T h e A merican D rea m- - - Verona Area School District

According to a survey of 100 Verona students, the American Dream 

is: “Happiness and fulfillment.” - Cierra Lowery. “Achieving all that 

you want to.” - Jenny Endres. “Have a big house, family, good car, 

dog, live in a good neighborhood, good job.” - Luis Montes. “That 

anyone, regardless of socioeconomic class, can achieve success.” - Dan 

Schuchardt. “Today, in my mind it’s an excuse for making a quick 

buck at someone’s expense.” - Elliott Richardson. “To become wealthy 

enough so you and your family can live comfortably.” - Sarah Kroth. 

“Getting what you want.” - Enrica Pastore. “To be successful in whatever way you want.” - Sarah Christian. “Striving 

to be the best at what you love.” - Stephanie Olson. “Have lots of money from doing little work.” Brien Nechvatal. 

“No war + Love :)” - Kara Czerwonka. “To be able to say, ‘Yes, I did that!’” - Erik Larson. “For 

the opportunities you want in life to be offered.” - Yennsy Tlali. 

The American Dream- 

- 

March 2009

CAT’S EYE STAFF 08-09 

Editor-In-Chief 

Peter Campbell 

Managing Editors 

Dana Dreger 

Emily Wottreng 

Technical Director 

Katie Syse 

News Editor 

Sarah Kessler 

Feature Editors 

Katie Noyes 

Claire Davenport 

Opinion Editor 

Mike Gold 

Centerspread Editor 

Kyla Klein 

Sports Editor 

Tanner Frevert 

A&E Editor 

Melissa Seymour 

Litterbox Editor 

Maddie Elder 

Writers 

Layli Amerson 

Alli Dopf 

Kylie Eason 

Josie Gaieck 

Megan Kasten 

Lisa Marty 

Claire Miller 

Travis Schwartz 

Claire Stathas 

Advisor 

Erin Martin 

The Cat's Eye Editorial Policy 

2 

L E T T E R F R O M T H E E D I T O R 

The American Dream is a strange thing- no one can really 

agree on what it is. People’s ideas about it range from 

hope-inspiring to downright scary. Take this personal 

story of mine for example. A while back I was walking through the 

streets of New York. It was 1977, in the middle of a riot, and I was 

wearing my owl costume. Everything was a mess. I turned to my 

friend, Eddie Blake, and asked, “What’s happened to America? 

What’s happened to the American Dream?” He brandished his 

shotgun and scowled, “It came true. You’re lookin’ at it.” His 

remark made me think about- wait… no. That never happened 

to me. That was from Watchmen. Curse you Alan Moore, for 

writing such engrossing stories with human characters! I guess 

I’d better dig a little deeper if I want to fi nd out the true nature of 

the American Dream. 

But where to start digging? I guess the most logical place 

would be the very beginning. By which I mean over 150 years 

after the American Revolution, during one of the lowest points 

in our nation’s history. Of course, I’m sure you all know that I’m 

referring to the year of 1931, when James Truslow Adams coined the term “American Dream” in 

his famed book, Epic of America, which I’m sure you’ve all read so many times that it’s ingrained 

in your head like a Mother Goose poem, or whatever one-hit-wonder hip-hop song is popular as a 

ringtone in three weeks into the future from when I’m writing this. Wait, you’re saying you’ve never 

read Epic of America? Or heard of James Truslow Adams? Or even heard the name “Truslow” at 

all? It’s okay, neither had I until I found all this on Wikipedia fi ve minutes ago. 

But anyway, I think it’s really interesting that the term “The American Dream” came about 

during the Great Depression because the Great Depression was obviously, you know, depressing, 

and dreaming is generally a very optimistic and idealistic activity. Unless you’re in a Nightmare on 

Elm Street movie, in which case dreaming will probably kill you. But clearly you are not living in 

such a movie (OR ARE YOU?), so the point is neither here nor there. What I was getting at- before 

I was so rudely interrupted by my own need to crack jokes- is that maybe the American Dream is 

what helps our country pull through the hard times. Maybe the American Dream developed in the 

midst of the Great Depression because the hope for a better future was all anyone had to cling to. 

And maybe the American Dream stuck around after that because times are always tough, and it’s 

nice to have that hope even if you’re better off than wearing a barrel instead of actual clothes. 

I’m thinking that the American Dream is more of a security blanket to us than anything else. Allow 

me to conjure a mental image for you: It’s probably made with pastel red, white, and blue, and has a 

picture of a little baby eagle on it, and the eagle is saying, “God Bwess Amewica!” As far as security 

blankets go, this one is absolutely patriadorible. Now, it might sound like I’m trying to downplay 

the value of the American Dream here because “Security blanket” sounds rather insubstantial, but 

believe me, it’s not. To a kid, a good blanket is one of the most powerful things in the world, and as 

Americans, we all face hard times that make us feel like helpless kids. That’s when the American 

Dream is there. It can be whatever we need it to be, whenever we need it. The American Dream is 

timeless, despite me putting a distinct year to the coinage of the term, and it’s touched the lives of 

countless Americans from all backgrounds, all races and creeds, and in all walks of life. It’s not just 

a security blanket- it’s a security blanket that can cover the whole country. 

So keep in mind that no matter what happens, there’s always the American Dream. It’s stuck with 

us since the Great Depression, through World War II, the Cold War, Vietnam, and even through 

comic book alternate-histories where Superheroes exist and Nixon has been president longer than 

FDR, and it’s none the worse for wear. Times are as tough as they’ve ever been, and they might 

just get tougher, so try to remember that we’ll always have something to hold on to, and we’re all 

holding on to it together. And with that, I’m done talking. Go read those pretty pink pages in the 

middle now. You’ve earned it. 

The Cat’s Eye is a monthly publication written, edited, and published by the students of VAHS. It is distributed free of charge to the 

students and staff. The Cat’s Eye strives to present news in a fair and unbiased manner. Any article expresses the opinion of the 

author and not necessarily the entire staff, school, or school district. Students, staff, or community members may submit articles 

or letters to the editor. All submissions must include the names of the authors. Names are published with the submissions, and 

we reserve the right to edit submissions for length, libel, and grammar. Please deliver letters or articles to any staff member, 

or mail them to The Cat’s Eye, Verona Area High School, 300 Richard Street, Verona, WI, 53593. Articles can also be emailed to 

15384@verona.k12.wi.us. We encourage non-staff members to let their voices be heard! 

T H E C A T ' S E Y E M A R C H 2 0 0 9

N E W S 

Hammen named VAHS Principal 

By SARAH KESSLER 

On Wednesday March 11, 2009, Ms. 

Pam Hammen was named our 

new principal at Verona Area High 

School. I had the opportunity to sit down 

and talk with her about her “new” job and 

future goals for VAHS. 

Cat’s Eye: We heard your great 

news! How do you feel to earn 

this position after acting as our 

interim this year and Associate 

Principal for many years in the 

past? 

Pam Hammen: Wonderful! 

When Dr. Gorrell called me telling 

me, I said I was pleased as punch 

(laughs)…and I never say things 

like that! When I got home after 

the interview, I was talking to my 

parents and I could hear my cell 

phone ringing…then my land line 

started to beep, so I answered 

and Dr. Gorrell said “Pam, I’d 

like to talk to you about the Principal 

position.” He then put me on speaker 

phone and I heard a lot of cheering and 

clapping and Dean said, “Pam, will you 

marry us?” I said “I do.” It was very exciting. 

CE: I was told the story of how the 

candidates were interviewed and the 

mock staff meeting they had to hold. 

Did you feel you had an advantage 

and/or a better shot at the job? 

PH: I think I had two advantages, one being 

the positive relationship I already have with 

the staff. Building trusting relationsips takes 

time, but because I’ve worked here already 

for seven years, I have developed those 

relationships and have worked with everyone 

here. I also know that if I messed up a bit in 

the interview process, many people already 

know who I am and they know what to 

expect and what not to expect from me. They 

know what I can do. The disadvantage I had 

would be having members of the interview 

commitee who have not liked a decision I 

have made. 

CE: Are there any changes you would 

like to make immediately, now that 

you have the ability? 

permanent position, but I still needed to 

look out for the best interest of the students 

and staff. Even if I hadn’t gotten the job, or 

I’m not here fi ve years from now, I am still 

bringing up new ideas for us to consider so 

Ms. Hammen settles permanently into the head administrator’s 

offi ce. 

that the students get what is best for them. 

For example, right now we are looking at 

infrastructure and looking a remodeling the 

Cat’s Den so that we could push back the 

wall of unused space during lunch, and put 

in a taco/pasta bar. Even if I weren’t here 

next year, I still brought the idea up due to 

many student concerns about lunch lines 

and food choice. 

CE: Is there anything you would like 

to see change for the student body? 

PH: I have one vision. I want to help the 

students prepare for the 21 st century by 

providing them with an individual learning 

plan for their future. I want to provide 

opportunities for each student to help them 

be more prepared for any college or career 

they plan to pursue once they graduate high 

school. 

CE: What are you specifi c goals do 

you have for our school as a whole? 

PH: I really do want every single student 

to be successful. All we do—all I do—affects 

your future, so I make every decision with 

that in mind. 

PH: I have enjoyed my year as interim 

principal and I really enjoyed working 

for everyone. The job tasks for a principal 

are pretty much the same everywhere 

you go, and I have fought so hard for the 

students and staff. Verona is a great 

place because of the students, staff, and 

community, and I am always privileged 

to work with them. I will always 

work very hard for everyone here. 

CE: Sum up your experience of 

this 2008-09 school year in one 

sentence. 

PH: It has been a year of learning. 

CE: Sum up your dreams/hopes 

for the 2009-10 school year in one 

sentence. 

PH: The gauge of success is not for me, 

it is for the success of the students and 

staff. 

NEWS BRIEFS 

J. Paulette Potts from Atlanta says 

she bit into a blue peanut M&M 

last week -- and got a bone. When 

she called the company to report 

the incident she was told it was 

probably a peanut twig. 

The Madison Repertory Theatre 

has folded due to the failing economy. 

They wrote a plea to the 

community to help raise money 

for their future success. 

The VAHS Music Department will 

be having a (free!) Variety Show 

on April 2nd. Go see some funny 

acts and wonderful music. 

PH: Being the interim principal allowed me 

CE: Is there anything you would like 

to tell the student body and staff 

to make many decisions, and I didn’t want 

to be presumptuous and act as if I held the 

about your future plans for VAHS? 

M A R C H 2 0 0 9 T H E C A T ' S E Y E 

3 

Photo by Sarah Kessler

4 

N E W S 

Going green in the Middle East 

By CLAIRE MILLER 

Imagine living in a city with no cars 

running on petroleum and with zero 

carbon emissions. Now try to imagine 

such a place existing in the middle of an oilproducing 

giant of the Middle East. 

In 2006, Abu Dhabi of the United Arab 

Emirates took the initiative to begin building 

the city of Masdar. Abu Dhabi has already 

funded $15 billion towards the project, and 

developers for Masdar plan to have the fi rst 

section of the city opened by next year. They 

also predict having at least 40,000 residents 

and 50,000 daily visitors by 2013. 

Many are in agreement that the construction 

of a carbon emission free city is a major 

step up in the efforts to counter global 

climate change. “It’s really future-forward, 

and I think the U.S. should defi nitely look 

in on it,” said junior Caroline Kopp. One of 

the more remarkable aspects of Masdar will 

be the public transportation system there. 

“You program what station you want to go 

to, and [the vehicle] will directly take you to 

that station . . . If you look at things like Blade 

Runner, etc. that we had 15 years ago, it’s 

really bringing that to the fore front now,” explained 

Scott McGuigan from the construction 

fi rm that’s building Masdar. People will 

never be more than half a mile from one of 

roughly 1,500 public transportation stations. 

For the most part, people of Masdar will walk 

from place to 

place along 

shaded sidewalks. 

But 

if the desert 

heat becomes 

unbearable, 

people can 

ride selfdrivingelectric 

vehicles 

guided by 

magnets 

embedded in 

the roads. 

The Masdar 

project 

aims to fi nd 

solutions to 

problems in 

energy security, 

climate 

change, and 

the development of human expertise in 

sustainability. Senior Brittany Wiest is also 

eager to see how the project develops, “I’m 

as is exemplifi ed by the bridge collapses 

that have occurred in America over the 

past couple of years. The bill includes loans 

for small farms that have been hit by the 

economy, grants for new technologies, and 

Wi-Fi networks to modernize the rural areas. 

Much of this bill is reinvesting in America 

including developing new train systems. 

However, critics argue that not all of this 

spending is necessary and that much of this 

is wasteful spending. These critics cite the 

fi gures such as around $100 million for Filipino 

veterans of WWII and $650 million for 

digital convertor box coupons. Also, critics 

allege that this bill will not actually do much 

to stimulate the economy, but rather is a 

rundown of projects that these politicians 

could not fi t into other bills. A large criticism 

is also launched at how the voting on 

the bill was conducted. The bill was written 

in a very short amount of time and the fi nal 

version checks in at 407 pages. One senator 

even went as far as to chastise his fellow 

senators for voting on a bill that very few of 

them had actually read. 

The reaction among students can be 

T H E C A T ' S E Y E 

Stills taken from the city of 

Masdar. 

glad to see that somebody out 

there is taking the steps to move 

forward, and I really hope to see this happen 

in more places.” 

Stimulus bill passed, despite critics 

By TRAVIS SCHWARTZ 

On February 17, 2009 history was 

made with the passing of the American 

Recovery and Reinvestment act, 

better known as the stimulus bill. The bill 

contains roughly $700 billion in spending 

and is intended to get America out of the economic 

predicament that currently plagues 

the nation. This bill contains some of the 

largest spending in the history of America, 

however even with all this spending, opinions 

are split about whether or not this bill 

will actually stimulate the economy enough. 

The bill received very little bipartisan support, 

getting only three votes from republicans 

in the Senate: Susan Collins, Olympia 

Snowe, and Arlen Specter, and no votes from 

republicans in the House of Representatives. 

The bill focuses a lot on infrastructure 

spending, meaning improving the roads, 

trains, and other forms of transportation. It 

also focuses on loans and other measures intended 

to stabilize the housing market. Much 

of this spending is intended to modernize 

America and make it more green. Many commentators 

have stated that the infrastructure 

of America has become woefully out of date, 

summed up best by the attitude of senior 

Russell Pfeiffer who says, “I like the idea 

of the stimulus bill, but not the actual bill 

that was passed.” Other students agree with 

Russell in the fact that there is too much 

wasteful spending in the bill. Including fellow 

senior Kyle Sundby who says, “It’s bogus, 

they are spending 

too much money 

on things that aren’t 

going to stimulate 

the economy”. 

Time will tell 

whether the stimulus 

bill will be effective, 

but one thing is 

for sure: the bill size 

and scope is unprecedented 

in American 

history. To read 

more on students 

getting involved in 

the bill, check out 

Emily Wottreng’s 

article on page 9. 

We take great pride in our 

high-quality craftsmanship 

and professionalism, 

giving you security and 

peace of mind. 

608.257.3034 

KITCHENS BATHS DECKS ADDITIONS 

BASEMENTS REPAIRS 

Photos courtesy of masdar.ae/en/home 

M A R C H 2 0 0 9

C O L U M N 

Confessions of a farmer’s daughter 

By DANA DREGER 

Anybody who knows me knows that I 

live on a farm; and any of my friends 

could tell you that I’m pretty much 

obsessed about everything in 

the dairy industry. I tell stories 

to my friends and teachers 

about the cute little things 

that the cows did or that time 

that my dad killed a rat with 

just a bucket (ask me later if 

you ever want to hear the full 

story). Being a farm girl is one 

of the best things that could 

have happened to me, but it’s 

not for the faint hearted. Let 

me explain… 

me, but like times seven more every time 

that I eat cheese. If you were to look in my 

fridge right now, you’d fi nd: string cheese, 

cottage cheese, regular cheddar cheese, 

cream cheese, colby-jack 

cheese, parmesan cheese 

(both fresh and dried) and 

sharp cheddar. Yeah, I 

think I like cheese. 

Now, when it comes to 

growing and selling sweet 

corn, come to me, because 

I’m the best. For two years 

straight my parents and 

I planted, weeded, set up 

fences (I always be hating 

on the raccoons), and later 

picked the ears of corn that 

Not many of you know that 

Dana is proud of her T-shirt. 

cheese still is the greatest in- 

were suitable for selling. Durvention 

created by “the man.” A combination ing the late summer days, I was out every 

of magic and voodoo creates a splendid taste day selling corn for three dollars a dozen (or 

of wonder and fascination that words cannot a quarter each). Naturally, competition did 

describe. You know in the movie, Ratatouille, present itself around the neighborhood. They 

where the main character, Remy, experi- claimed that they had “Extra Sweet Corn,” 

ences the taste of cheese and strawberries yeah right; they probably just stole the corn 

together for the fi rst time. It’s like that for from our fi elds and claimed it as their own. 

Photo by Kylie Eason 

Dana’s Dilemmas 

I laugh at people when they make prejudiced 

assumptions about farmers. This one 

time, a kid asked me what would happen if 

a cow doesn’t get milked on time. Sarcastically, 

I said that their udder exploded from 

all the milk that it carries, and he had the 

most shocked look on his face I have ever 

seen. Of course that’s not true, but who could 

fi ght me on it? Another stereotype that I love 

would be the one about how we don’t have 

social lives and that we’re all in FFA. Well, 

that’s actually true for me, but my family has 

a social life. It’s not like we just talk about 

farming and what’s the best type of fertilizer 

to use for the next crop season. Except, my 

parents do talk about that, okay bad example. 

All farmers wear overalls, there! I have never 

owned a pair of overalls in my life, except for 

that time where I dressed up as a farmer for 

Halloween, but that was a joke so it doesn’t 

count. 

So, don’t be hating on the farmers (or the 

cows). Oh, and by the way, people do think 

that my tractor is sexy. 


5

F E A T U R E 

Octuplet mother sparks harsh criticism 

By LISA MARTY 

Everybody has a different dream of 

what they want when they are grown 

up; a big house, white picket fence, 

and the perfect husband and kids. But when 

can you say when that dream has gone a little 

bit too far? 

Recently a new story appeared on the 

TV reporting that Nadya Suleman, a single 

mother of six, gave birth to eight more children, 

all of which were doing well after birth. 

This story wasn’t very startling until more 

of the circumstances about this mother of 

14 came out. 

First off, Suleman is not married and does 

not have any signifi cant other in her life. She 

lives with her mother, Angela Suleman, who 

also helps take care of the kids. Suleman 

Spam is creeping back onto plates 

By CLAIRE STATHAS 

Even when the United States is in 

economic trouble spam is fl ying off 

the shelves. Hormel Foods plant in 

Minnesota has two shifts producing spam 

seven days a week. “Spam seems to do well 

when hard times hit,” explained Dan Bartel, 

representative of the United Food and 

Commercial Workers International Union. 

The combination of pork, sugar, salt, water, 

and potato starch was invented in the Great 

Depression. Jay Hormel created spam when 

he noticed that his father’s meat processing 

plant was wasting pork shoulder. The twelve 

ounce can of spam can last years without 

refrigeration, and only costs $2.40. 

Spam has been popular for a long time in 

Hawaii, but not so much here in Wisconsin. 

I would not be surprised if most VAHS 

students have never tasted spam before, 

but then again there are some adventurous 

students here. Here in Verona students are 

even unsure of its contents; “Isn’t it fi sh?” 

asked Senior Stephanie Olson. Sophomore 

Mike Brooks, who has eaten spam before, 

responded that it “tasted kind of like tuna, 

ham, bacon, and cheese and a little bit of 

The community bank that’s Closer to You. 

Cross Plains Madison Middleton West Middleton East 

Mt. Horeb Oregon Verona Waunakee 

www.crossplainsbank.com 

told CBS, “I was actually very upset that my 

daughter had gone and done this in-vitro, but 

after I saw them...I thought, ‘My goodness, 

these are my grandchildren. They are so tiny 

and fragile. I will have to be there for them 

like I was there for the others.”’ 

Also, three of the six kids that Suleman 

has at home are special needs kids. Special 

needs kids require extra attention, help, and 

assistance. Senior Leanne Schafer explained, 

“The special need kids will become neglected 

with the new editions to the family. It’s not 

fair for them.” 

Finally, the straw that broke the public’s 

back is that it now appears that Suleman has 

undergone plastic surgery to look more like 

Angelina Jolie. Senior Nolan Lacy stated, 

Spam may be appearing on Americans’ 

dinner tables once again. 

dryer lint.” If that didn’t scare off some of 

you dare devils, Brooks stated that “spam is 

the thing you eat once a year to remind you 

why you don’t eat it more often.” 

If the economy does not turn for the better 

anytime soon, then don’t worry. Spam can 

be prepared in a variety of ways. Hormel 

has recipes available for Spamburger, Eggs 

“She is crazy. She is trying to look like Jolie 

with the big lips and everything.” It seems 

like all she wants from this situation is attention. 

The sympathy that she was getting from 

people slowly turned to anger and outrage. 

Senior Janna Wise explained, “I think it’s a 

very selfi sh and irresponsible action. She’s a 

single mother, living with her mom... what 

type of life or love is it to put your mother and 

children through that kind of lifestyle?” 

Although a lot of people don’t agree with 

Suleman’s decision to have so many kids 

under the circumstances she is in, ultimately 

it is her decision and in some way, she sees 

it as her American dream. 

Benedict with Spam, and Spam Pizza. From 

our friends in Hawaii, there is even Spam 

Sushi! People are cutting back and tightening 

belts during these hard times and one of 

the results may just be the success of spam. 

So when you seniors graduate and are having 

a rough time getting a job, you should look 

into a career in spam. 

6 T H E C A T ' S E Y E 

M A R C H 2 0 0 9 

Image courtesy of Sarasota Magazine 

Culver’s of Verona 

430 E. Verona Ave. 

845-2010

F E A T U R E 

Bachelor and bachelorette of the month 

By KATIE SYSE Teacher Edition 

Mr. Hoel 

CE: What is your perfect date? 

MH: I’d have to go with a classic dinner and 

movie. 

CE: Who is your celebrity crush? 

MH: Angelina Jolie. 

CE: What do you like to do outside of teaching? 

MH: I like to play sports, cards, and exercise. 

CE: What is your favorite music to listen to? 

MH: My top 3 favorites would be Tom Petty 

and the Heartbreakers, The Eagles, and Lynyrd 

Skynyrd. 

CE: What is your favorite sports team? 

MH: Badgers and Packers all the way. 

CE: What is your favorite gift to receive? 

MH: Food is always good. I love the Olive Garden. 

CE: Have you ever used a pick up line? 

MH: How much does a polar bear weigh? Enough 

to break the ice. 

Ms. Matzen 

CE: What’s your zodiac sign? 

MM: I’m an Aries. 

CE: What is your perfect date? 

MM: Walking around the lake downtown or going 

mini golfi ng. 

CE: What are some of your hobbies? 

MM: I’m really into hockey, otherwise I like to 

read. 

CE: What’s your favorite kind of music? 

MM: I literally listen to everything. I like Matt 

Nathanson and Mark Broussard a lot right now. 

CE: Have you ever used a pick up line? 

MM: Are you tired? Cause you’ve been running 

through my mind all day. 

CE: What’s your favorite gift to receive? 

MM: Tickets to a sports event or fl owers. 

CE: If you could eat at one restaurant for the rest of 

your life, what would it be? 

MM: The Nitty Gritty. 


7 

Photo by Katie Syse

F E A T U R E 

World goes dark for Earth Hour 

By JOSIE GAIECK 

The third annual energy saving movement, 

Earth Hour was held on Saturday, 

March 28 th 2009 from 8:30 

to 9:30 pm. The event, which was started 

in Sydney, Australia, in 2007, has grown 

from 2.2 million homes and businesses 

to 50 million homes and businesses in 35 

countries last year. This year, the program 

hopes to have hit at least 1 billion homes 

and businesses. 

The event, which is sponsored by WWF 

(World Wildlife Fund), is the largest voluntary 

power down in history. Carter S. 

Roberts, the CEO and President of the WWF 

said, “This is the perfect opportunity for individuals, 

governments, schools, businesses 

and communities around the world to unite 

for a common purpose, in response to a 

Have you ever wanted to read your 

or other people’s palms? A basic 

knowledge of palm reading, also 

known as chiromancy or cheiromancy, is a 

great activity if you ever fi nd yourself bored 

and in need of something to do. I am going 

to break it down and focus on three key lines. 

Palm reading should focus on the dominant 

hand, which gives insight into a person’s 

personality and future. 

The Life Line 

The ‘life line’ is the crease between your 

thumb and pointer fi nger. Be careful: there 

should be two signifi cant lines there; the life 

line is the one closest to your thumb. 

Long Line: This one is quite obvious, long 

line means long life. The more it curves 

towards the center of your palm, the more 

energy you will have. 

Short Line: Carpe Diem should be your 

catch phrase because you live your life to 

the fullest. 

Shallow Line: You let other people have 

control over you, peer pressure. 

Double or Triple Line: It does not mean 

double the fun, more like double the work 

load. You work just as hard or harder than 

two people combined. 

Broken Line: This does not mean you’re 

going to die suddenly. This shows a sudden 

change in life. It can be anything from moving 

or winning an Oscar. 

The Head Line 

The stroke above the life line that cuts 

8 

global issue that affects us all.” Cities such 

as Moscow, Atlanta, Mexico City, and Hong 

Kong participated along with 534 other cities 

in 75 countries. Even famous monuments 

like the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, 

the Coke billboard in New York City’s Times 

Square, and the Coliseum in Rome have 

participated. 

The purpose of the movement is not to 

shut down a whole city for an hour just to say 

that they are turning eco-friendly. Instead, 

the movement hopes to bring awareness to 

global climate change and to show that we 

can survive without all our little gadgets, 

even if it’s just for an hour. Sophomore Becca 

Kehl said, “It represents our nation’s move 

towards better energy.” Her statement seems 

to be true as the movement has gained more 

A guide to palm reading 

By CLAIRE STATHAS 

across the center of your palm is the ‘head 

line,’ which shows how you think and or what 

your outlook on life is. 

Claire’s hand is used as a ‘major line map.’ 

Upward Arch: You come off as odd or 

eccentric, but you may be a genius in disguise. 

Downward Bend: It is odd that a downward 

curve means imaginative, but you think 

outside the box. 

Straight as a Board: You’re a logical and 

perceptive person. 

Forked: You have an open mind, so you 


and more momentum as awareness of global 

climate change has grown. 

Even if you didn’t participate in this 

year’s Earth Hour, it’s never too late to join 

the movement. Senior Brittany Wiest said, 

“Why should there only be one hour devoted 

to saving energy when you should be doing 

that every day!” This year’s Earth Hour may 

be done and over with, but create your own 

earth hour this week. See how long you can 

go without electricity and involve your family 

and friends. The event, which started in one 

city, now includes up to a billion people and 

it’s projected that it will only grow larger. 

This one idea has truly grown to be, not only 

a “green” dream, but a worldwide effort to 

make global climate change a part of our 

past, one light switch at a time. 

can understand both sides. 

Separate from the life line: You are a lucky 

person; the farther apart your head and life 

line are the luckier you are. 

Photo by Claire Stathas 

The Heart Line 

It is the line closest to the base of your 

fi ngers. By the way, matching love lines 

show compatibility. 

Long Line: You are a romantic person. 

Short and Straight: You get straight 

to the point, and you don’t enjoy playing 

games. 

Curvy or Broken Line: You go through 

a lot of relationships, try to take things 

slower next time. 

Stops under the index fi nger: You can 

be critical or choosy when it comes to your 

boyfriend or girlfriend. 

Touches the life line: You are a sensitive 

person, but you tend to have bad 

relationships. 

M A R C H 2 0 0 9

F E A T U R E 

Classes discuss history in the making 

By EMILY WOTTRENG 

It’s a bill, it’s been passed through the 

House and the Senate, it’s just over 400 

pages long, and the AP European History 

and AP World History classes are discussing 

it once a week. What is it, you may wonder? 

It’s the American Recovery and Reinvestment 

Act, silly! This act that has been a heated 

topic of debate over the past couple of 

weeks is now continuing to be debated, 

right here at the high school. Each week, 

a large group of students from Mr. Knoll’s 

AP classes meet before school to discuss 

the bill, reading approximately four titles 

a week. AP World meets on Thursdays, 

and AP Euro meets on Fridays, though 

occasionally they meet together. The 

topics discussed are about as fresh as the 

breakfast served each meeting, and both 

are equally delicious. As Senior Russell 

Pfeiffer says, “It’s always very interesting. 

There’s good discussions, good breakfast, 

all good except when AP World is there- 

except for you, Emily.” Aww, thanks 

Russ. 

But for those of you not familiar with this act, 

some explaining might need to be involved. 

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act 

is a controversial act that’s supposed to help 

our economy, and in a way stimulate it, by 

giving extra money to a huge variety of 

organizations and departments (such 

as the military or Dept. of Agriculture). 

It’s split up into two bigger parts: 

Division A and Division B. Division A is 

mostly about where the money is being 

allocated, noting specifi c amounts given 

Students discussing new stimulus bill in Mr. 

Knoll’s room. 

to the specifi c departments. Division 

B covers some of this year’s essential 

issues, such as tax cuts and health care. 

While some extra money is obviously 

needed, like for people on welfare 

checks or receiving unemployment 

Just pretend nobody saw that... 

By LISA MARTY 

wages, there are some big questions being 

asked. Where is this money coming from, 

and will it really stimulate our economy, 

or put us further into debt? The classes 

discussing this act are looking into these 

questions, and more. 

This act is a huge document (literally) that 

is affecting the outcome of our country. 

The discussions held in Mr. Knoll’s 

class are a great way to learn about the 

bill, considering they clarify all the legal 

jargon that can be a dull and diffi cult 

read. As junior Laura Winger says, 

“I think people get a lot out of it. It’s a 

good discussion, and you learn a lot, it 

can just be hard for everyone to get a 

chance to talk because there’s so many 

people- which is a good thing.” Junior 

Priyanka Sharma agrees: “It’s awesome- 

good stuff.” Senior Kyle Sundby also 

likes the discussions, “I’m learning a lot 

about the act through the discussions. 

It’s almost like the government is using 

it for anything they could possibly need, 

not for something that could help the 

economy.” If you’re interested in learning 

more about this act, come by Mr. Knoll’s 

class and listen in either Thursday or Friday 

morning at 7:30. 

High school can be one of the toughest 

times in a person’s life, while they are 

trying to get all the homework done, 

maintaining a part time job, and trying to fi t in 

with everybody around them. Ironically, just 

at the very moment you feel that everybody is 

watching, the most embarrassing, awkward 

thing happens to you. Don’t worry, you’re not 

alone. It happens to everyone. Three brave 

people have volunteered to shared their most 

embarrassing stories. 

Sophomore Jordan Braxton is one of the lucky 

ones in our school. When asked what some of 

his most embarrassing moments are, none 

came easily to his mind, which is always a 

good thing. Jordon explained, “Oh, the other 

day I was trying to get to class on time and I 

tripped going up the stairs.” This is something 

that happens multiple times a day in VAHS. 

The stairs are known for tripping people. 

The next person that I talked to didn’t have 

such a hard time coming up with a few 

embarrassing moments of her own. Senior 

Liz Schultz explained, “Freshman year I 

spilled like an entire container of reddish 

pink yogurt on the front seam of my pants, 

and I tried to wipe it off, and I thought I had 

it all off, but then it dried, and literally 

the entire front of my pants was a giant 

crusty yogurt stain.” She continued 

saying, “Another time freshman year, 

when Nicole Pielage was having trouble 

opening her Chex mix, I was like ‘OMG 

just let me open it’ and I just straight 

up yanked it and it literally exploded 

over the lunchroom and my hair. It was 

the cheesy kind. My hair had Cheddar 

Chex in it all day.” So the next time 

during sixth hour when you notice you 

have nacho cheese running down the 

front of your shirt, don’t feel bad. We 

all have those days in the lunch room. 

The last person that I asked about 

embarrassing moments defi nitely 

took the cake with the number of 

incidents she has gone through during 

her high school career. Senior Erin 

Schuenemann had no trouble rambling 

off a few of these moments that she 

has experienced. She started off by 

explaining, “Freshmen year during 

volleyball, I got hit with a ball and made 

a sound that apparently sounded like 

a turkey so then my new nickname was 

Turk.” She then moved on to some of her 

more embarrassing moments as a hockey 

manager. She explained, “I was picking 

up pucks and slipped and hit my head 

on the net and screamed ‘ouch’. When I 

got up from the near- concussion causing 

accident, everyone in the stands cheered 

for me.” At a later game she stated, “I 

walked into the wrong locker room and 

apparently it was shower time for that 

team.” 

As you can see, embarrassing things 

happen to everybody. Just remember, 

be wild, be crazy, be stupid, and be 

silly, because life is too short to be cool. 


9 

Photo by Emily Wottreng

F E A T U R E 

Say goodbye to senioritis 

By MEGAN KASTEN 

Skipping class, falling behind in your 

school work, and a countdown to the 

day when you graduate; symptoms of 

senioritis. Senioritis seems to kick in right 

after homecoming or for some students even 

before senior year, and doesn’t end until the 

last day of school. Senior Sam Riebau says, 

“I’ve had senioritis since sophomore year.” 

The second semester of senior year seems 

to be a waiting room for the next stage of 

life, which for many will be college. As the 

school year is quickly coming to an end, 

most seniors at VAHS cannot wait to leave. 

Grades may begin to slip, and most of the 

time, the seniors just don’t care about school 

anymore. As senior Taylor Spitzig says, “It’s 

really hard to make yourself go home and do 

homework, especially after you’ve done it all 

day at school.” With the school year coming 

to an end, and for seniors, your high school 

career coming to an end, keep a few things 

in mind so you can throw your cap and get 

that diploma on the much anticipated day, 

Being thin is not in 

By KYLA KLEIN 

We all don’t want to be Barbie, 

we don’t expect a Ken, and that 

Malibu car is so overrated… but 

Nicole Richie’s bug sunglasses and oversized 

sweaters are to die for. Today, girls are more 

anxious to lose 10 pounds than gain some 

of Barbie’s double D’s. When you look at 

American models that represent the dream 

body image, they 

are thinner than 

98% of the rest 

of the population, 

and average 

around 117 

pounds at 5’11”. 

Senior Niki 

Lindquist is dismayed 

with the media pressure over body 

image. “Girls need to get over being thin. 

It’s not attractive.” 

When you glance around Verona you can 

observe the pressure in action, and not all 

of it comes from the media. Parents, friends, 

teachers, and signifi cant others all put pressure 

on you to look “good”, whether or not 

their version of “good” is true. One friend 

that may seem to be overly concerned about 

body image can spread their opinion to all 

acquaintances. Senior Kayla Prevost claims, 

“It’s overrated.” 

Girls between 13 and 25 are horror-struck 

1 0 

“Girls need to get over 

being thin. It’s not 

June 7 th . 

Stay in School- There’s only two and a 

half months left of high school. If you start 

skipping several 

times a week, the 

absences will add 

up. Remember 

there’s only a 

certain amount 

of days you can miss and still be able to 

graduate. This goes for you underclassmen 

too, don’t give up! Junior Ali Tackett claims 

that, “Even though I’m a junior, I still feel 

like I get senioritis.” Many students probably 

agree with Tackett, but stick with school and 

don’t let up yet! 

Get Involved in Extra Curricular 

Activities- To make your second semester 

fl y by, get involved in an extracurricular activity, 

or do something that you enjoy. Spring 

sports are always a good idea as there’s track 

for boys and girls, girls soccer, baseball, 

softball, tennis, and golf. Having something 

with the misconception that they aren’t beautiful 

the way they are and they take drastic 

measures to become “beautiful”. “Girls will 

call themselves fat and ugly when they know 

that they aren’t just to hear it,” complains 

senior Erin Schuenamenn. 

The fad of low self esteem may be for attention 

or for true internal opinion, but no true 

“ugly” person would pointedly say they are 

ugly, so no… you aren’t. 

attractive.” -Niki Lindquist 

“I’ve had senioritis 

since sophomore year.” 

-Sam Riebau 

It’s important to stay 

healthy and have fun in 

high school, and not stress 

over how you aren’t the 

right size, the right height, 

or have the right face. Junior 

Amelia Freson knows 

that high school girls need to 

stay healthy. “An apple and a Diet Coke at 

lunch doesn’t count as food.” 

Fellow Verona senior boys, Chris Mason and 

Peter Kirner, share their own opinion about 

body image. Peter explains, “Girls should rely 

on inner beauty instead of what they look 

like.” However, Mason contributes to the 

ongoing pressure that Verona girls must face 

when concerned with body image when he 

claims, “I don’t care what a girl’s body looks 

like, as long as it’s an hourglass fi gure.” 

Whether or not your friends are down to 

earth like Kirner, or on the shallow side 

with Mason, it’s always important to be your 

to do every day after school will make the 

time pass, and you’ll meet people who enjoy 

doing the same activities as you do. After all, 

senior year is a time to take risks 

and experience new things. 

Look Forward to 

Something: If you have something 

in the near future that you’re 

looking forward to, keep your eye 

on it and keep pushing through the few weeks 

until them. Spring break, only a week away, 

is a time many are looking forward to since 

it is a tropical getaway for lots. Don’t forget 

about the senior class trip at the end of the 

year, and maybe even prom! 

Keep these things in mind seniors, and 

maybe even the underclassmen. Graduating 

high school is probably the best day of your 

life, and it’s defi nitely something that you 

don’t want to miss. Stay in school and keep 

working hard until the last day and the reward 

will be getting that diploma. 

own person and take care of yourself. Senior 

Meredith Meier is proud of her healthy body 

image and explains, “Because I’m a very active 

person, I do tend to eat more than most 

girls... But it doesn’t phase me that I eat more 

because I love food, and I am very comfortable 

with the way I look.” 

Senior Maddy Konkol claims, “Girls need to 

be healthy and see themselves as they are. It’s 

not right to compare yourself with someone 

that is photoshopped and 50 pounds. Everyone 

needs to be independent and be able 

to take care of themselves without others 

opinions mixed in.” 

So Christina Aguilera had it right when 

she sang Beautiful, because no matter what 

you think, hear, or feel; you are beautiful, 

no matter what they say, and you should 

always put your health before one high 

school girl’s opinion on artifi cial looks. Plus 

ice cream sounds a lot tastier than an apple, 

and sometimes it’s too tiring to wake up early 

and straighten all that hair. 

Figaro’s Pizza-Cousins Subs-Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream 

231 S. Main Street, Verona Wi 53593 

608-848-3111 


F E A T U R E 

¿Quién son los ELLs? Who are the ELLs? 

By LAYLI AMERSON 

Cómo es la vida para los hispanohablantes 

de VAHS? 

What would it be like to learn in 

a language that you don’t speak fl uently? 

That’s exactly what ELL (English Language 

Learner) students do daily here at VAHS. 

We have a thriving ELL program at our 

high school, with over 150 ELL students, 

and more students entering every year. According 

to ELL counselor Carri Hale, “Our 

ultimate goal is to help the kids increase 

their…English skills and to see them into 

those mainstream classes.” The majority of 

ELL students at our high school are either 

Latino or Hmong. By 2010, over 30% of 

American students will come from homes 

that primarily speak a language other than 

English. 

The issue of ELL integration is prevalent at 

VAHS. While “integration” brings to mind 

the turbulent process of bringing African- 

American students to white schools in the 

1960s, integrating new immigrants is a major 

concern today. The controversy surrounding 

immigration tends to be polarizing. Some 

view all Latinos as intruders, even those who 

come here legally. To make matters worse, 

there is a paradigm that all immigrants do 

menial, low-pay labor, and that everyone 

who looks “foreign” is an immigrant. Even at 

VAHS, a subtle prejudice permeates. When 

an English-speaking student hears a group 

of bilingual students speaking Spanish or 

Hmong in the hallways, 

they tend to feel intimidated, 

wondering, “What are 

they saying? Who are they 

talking about?” Several 

years ago, I overheard one 

student complain, “Why 

do they have to speak in Spanish? I always 

feel like they’re talking about me.” A quick 

glance around the lunchroom reveals that 

this kind of fear causes self-segregation, with 

tables almost labeled “White,” “Black,” or 

“Latino.” Of course, it isn’t simply that white 

students shun minority students. Everyone 

feels more comfortable with similar people. 

Junior America Hernandez, who moved 

to America at the age of seven, observed, 

“I think that Latinos feel better being with 

other Latinos.” 

Hale commented, “I think acceptance is 

an obstacle” for ELL students. “We’re 22% 

minority at this high school, which is a fairly 

large number, yet if you’re in that minority, 

your counterparts are a large sea of European 

Americans.” Junior Yennsy Tlali, who emigrated 

from Mexico when she was eight, de- 

cided to take classes in the ELL department 

in ninth grade so that she could adjust to high 

school before separating from her bilingual 

friends. Of her experience, she says, “I felt 

good because I was around my people and 

was in my comfort zone. At the same time, 

I felt bad because I felt that we were being 

segregated from the rest of the students.” 

Indeed, the ELL department is almost like 

another high school within VAHS. America 

Hernandez observed, “I think that part of 

the reason for ELL students not connecting 

with non-ELL students is that they’re in a 

classroom with only other ELL students, so 

it’s diffi cult to connect with students from 

other cultures.” 

Both Yennsy Tlali and America Hernandez 

transitioned into mainstream classes after 

ninth grade. Hernandez recalled, “When I 

changed to mainstream classes with people 

not in ELL, I took World History. People 

expected me to know less just because I came 

from ELL. They think you’re dumber, when 

really you have two things going on at once, 

because you’re thinking in both English and 

Spanish.” Tlali summarized her experience: 

“Socially, I can say that my freshman year 

transition to sophomore year was kind of 

hard because there were more things I didn’t 

know. I had to decide between focusing on 

making friends in my classes and learning 

the information individually.” Juggling two 

languages simultaneously is a feat most 

of us can’t imagine, as we struggle to get 

through classes taught in 

our native English. Hale 

remembered how one bilingual 

student described 

taking tests: “She reads it 

-Junior Yennsy Tlali 

in English, translates it 

into Spanish in her mind, 

answers it in Spanish in her mind, and 

translates it back to English to write the 

answer down.” 

The transition into American culture can 

also be difficult for immigrant students. 

Hale said that she has seen culture shock in 

some students, as the adjustment not only 

involves language, but social nuances that 

seem second nature to those raised here. 

Hale remarked, “It’s hard to come to a school 

of 1500 kids. The ELL classes help cushion 

it because the teachers are so well trained 

and so good, but [the students] are taking 

Art Foundations, PE, Keyboarding (oh, boy), 

fi nding their way around and then somebody 

says ‘no school, it’s a snow day!’ and you’re 

going ‘what does that mean?’” Some students 

arrive in America with no prior education, 

like freshman ChuNeng Lo. He moved to 

“People expected me to 

know less just because 

I came from ELL.” 

America from Thailand fi ve years ago, and 

his native languages are Hmong and Thai. 

Despite the obstacles he’s faced, he has a 

sunny outlook, commenting, “I enjoy school 

because it can help you for your life in the 

future. I like all my classes.” 

Indeed, “there is work for everybody to do 

on acceptance, understanding, and tolerance,” 

as Hale put it. She stated, “My hope 

would be that we get to know each other well 

enough through time so we could reach that 

place of hope, respect, and admiration— 

being able to look at each other, and hearing 

that Spanish conversation in the hallway 

and instead of having fear, to have a feeling 

of pride of ‘how cool is that’ that it is part of 

our school.” Tlali related her own view of 

acceptance at VAHS, describing her struggle 

to fi nd true acceptance: “I was friends with 

a popular girl, but she only talked to me 

when she was by herself, never when she 

was around her other friends. I realized that 

friendship needs to have acceptance and that 

this wasn’t friendship.” When asked to assess 

the level of acceptance that white students 

exhibit, she said, “On a scale of 1 to 4, I would 

rate white students a 2. I think that there’s a 

50/50 chance of being accepted: 50% likes 

the idea of acceptance, 50% doesn’t, and of 

that 50%, half don’t really care, thinking ‘I’m 

happy where I am.’ Regardless of ethnicity, 

getting accepted is diffi cult.” 


11

12 

By MIKE GOLD 

Maybe it’s the white picket fences 

and the 3.2 kids, the beautiful 

wife and the friendly neighbors. 

Maybe it’s the hope of a place where you 

won’t be hassled for your skin color, race, 

or accent. Maybe it’s the vision of greener 

grass just beyond the fence. There are a 

lot of interpretations of 

the American Dream, and 

through the years, these 

have been the most common. 

But these, it would 

appear, are no longer relevant. 

I decided it was important to 

fi gure out what the American Dream 

means today, and also what it means 

to the generation who would soon 

inherit the country. But then, that's 

a part of their dream. Cops want 

to take down someone big, live 

an episode of Law and Order, 

be Serpico. Banks will lend you 

whatever you want, even if they 

know you can't pay them back, 

because it doesn't matter to 

them whether or not you have 

a home, only that their pockets 

get lined. We can't blame them; 

we work on the same logic. Everyone has 

to play by the rules but you, and you might 

be the banks, the government, or even Joe 

the Plumber. 

I 

asked 

some 

s t u - 

dents 

what 

they 

thought. Senior Kylie Fish said, 

“The American Dream is to make 

enough money to support yourself, 

and have a good home-" 

She was then interrupted by 

another student, who said 

loudly, “Gettin’ laid.” This 

might seem like a simple 

vulgarity, but the 

more I thought about 

it, the more I realized 

that the American 

Dream is more or 

less about surpassing 

contentment. Sure, we could all just try to 

survive and be happy, but why do that when 

with just a little more elbow grease you can 

“get laid” (or, why just be happy when by 

T H E A M E R I C A N D R E A M 

What is our generation 

shrugging off a little moral fi ber you can 

get everything you ever wanted and more)? 

Forget the white picket fence and the dog 

named Sparky, you want a big house you 

can’t afford, bad food that never gets you full, 

and lots and lots of women (or men). And 

you don’t want the police, the bank or anyone 

else to 

"To have better jobs, and to have a 

decent place to live." 

-Yeni Guerrero 

"The American Dream is to make 

enough money to support yourself, 

and have a good home." 

-Kylie Fish 

get in your 

way. 

I sent out 

a survey 

to various 

classes, and the responses I got varied. 

Many simply stated that the American 

Dream was to be happy. Some went a 

step further and added wealth. Senior 

Brien Nechvatal said, “it is more about 

money now than ever.” Many 

mentioned that they wanted to 

have kids and a family. Some 

listed specific goals. 

Erik Larson, also a senior, 

thought that the 

American Dream was 

“being able to build 

something from nothing 

and to be able to say, 

‘yes, I did that!’” They were also asked to list 

off things that hurt them in reaching their 

goals. Many mentioned things like people 

who held them back (a pacifi st who fl ed to 

Sweden during Vietnam once 

said, “America is great, except 

for the Americans.”) Junior 

Ethan Scheiwe agreed about 

people, “Everyone needs to 

relax.” He believes our high 

strung nature holds us back. A 

lot of people mentioned drugs as well. This is 

interesting, as drugs do fi t into the Dream 

to an extent (feel as good as you want 

to, and never mind the consequences, 

right?) 

But don’t get sidetracked by my negativity; 

talking about bad Americans and 

drugs. Nowadays when talking about 

this country and its current state, it’s 

easy to get cynical. But, some of the 

surveys show a certain amount of 

optimism. One in particular was very 

touching. A student discussed in their 

survey their goal to become a rehab 

counselor. They talked about coming to 

school messed up one day and trying to get 

help with her addiction. Her experience with 

drugs made her want to help those who have 

similar problems. This country allowed her 

to get the help she needed to be happy, and 

now she wants to return the favor. Another 

student, senior Kara Kerrigan, talked about 

wanting to become a doctor and to raise a 

family. At the end, she tagged on something 

unique: she wanted to be “the kind of friend 

everybody wants to have.” It’s not just about 

money and a career, we also look for companions. 

This of course confl icts with our greed 

and lust and gluttony and pride. There seems 

to be some friction between what we want to 

be and what we actually are. Maybe we all 

want to have those friends, but we don’t want 

them to hold us back. 

The clearest example of the confl icting nature 

of the Dream occurs with Immigration. 

People have been coming to the United States 

in droves ever since we gained our independence. 

It has always caused issues, confl icts 

between “them” and “us.” It started fi rst with 

"... being able to build something 

from nothing, to be able to say 'yes, 

I did that!'" 

-Erik Larson 

the Irish, who came here to avoid a famine, 

and were forced into the worst ghettoes 

that have ever ex- isted in the 

United States. The next major 

immigration con- flict came 

with the Chinese in the late 

19 th century, who were forced 

to work on American 

railroads for slave 

wages. There 

are more examples: 

Ger- man’s 

houses being 

torched duri 

n g WWI; 

Anti- Semitism 

in the 

1930’s (when 

many Jews fl ed Europe 

to escape the coming 

storm); the detainment of Japanese immigrants 

during WWII; and so on and so 

forth. 

Even farther back, there were those who 

we dragged to this country. We lured blacks 

onto great big ships with promises of food 

and sunshine and brought them to our 

plantations to work. Our country is as strong 

as it is today, as powerful as it is, because 


T H E A M E R I C A N D R E A M 

's 'American Dream'? 

we were able to use slave labor. It’s a sad 

truth, but it’s still a truth. Our American 

Dream is built on the backs of the Irish, the 

Chinese, and dozens of others, but most of 

those backs are black, and continue to be. 

Even after they were set free from the legal 

bonds of slavery, we continued to make 

them work for oppressively low wages, 

and restrained them from voting. It took 

"The American Dream is having a 

roof over your head, providing your 

kids with what they need." 

-Jenny Rojas 

a century for African Americans to gain 

full civil rights, and even then, they 

didn’t get full social rights. 

They were still just blacks. 

Maybe then, that’s a 

part of Amer- ica too: 

a stubborn- ness to 

allow anyone in, a resistance 

to change, 

even when we 

know it’s 

right. 

To give 

t h e 

blacks 

any sort 

of ground 

would be to acknowledge that the white man 

had done something wrong, it would be to 

acknowledge that the white man had tricked 

innocent people into slavery and then 

abused them. It’s not an easy pill to swallow, 

and it’s not something we like to talk about, 

or hear about. But, every good thing has a 

price, and whether or not the price is worth 

paying is a matter of opinion. 

But now, we have a different fl ood of immigrants 

coming up from the South. The 

summer of my freshman year I heard the 

story of a young woman who escaped her 

slum in Guatemala to come to the United 

States and was caught and sent back three 

times before being adopted by a nun. The 

nun helped her to get her citizenship. There 

are also a lot of people coming to America 

from Southeast Asia, and a large number 

of them are settling here in the Midwest. 

Hmong populations are rising throughout 

our part of the country as people fl ee drug 

lords, corrupt governments, and nearslavery. 

Everybody wants a piece of the 

Dream, but the question s whether or not 

there is enough to go around. 

Our own Layli Amerson sat down with two 

ELL students (both immigrants) and asked 

them what they thought of the American 

Dream. Yeni Guerrero (a senior) came to this 

country from Colombia when she was twelve. 

She says that her family “came to America to 

have a better life.” Her version of the Ameri- 

can Dream echoes the same vision that 

immigrants have held for centuries: “To 

have better jobs, and to have a decent 

place to live.” It makes sense that her 

family would leave Colombia to fi nd a 

better life here in America. In modern 

South America, where drug lords and 

gangs dominate the government, and where 

the government has no intention of stopping 

them, stories about America bear a striking 

resemblance to those from 19 th century Europe. 

The grass is greener here, and there 

are more opportunities, even for the poorest 

of among us. 

Layli also talked to Jenny Rojas, who is 

also a senior. Jenny was only seven when 

she moved here from Venezuela. For her, the 

American lifestyle contrasted 

with the Venezuelan lifestyle: 

“Venezuelans are very loud, 

very talkative, and very strong 

about defending their country. . 

. The people are also very happy. 

Americans are more uptight, more quiet.” 

Her plans for the future include going to college, 

and eventually owning a daycare center. 

What is her American Dream? “A roof over 

your head, providing your kids with what they 

need. . . it’s very different in Venezuela --- It’s 

not easy to take your kids to a doctor.” For 

her, the American Dream is the fulfi llment 

of your capacity to care. Here, if your kid is 

sick, you can get help. If they’re hungry, it’s 

easy to get food. But many people here, 

American “natives” (for lack of a better 

term), don’t see that. They don’t understand 

the plight of the immigrant, how 

diffi cult it is to get a foothold in a country 

that doesn’t seem to want you. “They have 

to do illegal things just to live,” Rojas says, 

“they aren’t criminals.” 

Looking at it from that perspective, it’s 

clear that our stance regarding immigrants 

is a little harsh. Any of you currently reading 

this are a product of immigration. Somewhere 

along the line, you had relatives who 

came here from another country. Your ancestors 

saw this country as a safe haven and 

climbed onto a boat to have a better life. We 

all came here looking for something; some 

of us came here legally, some illegally, but 

other than that, there is no real difference 

between us. Legality does not defi ne morality, 

and not every person who breaks the law 

is a dangerous criminal. 

Need proof? One of the ELL students 

who fi lled out the survey (he asked not to be 

named) made multiple references to his legal 

status and his mother’s illegal status and 

the diffi culty of only being able to see her on 

breaks. “I’m sad because we only have two 

weeks. . . I want three weeks for more time 

with my mom.” Some people sneak into 

the country so they can have their children 

her here, and then at least their child can live in 

AAmerica. 

Ultimately, it comes down to the 

age old ethical question, “would you steal a 

loaf of bread to save your starving child?” 

Only now, it’s become, “would you illegally 

hop the border if it meant your child could 

live in a much safer and better country?” I 

think we all know the answer. 

So, who has a right to the American Dream? 

Is it the natural born American? Is it the 

"The American Dream is more about 

money now than ever." 

-Brien Nechvatal 

grands 

o n 

of a 

slave? 

Is it 

t h e 

veteran, the illegal immigrant, the CEO? 

I t belongs to all of us, the good 

parts, the bad parts, the 

ugly parts; every part of 

America is for every one 

of us, and forget anybody 

who gets in our way. We 

all want our fair share, and 

we all have the opportunity 

to get it. We all demand a 

nice house, a beautiful 

spouse, and a fun job. 

But under the surface 

of that, somewhere 

behind the closed 

doors of the American suburb, there is 

nothing but people who want to get laid, 

make as much money as possible, and forget 

the consequences of their actions. There 

is more than enough greed to go around. 

"The American Dream has been distorted 

to simple consumption," says junior Dan 

Kitson, "nothing more." 

M A R C H 2 0 0 9 T H E C A T ' S E Y E 13

O P I N I O N 

Classic American Dream is obsolete 

By KATIE NOYES 

Senior year has snuck up on me, and 

now with the reality of college looming 

in the near future, I have been pondering 

more and more what I want to do with the 

rest of my life. I didn’t come to a conclusion 

until just a few months ago because I was 

trying to decide between two completely different 

options: one, choose a realistic career 

path resulting in guaranteed fi nancial ease, 

or two, choose a maybe not so realistic career 

path that I have a true passion for resulting in 

personal happiness. This confl ict eventually 

resulted in a compromise. I’m going to major 

in Nursing, which is a career I know I will 

enjoy greatly and feel a sense of accomplishment 

in (even though it may not be my fi rst 

pick) and minor in English (aka writing and 

literature: my true passions). Never once did 

I consider a ridiculously high-paying career 

path that I had absolutely no interest in. 

My decision illustrates the shift in focus 

of the classic American Dream versus the 

modern American Dream. We’ve all heard 

a tale of the classic American Dream in one 

way or another. It’s that classic story of 

struggle, hardship, and poverty. Through 

hard work and a slow constant ascent of 

the ladder of status and success, success 

eventually prevails, resulting in great wealth. 

The plot sounds familiar, but the question 

remains: is the classic American Dream still 

possible today? 

The most basic answer to this question 

is yes, because it’s quite possible for 

someone to start with nothing and end 

up with everything. But, quite frankly, 

it’s not at all relevant anymore. The 

times have changed, the circumstances 

have changed, and we have changed. So, 

in response to these changes, the American 

Dream has been stretched and molded and 

adapted to fi t today’s society. While the classic 

American Dream is almost obsolete today, 

the modern American Dream is thriving. 

So, what exactly is the modern American 

Dream? As my above personal confl ict demonstrates, 

it is about putting dreams fi rst and 

money second. It is about achieving a sense 

of accomplishment and happiness. In short, 

it’s about truly living your dreams. Of course, 

money still plays a substantial role, but it is 

not the dominating factor. J.D, a writer for 

getrichslowly.org (a fi nancial website), said 

in his blog, “it’s important to love your work. 

Nobody should work at a job they hate…I get 

decent pay, good benefi ts, and a chance to 

work with my family, but because I don’t like 

the job itself, I’m unhappy.” Most consider it 

to be a failure if you are unhappy with your 

job and your life. Today, a story of someone 

leaving a high-paying, yet miserable job for a 

modest paying, meaningful job is a common 

occurrence. 

In contrast, the focus of the classic American 

Dream is about acquiring wealth and status, 

two things that went hand in hand. The 

classic American Dream is about struggle 

and hardship, and overcoming that hardship 

to reach the top. In those stories of people 

living the classic American Dream, the end 

point is usually along the lines of living in a 

large, gorgeous house, having lots of money 

and nice possessions, and having a high 

status in the community. This dream is fundamentally 

wealth and money oriented. And 

people worked to get this wealth through any 

means necessary. “[Today] to get where you 

want to be, it’s not just hard work that gets 

you there anymore,” said senior Amy Maxon. 

“I think the means of getting to the top is different,” 

added junior Laura Winger. 

Open Bowling 

Daily 

Great Food 

Jr Bowling 

Leagues 

Make a difference 

when you relax! 

• 100% Fair Trade Coffee 

• Local Beers & Wine 

• Fair Trade Global Gifts 

• Large Gallery of Local Artists 

Formerly Indigo Coffee & Teas 

300 S. Main Street, Verona 

(608) 845-6800 

www.tuvalucoffeehouse.com 

The perfect place for gifts, food, drinks & fun! 

Family Owned & Family Friendly cozy atmosphere 

Excellent Breakfast & Lunch menu ~ newly expanded! 

FREE Wi-Fi • Kid’s area w/ toys & games 

FREE Live Music Every Weekend ~ See calendar online! 

1 4 T H E C A T ' S E Y E 

M A R C H 2 0 0 9 

Saloon 

Photo courtesy of http://warehousehotline.com/Dreaming 

6285 Nesbitt Rd. Fitchburg, WI 53719 

Telephone: (608) 845-1010

O P I N I O N 

Roundabouts: A little slice of Heaven 

By TANNER FREVERT 

For those of you who make the drive 

out to Tyrol Basin, you know a thing 

or two about roundabouts. Next time 

you make the drive to Mt. Horeb, ask yourself 

why roundabouts have received such 

a tarnished reputation. Roundabouts 

have done nothing wrong. In fact, 

roundabouts actually improve the fl ow 

of traffi c, reduce the risk of accidents, 

and keep cars from stopping. “I don’t 

know why roundabouts get such a bad 

rap,” said sophomore Christian Wilson. 

“I don’t always like linear driving.” 

First off, it is important for people to 

know how navigate roundabouts. The 

most important thing to remember is 

there are no stop signs at a roundabout 

but there are yield signs. A yield sign 

means exactly that, yield. If there is 

nobody coming, just keep driving. Also, 

it is important to understand that the 

fl ow of traffi c goes to the right. Just 

think NASCAR in reverse, but at a much 

either, as you will never have those minutes 

long duals where you keep waving the other 

vehicle to go, only to have them wave right 

back. The best thing about a roundabout is 

the option of a second chance. If you don’t 

know where to go, so I drove around until I 

fi gured it out,” said senior Andy Bartels. 

Statistically, roundabouts have shown to 

reduce accidents and 

make driving safer. 

I n the Netherlands, 

one statistic showed that 

roundabouts reduced crash risk 

63% and injury crash risk 95% in 

pedestrian vehicles. Consider the 

following: at a 4-way intersection, 

there are 32 different confl ict points 

where lanes of traffi c cross, while in 

a roundabout there are zero. There 

are also twice as many pedestrian 

confl ict points at a 4-way intersection. 

Pedestrians cross a traffic 

lane 16 times, while it is only 8 at a 

roundabout. The fl ow of traffi c at 

a roundabout also increased 35%, 

and decreased congestion on the 

roadways around it. “I really like the 

safety of roundabouts,” said junior 

slower speed. A two-lane roundabout 

Tanner approves of roundabouts, but Mike cannot hide 

Alex Holmes. “They are predictable 

can get a little tricky. If you are mak- 

his anger for the civil structure. 

and easy to follow.” 

ing the immediate right, stay in the outside know where to go, you aren’t pressured by I’m not trying to make the argument that 

lane. If the fi rst outlet is not your destina- other drivers waiting behind you to make an there should be no full stop intersections. 

tion, stay on the inside lane until it is your ill-fated choice. You can keep going around That just wouldn’t be practical because you 

turn to exit. There are defi nitely benefi ts and around until you have evaluated all op- can’t have roundabouts on the highways. But 

to roundabouts. For one, you don’t have to tions and have made the best choice. If you stop giving roundabouts grief, people. They 

worry about the whole green arrow vs. green missed your turn, no big deal, just go around haven’t done anything wrong. They only 

light debacle. Right-of-way is never an issue again. “There have been times where I didn’t make your commute that much safer. 

Roundabouts: The Devil’s Intersection 

By MIKE GOLD 

Imagine if you will a summer day. You 

are driving along, listening to the radio. 

A group of ducklings are playing in the 

pond while their mother quacks happily. The 

sky is cloudless, and the sun is shining brilliantly 

overhead. Suddenly, you come to an 

intersection, but something is off- this intersection 

is round. Unsure of what to make of 

the yield sign, you stop, 

Counterpoint 

angering drivers behind 

you, and attempt to turn left, to reach your 

destination. Perhaps you are headed to a 

bible study, or going to care for orphaned 

puppies, but it won’t matter soon. A semi 

comes out of nowhere, striking your vehicle! 

You are knocked off the road and sent fl ying 

over a cliff, to certain doom- a tragedy that 

could have been avoided had you only been 

in a standard intersection. 

I appreciate progress as much as the next 

guy, I even bought one of those new “iPods”, 

but just because something is new, 

and just because they have them in Europe, 

doesn’t mean that it’s the best thing for you, 

or America. In fact, lots of bad things have 

come from Europe, like Fascism, and Sasha 

Baron Cohen. Also, the band Europe sucks. 

And as far as building them because they’re 

new is concerned: lots of new things have 

proven to be dangerous. Before fi re was 

invented, very few people burned 

themselves. Before the invention 

of indoor plumbing, no one had to deal with 

the water in the shower being too hot or cold. 

New technology can be very detrimental to 

society, just look at the atomic bomb, do we 

want another one of those hanging over our 

heads? 

Roundabouts are confusing too, you go in, 

and have to go counter-clockwise. Now I understand 

this works in Europe, a backwards 

land where everyone drives on the wrong 

side of the road. It also works in Australia, 

an even more backwards land where toilets 

Point 

flush wrong. But we don’t live in those 

places; we live here, in the good old US of 

A. It frightens me that the driving practices 

of some other land are able to simply come 

over here and take the jobs of good American 

highways and roads. 

Besides, what’s wrong with an old-fashioned 

intersection? Two perpendicular lines, meeting, 

only briefl y, at this moment in time and 

space. There is nothing on this earth more 

beautiful than an intersection with an all-way 

stop. That’s why it’s an all-way stop, so you 

can take a moment to appreciate it. 

Now imagine if you will another summer 

day. The sun shines softly, the breeze moves 

cooling the earth. An eagle soars overhead. 

You are on your way to feed orphans at an 

orphanage. You come to an intersection, and 

stop to enjoy the wonder of it all. Your eyes 

run up and down the road ahead, and the 

road running in front of you. You take a deep 

breath, everything is going to be alright. 


15

Students at 

Memorial High 

celebrate 

Famer day by 

not wearing 

shoes to class 

in 1975. 

16 

O P I N I O N 

More creative classes needed at VAHS 

By JOSIE GAIECK 

In our school systems today, we get 

graded based on how well we adapt to 

our teaching styles. In many classes, this 

entails taking notes, tests, and reading out of 

text books or packets. For many students, 

like me, this is just fi ne. School comes easily. 

These people are the left brained people. 

Left brained people are quite different than 

their counter parts, the right brained. Left 

brained people learn in a logical sequence, 

are rational and objective. However, right 

brained people are completely different. 

They learn in a random order, are intuitive, 

and see things as a whole. In other words, 

left brained people survive excellently in 

the current environment that many schools 

have, while right brained people suffer. Not 

because they can’t learn the material, but 

because they cannot learn in a structured, 

organized, and uncreative way. 

In my own AP English class, my teacher, 

Ms. Bailey, is teaching in a creative and visu- 

The evolution of American high schools 

By ALLI DOPF 

The following pictures are from the Memorial 

High School year book (1975), 

the Lower Merion, Pennsylvania yearbook 

(1936), and VAHS (2008). Take a look 

at how the times have changed. 

Right: 

Only 

senior 

pictures 

were in 

the year 

book 

as seen 

here in 

1936. 

Drinking age in 1975 was 18. 

ally stimulating way that seems to be helping 

many of my classmates. As we were reading 

Macbeth, students would act out scenes 

and as we read Heart of Darkness, we create 

illustrated timelines. These tactics help 

students who have questions, and help many 

to remember key events in both novels. 

Unfortunately, not all of our teachers 

adapt like Ms. Bailey, and our school seems 

to offer more traditional classes than creative 

classes (like art and music). Students 

here at VAHS have strong feeling about the 

status quo. Junior Lindsey Sanftleben said, 

[We should have more right brained classes] 

because there are a lot of math and science 

classes but not a lot of art and music classes. 

It doesn’t really seem balanced.” 

However, senior Alyssa Hagaman isn’t 

happy with the art classes that we offer now. 

She says, “There are many aspects to art 

rather than painting, drawing, and ceramics. 

Our school should be more creative and offer 

Example of student in 1975 whose 

T-shirt could say anything. 


a more diverse selection of art classes.” 

Why all this emphasis on art and music 

classes? Most right brained people are artists. 

Another little bit of trivia: they are also 

usually left-handed, although handedness 

and brain dominance aren’t connected. 

Right brainer and sophomore Mike Brooks 

supports the creative classes, “In creative 

classes your talent refl ects your grade. In 

traditional classes, homework refl ects your 

grades.” Most right brained people struggle 

with school and the work force because it’s 

too structured. 

In today’s world, everyone talks about 

success and making sure “every child” has 

the opportunity to succeed. However, those 

opportunities aren’t being given to half of the 

students. Right brained students all across 

the country, and right here in our school, are 

struggling with what many fi nd to be simple. 

It’s an uphill battle for these students to 

achieve what so many want: success. 

Left: A school bus from 1936. 

Example of VAHS girls dressing 

up for their team during 

the 2008 season. 

Clubs have also changed. Here 

is the 1936 rifl e club. 

All pictures submitted by Alli Dopf 

M A R C H 2 0 0 9

S P O R T S 

Athlete of the Month: Matt Ropel 


Verona’s 4 th highest scorer and 6 th man 

Matt Ropel has been chosen for our 

March Athlete of the Month. While 

he is not the most explosive scorer on the 

team, he is a lockdown defender and toughas-nails 

in the lane. Averaging 6.9 points per 

game coming off the bench, Ropel is a key 

component of the Wildcat basketball team. 

Ropel and the Wildcats have advanced to 

the sectional semifi nals beating Janesville 

Parker and Kenosha Bradford. 

Cat’s Eye: Position and Number 

Matt Ropel: I’m a shooting guard, number 

20. 

CE: Who is your favorite basketball 

player? 

MR: Defi nitely JJ Reddick. I really liked 

the way he shoots the ball, he is pure from 

beyond the arc. In my opinion, he is the best 

ever, he holds so many records. 

CE: What is your best basketball moment? 

MR: It would have to be making the alltournament 

team in 6 th grade. It was the 

state tournament, so I was up there with the 

best players in the state. 

Sports Briefs 


Boys Basketball 

The boys basketball team had an excellent 

season this year, fi nishing with a record of 

15-8 before losing to Elkhorn in the sectional 

semifi nal in Janesville. Senior Jason Ziemer 

led the Big 8 conference with 22.6 points per 

game, besting second place fi nisher Marquis 

Mason of Madison East by almost 4 points. 

Congratulations to the class of 2009 basketball 

players for winning a regional championship 

all four years. 

Girls Basketball 

The girls basketbal team wrapped up another 

season at the Coliseum, the second year in a 

row. After fi nshing in a tie for fi rst in the Big 

8 conference with Middleton, the Wildcats 

beat conference rival Janesville Parker in the 

sectional fi nal at Beloit College to advance 

to the State quarterfinals. The Wildcats 

faced the Middleton Cardinals for the third 

time this season. Unfortunately, they were 

unable to overcome the Cardinals hot shooting. 

Senior Leslie Schaefer was fourth in the 

scoring for conference, averaging 14 points 

for the school, represent 

Verona and hang out 

with some really good 

basketball players. 

CE: What are your 

thoughts on this 

year’s season? 

MR: We’ve had our 

ups and our downs, but 

it has been a lot of fun 

this year. I love playing 

in the Big 8. Some of 

my favorite games have 

been playing at Madison 

Memorial and playing 

at Beloit Memorial. We 

beat Beloit in double 

overtime, a huge win. 

Matt Ropel displays the perfect touch on his jumpshot 

CE: What’s your favor- 

CE: Do you have a favorite teamite class? 

mate? 

MR: AP Stats. It’s a fun class. Hanging 

MR: I can’t pick, I really like them all. out with Alex Holmes and Kirsten Brose 

is always fun. It’s nice to just goof around 

CE: Why do you like basketball so 

much? 

sometimes, and do some stats sometimes. 

MR: I’ve been playing basketball my whole CE: Any shoutouts? 

life. It’s a lot of fun to me. I just like to go out MR: Alex Holmes, Adam Wadzinski, and, 

there and shoot hoops. It’s really fun to play of course, Tanner Frevert. 

per game. Schaefer was also named to the 

WBCA all-state team. 

Hockey 

Congratulations to the boys hockey team 

for having a wonderful season. Their season 

came to an end at the Coliseum in the 

quarterfi nals of the state tournament with 

a 1-0 loss to Rice Lake. They fi nished with 

a record of 20-3-1, and a perfect 13-0-1 in 

the Big 8 conference. The Wildcat hockey 

team is just another example of Verona playing 

extremley well in the new conference. 

Sophomore Danny Bartkowiak led the team 

with 26 points and 12 goals. 

Wrestling 

Congratulatios to Verona Wildcat wrestler 

Jared Kissinger on his third place finish 

in the 125 pound weight-class at the state 

tournament. Coming back from a 6-2 defi cit 

going into the fi rst quarter, Kissinger, a junior, 

was able to rally back and beat Weston 

Olund, a senior from Merrill. Kissinger is 

poissed to return next year and compete for 

the state championship. 

For Your Information... 

The MATC Wolfpack lost in the fi nals of 

the NJCAA National Women’s Basketball 

Championoship game, falling to Rochester 

(MN) Community and Technical College 

87-63...The USA 

national baseball 

team advanced 

passed the second 

round in the World 

Baseball Classic, 

the first time in 

the 2 year history 

of the WBC...The 

MLB season kicks 

off this Sunday as 

the Philadelphia 

Phillies take on 

the Atlanta Braves. 

The Brewers begin 

there regular season 

Tuesday the 7th 

in San Fransisco. 

BANK, 

NEIGHBOR, 

 

VERONA 

104 S. MAIN STREET 

845.0200 

PARKBANK.COM 


17 

Photo by Tanner Frevert

S P O R T S 

Bike sales on the rise 

By ALLI DOPF 

After scoping out multiple bike shops 

this spring in my search for the perfect 

college bicycle, I realized that the 

shops seemed busier than I had expected. I 

wondered if bicycle sales have gone up at all 

with the gas prices and the economy. The 

owner of Machinery Row Bicycles told me 

that they had their best December they have 

ever had. Dan, the owner of Atkins Verona 

Bicycle Shoppe said, “We have seen some 

more bike sales, I don’t know that they’re 

directly related to gas prices. We have had 

a BIG boost in our service business that I 

believe is directly related to the gas prices 

and economy. I do believe that we will see directly 

related bikes sales increases as people 

realize how much nicer the new bikes are.” In 

a national survey, 

75% of all 

bike shops said 

they were selling 

more bikes, 

with buyers alluding 

to high 

gas prices. 88% 

of the shops said 

they were seeing 

a jump in service 

as people 

brought in old 

bikes for repair. 

More people are dropping their keys and 

grabbing their bikes to get to work and 

around town. “I’d like to ride my bike around 

18 

campus at college.” said senior, 

Jessica Alexander. “My bike is my 

friend.” Steve Linneman, owner 

of Tern of the Wheel bike shop 

in Bradley Illinios said, “People 

are saying they want to ride their 

bike to work because they can’t 

afford to put gas in their car.” Dan 

Grunig of Bicycle Colorado said, 

“Once people get into the habit 

of bicycle commuting, regardless 

of gas prices, they’re going to fi nd 

that that is the best way to get 

around.” Biking kills more than 

two birds with one stone. You can 

get from one place to another faster 

than walking, you can get your exercise, 

you can save money 

on a car and gas and 

you can save the earth 

by polluting less. 

It seems that hybrid 

bikes are the most 

popular kind of bike 

on the market right 

now. Dan from Atkins 

Verona Bicycle 

Shoppe told me that, 

“The most popular 

bike right now (by 

numbers) are the hy- 

brid type bikes (commuter, recreational) 

because most people want something fun, 

functional, and reasonably priced.” Ron Ke- 

Bike use has boomed during the economic 

downturn and bike shops like Atkins Bike Shop 

are loving it. 

March Madness returns to V-town 


It’s that time of year again. Everything is 

warming up, spring break approaches, 

and more importantly, the NCAA basketball 

tournament starts. Fellow Cat’s Eye 

writer Travis Schwartz and I decided to try 

our luck at the risk of public embarrassment. 

Here are our picks and predictions... 

The Cat’s Eye: How far do you see the 

Badgers going in the tournament? 

Travis Schwartz: The Badgers will make 

it to the second round. I think they can pull 

it out against Florida State, but no farther 

than that. If Trevon Hughes goes off, they 

can make a run. 

Tanner Frevert: I can’t see the Badgers 

making it out of the fi rst round. Wisconsin 

hasn’t had very good luck against the 

Seminoles of Florida State in post season 

play (42-13 Seminoles over Badgers in the 

Champs Sports Bowl.) 

Photo by Alli Dopf 

CE: Who is in your Final Four and 

National Champion? 

TS: I have Michigan State (2 seed from the 

Midwest), Purdue (5 seed from the West), 

Pittsburgh (1 seed from the East), and Syracuse 

(3 seed from the South). The Syracuse 

Orange will take down the Spartans from 

Michigan State in the Final. Jonny Flynn and 

Paul Harris will be too much for Sparty. 

TF: My Final Four has Louisville (1 seed 

from the Midwest), Memphis (2 seed from 

the West), Pittsburgh (1 seed from the East), 

and Oklahoma (2 seed in the South). The 

Memphis Tigers will beat the Oklahoma 

Sooners in the Championship. They have 

won 26 in a row heading into the tourney, 

and are on fi re. 

CE: Who is this year’s Cinderella 

team? 

TS: My Cinderella team is Butler, the 9 seed 

ifel of Wheat Ridge Cyclery in Wheat Ridge, 

Colorado said that they are selling, “A lot of 

the bikes that are designed for riding on the 

road and on bike paths. We’re still selling 

some mountain bikes and some road bikes,” 

he continued, “but that whole category of the 

hybrid market has really increased a lot.” 

Not only have bicycle sales gone up, but 

all-year-round biking gear has been selling 

a lot more. Dan says that, “We have defi - 

nitely been selling more gear for people to 

commute with. Lights, rear racks, studded 

tires, cool weather clothing etc.” People are 

defi nitely getting serious about saving money 

in the long run by choosing an alternative 

way of transportation. When asked if she 

was bringing a bike to college, senior, Jenna 

Stoikes replied, “Don’t you like have to bring 

a bike to college?” 

will beat the University of North Carolina in 

the second round of the south region. 

TF: I couldn’t really fi nd a Cinderella. The 

closest team to a Cinderella is the Kansas 

Jayhawks making it to the Elite Eight. 

CE: How did you make your decisions? 

TS: I just based it off what team I liked 

more. I really just guessed. 

TF: I looked at each match-up individually, 

and just went off of my gut feeling. I never 

second-guessed myself. 

Felly’s 

Garden Center 

6353 Nesbitt Rd. 

845-9591 

T H E C A T ' S E Y E M A R C H 2 0 0 9 

Photo by Alli Dopf

S P O R T S 

Boys’ Lacrosse gears up for new season 

By MADDIE ELDER 

Starting a new season is never easy, 

and it presents itself as even more of 

a challenge when you lose more than 

half of your team. Verona’s lacrosse 

team lost 13 seniors last season 

and has to build a team from the 

ground up to come back and make 

this year a successful one. “We’re 

excited for new competition and a 

successful season,” says junior and 

midfi elder Matt Jackson. With only 

2 seniors on this team this year they 

are hoping to build a strong, young 

team so they can be successful for 

years to come. 

Leading the team this year are 

captains Evan Rasmussen, Sam 

Roberts, and Nate Wright. 

Lacrosse practice has already 

started and the boys are working 

hard to make a comeback after 

losing so much of their team. “I’m 

pumped,” says junior and midfi elder 

Bryce Kunde, “we are building up a 

By MEGAN KASTEN 

new team that should be really good.” As 

most people know, Verona Lacrosse isn’t a 

school sport, but a school-sponsored club. 

Wildcats make State a tradition 

As the Winter sports season comes to 

an end, most of the Verona athletes 

are looking back to how successful 

their seasons have been. Boys’ hockey, 

girls’ basketball, and boys’ basketball 

have made major accomplishments this 

season. As winter approached, and a new 

conference was ahead of the athletes, the 

outcome of the season was unexpected. The 

Big Eight conference is known to be more 

competitive, and, “Maybe even one of the 

best, if not the best in the State,” Junior Ali 

Tackett stated. 

Tying for first in the conference, and 

repeating history as the girls’ basketball 

made another state appearance, seemed 

to be a pleasant surprise to many. Senior 

and captain Aly Bucierka said, “We knew it 

would be tougher competition and we still 

had high expectations for ourselves.” She 

also thought that new conference, “prepared 

them better for the State Tournament.” The 

girl’s took on Middleton in the quarterfi nals 

of the state tournament losing 48-59 in a 

tough rival battle. The Wildcat’s got in early 

foul trouble which hurt them in the fi rst half. 

The lady Wildcat’s ended the season with a 

19-5 record, with the second state 

The Lacrosse boys celebrate an exciting win in the 

2008 season. 

appearance in school history. Junior Ali 

Tackett described the State experience as, 

“Something that I will remember forever.” 

The girls basketball team celebrates the 

sectional fi nal victory. 

Not only have the lady Wildcats made an 

impression on the school, the boy’s hockey 

team has had a successful season as they 

skated their way to State for the fi rst time 

since 2003. The Wildcat’s ended their season 

ranked fourth in the State and had a record of 

20-3-1 overall. As they entered a new conference, 

the boy’s won the Big Eight conference 

tying one game with Middleton. 

The team plays at the Conner Fields, a new 

facility built last year next to the little league 

fi elds just off of Verona Avenue. 

Starting in April the team will be 

putting that fi eld to good use preparing 

for their tough season beginning with 

their fi rst non-tournament game 

against Madison West. Before the 

season they plan to prepare by taking 

a two day team trip to St. Louis over 

spring break for team bonding and to 

play in a tournament against out-ofstate 

competition. They play their rival, 

Middleton, on April 20 th at Middleton 

and are counting on the cheers and 

encouragement from our VAHS 

student body! Show your support for 

our Verona Lacrosse club and help 

them make this season their best one 

yet. 


19 

Photo from www.veronalacrosse.com 

Sophomore Joey Fiala said, “The Big 8 had 

more teams, but besides a few, the conference 

wasn’t as good as the Badger South.” As 

the hockey team entered the tournament 

with a second seed, they beat Edgewood 

in a close game in the sectional fi nal to 

make the trip to state where they met 

Rice Lake. 

The Wildcats got beat in a close 1-0 in the 

quarterfi nals Fiala said, “It was very sad 

losing because we were a lot better than 

most of the other teams.” The Wildcats 

had an awesome season and have a lot to 

be proud of. The Wildcats are only losing 

eight seniors so they are looking to make 

another strong appearance next season. 

Photo courtesy of Ali Tackett 

YOUR FAMILY GROCER 

In a World Class Store 

210 South Main 845-6478

A R T S & E N T E R T A I N M E N T 

‘Megan’s of Verona,’ new family cafe 

By MELISSA SEYMOUR 

Megan’s of Verona, a new restaurant 

on North Edge Trail, was opened 

in early of January by Roger Mc- 

Munn and the McMunn family. According 

to Megan’s website, “Megan’s of Verona is a 

breath of fresh air for those who are tired of 

the ‘drive thru’ style of eating. We’re a great 

place for family and friends to get together 

and enjoy real ‘home style’ cooking and 

service.” 

There is a wide variety of food at Megan’s 

including steaming hot breakfast, delicious 

lunch, and satisfying dinner. And the bar in 

Megan’s might even be turned into a smoothie 

and milk shake bar for people to sit at and 

enjoy this summer. Megan’s website states, 

“Whether you’re looking for breakfast, lunch, 

dinner, or just a friendly place to relax and 

have a muffi n and coffee, Megan’s is for you. 

We look forward to serving you soon.” 

There is an obvious “homey” feeling among 

not only the customers but workers as well 

at Megan’s of Verona. McMunn explains, 

“Megan’s is really family friendly and comfortable 

for everyone. We have a room especially 

for younger families that has toys in the 

corner so young children can stay happy and 

have fun while food is being cooked or their 

parents are eating.” 

Daughter of McMunn and freshman at 

Verona, Hannah McMunn, explains, “One 

thing about Megan’s is that it is run by a 

Verona family, and just like any other family, 

everyone is involved.” The four McMunn 

children help with hosting, bussing tables, 

and Megan, the youngest, plays with other 

children in the play room. She says, “Working 

with family does create some stress, and 

we are all constantly talking about ways to 

improve Megan’s, but its nice being able to 

spend more time side by side.” 

There are some changes on the horizon for 

Megan’s. Owner Roger McMunn explains 

how at first things were rough because 

Megan’s was trying to cook really gourmet 

things but is now doing what they do best 

and making what Verona is really asking 

for. He states, “We are serving homemade 

recipes from our family to yours.” There are 

16 Verona High School students working at 

Megan’s right now. McMunn explains that 

the staff is doing a wonderful job but, “we 

need to learn to work smarter, not necessarily 

harder, but make better use of our time 

and energy.” 

So, if you are in the mood for a great meal, 

or need a nice place to meet up with family 

or friends, Megan’s is the place to go. You 

can even check out the menu beforehand at 

www.megansgrandcafe.com . 

Music students perform in Chicago 

On February 26th By KATIE NOYES 

, while most of us 

had one more school-day left to sit 

through, 95 students of the VAHS 

music department were enjoying a musical 

excursion to Chicago. What many may not 

know is how much practice and preparation 

went into this trip. “All the rehearsing was 

done outside of school time. We held sectionals 

and large group rehearsals before and 

after school, at lunch time, and on Sundays. 

All of the students spent time practicing on 

their own as well, plus we had large meetings 

for all the students, parents, and chaperones, 

and a preview concert! We began our rehearsals 

in early December and fi nished the 

day before we left,” explained Ms. Georgeson, 

the VAHS choir teacher. 

Students left early Thursday morning, 

at about six-thirty. The fi rst item on the 

itinerary was a concert at Tinley Park High 

School. Members of VAHS’ band, choir, and 

orchestra each performed songs, and then, 

Tinley Park High school performed for them 

in return. “The Tinley Park High School 

audience was very excited by and responsive 

to our performance,” said Georgeson. “Our 

performance at Tinley Park High School 

in Illinois was a great experience. It was 

wonderful to see students from both schools 

interacting together. The support their 

students gave ours was fantastic, and we 

responded in kind. There was even mention 

of their music department coming up to visit 

us here at VAHS,” added VAHS’s Orchestra 

teacher, Mr. Vandermeuse. 

Next, they toured the Field Museum. 

Later that evening, they attended a Blue 

Man Group Concert, and got seats right in 

the front row where there was a lot of action. 

Being seated in the front row meant 

constant surprises. The Blue Men climbed 

over them, spit bananas at them, and did 

countless other unexpected things. “It 

“Each unique part of this 

tour has created a wonderful 

memory” 

-Ms. Georgeson 

was interactive and fun and they climbed 

over me,” said sophomore Kristen Hoel. 

Sophomore Ben Mayers added, “It was 

really cool, and at the end they had giant 

roles of toilet paper!” This concert seemed 

to be the favorite and most memorable 

among students. “It was a really awesome 

experience and they were really funny,” said 

freshman Julia Pfeiffer. 

After a fun-fi lled night, it was back 

to business early the next morning. 

Students had a clinic at University of 

Illinois-Chicago. Choir and orchestra 

performed for one clinician, and band 

performed for another. Then, the clinicians 

critiqued their performances. 

“The university professors who worked 

with our students were very impressed with 

and complimentary of the level of performance,” 

said Georgeson. 

Next, it was off to the Museum of Science 

and Industry. And later that night, they attended 

a Wynton Marsalis (a Grammy award 

winning trumpeter and Pulitzer Prize winner) 

and Jazz concert at the Lincoln Center 

Symphony Orchestra. One of the members 

of the jazz band had even recorded music 

for the movie When Harry Met Sally. After 

a long day of music, students returned 

home at about one-thirty in the morning. 

“Each unique part of this tour has created a 

wonderful memory - and the desire to travel 

again - soon!” explained Georgeson. “As a 

teacher, it was great to see students of mine 

succeed, and as a musician, it was great to 

experience such outstanding performances,” 

added Vandermeuse. 

conventional litho | digital offset | large format 

parkprinting.com 

2 0 T H E C A T ' S E Y E 

M A R C H 2 0 0 9


Rumors invade VAHS 

By SARAH KESSLER 

You would never think that adults would 

sink to high school level when it comes 

to concocting rumors, but in the VAHS 

production of Rumors by Neil Simon, that 

is just what happens. Rumors takes place 

in upper Manhattan at the home of Charley 

and Myra Brock. The Brocks are hosting a 

party to celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary. 

When the fi rst guests, Ken and 

Chris Gorman arrive, they hear a gun shot. 

They fi nd Charley upstairs bleeding from 

the head. Myra and the servants are missing, 

and a bunch of frozen and half-thawed 

food is discovered unprepared in the kitchen. 

Claire and Lenny Ganz arrive next, and soon 

after Cookie and Ernie Cusack. Ken and 

Chris attempt to hide the truth from Claire 

and Lenny, but they soon give in, and tell 

them what happened. The last guests Glenn 

and Cassie Cooper arrive, and soon all hell 

breaks loose. Due to everyone’s status in 

the upper class, they decide they need to do 

everything possible including lying to the 

police, to conceal the evening’s events from 

the police and media. 

Starting in January, the cast of twenty 

worked every night from 4-6, soon taking 

on the personality of the character and 

making the play come alive. Two casts were 

made, and each cast performed twice with 

one matinee to VAHS. Each cast performed 

Big 8 Art Conference 

By CLAIRE DAVENPORT 

This year Verona is hosting the Big 8 Art 

Conference. It will be held in the Sugar 

River Gallery, be open to the public 

the week we come back 

from spring break, and 

stay open for the rest of 

the month of April. It 

will show pieces, ranging 

from ceramics and 

sculpture to drawing 

and painting, from all 

the Big 8 schools except 

for East and Janesville 

Craig. “This show is a 

celebration of the work 

we do,” said ceramics 

art teacher Mr. Becker. 

Verona has been a part of the art conference 

since the early 90’s. Back then we were a 

part of the Capitol Conference and the show 

was held at the Pile Center on the UW Madison 

campus. It was hosted there every year 

until we obtained our own art gallery, the 

with outstanding exaggeration, helping to 

emphasize the subtle desperation of the 

characters. Each character struggled with his 

or her own problem and anxiety, one of the 

largest involving Ken and Chris’s honesty to 

each couple that enters the house. 

Rumors is known as a farce (a play full of 

events that are likely but highly improbable), 

and Mike Gold, who played Ernie Cusack, 

Sugar River Gallery, in 1995. 

When we were in the Badger Conference, 

we hosted the 

Photo courtesy of Mr. Becker 

show in 

the gallery 

many 

times. Last 

year when 

we knew 

our school 

was moving 

up to the Big 

8 conference, 

former principal Ms. Meyers wanted to 

continue this tradition. Verona was invited 

last year to be a part of the Big 8 show, but 

we had already agreed to be in the Badger 

conference show. So this year Verona volunteered 

to start the whole process of the show 

and to host it. And it will be our school’s fi rst 

formal participation in it. 

If you are interested in submitting any pieces 

of work for the show, be sure to talk to Mr. 

had one particular favorite scene in the 

play, “when I go back into the kitchen, 

Cookie is crawling across the fl oor since 

her back has random spasms. Then Lenny 

comes out of the bedroom, looks down 

and exclaims ‘what is that?’” These, among 

many other scenes are packed full of bad 

jokes, too much yelling and a foul word or 

two. The cops (Sarah Kroth, Jenny Noyes, 

Nick Murphy, & Danny Halminiak) adopted 

a New York accent, Ken (Dan Kitson & John 

Lyell) became temporarily deaf, and Cassie 

(Torrie Hansen & Liz Schultz) is obsessed 

with a million-year old crystal. 

It was hard work for each cast member to 

adapt their character’s personality. The cast 

had to work hard to adapt to some different 

personalities, though some related very well 

those the characters they play. Elliot Richardson, 

who played Glenn Cooper, enjoyed 

watching everyone “grow” throughout the 

play. “It was really cool watching everyone 

transform, and I really loved seeing everyone 

improve from the fi rst day until the 

opening night.” 

With rumors made up and too many fi ghts 

to count, Rumors ended with lots of laughter, 

hidden jokes, and was one of the best 

plays VAHS has produced in a long time. 


21 

Photo by Sarah Kessler 

Becker, Ms. Anderson, or Ms. Stremikis as 

soon as possible because they will be setting 

Photo courtesy of Mr. Becker 

8 th from 

4:30 to 

6:30 in 

the afternoon 

and special 

guest David Smith, 

a professor at Edgewood 

College, will 

be handing out 

awards. 

up the show over spring break 

and need to know what they 

have space for. The closing ceremony 

will be 

held 

on May

A R T S & E N T E R T A I N M E NT 

The Bachelor heart break 

By KYLIE EASON 

The most recent season of The Bachelor 

has left America in an uproar. At the 

end of the season, it was down to three 

girls: Jillian Harris, Molly Malaney, and 

Melissa Rycroft. With Jillian eliminated, 

preparing to become the new Bachelorette, 

popular bachelor Jason Mesnick was left to 

choose between the “M” ladies. Everyone 

expected there to be a fi nal choice, just one, 

and that’s the way things would be. They 

would either be married forever or break 

up, like multiple Bachelors before. But when 

the engagement never became a full blown 

wedding, one heart was broken and another 

pieced back together. 

At the fi nal elimination ceremony, with 

an appearance from Jason’s three year old 

son, Ty, it made Jason’s proposal to Melissa 

the most romantic proposal any girl could 

ask for. Melissa’s excited acceptance fooled 

people into believing that this one was going 

to last. In an interview with Ellen, Melissa 

said that she was suspicious. The “After the 

Final Rose” date had been moved up and 

she asked Jason before the show if anything 

was going to happen, if she was going to be 

blind-sided by anything. He told her no, that 

Deemed as the “funniest comedy team 

for the internet generation,” The 

Lonely Island’s Akiva Schaffer, Jorma 

Taccone, and Andy Samberg are sweeping 

viewers from here to Australia. If you’ve ever 

seen the digital shorts on Saturday Night 

Live, like Laser Cats and Space Olympics, or 

heard songs like “Lazy Sunday,” or “I’m on a 

Boat,” then you know of the Lonely Island. 

Schaffer, Taccone, and Samberg, or The 

Dudes as they are sometimes called, all hail 

from Berkeley, California. Schaffer and Taccone 

are currently working as writers for SNL, 

and Samberg as an actor. One of their fi rst 

videos was for the song “Lazy Sunday”, which 

premiered on SNL as a digital short. “I love 

the song “Lazy Sunday” with Chris Parnell, 

just because they’re rapping about cupcakes 

and Narnia...It’s so funny,” added sophomore 

Mercedes Kirk. Another well known song they 

did was when Natalie Portman was hosting 

for SNL. It was their fi rst time working with 

her, so they weren’t sure how she would take 

it, but she was really excited about it. So, 

Portman and the Dudes worked together to 

make the most explicit and inappropriate rap 

she was going to be fi ne. 

But right before she went 

to go onstage he tapped 

her on her knee and said, 

“P.S it’s Molly,” and on 

her way she went. Junior 

Anthony Amacci thinks 

“that the whole thing 

was scripted and a huge 

joke.” Yet, Miree Walter 

is genuinely upset: “He 

told her he loved her and 

that he wanted to spend 

of the rest of his life. 

That’s such a joke! You 

don’t do that.” 

A valid question to 

ponder in recalling this 

tragic event is: why did 

he wait? After choosing 

Melissa it was said he 

felt instant regret, but 

couldn’t bring himself to 

break it off. “That’s so bogus. Why wouldn’t 

he choose the one he really wanted originally? 

It was worse that he dumped her on 

T.V,” states senior Tiffany Bambrough, feeling 

that that was a dumb move on his part. 

The Lonely Island’s iTunes debut 

By CLAIRE MILLER 

Akiva, Andy, and Jorma pose for a 

photo in their rawesome pink suits. 

about “a day in the life of Natalie Portman.” 

The result was hilarious, and audiences loved 

it. “Natalie’s Rap,” “Lazy Sunday,” and many 

From break-up to make-up, Jason stands by his beloved 

Molly, and leaves Melissa behind. 

People are in general consensus that it was 

not a smart move on his part, and a handful 

of people blame ABC, saying that they just 

needed something to boost their ratings. 

more of their funny songs can be found on 

their new debut album, Incredibad. 

The Lonely Island’s music and videos 

may very well become cult classics. Over 

30 million people have been playing their 

work on YouTube. Like many other avid 

Lonely Island fans, Kirk believes “They are 

hilarious! I like their videos better than 

the songs themselves, but their music is 

still really good.” In response, the Lonely 

Island reminded fans that “in the end, we’re 

comedians and not musicians.” Samberg 

later commented, “I don’t think many radio 

stations are actually playing [our music] 

because it’s so dirty.” Junior Alyssa Homb 

hasn’t listened to Incredibad, but she has 

seen their work all over YouTube and is 

very eager to get the album. She explained, 

“I haven’t listened to their album yet, but I 

defi nitely think they have the potential to 

be great.” 

Incredibad is available on iTunes for 

download. So if you want some interesting 

music to listen to, or you’re just looking for a 

good laugh, check them out on iTunes, or on 

their website, www.thelonelyisland.com. 

22 T H E C A T ' S E Y E 

M A R C H 2 0 0 9 

Photo courtesy of Google Images 

Photo edited by Kylie Eason


Iconic Obama image plagiarized? 

By LAYLI AMERSON 

Artist Shepard Fairey’s iconic HOPE 

image of Barack Obama graced buttons, 

T-shirts, posters, and stickers 

across America during the Presidential Election. 

That seemingly innocent graphic is now 

embroiled in a legal dispute. Fairey referenced 

a photo taken by Associated Press (AP) 

photographer Mannie Garcia in 2006 when 

he created the image. The photo was taken 

before Obama announced his candidacy for 

president. When the source of the photo was 

discovered last month, the AP requested that 

Fairey pay the license fee as well as damages, 

claiming that they own 

the original photo and 

are entitled to credit 

and payment for the 

image. Fairey agreed to 

pay the license fee and 

was “perfectly willing 

to give Mannie Garcia 

the credit,” but he was 

repulsed by what he saw 

as the AP bullying an 

artist. 

According to Fairey, 

the AP printed a piece in 

the national press “basically 

saying I stole the 

photo.” The AP defends 

their stance, stating that 

“it is crucial to protect 

photographers, who 

are creators and artists. 

Their work should not be 

misappropriated by others.” 

Interestingly, Mannie Garcia was working 

as a freelance photographer in 2006, and 

believes that he owns the rights to the photo, 

not the AP. Garcia commented, “Simply because 

it’s on the Internet, doesn’t mean it’s 

free for the taking.” Fairey struck back at the 

AP with a lawsuit, claiming that his use of the 

image is protected under the fair use section 

of copyright law. Senior Maggie Richardson 

supported Fairey’s stance, claiming, “A photo 

and artwork are completely different.” 

According to Fairey’s lawsuit, the artist 

“transformed the literal depiction contained 

in the Garcia photograph into a stunning, 

abstracted and idealized visual image that 

creates powerful new meaning and conveys 

a radically different message.” Fairey 

cropped out George Clooney (originally 

next to Obama) from the photo, rotated the 

angle of Obama’s face, altered the direction 

of his eyes, and broke Obama’s face into red, 

white, and blue blocks of shadow and light. 

Fairey’s appropriation of an image from 

American culture echoes the Pop Art movement 

and the work of Andy Warhol. The art 

that Warhol created was taken from popular 

culture—Campbell’s soup cans, Coca Cola 

bottles, Marilyn Monroe—and was intended 

to transform commercialism into an artistic 

statement. Warhol wasn’t sued by the companies 

and 

newspapers 

that he took 

his images 

from. Imagine 

if Campbell’s 

had 

(Above) The Associated Press image 

Fairey says he referenced for his art 

(Left) Fairey’s HOPE image 

decided to send Warhol 

a cease-and-desist order 

for appropriating their 

soup can design. Would 

Warhol have been 

stopped from making 

his famous art? 

That’s why the Fairey 

case is so important. Its 

outcome will determine 

what artists can and 

can’t use for their art, 

which is now a gray area. 

Fairey feels that he needs “to fi ght the AP 

not for myself only but for a whole group of 

artists that would probably be self-censored 

because they can’t afford the photos and they 

don’t want to be in a legal tangle.” 

Indeed, it often seems that American society 

gravitates toward an aggressive “don’t touch 

my stuff” mentality. While our possessiveness 

has protected capitalism and encouraged 

American innovation and invention, 

at times it goes too far. It’s logical to patent 

a design that could make millions, but is it 

logical to attack an artist? As the Internet Age 

progresses, more and more Americans will 

be affected by fair use. We all copy and paste 

images from Google. Those posting videos on 

YouTube, for example, are both creators and 

potential infringers, making a product and 

appropriating everything from songs to the 

calendar hanging in the background of the 

video. The sites we post on might even claim 

some ownership of the content. For example, 

Facebook attempted to change its terms of 

use policy so that they could claim ownership 

of all posted photos, but the resulting furor 

caused them to retract. 

This issue of originality versus plagiarism 

pervades art classes at VAHS as well as the 

art world. Art teacher Shannon Anderson 

commented, “In art classes, students should 

avoid using photos that they 

didn’t take, which leads to 

copyright infringement. For 

example, if a student did a 

drawing based on a photo 

from the Internet or a magazine, 

their art would infringe 

on the photo’s copyright. 

However, the educational 

purpose has to be taken 

into consideration.” You’ve 

probably seen one exception 

to this rule—the social issues 

collage posters—hanging 

in the halls. The images in 

those posters are nearly all 

taken from the Internet. Anderson 

doesn’t enter them in 

art shows and she discourages her students 

from using them in portfolios because they 

are not completely original, although she 

does display them in the high school. 

If high school art students have to follow 

copyright laws, is Fairey at fault? Senior 

Cami Kieler asserted, “Fairey used the photographer’s 

own work. That’s plagiarism.” 

Ironically, Fairey has lambasted other artists 

for using his images. He called one graphic 

designer who created and sold his own version 

of Fairey’s Obey Giant image a “parasite.” 

Others, such as junior Zoe Slattery, 

maintain they “think [the HOPE image] is 

inspiring and sends a good message.” 

Regardless of your opinion of Fairey, the 

HOPE image made an impression in American 

culture, bringing the artist to “Person 

of the Year” status (GQ Magazine). Both 

TIME and Esquire magazines featured his 

HOPE image, which is in the Smithsonian 

National Portrait Gallery’s Permanent Collection. 

That gallery recently announced 

plans to include a signed print of Garcia’s 

original photo alongside the HOPE image. 

Although Fairey earned accolades, he did 

not profi t monetarily from his grassroots 

distribution of the HOPE image, putting 

earnings into producing more election art. 

As Fairey’s original image was displayed as 

illegal street art, it wasn’t used as part of the 

offi cial Obama Campaign either; two similar 

“Vote” and “Change” images were used offi 

cially. The Obama campaign approved of 

his artistic support, however. 


23 

Photo courtesy of (lower left) obeygiant.com; (left) npr.org

March Horoscopes 

By KATIE SYSE 

Aquarius (1/20-2/18) 

Expect a new crush cutie 

to show up just in time for 

some spring break romance. 

Pisces (2/19-3/20) 

A perfect weekend is in your near 

future. 

Aries (3/21-4/19) 

Your brutal honesty is one of 

your most redeeming qualities. 

Stick with it! 

Taurus (4/20-5/20) 

End it. It really is going 

nowhere. 

L I T T E R B O X 

Gemini (5/21-6/21) 

Stop wearing blue; you think 

it’s your color but it’s not. 

Cancer (6/22-7/22) 

Think positive! Things 

really aren’t as bad as they 

seem. 

Leo (7/23-8/22) 

Start saving your money, it’s 

going to be a long summer 

when you’re broke. 

Virgo (8/23-9/22) 

An old crush is going to 

come back and crush you 

some more. 

GEEK OF THE MONTH! 

Like the month of February, the February’s geek is no more. Ms. Breunig’s Sci-Fi class 

has the privilege to present March’s Geek of the Month title to Amanda Spencer. One 

of her classmates even gave her the compliment that Amanda “would be a superb geek 

of the month”. Amanda is an avid 

fan of any science- fi ction and 

fantasy TV shows, such as Firefl y, 

Supernatural, Buffy, Angel, 

Dollhouse, and Lost. She is also 

obsessed with dragons. Her 

license plate reads “DRGNLVR” 

which translates into “dragon lover” 

explains one of her classmates. 

Amanda even makes sci-fi related 

pieces in ceramics. Along with being 

obsessed with several different 

TV shows and dragons, she is 

also a dedicated Harry Potter fan, 

going so far as to dress up for the 

midnight release party for the 7th Amanda is proud to be a dragon-loving geek! 

book. Amanda will be receiving a class 

certifi cate stating that she is geek of the month along with a Barnes & Noble gift 

certifi cate. Join us in congratulating Amanda Spencer on being Geek of the Month! 

UW Provisions 

“The Meat People” 

2315 Pleasantview Road 

608-836-7421 

Libra (9/23-10/22) 

Stop procrastinating, your 

teachers aren’t going to give 

you any more chances. 

Scorpio (10/23-11/21) 

Your continuous raging on 

weekends explains your 

less than impressive GPA. 

Sagittarius (11/22-12/21) 

Separate yourself from some of 

the people you’ve been hanging 

out with. They are bad news. 

Capricorn (12/22-1/19) 

You could defi nitely be 

doing better in school. 


2 4 

Photo by Katie Noyes 

PAWS UP! 

junior prom 

summer coming 

spring break 

PAWS DOWN! 

melting snow 

AP Exams 

finding summer 

jobs

T h e A merican D rea m- - - Verona Area School District

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?