said. “Many of schooling to found it interesting to be engaged m a ke con ne c in a different social aspect, even t ion s bet we e n though it was the same language.” photo courtesy of Ava Fojtik coursework T he places t hat t he st ua n d t h e r e a l During the London trip, students were dents explored allowed for an world. The trip able to see varied architecture. The expanse of cultural immersion, helped benef it graduated seniors and sophomores incomparable to any instr ucthis group who learned the history of literary pieces. tion in a classroom. They were already had an interest in reading and writ- able to relate to their prior knowledge ing based on the classes that they took. about things previously learned in class.

“We took students that were tak“ We we nt t o a lot of bi r t h ing English 2 Honors or AP Literature pl a c e s of f a m o u s p e o pl e s u c h a s or CAPP,” Brydon said. “We had a total Shakespeare or the Brontë Sisters,” of 20 students go and three chaperones.” junior Katherine Matzke said. “SeeThe excursion to England was through ing all of these things was really cool.” a tour company called Education First, and Not only did the historic locations the trip had a focus on English literature. impact the outlook upon famous authors, The idea of taking students abroad took poets, and igures, but viewing unique and

memorable artifacts also contributed to we were able to explore,” Fojtik said. “Durtheir learning. Another inspiring aspect ing that time Katherine Matzke and I had was appreciating the imaginative views that adventures like going to the London Eye have been around for centuries. and thrift “We went to some mushopping in seums, and we got to look e ve r y c it y at the different landscapes in England.” that the authors were lookO u t of i ng a t wh e n t h e y w r ot e t hei r comtheir pieces,” said Brydon. for t zones, All of these locations were the students spread out, so travelling across quickly the country provided an opbonded as portunity to watch the glorious they partook English countryside pass by. photo courtesy of Ava Fojtik in many ad“If we were going from Graduates Justin Rohloff, Kendra Dobbins, Breah ventures in city to city we would take a Ostertag, Ava Fojtik, Irene Wald, Carly Schnabel, the foreign coach bus,” junior Garrett Vi- and Scott Weyenberg pose in front of the English c o u n t r y enola said. “Then we walked scenery. They were able to see various other toget her. around in the city. Also, we landmarks on the June trip.

Spending took the metro, but there they call it the tube.” hours together in the same hotels and coach Arriving in vibrant cities, the trip buses, irreplaceable relationships developed. provided oppor t u nities for st udents “My favorite thing was act ually to act as tour ists, laying their eyes seeing the students come together from upon cherished structures that they’ve such a variety of different backgrounds, lear ned about th roughout their life. in such a short amount of time,” Bry“We saw Big Ben, St. Paul’s Ca- don said. “T hey really did become thedral, and the real platform 9 ¾. We like a true unit and had a lot of fun.” also saw a show at the Globe Theatre, The situations, sights, and submerwhich personally was my favorite part,” sion into the English culture has, has Fojtik said. “We also went to a series c r e at e d me mor ie s a nd b e q ue at he d of other cities in England, like Bath, knowledge to be remembered throughOxford, Stratford, York, and others.” out their lives. Fojtik will never forget.

These opportunities delighted the “T his t r ip def initely helped me students, but they were excited to explore gain more of a sense of independence,” the city themselves, getting a taste of what Fojti k said. “I feel bet ter off af ter it feels like to be a resident of London. this trip because I am more educated.”

“A lot of what we did was the usual

by C. Chandler and A. Wojahn tourist stuff, but we also had free time where