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 | Apr 19, 2019 | Athletics & Activities, News
If you were at the Prom pep rally last year, you may remember a group of band students who performed a show that primarily featured percussion students. That group was the FHS Indoor Percussion program.
Indoor Percussion is a performing ensemble made up of percussionists and those who wish to learn to play percussion instruments. They meet every Thursday night from 6-9, and memorize a show across the course of their season (usually from December until May).
There are 2 separate sections within Indoor Percussion that each collaborate with each other to get a great sound. The Drumline, or Battery percussion section, is usually the main visual focus. Drumline members march around in certain blocks and learn choreography to turn the show from a music performance to a show you can’t take your eyes off. The “Front Ensemble” percussionists, meanwhile, are the main melodic element of the show. This includes several mallet instrument players, as well as piano keyboards, a guitarist, and a bassist. Several percussionists also play extra percussion instruments that are not normally played while marching. The 2 sections work together throughout the season to combine the melodic forms with the driving rhythms to make a bombastic show.
I interviewed the Drumline section leader, Delaney Hayes, to get a little more information directly from the group’s leader.
Q: What is the show you are performing, and can you tell me a little about it?
A: “It’s called ‘I Can’t Change,’ and it’s arranged by Bryan Harmsen. It’s based off the Macklemore song ‘I Can’t Change,’ a song about the LGBTQ+ community. Our version is based around bullying in general and cyberbullying. The show is important because it addresses the problem with ever increasing bullying, which connects to the ideas given by Kevin Atlas in his speeches he gave to the whole school.”
Q: How is Indoor Percussion doing this year?
A: “Well, this year we performed at Solo and Ensemble for our second year. Last year, we were comment only. This year, I’m happy to say that we’re going to state.”
Q: When can people come see Indoor Percussion perform their show?
A: “I know for certain we are doing it at the spring band concert on May 14th.”
I personally play the marimba part for the ensemble. Come see us at our performance later this year!
by Saber Slate | Apr 8, 2019 | Athletics & Activities, News, Opinion & Reviews
This year the Franklin Energizers, FHS’ own show choir, entered its second year of competing around the midwest, with competitions ranging from a University setting to fellow high schools alike.
Their show this year, “Around the World,” included many different musical selections with a wide range of musical styles, from a bollywood number to pop smash hits to a traditional Irish ballad. The show began with the pentatonix cover of Who’s Gonna Save the World?, and went from there into Jai Ho, made famous from the movie Slumdog Millionaire and by the cover by the Pussycat Dolls. they then went into the girls’ number, The Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B, and then transitioned into the guys’ number, Land Down Under. The two groups then come together for Sway, a tango-tastic latin number. They then brought things to a more serious note with Red is the Rose, a traditional Irish Ballad. For the big finish, they brought the energy up to 11 with Waka Waka (This is Africa) by Shakira.
The Energizers went to three competitions, two of which they returned to from last year and one was a first for this year. I had the opportunity to speak with the two directors of the show choir, Ms. Schlecht and Mrs. Adams, to ask them for their thoughts on the competition process as a whole.
Ms. Schlecht, the vocal director of the show choir, told me her thoughts on this year’s performances and season overall.
What was the overall theme of this year’s show?
Our theme was “Around the World,” so it incorporated music from all different countries.
What were the competitions like?
Competitions were pretty intense. We did three competitions, one at Viterbo University in La Cross in January. The second one we did was at Naperville North High School, which was a very elite competition, we were up against some really tough groups for that one. The third and final competition was the Chicagoland Showcase in Arlington Heights, Illinois, and for that we were in a prep division. All three of them had some pretty intense glee-style competition.
What were the results of these competitions?
At Viterbo we got second place in our prep division, at Naperville we did not end up placing, and then at Chicagoland we got third place out of six teams.
How do you think the season went as a whole?
I think looking back from the end of July when we had our show choir camp to the final performance it’s a huge night and day difference between how much we’ve grown as we went through the season.
I also had the opportunity to speak to Mrs. Adams, the choreography director of the show choir, to ask for her thoughts on the season and what her thoughts are for next year.
What musical selections did you use for your “Around the World” theme?
We started with Who’s Gonna Save the World, and then we went through different genres and styles and countries around the world.
How do you think the season went?
I think it was a huge growth from where we started to the end of the season. Not only place-wise in competitions, but confidence levels for students in the group as well as overall how far we can go in the future.
What are the big plans for next year?
So some of that is undisclosed at this point, tryouts just took place over the past week, so we’re still looking at who’s going to be in the group, how many numbers that’s going to be, what the theme is going to be. It will be released at a soon date, but we’re working all of those details out.
From the work of Pentatonix to Shakira, this year’s show truly did take the audience on a trip “Around the World.”
Be sure to stick around with the Saber Slate to stay up to date on information on the FHS Energizers!
by Jessica Kelly | Apr 1, 2019 | Athletics & Activities, News
The Drowsy Chaperone is a parody of the American musical comedy of the 1920s. The story concerns a middle-aged, asocial musical theatre fan (Played by Josh Zielke); as he plays the record of his favorite musical, the 1928 hit The Drowsy Chaperone, the show comes to life onstage as he wryly comments on the music, story, and actors. The plot of the show-within-a-show centers on Janet Van De Graaff (Played by Emma Brockman), a showgirl who plans to give up her career in order to marry an oil tycoon, Robert Martin (Played by Calvin Carmony). However, Janet is the star of “Feldzieg’s Follies”, and a lot of money is riding on her name to sell the show; and Feldzieg, her producer (Played by Eric Ramos), is being threatened with bodily harm by two gangsters (Played by Charlie Jazwiecki and Brandon Balke) employed by his chief investor.
Add in a Latin lover (Played by Ian Frisch), stressed out best man (Played by Winston Krueger), and an aviatrix (Mara Pivas), and you have a recipe for complete pandemonium. The resulting mayhem includes mistaken identities, dream sequences, spit takes, a deus ex machina. It also features an unflappable English butler (Played by Bill Le), an absent-minded dowager (Played by Madeline Susedik), a ditzy chorine (Played by Maddie Schultz), and Janet’s “Drowsy” (i.e. “Tipsy”) Chaperone, played in the show-within-a-show by a blowzy Grande Dame of the Stage, specializing in “rousing anthems” (Played by Mary Ramsden).
For the very first time, you can see a preview of the show by signing up for Ms. Schlechts Goldblock Thursday, April 4th. Shows are This Friday and Saturday, April 5th and 6th, at 7:00 and Sunday at 2:00. Next weekend shows are Friday and Saturday, April 12th and 13th at 7:00. Come see the show! Make sure to buy tickets on the Franklin Saber Center webpage linked here. Ticket Prices are 10$ for adults, 8$ for students, and 6$ for seniors. Online ticket sales will terminate three hours before each performance. The Box Office will be open on evenings for pre-show ticket sales. The $1.00/ticket online service charge does not apply to Box Office walk-up ticket sales.
BOX OFFICE EVENING HOURS:
Mon. 04/01/19 – 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Tues. 04/02/19 – 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Weds. 04/03/19 – 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Thurs. 04/04/19 – 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Weds. 04/10/19 – 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Thurs. 04/11/19 – 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
The Box Office will also be open one hour prior to each performance for walk-up ticket sales.
by Saber Slate | Mar 31, 2019 | Community, News
The City of Franklin will soon be undergoing various changes in the near future, some of which are very controversial. City and state architects and planners have deemed it necessary to construct an additional interstate highway through the City of Franklin, dubbed the Franklin Megahighway. The planned highway will replace the antiquated Interstate 94. It will connect the cities of southeastern Wisconsin to Milwaukee and Chicago.
Due to the construction of this highway, the City of Franklin is required to demolish half of its neighborhoods and businesses to make way. This includes the development underway at the Rock ski slope, and the ski slope itself. City planners plan to demolish the site in order to make way for a major interchange. This is a necessary loss for the city, but will contribute majorly to the economy and future development around the new highway.
The proposed highway will have 12 lanes both sides with dedicated lanes for bus lines and carpools. Parts of the highway will be double-deckered as well: the first highway of its kind in Wisconsin. This will allow for better traffic flow and distribution along the highway, and allow motorists to reach their destinations faster and more efficiently around the state. With this fortunate new development soon to be underway, Franklin will see a new future. However, there have been protests of opposition by the organization People Opposing Odd Planning. There has been about $65,000 in damages to City of Franklin construction vehicles and concrete factories. Thus, groundbreaking of the Franklin Megahighway has been delayed to 2020.
Due to the construction of this new major highway, city planners and government officials have deemed it necessary for the City of Franklin to be annexed by Oak Creek, an effort for continued prosperity and happiness. Because of this, it will be easier for the city to support the new highway. It will also boost our economy. The school districts will also combine, making a total of two high schools and middle schools, and a lot of elementary schools.
The combining of our two great cities will make the expanded City of Oak Creek a major powerhouse of Wisconsin. It will even become the home to a new major sports team, according to the Journal Sentinel. The planned “Sports District” of Oak Creek will be built where Franklin High School currently is. It will contain a standard size football and baseball field, and a multi-use arena for basketball, indoor soccer, or hockey.
Final closure of Franklin High School will be in 2020. Remaining Franklin High School students will be redistributed to brand new high schools, Oak Creek East and Oak Creek West High Schools, which are to be constructed in the months before Franklin High School’s closure. OC East High School will be a renovated version of the existing Oak Creek High School. OC West will be constructed at the intersection of Drexel Avenue and Lover’s Lane Road. The already constructed Target and Pick n’ Save buildings will be repurposed as the high school, and surrounding businesses will be converted into administrative offices. The Franklin Sabers will effectively become a part of the Oak Creek East Knights and Oak Creek West Knights, respectively.
All in all, the future of Franklin is looking very bright. There will be lots of major changes happening and it all might be strange at first. However, this is a new beginning for our town. Plus, with becoming a part of Oak Creek, our economy will prosper, and our children will have an amazing new place to live, play, and learn.
Please note this article is part of Saber Slate’s Satire Week and is not meant to be taken seriously. If you are confused by this, we suggest you look up the definition of satire.
by Kush Bansal | Feb 16, 2019 | Community, History, News
Every February, we celebrate Black History Month. In this time period, we honor African American representatives, world leaders, and people who changed our society. Famous leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Harriet Tubman are all just a few out of the thousands of people we honor. To commemorate this time of celebration, FHS is hosting a Mini Juneteenth event on Monday, February 18th from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. This event will be full of different cultures, educational material, and lots of fun. See Mrs. DeClark if you have any questions. But now, I will talk about some of the figures and why they are honored.
Martin Luther King Jr. was a black activist whose work was to end racism and segregation in America. From the 1940s to the 1960s, many places such as schools, restaurants, and buses were segregated. King worked to lead peaceful protests against segregation, gathering worldwide media attention. His most famous work was his “I Have A Dream” speech, where he talked about what he wanted to see in America for the future. Unfortunately, he was assassinated on April 4th, 1968. However, his dream was accomplished today, as now we live in a society with less segregation built all on the ideas from Martin Luther King Jr.
Harriet Tubman was an African American abolitionist who worked through the underground railroad in order to free slaves. During the 1800s, when slavery started to slowly end with the Civil War, African Americans, former slaves, and those in the Union worked hard to free slaves. Harriet Tubman was a former slave who was freed, but she also aspired to free all of the slaves in the south. In the end, she freed over 300 slaves, which was monumental as it presented her as a historical figure who worked for the betterment of others.
The last figure we will mention here is Rosa Parks. She became known for not giving up her bus seat during the time of segregation. Back then, buses were split into 2 parts, one for the whites and one for the blacks. Even though Parks sat on the white side of the bus despite being black, she did not give up her seat to a white person. No matter what, she still said no. Parks’s recognition rose because at that time, she showed the world that even though black people were being oppressed, they still had equal and natural rights. Therefore, it would be only true to honor that by defending yourself.
This month, I want you to do some research on other historical figures to see their commitments to society. I also want you to recognize their importance to our history and to stand by in a future where we can all treat each other respectfully. Thank you for reading and have a great rest of your day.
