NOCTILUCA June 2017

OPINIONS Appleton, Wisconsin June 2017 Volume XXII

Issue VIII Page 4

Noctiluca Mission Statement The Noctiluca and north noct.com are the student-run news sources of Appleton North High School. Noctiluca and northnoct.com are designated public forums for student ex- pression. Student editors make all content decisions. Noctiluca’s mission is to publish information relevant to its readers and its community. Its goal is to maintain high ethi- cal standards and provide a des- ignated public forum for free and responsible expression of views. Appleton North High School

Noctiluca Editorial

Legacies of education: Society depends on people like these

Education: the foundation of success in modern-day society. It holds the greatest precedence in preparing individuals for their future. Yet, education remains one of many establishments that is immensely un- dervalued on a national scale. As Lee Allinger, Sharon Fenlon and Dr. John Mielke step away from their long- standing roles in education in the district, now more than ever, it is apparent that education requires increasingly greater at- tention. These three individuals have dedi- cated immeasurable time and resources to our community. It is imperative that we celebrate these advocates of education and strive to contribute to the ever-dynamic and ever-prevalent nature of education. Because without education, society is inca- pable of progression. With a combined total of about 92 years serving in education, Allinger, Fenlon and Mielke have significantly improved the AASD through idealistic action and pro- gressive invention. Mielke has helped es- tablish the Appleton Education Foundation and has served on the board of directors for the Mielke Family Foundation and the

Related articles Lasting Legacies, Page 1

versity and the outreach with the Birth to 5 program, emphasizing that “We want to be viewed as a school district that helps kids be connected to what their future could be beyond high school.” With the expounding integration of tech- nology into our society and the greater prevalence of service-based jobs, educa- tion serves as the primary vehicle for suc- cess and progress. Not only does education provide students with analysis and inno- vation tools that can be utilized outside of academia, it supplies individuals with the means to discover their individuality. Education allows students to explore po- tential areas of passion and to develop aspi- rations for their future. But, of equal impor- tance, education fosters democracy. We wholeheartedly thank these three pio- neers for their service, and call on the next generation of Allingers, Fenlons and Miel- kes to continue to carry the torch.

Mielke

Allinger

Fenlon

5000 N. Ballard Road Appleton, WI 54913 Phone: (920) 832-4300

Building for Kids. Similarly, Fenlon, the president of the AppletonArea School Dis- trict Board of Education for 23 years, as- sisted in fostering cultural diversity within the AASD by promoting awareness of the Hmong culture residing in Appleton. Ad- ditionally, she has helped integrate char- ter schools into the AASD, a project that ensured charter school students were not left behind. Finding adequate educational resources within charter school systems is difficult in today’s society, but that issue is uncommon here in Appleton, as a result of her work. Since the AASD Board of Edu- cation operates on a service without pay basis, Fenlon and Mielke have been volun- teering for decades to improve our educa- tion. Similarly, Allinger discussed both the di-

Mr. Ramponi, staff advisor, at: ramponiaaron@aasd.k12. wi.us.

Editorial Staff Senior Editor-In-Chief Nora Ptacek Junior Editor-In-Chief Jake Zajkowski Managing Editor Kate Bennett News Editor Ally Price Opinions Editor Maeve Salm Features Editor Henry Ptacek Centerspread Editor Salma Abdel-Azim Olivia Molter Copy Editor Fatima Ali Advertising/Social Media Rachel Sina Graphics Editor Henry Ptacek Online Editor Kate Bennett Investigative Editor Erik Bakken Advisor Mr. Ramponi Contributors Salma Abdel-Azim Fatima Ali Culture Editor Maddy Schilling Sports Editor Maddie Clark Photography Editor

The importance of true activism in initiating change

Only when I took real steps to initiate change could I justify my views and criticisms. It sud- denly seemed very hypocritical to take a very firm stance on a cause, shun those who saw dif- ferently and do nothing more. So, I decided to do more. I be- came one of the leaders of Gen- der Equality Club and began to organize projects and events. I started the Appleton chapter of Days For Girls, an organiza- tion that crafts and distributes reusable pads and other hygiene products to women in parts of Africa and third world coun- tries around the world. My team raised money and are currently in the process of sewing these kits to the standards requested on the national organization’s website. During the same time as DFG was getting off its feet, I helped organize a march for International Women’s Day in Appleton. This brought to light a lot of feelings I hadn’t recog- nized before, pertaining to how I witness others reacting to injus- tice. So many people showed up to the event that I’d never seen or heard from before. Don’t get me wrong, plenty of activists from my community showed up, but so many people came who hadn’t been around for the election, or in the past years.

Standing on College Avenue with a sign clenched in my mitted hands, my face almost covered by my hat and scarf, while battling 30 mile per hour winds wasn’t very glamorous. It wasn’t what my mom expected me to be doing on a Wednes- day after school in the middle of March. But I wanted to be at the Women’s March, because just holding my beliefs wasn’t enough anymore. I knew that in order to initiate change, I had to take responsibility for a cause, and subsequently, take the re- quired steps to make that change a reality. So there I was, freez- ing, in the middle of Downtown Appleton, standing up for what I believed in. For the longest time, my idea of what it took to represent my opinions in a just light was very simple. If I spoke up in con- versations and posted articles online, that was enough, right? That’s what I was supposed to be doing. But, during my junior year, I did things that challenged my beliefs on what good activ- Change requires more than passive action By Sophie Plzak

Sophie Plzak accepts the Democratic Youth Leadership Award from the Bettin on Blue Bash, held by the Outagamie County Democratic Party, for her activism in the community. Photo by Kate Bennett

Erik Bakken Maddie Clark Sky Iwanski Sophie Plzak Ally Price Henry Ptacek Nora Ptacek Maeve Salm Maddy Schilling Jake Zajkowski

ismwas. The first time I brought my habits under scrutiny was when I sold Chex Mix during school lunches for Lovestruck Week. The Gender Equality Club had decided that in order to bring awareness to the wage gap and start a dialogue in school, they would sell the mixes for 75 cents to women, and a dollar to men. I ran the booth every day during 5th hour for that entire week, and held many interesting conversations with skeptics and allies alike. I managed to even sway a few students towards my

ultimate goal of accepting and understanding that the wage gap was not a myth. Through my conversations, and the aggres- siveness of how I was confront- ed with several differing views, I came to understand where the line between pseudo-activism and real activism lies. To really represent a cause, you must take action, real ac- tion. My habits of posting on social media and calling out some ignorant person in the middle of a class weren’t things that would make a difference.