Local veteran will appear at Monday’s film screening at UW-WC
By Allison Trampe, Current Staff
Some people know Anthony Anderson as a neighbor, some as a war veteran. Others know him as a lead in the new documentary “Almost Sunrise.” Continue reading
Filed under Community, Entertainment
By Kara Conley, Current Staff
Last week I was transported to a small town in China.
“Kaili Blues,” a movie playing at this year’s Milwaukee Film Festival, is a terrific work of art that evokes emotion and engulfs audiences with an emphasis on visualization. I was entranced by the images floating across the screen as a complicated story unfolded in front of my eyes. Continue reading
Filed under Entertainment
“He who fights with CGI monsters should look to it that he himself does not become CGI…. When you gaze long at the spasming, spinny camera, the spasming, spinny camera gazes into you…”
Another summer hath come and gone, yet the eternal wheels of Television keep turning. Preacher was orange, JoJo’s was weird, but there’s a particular series that really stood out to me over the summer season… it’s Berserk 2016. I’ve said it time and time again, I’m a hardcore fan of the Japanese Berserk and highly recommend the stellar, if poorly animated Berserk 1997. It only took 19 years without a proper continuation to the series for Berserk to finally get a continuation of its story. Continue reading
Filed under Entertainment, Viewpoint
What’s the most interesting thing you did over summer?
“So I was out at around 11 at night and we were looking for turtles. I had seen them underneath a rock and so I put a stick underneath the shell and I grabbed it by the tail. We measured the shell, and it has to be 12 inches, and then we took it back. We ended up making turtle soup out of it. The meat is pretty tough, so you have to slow cook it, but it was pretty good. I would recommend it. ”
Logan Woods, East senior
Filed under School News and Features, Viewpoint
By Hannah Bensen, Editor in Chief
Like many other West Bend dads, Erik Olson took some pictures, socialized with other parents, and then walked his two youngest kids to school for their first day. Then, he went to work as the new superintendent of the West Bend School District. Continue reading
Filed under School News and Features
![2016.05.23 - Hannah Bensen [crop]](https://westbendcurrent.files.wordpress.com/2016/08/2016-05-23-hannah-bensen-crop.jpg)
By Hannah Bensen, Editor in Chief
Do you have a passion for writing? Do you enjoy learning new things about different people? Consider utilizing these interests by joining The Current staff as an investigative reporter or columnist. Is photography or watching films a hobby of yours? Combine your passions as a photographer or entertainment critic.
There is a wide array of positions available for a number of different interests. Please see Mr. Beltmann in room S95 for details.
Filed under School News and Features
Devenport’s work ethic earned her a state championship
By Anthony Schlass, Current Staff
During her junior season, West skier Sarah Devenport won the girls giant slalom state championship in La Crosse with a time of 32.72.
It nearly made her ill. Continue reading
Filed under Sports
West junior returns to her team after a traumatic injury
By Anthony Schlass, Current Staff
After spending a year sidelined, Rachel Walecki returned to the soccer field in May.
Walecki tore her ACL during her sophomore soccer season and it’s been a long battle to get back on the field with her West teammates. Continue reading
Filed under Sports
By Beth Williams, Current Staff
With graduation right around the corner, numerous WBHS seniors are taking the time to finalize decisions about their futures.
For East senior Elizabeth Bensen, however, the decision was not quite so easy.
“I applied to 14 schools,” Bensen said. Continue reading
Filed under School News and Features
Students with a negative balance in their lunch accounts are turned away
By Kara Conley, Current Staff
Rules are rules, even when it comes to lunch.
Lunch provides a small amount of time for students to enjoy food and conversation in the middle of the day. However, some students are unable to share in the food part due to the hot lunch policy regarding account balances. Continue reading
Filed under School News and Features
As my time as a member of The Current draws to a close I hope to leave you all with one last recommendation that you will hopefully enjoy as much as I do.
Chet Faker is his name (well, Nicholas James Murphy), and his music is going to get me through this summer and the looming shadow of college. Let me introduce you all to this new up-and-coming indie star, and his chill vibes should help you all calm down after final exams like it will for me. Continue reading
Filed under Entertainment, Viewpoint
WBHS journalists score 12 awards in statewide contest
For the second year in a row, The West Bend Current received top recognition from the Northeastern Wisconsin Scholastic Press Association.
Judges for the 2016 NEWSPA contest again gave blue ribbon honors to The Current for a website not published as part of a journalism class, saying that many of the stories “reflect an original, enterprising approach to news gathering.”
The website’s student reporters also took home eleven individual awards. Continue reading
Filed under School News and Features
As the number of remaining school days lessen and the temperatures rise, TV Talk celebrates one whole year of existence! However, we are not here to discuss the length of my tenure on The Current. Instead, we’re here to talk about all the cool stuff coming out over the summer. Continue reading
Filed under Entertainment, Viewpoint
Hannah Bensen, East junior, will serve as The Current‘s Editor in Chief for the 2016-17 school year. She replaces graduating senior Lauren Sorensen. Congrats, Hannah!
Filed under School News and Features
Prizes pile up for East social studies teacher
By Jessica Steger, Current Staff
It’s been a good year for Jessica Flitter, East social studies teacher. Continue reading
Filed under School News and Features
I’ll be the first to admit that I was actually pretty excited when I heard about “Marseille.” Imagine, for a moment, Netflix budget + France + political intrigue. Sounds great, right? Well, it pains me greatly to tell you that “Marseille” is underwhelming. Continue reading
Filed under Entertainment, Viewpoint
By Justin Scherzer, Current Staff
Not one, not two, but three West athletes will realize their dreams of playing Division I baseball. Continue reading
Filed under Sports
By Anthony Schlass, Current Staff
The WBHS orchestra is teaming up with the Well Pennies to put on a concert Friday in the West Bend Silver Lining Arts Center.
The Well Pennies are a husband and wife folk pop group based out of Boston, Massachusetts. The acclaimed group consists of four members from all over the United States, from the Seattle area all the way to the East Coast. Continue reading
Filed under Entertainment, School News and Features
If any of you at home have been keeping up with a little show called The Blacklist, you’re probably aware of what went down in the 18th episode of season three. A major character died and, naturally, forums for The Blacklist exploded with discussion.
Denial and shock on one hand, praise and credit on the other. Typical responses to this sort of thing.
However, The Blacklist’s controversy isn’t the only controversy to crop up in the television sphere. A certain AMC post-apocalyptic zombie fest recently had a similarly executed finale that has gained no less of a storm with its fans. Continue reading
Filed under Entertainment, Viewpoint
Legislation would expand democracy and reduce confusion
By Alyssa Birkeland, Current Staff
At least one vote was improperly cast during Wisconsin’s primary election. This wasn’t a case of voter fraud, though. It was a case of voter confusion.
You may have heard of “Suffrage at Seventeen,” and chances are you have bad information on it. It’s led to misconceptions across the state of Wisconsin, and that’s why one local 17-year-old erroneously voted on April 5. Continue reading
Filed under School News and Features, Viewpoint
What’s the deal with the notorious East Whistle?
By Beth Williams, Current Staff
Walking through the hallways of the West Bend High Schools, one is frequently greeted with a barrage of noises: the slamming of lockers, the whispering of gossip, and the scuffle of students’ shoes as they rush to get to their next class on time.
One of these various sounds, however, has gained quite the reputation. Continue reading
Filed under School News and Features
West teacher was at the White House Egg Roll when an armed threat occurred nearby at the Capitol
By Jessica Steger, Current Staff
When the office of a senator calls, you answer.
Tanya Lohr, West social studies teacher, received a call March 25 from the office of Sen. Tammy Baldwin as she and her family were traveling to Washington, D.C. to visit her brother over spring break.
“They were like, ‘We just got tickets for your family to go to the egg roll at the White House, would your family like to attend?,’ and I was like oh my gosh… So our whole van was just yelling and screaming, we were so excited,” Lohr said. Continue reading
Filed under School News and Features
By Alina Prahl, Current Staff
Five movies by West Bend students have hit the big screen.
The short films were featured at the inaugural Lake Country Film Festival, hosted by the Oconomowoc High School film department at the Oconomowoc Arts Center on April 8. The festival’s intent was to create a platform for exhibiting student films. WBHS was well represented, as its talented student filmmakers received many accolades. Continue reading
Filed under Entertainment, School News and Features
Marvel’s really been getting around lately. With the stellar success of Age of Ultron, Ant-man and Guardians of the Galaxy, Marvel has been raking in the cash and praise from all cylinders. However, Marvel seems to have adopted an interest in the smaller scale as of November, when they announced a Mini-Avengers of sorts with previous business partner Netflix. Continue reading
Filed under Entertainment, Viewpoint
Skenandore and Fitzgerald set new school records
By Anthony Schlass, Current Staff
The West Bend co-op swim and dive team is led by two stud competitors, East senior Dakota Skenandore and West sophomore Bryan Fitzgerald.
During the state tournament on Feb. 20 in the UW Natatorium, Skenandore finished second in Division 1 and Fitzgerald took 12th place in the 200-yard individual medley (IM) with a time of 1:58.54 and eighth in the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 4:46.84. This past season Skenandore was ranked third and came out second (490.55) at state, behind only Kenosha Tremper’s Brandon Spencer (343.75). Continue reading
Filed under Sports
Narendra Patel talks about his career, his influences, and what inspired the sculpture that welcomes visitors to East High
By Hannah Bensen, Current Staff
Soon a plaque will be added to the colorful sculpture in the East yard.
The sculpture, titled “Confluence,” was designed by artist Narendra Patel. The plaque will be placed on the base of the sculpture for viewers to read. Since the sculpture is owned by the West Bend Friends of Sculpture, that organization will decide the final wording of the plaque, with input from the artist. Patel’s wife, Durga, says that the plaque might be installed before the school year ends. Continue reading
Filed under Community, School News and Features
By Alina Prahl, Current Staff
Three WBHS students have decided to break the mold.
Mikki Albiero, Matt Stoll, and Gunner Boettcher have elected to submit 3-D art portfolios for AP Studio Art class. They are the first to do so in the course’s history, according to their teacher Deborah Prahl. In the past, portfolios have been more traditional drawing or other two-dimensional projects. Continue reading
Filed under School News and Features
Thanks to a popular remix by DJ Snake, AlunaGeorge has finally been brought into the public eye. But the music they created before their “big break” and, honestly, their original version of the remixed song that made them famous, are so good that I am here to convince you that AlunaGeorge is a band you need to check out! Continue reading
Filed under Entertainment, Viewpoint
I think Netflix has finally revealed its hand. For a while now, Netflix has been releasing nostalgia pieces, with Fuller House and Pee-wee’s Big Holiday being only the most recent to join the charge. However, what we are dealing with now makes those look modern: Netflix’s Your Childhood, which begins streaming today, is the final boss of nostalgia reboots. Continue reading
Filed under Entertainment, Viewpoint
By Alyssa Birkeland, Current Staff
Jennifer Donath is one of four candidates running for school board in the April 5 election, in which two open seats will be voted upon.
Donath grew up in West Bend, attended college in Milwaukee, and returned here for her husband’s job as a police officer. Donath herself was raised in private schools in the city, but sends her second grade son to McLane Elementary and says she “is completely confident in our public schools.” Continue reading
Filed under Community
By Alyssa Birkeland, Current Staff
Tiffany Larson is up against three other candidates in the school board election on April 5. Two open seats will be voted on.
Larson grew up in Miami, and attended the University of Florida for her masters health degree in occupational therapy, as well as Auburn University for her bachelors in psychology. After working in Atlanta for some time, she met her husband and moved to West Bend, where he is originally from. Larson is self-employed through her own personal training business. Continue reading
Filed under Community
By Alyssa Birkeland, Current Staff
Randy Marquardt’s school board term is ending, and he is up for reelection. Marquardt faces three other candidates in the race for two open seats. The election is April 5.
Marquardt grew up in Kewaskum and attended Texas A&M University for architecture, and finished schooling at UWM after receiving a job offer. Marquardt’s children have already graduated, and he currently has a grandson in the district. Continue reading
Filed under Community
By Alyssa Birkeland, Current Staff
Ken Schmidt is one of four candidates running for two school board seats in the coming April 5 election.
Schmidt was raised in Beaver Dam, and attended several colleges to receive degrees in both social work and divinity. He has lived in West Bend since 1979 and currently works at Community Care as a behavioral health specialist. Continue reading
Filed under Community
With Ted Neitzke and Bill Greymont resigning after this year, how would you like to see the positions of superintendent and head principal filled?
Well, I’m mainly focused on the superintendent at the present point in time. I think we need to have someone who really has a strong background in curriculum. I think that is a real concern of mine that I have. Especially given the outcomes that we’ve seen recently. And I think as you’ve probably read in the paper, there’s going to be not only a local search but a nationwide search for superintendent. Certainly someone with a wide breadth of experience, with new ideas, and someone who’s going to be very objective. And I hope that that happens. Continue reading
Filed under Community
What are your thoughts about the teacher turnover rate and what do you see as a possible solution?
There has to be an element of trust and respect. Trust of the teachers towards the administration, and respect of the administration to the teachers. When that relationship has been negatively affected, I think you see a higher turnover rate because the teachers’ autonomy, their professionalism, their skill and expertise, is no longer being recognized and respected. The good news is, I think that fix can be made with just some attention. Some consideration. Positive business management skills. Making our teachers feel in control of the direction of the classroom. Continue reading
Filed under Community
