theVol. 33, No. 4

March 7 ,2014Homestead High School, Mequon

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63 8{Affluenza becomes

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highlanderBy AAron GlAzer

Zach Zimmermann, senior “They keep the class involved and they make the class a communal

environment where everyone feels comfortable being involved.”

Nicole Gorelik, senior“Someone who is relatable and reaches out to the students on a

more personal level.”

David Berman, sophomore“Someone who cares about the

students, helps outside of classtime and expresses himself beyond a

lecture or PowerPoint.”

Lauren Silber, junior “Someone who guides you to the answer and explains con-

cepts well.”

Michael Nelson, junior“They connect to the students

and teach the material but have fun with it too.”

Chase Duggan, junior“They have to make the class

interesting and keep all students engaged.”

Stephanie Metzendorf, freshman “Someone who gets along with their students and does not pick

favorites.”

What do you think makes a good teacher?

InformAtIon compIled By AAron GlAzer

Lexi Lipkowitz, freshman“They are understanding of

kids’ needs and connect well.”

Paying for performanceTeacher compensation plan to be implemented in fall

As the bell tolls to usher in the start of a new class peri-od, the teacher is ready to begin another day of instruction.

Except this day is different from all other days. In the back corner of the classroom, an administrator sits, ready to evaluate the teacher. While evaluations have existed for years, this evaluation has a new meaning.

For the first time, this evaluation has a direct impact on the teacher’s compensation.

“Last December, the school board approved a strate-gic plan that would afford the district the opportunity to maintain its track record, and even to build on it,” Mr. Mat-thew Joynt, assistant superintendent, said.

Strategic compensation, more commonly known as merit pay, is “paying people for work or within areas that directly benefit the district goals,” Mr. Joynt said. The plan will be coming to the Mequon-Thiensville School District (MTSD) in the 2014-2015 school year.

“With the passage of Act 10, teachers can bargain for base wage increases through their union,” Mr. Brett Bow-ers, principal, said.

According to MTSD’s Jan. 22, 2014 Staff Update news-letter, “school districts are limited to the consumer price index percentage for base wage increases.” In short, there is only marginal room for a raise in salary. Hence, the stra-tegic compensation program will “offer salary increases beyond cost-of- living percentages.”

Over the past two years, MTSD has “spent approxi-

mately $4.7 million toward active employees’ health insur-ance.” In the 2014-2015 school year, “the district plans to contribute approximately $4.3 million, bestowing $400,000 to use in a variety of ways,” according to the District Up-date.

As a result, the district faced three options. They could balance the funds, redirect the budget in case of a budget shortfall or redirect the budget towards strategic compensation.

“MTSD has chosen to focus some money in the area affording us the opportunity to pay people for work aligning with our strate-gic plan,” Mr. Joynt said.

“It is not necessarily about how long [teachers] have been in the organization or the cred-its [they] have attained, but rather by the district priorities,” Mr. Bow-ers said.

In the realm of compensation, two cat-egories have been identified as factors influ-encing compensation levels: inputs - credentials and awards or outputs - performance based mea-sures, according to a MequonNOW article.

A committee of district adminstration and teach-ers has been meeting to discuss these categories. “We’re currently considering what inputs or outputs make up the strategic compensation plan,” Mr. Joynt said. “When finished, teachers should have a clear under-standing of what needs to be done to benefit from strategic compensation.”

Right now, “the district is reviewing a menu of what might be included and weighing that against the objec-tives of the strategic compensation program,” Mr. Joynt said.

According to Mr. Benjamin Sloma, social studies teach-er, there is “a degree of healthy skepticism” surrounding the strategic compensation program. Mrs. Jennifer Zort-man, math teacher, agreed, saying that “there are a lot of gray areas or stipulations.”

Mr. Joynt suggested that this will remedy with time saying, “It is a change in progress.”

The strategic compensation program will help main-tain “a profession where young people coming in can see a future,” according to Mr. Eric Bauer, English teacher. As

for today’s com-pensation, “people

need to feel like they have control over

what they are compensat-ed on,” Mr. Sloma said.

To ensure this control, administration “is training to bridge the gap to that transition,” Mr. Bow-ers said. With one of the primary determinants of compen-sation possibly being teacher evaluations, Mr. Bowers said that “the administration will do 40 hours of training to be certified as evaluators. The intent is that the training will ensure consistency in teacher evaluation.”

With the new system, the hope is that collegiality and staff morale will be consistent as well. Though there may be “many uncontrollable variables in the system,” accord-ing to Mr. Sloma,“if done well and done right with mutual trust,” the system will promote collegiality, Mr. Bowers said.

In the long run, “the program should help us meet the lofty goals that [the district] has and afford the district the opportunity to be recognized as one of the top public school districts for education in the state of Wisconsin,” Mr. Joynt said.

Student View

In an attempt to gain an understanding of how the trimester system feels to teachers, Dr. Demond Means, superintendent, took over a World Studies class from Mr. James Engle, so-cial studies teacher, in the last week of February.

Dr. Means enjoyed the challenge of teaching a high-school class in the trimes-ter format, which was his idea. He taught a lesson on the escalation of Middle-Eastern conflict immediately after World War II.

Dr. Means has always been a teach-er. Twenty years ago, before he left the classroom to become an administrator, he taught social studies at Homestead.

Even during his time as an administra-tor, he taught graduate courses at Cardinal Stritch University and Concordia University.

Dr. Means plans to return in May to take over a classroom all day teaching U.S. History.

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Homestead High School - Mequon, WI

“If you have ever entered the Homestead High School field house, you surely know how exciting it is to be a Highlander,” read a recent letter sent home to district parents.

Mr. Brett Bowers, principal, came up with the idea to renovate the 800-900 com-mons “to showcase what students have ac-complished academically,” Bowers said.

With the help of co-chairs Tanja Fel-ton, parent, and Jane Kammerait, par-ent, Mr. Bowers hopes to finish the proj-ect in early May of this school year.

“The kids do so well. We want to recognize them for all their hard work,” Kammerait said.

Through a letter campaign, they hope to raise $50,000 between Feb. 1 and March 15 by selling silver and gold plates that can then be customized and dis-played in the newly renovated entrance. “So far, we have received op-timistic results,” Felton said.

Deadline for donations nears

By Nicole MartiN

A digital rendering by Plunkett Raysich Architects, LLP, of the new 800-900 commons, facing the coun-seling office, depicts what the restoration would look like.

Submitted Photo

A digital rendering of the new 800-900 commons portays the point of view from the 800 wing.

Submitted Photo

School board elections: Meet the candidatesnews2

Dr. Means teaches World StudiesBy Noah MelaN

iNforMatioN coMpiled By Blake leesoN

According to a district newslet-ter produced by Ms. Melissa Mc-Crady, the director of communica-tions, the Mequon-Thiensville School District Board of Education unanimously approved 17 residents to serve on a com-munity Ad-Hoc committee on Oct. 28, 2013.

The board approved the following com-mittee members: Julia Burke, Jeffrey Clark, Kim Ebinger, David Fuchs, Celeste Giunta, Tracy Johnson, Joseph Martin, Elizabeth O’Connor, John Peterburs, Jim Popp, Tom Price, Jack Rooney, Bryan Sadoff, Patti Schulz and Drew Wallach, along with co-chairmen Brian Levy and Jon Safran. The committee’s purpose is to study how to financially sustain the qual-ity of the district and keep the rank-ing as the number one school district in the state of Wisconsin, according to the Department of Public Instruction.

The Ad-Hoc committee provides the board with fresh ideas through a pub-lic lens. These ideas will drive the school board’s protocol of how to maintain the academic and co-curricular qual-ity throughout our district’s schools.

New district ad-hoc committee formedBy Blake leesoN

The goal of the new Ad Hoc committee is to support positive community involvement of all ages.

Submitted photo

Facts from mtsd.k12.wi.us.

Dr. Demond Means, superintendent, revisited the place he began his career: a classroom, teach-ing social studies on Feb. 27.

Photo by Noah Melan

Campaign seeks to renovate entrance to Homestead

The school board election is April 1, 2014. Three candidates Paul Buzzell, Wendy Francour and Sid Terry are vying for the open seats. The candidates shared reasons they feel they should be elected.

Submitted Photo

I have a 35 year career in sales, marketing and fund development that will be assets in implementa-tion of the Strategic Plan.

I have over 20 years of leader-ship and volunteerism in MTSD. These experiences have provided me with direct knowledge of MTSD challenges and opportunities and have given me experience making difficult decisions to balance avail-able resources.

I co-founded and co-chaired a grassroots, community-wide fund development campaign that netted $96,100 to support MTSD. I know how to identify a need and seek cre-ative ways to find solutions.

Wendy FrancourPaul Buzzell

I was so appreciative of the great start I got from Homestead, that I told myself “one day I’ll go back and teach business at Homestead, to help kids like me get the great start in life I got.” [I have been in the district for] 30 years total.

I can add value to the school board with my now 20 years of business and finance experience. This was going to be the way I can really give back to the school district and community. I want to help the community I love.

I am the Chief Financial Officer of a $35 million manufacturing company in Mequon. I have an MBA in Finance and a BBA in Marketing and Real Es-tate.

Submitted Photo

Sid Terry

First of all, I want to express my concerns as a parent, grand-parent and citizen about what our children are being taught and how it is being taught. I am concerned about how children are being assessed.

[I’ve spent] 40 years teaching children and adults. My educa-tional background includes an A.S. in Mechanical Technology, a B.S. and M.S. in Education and subsequent work towards an MBA.

I believe a serious discus-sion of CCSS (Common Core State Standards) is needed at the school board level so that we can address its impact on personal privacy, student assessment, curriculum content, local con-trol, and cost.

Submitted Photo

1997Earned Masters in Educational Leadership at Concordia

2005Earned Doctoral in Educational Studies at Cardinal Stritch

1994Began teaching social studies

1994Earned Bachelor of Arts at ConcordiaUniversity

2007Appointed Superintendent of MTSD

Dr. Means through the years

1 1 1

2 2 2

3 3 3

Why do you want to be on school board?

3Student opinion

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Our View: Editorial

My View: Affluenza becomes reality

Adviser

Editor-in-Chief

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The Highlander’s editorial policy is to present facts and opinions in a fair and honest manner on issues pertaining to students at Homestead. We uphold the right to speak unpopular opinions and the privilege to agree with the majority. Letters to The Highlander are encour-aged; however, we reserve the right to edit for length and grammatical errors. In addition, letters must be signed, but names will be withheld upon request. Any student who wishes to express his opinion through The Highlander should drop off the letter in room 506.

2013 All-KEMPA Award2013 NSPA Best of Show

2013 WNA Second Award in Overall Excellence2012 WNA First Award in Overall Excellence

2012 KEMPA First Place Award

Homestead High School5000 W. Mequon RoadMequon, Wisconsin 53092

The StaffMrs. Rachel Rauch

Katie Bandurski

Erin Connolly

Katie Bandurski, Katie Bui, Janae Brown, Blake Leeson, Molly Riebau, Sydney Roeper

Sydney Benson, Janae Brown, Erin Connolly, Jake Elchert, Brittany Emond, Aaron Glazer, Caleigh Koss, Anna Kreynin, Blake Leeson, Margaret Martin, Nicole Martin, Noah Melan, Molly Riebau, Sydney Roeper, Katharine Ryan, Katie Starsky, Katie Writz

Visit us online for back issues of The Highlander at https://sites.google.

com/a/mtsd.k12.wi.us/homestead-publications/

American Litho Printing530 N. 22nd Street

Milwaukee WI 53233(414)-342-5050

Ali Gehr, junior: “It sounded like a fun thing to do in the morning because I like to wake up early.”

Zach Schaum, senior: “I needed a credit to graduate.”

Jaden Stoffel, junior: “I wanted to take two three-trimester classes, and this was the only way I could fit gym into my schedule.”

Becky Martin, junior: “I couldn’t fit gym class in my schedule so I opted to take Zero Hour gym class.”

Growing up in a community steeped in wealthy families, one starts to realize the ef-fects of wealth, posi-tive and negative. In Mequon, according to bestplaces.net, over 31.69 percent of house-holds have an annu-

al income over 150K (more than twice the national average) and the majority (53.26 percent) make over 100K per year.

Affluenza, although not officially recog-nized as a psychological disease in the Di-agnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, is a disorder commonly known as “rich kid syndrome” that affects wealthy citi-zens of America by hindering their healthy psychological development. The disease per-tains to those who have too much prosper-ity for their own good, specifically those liv-ing in white, two-parent households with an annual income of over 150K per year.

These are the teens who saturate their lives with activities and AP classes, who attend high schools with renowned test scores and an out-standing academic curriculum while working hard to attend prestigious universities. These “victims” of Affluenza attribute their issues to the pressure associated with maintaining their elite status of wealth and achieving impres-sive transcripts complete with 4.0 GPAs.

Affluenza garnered national atten-tion after Ethan Couch, wealthy Texas teen, killed four in a drunk driving incident in December. His defense team claimed this horrific incident was a result of Affluenza, and rather than fulfilling his jail sentence,

Couch would benefit further from therapy and treatment away from his parents.

Albeit extreme and rather ridiculous, Couch’s trial is a prime example of maladjust-ment in wealthy adolescents. Many stressed teens blow off steam using alcohol and drugs, often by experimenting with friends. How-ever, wealthier teens frequently have access to a wine cellar in the basement or a liquor cabinet stocked full, and a missing bottle of booze is usually overlooked. When teens feel that they can easily get away with steal-ing alcohol and money from their parents, they feel the need to push the boundaries even further and delve into the dangerous world of recreational substance abuse.

Of course, when many of us think of the problems plaguing today’s youth, we point fingers at inner-city gangs and violence, but what many fail to realize is the heap of prob-lems that beset the other end of the socioeco-nomic spectrum. Compared to impoverished teens, those of wealth perpetrate more crimes associated with illegal substances, steal-ing (from parents or peers) and cheating.

While there is no medical cure for Afflu-enza, some psychologists suggest that char-ity work and exposure to the less fortunate can help to put victims’ lives into perspec-tive. A burden is also placed on wealthy par-ents to promote healthy behaviors and en-courage their children, rather than suffocate them with the pressures of perfection.

While crying Affluenza should not excuse a DUI resulting in the death of four innocent people, we should be concerned about the is-sues of the wealthy. After all, teens of wealth are the future high-paid CEOs and politicians that shape the values of American society.

InformatIon compIled by nIcole martIn

by molly rIebau

Throughout the 13 years I have spent as a student, I have come to recognize the qualities that constitute a good teacher. Typically, these educators are kind, con-siderate and understanding. They are willing to put forth the extra effort to en-sure their students’ success. They are relat-able and care about each student as more than just a grade. Most importantly, they are passionate not only about teaching but also about learning. From what I have found to be true, a good teacher’s lessons don’t stop once the bell rings to end class.

In a world where budget cuts and layoffs seem to be the norm, it is easy to dismiss rewards for deserving educators. Nevertheless, the Mequon-Thiensville School District (MTSD) has found that in the upcoming 2014-2015 school year, cer-tain funds will be allocated for additional teacher compensation. According to a Jan. 7, 2014 MequonNOW article, MTSD will be “increasing premiums, co-pays and other employee costs of the district health insurance plan” for all teachers on order to free up $400,000 to be distributed to worthy educators on a merit-based sys-tem known as strategic compensation.

We, the Highlander Publications Staff, believe that extraordinary teach-ers should be rewarded for their hard work; however, strategic compensation, or merit pay, is not the structure on which to do so as it detracts from a produc-tive, cooperative learning environment and it is an unfair and unclear scale on

which to judge the quality of an educator.Focusing on individualism and com-

petition works well in the business world, but that system would quickly disfigure an educational setting. A Scholastic article examining the pros and cons of teacher merit pay explains that “research stud-ies have repeatedly shown that merit pay doesn’t have a positive effect on teach-ers’ classroom work, but instead can have a divisive and damaging effect on a school or district’s teaching community.”

Through staff meetings, in-service days and day-to-day interactions, teach-ers spend a lot of time together. In addi-tion, they promote the overall success of their students by sharing lesson plans and working to achieve a standardiza-tion of class curriculum. These beneficial and necessary communications would only be threatened with the imple-mentation of strategic compensation.

It’s not likely that teachers would sud-denly shut their doors and refuse to aid their colleagues; after all, teachers are some of the most thoughtful professionals in the working world. However, it is pos-sible that they would feel less inclined to share ideas if salary bonuses were on the line. After all, as expected in a business model, self-preservation and triumphing over competition are the ultimate goals.

Although a less functional work-place is a major disadvantage, the big-gest flaw of strategic compensation is that it fails to offer a standardized scale

of measured merit amongst teachers.As evidenced by the front page cover-

age, MTSD is making efforts to regulate the process, yet, is it truly possible to do so?

So far, inputs and outputs seem to be the key words in determining who is deemed worthy of a bonus, yet these scales are highly variable.

How does one go about equat-ing the outputs of an AP teacher com-pared to a special education teach-er? Both educators teach drastically different students in terms of their test-taking abilities; how is it fair to compare?

Similarly, certain subjects just don’t yield outputs. Few, if any, pen and pa-per tests exist in artistic realms such as theatre, music or art, and thus an art teacher’s worth can’t be fairly gauged in comparison to a common core teacher.

Evaluations will also contribute 50 percent in determining worthy teachers, and as the district notes, proper train-ing for administrators will help to en-sure that these assessments are equitable.

Nonetheless, issues once again arise when considering certain subject mat-ters. In a lecture-based class, evaluations seem to be a fair measure of success. How-ever, what about in student-led courses?

Publications, One Act theatre, Product Development Project and several other classes throughout the district are not mea-sured by test scores, yet they still provide invaluable opportunities for students and support Homestead’s mission statement.

All in all, it is evident that teach-ers, just like any other professionals, should be held responsible for their work, but simply offering monetary re-wards to select educators determined through a flawed merit system is unjust.

Instead, we propose a different ap-proach. According to a Jan. 12, 2012 press release from the Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice, “Bas-ing teacher bonuses on standardized test scores alone is ineffective in attracting and retaining good teachers. Instead, using teacher compensation strategically and effectively addressing the conditions that the best teachers want and need will go a long way toward supporting their pro-fessional activities and retaining them.”

In other words, school districts ought to devote compensation to-wards improving the educational op-portunities of the school as a whole in-stead of rewarding individual teachers.

Focusing on conditions such as “time and tools for teachers to learn from one another” and “teaching loads that take the diversity of students into account” will produce higher-quality educators and create stronger school environments.

Overall, MTSD has built a strong repu-tation as an exceptional school district, so it is clear that what they are doing, thus far, is working. As the cliche goes, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” so it is question-able as to why they would choose to im-plement a potentially damaging system.

Why take zero hour gym class?

Illustration by Sydney Roeper

Zero Hour gym class was created this year to “give students another option to be able to squeeze some-thing else into their school day,” Mrs. Susan Godfrey, physical education teacher, said. Only available dur-ing second tri, the class starts at 6 a.m. and runs to 7:10 a.m. Every day they start with a ten-minute run, followed by yoga, a weight workout or swimming.

Feature4

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Not only has drug and alcohol use and abuse in young adults become a national problem, but it has also hit the Wisconsin North Shore area harder than ever. Because of the increase of drug and alcohol use, the community is responding in ways never seen before. Be-low are the true stories of Homestead students and alumni and their experiences with drugs and/or alcohol, as well as their consequences. Their names are kept anonymous for the purpose of the stories.

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of busted drinking parties are texted in to the 411 tip line

parties were busted since the last week of December

the typical cost of a first offense drinking ticket

tickets were given to kids ages 15-20 years old since the be-ginning of 2014

What was supposed to be a small birthday get-together quickly unraveled into an open house, filled with alcohol, mu-sic and more than 100 people. “[My friends and I] planned on keeping it very low key and didn’t really expect anyone to show up,” a Homestead senior, host of the party, said.

However, as more and more people began to receive texts about the party, view posts on social media and forward the memo to all of their friends, the idea of a “small get-together” quickly turned into an out-of-control underage drinking party. “Within a 30-minute period it expanded dramatically. Not only were there people from Homestead, but pretty much every school in the North Shore,” the host said.

According to the host, the majority of people brought al-cohol to the party and drank it there. Surrounded by friends, engulfed in the music and immersed in the atmosphere, “ev-eryone seemed to be having a good time,” the host said. That is, until the cops showed up.

“Nobody knew the cops were there until someone screamed ‘run!’ and everyone followed,” she said. Although many got away, numerous drunk teens faced the navy uniforms and red and blue blinking lights with fear in their hearts and regret in their minds. “It didn’t hit me at first,” she said, “no one knew how to act at that point because everyone knew there was no way of getting out of it.”

The consequences that followed this party affected many of the partygoers. Individually, the host had $3,000 in tickets to pay and many other attendees were charged as well. A dip in their bank accounts wasn’t the only consequence partygo-ers faced. “I got a 30-day license suspension and had to take the Mequon Thiensville Intervention Program (MTIP),” she said.“I also received a sport suspension.” By violating the ath-letic/extra-curricular code, any participant caught at the par-ty--whether drinking or not--also received a suspension from his or her sport or activity. Arguably the worst consequence of them all comes from home: “My parents were extremely disap-pointed in me and that itself sucked the most.”

Information compiled by Sydney Benson and Brittany Emond

[< > [] ]What’s really happening?

Parties

How is the community responding?

We get there and we’ll usually have officers come to the front door if we know it’s a party.

We have officers go around back to secure it so we don’t have kids running. We don’t do that just so we can write a bunch of tickets, we do it for the safety of people at the party.

If we’re allowed in, we try to get everyone together and put them in one room. We’ll have them submit to the breathalyzer (PBT); they can submit to that or decline that. But if we smell alcohol on them and have other reasonable belief that they were drinking we can still write the ticket without them blowing. We need less proof than a field sobriety test to write an underage drinking ticket.

After they take the test we have to contact a parent, we cannot release a juvenile to anyone but their parent or someone who is 18.

We usually have an officer go through the house be-cause many people are hiding.

We also can tow cars parked on the street illegally to prevent kids from driving home.

Typical Party Bust: A Walk-Through with Officer Wegner

Tip lineAccording to Officer Wegner, the recent increase in

busted underage drinking parties is mostly due to the 411 tip line, a service started by the Mequon Police De-partment that is offered to everyone in the community. To use the tip line, text the keyword MQPD and your message to the number 847411 (TIP411). Because the ser-vice is anonymous, tippers may be tipping for various reasons. “It could be someone who wasn’t invited, some-one who was there but asked to leave, someone trying to get back at another person or someone who knows it’s a problem and wants to tip the cops off to it to prevent anything,” Officer Wegner said.

Hosting OrdinanceIn response to parents allowing their kids to throw

parties with large numbers of underage people drinking, Steve Graff, chief of police, is trying to pass a hosting or-dinance. According to Officer Wegner, this would hold the parents more accountable. “Right now, we can just write tickets for underage drinking. The homeowner can maybe get a ticket for furnishing alcohol,” Officer We-gner said. With this new potential ordinance, hosting a party would come with a fine up to $5,000.

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60 kids at a party.

- Officer Wegner

- Officer Wegner

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{of 12-17 year olds in Wisconsin percieved no great risk from smoking marijuana once a month.

of 12th graders reported marijuana as being fairly or very easy to get.

of 12th graders used marijuana in the month before the sur-vey.

of Wisconsin high school students tried marijuana at least once in 2009.

“The party ended a long time ago. My use was just to maintain and my goal was to not get sick. I wasn’t getting high anymore,” a Homestead alumni Class of 2011 said, reflecting upon his heroin addiction.

His deadly addiction started with morphine and oxycodo-ne, drugs prescribed to him after he underwent reconstructive knee surgery due to a football injury his junior year of high school. “I loved the way they made me feel,” he said. “Some-times I would even sneak in an extra pill.”

After about three months of painkillers, he weaned off of them, causing him to seek out friends with access to strong, if not, stronger, painkillers. It wasn’t long until one of his friends asked if he had tried “dope,” a street name for heroin. “I had always been scared of the word ‘heroin,’” he said. “But at the time it also intrigued me.”

Before he knew it, he found himself at a friend’s house snorting “dope” for the first of many times. Compared to the high strong painkillers had given him previously, heroin was much stronger. “I just loved it,” he said.

He then began buying bags consisting of .1 to .2 grams of heroin for as just as little as $20, cheaper than what oxyco-done would cost in order to provide the desired high and tran-sitioned to injecting heroin in his veins rather than snorting it. Later, he began scoring the deal of .5 g bags costing $60. At the peak of his addiction, he spent at least $100 a day on heroin, taking a minimum of 1-1.5 g daily.

Over the course of his heroin addiction, he overdosed three times. His second time was the most lethal as he was pro-nounced “Dead Upon Arrival” when the paramedics showed up after his girlfriend found him and dialed 911. “My heart stopped for about 45 seconds,” he said. Luckily, a paramedic gave him extensive CPR and was able to revive him.

After his third overdose, he spent four months in jail for Possession of Heroin and violating his probation. “I pushed away all of my friends and family,” he said.

As his relationships dwindled, his addiction continued to grow deeper to the point where he could not go a single day without heroin. A lack of heroin in his veins resulted in feeling terribly sick. “Fifty percent of my heroin addiction was bat-tling withdrawal,” he said.

However, attaining the heroin was a war all its own. While selling heroin (in order to make a profit to buy a greater amount of heroin) in the north side of Milwaukee, a customer entered his car from the passenger side, stabbed him in the chest twice, took $500 worth of heroin and bolted.

“One morning I woke up and said, ‘Enough is enough.” He realized he had hit rock bottom as his relationships withered away and his willingness to attain the money to buy heroin extended to getting stabbed and stealing. That day, his family accompanied him to a rehab center. After spending 35 days there, he moved into a halfway house. Today, he attends AA meetings daily and has not taken heroin since entering rehab.

To anyone considering trying heroin, he says, “Don’t do it. Heroin is a drug too good to try. It will take the best of you and turn you into a demon.”

Not only has heroin tormented his relationships and placed his life on the line multiple times, but it has captured the lives of people close to him. “My four best friends from high school have died from it,” he said.

“I was thinking about college, and letting down my par-ents,” a Homestead student said as a Mequon police car pulled up to what he thought would be a casual drug deal.

“Smoking [pot] was a very casual thing,” he said, “and I got too comfortable and forgot the consequences of what I was doing. But, eventually a few friends and I got the idea of sell-ing weed on the side casually so that we wouldn’t have to pay for it. Since you buy for cheap and sell higher, once you break even you had weed left over for yourself and your friends. So, in my head, there was nothing wrong with that. It was simple: buy some, sell some, get some free. It seemed like the golden opportunity.”

This “golden opportunity” dulled to silver handcuffs as he was charged with Possession with Intent to Deliver THC, less than or equal to, 200 grams, a Class I Felony. In addition, he spent the night in Ozaukee County Jail.

Because he had maintained good grades and played mul-tiple sports throughout the year prior to his conviction, he re-ceived a Deferred Prosecution Agreement, often referred to as a First Offenders Program. This required a year of probation with strict guidelines: absolute sobriety, “no more trouble,” 40 hours of community service and monthly drug tests.

Although the restricted life he lives now differs from a nor-mal high school student’s, the consequences he received gave him a new outlook on himself and his life. “Countless people have asked me if I could take back what happened, and every time I answer the same: no. I do not wish to take back my ac-tions,” he said. “I have changed my life in a huge way, and I don’t know how misled I would still be if reality didn’t slap me in the face that night.”

After running into dead ends calling local drug dealers, a student and his friend decided to call a number they had re-cieved from someone else in pursuit of party drugs. The man on the phone asked the two students to meet him at 17th Street and McKinley in Milwaukee. “I could tell this probably wasn’t going to be a very good decision,” the source said.

Thirty minutes passed and the pair kept debating whether to go or not. Finally, they decided to get ready to leave. “We got to Milwaukee and found that 17th and McKinley does not exist,” he said, “We parked the car and walked over to a guy sitting on his porch to ask him for directions.”

Though the two boys never got directions, the man on the porch told them that he knew a few people that could sell them drugs. “After he pointed us in the right direction, we walked a block to two guys around 25 years old. The entire time I had butterflies in my stomach.”

The butterflies continued as the men started asking ques-tions: “Where did you park? How much money do you have? Do you guys have any heat?” Then, the men asked the two students to give them their phones so that they could compare. “I didn’t think anything of it because they were being so friend-ly,” he said.

It didn’t take long for the student to change his mind. “I had my head down waiting for my phone and the drugs when I felt something cold and hard on my forehead, so I lifted my head up and saw that they were pointing a gun at me.”

“At first I thought they were joking around until they started yelling and telling us to give them all of our stuff in-cluding our car keys. They took the car. They took our phones. They took everything. We were stranded in Milwaukee.”

After facing a life-threatening situation, the students in-volved felt that they had truly learned an important lesson. “My outtake on this experience is drugs can create fatal situ-ations, and no one should put themselves in a situation where their life is at risk.”

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What’s really happening?

How is the community responding?

Heroin Marijuana Drug Deals

Heroin SummitOn Jan. 29, 2014 a Heroin Summit took place from

7-9 p.m. at the Ozaukee County Fairgrounds Pavilions. Experts specializing in law enforcement, family, health and schools spoke of the heightening heroin epidemic in Ozaukee County to parents, students and children packed in a single room. At the end of the session, fami-lies and individuals were given the chance to share how heroin abuse has affected their lives and ask questions in a Q&A session.

Adam Gerol, Ozaukee County district attorney, stat-ed that when he left his job as a defense attorney for drug addicts in 2008 “there wasn’t the same heroin problem as we have now.” Gerol explained that most heroin addicts start using over-the-counter drugs in their youth but turn to heroin when the supply runs out. The average price of an addict’s daily dose of heroin is $20, cheaper than almost any prescription drug.

Gerol continued to explain that a majority of crimes committed in Ozaukee County “have heroin in the heart of them.” In addition, Lieutenant Rodney Galbraith stat-ed that 80 percent of thefts in Ozaukee County are com-mitted by heroin addicts.

The summit proved so popular that a second one was held Feb. 11, 2014 in Port Washington.

MTIPDesigned to address the importance of making “ap-

propriate choices and reflecting upon outside influenc-es,” Mequon-Thiensville Intervention Program (MTIP) offers a “peer-guided support system” for students at Homestead High School. The program is designed to aid those who are abusing or have a history of abusing substances, according to the Mequon Police Department website.

Students cited for alcohol or drug use and/or distri-bution are required to complete this program, consisting of eight classes over the course of a couple weeks, in or-der for their citation to be removed from their record. Ms. Terry Carr, school social worker, and Mr. William Woess-ner, school psychologist, hold each class after school in the guidance office.

Woessner and Carr present participants with a “chal-lenge” to stay substance free during the program. Then, in each class, students discuss their struggles and suc-cesses with meeting the challenge. Each class is com-pletely confidential. “MTIP allowed me to express my feelings on my previous alcohol consumption,” Becky Lawlor, senior and previous MTIP participant, said.

All in all, the program attempts to curb any growing dependency problems and give students any help they may need.

Overall,I was forced togrow up

fast,and I mean fast.

Realityhit me.

I realizedhow real

consequences areand how fast

your life canbe taken.

- Anonymous Source

Illustrations by Katie Bandurski

71%82% 23% 34%

- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Behavioral Health Barometer, 2013

- Monitoring the Future, Nation-al Survey Results on Adolescent Drug Use, 2012

- Monitoring the Future, National Survey Results on Adolescent Drug Use, 2012

- Wisconsin Epidemiological Pro-file on Alocohol and Other Drug Use, 2010

With Earth Day approach-ing on April 22, people want to do what they can to keep our world clean and green. From planting new trees to recycling a Snapple bottle, the Earth needs these dedicated

tree-huggers. Lucky for Mequon, the S.K.I.E.S. club keeps our community environmentally safe.

According to Lauren Watchmaker, senior, S.K.I.E.S. is a club that stands for Students Keeping It Environmentally Safe. The club, led by Watchmaker and Kartik Papatla, senior, is devoted to outreach and education.

Papatla added, “S.K.I.E.S is an organization through which I can engage my community, whether it be through events at Homestead or organizing visits to the elemen-tary schools to teach younger kids about ways they can help improve the environment.”

Kelly Ochocki, junior, commented, “We’re dedicated to promoting an eco-friendly lifestyle in as many ways as we can.”

Watchmaker said, “Each fall, S.K.I.E.S students reach out to the district elementary schools. This winter, we vol-unteered at the Schlitz Audubon Nature Center where we helped clear the land of invasive species. We are planning to volunteer there again in the spring.”

In the next few weeks, S.K.I.E.S. has many activities up their sleeves. According to Watchmaker, the club spon-sors Earth Day events to increase the awareness of the en-vironment and encourage carpooling. This year, they are hoping to encourage all students to carpool to school on April 22. Last year, S.K.I.E.S members gave buttons to all who carpooled on Earth Day. This year, they are exploring new ideas such as possibly creating a mural of pledges that HHS students will make to be more environmentally friendly in the coming year.

Ochocki added, “This year we’ll probably make a cou-ple new changes and incentives for ways students can be-come involved with caring for the environment. It’ll have to be a surprise for the time being though!”

6 Feature

The Highlander Publications Staff made a deck of cards con-taining the names of the entire student body. For each issue, we shuffle the deck and pick a student to feature. This issue’s pick: Lucas White.

Lucas White, senior, has big plans for the future. Over the previous summer he participated in Badger Boys State camp, which involves 800 of Wisconsin’s smartest and most talented students creating a “51st” state and having the participants run the government. White exclaimed, “I was even able to meet and talk with Scott Walker.”

He is proud to be a Highlander because “our school is so great at everything it does from academics and extra-curricular activities such as our sports and arts to how we display ourselves in the community.”

White plans to study Biomedical Science with a minor in history at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Af-terwards, he wants to go to medical school in Memphis to study Emergency Medicine. “I need excitement and chal-lenges in order to really be in my element,” White said. “Working in a fast paced ER would be a great fit for me.” He “[hopes] to eventually come back to Wisconsin to prac-tice medicine.”

In 20 years, White says, “I still hope to be working in the ER; that’s really my passion in life and I hope I can do it for as long as I can.”

Oldest brothers or youngest sisters are more than a label on a family tree. The order is sought to have a psychological pattern behind it that can shape a child’s personality.

“First borns are natural leaders,” Rome Neal explains in a CBS article entitled “Personality Traits Linked to Birth Or-der.” This has been shown throughout the nation’s history because most presidents are first-born children. First borns also “are model children who have a strong need for ap-proval from anyone in charge,” Neal states. First-born chil-dren tend to “bask in their parents’ presence, which may ex-plain why they sometimes act like mini-adults,” Jocelyn Voo explains in her article entitled “Birth Order and Personality.” Overall, first borns tend to be the new parents’ experiment of trial-and-error.

On the contrary, middle children feel left out and stuck in the middle, Meri Wallace, therapist, explains. They tend to display characteristics of being people-pleasers, peace-makers, and somewhat rebellious. Neal goes on to explain, “They are guaranteed to be the opposite of their older sib-ling.” Peer groups become the middle child’s second family because they may feel they have no place within their family.

Finally, the babies of the family. Neal elaborates that they are social and outgoing and typically just want to have a good time. The last borns can be manipulative or attention-seeking, according to Voo.

Only children tend to be rather mature for their age and display perfectionalism. “Only children are firstborns in triplicate,” explains Neal. However, they may be seen as at-tention seeking from their parents as well. In addition, only childern usually get along with people older than them-selves.

As Joshua K. Hartshorne states in his article “How Birth Order Affects Your Personality,” “Our position in our family somehow affects who we become.”

SKIES plans Earth Day events

Descriptions that come to mind when one hears the name Mr. Benjamin Sloma,

social studies teacher, may be that he is Home-stead’s intimidating AP US History teacher who keeps his tests in the refrigerator, but something most might not know is that Mr. Sloma is an as-piring artist.

A self-taught painter, Mr. Sloma completes his works en plein air, a French expression that means “in the open air” and is used to describe the act of painting outdoors. “The human eye can see so much more than what a camera can capture,” Mr. Sloma, said, which explains why he prefers to paint on location.

His appreciation for the art of painting began several years ago when he started collecting work of early twentieth century Wisconsin artists. “I began painting about three and a half years ago, and I almost exclusively work in the summer,” Mr. Sloma said.

“My interest is in painting Wisconsin’s small towns, farm fields and uniquely Midwestern at-mospheres,” Mr. Sloma said. His enthusiasm to-

ward these subjects stems from his interest in the Regionalist movement of the early 1900s, which represents everyday life in the heart of the United States.

Ms. Ann Cook, English teacher, commented, “Mr. Sloma’s artwork captures the feel of this part of Wisconsin. The composition is impressive, and I particularly admired the use of light, which re-minded me of many beautiful drives through the countryside.”

“What stands out most about Mr. Sloma’s work are his skies. He has a way of handling the light and shadow in clouds that really makes them come alive on the canvas,” Mr. Eric Bauer, English teacher, said.

Those who have had the privilege of seeing Mr. Sloma’s paintings greatly admire them. Silver Lake College, Mr. Sloma’s alma mater, held an ex-hibit of his work during January and February of 2014, and the Museum of Wisconsin Art has also showcased some of his work. Mr. Sloma’s goals for his artistic career include improving skills and continuing to exhibit his work.

The rumble of voices becomes a wave of screams as neon lights expose the long-

haired rockers. As the edgy sounds of the guitar blare out of the speakers, the crowd mimics a sea, crashing like ocean swells and moving as one. The base drum flutters in the young hearts, and in this vast ocean of faces a familiar one is found : the 14-year old version of Mr. Scott Heibler, science teacher, attending his first concert.

When he was six, Mr. Heibler learned how to play the guitar from his older brother. By watch-ing his brother strum away at the instrument, Mr. Heibler was able to master the art and not only create his own sound but also mimic that of popu-lar songs by his favorite artists.

While attending Hartford High School, Mr. Heibler started a band with a few of his buddies. He played the guitar for ‘Crippled Youth’ and would play some shows for his fellow classmates, who at the time all had a similar music taste. “If you weren’t listening to rock, you were listening to Michael Jackson,” Mr. Heibler said.

Punk and hard rock music were the soundtrack

of his teen years, and his favorite bands then are still his favorites today. These include but are not limited to to Iron Maiden, Dead Kennedys, Minor Threat, Metallica and ACDC.

Although his talent could support him in a mu-sic career, Mr. Heibler never thought of heading down that road. His band did record a few of the songs they wrote on tape, but “the quality was so horrible at [that] point you couldn’t understand what we were singing,” Mr. Heibler said.

When Mr. Heibler isn’t playing with his 20-month-old daughter or grading papers, he finds time at least three days a week to play the guitar. He enjoys doing covers of songs or playing with friends or for family, mostly on the acoustic guitar.

Mrs. Dawn Pfaff, science teacher, has worked with Mr. Heibler for 18 years. She said he balanc-es out the department and is really fun to work with. Although she was not aware of his musical talents, she was not generally surprised he played in a rock band. Mrs. Pfaff said, “He never ceases to amaze me. He is just that cool of a guy.”

Shuffle the deck: Lucas White

Mr. Benjamin Sloma works on his latest piece, “Vetetran’s Park Paddleboaters, Milwaukee” in a studio room at Silver Lake College in Manitowoc.

Submitted photo

by sydney roeper

by katie starsky

by katie writz

Submitted photoLucas White holding his state championship trophy during the football ring ceremony.

Secret lives of teachers: An artist and a rocker

Birth order defines personality

by katharine ryan

5Fast Facts12345

Favorite song: “Get Lucky” by Daft Punk

Favorite color: greenFavorite sport: football

Favorite food: steak

Favorite place: Washington DC

Mr. Scott Heibler has enjoyed music as long as he can remember and learned to play the guitar from his older brother.

Photo by Margaret Martin

by margaret martin

Illustration by Anna Kreynin

Illustration by Katie Starsky

Feature 7

What’s green, sweet and fun to slurp around Saint Patrick’s Day.? A minty Sham-rock Shake! But the green drink hasn’t al-ways been about promoting St. Patty’s Day. According to mcdonalds.com, the shake began as a way to raise money for families camping out in hospital waiting rooms with nowhere to go.

McDonald’s says it all started when Fred Hill, a former Philadelphia Eagles tight end, found himself sleeping in the waiting room while his daughter was being treated for leu-kemia in 1974. He noticed other families in the same situation and asked his manager for help. His manager called a friend from a local McDonald’s advertising agency, and to-gether they agreed to launch a promotion to raise money, and the Shamrock Shake began to bring in money for the cause.

After McDonald’s agreed to launch the green shakes, enough money was raised to buy a house a short distance from the hos-pital, and the first of the Ronald McDonald Charity Houses was born.

Placed throughout the United States, Ron-ald McDonald Charity Houses are dedicated to giving help and hope to families strug-gling with finances and sickness, whether it be through housing or even basic health care, according to rmhc.org.

What started as a way to help others in 1974 is now an annual ritual in 2014 that many people look forward to. “The fact that they got the idea from a customer or fan is very unique,” Dasheena Nelson, manager at McDonald’s in Fox Point said. “The taste is unique, the color is unique…. It’s very popu-lar. People ask for it all year round.”

Shake it up:

The history of shamrock shakes

Shamrock shakes typically arrive at McDonald’s nation-wide in Febuary to mark the advent of St. Patrick’s Day in March.

by janae brown

This past winter break, the Homestead Band took an eight-day trip from Dec. 27, 2013 to Jan 3, 2014 to Ireland. A total of 35 chaperones and 103 students attended.

The trip started in the city of Cork and from there they traveled to a city called Kilkenny. Then they went to Dublin, and from there they took a day trip to Belfast up in Northern Ireland.

“We got a lot of time to explore the area, which gave us the opportunity to find things we really wanted to do.” Sarah McCarthy, junior, said. McCarthy plays clarinet during Sym-phonic Band and piano during Jazz Band. This is also her sec-ond year as Drum Major for Marching Band. McCarthy went on to say, “It was absolutely incredible to play in such a dif-ferent country. The people are so welcoming, the landscape is

breathtaking, and the culture is so fun!” When asked what it was like to play in such a beautiful

country, Katie Lapcewich, senior, said, “We were given the opportunity to perform in front of a castle, so that was beauti-ful. We also marched in one of Dublin’s New Years Eve pa-rades, which was a fantastic experience!” Lapcewich’s favor-ite part of the trip was “either exploring the Blarney Castle in Cork or spending time touring Dublin.” George Ballesteros, sophomore, added, “My favorite part about the trip was the Dublin parade and how huge it was. People loved it so much that it felt like we were rock stars.”

Mr. Todd Spindler, band teacher, said, “It was incredibly fun getting a chance to spend time with these kids.”

When faced with adversity, many turn a blind eye or mentally change the channel. When Neil Willenson, Homestead Class of ‘88, stared suffering in the face as a 20-year-old college student, however, he decided to do something about it.

Befriending a local five-year-old boy with HIV/AIDS, Willenson discovered the pain and prejudice that comes with the disease. Two years later he started Camp Heart-land (now One Heartland), a weeklong summer camp for kids with HIV/AIDS. During his 18 years as the founder and CEO, they raised “about 50 million dollars and wel-comed approximately 6,000 different children affected by HIV/AIDS,” Willenson said.

Working as the vice president of community relations for Kapco, Inc., Willenson also co-founded a new orga-nization, Camp Hometown Heroes, in June of 2013. The camp provides a place for children who have lost a parent in the military to come together with others in the same situation.

Believing these children have made the ultimate sacri-fice, Willenson said, “The least that we can do as a coun-try is to ensure that they’re given the opportunity to heal, to grow.”

Willenson developed leadership skills and learned invaluable life lessons while at Homestead. “There were a few critical teachers [who] taught me more about life than trigonometry,” he said.

“He is one of the nicest guys I know and is very down to earth,” Erin Reiels, junior, said.

He holds the belief that anybody, no matter how young, can involve him or herself in one way or another. “They can find a cause, they can pursue that cause with passion, and they can make a real difference,” Willenson said.

Alumnus gives back to communityNeil Willenson spends time with the kids at Camp Hometown Heroes in the summer of 2013.

Neil Willenson, Homestead Class of ’88, started several philanthropic organizations in Minnesota and Wiscon-sin.

Members of the band perform in Cork City Hall.Band members warm up for their performance in front of Kilkenny Castle.

Submitted photoSubmitted photo

Submitted photoSubmitted photo

by erin connolly

Learn more about Home-town Heroes at http://hometownheroes .org/

about.html

Hometown Heroes is a volunteer led non-profit organi-zation dedicated to transforming the lives of children, families, first responders, military families and veterans in need through a “pay it forward” approach to volun-teerism and giving. By creating opportunities for thou-sands of inspiring volunteers, Hometown Heroes not only benefits the recipients but also those who serve.

Hometown Heroes greatly improves the lives of our neighbors in need through direct financial aid, emergency assistance and partnerships with dozens of social service organizations. We honor fallen U.S. service members through our Camp Hometown Heroes summer camp. We provide opportunities for compassionate people to share their time, talent and resources with the collective goal of helping others. Statements like “giving back to the com-munity”, “making a difference thru volunteering”, “pay-ing it forward” all exemplify our thoughts on how to help others. These thoughts are what “Hometown Heroes” was founded on: the simple idea of helping others less for-tunate thru volunteerism and community involvement.

Hometown Heroes Mission Statement

by caleigh koss

The luck of the Irish The band plays in Ireland

Photo by Brittany Emond

Illustrations by Anna Kreynin

8sportshomesteadHighlander

Publications

Homestead411

The college basketball tournament known as “March Madness” brings intense games both in the college tournament and the Homestead High School tournament.

The college tournament occurs every year in the month of March and extends through the first days of April.

Sixty-eight of the top college basketball teams are eligible to participate in the tour-nament, and the number of teams are cut in half after every round.

According to the BMO Harris Bradley Center ’s website, part of the second and third round of the tournament will be played in Milwaukee.

“Having the games in town is a bonus to all the fans,” Jacob Urban, sophomore basket-ball player, stated.

Mr. Kevin McKenna, varsity boys basket-ball head coach, said, “I think that for col-lege basketball fans it is a great experience. It is a great venue to show off what Milwau-kee has to offer.”

Part of the rounds will be hosted by Mar-quette University. “Location is determined on how your [the team’s] regular season went, the more wins the [team] has, especial-ly quality wins, gets [them] closer to home,” Coach McKenna added about how the loca-tion of the games is picked.

Both Urban and Coach McKenna agree that they both like to watch the college basketball games rather than the professional games because they are more team oriented and more fun to watch.

Urban mentioned, “Being able to watch the games will give athletes, like me, a sneak peak of the next level. It teaches us work ethic and dedication to the

sport.”Coach McKenna added, “Any chance you get as a

fan to see sports live is a great experience, especially college [sports]. You get the feel of the intensity, the skill and athleticism of the players, the communication between players and coaches, and the overall crowd.”

March Madness at Homestead is not as competitive as the college tournament, but it is still fun and takes time for the student council to prepare.

According to Mrs. Dawn Pfaff, student council ad-viser, “The kids usually take about a month to get the advertising ready, to get the promotions ready, to get

the teams into a bracket and make sure the names are all appropriate.”

“Brackets are organized by grade level so that the final four includes one team from each grade level. We start off with each team guaranteed a few games, and, after that, the winners move on. The overall setup

of the bracket depends on how many teams sign up,” Matt Gresham, sophomore’ stated.Gresham added that it also takes time to get gym reservations and chaperones.

Austin Cao, senior, said, “For a standard bracket you need 16 or 32, but we can to do round robins or runoff rounds if it’s anything in between. The teams are paired randomly.”

Gresham said, “Prizes usually include gift cards, but the most important thing is to win is the title of Homestead 3-on-3 March Madness Champion.”

“The prizes have been iTunes, Target, or Dairy Queen gift cards. Just a small token saying thanks for participating,” Mrs. Pfaff explained.

According to Cao, “We don’t make a profit off March Madness; the event is just for fun. Anything that can get the school to-gether is great.”

Both Gresham and Mrs. Pfaff agreed that in past years the tournament has been very successful. “The tournament last year was great. The championship went down to the wire as last year ’s junior class beat out last

year ’s seniors to win the title,” Gresham said.“We feel really good about this event. When we

finally get there, we feel really good about kids want-ing to be at school on a Friday night and playing some hoops and getting some exercise,” Mrs. Pfaff concluded.

Athletes of the issue use work ethic to persevere

by Jake elchert

March Madness hoopla bounces into town

Ryan MezeraElyssa TracyGymnastics Boys Hockey

Ryan Mezera, senior, is a great leader to the boys varsity hockey team and is al-ways setting a great example, according to Joey Hobbs, sophomore teammate. Michael Schulz, senior teammate, agrees. “Ryan really keeps our team glued together. He helps us focus when we need to but he is never afraid to make us laugh and relax,” Schulz said.

Reflecting on the season so far, Mezera stat-ed, “My favorite part so far was defeating Mar-quette in the Bradley Center Showdown. Obvi-ously the team’s goal is to make it to state and win.” Mezera believes that “never giving up” is the most important lesson he has learned over his 14 years on the ice, and that this lesson will help propel him and the team to their goals.

Coach Tony Navarre, boys varsity hockey coach, believes Mezera’s work ethic on and off the ice makes him a great athlete. “It’s fun to see what he can do. He will continue after high school, and I believe he can go as far as any-one could,” Coach Navarre said. When speak-ing of his future in hockey, Mezera said, “My future goal is to someday play college hockey after playing juniors. But no matter what, I want to have fun while loving the game.”

The gymnastics career of Elyssa Tracy, senior, has not always been smooth. Deemed persis-tent and hardworking by sophmore teammate Mackenzie Goebel, Tracy has overcome numer-ous injuries. “I had a stress fracture in my back that I had to deal with and take six months off to let heal,” Tracy recalled. “I have also had three ankle surgeries over the years which took about three to four months to fully recover from.”

Despite these unfortunate setbacks, Tracy is proud of how far she’s come. “My proudest mo-ment this season has been competing in more than one event. Unfortunately, I have only been able to compete bars the last three years, so its a lot of fun to be competing beam again,” Tracy said. Additionally, Tracy has set goals for her last season as a Homestead gymnast. “Person-ally, I would like to improve my routines and scores. As a team, it would be awesome to qual-ify for team state again this year,” Tracy stated.

Andrea Rossman, senior teammate, agreed, stating, “Elyssa is unique in the way she truly loves the sport of gymnastics. She is very dedicated to her training, but she still is a very fun teammate. It has been great be-ing her teammate for the last four years.”

Favorite event: floorBest score this season: 91.5 on beamFavorite skill: Giant on bars

Number of Goals: 36Number of Assists: 34State ranking for goals scored: 7

Players James Reilly, Fred Eason, Darius Marshall, Jarrod Walton and Andy Blutstein were the winners of last year’s Homestead High School March Madness tournament.

Submitted Photo

Thirteen senior athletes take their game to the

next level

Photo by Anna Kreynin Submitted Photo

by anna kreynin

Thirteen seniors declare their intent on Feb. 5, 2014(Back Row): Shannon Greeley will play soccer for Ball State University; Nick Peterson will swim for Northwestern University; Eric Wade will play football for UW Whitewater; Danny Coran will play tennis for Tufts University; Bryce Juedes will play football at the University of Minneota Duluth and Shay Darga will play soccer at Southeast Missouri State. (Front Row): Mardee Merar will play tennis at UW Milwau-kee; Jon Weyker will play football at Southwest Minnesota State; Mikaella Sabinash, Mollie Rosen and Elyse Hansen will all play soccer at Winona State, Northeastern and Florida Gulf Coast, respectively; Blake Leeson willl play volleyball at Ohio State and Jordan Lewinsky will play football at Drake University.

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Submitted Photo