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OPINIONS
Appleton, Wisconsin March 2017 Volume XXII
Issue V Page 4
On March 9, represen-
tatives from the Appleton
League of Women Voters
came to North to assist all
18-year-old students in the
registration process for vot-
ing. I found this to be incred-
ibly beneficial, and I highly
recommend that those of you
turning 18 or those of you
who are 18, and have not
registered to vote yet, take
advantage of this opportunity
in the future. To my surprise,
the duration of the entire pro-
cess lasted less than seven
minutes. It consisted of me
showing them my driver’s
license and school ID and
electronically stating my age,
eligibility to vote and my ad-
dress. I asked a few quick
questions to the women rep-
resentatives, and I then print-
ed off a form that stated the
information I had filed, the
ward I will vote within and
the location to vote. In a few
simple steps, I became a reg-
istered voter.
This non profit group of
women sponsored this event
which occurs in many high
schools across the Fox Valley
and multiple times over the
course of one year. The best
part: the League of Women
Voters can help you register
whether they are at North or
not. If you search Appleton
League of Women Voters,
the first website that appears
from the Google search is
the official site of this non-
partisan organization. Once
you arrive on their website,
the first tab on the right-hand
sidebar is titled “Voter Infor-
mation.” Click this link and
you will find information that
will allow you to register as
a voter.
You may be asking, “Why
bother registering now? We
have another four years with
President Trump before the
next presidential election.”
But President Trump is not
the only elected official in-
fluencing your education, the
programs available within
your community, the medi-
cal treatment available in
your community and more.
For example, recently there
was a case heard by the Wis-
consin Supreme Court sur-
rounding a meeting held by
the AASD about freshmen
books. In 2011, John Krueger
expressed concern for the use
of profanity or sexual content
within these novels which
are integrated into the AASD
freshmen classes. The AASD
held private meetings to ad-
dress this, and Krueger sued
the district under the claim
that these meetings violated
Wisconsin’s open meetings
law. This case was heard on
Feb. 15, 2017, and the Su-
preme Court decision sup-
ported the AASD, since this
meeting involved “admin-
istrative work” and not dis-
trict policy changes. These
Supreme Court justices were
elected, which influenced
the manner that government
meetings within Wisconsin
are executed. It is imperative
that you vote in every elec-
tion, and always ensure that
you are well-informed about
the candidates and their
goals.
There is nothing more em-
powering than voting – vot-
ing for the progression of
your community, your state,
your country. It is the staple
of our ever-dynamic democ-
racy that is valuable beyond
comprehension. So, register
to vote!
Voting registration assistance is in abundance in the Valley
Feminism: Synonymous with hope and human rights
Noctiluca
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Statement
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noct.com are the student-run
news sources of Appleton North
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ignated public forum for free
and responsible expression of
views.
Appleton North High School
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
Henry Ptacek
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
Sarah Fleming
Investigative Editor
Erik Bakken
Advisor
Mr. Ramponi
Contributors
Salma Abdel-Azim
Fatima Ali
Erik Bakken
Kate Bennett
Maddie Clark
Brooke Densmore
Kenady Duesterhaus
Ndemazea Fonkem
Iris Hertting
Sophie Plzak
Ally Price
Henry Ptacek
Nora Ptacek
Maeve Salm
Maddy Schilling
Mariya Todorova
Alex Wormley
Dear North Community,
Let’s talk about the “F”
word. Many of us know it,
and some may even use it, but
the stigma and hate associated
with this word is deplorable.
Honestly, it’s used as a form
of expression – a cohesive
factor that has united a por-
tion of the upcoming genera-
tion.
The word feminism de-
scribes a movement that has
transpired since the begin-
ning of American history. It
highlights the struggles of
half the population to gain
their basic rights – the right
to vote, to own property, and
to own their body. These are
basic human rights that, in my
opinion, should have been af-
forded to everyone at the birth
of our nation.
Especially right now wom-
en are facing systematic sex-
ism in American politics,
economics, and society. The
fact is that we, as the upcom-
ing generation, cannot sim-
ply ignore this – the apathy
that might be
easier to adopt
as our man-
tra, is far more
detrimental to
our society as
a whole. What
is happening
in America
right now isn’t
normal; don’t
normalize this
hatred and big-
otry that some-
how has found
its way into our
daily lives. It’s
okay to say that
America has
some system-
atic problems;
that
doesn’t
mean you’re not
patriotic – to
protest and use
the rights afforded to you by
the Constitution is the most
patriotic activity you could
do as an American citizen.
I also want to use this as a
clarification. I am a feminist
– meaning I believe in equal
rights for women. The idea
that feminism is synonymous
with hating men is used as a
dividing force, making it eas-
ier to continue this centuries
old cycle of sexism. So when
I say I’m a feminist, please
don’t respond with “man-hat-
er” – it’s so much more than
that.
Honestly, to me feminism
means hope – the hope for a
future that is better than the
one we live in today. This
movement, fueled by hope,
simply asks for kindness and
respect to citizens that should
have at least been given those
dignities a long time ago.
By Maeve Salm
Students of North reflect their belief that
women deserve equality.
Photo illustration by
Maeve Salm
After registering to vote, the representatives provided an infor-
mation sheet with a synopsis of the next voting location and time,
references for questions about voting and a sticker encouraging
individuals to vote.
Photo illustration by Maeve Salm
By Kenady Duesterhaus
Feminists ask
for respect and
kindness for all
Take advantage of
local facilities for
voting registration
To protest and use the
rights afforded to you
by the Constitution is
the most patriotic ac-
tivity you could do as
an American citizen.
The League of Women Voters
assist with voting registration
around the Fox Valley.