CARDINAL COLUMNS APRIL 2015
Recognizing
Race
students of color speak out about recognition of culture P. 15
Also Inside: Sports Diamonds in the Rough Dress Code Music
Creating the Cover The Idea Our original plan was to use a thought bubble behind Wilkerson, but the more stream-lined, geometric look was much more appealing in the end.
A rough draft of our original cover plan
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the Right Shot Fondy student Hillary Wilkerson was a breeze to work with for this month’s cover. It took more than a few tries until we were able to get the look we wanted. We needed a photo to show that this is serious, and although Wilkerson has a beautiful smile, we prefered a blank slate to her cheery eyes.
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Around Fondy P.3
contents
Cardinal Columns
Fond du Lac High School 801 Campus Drive Fond du Lac, WI 54935 920-929-2740
www.cardinalcolumns.org
Editorial Board Editor(s)-in-Chief Laura Engebretson Brittany Lange
Technology, Retake Policy
Sports P.5
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Boys Baseball, Girls Softball, Girls Soccer, Boys Tennis, Track, Boys Golf, Hockey P.8
Managing Editor Cory Scherer
Art Director
Katelyn Lavrenz
Sports Editors Katie Nett
Entertainment Editor
Editorials P.25
Pinteresting Results, Village Market, Music, Feminism, Spring Break, Games
Brittany Lange
News Editor
Laura Engebretson
Staff Writers Zac Jaschob Madison Supple Mackenzie White Kay Sacasa Glenn Elmer Allie Souders Cas Bacon Cassie Groeschl Alexis Freund Katelyn Lavrenz Mitchell Albertz Max Barbee Zoe Hayes Shanelle Tucker Morgan Bloechl Shelly Faris
Adviser Matthew Smith To Advertise 920-929-2740 smithm@fonddulac. k12.wi.us Letters to the Editor Room 2610 smithm@fonddulac. k12.wi.us www.cardinal columns.org (click on “Contact Us”)
Fondy’s Artists
P.9
Diamonds in the Rough
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P.13
Decoding Dress Code P.19
Recognizing Race P.15
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TECHNOLOGY USAGE AT FONDY
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Laura Engebretson//Editor-in-Chief
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ost, if not all teenagers nowadays have grown up with modern technology such as computers, cell phones and a wide array of novelty additions to contemporary devices such as televisions. Each year, seen is the upswing of reliance on computers and the rising issues from the incorporation of electronics in everyday life. During the 2011-2012 school year, rules on cell phones at Fondy were relaxed and students were officially allowed to use them at lunch and in the hallways during passing time. Current seniors came into the high school with this policy change being new, and did not experience the heavier rules on cell
phones. “It was sort of a big deal at that point,” says Maxwell Culver, an alumni of Fondy. “Granted, I was only a sophomore when that became a thing, but it was nice to be able to officially use your cell phone.” In the following school year, Chromebooks were formally introduced to every student to aid in learning and school work. While there have been no major additions to technology and the curriculum or policies regarding technology since the 2012-2013 school year, it is interesting to see how it has affected students in the long term. In a survey concerning student opinions on technology
Android 40%
iOS 49%
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conducted by the Cardinal Columns, out of 161 respondents, 11% of students answered that they believe technology has affected everyday life negatively, and 70% - the majority - answered that it negatively affected their lives in only certain aspects. “I’m hopeful that the younger classes will learn to use computers more effectively,” says senior Kaylin Kraemer. “For a while, it was the entire reason I had troubles in school. Now I’m finishing my high school education online, which is a bit of an ironic turnaround. There are pros and cons, but I suppose in about ten years we’ll have really figured out how to properly deal with these things.”
One Reassessment Policy to Rule Them All
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ast school year, Fond du Lac High School started phasing in a new standard-baced grading system. Part of the policy included that it is required for all tests to have the option to be retaken, but the process of retaking a test is up to the teacher. Earlier this year, the administration decided to create one policy for all teachers, ure out what would work best for everyone. After drafting the new policy, a team with one representative from each department in the school looked it over making edits and changes. The policy was adopted, and the changes were made. Retakes have always been somewhat of a debate since they started being allowed, but the retake conversation started up again when administration enacted this ofmonths ago. “Students now have the ability to retake of the semester,” Mr. Pizzo said. “Previously, it was capped off by each term. Students are also required to meet with a teacher and complete the reassessment form.” The idea was to unify the retake policy throughout the school for all the teachers. Previously, the policy was that all teachers were required to allow retakes, but the work students had to do and the amount of time they had to do it before the retake could take place was up to the teacher. “The biggest issue that was behind the [old] reassessment policy was that we didn’t have consistency among teachers in what they were doing when kids were reassessing, so it was really confusing for students and for parents,” Mr. Pizzo said. “We wanted to have one policy that all teachers utilized.” Of course, with any change comes criticism. There’s much disagreement over whether retakes have a positive or negative
impact on students, as well as whether the new policy was a necessary change. “I think retakes can be great for students who are truly trying to fully understand a subject, but I also know that for some students, it gives them a chance to put off studying to see if they can do well on the test without putting in effort,” senior Regan Calvert said. “I don’t think [being able to retake a test] makes a difference [to whether information is more retained], but if you screw up one day, you have a little extra time to study,” sophomore Connor Williams said. A little extra time to study is a privilege that only started existing in the last few years at Fond du Lac High School, and has led to some students believing that it’s teaching students to be irresponsible. “Retakes take some of the stress out of test taking and they are a great opportunity for times that you needed a little more time to fully understand a certain concept,” Regan Calvert said. “But on the other hand they put students in the mindset of not needing to study as much, because they will
vious-term reassessments could take place. With the new policy, students have until the end of the semester to retake anything from all three terms. “Prior, with the old policy, if there was an assessment and the term was up, if the student suddenly understood the material, they didn’t have the ability to go back and take another crack at that set of activities and now they do,” Mr. Pizzo said. The decision was based on a move to make focus more on student learning, and the hope is that with more reassessment opportunities, more information will be retained that will be helpful in feature ventures, like college. “I think that this isn’t college and this isn’t the real world, it’s high school,” Mr. Pizzo said. “Our goal is to build a student’s knowledge base as much as we can so when they get to college students can still be successful.”
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or just take the retake.” Under the old policy, after a term ended, all tests taken during that term CARDINAL COLUMNS.ORG
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Spring Sports Katie Nett // Sports Editor
Boys’ Baseball Neil Abbott “Our goal, without a doubt, is to make it to state this year. We have many new faces on varsity, but they have a lot of talent to perform at the varsity team this year and how we can hang with any team in the FVA.”
Coach Ziegler “Our main focus is going to be on three aspects: 1) Do the little things (fundamentals) correctly. 2) Be aggressive, and have no fear of making mistakes. 3) Working with the power of positivity.” 5
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Jace Lanning “I’ve done lot of offseason work, going to all the open gyms to take swings and waking up early to go lift and condition. You really can’t take time off to be a successful baseball player. You have to stick with it, and work hard all year long.”
Coach Paulsen “I’m starting my 47th year as head coach here at Fondy High. I have all players be my leaders, so I have 17 captains. Our goals are to prepare to play as well as we can and have fun.”
Girls’ Softball Chy Bonincontri
Haley Lechner
“I, along with many girls in the program, went to weight training after school, open gyms before school, and I even attended yoga once a week as team bonding before school.”
“I joined softball because I liked the competition of the game, and my teammates are the bomb.”
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Coach Petersen “One of the biggest things we are looking to improve as a program is to create a cohesive program from top to bottom where everyone holds one another accountable but also celebrates the successes we have on
Girls’ Soccer Zoe Pantel
Kaitlyn Mack
“I went to all of the preseason opportunities set up for us.”
“Our biggest competitors every year are Neenah, Kimberly, and Appleton North. All three teams are working hard year round in preparation for the soccer season so they are ready to take on any team when the season starts. We’re working to keep our girls in shape and have them getting some touches on the ball during preseason.”
will be to develop a team chemistry and also a chemistry throughout the program, branching between the three teams. As this chemistry builds, so too will our success as a program now and into the future.
Livi Larson
an exciting high pace type of play where we can set the speed of play at our comfort level and constantly put our opponents under pressure as we seek to attack both with and without the ball. “
“My goal is to beat at least one of the teams that have always been the top in the conference like Appleton North, Neenah and Kimberly.”
Boys’ Tennis Kenan Saleh
“I practiced a lot at indoor tennis courts, as well as doing strength and conditioning training.”
Coach Sagen
Ethan Pieper “I think our team needs to work mostly on teamwork and communication. We’re all great players, but we’re part of a team.”
“I’ve been playing since I was about ten years old. I enjoy the psychological/mental challenges the game has. I also love the challenges and then the successes that coaching of anything has to offer. It doesn’t matter the level of skill; the pure satisfaction of seeing a person succeed at something is what it’s all about. Seeing a person them grow in all aspects of life. I had many people in my life that I have, and I want to pay it forward. Young people (adults) are the bomb.”
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Boys’/Girls’ Track
Coach Deering thing that we are trying to improve on is putting our kids through more rigorous workouts to help them for the end of the season to reach their goals.”
Boys’
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Kyle Pierce
Megan Buechel
“My goal, as a team, is for our team to take home the regional and sectional champ titles again for the third straight year. I also hope we do better at conference so we can bring home the conference championship this year. Individually, my goals are to podium at state in long jump, triple jump and the 4x1 relay.”
“I ran all winter long and then also did a little bit of weightlifting.”
Golf
Jack Nejedlo
Marcus Ruch
“I have worked out after school to build strength, and I have gone to the course and practiced since the weather is so nice out.”
“My goals for the season would be win conference as a team, qualify for sectionals as a team, and make it to state.”
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Coach Flasch “As always, we set out to compete for the conference championship. Fondy has a strong tradition in competitive golf, and we assemble competitive teams on a yearly basis. Like in many sports, the FVA conferto excel in. Every year, the dominant FVA conference team usually places very high in the state tournament a team and compete against some of the best golfers in the Fox Valley!”
y e k c o H y d Fon
of our best players e m so to ns ea m ey ck ho t ha W
Kay Sacasa // Staff Writer
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efore the game against Springs in the middle of December, if you walked in the locker room, you’d see the boys blaring music and having dance offs. Right before the game, captain Jack Nejedlo gave his younger teammates a speech to get their heads in the game. “Alright boys,” Jack Nejedlo gathered his team together, before they go out on the ice. “Let’s go out, play hard, be smart and make sure that you leave it out here tonight because we don’t know how many more we have. Do it for the guy next to you.” For Jack Nejedlo, Noah Wilson and Henry Lange, three of the best hockey players here at Fondy, hockey isn’t just a sport; it’s everything and has been for majority of their life. “It means a lot,” Nejedlo said with a smile. “I mean, I’ve been playing for 15 years now, and it’s just been my whole life. I don’t want to give it away. It’s been awesome.” On average, the NHL teams that have a children’s program
started skating when I was three.“ “I was around two and a half or three years old, [when I started],” sophomore Noah Wilson said. “I just kind of got into it with my brother, and I’ve loved it ever since as we went along.” Everyone gets advice for everything they do. Hockey is no different. Some players get regular advice from our very own Michael Wilson who is off playing at the college level in Omaha. the positive,’” Nejedlo said with another smile. “Like Michael would always [say], no matter how work with that. I try to do that, and every now and the positive in every situation.” “Yeah, I mean, he plays hockey at higher levels now,” Wilson said. “So he gives a lot of advice to me, but, I mean, the main stuff he always tells me is that, ‘Pick your head up, and as long as you keep working, you’re going to keep getting better, and you’re going to start passing people up,’” Wilson said. For students thinking of playing hockey, Jack, Noah, and Coach Sarazin have have some advice. “I guess Michael told me to just keep working, and you’re going to keep getting better,” Wilson advises. “As long as you just keep putting in that work in the weightroom and on the ice, I mean, only good things can come.” “Just go out and skate,” said Nejedlo. “Have fun, and just word hard, and things will go your way,” “My advice is to keep working hard; play other sports,” Coach Sarazin recommends. “Don’t burn out on hockey, enjoy other things, but obviously, stay committed to it. Work hard off the ice and getting stronger so that you can have the strongest most athletic kids when they get up to this age.”
“IN THE BAD TIMES, FIND THE POSITIVE,” -JACK NEJEDLO
seven years old. The same three players also agree that kids that are going to play hockey should start as early as three years old. “Hockey’s kind of a unique thing where you have to learn to skate,” Coach Sarazin said. “It’s quite a unique skill. You have to use your edges,
eight range. Some people start as early as three or four. Some of the best skaters I’ve seen started at a young age. That’s not to say it can’t happen, but if you miss that developmental year to learn how to skate, it’s harder to catch up later.” “I got into hockey when I was like three or four years old,” Nejedlo said. “I’d be skating out with my dad and my sisters and a bunch of my cousins.” “I was three years old,” freshman Henry Lange said. “I didn’t play hockey until I was six, but I
P HO TO S C O U RT E S Y OF JACK NEJEDL O, NOAH WIL SON , A N D H EN RY LAN GE
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Talented Artists of Fondy Shining a spotlight on our Art Department and its talented teachers and students. CASSIE GROESCHL // STAFF WRITER
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“I really enjoy being in these classes for the exposure to the creativity of my peers.”
- Lauren Elwing
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Ceramics & Sculpture I
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p lf
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Painting & Drawing
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“My favorite part of teaching has been the connections that I have made with so many young people over the years.” - Lisa Birschbach
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Glass & Metals
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In Conclusion...
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DIAM
OND S IN
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Christopher Laudolff
extra cash here and th ere. For some, a part time or sum is all they mer job need, but Fondy sen topher Lau io r Chrisdolff uses his hobby vantage. to his adLaudolff has been doing wood-work ing for fo ur been interested in woodwork ing,” Lau dolff
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My
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Pictured model is not affiliated with the story
R ecog n izin g Race
Studen ts of co lor spea of cultu k out ab re and out the race at recogn Fond d ition u Lac H igh Sch ool. Zo e Haye
s // Staf
f Writer
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arlier in the school year, senior Mykenzie Anderson, a student of color, explained that she was standing with some friends talking for a few minutes before they made their way to their next class when a group of caucasian students began making fun of the way she and her friends were speaking. “They kept saying the ‘N’ word and that if we weren’t going to speak proper English, we shouldn’t be here,” she said. “They were saying these things loud enough so that we would hear them, and they knew it would make us mad, so they came back everyday.” Many students support that she is not the only one who has experienced occurrences like this. They explain that they feel as if they must act a certain treated equally.
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Walking through the hallways of Fondy High, it is not unusual for stularge mixing pot of different races, cultures and ethnicities. Whether purposefully or not, many students say there are still instances where being a minority leads to misconception and unfair treatment and that they face discrimination and unequal treatment because of racial and cultural barriers. “The school pushes aside recognizing culture until there is an issue,” Anderson said. “It seems as if race is only brought up when there is a problem,” senior DaeShawnna Johnson-Herbst added.
AN OVERVIEW In a survey conducted by the Cardinal Columns, out of 125 students who responded, nearly 80 percent of students say that they believe that students self-segregate in the lunchroom and hallways. Many go on to explain that this is mainly because they feel most comfortable being surrounded by those who are culturally similar to them and who understand their racial experiences. “We’re all divided by something,” sophomore Phantazia Alvarado said. “Especially in the lunchrooms, classrooms, hallways and everyday life at the high school.” Laurice Snyder, Supervisor of Community Education Services at Fond du Lac High School, is the main point of contact for students regarding this topic. “What’s interesting is that many white individuals don’t see white as a race and therefore nobody looks twice when white students congregate together,” she said. “It seems as though the term ‘segregation’ is only used with people of color and that without a doubt creates increased feelings of alienation and marginalization for our students.” She believes that the reality is that culture does matter and that each and every student is brought up in their own unique settings, these settings sculpting the person that they become and the things they value. Students say it is because of these differences that people have a hard time understanding racial and cultural differences. Snyder even created a group for students to have a place to discuss issues and concerns about race, race relations and racism. “Participants learn how history impacts current day practices, as 17
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well as the skills to cope with the everyday reality of students of color trying to succeed in a predominately white community,” Snyder said. “The group meets in the Community Room every Friday during Cardinal Time and welcomes any student interested in joining.” Many members of this group share their feelings and experiences on what it is like for them attending Fond du Lac High School, most of them being very similar. Students reported that they experience subtle forms of racism on a daily basis. Things such as inaccurate and inappropriate stereotypes, unequal enforcement of disciplinary action and misunderstanding of culture and customs are just a few of the ways that students of minority say they are excluded, mistreated and mislabeled. Instead of turning a blind eye to the racial background of a student, Snyder and many students stress that it is most important to embrace each student’s differences and to work towards a better understanding of the cultures surrounding us.
DIST RIBUT ION OF DISCIPLINARY ACT ION According to Snyder, currently about 14.5 percent of students currently enrolled at Fondy High are described as a student of color. In the Cardinal Columns survey, while only about 40 percent of students said that they felt racism in general is an issue at the school, 55 percent said that they feel as if disciplinary action is not enforced equally. The US Department of Education examined school discipline during the dents as young as four years old at the pre-K level are already facing unequal treatment from school administrators. partment show that African American students were expelled at three times the rate of Caucasian students and that, on average, 16 percent of African American students are suspended students. Many students here at Fondy High they feel as if students of color are more likely to get in trouble compared to their caucasian peers. “The rate of white versus colored students being suspended or expelled is disproportional, even though both
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“Te c h ra ce n ica lly y ou -- t h e , we ’ re a g a s h o u h u m a ll o i n st ld n a n n e ’ - P a n ot h t be ra ra ce; ha n e t a z r h u m ci st ia A lva ra a n.” do
parties make around the same amount of mistakes on school grounds,” junior Ashlee Adenomo said. “The way administrators and teachers treat white versus nonwhite students who are misbehaving is not fair nor equal.” “You see a couple of black kids acting up in the pod, and then next thing you know, all of the teachers think you’re doing that too, and that you’re just like the other kids,” sophomore Esosa Adenomo added. “If there’s one bad apple, we must all be bad apples in the administration and some of the teachers’ eyes.” “Not all black people are loud; not all of us are violent,” Mykenzie Anderson explained. Johnson-Herbst explained that she thinks students of color have a reputation for being obnoxious, but they’re often just playing a role. “That’s why they act obnoxious: because it’s just expected,” she said. Anthony Pizzo, an assistant principal at Fond du Lac High School, explains that there are behaviors that administration looks at on an individual basis depending on their severity and the circumstances surrounding the incident. “We try to treat every student as an individual,” he said. “I think we do treat students differently because we surrounds the issue, but to say that we treat black students different than white students, I don’t think is an accurate statement.” “Student behavior is the culmination of their cultural upbringing and sometimes can be interpreted as rude or disrespectful if it doesn’t match the
dominant culture,” Snyder said. “At Fond du Lac High School I have heard people say that students of color are disrespectful because they are too loud or cracking jokes, but in reality that might very well be acceptable behavior within their culture.”
such as “The coloreds” when referring to people of color. “I don’t think that it was necessarily the intention of my students to sound the way they did, but, quite frankly, it was appalling,” Daleiden said. “It was offensive; it was rude; it was uniformed and very ignorant.”
CAUSES AND MISUNDERSTANDINGS
WHAT Y OU CAN DO
While the large majority of educators in the Fond du Lac School district are unilingual English-speaking white Americans, this same description does not hold true for many students enrolled in Fond du Lac schools. “Because our educators have not historically, they have struggled to meet the cultural needs of their students.” Snyder said. “Once a common practice, teachers and fellow peers were encouraged to embrace a sort of “color blindness” where the color of one’s skin is disregarded, and equality is preached, yet, subconsciously, there are still subtle forms of discrimination,” she explained. For example, teachers were told “see students, not color,” believing that color doesn’t matter. “This form of racism is one of the most present forms of racism among young Americans today.” “I personally feel as if I have to catch myself at times for acting ‘too black’ or being the ‘typical black girl,’” Ashlee Adenomo said. “When you’re the only black student in your class or on your sports team, you can’t help but constantly notice it.” Snyder explains that there is a natural fear of the unknown which causes people to withdraw from things that they don’t understand and that this fear holds people back from asking questions. She feels as if it is not always recognized when students are being discriminated against because many people are not educated on what is offensive and that this can cause adults to be reluctant to step in when discriminating actions are taking place. Some teachers are even seeing that students are carrying out discriminating actions, sometimes without even knowing it. In an essay being written by an Advance Placement Language and Composition class, English teachers Erika Daleiden and Sandra Berka found that a number of students were writing in very offensive ways, even using terms
According to Snyder, in a school that is so culturally diverse, it can be hard to break out of our comfort zones and take that extra step to better understand our peers. “First and foremost, ask questions,” she said. “We’ve been taught for whatever reason not to ask, but that’s the only way to learn about people.” She explains that if you are offensive, make an effort to apologize and then to ask for ways to better understand. Students stress that it is very important to get to know someone before assuming something based on their cultural background or the color of their skin. “Be involved in what is going on in the community, and take it upon ourselves to learn a little bit more each day,” Snyder said. “Racism makes no sense to me,” Alvarado said. “Technically, we’re all one race-- the human race; you shouldn’t be racist against another human.”
LAURICE SNYDER AND JUNIOR ASHLEE ADENOMO
S N Y D E R S I T S W I TH STUDENTS O F F O N D Y H I G H . MANY OF T H E S E S T U D E N T S AR E M EM B E R S O F T H E I N T ER C U LTU R AL D I A L O U G E G R O U P.
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DEC0DING
How does Fondy’s dress code affect education? atelyn Kotsonis was on her way to class when she says she was approached by a teacher. Her
K
solid tights. “I told my teacher that what I was wearing wasn’t against the dress code,” Kotsonis said. “A second teacher came up to lecture me about it, and both said something along the lines of ‘just because you have tights underneath it doesn’t make it not against the dress code.” Kotsonis said she responded by pointing to three other students also breaking the same rule, who were not sent to the their dress code violation. Kotsonis was escorted to each of her classes by her principal in order to ask her teachers if they were comfortable with having her in class. “Literally none of my teachers cared except for the one who sent me to the of-
and responsible manner by talking about it.” According to a student survey conducted by Cardinal Columns, 53.4 percent of 251 responders believe our dress code negatively impacts women, while 70.5 percent agree that there is body favoritism involved as well.
Sexualization
According to Junior Erica Albrecht, the idea that women must cover their bodies to prevent distraction in class not only puts them at fault of other students’ thoughts and actions, but also teaches females that their bodies are something to hide and be ashamed of. “It’s just insane how girls can’t show bra straps in school,” Albrecht said. Albrecht believes that punishing a student for showing a bra strap is almost equal to punishing them for being a woman; she is not alone in this belief. Junior Haruka Yukioka believes that sexualization in our dress code runs on an even deeper level. “The dress code here at FHS perpetu-
“I was actually pretty calm about the can be prevented if one covers up,” Yukioexperience until I was forced to miss al- ka said. “There was a video last year of a most an hour and a half of my classes girl walking around school being followed by a guy, and it was apparently her fault with my ‘problem,’” Kotsonis said. “And she was being stalked because her dress even then, I only got frustrated because I was short. It’s despicable; it makes me feel was being singled out for being different unsafe, and it needs to be changed.” than others because of my weight. I was in a hallway full of girls in tank tops and shorts.” Dress code has purpose of safety, distractions and respect, but many students feel it lacks concern of their personal well being. “They [students] should always seek ing such distress,” Principal Hagen said. She advises that students speak to an adult they trust to address such a situation. 19
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instance where a dress code video has gone too far. “The dress code video shown my freshman year is a prime example -- a girl wore an opened back shirt with part of her bra showing, and a boy couldn’t concentrate because he saw it in an overly sexual way,” Schmitz said. She feels a student who cannot control themselves should be the one removed from class. “We need to protect these women rather than oppressing them.”
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While students may feel the dress code is bias, administration says it was never intended to be that way. “As people, we have expectations that we must see everything around us equally, but unfortunately it doesn’t happen,” Hagen explained. “It all depends on one’s focus and what people notice, not everyone is aware of all their surroundings. attention to details, such as a dress code violation. There is no intent to be bias of gender, race, body type, etc.”
The Purpose
Jordan Betts feels neutral about Fondy’s dress code. schools are practical about them and don’t place them on items non-reasonably,” Betts said. “But, as you see more and more unreasonable restrictions on things everywhere, it can make you question if dress codes are there for a good reason anymore.” cause it provides a standard for all individuals,” Hagen explained. “One person’s perception of how appropriate a trend is could be different from others. It sets a standard for appropriateness and acceptability for everyone. We don’t want student attire to distract from learning.” “School is a work environment which would infer that everyone was here for a common goal--to impart or learn information and skills that will carry them through their life,” Art instructor Lisa Birschbach states. “All rules are made because someone has created a problem. Someone has stepped out of what are the ‘norms’ for that situation; they have made someone uncomfortable.” Birschbach agrees with the dress code policies that are in place and believes they all have purpose and the curred, such as bans on hats and bandanas due to “gang” relation that continues to
DRESS CODE be a problem. Freshman year, Kane Schumacher was at his locker when he says a teacher stopped him and said his shirt was inappropriate. “They told me either change or leave so I got a shirt from the athletic dethe end of the day.” Schumacher said. He, along with several other students don’t understand what has caused a ban on tank tops. “I’m not looking to get rid of the the entire thing [dress code], but they expect me to wear a thick cotton Tshirt when it’s 80 degrees out. I was threatened to get kicked out of school because I was wearing a tank top.”
Consistency
The protocol of handling a dress code violation varies depending on what the concern is and the reaction given by the student. Typically, the student would be asked to change into something such as an extra sweater or call parent for change new clothing.” Hagen said. “From my experiences I have had very cooperative and understanding students when the situation is explained.” Multiple survey responses from stuon how the dress code is applied throughout the school. Many issues listed by students included inconsistency among teachers and how not all apply the policy evenly. For instance, one teacher may compliment a student on their attire, while code violation”
Practicality
aren’t capris,” junior Mariah Loehr said. “Girls have a really hard time when the dress code says shorts have to be the same length as your arms.” Katlynne Lisowe said. “What about those girls that have long arms? They end up wearing boy’s shorts.” Limited availability of approprifor students to comply to the policy. Lisowe states.
Uniforms
Uniforms eliminate distractions, create a sense of unity, and focus on the central purpose of school -- learning. According to a student survey, 73 percent of participants were against school uniforms, but why is this? “Students complain that uniforms inhibit their creative expression,” Coach Gnewuch claimed. “But you can still express yourself with accessories and your hair.” In 1996, President Clinton instructed the Federal Education Department to distribute The Manual on School Uniforms to the nation’s 16,000 school districts, advising on how to legally enforce a school uniform policy. The manual was designed in the ideas that uniforms may decrease violence and theft among students over clothing; prevent the wearing of gang colors and insignia; instill student discipline; help students and parents resist peer pressure; help students focus on school work; and help school
Of the students who responded to
“Uniforms are easier to deal with in the morning and erase differences be-
the dress code inconvenient when getting dressed in the morning. “I’m constantly getting told by teachers how my shorts are too short, when
Hagen said. Although, she does not see uniforms becoming a part of Fondy High, she does believe they would be a better option.
Boxers and sagging pants Cut off shirts Tank tops Holes in pants
Cleavage
No studs or spikes Hats
Bra straps
Bandanas
Wallet Chains Slippers Shorts
Coats in class
Some people believe uniforms to be a however, the manual requires that famied in order to afford proper uniforms. Assistance can be given in a variety of ways, including the combined effort of schools, community and business leaders and other parents to make uniforms available for economically disadvantaged student, and make used uniforms from graduates available to incoming students.
Body Shaming
Looking back at her experience with the dress code, Kostonis remains impacted by what she went through. “I feel this instance happened because I have more skin to show, if I am showing skin, because I am a bigger girl,” Kotsonis said. “It made me feel self conscious because I was being shown as a bad person to every member of my class and all of my teachers because I like the body that I am in. I don’t feel big, even though I am a size 16-18, and this made me feel huge. There was a constant whisper and pointing to me because I had been singled out for being comfortable in my skin.” She claims the incident made her feel unsafe. “I have been bullied ever since I was in elementary school, so having a principal escort me around the school and have to get up in front of the class just fueled the bullies to bother me more because it showed that it was okay to single me out for being big.”
Do you know dress code? A simple guide to Fondy’s dress code
Prohibited Attire Includes: Shorts and Skirts Alcohol Violence illegal substances/paraphernalia Anything demeaning to another group of people Anything that could be gang related Anything sexually suggestive inappropriate language
No midrif
No wallet chains
are to be at or below the tips of at the side.
Pants
must be worn at hips or above.
No hats, hoods, No combat boots with No or head coverings non black laces bandanas
No cleavage
No studs or spikes
No tank tops AT ALL
Does the dress policy go against your religious or medical needs? You may be eligible for an exemption. All you need to do is present your assistant principal with a written note from a Doctor/Clergy and parent/guardian summarizing the reason for the exemption.
s t l u s e R g n i t s e r inte Alexis Freund // Staff Writer
ave you ever been scrolling through pinterest and wondering, “Does this stuff actually work?” or, “Can you actually make that yourself?” It’s always a common question in my head, so I thought it would be a good idea to just go ahead and try one out! This pin has come up on my board pretty often and I’m not sure why that is, but it always gets me thinking, “Will this thing actually work?” The pin is charging your phone with a watermelon, and I decided to test it out!
H
Things I used: * A medium sized watermelon * A bowl that is a little bit bigger than the watermelon * Salt * Ice * Phone charger/phone I combined all the ingredients and went right ahead and plugged in my phone. nothing. Absolutely nothing. I looked at some videos of people testing this out and one youtube channel, ThreadBanger, said that if you leave it sit in the ice water and salt mixture for, it may work. So I left it sit for about 5 minutes and went back to see. I again plugged it in, and it still didn’t work at all. At this point, I was just ready to call it quits, but I just left it sit for about 45 minutes. When I came back, the watermelon was getting pretty cold. I found the coldest spot and tried one last time. IT WORKED. The charge didn’t last long, just a few seconds, but it worked!
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ORGANIC VILLAGERS Village Market and the importance of alternative eating Cas Bacon // Staff Writer
V
illage Market, a locally owned speciality and health food store recently had their 33rd anniversary here in Fond du Lac. Small in size, staff, and right across from Gillies, it carries an air of local quaintness and subtly. Locally grown produce are right upon the entrance past the smoothie bar, next to a series of aisles carrying not only vegetarian and vegan alternatives to everyday staples, but necessities for those with food allergens. Walmart, Pick n’ Save, and Festival all provide a very clean cut and basic service-- providing an area for people to purchase food and making it avail-
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able to the general public. However with the growing fear of pesticides in produce and the cost of fuel for shipping means that more and more people are turning to local and organic food. While accommodations for peanut allergies are often readily available, the same can’t be said for other common food allergens. Around one third of the population in the United States is lactose intolerant, meaning they are unable to digest the sugar often found in milk and other dairy products. With dairy being a staple in most out, and substitutes are few and far between at most major supermarkets. The same can be said for those who
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need eggs, gluten and wheat free substitutes. When there is an estimated 15 million people in the United States with a food allergy, and the schools lack proper documentation of ingredients in food, it is a necessity to bring in food from home, and by extension, grocery stores and health food shops. “Places like Village Market are available, but need to be more known for their selection and accessible alternatives for those with allergies,” senior Kylee Thompson said. With growing popularity, health food stores and local grocers can open to a new demographic; one that needs to be seen. Hopefully everyone can see the existence–and necessity of our own Village Market.
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music underrated ablums everyone should listen to Cas Bacon // Staff Writer
Written after a four year relationship, Estelle of a breakup album with True Romance, dominated by tracks stamped with Estelle’s personality. The 11 musically-diverse songs are preoccupied with love and the collateral damage of bad relationships. While lacking consistency, the range of genre and sound are held by both Estelle’s musical talents and a strong anchor in pop and soul. It’s rare to see Lower Dens have a sound synonymous with positivity. The band of four confronts grief indirectly in most of their works; embedded with spacy and expansive tones, it makes Escape Evil seem like a complete 180. Direct lyrics speaking of how tragedies can be the cause of catastrophes, but as opportunities for catharsis, striking the listeners in the soul and baking batter mix of synth with guitar phrases. Escape Evil is the cool pillow of refreshing melancholy that deserves to be laid upon. 25
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With 2011 came a new sound by a duo named Purity Ring. They showed the music a world of a novelty “new pop”--synthesized but not so much that it would stray away from the genre and into an EDM fantasy. Throughout the years, new artists, such as Grimes, popped up replicating and drawing inspiration from the pair, and top 40 dwellers achieved inspiration from Purity Ring. Now it’s 2015, and they’ve released their second album, another eternity. The album reminds everyone that while there may be imitators, the trailblazers can and will reel you in to an indie electro pop carnival, leaving the scene, showing how them it’s done.
Going six years strong in the indie pop scene, LIGHTS shows that she evolved from her debut of cosmonautic electro in The Listening, to a grunge filled revolution in Siberia, she has grown up with her electro pop in Little Machines. Kicking off the album last year by dropping the song Portal, which carries a soft simple sound letting the lyrics and vocal prowess shine through.
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E D I T O R I A L S
Spring Break Isn’t a “Break” Anymore
Easter break is considered your one time off in spring Laura Engebretson // Editor-in-Chief
Y
ou’ve heard the complaints multiple times: “Why isn’t our spring break longer?” “It wasn’t like this a few years ago.” It’s the same thing over and over again. “Spring break” has definitely become nothing but a politically correct name for Easter break. It seems like years ago that there was a longer break for Easter, which made it only fair to group it with spring break. On April 2, 2012, spring recess officially started. However, it was a Monday, technically starting break on March 31. Spring break lasted the entire week, until classes resumed on April 9. Compared to this year, break went from April 3 to April 7--a bit of a cheap shot, if not entirely taking away the last official break from studies. Why the lack of time off? The answer is most likely rooted in Wisconsin standards for education; namely, how long students
EDITORIAL POLICY
must be in school, and the idea that more class time equals better test scores. In Wisconsin, 1,137 hours are required in instruction time per pupil. The recent ACT testing for juniors counted towards their instruction time, but not the rest of the school, thus explaining the requirement to tack on an additional five minutes at the end and start of the day. However, by the rules presented from the 2013 Wisconsin Act 257, the requirement for 180 days of school a year were struck down, presenting an opportunity for longer breaks. However, some people may rationalize that kids want a longer summer break, they don’t want to go past Walleye Weekend again, or that administrators are more concerned with keeping kids in school longer due to declining standardized test scores - either way, the line between keeping students happy and the law is a fine one.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR form on the “Contact Us” page on CardinalColumns.org.
The Fond du Lac High School Media Editorial Policy applies to all FHS me dia, including the Cardinal Columns and the daily broadcast of Fondy To day. All student media referenced in this editorial policy are designated pub by FHS students as part of journalism instructor. 27
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Advertising The Cardinal Columns accepts advertising in both its quarterly magazine and
through CardinalColumns.org. To inquire about running an aadvertisement complete the form on the “Contact Us” page on CardinalColumns.org, call the
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e h T s ’ n e m o W ment e v o M
P H OTO C OU RTE S Y TO LIB R A RY O F CO NG RESS
Brittany Lange // Editor-in-Chief
F
of revolt against men, but that is very much not the case. In
portunities.
sharing her opinion and being completely ignored, and then minutes, or even seconds, later, one of the men repeats exactly
Men are taught from early on to be dominant. As kids, have good manners and not to interrupt others. Kieran Snyder of Slate.com did a study to see if men
gynecological medical services, having the choice of abortion and equality of races, classes, and sexual orientation.
give feminists a bad reputation. CARDINAL COLUMNS.ORG
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Top 3 Most Wanted: Gaming Edition
The Most Anticipated Glenn Elmer// Staff Writer
I
t’s hard to choose a list of the most anticipated or successful games of this year so far. Some enjoy exotic and well thought out stories, while others may enjoy fast paced action. This is The Top 3 Most Wanted: Gaming Edition, Beginning with number three.
Evolve: (release date Feb 10, 2015) Evolve is a five player online experience that introduces a new form of online competition never before seen. 4 hunters, against one massive, ferocious player controlled monster. Evolve brings teamwork and competitive play to a whole new level. The monster is extremely powerful and takes a whole team to effectively eliminate. There are 4 playable monsters, each of which have different skills and ways to play them. On the hunter’s end of the game there’s a trapper who throws up spherical domes to trap the monster, locking it in place so that players can deal massive damage. There’s the Assault, whose main objective is to damage the Monster, the Medic, which keeps the team alive, by using a variety of healing skills, and theres the support, which helps by shielding individual players or calling in an airstrike for massive damage. Each character, whether hunter or monster, brings an exciting experience in the form of online competitive play that we haven’t seen before. In terms of multiplayer, cooperative play is always fun, but what about instead of fighting another team, you team up and fight enemies together? If this sounds good to you, I introduce number two: Borderlands The Handsome Collection.
Image
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Borderlands: The Hand- Bloodborne: (release date March 24 Bloodborne is an action-RPG. You must face some Collection: (release date 2015) your fears as you search for answers in the ancient March 24, 2015) This title features two games, for the price of one. Borderlands 2, and BorderlandsThe Pre Sequel. Borderlands 2 is about a group of four playable characters called vault hunters. Vault hunters scour the lands of the solar system, searching for vaults-- secret tombs said to be filled with infinite wealth, and power. The planet this adventure takes place on is called Pandora, a land filled with desserts, icy mountains, lava pits, jungles and man-made architecture. You can play as a variety of classes, each with their own unique abilities and powers. Borderlands is a game about the player, for the player. You can shape your character and invest in the skills that you want when they become available to you after leveling up. One of Borderlands unique mechanics is the seemingly infinite amount of weapons available to you. The game can generate weapons itself, which can result in some crazy and interesting combinations. The game features hilarious, sarcastic and narcissistic characters with, quite possibly, some of the best comical writing to be seen in a game. On top of all that, this game packs a massive amount of content. Not only do you get Borderlands 2, which features a massive amount replayability and cooperative fun, but you also get the Pre-Sequel, which takes place on the moon of Pandora. If you aren’t sold yet, the game also comes with all of the downloadable content for both games, which amounts to over $70 of additional content, stacked onto the original selling price of the other two games, which are $60 a piece. Featuring almost $200 worth of content, Borderlands: The Handsome Collection is well worth the buy. Not only are games like Borderlands fun, but they are also rewarding. How about a game that comes with a different type of reward? The type of reward where you overcome some massive, difficult challenge that stood in your way? If you like that type of game, I give you number one, Bloodborne.
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city of Yharnam, now cursed with a strange endemic illness, spreading through the streets like wildfire. Danger, death and madness lurk around every corner of this dark and horrific world, and you must discover its darkest secrets in order to survive. As you play through Bloodborne, you will be faced with difficult challenges. As you play, you can level up your character and equipment to suit yourself better for the horrors that await. Bloodborne is the spiritual successor to the Dark Souls and Demon’s Souls series, two games critically acclaimed for their intense risk/reward gameplay style and very difficult enemies and boss battles. The thing about these games that people love is how well it teaches you to learn from your mistakes. Dying is usually the player’s fault, as the enemies are rarely cheap and are always able to be defeated once the player understands their weakness. Bloodborne isn’t just a third person action adventure RPG; it is also a horror game. Many of the enemies you will encounter are things of nightmares-Horrible abominations that will stop you in your tracks and make you wonder if you should turn back. The whole world is interconnected, having clever shortcuts and wild references to other areas.
Image credit: Sony Computer Entertainment The games main storyline will last you into dozens of hours, and the replay value is incredible. Bloodborne is a game for fans of the series, and newcomers looking for an immense challenge.
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