Nite Crier's 2023-2024 NEWSPA Award Winning Articles and Photo Essays

Controversy Surrounding Assault Style Weapons (Editorial)

By: Carson Wundrock, Staff Writer

Posted: April 17th, 2023

The idea that the U.S. should ban assault weapons has long been grounds for controversy. Some believe that tighter regulations on assault weapons would save lives and make this country a safer place to live, while others believe that these tighter regulations would not solve the issue of gun violence in this country. School shootings, homicides, and other issues have only heightened the controversy surrounding this argument. Although there are some that may disagree, banning assault style weapons is not an effective solution to gun violence in America. 

A Successful Season for the Girls Cross Country Team (Photo Essay)

By: Oceana Patulski, Staff Photographer

Posted, October 18th, 2023

What Happened to Disney? (An Editorial)

By: Onnacka Lacy, Staff Writer

Posted: October 23rd, 2023

You're 6 years old and you get to pick a movie for family night, you pick your favorite Disney movie. As the movie goes on you sing the words to your favorite catchy tunes, and you even see your mom and dad humming along to it. You see your favorite characters embark on amazing journeys, and when you go to bed you dream of your own adventures. Fast forward about 10 years, you see they are coming out with a remake of your favorite movie, but this time it’s not the same. Your favorite character is now a different race, and they don’t find their true love because it's “overrated”. This is what Disney is doing nowadays, they are taking the beloved classics and completely changing them to validate people. The question may arise, “What happened? ” you might ask. Here's what happened: Disney. 

An Exciting Washington D.C. Trip (Photo Essay)

By: Evan Swart, Staff Photographer

Posted, October 23rd, 2023

The Washington DC trip was an exploration of the capital that everyone should do at least once in their lifetime. The monuments there are stunning. The coolest thing I saw there was the  National Mall, which is huge, and stunning at night. 

Schrek: The Musical is a Hit! (SHS Fall Musical Preview 2023)

By:  Aaron Haas, Staff Writer

Date Posted: October 31st, 2023

Have you ever wanted to travel to Duloc?  What about scale a tower to rescue a princess from a fire-breathing dragon?  Travel across the lands with an annoying talking donkey?  You will be able to experience all this and so much more from Nov. 2nd - Nov 5th.  This year, the Slinger High School theater department proudly presents Shrek: The Musical!

The Dangers of Western Imperialism: The History of Occupied Palestine and How You Can Help (An Editorial)

By: Addie Rahmlow, Staff Writer

Posted: November 6th, 2023

In recent weeks, Israel and Palestine have made international headlines in what many western media outlets have most commonly referred to as a “conflict.” According to the United Nations, around 1,400 Israelis were killed in a Hamas attack on October 7th, and since, more than 10,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces according to the Gazan health ministry, a number that continues to go up. In the last four weeks, more than 1.4 million Palestinians in the Gaza strip have been displaced from their homes, their water, food, and electricity cut off by the Israeli Occupation forces (known as the IOF or IDF). Yet, even in the wake of relentless nights of deadly bombing, a total collapse of the healthcare system, and the IOF’s near complete suspension of aid going into Gaza, much of the western media has propagated misinformation surrounding the horrors faced in occupied Palestine succeeding October 7th, framing this month’s events as existing within a vacuum — a mere “conflict” or “war” that trivializes the terrors Palestinians have faced for the last 75 years and implies an equal stature of power between sides. 

Swift’s 1989 Re-release Makes An Impact On Pop Music

By: Hannah Volheim, Staff Writer

Posted, November 14th, 2023

Taylor Swift makes the news every other day, but now it is for the release of her version of 1989, her 5th studio album.  Swift has been re-releasing her first six albums because the rights were sold away to another man even though she expressed being wanting to buy them and was willing to. So far she has re-released Fearless, Red, Speak Now, and, as of October 27, 1989.  With the release of her albums, vault tracks are added on. You may be wondering what vault tracks are. Vault tracks are songs that were written for the album or during that era that never made it onto the final album. 

The Grace Year- A Book Review

By: Oceana Patulski, Staff Writer

Posted: January 23rd, 2024

The Grace Year by Kim Ligget is an exceptional novel. The plot is amazing, touching on double standards and expectations of women compared to men. In the novel, 16-year-old Tierney James and the other girls of Garner County are sent to spend what is known as their "grace year"...

West Bend's Ice Creations (Photo Essay)

By: Evan Swart, Staff Photographer

Posted, February 2nd, 2024

West Bend Ice Creations were created between January 19th and January 21st as part of the City of West Bend's Winter Warm Up Festival.