Fall 2015 - Whitefish Bay Tower Times

2016
Presidential
Debate
Coverage
See Page 3
Fall Events in
Whitefish Bay
See Page 4
Opinion on the
Pumpkin Spice
Latte
See Page 6
Meet the New
AFS Students!
See Page 8
A Look at the
Fall Play, The
Crucible
See Page 12
The Football
Team’s Fighting
Season
See Page 14
Fall 2015
w h i t e f i s h
b ay
H i g h
vol 82
Issue 1
s c h o o l
Graphic by Anyssa Camacho
tower times
fall 2015
News
A Fairytale Homecoming
By Grace D’Souza
Justin Bieber’s backup dancers. Grandpap- Although it was a loss for Bay, the spirit
Everyone can picture that Disney
py Derose even made a special appearance! from the stands never died down. There
homecoming; a massive parade promePumped up for the afternoon and the
was also a huge turnout Saturday night at
nading through the town with students
and families lining the streets, intricate
football game, students headed out to the
the Richards Elementary Great Room for
hallway decorations hung on every wall of
softball field for a cookout and tailgate
the homecoming dance.
Some pretty significant
the school, raging school spirit
changes were made to Homeat the homecoming game, and
coming week this year, all
a dance filled with great music
and good memories. Although
thanks to the dedicated Student
it may seem almost impossible
Council Exec Board. Student
Council Vice President, Amelia
to achieve this picture perfect
Windorski, recalls starting the
homecoming, Student Council
worked to create that dream
planning for this year’s homecoming all the way back in
event. This year’s homecoming week celebration included
January 2014! Delaney Brower,
Student Council President,
significant changes in activities,
agreed, noting that this plan
scheduling, and overall dynamics that students agree, were for
would have been used for
Homecoming 2014, but Nicothe better.
Before Homecoming week
let’s football team jumbled the
The newWhitefish Bay High School Dance Team performs at the pep assembly. Photo schedule last year, making it imeven started, Haughey Procourtesy of theYearbook staff.
possible to do. Delaney said the
ductions released yet another
hilarious promo video for
main reason for the change was
that “there seemed to be a lack
Homecoming 2015, and introduced the memorable theme
of school spirit through dress
up days, attendance of events,
of defeating the “school spirit”.
and the parade.” Not only was
The week started off Sunday
afternoon on Silver Spring
the success of homecoming
attributed to Student Council,
Drive with students showing off
their artistic abilities at Window
but also the students themselves. Michael Muth, Student
Painting and then hallway decCouncil Exec Board Member,
orations. Throughout the week,
WFB students showed class
recognized the huge role this
year’s Senior class played in
pride and school spirit with the
various dress up days: Color
making the week work. He said
that they succeed in, “showing
wars, Thrift shop, Summer vs.
Winter, Class theme, and finally Students cheer in excitement during the pep assembly. Photo courtesy of theYearbook the rest of the school what it
Duke Pride/Best of the Bay.
means to be seniors.”
staff.
Overall, the revamping of
At night, there was also the
Spirit Concert and Spirit Bowl. The school games. Brave teachers like Ms. Schmidt,
homecoming this year was received well
Mr, Hampel, and Mr. Krause braved the
by the students and staff. The changes to
week closed out with a big bang, thanks to
cold in the dunk tank, which attracted a
the week allowed for more students to
the scheduling changes made by Student
huge crowd. The school day ended with
take part in the action and experience the
Council. Shortened classes led up to the
eventful pep rally. One of the best yet,
a festive parade, promentating from the
parade and evening activities. There was a
this year’s pep rally included performanclibrary back to the high school. Just a few
notable increase in dress up participation,
hours later, the student section was packed school comradery, and class unity over the
es from the impressive new Dance Team,
with Bay students cheering on the team.
course of just one week.
2 Cheer Team, Whitefish Bay Staff, and
tower times
fall 2015
News
Embracing the Political Chaos
By Sam Beem
This year’s presidential race has been
completely and utterly unpredictable.
If someone had said 6 months ago that
three out of the four leading republican
candidates had never served in a political
office before, most would have called
them crazy. If someone had said that a
self-proclaimed socialist from Vermont
would be a legitimate contender for the
democratic nomination, most would
have called them a liar. And if someone
had said that the former host of the TV
2
an entrepreneurial businessman, Ben
Carson, a soft spoken neurosurgeon, and
Carly Fiorina, a former chief executive
officer of Hewlett-Packard. This surge
of newcomers has proven a huge hit to
veteran politicians like Jeb Bush and
Mike Huckabee. Even still, Governor
Jeb Bush, Senator Marco Rubio, and
Senator Ted Cruz, remain above 6% in
the polls. However, for other republicans like Rand Paul, Chris Christie, and
John Kasich, the oval office seems like a
0
1
the resurgence of Marco Rubio among
the top three republican candidates.
The Democratic Party is a different
story. Whereas the Republican Party
seems to be a cluster of possible candidates, the Democratic Party’s candidates
are more concrete. Despite the presidential hopes of Martin O’Malley, Jim
Webb, and Lincoln Chafee, there are
primarily two legitimate contenders.
Former Secretary of State, Senator, and
First Lady, Hillary Clinton, leads the
6
Graphic by Ari Beightol.
show “Celebrity Apprentice” was close
to becoming the most powerful man on
the planet, most would have considered
it laughable. No one is laughing now.
In the past month alone, the public
has witnessed the rising poll numbers of
Carly Fiorina, the incriminating sound
bites of the second republican presidential debate, and Scott Walker’s campaign
suspension. Walker, Wisconsin’s Governor, began his campaign on July 13
and ended it on September 21, polling
at less than half of a percent. He is the
second republican candidate to drop out
of the race, after Rick Perry’s campaign
suspension on September 11th. Republican newcomers include Donald Trump,
“I am really excited to
vote in the upcoming
election. It’s on my birthday and I couldn’t ask for
a better way to celebrate
being an adult!”
-Amelia Windorski
somewhat unattainable feet. We can correlate these shifts in the polls to the first
and second republican debates. After
the first debate, Bush’s numbers saw a
significant drop, while Trump’s surged.
After the second debate, there was a
drop in the polls for Carson, as well as
polls with a dominate 43%. However,
over the past two months the public has
seen a significant dive in her poll numbers and a significant increase for one
Bernie Sanders, a Senator from Vermont.
Vice President Joe Biden recently
announced that he will not be running.
As a result, Clinton may receive a hefty
boost in the primaries. CNN reported
that 58% of Biden supporters would
vote for Clinton if their candidate
decided not to run. Despite all these
predictions, there will still be a lot of
uncertainty and excitement present on
the road to November 2016. Until that
time, all one can do is sit back and embrace the chaos.
3
tower times
fall 2015
features
THE GREAT PUMPKIN FESTIVAL
A Halloween Celebration Brings the Community Together
By Alison Pogorelc
The school year is in full swing, which
means it’s time to find activities that take
your mind off the stacks of homework
assigned each week. Fall is the perfect time
to be outside enjoying the cool weather,
and there are wonderful opportunities to
get involved in the community and spend
quality time with friends and family. An
event that embodies the spirit of fall while
also drawing the community of Whitefish
Bay together is the Great Pumpkin Festival,
held each year in celebration of the fall
season and Halloween.
The Great Pumpkin Festival allows
families, students, and people of all ages to
come together and carve pumpkins, displaying their creations at the Old Schoolhouse Park across the street from the
library. The event does not solely consist
of pumpkin carving; the community offers
live music and food from local vendors as
well. This free affair is the perfect place
to have fun, relax, and to be around the
community and people you love.
Not only is the festival an enjoyable
place to be around friends, family, and
neighbors while carving pumpkins, but it
Photo courtesy of morgueFile.
also creates a beautiful pumpkin display,
which benefits the community and makes
Whitefish Bay an even more charming
town to live in. These Jack-o-lanterns are
on display and lit each night of the five day
festival, illuminating Old Schoolhouse Park
and capturing the eyes of passers by who
can observe the beautiful reflection of the
community.
It is always refreshing to go to the festival and see Whitefish Bay come together.
Children of all ages are enamored by each
pumpkin. Even teenagers find the festivities a great opportunity to socialize with
friends and have a great time. Each year,
the festival becomes more enchanting and
magical. This year The 29th Annual Great
Pumpkin Fest will be begin on Tuesday,
October 27th, and run until Saturday, October 31st, just in time for Halloween.
Whether it be to carve a pumpkin of your
own, or simply to admire the works of
others, The Great Pumpkin Festival offers
attractions to people of all ages. In order to
see its true beauty, you have to go yourself!
Trick-or-Treating in Whitefish Bay
By Jenna Marget and Grace D’Souza
“Where is the best
place to go trick-ortreating?”
“My street.” -Sophomore
“The Lake Drive having fullsized candy bars is a total
myth!” -Junior
“Do you go trick-ortreating?”
4
“No.” -Everyone
tower times
fall 2015
features
By Gwennie O’Connell
A Smart Decision?
What makes Whitefish Bay so smart? Is
it the smart students, the smart teachers,
the smart curriculum, or the SmartBoards?
Over the few past years, the district has
poured money into purchasing enough
SmartBoards to have one in every single
classroom across the district, and, for the
most part, it seems as though that goal has
been reached, primarily in the elementary and middle schools. But how much do
we really need all of these touch-enabled
boards in order to learn better? Senior
Emma Jonas felt that, in fact, so many
SmartBoards are not necessary because
“some teachers just use [Smart
Boards] as if they were projectors.” However she, along with fellow senior Tyler
Harmsen, agreed that the technology had
been extremely helpful in math classes
above all others mainly because the boards
allow students to write out problems and
A broken SmartBoard serves as a whiteboard in Dr.
Derose’s room. Photo courtesy of Jenna Marget.
interactively draw on graphs, while also
permitting teachers to show instead of just
explain the process to solve various problems.Yet, in classes like middle school band
and choir, the boards, which cost upwards
of $5,000 dollars each, seem unnecessary
to many students, who might rather have
the district spend valuable dollars on other
resources, or even simply place boards in
more useful classrooms such as physics,
which lacks a Board but involves various activities where one could be useful.
However, Mr. G makes due by projecting
problems onto his whiteboard, instead of
a SmartBoard, and uses dry-erase markers
to work out solutions in front of the class,
a strategy that, in my experience, seems
to be a perfectly adequate way to fake
SmartBoard learning. Mr. G. commented
on this issue by saying, “I’d like to have one
if I got it for free, but if it’s so expensive,
the whiteboard works. I’d rather use the
money for other, more effective teaching
equipment.” This, a much cheaper alternative to over-buying SmartBoards, should be
considered in future decisions as to whether or not SmartBoards should continue to
fill district classrooms and drain the district
budget.
New and Old Clubs Take Off at Bay
By Annie O’Neill
As the school year begins and people return to sleep deprivation, more
work and more stress in their lives, the
importance of extracurricular outlets for
students has increased immensely.
One club that has been reborn this
year is the Feminist Club, lead by sophomores Dora Peregrine and Emma Brown.
Feminist Club plans to hold movie
screenings, self defence workshops, volunteer opportunities at women’s shelters,
and other interactive ways to learn about
gender inequality in today’s society.
Their latest event was a bake sale held
to spread awareness of the gender pay
gap. To emphasize their point, the club
sold the baked good for 75 cents to women and 1 dollar to men. One of the main
Photo courtesy of morgueFile.
goals of the club is to educate Whitefish
Bay High School on the inequality between
the sexes that exists in all aspects of life,
and to think of ways to abolish it.
The club holds meetings once a week
in Ms.Kind-Kepple’s room, 259 in the
English wing. All students are encouraged
to come, even just to check it out.
Another new club beginning this
spring is the Ultimate Frisbee Club, led
by sophomore, Rose O’Neill. The club
will be a part of the Milwaukee Ultimate Club (MUC) Youth League, and
play against teams like Wauwatosa East,
Brookfield Central, Brookfield East,
Marquette, Greendale, and Hamilton, on
a weekly basis.
The team will also be directed by a
coach from the MUC to work on skills,
strategies, and logistics. The club is intended for students of all skill levels, and
is open for registration throughout the
season.
5
tower times
fall 2015
opinion
THE MAJESTY OF THE
PUMKIN SPICE LATTE
By SianWhitney
Pumpkin spice lattes. Such
joy. Such majesty. The start
of fall brings pumpkin spice
everything, but the most
important pumpkin spice anything is, in fact, the latte.
Just the smell of it sends
the warm, autumn feeling
throughout our bodies. Much
more important is the actual
drinking of the delectable
coffee.
Once it touches the
tongue, it gives a sense of individualism, resulting in time
stopping for a split second,
resulting in the universe
coming to a complete
stop for that single
moment just so
one can fully
experience
the ultimate
grandeur of
that single
drink. It
leads me to
believe that
I, as a person,
can do anything I set my
mind to.
For instance, often times
I feel comfy talking
to everyone and
anyone. In
fact, many
of my job
opportunities have
come from
me talking
to citizens
while drinking pumpkin
spice lattes.
I currently
have my own
Photo courtesy of Philly.com.
talk show where I talk solely
about pumpkin spice lattes.
Strangely enough, it has taken
off quite nicely. It just goes
to show you the impact that
pumpkin spice lattes have on
the greater public.
To conclude, I’d like to
personally thank pumpkin
spice lattes for turning my life
around. Ever since Starbucks
started making them, my
entire world changed for the
better. I’d even go as far to say
that I have been changed for
good.
The Presidential Race Thus Far
By Audrey Head
This year’ presidential campaigns show an interesting, and
somewhat revealing, lineup:
Donald Trump, an independent
and a businessman; Ben Carson, a neurosurgeon with no
political background; Hillary
Clinton, pushing for being the
first female president; Bernie
Sanders, a self-titled socialist
and Vermont political figure.
Not only are the candidates
themselves an interesting
variety of human beings, but
they also show an interesting
variety of political ideals and
plans of action. As alway, the
US pretends that we have a two
party system, and every viable
candidate is in either the
6 Democratic or Republican
Photo courtesy of Headline Politics.
campaign systems.
The debates themselves have
started already, early in the
running, and CNN’s style has
proven to have a political bias
against the Republican party-while questions presented at
the democratic debate were
focused on policy and almost
every candidate got to answer
their questions with mutual
respect for each other, the
questions presented to the
republican candidates were
slightly skewed to focus less
on the policies themselves and
more on the personal attacks
that have been made against
and by each candidate. This may
be caused by a volatile attitude
between serious, politically
educated republican candidates
and people running who may
not, or definitely do not, know
how to run a country. Such
candidates include Trump, who
is incredibly quick to
defensiveness and equally as
fast in accusations and making
up facts without sources or
evidence. This may greatly
tower times
fall 2015
opinion
harm the political chances of
the republican party in general,
because the candidates have
been losing stability and composure; even the socialist Bernie Sanders is coming up with
millions from small businesses
and has one of the lowest burn
rates (Hillary Clinton having
the highest, having spent 90%
of earnings made within the
last three months; Ben Carson
follows up with 50%), bringing
in most millennials and many
liberal or unrepresented peoples’ votes.
Unfortunately, none of this
really answers the important
question of where our country
will head; that’s all in the Congress majority, which currently
is in the hands of the Republican Party.
GOOD GOURD! A Halloween Cartoon by Ari Beightol
Students React to Local Racial
Profiling Incident
By Claire Chappell
Last Monday, Whitefish
Bay’s Jewelry store, Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers, was
accused of racially profiling
Milwaukee Bucks’ Power-Forward, John Henson, raising the
question if racial profiling is
common throughout the rest
of the community.
Henson posted a photo on
Instagram of the jewelry store
and described what happened,
saying that the “they locked
the door and told me to go
away. After I rang the doorbell
twice everyone went to the
back...This was followed by
two police cars pulling up and
parking across the street and
watching me for 5 minutes... I
was then approached by 2 offi-
cers and questioned about the
dealer vehicle I was in which is
apart of my endorsement deal
with Kunes country Chevrolet
and asked me what I wanted. I
told them I was just trying to
look at a watch.”
Payton Stovall, a freshman who identifies as African
American but is also 50% caucasian, claims that she has been
racially profiled in Whitefish
Bay.
She explained that while
walking home from a Fox Bay
movie around 9 pm with a
group of about 7 girls, most of
whom were African Americans, a police officer rolled
down his car window and
asked what they were doing
and where they were going.
After telling him that they
were walking home, Stovall
said that he continued to ask
things such as, “Are you sure
you’re going home?” and “Are
you supposed to be here?”
In school however, Stovall
said that although she used to
feel treated differently when
she was younger, she currently
doesn’t feel racially profiled.
Bay student Michael
Kirkendoll, who also identifies as African American, said,
“We [minorities] just aren’t
prioritized as much as people
of another race may be and it’s
just unfair and not right.”
On the other hand, Stuart
Blu and David Behrns, who
identify themselves as caucasian, said that they’ve never
been racially profiled, but
understand that a lot of other
races are profiled because
Whitefish Bay is predominantly a white community.
Sharing his thoughts, senior
Van Bassindale said, “I understand that the store was
nervous because of recent
robberies but they should
be equal in their security to
people of all races. If they are
cautious about people coming
in, then do the same protocol for everyone. Don’t keep
someone out because of vehicle suspicion. They outright
profiled him, you can’t
7
do that.”
tower times
fall 2015
specials
Say Hello to the New Foreign Exchange Students!
By Emily Gehrke
Anna Jörgler
From Austria
Guten
Tag und Hallo! My
favorite sport is Snowboarding
and that is why I’m thinking about
joining the Snowboarding Club. Here, I
have been doing Cross Country until the season
ended and I think I did well. Our summer period is a
lot longer [in Austria] and our winters don’t get as cold.
I think one of the biggest differences in our cultures is
that almost everybody celebrates Christmas on the
24th of December, so on the Christmas Eve,
and I am looking forward to celebrating
it here. I’m so excited!
My favorite activity when
I was in Spain was to skateboard with
my friends because I live in a big city so you can
take a lot of subways and buses to go whereever you
want to skateboard. I think my favorite thing I have done here
was going to a Packers game, it was awesome! In my country, I
play basketball for one of the best teams in Madrid. Here, I just
finished the soccer season and I want to play basketball. Also, I am
in the Snowboarding club, in the Spanish club, and,
of course, in AFS. My goals for this year are to
have a really great experience with my new
family, new friends, and my new high
school, and I want to have perfect English.
Cecilia Paltrinieri
I really
like Whitefish Bay because
there’s a lot a green and since it’s
small, you can basically walk everywhere.
Also, I like the school here. The school system
is very different but also interesting. I like the fact
that you can set your schedule and, above all, the fact
that you do lots of things at school (sports, clubs, watch
games). Whitefish Bay is a real community! At home I didn’t
play any sport because I had to study a lot. Here I’m in
the swim team! The girls there are super nice and
I think it’s a good way to relax after
school.
Martin de la Guardia
From Madrid, Spain
From Italy
Nakye Baldan
G’day. My
favorite activities to do in
Australia was going surfing (even though I
am horrible compared to my mates) or generally just hanging out with my mates. Definitely, my
favorite thing about Milwaukee is how welcoming everyone is and friendly. My favourite activity here in Milwaukee is the bike
trails. Sydnney Islam and I went for a lot of bikes rides Back home i wasn’t
a massive sports fan. I played basketball and football (Australia Rules, it’s
completely different to the NFL) four times a week. Here at Bay I have
been doing a lot more sports. I am in the rock climbing club which
is super fun and in the basketball work outs after school. I
am looking forward to Prom, from all the American
high school shows and movies.
From Australia
8
Pimpatchara
Komalarajun
From Bangkok,
Thailand
Hello! I know
my name is long and
hard to remember. This is a typical
Thai name.Yes, I am Thai and I come from
Bangkok, Thailand, home to the longest capital name in the world. You can call me Gam,
which rhymes with Sam. Back home, I am a high
school debater and a Thai classical dancer. Here, at
Whitefish Bay High School this semester, I am in
AFS, Debate, HOSA, and Key Club. I am looking
forward to experiencing American lifestyles and,
at the same time, becoming friends with all
of you. So far, everything I did is joyful and
fascinating. I learn something interesting everyday, and I look forward to getting to
know you and exchanging thoughts,
lifestyles, and cultures with
you during my year
here.
tower times
fall 2015
specials
Meet the New Teachers
By Julia Ogorchock
Many new teachers are joining the Whitefish Bay High School staff this year. The Tower Times interviewed a few of them about their
first experiences at Whitefish Bay High School. Most agreed that the students are truly hard working and motivated. The teachers expressed their excitement about having a good year at Whitefish Bay High School!
“Students are concerned about their
work and really enjoy learning”
-Frau Schiel
Profesora DeBoer is replacing Senora
Davis, who took a job on the West
Coast.
Profesora DeBoer, a new
spanish teacher, is originally
from Wisconsin and is happy
to be teaching back “home”
after living and working in
Minnesota for five years. She
has noticed that the students
at Bay are very involved with
their learning. Compared to
other schools, she described the
students here as “very aware”
of their futures. Moreover, she
said she is excited to be working with such driven students!
Mr. Loebl is the new band teacher,
having previously taught band at
Cumberland and Richards.
Frau Schiel is the new
German teacher who taught
in Iowa before coming to Bay.
When asked what she thought
of her new students, she
happily replied, “academics
play a higher role. Students are
concerned about their work,
and really enjoy learning.”
Frau Schiel is new to the high school,
replacing Her Madler, who is currently
teaching in Switzerland.
Mrs. Mwai is a new math teacher
here at Bay that used to teach in the
Mosinee School District.
Madame Schowettr is yet
another new teacher in the
language wing and will be
teaching all of the French
classes this year. Her opinions
followed suit: Whitefish Bay is
a great school with impressive
academics, and she’s happy to
be working here.
Madame Schowettr is replacing Madame Madler, who is also teaching in
Switzerland.
Senora Robinson, a new Spanish teacher, is replacing Senora Talajkowski.
Ms. Grzesik is a new math teacher,
graduate of Loyola University and
coaches the girl’s JV volleyball team.
From Illinois, Ms. Grzesik
is excited to work in Whitefish
Bay as a math teacher. For her,
the best part of Whitefish Bay
is the activities offered to kids.
“There’s lots to do here,” she
said. “It’s good for students. It’s
a great place for them to find
what they’re into.” Ms. Grzesik
also described the students
as very respectful and hard
workers.
Mr. Schneider is the new health teacher,
who is replacing Mrs. Copeland
after she moved to Colorado.
9
tower times
fall 2015
reviews
Fall
Frenzy
By Claire O’Malley
HAUNTED HOUSES
No one has explicitly specified at what age
it becomes unacceptable to trick-or-treat
on Halloween, but for most high schoolers, the days of dressing up and begging
for candy are over. Fortunately, there is
still a way to go out with friends and get
in Halloween spirit - by going to a haunted
house! In the words of Gunnar Stock, a
junior, “[They] provide a great thrill, which
is much needed to electrify the heart.”
As even more eloquently stated by fellow
junior Gabby Martinez-Ortiz, “What could
be more fun than nearly peeing yourself?”
For this reason, haunted houses are set up
around Milwaukee, such as the Wisconsin
Feargrounds, The Hill Has Eyes, the Mars
Haunted House, and my personal favorite,
the Hubertus House of Horror.
HALLOWEEN CANDY
Vegetables are fine and fruits may be
nutritious, but nothing beats candy corn
in autumn. Everyone is bound to have
more than their usual share of sweets on
Halloween. After all, it is difficult not to
with enticing bargains on every kind of
confectionery imaginable. In a 2013 article
by USA Today, it was stated that Reese’s
Peanut Butter Cups, M&M’s, Snickers, and
Kit Kat bars take the cake for America’s
favorite candy. Sophomore Betsy Froiland’s
preferred
brand is
Butterfingers,
and when
asked why
she loved
them, she
claimed,
10
“They are quirky and relatable.” Even if
trick-or-treating isn’t on your calendar
this year, Halloween candy is sure to be at
every corner store this season.
that people have mixed reactions with the
PSL so only way to see what the true hype
about it is to try one out yourself from
your favorite local or chain coffee shop.
HORROR MOVIES
Dreyel Taylor, a senior, captures the true
nature of scary movies in saying, “Horror
films bring you into a place where the
majority of the stuff you see [in the films]
could never really happen. Essentially, they
scare the heck out of you, but you keep going back for more.” A list of the best horror
movies of all time, released by Rotten Tomatoes, mentions the films The Conjuring,
The Shining, Poltergeist, and The Exorcist.
If you’re not looking for a terrifying R-rated movie, check out American Horror Story on Netflix, a Hitchcock-esque thriller in
the form of a series.
PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE
The arrival of pumpkin spice lattes, an autumn staple of coffeehouses around America, is always anticipated around this time of
year. Starbucks, the most preferred vendor
of the delicious drink, sells 16 ounce cups
at around 310 calories. Thousands of coffee-drinkers enjoy them every year, such as
Emily Enes, “I thoroughly enjoy pumpkin
spice lattes, especially from Stone Creek
Coffee, because unlike Starbucks, they’re
rich in flavor and smell like fall!” Several
students, however, didn’t have great things
to say about the PSL, the new abbreviation
for the Pumpkin Spice Latte. Senior Erin
Rosenberg described them as, “An unnecessary cultural obsession,” and Rhys Koch,
a sophomore, commented, “[They’re] a
beacon of light for Caucasian females in the
chilly months.”
Starbucks,
Colectivo, and
Stone Creek all
offer pumpkin
spice lattes, so try
one before they
disappear until
next autumn! It’s
obvious to see
Picture of Colectivo’s Pumpkin Spice latte in front
of Tower Times YouTube sensations Ellie Taft and
Michael Muth editing a weekly video.
APPLE PICKING
If you have never tried a Honey crisp
apple in October or November, you have
not tasted one of the finest delicacies the
Midwest has to offer. And to make it taste
even better, go pick it yourself! Wisconsin offers plenty of fun opportunities to
get outside in the fall and enjoy the brisk
weather with friends or family, and one of
my personal favorite ways is to go apple
picking. Probably the most well-known
apple picking location nearby would be
Barthel Fruit Farm located in Mequon.
Right now they are offering customers to
pick apples, pears, and pumpkins. For all
of you picky apple eaters out there, they
offer the iconic Honey crisp, the elusive Ida
Red, the classic Golden Delicious, and the
fun Jonagold. Small bags go for $10.00 and
large bags go for $20.00. Get to Barthel’s
and say the Tower Times sent you! (It won’t
make a difference...)
tower times
fall 2015
reviews
Revival by Selena Gomez
By Michael Muth
Selena
Gomez is a
household
name and she
has a lot of
experience in
the entertainment
industry.
She started
off as one of the adorable children on the
television series, Barney; however, Gomez is most well-known for her witty and
sarcastic character as teen-wizard, Alex
Russo, in Disney Channel’s Emmy winning
television show, Wizards of Waverly Place.
Although she continues to act in movies
such as Monte Carlo and Spring Breakers,
Gomez has increasingly pursued her love
for music in past years with her original group, Selena Gomez and the Scene.
Gomez recently released her sophomore
album as a solo artist on October 9 titled
Revival, and as a huge Selena fan since her
days on Wizards of Waverly Place, I am not
disappointed in the least. On an informal
note, she slayed it. On a more formal note,
this album shows Selena maturing and her
Music Magnifying Glass:
Little Mix
By Alex Jorndt
The 2011 X-Factor UK champions,
Little Mix, are gaining quite the media
attention with their vintage pop single
“Black Magic.” Personally, I am a fan of
Little Mix. Their harmonies are precise
and clean while their songs are ones
you can scream at the top of your lungs.
The girl group is releasing their next
album, Get Weird, on November 6 and
I couldn’t be more excited. Little Mix
is all about girl power and good times.
They bring new songs, melodies, and
sounds to the table that you can’t find
abandonment of her Disney persona for
someone who has experienced heartbreak
and enjoys a good time. She promoted
the album with a breathy, slow-paced, and
intimate single titled “Good for You” which
features a guest verse from A$AP Rocky.
Next, she released “Same Old Love,” a
confident break-up song where Gomez
doesn’t rely heavily on background instrumental tracks, which I found to be quite
common in the album. Revival is quite a
bold statement for someone who is so early
into their career but after listening through
the album and the topics she addresses, she
gets all rights to use the word as the album
name. Gomez establishes herself as a force
to be reckoned with through this wellthought out and revealing album. If you
don’t commit to purchasing or streaming
the entire album, even though this would
be my suggestion, and you only have time
to listen to three songs, I suggest listening
to the debut track “Good for You,” a light,
upbeat love song “Hands to Myself,” and
finally, the heartfelt ballad longing for love,
“Nobody.” I have very little to say negatively about this album except that I wish it
had more tracks and a collaboration with
Queen Bey but overall, Selena hit this one
in any
other
group.
They
have
pre-released
full
audio
to their
songs “Hair” and “Love Me Like You” and
is promoting the debut for their upcoming album to their loyal fan base, the Mixers. Their voices blend together to create
a tidal wave of sound for each song.
Mixers, as well as myself, are excited for
their new album, Get Weird.
out of the park and her future in the music
industry looks very promising if she keeps
putting out content similar to Revival.
Rate: 9/10 Alex Russos
The Visit
By Alex Jorndt
Going into this movie, I didn’t have
high expectations. I can admit that I was
pleasantly surprised. It was a scary movie
with some funny moments mixed in. The
premise of TheVisit is two grandchildren
meeting their grandparents for the first
time and spending an entire week at their
house. The two grandchildren, Becca and
Tyler, are met with an elderly couple who
takes them
back to their
secluded farmhouse. Becca,
an uptight 15
year old, is
filming their
whole visit to
make their experience into a
documentary.
When the first
night comes
to a close, Becca and Tyler are told that
they need to go to bed at 9:30 PM, stay
out of the basement, and not leave their
room. During the night, they hear sounds
and footsteps throughout the whole house,
which the next day is explained as the
grandparents being old and sleepwalking.
More and more unexplained things occur,
and the grandparents start to become secretive and their behavior becomes harder
to make sense of. As the visit comes to an
end, the siblings are aware that something
is off and they need to leave. The last night
of the stay throws a major plot twist at the
audience that I will let you find out on your
own time. The movie is suspenseful, scary,
and entertaining, and one I recommend
seeing with friends! (But maybe not with
your grandparents…)
Rate: 6/10 Popcorn Kernels 11
tower times
fall 2015
arts
THE CRUCIBLE
Drama, Hangings, Witches, and more Drama!
Actors in The Crucible rehearse on stage. Photos courtesy of Kyleigh Halfenger.
By Brittany Katcha
The drama department’s fall
play, Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, provides a unique look
into the lives of real historical
figures who lived during the
Salem Witch Trials.
The story tells of a farmer
named John Proctor (Brandon
Haughey) who lives in Salem,
Massachusetts, during the year
of 1692. When Proctor’s wife
Elizabeth (Siân Whitney) and
others are accused of witchcraft
by Proctor’s ex-mistress Abigail Williams (Brittany Katcha),
Proctor is faced with either
letting his wife be hanged, or
telling the truth and exposing
his dark and murky past.
A play truly focused on the
good and evil inside us all, The
Crucible seems like Whitefish
Bay High School’s first true
drama since 1692!
Siân Whitney, playing
12
the role of Elizabeth Proctor,
Despite its emotion and
shares her thoughts on putting
power, however, not too
on a drama.
many people seem to know
“I think it’s a challenge. But what The Crucible is about
I think we can pull it off; it’s
(unless you’ve taken American
really good
Literature,
experience
of course).
for everyone
When asked
because we’ve
about their
done comedies
knowledge of
and it’s always
the show, one
gone really
student says,
well, but no
“[I know] absoone has really
lutely nothing,
worked with
other than the
drama. It’s rename, and that
ally exciting!”
a crucible is acMany of the
tually a piece of
actors like the Graphic design by Dora Peregrine.
lab equipment
show because
in chemistry.”
of how it is very intense. There
Although they may be unfaare moments in the show
miliar with the show, students
in which several characters
generally seem excited about
scream, cry, or even get viothis year’s fall play. Because
lent with one another.
there is a large cast of twenty
roles, many have friends that
are in the show.
And while supporting your
friends and fellow students is
extremely important, that’s
not the only reason to come
out and see the play. “It’s really
a show that you get to see Bay
kids just completely pull a 180
and be dramatic,” says Brandon
Haughey (Proctor).
Haughey goes on to say,
“A lot of the scenes are really
good, and [the show] just feels
real.”
The Crucible will be performed in the Whitefish Bay
High School auditorium on
November 6th and 7th at
7:30 pm, and the 8th at 2:00
pm.Tickets are ten dollars for
general admission and only
five dollars for students and
seniors. The show is sure to be
a witchin’ good time!
tower times
fall 2015
arts
a
look
at
the
crucible’s
Stage crew
By GraceWirth
2015-2016 Tower Times
Editorial Board
Editor-in-Chief
Brennan Gregg
Deputy Editor-in-Chief
Jieun Heo
News
Anna Lehman
Features
Grace D’Souza and Jenna Marget
Opinion
Audrey Head
Specials
Emily Gehrke and Jack Styler
Reviews
Michael Muth
Arts
Claire O’Malley and Sarah Shin
Sports
Gabi Breitenbach and Caitlin Wolf
Cartoons/Graphics
Ari Beightol and Anyssa Camacho
Advisor
Mr. Wepfer
Email us at [email protected]
Like us on Facebook: Tower Times
Stage crew members
currently participating
in Whitefish Bay High
School’s play, The Crucible, are continuing to
prove their importance
to the show. After interviewing Bobby Pondel,
the props master, and
Brandon Haughey who
is playing John Proctor,
it became clear that
the stage crew is just as
important to the show
as the actors.
While asking Bobby
some basic questions
about what stage crew
involved, his enthusiasm
or his job became very
evident.
“I think Stage Crew’s
work is very crucial. If
there wasn’t any stage
crew, you would see
nothing but the acting,”
Bobby said.
He continued to
discuss all the hard work
and dedication that the
stage crew puts into the
show and how enjoyable
it seems for everyone
there. He said wso
students participating
in stage crew for The
Crucible this year.
Curious of what
credit that people
behind the curtain get,
Tower Times asked
Bobby if he felt he got
enough credit before,
during, and after the
show.
“The actors certainly
appreciate our work,
some more than others.
I feel as though a lot of
the stage crew members
don’t really desire the
credit. I don’t think we
deserve any more credit
than what we already
get”, Bobby said, “We
get our name put on
the credits and receive
thank-you’s.”
Tower Times then
talked to Brandon
Haughey, one of the
stars of the show. Brandon’s comments were
also very appraising to
the stage crew.
Brandon discussed
the different duties
the actors take on in
comparison to the stage
crew.
“Leading up to it, it’s
all about practice, practice, practice,” Brandon
said.
He continued to
inform us on what the
actors mainly focus on
when they are working
hard to memorize their
lines.
“When you’re acting,
you’re focusing more
on how natural you’re
sounding…and how
your movement is, and
just trying to make that
as natural and as believable and fluid as possible,” Brandon added.
Tower Times followed up with a more
thoughtful question to
Brandon, asking him his
view of the stage crew
in relation to the show’s
success.
“The show is possible
without a set, a movie is
possible with one take.
Do you want to watch
a movie without any
edits made to it? It’s sort
of the same thing with
the play. It can be done
with only actors, but
stage crew is what really
makes it appealing and
brings it up from a level
down to a level up,” said
Brandon.
It is evident that
both the stage crew
and the actors have an
understanding of the
importance of both roles
when it comes to having
a play go smoothly. The
preparations for the
play seem to represent
a well-oiled machine,
which wouldn’t be able
to work if it was
13
missing a piece.
tower times
fall 2015
sports
Fall Sports At Bay: The Struggles and Victories
By Julia Ogorchock
Fall is a busy time of the year for athletes at Whitefish Bay.
over, it’s a great way to meet people and get involved, and she’ll
Currently, students involved in swimming, cross country, golf
be sad when this season ends. Clearly, despite the stress posed
and soccer are fitting practices into their already busy schedules. on student-athletes, the commitment is worth it. The sport no
However their hard work has payed off--The boys varsity soccer
longer becomes an obligation, but cherished hobby.
team had a fantastic season, losing only two of their 17 games
As the fall sports wrap up for many, it’s safe to say the majorand will be playing on the regional level
ity of kids are satisfied with how their
this weekend. The cross country team
seasons went. For many seniors, these
performed outstandingly well at the
victories are especially important, as the
Conference Championship meet on Ocend of the season closes up their partictober 17th, with both JV teams and girl’s
ipation with the sport entirely. George
varsity placing first. The boy’s varsity
Papajohn, a senior on the boy’s cross
team also did exceptionally well, placing
country team stated he was happy he
third overall against eight schools.
decided to run this year, despite considAlthough student athletes play their
ering pursuing other interests instead.
hardest and strive to win, the impor“It’s sad that the family I was apart of
tance of their sports goes beyond numfor four years is coming to an end,” he
bers on a scoreboard. Madeline Taphorn,
claims wholeheartedly. “I’ll definitely
a sophomore on the girl’s swimming
miss it and I know my teammates and I
team, said her personal improvement is
will remember it fondly.”
Students’ decorate in preparation for the homecoming
football game against Homestead. Photo by CaitlinWolf.
more important than anything. More-
Bay Football:
Fighting
Together On and
Off the Field
By Alex Jorndt
With our newly acclaimed title as
conference champions, our football team
continues to do great things on the field,
“I want you guys to
play for yourself, not
me. This is your team
and you guys deserve
that.”
-Coach Tietjen
however it is behind the scenes of the Friday night lights where the team faces some
challenges. Coach Tietjen, age 61, was
14 tragically diagnosed with brain cancer
a few short months ago.
Wolter.
The team was hit hard by the news but
Players have admitted the news has
luckily, Coach Wolter and Tietjen’s son,
been hard to deal with, but they do the
Joey, stepped up to the plate to assist Tietbest they can, fighting each game to projen and the team.
tect duke pride. In fact, Matt Bernstein,
The Dukes have had to deal with a huge senior captain, recalls Tietjen instruct
burden this season, but continue to amaze
ing fellow captain, Macklin Kortebein,
with their teamwork and support for each
and himself, “I want you guys to play for
other. As these changes occurred, practice
yourself, not me. This is your team and
faced changes as well. More video work
you guys deserve that.”
was introduced and less fouling practices
were enforced.
“The biggest
thing for
him [Coach
Tietjen] is to
have these
kids succeed
and have fun
playing the
sport they
have worked
so hard at,” The Dukes unify in the singing of the National Anthem for a Friday homegame. Photo
courtesy of Matt Bernstein.
states Coach
tower times
fall 2015
sports
To do so, the players have taken
charge this year, especially the senior
class, stepping up to lead the team to
victory. Senior captain and starting
running back, Van Bassindale claims,
“Our senior class has been ready for this
moment since Junior Dukes days, but
heading in a week before the season to
hear about Tietj, truly shocked everyone.
Tietj’s absence has really forced me personally to take a bigger leadership roll”.
Despite the obstacles thrown their way
the Dukes have won all but two of their
games, beating Cedarburg, Port Washington, Germantown, Grafton, and many
other respectable programs.
The support the team receives from the
student section has been encouraging as
well. The team has posted videos thanking
the students after a few of their victories.
Coach Tietjen, despite everything, manages to stay in the inner circle and stay in
control. The coach and his son communicate a lot about practice, schedules, and
preparation.
The school and coaches are impressed
about how the team has handled everything, facing it in stride. In the words of
Coach Wolter, “There is always going to
be adversity in life, and you can either
back down and give up or you can fight
and try to succeed. I think our kids have
definitely learned that this year”. This
team continues to illustrate the amazing
work the Blue Dukes have accomplished
this year. We continue to send our love
and support to the team, as well as
Coach Tietjen, as they push forward in
their season and make us proud.
SENIOR: Matt Bernstein
P
Bernstein is a 1st Team All Conference Defensive Back and a three year varsity athlete. According to MaxPreps, which
O hasMatt
a record of Bernstein’s football stats from last year, Bernstein is ranked 23rd in the state and has had 61 total tackles with
6.8 tackles per game, and 4 interceptions. This year on offense, Bernstein has made 3 catches for 30 yards, 1 touchdown,
T about
as well as 15 carries for 80 yards. On defense, Bernstein has made 50 successful tackles, 1 interception, and 5 pass break ups.
is one of the captains for his football team and is also the leader of defense. However, 6 weeks into the season, BerL Bernstein
nstein badly injured his left wrist, which forced him from running back to a defensive safety-with a club on his left wrist. But
with a broken wrist, Bernstein was able to help his team win the North Shore Conference championship for the first time
I even
since 2012. As told by Coach Wolter, “Matt Bernstein is just a tremendous kid. He truly loves [the sport] and he plays every snap
if it is his last and that’s what you really want to get from a player.” Wanting to learn more about Matt Bernstein, the Tower
G asTimes
caught up with him to talk about his experiences playing for the high school football team.
H Tower Times:What was the TT:What does the team do after a ate about something, put all the work you
can so when the season comes, you are
win?
memorable experiT most
prepared and you can do the best of your
MB: We usually go back into the locker
ence you had playing for the
By: Sarah Shin
school team?
Matt Bernstein: Last year, on
our first playoff game against OshKosh North, we took a coach bus
down as a team. We got to leave
school early and when we arrived,
we got a celebrity-type treatment
there, which was really fun for
all of our guys. We also ended up
winning 28-0 and that just added
to the excitement.
TT: What are your proudest
achievements in high school
athletics so far?
MB: I would say just all the relationships and memories I’ve built
by being on the high school team
and probably being friends with the
guys even after the sport is done.
room, sit down, and the coach gives a
quick talk. After that we turn on some
music. Our go-to song is ‘Who You Wit’ by
Lil Jon and The Eastside Boyz.
Bernstein (number 10) tackles a Homestead
player. Photo courtesy of Matt Bernstein.
TT: Do you have any advice for other
high school athletes?
MB: I would say if you are really passion-
ability.
TT: What do you think is the most
difficult thing in football is?
MB: Probably learning all the techniques
– if you haven’t played football before,
it definitely takes awhile to get used to
tackling another person and blocking another person. So the beginning process of
learning all the basic techniques is probably
the most difficult.
TT: Do you have any role models in
football?
MB: I think Randy Drew, one of our
coaches who works at the school, is a good
role model. He played at Northern Illinois,
and he went to the 49ers and the CFL (Canadian Football League) for a little.
15
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