2011 Issue 5

WEST SIDE

STORIES APRIL 2011

• Wauwatosa West High School • 11400 W Center Street, Wauwatosa WI • Volume 14, Issue 5 www.wauwatosawest.com

Budget Battle 2011

TECHNOLOGY

BUDGET

West to Receive iPads

The bare, simple facts on how the repair bill will affect Wisconsin workers

How the new devices will phase out textbooks

Angela O'BriengEditor-in-Chief

Breanna SubotichgStaff Writer

Huge textbooks and heavy backpacks are expected when going to school, but advancing technology can solve this.

Next year four schools in the Wauwatosa School District will receive 1000 new iPads.

These schools are Wauwatosa West, Wauwatosa East, Whitman, and Longfellow. The number of iPads will be split up evenly between the schools which means West will have 250 to use in classrooms next year.

So far two iPads have been given to try out, one to English teacher Lauren Hill and one to Social Studies teacher Andy Zietlow.

There is also another iPad that Library Media Specialist Jeanine Brennan uses, and one she checks out to other teachers in the building. Brennan has put a $100 iTunes card on it, so teachers can purchase apps they find are helpful in their classroom.

The iPads hold many functions.

There are Science, Spanish, Math apps, etc. There is even an app that allows students to take notes on the iPad by simply writing on the screen with their finger. Also, students will be able to access their textbooks right on the iPad. This is possible in a few ways. There is an Amazon Kindle app that can be purchased so textbooks can be downloaded, or students can use online books because the iPads will have Internet access. Apps that are similar to Microsoft Word and PowerPoint are available too, so students can type notes, papers, etc. or prepare presentations on it.

Since Tosa West will only be getting 250 of of them, not every student will be able to use an iPad. Calarco says next year “only certain classes like AP Psychology, AP Stats, and Accelerated Advanced Algebra will get to use the iPads, but the future plan of our superintendent is to get more.”

Brennan says that one issue being faced with students being able to use this new, expensive technology “is trying to find a good case to protect the iPads.” g Please see

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EMILY HOFFMANN g West Side Stories

WAUWATOSA TEACHERS gather on the overpass on Center Street to encourage those driving on the freeway below to honk in support of the unions and Wisconsin workers during the ongoing 2011 Wisconsin Budget Battle.

Since the bill was first introduced over two months ago, controversy over Governor Walker’s new 2011 budget repair bill has seen protests, Democratic walk-outs, arguments, and little change.

Standing firm in the belief that Wisconsin’s fiscal responsibilities should be the first and foremost concern to the people of this state, Governor Walker has made several statements defending the bill as well as ra-

tionalizing why it was needed.

“Passing our budget repair bill will help place similar reforms in Wisconsin. This will be good for the BadgerState’s hardworking taxpayers,” Walker said in a Wall Street Journal article. “It will also be good for state and local government employees who overwhelmingly want to do their job well.”

But what exactly does the budget repair bill change,

and why has it stirred up so much controversy?

Before delving into the controversy of the pros and cons of this piece of legislation, it is first necessary to understand exactly who is being affected by the changes. Most of the provisions of the bill apply to state government workers.

State government workers include: teachers who work for public schools (private school teachers are unaffected); peo-

ple who work for county facilities, such as the County Zoo, Public Museum, and the County Parks System; people who work at the capitol building and assist the governor; people who work for county Waste Management; police officers of cities and towns who are on the state payroll; non-volunteer firefighters who work for county and city stations; doctors and nurses who work for county hospitals; personnel g Please see

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INTERNATIONAL

Japan Hits Close to Home

Cafeteria worker Junko Wilde’s family saw the firsthand horrors of the destruction as she fought to get into contact with them after the disaster Jenn AsbachgGuest Writer

Imagine two-thirds of the country is torrent with water.

Only minutes before you were sitting in the rubble of your earthquake-shaken house, on your dilapidated bed, with nothing but adrenaline rushing, keeping you calm. Everything you had brought to ruins by a 9.0 earthquake then suddenly washed away, taking your mom and sister, like pick-pocketers in a hectic river of shopping central.

Here, in Wisconsin, the disaster seems far away, but in fact it is here, at West, in our very own lunch

room. Junko Wilde has been personally affected.

Born and raised in Mito, Japan, Wilde said earthquakes were common because the country lies along the Ring of Fire in the Pacific, an area with high volcanic activity.

“They happened often where I grew up, so everyone knew what to do when one hit, but this earthquake was bigger than anything expected,” said Wilde.

Wilde moved to the United States sixteen years ago after meeting her g Please see

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XXXXXXXXXXXXXX g West Side Stories

JENN ASBACH g West Side Stories

JUNKO WILDE takes senior Jimmy Bonkowski’s lunch number with a smile. Her family was among those who were impacted by the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan in March.

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News

WEST SIDE STORIES www.wauwatosawest.com

April, 2011

2011 Budget g Cont. from page 1

who work in state and county prisons; and anyone else who works for the state government. These diverse groups of people, many of whom are represented by unions, make up what the bill means when it mentions “public employees”.

There are three main parts of the bill that have been the source of much of the tension and protests. They are the public employee contribution to state pensions, the contribution to health insurance, and the reduction in collective bargaining rights.

A pension is an amount that is paid to a person or their remaining dependents at their retirement. It is designed to provide that person with income after they have stopped working. Usually, workers contribute a small amount either monthly or yearly to their pension which is sometimes matched or closely matched by their employer, in this case the state government.

In the new budget repair bill, state employees who pay into the Wisconsin Retirement System would be required to contribute fifty percent of their annual pension payment. This means that employees would pay half and the state would pay the other half.

The amount state employees would be responsible for is estimated 5.8 percent of their salary to go toward their pensions. To put the percentage to work, here is an example. Accord-

ing to Teacher Portal, the average salary for a Wisconsin teacher is about 46,000 dollars. With the new budget repair bill, the average teacher would now being paying around 2,600 dollars a year towards their pension.

Perhaps the most controversial section of the new proposed budget repair bill is the significant limitation on collective bargaining rights. Specifically, collective bargaining rights are the wages, rules, hours, and working conditions that are argued and decided upon between an employer and a union that represents the workers of those rights. Collective bargaining is something that took a strong foothold in the Progressive Movement with Robert Lafollette in Wisconsin and has been deeply seeded ever since.

Basically, the new bill takes away all of the bargaining rights except for those about wages. That means, theoretically, that unions can no longer bargain on behalf of their members about anything other than wages. So if a district wanted to make its teachers work twelve hour days, there would be nothing that the unions could do to argue on behalf of their teachers. Even the wage element of collective bargaining has limits – wage increases cannot exceed a certain amount, unless they are approved by a referendum. In addition, union members generally pay

a fee to be a part of the union and the new bill prohibits both the paying and collecting of these fees.

However, certain groups are excluded from this collective bargaining limitation.

Firefighters, law enforcement, state troopers and inspectors EMILY HOFFMANN g West Side Stories would be exempt from STAFF MEMBERS hold up signs the changes. over the bridge on Center Street, urging others to support Wauwatosa This exclu- teachers. sion proved bill will be felt around the state, or if the valuable as thousands of workers called collective bargaining sector will even in sick and took to the streets of Madigo into effect, due to a lawsuit currentson to protest the impact on collective ly being prosecuted in Dane County. bargaining. The impact would have The new budget repair bill means been devastating around the state had big, uncertain changes for the state firefighters and policemen and policeand school districts. One thing is cerwomen left their jobs for a short period tain: despite the complicated issues of time to join the protests in Madison. and protests, the work force is still as It is currently unclear as to how alive and willing to fight in Wisconsin. deeply the impacts of the budget repair

Japanese Tsunami g Cont. from page 1

American husband, and has started a family herself here in Wisconsin, nowhere near an earthquake fault.

“That night I called my mom because I heard about it on the news,” Wilde said. “It was just after the first quake hit, and luckily the phone line went through.”

Her mother told her about the scene she had witnessed. Everything in the house was smashed on the floors as the walls stood at an acute angle. Houses in her neighborhood were not shaken to the ground but shifted to an extreme. Though the houses were built to withstand a strong shake, the earthquake was unexpected.

Ten minutes after the earthquake, a 40 foot wall of water swept over the mainland from the sea, taking with it houses, buildings, and lives.

Wilde’s family lives only six miles from the Pacific Ocean.

“I asked my husband that night about how far 6 miles was from Lake Michigan was so in my head I could come up with a guess at how far away my family was from the tsunami,” said Wilde. Her husband replied that their house in Wauwatosa was only about 5 miles away from the lake. The reality was shocking.

Terrified for her family’s life, she emailed her brother and sister-in-law, who live in Tokyo. Her brother told her that he felt the earthquake, but did not see the tsunami. He got in contact with their parents, and then went to find them, seeing firsthand the destruction that covered his country. Transportation was difficult; roads were no longer flat, and there were lines of

people waiting outside gas stations, anywhere between 5-7 hours, for a limited 5 gallons of gas. Water and food were low. Grocery stores had no food, and neighborhoods were ghost towns without any people.

However, with the earthquake and wall of water also came a wave of support and compassion. The first couple of nights Junko spent in a restless sleep, but the following Friday Wilde said she felt significantly better.

“I got a lot of support from people, students, and some teachers.

They are what got me through and I thank them so much,” she said.

Some students gave her cards and hugs as they sympathetically extended their reassurances. Ryan Cyveko and Michael Stagl, two seniors at West, made chocolate chip cookies for her, her husband and 10 year old son, Bailey.

Junko Wilde is a familiar face at Wauwatosa West.

Students know her as the lunch lady who always smiles and wishes them a good day, but now they also know her as the Wisconsin woman who was severely impacted by the tsunami, and appreciates every kind word and gesture of sympathy that she receives.

Opinions 3 WEST SIDE STORIES www.wauwatosawest.com

april, 2011

SENIORITITS

Got the Bug? Mini Editorials

Angela O'BriengEditor-in-Chief

In preparation of writing this piece, I noticed something very ironic and meaningful about the way in which I went about doing it. When we had assigned articles at our editor’s meeting, I thought it would be wonderful to write an article about Senioritis and what it is, why it happens, and how to avoid it. I had a lot of ideas at the beginning, but oddly enough, nothing ever really formulated for me. I collected a few quotes and asked a few questions, deciding that it would be easy to just write something “to get by”. As I sit and write this now (almost two weeks after the article deadline, mind you) it occurred to me that I had proved my own point without even trying to.

I’m given to understand that Senioritis is a type of procrastination – putting off into the distant future what we can easily do today if we just quit lazing around and actually did it. I had in a sense, contracted the “disease”. Perhaps the wrong tense is used, however; maybe I still have Senioritis, but it is now plaguing other areas of my academic life.

Looking at it retrospectively, I suppose it all began after I had been accepted to college and was on my way to a place of higher learning. In a way, high school forces you to consider every aspect of your life in terms of what would “look good for college”. We shape our classes, our extracurricular activities, even our jobs around the pivotal possibility of gaining admittance to the school of our choice, and once that goal is attained, we suddenly realize that we have nothing left to prove to anyone.

Fellow senior Alexandra Poli put it best: “The second semester [of senior year] is the last mile in a marathon where you are tired of sprinting and just decide to crawl.”

Speaking personally, I can certainly attest to that. My junior year was a mad whirl of activity that spawned stress and good material for college admittance essays. It was the final push to the finish – the last chance that any of us had to inflate our own sense of importance before we exposed ourselves to our schools and prayed that they would like what they saw. College acceptance was like being allowed into the very relaxing waiting room between high school and college where all you wanted to do was stroll around and ask, “Um, okay. What’s next?” You have no desire to leave the waiting room and throw yourself back into high school because it seems like you have already passed that stage in your life.

I’m sure the warm weather doesn’t help either. Like hay fever, Senioritis blossoms when the snow melts and the flowers come up. I’m given to understand that between the scents of rain, pollen, and newly-turned earth, seniors can also smell graduation in the distance. We know it’s near; the only thing we want more than anything else is to be able to close the gap between then and now as quickly as possible. After spring break, a palpable restlessness can be observed in the senior dominated classes. Focus drifts, tomfoolery comes in leaps and bounds, and schoolwork is more likely to be treated with a dismissive wave of the hand than actual effort. But why?

Perhaps, as senior Paul Gerhartz suggests, the answer is clinical: “It is definitely and legitimately a psychological disorder.” If so, then is there any hope? Can a stress-free weekend with lots of baked goods and television cure it, or does the answer lie solely in walking across the stage in the gym as the principal calls your name to receive your diploma?

Whatever the answer is, I’m sure we will eventually uncover it; if not today, then definitely tomorrow.

Seven Things

Seniors ? Wonder ?

Herschel KissingergManaging Editor

1. I wonder if I can sell the 30 trojan tickets I’ve been stockpiling to a freshman?

2. Would it work if I said my IRP was on minimalist art and turned in 20 blank pages?

3. Will I be late to class in college because my watch is still set to Trojan time?

4. Does writing sarcastic Facebook statuses count as studying for the AP Lang test?

5. Am I going to have to pillage a small island nation to pay off my outstanding fees in the activities office?

6. Is it bad if I am short on a few NHS hours? And by a few I mean 38?

7. Instead of ordering a graduation robe, could I just wear my green snuggie?

Your staff’s opinion on some of Tosa West’s most prevalent issues The newspaper website is looking great www.wa u w a t o s a w e s t . com. It is very useful because students can find a scrolling list of daily events. Several students are writing exclusively for the web site, including bloggers like Sarah Galaszewski, and writers for breaking news. The website has over 200

Facebook fans, and includes the productions from the broadcast team.

Students can also view pictures taken by the newspaper photographers and archived articles from previous print editions. Since it was unleashed at the beginning of the year, the website can even be accessed on iPads or other mobile devices, and truly adds value and depth to the West newspaper. Good job web team!

Re-blocking school emails was a poor administrative choice. Access to school email and similar web applications allows for vastly increased productivity. The school should not be preventing students from doing genuine work. For example, students in this year’s state champion

We the People team were able to use Google Docs to share ideas in real time and write documents as a group easily and efficiently. Because the new school district email addresses can never approach the quality and ubiquity of mainstream email websites like Gmail, the district should avoid reinventing the wheel and unblock the computers again.

No Practice?

Luke SalamonegStaff Writer

Wauwatosa West is facing an academic crisis with an unexpected culprit. This year, at the pure digression of our principal, students in Advanced Placement science courses will be prevented from participating in a mock AP test, an in-school field trip lasting merely three hours. The alternative to this three hour period is splitting the test over four days, an expenditure of time which AP science classes cannot afford, nor should they have to. In what is at best a misguided effort to curtail field trips, our principal has decided exactly contrary to how he should be deciding.

Our school has a new principal this year. He has brought improvement to our school, but this does not negate his obligations to academia as principal of an institution of scholarship. He comes with a lack of understanding characteristic of a freshman high school principal.

The main problem with our principal’s prevention of the requested practice test is the clear asymmetry between it and other field trips which are permitted, especially in terms of educational relevance. If cuts or restrictions on field trips are to be made, they should first fall on those trips that are least academic. With that said,

few trips can be said to be more related to the curriculum of an AP class than an AP practice test because the entire purpose of an AP class is preparation for the AP test. In contrast, there are many other field trips which are at best vaguely related to education.

The March 16 multicultural day resulted in shortened and thus demeaned class periods, and removed all students from classes uniformly. The main purpose of this disruptive event was presumably to encourage cohesion within the school. This is arguably a noble cause, but its efficacy is dubious, which is to be tempered with the clear relevancy of an AP practice test to the AP curriculum. In fact, nothing could be more pertinent. April 21 is the date of the student faculty basketball game, an event free from administrative opposition despite the absence of academic purpose to this event. The next day, no school is scheduled, but because our principal chooses to prevent the practice test during school hours, AP science students are all but forced to come to school on this holiday. Our principal seems eager to foster the double standard where activities that are educationally irrelevant are allowed at the expense of those that are academically necessary.

West Side

West Side Stories (WSS) believes that it is essential to preserve the freedom of the press in order to preserve a free society. Therefore, WSS will resist all attempts at censorship and will serve the best interests of the students.

WSS will be guided in publication by a concern for the truth, will strive to provide a comprehensive account of events in the school/community, will strive to be a leader of student opinion through its editorials, and will be an open forum of the exchange of comment and criticism. WSS’s editorial page will take stands on important issues, will help protect the rights of students, will support groups seeking

STORIES

the betterment of the community, will support candidates for school office, and will serve as a constructive critic.

Columns and reviews will be signed unless there is a consensus of opinion among the WSS editors. Copies of the complete WSS editorial policy are available in Room 267 at West High School.

Letters to the Editor: Letters are accepted from all readers. Editors have the right to edit for length and obscenity, but will not alter the original meaning of the materials. All submitted letters must be signed.

Subscription information: For a sub-

scription, please send $20.00 payable to Wauwatosa West High School.

Send to West Side Stories, c/o Wauwatosa West High School, 11400 W. Center St. Wauwaotsa, WI 53226

Awards: Wisconsin Newspaper Associations awarded West Side Stories a second place in 2007-2008, a first place 2008-2009 in the General Excellence category. West Side Stories has also received a Bronze Medalist ranking from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association. A number of students have also placed individually in state and national writing competitions.

Editors: Angela O’Brien- Editor-InChief

Photographers: Kou Vang Laura Shively

Ellyn Kirtley- Editor-InChief

Designers: Andrew McOlash Kou Vang Luke Salamone

Herschel Kissinger: Managing Editor Wajahat Mahmood Ali: Managing Editor Emily Hoffmann: Photography Editor

Staff Writers: Natalie Mullins Luke Salamone Kaitlyn Hembrook Breanna Subotich Stephanie Eberle

UP IN THE AIR

Tosa School District Faces Uncertain Financial Future Article By: Herschel KissingergManaging Editor Photoillustration By: Jordan LlanasgWest Side Stories

Dr. Ertl, superintendent of the Wauwatosa School District, enters the chilly conference room with a joke: “With the budget cuts we have to keep the temperature at 40 degrees.” But as Ertl settles in the tone becomes anything but humorous.

Ertl—and the entire Wauwatosa School district—are facing one of their largest challenges to date. As state legislators and judiciaries battle over Wisconsin State Act 10 (which would limit collective bargaining rights) as well as the state budget, school districts across Wisconsin are trying to plan out the next school year without knowing how much money they will be receiving, or knowledge of how employees’ rights will change. No matter what the exact changes will be, the district is anticipating having to make cuts.

“Every area [of the academic spectrum] is in the spotlight,” said Ertl. The district could be facing a deficit anywhere between $0 and over $6 million according to their reports. He estimates that revenue caps will be at 3.5%, which is lower than the 4.2% increase in the cost of living. “[The district] has been losing money since 1993,” he added.

Raising local taxes is not an option.

Cutting teacher salaries and benefits is.

The uncertainty of next year has made some teachers nervous. “It’s possible they are going to reconstruct the salary schedule,” says social studies teacher and union rep Stephen Oliver, referring to the system by which teachers obtain increases in salary. The salary structure is based on years spent in the district as well as degrees earned. According to figures released by the Journal Sentinel, the lowest-paid teacher in the district started out with $32,767, with the salary schedule topping out

at $68,403, plus fringe benefits. But the methodology by which this salary schedule is structured could change if collective bargaining goes away.

How is this affecting the staff at Tosa West and other schools within the district? “The sheer level of stress [and] not knowing what’s going to happen with my profession [and with] my colleagues is very hard. It’s emotionally draining,” says Brian Hoffman, one of West’s three guidance counselors.

But the biggest cost to the district is labor costs, which account for 82-85% of the budget.

Therefore, cutting labor costs is always being considered. “Layoffs” has been a buzzword among concerned parents and teachers.

“We’re hoping not to have layoffs” Ertl said. Principal Frank Calarco also does not anticipate any major lay-offs occurring. However, some teachers may have to leave West if enrollment is not high enough in certain departments.

“I could almost guarantee that our part-time teacher would be gone,” said art teacher Jessica Belich, and expressed fears that one of the two fulltime teachers in the art department might become a part-time employee or have to work at other schools. Calarco mentioned that one possible way to save money involves administrative workers, such as secretaries working on rotating 10-month schedules instead of year-long schedules to reduce costs without having to lay anyone off.

“There’s not going to be new money in the future,” Ertl said. Essentially, if something is cut from the budget, people should not expect it back anytime soon.

This makes Belich nervous. The art department has already cut two of its

elective art classes with the hopes that students from those cut classes would enroll in other electives which are also in danger of being cut.“Normally we would know how many classes are running,” said Belich. “You start choosing what classes teacher would teach, so you can run a practice schedule to see where hard conflicts are.” But this year, there is not enough known to be able to run the master schedule, so many of the elective art courses are in limbo. With less-than-ideal enrollment in courses like Illustration and Design, Belich expresses fears that West students will lose out on courses that develop their abilities, leading her to consider the worstcase scenario: “What’s going to happen is we might run AP classes and art foundations and nothing in between.”

Calarco says that West should not expect to lose too many electives, but anticipate larger class sizes. This year the average number of students went up by one. Next year the average number could go up another student. It does not sound substantial, but is definitely noticeable to teachers, counselors, and administrators.

In a worst-case scenario for the district, Wauwatosa could lose out on over $6 million (in recent years the budget has been over $80 million per year). If this were to happen, some classes may need to be restructured. For instance, AP Psychology, which enrolled around 100 students for next year, could be offered as a single, lecture-style class in the auditorium, instead of being split up into three sections like it is this year. Another saving strategy includes switching to block scheduling, or an eight-period day, so that teachers would be teaching six classes instead of the normal five. A change this drastic would not

occur next year, but it is being considered by a committee within the district.

Despite the fact that the district is anticipating a shrinking budget, Ertl said that the district plans on continuing with new initiatives. “It’s more challenging to implement new things,” he said, “[But] we’ve got initiatives we plan to move forward with.” Among these initiatives include new AP course offerings, purchasing iPads to use in the classroom, and the controversial world language program for the elementary schools.

Calarco seemed more nervous about some of the new initiatives he had hoped to introduce, including an expanded athletic hall of fame and an inspiration wall. “There was a guy who graduated from West and is an astronaut, and someone made it to Broadway,” he said with excitement. He had hoped to commemorate such stories somewhere in school, but district cutbacks might put the project on hold.

During interviews, the teachers emphasized that even though cuts are expected, complaints should not be directed to the West administration. “I do feel like the West administration is doing everything on behalf of the art department, but all of our hands are tied,” said Belich.

Ertl had equally nice things to say about the teachers. “Our teaching staff has been incredibly professional.”

Though the

By the Numbers...

The chart to the left shows the district sources of revenue, in other words, where the district gets its money each year. Different percentages come from the state, the federal government, property taxes, and other local sources. The new state budget will put a strain on these percentages because it will limit the amount of state resources

that are available for use. One solution would be to increase the percentage of property taxes to make up for the defecit; however, the bill puts a cap on tax levies, which would make this scenario impossible. In a way, the new bill forces the district to make cuts because it limits all the other ways the district can raise money.

Wisconsin education debate has been treated like a crisis, some believe the changes will not be too dramatic—yet.

Hoffman puts it simply: “We’ve got to have school.” He also said “I’m willing to be that we’ll start school in the fall, and things won’t be that much different than they were this year. I don’t think [the district] would sacrifice the richness of curriculum for budget cuts.”

Calarco echoed this sentiment, and even offered some words of optimism.

“These are exciting times for reform,” he said. He views the financial debate as an opportunity to make changes to the ways a school district operates. And though the Wauwatosa School District may be going through some hard times, they are better off than many neighboring districts in terms of debt. In times of uncertainty, it seems the only thing the District can do is considering the worst while hoping for the best.

2011

District BUDGET

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FEATURES WEST SIDE STORIES www.wauwatosawest.com

RECREATION

G G R N A I Y V F IT E D

April, 2011

Y

Herschel KissingergManaging Editor

Crisply captured in a photograph, sophomore Austin Budge hangs mid-air, his foot grazing the wall of Eisenhower Elementary School. The image suggests the impossible—Budge appears to have the Spiderman-like ability to climb walls. Senior Shawn Roll has captured Budge and other West students in such mind-bending positions. By synthesizing art and motion in his photos, Roll epitomizes an up-and-coming discipline being practiced by West students known as free-running.

“Art with your body” is how Budge, one of the unofficial leaders of iFreeRunTosa describes it. His teammate Kevin Frens, sophomore, calls it “Expression of yourself through movement” and adds “I don’t

consider it a sport—I consider it a lifestyle.” Free-running developed in Europe, branching off the similar non-competive discipline of parkour, and gained prominence over sites like Youtube. Opposed to its companion parkour, which focuses on getting from point A to point B with maximum efficieny, free-running emphasizes stylistic body movement in unexpected locations. Backflips, corkscrews, gainers— these are the staple moves of the free-running discipline.

The group casually formed about a year ago, after students including Roll saw videos of free-running and began trying themselves. What resulted is was team of 10-15 students, operating under the title “iFreeRunTosa.” The

students free-run outdoors in a couple of locations—Eisenhower Elementary is a team favorite—and gather each Saturday at Salto Gym in Brookfield for organized practice.

Though not every person on the team is there for the exact same reason, one common theme is pushing oneself to their limits. This runs the risk of injuries—Roll alone has had bruised ribs, multiple sprains, and more concussions than can be counted on one hand.

However, the group maintains that safety is a priority. “We know each others limits,” says Tony Benz, a sophomore. “We all look out for each other.”

One of the largest challenges facing the group is being able to practice their controversial activity without

getting unwanted attention.

“A lot of people mistake us for vandals,” said Roll, adding that the group was mistaken for graffiti artists while practicing at DSHA, and recounting a story where they received less than a warm welcome from a local business center: “A guy on the loudspeakers inside asked us to leave.” The group counterbalances this perceived negative image with self-discipline. No vandalism or crime—period.

Kevin Frens says that the intention of free-running is the opposite of causing trouble. “I’m just trying to be a positive influence,” he says.

One thing that became apparent when talking to the free-runners is that the majority of them did not classify

Shawn RollgWest Side Stories

free-running as a sport—but rather a kind of high-energy, transient art performance.

As for the future, the group has two big goals: expand and excel. The group is always open for new members. Frens says “It’s not as hard as it looks,” though Benz says when it comes to the mental strength to do some of the more imaginative stuff, “you either have it, or you don’t.” The team is also hoping to get sponsored.

However, for now, the group seems content with the direction they are going in. Despite the stereotypes and the risks involved, iTosaFreeRun is only more firmly establishing itself, as well as its members.

As Kevin Frens says, “People label me as a freerunner, and I guess I’m okay with that.”

SERVICE

Be Someone’s Best Buddy How the new program at Tosa West will foster positive friendships and a positive enviornment for all Jimmy KraljgGuest Writer

To establish a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This is the mission statement of West’s newest club, Best Buddies. Best Buddies is a volunteer service organization that operates in 50 countries worldwide.West

junior Will Harrington is responsible for the start of the Best Buddies program here.

Harrington, a Teacher’s Assistant for the special education classes, talked to the special education teacher Mrs. Chaves, and became extremely interested in the club. “[I hope to] foster diversity and allow the whole student body to understand each other regardless of their mental state

or their capabilities,” he said.

Not only does the program provide the student with intellectual or developmental disabilities with a great friend but it also has a huge impact on the student who is matched up with them. “ It is really opening my eyes to just how much kids with mental disabilities are missing out on because they are very limited in who they can hang

Where Can You Find Pictures, News, and Stories about Tosa West? www.wauwatosawest.com

out with,” Harrington said.

This, however, is not the first time the Best Buddies program has been in the Wauwatosa School district.

The program has been running for a number of years at Wauwatosa East. The East chapter recently had a campaign called “Spread the Word to End the Word” where students in the Best Buddies program encouraged students to

stop using the word “retard”.

The Best Buddies program shows the importance of treating everyone equally.

“Join to be a friend!” Harrington said. “It is a great, free way to help out in our community, as well as a good way to make new friends”.

Students are encouraged to join Best Buddies and if interested should talk to Will Harrington, or Mrs. Chaves.

FEATURES 7 WEST SIDE STORIES www.wauwatosawest.com

HEALTH

Students working on HEAL-ing Together

Club helps students learn how to make better, healthier choices each day in regards to food, exercise, and their lifestyle Ellyn Kirtley g Editor-in-Chief

America is getting fatter.

As access to junk food becomes ever-easier and healthy alternatives seem increasingly elusive, it’s no wonder obesity rates have risen exponentially. Even more frightening, according to a presentation Mary Johnston used in her social problems class, Wisconsin has one of the highest obesity rates in the entire country.

As senior Chelsea Gleason looked at that statistic in Johnston’s classroom, she was convinced something needed to change. But change can be difficult. Nevertheless, Gleason had a plan to help others learn to make smarter, healthier decisions.

“I thought, what if we had a group of people doing the same thing to help each other out?” she remembered.

“During that class period, I made a list of all the things I wanted to do in that group,” she added.

Immediately after class, Gleason approached Johnston and told her about the idea that had taken root in her mind.

Johnston then told Gleason to talk to Sarah Chavez, a special education

teacher at West who is also on the District Wellness Committee. Chavez enthusiastically agreed to be a part of the endeavor, and after gaining the approval of Principle Calarco, the Healthy Eating and Lifestyle (HEAL) club was born.

HEAL, which meets Thursdays after school, acts as a support group for those who are looking to make healthier decisions. Each week, participants go around in a circle and make a goal for the upcoming week. This can be something as simple as cutting back on soda or choosing to have a salad for lunch a few days a week. Group members also reflect on the success they each had with their goal from the previous week. Chavez feels this is a helpful exercise for students. “I hope students are more aware of how little changes can make them feel so much better physically and emotionally” she added.

Aside from supporting and encouraging one another through the successes and failures of weekly goals, HEAL members discuss better habits to develop. They

talk about the importance of eating breakfast each morning, sleeping enough, and realizing that stress, in moderation, is part of a healthy lifestyle. They’ve also done yoga in the past and Gleason is hoping to have a meeting where they do Jazzercise.

Students make healthy snacks, including guacamole and homemade pita chips, and fruit smoothies. “A lot of the excuses people have for not eating healthy is that it’s too much money or time when you can just go to McDonald’s,” remarked Gleason, who went on to say, “I think when we make things together, they see how easy it really is.”

Johnston, who attends some HEAL meetings, agrees.

“I think it’s cool that students are talking about different foods and trying new foods and recipes,” she said.

Gleason admitted that she knew HEAL was just a start.

“It’s just a small step to help people who want to change their eating, including me,” she said. But it is organizations like HEAL that, bit by bit, can make a big difference.

April, 2011

New iPads g Cont. from page 1

This new technology is not cheap, but the money does not come from the Wauwatosa West budget. Brennan says “the money is coming from a fund the libraries use called the Common School Funds.”

This money is from the state, which also determines what can be purchased, and the amount of money is determined by the number of

students. Brennan said “It used to be that one hundred percent of this fund had to be used for the purchase of books only, but now twentyfive percent of the money can be used for technology.”

The new iPads will provide students with a different tool to aid their learning and could just become the textbook of the future.

LITERATURE

Listen: A Novel Rene Gutteridge’s book provokes thought Zakiya Robinson g Guest Writer

Everything was quiet true meaning of social media. in the small town of MarWe have all observed the lo. But have you ever no- destruction of hurtful words. ticed how things change Gutteridge speaks of the when there is commotion? dangers that can be associProtagonist Damian Un- ated with it, the lives that derwood is an investigative re- can be lost, and the fight for porter who discovers control underAfter all, a website posting taken every day. you never the town’s converShe pegs sations.

Because small town life, know who’s of it, the town is in as well as the listening. a massive war for struggle to avoid control. The people are gossip, rumor, and recognizing that their friends f o o t - i n - mouth syndrome. really aren’t that truthful. Her heroes shine and bring reGutteridge creates characters demption to Marlo, creating a we can all relate to: Kay, (Dami- worthwhile read to chew on afan’s wife), their son Hunter (a ter the last word has been read. computer master mind who is It also poses a reminder later revealed as the website’s about being concerned with creator), their daughter Jen- the words that come out of na, and a town that every one your mouth. After all, you loved until it showed them the never know who’s listening.

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TECHNOLOGY

Keeping an Eye out for Crime at West

Implementation of more advanced, expanded security camera system throughout Wauwatosa School District to be completed by end of the current school year Ellyn Kirtley g Editor-in-Chief

It would be hard to miss the haphazardly tangled masses of brightly colored wires protruding from the hallway ceilings earlier this year. It would also be hard to miss the new, ominousseeming security cameras clustered around the building.

Wauwatosa West High School previously had several security cameras, but according to School Resource Officer Braun, “[West] had a really antiquated camera system before.” So, two years ago the Wauwatosa School District began budgeting to purchase a new system of security cameras for all its public schools.

Before purchasing new cameras, Officer Braun and David Prast, the Wauwatosa School District’s Maintenance/ Operations Supervisor, looked at the security systems in use in about eight other schools.

They looked at the placement of cameras and asked other districts how long they kept footage from the cameras.

In the end, the school district was only responsible for half the cost of the project because a federal grant from the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) was approved. COPS aids communities in which the local police are involved with and supportive of the area’s schools.

This grant meant the project was able to be completed ahead of schedule.

Jaime Price, the District Technology Coordinator, remarked, “The project was already in the works when we learned about the grant. So the grant effectively lets us get everything done this year instead of over a period of three years.”

In addition to puchasing security cameras, the COPS

grant has allowed the district the funds to get several card access readers for teachers to use. “With the card access readers, we can keep the building secure, but a gym teacher can take their kids outside and swipe ther card to get back in,” said Braun. At this time, each school will receive three to four scanners, but in the future there is a hope that more will be attained by the district.

Due to the serendipitous attainment of this grant, both Wauwatosa West and East high schools will receive thirty security cameras. The same goes for the local middle schools, Whitman and Longfellow. Each elementary school in the district will also receive eight to ten cameras.

These security cameras will be placed all around the building, but will be most concentrated in heav-

ily traficked areas, as well as places that have a history of crime. One such example is the locker-room hallway, which has a history of theft.

Eventually, monitors will be installed so administrators, Superintendent Ertl and eventually the police department, will be able to view footage. However, this would only be done in event of crimes or emergencies.

Officer Braun anticipates the new system to be extremely beneficial in regards to keeping crime down at West. Cameras are a very accurate source of evidence. It also allows school invesitgations to become more efficient.

“Now we can spend maybe five minutes looking at a camera instead of tracking down and interviewing witnesses [to a crime] for two hours,” he said. “Cameras are also good at preventing things from happening,” he added, “People think if they’re more likely to get caught.”

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Sports WEST SIDE STORIES www.wauwatosawest.com

April, 2011

8 Things You Should Know About Track

Brigid JensengGuest Writer

Track meets can feel like a three-ring circus with several events going on simultaneously. They can also look like a circus with many tents pitched all over the perimeter. Athletes hang out there between events. I-Pods and blankets are a must.

Track has an Indoor Season and an Outdoor Season, each with its own conference meet. Pay one activity, get two sports Meets are scored by a point system. A first place finish will earn your team 10 points. A second place finish earns 8 points, and so on.

It can happen to anyone, the dreaded disqualification. Step out of your lane, pass out of the zone, take off too soon – you are D.Q.’d!

Not everyone on the track team needs to be a fast runner. Field events such as throwing and discus require a lot of strength. High jumpers are usually tall. Long jumpers have the ability to fly.

There is something for everybody and every body.

An athlete can compete in up to three events per meet. Your coach can put you in events by yourself, on relay teams, or both. The beauty of track is that it can be both an individual sport and a team sport.

Hundreds of athletes come to one meet. Some runners can spend as little as 12 seconds competing. The other 4 hours and 48 seconds are up to you.

Track is one of the oldest and purest sports in history. Running competition dates back to the original Olympics in Greece in 776 B.C.

Spring into School Sports This Month Spring is here and that means the start of seasonal sports like baseball, softball, boys’s trach and golf, girl’s soccer and boy’s tennis. I sat down with the spring sports’ coaches as they told me about their teams’ strengths, weaknesses, biggest challenge, and star players.

Nick MorodergGuest Writer

Baseball Softball Boy’s Track Boy’s Golf Girl’s Soccer Boy’s Tennis

Strengths: “We return some solid pitching prospects.”

Strengths: “Our youth. We lost six seniors and have a lot of new faces”

Strengths: “The amount of athletes that put time into the off season.”

Weaknesses: “We need to become aggressive base runners.”

Weaknesses: “Our youth. As a staff we will remind them that each game, at-bat or play is the possibility to prove their value.”

Weaknesses: “Our numbers are down and more athletes will have to participate in more events.”

Biggest Challenge: “The biggest challenge is the conference. There are no easy games.”

Biggest Challenge: “Going into each meet with a target on our backs because of how well we did at the State track meet last year.”

Biggest Challenge: “I think [our] biggest challenge is continuing to learn to compete and having faith in our performance and ablities.”

Player: Josh Kundinger

Star Players: Alison Coppersmith and Ashley Lindstrom

Star Player: Keith Brown

Strengths: “A young varsity team who played well enough to make it up to varsity.”

Strengths: “We have a solid core of returning players with solid game experience.”

Strengths: “We have a nice group of players coming back with valuable Varsity experience.”

Weaknesses: “Provide leadership and expecting to step up to help ease the loss of Chris Zachman.”

Weaknesses: “We have 9 returning players so new players will have to adapt quickly.”

Weaknesses; “Keeping the ball in play and winning the big points.”

Biggest Challenge: “I believe we will be an extremely competitive team this season.

We have some very solid players.”

Star Player: Austin Kautzer

Biggest Challenge: “Scoring is always a challenge so we will stress our technique in practice to convert our chances.”

Biggest Challenge: “Beating the top teams in the Woodland Conference. I feel we have a great opportunity to surprise some teams.

Star Player: Jenny Sunder

Star Player: Alex Chu