Avery Quam
Senior Spotlight
Senior Spotlight: Benjamin Oster
Sarah Durst
Aric Reim
Avery Rose Quam. She’s an avid Starbucks fan and Action City employee with a fantastic eye for nail color. I’ve been going to school with this amazing girl since I moved to Wisconsin, and, let me tell you, she may be relatively quiet, but she is one of the nicest girls in our class.
Sarah: When and Where?
Avery: Eau Claire, WI, September 3, 2002.
S: What kind of tree do you compare yourself to, and why?
A: I’ve never really thought about that . . . probably, I don’t know, a birch tree since that’s the only thing I can think of.
S: Which superpower would you choose and why?
A: Probably invisibility, because then I could go anywhere and do anything and no one would even know I was there.
S: What animal do you think you’re most similar to?
A: A cat because they sleep a lot and can also be, like, mean and aggressive sometimes. They can be nice and fun and that kind of thing.
S: What do you think about when you're alone?
A: Probably what I will be doing when I’m not alone.
S: Any advice for freshmen?
A: Do your math homework.
S: Funniest high school memory?
A: One would be in freshman year when Anthony and Levi went on the cabinets and tabletops when learning about gravity and Anthony fell back against the window. And then, Algebra I class with Mrs. J.
S: What do you want to be when you grow up?
A: A doctor.
S: You're a new addition to the crayon box. What color are you and why?
A: I have the one color, but I can’t think of the name! Oh! I like Tickle Me Pink because it’s the dumbest name that I’ve ever heard. It doesn’t describe the color, like, at all.
Favorites
Class: Algebra 1
Prof: It’s between Dr. Dan and Prof. Rodebaugh
Food: Granny Smith Apples
Drink: Strawberry Milk
Fandom: Marvel
Hobby: Coloring
Animated Disney Movie: Wreck-It Ralph
Starbucks Order: Grande Iced Caramel Macchiato
I have known Ben as long as I can remember. And when you, Ben, and Levi are the only boys in your class, you get to know each other pretty well. For those of you less fortunate, allow me to present Benjamin David Oster’s Senior Spotlight. Enjoy this opportunity to better get to know a remarkable, talented, and kind Christian young man, whom I consider myself very blessed to call my friend and acquaintance.
What have you valued most about your time at Immanuel?
The sports and the people.
What is your favorite high school memory?
When Anthony broke the volleyball net freshman year, or anything to do with Levi.
What are your plans for next year?
Go to UWEC, undecided major. Hopefully figuring that out soon. I’ll be in Eau Claire, anyway.
If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?
Somewhere warm with a beach.
Name one of the historical figures you’d most like to meet, and why.
I would probably say Abraham Lincoln. He was a stand-up guy and I bet he has cool stories.
Any advice for people who aren’t graduating yet?
Don’t take what you have for granted. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Do things that make you happy, not worrying about what other people think of you.
Any advice for your classmates?
Cover your cough and stand six feet away from each other. You can put in that thing from the last question. Don’t forget where you came from, because God is always going to be there for you. Don’t forget that.
You always seem up to date on political issues. Do you have a favorite modern political figure?
Doctor Fauci. I think he’s really good. He’s the first person that came to mind.
If you could go back in time to tell yourself something, what would it be?
Value the people that care about you, and don’t care what other people think. I’d say that to myself freshman year.
What is your biggest pet peeve?
Oh, I have so many. Um, one of my family members is really bad at this, but I don’t know how to bring it up. Chewing with your mouth open. It’s so bad!
If you were a member of the President’s cabinet, which one would you be?
Secretary of Homeland Security. Pretty “Mom” thing to say.
For what blessing are you most grateful?
Friends and family.
What sports do you like to play the most?
Basketball. I enjoy it, simple as that. Everybody plays it, so it’s easy to bond with people.
Favorite memory about it?
Definitely this season. Being with the team all season was super fun. Whenever Levi would score and the Megabowl at Eleva, and our game at Turtle Lake. Bus rides on the way back from games. Team dinners.
What’s your biggest goal in life?
Find a job that I can do without feeling like it’s a job.
Keep my Christian friends and family
Favorite:
Nickname: “Mom”
Hobby: Hanging out with people
Bible Passage: Lamentations 3:22-24
Person to do devotion chairs with at Messiah: Yours truly
Class: Between History 10 (people are going to yell at me for that) and Intro to Engineering
President: Eisenhower
Grade School Memory: When Levi got his head stuck in a chair in Kindergarten. When Levi got caught on the roof by Mrs. Wirth getting the frisbee. Decisive battles.
Levi Memory: I can’t choose one. Every time I hang out with Levi I have a laugh, so I think that speaks for itself.
State: Gotta say Wisco
Hymn: Just kidding. We all know this one. “Abide With Me.”
Where Do You See Ben in 15 years?
As a mom--Levi Wittorp
He’s a stay at home mom--Anthony Garibay
Standing on a bridge he made--Grace Meyer
Driving his kids to soccer practice in a van--Jacob Hammond
Inside a basketball--Sam Radermacher
He will be the new mother goose--Brynn Schierenbeck
May Articles
What if?
Sam Radermacher
In this season after Easter, I’m going to draw from a familiar account: the disciples on the road to Emmaus. I want you to try and picture yourself in this story. Feel the dust on your weary feet, the sun is going down, and your soul is entirely downcast. That was the state of these men on that road. These disciples had just witnessed the crucifixion of their beloved Lord Jesus. Then a mysterious stranger appears to them on the road, and when he inquires what they are speaking of, they are baffled. “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” they asked the other man. After the concealed Jesus asks them of what they are referring, they reply, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened” (Luke 24:18-21).
When I read this for a devotion earlier, the phrase “we had hoped” stuck out to me immensely. I had never really put myself into the shoes of the disciples on the road to Emmaus before. In regards to Easter, I always tried to imagine myself as one of the women that saw Jesus or Peter or John running, racing to find the empty tomb, but never these traveling disciples. However, during this frustrating and different time we are all dealing with, aren’t we more like those disciples than ever? They were expressing their extreme sorrow over the events of Good Friday. They HAD HOPED that Jesus would be the one to redeem Israel, and their dreams, hopes, and expectations had been dashed. And even if they had understood what Jesus had meant when he said “I will destroy the temple and in three days rebuild it,” this was the end of the third day, and there was no Lord to be seen. They had hoped and it had not been realized.
Now, we aren’t dealing with this extreme weight of Jesus’ death like they were. We know He is risen. Risen indeed. However, aren’t we dealing with similar emotions of disappointment and frustration? Hadn’t we hoped for things to end up differently than they are right now? I know as a Senior, I am finally coming to the reality of my Senior year ending without many of the fulfilling milestones. At first, I was kind of like, “eh, whatever.” But now that everything is getting closer and we are passing up the things I would be experiencing normally, I’m feeling the, “Uh, wait, didn’t I earn that? Why am I not getting to do all the fun things now that I worked hard to get here?” I HAD HOPED to have a final banquet, a final play, a final class day, a final choir concert, and a graduation ceremony like normal, like classes for generations before me had. And to be perfectly honest, it is a bummer.
Whether you’re a senior reading this and sharing those sentiments or simply someone that has been affected negatively by this whole quarantine in other ways, it is easy to get overwhelmed by the frustration of the whole thing. We have grown impatient and stir-crazy in this state and just want to be done with it. But in the midst of all these things, I have a much greater message for you that extends far beyond your current angst or troubles and into your entire life. In the good times and the bad, when you have it all figured out or when everything is up in the air, God is faithful. Right now, I’m sure many of us are thinking, “Okay, God, what are you up to? What’s the endgame?” But all we really need to know is He is in control. That’s such an easy thing to say and pass over. “Yeah, yeah. I know, God’s in control. Cool.” It’s so much more encompassing than that. Just let it surround you and suddenly things don’t seem nearly as frustrating or overwhelming anymore.
As I’m sure many of you know, the band Tenth Avenue North has a hit song titled “I Have This Hope,” and in one of his teaching videos on the song, the lead singer, Mike Donehey, describes the verse the song was greatly inspired by. “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior” (Isaiah 43:2-3). Donehey points out that God says “when you pass through the waters . . . when you walk through fire . . .” not if. God doesn’t say, “when you go AROUND the waters.” God is very straightforward that we’ll deal with struggles in our lives, but he also guarantees the ultimate support through it all. That through it all, Christ is our delight, our reward, our HOPE.
So, yeah. I HAD HOPED for this year to end differently than it has, but I HAVE THIS HOPE that is so much greater and that extends for the rest of my life, not just to this year.
“But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience” (Romans 8:25).
What if Courtney turned into a cat when the moon was at a waxing crescent phase?
What if Morgan had as many stomachs as a cow?
What if Toby lived in a shoe?
What if Sarah started a Jedi training academy?
What if Jillian’s car could transform into an alien robot?
What if Caleb got lost in the mail?
What if Anthony was Bach’s organ teacher?
What if Mel rode a unicorn on weekends?
What if Jacob was caught by a fish?
What if Jadyn could take pictures with her eyes, just by blinking?
What if Christian was a garden gnome?
What if Sherman was a tank?
What if Hope raised ducks as a hobby?
What if Grace invented a new flavor of pizza?
What if Jared grew a third eye?
What if Josie hosted a reality TV show starring toddlers on the playground?
What if Ben won the NBA finals single-handedly while blindfolded?
What if Avery walked into her closet and found herself in Narnia?
What if Sam wrote this nonsense ‘What if?’
What if Aric’s name was really Erik?
What if Allison was the next in line to be Queen of England?
What if Brynn could speak to goats?
What if Zach was an undercover samurai from a long distant age?
What if Linsey owned a resort on the moon?
What if Levi grew up in the 1980s?
I HAVE THIS HOPE
Grace Meyer
POLLS
with Lydia
Lydia Kettner
There were quite a few questions on the last form that I sent out, so thank you for responding to them all. My main question was whether students at ILHS like dogs or cats better. Out of 54 people 35 (64.8%) voted for dogs, while 19 (35.2%) liked cats more. In a poll online, I found that the students of ILHS represent the rest of the US population very well. I’m sorry for you cat people, but dogs are prefered by more people. I was happy to see that my surveys are being responded to by an almost equal number of females to males. Out of the 26 guys that replied, 17 (65%) voted for dogs, and 9 (35%) for cats. Out of the 28 females that responded, 16 (62%) voted for dogs, and 12 (38%) for cats. I found it interesting that there is not too much of a difference in preference between the two genders.
On a side note, I was interested in the percent of left-handed people at ILHS. Out of the 54 replies, 14 (26%) are left-handed, and the rest are right-handed. Online studies showed that about 10 percent of people in the world are left-handed. The students of ILHS beat the average ratio by a lot.
It also seems that most of you wonderful people enjoyed this section of the Flash, so thank you, and I am very sorry to that one person who said that they did not like it.
Weird Things Heard Throughout the Year
Suraya Williams
A Goodbye
Trinity Mayhew
Hey guys! For my last article I decided to do a compilation of all my favorite quotes from this year. Hope you enjoy it!
"Hamburgers and limbs are basically the same thing."
“When in doubt, shank them for their tricycle.”
"Why do you never support me in anything I do? You just sit there passively burping . . ."
“The wifi over here is the best thing I’ve tasted since the days of my youth.”
"Put those things back up your nose and be quiet."
"But that's not making money. That's making dead bodies."
"Just because I don't see you using your brain doesn't mean I go and pick it up."
"I didn't steal it; I killed him fair and square!"
“I just took the first child I saw and ran.”
"I'm sorry, I didn't order a glass of your opinion!"
"Vibrate with me, children, vibrate!"
"If I were a goose, I would have people bumps."
"She was crying under the bed because her imaginary boyfriend broke up with her."
"I am a stick and I just touched all the utensils in the room."
“It’s an intense love story with a woman named Turtle.”
“I want to be in a pocket.”
“I could have sworn I didn’t have any kids when I went to bed last night.”
"Thou shalt not place pantaloons on thy rabbit."
"That's not Bob Ross; that's Lord Voldenort with an afro."
"How do you get ready for church? I throw a printer down the stairs."
"Stupid children! I should have just taken their fingers and left!"
"So you successfully converted the dragon turtle to Islam . . ."
"That's what I used to wear when I went down to the beach and got attacked by all the children."
“If the iguana is not married, I will not smoke it!”
"You said you had to do homework. I come back and you're eating your ruler."
"Maybe if I develop feelings for COVID-19 it will leave."
“Don’t spend the night in the oven . . . ”
“I don’t believe I ever denied your juiciness.”
“I would never cry at a movie about measuring.”
Bonus Exchange:
Person 1: “I appreciate that you want to enforce social distancing…”
Person 2: “with CANNONS!”
Many of you are familiar with the “second family'” program Immanuel has for their dorm students, in which a volunteer from Messiah Lutheran Church takes in a dormie so the dormie has a place to go outside of campus.
Before my freshman year, my mother brought the subject up with me. Right from the start, I was very against being assigned to a second family. My own family is just fine, thank you very much. I do not need some other “family.” I have one already.
No matter how much I didn't want a second family, God gave me one anyway. A big one.
I had no idea that a group of 25 fantastic individuals would take me under their wings--the graduating class of 2020. By the end of the third quarter last year, I knew these were my people. It started with a small group, formerly known as the Joyful Juniors, now the Stupendous Seniors, and grew, rapidly, until the entire class became something of my family. Some of them even have given me the honor of dubbing me an honorary senior. This creative, rambunctious, athletic, artistic, caring, and loving group is like no other. They're quirky and diverse, always having heated discussions and ending up with the most original ideas out there. From “senior shirt” to '”say no to the double O” to a Starbucks themed physics car, these guys have blown us all away. I know they're going to blow the world away, too. So go get 'em, Class of 2020! And don't forget me while you're out there proclaiming the glory of the One Who made you and blessing the world with your plethora of amazing talents.
Dear Seniors,
Some of you I know better than others, and some of you I have known for longer. But thank you all for taking me in, regardless. I love and cherish each and every one of you and God has blessed me so greatly to know you all. You are going to do great things and I'm so excited to see the plans God has for you and the blessings He will so graciously pour upon you. I will miss you all terribly, but I am so happy to have had this time with you. Thank you and God bless.
Ranking the Months of the Year
Tell Me Something I Don't Know:
Weird Words Edition
Grace Meyer
Out of the 12 months of the year, there are definitely some gems, but there are also some very bad months that everyone just wants to get over with.
Starting off with month #12. February. This is one of the most dreary months. There is too much snow, and there is only one eventful day in this month and it’s not even that great. That fated day can either be a wonderful time for star-crossed lovers, or a desperate day of loneliness for others. It really is just not a great month and most people agree. There were surveys taken in 1995, 2015, and one week ago. In every one of these polls, February was the least liked month.
Month #11 is January. It may be a month that starts out with lots of hopes and dreams, bur a couple of weeks in and everyone realizes that they can’t achieve that resolution they wanted so badly. The laziness kicks in and they realize they don’t have what it takes to fulfill their dreams. What starts off with hope turns into something of sadness and laziness.
Month #10 is March. March is just an icky month. The snow kind of melts. There is still snow most of the time, even though you desperately want it to be spring. 2020 March was a huge rollercoaster and the longest month anyone has ever endured for a long time.
Month # 9 is November. Besides Thanksgiving, November just doesn’t have a lot going for it. November is kind of like a wannabe December. It is so close to Christmas, but not quite close enough. It is so close to the end of the year that you just want to quit and drop everything, but you can’t.
Month # 8 is August. If you have ever been somewhere down South in August, then you know that it is the buggiest and the hottest month of the year. August doesn’t have any special events or days. Instead, August is the time of the dreaded back to school advertisements and school itself for some schools. August just doesn’t have much going on for it.
Month #7 is April. April is kind of like November; it is close to something big, but not quite there. April is one of the most temperamental months in terms of weather. It is the month so close to no school. It is so close to May, but it just can’t live up to it.
Month #6 is December. This month is great, but is also really bad. So it deserves middle ground. December is wonderful because of Christmas and the celebrations of Jesus. December also means Christmas break, but it is one of the worst months for weather. It is cold and dead. You don’t wish for snow, yet you wish for a white Christmas, yet somehow December never grants those two wishes at once.
Month #5 is September. September is the start of fall. This means cold, frigid air. It is also the start of school for many places. For those that have started school already, the buzz has worn off by then and you begin hating school all over again.
Month #4 is June. June is the start of summer! The sun is out, and you are on break. It turns to beach season, and that’s all that really needs to be said for this one.
Month #3 is October. Although October is a colder autumn month, it is quite a fun month. There are so many activities that happen in October, and of course Halloween is one of them. Many of you voted very highly of October and it has been one of the most highly voted months of all time.
Month #2 is July. This is one of the best months for summer. The heat is rising, the sun is shining, and it is tanning season. Grab that sunscreen and head to the beach. Go on a vacation with the fam. There is so much to do once it is finally summer, not to mention the Fourth of July.
Month #1 is . . . May!! May is when it finally gets warm. But the real gem of this month is that school is ending. Your last moments at school are in May. Fourth quarter is in May. All of the fun activities happen in May. May is the end of another school year and it is a month to celebrate. On those same surveys taken in 1995, 2015, and a week ago, May was the number one top voted month.
Sarah Fox
Okay, can someone please tell me what on earth is up with the English language? Can someone please tell me what is up with pretty much any language? I have read books on languages (See Bill Bryson’s The Mother Tongue) and books on how words are put into dictionaries (See Every Last Word) and I. Still. Don’t. Get. It. Languages are so weird and the words that make them up are even weirder. For instance, did you know the Scots have 421 different words for “snow.” For example: sneesl, feefle, and flinkdrinkin. Like, why? Or did you know that the longest word in the English language is 189,819 letters long and would take 3.5 hours to read? It starts with “Methiony” and repeats “glutaminy” a bajillion times. It was shortened to “TITIN,” and it's a protein. A large abundant protein of striated muscle. A GIANT PROTEIN that is greater than 1 micrometer in length, and functions as a molecular spring which is responsible for the passive elasticity of muscle in addition to keeping myosin molecules in place. AND WE HAVE A WORD FOR IT THAT IS 189,819 letters long. Seriously, WHY? Up until two hours ago, I thought the longest word in the English language was hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia, which is, ironically, the fear of long words, and is only 36 letters long. That means that TITIN is almost 5272 times longer. What is up with words these days?
Now, while things like that in languages just baffle me and often make me roll my eyes, other things about languages are super cool. For instance, one thing that really intrigued me was reading about Chinese characters. As I’m sure you know, the Chinese language and its dialects, as well as many Asian and Middle-Eastern languages, don’t have letters but rather picturesque characters. They start off with what are called radicals, which is kind of like our alphabet, because we build all of our words from it, and they layer and combine radicals and characters on top of each other and move them around to make new characters. So, the one that I found particularly beautiful is that the Chinese took the radical for “bird” (鳥 or 鸟) and combined it with the radical for “tongue” (舌) and that equals “song.” It looks like this: 音樂 or: 聲樂. I think that’s pretty cool.
So, whether you are perplexed or amazed by these weird words and languages in general, or both like I am, just remember this: if you ever find yourself in legal trouble in France and you need a lawyer (un avocat), be careful to pronounce it properly, because they might think you’re saying you need an avocado (un avocat).
"Mad Libs"-Style Word Game
Sarah Fox
Pizza was invented by an inquisitive scientist chef named Taylor. To make pizza, you need to take a lump of clothes, and make a thin, round sneaky army. Then you cover it with likeable sauce, marvelous cheese, and fresh, chopped diamonds. Next, you have to bake it on a very hot map. When it is done, cut it into 13 rhombuses. Some kids like pumpkin pizza, but my favorite is the plantain pizza. If I could, I would eat it 420 times a day.