NOCTILUCA December 2016

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December 2016 Vol. XXII

By Nora Ptacek Issue III Kindness is always the answer

Norths artists flourish outside of school

The 2016 election rivals the election of 1800 and 1824 as be- ing the most contentious Presi- dential election inAmerican his- tory. For the majority of the past year, Americans witnessed po- larizing presidential primaries which foreshadowed the even more polarized general election. Now, it is over. On Nov. 8, Americans elected Mr. Donald

Column

Trump to the Pr e s i dency of the Unit- ed States of A m e r i c a . Along with a seat in the Oval Office, Ame r i c a n s gave Pres- i den t -El ec t Trump a Re-

Nora Ptacek, Senior Editor- in-Chief

Above, North senior and ballet dancer Abbey DesRochers practices her arabesque, and left, one of sophomore Simon Garb’s signature portraits. Photo above by Caroline Holmes and photo at left courtesy of Simon Garb.

publican House of Represen- tatives, Senate, and presum- ably Supreme Court. Secretary Clinton and President Obama both congratulated the Presi- dent-Elect on his victory and reminded the American people that they must support a peace- ful transition of power. After the electionof President- Elect Trump, protests broke out across America and acts of hate became more numerous. Whether this is a continual re- flection of the dissatisfaction of the American electorate or the result of Mr. Trump’s campaign rhetoric is up to discussion, but what remains clear is that Amer- ica is in a spot of deep division. And we, as students, must work not to let that division affect the way we treat each other. No matter the victory or loss of our favored candidate — kindness is the answer. No matter the religion, race, or gender of our peers — kindness is the answer. No matter the decisions of our government — kindness is the answer. This is not to say students should stop advocating and vocalizing their beliefs; that is needed nowmore than ever. It is to say that each person deserves respect in these conversations. School is a safe space for all students. While work to mend bridges begins at the national level, Appleton North needs to do the same locally.

From art to dance to music, students’ talents reach beyond classroom

By Sophie Mariano

tinct social groups within high schools. In each of these examples there is an “artsy” group, with the kids who take the art classes or act in the school plays. Ap- pleton North is no different.

We have an accredited theater program, a well known music department, and a variety of art classes. Students are able to thrive in the arts at school. How- ever, there are also students

who walk the halls that are excelling in the arts com- pletely independent from any programs through North. See Mariano , page 2

C lassic movies like “The Breakfast Club” and even “High School Musi- cal”, yes, “High School Musical”, depict the dis-

Creative writers test their skills through novel-writing

Creative writers at Apple- ton North and in other high schools across the globe spent the month of November com- posing as they attempted to complete an entire novel before Dec. 1. National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo, is a project in which participants from 633 regions on nearly every continent unite with the common goal of writing a 50,000 page novel solely in the month of November. Begin- ning on Nov. 1, participants were encouraged to write at least 1,667 words a day, which is about three pages of writ- ing, in order to reach the final word count before the end of the month. NaNoWriMo students compose novels in November By Ally Price

“It’s an excuse mixed with a motivator,” said North senior Skye Iwanski about her first year doing NaNoWriMo. “It gets me to make time to write, which can be hard.” NaNoWriMo provides par- ticipants with a great deal of freedom in the writing process. Novels can be written on any topic, and works are broken down into more than 15 genres, but authors can choose if they feel their piece doesn’t fit well into a single category. “I have always wanted to do everything,” said Iwanski about her piece, which she classified as action, adventure, mystery, and fantasy. “I was the kid who selected all the colors when drawing, so of course I couldn’t just write in one genre.” As well as giving writers a definitive goal of finishing their novel, NaNoWriMo also provides pep talks and sample prompts on the website for anyone facing writer’s block.

Participants of National Novel Writing Month are seen meeting at the Appleton Public Library to write together. Photo by Jake Zajkowski

The website also lends a place where participants can con- nect with other writers in their region, which for Appleton’s writers is the Fox Valley region. “NaNoWriMo gives you a community so you aren’t by yourself,” said Appleton North sophomore Jake Zajkowski, who is participating inNaNoW- riMo for the third year in a row. “You can get positive feedback from other participants, which

is actually helpful since they’re doing the same thing.” Writers were encouraged to finish writing their novels within the 30 days of Novem- ber, but it did not need to be a polished piece. The goal of NaNoWriMo is to complete a rough draft; participants can al- ways go back and polish their work later, but the purpose is

See Price , page 2

NEWS Appleton, Wisconsin December 2016 Volume XXII

Issue III Page 2

Price, NaNoWriMo, from page 1

Art of Music Kayla Schang, a senior, has been surrounded by music all her life. “We used to have opera day at my house, where we would sing everything we were go- ing to say.” To the delight of her moth- er, a strings teacher herself, Schang started playing the violin when she was in sec- ond grade, after her younger brother picked up the instru- ment as well. Her passion for the instrument has only grown since then. Schang has participated in many events that allow her to showcase her talents with the violin. She has played for Solo Ensemble, and has been a part of other orches- tras including the WSMA State Honors Orchestra, both at the middle and high school levels. She has been a part of the Fox Valley Youth Or- chestras for many years, and has worked her way up to the Youth Symphony. “It’s neat hearing all of the different parts to symphonies, and violin is a way to be a part of that. Music in general is just been something that I’ve grown up with. It was just a natural thing to do, to pick an instrument and join in.” Schang does not feel pres- Mariano, Independent artists, from page 1

In February and March, you will be taking the ACT with writing and the ACT Work Keys tests, which are important decision factors for most colleges and universities across the country. Starting to study for these tests now is recom- mended, even if you start off slow by only reviewing a few problems a week. Resources such as Kaplan’s ACT Question of the Day can help you prepare for the test come spring. Also, con- sider building your resume through volunteering or a part-time job. Earning both experience and money may be important factors in your college acceptance and decision, so it’s a good idea to start thinking about that as soon as possible. “Ballet has taught me disci- pline,” said DesRochers. “The classes are intense, it’s time consuming, but I just learn so much. So much effort goes into making it look effortless. On stage people see a confi- dent dancer, they don’t see the insecurities. We have to be athletic but still graceful. It’s physically demanding, and mentally challenging, but each class I have something new to work on. It’s difficult to reach perfection but I can always strive to be a better version of myself.” Art of Dance Senior Abbey DesRochers began dancing when she was 3 years old. She joined the Makaroff School of Ballet when she was 10. When asked why she focus- es on ballet, DesRochers said “Ballet is the foundation of all styles, it’s the core of dance, it gives me the strength and ability to explore other styles if I [do] choose.” DesRochers has been a part of the Makaroff Youth Bal- let Company for the past four years, and has been a part of productions including the Nutcracker and various other shows. Through Makaroff she has participated in events throughout the community, “exposing the community to the art of classical ballet.” When asked what she loves about ballet, DesRochers paused. It was clear she was trying to put into words a feel- ing that is hard to describe: passion.

Many of you will have already applied to schools with the Nov. 1 deadlines, but it’s important to still be fully engaged in the college search process. Research- ing financial aid and scholar- ship options at colleges and university is often integral to choosing the best post high school option. Visiting schools and asking ques- tions to current students and faculty is also highly recommended; making sure to look at the people of a school can be just as impor- tant as evaluating the pro- grams offered. And, make sure to check your email often. Even if you’re inun- dated with college emails on a daily basis, make sure to sift through the emails you get in. just to get something written. “It still has some kinks, but this is only a rough draft,” said Iwanski. “The plot has changed throughout the month. Mainly I’ve struggled to find the antagonists in my story.” While not writing final drafts, writers still benefited from the writing process in many different ways. “Participating [in NaNoW- riMo] has made my writing style cleaner and more defini- tive,” said Zajkowski. “It’s less rigid than a school set- ting. You can write whatever you want in your own person- al style.” Besides providing a plat- form for writers to join to- gether, NaNoWriMo is also a non-profit organization. Donations are optional, since signing up to write is com- pletely free, but money raised helps to send Young Writer’s Program classroom kids to over 2,000 classrooms around the world, organize in-person write-ins around the world, and keep their website run- ning. It encourages people across the world to take time out of their days and write. “You can always make time to write,” said Iwanski. “You have to make time, because it’s worth it. At the end, all you can think is ‘Oh my god, I did this.’ It makes me proud of myself.”

Above, Kayla Schang plays in Fox Valley Symphony Youth Orchestra. Left, Simon Garb, who works with a variety of artistic outlets. Photo above by Jamie Lafreniere and photo at left courtesy of Simon Garb.

you’re probably getting a better idea of what inter- ests you at North. Even if you’ve started settling into certain niches, make sure that you continue to keep looking for what you’re interested in, be- cause there are plenty of options for engaging your various interests. And start thinking of your fu- ture and what you would like to do over the next three years and after high school. As your options open up over the next few years, it’s important to have an idea of what courses you’re interested in as soon as possible, so keep investigating your opportunities. sure from her musical family to continue her study of mu- sic, yet she still plans to make it a part of her life, no matter what she chooses to do. Art on Canvas Simon Garb, a sophomore, is unique in the variety he has with his art. Through email, Garb said, “My roots are in visual art but I create all different sorts of things. I make music, I have an al- bum out and am currently working on another. Me and my friends have a podcast series, I just released a 30 minute documentary called FKA PA$TA $QUAD, so re- ally I’ll do anything if I have an idea that I like and care

yourself to excel at your courses and extracurricu- lars. Now that you’re more comfortable at North, it’s important to not only be in- volved, but to increase your involvement, not necessar- ily by joining more clubs or sports, but by working hard to achieve your goals in the activities that you are a part of. The first step in this process is setting both short-term and long-term goals for yourself for the next week, month or even your entire high school career. Even if these goals change throughout your time at North, starting to set goals early helps to provide multiple finish lines for you. about and I’ll pursue it.” It is rare to have someone with so many creative out- lets. However, Garb is known by most for his paintings and drawings. He paints people in a distorted manner, and enjoys drawing realistically. Garb has been selling his art for some time. When asked about pursu- ing art in the future, Garb has many plans. “I want to have a music career, and just be an independent artist that makes paintings and films and music and such and other projects of art that are geared towards affecting society and making the world a better place for everyone,” Garb said.

9 10 11 12 About three months into the school year, During fall of your sopho- more year, challenge Continuing with college preparations throughout December By Erik Bakken

Each month, the Noctiluca will provide college advice for each grade level at Apple- ton North in the “Noctiluca University”. Advice will be specifically tailored to each month in order to provide the most timely help. Juniors and seniors: pick up a copy of college readiness timeline in the guidance office for more in-depth information regard- ing the college application process.

OPINIONS Appleton, Wisconsin December 2016 Vol. XXII

Issue III

Page 3

Noctiluca Editorial

Post-election unity is mandatory for societal progression Navigating through election ideologies requires unity

With urgency, the Amer- ican people must unite. We must unite in order to preserve the equality of all current and future citizens, to ensure economic secu- rity for all, to foster healthy relations with foreign countries, and to uphold the precedents established by the Constitution of the United States. Following the recent presidential elec- tion, hopelessness and fear have crept into the lives of many. If we fail to cre- ate an environment where the American people can prosper, this fear and hope- lessness will diminish the potential construction of a progressive society. There- fore, developing unitymust become a priority of the American people, an act which can most effectively be accomplished through generosity and empower- ing others—particularly the disillusioned. Revoking rights held by minority groups or de- meaning the legitimacy of individuals based off of gender precedents contrib- utes to the deterioration of equality, a pillar of Ameri- can values. When liberty and justice do not amount to equality, we have strayed from the guidelines

the alt-right movement, yet his comments have allowed opportunities for their ide- ologies to become legiti- mized. But this racism and sexism threaten the ever- progressing idea of equal- ity that has been gruelingly sought after for centuries; it was only 1964—52 years ago—when the Civil Rights Act was passed and increas- ingly more legislation has been pushed through Con- gress to render all individu- als equal under the Ameri- can government. We cannot allow polar movements to reconstruct our understand- ing of liberty and justice and therefore the definition of equality, a definition that encompasses all individu- als. Because equality is a non-partisan ideal, we must objectively and unhesitat- ingly protect the rights of theAmerican people. Insuring the rights of individuals must not be the only issue we stand unified in; as foreign relations expe- rience potentially hazardous transformations, the econo- my fluctuates, and the safety of refugees and immigrants is in peril. Utilizing tools of generosity and inspira- tion will provide a manner in which we can empower people within America to

CNN reports exits polls from the 2016 election with an emphasis on gender and area type voting representations. Infographic by Kate Bennett

for America established within our Constitution. With the normalization of Trump’s campaign rheto- ric, many racist and sexist movements have flour- ished and have done so without regard to partisan boundaries. For example, Trump is not amember of Related article News: Kindness is always the answer, Page 1 Thanksgiving brought food, family and acknowledgement of sacrifices mobilize behind these ideals and fight for the well- being of all who find residence in the U.S. With- out a doubt, unification will provide the American people with a vehicle for constructing a progressive and secure country.

Thanksgiving. It’s a time of food, family, and friendship. It’s a time when people dust off their extra silverware, pull out their fancy tablecloths, and fill their dining rooms over capacity. It’s very easy to get swept up in the hustle and bustle of preparations, invitations and turkey creations. But please do not forget to step aside for a moment and evaluate what is being celebrated. The spirit of Thanksgiving calls for taking some time to honor not only good fortune and prosper- ity, but also sacrifices made. So often, time is taken to acknowledge the Pilgrim’s struggle. Their crowded, long

ride aboard the Mayflower, the harsh, cold winters, the lack of food, while all totally valid, do not tell the whole story. They may even acknowledge that the Pilgrims and Native Ameri- cans ate together on the day now known as Thanksgiving. Yet, frequently swept under the rug is the fact that without help from the Wampanoags, most of the Pilgrims wouldn’t have even survived; the vast majority would have starved to death or succumbed to the frigid winter elements. Worse yet, this peaceful day of eating and treaty signing was the precursor to a time of extreme

detriment for the Native popula- tion. Between a raging outbreak of illnesses and warfare with Europeans, it is estimated that the Native Americans lost over 90 percent of their population. In other words, only about one in ten Native Americans survived the immigration of Europeans. North America encompassed an entirely separate, diverse world of its own, with a complex his- tory that few are qualified to speak about. When considering the magnitude of this death toll, it is necessary to keep in per- spective that while the people who died are grouped under the category of Native Americans,

they really should be recognized for coming from distinct tribes with unique cultural values and identities. These deaths were not just the deaths of one people, but rather the deaths of many. So, next Thanksgiving when, and the turkey is being passed around the table, take a moment to recognize and mourn for this incredible loss of life. And take a moment to give thanks for the free will that allows us to learn from the actions of our ancestors so they are never repeated. The United States did not come to be without sacrifice, and it is the very least we can do to acknowl- edge and appreciate that reality.

Remembering the vital role of Native Americans By Carl Zuleger

Carl Zuleger reminds the stu- dent body to reflect upon the history of Thanksgiving. Photo by Nora Ptacek

OPINIONS Appleton, Wisconsin December 2016 Vol. XXII

Issue III Page 4

Procrastination is prevalent and should be eliminated

Noctiluca Mission Statement 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. The newspaper and website welcome diversity of scope, depth and breadth of coverage in order to heighten mutual understanding and awareness through our entire community. Appleton North High School

Readers, I’m certain you’ve heard of the extravagant and derogatory claims regarding our generation. “Millennials these days are so lazy, they don’t have jobs, they don’t have money, they don’t do anything.” Or maybe, “Go to college. Get a house. Move out already! May- be you millennials could do that if you all had motivation.” In my opinion, these exclama- tions are utterly ridiculous, and here’s why: millennials do not embody the characteristics that society has pinned to them. Teenagers and young adults are pushed by societal expecta- tions to pursue career choices that, in today’s economy, are not enough to make a living. It is im- mensely difficult for people to financially succeed when mon- etary barriers—such as student According to the Washington Post, procrastination is a strong force, that keeps people from completing important tasks in their life. In severe cases, it can cause people to perform poorly at school or work. However, it is unclear as to why people suc- cumb to putting off items that could potentially be done today and saving them until tomorrow. Many people tend to put off tasks that bring anxiety or fear. After that, in order to calm themselves, they decide to perform another activity that temporarily diverts their attention. Unfortunately, sooner or later, their unaccom- plished task comes back to haunt By Maryia Todorova Many millenials unfairly experience social backlash Appeals of procrastination do not outweigh its detriments While most people are bliss- fully asleep on this chilly, fall night, I happen to be awake at midnight, so that I can finally turn in a Noctiluca article that was due two weeks ago. I sup- pose I could’ve written this arti- cle last week, when I actually had no debate tournament to travel to, but instead, I read five books, cleaned my closet, shopped for flannel shirts, and baked a cake. I did everything, except write this Noctiluca article. I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who procrastinates reg- ularly; I have yet to meet some- one who doesn’t. But the ques- tion is, what is procrastination, and why do we do it? By Fatima Ali

reotype perpetuates as a result of the extent to which the economy has changed since our parents entered the work field as young adults. We are currently earning about 20 percent less, propor- tionally, than the generation of baby-boomers, as we are simul- taneously drowning in our own debt. In some ways, these com- ments continue to develop as a way to forcefully attempt to hide the last generation’s economic failures. Since the recessions of 1982 and 2008, the ability to find a decent job has decreased and so has our ability to make a living on our own. After examining this, what are we left to do? The answer is: an astound- ing nothing. We must currently work, pay off our debt, and contribute to society. We will maximize our opportunities for success in this fashion, and once we do, we will show older gen- erations the potential that all mil- lennials possess. Now that we’ve all realized how harmful procrastination is, it’s time to think about how we can alleviate the tendency to pro- crastinate in our lives. For start- ers, it’s nice to utilize a planner, so that you can write everything down, preferably in a prioritized manner. Next, it’s nice to always remind yourself over and over again about what are the pos- sible problems that could arise, if you keep putting off a task. And lastly, it’s always nice to reward yourself after getting a task done so you can clearly remember the glorious feeling of staying on top of things, and not panicking over something that was supposed to be turned in two weeks ago. Al- though procrastination is a harm- ful habit, it can easily be cured, as long as we take the time to acknowledge the problem, and then find ways to avoid this an- noying habit. pen during social situations. For example, when trying to buy a wonderful present for your friend’s seventeenth birthday, it is ideal to order the present well in advance, so that it ar- rives in time for the special day. But what if you kept putting off the order? Eventually it gets to a point where you try ordering it the week before, only to dis- cover that it’s out of stock. Now what will you give? Not only are you filled with embarrassment because your present is late, but you also go through an insane amount of stress, while trying to find a backup plan. That’s not fun, is it?

Even with insurmountable homework, many students find it dif- ficult to motivate themselves and avoid procrastination. Photo illustration by Maeve Salm

loans, apartment fees, insurance and even food—hinder prosper- ity. When some people say that millennials are lazy, I think to myself, “Where are they finding these underachieving individu- als? Every young adult I know seems to be going to college, working many hours a night, scrambling to finish their home- work, and having difficulties af- fording basic necessities.” Part of the reason this stereo- type exists is because of theways millennials are changing the cur- rent workplace. The “traditional as I’ve progressed throughout high school, I’ve gradually real- ized how harmful it is to develop the habit of procrastination. The more AP classes and extracur- riculars I’ve participated in, the more I’ve realized how harm- ful this habit can be, eventually increasing to the point where it hinders me from truly perform- ing to the maximum of my abili- ties. Sure, maybe I can write a “I’ve gradually realized how harmful it is to develop the habit of procrastination.” them, and before they know it, they have so much on their plate that it gets stressful just thinking about what needs to get finished before midnight. As a person who is constant- ly bombarded with millions of tasks throughout the year, I often want to forget about ev- erything and instead curl up in a ball and take a nap. However

workplace” appears altered as the income of new workers leads to new rules, dress codes, and then assignments. With the introduction of the Internet, as- signments are more easily com- pleted and less work is required to accomplish certain tasks. This allows for more free time after completing an assignment that was previously carried out with- out the assistance of the Internet. This increase in available time appears to support the stereotype of millennials’ laziness. Similarly, this millennial ste- lab report an hour before it’s due, and sure maybe I might get anAon that report, but did I truly gain something fromwriting this lab? Or did I just rush through everything, just to finish the lab, but not to actually retain any concepts that were meant to be discovered from this lab?Maybe just one lab may not be so sig- nificant, but procrastination is almost like a black hole, mean- ing that once you start putting off tasks, you can’t easily stop your- self, and promise that this won’t happen ever again. Pretty soon, this will become a regular habit, and the concept of “dividing dif- ficult work into several bite-size pieces” does not exist in day-to- day work. Scenarios like this are detrimental to students, as they may create many conceptual gaps in subjects which eventu- ally makes learning harder sub- jects more difficult and tedious. But procrastination doesn’t only happen in the school or work fields. It can also hap-

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 Nora Ptacek Junior Editor-In-Chief Jake Zajkowski Managing Editor

Kate Bennett News Editor Ally Price Opinions Editor Maeve Salm Features Editor Trinity Olson Centerspread Editor Salma Abdel-Azim

Culture Editor Maddy Schilling

Sports Editor Maddie Clark Photography Editor

Olivia Molter Copy Editor Fatima Ali Advertising/Social Media Rachel Sina Graphics Editor Henry Ptacek Online Editor Kate Bennett Investigative Editor Erik Bakken Advisor Mr. Ramponi Contributors Nolan Arnold Salma Abdel-Azim Fatima Ali Yasmeen Ashour Erik Bakken Kate Bennett Maddie Clark Kyle Hoffenbecker Annessa Ihde Sophie Mariano Trinity Olson Ally Price

Millennial stereotypes are misinformed and must dissipate

Henry Ptacek Nora Ptacek Maeve Salm

Maddy Schilling Maryia Todorova Carl Zuleger

Students completing homework in the library in their spare time. Photo by Maeve Salm

FEATURES Appleton, Wisconsin December 2016 Vol. XXII

Issue III

Page 5

Molter’s creativity merges art with business

By Trinity Olson

Olivia Molter, a member of DECA, was given a prompt to create a campaign to inspire and educate and talk about en- trepreneurship. Molter and her partner Garrett Ostrom created the Art of Business Campaign. “Our goal is to inspire and ed-

ucate youth about entre- preneurship t h r o u g h c r e a t i v e businesses, which we have a lot of in Apple- ton, espe- cially in the

Olivia Molter is a Junior at North.

downtown area.” As part of the project, Molt- er and Ostrom have done a speaker series. Molter says, “We’ve had a business own- er, from Heid Music actu- ally, Tom Heid the owner of Heid Music, come into one of our marketing classes and talk about what he does. We are also doing a video series, which is really exciting. I just got the okay from The Draw, The Traveling Palace, and The Fire. All creative businesses downtown that all do differ- ent things.” These businesses want to collaborate and do a video series with the duo. The videos will be posted and can be found on their recently launched website theartofbusi- nesscampaign.com. At the Career Expo in the beginning of November they had a booth set up in the com- mons. They gave out pam- phlets about what they are and resources they have that could help future entrepreneurs. Ol- ivia also created a T-shirt for By Annessa Ihde My middle school experi- ence was probably significant- ly different than most. There was no anxiety over finding my classes as there were only four classrooms to choose from. There was no rushing to my locker and sprinting back just to get to class on time because my locker was about twenty steps away at all times. There was no wor- ry over meeting new people because out of the fifty-four students in my grade, more Column: Freshman Perspective

Olivia Molter originally designed this piece for Mile of Music, but adapted it for her Art of Business campaign. The illustration is of Downtown Appleton near Copper Rock. Illustration by Olivia Molter

the campaign that she designed herself. “I drew the design my- self, it’s all hand drawn except for the website at the bottom, that’s typed. If you look at the graphic, you’ll recognize it’s “I’ve always been the creative type, and I wanted to somehow incorporate art with all the creative business in downtown Appleton.” downtown Appleton and some of the businesses that are in it. It’s something that I’m really proud of, and it took a while. It’s really exciting, to open that box and see your design on shirts being really nice, re- ally bold, and really bright.” “I wanted to do the Houdini Plaza Area because I thought that it was a pretty iconic piece of downtown, but I wanted it

to be focused on College Av- enue. The direction I ended up facing was the one with Copper Rock, where I work, and Crazy Sweet, Cleo’s and I think you can vaguely see Bold Salon in the foreground. The idea of the design was actually from something that I had de- signed for Mile of Music. Just off the top of my head, when it was the middle of the night in the summer. I was just feel- ing really inspired, so I drew this one point perspective, and it said Mile of Music down the street, in the middle. Then I just kind of adapted that idea to fit our campaign.” At the moment she is work- ing on trying to get the shirts to be sold in different shops downtown. “You can currently find them at the school store, they are only $15 a piece. I think once we really start mar- keting them, that it’s going to as eighth graders, we were kings. The idea of leaving and going to an entirely new en- vironment scared us, made us uncomfortable, but the truth is we have to be uncomfort- able in order to grow. Summer was over before I even realized it had started, and September 1st came way too fast. I had walked my classes a couple of times, but finding my classes in empty hallways proved an insuffi- cient simulation. In no way was I ready for the massive stampede of people clamoring for space known as “passing time.” In all honesty, I have not visited my locker since the first day of school, and when asked by my mother

be great.” The profits from the T-shirts go back into the cam- paign, inspiring and educating youth about entrepreneurship. Molter and Ostrom’s project has gained interest from those all around the city. The Execu- tive Director of ADI, Appleton Downtown Incorporator, plans to meet with Molter to see what plans they can come up with because she took interest in their project. Molter jumped right into the project when Ostrom asked for her help. “I really quickly real- ized that I was in over my head. It was such a huge project, it took up so much time, and so much energy. I wanted to make it something that I could really connect to and get into, I suppose. I’ve always been the creative type, and I wanted to somehow incorporate art with all the creative business in downtown Appleton. I want- I struggled to find my class- es in the maze of hallways, and longed to return to my four- classroom middle school. In fact, for the first three weeks of school, I took a left from Spanish only to watch my math classmates walking the opposite way. Let’s just say, I became skilled at the 180 degree pirouette. As far as meeting new people, I was a little overwhelmed at the amount of kids I had never even seen before and missed the closeness our eighth grade class had. However, the num- ber of people I recognized increased daily as my cross where it was located, I found that I could not provide the answer.

ed to incorporate something I was passionate about, to make the project come to life,” says Molter “It’s really crazy, especially building the website, it’s so time consuming, and even the brochures that we handed out, extremely time consuming. Lots of late nights, trying to find balance between work and the Noctiluca, and this project, and volunteering. I have a lot of stuff on my plate.” Some- how Molter makes it work saying “Lots of late nights and lots of caffeine.” For those that want to em- bark on a project of their own, Molter recommends to start early. “Start as early as you can, don’t waste time. Six months may seem like a lot of time, but trust me when you’re doing six months of work in two months, it is not a lot of time.” country teammates continu- ally reached out to me. Before coming to North, I had never had the opportunity to repre- sent my own school in sports, but being a part of the North team has made all the differ- ence. My transition from middle school to high school may have started differently than yours, but I would guess there are more similarities than dif- ferences in our stories. As freshmen, we have already conquered the physical laby- rinth of North High School and I know we will continue to navigate the intricacies of high school life. As for me, I just hope to find my locker.

Transitioning from a one hallway middle school to a labyrinth of a high school

than two-thirds had known each other for eight years. Like I said, my middle school

e x p e r i - ence was probab l y s i g n i f i - cantly dif- ferent than yours. As much as my class- mates and I liked

Annessa Ihde is a Freshman at North

to say we couldn’t wait for high school, the truth was that none of us wanted to leave the safe haven we had created within our close friendships... and close quarters. At Classi- cal, we had friends and teach- ers we knew and loved, and

LEAVI A LE North abounds with names fro to a certain special place. We p a second thought to the name Well, we stopped. And then ask cases – these people? That qu stories about very real people North – and they still do. Then we asked around: If you c something, what would it be? Contributors to the Center Spread: Salma Abdel- Ahmad Abdel-Azim, Maddy Schilling, Sarah Flem

“I would want ot be named after a type of su- shi becaue it’s my favor- ite food.” ~Kristen Vermeulen

Aerial photo by Jamie Silver, Herff Jones

Why is Appleton North’s football stadium named after Paul Engen? Paul Engen was inducted into the Wisconsin Football Coaches Asso- ciation in 1998. Engen started his football coaching career at Winona State University, as their Assistant Football Coach in 1968. Winona State is also his Alma Mater, which he graduated from in 1965. How- ever, Engen left Winona State in 1969 to become the Head Football Coach for the Appleton West Terrors, where he was also their Assis- tant Track Coach. In 1995, when Appleton North opened, Engen left Appleton West to be the Assistant Football Coach for North, as well as our first athletic director. Currently, Engen is back at West as their Var- sity and JV Assistant Coach, while his son, Brent Engen, is the Head Football Coach for Appleton West. “Our team enjoys playing there because it is an excellent facility. Our team is aware of Coach Engen’s time at North but know him more as a West coach,” Brent Engen said.

“I want to be buried in the middle of Wash- ington D.C. with a plaque that says ‘Here lies Sahil Beaherawa- la, former presient of the United States’.” ~Sahil Baherawala

“The swimming pool, because I love swimming and I’ve been a swimmer for eight years.” ~Lexi Hilt

“I’d want to have a cer- tain soccer trick named after me that will live for a long time. Lots of kids growing up who will want to be soccer play- ers will know my name because of the trick and also the legacy I will leave; the odds of it hap- pening are slim, but you have to dream big.” ~Meedo Amin

Photo by Sonia Tallroth

The Appleton Area School District has a long history of fine arts. Apple- ton’s first music program, an orchestra, was formed in 1920 by Herbert Helble, and they practiced in a local church’s basement. Appleton’s music program has greatly expanded since then. Roosevelt Middle School even had a ukulele club in 1931! Orlyn A. Zieman came to Appleton in 1953 to teach social studies at Wilson Middle School, and in 1959, he became the principal of Wilson. In 1964, he became the Director of Secondary Educa- tion. He stayed in that position until 1971, when the old superintendent of the Appleton school district, William Spears, passed away and Zieman was called to the position. Besides making the Appleton Area School District officially separate from the city government, he was very supportive of the arts, like his wife and daughters. He was known to have an easy going and approachable personality, both inside and outside of school. According to Gerald Howard, a retired North English teacher and friend of Zieman, he was a “handshake and a smile kind of guy” as well as an honest man. “If he told you he was going to do something, he did it. There was no double talking with him.” After a battle with cancer, Zieman passed away in 1985. In the late 1980s, AASD realized that in the next decade the high schools would become increasingly overcrowded, and another high school needed to be built. A new auditorium was built along with the new school. In remembrance of Zieman’s passion for the arts, Appleton North’s new audi- torium was named after him.

Aeria

“It (the prairie) is a legacy to the wh Connie Roop. Most appreciate the pr woman behind the natural beauty, Co and environmental science teacher at sion for environmental conservation. by over $25,000 in grants and constr dents. All of the plants are native to students studying environmental sci ment plant progression and evolutio “School is not inside four walls. I f what nature has to offer. Learn from not only an environmental enthusias husband both taught at Appleton Nor than a hundred books.

“A forest because I like to spend most of my time there, and I enjoy forests very much.” ~Mr. Sugrue

G ACY the past, and many are attached ss them every day, often without n the sign, the wall, the plaque. d: Who are – or were, in most stion led us to some interesting ho made a very real difference at

“A Bridge because it connects people together and creates unity across a usually impassable path.” ~Charles Wu

Joseph N. Hanson was 15 years old when he tragi- cally passed away in a car accident. A freshman at North in the 1996-1997 school year, Hanson was heavily involved in extracurricular activities from baseball, basketball and football to music. A commemoration of him was written in the 1997 class yearbook, saying “he was a friend, a brother, a boyfriend, and a son.” A tree just outside of the choir and band rooms is dedicated to Hanson’s life and memory, and it serves as a testament to the mark that he left on the Appleton North community.

uld have your name attached to

zim, Henry Ptacek, Olivia Molter, Nora Ptacek, ng, and Sonia Tallroth, and Kate Benett.

“I’d like a person to be named after me because that would mean that I did something so great that someone decided to name their child after me.” ~Sara Zaidan

“A tiger because I think tigers are cool.” ~Jacob Thiel

Rocky, a devoted member of the Spe- cial Ed program at Appleton North who clearly loves what she does, gave back to her school when she bought a bench that many students sit on after school while waiting for their ride. While Rocky wanted to give some- thing to the students in buying a bench, she also wanted to dedicate it to a spe- cial person that has passed away in her life. A couple years ago her dad, Gerald Schoenrock, passed away. She wanted to honor him as well as still give some- thing to benefit her school and the stu- dents. She wanted to give something special to the Special Ed students be- cause she works with them every day. She thought of how most days in fall and spring, after a long day, the stu- dents would go outside and read a story in the fresh air, sitting on the soft, cozy grass; however, some students with disabilities could not sit down on the grass so they had to stand. As she pon- dered, she finally came up with the idea to buy a bench to help those students who had to stand waiting for their bus- es. Rocky not only helped her Special Ed students but all other students at North, while still honoring her dad.

Michael G. Bond was a technology education teacher at Appleton North from 2002 to 2014. Mr. Bond taught a large variety of courses throughout his time at North, including small engines, computer repair and maintenance, ro- botics, cabinetry building, and pho- tography. He is remembered by his colleague Joel Edler as “a serious kind of guy, but with an interesting sense of humor. [Mr.Bond] was always pulling little practical jokes on Mr. Bates and myself...he was a real character.” Mr. Bond was 48 when he passed away of lung cancer in November of 2014. A bench, located outside the front en- trance of North, was dedicated to the memory of Michael Bond in 2014. At Appleton North, Mr. Bond’s legacy lives on through his work in develop- ing the small engines class as a tran- scripted course through the Fox Val- ley Technical College. Mr. Tom Bates, a close friend and colleague of Mr. Bond’s, explained how North is still seeing Mr. Bond’s legacy, “career pre- paredness for students...We’ve all seen that. Especially in elective classes.” He also left more personal legacies for Mr. Edler and Mr. Bates, both of whom continue the weekly tradition of attending Friday breakfasts with Tech- Ed teachers in the area. Now, on the Friday closest to the anniversary of Mr. Bond’s death (this year it was Nov. 18) the teachers met and all order their friend’s favorite meal – biscuits and gravy with hash browns.

Photo by Olivia Molter

“I feel like it would be cool to have a swim stroke or dive named after me.” ~Maggie Wilks

le state of Wisconsin,” said Mrs. irie and pond but do not know the nie Roop. As a former Bio-Phys North, Mrs. Roop has great pas- The prairie and pond was funded cted with the help of many stu- isconsin and were resources for nce. “We had test plots to docu- in the prairie,” said Mrs. Roop. el it is important to learn from it and enjoy it.” Mrs. Roop was t, but also a writer. She and her h, and together they wrote more photo by Jamie Silver, Herff Jones

“A softball field be- cause I put a lot of time into softball and it’s something that means a great deal to me.” ~Mr. Salm

FEATURES Appleton, Wisconsin December 2016 Vol. XXII

Issue III

Page 8

Choir director plans to bring his new ideas to life

By Trinity Olson

father. The drums were also self taught, while he has two years of piano in elementary school, and learned and grew from there. For the future of North’s choir, Aumann plans to try new things and has many ideas. “We’ll see how this year goes. It’s been going really re- ally well, and I’m excited to implement some of my ideas.” As for now, Aumann is im- pressed and inspired by the group. “In our fall concert, North Choir has been singing this song, The Road Home, which is a beautiful, beautiful testament to how important a feeling of home is, as well as unity and community. They’ve been singing it as a tradition for many years. On stage, we are standing on risers, there are four rows of people. As the song starts, they spontane- ously started holding hands, I did not ask them too. They just did. It was really powerful and really cool.” Aumann, like many others, hopes that North’s Choirs con- tinue to succeed and grow. residents. Most of these ideas are not yet set in stone, as the club needs to get everything approved, but members of the “I really just want to be able to teach people an easy, fun instru- ment and get to know more people that enjoy the same things as me” -Madison Berlowski club are excited to see what op- portunities arise. The club next meets on Dec. 13, in Stidham-Gerbert’s room, 2353. “I am looking forward to see what we have to come,” Ber- lowski said.

Before leading Appleton North’s choir, Mr. Aumann, or Mr. A as he introduced himself, taught at Green Bay East High School. His transi- tion to North was to be closer to his wife. “My wife teaches at Kimberly High School, and she teaches English there; we wanted to be closer to each other.” Mr. Aumann didn’t enter college planning to become a teacher, and need a gentle push to break through the shell to realize what he really wanted to do. “There’s a couple dif- ferent moments, but I’ll just pinpoint one moment. I was in college, and I wasn’t an Ed. major, which means I wasn’t going to become a teacher, I was just a music major. Half- way through college, it was probably after the summer of my second year of college, I realized that I was fighting the urge to be a teacher the whole time. I was thinking like ‘This isn’t for me. I don’t want to do that.’ I had been told by a lot of people that ‘You don’t want Starting out in the recreation- al soccer program that every- one seemed to be in, Morgan Guest began her career in soc- cer at a young age. “I’ve been playing for about ten years, since I was four.” Now, Guest has been play- ing in a more serious aspect. “I play club soccer for FC Wis- consin Eclipse, it’s part of the Elite’s Club National League which is one of the top soc- cer leagues in the country for women.” Guest had been on the team since she was 12, and has gained many friendships out of it. “We’re really close, I’ve been on the team with a majority of the girls since I was 12. We’re good leaders, and we all have different person- alities. We each bring our own aspect to the game, so it’s really cool to get new players and to change it up.” Practice with this elite team occurs three to four times a week, adding to the already busy schedule of Guest. She travels two hours to Milwaukee to practice with her team, and she spends her drive “sleeping and doing homework.” Her home games are in Mil- waukee, usually on the week- ends, while the away games By Trinity Olson

Mr. Aumann has ideas for how to implement his plans into this school year. Photo by Olivia Molter

to do that.’ For whatever rea- sons be it money, or be it time, or whatever. I was resisting that. I had a really great men- tor that summer whom I had a conversation with, and he helped me realize ‘No, why are you fighting this. You’d be good at it, and you would love it.’ I haven’t looked back since.” Even before Appleton North, and Green Bay East, and even his time in college, Mr. Aumann was surrounded by music. “I’ve always been

polka band. My mom plays accordion. My dad plays sax- ophone and guitar. All my sib- lings were all so very involved with music. The one common thread was, in music, was that we all sang.” Being surrounded by music in his early years definitely in- fluenced his career and skills in music. “I play guitar, it’s my main instrument, more lately it’s the piano, and I also play some drums.” Aumann mainly self taught himself on the gui- tar, with some help from his me,” said Berlowski. A possible “Jam Night” is planned within the club where players of any instrument can come and play together. The night is still waiting for ap- proval. This club will likely be ex- tremely involved in the com- munity, as another activity the club is planning on doing this December is going “caroling” where they will be getting a group together to go door to door and play. They are also trying to put together a Kids Day, where all children would be welcome to come and learn the beginning steps of how to play the ukulele. On top of that, they want to go to nurs- ing homes to play music for the

a jack of all trades, ace of none type of person, so I was good at other subjects and other things, but I grew up in a family that on long car rides, we would sing in the car. In harmony, not just everyone singing along, we’re making a harmony. My dad was in a By Nolan Arnold From rugby to ultimate fris- bee, along with popular options like HOSA and DECA, Apple- ton North is home to many clubs, and students are always encouraged to start new ones. Recently created was the Ukulele Club. “Ukulele Club is fun, not competitive, and if you don’t own a ukulele then you can play a tennis racket,” said advisor Mrs. Stidham-Gerbert. Madison Berlowski, an origi- nal member and founder of the club, said the club started in May, when she was sitting in Stidham-Gerbert’s room. “One day we were talking about in- struments because if anyone knows SG, she really enjoys the harmonica and penny whis- tle. I brought up that I played the ukulele and that lead to the idea to make a ukulele band. At first it was just another one of our weird ideas, but after a cou- ple of days we finally thought, why not make a ukulele club?” A quick form was filled out and within a week, Appleton North had a ukulele club. The goal of the club is more focused on fun than anything else. “I re- ally just want to be able to teach people an easy, fun instrument and get to know more people that enjoy the same things as lately it’s the piano, and I also play some drums.” “I play guitar, it’s my main instrument, more

Human of Appleton North: Morgan Guest

Ukulele Club is open to all students

depend on the team. “Sometimes they are in Mi c h i g a n , some t imes they’re in St. Louis, some t imes they’re in Il-

Morgan Guest of FC Wiscon- sin Eclipse

linois. I went to Texas once in the previous year, and I’m go- ing to Florida this year.” The weekend of Nov. 11, Guest traveled to Phoenix, Arizona. “It was for a college showcase for the ECNL.” The trip consisted of Guest fly- ing out on Thursday, having a few hours of relaxation time, and then practicing. “I had an afternoon training, just to get the muscles going. Then I had games Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and I flew back after my game on Sunday.” Guest also had time to sneak in some fun, by going on a mountain hike and enjoying the scenery. “One win, one tie and one loss. We played the top team in the country, yet we lost five to zero. That’s actually not that bad because they usually leave games double digits. It’s pretty impressive for us.” See more Humans of North stories on northnoct.com

Mia Druckery, Madison Berlowski, and Kyle Scherzinger of the Ukulele Club are willing to play anywhere. Photo by Jordan Annis