NOCTILUCA March 2017

NEWS Appleton, Wisconsin March 2017 Volume XXII

Issue V Page 2

Fonkem, Future 15, from page 1

Congratulations for mak- ing it through the ACT and WorkKeys! These scores can be helpful in planning for the rest of the year and even past high school. But remember, they are just one aspect of the college admit- tance process, so don’t be too concerned about the score that you get. Consider taking the SAT later in the year now that you’ve been preparing for standardized tests for a while, since four free scores can be sent to colleges with each SAT or ACT retake. This is often the most cost-effective strategy if you aren’t planning to take tests too many times since you won’t need to pay to send your scores sepa- rately. Todorova, Immigration protests, from page 1 Lawrence University. In our student population, we as a community came together, have large talks, open conver- sation and was a bonding point for many of us.” Has it changed your per- spective on other social and political groups? “Not really, at least not from this. I’ve always had a fairly negative view on conserva- tives, this didn’t really change that. I feel like moderates need to step it up and make their perspectives on issues more clear, as it could highly influ- ence the state of our own poli- tics in this community and the countries, if they decide to fall on either side of the political spectrum.” What is the difference be- tween now and a year ago? “I’ve definitely seen a dif- ference, people are bring- ing activism up, people you wouldn’t expect to be politi- cally involved are coming to protests and getting involved.” Alejandra Alareon, Olivia Soule, Lawrence University: How has this affected you personally? “I was told I shouldn’t go home, as I was planning on visiting some family in Ecua- dor, and I shouldn’t because of Trump’s immigration ban.”

give up his own time to allow students to come in at lunch or after and before class.” The idea for the staff North Stars program was initially thought of by Mrs. Zitzels- berger, an art teacher at Ap- pleton North. She got the idea from Madison Middle School, which has a similar teacher recognition program. “North Stars helps staff mo- Price, North Stars, from page 1 ACA teacher Ms. Lucas has been an educator for the past five years. “It feels wonder- ful to be acknowledged as a Future ‘15er’ for my work in the community!” Lucas said. “I was recognized for starting the Fox Cities Edu- cators for the Arts collective which functions to provide art teachers...a platform to come together and discuss.” Be- ing an active member of the Fox Valley’s art scene has en- riched Lucas’ life, getting her involved in organizations like Make-A-Wish, WAEA, and NAEA. Pulse is an organization that promotes young entre- preneurs in the Fox Valley. Their vision is a diverse and innovated Fox Cities that is a

You’ve likely heard back from a few colleges so far, and may have even decided which college to attend. Even if not, now is the best time to apply for other scholarships, so make sure to pick up the updated scholarship list in the guidance of- fice. Taking time to apply now could save you time working for the same amount of money later, so it’s smart to seek out as much money for college now from both universi- ties and outside sources. If you have accepted or are about to accept a college’s offer, make sure to confirm housing and scholarship offers sooner rather than later. - Alareon “This hasn’t affected me personally, but I feel strongly about these issues, as the ban is unconstitutional, it’s just an excuse to ban Muslims, and countries that are considered to be dangerous. The whole idea that Islam is ‘awful’ is racist and horrible in and of itself”. - Soule What is your relationship to the community and has it changed? “I feel afraid, not safe any- more. It’s scary that people think that sexism, even rape is okay.” - Alareon I don’t feel like I face any threat, but as a woman I’m disgusted in people who think what the president is doing is okay, and I fear for other women and people of the LGBT community. - Soule What’s the difference be- tween now and a year ago? “I don’t think that hatred and bigotry is more preva- lent, I feel like it’s not be- come more accepted and it’s the “norm now” as seen by Trump’s statements. It gives racists a reason to feel justi- fied in their opinions.” - Soule Protesters in Houdini Plaza show opposition to Trump’s immigration signing. Photo by Salma Abdel-Azim

Henry Ptacek and Elyse Lucas are honored by Fox Cities’ Fu- ture 15 Award. Photo used with permission by Trove Photography

rale because they’re getting positive feedback from stu- dents about how they’re do- ing,” said Mr. Salm. “I hope all students think about who to nominate and get active in the program because it is nice for teachers to get positive feedback from students.” Both North Stars programs aim to get North students and faculty thinking about the North Nine as well as giving recognition to people who ex- emplify the traits. “It builds a nice climate in the building,” said Mr. Sug- rue. “The program gets peo- hub for young professionals to gather and settle down and the Future 15 award isn’t the only thing that Pulse does. Various programs such as Bazaar After Dark, a street market full of at- tractions along with food ven- dors and art; the Artery, which is the area’s first urban art market; and Fox Cities SOUP, a place where every person has a voice. The event boasts

ple thinking about positive characteristics that we want to build in one another, and I am looking forward to seeing other teachers recognized.” September: Acceptance October: Achievement November: Character December: Compassion grant proposals for projects in the area, and every attendee gives five dollars for a vote in which project will receive the grant money, along with a soup meal. Pulse is a creative organization striving to adapt Appleton and the surrounding areas into the modern times by offering innovate opportuni- ties to young people.

January: Excellence February: Integrity March: Perseverance April: Respect May: Responsibility

9 10 11 12 Spring is the perfect Focusing on college readiness and preparation during March By Erik Bakken

Soon, you will be taking the ACT Aspire, a test that can be very helpful for pre- dicting your future perfor- mance on the ACT, an im- portant college admittance factor. Although the scores you get on the test later this spring may not fully predict your ACT score, they can be helpful in pinpointing areas that you need to focus on, so take the test seriously even if it will not directly be used in your college applications. Also, make sure to keep involved and meeting your academic goals. Every year counts when applying to college, so work hard to be consistent with grades and clubs and it will pay off in the long run.

time to start decid- ing what clubs and activities you want to deepen your involve- ment with. Now that you’ve had more than a semester of high school, start to seek out opportunities within those activi- ties to improve both yourself and the group as a whole. And, you can start planning what you’d like to be involved with next school year. Con- sistent and focused involvement is a major asset for the college acceptance process, so make sure to start as soon as possible!

Each month, the Noctiluca will provide college advice for each grade level at Apple- ton North in the “Noctiluca University”. Advice will be specifically tailored to each month in order to provide the most timely help. Juniors and seniors: pick up a copy of college readiness timeline in the guidance office for more in-depth information regard- ing the college application process.