Too Fool for School Vol. 5

The Lore of Western

       This week we went more in depth on Mr. Kim’s side of the story on the catacombs of Western. As most of you know Mr. Steven Kim has been working in our fine school for 11 years and just now feels comfortable telling us more about his story. 

We asked Mr. Kim about the first time he went down to the catacombs and his response was shocking at least. Kim said he was down there once and he thought it was very dark, dense, thought he could hear rats, and a child on a squeaky tricycle. 

       He also said he was blindfolded and in his words it was a “teacher initiation, like a fraternity where they drag you down there- I can’t say everything that happens down but they blindfold you and leave you down there and you have to kinda saw seven your way out.” 

      When asked what else is down there Mr. Kim speculated, saying “there might be a place for manny petties, the pool that is Mr. Sponsler’s 8th hour, a snow cone machine, and a large slip in slide.” 

      When Mr. Kim was asked what is in the depths of the catacombs he speculated it could be the center of the Earth, meaning of life, and perhaps Al Capone. Finally when asked if he believes there might be missing students down there he said there maybe but he also believes close to the end of the year when things are rapping up some kids may try to “Shawshank Redemption their way out and they’re never heard from again.” 

         In closing, Mr. Kim believes there is more than we can ever know down in the catacombs and we may never find out what mysteries are under our own very feet. 

School Officials Provide Proof of Damaged Flag Pole

Many have speculated that the flagpole out in front of Western High School was taken down for political reasons.In actuality it was removed because of the structural cracks around the base of  the flag. If the flag were to fall it would have fallen on the administration office.

Regional Champions Gamet and Raczkowski Prepare for State Championship

Wrestling State Championships finals are going to be starting next week Thursday and go through Saturday. The State Championships are taking place at the Palace in Auburn Hills.

Western has a good chance of winning two weight classes with Sophomore Corey Gamet in the 112lbs weight class, and Senior Luke Raczkowski in the 140lbs.

The previous year Corey took home the State Championship in the 106lbs weight class, and is looking for back to back victories. Corey has a record of 46-0 and is currently ranked number 1 in his 112lbs weight class. This season Corey took his opponents down 144 times. He has been very dominant all season and hopes to continue the perfect record.

Luke has also been very dominant this season with a record of 50-3. Luke is also ranked number 1 in his weight class of 140lbs. As dominant as the sophomore is on his feet Luke is equally dominant on top, turning his opponents to their backs 97 times this season. On his preparations Luke said: “I’m pretty happy that I can eat whatever I want and next week I’m gonna have to start cutting again”. He is also going to continue to practice like all year. Keeping the same traditions that haven’t let him down yet.

Come out and support your Wrestling Panthers this weekend.

Western Hemisphere Broadcast News

This week's Hemispere:

This Week in Weather by Nick and Joe

This week in the weather, we have had a bizarre and unusual change in our normal weather. You would think that being in February, it would cold and snowy. But not this week, as it has been extremely warm compared to other years. It has been an average of 55 degrees since Saturday February 18th. This change in weather has been caused by a phenomenon called El Niña.
Although none of us can complain about the warm weather, it is actually hurting our earth. This has been because of the pollution, and the harm we have been doing to our atmosphere. Either way, none of us can be upset over the warmth we have been enjoying so very much.
   The warm weather will be taking a break over this weekend, with a low of 24 degrees on Saturday and a high of 34. The temperature high is going to drop 30 degrees from Friday to Saturday. The warm weather will return partly the following the week. Although it probably won't reach the same high, it will reach above 50 on several days.
   There are chances that snow will return this following Monday, but we can only hope that it doesn't. Rain is also expected the following couple days. Then the weather should be returning to its lovely sunny state for a little while longer.
Coming this Friday, are some possible severe thunderstorms. This could knock out power for many different residents, so keep all your devices charged and ready.

Dog Days

Too Fool for School Vol.4

The Catacombs

          I asked many of Western’s most respected and knowledgeable teachers about the tunnels or catacombs of Western High School. Many of our fine teachers have more than 15+ years experience at Western High School and only now have they felt comfortable speaking to the general public about these mysterious catacombs below our very feet. Here are their stories.

         The first teacher I interviewed was James Rissi. Mr. Rissi has worked here for 15 years and has finally come out to talk to the public about his experiences with our catacombs. When asked about what he thinks is down in the catacombs he expressed that there were dog sized spiders and there were millions of them down there. He added that the tunnels are mile and miles in length. This quote from Mr. Rissi explains how massive these catacombs could be: “The catacombs go on for hundreds of miles and that one of them could go all the way to Lake Michigan and end up in Iowa.” Mr. Rissi also speculates that the catacombs could be filled with these dog-sized spiders.

         Another teacher I interviewed was Steven Kim. Mr. Kim has worked at our fine school for 11years, 94 days, and 22 minutes (not that he’s counting), and he also believes that there could be dog sized spiders, however, he feels they are much bigger than what Mr. Rissi suggests. Mr. Kim believes that the spiders could be the same size as the spiders in Harry Potter. But unlike Mr. Rissi, Mr. Kim has been in the catacombs but he was blindfolded. He explained to me that, “It was like a teacher ritual, like a fraternity club initiation or fight club.” Kim also believes that there are unruly students that disappeared and were never heard from again. Kim speculated that there may be elementary students down there who wandered off during the carnivals the school used to do back in the day. Kim also added that not only is there a pool that Mr. Sponsler tends to during his 8th hour but there’s also a slip in slide and cotton candy machine.

          Finally the last two respected staff members I interviewed this week were Mr. Ford and Mr. Huntley. Mr. Ford spent little time in reaffirming how truly frightening our catacombs maybe with his chilling interview. He explained that sometimes late at night when everyone has left he would sometimes still be here grading papers he could hear children’s voices. Some laughing and some crying but what’s perhaps more frightening is he told us, “I could sometimes hear a faint growling like a feral dog but also different at the same time. Once the growling was done you could only hear small screams of terror and chains rattling.” Mr. Ford also believes that the children kept down there are chained together to prevent escape and also suspects that some of the spiders might be the size of small ponies. Mr. Ford and Mr. Huntley both said they have never sent a student into the catacombs, however, a quote from Mr. Huntley leads us to believe otherwise: “I’ve never sent a student down but Mr. Messer might have when a student touched him inappropriately.”

     In closing the catacombs of Western to this day remains and extremely interesting and mysterious topic around Western High School and might stay that way until the end of time. Will we ever find out what’s down there or will our imaginations be left to wonder? Find out more next week at The Western Hemisphere.

Scholarship Week by Nick Dryer and Joseph Hendrickson

In the week of February 12th through February 18th, it is Scholarship week for most high schools. This week is helpful to high school students because it gives them time to find a ton of scholarships and make money for their plans after high school. In an interview with Becky Callender, a counselor at Western High School, she explained further how students can use this week more efficiently. "Look at the due dates of the scholarships, and do the ones that end in March or April. You can wait to do the ones that end in June later."
  The majority of high schools are in the middle of scholarship week right now. All students get this week to apply for scholarships that they may not have been able to apply for before during English class. The English classes take a break from their usual unit this time of year to have students apply for more scholarships to increase their chances of winning money for college in the fall. Many students have already won scholarships, and plenty of scholarships are still available for others to win.
Most counties have their own scholarships, so no high school student can say that there are no scholarships for them. There are countless amounts of scholarships out there, and there are scholarships that are just for certain things. Such as where you live, the color of your hair, the religion you are, etc. There are enough scholarships for all students who want to go to college, so everyone should apply for them every chance they get.

Western Hemisphere News Broadcast

In this week's edition:
• Why, how, and when to apply for scholarships
• What happened to the flagpole? 
• There's service tunnels under the school? Where do they go?

Home Ec Class

Over 10 years ago, Western High School use to have a Home Ec class. The class ended up getting cancelled because of the inconvenience between the high school and the middle school. The class room was in the middle school but was being used by high school students. We conducted a interview with Mrs. Callender on why we got rid of the class, and how we can get the class back.

The questions we asked her included what was the reason to get rid of the home Ec class? Do you think students could be more prepared after high school? What is the process of creating a class for high school? If there are enough students that want to take this class, could it happen within the next few years?

“We had to send students over to the middle school to use one of their rooms that they ended up the room and that was reason number one. We didn’t have a room set up in the High School.”

Another big problem was actually funding the room. The school did not have enough room in the budget to pay for all of the equipment.

“You would have to get some kind of funding some kind or some kind of grant so that we can have electrical for the ovens and that kind of stuff. That’s the biggest hurdle”

The next step to getting a Home Ec class was finding a teacher who would want to teach the class. Finding a teacher wouldn’t be a big problem but it was funding the room with all of the necessary equipment.

“Second hurdle was going to be finding a teacher who is highly qualified to oversee the class. Willing to take on the curriculum.”

The curriculum must be approved by the School Board. Before it can be released for students to take.

“ The School Board will take a month to look over the curriculum before it is approved.”

After all of this is done then the School Board can introduce the class to students. If there is enough students interested, they can sign up for the class and take it the following semester.

“It all comes down to money”- Jacob Jones

“We would need a couple hundred thousand dollars to fund the class, but it is a possibility.” said Mrs. Callender.

Wins and Ls Taken at 2017 Grammys

The grammy awards ceremonies is one of the biggest nights of the year.
Tensions were high as the nominees were revealed— and spirits either rose or dropped as the winners were revealed.

What did you think of Chance The Rapper (Chano) winning "Best Rap Album", "Best Rap Performance" and "Best New Artist"?

"I think it was great." Said Devin Dylan
"I was excited!"
Said Emily Crisenbery

Chance was up against Artists like The Chainsmokers, Drake, Kanye, and many more for the three awards he won.

Kehlani and drake, along with many other artists, all posted on Instagram showing their congratulations to Chano.

Drake did more than show support on grammy night. His 2016 hit "Hotline Bling" won "Best Rap Song" and "Best Rap/Sung Collaboration".

What did you think of drake not going tothe grammys?

"I didn't know about it. If he didn't want to go, he doesn't have to go" Said Devin Dyllan
"I don't care, I like him. He probably had other things to do"
Said Emily Crisenbery


Adele racked up five grammys including song, album and record of the year. Many including Adele herself pointed out that she may have been undeserving.

Do you think Adele's 5 grammys were deserved?
"No." Said Devin Dyllan
"I think they were. On the radio she made a pretty good comeback. I haven't heard any of lemonade." Said Emily Crisenbery

Beyonce won "Best Music Video" and "Best Urban Contemporary Album" for her work on Lemonade. A few songs from Lemonade are on Youtube, but the rest are on Tidal. (Jay Z's steaming service)

Do you think Beyoncé should've won more grammys?
"No" Said Devin Dyllan

"No, she didn't do anything this year! She got pregnant, became a meme, and came out with an album that not everyone can even hear yet!"
Said Emily Crisenbery

Although opinions were mixed on the grammys won, its clear excitement was in the air that night.

Too Fool for School Vol. 3

Video Segment: Question of the Week

 

In this special segment of The Western Hemisphere, our correspondents ask members of the Snowfest Court "How many marshmallows can Nick put in his mouth?"

90's Fashion Throwback

With spirit week being 90's themed this week, here are 12 90's trends that came back.
1: Chokers
Many styles like the tattoo choker and the ribbon choker are popular again.
2: Leather/biker jackets
3: Doc Martens
(And combat boots in general)
4: Flannel
Often worn around the waist
5: Denim Jackets
6: Crop Tops
Formerly referred to as a "belly shirt"
7: Mom Jeans
Best when found at the thrift store, these are baggy, light wash jeans with a high waist.
8: Fanny Packs
Companies like Victoria's Secret's PINK sell fanny packs
9: Overalls
10: Round Sunglasses
Especially "grandpa" and "harry potter" glasses.
11: Slip Dresses
Worn over Tshirts sometimes.
12: Track Suits

Crushing the Court

7th Grade Lady Panthers Crush the Court.

They are good.

Really good.

In fact they are so good they have had scores like 39-0, and 62-2.  The 7th grade girls basketball team has been annihilating just about everyone  they have played thus far.  

Many of these girls have been playing together for several years already.  This maybe a strong asset to the foundation of the team, but none the less Coach Buff Page has also enlisted his own important fundamentals.

“We know our plays,” player Rylie Kubiak said of the team’s strengths.

Marley Hartshorn agrees, and says the team gets along well both on and off the court.

“We are all really good friends,” she said.

The girls feel this helps make being on the team a fun experience.

George Page, Coach of the 7th grade girls basketball team, said, “The season is going excellent so far. We have some highly motivated girls. They have great attitudes and work very hard. They take it very seriously.  One of the things I’m most proud of is the fact that they have learned six or seven defences, probably fifteen different offenses. They have learned a lot of different things such as, running against the zone, running against man to man, they can trap half and full court.”

He feels he is most pleased “they have learned so much in such a short time. I only have them for two weeks and we are off to a game, so they are really coachable.”

Both Hartshorn and Kubiak said “We could work more on defense.”

Playing together has been a good part of the girls’ year. For many working together has been the best part.

“That has been my favorite part of the season.” Hartshorn said of spending time with her team mates out on the court.

The team is dominating on the court. Winning every game so far.

“It's always fun to be really good and have people say ‘ wow this team is really good’ but I think the camaraderie and the fact we can joke a little bit, but take it seriously and do our best is what is important. We are trying to do the best we can do but also try and do it in a way where we are not humiliating anyone, and trying to have good sportsmanship.” said Page of the team’s dynamics.

As the girls look to the future of the team, Kubiak said

“I think we will get better competition and then it will really go down.”

“We are facing off against Marshall this week. They are in first place, we are in first place. Which will happen this Wednesday. I think this group could win a state title and I don’t mean to be clique. I think this group, if they work hard can win a state title or make a run at it.  These girls are naturally good players, so if they stay together and keep working at it there is no question they could make a run for a state title when they are juniors and seniors. “  said Coach Page of the team’s Wednesday head to head against Marshall and of the team's future as high school players.

Frank and Nick - The Sliming

The Big Sliming

Over the past week, student council has decided to slime a teacher on Friday during the pep assembly. Being the true democracy Western High School is, they have allowed us the students to vote on who we would like to get slimmed. We have learned from Mrs. Parker that the four teachers that we can vote on will be Mr. Rissi, Mr. Tingle, Mr. Spencer, and Mrs. Genco. We have also learned there will be two five gallon buckets full of slime dumped onto the teacher that is voted for. The teachers that were chosen for this was at random, they were chosen out of a hat. Whoever gets slimed will be slimed on Friday during the pep assembly at school. This is the most hyped up an event has been since Mrs VanRiper kissed a pig. We’re also told that the Google form sent out for voting will most likely be released today in flex or Thursday.  

There is no reason behind the sliming, besides to get people hyped for Snowfest. Snowfest will take place on Friday February 10th, right after the varsity basketball game until 11:30 PM. It is a semi-formal dance, meaning you don’t necessarily have to dress up for the dance.  Don’t forget to vote in flex for your favorite teacher! 

Dog Days

Boys Basketball vs Coldwater

This past Friday night the Western Boys Varsity Basketball team took on a tough Coldwater Cardinals team. This was a home game for the Panthers. The Panthers put up a really tough fight taking them into a double overtime and unfortunately losing 69-63. The Panthers started the second half down by 10 points and fought their way back to tie the game. Connor Cottingham was perfect from the free throw line and lead the team with 21 points. Steele Fortress had a great night with a double double of 12 points and 10 rebounds. This game gave the Panthers their third loss on the year with a record of 11-3. Next time the panthers will be on the court will be this Friday night February 10th. The Panthers hope to comeback from this loss and have a commanding win over the Saxons. The game will be home and will be taking on the Hastings Saxons in its version of Snowfest. Make sure you come out and support our Panthers and be prepared to celebrate the game at the dance after.

Too Fool for School Vol. 2

Student Council

The WHS student council is renowned for its important role in the festivities and spirit of Western High School, but what exactly goes on behind events like spirit week and spring sanity? Student council member Frank Ladwig not only explained the recent council-organized events, but gave insight into the inner machinations of the group as well. The council has put together and supported many events, the most recent and challenging being snowfest. The members worked hard to decide a theme and matching days, eventually settling on a 90’s theme, as the class of 2017 holds the last wave of students born pre-2000’s. Along with the five official days of spirit week- neon, pop culture, denim, pajama, and Western wear- the team organized 90’s themed events, such as scrunchie competitions and teacher sliming.

Although student council member may seem an easy position, the students must toil and revise ideas to ensure the student body receives only the best in term of school spirit. Ideas are initially pitched by Mrs. Shore, then debated heavily by the council members. Since there are no official positions, it is up to the students, such as Frank Ladwig, to take initiative and lead these discussions. The group bounce ideas off one another and judge them based on feasibility, cost-effectiveness, and overall benefit for the school. Finally, once the team’s goal is clear, the members pull their time, resources, and collective talents to bring events, such as this year’s snowfest, to life.

Western Gymnastics Defeats Mason

The Western Girls Gymnastics team defeated Mason on Monday, January 30th. Senior Amanda Motts (top picture) placed 1st on every event including the All Around. Freshman Abby Smith (bottom picture) placed  2nd on Vault, Beam, Floor and All Around. The team earned a season high score of 124.8

Senior Amanda Motts on Beam

  

Freshman Abby Smith on Beam

January Fashion Trends

Current Fashion Trends (January 2017)

Jackets
Specifically denim and bomber jackets. Perfect for layering and practical for cold weather.

Tie Dye, watercolor and acid wash
Wether you DIY'ed your fit or bought it, it looks pretty good and gives major throwback vibes to summer camp for me.

Holographic
Nails, clothes, glasses, you name it. Holographic everything is in.

Overalls
You either LOVE or HATE the overall trend. I personally love it, but I'm too scared to cop some and wear them.

Crushed Velvet
The sight of this fabric makes me cringe. But it's no denying that it's a trend. Walk into any American eagle, forever 21, h&m etc. and crushed velvet us everywhere.

Chokers
One simple choker, or many chokers and necklaces layered can make or break an outfit.

Let me know on twitter if you think I missed a trend you thought was big this month (@whshemisphere). Check back next month for February's trends.

Too Fool for School Vol. 1