Senior Spotlight:
Ava Williams
Ava Williams. Where do I begin? She played back row in volleyball, is a manager for girls’ basketball, and plays both infield and outfield in softball. She’s one of the most likely people to laugh at something, even if you might not find it funny. Hope you enjoy her Senior Spotlight!!
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S- Sophia
A- Ava
J- Julia
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S: When and where?
A: Ummm, it was Fairfax, Virginia, March 24, 2006
J: You were born in Virginia??
S: Advice for the freshman?
A: Lemme think. Don’t be stupid.
J: That’s good advice, Ava
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S: Favorite memory?
A: I don’t know! Oh, wait. Probably when Julia and I had to babysit her cousins, and she broke a plate, and we wanted to leave so badly. But, it’s ok; we got Frosties.
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S: What is your “go to” Starbucks drink?
A: Caramel Ribbon Crunch
J: Me TOO!!
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S: What’s one of your favorite memories growing up?
A: Probably… I don’t know!! This is a tough one!! Lemme think.. Maybe just school at Luther Memorial. Because that’s when I actually liked school.
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S: If you had to pick, volleyball or softball, which one would you pick?
A: I like volleyball better, but I feel like I’m better at softball. So, I don’t know. Maybe softball?
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S: Favorite memory from that sport?
A: Umm, probably Senior Night for volleyball.
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S: Favorite meal?
A: Umm, something Mexican. Just everything Mexican.
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S: Plans for after high school?
A: I’m gonna go to a tech school at home to be a real estate agent.
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S: What do you do in your spare time?
A: Probably go on my phone. That’s a good one.
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S: McChickens or Chick Fil A sandwiches?
A: Oh my goodness, this is literally the hardest thing ever!! Umm, definitely Chick-Fil-A, because they’re always good. But McChickens are only sometimes good, ya know?
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S: Favorite store in the mall?
A: Probably Franchescas. They have so many cute clothes.
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S: Favorite ice cream flavor?
A: Strawberry
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S: If you had to dye your hair one solid color of the rainbow, what color would it be?
A: Okay, well. Maybe like, maybe red. Then it could be just like a darker red.
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S: Best pizza toppings?
A: Pepperoni and pineapple
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S: Together??
A: YES!!
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S: Where do you see Ava in 10 years?
Mykah: She’s a flight attendant in Salome’s plane, cuz Salome’s gonna be a pilot.
Gabi: I see Ava probably marrying rich, like super rich, and then she’ll be a city girl with a Gucci bag, and she’s on Housewives of LA.
Jo: She married Landon and she lives in LA in a mansion with cute little babies.
Hannah G: She’s a rich housewife in some big city.
Izzy: Probably living with Salome. Has three dogs. She’s gonna be working at Claire’s, piercing little kids’ ears.
FAVORITES:
Class: Art
Senior: Probably like. I don’t know. I like all the girls.
Junior: Ummm, maybe Cheyenne, just cuz she’s so sweet.
Sophomore: Gabi, Mykah, Joanna, and Olivia.
Freshman: Aww, Autumn!!
Season: Summer. Cuz it’s not cold
Bible passage: 1st Peter 5:7
Song: Lemme think. I don’t know….
Color: Pink
Movie: Ohh, there’s so many movies that I like. Maybe Spiderman: No Way Home.
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-Sophia Carstensen
Leap Year Origin
The leap year was technically first discovered by the Egyptians in the third century BC. In 238 B.C. King Ptolemy III decided that every four years there would be 366 days in the year instead of 365. This was in the Alexandrian Calendar. Ptolemy did this because Egyptian astronomers knew that they needed one extra day in the year every four years to keep their calendar the same as the heavens.
Then many, many years later, when Julius Caesar was coming back to Rome, he stopped in Egypt and met Cleopatra, his apparent lover. He learned all about the calendar and leap years while he was there. This new information drove him to want to update Rome’s calendar. He did this by making the year 46 B.C. 445 days long instead of the normal 365 days.
To make the leap year, Caesar made the normal year 365.25 days, so that meant every 4 years, there would be one extra day. This calendar was named the Julian Calendar. This system, however, wasn’t completely accurate. This calendar was used for centuries until in 1582 when Pope Gregory XIII introduced his new form of the calendar, the Gregorian Calendar.
This calendar was much more aligned with the orbit of the earth, causing it to be much more accurate. This is the calendar we use today. Now you know all about the leap year and how it came to be.
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-Katie Kloke
Weird Things Heard Around Campus
Don't have a lot this time, but enjoy!
“You look like a hot hobo!”
“Wanna talk about eating babies again?”
“I'm going to rip off your head and spit down your throat!”
“I'm pretty sure all ants are short, at least in comparison to humans.”
“Do you want to leg wrestle, Leviticus?”
“I'm a bus now.”
“At the end of the day I have a crown and you don't.”
“That’s the spiciest Oreo I’ve ever had!”
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-Micah Fossum
Senior Spotlight: Lily Lone
Favorites:
Class (This Year): Art
Class (All years): probably still Art
Prof: Dr. Dan
Color: Purple
Animal: either a dog, or capybara
Song: You’re losing me by Taylor Swift, or the Rock Show by Blink 182
Movie: idk, I like almost every movie I watch, probably the Barbie movie.
Candy: Butterfingers
Food: Cheese foods
When and Where:
L: Eau Claire 2006, probably Mayo Clinic
What did you want to be when you grew up, has that changed?
L: I wanted to be an author, and it definitely has changed a million times, and I want to go into film.
Where is your favorite place to go in Eau Claire?
L: definitely the mall or the library
What place would you recommend to eat?
L: Ummm either, Fuji, or Chipotle
If you could go on a dream vacation, where would you go?
L: probably the coast of California, I have friends there, and it’s warm and sunny and I love beaches
What is your favorite place to get a drink?
L: Dairy Queen, they have a million different flavors of slushies
What is your go-to drink there?
L: Blue raspberry slushie
What is your plan for next year?
L: I think I am going to take general classes at CVTC,
If you could go back to any year of highschool, would you, and which one?
L: I definitely wouldn’t because I want to graduate, but if I had to, I’d pick sophomore year, because I’d make a lot of different choices.
If there was one thing in the world you could change, what would it be?
L: Probably how people treat each other.
What are you most likely to be found doing during the summer?
L: Probably either swimming or shopping, at Ragstock
Do you have any hobbies?
L: A lot, writing, painting, watching TV, a lot of TV. My favorite is probably writing. I just like to write poems about literally anything. And I like to write stories when I’m bored.
Dogs or cats:
L: Both, but I prefer dogs. My dream dog would probably be a huskie.
Senior Spotlight: Lydia Lau
If you were asked to describe Lydia in one word, I am guessing most people would say ‘chill’ or ‘relaxed’. Those would both be pretty accurate descriptions, but since I have had the fortune (or misfortune) of being her brother for the last 18 years, I know there is much more to her than just her cool demeanor. If you get the chance before the year ends, get to know her better! It’ll be worth your while.
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A = Andrew
L = Lydia
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A: When? Where? Why?
L: 3:31 and 5 seconds (she doesn’t know AM or PM smh), Eau Claire. I don’t know why.
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A: What is your favorite high school memory?
L: Going on the Porkies camping trips.
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A: What is your favorite childhood memory?
L: Probably just biking everywhere with Gecko, or playing with all our PlayMobil stuff.
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A: Advice for the young lads and lasses?
L: Do as much as you can, I guess.
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A: Has your perspective on school changed from sophomore year to now?
L: 3 years seemed like a long time at first, but now it feels really short.
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A: What is your favorite part of the school year?
L: Sports. Watching and playing.
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A: That’s the whole school year…
L: Yeah, the whole school year is my favorite!!
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A: Zombie apocalypse. You get to pick 5 Immanuel people to survive with. Who's your squad and what campus building are you holding?
L: Seriously?! Brett, because he would know where to go. You. (*I silently fist pump the air in a victorious fashion) Gecko, Dr Dan (as she considers who her last person should be, she says “who would be of use to me” while thinking hard). Joel for brains or Laura for companionship for my 5th person. We’d stay in the attic in the AC as the main place, with tunnels to each of the classrooms where we store our goods. The last resort spot is the storage room in between the Physics and Biology classrooms. If all else fails, we make a chemical bomb and kill ourselves with the zombies.
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A: What is your favorite sports memory here so far?
L: The last few months of Junior year basketball. And C-team VB.
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A: Desert Island. Three Things. What are you bringing?
*after a long explanation that she cannot bring a cruise ship and mansion because they contain multiple things, she angrily gives me three items
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L: A beach chair, an umbrella, and a coffin.
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A: What is [at least] one of your bucket list items?
L: Skydiving, because it sounds fun, and I want to test out what Jeff said about how you don’t actually feel like you’re falling, because I don’t believe that haha.
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A: If you were a pizza topping, which one would you be and why?
L: Pepperoni, obviously. Because it’s the best.
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A: Why am I your favorite person?
L: What. (stares at me blankly) Next question. (that did not go how I intended)
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A: Any idea of your plans for after high school?
L: No. :( (she told me to put the sad face in)
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Where do you see Lydia in 10 years?
Andrew L: In my basement
Laura: Married with 2 kids, still living in Eau Claire. She is a nurse.
Gecko: Living with me!
Prof Schaller: I don’t think I should say…
Prof Lau: Caring for wounded animals at a wildlife refuge somewhere with Gecko.
Favorites
Prof: I can’t, I have two uncles
Juniors: Junior? I don’t even know who they are.
Sophomores: Next question.
Freshmen: Stop. I don’t want to answer these.
Restaurant: Spoon and Stable
Movie or TV show: Kung Fu Panda (I taught her well)
Food: Tiramisu
Campus Meal: Orange Chicken
Christmas Song: They’re all too good
HISTORY OF VALENTINE'S DAY
What comes to mind when you hear “Valentine’s Day”? Do you think of flowers? Chocolates? Hearts? Cookies? The color red? Well, Valentine’s Day is celebrated all over the world all in the name of St. Valentine. But who is St. Valentine? Well, I’m glad you asked.
The Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred. One was St. Valentine of Rome. He was said to have been a priest in the 3rd century AD, and he defied the order of the emperor Claudius and secretly performed Christian weddings for couples, allowing the husbands involved to escape conscription into the pagan army. The legend claims that young men were scarce at the time, and this was a big inconvenience to the emperor. When Valentine’s actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death. But, some say that it was Saint Valentine of Terni, a bishop, who was the true namesake of the holiday. Saint Valentine refused to convert to paganism and was executed by Roman Emperor Claudius II. Prior to his execution, he was able to miraculously heal the daughter of his jailer, who converted to Christianity, along with the rest of her family. He, too, was beheaded by Claudius II outside Rome. Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons, where they were often beaten and tortured. According to one legend, an imprisoned Valentine actually sent the first “valentine” greeting himself after he fell in love with a young girl—possibly his jailor’s daughter—who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter signed “From your Valentine,” an expression that is still used today.
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While some believe that Valentine’s Day is celebrated in the middle of February to commemorate the anniversary of Valentine’s death or burial—which probably occurred around A.D. 270—others claim that the Christian church may have decided to place St. Valentine’s feast day in the middle of February in an effort to Christianize the pagan celebration of Lupercalia. (Lupercalia was a fertility festival dedicated to the Roman god of agriculture, as well as Romulus and Remus. It was said that during this festival, all the young women in the city would place their names in a big urn. The city’s bachelors would each choose a name and become paired for the year with his chosen woman. These matches often ended in marriage.) Lupercalia was outlawed at the end of the 5th century because it was deemed un-Christian. At that time, Pope Gelasius declared February 14 St. Valentine’s Day. It was not until much later, however, that the day became definitively associated with love.
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During the Middle Ages it was commonly believed in France and England that February 14 was the beginning of birds’ mating season, which added to the idea that the middle of Valentine’s Day should be a day for romance. The English poet Geoffrey Chaucer was the first to record St. Valentine’s Day as a day of romantic celebration in his 1375 poem “Parliament of Foules,” writing, “For this was sent on Seynt Valentyne’s Day / Whan every foul cometh ther to choose his mate.”
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Written Valentines started to appear in the 1400s. The oldest known valentine still in existence today was a poem written in 1415 by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife, while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London following his capture at the Battle of Agincourt. Several years later, it is believed that King Henry V hired a writer named John Lydgate to compose a valentine note to Catherine of Valois.
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Americans probably began exchanging hand-made valentines in the early 1700s. In the 1840s, Esther A. Howland began selling the first mass-produced valentines in America. Howland, known as the “Mother of the Valentine,” made elaborate creations with real lace, ribbons and colorful pictures known as “scrap.” Today, according to Hallmark, an estimated 145 million Valentine’s Day cards are sent each year, making Valentine’s Day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year (more cards are sent at Christmas).
BLIND DATE #1
We started the evening off with blindfolding the unsuspecting chosen ones and buckling them into the back seat of Prof Lau’s car (BLIND date, get it?). They were instructed not to say a word until we got to the intended destination. The silence was filled with anticipation and any awkwardness was broken by the music from PJL’s radio.
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When we reached the destination (HyVee), the blindfolds were removed and their true identities were revealed. I don’t think either of them were too disappointed! Out of the many cuisine choices in the store, there were several meal deals for them to choose from. Carter Martin chose an Asian entree while Ellie Daub opted for a classic burger. On an exciting note, Carter won a 16 oz. Italian bread in his fortune cookie’s message, but since they were out of 16 oz. bread, he received a 20 oz! The ambience was improved by sitting in the Wahlburgers dining section instead of the open market area.
While it was hard to decipher the exact feelings the pair were having, or if the chemistry was “chemistrying,” they both enjoyed a nice atmosphere and delicious food. After they finished the main course of their meal, they were escorted back to the car; no blindfolds this time. Our next stop was at Sam’s Club for an ice cream treat for a sweet end to the outing. While eating the delicious desserts during the ride back to campus, we were treated to a glorious sunset.
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This was definitely an evening to remember, and I was delighted to be a part of it. It will be exciting to see who takes part in the next Flash-sponsored Blind Date! It could be you!
Pictures from the Blind Date -->
Mankato Tourney
The Immanuel Lancers took on the Immanuel-Mankato Trojans in Boys JV, Varsity, and Girls Varsity basketball.
The Boys JV was played first starting at noon on Saturday, February 3. It was a close game until the end. The final score was a 47-38 Lancer victory.
Next was the Girls Varsity game. They chose this game to celebrate Senior Night! There are four senior Lancer girls on the team: Ella Bernthal, Hannah Goodman, Julia Mayhew, and Lydia Lau. The Lady Lancers won the game by a score of 68-33.
Finally, the Boys Varsity teams played and the Lancers won 65-43.
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This was the first time since 2015 that our varsity teams have faced each other. Everyone seemed to be in good spirits after the games, and they were able to visit and talk with friends and family while watching some great games of basketball!
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-Audrey Arndt
PreK vs. English 9
I've recently discovered many things about Pre-kindergarten, thanks to helping my mom with PreK roundup. One of the things I’ve discovered was that PreK is EXACTLY the same as English 9.
How is that, you may ask? Well, let’s start with the teachers. Mrs. Rosendahl, or Captain Rosenwhistle, as she likes to be called, and Prof. Lau both have a sense of humor that generally is based on random old things that we younger people don't get. They both love quoting things, Captain, more movies; and Prof, more Shakespeare.
Next is the atmosphere. PreK is chaotic, and that just about describes English 9 as well. One thing I have discovered is that 4-year-olds are the literal EMBODIMENT of ADHD. And if you've ever been in any class with some of the freshman guys, I think you'd see the similarities. Not that I'm giving names, but…
I think that just about sums it up. Give Preschoolers tiny flashlights, and they'll shine them in each other's faces. Give ninth graders flashlights, and they'll probably do the same. I sincerely believe that PreK and English 9 are the same.
Advice Column
Question: My roommate doesn’t like it when I don’t spend time with her on weekends. I don’t want to lose her friendship and we are roommates, but we don’t always have the same interests and I enjoy spending time with people she doesn’t. What should I do?
Thanks for the question. It is kind of you to try to come up with a solution that is best for both of you. I think there is room for compromise. Tell your roommate that you like her company, but you also have other friends who have different interests than she does. If she is willing, plan an activity to do with your roommate each weekend that you both enjoy. Feel free to spend the rest of your weekend doing things with other people. Encourage her to do the same.
You will find that relationships change over the course of high school. Some friendships develop more strongly than others. Some relationships may end and start back up again later. One can never have too many friends, so do what you can to foster ones that last. However, don’t be so dependent on any one relationship that it limits your ability to form others. Get to know a wide variety of people. The best way to make a friend is to be a friend. Best wishes.
-Anonymous
BLAST FROM THE PAST
Fake News
with Nate Buck
(PS: That means it's all made up. No connections to any characters or events, fictional or real.)
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This Week in History
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It was said by the wise and ancient philosopher Gabe Plath the Elder that, "Those who don't learn from history are destined to fail History 10 and repeat sophomore year."
Sadly, in a recent report by Flash magazine, it was discovered that 60% of the student body couldn't answer when the War of 1812 started, 53% of the students didn't know who George Washington was, and an astounding 67% failed the question, "When did Kermit the Frog declare Scotland free from English oppression?"
So, in an effort to educate the student body on historical and current events, here are a couple important events that happened in history:
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1000 BC -- Plath the Elder and Plath the Younger get into an argument. Elder Plath throws a leather hide at Younger Plath, but it misses and goes into a basket. Basketball was invented.
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983 BC -- Ashton looms somewhere off the coast of Sweden. Villagers quake in his presence. Legend of the Kraken is born.
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577 BC -- Malaena Buck and Nicole Schierenbeck are embarrassed for the first time.
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570 BC -- Aric the Reim grows a red beard, starts to pillage and burn, and adheres to proper dining etiquette and looks dapper whilst doing so in his freetime.
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209 BC -- Khan Ude conquers China and forms the largest empire the world has ever seen.
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56 AD -- Roman soldiers siege and conquer the city of Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
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170 AD -- Something really important happens.
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530 AD -- Dark ages of Campus. No art is produced, as Kelly Beekman locks art room for days.
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1108 AD -- Julianna Hein theorizes about the existence of brain activity in a First Period classroom. Concludes, "Absolutely none.” Surprises no one.
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1234 AD -- Alex squires in the crusades.
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1774 AD -- Freemason Garvens and the Founding Fathers sign the Declaration of Independents, which speaks out against unfair taxation and demands ice cream for every meal.
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1783 AD -- Lord Byron writes some killer poetry. Becomes too cool.
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1816 AD -- Deadeye Dan Lau shoots the notorious outlaw Wilke the Kid in the infamous Showdown on Ingram Drive. Joe Lau sells tickets.
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1890 AD -- As a gift from France to the US, the Statue of Liberty Masker arrived in New York.
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1918 AD -- The Ryan Zimmerman Telegraph is read, containing many typos, pressuring the US into World War I.
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1960 AD -- Richard Nixon resigns as president. Katherine Reim takes the oath of office.
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2018 AD -- Nathan Buck writes this article.
….and all the while, Noah Sydow is still trapped in rubble.
This and more, next time on Fake News.
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-Nate Buck
Jesus: The Best Valentine
If you look up “What is Valentine’s Day?” on Google, you’ll find something like this: “Valentine’s Day, holiday (February 14) when lovers express their affection with greetings and gifts.” Many heart shaped cards, boxes of chocolates, and bouquets of flowers are exchanged on this day every year.
Lent is the time leading up to Good Friday and Easter. On Good Friday, Jesus died on the cross to save us.
When I noticed that Ash Wednesday (the start of Lent) and Valentine’s Day happened to coincide this year, I immediately thought of John 15:13 which says: “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” What better gift could Jesus have offered us than a one-way ticket to eternal life? He took away all our sin so that we could be with Him forever in heaven.
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Valentine’s Day is often used to celebrate romantic relationships, but if you look it up, the average length of a romantic relationship is two years and nine months. That’s really sad, especially compared to the eternal relationship you have with God, here on earth and in heaven. So make Jesus your Valentine this year, because He loves you more and longer than anyone else ever could.
In this love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him… We love Him because He first loved us. - I John 4:9,19
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-Ellie Daub
Adventures in Prof Rodebaugh's Classes
Being in one of Prof Rodebaugh’s classes is both a fascinating and sometimes terrifying experience. The antics that this one Prof gets up to far outway all the other Profs combined. He teaches a lot of the lower sciences, such as health and biology. You never know what might happen in the forty-five minutes from the start of class to the bell. Sometimes, the classes are highly productive and Prof Rodebaugh manages to cover several sections in a single period. Other times, he goes off on thirty minute tangents about some story from his past that barely correlates with the lesson. But sometimes, on rare occasions, something truly ludicrous and wacky can occur.
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Sometimes, the freshman class has a bit of trouble understanding the concepts Prof Rodebaugh is teaching, such as moles. One topic the class seems to particularly not understand is the concept of units. It got so bad that Prof Rodebaugh decided to stash notes all across the classroom that read: “UNITS.” I am fairly certain that some students still forgot to add units.
One thing a classroom needs is motivation, and luckily, Prof Rodebaugh gives us plenty. On one memorable day, he decided that we weren’t motivated enough, so he did the thing any logical person would do. He turned on loud motivational music. He then started to talk and walk in time with the music. It’s safe to say that we were all pretty motivated after that.
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Our final tale is also our saddest. It is the story of Clay, the clay man. It was the day that we were learning about potential and kinetic energy. To illustrate this idea he took a large dictionary and while standing on a desk dropped it from the ceiling to the floor. Unfortunately, he decided to repeat the experiment, but this time with a twist. He carefully molded a little man of putty and lovingly named him Clay. He even went through the trouble to give him a face. He then proceeded to drop the large dictionary onto Clay, flattening him like a pancake.
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Almost anything can happen in Prof Rodebaugh’s class.
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-William Sydow