This is a message for any student that needs community service hours or would like to get some volunteering in.  Mrs. Brown needs some help at the scholarship award ceremony on Wednesday night.  Please see her today.

Attention Seniors – Your picnic money is due tomorrow.

Attention Seniors:  You must have your cap and gown items picked picked-up by Friday, May 18^th.  Please stop in the office as soon as possible if you have any questions regarding your items.

Don’t delay, buy your copy today of The Time of Our Lives for only $3.00 in your English class.  Orders must be placed tomorrow.

Attention Seniors – Your Picnic is only two weeks away! If you haven’t paid your $5.00 per family, do so by Wednesday, May 16th.

Attention Seniors:  You must have your cap and gown items picked picked-up by Friday, May 18^th.  Please stop in the office as soon as possible if you have any questions regarding your items.

Don’t delay, buy your copy today of The Time of Our Lives for only $3.00 in your English class.  Orders must be placed by Wednesday, May 16.

                Despite the drop in donations ($68,000 this year from the goal of $83,000), the event was a success with 22 teams and 55 cancer survivors participating in the relay.  The “Hugs for Hugo” team was one of the largest groups there, supporting the beloved former elementary school librarian, Lisa Hugo, who was diagnosed with brain cancer six months earlier.

                The night was kicked off at the opening ceremony, with honorary co-chairman Rod Vaningan saying he will “continue to fight”. His next statement set the tone for the entire event: “I may have cancer, but cancer doesn’t have me.”

                The survivor lap followed the opening ceremony with numerous cancer survivors taking to the walking track to show that they had the strength and determination to overcome cancers of all types.

                A more sullen mood replaced the heartening vibe as the event moved into the Luminaria Ceremony where community members, friends, and family took a quiet moment to remember, honor, and celebrate those who fought the cancer battle but lost.

                After the ceremony the relay teams began the activity that gave this event its name: The Relay for Life. Twenty teams and 127 participants in total participated in this year’s relay for life. The top three teams included Bethany Lutheran Homes raising $2, 120, Miracle GRANTors raising $1,535, and the ever popular Hugs for Hugo raising $1,120. Top participants included Jane Macdonald raising $850, Jennifer Walden raising $560, and Chuck Bushek raising $480. Another very generous donation was that given by Macdonald’s brother-in-law, John Macdonald, of $20,000 bringing his overall donation total over the years to $100,000.

                According to Jane Macdonald the youth were much more involved this year with West Salem senior Patrick Severson raising money by organizing a volleyball tournament and Alex Martinson making quilts that were raffled off to raise money.

                “Every year the community gets more and more involved with coming to the event even if they are not on a team,” said Jane Macdonald.

                Jane Macdonald’s hopes for next year’s relay for life include getting more West Salem School District employees involved, getting a bigger committee, getting even more youth involved, possibly having a student take on the relay for life as their senior exit project, getting more survivors to attend the event in order to honor them, getting more community involvement, coming up with new ways to draw the community into the event, and raising more funds in order to reach the ultimate goal of finding a cure for cancer.

By this time almost everyone in West Salem has heard of the somewhat comical, but also abnormal, lockdown that occurred. Generally when people think of a lockdown they think of a suspicious or dangerous person or a drug search; but this particular lockdown was not caused by any of those things, it was caused by none other than a black bear.

According to West Salem Police Chief Charles Ashbeck, the 1 to 2 year old, 120 to 125 pound bear was first spotted in the La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway around 11:45 A.M.  The police then tracked the bear south through the village and warned anyone in its way until finally the bear crossed the La Crosse River Bike Trail near interstate 90.

As the bear made its way through the village, the West Salem School District, including West Salem High School, became locked down for the majority of its 7^th period from 1:36 P.M. to 2:21 P.M.  The bear excitement reached such a height that Vice Principal Mike Malott had to go over the loud speaker for a second time and tell the students to stop looking out of the windows for the bear and concentrate on their classes.

To everyone’s utter dismay, it was later learned that as the young bear tried to cross the east lanes on interstate 90 near the 11 ½ mile marker, it was struck by a semi and later shot and killed by police because it was so badly injured and suffering.

I don’t know how others feel, but I personally believe that West Salem probably could have a much better action plan when it comes to wildlife emergencies such as the bear case, especially since during spring, black bears are usually emerging from hibernation and looking for food such as bird feeders which are very common in West Salem.   Is there not a team of animal control officers or some other kind of program that is trained to handle a situation like this that could have tranquilized the bear before it reached the interstate? Unfortunately for the bear, any reforms to village policy will most likely be addressed due to its Friday rampage, and untimely death.  All I have to say is what up with that?

Varichak went to the competition to compete in the Power Equipment Technology category and won his division, which will allow him to advance on to the national competition.

“The Skills USA competitions are related to many different technology and engineering areas,” said Skills USA Advisor Paul Liethen. “It includes such things as small engines, which is power equipment technology and that is what Taylor won.” There were 52 other students from Wisconsin that were competing against Varichak and about 1300 students total there. They could compete in a vast amount of separate catagories from woodworking and carpentry to welding and diesel mechanics.  Liethan notes that for such huge event “It’s an honor for Taylor to win this.”

Taylor had to perform many skills in the competition that involve hours of work and studying.

The competition consists of both a written portion and a problem solving portion. The competitors have to sit down and take a written exam created by the tech ed teachers. Later they have to use computer skills and problem solving skills at several stations.

Taylor put in a lot of work to have this opportunity and it has really paid off.

“Early on I recognized the potential with Taylor,” said Liethen, “and I provided him some opportunities and some advanced classes and he’s taken hold of it and done some nice things. He’s continued to work hard. It’s interesting to note, Taylor and a few others stayed up late and studied prior to trying to prepare themselves, and look what happened; he won state.”

Varichak would also like to thank Liethen for his success.

“Mr. Liethen got me to join and found my strength in power equipment technology and later signed me up for competitions… (Mr. Liethen is a) very smart, great, and strict coach that wants his students to excel and reach their best potential. He pushes the kids to their limits and floods them with information about what he wants them to learn,” stated Varichak.

“I am excited to see and compete against people as smart as or smarter than me and not only winning, but meeting new people and always having fun,” said Varichak.

Varichak will be moving on to the national competitions in June where he will be facing each state champion for the chance to go to the world competition in Germany.

                Art teacher Quenten Brown says Donohoe’s artistic strengths include her ability to capture a myriad of themes, feelings, and allusions in a “simple” piece.

                “Her work appears simple, but the intent and craftsmanship are impeccable,” said Brown.

She was chosen as Art Student of the Month due to her active involvement in West Salem High School’s Art Program for all four years of high school and because her work “has a sophisticated silence that goes way beyond her years.”

Donohoe describes her style as “ever-changing”, experimental, and very detail-oriented, but often in “painfully unnoticeable ways.” 

                “I am open to trying new media and methods as they come to me,” said Donohoe, “I want to make my art not only meaningful and memorable to the viewer, but also to myself.”

                                Donohoe plans on attending Carroll College next year and is undecided about her major although she plans on keeping art in her future. Her artwork will be on display at the Marie W. Heider Center for the Arts Gallery for the entire month of April. A reception was held Saturday, April 21 from 1 to 4 P.M. in conjunction with the “Art in Bloom” exhibit.

                This year’s boys and girls track teams have already faced new challenges including the loss of ten seniors on the girls team, twelve seniors on the boys team, and an almost brand new coaching staff with Bret Miller as the boys head coach and throwing coach, A.J. Braun as the sprints/jumps coach, and Adam Miller as the pole vault coach.

                Head Coach LeRoy Krall said the hardest events to fill due to the loss of the seniors have been the sprinters and jumpers, in particular he mentioned former West Salem student, C.J. Bina, who was a “big point scorer” for many jumping events and has been “very difficult to replace.” Krall said that overall the track teams have competed fairly so far, but are not quite at the “upper level” yet, winning 3 out of 6 meets, 2 of which were “rained out,” but said the team’s ultimate goal is to try to figure out what the “best scoring line up” is before conference on Saturday, May 12 in Black River Falls.

                “The biggest goal is conference and sometimes you have to sacrifice things early in the season to figure things out,” said Krall. “Conference is what it’s all about.”

                The most recent meet at St. Mary’s University proved the team is improving overall, with both the girls and boys track teams earning first place, the girls with an overall score of 152.50, beating out their closest competitors, Colfax, by almost 60 points, and the boys with an overall score of 158, also beating out their closest competitors of Luther by almost 60 points.

                Although the results of the meets are determined by an overall group score, Krall said that track and field is not necessarily a team sport.

                “It’s not like basketball,” Krall said. “It’s more individual where you try to just get better by the end of the season.”

                That is exactly what the track teams plan on doing, bettering themselves individually in order to shoot for the ultimate goal: conference.

 A total of five first places were awarded in the following long-term project areas: Drawing by junior Tori Hansen and senior Alec Otto, Ceramics by sophomore Erica Rich, and Personal Adornment by junior Rachel Auna. Senior Julia Schomberg also received a first place win for her on-site project in the Digital Photography category. “This was my first year doing VAC,” said Julia. “To the judges, I did very well with my on-site projects. My long-term projects did okay,” explains Schomberg. “I’d say that they didn’t mesh as well with the theme given: beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” she added.

Second place medals were awarded in the following categories for long-term projects: Printmaking, done by senior Joe Faella and senior Zoe Ault Brinker, and Ceramics, done by senior Alicia Powers. The following were also awarded second place medals for their on-site projects: senior Joe Faella in Printmaking, senior Alicia Powers in Ceramics, sophomore Erica Rich in Ceramics, freshman Erin Faella in Sculpture, and senior Rachel Auna in Personal Adornment. “I think I did quite well,” comments Erin Faella.

Sophomore Ivy King, working in the painting category, freshman Erin Faella, in Sculpture, and senior Julia Schomberg, in the digital photography category all received third place on their long-term projects. Earning third place for their on-site projects were junior Tori Hansen and senior Alec Otto in the drawing category, sophomore Ivy King in painting, and junior Seth Walker in computer graphics design.

Two honorable mentions were also awarded to junior Seth Walker, for his long-term computer graphics design project, and senior Zoe Ault Brinker, for her on-site printmaking work.

The team did not place in Team Critical Thinking or the Art History Quiz Bowl. A goal they plan on achieving next year is improving on these areas to win at state. “I think individually we always perform well,” comments junior Rachel Auna, “but as a team we could work on Group Critical Thinking and studying our artists for Quiz Bowl.”

The 2012 West Salem VAC team returned from Madison with six first place awards, eight second place awards, seven third place awards, and two honorable mentions. “Getting a direct critique back from an expert in the field,” is what senior Julia Schomberg is going to miss. Joe Faella claims he will simply miss “everything.” For returning or new members, next year is another chance to express their love for the visual arts. For the graduating seniors, VAC will be a fond memory for many years to come.

            With Errol Kindshey and Ken Spraetz not running for another term, and the resignation of Linda Brown, three seats were open for the April school board election. The top two winners of the election will serve a three year term, and the third winner will serve a one year term.  

            Sylvester Clements, age 75, has previous experience holding elected offices.  He served time on the Wisconsin Assembly, the La Crosse County Board, and the Washington Board. Clements, a farmer and business owner, has lived in the La Crosse County all his life, and his many grandchildren attend the West Salem School District.

            Clements believes that the recent reforms passed by Governor Scott Walker provide a chance for the school to look into insurance and to talk about the teacher handbook.  He believes that the school should continue to pay for high school students to take college courses, and believes it gives students a head start. Clements supports charter schools one hundred percent.

            Jane Halverson, age 45, has not held any previous elected positions.  She has been married to her husband, Jon, for twenty years, and has three children, two of them currently in the West Salem School District. Halverson was born and raised in Bangor, and has been living in West Salem for 18 years. She has a degree from Western Technical Collage in legal studies.

            Halverson believes that the best way to recruit creative teachers is too keep promises to teachers, and respect their decisions and input. “When you make your promises,” she says, “you need to keep them.” Halverson believes  paying for high school students to take college level courses is a very good program that makes West Salem an attractive school, and is an excellent opportunity.  Halverson believes that younger children can pick up foreign language classes easily, which is why she supports the idea to hold foreign language classes early in a child’s education.  

            Ken Schlimgen, age 49, has served one term for the West Salem School Board in 2010. He has a degree in animal sciences and education from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a master’s degree in Business Administration from Edgewood College. He has four children, three of them currently in the West Salem School District.

            Schlimgen is in support of Governor Walker’s reforms, and feels that they give an opportunity to assess wages, save funds, and look at insurance policies. He does believe that the school district should continue to pay for students to take college level courses. He is a supporter of at-risk schools, but feels that charter schools limit focus, and only allow students to develop in one direction. Schlimgen is not in support of early language classes, because he feels that West Salem should work on teaching the core classes before specialty classes.

            School board meetings are on the second and fourth Monday of each month at 7:00 P.M., and are held in the Heider Meeting room.

When people think of an orchestra, they think of violins and a stuffy director standing atop a podium. The Trans-Siberian Orchestra, however, is nothing of that sort. Described as “Rock Theater” by creator Paul O’Neill, this orchestra is made up of electric guitars, lasers, and opera singers.

Paul O’Neill, a native New Yorker, created the Trans-Siberian Orchestra in 1999. “I always wanted to do a full rock opera with a fun progressive band,” he said. Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s debut album, Christmas Eve and other Stories, went double platinum, and many other albums have won awards also.

But the albums are not the only place the Trans-Siberian Orchestra shines. Most of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s followers were cemented during performances. Paul O’Neill likes to describe the concerts as “[a]s over the top as we can make it.”

Equipped with fire, lights, lasers, and, according to O’Neill, “The best sound we can find,” the Trans-Siberian Orchestra was certainly a hit in La Crosse.  “There are no second class seats at The Trans-Siberian Orchestra show,” O’Neill says. “I want people to walk out of our shows speechless.”

And speechless I was as I walked out of Beethoven’s Last Night Thursday night. The entrancing performance mixed Beethoven with modern rock and roll as it told the story about Beethoven’s last night on earth, and a deal made with the devil.

The light and sound was top-notch, as the Trans-Siberian Orchestra brought in their own sound system. Even from the back corner of the stage, the sound quality was incredible.      

Lyris Hung, violinist, created the vibe of rock orchestra.  She head-banged her way across the stage, bow strings trailing behind, while playing the most amazing violin I have ever heard. Her comfort on the stage was evident with the huge smile that danced across her face whenever she was playing.

The mix of music, lasers, and fires turned out to be an unforgettable show with many lasting memories.  While La Crosse may not be New York City, we still have many diverse arts opportunities that will attune to everyone’s tastes.