UPDATE: The December issue of The Talon introduced FIRST (For the Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics, a worldwide organization. The game for this year was Logomotion, played by the robot lifting intertubes in the shape of the FIRST logo (a triangle, square, and circle). Points were awarded for lifting the intertubes onto racks, with extra points awarded for placing them in the correct order. After this is completed, a “minibot” was deployed to climb up a pole. Given a limited number and variety of parts, the team had six weeks to build. The most notable aid in building was a new CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machine at Sheboygan Falls High SChool
The build process allowed for real life learning similar to systems used at Kohler Manufacturing, a company many of the adult mentors work for.
During the 135 second long match, the first 15 seconds were autonomous, or controlled be pre written code. The final 120 seconds were driven by remote control.
The 35 member Plymouth based team in its second year, composed of students from Sheboygan Falls, Plymouth, Fond du lac, Sheboygan North and South, Random Lake, Kohler, and homeschooled. Sheboygan Falls team members included junior Jon Schad, Joseph Reiter, Sam Van Wyk, seniors Brian Koehl, Callie Claerbaut, and Nate Bramstedt.
Koehl said the best part of building was “the experience that we got with our mentors and the real life experience we gained.”
The regional competition was March 10-12 at the US Cellular Arena in Milwaukee where 51 teams competed. Team 3418 placed 23rd, a fair ranking for a relatively new team.
Team 3418 sponsors include: Kohler, Vollrath and EESCO
Jimmy Pecquex Crowned Mr. SFHS
By Morgan K
ath
Seven senior boys at SFHS competed March 13 for the coveted title of Mr. SFHS. The show, organized by the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), was a parody of Miss America, including competitions in Sportswear, Show Me Your Spirit, Talent, and Formalwear to be judged by a panel of fictionally humorous qualifications. The show, hosted by senior Zack Madden and sophomore Jacob Immel opened with the competitors being introduced to the Katy Perry song “California Gurls” with their freshmen and sophomore escorts.
The first competitor in Sportswear was Jimmy Pecquex sporting an El Diablo outfit as a luchador, or Mexican wrestler. Nick Roelse wowed the crowds on rollerblades as a roller derbier, and Alex Thiessen came out wearing his football garb. Kaden Dever, self proclaiming himself the “biggest Harry Potter fan on the planet,” brought to life the fictional sport of Quidditch. Devin Bayer “impressed” the crowd in his wrestling gear while Ian Offutt illustrated hockey, which he said is a mix of soccer and boxing “bringing manliness to ice skating.”
The next category, School Spirit, required the expertise of spirit expert Principal Phelps. Each competitor was given an object before the show and needed to develop a cheer using he object. Provided with a plastic Bemis chair, Pecquex developed a “Will Will Rock You” cheer to scare the opposing team, Roelse developed a golf cheer with a teddy bear, proclaiming “Kick your opponent in the bear butt,” and Thiessen enlisted the help of two SFHS cheerleaders while in the Freddy the Falcon mascot suit. Dever riled the crowd using an orange traffic cone as a microphone to deliver a rap, Bayer presented why SFHS is great while his escort was jumping on a pogo stick, and Ian used his noodle, twirling a pool noodle while exciting the crowd with a chant.
Competitors showed off their talents, although some confessed it was hard to choose just one. Pecquex strummed a banjo while singing “Cotton Eye Joe,” Roelse preformed an interpretive dance to Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now,” while Thiessen moon walked across the stage to Michael Jackson’s “Billy Jean.” Dever showed off his musical talents, playing the saxophone and then moving to guitar, performing a self-written song entitled “Edge of the World.” Bayer erupted the crowd in applause after “Hallelujah,” familiarized by the movie Shrek and Offutt showed the crowd origami; a stealth bomber paper airplane and a snowball.
The events concluded with Formalwear, donated by DuBois Formalwear of Sheboygan, followed by a dance routine by the afternoon’s humorous hosts to Tonto’s song “Jump On It”.
Audience members were able to donate spare change for their favorite contestant, and all the money collected was donated to the March of Dimes, FBLA’s national charity organization.
The People’s Choice and Runner Up winner was Offutt, Mr. Congeniality went to Roelse, and Pecquex took home the crown and sash as Mr. SFHS.
Each winner received a package including gifts from sponsors DuBois Formalwear, The Sewing Machine Shop, Bemis Bath Shoppe, Salon 511, Floral Essence LLC, and Theo’s Pizza and Catering.
Book Review: City of Ashes
By Lexx Hutton
City of Ashes is masterfully suspenseful and utterly engaging. You are immersed in more character views for longer periods and are introduced to a more developed character than is seen in the previous book, City of Bones. The plot thickens to the point of insanity. The author Cassandra Clare is sitting there at her computer, putting her character through Hell, literally and figuratively. Questions are asked and rarely answered and the characters lives become suspenseful as you wait for the next curve ball.
Valentine is still our favorite villain and has a twisted mind and sense of fatherly love in this novel. Readers will be stunned, joyed, and totally peeved all at the same time by the outcome of this second novel. Clary and Jace are constantly pulled apart and thrown back together again and again throughout the novel and Valentine’s involvement will reveal some impressive, yet cruel turns in the novel.
This book has more to do with the secondary characters in the novels. They take a big step forward and reveal themselves to the world. Mangus Bane has a more secure role and the suspense is wonderful when you think about how Cassandra Clare wove the characters’ lives into both coincidence and fate.
Simon – Clary’s best friend – goes through some changes of his own. Totally in love with Clary, Simon finds it difficult to be around Jace. Simon is more perceptive than everyone gives him credit for, and he can see the deep connection Jace and Clary share, which burns him up inside. His anger, his confusion and his self-pity lead him into a place of darkness, and he makes some choices that will change his life – forever.
Jace is perceptive, intriguing and complicated:
“I don’t want to be a man,” said Jace. “I want to be an angst-ridden teenager who can’t confront his own inner demons and takes it out verbally on other people instead.”
“Well,” said Luke, “you’re doing a fantastic job.”
This shows how Jace has people who care for him and he alienates them because he believes he should be alone because of his past, and how he doesn’t want to be like Valentine, but the more he tries not to be, the more he is. He constantly hurts the people he loves most because it’s what he feels is right.
The reality of growing up is intricately woven into the supernatural elements of this story. The magic, the drama and the fantasy are all portrayed so clearly that it’s easy to forget that this is just fiction.
Book Review: City of Glass
By Lexx Hutton
In the third installment of the series, we are introduced to the Glass City or Idris. This is the home of the Shadowhunters and where most consider home. Jace leaves Clary behind during the first journey but that doesn’t stop a determined Clary. She makes her own way. This is where a new character, Amatis Herondale, comes into the picture, taking Clary in and helping her. Then comes Sebastian, a sweet dark haired boy… Or is he? Clary is intrigued by him, after the rejection Jace gave her during their fight.
Now Clary’s main goal is to find the mysterious Ragnor Fell, the warlock that could help her mother wake up. Here comes another twist in the story: Clary also sees the place where her grandparents where murdered by Valentine. In this third installment, strength is tested, loyalty is forgotten, and love is a torture. The war comes with the price of the death of many, including a few we have grown to love.
This book is amazing in the way the reader’s emotions are tested; it feels as if you are stuck inside the world of the Mortal Instruments and you never want to be free. Inspiring, detailed, dark, riveting, torturous and many other adjectives could be used describe this novel.
