January 2013

WEST SIDE

STORIES

JANUARY 2013

SANDY HOOK brings back memories of WEST school shooting p. 6-7

• Wauwatosa West High School • 11400 W Center Street, Wauwatosa WI • Volume 17, Issue 3

News

Grochowski Joins West As New A.P.

Hired as new associate principal for “ability to connect with students” JACK WONGTAM g Layout and Design Editor

Every day after school, Clint Grochowski starts tweeting.

For the past three years, former athletes and students of Grochowski have received daily texts or tweets of: “No one ever remembers 2nd place, the runner up, or consolation champion. It is the cold truth.” or “The best way to predict the future is to create it.”

“It’s just a way to keep in contact [with past students],” Grochowski said. “A way to let them know that I still care about them, that they inspire me as much

District Explores Scheduling

as I inspire them and let them know that I’m always there for them.”

Now recently hired as an associate principal at Wauwatosa West, he will have a new group of students to keep in touch with. Grochowski, who started his first day on December 20th, is excited for the opportunity.

“I plan on getting to know students from all groups, all sports, all the different cliques that exist in a high school and try and find the niches and the g Please see Grochowski p. 2

Tosa West Moment

Options include eight period day BETH PIERCE g Guest Writer

The Wauwatosa School District is in the process of evaluating new daily schedules for West and East high schools. A new schedule will be implemented as early as 2014-2015 school year. Wauwatosa West is now moving towards an eight period foundation with either a block schedule or an eight period day, similar to Arrowhead Union High School in Hartland where they use a combination of blocks, about 90 minute classes, and skinnys, about 40 minute classes.

In January of 2011, a scheduling committee was formed by the school district and headed by former West Associate Principal Lena Patton and Whitman Principal Jeff Keranen.

The committee began by first identifying the important priorities of the high schools and middle schools.

The committee then ranked each of the priorities, and then attempted to identify schedules that best meet the needs of the most highly ranked priorities. Those priorities were the student’s needs and the community of the school and what would work best to meet those goals.

The committee then visited schools in the region using each of these schedules.

The district determined the eight period day and block schedule to be the most effective at meeting the identified priorities.

The eight period day schedule will help to benefit students by opening up their schedules and giving them the opportunity to take more classes than they previously could.

“This change will help to facilitate [student’s requests],” Superintendent Phil Ertl said.

Principal Frank Calarco states that the schedule changes came about due to parents who want their students to g Please see Scheduling p. 9

Jayla torrEs, 6, watching the the Locks of Love presentation on January, 11th. Jayla, later cut the hair of senior Mariella Schmidt. When explaining her choice to let Jayla cut her hair, Schmidt said, “I thought, why not do it for an actual purpose. And then I thought, ‘Oh, how cool will it be if [Jayla] actually cut it for me?’ Now she’s putting on her resume that she was a hairstylist.” For more pictures, go to www.wauwatosawest.com.

West Adjusts to Grading Policy Movement towards “acheivement-based grading” is still a work in progress JACK WONGTAM g Layout & Design Editor

Along with the traditional A’s, B’s and C’s, students at Wauwatosa West were greeted this grading period with a new letter grade: the “I.” In early September, as part of a movement towards “achievementbased grading,” the Wauwatosa School District revealed a new grading policy to students, parents, and teachers in an effort to better reflect student learning. Among the most significant changes were mandatory reassessment opportunities, devaluation of homework to a maximum 10% of a student’s total grade, and the introduction of the “I” grade.

“We want the grades to reflect what students do, not attendance or extra credit,” Superintendent Phil Ertl said of the grading policy. “If students want to put in the effort to learn the material, we want to give them the chance to do well.”

The recent transformation in grading was spurred by a 2011 presenta-

tion to district staff by Thomas Guskey, a professor at the University of Kentucky known for his research in grading reform. Guskey advocated to teachers grading practices that separated measures of what a student had learned with activities typically associated with learning.

“Distinguishing specific ‘product’ criteria on which to base an ‘achievement’ grade allows teachers to offer a better and more precise description of students’ academic achievement and performance,” Guskey claims in a 2006 article for education magazine, Phi Delta Kappan. For him, “process” criteria, such as homework, attendance, or participation, though still important, should be reported separately from this ‘achievement’ grade.

Following Guskey’s presentation, a group of English teachers at Wauwatosa East were inspired to launch a year-long grading pilot modeled after his work for the 2011-2012 school

year. After reflecting on their own grading practices, the teachers created a reporting model that distinguished student achievement from the behaviors that are typically associated with achievement. Criteria such as homework, participation, effort, and punctuality were not considered in a student’s final grade but were still assessed on a 1-4 point scale.

Jean Biebel, a liaison between the East English teachers and the district’s Director of Student Learning and an East Media Communications teacher herself, said “The pilot transformed my practice by requiring me to routinely reflect on the purpose of my instructional and assessment practices.”

In all respects, the school district’s overall grading initiative has been moving in the direction suggested by Guskey and piloted at East. However, g Please see Grading p. 2

2

NEWS WEST SIDE STORIES

NEWS

Grochowski g continued from p. 1

talents that they have and get them involved in the school,” he said.

As part of the selection process, Grochowski interviewed with Superintendent Phil Ertl and Principal Frank Calarco and was selected among an initial pool of ten candidates. According to Calarco, Grochowski stood out because of his emphasis on getting to know his peers and students.

“You could just feel that he really had a strong commitment to build relationships with everybody,” Calarco said. “When he started out one of the interviews, he took the time to tell us about his family and talk about his kids and his wife and we thought that was really endearing.”

Grochowski, a former Spanish teacher at New Berlin Eisenhower who also coached track, football, and basketball, describes himself as a high-energy, outgoing, and fair teacher. Justin Schreiner, a student who had Grochowski for his freshman Spanish class, testified to Grochowski’s ability to engage with students.

“He was very personable. Everyone that I know that also had him as a teacher loved him as a teacher and as a man outside of school,” Schreiner said.

“I wouldn’t call him strict per say, but he wasn’t lenient either. Whatever he wanted us to learn, he expected us to learn it.”

For Grochowski, teaching was career he started to aspire for while in 6th grade. Ever since then, he has worked towards his goal, receiving a Master’s Degree from Viterbo University and teaching 13 years at New Berlin Eisenhower. He credits many of his high school teachers and college professors for influencing his own teaching style through the years.

“One that that I think has always helped me is trying to have some empathy, you know, trying to

Associate Principal Clint Grochowski approaches a group of sophomores during lunch to chat. Phoebe Albert, sophomore, said of Grochowski, “I thought he was really cool; he just came to our table and started talking.”

put myself in the student’s shoes,” Grochowski said.

“Making a connection with the kids has always been a strength of mine and something that I’ve always aspired to do.”

As an associate principal, Grochowski will have to juggle interacting with students with the a litany of other responsibilities, including evaluation of 1/3 of the Tosa West staff and supervision of school events. According to Calarco, Grochowski has, so far, exceeded his expectations.

“He gets here early, leaves late, he’s always out in the hallways and visible; he’s willing to dive right in,” Calarco said. “We were just at a meeting today

that he’s never been at before and he had to run the meeting and I said, ‘Oh, I’ll do it for you, so that I can show you,’ and he goes, ‘Oh no, let me take a whack at it.’ I love that about him; he really wants to work hard and try hard.”

Schriener has no doubts that Grochowski will adapt to Tosa West’s environment and be a successful associate principal.

“I think he would make a great associate principal,” he said. “He treats people with the respect they deserve… I think he relates to students very well, and he carries himself very well also.”

Grading g continued from p. 1

school administrators have faced many challenges in implementing the new policies. Among the main difficulties they have encountered are problems entering grades into Powerschool. For the first few months after implementation, the online grading technology did not allow teachers to enter “I” grades.

Both Calarco and Ertl also recognized that implementation of the policy came too late, leading to communication problems with staff, students, and parents.

“I feel that if you’re going to implement a grading policy, the best way to do that would probably be to incorporate the teachers in the decision before you just kind of throw it at them at the beginning of the year,” math teacher, Cathy Razner said.

In an effort to address some of these challenges and to evaluate the effects of the changes to grading, a grading committee was formed by the principals and associate principals of Wauwatosa West, East, Whitman, and Longfellow.

“The number one goal [of the committee] is how to authentically assess student learning,” said Principal Frank Calarco. “It’s one thing to say that and it’s another thing to make it practical for teachers so, I guess, another big goal for the committee is to make it doable and

practical in everyday teaching.” and that testing makes up too large of But some students, like senior Ron- a portion of a student’s grade. ald Brown, still remain skeptical of “Let’s just say you do badly on one the current approach. Brown was es- quiz or test,” he said. “You can get pecially critical of the new “I” grade. dropped a whole letter grade.”

“It’s just a stupid way to say you have This effect can become more promian F,” he said. nent in more rigorous classes where a Senior Jennifer Lor believes that, student’s quarter grade may depend under the current policy, student’s on his performance on as little as four grades sometimes do not accurately separate tests. reflect a student’s achievement in a “For kids that even struggle in class. tests, [homework] gives them another “I do well mostly because I do the opportunity to work hard,” Razner assignments,” she said. “I think that said. “It’s kind of sometimes they good to try and moknow the math, You want the target to tivate students to be learning, not just task they just don’t aldo well without the ways show it in completion... we don’t homework grade, quizzes and tests.” but [homework] is For Calarco, want homework to be kind of necessary to however, the [about] getting it done. learning too.” changes to homeRazner says she work grading were has seen a noticeable decline in the an intuitive move towards more acnumber of students doing homework curately reporting what a student has in her classes. learned. Homework, as he sees it, does “I still think homework should not show understanding of course macount more than 10%,” she said. “The terial; rather, it shows compliance to homework has been not good at all the busywork teachers may assign. this year. And even the accelerated Ertl agrees with Calarco. kids are not doing it all the time be“You want the target to be learncause I think they look at it like it’s ing, not just task completion,” Ertl just 10%.” said. “We don’t want homework to be Sophomore Garrick Gesell feels getting it done; we want it to be learnthat the new grading policy does not ing.” reward students for doing homework Ertl also believes that the issue is

“

”

being overstated. Calarco, in particular, believes that students’ motivation to do homework would resolve itself over time as the educational culture of West changes to reflect the lesser emphasis on homework. He looks to the Waukesha School District, a district that in 2007 altered their grading policy in much the same way West has changed its grading policy, as evidence.

“Waukesha did say that it took them two or three years to really get over that hump of students understanding how important it was to do your work because it would help you on your assessments,” Calarco said.

“It’s not about just giving students points for completing work; it’s about assessing whether or not students have learned what you have taught them and it’s worked out for them.”

Ultimately, Calarco believes that the revised grading policy is a step in the right direction for reporting student achievement, but that it is still a work in progress.

“I think that people believe in the philosophy of grading for learning,” he said. “The only thing we’re struggling right now is how to make it more practical. Eventually, if we give it time, I really feel like we’re doing the right thing; we’re going towards doing the right thing for what’s best for students.”

Opinions WEST SIDE STORIES

3

Home Found in Fandoms Support and acceptance found in unexpected places ANDREW HANSON g Guest Writer

In today’s world, more and more teens are joining what are known as “fandoms.” The term “fandom” was first used in America circa 1903 by the movie and sport industries.

According to Urban Dictionary, a fandom is “a kingdom of fans” dedicated to a specific television show, movie, book, etc.

I myself am a member of the Teen Wolf fandom. Being a member of a fandom can be as much or little work as a fan wants to put into the fandom.

Some members dedicate their entire time to supporting the fandom, while others just cheer every once in a while for their fandom.

Tumblr and Twitter have become major networks that allow members of each fandom to create pairings, communicate by sharing stories, and just fangirl/boy over the fandom in general. The term fangirl, and its counterpart fanboy, describes a member of the fandom who gushes over aspects of the fandom, or the

fandom in general, with uncontrollable bouts of emotion known as “feels.”

Feels can be the byproduct of a major plot development or really anything pertaining to the fandom (including, but not limited to: the actors, producers, writers, etc).

People on Twitter and especially Tumblr tend to understand the obsession that can go into supporting a fandom or even a specific “ship” within the fandom. Ships are relationships that do not have

to be part of the main story line, but may just be a pairing that the member of the fandom wishes would happen in real life.

Tumblr has become a place where fandoms of all shapes, sizes, and shows go to propagate themselves because of the majority of Tumblr being made up of minorities who understand each other’s quirks and nuances.

Quirks and nuances are what make up each and every fandom. Why exactly do peo-

ple flock to fandoms? Maybe it’s because people do what people have always done; they look for like-minded people to share their thoughts with.

Just because you don’t understand one person’s obsession with a said fandom, this does not make them crazy or annoying. It just makes them an individual who is looking for others who will accept them for their likes and interests.

Because in the end, doesn’t everyone just want acceptance?

Violent Games: A Scapegoat for the Real Problem Does violence in video games create violent tendencies in those who play them?

MARK SALAMONE g Web Editor

It’s common for kids my age to play violent video games; the titles are familiar: Black Ops, Skyrim, and Grand Theft Auto, among others. Odds are, if you search the house of the average high school age boy, you’ll find at least one of these. I’ll freely confess to the many hours I’ve spent spilling blood in games like these.

The violent content in these games is one reason why they sell so well; kids love the violent content. Nevertheless, the games have come underscrutiny for their alleged

role in causing violent crime.

As people across America struggle to understand what caused the recent Newtown, Connecticut shootings, violent video games have been named as a cause for violence. The video games in question depict graphic killing, and reward people for theft, murder, and destruction. It’s no great surprise that some Americans dislike these games. Anyone can see to some extent the argument against this content, but forgive me if I’m skeptical that

these games create killers.

Crusading against explicit media for its supposed role in causing violence is not new; people have railed against comic books, violent films, and profane music at different times over the last half-century. Nor is the special attention video games receive new: a 1976 arcade game, Death Race, inspired such rage in protesters that the consoles were torn out of arcades and burned in the streets. And this game was in purely black and white!

Those who hold to the belief that violent video games cause violence point to studies that supposedly corroborate this hypothesis, in particular those published

by Dr. Craig A. Anderson.

These studies make them feel secure in their beliefs, even though the true picture is anything but clear.

Studies conducted by the Harvard Medical School, the Journal of Adolescent Health, and the British Medical Journal have found no link between video games and crime,

and former Surgeon General David Satcher has said video games have “very little” effect in causing crime.

The key here is that almost all kids play video games; by some estimates, nine of every ten teens plays video games regularly. With the popularity of violent games, some of these nine will play violent video games regularly. And in this, killers are much like everyone; they play video games, but typically only just as much as their non-violent neighbors and friends.

In response to his city’s recent tragedy, a twelve year old from Newtown has called on his peers to swear off violent video games, and a similar effort in nearby Southington, Connecticut calls for citizens to destroy their violent video games. We’ll see how effective these requests are, but they ultimately won’t affect gun violence, because this whole issue is one big red herring.

The most recent fishmonger is the National Rifle Association.

The NRA kept quiet just after the shootings in Newtown, but then offered this to the public: “There exists in this country a callous, corrupt and corrupting shadow industry that sells, and sows, violence against its own people through vicious, violent video games.” My immediate thought is that the part about a “callous, corrupt and corrupting shadow industry that sells, and sows, violence against its own people” could just as easily describe

the gun shows (supported by the NRA) that sell weapons en masse, with frequent felony violations of the law. But beyond this is the possibility that people across America are accepting the argument that video games cause violence, rather than choosing to understand the issue more fully.

The fact is that a variety of factors can contribute to violence. The easy availability of guns could be one; the American practice of incarcerating huge swaths of its population could be another.

Mental illness is a factor in some gun crimes; but no one truly understands mental illness completely enough to understand the minds of some killers. “Some men just want to watch the world burn,” declared Alfred in The Dark Knight, and maybe James Holmes pondered these words as he planned his massacre at a showing of the next movie.

These words illustrate the incompleteness of our understanding of the human mind, but even with that lack of understanding, there are real answers out there, and victims deserve real answers.

When people ask why horrible shootings occur, we can’t rely on scapegoats and BandAid solutions for our lack of understanding.

America has a long ways to go to recover from its violence; we can start by burying the tired old argument that violent video games cause real life violence.

What is your opinion?

Do you think violent video games lead to violent teenagers?

Text a code to 37607 Bria Jones g Illustrator

Yes: 354678 No: 354679

See the results at www.wauwatosawest.com

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ENTERTAINMENT WEST SIDE STORIES

BESTBEATS BRETT CLARKE g Guest Writer

The quality of music is very important to people, and with large record sales from Monster’s ever-popular Beats, it’s obvious that consumers spend a lot on their headphones. Overhyped or overpriced, new headphones try to compete every year trying to be the best. West Side Stories breaks down the best headphones for you.

DJ PRO 200 by Koss ......................... $129.99 Description: Made by a local Milwaukee company, these headphones are solidly built, over-the-ear, noise-isolating studio headphones that drown out sound. It comes in a carrying case with its 8 ft stereo cable and the traditional 4 ft iPod cord that lets you change volume and pause the song. The headphones run a stereo cord out of the left headphone while the right ear can control between stereo and mono sound quality with a flick of the switch.

What we like: The DJ Pro look smooth and feel nice to hold. They have rotating metal ear pads for maximum comfort and sound quality. The audio is clear with perfect balance between bass and tremble. Normal equalizer has never sounded so good with headphones; these won’t shake with the slightest bass but once you get them up to max, the abilities of these headphones never fail to impress. The option of switching out cords is always cool. The coiled stereo cord is nice and solid and even with extreme amount of use, never seems to stretch out.

What we don’t like: The spun metal ear pads look nice but very easily get dirty and you can see finger prints from every time you try them on. Something also noticed is quality from the cords. The iPod cord seems to have a slightly louder max volume than the coiled studio cord, while the studio cord delivers the clearer sound of the two; people who like their volume at max might notice this.

Overall: Koss DJ Pro 200 provides crystal clear sound and are durable. These headphones have the ability to be interchangeable, allowing for length, weight, and type of the cord to be 100% customizable. Apart from the smudges that will show, these headphones are for people who want to strengthen their music without breaking the bank. These headphones aren’t base-heavy, so for some who like shake, these are a more balanced headset that allows for layers of sound.

9.5 out of 10

Solo Beats by Dre .................................................. $199.95

Description: The Solo Beats are solid, built, on-ear headphones with soft mesh pads on the ears. The look of Beats is smooth and mainstream, giving a quality feel to them. The head strap, though unpadded, is mid tension, allowing your ears to feel comfortable even after hours of use--but enough not to have your music bleed through. With detachable cables, cord length is never an issue. The headphones collapse and also rest very fashionably on your shoulders.

What we don’t like: Acoustic or “softer” bands. Rock and Punk was shaky especially when it leans more toward hardcore screamo. The vocals are drowned out by the instrumentals and most iPod equalizers fail to make the balance just right, giving either too strong or weak of tremble and a distant aspect to the music.

What we like: Beats perform best in Hip Hop, Rap and Dubstep, as the headphones do a good job of balancing treble and bass.

Overall: Beats are good quality headphones for a majority of popular genres of music. With custom colors and different bass mm sizes, the quality of the Beats will always be good. With a price sticker in the hundreds, this headphone is an expensive buy for those who care more about the style than the quality.

9.5 out of 10

50mm Low Riders by Skull Candy..................... $30.00 Description: Cheap, portable, and good sound quality are the Low Riders summed up in a few words. Low Riders are on-ear, very low tension collapsible headphones with leather-like padding.

The Low Rider is a very Skelton-like headphone, focusing on portability and a skater style of fashion. The padded head strap fits comfortably on most any head, with a break point right down the middle that goes unnoticed till storage.

What we like: Low Riders are well-rounded headphones, allowing an enjoyable listening experience for all genres but lacking the crystal clear sounds of more expensive counterparts. Despite that, “Have Faith in Me” by A Day To Remember was edgy and balanced the guitar and drums well.

These headphones are more designed for the on-the-go person who doesn’t like sticking ear buds in.

What we don’t like: Despite being well-made, it feels cheaply made. The headphones feel like they collapse on themselves like a rag doll and clunk around when you set them up to listen to.

Resting them on our shoulders is fine; however, sometimes the hinge on the head strap pinches the back of your neck, making for a few annoying moments. The Low Rider is not the headphones for people who want to feel every beat, with literally no kick; these are for travel.

Overall: Low Riders are affordable on almost any paycheck. They are good for all kinds of music but lack the extra kick most bass junkies look for. Low Riders come in 2 different mm bass sizes and many different color schemes. These affordable headphones are a great Christmas present that don’t break the bank and deliver good sound quality.

8.5 Out of 10

ENTERTAINMENT WEST SIDE STORIES

5

Milwaukee Venues That Rock Four local music hotspots to check out this year JULI JOHNSON g Guest Writer

ANTHONY CLAYTON g Staff Writer

Riverside

Address: 116 West Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53203 Why it rocks: The Riverside like its fellow theater, The Pabst, provide a

similar experience: organized and orderly. The sound quality is excellent, like its fellow theater. It was designed to be an opera house so everything sounds great, differing from The Pabst, The Riverside has more seating.

What could be better: The Riverside removes the first ten rows for general admission, but when the show starts the floor starts vibrating and will make those unprepared slightly uncomfortable.

Coming soon:MATCHBOX TWENTY -Saturday, February 9, America’s Got Talent Live All-Stars Tour -Friday, February 15, Walking Dead - Cast & Creators, Saturday, February 16 and Saturday, February 16 Contact information: (414) 286-3663

The Rave

Address: 2401 West Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53233 Why it rocks: The Rave is very cost-conscious when it comes to tickets, es-

pecially for the talent that they bring in. The venue provides for a satisfying night of music, bringing the fans an up-close experience with their favorite band. The layout of the venue consists of five rooms, which provide standing room (general admission) and balcony sitting areas (VIP). You can also catch some unknown local groups wandering the hall or talking to you in line, trying to get their name out and sometimes selling pretty good EP’s for only 5 bucks.

What could be better: The Rave has a less-than-perfect audio system that instead of providing clean bass, just booms and sizzles, often affecting the audibleness of the artist singing/rapping. It is also not the most welcoming venue you could hope for; the environment is very dark and the staff does not really go out of their way to show you where things are. The smell is also notably bad, giving off the impression that something is burning all the time.

Past Events: Bob Dylan (2005), The White Stripes (2003), The Killers (2009) Fan says: “The Rave is really cool because you can meet people your own age and share the same passion for the music.” - Maddie Noorlander Contact Information: (414) 342-7283

The Pabst

Address: 144 East Wells Street, Milwaukee, WI 53202 Why it rocks: The Pabst Theater is probably the most organized and orderly

Turner Hall Ballroom Address: 1040 North 4th Street, Milwaukee, WI 53203 Why it rocks: The Turner Hall Ballroom offers a similar environment to

that of the Rave, but the sound system is far superior. The concert hall is used primarily for general admission shows, but has seats when needed. You can also rent out the hall for events.

What could be better: The venues in the Pabst/Riverside/Turner system are all of very old age. That being said, the hall feels very “ready-tobreak-apart” when enjoying a show.

Coming soon:One More Time: A DAFT PUNK TRIBUTE, Friday, February 1 Contact information: (414) 286-3663

of Milwaukee music venues.

The sound quality is top-notch to a tee. It was designed to be an opera house so everything sounds great. There are red, plush, velvety seats, which are an added plus, but the staff really ties it all together. The Pabst is a very welcoming and friendly environment, leaving you happy after any and every show you attend.

What could be better: The top section is not for the agoraphobics; just wandering around looking for your seat could leave you with a permanent nosebleed.

Coming Soon: Grace Potter & The Nocturnals- January 20 Fan says: “There’s not a bad seat in the house.” - Mrs. Steiner Contact information: (414) 286-3663

Can’t Miss Concerts Upcoming shows you must see ANTHONY CLAYTON g Staff Writer

Tame Impala

Yo La Tengo

The Darkness

Tame Impala has been making quite the name for themselves over the past few years. In 2010 they released the superb “Innerspeaker,” and continued this streak of greatness with last year’s phenomenal “Lonerism.” For $18 (plus additional service charges), this show is a steal.

25+ years into their career, Yo La Tengo, husband/wife team of Ira Kaplan and Georgia Hubley, are still making music, and very good music at that. They have recently released the first single “Ohm” from their new album “Fade” due out 1/15 on Matador. Once again, for this price, this show is a steal.

The Darkness make music that sounds like what we hear glam metal sounding like through our thoughts: the eyeliner, heavy riffs, cat suits, 7th grade innuendoes. It’s all here. The thing is, this is what makes this band great. The Darkness hasn’t reinvented the wheel, but they have popularized clichés. I think everyone and their mother knows the chorus to “I Believe in a Thing Called Love.” This show is a can’t-miss, just based on what I imagine their concert to look like.

Date: 3/3 Location: Turner Hall Ballroom Cost: $18

Date: 2/2 Location: Turner Hall Ballroom Cost: $18.50

Date: 1/26 Location: The Rave/ Eagle’s Ballroom Cost: $26.50

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FEATURES

FEATURES WEST SIDE STORIES

BREITLOW:

Tosa West’s Sandy Hook

DEANNA ROSS g Ediot-in-Cheif

December 14th, 2012, tragedy and terror stuck through the hearts of America, as they learned from and comforted friends, family, and peers that 26 people had been massacred in a school shooting. The location: Sandy Hook Elementary in Connecticut.

December 1st, 1993 Dale Breitlow, the associate principal of West at the time, was shot three times and killed by former student Leonard McDowell. The location: Wauwatosa West High School in Wisconsin.

For many people in Tosa, hearing about the shooting in Connecticut hit home, reminding them of tragic death of Breitlow, a man who had huge influence on the school and community then and still does.

However, the recent massacre at Sandy Hook demanded attention be paid to school security all over the nation with large numbers of worried parents and students. Only days ago the students of Sandy Hook returned to school, a school with vast numbers of new and improved safety precautions.

With the whole nation’s support behind them, the students and staff were greeted by a large police presence and ID checks for parents dropping their children off. Parents and the community

WEST SIDE STORIES

Nineteen years before the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting and six years before Columbine, Wauwatosa West High School experienced a shooting that shook our community

were informed that there had been a formation of the Sandy Hook Advisory Commission. The organization was organized with the purpose to make policy recommendations on public safety, mental health and gun prevention. Monroe Police Lt. Keith White told reporters that they will just have to take things “week by week” as far as more safety precautions and doing whatever they can do to help get the students to feel safe and return to their “normal education.” There were therapists on duty at all times and there will continue to be for all students, in order to ensure that a “normal education” be resumed.

Tosa West experienced similar complications when returning back to school. The shooting had occurred in mid-December, right before holiday break, so the return from then was the hardest. Therapists were offered to students as well as staff during school hours to help ease traumatic thoughts and reinforce a feeling of safety.

Ben Veit, a teacher at West during the time, said that “the rest of the semester was just trying to get back to normal.” Veit also did not take assistance from the hired therapists because he felt that “he just didn’t need it,” although he thought that it was a good gesture to offer to the students and staff, especially as both did take up the offer of a little therapy. According to Veit, it would be a long time until the atmosphere of the school was no longer “eery and “uneasy.”

The shooting at Tosa West occurred around sixth period, during class learning hours, just as Sandy Hook had, so there were a number of students and staff who were witness to the shooting of one of the primary leaders of their school.

Back in 1993 Tosa West also responded to their school shooting in terms of improvement of school security. Most of those precautions have been upkept into present day. Due to the location of the shooting (near the library) it [the library] became a protection priority. In 1993, the doors to the library were kept propped open at all times of the day. Today students can only pass through the library during the five minutes they have to get to class.

Students must also present a signed pass from a teacher in order to work in there during the day, even their lunch hours. The doors remain locked while during class hours so that without a key, they can only be opened from the inside.

Another noticeable safety precaution is that there

is a single designated door for coming and going students, staff, and visitors. The remainders of the doors get locked shortly after the bell rings and class begins.

The designated entrance eventually gets locked as well, prompting anyone who enters the building to use the intercom and identify who they are and what their business is at the school. Most days there is a teacher or administrator greeting students as they enter the building, just for human presence.

Tosa West will also be taking a few more safety precautions in response to the more recent Sandy Hook shooting. Officer Griffin, the Student Resource Officer at the school, hopes to be installing more security cameras in “dead zones,” spaces in the school that are not being monitored at the moment in the school. Officer Griffin also mentioned precautions being taken that limit activity on the second floor during while students are learning in their classrooms. The school is now monitoring all deliveries as well, touching base as often as needed to ensure maximum safety on that realm of things.

“We’re really just fine-tuning some things. Thinking about what ifs of all situations and ideas,” Officer Griffin explained.

Lockdown procedure drills seemed to linger on Officer Griffin’s mind, however, as he stressed the importance of them.

“Knowing your role and taking it serious just makes everything easier,” said Griffin. The drills require students and teachers to lock the classroom doors, move away from the windows, and remain calm and quiet because a person who is causing a threat will always “go for what’s available.”

Both Sandy Hook police officers and Officer Griffin feel that the public should know that “there’s always going to be something that we didn’t think of.” But they ensure that they are doing the best to make sure these tragedies don’t unfold again, as well as in the rest of the nation, because students shouldn’t have to hear the sound of gun-shots in place of the ring of a school bell.

7

OpINION

STUDENT RESOURCE OFFICER FARRIS GRIFFIN knows the negative vibe that a uniform can bring. “Everytime there is a kid walking with me, people assume they’re in trouble. But usually, that’s not the case,” he said.

Relationships with Police Relationships between police and teens has never been easy TAYLOR WALKER g Guest Writer

The police have an image problem among teenagers and young adults. For some teens, the police are the enemy--only there to bother and harass, rather than serve and protect.

“I believe the police want to lock us all up. ‘That’s one less reckless teen on the streets’...that’s their motto,” said Wauwatosa West Senior Larry Williams.

Police departments recognize this perception and have been proactive in developing their relationships with their communities--especially teens and young adults.

“The majority of teens view us in a negative way. They think we are in a position to enforce rules, and they don’t like rules. They think we have too much power over the community,” said Officer Faro Davis, a 17-year veteran of the Milwaukee Police Department.

Officer Davis does not agree with the way police officers are viewed in the community, and she’s explained that the police department actually does a lot to try to create better relationships with kids and young adults and change the way the police are viewed.

“We work a lot in the schools. We put on presentations and run conflict resolution classes for elementary and middle schools. There are also classes in high schools about healthy relationships, focusing especially on girls and how to avoid being in unhealthy relationships,” said Davis.

There is also a program called STOP (Students Talking it Over with Police) where the officers belonging to the MPD visit students from ages 12 to 17 and teach them about all aspects of the police.

They also teach them about reasons an officer may stop you, and explain that just because an officer stops you, this doesn’t mean you necessarily did something wrong.

This program is meant to show students that they do not have to be intimidated by the police, but instead they can trust them and build relationships with them.

The program only exists in private schools so far, but the MPD hopes to stretch this program to other schools around the city, like Milwaukee Public Schools.

“I think the STOP program should come to Tosa West. I believe some of the students here could benefit from it,” said Jenna Houillion, senior at Wauwatosa West.

Not only do they work in schools, but they work in the neighborhoods too.

“Community liaison officers go into neighborhoods and set up meetings to discuss neighborhood issues. They also give them advice on how to handle issues and concerns like loud music or kids hanging out after curfew,” said Davis.

While everyone views the police as such enemies, they are going all around the community trying to help.

What many people fail to realize is that the police are people too. Sure, there are police that may abuse their authority, making it harder to build positive relationships with the citizens in the community, but not all police are bad.

“We understand we have a lot power, but we don’t all have to abuse it. We are people too, we have families, and this is a job,” said officer Farris Griffin, who has been with the Wauwatosa

Police Department for 5 years.

The police have a very difficult job in general. It is not an easy task trying to protect everyone around the community, and the negative outlook on them doesn’t make it any easier.

“Dealing with the current issues in our society is a challenge with all the guns, violence, lack of respect, poverty; there are just so many things that cause challenges with us,” said Davis.

When a person is arrested, that can enrage them and all of their loved ones, and that just adds to the list of people with negative perspectives of the police.

“Sometimes we might talk to someone who made a bad decision and we might not think an arrest is necessary, but some laws dictate that we are required to arrest them,” said Griffin.

This makes it clear that there are people above the police with more power to dictate the police department’s actions. The police are under a lot of pressure from those above them, and the citizens of the community.

“The police have a tough job, and you’ve got to give them credit for deciding to join this field of work,” said sophomore Aaliyah Jackson.

“They have good intentions.”

What people fail to realize is that the police are doing everything they can to protect our community, not to harm it.

They are in a position of power, but not all choose to use it in an incorrect way. Not only are they not all bad, but they also do things to show people from all different age groups that they are here to help by participating in the community, schools, and neighborhoods.

8 Features WEST SIDE STORIES

Substitute Teachers You may not know them as well as you thought RYNE RADSKE g Guest Writer

Jeremiah Snyder enters the doors of Wauwatosa West High School and begins working with students on numerous activities. Departing by 3:10, he returns back to his daily life.

Snyder said, “I can be found fighting crime, solving world hunger, or searching for a cure to cancer.”

This is just another normal substitute teacher from Wauwatosa West. Each morning, the main office receives a phone call at 7 a.m. from Terri Cera, the district sub coordinator, with a report of who is coming to teach in the building that day.

A normal morning for AdministrativeAssistant Michele Cervantes would consist of teacher’s planned absences, last minute teacher cancellations due to illness, and overall mad chaos.

Cervantes explains, “It is my duty to get everything gathered together for them such as the keys, papers, and agenda and deliver it to their room.”

A familiar face in the classroom includes Social Studies teacher Steven Pricco. Pricco was born in Milwaukee and has arrived back to his hometown after teaching in St. Paul, Minnesota for 3 years. Pricco’s direct connection to West is that he is the son of our vice principal, Mr. Byers.

He has accomplished a lot more than substitute teaching. “I traveled to Belfast, Northern Ireland when I was in high school for a project to improve relationships between Protestant and Catholic teenagers in the U.S. and Ireland.”

The most unpleasant teaching experience Pricco had was in a classroom of twenty 13-year old girls. “It was the worst teaching class I’ve ever had.

The teacher left them to read for 1 ½ hours and that didn’t exactly happen.”

Snyder has pole vaulted over 16 feet and also came in close contact with drug and weapons busts at another school

during his teaching career, he said.

He says, “A class of students I had taught for two hours was actually discovered with weapons and drugs on them and inside their backpacks.”

However, circumstances this risky are hard to come across; substitute Terri Cera has had years of experience and finds a unique balance with her home life and school life.

“I have been a substitute teacher for fifteen years with the Wauwatosa School District and became involved through volunteering in the Tosa community,” says Cera.

Outside of school, Cera says, “My other job is being a homemaker; I spend the majority of my time with my family. That’s my first priority, as it should be for everyone else.”

Despite challenges, an essential part of any teacher is the way they interact with students. When a substitute comes across a rowdy bunch of kids, the best solution is to stay positive.

Cera says, “I try my best to see the positive and good things that students are doing in the classroom, which gives me encouragement to always stay positive.”

Snyder avoids problems in his classroom by providing his students with “Kwotes.” Snyder explains, “I search for and provide inspirational leadership and insight through ‘Kwotes’ to my classes for a positive learning environment.”

By the time the bell rings for dismissal, Cera believes that “being a substitute teacher requires a lot of flexibility, encouragement, decisionmaking, and the ability to think on your feet without any supervision.”

However, the traits that students look for in any substitute vary far from the opinion of Cera.

Junior Ricky Landers states that “a teacher with swag who doesn’t

Exam Survival How to have a successful exam week ALEX SUKUPCAK g Guest Writer

Exams. It’s a word synonymous with loss of sleep, stress, and lots of hard work. Many students, no matter the grade level, are understandably nervous about taking exams. Whether you are a freshman taking exams for the first time or a senior who just wants to get it over with, there are some things that students may overlook.

When asked about his exams, senior Chingying Thao said, ¨My English exam is going to be really difficult. I have to write a 7-10 page paper and give a 15-20 minute presentation. Even though we can do it outside of class, it is still going to be a pain.”

Traditionally around exam time homerooms are given exam planning sheets. Students may not take these sheets seriously and toss them in the recycling bin on their way out, but they are there to help students. When asked the purpose of the exam planning sheets, Chad Mateske, a social studies teacher, said, “It’s more for students who need organization”.

This year, however, students have been given “goal planning” sheets prior to exams to help them figure out what class or classes they need improvement in. These sheets are optional. Whether students take it upon themselves to do them is their choice. Mrs. Hill, an english teacher who also helps run the homeroom committee, said, “A lot more students are taking [goal setting sheets] seriously.”

Steven Pricco engages a student in conversation while substituting for Chris Lazarski.

do anything and just relaxes the entire time is a good teacher.”

The anxiety teachers face when leaving the classroom keys to a substitute teacher is perhaps more troublesome.

Math teacher Michael Chay says, “There is always a concern that the substitute will not follow the lesson plans as I have instructed, and therefore I am behind in my classes and it is at their fault.”

Senior Tareya Maiden agrees with Chay, stating, “I’ve had a lot of the subs screw up on the lesson plan.”

Within different departments of the school, teachers face difficul-

FILL OUT GOAL SHEETS

These are extremely beneficial. They will help students get organized and reveal to them what classes they need to put the most time studying into.

MAKE IT WORTH YOUR WHILE

Studying does not have to be a boring sit down, read-this-memorize-that type of thing. Form a study group with some classmates. Make flashcards to help with tricky vocabulary. Even making up a game to go along with your study routine is helpful.

“Information is then stored in a memorable manner and is easier to recall” according to www.rassmussen.edu. To put it simply, do what you need to do to prepare so come exam time you’ll ace that exam.

STUDY GUIDES

Although teachers will be handing out study guides to give students a general idea of what they should know, it doesn’t hurt to ask for more. Asking your teacher for a list of extra study materials can--and most definitely will--help.

ties leaving substitutes with curriculum in a subject such as science.

Science teacher Mary Haasch says, “My biggest fear is that a few students won’t respect the sub, although I have good students this year.

Also, the teachers they bring to West don’t have any science background.”

The challenges and problems with substitute teachers will never end, but taking the time to get to know these unfamiliar faces of Wauwatosa West as they come and go, day in and day out, will help you have a more enjoyable day.

DON’T CRAM

Cramming is perhaps the worst thing a student can do when preparing for a final. According to the Dartmouth Academic Center, students should “study in 20-50 minute increments and have a 5 to 10 minute break between each session.”

SLEEP This is a no-brainer. Everyone knows

the benefits of sleep, but if you are still convinced that an all-nighter is needed to pass an exam, think again. According to a recent study done by Brigham Young University students, “...teens 16-18 do their best work on standardized tests when they get seven hours of sleep.”

Features WEST SIDE STORIES

9

Wauwatosa West Music Programs Thriving Music programs provides a place for students build relationships and develop their talents GABBY VERETTE g Guest Writer

Like many Tosa West students, Tosa West graduate Sarah Galaszewski had trouble figuring out how to be a part of the social and academic pressures of high school.

“My freshman year I was really shy and quiet, not really too confident in my musical abilities, let alone school in general,” said Galaszewski.

For Galaszewski and other West students present and past, participation in the Wauwatosa music department has provided lessons far beyond music.

“By the end of my junior year I was definitely not shy or quiet anymore and had more leadership skills that I never thought I’d have. Band helped me find my niche and grow confidence in myself,” said Galaszewski.

Students in the Wauwatosa school district can enroll in the music program first in 4th grade, joining orchestra or chorus, and in 5th grade, starting with band. The choir meets once a week, singing a diverse selection of music. Students joining orchestra can choose to play violin, viola, cello, or bass. 5th grade students choosing band can choose from brass, woodwind, or percussion instruments.

As the students move up to middle school, they have to pick one class if they are in more than one. This helps the students focus on one instrument or just singing since each class involves different skills. When students are in high school, they usually are required to stay with the music class they chose in middle school. In high school there are more opportunities to join other music activities and the music increases with difficulty.

“The goal is that it is fun and we give positive encouragement and have a higher musical level,” said band director Jeff Gilchrist.

Most directors and students have the same goal of learning more and developing more musically-involved relationships. “Our success is based on teamwork and on a large group trying to achieve one goal,” stated David Topolovec, orchestra director.

“Band was more than just one hour a day with random people. We all knew each other and it was just kind of like one big family,” said percussion

graduate, Mitchell Lahmann. Band in particular tries to make it less of a class but to make friends that you will keep all through high school.

“I like that Mr. K tries to have parent/student/family outings. He really wants families to know each other, and to reward the kids for a job well done,” said Sue Longo, parent of Tosa West sophomore Dominic Longo. The band takes annual trips each September to Wisconsin Dells for a parade and this spring break the band will be going down to Orlando, Florida to play at Disney World and a variety of other musical activities.

The music department has benefited from a consistency in staffing.

Over the past 40 years, there have only been 3 different directors for both band and orchestra. The chorus program has seen more changes, but the current choral director, Jason Meisner, has led the program since 2004. “It took a long time to lead and make it [choir] grow,” said Topolovec. Now Meisner has started developing and growing the choir.

The Tosa music department teaches students more than just music. The directors want them to be more confident as a person and as a musician.

They want their students to enjoy coming to class but also to learn more about the music and to challenge themselves. “You have to practice in and out of class periods, strive to be your best, and have pride in what you do, and in the end it makes you grow as a musician and person,” said Galaszewski.

“We are heavily supported by the district, school board, and parents,” said Gilchrist. They receive help from more than just the students and directors. The administration works hard to show the hard work of the departments to other students. Every year they hold a concert in place of the homeroom time after band, orchestra, and choir have had their winter concerts and they play part of their concert to the rest of the student body. New this year, the band also got to have their own set of bleachers at the football games labeled with a special banner.

After all of the winter concerts, the band, orchestra, and choir still have to

CAYLIN ROSENE West Side Stories g

Peter Ganzer , senior, plays at the winter sports pep rally for the Tosa West pep band.

keep practicing. Every year in March musical students go through a competition called Solo and Ensemble. They have to play or sing specific pieces of music in front of a judge and get critiqued on certain aspects of their playing abilities. Students can be part

of an ensemble such as brass or woodwind and they can do a solo, duet, trio and so on. If you get a high enough score they can advance on to state and can even win certain awards.

good idea.” Calarco believes that the students will embrace the change and will have no problem adapting.

“It’s the kids who are the most flexible when it comes to something new,” Calarco said.

Sarah Mraz, sophomore, found the idea of the changes somewhat confusing, but after learning about the benefits to the change she was quite excited.

“I like the idea, and it would make everyone’s life so much easier,” said Mraz. “I would take a lot more art classes because my schedule would be more flexible.”

However, sophomore, Sam Lenkart said that he “likes the schedule as is” but would take “fun classes like chef

foods” with the openings in his schedule. Not all classes will be a two hour classes due to some classes working more effectively as a skinny class.

Teacher Dan Prothero said “I’m in favor of an eight period day with some classes being block and others skinnies.” He also added “my classes would be skinnies only because I believe my classes would run most efficiently that way.”

Angie Schoemann, math teacher, said “it would be positive to have a schedule with increased flexibility to give classes who need more time the option of having a block.”

Scheduling g Continued from p. 1

be able to take more classes. “My number one goal in changing the schedules is to give students more choices,” Calarco said.

Megan Harney, district scheduling consultant, created a mock scheduling program to compare a seven period schedule to an eight period schedule to determine which schedule would fulfill student’s requests for extra classes and teachers to teach classes they are most qualified for.

Harney took the data from last school year when students signed up for classes, and ran them through the program to determine if the classes students signed up for and the extra class of their choice would work in an eight period day.

According to Harney, it turned out that an eight period day satisfied 98.59% of student’s requests rather than the seven period day that satisfied 96.88% of requests.

“Given my analysis I recommend the district adopt an eight period day because they would be able to satisfy more student’s requests and make sure more teachers get to teach more courses they are prioritized to teach,” Harney said.

An eight period day would be able to combine block periods and skinny periods based on which classes a student chooses to take.

Joanne Houillon, parent of students Jenna and Bobby Houillon, said “giving the kids more options is always a

10

SPORTS WEST SIDE STORIES

Imperiale takes over the Lady Trojans Former star player talks about her past and coaching style VERSHAE WARD g Guest Writer

Many of the students here at West don’t know much about the new coach, or may not even know that there is a new coach, for the girl Trojans.

“I love her [Imperiale]. She’s good. She has a good basketball mentality and she keeps us up with a lot of energy” said Harmon.

The new coach’s name is Ashley Imperiale, she was an assistant coach to the girls squads last year, but is now replacing Coach Gavinski and in charge. She was born and raised in Greendale, Wisconsin. She explains her upbringing as being “very competitive.”

“We would always attend sporting events as a family. My dad was huge on baseball” said Imperiale.

She went to Greendale High School where she graduated and later went on to UW Milwaukee for 3 years where she played basketball for their team as a guard.

“As far as her athletic ability, her awards and accomplishments speak for themselves,” Greendale athletic director Jessica Talsky said to Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in 2007.

Imperiale was the Journal Sentinel female athlete of the year in 2007.

I sat down with Coach Imperiale and asked her several questions to better understand her, her life, and her coaching experience.

Q. How did you get into the love for basketball?

A. Well, I didn’t start playing basketball until 7th grade, but growing up I always played with my brother Q. What other sports are you interested in?

A. I started off playing tennis and baseball; I played those sports in High School.

Q. What was you major in college, and how did it go?

A. I majored in both education and mathematics.

GABBY VERETTE West Side Stories g

COACH ASHLEY IMPERIALE watches from the sideline as the Lady Trojans take on St. Francis.

It went really well. I like numbers.

Q. What do you do besides coaching?

A. I’m a 5th grade teacher at Washington [Elementary School]. I like it alot.

Q. How did you get into coaching? What was your first coaching experience?

A. 3 years ago, I started coached tennis and I started getting into it while I was in college, I would always be on the floor with the players.

Athlete’s Eats

For student athletes, staying fit means watching their diets COLLEEN SEEDFELDT g Guest Writer

“I start off with breakfast, usually with a bagel, because breakfast is the most important meal of the day.I drink a lot of water throughout the day”, said Brigid Jensen, senior track and field athlete and cross country runner. Jensen has been on varsity of both sports for all four years of her Wauwatosa West career. Her eating habits and training have helped her become the athlete she is today.

Nicole Kerneen-Fasules, a registered dietitian and certified personal trainer, Fasules works at Way of Life Nutrition, which is where people go to achieve their goals at their speed. and is teaching people on to have a healthy lifestyle. Fasules is not a specialist in sports medicine or high school nutrition but did answer a few question about how to keep a student athlete healthy.

A struggle for some student athletes is deciding what is a good amount of food is to eat; too much or too little.

“A way to keep healthy weight is to listen to your body. If you are eating past the point of full then you are taking in more than you need.”

Kahla Kroening, the Wauwatosa

West High School athletic trainer, see’s about Kroening sees about 10 to 20 athletes a day for routine taping or for evaluation of new injuries, but nutrition is not Kroening’s main suit. However, Kroening does have thoughts about student athlete and eating habits.

“I think the challenge is being able to pack a healthy lunch and snacks on a daily basis for school and after school. A lot of times it is easier to grab fast food or a vending machine snack.

I think it is important for high school athletes to get enough nutrients in fruits and vegetables as well as to stay hydrated” Jensen has a way of eating that is close to what Kroening recommends.

“I have fruit at lunch, and that’s usually when I have my desert. I just make sure that I keep the same habits throughout the days, because when you eat at different times in the day that’s not good for you.

Jensen is on the right track as a young athlete already eating right.

Kroening said, “By starting these habits in high school athletes and students can avoid health problems

later in life if they routinely stay healthy with weekly excesses and good eating habits.”

Lowrie Becker, a Wauwatosa West Physical Education teacher, thinks it is also important for student athletes to eat healthy. “[Athletes should] stay away from sweets, and athletes should stay away from soda”, Becker said.

With healthy eating there are foods that athletes should be eating to help with energy boost’s and the formation of muscle mass.

Some students at Wauwatosa West lift weights on a daily basis for football, seasonal sports, or just trying to get in shape. Specific foods and supplements can help with the building of muscle mass and staying in shape.

“Carbohydrates are good to fuel the body, they help throughout the day”, Fasules said.

Coach Jeff Gabrielsen, the Wauwatosa West Athletic Director, has a same idea of what Carbohydrates can do for the body.

“A big steak dinner won’t help before a game. The body looks for carbs, fats, then proteins. Carbs give

you that immediate energy.”

Although, not every athlete can eat before a game/ meet, or is getting the protein they need before perform in their sport. Some athletes may use supplements to get the protein they need.

“If they are eating healthy and eating meals they are going to get a better source of protein anyway, but if they’re not it’s better to get that, then eat junk food.

Wrestler’s have a different story however, Max Nelson, also known as Captain Intensity to the wrestling team, Senior at Wauwatosa west, explained that wrestlers do not have a carb dinner because wrestlers cut weight.

“We cut weight, but after weighins, PB and J’s are life savers, and a V8 splash,” he said.

Eating healthy is very important to athletes of any ages, but as a high school athlete it’s important to start now and be able to continue for a healthy life.

Sports 11 WEST SIDE STORIES

IBA Sees Increased Participation The Intramural Baskeball Assocation sees record participation after 13 years

SAM CLOUGH g Guest Writer

This year’s IBA season includes 26 teams and plenty of new kids participating.

This is the biggest turnout of teams Wauwatosa West has ever had in IBA. English teacher Tom Norstrem is the organizing force behind IBA. Norstrem has been with IBA for 13 years.

“I think the value of IBA is that we get a lot of kids to come out and play and get kids more involved in school,” says Norstrem.

This year brings a number of differences to the program.

The number of student participants is at record highs. Over 130 students are playing this year and many are participating for the first time.

Wauwatosa West Junior Gabby Verette is looking forward to the season.

“I am very excited to play my first year of IBA because I have heard it is really fun, but at the same time I am very nervous because I have never played and I don’t know any of the rules,” she said.

Verette has heard nothing but good things about IBA and she finally decided to learn for herself why IBA is so fun. “I am most looking forward to playing the teams that I know and just to spend time with my friends,” she said.

For the first time in many years, teachers will not be allowed to have their own team. The increase in student teams forced the elimination of the teacher team.

“I was really bummed there wasn’t going to be a teacher team this year, but I understood that there were

too many teams and I didn’t want certain teams to miss out on a lot of fun,” said Social Studies teacher Patrick Guse.

For Guse and others, they see a benefit to playing basketball with students. “I do wish that there was a team and I was playing on it and against some of my favorite students because it is a good bonding experience,” Guse said.

On the other hand, we have a four year veteran, Kevin Dettlaff, who looks forward to IBA every year. “There are good, bad and average teams every year, but this year there are more bad teams than good teams,” says Wauwatosa West Senior Kevin Dettlaff.

Kevin has seen a lot of IBA played and he has also seen a lot of cool team names, but his favorite team of his four years of IBA is the Monstars.

“The Monstars is my favorite team name because it was a clever name and it had something to do with basketball,” he said.

Now for some kids that play IBA, they like to play against their friends or against bad teams. Some kids like to play against dominating teams.

But sometimes kids like to play against the teachers because it is fun to beat up on the teachers. If there is a teacher a kid doesn’t like he can get a little revenge on him.

IBA is a sport for anyone to play. It encourages kids to come and just have fun with their friends for 50 minutes.

Some of the kids who don’t make the actual basketball team come and join an IBA team.

NICK MORODER West Side Stories g

Deanna Ross and Alex Halloran from the Backyard Ballers keep the ball moving while warming up for their game against the Pretty Little Ballers.

Most of the people that are good at basketball usually go out for the basketball team.

IBA is considered an afterschool, extra-curricular activity.

“Also, IBA is sometimes all that certain kids look forward to coming to school,” said Norstrem.

Many things have changed over the years of IBA. Since Norstrem took over IBA, there have been a lot more improvements and more kids to show for it.

“When I took over there were 10-12 teams and 1 teacher team and now there are 26 teams and no teacher team in

IBA this year,” he said.

“In the past four years I have implemented a grade sheet requirement for every single IBA participant. Before the season starts you have to have your grade and behassvior reports turned in without more than two F’s,” he said.

What goes into an IBA name?

Pretty Little Ballers: “We watch the show Pretty Little Liars and we love it so we just named our team after it.” Laurel Stutz

Backyard Ballers : “We got our name from a game we used to play called Backyard Ballers.”

Nick Stanisic

Run Direction : “We like to run and listen to One Direction.”

Grace Gabriel

Not So Odd Future : “We all like Odd Future, but I think it’s a pretty terrible name for an IBA team.” Nolan Kresnak The Misfits : “Because we are all just a bunch of misfits. None of us really go together on a basketball team.” Zak Kartz

12 Features WEST SIDE STORIES

Making Wigs out of Locks of Love How one person’s cut hair becomes another person’s haircut STEPHANIE EBERLE g Editor-in-chief

Locks of Love is a habitual occurrence at Wauwatosa West, and the true purpose is lost on many of its students. The effect hairpieces can have on a child’s life and the process that must be gone through to receive a hairpiece are often overlooked.

Hailey Roser, a local five year old with cancer, will be receiving the money raised from this year’s Locks of Love.

Jayla Torres, age 6, is the cousin of West senior Mariella Manzanet-Schmidt and also has cancer. Torres attended West’s Locks of Love with many family members.

Torres was recently on TMJ4 with her family. “This little girl can light up a room,” they said. Torres’ treatment included six weeks of radiation followed by chemotherapy.

Earlier this year, the Torres family held a princess themed fundraiser to help pay for medical expenses.

Manzanet-Schmidt said, “My sister and I were in our room getting ready, putting on our dresses, and brushing out our hair to look like prin-

cesses. Then Jayla walked in, and she didn’t have any hair. It was heartbreaking.”

Manzanet-Schmidt was excited for her cousin to cut her hair. When asked if she enjoyed cutting her cousin’s hair, Torres nodded shyly.

Torres opened up a moment later exclaiming, “Yesterday I was cancer-free!”

This big news comes at an exciting time, explained her family, because her birthday was the following weekend as well as a trip to Florida.

The video that began the event included Torres as well as parents of West students who have cancer.

In the video, Dan Jones applauded those who donated their hair, saying, “It is significant to you, but even more significant to other people.”

Karen Syburg describes this significance from experience.

She knew her hair was going to fall out so she had it cut short initially, but it did not help.

She said, “It was very hard to wake up in the morning and see hair on the pillow.”

Acquiring a hairpiece from Locks of Love takes several steps. First the parents of the child must fill out an application which includes the doctor’s diagnosis, a photo of the child without a hairpiece, financial information, and two letters of recommendation stating why the child would benefit from the hairpiece.

Once a child is accepted, the parents receive a molding kit and DVD explaining how to mold the child’s head so that the hairpiece can be correctly fitted. The child can choose the skin tone of the silicone base, hair color, and length.

The hair pieces come slightly longer than wanted so that the child can get it styled.

Each hairpiece is made of six to ten ponytails and each strand must be hand injected into the base with up to 150,000 per wig. Children under six are given synthetic hairpieces because they will quickly outgrow the pieces.

The hairpieces are created with a vacuum seal so that unlike with a normal wig, the children, according to the

struggling with a severe illness.

A hairpiece can make all the difference to those in such a situation.

website, “can be kids again.”

They can do everything from swimming to gymnastics in it without worry of it falling off.

Wigs are provided for any sort of long term or permanent hair loss, but the most common causes for long term hair loss are alopecia or cancer.

Each year at Locks of Love many girls are crying simply because they are losing ten inches of hair, so it is difficult to imagine the devastation losing all of one’s hair o n top o f

JULI JOHNSON g West Side Stories JAYLA TORRES waits excitedly to cut her cousin’s hair for Locks of Love.

Stretching the Limits

Gauges test the the limits of ear piercing and social norms BRIANNA BLINKIEWICZ g Staff Writer BRIA JONES g Illustrator

From lip disks all the way to foot binding, there have undoubtedly been many controversial body modifica-

tions in our history. Though thankfully many of these painful traditions are extinct in modern society, we are still presented with a few questionable body alterations; in particular one that has for years been sweeping the younger generation and making the older one cringe: gauging.

Ear gauging –or more formally known as “stretching”- is the process where one deliberately stretches their ear piercing at small increments over a period of time in order to achieve a large expanded hole in their lobe which can be filled with a types of jewelry such as “plugs” or “tunnels.” Starting from the smallest size of a 20g (1/32 in.), people can keep increasing the width over a few weeks or so to any size they desire. Most that stretch differ in opinion on the size that they want.

Typically, when the average person hears the word “stretching,” they automatically think of extremely large, droopy adornments; however, this is usually not the case. In fact, most people opt for a smaller, more subtle look when stretching their lobes. “I chose to go with something kind of small when I was stretch-

ing my ears”, said junior Sarah Otto. “I figured that way, if I ever took them out, they would close up nicely. Also, I like the look of the smaller plugs better.”

Even among teenagers – where stretching is becoming a lot more mainstreamthere is a strong difference of opinions surrounding gauges. The average person either seems to love it or hate it. “I personally really like gauges. I don’t think that I would actually ever get them on myself, but I think that on other people they look really attractive”, said senior Erin Bolte. However, some are not quite as open minded when it comes to this modification. “I don’t really like them because it just seems like they’re going to rip open their ears”, said senior Vicky Young. Despite the controversy surrounding them, most people who choose to stretch aren’t bothered by the negative comments. “It really doesn’t bother me what people say.

I’m not stretching for other people, I’m stretching for me because I like the look of them,” said Otto.

At this point, you may be wondering how such a peculiar fashion trend even started. Strangely

enough, the art of gauging has actually been around for almost as long as actual lobe piercings themselves. Thousands of years ago, stretched ears were a common sight in certain indigenous societies, particularly places in Asia. Unlike today, it was originally used for more religious and spiritual purposes and ears were stretched with bone or wood. Sometimes, the further your ears were stretched, the higher a position you were thought to have in society. Today, gauges are usually used to express a person’s individuality and celebrate their personalities. “I don’t really have a purpose for stretching my ears,” said senior Jess Suson. “I just really like the look of them.

Plus, it was kind of a way to rebel against my parents.”

Whether it’s for a fashion statement or simply an act of rebellion, it is undeniable that gauges are a controversial trend that’s growing and is here to stay.

Despite the disapproval of others, people with gauges will keep sporting the trendy adornments with pride. Gauges will continue to “stretch” the limits along with people’s lobes.