A TRIP TO THE CAPITOL One Big Idea From Our Visit to the Capitol By: Mitchell Welsh, Isaac Yager, Spencer Hadtrath, Hunter Aide, Alex Michek It was a windy February day at the state capitol but the <strong>Highland</strong> Community Middle <strong>School</strong> were inside studying the way the capitol is run. They heard a lot of people talk that day, but one message stuck in their heads and it was... “You are the future. You could be here at this table, in this chair.” “ It makes me feel powerful. Because I now know I have a chance to run for government,” said Mitchell Welsh. “I thought that it was a good learning experience,” said Spencer Hadtrath. “I thought that it was really cool to meet all the senators,” added Hunter Aide. Representative Howard Marklein By: Bailee Rose, Brooke Michek, Morgan Biba, Kora Scullion, Alyssa Miura On February 8 th, the <strong>Highland</strong> Community Middle <strong>School</strong> took a trip to the State Capitol. While we were there, one of the people that took some time out of his day to talk to us was Howard Marklein. He took us into the Assembly Room and showed us how the assembly votes, showed us the old inkwells, and told us that you can’t go on to the assembly floor unless you are part of the assembly. The only reason we got to go in and take a seat is because we were with him. Right now he is working on creating more jobs for people who have been laid-off. Howard Marklein was raised on dairy farm in Wilson Creek, Spring Green. He is the oldest of five kids. He graduated from UW-White Water in 1976. After college, he got a job at First Wisconsin National Bank of Milwaukee. Rep. Marklein works as a CPA. He has two children, three step children, and three grandchildren. His role at the Capitol is as a representative for <strong>Highland</strong>’s district. It was important for students to go to Madison to learn about our Capitol and our state government. Also, it was important for students to talk to Rep. Marklein. He explained that what we say makes a difference. He also said that we are his boss, and he works for us. This makes us feel safe because we know we have a representative that we can trust. Chief Charles Tubbs By: Halie Kosharek, Evan Rusch, Carson Bryant, Hannah McCarthy, Sebastian Hadtrath Michael Biba The middle school students at <strong>Highland</strong> Community Middle <strong>School</strong> took a trip to the Capitol of Wisconsin on February 8, 2012. They were accompanied by Jeff Nania who just happened to know almost everyone at the Capitol. Because of this, we were able to meet many of the important people helping the state of Wisconsin. One of these important people was the chief of police, Chief Charles Tubbs. Chief Tubbs was very involved in the protests of this new century and helped to calmly resolve things without violence. While trying to pass the bill AB237, a group of citizens for and against the bill gathered. Chief Tubbs was responsible for keeping the peace with the people. He did not use any violence, but instead calmly talked to citizens trying to understand them. The protest was said to be one of the most calmly handled protest of that size in history because he helped handle the situation without violence. Chief Tubbs received the nickname the Protestor Whisperer. Therefore, he went above and beyond in keeping the people safe. The <strong>Highland</strong> Community Middle <strong>School</strong> students thought what Chief Tubbs did was vey important. They learned that violence can’t solve problems. It was a great learning experience for all of the students that were able to participate in the field trip. <strong>Highland</strong> Community Middle <strong>School</strong> Trip to the Capitol By: Adam Wolfe, Karen McMannes, Caitlin Wienkes, Morgan Drury, Heidi Leora-Pena, Courtnee Yanna The middle school students came to school on Wednesday, February 8 th full of excitement. With our lunches packed and our coats on, we headed for the bus. We were going to the Capitol. We didn’t have a lot of knowledge of what we were going to do once we got there. This wonderful opportunity was brought to us by our field biologist, Jeff Nania. Once we got there, we walked down a hallway and met up with other field biologist, Heidi Doyle. Once we started looking around the building, all of our heads were up. The ceiling was the favorite part of many students’ day. The ceiling was 284 feet tall. It had a mural of angels on the top with a lot of detail. We visited the Senate Chambers, Supreme Court Chambers, and the Assembly Chambers. We also got to visit the Governor’s Conference Room, where many bills have been passed. “The Capitol was very pretty and very interesting. I liked sitting in the leather chair that the senators sit in, they were so comfortable,” said 7 th grader Courtnee Yanna. “I loved looking up at the ceiling, seeing the history of the building, and meeting the senators,” added 7 th grader Karen McMannes. “I was very disappointed that Scott Walker was not there,” commented 6 th grader, Morgan Drury. “I thought it was a great experience meeting many of the people that represent out state,” said 8 th grader, Caitlin Wienkes.
A TRIP TO THE CAPITOL Our Visit with Senator Dale Schultz By: Bray Drury, Katie Ramsden, T.J. Cool, James Goodwiler, Christian Shemak, and Angel Olson On February 8 th , the <strong>Highland</strong> Community Middle <strong>School</strong> went to the Capitol to visit the people there. Senator Dale Schultz was there and he talked to us about all the things that he did to earn his position in the Capitol. He also told us that we could be in his position someday and sit exactly where he is sitting. Before we visited the Capitol, Dale Schultz came to visit us out in our forest. He said he cares about small towns and appreciates the work we are doing for the environment. After meeting Sen. Schultz, we looked into his background a little. He was first elected senator in 1991 and was reelected in 2010, so he will be up for election in 2004. He was born in Madison, WI. He lives on a farm in Richland Center, WI. He told us that he has two dogs. We enjoyed meeting with Sen. Schultz, and we hope he come to visit us again.
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