Why These 40 Minutes are Important; Your English Teacher Knows What's Up

By: Hannah Stadel, Staff Writer

Posted December 7th, 2015

Perhaps you’ve had times when you couldn’t convince yourself that English class had any purpose, poetry made any sense, or the author you’re reading had any sanity. Despite your many doubts, English does in fact play an important role in your life and the world.

When you drop into your desk, ready-or-not, to soak up that wordy knowledge, many things are about to happen. By being exposed to thoughts and ideas of other people at different times and places in history, your knowledge of the world expands. As your knowledge grows, the way you understand other cultures and people changes. Maybe you’ll learn something about your own life. It could, also, inspire you to travel somewhere or have a certain career. It could affect the way you treat others or give you a love for something greater. Reading something you wouldn’t have otherwise read opens up a door that might not have been there.

Analyzing literature also provides skills necessary for nearly every job. Critical thinking that you learn in high school English can be applied to many situations, from brainstorming to problem solving. Knowing grammar helps when you have to write a report for your boss or an email to a customer.

Next time you're in an English class, I hope you realize what a great opportunity you have and all that you’re gaining from those 40 minutes.

Slinger Girls Basketball over West Bend East 50-45

By: Alison Wolf, Staff Writer

Posted December 7th, 2015

The Slinger Girls Varsity Basketball team (4-1)  had their second home game Friday night against West Bend East Suns (2-1).  The majority of the game was a defensive heavy match with neither team getting more than 8 points ahead of the other, but down 5 with 48 seconds to go the Lady Owls pulled out another miraculous win.  Hannah Strupp made two key free throws to give them the lead and Abbey Belling sealed East's fate with a steal that led to a layup.  Their next game is this Thursday, December 10th at Beaver Dam.

Varsity: Final Score: 50-45     Half-time: 14-19

JV: Won 43-16

JV2: Lost 29-35

Slinger wrestling places second at Gunslinger Invitational

By: Madeline Hoitink, Co Editor-In-Chief
Posted December 7th, 2015

This past Saturday, Slinger held their annual Gunslinger Invitational.  The Owls placed second overall with 244.25 total points, behind Burlington, the victor of the meet, who earned 258.25 points.  Slinger wrestlers’ individual results included the following:

106: Cameron Heeson: 5-0, 1st Place

106: Gavin Skinner: 4-1, 3rd Place

113: Aaron Soneson: 3-2

113: Caleb Ziebell: 5-0, 1st Place

120: Chris Melius: 2-3

126: Hudson Mountjoy: 5-0, 1st Place

132: Tyler Wagar: 4-1

138: Jake Budnik: 2-3

145: Adam Grudzinski: 4-1, 3rd Place

152: Patrick Kanas: 1-4

160: Adam Beine: 4-1, 2nd Place

170: Logan Stegemeyer: 4-1, 3rd Place

182: Bennett Connolly: 2-3

195: Ian Strupp: 2-3, 4th Place

220: Jacob Amidon: 3-2, 3rd Place

285: Casey Osterburg: 3-2, 4th Place

It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year DECA the Halls is back and better than ever

By:Robby Timmler, Staff Writer

Posted, December 6th, 2015

On December 7th  through the 11th, DECA has a week long celebration of Christmas called DECA the Halls. The theme this year is based on the movie Elf. Elf was chosen to be the theme simply because it’s a very popular Christmas movie and DECA could come up with so many ideas on how to decorate the business hall that the opportunity just couldn’t be passed up. The idea for decorating the business hall is a walk through the movie Elf. First is the North Pole, then the Candy Cane and Gum Drop forest, next the Lincoln Tunnel and finally New York City!  There will as be a LIFE SIZE Buddy the elf with the face cut out for Pictures!  During DECA the Halls, to get students into the spirit of Christmas, there are dress up days all week long. Monday is holiday pajama day, Tuesday is spread Christmas cheer day, Wednesday is Club Day, Thursday is college gear day, and Friday is ugly sweater day. The goal of DECA the Halls is to get people talking about DECA and hopefully encourage them to join the club, and take the related classes. DECA, as well as their classes, are designed to get students career and college ready. So have yourself a merry little DECA the Halls and a happy New Years.

Rocky Balboa Returns in “Creed”,but This Time He’s the Trainer

By: Robbie Timmler, Staff Writer

Posted, December 4th 2015

Creed is the seventh addition to the Rocky Franchise, which is the continuing adventures of boxer Rocky Balboa and his friends. Creed starts with Adonis’s (Played by Michael B. Jordan) beginnings as a young boy in jail getting in fights with the other boys and his adoption by Mary Anne Creed(Played by Phylicia Rashad), wife of Apollo Creed. Adonis turns out to be Apollo’s son because he’s the son of a woman that Creed had an affair with. The movie then fast forwards to Adonis as an adult and we see him fight in boxing matches in Mexico. Then he quit his day job to fight full time. From there, Adonis moves to Philadelphia to train with retired boxing champ and former rival to Apollo, Rocky Balboa (Played by Sylvester Stallone). There we meet Bianca (Played by Tessa Thompson), who is the singer in her band and has developing hearing loss. Through the movie we see Adonis train and fight and train and fight until he faces his biggest challenger, undefeated boxing champion Ricky Conlon (Played by Tony Bellew). Creed has both great characters and emotional moments between Adonis and Rocky. In Creed we see how all of Rocky’s loved ones are dead or moved away and that he’s now alone, but he keeps going. The movie Creed shows how Adonis wants to make his own legacy and not be considered a mistake to the world.

Slinger dominates Kewaskum 73-41

By: Benjamin Hoitink, Staff Writer

Posted December 3rd, 2015

The Owls boys basketball team dominated the Kewaskum Indians with a final score of 73-41on Tuesday night. Twelve players got on the scoreboard, with Tyler Reinhardt, Max Merkes, and Derek Sabin in double digits. The Owls face the West Bend West Spartans on December 8th at 7:30 in their first conference game of the year at West Bend High school.

Slinger High School Band performs in auditorium on December 7th

By:Megan Cichon, Entertainment Editor

Posted December 3rd, 2015

Now that it’s officially December, the Christmas season is in full swing, complete with the music. Speaking of which, on the seventh of December at 7:30 in the Slinger High School auditorium, the eighth and ninth grades will be having their holiday band concert. Some pieces of note that you can expect to hear from the eighth grade is Frosty the Snowman, and from the ninth grade you will have the pleasure of listening to some Russian Christmas music. After the concert, Samba will be providing candy canes and hot chocolate. Be sure to put this event on your calendars to get in the holiday mood!

The lady Owls secure their first conference victory against the Orioles

By: Alison Wolf, Staff Writer
Posted December 2nd, 2015

The 3-1 Slinger varsity girls basketball team played their first conference game against one of their biggest rivals, the Hartford Orioles (2-0) at Hartford.  The lady Owls started out strong with a tough defense.  Abbey Belling secured the lead by swishing four three's to help give the Owls their first conference victory. Friday the Owls will take on West Bend East at Slinger.

Varsity Final Score: 58-31     

Girls JV Final Score: Lost 34-37

Girls JV2 Final Score: Lost 12-31

Atom adjusts to new experiences while at Slinger High School

Slinger High School foreign exchange student from
 Thailand, Yanisa Lekprasert (Atom).

By: Elysia Dowd, News Editor

Posted December 1st, 2015

This year Slinger High School is blessed with four foreign exchange students.  Each one has a great story to share and so much to add to the school, so these articles are meant to show a snapshot of these awesome people.

Yanisa Lekprasert is from Thailand. She doesn’t go by Yanisa though; in Thailand kids make nicknames and hers is Atom.  The A is for the first letter in her mother’s name, the T for her father’s name ( and the OM just fills in the name).  Back home she doesn’t have any siblings, but she is close with her parents, and her aunt and grandparents live nearby.

Atom started off her visit to America right with three different camping trips.  On her last trip it was pretty chilly and even frosted during the night, which she is not used to at all.  She is excited and a little scared to experience snow!

Atom has tons of interests! She loves baking and cooking, especially decorating cupcakes; she even dreams about opening a bakery one day. Dancing is a huge passion for her. Atom started all of her dancing with ballet when she was young, later on taking jazz and then hip hop. She really misses it, and would love to join a dance team here. She also did gymnastics and Tae Kwan Do when she was little, but she doesn’t have the time anymore. She even has an artsy side, and loves taking and editing photos and videos. If all of that wasn’t enough, Atom also took piano lessons, and although she’s done with formal lessons, she keeps playing on her own. Because of these musical and dance interests, she is really looking forward to trying out for the spring play. Atom is also hoping to mix things up and try some more American sports like basketball.

School in America is way different than back in Thailand.  Things like wearing uniforms and taking your shoes off when you go inside to show respect are the most obvious differences. The ability to choose your classes at Slinger was super exciting for Atom, since she had never experienced that before.  She chose classes like photography and gym so she could enjoy some of her hobbies. Gym class is also much more involved here, and Atom loves that! Even though she has taken English since kindergarten, she says that English is still her hardest class here. In Thailand they don’t have school dances the way we do, so Atom had a blast at Homecoming. She really loves school here. She was worried that it would be like Mean Girls, but thankfully everyone is helpful and nice.

 

The Americans eat very differently than how the Thai eat. We eat WAY more food in America, but she likes all of the food here.  Her favorite is probably chicken tenders. Even so, Atom misses some of the food from home; the Thai food here doesn’t quite do it justice. She particularly craves Tomyumkung, a spicy shrimp and mushroom soup with herbs, sometimes with coconut milk.  The Thai people also have some very different language customs.  To be polite, girls add the word “ka” and guys the word “kab” at the end of sentences.  For instance, is Atom wanted to say hello, she might say “sawasdee ka”.  And, unlike many other Asian languages, Thai has an alphabet, but it has 44 characters!

Lady Owls score their second win against Lomira

By Alison Wolf, Staff Writer

Posted November 30th, 2015

The Lady Owls (1-0) had their second game against the Lomira Lions (0-0) for an exciting Friday night home game (November 20th). The Owls had a comfortable lead for a majority of the game until the final minute when Lomira tied it up, tough defense and a buzzer beating shot gave the Owls their second win of the season. Their next game is at Hartford on December 1st.

Final Score 38-36

Freshman won and Junior Varsity lost

Slinger Owls boys basketball outshoots Nicolet 86-80

By: Benjamin Hoitink, Staff Writer

Posted November 30th, 2015

Slinger Owls boys basketball outshoots Nicolet 86-80 in their season opener. Senior Jesse Bellefeuil and sophomore Derek Sabin led the Owls in scoring with 22 points each, helping the team overcome a 9 point deficit at halftime. The Owls will travel to Kewaskum on Tuesday, December 1 to take on the Indians.

The Boxing Gloves gets dusted off for one more fight. A Preview of Creed: The Movie

By: Robby Timmler, Staff Writer

Posted November 24th, 2015

On November 25, the fifth addition to the Rocky Franchise “Creed” hits theaters. With this in mind, we look back at the original that started it all Rocky. The plot of Rocky, which is about a small-time boxer with a chance to fight the heavyweight champion, Apollo Creed. Now the plot of Creed is where Adonis Johnson, son of Apollo Creed is being train by retired champ Rocky Balboa to be the next great boxer. This shows how the plot of Creed is like Rocky V, but with a little twist in that Rocky is training Adonis the son of his former rival. Now Creed has another difference than Rocky in that Adonis is walk in the footsteps of his father gives it its own story.  In the end, I think Creed is going to be a great addition to the Rocky Franchise with having Creed deal with the moral dilemmas of family, honor, and fighting.

Slinger's Ac Dec is a rewarding experience for any student

By: Hannah Stadel, Staff Writer

Posted November 24th, 2015

Is studying or reading your favorite pastime? Do you get excited when you hear someone mention learning? Academic Decathlon is for you! Even if you’re not  nerdy, Ac Dec is a great way to prepare for college as well as provide an excellent opportunity to impress scholarship committees. And it’s fun!

Ac Dec is essentially competitive test taking. As a member you read and study and hear talks on various  topics like art, economics, science, literature, and math. Students in Ac Dec also write essays, prepare speeches, and interview with judges at meets. Preparation begins in September and students compete at Locals in November, Regionals in January, and State in March. Slinger High School has done very well in the past 28 years, consistently winning at the Local competition and qualifying for Regionals. SHS’s Ac Dec team this year was ranked 5th in the state at Locals and scored higher than ever, which is a good sign and very exciting looking ahead to the rest of the season.

Any student looking to have a unique and rewarding experience in an academic activity should seriously consider Ac Dec. The many benefits and opportunities are worthwhile, and any student could join. A perfect report card isn’t a requirement, there are three different levels for students to compete in that accommodate any GPA. Prove yourself, join one of the most successful groups in the state, and learn all the while!  

Slinger student takes aim at trap shooting national team

Ashton Werner targeting in his Perazzi customized shotgun.

By: Megan Cichon, Entertainment Editor

Posted, November 24, 2015

In January 2014, a young trap shooter named Ashton Werner made the National Trap Shooting Team. Since becoming a part of the national team, Ashton has traveled to several countries; including Italy, France, Germany and Switzerland. When asked to compare trap shooting in America to other countries, Ashton said that other counties have trap shooting bunkers like America has golf courses. Which makes sense, considering trap shooting is the 4th most watched sport overseas. In addition to being more popular, there are more competitions for trap shooters overseas than in America.

Werner with Olympic shooter
Giovanni Pallielo of Italy.

While overseas, Ashton had the opportunity to work with some Olympic level trap shooters. He worked with Rudolfo “Rudy” Vigano, a world recognized Olympic trap shooter from Italy. He also got to work with Giovanni Pallielo, who will be representing Italy in the 2016 Olympic Games. “It’s fun having a different coach,” Ashton said about working with them, “They have a lot to teach.” Speaking of coaches, Ashton’s coach here in the states is Allen Chub. Chub trains his shooters with the idea that they will eventually reach the Olympic level. He has them shoot in foreign countries so they can meet their competition on their home turf, and also so the shooters are not afraid of shooting on foreign soil. No one else is training their shooters on foreign soil, not even the USA Olympic Development Team.

Competing overseas has created many new opportunities for Ashton, and has allowed him to live for a while in many different cultures. He loves that he is able to travel the world, and that trap shooting has set a path that he will walk down for the rest of his life. When asked what about trap shooting was so appealing to him, he replied that “It’s an out of the box sport that’s new to the USA. I have a natural talent for it, and there’s lots of colleges offering scholarship money for competitive trap shooters.”

Ashton does not travel alone to these foreign countries. He goes with a team of shooters who all match his skill in trap shooting. The oldest person on Ashton’s team is 27 years old, while the youngest is 13. Once shooters on a team reach age 21, they are moved into the junior class, which is meant for older trap shooters. Ashton is currently on the A-team.

Ashton Werner at the Fiocchi Grand Prix competition this summer.

When Ashton was asked if he was considering turning trap shooting into a career and hopefully making it to the Olympics, his reply was yes. He practices approximately 16 hours every weekend, and 40 or more hours per month. His family has always been into guns, so Ashton’s grandfather introduced Ashton to shooting when he was around age 4. Cody Mueller introduced Ashton to trap shooting at age 11, and about 2 or 3 years ago he began shooting Olympic trap. Because of all the traveling he does, Ashton has over 30 sponsors who help pay for his ammunition, his gun, his clothing, and other such traveling expenses; on his trip to Europe, his sponsors paid for the $15,000 trip. While he is good at what he does, he does have a backup plan in place. If Olympic shooting doesn’t work out, he hopes to get a scholarship to Pennsylvania State to study biotech.

Ashton is not just a trap shooter. He has participated in a wide variety of sports, which have prepared him for all the hard work and training that goes into being a trap shooter. Just like any other athlete, every three months, Ashton fills out a log that keeps tabs on his eyesight, along with how much he runs and lifts. He estimates he spends two and a half hours per day after school down in the weight room here at Slinger working out, and then on the weekend he spends about eight hours shooting. All in all, he estimates that he puts in about twenty seven and a half hours per week preparing himself to compete. He travels to Pennsylvania once a month to train, and also occasionally travels to Hillsdale and Lindenwood -- which are two big shooting centers -- to train.

“Trap shooting is a lot harder than it looks,” Ashton remarks, “It’s 90% mental.” And yet despite all the challenges Ashton has faced, he has won a Bronze in Juniors in the Grand Prix of Cernay (in France), and competed in the Fiocchi Grand Prix, ultimately taking home silver. His most recent competition was on the weekend of the 24th and 25th of October, where he made finals both days and won two silvers.

Celebrate Thanksgiving with Slinger High School staff

By: Kylie Coffin,  Co Editor-in-Chief

Posted November 23rd, 2015

Thanksgiving is a special holiday where all people are allotted timeout of their hectic pre-winter schedules to appreciate the things that make their lives worth living. In daily life, it is easy to be grateful for people and circumstances at a subconscious level rather than taking the time to consciously feel thankful for them. As you give thanks this Thanksgiving, consider giving Slinger High School a thought. Every day students are taught by teachers who work to expand their knowledge of the world, build their confidence, provide them with opportunities to mature and grow, and keep them safe. Because Thanksgiving day will be upon us soon, I wanted to know what some of Slinger High School’s teachers’ associated the holiday with.

What is your favorite thing about Thanksgiving?

Mrs. Holzer: My favorite thing about Thanksgiving is you actually get to celebrate the Holiday of being thankful for everything in your life.  You don't need to stress about buying the perfect gifts for anyone, or shop until you drop.  Thanksgiving is one of those holidays where you truly get to appreciate and be thankful for family and friends.

Ms. Willie: My favorite thing about thanksgiving is my grandma's cranberry sauce. It's the best cranberry sauce out there. She makes it fresh with cranberries, oranges, brown sugar and some other delicious ingredients!

Mr. Strand: Like many other people, I think my favorite thing about Thanksgiving is the pumpkin pie. All of the food is great, the camaraderie with family is nice, the football games are a tradition, but the pumpkin pie is the real reason this holiday exists.

What is your favorite Thanksgiving memory?

(Mrs. Holzer generously shared two memories that stand out for her; both memories are touching, but the second is especially eye-opening.)

Mrs. Holzer:  I come from a very large family where there are over 50 people in one house at Thanksgiving.  So, the kids normally had to sit at a kids table when I was younger - this table DID NOT have the good china or silverware.  I will never forget the moment I was moved from the kids table to the "adult" table.  I felt like such a big deal.  But more importantly… I enjoyed watching my own daughters face at Thanksgiving when she was allowed to eat at the "adult" table off the good china and silverware.  She felt like quite the big deal - like I did - and it brought back the memories of my own childhood.  

My brother passed away in a car accident when he was 19 years old - I was 22 at the time.  It happened in May, and on that Thanksgiving in November, we all realized what the true meaning of Thanksgiving was - to be thankful for the people in your life because tomorrow isn't promised to any of us.  My brother had taken out an accidental life insurance policy on himself, so on Thanksgiving, under each of our plates, my parents had given us each $5000.00, from my brother - one last thing from him to be thankful for...it was an eye opening Thanksgiving for me when I was young, to lose someone I loved at such a young age - but a memory I will never forget and a meaning of Thanksgiving I never take for granted.

Ms. Willie: My favorite thanksgiving memory is when my friends and I have summer thanksgiving every year. We all love the food so much we decided for the last 4 years to cook a HUGE thanksgiving dinner in summer too! It's obviously delicious and we take time to go around the table and everyone has to say a couple things they are thankful for. It's extra special!

Mr. Strand: My favorite Thanksgiving memory came in 2012. My wife was pregnant with Jack and was due four days after Thanksgiving. We weren't able to travel home for the holiday, so my wife was pretty upset. We organized a Thanksgiving at our house instead, and our family came to visit with us in our home, some of them for the first time. It was great. Even better, four days later, we had a new baby.

If you wish to hear responses from Mrs. Erdmann, Mr. Hamm, and Mr. Wolf as well, check out the video above! Happy Thanksgiving from the Nite Crier staff!

In Honors of Veterans Everywhere We Sell Stars

By:Robby Timmler, Staff Writer

Posted November 23rd, 2015

In our country the date November 11th is one that doesn’t go unnoticed, for November 11th is Veterans Day. In the tradition of Veterans Day, Slinger High School sold stars for one dollar to raise money to send a veteran on Honor Flight to see the war memorials in Washington D.C. The stars fundraiser was organized by the social studies department, which included Mr.Wolf, Mrs. Stolaski, and Mr.Hamm. This tradition of selling stars started 1999 . The star was chosen as the selling item because it's the symbol of the veterans. Each year we send at least one veteran on the Honor Flight, but it’s tough since it costs 500 dollars to send a veteran on the Honor Flight. The men and women that defended our country deserve to be recognized for their hard work and sacrifice. This year the money donated totaled up to 320 dollars. To veterans everywhere the District of Slinger, Wisconsin thank you for your service.

Welcome Home Veterans!

By: Abbie Schmidt, Staff Writer

Posted November 19th, 2015

I went to welcome the veterans home from their honor flight on November 7th, 2015. While I was there, I got a chance to talk to many people. I heard their stories about why they were there, who they were there for, and where they were from.

One family asked my dad to take a picture, and the mother told us she was afraid she would start crying. That family was from Eau Claire and didn’t know anyone coming home but just wanted to welcome the veterans.

I saw a group of boy scouts who were waiting for the veterans to land and passed their time by playing cards. When the veterans came around, there was one veteran that tried to give high-fives to everyone. I noticed one of the boy scouts ask “Can I have a handshake?” with an outstretched arm.

I spoke to an older woman who divulged that she was waiting for her father. She said that he woke up at 4am that morning so he could make it to the airport on time. She told me they needed to be there at “5:30am, no earlier and no later!” That made for quite a long day because they landed at 9pm!

I saw one woman go out and hug a veteran while she cried. My dad asked if that was her father. She said no and told us he lives at the retirement home she works at.

The place was filled with volunteers, holding up signs saying that there was 1 woman veteran and 75 men veterans that got to go on that flight. Other signs said from what wars the veterans were from along with other facts about them. I saw one volunteer that was head to toe in red, white, and blue.

It was an interesting experience, seeing all of these people that have served our country being cheered for while they cried, most likely overwhelmed by the day they just experienced. I will definitely go again.

James Bond and Spectre are at a movie theater near you

By: Korey Alder, Photography Editor

Posted November 17th, 2015

Daniel Craig returns as 007 in the twenty-fourth film of the James Bond franchise, Spectre. Taking place after the events of Skyfall, Bond discovers a message from the old M (Judi Dench), telling him to stop a terrorist in Mexico City. This unauthorized mission puts Bond out of favor with the current leadership of MI6, who are in the process of merging with a new, cyber-oriented British intelligence. Using clues from the message and the help of unlikely allies, 007 uncovers the mystery behind Spectre (a shadowy organization no doubt familiar to fans of the series) and fights to put an end to their criminal acts.

Although significant focus was put on the film’s plot, tying together events of three previous movies, Spectre stays true to those classic themes that make James Bond films great: action, romance, and supercars. Many will be happy to learn that the Aston Martin DB5, shamelessly killed in Skyfall, makes a return, although overshadowed by the prototype DB10 — a supercar designed specifically for this movie. It and the Jaguar C-X75 shown off in the dramatic car chase are exceedingly rare, and neither are being sold commercially, although both hint at some of the respective company’s upcoming models. These and a host of other interesting (and expensive) vehicles play their role in the adventure, often resulting in said vehicle’s destruction.

And adventure it is! Throughout the film, viewers are taken around the world, from a Dia de los Muertos celebration in Mexico City, to the snowy peaks of the Austrian Alps and several other unique locales finally culminating at the empty shell of MI6 headquarters in London. Along the way, action is interspersed with beautiful transitional shots and sweeping landscapes, giving the film an artsy feel.

Despite being an enjoyable and well thought-out movie, there were a few disappointing moments — as with any story, but it wouldn’t be fair to leave out any mention of them. Firstly, theme song, although some would surely disagree, could have been better. Written and sung by Sam Smith, it seemed a bit high for a male vocal. The singer agrees, saying on the BBC’s The Graham Norton Show that the song was “horrible to sing as it’s so high.” The lyrics were fitting, however, and that’s likely why it was chosen. There were also a few mediocre green-screen shots — most notably in the helicopter fight scene — which are surprising for a film whose budget, according to some sources, was over $300 million. The only other glaring issue was the unrealistic nature of many of the stunts, though this is a problem that has afflicted many, if not most, action movies to a greater degree than Spectre.

These criticisms are overly picky, however, for one of the best films of the Bond series. A wonderfully entertaining film, it’s a must see for any action genre enthusiast.

BattleBots IQ ready for a new season

By: Korey Alder, Photography Editor

Posted: November 17th, 2015

Last week Thursday was the first meeting of the year for BattleBots IQ, a club for building, testing, and competing with weaponized robots. The club was started nationally in 2001 by the same people who produced the popular BattleBots TV show, in which homemade robots fought each other in elaborate tournaments. IQ is a scaled down version for students, but the concept is basically the same. The club meets Tuesdays and Thursdays until 4:45 to work officially on the various bots, although many members put in extra time to meet deadlines.

The bots themselves are built from custom metal components manufactured here in Slinger High School's technology department. Electronics are mainly standard RC car, helicopter, and plane parts, which can be implemented to suit each bots needs. Each bot falls under a certain weapon category, and although there are some rules as to what kinds of weapons are allowed, some freedom is granted. The most common weapon system is the wedge, essentially a moving chassis with angled ramps on some or all of the sides. These angles are used to hopefully flip over adversaries or for defensive purposes. Another favored weapon is the “bar,” a metal rectangle that spins at high rpm, used to attack and damage enemies. There are countless variations of both these systems, and these are the choices of Slinger's bots this year.

The first competition having already passed, Slinger is currently looking to enter the May competition, located at Waukesha Technical College. These competitions provide a great opportunity to see many local and state colleges, and are open to the general public for viewing. This year, Slinger's three Bots teams will each be sending a robot to the competition; a wedge bot, bar bot, and drum bot (a variation on the bar). New members this year are being split up onto the three teams, so that they can learn from the more experienced builders and help out.

Bots club is a great place to learn about manufacturing and engineering, as you have to apply these aspects every meeting to get your bot from Solidworks to the real-world, functioning machine. The Bots club veterans recommend all the members take Slinger's engineering, electricity, and automated manufacturing classes; however these are not required to be a part of Bots. Although the first meeting for new members was this Tuesday, the bots are currently still in the design phase and fabrication doesn't begin until next week. Mr. Pokrzywa is the club's director, and anyone looking to join now should make inquiries to him. Otherwise, keep Bots club in your mind as an extra-circular for next year.

Having won several competitions in past years, Slinger has made a reputation for itself and its bots, and the club is looking forward to continuing that legacy in May.

Stay tuned for more updates as the year progresses, as well as results from the competition later in the year.

An interview with foreign exchange student Federica Tagliavini

By: Elysia Dowd, News Editor

Posted November 13th, 2015

This year Slinger High School is blessed with four foreign exchange students.  Each one has a great story to share and so much to add to the school, and so these articles are meant to show a snapshot of these awesome people.

Federica (you can call her Fede) Tagliavini is visiting us from Italy. She is from a small city that is about half way between Venice and Florence. Though Fede doesn’t come from the stereotypical big Italian family, she is very close with her big sister (who didn’t want her to leave) and mom (who encouraged her to go on this adventure).

Fede loves hanging out with her friends and  is super sporty. She has done gymnastics almost her whole life! If she had arrived in America sooner, she would have tried out for the cheerleading team. Fede has already enjoyed a slew of American classics, namely football.  She played in the powderpuff game and watched the Badgers play, and loved both. The cheeseburger is definitely her favorite american food, but apparently our pizza doesn’t even come close to how the Italians do it. She also wants to set the record straight - Nutella is Italian, so Americans don’t get to claim it!

So far Fede has liked America and Slinger High school. Back home she didn’t get to choose her classes, so she is enjoying some curricular freedom before she goes home to finish two more years of school. She loves Great Minds of the Western World with Mrs. Erdmann, and physics and AP World History are also fun for her.  As much is American History is an interesting class for her, she admits that it is definitely her hardest. She has enjoyed spending time with the friendly Slinger kids, even though our accent is sometimes a little tricky for her to understand. Fede has never celebrated Halloween or Thanksgiving before, so those holidays will definitely be a high point of her trip.

She has learned English in school similarly to how we might learn Spanish or German, so she was willing to share a few tidbits of Italian. Ciao means both “hello” and “goodbye”. Come Stai (which is pronounced very much like “como estas”) is similar in meaning to “what’s up?”

This is just a brief snapshot of Fede, Slinger’s Italian foreign exchange student who appreciates sports, loves elephants, and is excited about what the future holds for her here in Slinger. In order to get a more complete understanding of who she is and what her story is, one would simply need to meet her for him or herself.