Not a Veteran Anymore

Not a Veteran Anymore

I was there for a year,

living with people I barely knew,

fighting for many I don’t know at all,

only because freedom is something for all.

I go to school on Veteran’s day,

getting recognized is my only fame,

my name gets called and so I stand,

my phone rings in my hand.

I must leave to answer this,

my kid sees and can’t resist,

as I tell him about the call,

all he can do is ball.

Cries of daddy don’t go from my child,

only make the situation worse,

I leave for my room,

because all I can do is go.

At the airport the boarding call comes,

my child gives me one last hug,

I tell him I’ll be back,

and he says all right dad.

The plane takes off and there I go,

far away from my home,

there is only one thought on my mind,

I am not a veteran anymore.

The Cast of M*A*S*H Takes Their Final Bow of the Weekend

Brad Prier

Sophomores Sam Anglin (Janice) and Pat Leitzen (Captain Ugly) exchange flirtatious banter in WDHS’s fall play production of M*A*S*H, which held its first show on Veteran’s Day. 

The cast of WDHS’s M*A*S*H takes their final bow at its matinee performance on Sunday, Nov. 13^th. 
Photgraphs taken by Jack O'Brien

“Cast and crew set?” “We are set!”
Those were the words spoken right before the curtain opened and the play began. The students in the production had been practicing for 2 and a half months and couldnt’ wait any longer. The crowd laughed at jokes the actors thought were funny 2 months ago. The play  went along very well and the
crowds came all weekend to watch the performance, some people came more than once. When Janice told Captain Ugly that she would rather have the rain than an ugly compliment, the whole crowd laughed, but when they saw Captain Ugly’s sad face the laughter changed to awws. Directors Michele Meade and Gretchen Kratochwill, as well as student director Erin Norton, were happy to see their hard work pay off. After opening night performance the tradition continued of going to Perkin’s for a late night breakfast. The cast returned home tired, but anxious for the second and third performances which went just as smoothly as the first. The cast and crew of M*A*S*H would like to thank all who attended and helped the play in any way.

Bobcat Band ‘Happy Together’: A Brief Overview of the 2011 Marching Band Season

By Emily Vaughan

Through the darkness of Evanescence, the Western Dubuque High School Bobcat Marching Band shined in their cheerfully quirky 1960s show. The various trophies throughout the band room are evidence enough to prove the success of their marching season. At each competition, the Bobcat Band never placed last in their division, despite being the David amongst multiple Goliaths. The roars of the crowd and the comments from the judges were mostly positive, the constant comment being “give us more.”  The band recently finished their marching tour, going to various middle and elementary schools throughout the area. The Bobcat Band received a gift from Epworth Elementary: a handmade booklet with colorful pictures and captions written next them in crayon. The band’s favorite comment was on the flag girls who the kids dubbed as “buutifull”!

Who knows what next year’s marching band season has in store, but it can be assumed it’ll be amazing under the brilliant direction of Michael Omarzu.

♫Noteworthy Bobcat of the Month♫

By Jacob Barnwell

Nicki Neal, of Epworth, is the daughter of John and Lynn Neal, and is a junior at Western Dubuque High School. Nicki has been involved in music programs from an early age, playing many instruments including the piano, clarinet and bass guitar. She is also the president of Tri-M, which is a music honors society. This year, Tri-M’s main goal is to make a difference in the school and community. As an active member in the arts programs at WDHS, Nicki says that her favorite part about these programs is “[t]he enthusiasm.” She goes on to say, “Kids get excited about painting and singing and performing, and the teachers are very supportive and encouraging, which makes the arts program lively and enjoyable to be a part of.” When Nicki is not playing music or organizing events for Tri-M, she enjoys playing tennis, studio dancing, running and designing.  Good luck to Nicki on her future music goals!

WDHS Environmental Club

By Brittni Wendling

The year is off to a great start for the Environmental Club of Western Dubuque High School. The club has not only proved its love for the Earth but also its love for the Earth’s people. This spirit within the club’s members is currently shown through the sponsorship of Bobcat water bottles. The water bottles are red, with the school mascot’s title printed upon them. They also feature a black screw-off lid. These water bottles are available to purchase from any student who is part of the Environmental Club for the price of eight dollars. Show your pride for both your school and the Earth, and purchase a water bottle from the Western Dubuque Environmental Club.

The Westerner Homepage Update

By Brad Prier

Recently, The Western Dubuque High School newspaper website, the Westerner, has moved to a new location. The website is now located at http://www.westerner-wd.blogspot.com. The website, created by Jacob Barnwell and Brad Prier, includes many enhancements and is much easier to find as well. The new site includes all the stories and pictures by Westerner staff members. At the top is a slideshow of several pictures involving Western Dubuque High School. The site also allows users to like our Facebook page just with one click and then they will receive Westerner updates in their Facebook newsfeed. In addition, the website allows users to share content to Facebook and Twitter easily, send the Westerner emails, and it also includes a Bobcat-themed fish tank at the very bottom. You can also find a full list of our staff on the website. Be sure to check it out next time you are online, and if you have Facebook, feel free to “like” us as well. Thanks from all of the Westerner staff members.

Senior Spotlight

INTERVIEW CONDUCTED BY ALICIA ERRTHUM

 

Name: Thomas Montgomery

Favorite Movie: “Blazing Saddles”

Favorite Song: “Chameleon” by Maynard Ferguson

Favorite Sport: Baseball

Favorite Restaurant: Pizza Ranch

If you had $1000, what would you do with it?

Take a few trips to the nearest Pizza Ranch buffet.

What is your one goal this year? Survival.

If you could choose any occupation, what would it be?

Announce for the Chicago Cubs.

In a movie about your life, who would you like to play the lead role as you? Charlie Sheen.  Duh!  Winning!

What's something you want to do before you die? Be at Wrigley Field when the Cubs win the World Series.

If you were a type of food, what type of food would you be? The whole Pizza Ranch buffet.

If you were written about in the newspaper, what would the front-page headline say? ‘LOCAL REDHEAD SPEAKS OUT AGAINST G-WORD’ (Ginger)

What are you future plans? Attending Western Illinois University in Macomb, Illinois, and majoring in Broadcasting.

Senior Spotlight

Name: Katelin Bockenstedt

Favorite movie: “Donnie Darko.” I love scary movies.

Favorite color: Orange!

Favorite class: Art.

Favorite sport to watch: Soccer!

What is playing on your iPod right now?Bassnectar. I love dubstep music.

What would I find in your fridge right now? Lots of fruit, carrots, cucumbers, chocolate pudding and, if you looked in my freezer, you would find Moose Tracks!

What is the last book that you've read? I'm working on finishing reading “A Million Little Pieces.”

If you could be a superhero, what would you want your power(s) to be? I would love to stop time, or hear what people are thinking.

What is your favorite thing to do? I love to ride horses.

If you could take a trip anywhere, where would you go? I would go to the UK. I love how green it is there, and I like the eeriness of it, since it's always cold, misty, and foggy there.

What was the last movie you've seen? I just went to “Paranormal Activity 3.” It was amazing!

What is something you want to do before you die? I want to travel the world.

What is your favorite restaurant? Smash Burger.

What are your future plans? I want to go to Iowa or UNI to get my gen eds, and then go to Colorado and become an acupuncturist and massage therapist.

Fall Play will be a S‘M*A*S*H’ Hit

By Alicia Errthum

         

For the past two months, the directors, cast, and crew of Western Dubuque's fall play have been working diligently to prepare their show for performance. After countless hours of painstakingly poring over lines, finding costumes, and designing the set, the drama department is proud to present to the public their fall 2011 play:   “M*A*S*H.” Taking place during the Korean War, this play follows the laughable and loveable characters of Drs. Pierce and Forrest, affectionately known as Hawkeye and Duke, as they create mischief in the U.S. army base where they are located, which is also called “The Swamp.”

"I think the show will entertain people of all ages with its dry humor and goofy quirks," says student director Erin Norton. Performances are to be held in the Western Dubuque High School Old Gym.  Opening night is to start at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 11.  In honor of Veterans Day, there will be a special tribute to our United States Armed Forces.  Other performance of “M*A*S*H” are scheduled are to be held 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 12 and 3:00 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 13th.

Tickets for “M*A*S*H” are available through the WDHS Activities Office by calling 563-876-3442 ext. 3008 or can be purchased at the door. Admission is $6.00 for adults and $3.00 for students.

Directors of “M*A*S*H” are Michele Meade and Gretchen Kratochwill, and this year’s student director is Erin Norton.

Cast (in alphabetical order): Sam Anglin, Molly Becker, Matt Bell, Alison Brown, Abby Burds, Karley Crouse, Nathalie Digman, Alicia Errthum, Jayde Gartner, Alex Hayes, Colleen Hoffmann, Chance Ingles, Brianna Kennedy, Patrick Leitzen, Megan Meyer, Johnny Molony, Lucy Mulert, Hannah Murray, Austin Ockenfels, Mike Steffens, Trevor Then, Emily Vaughan, Sarah Walsh, Devin Watters, Nellie Welsh, Jackie Wessels and Ally Zauche. Crew: Kirsten Anderson, Jacob Barnwell, Marcus Ingles, Ashley Knight, Stephanie Knipper, Emily Koopmann, Aaron Ostwinkle, Chandler Pfeiler, Brad Prier, Anna Spoden and Kim Young.

The Night the Lights Went Out in Epworth

The WDHS Marching Band’s annual Light Show could not have come at a better time. The Light Show offered not only entertainment in its explosion of color but also a beautiful distraction to those worried about the local power outage during the football game on Oct. 7.   

Photograph by Brad Prier
Story by Brad Prier

It was the last home game for Western Dubuque Football and everything was going well. The teams had just completed a play, and the players were tying their shoes, looking around at the full crowd, and discussing the next play. Then, the lights went out!  If it had not been for the hundreds of glow-stick bracelets, the whole stadium would have been pitch black. The crowd screamed and the players were confused. As children ran trying to get back to their moms and dads, the police were on their way trying to keep everyone calm. Alliant Energy worked on fixing the power outage that had been caused by a student hitting a power line pole. As this was all happening, the Western Dubuque Marching Band arrived to perform their light show. It was a spectacular performance, and, not too long after, the lights came back on. Subsequently, the players warmed up again, and the game resumed. The Bobcats lost the game, but it was indeed a game that no one will soon forget.

Math Success

By Brooke Bockenstedt

The day started at 7:00 a.m. with two Western Dubuque students from each
grade and four Cascade students. Riding over to the Mount Mercy Math
Contest, we began to rev up our brains for the coming day. What could be
better than having a day full of a class we loved or at least were good
at? We skittered into the building and enjoyed the continental breakfast
while the director talked about the coming day. Western Dubuque consisted
of two freshman/sophomore teams and two junior/senior teams. Each team
contained one mathematician per grade.

Western Dubuque’s students went their separate ways as they were dismissed to their rooms for the first test. The Western Dubuque and Cascade teams were also split up for the day as they went through various tests, measuring their skills in mathematics. The freshman/sophomore teams had two solo events, two team events, and a group test with the juniors and seniors. After all the testing, WD headed over to find Ms. Vaughn, Mr. Wilson and the Cascade students, traveling
through the Mount Mercy tunnel. Once everyone was accounted for, all of us
headed over to another building. Next were the announcements of the top
student from each grade and the top five teams competing in JEOPARDY.
The director talked a bit about the day and thanked everyone for coming.
He then announced the freshman top scorer: Brooke Bockenstedt from Western
Dubuque High School. Afterwards, the sophomore level’s highest scorer was revealed:  Jenny Brehm of Western Dubuque High School. Then, after the junior and senior level’s top scorer was declared, the top five groups going into JEOPARDY were announced. Fifth, fourth, and third places were acknowledged before it was proclaimed that the second place team with a point value of 89 was Team 12 from Western Dubuque. Team 12 was made up of Scott Klein, Justin Kluesner, Jenny Brehm and Brooke Bockenstedt; this team trailed behind the first place team by a mere 5 points when JEOPARDY began.

The final test continued at a snail pace. One of the freshman students, along with a
sophomore had never seen most of the problems. Team 12 stared around the
room, as most teams did, waiting to be done. The last question was picked
and the scores were close: 55, 60, 69, 79 and 94. Western Dubuque Team 12
ended in second with 79 points. Team 12 received a T-shirt and trophy for
being the second place team at Mount Mercy.

Western Dubuque and Cascade took some photos with their winnings and
headed off with laughs and memories. A stop at Dairy Queen ended the day
of mathematics as the team departed for home.