The Lance
Volume 51, Issue 4
The Student Voice of LHS
La Follette High School, Madison, WI
Outside
LHS
Not a Moon Landing:
For the first time ever a
space probe has landed on
a comet. pg. 5
Embrace The Cold
How To Survive and Thrive in Wisconsin Winter
Feature
It's Time To Play:
Grab your sleds, grab
some buddies and hit the
slopes! pg. 9
Brain
Teasers
What Grinds
Your Gears?
For some reason a little
snow throws every driver
out of whack. pg. 7
Opinion
It's Time to Be Nice:
Retail workers are people
too so you better treat
them right. pg. 14
Arts &
Entertainment
Get Crafty:
Don't be bored this winter,
let your creative juices
flow! pg. 12
Sports
Fall Sports Recap:
La Follette Athletics had
a number of noteworthy
performances this past
season. pg. 10
December 2014
Cover page 1.indd 1
Songs of the season
Time to snuggle up
Frostbite Isn't Fun
Winter is here and with it comes
Winter is the perfect time to grab someone
With frosty temps upon us its important
fabulous seasonal tunes!
you love and pull them them in close.
to take the necessary steps to stay warm.
11/24/2014 4:19:11 PM
Inside LHS
The Lance
2014-15 Lance Staff
Editor-in-Chief:
Andy Porter
Assistant Editor:
Kaylee Hinze
Alex Wehrli
Copy Editor:
Rachel Hellrood
Aaron Lucius
Visual Arts/Photography:
Section Editors:
Aaron Lucius - Inside LHS
Christina Peterson - Arts & Entertainment
Diamond Washington/Tevin Sago - Sports
Rebekah Smith - News
Melody Krishnan - Feature
Mitchell Cefalu - Brain Teasers
Martina Seignarack/Rachel Hellrood Opinion/Editorial
Adviser:
Donna Kennedy
Consultant:
Tim Stanton, Images Plus
Printer:
Images Plus, Madison, WI
Editorial Policy:
“The Lance” welcomes letters to the editor. All letters
must be signed, but may be printed anonymously at the
author’s request and/or the discretion of the editors and
adviser. Editor(s) reserve the right to disallow printing
of any or all submitted items without written or verbal
notice.
All submissions are reviewed by staff prior to publication
and may be edited without written notice.
Articles may be edited to meet space requirements.
Submit suggestions, ideas or comments to a “Lance”
staff member, to Donna Kennedy or to the address
below.
“The Lance”
La Follette High School
702 Pflaum Road
Madison, WI 53716
Views expressed in this paper are the views of individual
authors, or in the case of the staff editorials, the editorial
board. They do not represent the views of all Lance staff
members, administration or any other MMSD employee
or board member.
Submit story suggestions/opinions to:
[email protected]
2
Inside LHS page 2.indd 1
Pep Band Rocks the Stands
Sporting events are always
fun to go to but have you
ever gone for the band?
By Christina Peterson
The air is getting colder, the snow is
falling, and winter is upon us. This can
only mean one thing: the fall sports season has come to an end, and the winter
sports season is here. Even though we
all love the fall sports here at La Follette, there are a lot of things to look
forward to with the winter season.
Some perks of the winter sports season
include basketball, hockey, boys swimming, poms, cheerleading, wrestling,
gymnastics and of course, pep band.
The pep band is made up from members of the band here at La Follette.
They come to select sporting events
throughout the year and play music for
the entertainment of anyone who’s at
the event. In the fall they even perform
during halftime at a few football games.
During the winter sports season, however, the band only plays at two select
winter sports; basketball and hockey.
The band plays at 10 basketball games
(five guys’ games and five girls games)
and two hockey games. All the games
that the band plays at are home games.
Obviously, because they’re home
games, the basketball games that the
pep band play at take place in the
gym here at good ‘ol La Follette High
School. But because La Follette is yet
to have an ice arena on campus, the
hockey games take place at Hartmeyer
Ice Arena in Madison. Despite the fact
that they’re not technically at La Follette, the hockey games are still considered home games.
Now, you may be wondering what
songs the pep band plays at these
events. Well, they always play the “La
Follette Pep Song” and the “La Follette Alma Mater” to show pride for
our school. Another song they almost
always play is “The Star Spangled Banner”. They don’t play this song every
time, but if you attend an event where
The Lance
they’re playing, the best guess would
be that they are indeed going to play
it. There is only one reason the band
wouldn’t play The Star Spangled Banner
and that is if someone has already
volunteered to sing it that night at the
event. In which case, they would sing it
and the band would sit that one out.
Some other tunes the band rocks the
stands with is “Edge of Glory” by Lady
Gaga, “Heartache Tonight” by Eagles,
“September” by Earth Wind and Fire,
“Think” by Aretha Franklin, and “Build
Me Up Buttercup” by The Foundations. Every year they get new tunes to
play in the pep band. This year a few
new song additions include “Push It”
by Salt ‘n Pepa, “Paint It Black” by The
Rolling Stones and “Thrift Shop” by
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis.
Even though they play at these events,
the band can’t just play whenever they
feel like it, even if they really wanted to.
This is because there are rules against
the band playing while the game is in
progress. Because of this, the band only
usually plays before the game has begun
and during half time. The only time the
band can play during the game is when
they are at a football game - the only
reason this is an exception is because
they play the La Follette pep song after
the La Follette team scores.
If you are planning on attending any
of these events, listen up for the band
- you’re really missing out if you don’t.
Plus, even if you didn’t come to listen
to the band, there’s a good chance
you’ll hear them anyway. The band
could really use your support; the athletic teams aren’t the only groups that
deserve to be cheered for.
December 2014
11/24/2014 9:09:00 AM
Lancer Log
December 2014
December 1, 8, 15
Early Release Days - Dismiss at 2:22PM
December 2
Key Club Holiday Food Drive
Final Pick-up during second block class
December 3
Post High School Planning Night
6:30PM - 8:30PM
December 16
Latino Parent Night 6:30PM
December 17
Winter Band Concert 7:30PM
December 22 - January 2, 2015
Winter Break
January 5, 2015
School Resumes
B - Day
January 6, 2015
Josten’s Graduation Meeting
December 2014
Inside LHS page 3.indd 1
Inside LHS
The Struggles of Senioritis
Have you hopped aboard the
struggle bus yet? All aboard!
By Rachel Hellrood
As we roll into December, the school year
is almost to the half-way point. As the
temperature drops it begins to get harder
to wake up, you can barely focus because
winter break is in arm’s length and you
have been anxiously waiting to hear back
from colleges that you have applied to.
You have lost all motivation for almost
anything school related. At this point
you’re just done with school.
Senioritis, as defined by Merriam-Webster
is “an ebbing of motivation and effort by
school seniors as evidenced by tardiness,
absences and lower grades”. Does any
of this sound familiar to you? Or what
about if you have been religiously wearing
sweatshirts and sweatpants to school,
pushing aside all forms of school work
and studying or you’ve even devolved an
‘I don’t really care about how this affects
my future’ type of attitude. Or have you
ever thought of calling sick into school
claiming that you can’t come in because
you’re case of senioritis has taken a turn
for the worse overnight. If you have
identified with any of these symptoms
then congrats! You have senioritis!
Now you may be thinking that it is too
soon to develop senioritis, but beware that
it can develop at any time. “I feel tired all
the time, everything just blurs together
now,” Amelia Stoeberl (12) said. There
are multiple different stages of devolving
senioritis. Most seniors at this point in the
school year are at the beginning stages of
The Lance
this contagious disease. If you have been
experiencing any of the symptoms listed
above then odds are you have contracted
senioritis. There is no way to deny it and
now you just have to embrace it! There
may even be some people who have
contracted senioritis before their senior
year even began. If you are one of the few
people with this type of senioritis, stay
motivated. There is a light at the end of
the tunnel and high school is almost done.
Don’t give up quite yet!
But then there are certain seniors who
have more motivation for senior year
than you’ve had for your entire high
school career. They are still motivated
and doing all of their school work, even
though they’ve been accepted to their
dream schools. Those types of seniors are
the ones that you have a secret hate for
because they can make you feel lazier than
you already are.
There is really no way of preventing
or getting rid of senioritis so your best
chance is to just embrace it. “I just want
to be done with school, I struggle getting
all my work,” Ruben Bon (12) explained.
Let’s be real, senioritis can strike anyone
at any point. If you are lucky you might
not even contract senioritis until the final
weeks of your senior year. The struggle
is real to stay motivated and you just feel
like you want to curl up in a blanket and
watch the entire season of Gossip Girl in a
Netflix marathon.
So however you decide to finish your
senior year, don’t let it go by with
senioritis taking over your motivation
in school. You don;t want stress to
overwhelm you, senior year should be fun!
So relax and watch out for senioritis!
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11/24/2014 9:13:21 AM
Inside LHS
Are You Feeling SAD This Winter?
Seasonal Affective Disorder
brings on a state of psychological dysphoria that leaves
many in the dark.
By Bekah Smith
Although holiday cheer is often bright
enough to give people sunburn, as the
winter joy winds down, it leaves everyone in darkness. The darkness usually
means cozying up to the fireplace and
making do with indoor activities but not
everyone can enjoy the winter season’s
darkness.
Seasonal Affective Disorder which is
affectionately known as SAD, is categorized as depression. It has to do
with the lack of natural light during the
winter months having a negative effect
on a person’s mood. Many Wisconsinites suffer from the winter blues and
have trouble staying happy without the
sunshine.
Simple tasks such as getting out of
bed and beginning preparations of the
day can be severely impacted by SAD.
Symptoms tend to start in the fall and
get worse as the temperature drops and
the days get shorter. Weight gain occurs because comfort is sought through
food. Fat and carbs are added to winter
diets in large amounts. Foods such as
pasta and stews are often eaten in large
quantities which may be related to
the added weight gain during the cold
season.
Another side effect of SAD can be
oversleeping. “I enjoy the winter but I
try to go to bed earlier because I think
it is late when it’s actually not,” Christopher Sabola (12) said. Since night falls
earlier in the winter, the body is tricked
into feeling sleepy before its routine
bedtime. However, the body also tends
burn less energy in the day than during
the winter. This means that although
people are feeling sleepier, it’s difficult
to actually fall asleep because they are
not physically tired.
Since the average school or work day occurs during the daylight, it’s difficult to
soak up any sun because we are stuck inside. Winter athletes have it worse than
most because of their practice schedules.
“I’m affected by SAD because during
swim season, I get to school when it’s
dark out and leave school when it’s dark
out,” Evan Loken (10) said.
Total isolation from the sun isn’t
healthy and can change a happy person
into a somber Sam. It is wise to enjoy
the sun while it is out to keep a positive
disposition.
How to Whip Your Whip This Winter
Controlled drifting is fun.
By Mitch Cefalu
It’s that time of year again. Nights are
long, temperatures are low, and snow
blankets the ground. That’s right, it’s
drifting season. Whether you like it or
not, it is impossible if you drive in a winter climate such as Wisconsin’s, to avoid
having your car slide and lose traction
at least once on the sloppy roads. This
occurs when your wheels spin too hard
to grip onto the snow and ice covered
roads. Instead of gripping the road your
wheels turn into ice skates that let the
car slide freely as long as they spin fast
and hard enough to overcome the force
of friction between the tire and the road.
This act has come to be known as drifting. Some have learned how to control
this sliding and utilize the drifting style
of movement as a quicker way to turn
corners. Those who can’t usually end up
spinning out and or crashing into snow
banks or light poles.
Nothing beats the thrill of drifting
4
Inside LHS page 4.indd 1
perfectly around a corner. It’s also
an easy way to hurt yourself, others,
damage property, or even your vehicle
in the event of a collision. Drift can
happen in the blink of an eye, without
warning, over a patch of black ice or
can be purposefully induced with a
sharp turn, possibly a quick pull on the
parking break and snow on the ground.
If you need practice before hitting the
streets find an empty parking lot. You
can slide around all you want without
the possibility of hitting anything.
Drifting is a fun way to impress your
peers. Chicks definitely dig a man who
can slide sideways around a corner
without crashing it. So be safe out
there lancers and remember to whip it!
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The Lance
December 2014
11/20/2014 1:55:11 PM
News
Predicting The Quakes Before They Shake
10 seconds to spare.
By Christina Peterson
Here in Wisconsin we don’t usually
have to worry about earthquakes, but
people in other parts of the world aren’t
so lucky. Earthquakes are called natural
disasters for a reason; they cause not
only millions of dollars in economic
tragedies, but they’re also the cause of
thousands of deaths per year and they
impact millions of people in several areas
of the world. One of the worst things
about earthquakes is that they are harder
to detect than hurricanes or volcanoes.
This is especially bad for the country’s
that don’t have early detection systems
for earthquakes.
A man named Richard Allen, who is the
director of the Berkley Seismological
Laboratory, is looking into helping
people protect against earthquakes.
His idea to help is by looking into
the possibility of creating a warning
system for earthquakes. This warning
system would be in the form of an app.
That’s right, an app. This app is titled
“MyShake”. The basic purpose of this
app is to warn whoever has the app that
an earthquake is about to happen. The
app would warn you about 10 seconds in
advance of an earthquakes arrival. Now,
that doesn’t sound like a lot of time,
but to someone who’s been through an
earthquake before, you’d know that it’s
enough time to take cover and protect
yourself.
There are indeed many apps that can
give earthquake alerts – such as Red
Cross’ - but those apps merely transfer
alerts to you after they’ve been picked
up by authorities. MyShake would
be the only app that would use your
smartphone to pick up the earthquakes,
instead of just receiving a transferred
warning. The creator of the app claims
that the app would be able to detect
earthquakes up to 10 kilometers away, as
long as they’re magnitude is five or over.
Although, with improvement to the app,
he hopes that soon it would be able to
detect a level three earthquake up to 100
kilometers away!
Allen also claims that this app has
“enormous potential”; it could open up a
whole new world in seismology. He says
that with the billions of smartphones
worldwide, it will grant a huge amount
of safety to the public, especially to the
places that don’t have the earthquake
early warning systems.
MyShake is currently still in the process
of being tested, so it’s not available to
the general public yet. Once testing is
complete, however, the app will be free
once it’s been fully released. Hopefully
this app will help reduce the effects of
earthquakes.
Probe Blasting off to Bigger and Better Things
The Philae Probe made
landfall onto the comet
known as 67P.
By Diamond Washington
On Wednesday, November 12, 2014, at
approximately 10:40 a.m., a mechanical
space traveler, named The Philae Probe
landed on a comet 67P, 310 miles from
Earth. It was sent out by the European Space Agency (ESA) along with its
mother ship, Rosetta. After the landing
had been confirmed, the probe tweeted
“Touchdown! My new address: 67P!”
Which was later followed by a tweet
reading “I’m on the surface but my
harpoons did not fire.” ESA is hoping
that the Philae will answer questions
about the history of our solar system.
“Our ambitious Rosetta mission has
earned a place in the history books: not
only is it the first to rendezvous with
and orbit a comet, but also the first to
deliver a lander to a comet’s surface,”
Jean-Jacques Dordain, ESA’s director
December 2014
News page 5.indd 1
general, said. Philae has experiments to
test on the surface of comet 67P as well
as finding out what happens when the
effects of the sun drive off gas and dust.
Sensors on the lander can measure the
density and thermal properties of the
comet’s surface and gas analyzers will
help identify any organic chemicals that
might be present. It also possesses a drill
that can go 8 inches into the comet to
deliver material for testing. “The orbiter
will remain alongside the comet for over
a year, watching it grow in activity as
it approaches the sun, getting to within 112 million miles in summer next
year, when the comet will be expelling
hundreds of kilograms of material every
second.” said ESA project scientist Matt
Taylor. The Philae Probe gives the ESA
hope for future missions.
Free order of breadsticks with purchase
of a 14” or larger Pizza
OR
Student Lunch Buffet for only $6.70
Offer only valid with this coupon
The Lance
5
11/24/2014 9:21:35 AM
News
LHS Digest The Ultimate Family Reunion
Long lost twin sisters reunite
Here’s what you’ve missed
from the month of November! just in time for the holidays.
By Andy Porter
Scott Walker wins the 2014 Governor’s race. Walker won with 52.3% of
the vote. Walker is in his second term
as the governor and is rumored to be
starting the framework for a Presidential campaign in the next election.
Ebola claimed it’s second life in the
US. Dr. Martin Salia died after he contracted Ebola in Sierra Lone treating
patients for it. He was given both a
blood transfusion of a survivor and an
experimental medication for the virus
but was in too critical condition to
save.
Brittanny Maynard ended her own life
on November 1st with her friends and
family surrounding her. Maynard’s
time came too quick when she was
struck with a terminal brain tumor.
After her revealing photos taken for
a magazine shoot, Kim K has received
much criticism over them from various
other celebrities. Kardashian herself
tweeted “#Breaktheinternet”
Odell Beckham Jr. really almost broke
the Internet after his amazing touchdown catch for the New York Giants
on November 23rd 2014. His catch
sparked almost 51,000 tweets per minute for the first few minutes after the
catch, almost crashing Twitter much
like Ellen did with her selfie from the
Oscars.
President Obama lays out a controversial immigration plan that would grant
5 million undocumented immigrants
freedom from the fear of deportation
and would allow them to work and
get a social security number in the
US. Other parts of the plan also plan
to improve border security and use a
more high tech Visa system.
6
News page 6.indd 1
By Melody Krishnan
For many, December is a great time
of year to celebrate with family. Often
times, family members reconnect with
one another during the holidays. For
this reason, this particular news story is
family related and should get readers in
the cheerful holiday spirit.
One day, Anaïs Bordier, a French
fashion design student, unknowingly
saw a picture of her twin sister, who she
had never met, let alone knew existed.
Her friend showed her this picture,
and while she thought there was a
resemblance between her and the girl
pictured, she didn’t think anything more
of it. A short while later, however, this
same friend sent Bordier a YouTube
video that Bordier’s lookalike made an
appearance in.
Finally, Bordier decided to do some
investigating. She learned that the
girl’s name is Samantha Futerman, who
worked as a waitress, while pursuing
her career as an actress. Bordier says, “I
found her date of birth. What are the
chances you find someone adopted from
the same country, same town, who was
born on the same day?”
Wanting to get in contact with
Futerman, Bordier sent her a Facebook
message. The message, referring to the
popular movie Parent Trap starring
Lindsay Lohan, said, “I stalked you a
bit and found out you were born on
the 19th of November 1987 . . . and
discovered you were adopted too. So . . .
I don’t want to be too Lindsay Lohan,
well . . . but . . . how to put it . . . I was
wondering where you were born?”
Receiving this message, Futerman was a
little startled. For a few days, she simply
didn’t respond to the Facebook message.
Futerman explains, “I felt shock and
awe. When I saw where she was born
and adopted out of . . . I think I was just
taking it all in.”
Thirteen days after the Facebook
message was sent, Futerman and Bordier
set up a Skype date. They had planned
on talking for ninety minutes, but their
The Lance
conversation turned into a three hour
ordeal. Since this first conversation,
they found that they shared uncanny
similarities. For example, looking back
on childhood pictures, they discovered
that they had the same exact haircuts,
at the same points in childhood, in the
same order. Also, they both share a
strong dislike for cooked vegetables,
carrots specifically. Neither of them can
function on a short night’s sleep, while
both of them feel the need to brush their
teeth multiple times throughout the day.
The two have met in person and have
become best friends. It’s almost like they
have known each other their whole lives.
Together, they hope to help siblings
separated at birth find each other. In
fact, Futerman has co-founded, along
with Glee actress Jenna Ushkowitz,
Kindred, an organization whose goal is
to provide orphans and adoptees with
both financial and emotional resources.
“All I want from my sister is to spend
time with her, to call her after work and
say, ‘Hey, want to get dinner?’ And
to see her weird habits,” says Bordier.
“We are starting our life and going
in the same direction. Ours is a love
story, but it’s a family love story,” says
Bordier regarding her relationship with
Futerman.
With the time of gift giving quickly
approaching, the greatest gift any La
Follette student could give is the gift of
friendship. Keeping that in mind, this
December, aspire to show your loved
ones, friends and family alike, that you
truly care for them.
December 2014
11/24/2014 1:15:28 PM
What’s Hot
What’s Not
By: The Lance Class
What’s Hot: Doritos
What’s Not: Dewritos
What’s Hot: Snow flakes
What’s Not: Dandruff flakes
What’s Hot: Walking through fresh snow
What’s Not: Stepping in the yellow stuff
What’s Hot: Snow men
What’s Not: No snow women for them
What’s Hot: Finding a yeti
What’s Not: Finding a yeti
What’s Hot: Hiding trash in the snow
What’s Not: When it’s still there after the
snow melts
What’s Hot: Throwing snowballs
What’s Not: Taking one to the face
What’s Hot: The Holiday Season
What’s Not: The rest of Winter
What’s Hot: Getting cozy and taking a
nap
What’s Not: Hibernating
What’s Hot: Drifting
What’s Not: Ending up in a snowbank
What’s Hot: Florida right about now
What’s Not: This frozen wasteland
Random
Facts
Brain Teasers
What Grinds
Your Gears?
Inexperienced teen drivers
need to heed warnings when
driving in frigid weather!
By Andy Porter
As everyone knows, winter in Wisconsin
is a brutal time of the year. Freezing cold
temperatures and what sometimes seems
like endless amounts of snow, it really
sucks. But winter isn’t what’s grinding
my gears this month. What is, is driving
in winter.
Everyone who has ever driven in winter
knows that it is a complete 180 compared
to summer driving. In summer you can
cruise around as fast as you like, slam on
your brakes, and cut those corners a little
tight, well you can kiss that goodbye.
With snow on the ground you have to
be about 20 times more careful than you
were during the summer.
Now what irritates me the most about
winter driving isn’t necessarily the driving
conditions themselves, it’s the fact that
everyone seems how to forget how to
drive completely whenever it snows out.
Lane lines disappear and all of the sudden
no one knows what to do. I try and
follow the lines that other drivers have
laid down for me already but half the time
you’re riding one of the lines themselves!
People not following the lines is the least
of my worries though. Some people seem
to forget that snow and ice are slippery.
This means that you need to SLOW
DOWN! That’s right I’m talking to all of
you that come in extra hot when coming
up to a stoplight. Also you have these
things called brakes, they come standard
with every car, and you should um,
maybe use them! I don’t care what your
friends say, brake earlier than you have
to! You never know when you’re going
to hit a patch of ice and slide a little bit.
The final thing that really grinds my gears
is the parking lot in the winter. Those
of us who were here last year know that
our parking lot isn’t plowed the most
amazingly, but our school does the best
it can. This doesn’t give you the right to
park wherever you want. There are still
lines and spots underneath the snow, and I
know most of you can at least guess pretty
well where they are, and yet people pull up
right on the line or straddling the line!
All that being told, I know that there
are just some things you can’t control in
winter. The only advice I have for you
Lancers is to take the pedal away from
the medal a little, and to play it safe when
it comes to shooting any gaps. Drive safe
out there, and good luck!
By Mitch Cefalu
•The coldest city on average in the
continental US is International Falls,
Minnesota
•No two snowflakes are alike, but all
snowflakes have 6 sides
•The tallest snowman ever built was
122 feet and 1 inch tall
•Snowflakes fall anywhere from 1 to 6
feet per second
•When large groups of penguins huddle together for warmth, it actually
becomes so warm toward the center
that it is not uncommon for penguins to overheat and die
December 2014
Brain Teasers page 7.indd 1
Photo Credit: Jesus Diaz
The Lance
7
11/24/2014 3:58:32 PM
Feature
Snuggle Up This Isn’t Santa Barbara
This winter, many will be
disguising a need to be cuddled as love.
Staying warm takes on many
forms, but unfortunately this
doesn’t include transforming
into a polar bear.
By Diamond Washington
It’s getting cold outside, and everybody
is looking for love. But, choose your
partner carefully because life isn’t like
the movies. Sadly, not everyone finds
love like Channing Tatum and Rachel
McAdams do in “The Vow,” or like
Mario Lopez and Melissa Joan Hart in
“Holiday in Handcuffs.” It’s a downer
really; movies like these create a false
depiction of what winter love is really
like. It’s unfair, to say the least, that it
doesn’t actually happen that way.
Everyone experiences a time when
they’re just lying in bed on a cold winter
night wishing they had someone to hold.
It’s sad to think that there are so many
wasted bodies out there, just as cold as
yourself. Sadly, finding someone who
warms your heart in just the right way
is a bit more difficult than just grabbing
a body off the street and cuddling with
them; it requires a little more effort
than that. You have to find the perfect
person for you. You can’t just choose
someone random. It’s a dangerous time
of year because everyone is going to
be trying to find their perfect person
to cuddle with when the temperature
drops. Be wary because you may end up
hurt in someone’s pursuit to find their
perfect winter cuddle buddy. So, as you
start your search for your cuddle buddy,
remember to be aware of others’ feelings
and stay safe.
By Alex Wehrli
Wisconsin winters are notoriously
known for being brutal. With
temperatures that can creep all the
way down to negative double digits
people are constantly at risk of getting
frostbite, trench foot, and hypothermia.
It’s important to take care of yourself
in this chilly Wisconsin climate, so here
are a few ways to help ensure that you
don’t find yourself frozen to the core
like everyone’s favorite Disney princess,
Anna.
The cheapest way to keep warm is to
find someone else and cuddle up close
to them. However, many individuals
are hesitant to carry out such an action
because they may either be too socially
awkward for such a close encounter, or
maybe they’re allergic to other human
beings. If cuddling isn’t for you, no
need to fret, there are plenty of other
solutions to staying warm.
“I love sitting in front of a fire with a
mug of hot chocolate,” Erin O’Connell
(12) said. Sitting by a roaring flame is
an excellent solution to fighting off
the cold weather and maybe that’s
why society has been stoking fires for
centuries. In addition to the heat, a fire
can also provide a comforting accent to
any room. If building a fire seems like
the thing for you, be cautious and try
not to set your house ablaze.
If a warm crackling fire isn’t good
enough for you, another suggestion
might be packing on the pounds this
winter. Adding some fat might be just
what the doctor ordered. Animals like
walruses and polar bears have high
percentages of body fat and as a result
fair significantly better in cold climates.
Who wouldn’t want to stuff their face
with warm puddings, hot chocolate, and
mom’s famous tater tot casserole?
The most practical solution though is to
dress appropriately. You’ll need to ditch
the miniskirts and bro tanks for gear like
wool socks, boots, long underwear, soft
mittens, knit caps, and warm jackets.
“From years of personal experience I can
confidently go into the frigid Wisconsin
winters knowing I’ll be warm wearing
my Carhart,” Alex Volkmann (12) said.
If you don’t think any of these
suggestions will keep you warm, a last
resort might be to pack your bags and
move to Bora Bora. Temperatures there
average right around 80 degrees year
round with plenty of sunshine.
Darrell Davis (12), an individual who
has no plans of moving away, had a few
sharp words for Mother Nature and her
pal Jack Frost, “Bring it on, I’ll be ready.
Show me what you got.” It’s a bold and
noble outlook, and I commend him for
his courage. This winter is going to be
bad, there’s question about it. However,
with plenty of ways to stay warm there’s
no need to mope. So try a different
approach this year and embrace the cold.
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8
Feature page 8.indd 1
The Lance
December 2014
11/24/2014 1:20:13 PM
Feature
Bust Them Out and Dust Them Off
Sledding is an extreme
sport that can anyone can
participate in.
By Mitch Cefalu
Have you been stuck inside too long
because of our Wisconsin winters?
Looking to get out and DO something
instead of sitting in total darkness and
binging Netflix? If you said yes to
either or both of these questions, then
you’re in luck.
Contrary to popular belief, the act of
walking up a steep hill and riding back
down on some sort of inanimate object,
also known as sledding, is suitable for
all ages. Chances are you’ve got an old
sled lying around from your youth
just sitting there, collecting dust, and
wishing to relive its glory days. If not,
and you can’t “borrow” one from a
little sibling or that little kid who leaves
it in the snowbank outside their house
(just kidding stealing is wrong), there
are a variety of items that can be used as
a makeshift sled. Inflated air mattresses,
lunch trays, inner tubes, flat pieces of
cardboard, plastic storage bins, kayaks,
yoga mats, anything with a flat surface
that you can sit on really, can be turned
into a sled. Sledding on a bunch of
random objects with the bros is always
a good time. So there really is no excuse
not to get out to a local hill near you.
In fifteen minutes, once the initial
novelty of sledding has worn off, and
you’ve ran up a hill in full snow quite a
bit, it’s time to up the ante.
Note: the following sledding options
are much more extreme and consequently more hazardous than basic
sledding. These stunts were performed
by professionals, and The Lance Newspaper is not responsible for the injuries
of anyone recreating or reenacting
these stunts.
Building a jump: Nothing screams
freedom more than catching some air
and gripping the sled for your life in an
effort to keep the sled under you.
Race: Straight forward race to the
bottom of the hill. Race your friends or
strangers.
Last man sledding: Anything goes, last
man on their sled or the first sled down
the hill wins, pretty much like that
movie Death Race. It is not recommended to challenge strangers.
Standing on your sled: Show off your
skills by standing up on your ride as
you move.
Start a “bobsled”: A bobsled is the
term given to the act of getting as
many people as you can on your sled
and trying to ride down without losing
anyone. Also not recommended with
strangers.
All of these are classic ways to spice up
sledding. Trying a few out is an easy
way to kill time this winter. So button
up, grab your ride, and get out there.
The thrills are waiting.
Falalala Winter Songs Play All Season Long
Songs of the season warm
the coldest of hearts.
By Bekah Smith
With chestnuts roasting on an aux cord
fire and Jack Frost biting off your nose,
we tend to fall deep into the magic of
the holiday season. The sights are bright
and colorful: with deep crimson, evergreen and silvers hanging from banisters.
Not to mention the bright twinkle of
lights, December provides beautiful
sights for everyone to enjoy. The visuals
of the holiday season don’t even begin
to cover the essence of the winter spirit.
The true beauty of the season is all in the
sounds of holiday music.
The holiday season has cultivated its
own genre of music that is adored by
even the Ebenezer Scrooge’s of the
December 2014
Feature page 9.indd 1
world. But why is it so beloved? Because everybody knows a turkey and
some mistletoe help to make the season
bright? No, because holiday music can
remind us of the good times. “When I
hear Christmas music, it reminds me of
my family and the warm memories we
share when we all get together,” Emily
Pederson (12) said. “Just the tune of
White Christmas brings back the feelings of winter joy,” Stephanie Barrera
(11) said.
Silent Night isn’t so silent anymore
when artists like Taylor Swift, Justin
Bieber, Mariah Carey, LeAnn Rimes and
many more record their own versions of
the classic songs. Mariah Carey is perhaps one of the most successful modern
artists to produce an original holiday
song, All I Want for Christmas is You.
Despite being almost 20 years old, it
still holds top spots on many holiday
The Lance
music charts with an estimation of over
2 billion downloads worldwide.
The classic winter tunes prevail time
and time again. The Christmas Song
sung by Nat King Cole and co-written
by Mel Thorne is one of the most beloved holiday jams of all time. The song
is number one on top40 and number
two on Billboard’s Top Holiday 100.
The Christmas Song (also known as
“Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire”)
was originally written and recorded
in 1946. The song was recorded four
times, and the 1961 is the version that
we all know and love today with a full
orchestra accompanying Cole’s smooth,
timeless voice.
Clearly, winter jams have a special
place in many of our hearts. They
provide warm tunes to cold nights and
make even the most stressful of winter
bearable.
9
11/24/2014 1:23:31 PM
Sports
What You Missed: LHS Fall Sports Recap
This fall La Follette’s fall
sports teams have done some
notably spectacular things.
By Alex Wehrli
La Follette High School has some
exceptional fall athletic teams. Whether
it’s boys cross country or girls tennis,
every sport did something worth noting
this past season. It’s difficult to try to
stay up to date on everything that goes
on here so in case you were curious,
here’s the rundown on La Follette’s fall
athletics:
Girls Golf: The golf team, made up
of just two individuals, put their
hearts into this season. Both ladies
saw lots of improvement in their play.
Unfortunately, their year ended after
the regional round where they came
up just a few strokes short of sectional
qualification.
Boys Soccer: With an overall record
of 6-9-4 the boys finished 8th in the
Big Eight. This year was the second
consecutive season where the Lancers
brought home the Lussier Cup. The team
also won their first round playoff game in
impressive fashion. They overcame a 3-1
deficit against rival Sun Prairie to win 5-4
in overtime. Unfortunately they fell to
Memorial in the Regional Final.
Girls Swimming: This team, led by 6 four
year seniors, is one of the hardest working
groups of ladies in the school. Although
they didn’t finish atop the podium as
often as they had hoped they constantly
gave everything they had. They beat city
rival East in a head to match and also, for
the first time in four years, they had an
individual qualify for state in two events.
Boys Cross Country: The boy’s spent the
majority of their season ranked number
one in the state. They were crowned
city champs and were second at the
conference
p h meet.
o tThisowasga special
r a year
p h
for the boys because it was the team’s
tenth consecutive trip to the state meet.
Although they didn’t finish as high as
they would have hoped, the team still
managed to finish 4th at state and also
had an individual place fifth overall.
Girls Cross Country: It was a rocky year
for the girls. The team lost their groove
after multiple athletes fell victim to injury.
Despite the rough season though, the
girls squeaked out an impressive fifth
place finish at their sectional meet.
Football: The boys (and girl) were city
champs for the second year in a row and
they finished second in what is arguably
the most competitive conference in
the state. The team finished the year
with a 7-2 regular season record and a
playoff victory against conference rival
Verona (the first playoff win since 2007).
Unfortunately, their season came to
a close when they lost to number one
seeded Kimberly in a level two playoff
match-up.
Girls Volleyball: Despite the fact their
season may not have turned out as hot as
they may have hoped these girls still made
their presence known. In the conference
tournament they gave Verona (who were
undefeated in conference at the time)
quite the scare. They finished the first
game of the set 22-25 and the second
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26-28. Their season ended a week later
when they fell to elite conference rival
Sun Prairie.
Boys Volleyball: After finishing the
regular season at .500 the boys came out
swinging in their first game of postseason
play. They beat cross town rival West
in four sets to win the regional final.
Unfortunately, their season ended when
they were beaten by fifth ranked Catholic
Memorial in their next game.
Girls Tennis: This was an eventful year
for the Tennis team. Not only did they
have two doubles teams make it to
subsectionals but for the first time since
2010 the La Follette girls sent a doubles
pair to State.
Student athletes are the reason the rest
of us get to dress up in funny costumes
and chant about little red wagons. If not
for them Autumn wouldn’t be the same.
So if you know someone who went out
for a sport this past fall give them a firm
handshake accompanied by a warm smile
and congratulate them on a great season.
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p h o t o g r a p h y
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4702 Agate Lane • Madison, WI 53714
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December 2014
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Sports page 10.indd 1
11/20/2014 12:51:19 PM
Sports
Snow Ballin’ Some Action With No Traction
Winters most widely known Ice skating isn’t just a hobby,
and played sport... As long as it’s a competitive sport.
there’s snow on the ground.
By Melody Krishnan
By Bekah Smith
The Snowball Fight is winter’s most beloved sport. It requires not only dedication, but also proper training. Although
La Follette doesn’t offer snowball
fighting as a varsity sport, students still
participate in pickup games throughout
Wisconsin’s long winters. Snowball
fighting isn’t just a silly childhood
game anymore. “I think snowball fights
are exactly the type of sport that LHS
needs more of,” Syler Imhoff (10) said.
The game is similar to dodgeball as far
as the actual rules are concerned. If a
player is hit by a snowball from an opponent, they are down and must leave
the game to cheer on their remaining
teammates. There is also some impromptu wrestling if players are unhappy with the result of the score, but that
is not listed in the official rule book.
However, it’s no surprise that snowball fighting isn’t always a safe activity.
Many extreme snowballers tend to take
things too far by adding rocks or ice
into their snow balls before pitching
them at their opponents. This act of
lacing hard objects into the snowball is
illegal and creates unsafe environments
for those kids who just want to have
fun. So to avoid angry bruised opponents, just stick to balls made out of
snow and only snow. “When I was in
kindergarten, I was hit by an ice filled
snowball and it wasn’t cool,” Meghan
May (12) said.
As far as the size limit, there isn’t one.
Snowball fights can be between two
friends or entire towns. On January 12,
2013 in Seattle, Washington 5,834 people officially participated in a snowball
fight. This snowball fight was recorded
in the Guinness Book of Records as the
Largest Snowball Fight in the world.
So if you and a group of friends are
feeling lethargic this winter, no need to
hit the gym. Just grab yourself a handful of snow and go at it!
December 2014
Sports page 11.indd 1
For many, ice skating is more than a
hobby. In fact, within the U.S. Figure
Skating Association (USFSA) there are
more than 176,000 members in member
clubs, collegiate clubs, school-affiliated
clubs and Basic Skills program.
Nearly a century ago, in 1921, the US
Figure Skating Association was founded. At the beginning of its formation,
there were only seven member clubs,
while today there are as many as 750.
According to the USFSA website, more
than 1.5 million people have learned
how to skate using the association’s
program. Needless to say, ice skating
has grown increasingly popular.
On December 20, the 2014 Holiday
Season competition commences at
Ohio State University Ice Rink. Events
at this competition include Basic Skills
with music and Basic Skills elements
only; Basic Skills Free Skate; Free
Skating for Beginner, High Beginner,
No Test, Pre-Preliminary through Juvenile/Open Juvenile; Adult Pre-Bronze
through Adult Gold; Compulsory
Moves, Spins, Jumps, and Showcase.
There are countless rules at ice skating
events, or so it seems. For one, skaters have to skate at the highest level
they have achieved since November
10, 2014, but skating at a harder level
is always an option. Also, there are age
restrictions and entering fees, with the
highest entry fee being $75. In addition
to these rules, there are also guidelines
concerning music, coaching, photography and videotaping of the contestants
among other things. These rules are
outlined in a 17 page handbook that is
also available for viewing online. Clearly, ice skating is taken very seriously as
a sport. Winners of their events receive
medals or ribbons depending on their
placing.
Ice skating is very challenging and
requires a great amount of skill and
power. Many times, there is a story
behind a skater’s routine, especially if
it is a couple’s competition. Audience
members and viewers at home can get
into great holiday spirit by watching
skaters and listening to festive holiday
music.
This winter, students should be sure to
turn on your television or attend an ice
skating competition because it truly is a
graceful, captivating, and an altogether
unique sport. Otherwise, La Follette
students should make a trip out to Tenney Park, put on a pair of skates, and
try it out for themselves.
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11
11/24/2014 9:27:51 AM
Arts & Entertainment
Fight Boredom This Winter and Get Crafty
Fun winter projects for all.
By Christina Peterson
There are many things you can do
outside to fill your winter time, but what
about things you can do indoors? Yeah,
you could watch movies or snuggle next
to a fire like you do every year, but why
not try something new?
Usually, anyone in high school wouldn’t
get excited about spending their free
time doing something as childish as a
craft, but they’re actually a fun way to
spend your time!
Some crafts are simpler, like paper
snowflakes. Others take a little more
work.
The first winter craft you could make is
a paper snowflake. It’s a safe assumption
to say that everyone has made a paper
snowflake. You start by taking a piece
of paper, and folding it. You can fold
it as many times as you want, but for
the project to work you need to at least
fold it once. Take a pair of scissors and
cut shapes into the edges of the folded
paper. Once you have cut enough
designs into the paper, unfold it. If done
correctly, you should have a snowflake
in front of you.
In order to make a coffee can snowman/
winter change jar you must first obtain
a coffee can. Put the lid on the can and
paint the whole thing white. Let your
can dry. Using black construction paper
cut out two medium sized circles and
hole punch black circles to use for the
mouth. With orange construction paper
cut out a carrot shaped nose. Then
take white construction paper and hole
punch out two small white circles. Glue
the two small white circles onto the
bigger black circles to give the eyes more
life. After that, glue the eyes, nose and
mouth to the can. Finally, cut a hole in
the top of the can so you have a way to
put in your change.
Everyone loves snowmen, and they’re
even better when you can bring them
inside without them melting. Some craft
ideas to help with this, are to make your
own snowmen out of things that aren’t
actually snow.
One fun idea is to make a snowman out
of golf balls. Take two white golf balls
and glue them together. Then glue a film
canister to the top of one to give the
appearance of a hat. Lastly, using black
paint, paint your snowman a face! An
optional step is to tie a ribbon around
the snowman’s neck as a scarf. Another
thing you could make a snowman out
of is Styrofoam. Start by cutting out a
paper circle. Next glue the larger ball
onto the card and the smaller ball on
top of that. To make your snowman a
hat, take a colorful sock and cut it at
the heel. Tie a piece of yarn around the
end of the sock and slip the ankle cuff
over the snowman’s head. You can then
use that same sock for fabric for a scarf.
Make a face for your snowman and add
three buttons down the belly of the
snowman. To make the arms and hands,
cut a pipe cleaner into three different
pieces – cut one of the three pieces in
half – then push one of the two longer
pieces into the side of the snowman.
Twist the two smaller pieces around the
end of the longer pieces to make the
hand.
Most people spend their time trapped
inside their houses during winter
anyways, and crafts are an easy and fun
way to spend your time, so why not try
some out? With all the things you aren’t
looking forward to with the winter, you
might as well find some things you can
look forward to.
The Celebrity Naughty and Nice List of 2014
Who’s getting presents this
year and who’s going to get
coal?
By Diamond Washington
This year’s celebrities have been in the
spotlight and some have been doing
up to no good while others have been
maintaining a good image for the
cameras. With this, I present to you the
celebrity naughty and nice list of 2014.
Naughty:
• Jennifer Lawrence - Hacked nude
photos.
• Bill Cosby - Has multiple rape
claims against him.
• Kendal Jenner - After turning 18 she
posted sexy pictures on Instagram.
12
A & E page 12.indd 1
• Miley Cyrus - Desecrating the
Mexican flag by being spanked with
one, while twerking at a concert on
Mexican Independence Day.
• Robin Thicke - Lied about writing
blurred lines.
• Cee Lo Green - Accused of
drugging a girl at a restaurant
without her knowledge.
• Ray Rice - Hit his wife.
Nice:
• Lady Gaga - Launched a project
encouraging fans to love their
bodies.
• Matt Damon - Is trying to make
it easier for people in 3rd world
countries to gain access to clean
water.
• Amy Adams - Gave up her first class
seat to a serviceman.
The Lance
• Bruno Mars - Serenaded a young
victim of a car crash at his concert.
• Channing Tatum - Sent a video kiss
to a fan with cancer.
• Russel Brand - Helped a homeless
man in Los Angeles by giving him
water and a T-Shirt.
Hopefully next year our celebrities do a
bit better with keeping up their image.
Its quite saddening really. People all over
look up to these celebrities and having
to hear all the bad things about them is a
little depressing but the good celebrities
of our generation restore our faith in
humanity. The good celebrities can keep
on doing their thing and the not so good
celebrities, well, fingers crossed they
have seen the error of their ways this
year and learned their lessons because if
they don’t then the media is doomed.
December 2014
11/24/2014 8:59:07 AM
Arts & Entertainment
LHS Holiscopes
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
Your high spirit and ambitious outlook
will bring something really sweet to you
this month. Although, if you’re nice you
will be free from the flu.
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)
You can be a really witty person,
especially when it’s needed. This is the
best time of the year to express that
trait. Although, if your sarcasm gets in
the way this month, then a cold winter
awaits.
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)
Your imaginative traits will really help
give this season its pizazz. Although,
when it comes to being lazy, try to add a
little jazz.
Aries (March 21-April 19)
Your generosity is a good all year trait
that others will really acknowledged this
month. It will really show during this
season. Although, your moodiness will
determine how far this trait goes.
Taurus (April 20-May 20)
Your patience for things will help give you
a smooth cruise for this month. Although,
if you’re stubborn you will get the blues.
Gemini (May 21-June 20)
Your high energy will help keep
everyone up as the sun goes away, but
your devious spirit will bring everyone
down during the day.
Cancer (June 21- July 22)
This seasons snowfall will highly depend
on how much you express your trait
of caring this month. Although, being
self-absorbed will keep everyone yelling
and start a lot of measurements amongst
family and friends.
Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)
Your encouragement for both yourself
and others is what the ones around you
are going. This is what keeps the ones
closest to you going; it gives them their
energy. Although, being mellow dramatic
is what gets you to meet new people.
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
You are a very helpful resource for
people to go to, and this trait will
be very important to both you,
and others around you this month.
Although, if you become fussy trouble
will brew.
Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)
Your peaceful intentions are what
keeps this season the jolliest.
Although, if you keep yourself
unreliable this month will be the
chilliest of the season.
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)
If you express your trait of liveliness, it
will help put karma in its natural flow.
Although, if you stay jealous you will
miss life changing opportunities.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)
Your optimism will help make miracles
this season. Although things should go
well this month, be careful, one wrong
move will have a bad reaction.
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December 2014
A & E page 13.indd 1
The Lance
13
11/24/2014 1:57:30 PM
Editorial
Are You Naughty or Nice to Retail Workers?
Last minute Christmas
shopping? Learn how to
be polite during the most
wonderful time of the year.
By Aaron Lucius
The holiday season is here once again!
And with that brings lots of shopping
to stores everywhere. Busier business
means heavier stress on retail workers.
So, when you’re next in line and start
hearing the woman who’s in front of
you voice rise, you know there’s going
to be a problem, and she’s not going to
be nice about it. Isn’t it funny how the
people who always yell at a cashier about
not being able to do their job and being
stupid usually seem to be the people
who don’t have a clue on how to use the
pin pad for their credit card? Hopefully,
you are not one of these people. Here’s
some ways to help out retail workers
this holiday season:
1.Don’t complain about the prices to
us. “What?! Well blah, blah, blah sells
them for only this much. Why is it so
expensive here?”. Yes, because all the
cashiers decided to come up with a
random price that’s $0.20 higher than
our competitor. There is nothing we
can do about them, since we don’t
make the prices. In most situations the
manager can’t even do anything and
even if they can, they could lose their
job. So, if that video game that’s a
dollar cheaper at another store is a big
enough deal for you to scream at all
the workers you see, it might just be
best to go somewhere else.
2.Unless you know what you’re getting
and it’s quick, don’t come right before
closing. If you come in to the store
five minutes before closing and you
grab a shopping cart and take your
time, you might as well wear a shirt
that says “I am a very conceited
person who doesn’t care about anyone
but myself”. Now, if you come in and
14
Editorial page 14.indd 1
you know what you’re getting and it’s
only a few things, that is fine.
3.We are not to blame for everything.
It’s the company’s policy. Your $0.50
coupon is expired? Sorry, but it’s
company policy that we can’t take it.
That doesn’t mean throw a tantrum to
get your way. As stated before, there’s
nothing we can do about it. The
company made the rule, not us.
4.“CAN I GET SOME HELP OVER
HERE!” Why are you screaming?
Is it that hard to literally walk ten
steps to find someone to help you
instead of screaming across the entire
store? Also, not only are you causing
a disruption in the store, but also
bringing attention and embarrassing
yourself.
5.Sorry that we don’t know where
every single item is in the store. Yeah,
yeah, roll your eyes and do your big
sigh when a worker says, “let me ask
someone else” after you ask if we have
a specific item. I mean after-all, it
basically is the end of the world to try
and make you happy, right?
6.“The customer is always right” is
wrong. Just because you’re a customer
and you THINK you’re right,
doesn’t mean you’re always right.
But remember, we are people too and
sometimes we make mistakes. So,
if the someone has to double check
the price of something, they’re not
accusing you of lying, calm down.
They’re just doing trying to do their
job and not get fired.
7.BE NICE!!!!!!!!!!!!! Your problems
can’t always be resolved. 99% of the
time retail workers are trying their
best to help you out as much as
possible. Also, please don’t talk on
your phone.
Hopefully everyone takes these into
consideration for the holidays this year.
And if you work in retail or any other
job, good luck!
Photo Credit: Allison Joyce
4544 Monona Drive
Madison, WI 53716
$1.00 off any purchase of $5.00
$2.00 off any purchase of $10.00
Expires: June 2015
The Lance
December 2014
11/24/2014 4:24:30 PM
Editorial
Working Retail, Fun Hobby or Nasty Habit?
Is the money really worth all
of the cynicism and trauma?
By Alex Wehrli
What’s the easiest job to get when you’re
thirsty for work in December? Retail.
With the holiday season now in full swing
many large department stores and business are looking for Holiday help. It’s
an easy way to earn a paycheck, unfortunately, many compare it to serving for the
devil. So, is working retail a fun hobby or
a nasty habit? Let’s explore!
Businesses at this time of year are practically begging for help so you’re essentially guaranteed a job if you choose to
apply. It’s an easy way to make money
and it’s not fast food. Working retail
during the holiday season means you’re
surrounded by lights, tinsel and joyous
seasonal tunes. What could be better
than earning money while taking in all
of the holiday cheer? It’s typically only
a seasonal position so you have no long
term commitments and you’re free to
walk away with no strings attached. It’s
probably the best job a high schooler
could have.
Working retail seems like the best gig
ever. However, once you actually find
yourself standing behind a register
dealing with an irate customer you soon
realize it’s not. The holiday season is
supposed to be a happy time with lots of
happy people. Unfortunately, the reality
is far from that. People are bitter and
rude. Customers don’t care about you as
a person. To the customer you are some-
one that they take their frustrations out
on. They will take you down with vicious,
uncalled for words and they will make
you feel like the smallest, most insignificant human being in the world. The big
box stores will work you thirty hours a
week on top of school and you’ll only be
making minimum wage. You’ll also have
to sell their stupid sales pitch that will
land you in hot water with impatient customers. “During the Holidays customers
turn into evil people,” Pat Lytle (12) said.
If you think the Christmas music will
help keep your spirits up you’re wrong.
It will quickly become monotonous and
annoying. Before long you will become a
scrooge that can’t way for the holidays to
be over and done with.
So, is working retail a fun hobby or a
nasty habit?
Giving Winter the Cold Shoulder
Winter is an unpleasant time
of year; there’s snow question
about it.
By Martina Seignarack
There are many views on Winter. Some
people don’t like it, some do, or there’s
the group of people who have a love-hate
relationship with winter. But for me, I
absolutely dislike winter and the cons
that come along with it. There are not a
lot of pros that I can think of that make
me content. There are so many things
that I don’t like about winter, and here
are just a few complaints I have.
To begin with, there’s the cold. I honestly
do not like wearing way too many layers
than I should be wearing just to stay
warm outside. It’s even worse when you
sweat like crazy when you enter a heated
building and having all the layers cover
every inch of your skin possible. It’s
pretty understandable when I’m outside,
but it’s even worse taking off 5 layers
when you get back in.
To follow along with cold, there’s the
one problem you face every morning.
The feeling of being really comfortable
sleeping in your bed with your blankets
wrapping you up like a burrito. You don’t
want to get out of bed because you’re
either too cold to get out, or you’re just
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November 2014
Editorial page 15.indd 1
The Lance
so comfortable and you don’t want to
move. That’s probably the biggest thing
I hate about winter because in all senses
of the word “winter,” it’ll always be cold.
But when you’re laying in bed with the
warmest sheets you have, that is the best
and most perfect thing about winter.
Furthermore, I believe there isn’t much
left to do during the winter season. I
say that because one, it’s too cold to do
anything outdoors and two, you can’t go
anywhere from all the snow thats on the
ground! It’s absolutely horrifying not
being able to do anything all day.
Finally, falling on the ice is a big pet
peeve. As careful as you are walking along
the ice, there will be those little moments
where you slip on a piece of ice that
magically appears on the ground out of
nowhere. Is it me or does that happen to
anyone else? It’s embarrassing and also
very dangerous to even step foot outside.
These were my top reasons why I
absolutely, strongly, and surely loathe
winter. Sometimes, I get way too cranky
in the mornings and I don’t want to
do anything during the day. That’s the
problem about this season, my actions
and my attitude changes. It’s strange, but
it’s so true. I can’t wait until winter ends,
even if it just started. It’s not me being
lazy, blame the season.
15
11/21/2014 8:42:07 AM
Lancers of the Month
Athletes of the Month:
Johnson and Gessner Storm the Field
By Rachel Hellrood
As December rolls in it
brings along with it two
new athletes of the month.
This month we are featuring
pommer Alexis Johnson and
football player Trygve Gessner. Both of these athletes
have not only shown success
within their sports, but in the
classroom as well.
Senior Alexis Johnson was
looking for a change her
sophomore year when she
auditioned for the upcoming
year of the poms team. “I’ve
always enjoyed dancing even
though I don’t have much
experience in a dance studio. Also, I really liked all
the girls on the team and it
seemed like a very welcoming and fun group,” Alexis
Johnson (12) said. Johnson
has been on the poms team
for the past two years, and
earned scholar athlete her
junior year.
Senior Alexis Johnson
Senior Trygve Gessner
Alexis has not only shined
on the dance floor, but in
the classroom as well. She
has managed to maintain an
impressive 3.92 GPA while
taking numerous AP classes
and also being involved in
multiple clubs. Lexi was her
class secretary last year, and
is now co-vice president this
year. She also has been a
member in National Honor
Society, BSU, and in band for
four years. Alexis would like
to major in environmental
studies or biology and would
like to attend NYU, Northwestern or Washington and
Lee University.
Trygve Gessner has been
playing football since fourth
grade for the East Side
Sharks. He continued his passion for football throughout
his high school years, playing
tight end since his freshman
year. “The best thing about
playing football at La Follette
is getting to work and play
with my best friends for four
years and always winning,”
Tryg Gessner (12) said. Tryg
also started playing lacrosse
for La Follette during his
sophomore year as a midfielder. In addition to lacrosse and football, Tryg has
also been ski jumping since
he was in first grade. He has
advanced to the national
championships since 2011. In
2014 Tryg placed 3rd in the
individual category and 2nd
in the team category.
Besides his involvement in
athletics, Tryg is a pride
guide and is a civil engineering intern at the Department
of Transportation. Tryg
has managed to maintain an
impressive 3.98 GPA and
hopes to attend Marquette,
UW-Madison or UM-Twin
Cities to major in electrical
engineering.
We wish both of these
Lancers the best of luck in
the future and know they will
succeed in whatever they do.
Artist of the Month:
Derrick hitting all
the Wright notes.
By Kaylee Hinze
This month’s artist is the musically talented Derrick Wright.
He has been involved in music
since way back in his elementary school days. His passion
for music began when he chose
to play the violin in fourth and
fifth grade strings class. Since
then he has been moving on up
in the music world.
In middle school he started
playing the string bass and has
been strumming it ever since.
16
Lancers of the Month page 16.indd 1
Derrick Wright is all About That Bass
He chose this instrument
because he looked up larger
instruments in the dictionary
and this happened to pop up.
Since then he has fallen in
love with music. “I love music
because it pushes me and my
skills and makes me always
want to better myself. I want
to push myself until I am at the
top and the best of the best,”
Derrick Wright (12) said.
Not only is Derrick in band
but he is also a member of La
Follette’s Mariachi band. In
Mariachi Derrick plays both
bass and guitar. He wanted to
join mariachi to test out his
abilities and see if he was good
enough to make it.
After graduation Derrick
plans to attend Madison College and major in Culinary.
He wants to become one of
the world’s premier chefs. “I
hope to make people happy
with the way I put love onto a
plate,” Wright (12) continued.
Derrick would like to thank
Richard Davis (UW Music
instructor) for always pushing
him to do his best and Ben
Ferris a UW bass jazz student.
“Ben Ferris is the best bass
jazz player in all of Wisconsin
and I hope to be as good as
him one day. Mostly I would
like to thank my parents
The Lance
for pushing me to practice,”
Wright continued.
Good luck next year, we know
you will continue to shine
and cook up a great future for
yourself!
Senior Derrick Wright II
December 2014
11/24/2014 9:18:36 AM