by Saber Slate | Sep 24, 2019 | Athletics & Activities, News, School
It’s Homecoming week Sabers! Gold Block Color Day has passed already, and we’ve already seen the beautiful colors of the rainbow throughout the school.
- Tuesday is Generations Day:
- Freshman dress up as Gen Z (aka wear modern day clothes)
- Sophomores dress up like Millennials, so be sure to pack your best avocado toast and overpriced Starbucks drinks.
- Juniors dress up as Gen X (which is 70’s and 80’s style clothes) so bring your zany clothes and your parents’ old mixtapes.
- Seniors dress up as Baby Boomers – borrow your grandparents’ old clothes, or wear something old from the thrift shop. Your favorite rocking chair is optional.
- Wednesday is Space/Alien Day, so bring your favorite items from Area 51.
- Thursday is Wisconsin Day; wear your best Wisconsin-related gear.
- Friday is Black and Gold Day, please wear your best Saber gear!
- The PowderPuff Championship will be played during the all-school assembly at 1:00 pm.
- The Homecoming Parade starts at 5:00 pm!
- Saturday is the date of the Homecoming dance, so buy your tickets fast!
This info comes from Mr. Hein’s Homecoming Week email 🙂
by Saber Slate | Sep 17, 2019 | Community, News, Opinion & Reviews
For the whole summer, the major Franklin intersection of Drexel Avenue and 51st Street has been under construction due to the creation of a new roundabout. I’m sure many were annoyed of the long detours they had to take, and the delays caused. But on August 30, the new roundabout officially opened, in time for the home football game against Appleton North.
I went in the roundabout for the first time that night while I was heading home after the marching band’s halftime show. For me, personally, it was really nice because I didn’t have to be stressed out about waiting until it’s whoever’s turn at a stop sign. They even had helpful little street signs pointing in the direction of whichever road you want to go to.
This isn’t Franklin’s first roundabout. The first one was built about 10 years ago during the construction of the Shoppes at Wyndham Village (think where Target is). That one only has 3 ways, primarily to get into the parking lot of the shopping center. It isn’t a major intersection either. There’s a larger roundabout a bit further away in Hales Corners, at the busy intersection of Forest Home and Janesville Road. It has two lanes and was completed last summer.
The city of Franklin decided to change the four-way stop into a one lane roundabout because of large backups each morning and evening, and a roundabout was thought of as the best solution to that problem. However, some controversy was created because many adults and new drivers are not familiar with the concept of a four-way roundabout and how it works. Whether you like it or not, the roundabout is here to stay, and it’s important to know the long-term benefits of one and how it works, instead of being frustrated every time you need to pass through it.
According to the Washington State Department of Transportation, roundabouts help to reduce the likelihood and severity of collisions. This is because of the low travel speeds required, where drivers must slow down and yield to traffic before entering a roundabout. This creates a continuous and circular flow of traffic where neither side is required to stop completely, as opposed to traffic lights where backups will still be created. Since there is less stop and go, traffic will move more quickly overall, and reduce delays. Also, the one-way travel required in a roundabout helps eliminate the possibility for t-bone and head-on collisions.
Roundabouts being “safer” does not mean accident-free and there are many ways accidents can occur within roundabouts. Additionally, there will always be “that guy” on the road who doesn’t know or refuses to learn the proper way around roundabouts. As long as you’re focused while driving, which you always should be, roundabouts should be a piece of cake, and it is much better than sitting and waiting at the backed up stop sign for what feels like an eternity. Regardless if you hate it or love it, roundabouts are a big part of modern driving and we might as well learn the right way to use them.
Resources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roundabout
https://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Safety/roundabouts/benefits.htm
http://blog.aisinsurance.com/2015/02/02/benefits-of-roundabouts/
by Saber Slate | May 29, 2019 | Advice
My graduation is quickly approaching, which means I’m almost done with high school! However, there are some realizations I had over the year that I wish I had known to start the year off. Hopefully, juniors who read this article can go into their senior year more prepared for their futures.
It is extremely important to get college applications out early. For me, my parents heavily encouraged me to apply early on. After I sent in all my applications, I was offered a large scholarship from one of the schools I applied to. I also started to receive information from the schools on housing and the campus experience.
Look at what you can get out of AP tests before signing up for AP tests. If you look at what colleges give you for certain scores on AP tests, you might realize that you don’t need to credit from the class. Some colleges don’t accept scores for both AP Literature and AP Language. Sometimes, for your major, you might be required to take classes in the area anyways. Or, if you’re not wanting to take an AP test, you might look at what you need for your major and realize passing the test would mean barely having to take any classes in the subject. All these ideas can factor into what tests you sign up for.
Constantly keep checking the scholarship hot sheet put out by the counselors. Scholarships are always being added to the page, and there is always a lot of scholarship money available for students.
Think about what you want to do with your future ahead of time. If you are going to college, think about what you want to do after college, or if you can start off the career you want to go into before leaving college. It’s very comforting to know that you won’t be in the wild, being both out of school and jobless.
Lastly, don’t stress too much about your senior year. Soon, you’re going to be out of high school and into college. After that, your high school grades will have little to no impact on your life. Enjoy the rest of your life in high school! Have fun with friends you might not see next year. Find fun in your classes. Maybe try (legal, non-rule breaking) things that you were too shy to try in previous years. Seize the day!
Overall, keep yourself prepared for what comes next. If you prepare as early as possible, your senior year will become much less stressful and you can spend your last year at Franklin High School enjoying every moment. Because, as the saying goes, every moment matters.
by Saber Slate | May 20, 2019 | Athletics & Activities, News, School
A huge spring sport that takes place here at Franklin High School is Girls’ Soccer. Recently, I got the chance to connect with one of the captains of our soccer team through email, Morgan Peters. I had a few questions for her about the soccer team and what the highlights of their season so far. Here are her responses!
Q:What have been some of the highlights of the soccer season so far?
Morgan: The girls’ soccer team is off to their best start in program history. A little over a month into the season, the girls’ soccer team has a record of 12-1-1 and are ranked #9 in the state for the first time ever. They have had 2 big wins against Kenosha Tremper and Bradford this season. The team is in the driver’s seat to win their first-ever conference championship.
Q: What are some things that you enjoy about soccer?
Morgan: I enjoy playing soccer because it is great to be a part of a team. Everyone is so close and you meet people you probably would never have talked to before. It is a lot of fun and you feel a great sense of unity.
Q:What position do you play?
Morgan: I play outside mid.
Q: Why do you play soccer?
Morgan: I play soccer because I love the sport. I have been playing soccer since I was 5 years old and it has always brought so much joy into my life. With playing in high school, you also get to play with people who are different ages. It is a great way to bring people together and I have really enjoyed it.
Thank you to Morgan Peters for the interview, and another special thanks to Megan Lacina for connecting me with her, much appreciated. Please come out and support the girls in their last regular season home game and senior night on Tuesday, May 21st. The team hopes to finish undefeated in conference and move up in the state rankings.
by Saber Slate | May 13, 2019 | Athletics & Activities
You’ve seen the Saber Slate website and read the articles already. But do you want to find out more about the club? Or what actually happens during the meetings? Or how you can join next year?
Join us at our informational meeting on Monday, May 20th after school in Mr. Nettesheim’s room (C302). The meeting is open to all FHS students, writers, photographers, and artists. Come find out what happens behind the scenes and talk to the members of the club!
Have any questions, comments, or concerns? Contact the Saber Slate (fhsnewspaper62@gmail.com) or the editors Mary Ramsden and Amenah Syed.
