February 2010 Paladin

photos by emily baudouin, lindsey weixelman, brian norris, scott southern and marcella brooks;

photo illustrations by emily baudouin

The year 2001 is rediscovered, with trends and how they are relevant to 2010.

School clubs are numerous, but some quickly die out. Activities Director Chris Bloomer explains.

Students with military aspirations share their stories and motives.

NEWSbriefs

news briefs by hillary sevart

Crusaders for Life hosts Baby DriveCrusaders for Life, sponsored

by chemistry teacher Alan Oberley, held their annual Baby Supply Drive Jan. 25-29. The drive was a COTY event. A certain amount of points was awarded for each item that was brought in. All donations will benefit A Better Choice. The charity is in the most need for diapers, formula and bathing essentials such as shampoo and wipes.

Clubs make rosaries for troops

Handmaids of Mary, Letters from Home and Schola Latina (Latin Club) joined together to support the United States Army after school Jan. 27. The students were taught how to make both beaded and knot rosaries. Knot rosaries are important for people in the armed forces because they do not make noise that could give away their location during battle, religion and language teacher Helen Hund said.

Students place in art competition

Several students placed in the 2010 Scholastic Art competition. Senior Maria Lopez received a general display award for her mixed media piece titled The Tears and the

A survival guide to Kapaun Mt. Carmel provides important tips and knowledge.

NEWS4

OPINIONS9

FEATURE10

STUDENT12 LIFE

SPORTS16

This year’s Super Bowl is Feb. 27, between the Colts and the Saints. Many students have traditions for this iconic event.

paladin

WHILE MAKING ROSARIES, juniors Amanda Phillips and Kelly Pham check on their progress. The Handmaids of Mary, Schola Latina and Letters from Home clubs had a combined meeting to make rosaries for the troops Jan. 27.

2 news february

Rose. Senior Daniel Val received an honorable mention award for Portrait of a Girl, and a Silver Key award for Self-Portrait. Both are oil paintings. Senior Hannah Sattler received a Silver Key award for her mixed media piece Teddy Bear. Junior Chandler Puritty received a general display award for her ink drawing Classmates. Junior Matthew Fey also received a Silver Key award for his charcoal drawing The Streets of Rome. Sophomore Tianna Todd received an Honorable mention award for her ink drawing Contour Drawing. All of the award winning art will be on display at the Wichita Center for the Arts until Feb. 21.

Scholar’s Bowl places

in DerbyThe Novice Scholar’s Bowl

team placed fourth at the Derby Invitational Jan. 25. Team members included sophomores Joe Cummings, Charles Brooks, Aaron Wolf and captain Charles Mohr, and freshmen Tony Raper and Josh Lund.

Drama department prepares for next

productionAuditions for the spring

musical Les Miserables were Jan. 22 and 26. The play centers around the struggles of ex-convict Jean Veljean and his search for redemption. The play will be performed later this semester.

kim pham

paladin

3february news

Fr. Spexarth settling in as chaplainERIKA REALSbyasst. student life editor

A new and unfamiliar face has been seen in the halls since the beginning of the semester.

With his all-black attire and carefree smile, one would recognize this new face as Fr. Aaron Spexarth. He has been appointed as the new chaplain, replacing former chaplain Fr. Benjamin Shockey.

“I was surprised because I didn’t know I’d get moved so soon,” Fr. Spexarth said. “The possibility of being a chaplain at a high school is one thing that drew me to the priesthood, and getting to carry that out is exciting.”

Spexarth came to Kapaun Mt. Carmel from Church of the Magdalen at the beginning of the semester.

He said he is slowly getting used to his job and learns something new every day.

“Working at a parish church, there is the ability to work with people one-on-one and spiritual direction,” Fr. Spexarth said. “At a high school, I teach a class and get to know [students] individually.”

Spexarth said his role as the school chaplain consists of many duties.

“I organize retreats, say Masses, am a teacher, [help with] school council and March for Life, and anything else they tell

you,” Fr. Spexarth said.On Jan. 19, Fr. Spexarth and KMC

students departed for Washington, D.C. for the March for Life on Jan. 22, the anniversary of Roe v. Wade. It was Fr. Spexarth’s first major event as the chaplain.

“It was a good experience. The students helped keep things interesting and keeping me responsible,” Fr. Spexarth said. “Overall, they were great though.”

While in Washington D.C., they spent their time visiting several museums, a few being the Air and Space Museum, National Archives and the Holocaust Museum.

“The times that stood out to me were just getting to know the students,” Fr. Spexarth said. “From the small groups touring D.C. or the big groups at the March, to be with each other and just getting to know one another.”

The KMC March for Life group left Washington, D.C. on the night of Jan. 23.

“It was meaningful to me by witnessing the students at Kapaun Mt. Carmel make such a bold stand for

something they believe in, for the first time,” Fr. Spexarth said.

Fr. Spexarth is not only coming in as a new chaplain to the school, but also as a new teacher to the seniors. He and Beth Ferraro collaborate to teach Christian

Vocations.“I wanted to do a good job,” Fr.

Spexarth said. “I’ve never been a full-time teacher and I worried about lesson plans.”

Senior Melissa Davied said he seems to really enjoy working with students.

“He didn’t even act frazzled or nervous the first

day of class,” Davied said. “He started class off with a game,

then got right on to teaching.”Davied said he really

tries to make class fun, from teaching from the Cathechism and covering required material, but also incorporating his own stories.

“[Teaching class at a high school] is exciting and Christian Vocations is a great course,” Fr. Spexarth said.

“Teaching kids how to find their vocation in life is a very exciting part of my day.”

photo by emily baudouin; photo illustration by lindsey weixelman

infographic by sean doyle;information obtained by danielle valliere;photo courtesy of cris stoddard; information from http://gallup.com, http://recovery.gov and http://opencongress.org

4 news february

paladin

PLAYING ROCK BAND, senior Philip Pham, freshman Mathew Kaysen, senior Geoff Atkinson and senior Danny Huff recruit members to their Leisure Club at Back to School Night. The club has been labeled inactive.

AT THE LETTERS FROM HOME TABLE, junior Haley Hungate waits for students to sign up at Back to School Night Aug. 26, 2009.

DURING A QUILL & SCROLL MEETING, seniors Danielle Valliere, Emily Bengtson and Sarah Stadler and junior Michael Huff decorate boxes for the club’s annual book drive in November. The collected books were then donated to Via Christi and HeadStart.

Students have opportunity to create, join clubs with some restrictions; clubs occasionally die out before end of school year for variety of reasons

HILLARY SEVARTbyasst. news editor

Ideally, school clubs offer students a place to fit in and a place to make friends with people who share common interests. At Back to School Night, the commons was filled with students signing up for every club that caught their interest, but by the end of the first semester, club participation had begun to dwindle and some clubs became inactive.

Chris Bloomer, assistant principal and activities director, is in charge of regulating clubs at Kapaun Mt. Carmel. He says it is his job to “help identify students’ interests and create a format in which those interests can be pursued within the framework of a Catholic school environment.” To do this, he finds out what clubs students want and then ensures they support the mission of the school, have adult supervision and meet Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) standards.

Currently eight out of 27 clubs are inactive. Bloomer says that students can

abuse their club privileges.“I think this [abuse] happens in a number

of ways: students who join clubs simply to be in the yearbook or students who rely on the adult sponsor to plan, set-up and execute all of the clubs activities,” Bloomer said. “Clubs are designed by students and for students to help them grow and while some students take advantage of these opportunities, others pursue individual interests at the expense of the club.”

When clubs are being abused, there is a chance that they can become inactive. KSHAA regulations help to prevent this.

“All clubs have to fill out an application that identifies their mission, how they plan to support the school’s mission and how they will establish m e m b e r s h i p , ”

Bloomer said. “Clubs then have to work to develop requirements for their individual club. Each club is asked to have at least four major events. Depending upon the club, this has worked, for others it’s not quite doable.”

Student Council is the largest club at KMC. Bloomer said there is no major activity that occurs at the school without StuCo involvement. Other clubs that remain

lindsey weixelman

marcella brooks

lindsey weixelman “So many schools, ours included, are senior-led and the seniors tend to care more about graduating dur-ing the second semester than about anything else and so the clubs take a hit for that reason.”administrator CHRIS BLOOMER

5february news

paladin

Freshman year presents several questions. One of these questions is: How do I get involved?

Do not be fooled. This seemingly innocent question’s double meaning is asking: who will I be during my high-

school career? Will I devote my time to being a thespian, artist, peppy-person, Mary devotee, eco-geek etc.?

I remember getting Mr. Bloomer’s “get involved” speech. I look back and think he may have been talking more about sports, but I naturally ruled that out (the unathletic usually do). His talk inspired me. When the grand doors to the Activities Fair opened, I was thrilled to find an assortment of clubs readily awaiting my membership.

“Sign here,” “Be a member here,” “Join here,” was sounding through the commons. And I did. I signed up for about 10 clubs, one of which I attended the meetings for.

One club in particular had a grand poster, right up front, baiting all the innocent students into its awful plan.

I signed up and attended the first meeting. We talked of shirts, field trips, guest speakers—all great ideas. The meeting left me wanting more. This was where I would fit in.

I waited for information about the next meeting, but recieved none. I even went as far to ask the president, a senior, when it was. She answered, very indifferently, she did not know when.

After four months with no mention of a future meeting, I began to question the club’s existence. When five months went by, I knew the end had come and moved on.

Following this sad death, I attended ecology club and found it fit my wounded morale well. The activities were fun and the meetings were consistent—all great attributes of a club.

The moral of this story: finding a hobby is important, and persistence is vital in finding it. For those not blessed with the balance and strength necessary for athletics or the talent necessary for art or acting, clubs are the next best thing.

Getting involved not always as easy as it sounds

HALSTEN HIGGINSstaff writer

strong are Ecology Club, Crusaders for Life and language clubs.

Junior Leslie Carrillo has been involved with StuCo, as well as other clubs, since freshman year.

“Right now, I am involved with StuCo, Letters from Home and [Thespian Troupe 695],” Carrillo said. “The reason I signed up for clubs was to get involved at school. By going to meetings, I get to meet people I wouldn’t normally meet.”

Towards the beginning of second semester, some clubs began to have fewer meetings.

“So many schools, ours included, are senior-led and the seniors tend to care more about graduating during the second semester than about anything else and so the clubs take a hit for that reason,” Bloomer said. “Also, our clubs tend to be led by the

same group of people and when schedules conflict, clubs take a hit. The final and maybe greatest reason that clubs die out is that there is little to no dedicated time within the school day for clubs.”

Even though some clubs have issues to work out, Bloomer said those at KMC are still successful.

“I think that clubs are successful in getting kids involved and successful in allowing kids to see another side of KMC other than athletic or academic,” Bloomer said. “With that being said, are our clubs all that they could be? Not even close. I think that there is tremendous potential for club growth and participation; however, there would need to be some creative scheduling within the school day to support that growth.”

infographic by sean doyle

additional reporting by danielle valliere

infographic by bea tretbar

please patronize our paladin advertisers

6 news february

paladin

infographic by sean doyle; photos by lindsay weixelman and kim pham

EDITOR IN CHIEFkatie mooreDESIGN EDITORSbea tretbar, sean doyleONLINE/COPY EDITORkatie gilbaughPHOTO EDITORemily baudouinONLINE PHOTO EDITORkelsey pratherADVERTISING/BUSINESS MANAGERvictoria gillamNEWS EDITORdanielle valliereOPINIONS EDITORmeredith osborneFEATURE EDITORanna leSTUDENT LIFE EDITORalyssa bambickSPORTS EDITORbailey buerASST. NEWS EDITORhillary sevartASST. STUDENT LIFE EDITORerika realsASST. SPORTS EDITORmadeline engelASST. COPY EDITORemily lutzCIRCULATION MANAGERkatelyn realSTAFF WRITERSkatie hand, emma kaiser, kyle bomgardner, matthew riedl, alyssa scott, halsten higginsSTAFF PHOTOGRAPHERSmarcella brooks, tiana chin, anna gonzalez, zach holland, mattie lonergan, cindy nguyen, brian norris, kim pham, alex scobee, maddie sleconich, scott southern, lindsey weixelman, emily wittlerADVISERashley perkins

COVER

shot

EDITORIALpolicy

The Paladin is a monthly, student-produced newsmagazine, published to inform and entertain the Kapaun Mt. Carmel Catholic High School community and educate journalism students. Each issue is produced with the guidance of a faculty adviser. Student staff members will be offered opportunities to inform, investigate, entertain, interpret and evaluate: all accepted functions of traditional American press.

Included materials will be those of responsible journalism, including restraint by the students and adviser in matters such as libel, privacy, obscenity and copyright.

The staff chooses to reflect the mission of Kapaun Mt. Carmel, a diocesan Catholic high school, to serve the interests and needs of the community and to provide fair, objective, accurate and truthful materials. Opinions do not necessarily reflect views of anyone other than the Paladin staff.

Digital photos have not been altered to manipulate reality. Photo illustrations are labeled to reflect any technical alterations.

Anonymity may be given in the following cases: the information is unable to be presented another way, the information warrants anonymity, the source’s privacy and/or reputation requires protection and the source must be protected from damages.

A student or faculty member death during the coverage period will be covered with a short obituary.

Advertising must meet the same guidelines as editorial content. Acceptance of advertising does not constitute an endorsement by the school. Students pictured in advertising must sign a release and accept no monetary compensation. Advertising rates available on request. School organization discount rates are available.

Corrections of errors will appear in the appropriate section of the next issue.

PALADINstaff

paladin8506 E. Central

Wichita, Kan. 67206Phone: (316) 634-0315, ext. 232

Fax: (316) [email protected]

KAPAUN MT. CARMEL

Gracing the covers of Rolling Stone, Men’s Vogue, Vanity Fair and US Weekly over the past year, Barack Obama has been depicted as a trendy and fresh alternative to the typically stuffy, old presidents of the past. The only problem is if this “cool kid” can handle the very tricky popularity contest he won while still managing our country.

On page 3, the Paladin looks back at Obama’s first year as President of the United States. First discussed is his $787 billion stimulus package in February 2009. With this package, American began to see a popular trend in congress: passing a bill without most legislators reading it. Obama promised that with this stimulus package, unemployment would not increase from eight percent. A year later, the majority of the stimulus money has not been spent and unemployment is now 10 percent nationally since the bill was passed, reaching 16 percent in several urban areas according to http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2010/01/18/bradley-blakeman-obama-year.

In his first year, Obama also received the Nobel Peace Prize. Past recipients include the 14th Dalai Lama, Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King Jr. Obama is said to have received the award “for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples”

LETTERfrom the editor

Dear PALADIN readers,

Traditions give a school dimension and uniqueness. Kapaun Mt. Carmel is different from other schools not only because it is Catholic, but also because of the personalities we all contribute to the school. Not every school has students who march for life (page 10), people who have distinct Super Bowl traditions (page 16) and coaches with identifiable quirky traits (page 17).

We are fortunate to attend a school where all these personalities have an opportunity to come together in common interests to create or join a club, although some diminish over time, as can be read on pages 3-4.

As always, we invite your ideas, input and letters. All letters should be under 150 words and signed. We reserve the right to edit or omit any letters. Baseless accusations, libelous statements, insults or unsigned letters will not be considered for publication. Take letters to Room 215 or mail to the address below.

Sincerely, Katie Moore, Editor

in Chief

7february opinions

paladin

according to http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prize/peace/laureates. Whether he was more qualified than the other 205 nominated to win the award is questionable to some, yet what cannot be denied is how his election brought out young voters to become more politically active.

Lastly, one of the most controversial topics is America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009. This bill had new acts added to it last minute that the majority of congress had not read, and has caused the

government to pay for certain state’s health care, Nebraska for example, in order to get senate votes according to http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory?id=9490499. For Catholics, this bill is something to be feared, funding abortions according to http://www.lifenews.com/nat5818.html.

Despite much criticism in his first year, there is room for President Obama to improve if he listens to the people of the United States — the people who believed he would be truly a fresh start to positive changes. This can still happen. We live in a country where all men are created equal, endowed with certain inalienable rights including life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. This should also include the right to have Obama make more out of his popularity contest — er, his presidency.

PALADINeditorial

leah grant

cover by sean doylephoto by brian norris

Popularity and politics, Obama’s first year in office

“Barack Obama has been depicted as a trendy and fresh alternative to the typi-cally stuffy, old presidents of the past.”

emily wittler

IN PE CLASS, coach Bernie Pearson directs students Jan. 26.

Sitting in a top secret place in my room are a stack of eleven notebooks. Some are decorated with stickers and pictures, some came already adorned with polka dots and a few are plain wire bound notebooks, but all have one thing in common: they are full of ridiculous musings, pointless stories and naïve daydreams.

This stack of notebooks makes up the story of my life from sixth grade on - they are my diaries.

Recently, I tackled the dusty pile of my old journals. I was excited and a little ner-vous to re- read them - mainly the entries written during middle school (a.k.a. the worst time of everyone’s life. If someone says it is not- they are lying.)

I opened the cover to see the date: Monday, March 8, 2004, followed by a language that hardly qualified as Eng-lish. “You” had turned into “u,” “because” had morphed into “cuz” and every sentence was followed by about five exclamation points and/or a smiley face.

A standard entry began with what boy asked me to borrow a pencil that day, my predictions for the American Idol finale and ended with my plans for that weekend.

I analyzed every move my then-boy-friend made, although our only interactions consisted of passing notes and holding hands after school. If he looked at me during class when the teacher said the word “love” it meant that we would definitely be “2gether 4ever.”

While revisiting my middle school past,

I found myself laughing to the point of tears on several occasions.

Because of an ad seen in a magazine, I became a vegetarian, a reformed sort that wouldn’t eat pork, but every other type of meat was acceptable.

My animal rights movement was not limited only to not eating (certain) animals, but to comforting animals in their times of need:

“In science class 2day we dissected frogs. I held the frog’s hand while they were cutting him up. I want-ed 2 let him outside, but he wuz already dead. Plus that might freak everyone out a little bit 2 c a dead frog lying outside.”

Due to an incident where a boy pointed out that my vegetarianism was not

authentic, my activism after that was short- lived.

The rest of my entries range from my crusade for a push -up bra (“I need some lift”) to friend drama to five page entries about said boyfriend. It is fun to rediscover the person that I was, and how I see myself doing the same things six years later, al-though I can assure you that my understand-ing of the english language has improved.

My boyfriend and I may have split in eighth grade and I am sure the frog we di-sected has long forgotten me, but at least I can access them whenever I want through by way of my diaries. Thanx 4 reading my column, hope you thot it was gr8!!! :)

8 opinions february

paladin

Overheard in the halls of KMC...

Just Smile Back is a monthly column

information obtained by emma kaiser

and halsen higgins

Do you have any advice

for surviving Kapaun Mt.

Carmel?

illustration by maria lopez

Watch out for Ms. Dandu-rand when you are not in dress code.

“Dude, toes are like fingers but on your foot!”

“I wish alarm clocks could punch you in the face.”

“Patrick Swayze is so hot.”“I think he’s like, dead?” “Who cares? He’s still hot.”

“Freshmen, can’t live with them, can’t throw them in the ocean - it’s too far away.”

”

“”

“

seniorJANAYE GILBERTSON

juniorJARED DREILING

sophomorePAUL LIEVENS

freshmanTYLER JENNINGS

Develop a great prayer life, finish all of your assign-ments, get involved and do your best.

“”

Be or-ganized and get involved - do sports and clubs. StuCo is a lot of fun, too.

“ ”.

Just keep swimming.

MEREDITH OSBORNEopinions editor

9february opinions

paladin

Movie

A plot to break into three casinos in the same night is accompanied by an at-tractive cast. The humor brought in gave the film the perfect balance of action and comedy.

After a terrible sequel and a mediocre third movie, Danny Ocean’s team proved that you can’t mess with perfec-tion.

Ocean’s Eleven

Scrubs

iPod

Room for Squares

by John Mayer

Following a hilarious group of doctors at the wacky Sacred Heart Hos-pital, episodes of Scrubs never ceased to make audiences laugh.

Now in the ninth season, viewers can still tune in on Tuesday at 8 p.m. to get their Scrubs fix for the week.

The release of the first generation iPod had the majority of society bid-ding farewell to clunky portable CD and cassette players forever.

Although the overall de-sign has changed drasti-cally, the basic concept has stayed the same: music portability and functionality.

The introduction of John Mayer’s brooding vocals and master guitar play-ing came with his first single, No Such Thing.

Mayer’s albums continue to revolutionize the mu-sic world. His new al-bum provides a different sound than previous re-leases, but still promises to be satisfying.

The trend... ...in 1999...

Movie

TV

Music

Trend

A bi-monthly Paladin feature that ex-amines past trends and explains how they can still be relevant today.

...and today.

Despite discomfort, donating blood is worth it “This may result in dizziness, fainting in

front of a gym full of people and utter embar-rassment.”

If only the American Red Cross employees had warned me of these possible “side ef-fects” of giving blood, I might have avoided all of the above.

I am glad they did not.To help the community, I

signed up to donate blood for the first time at the annual blood drive last February.

The day came quickly. Dur-ing second block, I walked confi-dently to the gym and sat in line for about 30 minutes.

Soon, I was ushered to something that looked like a beach chair. My phlebotomist took my left arm and, in a slightly disgrun-tled tone, said, “Ooooh, you have teeny tiny veins.”

At that point, I was feeling slightly un-certain about my decision. As I clutched the chair, the needle poked into my left arm.

Once I had recovered from the slight discomfort, my lovely phlebotomist said,

“Oops, didn’t quite get into the vein.”

After uttering these horrifying words, she pro-ceeded to move the needle around in my arm for ap-proximately 30 seconds. Inside, I was screaming, “Why did I sign up for this?”

After this initial tor-ture, the actual giving of the blood was somewhat painless, disregarding the nausea. Finally, after about

nine minutes, I was done.I popped right up out of the beach chair

and sauntered over to the canteen area. Then, as if I had not experienced enough,

my head started to swim. “Don’t puke, please don’t puke,” I whispered to myself.

By then, people had noticed something was wrong: “Danielle, are you okay? You’re

really pale.”They ran and told some Red Cross la-

dies about my condition. Meanwhile, I was teetering over the line of unconsciousness.

The ladies ran over and laid the ailing ol’ me on the floor, all the while proclaiming my courage: “Give Danielle that crown, because she’s a princess.” After a couple minutes on the floor, they determined I was okay to get up. At that moment, I decided that I would never give blood again.

But then, a couple months later, I re-ceived a shiny, red blood donor card in the mail and a postcard declaring I had helped save lives. Soon after, the Red Cross called me to ask if I would donate again. How could I say no?

In July, I gave again and everything went much more smoothly.

This was probably because I had rec-ognized something: the slight discomfort of giving blood was completely worth it. Think-ing of the infants, children, adults and elderly I could help made me realize donating blood was the easiest thing I have ever done.

DANIELLE VALLIEREnews editor

paladin

10 feature february

After discovering call to serve country, Huff joins Marines

There are many ca-

reer paths one can choose in life. Some are easy; some are difficult. Going into the military is not one of the easier paths; however, senior Danny Huff has already made the decision to enlist in the Marines.

“I know that I’m meant to go into the military,” Huff said. “Noth-ing triggered my decision. I guess I’ve just always known.”

For Huff, the Marines appealed more to him than any other branch of the military, as he believes it is more physically demanding.

“Since I’m going into the military, I want to go all the way,” Huff said. “I wanted the best training and I found all

the best aspects in the Marines.”Huff’s family background also

helped him to choose the Marines.“My uncle George Lizarlde

definitely influenced me to join the Marines,” Huff said. “He was a 20-year Marine.”

The Marines require that their re-cruits be very physically fit. Huff said he has been preparing ever since he

enlisted.“I’ve been training every day,” Huff

said. “[I have been] working out with the Marines, doing basic training every Wednesday and doing [St. Gianna Catho-

lic] Health Academy, doing some medical training.”

When one joins the Marines, academics cannot be ignored. According to http://www.marines.com, the Marines require that their recruits be well versed in United States war history, first aid skills, and Marine customs. The Marines develop leadership skills in its recruits. All recruits learn the 11 Leadership Principles and the 14 Leadership Traits.

Huff said he will continue to train until he officially joins the Marine ranks, on the front line infantry. His true desire is to be on special forces but first he must prove him-self as an infantryman.

“All I want to be is one of the few, the proud, the Marines,” Huff said.

Throughout history, there have been many

children who followed in the footsteps of their fathers, such as the Kennedys, Bushes, Barrymores and Rockefell-ers. This is the case for senior Jenni-fer Erskin, who plans on joining the United States Air Force.

“My dad retired a colonel from the Air Force,” Erskin said. “Growing up in a military style household has definitely influenced me to enlist.”

Enlisting is a complex process, Erskin said. It requires a good score on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Batter (ASVAB) exam and one must take a physical Military En-trance Processing Station (MEPS) exam in Kansas City before enlisting. Next, one fills out paperwork for top-security

clearance. The final step is signing the enlist-ment papers and taking the official oath. The whole process can be long or short depend-ing on how quickly the requirements are completed. To be involved with the Air Force one must understand teamwork,

selflessness, hard work, patriotism and willingness to make sacrific-es, Erskin said.

“For starters, after com-pleting basic training and Topographic Engineering Center (TEC) school next year, I will be a year behind the class I’m graduating with this year,” Erskin said. “Also, I

am devoting the next six years of my life to the Air Force before I

can consider another full-time career if I choose to. I must also be willing to go on a com-

bat tour if I am sent.”

One must also have the passion and desire to serve the country. Although

he does not have a family member in the military to influence his decision, senior Landis Goodman said the military life is something he has always wanted.

“I have always known that I was going to end up enlisting in the military,” Goodman said. “My par-ents didn’t seem surprised when I turned in my paperwork and en-listed.”

Goodman and Erskin have prepared themselves for the

military by doing well in school and staying in good physical shape.

“I am excited and eager for all of the things I’m going to be able to do,” Erskin said. “I can’t wait to get through basic and really start my ca-reer.”

MATT RIEDLbystaff writer

Students prepare themselves for Air Force after complex enlisting processANNA LEbyfeatures editor

photos by emily baudouin, lindsay weixelman; infographic, arthead and design by bea tretbar

A

11february feature

paladin

10 feature february

Everyone responds to the call of service in

a different way. Some people know exactly what they want to do, while others spend years discerning their call. Senior Gabe Czepiel has known that he wanted to go into the Navy for years.

“I’ve always been fascinated with ships,” Czepiel said.

The Navy offers several benefits to those who enlist, and Czepiel espe-cially enjoys the financial benefits.

“You won’t be in debt in college,” Czepiel said. “You’ll get paid to go to college.”

Czepiel, however, is not planning to go to college before joining the Navy.

“I am immediately going to boot camp in Great Lakes, outside of Chicago,” Czepiel said. “It’s going to be rough.”

Before one arrives at the boot camp, he or she has to go through the enlistment process, which sometimes can be difficult with protective parents.

“My parents knew I had interest in the Navy since I was 12,” Czepiel said. “Before I signed the papers [at the Military Entrance Processing Station in Kansas City], I called my mom and told her I was going to join,” Czepiel said. “She said she was proud of me, and is glad I’m not going to be in debt after school.”

Ever since he enlisted, Czepiel has been preparing for the shock of the new experi-ence.

“I’ve been keeping out of trouble, mak-

ing sure I drive perfectly,” Czepiel said. “I’ve been packing away everything in my room.”

Military life is extremely different than civilian life, especially in the amount of com-

mitments one has to make.“You can’t get attached to a

place for too long,” Czepiel said. “You have to [learn to] take orders,

and you can’t be stubborn.”Czepiel’s position in the

Navy is going to be that of intelligence specialist. Cz-epiel is going to be stationed for six years in Ramstein, Germany, at the Navy intel-ligence headquarters. Other

students are considering the Navy besides Czepiel. One such student is senior Stephanie Solis,

who attended the Naval Academy Summer Seminar in Annapolis, Mary-land, last summer. At this camp, Solis learned all about the Navy and was giv-

en a crash course in being a naval student.“It showed me how rigorous the curricu-

lum [is] and how much dedication it would take,” Solis said. “I got physically fit.”

The camp is designed for juniors going into their senior year in high school, to edu-cate them about the Academy.

“My dad signed me up,” Solis said. “I think my dad chose the Naval Academy be-cause of [its] amazing academic program, focusing mostly on math and sciences.”

Solis is still considering the Navy, but she is currently weighing her options.

“I am considering it, but I am not sure that I would like to join [yet],” Solis said.

Solis says that if she did decide to join the Navy, her family and friends would be very supportive and proud of her.

“The Navy serves our country as well as develops our future leaders,” Solis said. “We

[owe a lot] to them because they protect our waters and get less credit than those

who are in the Army.”To both Czepiel and Solis, the

Navy represents an opportunity to serve the country that they both love; an opportunity that will not last forever. Navy Aviation Structural Mechanic 2nd Class Scott Smith said that the benefits of the Navy are too

good to pass up.“You get self-pride and indepen-

dence when you join the Navy,” Smith said. “It’s the intangible things that you can’t really measure by anything. It’s the pride you have in yourself, knowing that

you have served your country.”Smith believes that the Navy is the

best branch of the military to enlist in be-cause of what sets the Navy apart from other branches.

“The Navy does a lot more humanitarian work,” Smith said. “Everybody sees the mili-tary as war mongers, but I’ve got to see us go to the Dominican Republic and Haiti [to] save lives.”

Whatever path one decides to take in life, one always has to remember to thank those that keep the country a safe place to live.

“Be respectful to your armed forces, because they’re fighting for us and giving us everything we have,” Czepiel said.

Navy allows service to country, leadership, self-esteem opportunityMATT RIEDLbystaff writer

paladin

12 student life february

Who do you think should be voted off this month? Bring this ballot to Room 215 by

Feb. 10.

1

arthead by bea tretbar

This month on “Student Survivor” the three remaining contestants participated in a Valentine’s Day challenge. Each student wrote a short love poem about something or someone that he or she finds significant in life.

No student will be exempt this month. Senior Shannon O’Neill was eliminated last-month.

The next month will be the final “Stu-dent Survivor” challenge. All students are in-vited to watch the two remaining contestants compete for the title of “Student Survivor.” The time and date are to be announced.

My Dearest ShaNiece

by senior Mesfin Small

ShaNiece...I love everything that you do.My dearest ShaNiece, I hope you love me like

I love you.Seeing you in the hall just makes my day.Especially the way

that you make your pants sway.

My dearest ShaNiece, I hope that someday

you’ll notice me out of the blue...

I’m just kidding, I don’t even like you.

For My Funny Valentine =)

by junior ShaNiece Pyles

Roses are red, violets are blue when I am with you I feel so

cool. You make me smile and sometimes

mad too, but it’s okay, I still like you. So just to remind

you, roses are red, violets are blue, but I like milk chocolate and stuffed teddy

bears too!

Momby junior

Laurel Lujano

She always makes me feel better or

never lets me quit, she even takes

care of me when I’m really sick. I can’t live without her and I miss her

when I’m gone. she’s my role

model, hero, and my amazing mom.

Mesfin Small ShaNiece Pyles

Laurel Lujano

paladin

13february student life

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3

1

2

4

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arthead by bea tretbar

1. AT A PRO-LIFE RALLY, junior Alejandra Martinez and seniors Emily Siegman and Leah Grant listen to pro-life speakers Jan. 22. The rally marked the start of the March for Life. “It is an experience I will never forget,” Siegman said.

2. SENIORS JOHN STOUT AND KELSEY BALL stay warm during the March for Life on Jan. 22. “It was powerful having so many people together for the same cause,” Ball said.

3. IN FRONT OF THE WHITE HOUSE, junior Katie Hand and senior Marie Schaller take pictures with the rest of the group. The students walked by the White House before heading to the Capitol Building to begin the March. “I had a really great time,” Schaller said. “I was really amazed at how many people showed up to march.”

5. AS THE MARCH COMES TO AN END, senior Courtney Phillips stands near the Supreme Court building. “I was surprised that I didn’t see more pro-choice people trying to change our minds, ” Phillips said. The March came to a close around 5:30 p.m.

4. CONGREGATING BEFORE THE MARCH, a group of Kapaun Mount Carmel students await the walk. The 37 students who attended the March protested against abortion. “I thought it was amazing that so many people came together for a common cause. You can hear a number, but to see is different,” senior Chris Kliewer said.

marcella brooks 1

marcella brooks 5

marcella brooks 2 marcella brooks 3

marcella brooks 4

emily baudouin 66. AMONG APPROXIMATELY 300,000 PROTESTERS senior Sam Felts walks from Constitution Avenue to Capitol Hill and to the Supreme Court and Congress Jan. 22.


14 advertising february

paladin

INSIDE THE LINESACTIVITY: Senior Cody Lonergan prepares to compete against Bishop Carroll Jan. 28.

When he did not make the basketball team freshman year, senior Cody Lonergan was not sure what to do. Lonergan’s uncle suggested that he try out for the swim team.

“My uncle was a big time high school swimmer,” Lonergan said. “I just thought ‘Why not?’ and went for it.”

Lonergan has been swimming for the Kapaun Mt. Carmel team for four years. Both his swimming ability and relationship with the team has developed over the years, Lonergan said.

“Some of my favorite memories of the swim team are from carb meals at Fazoli’s,” Lonergan said. “It may seem odd, but it’s a lot of fun for us and connects us as a team.”

Another way that Lonergan bonds with the team is through his leadership and positive, encouraging attitude, coach Chris Erikson said.

“Cody is a very vocal leader, but he leads by example too,” senior Christian Kehr said. “Mainly he helps them by cheering them on when they are racing.”

The two accomplishments that stick out to Lonergan most are winning the 200 medley relay at City League and qualifying for state in 2009.

“Although he didn’t place at state last year, Cody continues to improve,” Erikson said. “He wasn’t disheartened or anything after state. Cody has very high goals for himself, and he will do whatever it takes to reach and accomplish them.”

CO

DY L

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15february sports

paladin

lindsey weixelman

madeline engel

5

infographic by sean doyle; photos by emily baudouin and marcella brooks

Boys Swimvs. GWAL

@ TBD

Wrestling vs. Southeast

@Southeast, 7 p.m.

FR

IDA

Y 8

MO

ND

AY 11

TH

UR

DA

Y

Boys, GirlsBasketball

vs. Northwest@ KMC, 6 p.m.

Bowlingvs. Northwest@TBD, 4 p.m.

12

FR

IDA

Y Boys, GirlsBasketball

vs. Bishop Carroll@Bishop Carroll, 6 p.m.

TU

ES

DA

Y 16

Boys, Girls Basketball vs. South @KMC6 p.m.

18

TH

UR

SD

AY

FR

IDA

Y 19Boys, Girls Basketball

vs. East @ KMC, 6 p.m.

SA

TU

RD

AY 20

Boys Swim State @ TBD, 8 a.m.

TU

ES

DA

Y 23

Bowling vs. Collegiate

@TBD, 3:30 p.m.

25

TH

UR

SD

AY

Boys, GirlsBasketball

vs. Heights@Heights, 6 p.m.

crusader sports calendar

SA

TU

RD

AY 13

Wrestling GWAL @ Heights8 a.m.

BowlingGWAL JV

Tournament TBD, 2:30 p.m.

Boys, GirlsBasketballvs. North@ KMC, 6 p.m.

paladin

16 sports february

BAILEY BUERbysports editor

Chips crunching, fans shouting, laughter bouncing off the walls – all are noises one may hear during a party for what is called the biggest football game of the year, the Super Bowl. Some watch for the game. Others find entertainment during the commercials, and some have no interest in the event at all.

According to http://www.superbowlhistory.net, the Super Bowl was created when the American Football League and National Football League merged in 1966. The first Super Bowl Championship took place in 1967. This year the Colts will be playing the Saints in Miami Feb. 7. Many football fans tune into the game no matter what teams are playing.

“If you follow football, it’s for the game,” junior Keaton Lewis said. ‘The Titans played in 2000, [and] lost in the last play. If that would have happened now I would have cried.”

Lewis said commercials lure non-football fans into watching the game.

Yearly customs create memorable Super Bowl experiences“Some are really stupid,” freshman

Phoebe Loher said. “Some are really funny to watch, and everyone puts that on their Facebook status.”

Some students, such as freshman Mari Hoffman, host parties for the game.

“We always have a big party with the same families, and we have a lot of fun hanging out together,” Hoffman said. “We usually sit downstairs and watch the game. We always have chips and dip, hamburgers, little smokies and fruit pizza.”

The amount of preparation that goes into planning the party caused Lewis’ parents to quit hosting about two years ago.

“My parents used to throw this huge Super Bowl party with like 300 people there,” Lewis said. “I think they just got tired

of it every single year – sending out all the invitations, getting all the food, cleaning the house and all that.”

Commercial watchers, football fans, chip eaters and party attendees alike may be

surprised to learn some peers do not share in the Super Bowl

experience.“I just don’t

watch it,” freshman Tony Silveira said. “I have better things to do. I’m not really

a football fan, so it doesn’t really

matter to me. We’re not a football family.”Whether one watches

the game, the commercials or does not participate at all, the Super Bowl continues to be an American tradition.

“[The Super Bowl] is what football is famous for,” Lewis said. “It is the most watched game in the United States.”

arthead and infographic by sean doyle; photo by scott southern;

information obtained by alyssa scott and madeline engel; 120 students

surveyed on Jan. 15 and Jan. 18

Three recipes to satisfy one’s football party cravingsCheesy Football

Serves: 12Ingredients:2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened1 (8 oz.) package shredded sharp cheddar cheese1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese1/2 c. Miracle Whip1/4 c. chopped green onions1/4 tsp. black pepper1 c. chopped pecans

Directions: Beat cheeses and dressing with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add onions and black pepper; mix well. Chill several hours or overnight. Form into football shape, roll in pecans. Garnish with pimento strips or roasted red pepper strips.

Basic Buffalo WingsMakes 36 appetizersIngredients:6 tblsps. of butter of margarine1/4 c. of hot sauce18 chicken wings (about 3 pounds), dis-jointed with tips discardedVegetable oil, for frying

Directions: Melt better in a small sauce pan. Add hot sauce and remove from the heat. Set aside. In a large frying pan or deep-fat fryer, heat one inch of oil to 360 degrees. Fry wings in batches, without crowding, for about 10 - 15 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Brush wings with spicy butter mixture and serve warm.

Chili Beef ExpressServes: 4Ingredients:1 lb. 95 percent lean ground beef1/4 tsp. of salt1/4 tsp. of pepper1 (15 1/2 oz.) can chili beans in chili sauce, undrained1 (14 1/2 oz.) can chili-style chunky toma-toes, undrained1 c. frozen corn

Directions: Cook ground beef in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat 10 min-utes, breaking up into 3/4 inch crumbles. Pour off drippings; season with salt and pepper. Stir in beans, tomatoes and corn; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and sim-mer 10 minutes.

recipes from http://www.cooksrecipes.com and http://www.cdkitchen.com

paladin

17february sports


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19february sports

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w

boys Opponent KMCBASKETBALL

VARSITY Southeast 12/4 83 87

West 12/8 53 64

Heights 12/11 63 57

Northwest 12/18 75 63

St. James Academy 12/19 54 60

Bishop Carroll 1/5 35 40

East 1/8 74 61

South 1/12 44 50

West 1/15 50 76

Circle 1/21 39 71

Collegiate 1/22 70 61

El Dorado 1/23 50 59

North 1/26 78 66

JV Southeast 12/4 37 55

Newton 12/7 28 69

West 12/8 62 69

Heights 12/11 58 54




East 1/8 70 63

South 1/12 34 68

West 1/15 47 57

CRUSADERscores

girls Opponent KMCBASKETBALL

VARSITY Southeast 12/4 51 39

West 12/8 26 82




East 1/8 44 39

South 1/12 21 53

West 1/15 15 50

North 1/19 68 59

Heights 1/22 64 34

JV Southeast 12/4 39 45

West 12/8 22 71




East 1/8 31 30

South 1/12 13 42

West 1/15 30 66

North 1/19 27 55

Heights 1/22 57 30

boys Opponent KMCWRESTLING VARSITY North 12/3 15 63

East 12/10 12 66

Douglas Tournament 12/12 Third

South 12/17 39 26

Raytown South Tournament 12/18 Eighth

West 1/6 22 56

Augusta Tournament 1/9 Second

Kapaun Mt. Carmel Tournament 1/16 First


boys SWIMMING

VARSITY East 12/3 96 87


North 12/10 11 83

Southeast 1/6 55 116

El Dorado Inv. 1/9 Second

South 1/14 122 54

Heights 1/21 55 39

Opponent KMC

2

1

Wrestling defeats Carroll after several years of loss

DYLAN ROGERSONby

The Kapaun Mt. Carmel wrestling team celebrated in victory against Bish-op Carroll Jan. 21 for the first time in 12 years.

The KMC started off well, winning three of the first four matches of the dual.

“We felt fairly good going into the dual,” senior Dylan Matheny said. “We are solid through the entire team.”

Senior Jona-than Truman won his match in the 189 weight class which left the score 27-34, with Carroll in the lead.

With only two matches left it was important that KMC win both in order to win the dual.

Carroll had only one other com-petitor for the evening giving KMC six points for an open spot. Unfortunately for Matheny, whose season record is currently 29-1, he received the only bye of the evening.

“I was a little frustrated,” Matheny said. “It shows tremendous respect that they didn’t want to take their chances against me, but I still wanted to wres-tle.”

This left the score 33-34, with Car-roll barely hanging onto the lead and junior Joe McCormick the final com-petitor of the night in the heavy weight

class. McCormick was competing against Carroll’s John Morgan; neither wrestler would be considered a ‘normal’ heavy weight wrestler, as neither of them weighed over 250 pounds.

The match was close; in fact, Mc-Cormick was down by three points until he caught Morgan on his back. KMC won with a final score 39-34.

The win against Carroll only adds to the team’s suc-cess which in-cludes winning its home tournament Jan. 16.

“I was really happy [that we won] because I knew it was go-ing to be a tough, tough match,” sophomore Chase Upchurch said.

“Our coaches pushed us to make us work harder.”

The team practiced a week more than it usually would to prepare for the match against Carroll.

“Most people won matches that they normally would not have,” junior Tyler Dryden said. “Our coaches were all ecstatic about the victory. They were jumping up and down.”

The team has more competitions this year including City League Feb. 13 at Heights and state March 5 and 6 at the new downtown Intrust Bank Arena.

“We need to finish top in City and do well at state; beating Carroll was one of the first steps, now we just need to go the next few steps,” Matheny said.

team BOWLING VARSITY Bishop Carroll 1/9 Eigth Sixteenth

Southeast 1/14 1880 1970

West 1/21 1702 2035

Girls Boys

additional reporting by alyssa scott

“Most people won matches that they normally would not have. Our coaches were ecstatic about the victory. They were jumping up and down. ”junior TYLER DRYDEN

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