THE WISCO PILOT
Vol. 28 No.4
Articles by and for students
May 2022
The History of Prism by Julie Carter
The Spring Band concert recently took place, and now the WLHS Fine Arts department is looking forward toward the Prism Concert. Notice the word toward; it implies ahead, in the future. Has anyone thought about the word backward? What about the history of Prism? However, few people know the history behind this popular concert and how it actually began. The Prism concert has been a part of WLHS since 1973. The goldmine of the name Prism concert comes from one of the people who started the concert--Mr. Terry Treuden. Mr. Treuden alongside choir director Harold Hosbach started the concert as a musical revue in 1973. Mr. Treuden was the head of the concert and truly spearheaded it into what it is today. At first, it was a concert that showed the variety of the vocal and instrumental groups of the WLHS Fine Arts department. The audience was split between watching the marching band in the gym, and watching the bands and vocal ensembles in the cafeteria. (A separate Marching Band Concert was added into the program in 1980.)The marching band portion of the Prism concert no longer appeared after 1982. Over the years the concert was tweaked and changed to help things flow. The 1984 concert was the first event that could truly be called a Prism concert--it is the first one which ran similarly to how the concert is organized today. Multiple stages were set up in the gymnasium, so students could get ready while another group performed to increase the flow of the concert. Sometimes a group would start while the audience
concert. Sometimes a group would start while the audience was still clapping. The lighting was done professionally through Sun Lighting Productions. Roger Festerling spearheaded any special effects, which happened at least once in each performance. This fresh program setup allowed for a large diversity of music to be played, making “Prism” a fitting title for the performance. A prism is a multifaceted object, and the Prism concert is a multifaceted celebration of the performing arts at Wisco.
Continued on page 6
Inside . . . 1 Prism 2-3 OHFHS/Musical/Civil Rights Tour 4-5 Teachers/Canoe Club 6-7 Robotics/Prism/Art 8-9 Black History Month 10-11 Baseball 12- Spring Look and Find
Jesus, Savior, Pilot Me
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The Wisco Pilot
WLHS
OHFHS Overview by Edward Cao Taste of Wisco, Powderpuff, the Dodgeball Tournament, Mr. Wisco, Hideaway, Kings of the Court, and A la Carte--these are only a few of the fun events hosted by Student Council and National Honor Society for students to enjoy. However, all of these events have a greater purpose. Every year, Wisco chooses a mission and donates money to share the love of Jesus by helping those in need. This follows the command given by Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians: “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” In the beginning of the year, Student Council and National Honor Society voted for a new Our Hands For His Service (OHFHS) project. This year’s mission is to help raise money for better physical and spiritual care for the disabled in Malawi, Africa, and also to help grow and improve a church and school in Grenada. Malawi is a southeastern African third world country, which is now experiencing a recession. As a result, a large portion of people in Malawi live in poverty. Although many people in Malawi are struggling to maintain a stable lifestyle due to this recession, one of the main demographics of individuals that are being significantly impacted are those who have special needs and disabilities. Therefore, OHFHS decided to lend a helping hand to the Kingdom Workers Malawi Disability Project by raising money to provide vehicles, so that patients are able
Photography by Michael Wiechmann
to receive home-based care and physical therapy. Money raised will also go toward modified worship services and support for families and community members with special needs. Besides that, Wisco also wants to use this mission as an opportunity to preach the Gospel to the local community and to bring more people to faith. Money raised for OHFHS is also going to help support a church and school in Grenada. Grenada is an island in the Caribbean and has the highest poverty rate of all the islands in that region. Grace Lutheran Church and School is in need of classroom materials, cameras for the sanctuary and church services, playground equipment, as well as money for tuition for some of their students. Through these donations, Wisco will help Grace Lutheran Church spread the Gospel to many families in Grenada. Madison Vasatko, the president of Student Council, said that she feels blessed that she is able to make an impact in the lives of others through the OHFHS mission. She enjoys working with Student Council members and the student body to help raise money to bring the people in Malawi and Grace Lutheran Church in Grenada
closer to God and to provide them with basic necessities. “Knowing that all the profits from all the fun events that NHS and Student Council organize throughout the year impacts the lives of so many people and helps spread the Gospel is so amazing,” said Madison. “It’s such an amazing thing to be apart of!” If you are interested in supporting these missions and contributing to helping others hear about Jesus, there are still a few more events this year that raise money for OHFHS, which include Student Council’s second Taste of Wisco in May, and NHS’s Silent Auction and Walk-a-Thon! At the end of the year, the final total amount of money raised for Grenada and Malawi will be revealed to the student body in chapel. Following the idea of Matthew 28:19 to “Make disciples of all nations,” OHFHS is Wisco’s way to show Christ’s love to others. The donations by Wisco students is far more than just financial support to them; it is also a message--to tell them that in Christ every life is important, and every person is perfect in God’s eyes.
Pilot Editors Editor-in-Chief Emma Kammholz Assistant-Editor-in-Chief Mason Marrari Layout/Editing Lucy Li Brooklyn Dressler Frank Quan-Pham
The Wisco Pilot
WLHS
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2022 Jerry Nomination-by Kirsten Neuwirth Crazy For You On the first weekend of March, Wisco’s talented cast performed the long-awaited musical Crazy for You. The audience loved it, as well as the critics because this cast was nominated for the 2022 Jerry Awards. The Jerry Awards (formerly known as the Tommy Awards) is “one of Wisconsin’s High School Musical Awards Programs, which encourages, recognizes and, honors excellence in high school musical theater.” This program is designed to help elevate musical theater in high schools. “Educators and industry professionals review productions at more than 85 high schools in 30 counties around the state providing valuable
feedback.” There will be an awards show held at Overture Center in Madison in June, and “two outstanding performers will be selected to represent the program at The National High School Musical Theater Awards (The Jimmys) competition in New York City.” The months of practicing, memorizing lines, and learning how to tap dance paid off in each performance.
Art by Willow Zak and Taiquan Robinson
In this hilarious romantic comedy, each actor did an amazing job portraying his/ her character. The weeks of hard work showed after the cast used their skills in the well choreographed moves that beautifully complemented the songs and their characters. The musicians in the pit orchestra performed spectacularly; the variety of songs in this musical had the audience tapping their feet and moving about. A special shout-out to Aaron Economy and Nora Stroh for their superb job in the lead roles, especially since neither of them had ever been in a musical or play before at Wisco. It seems that everybody appreciated all of the long nights after school that these actors and musicians put into their performances. The anticipation is already on for next year’s musical.
Civil Rights Tour 2022 Over Spring Break, 32 students from the sophomore and junior classes went on a trip to many significant sights of the Civil Rights era. Some of the locations they visited included the Edmund Pettus Bridge, the Rosa Parks Museum, the Tuskegee Airmen National Historical Site, and much more! Photography by Ben Carlovsky and Shakirah Cousins
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Teacher and Staff Spotlight
The Wisco Pilot
Spring Spotlight
Over the years, many teachers and staff have influenced students over the course of its 119 years. Here are interviews of 5 teachers and staff members to find out more about their thoughts, hobbies, and backgrounds. Interviews were collected by the editors of The Pilot.
Ms. Rasmussen
“Avengers! Assemble? No, I will do you one better. Alumni! Assemble!” The 2021-2022 school year has seen the return of many alumni from recent years such as Mrs. Uttech from the class of 1994, Mr. Fink from the class of 2015, and Ms. Leverence from 2016. Ms. Abby Rasmussen is one of many alumni on that list. In fact, Ms. Rasmussen graduated from Wisco in 2012, so our high school culture is nothing new for her. During an interview, she said that she likes to work in a Christian surrounded environment such as Wisco. Ms. Rasmussen joined the WLHS Mission Advancement Team in September 2020, but before working at WLHS, Ms. Rasmussen worked as a digital marketer for Kohl’s Corporation in Wisconsin. Also, she has been the choreographer for Wisco Kids since 2018. Many people could say that she knows Wisco inside and out. Ms. Rasmussen has a bullmastiff named Frank, and in the future, she wants to visit Italy for the wonderful cuisine and beautiful attractions. Just like Ms. Rasmussen and Mr. Fink, Wisco will always open its door to welcome alumni who will want to train the next generation.
Mr. Zeitler
Wisco’s strength and conditioning coach, Mr. Zeitler was raised
Ms. Rasmussen
in Waukesha, Wisconsin and attended Mt. Calvary Grade School. He is a returning Wisco alumni as he graduated in 2014. At Wisco, Mr. Zeitler enjoys forming friendly relationships with the students and helping them achieve their athletic goals. According to Mr. Zeitler, his first semester here at Wisco “could not have gone better.” Additionally, Mr. Zeitler explained that in his free time, he likes to lift stones and pull trains when he can.
Mrs. Hanson
Mrs. Hanson grew up in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin and attended St. John’s in Lannon throughout grade school. After, she spent her high school years at Wisco and would later return to serve the school once more; however, 2022 is not the first year Mrs. Hanson has been working at Wisco. Ever since October of 2020, Mrs. Hanson, has been working as Wisco’s Graphic Design and Digital Media Specialist within the Communications Department in Mission Advancement. Her first semester at Wisco, although busy creating lots of graphics, was still very exciting. She did not need much time to adjust to the environment since she had graduated from the school in the years prior. In her free time, Mrs. Hanson enjoys spending time with friends and family, hiking, dancing, and taking photos.
Mr. Zeitler
Mrs. Hanson
Mrs. Livingston
Mrs. Livingston, a 2005 Wisco alumni, was also very excited to come back to her high school to serve the students and staff. Mrs. Livingston attended North Trinity Lutheran Grade School and currently attends church at St. Lucas in Kewaskum. For her, the first semester, though busy, gave her a chance to start a different approach to teaching in a practical arts class. When outside of school, Mrs. Livingston likes to play sports, go kayaking, and camping. At her home, she enjoys reading, cooking, and painting her house that is around 100 years old.
Mrs. Lautz
Mrs. Lautz grew up going to St. Pauls in Howards Grove and then Manitowoc Lutheran for High School. She enjoys playing and watching different sports, and likes to cook. Besides her love for spending time with her family, Mrs. Lautz describes relationships here as “just a family feel among students and staff.” Her first semester went well, and she mentions how great it was getting to know all of her students and seeing the different events and activities that take place. One of Mrs. Lautz’s favorite characteristics about Wisco is the “Christ Centered Mentality,” something that we all strive for.
Mrs. Livingston
Taken by Infocus Photography
Mrs. Lautz
The Wisco Pilot
Clubs
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Wisco’s Canoe Club by Hope Larabee
Each year, new organizations at Wisco have been formed such as the Kindness Crew and the Wisco Trap and Skeet Team. In addition, the Canoe Club is another recently-founded club that has already been meeting and working on their projects together. What exactly does this club entail? The members within the club, led by Mr. Ricke, all work together to build a canoe from scratch while learning many new skills as they do so. The process of building a canoe includes crafting the two halves, combining them, and then coating each part with fiberglass. The process may appear to be only for the advanced, but Nathan Kugler (‘25) has something different to say about that. “Canoe Club is a club anyone can join. You don’t need that much experience because we have some club members that can teach you as we work on it.” The club has ben-
efits besides learning how to build canoes. When working around others who share similar interests, people start to form friendships. “When I first started [in the Canoe Club] I had one friend there, and then it went from two, three, four until the entire club got to know each other. That’s the best part of any club; you get some new friends. Everyone in the Canoe Club always has a good laugh no matter what,” says Kugler. Moreover, the club has helped members develop better thinking skills as well. “They have learned to problem solve and adjust planning to fit unique situations outside their realm of experience. Most of all, they are learning that if you are willing to work you can accomplish some pretty cool goals along with being proud of what you have done. The work is not perfect, but the finished project will be praiseworthy,
Photography by Mark Ricke
says Mr. Ricke. Some of the biggest accomplishments made by the club members is having completed a 20’ long cedar and redwood canoe. “It will be easy to get to Portage because it breaks down into two halves and will accommodate 6 paddlers,” describes Mr. Ricke. When asked what the slogan of the club would be if it had one, Mr. Ricke responded by saying, “It’s not a church,” meaning that you don’t have to be perfect within every single step of the woodworking process. In spring, when the canoe is finished, every member will have the chance to go down to the Wisconsin River on May 20 and 21 with their canoe in order to test it out on the water as a reward for their hard work. If you are interested in joining the club, contact markricke@wlhs.org.
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Robotics
The Wisco Pilot
Wisco Vikings Robotics Team Season by Hieu Than
Prism--continued from front cover 2010 graduates Haley Arndt and Aaron Kristopeit graciously shared their experiences of their time performing in the Prism Concert. They both participated in freshman choir, Wisco Kids, and A Capella choir. Arndt was in Cantorei Choir, and two small group performances. She also choreographed the Inspiration/Wisco Kids number her senior year. Kristopeit participated in Inspiration, and some group numbers. He additionally assisted in the AV Crew one year. The content of performances has changed over the years, but how has
it exactly? Kristopeit said, “Every time I have gone back to Wisco since I graduated, it always seems like the current students keep raising the bar. Whether sports or music, it just keeps getting better.” He also said that The Prism Concert has lots of variety, from comedy or romance, to Disney and pop hits. We all know how much the things defined as “popular” change over time. This year will be the 39th Prism show. Performances will take place in the gymnasium on May 20th and 21st at 7 PM and May 22nd at 2 PM and 7 PM.
a season with disappointment, Mr. T and his team are excited to take on the next season and work towards a victory. “We will have a follow up meeting soon to make plans for next year,” stated Mr. T. “ We are really excited to try again.” Now, the team set their focus on preparing for their future members recruitment through Viking Robotics Summer Camp. As for the robots, the team hopes to improve more on their design and functionalities. Photography by Julia Neuman
Answer Key for Page 10 28. Giants ---------------------DOWN 1. Twins 2. Phillies 3. Braves 5. Orioles 6. Rays 7. Diamondbacks 12. Guardians 14. Angels 18. Pirates 19. Rangers 20. Red Sox 22. Yankees 23. Royals
team spent the next two weeks working hard to prepare their robots for the final showdowns. Alex Wang (‘23), one of the team leaders, explained that even though they had to put in a lot of time and effort, the experience was fun and engaging. He continued to say that within those two weeks, he has never felt more productive. Sam Li (‘23), the programmer and a leader in coding, described their experiences as “even better than playing my video games.” On March 5th, the day of the state meet, the team gave everything they had. “Once they got there, everyone got to work immediately,” said Mr. T. “They were very active and productive.” However, they ended up falling short to another very well prepared team. Although they ended
ACROSS 3. Brewers 4. White Sox 8. Marlins 9. Mariners 10. Cardinals 11. Tigers 13. Blue Jays 15. Athletics 16. Mets 17. Dodgers 20. Reds 21. Nationals 24. Astros 25. Rockies 26. Padres 27. Cubs
“01001000 01100101 01101100 01101100 01101111 00100001!” For those who do not know what this means, have no fear because Wisco has a team dedicated to translating this. In “robot language,” better known as binary code, the sequence above means “hello,” and who would be better to decode this than Wisco’s Viking Robotics Team? Founded in 2006, the team has qualified for state meets almost every single year. Viking Robotics, led by Mr. Thierfelder, has had a rather successful season. In February, the team again qualified for the state meet after a conference competition. Along with that, the team won the Control Award for Autonomous Programming at one of the qualifiers. From then, the
The Wisco Pilot
Art Awards
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2022 Scholastic Art Awards
Gold Key Award Painting 1986 - Japan Lucy Li (‘23)
Gold Key Award Painting Self Portrait Sam Qiu (‘22)
Honorable Mention Digital Art Drowning Annabelle Nault (‘24)
Gold Key Award Painting Opening My Eyes Sam Qiu (‘22)
Gold Key Award Drawing & Illustration Hands Sarah Lee (‘24)
Honorable Mention Painting The Aging Process Sarah Lee (‘24)
Page 8 For 28-29 days every year, American history’s traditional focus on a long list of white men with a few smatterings of white women here and there is replaced with an appreciation for all of the numerous contributions African Americans have made to our country. This appreciation is very important to many, myself included, because it is a celebration of the immense contributions of Black Americans. Being that Black History Month is so vital, both to history and to African American morale, celebrating it is equally important. How is one to celebrate it, and what exactly are we celebrating? . First, the beginning: Black History Month began as Black History Week in 1926. It was started by Carter G. Woodson, a Harvard trained historian, in 1926, and it took place during the second week of February. Much like Black History Month, it served two core functions: to recognize and celebrate African American excellence. To truly understand the value of Black History Month, we need to dig a bit deeper into the precise reasons as to why it began. According to Carter G. Woodson, by teaching about African American history, the African American race could be preserved within society. “If Black people’s achievements were simply glossed over, the entire race could be ignored, and any value our race held could be easily dismissed. However, by focusing on the greatness that African Americans have achieved despite the challenges that we’ve faced, our race is given its due credits, which will (ideally) cause us to be treated more respectfully.” According to ABC News, Black History Week was expanded to Black History Month in February 1969, and became federally recognized in 1976 after President Gerald
Black History
by Ryan Parker R. Ford decreed that it should be a national observance. That recognition brings us to today, where Black History Month is celebrated nationwide, including in schools. Among the many schools that celebrate Black History Month is ours, where the contributions of black people throughout history are celebrated by the decorating of doors and the hanging of posters. Posters and door decorating are not the only ways in which Black History Month was celebrated at WLHS. There was a wall in the lower lobby dedicated to monumental black people and events, and classes included teachings about black achievements in their curriculum.
Artwork by Wenli Chen (‘23)
The Wisco Pilot On March 11th, a Spoken Word and Poetry Reading Open Mic took place in the library. Several students shared their work. Black History Month and black history as a whole is important. If you ignore the contributions of African Americans, you’re left with very little actual history. Our nation’s art, our music, our literature, and our culture is eternally linked with the African American identity. Only by fully understanding the struggles and successes of the black people in this country can someone fully understand what makes America what it is, and only by continuing to learn about black history outside of Black History Month can someone understand what America should be. To clarify, black history extends beyond the black people of the past. Black history isn’t just MLK, Malcolm X, Fred Hampton, and Rosa Parks; Black history has yet to end. It is everywhere, and it is happening all the time, not just inside our classrooms for a singular month. To ignore Black history is to forgo all history. To ignore the current achievements of Black people is to walk blindly into the future. That’s why our school’s Black History Month celebrations are so important. By treating Black History Month as important, by celebrating it in all the various ways our school celebrates it, the achievements of African Americans are highlighted and remembered, for they must not be overlooked or forgotten. For no reason can the importance of African Americans be ignored, for to do so would be to ignore a large portion of our school’s student body. It is necessary to recognize and respect the African American student population. Due to their hard work and determination, they are Black history in the making.
The Wisco Pilot
Black History
Black History Month Homeroom Door Designs and Poetry Night
Photography by Carolyn Sachs
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Page 10
Baseball
The Wisco Pilot
Sports Cards: At Large Anymore? by Mason Marrari Numerous industries across the globe have changed since 2020 due to COVID-19. While some sank, others soared. For example, the app Zoom gained millions of new customers over a few months. Very similarly, the sports card industry had become much more popular than it once was before the pandemic began. One of the biggest questions is, “How long will the sports card market stay at large?” Some of the key takeaways from the rising industry of sports cards from 2020 include the rapid increase of sales on eBay, which affected all types of sports cards whether it be basketball or hockey. Other websites were being barraged with sales such as Topps.com. In particular, a great deal of card boxes and sets from the Topps’ website were sold out due to the grueling demand, which made them rare and expensive. Within local stores, sports cards were sold out for weeks on end, creating barren shelves. One of the main reasons many people started to collect sports cards was simply because many had to stay home during parts of the pandemic. As a result, collecting sports cards became not only a newfound hobby, but also a way of business. (For more information on the industry of sports cards during 2020, read The Pilot: Volume 27, Issue 5) Extreme growth in the sports card industry has occurred a few times in previous years. For instance, baseball cards in the ‘80s and ‘90s experienced a broadening in popularity and value much like the industry in the past two years. Toward the end of the ‘80s, baseball cards began to be heavily priced and sold. While the market used to be geared toward children, a good number of the people purchasing cards were adults. What appeared to be a small hobby turned into competition and possible fortune. Correspondingly, numerous adults across America today make their living by buy-
ing and selling baseball card online each day. Brand-new boxes are priced within the hundreds and even thousands! At the beginning of the ‘90s, even some adults were having trouble buying and selling cards since they were starting to get more expensive each day, forcing some of them out of buying. According to goldcardauctions.com, one of the biggest reasons for the industry of baseball cards to decline within the 90’s had to do with the MLB strike that was happening from 1994 to 1995.
Major players from several sports, Joe Montana, Kobe Bryant, Wayne Gretzky, and Nolan Ryan, are depicted within variations of older cards.
Canceling games caused people to lose interest in baseball cards. Thus, less were bought and collected. Another interesting thing is that the baseball card companies had manufactured too many cards, which further diminished the demand because there was such a big supply. This year, MLB has faced another strike that had caused the cancellation of a couple of games. Thankfully, the strike had ended, allowing the MLB season to continue. Many fans have already returned to watch their favorite teams within the past several weeks. This all shows that the industry has remained unaffected by
the strike.The past has offered an answer, but what about the present and the future? Prices for sports cards haven’t all steadily increased across the board. It has been found that some sports cards have already been returning toward the value they were at before the industry boomed. Specific examples include Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant cards that took about a 70% dip in the middle of 2021 compared to the beginning as stated by sportscardinvestor.com. Why are card prices dropping? Throughout 2021, more people have been able to leave their homes. It has been thought that with more people working and being occupied, fewer people are collecting cards. With less people in the market for cards , there isn’t as large of a demand, and the supply isn’t as limited. Although lower-end cards, such as base cards, have been decreasing in value, hobby boxes are still steadily popular as they have been more widely distributed in local department stores for months now. With various drops in prices, more people who have the time for a new hobby could potentially get back into sports cards. Cardlines.com suggests that digital trading cards and NFTs will soon partake more heavily in the multi-million dollar industry. Speaking of millions, By 2027, it has been recently predicted by prnewswire.com that the sports card industry in America will be worth over 60 million dollars. As a final answer, while sports cards have boomed throughout 2020, it seems as if most of them have been quietly receding in the direction of the original values instead of soaring even higher. Based on current statistics, sports cards are being and will be bought and sold as it is still a popular hobby and business. New series and types will still be manufactured like they are each year with a probable conjuncture of digital trading and marketing across different platforms.
The Wisco Pilot
Baseball
Page 11
2022 MLB Teams Wordsearch Made with discoveryeducation.com
by Mason Marrari
ACROSS 3. Once upon a time this team was located in Milwaukee, but moved in 1966 to a southern state 4. Shoeless Joe Jackson was one of the most famous players to ever play on this team 8. This team is often made fun of for not having many fans 9. Ken Griffey Jr. debuted on this team 10. This Midwest team has won the world series 11 times before 11. Prince Fielder left the Brewers for this team 13. This team is located outside of the USA 15. Players Mark McGuire and Jose Canseco have played on this team together 16. The mascot for this team is Mettle the Mule 17. This is one of the most wealthy teams in the MLB, which also used to be located in Brooklyn 20. Busch stadium is the team’s home stadium 21. The Montreal Expos were renamed to this team 24. Hint: This team is space-related! 25. This western team is managed by Bud Black 26. This team’s name is Spanish for “father” or “friar”
27. This team won the World Series in 2016 28. Lou Seal is the team’s mascot DOWN 1. The “C” in this team’s logo has nothing to do with the Reds 2. Bryce Harper went to this team in 2019 3. This Midwestern team celebrated their 50th anniversary in 2020 5. This team located on the eastern coast had a record of 52-110 last year 6. Kevin Cash is the manager of this team 7. In 2001, this team became the fastest expansion team to win a championship 12. This team has its name had been changed to _____________ in 2021 14. This team spent nearly 426 million dollars on a single player’s contract for 12 years 18. PNC Park is where this team’s home games are played 19. Ray Davis and Bob R. Simpson are principal owners of this team 20. Jerry Remy used to be an announcer for this team while he was alive 22. The team has won the most World Series titles in all of MLB 23. All-stars Bo Jackson and George Brett both played on this team
by Lucy Li Vol. 28 No.4 Pg. 12