2019 December Pilot

Pilot Volume 26 Issue 2 December 19, 2019

Drawn by Megan Orozco Reyes

Table of Contents Black Friday..........................................

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Meaning of Christmas..........................

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Christmas Traditions............................

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Chess Club...........................................

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Esport Club........................................

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Veteran’s Day.......................................

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TikTok..................................................

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Fun Milwaukee Activities......................

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Drawn by Helen Liu

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Written by Johnathan Olson

Black Friday has become a staple of the Thanksgiving season. Black Friday is the Friday after Thanksgiving, and on that day shops drop their prices on many things by ridiculous amounts in order to sell a lot of merchandise. Black Friday was not always like this though, and I believe the best way to appreciate the holiday is by understanding its history.

To best understand Black Friday, one must go back to the beginning. The first use of the term Black Friday was on September 24, 1869. The term was originally not about low prices but about the crash in the American gold market. Two Wall Street financiers, Tim Fisk and Jay Gould, bought as much gold as they could. They were hoping to drive up the price of gold, and then sell it for a huge profit. At the time the gold market was soaring, and they expected a huge payout; however, because of their ignorance, Wall Street ended up crashing. For a period of time after that, investors referred to that day as Black Friday.

The term Black Friday was used in the 1950s by police officers in Philadelphia. Large crowds of people would come to the stores in Philadelphia before the Army-Navy football game held on the Saturday after Thanksgiving every year. Because of the large crowds, officers ended up working long hours instead of being home with their families; this sparked the name Black Friday.

The term Black Friday didn’t spread to the rest of the country until much later. It was not until the late 1980s that the term was commonly used.

The term Black Friday refers to the concept that stores spend the year operating “in the red” and then stores profit or are“in the black” because holiday shoppers spend so much money.

Ever since 1980, Black Friday has been getting bigger and bigger. Stores have even begun their Black Friday sales weeks before it even happens. Their goal of getting more money has seemed to work. There has been a steady increase of about 30 billion dollars a year. According to The Balance, statistics show that the average consumer spends about $1,007 on Black Friday shopping.

Black Friday has grown into a nationwide event.

How many WLHS students went Black Friday shopping? A survey was sent out to the student body to find that out. According to the 144 people who replied to the survey, a majority of Wisco students went Black Friday shopping and spent an average of $100. On average only 30% of high school students have jobs, but students are only willing to spend limited amounts of their money. A lot of people shopped at malls, Target, and Walmart. While some people still shop at locally-owned shops, the holiday has become more dominated by large companies that can afford to discount their products.

While it may seem that Black Friday has changed a lot over time since its humble beginnings in Philadelphia, in principle it really has not.

While we may no longer be shopping at momand-pop stores anymore, we as a whole are still participating in the holiday of consumers.

Pilot Shopping

Black Friday

Of the little over 50% of Wisco students that went Black Friday shopping, these are the stores they went to. . .

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Keeping Christ in Christmas Written by Emma Kammholz

It’s that time of year again! Christmas is right around the corner which means the days are getting colder and people are getting busier. During this season, people are often planning Christmas parties, shopping for gifts for family and friends, and preparing for exams. Any of these things can distract them from the true reason of Christmas, the birth of Jesus. In the past, Christmas was viewed by society as a celebration with their families to remember Christ’s birth; however, as time went on and people became busier around the holidays. As a result, the true meaning of Christmas was forgotten by many. The birth of our Savior should never be forgotten especially around Christmas time. Christians must always remember the importance of the coming of the Savior and how he gave believers eternal life through his suffering and death. Earthly things such as exams, parties, and shopping should never get in the way of remembering the birth of the Messiah. Remember to keep Jesus at the center of everything in your life during the holidays and every day.

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Written by Juliet Chin

Christmas, the most wonderful time of the year because we are celebrating the birth of Christ!

Who doesn’t love Christmas—with the beautiful lights, decorations, gifts, feasts, and hot chocolate.

Around the world billions of people also celebrate this holiday every year in their own way. Christmas traditions vary from country to country.

Jack Nguyen, an international student from Danang, Vietnam, says that mainly the southern part of Vietnam celebrates Christmas. The upper part of Vietnam is mostly Buddhist; therefore, they do not really celebrate the holiday. Many people in the south of Vietnam gather in church for a special service to celebrate the birth of Christ. Then, they enjoy a hearty meal with family and friends! They exchange presents and decorate Christmas trees.

In Ho Chi Minh city (which is the largest city in Vietnam and used to be called Saigon) people often go into the city center, where there is a Catholic Cathedral. The streets are crowded with people on Christmas Eve and they celebrate by throwing confetti, taking pictures and enjoying the Christmas decorations and lights of big hotels and department stores. Lots of cafes and restaurants are open for people to enjoy a snack!

Another international student, Ify Uwajeh from Nigeria, has a very interesting and joyous celebration. She explains that they “go all out for Christmas.” Her family has projectors to mimic stars and snow to make it look like it’s snowing in the front of her house; also, they have two golden reindeer! On the inside, they decorate the house red and green to make it seem like a Christmas Wonderland. Most important, they also have a huge church celebration with songs and dances from the choir and a play they put on! They have amazing parties, and everyone from toddlers to elders participate. Finally, they also open presents and spend time with family.

Christmas

Christmas Traditions

John Park, an international student from Seoul, South Korea also celebrates Christmas with family. Schools are closed and people get off of work to celebrate with friends and family.

However, because the majority of South Koreans aren’t religious, only Christians would hold church services. Christianity is relatively new to Asia; about 30% of the South Korean population is Christian. Therefore, Christmas (Sung Tan Jul) is celebrated by Christian Korean families and is also a public holiday (even though South Korea is officially Buddhist). South Korea is the only East Asian country to recognize Christmas as a national holiday, so schools, businesses and government offices are closed on Christmas Day while many stores remain open.

Juliet Chin is from Thantlang, Myanmar and moved to Khamphat. She still remembers some of her own Christmas traditions Since the vast majority of Chin people in Myanmar are Christians, they go all out for Christmas. The Chin people always put up lights and fancy decorations to make the place seem like a Christmas wonderland. However, their version of Christmas caroling in Khambhat differs from America’s. Instead of being outside of the home and singing in groups with beautiful voices, they tend to go inside the homes, and sing and dance with excitement. At the end of Christmas caroling, the families may pass out candy. The Chin people also celebrate by having a huge church service and dances from the youth church members! Afterward, there is a huge feast held for everyone.

These are some of the memories of WLHS international students. People around the globe celebrate Christmas in various ways. God created many different cultures and traditions around the globe, and it is interesting to learn more about each one.

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An Exclusive Interview with Wisco’s Chess Written by Xingzhi LI

Some people like to play football, while others enjoy using a camera to preserve special moments or scenes. For others, playing chess is their favorite sport.

The goal of every chess game is to checkmate the opponent’s king--this means victory if a person achieves this goal. The complexity of the game of chess helps them to forget about the existence of time and the world outside.

Chess teaches you to have a goal and overcome the obstacles on your way there. Additionally, learning to play chess dramatically improves the ability to think rationally. Albert Einstein once stated that he only needed a table, a chair, a bowl of fruit, and a violin to be happy; a chess player needs a table, two chairs, and a chessboard to be happy. We interviewed some players from the WLHS chess team to get a taste of what chess means for them.

Interviewer: “So what does your team do?”

Chess Player: “We practice a lot and do competitions on and off campus.”

Interviewer: “Ok, is there anything particularly cool?

What is the most exciting event?”

Chess Player: “We are going to the national chess competition this year in Washington D.C.” Interviewer: “That sounds great! I am actually very interested in this club, but I am very new.”

Chess Player: “We always welcome new members. No matter how long you have been playing, as long as you have interest and come to practice, you will get better in no time.”

Interviewer: “Is chess a simple game?”

Chess Player: “The rules are simple, but the game is very complicated.”

(Pastor Doebler is the Coach of Chess Club) Pastor Doebler: “Chess is a very good way to meet new friends.”

Pastor Doebler: “We have a lot of new players. My hope is to help them grow in competitive chess and prepare them for the tournaments coming later this school year.”

Interviewer: “What is the greatest benefit chess can bring to a student?”

Pastor Doebler: “Chess can expand your mind and improve your analytical and critical thinking skills.”

Interviewer: “When is the next practice?”

Pastor Doebler: “It is every Tuesday and Thursday after school.”

Chess Player: “New members are always welcome!”

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Written by Lucy Li

Wisco recently started an esport team.

The term esport comes from the term “electronic sports.” Esports are organized competitions using multi-player video games where teams compete for a prize. There are two games that will be played by the WLHS eports teams: League of Legends and Rocket League. The former is a well-known 5v5 arena game, of which the goal of the gamers is to get to their ene-

mies’ base. The latter is basically a soccer game, and all the soccer rules apply. The one thing that makes it special is that instead of human players, it is played by rocket cars that can fly into the sky.

Just like any other sport at Wisco, esports is divided into a junior varsity and varsity team. To determine who should go into the teams, tryouts are held every year. Students trying out for a team play against each other, which in some way makes it a school-wide esport competition. At last, the top team becomes the varsity team while the second goes into junior varsity. However, everyone is welcome to try again next year.

The school has joined the WIHSEA (Wisconsin High School Esports Association). The official esport competition season will start in January. After several months of practice, members of

School

Wisco’s Esports Team

the esport team hope to go to the State competition.

Additionally, students on the team can also apply for scholarships in the field of esports from various colleges.

“The goal of our esport team is to provide opportunities for our students to be successful,” said Mr. Iles, the advisor of the Wisco esport team, “God has given these team members a talent in esports, and I want to help them.”

It is not easy to do well in esports. Players need to have the ability to plan their own strategies, predict an opponents’ moves, and they must always be prepared for unexpected situations and results. It also takes a lot of practice and money to play well.

According to Mr. Iles, just like any sport requires special sports equipment, most esports players spend a couple hundred dollars on specialized gaming hardware in order to have the correct tools to practice.

There are many benefits to being part of the team. “Esports really helped me find people with similar interests and a passion that we don’t usually think people have,” one of the team members said.

It helps them get to know more people and build long lasting friendships.

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Veteran’s Day Written by Wenli Chen

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Several teachers also added their thoughts about Veteran’s Day. Mr. Thierfelder said, “Veteran’s Day is very important. “It allows us to understand the sacrifices the younger generation made in order to defend our country, and it also provokes great awareness of how vulnerable and precious the peace we are enjoying right now is.”

Additionally, Mrs. Wenzel, whose father served as a spy for the United States, says that she is very proud of what her father did for the country, and believes that we “should have Veteran’s Day every day instead of just celebrating it on once a year.”

Today we live in a world of stability and tranquility. Yet, if one looks backwards through history, one can see many years of chaos and anguish as a result of wars and economic break down. We should be grateful for the peace and hope we now enjoy. We must never forget the sacrifice that veterans have made to preserve our freedom.

Photo by Ms. Sachs

What comes to your mind when people talk about Veterans Day? Have you ever wondered why we celebrate it? America honors this day every year, because veterans have impacted our society in many different ways. Here is a little insight into its origin.

Veterans Day, formerly entitled Armistice Day, was originally set as a U.S. legal holiday to commemorate the end of World War I, which officially took place on November 11, 1918. However, in 1954, after having been through both World War II and the Korean War, the 83rd U.S. Congress — at the urging of the Veterans Service Organization — amended the Act of 1938 by striking out the word “Armistice” and inserting the word “Veterans” instead. With the approval of this legislation on June 1, 1954, November 11th became a day to honor American veterans of all wars. After that, the date of the Veterans Day was shortly altered into the 4th Monday in October by the Uniform Holiday Bill Passed by Congress to celebrate with three other holidays --Washington’s Birthday, Memorial Day, and Columbus Day. However, such revision resulted in great confusion, and finally in 1975, President Gerald Ford returned Veteran’s Day to November 11, due to the important historical significance of the date.

Currently, there are over 18.2 million veterans in the United States. Because there are so many veterans, many WLHS students personally know a veteran. Tacori Luster, whose aunt is a veteran, and who is considering becoming a part of the U.S. Air Force, said that her grandmother who is 101years old “tells me the heroic stories that happened during World War II; intriguing stories that are not inscribed in our history textbooks. My aunt also served in the military, and she told me about her experiences as well. It is actually her influence that inspired my dream of joining the Air Force.”

Written by Blessed Jimoh

School

A TikTok Star on the Rise

TikTok, the popular video app with 500 million users has taken over the free time of teens all over the world.

TikTok is an app for making and sharing short videos. The videos are tall, not square, like Snapchat or Instagram, and users are encouraged to engage with other users through “response” videos or by “duets” where users can duplicate videos and add themselves alongside. TikTok is making a lasting impression on pop culture, and now has making a lasting imprint at Wisco. There is an up and coming star taking over TikTok--Mr. Mattek. With over 64,000 followers and 1.5 million likes on his channel, he has blown up in a matter of days.

We interviewed Mr. Mattek as well as one of his managers, Stephanie Hernandez to find out more details.

INTERVIEW WITH MR. MATTEK

Q: How did you get started with TikTok? A: Stephanie and Isabella approached me one day about this video app that they had been doing called TikTok. I had no idea what it was. They said, “we should do one with you,” and I must’ve said yes.” I told them, “you have to come up with the ideas because I’m not going to try and create anything on my own, you [have] to do it.” So, they are the producers of whatever I do.

Q: How has the fame affected you?

A: Ha, ha! There’s really been no fame at all. It is kind of funny listening to [the students] come up and say, “Hey, I saw you on TikTok!” Hopefully they look at it as something that’s just fun.

Q: Is there anything you want to say to your devoted fans?

A: Thanks for following. Hopefully, you’re having fun watching some good TikToks.

INTERVIEW WITH STEPHANIE

Q:How did you come up with this idea?

A:The idea to make him a TikTok account came from seeing a math teacher on my “for you” page. I thought to myself -- Mr. Mattek [could also] be famous like him, and that was the goal.

Q: How do you feel about the now over 64,000 followers and 1.5 million likes?

A: This is exciting! Now we feel pressure to make good videos! It is crazy because this happened in less than a month.

Q: Is there a message you want to express through your videos?

A: There is no message that we want to express into our videos besides a teacher that can have fun making these videos, too!

As publicity for Mr. Mattek’s TikTok begins to grow, it is nice knowing that he is still the same quirky, yet down to earth teacher that we know and love. He is taking his newfound fame in stride, and it will be exciting to see how far his fame will go.

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Fun Winter Activities In Milwaukee Written by Emma Kammholz

The days of Summerfest, State Fair, and trips to Bradford Beach have unfortunately come to an end. The snow and cold temperatures have finally come and has forced the citizens of Milwaukee into their houses. However, even though it’s cold outside, there are still many different things to do in Milwaukee for entertainment! Here’s the Pilot editors’ top ten places to go during the winter months with their friends.

Skating at Red Arrow Park Red Arrow Park is the perfect place to go ice skating with friends! Not only is it located in the heart of downtown Milwaukee, but it also is entirely free if you bring your own skates. If you don’t own a pair of skates, rentals are available for both children and adults for only $3.50 per pair. There is also a Starbucks on site for skaters to relax and warm up before they go back on the ice. The rink opened up earlier this month. The rink’s hours from Monday through Thursday are 11am- 8pm, Friday through Saturday are 11am-11pm, and Sunday from 11am-6pm.

Country Christmas Lights at the Ingleside Hotel

Experience Christmas joy in a whole new way at Wisconsin’s largest holiday light display! Hop in your car with your family and friends and travel a mile long trail of beautiful light displays! The display opens at 5pm from December 6 through 31st at the Ingleside Hotel in Pewaukee. Admission is $20 per vehicle.

Tickets can be bought at the Ingleside Hotel prior to your visit or at your arrival to the display.

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Sledding at the Urban Ecology Center

The Urban Ecology Center is a free and fun place to go sledding! Washington Park, Riverside Park, Three Bridges Park, and Mitchell Park are all free to the public for winter fun.

Sleds are free to use with a membership with the Urban Ecology Center; however, if you do not have a membership, make sure to bring your own. Sledding is available 7 days a week during regulated park hours.

Christmas in the Third Ward Spend time with your friends in the Third Ward in downtown Milwaukee! The Third Ward provides a wide variety of shops for Christmas shopping. Warm up to delicious food and drink from the Milwaukee Public Market and other restaurants within the area. You can also take The Hop, Milwaukee’s street car, to get to the Third Ward.

The Hop is completely free and also gives you and your friends the opportunity to experience downtown Milwaukee in a whole new way!

A Christmas Carol at The Pabst Theatre Bring some friends or family to watch one of the world’s most famous Christmas stories, A Christmas Carol, be brought to life in one of Milwaukee’s oldest theaters!

A Christmas Carol does not only provide fun for all ages, but it also has been a Milwaukee holiday tradition for years. Shows will be performed from November 26 to December 24 and tickets are currently available for sale online and at the box office.

Public Skate at the Pettit Only a half mile away from Wisco, the Pettit National Ice Center provides the perfect opportunity for people of all ages to enjoy skating. If you want to go skating, but don’t want to be super cold, this indoor rink may be the perfect way for you and your friends to have some fun! Admission to the rink is $5.50 for ages 4-12, $6.50 for ages 13-18 and $7.50 for ages 19 and above. Skate rentals are also available for $3.50. Public skate is available year round, but check the Pettit website for times because it changes on a daily basis.

Milwaukee Admirals Hockey Game Support your local AHL hockey team by seeing an Admirals game with your friends! Home games take place at the UW Milwaukee Panther Arena and are usually Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays starting at 7:00pm. The season lasts through April so there are many opportunities to catch a game!

Tickets range from $13.00-$50.00 depending on your spot in the arena.

Winter

Holiday Lights at Cathedral Square Park See downtown Milwaukee light up with Christmas spirit in Cathedral Square Park, Pere Marquette Park, and Zeidler Union Square! The lights provide perfect photo opportunities for you and your friends and can also give you the right amount of Christmas cheer. The lights are completely free and open to the public and are available daily from November through January! If you want to see all the lights at every park, you can take the Jingle Bus for $1 per person! (Only available ThursdaysSaturdays from 6-8:20 pm until December 30) The bus departs at the Grand Avenue Mall’s Center Court on Wisconsin Avenue.

German Christmas Market at Fiserv Forum Experience German culture and Christmas cheer right in our very own city! The Chriskindlmarket in the Deer District (right outside of Fiserv Forum) is the perfect place to enjoy new foods and Christmas traditions from German culture. Admission to the market is completely free; however, make sure to bring money to purchase food and souvenirs. The market is available daily until December 24 with hours from 11pm - 8pm on Sundays through Thursdays and Fridays through Saturdays from 11pm- 9pm.

The Polar Plunge Start the New Year off right and take the Polar Plunge into the cold waters of Lake Michigan. This Milwaukee tradition started in 1999 and has continued ever since. The event takes place on New Year’s Day at noon and is completely open to the public! Make sure to wear multiple layers and footwear to the event in order to prevent injuries!

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