NOCTILUCA January 2018

nor thnoct . com @Nor thNoct

Appleton, Wisconsin

January 2018

Vol. XXIII

Issue III

How to avoid getting flu season blues Tips for students to prevent illness during the winter

By Maddie Clark A fever of 100.4 F. A run- ny nose. A sore throat. A dry cough. All of these annoying symptoms are an indication of influenza, more commonly known as the flu. With finals and the worst of the winter months, influenza hits the stu- dent population the hardest with 20 to 25 kids stopping in to the nurse’s office per day. It’s likely that you, along with the rest of the student popula- tion at North, are frantically doing everything you can to avoid falling ill so you do not have to miss school. Mrs. Vic- toria Fors, the school nurse, recommends three essentials tips to avoid getting sick with influenza. 1. Get your flu shot The flu shot is the best way to combat influenza. It is rec- ommended that you start re- ceiving your flu shots early, at 6 months old, and continue to be immunized until 18 years old. Most people stop by to By Nolan Arnold Recently, former Appleton North security resource offi- cer Ignacio Enriquez moved on from his long time posi- tion at the school; the Noc- tiluca interviewed North’s new security resource of- ficer, Sgt. Derrick Danoski, who started here after winter break. Q: What inspired you to become a police officer? Sgt. Derrick Danoski: My dad was an Appleton police officer. I remember con- stantly asking him how work was going, and listening to him tell me stories. I did a lot of ride alongs at a young age with police officers from Danoski returns to work in schools as student liaison officer

2. Wash your hands This tip is one you have probably heard a thousand times before, but it is com- monly ignored: washing your hands. You probably do not think twice if you forget to wash your hands after you eat or do anything with your

see their physician to receive a flu shot in August through November to be immunized before the thick of flu season. However, if you forgot to get your shot and cannot schedule an appointment soon, Wal- greens and other local sites can provide flu shots.

hands, but you really should. Germs can spread easily, whether it be from borrowing a friend’s pencil, or sharing notes with them. It is not nec- essary to run to the bathroom every time someone asks you for a pencil during class. Just do not forget to wash your hands if you happen to stop at

the bathroom, and remember to sing the “Happy Birthday” song twice while washing your hands as a way of making sure you washed them long enough.

See Clark , page 2 New security resource officer begins work at North

and a North side elementary school. I was picked by my boss and Mr. Pynenberg to come to North. Q: How do you feel about coming to North? Are you excited for the change? Which aspects are you ex- cited or nervous for? Danoski: This is my sec- ond time being an SRO. I have been a police officer for almost 19 years. My first 10 years were work- ing the road. Then, I went to Madison Middle for three years and Appleton East for three years. I am excited to get back into the schools. It is the best kept secret at the police department. I am real- ly not nervous for anything. It will be a lot like working at East.

Sgt. Derrick Danoski has been working as a security resource officer with three years at Madison Middle School and three at Appleton East. Photo by Olivia Molter

come to North or how was it decided? Danoski: There was a promotion process about three months ago. Nine peo-

ple within our department put in to become an SRO (school resource officer). Three people were selected to fill vacancies at Apple- ton North, Appleton Central,

the Appleton Police Depart- ment, and surrounding agen- cies. I guess my decision to become a police officer was very easy. Q: How did you choose to

NEWS Appleton, Wisconsin January 2018 Volume XXIII

Issue III

Page 2

Students create movement to ‘rethink’ homelessness

Clark , How to, from page 1 3. Avoid those with influ- enza Now, this seems really rude at first glance since it is not always possible to avoid your best friend for two weeks be- cause they have the flu. Just do not share that new Pepper- mint Mocha from Starbucks that your best friend ordered if you know they had the flu recently. Chances are that you will contract the flu within a week’s time if you do. Is that Starbucks drink really worth it then? If you see someone coughing, make sure you do not walk in their path imme- diately afterwards. You will probably get sick that way as well. Just be careful when you are around those you know have been sick recently. However, what do you do if you already caught the flu? Katie Minnis, a junior at Ap- pleton North, got sick with superficial cellulitis. This may not be the flu, but she missed many days of school because of it. Her biggest tip to those missing school because of the flu is: Ask for your homework from your friends or email your teachers ahead of time. That way, you can do your homework at home and get ahead of the stockpile of work you are sure to have when you get home. However, what do you do to avoid getting your entire lunch table sick with the flu? Here are four more tips from Fors and Minnis about how to prevent getting others sick if you have already gotten sick. 4. Stay home This one may be an obvious tip, but it is another one that is not often heeded. Some people will come to school with a high fever or a super dry and loud cough simply because

they don’t want to miss a test or a certain class that is harder than others. What that is doing is allowing the flu to spread around each of your classes throughout the day. Just do yourself and others a favor and take a day off of school. You can always email your teach- ers and reschedule that test to a later date or get your home- work and notes from a friend. 5. Cover your mouth and nose You have probably been told this one a thousand times whether it be by your elemen- tary school teacher, your par- ents, or your grandparents. It is, however, a good way to prevent the spread of the flu. This may be pretty disgusting, but when you cough or sneeze, the saliva or mucus has a ten- dency to go everywhere and on anyone you are near. This obviously causes the spread of germs and the spread of the flu. So if you do come to school with the flu, try to cover your mouth when you cough, and your nose when you sneeze into your elbow. 6. Wash your clothes When you get sick, you are probably going to be cough- ing or sneezing into the el- bow of your shirts or all over your clothes, depending if you cover your mouth and nose or not. “If I wear a sweatshirt and I’m coughing then I take ex- tra precaution when washing that sweatshirt,” says Minnis when asked about her methods to prevent spreading germs and illness. This gets rid of the germs that washing your hands doesn’t get rid of. Hopefully, you will use these tips to prevent the spread of influenza. Do not forget to get a lot of sleep, drink plenty of water, and eat healthy food along with these tips to keep yourself healthy and free from the flu season blues.

Claire Rettler (left), Lucy Morris (right), and other members of DECA stand in front of a Christmas tree at a RETHINK event. Photo courtesy of Claire Rettler

have learned about busi- ness, nonprofits, and, most importantly, about them- selves and their strengths. Learning happens to our teenagers when they em- brace their passions and tal- ents and make good work happen,” said Pavelski. After much consider- ation, the trio chose home- lessness as the issue their project would service. They recognized that homeless- ness is a prevailing issue in the Fox Valley community, and that teenagers needed to be more aware and edu- cated about the rising prob- lem. “We felt that teens and community members would benefit from our cause by learning more about the is- sue and “rethinking” com- mon stereotypes placed on individuals or families ex- periencing homelessness,” said Claire Rettler, one of the creators of RETHINK. In order to make their idea a reality, the trio contacted a local shelter, Homeless Connections. They learned about the shelter and how it benefits the community.

Over the summer, they met with the Community Rela- tions Director at Homeless Connections, Beth Servais, and created a curriculum for the RETHINK project. They also volunteered at many events for Homeless Connections and met its di- rectors and board members. Since starting the proj- ect, there have been visuals, such as posters and banners, hung up around school. There was also a Food Pov- erty Simulation, which was run by the UW Extension, held in the LGI that helped 40 students learn about the issue of homelessness. Af- ter the simulation, the stu- dents made posters using magazine cut-out words to describe what they learned. The posters now hang up outside of Pavelski’s room to create the “Wall of Hope.” Another way the trio has helped their project is through a supply drive. The supply drive was in part- nership with the Holiday Giving Campaign through the Compassionate Home HealthCare Inc. They col- lected and bagged personal care and cleaning supplies to be given to over 300 families for the holidays with 20 of the bags going to Homeless Connections resi- dents. With passion and hard work, the trio will continue to promote their project and help prevent homelessness in the Fox Valley. Listen to the announcements for any other drives the RETHINK project will have and help combat homelessness in our community.

Members shine light on prevalent issue at North

By Maddie Clark

After competing at the Wisconsin DECA State Career Development Con- ference, three Appleton North juniors came up with an idea for a campaign to change misconceptions be- hind a prevalent issue in Appleton. The idea for the RETHINK project was cre- ated by Lucy Morris, Josh Agius, and Claire Rettler back in March after they saw the success of other projects done in their chap- ter. They wanted to find the passion these projects had for their own project. Mrs. Cyndi Pavelski, the Appleton North DECA ad- visor, always encourages her students to find an is- sue that they are passionate about. “Without passion, movements do not happen. Without passion, Lucy, Claire, and Josh would not have learned all that they

The nurse’s office has 20 to 25 kids coming in every day during the flu season. Photo by Olivia Molter

The Rethink campaign was created by Claire Rettler, Lucy Morris, and Josh Agius. Photo courtesy of Claire Rettler

OPINIONS Appleton, Wisconsin January 2018 Volume XXIII

Issue III Page 3

Noctiluca Editorial Living in a complex world: the importance of blended thinking

L ove or hate, friend or enemy, right or wrong, fair or unfair. The list goes on, but the important thing to observe is that each group- ing focuses only on the ex- tremes. There is no middle ground, which is a prob- lem when it comes to our society’s categorizing na- ture. We want things to be simple, to fit into neat little boxes that can be bundled up and permanently sealed, when in reality, things are much more complex. More often than not, each unique situation is definitively nu- anced and multifaceted, By Lila Metko I am a high school senior. I am 17 years old. I have never been in a romantic relationship. I have never kissed a boy. I have never gone to a dance with any boy who I didn’t think of as more than a friend. I am truly in every way possible, single. There have been some days when I have felt so embarrassed that I didn’t want to show up at school knowing I would be the only student who had nev- er dated anyone. Nobody should have to feel like this. In many cases young women get the brunt of this shame because of the age- old stereotype that women must have a man behind them to truly be successful. In this day and age it is im- portant for young people to know that it is possible to have a happy, fulfilling life without being in a romantic relationship. My feelings of shame didn’t really start to become strong until the summer after my sophomore year when many of my friends got into what they called “serious” relationships. By November of my junior year I had discovered that when I walked down the

unable to be characterized by a strict and limited di- chotomy. The limitations of black and white thinking are made abundantly clear when analyzing the real world. Consider, for exam- ple, the most basic of cases: ice cream. When choosing a flavor to enjoy, to confine the decision to only choco- late or vanilla would be to willfully ignore an entire world of possibility. While perhaps easier, a world without mint chocolate chip or rainbow sherbert would certainly be more bland.

On a more serious note, though, things rarely do ac- tually follow a strict binary, even if they seem to at first. A controversial issue such as abortion may boil down to sides of “pro-life or pro- choice,” but in doing so, the very reason the topic is so heatedly debated in the first place is lost in the sim- plification. If it truly were so black and white, the is- sue would likely have al- ready been resolved. The importance of be- ing able to think and work within the gray space can- not be over-emphasized. Bob Ross understood this

concept well. On his TV show The Joy of Painting, Ross dedicated an entire episode to painting using grayscale, effectively illus- trating a stunning, three-di- mensional mountainscape on a flat canvas. Life works the same way. If left with just the polarity of black and white, the greatest ef- fect one can ever achieve remains two-dimensional. It is the blending of two ways of thinking, and thus the resulting “grays,” that gives depth and substance to a situation. Think of it this way: ex- pecting everything to fit in up that big of a part of my life. My “problem” if you will, is that I don’t want a relationship that’s based simply on looks and com- mon interests that will last for a few months. I want a relationship that is based on truly car- ing about the other person, which I hope will last for years. Only 2 percent of marriages in the U.S. are to a high school sweetheart. At this point in my life, I haven’t met anyone who makes me want to be part of that percent. My college journey has a much greater impact on my future than my relationship status in high school. Compared to the 70 per- cent of Americans who at- tend college, only 19 per- cent of students who marry their high school boyfriend enter higher education past high school. Being in a relationship with someone who you don’t truly love, or spend- ing time worrying about why you don’t have a boy- friend takes up a lot of time. Precious time that could be spent studying your butt off to see an A+ in the grade- book for the hardest test of the year in Chem, staying

either an “always” or “nev- er” category is futile in a “sometimes” world. Life is not easily compartmental- ized. Everything overlaps and interlocks, weaving a web of interconnected is- sues that is impossible to separate without cutting important strands. To be able to step back and rec- ognize the relatedness of the human condition is essential in developing a comprehensive understand- ing of the world around us. It is better to get tied up in the tapestry of life than it would be to oversimplify and dilute its vibrance. up all night with friends to watch movies and laugh so much you barely under- stand their plot, or most im- portantly staying at home with your family to frost Christmas cookies one last time before leaving home. I am not opposed to you getting in a relationship now, at this young age of 15,16,17 or 18. If you find someone who you truly care about, really know well and want to spend time with go ahead and date them. However, do not get in a relationship just to show your family that you’re “all grown up” and dating now, or to post on your Instagram “I’m so in love I got the cutest home- coming proposal!” Get in a relationship because see- ing that person makes you so happy, people will catch you smiling and you smile even more when you ad- mit why. Most of all DO NOT be sad because you are not dating anyone right now, ten years from now you will most likely find yourself looking back and laughing, regretting all of the tears, wishing you had spent the time enjoying be- ing young.

A few reasons why I don’t need a boyfriend...

A high school aged couple holding hands during their off hour together. Photo by Jake Zajkowski

halls in school it wasn’t just the upperclassmen proudly holding hands, it was many people in my grade. My feelings of despair became even worse when I realized one of the main topics of conversation among girls at my school was this: “Do you know so and so?”, “Oh yeah, she’s so and so’s girl- friend”, “Did you hear who she’s dating?” “Aww, yes they are so cute together”, and “Did you hear they broke up?” “She must be so devastated”. What made me really hurt was that these words came out of the mouths of my classmates who had previously taken a stand in strong support of

gender equality. It breaks my heart that women who proclaim themselves femi- nists feel that their class- mates must be in a rela- tionship or have a man to define them. Now, over a year later I am in the same place. Even so, I am feeling less and less ashamed about my relationship status every day. In the past year I have watched my friends’ hearts break and seen them waste much of their time that they could have spent on more important things like school and their family, crying. Also, I’ve realized that I don’t even know any boys I like enough to take

OPINIONS Appleton, Wisconsin January 2018 Volume XXIII

Issue III Page 4

What I learned from people marching outside of Planned Parenthood...

Noctiluca MissionStatement The Noctiluca and north noct.com are the student-run news sources of Appleton North High School. Noctiluca and northnoct. com are designated public forums for student expression. Student editors make all content decisions. Noctiluca’s mission is to publish information relevant to its readers and its community. Its goal is to maintain high ethical standards and provide a desig- nated public forum for free and responsible expression of views. Appleton North High School

By Amara Neitzke

By Tashia Ulman Wrapping up the holiday season, coming down from the consumer high, people tend to get caught up in ma- terialism. Materialism is simply a tendency to consid- er material possessions and physical comfort as more important than spiritual val- ues. When we think of a ma- terialistic person we think of the hypocritical snob liv- ing just north of New York complaining about which new car to buy but this isn’t exactly the case. Not just a handful of people are at fault of this; most of us Since the 2016 election, people have so strongly iden- tified themselves by their po- litical views. We have dras- tically divided our nation based on politics. Both sides are guilty of demonizing the other, and being headstrong about issues without trying to understand where the op- posing side is coming from. Too often do people only fo- cus on what they want when It’s not unusual to see pro- testors or supporters outside of Planned Parenthood. After cruising by them countless times in my daily life, I finally decided to stop and speak to people from each side. I asked them both the same two ques- tions, “Why are you here?” and “What is your goal?” Although the answers I re- ceived weren’t a surprise, it was refreshing to hear calm feedback. I felt as though everyone, whether they were protesting or support- ing Planned Parenthood, was there with pure intentions. Those who were standing in support stayed within their space, as did those who were protesting; exactly how they should be behaving, since everyone is guaranteed “the right of the people peaceably to assemble…” Due to their separation, however, I learned that very seldom do discus- sions or debates take place between people from oppos- ing sides. But they should.

5000 N. Ballard Road Appleton, WI 54913 Phone: (920) 832-4300

Mr. Ramponi, staff advisor, at: ramponiaaron@aasd.k12.wi.us.

Editorial Staff Senior Editor-In-Chief Jake Zajkowski Junior Editor-In-Chief Salma Abdel-Azim News Editor Maddie Clark Opinions Editor Carl Zuleger Features Editor Henry Ptacek Center Spread Editor Ahmad Abdel-Azim Culture Editor Lila Metko Sports Editor Kyle Hoffenbecker Photography Editor Olivia Molter Investigative Editor Mariya Todorova Copy Editor Silvia Knighten Adithi Reddy Social Media Editor Amara Neitzke Graphics Editor Sonia Tallroth Online Editor Sarah Fleming Advisor Mr. Ramponi Contributors Nolan Arnold

Planned Parenthood provides services such as pregnancy testing and education regarding sexual health. Picture by Amara Neitzke

participate in this physical consumption. But there is a line to draw and some don’t recognize where that line is. Awell known phrase claims, “You can’t buy your way to happiness”, but that doesn’t stop people from trying. Advertising plays a key role in this need to consume. We are bombarded with an excessive amount of adver- tisements everywhere we go. They play with our emo- tions and our need for so- cial acceptance so when one tells us we can have clearer skin or the best house on the block we feel the need to As of now, our nation needs to drop the superfluous labels of Democrat and Republican. What we actually should be focusing on is figuring out how to compromise. The is- sues in our nation have be- come malignant tumors that won’t be cured by one side getting their way, and the oth- ers not. Obviously, you can’t please everyone; however, people need to be willing to accommodate the other side in order to find a beneficial solution for the majority. TheUnited States has turned politics into a ruthless game of money equating to power, and everyone is on their own. it comes to a political issue, rather than trying to find com- mon ground. There is always common ground.

buy whatever it may be. Advertisements break us down and make us feel like the only way society will accept us is if we buy their product, making our self esteem rise. But the more materials we buy, the more money we need. This then leads to less time with the things that could truly make us happy, creating a vicious cycle which may never end. This may be explained by acquisitiveness. It is normal for humans to feel as though we are alone, isolated from the rest of the world and buying something new gives If we strip back both side’s “agendas” and look at the core values and motives we have the textbook definition of politics-- “the activities as- sociated with the governance of a country or other area, es- pecially the debate or conflict among individuals or parties having or hoping to achieve power.” Yes, we have estab- lished that both parties want to achieve power, but why? We want to achieve power to improve the country but more importantly, to improve the lives of the citizens of that country. And that is what we have lost. Truthfully, if either side’s goal is anything but attempt- ing to improve the lives of the people in their country, then somewhere along the lines

you that nice rush and feel- ing better about yourself once in your possession. The near thought of acquisition triggers the pleasure center giving your brain a flood of dopamine. In addition, we begin to desire more and more to fill that small void. This creates the desire for more wealth, and more pow- er. The best way to get out is to reconnect this psychologi- cal discord by filling your time with hobbies, relation- ships, friendships, nature and or community service. Heal from the inside out. there are false motives. As a nation, we will only improve if we begin to value others’ opinions, and that starts with listening to op- posing opinions. We need to value EVERYONE. We need to stop allowing hate crimes. We need to go forward with the concept of fairness. Fair doesn’t mean everyone gets the same thing, it means ev- eryone gets what they, as peo- ple, deserve. Lastly, we need to go forward with kindness. Humanity as a whole has lost the idea of kindness and belit- tled the power it holds. Kind- ness is priceless and free. It is something that everyone is capable of showing. Let’s pass it on.

Consumerism: A vicious cycle

Ahmad Abdel-Azim Salma Abdel-Azim Maddie Clark Ndemazea Fonkem Logan Gaertner Kyle Hoffenbecker Maddi Kedrowski Sophia Krupka Lila Metko Olivia Molter Amara Neitzke Brian Neville Jacqueline Nider

Henry Ptacek Adithi Reddy Anna Schwartz Sonia Tallroth Tashi Ulman Jake Zajkowski Carl Zuleger

FEATURES Appleton, Wisconsin January 2018 Vol. XXIII

Issue III

Page 5

Democratic League spotlight

By Ndemazea Fonkem

Political clubs in high schools often get a bad rap. Most would associate those involved as either hyper- sensitive to the news of the day or in desperate need of an extra club to put on their college applications. But the Democratic League at North, Dem League for short, is something different. Present- ing themselves as a forum for discussion and a jumping-off point for community organi- zations, Dem League likes to prepare their members for the world ahead of them. “We really wanted to make sure Dem League is a positive space for students to grow in their understanding of their views and the views of oth- ers. This year we started to implement monthly discus- sions on topics from gun reg- ulations to media in politics. Now Dem League allows for all students to discuss their views— we’re not just for democrats!” Club President Cece McDermott said. In the age of presidential Twitter beefs, it is easy to merely pick a side and stick to it. We are slowly marching towards the age of division by ways of political party

Youth dancers light up stage at PAC Members of Makaroff Youth Ballet performing “Waltz of The Snow- flakes.” Photo taken by Simon Roselaar

Democratic League meeting in the Northeast stairwell. Photo provided by Jacqueline Nider

and turning up our noses to those who disagree with us. Dem League does not want to do that. Sure, they come together as like-minded in- dividuals to discuss the day’s trending topics, but the club encourages everyone to seek out their news from impartial sources and both sides of the aisle. They promote com- munity events and volunteer opportunities that help to increase awareness on local issues. And every year they team up with the school’s Teenage Republican Club to present the party’s platform to Civics classes. Mrs. Nider, the club’s advisor, strongly

were, she said “[to] keep peo- ple informed, and involved too.” Continuing to say, “Mak- ing sure kids have an outlet if they want to explore the dif- ferent parties, that’s why it’s so cool we have both Dem League and Republican Club.” When the topic of black and white thinking comes to mind, many immediately think of politics. These days it is so common to look the other way and read into your political parties platform. However, in this past Republican Club meeting, member Nathan Sy- ring made a point to the rest of the club, that it is important to look at multiple sources, with bias from all sides of the po- litical spectrum, he continued to say that doing so is the only way to create sound political beliefs. In politics today, black and white thinking is a choice. If one is not willing to look past their party in an effort to understand the “other side,” then our society cannot get past the political divisions that create complications. advocates for all students to get involved in the process. The goal of Dem League is not to convert students into hippie liberals, but to encourage dialogue and con- versation among students. The earlier that we get in- volved in the world around us, the more likely we are to see the problems and change it. That is what progress is. Party-divided contests are the opposite of moving for- ward and the opposite of Dem League’s message. By producing free-thinking citi- zens, we create the future we want to see.

By Maddi Kedrowski Makaroff Youth Ballet de- buted their performance of The Nutcracker December 16th and 17th. The annual event was held at the Fox Cit- ies PAC as a part of the Boldt Arts Alive Series this year, which features other shows such as Broadway’s Next Hit Musical and Joshua Bell with the Fox Valley Symphony. With around 4,000 total au- dience members between the two sold-out shows, the magic of the Nutcracker was spread throughout the com- munity. The classic story of The Nutcracker was told seamlessly through the cho- reography of artistic direc- tor, Jeanette Makaroff, and was brought to life by both the Makaroff School of Bal- let dancers and the members of the Makaroff Youth Ballet Company, or MYB for short. A MYB company member, Maria Tretinyak states that she, along with the other 15 company members, “loved working together in rehears- als”; which for MYB started in early September. During the months leading up to Nut- cracker, MYB dancers were pushed to their limits, having six and a half hours of class a week plus an additional 4 hours of rehearsal added to each Saturday and Sunday. Although having almost 3 ½ months to prepare for the show seems like a long time, Jeanette Makaroff, the Artis- tic Director of MYB and cho- reographer of the Nutcracker, shared with MYB dancers that they had “only hours to prepare for the show, not

months.” These words put things in perspective for the dancers as performing in a space as large as the PAC is something that is usually achieved much later in a ballerina’s career. Trentiyak also shared that “being able to dance in such a big space was an honor” and “prepares MYB dancers for a career in classical ballet.” This year’s performance of The Nutcracker was ex- traordinarily special to MYB dancers; not only were they given the opportunity to dance in such a prestigious place, but that they were also able to perform accompanied by the Fox Valley Symphony and the serene voices of the Appleton Boychoir. This ex- perience is not common for a youth ballet company, as only highly professional bal- let companies are given the opportunity to dance with a live orchestra. To add to the already high standards that were expected of the perfor- mances, two principal danc- ers from the Pacific North- west Ballet, Kyle Davis and Angelica Generosa, were in- corporated to dance the roles of the Cavalier Prince and the Sugar Plum Fairy. Since Davis is an alumni of MYB, he is a prime example of the high caliber of classical bal- let training that dancers of Makaroff receive. Although the Nutcracker season is over for MYB, the dancers are al- ready in preparation for their spring show which will be held at UW Fox Valley Perry Hall on May 18th and 19th.

Republican Club spotlight

Lexi Killian leads January’s Republican Club meeting. Photo taken by Henry Ptacek

By Henry Ptacek

concern to tensions with North Korea, and President Trump’s tweets. They also allowed for other discussion topics to be brought up and examined as they related to the party. In ad- dition to discussion, they set up volunteer hours to help out during Scott Walker’s speech at the Radisson. Trump’s tweets were a point of dis- cussion shared between both Republican Club and Dem League. Lexi Killian, when asked what her goals for the club

Appleton North has two po- litical clubs, Republican Club being one of the obvious two. Republican Club meets once a month, in the room of Mrs. Platten, the advisor. In these meetings, members discuss lo- cal and national political top- ics. The club is led by Alok Ravel and Lexi Killian, both seniors that are involved in Choir and NHS. On January 9th, Republican Club had their January meeting. The main point of discussion was in

The age of thinking in

Stereotypes By Olivia Molter

A study done by the Pew Research Center in 2017 measured Americans’ feelings toward various religious groups. Participants were asked to quantify their feelings about different religious groups on a scale of 0-100, 100 representing the warmest and most positive feelings and attitudes and 0 being the most negative or coldest feelings toward. It’s no surprise that the religious groups that received the lowest overall scores are those with very small populations in the U.S. compared to more common religions. These religions and affiliations are disliked be- cause, without significant representation in the U.S., they’re misunderstood. We wanted to give a member of a “low-scor- ing” religion a platform to address some of the stereotypes associated with her religion. Sara Zaidan Senior at Appleton North Muslim American Stereotype: That Muslims are terrorists “The thing that makes people think [that] is the media. When the media is trying to create a specific image, it’s going to extensively cover stories that promote this image, and push aside other stories. When any other person commits a crime, they are not labeled by their religion, but when it is a Muslim, that headline is everywhere. We as Muslims are often told to apologize for these bad people, but that shouldn’t be the case because they just don’t represent us. And all these attacks that happen, in Islam we are taught that killing one person is like killing all of humanity and saving one person is like saving all of humanity. So just that act of terrorism: are you even a Muslim? You’re literally disobeying the whole idea. And so instead of focusing on this small number of acts that happen in the name of Islam, meet a Muslim. The majority of Muslims don’t do these acts and you just have to go out there and meet somebody, you know? In a lot of these smaller (less diverse) places, they’re probably going to think every Muslim is a terrorist, all I see on the TV is Muslim terrorists, when that’s literally noth- ing to do with Islam. It feels like the media is trying to give that image because it gives everyone something to fear. Muslims are not terrorists, we are peaceful people.” Stereotype: That Muslim women are forced to wear hijabs “A lot of people think that we are forced to wear hijabs but that’s not the case. It’s written in the Quran that women and men alike should be modest. Not only through clothes and how we look on the outside, but through your actions; don’t buy extrav- agant things, don’t be screaming and laughing like crazy. Both men and women: be moderate in your actions, don’t go over the top with everything. So that being said, wearing a hijab is a choice that a woman makes herself. It says it in the Quran, I want to follow it, I want to obey my God, I want to wear my hijab. Like that’s not something my dad told me to do. When I was younger, I started wearing a hijab in 5th grade. I just wore it because my mom wears it, that’s what I knew, so I was like “Okay, I’m going to start wearing a hijab.” But as I grew older I started understanding the real meaning: it’s for modesty and so people judge you based on your intellect and your personality, rather than judging you based on your looks or your body. Especially in this time, with girls being reduced to their sexual allure and treated like they’re objects just based on their bod- ies and stuff, I’m rejecting this idea by choosing to wear hijab. This is keeping me respected as a human.” Closing thoughts “Islam literally means peace. For most Muslims, their actions are influenced by what God told them to do, and God didn’t tell them to do anything wrong or harmful. He simply asks us to be kind and stay God-conscious and to treat everyone equally. Stay woke kids.” For the rest of Sara’s inter- view and the full article, scan the QR code.

The Different Ways We Learn By Sonia Tallroth

Learning seems simple: you take a concept from the world and you store it in your mind where you can access it later. However, the traditional method of repetition and “practice makes per- fect” is not the best method of learning. About 10 years ago, scientists studied how the brain learns, and these findings have helped people teach better and students understand more. Howev- er, some misconceptions are still present today. Misconception: Teachers are the only people who can give a student information. Studies show that students retain more information when they are tasked with figuring out the answer themselves rather than being shown how to solve problems right away. Mrs. Klunder, a math teacher at North, embraces this in her teaching.“I don’t think that if I were to spoon feed formulas and show them how to do every type of problem they’re going to see on the test, they’re going to leave my class being thinkers.” Misconception: Most learning happens when we are in the classroom. Actually, most learning happens when we apply and practice the skill we learned. An example of this is the MIT Challenge, where Scott H. Young, a writer, taught himself the undergrad Manhattan Institute of Technology curriculum for their computer science program in a year. He emphasized steps on how he learned the material: he started out with minimal background information, and then he tried practice prob- lems and filled in his gaps of information about the subject. Misconception: Everyone has their own personalized learning style: auditory, visual, or kinetic. One learning style shouldn’t be used for every subject-- different things need to be taught in different ways. A study put out in 2008 says that there is no real evidence pointing towards 3 different learning styles. Moreover, the U.S. Department of Education told teachers to “make [their] own call on how to utilize learning styles in the classroom.”

LACK and WHITE is over

The Arts versus the Sciences By Ahmad Abdel-Azim

The idea that people are either artistic people or scientific people is not always true. But, before delving deeper, the broad definition of art must be specified, first. The arts include subjects of study that involve human creativity and social life, such as language, literature, poetry, performance arts, dance, music, theatre, painting, sculpture, etc, as contrasted with scientific subjects. Mr. Edmonds, an ELA teacher at Appleton North, does not believe in such labels as an “art person” or a “science person”; instead, he encourages one to try their best to be well-rounded in both the arts and the sciences. Mr. Hermanson, a history teacher at Appleton North, mentions that the ear- liest sciences and arts were unified under some common perspectives, which involved explaining the unexplainable. Eventually, science and the arts start to split into different directions. Hermanson adds that the creative process and the scientific process are both critical thinking skills that intersect. Just as Isaac Newton, while more well known for his scientific contributions, had an appreciation for the arts, da Vinci, while heavily involved in arts, had appreciation for, and even experience in, the sciences (i.e., da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man). While Hermanson acknowledges that, “Everyone has an interest…someone may be more interest- ed in [the arts or the sciences], and it’s important to cultivate your interests,” he advises that students accumulate as many skills as they can. Edmonds adds that the arts and sciences have more in common than most people realize. “It is important that students are exposed to both types of thinking to exercise different parts of their brain,” he mentions. Edmonds also states, “Creativity is fostered through art and that kind of [creative] thinking, which lends itself to really good science.” Students should have not only scientific literacy, but also artistic talent as well. Hermanson believes that science, by nature, looks to prove things, and to prove some- thing is empirical. Art, on the other hand, tends to be more subjective, so people may look at art and have distinct interpretations. This difference between objectivity and subjectivity is what Hermanson believes leads some science enthusiasts to dislike the arts, or vice versa.

Gender By Amara Neitzke, Salma Abdel-Azim

Society puts labels on people and urges them to conform to the expectations imposed on them based on their gender. This narrows people’s minds as many times these stereotypes do not apply and/or can be demeaning. Here is Amara Neitzke’s (President of Gender Equality Club) take on the black and white thinking surrounding gender. When a baby is born, if it is a girl, she will be showered with pink onesies, and dolls. If it is a boy, he will be gifted with blue clothing, and sports toys. From the day someone is born, they are put into a box and labeled with expectations. The textbook definition of gender roles is, “a social role encompassing a range of behaviors and attitudes that are generally considered acceptable, appropriate, or desirable for people based on their actual or perceived sex.” It is important that people acknowledge and accept individuals beyond their labels. Generally speaking, girls and women are ex- pected to dress typically feminine, be “ladylike”, and have a nurturing trait. Whereas boys and men are held to the standard of toughness, hiding your emotions, and presenting their dominance in situations. Though it is not bad to have these characteristics or personality traits, this black and white thinking can manifest into more than just ideas and labels. It is important to encourage boys and men to have a healthy relationship with their feelings without feeling as though their masculinity is at risk if they do not “man up”. Simultane- ously, we need not allow young girls to be put down because they “throw like a girl”, but encourage them to be the best regardless of their gender. Society has become far more accepting than ever when it comes to breaking social boundaries toward gender roles. It is important that society keeps allowing people of all genders to explore different paths of life, despite their gender or anatomy. Our com- munity, state, and nation will only further prosper if we continue to deconstruct the toxic labels and promote inclusive ideas.

FEATURES Appleton, Wisconsin January 2018 Vol. XXIII

Issue III

Page 8

Future of technology: computer science

By Brian Neville

long time along with the brand- new Computer Science Club. Mr. Behnke teaches our com- puter science courses: Intro to Computer Science, AP Com- puter Science, and hopefully AP Computer Science A this upcoming school year. Both the intro and AP courses cover the foundations of computer sci- ence but the major difference lies in the programming lan- guage of choice. Programming languages are basic instructions for the computer to follow that humans can understand; rather than programming in machine language, also known as binary. There is a multitude of languag- es each built for different tasks. Intro to Computer Science stud- ies the more mobile and user- friendly Scratch and Javascript while the AP course studies Py- thon and additionally have the good fortune of taking the AP exam come May. Moreover, North has Com- puter Science Club, which is new this year. Sophomores Matt Lee, Ted Reimer, Jacob Ortiz- Breiting and Beau Berg began the club in order to have addi- tional time outside of class to learn and focus on Computer Science. Their goal is to in- crease the school’s exposure to Computer Science and foster interest within the students The four founding members serve as the club’s officers and Mr. Behnke serves as advisor. There are numerous activi- Cena’s environment begs for a jazz combo to play and the Jazz Orgy does just that. Every Tuesday night from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. the Jazz Orgy plays their heart out. They are a combo, meaning a smaller jazz group that structures their songs from the head or melody, soloing, and can be done in choruses, fours, or anything else you can think of, finished off with the melody once again. It is a relatively simple process, the musicality is what makes it mi- raculous. Effortlessly following the form of a tune, shredding their instruments in beautiful solos, and showing their techni- cal abilities in up tempo swing tune heads, such as Dona Lee. Core members Michael Un- derwood (Drums), Noah Har- mon (Piano) and Andy Mertens (Bass), rarely miss a gig, Erin Krebs (Singer) is also frequent- ly involved. Various guest artist join too, among these guest art- ists are faculty members of the Lawrence Conservatory of Mu-

ties beyond those at North. For example, the I.T. Youth Apprenticeship Program of- fers paid, part-time positions that offer certificates to help reinforce growing resumes. Jando Valdez, who is also enrolled in the AP course, currently participates in the Youth Apprenticeship pro- gram at Bemis. He is a part of the service delivery team to help manage employee requests and internal sys- tems. There are a number of positions within the district as well, from helping at the Chrome Help Desk to sum- mer positions. Also, volunteer programs like Megabytes run in Appleton middle schools with the help of high school recruits. Computer Science is an ever-growing field with a high demand for new talent. There are many excellent paths to a career in computer science. Fox Valley Tech offers excellent two-year programs in software development and network ar- chitecture towards an associates degree. There are also other, more traditional courses through most four year colleges; the top college in Wisconsin, and one of the top in the nation, is UW Madison. In a world dominated by technology, the job opportuni- ties in computer science are nu- merous. Every company has an I.T. department with a demand

By Henry Ptacek Computer science, for those unfamiliar, is simply the sci- ence of solving problems me- chanically and approaching data abstractly. The field is often as- sociated only with computer programming when it is truly is a broad science, encompassing every and any computational device. The most ground break- ing and cutting-edge subtopics within computer science, as of 2018, are artificial intelligence, simulation, and algorithmic trading. We are already see- ing these things today, with the more basic smart home assis- tants, from Google Home and Amazon Alexa to IBM’s Wat- son, which has won jeopardy using machine learning. The future will hopefully hold technology that will help decide treatment for cancer pa- tients. In regards to simulation, computer scientists have begun to realize convincing virtual worlds with virtual reality with the combination of more power- ful computers and have already created consumer products such as Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive. Furthermore, with the advent of more complex algo- rithms, we’ve started to utilize computers and machine learn- ing to manage our financial world by making trades auto- matically. Here at North, we have mul- tiple computer science courses running for the first time in a Stepping out of a parked car on a busy street, cars flying by in the dry snow, you walk down the sidewalk. Up ahead you faintly hear a high trumpet note soaring over everything else. Walking a little further you be- gin to hear a band, in the busy downtown scene you’re lead to a hideaway by the sound of jazz. This anecdote is one that seems to take place in a big city, littered with jazz clubs, but in reality, it is our very own down- town Appleton. Cena is a small restaurant that sprawls back from its tiny surface area of exposure on College Avenue. Their logo, an abstract fork, is hanging on a softly lit wall with an LED backlight. An old radiator pro- duces warmth on the wall paral- lel to the bar, it is shouldered by two high top tables. In the front of the restaurant there are two red chairs across from a small alcove. In this alcove music is made.

Employees of Skyline Technologies work at the 2017 Devel- oper Camp. Photo by John Ptacek

for jobs. Software develop- ers program new software that helps run a business, from inter- nal computer systems to client management. Networking en- gineers setup internal local area networks for businesses and manage company connections. Demand for cyber security spe- cialists, to ensure the privacy of company and client data, will only increase as data breaches become more commonplace. There are many easy ways to get into computer science. Stu- dents like Gabe Koenig, a senior at North, experiment outside of

class by learning new program- ming languages using websites like Codecademy and taking on personal projects outside of class. Carson Lonsway, another senior at North, is working on redesigning the Stone Arch’s website. Many small businesses need help from people familiar with programming and technol- ogy as a whole, and it is a great opportunity to learn. For more info on how to get involved, contact Mr. Behnke. a sub so I’m the wrong guy to ask,” he was filling in on drums for Underwood. Noah proceed- ed to ask Andy, who was at the bar, how long they had been playing together at Cena. They have been doing it for a long time, and in classic laid back fashion they collectively found a disheveled 4-5 years. “Can’t be more than four, what year is it again?” When asked what their fa- vorite part of playing at Cena both Andy answered, “oh, it’s because I get to play with Mi- chael Underwood, Noah Har- mon, José Encarnación, and the other ridiculous musicians I get to play with, that’s my fa- vorite part.” He said it was also unique to have a regular jazz gig in Appleton, the last time that happened was when No- ah’s dad John Harmon played. Getting people involved and just playing music, that’s what jazz at Cena is all about.

Cena swings every week with live jazz combo

Guest Ross Catterton (Saxaphone), Noah Harmon (piano), Andy Mertens (Bass) and sub Zach Harmon (drums) preform- ing downtown. Photo by Henry Ptacek

sic, timid high school students, and retired trumpet players from around the community. Michael Underwood or “Wood” for short, has been drumming in the Fox Valley most of his life. Working as a full time drummer, he is con- stantly playing, working 350 plus days a year. Wood says he is grateful for his position, he said he tried the basic desk job, working as a drummer is the unconventional career he had

wished for all his life. Wood is a true jazz artist, easy going, great personality and attitude. He is kind to everyone, getting the artists and listeners involved and feeling at home. Just like Wood the other art- ists playing share the same laid back and friendly demeanor. When Zach and Noah Har- mon were asked how long they had been playing together in the Jazz Orgy they both pointed at each other, Zach saying “I’m