The Purple Sage October 2011

PurPle The

SageVolume 10 Issue 1 • • Waunakee Community High School Waunakee, WIOctober 12, 2011 •

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“...doing nothing is not an option.” Kyle Connors on education reform. Page 4

► OPINION

How well do you know the twins of our school?

Guess who’s who. Page 8

►FEATURES ► ENTERTAINMENT

See senior Brandyn Liebe’s top 5 stress

relievers. Page 12

District prepares for decreased state fundingTaylor MulcaheyReporter

A new school year always brings changes, and for the 2011-2012 year, the changes are far greater than a new backpack, locker partner, or back to school clothes. This year the school district is beginning to deal with the effects of the new Wisconsin Budget, which took effect on July 1.

A major change the district is experiencing is a change in contracts for teachers and school employees, most significantly, the loss of collective bargaining for these groups.

“They took away some state aid, and they changed some things, but they gave the ability to do new contracts, so that kind of offset that, so that the district could manage its money a little better,” said Waunakee School Board Treasurer Gary Epping.

One of the changes is district employees must now contribute more to their benefits package.

“In the past, my income was not used to offset the cost of my health or retirement. Now in the district, teachers, administrators and other employees are picking up that piece of their benefits

package,” explained Waunakee High School Principal Brian Kersten. Each employee has had to contribute 5.8 percent of their salary to the state retirement system. This was previously paid for by the district but is now the responsibility of each individual.

This situation has both positive and negative effects. It helps to make up for the loss in funding,

but hurts the teachers as they lose a portion of their salary in the process. As Epping explained, “85 percent of the budget is personnel, so when they were looking for cuts… there’s the other 15 percent, but there isn’t much you can take from that.” This puts districts and teachers in a difficult position.

Kersten explained the effects

on the high school. “We didn’t have money come out of the building budget as a result of the events last year, but we also haven’t seen any increases that way as well.”

So far the high school has had to operate within a finite amount of money that has been the same for about eight years.

However, the high school may

receive less funding following the new district budget, which comes out the beginning of 2012. “If we’re going to lose some funding within the framework of the state budget, we’re going to have to take a look and be reflective and really creative about how we’re going to continue to run the programs that we have,” said Kersten.

The high school took a new,

money-saving approach this year by sending grade reports electronically, which will save $5,000-$6,000. Kersten said he wishes to use these types of solutions to save money in the future.

Kersten stated, “What we’re doing right now is no new co-curricular programs per se, from an athletic standpoint or from a club and organization standpoint that would be cost-prohibitive.”

However, the high school is considering adding some new courses: AP Chemistry, Advanced Creative Writing and AP Language and Composition. The courses would have to be added within the existing high school budget, and without increasing the number of full time equivalencies that the high school currently has.

Right now, there is a lot of uncertainty over the way things will turn out following the new budget.

There are significant changes, but “the district plans to work collaboratively with the teaching staff whether it be through collective bargaining or on elements that would be included in a handbook or employee guidelines,” explained Waunakee

► Senior Zach Gaugert protects the ball in the game against Baraboo as the Warriors won 62-6 on Semptember 30. The Warriors face rival DeForest at home Friday with the conference championship on the line. Full story on page 13.

Jenna McGowanReporter

A new storefront has recently graced Waunakee’s local strip mall. Trending Now is a store run by local entrepreneur Larry Hooker, who also owns RSS (Retail Sales Solutions).

Trending Now has merged with Breakout, a local clothing printing company.

In the pas t , DECA and marketing students have worked with RSS. Business instructor Sandra Meinholz and Mr. Hooker developed a school-to-career business relationship to give marketing students a more real-life marketing experience.

Both Meinholz and Hooker hope to continue and grow this

mutually beneficial relationship into the coming years, and hope that Trending Now will be just the

venue to do so. “[Hooker] told me that he was

planning to open Trending Now

at the end of this past school year, and that he hoped to be able to incorporate marketing students,” said Meinholz.

So far, marketing students have not been too involved with Trending Now, with the exception of the school store managers who have facilitated the transfer of products from Trending Now to the DECA Warrior Corner (the school store).

In the future, Meinholz plans to have her students work at Trending Now for class credit.

Students would transport themselves to Trending Now during a study hall block, where they would do work similar to the work done in the school store.

With the current school store system, Meinholz requires each

Sandra Meinholz hopes to have marketing clubs and classes work extensively with Trending Now. Breakout Apparel recently merged with Trending Now. Photo by Lydia Dorn

of her students to work four shifts in the school store, either during a study hall, before school, after school or during a lunch period.

“Working for Trending Now would be a lot like working for the school store. Larry and I decided to have students work for Trending Now so that they would be able to gain a more real life marketing experience,” said Meinholz.

Though neither DECA nor the school would receive any of Trending Now’s profits, students would have the opportunity to gain invaluable real world experience as a part of their class curriculum.

Meinholz and Hooker have not yet been able to orchestrate this merger.

“In the past, my income was not used to offset the cost of my health or retirement.

Now in the district, teachers, administrators and other employees are picking up that

piece of their benefits package.”►Brian Kersten, Principal

School District Superintendent Randy Guttenberg.

Many share the same goal as the district prepares for the future. Epping said, “We want good teachers; we want to teach our students. That’s what everybody’s here for.”

By The Numbers The Budget

$1.8 millionAmount the district’s state funding was reduced$1.5 million Amount the district’s revenue cap was reduced5.8Percent of income district employees must contribute to their state retirement fund$1.4 millionAmount the district saves by having employees contribute to their retirement$5,000-6,000Amount saved by sending grade reports electronically85 Percent of budget that goes to personnel

Trending Now to help students gain real world skills

news Chris Pedersen, News Editor

Page 2 October 12, 2011

Success • Confidence • Motivation

Study Skills • ReadingWriting • SpellingPhonics • Math

SAT • PSAT • ACTMiddleton

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274-4446Monona

400 Interlake Drive

223-1953

Sun Prarie2540 Ironwood

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h u n t i n g t o n l e a r n i n g . c o m“#1 Leader in Supplemental Learning”

Photo Poll by Chris Pedersen and Lydia Dorn

“Standardized testing is good at accomplish-ing its task. Current research suggests its task is finding how well you do on standardized tests.”Aaron PavaoMath and Computer Science Instructor

“Standardized test-ing’s not always a valid representation of knowledge required in classes.”Maggie FrawleyGrade11

“I like it because it takes time from the day. It’s really easy and just a waste of time.”Brett FirstGrade 9

“It’s good to evaluate every now and then. [The WKCE] is a refesh of things you learned a while ago.”Ethan HarrisGrade 10

“There’s no point. [Schools] don’t seem to really use it for anything. It’s just a waste of time.”Caitlyn CrahenGrade 12

New state tests will replace WKCE in spring 2015After years of criticism, the state

of Wisconsin is looking to abolish the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Examination (WKCE) and provide a new state level assessment coming in the spring of 2015.

This change will hold individuals and schools to a higher standard and also tie results to teachers and sync with National Common Core of Data Standards (NCCDS), a set of standards for English and mathematics skills.

W K C E i s W i s c o n s i n ’s implementat ion of test ing required under the No Child

Left Behind Act. It has been around for more than a decade in Wisconsin schools and attempts to show whether or not a school or district’s students meet certain standards.

“Standardized tests should tell us if we are on the right track with what we are providing our students for education,” said Tim Schell, director of curriculum and instruction. The results are compared to other districts, counties and states to gauge achievement nationwide.

The NCCDS were created and approved by 48 states, two

territories and the District of Columbia in response to Obama’s Race To The Top program, a competitive grant program “to encourage and reward states that are implementing significant reforms,” according to the Department of Education.

Two main organizations are attempting to design an assessment for the new standards. Wisconsin along with 30 other states form the SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC).

The District of Colombia and 23 states form the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for

College and Careers (PARCC). Both groups hope to give

teachers faster, more useful feedback on student progress, and take advantage of technologies such as computer adaptive testing (a computerized test presents different questions based on the examinee’s performance).

Since the NCCDS only deals with English and mathematics it is unclear how Wisconsin will test science and social studies knowledge.

In addition to WKCE, Waunakee uses the MAP, EXPLORE and PLAN tests.

Brianna MurphyReporter

News BriefsDemonstrators gather for “Occupy Madison”Protestors began to gather at Reynolds Park in Madison, WI on Friday

night, October 6 in solidarity with protestors in New York. As of Friday, 150 were part of the protest and planned to stay through the weekend, with many people spending the night. In stark contrast with the New York protest, no one was arrested and there were no reports of problems.

In a press release, Madison Mayor Paul Soglin stated the city would work with protestors to maintain a peaceful event. While people were allowed to sleep in the park, no tents, cooking or vending was allowed. City officials will be present at all times.

Sources: www.channel3000.com, www.nbc15.com

Apple and Pixar founder Steve Jobs dead at 56On October 5, former Apple CEO Steve Jobs was found dead in his home

as a result of complications from pancreatic cancer. Jobs was first diagnosed with cancer in mid-2004, and had a tumor removed in July of 2004. Jobs took extensive leaves and stepped down as CEO in late August this year. Jobs claimed to be healthy up until his resignation. The Apple Board of Directors elected Vice President Tim Cook as the new CEO of Apple. He had previously taken over during Jobs’ leave of absences and when Jobs had his tumor initially removed. A small private funeral was held on October 7.

Sources: www.cnn.com, www.msnbc.com

Suspected Al-Qaeda members arrested in PakistanPakistan has stopped asking that the United States stop using covert drones

and has arrested several Al Qaeda members. Pakistan gave the United States access to the detainees, and officials say one of the men arrested was a senior member. Officials claim to have improved cooperation out of necessity.

Sources: www.aljazeera.com, www.foxnews.com

“What do you think of standardized testing?”

Anna Evansen, Asst. News Editor news

Page 3October 12, 2011

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Cell policy changes

Volunteer group connecting the communityMolly McDonoughReporter

Beth ParadisinCopy Editor

Starting in the 2011-2012 school year,WaunakeeHighSchoolchangeditspolicyregarding cell phones, allowing studentstousethembeforeschool,duringpassingtimeandatlunch.Thecellphonepolicywaschangedbe-causeitisimportantforstudentstolearnto use cell phones in beneficial and ap-propriateways.Lookingpasthighschool,collegesandworkplacesusecellphonesasmeansof communicationforcomplet-ingvarioustasks.TheWaunakeeDistrictschoolboardbelievesit is importantforstudentstobepreparedfortherealworld. Principal Brian Kersten said, “Cellphonesareubiquitousandapartof dailylifeinoursociety.Wedecidedthatourfo-cuswouldturntoteachingstudentspropercellphoneetiquetteas theywillneed tolearntousecellphonesappropriately incollegeandtheirfuturecareers.” Moreadvancedphonesalsohavebenefitsintheclassroom.ThesephonesareabletoaccesstheInternet,whichcanhelpwithprojectsorhelpstudentslearnmoreaboutsubjectsstudiedinacertainclass. Administration also found that it is abenefittohavecellphonesduringthedaytocontactparentsinregardtovariousafterschoolactivities.Kerstensaid,“Manyof thecontactsthatwereresulting inviola-tionsof theformercellphonepolicywerebetweenstudentsandtheirparentsregard-ingappointmentsortransportation.

Thesewereconversationsthatwebelieveddidnotneedtobelimitedbutsupportedatappropriatetimesof thedaysuchasbeforeschool,passingtimeandlunchtime.” Regardingthechangeintheamountof phonesturnedintotheofficeduetoinap-propriateuse,Kerstensaid,“Atthispointisittooearlytotell.Therehavebeenacouple incidences of inappropriate cellphoneuseinclassrooms,butatthispointwebelievethenumberof cellphoneuserviolationshasdecreased.” Kerstenhopesthestudents’newabilitytocommunicatebetweenclassperiodswilllimittheamountof textingduringclass.Although students canuse their phonesandcontactparentsregardinglastminuteappointments, youmust still signout intheoffice.

ThoughWaunakee is a veryfortunatearea,therearestillsomewhoneedalittleextrahelpgettingthroughtheholidays.Astheadagegoes, there is always someoneworse off than you,which is aproblemWaunakeeneighborhoodConnection (WNC) is trying toaddress.WNCisacharityorganization

thathelpssupplyfamiliesinneedintheWaunakeeareawithclothes,laundry soap, holiday dinnersand other supplies. “I think itis a tremendous success. It is asuccess in that it has educatedtheWaunakee community thatthereareneedsintheWaunakeecommunity and theWaunakeeareahaspulledtogethertoidentifythoseneedsandhelpmeetthoseneeds,” saidGennaEaton, thefounderof WNC.WNC con s t a n t l y s e e k s

community involvement andoffers multiple ways to giveback.Forexample,if oneenjoysgardening,WNChelpsoutinPayIt Forward’s community gardenandgivessomeof thevegetablesto less fortunate families in thecommunity.

Donations are always neededand accepted. High schoolstudents can give back byparticipatingintheannualdiaperandlaundrysoapdrive,whichisrun byDECA.This year’s goalforthedriveis750containersof laundry soap and 500 packagesof diapers.AlltheproceedsgotoWNC,and if youdonate to thebinoutside of the school store,youcangeta10percentdiscountattheschoolstoreor50centsoff aKokopelliitem.“Thelaundryanddiaperdriveis

anexcellentandeasywaytohelpourlocalneighborhood.[Forme],helpingWNCfeelsgreatandisanawesomewaytogivebacktomycommunity,”saidseniorBrandonJaeger, who is a studentWNCboardrepresentative.WNC also hasmany holiday

volunteer opportunities.WNCprovides free shopping to helpkidspickoutChristmaspresentsfor their parents. This eventrequiresalotof donationsforthegiftsandalsorequiresvolunteersto help with the wrapping of gifts. In someof thepast years,thevarsityfootballteamhaslentahandinthisevent.Othereventsaroundtheholiday

season include the Christmas

meal assembly and delivery andtheadopt-a-familyprogram.FortheChristmasmealdeliveryandassembly,volunteersputtogetherholidaymealsanddeliverthemtofamiliesinneed.Inthepast,thesemeals have consisted of ham,fresh fruit, vegetables and pieamongvariousotheritems.Thisprojectrequiresmanyvolunteersto help, as well as monetarydonationstohelpcoverthecostsof thefood.Another upcoming event

gearedtowardtheholidaysistheadopt-a-family program.Withthis program, families, classes,churches or other groups canadoptafamilyandprovidethemwithsuppliesandpresentsduringtheholidayseason.WNC wou ld no t b e a s

successful as it is todaywithoutthe help of themany dedicatedvolunteers.Genna Eaton said,“[Employers] are looking formoreservicelearningindividuals,generally speaking they are verygoal oriented and they havecompassionforotherpeople.”If you are interested in

volunteering,jointheWNCgroupon facebook or contact seniorBrandonJaegerformoredetails.

Junior Candice Bertram texting during passing time. Photo by Lydia Dorn

WNC has a goal of attaining 750 packages of laundry soap and 500 diaper packages by October 22. Photo by Allysa Loeffelholz

In October, Waunakee Intermediate School students volunteer to fill halloween bags for WNC. Photo by Allysa Loeffelholz

opinion Jamie Warner, Opinion Editor


PurPle The

Sage editorial staffSARA VINCENTEditor in Chief

LILY VANDERBLOEMENManaging Editor

CHRIS PEDERSENNews EditorWebpage Designer

ANNA EVANSENAssistant News Editor

JAMIE WARNEROpinion Editor

SAMI GILKESFeatures Editor

JACK ROSENBERRYEntertainment Editor

KELLY MARTINSports Editor

MIKAELA BREUNIGSage Page Editor

LYDIA DORNPhotography Editor

HANNAH FRICKEGraphic Artist

BETH PARADISINCopy Editor

BRITTNEY HAUKECopy Editor

MEGAN FITZPATRICKAdvertising Manager

MELANIE GUITZKOWCreative Director

AIDAN SCHLITTLERCommunity Outreach Manager

BRANDYN LIEBEDirector of Circulation

ANGELA GILBERTSONProduction Assistant

TAMMY RADEMACHERAdviser

ThePurpleSage is written and produced entirely by Waunakee Community High School students. Opinions in ThePurpleSage are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the newspaper staff or the school district. Students, staff and members of the community are welcome to submit Letters to the Editor. Letters should be 250 words or less and must be signed. Letters may be delivered to room 1502 or sent to our e-mail address. ThePurpleSage is published monthly and is printed by South Central Publishing. Subscriptions to ThePurpleSage are available for $20 per year. Mail subscription requests or other requests can be sent to our mailing address or e-mail address:[email protected].

see CELL PHONES page 5

Was the WKCE too easy? Photo by Lydia Dorn

New cell phone policy practical but ineffective

With the new cell phone rule in place, I rarely pass through the halls without seeing someone’s eyes glued to their screens.

From time to time, these texters will walk straight into walls, lockers, doors and occasionally a faculty member. Although the rule change has made some people hallway hazards, I find the new rule to be sensible and convenient. However, the new policy has failed to reduce the amount of in-class usage.

The rule is handy for sending a text to a friend before class or calling home about forgotten gym clothes. We are all thankful that we no longer have to hide our texting habits in the halls or conceal our phones as we tweet. We love being able to check our inboxes at lunch without having to escape to the bathroom or having to crane our necks to see under the table. Still, some of us continue to text in class.

Although the rule calls for phones to be turned off during “instructional times,” many students are still texting under their desks, inside their purses or backpacks or within

This summer, people were watching the capitol to catch the results of the much-anticipated recall elections.

What people may not have heard about, though, were some proposed changes to the recall election system. When the recall elections were called this summer, voters needed to get a certain number of signatures on a petition. But as of September 5, a subtle change has been made to the process. Instead of physically filling out a petition, voters can download an online form, fill it out, and send it to the capital.

While this may make it easier on those who are politically

active but do not want to drive out and sign a petition, there are a lot of downsides as well, which outweigh the positives. One of the major problems is that by making recall elections easier to call, the state could easily enter a situation where recall elections are called at every possible opportunity. This would be a problem because legislators would constantly have to shift their focus to recall elections. Even less work would be done down at the capitol, and politicians would spend even more time campaigning.

Along with that, the costs of these reca l l e lec t ions are monumental. Over $35 million was spent on election campaigning, money which could have been used for more important problems.

A n o t h e r i s s u e w i t h these changes is one not often thought about: the bureaucratic requirements. It will take a lot more manpower and time to sort through all the forms sent in and make sure they are authentic. Along those lines, it would be much easier and be less time consuming to simply forge the forms and break the system.

While the changes to the recall elections may seem like a good idea at first, under closer inspection, there are many huge flaws in the plan. For now, we should just remain with the old method of filling out a petition by hand. It worked fine, and we can still refine it in the future.

I remember taking the dreaded WKCE test in Middle School.

Teachers always warned, “Get a good night’s sleep, and eat a big breakfast because there is WKCE testing tomorrow.”

In my op in ion , tha t extra preparation was not necessary. The WKCE was, simply put, a piece of cake, and its removal opens room for harder tests.

I think that Waunakee students could definitely handle being challenged a bit more. The material covered on the WKCE was mostly based off of common sense questions. Sure, students

were tested on the main subjects, but the difficulty level and depth covered is low. The WKCE is a basic level test.

“Many students at Waunakee are above that level and find the questions to be fairly easy,” said Tim Schell, the director of curriculum and instruction. “The sooner we finish with the WKCE, the better.”

I agree with Mr. Schell. It makes no sense to take a test that does not give students a chance to stretch their brains and show everything that they know.

Waunakee should choose other tests that will help students be prepared for college and that will make students use all of their knowledge acquired from a Waunakee High School education.

Recall election accidents

WKCE too easy to measure progress

Patrick ColemanColumnist

Brianna MurphyColumnist

Sara VincentEditor in Chief

“Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me ... Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful ... that’s what matters to me,” said Steve Jobs in an interview for the WallStreetJournal. Jobs, who died last week of pancreatic cancer, lived up to what he said: he did something wonderful. Jobs was one of the most influential people in the world of modern day technology.

He completely revolutionized how the world used and thought about electronics. He was not afraid to start from the beginning on design and function, making things as usable and sensible as possible. “That’s been one of my mantras — focus and simplicity. Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple,” he said in an interview with BusinessWeek. He worked to combine different features and created things starting years ago, such as the Apple II, Macintosh, iPod, iPhone and iPad. Jobs oversaw the production of the iPod, one

of the first digital, portable media players, and he developed technology with his series of computers starting with the Macintosh II back in 1987. He took the lead in a tidal wave of rapidly developing technology. Whether or not a fan of his products, Jobs undeniably took technology in a new direction.

In the wake of his passing, it is important to remember that Jobs was not the sole innovator at Apple. He said himself in an interview with BusinessWeek, “This is not a one-man show.” Jobs was a great entrepreneur and innovator, but he would not like being credited as the sole creator of Apple products. In reality, it was the dedication and work of the company, with Jobs a source of guidance. The company will live on with the help of its many talented staff members.

Jobs was an innovator and inventor. Few people would receive positive statements from Barack Obama, Bill Gates, Steve Wozniak and George Lucas as Jobs did. The number of people he positively impacted with his products is in the millions. He truly did “something wonderful.”

Looking back on Steve Jobs

WEDNESDAY SOCIETYTHE

speaks STAFF EDITORIAL

opinion


from page 5

Cell phones

QuotableUOTE

– Steve Jobs”

“A lot of times, people

don’t know what they want

until you show it to

them.

their pockets. P e o p l e s tar t a text conversation during passing time and then continue that conversation while in class.

The new cell phone rule has caused some teachers to reevaluate their classroom phone policies. I have heard of many stories in which teachers confiscate cell phones when they hear the slightest ring. In years past, more teachers were relaxed about phones accidentally going off in class, but it seems that this year teachers will take away a cell phone if they even hear a vibration. When a teacher actually “takes it” when he or she “sees it or hears it,” students will be more responsible because they fear that they may be separated with their beloved communication device.

Then there are the teachers who deal with cell phones more directly. Some teachers require students to turn their cell phones off and put them on their desks where they can be seen. This way, the teacher can be assured that no one is texting underneath a desk. By forcing the phones to be out in the open, it is obvious when students try to text in class.

The new rule is practical; it shows that the administration knows we use our phones in school and wants to give us some freedom. However, unless the rule is paired with harsh or innovative classroom phone policies, those who texted during class last year will be repeat offenders.

Recently, President Obama’s Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, began encouraging states to opt out of the No Child Left Behind program.

This br ings to l ight an important but controversial question about the success of this program. The legislation was originally proposed by President Bush in 2001 and passed with

overwhe lming b ipa r t i s an support.

Its goal was to establish more accountability within school districts by judging their performance on standardized tests. Schools that meet state performance goals receive full federal funding. Schools that fail to meet the yearly improvement goals could receive less funding and other penalties. If after two years a school does not meet the requirements, the school must develop a plan of action to improve student test scores.

After “No Child Left Behind” was implemented, standardized t e s t s co r e s d r ama t i c a l l y improved. According to the Wall Street Journal, after full implementation of No Child Left Behind in 2003, America’s 13-year-olds scored their highest

ever in math. Since then, however, scores have stagnated and declined.

Opponents argue that the legislation forces teachers to teach to the test, which is a valid argument. Unfortunately, doing nothing is not an option as America continues to fall behind in education compared to the rest of the world. More funding is not the answer either. According to the Department of Education, Congress has increased federal funding for education from 42 billion in 2001 to 54 billion now, but test scores have shown little improvement. No Child Left Behind was an attempt at making districts accountable for their students’ success.

It has failed, but this does not mean we should give up

trying. Making school districts responsible for their students’ success is the answer in one form or another. The only way to do that is with repercussions for schools that do not reach their goals.

A paper published by Stanford University compares schools that did and did not have repercussions if they failed to meet the requirements. Schools that had consequences scored much higher on standardized tests than schools with no consequences.

No Child Left Behind was a failure, but there is still a problem in the educational system. School districts and teachers must be held directly accountable for their students’ success. It is time to go back to the drawing board.

Do not leave behind school reform goals

United States Ranking Among Tested Countries

ScienceReading

Math

Tax Dollars at Work: United States Education Funding vs. Test Scores1

6

11

16

21

26

Budget per

Student

2nd

No Child Left Behind was a valiant but failed attempt to solve a problem still loom-ing over the United States.

Sources: OECD, Department of Education

2003 2006 2009

Kyle ConnorsColumnist

Despite spending the second most on education per student (Switzerland is first), the United States ranked 25th globally in math test scores in 2009 and is behind in science and reading.

opinion


“Has the new texting rule solved texting in class?”

Photo poll by Jamie Warner and Lydia Dorn

“No, I’ve witnessed people texting in class.”

Claire JohnsonGrade 9

“Not really. People are still going to text if they feel like it.”

Jackson HeinrichsGrade 10

“I feel like I’ve noticed fewer people texting in class, yes.”

Alex AmesEnglish Instructor

“Yes. People wait until passing time to contact the person they need to talk to.”

Kelly MoranGrade 11

“Absolutely not. You can start conversations in the hallway and carry them into class.”

Sam AverillGrade 12

A zero-mass, zero-charge particle called a neutrino is shot straight through the Earth’s crust at CERN in Geneva, Switzerland. It passes through solid rock and pops out almost 500 miles away into a room of Ghostbuster scientists poised with extremely sensitive instruments to capture this intangible particle.

What sounds like science fiction actually did happen. The team at CERN was attempting to measure the speed of the neutrino, and what they found was shocking: it arrived 0.00000006 seconds sooner than it would have if it were going at the speed of light.

What does this mean? For one, particles can travel faster than the speed of light, meaning that the work Einstein did needs to be extended – that is, if the experiment holds out. In reality, the likelihood of systemic error, that is, an o v e r l o o k e d

flaw in the experiment, is very high because the experiment was so complicated. The scientific community is now waiting on Fermilab, right here in the Midwest, to see if the results are valid.

This is how science works: people constantly reevaluate each others’ work and question what they know. However, that is not always the idea people get from the media. The media tends to sensationalize scientific advancements and ultimately lowers scientific literacy and interest.

A Fox News headline on the neutrino experiment ran, “‘Faster Than Light’ Particles Make Time Travel Possible, Scientist Says.” Laura Smith-Park of CNN could not help but wedge a discussion on time travel and the Grandfather Paradox (the paradox resulting from someone going back in time and killing their grandfather) in her coverage of the event.

This seems to be the case for most science reporting: either teleportation, time travel or other science fiction was just discovered, or the sleeping scientific world has just been turned on its head.

News needs readership, yet few people want to hear about the “Response of Pine Natural Regeneration to Small-Scale Spatial Variation in a Managed Med i te r ranean Mounta in Forest.” In reality, measurements are full of uncertainty, and results are rarely as straightforward as the morning news presents them to be. This is hardly the media’s fault. It is the viewers who decide what is popular, and credit should be given to the media for reporting on science at all. The problem is that reporting weighted toward dramatic news is the only source for most people’s science news, resulting in confusion on the distinction between science and popular science or science fiction.

Here is the difference: Real science is published in journals, not newspapers. It is about expanding human knowledge and making en l ighten ing experiments, not trying to recreate Back to the Future.

The way experiments are reported makes people think scientists are complacent until the new discovery takes them to the drawing board, but the fact is that scientists are always at the drawing board.

It is easy to stop the system. Scientific journals are often open and readable online if someone wants to know what is actually going on. In the meantime, just take reported science with a grain of salt.

Find neutrinos in Nature, not news

Thumbs up! Thumbs down...

Almost Halloween.

Also, trick-or-treat-ing in high school.

Haunted corn mazes. Getting

hopelessly lost has never been so much fun.

Surviving one month of

school.

High fives.

Jumping in leaf piles even

though you are “too old.”

Confusing actual

murderers with people just dressed up as them.

Getting a cold when it is not

even cold (yet). Also, the flu season.

It has only been one month?

Being “left hanging.”

Neckbeards.

Rebellioushomeowners who

trick instead of treat.

Jamie WarnerOpinion Editor

Monopoly is back at

McDonald’s.

Leaves changing

colors while the temperature is still in the seventies. Nature, you never cease to amaze me.

Costumes – for cats and dogs. It

is only cute until you notice theincommunicable despair and shame in their eyes.

•Page 8 The Purple Sage October 12, 2011 Page 9

• Although you can have male or female fraternal twins, opposite gendered identical twins are impossible.

• Even though it might seem plausible, twins will never have the same fingerprints. Fingerprints are a phenotype, meaning that they are determined not from one’s DNA, but rather from environmental variables such as one’s position in the womb, blood pressure, and nutrition.

• There are countless stories of twins having extrasensory perception or ESP, which is feeling a physical sensation of something that is happening to their twin like labor pains or a heart attack. However, there is no scientific proof that substantiates this theory. These stories are generally thought of as signs of a deep emotional connection.

• One of the most widely perpetuated facts about twins is that having twins runs in the family. The only shred of truth to this misconception is with fraternal twins where children may inherit the gene of hyperovulation. However, because men do not ovulate, those who have sons will not be more likely to have twins. Identical twins do not run in families; they are merely random occurrences where two sperm fertilize one egg. If multiple identical twins exist in families, it is only by coincidence.

It is common to think twins know everything about each other. But when given quizzes asking the twins to answer ten questions about themselves and their twin, it turns out twins do not necessarily know everything about each other. This can be seen when interviewing sophomores Courtney and Alyssa Pomeranke.

Purple Sage: What is your favorite food and what do you think your twin’s favorite food is?Courtney Pomeranke: My favorite food is pretty much anything. Hers is candy.Alyssa Pomeranke: Mine is ice cream. Hers is a lot of things; she likes to eat.PS: What is your favorite type of music?CP: Mine is country, hers is anything but country.AP: Mine is hip-hop or rap, hers is country.PS: What is your favorite memory of your twin?CP: Mine would be pretty much everything, but especially vacations. No clue about hers.AP: Mine are summer vacations; we always get along on trips. Hers would be everything.

Sometimes knowing which twin is which can be difficult. They look alike, they talk alike, they are pretty much the same person. Right? Wrong. It turns out the twins at Waunakee High School may have their similarities, but they also have defining characteristics that make each twin as unique as the rest of us. Sophomores Marcus and Mikias Muluken are identical twins, and at first glance it is hard to tell them apart.

Purple Sage: Are you and your twin often mixed up?Marcus Muluken: My brother and I are mixed up a lot. Even our parents cannot seem to get us right. In fact, I got so used to it that I respond to both “Marcus” and “Mikias.” I guess that it will never change.PS: What is your defining characteristic?MM: I would say the biggest defining physical characteristic would be the scar on my brother’s forehead. Also, he has braces, and I do not.PS: What makes you different from your twin?MM: Some say that I am more talkative then Mikias, but for the most part, we are alike in a lot of ways.PS: What is something people should not assume about you but do because you are a twin?MM: People assume that we can read each other’s thoughts and have twin telepathy. I would say that is not entirely true, but we have had a lot of times where we would say or think the same thing. It is kind of funny.

The same thing can be said for sophomore fraternal twins Shelby and Tilly Chorney. In general they are pretty similar, but they are two completely different personalities and two separate people.

Purple Sage: Are you and your twin often mixed up?Tilly Chorney: We are mixed up sometimes, but once people know us well, they usually get it right.PS: What are your defining characteristics?Shelby Chorney: I would say my defining characteristic is that I do not have braces, and Tilly does. Otherwise, it would be that I have wavy hair, and she has straight hair.PS: Do you ever pretend to be your twin?SC: I have only pretended to be her a few times, and it was really fun.PS: What is something people should not assume about you but do because you are a twin?TC: Because we are twins, everyone thinks we have twin telepathy or we are identical.SC: Sometimes I do not know if it is twin telepathy or that it is just a coincidence. Plus a lot of people assume that we have the same personalities but actually we are very different.

Common misconceptions

Ask a twin

Which twin is which?The Chorney Twins The Muluken TwinsThe Brown Twins

Although it may be a myth that Elvis is still alive, Elvis did

have a twin who died at birth.

Elvis and Jesse PresleyPhoto courtesy of: elvis.com

James and Oliver PhelpsPhoto courtesy of: IMDB.com

Mary Kate and Ashley OlsenPhoto courtesy of: IMDB.com and wikipedia.com

• At times, twins may seem to share their own personal language. It has been identified that this is simply a result of being in an almost constant presence of one another during the first few years of their life. During this period, they come to understand each others’ grunts, gestures, and “baby babble.”

• Contrary to popular belief, fraternal, but not identical, twins may have two different fathers. Because fraternal twins are the result of hyper ovulation, the release of multiple eggs in a single cycle, sperm from two different partners can fertilize different eggs.

• Although twins are generally thought to have the same birthdays, there have been a few cases in history where twins have been born on different days, years, or even millennia. This can happen when one twin is born prematurely, but doctors halt labor, so the other twin is born weeks later. It can also occur when the mother opts for a natural birth instead of a c-section. The differences in time between births can be hours which allows for births on different days when it happens close to midnight.

Imagine always having someone to play with. You can share clothes, switch places and have someone to help you with homework. There is a very small group of people who can do all these things: twins. Your chances of having twins are increased if you have a grandmother, mother or aunt with twins. The male’s relatives have no effect on the probability of having twins. Your chances can be increased if your body mass index is above 30 (which is technically overweight) in addition to having a height of over 5 feet 8 inches. The older you are, the more likely it becomes to have twins. If you are 45, you have a 17 percent chance of hav-ing fraternal twins, which is higher than any younger age. Increasing dairy and sweet potato consumption enhances

your chances because it results in hyperovulation, the cause for having fraternal twins. As members of the 21st century, we have the highest rates of having twins ever. Studies show about 3 percent of births are multiples. Massachusetts and Connecticut are 25 percent above the national average of multiples. Nigeria has the high-est rates for a country where 4.5 percent of their births are multiples; that is one in every 22 births. Here in Waunakee High School, we have 16 sets of twins (see chart below for grade comparisons). This means about one percent of the students are a twin.

Statistics from about.com

TwinsHow they came to look the same

A)______________________ B)______________________ B)______________________A)______________________ B)______________________A)______________________

Answers: A - Brett, B - Brian Answers: A - Shelby, B - Tilly Answers: A - Marcus, B - MikiasThe Pandow twins

On Aug. 24, 1994, Abby Pan-dow was born at Meriter Hospi-tal in Madison, Wisconsin. Eight minutes later, she was followed by her twin sister Ashley. The two are fraternal twins which Ashley says makes her “glad, so then nobody mixes us up.” Even though they do not look exactly alike, others still do make mistakes when addressing the twins. The two said that other people tend to call Ashley by her sister’s name, but it is never the other way around.

There are claims about twin te-

lepathy, extrasensory perception (ESP), between twins, but neither Abby nor Ashley have experienced it. The closest thing they have to telepathy is “saying something that the other person is thinking,” or finishing each other’s sentences.

When questioned if they thought they are polar opposites or pretty similar, the twins simul-taneously announced “similar”. It was almost as if it was said by one voice and that definitely validated their statement.

However similar the two

thought they were, their answers on a ‘Favorites Survey’ they took spoke differently. Out of 30 ‘fa-vorite things,’ ranging from color, to season, to childhood cartoon, the Pandow’s shared only eight. Some of the things they agreed on were favorite animal (dog), fa-vorite sport (soccer), favorite place (their cabin), and favorite holiday (Christmas). Because they are fra-ternal, they only share up to 50 per-cent of their genes, which makes them no more alike or different than any other two siblings would

be. Therefore, their 22 different answers on the survey should not come as a surprise. Nonetheless, growing up with someone only eight minutes apart in age amounts to more than just your average sib-ling relationship. If they did have the choice of being a twin or not, both agree that they would choose to still be twins. Ashley says it is “because you always have some-one to hang out with,” and Abby continues, “because when I go to family things I am never by my-self.”

Spread by: Sami Gilkes, Jenna Frazier, Aidan Schlittler, Danielle Schiestle and Lydia Dorn

Famous celebrity twins

Freshmen

Seniors

Sophmores

2

9

5Juniors

0

Sets of twins per grade in WHS

featuresSamiGilkes,FeaturesEditor

Page7October12,2011

With WHS growing in size from year to year, one can often feel as if they do not know any-thing about their fellow students or staff members. The Purple Sage gives insight into the lives of one student and one staff member per month in order to fa-miliarize WHS.

Amber DonelsonPurple Sage: If you could change one thing about the world what would you change? Amber Donelson: I would definitely change the lack of opportuni-ties for young kids born in impoverished or un-healthy environments. Kids who grow up in Detroit or southern Chi-cago do not have the resources or the com-munity support to thrive academically. Regardless

of how smart they are, they tend to slump and succumb to their environment as early as ten and twelve. My hope would be to enlist brave and willing individu-als, even counselors, to motivate

these children to work to their full potential and look to-wards a future outside of their neighborhood. PS: What is your biggest

accomplishment? AD: My biggest accompl i shment would have to be creating an AP Psy-chology study page on Facebook last year for the Fall se-mester final exam. I created it because there were numer-ous kids in the class who relied on before

school or after school time to share what they were studying. Everyone I talked to said, “I’m so go-ing to fail this.” So by cre-ating the psychology page, which took a long time, the

psych classes could break down barriers and put ev-

James GraettingerPurple Sage: Have you previously worked at a school? James Graettinger: No, this is my first job in a school setting.PS: Why did you want to take this job? JG: I am working on get-ting my masters degree in education and wanted

Caitlin McGuireReporter

Caroline PatzReporter

Studying in a foreign coun-try probably seems like a scary thought; new people, new cul-ture, new everything. Not many people would voluntarily pack up and leave their home country in order to learn more about the world. Senior Annabelle Frohn decided she was going to do just that.

As to why she decided to study abroad, she said, “Getting the chance to study abroad is a once in a lifetime experience. You learn about a different culture, meet new people, become inde-pendent, and get the opportu-nity to enrich your knowledge. As a little girl, I lived in Sweden and in the Netherlands with my family. I learned so much from those experiences that I decided if I would visit a foreign country on my own, it would help me be-come self-reliant.”

Frohn was very excited to spend a year of high school abroad. She said she was, and still is, very confident about the whole situation. She is not ner-vous at all. She said she chose the U.S. because, “my parents lived in the U.S. before I was born, and they have loved the country ever since. They have taken my sisters

and me on several trips here and we always had amazing times on these trips. American people are very welcoming, comforting and open to new people. This is the country where everything is pos-sible; I feel blessed that I have the chance to enjoy some of it.”

Frohn is in the U.S. with a program called Nacel Opendoor. She says her hometown is comparable to Waunakee in size, but that is about it. When asked about the differences between her school in Holland and WHS she said, “One big difference is that we travel to school by bike. Holland is a small country, and everything is close to each other, so that makes

it easier to cycle from A to B. The driving age is 18 in Holland; kids simply are not allowed to drive. Another thing that is very different is the organization of sports. Here you practically have a school team for every sport. In the Netherlands, we do not have school sports teams. For every sport, we have clubs. For example, I am a member of a field hockey club called AHC, Arnhem Hockey Club.”

She said that the culture here is very different as well, and that she is not used to being exposed to so much food.

“My favorite thing about the Madison area so far is that p eople are very nice. Waunakee is a great community; it is nice to have a bigger city nearby,” said Frohn. She said that she would like people to know, “I like being around people and doing fun stuff with friends. If you have any questions or just want to talk or hang out, please do. I hope that you have gotten to know me a little bit more through this interview. I had fun answering the questions.”

If anyone wants someone new to talk to, or wants to experience a little bit of Europe right here in Waunakee, seek out Annabelle Frohn.

erything we learned into one or-ganized bin and pull from it any information we needed.PS: Where is your favorite place to vacation?AD: Even though I was only there once on a school trip, I would like to go back to south-ern France and/or Switzerland. They are the most gorgeous places in the world. You cannot take one bad picture of anything over there. Also, just being there makes you feel worldly at ease with a hint of independence. Whenever I say, “Oh, I would definitely go back to Southern France or Switzerland...” people’s faces just change and they are suddenly interested. It is great. PS: What is your favorite restau-rant?AD: Olive Garden. Pepe’s Mexi-can Restaurant es numero dos for those of you who have been around the Chicago area.PS: What is your favorite memo-ry of high school? AD: Oh goodness, my first or second Waunakee football game. I moved here my junior year and I came from a school where people were just too stuck up to

cheer. This school is fun and lively and I am going to be sad when football season ends PS: If you could meet one per-son who would you meet? Why? AD: Either George Clooney, Ryan Reynolds, or David Beck-ham… for all the wrong reasons. I think George is a silver fox. You can laugh, but you know I am right. Ryan is just perfect, he is so cute, charismatic, and Canadian… need I say more? David is a very, very beautiful man, and I wonder if he is as beautiful in person as he is in my Seventeen magazine.

some experience working in a school setting. PS: What university are you at-tending? JG: I am attending both UW-Madison and Concordia Univer-

sity.PS: When you were in school, what was your favorite subject? JG: I loved history. I

am hoping to be-come a social studies teacher.PS: What grade would you like to teach?

JG: I would like to teach middle school,

but I am not entirely sure yet.PS: Do you like Waunakee? JG: Yes. The staff and students are

all very nice.

Friendly visitor from Holland

Get to know Amber and our new para-educator

The Art Club dedicated their 2004 Earth Day Tree with an engraved brick that marks the year and groups that donated the money to plant it. The blooming pear tree is located outside of the pyramid entrance, near the ceramic room. It flowers each spring as a reminder to “take care of the Earth.” The tree was planted by Ensign Landscaping. Recently, Kokopelli and Art Club purchased the brick. Members of the current organizations, and Art Club Advisor Pat Schwartz (third from right) were on hand to join in the dedication.

Art Club and Kokopelli remember Earth Day

Kokopelli and Art Club install their commemorative brick under the Earth Day Tree. Photo by Lydia Dorn

Dutch senior exchange student Annabelle Frohn. Photo by Lydia Dorn

Photos by Lydia Dorn

entertainment Jack Rosenberry, Entertainment Editor


Jack RosenberryEntertainment Editor

One can have a perfect job, a perfect house, a perfect girlfriend. Then it is over in a sentence. A movie is made more believable if its writers have knowledge and experience on its subject. This is especially true with 50/50, a cancer dramedy based on the

true story of Will

Reiser and his bout with cancer. Reiser wrote this film, and it was actually produced by one of his best friends at the time, Seth Rogen, along with Evan Goldberg. Rogen and Goldberg are best known for their work on Superbad and Pineapple Express.

50/50 is a movie about Adam (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a hipster radio station employee who finds out he has a rare spinal tumor and he has a 50/50 chance of surviving. Yes, a 50/50 chance. It is a movie title that tests the word “obvious.” Anyway, Adam tells this to his best friend Kyle, an

inspiring Seth Rogen in a role that fits his teddy bear-like

demeanor and figure. Their f r i e n d s h i p defines this

movie as they play the role of human strength

in the face of an enemy who will

stop at nothing to destroy. Along the way are events that

play along with how people will deal with cancer. Adam’s girlfriend Rachael (Bryce Dallas Howard) is a wonderfully toxic woman who seems nice but truly cannot take responsibility for herself. Then there is Adam’s mother (Angelica Huston), who has one of the most touching scenes in the movie. She also steals several scenes in which she becomes almost unbearably demanding and crazy. The one character that seemed off in her inclusion in the film is the therapist Katherine (Anna Kendrick). She seemed to provide a romantic comedy angle.

Also, the ending was no surprise, even if the lead up to it was very well done and showed bravery in the face of a death that has a chance of coming soon. Adam knows that he has a chance of dying in his operation, but he

never becomes bitter.Another back story in the film is

the story between Adam and these two old men in chemotherapy with him. These scenes provide the film with a bit of cynicism but also a bit of reality that was really needed.

Finally, if there is one scene to pull away from this film, it is when Kyle has to call someone out on a lie. It begins with such a subtle intensity before exploding with layers of anger, hilarity, and vile language which finally shows the character underneath for the first time.

In the grand scheme of things, a movie about living with and fighting cancer can get sad and depressing with no humor at all. 50/50 proves that there can be humor.

Grade: A-

Always read the critic’s corner: 50/50

Fall TV lineup proves promising from many networksTommy WieslerColumnist

This fall TV season has a lot to look forward to. With a new manager of The Office and a new star of Two and A Half Men, there has been a lot of uncertainty, but nevertheless, there are lots of good shows for this season. Let us break it down.

Monday: A good night to start off the week. CBS has a decent line up of comedies to make Monday livable. How I Met Your Mother is already on a good start to another season, but with Barney pursuing a committed relationship, this season will not be as legendary as the others. Next up is 2 Broke Girls, which is way better than expected. The real question is Ashton Kutcher on Two and a Half Men. The show has not been as funny recently, and Kutcher is not the one to save the show. Do not forget Fox’s new show, Terranova. Unlike Jurassic Park, Adventurers go back to the time of the dinosaurs in order to save humanity in the future.

Tuesday: Gleeks, enjoy what is

TweetableWEET

” –@Conan O’Brien

“ I look foward to

having grandkids, so I can share my

wisdom. Mostly wisdom about

Angry Birds.

Come try one of our many new menu items!

most likely the show’s last good season. With its star members in their senior year, it is New Directions’ last shot at winning nationals. As for the show, Glee is not off to a good start. The storyline has gotten worse, and they have not sung any notable songs. The real gem for tonight is Raising Hope. It is quirky, it is odd, but it is hilarious.

Wednesday: Winning five Emmys, including best comedy for the second year in the row, Modern Family is the show to watch. With some of the best actors on TV, it has got to be a favorite to go for the Emmy three-peat. And if you are looking for a new comedy, NBC’s Up All Night looks promising. While Will Arnett and Christina Applegate do not make good parents, they do make good TV.

Thursday: I have said it before, and I will say it again. NBC Thursday is the best. Community and Parks and Recreation have always been great. The other big replacement, Andy Bernard, played by Ed Helms, does not seem to be a bad pick as the new

office manager. But CBS puts up some competition with The Big Bang Theory, and its new drama, Person of Interest, is very captivating.

Friday : The final season of Chuck will premiere in late October, and it is set up to be a great ending. Chuck is on his last mission: to find out who is controlling his life. While only 13 episodes long, this season is going to be big. Otherwise fans of Supernatural will be tuned in tonight.

Saturday: Saturday Night Live is always funny and with no storyline to follow, it can be jumped into at any time. The sketches are silly, ranging from the political to the zany, and fun to watch with a group of friends on a Saturday night.

Sunday: Sunday is the final season of Desperate Housewives, and the drama is high. For those looking to get a laugh in before Monday, Fox’s Animation Domination is a good place to get them. The line up this year looks pretty solid. Laugh loud and enjoy.

Monday

- The Sing-Off NBC 7:00- How I Met Your Mother CBS 7:00- Terranova Fox 7:00- 2 Broke Girls CBS 7:30- Two and a Half Men CBS 8:00

Tuesday

- Glee FOX 7:00- NCIS CBS 7:00- Dancing with the Stars ABC 8:00- Raising Hope FOX 8:30- New Girl FOX 8:30

Wednesday

- Up All Night NBC 7:00- Suburgatory ABC 7:30- Criminal Minds CBS 8:00- Modern Family ABC 8:00- Psych USA 9:00

Thursday

- Community NBC 7:00- The Big Bang Theory CBS 7:00- Parks and Recreation NBC 7:30- Person of Interest CBS 8:00

Friday

- Chuck NBC 7:00- Thundercats Cartoon Network 7:30- Supernatural The CW 8:00

The cast of The Big Bang Theory. Photo courtesy of Fox

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The cast of How I Met Your Mother. Photo courtesy of CBS

entertainment


Debut albums are to be taken all but lightly.

They have the ability to make or

break a band’s introduction to the music scene. Start out with a bang, or go out in flames, the first album is just like a first impression. Bands only get one chance to show the fans what they bring to the table. Whether a band decides to rise to the challenge, or mount themselves on the bottom, it is all solidified in the debut album before it reaches listeners’ ears.

Foster the People’s debut album, Torches, was released on May 23,

Meghan CaulfieldColumnist

2011. The album has earned a positive response from the public and critics alike as well as many top spots on the album charts. Torches reached the number 8 spot on the Billboard 200 chart as well as maintaining many consecutive weeks on the Top Ten iTunes albums chart.

The band was formed in Los Angeles by Mark Foster in 2009. Foster the People is best known for their indie-pop/rock sound with heavy influences of dance and electronica. Foster the People consists of lead vocalist Mark Foster, drummer and percussionist Mark Pontius, and bassist and backup vocalist Cubbie Fink. Foster, in addition to singing, also supplies musical backup on the keyboard, synthesizer, guitar,

Foster the People: rising stars

Brittney HaukeCopy Editor

During the school year, it can be hard to find the time to read a new book. If you suffer from this conundrum, check out the school Book Club.

It is new and improved this year, changing its name f rom the S tuden t/Staff Book Club to the Waunakee High School Book C lub. T he meetings are always on Wednesdays on “a” during both lunches.

The first meeting will be on November 2nd, and there are plans to meet 5 or 6 times this year, or once a month. The first book to be read will be Divergent by Veronica Roth. Anybody can come anytime, and there is no obligation to come to all of the meetings.

Recently, a Facebook page for the book club has been posted.

Book Club revampedPeople who have “liked” the page will receive updates from the club and can post about the books they have read. Discussion about potential books will also be available. Students and staff can email Mrs. Ramsey or student leaders Danielle Murphy (late lunch) and Brittany Legwold (early

lunch) with book suggestions as well.

Both students and staff are encouraged to participate

and should always feel welcome. Teachers

like the book club because they do not

have to be teachers during the meetings. Students enjoy that they just get to hang out and there are no dues. Plus, Mrs. Ramsey brings snacks.

If you are someone who loves to read, but does not get enough time to, be sure to check out the Waunakee High School Book Club on Facebook. Feel free to come to the first meeting on November 2.

New releases for October & NovemberDVD1. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (Oct. 18)2. Bad Teacher (Oct. 18)3. Winnie the Pooh (Oct. 25)4. Captain America: First Avenger (Oct. 28)5. Crazy, Stupid, Love (Nov. 1)6. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 ( Nov. 11)

Movies1. Footloose (Oct 14)2. A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas in 3D (Nov. 4)3. Happy Feet 2 (Nov. 18)4. Breaking Dawn: Part 1 (Nov. 18)5. Paranormal Activity 3 (Nov. 21)

Music1. William Shatner (Oct. 11)2. Drake (Oct. 24)3. Coldplay (Oct. 24)4. Florence + the Machine (Nov. 1)5. REM Final Release (Nov. 15)

Concerts1. Matt Nathanson/ Vanessa Carlton (Oct. 14 @ Overture)2. Yellowcard (Oct. 20 @ Majestic Theatre)3. All Time Low (Oct. 29 @ Freakfest)4. Avenged Sevonfold (Dec. 2 @ Alliant Energy Center)5. Bon Iver (Dec. 10 @ Orpheum Theatre)

All over the Internet, there are thousands of top Disney movie lists. So many, in fact, that it would seem almost idiotic to make another one. Well, The Wednesday Society would like to challenge that with an entirely new list that trumps all lists.

1. The Lion King: I mean come on. This is to be expected. The whole movie is a masterpiece of modern animation. And it makes many people weep uncontrollably when they see the beginning and end. Or it is probably just me.

2. Aladdin: Following at a closely contested second, Aladdin is a story about a man who builds himself up from nothing. Plus, he has a magical genie who most likely has ADHD. He might seriously have a problem.

Our Top 5 Favorite Disney MoviesThe Wednesday Society Presents:

Jack RosenberryEntertainment Editor

competition.

3. Aristocats: Aristocats, think that they are aristocrats. They are cats and they think they are people. It is so funny. Cats are some entertaining animals to watch though, whether they are rich or not. Plus the scene with the cat jazz band will be stuck in your head head for not only hours, but weeks.

4. Beauty and the Beast: This movie brings out the best in people. Girl meets boy, boy turns out to be a hideous monster, girl falls in love with boy, girl and boy fall in love. Boy turns into handsome prince. A simple story that warmed the hearts of millions.

5. 101 Dalmatians : T h e s e l o v a b l e Dalmatians are the cutest things. They do not know why they have been kidnapped, or that they are going to be

made into coats. They still do not give up on their cuteness and determination to get back to their parents.

We would like to thank all of the other entries for their hard work and determination. Their movies were sweet, but not sweet enough to warm our cold hearts.

percussion and piano.The in t roductor y t r ack ,

“Helena Beat”, is best described as contagious, with a super-catchy beat that keeps listeners humming along through all 4 minutes and 35 seconds. “Don’t Stop (Color on the Walls)” sounds commercial ready from the introduction, through the chorus, to the ending chords, and it is rightfully placed in a Kia Soul car advertisement. The most well known single off Torches, “Pumped Up Kicks,” became a “feel good” radio hit over the summer. Tinged with a quirky, electronic style beats, l ight vocals and motivating lyrics, “Waste” catches listeners’ attention. “Houdini” emanates a strong, electronic background that successfully counteracts the steady beat and repetitive chorus. Despite the presence of these great tracks, the CD contains a few tracks such as “Warrant” and “Miss You” which lack standout qualities.

Torches is definitely an extension of a sound many other bands have achieved. Countless people will argue that Foster the People is just a rip off of psychedelic-pop bands such as MGMT and Passion Pit. Nevertheless, Foster the People still has a quality all their own: the band’s ability to make their songs stand out in the crowded electronic/pop scene.

Fans can currently catch Foster the People headlining a string of sold out shows across the United States.

Source: www.weheartit.com

entertainment


Stressed? Why not relieve it with sealsBrandyn LiebeColumnist School… need I say more? Between co-curriculars, sports, studying, college applications, jobs, youth groups, volunteering, quizzes, tests, exams, and, of course, homework, we have a pretty full plate on our hands. So, how can we, the students, handle all of the stress that comes with these things? Well, that is what I set out to find an swer s fo r. I researched, took polls, and I even d i d s o m e s e l f ref lection. Here it is, and I think it is a winner: the Top Five Ways to Relieve Stress. 5. Go clubbing WITH baby seals: When the white man came to the new lands and traveled north to the territories of the Inuit people, they taught the white man about the ways and creatures native to the Inuit people. Unfortunately, due to a communication error between the two groups, club WITH baby seals turned into club ON baby seals. None the

less, clubbing with baby seals is a great way to shed the weight of the week. Seals are natural partiers. Their playful nature allows them to party to the wee hours of morning. Plus, those tricks they do where they bounce the beachball on their nose is so cute. This is my favorite stress reliever and you are sure to have fun in the process The combination of the lights, sounds, and flippers

is sure to steal all of your cares. 4. Go on a quest: So what are you waiting for? Don your finest armour, mount your noble steed, and go wherever the wind takes you. There is nothing more invigorating than traveling to distant lands on a glorious mission of honor, valor, and skill. Whether you are saving a prince or princess, slaying a dragon, fighting pirates,

or even dueling an evil wizard, a quest is a great way to stay in shape and forget all about your woes. 3. Floss: I recommend at least once a day after dinner but you can shake it up and do it in the morning or even at lunch if you are one of those new, contemporary flossers. Make sure you go all the way up into the gums as well, but do not floss too hard or you may get gum

damage. If you have not flossed in a while a little blood is okay, but if it continues you should tone down the strength. You are trying to build gum strength, not hurt your gums. Finally, just make sure you are actually cleaning your teeth and not just rubbing the floss back and forth.2. Hold a dinner party: Dinner parties are a great way to have a fun time enjoying the finer points

of life. Break out the cider, put out some cheese and crackers, and play Chopin’s Nocturne from your CD player. Do not be afraid to “stretch” the truth about your strong suits either. Catching a nine inch fish turns into a two foot sea beast. A paper cut turns into swordfighting pirates in space while defusing a nuclear bomb that was built by your girlfriend who is actually a double agent

working for the Russians. To add a little extra spice, try inviting only those who you know you are better than. Constantly being able to one-up your guests is a phenomenal tool to relive your stress. 1. Ignore: If the problem is not there, it cannot hurt you! This is the most sure fire technique out there. AP test tomorrow, what

A variety of ways to increase your gaming pleasure Ryan MinorColumnist

For the serious gamer, there is more to video gaming than just sitting down with a controller.

Sometimes it is simply not enough to only play; sometimes gamers need to experience the world of gaming from all sorts of media sources. For gamers with exactly those needs, this list is here to be a guide:

Magazine : When looking for a magazine that has all the gaming news, look no further than Game Informer. Not only does the magazine have excellent previews, reviews, and features, but the entire thing comes packed full of all of the other gaming bits and pieces. Also, the covers always contain professional artwork with little text. This makes them very pleasing to look at in comparison to other “loud” looking covers of magazines. A 12 month subscription comes with the GameStop PowerUp Rewards Pro Card. This leads to the next bit….

Card: The all-powerful and all-wonderful PowerUp Rewards Card. This free rewards card, run by GameStop, allows you

Webcomics to enjoy:Penny Arcade: A wacky, vulgar romp through the minds of Gabe and Tycho. This comic often includes a biting comentary on videogames and the people who play them.PvP: A comic centered around a gaming magazine company, PvP is a sit-com webcomic with a troll. Therefore it is a legiti-mate comic.

to collect points on purchases which you can accumulate to spend on various rewards. For a fee of $14.99, it is upgraded to the Pro Variant which grants a 10 percent bonus to most purchases and trade-ins as well as a year subscription to Game Informer. The investment is worth it, if only for the subscription. Web show: Rooster Teeth, the creators of Red vs. Blue, run a website called Achievement Hunter for all your achievement-hunting needs. Last year, Achievement Hunter decided to start a weekly update on both their website and on YouTube: The Achievement Hunter Weekly Update, or A.H.W.U. Every week, Jack and Geoff, the hosts of the show, go through the latest in gaming news and releases along with their favorite achievement of the week. Always entertaining, fairly vulgar, and somewhat informative, the A.H.W.U. series deserves a true gamer’s attention. Podcast: For more listening pleasure, try the Rooster Teeth Podcast, formerly called the Drunk Tank, where a variety of characters from the RT office sit down and talk about everything from RT projects to the internet. The

podcast is released every week, with episodes ranging from 40 minutes to 90 minutes in length. While A.H.W.U. can be found on YouTube, the podcast, like many of the other projects made by RT, can only be found on their website for the iTunes store.

test? Work sucks? Not any more; because you do not have a job! I guarantee that if you do not show up to work for a straight month, you will never have to show up there again! In just a few short weeks, you will not have a care, responsibility, or trouble at all.

Comic by Brandyn Liebe

Actual Stress Relief:

1. Listen to relaxing music: Use the smooth sounds of Norah Jones or Frank Sinatra to calm down that frightned mind.

2. Call a friend: Sometimes, friends are the best objects. They will listen to all of your troubles without com-ment. Sometimes that is all that is needed.

3.Eat right: Yeah, eat right. It seems wierd but the pure sugar of en-ergy drinks are actually adding to the stress.

4. Exercise: Exercise releases endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. End of story.

sage pageMikaela Breunig, Sage Page Editor


Mythical Creatures

VSMYTH TRUTHUnfortunately, most modern zoologists do not believe in the

existence of unicorns. The myths about unicorns date back to ancient Eastern and Western mythology. Before the Middle Ages, the myth of the unicorn was barely known. The myth was brought back into popularity by Danish sailors from the north. These sailors found tusks of the Narwhal fish, took them to the European markets and marketed them as horns of the illusive u n i c o r n . Wealthy European buyers were easily excited, and

the sailors made a hefty profit from their scams. Since the Middle Ages, the image of a unicorn with a white spiraled horn has stuck.

Unicorn

As Brittany from Glee puts it, “A unicorn is somebody who knows they’re magical and is not afraid to show it.” However, as most people know, unicorns are actually white horses with a magical horn extending from their foreheads. This horn is spiraled, to make light dance across the unicorn as the sun shines upon it. The myth of the unicorn dates back thousands of years, and occasional sightings are still reported today. Unicorns appear in pop culture regularly as well. Most recently, the unicorn has appeared in the popular TV series Glee and the pop culture sensation Harry Potter. In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Lord Voldemort drinks the blood of a unicorn to prolong his life but curses himself in the process.

Find out what is really lurking beneath those murky waters...

Loch Ness Monster

The Loch Ness Monster is considered to be a modern day hoax. There have been photos and videos of the creatures although none have Nessie-sarily proven to be genuine. Scientists have tried using sonar technology to prove it true, but nothing has even been detected. Even though the Loch Ness Monster is not real, not all sea creature tales are false. The colossal squid, discovered in 1925, is real and lurking in the sea. Creatures like the colossal squid can, and have, influenced mythical sea creature stories like the Loch Ness Monster. In 2003, a colossal squid was captured intact and weighed in at 330 pounds. In 2007, another specimen was caught intact on the coast of New Zealand. It measured to be 33 feet long. Calamari rings made from this squid would be the size of tractor tires.

The Loch Ness Monster is one of the most famous mythical creatures in the world. Although a very old myth, it was popularized again in the early 1930s after a local claimed he saw an extraordinary animal in the loch. The story was published by a local newspaper and soon became a tabloid sensation. A photograph of the supposed animal was taken, increasing its popularity. He even earned the

nickname Nessie. The myth spread to the nearby Loch Morar where Nessie’s cousin, Morag, is rumored to live. Today,

the Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands continues to be a tourist destination for many interested

travelers.

Mermaids are the most beautiful of the mythical creatures and are always singing a beautiful tune. Since ancient times, the world has been enamored with these creatures. Mermaids date back 3,000

years with many reports coming from sailors. These older sightings all reported a similar appearance. Mermaids were

always beautiful creatures with the head and torso of a lady and the bottom half of a fish. Some reported mermaids as nice creatures, doing things like helping overboard sailors. However, there are also reports

that say they are menacing creatures that seduce men and then murder them or crash ships into rocks.

When considering the myth of mermaids, you must consider the source of the reports. For example, ancient sailors would not have been very reliable. They were out at sea for very long periods of time without women or solid ground to stand on, and their imaginations may have run wild. Do not forget about the term “drunken sailor” either, for ancient sailors were not the most sober observers. Today, many people believe that manatees and sea cows were frequently mistaken for mermaids by seafaring folk.

Mermaid

The existence of Bigfoot is one of the most debated mythical creatures today. There have been countless videos, pictures, tracks and even nests found to support their existence. Some of these findings have been clearly hoaxes, but some have not been disproven yet. The TV program on Animal Planet, “Finding Bigfoot,” has been gaining popularity and follows four researchers as they travel the country investigating claims of Bigfoot sightings. There is even a group, the Bigfoot Research Organization, which coordinates research all around the country. There are a few scientists who have risked their careers to research, speak and write books on the subject. However, there are many non-believers. Which will you be?

Bigfoot. The Yeti. Sasquatch. Skunk Ape. Whichever nickname you know the creature by, they are all big hairy creatures. They are reported in heavily wooded areas often in the Northwest United States or Canada. The modern day Bigfoot is thought to be a shy intelligent animal with little recorded violence. A Bigfoot is known to make loud screech-like calls and communicate with wood knocks. Historically, they are thought to be very scary creatures. Many different cultures, including Native Americans and many European cultures, have legends of the Bigfoot.

Bigfoot

Sources: Weirdworm.com, BBC News and The Discovery Channel

Documents

The Purple Sage October 2011