Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Decisions, decisions...

By Thaddius Atkisson

Messmer students may seem happy, yet many, if not all, have many choices and challenges that they face as teens and even at a specific grade level in school.

Junior Shenequa Jamison stated. “As a junior, I face criticism when I speak Spanish. People think I’m posing when I’m just trying to learn about Hispanic culture.” Fellow junior Alan Ricks states that, “One of the hardest things I face as a junior is U.S. History, and as you get older they try to kill you with homework.” Since this is a required class, freshmen and sophomores, be prepared!

Perhaps it is the seniors that have it the heardest. Having jobs, leaving from their former home and school, and starting college is a very hard transition to make. Ray McGee, a senior quotes, “One thing that I think is insignificant is homework. It’s not hard it’s just really time consuming. And for being a senior, time-management is very important. Now that I have job, I feel independent.” Another senior, Justine Shorter had this to say about 12th grade challenges and how the work s no easier then you think it is, “All four years you complain about how you’re ready to get into adulthood and get out of school. However, students have no clue of the work they are about to endure.”

Some student’s say that the coming to high school was a totally new experience. You go from different classes and rules, to having to go all around the school just for one class. “The main thing that changed for me was the different classes and the rules and regulations.” said Mujjada Ahmad. In a recent survey, students say that schoolwork is the most common thing for a challenge that’s at a constant.

Students like Sabatia McGee; “Coming from a school with homeroom to a school that takes a lot to get around from class to class is different.” Markesha Harris had this to say about being freshmen, “Well, it’s hard to keep your GPA at a reasonable level, because we just came from middle school, and at my middle school we didn’t change classes. We didn’t change classes; we had one teacher that taught every subject.”

For sophomores, the challenges may be a bit more social involved that ay include; sex, drugs, and rumors. For one anonymous source, “One main problem is females and their drama!” From another anonymous source, she simply said “Sex.” as a sophomore-based challenge. One sophomore, Milizta Ramos says “Working on school assignments is hard for me.” Rumors and school work seems to totally engulf the life of every sophomore, not to mention all the material checks, tests/quizzes, and homework that occurs on a daily basis.

Monday, April 28, 2008

Quality vs. popularity of shoes

By Tyshawna Jackson

What type of shoe do you like and why?

Many people buy shoes only for the popularity. Meaning, if you see someone else with a specific shoe on, most like you’ll later buy the same shoe. That is if you find it attractive. Of course everyone has their own opinion and their own likes, but sometimes “the monkey does whatever he sees.”

In the past shoes were never really taken to the extreme. No one ever really cared where the shoe came from or who made it. As long as the shoe would fit the foot, the comfort didn’t matter. In so many cases this is still true. Women will go out of there way to look nice. No matter how high the heel is and if it will hurt and even damage the foot, some people will still wear them.

A competition is a way some teenagers live their lives, so it's all about impressing people with what you have and what they don’t. Senior Antonio Brown states, “I buy shoes for the quality and for the popularity. Being different is basically a main priority for me. I like to stand out more than others. I even enjoy competing with others, [because] I gotta be the best.”

Many of the most popular shoes are very expensive, that’s one of the main reasons why people constantly spend their money on them. Whenever a shoe is too expensive it is commonly the reason why people don’t buy them, but it can also be why some people want to spend more money.

The more the money, the better quality of the shoe is the way things should work. Sometimes this may be true, however, an inexpensive shoe does not mean it is worthless. It all depends on the way you treat them. Safely handling a shoe can help the life span of the shoe.

Freshman Keonna Windom feels otherwise. “I love shoes period. Tennis shoes and also dressy shoes excite me. Cheap shoes don's really tend to have good quality, that’s the reason I would rather spend more money [is] to have a better shoe.”

There are many other people that feel the same way, but there are many other views. When shoes are fresh and new a lot of people will make it there business to get them before someone else does. Not because of a competition, some people want the shoes for fashion. Germika Sanders, sophomore, claims, “I buy shoes because they are cute. I really don't think the quality of a shoe matters, it's how well you can keep your shoes up.”

Tennis shoes are one of the most popular types of shoes. Jordan’s, Airman, Daddies and Air Force Ones are the main four picks of a shoe. With many people its they quality. A good reputation is followed behind these shoes. Popularity throughout the community and competition has a lot to do with these shoes being top notch. Junior Paige Johnson has a liking for many different types of shoes. However there’s a specific shoe that interests her the most. “Quality sometimes matter highly. Airmax are very comfortable and long lasting. I'd say they are worth every penny. My feet gotta be fresh.”

Cancelled concerts

It’s surprising and disappointing that most of the concerts in for Milwaukee teenagers get cancelled. Most teenagers look forward to seeing their favorite singer live on stage, and they save all the money they can just to buy tickets.
By LaGina Mitchell

How do you feel when you wake up at the crack of dawn to stand in line for tickets for a concert? Then, a few weeks later the concert gets cancelled; what a terrible feeling. What even makes a person go all out of their way for a concert at all?


One reason that the concerts keep getting cancelled is perhaps that in Milwaukee you can not even enjoy watching your favorite performer without a fight braking out. How can this even be worth your time?

Junior Takara Lee thinks that concerts are just a waste of time. A lot of times "you can’t see because someone is always in your way, a fight always brakes out, and the person you really wanted to see doesn’t even show up . . . You can just sit a home and watch the person on time and not be affected if the concerts keep getting cancelled."

Sophomore Keshayla Strong tends to think that concerts are “crackin”. When Strong finds out that there is a concert in Milwaukee, she goes all out, wanting to get the latest shoes and the hottest outfit that Milwaukee has ever seen.

She states, “I don’t care what it takes for this concert to be “crackin” cause I’m having money”. Strong would buy the most expensive seats just to see who’s performing on that stage. The best part about going to a concert is enjoying it and the after parties.

Freshman, Mark Jenkins claims that concerts are okay, but when they get cancelled he gets angry and upset. He feels this way because he gets all worked up and excited because of the particular artist coming.

Senior, Justin Coleman feels that concerts should not be cancelled because an artist doesn't show up. They should get another artist to perform. Having concerts is a time where great talents can be displayed.

As you can see majority of the people like going to concerts but hate when they get cancelled. According to V100, concerts get cancelled because artist do not show up. They would love to have more concerts but the problem is the artist showing up. Concerts should not be cancelled and we have to find a better way to persuade artists to come and perform.

Monday, April 7, 2008

Baby boom at Messmer


Love is what some of your favorite teachers felt in the school year of 2007-2008 because they brought a new baby into our world! That’s right…a baby.

Seven of the fifty faculty members have had or are expecting a child within the 2007-2008 school year; five males have had children added to their families, and the two expecting mothers are Mrs. Aleda Kitzman and Mrs. Amy Gibson. Within a twelve-month span many new faces are providing joy to the Messmer family!

Sylvia Rose is Human Resource Manager, Mr. Joe Halaiko’s, daughter. Born on July 8, 2007, Sylvia is named in honor of her great-grandmother’s. Her middle name, Rose, is a middle name on both sides of the family. Born 8 pounds, 2 ounces and 19 inches, Sylvia is bringing a new happiness to her father’s eye.

“I love being a parent now, and I’m looking forward to it all.” Halaiko said. 
On November 1, 2007 Mr. Chad Griesel and his wife welcomed little Michael into their world. Born 9 pounds and 7 ounces, little
 Mikey has a family name traced back to his daddy’s Irish roots. His fathers states, “I’m waiting for my son to grow into a totally unique, original person.”
Babies can bring a lot of love but they can also be time consuming. Waking up at any time of the night with feeding and diapers are a few of the many things that will make a parent sleepy the next day.

Biology teacher Mr. Josh Reiss and his wife Kristin welcomed a beautiful little girl in our world on December 17, 2007; what a wonderful Christmas present!
“Abigail Ann [is her name.] Abigail means ‘father’s joy’ and is also a wonderful character in the bible, and Ann is Kristin’s grandmother’s name,” Reiss said. He also stated, “[There is] less time for everything, but it’s worth it.”

Mr. Bill Gunderson and wife welcomed their third child on January 8, 2008.

“Kade Elijah was the only name we could agree on.” Very unique, and maybe it will be a new trend. He was born 6 pounds, 3ounces and is bringing a big change to the family. “Three children is much different than two children,” Gunderson replied.

There are two expecting mothers at Messmer, Mrs. Amy Gibson and Mrs. Aleda Kitzman are our mommies-to-be for the first time.

Regarding the sex of the baby, “we want it to be a surprise,” Gibson said. “If it’s a boy, Cooper Martin Gibson will be the name. If it’s a girl, Tyla Shea Gibson.”

This will be her first child but Mrs. Gibson says she’s prepared. “There is a lot of excitement, joy, stress and a major lifestyle change coming,” Gibson said on what she expected motherhood would be like.

Mrs. Kitzman won’t know for a couple of weeks what she will be having. So what are some possible names?

“We haven’t picked any names yet, but we want something unique but not strange,” she replied. This will also be Mrs. Kitzman’s first child and she’s expecting no sleep and someone to love.

The hardest ting about pregnancy, and the best thing will most likely be being tired all the time! “The joy I feel every time I think about what an amazing miracle I’ve been giving”, this is what keeps Kitzman and all of the other parents feeling happy and blessed!

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Youth Summit


When entering the conference room on March 12, 2008, all one saw were the eyes of everyone else in the room glancing at them. Those eyes were wondering who they were and from what school they came from. In actuality, we were all there for the same reason: Marquette University held a Youth Summit with different public and private schools attending.

This year’s Youth Summit was provided by Multicultural Urban Suburban Emerging Leaders, (M.U.S.E.L.) a group that wants to change our community and world. Two of Messmer’s juniors, Danielle Brooks and Sable Harris, are M.U.S.E.L. participants.

At this summit, we all participated in group discussions, at first everything started off perfect; everyone was sitting in different groups. But when it came down to answering certain questions like: “On a 1 to 10 scale, how would you rate your schools education system?” “Do you think public or private schools are better?” and “What stereotypes do you see in your school and/ or community?”

In all of these topics, one common school we all know was constantly being bashed, Messmer High School. Sophomore, Arica Wolfe commented, “Just because we as students take pride in our school, get along with the teachers, and seek more attention from our teachers; does not mean we disapprove of public schools.” According to senior Ivory Morehouse, “Throughout the day, its like the other schools were throwing flame at us, to the point were we started to act and respond like them!”

But at the end of the day, the Youth Summit was a learning experience. From the debates, to taking a step back to realize how different schools have the same issues, to encouraging word from the guest speaker.

Special thanks goes out to, Ms. Val Moore, Ms. Maripat Wilkinson, and Mrs. Rhonda Moore for allowing twenty students to have this experience. We all left with different views and attitudes.

Track is in season!

Messmer's 2008 track season has begun! Athletes are optimistic about the season after watching Messmer Alumni Sheparis Wyatt compete last season in the high jump at the state meet. That was an excellent accomplishment.

Senior Lamel Adkins is their most prized possesion returning for his forth cull season in Varsity track. Last year Adkins set a state record becoming the fifth athlete in WIAA history to jump over 25 feet in the long jump. The Bishops are very optimistic and have a reason to be!

There are two returning juniors Chrisitan Massey and Melvin Coulter who have had their fair share of success with the Messmer bichops track team.

Massey and Coulter have been on the same relay team (4x4) team since their freshman year.They as a team have experienced the ups and downs of consistently competing at the varsity level since their freshman year.This season they’re main goal is to stay optimistic and they understand the sport much better than they did when they were freshman. “We’re big dogs now,” boasts Massey. “We’ve been running for too long so it’s time to give us our success!” asserted Coulter.

Last year Messmer's girls placed first in St. John's Military Academy meet while the boys carried home second place. The second week of March held their first meet at Pius High School. The Bishops didn't place first but competed respectably at the event. Junior Breshaunda Jones said she enjoys participating in track after her Varsity basketball season.

This year for the Bishops outdoor practice will be held a few blocks away from their school at Rufus King High School. There they will be practicing along side some their competition the Rufus King athletes. Previously practice was held at Shorewood high but the track is un-available this year due to the building of a new track. “It’s a change of scenery, and change is good sometimes,” said returning junior Dalia Johnson.

“I definitely plan to have this season but the only thing on my mind before graduation is a ring,” said Coulter.