Senior Spotlight: Jadyn Karow
Senior Spotlight: Jared Mueller
Jacob Maynard Hammond (though you didn't hear his middle name from me) is my cousin, but before coming to ILC I don't think we'd spoken more than ten words to each other, even with numerous family gatherings. Since I came here, however, I've found out how awesome Jacob really is. Even though it doesn't happen often, he has quickly (or, I suppose, slowly, considering the years) become one of my favorite people to have a conversation with. When he asked when he got to have his Senior Spotlight done, I leapt on the opportunity.
Trinity: What are your plans for after high school?
Jacob: UWEC, and hopefully get a degree in ecology and Conservation Biology.
T: Describe yourself in one word.
J: Oh. Hmm. Sporadic.
Mel: I would say witty, but sporadic would fit too.
T: How would you say you've changed throughout high school?
J: I don't know. I put more of an effort into talking to people, I think.
T: Where is your favorite place to fish?
J: I can't say that.
T: Advice for freshmen you?
J: Make sure you keep talking to the friends you make over the summer.
Jared: Bad advice. Friends are weaknesses.
Jacob:Your mom's a weakness.
T: Favorite memory from high school?
Jacob: Car sledding. If you need to know more, just ask me. (I don't condone this, and neither does Gus.)
T: Tell us about the Saturn.
Jacob: Alrighty. She's not that old, 2002, Saturn SL1, blue, kinda slow, I mean really slow. Great for the gas economy. She's got a lot of character. You’ve got to be close if you want to ride in the back together. Better than Toby's Dart.
Favorites
Color: Both grey and gray
Food: Burgers (you can never go wrong with burgers)
School food: Chicken fried steak
Prof: Sullivan
Class: Art
Fish to eat: Crappie
Fish to catch: Northern pike
Season: August
Sophomore: Austin Williams
Hymn: “Children of the Heavenly Father”
Bible Passage: Psalm 119:105
Where do you see Jacob in 10 years?
Hope: A marine biologist discovering brand new species that Darwin tried to kill off and protecting them with his fishing pole staff of honor.
Jared: Alive.
Jo: I dunno, fishing. Anyway . . .
Claire: Still driving the blue thing.
Morgan: He got lost in Alaska with Jared.
Mel: Wittier.
Jared Paul Mueller. He's a man of mystery. He's a movie and music connoisseur, and knows a lot about a lot, but you'd never be able to tell if you don't talk to him, so I did, and here are the results:
S: When and where?
J: Milwaukee, Wisconsin. May 11, 2001.
S: What kind of tree do you compare yourself to, and why?
J: A cedar tree because it's sturdy.
S: What superpower would you choose and why?
J: Flight, because it'd be cool to travel around the world.
​
S: What animal do you think you are most similar to?
J: A honey badger.
S: What do you think about when you're alone?
J: My past actions.
S: Any advice for freshmen?
J: Be quiet, do your homework, stay smart.
S: Funniest high school memory?
J: Anything about the dorms my freshman year.
S: What do you want to be when you grow up?
J: A welder.
S: You're a new addition to the crayon box. What color are you and why?
J: Shrek green because it's a cool movie.
Favorites
Class: History 10
Prof: Rodebaugh
Food: Hamburger
Drink: Root Beer
Fandom: Over the Garden Wall
Hobby: Listening to Records
Animated Disney Movie: Treasure Planet
.jpg)
Mel
-Trinity Mayhew
Senior
Kitara: “When and Where? “
Mel: “Menomonee Falls, WI, on January 11, 2002.”
K: “One word/song/movie to describe highschool?”
M: “‘Fifteen’, by Taylor Swift.”
K: “If someone played you in a movie, who would it be?”
M: “Jennifer Aniston.”
K: “Favorite sibling?”
M: *pauses* “Logan.”
K: “If you could open a restaurant, what would it be and why?”
M: “Oooh, I’ve actually thought about this… a breakfast place, and each booth would have individual coffee makers.”
K: “What are your plans for the future?”
M: “Go to UW Milwaukee for a major in English and a minor in French, and study to be a journalist.”
K: “Did you have an imaginary friend as a kid?”
M: “Yes. Anne of Green Gables, for sure.”
K: “Any highschool regrets?”
M: “Not yet . . .”
K: “Normal or curly fries?”
M: “Normal.”
K: “Caribou or Starbucks?”
M: “Starbucks.”
K: “What's your order?”
M: “Venti iced vanilla latte with soy milk and an extra shot of espresso.”
K: “What is your favorite place to go in Eau Claire?”
M: “The backroads behind Walmart, because there isn’t as much light pollution and it doesn’t smell like restaurants.”
K: “Which school year was the best?”
M: “Freshman year, you’re allowed to be really dumb and loud, things are just simpler, and school is easy.”
K: “If you could go anywhere, where would you go?”
M: “Paris, because I would like to just be able to sit in a cafe and read a lot, and it would be really peaceful.”
K: “And any advice for Freshmen?”
M: “Freshman year is definitely easy, take your grades seriously for more freedom in choosing a college, and apply for scholarships early.”
Favorites:
Prof: Dr. Dan
Color: Purple
Song: “Love Story” by Taylor Swift
Movie: Beauty and the Beast, the old one
Memory: “Probably sitting outside with my siblings.”
Season: Spring
Sport: Softball
Car: 1973 VW Thing
Comfort food: Applesauce
WHERE DO YOU SEE MEL IN TEN YEARS?
Tim O: Reopening the True Value hardware store.
Sarah D: Journalist for the Washington Post.
Caleb G: Hiking in the Appalachians
Hope M: A journalist who is very confused about things, and who's always emailing Prof Schierenbeck for answers.
Claire and Brynn S: Living in a van off the grid, listening to emo music, creating a special coffee machine that turns cold water to hot coffee, and surrounded by Goodwill sweaters wherever she goes.
Gerbitz
Spotlight
She's always drinking coffee--or at least her energy level makes it seem like she is. You’ve probably heard Mel laughing down the hall (either her or her sister Jo). I got a chance to find out a little more about the person behind the caffeine and giggles.
-Sarah Durst
-Kitara Meilke
“Megxit” Movement Gains Steam: Quexit, PrimeMinisterexit, LongGrexit Making Headlines
January Articles
In the wake of the decision of Prince Harry and his wife, Megan, of the U.K., to abdicate their titles in the British royal family, a surprising trend of leaving the royal family has swept the kingdom and has even begun to pervade the United States, which is impressive, because we don’t have a royal family.
A number of weeks ago, when Harry and Megan announced their decision to leave behind their positions as “senior” royals, the proclamation was initially met with surprise. The quick-witted media jumped on the story, nicknaming the movement “Megxit” in a pun, we think, based off of that whole “Brexit” thing that started a few years ago. Little did they know how much pun-making material they would be receiving in the next few days, as a slew of shocking revelations were to follow.
The first of these headlines came when the Queen announced that she would soon be leaving the Royal Family entirely and moving to Greenland. The Queen--who does have a first name--would then renounce all of her formal titles and simply be known to most by her first name, The.
The internet was even more stunned a few days later when the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Boris Johnson, announced that he, too, would be leaving the Royal Family. This was particularly shocking because Johnson is not a member of the Royal Family. Soon afterwards, three-time Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Anika Voleyo summed up the world’s response to Johnson’s ground-breaking decision with a single word: “Huh?” In a matter of hours, the internet had cleverly nicknamed Johnson’s move “PrimeMinisterexit.”
These outrageous politics caused people the world over to slam modern political systems. A relative unknown on the international stage, Missouri resident Jacob Longgrass, took to social media with his strong opinions, prompting no one to care. Longgrass then announced that he, too, would be leaving the British Royal Family, causing still no one to care, but all the same earning a nifty new moniker–”LongGrexit”--from the uncaring internet.
Still, the movement continued to build steam. In a move known as “Mexitco,” the entire country of Mexico announced that it was soon to leave the British Royal Family. Eventually, even the Royal Family as a unit announced that it would be leaving the Royal Family, causing a disastrous logical paradox that resulted in part of Dover ceasing to exist. This came to be known as “part of Dover ceasing to exist.”
While it is too soon to say exactly what lasting impact this slew of exits--slexits, we’ll call it--will have on the human legacy, one thing, at least, remains certain, and that is that Boris Johnson is not a Royal.
NEIL PEART
-Aric Reim
To the Beat of a Different Drum
Neil Peart, long time drummer and lyricist for the rock band Rush, died recently after a three year battle with brain cancer. He was 67. Most critics who know good drumming would place him in the best 5 drummers of all time. He was my favorite; I’ll tell you why.
First, he was a perfectionist in his craft. He never settled for an okay performance. He practiced relentlessly and continued to learn new techniques throughout his career. In fact, after four decades of touring, it was his acknowledgement that he could no longer physically perform at the highest level that led him to retire.
Second, he belonged to a rock band that was like none other in the 70’s and 80’s. While other bands of the day were sullying the reputation of rock by living lives of debauchery, involved in illegal drug use, alcohol abuse, and sexual immorality, Rush was a cerebral breath of fresh air. They were the nerds of the rock scene, more interested in intellectual pursuits and philosophy than in the worldly, self-absorbed message of many of their counterparts. Their songs were never cliche, and they preferred a life of quiet reflection instead of post-concert partying. As Bret Stevens stated in a recent article in the New York Times, “Here were three guys who had remained grounded, humble, and sane. Not every star has to be an awful person to be a great artist.”
Third, Neil Peart was a writer. Not only did he pen some of the deepest and most perceptive lyrics in rock history, he authored over a dozen books, many of them about his adventures riding bikes and motorcycles in remote places around the world. In his later years of touring he rode his motorcycle from one concert city to the next. He enjoyed meeting “ordinary” people in small towns, taking the “road less traveled.” Those whom he met in such places probably never knew he was a rock star--that’s the way he preferred it.
When I hear a Rush song now (I own several of their albums) it won’t be the same. A legend has left us.
If you are interested in seeing a clip of Peart’s mastery of his craft, check out the Youtube video: Neil Peart Drum Solo - Rush Live in Frankfort.
-Prof Joseph Lau
Weird Things Heard
Around Campus
New Year, new quotes. I hope you guys enjoy these If you hear any quotes that you want in the Flash, just email me or tell me and I’ll be sure to include them.
“I just took the first child I saw and ran.”
“Well, I mean, that's a panda.”
“I'm gonna make a penguin army.”
“I need to practice how to become a horse.”
“Hold on, I need to make sure Prof. Rodebaugh's foot is glued down well enough.”
“You're very masculine; I think you are everything a man. I do not intentionally attach feminine pronouns to you.”
“The soup will, the soup has, and the soup can!”
"It won't bad at all."
"I'm sorry, I didn't order a glass of your opinion!"
"Stay out of my life and go get your own."
"I still love myself, even if I look like a burnt chicken nugget."
"And the angels appeared to them, and they mooed."
“These llamas look so big on my calves.”
“I woke up at 4:15 and I thought, ‘You know, I want to read more about the cell cycle.’”
“Fun fact. If you filled up a bathtub with all of your blood, you would die.”
“Just for fun I started reading an organic chemistry textbook.”
"Vibrate with me, children, vibrate!"
"Why are the clouds on the ground?"
"What? It's so much fun. I made a cow."
"Mr. Thief. Where are my beans?"
"Let's go kill everyone. I mean get them out of the pool."
"The only thing protecting you is your insignificance."
"Drink it or be beaten severely."
"If I were a goose, I would have people bumps."
“I am NOT a baguette, I am a LOAF OF BREAD!”
"The best spots are the squares."
"We talk about cannibalism A LOT in English."
"I came early because I was anxious. Now I'm anxious because I came early."
-Suraya Williams
Dungeons & Dragons
MAPS
In a lot of the book campaigns--like Rise of Tiamat, The Curse of Strahd, etc.-- include regional maps, city maps, and building interior maps, all with great detail. They include doors, windows, pillars, stairs, and the works. While they aren’t for any specific campaign, the D&D company has also printed small maps that include tundra, small towns, and dungeons that can be used in a homebrew campaign (a campaign that is written up by a Dungeon Master) or one-shots (campaigns that are usually meant for a single day to introduce new players to how the game works).
Some Dungeon Masters even draw their own maps using graph paper, brown wrapping paper, or even a computer. Adding text in a unique font or making detailed trees and mountains can be a great addition to your map. Cities, capitals, and territories can be marked by a miniature scale model or by a simple dot. Like the game itself, D&D maps -- printed or custom-made -- are a big part of the game and can help combat run more smoothly.
-Zach Strike
While looking through the archives, we found a 1996 article by alum Michael Ude with some curious information on the past of our school.
History Lesson
By Michael Ude
Did anyone ever consider that the Alma Mater we sing might have changed over the years? Well, I found out from my mother that they had a different one, and this is it.
Far beyond the busy humming
Of the bustling town,
Stands our noble Alma Mater
Look she proudly down.
Lift the chorus, speed it onward
Loud her praises tell
Hail to thee our Alma Mater
Hail Immanuel.
FLASH! BACK
Back from Christmas break,
To the snowy, icy land,
That is this campus.
Back to familiar . . .
All of the homework and stress,
And the people here.
Back with all your friends,
And friend groups and dating pairs,
And all the teachers.
How does it feel here,
As a new year starts again?
Different, but the same.
Haiku Blues
-Rebecca Durst
Game Night with a Prof.
Every couple of weeks this year occurs an exciting, competitive activity called “Game Night with a Prof.” It is a night when students and teachers alike strive to be the champion of 500, to make the best system of trains in Ticket to Ride, or simply to win while playing any number of card games or board games. Shouting can be heard all throughout campus when people argue about what is and what isn’t a word while playing Scrabble. Laughter erupts from the Hearts table when someone comes a couple of points away from “shooting the moon.” Eventually, all of the laughing and arguing dies down as everyone finishes their games and leaves. Those who win bask in the glory of beating their friends, but even those who lose walk home with a smile because of the fun, crazy game night that they had and of the chance that next time, they too will walk away as victors, having won at game night with a Prof.
Lately spotted in the Immanuel Safari were three wild Sophomores following their leader, the powerful and elusive Garebare. They can be found in the Song Swamp biweekly, swinging their arms madly and chanting, "Go-lo go-lo go-lo go!" This bizarre occurrence, if you see it, may be frightening at first. However, neither the pack of Sophomores nor the mighty Garebare are violent during this ritual. By nature, all of these wild critters are quite friendly and will never attack unless provoked.
-Trinity Mayhew
Seen in the Safari
-Joel Kuehne
What If . . .
. . . your arms suddenly became limp. You cry out in surprise at the sudden loss of bones in your two upper limbs as you frantically struggle to find an explanation to this astonishing circumstance. “What does this mean? Where did my bones go? What is happening to me?” You grow even more confused as your once lifeless arms begin to slither back and forth uncontrollably, as if they had minds of their own.
Looking down, you notice that your hands have even changed shape, now resembling a serpentine-like reptile. Out of your fingers eyes, fangs, and a forked tongue morph into existence, forming the heads to two individual snakes. At first, you are terrified, but quickly you begin to realize the magnificence of the moment: you have SNAKE ARMS!
-Samuel Radermacher
White or Black Survey
The question for the survey this month was “white or black?” After being told that that was racist by the first two people I asked, I had to change my question to, “Overall, do you usually like white or black better in anything?” About 35% of the students at ILHS prefered white, while 65% favored black. I was curious about whether people liked white or black more, and now we have our answer. Either most students are sick of the color of the white snow that surrounds us all the time, or we are a dark-minded group of human beings. Of course, neither of these may be the case. I could not find any previous survey done on whether white or black was more preferred. However, I did find some information that I believe would benefit us all. “In terms of light frequencies (additive color theory), white is the presence of all colors and is, therefore, a color. Black is not; without light everything is black. However, when thinking about color in terms of physical pigments (subtractive color theory), like paint, the tables turn; white is not considered a color, while black is the presence of all colors.” So really, you can argue that both white and black are colors or not colors, if you so desire. As always, there were the students that needed to be unique. Two such students answered my question with “dark white,” (which I think must be an inside joke of the senior class of 2020) while another said “gray.” Stay tuned for next time, and thank you again for reading!
-Lydia Kettner
SPORTS
01010100011011110110001001101111011100100010000001010100011000010111001101110100011010010110001100100001000010100000101001001000011001010110110001101100011011110010000001010111011011110111001001101100011001000010111000001010000010100101011101101000011000010111010000100000011010010111001100100000010100100011001001000100001100100010000001110011011010000110111101110010011101000010000001100110011011110111001000111111000010100000101001000010011001010110001101100001011101010111001101100101001000000110100001100101001000000110100001100001011100110010000001101100011010010111010001110100011011000110010100100000011011000110010101100111011100110010000100001010000010100100001001111001001000000101001101100001011011010111010101100101011011000010000001010010011000010110010001100101011100100110110101100001011000110110100001100101011100100010000001100001011011100110010000100000010010000110010101101110011100100111100100100000010011000110000101110101
-Samuel Rademacher and Henry Lau
Tobor Tastic!
100 Bad Days
There’s a song by a band I really like that has a string of lyrics that go like this: “A hundred bad days make a hundred good stories.” Now, this isn’t a CCM band, nor are those lyrics or the rest of the song spiritually profound or enlightening. The song is certainly true in the secular sense that some things you thought were so bad at the moment can later turn into funny stories (*Cough* Like, pretty much anything bad that happens during high school. *cough*). However, that isn’t quite what I’m after right now. When I was listening to it, I zoned out and had this moment when I just had a thought and ran with it. That thought was, “Hey, you know, that really isn’t terrible advice.” It then turned into, “How can I apply this in a Christian sense?” And, eventually, I ended up here because of that zone out train of thought, writing my devotional article for the Flash. Bear with me, I promise this is going somewhere.
God really does use our bad days for our good. I’m sure we are all familiar with the verse from Romans, “For God works all things to the good of those who love him, who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). I once listened to a podcast from a woman who survived the sex trafficking industry. Now, the term “bad day” is an incredible understatement here, but the Lord truly worked amazing things in her life. Not only did he preserve her through that unimaginable situation, but the Holy Spirit worked in her head and heart to create faith, and now she is a huge advocate for sexual abuse victims and helps lead people to comfort found in Christ.
I think you’re getting the point. Whether it is a huge hardship you have faced, such as losing a loved one, or something as simple as the mundane stressors you face in your day, God uses them for your good and the good of others. In that terrible loss, God gave you the ability to be able to express empathy for someone facing something similar or agonizing, and direct them to Jesus. You can use your daily struggles as a way to set the example of turning to God in and for all things. Really, the good God can reap from the terrible things you do or that have happened to you is endless.
So, when you’re going through something difficult, or are harboring pain from something long past, review that truth. God has a plan, and he’s going to work it out for your good. “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (I Thessalonians 5:18).
Robotics
I’m sure most of you have heard about the robotics team that has their kingdom in the basement of Ingram. If you are interested or would like to become a subject of Christopher Stratton, venture down the stone steps and enter through the white doorway. The peasants, warriors, and royalty alike have once again gathered to build a weapon in order to defeat the enemies that they will face in a battle beginning on March 25. For the next six weeks all subjects will work to exhaustion every day to protect those whom they love and care about. This year they must build and program a robot that will be able to pick up and throw circular objects, spin a colorful wheel, and climb up a rod while keeping it balanced with a teammate. Team TOBOR has been valiantly fighting in this yearly battle since 2007. Team 2143 could always use more help, so come and fight for this team! If you observe some students walking around covered in grease, metal shreds, and duct tape, you have successfully found a hard worker of Team 2143. The programmers are harder to spot, but can usually be found staring at a computer screen. The rest, I am sorry to say, is top secret. In order to find out more you must successfully walk up to Ingram, go down the stone steps, and enter through the white door. Can you do it?
-Grace Meyer
-Lydia Kettner
Q & A-
You Ask, We Answer
Favorite type of character to write?
Courtney: My favorite type of character to write is one who experiences the most ugly forms of pain but pulls through and becomes stronger. They usually act like they don’t have any problems and are the kind of cocky-charming or moody-charming that always attracts me when I read other things.
Kitara: My favorite type of character to write is a modern day character dealing with relatable problems, but in a future setting. That way, I can use imagination and what I’ve experienced to form a familiar-feeling character with completely new experiences.
Why does Prof. keep moving our seats in English?
Well, there may be a few different reasons. From what I’ve heard, some teachers like to have variation every once and awhile, so they start to switch it up. Other times, it is because the arrangement isn’t working. Overall, I’m not entirely sure why “Prof.” keeps moving the seats in English (unless a reference to the seats that get put into different rows in the English 10 is being made. Then, it is not necessarily just Prof, but many different people determined to change the seats up).
Is Ingram haunted?
Yes.
How do I know if I’m fat or bloated?
According to one of the first articles that popped up as I performed a Google search, there are four questions you can ask yourself:
1. Is the swelling only on your stomach? If so, it is probably bloating.
2. Is your swollen stomach firm or spongy? If it is firm, it is probably bloating, and if it is spongy, it is probably fat.
3. Is the swelling constant or intermittent? If it varies throughout the day, it is probably bloating.
4. Is the swelling painful? If so, then it is probably bloating, as fat does not normally cause pain.
(Here is the link for those of you who would like to learn more about this: https://www.lifehack.org/488131/is-your-swollen-stomach-belly-fat-or-bloating-4-questions-to-find-the-answer )
Is it okay to date your friend’s ex?
(In my opinion) It depends on the circumstances. If there has been a decent amount of time between the breakup and you dating the friend, and you have had conversations with both to make sure they are both ok with it, then yes. When you go to a school as small as ours, things like this are bound to happen. With just a little consideration of everyone’s feelings, it doesn’t have to be a big deal. Use the previous relationship to learn from it and don’t focus on it after that.
Am I pregnant?
No.
​
How important is it for your family to get along with your significant other?
Speaking as a child of a man whose family does not get along at all, I can tell you that there are different levels of important in this matter. Firstly, how important is it to you that you can sit down at a family meal with your s/o’s parents and comfortably have conversation, even if you have to avoid certain topics? Secondly, how important is it to you that your s/o behaves like another sibling to your brothers and sisters, or at least can befriend them and get along? Next, if it is important to you that your family accepts and gets along with your s/o, for one reason or another, you’ll want to see what the chemistry there is like.
On my dad’s side of the family, there’s divorce and anger and greed and grudges that have lasted thirty years too long. I didn’t notice this until I began to get older, but my grandparents on that side of the family were never around. They never tried to make it to any events my siblings and I participated in and the most recognition I received as a child was a box full of toys that didn’t really relate to my age or interest level. However, whenever visits were possible, no one in the house argued or fought. Conversation could be had easily and no one person was really favored over another.
I suppose the base line is this:
How important is it to you that your family and your s/o get along? How willing are you to tolerate constant arguments if there are disagreements, or how happy will you be if your s/o can slip into your family like they’ve been there all their lives? How much do your family’s opinions mean to you? After all, they are likely to know you better than you know you. How important is it to your s/o that he/she gets along with your family? If there are disagreements or dislikes among the family and s/o relationship, discuss this with your family and your s/o to determine the problem(s) and consider the solutions and/or ramifications of the relationship.
-Kitara Mielke and Courtney Behlmer
Tell Me Something
I Don't Know
"Oh, Honey, Honey"
Do you love honey? Do you enjoy looking at beautiful flowers in the springtime? Do you know whom you have to thank for all of that? You guessed it: bees. And what better way to keep up on all the campus buzz than an article about bees? After reading this article, I hope you will find out how amazing these guys are, and how much they really do for you to get the things you use every day.
A common misconception I want to clear up right away is that of bees and wasps. They aren’t the same thing, no matter how similar their colors might be. Though both are part of the Hymenoptera order of insects, many of the similarities end there. Wasps do participate in some of the pollination job to feed on the nectar, however, despite sharing that job, wasps will actually attack bees to get to their honey. Bees will rarely attack other creatures unless provoked or feel threatened. According to bee specialist Becky Griffin, “Bees are truly not interested in people at all. They are interested in plants and flowers. If you've been stung, it was most likely by a wasp such as a yellow jacket." Because their stingers are attached to their insides, when a bee stings you, it literally rips its own guts out, so they don’t want to attack you for the fun of it. Wasps and hornets, on the other hand, will attack almost any time they feel like it.
I’m sure that when most of you think bees, your brain conjures up honeybees and bumblebees. Plot twist. There are actually so many different types of bees, some with good reputations, and others without. I don’t have enough time (aka: word count and article) to talk about all of them in depth, but the list is extensive. There are Hoverbees, Sweat bees, Leafcutter bees, Carpenter bees, Squash bees, Blueberry bees, Bumblebees, and Honeybees. I’ll be going over honeybees, mainly (because when I tried to write about more than just them, my article was five pages long . . .). There will also be some Latin terms that sound all fancy.
Honeybees (Apis mellifera)- So, as I’m sure you know, honeybees are not native to North America. They were brought over here to… POLLINATE. I know, crazy, right? Bees, pollinating, who knew? Yes, studies show that the honeybees had their origins in South East Asia, but were brought over by the Europeans to help with their crops.
As is perhaps commonly known, honeybees have a certain ranking system in the hive. There are the drones, which exist pretty much solely to be reproduced with (there is an extremely complicated reproduction and mating process that I am NOT going to get in to, because, frankly, it’s weird and gross), don’t defend the hive, and have freakishly large eyes (for some reason, several articles I used for research felt the need to mention their freakishly large eyes, so I figured I would as well.) There are the workers, which apparently are generally female, I think, and are the ones that go out to collect the pollen for the hive to make nectar. Fun fact: pollination to vegetation only occurs when the pollen falls off of the hairs of the workers when they are transporting to pollen back to the hive. Finally, there is the queen honeybee. Queen honey bees are created when worker bees feed a single female larvae an exclusive diet of a food called "royal jelly.” (Who comes up with this stuff?) The queen is then larger and becomes responsible for creating more bees.
There are actually seven recognized species of honey bee within the genus Apis, with the most popular and well-known being the Western honey bee (Apis mellifera). Out of the 20,000 different kinds of bees, we often recognize honey bees as the most charismatic representative of the species. However, there are a few other close relatives of the honey bee deserving of our interest and respect. Mason bees (Osmia spp.), the gentle cousins of the honey bee, are also fantastically efficient pollinators native to North America. Leafcutter bees (Megachilidae spp.) are hard-working, more solitary pollinators with a specialization in carrying pollen for alfalfa, an important crop for livestock. The bumblebee (Bombus spp.), a hairier and more robust cousin of honey bees, are another popular species often associated with spring flowers and lazy, sunny days. All of these species of bees are unique but share one thing in common – they provide incredibly significant ecosystem services with far-reaching effects on their respective habitats and environments.
Honey bees can play an enormous role in producing the highest quality fruit and vegetables that we grow and consume. I know it might seem like I’m pollen your leg, but it’s true. In 2000, honey bee pollination in the United States agricultural industry was estimated to have a value of $14.6 billion, which is a 36.3% increase from previous years (Morse and Calderone 2000). However, honey production is valued around $200 million, which is incredibly small in comparison. Out of the 115 leading agricultural crop plants worldwide, 75% or 87 of them depend on, or at least benefit from animal pollination (Klein et al. 2007). Still wondering why bees are so cool and so important? Think about this then: 1 in every 3 bites of food come from bee pollination. Bees seriously are the heroes of our world.
So, next time you see a bee, take a second to think about how important they are. And if a bee ever lands on your hand, don’t follow the childhood rhyme and squish it. Instead, remember this: If a bee is in your hand, what is in your eye? Beauty. Because beauty is in the eye of the bee-holder. (Oooh, that stings. I better buzz off before I make any other horrible bee puns.)