BERLIN UPDATE

VOLUME 4 ISSUE 1 

November, 2012 

By Stacie Klika 

There’s a new way to 

show school spirit recently 

around the country. 

That is just what Berlin 

High did. On Oct. 26, BHS 

put together a lipdub. 

A lipdub is the process 

of lip syncing and dancing 

to show off school 

spirit. Each club had 

their own section of the 

school. Each captain 

or club leader got the 

chance to lip sync. 

BHS had every club 

and sports team partcipate. 

“The lipdub was Shayla 

Ferrel’s baby,” junior Ce- 

A BERLIN HIGH SCHOOL PUBLICATION 

Produced for the Public Awareness Committee by 

the Writing For Publications Class 

BERLIN UPDATE 

School comes together in song 

lia Mueller said. 

Senior Shayla Ferrel 

found out about lipdubs 

from one of her friends 

from Neenah. 

“The whole concept of 

the video sparked my interest,” 

Ferrel said. 

Ferrel was the director 

of the entire lipdub. 

Mueller assisted Ferrel by 

being the producer. 

With the permission 

from technology education 

teacher, Joel Johansen, 

the project was 

a go. The lipdub is a final 

project for Johansen’s 

graphics class. 

The students had two 

practices, on Wednesday 

and Thursday. Friday 

was go time with the final 

performance. 

“I think it turned out 

better than we expected,” 

Mueller said. 

The lipdub took quite 

some time to edit. 

“This is a huge project. 

It takes three weeks 

for the video and three 

weeks of editing,” Johansen 

said. 

There are so many 

groups and different 

things to edit. 

The lipdub premiered 

before Thanksgiving in a 

Primetime showing. 

Photo Submitted 

Lip syncers Gavin Harmon and Kinsey Harmon sing the song “Firework” by Katy 

Perry. They are full of energy to show off the Cross Country’s team school spirit. 

What was your favorite 

part about participating 

in the Lipdub? 

“It was really cool how all the 

clubs/sports were recognized. 

And dancing with my team,” 

junior Kinsey Harmon said. 

“That we had so many 

participating in the cross 

country group,” sophomore 

Anna Falk said. 

“It made me feel like our 

school was one tribe ya’ll,” 

senior Callie Walker said. 

Text and photos by Stacie Klika

Page 2 November, 2012 November, 2012 Page 3 

Students support being kind at BHS 

By Sierra Klawitter 

At Berlin High, new 

ideas are flying 

through the air faster 

than anyone knows 

what to do with them. 

First, there was the lip 

dub and now there is the 

newest idea from Guidance 

Counselor Ann 

Ragus, the Kind Project. 

The Kind Project is 

the reason there are 

so many posters and 

flyers up around the 

high school right now. 

All of the posters were 

created by students 

who became involved 

in the Kind Project 

and who wanted to 

make a difference. 

The purpose of this 

project is to spread kindness 

around Berlin so no 

student feels left out or 

alone while at school. 

As the year continues, 

Ragus and the in- 

Students write short stories 

By Monica Madell 

Many people enjoy reading, yet 

not many appreciate the process it 

takes to actually write a story. The 

students in Andy Reise’s Creative 

Writing class know all about this process. 

“Short stories are creative; to write 

these stories you have to think outside 

the box,” junior Nakisha Hopp, 

a student in Reise’s class, said. 

These students put a lot of thought 

into their writing. 

“The challenging part is making 

the story interesting while keeping it 

short,” Hopp said. 

Kind Project volunteers hung up many posters and 

signs like this one to promote kindness. 

volved students plan 

to expand the project 

and continue to 

make sure everyone at 

BHS feels the kindness. 

Senior Emily Cox is 

the student in charge 

of planning the campaign’s 

approach. 

Cox has many responsibilities 

that she 

must take care of 

Reise has a strategy to help his students. 

“Having the students read and pick 

apart how another author writes is 

an important part in writing development. 

I’ll also have them create 

parts of their stories through outlines 

so they know right away how their 

stories will end,” Reise said. 

Writing short stories is important to 

these students not only because it is 

a big grade, but because how they 

develop as writers depends on their 

improvements. 

“It helps you be creative and to 

express yourself,” Taylor Cearney, 

BHS, both students and 

staff, feel comfortable 

and safe coming to 

school,” Ragus said. 

Ragus and the 12 

students who are helping 

with the campaign 

have weekly meetings 

in Student Services 

to decide what to do 

next to spread kindness. 

At each meeting, 

Photo: Sierra Klawitter the Kind Project com- 

Sophomores explore careers 

Photo: S. Klawitter 

for the Kind Project. 

Some of her responsiblities 

for the committee 

include organizing 

meetings, 

putting up posters, 

and selling bracelets. 

Ragus believes 

in her project. 

“The purpose of the 

project is to help everyone 

who attends 

mitee decides what 

they will do as an act 

of kindness for someone 

at the school. 

A recent act of kindness 

was doughnuts 

to all students who 

had been nominated 

by a teacher for 

an act of kindness. 

BHS as a whole is taking 

part in the Kind Project. 

Every and any act 

of kindness goes a long 

way in supporting the 

cause. 

also known as “Cerndog,” another 

student in Reise’s class said. 

Like so many other teachers, Reise 

hopes to see his students succeed, 

but he is looking for a little extra 

from his creative writers. 

“Sometimes when you create 

a character you put yourself into 

that character. In a way the story 

reflects you, and it generally helps 

you understand the writing process 

better,” Reise said. “I want to see 

the finished product, but I also want 

to see development and a journey 

of discovery when they write these 

stories.” 

Spring play chosen, auditions set 

By Brittani Tiffany 

The spring play auditions are just around the corner. 

“The play this year will be ‘Alice in Wonderland.’ I’m 

extremely excited to start audtioning, especially for 

this play,” Drama Director Angela Femali said. 

Femali expects a lot of students to audition because 

it is a very well-known and fantastical play. About 35- 

40 students usually audition and are interested in the 

play. 

“Alice in Wonderland’ is going to turn out amazing 

because it is a play that everone knows,” sophomore 

Mckayla Pues said. 

By Alyssa Trampf 

Intro to Communications 

class is on a mission 

to get an important task 

done. 

The career paper is the 

major assignment that 

sophomores must complete. 

If this paper is not 

completed, the students 

cannot pass the class or 

graduate. 

The career paper is 

worth a big chunk of 

their grade -- 200 points. 

“The career paper has 

been going on for 25 

years -- as long as I can 

remember,” Guidance 

Counselor Ann Ragus 

said. 

Ragus and Willet travel 

the whole year throughout 

the sophomore class 

to teach them about careers. 

The counselors meet 

with every Intro to Communications 

class and 

spend time teaching 

them all about careers. 

“Mr. Willet and I do five 

days of activities,” Ragus 

said. 

The paper is important 

for students to learn 

about writing a research 

paper and getting orga- 

nized. 

“All I did in college was 

write research papers. 

It’s a good tool to have,” 

Ragus said. 

The students can also 

develop an idea of what 

they want to do with 

their futures. 

“I think the paper helps 

students figure out a career 

but also what they 

don’t want to do, which 

is just as important,” Ragus 

said. 

This was true for sophomore 

Natalie Speers 

who has Angela Femali 

first hour and was looking 

into being a vet. 

“I wanted to be a vet 

because I love animals, 

especially cute, little 

puppies!” Speers said. 

The students get a lot 

of class time to research 

and write their paper. 

“Mrs. Ragus and Mr. Willet 

were helpful teaching 

us about resources,” 

Speers said. 

The best part about 

the paper is getting it 

back when graduation 

comes around to see 

if students pursue the 

same careers. 

There is only one person who could direct this play. 

“I’m going to be honest, I don’t feel anyone else 

could do a better job than I am already doing,” Femali 

said. 

Junior Lee Laudolff is familiar with Femali’s directing 

style, and has been acting since his freshman year. 

“This play is very mystical and exciting, so it should 

turn out very well,” Laudolff said. 

Auditions are Dec. 12 at 3:30 p.m. in the BHS auditorium 

and will be lead by Femali. 

“I feel this play will turn out awesome because I 

have faith in the cast members,” Femali said. 

Photo: A. Trampf 

Photo by: Alyssa Trampf 

Above: Sophomore Natalie Speers self-edits her career 

paper. 

Below: English teacher Angela Femali assists Speers in 

putting the finishing touches on her paper. 

Photo: A. Trampf

Page 4 November, 2012 

Hunting vs. Thanksgiving 

How does hunting season affect your family Thanksgiving plans? 

“Thanksgiving at my mom’s is 

short so I can get back to my 

dad’s to hunt. Thanksgiving at 

my dad’s has a lot more people 

because it has our ‘hunting 

family’ too,” sophomore Bridget 

Freimark said. 

“We spend most of the 

day in the woods, come 

back for lunch and 

watch football then head 

back out,” senior Drew 

Wallace said. 

“We get up and hunt until 

lunch. We leave our hunting 

stuff scattered all around the 

house and eat some turkey 

and fall asleep watching 

football,” senior Bryce Pischke 

said. 

“We’ll hunt Thanksgiving morning, 

which sometimes makes mom 

mad, and Friday if we don’t get 

anything. Thanksgiving at dad’s 

is everyone who hunts so there’s 

a lot of tired people,” senior 

Amanda Mack said. 

Created by Emma Hargrave 

Reunited family adjusts to new life 

By Brooke Nighbor 

The Ajinova and Willis families 

came together as one 

when parents Melanie and 

Gene reconnected after 

many years. They previously 

attended elementry school 

together. 

Adjusting to their new 

lives as the Willis family is 

going well. They still face 

some challenges by not 

being able to spend a lot 

of time together. On the 

other hand being a whole 

family has been a positive 

change. 

“It has brought us together 

as a support system,” Melanie 

Willis said. 

Some of the risks Melanie 

Willis faced as a parent 

moving her child Natalia 

across country from Tennessee 

to Wisconsin her senior 

year were worrying about 

her not making new friends 

and fitting in. 

Natalia Ajinova was excited 

to move. 

“It was bittersweet, nerve 

racking but exciting at the 

same time,” Ajinova said. 

Ajinova was excited to 

move to Wisconsin because 

she wanted to attend a different, 

better school, and it 

was time for a change. 

“I love the city life, but it 

got to be too crazy and the 

school was too big,” Ajinova 

said. 

Mother and daughter 

chose Wisconsin over Tennesse 

because Melanie 

Willis had previously lived in 

Wisconsin before and has 

family here. 

The timing of the situation 

was influenced by the family 

going through a major 

struggle the past two years. 

“It just became a good 

time for a change.” Melanie 

Willis said. 

Damian Willis, son of Gene, 

has a positive outlook on 

the marrige. 

“I am excited about having 

a step-sister,” Willis said. 


The new Willis family gathers on a beautiful October 

day for the wedding celebration. 


November, 2012 Page 5 

Students search for jobs 

By Nicole Harrington 

Teens are beginning 

to spread their wings as 

they go through high 

school, searching for 

their meaning in life. 

One way of finding their 

way is to get a job. 

“I’ve been working 

at McDonalds for four 

months and I had no 

trouble finding a job 

there,” sophomore Bryce 

Paul said. 

Other jobs such as factories 

and farming are 

easy finds if students 

have the knowledge to 

work there. 

“I wanted to get a job 

for the future because 

I’m going to need one 

anyway,” Paul said. 

Paul claims he has no 

Traditions to talk about 

By Hannah Trochinski house because she 

Families recently celebrated 

Thanksgiving 

and everyone was looking 

forward to the turkey 

in the weeks before. 

Okay, maybe not the 

turkeys themselves, but 

all of the humans were. 

Besides food, Thanksgiving 

is about family 

and something every 

family has: traditions. 

Whether it is just that the 

family gets together at 

grandma and grandpa’s 

house or they do 

everything the same 

down to the letter every 

year, it is there. 

Some families have 

old-styled traditions like 

praying before the meal 

or certain people bringing 

certain dishes. 

“We always pray before 

the meal and celebrate 

at my grandma’s 

risk of losing 

his 

job, even 

now that 

he is in 

school. 

O n e 

company 

that often 

hires 

students 

is Church 

“ 

This is a good experience 

for me to learn 

to work with kids,” 

senior Callie Walker 

said. 

Street Market. 

“I look for a teen who 

takes responsibility for 

their own appearance 

and actions,” manager 

Mary Simon said. 

Some key advantages 

to getting the job is to 

pick up and bring back 

their own applications 

and to dress appropriately. 

makes the turkey and 

doesn’t like lugging it 

around to other people’s 

houses,” freshman Alicia 

Brownlow said. 

This seems to be something 

quite a few students 

do. Although, not 

everyone goes over the 

river and through the 

woods to grandma’s 

house for Thanksgiving. 

“It depends. Sometimes 

we go to my mom’s and 

sometimes we go to my 

dad’s,” junior Christian 

Gillhouse said. 

In recent years, this 

seems to be a new issue. 

With more and more parents 

getting divorced, 

the Thanksgiving their 

kids are used to does not 

happen. 

As students get older 

they are given more responsibilities. 

Maybe 

” 

“Teens these 

days that 

wear pajamas 

when 

dropping off 

their application 

is a big 

turn-off,” Simon 

said. 

When students 

look for 

work it helps 

to wear the proper dress 

attire so they look like 

they are serious about 

the job. 

Senior Callie Walker 

has a summer job as a 

babysitter and also on 

weekends during the 

school year. 

“I want to be a teacher. 

This is a good experience 

for me to learn to 

they help cook the meal 

or maybe they just have 

to clean up. 

“I bake a pie,” sophomore 

Daniel DeHoyos 

said. “I make delicious 

pie.” 

Thanksgiving celebration 

always focuses on 

the food. When someone 

asks what people 

think of when they think 

of Thanksiging, nine out 

of 10 times they will say 

something about food. 

“My dad is a good cook, 

especially for Thanksgiving,” 

Gillhouse said. 

Okay, so most people 

wait all year for the turkey 

that grandma makes, 

their aunt’s famous 

mashed potatoes, the 

dressing and of course, 

pumpkin pie. (Yum!) With 

that constant thought 

of the meal it is hard to 

think of anything else. 

work with kids,” Walker 

said. 

Walker provides transportation 

for the kids she 

watches, taking them to 

their activities and back 

and forth between their 

parents. She also helps 

set up birthday parties 

and makes sure the children 

do their homework. 

“When their friends 

come over, somethimes 

I end up watching 10 

kids,” Walker said. 

Taking a job is a big responsibility 

for everyone. 

Dress code and work 

progress is important on 

a daily basis. Honesty, 

reliablility, communication 

skills and cooperation 

are important for a 

working student. 

“I always think about 

the turkey,” DeHoyos 

said. 

Many people watch 

the football game, while 

others have a less conventional 

way to celebrate. 

“We have a snowball 

fight!” DeHoyos said. “I 

win every year.” 

Even when there is not 

any snow like last year 

they still do an outdoor 

activiy. That is a tradition 

and as everyone knows, 

families have to keep up 

with traditions.


Meaning of Fashion 

“Fashion to me is being 

unique and also being 

myself,” freshman Fabiola 

Vargas said. Vargas thinks 

today’s fashion is messed up. 

“Have you seen Lady Gaga?” 

Vargas said. “I just like to 

look like a young lady and 

not like a hot mess,” Vargas 

said. 

(Vargas is wearing a black 

shirt with dark blue jeans, 

pink and black Converse 

and a checkered belt.) 

“Fashion to me is standing 

out and being unique” 

freshman Heather Schraven 

said. “I just can’t stand how 

people dress these days. 

Schraven said. “Although, I 

look up to Rihanna because 

she dresses with class. She 

is very proper and respectful 

about herself,” Schraven 

said. 

(Schraven is wearing D.C 

high tops with tight blue 

jeans, a pink skull t-shirt 

and a skull belt with dangly 

earrings.) 

Created by Brittany 

Maynard 

How-to: Avoid winter germfest 

By Melanie Haedt 

Once winter rolls around, 

kids come home crying to 

their mommies. Runny noses, 

sore throats and high fevers: 

all symptoms of the common 

high school cold. 

When high schoolers want 

to prevent that nasty cold, 

they should follow these 

steps and they will be on the 

road to recovery in no time. 

1. Avoid Spit-Filled Hallways 

Quite frequently in the 

southwest stairwell, the stairs 

will be splattered with spit. 

Very immature, I must say, 

but make sure to keep away 

from there. 

The particles in the contaiminated 

spit can float up 

into the air and find their way 

into grimy kids’ mouths, eyes 

and nose, causing sickness. 

My advice is to avoid spitty 

hallways at all costs. 

2. PDA is not Okay 

As long as we are on the 

topic of spit, making out with 

a significant other is not safe. 

Swapping spit is just asking to 

get sick! That is also when rumors 

start that so and so got 

mono from their dear little 

honey bear. 

Cold symptoms can go 

away but a person still may 

be sick. My best advice is 

when the last day symptoms 

disappear, wait about 

30 days until the lovers start 

making out again. 

3. Think Twice About Seating 

If a person finds themselves 

sitting next to someone just 

hacking up a loogie, I recommend 

high-tailing out of 

there before it is too late. 

Sickness can latch onto a 

person in a matter of one 

second. That one second 

can lead to a whole week, 

or more, of complete torture. 

Think twice about taking that 

seat, it just may save students 

a sneeze or two. 

Everyone will get sick at 

one point, but this guide will 

help avoid those nasty, spitswapping, 

loogie hacking 

hazards. 

Above: PDA is a common way 

of getting sick. 

Above: Sitting next to someone 

who is coughing can be infectious. 

Above: Spitting on stairwells 

is not only immature, but very 

sickening. 

Hairy takeover 

People around the country have been talking about “No Shave November.” It’s exactly what it 

sounds like; people do not shave for the whole month of November. Curious about what choice 

of facial hair people are going for? Look below and find out. 

Junior Christian Gillhouse 

sports the everso-famous 

chin puff and 

curtain. 

Senior Doug Wheaton 

rocks the new version of a 

beard, one that is just on 

the under-side of his chin. 

Tech. ed. & agriculture 

teacher Jerod Felix goes 

about with the most common 

look, manicured 

scruff. 

By Shayley Ceman 


Celebrating volleyball at state 

Did other sports get enough recognition? 

By Alyssa Trampf 

Celebrating BHS volleyball 

going to state for the 

first time in history was a 

big deal for the school. 

But, was there too much 

attention? 

Cross country competed 

at state the week 

before and did not have 

a fan bus, a parade or tshirts 

made. 

Cheer and stunt also 

made it to state last year 

and received very little attention 

for their hard work, 

Thumbs Thumbs 

• Hip-Hop because it has energetic 

rhythm 

• Galaxy S for its high definition 

quality 

• iPad because it travels easy 

• Android Tablet for more options 

in games and fun 

• Carrie Underwood for her 

beautiful voice 

• “NCIS” because it is extremely 

funny 

• “The Last Song” for the heartfelt 

acting and moving scenes 

• “Footloose” for the effort the 

actors put into the acting and 

music 

as well. 

Although volleyball deserves 

this recognition, every 

other sport deserves 

just as much attention. 

The volleyball players 

were not the ones who 

organized the outsanding 

amount of support, but it 

still made the other sports 

feel left out and inferior. 

The volleyball players 

appreciate the support 

but the other sports teams 

would have appreciated 

more support, too. 

• Rap because its rhythm is too 

simple and repetitive 

• iPhone for its tacky screens 

• Laptops because users have 

to lug around a carrying case 

plus a big cord 

• Kindle because it’s only really 

for reading books 

• Taylor Swift for cheap looking 

dark lipstick 

• “CSI” because it is not interesting 

enough to keep watching 

• “Employee of the Month” for 

the obvious bad acting 

• “High School Musical” for the 

terrible music Created by Brittani Tiffany 

Health actions at BHS 

Students eat fast food this many times a week: 

0-2 3-5 5-7 8+ 

Students drink soda this many times a week: 

0-1 2-4 5-7 8+ 

Students work out this many times a week: 

0-2 3-6 7+ 

Students describe their weight as: 

Underweight Average Overweight 

Surveyed 100 students 

Created by Melanie Haedt


Midnight madness: 

Why go crazy over Black Friday? 

By Brooke Nighbor 

We all know about that 

crazy night of Thanksgiving. 

Once midnight hits 

shoppers gear up because 

Black Friday has began. 

For the past three years 

I’ve witnessed the pure 

chaos and madness of 

Black Friday as a shopper. 

This year I’m switching up 

the routine a bit by working 

at Pac Sun in the Prime 

Outlet Mall in Oshkosh for 

Midnight Madness. 

People end up getting 

pushy and rude just to simply 

get that sweater or 

denim deal. 

Last year, I witnessed people 

taking things right out 

of other peoples’ hands. 

These were adults mind 

you, not children. 

This year working Black Friday 

gives me a whole different 

perspective. 

Everybody was in a 

huge rush to get the best 

deals. People came piling 

through the door. Some 

people even put clothes 

on hold that they picked 

out prior to the day just to 

be first in line. 

Even though the doorsonly 

opened at 10 p.m. 

the crowd started to die 

down at 12 a.m. and so did 

peoples’ brains. Everyone 

was just kind of out of it and 

crabby and started to get 

snappy with us. 

I had to repeat myself 

millions of times, which 

was completely irriating 

because I had to already 

repeat the same thing to 

each customer. 

By the time 3 a.m. rolled 

around it was pretty much 

dead. A few people came 

in but nothing compared 

to when we opened the 

doors. Then, my major challege 

was staying awake for 

the rest of my shift. Energy 

drinks did nothing for me. 

Photo:www.myeasternshoremd.com 

Photo: M. Madell 

Junior Mirissa Nikolai drives home for lunch. 

Driving Know How’s 

Avoid bad driving habits 

By Monica Madell 

Safety is important to everyone. 

Especially for the 

parents of young, inexperienced 

drivers. Young 

drivers begin driving carefully, 

trying to follow every 

rule that they know like… 

two hands on the wheel, 

using the blinker, looking 

in the mirrors and learning 

defensive driving skills in 

general. 

Eventually, these young, 

careful drivers pick up 

poor habits, sometimes 

forgetting the very important 

simple rules they 

were taught in their driving 

classes. These young drivers 

get too comfortable, 

sometimes even becoming 

careless while driving. 

Where do they pick it 

up? It’s no one’s fault really, 

young drivers learn from 

everyone and pick up 

bad habits everywhere. 

Accidents can happen 

from careless driving on a 

young drivers part. It’s all 

because they picked up 

a bad driving habit. These 

young drivers can pick up 

good habits by trying the 

following list. 

Tips on Good Driving: 

1. Look both ways at 

intersections. 

2. Keep your distance. 

3. Get a grip. 

4. Stay awake. 

5. Don’t talk on the 

phone. 

6. Don’t let passengers 

distract you. 

7. Check your tires. 

8. Wear your seat belt. 

9. Watch the weather. 

10. Use the break 

down lane only for 

real emergencies. 


Face off: 

Are group projects really a group effort? 

By Shayley Ceman 

Yes! 

• Students will most likely 

get their projects done 

faster with more hands 

on deck. 

• More effort can be put 

into the project because 

one person does 

not have to focus on 

more than one thing. 

• Students can bring their 

portion of the project 

home and only worry 

about that piece, thus 

being able to make that 

piece look its best. 

• Group projects are supposed to teach 

students about teamwork and how to 

work together with their classmates. They 

usually help students be social in appropriate 

ways. 

By Hannah Trochinski 

No! 

• Half the time one or two 

students do all the work yet 

everyone gets credit. 

• Teachers pick the groups 

most of the time so many 

people get paired with 

someone they do not get 

along with. 

• Many students admit to 

not doing anything in group 

projects and that is why they 

like them so much. 

• Most times there really is 

not a fair way to divide the 

work load between three or four students. 

• If the project is due in three days and one 

or more group members are gone and 

have material for the project, the whole 

group is in trouble. 

IPhone 5 vs. Samsung Galaxy S3 

By Brittany Maynard 

The IPhone 5 is a phone 

that I recommend everyone 

buy. 

The IPhone 5 is one of 

the best phones that I 

have ever used. 

The IPhone 5 is an awesome 

phone for people 

who are always on the 

go and sometimes may 

need help looking for a 

place. 

It has creative features, 

too, with lots of useful 

apps. For example, there 

are many apps for games 

and music. 

The Samsung Galaxy S3 

is a good phone but can 

be a little slow at times. 

Other than that, it has 

great apps to download, 

Overall, I recommend 

the IPhone because it is 

fast and has more entertaining 

features. 

The design of these 

phones is simliar, but not 

actually alike. The IPhone 

is more flat and sleek 

where as the Samsung 

Galaxy S3 is thick. 

These phones are selling 

like crazy and both companies 

are making lots of 

money on these phones. 

I recommend consumers 

spend their money wisely 

and get the IPhone 5. 

IPhone 5 Samsung Galaxy S3 

Rating out of 5: Rating out of 5:


Addicting television shows: Must watches of the season 

Rating Key: 

I watched this show 

marathon style: 

I didn’t do any of my 

homework to watch 

this show: 

It’s better than the 

presidential debates: 

I was tweeting 

throughout the whole 

show: 

I would rather sit 

through driver’s ed 

classes again than watch 

this: 

“Long Island 

Medium” 

Sunday nights on TLC 

showcases a show like 

no other. 

Psychic medium Theresa 

Caputo takes viewers 

into her crazy life 

as they watch her read 

messages from people 

that have passed away 

and relay those messages 

to their loved ones. 

Along with the readings 

that she does, the 

show also takes viewers 

inside her funny, daily 

life as a wife and mom. 

This show combines 

funny day-to-day issues, 

heart-felt messages and 

a glimpse into what life 

is like for a psychic medium. 

“Modern 

Family” 

With a pretty normal 

family of five, an old 

man married to a beautiful, 

young Colombian 

woman, two married 

men with a daughter 

of their own, and all of 

these people being in 

the same family, “Modern 

Family” dominates 

ABC with its phenomenal 

one-liners and outstanding 

ratings. 

Such a funny show has 

not hit the big screen 

since “Friends” ended, 

and viewers all over 

America flock to their 

TVs just to watch this 

hysterical take on the 

“average American family.” 

“Nashville” 

“Nashville” is the newest 

craze on ABC, but 

really it’s just a wannabe 

“Desperate Housewives.” 

When a country superstar 

is pressured to team 

up with the newest star 

in the making, trouble 

comes when neither of 

them like each other and 

fight for the spotlight. 

Predictable! 

This show is a good 

idea, but it can be a bit 

slow moving and boring 

in some spots. The show 

wants to be just as good 

as other drama shows, 

but overall, it is nothing 

compared to “Desperate 

Housewives.” 

By Taylor 

Greening 

Weight lifting club: How much drama can one bench? 

By Emma Hargrave 

Anyone attending Berlin High 

School has heard about the group 

called “Tool Crew.” Facebook statuses, 

tweets, and the occasional 

confrontation in the hallway have 

grown from a group of boys wanting 

to be part of something. 

A member of the “Tool Crew” informed 

me that this group evolved 

when a small bunch of boys started 

lifting together and had friendly 

competitions to “get big.” 

Having a group to belong to or 

to be a part of is a large part of 

high school and is a healthy practice. 

In the high school, there are 

many different groups and clubs, 

but I believe this particular group 

has been singled out because of 

the intensity of it. 

Looking at any member of this 

crew, it is plain to see they are serious 

and devoted to working out 

and staying healthy, which should 

not be a problem or a reason to 

start drama. 

The “Tool Crew” may have 

seemed to close this group off to 

others by making t-shirts and specific 

Twitter pages, but I have been 

informed that anyone and everyone 

is welcome to come and start 

lifting at the Health Connection 

with the boys. The fact that those 

t-shirts sport curse words in Spanish 

downgrades their status, though. 

Overall this collection of boys is 

not a problem in my book. Yes, it 

does seem extreme to be spending 

money on protein and supple- 

ments, but it is just as ridiculous for 

girls to spend money to tan and 

dye their hair every week. 

Judging this group for working out 

too much or being too healthy is 

simply ridiculous. If people are not 

into lifting and working out, so be it. 

Eveyone has his/her own hobbies. 

The fact that this has blown up 

newsfeeds and caused so much 

turmoil in the school is sad. Individuals 

are wasting energy and words 

by bashing something that has 

nothing to do with them when they 

could be putting their opinions and 

remarks into things that matter. 

If one does not like this group, 

that is a matter of opinion, but 

there is no need to whine and 

moan about it. 


‘The Sound of Music’ fills stage 


The nuns perform the opening song of the 

musical, “Preludium: Dixit Dominus.” In this 

scene, the nuns sing their morning prayers 

and bless the abbey with their voices. 

How well do you know 

your phobias? 

1. What is the fear of spiders? 

a. arachnophobia 

b. agoraphobia 

c. astraphobia 

2. What is the fear of dogs? 

a. trypanophobia 

b. cynophobia 

c. ophidiophobia 

3. What is the fear of heights? 

a. arachnophobia 

b. ophidiophobia 

c. acrophobia 

4. What is the fear of germs? 

a. cynophobia 

b. mysophobia 

c. acrophobia 

Answers: 

1. a 2. b 3. c 4. b 

Created by Melanie Brooks 

By Sierra Klawitter 

“The Sound of Music” is 

one of the most popular 

and cherished musicals of 

all time. The songs that appear 

in this work of art are 

memorable and known 

by all age groups. The 

version that was put on 

by BHS was no different. 

As the musical started, 

I was humming along to 

some of the well-known 

songs that were featured 

in the musical, even the 

songs that I had completely 

forgotten about. 

My favorite scene was 

when Leisl and Rolfe sang 

their duet, “16 Going on 

17.” Emma Hargrave and 

Garrett Steinbrink took 

the stage and pulled the 

audience into their character’s 

story of first love. 

All the parts were well 

played, and the backstage 

crew was always 

there to pick up the sets, 

pull curtains and help 

with costume changes. 

Speaking of costumes, the 

traditional wimples were a hit 

for the audience as the nuns 

stepped out onto stage. 

I really enjoyed going and 

watching the musical this 

year, and I hope that BHS 

continues to put on shows 

that were as good as this 

one. 

Rating out of 5: 

‘LOL’ what a love story should be 

By Gracie Cruz 

The movie “LOL,” starring 

Miley Cyrus as the main character, 

is a very dramatic, romantic 

and funny movie. 

Lola, or Lol as her friends call 

her, tries to figure out who really 

loves her for her, and who 

she really loves. 

As she is getting over a recent 

break up, her best friend 

Kyle (Douglas Booth), who is 

a musician, helps her heal. 

Along the way they fall in 

love with one another. 

Lol’s mother, Anne (Demi 

Moore), is struggling to help 

her with her worries and 

heartache, yet she has her 

own to worry about. 

It is obvious that Lola is going 

to be with her best friend, 

and it is so romantic and 

beautiful. 

Lol is just a love mess waiting 

to happen. Through out the 

whole movie I was on the 

edge of my seat. 

Lol’s friends are always 

there for her, and have her 

back. 

I was rooting for Lol when 

she decided she had had 

enough of her ex’s harrassment 

and kicked his butt. 

I also fell in love with Kyle. 

He’s such a sweetheart, and 

is always there for Lol when 

she needs him. 

This movie is amazing, 

beautiful, funny, romantic 

and I’d recommend people 

to watch it. Even if it is just 

another love story. 

Rating out of 5:


One team with one dream 

By Stacie Klika 

With a team full of seniors and a coach with 18 

years of experience, they were going big. 

On Nov. 2, the Berlin varsity volleyball team headed 

to state. They were ready to “Bling it On.” 

Berlin was up against Edgewood for the semifinal 

match. 

“I felt famous walking into the Resch Center, kind 

of like a Packer coming out of the tunnel,” senior 

captain Callie Walker said. 

The Berlin community was unbelievably supportive. 

With three fan busses for students, parents, the 

band and community members, the Resch Center 

was full of red and green. 

This was the first time Berlin volleyball has ever 

made it to state, though they did not get the outcome 

they wished and worked for. Berlin lost to 

Edgewood in three straight matches. 

“It was an unbelievable experience. Our fans 

were the best,” senior captain Laura Trochinski 

said. 

This definitely was an experience of a lifetime. 

Spending it with the people who care the most 

make it worthwhile. 

“It was amazing sharing this experience with my 

mom and the girls I grew up with,” Walker said. 

This was Coach Michelle Walker’s last year of 

coaching. 

“I had my glory days and I’m glad the girls had 

their big moment. We dreamt it and made it reality,” 

Coach Walker said. 

By Taylor Greening 

When the girls volleyball team won 

the sectional game and made it to 

state, the band knew they would 

be a factor in how the girls would 

perform. With that, the whole band 

decided to go with them for support. 

“I felt like us being there made everything 

more exciting. It pumped 

up the student section, which also 

pumped up the crowd and the 

volleyball girls,” sophomore band 

member Emma Krueger said. 

Other members of the band such 

as senior Patrick Malchetske, who 

narmally leads the student section, 

was in the band instead this time. Al- 


The Berlin varsity starting line up anxiously awaits the game 

of their lives. Little do they know this will be the last game 

many of them will ever play together. 

Band performs at state volleyball 

though the student section missed 

his leadrship he helped contribute 

to the band’s great performance. 

“It really helped that we had so 

many band members come and 

play,” sophomore clarinetist Bridget 

Freimark said. “Playing at state was 

really exciting, but I was also really 

nervous about playing in front of so 

many people,” 

Although they were nervous, they 

put on quite the show and did not 

miss a beat. 

“The band performed really well! 

They were all very loud and full of 

energy,” Drum Major Austin Borgardt 

said. “After the performance, 

we were all just very happy and 

wanted to play more!” 

Photo: M. Moe 

Senior Patrick Malchetske awaits the start 

of the game. 


Wrestling season now underway 

Sophomore David Miracle holds sophomore David Meza in a headlock. The official term for a headlock is 

“grappling hold” which is more commonly known as a “hold.” 

By Melanie Brooks 

With a bigger team and 

higher expectations, this 

wrestling season is expected 

to be a very successful 

one. 

“This will be a winning 

season because we 

have a lot more people 

out and we can fill most 

of the weight classes,” 

sophomore David Miracle 

said. 

Wrestling requires a lot 

of muscle and intense 

preparation during the 

off-season. 

“I lifted weights in the 

summer to prepare for 

the season,” sophomore 

Dakota Ross said. 

But some people have 

different ways of preparing 

for the season. 

“I worked out a lot, lifted 

weights, ran and started 

watching my diet,” Miracle 

said. 

This season is expected 

to be a good one, but not 

if people decide to quit 

after the first practice. 

“It will be a challenge 

keeping people out for 

wrestling and not quitting 

after a couple of practices,” 

Miracle said. 

Having a full team is 

a big part of winning 

in wrestling. The more 

people on the team, the 

more weight classes they 

can fill and the more opportunities 

they have to 

win. 

“I wish we could have 

a bigger team, but not 

many people go out for 

wrestling,” sophomore 

David Meza said. 

There are some high 

expectations this year 

because there are a 

number of talented individuals 

on the team. 

“Coach is expecting 

Miracle, Ross and I to 

qualify for state this year,” 

Meza said. 

A big part of wrestling is 

weight. It can be hard to 

either lose or gain weight 

just because it is what the 

coach wants. 

“This year I have to drop 

a weight class so that I 

can wrestle people more 

my size,” Miracle said. 

But, sometimes wrestlers 

have to or want to gain 

weight instead of losing it. 

“I am going to try to get 

bigger this year so that 

I can take down more 

guys,” Meza said. 

Being a captain can 

be stressfull with so much 

added responsibility es- 

Photo: D. Ross 

pecially when these captains 

are so young. 

This year there are three 

captains and all three 

happen to be sophomores. 

“I will be more of a 

leader this year because I 

am a captain now,” Ross 

said. 

Other captains are David 

Miracle and David 

Meza. 

“I’m looking forward 

to being a captain and 

hopefully leading my 

team to great things this 

year,” Meza said. 

Wrestling is somewhat 

of an individual sport but 

is also very dependent on 

the rest of the team. 

“I’m looking forward to 

spending time with my 

team and winning a lot 

this year,” Meza said.


Lady Indians shoot 

off to another season 

By Gracie Cruz 

Silence falls on the 

crowd, everyone holds 

their breath as they wait 

for the shot. The audience 

hears the swoosh of 

the net as the basketball 

makes a clean shot, and 

the crowd goes wild. 

“I think we will have a 

pretty good season. We 

have good people who 

are pretty talented,” 

sophomore Kaite Coats 

said. 

The players do not 

want to let down their 

coach(es), or their school. 

“We don’t know who 

the coach is, but last year 

we had a good one,” 

sophomore Mariah Peterson 

said. 

Not only is this season 

about being focused 

and playing right, it is also 

about the fun. 

“I’m really excited about 

being in basketball. It’s 

fun,” sophomore Tiffany 

Pribnow said. 

The girls are putting their 

all into practices to show 

their school that they can 

do it. But, there is always 

that worry of getting hurt 

or breaking a bone that 

may bring down their spirits 

for playing basketball. 

“Oh, yeah. It’s all a part 

of the game. You might 

be disappointed if you 

can’t play, but hey no 

pain no game,” Pribnow 

said. 

These ladies have been 

playing for some time. 

“This will be my sixth year 

in basketball,” Coats said. 

With leader and captain 

Callie Walker back for this 

season, the players are 

ready for basketball to 

begin. 

These girls have their 

bearings and are ready 

for action and anything 

this season has to throw 

at them, even if it is just a 

basketball. 

Photo: G. Cruz 

Players listen to Captan Callie Walker give instructions 

for practice. 

Last Season’s Stats 

Callie Walker had 278 rebounds 

total last season 

Laura Trochinski 165 rebounds 

total last season. 

Maddie Koster had 90 Assists 

Kelsey Gonyo had 69 Assists 

The girls warm up before practice. 

Photo: G. Cruz

BERLIN UPDATE

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