September 2010 Paladin

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NEWS 5 OPINIONS 10 SPORTS 20 STUDENT 16 LIFE culture shock Foreign students have new experiences in America, page 12 New law passed to reduce local graffiti has negative im- pact on student artists. Students review hot dog establishments around Wichita. Senior Leslie Carrillo competes in state, national pageants. As Homecoming approaches, students share their favorite parts of the festivities.

description

The newsmagazine of Kapaun Mt. Carmel Catholic High School.

Transcript of September 2010 Paladin

Page 1: September 2010 Paladin

NEWS5

OPINIONS10

SPORTS20

STUDENT16 LIFE

culture shock

Foreign students havenew experiences in America, page 12

New law passed to reduce local graffiti has negative im-pact on student artists.

Students review hot dog establishments around Wichita.

Senior Leslie Carrillo competes in state, national pageants.

As Homecoming approaches, students share their favorite parts of the festivities.

Page 2: September 2010 Paladin

news briefs by alyssa scott

‘Pigskins for Peanut Butter’[ drive

scheduled

Students are asked to bring peanut butter to the varsity football game against Bishop Carroll Oct. 8. The peanut butter will be donated to Catholic Charities and this is a COTY event. The goal is to collect 1,700 jars of peanut butter at the game. Catholic Charities is asking for peanut butter specifically because it is a high-protein food that is not donated enough.

2010 Homecoming court announced

The 2010 Homecoming court was announced Sept. 14.

King candidates are seniors David Auer, Jacob Ewers, Spencer Rotolo-Utz, Juan Salgado, Tom Wittler and Ryan Zwick. Queen candidates are seniors Bailey Buer, Leslie Carillo, Cabrini Ferraro, Katie Kempf, Brooke Poelstra and Margo Weninger.

The Homecoming court will perform a dance at the pep rally Sept. 24. Practices for the pep rally began Sept. 15. The Homecoming

king and queen will be announced at the football game Sept. 24.

Seniors recognized by National Merit

CorporationSeniors Seamus Bann,

Andrew Betzen and Jacob Ewers were recognized as National Merit semi-finalists. Seniors Emily Lutz, Chandler Puritty and Matthew Reidl were named National Merit Commended Scholars. These students were awarded based on their PSAT scores from last year. A score of 211 or above was necessary to be a semi-finalist and Commended Scholars were required to score between 200 and 210.

Students attend the Back to School Dance

After Fall Fest on Aug. 27, students attended the Back to School Dance. The dance was held in the newly finished gym. Unlike previous years, the dance was a sock hop in an effort to protect the new gym floors. Approximately 350 students attended.

2 news september

paladin journalism.kapaun.org

NEWS briefs

anna gonzalez

SHOWING HIS APPROVAL OF THE NEW GYM, Fr. Aaron Spexarth gives a thumbs-up at the first All-school Mass Aug. 26. “Having Mass in the new gym was awesome because it was something so new,” Fr. Spexarth said. “It was the first of something that is going to be happening for a long time. We put a lot of planning into it. We had to set a precedent.”

infographic by bea tretbar

Page 3: September 2010 Paladin

Recent plans to build an Islam-ic Worship Center two blocks from Ground Zero have caused controversy.

According to Imam Abdul Rauf and the American Society for Mus-lim Advancement, the worship cen-ter’s initiative is to regain an “atmo-sphere of interfaith tolerance and respect” in “Muslim-West relations.”

According to a poll done by CNN/Opinion Research Cor-poration, 70 percent of Ameri-cans oppose plans for the center.

“I think the majority of Sept. 11 victim’s families would take of-fense (to the Islamic worship cen-ter),” Colonel Pam Simonitsch said.

Many supporters and opponents rallied near the site on the anniver-sary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attack.

“I don’t like the idea of a mosque being put there, but they have the right to put it wherever,” American Gov-ernment teacher David Roberts said.

Because it is on private property, there is no legal problem with build-

Worship center plans cause controversyHALSTEN HIGGINSbystaff writer

Combat troops come home, war in Iraq winding down

paladinjournalism.kapaun.org

3september news

ing the $100 million center there.“Although they have legal right to

build whatever they’d like, it’s probably not a good idea,” history teacher Kurt Sher-ry said. “It will generate controversy.”

Speaking at the Pentagon on the Sept. 11 anniversary, President Barack Obama stated that “It was not a religion that attacked us that September day. It was Al Qaeda, a sorry band of men which perverts religion,” according to U.S. News.

Not only will the center include a prayer space for Muslims, but also for other religions, as well as a Sept. 11 memorial. In addition, Rauf said the center will also revive Manhattan.

“It’s ridiculous that people think (Rauf) shouldn’t build it,” junior Joe Cummings said. “They didn’t destroy the World Trade Center.”

Support from leaders like Obama and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg reinstate Rauf’s right to build.

“It’s America’s obligation to de-fend the right of unpopular minori-ties,” Sherry said. “It is American principle to defend the rights of peo-ple, even if we find them appalling.”

information obtained by katie hand, hillary sevart; infographic by victoria gilliam; photos by anna gonzalez

SURROUNDED BY CONTROVERSY, plans to build an Islamic center blocks away from Ground Zero arouse many different public view points. While some petition for freedom of religion, others fear the Mosque is disrespectful to those who were killed in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attack.

katie hand

Page 4: September 2010 Paladin

1. “I want to start a crochet club. It would be silly and fun.”2. “I made my brother’s wedding cake when I was a senior in high school.”

3. “I went on the road with a band named ‘Fire and Rain.’ I also perform music every week professionally.”4. “I love to scrapbook.”

5. “I am a huge Cowboys and Wildcats fan.”6. “I have done a substantial amount of subbing the last four years.”

7. “In between years of being largely a journalist, I had teaching stints in the Philippines.” 8. “I drink rooseterdew-nilla. It is one third rooster booster slush, and two thirds diet mountain dew with a squirt of vanilla.”

information obtained by alyssa scott; arthead by maddie sleconich; photos by brian norris, scott southern, mattie lonergan

Which new teacher said it?

Derek CochranGeometry,

Standards Based Math

Annie LefebvreFrench I, Spanish I

Maria ButlerEnglish I, III

Lynn MillerDebate

Linda PonceFreshman Chemistry

Tony BrandtSalvation History, Morality, PLS

A. B. C.

D. E.

F. G. H.

Kerry BeachChemistry

Emma DiskinParenting, Foods,

Child Development

4 news september

paladin journalism.kapaun.org

Answers will be posted on journalism.kapaun.org Sept. 28 The first five people to bring the correct answers to room 215 will win a prize!

Page 5: September 2010 Paladin

$290,954. According to http://wichita.gov, that is the amount of money the Cen-tral Inspection Department spent in 2009 to remove graffiti in Wichita. This does not include city parks and buildings or graffiti removed by owners.

When drawing on a bathroom stall or etching a name into a playground slide, one may not think about these conse-quences. In order to change this, Wichita passed a law on Aug. 24, stating that graf-fiti tools such as wide-tipped markers and spray paint may not be brought on or within 100 feet of public property.

“It shouldn’t really be a problem unless you’re publicly waving spray paint around, but then you’re just asking for trouble,” se-nior Matt Fey said.

If found with these items in public ar-eas, the carrier can be fined $250 to $1,000 and may also serve time in jail for up to six months. In a story in the Wichita Eagle local officers said they are only targeting “graffiti artists.”

“I find the term ‘graffiti artist’ to be up for discussion,” art teacher Lori Sprague

Law bans local youth from having graffiti supplies within 100 feet of public propertyEMMA KAISERby

staff writersaid. “I think most of them aren’t artists, just delinquents.”

Some have concerns about what the new law means for artists using these tools for their own creations.

“I always carry Sharpies for my art and if I’m caught with them I hope it doesn’t look like I’m automatically guilty,” junior Emily Loy said.

Local officers interviewed by the Eagle said they still must have probable cause to search a minor’s backpack, or accuse a public artist of commit-ting vandalism.

This law also prohibits the sell-ing of potential graffiti tools to anyone under the

age of 18. “If I need spray paint for a stenciling or

a canvas I can’t get it in a convenient manner anymore,” Loy said.

Fey said he thinks that many will just have their parents or older friends buy it for them.

At Kapaun Mt. Carmel, graffiti costs have been minimal.

“We are very blessed to only have oc-casional graffiti in the restrooms that we can remove [easily],” Principal David Kehres said. “The most common medium we find is

permanent markers.”Even though KMC has not had a signifi-

cant problem with graffiti, the city of Wichita has. According to the Eagle, many of the graffiti around Wichita has been done by gangs, marking their territory and warning other gangs.

“Unfortunately, we live in a society that is a valid place for laws against graffiti art,” Sprague said. “It can be a very beautiful means of expression, but there are always people that will make us have to regulate that.”

WITH THE NEW GRAFFITI LAW IN EFFECT, people under the age of 18 will need a parent or guardian present when purchasing wide-tipped markers, spray paint, and other grafitti supplies. The law, passed Aug. 24, also bans these materials from being within 100 feet of public property.

junior EMILY LOY“ “If I need spray paint for

a stenciling or a canvas I can’t get it in a convenient manner anymore.

paladinjournalism.kapaun.org

5september news

a minor problemphoto illustration by tiana chin

photo illustration by brian norris

Page 6: September 2010 Paladin

HILLARY SEVARTbynews editor

School and national ACT averages rise; students prepare for college entrance test

After walking the same crowded halls for countless eight-hour days, it can become easy to picture oneself on a beautiful college campus. Instead of al-gebra homework, one begins to dream about dorm room color schemes and decorations. One aspect of preparing for college is missing from this sce-nario. Before students can make a list of college essentials, they must pass an unpopular but vital test: the ACT.

“Standardized tests give an objec-tive view of all students compared to one another,” counselor Liana Torkel-son said. “Colleges need something like that because all schools are different. It is the ‘grade equalizer.’”

According to the official ACT web-site, the ACT was taken by nearly 1.6 million students last year, 209 of them Kapaun Mt. Carmel seniors. The nation-al average score, currently at 21 out of 36, is down from what it was three years ago but is steadily rising.

“I think the average score is where it should be,” junior Kaleb Mueller said. “Everyone is smart in their own way and scores higher in different areas. I think this score shows this and repre-sents many students’ abilities.”

The KMC average cumulative score of 24 is also up. KMC’s average score in each area tested on the ACT was above the national average. The average scores in Spring 2010 were 24 in English and reading and 23 in math and science.

“Everybody is pleased that the scores are going up,” Torkelson said. “Students really are taking more and more rigorous curriculum and when they do that they get better test scores.”

Along with taking challenging classes, another method to raise scores is to take the test more than one time. Torkelson recommends that students take the test at least twice, once in the spring of their junior year and once in the fall of senior year. According to http://act.org, 55 percent of test-takers increased their composite score the

second time they tested. Senior Molly Suellentrop is one student who noticed an improvement.

Suellentrop has taken the test twice. She said she did not study at all before she took it last December. To prepare for the second test, she stud-ied every day for two weeks with an ACT preparation booklet. Suellentrop’s score increased four points the second time she took the test.

“I felt a lot more confident on than second test than I did on the first,” Suel-lentrop said. “I was a lot more prepared. When I got my scores I was so excited. I was hoping that my score raised a little but I wasn’t expecting that much of an increase.”

Like Suellentrop, Torkelson has seen scores increase due to practice. She recommends that students prepare

by taking practice tests.

“ S t u d e n t s go in cold turkey without doing sample problems,” Torkelson said. “If they don’t go over sample tests, they will be caught off

guard.”Junior Arisa Shaw is just beginning

the college entrance test process. She plans to take the ACT for the first time this spring. She said that the first step will be to get a practice book from her counselor.

“My mom’s job is to help people prepare for tests and study, so she will help me,” Shaw said. “I’m probably go-ing to be pretty nervous when I take the test, even if I am prepared. Hopefully I can score in the mid-20s my first time.”

According to http://collegeboard.com, standardized tests scores are im-portant, but are not the only thing that colleges look at. A low score will not ruin a student’s chances of being ac-cepted and a high score will not guaran-tee admittance.

“There was one student I know of who got a perfect score,” Torkelson said. “He became overconfident and applied to Harvard. He didn’t get it. It goes to show that schools are looking for the ‘package person’– someone with good grades, leadership and service to others. Good test scores alone will not get you in.”

counselor LIANA TORKELSON

“ “Students are taking more and more rigorous cur-riculum and when they do that they get better scores.

6 news september

paladin journalism.kapaun.org

arthead and infographic by bea tretbar

Page 7: September 2010 Paladin

please patronize our paladin advertisers

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7september news

Page 8: September 2010 Paladin

EDITOR IN CHIEFkatie gilbaughDESIGN EDITORSbeatrice tretbar, maddie sleconichMANAGING EDITOR/ FEATURE EDITORbailey buerWEB EDITOR/ CIRCULATION MANAGERmadeline engelCOPY EDITORerika reals PHOTO EDITORbrian norrisWEB PHOTO EDITORscott southernBUSINESS MANAGER/ ASST. DESIGN EDITORvictoria gilliamNEWS EDITORhillary sevartSTUDENT LIFE EDITORmatt riedlOPINIONS EDITORemily lutzSPORTS EDITORrachel whiteASST. NEWS EDITORalyssa scottASST. FEATURE EDITORmelissa hernandezASST. SPORTS EDITORkatie handSTAFF WRITERSemma kaiser, halsten higginsSTAFF PHOTOGRAPHERStiana chin, anna gonzalez, zach holland, mattie lonergan, alex scobee, emily wittler, sydney ain, juan espinosa, christopher evers, crystal klaichang, melissa mckinney, maggie stout, kasey weixelmanADVISERashley 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

After a year of construction trucks blocking off parking spaces, sharing lunchtime in the commons with the sounds of jackhammers and breaking concrete and wondering when the inconveniences would end, finally the Coach Herm and Jackie Bachrodt A t h l e t i c Complex is finished. This is all due to the hard work of several members in the Kapaun Mt. Carmel c o m m u n i t y .

A m o n g those who donated money, Herm Bachrodt and his family are much appreciated. Although he passed away before its dedication or completion, the new gym bears his name in thanks of his generosity.

Others who are to thank for the completion of Phase III are President Mike Burrus, Bishop Michael Jackels, Superintendent Bob Voboril and those on the Major Gifts Council, which aided in soliciting money.

The new athletics complex includes the gym, Crusader VIP room, concession stand, spirit store, weights room, referee locker rooms, boys and girls locker rooms, storage rooms, wrestling room and renovations to the old gym lobby and bathrooms.

LETTERfrom the editor

Dear PALADIN readers,

The start of a new school year is always exciting. Energy is felt throughout the hallways and seen in the faces of freshmen ready for a new experience.

The same can be said for the first issue of the Paladin. With the first deadlines of the year come a sort of chaos that cannot be replicated in any other class. Yet, throughout the craziness of the first month, the “first day of school” excitement remains.

The same can be said of many other fall clubs, sports and activities. Students throughout KMC are finding ways to stay involved.

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 Gilbaugh, Editor in Chief

In addition to the indoor facilities, a newly resurfaced track and turf football field were included in the renovations.

The new complex is architecturally engineered to make students happy by way of more windows, Burrus said. Burrus gave an example of a student

c h o o s i n g between KMC and Carroll. She chose KMC because of the large amount of windows.

The entire student body, teachers and administrators

can fit on the bleachers on one side of the gym and the end zones.

Fr. Aaron Spexarth said there was a strong sense of unity at the first All-school Mass. Because there were fewer distractions, the focus was more on the Mass and less on the discomfort of wood bleachers.

With the new additions to the school, everything seems more professional. Yes, this is a high school, but KMC’s accomplishments merit something worthy of our reputation for excellence. With both the facilities and academics of something much more than a high school, KMC strives to exceed expectations. As one visitor put it, “Welcome to Kapaun Mt. Carmel University.”

PALADINeditorial

cover by beatrice tretbar

katie hand

Phase III construction improves KMC facilities

8 opinions september

“ “Yes, this is a high school, but KMC’s accomplish-ments merit something worthy of our reputation for excellence.

paladin journalism.kapaun.org

Page 9: September 2010 Paladin

902-902. It’s a close vote and a scary thought. Aug. 3, Butler County made history in the Republican prima-ry ballot when of the three open county commissioner seats, two ran unopposed and the third candidate won his spot by a coin toss. Yes, a coin toss.

Voting is vitally important. I hear it in school, read it in magazines and am told so by my parents on a regular basis. The rest of America hears that mes-sage about as often. Yet, about half of those who are able to vote, do not. I tell myself I will always get out and vote when I am 18, even for an election many may say is inconse-quential. Will I though? It seems important now, but will watching football, eat-ing fries or running get in the way?

It could, but after seeing this tie, my mind is set. For weeks before, I heard my dad talk about candidates. The first, who won the coin toss, has held the po-sition of representing District 5 since 2004. He will run unopposed by a Dem-ocrat on the November general election ballot. The defeated Republican candi-date has the following credentials; he is

22 years of age, has no college educa-tion and stocks shelves for a living.

I applaud the 1,804 people who did vote, but what about the other thou-sands within that district who did not? They are at fault just as much as every person who does not vote in a national election. So much time is spent on shar-ing opinions about candidates and what

they stand for, and it seems everyone has an opinion. If everyone has an opinion, then why does not everyone vote? It would seem to make sense that if you cannot inconve-nience yourself to go and vote, then do not inconvenience others who have to hear about how your candidate lost.

A vote does make a dif-ference. Yes, this particular example was a county primary and not one for the next presi-

dent. What could the consequences have been though had the coin landed on the other side? What will happen when an important issue is put to bal-lot and it is a tie because you were too busy watching a movie to vote? Those are a lot of questions and it is up to each of us to answer them. It seems silly, im-plausible and far-fetched, but so does a 902-902 vote in a county primary.

EMILY LUTZopinions editor

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YOUR turn- - - - - - - - - - -- ------

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->- -How do you feel about the grading scale change?Tie in Butler election prompts editor to vote

JACK cantelesenior

I don’t like it at all because it’s trying to even ev-erybody out. It’s like cheating us and lowering our stan-dards and expecta-tions.

MATTHEW ayresjunior

It does lower the standards of KMC, because in the past we’ve been so tough. But it also makes us more competitive for scholarships

““

HANNAH bongerssophomore

I wish they were in effect last year but I definitely support it. Basically, it’s saving my life.

“ “

KATIE kaiserfreshman

As a freshman coming in, I think it will really help me because I’m just getting used to all my honors classes.

Parents. They are just not funny like us.

Who likes rap music? That’s good! It appeals to most

upper class white children.

Why would you want a flu shot? It’s warm outside!

I feel like a little midget is biting my calf and it really

hurts.

9september opinions

paladinjournalism.kapaun.org

Things heard around the halls at KMC...

illustration by Jordan Bohm

information obtained by Halsten Higgins

Page 10: September 2010 Paladin

As I pulled up to Sonic, it was impossible to ignore the many posters advertis-ing the footlong quarter pound coney. Aside from

huge posters of the coney, there are multiple pictures on each of

the menus. Of course, how could I not buy this “limited time” coney?

For only $2.99, I would get 810 calories of hot dog, chili and cheese. It also came with a side of either tater tots or onion rings. To drink, I ordered the cherry limeade. As usual they overloaded the Route 44 cup with too much Sonic ice, leaving less room for delicious beverage.

When the meal was brought to my car, I was astounded. How could I ever eat that much food? The hot dog was noth-ing new, but the chili topping was delicious. Among my complaints were the amount of cheese add-ed on top of the chili and the size.

I would return to Sonic for their onion rings and chicken strips, but I would not order the footlong quarter pound co-ney again.

A newly constructed red building stands on 37th street

across from Pacific Coast Pizza with an interesting name, Linkhaus. Its odd ap-pearance and name seemed to fit the char-acter of the restaurant.

Walking in, I saw eight plasma televisions

on the red walls. Above these was written in cursive, “Wichita’s Fin-est Brauts.” The dining area had almost an outdoor feel because of the tall windows and ceilings.

Friendly Linkhaus employees explained the procedure as I pe-rused the menus displayed on three plasma screens. The gourmet hot dogs, including ones such as Tropic Thunder and South of the Border, are made with fresh ingredients and come with a side of per-fectly seasoned tots.

A Chicago Dog, tater tots and a drink came up to be a total of about $8 with tax. Once it arrived, it looked more like a piece of fancy art rather than classic American food. The combination of cherry to-matoes, relish, mustard, ketchup, white onions, sport peppers and a pickle on a juicy hot dog with a poppy seed bun were perfectly ar-ranged on the tray but were also a very tasty combination for my taste buds. Although not cheap, the experi-ence is worth a couple extra bucks. Also offered are free refills for those eco-friendly cups. They truly have Wichita’s fin-est brauts.

Four local and chain hot dog shops reviewed, three deemed satisfactory

Formerly Let’s Be Frank, this hot dog heaven starts off fresh with a new location and a new name, ...And the Wiener is.

The simple white walls are deco-rated with scattered pieces of artwork, but the p l a c e still has its former character, for example, a chair shaped like a hand sits next to the register. The place is small and easy to miss, nestled between two other businesses directly across from East.

The menu is packed with delicious hot dog choices, anything ranging from the Classic Dog to the Thai Dog are available. The hot dogs are also very affordable, and you can add a drink for just $1.

Service was fair, and the dogs were brought out in a timely manner. The music choice was particularly appealing, set on a playlist that included The Shins and The Postal Service.

Unfortunately, the lighting was too dim and the hot dog was terribly difficult to eat, as it falls apart as you take

a bite. Due to the messiness of the meal, it is definitely not a place I would go

to on a date, but rather just to have a chill lunch with friends.

Several times it has hap-pened that a restau- rant I reviewed for the Pal-adin went out of business right before my review was pub-lished. I hoped this would not be the case for D o g - N - S h a k e , which started in Wichita in 1948.

Driving up to the iconic yellow and orange Dog-N-Shake sign, I was expecting a hot dog worthy of a restaurant which has lasted more than five decades. The restaurant had a traditional “mom and pop” feel, and a definite retro vibe. As I ordered, I noticed several op-tions for toppings on hot dogs. I chose the classic chili dog, complete with mustard, relish and onions.

Dog-N-Shake is not only known for their hot dogs, but also for their shakes. One can choose from a variety of flavors, my favorite being the traditional chocolate.

When I received my food, I noticed it looked just like any other fast food hot dog. Pushing away disappointment, I lifted up the dog to take a bite. I was surprised by a toasted bun that made a usually boring hot dog exciting.

The prices were inexpensive and the food about average. I would visit Dog-N-Shake again, only

for the fact that the butter-toasted bun made the meal memorable.

10 opinions september

paladin journalism.kapaun.org

erika reals

erika reals

katie gilbaugh

katie gilbaugh

photo illustrations by bea tretbar; photos by erika

reals, katie gilbaugh, emily wittler, tiana chin

Page 11: September 2010 Paladin

While public schools are finding ways to improve themselves, such as hiring qualified teachers, improving test scores and gradu-ation rates, and providing greater innovation in the curriculum, we have lowered our standards on the grading scale. Last year an “A” would have been considered a 93 percent and above. This year that grade will be easier to obtain at a 92 percent, and an “F” will also be more difficult to receive. Many of the students are celebrating, but

the truth is that although the change is small, it could have a big impact on our performance.

I feel the new grading scale has lowered standards and expectations for students. Previous students have lived through the old grading scale, so why are we not being held to the same standards? Why has the bar been

set lower for us? We have the potential to continue achieving As and Bs at the prior grade numbers; there is no reason to ‘dumb down’ the grading scale.

I know many times I have caught myself saying, “Well that would have been an ‘A’ in a public school.” I remind myself that I am not in a public school, I am at Kapaun Mt. Carmel, where the grading scale is more challenging. This is no longer true and the grading scale could now be considered unstable. Not only could the change lead many of us students to slack off, but we may also find ourselves putting less effort into out schoolwork under the false pre-tense that we can pull that grade back up. Motivation to do our best could be lost and our work ethic could be hurt.

KMC is known for its rigorous academics and its Cum Laude program. We have quality teachers, great facilities and all the tools needed to become successful. KMC is also known for “raising the bar” when it comes to academics. The previous grading scale encour-aged students to work hard in order to achieve high grades, which we are capable of doing. Although KMC is still outstanding, I feel it has lost faith in us.

From your grade school days the matter has been discussed with public school friends. Who hasn’t stammered, “90 percent? That’s still an ‘A’?”, or “51 percent - you passed a class with a 51 per-cent?” Since elementary school, we, the product of parochial schools, have lamented all that is unjust in the world, especially that Catholic school grading scale - A, 100 - 93, B, 92 - 85, C, 84 - 78, D, 77 - 70, F, 69 and below. There is reason to rejoice, oppressed student body. With this year’s changes in the Kapaun Mt. Carmel grading system, the scales are tipping your way.

In its defense, the old scale held students to a high- if not too high- stan-dard. This harsher scale, however, puts KMC students at a disadvantage when

applying to colleges. Students at KMC compete with pub-lic school students for scholarships and admissions. Colleges don’t compare grading systems between schools, but look instead at

students’ GPAs. Two students, one from East and one

from KMC, earn 90 percent in all classes; the student from KMC will receive a 3.5 GPA where-

as the student from East will receive a 4.0. The new grading scale will help to make these college admissions more fair to KMC students.

Parents, oftentimes, only look at a student’s letter grades and not at percentages. The revised grading scale should help both stu-dents and parents reduce stress at home.

The revised system will continue to hold KMC students to a higher standard compared to the public school system. School is meant to be difficult but not impossible.

The new system should help students get more sleep and drink less caffeine battling essays into the wee hours of the morning. Hope-fully, mom and dad can relax, and colleges can love KMC students that much more. Hopefully, we won’t get just that much lazier, and a more lax grading scale at KMC really is a great idea for students, parents and colleges.

Female vampire fixation questioned, critiqued

MELISSA HERNANDEZasst. feature editor

Grading scale changes bring about mixed opinions from student population

11september opinions

paladinjournalism.kapaun.org

Sharp teeth, pale skin, Edward Cullen - oh my! If it is not already evident, the vam-pire phenomenon of the last decade has teenage girls in a frenzy. Between the books, movies and TV shows, it is vir-tually impossible to elude their blood-sucking presence in the media.

When the Twilight series became a hit, girls around the country took down their Brad Pitt posters and replaced them with portraits of the one and only Robert Pattinson. Believe it or not, I would definitely pre-fer a tanned Brad to Robert’s pale skin.

KATIE HANDasst. sports editor

EMMA KAISERstaff writer

The Vampire Diaries is about to launch its second season on TV. I have fallen victim

to this engrossing show. I even read the books. As I began to re-alize more and more that most of the vampire books follow the same basic outline, I enjoyed them less and less. They all involve a human damsel in distress stupid enough to fall madly in love with someone of the supernatural nature. It sad-dens me greatly to see girls idoliz-ing Bella Swan from Twilight. The character has zero friend-making skills and no personality whatso-ever.

As for the blood-sucking aspect of vam-

pires, I am still searching for an explanation as to why this is an attractive trait. For some reason, I am not particularly interested in having my body drained of blood.

Vampires have definitely become the current “trend,” such as Silly Bandz or Sper-rys. Hopefully, as the Twilight series comes to an end, this new fad will as well.

If you have covered yourself in glitter and donned Halloween fangs for a midnight premiere or have posters of blood-sucking movie stars wallpapering your room, I have nothing against you. To each his own, but I still have yet to discover the intrigue found in the pale, century-old characters that want nothing more than to sink their teeth into my flesh.

Page 12: September 2010 Paladin

A typical American teenager may practice a sport every day, attend a club regularly or participate in a play. It is a social norm to look another in the eye and not surprising to see a passerby wearing jeans at his knees. Teachers do not hit students nor take it personally when homework is incomplete. School gets out be-

fore 9 p.m., and not everything is in walk-ing distance. For foreign students, new experiences like these are everywhere.

“I wanted to learn English, and I want-ed to learn culture and how the Americans

live,” sophomore Tom Kim, who came to Kapaun Mt. Carmel last year said. “I wanted

to try their culture and all the stuff. You can see all the culture through the TV or news, but you don’t really know unless you are there.”

Other current students came for the edu-cation and adventure. Senior Suyoung Han, also known as Elizabeth, sophomore Tom Kim and freshman Sally Lee are from Korea and live with host mother Peggy Schoenhofer. Senior Bao Nguyen, from Vietnam and junior Su Yeon Hwang from Korea, also known as Annie, live with other host parents.

Schoenhofer said she helps her students with school, keeping the faith, learning the cul-ture and advice. She has also taken them on several road trips to places such as Kansas City and Oklahoma City.

“The thing I stress to them is they came here to learn to American way,” Schoenhofer said. “They are here to integrate. I’ll forget they’re Korean. I really feel honored to be trusted with them.”

Schoenhofer refers to herself as their “American mom.” All her students’ parents attend church together in Korea, so students come to live with her by referral.

“I think what you do to my brethren you do to me,” Schoenhofer said. “I was in an orphan-age, so I know what it’s like to be at people’s

BAILEY BUERbyfeature editor

paladin journalism.kapaun.org

12 feature september

Students go through

several steps to be admitted to the country

and KMC

Peggy Schoenhofer is a host mother of several foreign students. Most of her students’ parents go to church together and recommend her to each other. She said she has senior Suyong Han’s mother check the potential students

out to make sure he or she is a good addition.

Acceptance Process

design by bea tretbar; photos by brian norris and scott southern; photos provided by peggy schoenhofer

Page 13: September 2010 Paladin

senior SUYOUNG HAN

“ “The first time it’s hard to make eye contact because I think they’re reading my mind or my thoughts, but I know it’s a manner here.

mercy. It’s not a good feeling. I kind of relate to them when they feel alone. I try to make them feel as comfortable as possible. They have a lot to be thankful for and they know it.”

In Korea, school runs from 7 a.m. - 9 p.m. during the week and some students have weekend tutors. Kim said there is not time to play sports or join clubs because there is so much pressure to study. He is now playing on the Crusader football team. Han said she was surprised when she saw students who were also good athletes in America.

“Education -- that is the purpose I came here,” Yeon said. “I think the education is much better than Korea. I like when it’s short because forcing them to study, if they don’t feel like it they won’t want to study. I would be sick of it. In Korea they grade first place, second place. They’re re-ally competitive. Some if I ask to borrow notes, some will let me. Some will lie to me and say, ‘I don’t have notes.’”

The academic style in Korea did not suit Han.

“In Korea if you don’t do homework you get punished and no one likes that,” Han said. “I didn’t want to get used to that. Here, if you don’t do homework it’s your own bad. In Korea they would hit you, and they think it’s disrespectful. It makes you not want to do it.”

According to the students, America is full of differences. In fact, many saw no simi-larities. Sally Lee said she thought things such as parties and youths driving cars were cool. Nguyen said he likes the challenge of going somewhere new and discovering things.

“American people do really well about expressing how they feel,” Han said. “In our culture we don’t tell. We expect others to know how we feel. It’s a good and bad thing. When some other kid understands you, you feel con-nected and impressed, and if they don’t you

feel disappointed. American people are really good about it. They say ‘I’m sorry,’ and ‘I love you.’ Whenever we talk, we don’t make eye contact. The first time it’s hard to make eye contact because I think they’re reading my mind or my thoughts, but I know it’s a manner here. If I’m not, they might think I’m lying. I don’t feel like I’m talking to a human be-ing because they look so different.”

All students said they miss their families, but keep in touch at least once a week. Another thing that was hard for some to deal with was different food. Many were nervous to come over here, especially due to the language differ-ence.

“I think I’m having a hard time with religion,” Lee said. “Whenever I read the Bible, I read again and again, but it doesn’t stick in my mind.”

Through learn-ing the culture, lan-guage and quirks of America, the stu-dents have mostly enjoyed their expe-

riences and recall some funny moments. “Our house mother gives me many

point of views,” Han said. “I still have problems with American expressions. She will give me a straight explanation. I remember I was really shocked when I saw a guy wearing his pants at his knees. The first time my little sister saw it, she asked loudly ‘Why is he showing his un-derwear?’ House mom explained things right there.”

Overall the students said they have had a positive experience in America.

“I like the challenge,” Nguyen said. “I like to go somewhere and discover things. I’m trying everything.”

paladinjournalism.kapaun.org

13september feature

The student must get a visa and pass a test. Most students have an I-20 Visa. According to http://travel.state.gov, the student must have a place to stay in the country, plan on leaving the country after completing studies and have the money in order to obtain the visa.

Schoenhofer said the students

go to meet an embassy

counselor who asks them

questions they must reply to in

English. Some have to redo this process.

Page 14: September 2010 Paladin

Students speak about new experiences, future dreams, opinions on Korea

14 feature september

paladin journalism.kapaun.org

President Mike Burrus said the process for a foreign student to be accepted at KMC is different. “[The Catholic school office] processes the immigration papers,” Burrus said. “We require the student to be Catholic, the family they are with to have some connection to the school, and proper immigration paper work.”

The students must stay in school in

order to keep the visa. “If they have a grade below a C, they go home and never come back,” Schoenhofer said. “It’s Korean law.”

Page 15: September 2010 Paladin

1. AFTER WINNING THE SPELLING BEE, Barfee (senior Bruce Hadley) celebrates in KMC’s production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee Sept. 15.

2. JUNIOR ROBIN HELGET carves into her “pinch pot” in Ceramics class Sept. 3. “I really enjoy working with clay in general,” Helget said. “I want to be a pastry chef when I grow up, and watching all the cake shows, I realize there’s a lot of molding involved.”

3. BEARING THE CROSS, junior Matt Ayres serves at All-school Mass Aug. 26. This was his first year to altar serve. “The day before Mass, they were asking for more servers,” Ayres said. “I had a nice seat.”

4. DOING THE “BABY FREEZE,” freshman Kody Ta breakdances at the Back to School Dance Aug. 27. Ta started breakdancing a month ago. “It’s about expressing yourself through music,” Ta said. “Everyone’s got something special inside them to release, some hidden talent.”

5. AT THE ACTIVITIES FAIR, senior Michael Schlapp participates in a Science Olympiad demonstration Aug. 25. Science Olympiad will begin their 2010 season starting in October.

zach holland

anna gonzalez

2

3tiana chin 4

zach holland 5

15september student life

paladinjournalism.kapaun.org

11emily wittler

arthead by maddie sleconich

Page 16: September 2010 Paladin

Matt in the City is a monthly column where student life editor Matt Riedl ex-plores and experiences Wichita culture firsthand, giving insight along the way.

This Labor Day, I took some time to kick back with Erika Reals, the first lucky gal selected for an outing with me for Matt in the City. The night began down-town, at the Keeper of the Plains plaza.

We then had a refreshing bike ride down by the river, which sounded like a much better idea in the daytime than at night. We ran into no trouble, but anticipating the worst, I had really buffed up at the YMCA earlier that day.

One thing is for sure: we are defi-nitely not the best bikers in the world. Neither of us actually owns a bike so we each had to borrow a bike from a friend.

I had this whole thing planned out so that we could return to the Keeper of the Plains at 9 p.m. sharp, where the Ring of Fire show happens every night. During this show, the rocks surrounding the keeper erupt in flame.

As the rocks surrounding the Keeper flamed up, I quickly ran off and went to a secret cache in the rock where earlier I had stashed three flowers. Conveniently they were still there, so I took them out and ran back down to Erika and boom! Flowers! That’s how a classy gentleman rolls. We watched the fire show, feeling the heat of the towers of flame. As soon as it had be-gun, it was over, as was our date. It seemed really short, almost as short as the fuse on a firecracker. I know had a great time and Erika seemed to be enjoying herself too. That’s what I like to call a GT (good time)!

AT THE RING OF FIRE, seniors Erika Reals and Matt Riedl end their date with a bang. “The bike ride was really chill and laid back, but the thing I remember the most was the fire show,” Reals said. “And the flowers were a nice surprise too.”

MATT RIEDLbystudent life editor

To walk down the runway, to model the dresses, to meet 52 outstanding young women – this is stuff of dreams for girls who aspire to be pageant participants. For senior Leslie Carrillo, the dream came true last June when she won the Miss Kansas Outstanding Teen title at the pageant in Pratt, Kan.

“You never really know who’s going to win,” Carrillo said. “It took a lot of ‘Mom, did I really just win that?’ for it to sink in.”

Potential pageant participants begin their quest to be Miss Kansas Outstanding Teen at the local level. Last year there were eleven local pageants in Kansas. Carrillo won Miss Wooded Hills’ Outstanding Teen. Pageant participants at the state level must have a platform they run on, and Carrillo’s was volunteering. Carrillo has recently been doing volunteer work with the Children’s Miracle Network and Strong Kids, a YMCA organization.

“My thing is just getting involved in the community, showing people that it can be something that you enjoy,” Carrillo said. “I don’t do it to be famous, to be popular or cool. I do it because I enjoy doing it and I want to share that with other people.”

Carrillo first began participating in pag-eants as soon as she was eligible for the Miss Kansas Outstanding Teen competition at 13. Her friend Megan Bushell, who was crowned Miss Kansas 2004, was her inspiration.

“I grew up watching her compete and I watched her growth through [the pag-eants],” Carrillo said. “That sparked my first interest in competing. Megan and her family have always been there.”

Carrillo won her first title as Sunflower Princess in 2004 with Bushell, and from there, her pageant career began. This year, she won her title along with Miss Kansas 2010 Lauren Werhan.

“From the first moment I met Leslie, I knew that she had more energy than two ‘normal’ people combined,” Werhan said. “Her enthusiasm is very contagious.”

Carrillo and Werhan have been making appearances together over the summer. This marks the first time Miss Outstanding Teen and Miss Kansas have regularly made ap-pearances together. Consequently, Carrillo and Werhan have bonded together as the two Misses of Kansas.

Carrillo wins Miss Kansas Outstanding Teen after several years of competing

CROWNED MISS KANSAS OUTSTANDING TEEN, senior Leslie Carrillo has her moment in the spotlight. “You just have to put it all on the table, go in and just be yourself,” Carrillo said.

“Leslie has been bright sunshine to me during this year,” Werhan said. “I am so glad that we won our titles the same year. I love her lots.”

Four weeks ago, Carrillo took her tal-ents to Orlando to participate in the Miss America’s Outstanding Teen pageant. She did not place; however, Carrillo said she is all right with that, because pageants mean more to her than just winning.

“I just wanted to meet the girls and have a good experience with it,” Carrillo said. “It’s not like I get to go back in two years; once it’s done, it’s done.”

Carrillo said she plans on taking a few years off from pageantry to go to college. In a few years, she hopes to participate in the Miss Kansas pageant, when she has more wisdom, experience and age. She said she will not forget the lessons she has learned from the pageant soon.

“I think the biggest thing that I’ve learned is that even though I’m just a 17-year-old girl from Wichita, Kansas, I can make a huge difference, and I can impact other people’s lives whether I’m aware of it or not,” Carrillo said. “That’s what the power of the crown really is. It kind of makes you feel like a superstar but at the same time you feel very humbled that people look up to you like that.”

paladin journalism.kapaun.org

16 septemberstudent life

emily wittler

cou

rtesy

of

lesl

ie c

arr

illo

Page 17: September 2010 Paladin

Previous school:The Independent SchoolBest thing about KMC: The peopleWorst thing about KMC: Longer classes

Reason for transfer: Change of envi-ronment and soccerFavorite teacher: Ms. [Ruth] Howard, because she’s very nice

Welcome to the crusadeSix juniors transfer this semester, adjust to new school

KOBI MASHNOUKPrevious school:The Independent SchoolBest thing about KMC: Block scheduleWorst thing about KMC: Uniforms

Reason for transfer: For something newFavorite subject: Physics, because it makes me think

KORI MASHNOUK

Previous school:Newton High SchoolBest thing about KMC: Meeting new peopleWorst thing about KMC: Short lunches

and passing periodsReason for transfer: Baseball and academicsFavorite lunch: Shrimp poppers

TREY NELSONPrevious school:Fortuna High School (Calif.)Best thing about KMC: The foodWorst thing about KMC: The uniforms,

he assumesMiss most about old school: My friends and teachersFavorite teacher: [Jim] Vanek

MICHAEL JACOBSPrevious school:Wichita CollegiateBest thing about KMC: Block scheduleWorst thing about KMC: UniformsMiss most about old

school: The drumline during Collegiate games

ANDREW MUNDS

information obtained by melissa hernandez; photos by brian norris

Previous school:Ilion Junior/Senior High (N.Y.)Best thing about KMC: The golf, the people and the educa-tion

Worst thing about KMC: Excessive homeworkReason for transfer: Godmother thought a Catholic school would be more structured

AALIAH GOMILION

17september student life

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infographic by maddie sleconich

Sponsor: PAT RAGLIN +

DAVID ROBERTS

President: BEA TRETBAR

(every single day)

Sponsor: KELLY DANDURANDPresident: ELLIE TOLBERD (once a week)

Sponsor: CLAIR PENNYCUFFPresident: BRIAN PETR

(every Thursday)

Sponsor: KURT SHERRY

President: STEPHEN MOORE(first Tuesday of each month)

Sponsor: ROBERT ARCHIBALD

President: KODY TA

(two Wednesdays per

month)

Sponsor: LORI SPRAGUEPresident: TBA

(first and third Wednesdays)

Sponsor: FR. AARON SPEXARTHPresident: ERIC GEORGE(before Masses)

Sponsor: JIM VANEK

President: HILLARY SEVART

(every other week)

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crusader sports

calendar

18 sports september

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Page 19: September 2010 Paladin

crusader sports

calendar

24

Homecoming-Football Game vs. West @Cess-na Stadium, 7 p.m.

29Girls Golf North High Invi tat ional @Sim Park, 1 p.m.

19september sports

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28Boys Soccer vs. Heights @ S t r y k e r Athletic Com-plex, 7 p.m.

1 Boys Foot-ball Game vs. Wichita North @Cessna Sta-dium, 7 p.m.

2 Girls Ten-nis GWAL @Wichita State University 7 p.m.

5Girls Volley-ball vs. Bish-op Carroll @KMC 5 p.m.

8Boys Foot-ball vs. Bish-op Carroll @Cessna Sta-dium, 7 p.m.

Senior Keaton Lewis has lightning speed, a phenomenal arm and the ability to make quick decisions, senior noseguard Will Hutton said.

This football season, Lewis will be Kapaun Mt. Carmel’s start-ing varsity quarterback. As a ju-nior, Lewis ran over 700 yards and received second team All-City football honors.

“For this season my personal goals are based on making first team All-city,” Lewis said. “I hope to improve as a leader and help win games.”

Lewis leads the offense, coach Dan Adelhardt said.

“He will get us in the right play,” said Adelhardt. “ When we have the ball we expect for him to put us in a position to score.”

One of seven returning se-niors, Lewis is a team leader.

“Without him it could be mass chaos,” Hutton said. “As leaders we’re striving to get the best out

of everyone, to get the team to believe in what were doing.”

Lewis will be a key player in the Homecoming game on Friday Sept. 24, Adelhardt said.

“We’re playing West, so we definitely expect to win,” Lewis said, “It’s the game right before Carroll so we’ll have an opportu-nity to prepare for that.”

A football player since middle school, Lewis played first on the freshman and junior varsity teams. Last year he shared the position of starting quarterback with Chris Hayes, class of 2010, for the first five games before becoming KMC’s regular starting quarterback.

Lewis plans to continue play-ing football in college. Currently, he is considering K-State, KU and the Airforce.

“Football is really the number one thing for me right now, “ Lew-is said. “I like competition; I hate losing and I love to win and I love the game.”

story by katie hand; photo by alex scobee; infographic by maddie sleconich

Varsity Girls Tennis Wichita Collegiate Invi-tational @Colle-giate School, 8 a.m.

25

photos by mattie lonergan, emily wittler; photo illustration by tiana chin, alex scobee, scott southern

““

Last time we played Carroll we were still figuring it out,

but now our team should be strong. I expect great

things.

sophomore HANNAH BONGERS

26

Cross Coun-try Meet @ El Dorado State Park 9:45 a.m.

9

27 30

3 4 6 7

junior BRENDAN BOMBARDIERvarsity soccer

We are going to come out hungry for a win against a quality opponent.

For more C r u s a d e r sports scores and stories, go to journal-i sm.kapaun. org!

Page 20: September 2010 Paladin

School is back in session and Home-coming is here at last. “How do I ask her? Who is going to ask me? What if she says no? What costume do I wear on Tuesday? Where should we go to eat? Is Sumo still taking reservations? Which dress looks better? Is my tie the right shade of purple?” These are just a few of the many questions students have panicked over as they count down the days until the Homecoming dance on Saturday, Sept. 25.

Science teachers Abbie Erker and Jill Fisher were in charge of helping the sopho-more Student Council members plan Home-coming. Every year, the sophomore class has the opportunity to decide the theme, decorations, music and other aspects of the dance.

Erker said her favorite part of Home-coming is the dance and the decorations.

SPIRIT WEEKSpirit Week is one of the many tradi-

tions Kapaun Mt. Carmel holds for Home-coming. It is the week before the dance, where students dress up each day accord-ing to the daily theme. The daily themes for this year included: Mirror day, Salad

Dressing Day, Decade Day, Mass Day and Super Spirit Day.

“It’s great because everyone really goes all out,” senior Liz Stasiewicz said. “Almost all of the students get involved and dress up. It gives the students a chance to express their school spirit.”PEP RALLY

During the Homecoming pep rally, held the Friday of Spirit Week, the Home-coming court candidates perform a dance for the entire student body.

“I like watching the candidates dance,” junior Laurel Lujano said. “Especially how they dress like famous couples.”

The candidates enter the assembly in pairs, with c o s t u m e s that match accordingly. Each couple takes turns throwing can-dy to the dif-ferent grades as they are announced. The pep rally is meant to

raise school spirit for the Homecoming game later that night.FOOTBALL GAME

Before every varsity game, the football team gathers to “burn” the other team.

RACHEL WHITE bysports editor

“The dance winds up the week of all the festivities,” Erker said. “You don’t have to worry about anything but tearing down decorations.”

There is a lot of individual preparation for Homecom-ing students have to worry about, sopho-more Kylie W u e s t e w a l d said. Students must determine outfits for both the dance and Spirit Week, as well as plan dates, restau-rants, groups and more.

“Homecoming means business,” Wuestewald said. “It takes a lot of effort just to get everything ready for the dance, not to mention Spirit Week.”

Students reminisce over past Homecoming experiences, anticipate this year’s festivities

20 sports september

paladin journalism.kapaun.org

sophomore KYLIE WUESTEWALD

“ “Homecoming means business. It takes a lot of effort just to get everything ready for the dance, not to mention Spirit Week.

Spirit Week

through the last

four decades

1979 - Lori No-vascone and Nel-lie Ablah pose as the “Frito Ban-ditos,” on Crazy Day. The “crazy” outfits consisted of many weird shoes, long socks, freaky glasses and wild hats.

1989 - Freshman Sean Fowler dresses as a nerd during Spirit Week. Students came to school wearing colored bell bottoms and glasses with tape in the middle.

infographic by rachel white

Page 21: September 2010 Paladin

21september sports

paladinjournalism.kapaun.org

seniors MICHAEL REYNOLDS and WILL HUTTON

““

All the excitement and the atmosphere.

junior LAUREL LUJANO

senior LIZ STASIEWICZ“

Watching the crowning at the football game and Spirit Week.

What is your favorite part of Homecoming?

“We burn a T-shirt or hat of the opposing team,” senior noseguard Will Hutton said.

Coach Dan Adelhardt said the tradition began last year when Ark City left a stocking hat and he picked it up. Since the football field was recently upgraded to turf, the team will now start a tradi-tion of burying something of their opponents in the football “cemetery” behind the track.

Seniors defensive end Michael Reynolds and Hutton said there is a lot of anticipation for the Homecoming game. The players and the coaches try not to make the game any different than the others.

“We do not want it to be a distraction,” Reyn-olds said. “The only difference with the Home-coming game is we have a lot more fans.”

Adelhardt said he wants his players not to get distracted and work hard.

“You are going to remember this game if you win, so let’s take care of business,” Adelhardt said.

The Homecoming game for this year will be against West. KMC also played West last year at Homecoming, resulting in a 63-0 victory for KMC. Both Hutton and Reynolds said the victory was one of their most memorable Homecoming mo-ments in their years at KMC.DANCE

The theme chosen for this year’s dance is “Egyptian.” Sophomores chose six-foot tall Egyp-tian sphinxes to decorate KMC the night of the Homecoming dance.

“STUCO has ordered some really cool stuff,” sophomore Rachel Walker said. “They are even making palm trees out of gold balloons.”

Now that students are finalizing their Home-coming preparation, they have the pep rally, game and dance to look forward to.

“Sophomores picked out a really good theme,” Lujano said. “People should definitely be there.”

2009 - Wearing the most obnox-ious and flam-boyant clothing he could find, senior Cody Saunders dress-es up for Clash Day. “The outfit exemplified what I wanted.” Saunders said.

1999 - Seniors Matt Nelson, Jenny Gore and Matt Gegen walk through the halls on Decade Day. Senior Isabel Val said she had to squeeze into her 4th grade clothes in order to look like she was from the ‘70s.

arthead by maddie sleconich infographic by maddie sleconich

“ “

Spirit Week because we don’t have to pay to dress up and it is fun to see people’s crazy outfits.

“Going to dinner. I don’t eat all day so I can have a really good dinner.

Page 22: September 2010 Paladin

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22 sports september

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Page 23: September 2010 Paladin

Fall athletes compete as individuals, teams

1. FACING HER OPPONENT, sophomore Emma Brooks prepares to return a serve from Southeast Sept. 9. “We were having a pretty intense match,” Brooks said. “I was using my game face, zoning in on the ball.”

2. SENIOR MICHAEL EDWARD runs down the sideline in the Titan Classic vs. Heights Sept. 6. The Crusaders lost, 0-1. “We came out expecting to win especially in the second half,” Edward said. “We had an opportunity to a get a goal but didn’t finish.”

3. BEFORE THE GAME VS. SOUTH, freshman Wesley Crowdus, junior Jenna Golay, senior Liz Stasiewicz and juniors Rachel Shearrer and Olivia Smith put their hands together during the pregame talk Sept. 2. The girls won all 3 games.

4. SATURDAY MORNING, sophomore Lukas Maki approaches the finish line at the JK Gold Classic Sept. 4. “People kept yelling at me to go faster,” Maki said. Both boys and girls finished 3rd at the meet.

IN SERVE RECIEVE, the volleyball team plays against South Sept. 2 in the Coach Herm and Jackie Bachrodt Athletic Complex. KMC won 3-0. “The new gym is brighter and more open,” Golay said. “I look forward to playing more games there.”

It was built, dedicated and blessed and now it has been broken in. On Sept. 2, the Kapaun Mt. Carmel varsity volleyball team played in the first official sporting event in the new Coach Herm and Jackie Bachrodt Athletic Complex.

The team competed against South, win-ning 3-0.

“It is always great to start the season off with a win, but what made it even better was that we got to start in such a beautiful facility,” coach Terri Hessman said. “The girls always want to play well at home, and I know that having a nice facility and updat-ed equipment made it easier for them to do their best.”

Senior Jenny Gerlach said the new gym

MADELINE ENGELbyweb editor

has many improved features. The changes make it easier for the players to perform to their fullest potential, Gerlach said.

“The best thing that we have now is bet-ter lighting,” junior Molly Faragher said. “We also have sturdier nets, three courts instead of two and more room for serving which will really help us improve our game.”

“All in all, the whole gym just feels a lot more professional, and it is a lot more fun to play in.”

Not only were the players and coaches excited by the new gym, but officials, specta-tors and the other team were also impressed with the new facility, Hessman said.

“At the first match, the officials who had been here before were overwhelmed,” Hess-man said. “We got tons of compliments from the other team and the officials. It’s nice that we can be proud of our facilities and others can enjoy them too.”

emily wittler

tiana chin emily wittler

alex scobee

23september sports

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anna gonzalez

1

12

3

4

Varsity volleyball first to experience new gym

Page 24: September 2010 Paladin

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