Issue 2 - October 12/13

WEST SIDE

STORIES

OCTOBER 2012

Homecoming pg. 8

• Wauwatosa West High School • 11400 W Center Street, Wauwatosa WI • Volume 1, Issue 2

Changes to Grading Policy

Grading system seeks to better measure student achievement

Stephanie Eberle g Editor-in-Chief

The 2012-2013 school year brought several changes to the Wauwatosa School District, the most noticeable being the dramatic changes to the grading policy.

The new policy is meant to make grading more consistent, accurate, meaningful, and supportive of learning.

These policy changes will have major effects on the way some courses are run and very little on others. Michael Vann, a science teacher at West, said, “I feel like we’ve been moving toward this policy for years. I have always encouraged retakes and turning in missing assignments.”

According to the administration’s presentation of the new grading policy, grades are meant “to communicate student achievement to students, parents, school administrators, and post-secondary institutions.” In the presentation they also quoted the book “Transforming Classroom Grading” by R. J. Marzano, a leading researcher in education, saying, “Grades are so imprecise that they are almost meaningless.” g Please see New Grading Policy p. 2

AP Gov to Host School Mock Election Erin Stapleton g Staff Writer

Wauwatosa West’s AP U.S. Government and Politics class, more commonly known as AP Gov, plans on holding a 2012 mock election. As the nation embarks on the “home stretch” of its presidential election, teacher Mr. Kalpinski and his students are making strides to engage Tosa West in the political process.

What will this look like? Well, essentially this will come across just as an official election does. AP Gov students have been delegated to different parties: democratic and republican; representing the moderate, independent voter population are the “poll workers.” Democrats and republicans are responsible for CAYLIN ROSENE Photography Editor connecting with the voters (Tosa West bROOKLYNNE hARRIS enthusiastically piles salad onto her lunch tray mid-way through lunch service. Unlike many students who view the new students) and getting them on their requirement to have a serving of fruit or vegetable as wasteful, she enjoys the new rule saying that “it’s good because I like salad.” side; as Mr. Kalpinski states, “[Their] goal is to win.” Since we have a significant moderate base as well, according to Mr. Kalpinski, the job of the poll workers is essential. Rather than having their focus on “winning,” the poll workers are the ones responsible for promoting students Mark Salamone g Web Editor to actually vote—a vital job, as Tosa For the most part, gone are the days of surly servers been contracted by the Wauwatosa School District since West’s best mock election participadishing out unidentifiable vegetables and greasy “mystery the 2007-2008 school year. However, Sodexo complies tion percentage, to date, is only a meats,” despite the recent pink slime scare. At Wauwatosa with regulations concerning school meals, such as the mere 67%.

West, the several hundred students and faculty members recent Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA). This Now, each party is led by what the who eat the school lunch daily can expect that the con- law seeks to curb calories, sodium, and saturated fats in class has deemed a “Majority Camtents of their plates are palatable at the very least. And school meal menus, while increasing the presence of whole paign Manager” and an “Assistant with recent modifications in laws governing public school grains, fruits, and vegetables. The regulations established Campaign Manager” who were voted lunches, these students and staff can also expect their food by the law require students to take a half cup of either a in to these positions by their fellow to be reasonably healthy as well. fruit or a vegetable from the salad bar. classmates. This is not meant to School meals are directly planned and administered This last provision has been met with varied responses. create any elitism amongst the AP

by Sodexo, a food service management company that has g Please see New School Lunch p. 3 g Please see Election p. 2 g

An Apple A Day for West Students School lunch requirements change to fit federal laws

ELECTION 2012 Pg. 4-5

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HOMECOMING?

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2

NEWS WEST SIDE STORIES

October, 2012

Election g Continued from p. 1

Starbucks At West? Only Half True

Tosa West buying Alterra coffee machine Deanna Ross

g Editor-in-Chief

Among the student body, one question has been chiming through various conversations: Are we getting Starbucks in school? In order to bring the truth to light, the newspaper staff went on a hunt.

What was found? As confirmed by the principal, Tosa West will not be adding a Starbucks to the school. That’s right, no Starbucks. There will be coffee being sold, however. The business students at West will be purchasing Alterra coffee and selling it in the Trojan Room before school starts.

There will be a specialty $500 coffee machine being purchased for the production of the coffee and other specialty drinks. The business students will be trained to use the machine in order to manufacture the product. This will be a project for the students, where they will be able to monitor how money exchange and small businesses work. Even though the business students are Mr. Prothero’s, the project is not. Mrs. Patton will be heading the project.

“I think it will be popular. Plus, students always are rushing to Starbucks or somewhere else to get coffee, sometimes making them late. It will be

good because now they can come to school and get their coffee here, without being late to first hour,” Frank Calarco offered when asked about benefits of the program.

Not only will the students buying the coffee be benefited with a necessary jolt of energy to get them through the long school day, but the business students will be benefiting by seeing part of what they are studying in class, and applying their knowledge and skills to the real world. “We aren’t really looking for a profit kind of thing here. Just enough to cover what it cost to buy all the coffee and show our students what a business is like,” Calarco added.

Although the mini business is somewhat small compared to an actual business, it may be destined to do only big things at Tosa West. Coffee, tea, hot chocolate, lattes, and cappuccinos will be sold for $1.00 in the Trojan Room before and after school starting Wednesday, October 24th.

The rumor had it wrong, but that doesn’t mean something great might not come out of it.

Gov students, rather to maintain organization and give leadership opportunities to those who want them. For the Democratic party, Patrick Campbell serves as Majority Campaign Manager alongside Leah Rogers, his Assistant Campaign Manager. Campbell shares that, as campaign leader, he “hopes to work with and inspire other students in the campaign to be energetic and hardworking in order to achieve the goal of reelecting President Obama.” On the other end of the political spectrum, Mickey Morgan represents the Republican party as its Majority Campaign Manager along with Assistant Campaign Manager, Brittany Gonzales. Morgan intends on getting his message out there that “Mitt Romney is not the man that the media portrays” and plans to attract students with Romney’s objectives of lowering taxes and gas prices. Finally, the poll workers. Representing the poll workers are CoPoll Managers, Ford Feller and Cheechia Vang.

Vang comments that his primary goal is to really get students active in this election.

You might be asking yourselves, Why are we doing this? Mr. Kalpinski puts it quite simply, that the “hope is to have students engage in real dialogue about this election” and “see the value in this political process.” Those of you who cannot vote, see this as your chance to have a voice and make a difference. These mock elections have, in fact, shown legitimacy before; at every election out of the four total elections Tosa West has hosted in the past, students’ votes have predicted the actual presidential winner. What we are doing has meaning to it.

With understanding of what this “mock election” is, stay tuned and prepare yourselves for this activity. Heads up: our school’s Election Day is on Tuesday, October 30th. You may vote before school between 7AM to 7:50AM, at A and B Lunch, and after school from 3:10PM to 3:30PM. Leading up to our Election Day, campaign managers will be campaigning at all lunches from Monday, October 22nd to Monday, October 29th.

That will be your chance to get informed before the big day, so keep your eyes and ears open.

One more thing. Stay calm and don’t burn bridges. Politics has the potential to get fiery very quickly, don’t give in to that potential. Currently, Mr. Kalpinski gladly admits he “is very pleased with [his] group of students. While they have strong opinions, they are always respectful of one another.” Let’s channel the spirit that the AP Gov students are bringing into this mock election and carry it out rationally and actively.

Happy mock election, all.

New Grading Policy g Continued from p. 1

The administration means to fix this imprecision through a great number of changes. One of the most noticeable is that there are no longer any zeros in the grade book. Any assignments not turned in are to be replaced by “i” for incomplete. Once enough grades are missing, the semester grade in PowerSchool will turn into an “i.” The reasoning behind the nozero policy is that zeros tend to throw off the grade average drastically. The example presented is a student who has eight 89 percent grades during a semester along with two 0’s. The semester grade average would come out to 71.2 percent. Although the majority of the student’s grades were B+’s, the final semester score would be a C-.

As they can receive no zeros, stu-

dents’ late work will be given full credit. This is part of the goal to promote learning, because it encourages students to learn the material by doing the work rather than leaving a zero unaddressed. Amy Hagopian, a West parent and member of the PTA, said, “I don’t agree with the policy of giving full credit for late assignments.

I think a penalty should be given; take 3-5 percent off the grade.” To help students complete this missing work, a “time for time” policy is being enacted. This means additional support for students will be provided during study hall, lunch, and before/after school.

Another portion of the changes meant to encourage learning is the retake policy. Reassessment oppor-

tunities are offered for every course.

These reassessments can be entirely or partially in a different format, as determined by the teacher, and the reassessment grade will replace the original. End of course/semester exams, final research papers, and culminating projects or performances may not be reassessed. Karin Vetrano, a West parent and member of the PTA, said, “Simply the act of a student reaching out to do the necessary steps to retake a test shows initiative, intent, and perseverance to improve their achievement in that subject.

That journey builds character.” These major assessments are more important than ever as homework can only count for 10 percent of the final grade.

Final exams can only count for 10

percent of semester grades for freshmen, whereas they can count for up to 20 percent of the grade for sophomores, juniors, and seniors.

“I like it,” said Myron Edwards, a senior at West. “I like that late work still counts because if I have to, I can take time on my homework to do it right.” Mary Kayser, a junior at West, said, “People are complaining about homework that’s not worth anything, or only a little bit of your grade, but if you do your homework it’ll prepare you for the test.”

The grading policy seems as though it will do its job to promote learning for these students, but there will be no way to know all of its effects very soon.

FEATURES WEST SIDE STORIES

3

October, 2012

Fall Fashion

Trendy new autumn fashions Jordan Voit g Staff Writer

After a long hot summer, we’re all a little curious about new trends for the upcoming school year. Even perhaps a little eager to switch out our cut-offs for jeans as the weather gets chillier. But as you shopped for those back-to-school jeans, you probably wondered if anything from your summer wardrobe could transfer into fall 2012. Fortunately, much of it can…but don’t let that stop you from making a few extra purchases for this season.

First making its appearance into the fashion scene last year, the chambray shirt has earned a standing with wardrobe staples. The fashionconscious girls who wear these shirts would agree that not only do they love their versatility but also that this is one trend here to stay. We all loved wearing them in the summer during late­-night bonfires, but now they’re easily incorporated into fall outfits. Wearing it with a thick pattered infinity scarf, black skinnies, and suede ankle booties makes for an effortless chic ensemble. Or perhaps tucking it into an a-line skirt and tights suits the occasion better.

Whether you dress your chambray denim up or down, you will fall in love with the material (if you haven’t already)! It’s lightweight enough to layer with but still sturdy enough to combat the autumn chill.

Those looking to make a statement look no further! From tribal print to floral, these patterns are making their debut appearance on an unexpected place: pants! Bold and energetic, this trend is an unexpected twist to your regular skinnies. Many will shy away from this trend but they shouldn’t! Loud prints are easily toned down with neutrals and cardigans, but blazers and bright colors

can bring out your fashion-forward self. But maybe you’re not completely sold on printed pants yet; you still are looking for another alternative from basic blue jeans. Thankfully, new fall pants don’t stop there! We’re also seeing colored corduroy, ombre’d denim, and faux leather leggings!

Whether your style is edgy, feminine, punk, hipster, artsy, or anywhere in between, the new styles of pants for fall 2012 are the perfect way to add personality to your next outfit. As for what shoes to wear with your new pants, we have that covered too.

Boots. Of course they’re nothing new to the fashion scene but new styles are popping up on the shelves now more than ever! Varying in color, height, material, hardware, and heel, boots have the capacity of reflecting each and every style. Last year’s fall and winter shoes were compiled of mostly tall, calf-length Steve Maddens and combat boots. Little did we know that the tough military look would pave the way for future trends to come. The latest shoes for this fall include heeled lace-up boots, tasseled loafers, boat shoes, and menswearinspired oxfords (think 40’s banker).

Basically, most shoes for this season have tomboy undertones, so don’t be surprised to see a bit of a change in the shoe section next time you shop.

With oxfords and loafers, slim— but not too skinny—jeans cuffed a bit above the ankle will showcase these shoes quite nicely. With boots, pretty much anything goes—that’s the beauty of them! But no matter if you choose to take the traditional or trendy route, the timelessness of these pieces is definitely an investment worth making this fall and for years after.

Of course, an outfit wouldn’t be

Jordan Llanas Staff Illustrator THIS SEASON’S FASHION: Floral print pants on left, Peter Pan necklace on top right, statement necklace on bottom right g

complete without an accessory. This season your options are limitless but for starters there’s statement necklaces. Usually shorter in length, these pieces are all about intricate details, interesting patterns, and bold color schemes. They instantly give a plain t-shirt and jeans an extra dose of style. But if you’re looking for an even more formal accessory (and aren’t in the market for anything too expensive), then a Peter Pan necklace is the solution for you! As if the movie wasn’t popular enough, the famous Disney star is making comebacks with his notorious green collared outfit. Speaking of which,

perhaps some of the most eye-catching accessories on the streets right now are collars. Many would describe it as if you cut off the collar from a glittery or stud-encrusted H&M shirt and wore it underneath a sweater.

It allows you to achieve the look of a collar without the extra layer. Now I know many of you are thinking, “Who would actually wear that?” or “I could never pull that off” but fall fashion is centered on taking risks! So get to the mall or that hole-in-the-wall thrift store and anywhere in between to stock up on the fall trends that’ll help you make some fashion risks of your own!

New School Lunch g Continued from p. 1

Some students appreciate the changes. “I’d say the changes were a good idea,” says junior Deon Ellis, “because since the foods are healthy, people should be eating them.” Other students differ. “It’s wack!” declared sophomore Twain Bratchett. “Most people don’t eat fruits and vegetables already,” he reasons, so “what makes anybody think people will eat them now?”

The problem of wasted food arises from this situation, as students can only be forced to take fruit and vegetable servings with them, and cannot be forced to actually eat these items. “It’s just a waste,” says sophomore Jesse Stockinger. “I know that a lot of people will just throw the fruit away.” Joey Blanco, a freshman, is even less optimistic. “Whether or not students eat healthy at school,” he says, “they’ll probably eat unhealthy things at home.”

Ultimately, the changes are intended to “ensure that the participating children gain a full understanding of the relationship between proper eating and good health,” according to language in HHFKA part 210.1. The law’s supporters hope to create a culture of healthy eating among young children, in accordance with Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” campaign. Launched on February 9, 2010, the cam-

paign is designed to encourage healthy eating and physical activity among schoolchildren, and eventually help reduce childhood obesity. As part of this campaign, she has promoted these goals over the past three years by appearing in schools alongside celebrities and chefs to encourage healthy lifestyle habits. She has also encouraged legislation encouraging healthy school lunches, such as HHFKA. All across the nation, from New York City to Dallas and Los Angeles, high schools are modifying their lunch programs to provide less than the 850 calories mandated by HHFKA. This pattern continues closer to home, as well. As reported by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, some Mukwonago High School students are boycotting their school lunch programs to protest calorie limitations. Many of the boycotters complain that they are provided smaller portions rather than healthier food, and that the reduced calories leave them hungry far sooner in the day than is desirable.

Wauwatosa West also has to meet the requirement of 850 calories or less. Yet at West, this has caused upset on a far less dramatic scale. Popular school lunches like the “chicken stuffer bowl” and stir fries remain in West’s lunchrooms. But some

students still have doubts about West’s lunch program.

Chief among these complaints is a perceived lack of “real food,” in the words of Deon Ellis. The food, he says, isn’t quite “filling enough,” and “it kind of tastes like you’re eating air, not food.” Colin Bartelme, a sophomore, says that “the food seems manufactured and full of chemicals,” rather than “cooked.”

Junior Carly Gomez described her idea of what is wrong with the school lunch: “greasy, soggy, cheesy, unhealthy pizza.” Instead, she thinks vegetable pizza should be offered. Christian Morzinski, a sophomore, agreed with Gomez about the pizza and suggested that pizza should be offered less often per week than every day.

In addition to the requirements already in place, HHFKA also has requirements meant to be phased in over several years. In two years, whole grains, which now compose approximately 50% of the grains in West’s hot lunch, will compose 100% of the grains. And in ten years, the district intends to cut its sodium in half.

With the changes in place, students may just have to swallow their objections.

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ELECTION 2012

ELECTION 2012

WEST SIDE STORIES

WEST SIDE STORIES

October, 2012

5

October, 2012

the

ODDS

316

Freshman 29% Sophomore 23% Junior 24% Senior 24%

Tosa West Students Polled

READYto

RUMBLE Jennifer Flynn g Copy Editor

Public Image

45% No 19%

Joe Biden

Wants to increase funding for Pell Grants (aid to low-income students) Started Race to the Top, a program in which states compete to meet certain standards to attain federal funding for education Pro choice; believes that states can restrict lateterm abortions Has provided non-military aid to Syria; wants to ensure Iran does not have nuclear weapons and to withdraw from Afghanistan in 2014 Wants to continue to be actively involved in the United Nations Signed into law the Patient Protection and Affordable Care At (ObamaCare) Believes medicinal marijuana use should not be punished by law Supports legal recognition of same-sex marraige at the federal level Repealed Don’t Ask Don’t Tell; called for the repeal of the Defense of Marraige Act (an act that says states do not have to recognize same sex marriage licenses from other states)

Don’t Know 36%

No 38%

YES

Plans to repeal ObamaCare; would grant more power to the states Is against medical and non-medical marijuana use Despite voting initially against its repeal, does not want to reinstate Don’t Ask Don’t Tell; supports the Defense of Marraige Act Supports a Constitutional amendment defining marraige as between one man and one woman; supports some domestic partnership benefits

Approve or Disapprove of ObamaCare?

29% APPROVE 26 % DISAPPROVE

YES

Don’t Know 26%

No 30%

45

Don’t Know 44%

DON’T % KNOW

The Presidential Poll Results

50% 21% 6% 23%

Obama-Biden Undecided Someone Else Romney-Ryan

Political Affiliation

32% 35% 13% 20%

Democrats

40%

Other/None/ Don’t Know

Independent Republican

Cross Analysis of non-Democrats and non-Republicans would vote for Obama-Biden

Follow politics Now and then or Hardly at all Don’t Know 15%

26%

MITT ROMNEY Paul Ryan Wants to make information about colleges more available; believes federal aid inflates tuitions; supports more private financial aid Supports school vouchers; wants more school choice, especially for low-income and special needs children, with federal funding going to the schools they attend Pro-life; supports abortion only in cases of rape and incest and to protect the life of the mother; against decision of Roe v. Wade Plans to increase defense spending; supports military aid for Syrian rebels; wants to ensure Iran doesn’t have nuclear weapons, possibly by force; unless new issues arise, wants to withdraw from Afghanistan in 2014 Wants to scale back United Nations involvement

Don’t Know 39%

Mitt Romney is a strong leader

51%

40%

35%

YES

Barack Obama is a strong leader

No 23%

Follow politics Most of the time or Some of the time

23%

YES

With the country’s 57th presidential election fully underway, most Americans are being bombarded with information from every angle. You can’t watch a YouTube video without first getting through a campaign ad, and the phone calls and flyers have only just begun. However, this constant stream of news often falls short of fully informing. And so, it is up to citizens to venture out into the world of political knowledge on our own. Whether you’re voting or not, you can be informed.

Before this November 6th, find a way to learn some more about your presidential candidates if you haven’t already. Watch the debates, visit campaign websites, and follow the news. And in the meantime, we’ve got your basics covered.

BARACK OBAMA

How often do you follow politics?

Mitt Romney cares about people like me...

Barack Obama cares about people like me...

Female 48%

Male 52%

38%

of females say they lean Democrat

6

Opinion WEST SIDE STORIES

School

CAYLIN ROSENE West Side Stories g

THE CASt of Cats works to perfect the first song, “Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats,” which introduces the audience into the world of Cats and works to begin their suspension of disbelief.

Commenting on the cast’s preparation, senior Colleen Seedfeldt said, “we all have the individual parts, now we just have to make it a whole show.”

Tosa West Theater Getting Catty

Trojan Players Present Andrew Lloyd Weber’s “CATS” CHRISTOPHER TROJAN g Staff Writer

Dates

November 2, 3, 9, 10 at 7 PM November 4 at 2 PM

Tickets

Adult: $15.00 Senior/ Staff: $12.50 Child (6 and under): $7.50 Student: $10.00 Purchase at the door or online at seatyourself.biz/trojanplayers

Principal Characters

Asparagus..........................................Josh Koch Bombalurina................................Susie Shively Bustopher Jones.................Maxwell Sebastian Demeter.........................................Mary Kayser Grizabella....................................Kylie Hogrefe Jellylorum....................................Sophia Bauer Jennyanydots........................Claire Wojnowiak Macavity.......................................Austin Budge Mr. Mistoffolees...........................Lizzie Kniffin Mungojerrie.......................................Dan Frens Munkustrap............................Lydia Berggruen Old Deuteronomy........................Jordan Llanas Quaxo....................................................Alex Lee Rumpleteazer...................................Molly Hess Rupus Cat.................................Dwayne Brister The Rum Tum Tugger....................Gabe Poehls Skimbleshanks............................Aidan Gabriel Victoria.....................................Colleen Seefeldt

This fall, the Trojan Players will be putting on the musical “CATS.” From what I gathered from observing the actors and tech crew, this show will truly be something different than previous shows played here at Tosa West.

For starters, every character is a cat. Although characters may stand up and imitate humans, and although they may speak as we do, the audience must remember that they are all cats. It all lies with willing suspension of disbelief. Former director Tim Catlett said, “It’s a definite requirement for the audience.”

Apart from the character element, the set will also be very peculiar. The tech crew is currently building a junkyard for the characters to play on; however, this is no ordinary junk yard. The set pieces will be several times bigger than normal to account for the rather large cats running around. A seven-foot tall tire may be among some of the many pieces you should expect to see if you go to see one of the performances this November. Many of the things that the characters do may seem weird to the audience, but it all plays an important role in the story development.

When asked about what makes this show special, Catlett replied, “This is going to be a huge costumes show.” Every cat costume will require a base, a tail, hair and makeup. I repeat, this is for every individual, and I am pretty sure there are like, 50-somethig cats; I didn’t check. But I assure you, there were a lot of them on stage dancing around.

The actors and actresses are special people that are often shuffled around like objects to rehearse

as much as they can in the time they have. When I arrived, they were already seated and listening to the song they were to be rehearsing that evening.

This was part of an aural warm-up to put everyone into the zone.

Following that is the essential physical warmup. It consisted of dancing and stretching and such.

I thought it would have been a little funny if one of the actors got an injury while dancing in the warm-up. You know, injuring yourself while taking precautions not to get injured. But Director Catlett assured me that there have been no injuries for the actors or the tech crew this far.

I ventured backstage to find someone from the tech crew to question, but they were all hard at work and were unable to answer my questions. I asked around to find out what the tone would be for the show. When asked who this show will appeal to, Freshman Rayven Budette responded, “Teenagers, maybe adults.”

It definitely has a childish feel to it, but at the same time, it is a Trojan Players’ production and a lot of thought and work has been put into the show so far. The show will be playing in the Tosa West auditorium during the first two weekends in November, and the tickets are usually fairly priced, I think.

From what I saw going down in the auditorium, I have already made my decision to make some friends and then take them to see “CATS.” I put my word on it; it is definitely going to be something that this school has never seen before.

7

Features WEST SIDE STORIES

Artists’ Corner

One of West’s aspiring artists Artist of the Edition: Deanna Betka

Grade: 12 Art type: Photography and 2D Beginning: I’ve always done art and artsy things.

Future: Considering majoring in illustration or graphic design.

Art classes taken: Art Foundations, Figure Drawing, Design, Painting, AP Photo, and AP Studio.

Process: [It] depends on what I’m doing. I look around me to see if I see

something interesting. It’s sometimes intentional and sometimes it’s whatever comes into my head.

Inspiration: Certain objects or colors just stand out to me, so my inspiration would be the world around me in general. Ideas just come into my head, and I go with it, experiment, and see what happens.

WANT TO SEE MORE? For the rest of Deanna’s art, scan the QR Code to go to www.wauwatosawest.com

Thursday, November 15, 6:30 p.m.

• Get online scholarship search techniques • Find out how to apply for scholarships at Mount Mary and from other organizations • Learn techniques for writing scholarship essays • Plan for scholarship and financial aid deadlines

Register online at www.mtmary.edu or by calling 414-256-1219.

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 comprehesive 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 exchange of comment and criticism. WSS’s editorial page will take stances on important issues, will help protect the rights of students, will help support groups seeking 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 concensus of opinion among the WSS editor. Copies of the complete WSS editorial policy are available at Room 267 at Wauwatosa West High School.

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

Subscription Information: For a subscription, please send $20 payable to Wauwatosa West High. Send to West Side Stories, c/o Wauwatosa West High School, 11400 W. Center St., Wauwatosa, WI 53226.

Awards: Wisconsin Newspaper Association awarded West Side Stories a Second Place in 2007-2008 and a First Place in 2008-2009 in the general execellence category. West Side Stories has also recieved a bronze medalist ranking from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association.

A number of students have also placed individually in state and national writing competitions.

Editor-in-Chief: Stephanie Eberle Editor-in-Chief: Deanna Ross Photography Editor: Caylin Rosene Copy Editor: Jennifer Flynn Web Editor: Mark Salamone Layout and Design: Jack Wongtam Writers: Brianna Blinkiewicz Christopher Trojan Jordan Voit Ryne Radske Anthony Clayton Erin Stapleton Photographers: Kou Vang Tyus Stoltenburg

Nick Moroder Illustrators: Bria Jones

Jordan Llanas

Patricia Bermema

8

HOMECOMING WEST SIDE STORIES

October, 2012

Photo Wrap-Up: Homecoming

Gabe Poehls jumps up in excitement after his victory at the Stuffer Bowl Challenge on Green and White Day. When asked if he had any tips for next years participants, he said “breath through your nose, you can’t breath if you’re just chewing and chewing.”

A Group of Sophomores display their enthusiasm for spirit week on Toga Day. For some students, spirit extended beyond just simply wearing a toga. “I wanted to start the toga chant all day long,” said Juila Kennedy.

Calvin Stokes rips out his blue tape in anticipation, searching the halls for his next tagging target. “It was the most fun day,” he said. “It’s a good way for upper classmen and lower classmen to interact.”

Juniors erupt as they hear their class called during the Homecoming pep assembly.

freshmen and sophomores show off their elderly-inspired ensembles.

Robert Davis poses next to his fellow Captain America, Principal Frank Calarco, on Superhero Day. According to Calarco, “Captain America has been my favorite superhero since I was 4 years old because I loved the magic shield.