Proust Questionnaire

Proust Questionnaire
by Hannah Eisen
The
Proust
Questionnaire
was
popularized by French
author Marcel Proust in
the 1800s. The answers to
the quiz are supposed to
be revealing of someone’s
personality.
Each issue, Tower
Times features a prominent
person in the East
community, or someone
we think will give good
answers.
Besides dressing up
for Spirit Week, Mr. Torres
teaches Geometry, ESL
Algebra, and supervises
National Honor Society. of taste.
He’s taught at East for What is your favorite
color?
three years.
To wear: Blue
What do you most value To say: Cerulean
in a friend?
What is it you most
Honesty.
dislike?
about
the
What would you like to Talking
weather.
be?
I wish I was a Kellogg’s
What do you regard
corn flake.
as the lowest depth of
What quality do you like misery?
Camping in the rain,
most in a man?
The ability to quote movies alone...without any Beef
Jerky or Reese’s Peanut
with me.
Butter Cups to eat.
What quaility do you
What is your present
like most in a woman?
Sense of humor, of self, state of mind?
Under construction.
Tower Times
East Side High School
2222 E. Washington Ave.
Madison, WI
53704
Editor
Hannah Eisen
Photo Editor
Grace Liu
Contributors
Erin Carlson
George Otto
Mara Lynch
Anna Hipke-Kruger
Ian Olson
Rose Stangel
Maimoua Xiong
Photo Contributors
Grace Liu
Eric Bertun
JD Stier
www.bridgetformadison.com
Cover Art
Grace Liu
Advisers
Mr. Torres supervises National Honor Society and teaches math. Photo by Hannah Eisen
Beth Torrison
Greg Rittman
Student Life
NSBE students practice science and math with legos and robots
by Erin Carlson
At less than two feet
wide and one foot tall, it’s
easy to underestimate the
capabilities of NSBE Jr.’s
Lego robot.
But hidden under
wires, Lego pieces, and
hardware lies an amazing
ability to closely follow
black lines
Designed, constructed
and programmed by
NSBE
Jr.
members
Xavier Buesing, Andrew
Goldsby, Tenzin Khedup
and Johnathon Martin, the
little robot won first place
at the regional competition
in Detroit in November.
The team hoped to
travel, along with Physics
teacher Mr. Cox, to the
national conference in Las
Vegas, where their robot
will follow a thin black line
around treacherous turns
and up steep inclines.
But NSBE Jr. does
much more than the Lego
Robot competition.
Sponsored by the
National Society of Black
Engineers, NSBE Jr.
aims to inform students
of all races about
science, technology and
engineering.
NSBE Jr. members
can try a variety of
activities
including
science fairs, bridge
building
competitions,
campus meetings at the
UW-Madison, and middle
school outreach.
UW-Madison
sponsors NSBE’s bridge
competitions.
During
a
bridge
competition, eight students
compete against other
teams to build a bridge.
The bridge must fulfill
certain requirements, like
height.
Last summer, NSBE
Jr. members Andrew
Goldsby and Erin Carlson
led middle school students
in engineering activities.
Students developed
their creativity and spacial
awareness.
The middle school
students built mechanical
arms out of yard sticks,
cardboard, string and
tape.
Unfortunately, the
elimination of Purgolder
time has led to a decline
in NSBE Jr. membership.
Fun
activities
like the Lego Robot
competition rely upon
student involvement, and
NSBE Jr. encourages
anyone interested in going
into science, technology
or engineering to join.
Curious students
can talk to Ms. Chin or
show up after school on
Tuesdays at room 334.
Young former Obama volunteers run for city council
by George Otto
On Tuesday, April
7, voters in Madison,
including many East
students, will have the
opportunity to vote for
their representative in City
Council.
There will be a few
fresh, young faces on the
ballot, including Bridget
Maniaci
and
Bryon
Eagon. Both Maniaci and
Eagon are UW students
who volunteered for the
Bridget Maniaci posed at Tenney Park with Mayor Cieslewicz (left)
and former Mayors Sensenbrenner (middle) and Soglin (right).
Photo credit: www,bridgetformadison.com
Barack Obama campaign
last year.
Bridget Maniaci is
running to represent
District 2 of Madison,
which includes East High
School and the Tenney
Park area.
Her goals include
promoting local businesses
by addressing parking and
rent issues and decreasing
crime by improving street
lighting.
Maniaci, a Madison
native, is running for
public office only two
years out of college,
setting an example that
young people who take
the initiative can have a
significant impact on their
communities. Continued on page 8,
please see
“City Council”
Sports
Holly
Drifke vaults for gymnastics, runs track and swims for fun
by Mara Lynch
Holly
Drifke is a
junior and was
co-captain
of
East’s gymnastics team,
The team tripled in size
this year, growing from
seven members last year
to 22 this year.
What sports do you
participate in at East?
I did gymnastics and I’m
doing track when the
season is over. I actually
have never done track
before. I like that both
sports work so much of
your body.
Would you rather
practice or compete? I
love to do both, but if I
have to choose, I guess
I’d say practice. There is
no pressure when you’re
practicing.
Do
you
have
any
rituals
before
competitions? We have
pasta dinners the night
before competitions, but
that’s about it.
What is your favorite
event in gymnastics? My
favorite event is definitely
vault.
Pretty
much,
the vault is awesome!
I personally only do
handsprings, but am
working on a handspring
half-off.
It’s hard to describe,
but imagine doing a
handspring off a giant
object with a powerful
running start. It’s really
exhilarating. It doesn’t
look like it’d be that
difficult, but sprinting
full-speed at a stationary
object with only one
chance to get over it can
be a bit scary at times.
What were
your
goals for the gymnastics
season?
Have
more
people come to our meets!
And to have as much fun
as possible, and learn new
things. Also, encourage
the rest of the girls to do
their best and have fun as
well
What has been your
proudest moment in
East Athletics?
My
proudest moment would
definitely be being chosen
for captain of gymnastics.
I became captain at the
beginning of this year’s
season, along with KD
Reeve.
Are
there
any
hobbies or sports that
you
participate
in
outside of school? I swim
a lot outside of school.
I have never swam for a
team; I just do it for fun. I
have a pool at home I take
advantage of.
Who inspired you
most to excel in sports?
My mother, for sure. She
was an awesome softball
player and track star but
got badly injured in high
school. I wanted to make
up for that.
What
have
you
gained most from doing
East sports? Muscles
for sure! No, I’ve gained
quite a bit of confidence
in myself and others, and I
am a much harder worker
than I was before. Really
though, I’ve gotten some
muscles!
Sports
Boys Basketball had most successful season
since 1993
lost against Waunakee 52With a Pep Rally, extra
spirit days and the surging
excitement in the halls,
it’s almost impossible
not to know that East’s
basketball team made it to
the post-season this year.
East played four games.
Tower Times collected
photos from all four games.
On 2/26 East lost 56-45 to
Memorial. East won 6460 against Tomah on 3/3.
Against Sun Prairie on
3/7 East won 64-49. East
49 on 3/13. Photos from
Memorial game by Grace
Liu. Photos from other
games by Eric Bertun.
2/26: Madison East vs. Madison Memorial at Madison Memorial
3/3: Madison East vs. Tomah at Madison East 3/7: Madison East vs. Sun Prairie at Madison East
3/13: Madison East vs. Waunakee at Waunakee
Music
Wisconsin band, Bon Iver, releases album to soothe winter blues
.
by Anna Hipke-Kruger
The persistent cold weather can lead to
winter
blahs
around this time of year.
Fortunately, we’ve found
a handy treatment in the
form of local band Bon
Iver.
A play on the French
for “good winter,” listening to their debut album
For Emma, Forever Ago is
the equivalent of drinking
a mug of tea or hot chocolate, or watching snow
fall, from the warmth of
indoors.
This isn’t to imply that
their music is boring, rather, it embodies the type
of energy we sometimes
need to make it to spring
again.
Based in Eau
Claire, the official members for concerts are Justin Vernon, Mike Noyce,
Sean Carey, and Matthew
McCaughan,
although
Emma is credited entirely
to Vernon.
All nine tracks were
composed and recorded
in a secluded cabin in the
Wisconsin woods following the breakup of Vernon’s previous band.
His original intent was
to take a rest from music
writing and recuperate
from a recent illness, but
he soon began to formulate a record.
With some basic recording equipment, a guitar, bass drum, and extensive dubbing, he recorded
what eventually became
the first album of his new
band. The tracks are ethe-
real, shadowy, and Vernon’s vocals are almost
unhumanly
beautiful.
Emma is a must for anyone who needs reminding
that winter can indeed be
good.
For Emma, Forever
Ago was released on Jagjaguwar Records. The
song Skinny Love is available on the band’s website,
www.boniver.org. The album is available at B-Side
on State Street and online
at www.amazon.com.
Local band, Natty Nation, wants you to listen to reggae
by Anna Hipke-Kruger
N a t t y
N a t i o n ’s
new
album,
Reincarnation,
has a great message. Its
lyrics, which forward
peace, justice and love,
are coupled to amazing
music.
Too often good lyrics
come at the expense of
musicality, but Natty
Nation’s mix of reggae,
rock, roots, and dub
works.
Strong
bass
and
drum beats are offset by
keyboard and rhythm
guitar for a sound that is
earthy and rich without
being too heavy. Backup
vocals support the lead
on most of the tracks, and
timely interjections of rap
We have been to six
countries so far.
Which
usually
comes first when writing
songs, the lyrics or the
instrumentation?
Writing songs, it can go
either way. Usually music
first.
How has the sound of
Natty Nation evolved? It
crosses a lot of genres. Do
Natty Nation often performs locally. Photo by JD Stier. you ever feel it tending in
We started in 1995 out the direction of one more
add even more variety.
If you’re skeptical, of another band called than the others?
Every day the music
take it from Natty Nation’s Arawak Jah.
Do
you
have evolves. It depends on our
songwriter and singer,
major
musical mood.
Demetrius “JAH Boogie” any
Wainwright, who agreed influences? Who?
to answer a few questions We try to be original, but Continued on page 8,
about the band and the we like KRS ONE, all
please see “Natty
(Bob)Marley, and, K-os.
album.
Nation”
How many countries
How did you get
has the band played in?
started as a band?
Culture and Fashion
East integrates new with old during Hmong New Year
by Maimoua Xiong
East’s fourth annual
Hmong New Year Celebration kicked off with
the themes of courtship
and family. The United
Asian Club and Hmong
for Hmong Speakers class
showed students the importance of the celebration.
At a typical Hmong
New Year, expect to see
people dressed in Hmong
clothes known as “paj
ntaub.” They participate
in performances and a
ball-toss where couples
or friends toss a ball back
and forth. In the past, peo-
ple went to these events
to find their “soul mates.”
Today, it’s an event that
brings Hmong and many
people with different
backgrounds together.
Though Hmong and
American cultures have
blended, East’s New Year
involved traditional performances that reflected
Hmong culture like “Kuv
Txiav,” known as Hmong
freestyle. East’s Hmong
New Year shows how we
can identify ourselves
through the traditions and East’s Hmong New Year was a fusion of traditonal Hmong
customs and teach others culture and American culture. Photo by Grace Liu.
our culture as well.
Zoroscopes!!
Capricorn
Your friends weren’t
admiring your haircut
today.
Mr.
Krause
happened
to
walk
behind
Leo
Don’t cry when you spill you and his dome was
your milk at lunch next looking fresh.
Aquarius
week. Use a freshman to
You
will
find a key to
wipe it up!
the school this week.
Libra
Just because your 6th hour Don’t snoop, just lock up
teacher is evil doesn’t the school and end our
mean they’re a witch. The misery!
the fact that you still watch on TV this week and die of
American Idol... well, amazement. That pianist
that’s too bad. Nothing was so good!
will make up for that.
Scorpio
The reason nobody will
Gemini
It’s getting warm outside talk to you, Scorpio, is
and everybody will be out because somebody said
and about. In other words, you were doing Frisbee.
spare the public some pain If that is true, you won’t
and stay inside until after be getting any more
Zoroscopes.
dark.
Taurus
Pisces
The school year is nearing If you ever doubt that you
its
end, Taurus. Your bad have the coolest principal
Aries
fact that they ride a broom
Everybody loves when hair day, however, is ever, just wait until he
to school, however...
you yell at your friends nowhere close to being smuggles you into a
Cancer
over!
basketball game.
Sorry, Cancer. When at the top of your lungs,
Virgo
you’re that rude to the Aries. Please, just keep
screaming
forever.
You
will
see
a recording of
lunch ladies, you’ll have
the Madison Symphony’s
Sagittarius
to deal with picking the
If you want to make up for Final Forte competition
hair out of your food!
by Ian Olson
“City Council,”
continued from
page 3
“Natty Nation,”
continued from page 6
Does anything set
Reincarnation
apart
from
your
other
albums?
On the new album we
worked with several
outside producers, which
we have never done
before. The message in
the music is more Yogic &
Hindu than Rasta.
Do you have a
favorite track?
Cool & Proper is a favorite
track.
Finally, is there
anything in particular
you want students at
East to know about Natty
Nation, or anything
you’d like to say to
them?
We would like to
see more young people
listening to reggae because
of its positive message.
Reincarnation can
be sampled at the band’s
website, www.nattynation.
com, and purchased online
or at local record stores
such as B-Side Records
on State Street.
Bryon, Eagon, a junior
at the University of
Wisconsin, is campaigning
for the 8th District
council seat. This district
encompasses much of the
UW campus and several
student dorms.
Eagon is concerned
with issues important to
residents of the 8th district
and the rest of Madison,
including
promoting
apartment
tenants’
rights
and
landlord
accountability. He also
wants to address the issues
of safety and poverty in
the downtown area.
During his campaign,
Barack Obama spoke
often about the importance
of youth having a sense of
community involvement.
Maniaci and Eagon prove
that this is idea still true.
Young people have as
much a voice as anyone
else, and if we make sure
we are heard, we can create
the kind of changes we
want in our communities,
our city, and our nation.
Remember,
the
election is April 7 and,
no matter your individual
political leanings, it is
important to vote for
the people you want to
represent you.