June 2012
A product of the Stevens Point Journal & Boys & Girls Club
INSIDE • Dead or Alive: Chapter 19 • Editorial: Is technology ruining our generation? • Student to Know: Ginny Neufeld • Teacher to Know: Julie Kolarik
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June 2012
5 ways to spend summer vacation
By Ciana Rose Our Voice Staff Pacelli High School 10th-Grader
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fter many summers spent literally bored to tears, I have come up with several ideas to keep summer vacation busy, fun and relaxing all at the same time. If you are looking for simple and effective ways to spend your summer vacation, read on. » Take a summer school class. Why stop learning? Taking a summer class is a great way to occupy your summer and get ahead for the upcoming school year. Students do not necessarily have to take a normal class like math or writing. Some summer school classes can be gym, history or psychology; the possibilities are endless. Just because students have three months off does not mean they cannot still learn. If you are interested, tell your parents. Go with them to ask your school counselor if they have any suggestions. » Get into shape, both mentally and physically. Summer is a great time to become healthier, both mentally and physically. There are many team sports out there for young people to join, or places to exercise. From soccer to swimming to yoga, there is a type of physical activity for every figure. Getting into shape mentally is very important as well; think about working on certain bad habits you want to get rid of, whether it is biting your nails, swearing or terrible manners. Summer is a great time to focus on yourself, and focus on becoming a better you for the next school year. If you are interested in joining the YMCA or a gym like Adventure 212, ask your parents if you can get information about what they offer.
» Join a club. The central Wisconsin area is filled with hundreds of opportunities to join clubs and organizations. Look around. There are clubs at the local library, through the YMCA or at the Boys and Girls Club. Find something that interests you and try it. Do not be afraid of meeting new people. That is part of the experience. » Volunteer. If you enjoy helping people and giving back, try volunteering. There are many places that need volunteers including the Portage County Public Library and the Humane Society of Portage County. It is a great way to get to know people and feel good about yourself. » Write a bucket list. This is my top priority for the summer. A bucket list is a list of things a person wants to do before they die (kick the bucket). At the end of school year, write a list of all the things you want to do in your life, it does not matter how big or small they are. There are Internet sites out there to help you get ideas. When you are done with that list, skim through and look for things you can accomplish this summer. Pick a few, focus on them, and get into action. In the end, your summer vacation is what you make of it. I suggest you do not waste it, because you only have so many. Most of all, have fun and enjoy!
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June 2012
Dead or Alive By Hanna Burch Our Voice Staff Ben Franklin Junior High School Ninth-Grader
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isten, sweetie, I’m sorry.” Carlos explained his irrational behavior to his daughter. “I didn’t want you to scream, and I didn’t know if it was a trap, and …,” he trailed off. Angela shook her head and rolled her eyes. “Whatever,” she grumbled. Looking around the small office, she noticed there were small black circles hidden on the desk, chairs, walls, everywhere. If you didn’t look close it could look like screws or just bugs or something, but then she realized where
else she had seen them: Everywhere. Walking down hallways, in the room she was being held, everywhere. She just hadn’t taken notice before. “Wait. Dad, what are those black things? I’ve seen them everywhere. Are they cameras or something?” she asked. Carlos turned pale. “Uh, not exactly, honey,” he said, then tightened his lips into a fake smile. “Well, actually, yes they are. Cameras, and uh, microphones, too.” Angela scrunched her eyes up and glared at
him. “Dad, what aren’t you telling me? I want to know. What. Are. Those. Devices?” Her girlie voice sounded harsh through her locked teeth. Carlos debated the options in his head, and then turned toward the door. “Follow me,” he said sternly. She got up and followed her dad, who led her to the back of the large conference room. If it was possible, it seemed more employees had joined the group and were quickly whispering to each other in hushed voices, worried looks spread around
Editor’s note: This is the 19th chapter in a continuing series. Our Voice is taking a break this summer, and the 20th installment will appear in the October issue.
the room. No one paid any notice to Angela. Stopping at a set of two large metal doors, Carlos knocked. An electronic voice asked his name. “Carlos. Jaqueski. Operations President,” he stated in a loud, clear voice. Angela watched as a camera appeared from nowhere and a light flashed in Carlos’ face. After a few moments of many technical sounds from inside the room, the door clicked open. Carlos lead Angela into a dark room. She couldn’t tell how big it was. All she could see were the thousands of mov-
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ing screens lined up next to one another. “So, some pretty advanced security cameras, huh?” Angela asked. Through the televisions’ reflecting lights, she saw Carlos nod. “So that’s it? You just have an obsession with cameras all around this place? That doesn’t seem so bad. Why’d you get so uptight when I asked you?” She watched Carlos’ face closely. “Well, you see, honey,” Carlos paused. “Those aren’t just cameras. They’re also mini bombs, set to blow up at any second.”
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June 2012
Is our generation missing out because of technology?
I By Kaylyn Kluck Our Voice Staff Pacelli High School Ninth-Grader
f I had a dollar for every time I heard an adult complain that social networking and texting are ruining our generation, I could probably pay to attend college for the next hundred years. I’ve heard a million times over: “Kids these days don’t know how to talk face-to-face” and “Why don’t you just call your friend instead of texting?” Maybe today’s adults are just jealous that they didn’t grow up in a generation where you can waste hours on a social networking site or that they had to use typewriters instead of Microsoft Word. Even if I’m wrong, it’s still something we have to put up with. But looking at the whole picture, is our generation missing out because of computer technology? Are we not able to experience things that people had to do for centuries before us because now everything is supposedly easier? On the Internet there seems to be an obsession with being a 1990’s kid. Before smartphones and Twitter and iPods exploded, there were the children who spent their days dancing to cassette tapes and playing with Furby dolls. Being a 90’s kid is glorified on the Web, with memes and websites devoted to it. I imagine that in a few years being
Editorial a kid who grew up in the 2000s will be the new claim to being cool. Meanwhile, 90’s kids say their childhoods were better because modern technology didn’t influence it as much. I don’t think either group had it better. No matter what happened, both the 90’s and 2000’s kids played outside, read books and rode bikes. Are we starting to do those things less often since the Internet was born? Is being a kid or teenager different these days thanks to new inventions? Personally I’m not in mourning because the generation after mine might never know the feeling of pushing a VHS tape into a VCR, but some people are. In school, we take notes on our laptops; our parents had to write them in notebooks. If we need information for a history report, we can read a Wikipedia page; our parents had to go to the library and page through books. I think we have a definite advantage over them when it comes to learning and finding out more about the world. And there’s nothing wrong with that. There could be something wrong with us staying up till dawn
watching YouTube videos instead of reading, though. I still love reading, and I believe in getting lost in a good book. And when I say “book” I mean hardcover/ paperback covers with paper bound in between, not a tablet with a glaring screen and an app you can download books on. I don’t care if it’s a Kindle, a Nook, or whatever. It just doesn’t appeal to me. The one piece of technology I can’t stand, eReaders have annoyed me
since they came out. Why take something as classic as a simple book and make it a complex machine? I know eReaders have obvious benefits, but it still doesn’t beat turning actual pages and literally holding the story in your hands. I think reading actual books might be one thing kids in the future won’t get to experience, and that doesn’t seem right. I feel the same way about CDs. It seems like no one ever buys them anymore,
ever since you could download full albums on iTunes. I always feel good when a buy a CD, because if it is a really good album I want to be able to physically own it. I do think it’s sad that people have abandoned doing this in favor of downloading music. Or maybe writing a letter is something that won’t be experienced in the near future. Thanks to email, everything seems a little less personal nowadays. Or maybe one day people will have no clue about how to find a book in a library. And if some people I know turn out to be right, and we won’t know how to socialize faceto-face, how will the way we interact with one another change? How will it alter our relationships with others? We can only sit back and watch what is to come. As time changes, humans evolve, and so does technology. And at some point, things can get too advanced before humanity is ready for this change. Over the course of our lives, we are going to get to watch the computer era dominate almost every aspect of our lives, and who can say if this will be a good thing? In the end we are missing out, but maybe it’s for the better. We live in a different world than our ancestors did, and I imagine that our generation is testing this new world out for the people to come.
What’s one piece of technology you can’t live without? Christie Moore, 11th-grader at Pacelli High School: “My drawing tablet.”
Camille Shibilski, 11th-grader at Pacelli High School: “My iPod.”
Patrick Rath, ninth-grader at Pacelli High School: “The Internet.”
MJ Debot, ninth-grader at Pacelli High School: “My iPod.”
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June 2012
Student to Know: Ginny Neufeld By Molly Wirtz Our Voice staff Pacelli High School Ninth-Grader
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irginia Neufeld, known to all as Ginny, is a 14year-old freshman at Pacelli High School. At school, Ginny is involved in musicals, choir and track. Her favorite class was choir because of her awesome teacher, she said. She has a goal for the year of getting on the honor roll. One of her main goals for after high school is to become a cosmetologist. She would like to move to New York and be a makeup artist work-
ing on the sets of movies. Ginny is inspired by her life-long hero, Audrey Hepburn. Ginny said that Hepburn had great acting skills. Seeing Hepburn’s movies has made Ginny even more excited about participating in the arts. She loves to sing and play guitar. Ginny believes that the fine arts and selfexpression are what gives the world culture and diversity. Ginny says her parents motivate her to do better in school and extracurricular activities. They are always encouraging her and helping her achieve her goals. Ginny is also a black belt in taekwondo and she helps teach
NOMINATE A STUDENT
younger students. Ginny’s best advice for students is to “pursue your dreams, but stay level-headed and
realistic. Respect other people’s opinions because y o u d o n ’t k n o w t h e i r story.”
Do you know a local junior high or high school student who should be featured as our Student to Know in Our Voice. If so, contact Jamie Jung at 715-345-2256 or email jamie.jung@ cwnews.net.
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June 2012
Nominees for prom king and queen line up April 28 at Pacelli High School.
Pacelli High School
Marisa Rice and Adam Kluck vote for prom king and queen . (PHOTOS BY JODEE BOYD/FOR OUR VOICE)
Prom King Nick Guidry and Queen Nicole Maslakow pose for a picture at Pacelli High School.
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June 2012
SPASH Members of the Stevens Point Area Senior High prom court pose for a photo. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)
Cassie LaCourse, Alex Wuest, Kenzie Carriveau and Nikohl Crossman are all smiles April 28 at the Stevens Point Area Senior High prom. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)
Rachel Britz and Alex Wuest are all smiles during the Stevens Point Area Senior High prom. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)
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June 2012
Teacher to Know: Julie Kolarik By Juliana Spry Our Voice staff Ben Franklin Junior High School Ninth-Grader
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ulie Kolarik is a science teacher at Ben Franklin Junior High School. She is in her late 30s and lives in Plover. She is not just an ordinary science teacher, she is an environmental science teacher. She also is a forensics coach and newspaper leader at Ben Franklin. She used to coach volleyball and basketball. Ms. Kolarik grew up on a dairy farm in Denmark, Wis. She went to college at the University of WisconsinStevens Point. Ms. Kolarik has two children — Hannah, who is in sixth grade, and
Maddie, who is in fourth grade. She was inspired to be a teacher by one of her own teachers. When Ms. Kolarik was in second grade she went to a new school and she had an amazing teacher, Mrs. Graham. Her teacher was just wonderful and Ms. Kolarik also had her as a fourth-grade teacher. Mrs. Graham just motivated Ms. Kolarik to become a teacher. The thing Ms. Kolarik most enjoys about being an educator is getting to know her students. Ms. Kolarik’s advice to her students would be to do good; do good in life and in school. One of Ms. Kolarik’s most memorable moments as a teacher was when she almost “lost” her students. Ms. Kolarik was a pretty
new teacher at Ben Franklin and she decided to take a walk on a nature trail near Ben Franklin. She told her students to be on their best behavior when they walked in the hallway and down the stairs quickly and quietly to meet up with her. Ms. Kolarik went out of her room through her science office to meet her kids at the bottom of the stairway. She was waiting there and no kids showed up. She thought maybe they went to the other staircase and raced to make sure they were there. But, the students were not in sight. The only possible thing was that they were already at the nature trail. Ms. Kolarik went to the trail and they still were not there. So she called the office to see if her
kids were in the classroom and sure enough the students were in there all lined up ready to go. “Why didn’t you guys go downstairs?” Ms. Kolarik asked. The students didn’t know where she went so they stayed in the classroom on their best behavior. Ms. Kolarik’s favorite books are “Gone With the Wind,” “To Kill a Mockingbird” and “Bossy Pants.” She likes to read, travel and spend time with her children and friends.
NOMINATE A TEACHER Do you know a local junior high or high school teacher who should be featured as our Teacher to Know in Our
Voice? If so, contact Jamie Jung at 715-345-2256 or email jamie.jung@cwnews. net.
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