table of contents
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The Norse Star staff explores language and how it is used in this issue. (Cover Photo Illustration by Ethan Genter, TJ Fedikovich, Isabelle Genter) TOC by: Bergen Gardner, Staff Writer
news 22 eighth graders travel to D.C.
opinions
The Staff ed describes the vocal minority of sexism and how it has overtaken the image of equality.
in-depth In American Slanguage, we explore the presence and continuation of slang in our society.
features Up for dinner and dessert? Lao Laan Xang and The Chocolatarian Café in review.
entertainment Embrace the intergalactic fandom and dive into the follow-up article on “The Force Awakens.”
sports
The Stoughton Viking wrestlers work hard throughout their season and have become very successful athletes.
Editorial Policy: The Norse Star strives to present the news in a fair and unbiased manner. Any column, editorial, or letter to the editor expresses the opinion of the author and not necessarily the entire staff. The staff editorial does not necessarily reflect the views of the entire staff. The Norse Star is a public forum written and produced by the students of Stoughton High School, and they are soley responsible for its content. Students, staff, faculty, and members of the community are welcome to submit letters to the editor of 300 words or less. Letters may be edited due to space limitation, obscenities, or libel concerns. Norse Star will verify the authenticity of any letters sent on the behalf of school organizations or groups. All letters must be signed and placed in the Norse Star mailbox, mailed to The Norse Star, 600 Lincoln Ave, Stoughton WI, 53589, or emailed to Laura.Streyle@stoughton.k12.wi.us. The Norse Star Staff: Editor-in-Chief: Jon Klingenberg Assistant Editor: Ethan Genter Graphics Editor: TJ Fedikovich
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Head Artists: Seren Pellett, Joshua Bausch Opinions Editor: Rachel DelPizzo In-Depth Editor: Meredith Melland News Editor: Brandon Lamberty
Entertainment Editor: Connor Roisum Features Editor: Mallory Giesen Sports Editor: Julia Olson Business Manager: Gunnar Goetz
Staff Writers: Mikayla Frick, Kira Fields, Neiya Brown, Isabelle Genter, Garrett Kluever, Mya Lonnebotn, Bergen Gardner, Raya Kate Castronovo
the norse star, january 2016
news
all around the world By Jon Klingenberg Editor-in-Chief
Europe North America
“Soldiers of Odin,” an extremist patriot group, seeks to protect native Finns from immigrants.
Drug kingpin, fugitive, and Mexico’s public enemy no. 1, Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, is recaptured.
Asia
Taiwan elects its first female president, Tsai Ing-wen, leader of the Democratic Progress Party (DPP).
Africa
China builds its first military African base in Djibouti.
South America
The 37th annual Dakar Rally, this year in Argentina, concluded on Jan. 16 with Australian Toby Price claiming the win for the 6,000 mile bike race.
Antarctica
Giant chasm found under Antarctica’s ice sheet, encompassing an area of 1,081 square feet, and dropping over a half-mile deep.
Australia
Beach evacuated due to a Great White Shark measuring more than 23 feet spotted at Marino Rocks in Adelaide, Australia. art by joshua bausch
from one paper to another
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ormer adviser of “The Norse Star,” Jon Netzler, left for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at the end of the 2014-15 school year to teach abroad. In the city of Jubail, Netzler currently advises a new staff of journalists called “ISGJ Today.” The group, consisting of five students in International Schools Group Jubail’s 2015-16 journalism class, runs an online publication at isgjtoday.com. These five students are responsible for the website’s design and content, but they get assistance from their school’s digital media class when it comes to photos. With over 50 stories published so far, ISGJ Today strives to seek the truth and report it in any and every way they can, but the staff has admitted to certain difficulties in the writing when it comes to content. In order to abide by Saudi laws, they tend to avoid controversial topics such as “religion, terrorism, the LGBT community, and basically anything that goes against Saudi laws,” said by Arsheen, one of ISGJ Today’s staff members. “Being a journalist in the Kingdom isn’t easy, but we’ve accepted the challenge with open arms and are proud of ourselves for what we’ve accomplished,” Arsheen admitted, reflecting a mentality shared by the entire staff.
the norse star, january 2016
photo courtesy of jon netzler
The 2015-16 staff of ISGJ Today (from left to right: Mr. Netzler, Carlie R., Arsheen Y., Kendall G., Aiba M., Suvidhi B.). 3
news
yearly extravaganza By TJ Fedikovich Graphics Editor
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t’s that time of the year again. Stoughton High School kicks off its 37th annual pops concert on Mon, Feb 8. This stellar event consists of talented students performing today’s popular pop music. Students both in and out of concert choir and chorale, get the once-in-alifetime chance of performing with a live band. Seeing as this is director Ryan Casey’s 15th year, he enjoys all of the preparations that come with the annual event. “[I enjoy] the process of putting all the arrangements of the teams together and the rehearsal process with the band members. I really enjoy seeing the students’ faces
once they get to perform with the band. The band is so good that a lot of them haven’t experienced something like that before,” Mr. Casey said. As the Pops concert has been a staple of Stoughton High School for 37 years now, a typical Pops night consists of various festivities. “All of the choir students open and close the concert with the band and we have a horn line and everything, so [it’s a] pretty big opener and closer, and then it also features our student run acapella groups, [and] they each do a tune. Then the rest of the night is all just soloists singing the songs they auditioned with that made it in with that professional house band,”
democrats to debate in milwaukee By Brandon Lamberty News Editor
ess than two weeks after the L first caucus and primary in Iowa and New Hampshire,
respectively, the remaining democratic candidates will hash it out at the podium in America’s Dairyland. The debate will take place at UW-Milwaukee on Thursday, February 11. It will be hosted and run by PBS NewsHour. The co-anchors of the show, Gwen Ifill and Judy Woodruff, will moderate the debate which will hopefully continue exposing insight about the candidates’ positions. “I know that PBS NewsHour and WETA will produce a debate that is as engaging as it is informative, and which will help the public learn more about the positions of these candidates,” said Beth Hoppe, Chief Programming Executive and General Manager, PBS in the official PBS press release. This democratic debate comes 4
three months after the top 10 republican candidates took the stage in November at the Milwaukee Theater. While the focus of the debate will not be decided until closer to the debate, once something of major concern comes into discussion and is prevalent in current society, it can be expected that the focus will be on deteriorating the opponents’ stances and beliefs. After the last debate, held on Sunday, Jan. 17, in Charleston, South Carolina, both candidates have managed to separate themselves. Hillary Clinton has aligned herself with the likeness of Barack Obama, promising to build on his legacy while Sen. Bernie Sanders says he is the solution to a corrupt political system. On domestic affairs, which were even more prevalent in Charleston, the location of the mass shooting by a white extremist in a black church that killed nine, the focus turned to healthcare. Sen. Sanders has portrayed himself as the left’s best hope for real change. Only hours before the last debate, he
added Casey. Gaining momentum and popularity, the Pops concert has become the festival of the year to attend. Selling out the past few years, it is highly suggested that you buy your tickets ahead of time. “Tickets will go on sale [the week of ] Monday, the 25th, and they are going to be $12 dollars for all ages. All the same price this year. You can buy them in [the] exhibition hallway at lunch, or in rolled out a new tax plan to fund his medicare-for-all plan. Clinton chose to stick with the Affordable Care Act, praising it as one of the country’s biggest successes. From the start of the campaign, Clinton has led the front on foreign policy, leaving Sen. Sanders in the dust. After spending four years as Secretary of State, she is the only candidate in the entire campaign to have any hands-on experience with foreign policy. Wisconsin’s open primary will take place on Tues, Apr. 5, and anyone 18 years of age is able to vote. It is strongly rec-
the music office after school,” adds Casey. Tickets will be sold at the door only if there are any remaining. Tickets are also reserved seats, meaning you get the option of reserving your desired seats. The odds of the event selling out is very high, so it is suggested that you reserve tickets ahead of time. art by seren pellett & tj fedikovich
What: Democratic Debate When: Monday Feb. 11 Where: UW - Milwaukee Who: Democratic Candidates
ommended to register before the primary in order to assure your eligibility for voting at the specific polling place. To register, you can either do it in person at your City Clerk’s office, or mail in the form to your City Clerk. Stoughton’s City Clerk is Lana Kropf and her office is located inside City Hall. photo courtesy of pbs.org
the norse star, january 2016
river bluff students to travel to dc
news
By Rachel DelPizzo Opinions Editor
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planning and booking through optimizing and helping to n June of 2016, over 20 Freund. eighth grade students from The trip will create many a company called WorldStrides. facilitate educational and ultiRiver Bluff Middle School will excellent learning opportu- WorldStrides specializes in mately beneficial travels. journey to Washington D.C. nities for these many young for a historical learning expe- future historians. Kolberg rience. Currently, 22 students explains, “students will have are signed on for the excur- an opportunity to ‘learn sion. The trip will take place beyond classroom walls’ as from Tuesday, June 14 to Friday, they explore historical sites and June 17. “The summer between museums. Although our itin8th and 9th grade is the perfect erary is not set in stone, a few time for students to go on this highlights will include seeing trip because it falls during the the Changing of the Guard at middle of their two years of Arlington National Cemetery, instruction about the history of the Smithsonian Institution, the United States,” says eighth Mount Vernon, the Capitol, grade Social Studies teacher the Holocaust Museum, sevJennifer Kolberg. Kolberg is eral memorials, and much the trip leader for the students’ more. Our days and nights Picured above are the two Stoughton social studies teachers journey. She is accompanied by will be packed!” colleague and fellow teacher of According to Kolberg, River who will be accompanying River Bluff students on their trip to Washington D.C. eighth grade social studies, Kyle Bluff has elected to do all Left: Jennifer Kolberg. Right: Kyle Freund.
no more klinke dry cleaning
It has been an unfortunate turn for the Stoughton branch of the multimillion-dollar business that has remaining locations in and around the Madison and Milwaukee areas. Only one full-time employee remained as Klinke Cleaners shut their doors By Ethan Genter for good on Jan 14. Assitant Editor “We haven’t had the n Jan 13, the Klinke ability to maintain a full staff Cleaners Stoughton branch, in Stoughton, or a production located at 1308 Hamilton St., staff, and our one remaining closed due to declining sales. full-time employee has said that All remaining garments at the she doesn’t want to work outstore were available for pick up side of Stoughton. But we’ve until Jan 14 when inventory was had a really great staff while moved to their Monona location we’ve been here,” said Klinke. at 4512 Monona Drive where it While it may prove to be a is still available for pick up. little more of a hike for Klinke’s “Unlike our other mar- Stoughton customers, the dry kets such as Madison and cleaners are still very much in Milwaukee, our Stoughton sales business and people are welhave been declining, the market come to go to the next nearest has been soft, and we’ve tried location in Monona. our best, but sales just haven’t “We were unable to bolster been good enough,” said our sales in Stoughton, and Steve Klinke, owner of Klinke trying to convert it into a nonCleaners. cleaning store that ships out to
our other facilities for cleaning just wasn’t going to be possible with how far away Stoughton is. But all customers are always welcome at Monona and any of our other locations.”
If the drive to Monona isn’t an option for you, McGlynn’s Pharmacy at 100 E. Main St. is still available for dry cleaning.
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the norse star, january 2016
photo by ethan genter
Former employee, Trevor Rush, leaves Klinke Cleaners after stopping by to say good-bye to a friend who wasn’t there. 5
news
sandhill principal price to retire C
was her main reason for retire- Price worked as an elemenment, although she has a deep tary and middle school teacher passion for her job. for seven years in Clinton, “[Deciding to retire] was Wisconsin and then worked in one of the hardest decisions the Janesville School District I’ve had to make. Education is as a sixth and third grade my passion. Kids: my passion. teacher, all while pursuing But I decided that I needed to her Master’s in education and spend some more time with my professional development aging parents, who are now in from UW-Whitewater and their eighties,” Price said. Price certification of educawould also like to spend more tion administration from time with her three-year-old UW-Madison. She was awarded granddaughter before she starts school. The hiring process for a new elementary principal has yet to begin. “There will be a posting for the new principal that will go up, I would say, [in] the early part of February. He [Dr. Onsager] also just told me that he will be coming to Sandhill to get the staff input about what are they looking for in a principal,” said Price. “One of the reasons why I announced my retirement early is that the district has the best opportunity to get the best match for photo courtesy of cheryl price [the] building.” Before working in the Sandhill Principle Cheryl Price Stoughton School District, talks to a student one-on-one.
twice for being the Janesville Teacher of the Year in 1992 and 1993, and also won the Kohl Fellowship Award in 1993. Price was originally principal of Yahara Elementary School in Stoughton for 14 years before becoming principal of Sandhill. “It was very emotional, talking to my staff, but I am letting them know they will be okay,” Price admitted. “I have hired outstanding staff. Because I’ve been in the position so long, I’ve hired just about everyone or have strongly encouraged them to be part of my staff, and the hardest part is that we really have a Sandhill community over there. But they will be fine. They will do well.” After reflecting on her career, Price stated that she has “lived her passion,” and she advises her former students to do the same. “You have a niche. Everyone has a niche. Everyone has something that they can contribute to this world in a way that will make a difference. Make sure that you follow your dreams; that is when your passion is going to shine through.”
trivia to the top
Hampton, and the other team includes Kim Thompson, Jacob Krantz, Gabrielle Skerpan and Luke Van Herwynen. The students are led by SHS mathematics teacher Chris Wiemer
is always fun seeing different kids at Nationals. There will be a number of new students at Nationals.” Quiz Bowl is a club here at SHS where random trivia facts are asked of eager students. These questions can range from history to sports. The first one to answer correctly gets points for the entire team, while being scored individually. Students don’t have to be geniuses to join; they just have to be open to learning. Practices are held in the Fab Lab during lunch. Freshmen and sophomores meet on Tuesdays, and upperclassmen and anyone eager to join is welcome.
By Meredith Melland In-Depth Editor
heryl Price, the principal of Sandhill Elementary School, has announced that she will retire at the end of the 2015-2016 school year after working for 22 years in the Stoughton Area School District and 37 years total as an educator. Price will also be retiring from her other position as coordinator of the district’s five four-year-old kindergarten programs. Between her two positions, Price works with 600 kids per year. Price stated that wanting to be more available to her family
By Kira Fields Staff Writer
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he Stoughton High School Quiz Bowl team will be competing in the national Quiz Bowl Competition for the fifth time. However, before they could announce their qualification to nationals, the teams first had to compete in the Madison national qualifying Quiz Bowl competition where they were up against 24 teams from around the area. In order to qualify for nationals, both teams needed to score into the top three. Thankfully, after a long road of hard work and practicing, both teams scored high enough to advance to nationals. There are two Stoughton teams. One consists of Ellen Cook, Noah Lamberty, Emma Crowley, Sam Dirks, Jackson
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and Cindy Carter, a science teacher here at SHS. Both teams and advisers will be traveling to Hilton Anatole Hotel in Dallas, Texas in May over Memorial Weekend. There will be over 250 teams from across the country competing this year. Carter commented, “It
photos by kira fields and ethan genter
Above: Sophomore Noah Lamberty practices using a Quiz Bowl buzzer. Upper right: Senior Kim Thompson reads off quiz questions during a lunch practice. Bottom Right: Quiz Bowl team members react to hearing the correct answer from coach Chris Wiemer. the norse star, january 2016
asbestos tiling removed from teachers’ lounge By Gunnar Goetz Business Manager enovations were made to the teachers’ lounge in Stoughton High School between Dec. 22 and 31. The renovations were made in addition to a required removal of asbestos tiling from the lounge. “One of the district’s goals is to remove asbestos floor tiling throughout the building. There are very few rooms left with it,” said Calvin Merath, the Buildings and Grounds Supervisor. Most of the remaining asbestos tiling is located in the northeast quadrant of the high school, and removal is made incrementally when the time and funds required for the next room are acquired. Along with the replacement of the asbestos tiling,
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“We need money elsewhere for other school activities like school field trips and other out of school activities.” -Caroline Mancl, 10 “Yes, we need more color in the music wing, it feels like an institution.” -Clayton Custer, 12 “I just think they need to improve the athletic locker rooms.” -Aidan McGee, 10
improvements were also made to the light fixtures. Older base cabinets were removed, and a sink was added along with a tile backsplash, as well. To complete the renovation, the room was repainted. The school district worked with a variety of businesses to complete the renovation, according to Merath, “We coordinated it ourselves . . . We had Coyle Carpet, Joe Daniels Construction, Robinson Brothers, and Unlimited Decorating of Wisconsin all work with us in conjunction with EMC (Energy Management Consulting Corporation), who coordinated [with] the Robinson Brothers for the asbestos removal.” Aside from the continuation of asbestos tile removal, future plans for improvement within
Teachers’ Thoughts “It’s new, it’s [much] more up to date, [and] it [has] a cleaner fresher look to it.” -Alex Pehler “The new floors look great. [They] needed the change badly, [and] the sink and backsplash look great.” -Dan Holzhuter
the school include the removal of the current doors within the teacher’s lounge and the installment of new doors.
“I like the fact that there is nothing on the windows closing us in . . . But, unfortunately, they are planning on covering it up.” -Lauretta Doyle
photo by gunnar goetz
Alex Pehler, Rob Last, Stephen Stokes, and Kristin Siget sit down to enjoy their lunch in the newly renovated teachers’ lounge.
Voices of shs due to the recent remodeling of the front
“I think some of the plumbing and gas lines in the science wing need to be fixed.” -Jacob Foldy, 9
entrance and teachers’ lounge, we asked
“No, because every year we drop thousands of dollars on useless stuff we don’t need like the front entrance.” -Brandon Mundt, 11
students on if they thought we needed more renovations.
Compiled By Garrett Kluever Staff Writer
“We need more renovations to the back because that’s where visitors and other teams visiting enter.” -Kaia Moe, 12 “We need to fund necessities like air conditioning, not aesthetics.” -Graham Beebe, 10 the norse star, january 2016
news
art by seren pellett photos by garrett kluever
“I think we need more color inside the school, it’s kind of bland.” -Cole Adams, 11 “I think we need more renovations, but geared more towards students, like the locker rooms.” -Sam Zweck, 11 7
madtown thoughts
opinion - editor’s column
By Jon Klingenberg Editor-in-Chief
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eing a Stoughtonite has many perks. The Opera House, Syttende Mai, 17 different pizza places, and almost a dozen auto parts stores make our home something special. But what I find especially charming is our proximity to the thriving mini-metropolis of Madison, our older brother of a city that bustles with a diverse community of culture, cuisine, and charismatic people. I’m enamored by this city, and I want to bring attention to a couple of qualities that I’ve found especially endearing.
Mosh Pit Dynamic I attended the Majestic Theater’s Punk Fest on Jan. 15 with a friend, and, needless to say, the audience was almost more wild than the talent (I mean, come on, it’s punk fest). At this kind of event, moshing is something to be expected. People in the immediate area before the stage start shoving and swinging and picking-up-and-throwing, and all of a sudden, you find yourself inching your way to the sides of the crowd for fear of getting punched/kicked/bitten. However, despite the nastiness of the mosh pit, I found an interesting dynamic upheld by the punk-enthused community of Madison. As soon as a mosher lost his/her balance and fell to the ground, all of the moshers around him/her would stop and help them back up, so they could all continue moshing without actually seriously injuring somebody. It’s a weird concept, thinking that these people want to have fun by essentially beating each other up to the tune of distorted guitar and fanatical drum compositions, but once someone falls, and the threat of injury (or, let’s be honest, death) becomes real, it’s apparent that this community doesn’t want anyone to get hurt. It’s heartwarming, in the end. Sure, the concept is rough and rowdy, but these people just want to have fun, and they want their friends to have fun, too. The mosh pit dynamic is a symbiotic joy amongst the audience as well as the band, who is likely very happy to see these people going nuts to the sound of their punk styles. This example of a community coming together for a shared goal (of moshing) is symbolic of a noteworthy and uplifting characteristic of Madison and its people.
Punch Card Capitalism Ian’s Pizza, a locally-famous dispensary of that sweet, sweet Italian pie, has started distributing punch cards to their customers. The concept isn’t new. You buy 10 products (in this case, slices of pizza or salads) and you get the 11th for free. It entices consumers to consume more because they want that free slice. Some may consider that deceptive, because in the end you aren’t really saving money, you’re just buying more. However, something that I believe, especially with Ian’s, is that while people using these cards will likely have a desire to buy pizza more often, it’s the feasting of this pizza that brings us joy. This joymongering, pizza-consuming, business-bringing method may not be there for all punch card businesses, but, at the very least, it is for Madison’s patron saint of custom pizzas. Personally, I’ll be buying at least 15 slices of Ian’s over the next few months regardless of the punch card, but I’m sure many people don’t go very often, and they should be. The service is great, the food is extraordinary, and the setting is appreciable. This business is a solid reflection of Madison commerce, and their use of punch cards is beneficial to all around it.
The American Dead performing at Punk Fest at the Majestic Theatre. Stoughton’s sibling city is magnificent for many reasons, of which these are a few. Capitalistic camaraderie established by local businesses helps bring people together, and more importantly brings them to good food while also stimulating our economy. Surprisingly friendly punk rock lovers literally pick each other up when they fall, which shows how Madison’s diverse communities are ones that should be cherished and appreciated. But these are a mere few of the plentiful attributes that Madison offers, and many are yet to be brought to our attention. So seize the day, readers, and go off and find an underappreciated aspect of the marvelous Madtown that you can revere and share with others so they can find the joy that you have discovered. the norse star, january 2016 9
opinions - staff editorial
the volume of equality
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en and women have always managed to survive side by side, but very rarely throughout history have we really been able to get along. Throughout all of human history there has been an ambience of bickering, resulting in modern tension between the sexes. Women have fought for equal rights against a patriarchy for hundreds of years, but were less than equal for thousands. When the right to vote passed, women in America moved a huge step closer to that equality, both socially and legally, thanks to the creation of the idea of feminism that promoted awareness for women. That was less than 100 years ago, which is relatively recent in the scheme of things. In that time, women have gained tremendous momentum in equal rights, largely as a result of the feminist movement. The movement has become so momentous however, that we are in danger of going the other way. Statistics show women are now favored in many court cases, especially in cases of child custody, rape, domestic abuse, and sexual harassment in the workplace, as well as in many other social and legal matters. According to Voices for Children, “In 2011, 63.5% of custody battles were given to the mother, 28% to the man, and >10% to joint custody.” It’s only natural that some men would feel attacked by society with these types of numbers pushing against them. And on another front, they face radicalist feminists with extreme bias and jaded viewpoints against them. With a very prejudiced approach against men, they verbally attack men with gender bias claims and slander. Many may know these women as ‘feminazis’, the extremist case of feminism. They are the vocal minority, who have disfigured the face of feminism as a proequality group, by turning them into a hate-speech group, commonly thought to direct their hate at men. Unsurprisingly, men have taken notice, trying to counteract the viscosity that the feminist movement has strayed
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gender equality because at the Meninism and feminism is time of its establishment, men the forward progression of free always had more rights, both thinking against bias, discrimipolitically and socially. over nation and legal favoritism between genders, together time, however, the definition has changed with the shifting gender taking steps forward to solve these problems. It is a pure form roles and normalities. Because of this, the meninist movement of humanitarianism and anyone at its core concept is a good who supports that cause is one step towards gender equality. It themselves. The radicalist version of these groups do focus on forms polar agreement on each side, except going more in-depth the problems that face gender about the rights and priori- equality today, but morally, for ties that women and men both the totally wrong reasons. They are in support of a better gender, deserve. The problem arises when you they want their chosen gender to realize that this isn’t the vocal have more rights than the other, side of the ‘equalism’ movement. and will spread hate, verbal Equalists coexist with each other discrimination and be relentin the face of stereotypes and lessly biased in order to achieve that goal. People like these do negative connotations. Because people who hold these beliefs feel not help, they only hurt. It’s it should already be an integral grossly ironic that the original part of our society, morality is concept of these gender groups their main concern, not forcing is the exact opposite of what they are currently achieving. opinions. Unfortunately, while being passive allows thoughts of Yet to most people it’s all under gender equality ideas to freely one umbrella, a hypocritic and flow, it allows the overtaking of a immoral perception spread via these extremists who have tarmuch more vocal minority, to be perceived as the dominant image. nished a beautiful image. and feminists Extreme “...we listen to the extreme meninists are that dominant image. Their beliefs and morals are not sound, cor- loudest and perceive rupt and sexist in fact, but we as people don’t listen to the them as the majority.” wisest. Instead, we listen to the Nevertheless, there is hope. loudest and perceive them as Both of these groups’ emerthe majority. That’s why when gence has signified a new level you think of these to radical of understanding and acknowlminority sub-groups, you’re edgement about issues that have tricked into stereotyping by not previously been discussed. what you’ve been witness to the While the negativity and stereomost. When you think of a femi- types that come with extremist nist, chances are you think of a groups such as these often harm woman who hates men and is the culture as a whole, we must spreading sexist propaganda, the keep in mind the good that the same goes for meninists, except majority of the party is doing for with a few more sammich’ jokes. those extremists’ acts of social To make things 110% clear, injustice. feminists are not all radical As vile and undercutting as feminists; meninists are not the radical versions of meninall radical meninists. ists and feminists are, we have to They are two remember they are the minority. separate, They are vastly outnumbered by polar people who want equality on oppoboth sides of the aisle compared sites. to their biased agendas. Their methods may be toxic, but use your mind as a shield. Stay smart, educated and aware, their vocal art by seren pellett cords can only stretch as far as and joshua bausch your eardrums will let them.
away from. As a result of this counteraction, the ‘meninist’ movement was created. Its original purpose was to shoot down the skewed claims by radicalists and support men’s rights like in the aforementioned court-system that has been shown to significantly side with women. Some meninists too, however, fell astray. Whether through lack of in-depth knowledge on the subject or egotistical boredness, the bandwagon of meninism fell from attacking extreme feminists, to just feminism in the form of sexist remarks and stereotyping comments directed at females in general. In the purest form of irony, the meninist movement, whose original reason for existence was to take down the vocal hate-speech minority of extreme feminism, has become just another group that spouts hateful words. So as new hate groups emerge under the guise of gender equality, it’s necessary to consider all the perspectives of gender equality motives. Is the meninist movement attempting to regain patriarchal domination over women or are they attempting to even the playing field and fight for the rights of men in court cases and other circumstances where women tend to be legally or socially favored? And why is egalitarianism never offered as a compromise? Let’s get some things straight. Feminism is the promotion of equality for women’s rights to be equal to men’s rights in cases where they are as of yet not equal. They are not trying to be a better gender than men, this movement is not focused on superiority. Instead, the idea of feminism is that everyone should be treated equally, have the same rights, regardless of gender. In historical context, feminism was intended to create
the norse star, january 2016
opinions
#clicktivism By Ethan Genter Assistant Editor
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et me throw a few hashtags at you: #LoveWins, #PrayforParis, #CeciltheLion, #FreetheNipple, #BringBackOurGirls. Sound familiar? These are the remnants of passing “clicktivism” movements--the soft outcries to the world that say “we are here, we have internet connection, and we are angry, but only for a little bit because we won’t remember this issue two months from now.” These hashtags and movements are everywhere, and they’re drowning out the world’s social media buzz. It’s fine to “retweet,” “share,” and “like” all you want. What you do from the comfort of your snuggie with 140 characters or the click of a button is your business, but just remember one thing: this isn’t real activism, and you haven’t done anything to
confront the issue you learned about 10 minutes ago. That’s not to say that this goes for everyone, because everyone isn’t walking around parading the fact that they started caring about an issue anyone who doesn’t live under a rock has already heard about by 7:55 a.m. But take notice that “clicktivism,” or “slacktivism,” is taking over our ever-fleeting attention spans. In July of last year, everyone and their cousin had something to say about the famous killing of Cecil the Lion. I haven’t seen a single mention of his name or really anything about animal rights, endangered species, poaching, or habitat conservation for months. Did we all just stop caring? The answer is yes. We don’t care now, and we barely cared then. This feel-good activism is just there to fuel our egos. There’s no practical effect or contributing effort in pressing a button. You’re not devoted to a cause,
you have opposable thumbs. People care about things from day to day when it suits them, and that’s not activism. Activism is intense, on-theground, staunch work toward achieving social and political change. I’ll admit that if anything, “clicktivism” does accomplish greater awareness, and that’s important. But social media is not solving the world’s problems. On a hyper-local level, it can be effective, but on a state and national level, tackling the real tough issues, 100,000 “likes” doesn’t even scratch the surface. Fighting terrorism, climate change, and racism is different than raising money for your neighbor or planting a tree in your backyard. And this is not the Arab Spring; we are not living in an authoritarian and repressive country that seeks to silence our most basic of sentences. We live in a culture that invites us to peaceably assemble, so do it, or stop pretending. This is all not to say that raising awareness by the simple
unleash the velociraptors By Gunnar Goetz Business Manager
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he time is nigh to unleash the velociraptors. Naturally, we’ll instate institutions for training new humans to avoid being consumed by our new friends on the food chain, but only the fittest would be deserving of survival. Of course, this is only a facetious solution to the exponential increase in human population, but overpopulation is indeed a problem that will haunt the future generations of the human race. Although there are approximately 7 billion people on this planet, the low density of people living within the average community tends to abate our comprehension of the actual enormity of the world’s population. Our mortality prevents us from realizing how rapidly our population is growing. To put it into perspective, it took the entirety of human history prior to the 1800s--all 198,000 years of it--to reach a population total of 1 billion people.
the norse star, january 2016
Subsequently, the increase from 1 to 6 billion people was made in a mere 200 years. It then took only a decade to tack on another billion. Each person that is added to the world population, along with the multitude already present on the earth, requires resources from our
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planet, causing an exponential depletion of all its natural reserves. The steep rate at which our population is growing will create catastrophic problems in our ability to provide for the needs of most of the population, in turn causing wars to be fought over who gets the last bit of food or water. We must collectively make the decisions to curb population growth, even if they require drastic measures. One solution, or a figurative velociraptor, could be that our society encourages families to have no more than two children. In theory, this would effectively freeze population growth due to an output of two children for every two parents, assuming
photo illustration by brandon lamberty
means that social media offers isn’t important. It is. The future of activism and change will most definitely be hashtagged, but by not caring about something longer than it takes you to “retweet” it, you’ve taken all the pack out of your punch. In a world where every 13-yearold with an iPhone and the French flag superimposed on their face has become the gatekeeper to news, if we can’t maintain an attention span longer than our pubescent selves, then I might have been better off keeping this article to 140 characters.
that everyone were to abide by this rule and the whole planet could get behind this idea. In addition, if world governments wished to take steps to slow population growth, additional incentives could be made to adopt one or more of the many children that reside in and out of orphanages across the globe. Tax credits could be increased for parents who adopt children, and tax credits for having a child could be withdrawn for the third biological child and onward. Adoption would kill two birds with one stone, both giving a family to a child without one, and curbing our population’s growth in the process. These are just two--three if you’re counting the velociraptors--of many plausible solutions to this potentially disastrous path upon which humanity has found itself. Overpopulation comes with many consequences that can be stopped if we can recognize the trouble that we’re in. In the future, one thing’s for sure: difficult decisions must be made unless we want our children or grandchildren or great-grandchildren to wage war over the last drop of water. 11
opinions photo by julia olson
go ahead and take a break By Julia Olson Sports Editor “
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here are you going to college?” “What are your plans after high school?” “What are you majoring in?” “What do you want to do with your life?” These are the types of questions that high schoolers get starting as early as sophomore year, questions that imply that at 15 you have a concrete plan for your life and what you want to do with it. But even as senior year starts to come to a close, most students don’t exactly know what they’re doing. Despite not having a real clue on what they want to do, most responses usually generalize their future as going to college at some type of university, majoring in something that they’re not completely sure of, but for what? To appease your family, teachers, and friends? Since when has it become more acceptable to run headfirst into your future without any idea of how you want it to play out rather than take a step back and take some time to figure out what you really want to be? This article is for the students who think that they’re not ready for college. The students whose future plans tend to cause grimaces from their parents. The students who are taking an unconventional route and holding steadfast onto their beliefs without being swayed by the new stigma that college is the best way and the 12
only way. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in the fall of 2015, 20.2 million students are expected to attend American colleges and universities. But that is only 68.4 percent of high school graduates that are jumping right into college after high school, so what has become of the other 30 percent of graduates? It’s plausible that many of them are choosing not to further their education, that they’re joining the workforce or are joining the military because those are two very valid options regarding a person’s future. But there’s another option that the millennials seem to be taking by storm, giving them an option that they might not have previously thought possible: the gap year. Taking a gap year has become somewhat of a trend among recent high school graduates who are planning to go to college, but a little bit later than only months after they’ve completed 13 years of non-stop in-class learning. Although I am personally planning on enrolling at university right after high school, it’s not hard to imagine the benefits of taking a year off of school. One of the most obvious positives to taking a year off is solely just to not be in school. It’s easy to get burnt out during high school, working on getting
good grades, keeping up with extracurriculars, preparing for the ACT . . . everything just seems so important at this time that by the time you’re finally done, you have no energy or passion for learning anymore. The time off from schooling can help reinvigorate a student who used to truly enjoy school. It can get them back to who they used to be. Another reason that a gap year could possibly be the best thing that you ever do is that you can finally have the chance to travel without limiting it to the confines of summer, spring, or winter breaks or the worries of missing a week or two of classes. Magazines and websites are constantly talking about the priceless experiences that you can get by traveling by yourself or with a friend. Going on a trip without a specific itinerary of tourist sites you need to see at a certain time, without a concrete destination, and without expectations will teach you more about yourself and who you want to be than any firstday-of-class icebreaker ever could. Even the more practical reasons for putting college off, like getting a job to save up money or even becoming an au pair in a foreign country to get the best of both worlds of traveling and working, are legitimate reasons
for not becoming a freshman all over again. Not everyone’s parents can support a child going to school for usually more than $20,000 a year or get student loans that can help cover those costs. This article isn’t here to try and tell high schoolers not to go to college or to portray it as some sort of evil entity that is only here to suck you back into school and a world of debt. But rather, it is here to try and show at least some people that college isn’t the end-all be-all that some people make it out to be. You don’t need to go to college right away to be successful. You don’t need to go to university to create memories or to find out who you are and who you want to be. You don’t need to be pushed into a direction that you’re not really sure that you want to go. What you need to do is what is right for you and whatever path you want to take in life. Don’t be afraid of the way that others talk down about people who don’t go to college right away or at all, don’t let the current status quo of “necessary steps to take for success” persuade you to do something you don’t want to do, and don’t succumb to this ideal route of American education unless you are completely sure it is what you want for yourself at this moment in time. the norse star, january 2016
This month, the Norse Star Staff is digging into the issue of modern language and the effects it has on society. Slang, swearing, political correctness, and the dumbing down of language in publications and other popular media are the most prevalent issues in today’s society. We address pressing topics such as recent WIAA guideline changes and the majority losing its voice to the minorities that seem to yell louder. We challenge you to read every story with an open mind and open eyes and form opinions based on fact, and not just popular opinions.
in-depth
are we too pc to see? By Meredith Melland and Isabelle Genter In-Depth Editor and Staff Writer
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he new Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association enforcements, college campuses, TV shows, and Donald Trump all have something in common: all have been key factors in the modern debate about the prevalence of oversensitive language and political correctness in society. The phrase “politically correct” has become a buzzword in today’s society, often used more as an insult than a commendation. Yet still, many people don’t actually know to what the phrase is referring. A common misconception about political correctness is that you have to be some sort of professional politician to be qualified enough to deem something “correct” or “incorrect.” In actuality, you really don’t need to know anything about politics to be “politically correct.” As Stoughton High School Social Studies teacher Katy Mullen put it, “I personally think that being politically correct is just being kind.” The term “politically correct” dates back to the 1930s, but it only began to become known in a large context in the 1990s through the work of author Allan Bloom. “One really important thing to recognize about the term is it’s used as a pejorative term, so a negative term,” said David Canon, Chair of the Political Science Department at UW-Madison. When someone uses the term, “they’re being critical of being too sensitive to the needs of women and minorities, when it comes to how issues of equality, discrimination, and harassment come into play,” said Canon. Calling someone politically correct is often done to criticize someone who is being overcareful or over-polite in their words because it can be seen as dishonest or as a form of society-inflicted censorship. In comparison with previous decades, today’s culture seems to be swinging towards the more sensitive end of the 14
communication spectrum. But why? Does the increase in sensitive language mean that America is becoming too soft? Or have we just developed a necessary filter for offensive content? It’s true that American culture has changed, but how it is interpreted today will determine which direction it will take tomorrow. From his experiences growing up as a person of mixed race, Joshua Thomas, a Language Arts teacher at Stoughton High School, has personal experience with words that could be offensive, intentionally or unintentionally. “Being multiracial, I was picked on quite a bit when I was a kid. Zebra, Oreo, Wanna-be. Those kinds of things.” Thomas thinks that calling some appropriate or polite terms “politically correct” is too harsh of a criticism, but he does think that the line on sensitivity has to be drawn somewhere. “I think there are certain times where we’re almost
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looking for things to complain about, where someone will make a big deal out of an issue that is relatively harmless.” However, it’s difficult to form a consensus about what terms are PC to use because personal tolerance of offensive language varies from person to person and from situation to situation. As would be expected in these situations, people tend to sway towards using more sensitive language. This trend of increasing sensitivity has become especially apparent in Wisconsin recently. In case you’ve been living under a rock, the WIAA has banned harmless chants such as “Airball” and “Fundamentals” at schoolaffiliated sporting events, which has sparked petitions and protests across the state. Regarding the chanting issue, Canon said that “there’s one where I would say [the WIAA] went too far.” However, the reaches of our sensitivity go well beyond chanting “Airball” at a basketball game. As we have moved towards both racial and gender equality, political correctness has become more
and more prevalent. It seems that the idea that we need to compensate for centuries of unequal treatment by being sensitive today has been so instilled in us that we don’t even realize it. As any high-schooler has experienced through conversations with grandparents or even parents, things didn’t used to be this sensitive. “If you go back and read speeches from the floor of the House or the Senate that were given back in the ‘50s and ‘60s, it is just shocking, some of the unbelievably racist things that people would say,” said Canon. So, to an extent, our increased sensitivity has been a good thing. Attempting to be minimally offensive to all groups of people is just basic social decency. However, when people’s ability to communicate is hindered by the fear of saying something offensive or having their words interpreted as racist or sexist or homophobic, that is when it has gone too far. “If people are constantly worried about what they’re saying, you’re going to get a lot of false statements that aren’t necessarily authentic,” said Thomas. On the other hand, some people don’t care about the offensive implications of their words. A prime example of this would be Donald Trump. “In his campaign, he’s made it clear that he thinks that political correctness is silly and that’s not something that we should pay so much attention to,” said Canon. As is seen in Trump’s popularity in the polls, a recognizable portion of the population leans towards ideals that are more old-school. This divergence in the beliefs of the American population in regards to modernized rhetoric is what has caused the non-uniformity of opinions on political correctness. Should the majority care so much about political correctness, or should the minority just learn to be thicker-skinned? Or is a colaborative compromise a goal we should work towards? You decide.
the norse star, january 2016
in-depth
watch your profanity By Neiya Brown
Staff Writer emember back R in second grade when “stupid”
was a bad word? When saying “crap” was crossing the line and calling someone a “poopyhead” was the highest offense? Back then, these elementary phrases constituted as living on the edge. At this age, our minds are still absorbing vocabulary like literary sponges, and like your average second grader, we were eager to try out our new vocabulary. The years approachingMiddle School years were the age of exploration. This was the prime time to flex vocab skills. Words we heard in a movie, on the bus, or from an older sibling were all put in the roster of new words to try out on social media. At that age, “crap” was child’s play, then, saying “hell” or “damn” was a sign that you hung out with the seventh graders. However, swearing in front of an adult, whether it was at school or at home was one of the deadliest sins. I remember like it was yesteday, my mom washing out my mouth with Ajax for saying a word I heard on TV. Needless to say, I kept it clean from then on. In sixth grade, a kid was disqualified from Heads Up Seven Up for accidentally shouting “Dammit!” upon being outed by the person whose thumb they pushed down. They apologized for the slip of the tongue multiple times, but cursing in class was an unforgivable sin, and they the norse star, january 2016
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were sent to the back of the room. In our exploration years we were watched closely and chastised promptly for using profanity. Nowadays, when it comes to cussing in a classroom setting, it all depends on your teacher’s personal taste. Some teachers are more laid back, others will send you to the hall for a profane exclamation. Why does it matter? Yes, this is school, and no we shouldn’t drop the f-bomb every thirty seconds, but should high school age students face negative repercussions like we did in middle school? As kids, swearing is exciting because you know you’re not supposed to do it and usually you don’t even know how to
use these words (I mean have you read a 12 year old’s comments on YouTube?) As young adults, we are granted a little more freedom, but often times, there is an imbalance of how much freedom. One second, it’s “You guys are young adults, you should be getting your work done, they won’t tolerate this in college,” the next, it’s “You guys are still kids; be happy while it lasts.” In this awkward transition from child to young adult, should our vernacular be micromanaged? At our current age, we’ve been aquainted to our society’s vernacular and the weight certain words carry. We are young adults, so why should we be chastised for the use of foul language? In an interview with SHS English teacher, Rebecca Rousseau, she gave her
thoughts on profanity in a classroom setting. She commented that when it comes to two students playfully shouting profanities at each other, she doesn’t mind a whole lot. However, if the intent is not light hearted, that’s another story. “It [swearing] has become commonplace for some, not for all…[people] use it to the extent to where it’s a verbal filler, especially words with power… the impact is that it often makes one sound uneducated and pretty much shows a lack of class,” added Rousseau. In a school setting we have certain expectations. In the eyes of some, we should act proffessionally, and to others, a relaxed vocab is what’s expected of us as teenagers. Swearing doesn’t make you sound the most cultured, but it also doesn’t mean you’re stupid. Whether or not you keep it clean is up to you. 15
in-depth
evolution of language: is society just as smart as before? By Mallory Giesen and Gunnar Goetz Features Editor and Business Manager
were rich, and what writers found appropriate to share with their readers was very different than “Love is not love what’s appropriate to say in media today. It’s always art by seren pellett been a matter of catering Which alters when it alteration finds, to one’s audience. Or bends with the remover to remove. Today, most everyone in America is literate. People O no, it is an ever-fixed mark read and write constantly in order to communicate That looks on tempests and is never shaken; through texting, to analyze Twitter feeds, or to scour It is the star to every wand’ring bark, Facebook’s constantly updating posts. Back in Whose worth’s unknown, although his height be taken.” the day, as more people of all classes gradually - William Shakespeare (Sonnet 116) became literate, that barrier of language was broken down. Just about everyone veryday reading and writing middle class, only the rich and was able to write to one another, are not done this way any- elite could afford to be taught and eventually we reached the more.The words above are in how to read and write. The point we’re at today with endEnglish, yet it’s very different barrier between the lower class less connections made through than the way many of today’s citizens and the upper class social media. The words of the poets write, and that’s no coinrich and the words of the poor cidence. Not many people “People don’t type have collided, and everyone in would sit down and read the U.S. now speaks a relatively Shakespeare in their free time, similar version of the King’s out the same long no matter how famous he is. English. Keep in mind, not many people It was first things” could actually read Shakespeare through in his time, but he gained so letter - Jim Ferolie much fame because people only had to watch and listen to what citizens was partially made up he wrote. Society may consider of who was literate and who those who would sit down and wasn’t. “[Writers] sanitized read Shakespeare to be smarter their words,” said James E. than the rest of us because Burgess, the Journalism of their ability to understand Ethics Director at such writing. The fact is that UW Madison. this change does not mean that So, the manner society as a whole has become in which things less intelligent, now we just were written have a different way of commu- was much nicating that fits our modern more elegant needs. and formal, To uncover the reason why because the English language con- most of the stantly changes, not only must literate one consider who wrote the folk piece of writing in question, but one must also remember the audience for which that writer might have written. Back when illiteracy was very prevalent, before the 20th century and before there was a large
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writing, but most especially through the introduction of online media that allowed us, as individuals, to use written language as a crucial pathway for communication. Social media has given enormous power to the individual, and in the process, has substantially increased the rate at which our language evolves. Now, anyone can create an entirely new way to express in writing what they wish to communicate. “The character limitations on texts have changed the way people write, as well. They don’t type out the same long things. As a result, it’s kind of bled into the rest of our language,” said Jim Ferolie, the group editor of the Unified Newspaper Group which encompasses local newspapers like the Stoughton Courier Hub, Verona Press and the Oregon Observer. Take, for instance, the pile of abbreviations
the norse star, january 2016
in-depth spurred by character limits and an overall movement to shorten attention span on social media: plz, u, r, gr8, lol, jk, and omw are just a sampling of the continuously growing list of new abbreviations, created by the individual and popularized by the community. In addition, new words are being created by random individuals who feel that it’s their duty to do so. On Urban Dictionary, anyone can create new words and define them as they please. Since the rich and poor have collided to create a wonderful thing called the middle class, society may not think as much about sounding acceptable to wealthy ears. Journalists now appeal to a much wider range of people, and the people want to be entertained. They could just as easily pick up their phone and scroll through some other thing that seems way more interesting than a plain old piece of paper with print on it. Journalists now have to fight
harder to gain their audience’s interest in their stories because of the many commitments and distractions of today’s world. It can be argued that it’s simply too hard to read big words when one is in a hurry. From this, another question arises-do we care more about getting the message out quickly or do we value eloquence in writing less? “It used to be [that] people would get their paper, they’d sit down, they’d read it coverto-cover, or they’d get up in the morning and they’d have their coffee and read their paper for an hour or a half hour,” said Ferolie. People were able to pay a lot more attention to a long article or piece of information instead of the lightning-fast
movement between blurbs found on social networks and the internet today. And we won’t try to pretend this isn’t ironic, since you’ve already made it this far in this article. The elaborate words of the past provide a look into the lives of the people who lived many years ago. There was no social networking or schedules that were nearly as fast-paced as what they are today. It’s become apparent that many people today don’t want to sit down and read just any old article, unless there is some sort of personal interest attached to the topic. Of course people don’t always want to read old literature, because familiar words and relevant topics don’t show up frequently. Young people especially want to read things that explicitly matter to their lives, and that’s why
social media is such an important pillar of language today. The way young people talk and write is inevitably going to impact the way things will be spoken and written in the future, and this is the way it’s always been. No need to worry about society’s intelligence; writing has always been an example of a constant evolution, much like everything else, and change isn’t always a bad thing. It’s safe to say that certain styles of writing are constantly going in and out of style. This has always been true, and it will be for as long as people communicate with each other.
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the norse star, january 2016
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in-depth
american Raya Kate Castronovo Staff Writer
slanguage art by joshua bausch
In the totally gnarly year
of 2015, we tossed around a plethora of words. As humans, speech is the basis of our existence as a community. Talking is how we communicate, and communication is key. Words are used to interact with other people, express feelings and emotions, and sometimes it gives us yappy people something to do. We toss around words constantly, and just like clothes, music, and hairstyles, words go in and out of fashion. (Thank gosh, because that permed mullet you thought was the cat’s pajamas had to go). As the times change, our language evolves; we abbreviate words, give words second meanings, and alter words to benefit our own needs. The slang we employ in societal conversation on our own accord is seemingly random and meaningless, yet we find ourselves slipping those words into everyday convo. Words today are created and used by the world’s youth, and they understand them without a second thought, but these words can leave parents and the older generations a bit mindboggled. And occasionally, parents say something from years ago that render their children blank faced or exasperated. (Come on mom, no one says groovy anymore). You may not understand when your parents reminisce on their glory days of being totally punk headbangers or peaceful hippies, but neither will your children when you talk about how hella awesome you and the squad were, or how on point you and the fam believed yourselves to be. 18
So why do we as humans feel compelled to create abstract meanings for words or sayings that already come with their own definition? Slang is said to be used to set oneself or one’s group apart from others or to make it more difficult for others to understand them. So if we all strive for individuality, but use these words almost as a secret, making us part of another special group of people, do we still feel that way when the cat’s out of the bag and suddenly everyone is aware of this new word and its meaning? Do those new words lose their moxie? That could be the connection that brings us back to communication. The shared knowledge of a new word creates a new network of speech for us to communicate through. That’s pretty nifty. Slang is the testing of a new word, and its usage determines how language will next change and what words will be incorporated into our language. Can ya dig it? Humans have been spewing nonsense for years, even Shakespeare threw out his own phraseology (we have him to thank for words like swag and bedazzled), so it would only make sense for people to continue that exercise. But as we progress into an era of efficiency and continue to shorten language in any way we can, is even slang being limited? We’ve gone from a wholesome “Fancy gettin’ jiggy on the dance floor?” to a “Holla at me you bodacious babe!” to finally “Aye bae slay.” All of this chitter chatter that we eject endlessly from ourselves can make conversation more relatable and casual. The fact that we all can relate over a casual ‘dope’, a soft ‘yeah fam’ or a simple ‘same’ really is the bee’s knees. In this digital age we have become engrossed in
what has forced us to limit ourselves to using acronyms and shorthand for all of our fast paced and instant messaging. Our language is constantly being minimized. Will this restriction lead us to a future filled with robotic-like tendencies and systematic or digital communication? Or will language, something so diverse, intricate and swanky, become unembellished and undemanding? Slang could be considered creative, but as it becomes more of an elementary way to convey noncomplex ideas, it has turned into a crutch for people to lean on, an effortless and easy way out of keeping up with expansive vocabulary. That’s a whole lot of bupkis. Slang words change, but the definition of a slang word can change to mean something completely different over time. When comparing old slang to new slang, just one generation can be very different. Compare Dan Nortwen, Stoughton High School Language Arts and Social Studies teacher, to his daughter, Olivia Nortwen, Stoughton High School junior. Mr. Nortwen considers slang to be an informal way of referring to something, but was surprised at the lack of young people’s knowledge surrounding slang words. “I was surprised when I used the full word of a slang term that is used today, I said swagger, and my class was so surprised to hear me say that, they had never heard it used that way but it’s been around for years.” Mr. Nortwen says that he is pretty receptive to the changes in language, but recognizes that people tend to simplify things. Olivia Nortwen sees slang as a “more relaxed, chill way to say something and communicate. It’s easy and simple to use.” She also sees a large
difference in today’s slang compared to her father’s generation due to texting, social media, and the overall informality of things today. Simplicity is apparent, and although that may be convenient, it could be influential in how it affects the people who use it. “Some slang is fun, some of it’s dumb, and sometimes I use it,” says Olivia Nortwen. Slang may be more apparent theses days now that we’re in a constant state of rapid and short speech. The trend of staying in the loop and the draw of being a part of the “in” group will always pull people into using slang. Slang is used to be original or cool. Who doesn’t want to feel that way? Being accepted is a feeling everyone wants to feel and slang is a major component of being ingrained into that accepted state. Many slang words are synonyms for cool. Groovy, gnarly, far out, dope, right on, on point, on fleek, can all be interchanged for ‘cool’. Cool itself can be categorized as a slang term. To use slang is to be popular, instyle, and fresh. It only makes sense that as the times change, slang does its best to keep up. So whether you’re raising the roof or kickin’ it with your bros, stay hip to the groove by keeping up with the most fly terms. Chances are, you’re using them without even realizing it. Maybe you’re passionate about the lingo you use, and if so then keep on truckin’ you dawg. We talk to talk, and slang really is just employable nonsense. So stay hip to the square and keep on yackin’. Right on. the norse star, january 2016
features
the ski’s the limit By Connor Roisum and Jon Klingenberg Entertainment Editor and Editor-in-Chief
I
t’s that time of year again: winter. Winter means surviving the sub-zero temperatures for many people, but only to the brave minority does it mean going outside to take on nature. Within that minority are those who seek to conquer the local mountainsides with some skis, poles, and maybe a hat and mittens. The Norse Star decided to look into a favorite pastime for Stoughtonites: skiing. We wanted to know where to go, what to do, and why people like it, so we turned to local skiing fanatic and senior at SHS, Shelby Orcutt to gain some information on the slope-surfing sport. Orcutt is a member of the Tyrol Basin Ski Team. Where she practices every Wednesday and competes in races. “We have little races on the weekend just at Tyrol, then we have away races at Illinois and Iowa. I would just say it’s fun, I really like it.” A reflection of the dedicated passion to skiing found in Stoughton, Orcutt has been skiing since she was four, and has been competing in races since the 5th grade. Using Orcutt’s expertise on local hills, we found out a little about the more familiar skiing venues often frequented by Stoughton’s skiers. “Tyrol is more for like, if you wanna do terrain park stuff. They have a halfpipe and have a lot of terrain park jumps and pipes and rails and whatnot.” Orcutt detailed Tyrol Basin and Cascade for us, but there are many
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Above - Cascade Mountain “Cascade is more for beginners I’d say because their hill isn’t very hard; there’s a lot more that’s not as steep. They have the North Wall that’s super steep, [but] that’s it . . . the rest is not really steep at all.” -Shelby Orcutt other hills in the area just asking to be visited. Being a slope savant like Orcutt isn’t required. Are you not familiar with the winter sport? Are you curious? The Ski Club is most definitely welcoming new members, they have no limit. And Orcutt has explained that it’s not difficult to get into, and it’s easy to enjoy. A closing thought from Orcutt at the end of our interview really reflected the encouragement that comes from the slope society. “Don’t snowboard. Do skiing. Don’t do snowboarding. And maybe take a lesson if you’re a beginner or go with your friends and just try the bunny hill. It’s not too difficult. You can probably figure it out. It’s super fun!”
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ute
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# of Green Circles # of Blue Squares # of Black Diamonds # of Terrain Parks
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Moderate
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the norse star, january 2016
fabulous lab
By Mya Lonnebotn Staff Writer hen I first walked into the Fab Lab, it was as if I had entered another universe. A meticulously constructed cardboard dragon was suspended from the rafters. 3D printers slowly built up objects, layer by layer. I watched, curious and intrigued, as a laser etched extreme detail into a material. This new place was exciting, yet foreign. Little did I know, this creative playground would become my haven for the next few years. I joined Fab Lab 1 at the beginning of my sophomore year with a push and a shove. I was skeptical. My brother had been in Fab Lab and loved it, and my mom repeatedly told me I would love it, too. I just had to give it a chance. I didn’t believe her. I wasn’t gifted in technology, I didn’t want to be an engineer, and I didn’t think my brain had the capacity of making the incredible projects I had seen. What I soon learned though, is that Fab Lab is a blend of science, technology, engineering, art, and math. Fab Lab is the process of watching your imagination come to life. Just down the 1000’s hallway and across from the cafeteria, the Fab Lab houses a cozy little computer nook that opens up to a world of creativity. There, the latest technology is buzzing with life. So what kind of miracle machines in there are able to create the impossible? Well, the Fab Lab has a few different toys. Our Fab Lab contains two laser engravers, four 3D printers, a vinyl cutter, two milling machines, and a computer-guided router. These machines are like nothing you’ve ever seen before, all with the ability to stun you. The technology most frequently used by students are the 3D printers and the laser
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engravers. The 3D printers use an additive process in which successive horizontal layers of plastic build up the object, one layer at a time. These machines are pretty spectacular, as they have printed body appendages, scaffolding on which a human heart can grow, and so much more. The laser engravers have extreme precision and accuracy with etching intricate designs, and with making cuts. They are the creators of the classic Viking pride keychains. The machines in the Fab Lab are extremely expensive and unique to our school. The use of them would not be possible without the dedication of some very kind people. Mike Connor is a retired mechanical engineer with a warm smile, a general fascination with Fab Labs, and a drive to introduce a new way of learning. He told me, “The worst part of my education was sitting through lectures and then trying to regurgitate what was taught to me.”
“If I could spend all day in here, I probably would” -Owen Roe Connor was a crucial component in getting the Fab Lab to SHS, as he was on a community involvement team at Cummins. With continual knocking on the door of SHS and the help of a matching grant from Cummins and other businesses, Connor and his team soon had $200,000, enough for the first three years of funding a Fab Lab. The SHS Fab Lab was created in 2012 and is still going
Mary Claire Mancl (12) holds up a 3D copy of her head that she scanned and printed. the norse star, january 2016
features
photo courtesy of owen roe art by mya lonnebotn
Roe’s trailer, currently being constructed in his basement. strong. Stoughton now has some- junior in Fab Lab 2 is one of them. thing to show for itself, as it was He is in the process of constructing the first high school in the state a teardrop trailer. Using his own of Wisconsin to receive a Fab Lab, design, he will produce a sleeping and only the 207th Fab Lab built chamber on a 5x8 trailer. The worldwide. trailer will also include shelving, Even if you don’t aspire to be cabinets, a countertop, and a tool an engineer, there’s nothing you to allow cooking. Roe is seen often can’t gain from these classes, as in the Fab Lab and says, “If I could they simply expose students to the spend all day in here, I probably process of problem solving. This would.” process is sometimes long, as some Mary Claire Mancl started Fab projects don’t always turn out how Lab 1 in the Fall at the beginning of you want them to. Connor says, her senior year, and now she wishes “The quicker we can dump this atti- she had gotten exposed to it earlier. tude that failure is a bad thing, and In only her first semester she has embrace that it’s a good thing, the made a flashlight, a chess set, a cirbetter off we’ll all be.” cuit board, Christmas ornaments, After all, it took Thomas Edison and more. Having enjoyed Fab Lab 1,813 experiments to invent the so much, she dropped some classes first electrical bulb. next semester so she can continue An active volunteer in our Fab on into Fab Lab 2 in a few weeks. Lab, Connor has his mind set on She told me, “There’s a lot of stuff another ground-breaking idea. He’s you learn about the whole world working on incorporating Fab around you, about how things are Lab into the regular curriculum. actually made. It’s really cool to be He says, “When you go to your able to make things yourself.” physics class, you learn out of a Andrey Duckert and Kim book on how sound waves travel. Thompson, both seniors, teamed You can’t connect that physically. up in Fab Lab 2 this past semester This is going to be the place that for the “make something big” allows you do that. We’re going to project. With some old bike parts have physics, science, music, and and their own brainpower they creart in Fab Lab.” ated a wooden bike. Although not Every year some incredible ideas completely finished, this bike has come to life in the Fab Lab, and potential. Both students have been they wouldn’t be possible without impressed by the Fab Lab courses some bright and creative students and recommend it to others. to formulate them. Owen Roe, a Thompson said, “I’m not an engineer. I have no interest in science photos by mya lonnebotn and mathy things so it’s a way to get into technology, but you don’t have to be super into it. Anyone in the school could take this class and have fun with it.” Fab Lab is a creative playground that connects to the real world. It’s a rare opportunity with endless boundaries. Fab Lab is totally mindblowing. So now the question is, are you sure you can handle it?
Kim Thompson (12) and Andrey Duckert (12) proudly stand next to their bike. 21
atwood is where it’s at features
By Meredith Melland and Bergen Gardner In-Depth Editor and Staff Writer Dinner: Lao Laan Xang group of ten teenagers walked into a Lao restaurant . . . No, this is not the beginning of a bad joke. It is, however, the start of a pleasant sensory dining experience. Lao Laan Xang on Atwood Ave. in Madison, Wisconsin made a rough first impression on our large group by giving a curt and confused response as we told them how many were in our bunch. However, if you call ahead, I’m sure they would be more welcoming. We sat down with open minds and empty stomachs, ready to take it all in. From monkey figurines to tapestries with an abundance of elephants, the place was ornately decorated with warm colors of red and orange. There is much for your eyes to look at. The restaurant had a cozy feel that was accented by the dim lighting and the smell of spices from the kitchen.
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Dessert: Chocolaterian Cafe hocolate lovers, rejoice! Chocolaterian Cafe on Atwood Ave. in Madison will satisfy all of your sweet tooth’s cravings with heavenly chocolate creations, and it will provide you with a place to settle in and enjoy. However, if you are not a chocolate lover, have no fear, because Chocolaterian Cafe also has other types of sweet and savory snacks. Though the Chocolaterian might not be the cheapest cafe in the area, the rich, dynamic food that is served is worth every penny. A large window display in the front of the cafe welcomes customers in, matching the bold but charming art and decor inside the cafe. The cafe itself is quite large and has seating spread all over. Across from the door, the display counter showcased the cafe’s many tantalizing choices: chocolates, macaroons, chocolate mousse, fruit tarts, and cookies. In addition to these items, the cafe also serves meal items such as paninis or quiche and also
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The food at Lao Laan Xang seemed like it was authentically Laotian because the dish names weren’t in English and the ingredients were exotic and colorful, but unfortunately the food was hit or miss with the staff. To suit your taste for spicy or sweet, you have options from “timid” to “adventurous”, but be ready to sweat if you
a dinner and dessert experience
decide to be adventurous. Also, if you aren’t a fan of peanut butter, then I wouldn’t suggest the peanut dishes because the taste is overwhelming and very wet due to it being mixed with soupy sauces and the steam that the heat of the dish produced. If you like trying new
restaurants, but you aren’t very outgoing with the foods you try, then I would suggest some of the basic meat dishes like their chicken, or even their shrimp, with steamed veggies. And for those who really aren’t adventurous, they serve rice like breadsticks at your favorite Italian restaurant. By the end of the meal, we were thoroughly stuffed because of the large platters. When the check came, the price was a little steep for a student budget, the most expensive meal being a house special at $15.99 and a bowl of soup as the least expensive being $3.50, but we were pleasantly surprised by the mint patties. They lessened the blow of the bill and led perfectly into our next food endeavor at Chocolaterian Cafe.
photos by meredith melland and bergen gardner
Lao Laan Xang: 3 out of 5 elephants
Cafe had to do with seating. We entered the cafe at around 8 p.m. on a Friday night, and the place was hopping. Unlike most cafes, Chocolaterian is busiest at night when customers come in for dinner, snacks, dessert, or late-night coffee. Because we had ten people in our party, we had trouble finding one place for everyone to sit. However, we eventually were able to congregate in a small area of couches and chairs and even hold a small dance battle. One of the coolest features of Chocolaterian Cafe is that you can look into the cooking/ baking area in the back through large glass windows and watch items go in and out of the oven. The open, busy atmosphere
of Chocolaterian Cafe was inviting, and the chocolate was unforgettable. Chocolaterian Cafe is a place that is both fun and classy and would be a great place to take friends, family, or a date. The wonderful range of delicacies on display in the cafe will make any true chocolate lover make multiple trips to Chocolaterian Cafe to sample the many varieties of goodness. Go to Chocolaterian Cafe, and you’ll feel like you’re in a Parisian patisserie.
Above: Lao Laan Xang’s Teriyaki chicken and noodles. Directly Right: A peak into the Chocolaterian kitchen. Far Right: Chocolaterian’s raspberry chocolate cup. art by joshua bausch
has a full coffee bar. The service at the counter was friendly and helpful and allowed us to take our time when making choices. The wide selection of the menu allowed both chocolate lovers and non-lovers to indulge, and the gourmet treats that were had were heavenly. Some group favorites include the deadly rich Parisian-style hot chocolate, which comes in an adorably tiny mug, and the Oriole, a chocolate and vanilla buttercream sandwich. The prices at Chocolaterian Cafe might slightly exceed what one would normally pay for at a cafe, but the quality of the product is much higher. The main problems that we experienced at Chocolaterian
Chocolaterian Cafe: 4 out of 5 chocolates the norse star, january2016
features
a tradition like no other By Brandon Lamberty News Editor
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hile most of SHS spends second semester going through the motions everyday, Spencer Weeden will be doing anything but the normal. After graduating early, Weeden will fly down to the city of Heredia, Costa Rica to experience a completely new culture. From Feb. 1 to July 1, Weeden will attend one of three High Schools in the Heredia area. For a kid from Stoughton, this excursion may be his one chance before he steps into the ‘real world’ to get out and experience the world from a submersed environment. Spending his six months abroad with a host family, Weeden is not traveling through any exchange program. Instead, he is just going on his own and enrolling in school in Heredia. Weeden’s main objectives for going to Costa Rica include the “cultural influence, to improve my Spanish, and to play with a soccer club academy.” For most, being stuck somewhere where you have to speak Spanish almost all of the time sounds like a nightmare, but for Weeden,
it’s quite the opposite. He says that the trip is a “family tradition. Everyone in my family is really good at Spanish. I get to end school a semester early and see the world.” Everyone in his family has taken this trip, starting with his older brother Taylor when he was a senior, and then his sister, Alex, when she was a senior. The Weedens’ host family became family friends many years ago when the Weedens took their first trip down to Heredia as a young family in 2005. After staying with Mizonil Leiton Gutierrez, the host mom, they kept in contact and eventually planned out these semester long trips for the kids. While Weeden doesn’t have anything big planned, he said he’s “really excited to see this haunted insane asylum and tour it.” On top of that, there is a public market that happens everyday and takes up over four blocks in the center of town. He also hopes to play with one of the club academy soccer teams while he is in Costa Rica since he will be missing his last club season in Madison.
One thing Weeden and his family learned on their first trip was to be aware of the rain. Costa Rica, like all tropics, has a rainy season and a dry season, and most of his trip will be during the rainy season. During the rainy season, you can predict almost Heredia, the capital of the Heredia the exact time when Province, is Weeden’s destination for the it will start raining, trip. Located 10 km from the nation’s and then watch the capital, San Jose, Weeden will have wall of rain come at endless opportunities for learning. you. Exactly this happened to the Weedens, except believes studying abroad is they didn’t know it was coming. something everyone should They ended up in the middle look into, because he has seen of a park running for safety, to how much it changes your life. end up completely soaked. While eventually he will have The six months that will be to return to reality and go to spent between taking off and college at Carleton University, landing back in Wisconsin Costa Rica promises many great promise to hold endless adven- memories that are sure to last a tures and experiences unlike lifetime. anything here, but the most valuable experience Weeden will have is the people he will meet. Weeden
photos courtesy of spencer weeden
Spencer and his siblings, Taylor and Alex, during a visit to Costa Rica in 2010. All three have visited Costa Rica during their Senior Year. the norse star, january 2016
After his trip to Costa Rica, Weeden will attend Carleton College in Northfield, Minn. 23
entertainment
staff album picks of 2015 By Mikayla Frick Staff Writer
shooting blackstar
lover. However, it may be harder for someone being introduced to Bowie for the first time to be hypnotized by his reincarnated unique style of eerie sound. Though the quirky style and slow tempo that can be heard By Kira Fields on the songs like the single Staff Writer “Blackstar” are not everyone’s cup of tea, the lyrics are, as avid Bowie, who sadly usual, very relatable. In the ten minute phenomenon died on Jan. 10 of this of “Blackstar,” Bowie sings, year, put his last album “Blackstar” in the world only “How many times does an three days before his death. angel fall? / How many people lie instead of talking “Blackstar” has become the tall?” This message tells us number one album in the United States just days fol- to stand up and not to shy away from being brave. lowing his death. For anyone Most of the songs included who hasn’t heard Bowie sing on the album carry a gloomy before, this may not be the message within them. Take best album for you. His classic, haunting voice is “Lazarus,” for example. This song is Bowie’s last music enough to charm any oldie
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video, and it has a chilling effect to it. When you watch the video, you see Bowie lying in a bed in a mental hospital with button eyes, singing about death. This can be very disturbing to some, but it has Bowie’s unique and offbeat style. His producer and friend, Tony Visconti, commented about Bowie’s last music video that it was his “parting gift” to the world. This album was different than the other 27 studio albums he has released in the sense that his album has deep, dark messages that could be considered a little too much for a new listener. While Bowie may be not in your personal music library yet, I recommend listening to his earlier upbeat work
from the 1970’s when he was known as Ziggy Stardust and then definitely listen to this new album. “Blackstar” is a very morbid album, even for fans of Bowie. This wasn’t my favorite Bowie album, but it is definitely one you will remember.
the norse star, january 2016
entertainment
a couple yards short By Isabelle Genter Staff Writer
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nything starring Will Smith has got to be good, right? Well, after seeing “Concussion,” I’m not so sure that this holds true anymore. I personally found the movie as a whole to be confusing, scattered, and frankly, a bit boring. Granted, going into the movie, my expectations were pretty high--what with all the hype leading up to it. So when it turned out to be a bit of a flop, I was disappointed to say the least. Directed by Peter Landesman, “Concussion” is based off of the true story of Dr. Bennet Omalu (played by Will Smith), a Nigerian immigrant with quite an extensive list of educational qualifications. Through conducting the autopsy of former Pittsburgh Steelers center, Mike Webster, Omalu discovered what is now known as Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), a disease that is caused
by repetitive brain trauma. The immensely negative response that Omalu receives just goes to show how big of an institution football has become in our country and how it has been so embedded into our society that we refuse to see the detrimental effects it can have. There’s really something shocking about seeing these huge men that seem indestructible on the field, reduced to helpless, pitiful shells of who they used to be. Putting football and the consequences it has into perspective is one of the things that I think the movie does really well. However, I think one of the biggest downfalls of “Concussion” was that it tried to incorporate a romance, one that didn’t actually happen in real life. The movie was already lacking some action, and the whole romance thing just stopped what little momentum the movie ever manged to build up.
Despite the storyline being subpar, both the actors and the cinematography were spectacular. Will Smith was absolutely incredible, and his accent was insanely convincing. It was also cool to see him in “Concussion” since we’re so used to seeing him in lighthearted romantic comedies. The actual camera shots in the movie were very welldone. I noticed that there were a lot of super close close-ups, so much so that I think I may have memorized each and every pore on Will Smith’s face. All in all, I can’t say that “Concussion” was necessarily the best movie I’ve ever seen, but it wasn’t terrible. Throughout the whole movie, I was just a bit confused as to what was going on. Granted, I’m not sure if I was just exhibiting symptoms of a concussion myself or if it was just that really comfortable recliner, but I’m pretty sure I experienced a temporary loss of consciousness. So unless you’re really into the science of concussions, I would recommend just waiting until it comes out on Netflix instead of wasting your money at the theater.
the revenamazing By Mallory Giesen Features Editor f you’ve already decided that you don’t want to see “The Revenant” because you won’t be seeing the clean-cut Leo you’re used to, think again, because Dicaprio’s hair is on-point. The whole time. His luscious waves are grown out longer than usual in this Golden Globe winning movie. Inspired by true events and directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, “The Revenant” takes place in the American northwest wilderness in the year 1823. Frontiersman Hugh Glass (Dicaprio) is left immobile and temporarily mute after a fatal and extremely realistic bear attack. The mauling was what kickstarted the story, so I can’t tell you much more, except that Glass then has to face an enormous struggle to survive on his own when his men leave him behind. Even though it came out only weeks ago, this movie is already
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the norse star, january 2016
a classic, like most of Dicaprio’s works. And we can’t forget Tom Hardy’s role as John Fitzgerald, a character who you might find to be kind of a cool, rugged guy. Or you’ll completely hate his guts like I do. And remember that kid from “The Maze Runner”? The one who sang ‘Waterfalls’ in “We’re the Millers” a few years ago? His name is Will Poulter, and he does an impressive job fitting into his role as Jim Bridger, the only boy in Glass’s group of men. The periling story of survival, with raw emotion and human connection, complete with Indian chases, are what come together to stun “The
Starring:
Will Smith
Rated PG-13:
For thematic material including some images, and language
Running Time: 2 hr 3 min
Running Time:
2 5 9
2 hr 36 min
Rated R:
For strong frontier combat and violence including gory images, a sexual assault, language, and brief nudity
Starring:
Leonardo DiCaprio art b y
josh ua b ausc h
Revenant’s” audience. While it’s not for those of you with weak stomachs or a sensitivity to violence, I don’t hesitate to say that “The Revenant” was a fantastical trip through the raw and intense ways of the old west, a tale that’s well worth the two and a half hours.
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star wars
entertainment
THE MEMES AWAKEN Thanks to the seventh enstallment, some dank memes have awakened on the internet.
FN-2199 AKA “TR-8R”
“Emo Kylo Ren” Twitter Page
A NEW HYPE
By Connor Roisum and Jon Klingerberg Entertainment Editor and Editor-in-Chief
IT’S TRUE . . . ALL OF IT
Some people and factions that werent explained clearly in the movie.
lor san tekka
A renowned traveler and explorer who has worked with the New Republic as an ally in the past. He was last found settled into a village on the planet Jakku.
unkar plutt
An aquatic alien working as the junk boss on the desert planet Jakku. Unkar buys and sells stolen and scavenged scraps, and he is more or the less the employer of protagonist Rey.
the first order
the new republic
The primary galactic government system beside the First order, this republic was reminiscent of the pre-Empire old Republic. With a Galactic Senate and an elected Chancellor, this government aimed to hear everyone’s voice. The New Republic did have a military that formed from the former Rebel Alliance, and they did fight off the remaining Empire after the death of Emperor Palpatine. However, The New Republic refused to confront the evil First order head-on, and instead chose to fund the separate entity that was The Resistance to lead the charge.
The Resistance
A band of pilots and soldiers who formed after the infamous Battle of Endor, this group serves as a check against the First order. Led by General Leia Organa, this group fights where The New Republic refuses to. Despite their refusal to fight, The New Republic does financially back the Resistance in their fight against the First order.
After the death of Emperor Palpatine, Imperial forces dwindled and suffered heavy losses at the hands of the Rebel Alliance, and despite fighting valiantly, they eventually were faced with the only option of signing the peace treaty known as the Galactic Concordance. After the treaty, the remaining fragments of the Empire had no power, and so they regrouped in the Unknown Regions of the galaxy to escape the authority of the New Republic. Inspired by the principles of the old Empire, the First order was born from the ashes of the Empire and they rebuilt their forces to assert dominance and regain control of the galaxy. art by connor roisum
These are not the spoilers you’re looking for . . . .
jon’s favorite fan theory: snoke is
plagueis!?
My favorite theory is that which predicts the identity of Supreme Leader Snoke to be Darth Plagueis. Darth Plagueis was the Sith Master of Darth Sidious a.k.a. Emperor Palpatine, and Plagueis was known for his ability to use the force to prevent people from dying. Both with his connection to the Empire through Palpatine, as well as his ability to prevent people from dying, it’s not implausible that he kept himself alive to carry on the legacy of the Empire through the First Order. Maybe that was his plan all along?
Connor’s favorite fan theory: rey, daughter of luke . . . .
I, on the other hand, am a fan of the theory that our main female protagonist is indeed the daughter of the illustrious Jedi Master, Luke Skywalker. Many are skeptical of this idea due to the fact that it is just way too obvious and uncreative. While this remains true on both fronts, let’s run through the facts. The, what I like to call, “Skywalker Lightsaber,” in episode seven, is apparently “calling to her,” as Maz Kanata has explained, when Rey comee across the lightsaber locked in a chest. Why would it call to her? Why did it give her those visions of the future? Why give her visions of her potential father? The other major clue is the birthplace of Rey. As Rey is captured by The First Order and tortured/mind probed by Kylo Ren, he says he sees an island and a vast ocean, a repressed memory of her home. And later, as we see the very lonely Luke, he is on an island, with a giant ocean surrounding it. This immediately stuck in my mind with the possibility of another great line Kylo Ren could possibly say in a future fight with the trained Rey: “No Rey, I AM your cousin.” 26
the norse star, january 2016
entertainment
top tweets By Bergen Gardner and Raya Kate Castronovo Staff Writers
the norse star, january 2016
art by jon klingenberg
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sports
the trials of a wrestler By Joshua Bausch and Mikayla Frick Staff Writers
peed, strength, agility, Snecessary and a quick mind are to be a competi-
tive wrestler. Wrestlers must be hard-working and have unrivaled dedication. The Stoughton Viking wrestlers never fall short of these expectations. Our wrestlers put countless hours of mental and physical work into becoming the successful athletes that they are. A day of a wrestler is a demanding and strenuous one, but wrestlers at SHS know how to make it all worthwhile. “During wrestling season, you don’t really have a weekend. Saturdays are usually full days of wrestling,” said Erik Haried, a senior varsity wrestler at SHS. No matter how much time the season may take up, the whole team is more than 100% willing to give up a great deal of their social life to work towards success. Their long tournaments and invitationals, as well as the enduring practices, both before and after school, take a serious dedication to the sport. The distinct and challenging sport undoubtedly comes with its own set of painful tasks and demanding aspects. There are many obstacles some of the wrestlers are pushed to overcome, and Haried says some
of his least favorite parts about the sport that he loves include some of the strenuous drills and regular lifting the team goes through during some practices. For many other wrestlers, cutting weight is a major focus for their season. Cutting weight is a regular seasonal practice for many wrestlers, as it helps them fit into weight classes in which they could perform better during the competition. The act of cutting weight is perceived differently between people, but for Kaleb Louis, a junior at SHS, it is seen as a way he can improve himself as a wrestler. “For me I feel like [cutting weight] gives me the competitive edge. It forces me to work out more and eat extremely healthy,” Louis said. Although cutting weight may be hard and some people might not agree with it, to a dedicated wrestler it is a vital part to becoming successful in the sport they love. Luckily for Haried, he is not required to cut weight during the season, because of his weight class. However, he still has many ambitious goals to achieve, and he continues to set the bar high and challenge himself throughout the season, similar to the rest of
art by mikayla frick
his teammates. According to Haried, “Winning is definitely the best part. It’s great to realize the hard work has paid off, but I think you could say that about most things.” Like Haried said, winning is often the greatest reward of many sports and activities in life. Winning is definitely something the Stoughton wrestlers come across frequently. This season, the wrestlers hold a 13-1 record, and they hope to better their record as the season progresses. The program has been majorly successful for the past few years, and the outlook for this season seems like it will be just as rewarding as in past years. Many of our wrestlers have often been able to compete at the regional, sectional, and even State Tournaments. This outstanding accomplishment is added to when one of our wrestlers comes home bearing the title “State Champion,” something the the whole team, program, and district is proud to be in support of. In the past five years, Stoughton High School has sent eight wrestlers to the State Tournament. There have been 43 individual State Champions, 240 Individual State Participants, and seven WIAA Team State
Championships from SHS. A great deal of this superior success is due to the people that make this team as strong as it has become. The coaches Bob Empey, Dan Spilde, and Nick Lasure, as well as our athletic director here at Stoughton High School, Mel Dow, put just as many if not more hours and genuine effort into making this team as prosperous as they know is possible. “My biggest supporter among the coaches is Coach Spilde,” Haried says. He is very thankful for the guidance and platform of support he has received in his wrestling career, from seventh grade up until his senior year. The physical, mental, and time demands are what make wrestling so incredibly challenging and distinct. It takes true adherence and a genuine love of the sport to become as successful as the Viking wrestlers have worked hard to become. Day in and day out, the long winter season is one that pushes the athletes in countless ways, but the closely bonded and hardworking team knows that it will pay off in the end. The victorious Viking Wrestlers are a team formed of hard working athletes that Stoughton High School is proud to house.
Upcoming Meets:
Erik Haried takes on an opponent. the norse star, january 2016
Jan. 29 - 7:30 p.m. @ Home Feb. 6 - 9 a.m. @ Deforest Feb. 13 - 10 a.m. @ Sun Prairie
photos courtesy of bob christofferson
Kaleb Louis takes on an opponent. 29
sports
committed athletes from stoughton By Julia Olson Sports Editor
art/photos by julia olson
Maddie Posick University of Wisconsin - Madison Player Profile:
- Junior - Women’s Hockey - “It has always been my goal to play for Wisconsin and when the offer came in, I knew I had achieved it.” - Committed in October 2015 - 6 other offers
Hannah Hobson Michigan Tech University Player Profile:
- Senior - Women’s Basketball - “When I went up and visited I watched a practice and I just really enjoyed the campus and the atmosphere.” - Committed in November 2015 - 3 other offers
Collin Kraus St. Cloud State University Player Profile:
- Senior - Wrestling - “It was an overall good school and they won the NCAAs last year so they are the number one division 2 school in the country for wrestling.” - Committed in November 2015 - 4 other offers OTHER RECRUITS: COMMITTED Jack Nelson - Aurora University (Baseball) Rocky France - University of Wisconsin Stevens Point (Football) Liz Auby - Colgate University (Women’s Hockey) Spencer Weeden - Carleton College (Men’s Soccer) Branden Krage-Suter - Madison Capitols (Men’s Hockey) SCOUTED Aly Weum - University of Minnesota Twin Cities, University of Iowa (Women’s Track and Field) 30
Michael Gerber West Point Military Academy Player Profile:
- Senior - Football - “They have great education and I liked the military aspect of it.” - Committed in October 2015 - 3 other offers
Adam Krumholz University of Wisconsin - Madison Player Profile:
- Senior - Football - “I’ve loved it ever since I was a little kid so I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to play there.” - Committed in December 2015 - 3 other offers
Dillon Nowicki University of Michigan Player Profile:
- Sophomore - Baseball - “The academics are some of the best in the country and their baseball team is the best in the BIG10.” - Committed in December 2015 - 3 other offers
Tommy McGlynn - University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, Lawrence University, Saint Mary’s University (Men’s Basketball) Josh Hitchcock - University of Wisconsin Whitewater, University of Delaware, University of Wisconsin River Falls (Football) Marissa Robson - Missouri Valley Conference, Illinois State University, University of Northern Iowa (Women’s Basketball) Patyon Kahl - University of Wisconsin Green Bay/ Whitewater, Morehead State University, Valparaiso University, Lawrence University (Women’s Basketball) the norse star, january 2016
sports
winter sports 2015-2016 By Julia Olson Sports Editor While still an ongoing process for most sports here at Stoughton High School, the 2015-16 winter sports season has been one full of exhilerating wins and heartbreaking losses. It has seen the emergence of some of the most dedicated athletes and of the most talented, as well. As the season for six of the sports teams at SHS comes to an end, we’re here to highlight these teams with a look back at everything we’re leaving behind once the season for spring sports starts.
photos by julia olson and courtesy of bob christofferson
the norse star, january 2016
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sports - column
concussions and other drugs By Ethan Genter Assistant Editor
E
ver since I can remember, “shake it off,” and not the Taylor Swift song, has been a common anthem in the world of contact sports. Shake off that last play, that last hit, that last round. We’re telling our friends, neighbors, and children to ignore the pain and get back in the game. From football to boxing to soccer, the steely mentality that surrounds injury, concussions in particular, has pervaded as an unchecked monger for the encouragement of unsafe play. Mind and body are being undervalued in a march toward athletic success, and if strides in safety aren’t made soon enough, then brace yourselves for the society of self-selected dingbats we’ll soon have at our doorsteps. This isn’t a cry to add more pads to the inside of your helmet, or to try to get you to wear
art by joshua bausc h
bubble wrap when you head a ball, though improved safety technology is in need. Instead, this is about what’s going on in that concussed head when it’s third-and-six, or you’ve got two minutes left in the first period. Everyone’s felt it, I don’t care what sport you play: that big shot of adrenaline goes pumping through your whole body and you don’t feel, you just do.
It feels good when you can block out the pain, the thoughts, and the fan in the stands chanting “you can’t do that!” But when you block out everything, you block out reason and sense along with it. In the moment, it can be hard to take a step back and look at the big picture; it can be hard to take your mind off of what you are so focused on for even one second. I understand we are myopic people in these instances, but what you need to do is take off the blinders for just one second. Your mind, body, and future are not worth six more yards, another corner kick, or one more period. Your future should be your top priority. Tragically, the NFL and its constituents have been a perfect example of this. Repeated head trauma throughout the league is costing players more than just their peace of mind, it’s costing them their lives. Junior Seau, Adrian Robinson, Dave Duerson, the list goes on; hopefully you’re not next. This is supposed to be shocking, this is supposed to scare you, you don’t want to have early onset dementia by the time you’re 30.
We revel in pushing through the pain because we see our heroes do it on TV, we say “wow” when we see someone play through a hard hit or an injury, but we aren’t paid millions to put our bodies on the line. It should come as a wake up call to kids across the country when they see hundreds of their fallen heroes suing the league they played for because they can’t remember what they had for lunch. The NFL has begun to take steps towards correcting the concussion epidemic in football with rule reevaluation and smarter helmet technology, but the road to prosperity is a long one and more steps still need to be taken, both on the national and local levels. We need to be teaching our athletes the importance of their mental health along with their physical wellbeing; the fact that we are not young forever cannot be ignored. There is a life after sports, and it is long. Try to remember that before you don’t have the un-concussed mind to do so. We’ve made injury in sports not only recreational, but trivial. It’s routine to see our friends seriously injured and not think about it a second later. The culture around head trauma in sports needs to change. It can’t be “give me another ibuprofen and I’m good to go,” it has to be an effort by parents, fans, coaches, staff, and, most importantly, players, to take a look at what these kids are facing 20 years from now. So in the words of Saul from “Pineapple Express,” “Safety first, then teamwork.”
art by seren pellet
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the norse star, january 2016