News & Events

Thanks in great part to the generosity of many members of the Whitewater community, twenty-one student members of Ferradermis, along with nine of their mentors, were able to travel to Houston, Texas from April 16 – 21 for the FIRST Robotics Championships. The championships, held at the George R. Brown Convention Center, featured over 600 FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) Teams as well as FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) and FIRST LEGO League (FLL) Teams from all over the world. Over 50,000 people attended the event.

Ferradermis had qualified for the championships by winning the Impact Award in Duluth in early March. In Houston, senior Cosette Wildermuth-Breitzman, junior Maddi LaHaie, and sophomore Belle Cohen were again able to present to a panel of judges on behalf of the team to make their case that Ferradermis has made a lasting impact on their community and state in terms of developing respect and passion for science and technology. These three also served as official ambassadors throughout the week, providing tours to VIPs. (Maddi even gave a tour to representatives of the CIA!) Team 2486, CocoNuts, from Flagstaff, Ariz., won the FIRST Impact Award at Champs.

FRC teams that qualify for Champs are somewhat randomly divided into eight fields, each named for a famous scientist. Each field determines a winning alliance, and then those eight winners face off on the Einstein field to determine the World Champion. The Drive Team of junior Andrew O’Toole, senior Kay Mikos, sophomore Erison Dreksler, and sophomore Nina Heim led the Ferradermis robot on to the Hopper field, named for computer science pioneer Grace Hopper, to compete with and against 75 teams from 28 US states and 7 other countries including Canada, Israel, the Netherlands, Mexico, Turkey, China, and Australia. The eight fields are laid out end-to-end and stretch over 1/4 mile.

The Ferradermis robot, Chief Lee the Tangerine, came out strong, winning its first three matches, before experiencing some interesting issues. In one match, the 3D printed wheels on the shooting mechanism literally exploded on the field after a collision with the wall. In another match, a hard collision with a group of other robots resulted in a loose electrical connection that left Chief chugging across the field for the rest of the match. Ferradermis concluded the qualification matches with a record of 4-6, and did not make it into the elimination round. Overall on the season, Ferradermis played 50 matches, going 23-27. Statistically, Ferradermis ends the year ranked in the top 26% of teams in the world.

The World Championship Winning Alliance consisted of Team 1690, Orbit, from Binyamina, Israel, Team 4522, Team SCREAM, from Sedalia, Mo., Team 9432, Team 8-Bit, from Phoenix, Ariz., and Team 321, RoboLancers, from Philadelphia, Pa.

Wisconsin was represented in Texas by 9 FRC teams – Ferradermis, the Mukwonago Bears, MORE Robotics from St. Thomas More High School, the Hilltoppers from Marquette University High School, Round Table Robotics from Oak Creek, Nicolet FEAR, The Knack from Lake Country School in Hartland, Wave from Oshkosh, and TC Robotics, a community team from Arcadia. None of the Wisconsin teams made it onto Einstein. Ferradermis is thankful for the camaraderie and gracious professionalism of all of these teams for their support before, during, and after Champs. The team would like to give a special shout-out to Mukwonago for allowing us to make multiple trips to their full practice field this season and to Round Table and their sponsor Aim Transport for coordinating transportation of our robot and pit materials to Houston and back. We are also thankful to the programming team from the Muskego WarriorBots for spending a day with our programmers in our workspace before we left for Houston.

Ferradermis was also able to connect with several of our old mentors at the event. We were excited to be playing on the same field as BREAD, a highly successful team from Redwood City, California, now mentored by former Whitewater Generac engineer and Ferradermis Head Coach Carissa Petzinger. Former Ferradermis Head Coach Dilpreet Randhawa was in attendance with the RoboJackets, his new team from Auburn Hills, Michigan. Former Ferradermis Mentor Payton Jackson was there as well with his new team the Robonauts; the Robonauts are supported by NASA, which is where Payton is working in Houston. Ferradermis members were enthralled by the Robonauts’ workspace, which they were able to visit as part of an open house.

In between matches, students had the opportunity to participate in a variety of workshops as well as visit the Innovation Fair and Scholarship Row. In addition to working hard at the event for four straight days, Ferradermis members found time to visit Space Center Houston on the day they arrived and the Gulf of Mexico in Galveston on the day they headed home.

Ferradermis will be open to new members beginning this summer. If you’ve ever wanted to see the robot in action, you can catch it at several off-season events this summer in Mukwonago, Kettle Moraine, Rockford, and potentially Eau Claire. You can also see demonstrations of the robot this Saturday at the International Children’s Day event, next Saturday at the Whitewater Storytelling Festival, and May 18 at the STEAM Faire at Whitewater High School.

Article and Photos Submitted by Laura Masbruch
Whitewater High School Robotics Advisor
lmasbruch@wwusd.org

Editor’s note: The following press release was provided by Scott Johnson. The image on the homepage is from Johnson’s Assembly website.

Statement from Scott Johnson, Candidate for the 43rd State Assembly District
Janesville WI

Representative Scott Johnson, Republican, announced he is running for the 43rd Wisconsin State Assembly District. This is an open district resulting from the 2024 redistricting that was recently signed into law by Governor Evers. Scott is currently the State Representative of the 33rd district which includes the north and east side of Janesville, the cities of Milton, Fort Atkinson and Jefferson. The new 43rd district includes the Milton area that Scott currently represents and now includes Edgerton, Whitewater, and a larger portion of the north and east side of Janesville.

For Scott this is a homecoming as he graduated from Milton High School and grew up on the family farm just a few miles east of Janesville in the new 43rd. As a lifelong farmer, Scott approaches his legislative role with practicality, logic, and common sense. Scott also served for 15 years on the Fort Atkinson School Board. While on the board, Scott led the community to adopt renewable geo-thermal and solar electric investments to reduce costs to heat and cool the school buildings.

The new 43rd will represent communities for Scott that resemble the past 33rd , representing a rural culture with strong community values. The match of the needs and desires of the citizens of the 43rd will make it a natural transition for Scott. He looks forward to continuing to fight for the people of the 43rd on issues that are important to them.

In his first term, Scott was, and will continue to, focus on issues related to education, roads, rural and agricultural economies, veterans, wetlands, human trafficking and a special interest in school bus safety.

“I am excited to meet you and learn more about your concerns, representing the 43rd district on those issues and more in Madison,” Johnson said.

It’s time once again for #FlashbackFriday with the Whitewater Historical Society. This week’s photo shows the stone stable, currently located next to the historical society’s depot museum on Whitewater Street. This photo was taken of the building in a former location. It ended up behind the First English Lutheran Church and was moved in 2007 to its current location in celebration of Whitewater’s Homecoming festival.

The building was constructed around 1845 and while originally thought to be a pioneer era wagon shop, it was most likely the first location of George Dann’s cooperage (barrel-making shop). Dann moved to a more expansive building after a couple of years and ran a successful barrel factory in the later nineteenth century. The stone stable gets its name from its use as a horse barn during much of its life in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Join us again next week for more from the Whitewater Historical Society.

(5457P, Whitewater Historical Society)

Embark on a journey of individual, unfiltered beauty and consent at Roberta’s Art Gallery with “The Garden of 1000 Faces: Behind the Garden Wall,” by Madison-based viral art influencer GG, otherwise known as Green Goodies. This exhibit, showcasing the importance of acceptance and inclusivity, focuses on the significance of consent and learning. GG’s work will be on display beginning April 3 and will exhibit through May 7. 

“The Garden of 1000 Faces: Behind the Garden Wall” is an interactive celebration of self-love and individual uniqueness. “This exhibit highlights the importance of conversations regarding consent and recognizing yourself in others through an original, unedited point of view,” says GG. This exhibit will feature just over one hundred acrylic portraits of those who allowed GG to paint them. In addition to the paintings, the exhibit will also feature a two-hour digital live stream projection in the gallery, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, of GG sketching Warhawk students, faculty, and staff who submit an unfiltered, raw photo of themselves. This live stream will spotlight independent music written and submitted by talented Warhawks to accompany GG’s drawing. “The Garden of 1000 Faces unlocks a deeper awareness of our role in shaping a sustainable, interconnected world — a harmonious symphony of positive change resonating through our actions, creating a lasting impact on the planet and each other,” says GG. 

GG, also recognized by her business name, Green Goodies, is a self-taught artist who became a professionally trained educator upon receiving a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point. GG is based in Madison, Wis., where she live streams sketching and painting sessions for her social media followers. The Wisconsin Art Board recognized GG as one of the 50 Artists for 50 Years. This great achievement highlights 50 prominent artists in the state of Wisconsin and displays their work for website viewers. This will be GG’s first solo exhibition.  

Roberta’s Art Gallery is located on the first floor of the James R. Connor University Center at 190 Hamilton Green Way, Whitewater, Wis. The gallery collaborates with campus departments, student organizations, and community artists in coordinating and sponsoring exhibits. Roberta’s Art Gallery is open 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Thursday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday. Roberta’s Art Gallery is closed on Saturday and Sunday.

At Roberta’s Art Gallery, we pride ourselves in providing free and open exhibits to the public, and attending certain events can earn students class credit. If you are interested in being featured in the gallery, please contact us for a proposal request. Reach us at ucart@uww.edu or 262-472-3193. Visit our website for any questions or inquiries, and follow our Instagram @uww_rag. For anyone interested in learning more about GG and her artwork, her Instagram account handle is @GreenGoodiesGives, and her website is greengoodies.art.

Editor’s note: This press release was received from Roberta’s Art Gallery. Our apologies for the delay in posting it.

Editor’s note: The following press release was provided by Brienne Brown.

Experienced Community Leader and Small Business Owner, Brienne Brown, Announces Candidacy for State Assembly in District 43

Brienne Brown, a respected community leader, small business owner, and advocate for positive change, officially announces her candidacy for State Assembly District 43 in the November 5, 2024 election.

 “I am excited to announce my candidacy for State Assembly District 43 and to continue my commitment to serve the people of Wisconsin,” said Brown.

Brown, who has lived in Whitewater for 12 years, is a familiar face to many Whitewater residents, who describe her as “hardworking,” “compassionate,” and “dedicated to improving our community.” 

Brown has been elected to three terms on the Whitewater Common Council, served on the Whitewater Library Board for 11 years, and was instrumental on the board of the non-profit Downtown Whitewater, which worked to create the vibrant Tuesday night farmers market, Whitewater City Market. She was also Program Director for the Whitewater Community Foundation, and helped to expand their operations to offer highly impactful Community Action Grants.

In her time serving on Whitewater Common Council, Brown championed the establishment of the professional EMS Department for the municipality, replacing the all-volunteer Fire Department. She also voted to build the Cravath Lakefront Park Amphitheater, and continues to fight for shared-revenue funding from the state legislature.

The new Assembly District 43 includes Whitewater, Milton, Edgerton, Fulton, Harmony, Johnstown, Lima, Richmond, and Cold Spring. 

Brown looks forward to getting to know the citizens of the new 43rd district through a series of listening sessions. “I want to represent all the citizens of the 43rd, both rural and urban, regardless of political affiliation. When we respect each other and work together, we can create positive change and make Assembly District 43 a better place to live, work, and raise a family.”

For more information about Brienne Brown, visit BrienneForWisconsin.com or write to info@BrienneForWisconsin.com

Thousands of dedicated middle and high school student musicians from across the state are preparing for the Wisconsin School Music Association (WSMA) State Solo & Ensemble Festivals. UW-Whitewater will host this event on Saturday, April 27 from 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. It will be open to the public and free of charge. 

“The WSMA State Music Festival is an enriching experience for all participants, both performers and their supporters,” said Matt Onstad, Festival Manager for UW-Whitewater. “It is also an opportunity for our music program to showcase our facilities and emphasize how much we value and support the efforts of our school music colleagues, their students and their families.” 

Students must earn a “starred first” rating in Class A (which consists of the most difficult music) at a WSMA District Music Festival to qualify for WSMA State Music Festivals. The participants, in grades 6-12, can choose from a variety of instrumental and vocal solo and ensemble categories for their performances in district festivals throughout the state. Over the past six months, WSMA has held over 140 such events, involving more participants than any other student activity.

“WSMA State Solo & Ensemble Festivals provide youth musicians a state-level platform to showcase their growth and achievements. This opportunity is possible because of our state’s exceptional music educators, adjudicators, families and communities who support access to a well-rounded education inclusive of music,” said WSMA Executive Director Laurie Fellenz.

Nine other university campuses will host performances by more than 11,000 students, making this event one of the largest of its kind in the nation. UW-Milwaukee, UW-Oshkosh, UW-Parkside and UW-Platteville will hold festivals on April 27 also. Carroll University, UW-Eau Claire, UW-Green Bay, UW-La Crosse and UW-Stevens Point festivals will be held on May 4. 

Learn more about WSMA State Music Festivals and other programs by visiting wsmamusic.org. Festival information, including schedules and results, will be posted here.

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Founded in 1932, Wisconsin School Music Association (WSMA) is a non-profit service organization with more than 1,000 member public and private schools. Students from member schools are eligible to participate in WSMA programs, such as District and State Music Festivals, Concert Festivals, State Honors Music Project, State Marching Band Championships, Student Composition Project and WSMA Aca U. WSMA is governed by a board of directors made up of superintendents, principals and other officers from all over the state. WSMA believes music is a basic human need and that all children have the right to experience all that music offers them.

Editor’s note: The above press release was provided by UW-Whitewater.

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