News & Events

The Dementia Friendly Community Initiative, Walworth County along with Emagine Theater, Lake Geneva is excited to introduce, the first in Wisconsin, an exciting new program for those in early stages of dementia and Alzheimer’s.  It is called “No Hush Movies.”  They will be presented at the Emagine Theater in Lake Geneva.  The first movie will be EASTER PARADE, March 13^th, and thereafter on the 2^nd Wednesday of each month.  The doors will open at 1:30 p.m., with a start time of 2:00 p.m.  The next movie will be  “Some Like It Hot,” April 10^th, “The Blues Brothers,” May 8^th and so on.  The Dementia Friendly Movies aim to provide a safe and enjoyable cinematic experience for individuals living with dementia and their caregivers.  The auditorium lights are set higher, the sound levels are set lower, and the room temperature is comfortable. *What are “No Hush Movies”?  You are encouraged to participate if you like.  Sing along, get up and dance, talk, (NO HUSH or SHHHHH!)

The cost is only $5 each and there will also be a refreshment special available for $5.  You are welcome to invite friends and family and all will enjoy the special low prices.  You can purchase tickets in person or online at: https://www.emagine-entertainment.com/theatres/emagine-geneva-lakes/  under “SPECIAL EVENTS.”  All seating is on a “first come, first serve” basis. 

Editor’s note: The above press release was received from The Dementia Friendly Community Initiative. The Banner appreciates having permission to use the image on the homepage by Jan Alexander from Pixabay.

Winther Hall

Chancellor Corey A. King, Governor Tony Evers, and Greater Whitewater Committee President Jeffery Knight at the signing celebration on March 6 for the bill that will fund Winther and Heide Hall renovations

Editor’s note: The following press release was received from UW-Whitewater.

Wisconsin’s future educators will have a significantly upgraded home in which to earn their teaching licenses thanks to an upcoming renovation project at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

Nearly $78.5 million is designated for the project as part of a capital budget bill, Senate Bill 895, approved by the state legislature on Feb. 22 and signed into law by Governor Tony Evers on March 6.

The project will transform two 1960s-era buildings on the southeast side of campus.

The bulk of the funding will go toward a complete renovation of Winther Hall, home to the College of Education and Professional Studies. The renovations are sweeping and game-changing for the university’s acclaimed education program, and will resolve space and building infrastructure deficiencies, improve instructional and departmental spaces, and increase technology capabilities. 

“With these capital improvements, UW-Whitewater can meet an increasingly critical workforce need,” said Chancellor Corey A. King. “There is a nationwide shortage of professional educators and teachers, especially in rural areas. UW-Whitewater proudly licenses more teachers than any other university or college in Wisconsin. This project gives us room to grow. It is an investment in Wisconsin’s future. We thank our government leaders for their overwhelming support of the project, as well as the students, faculty, staff, alumni and community stakeholders whose advocacy helped move it forward.”

In an August 2023 report, the Wisconsin Policy Forum reported the number of teachers working on a license with stipulations, or an emergency license, was 3,197 in 2021-22. That number, which represents individuals teaching in classrooms without being fully prepared or fully licensed to teach in the areas they were hired to teach in Wisconsin, has tripled since 2012-13.

“New graduates are needed in every education field,” said John Chenoweth, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs. “UW-Whitewater prepares students for a full breadth of careers in preschool through postsecondary education fields. This includes not only pre-kindergarten through grade-12 teachers, but also pupil services such as school counseling, psychology and social work as well as school and district administrators, higher education professionals and early childhood leaders.

“The vast majority of our alumni — 84 percent — stay and teach in Wisconsin Schools, meaning UW-Whitewater is uniquely positioned to change the trajectory of the state’s teacher shortage.”

Built in 1969, Winther Hall will experience the most dramatic transformation. Specifically, the project replaces the roof, elevators and more than 200 windows. New exterior windows will be selectively installed to introduce natural daylight into areas of the building not previously used for instruction or where daylighting standards are not currently met. It reimagines the existing footprint of the building to expand classrooms, instructional and computing laboratories, shared clinical space, and an advising center. Classrooms, lecture halls, and instructional laboratories will be reconfigured and expanded to accommodate modern instructional technology and flexible furnishings. HVAC, mechanical, electrical/telecommunications, and plumbing distribution networks will be replaced and reconfigured as necessary to accommodate the new floor plan layouts. 

Neighboring Heide Hall was built in 1965. This aspect of the project includes new elevators, a new roof, and new windows and doors.

A small addition will be constructed onto both Heide Hall and Winther Hall for accessible restrooms, in keeping with UW-Whitewater’s priority mission to provide exceptional services for students with disabilities.

Architects started preliminary design in January, 2024. Construction is expected to start in late 2025 on Heide Hall first before switching over to Winther Hall. Construction is estimated to be complete in late 2028 for both buildings.

UW-Whitewater’s teacher preparation programs go back more than 155 years, when the campus was initially founded as Whitewater Normal School, which trained teachers for one-room school houses. The College of Education and Professional Studies now graduates about 800 people each year.

Please join us in congratulating the WHS Math Team, who on March 6th scored higher than nine other high school teams to win the Rock Valley Conference Math Meet Championship!

Andrew O’Toole, Lauren Rollette, and Alex Clarksen were all recognized for high individual point totals, with Andrew tying for 1st place individual score in the Conference. The team totals were close, but thanks to the points earned by them and their teammates Emmanuella Mbifi, Nola Coburn, Luc Pomazak, Emerson Ellenwood, and Dante Baker, the championship trophy is back at WHS where it belongs.

The team offers its own thanks for the outstanding math faculty at WHS who nurtured their problem-solving skills and math knowledge.

We’re proud of you, Math Team! Well done!

Article and Photo Submitted by Eric Kendall
Whitewater High School Math Team Advisor
ekendall@wwusd.org

The Whitewater Arts Alliance (WAA) is thrilled to announce its upcoming Month-Long Rummage and Art Sale, offering opportunities throughout March for community members to unearth hidden gems and support the mission of the WAA. Gallery hours are Thursday through Sunday from noon to 4 p.m.

Additionally, on March 21, from 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., art enthusiasts and bargain hunters are invited to join The Whitewater Arts Alliance for a special day of treasure hunting and fun events that will include a silent auction, bucket raffle drawing, and a 50-50 drawing as part of the Art Sale–all to benefit the WAA fundraising goals. Come hunt for bargains in art from local artists and
discover wonderful “treasures” from our storage.

Located at the Cultural Arts Center, 402 West Main St in Whitewater, the sale will showcase a diverse array of items from our storage and art pieces generously donated by Whitewater Arts Alliance artists. Attendees will have the opportunity to purchase some beautiful art pieces or make bids on or silent auction items while supporting the Alliance’s mission to promote artistic
expression and engagement within the community.

Kim Adams, Gallery Director for Whitewater Arts Alliance, expresses optimism for the event’s dual role as a fundraiser and community celebration. “We are hopeful that our Rummage and Art Sale will not only provide art enthusiasts with fantastic bargains but also serve as a significant fundraiser for the Whitewater Arts Alliance,” says Adams. “Every purchase made at the
sale directly contributes to our efforts to enrich our community through the arts.”

Adams extends an invitation to all art enthusiasts and community members to join in celebrating the arts and fostering connections within the vibrant Whitewater community. “We invite everyone to come out, explore the incredible talent of our local artists, and join us in supporting the arts,”

Don’t miss this chance to discover exceptional artwork, find unique treasures, and contribute to a worthy cause.

For more information, please contact:
Kim Adams
Gallery Director, Whitewater Arts Alliance
Phone: 608-201-2151
Email: wwartsalliance@gmail.com
Website: www.whitewaterarts.org
Facebook:
www.facebook.comwwartsalliance
“Celebrating the arts and creating
community!

The Department of Art and Design in the College of Arts and Communication at the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater selected Melanie Tallmadge Sainz (Ho-Chunk) as the 2024 Schuh Visiting Artist. Sainz is an artist, curator, and cultural arts educator, as well as the founder and executive director of the Little Eagle Arts Foundation (LEAF) in Wisconsin Dells, where she was raised. In her art practice, she works with various natural materials of the Great Lakes area, which she forages and processes herself. Sainz has exhibited her work at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian in Washington DC, the Heard Museum in Phoenix, AZ and the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indian and Western Art in Indianapolis, IN.

The exhibition at the Crossman Gallery, titled “Boundaries vs. Connections,” will explore the colonialist notion of land and maps that control and define people’s relationship with land through hard lines and divisions, in contrast to the Indigenous relationship to the land and its inhabitants characterized by connections and stewardship. Featuring a variety of arranged temporary installations juxtaposed with diverse cultural objects that reflect an objection to planned obsolescence, the exhibition will also include new work created by Sainz along with pieces made by UW-Whitewater Art and Design students in a studio workshop led by Sainz and Professor Teresa Faris. The exhibition will be on view in the Crossman Gallery from February 22 – March 21.

The Greenhill Center of the Arts atrium and the Crossman Gallery are located at 950 W. Main St., Whitewater, WI 53190. The Crossman Gallery is always free and all are welcome. Gallery hours during scheduled exhibitions are Monday – Thursday 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. There is a fee for parking on the campus between Sunday at 11 p.m. and 5 p.m. Friday. Information is available here.

The Whitewater High School FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) Team #6574 Ferradermis traveled to Duluth for the Northern Lights Regional from February 28 – March 3, and came home as the Impact Award Winners, and as a result, qualified for FIRST Championships in Houston, Texas in April! The regional hosted 55 FRC teams from five states: Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, and Iowa. There are four championship qualifying spots from each regional – the captain of the winning playoff alliance, their first pick in alliance selections, the Impact Award winner, and the Engineering Inspiration Award winner.

The Impact Award, as stated by FIRST, is “the most prestigious award in FIRST Robotics. It honors the team that best represents a model for other teams to emulate and best embodies the mission of FIRST. It was created to keep the central focus of FIRST Robotics Competition on the ultimate goal of transforming the culture in ways that will inspire greater levels of respect and honor for science and technology, as well as encouraging more of today’s youth to become science and technology leaders.”

The Impact Award is highly competitive and highly valued in the FIRST community. The submission requires that students respond to 13 questions in an executive summary, write a 10,000-character essay, produce a 3-minute video, prepare a 7-minute presentation, ready themselves for a Q & A session with the judges, and provide detailed documentation for everything that they write or speak about. The content may only reference activities from the team’s last three years.

The student Impact Team of Cosette Wildermuth-Breitzman, Maddison LaHaie, and Belle Cohen dressed as tour guides and wowed the judges with their presentation which took them on a “tour” of the impact made by Ferradermis within the team membership, school, community, and state. Items the students highlighted included multiple demonstrations for younger students in the community, a day where the team helped local Girl Scouts earn their robotics badges, presentations given at state and regional conferences, and advocating for FIRST at the State Capitol.

When Ferradermis travels to an overnight event, the team always attempts to include an educational opportunity on its day one agenda. This year, the team was able to spend a couple of hours at the Great Lakes Aquarium before the pit setup crew had to go to work. At least one meal is set aside as a team meal, and in Duluth the tradition is to go to Sammy’s Pizza. Ferradermis has also started a tradition for the Saturday evening after the Duluth event ends – bowling and pizza at Superior Lanes.

The 2024 Ferradermis robot, named Chief Lee the Tangerine because of its many orange components, took the field in practice matches on Thursday, qualification matches on Friday and Saturday, and eventually as part of the #1 seeded alliance for the playoffs on Saturday afternoon. The drive team consisting of Driver Andrew O’Toole, Operator Kay Mikos, Human Player Erison Dreksler, and Technician Nina Heim led the team onto the field under the direction of Drive Coach Jacob Lee.

At a regional, each team is assigned a 10’ x 10’ x 10’ space to work on their robot, known as their pit. Safety Captain Elora Wildermuth-Breitzman kept the pit clean and safe while representing the team in a daily meeting and even taking a volunteer shift stopping pedestrian traffic on the robot travel path to the field. The Safety Team was honored to receive the Safety FIRST award given by another local team, Nicolet FEAR. Programming Subteam Lead Ace Hudec spent nearly the entire event in the pit enhancing the robot’s functionality in between matches by making changes to the code.

Gathering detailed scouting data is a huge part of developing match strategy and planning for playoff alliance selections. Ferradermis Game Strategy Subteam Lead Emerson Dunham worked in advance of the competition to organize a scouting alliance with MORE Robotics from St. Thomas More High School, CORE Robotics from the combined Waukesha high schools, and the Mechanical Mustaches from Chicago. Each team provided two scouts at a time for hour-long rotations, working under the supervision of Ferradermis Head Scouts Zoe Olson and Andrew Zimmermann. The students were each assigned a particular robot to watch in each match and used a system of Android tablets to record their data which then synced to a master tablet. The data was then analyzed through WarriorWatch, a system of spreadsheets developed by the WarriorBots from Muskego, a regular scouting partner for Ferradermis when the teams are at the same event. Students taking scouting shifts in the stands and sometimes rotating into the pit to work on the robot included Cyrus Hudec, Preston Miller, Carson Miller, Toby Kapfer, and Rae Breisath.

Students also worked to document every move the Ferradermis robot made on the field. Margaret Brown filmed each match and then quickly moved to meet the drive team back in the pit so they could analyze the footage. Meg Roselle used the team’s media badge to go with the drive team to matches to capture field-side photos and video that could be used in her social media posts on behalf of the team.

Chief Lee the Tangerine was expected to perform well on the field, and by the end of the competition, it was doing everything it could to contribute points to its three-robot alliances. However, due to poor overall performances by our randomly assigned alliances in the qualification round, combined with a qualification match schedule that was ranked the second most difficult at the event, Ferradermis found itself at the bottom of the rankings when qualifications ended. However, highlighting the importance of good scouting data, MORE Robotics was able to look beyond the rankings and appreciate the quality of the Ferradermis robot and drive team. As the #1 ranked team at the event, MORE selected Ferradermis to join them on their alliance for the playoffs. After winning their first two playoff matches, the alliance was eliminated by the eventual champion when the other two robots on the alliance, MORE and Sabre Robotics from Minnesota, experienced mechanical and electrical issues on the field. The Ferradermis alliance officially finished in third place.

The two 2024 Dean’s List nominees for Ferradermis are interviewed at one regional event of their choice to try to become Dean’s List Finalists. Dean’s List is the only individual award in FIRST and is intended to recognize the leadership and dedication of the most outstanding secondary school students from FIRST. Ferradermis was proud to submit Erison Dreksler, Electro-Mechanical Subteam Lead, and Andrew O’Toole, Technical Team Captain, as its nominees this year. The pair opted to complete their interviews in Duluth.

Thank you to the families, community members, and members of the Whitewater Fire Department who came out to welcome the team home on Sunday, March 3! The team spliced together video footage from the awards ceremony as well as photos from the welcome home celebration. Thank you also to Whitewater Girl Scout Troop #7639 for the two cases of celebratory Girl Scout cookies; we truly enjoyed helping you earn your robotics badges!

Ferradermis will compete in two additional regional events before heading for Houston. We invite community members to join us in Milwaukee at UWM Panther Arena for the Wisconsin Regional on Saturday and Sunday, March 16 and 17. The event is free and open to the public. The team will also be in Chicago for the Midwest Regional over Spring Break. Ferradermis is truly excited for that opportunity as the event is hosting teams from six countries and ten states including Hawaii, Florida, California, and New York!

Although the team may not compete for the Impact Award at the next two regionals, our Impact Team will work with other teams to help them prepare during the Impact Exchange held at each regional, and they will continue to plan for their presentation and judge Q & A in Houston. The robot will continue to compete, and should our team earn another qualifying spot at the Wisconsin or Midwest Regional, we will generate a wildcard, allowing an alternate team to head to Houston.

Ferradermis is now in major fundraising mode, needing to raise as much as $50,000 for the trip to Houston in order to transport and house 30 people for five days. The team is hoping to host a series of restaurant nights at various locations in town and will be reaching out to local companies to request additional financial sponsorships. Individual donations of any amount are very welcome (and tax deductible). Donations can be made through the team website at https://www.ferradermis.org/ via credit card or checks can be sent to the school in care of Laura Masbruch. Checks should be made out to WHS with a notation that they are for Ferradermis. The school address is 534 South Elizabeth in Whitewater. The team is also selling Kwik Trip Cards and the new WUSD Robotics Booster Club is hosting an online plant sale.

The team could not do what it does without the tremendous community support that it receives. Thank you, Whitewater!

Article and Photos Submitted by Laura Masbruch
Whitewater High School Robotics Advisor
lmasbruch@wwusd.org
Additional Photos Courtesy of Rich Grosse

On Saturday, March 9th, students from seven area schools will  perform at the Wisconsin School Music Association (WSMA) District Solo/Ensemble Festival at Whitewater High School. The festival lasts from 8 am-4 pm. Students will participate in both vocal and instrumental events. All events will be adjudicated. Students receiving a 1* rating will advance to the WSMA State Solo/Ensemble Festival held in April. Best of luck to all of our music students!

Editor’s note: This announcement was provided by Karen Tordera.