Congratulations to the EIRC Creative Writing Contest winners

Pictured left to right: Emily Vaughan, Cheyenne Puetz, Brad Prier

BY GRETCHEN E. KRATOCHWILL, ENGLISH INSTRUCTOR

On Tuesday, March 12, Western Dubuque High School had three first-place students present their winning creative writing and poetry pieces in front of their families and fellow winners and teachers from the area.  This event was held in Independence and showcased the work of one overall winner, grades K-12, in two separate categories: creative writing and poetry.  Cheyenne Puetz (10) swept both categories, presenting her original descriptive narrative “Library Love” in the creative writing category and her original poem “No More Goodbyes” in the poetry portion of the contest.  Brad Prier (11) also presented in the creative writing category, reading his touching descriptive piece “Smoky Memory.”  Lastly, Emily Vaughan (11) presented her original poetic work “Self Taught,” a piece that was also featured in our Oct.10, 2012 issue of the Westerner.  All of the first-place winners’ pieces will move on to a contest at the state level.  

Although this event was held to honor the first-place winners of the contest, Western Dubuque also received several second- and third-place winners as well.  In the creative writing category at the sophomore level, Megan Kemp and Brooke Bockenstedt tied for second with their pieces “One Autumn Day” and “Tipple Smiles.”  Also in the creative writing category, Larissa Wilming (12) placed second with her piece “Melodic Death.”  Megan Kemp (10) also placed third at her level in the poetry contest with her poem “I Am Strong.”  Congratulations to all the winners!

 

Art corner with Stephanie Knipper

PHOTOGRAPH BY HAILEY KETTERING Pictured above: Stephanie Knipper (11) poses with her original artwork “Water Fountain.”

BY HAILEY KETTERING

Stephanie Knipper is a student here at Western Dubuque High School who has a phenomenal talent that she developed at just three years old. She is an artist. Right now, Stephanie is in an advanced painting class and has completed a piece of  what originally looked like a regular water fountain, but she turned it into something beautiful. When asked what inspired her to paint the fountain, Stephanie replied, “I was walking around school taking pictures for an assignment, and I saw the water fountain and thought the picture would look cool with the water running.” The piece, without a doubt, turned out just the way she expected it to.

Stephanie plans on pursuing art in the future, but she is not quite sure of what kind. Being a cartoonist is something she wants to try.  However, for the time being, she will continue taking art classes and will keep at her successful work.

WDHS state bowling champion

INTERVIEW CONDUCTED BY DEMAURI NEEALY

Congratulations to our very own Lisa Schroeder—the first freshman in Western Dubuque history to win state bowling. I interviewed Lisa to find out more about her experiences in making it to state. My first question was: “What made you want to start bowling?”

Lisa Schroeder has been bowling for eleven years. Lisa became interested in bowling from watching her older brothers bowl. She started off with league bowling; she tried it for the first time and has been bowling ever since. League bowling is different from bowling at school because it isn’t as loud; everyone works more as a team, whereas, in bowling at school, it’s more competitive and takes more practice.  It had to feel great becoming a champion in only her first year in high school, and I’m sure everyone wants to know whether Lisa will continue bowling next year. Well, yes, she will, and she’s excited about meeting new people.  She said, “We’ll lose a lot of good bowlers, but we’ll also gain a lot of good bowlers, so it’ll be a pretty good year!” It was my pleasure to interview the first freshman champion of Western Dubuque, and I wish her the best of luck for next year. Keep up the good work, Lisa!

Student film reviews

 

Film review of “Argo”

 

 

BY NICOLE VALENTINE

 

“Argo,” based on a true story, is set in the time of the Iran Hostage Crisis. The American Embassy in Tehran was seized by Islamist students and militants. Fifty-two Americans were held hostage for 444 days. The film tells the story of the six embassy workers that evaded capture.  Tony Mendez, portrayed by Ben Affleck, is a CIA Agent who discovers these six people are safe at the Canadian Embassy, but he knows that they need to return to America as soon as possible. Mendez begins to formulate a plan to get them out of the country in secret. The movie shows the development and the execution of the plan. Ben Affleck, the director and the main character, captures this time and this crisis in such a way that leaves you in awe.

“Oz the Great and Powerful” film review

 

BY ROBYN DAUSENER

 

As soon as the commercials for “Oz the Great and Powerful,” began running, I knew that I had to go see this retelling and twist of one of the most iconic and memorable movies ever made. With the wonderful cast of James Franco, Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz and Michelle Williams, the acting abilities in this film are brilliantly brought out by the director of the movie, Sam Raimi. The cast and director are able to bring L. Frank Baum’s wonderful character, Oz, to life and tell his adventurous story.

 

The story is set in the early 1900s where circus magician Oscar Diggs (James Franco) is swept up into a tornado while in a hot air balloon. He is thrown from the gray and dusty Kansas into the vibrant and colorful Land of Oz. As soon as he arrives, he is caught in the lie that he is the Wizard that the people of Oz have been waiting for. This is how he meets the three witches: Theodora (Milla Kunis), Evanora (Rachelle Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams),  who each have their own ideas and plans for Oscar. Forced to choose between them, he must figure out who is good or evil, who is really the Wicked Witch, and most importantly; how to save the people of Oz from her. In this adventurous tale, the attitude of Oscar changes and with these changes, he becomes the man he always wanted to be. He becomes the Great and Powerful Wizard of Oz.

 

“Oz the Great and Powerful” is not the movie for everyone, but it is going to be one of my favorites from now on. It is a mystifying pretelling of an already beautiful movie.  With its wonderfully done special effects, this movie definitely deserves eight out of ten stars, and a place in the hearts of lovers of “The Wizard of Oz.”

 

A review of “Thirteen Reasons Why” by Jay Asher 

 

BY CHEYENNE PUETZ

 

In this fantastic novel by Jay Asher, high school student Clay Jensen is given the shock of his life: seven audio tapes from Hannah Baker, a girl who recently committed suicide. On those seven tapes are the 13 reasons why she committed suicide, leaving Clay with the agony of wondering why he is on one of the tapes. Throughout the novel, Clay listens to Hannah’s haunting voice and follows the map that came with the tapes, just waiting for his name to come up. Written from Clay’s point of view, as well as Hannah’s, this novel explores the devastating consequences of degrading rumors, misunderstandings and how one thing you say or do can bring someone’s world crashing down. With the combination of Clay and Hannah’s voices, Jay Asher has written a beautiful novel that will stick with you forever and force you to think about your own life. Rumored to be an upcoming movie starring Selena Gomez, this is a novel that every teenager and adult should to read.

 

 

The Ruess review

BY JAYDE GARTNER

On Sunday, March 17, 2013, I had the great pleasure of meeting with Mr. Bill Ruess, and his wife, Mrs. Vonda Ruess. We talked over an assortment of tea and coffee in a small café in Coralville, Iowa. As the parents of five beautiful children, Bill and Vonda have also been blessed with multiple grandchildren to add to their growing family. Living a small town life with a typical eastern Iowa family, the Ruess family seems like your ordinary musically-talented assortment of aunts, uncles, cousins and parents. If you dig a little deeper, though, you will find one nephew whose fame has skyrocketed within the last year and a half. Being the aunt and uncle of the lead singer, Nate Ruess, from the band FUN., they were more than happy to oblige in giving me sneak peak inside their family. From what I had gathered, musical talent has always run in the Ruess family. Take Grandma Ruess, for example, a lovely 87-year-old woman, who still plays piano and sings at her church. “She taught us all how to play the piano when we were kids,” said Bill. The ability to sing was also passed down to her children, and her grandchildren were blessed as well! This is where Nate must have gotten his amazing talent. To the Ruess family, Nate is still just Nate. When asked if it was a weird feeling to hear “just Nate” on the radio, Vonda stated, “It’s still strange. They play him pretty much back to back now!” The Ruess’ life hasn’t changed too much since the fame began, but they have been associated with their nephew numerous times. The Ruess family is a great example of the bond an eastern Iowa family can share. No matter what happens, no matter where you go, family is forever.

Senior Survey

Senior Survey What are your plans after high school?  What will you miss most about your senior year? “Being in student sections for games.” – Lizzy Goedken “Eventually, all the friends we have will slowly drift away. It’s inevitable.” – Anonymous “Everyone knowing each other and being the oldest.” – Sam Nieman If you could change one thing about your senior year, what would it be? “Get more involved and do everything!” – Brette Correy “I would have started scholarships earlier.” – Ana Barrett “I wish it would have gone slower.” – Trevor Then

A Main Event summary

BY JACOB BARNWELL

PHOTOGRAPHS BY JACOB BARNWELL

Top photo, L to R:  Dylan McClain (10), Isaac Ehlers (11), Megan Koehn (12), Conner Mausser (10), Mary McAllister (12), Devin Watters (11), Dakota Tell (12), Bailey Benn (12), and Trevor Then (12) perform at the Main Event. 

Middle photo:  Kirsten Anderson (12) strikes a pose on stage.

Bottom photo:  Lilly Waterman, daughter of Judy Waterman, and Vincent Recker, son of Vicki Recker,  add to the performance. 

The Main Event is the premiere event for the WDHS Show Choirs and took place on Feb. 23. Western Dubuque becomes a hub of amazing singing, intricate dances and astonishing effects, including everything from props to a whole second stage. The talent that was brought in this year was one of the best in the six years that we have hosted. The event included groups from Cedar Rapids, West Delaware, Dubuque, Janesville and more. The music brought us from current hits to a coffee shop to music about war presented to us by Cedar Rapids Jefferson, who was the Grand Champion of the event. Kirsten Anderson has hosted Davenport West’s “West Connection” for three years, and the group made it to finals. She had this to say, “It is exciting to feel their excitement and standing on stage when their name was announced was a great feeling. Our event is always so much fun. When else can I decorate a room to a “Cat in the Hat” theme and have fish in the school and not get a weird look. I will miss this event next year!” When 5^th Avenue took the stage, Chance Ingles realized he had a tattoo he never knew about. When the Aristocats took the stage they had special guests with them, our very own “Ken and Barbie” with their pink Corvette. The day was filled with excitement like no other. It was amazing to hear so many positive comments, from the crews of others schools saying our behind-the-scenes students and staff were the best they have ever worked with at an event to another gentleman from Janesville saying it was the best food they have eaten at an event. Bravo Aristocats! Bravo 5^th Ave! Good luck to the rest of your season and continue to give Mrs. Tipple and Mrs. Waterman a reason to stand a little taller.

Prom: the biggest senior event besides graduation

BY GABI SCHANER

Since our last update, nothing has changed, but we do have a bit more information. This formal dance will be held on April 27, so dress to impress and dance the night away with your friends!

A special thanks is in order for some of the prom committee that helped make this all happen: Rachel M. Demmer, Rachel Hoeger and Regan Hoefler.

Thank you for putting things together to make this a special night. Tickets go on sale April 15.  The prices are as follows:   

$22—combo (prom & after prom)

In advance = $16—prom, $9—after prom

At the door = $20—prom, $10—after prom

After prom will include the hypnotist Bryan Imbus, and ice cream will be provided. Note: you do not have to attend prom to go to after prom! Want to know about the after prom prizes? They will be drawing winners for: Senior Banner, a 3’ x 2’ class picture, tickets to a concert at the fair this summer, cameras, kindles, a 32’’ Emerson television, printer, a DVD player and prizes from local businesses. “Everyone should go home with a generous gift,” said Mr. Danner, Student Council Advisor and Prom Committee Director.

Play the game!

BY BROOKE BOCKENSTEDT

This year, Western Dubuque High School will be presenting the musical “Clue.” Performances are Friday and Saturday, April 19 and 20 at 7 p.m. There is also a Sunday matinee at 4 p.m. “Clue” is being directed by Ms. Jennifer Maki, a Lawther Academy teacher. When asked why she chose “Clue,” Maki said, “It’s not done a lot around this area, and I thought it would attract an audience. There’s a cramped timeline, and I really want to make strong characters; we don’t really have time for a large chorus, so I want to focus on the main eight.” The eight characters are Mr. Boddy (Devin Watters, 11), Professor Plum (Trevor Then, 12), Mr. Green (Marcus Ingles, 11), Colonel Mustard (Chance Ingles, 12), Mrs. White (Ali Brown, 11), Miss Scarlet (Brooke Bockenstedt, 10), Detective (Kirsten Anderson, 12) and Mrs. Peacock (Brianna Kennedy, 12). The musical follows the board game; the audience and Detective must find out which of the six players killed Mr. Boddy. With its multiple endings, “Clue” is sure to keep the audience on their toes. For a night of passion as well as mystery, come play the game, and see if you have what it takes to find a murderer in Western Dubuque’s showing of “Clue.”

Boys and girls track hurdling their goals for 2013

BY MADELINE CLARK

After the start of track practices, Western Dubuque’s teams begin to fall back into the groove of running and field events. From sprinting the 100-meter dash and running the 4 X 800 meter run to leaping over the high jump bar, athletes are getting in shape and readying for this year’s round of meets. All of these events add training for the ultimate goals: the Drake Relays and State 2013. 

“These first weeks of practice the athletes have worked hard,” says boys track coach Ben Ressler, “We’re excited to put this hard work in the upcoming meets.” Ressler states that the outlook for the boys this year looks good, considering the numbers compared to other years. “Some talented seniors did leave us last year,” admits Ressler, “but the seniors, juniors, and sophomores, as of now, represented well at Drake and state last year, giving them the experience they will need.” Their goals this year are to win 5 meets, qualify two events for Drake and 12-15 events for state, place in the top three at the district meet and medal in three of those events.

“Just like anything, you want to put your athletes in the best spot for their success,” says girls track coach Mark Digmann. “This year we’re looking better all around, but there will be tougher competitors in the 4A division,” states Digman. “We won’t be as dominant as last year, especially in the field events, where we lost our top placers.” The girls’ goal this year is to improve their speed.  They would also like to win a conference title and qualify for state and Drake.

For the list of all the track meets or more information, please visit http://wdhs.wdbqschools.org/?PageName='Sports'&SportID=12751 

Bobcat tennis update

BY MARIAH BALMER

The 2013 Bobcat tennis season has started off a little chilly with both the girls and boys teams being forced to practice inside, but Coach Kurt, the girls tennis coach, and Coach Stubben, the boys tennis coach, are hopeful that the snowy weather will not interfere with the season.

Both coaches have high expectations for the season. Stubben is hoping to win the WaMaC title for the first time in school history. Both teams have many returning letter winners, including Stacy Kass, Nicki White, Nikki Neal, Sam Niemen, Chris Dempsey, Lucas Lenz and Jordan Thompson. The girls’ first meet is scheduled for April 4 at Maquoketa, and the boys’ first meet is scheduled for March 30 at Prairie. Both coaches are looking forward to the season, although they get smacked by flying tennis balls everyday. Coach Stubben is specifically looking forward to convincing opposing teams that Eagle Point Park, where the home tennis meets are held, is also a bear preserve. All in all, the 2013 tennis season should be a good show of fun!

Creative writing corner

 

Graduation Poem

BY TRISHA BLOCK

Your time has finally come.

We are ready to see what you become.

You’re standing high above the ground.

Don’t look back; don’t turn around.

Talking with your friends about the “remember when...”

You have grown; you’re not who you were then.

They call your name, and the nerves set in.

You realize this is it; you win.

This is what you have worked hard for.

It’s time to open that new door.

You stand in front of a crowd.

Parents, classmates, cameras are all around.

They give you the paper they call a diploma.

You shake teachers’ hands and hug your ma.

Your high school years are done.

You tackled this mountain and won.      

Good luck to you

in the things you will do!

 

Don’t Cry

 

BY GABI SCHANER

 

Please,

Don’t cry.

Because I’ll cry,

If you cry.

Your sorrow is mine,

So please don’t cry.

I’m here to listen.

I’m here to hear your every word.

Don’t let those tears fall

Because, then, so will mine.

If you really,

Honestly,

Need to,

Tell me,

Because I’ll cry with you

Until your tears subside.

So, please don’t cry

Unless you have to

Because you’ll have me here,

And you’re always safe with me.

 

Saving the Girl Scouts

BY NELLIE WELSH

The Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois are in an uproar. The four beloved camps: Camp Little Cloud, Camp Conestoga, Camp L-Kee-Ta and Camp Tahigwa, of this council are in danger of being sold. The camps are losing money, but that is not all that would be lost if they close the camps. At camp, girls learn independence and self-confidence that they can use in the real world. The council has been told that the camps do not fit the needs of the girls, but this is far from the truth. The camps exceed what the girls should need for a week at summer camp. They do not need air conditioning or flushable toilets, and not all the camps have that. Girls do not need these things; they are a want.

Girl Scouts learn a range of things. By the time girls are 10, they know how to start a fire and cook on that fire. Girls learn how to send letters and keep in touch with nature. The Camp Little Cloud in Dubuque County is used year round by troops, boy and girl, and by the Drexler Intermediate Middle School in Farley. Camp helps girls become family oriented because everything at camp is done in groups. By the end of the week, everyone is a family. Not to mention, Girl Scouts looks great on a college resume. The problem is, if the Girl Scout camps close, the closest Girl Scout camp in Iowa is at least three hours away.

On March 7, there was a Dubuque County meeting for girls and parents to plea their case to the council. Mariah Balmer was one of the girls in attendance.  Mariah, a camper of 11 years, was one of the girls who spoke at the meeting on her views of the sale. “[At the meeting,] we all sat around and answered four questions and then discussed the questions. One of the questions was ‘does the camp meet the needs of the girls?’” Mariah then went on to tell how it does meet the needs and more. “Girl Scouts helped me prepare for the real world,” Mariah said.

There are multiple petitions going on to save the camps. “There is a petition to change the bylaws to give the girls a vote on the council,” Mariah said. “The only requirements are to be a registered Girl Scout (cost is $12) and must be over 14.” There are many other petitions and ways to help the cause. Anyone can help by sending letters to the council, sending articles to the paper or just following the Facebook page. There is no limit to the things Girl Scouts can do because they are considerate, caring, courageous and strong.

WDHS blood drive: a success

BY REBECCA WEBER

 

The WDHS blood drive, organized by the FBLA, was held on March 13, 2013. This event was the event the club chose to sponsor as their community service project; it will also assist them in raising money for their state competition.  During the WDHS blood drive, there were 120 people signed up. The goal for the blood drive was to get about 100 units of blood, but WDHS was able to get 106 units. This year, the FBLA has a state leadership conference; 24 members of the group will be able to attend.  There is also another fundraiser in the works—similar to last year’s hypnotist event—but no dates have been set yet.  Contact your student FBLA members for more information in the near future.  

Academic and Artistic Excellence Award Night scheduled

BY MORGAN TOMAS

Epworth, Iowa—Home of the Western Dubuque Bobcats—will be hosting an evening celebration of students’ creative and academic achievements on May 8, 2013 at 6:00 p.m. at the high school. The night will begin with an art show and performance of the jazz band in the commons area; the awards program will start at 7:00 p.m. in the old gymnasium. A snack bar with refreshments will be available at the opening of the exhibit. Presentations of awards in all academic aspects will be featured. The evening’s agenda also includes a performance by the WDHS speech team and a vocal and instrumental piece by the music department of Western Dubuque. Awards will be given to students excelling in the following categories: special honors, departmental and activities. Keepsake programs will be offered at the conclusion of the evening for recipients of the awards and their families. Teachers and staff will make up the committee planning the program. Invitations will be mailed to students receiving awards and to their families. Extended family, other relatives and WDHS alumnus are encouraged to attend the assembly, which includes members of the current Western Dubuque student body.  RSVP is required with the number attending to the WDHS guidance office. We at Western Dubuque look forward to your attendance of this exhilarating night of academics and the arts.

All-State speech

BY JARRAKA ELSNER

Laila Sahir is the speech team’s All-State qualifier for this season. She performed a prose piece, “The Children’s Story.”  She had to stand still and perform with voices, gestures and facial expressions of her choosing while doing her piece. When asked how it felt to be qualified for All-State in her first year out, she said, “Pretty awesome feeling, totally unexpected. Shocking!” The All-State competition was held on Monday, March 25 at UNI. The best of luck to our only All-State speech qualifier!