NOCTILUCA March 2017

CULTURE Appleton, Wisconsin March 2017 Volume XXII Issue V Page 9 High school bands remain prevalent and relevant Student-led rock bands convey

very different experience, where you get to be very close with three or four people.” Much like being involved in an athletic activity, being part of a band requires mu- tual collaboration, to which Valdez can attest. “Being in a band is a lot of collab and a ton of teamwork, and when we don’t get along it’s very hard to make new things together...but I also think being in a band really helps to get over that. We learn to make compromis- es, making sure we can all express ourselves.” Altogether, rock-bands are a classic part of the high school experience, and young musicians help to bring an added layer of culture to the school com- munity while tapping into a greater feeling of connect- edness and creativity with their fellow bandmates. the 6th highest rated res- taurant on Tripadvisor out of all of the eating estab- lishments in the Fox Valley (282 total restaurants). Alex Hohman, when not writing for the Noctilu- ca, works at Stone Cellar Brewpub.

School is a place often regarded by entertainment outlets as a place for kids and teens to explore their passions, to reach out to the new community around them and attempt to find happiness through a series of extracurriculars, wheth- er those include physical activity, knowledge-based discussion or performance. One of the most consis- tent extracurricular themes seen in youth-centered movies and television, however, is that of the stu- dent-led band. Young rockers were de- picted in classic nineties television series like Daria, classic cinematic rock youth theme By Maddy Schilling Popular local restaurant Stone Cellar Brewpub drew some high profile at- tention recently as it had several dishes featured on the Travel Channel’s “Food Paradise.” The dish drawing the most attention is the cheesy Beer Mac n’ Cheese. Chef Hector Hernandez had this to say about the dish: “it’s definitely one of the cheesiest and most unique mac n’ cheese dish- es in the dairy state.” The show aired about a month ago, highlighting the process through which the Beer Mac is prepared. First, olive oil is applied to a sautée pan and slices of Andouille sausage are added to render down in the oil. Second, Stone Cellar’s house-made Alfredo sauce is added so that it can heat up sufficiently and so the flavors of the sausage can By Alex Hohman Appleton eatery gains national attention

The Appleton North band Specific Ocean playing an outdoor gig at The Chubby Seagull restau- rant last August. Photo courtesy of Jack Cain

Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Saved by the Bell, and these shows influenced a generation of high school bands. Today, the high school

band has maintained, and even blossomed in, its pop- ularity, with several groups passing through the halls of North High over the past few years, from Eminence,

to Strawberry Jam Band and to Indecision. Jando Valdez, a sopho- more who plays bass in the student-led rock band Spe- cific Ocean stated, “It’s a

Stone Cellar Brewpub featured on Travel Channel’s ‘Food Paradise’

curds you could find…the cheese is such good qual- ity, they just melt in your mouth.” Stone Cellar is that it is the oldest operating brew- pub in the state, housing the production of local craft beers since 1858. In that time the establish- ment has risen to becoming

Stone Cellar’s Beer Mac n’ Cheese is one of its many popular dishes . Photo by Alex Hohman

properly mingle with the flavors of the rich, cheesy sauce. Third, Cavatappi noodles are mixed in to cre- ate a base for the dish. To- wards the end of cooking, a mix of four Wisconsin- made cheeses — Muenster, Smoked Gouda, Pepper Jack, and Colby Jack — are melted in to give the mac its famous flavor. The fully cooked pasta is then transferred from the sautée pan into a bowl and is then topped with a mixture of shredded Mild Cheddar and Monterey Jack, Panko breading, and chopped bacon bits.

Another dish featured on the program was the Wisconsin White Ched- dar cheese curd appetizer which is raved about across social media and the local food scene. In addition, the show also included Cellar’s cheese sampler platter which includes four chees- es of varying kinds ranging from Red Dragon Cheddar to Merlot Bellavitano. Garrett Richey, North student and employee at Stone Cellar, holds much praise for the cheese curds, saying that “they’re much better than any other cheese