Page 3 Page 6 Page 8 Page 12. November 2012 Issue II Appleton East High School

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1 Page 3 Page 6 Page 8 Page 12 November 2012 Issue II Appleton East High School

2 Turning the Page on Giving Jaffna Mathiaparanam Once upon a time, a younger you was enraptured by the story of a group of girls that formed a babysitters club. Or perhaps it was the tale of a trio of siblings as they endured a series of unfortunate events. Maybe it was a collection of chilling stories that left you with goosebumps. This November, Key Club and the Literary Club will organize a book drive for Appleton s local Harbor House. Young adult and children s books are especially sought after. The clubs might also partner with Lawrence University for Ghana Reads- a program which sends books to children in that country. The East Library is also puting books in the hands of students. This year, Mrs. Bend describes, an explosion of kids checking out fiction in the library. Through a website called TitleWish students can find East High School and choose to donate money that goes directly towards stocking library and classroom shelves with a greater variety of books. Students can also donate cash directly to Mrs. Bend. Lately there s been a shift in how much reading students should be doing, she explains. It needs to increase. Having a variety of popular books is one way to help students find something they like. She hopes to raise $3,000 by the end of the month. As the calendar pages of November turn, think about improving East s library or giving a child an opportunity to read a happy ending. The Music and Lights of the Christmas Parade Elizabeth Pempek On Nov. 20, the Appleton Downtown Christmas Parade will begin at 6:20 p.m. There are numerous organizations participating in this grand event, including Appleton East s marching band. Our band will perform a combination of Joy to the World Jingle Bells and We Wish You a Merry Christmas. Come support our band as they march down College Avenue! Another other organization involved is the Salvation Army of the Fox Cities. When asked what they were hoping to achieve by participating, Pastor Randy replied, We want to help people recognize that there is no season for needs, there is always a need and we re here to help. The Salvation Army offers many different services to families and individuals in need, such as the local food pantry, daily free lunches, Coats for Kids, and Adopt-A- Family. Pastor Randy also stated, Even though Salvation Army is international, any money we raise here in the Fox Cities stays here. Salvation Army is one of many organizations that help our community and by participating in the Christmas parade they re helping to spread the word that they are there to help. Appleton East s Key Club and St. Joe s food pantry are partnering together to donate food. There will be a table set out during the Santa Scamper and throughout the parade where people can donate canned goods. Key Club members will box the donated food and cans. Page 2 Come support our community and band while watching some pretty amazing routines and floats. Hope to see you on College Avenue at 6:20 p.m. Pisces: (February 19 March 20) Steal a Capricorn s humpback whale.

3 Superstorm Sandy s Widespread Impact Cherie Liu New Jersey Monday, Oct. 29, 11:00 pm. The bitter breath of the chilled wind rustles the leaves of the barren willow tree in front of the house, a shell devoid of warmth and light save the single glowing candle, its shadow dancing on the weakly-illuminated walls. Nancy slaps her Royal flush down on the table in triumph. Everyone groans. Her parents retire for the night as she starts a new game with her sister, Zoe. They don t have to go to school the next day anyway. --- I was concerned for my cousins last week. The media was rampant with disheartening updates on Sandy and my aunt hadn t called us since the Sunday before, asking if they should flee the country. Images of their collapsed mansion, submerged cars, and lost kittens twirled around my mind like a carousel and inspired me to spam their Facebook walls with passionate odes about my love for them. A myriad of charitable organizations welcome many types of generosity, so you can make an individual effort to help too: 1. Apple has a link for donations on itunes homepage. You can donate from $5 -$200 straight from your account; all donations go directly to the American Red Cross. 2. Text SANDY to to donate $10 to the Salvation Army. 3. The Federal Emergency Management Agency s (FEMA) website links to organizations seeking cash and product donations. 4. Visit uwsandyrecovery.org or text RECOVERY to to donate $10 to the United Way Hurricane Sandy Recovery Fund. 5. The Hurricane Sandy Recovery Fund, set up by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and wife, Mary Pat Christie, allows you to donate online at SandyNJReliefFund.org. Turns out they were just out of power. Much more fortunate compared to others in the area, the family escaped unscathed from the wrath of the hurricane and carried on with their daily lives. But what about the people who are still suffering from the effects of the hurricane? In an effort to help them out, Key Club raised $330 on the night of the parent-teacher conference, thanks to the numerous volunteers and donators generous with their time and money. All donations provide emergency shelter, food, water, and emotional support for victims affected a very worthy utilization of your money, indeed. Aquarius: (January 20 February 18) Give the world something to be in awe over: a nice hand-drawn Turkey. Page 3

4 Giving Music is Receiving and Reliving Memories Mia Sato The gift of music transcends the tones and notes into relationships, values, and memories. The rhythm of a good song is like a heartbeat. Someday by The Strokes I received this as a Christmas gift last year from my friend Collin. Knowing it was my favorite track by the band, he tracked down this rare 7 single and had it imported from Europe! I can effortlessly recall holding the cardboard package in my hands and knowing exactly what was in it, yet anticipation swept over me Icky Thump by The White Stripes This was the very first vinyl record I was given, so that only constitutes a strong sense of nostalgia. Ironically, I got this before I even had my turntable, so I couldn t listen to it until I got my record player a month or so later. Up All Night by One Direction Originally a gift for my younger sister, this album eventually ruined my life. Even though their second album Take Me Home was recently released, the first one will always remind me of my vicious descent The Perks of Giving Good Books Kaylee Isom Everyone has been talking about The Perks of Being a Wallflower, but many don t know the story was a book long before it was ever a movie. The book was published back in The story is about a 15-yearold boy named Charlie, just starting out in high school in the 80s. Charlie doesn t have many friends and he has a hard time making friends; he is kind of socially awkward. Soon he befriends two seniors: Sam and her step-brother Patrick. Throughout the story, Charlie goes on a roller coaster of emotions and heartache in his freshman year. The book is set up in a series of letters that Charlie is writing to an anonymous friend and it deals with so many relatable high school issues. The author Stephan Chbosky will make you laugh and cry with Charlie as he grows and finds himself where many are lost, high school. If you are interested in seeing the movie I highly suggest you read the book first. Page 4 into a One Direction fan and the bonding my sister and I had over the band and the album. Let Go (Japanese edition) by Avril Lavigne Most passionate music fans may be aware of the hoards of bonus tracks artists include exclusively in their Japanese edition releases. This album was one of the first CDs I bought and I was ecstatic when I found out my friend also grew up with it. For her birthday, I made a quick call to my father and asked him to send a Japanese edition my way for a gift. I was so pleased that it meant a great deal to my friend, and by extension, it meant a lot to me as well. Music & Memories Continued on Page 9 The Giving Tree is a book everyone needs to read at least once. It is a children s book written by Shel Silverstein. The book is about a relationship between a boy and a tree, and I know what you all are thinking, but hang in there with me. The tree has always provided the boy with what he needed as he grew up, but as the boy grows older, he just wants more and more. But the tree loves the boy so much that she will always provide for him until finally the boy chops off the trunk of the tree leaving only a stump. Many years later the boys comes back as an old man and the tree offers him her stump to sit and rest on because he has lived a long life and is tired. The tree is so happy that after everything she can still help the boy. The tree reminds me of a mother, always providing for her son. This holiday season, The Giving Tree gives us all something to be thankful for. Capricorn: (December 22 January 19) You re feeling like Oprah this month. SO GIVE EVERYBODY A HUMPBACK WHALE!!

5 The Best (and the Worst) Holiday Movies Megan Kimball At Best The Polar Express (2004) Can you still hear that silver bell ringing? Do you have your golden ticket? No matter how old or young you are, this movie always gets you in the spirit of Christmas and gives you the desire to take a crazy train ride to the North Pole. Elf (2003) This movie is an absolute comedy classic. Will Ferrell is one of the funniest men alive and makes a great Buddy the Elf. Just remember to stick to your four main food groups over break: candy, candy canes, candy corn and syrup! Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) Love Halloween and Christmas? There s never been a movie more perfect for you then. It s one of Tim Burton s best movies and if it s Tim Burton, it has to be wicked good. A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) Does this movie even need a critique? Who doesn t love some Charlie Brown. It s a Wonderful Life (1946) This movie is considered one of the greatest Christmas movies of all time. Don t wrinkle your nose at the movie s old age(56 years); it still instills a powerful message what would your life, your family s life, and the world around you be like if you never existed? At Worst The Santa Clause 3 The Escape Clause (2006) The first movie was somewhat bearable. The second one, probably shouldn t have been made, but the third, the prequel, is absolutely awful. First, Jack Frost isn t human he s a snowman. And second, who or why would anyone try to overthrow Santa? Christmas with the Kranks (2004) Maybe Tim Allen just isn t fit for Christmas movies. The Kranks are trying to avoid having to celebrate Christmas by going on a cruise. This movie would ve been better if they would ve just gotten on the cruise and it hit an iceberg, anything to make this movie end. Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (1964) The title speaks for itself. Santa With Muscles (1996) No Hulk Hogan, you are not an actor outside the ring. Stop. Stop. Stop. Jack Frost (1997) Not the touching one with the dad and the car accident, but the one with the psycho, killer snowman. The only thing this movie taught me how to do was to stab people with icicles. Sagittarius: (November 22 December 21) Sit back, relax, and enjoy the view of all the busy bodies fretting over Thanksgiving dinner. Page 5

6 Freshman Spotlight: Alexis Shannon Michaela Lemons & Jordan Schmitting From basketball, to Yearbook and Courier to Appleton East Tennis, the fashion-and-debate-loving Alexis Shannon has already made her mark on East High School. However, her biggest contribution to the East community is her work she has done with Appleton East s Key Club. Considering that Alexis is only in her third month of high school, her volunteering record is phenomenal. She decided to join Key Club early on in this school year, and the community has already benefited from her efforts. Since September, she has not only volunteered at many Key Club events, but she has recently headed her own event at Freedom Center Food Pantry, the second biggest food pantry in Appleton. When Alexis found out that the food pantry could use some help, she didn t hesitate to get Key Club involved as soon as possible. One Saturday, she and about ten other volunteers helped the food pantry organize canned goods. Due to their efforts, Freedom Center Food Pantry was able to serve more people in need in our community. Mrs. Loritz, the Key Club leader at East, didn t hesitate to praise Alexis: Alexis is amazing! She is a very active Key Club member. Alexis has already done a fantastic job of accomplishing that and plans to continue to give back to the Appleton East community. With her determination to give back to others, the things she could potentially accomplish with nearly four more years left at East are endless. East can certainly look forward to many more great things from Alexis Shannon. Alexis was asked, What do you like best about Key Club? her response was, Making a difference in the community. Sophomore Spotlight: John Povolny Mei Lin McKinney & Olivia Mathiaparanam You may have seen John Povolny strolling through the Appleton East hallways with his themed tuxedo-themed shirts, but how well do you actually know him? John is a very kind and mischievous fellow. He has a special talent and interest in music. John can play both the violin and the piano, and he participates in a Youth Orchestra outside of school. In the spring, John plays for the Appleton East s boys tennis team. Apart from these activities, John also actively volunteers in his community. This past year, John joined the Miracle League, which is an organization that allows disabled kids to play baseball. Also, for the past two years, John has volunteered at Camp Hope. Camp Hope is a fun three to four-week experience where teenage volunteers come together and create a happy and joyful environment for disabled children who come there. The volunteers get sing songs, make crafts, play and go swimming with the kids and become close companions with them. They ultimately become role models for the children to look up to and create unforgettable memories with. Page 6 Scorpio: (October 23 November 21) To show your appreciation for your parents, give them a box of stray kittens.

7 Junior Spotlight: Bailey Immel Emily Sheptoski Bailey is a bright, driven junior who is involved in many school activities along with activities outside of school. Bailey participates in Bridging the Gap, a school organization that helps close the gap between generations. Students are paired up with senior citizen buddies at The Heritage to help them with newer technology, such as TV and . Bridging the Gap is planning a Christmas party and a field trip to the East choir concert. Over the summer Bailey went on a mission trip to Arkansas with her church. She spent time with many kids who do not have a place to go during the day. She also painted houses and brought energy and enthusiasm to the people who live there. She is planning another trip to South Dakota next summer. Bailey has also helped with other service projects at the emergency shelter. Bailey has many other plans to continue to help the community. If you want to ask Bailey about Senior Spotlight: Rachel Pagel Shelby Jansen About twenty-five years ago, Rachel Pagel s missionary work seeds were planted. As soon as her parents met, they began strengthening their relationship by making new ones with people in need. Rachel has participated in too many mission trips to count through her church, Saint Thomas Church in Menasha. Since sixth grade, Rachel has participated in one or two mission trips a year. Though traveling out of state often makes the mission trip more memorable, Rachel explains, Help is needed everywhere. Mission trips do not require a plane ride. In fact, there is a missionary link here in Appleton that focuses on helping people in our community and ones surrounding us. Rachel finds it more difficult to stay close to home because she relates to the people more and would hate to offend them because they are seeking help. However, she enjoys creating relationships that may not have been possible without the help of her church members. One of Rachel s favorite mission trips began in the small country of Honduras; which is south of participating in Bridging the Gap or any other service project, stop her in the hall and say hi. Mexico but just north of Costa Rica. She and members of her church spent and week with orphans and less fortunate families in the community. They spoke little English, if any at all, but Rachel built strong relationships with hardly any verbal communication. To this day, she uses her past experiences to her benefit. Whether it is for writing college essays or to gaining the respect of others, mission trips have truly molded Rachel into the intelligent and caring person she is today. Libra: (September 23 October 22) Throw your best friend a raving party at LUNA! Page 7

8 Staff Spotlight: Officer Wassink Bella Fisher & Anna Sieracki Favorite Book: Undaunted Courage, a non-fiction tale about Lewis and Clark s expedition Favorite meal: Breakfast, counting down the minutes to eat in the morning Favorite food: Anything with the word buffet in it Favorite cereal: Cinnamon Life but tied with Coca Pebbles (the tough decisions one has to make in the morning) Officer Wassink s days at East are numbered. Soon he will be on patrol and East will welcome a new police liaison officer. But before his departure, it s only fair to remind all of East just how lucky we were to have him here for three-and-a-half years and let Wassink know how much he will be missed. Officer Wassink enjoys the student interaction portion of his job and can relate very well to teenagers. His joking and easy-going attitude makes for a very lively and affable conversation, bringing to light some very interesting tid-bits of information: Wasssink has Bieber fever, earned a speeding ticket when he was sixteen, and worked in a sausage factory for two years before deciding to become a cop. Although he is reluctant to leave, he feels very blessed to be here. The students and staff are what he will miss the most, and many special memories stand out to him. He refused to reveal his favorite teacher, even when given the option to list his top five, ten and eventually twenty. As for favorite student, his reply was immediate: the two Courier reporters were his favorite. However, considering that one of us influenced his answer, there is the slightest possibility this answer is inaccurate and maybe he doesn t have a favorite student. During his free time, Officer Wassink enjoys fishing, hunting, using his metal detector, watching NFL football (rooting for the Packers, of course) and digging through old log camp outhouse pits. Imagining life as an East student, he would have immersed himself in football, basketball and chorus. Basketball would have been short-lived, however, because Mr. Mielke would have cut him, and considering Officer Wassink has dubbed himself Old Man Bieber it is safe to say ear plugs would have been a necessity. Along with being a Bieber lover he also has a love of Adele and the oldies. Wassink is a strong believer that in order to get respect you need to give it. We truly are lucky to have such a great guy as our police liaison officer and he will be missed greatly. Good luck on patrol, Officer Wassink! Page 8 Virgo: (August 23 September 22) Avoid coffee, loud noises, cold rooms, and pet roosters at all costs. Essentially, just avoid school.

9 Happy Apples! Amy Weider & Kenzie Knox Around fall, there is always that one special treat that you always want to eat: a caramel apple! Follow these simple steps to make your own. Ingredients 6-8 apples 40 individually wrapped caramels ¼ cup orange juice Various crushed toppings (we used butterfingers, snickers, and peanuts) but be creative and use whatever you want! 6-8 lollipop sticks Music & Memories Continued from Page 4 Various Mix CDs for friends and family A superb way to share and give music is to make playlists and burn them onto blank CDs. Not only do I do this for myself, but I have also given these to friends as gifts. Aside from being extremely distinctive and personal, making them is also a pleasant experience, with freedom to customize the sleeve, CD, track listing, etc. It s hard to forget the person who introduced you to your favorite song; music is just another way to form and cement bonds, shared experiences, and your heart with others. Directions Melt the caramels together with the orange juice in a medium saucepan over low heat. Stir until completely melted. Let the caramel cool for a couple of minutes. Stick the lollipop sticks in the top of the apples. Chop the toppings up in small bit-size pieces. Place your toppings in a bowl, set aside. Dip the apples in the caramel and let the extra caramel drip off of apple. Dip the caramel apple in the toppings. Set on parchment paper let cool for 10 minutes and enjoy! Leo: (July 23 August 22) Thanksgiving dinner. Free rein carb-loaded, fat-ridden goodness. Indulge and unwind! Page 9

10 Patriot Comeback: The Return of Coach Shaw! Alexis Shannon Returning to East as your varsity boys basketball assistant coach is Mr. Aaron Shaw. You may remember Coach Shaw coached at Neenah High School least year. Now he s back, but how long? Coach Shaw, assured that he is here for the long run. Although Shaw hails from Neenah, he says that East is the only place he wants to be. It s a change going from a head coaching position to an assistant position, but Shaw doesn t have any problem with it. He likes the idea of being able to learn from Coach Mielke: one of the state s top coaches. Being an assistant coach, in Shaw s opinion, is a nice change because he s working at a different level. He sees the players differently. Coach Shaw says it doesn t really matter whether he s coaching boys or girls; it really only matters what the group of kids were like. Shaw is overwhelmingly happy to be back. He says it feels great to be back to such a special school; the students and teachers of Appleton East influenced his choice to come back. Although physical education teachers were needed at other schools, Shaw chose East. Reversal of Fortune: Wrestling Returns! Jessie & Shanti Varma Hey East Students! If you like competition and fast paced action, you should show your Patriot pride and attend an Appleton East wrestling meet. With all of Appleton East s many teams, this sport tends to fly under the radar. But with all of the amazing school spirit at East, some of it should be directed toward this exciting sport that starts Nov. 29. Senior Kody Kellner says, My favorite part of wrestling is seeing the hard work and dedication pay off in the meets. Kellner especially enjoys the meets against Appleton North and West, because they are East s biggest rivals. The meets against North and West should prove to be heated, exciting matchups. If you decide to experience one of these intense meets, here are the basic rules you need to know: Shaw s philosophy that he likes to pass onto his players is Put yourself in a good situation and good things will happen. Shaw is in a good situation at East; let s hope good things happen. A takedown is when a wrestler takes his opponent down to the mat. This earns two points. An escape is when a wrestler gets away or gets to a neutral position when their opponent has them down on the mat. This earns one point. A reversal is when an opponent has a wrestler down on the mat and the wrestler regains control. This earns them two points. A wrestling match is won when one wrestler pins the other by holding his shoulders to the mat for more than two seconds. If there is no pin in the time period, then the match is won by the wrestler with the most points. Page 10 Cancer: (June 21 July 22) Give your math teacher a hug once a week from now until the New Year. Don t question it.

11 Wisconsin Players and Coaches Who Care Jackson Traas Across Wisconsin, most of us celebrate our mediocre Milwaukee Bucks, our Rose Bowl-contending Badgers, occasionally good Brewers, and, of course, our Super Bowl-winning Packers. While we celebrate these teams and their players for the sports they play and the accomplishments they achieve, looking past the field of play reveals people who are not only competitors, but also givers: Brandon Jennings, Ryan Braun, Aaron Rodgers, Charles Woodson, A.J. Hawk, Coach Mike McCarthy, and Donald Driver. Here s what they do: Brandon Jennings (Milwaukee Bucks) volunteers at the United Way Holiday Giving Network. He is also a monthly volunteer food distributor. Ryan Braun (Milwaukee Brewers) donated his Rookie of the Year bonus of $10,000 to Habitat for Humanity in Along with Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay Packers), Ryan Braun held a fundraiser at a restaurant in Brookfield for victims of the salon shooting in Brookfield. Charles Woodson (Packers) formed his own foundation at the C.S. Mott Children s Hospital in Michigan. Woodson often makes visits to bed-ridden children. A.J. Hawk (Packers) runs Hawk s Locks for kids. He practices what he preaches by growing out and then cutting his own hair every 15 months. Mike McCarthy and the Packers organization donate $100,000 to Greenfield as well as surrounding areas to improve recreational facilities. Donald Driver (Packers), probably the largest donor and contributor of all Wisconsin athletes, not only runs the Donald Driver Foundation that supports homeless families, but he also holds the Packers annual offense vs. defense charity softball game. Also, Donald Driver accepts donation requests. Ask him to send money to your favorite organization today! Taurus: (April 20 May 20) Give your time to something more meaningful. Perhaps you could get around to cultivating a wild rice plantation. Gemini: (May 21 June 20) Build a large tree house in the middle of the street and watch for mischief. Your neighbors will thank you. Page 11

12 How to Survive Black Friday Maddie Eckle While some will choose to stay in the comfort and warmth of their own homes, many will adventure out into the great unknown and scrounge for fabulous deals. Wondering how you can get around the long lines and stubborn shoppers? Follow these few simple rules and you re guaranteed a successful shopping day. Ten Things You Should Never Give Away Jason Shebilske & Trevor Suess Giving is great, but there are some things that you just shouldn t give away. This Thanksgiving, remember these tips and don t make a mistake about what you donate. 1. A Giant Wooden Horse- Remember to check the inside first. 2. A Victory to the Seattle Seahawks after an Interception- People around the country will get very mad and you will probably lose your job. 3. Rotten Milk- Nuff said. 4. A Dead Phone with No Charger- With no battery, the phone is about as good as a highly technological rock. 1. Look online for coupons instead of just in the newspaper. While there are many great deals in your local newspaper, often the best can be found online at websites like Groupon. In fact, more than 74% of frequent online shoppers choose to find majority of their coupons online in the last year as told in an article from Offers.com. 2. Think thoroughly before beginning your shopping adventure before the sun is even up. The majority of deals can be found during lunchtime, the peak of the day. Also, most stores offer up some of their best deals as early as two weeks before the actual Black Friday! 3. Nearly half of the American population owns smartphones. Use your mobile device to check for the latest deals, which will be updated throughout the day. 4. Make sure to stay updated with Facebook and Twitter during Black Friday. Many deals will be posted on social media pages just waiting for shoppers to snatch them up! 5. Don t forget about Cyber Monday following the long weekend! Last year, Cyber Monday had even more shoppers than Black Friday, up by 33% from 2011 (pfsweb.com). 5. A Phone Charger with No Phone- Even though it is the converse of the previous statement, it s still just as useless. 6. Classified Information about the Navy SEALs- There s a reason why it s called classified. Let s keep it that way. 7. Socks- Needed, but not wanted. 8. Stinky Shoes- Clean them before you give them away. 9. Banana Peels- You don t want to be responsible for an accidental slip, do you? 10. Your Life Savings- You worked hard for that. Don t give it all away to a stranger. Page 12 Aries: (March 21 April 19) You will give great back massages to anyone who asks, but it s just weird.