From Rain To Snow

Madison Albert-Nelson

     In the past couple weeks, it seems to be as if we’ve gotten nothing other than rain; hardly any sunshine has been seen. I wake up and look out the window; it’s raining. I’m released from school; looky here, it’s raining. I’m heading to bed, oh, but guess what! It’s raining. Rain, rain, go away. Come again another day. A thought to keep in mind for when the rain doesn’t comes back: it’ll very soon be snow. Are you ready for this? It’s a head spinner knowing that the upcoming days bring us the beloved, take it as you will, snow. Ah, snow. I can’t even begin to express how much I’m going to miss being able to walk outside without the wet, cold feet from accidentally stepping in the whiteness that will then cover the ground beneath completely. One of the good things that come with snow is the Snow Days! What better way to celebrate the cold by staying inside, snuggled up in our warmest blankets while avoiding school.
     Snow may mean many different things to people, the good and the bad that come with it. Snow means it’s almost holiday break, two-hour delays, and maybe even no school at all. Snow also means that the end of first semester may be creeping up on us sooner than we thought or that it’s sick season and we need to be extra careful who were giving hugs to during the upcoming Holiday Season. Whatever snow means to you, it’s coming up in a hurry and it’s edging upon us sooner than some of us would like.

Have You Heard?

Victory Obielodan

Make sure watch for Teal Pumpkins!

     Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) started the Teal Pumpkin Project. The Teal Pumpkin Project was inspired by a local activity run by the Food Allergy Community in East Tennessee. It is for trick-or-treaters who have food allergies, homes put a teal pumpkin in front of their house to indicate that they are distributing non-food items. When you put out a teal pumpkin, you can add your house to the Teal Pumpkin Project map. It is a great way to include all trick-or-treaters, especially
those who could not participate because of allergies and other conditions.

PSA:  If you see any younger trick-or-treaters on their own, make sure to walk them across the street.  A reminder to keep the porch light on if you are handing treats out!  Keep in mind to always test the candy, for the kid's safety. ;)

All information has been collected from FARE’s website: www.foodallergy.org 


Photo credits to https://pacresmortgage.com/what-is-a-teal-pumpkin/ 

First and Last Year: Assistant Principal Resigns

by Beth Gardiner

     Platteville High School students have been pushed to “Strive for Excellence” and to build on the excellent traditions our school offers. This way of life would not be possible without outstanding administration and staff encouraging, leading, and guiding the student body each step of the way. This year has brought many changes to PHS due to changes in administration, and the community recently found out more changes are on the way. Mr. Eric Newton, PHS assistant principal and athletic director, has turned in his resignation and will be leaving after this school year.

    Mr. Newton has made such a positive impact on PHS during his short time here. Losing one of the best will be hard, but the school is very excited for all that Mr. Newton’s future has in store for him.

    The student body got to know Mr. Newton a bit this school year. Not everyone may know that Mr. Newton played football in Germany for four years where he met his wife. Mr. Newton will be returning to Germany after this year to be with his wife and already has plans to work in an international school as the athletic director.

    The fabulous office ladies have four words to say about Mr. Newton’s resignation, “Resignation is not accepted.” The administration staff has loved working with Mr. Newton this year and is sad to see him go. Mrs. Helbing shares, “Mr. Newton is very organized and pays close attention to detail. He is great with the kids, very personable, and just very well all around.”

     Mr. Newton says of his time at PHS, “I’ve loved working with the staff and student body. It has been a great experience, and I wish it was longer. I have enjoyed my time here and wish you all the best.”

    PHS has been incredibly fortunate to get to work with Mr. Newton and is thankful for one more semester under his leadership. The staff and student body wishes him and his family all the best, too, as he heads back to Germany.

 

Speed Dating School Board Candidates: Primary Election Results Are In

by Anna Greenhalgh

     Speed dating-- yes, that’s right. You’re reading it correctly.
     The “School Board Candidate Meet & Greet” took place on February 11th as an opportunity for the community to put names with faces before the primary on February 17th where Steve Obershaw, Colleen McCabe, Eric Fatzinger, Matt Zielinski, Curt Timlin, and Jamie Brogley prevailed.
     Walking into the room, there were no rows of chairs facing a panel of candidates, but rather seven separate tables with the candidates’ names on them. There was one chair placed behind and two in front for interviewers  and **SURPRISE** snacks and refreshments. If people had come prepared for a very formal meeting, they would likely be surprised by  the relaxed environment.
     The “hostess,” if you will, explained to the group  everyone had eight minutes to talk to a candidate and ask them a few questions off the candidate’s  prepared list or some of the interviewer’s  own if he or she had any. Promptly at six o’clock, the quizzing began.
     There was quite a turnout, close to thirty people throughout the evening, but the eight candidates had important messages to deliver to the public about their concerns for the district.  Mr. Matt Zielinski, for example, shares that he is for the renovation referendum and his main concern for the district is the safety and security of our schools.
     Incumbent Mr. Steve Obershaw mentioned in his eight minute interview with The Voice that he was most concerned about, “the budget,” with no further elaboration.
     Also in attendance was Mr. Brian Brown. He, too, is for the referendum. He even asked a question of his own, saying “I’ve answered your questions; would you mind if I asked you a question?” And he asked for thoughts  on the referendum.
     The next and last person this reporter got to that night was Mr. Curt Timlin. His answer to what his main concern was, could be considered outside the field of common responses from the candidates.  “Teacher morale,” says Mr. Timlin. “Teachers have been beat down, just in general, and their moral needs to be boosted.”
     Colleen McCabe, Jaimie Brogley, Eric Fatzinger (I), and Jeremy Johnson were also a part of the hotly contested race with their own individual goals, issues of concern, and reasons for running, though Jaimie Brogley was not present at the meet and greet.

This Is How We Referendum

by Melanie Schaefer

     Many questions have come up concerning the proposals for the school district's referendum. The biggest one is, “What is $17.2 million going toward?”

     The key projects of this referendum include renovations to the science, technology, engineering, and math departments. The science classrooms will be favored for $2.5 million. For example, Mr. Heer’s room will gain windows, a lab section, and double doors, just to name a few renovations.  All of which are not currently part of his classroom. Storage space would also be increased for all of the science classrooms. Mr. Heer, Mr. Molle, and Ms. Kroncke recently went to Sun Prairie High School to see what has been done in science classrooms there.

     All four schools will have $4.6 million dollars distributed between them for projects concern safety, maintenance, and code compliance. Safer, more secure entrances will also be installed.     Chris Schaefer, a support staff substitute in the Platteville School District, occasionally works in the offices. She says, “These security modifications are a necessity to guarantee the safety of the students and teachers.”

     Due to first and fourth grade moving to Westview, the gymnasium will be expanded and a two-story addition will be added for $9.7 million. Meanwhile, the size of the kindergarten rooms will be expanded at Neal Wilkins for $300,000.

     The vote for this referendum will be approved or denied on April 7th. This is the same date that the school board election will be held.

ACT Mania: Juniors Take State-Mandated Tests

By Anna Greenhalgh

    This year, for the first time in Wisconsin, all high school juniors were required to take the ACT and the ACT WorkKeys tests. This is new to the Wisconsin SAS, which stands for the Wisconsin Student Assessment System. The Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Examination (WKCE test), for example, is from the Wisconsin SAS. Wisconsin finally jumped on the wagon with other states that have been requiring their students to take these tests for years already.

    Presently in Wisconsin, students in high school take tests to prepare for the ACT before being in junior year such as the Explore, Plan, and Aspire tests.

    All Wisconsin’s juniors took the two tests on March 3rd and 4th, respectively, with the exception of those who made up the tests on March 17th and 18th. Some of the preparations for the PHS juniors leading up to the testing days  took place in class. With English, Reading, and an essay to write on the ACT, Mrs. Kies stepped up to the plate and did daily preparation with her English classes well before the tests. Math classes also had specific preparation with Mr. Sponsler in Algebra II. Mrs. Finnigan even made an appearance in the classrooms as she taught juniors how to prepare academically and mentally to “attack” the tests. The ACT College and Careers Standards, which double as the standards for Wisconsin education, are what guide teachers’ curriculum up to the test. You are tested on everything you have learned from kindergarten to junior year. Unlike most tests, you are penalized for missing questions, so it’s to your advantage to get an answer down - and yes, you may guess - for all the questions.

    “The ACT,” explains Mrs. Finnigan, “is more of an academic assessment, whereas the ACT WorkKeys is for career and workplace.” You can obtain a National Career Certification with WorkKeys; students going to college, whether it be a four-year or two-year, can use their ACT score in their portfolio now because of another new aspect: all Wisconsin technical schools accept the ACT.

    While the juniors slaved over papers to study and prepare, the PHS staff made  sure everyone was in the system so they could be tested, guaranteed that all students were registered, filled out paperwork, and more! They also reserved Ullsvik Hall for juniors to test in. Testing for the ACT is taken extremely seriously; Cuba City had a delay on the statewide testing day, and weren’t able to complete any testing at all due to the setback.

    “The students were phenomenal; I was so proud to look out into the sea of students and notice that every person in the room was taking the test intensely seriously,” Mrs. Finnigan expresses. “This is a high stress, high stakes test and the environment was perfect. It allowed people to have room, while the acoustics are perfect for absorbing sound. I could see a student tapping his foot, but you couldn’t hear it. The students could focus on testing rather than distracting noises.”

    “My brain wasn’t just fried after testing, it was deep fried.” Student Ivan Acierno (‘16) joked about the ACT. Of all the juniors who took the test, only seven were required to come in over spring break to make up the test. Mrs. Finnigan commented on how none of the students batted an eye at sacrificing their break to take the tests. A plus is that spectacular turnout on test day will get PHS  a good grade on our district report card.

    Results should be in towards the end of April, five to eight weeks after the make-ups are taken. The results will be mailed to each students’ respective homes to see even before the district sees them.

It's A Prime Time for A School Board Election

by Saafia Masoom

Along with the Super Bowl, Valentine’s Day, and the usual February events, Platteville School District will have another date to add to the calendar that nobody saw coming: a school board election primary.

Even though Monie Konecny has decided not to run for re-election, veteran board members Steve Obershaw and Eric Fatzinger will try to hang on to their seats as they face six other candidates hoping to be elected for a three year term. That means eight candidates will be vying for the three available board seats. The primary held February 17th will allow the top six to continue to the elections on April 7th.

Community members Jaimie Brogley, Brian Brown, Jeremy Johnson, Colleen McCabe, Curt Timlin, and Matt Zielinski are up for the challenge of pursuing the spots. While many among the group are spouses of teachers, parents of students, or both, they want a say in the school board’s decisions, which is “the voice of the Platteville Community in shaping the quality of education offered to our students,” according to superintendent Connie Valenza.

So what’s the big deal?

There haven’t been this many candidates in a while. In fact, there were just enough candidates to fill the seats in the last board election. And the district can only speculate the reasons behind the six challengers decisions to run. Dr. Valenza does not speak for anyone regarding their motives for candidacy, but she personally believes a few key decisions the board has made and will have to make in the coming months may have piqued interest around the community.

Dr. Valenza says, “Board members play an important role in decision-making around budgets, staffing, and policy making. This is a time of huge changes in the educational system with new state testing, common core, and increased accountability measures.”

There’s also been a lot of talk about the upcoming referendum on updating facilities. The $17 million project going to vote on April 7th, as well, proposes to reconfigure which grades are in which schools and to renovate the schools. “I believe that many of the candidates recognize the importance of the decision and the process,” says Dr. Valenza in relation to board elections.   

The candidates may have been inspired by these decisions or maybe they simply disagree with the way Dr. Valenza and the board have been making them and want “to offer a different perspective in future decisions that are made,” as Dr. Valenza puts it. The superintendent realizes that the community values the board’s work and encourages its members to let their voices be heard.

In any case, all eyes will be turned to the board candidates in coming months. Currently, the body has nine members and usually meets on the second and fourth Monday of each month. As the superintendent herself says of the school board, “If we believe that our students are the future of Platteville, then the education they receive is of utmost importance. It is the board that plays the most important role in determining what that education looks like.”

Domino's Pizza Scare

by Pauline Justal

Before winter break Platteville was the scene of a crime that some can only imagine happening on TV. Ryan J. Barthel, Madison resident, was arrested early on December 19th on suspicion of armed robbery at a local business. Where at? Domino’s Pizza. 
The 39-year-old reportedly entered Domino’s around 2:15 in the morning with black boot polish on his face and a knife in hand. He proceeded to rob the store and leave in a dark-colored vehicle. That same morning Barthel was seen washing his face at a Mineral Point business where an employee alerted police. Eventually the suspect’s vehicle was stopped and he was arrested.  
Barthel now awaits a chance to enter his plea at the Grant County Circuit Court on January 22nd.
The real question comes down to safety: is Platteville as safe as everyone thought it was? Statistics show that living in a small city or town does not guarantee freedom from worry about these types of crimes. Barthel’s stunt is just further evidence. 
Some PHS students did not even hear about the event and when told the story confessed to not feeling as safe as they used to in Platteville. On the contrary, others, such as Dillon Shinee (‘17) and Claire McMannes (‘15) admitted they weren’t affected much. Shinee added, “I used to work at Pizza Hut, so it didn’t bother me.”

The Interview Screens At Millennium Cinema

by Eramis Momchilovich

Despite the attacks on Sony by North Korea in late 2014 and all the controversy surrounding the movie, Millennium Cinema began showing the film The Interview on Christmas Day. 

The Interview was due to be released to theaters October 10, 2014, but was pushed back to December 25, 2014 and then completely canceled due to unprecedented cyber attacks on Sony Pictures that resulted in the leaks of intellectual property, private emails, and sensitive and proprietary material. Despite threats on the places where The Interview would be shown, Sony made it slightly less offensive and released the film online as well as in a select few smaller theaters across the nation.

In the movie the main characters of the film, Dave Skylark and Aaron Rapoport, manage a celebrity tabloid show called Skylark Tonight. The two are recruited by the CIA to assassinate their latest interviewee and avid fan, Kim Jong-un, on their trip to Pyongyang. Seth Rogen and James Franco star in the comedy, which has brought in more profit than Sony might have hoped for after the threats, leaks, and cancelations. Whether it’s considered a success might just be up to those who see it, something people in the Platteville-area can boast with their local display.  

Millennium Cinema was one of these courageous theaters to show The Interview. “The Millennium Cinema was due to show this movie before the release was cancelled,” says general manager Jeremy Patnaude. “We were just following through on what was planned.” Showing a film that already had such a reputation would be a leg up for a small town theater like Millennium Cinema. Patnaude also stresses that Millennium's priority was to get the customers what they wanted by showing the anticipated film. 

On the opening night there was “a wide audience with people ranging from seniors all the way down to college and high school students,” remarked Patnaude. The hype from the controversy surrounding the film peaked many people’s interests and they were not disappointed. “People seemed to like it; it was funny,” added Patnaude. As to the possible danger, Patnaude isn’t worried. “Platteville is in the middle of nowhere, how could a terrorist even find us?” he says. So head over to Millennium Cinema for some stress free laughs.

PHS Scholarship Fundraiser

by Anna Greenhalgh

The PHS Scholarship Fund is hosting an Auction Bash! There will be auctions, both silent and aloud, on the 28th of February after the New Year. This fundraiser is being held for future scholarships and all parents, not just high-school parents, are invited. The theme this year is Hillmen, so grab the gear and let’s get moving!

“Parents can contact me with any questions, and if anyone would like to reserve a table in advance for themselves and their guests, I can help with that too,” says director Sheila Kelly. “The more the merrier!”

Contact Ms. Kelly at (608) 348-2615 for more information.

Four Guys and A Rumor

by Saafia Masoom

No, PHS, Cole Haas (‘16) is not moving to Delaware. His father isn’t having spine problems. And, nobody in the Haas family is dying.

Four boys among our student body recently learned a lot about the power of social media and rumors in very little time. It all started out as good fun, and to be honest, it ended in good fun when everyone realized what had happened.

The idea to start a rumor about Haas came to his buddies Cody Schambow (‘16), Josh Reuter (‘16), and Mitch Knockel (‘16) one day during their Algebra II class. “We were just going to start a rumor about Cole because we were mad about something,” says Schambow. That night each of them posted a picture of Haas on Instagram with a caption saying that they would miss their friend dearly when he moved to Delaware. While it was completely false and meant to last for only one night, none of them could have predicted the madness that followed.

The snapchats, tweets, and posts on social media started flooding in just minutes. “It was crazy,” says Reuter of the way everyone seemed to hear about the rumor almost instantaneously. The Haas family began receiving calls from other parents in the community, some of whom had heard that Haas’s dad was going to Delaware for medical reasons. Others thought Haas was on his deathbed. Amidst all the commotion, the boys received a call from Haas’s mother within half an hour of the original post.

Meanwhile, Haas himself was completely unaware. Says Knockel, “Cole was out hunting, and he didn’t know any of it was happening.” When he did find out, Haas took it in stride and went a step further: he decided to go along with it. “I pretty much thought it was funny. I wanted to see how it would turn out,”  he shares.

And, that’s when things began to get out of hand. With the help of a heartfelt post by a friend of theirs and Haas’s compliance, the charade went on for a solid week. By about Day 4 or 5, the school called the Haas family, having gotten the word. At that point, the boys decided it was probably best to kill the story. They spent the next days dispelling the rumor while Haas posted a disclaimer on Instagram about it. 

“I didn’t think it would escalate that quickly,” mentions Reuter. But, even with a harmless intent, the story got around to a large population of the school. 

All four boys are equipped with their social media outlets like Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, and Twitter, and they can attest to the fact that PHS’s rumor mill is in business. “People do talk trash on Twitter all the time,” states Schambow. 

It’s a lesson well-learned that surprisingly did not end in serious consequences unlike so many other instances of social media and rumors-gone-wrong. “If it’s in good humor like ours, it’s not bad,” points out Knockel. “It was meant in good humor, and Cole thought it was funny.” 

In any case, the student body might just be thinking twice before hitting that all-powerful “post” button.

The Curse is Broken

by Eramis Momchilovich

Cold Fusion seems to have broken the curse! Every previous establishment that has tried to succeed on the corner of 2nd St. and Main St. has failed to make it past the one year mark. Cold Fusion has spent far over a year in that jinxed location and is still going strong thanks to the “fun, hardworking staff” and the “great customers and the community’s support,” according to district manager Cassandra Blatz.

Cold Fusion opened in August of 2013 and has since been eager to serve and become involved in the community. Blatz accounts some of the restaurants success to having “established a business that caters to the city’s diverse demographics of both family and residential customer and the college students.” Cold Fusion also offers a unique and diverse menu with weekly specials that have become a community favorite. 

Their success has been so great that Cold Fusion has opened a new restaurant in Middleton this December. This new restaurant holds the same hours as the Platteville location (Monday-Sunday 11 a.m.- 2 a.m.) and offers the same menu, as well. . Here are some of their Weekly Specials:

Monday (4pm-10pm) 75 cent Jumbo Wings

Tuesday (4pm-9pm) Sushi

Wednesday (4pm-10pm) Burger Night

Thursday (All Day) Kids Eat Free

Friday (4pm-10pm) Fish Fry

Saturday (4pm-9pm) Prime Rib Dinner

Sunday (All Day) Prime Rib Sandwiches

Being a “fusion restaurant,” Cold Fusion has become popular through the many styles of cooking it uses and its many ethnic influences. Blatz says that some of the house specialties “are items from our award winning BBQ pit menu, fresh salmon dishes, and our chicken alfredo nachos.” And, vegetarians and vegans, never fear; Cold Fusion also offers meal options that will work with your diet specifications. Whatever your food preference, Cold Fusion is sure to satisfy!

Driftless Market Expands

by Adam Roberts

Over the summer, a second floor with overflow seating, bathrooms and additional space that allows for more retail opportunities was  added to Platteville’s Driftless Market.

The expansion was mostly due to timing. “When we opened the store, we bought the whole building,” says owner Heidi Dyas-McBeth. “We had always rented the second story as a four bedroom apartment.” However, when the tenants did not renew their lease this summer, it seemed the best time to expand the store. “We were at a place where we could really use the additional space,” says Dyas-McBeth, and the expired leases gave them the opportunity to expand.  “Had that apartment not become available, I don’t know that we would have expanded."  

The change took some work. Renovations were needed, including painting and removing drywall for a door to the staircase. The opening of the new floor was also slowed by the tornado that hit Platteville in June. “We were going to open in July, but then the tornado hit,” says staff member Cena Sharp, a key employee to the renovation. “That set us back like crazy.”  The new floor was finally ready for a soft opening in September, and the grand opening was just last month.

Platteville's Driftless Market added a new floor. 

The extra seating was overdue, according to the staff.  “We’re getting busier now,” says Sharp. “We needed more space to grow as the store has become more successful.” The extra space can be reserved for meetings, as well as just for eating lunch.  

The extra space also allows for community events. “In the past we’ve offered cooking classes and other kinds of workshops, but we were very limited with the space we had,” says Dyas-McBeth. “[The new space] gives us room to do more educational things related to the products we have at the store.” Plans for more events are still in the air. “I want to get an open mic night up there,” says Sharp.  

The space is also available to rent for other causes. “Gifts That Give,” a gift shop full of items obtained through the Fair Trade movement, will be renting some of the space upstairs for the holiday season.  The gifts come directly from workers in Laos and Guatamala--not through any large distributors-- in order to ensure workers are given fair wages for their work. It will be open every Saturday from Thanksgiving to Christmas.

So, what is to be gained from all the hard work put into the expansion of the store? “We hope people will see the Driftless Market as a place to come and have lunch.” The extra seating is a nice place to enjoy food in an intimate setting. Their menu includes wraps, salads, sandwiches and more, with numerous vegan and vegetarian options. “We have meat, too,” Sharp assures, “but we are very conscious of the people that don’t eat meat or people that have allergies.” The store also has wi-fi, which makes it a great spot to do homework.  

So, don’t hesitate to stop in at the Driftless Market for a healthy, inexpensive meal or for anything else in the store’s wide variety of products. Says PHS student Emma Bryla (‘16), “It is very important to buy local, and the Driftless Market is definitely the number one place to do that.”

New Administration at Platteville Public Library

by Matt Schaefer

The clichéd vision of the humble librarian is one that actually suits the Platteville Public Library’s new administrator. She is kind with a warm smile, speaks meekly (it is a library after all), and is in fact bespectacled. Her name is Jessie Lee-Jones, and she is very proud of her head librarian position.

Lee-Jones, who is in fact the wife of  PHS social studies teacher Mr. Garrett Jones, began her job as library director at the Platteville Public Library on October 15th and is already quite enveloped in her work. In fact, I caught her for an interview shortly before she had another meeting to go to. 

When asked what plans are in store for the library under her administration, she was excited. “Hopefully, we’ll be rebuilding the library,” she says, as she recounts the city’s plans to redesign the entire block and potentially create new facilities for the library, along with other businesses.

She is very happy with the position she is in, having already been a part of the Southwest Wisconsin Library System for four years through working at the Lancaster Public Library for two years prior to her job in Platteville. “I’ve always strived to be further ahead,” she beams, as she tells of how she was a director of the Cobb Library, a smaller library, for some time. She enjoys the directorial position, which allows her to “make important decisions and meet interesting people.”

On a more personal level, she is happy to be working in the town in which her husband is a member of the school system and where her daughter will be attending. “It’s a good opportunity to grow roots,” she says, stating that it was a job opportunity she could not pass up and that it will be “nice for the family.”

So, if you run into Jessie Lee-Jones at the public library, say “Hello” to her and maybe mention you’re a student of her husband. She is very excited about her work and eager to get to know the community.