VIEWPOINT
By Noah Mintie, Current Staff
Over 108 books removed and we still have not learned our lesson.
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Some Books Are Windows, Some Are Sliding Glass Doors
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The Current View: Christmas Movies
What is your favorite Christmas movie?
“My favorite is probably ‘Gremlins’ because I watched it a lot when I was a kid, so it’s very nostalgic to me.”
Jeanie Eisen, West senior
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You Might Have Missed Some of the Best Movies This Year
VIEWPOINT
By Zach Church, Current Staff
Turns out they still make movies like they used to.
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The Current View: Holiday Decorations
When is the right time to put up Christmas decorations?
“Late November. You’ll want to get things set up before the ground freezes.”
Lacy Brown, West junior
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The Current View: Choice Books
What is your favorite book club choice that you’ve read at the high schools?
“My favorite choice book was The Glass Castle because I think it’s important for people to realize that things they don’t regard as serious happen to a lot of people and people need to recognize that.”
Tatiyana Patrick, East sophomore
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School’s Not the Same This Year
VIEWPOINT
By Noah Mintie, Current Staff
Even the iconic Nifty Nibble cookies are smaller this year.
For me, the West Bend High Schools have always been a place of opportunity and safety, which is why it feels discouraging to say that this year, most students feel resentment like a dead weight within their chests, a weight that drags down with every stride through the halls. But what has changed? Why does this dead weight hang?
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Why We Shouldn’t Ban Books
VIEWPOINT
By Dakota Gunnare, Editor in Chief
The human experience is rarely easy to digest. There isn’t a shield protecting us from discomfort.
Great art makes you feel something. Great art doesn’t shy away from the unpleasant. Feeling uncomfortable is what forces introspection, understanding and deeper thought.
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Artificial Intelligence Might Short-Circuit the Meaning of ‘Friend’
VIEWPOINT
By Noah Mintie, Current Staff
The question of whether AI is friend or foe has been debated for decades, and while a new chatbot aims for “friend” it ends up feeling a little more like foe.
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‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ is the MCU’s Fifth Symphony
VIEWPOINT
By Noah Mintie, Current Staff
One of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s most beloved series just wrapped up, and with its success, the MCU’s future looks bleak.
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The Current View: Aaron Rodgers Leaving Packers
What are your thoughts about Aaron Rodgers being traded to the Jets?
“I think it’s a very good thing because he’s been done for a couple of years and it’s been kind of toxic for the team, so it’s time to get some fresh blood in there.”
Michelle Hunt, West math teacher
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The Current View: Female Role Models
In honor of Women’s History Month just ending, who is your female role model and why?
“Jennifer Lawrence, because I believe her acting has created such a large impact across audiences of all ages, and because of how real she is with the media and doesn’t try to put up a front. If you watch many of her interviews, you’ll see how funny and charismatic she is in every setting, and I don’t think she realizes how refreshing that is for an audience and maybe even other fellow celebrities.”
Shay Feiter, West sophomore
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Five Ways to Fix the Oscars
By Keaton Beltmann, Current Staff
For most movie lovers, the Oscars are appointment television. But for most teenagers, the Oscars don’t mean a thing.
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Review: ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’ is Meaningless
By Noah Mintie, Current Staff
The third Ant-Man movie is a big disappointment for a small superhero.
“Ant Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” was released Friday, and to many’s surprise, returning director Peyton Reed dropped the ball on one of the simplest Marvel series. Critical reception has been harsh, and fans are disappointed. What went wrong?
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Review: ‘The Batman’ Has More Heart Than Brains
By Collin Chesak, Current Staff
With “The Batman,” Matt Reeves delivers a brutal bat noir that is more emotionally potent than intellectually challenging. The movie seeks to be more of an elaborate epic than the intimate character drama of Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy. Instead of giving him the arbitrary origin story, Reeves introduces Batman like a stoic western character, down a long hall out of the darkness.
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The Current View: Pandemic Reading
How has COVID-19 affected your reading habits?
“I have always been a very avid reader, and I can honestly say it only increased over Covid, especially over the spring break. I checked out 42 books from the library.”
Dana Timmermon, West senior
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Living IRL: Delete the Social Media Habit
VIEWPOINT
By Kayla Lemens, Editor in Chief
It’s now been three months since I last opened Snapchat.
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Review: ‘Nomadland’ Is a Modern Masterpiece of the Average American
Acclaimed drama is an Oscar frontrunner
By Amy Daniels, Current Staff
After “Nomadland” earned six Oscar nominations and rave reviews from critics, I decided to see for myself if the movie deserved the attention it was getting.
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The Current View: The Cohort Model
To stem the spread of COVID-19, students will be split by last name into two groups that will alternate between in-person and virtual learning starting Wednesday. What are your thoughts about the new cohort model?
“I actually really like it because it is a good way to limit the spread of COVID while still being able to go to school.”
Lydia Winklbauer, East senior
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Mandate the Masks
VIEWPOINT
By Elise Marlett, Editor in Chief
I do not envy those in power in this school district whose choices have the potential to drastically alter the lives of my friends, family and teachers. Continue reading
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Former Students Ask District to Act Against Racial Injustice
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
To leaders and members of the West Bend community:
This is a list of initiatives we would like to see implemented in the West Bend School District.
Right now, the whole world is finally listening to the call for action against racial injustice. We want meaningful change to create a community that works for ALL people. We know that the West Bend School District did not adequately prepare us for an increasingly diverse and inclusive society. We also know that the demographics of West Bend are changing. If we are truly preparing all students for excellence, we must also educate students to become culturally competent and aware of their roles and platforms to dismantle white supremacy in our national culture. Continue reading
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The Music You Speak
VIEWPOINT
The music you speak with every breath
Every gasp of air a dying wish
Words you think but rhymes you say
Every letter used for a phrase Continue reading
Time-Honored Senior Traditions Are Now In Quarantine
VIEWPOINT
By Caitlin Marsch, Current Staff
I never thought that my senior year at the West Bend High Schools would be abruptly altered by a deadly virus. Continue reading
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The Current View: Standards-Based Grading
What are your thoughts about standards-based grading, the alternative to traditional letter grades that has been used this year in some high school classrooms?
“I like it because it’s in favor of the students.”
Mara Perkins, West senior
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Missing Pathways: One Student Reflects on Closed School and Moving to WBHS
VIEWPOINT
By Stephanie Snyder, Current Staff
Fitting in at a new school can be frightening.
Pathways Charter School was closed by the West Bend School District in June, which means this fall Pathways students like me moved to East and West High Schools fulltime. The transition hasn’t always been easy. Continue reading
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Huxley’s Brave New World Is Here
VIEWPOINT
By Gabe Gauger, Current Staff
Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World,” a novel notorious for deconstructing the societal conscience of English civilization through intelligent and witty satire, appears as mere fiction. Or at least did. Continue reading
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The Current View: Endgame
What are your thoughts about “Avengers: Endgame”?
“Bring tissues to the movie, it’s sad. You really have to see it to get the full experience and to have seen the previous movies, otherwise it won’t make sense.”
Peter Steffen, West junior
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Schools Must Encourage the Youth Vote
VIEWPOINT
By Samantha Dietel, Editor in Chief
I will likely be one of the few local teens participating in our American democracy on Tuesday. Continue reading
The Current View: School Temperatures
What are your thoughts about the heating and cooling systems at the high schools?
“In Mr. Clark’s classroom it is a hotbox and I usually need to take off multiple layers, compared to Mrs. Kastner’s class where she has to keep blankets in the closet because it is so cold. I also never know how to dress because the temperature fluctuates so much.”
Abigail Canfield, West junior
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Breaking the News: Why the Shakeup at the Local Paper Matters
VIEWPOINT
By Samantha Dietel, Editor in Chief
After what happened at the Daily News, I am concerned for the future of local journalism in West Bend. Continue reading
‘Roswell, New Mexico’ Hits a Wall
Sci-fi show wastes its potential for political allegory
The CW’s “Roswell, New Mexico” is another attempt to keep the “The Vampire Diaries” magic going. Now that that’s out of the way, we can talk about the series’ political message. Continue reading
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A Path for Political Discussions in the Classroom at West Bend
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
According to definitions in “The Political Classroom,” West Bend is a politically diverse community [1] (Hess, Mcavoy, 2014). What that means is there are different points of view of sufficient magnitude from the community and parents to detect political bias in schools and the political power to stop it. As you can imagine, “Like minded schools” had no trouble implementing politics in the classroom as only one point of view was allowed, and parents who do see bias do not have the political power to allow different points of view. So, the nice thing with being in a politically diverse community is multiple points of view are available, the challenging part is dealing with political bias. Continue reading
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School Is the Perfect Setting for Political Discussions
VIEWPOINT
By Caitlin Marsch, Current Staff
“As long as there weren’t any politics involved, I support you. Politics don’t belong in school.”
These were the words my father said to me after I participated in the National School Walkout last year, and, like many concerned parents, he was averse to political ideologies being exposed to young minds in a school setting. Continue reading
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The World Needs Responsible Journalists
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Dear Readers,
When I joined the West Bend Current’s staff of student reporters in December, I was not fully aware of how significant my choice had been. I had thought only of utilizing my passion for writing to see what doors journalism might open for me.
However, I soon realized that I was learning much more than just the structure and mechanics of reporting. I became truly conscious of bias and began to understand why it is so important that I strive to keep my writing as balanced as possible—since, unfortunately, the world is swamped with partiality. Continue reading
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‘Our Thoughts Are Our Own’: Walkout Organizers Respond to School Board Candidate’s Criticisms
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
On Wednesday, March 14th, hundreds of students poured onto the West Bend High School’s football field to honor the seventeen lives that were taken on the Valentine’s Day Parkland shooting. In light of the recent discussion on school safety, we would like to respond to Mary Weigand’s blog post directed at “the protesting students and supportive administration” regarding the walkout. Mrs. Weigand is currently running for school board. We would also like to clarify and enlighten our community members on the events of the day. The following response does not reflect the views of the high school administration. Continue reading
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Waking Toward Greatness
Video game review: ‘Hearts of Iron IV’
By Robert Pulford, Current Staff
World War 2 is, if unintentionally, the perfect time period for war games. Continue reading
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The West Bend Current 