Senior Spotlight: Marisa Konshak
You all have seen this wonderful girl walking around campus with her blanket (looking like a camel) or playing the drums in the band. She is weird, but has also been super helpful as a member of Leave-it-Better and the Activities Committee. Marisa is also somewhat OCD which has kept Prof Rodebaugh’s classroom and the girls dorm very clean.
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When and were? Ortonville Minnesota, November 18, 2002
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Favorite memory from highschool? Lydia throwing me up onto the top bunk in our dorm room.
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Advice for other high schoolers? Be nice to other people.
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Who was your favorite science partner? Lydia.
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Favorite year in band, playing drums? 2019-2020, cause it was a lot of fun with Sherman.
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Why do you think people call you a kitten? I have cat eyes and if someone threw me a piece of yarn I would probably play with it.
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Favorite prof? Roehl or Rodebaugh
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Best thing about being in charge of the scaretrail? Getting to organize everything and also getting to scare people.
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What color crayon would you be and why? Hot pink, Suraya says that pink is my color because I am flirty.
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Favorite color that you have dyed your hair? purple/pink thing
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How many times have you pierced some part of your body? 8 myself and 7 done by others.
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What is your favorite committee to be involved in? Activities
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How many hangers do you have in your closet? 5
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How many Smarties have you eaten in one day? At least 20 ‘packs’.
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Anything else? Apparently I am a camel to a lot of people because of my blanket.
Lydia Kettner
Senior Spotlight: Erica Oster
It’s time for the senior spotlight of the one, the only, Erica Oster. If you don’t know who this is, then you must be living under a rock. If you only just peeked out you would see her towering over almost all the girls and some guys in the school. She’s the volleyball prodigy and one of the best people that I have had the pleasure of meeting.
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When and Where? - “Eau Claire, September 28, 2002”
Fav high school memory? - “Being a basketball hoop and a tree for the musical 2020.”
Future plans? - “Maybe teaching if I'm not still broke.”
Advice for freshman? - “Don’t worry too much about consequences unless it's something obviously bad, or you could miss out on chances to make a lot of memories.”
Where will Erica be in ten years?
Kari - “Dead.”
Erica - “I mean it's probably true. I'll just procrastinate living.”
Kari - “Independent of Debbie at Walmart. Also your mom. She will become her mother and live off of Debbie.” *Start talking about living in Ikea and raising a kid in Ikea with employees never noticing*
Lydia - “I don’t know why, but I don't see her living in America. Maybe Europe or Africa or something.”
Erica (to Adrie) - “I'll just be in your basement without you knowing.”
Adrie - “I wouldn't allow that. If I find you, I'm kicking you out. You're not a very subtle person.” Erica - “What if I'm your child? You can care for me.”
Adrie - “I don't like kids.”
Erica - “I know, that's why I would be an adult.”
Adrie - “Maybe you would live in a guest house.:
Gus - “I don't know. I haven't thought of it. That's gonna take up the rest of the day.”
Biggest regret of high school? - “Not branching out much as a freshman. Or just freshman year in general.”
Spirit animal? - “It would be a sloth, but I feel like I'm more animated. I mean I'm slow, but not that slow. Maybe an otter . . . Um, I don't know. What's like a weird fish?”
Me - “Would you be a blobfish?”
Erica - “Would I be a blobfish?”
Me - “Well, blobfish actually look melted and pink like that because their skin basically explodes when they are brought up from the deep depths of the ocean.”
Erica - “Actually, maybe I could do a roly poly. I kind of vibe with them. Are they animals?”
What will you miss most? - “Friends. Hanging out with them.”
Fav hobby? - “Napping. I like a good fat nap.”
March 2021
Favorites
Color? - “Light grayish blue”
Book? - “The *Bibble* I really like that rainbow fish book too.”
Hymn? - “Abide with Me”
Flavor? - “Dark chocolate and raspberry”
Prof? - “Schierenbeck brothers”
Food? - “I've been digging Chobani Flips lately”
Senior Spotlight: Ben Haslett
Sarah Fox
Alex Radichel
Haiku Blues
Spring is here? Wait, no…
It's Wisconsin, never spring
Right after it melts
'tis just the weather
Warming up briefly until
The snow falls again
Ev'ry year, the same...
Winter, false spring, then winter
Returns, cycling.
But, hey! It's nice out.
Let's enjoy the outdoors while
We are still able
Rebecca Durst
Annoyingly tall and somewhat awkward, Ben Haslett is always fun to be around. Whether he’s aggressively applying spin to the ping-pong ball in the lounge or throwing computer lingo at friends, you’re sure to see him with a smile. Here’s a dive into the life of the senior who, unfortunately, never had Prof. Rodebaugh for a class.
What’s your favorite memory of these long years you’ve been in high school?
B: Ok, favorite high school memory, it’s gonna be from Immanuel (homeschooled until Junior year)- from last year. I think the two memories that stick with me the most are the time we were in the recording booth for CA9. The other time is when you broke that plastic display thing holding the marks sheet. I went to pick up the ping pong ball, walked around the corner, and I heard “YEET”- *breaks down into laughter*- and then Gus just kicked us out.
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What’s your favorite memory of life?
B: I don’t know off the top of my head. Let’s see, it was probably one of those Friday nights where it was just you, Jacob, and me doing stupid stuff last year. I don’t know, that time we were in the recording booth was pretty fun.
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Did you prefer homeschool or Immanuel?
B: I think I prefer it here more.
A: Why?
B: I think I feel more independent here, a bit more in control, and I get to do things here that I wouldn’t get to do at home.
If you ever have kids, how would you educate them? Homeschool, private school, public school?
B: I’m gonna let my wife handle that one. It’ll be a joint decision. If I were a single parent, there were other things I’d have to go through first.
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If you could change one thing about this school, what would it be?
B: The Wi-Fi.
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What’s your biggest high school regret?
Putting things off until the morning they were due. It never worked. I saw everyone else doing it and thought, “Hey, maybe I should try that.”
Favorites
Course: CA9
Teacher: Sullivan (R.I.P.)(from Immanuel), Mom (from home)
Meal: Tuesday morning breakfast (breakfast tacos)
Miniclass: Badminton. I feel like we should have a school badminton team.
Least favorite food: Cream of Cheddar
Time of Day: Late afternoon, especially with incoming storm clouds
Class: Seniors (with sophomores a close second)
Senior: Mason
Junior: “Andrew’s a cool kid.”
Sophomore: Alex (liar)
Freshman: “Who's in the freshman class?!”
Hymn: 613- “Jerusalem the Golden”
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Where do you see Ben in ten years?
Suraya: Sitting in a dark room, programming his computer that he bought years ago, and his wife Bertha banging on the door telling him she wants to wrestle.
Megan: Tried to take over the world, but was killed by his small group of followers.
Blake: Has a wife and a daughter, owns a computer security company worth $3 million. Likes to grill burgers and still makes ramen sometimes.
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When and where?
B: Ok, so, I was born in a hospital... August 8, 2003, in St. Louis.
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Have you always lived in Illinois?
B: Let’s see, I lived in a small town called Belleville, just outside of St. Louis.
A: Suburbs?
B: Yeah, basically, until I was three or four years old. Then we moved to Illinois, and eventually to Mt. Zion.
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Senior Spotlight: Rebecca Durst
Even if you do not always see her on campus, Rebecca is in every play and musical. She also plays more instruments than anyone else I know. Overall, I would suggest saying hi to her since she always has something interesting to talk about, especially from working at Culvers.
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When and where? November 19, 2003, Rapid City, South Dakota.
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Why are you a hufflepuff? I like to think that I am kind and I am loyal to my friends. When I am interested in something, I work hard for it.
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Favorite play or musical that you have performed in? “Anne with an E,” because I enjoyed the experience. This performance really got me hooked on theater. I liked the other actors as well.
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How many instruments do you play? (lays head on table and starts counting with fingers) Eight and a half. The half is since I am learning guitar.
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Favorite video-game? “Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.”
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If you could live in a movie setting, which would you pick? Narnia, because C.S. Lewis based it off the Bible. It is a beautiful world and has many fantastical elements that I really like.
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Best memory from working at Culvers? That’s a good question. Most memorable moments are when one of the managers starts having too much fun. One time they hung 50 curd-nerd plushies up on the ceiling.
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If you could travel anywhere, where would you go? I don’t know, but probably somewhere in Europe. No, wait, England . . . or New York. Nah, England.
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Favorite memory from high school? I don’t remember most of high school (laughs). (we have a staring contest as she thinks). Um, eating popcorn backstage with Brynn Schierenbeck during “Ask Any Girl.”
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What type of shoes fit your personality and why? I really like boots, because I like the look of them. They can be fashionable, meant for work, tall or short, and very flexible with style.
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Dream job? Work in Nintendo and make a Legend of Zelda game.
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What do you think everyone should have more knowledge about? Everyone should take other people's feelings into consideration before they act. Everything has repercussions whether you realize it or not. Just think before you act.
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Do you miss holding the doors open for chapel every day? Yes (of course)
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Favorite snack? I have trail-mix every day, but chips with melted cheese are very good.
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Anything else you would like to add? Don’t be afraid to try new things, but keep track of your schedule.
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Thank you. “My pleasure.” Oh, so now we work at Chick-Fil-A?
Weird Things Heard Around Campus
Suraya Williams
Thanks for the submissions. Enjoy!
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"A powerful rat and his demon cheese."
"The end of this and our death might coincide quite nicely."
"I want to know the stats on an endless formula bottle."
"Avenge the child. Destroy the broom."
"I hate you, reincarnation."
"The purple ones taste like burning."
"You guys almost died by a broom.."
"Well, if you don't want me to fight I'll just stand in the corner and watch you die."
"It's been a while since I last killed someone with a salad."
“Torture is a wonderful thing....If done properly, you can get a lot of information.”
“He threatened my pens, so I had to threaten him.”
A Sweeping Spot of Randomness
You spill 2.5 drops of saliva per word.
The country of Russia is bigger than Pluto.
In the 1830’s, ketchup was used medicinally.
More people are killed annually by donkeys than by airplane crashes.
The very first bomb dropped by the Allies on Berlin during WWII killed only the elephant in the Berlin Zoo.
Ten percent of Russian government income is from the sale of vodka.
There is approximately one chicken for every human being in the world.
Every time you lick a stamp, you consume 1/10 of a calorie.
Mel Blanc (the voice of Bugs Bunny) was allergic to carrots.
February Flip
We’ve had a flip in the weather, but have the students of ILHS ever flipped open a phone? Out of 60 students, 36 (60%) have used a flip phone at least once, and quite a few have owned one. Twenty-four (40%) people have never used a flip phone. I did not keep track of the exact numbers, but it does seem to me that many of the Freshmen have never used one. This makes sense since flip phones are steadily becoming more rare. I still find it very interesting how you text on them and I would like to say that I got very efficient at this when I had a flip phone. So anyway, I think you all should try and text on a flip phone if you haven’t already.
Lydia Kettner
Banquet Committee
You may have seen the Banquet Committee bake sale booths this year around Halloween, Christmas, and Valentine's Day. Due to the lack of home games, we have not had the opportunity to sell at games, but the committee is still putting forth a great effort to make this year's banquet a memorable one. Theme ideas include Roaring 20’s in New Orleans, the Mediterranean, and the 70's. As we have not had a real theme in a while, we are looking forward to putting a fun and fresh spin on things and providing a unique experience for all. It will be hosted on May 8 at the Avalon Event Center in Chippewa Falls. It’s time to start finding your dates! We look forward to seeing you there!
Micah Fossum
Hidden Abilities
How well do you know everyone in the school? See if you can guess who has some of these less known facts about each class. This edition features the Freshman class.
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Who has extremely sweaty palms?
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Who was born in St. Louis?
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Who played a girl’s part in a play with a friend?
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Who has a birthmark on his/her foot?
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Who can juggle?
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Who doesn’t like the cold?
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Who went to the Grand Canyon?
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Who, when they were younger, could only fall asleep if their dad rocked them in a specific chair?
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Whose first sport was hockey?
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Who has been to Canada?
Options: John, Micah, Bryce, Ben T, Ben R, Matthew, Julia, Isaiah, Micah, Joe
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Answer Key: 1. Joe 2. Ben T. 3. Micah 4. Ben R. 5. Isaiah 6. Matthew 7. John 8. Julia 9. Vance 10. Bryce
Trinity Mayhew
Evan Kuehne
Random Facts About Random People #1
I built my own forge so I can learn to become a blacksmith.
I always put mayo on both sides of my hamburger buns. Every time.
I started having curly hair in seventh grade.
Has a double-jointed thumb.
Played soccer when I was 7.
Been to two Super Bowls.
Has colored contacts.
Was the assistant-editor for the Flash in 1971.
I was born on Labor Day (get it).
I’ve had seven jobs.
..................Jacob Fossum
..................Julia Mayhew
..................Blake Wales
..................Gus
..................Ben Haslett
..................Prof. Kranz
..................Megan Hammond
..................Prof. Weis
..................Prof. Lau
..................Dannie Gamble
John Sprengeler and Micah Fossum
Demons
Other Words
Gross
Savages
I hate dogs; dogs hate me.
Most people are offended that I could ever despise such nasty, mean, ferocious, dirty, jumpy, in-your-face beasts. Why? I’m not sure, but I can explain my opinion to those aghast that I could ever say such things. Fleas! I got them on my ankles.
To fully understand my stories we must first understand my setting. My neighborhood: no, not where Aunt Mary is singing in her kitchen, and Mrs. Potter is out in her garden weeding the roses, and the East Joneses down the street are competing with the Joneses on the West side. No, I live in a neighborhood with all shotgun houses, where the definition of house seems to be a broken-windowed, four post structure that your tent sits next to since your house started on fire last year, and you have no money to fix it since you spent it all on drugs and just got out of prison kind of neighborhood. By the way, the dog that tore up the face of the person next to you definitely isn't mine. I didn't yell at my random dog that I'm holding the leash of when it pooped in your yard while I was ten feet from you. I also definitely didn't let it into your yard to roll on the grass. By the way, the fleas my dog got in your yard only make your ankles itch for about three months. It won't last forever, I promise.
And poop, really! On the school and church’s property, where we all have recess. If you're wondering if the neighborhood comes out of their houses to laugh at kids who somehow end up with dog poop on their shirts, no, they don't! Their house started on fire last year, so they are living in tents--there is no reason for them to come out of the house if they were not in the house in the first place.
Anyway, the next hated attribute in dogs, whether they are aggressive (which I believe all dogs are) in the good "playful” sense or out to hurt you, I don't like it. I don't want to walk into your house and have some big slobbery dog jump up and put its nasty paws that have probably stepped in poop on my shoulder. I don't want animal hair on my pants and shirt, and most of all, I don't want to get all wet and slobbery. On the other hand, I don't like walking down the street and having some mean little breed barking and nipping at my heels. I wouldn't like your dog that's out to eat me to be off a chain, your gate open, and nobody in sight. I don't like your dog barking, howling, and doing everything to get out the fence to get me.
In other words, I don't like dogs. It doesn't matter who owns them, what breed they are, or how “nice” (which is impossible for a dog) they may be. They hate me and I hate them back.
Ella Bernthal