Bobcat basketball is something to cheer about

BY MOLLY BECKER

I remember the thrum of the crowd as we went to the locker room. The disappointment of a loss, but the satisfaction of state runner-up finish, hung over everyone’s head.

 
The ride home was quiet. All of our voices were gone.
 
As this boys’ basketball season at Western Dubuque rolls on, we all hope for state again, even though it won’t be the same without our senior players from last year. Cameron James, for example, I remember slam-dunking the ball in a game against Dubuque Wahlert during districts.

But with their departure opens doors for others. Spencer Haldeman, a sophomore, has joined the starting lineup. Cole Otting and Nolan Baumhover, also sophomores, have moved up and are playing in most varsity games.

Every layup and 3-pointer pushes us toward the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines and another state tournament. The crowds are growing bigger and louder, the excitement is starting to swell.

 

Every practice, every cheer, every game lessens the distance to state.

As a member of the cheer squad, I still remember the screaming crowd in Des Moines last year — and the burn in my throat as my voice goes. I remember looking up and seeing our sweating faces, along with our classmates’ on the big screen.

Every outstanding win pulls us closer. Undefeated so far this year, we’ve beaten Marion, 72-53; Center Point-Urbana, 74-36; Maquoketa, 55-34; Anamosa, 65-36; Mount Vernon, 63-32; Solon, 75-46; and Columbus, 68-37.

 

The crowd claps and stomps to “Awoogah” along with us all season, a cheer that signifies the pride we carry for our team and being Bobcats. Every fight song draws us closer. The excitement grows in the squad and in the crowd.

The idea of state is such an attractive idea, you just wish to possess it. This season we’re all looking toward state. We wait in anticipation for what the rest of the season will bring.

*This article was first featured in The Gazette and on the Iowa Prep Sports website. 

Broken but healing

BY NICOLE VALENTINE

Everyone in Western Dubuque, in Iowa, and in the United States has heard about the tragedy that happened on Dec. 14, 2012 in Newtown, Connecticut. A man went in to Sandy Hook Elementary School and shot 20 students, ages 6-7, and six adults.

It’s been over a month and people are starting to ask questions about gun control. With all of the shootings that have happened in the past year, people are continuing to get upset. People argue that with stricter gun control, these kinds of disasters wouldn’t happen. Others say that killers will find a gun with or without strict laws, and the government shouldn’t take the second amendment rights away from good, law-abiding citizens.

The people of Newtown are speaking up, too. They have formed a group called Sandy Hook Promise. This group wants to see change. They want the Sandy Hook Shooting to be a stepping stone to alterations; although, according to an article published by Associated Press on Jan. 14, 2013, they haven’t stated any specific changes they want. "We want the Sandy Hook school shootings to be recalled as the turning point where we brought our community and communities across the nation together and set a real course for change," says group co-founder Tom Bittman.

Newtown is healing. They have received so much support, according to CNN correspondents David Ariosto and Susan Candiotti.  They have received over 150,000 letters from around the country and around the world, telling of everyone’s support for the families and the community there. Yet, they are still hurting. The adults and the students who were there that day will not forget it, but they can move forward from this. Everyone can learn from this tragedy.

WDHS competes in the Winter Special Olympics

BY BRITTNI WENDLING

PHOTOGRAPH BY LAURIE FALLON

Pictured left to right: Caleb Ernzen, Brennen Koopmann, Stacy Kass (mentor), Rebecca Hoefler (mentor), Michelle Neumann, Emily Goedken (mentor), Lee Greenwood, Brandon Weber (mentor), Jeff Leibold, and Mark Zalaznik (mentor) at this year’s Winter Olympics.

The Western Dubuque Special Olympic athletes recently competed in the Winter Olympics. The Winter Olympics were held at Sundown on Jan. 14 and Jan. 15. The students competed in multiple cross country ski races. Caleb Ernzen (10) competed in the 100-meter cross country ski race and earned a second place silver medal. Lee Greenwood (10) competed in the 1K cross country race and earned a second place silver medal. Lee also competed in the 500-meter cross country race and won a first place gold medal. Brennen Koopmann (10) won gold in both of his races. He competed in the 500-meter and 100-meter cross country races. Jeff Leibold (11) won a first place gold medal in both the 1K and 500-meter race. Michelle Neumann (9) competed for her first time in the Winter Olympics and won two third place bronze medals in the 100 meter and 500 meter. The athletes were all successful and encouraged by their coaches, Laurie Fallon and Tom Andrews. Congratulations to the athletes who competed in the Winter Olympics!

National Honors Society

BY BRADLEY WARNER
Amanda Steffen, advisor of the National Honor Society, sat down and answered some questions on the subject of the organ-ization and how one may be able to partici-pate in the National Honor Society.

"The National Honor Society is a group of students who can strive to obtain scholar-ships, gain leadership roles, create strong characteristics, and help the community," said Steffen.

For a student to join NHS, he or she has to fill out an application form. "The criteria that a student needs are a certain amount of voluntary community service, a display of leadership qualities, and an excellent GPA range. A sophomore’s GPA must be 3.0 or higher, and juniors, as well as seniors, must have a GPA of 3.3 or higher. Once the form is filled out, a group of teachers review the documents and pick the most impressive applications," explained Stef-fen.

Students may ask themselves what the beneficial factor is for joining NHS and how this will provoke them to be better leaders. "Students are involved with differ-ent activities, and one of the most known is the Candy Grams. Students take control of the activities and must have responsibility for leadership; they must know whom to send the product to after receiving the money, and take part in community service outside of school," said Steffen.

The students are also expected to have the following attitude: "Representing good characteristics, doing well academically, [and]having good leadership skills. [I]f a grade falls, the student will be put on pro-bation from National Honor Society, and if they do not raise it back up to the GPA they must have, the student will then be removed from NHS," explained Steffen.

When asked why someone would want to run such an exclusive club, Steffen replied, "When I was in high school, the National Honor Society had a major impact on my personality and characteristics. NHS gives students the chance to branch off into lead-ership roles, and I am inspired by what the students can do for the community."

Forms for National Honor Society will be available in the beginning of February. Students will be informed of the specific date in the daily announcements.

The Mock Trial Teaches Students About the Court System

BY REBECCA WEBER
Juniors and seniors of Ms. Rogers’ sociology class have arranged a fictitious trial called "Mock Trial" to help them learn about the Defense and Crime Unit. The Mock Trial helps the students bring the unit to life. This helps them grasp the concept of what a trial entails instead of reading about it in a textbook.

The Mock Trial has three main key points: to have a crime take place, to investigate, and to have the trial. Most crimes are murders that are acted out between teachers and students. Later, as the students investigate, everyone has their own role. Some of these roles include: a lawyer, an FBI agent, a CSI investigator, a judge, a forensic scientist and even a po-lice officer. A number of these roles help students later find a career option in the study of sociology. Members of the stu-dent body make up the jury of the trial. Testimonies are made at the trail and explain the suspect’s involvement in the crime. After the trial, the jury decides whether or not the sus-pect is guilty.

Ms. Rogers says, "The Mock Trial is one of the students’ favorite activities in the class because it is spectacular, fun and includes other students."

Creative writing corner

Freedom Relief      

BY NIKI CLEMEN

For all those who fight,

Righteousness that stands,

Enduring each night,

Encountering foreign lands,

Daringly doing what’s right,

Outstretched hands,

Making it so you don’t see ‘the light,’

Radishes eaten out of cans,

Easily daydream of a kite,

Listing to bugle bands,

In scripture bites,

Etched in the sand,

Feeling locked up tight.

Snow Days

BY MEGAN DEMMER

We race down the stairs in sock-clad feet.

Pressing our noses against the frost covered window,

Hot breath melts the encrusted pane;

Fingers wipe eagerly to see the wonderland before us.

Others would see fat clumps of snow falling, making a hassle of everyday jobs.

Not us.

What we see is the makings of a incredible day.

We pull on our hats and gloves and tromp outside.

It’s time to grab the sleds,

Winter is waiting for us.

Student book reviews

A review of “After” by Amy Efaw

BY NIKI CLEMEN

The book “After,” written by Amy Efaw, is about a girl who has made an unthinkable choice in her life. The book written from the perspective of the 15-year old main character Devon Davenport. She has spent nine months in denial of her pregnancy. When a baby is discovered in a garbage can, Devon is accused after she is found hemorrhaging in her apartment. She then becomes a prisoner at a detention center, a place she believes she should not be in. When Devon goes to trial, will she plead guilty, or will she choose to stay in denial? What happened to the baby? All these questions are answered when you read this crazy, enticing book.

A review of “This Lullaby” by Sarah Dessen

BY BRITTNI WENDLING

In this novel, the main character, Remy, isn’t a typical teenage girl. Her life has never exactly been considered normal, and she’s had to grow up very quickly. Her father left when she was little, leaving her with nothing more than a song he wrote when she was born.  On top of that, Remy’s mother goes through spouses like paper towels. She has been married four times, and she is taking on the process of preparing for her fifth marriage. However, Remy is the one who is forced to throw everything together for the wedding, just as she has done in the past. Remy has grown up watching her mother’s corrupted relationships, so Remy is used to being in short-term relationships herself. She has a pattern of ending romance when things get too serious. Having recently graduated high school, Remy is focused on just making it through the summer and going to college. Her plans change when she meets Dexter, a dorky boy who is determined to use his charm to win Remy over, no matter what it takes. Unlike the other relationships, Remy just can’t seem to let Dexter go. Is Remy finally opening her eyes to what real love is centered around? Once you start this book, you’ll have a hard time putting it down!

A review of “The Hobbit”

BY BRE HONKOMP

“The Hobbit,” by J.R.R. Tolkien, is a heartfelt adventure novel about Bilbo Baggins. He is a quiet and laidback hobbit whose life changes when the wizard Gandalf brings a group of 13 dwarves into Bilbo’s home. Bilbo agrees to go on a quest with the dwarves to reclaim what the dragon, Smaug, has stolen from them. Bilbo must fight off trolls, giant spiders, Smaug, and Gollum. As they journey to the dwarves’ home, the groups of adventurers face many hardships that they must overcome together. The book keeps you on the edge of your seat, making it hard to put down. It is a great idea to read it before the movie comes out on Dec. 14, staring Martin Freeman and Ian McKellen. Go ahead and pick up this brilliant action-packed novel, and start reading!  

Children’s stories

PHOTOGRAPH BY GRETCHEN KRATOCHWILL

Pictured above are the creative writing students who read at Peosta Elementary, front, left to right:  Jarraka Elsner, Miranda Hogan, Megan Lenane, Cheyenne Puetz, and Brittni Wendling. Back, left to right:  Bre Honkomp, Kaitlyn Sola, Olivia Nauman, Breanna Reisen, Nikki Cupps, and Rachel Jackson.  

BY NIKKI CUPPS

In the Creative Writing and Journalistic Publications class at WDHS, students wrote children’s stories. Eleven of them were chosen to read to Pre-K through fourth grade classes at Peosta Elementary on Monday, Nov. 12, which helped celebrate American Education Week. The stories chosen were: “The Little Squirrel and the Big Kite” by Nikki Cupps (11), “Don’t Be Afraid of Monsters” by Jarraka Elsner (10), “Daddy’s Coming Home Today” by Miranda Hogan (12), “Dragon Tamer” by Bre Honkomp (12), “Timmy’s Great Adventure” by Rachel Jackson (12), “Bernie the Little Explorer” by Megan Lenane (10), “The Twin Hives” by Olivia Nauman (10), “Charlie’s Amazing Adventure” by Cheyenne Puetz (10), “Harvey’s Big Race” by Breanna Reisen (10), “Peaches and Mango” by Kaitlyn Sola (10), and “Doctor Who?” by Brittni Wendling (10).

The time is now

BY ABBEY KOERPERICH

On Nov. 20, 2012, the girls basketball season kicked off with a 58-57 win during their home game against Independence.  “During the first week, the girls’ practices have been all about fundamentals and getting into basketball shape.The second week of practice was working on defensive principals, adding offences and breaking down the opponent’s strengths and weaknesses,” head coach, Amy Ostwinkle, told the Westerner. The girls basketball team has a goal to be the Wamac East champs and to improve statistical areas from last season. “This year’s team consists of six returning seniors. Captains: Madalyn Welty, Paige Koerperich, and Brette Correy, [and] other seniors include: Marissa Kluesner, Mackenzie Hefel, and Adrianna Welter-Mayne, who will, we hope, lead the team to finish top of the conference and go far in district play,” Coach Ostwinkle said. Coach Ostwinkle also added that her favorite part about coaching is the intensity and aggressiveness that everyone brings to the court. Plus, she enjoys seeing players mature and improve fundamentally through their four years of high school. Coach Amy Ostwinkle ended with telling about the night of the Hall of Pride scrimmage (a boys and girls basketball double header), which was on Saturday, Nov. 24 against Cascade High School. Girls first played at 5 p.m., and boys played at 6:30 p.m. All money raised goes to the Coaches vs. Cancer Organization to find a cure for cancer. Cascade defeated the WDHS girls, 32-49, but the Bobcat boys triumphed over the Cougars, 63-47. 

Let’s battle…with books!

BY CHEYENNE PUETZ

Western Dubuque High School Book Club members are suiting up for battle. Do not worry parents; violence is not a part of this particular battle. Only the books matter in this case. The annual Battle of the Books competition is underway at Western Dubuque and throughout several other schools across the state. According to the school librarian, Mrs. Jessica Bogosian, Battle of the Books, starting on Nov. 1, is a reading competition that takes place across the state. Schools can compete by forming teams of four to six students who read a selection of award-winning books that are considered quality literature for young adults. A committee made up of English teachers and librarians decide which books are to be chosen. The teams split the books up amongst themselves and discuss them together in order to better understand what they are about. On March 15, the teams take a reading comprehension test and gain points for answering questions correctly; the second test is taken soon after and is about knowledge of the authors. The top 16 teams who have earned the most points then go on to the State Battle of the Books in Ames, Iowa to compete for the state championship.

Book Club members all over Iowa are ready to battle, and so are the members at Western Dubuque High School. Reading is important at Western Dubuque, and the Battle of the Books competition is a great activity to be involved in if you love to read. Let’s battle!       

Western Dubuque welcomes Chloe Christopherson

BY ANA BARRETT

Western Dubuque Cross Country was graced with a new runner this year—one from Australia!  Chloe Christopherson is a senior foreign-exchange student here at school. Christopherson came into the season later than the rest of the runners, but she worked hard and made friends quickly. She informed us that she had never played sports in Australia, so no one knew what to expect from her. Christopherson came to practices and ran with the team, and once she began to run in meets, she got better every time. Everyone was happy to have her on the team; she always had a positive attitude. Christopherson is also involved in FFA, and she is on the bowling team. The main factor that encouraged Christopherson to become a foreign exchange student was her mom, who thought it would be a great experience for her. A few of her favorite things about being in the United States for this semester include: the extracurricular activities that are offered at school, the friendly people, the cheap clothes, s’mores, and pumpkin bread. One thing Christopherson doesn’t enjoy is all of the greasy foods here in the United States, her least favorite being Mexican cuisine. Christopherson loves all of her classes here at Western Dubuque, but her agriculture class with Mr. Lansing is her favorite. After graduation, Christopherson plans on pursuing a degree in Veterinarian Science at a university in Australia. One difference between our school and her school in Australia is that they go six days a week and periods go for 50 minutes, and in Australia they get a half an hour recess every day in addition to an hour lunch! Christopherson loves country music, and some of her favorite singers are the McClymonts, Troy Casser-Daley, and Lee Kernaghan. When I asked Christopherson how being a foreign-exchange student has affected her, she said, “I’m more mature and step out of my comfort zone way more!” If you see Chloe Christopherson around the halls, give her a hello; she is full of smiles and is always eager to meet someone new. 

What’s cookin’ with Mrs. Walke-Pollitt?

BY MEGAN LENANE

This year, Western Dubuque High School is using more of a hands-on approach in their foods and home economics classes. Mrs. Walke-Pollitt, the teacher of these classes, is working to incorporate as much cooking as possible. Mrs. Walke-Pollitt is trying to start a community-order program. “We’re proposing a take-and-bake class in which students will plan, prep, market, and sell their products to the community,” said Walke-Pollitt.  This class will benefit the students by giving them a hands-on experience in recipe selection, budgeting, cost, marketing, and preparing recipes that would be available for consumption by the public. It will be beneficial for the public by allowing parents the opportunity to come home and just pop a home-cooked dish in the oven for their family without any work. Classes aren’t the only thing new with the Foods Department at Western Dubuque; the classroom has also received a new center island. The new island is equipped with new cabinets and countertops.  The Home Economics/Foods Department is truly deserving of this due to their many contributions. So far this year, they made the Homecoming bars and a soup supper for the teachers during Parent-Teacher Conference week. Later in the year, they will help with Writers’ Night Out, NHS events, and school-to-work events. 

‘Tis the season to be giving!

BY MEGAN KEMP

WDHS National Honor Society had their annual food drive from Nov. 12 to Nov. 16. Students were encouraged to bring in a total of 5,000 pounds of canned goods, toiletries, boxed items, bottled water, and money to donate to the local food pantries. In hopes of attracting more donators, NHS held a contest for the Bobcat Groups. The winning Bobcat Group would be the one who contributed the highest amount of pounds to the food drive. The prize given at the end of the week consisted of free doughnuts and juice for the students of the winning Bobcat Group. Congratulations to Mr. Lansing’s Bobcat Group, the winning class, with a whooping average of 45 pounds per person!  The National Honor Society not only reached their goal, but they surpassed it by 3,650 pounds!  Great job on donating 8,650 pounds, Western Dubuque! 

Bobcat Allies attend bully conference

BY ALLY ZAUCHE

On Nov. 27, the Bobcat Allies will be sending three staff members (Ms. Michele Meade, Ms. Josie Kennicott, and Mr. Jacob Feldmann), along with five high school students (Isaac Ehlers, Sydney Lundgren, Abby Rollins, Nicole Valentine, and Brenna Wolfe) to Des Moines for Governor Terry Branstad’s Bullying Prevention Summit. The bullying summit teaches students how they can help stop bullying and how schools can’t stop bulling alone; they need the community to help as well.

It’s going to be a long day for our students, with a four-hour drive to Des Moines and the summit lasting from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This conference is open to all high school students in Iowa, and the students will meet many new people with different experiences and ideas. This conference has recently become popular because people are realizing how serious bullying has become. Hopefully, the students will come back and share what they have learned with not only the students, but also the community.  This experience will be a step in helping to end bullying in both our own school district and our state.

This year’s Halloween Hoot: a success

PHOTOGRAPH BY GAGE TABAG

 

The 5^th Avenue Show Choir performs “Smooth Criminal” at the annual 2012 Halloween Hoot.  Pictured here, left to right, are:  Conner Mausser (10), Stacey Sigwarth (12), Chance Ingles (12), Isaac Ehlers (11), Brianna Burds (11), Lailani Llave (12), Kody Vorwald (10), Brianna Kennedy (12), Trevor Then (12), and Bailey Benn (12). 

 

PHOTOGRAPH BY ABBY HOFFMANN

 

Forefront, left to right:  Jayde Gartner (10), Julia Wickham (9), Sam Anglin (11), Kasindra Berg (9), and Keri Knipper (11) perform with the Aristocats Show Choir to the song “Bump in the Night”—an annual, and favorite, number performed at the Hoot. 

 

BY SYDNEY LUNDGREN

This year, the Halloween Hoot went off without a hitch. It was full of candy, costumes, and, most importantly, the haunted house!  For those of you who have never attended the event, the Hoot is hosted by the Western Dubuque Vocal Music Department. Every Halloween, they create a haunted house and carnival for the surrounding public. It was estimated that a thousand people went through the haunted house on Saturday, Oct. 29, 2012. There was also a Halloween-themed show put on by the Western Dubuque 5^th Avenue and Aristocats. The 5^th Avenue Show Choir performed with a Michael-Jackson-themed set including “Smooth Criminal” and “Thriller.” They also performed “Time Warp” and “Addams Family.” The Aristocats Show Choir joined in on “Thriller” and “Time Warp.” They also performed two songs separately, “Calling All the Monsters” and “Bump in the Night.” “Thriller” was truly the crowd favorite as the members of both show choirs were sprawled ‘dead’ upon the floor, pretending to be zombies.  5^th Avenue Choir Director Cristine Tipple said, “The Hoot this year was definitely a success. We would like to thank all the parents and students for all of the hard work they put in to make this all possible.”

 

 

Student book reviews

A review of “Fire” by Kristin Cashore

BY MEGAN LENANE

In this book, the main character Fire lives in a world where beautiful, deceitful monsters are everywhere. A monster could be any animal from a miniscule insect to a fierce panther. These monsters have the amazing ability to capture and control anyone’s mind with their extraordinary beauty. Fire is one of the very few people that is not affected by these monsters, but it is not because she knows how to shield her mind from their power; it is merely because she is a monster herself. The book shows how Fire deals with her power to be irresistible when young king Nash asks her to assist him and his younger brother Brigan by reading and controlling captured enemy spies and prisoners’ minds. Fire soon begins to struggle with what she thinks is right and what will be best for her crumbling country. Cancel your plans because once you start this book, you won’t want to put it down. 

A review of “Delirium” by Lauren Oliver

BY MEGAN DEMMER

In future America, the government has found a cure for love. Deeming it a dangerous disease, everyone must have the cure. The main character, Lena, can’t wait for her cure. That is until she meets mysterious Alex. Alex shows Lena how to have fun and how to love, making Lena wonder if society has been lying to them the whole time. When tough decisions make Lena choose between family and love, Lena makes the ultimate decision that will change her life forever. This book is a must-read for anyone who loves a futuristic love story laced with action.

Creative writing corner

The following poems were submitted in Western Dubuque High School’s creative writing and journalism course.  Both Cheyenne Puetz and Brooke Bockenstedt are sophomores at WD. 

No more goodbyes

BY CHEYENNE PUETZ

The crisp, clean pages are fresh and new.
Bold, black ink still wet like dew,
So many words just written down.
If she doesn’t get them out, she just might drown.

No one can help her when she only misses you,

But you can’t come home so her letter will have to do.
All she wants is for you to be okay,
To never leave her life and never fade away.

She knows you are brave, she knows you are strong.
She hopes and prays that nothing will go wrong.
Looking up at the sky, she closes her eyes,
When you come back, there will be no more goodbyes.

Raised by chickens

BY BROOKE BOCKENSTEDT

My name is Chicky Jo.

Normal is not I,

As you probably could tell.
I was raised by chickens,
Then served by KFC.
Mashed potatoes with me,
And gravy on the side.
I tell the injustice I lived,
Being raised by chickens.
Had dreams of a rooster
And little eggs to keep warm.
But KFC crushed my eggs
Along with my fantasies.
Drawn in by enticing seeds,
KFC took me to their factory
Just because I was raised by chickens.
So, now I come in baskets,
Complete with mashed potatoes
And gravy on the side.
My name is Chicky Jo,
And raised by chickens was I.

 

Breast cancer awareness

BY MIRANDA HOGAN

According to breastcancer.org, about one in eight U.S. women, just fewer than 12 percent, will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and Western Dubuque High School helped support this cause in many ways. The student body had a “Pink-Out” for a football game, and the WDHS Marching Band and formed the pink ribbon symbol during the annual light show. Tri-M also sold pink bracelets and ribbons to help out the cause. Lastly, WD’s National Honor Society sold T-shirts that read “Clawing for a Cure” in memory of the lives lost and to raise support for the ones still fighting.

Bobcat pride

BY BROOKE BOCKENSTEDT

The marching band season reaches its climax at the state marching band festival. This year, Western Dubuque hosted a band festival as well as performed for a ranking. With the pressures of moving into the 4A Class, the Bobcat Marching Band members worried about making the festival a great experience for other bands along with showing the judges how well they could perform.

The state marching festival started with a calm and quiet morning, which changed quickly into a loud and chilly fall day. As the first few bands pulled into the parking lot, the masses of workers took their posts and eventually fell into a rhythm. Alumni and future band members also showed up to assist in this memorable event for the band. The end of the day approached, and the attention began to shift toward WD’s performance. As the band members dressed in their uniforms, a hum of anticipating chatter filled the room. The band received its normal preamble and then traipsed into the coldness. The marchers made their way up the hill, many of them expressing signs of weariness from their months of work. However, the fatigue did not stop the Bobcat Band from a grand show. While many of the students left the field with numb fingers and faces, the judges tallied up the scores and decided the final ranking for the Bobcats. The students, however, bolted down to their pictures, disregarding the ranking. The members of the band just wanted to get back to warmth and relaxation. Finally, individuals gathered in the band room, and what a surprise awaited them!

The Bobcat Marching Band pulled off a Division I ranking, despite it being their first year in 4A Class. Many people shouted out surprised remarks, and many hugs went around the room. The season proved rough for the Bobcat Band, but the band stood strong on its own field, showing everyone their pride in being a Bobcat.