Combined PDF - Whitefish Bay Tower Times

Volume 81, Issue 6
WHITEFISH BAY HIGH SCHOOL
Review of Disney’s
“Cinderella”
See page 6.
The Do’s and
Don’t’s of Spring
See page 10.
April 10, 2015
Athlete of the month:
Isaiah Johnson
See page 12.
A Farewell to Mr. Henkle
His final words before leaving Whitefish Bay High School
said, adding that when he is retired, he will
have more time to focus on his family.
Mr. Henkle also acknowledged that
“changes that are taking place more at the
state level” have made the job of managing
the high school increasingly difficult.
Budget deficits have made establishing
a working school budget more and more
challenging; solutions that may be used one
year are no longer valid the next year and
the job becomes more cumbersome. New
teacher compensation guidelines and the
challenge of keeping teachers at schools
have also been a factor that makes the job
harder.
Making Whitefish Bay High School
“more student-centered” has been one of
Mr. Henkle’s crowning achievements. Mr.
Henkle said that now Whitefish Bay is making “a more concerted effort to ensure that
we’re taking the needs and interests of all
of the kids into account first and foremost.”
Mr. Henkle has also worked hard to make a
great academic support program at the high
school.
In the last few months of the school
year Mr. Henkle is planning to finalize the
teaching staff for next year and finish staff
evaluations.
Even though Mr Henkle will not be
able to observe his long term goals for the
high school, he wants to see students take
control of their learning with technology. In
addition, Mr. Henkle wants to put emphasis
on the emotional well-being of students in
Whitefish Bay.
Mr. Henkle will formally retire on
August 14th and Ms. Levek, the incoming
principal, will start on July 1st. Therefore,
Mr. Henkle hopes to “bring her up to speed”
on the current problems facing Whitefish
Bay today. Mr. Henkle thinks there will not
be anything that Ms. Levek will not “get
a handle on” and he “can’t imagine having
more confidence in anyone, in terms of being a great fit for the role.”
Like the rest of the students, Whitefish
Bay High School freshman Holly Winney
said that she is “sad to see him go.”
Ms. Levek hopes to “continue good work
that is already in progress” in the short
term. One of the projects that Ms. Levek
wants to build on is “helping kids find good
balance” through new student groups like
RedGEN.
She stated that she wants all Whitefish
application enhancer, and this applies to
members in Whitefish Bay High School as
well. Many residents and faculty in Whitefish Bay have noticed that members do the
bare minimum in order to stay in NHS.
In addition, there have been numerous complaints from those who are not in
NHS. NHS sponsors various activities including blood drives, Bay Ball, candy cane
sales, carnation sales, high school tours,
and much more. Because these volunteer
events are limited to NHS members only,
students not in NHS do not gain the opportunity to participate in such events.
In order to minimize the ongoing
conflicts that many have faced with NHS,
the new service organization is to be
open to all juniors and seniors and will be
advised by Ms. Praxmarer and Ms. Tucker.
Although still under planning, this organization aims to continue the initial goals of
NHS while providing this opportunity to
every upperclassmen who is interested.
Although most students are upset over
its disestablishment, many favor the idea of
replacing it with a new service organization.
Whitefish Bay High School junior Mary
Claire Potter stated, “Even though NHS
was a lot of work, I think that it was an
important opportunity for seniors to be
able to participate in. But I also think that
offering a service organization that is open
to everyone will be even better because
After 14 years as the principal ofWhitefish Bay High School, he decides to retire. Photo from Tri-Parish Cluster of Port
Washington/Saukville.
By Jack Styler
After 16 years leading the high school,
Principal Bill Henkle will be retiring in August. Mr. Henkle has a lot of experience at
Whitefish Bay High School and he will help
incoming Principal Amy Levek, the current
middle school principal, learn how to run a
successful high school.
When asked why he decided this year
would be his last, Mr. Henkle cited the demands of the position and indicated that he
wanted to pursue his other interests in life.
Mr. Henkle has devoted most of the last
16 years making Whitefish Bay High School
one of the best high schools in the state, but
that has not left him with much spare time.
“The job has not gotten any easier,” Henkle
Bay Students to become “well-rounded
people.” Student-founded ideas are very important to Ms. Levek because, as she states,
students are more self-aware.
Ms. Levek wants to put emphasis on
the fact that most of the reforms and new
ideas in the high school should come from
students. She supports the creation of a new
service club and wants to keep the dialogue
about diversity in Whitefish Bay open.
After Mr. Henkle’s departure, Ms. Levek
will carry on his legacy with a continued
focus student ideas. Although Mr. Henkle
is formally retiring, he says that he is just
a phone call or email away. But the final
farewell for Mr. Henkle will come in June
for most high school students.
Sections:
News...................1-2
Features..............3-4
Specials..................5
Reviews..................6
Arts........................7
Opinion................8-9
Humor...................10
Sports..............11-12
A Student Quest for
Truth
National Honor Society to be Replaced with a New Service
Organization Next Year
By Michelle Shin
The school board has recently decided
that starting from the Class of 2016,
National Honor Society (NHS) will not be
offered at Whitefish Bay High School. As a
replacement for NHS, the high school will
offer a new service organization yet to be
named.
There are several reasons why the
school board has implemented this change,
beginning with the amount of stress and
time involved in applying, selecting, and
tracking members.
The primary reason for the disestablishment of this nationally recognized club
is because of the members’ attitudes and
efforts. For many members in the nation,
National Honor Society serves as a college
all students will be given the same opportunity to serve the community.” Junior
Mia Ogorchock agrees: “Personally, I’d
prefer NHS as it is a nationally recognized
program, but the new service program also
sounds beneficial and rewarding.”
In regard to college admissions, students are not to worry, for the depth of
commitment and leadership in an applicant’s extracurricular activities are prioritized more so than the types and breadth of
the activities.
Students are encouraged to stay tuned
to upcoming announcements and information regarding the new service organization
in order to continue to represent Whitefish
Bay High School in the comunity.
2
TOWER TIMES
April 10, 2015
NEWS
Whitefish Bay
Couple Arrested
Gallagher and Schaller accused of illegally
collecting public aid
By Brennan Gregg
The Radio Station
Journey Continues
By Noah Kirchner
The home of Gallagher and Schaller, whereWhitefish Bay police found several boxes of Rec Cap Luggage, as well as various financial records and
receipts. Photo by BruceVielmetti, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Falsifying information to
complete a State of Wisconsin public aid application is a
crime. This past week, thanks
to an anonymous tipster,
police arrested a Whitefish Bay
couple, accused of illegally collecting public aid to the tune of
over $100,000.
According to Bruce Vielmetti of the Milwaukee Journal
Sentinel, Mary Jo Carini Gallagher and Todd Schaller, residing at 5918 N. Santa Monica
Blvd, are accused of failing to
disclose income and falsifying
information used to complete
public aid applications filed
every six months for the last
nine years. Over $114,000
in public aid was collected,
including $64,000 in food
stamps, averaging about $600
per month. The couple even
used this falsified information
to apply for free school lunches
for their child.
The state has been paying
Mary Carini Gallagher food
shares stamps and Medicaid
benefits for years according to
court records. However, this
past July 2014, an anonymous
letter was sent to the Office of
the Inspector General detailing
the couple’s failure to disclose
income, along with a copy of
a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
article about the work Gallagher had done on the Santa
Monica Blvd home. The Santa
Monica home was purchased in
August 2009.
Carini Gallagher had stated
on her public assistance application that she lived in a single
family residence on N. Bartlett
Ave. in Shorewood and failed
to disclose that she resided
with Schaller in Whitefish Bay,
or include his income as part
of her household to determine
benefit eligibility. The home on
N. Bartlett was sold in September of 2009 although she
continued to report this house
as her residence, long after it
was sold.
Whitefish Bay village records show that the home on
Santa Monica has an assessed
value of $379,200 and Carini
Gallagher and Schaller had
initiated numerous work permits for remodeling projects
performed in the home. Three
years ago the Journal Sentinel
featured their home in its “At
Home” section. Carini Gallagher told the paper that she
owned her own design firm,
Eye 4 Color, and Schaller was
the general manager for a concrete company.
A search warrant affidavit
was filed by Whitefish Bay police detective Joseph McLeod
and now new, additional retail
theft charges may be pending
against Carini Gallagher. In
the basement, a discovery was
made of numerous boxes with
“Red Cap Luggage” printed on
them. The officers made contact with Jo Ann Schulz of Red
Cap Luggage on Silver Spring
Drive who indicated that Carini Gallagher was an employee
of the store and was not authorized to have the suitcases in
her possession. Apparently the
theft of the suitcases will not
be difficult to identify as high
end suitcases have a bar code
imprinted on them. Schulz had
hired Carini Gallagher to work
part time last fall.
During the search of the
home, in addition to the identification of the Red Cap luggage
boxes, police “seized financial
records, travel and shopping
receipts, computers and other
items investigators believe
might reveal evidence of public
assistance fraud.”
When hearing about this
recent Whitefish Bay development, freshman Noah Kirchner
responded, “I lived next to
them for 6 years until 2013,
and when I found out about the
whole ordeal, I was shocked
because they were always the
most whole-hearted, down to
earth people, and were really
the best neighbors one could
ask for. While we lived next to
them, our families were very
close.”
This situation is still developing, with the future the of
the case pending. According to
WISN Channel 12 news, Carini
Gallagher’s lawyer has advised
her to make no comment and
added “we have offered to
cooperate with the authorities”.
The couple is currently free
on bond and the Milwaukee
County District Attorney is reviewing the case and will make
a decision as to what criminal
charges will be filed, if any. A
decision could be made in the
near future.
The Whitefish Bay School
District has fairly recently
joined most of Wisconsin’s
major cities by obtaining
a license from the Federal
Communications Commission
(FCC) to build a low-power
FM radio station at the high
school, an exciting step forward for students who want Image by Friends ofWhitefish Bay Radio.
a radio station built at Whitefish Bay High School. If built, the radio station would be one of
three stations in the state owned and operated by a high school,
and would cover a range of roughly the size of the Village of
Whitefish Bay, where the vast majority of high school families
live.
Many ideas floated throughout room 47 at the School Board
meeting on March 25th, some of which questioned whether
the radio station should be operated exclusively for the use
of the school district, or rather as an asset to the entire community. One main concern regarding the proposal was its cost,
which was estimated at around $100,000 per year, including the
potential cost of hiring and/or paying a teacher to supervise and
operate the radio station.
At the meeting, another point was raised in response to this
concern, which included the possibility of hiring an intern to
supervise students and assist students in operating the radio station, a solution that would require minimal pay and in addition
would appeal to younger adults seeking out experience working
with high school students and experience with operating a radio
station.
When asked about the proposal and its cost, one student
responded by saying, “If the high school can provide exceptional
athletic facilities to student athletes, shouldn’t they be willing
and able to provide equal opportunities to those who have different interests?”
Regardless of the cost, the radio station proposal appears to
carry many benefits. If a curricular class is added, such as broadcasting, for example, students would have the chance to sign up
for the class just as any other elective and would then be able to
fulfill their aspirations of broadcasting at a much younger age
than most, while receiving an opportunity to make a name for
themselves among Whitefish Bay residents.
Another possible issue regarding the project was presented at
the meeting, which was the liability of having students talk “on
the air.” This concern, over the possibility of a student “slipping
up,” on the air, was quickly put to rest by John Davis, a primary
advocate of the radio station and father of two high school students, Evan, a freshman, and Ryan, a junior. Davis reiterated the
point that content on the air could be recorded and played at a
delay, solving the liability issue and allowing for broadcasting of
prerecorded material that could air at any time of day, with or
without students behind the mic.
With repeated broadcasts, listeners all over the community
would be able to tune in and listen to whatever the students
and/or community members recorded during the day, which
could include a project of a broadcasting student, a recording of
the latest choir concert, a detailed analysis of the most recent
sporting event, the crucial weather report of a high school aged
meteorologist, the special at Pandl’s restaurant, and countless
other opportunities.
The board meeting concluded with a request from Board
President Pam Woodard to the general public, asking that additional research be done regarding logistics of a community station. The project has come a long way, and continues to become
more realistic with every meeting.
April 10,
2015
Volumes
50,
Issue 8
TOWER
TIMES
TOWER
TIMES
Sunday, July 31st 2011 3
FEATURES
Reminiscing about the Past:
An Interview With Principal Henkle About His Years At Bay
By Kendall Gehrke
TT: What has been one of your best moments at Whitefish Bay?
Mr. Henkle: There have been lots.
One of my favorite things is seeing the
students in action. I know there are staff
behind it, almost without exception, but
our staff has done a great job of guiding
students and allowing them to take it
from there. There is such a broad range
in activities. The theater department,
the athletic things, and so much more.
I don’t favor athletics, but a lot of those
are on such larger scales. For example,
when our football team almost made it
to state. It was disappointing to lose in
overtime, but it was still exciting. The
crowd was amazing, so was the camaraderie. Also, when the basketball team
won the championship. It’s such a euphoric feeling. There are positive feelings
across so many other student activities.
That’s always the most fun thing. It can
even be during the day! In classrooms, I
can just be blown away. I remember Ms.
Disbrow once invited me to watch an
Honors English Panel Discussion speech,
and I was just astonished. I thought I
was in a professional journalism studio!
Another cool thing was the buzzcuts
[for cancer]. Also, these assemblies, like
the Diversity Assembly. They just make
you so proud. Those are definitely the
highlights for me.
TT: On a more negative note, what have
been some of the worse moments?
Mr. Henkle: Without question, the
saddest have been the losses of life.
When Maddie Kiefer passed away, the
circumstances surrounding her death
were just so horrific. That was probably one of the most trying experiences
surrounding this community. At least we
were forced to look at policies and mentalities surrounding substance abuse and
redouble our efforts to be all the more
vigilant yet still supportive. That’s an
ongoing process. I don’t know if you’ve
ever heard of Mr. Bromley - he was the
physics teacher before Mr. G. He was
revered and widely popular, and he had
a massive heart attack in July. Small
consolation that wasn’t during a school
year, but still. There’s a scholarship in his
honor, and for many years, his kids have
presented it.
TT: Are there any achievements you are
particularly proud of?
Mr. Henkle: There’s quite a few, actually. One of the things that you lose track
of is the facility improvements. Not that
I’m single handedly responsible, but it is
astounding what we have accomplished
here. All of the public support that
comes in is unbelievable. Smaller scale,
the Library Media Center. It was a disaster - I should have filmed it. I could not
believe that a school of this stature had
a LMC that was like a dump! It’s been
an ongoing process. People won’t say
“Wow, this is one of the greatest facili-
ties in the country.” But
man, it has come so far.
It used to wrap around
the corner, and we replaced that with a digital
lab, which is now on its
second revision. The fact
that the school allows
us to serve all kids, even
those with extraordinary special needs, is
fantastic. Which leads
me to another point - I
think we’ve become a
more inclusive school.
You’ve gotta work at
that, and that’s what the
diversity assembly is
Pictured: Mr. Henkle. Photo courtesy of Kendall Gehrke.
all about, but we have
made so much progress. I’m not knockmailing list. I want to know what’s going
ing the way it was when I came, but
on, and if I’m not the one putting it tothere was more of an exclusivity to the
gether, it’s going to be much more fun!
school. It’s always been a great place for
Just to be a happy spectator, to take in a
bright kids to excel, but it wasn’t necesmusical, a state tournament, whatever.
sarily a great place to be if you didn’t
I want to stay connected. I enjoy the
necessarily fit that bill, and there weren’t
people, but sometimes you can’t interact
necessarily many supports for you. Our
with them on a more personal and social
learning center, if I had to point to one
level because there’s too much to be
thing that I’m proud of, is probably that,
done. Not that you want to be rubbing
and I think it’s evolved into something
it in other people’s faces, but I look formuch more powerful and impactful.
ward to coming back. I think that over
time I will be less connected as people
TT: Are there going to be specific things
I know move on. I’ve hired about three
that you will miss?
fourths of the staff, and there’s a connection there that’s not going to disappear.
Mr. Henkle: I’m already thinking,
I’ve asked Ms. Levick to put me on the
How To:
Keep Up With Your Laundry
By Erin Rosenberg
About two hours ago I realized I should probably start packing for my trip tomorrow morning. As of now, I’m leaving my
house in seven hours. Needless to say, packing was a rush. The picture below is of my bed mid-packing. The clothes are all
clean, but none of the clean clothes ever got folded and put away. This made my job immensely more difficult. I have (once
again) realized that I need to do better with the entire job of laundry.
Hopefully, this article might be useful in helping you keep up with your laundry. Here goes!
Step 1: Get a laundry sorter. This might seem ridiculous for one
person, but multiple internet sources insist that it makes Laundry
Day go faster.
Step 2: Do laundry before you need to. Dedicate a few hours every
week to do it—even if your hamper isn’t quite full yet.
Step 3: Create a designated space for lost socks. Sad to be all alone
in the world, isn’t it? At least let those singles mingle in a basket
until you find their partner.
Step 4: Go buy more clothes. Shopping is fun. It is also a handy
(temporary) solution to your lack of clean clothes.
Step 5: Commission a parent or sibling to do it for you. This is the
ideal solution. I, sadly, have not figured out how to do this yet.
Photo courtesy of Erin Rosenberg.
4
TOWER TIMES
April 10, 2015
FEATURES
Recapping Students’ International Trips Over Spring Break
Photo courtesy of morguefile.com.
The Panama travelers first stayed in Panama City,
Panama, then moved south to a city called Chitre.
For about seven days, they toured the city. Afterwards, students went to to stay with local families
for about six days, followed by another day in
Panama. Ms. Medved received very positive feedback about the time spent with the families, who
were unique in what they offered each student.
Throughout the trip, the students and teachers
enjoyed fresh (but not necessarily ripe) fruit hanging from trees throughout the country. They often
ate pineapples, mangoes, plantains, and pineapples.
Other foods they enjoyed from the local cuisine
were chicken and fresh fish.
One of the most amazing parts of the trip,
however, was when the group visited the indigenous culture, called the Embera. A popular
tourist attraction, the natives invited the group to
enjoy themselves experiencing Embera culture,
and didn’t disappoint. The Whitefish Bay travellers
witnessed ritual dances and a marketplace full of
extraordinary items created by the Embera.
The party also had the chance to go ziplining,
visit historic cities, and learn some pottery and
bakery.
The exotic Peru trip was also a viable
expedition for anyone looking for adventure. These students flew to Lima, Peru,
and stayed there for a day before moving
on to Cuzco for four days, and the Amazon
rainforest for another two days.
The students were treated to beautiful
sights of the Incan ruins, as well as some
native foods. Erin Rosenberg, a junior,
enjoyed eating alpacas, which “tasted
like steak, but more tender.” Many other
students also ate guinea pigs, which were
described as “slimy.”
The trip ended with the students
spending time with local children. Playing
games like hot potato and soccer, was said
to easily be one of the best parts of the
trip.
Erin does have one warning for all
students looking to embark on adventure
like this, however: “Make sure you bring
Cipro to avoid getting sick. Also, don’t
drink the water there.” Other than that, “it
was worth it and beautiful.”
Robert Ali, a sophomore who participated
in the France/Germany trip, had very positive things to say
about the trip. They stayed in Paris for three days, touring
various sights such as the Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre Art
Museum, Notre Dame, and the Eiffel Tower, and experienced many new and awesome aspects of the foreign culture,
including the delicious food.
“I tried escargot, along with many other people, which
was the most foreign food I had on the trip. Also in Paris
we ate a lot of crêpes,” Robert stated. Note: Escargot is a
savoury dish comprised mostly of cooked snails.
After Paris, the troupe stayed and toured for two days
in Strasbourg, notable for its beautiful city. Afterwards,
the French and German students parted ways to take time
staying with local families. Most students experienced local
education and especially loved this part.
After staying with the families, the German and French
students reunited, taking a bike tour in Munich. Along the
way they saw the birthplace of the Nazi Party, a concentration camp in Dachau, and a castle in the mountains.
“My advice to future travelers is to put yourself out there.
I had a ton of fun meeting people, even people from our
school on the the trip that I didn’t know. Make new friends
and be open to new ideas. Be outgoing, and you will love the
trip.”
Club of the Month: GSA
By Matt Fiorita
On the national level, GSA is an acronym for Gay-Straight Alliance but at
Whitefish Bay High School the decision was made to have the acronym
mean Gender & Sexuality Alliance.
At Whitefish Bay, GSA began about
15 years ago and today the club
consists of about thirty members, but
they are always happy to welcome
new members. As its name indicates
GSA accepts people of all sexual
orientations. Over the years, it has
had a great affect on Whitefish Bay
students. “I would say we have even
helped eradicate some intolerable
behaviour, and horrible comments,”
says president of GSA and senior
Laurel Adams.
GSA meets every other Thursday
to discuss current events and to
plan events like the recent Diversity assembly and to enjoy the
free cookies. “We hope everyone
enjoyed the assembly and that it
will have some lasting effects and
help make our student body more
tolerant,” says Adams. Next on the
agenda, GSA is organizing a Day
of Silence on April 17th as part
national event aimed at calling
attention to the silencing effect of anti-LGBT bullying and
harassment in schools. If you are
interested in participating, make
sure to sign up in rotunda on
April 15th.
If you would like your club featured in this column, please contact Jieun Heo at [email protected].
April 10,
2015
Volumes
50,
Issue 8
TOWER
TIMES
TOWER
TIMES
“You do you.”
Interviewed by Ali Lehman
Bergitta Stilman
Every year I go to Delaware with my family; we have a vacation
home only a few blocks away from the ocean so I’ve grown up
always being around and enjoying the ocean. When I got into
fifth grade I decided to join a surfing team/club along with my
friends in Delaware and two sisters. There and then I learned
how to surf from teachers. Although it’ a really hard thing we
loved it, and soon were getting waves. Eventually my sisters and
I each got our own boards and started surfing a lot more.
Obviously, living in Wisconsin with the cold and no ocean, I
only get the chance to surf when I’m in Delaware which is only
a couple months per year, but it is still a huge part of my life. I
love being on the ocean and hanging with my friends so surfing
is so much fun for me. Surfing for me is a for fun sport, I have
never competed with it, but I hope to keep doing it for the rest
of my life, because it’s one of the most exhilarating and relaxing
sports I do, and catching a good wave compares to no other
experience.
Emily Oats
I have always loved working with animals, especially dogs. When
I was a freshman, I took classes with my pointer mix, patches,
and trained him to be a therapy dog. I loved working with him
and training him. Then, about a year later, one of my aunts had
adopted retired seeing eye dog. That sparked my interest with
seeing eye dogs. After doing some research, I found OccuPaws
Guide Dog Association. OccuPaws is a training organization,
located in Madison, that trains puppies for formal guide dog
training. In order to train the puppies, each one is put into a
family with a certified puppy raiser to train them in a home
environment. I got in touch with the area coordinator about
becoming a raiser. I had to attend about a month of classes in
Madison every Thursday and then was tested. Finally, in November, I officially became a puppy raiser.
The first puppy I was gave was Yahtzee.Yahtzee was a large
seven month old yellow lab puppy. He had just come out of the
PawsForward, a program on which inmates can help to train the
dogs. He knew his commands were well, but lacked house manners. I worked with Yahtzee for about two months before the
program had to move the puppies around because a new litter
of puppies was being introduced into the program. My current
dog, Valor, is a fourteen month old yellow lab who had also just
came out of the prison program. I live working and training
with him. He has even attended a wrestling meet on the field
house. Valor is a wonderful dog and will be sent to formally
harness training in mid-April. It will be bittersweet to see him
go, but I know that, although I will miss him immensely, he will
change someone’s life.
Emily withValor.
Sunday, July 31st 2011 5
SPECIALS
The hobbies of Whitefish Bay students span further than the basic basketball and business club. Tower Times interviews 6 students with unique pastimes extending from
sailing to training seeing-eye dogs.
Adam Dallimore
My last name is Dallimore and although the name has its roots
in Australia, it dates back to the French: “de la mer” which
means “of the sea.” That doesn’t mean that I was born and bred
to be a sailor but I think it’s pretty co’d.
I first learned how to sail when I was about 7 at our lake house
on Lake Julia in northern Wisconsin--just sailing our butterfly
which is basically the quintessential idea of a sail boat. I have
always had an uncanny love for being on the water. There is
something to be said about harnessing the natural environment
and utilizing it to propel you forward and in the direction that
you want to go. Sailing is a blast and the endless amounts of
cliches that it provides about life are good too. I sail on Lake
Julia in the summer and honestly any other time I am granted
the opportunity. Sperrys is not a “must have”, although I do like
the comfort, I usually sail barefoot.
Grace D’Souza
Originally I was introduced to sewing by my grandmother; It
was a part of her life and something she loved to share with me.
My passion for seeing really picked up when I realized my love
for fashion design. My grandma taught me the basics of sewing
when I was about 10. Back then I just made things for my dolls.
Now I really enjoy making dresses for myself. Although I’ve experimented with pants and skirts, dresses are the most fun. Half
the time it’s a complete failure...but when a design does work
out it’s awesome. This past year I’ve made my homecoming and
Sadies dress along with a few holiday dresses.
I hope to continue with fashion design after high school
or at least incorporate it into my career because I really enjoy it. It allows you to be creative and expressive, involves some math, and is always changing.
I was taught by my brother and grandpa.
There is a surprisingly large community of sailing clubs in colleges all across the United States. If I end up attending a college
that has a sailing team, I would love nothing more than to join
and try my own hand at sailing competitively.
I love the solidarity of sailing--possessing nothing but my
thoughts, some water, wind and sailboat. There’s a certain calm
in the breeze that propels you forward.
This is one of those things that very few know about me because
it really does not come up a lot when 80% of the Wisconsin
year doesn’t even contain the possibility of me getting out on a
sailboat.
MRC rowers.
Julia Campbell
I started rowing during the beginning of 8th grade through the
middle school learn to row program at the Milwaukee Rowing
Club. My friend persuaded me to row because her brother
rowed, and she planned to do so as well. I had just quit ballet
and was looking for a new activity; I immediately found great
interest in rowing. After the middle school learn to row, I decided to become a coxswain for the MRC high school girls’ team.
No, a coxswain is not the one who sits along in the back of the
boat just for the ride. They don’t just yell “Row” or “stroke” the
whole practices. Coxswains steer the boats, execute drills, give
technique critiques, create and execute race plans, and overall
are the coach in the boat to ensure safety and to provide motivation for the crew. The rowers listen to the coxswain’s calls and
actually face backwards in the boat.
Adam in Lake Michigan.
Evan Howell
This is my story: I mountain bike ride and race. It began for me
many years back when I did my first xterra (off-road) triathlon
called the Sheboygan Dairyland Xterra. I was accustomed to
road biking, and the proposition of off-road racing scared me
out of my wits. To be perfectly honest, I was scared to crash,
which is very common in off-road racing.
The stroke consists of the drive and the recovery. The drive
is broken into 3 parts: legs, body, then arms. The legs should
provide the most pressure for the boat. The recovery is when
the towers make their way up the slide, towards the stern of the
boat and should take a slow amount of time compared to the
drive. This is because if the recovery is too fast, the boat will
have what’s called rush, and will then jerk slightly backwards.
Nonetheless, my father pushed me to do the race. And ever
since that first race, I have loved mountain biking. The next year
I participated in the Wisconsin Off-Road Series (WORS) races
during the summer. The year after that, I did my first 24-hour
long race in Wausau with my father. I love the adrenaline of
riding the trails, and crashing is now something I accept with
anticipation.
There are a lot of athletes from Whitefish Bay High School who
row and anyone who’s interested in rowing should try the summer learn to row program through MRC.
Although I’ve adored racing, what I really enjoy the most about
mountain biking is bonding my father. We always go out together to ride, and it’s a great way to stay close while things get
busy at home. My favorite places to ride include the John Murr
Trails, Crystal Ridge, Emma Carlin trails, and the Milwaukee
River trail. It’s a blast!
And during some weekends in fall, spring, and summer, the
team competes in rowing races called “Regattas.” These regattas
are all over the Midwest and even throughout the United States.
Obviously, the harder you work with your team, the better you
will do against teams across the U.S.
Dukes On Vaction:
As a Freshman, I don’t think too much about college. But as of
right now, I can definitely see myself coxing for a university on
the East Coast.
SB2K15
By Leighty Hanrahan
From March 13th through (at least) the 22nd, Whitefish Bay students were spread all over the map, nationally and internationally. Over 80 students spent two
weeks abroad on school-sponsored trips in Panama, France/Germany, and Peru. All of these students had life-changing experiences, but what are the most common places to go on Spring Break at WFB?
A recent survey showed that a majority of students spent time in Florida, Arizona, Colorado, and California. Seniors, Ali Lehman and Leighty Hanrahan took
a trip to Longboat Key, Florida to soak up as much sun as possible. “The warm weather was honestly a shock to me” says Leighty Hanrahan, “I’m glad I could
spend my last Spring Break with a close friend. I was always jealous of people who went on Spring Break with friends when I was younger.”
A fair number of students also spent time at home, such as Sydney Wellenstein, senior. Wellenstein finished House of Cards and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
over the break. “I didn’t see anyone because everyone else was in Florida” Wellenstein exclaimed, “but the weather was okay!”
Emily Oates, who went to France and Germany on the school trip said that her favorite part of the trip was the family stay. “You truly got to immerse yourself
A Florida sunset.
in the culture, and improve as a German speaker. It was life changing.”
Erin Bentley, senior, was on the Spanish class trip to Panama. “It was amazing,” exclaimed Bentley, “The weather and the landscapes were beautiful, and I loved my host family”.
6
TOWER TIMES
April 10, 2015
REVIEWS
IN
SUR
GENT
By Ennma McGovern
F
orgive yourself. It’s
okay to be different.
Crows are scary.
These three messages and
many more inspirational
ideas come from the anticipated movie, Insurgent.
After realizing that she is
a special snowflake with a
trainer who has the hots
for her, Tris, the heroine of
Veronica Roth’s celebrated
dystopian novels, courageously sets out to change
the world while also trying
to pull off a new, a very
styled and blonde haircut.
Tris, formerly called
Beatrice, is an average
teen living in a dystopian
Chicago, and after trying to
fit into society’s rules and
failing, she now is on the
run. Four, the hot trainer,
is another Divergent, who
can’t help but fall for Tris
and help her as she tries to
change society.
Although it tries very
hard, Insurgent it lacks
that extra spark to set it
apart from the rest of the
dystopian movies. While
the whole idea of splitting
up an entire population
into five different sections
(homeless and nonconforming individuals not
included) is interesting, the
way that Insurgent tackled
this idea left a surprising
amount of plot holes and
too many slow motion
scenes.
This movie follows Tris
and Four as they begin their
lives as refugees. Of course
though they can’t just escape, Tris has decided that
it is time to kill Jeanine,
Kate Winslet/the “president” of the futuristic Chicago, which is surprising
because at the same time
that Tris has decided she is
totally okay with smiting
Jeanine, she constantly
struggles with the fact that
she killed her best friend’s
boyfriend.
As Tris and Four try to
dodge the Macklemore
look alike, Eric, and his
group, they end up causing
a surprising amount of
damage as well as killing a
lot more people along the
way. This brings me to the
next questionable part of
the movie. It appears pretty
quickly that the Jeanine’s
“brute squad” doesn’t actually use bullets. Instead,
they use nifty guns that just
shoot out tranquilizers that
are also laced with something much more sinister.
The rebels, on the other
hand, are completely fine
with using real guns against
people who are just trying
to keep civilization from
falling apart to the hands of
Divergents.
Continuing on, as Jeanine
hunts through the city to
rid everyone of Divergents,
she realizes that she needs
a 100% Divergent to open
a box that has an important
message that needs to be
read. So the question is,
will she and Four, despite
the really uncomfortable
age difference, be able to
save the world, themselves,
and their precious, totally
real emotions?
The truth is, this movie
actually has some high
points, well, good actors
I should say. Firstly, Kate
Winslet once again does
spectacularly in her role.
She was able to be the dictatorial, harsh leader who
is willing to kill whomever
to get ahead. Perhaps it’s
just me, but as she battles
through all the unruly
citizens, she actually seems
a little bit like the victim
here. All she wants to do is
find what the past citizens
left for her, and while yes,
her methods may be a little
extreme, she gets results
and honestly wants to do
what she believes is best.
All right, I’m biased.
Then there was Miles
Teller who brought humor
and a little charm. Together
the two of them made a
perfect pair that helped to
Cinderella: Just OK.
By Arian Albert and Abby McGovern
E
lla Enchanted. Ever
After. Cinderfella.The
Tender Tale of Cinderella Penguin. A Cinderella
Story and Another Cinderella
Story. The classic fairy tale
has been adapted time and
time again by Hollywood,
and in March, Disney took
another try at making a
movie about the girl with
the glass slippers. But while
Cinderella’s costumes and
set designs were magnificent, the lack of originality
made this movie just OK.
As anyone who looks at
the movie poster can see,
Cinderella (played by Lily
James, known for her role
in Downton Abbey) looks
simply gorgeous in her billowing blue dress.
The movie’s other
costumes are likewise
stunning. Cate Blanchett,
playing the evil stepmother,
looked elegantly serpantine
in graceful green dresses,
while the wicked stepsisters’ curly hair and overthe-top patterened dresses
made them almost cartoonishly nasty.
Cinderella’s sets were
equally exquisite. In particular, the Prince’s castle
was positively dripping
with gold accents and
floral bouquets, providing a
perfect background to the
classic ball scene.
However, where the
movie fell short was in its
utter lack of originality.
Anyone who has seen Disney’s classic animated version of Cinderella knows
exactly what will happen
in the live-action version.
There is no attempt to
update the story to reflect
changing cultural norms
and values, and the storyline remains almost entirely
unchanged. In fact, the
biggest difference between
the new and old versions
is that the update lacks the
signature songs found in
add depth to a movie. In
addition, the CGI throughout the entire film was
impressive and very well
done.
Overall, Insurent fell flat
as a sequel. There were too
many plot holes that went
unanswered, the characters
often had confusing and
contradictory motives,
and in the end nothing was
really accomplished. It felt
like the producers were
counting too much on the
fact that since it was a dystopian movie young adults
would flock to it. While the
message of “Hey, it’s okay if
you’re not just one personality” is great, maybe there
should have just been one
movie for the whole series
and then call it a day.
The remake of Cinderella can be described as a
good movie, but an unneccesary one.
Disney’s earlier film.
As far as any other
notable changes go, tehy
typically occur in either
lengthening the movie, or
beautifying it. For example,
the audience is able to see
some of the family life that
occured before the deaths
of Cinderella’s parents.
The mother is never shown
in the animated version,
and the death of the father,
in true Disney fashion, is
never truly explained.
The other minor change
is that the “ugly stepsisters”
aren’t ugly at all. Played
by Holliday Grainger and
Sophie McShera, are both
portrayed as mean, yet
rather beautiful characters.
The actors themselves
stay true to the Cinderella
plot, with Prince Charming, played by Game of
Thrones actor Richard
Madden, taking up the
crown again in this Cinderella re-telling and portraying the sugary sweet prince.
Th movie goes as far as to
require any scenes with the
prince wearing tight pants
to use jockstraps so as to
remove any genitalia from a
Disney movie.
Overall, the remake of
Cinderella was a beautifully executed movie. The
costumes, the sets, and the
actors made the film a feast
for the eyes. But at its core,
the remake is really not
different than the original
animated version. Viewers may leave the theater
feeling awed by the movie’s
beauty, but left unmoved
byu an onoriginal story.
February
2012
Volumes
50,24,
Issue
8
Artist of the
Month: Redding
Tews
Interview by Leighty Hanrahan
TT: What got you interested in theatre?
RT: “I grew up in a family of three older boys (I was the only
girl). And my brothers would make home videos, and they
were really funny… I would try to join in with them and be
a part of those… they were part of a middle school showcase
[that] I always wished to be part of…. when I finally got to
Middle School at St. Robert’s, in Shorewood, then I got the
experience of being an actual part of the theatre. My love for
theatre just skyrocketed from there.
TT: What was your favorite show/character in your career?
RT: My favorite show to be a part of was “Arsenic and Old
Lace” sophomore year. Evan Howell and I shared some love. It
was all good. #Actfour?… Character? Boy #1 in Footloose.
TT: Do you intend on pursuing acting after high school?
RT:Yes, I do intend on pursuing theatre. I am not exactly sure
what type of theatre that I truly want to go into… But I am
definitely going to do it for the rest of my life.
TT: Who is your inspiration?
RT: My inspirations are Sutton Foster, MirandaSings, and the
instafamous Sian Whitney.
TT: Where the hell IS Bomont?
RT: Leighty, is this a real question?
TT: What sorts of secrets lay behind Rusty’s sunglasses in
Footloose?
RT: I think the big secret was that I had a concussion during
the run of Footloose, and that’s why I had sunglasses on…. I
got a concussion from a basketball hitting me in the back of
the head during gym class. And THEN, during a performance,
some of us did flips at the end, and my backflip didn’t go all
the way around. So I ended up in urgent care after that show
to get my concussion checked out AGAIN. Piece of advice…
Don’t perform when you have a concussion.
TT: What other extra curriculars do you take part in besides
theatre?
RT: I do drama club and theatre, choir, I was a part of DGroup this year, and that’s literally my life. I also watch The
Office when I am bored.
TT: Any changes you wish to make/be made to the theatre
department next year as a senior?
RT: A drama department. That is all.
TT: Anything else you want the school/TT to know?
RT: Follow me on instagram at rhtsquared
TOWER
TIMES
TOWER
TIMES
Sunday, July 31st 2011 7
A&E
Spring Started on a Good
Note: with The Music
Department Concert
By Patricia Mathu
On Monday, March 30, the music department put on another
phenomenal concert.
The orchestra began with 3
dances: “Slavonic Dance” by
Anotonin Dvorak, “Waltz No.
2” by Dmitri Shostokovich, and
“Libertango” by Astor Piazzolla.
Olivia Quehl, freshmen violinist says, “I think the entire music
department was equally good,
just the orchestra was a little bit
better.” For the orchestra, they
have been performing some
of these pieces for month, and
most people shared in the joy
and pride of their concert.
After orchestra, the combined
choir sang excerpts from
Mozart’s Requiem Mass. After
five amazing movements, they
concluded with “Lacrymosa,”
perhaps one of the most iconic
of the pieces. Chen-Chen Zhao,
freshman violinist thought “it
was really impressive that they
were able to sing entire songs in
Latin.
freshman violinist, said, “’Pulse’
was my favorite. It was really
interesting.” They concluded
with “Chester (Overture for
Band)” by William Schumann,
filling the auditorium with a full
sound.
Then, the Wind Ensemble and
Concert Band preformed “El
Relicario” by Jose Padilla. Then,
their rendition of the “English Fold Song Suite” by Ralph
Vaughan Williams captured all
the energy of the English tune.
This was the final music department concert of the year, so
every group recognized their
seniors. As Ms. Coy, band conductor, said, “The seniors are
irreplaceable... their leadership
is so valued among the rest of
the students.”
Lastly, Wind Ensemble took
the stage to perform “Pulse”
by Randall D. Standridge. The
movement of the piece symbolized a painter. Annika Gogan,
Congratulations to the seniors,
as well as the entire music department.
The Perks of
Being a
Wisconsinite:
Summerfest Lineups Stir
excitement in Bay.
Article by Ali Lehman
There’s not much special about
the city of Milwaukee; with the
long winters and the boring
school year there’s the one event
that every student of high school
looks forward to, Summerfest.
Everyone here knows what Summerfest is, in fact from the handful of Summerfest countdowns
posted throughout the winter as
TBT’s on Instagram you probably
have a general idea of how many
days we have until the event.
Summerfest is now making the
forefront of our minds with the
recent drop of the lineups this
month.
Artist of the month: Redding Tews, junior, (pictured above) is an
actress, singer, and dancer. Also known as “sunglass girl”
You probably saw it on Twitter or
heard about it the day it dropped
due to its immense popularity.
The feelings are mixed about the
lineups this year. There are lots
frustrated with the headliners
because they are too “hipster.”
The lineups do seem to include
a lot of alternative musics like
the popular indie-folk band from
Wisconsin Phox, the Australian
indie-rock band Atlas Genius, and
the indie-pop duo Sylvan Esso
who performed on the Jimmy
Fallon show.
The lineups also include oddities
like DJ Paris Hilton who is now
a DJ. She even makes the top five
highest paid in the word among
Calvin Harris and Diplo, although
many critique her for only making pre-made mixes that others,
like her ex-boyfriend AfroJack,
makes for her.
Also Weird Al Yankovic made the
summerfest lineup this year. He’s
a comedian that also sings parodies of popular artists like Lorde,
Iggy Azalia, and Megan Trainer.
Everyone who has been to Summerfest recognizes these guys, the impromptu drumming
groups that perform in and off the grounds
Photo by Jack McFarline
8
TOWER TIMES
April 10, 2015
OPINION
Asians
The invisibility of the Asian American struggle.
By Evan Zhao
Oftentimes, discussions of race are
reduced to a simple black and white
dichotomy. One of the main reasons is
that the African American presence in this
country has existed for far longer than that
of Asian American populations. Especially
given the more recent wave of Asian immigration, they make a much easier target
for racist jokes than do many other racial
populations.
Speaker Mieko Kuramoto was the only
one to talk about the issue of race at our
school. Mieko did a great job of addressing
everyone in the audience rather than only
the white-passing people. She didn’t use
her allocated time slot to talk only about
her own struggles with race, and only
her own. Instead, she talked about race
struggles in general, and what we as a staff
and student body needed to do to combat
those injustices. Despite her inclusion in
her addressed audience, some students
pointed out an ironic underrepresentation
in Mieko’s speech and in the video: Asians
were only mentioned in about 8 seconds
of the entire assembly. Amelia Windorski
commented on the Diversity Assembly,
saying, “There are a lot of minorities that
could have had more representation…
I’m a little biased as a person of mixed
race, but given the changing face of race
in America, I think there should have
been something about mixed race.” When
commenting on the laughter following
Mieko’s mention of “eating dogs,” Joohee
Sim stated, “People aren’t taking this seriously -- they don’t see how this is a real
problem.”
Because there are still many first
generation Asian Americans who are still
too “foreign” and not white enough, it’s
easy to laugh at their inability to fit in,
with their unfamiliar culture. This doesn’t
mean that Asian Americans suffer from the
most racial microaggressions, but rather,
it makes it more socially acceptable for
people to openly target Asian Americans in
jokes and in their explicit racism. We see a
parallel struggle with Latino, Hispanic, and
Chicano populations. Racism in our media
extends beyond stereotypes and underrepresentation. Sure -- no Asian men have
the sex in movies, and Asian women are
portrayed as feeble and submissive. We’ve
learned to criticize and reject practices
such as blackface, but we still find yellowface in our media culture, in shows such as
How I Met Your Mother. We see Katy Perry among thousands of other promiscuous
(and also historically inaccurate) geishas.
The fetishization of Asian culture has gone
uncriticized, despite the fact that it would
never be acceptable for any parallel racism
to occur in terms of many other races.
It’s up to all of us to stop the “bad
driver” jokes, the “eating dogs” jokes, the
ridicule of Asian languages and accents.
Sure, you might have Asian friends, and
sure, they might not say anything, but that
doesn’t make it alright. Just consider how
racist you would come off as if the butt of
your joke was African Americans instead
of Asians. Then proceed to not make that
joke.
The
rainbow represents
diversity and complexity of identity.
But since this is the Opinion Section, this
rainbow is in black and white. Much like modern
discussions of race. Image taken fromWikimedia Commons.
Relay For Life
Join the walk to fight cancer
By AmeliaWindorski
“Thank you for joining in this fight
and for celebrating the millions of birthdays we’ve helped create. We fought back
harder than ever this weekend. Let’s go out
there now and finish the fight!” With these
words, we ended Whitefish Bay’s Relay For
Life 2013. At that point, as a school, we
had fundraised over $27,000 dollars with
hundreds of community and school participants. However, the fight against cancer
did not end in 2013. That’s why student
council is planning Whitefish Bay’s second
ever Relay For Life with a fundraising goal
of $30,000 and an even bigger goal of joining the fight against cancer.
For those of you who were not at Whitefish Bay in 2013, Relay For Life is an event
put on across the nation to raise money
for the American Cancer Society. Ours is
schedule from May 29 at 6:00 PM to May
30 at 6:00 AM, and the Relay For Life has
a fantastic twelve hours planned! Anyone
can sign up to attend Relay as an individual
or a team - community members, cancer
survivors, and students at Bay. However,
only students have the opportunity to stay
overnight if they raise $100.
The event begins with our opening
ceremony - a chance for all the participants
to get excited for the event, and even hear
from a cancer survivor. From there, we
have activities like zumba, a pie eating contest, and so much more! For most people,
the highlight of Relay is the Luminaria
ceremony. In this more serious part of the
night, we honor the people we’ve lost to
cancer and the survivors. Lighted “Luminaria bags” are set up along the track, and
image unique to Relay For Life.
If you ask anyone who participated in
Relay For Life last year, they will tell you
what a phenomenal experience it was.
From the fun of all the activities, to bondthis cause.
ing with your teammates, to the joy of
I hope this article has been an informagiving back to the community, Relay For
tive look on what we have to look forward
Life is a unique and invaluable experience
to with Relay For Life. If you have any
for anyone at Whitefish Bay.
questions, feel free to get in contact - my
Everyone should sign up for Relay
email is [email protected](.) If you
today! You can register online at relayforare not signed up for Relay For Life yet,
life.org - just search “Whitefish Bay.” It just I hope you consider taking part in a life
costs $10 to register, but participants must changing event. Not only will it change
raise $100 to stay overnight (after 10:00
your life, but you’ll have the chance to join
PM) and if you raise $100 before April
the cause that’s saving millions of lives.
27, you’ll get a Relay For Life T-shirt. Our Sign up for Relay, and join us in finishing
goal is to raise $30,000, but we cannot do
the fight against cancer.
that without the efforts of everyone in our
school. If the $100 fundraising goal seems intimidating,
2013-2014 Tower Times Editorial
you are not alone! However,
as someone who has parBoard
ticipating in Relay For Life
before, people are so willEditors-in-Chief
Arian Albert, Elizabeth Dean, and Abby McGovern
ing to give of themselves for
News
Brennan Gregg and Michelle Shin
Features
Jieun Heo
Editorials/Opinion
Evan Zhao and Travis Ahrenhoerster
Arts
Leighty Hanrahan
Specials
Ali Lehman and Mackenzie Nelson
Humor
Andrew Fallone
Reviews
Anna Edwards
Sports
Gabbi Breitenbach and Katy Marget
Cartoons/Graphics
Zev Woskoff
Advisor
Mr. Wepfer
Email us at [email protected]
Like us on Facebook: Tower Times
April 10,
2015
Volumes
50,
Issue 8
TOWER
TIMES
TOWER
TIMES
Sunday, July 31st 2011 9
OPINION
The Decline of
Classes
Dealing with a stricter budget
By Naser Al-Fawakhiri
Every year, students’ schedules grow
more exciting as more electives are opened
up in their schedules. However, some
people aren’t as anxious for next year since
a class they eagerly anticipated has since
been cancelled due to not enough other
students enjoying their same passion. For
the students who enrolled in the Freshman
Honors English program (that is, for those
who will be sophomores next year) and/
or Zero Hour Jazz Band, one of the classes
they wanted is lost.
For Jeremy Haddock, a student enrolled in both classes, another cancelled
class- the cancellation of Honors Englishmade him feel as though, “[he] had been
deprived of the opportunity to challenge
[himself]-- a challenge that would help
[him] develop into the writer [he] yearns
to become.” He expressed deep regret that
the program was cancelled and felt like
he had lost a great opportunity to further
his English ability. He was one of the 17
students who applied for the program.
According to Ms. Sampe, since the class
normally runs with about 20 students
accepted, it was deemed “fiscally not
equitable” to run the program with such
a small class. She was also saddened about
the cancellation of the program.
Zero Hour Jazz Band, the group that
plays at such occasions as the Principal’s
Hot Chocolate, was also cut. Unfortunately, only six people signed up to participate in this group next year. With such
a disappointingly small class, Jazz Band
could not run, much to the disappointment of both Ms. Coy, the band director,
and Jeremy. Ms. Coy firmly stated that Jazz
“is America’s music [and] vital for the band
program to offer.” She pointed out, with
great dismay, that she did not know what
kind of options the students who wanted
to participate in Jazz Band could receive,
disappointed that they will have lost the
opportunity to play Jazz after so much
growth in the past year. She believes that
the reason for such small enrollment came
from people not being willing to wake up
early to come for zero hour.
But is it all bad? For those who lost the
opportunity to participate in the Honors
English program, they still have the opportunity to be challenges. As Ms. Sampe
noted, the regular English classes “provide
enough challenges as it is.” She believes
that the students who enrolled in Honors
English will still be offered extra challenges in English if they want it, and Ms.
Sampe encourages them to seek out other
options for their passion in English independently. Additionally, they will still have
the chance to enroll in AP English classes
in later years. For Jazz Band students, Ms.
Coy feels that if people knew “how dire
the Jazz Band situation is, they would have
signed up,” indicating that she feels that
in the future people may try to help Jazz
Band be a class in the future seeing that it
is in need of greater membership.
Even though there are options for those
who lost the opportunity to enjoy their
passion, whether in Jazz or in English, this
won’t prevent this from happening in in
the future. Jazz Band and Honors English for next years sophomores were not
the only classes that were unable to run
because of lack of enrollment. Why are so
many people in study hall when many other classes are offered? The people in these
less common classes need more people
to try new things to help the students in
classes like Jazz Band and Honors English follow their passions. As Ms. Sampe
explained, the reason these classes don’t
get enough enrollment is because “people
think ‘I’m more of a Math student, or a
Science student, or some other subject”
and then avoid even thinking about enrolling in other classes, or may even choose a
study hall.
In this way, for those of you who chose
a study hall, though a study hall can be
helpful, it may have harmed people who
were looking for more challenge or a way
to follow their passion. So, as the year ends
and you prepare for summer, remember
that some people have lost a class they feel
passionate about. Keep students like Jeremy Haddock, in mind next year when you
enroll for the following years classes and
help prevent students from missing out on
following their passions.
Surely you have opinions...
Write for the Tower Times!
CONTACT US AT
[email protected]
if you have any Opinion article submissions!
OR
CONTACT EDITOR
Evan Zhao
with your article submissions!
The gender neutral bathroom on the first floor near the language wing. Photo courtesy of Evan Zhao.
What it means to be
a gender neutral
person in real life
The struggles of being transgender in a gender binary society
By Anonymous
When someone uses “ladies and gentlemen” to refer to a group of people, I walk
out because they are clearly not talking to
me. Since I identify as neither a lady nor
a gentleman, Southern or otherwise, this
typical opening phrase immediately makes
me feel excluded. As do the typical he/she
pronouns. Which are perfectly acceptable
pronouns, they’re just not for me. And
this problem extends beyond the scope of
fictional characters (although there aren’t
typically trans characters in fiction either);
extends beyond just spoken words. The
structural dichotomy of gender is everywhere. The myth of gender is perpetuated
throughout society. The singular word on
your birth certificate classifies you for the
rest of your life. Gendered language causes
misgendering and emphasizes the stereotypes of what gender should look like.
When you call someone “miss” or “mister”
without specifically asking them about
their gender identity beforehand, you are
stereotyping not only this person, but also
every person that presents similarly to
them.
My preferred pronouns are they/
them/their. An easy way for you to know
this is to ask. Also, if you forget to use
someone’s preferred pronouns, just correct yourself and accept corrections from
others. No need to overreact. My pronouns are not that big of a deal. People
unrealizingly use them often in real life
when unknowing of someone’s gender.
For instance, “The person playing this
music… they need to reevaluate their life
choices!”People can not do grammar any
ways, cite George Bush, “You teach a child
how to read, and he or her will be able to
pass a literacy test.” Rather, Bush could
have removed this from the Top 50 Dumb
George Bush Quotes of All Time if he
simply said “... and they will be able to pass
a literacy test.” Be smart, use “they.”
In addition, for you English buffs out
there, remember that “they” can in fact be
a singular pronoun. Look at the example,
“Someone forgot their jacket.” It would
be grammatically asinine to say “Someone
forgot his or her jacket.”
The gendered society we live in today is
terrible and exclusive for everyone that exists not only outside the gender binary but
also for people who do not identify with
their assigned gender. Changing speech
patterns and using people’s preferred pronouns and names are a few ways to make
everyday more inclusive for all people of
all genders.
10
TOWER TIMES
April 10, 2015
HUMOR
The ever commited reporter Andrew Fallone went
and asked the students ofWhitefish Bay to use a
few words to describe their spring break. Here is
what they had to say:
By Andrew Fallone
Graphic by ZevWoskoff
Relationship-ending.
- Sophomore
Soggy and wet
-Senior
I learned I can’t use
the bathroom on
boats. The cruise lasted ten days.
Cinderella, Belle, AND Snow
I got hit on by a
board walk carnie.
- Freshman
White said I was too old for
hugs.
- Sophomore
Amnesia. Yeah, I
have no idea why…
- Junior
Hot and sweaty
- Junior
Not grading, you’ll get
it back next week.
- Teacher
Relationship-starting.
- Sophomore
I single handedly gave the
slushy and cornrow industry
a stimulus.
- Senior
Tower Times Writers Attempt
to Unionize
By Trevor Nelson
Graphic by ZevWoskoff
Dos and Don’ts of Spring:
When I say
“Unions”
you say
“Not The
Devil”
By Andrew Fallone
1. Melting snow banks often appear to be treasure troves. They
aren’t. Take a pass on the lost socks, peed on loose change, and
condom wrappers.
2. Mud: a slimy gross substance, NOT a projectile! No one likes
a mud ball to the face, no matter how much they deserve it.
3. Plant flowers! They’re a return investment! In four months
they’ll attract butterflies that you can capture, murder with
chemicals, and pin in a box to display your carnage to the world.
4. Don’t break on the man-pris. No one wants to see your pasty
white cankles. Sorry, bro.
5. Be sure not to hit the beach too early in the season! No matter
how eager you are, if you go too soon in the spring, you’ll just
get funny looks from weird dudes with metal detectors and a sad
reminder of how translucent your skin gets in the winter.
6. Bro tanks? More like NO tanks! Those are for the fourth of
July, and the dead heat of August, not for when you are feeling
proud of how hard you’ve been hitting the gym but it’s still only
20 degrees out.
7. Take a personal day! The Tower Times would never condone
skipping school, but use your own discretion as to when the
weather is beautiful and you feel like you could just use a day off!
8. Don’t be stupid, we know that it’s getting close to graduation, but
Seniors, is pouring pudding down Mr. Henkle’s shirt really worth getting suspended? Be mindful with your Senior pranks.
Graphic by Andrew Fallone
Writers for the Tower Time
are attempting to form a union
in order to combat “substandard working conditions”
predicament while working
in the Tower Times Humor
Department.
The union would attempt to
get Tower Times humor writers better working conditions,
and maybe food every third
Tuesday, by cutting down the
work day from 18 hours down
to 15.992 hours, and allowing
for non-pun humor. Writers
are elated about the changes,
especially the proposed new
biweekly toilet access, saying
that “I believe that this union
will go a long way to improving the health and happiness
of the Humor Section writers,
perhaps we can even be recognized in new issues.”
The idea has been met with
considerable resistance from
the Tower Times Humor Editor
Andrew Fallone, “Honestly, the
writers just need to suck it up.
Conditions were much worse
when I first started here at the
Humor section, I got my wedgies, and these writers deserve
theirs. Especially Trevor.” He
says “At least you guys get to
leave work. Back in my day,
we never got to leave. We just
wrote 24-7 and couldn’t slow
down, because they would
hang you upside down from
the tower. Besides, there’s only
one other Tower Times writer
besides me, so who would it
benefit?”
There has been no word
from either Ms. Harmon or
Mr. Henkle, although they
are expected to address this
in their upcoming state of the
school address.
April 10,
2015
Volumes
50,
Issue 8
TOWER
TIMES
TOWER
TIMES
Sunday, July 31st 2011 11
SPORTS
Making It: The Importance of Game Attendence
By: Gabi Breitenbach and Jenna Marget. Photos courtesy of Google Images
Whether it is to truly support a team, or because it gives you something to do after
school, going to a Whitefish Bay sporting event is imperative as a student. The effects
of a strong student section spreads far beyond what you may think. A strong student
section unifies the students; transforms all the individual students into a collective
body. A strong student section builds confidence in its players; what athlete wouldn’t
want to hear their own school cheer them on? Finally, a strong student section sends a
message, shows the opposing schools who exactly they’re up against. I’m sure you all
have seen an exceptional student section, I mean I can’t be the only one who has stalked
student section goals on Twitter… but regardless a strong student section, no matter the
sporting event, can have colossal impacts on everyone. However, it all starts with you.
Although you may see yourself as one person amongst a sea of other high schoolers, it
is the collectiveness of those people within the section that make it so strong. So get out
there, get involved in the school and support Whitefish Bay High School sports events
and unleash your pride for everyone to see.
40 students from Whitefish Bay were surveyed on their attendence of the following sports events. They were asked to mark whether they had atteneded the given
sport at least three times, or never attended. Below are the results.
Basketball
SOFTball
VolLEYball
78%
YES
1o%
Never
SWIMMING
80%
NEVER
0%
YES
93%
YES
HOCKEY
33%
YES
5%
YES
48%
Never
SOCCER
GYMNASTICS
10%
YES
68%
YES
78%
NEVER
55%
YES
3%
NEver
28%
YES
By: Alli Biskowitz
As anticipated, the track
team is off to a great
start. The indoor season
ended on a high note, and
now the indoor season is
underway. At the boys’
indoor conference meet
at Homestead High
School, Van Bassindale
earned second in the 200
meter race, and Matthew
Dudek won the 800 meter race. Aaron Jankins
received third place in the
1600 meter race.
The team is training
75%
NEVER
DIVING
30%
NEVER
0%
YES
hard and looking forward to
a successful outdoor season
with a returning base of
upperclassmen and some
promising freshmen athletes.
Senior Reilly Koch shared,
“For some of us, it’s our last
year. We want to go out with
a bang.” The other runners
agreed that they are excited
for the meets to come and
are training hard with tough
workouts several days a
week including sprints and
distances runs.
As new athletes on the
team learn quickly, the Bay
track team practices hard.
Ben Van Male, head coach of
the girls’ sprinters, says, “Bay
wins because we do things
differently. And vice versa.”
The team is sure to hydrate,
90%
NEVER
LAX
85%
NEVER
And They’re Off!
Adam Strehlow mid-hurdle during practice of the 2015. Photo courtesy
ofYearbook.
10%
YES
15%
NEVER
75%
15% NEVER
YES
TENNIS
10%
YES
RUGBY
Baseball
FOOTball
48%
NEVER
93%
Never
eat a snack to refuel after
workouts, and stretch and
foam roll. Athletes also perform exercises to prevent
injury and improve running
form, including core and
hip strengthening. Sprinters work out in the weight
room to build speed.
Head Distance Coach Mike
Miller said he is excited to
help Bay runners improve
over the course of the
season to achieve their personal goals and even break
some school records. His
goals for the season also
include “team bonding and
creating an environment
of goal-setting and learning where everyone can be
their best.”
Aaron Jankins shared
that the boys’ distance
team is “young, but there
are a lot of people who
are working hard every
day at practice and that is
WRESTLING
13%
YES 83%
NEVER
definitely making a positive impact.” Pole vaulter
Aly Yurkowitz said there
were several new mem-
year, including a Conference Champion title four
years in a row and a third
place at the State meet
Reilly Kock, Grace Murray, Cami Davre, and Kaitlyn Jackson after placing
at the State tournament last season. Photo courtesy of Kaitlyn Jackson
bers that decided to try
pole vaulting, both new
and previous track athletes, and that the pole
vaulting team is excited
for the season.
Considering Bay’s
noteworthy success last
for the girls’ team, it is
certain that the Bay Track
Team is one to watch this
outdoor season.
Coach Ben Van Male
said that it is not too late
for interested athletes to
join the team.
Volume 80, Issue 8
TOWER TIMES
April 10, 2014
Athlete of the Month: Isaiah Johnson
By Adam Dallimore
The reality of finality is
hard to embrace sometimes.
Acknowledging things coming
to an end can be hard no matter what but when the subject
is something that you have
poured your heart into and
care about immensely, saying
goodbye can be all the more
difficult.
On March 12th, Isaiah Johnson couldn’t help but hold his
breath and watch the basketball
leave the hands of Wauwatosa
East’s Jai’Vionne Green and
float across the rim’s threshold as the clock struck double
zero—winning the game for
Wauwatosa.
Without warning, the season,
the high school careers for
some, and the coaching career
for coach Kevin Lazovik was
over. The reality of the season
being over hit and it hit hard.
Isaiah Johnson, amongst the
chaos was able to reflect on
one of the most memorable
seasons he has ever had as a
Blue Duke.
Johnson has been in love
with basketball since he was
five years old and has been
playing competitively since he
was eleven. Throughout middle
school, Johnson would spend
night after night in the Jewish
on the front side of the backboard
Community Center (JCC) gym
with the rest of his air born body
working towards simple goals
that grew as his potential evolved moving forward. He fell to the
ground, landing on his left wrist
as well.
and broke a part of his radioulnar.
Isaiah recalls witnessing the
notable 2011 basketball team’s
road to state and eventual State
Championship. “Watching that, I
knew there was nothing more I
wanted and I worked hard every
day with that goal in my mind.”
As high school started, Johnson
began to establish himself as a
student and athlete. He continued to spend hours in the weight
room, working towards his goal,
which is a natural one to have: to
win.
When senior year began,
Johnson had that same goal in
his mind, however things in life
do not always go according to
plan and on December 29th, that
Johnson captured mid-dunk during an away game
philosophy was in full effect in a at Grafton High School pre-injury.
very real way.
“I had surgery the day after and
The 10th annual Wisconsin
had a plate and multiple screws
Yearbook tournament was held
put in. After I broke it, the docat Concordia University and the
tors first said that I was most
first matchup on that Monday
likely done for the season…I
was Whitefish Bay vs. Milwaukee
broke down, thinking that my
Washington. Late in the third
senior year just started and it was
quarter, a Washington fast break
already over, I worked too hard
fueled a racing Isaiah Johnson,
running after the ball at full speed to let that be the case…watching my team play and sometimes
in hopes of blocking the ensuing
struggle was one of the hardest
shot. When he left his feet and
things I ever had to do, knowjumped up, his hands got caught
ing that I couldn’t do anything to
help.”
Little did Whitefish Bay High
School know that Johnson would
be back out on the court before
the playoffs. Somehow, some way
his wrist was able to heal in the
same amount of time that it takes
to heal a bruise. Isaiah returned
and in his very first showing since
the trauma of December 29th,
Johnson put up a season high 26
points with a dunk.
Isaiah certainly does not lack
the physical ability to perform
but what is truly astounding is
his ability, as a seventeen year
old, to shut out opposing fans
chanting “overrated” and other
obscenities in his direction. He
plays just as he would play in a
gym with nothing but the hoop,
the ball, and the 9 other men and
that takes a level of focus that is
beyond adolescence.
Although Isaiah came up in
the clutch on numerous occasions this season and was a visible
factor in almost every game, he
couldn’t have done it without
his team. Johnson says “My team
is my family for life and I really
mean that, every single one of
them, no matter what, if they
need something I got them…This
was probably the closest team
that I’ve been on.”
Miles Sigh, four year varsity
basketball player and teammate
of Isaiah’s speaks nothing but the
highest of praises towards this
past basketball season and what it
meant to him.
“This past season will definitely
be the most memorable, not only
because I am a senior and we are
Regional champions, but because
I got to play with some of the
guys I grew up playing Jr. Blue
Dukes basketball with” –such as
Isaiah, Jaren Walker, and Brady
James.
So the season is over and Isaiah’s career as a Blue Duke is as
finished as the rest of the seniors.
He plans to play either Division
one or two basketball in college,
quite possibly with his partner in
crime, Miles Sigh.
The pure, simplistic work ethic
of Isaiah Johnson has transformed
him from the 5 year old boy that
fell in love with the game, into
an athletic visionary, seeking a
championship in his future. Even
though he may not have won a
championship in high school, he
will one day and the beautiful
part is that the day after his goal is
reached, you will be able to find
him back on the gymnasium basketball court where it all started.