2020 Valentines Day Edition

Pilot Volume 26 Issue 3 February 13, 2020

Drawn by Claire Chen

A Fatal Trend

By Kylie Tremaine

The popularity of vaping causes extreme consequences for teens

Over fifty years ago, a man by the name of Herbert Gilbert created a “smokeless non tobacco cigarette” that would one day change the smoking habits of society. Vaping did not become popular until 2011. Many people switched from cigarettes to vapes and e-cigarettes because it was deemed “more healthy than smoking cigarettes.” Vapes ultimately have a better smell, they don’t leave yellow stains, and best of all they don’t contain tobacco.

However, on August 8, 2016, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), ruled that e-cigarettes are considered to be “tobacco products,” and subject to federal regulation.

Now one may wonder, why are vapes so bad? This vapor may seem harmless, but some contain nicotine--which is also in cigarettes. Nicotine is highly addictive. According to New York Times Upfront, one Juul pod has as much nicotine as 20 cigarettes.

Additionally, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention nearly 1,500 people have suffered from vape and e-cigarette related illnesses in the month of October alone. Nearly 33 of those people have died from those related issues. Federal health officials want to encourage people to stop using vapes, especially the ones with THC, which is the chemical in marijuana that makes people high.

Vaping products are battery-powered devices that heat up a liquid that turns into vapor which the user inhales. Vaping is defined as the inhaling of a vapor created by an electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) or other battery-powered smoking device.

They have cartridges filled with a liquid that usually contains nicotine, flavorings, and chemicals.

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Today, vapes have not just gotten in the hands of adults who long to quit smoking, but also teens. Many teens start vaping because they have a family member or friend that has vaped around them before (39%). Some say they vape because of the variety of flavors that have been put out there, such as fruity or candy flavors (31%). Some have also come to the conclusion or belief that vaping is healthier than smoking a regular tobacco filled cigarette (17.1%). Many tobacco companies use the flavors to target the youth population because they

Teens

know that their tobacco cigarettes are decreasing in demand. In today’s society, it is also a lot easier for a teenager to get their hands on an e-cigarette or a vape than a regular pack of cigarettes.

Vaping can really affect the long term and short term effects of someone’s health. The short term usually has to do with the respiratory system.

Some vapers can start to develop a type of asthma that many smokers can develop the more they smoke (COPD asthma). As for the long term, there can be many consequences. Just like cigarettes, many vapes contain a highly addictive drug called nicotine, which slows the brain’s processes. According to Thomas Ylioja, clinical director of Health Initiatives Programs, “Nicotine can damage your brain, specifically the parts that control mood, learning, and attention span.” Also, based on a 2019 study

by Boston University’s School for Public Health, teens who use e-cigarettes are more likely to smoke regular cigarettes in the future.”Along with these slow brain processes, vaping has also been linked to seizures. In April of 2019, the FDA ran an inves-

tigation on how vaping may lead to seizures, and as of August of 2019, these cases of seizures rose to 127 and continue to rise.

A poll was taken to get feedback from WLHS students about vaping. Junior, Emily Gorski, described vaping as “disgusting,” while juniors, Jordyn Olson and Janiya Herd said, they “don’t think vaping is good, but would never judge someone for vaping.” Sophomore, Emily Buch, said, “Vaping is just as bad for you as smoking.” Freshman Claudia Kroenke said, “Anything other than oxygen isn’t good for your lungs.” I put a poll on instagram, and 95% of people who took that poll agreed that vaping was bad, while only 5% of people disagree. Commons Directors, Mr. Robinson and Mrs. Matus both agreed that they do not think vaping is healthy. Mrs. Matus added that she thinks, “vaping is scary.”

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “1 in 20 middle schoolers used e-cigarettes in 2018. In high school, the statistic is 1 in 5.” That means that more than “3.6 million kids are using e-cigarettes--a huge increase from 2011, when there were 220,000 students vaping. In September 2019, the “CDC announced it is investigating 380 cases of severe lung illnesses in young adults--all related to e-cigarette use. There have been at least 26 deaths across 21 states.” Now some people are fighting back. WLHS junior, Isabella Delwiche, said it best when she said, “I don’t think it [vaping] is smart because it can be addictive, and I don’t think addictive things are smart, because once you are in an addiction, it is difficult to get out. It’s not worth the time and guilt for a little bit of pleasure.” Vaping is a dangerous habit, and the best way to avoid this is to just to not start vaping.

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Embracing Culture By: Abigail Berg

Two Wisco students work together to unite students through the school’s diversity

Wisconsin Lutheran High School is home to many groups, clubs, and extracurricular activities.

Students from all grades take part in these clubs’ various missions. Whether it be to get a job done, win a competition, or just to have fun, Wisco’s clubs are a big part of student life. Wisco’s newest club has a mission of its own. Wisconsin Lutheran’s Culture Club aims to educate and unify students of all different races and backgrounds from all over the world.

Wisco takes pride in its extensive international program, but how much does the average student really know about where their fellow classmates are from? Culture Club started out as an idea--two ideas actually. Two seniors wanted a way to share information and experiences from different cultures with the student body, and what better way to do that than to start a club. Little did each of them know, the other had the same idea! Attila Haimiti and Brielle Miles both have a passion for helping others, and they wanted to share their abilities with Wisco in a way that would leave a positive impact on the student body.

Attila, an international student himself, said

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that the reason he wanted to start a club like this in the first place was due to the fact that he saw that a lot of conflicts in the world were caused by cultural misunderstandings which resulted in stereotypes and discrimination. He wanted to use his own abilities to help eliminate those stereotypes and discrimination at WLHS.

Brielle said that she had wished Wisco had a club like this for her first few years of high school, so when she was a junior she started planning it herself. She and Attila were creating the same club at the exact same time, but neither of them had any idea that there was another student who wanted to form the same club. Principal Leyrer told them about each other in September 2019, and they met right away to combine their clubs.

Wisco’s Culture Club is open to all students. Each meeting has games and different foods from cultures around the world. Wisco’s Culture Club has a lot to offer. Stay tuned to the morning announcements for the date of the next monthly meeting!

Photo by Stephanie Hernandez

School

Q&A Question: Has anyone ever discouraged you from starting a Culture Club?

Brielle: “No one at Wisco has ever told me I couldn’t or shouldn’t make this club. I’ve been discouraged by some aspects of the student body’s response to the club, just because some students aren’t passionate about making Wisco more inclusive and representative. However, even if they aren’t passionate, I am, and that’s encouraged me to keep going.”

Attila: “No, no one discouraged me; they were all supportive.”

Question: What are some of the ways you accomplish your mission through Culture Club?

Brielle: We offer students a place to celebrate their culture and to learn about others. We do this by meeting once a month, playing games, planning educational events, and increasing cultural representation throughout the school.

Attila: I want to have activities to help students understand more about different cultures. I hope to invite a professor or people from a variety of cultures to speak to Culture Club members and to the school.

Question: What is the Culture Club’s mission?

Brielle and Attila: “Our goal is to celebrate the different cultures of Wisco, Milwaukee, and other cultures of the world. We want learn about these cultures and be a safe space for students from many different backgrounds.”

Question: What is the most rewarding part about starting your own club?

Brielle: For me, the rewards have been how much I’ve learned. I’ve learned so much about people and how different our backgrounds are. I’ve made some excellent connections with people who have been able to teach me a lot about how to be a leader and an ally.

Attila: I love seeing students interested in learning about other cultures.

Question: What hopes do you have for the future of the Culture Club at Wisco?

Brielle and Attila: Attila and I hope that we can grow our club to a place where we can host more events such as cultural cooking classes or having speakers at Wisco. We want to celebrate Wisco--it is a melting pot of cultures.

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Fest 202

tival 20

By Megan Orozco Reyes Pilot’s top picks for things to do with the ones you love

For many years, Valentine’s Day has been celebrated by people of all ages. It is the time of year where someone can confess love for somebody, or just spend time and celebrate with a loved one. One does not have to have a date to have a good Valentine’s Day. Spending time with a friend or staying with family can make Valentine’s Day special. Here are some ideas to help you create a special day.

Go Ice Skating Ice skating at the slice of ice at Red Arrow Park is a great way to have fun and spend time with a significant other or with friends. This allows people to be outdoors and enjoy the beautiful February snow. Afterwards, enjoy a hot delicious coffee at Starbucks nearby.

Watch a Movie This classical date has been used for decades. This Valentine’s Day you can go with friends or a date to see a movie. Or, stay home and watch Snoopy, Be My Valentine, or another fun Valentine’s Day flick. Since high schoolers often may be short on cash, gather your favorite snacks, stay home, and binge watch your favorite series on Netflix, or the new Disney Plus channel. Or, choose a theme and indulge in a movie marathon.

Take a Cooking Class Participating in a cooking class can unlock new skills.

Cooking requires teamwork, dedication, and concentration. You could each pick your favorite desserts and make them together.

Visit Unknown Parts of the City There may be different places around Milwaukee that you don’t know much about, and you want to discover with someone special. Walking or driving around gives you time to get to know the person, and you may learn some interesting new facts. As a plus, there may be new places and people to meet as well.

Relax with a Spa Night Make DIY face masks or an at-home mani/pedi. Watch your favorite movie and take selfies while you wait for your nails to dry.

Create a Chocolate Tasting Event Spending time tasting chocolate is an easy and fun way to have a great time. Buy a box of different chocolates and decide which one is your favorite. Try creating games such as deciding which one is your friend’s or significant other’s favorite one.

Sing Karaoke Show off your singing skills with this amazing activity.

If you are brave enough, you can dedicate a song to the person you like or to your dear friend. There is no need to go out; you can stay home and use a computer, a phone, or a television.

Visit a Museum At the Milwaukee Public Museum, catch the Valentine’s program Romancing the Stars. Embark on an out-of-this-world date at the Planetarium, complete with a romantic tour of the universe and a look at which star clusters are actually “constellations of love.”

Volunteer Volunteer at your church or a retirement facility and bring joy to someone else.

Enjoy an Indoor Picnic Have a picnic in your living room. Make small sandwiches and delicious desserts and pretend it is summer! To make it more authentic, include background noise of birds chirping.

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Valentine’s Day Word Search

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The Mysterious Chicken Bowl

By: Mercedes Rzepkowski

For as long as students can remember, every Thursday the school cafeteria serves chicken bowl. Chicken bowl consists of mashed potatoes, popcorn chicken, corn, gravy, and a biscuit. At Wisco, the chicken bowl has consistently been a top seller throughout the years, but why?

An interview with Mrs. Derouin, Food Service Director of the cafeteria staff, reveals some of the perplexing questions behind the chicken bowl. When asked why we have chicken bowl on Thursdays, Mrs. Derouin responded by saying that it has been around for at least six years, and was a tradition when she arrived here in Wisco.

Although the mystery may forever be hidden when it comes to chicken bowl, it is no mystery that chicken bowl has seen a decline.

Over the past year, chicken bowl has dropped in popularity where nacho bowl has taken its place. Is chicken bowl fizzling out purely because of its longevity as a staple meal at Wisco?

Or, will chicken bowl eventually regain popularity?

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Student Life

Behind the Scenes with the Kitchen Staff

By: Mercedes Rzepkowski

Whether or not chicken bowl remains part of Wisco’s unique culture, the lunch staff always will. Many students do not understand and appreciate all of the time and effort that is put into meal prep, cooking, serving, ordering, and cleaning up by the lunch staff. When asked about meal prep, Mrs. Derouin said she easily spends 40 plus hours working on each month’s meal plan, and often takes her work home to finish the schedule. Many students don’t understand that the lunchroom can’t serve whatever they feel like, and that there are specific guidelines for what students can and cannot eat, and that each meal is portioned out.

The kitchen staff works tirelessly to accommodate the wants and likes of the students. However, this work often goes unseen. For example, the kitchen staff serves meals seven days a week.

Unless a student is an international student, he/she most likely wouldn’t know this. This means that the kitchen staff is at Wisco seven days a week serving meals to students. The lunchroom staff works at Wisco about 40 hours a week, and they often receive little recognition for their efforts.

When asked what she would tell students if

she could tell them anything, Mrs. Derouin brought up cleanliness. At the end of a lunch period, students often don’t push in their chairs. Students also leave a mess of dropped food on the floors, tables and condiment station. This is additional work for the lunch staff who have a limited amount of time between lunch periods to clean up.

Students often wonder about lunch guidelines and how this affects which foods are included in a meal. This is because the lunch staff has to follow a strict set of dietary guidelines. The National School Lunch and Breakfast rules state that all components of each meal (milk, meat/meat alternative, fruit, vegetable, and a grain) must be offered. Additionally, each of these components in a meal must meet a minimum amount. Furthermore, there are limits to fat, sodium, and calories per week. The lunch staff strives to create a meal that both follows the guidelines and is tasty as well.

While we may never know the mysteries of Thursday’s chicken bowl, we do know our lunch staff, and we should thank them for all of the effort and time they put into making our Wisco experience a positive one; it is the Wisco Way.

Flying Funniez And for never judging my faults

True Love This is for always being there for

me

Love

Note

My Love

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