October 25-26 (Issue 1)

Photo credits and puzzles can be found in the PDF document version on the Archives page!

Juniors and Seniors Play in 2025 Powderpuff Game

By Hazel Foster

In another city named Madison, in South Dakota, the first ever Powder Puff football game took place in 1945 at Eastern State Teachers College. 

World War II had ended that September, and there were only three men enrolled for the fall semester. The school was planning to cancel all Homecoming sporting events because there were no males to participate. 

However, a group of women at the school decided to play in place of the men. They organized a game of flag football to keep the Homecoming tradition alive. Another innovation was a halftime show featuring the players going onto the field and applying a fresh face of makeup, rather than a band or a dance team. 

After a local newspaper article about the game, titled “The Powderpuff and Rogue Elevens,” was published, the term “Powder Puff” was coined to describe such events.

Since then, the tradition has gained popularity across the country. This year, it found its way back to Madison West, resulting in a competition between the junior and senior girls.

However, this year’s was not the first Powder Puff game that Madison West students have played.

“We do not sponsor an official West High Powder Puff Game because of severe injuries that have resulted in the past,” wrote then assistant principal Mitch McGrath in a letter to parents from 2015. “We are bringing this to your attention because we are concerned about an unsupervised football game involving our Junior and Senior girls.”

In 2016, Channel 3000 reported that a 16-year-old girl had been sent to the hospital because of a head injury after a collision in the game.

West has not held a Powder Puff game since then, meaning it has been nine years since Madison West has participated in a Powder Puff game, likely contributing to the popular belief that this year’s match was West’s first ever.

Fortunately, no one sustained any major injuries during this year’s game. Monday, October 6’s game ended with a score of 24-6, with the juniors victorious. There was some light rain, adding to the ambience of the night. For both teams, Powder Puff was a chance to connect with classmates, be active, and have fun. 

Claire Bunders, one of the quarterbacks for the Madison West Seniors Powder Puff team, says she thinks everyone was pretty excited to learn that there would be a flag football game this year. 

“For me, I love football, watching it and playing catch with my brother and my dad in the backyard, so it was a great way to get exercise and do something that I love,” Claire said, “It’s just a great way to make the most out of our senior year.”

Seniors and juniors alike enjoyed themselves and the class of 2027 is eager to defend their title. It seems likely there will be another Powder Puff game next fall, and it may be necessary for the class of 2028 to begin their preparations now in order to have a chance against the class of 2027.

Cafe MiMi, Korean Street Food, Open on Allen

By Isaac Hessman

One block away from the Ash steps, Cafe MiMi has become a hot new lunchtime spot for West students. First opening its doors in April this year, the cafe sells Korean comfort food. Driving down Allen St., you might not even notice the restaurant, whose small seating area is tucked away into the streetscape, if it weren’t for the delicious smell wafting down the street. Indeed, Cafe MiMi has some of the best food in the neighborhood.

Some popular dishes include tteokbokki, a flavorful soup of chewy rice cakes in a spicy sauce, and japchae, a colorful stir-fry of glass noodles and vegetables. Kimbap, a Korean relative of sushi, is available in classic (pork), tofu, bulgogi beef, spicy pork, fish cake, and tuna. Bingsu, a type of dessert drink, is tempting on a hot day. Most West students take their orders to go.

I’ve been to Cafe MiMi a couple times. My favorite item is currently the japchae. In the MiMi combo box—which also has kimbap, dumplings, and tteokbokki—the tempura seaweed rolls are a standout. Filled with glass noodles, they are crispy, warm, and satisfying. Everything is very reasonably priced.

The owner, Youngeun Cho, loves being in the neighborhood and seeing West students enjoy her food. A former elementary school teacher, she’s had a lifelong passion for cooking. She runs the place on her own, with the help of family members and friends during busy times. As for the name, she told me MiMi means “beautiful days” in Korean. In addition, she chose the name because it means “cute” in French and rhymes with Creamy, the name of her cat, who is the cafe’s mascot.

Cho says that, upon deciding to open a cafe, she had looked for a location for a while. After discovering the storefront on Allen, she realized it was the perfect spot. She feels welcome in the neighborhood and is happy the news has gotten out about Cafe MiMi by word of mouth and reviews on social media. Cho also likes the proximity to West High. She has a son at West and feels a connection to the West community. She says she is proud to provide “healthy, tasty food” to West students.

West students’ orders at the Cafe have morphed, says Cho. Originally, they ordered snacks like tempura. Now, students buy more substantial items like kimbap. When asked if there’s any dish she particularly recommends, Cho mentioned the tteokbokki.

Cafe MiMi is changing, too. Cho recently added japchae with beef to the menu. She plans to add more varieties of kimbap. A rotating dinner-to-go special every Wednesday features dishes like braised chicken bibimbap, a rice bowl which also includes chopped vegetables. As of October, the Cafe is now on delivery apps like DoorDash.

Cafe MiMi is open on weekdays from 11:00-1:30 and 3:30-5:30. Go check it out!

Being a Teacher is like “Riding a Rocket”

By Anna Kinnunen and Olympia Todd

Carrie Bohman describes her day in three words: “riding a rocket.” She wakes up at 4:30 a.m. every school day, watches Morning Joe at 5:00, drinks coffee, and leaves for school.  

She is in her classroom at 7:00, if not earlier. She makes Xerox handouts, posts assignments in Google Classroom, and gets organized for the day. She also lets students into her classroom if they arrive early. In the morning, she teaches 1st and 2nd period U.S. History Honors. She teaches Civics 4th period, and U.S. History Honors during periods 6 and 7. The Native American Student Association meets in her classroom on Thursdays. On Fridays, it's the Madison West Civics Club.

She leaves after 7th period most days, watches BBC at 5:00 p.m., and the PBS News Hour at 6:00 p.m. Sometimes, she goes to athletic events—like swim meets, football games, and volleyball games—after school. Sometimes, she grades assignments after school, but usually she does so on the weekends, often at a coffee shop. She likes to go to trivia on Wednesday nights with friends. She also likes to spend time outdoors and likes going to festivals such as the Wisconsin Book Festival. Theatre productions and band and choir concerts are of her interest as well, as she loves seeing students perform. 

Ms. Bohman says the best part of her job is teaching and being with young people (specifically, high schoolers) because they are so passionate and have unique worldviews compared to older people. She also loves working with the staff at West. She said the hardest part of her job is that she has over 150 students, and she often has to make split decisions about things in the classroom, such as policies about phones, which she might not even agree with. She said she doesn’t like to be the “Witch of the B.” 

It’s also hard to compete for attention, as lots of students use their phones during class instead of engaging with the class. She told us that it’s hard to make sure that every student is doing well—emotionally, physically, and academically. She knows she has to respect students’ extracurricular obligations, such as sports and clubs, but she also has to make sure everyone is on track with their learning, even if that means assigning homework. 

When the Regent Review asked about how school has changed since she started teaching 21 years ago, she said there weren’t any AP or Honors classes then, so everyone was combined in the same class, despite differing levels of education and experiences. Students talked a lot more to each other in their free time and weren’t constantly on their phones. Additionally, what can be included in the curriculum has changed a lot, and gun violence has become a bigger issue. 

Ms. Bohman also told us how important it is for her to have student teachers. When she first started at West, veteran teachers helped her out, so she wants to give back. She aims to set an example for new teachers in a real classroom setting. 

We asked her what she thinks to be the biggest misconception about teaching, and she told us that, while many people say that teachers have it easy with the summer off, in reality, most teachers are working different jobs or teaching summer school, like she did last summer. She also said that, even with some time off, teachers are constantly thinking about and planning for school. She told us that there is a lot more thought going into teaching than students think.

We also asked Ms. Bohman why she wanted to become a teacher. She told us that she went to the University of Wisconsin-Madison and wanted to be a professor. Then, she took a gap year to think about what she wanted to do. During that time, she taught a catechism class and really enjoyed being with young people because they have a keen sense of justice and ask good questions. That led her to becoming a high school teacher. At 57, Ms. Bohman loves to be around people who want to make changes in the world. 

Finally, we asked her why she wanted to teach freshmen rather than middle schoolers or upperclassmen. She told us that she doesn’t have the energy for middle schoolers, and she likes teaching freshmen because they get her jokes and she can be more sarcastic with them. She wants people to know that her door is always open. 

History of Oktoberfest

By Lena Cox

Oktoberfest, also known as Wiesn (pronounced vee-zen) in Germany, is a month-long German holiday that celebrates the history and culture of Bavaria.

Bavaria, located in southwest Germany, is the largest German state and home to Munich, the region’s capital. Oktoberfest began in 1810 as a celebration of the marriage between King Ludwig I and Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen. Most famously, after a horse race on the outskirts of Bavaria, the area was renamed “Theresienwiese” after Princess Therese, hence the German name Wiesen. 

The festivities continued in the following years and over time, they became more of a celebration of Bavaria and German culture than a celebration of the German monarchy. 

Today, Oktoberfest festivities are commonly held in September, rather than October, and are popular around the world, especially in Germany, the United States, and other countries with high German immigration. 

German music, food, dances, and storytelling are all common elements of Oktoberfest. Soft pretzels, bratwurst (Weißwurst), bread rolls (Brötchen), potato pancakes (Kartoffelpuffer), and beer can all be found at Oktoberfest festivals. Some visitors, especially in Germany, wear traditional Bavarian outfits called Lederhosen. Lederhosen, German for leather breeches/pants, are shorts with suspenders, almost like overalls but made of leather instead of denim. 

In Madison, Oktoberfest celebrations are typically held at venues such as the Essen Haus and Memorial Union. Mount Horeb also hosts similar Oktoberfest celebrations. Whether you plan to stop by next year, want another weekend side quest, or simply are interested in German culture, Oktoberfest is the place to be!

Madison and Freiburg's Sister City Student Exchange

By Tavish Kennedy

On Thursday, September 25, Madison West students may have noticed new faces inside of the school building—about 20 German-speaking students, paired up with Madison West students. That morning, the students had received a tour of the school from Mr. Kigeya, before attending their partners’ classes.

The students traveled to Madison in late September to take part in a reciprocal student exchange facilitated by a partnership between the two schools. West is part of the German American Partnership Program (GAPP); running for 53 years since its founding in 1972, GAPP is a non-profit organization part of Germany’s foreign cultural and education policy. Secondary schools in the United States and Germany can enroll in GAPP, and GAPP will pair them up together.

Jonathan Gillette, West’s sole German teacher, learned about this program and saw an opportunity for West and its students to make cross-cultural connections. He enrolled West in GAPP and contacted a secondary school in Germany to create a partnership between the two schools. That school was Theodor-Heuss-Gymnasium (THG), found after following a tip from a former West parent that it was looking for an American high school to “GAPP up” with.

Memorial High School was also officially part of the 2019 exchange with THG; however, its German program was cut in 2021. Despite this, three Memorial students participated in the exchange in 2023.

The German students that attended West usually attend THG, which is located in Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany (or simply Freiburg). The city itself is located in the southern state of Baden-Württemberg, and has a population comparable to that of Madison.

Herr Gillette met with the school’s director, Ulrike Frankenstein, in the summer of 2018 to coordinate the partnership. Gillette chose THG partly because Freiburg is Madison’s German sister city, and has been since 1987. 

These GAPP-sponsored exchanges fall under their category of short-term exchange programs, which tend to occur every other year and last approximately two weeks. Madison West/THG exchanges have occurred in 2019, 2023, and 2025; the American students travel to Germany in the summer of the exchange year, while the German students travel to Madison in the fall of the exchange year.

About twenty American and German students each enter the program and are paired up together. When the American students go to Germany during the summer, they stay with their German partner and their host family, and the reverse usually happens when the German students come to Madison. Gillette noted that the West community has truly gone above and beyond when hosting Freiburg students, with activities, parties, cultural events, and the like.

Each trip has a unique schedule curated to give the exchange students an authentic picture of the other country’s culture. GAPP requires that at least five of the days of each exchange are spent attending school, but otherwise, the students often attend events and participate in activities with their host families. 

The German students managed to fit a whirlwind tour of Madison into just two weeks, where they could watch a West football game, go to the Dane County Farmers’ Market, shop on State Street, take tours of the UW Campus and the Capitol Building, and even meet Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway. All German and American participants took a trip to Devil’s Lake to experience a staple of Wisconsin nature.

The exchange program isn’t just a sight-seeing tour. Through the cultural exchange, Gillette hopes to get students to understand that “what [they] do in the classroom actually translates to the real world,” which goes for both American and German students. He hopes to connect the two cultures in a way personal to West students, letting them experience the culture and daily life in other countries. “I see myself as an ambassador in a way,” he says.

In order to share a piece of their culture, the American and German students give presentations during their time in their respective foreign countries. These presentations span many topics, including sports, geography, food, and culture.

Although the goal of the exchange is primarily to connect students across cultures, Gillette realized after a few years of the program that the West community gleaned something from the exchanges as well. Gillette noticed that previously unfamiliar West students and families bonded with each other for the first time because of the exchange program, being brought together through the experiences and activities they shared with the German students.

On Monday, October 6, the German exchange students collectively departed Madison after an enriching two weeks. Looking back on the program, Gillette wants to highlight the generosity of the 23 host families that took part in it, as well as how much the West administration, faculty, and staff welcomed and supported the exchange program and its students. 

If GAPP approves it, West and THG will likely have another student exchange in the spring and fall of 2027, which will offer West students another great opportunity to learn more about German culture.

Three French Classes Cut Following Reduced Allocation

By Christabel Engel

Compared to last year, twenty fewer students are enrolled in French classes at Madison West. However, the number of French classes has gone from ten to only seven, meaning that each class must accommodate a larger number of students—often more than thirty.

Long-time French teacher Jennifer Muchka noted the effects that the overloaded classes have had on students. She said the classes are “too big . . . to be really effective,” mentioning that “things slip through the cracks because . . . you just can’t be on top of how everybody’s doing every day.”

The change is largely caused by the district reducing allocation of staff or resources. The French department has always had at least two teachers—sometimes even three. However, this year, with staffing reduced to one full-time and one part-time teacher, Muchka said the department took their “worst hit” in the 24 years she has taught at West.

The French department’s reduced allocation reflects a general trend within the population of French learners and world languages as a whole at West. Seven years ago, Madison West had five foreign languages: Spanish, French, German, Japanese, and Latin. Now, only three of these programs remain: Spanish, French, and German. Most recently, Latin was removed in 2022 due to staffing cuts.

Although Japanese and Latin faced the heavy hand of staffing cuts and subsequent removal, Muchka notes that these programs were not lacking in enrollment. In fact, West taught the Madison Metropolitan School District’s (MMSD) last Latin program, and many students following the Latin progression were devastated when faced with its removal. One Change.org petition created to save the program and calling for MMSD to provide alternate pathways to allow the so-called “Latin refugees” to finish their language education even received nearly 2000 signatures. 

Additionally, students had formed many related clubs along with the language classes. For example, Anime Club was based around Japanese, the only non-European language offered at West. However, these extracurricular opportunities suffered following the removal of the associated courses.

The reduced allocation towards French serves as another example of a lessened focus towards world languages. Although the district has placed emphasis on middle school world language equity in the past, ensuring that middle schoolers across the East and West sides of Madison have the opportunity to enter high school at a higher level of French or Spanish, such emphasis has decreased over time. Most significantly, language classes are considered electives, so while the class sizes for freshman-year core subjects tend to not exceed 25-30 students, languages are not given the same consideration, despite being academic, AP-aligned courses.

French specifically suffers from lack of enrollment due to the prevalence of the Dual Language Immersion (DLI) program. DLI allows students to learn Spanish throughout elementary and middle school, finishing the sequence and earning the Seal of Biliteracy in high school. As a result, the limited freedom of freshman-year schedules often prevents students from having room to take other electives such as French.

This is not the nail in the coffin for the French program. French is still taught in most of the MMSD middle schools and has a considerable amount of students at West. If enrollment grows in the following years, that would indicate a greater need for more classes with smaller sizes. Whether or not allocation towards the language increases and remains a priority, though, remains in the hands of the school district. 

Early College Credit Program Opportunities

By Dahlia Johnson

Are you interested in taking a college course during your time in high school? The Early College Credit Program (ECCP) through the University of Wisconsin-Madison is designed to help students earn college credit and gain experience in taking challenging classes before graduation. 

The program is open to any MMSD high school student with a 3.0 GPA or higher, with priority given to juniors and seniors. The ECCP grants high schoolers the opportunity to take classes not offered at MMSD high schools and also align with their interests or needs. For example, math students who have exhausted their options at West can take college-level calculus courses, and students interested in foreign languages have the opportunity to learn languages like Arabic or Chinese.

The ECCP is not only beneficial for students looking for exposure to a college campus, but also for those who want to get transferable college credit free of cost. The cost of enrollment in a UW-Madison course for ECCP students is completely covered by MMSD. 

“It’s a really great opportunity that more people need to be taking advantage of, because it’s not just language classes—it’s also cultural classes being taught in your language. You have the opportunity to learn and further yourself in your language while actually learning new information that's more interesting than just sitting in a language class,” says ECCP German student Dafna Copelovitch.

However, it can be challenging to handle a college level course, and there is less support available than for a regular high school class. Not only that, but it’s hard to fit transportation and UW class hours into a high school schedule.

Nevertheless, the Early College Credit Program can be a beneficial opportunity for MMSD high schoolers. 

“One thing that I like about it is that you kind of get a taste of being a college student without being a college student. You might be worried that college students wouldn’t be nice to you but in my experience they have all been really kind to me and treated me like they would each other,” says ECCP Arabic language student Sophie Smead.

So what is the process for approval? After filling out the ECCP form, the UW and MMSD review student applications. Then, signup is available. According to Sophie, “The experience of signing up was very easy but you have to make sure you sign up by the deadline, otherwise you won’t be able to participate.” While registration for spring courses has closed, the next deadline for signup is March 1 for summer or fall semester classes. The course catalog can be found at the MMSD ECCP website.

Admissions Help during Senior College and Career Week

By Claire Bunders

During the week of September 29 through October 3, the Counseling Office ran Senior College and Career Week. Every day of that week, the Counseling Office featured presentations on a variety of topics helpful to seniors and possibly juniors who are exploring their options post-graduation. The week’s presentations covered a college applications overview, a financial aid overview, a Universities of Wisconsin application demo, the US Army and Reserves, personal essay writing, FAFSA, trade apprenticeships, and Common App workshops. In total, 128 West students accessed these presentations. 

Lauren Alibali, a senior at West, participated in the FAFSA presentation. Alibali said the presentation was a great “beginning for financial aid,” largely because the presenter walked through how to set up an account. She noted that the presenter at the FAFSA session “was very helpful with questions” and accommodated the needs of students well. Alibali substantiated this claim, mentioning how the presenter spoke in both English and Spanish, to the benefit of many students.

Alibali also attended the personal essay workshop, serving as a prime example of how the College and Career Week presentations could benefit seniors. She was struggling to write her personal essay, but with guidance from the admissions officer, she turned her essay in on time as a “buzzer beater.” She spoke about two crucial pieces of advice from the speaker that helped her overcome the daunting task of completing a personal statement. Firstly, the presenter heavily emphasized writing about one specific moment in your life rather than several different moments from the past. The admissions officer also made sure to highlight essay topics that admissions officers are less likely to rate highly.

According to the West High School Profile, 55% of the Madison West High School graduating Class of 2023 enrolled immediately in a four year college and 14% enrolled in a two year college. Although college is the most common route for graduating seniors, the trades and Army are also options. The Counseling Office was sure to highlight and provide information on those alternate post-graduation routes as well. 

The Counseling Office shares that “it’s our job to be sharing resources and bringing people in that can talk about their programs…in a better way than we can convey to students.” It takes a village to complete the jump from high school to life post-graduation. Alibabi agrees that West has enough resources to help students to make that jump, whether they come from the Counseling Office or from the community.

For seniors looking for additional resources, Boyd Snyder, a counselor at West, shared that the best places to look are Xello (log in through ClassLink) and the newly redone West High College and Career tab on the West Counseling website. There you can find the college rep schedule, the ACP schedule, templates for post-graduation planning, and information similar to what was covered at the Senior College and Career Week. 

Alibali made sure to speak to the HOUSE time, formerly known as “ACP time,” that West offers. She said that during her freshman and sophomore years “it was hard to see the importance of that [time],” but concedes that, come junior and senior year, the extra time is an “awesome” addition. The Senior College and Career week, among other similar initiatives, represents one step toward West's goal to ensure students' success beyond graduation.

Youth Climate Conference Meets for Fifth Year

By Madeleine Bohn

On Saturday, November 22, the Wisconsin Youth Climate Conference will return to Madison Area Technical College for its fifth annual conference. Formerly known as the Dane County Youth Environmental Conference, this year, it is expanding to include youth outside of Dane County. 

The conference, which typically draws over 200 youth each year, boasts free admission, free parking, and free catering for attendees. While the full conference runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., those who can’t commit to the full day may attend only in the morning or afternoon.

This year’s conference theme will be “Building Bridges,” stemming from Isaac Newton’s famous line, “Men build too many walls and not enough bridges.” The conference seeks to break down silos, to unite youth towards a common goal. 

“To me, the conference is so important because it serves as a place to bring people committed to preserving our environment and inspiring youth action all together in a time when it is vital,” says Ayelet Blum, president of the Dane County Youth Environmental Committee and a key conference organizer. “I am so lucky to get to learn from and work with other dedicated youth from all across the state.”

The conference will open with a keynote speech from the youngest-ever White House advisor and environmental advocate Jerome Foster, followed by tabling and presentations by youth groups and environmental groups from around the area (with a generous $100 stipend available for youth groups who present or table). Programming also includes an interactive group dynamic session led by Sara Ostad, a PhD student in the Department of Life Sciences Communication at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The conference will close with a raffling off of sustainable door prizes.

Whether you’re a seasoned climate activist or just considering dipping your toes into the movement, the Wisconsin Youth Climate Conference is a great place to make connections, learn about what youth around the state are working on, and walk away with an idea or two yourself. 

To register and learn more, go to bit.ly/2025WYCC (all caps).

Words Turned Weapons: How Language Shapes Legacies

By Maliha Nu'man

“I think it's worth it to have a cost of, unfortunately, some deaths every single year, so that we can have the Second Amendment to protect our other God-given rights. That is a prudent deal. It is rational.”  

- Charlie Kirk, 2025 

There is indeed no viable justification for unwarranted death, and this truth follows Kirk's murder as he was shot on Campus at an event in Utah on September 10th, 2025. It is, however, important to recognize that even in death, the legacy of a person while they were alive remains. Though I do not condone gun violence in any form, I also oppose letting sympathy become justification for the actions and hate speech Kirk participated in. 

I think it's important to note that when people with widespread social media presence, no matter their political views, die by gun violence or otherwise, there is a certain level of obligation we feel to share it either by word of mouth, posting, etc. I do not in any way believe gun violence should be present in America; however, I also don’t believe America should be funding the deaths of many innocent lives including those in Palestine.

When we, as teenagers, consume media, it is easy to agree with the first thing we see, the first post our friend makes, or the first thing we hear. However, in the grand scheme of things, it is not only naive for us as young adults to avoid doing research, but it is also harmful, given the current state of the world's politics, economy, and society, to remain uninformed on topics that can affect us and the people we love. 

As I’ve sat with the news of this tragedy, I’ve been struck by the way collective responses to death expose privilege. Certain lives are mourned loudly, publicly, and consistently, while others are brushed aside. It is difficult not to notice the differences in who is remembered as a tragedy and who is forgotten. No life is more important than another, and if we as consumers of media intend to highlight some losses as monumental, we owe the same acknowledgment to all, regardless of race, gender, class, nationality, or political position.

So do I think Charlie Kirk should have died in front of his children while engaging in political discourse in Utah? No. Of course not. But do I choose to sympathize with someone who, while alive, endorsed rhetoric that dismissed the value of human lives lost to gun violence? No, I don’t.

Kirk had strong political opinions, and he did not deserve to die for them; he was a human, a father, and a person. His death should not be celebrated. But neither should his life be romanticized. To do either is to miss the uncomfortable but necessary truth: our words outlive us. What we choose to defend, dismiss, or devalue leaves a mark on the world that does not vanish in death.

No one deserves to die, but kindness is free, and hate, well, it has its price. 

March for Our Lives: The Importance of Student Voice

By Mira Roffers

“The one thing I know that works really, really well is when students speak out,” said Principal Kigeya to the March for Our Lives branch at West on October 1. 

March for Our Lives (MFOL) is a national organization focused on ending gun violence by concentrating the efforts of young people. The organization has countless chapters at high schools and colleges throughout the United States, creating change by mobilizing youth, organizing movements, and leading protests to capture the attention of legislators and leaders in the country.

 As MFOL club officers at West, senior Eleanor Winkle-Wagner and junior Lily Kalscheur have been using their own student voices to focus on gun policy failures that affect West High School and the Madison community at large. 

Winkle-Wagner and Kalscheur have primarily been focusing their efforts on a nationwide Safe Storage Campaign that would serve to eliminate some of the risks that guns pose to West High’s community.

The Safe Storage Campaign serves to enact a 2023 Executive Order issued by the Biden Administration. A Safe Storage proposal created by MFOL cites the finding that over 70% of school shooting perpetrators use firearms that were unsafely stored in their residences. The proposal notes that the state of Wisconsin lacks safe storage legislation, making this campaign even more crucial to the elimination of gun violence in schools. 

West’s MFOL branch aims to send the Safe Storage proposal to the Madison Metropolitan School District and families in the West community, but is experiencing difficulty moving forward. Staying non-partisan has been a particular concern.

“We’re just trying to figure out what we’re allowed to say,” said Winkle-Wagner. “The proposal has been set for a year, and so we just really need the school board to look at it.”

Once the proposal successfully passes through the school board, a public statement will be created describing the Safe Storage Campaign so that MMSD families can access and come up with solutions within their homes. 

Another primary goal of MFOL this year is to increase membership and involvement. Winkle-Wagner described the necessity of student participation in order to make change. 

“It’s important for students to be involved in issues like this, issues that they care about, so that people in power can see the impact they’re having—or not having.”

Later in the school year, members of MFOL will have the opportunity to write letters to local and federal officials, including representatives that hold decision making power. Students will be able to use their voices and the club’s platform to share their thoughts and opinions with people in power. 

The goal of contacting legislators is to make ending school shootings “a more widespread issue and beyond just a couple kids at West who care about anti-gun violence and gun reform,” said Winkle-Wagner.

In order to create a united front to solve gun violence and unsafe handling, Winkle-Wagner and Kalscheur have joined the West Student Safety Committee’s leadership team, along with Assistant Principal Ms. Medema and sophomore Zenon Neta. 

“It’s good for March for Our Lives to have representation in [the Student Safety Commitee],” said Winkle-Wagner.

It is integral to Winkle-Wagner that students share their voices, and this move to join forces with the Student Safety Committee will maintain that belief.

“I think it’s important for students to be involved so that we can protest what we think is wrong and encourage and advocate for safety,” said Winkle-Wagner. “Because really, every student should get to go to school and feel safe, and every student should get to feel safe at their house.”

Now Screening: Film Club

By August Peters

Inhabiting a new place amid Madison West’s club scene, Film Club invites members to room 2114 every Friday to watch movies and short films, escaping the mundaneness of popular culture and exploring the avant-garde.

Club founders Sherif Newegy and Lars Olson say they started the club to remedy the lack of variation in the films commonly watched and discussed. “We were tired of the same films being shown over and over again,” Newegy noted. “We’re trying to expand our taste and everyone else’s.”

Each week, members of Film Club vote on the next film to watch. One week, it was “Fangs,” an Egyptian adaptation of the Rocky Horror Picture Show. Before that, it was “The Inextinguishable Fire,” an experimental film warning against complicity—in this case, in manufacturing napalm.

But weekly movies form only part of what Film Club aims to offer its members—film discussions form an equally important part of the club’s experience. 

“We’ve kind of focused on…looking at things within their context; not just thinking about them in a vacuum,” Newegy mentioned. After each film, members are encouraged to share their reactions and thoughts. 

“[Discussing films] is a much better way of appreciating any kind of art than to just look through it and let it go straight through,” added Olson.

Newegy and Olson affirm that Film Club is open to everyone, regardless of experience, and the club can be an excellent place to unwind at the end of the week. 

Film Club meets every Friday at lunch in room 2114 with Ms. Miller.

Madison West Tennis

By Elinor Woodard

As October comes to an end, so does West’s women's tennis season. The West girls tennis season is around 7 to 9 weeks long, depending on the team, and each team plays weekly matches until Conference, the largest competition of the season, unless the team advances. At Conference, girls play matches in a bracket all day long at hosting schools. The competition is divided into singles and doubles and their total scores are added together for the final ranking. 

The Varsity team took home first place at Conference this year, and the JV1 team came in third. At the JV2 conference, JV2 Blue tied for third place, and JV2 Gold came in 9th place. Our Varsity team will also be headed to State competition after advancing at sectionals.

Outside of the statistics, the teams strive to ensure that everyone has fun, works hard, respects one another, and is the best they can be on the courts and off. The team harbors a strong community, with exciting spirit days (such as pink out day and soccer moms and BBQ dads.), support from players and their families to create the best team experience for everyone. 

A final message from Coach Fuchs to anyone interested in joining the team: “There will always be a space for you on the tennis team. If it’s something you want to do, we will find a spot for you.”

West Sailing Team

By Aubree Ghaboussi

Swimming, soccer, volleyball, ultimate Frisbee, and golf. Madison West High School has an impressive list of outstanding athletic programs. This year, a new one has emerged: West’s Sailing Team.

The sailing club has had an impressive start, placing third in a regatta, or sailing competition, on Lake Minnetonka in September, making them the top high school girls team in the state. West is on its way to a national regatta in San Diego, taking place over the weekend of the 18th of October. For the upcoming national regatta, Elizabeth Younkle, Tilly Niemann, Sophie Niemann, and Ann Hegman will be competing, but the club consists of 15 people. 

Racing in a national regatta is no joke. “It's gonna be really competitive,” says Tilly Niemann, a West sophomore and highly experienced sailor. “These people have been sailing for over four years together.” 

While Tilly and her sister Sophie sail and compete together year-round outside of West’s team, the team had only been practicing for one week as of September 26. By the time of the regatta, they will have only had four weeks worth of practice together. Still, they have been working hard, practicing every day of the week. “Luckily, we’re not in the ocean, we’re in a bay,” Tilly jokes. 

There will be 30 teams competing in the regatta. As of recently, the team typically practices on Lake Mendota and Lake Pewaukee, but to train for the upcoming regatta, they have been training on Lake Nagawicka, located near Delafield, WI.

West sophomore Elizabeth Younkle started the club to bring youth sailors together in mind. “I never really had the chance to sail during the school year or with other good high school kids,” Elizabeth explains while discussing her inspiration for starting the club.

“Next fall, we could open it up and at least do a beginner's night once a week and say, ‘Hey, come learn how to sail!’” says Elizabeth. The club's sponsor, the Madison Youth Sailing Foundation, is also interested in starting a summer course through the club. Be on the lookout for future announcements. Maybe you can compete in a regatta one day, too.

The sailing team has had a whirlwind of a journey, all leading up to their regatta on the 18th. Will they prevail in their competition and future endeavors? Though their future is  uncertain, the team has been having a great time sailing together. “It's been really cool sailing with other high schoolers,” says Elizabeth. If you are interested in joining the team, be sure to follow their Instagram (@westsailingteam) and DM them for more information.

How to Carpe Diem, According to West Students

By Madeleine Bohn

Ah, high school. The jaundice-yellow tiled walls, the aroma of cafeteria hot dogs and fruit cups, and the jostle of backpacks in crowded hallways. The time of exploration, of finding your people and your identity. The onus on high schoolers to figure themselves out is immense, and in the rush to procure the most impressive resume of accolades, students can lose themselves.

So, how should you make the most of these four years? Here’s what West students have to say.

Join clubs, and actually show up to the meetings. Yes, lunch may be the one period you have to spend time with your friends. However, West offers so many incredible clubs tailored to every interest and skillset. Take a look at the catalog and you’re bound to find something that interests you. Clubs can be a way to meet new friends or connect with old ones. Bring your friends along with you—it’s a win-win.

Surround yourself with positive influences, but interact with everyone. Everyone has something to teach you, if only you listen to them. Don’t close yourself off from people who seem to have wildly different perspectives from you; these are the people you might learn the most from, who might surprise you or teach you the most.

Let yourself relax. These are an important four years, no doubt. You should, by all means, take advantage of the opportunities that surround you, but you don’t have to do everything. “Live in the moment and don’t stress too much about the future or the past,” offers Sarita Desai, a junior at West. You will keep growing and evolving after you’ve graduated, and there will still be time to do the things you’ve always wanted to try. We tend to put an excessive amount of pressure on youth to do everything while they’re still young, but so many opportunities still await you after graduation.

Still, you should “make the most out of high school by treating it like an adventure,” says West junior and social media influencer extraordinaire Jayden Chiu. “Embrace your journey to discover who you are.” That can mean taking certain things seriously, too. A key part of high school is, of course, academics. “High school is the last place where you receive free education,” emphasizes senior August Peters, “so I think it's really important to learn as much as you can and take advantage of the knowledge our teachers have to share.”

Ultimately, do what you love. “Even if it’s not school-related,” says junior Gracie Brooks, “find something you’re really interested in.” Dip your toes into as many things as you can, and if you don’t like something the first time, give it a second chance—but if it’s really not your thing, that’s okay. Move on. There are other things you’ll find that truly interest you, and you’ll be glad you invested your time and energy into the things you really love.

Better Horror

By Sienna Peters

Happy Halloween, Regents! If you’re looking to expand your horror story horizons, here are three stories from three horror genres: genuine horror, psychological, and gore. All of these come from Reddit. However, you can find them on Youtube as well.

Let’s start off strong with a story called “Turn it Off” by Polum Chill. This terrifying story comes from the genuine horror genre. The plot is simple: a boy has a sleepover in nearby woods with his friend and they soon realize they aren’t alone. The writing makes you feel as if you were right there with them, and it'll certainly keep you up at night. The creature might just be one of the scariest I’ve read about — or not read about, as its appearance is hidden from us for the majority of the story. If you love the supernatural, or if you love camping, give this story a read! It’s truly terrifying and amazingly written. You can find a narration on the Youtube channel The Dark Somnium.

Next up, we have “11 Rules for Dipsh*ts who Bought a Haunted House” by zachariusfrost. This story is much more psychological, so if that’s what you’re into, you’ll love this one! The story involves a man explaining the mistakes his late friend Nathan made after purchasing a “haunted” house. This concept may sound boring, but I encourage you to read this story because it has a very unique and intriguing plot. Also, every time you re-read it, you pick up on more details. Be warned—after reading, you’ll always be paranoid on whether or not you’re actually alone. You can find a Youtube narration on the channel Snook in the video “Chilling Stories from Reddit.”

Finally, we have our gore section with “Better Films” by Alice Thompson. Now, this one is the most disturbing from the bunch. The plot follows a young woman named Joan and her abusive younger brother who is an aspiring director. The brother hears whispers about an obscure film studio that apparently makes snuff films. Interested, he and Joan set out on a “mission” to find and contact this company. This story is pretty amazing, and it tackles mental abuse and psychological topics as well as the gore.  “Better Films” is very well written, and handles the gore and horror pretty well. Once again, viewer discretion is advised, so don’t blame me (or the school) if you get too grossed out! You can find a narration by LavenderTowne on Youtube.

There are so many other amazing horror stories out there and these are only three of my favorites, so I would 100% recommend checking them out. 

Opinion: You Need to Experience Some Art

By Sophie Smead

Right now, the United States is experiencing what 80% of Americans call “great division on the most important issues,” according to Gallup polls. Although this problem cannot be solved by any one thing, going into our communities and seeking out art and culture can help push the needle towards compassion because, according to the American Psychological Association, experiencing art can lead to “empathy, connection, and cross-cultural understanding.” In that spirit, here are four places you can go right now to appreciate others’ creativity:

The Madison Symphony Orchestra

Celebrating its 100th season making music, the Madison Symphony Orchestra is thriving. In addition to putting on regular instrumental and vocal concerts, the symphony also performs on one of the largest concert organs in the world. Playing a whole season of organ music is quite unusual and a real treat to see in Madison. 

Tickets to the upcoming show “Primal Light,” (from October 17 to 19) start at $22 with a same day, in person student discount of $15. 

MMoCA

MMoCA’s extensive collection contains works by celebrated artists including Frida Kahlo and Andy Warhol. Until February 15, MMoCA will showcase the works of Sabina Ott in an exhibition called all this and not ordinary. The show features ordinary objects that have been turned into something greater. 

All visitors to MMoCA are able to enter for free, and its convenient location on State Street makes this one of the most accessible spots to visit.

Chazen 

A staple of field trips for Madison school children, the Chazen Museum of Art remains unvisited by few. In addition to its wonderful permanent on-view collection, the Chazen also hosts temporary exhibitions. Currently, Toshiko Takaezu: Worlds Within, which focuses on the artist Takaezu’s closed ceramic forms of various sizes, is available to see until December 23.

Like MMoCA, the Chazen has free admission.

Art Lit Lab

One of the newer and lesser-known destinations in Madison’s art scene is the Art Lit Lab. Located near the Sylvee, the Art Lit Lab hosts community events, art exhibitions, and literary functions, making it a true hub of culture. 

Right now, an exhibition called The 100 Pound Dress by Emily Popp draws attention to the true cost (human, environmental etc.) of clothing. Made: Contemporary Fiber Arts pulls work from many different artists and “embraces utilizing fiber art to honor diverse histories, cultures and practices,” according to the Art Lit Lab. Both exhibitions are open until November 8.

Visiting the space is free, although some community events may still charge for admission.

Super Smash Bros Club

By Elena Hessman

Super Smash Bros Club is a fun and welcoming community for all West students who enjoy the popular Nintendo game. The club has around 45 members and meets on Wednesdays during lunch in room 2220. Once the gaming starts, the atmosphere is energetic, with loud laughter and cheering. Club leader Dane Nordeng is proud of “the community we bring together, and the environment we create where everyone can express themselves through the game we all love.”

The school provides a TV screen and two computer monitors; club members bring Nintendo switches and game controllers for themselves and others to use. Often, there are three games in progress at once. Club member Julian Durussel says, “With the club being so big, it’s nice to have many people playing at once. Mr. Morris is a great host for this.” Special Education teacher Mr. Morris is also a big fan of Smash Bros and sometimes participates, but is always there to cheer the team on.

Anyone can join the club, but only the most experienced Smash Bros players are on the varsity team. On Tuesdays after school, the varsity team competes virtually against other Madison high school teams.

The community is friendly and welcoming. It’s a great place to make new friends, laugh together, and compete against each other. Join them in room 2220 on Wednesdays during lunch—or if you're looking to compete, come join them after school on Tuesdays. 

Rocket Club Blasts into the School Year

By August Peters

From their workshop in the Madison West engineering room to the launch zone at NASA’s Student Launch Challenge in Huntsville, Alabama, the Madison West Rocket Club continues to reach for the stars, participating in rocketry competitions around the state and nation.

Founded in 2003, the club is no stranger to national success. Since its founding, the team has won the Team America Rocketry Challenge in The Plains, VA three times, going on to represent the U.S. at internationals in Paris and London.  Madison West Rocket Club has earned the opportunity to compete in the NASA Student Launch multiple times, and experienced local domination for various years.

The club has continued to see success in recent years, placing on the podium at the Rockets for Schools launch in Sheboygan, Wisconsin in two divisions last year, which once again qualified the team for the NASA Student Launch Challenge.

During their Friday workshops in room 1442, the team prepares for their launches, designing the ideal rocket for each competition. In the case of the Rockets for Schools launch, the team designs a payload for their assigned rocket. Teams outline a project mission, design a payload in Computer Aided Design (CAD) software, manufacture prototypes of their payload using the club’s 3D printers and electronics equipment, and present the final payload to a panel of reviewers in Sheboygan, Wisconsin.

Beyond designing and launching rockets, the club is dedicated to fostering a love of science and engineering within local communities. On nearly a monthly basis, the club hosts presentations at elementary schools around Dane County, where members organize hands-on activities for children. The next one will be held on November 5 at the Waunakee Prairie Elementary science night.

The club also frequently participates in the Wisconsin Science festival at the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus.

A student mentor himself, club leader Everett Gihring emphasizes the value of student mentorship in Rocket Club. With the help of a team of dedicated student mentors, the club promotes an environment of learning and growth, from engineering design to leadership and public speaking skills.

“It’s a lot of fun,” says Gihring, “You learn about leadership and presentational skills and how to work in a team…how to teach people things.”

The club has been active for over 20 years, and has historically placed very well at local and international competitions. The club is the only rocketry team to have ever won finals at the American Rocketry Challenge (ARC) competition three times. ARC involves thousands of teams from all across the country.

Rocket Club meets on Mondays at lunch in room 3315 with club advisor and Biology teacher Christine Hager.

Resurrectionism and the Vampire

By August Bohn

The wind blows harshly through the trees. Or does it howl? Spooky season is upon us now. You might look twice at the shadows in the cemetery at night. Are the dead there truly dead and buried? Or have they crawled up from their graves, reincarnated and now dead set on cursing the living? Or perhaps neither is true, and their bodies have been stolen. Such was the case for many a cadaver in the late 18th and early 19th century.

Our understanding of anatomy and the human body today is truly amazing, and something that we too often take for granted. The ability to look at a body and understand what’s going on inside has not always been (and still isn’t) an accessible one. 

Early on in anatomical history, the dissection of human bodies was uncommon for moral reasons. Animal dissections often formed the basis of anatomical study instead, and those observations would be applied to the human body. Claudius Galen, a renowned physician who worked in ancient Rome, studied the body this way, managing to lay out some fundamental aspects of anatomy but inevitably getting many things wrong. Despite this, his work was taught for around another millennia, even as human dissections became more common. 

Around the 14th century, European universities began to offer public human dissections for medical students, usually of the bodies of criminals who had been executed. The Renaissance marked another important step towards understanding the body, with a man named Andreas Vesalius correcting many of Galen’s misconceptions through comparing their findings, and many artists (such as Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo) taking an interest in anatomy.

Then, in the 18th century, more hospitals and anatomy schools began to open. This brings us to the Industrial Revolution, a time that prompted an unquenched thirst for scientific knowledge. What exactly was happening inside the body? A select number of corpses or mere animal dissections wouldn’t cut it anymore, especially as surgeries required an enhanced understanding of anatomy. (Although notably, around this time they were usually limited to infrequent amputations, due to their extremely dangerous and painful nature brought on by a lack of anesthesia and sterility practices.)

As the demand for corpses to study increased, many anatomists and schools turned to a more unsavory form of acquiring bodies: body snatching. A lot of the time, anatomists ended up buying bodies that had been stolen from graves by body snatchers. Some teachers or students would even steal bodies themselves. Those who stole bodies for medical purposes became known as resurrection men or resurrectionists (not to be confused with the Catholic congregation). Resurrectionists became a key part of medical institutions’ work as the number of bodies legally provided remained low in comparison to how many were needed.

In contrast to the scientific advancement of the 18th and 19th century, many people were still superstitious about various things, including vampires. These weren’t the romanticized vampires of literature, but bloated, ruddy creatures who rose from their graves and brought misfortune upon villages. A body in a grave with strange features suggesting activity, paired with strange events or diseases, would’ve been cause enough to assume vampirism. 

The idea of vampirism is deeply connected to disease, with many vampire crazes or panics throughout history (like in Eastern Europe around 1725-1755, or in rural New England around the 1800s) being rooted in epidemics. Without a proper understanding of diseases and how they spread, vampirism seemed to be a reasonable cause, and many people turned to practices like vampire burials, including staking bodies.

Some bodies didn’t stay in the ground, though. With an increase in body snatching, it’s easy to imagine how it might look if you suspect that your recently deceased loved one has cursed the living with illness, and you find that their body is no longer there. What else could be the case except that they’ve crawled out and walked off? 

On the other hand, there were those who were aware of body snatchers and tried to protect their family’s graves or make the bodies undesirable for resurrectionists, practices parallel to measures taken to vanquish vampires. In the end, fear surrounding vampires and resurrectionists came from a similar place. 

People didn’t want the bodies of those they cared about to become a creature of evil, and they didn’t want their bodies to be taken for the sake of dissection; they were once living, breathing people who others cared for, and what happened to their bodies should reflect that, rather than being twisted into something that they were not. The thought of one’s body being used in a way that one couldn’t consent to after death was a terrifying one.

At a point, it became clear that the cadaver demand was a serious issue, especially following the revelation of the crimes of two famous resurrectionists by the names of Burke and Hare. While the first body they supplied was from a grave, they mostly relied on murder to obtain bodies, which was discovered in 1828. Four years later, in 1832, the Anatomy Act was passed in the UK, allowing anatomy schools to use unclaimed bodies from workhouses, hospitals, or prisons for study. For the most part, this put an end to body snatching as a way to obtain study cadavers.

In a way, the practice of body snatching and its contributions to both medical advancement and vampire panic is extremely ironic: while prestigious medical students discovered more about the body, a belief largely brought about by medical misunderstanding was exacerbated for those who were stolen from. Injustice is ever present throughout this history for the poor and underprivileged, considering that their bodies would generally be the ones stolen or taken unclaimed from workhouses. 

Today, the human body is usually studied through corpses that have been willingly donated to schools, rather than relying on the plight of the poor, and there’s much less of a need for fresh bodies with improved methods of preservation. However, it’s still important to recognize the gruesome history of our knowledge.