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vol. 35.1
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what’s
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Look inside the minds of the most stressed generation Ever p. 12
BE SOCIAL
ABOUT the COVER
follow us on:
@homestead411 @hhssports411
“I’m super stressed at the moment about not passing my driver’s test.”
@homestead411 highlander publications
- Jordan Haddad, freshman
homestead.live To visually represent the stress that consumes high school students, the cover is packed with phrases and drawings symbolizing our “overprogrammed” minds. We were inspired by the ultra-packed covers of Esquire Magazine. Sydney Roeper and Molly Riebau carefully searched and selected fonts that fit with the design and the tone of the cover story. To create the arrows and the other illustrated objects, Riebau created pages of vectors, ranging from globes to the arrows surrounding the circle, representing the student’s stressful thoughts.
The student sitting on the cover was edited to appear as an illustration. This effect fits well with the handwriting fonts used on the cover. The student featured is facing backwards and is unidentifiable, metaphorically representing all students, rather than posing as a model tied to the article. The other students photographed headon, by Carly Kleiman, shared their personal stresses with us as a way to voice their feelings and opinions about our cover story topic. We appreciate all the students’ help in bringing their voices to this important issue.
The Highlander’s editorial policy is to present facts and opinions in a fair and honest manner on issues pertaining to students at Homestead. We operate as a public forum of free expression, upholding the right to speak unpopular opinions and the privilege to agree with the majority. Letters to The Highlander are encouraged; however, we reserve the right to edit for length and grammatical errors. In addition, letters must be signed, but names can be withheld upon request. If you have upcoming story ideas for The Highlander or for our daily news website The Highlander Online, you may submit them to rrauch@mtsd.k12.wi.us.
4 10 12 16 news
Laurene Powell Jobs, the widow of Steve Jobs is donating $50 million towards the creation of a new high school. Project XQ, or the “Super School Project,” aims to remodel modern education and gives this opportunity to anyone willing to design and configure plans for this new high school.
student section
For some of Homestead’s talented musicians, life outside of school consists of band practice. These students make sure to find time in their hectic lives to make music a priority and live the rock star lifestyle while playing in front of crowds.
cover
High school students everywhere, including Homestead live stress-filled lives due to pressure from peers, parents and the community. These levels of elevated stress take a major toll on the mental health of students, further examined in the article.
editorial
Molly Riebau, editor-in-chief, shares the staff ’s collective view on the mental stress and pressure today’s high school students endure.
letterfromthe
editor We think it’s time for a fresh start, so we decided to shake up our brand. With a new editor-in-chief, new design editors, new nameplate and an all new magazine layout, we begin a new era of Highlander Publications. After a notable first year of having a news magazine, our staff has developed our own style through fresh ideas and successful past experiences. Like a cast of characters cycling through a soap opera, new faces appear on our staff every trimester, adding new experiences and capabilities to our repertoire. In a class molded by the ideas of the students, we understand the importance of the stories we cover, and we have selected these stories with extreme care -- examining the interests of the students, the happenings of the district and the prominent news breaking in the world around us. In order to accurately represent stories that are important to our student body, we often interview and survey a wide range of students. Our aim, ultimately, is to capture the attention of our readers and to elicit thought in each issue. If you, a student or faculty member, wish to have our staff report on a specific topic, story or event, or if you wish to share your opinion, you can drop off a signed letter to room 405, detailing your request or commentary. Please
The Staff
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Molly Riebau
DESIGN EDITOR
Katya Mikhailenko
understand that as a student publication, errors are inevitable, and our staff works diligently to prevent grammatical errors and errors within the content of our stories. The Highlander, for students by the students, allows our staff the unique ability to voice the concerns, triumphs and downfalls of our student body, and we understand the high level of trust and respect that comes along with our job. In our minds, this magazine carries out that duty. We enjoyed crafting this issue, and we hope you enjoy reading it.
MOLLY RIEBAU EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
DESIGNERS
Hannah O’Leary, Katya Mikhailenko, Sasha Milbeck and Molly Riebau
COPY EDITOR
Anna Kreynin
WRITERS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS
Bella Barbiere, Erin Connolly, Sydney Crivello, Jake Elchert, Gaby Geiger, Talia Gottlieb, Elizabeth Huskin, Madina Jenks, Carly Kleiman, Anna Kreynin, Katya Mikhailenko, Sasha Milbeck, Hannah O’Leary, Molly Riebau, Sydney Roeper, Molly Ryan, Cassie Shaurette, Sophie Smith and Emma Wade
ADVISER
Rachel Rauch
PRINTER
American Litho
1722 23 28 opinion
With an increasing homicide rate, awareness of violence, particularly gun violence, becomes more important to stop the its escalation in Milwaukee and across the United States.
review
Most students have watched a Netflix series or two (or 10). Talia Gottleib, junior, reports on Homestead’s favorite Netlifx series, and compares them to critics’ opinions.
feature
The evolution of technology, specifically Apple products, has seemed to surpass anyone’s expectations. The reconstruction of the iPhone has drastically changed over the years. Not only has the design of the phone changed, but also the price and abilities of the phone are forever increasing.
sports
Greatly anticipated, the MTSD school board has approved the addition of a Homestead lacrosse team. In previous years, lacrosse players have only had the opportunity to play on club lacrosse teams, but the 2016 season provides a school-sanctioned team for athletes to participate on.
NEWS 4
Hit the Quon
New developments come to Mequon
WHAT’S NEW FOR
health FORWARD DENTAL
WHAT’S NEW TO
drink
Forward Dental, where all your dental needs and requests are met for all ages at your convenience.
HEALTH IN BALANCE Health in Balance Physical Therapy is a physical therapy center that provides hands-on therapy that helps recovery.
FISHER FAMILY CHIROPRACTIC
At Fisher Family Chiropractic, Dr. Fisher treats sports injuries, vehicle accidents and much more.
COLLECTIVO COFFEE For those who want a delicious energy boost, try Colectivo coffee, a top-of-the-line coffee purveyor. Nicole Gauss, sophomore, looks forwards to the new places in the Mequon area. “I’m very excited for Cafe Hollander and Colectivo Coffee. It’s always nice when something new comes because it makes Mequon less boring,” Gauss said.
THE RUBY TAP
Molly Ryan Molly Riebau Construction has filled the corner of Mequon and Cedarburg road for months now, but Mequon residents will soon be able to reap the benefits of the ongoing project with new stores and restaurants moving into the new buildings. “Mequon Town Center is not modeled after Bayshore (though they share the Town Center moniker). At its most obvious, it’s profoundly smaller--three acres versus over 50 acres,” Blair Williams, president of Wired properties, said. “More importantly, we don’t have any individually large retail boxes. We have worked very hard to curate a collection of retail and commercial uses that will provide strong neighborhood amenities to Mequon and Thiensville residents.” Cindy Shaffer, developer, explains, “We’re at a point in the economic and real estate cycle that poses distinct challenges associated with the availability of labor. Several of our subcontractors struggled to keep their staffing levels high enough to push the schedule. Along with everyone else in the market, we also suffered unseasonably cold weather in November and again in January. Finally, we also suffered from concrete and steel shortages due to the construction of the Amazon and Uline distribution centers in Kenosha and the freeway work in Milwaukee.”
In addition, there will be a wine bar called the Ruby Tap catering to the adults in our community.
ELEMENTS MASSAGE
WHAT’S NEW TO
Mequon Town Center provides services to stay healthy and get strong. Elements Massage offers an experience that is filled with relaxation and tranquility.
live in
STRIVE YOGA
To heal your inner self, stop in to Strive Yoga that is coming soon.
WHAT’S NEW FOR
relaxation
WHAT’S NEW TO
eat
CAFE HOLLANDER Cafe Hollander, a new addition, is a well known restaurant in the Milwaukee area. Many people in the Mequon-Thiensville area are looking forward to having another location right down the street.
the highlander • november 6, 2015
APARTMENTS
The new apartments in the Mequon Town Center are urban and trendy. They have two to three bedrooms with a full kitchen. Also, they feature a patio or a balcony, and are in walking distance from Piggly Wiggly, the public library and more. If you need to stretch your legs, you can walk to the Ozaukee Interurban Trail.
Prom still slated for River Club Carly Kleiman
One goal for the school year is to deeply embed the Mequon-Thiensville School District mission statement throughout Homestead, among both faculty and students.
Student Social Responsibility Team formed
The River Club of Mequon is a place where many local families spend an abundance of time. However, it is a place most recently associated with scandal due to one of its members exhibiting inappropriate behavior towards an employee.
Katya Mikhailenko “To equip all students with transferable skills, promote academic independence, foster social responsibility and inspire a passion for learning” is an excerpt from Homestead’s mission statement. Implemented into daily lessons and stressed in nightly homework, the statement resounds throughout the classrooms and halls of the school. Becauset the statement is accentuated in various areas of the classroom, Homestead’s faculty looked to encourage students to extend the ideals outside of class. Specifically, the faculty Social Responsibility Team searched for a way for students to promote and spread the ideals of social responsibility outside their classroom life. The answer: the Student Social Responsibility Team. Mr. Matthew Wolf, business teacher and member of the faculty Social Responsibility Team, recognizes that “academically, [the faculty] was filling all needs but wanted to make a concerted effort to foster the social responsibility aspect.” Beginning in the 2014-2015 school year, the faculty Social Responsibility Team selected a group of 50 students to attend We Day, a leadership conference in Illinois. Mr. Christopher Gray, assistant principal, describes We Day as a “leadership-type activity where students gained insight on how to be socially-responsible individuals.” We Day was centered around the goal of inspiring compassion in students with the hope of furnishing them with the tools needed to make a transformational change in the world. “We Day was a very great experience because it gave us an opportunity to feel empowerment about the difference we could make,” MaryKate Simon, senior, said.
After We Day, members of the Class of ‘16 were given the opportunity to officially apply for the Social Responsibility Team. Several meetings occurred in the start of the 2015-2016 school year involving students and teachers alike in an effort to organize the goals and plans of the club. A small group composed of ten students took a trip to Camp Whitcomb, located in Hartford, Wisconsin, for a day of leadership activities and training. Mr. Gray chaperoned the visit and noticed that the contrasting assortment of personalities did not hinder the students from interacting. “The students who went to Camp Whitcomb came from different places and were not necessarily considered friends, resulting in a pretty diverse group, but the experience of the camp allowed connections to be made and relationships to be built,” Mr. Gray said. Assembling on Tuesday, Oct. 27, the Social Responsibility Team brought a large quantity of ideas to the table with the objective of making a difference. “We designated three tiers to make a social impact: Homestead High School, Mequon-Thiensville school district and the Mequon-Thiensville community,” Mr. Wolf said. Using those three areas to separate the schemes proposed by students into categories, the club was able to conduct a student-vote to select the desired proposals and at the same time, address all aspects of the community. “The Social Responsibility Team is such a great group of people who really want to make a change in both our school and community,” Katie Writz, senior, said. “We hope to implement many tools in order to foster togetherness and responsible choices in our society.
Christopher Hale, 59 year old attorney and now former member of the River Club was accused by a 20 year old beer cart employee of groping her inappropriately while golfing with colleagues. According to Fox 6 News, he was golfing with two other people and told them to play ahead. At this moment he “accosted her sexually.” After the incident, when the 20-year old employee reported Hale, club officials, instead of contacting the police, crafted a written agreement and offered to pay the young employee $500 to make up for lost wages. Hale remained a member of the club until recently after another claim against Hale was discovered from 2014 according to FOX6 News. The River Club of Mequon is a venue in which many events whether it be charity or school sanctioned, take place. Events such as prom for many schools including Homestead take place at the River Club, which has some people talking. Many people, ranging from schools to members, disagreed with the way club officials handled the situation. “It surprised me to hear the way the club tried to take care of the situation. I know the owner and some of the officials quite well and it just came as a shock to me,” an anonymous source said. Relating to prom, Mr. Brett Bowers, principal, stated that “some of the reports that came out over those weeks raised some questions about the matter in which business is done at the River Club.” He continued, “we as members of that community make sure that our students can feel safe, anybody who’s affiliated with our school and our school district can feel comfortable knowing that they are safe and we can feel safe there just knowing how they do business. As of right now, Homestead Prom will still take place at the River Club of Mequon.
NEWS 6
L
aurene Powell Jobs, widow of Steve Jobs, is taking generosity to a new level, donating $50 million to a team with a plan to create a new high school. Project XQ, also known as the “Super School Project,” strives to completely re-create the model for public education, allowing any students, teachers, professors and innovators to design new plans for high school. The Project XQ is the biggest one yet of the Emerson Collective, the group that Jobs uses to finance her philanthropic projects. Russlynn H. Ali, previous assistant secretary for civil rights at the Obama Administration’s Education Department, is leading the XQ team that Jobs assembled. Ali has overseen education grants at Emerson for the past several years and will now serve as the primary public figure of Jobs’ campaign. XQ has also teamed up with Michelle Cahill, an education adviser, and Keith Yamashita, a consultant for the project who has previously worked with Apple, IBM and General Electric. Project XQ is looking for teams wanting to change high school to better prepare students for the future; the teams should self-assemble, research how students learn and should learn today and spend time looking into student necessities, exploring the changing demands of students and the world today. “Our passion at XQ is to help educators everywhere foster students who are curious, engaged and creative--armed with the new literacies, knowledge and skills needed to thrive. To do that, we must use our collective imagination,” Jobs said. Through taking on the innovative thinking imperative to shape the next American high school, young students will have opportunities
X Q PROJECT
Design your own high school Sasha Milbeck
to develop skills that will prepare them for the future. According to the XQ initiative, there is a gap between what students want for their future and what their schools are offering. Today’s public education system was designed for students in the beginning of the century, and Jobs’ initiative is to evolve high schools into modern, innovative schools. “Our quest is to join with communities everywhere to help fulfill the promise of our public high schools so they become once more the great equalizers they were designed to be,” Ali said. “As we’ve gone from a Model T to a Tesla, a switchboard to a smartphone, high school has stayed frozen in time.” Jobs hopes to fix the broken system of public education and “challenge the idea of bodies in seats and 500-page textbooks.”
the highlander • november 6, 2015
“If I could change high school, I would change how the classes were taught,” Isabella DeStefanis, freshman, said. “I can never stay focused for the entire class period, so it would be nice if we could get up every class and do an activity or move around.” One of the most influential factors of changing public education based on XQ standards is reinstating the creativity that has been lost due to standardized testing and lack of nonSTEM classes. A study performed by Adobe Systems states that “transformative change is needed to reinstate a creative boost in the current education system, and that despite a worldwide demand for creativity and creative thinking, today’s students are not prepared to enter a workplace that requires intensive thinking.” Educators see
NEWS 7 that the demand for creativity to solve economic problems and to drive the future is growing--yet students are hardly prepared to lead the innovations of tomorrow. Another problem arising from standardized testing is teacher shortages. According to a National Education Association article, nearly half (45 percent) of surveyed teachers have considered quitting because of an increase in standardized testing. Most teachers are dedicated and succeed in focusing on the positive aspects of the job, but the fact that testing has prompted such a high percentage of educators to leave their profession proves the corrosive effect of standardized testing. With XQ hoping to reduce testing, schools that foster creativity and revolve around innovational thinking will be created. With less focus on standardized testing and more insight on imaginative thinking, XQ is determined to challenge the idea that future success is based on scoring well on tests, and will contribute to resolving the teacher shortage and the stress that standardized tests cause. “School and grades should focus more on contribution to class and group work rather than worksheets and tests,” Danny Levy, sophomore, said. “Having exams and standardized tests causes extreme stress and sleep deprivation, which in turn makes school and grades worse.” For many teams hoping to contribute to XQ’s goal, starting a high school is an unknown and audacious goal. Each team is asked to charter their own path and goal, determining
who in the community has the skills, ambition and desire to build an innovative school. Also, over the next few months, the interested groups are to submit plans including school schedules, curriculums and technologies. Each team will compete and the most promising ideas for success will gain funding to realize their vision. Through rigorous applications of discovery, design and development, teams will be given an opportunity to share their voice on what they believe will be the next American high school. By fall of next year, Jobs
“As we’ve gone from a Model T to a Tesla, a switchboard to a smartphone, high school has stayed frozen in time.” - Russlynn H. Ali and a team of judges will pick five to ten ideas to finance. “We will partner with winning teams and provide them expert support and a fund of $50 million to support at least five schools over the next five years to turn their ideas into real Super Schools,” Jobs said. With many teams taking up Jobs’ offer, Homestead’s students and staff elaborate on changes they would make to public education if
they had the chance. Mr. Brett Bowers, school principal, would “take age out of the equation for developing grade readiness.” Also, he would want the school to take more of a collegiate track, where students would select courses that will prepare them for their future professions. “Grade level and readiness don’t always mean the same thing. The system was designed as a linear progression from grade to grade. It’s a paradigm that we have inherited by default rather than design,” Mr. Bowers said. Other teachers and students also believe that by changing the format of high school and classes, students would be more successful. For many, improvements in high school would include later starting times for classes and the involvement of more kinetic exercises in classrooms. “I’d change the [high school] start time to later in the day. Ask anyone in my first hour class; clearly no one can focus that early in the morning,” Mitchell Larson, junior, said. With projects such as XQ evolving, many of these elaborate visions for public education could possibly become a reality. “It’s time to rethink the model and truly innovate. Let’s inspire a new kind of knowledge that’s agile, creative and endlessly relevant. Let’s apply our astounding ingenuity to one of the largest public systems in the world. Let’s truly reimagine what a public high school should be and make a renewable system for today, and for tomorrow,” Jobs said. “Let’s make a brave leap forward; let’s build a super school.”
Students and faculty describe their ideal school Sophie Smith
Addie Damron sophomore
“I would want more clubs and no required history classes. Also, a shorter year would be nice.”
Mrs. Angelina Cicero English teacher
“Physical environments affect learning, so an innovative space encourages innovative learning. Having a comfortable classroom with opportunities for group collaboration really helps. An international communication room, where we could discuss topics with classes in other countries would be awesome.”
Andrew Fite freshman
“I would want a school with a business focus. It would have a small campus, short school year and clubs.”
Meena Vang sophomore
“I want less judgement and a more happy, collaborative environment. I would still have testing, but would want to bring back some classes, like the cooking classes. Also, I would want more clubs.”
NEWS 8
CHALK TALK Teachers reflect on their Homestead decision
MR. BOB BRUCH PROJECT LEAD THE WAY TEACHER I chose Homestead because I got the feeling that the school administration and the M-T community was very interested in expanding the engineering program and was willing to dedicate the time and resources to doing it right.
Sydney Roeper
MS. KELLY DENK, ENGLISH TEACHER I was shocked to even get MR. ERIC MOSER, ENGLISH hired here as a first-year teacher. It’s such an amaz- TEACHER ing school with a direct One of the reasons I mission and concrete wanted to come to Homegoals for students and stead was because of its teachers. reputation for professional development. In addition to the one I mentioned above, my family is hoping to relocate a little closer to Milwaukee, and Mequon and Thiensville are great communities.
MS. VICTORIA BUNCHEK SCIENCE TEACHER
MS. SARA KAMOSKE MATH TEACHER I get to work in the best district in the state, with the best staff and students in the state, and I get to live close to many of my loved ones. Here’s a better question: why wouldn’t I choose Homestead?
MR. DRAKE ZORTMAN, MATH SPECIALIST
I worked at Homestead from January 1998 to MS. BETH LARSON June 2011, then I left for I chose to work here SPECIAL EDUCATION four school years. Now, because of the wonderful TEACHER I am back in a new and things I had heard about MR. TOM KNEZEVICH, I grew up in Glendale and the students and staff in SPECIAL EDUCATION exciting role as the math specialist. Our family attended Nicolet High this district, as well as the TEACHER lives in Mequon, and our School. I played a lot of high standards here. I chose to work at Homechildren attend school sports, and Homestead stead because it is the best here in the district. There was our big rival back school district in the state. isn’t another place I would then. I loved coming here The curriculum is chalrather be. and seeing the school lenging and the students spirit. I love the sense of are highly motivated. It community here. I really has been a treat to be inrespect and believe in the volved in the Homestead missions of the Meculture thus far. quon-Thiensville School District.
the highlander • november 6, 2015
Q
Q
AP Capstone proposed for 2016-17 school year
Cassie Shaurette
The AP Capstone is a new program offered by the College Board meant to equip students with independent research, collaborative teamwork and communication skills. Because colleges value these skills, the earlier students learn them, the easier it will be assimilating into college life. Students who earn scores of 3 or higher in AP Seminar and AP Research will receive the AP Seminar and Research Certificate signifying their attainment of college-level academic and research skills. Students who earn the AP Seminar and Research Certificate and take four other AP classes will earn the AP Capstone diploma.
&
Reporter Cassie Shaurette sat down with Principal Brett Bowers to find out more about the AP Capstone program.
Q: What is AP Capstone?
A: “The AP Capstone is a new two-course sequence that the College Board has developed trying to expand the range of skills that students can hone as part of the different courses available in AP. There are two courses, the first one is AP Seminar and the second one is AP Research, and they are really different than any other courses that are offered by the College Board. AP Seminar and Research are concentrated on research and collaboration, and there is an emphasis on synthesis, but with a more real-world application, as opposed to exclusively an academic one. The idea is that by the time students finish that two-course sequence, they have developed this broad base of knowledge and skills, and Capstone is intended to help students use that knowledge and skills to really deepen their understanding about problems, issues and topics. There is also a lot of choice involved in these two classes that gives students the opportunity for self direction.”
Q: What would the Capstone be replacing?
A
NEWS 9
A: “It wouldn’t necessarily be replacing any existing courses, but we are looking at restructuring some things in social studies, for example. Right now we have two two-trimester electives, AP Government and AP Macroeconomics, and part of our overall redesign program would be to take those two courses and make them one-trimester courses. Another thing that we are looking at is possibly making AP Seminar a substitute for AP English Language because some of what goes on in AP Seminar is very well aligned to what the learning outcomes are of AP English Language.”
Q: How will the Capstone benefit students?
A: “I think that it is a really different learning environment, and the skillset that it focuses on is different than that of any course that we have here. The class is very question driven, so students are the ones going out to find those diverse sources to answer the questions, which is much more authentic to the collegiate experience.”
Q: What will happen if we decided not to do the Capstone?
A: “We are definitely still moving forward to replace Honors World Studies with AP Human Geography, which will happen for sure, assuming the board approves it.
Q: When is the Capstone supposed to be implemented?
A: “The College Board approved our application on Sept. 30, so now we hope to offer AP Seminar for the 2016-2017 school year, and then both AP Seminar and Research for the 2017-2018 school year. The school board will hear the proposal for AP Seminar in mid-November, and make a decision on that course at the time.”
Q
STUDENT SECTION
10
question & answer with student bands Sophie Smith Submitted photos Stage lights, screaming fans and subwoofers: items that appear in the dreams of many students. To be in a band seems like a fantasy, but for a few talented individuals at Homestead, it is a reality. Despite their busy schedules, these students always incorporate time into their lives for music.
Tritones Jazz Trio
Matt Heilmann, Jack Cavanaugh & Seth Eiseman
genre: be-bop jazz, funk, souls & blues instrument: trumpet, keyboard & drums What do you like about being in a band? Being in a band, especially a smaller ensemble, allows for us to really mesh and learn each other’s playing styles. This enables us to explore different ways of playing songs that have been performed for generations. What are the perks of being in a band? First off is the food. Because most of our gigs are at restaurants or dinner venues, we almost always are rewarded with great food. Besides that,
we get to play music pretty much all the time, something we love to do regardless. Do you plan on continuing music in the future? While two of us are not majoring in music, all of us plan on continuing to play in college. Our trumpet player, Matt, is planning on majoring in jazz studies with hopes of a future professorship. Where is the coolest venue you’ve ever played? Although it wasn’t exactly a venue, we loved playing in a recording studio while creating our own mini-album of original songs. This allowed our sound to be shared across the internet and our publicity to be spread as well. Who is your audience? Because we play mostly jazz selections, our music
the highlander • november 6, 2015
is mostly heard by older audiences. We play at restaurants and dinner parties around the North Shore/Milwaukee area, so our audiences there are the guests: again, mostly adults. Who are your influences? We have a wide range of influences, from Miles Davis, Charlie Parker and the Dave Brubeck Quartet to Herbie Hancock, Cannonball Adderley and the Jazz Messengers (Art Blakey’s classic combo). We borrow and quote from their styles to compose our own original sound. If you could play with one famous musician, who would it be? Roy Hargrove. He’s one of the baddest living trumpeters around.
STUDENT SECTION
11
Whyte Noise
Erin Meskimen, Jesse Honigberg, Max Mitchelson & Jonathan Chudnow
Life in a Tree
genre:punk rock instrument: guitar
Andrew Conley, Molly Lutz, Jimmy Cooper, DJ Underwood & Tyler Miller
Respones from Erin Meskimen What do you like about being in a band?
genre: indie rock instrument: keyboard
I really enjoy playing music, and
Where is the coolest venue you’ve ever
playing with a band allows me to
played?
What do you like about being in a
play in front of people without
We haven’t played there yet, but
band?
feeling super self-conscious. Playing
we’re in the works of playing at
I like the opportunity to write
with the guys is a lot more relaxing
Summerfest this coming summer.
new music, play shows every-
compared to playing a song by
Who is your audience?
where and work with profession-
myself.
Our audience is mainly people our
als in the industry.
What are the perks of being in a band?
age and close friends.
I get to hangout with some pretty
Who are your influences?
cool guys who also love music; I’ve
My personal influences are Par-
gotten to know these guys pretty
amore, Florence and The Machine
closely because of band.
and No Doubt.
Do you plan on continuing music in the
If you could play with one famous musi-
future?
cian, who would it be?
I definitely won’t stop playing music.
I’d love to play with Paramore,
I might not stay in the same band,
mainly because they’re my favorite
but I definitely won’t give it up.
band and they really inspire me
What are the perks of being in a band? You get money, which is nice, but more importantly, you meet tons of new people. Do you plan on continuing music in the future? I definitely plan on continuing music, but not as a career.
Where is the coolest venue you’ve ever played? The Briggs & Stratton stage at Summerfest. Who is your audience? Everyone. Who are your influences? Dave Grohl, the Foo Fighters, Nirvana and Pink Floyd. If you could play with one famous musician, who would it be? Jimi Hendrix because he’s freaking incredible.
musically.
COVER 12
A LOOK
inside THE MINDS OF THE most
STRESSED generation ever. Erin Connolly
the highlander • november 6, 2015
Carly Kleiman
Molly Riebau
One community. Nine months. Five suicides. And the saddest part--
they were all high school students. In one of the most competitive public school societies in the United States, Palo Alto, California students live under the shadow of Stanford University, one of the most prestigious universities in the country. According to an op-ed entitled “Best, Brightest -- and Saddest?” by Frank Bruni of the New York Times, “Between May 2009 and January 2010, five Palo Alto teenagers ended their lives by stepping in front of trains. And since October of [2014], another three Palo Alto teenagers have killed themselves that way.” These students from Palo Alto felt so much pressure from their parents and educators that they believed the only escape was taking their own lives. The stress-induced slew of suicides “has prompted an emotional debate about the kinds of pressures felt by high school students in epicenters of overachievement,” Bruni said. While students in Mequon do not live under a shadow of a prestigious university, the community still recognizes Homestead as a high-achieving school in the number-one school district in the state, according to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. As a result of high expectations and involvement in multiple extracurricular activities, students can begin to feel the pressure building up, potentially contributing to unhealthy levels of anxiety and stress. “We live in a community in which academic achievement is highly valued, and there’s a lot of competition,” Mr. William Woessner, school psychologist, said. “You could change ‘academic’ to athletics, and you could change it to musical performance. There’s a lot of pressure to achieve, and in a school that’s this size, it’s very competitive.” The pressure from parents, peers and the community can lead to high levels of scrutiny. Inevitable mistakes can become a source of anxiety as students feel the eyes of their friends and loved ones upon them, especially in today’s societal tendencies that emphasize
acting like an adult before maturity. “High school is a difficult time. At this age, you're being told to act like 'little responsible adults', while at the same time being told what to do and what not to do,” Dr. Alison Kravit, licensed clinical psychologist at the American Behavioral Clinic and Mequon Clinical Associates, said. “And all the while, you're developmentally trying to figure out your identity, meaning who you are, what's important to you and what your values and goals are for the future.” For many students, figuring out who they are means trying new activities and getting involved with clubs, sports, drama or the arts. Combined with intensive AP and honors courses and after-school jobs, this load proves difficult for anybody to juggle, let alone someone who is not even an adult yet. In a survey of 100 Homestead students, 50 percent indicated they felt overwhelmingly stressed to the point where it affects their daily lives four times a week or more, 27 percent indicating they felt this stress every day. Ninety-seven percent reported feeling moderate to severe anxiety about schoolwork, homework load and extracurriculars sometimes or often, with 65 students (66 percent) indicating they felt this anxiety often. Of these 65 students, 30 participate in four or more extracurriculars, with multiple participating in ten or more. Josh Glasstein, senior, takes multiple AP classes and has an after-school job, both of which are very time-consuming commitments. “On days when I work I don't even get home until 8:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., and because I’m already exhausted, I have to prioritize what work to do and decide what just won’t get done,” Glasstein said. Maddie Powell, senior, has also experienced stress due to a heavy workload, involvement in sports and several clubs, and the responsibility of a job. She shared, “There were some nights last year that I would just break
COVER 14 down because I had so much to do or stuff that I just did not want to do at all.” Mr. Joseph Przybylski, psychology teacher, said, “My observations inform me that students are just over programmed. School alone is a 50-hour-a-week commitment, counting homework. Toss in a job, a sport/activity, religious commitments, family issues and social issues, and any sense of a balanced, healthy life is very difficult.” According to Mr. Woessner, to remain healthy and functional, students must “strike a balance in their life that is manageable for them,” a feat that in itself can seem daunting. This entails each student weighing the importance of school, family responsibilities, a job, sports, extracurricu-
lars and other spheres in his or her life, ultimately deciding what balance works best for him or her. And while life throws more balls for people to juggle, experts are noticing an uptick in cases of anxiety and depression among college students. “About 14.3 percent of college students were diagnosed with or treated for anxiety problems during the past year, and 12 percent were diagnosed with or treated for depression, according to a spring 2014 survey [by the American College Health Association]. That is up from 10.4% for anxiety and 10.2% for depression in the fall 2008 survey,” according to “Good Mental Health Away From Home Starts Before College,” an article from the Wall Street Journal. As the future for most Homestead students
involves higher education, these statistics provide an alarming glance into the next stage of life. “It’s already super easy to get stressed when dealing with a workload from multiple AP classes, but any stress that you already had gets amped up when you even just think of submitting college applications and trying to balance the rest of your life too,” Glasstein said. In the meantime, there are ways to cope with feeling overwhelmed and extremely stressed out to the point of anxiety or panic attacks. According to Mr. Przybylski, during periods of heightened stress, “our amygdala (part of the brain that detects fear and prepares for emergency situations) sets off a cascade of fight or flight responses, usually raising our heart rate, constricting our
stressed
out
students share what causes them the most stress.
“My biggest stress is defInitely my grades.”
-jenna buraczewski, junior
“my biggest stress is the fear of not being loved.” -eric fretty, senior
the highlander • november 6, 2015
COVER 15 blood vessels [and] flooding our system with cortisol/adrenalin.” Dr. Kravit added that the body begins to shut down “non-essential functions,” such as remembering facts for a test or thinking clearly during the flight response to allow more energy to escape the situation and can only focus on one task at a time. When an upcoming test or speech is causing the stress, this flight response hinders the progress of mentally preparing for the event; in fact, causing the brain to take a step backwards from feeling ready for it. Mr. Woessner described various techniques to relieve tension during a period of intense stress or a panic attack. The easiest involves simple breathing exercises to regain control of bodily
“I stress most about getting all my homework done on time. High school is a lot harder than middle school.” -lexi miller, freshman
functions and emotions. Another way to physically remove tension from the body is progressive muscle contraction, which entails moving methodically through the main muscle groups, tensing, holding and releasing the muscle. “Talk to someone. Don't assume that other people will think you're silly or whiny just because you're feeling overwhelmed,” Dr. Kravit suggested. “Do things that promote self-care, like yoga, exercise, drawing or taking a walk.” Powell added, “Running and planning ahead helped a lot to decrease stress because running let me forget everything for a while and just get my energy out and planning let me organize my time accordingly and know what I had to get done.”
“I’m most stressed about balancing my school and sport life.” - jack popp, senior
Dr. Kravit also emphasized the importance of compassion and sympathy in helping oneself or others through stressful times. “Remember that no one has it all together, that everyone has strengths and weaknesses, everyone is nervous about something or another,” she said. “Everyone is faking it until they make it at times. Remembering that you are not alone, that you matter and that people care about you is really important.”
“I’ve been super stressed about not fItting in my freshman year.” - joey buenz, fresh-
EDITORIAL 16
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Molly Riebau
Living in the
shadOWS of
PERFECTION Growing up in a community with streets dotted with luxury cars and neighborhoods decorated with McMansions, belonging to doctors and lawyers and high-up executives, the unconscious pressure of perfection begins to seep into our minds. Beautiful and expensive items symbolize success; the ultra-wealthy neighbors and the employed-straight-out-of-college cousins embody achievement and the ultimate end-goal becomes a coveted spot at the “perfect success story” dinner table. Our minds equate the pathway to the shiny things and the lavish lifestyles with attaining a 4.0 GPA, getting a 36 on the ACT, becoming president of every school club possible, dominating on every sports team offered, holding an after-school job and eventually gaining acceptance to an esteemed university. In a community like Mequon, people’s minds are terribly warped; nevertheless, this vicious idealism lives on, and students continue to fall victim to the monstrosity of perfection. In this quest for success, the stress and anxiety related to high-achievement begins to eat away at students. Living in an era of fast-paced information flow and lives broadcasted on social media, according to psychiatrist, Robert Leahy, “The average high school kid today has the same level of anxiety as the average psychiatric patient in the early 1950s.” His assertion blatantly displays the fact that students today are much more
Abby Pipines, senior, is just one student feeling the pressures of senior year.
overworked than they should be. Spread too thin, these stressed students check off grocery lists of tasks on a nightly basis. Constantly under attack from internal pressure, as well as pressure from parents and peers, the high expectations continue fuel the overwhelming pressure engine. Like any over-worked machine, or any 1950s psychiatric patient, students break down. We see this every day within our school, within our home and within our groups of friends. And we, as “over programmed” students, feel the pressure too. We would also like the pressure to stop. But, can we really change a mindset so deeply-rooted in our culture? Can we really alter our thinking to see success as something more than fancy titles and fancy colleges? Can we be happy with just being on our own personal level, whether that be the top of the heap or at the bottom of the pool?
the highlander • november 6, 2015
In an idealistic world, yes. In our Mequon bubble, no. So, what can we do to fix that? We can open our eyes to the inevitable truth that as humans, we are wired for a lifetime of imperfection. Although the current mold of success resembles perfection, the real mold to success resembles happiness. “Scientific studies show that when people are happier, they are more productive, more collaborative, and more creative... the more likely they will be successful,” Dr. Matt Killingsworth, scientist and author of Joyonomics: The Study of Joy and Progress said. While there is no true solution for the vicious cycle of chasing success, the best way to deal with the struggles of being imperfect in a world that expects perfection is to just be happy. As Audrey Hepburn said, “happy girls are the prettiest girls,” and in this case, happy people ultimately become the most successful people.
curinghomestead
Why we should reinstate the nursing program Madina Jenks Beneath the sharp, droning lights of the hospital, Molly Imbrie, Homestead alumni and graduate of the nursing program, gently coaxed an elderly man, smothered by a mosaic of mottled bruises from various injections and ensnared by an array of medical tubes, into eating a few bland foods despite his post-surgery nausea as her mentor overlooks the scene. Exchanging snippets of conversation, Imbrie achieved a rattling rasp of a laugh, rough but genuine, and she beamed in response. A nurse then hustled in, carting over an assortment of medical tools, and the Imbrie’s expression smoothed over with a professional crispness, vaulting to her feet and scampering about to fulfill the orders the nurse barks at her. Assisting medical professionals, providing experience and imparting transferable training, Homestead’s Nursing Assistant program was a highly popular program with students aiming to attend medical school. Headed by Ms. Karen Ogier, the course, a one-trimester class provided only to juniors and seniors, provided 41.25 hours of on-the-job training at a health care facility, and, with successful completion of the class and training, allowed students to take the State of Wisconsin test to become certified nursing assistants. However, after Ms. Ogier’s retirement from Homestead, the program was discontinued. One question arises: Why has this program, despite its success and popularity, been eliminated? To explain the difficulties of reinstating this program, Principal Brett Bowers explained the high degree of specialization Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) teachers require, as well as the lack of these qualified individuals in the job market. “To be a certified nurse assistant (CNA) teacher, there’s an elaborate state-level Madina Jenks
certification you need,” Mr. Bowers stated. “So when Ms. Ogier, [CNA teacher], retired, it created a vacancy for us that was unfillable since most people who have that [CNA] certification usually teach at higher education, such as colleges, rather than at high schools. So when we lost [Ms. Ogier], we were unable to move forward with the nursing program.” However, despite these limitations, the school should put forth an effort to pacify the number of students who expressed disappointment over the elimination of the program, desiring the substantial benefits that the class offered. Therefore, to assist our medical school-hopeful students, who are frequently among the most ambitious and scholarly within the school, if an individual both certified and willing to teach the nursing program at high schools appears in the job market, the school board should vote in favor of restoring the nursing program. Aside from the need for a teacher, the nursing program already possesses all the requirements necessary to have it added to the curriculum. Outlining the steps for a course addition, Mr. Bowers explained, “We have course additions, deletions and changes. If there was an individual willing to teach here, we would need to go through the course change, which would either be sanctioned by or rejected by the school board.” Although this process may sound daunting, the level of demand and enrollment this program has attained already qualifies it for course addition. Proving the stable appetite for this class, Mr. Bowers said, “When we had [the nursing program], we always had consistent enrollment.” Financial stipulations, another major aspect of deciding course additions, may also pose only minimal complications. “We don’t know the dollar amount for [the equipment this class needs], but interest from students would certainly urge us to investigate,” Mr. Bowers said. While the cost for equipment and other
OPINION 18
materials for this class remains unknown, because the school was able to fund this course for many years, it is highly likely that Homestead would have the budget necessary to fund them. Teacher salaries for this course would also present negligible hurdles. “In 2013-2014, [before Ms. Ogier retired], 27 students registered for CNA, enough for one section,” Mr. Bowers explained. “If we assume that roughly the same number of students would have registered for CNA if it had been available when students chose their courses for 2014-2015, we would need a 0.08 position, meaning a teacher that would teach eight classes over the year, or a single class for one trimester.” Because the teacher would only have to teach a single one-hour class for one trimester over the course of a year, there lies the threat of lack of interest on the behalf of qualified individuals since such a small part-time position since the salary is usually minimal and benefits are not provided. However, the comparatively low expense of paying this position might offset any increases in salary, and potentially benefits, that might occur in order to incentivize CNA teachers to teach at Homestead rather than at colleges, balancing the cost of human resources to a manageable, affordable level. Additionally, the revival of the nursing program would reward our medical school-hopeful students, many of whom are some of our most dedicated scholars. Planning to enroll in medical school, many of these students, who have chugged through multiple honors and AP classes and are attending many others, reported vexation at the lack of the nursing program. Alondra Delgado, senior and medical school-hopeful who has taken four honors and six AP classes, displayed her dismay at the discontinuation of the program, saying, “I feel disappointed, annoyed, frustrated and angry. [The nursing program] was a course that I could take and actually do something with right now, and it’s a part of a field that I’m interested in.” Time requirements impose increasingly severe demands on overburdened students. According to college admissions officers from Harvard, MIT, Brown, Yale, Columbia, Northwestern and University of Chicago, in addition to a devoted schedule for extracurriculars, students who apply must enroll in the most rigorous courses in every subject and perform well in them. Predictably, these expectations strangle
the amount of time students have available, and the elimination of the nursing program simply expounds upon the problem since it forces them to dedicate their afterschool schedule to pursuing opportunities that could have been offered during class time. The deletion of the nursing program deprived students of the guaranteed opportunity to gain crucial experience in the medical field at school, which would have demanded minimal time and energy beyond the rigors of a regular class in many students’ bloated schedules. Currently, to compensate for this loss of opportunity, students must allot additional time in their agendas, ridding them of the modicum of free time that they possessed, to travel to the closest colleges to be able to attend a similar program. Displaying her limited schedule as a result of her dedication and ambitions, Delgado stated that the daily amount of time it takes for her to complete
“THE NURSING PROGRAM WAS A COURSE THAT I COULD TAKE AND ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING WITH RIGHT NOW.”
- Alo Delgado
the coursework for her AP classes and participate in her extracurriculars, such as her job at the local library, costumes, volunteer work at the hospital, Latin Club and Post-Soviet Culture Club, is eight hours, which leaves her “half an hour of free time, not including dinner” before she goes to bed. “So now, if I want to attend something that gives me a similar experience as that of the nursing program, I have to go out, find it, pay for it and drive to it, taking time out of my busy schedule,” Delgado stated. “With less than thirty minutes of free time left over in my day, there is no way I can drive all the way to a college without destroying my health and social life.” Delgado’s stressed schedule is not unusual among her ambitious peers. Many students who wish to enroll in competitive colleges need to take a large breadth of AP classes. Teachers, including Mrs. Angelina Cicero and Mrs. Susan Lueders,
the highlander • november 6, 2015
who teach AP classes report that they expect students to spend from 30 minutes to one hour working on coursework in their classes every night; as a result, for many of those students who take all AP classes, even those who may not be participating in extracurricular activities, they spend an absolute minimum of two hours and thirty minutes on these classes daily, with increases to those time limits as according to any difficulties or sudden developments, such as quizzes or tests. In addition to the amount of time spent on schoolwork, extracurriculars command large portions of a student’s schedule. Lauren Tunney, captain of the girls varsity swim team, revealed the amount of time students dedicate to practice, stating, “We spend two hours and thirty minutes every night in practice.” Considering the large percentage of Homestead students who participate in at least one sport, that means that many Homestead students spend much of their time in activities, such as sports, alongside their coursework. These demanding stipulations on coursework and extracurricular activities undoubtedly constitute a notable portion of the record-setting amounts of stress students today experience. According to a team of UCLA researchers, “our kids are more stressed out and anxious than ever before,” with “students report[ing] all-time lows in overall mental health and emotional stability.” Thus, it would be cruel and unfair on behalf of the school board to punish some of the school’s most hardworking, industrious students by failing to reinstitute the nursing program if given the chance, especially during a time when an AP Capstone program might be implemented to our school’s curriculum, which would further burden our most assiduous students by heightening the amount of AP classes offered at our school, which would increase the number of AP classes they would have to attend in order to satisfy the demands of their choice colleges. The nursing program provides plentiful benefits. Mrs. Ellen Imbrie, intensive care unit nurse employed by Wheaton Franciscan and mother of four students who have either attended or are currently attending Homestead, stated, “[The nursing program] was a great opportunity for students to not only learn skills, such as science, biology and problem-solving skills, but also how to interact with different types of people.” Perhaps the most tangible benefit of restoring the nursing program is that it could signifi-
cantly elevate a student’s chances of getting accepted into medical school by providing them an advantage over their competition in college. Dr. Jeffrey Katt, internal medicine physician employed by Advanced Healthcare Clinics, asserted, “Courses taken in high school rarely affect admission to medical school, but if a student becomes a CNA because of the [nursing] program, and especially if they work as a CNA, even part-time, in college because of it, that experience could definitely help with the admissions process to medical school.” Mirroring Dr. Katt’s claims, Mrs. Imbrie claimed, “The nursing program could greatly increase a student’s chances of getting accepted into medical school since they have medical experience and have been in the environment. Anyone who has healthcare experience has a greater chance of getting into the healthcare field.” Supplying benefits to even those that are uninterested in pursuing professions in the medical field, the nursing program provided students with the qualifications necessary to make them eligible for a job as a CNA. As a CNA, whose primary duty is direct patient care, such as assisting patients by attending to daily needs ranging from bathing and hygiene to eating, as well as assisting nurses, students can earn a respectable income that will allow them to sustain themselves, either as a way to maintain their living conditions while pursuing a different career or within that career itself. Displaying the sizable gap between the wages of CNAs and those earning minimum wage, Fred Decker, reporter for the Chron’s job column, claimed that the average national hourly wage for CNAs is $12.20, which is leaps and bounds above Wisconsin’s minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. Based on a 40-hour work week, according to a report released by UCLA, CNAs earn $35,170, more than twice the annual salary of those living on minimum wage, which is $15,080. Confirming the security and boons of a CNA profession, Mrs. Imbrie stated, “A job as a nurse’s aide or CNA is very respectable, since you’d be paid $15.70 per hour instead of minimum wage.” It is clear what must be done: the moment a willing CNA qualified to teach a high school course appears in the job market, the school board must vote in favor of reinstating the nursing program. Such an act would gift our next generation of ambitious scholars with the plentiful benefits the program provides. To summarize the overall benefits of the program, Mrs. Imbrie claimed, “It’s a horrid shame that [the nursing program] isn’t offered anymore; it’s a value to the whole community.”
CHANGE 101 Additional proposed course adjustments
Anna Kreynin
In an average year, Homestead sends five or six class change, addition or deletion proposals to the school board. This year’s total? 29. Although many of the proposals are simply course name changes, several proposals will create significant changes if approved by the school board. In English, the proposed deletion of Honors American Studies and addition of English Language and Seminar are the most notable proposals, according to Mr. Brett Bowers, principal. In World Language, the deletion of German 4 and the addition of Chinese 4 and Latin 5 have been proposed, and in Social Studies, the school board will decide whether to reduce AP Macroeconomics and AP Government to one trimester, and whether to allow freshmen to enroll in AP Psychology. The deletion of Honors World Studies has also been proposed, which will be replaced by a freshman-only section of AP Human Geography for students on the honors course. Due to a consistent lack of technical education teachers, Mr. Bowers and the Allied Arts Department have proposed to remove Autos 1, Home Improvement and Highlander Printing from the curriculum. Mr. Bowers said these deletions have been proposed “purely because we can’t find a teacher.” Because of the lack of instructors for these courses, students are disappointed when they register for one of these courses and end up having to drop it and replace it with a different course they do not want to take, according to Mr. Bowers. Thus, Mr. Bowers believes canceling these courses and helping students locate another campus to take similar ones will provide a more logical alternative. “Kids will know we’re not offering these courses, and we can plan for them to take the classes somewhere else, such as a neighboring campus or MATC,” Mr.
Bowers said. “We’ve realized at this point that we’ve made a very concerted effort to get a teacher and we have to do something different.” In addition to the proposed deletions, Homestead has proposed to add PLTW: Digital Electronics and Robotics 1, as they have located teachers qualified to lead these courses. Homestead has never offered curricular robotics. Mr. Bowers said the shortage of technical education teachers is an issue across the state, as the University of Wisconsin-Stout is the only state university to graduate licensed technical education instructors, and only about 20 graduate from this program every year. Although Wisconsin now allows non-certified teachers to teach technical education classes, as long as “they pass a test proving they are knowledgeable,” according to the Wisconsin State Journal, Mr. Bowers said none of the past candidates have been a good fit for Homestead. He also said that the position at Homestead is particularly unappealing, as the teacher would be the only one in the department, and because he or she would teach only three classes, while a full-time teacher teaches 12. Despite the teacher shortage, students still wish Homestead would offer a more diverse range of technical classes. “Many see our school as one of the top schools around due the focus on college preparatory courses, overall academics and athletics, but people do not see the failed potential to offer a wide variety of hands-on and skilled-based classes to all students,” Fred Bucholtz, senior, said. “It’s a shame that we would have to go to a different school to take these courses when we have a entire lab of tools and equipment that sits unused.” The school board will discuss these proposed changes on Nov. 2, and announce their decisions on Nov. 16.
OPINION 20
A GRAVE ISSUE
Gun violence escalates across the U.S. Anna Kreynin
Edward Flynn, Milwaukee police chief, thought he was making an impact. During his eight years as police chief, Flynn managed to reduce the homicide count significantly, from 104 in 2007 to 86 in 2014. The havoc raging throughout Milwaukee’s inner city neighborhoods this year, however, suggests that Flynn’s reign of success may be coming to an end. By the end of August 2015, the homicide total had reached 105--a 76 percent increase from the homicide count at the same time last year, surpassing 2014’s overall total of 86. “The violence was nothing like this before,” Tamiko Holmes, Milwaukee resident, said in a New York Times interview. “What’s changed is the streets and the laws and the parents. It’s become a mess and a struggle.” For Milwaukee residents like Holmes, gunshots have become “just part of the background noise,” according Flynn. Holmes, a mother of five, lost two children in separate shootings this year. In 2011, Wisconsin became the 49th state to legalize the carrying of concealed weapons, and this past June, Gov. Scott Walker, who holds an A-plus rating from the National Rifle Association (NRA), signed a bill repealing Wisconsin’s 48-hour waiting period for handgun purchases and allowing “off-duty, retired and out-of-state police officers to carry firearms on school grounds,” according to a Reuters article entitled “Wisconsin governor signs bill repealing handgun waiting period.” Gov. Walker has expressed that a waiting period is not necessary, “especially now that firearm dealers can perform instant background checks on their buyers,” according to an article in the Washington Post. Eliminating the waiting period has subsequently eliminated what Democrats call the “cooling-off period” for those who may be purchasing a firearm out of impulsive rage, which appears to be more closely linked to the chaos ensuing in Milwaukee. Although supporters argue that the elimination of the 48-hour waiting period allows citizens to “get guns faster to protect themselves and their families from abusers,” according to an article from CBS News, most of Milwaukee’s homicide cases are not results of self defense. According to the New York Times, “The most common motive in the slayings was not rob-
bery or gang rivalry but an argument, according to the data.” For example, on July 3, after Milwaukee’s annual fireworks show, 15-year-old Matthew McMillan fired 10 shots at 14-year-old Tariq Akbar. McMillan’s rage spurred over an online fight regarding a girl, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. This tragedy is clearly not a result of self-defense. According to Officer Lance Wegner, school police officer, stricter gun laws will not produce a sizable impact on homicide rates, as most of the citizens committing gun crimes have several violent misdemeanors already, and therefore purchase their guns illegally. Thus, the benefits of reinstating the 48-hour waiting period will not reach these citizens; another way to eradicate their violent actions does exist, however. “Most [homicide cases] involve guns and people — both victims and suspects — who have been arrested before,” the New York Times said. Officer Wegner said that in Wisconsin, those who commit violent crimes receive probation, and that these are the criminals who end up turning to gun violence. With homicide rates escalating, law enforcement must implement stricter discipline on firsttime offenders, including stricter juvenile laws and a heavily-enforced curfew. “We’re having all these kids getting shot at 3 a.m.,” Officer Wegner said. “Well why are they outside at 3 a.m.?” Milwaukee is not alone in its dramatic upsurge in violence. Thirty-five other U.S cities have reported a rise in “murders, violent crimes or both” the New York Times article said. This escalation in violence is apparent in cities such as Baltimore and Chicago, which have more restrictive gun laws, and in New Orleans and St. Louis, which have loose gun laws, causing some experts to believe weak gun laws are not the culprit. With most criminals purchasing guns illegally, it is apparent that citizens who want guns will find a way to get them, no matter what the law says. Rather, Milwaukee’s violence-condoning subculture and rising distrust of police are more heavily contributing to the chaos rampant in many parts of the city. According to Flynn, “Maintaining one’s status and credibility and honor, if you will, within that peer community is literally a matter of life and death. And that’s coupled with a very harsh reality, which is the mental calculation of those
the highlander • november 6, 2015
who live in that strata that it is more dangerous to get caught without their gun than to get caught with their gun.” This “mental calculation” has resulted in a devastating circularity of violence. Citizens fear the rising possibility of gun violence, and thus, purchase guns out of terror and anger. This prevalence of gun ownership, combined with what Flynn calls “a growing willingness among disenchanted young men in poor neighborhoods to use violence to settle ordinary disputes,” logically ensues the skyrocketing homicide rates. Flynn has also acknowledged police anxiety in Milwaukee, stemming from the death of Dontre D. Hamilton last year, and from the myriad of recent police brutality cases across the nation. A white police officer, who has since been fired, shot Hamilton in a downtown park, insinuating protests by Milwaukee residents. “Chief Flynn said that his officers were responding to crimes as they always have, but that they were making fewer traffic stops and conducting fewer field interviews, a fact he attributed to ‘free-floating anxiety’ among officers around the nation,” the New York Times article said. Officer Wegner agrees, stating, “I’ve heard lots of officers say, ‘I’m not going to do anything tonight, I’m going to get in trouble.’” With residual anger and distrust stemming from police racism and brutality lingering throughout the inner city, and with what Michael S. Harrison, New Orleans police superintendent, calls “a culture of violence deeply ingrained into a community,” stricter gun laws may have an visible effect on Milwaukee’s violence. Reinstating the 48-hour waiting period or even taking away citizens’ guns will not solve the problem entirely, however . Citizens will nevertheless purchase guns, and the violence will ensue, unless the city of Milwaukee and its schools help younger generations denounce the culture. Teenagers are shooting teenagers, and these young citizens will become adults shooting adults, causing a never-ending cycle of violence. Although the process will be long, and the outcome will likely be imperfect, Milwaukee must work to immediately detain its criminals and teach its children that they are not destined to become criminals. Like Mayor Tom Barrett said, “[We] have to find a way for these young kids to understand that they have a stake in society.”
American cities with the HIGHEST homicide rates E
Sasha Milbeck and Sydney Roeper
WAUKE L I E M
80% percent of blacks killed in homicides 9% percent of Hispanics killed in homicides 6% percent of whites killed in homicides 2% percent of Asians killed in homicides
CA CHI GO
450 400
428
416
350
363
384
375
370
348
homicides
300 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
year
ST. LOUIS
3
age
11
85
26 13
15
3
number of homicides
90
80
70
number of homicides
S
ORL E A W N NE
100
60
NEW ORLEANS
50
40
30
20
UNITED STATES AVERAGAGE
10
0 1985
1990
1995
2000
year
2005
2010
2015
REVIEW THE BEST SHOWS ON 22
Talia Gottlieb Netflix has become one of the trendiest fads of this generation. Our parents’ “Pick you up at eight” is today’s “Netflix and chill?” What past generations considered free time is now consumed by the infinite streak of show after show, series after series, for hours on end that are available on Netflix.com. While it is arguable that the amount of time students spend watching Netflix programs is absurd, the material they are watching is likeable and entertaining programming. “I could watch Netflix for days and not notice how much time was passing by,” Sara Kamarainen, junior and avid Netflix-watcher, said. In a survey conducted of students at Homestead, 54 of 131 students polled, or 41 percent, said they have watched and completed watching 10 or more series on Netflix. Sixteen percent of students surveyed ranked “Grey’s Anatomy” as their favorite Netflix TV show, and 25 percent gave the series five stars. Netflix supports the observation recorded from the Homestead student body by giving “Grey’s Anatomy” a whopping four stars. “Grey’s Anatomy” is by far my favorite show,” Stephanie Metzendorf, junior, said. “I’ve watched all 11 series, and don’t regret a single minute of it.” Not far behind in student favorites were “Gossip Girl,” “Parks and Recreation” and “The Office.” Thirty-eight percent, 30 percent and 27 percent of students who answered the survey gave these series five stars, respectively. Interestingly enough, “Gossip Girl” doesn’t sit as well in the eyes of professional critics. “The television version of ‘Gossip Girl’ on CW tonight does not quite live up to the novels. Some will be relieved, since this series of young-adult novels by Cecily von Ziegesar — about rich Upper East Side teenagers who drink martinis, smoke marijuana, shop and shoplift and cut class to have sex in Park Avenue penthouses — is ‘Reefer Madness’ for parents,” Alessandra Stanley, New York Times journalist, wrote. Teens, especially girls, are fascinated with the unreal reality of the lives of Serena Van der Woodsen and
Blair Waldorf, the main characters, in the upper east side of New York City, in which they have bottomless bank accounts, attend outrageous parties and travel the world. However, critics rave about “Parks and Recreation” and “The Office.” According to Metacritic, Parks and Recreation was given 44 percent good reviews by esteemed critics, supporting the student body’s opinions. “The Office” was reviewed by TIME magazine after the series finale was released. “Mostly, the work of ‘Finale’ was emotional: to hit the warm, big-hearted notes that distinguished this series from its parent (The UK versions), and to remind us why we fell in love with the characters individually, and why they came to love each other collectively over the course of a ‘stupid, wonderful, boring, amazing job,’” James Poniewozik, writer for TIME magazine, said. Other series given five stars include “How I Met Your Mother,” “Scandal,” “Breaking Bad,” “Blacklist,” “Revenge,” “Orange is the New Black, ” “Friends,” “Arrested Development,” “Mad Men,” “Friday Night Lights,” “American Horror Story” and “One Tree Hill.” Netflix as a corporation not only shows series produced by a variety of companies, but also produces its own popular series. According to TV Guide, Netflix originals “Bloodline,” “Arrested Development,” “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” and “Orange is the New Black” are some of highest-ranked series available on Netflix, not just out of those produced by Netflix itself. “All of the programming on Netflix is quality TV, especially ‘One Tree Hill.’ Definite 10/10,” Daniel Zvi, senior, said. Netflix is not only a great way for teens to entertain themselves in their free time, but it’s also a great way for students to unwind from their jam-packed schedules. “Netflix is such a good way to relax, at least for me personally. High school really did start off strong, and I need this outlet so I’m not too overwhelmed,” Kimmy Hartlieb, freshman, said.
the highlander • november 6, 2015
STUDENTS’ 5-STAR
SERIES FRIENDS
45 percent of students surveyed gave the series five stars.
GOSSIP GIRL
38 percent of students surveyed gave the series five stars.
HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER
37 percent of students surveyed gave the series five stars.
PARKS AND RECREATION
30 percent of students surveyed gave the series five stars.
ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK
32 percent of students surveyed gave the series five stars.
AMERICAN HORROR STORY
28 percent of students surveyed gave the series five stars.
THE OFFICE
27 percent of students surveyed gave the series five stars.
BREAKING BAD 26 percent of students surveyed gave the series five stars.
GREY’S ANATOMY
25 percent of students surveyed gave the series five stars.
ONE TREE HILL 25 percent of students surveyed gave the series five stars.
EVOLUTION of the iPHONE
FEATURE 23
Sydney Crivello The iPhone, while keeping its original framework, has undergone various drastic adjustments. This device has become a basic necessity in the lives of countless individuals and is omnipresent through the halls of Homestead. “I store everything on my phone,” Emma Neusen, junior, said. “Without it, I’d be so lost.”
Cost: $199-299 Released: 2010 Features: talk, text, music and internet capabilities
Battery life: 300 hours on standby, 14 hours of talk time and 40 hours of music
Weight: 137 grams
iPhone 4
“The iPhone 4 was super cool and convenient when it first came out,” Joe Hadcock, sophomore, said. “I still use mine.”
Weight: 112 grams
Cost: $199-$399 Released: 2012 Battery life: 225 hours on standby, 8 hours of talk time and 40 hours of music
iPhone 5
Battery life: 250 hours on standby, 14 hours of talk, and 50 hours of music
“I like my iPhone 5 a lot,” Skylar Pak, junior, said. “It is a good size for me.”
iPhone 6 Cost: $749-$849 Released: 2015 Battery life: 250 hours on standby, 14 hours of talk, and 50 hours of music
iPhone 6s
Released: 2014 Cost: $199-399 Weight: 129 grams “I have had my iPhone 6 for a while now and I’ve yet to break it, which is probably a good sign,” Lauren Miller, senior, said.
FEATURE 24
BILL OF RIGHTS FOR THE
FIRST-TIME VOTER Emma Wade
Molly Riebau
THE FIRST AMENDMENT
THE SECOND AMENDMENT
1
3
e your
5
do your
determin
ELIGIBILITY
RESEARCH
1. You must be a US citizen. 2. You have to be at least 18 years of age on election day.
Make sure you are educated about each candidate.You can research candidates at http://www. politics1.com/p2016.htm
to vote
2
4
REGISTER 1. Go to city hall and talk to the city clerk during office hours. 2. Present a valid form of ID (i.e. driver’s license, utility bill, Military ID) 3. Fill out requested forms.
r
make you
DECISION
to vote
Decide who you will be voting for before going to the polls.
the highlander • november 6, 2015
THE THIRD AMENDMENT go to the
POLLS
n day
on electio
1. Wait in line behind other voters. 2. Tell poll workers your name and address. 3. You will receive a ballot and instructions on how to fill it out. 3. Go to the booth to mark your ballot. 4. After you have finished filling it out, put your ballot into the counting machine (ballot box). RECIEVE
YOUR
I VOTED STICKER
Wear it proudly!
FEATURE 25
Gov. Walker drops out of presidential race What does it mean for Wisconsin? Bella Barbiere Photo used with permission from Google Creative Commons
Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, once a front runner of the Republican Party in the race to the White House, decided on Sept. 21 to drop out of the 2016 presidential race after two unsuccessful GOP debates and the rise of unconventional candidates like Donald Trump, Ben Carson and Carly Fiorina. He was the second Republican candidate to exit after Texas Gov. Rick Perry. After two primary debates, Gov. Walker fell to the bottom of the polls. As a GOP candidate, Gov. Walker focused on issues such as climate change, fiscal management, immigration, tax cuts and Iran and Israel. However, his stances on social issues, such as the ban on abortions and declaration to “rip apart the Iran nuclear deal on day one” proved to be unpopular with potential voters. Also, according to CNN politics, he gave three different answers in the span of seven days with citizenship. Scott Walker looked like the ideal Republican candidate on paper, according to slate. com, but fell short when faced with questions. Trump stole the Iowa lead he held for six months from Walker. “His super PACs, which raised impressive sums early on, burned through much of that money in a late summer effort to arrest his free fall,” Slate.com revealed. “The more he spent, the more desperate he got, and his lack of presence at the first two debates did not help his solicitation for further donations.”
What’s next for Wisconsin? Scott Walker will return as governor with a low approval rate. “He displayed a different policy emphasis when he was on the campaign,” Mr. Barry Burden, University of Wisconsin-Madison political science professor, said. “Voters will be reassessing and trying to determine if this is the Scott Walker they elected.” Gov. Walker became well known for his fight against labor unions and his views on education.
“We need leaders who value quality choices and who trust parents to put the interests of their children first.” - Scott Walker Sparking national headlines in 2011, Walker won the battle to pass Wisconsin Act 10, limiting the ability of government workers, including teachers, to collectively bargain, which sparked a recall vote. Walker battled in a reelection campaign in 2014 and won again, reclaiming his position as Wisconsin’s governor. Gov. Walker’s proposed state budget for 2015-2017 calls for vouchers for an unlimited number of students to attend private school and supports using money allocated for public schools to pay for this program. He supports the public funding of private and religious schools in the
form of vouchers for students and the increased availability of charter schools. During his tenure, Gov. Walker has focused heavily on education reform and hasn't shied away from controversial decisions. It has even reached the college campuses across the UW system, cutting hundreds of jobs with Gov. Walker’s budget cut of 250 million on universities across Wisconsin. The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire has cut 168 positions which is more than 14 percent of its total workforce, according to WISCAPE. Officials at the University of Wisconsin-Madison said the campus will eliminate 434 positions, 70 of which will be layoffs. According to Wisconsin radio network, UW-Madison looks to drop enrollment limits on out-of-state students. The plan is for a suspension on its current policy that only allows out-of-state enrollment of 27.5 percent. This would help to use the higher tuition rates those out-of-state students must pay to make up for the state budget cuts. School officials claim it would not affect the school’s mandate to reserve 3,500 spots a year for in-state freshman. Ms. Susan Lueders, government teacher, said, “School vouchers have been known to be used inappropriately, voucher school teachers do not earn as much as public school teachers and the result is less people will go into education.”
FEATURE 26
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FEATURE 27 Have family visiting during Thanksgiving break? Show them these five city sites. Katya Mikhailenko 1. Milwaukee Art Museum
3. Ice Skating Rink
Overlooking Lake Michigan and containing over 30,000 pieces of art, the Milwaukee Art Museum attracts people from all over. Due to the very memorable sculptural, postmodern Quadracci Pavilion, the museum stands out from other buildings in Milwaukee. Along with the shape of the museum, “the atmosphere of the Art Museum is very calming. People are silent and the natural sunlight from large, floor-to-ceiling windows fills the room. The art is beautiful and enchanting,” Katie McCarthy, sophomore, said. With seasonal exhibitions, the museum always has new or antique artwork on display. Collecting and preserving pieces of art from all over the world, the museum serves as an inspiration to many. With only a $5 admission fee, the museum is a perfect place to dedicate an afternoon to strolling the cavernous halls looking at aesthetic art for a couple of hours.
Red Arrow Park’s Slice of Ice is a must-do in Milwaukee, especially in early winter. What’s better than bundling up with your family and skating (and falling a little) downtown? Not only will the trees be lit up with Christmas decorations, but Starbucks is only a couple of strides away. Grab a hot chocolate to warm your chilly hands. “Red Arrow Park is a great place to be during the holidays. It’s an awesome way to get into the holiday spirit,” Madeline Slicker, senior, said. Skate rentals range from $7-$8, a small price for a memorable time.
2. Third Ward
Established in 1976, Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward serves as the city’s arts and fashion district. Filled with a large variety of restaurants, spas, theaters, galleries and unique boutiques, the Third Ward is a beautifully revived portion of Milwaukee instituted right on the river. Charlotte Doering, junior, enjoys the Third Ward because “it is a fun way to bond with your family over shopping or grabbing some food at the Milwaukee Public Market.” Whether one is looking for unique shopping, mouthwatering food or alluring sightseeing, the Third Ward covers it all.
4. Three Domes
Possibly one of the only places you can go in Milwaukee and feel as if you are in the luscious tropics is the Mitchell Park Conservatory, also known as the Milwaukee Domes. Consisting of three different bee-hived shaped glass domes, the conservatory is a very unique destination. A desert dome, a tropical dome and a seasonal, floral show dome make up the conservatory, resulting in a neat experience for people of all ages. “It’s a great way to explore different environments while staying in your state and it’s definitely a fun experience wandering among unique plants,” Lexi Heth, junior, said. Admission ranges from $5-$7, depending on age. 5. Kopps With heavenly burgers and custard flavors that change everyday, Kopps is a spot that one cannot skip when staying in Milwaukee. A landmark in the Milwaukee-metro area, Kopps was founded by Elsa Kopp in 1950 and remains to be a very popular destination for locals and visitors due to its frozen custard and jumbo burgers. “Kopps is a great place to go to because of the unique environment that results in a great time with family and friends,” Brian Devorkin, sophomore, said.
SPORTS 28
Favre’s legacy lives on Gaby Geiger Carly Kleiman
Eight years after leaving the Green Bay Packers for the New York Jets and five years after officially retiring from the NFL, Brett Favre is making his return to Lambeau Field this Thanksgiving to have his jersey retired during halftime of the Packer game against division rival Chicago Bears. Mixed emotions have filled Packer Nation throughout the years since Favre left, but this summer proved to heal almost all the lingering negative feelings that any fans had left. On July 19, 2015 Favre was inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame in the Lambeau field atrium with a sold-out stadium watching the ceremony on the big screen. The tickets for this event sold out in just minutes, proving that Packer fans were ready to welcome back the legend with open arms. The day after his Hall of Fame induction, Favre held another event that Packer fans could attend--a charity flag football game at Camp Randall. This was one last chance for fans to see Favre under center playing the game he played so well for 19 seasons. “It was a once in a lifetime experience
seeing him throw his last ‘touchdown.’ He has been my hero since day one, and I cheered him on even when he played for the Vikings because he was like a kid just enjoying the game and it was fun to watch,” Zach Binversie, senior who attended the charity game, said. For those who will be filling the stands on Thanksgiving, they will get to experience not only an exciting game due to the rivalry between the Packers and the Bears, but also history being made as Brett Favre’s number will be retired; even Packer legend and Pro Football Hall of Famer Bart Starr will be in attendance. Sami VanDrisse, senior, and her family will attending the game. “I grew up going to Packer games and I was always so excited to see the show he’d put on each game because he never disappointed. I’m super excited to be able to be there and get to honor his exciting and historical career,” VanDrisse said. Some fans weren’t so forgiving of Favre’s decision to leave the frozen tundra and continue to play the game he loves. Matt Gresham, senior, respected Favre’s decision to retire, but was un-
the highlander • november 6, 2015
happy when Favre unretired and joined the New York Jets. “It was shocking really, to see the man I grew up watching lead the Packers in a different uniform. I definitely had some hard feelings towards him when he decided to join the Vikings, but now I couldn’t be happier to see one of the greats get what he deserves,” Gresham said. On top of the excitement of the festivities that will be happening on Thanksgiving, Brett Favre was also announced as eligible for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2016 next summer in Canton, Ohio. Favre always was a Packer at heart, even when he had a different jersey over his shoulder pads on Sundays. Since his official retirement, Favre has taken to sports app Sqor Sports and Twitter to show his support for Aaron Rodgers and the Packers. Packer fans, the Packer organization and Brett Favre himself are excited to watch Number 4 go up in Packer history on Thanksgiving. So, from Packer fans everywhere, welcome home Brett.
LAX
to the max
Lacrosse added as a varsity sport
Varsity lacrosse is the newest sport at Homestead High School this year. “The season officially starts in the spring but we are beginning the captains’ practices right now,” Jordan Kranich, senior defenseman, said. Most of the kids who play lacrosse at Homestead have played for Ozaukee Lacrosse in the past. “Previously, I had played for Ozaukee Lacrosse for eight years. Through Ozaukee, we had a great coaching program that had a great background and past knowledge of the sport,” Kranich said. Anthony Kennin, senior goalie, transferred to Homestead last year, and he also played for Ozaukee last season. He will be playing lacrosse in college next year at Marquette University. Johnny Erpenbeck, junior, played for Ozaukee Lacrosse during his first two years of high school with Kranich. Even though the boys believe that Homestead getting its own team will be great for the school, it will take a while to adjust to a new team with different players. “It’ll be different because some of the Cedarburg guys were going to play college and we had the only Division I commit in the state on our team, so we had a lot of talent and kids who
Mixing IT up Wisconsin athletic conferences realign Hannah O’Leary The effort to recreate conferences for high schools across Wisconsin is underway and changes could be coming Homestead’s way in the 20172018 school year if realignment is approved. Forty-three schools are up for realignment, including schools from the Classic Eight, Greater Metro, North Shore, Wisconsin Little Ten and Woodland Conferences, including Homestead. The main reason any school would want to rearrange the athletic conferences is for a phenomenon known as competitive relief. Essentially, this means that an institution feels the other competitors within its own conference are no longer an appropriate match for them, often due to size and participation rate in any given sport. In reaction, the school would like to seek competitive relief and create a new set of competitors who they
Jake Elchert
wanted to work to get to the next level,” Erpenbeck said. “The main difference will be the experience, but there’s always time to grow,” Kennin said. These three boys believe that this is great for the school and that it shows how the sport is growing everywhere. “In regards to Homestead, I think the year will turn out really nicely. Homestead is receiving a lot of good lacrosse players that have been playing for a while,” Kranich said. “I think it’s great the school is getting a team because one of the beauties of the game is the growth, and this is a prime example of the growth,” Erpenbeck said. The new addition to Homestead athletics comes with many new advantages and almost no disadvantages. “There really aren’t any disadvantages besides less experienced players and not having a coach yet, but the advantages are endless. Being able to play for the school and practicing after school instead of at six, being able to play on the turf field, having it be more affordable, and I don’t have to drive 20 minutes to practice; honestly, it’s just better everything,” Erpenbeck said. Kranich agreed with Erpenbeck. “I’m real-
ly glad Homestead has a team. Even though the coaching staff is unknown so far, we are eager to start practice,” Kranich said. Finally, even though it will be the very first year, the guys believe that the team will be very successful at bringing home many wins, and they cannot wait to get started. “This year, there’s a high chance that we will be successful because even though there are new kids, we still have many talented and athletic kids who strive to be better and want to win games,” Kennin said. “It’s really great that Homestead started this program, and I’m positive there will be a great turnout for tryouts,” Kranich said. Erpenbeck seemed to be the most eager to get the season started. “Our team could be really good. We have some great young guys who can score, some good fast guys in transition, three of the four returning starting defenders and one of the best goalies in the state, if not the best. I’m ready to get the season under way,” he ended.
feel offer more equal competition. In the current North Shore conference, Port Washington, Grafton and Milwaukee Lutheran all support the reconsideration of the current conference system. Milwaukee Lutheran is only one of many schools seeking competitive relief as they are “losing kids. Our numbers are down in certain sports and different things like that. It makes it hard when you’re really not successful,” Keith Kalous, Milwaukee Lutheran athletic director, said. “I’m not talking about conference championships; I’m just talking about being able to field a competitive team.” They would like the chance to rebuild their program without facing massive schools like Homestead, Germantown and Cedarburg. However, the method of coordinating the conferences themselves is much less straightforward. Currently, the option being seriously considered consists of two groups. The first consists of 14 schools, most of which currently make up the Woodland Conference. The other group holds the remaining 29 schools who would be asked to realign themselves in an athletic conference configuration that they deem appropriate. Traditionally, the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) Board of Control,
which serves as the governing body of the WIAA, would take it upon themselves to determine the method of realignment. However, in this case, the Board of Control is turning over the decision-making process to the schools themselves, an idea that has never been seen before. Mr. Brett Bowers, principal, is advocating for “a process where we weigh the options against the status quo.” Mr. Bowers noted that there is a lot of difficulty in proceeding in this fashion, but that the most logical way is for representatives from each school to set a list of priorities that need to be met with the conference realignment, lay out options and then determine “to what extent do our options, including the option of no change, meet or not meet those criteria.” Will the shift have any effect on Homestead? If so, would that impact be positive or negative? The short explanation, according to Mr. Ryan Mangan, athletic director, is that, “there are more variables in those answers.” Despite whether or not the change benefits Homestead athletics, administration would like to “create a situation where any student in any school feels like they have a fair chance to be competitive,” Mr.Bowers said.
Anyone interested in coaching should contact Mr. Ryan Mangan, athletic director, at rmangan@mtsd.k12.wi.us.
SPORTS 30
YOU
A four-year varsity tennis player, Madeline Slicker, senior, has dedicated 12 years to improving her game. Starting at the age of five, Slicker advanced her skill and knowledge of the game quickly to compete in United States Tennis Association (USTA) youth tournaments by the age of 10. Once in high school, Slicker rapidly developed as she moved up from the third doubles team her freshman year to the first doubles team her senior year. Slicker has set high goals for herself and her teammates this season. “Having gone to individual state for the past two years and going to team state my freshman and sophomore seasons, I definitely have similar goals for this year,” Slicker said.
D E V SER lley. urette ady for a vo sinCassie Sha r, stands re io on n c is se r, W f ke lic iversity o Madeline S g at the Un n yi la p e b Slicker will next year. Whitewater
GOT
On Friday, Oct. 9, Slicker fulfilled this goal as she and her partner, Lexi Heth, junior, earned a special qualifier to the individual state tournament, taking place from Oct. 15 to Oct. 17 at Nielsen Tennis Stadium in Madison. As a senior captain, Slicker has taken on the leadership role and has made an impact on her teammates. “She always has an upbeat attitude when she plays,” Alyssa Boyer, sophomore, said. “Madeline is all around a great person off the court and a positive member on it.” Sarah Kirtley, senior, said, “Madeline is a great leader who has made a profound impact on my first varsity season. She has been so welcoming and inspirational. She’s a perfect captain.”
the highlander • november 6, 2015
Motivated by Roger Federer, professional tennis player, Slicker tries to emulate the calm attitude Federer radiates on the court. According to Slicker, Federer is very influential because he is a very classy tennis player and, at his age, he is still playing at the top of his game with great stamina and footwork. This fall, Slicker saw her hard work and dedication truly pay off, as she verbally committed to play tennis for the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. “Since I am going to play college tennis, I want to bring my game to the next level to be as successful as possible in the coming years,” Slicker said.
an e. Carly Kleim ares to serv senior, prep tion this , u o sh a K d Jare in posi k on a capta Kashou too year.
HE T F O S E T E L H AT ead teams to ISSUE l
R E K C I L S Y E R N I L O E T MNADD ED KASHOU VIC A JAR eper Sydney Ro
Running through the school hallways, Jared Kashou, senior, hypes up his teammates with his favorite team tradition for their volleyball games. “He’s a ball of energy who surprises me every time I get the chance to play alongside him,” Joe Clemens, senior, said. Kashou started off his competitive volleyball career during eighth grade, participating at the club level with the North Shore Milwaukee Volleyball Club. According to Kashou, with the help and inspiration of his father, he was motivated to become the best athlete possible. “My dad made sure my fundamentals were sound at an early age, and later he taught me to be aware of what’s happening around me on the court,” Kashou said.
“While he only stands 5’ 4”, his presence on the court is more than enough,” Coach Phil Lambe, boys volleyball coach, said. Coach Lambe explained how Kashou’s work ethic is unmatched, which illustrates how Kashou took the role of setter from two seniors during his sophomore season. Kashou’s passion for volleyball comes from the camaraderie of the game. “Everyone has to rely on each other and work as a team in order to bring home the win,” Kashou said. As a captain of two years, Kashou brings his enthusiasm for the game to practice and games everyday. “Jared gives a lot to this team,” Jacob Urban, senior, said. “We depend on him to be there mentally every night, and he shows up every day.”
“Jared is the ideal leader for an athletic team,” Coach Lambe said, “Junior year, he went down at the end of the season with a hurt ankle, but his injury gave him nothing but more hunger for this season.” While planning his future, Kashou hopes his three years of varsity volleyball will take him one step closer to playing club volleyball in college.
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