The
Volume XLIII
Issue 10
Regent Review
September 2014
New Prinicipals Discuss Challenges and Triumphs of New Jobs
By Ceili Cordero
There’s been some
major shake-ups at West
this year, not the least
of which was the introduction of two new principals. Fir st off, Beth
Thompson was promoted
from Re gent SLC princi pal to head principal fol lowing the retirement of
Ed Holmes.
Secondly, a new
SLC principal was in troduced. Mr. Kirkwood
took the place of Ms.
Thompson as Re gent
SLC principal and, so far
at least, appear s to be
loving his new job. As
for the most une xpect ed par t of his position,
Kirkwood simply re plied
“there are a lot of kids
I’m responsible for!”
There
are
over
photos by Jake Garvey and Samantha Rickner
2,200 kids at west and he
is responsible for 1/4th
of them. He said that
that was the biggest difference between this job
and his last one. That,
and the fact that those 550 and relate to them a litkids are high schooler s.
tle better than at the el He was previously ementar y level. Before
the head principal at an
elementar y school. “I love
continued on page 8
being able to talk to kids
Changes around West High
This past year, West
High School has seen dramatic internal and external
changes. Last summer,
the school installed a new
geothermal heating and
cooling system. In addition to substantially stabilizing temperature within
the building, the installation of the geothermal
system altered the appearance of the outdoor track
and football field.
Environmentally
friendly as well as costefficient, geothermal
cooling and heating contributes much of West
High’s new temperature
regulation system. Recently, underground tubes
replaced the steam systems
that used to control West’s
temperatures. These tubes
use the Earth’s constant
temperature to regulate the
school’s heating and cooling. The air carried by the
tubes remains at a solid 56
degrees; to maintain the
temperature, heat exchangers either heat it up or cool
it down. Out of the energy
resources that geothermal cooling and heating
uses, 70% comes from the
ground.
Previously only
installed in the Van Hise
side of the school, geothermal heating and cooling now runs through the
entire school. The heating
and cooling systems now
cost around 25% less than
the previous system, now
placed around $10.5 million dollars. However, the
energy-conserving aspect of
geothermal heating balances
out that expense, now saving resources by holding a
constant temperature rather
than heating up and cooling
down every single activation.
Stating in its contract that once they were
finished, West would
have the football field
back in the same condition prior to the renovation, the company that
installed the new system
began work on tubes
running underneath the
field in. However, the expected renovations failed
to return the football field
to its original condition.
When completed, the
Regent Profile,
p2
Fashion,
p. 3
Facebook,
p. 3
Class of 2018
Reactions,
p. 6
by Wen Si
REGENT REVIEW 2014 September 2014.indd 1
continued on page 8
10/6/14 11:55 AM
Page 2
Feature
Regent Profile: Hannah Singer
as told to Ethan Staley
This month, the Regent
Review interviewed
theater club member
Hannah Singer.
Regent Review: First
off, what would you say
is your greatest interest
currently? A favorite
hobby, talent, etc....?
Hannah Singer: My
biggest interest is
definitely theater. I love
acting and singing and
trying to dance.
RR: How long have
you been interested in
theater?
HS: I first started when
I was eight when I did
this CTM summer
program of “Once Upon
a Mattress.” I actually
really didn’t wanna be in
it at first because I was
terrified, but after three
weeks of it I started to love it.
And I’ve been in musicals here
and there since that summer.
RR: What’s your favorite
part of both West theater and
theater in general?
HS: My favorite part of
West theater is hands down
the people. Everyone is so
positive and encouraging
of each other, and it’s so
easy to be friends in that
environment. My favorite
part of theater in general
is that it forces you to put
yourself out there. I know
this is sounding really cliche
now but it really does help
build confidence. Also, it’s
super fun to “be” a plate or
something along those lines.
RR: Would you recommend
theater to incoming
Freshman?
HS: Yes! I think if there’s
one thing Freshman should
get into at West it’s theater.
Regent Review Staff
Co-Editors in Chief
Mae Wyler
and
Ethan Staley
Layout Editors
Maya Gurung
Samantha Yaeger
Craig Barabas
Layout and Design Advisor
Ms. Engelbart
Faculty Advisor
Mr. Nepper
photo credit Hannah Singer
There’s just so much to gain
out of it and, I may be a little
biased, but I think it’s one of
the most fun things to do.
RR: Would you say you’re
interested in having a future
in theater?
HS: I’ll probably go down
a different career path but it
definitely will continue to
interest me for a long time.
RR: Is there anything else
you’d like to say in this
interview? Any advice you’d
like to give?
HS: *Laughs*. That’s
a lot of pressure. Um, I
guess remember to floss
regularly…?
6 shows to watch this Fall
1: Once Upon a Time
In this magical series, a
young woman is drawn to
a mysterious Maine town
known as Storybrooke
where, unbeknownst to
her, every fairy tale character is trapped under a
powerful curse.
2: The Middle
This comedy follows the
foibles of a midwestern
family as they attempt to
navigate the day to day
challenges of life.
3: Brooklyn 99
Recommended for fans
of Parks and Recreation.
It centers around a section of the New York
Police Department. Starring Andy Samberg (The
Lonely Island)
Gwen Stefani, Pharrell
Williams, Blake Shelton, and Adam Levine
attempting to find America’s “voice.” This year,
Taylor Swift joins as a
voice advisor.
5: Arrow
Based on the DC comics “Green Arrow”, this
action drama follows
the adventures of Oliver
Queen as he attempts to
save his city from various villains while mainting his secret identity.
6: Awkward
Socially awkward teenagers try to navigate the
twists and turns of high
school in this comedy
drama on MTV.
4: The Voice
Reality TV show featuring celebrity judges
REGENT REVIEW 2014 September 2014.indd 2
10/6/14 11:55 AM
Page 3
Feature
5 Fashion Trends for Fall 2014
by Mae Wyler
Summer has gone in
a flash and it’s time to break
out the warmer (but just as
fashionable) clothes! Here are
some fall 2014 trends to start
off the season right:
1: Clunky Ankle Boots.
Besides riding boots, ankle
booties are the staple shoe of
the season. Wear them with
knee-high socks and a dress
or jeans and a slouchy t-shirt.
2: 60’s style. The
mini-skirts and eccentric
prints from the sixties have
made their way to 2014. To
get the look, rock a colorful
shirt dress and apply heavy
mascara to get Twiggy’s doe
eyes.
3: Plaid. For fall? So
original! Go New England
prep with plaid skirts
and penny loafers, or mid
western casual with skinny
jeans and a plaid button
down.
4: A-line dresses.
The “fit and flare” style has
replaced the straight, formfitting casual dress this
season. The A-line dress is
tighter at the top and then
flows into a girly skirt at
your natural waist, making
it feminine and flattering.
5: Animal accents.
My favorite trend this
season; the featured critters.
whether it’s a polar bear
sweater, a shirt with foxes,
or a dress with giraffes,
the animal effect is (in my
opinion) the cutest trend so
far.
photo courtesy of wolverineworldwide.com
New study shows old Facebook posts are most embarressing things ever
by Ethan Staley
In a recent sur vey
(conducted
by
me
scrolling through my
newsfeed), 100% of West
High students re por ted
that
looking
back
through their Facebook
p o s t s f r o m a s e a r ly a s
2008 to as late as 2012
m a d e t h e m f e e l r e a l ly
weird about themselves.
Par ticipants cited a lack
of proper g r ammar and
a n i n ab i l i t y t o c e n s o r
themselves as the chief
causes of the issue.
“I used a lot of
e xclamation points and
I abb r e v i at e d a l o t o f
words. I guess I thought
it was cool?” reported
Au d r e y D u n aw ay. S h e
mentioned a 2009 post
of her s that read “feels
sooo much btr!! and is
rele HAPPPPPYYY cuz
its snowing outside!”
A bb r e v i at i o n s s u c h a s
“ b t r ” a n d “ r e l e ” h ave
been cited as among the
most embar r assing par ts
of these statuses.
“ T h e t h i n g i s, ”
shared Chelsea Clark
Edmiston, Senior, “that
REGENT REVIEW 2014 September 2014.indd 3
when you’ re in middle
school you don’t think
ab o u t t h e s e t h i n g s …
a n d t h e n ye a r s l at e r
you’ re living your
l i f e a n d yo u r e a l i z e
t h at t h o s e p o s t s a r e
o u t t h e r e s o m ew h e r e,
waiting to haunt you.”
Edmiston’s sentiments
we r e e c h o e d by m a n y
of her peer s.
“ Ye a h , I l o o k b a c k
through those old
posts now and think to
myself ‘wow, what was
I thinking!?’”
Senior Chloe Ericson
said, pulling out her
phone and looking
at a 2 0 0 9 s t at u s o f
h e r s t h at s i m p ly r e a d
“ H A M BU RG E R S A R E
FUNNY IN MANY
WAYS” followed by what
she judged to be about
twenty e xclamation
points.
Ericson’s post was
r e ce n t ly b r o u gh t b ack
to life by her friend
Kaelly Guse, who
recent comment, “what
are those ways”, caused
the post to reappear in
her friends’ newsfeeds.
Ericson has made her
displeasure with Guse’s
comments known.
Ericson is not alone
in her disdain for old
Fa c e b o o k p o s t s c o m i n g
back. Other students
also expressed their
fr ustr ation with the
recent trend of long
d o r m a n t a n d o b s c e n e ly
e m b a r r a s s i n g Fa c e b o o k
posts “resurfacing”.
“ T h e w o r s t t h i n g t h at
can happen is someone
looking through your old
statuses and f inding the
wor st one and liking it or
commenting on it. Then
it shows up in ever yone
else’s feeds and you have
to deal with that for the
ne xt five to seven days,”
said Greta Treiber.
E ve n m o r e u n s e t t l i n g,
this trend of “resurfacing”
seems to be gaining
p o p u l a r i t y r at h e r t h a n
d i s s i p at i n g. S t u d e n t s
r e p o r t e d , o n a ve r a g e ,
t h a t “ l i ke , 2 0 0 % o f
what [they] see now on
Fa c e b o o k i s s o m e t h i n g
someone posted a million
year s ago.”
“Yeah, I’m not really a
fan of this trend,” said
Sar a Staley, referencing
a post of hers from
2 0 1 0 s ay i n g t h at s h e
“just got back from
O u t b a c k , ve r y f u l l , bu t
t h e fo o d w a s ab s o l u t ly
delisious !” She has
since acknowledged her
misspelling of the last
two words and wished
t o m a ke i t k n ow n t h at
she is, in her words, “a
way better speller now.”
Still, many students
are choosing to look
at the future with hope
a n d n o t w i t h d e s p a i r.
“I know the epidemic
of
resurfacing
is
r e a l ly t r o u bl i n g, bu t I
h ave f a i t h t h at i t w i l l
bl o w ove r. We ’ ve a l l
been there and we’ ll
all get through this
t o g e t h e r, ” s a i d E l l i e
Skupniewicz, offering a
brighter outlook on the
situation. “Besides,” she
continued, “I just found
out that you can delete
o l d s t at u s e s. ” A l l o f
Skupniewicz posts from
b e fo r e 2 0 1 2 h ave s i n c e
been deleted.
10/6/14 11:55 AM
Page 4
Entertainment
Would you rather?
by Maya Gurung and Samantha Yaeger
1 ) L i ve w i t h o u t N e t fl i x o r s o c i a l m e d i a
2 ) G o o n W h e e l o f Fo r t u n e, Je o p a r dy, o r Fa m i ly
Fe u d
3 ) O n ly b e abl e t o l i s t e n t o h e av y m e t a l o r bl u e g rass
4 ) Au d i t i o n fo r T h e Vo i c e o r t h e X - Fa c t o r
5 ) S w i m w i t h f r i e n d ly s h a r k s o r w i t h m e a n d o l phins
6)Be in Clueless or Mean Girls
7 ) S kyd i ve o r h a n g g l i d e
8 ) B e u n t a l e n t e d a n d f a m o u s o r b e u n k n ow n bu t
talented
9 ) Ru n t h r e e m i l e s o r sw i m o n e m i l e
1 0 ) O n ly b e abl e t o e at C h i n e s e fo o d o r I t a l i a n fo o d
GREENBUSH BAKERY
KOSHER DONUTS
Kosher Certified Dairy
Absolutely No Preservatives Added
OPEN ‘TIL 3AM WEEKENDS
Next to Rocky’s on Regent St.
257-1151
Kosher
means
Quality!
1305 Regent Street
Madison, WI 53715
REGENT REVIEW 2014 September 2014.indd 4
10/6/14 11:55 AM
Page 5
Entertainment
Dear Reggie...
Dear Reggie, omigosh I like totally don’t know how to handle schoolwork, sports, and
extracurriculars all at the same time and still get good grades? -I Can’t Even Steven
It’s always hard to take on a lot of responsibilities at the same time, but you need to
remember that school comes first. Just like Beyonce says, “I use the negatively to fuel
the transformation into a better me”. If you feel like you have too much on your plate,
think about everything that you have going on and make sure that you genuinely enjoy
each activity, and that you are involved in them for yourself and not to please someone
else. If you aren’t enjoying an activity it’s better to stop and do something that you
truly want to spend time doing. As for schoolwork, if there’s work time, try to get
as much of it done in class as possible so that you won’t have as much to do at home.
If not, budget your time as efficiently as possible when studying or doing homework.
That means no Twitter, no Instagram, no Facebook (unless you’re asking for help from
a friend), and no texting! But also remember to take a few minutes to relax and take a
break when you’re studying! It can be hard to get good grades sometimes, but as long
as you stay on top of things, use the time you have as efficiently as possible, you can
succeed at whatever you set your mind to.
- Reggie The Regent
Dear Reggie, it’s only one month into school and I think I’m failing a class. What
should I do? - Frantic Fran
Don’t hesitate to ask your teacher for help! Teachers want their students talk to them,
and they will be happy to meet with you and help you with anything you’re confused
with. there’s also an awesome peer tutor program that will match you up with a tutor
in any subject you need! It’s particularly helpful if you get a tutor who has had your
teacher before. The biggest thing is to make sure you pay close attention in class and
do all of your homework, no matter how much you don’t want to. When you start having trouble make sure you get the help you need. You can also discuss how to get help
with your counselor. Do NOT wait to get help if you start having troubles in a class
because if you do, you will only get more and more confused as the class moves forward.
-Reggie The Regent
REGENT REVIEW 2014 September 2014.indd 5
10/6/14 11:55 AM
Page 6
Feature
T h e C l a s s o f 2 0 1 8 Re a c t s t o T h e i r F i r s t M o n t h
by Heidi Dong
A new school year is kicking
off as our beloved class of ‘14
heads off to their futures and
the class of ‘18 joins us. As
the new Freshman have been
adjusting to West they’ve been
voicing some all-too-familiar
concerns.
“I got lost in the beginning,
but turns out every floor is the
same, minus the bathrooms…
Some of those don’t work,”
Freshman varsity tennis player,
Laura Nicholas, answered
when asked to describe her
first few days at West. As many
of the Freshman have already
noticed, here at West High the
bathrooms are something else
and worthy of their own article.
When asked to give some
initial thoughts on the
difference between high school
and middle school, Vinh Tang
responded, “I think West
requires lots of responsibility, as
in use your time wisely studying
because of tests and getting to
class on time."
Georgia Gober, like many
others, responded that “getting
to leave for lunch and having
more freedom is nice.” She
continued, adding that she is
“on the dance team, and it’s
pretty fun. It's kind of cool to
dress up and stuff, with themes."
“High school is a lot more fun
than middle school,” Freshman,
Charles Hua, says. He added:
“There are a lot of opportunities.”
Charles is excited to be joining
both Science Olympiad and
Forensics this year.
It’s true; West has an
opportunity for everyone to
pursue their interests in a variety
of ways, be they sports, clubs,
and classes.
“I really wasn’t nervous when
I came here because I knew I
was going to do well - I knew
photo by Ellie Skupniewicz
there were a lot of good
teachers here,” Hamilton
graduate Riley Lanham said.
He continued, adding that he's
"in cross country and will be
doing hockey and either track
or golf." Here comes another
three season athlete!
Students like Vinh Tang,
however, are discovering
early on how easy it is to get
overloaded and overworked.
“I want to do cross country,
but I don’t think I have time
for that because I feel like I’ll
have too much work on my
shoulders and I’ll have to stay
up late at night and do it.”
Going forward into the
2014-2015 school year, West's
freshman class is excited with
their new freedom and eager to
be involved. After all, as Vinh
Tang said, "West is great... I
mean, West is best!”
Local Happenings at West and in The Madison Area
Friday, October 10, 7:00 pm,
against Janesville Craig.
Events at West:
Boys Volleyball Game. TuesHomecoming Parade. Friday, October 14, at Memoday, October 10, at West
rial High School.
High School.
Boys and Girls Cross CounHomecoming Dance. Satur- try WIAA Sectionals. Saturday, October 11, 8:00-11:00 day, October 25, at Deforest
pm, in the West Cafenasium. High School.
Choir Concert. Wednesday,
Girls Swimming Conference
October 15, 7:30-9:30 pm,
Dive Meet. Friday, Octoin the West Auditorium.
ber 31, at Middleton High
West Orchestra Concert.
School.
Wednesday, October 29,
7:30-9:00 pm, in the West
Events around Madison:
Auditorium.
Run for America 5K. Saturday, October 4, 12:00 pm, at
West’s Sports:
the UW Natatorium.
Girls Tennis Conference
Madison Parks Fall Festival
Meet. Wednesday, October
Craft Fair. Saturday, October
1, at Nilsen High School
4, 10:00 am-3:00 pm, at Olin
Girls Volleyball Game.
Park.
Thursday, October 2, home
Much Ado About Nothing.
game against Janesville
Sunday, October 5, 6:00 pm,
Craig.
at Up the Hill Theatre.
Boys Soccer Game. ThursWilliam Shakespeare’s coday, October 9, at Edgewood medic play will be put on by
High School
American Players Theatre.
Homecoming Football
Badgers Football Game. SatGame and Senior Night.
urday, October 11, 1:00 pm,
by Jordan Blanco
REGENT REVIEW 2014 September 2014.indd 6
against the Fighting Illini.
Art:
Forbidden Art Exhibit.
Concerts:
Rusko. Thursday, October October 1st through 5th, at
the Memorial Union Porter
2, at Segredo.
Old Crow Medicine Show. Butts Gallery, open during
Union hours.
Friday, October 3, at the
Put on by the Polish
Overture Center
Heritage Club of WisShovels and Rope. Sunday, October 5, at the Bar- consin, Inc., this exhibit
will feature the artwork
rymore Theater.
of MONTREAL. Sunday, of internees of the Nazi
October 5, at the Majestic concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau.
Theater.
The Human Condition: the
Pixies. Sunday, October
Stephen and Pamela Hoot12, at the Orpheum Thekin Collection of Contemater.
porary Ceramic Sculpture.
Timeflies. Monday, OcOctober 1st through 31st,
tober 13, at the Orpheum
at the Chazen Museum of
Theater.
Art. Special Community
Delta Spirit. Wednesday,
Day celebration Saturday,
October 15, at the BarryOctober 18, 12:00-3:00
more Theater.
pm.
Brantley Gilbert. ThursThis collection, containday, October 16, at the
ing over 100 clay pieces
Alliant Energy Center.
from thirty-five sculptures,
Angus and Julia Stone.
Friday, October 17, at the portrays life’s dichotomy
in diverse forms depicting
Majestic Theater.
mankind itself.
10/6/14 11:55 AM
Page 7
Feature/News
Advice From West Seniors to Freshmen
by Kira Zimmerman
Freshman year starts in a
blur of get-to-know-you
games, West HOUSE activities, finding the quickest way to class and getting
lost, avoiding collisions
with bathroom doors and,
more than anything, trying
to figure out how to settle
into a comfortable niche
within West.
As entering Freshmen,
most students worry about
the upcoming year and
the challenges it brings.
However, our student body
is more than willing to
offer our Freshman class
some guidance and helping
hands! Here’s the top 20
pieces of advice from the
current senior class (and
one principal).
Chelsea Clark-Edmiston,
senior: “Don’t put so much
pressure on yourself.”
Anastasia Knight, senior:
“Use your planner.”
Jacqueline Enderle, senior: “Involve yourself in
as much as you can… four
years go by scarily quickly.”
Kiley Penn, senior: “Don’t
obsess over boys!”
Joe Shaffer, senior: “Be
aware of stress, because it’s
both necessary and corrosive”
“Don’t be a jerk.”
Sara Staley, senior: “Make
friends with people you
weren’t friends with in
middle school.”
Kiley Penn, senior: “Do
more extracurriculars!”
Ayden Prehara, senior:
“Put way more effort into
schoolwork, and not other
little things… Those freshman grades follow you all
four years!”
Anastasia Knight, senior:
Sophia Yackel, senior:
“Use your Lunch and Learn “Don’t be discouraged by
to get your work done.”
the lack of opportunities;
they come with time!”
Cole Dembski-Sullivan,
senior: “Take better care of Elena Gratton, senior:
yourself.”
“Concentrate on getting
used to the high school
Erin Appleton, senior: “Be workload and take time
open to new friendships!”
to try out different sports
and clubs just because you
Dominic Anderson, junior: can.”
Reid Annin, senior: “Learn
what helps you manage
your time well.”
Antonia Gascoyne, senior:
“Don’t sweat the small
stuff—no one’s going to
remember your mess-ups
three years later.”
Ethan White, senior: “Go to
the swing dance, and go see
the musical!”
William Brown, senior:
“Have fun, make decent
choices, and don’t let stress
overwhelm you.”
Cole Dembski-Sullivan,
senior: “Learn for the sake
of learning.”
Ms. Thompson, head principal: “Whose house? West
HOUSE!”
Beyonce Club draws in huge numbers
by Wen Si
September 4, 1981. Matthew and Tina Knowles’
first child Beyoncé Knowles
enters the world. They have
no idea that, in fewer than
twenty years, she’ll be one
of the most famous women
in the entire world, respected and adored by a largely
international fanbase.
September 11, 2014.
Seniors Ellie Skupniewicz
and Katie Feller create
a Beyoncé Club at West
High School, Madison, WI.
They estimate about twenty
people participating. In
reality, almost eighty people
end up wandering in.
“I think we both
hoped it would be popular… Like, twenty people
would have been great, but
we were blown away…
There were at least sixty
people. It was awesome,”
REGENT REVIEW 2014 September 2014.indd 7
said Ellie Skupniewicz, copresident and co-founder of
what’s surprisingly become
West’s most popular club.
Though neither Feller
nor Skupniewicz expected
the club’s immense popularity, both were pleased with the
turnout, if not a little overwhelmed; “We’ve got fifty-five
signed up for the Facebook
group alone!” they shared with
The Regent Review.
Offering commentary
from a member’s point of
view on how a club of this size
gained a foothold in the multitude of West extracurriculars,
senior Claire Curley said that
“there were so many attendees that people were standing
out the door and sitting on the
floor. It took us a good portion of the time to go around
and say our names and favorite
Beyoncé song.”
Despite the apparent
chaos, Curley assures The Re-
gent Review that the club had
“a pretty solid first meeting.
Katie and Ellie are the perfect
co-presidents.”
When asked about the
purpose of the club, Feller
shared that “[it was] going to
try to work with [Beyonce’s]
charity, BeyGood,” and “might
perform at the Roof Over Our
Heads concert.”
BeyGood, Beyonce’s
charity, frequently hosts
community service events,
food drives, fundraisers, and
giveaways. The club’s copresidents have not at this time
decided with which portion of
the charity they plan to work.
Addressing what takes
place during the meetings
themselves, Skupniewicz said
that members “talk about [Beyoncé], watch videos, discuss
and review performances,
and keep each other updated
on the latest news about ‘The
Queen’.”
Though members
don’t know if the club can
maintain its popularity in
coming months, if the initial
turnout is any indication,
Beyoncé Club won’t be going anywhere soon. In fact,
the presidents have already
started making plans for the
club to continue after they
graduate. “I’d love to have
it keep going even after
we’re gone,” Skupniewicz
shared. Feller echoed these
sentiments.
As the club and its members
continue to develop points
of interest and community
organization, they offer
West High some parting
words from The Queen
herself: “My biggest thing
is to teach not to focus on
the aesthetic. It’s really
about who you are, as a human being, that makes you
beautiful.”
10/6/14 11:55 AM
Page 8
Continued stories
New Prinicipals Discuss Challenges and Triumphs of New Jobs
cont. from New
Principals on page 1
t h e ki d s wou l d p r ob ably
be cr yin g af te r war d s,
and now, to b e abl e to
t alk to you n g ad u l ts,
t h at ’s re al ly n i ce.” H i s
favori te th i n g to d o i n
hi s new j ob i s to h ave
t h e opp or tu n i ty to b e
in the h al lway s an d i n
t h e cafe te r i a an d i n te r act w i th k i d s.
Much li ke an i n com i n g
Fres h m an , th e h ar d est t h i n g for M r. K i r kw ood is ge tti n g accl i mated; g e tti n g u s e d to
all t h e p r og r am s h e i s
in charge of an d l e ar n ing h ow th i n gs wor k
ar ound We s t. An d , i n
case you we r e won d e r ing, he i s n ot a C h e e s e
Head. H e i s f r om I l l i noi s.
In hi gh s ch ool h e was
gett i ng r e cr u i te d by
t h e Uni ve r s i ty of Wi s consi n’s footb al l p r o g r am, bu t th e n th e
head co ach got f i r e d
and he e n d e d u p go -
i n g t o scho o l t o b e co me
a t e ache r. W he n aske d
w he re he t hi nk s he ’d
b e ri ght now i f he had
go ne t o co lle ge t o p lay
fo o t b all, he lau ghe d
an d sai d , “ I p ro b ably
w o u ld n’ t b e as p ro d u c tive as I am ri ght now ! ”
W he n aske d ( b e cau se
th i s i s w hat we all a ctually w ant t o k now )
“w o u ld yo u r at he r we ar
a b ow t i e o r a re gu la r
tie ? ” , K i rk w o o d chu ck l e d and sai d t hat he d o e s
p r e fe r b ow t i e s, bu t o c casi o nally he ’ ll b e se e n
w i t h a t i e o n.
K irk w o o d , howeve r, i s
n o t t he o nly new p ri nci p al at We st . A new
h e ad p ri nc i p al, M r s.
Be t h T ho mp so n, w as
app o i nt e d
ove r
t he
s u mme r.
O ne t hi ng
s he w asn’ t e xp e ct i ng
abo u t he r new jo b i s t he
am o u nt o f faci li t y man age me nt she has t o d e al
w i t h. She p ro mi se s t hat
s he i s w o rk i ng hard t o
ge t t he b at hro o ms u p
an d r u nni ng o nce agai n,
w hi ch sho u ld please
many st u d e nt s. W hen
aske d w hat he r favorit e
p ar t o f t he jo b is, she
re p li e d : “ t o cr eat e t he
o p p o r t u ni t y fo r some
o f t he change s I felt we
ne e d i n o rd e r t o move
fo rw ard as a sch ool. ”
W he n aske d what t he
hard e st p ar t o f her new
jo b w as, she laughed
and sai d “ ju st t he vol u me o f mai l I get ! ” She
re ce i ve s an aver age of
1 0 0 e mai ls an h our.
T he
new
p rincipals
mi ght no t b e as different
as yo u ’d t hi nk.
T hey
b o t h st at e d t h at t hey
e njoy w alk i ng around
t he bu i ld i ng and meet ing
st u d e nt s i nfo r mally and
jo k i ng w i t h o t h er st aff
i n me e t i ngs. M uch like
K i rk w o o d ,
T hompson
d i d no t o ri gi nally plan
t o b e an e d u cat or.
“ M y fat he r w as a den t i st and I g rew up w ork i ng i n hi s p r act ice, so
I w as go i ng t o go t o
scho o l, ge t a d ent al de g re e, and t a ke over his
pr act ice. But w hen I got
t o colle ge, I came t o realiz e t hat science w as not
my calling. ” she shared,
e xplaining how her pat h
had t aken her t o her cur rent posit ion at West .
She e xplained t hat , even
t hough she w asn’ t al w ays planning t o be come a t eacher, she’d al w ays possessed t he “ t ake
charge” per sonalit y nec essar y in leading a class room. She w as on her
school’ s st udent council
and w as par t of t he fir st
g roup t hat got girls al lowed t o wear pant s at
her school.
Finally, on a less serious
not e, w hen asked w hat
her favorit e candy bar
w as, she responded w it h
“ oh, t hat ’ s hard… I love
candy! ” , proving once
and for all t hat , for as
different as we are from
our principals, we’ ve also
got a lot in common.
Changes around West High
to grow, explaining the
weeds’ unawaited abunmany new, construction- dance.
based chemicals in the
The field remains
soil unbalanced the field’s off limits until the chemipH levels. The grass seeds cal situation is fixed;
couldn’t tolerate the dra- using it would interfere
matic changes and failed with ongoing movements
cont. from Changes,
p.1
Back to School Playlist
Compiled by Sara Staley
1) Go Do - Jónsi
2) Second Child,
Restless Child - The Oh
Hello’s
3) Turn It Around Lucius
4) Harlem - New
Politics
REGENT REVIEW 2014 September 2014.indd 8
5) Riptide - Vance Joy
6)Celeste - Ezra Vine
7) The Mother We Share CHVRCHES
8)Harper Lee - Little Green
Cars
9)Lake Michigan - Rogue
Wave
10)Endless Summer - The
Jezabels
pushing for continued
reparations. A plan to
re-sow the football field
this coming spring has
emerged, attempting to
bring the field back to its
original use and chemical stability.
In the meantime,
please refrain from using
and walking on the football field; we want our
green spaces back!
Have a great year,
West High!
10/6/14 11:55 AM