Activity Profile: Robotics

by Kyle McWilliams

Do you think about science, technology, engineering, or mathematics for more than three hours a day? Students involved in FIRST Robotics eat, live, and breathe these subjects--collectively known as “STEM”--for even more than that. 

FIRST, (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) was founded in 1989 by Dean Kamen. This program is in effect to inspire and motivate high school and middle school students in STEM. In 1992, FIRST held its first competition in Manchester, New Hampshire with only 28 teams competing. Since that time, the program has grown exponentially; this year, there were over 5,000 teams competing at over 100 regionals all over the world.

The main goal of the FIRST Robotics competition each year is to construct a 120 lb robot in six weeks from a universal "Kit of Parts" and other materials with the help of some mentors. Teams involved in the competition design and build this unique robot to perform the tasks given by the FIRST Game Design Committee. There are no instructions on how to complete the given tasks, but there are defined rules to keep the environment and robots safe. Building the robot is not a team’s only job, however; members of the team choose to also work on 3-D animations of their robot. 

While most students in FIRST would attest to the fact that it’s a fun activity, entertainment value is not the only incentive: there are 28 awards given out at regional competitions and the championship event. These awards include the Woodie Flowers Award for effective communication in the art and science of engineering and technology by a mentor, the Industrial Safety Award that recognizes a team that shows excellent safety from the shop to competition; and the Gracious Professionalism Award for outstanding sportsmanship.

Platteville’s team, FRC Team 171--also known as the Cheese Curd Herd--is the oldest team in Wisconsin, having competed for 20 years. Each year the team has 20-30 high school students. During the 20 years, they have won more than three regionals and have been named regional finalists three times as well. Team 171 has also won many awards,  including the Chairman’s Award (1997), the Gracious Professionalism Award (2012), and the General Motors Industrial Design Award (2006).

This year, Team 171 competed at two regionals, the Central Illinois Regional and the Wisconsin Regional. The Cheese Curd Herd was seeded 7th out of 40 teams, with a record of 13-7-0 at the Central Illinois Regional held at Pekin, Illinois. As finalists, they lost to the first seed alliance. At the Wisconsin Regional in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, they were ranked 42nd out of 60 teams, with a record of 4-6-0. 

FRC Team 171 would like to thank all the mentors and sponsors, including John Deere, Benvenuto’s, Timmerman Talents, Duane Foust, University Of Platteville-Wisconsin, and University of Platteville-Wisconsin Engineering Physics. “These mentors and sponsors have made FIRST an enjoyable program,” says First Robotics member Derek Greenhalgh (‘15).

Activity Profile: Forensics Students Shine

by Kyle McWilliams

One of the fantastic clubs to join starting in winter at Platteville High School is Forensics. Forensics is flexible because the teachers who run it understand that students are busy.The teachers meet with students before, during, or after school. 
Before you even consider going to competition you must choose among different categories. There are three distributions that these categories fall into: acting, intepretation, and speaking. Radio speaking, for example, would fall under the speaking, which is coached by Ms. Fredericks. Solo and group play acting are just two of the acting categories coached by Ms. Schober. And finally, prose is an interpretive category where students cut passages from literature works for performance. Ms. Kammerud coaches these categories. 
“I definitely wanted to do something in a group,” says Jake Klein (‘15). “I really like the different categories and the fact that no two performances are the same.” 
Students practice their pieces from late November until the local contest in February. This year the local contest took place February 4th. The team did not end up having more than the 25 entries that are allowed, and thus, everyone will be performing at the sub-district level at Lancaster High School on February 23rd. If students receive scores good enough to qualify for district, they’ll work toward that performance in mid-March. It all culminates at the state contest on April 7th this year where qualifiers from district will have a shot at medals.
Scoring is an interesting concept in Forensics. Each category has a different rubric, and scores are assigned out of a possible 25. This is the second year that head coach Ms. Schober will be taking the team to compete at the Lodi Forensics Invitational on February 21st. There they will compete for medals and trophies after four rounds of competition.
McKenzie Scanlan (‘15), a veteran performer of Forensics says, “Forensics has been a really fun and unique way to practice and enhance my public speaking skills and has given me different opportunities to perform.”

Extracurricular Overload: One Staffer Gives Her Take

by Claire McMannes

Basketball, forensics, French Club, choir, and FFA. All of these extracurricular activities have given you something to do besides staring blankly at your homework, hoping it does itself. 

Yes, student activities are encouraged and look good on a college application, but what happens when they start to conflict with one another? After school activities can range from three hours or more, depending on what you are in, leaving some students stressed and not having enough time to complete their assignments due the following day.

Platteville high school student Erin Bowden (‘16) tells how exactly school and its activities affect students' stress levels.

Bowden says, "School affected the sport I played because I wasn't able to attend all of practices, leaving me behind. One practice, we learned some plays, and I wasn't there to learn them. We couldn't use those plays in the next game because I didn't know them."  School activities, while usually flexible when it comes to education, can leave students feeling somewhat stressed and cause conflict with the rest of the team if you are learning plays like Bowden was in basketball.

With extracurriculars and school work competing for students’ attention, it’s no wonder they’ve started to feel like they’re over-stretching. Recently Bowden brought to light a conflict between the April 17th state forensics date and a conference softball game. (Note that April 17th is later the same week music students will return from their Nashville trip.) This is the typical schedule for a highly involved student at PHS who finds sports taking over the scene. Bowden expresses her frustration, “I didn't offer not going to forensics or seeing if there was an alternative performance time because the [non-athletics] extracurricular activities always move aside. I think it is about time for that to change.”

The administration dealt with another double-booked event last month with a boys’ swim meet being scheduled on the same night that an orchestra concert was planned months in advance. Communication solved the issue with the athletes/musicians being able to catch their events at an earlier time before heading over to the concert.

Come to school early in the morning and you’ll see a lot of the same students working diligently to meet with forensics coaches, meeting for Key Club or Mock Trial, and rehearsing with extracurricular music groups like Blue Notes and Jazz Band. With all that’s going on in the non-athletic activity world, is it possible that students are being pressed for time even more in the mornings?

What’s an involved student to do besides make compromises? Madelyn White (‘15) says, “When I was in musical, balancing swimming with it could get kind of frustrating because it was a lot of running around. But since I had a ‘small-part’ in the play it worked out okay. If there’s ever a time where you really want to do something like musical and a sport just choose a smaller part or try to compromise and talk to your coach or director about it. They try to help you out as much as they can.”

If you ever feel over stressed and over worked just remember the key is to take out the things you can go without. By doing so you will become far less stressed and maybe even find something that peaks your interest more or just have more time to work on your assignments and focus solely on school.

PHS Music Department Preps for Nashville

by Anna Skubal

This spring the high school music students will be taking a trip to Nashville on April 9-13. On the trip the students will have a number opportunities unique to the “country music capital of the world.” They’ll get  the ins and outs of a recording studio, watch the operetta The Pirates of Penzance (the choirs are singing two pieces from this show later this month), tour the Country Music Hall of Fame. There’s even a chance for students to expand their musical knowledge by performing and getting some lessons at Belmont University.  

There have been four fundraisers over the past year: pasta sales last spring, Chip Shoppe sales at the beginning of this school year, Fiesta Fundraiser on November 4th, and cheesecake sales in November. The proceeds that each student raises in these fundraisers goes directly into his or her personal music fund account for him or her to use on either this Nashville trip or their senior class music trip. 

But even with Nashville preparation still on their minds, the music department has had a host of other events going on this winter. On December 11th there was an orchestra concert, and on December 23rd there was an in-school chamber group concert where the Woodwind Choir, Brass Choir, and Jazz Band, and Blue Notes performed holiday tunes for the student body and faculty. Staff members reported that this was the first in-school holiday concert in recent memory. 

If you missed those and still wanted to support the music students and their trip to Nashville, there was a choir and band concert on Tuesday, January 20th in the newly renovated auditorium.

Activity Profile: Mock Trial

by Kyle McWilliams   

    One of the resurrected clubs at Platteville High School is mock trial. Mr. Jones has been serving as unofficial adviser since the group is largely self-coached. Last year was the second year that mock trial has been back in action.

    Mock trial is exactly what it sounds like: twelve students prepare both the prosecution and defense sides for high-intensity courtroom competition. They compete with students from other schools who play the opposing sides. The twelve consist of six attorneys and six witnesses, broken down evenly (three and three) to make up the prosecution and defense. Sounds complicated, right? Team captain Saafia Masoom (‘16) says it’s really not.

    Preparing for this type of competition is like learning lines for a performance, but at the same time you must be able to think on your feet. “We look for good actors and actresses to play witnesses,” says Masoom. Attorneys are slightly more involved with the legal terminology and courtroom procedure.

    So why join mock trial? “Everyone who joins mock trial ends up really enjoying it,” Masoom states. “It helps so much with confidence and working in high pressure situations. Plus, you get to use real courtrooms and have real judges (or attorneys sitting in for judges) preside on competition day.”

    The regional contest is held on the same day around the state; this year it was February 14th. The PHS team traveled to LaCrosse and competed in 3 rounds. They came out 5th place after going up against River Valley, the regional champions, and two other teams. The team didn’t know which side they would play until about 30 minutes before each round.

    This year’s case was The State of Wisconsin v. Jamie Covington. It had to do with Jamie Covington, a 3rd year law student, and whether or not Covington shot the roommate out of self-defense when the roommate was climbing through the window of their apartment or whether it was planned first degree intentional homicide. The same case, written by lawyers around the state, is supposed to be written in such a way that it can be argued from both sides.

    The attorneys who tried their hand at direct examining and cross examining were Austin Smith (‘18), Lucy Tian (‘18), Elyssa Vondra (‘16), Tom Cramer (‘16), Emma Li (‘17), Eramis Momchilovich (‘15), and Saafia Masoom (‘16). Witnesses who were put to the test on the stand were James Etukudo (‘18), Rana Pluemer (‘16), Lexi Acierno (‘16), Ivan Acierno (‘16), Colin Thiele (‘16), and Jordan Brunette (‘16). The timer was Faye Bailie (‘16).

                   

               

           

       

To Vaccinate...Or Nah?

By Pauline Justal
  

    Vaccines. We all get them to be healthy but is it really necessary?

    Vaccination was referred as safe and one of the greatest health developments of the 20th century. Vaccines save lives everyday and adverse reactions to them are extremely rare.

    Others say that children have a natural immune system and that injecting questionable vaccine ingredients may cause little to serious harm. Most parents that think vaccines aren’t safe have that opinion because of the rumor that vaccines would be linked to autism. In 2014, children without vaccines for religious reason were kicked out of school during local outbreaks.  

    But the debate of this topic has become more vivid recently, mainly on the Internet. Celebrities and politicians alike are getting involved. The reason for this recent uprising of opinions is referred to as the Disneyland measles outbreak. Between December 15th and December 20th, 19 people reported falling ill after visiting Disney theme parks in California. Of the 16 people from California, two of them were fully vaccinated against the disease. Some were partially vaccinated, and two were too young to be vaccinated.

    Health experts say the best prevention against measles is vaccination. It isn’t fair that the “ bad light” is cast on the people who decide to go against what everybody does and follow their own beliefs. Some people have religious reasons, but it’s really a personal choice made by parents. The parents referred to as “anti-vaxxers” are just worried and should not be looked down upon.

Throwback Thursday: Tarzan Edition

The cast performs in PHS's December production of Tarzan. (Photo Credit: Amanda Cooper)

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.”

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.

Trivia Facts Cracked

by Max Frommelt

While many applications tend to take the public by storm, Trivia Crack lit the mobile market once again. Although, many are just discovering it today, the app created by the Argentinian company Etermax has been here for over two months. 

Trivia Crack is one of the few applications that crosses multiple devices and platforms. It covers iOS, Android, and Windows for the mobile world. The other bonus? The application can run through Facebook. 

The app only recently reached the typical US consumer, though it’s been in Latin America for over two months. Hispanic communities in the US served as the bridge to the rest of the general public in America, a reason for the slow spread. So, what’s up with the game becoming so popular now? Try social media. 

Through popular outlets, Trivia Crack trickled into the radar and caught our attention. It was only a matter of time before it fairly exploded all over PHS. McKenzie Scanlan (‘15) says, “Everyone else plays it, that’s the only reason I do. If no one else played, I wouldn't either.” And, that’s another thing: it uses other people to play.

So, if ten kids in study hall each play two different games, 20 kids get a notification that it is their turn. With the total time for one round being around a minute, it seems like a simple thing to pick up your phone and play for a bit. This is obviously against school policy, which is why the office has reported getting “more cell phones than usual.”

Trivia Crack has lead to daily disruptions around PHS, evidenced by the many times one hears “Quick, I need this answer!” during class. Senior English teacher Mrs. Keleher says, “The game is creating a major distraction for my students.”

Pinning the Victory: Wrestling

by Anna Skubal

Slap! That's the sound every wrestler hopes to hear, signaling the pin that gives them victory. The co-oped Platteville-Belmont Wrestling team's season has started with a bang. Their first tournament at the Black Hawk Invite earning 4 placing wins. With more kids on the team this season  than in past years, they have a great chance of doing well as a team and as individuals. The current team consists of 11 students from Platteville and 7 students from Belmont.
   Wrestling is a combat sport between two competitors trying to establish superior position, score more points, and ultimately pin their opponent.

    As Coach Crase puts it, "Wrestling is a great sport to teach you the value of individual preparation and dedication because while it's a team sport, it comes down to individual victories. There's no excuses. [You] can't blame officials; it's just you and the other guy deciding who's better.”
The team always appreciates fan support from the students to cheer them on to victory. With home meets on the 9th, 13th and 30th of January, make sure to stop by the old gym in Belmont High School to support the team.

Too Cool for This: Winter Fashion Tips

by Pauline Justal

Just because the temperature dropped doesn't mean you have to let your fashion game drop, too. There are so many wearable and warm winter fashion trends that you can be comfy and look great in, from knee-high boots to statement coats—to settle for an un-cute outfit this season.

    How can you look hot when it’s cold outside?  A comfy, cozy sweater with jeans or leggings looks great while colorful scarves and hats give your outfit a trendy and classy look.

    Scarf capes are the new arrivals this winter. Apart from them, high heels have made a significant stay this season. Shapes took an altogether more top-heavy feel with oversize coats, capes, and furs. To contrast the too-heavy feel leggings, tights and delicate footwear complete many looks.

    “The colour palette is divided in two very contrasting camps: autumnal hues and pastels, which in a way represent the mood of the collections: on the one side experimental and unusual, and on the other coherent, safe and ever so commercial. The colour of the season is once again red, red like the flame that burns with the passion of those involved in the fashion industry, those who love it and loathe it in equal measure,” says Valentina Zannoni, editor-in-chief of the style magazine Swide. So, don’t think you don’t have to try because it is winter and it’s too cold for fashion to matter. We are in high school. Everything matters.

Tumbling Stardom: Gymnastics

by Claire McMannes

The Platteville/Lancaster/Belmont gymnastics team is ready to compete in this new season. Last year the team overcame obstacles, such as losing two all-state gymnasts who graduated. Nonetheless Grace Hammermeister (‘17) qualified for the individual competition in floor. But, this year seems hopeful. Out of last seasons state qualifiers; there was only one senior. 

Quite a few girls are trying the sport for the first time ever this year. With new girls comes talent that has been untapped until now. The potential of this team is growing as the practices continue.

Coach Jessica Hill is entering her 15th year as the head coach. Coach Hill was nominated to be Coach of the Year in Division 2 for the 2010-2011 season. Leading the team are captains Jenna Phillips (‘16) and Marissa Marino (‘16). 

The team competed at their first invitational on December 6th and came out with good showing. “We got 119 as a team score, which is pretty good for our first meet!” says Marino. 

The team has qualified for the state meet the last three years in a row. This year, they’re hoping to make it four. So, come out to support our gymnastics team!

Black Friday Overload: What is This Madness?

by Kyle McWilliams

Since the mid 1960’s, people have declared the Friday after Thanksgiving to be the start to the Christmas shopping season. It was not until around 1980 that stores started to mark down prices on merchandise. In the early 2000’s stores started to open up earlier than usual, typically around 6:00am. In some instances stores opened up as early as 4:00am Friday. “Black Friday” has been the busiest shopping day every year since 2005. Starting in 2011, bigger corporations (Walmart,Target, Best Buy, etc.) have been opening up at 8:00pm Thursday night, turning Thanksgiving day into “Grey Thursday.”

This year I had the chance to head out to the local Wal-Mart, K-Mart, and Cabelas on Thursday night around 4:00pm. Driving up to the parking lot at Wal-Mart, I could tell there were no spots left open. Because of this, I had to park along a curb at the side of the parking lot. As I went in, there were no carts left and a few baskets. I headed over to the most popular Black Friday deals at the Wal-Mart in Platteville: the movies and video games. I asked an employee from the Platteville Walmart if he could describe Black Friday for me, he responded with few words. “I can’t really describe it other than hectic or chaotic.”

Even though I was almost two hours early, people were camped in front of the boxes full of movies and video games priced from $2 to $10. As drew closer to 6:00 when the boxes would be opened, there were people standing shoulder to shoulder, ready to dive in and grab the movie or game they wished to have. The time came to open the boxes, the people dove right in and starting throwing movies up, down, left, right, and behind them. Luckily no one was hurt at the Platteville Wal-Mart, no fights broke out, and it looked as if people had just won the Hunger Games when they departed the store. I also had the experience to do a little online shopping too. The item I wanted was 50% off, but only for 12 hours. Luckily I was able to get what I wanted within an hour, because after I ordered it wasn’t long before the item was sold out from the company. 

Some were not as fortunate to get home safely from Black Friday shopping. One instance in Tustin, CA caused three individuals to start brawling in the middle of a Kohl’s. Another shopper was hit by a car departing a Wal-Mart in Pennsylvania. The man who hit the walking shopper was 72 years of age and he told the police,”The accelerator had stuck.” The shopper was taken to the hospital with broken bones and internal injuries, though the police reported that the injuries were not life threatening. 

Although we give thanks for a very American reason the day before, America isn't the only country that has Black Friday deals.  A women in the UK was injured when fights broke out and a falling TV hit her, making her fall down. She suffered from only a broken wrist and minor cuts and bruises. 

Even though I didn’t see any stunning action while Black Friday shopping, I’ll leave you with this: first, if you have never been a part of the insanity that is Black Friday shopping, try it next year. And second, if you do go shopping for a “hot” item, may the odds ever be in your favor.

Waves of Triumph: Boys' Swimming

by Melanie Schaefer

Right off the bat the boys’ swim team will be facing a challenge that they have little control over: their small numbers. Only nineteen boys will be participating on the Platteville/Lancaster boys’ swim program this year. Seventeen are returning swimmers while Zach Brunette (‘18) and Ben Gaylord (‘15) are both new to the team.

The struggle will come in trying to fill a lineup. With so few resources, most of the varsity reserve swimmers will be moved up to swim varsity events. With this added pressure, the boys will have to be on their “A game” at every single meet.

The team is coached by Matt Wunderlin, a Platteville native who is entering his second season as the boys’ head coach. Coach Wunderlin has also been the the assistant coach for the girls’ swim team. Last year he coached five boys onto the state championships in five events.

Last year the team finished as the conference runner-up behind Badger, a Division One team. A few of this season’s returning swimmers finished their last season at the State Championship meet. Those Platteville swimmers included Sam Iselin (‘15) in two relays and the 100 butterfly and his brother Dan Iselin (‘17) as an alternate.

Leading the team as captains this year are Sam Iselin and Ben Smith (Lancaster). Smith also qualified for the state meet, which means the captains are both veterans in pursuit of the highest level of competition. In addition, this will be the fourth and final season for four swimmers.

The boys competed at the Conference Relay meet on December 4th in Whitewater. Only eleven were able to compete due to an overlap with the musical performance that night. Although disappointed that they were not able to have the full team, Coach Wunderlin expressed excitement that they would be going into the dual conference meet season as the underdog. The team’s next home meet will be on January 15th against Dubuque Hempstead.

Royalty on the Court

Boys' Basketball

by Allie Serres

    The girls’ basketball season officially tipped off on November 10th. The Lady Hillmen played their first game on November 21st against Boscobel with a win of 60 to 54. The girls’ next game put them at a 2-2 record for both Varsity and JV with a double-header yet to come on the following Monday night.

    This year brings many new changes for the team. Last year, Coach Wayne Jentz stepped down from the head coaching position for the girls’ team, so this year, Coach Jim Lawinger has taken his place as head coach. Coach Mark Ludlum and Coach Mark Hamer are also returning.

    The change in staffing has meant more to the ladies than a new face. They hope to “learn a new system since we have a new Head Coach,” according to Coach Ludlum while also having a good time.

    Captains Ashley Budden (‘15) and Cassie Hamer (‘15) lead the diligent team, which has a fair showing from every grade with 4 seniors, 7 juniors, 6 sophomores, 10 freshmen.

    In the meantime, all the girls are being put to the test with a different strategy from their coaches this season. “We are running a different offense and defense this year,” says Coach Ludlum, adding, “We are pressing and changing defenses. Offensively, we are pushing the ball and attacking the rim.”

    No matter how the season turns out for the Lady Hillmen, it’s up to the students to cheer them on. In the words of their devoted coach, “The girls are working extremely hard and they are a great deal of fun to watch. I love all of them and enjoy coaching these quality young ladies.”

Girls' Basketball

by Will Philipps

    The girls’ basketball season officially tipped off on November 10th. The Lady Hillmen played their first game on November 21st against Boscobel with a win of 60 to 54. The girls’ next game put them at a 2-2 record for both Varsity and JV with a double-header yet to come on the following Monday night.

    This year brings many new changes for the team. Last year, Coach Wayne Jentz stepped down from the head coaching position for the girls’ team, so this year, Coach Jim Lawinger has taken his place as head coach. Coach Mark Ludlum and Coach Mark Hamer are also returning.

    The change in staffing has meant more to the ladies than a new face. They hope to “learn a new system since we have a new Head Coach,” according to Coach Ludlum while also having a good time.

    Captains Ashley Budden (‘15) and Cassie Hamer (‘15) lead the diligent team, which has a fair showing from every grade with 4 seniors, 7 juniors, 6 sophomores, 10 freshmen.

    In the meantime, all the girls are being put to the test with a different strategy from their coaches this season. “We are running a different offense and defense this year,” says Coach Ludlum, adding, “We are pressing and changing defenses. Offensively, we are pushing the ball and attacking the rim.”

    No matter how the season turns out for the Lady Hillmen, it’s up to the students to cheer them on. In the words of their devoted coach, “The girls are working extremely hard and they are a great deal of fun to watch. I love all of them and enjoy coaching these quality young ladies.”

Saafia Masoom contributed to this article.