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.