The inside scoop on the West-DuBakery

BY TIFFANY LUDWIG

The idea for the new class Take and Bake came to Mrs. Walke-Pollitt by hearing of other schools that have something like the class. “I thought with the love of cooking that both myself and my students have we would give it a try,” said Walke-Pollitt. With one class each semester she can keep West-DuBakery orders. There are a lot of items on the menu. “I love all the items, but my personal favorite would probably be the French toast sticks,” says Walke-Pollitt. This semester Take and Bake will be adding some new food items such as: soups, entrees, cookies and breakfast items. On Fridays besides selling the regular foods they are planning on selling hot cocoa and specialty items. “Once it warms up we will have a different featured drink,” says Walke-Pollitt. The class so far has been a success as they have been really busy filling orders. When asked how she sees the future of Take and Bake Walke-Pollitt answered,” Bigger and better than ever. Students take so much ownership in this class. I am very proud of them.”

Teachers of Yesteryear

Mr. Tom Danner

BY JULIA WICKHAM

Tom Danner has taught passion, commitment and pride every day at Western Dubuque for the 38 the years; he has been a teacher here. What makes Tom Danner an astounding teacher is not how long he has been teaching; it is what he is been teaching. If you have graduated from Western Dubuque High School, chances are you’ve had him as a teacher or as a coach. Over the course of the years, Mr. Danner has taught nine different classes ranging from Health Science class to leadership class to P.E. Tom Danner is one of the most active and dedicated members of the bobcat family. Mr. Danner does not care about just the athletics or just the academics. He cares about the students and the community as a whole. That is what makes him one of the best teachers, and why he has impacted so many students. We asked Mr. Danner, “Why have you stayed here so long?” without missing a beat he responded, “It feels like home.”

A year after teaching in Mason City, Tom Danner moved to Western Dubuque to teach what is now called Human Life Science “I truly enjoyed what I taught and the people here. I just became truly great friends with the staff [and] the community.” Mr. Danner has affected hundreds of kids by making them feel welcome and appreciated.  Tom Danner does not just affect kids teaching but also through coaching. He assisted Tom Kilberg in wrestling, and a year later he began coaching the freshman football team, a position he still loves to do today. Later he became head coach of wrestling for six years, retiring in 2011. “Then I picked up student council somewhere in there about 10 years ago because they couldn’t find anyone, so I said, ‘sure I’ll help,’ then it just became a great passion.”

Mr. Danner has seen a lot of changes in the past 38 years. For example a restaurant where students would eat lunch across the street called the Bobcat is gone.  The ninth grade annex in Farley is now Seaton. Other changes include the additions and the construction; “We used to have wrestling practice in the Spanish room. For class, students would have to walk to one of the 14 portable classrooms outside.” Our school is growing and Mr. Danner’s goal: “to get better and better every day.”

Mr. Danner loves West Dubuque, but when asked what he loves the most, he replied, “Just ask anybody…it’s the people.” What sets West Dubuque apart is its staff, students, and community members.  “It’s not this sport or that activity it’s West Dubuque; we are all on the same page.” That is why Tom Danner has stayed here for so long.  “If you ask anybody outside of our district, they say it’s different; it’s a very special place.”

The Main Event

BY CATHERINE MCCOY

On March 1, 2014 the Fifth Avenue and Aristocats show choirs will put on the annual  Main Event. This event is a fundraiser and competition featuring many show choirs around the area. These competitors include 18 teams from schools like Wahlert, West Delaware, Bettendorf, and many more. The Main Event also holds a competition for middle school show choirs, drawing in a very large crowd. Dance captain, Anna Kluesner says, “Our choir is known for their hospitality. A lot of show choirs want to come because they know we plan with the guests in mind.” Setting up and hosting the Main Event is a total team effort. Planning begins practically right after the previous year’s event is finished. Right off the bat the show choir begins to improve their event and make it as comfortable for their guests as possible. Many parents help out, as well as all members of the two show choirs. Director, Mrs. Tipple says, “Our event is different from other invitationals in the sense that we are much more thoughtful. Everyone puts in their best effort to make it the best event for everyone.”

Both the Aristocats and Fifth Avenue will be performing their competition shows in the evening at the Main Event as well. Aristocats will be performing their set list including the songs: Wings, Girl on Fire, Crazy in Love, and A Little Party Never Killed Nobody. Fifth Avenue will be performing their show including the songs: St. Elmo’s Fire/ Kyrie Eleison, Keep the Car Running, Home/ Come Home, Jet Set, King of the Road, and Texas/ Georgia Medley. It costs just $10 for a wristband and the performances will begin around 8:30 a.m. and will conclude around 10:30 p.m. Come support our show choir and enjoy a day filled with great food, fun, and incredible performances

Senior Spotlight

Tony Domeyer  
BY NIKKI NEMMERS

What do you plan on doing after high school?  Going to UNI for computer science.

Why do you want to do that? Always found it interesting after my first programming class.

What made you choose this college? It’s close to home and has a good computer science program.

What is your favorite class? Foods, because I get to eat.

What do you do in your free time? Play video games and hang out with friends.

What is your favorite memory that you’ve had with your friends? “The Lord of the Rings” marathon with Nikki and Jack.

If you could eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be? Cheesecake!

What is your ideal first date? With Emma Stone. The rest doesn’t matter.

Who is your favorite teacher and why?  Mr. Kuhle, because he has funny stories and he is an amusing guy.

Uncommon talents

BY NIKKI CUPPS

While there are many obviously talented students at Western Dubuque High Schol, there are a few whose talents are quite different than singing, acting or sports. Some students have abilities that are not what you’d expect, as they may be hidden, uncommon or even slightly unusual at times. Mady Knipper, currently a freshman, has the ability to stack multiple golf balls atop one another. After seeing this be done on the show “Minute to Win It,” she had attempted to complete this task. Although it did take a few tries to be successful, Mady is now able to stack at least three golf balls. This may seem easy, although it is more difficult than it seems, and many fail while making an attempt. Another freshman, Drew DeSollar, has the ability to beat-box, which astounds many other students. Drew was included in a special feature on “WDTV,” Western Dubuque’s video announcement show, during the first semester for his talent. Both of these skills had required practice, and yet they are not something every person is able to do. The students’ talents at this school range from common to astounding, to so strange no one wants to admit they can do it. Yet no matter if they want to admit it or not, everyone has their own talent.