Le Journal March 2013

Le journal a snowbound student pg. 15

Sta vs. sion pg. 20

New Lacrosse Coaches Pg. 9 A Publication of Notre Dame de Sion

10631 Wornall Road, Kansas City, MO 64114

Volume 32 Issue 5 March 2013

What’s inside

by laura travis

Arts & Entertainment Editor

8 Dance team placed fourth in kick and sixth in pom at National Championships and placed first at Missouri State Championships. (Photo submitted by Claire Kramer)

7

José and Paula Lopez get dropped off in the parking lot after a day of work in Immokalee, Fla. Migrant workers like these are who the Migrant Farmworker Project strives to help. (Photo by MCT Campus)

In Each Issue

3

Editor’s Ink

10-13 20

Cover Story

My Life Is Awkward Photo Essay

18 On Feb. 28, Pope Benedict XVI officially retired from the papacy. The conclave of Cardinals is scheduled to begin Tuesday, March 12. (Photo by Wikimedia Commons)

PHOTO BY: kristine sullivan On the cover Cover COVER INSET PHOTOS BY: Georgia Thompson and Audrey Saracini

-2- what’s inside

travis'

tips

College edition

6

Freshmen: Yes, you have just started high school, and I’m positive college is the very last thing on your mind. However, it is important to remember that colleges do look at and take your grades from this year into account, so continue to study hard. Also, try to find an activity you enjoy that you can stay involved in throughout high school like a club or a sport.

Colleges love to see consistency and dedication in your extracurriculars. A final thing to consider is what classes you take in the next four years. Colleges look at the classes that your school offers and assess how well you took advantage of them. Remember to work hard throughout your years at Sion. Build good study and time management skills because those will be extremely beneficial in college.

Sophomores: You need to remember all the same things as the freshmen: keep your grades up, stay involved, choose your schedule wisely, etc. But you are at a very interesting point in the college process. You need to start thinking about colleges a little more than the freshmen but not quite as much as the upperclassmen. It may be a very good time to start thinking about and even preparing for the SAT and ACT. If you already have a school you’re really intent on attending, research what kind of students these universities are looking for and what grades you will need in order to be accepted. You have a long time before you will have to decide, but you will not want to have your senior year roll around and still have no idea where you want to go.

Juniors: Not to scare you guys, but second semester of junior year is really the time you should start thinking about college. It is time to start narrowing down that list and even start signing up for college visits. The spring and summer before senior year is a great time to make college visits because you will not have a lot of free time first semester senior year. Trust me. Also, start taking the ACT and SAT now. You can take these tests as many times as you want, so it is good to see where you are now and how you need to improve by your senior year. Schedule a meeting with college counselor Erin Stein and talk to her about where you are in the college process. Also, I would recommend becoming familiar with Naviance if you aren’t already. Next year, it will become your best friend when you’re applying for college. If you need to get your GPA up or get a certain test score to get in to a certain school, Naviance can provide a good idea of what is needed.

Seniors: Congratulations! We have almost made it. Some of us have already made our decisions. Some are about to decide. Some still may be waiting to hear back from a few more schools. However, the important thing is that we have survived the major parts of the college process. So props to the Class of 2013! You rock! (Not that I’m biased.) My only advice for all of us is to remember it isn’t over yet. Don’t let all of the hard work you have put into all your years at Sion go to waste. Also, remember to just enjoy high school!

You will never be in an environment quite like Sion again so make the most of it. Do everything you can and continue to live up your senior year. We want to be remembered as the greatest class that Sion has ever seen.

Le Journal Le Journal is the official publication of Notre Dame de Sion High School 10631 Wornall Road Kansas City, MO 64114 MEMBER Missouri Interscholastic Press Assoc.

National Scholastic Press Assoc.

International Quill and Scroll CO-EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Maura Eveld Delaney Bates

MANAGING EDITOR Emma Eveld

EDITORIAL EDITOR Emma Eveld

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Laura Travis

NEWS/ SPORTS EDITOR Sarah Holland

FEATURES EDITOR Shannon Laird

PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR Lucy Gasal

WEB-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Elizabeth Gianino

WEB SPORTS EDITOR Audrey Saracini

MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Meg Cowan

REPORTERS Sarah Allen Emma Dopheide Kim Fryer Mary Kate Hense Ashley Herring Madison Hummel Meghan Lally Dana Routh Kristine Sullivan Georgia Thompson Katy Zahner

ADVISER

the editor’s ink Going on the trip-of-a-lifetime this spring break? We’ve just given you the perfect beach companion. Stuck at home? Well, here’s twenty pages to keep you occupied.

focuses on the ever-present grading scale issue.

Should we change to the standard 90, 80, 70 scale? We’ve provided you with both sides of the argument.

Reading all 20 pages might seem like an impossible feat (who am I kidding, I know every single Sion student reads Le Journal front to back...), so I’ve come up with a schedule for all you house-dwellers to have a successful spring break week. Here’s the seven-day plan.

Alright, after two days of laziness, some activity is in order. Day 4 could be a day to go to the gym, go on a run, maybe even ride your bike (to Sonic...). Need a little inspiration or encouragement? The incredible achievements of the dance and swim teams should boost your morale (see page 9).

Celebrate on Day 1. We’ve earned this. With one quarter left in the school year, we are on the home stretch. So today, don’t think about school.

Instead, turn to page 17 to find out where several students will be traveling this week.

In the spirit of warmer weather, stuff your winter coat back in the basement closet. (Well, hopefully we can do that, but nothing’s set in stone considering our recent blizzard. See page 15 for Kim Fryer’s experience in the snow.) Page 19 displays ideas for a new spring wardrobe.

After all the excitement of the first day of spring break, Day 2 might be the perfect day for some alone time. If alone time for you means online time, see page 5 for some social networking tips.

Otherwise, enjoy the profile of junior Sam Ruiz on page 14 or sophomore Julie Steilen on page 9 for some light reading.

Day 3 might be the sit-in-Starbucks-and-ponder sort of day. We have two stories that will really get your opinions flowing. For one, the topic of possibly implementing a modified block schedule next school year is introduced on page seven with more insight on page five.

Day 5 could be a catch-up day. Catch up on sleep, on friends, on homework, on life. The news section this issue (pages 6-7) highlights some of the recent happenings at Sion and around the world.

So we’ve caught up. On Day 6 maybe we could try to get ahead. Page 2 features “Travis’ Tips,” and this issue Laura Travis writes her wisdom on college preparation, from freshman to senior year.

Which brings us, unfortunately, to Day 7, the last of spring break. A day to cry? Or start another countdown. On page 18 we’ve created a calendar with all of the upcoming events to look forward to: prom, ring ceremony, graduation.

I know one week off is never enough, but I hope Le Journal helps you spend it well.

Maura Eveld Co-editor-in-chief

Our cover story - four full pages in the center of the paper and an opinion piece on page 4 -

Alison Long

PUBLICATIONS BOARD Alison Long Penny Selle Michelle Olson Kay Walkup Carole Wall-Simmons Melissa Wilcox Delaney Bates Maura Eveld Meghan Gordon Lauren Ruiz

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Le Journal welcomes letters submitted by readers. The staff reserves th right to edit length and minor grammatical errors, but the letter’s message will not be altered.

The staff reserves the right to review letters and edit material that is inappropriate. Libelous, slanderous or obscene letters will not be printed.

Letters must be signed.

Photo of the Issue

Chilean exchange student Isabella Celle (left) surprises junior Claire Boehm (right) with a snow ball on the first snow day of the year. (Photo by Allison Elsbernd) Submit your own photos to lejournalstaff@gmail.com for the May Photo of the Issue.

editor’s ink

-3-

Grading Scale Grief

It may be time for Sion to re-evaluate the grading scale.

BY DANA ROUTH Reporter

As a junior, I have been preparing myself for the ACT and have been pushing myself to get the best grades possible. Because come senior year, my scores will be compared to the ACTs and GPAs of thousands of other high school students. The ACT is standardized so that if two students that live 1000 miles away get the same score, they demonstrate the same level of intelligence. Shouldn’t our grading scales be standardized, too?

At Sion, we work hard for our grades.

So why should they be degraded through an unorthodox grading scale? It is time Sion switches to the traditional grading scale because our hard work is misinterpreted through our unique grading scale.

A public school student and a Sion student can have the same percentage in a class but a different letter grade. The two students have both worked hard for their 92 percent but the other student’s grade is shown as an A, while the Sion student’s grade is shown as a B. It is only logical to want to be considered by college admissions with the same grading scale.

Although colleges take into consideration our odd grading scale, it is just a hassle to try to compare and compete with high schoolers who aren’t even graded at the same levels. A traditional grading scale (90 and above is an A, 80 to 89 is a B, and so on) would show our efforts through the same standardized level as most other high schools.

A lot of students may say that our grading scale motivates them to work harder for an A. But a student should see their hard work pay off with the same grading scale most local school districts use, such as Blue Valley and Shawnee Mission.

We are surrounded by an unfair disadvantage with our current grading scale. From my own experience, I would like to see a change to Sion’s grading scale because I know that every student here works hard in school.

We slave over tests, projects and homework like our lives depend on it. And we will continue to do so, but, I think it’s only fair to see our work pay off through the national grading scale just like everyone else. Not only will this help our grades, but it will make it a lot easier for college admissions to evaluate our grades more accurately. (See in-depth analysis of the grading scale question on pgs. 1013)

-Illustration by Maggie Keenan

-4- editorials

Cruise catasrophe

BY ASHLEY HERRING Reporter A vacation at sea seems like paradise for travelers. Sailing to stunning destinations all over the world. All-you-can-eat buffets of food with large platters of different meats, cheeses, fruits and seafoods.

Don’t forget unlimited soft serve ice cream. Plenty of sunshine. Nice cabins and private balconies. And 24 hours of fun.

This was the dream for over 4,000 passengers as they boarded Carnival cruise ship Triumph on Feb. 7.

But their excitement eventually turned into their worst nightmare. Their four-day trip changed into a long eight-day one. Triumph drifted in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico for days. That would seem like eternity for most people. Travelers can’t even imagine the thought of being stranded at sea for days. It seems unlikely to happen nowadays. This was far from what they expected when they signed up for their dream vacation.

The third day of the voyage from Galveston, Texas to tropical Mexico was when their nightmare came true. An engine room fire caused by a fuel leak left Triumph stranded in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico.

One would find it difficult to imagine such a horrific situation. The bathrooms, elevators and refrigeration were completely shut down.

For safety reasons, Carnival Cruise Lines said they didn’t want to transport Triumph’s passengers to another vessel. Instead they decided to leave people stranded for days. The decision to tow the ship to land was made on Sunday, Feb. 10.

But, the situation on the ship was far more dangerous for passengers than having to transfer to another ship. The sanitation was wretched. People wore masks over their faces to try to avoid getting sick.

Cabin carpets were drenched with urine. Toilets were overflowing and began seeping down the ship walls.

The hallway floors would squish when people walked on them from urine seeping through the floors.

With sewage overtaking the ship, it was like a toilet floating at sea. Unrefrigerated food turned spoiled as the days went on. Only left with cold water, people were unable to shower for days. With the air conditioning out, the cabin rooms became too hot to sleep in. The smell people suffered from left them feeling nauseous.

The question is why couldn’t Carnival Triumph transfer its passengers to the other cruise ships delivering food to Triumph? For safety reasons, Carnival chose to keep the passengers on the ship rather than taking hours to transfer passengers to another ship. On any cruise, when pulling into ports, a little dinghy takes passengers to land. So how is that safe to do when taking other passengers to another ship is not?

Carnival Cruise Lines provided passengers with a full refund, a free cruise in the future and $500 per person. These passengers shouldn’t have to think twice about never stepping on a Carnival Cruise again.

Overall, cruise lines need to be more prepared for these situations. Hopefully this will spark the legal departments of all cruise lines to take precautions in case this were to happen again. You would think Carnival would have better plans in order to get their passengers off the ship when emergency situations occur. The only positive thing resulting from this horrific situation is that all cruise lines will establish a better emergency protocol procedure preventing such an event to ever happen again.

Be safe online

University of Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o thought he was in a relationship with a woman he met online. But he was actually in a relationship with a 22-year-old man who was posing as a woman.

They carried on the relationship over the phone and by e-mail for about 10 months. With Facebook, Twitter and teen chat rooms becoming more and more popular for teenagers and even adults, being safe online is vital.

1. Don’t give out personal information:

2. Do not meet in person with someone you have met online:

45 percent of teens have been asked for personal information online from people they do not know.

14 percent of teens have met face-to-face with a person they have met online.

3. Use privacy settings on Social Networking sites: 61 percent of 13 to 17 year olds have a public, personal profile on social networking sites.

4. Don’t get “catfished”: Catfish is “someone who pretends to be someone they’re not using Facebook or other social media to create false identities, particularly to pursue deceptive online romances.”

-According to NetLingo and Urban Dictonary

Thoughts on Block Scheduling

I used to cringe at the mention of block scheduling, but a modified version is growing on me.

BY MAURA EVELD Co-editor-in-chief

Honestly, I’ve always prided Sion in its sevenclasses-per-day schedule. To me, it was just another attribute that made Sion a prestigious, college-prep high school.

Yes, the system means more homework each night. And yes, it means sitting through seven lectures each day. But that’s what makes Sion rigorous. And that’s a good thing in my eyes.

So when I heard that counselors and teachers were considering block scheduling, my mouth dropped open and my face flushed. My very own high school was turning to the dark side?

Here was my knowledge about block scheduling (I admit it’s a bit stereotypical): public schools use it, Rockhurst doesn’t, it means barely any homework and classes are over an hour long. None of those facts screamed “Yes, let’s do it!” in my ears.

I had also only been familiar with one type of block scheduling: a student has four 90-minute class periods per day, so on Day A she goes through classes 1, 3, 5, and 7 and on Day B she goes through classes 2, 4, 6, and study hall. The week rotates between Days A and B. My thoughts: Yes, longer classes would be helpful for science labs, group projects and publication classes.

But what about math and foreign language? These classes, in my opinion, rely on daily practice. And who could sit through a 90-minute math lecture? Some might say that math teachers wouldn’t teach the whole

hour, but instead leave half the class for working on homework. But doesn’t that mean overall the teacher has less instruction time?

And this plan means a student only has four class periods of homework each night. May sound like a dream to some, but for me, that takes away from a high school’s prestige.

But my opinion on block scheduling has changed slightly, however. Here’s what I didn’t realize - Sion was never considering implementing a full block schedule. Instead, teachers and counselors have come up with a modified block schedule. And it’s growing on me.

Three days a week will be normal, seven-class days. My type of schedule. Then, one day a week (let’s say Wednesday) we will only go through periods 1, 3, 5 and 7. They will be 90 minutes long. On Thursday we will have classes 2, 4, 6, and “community time” - a 90 minute block for clubs, study halls and teacher time.

In sum, only two days a week will be blocked.

The rest of the week will be normal. I guess I can handle that.

It’s not that I still don’t have questions. I’m still not sure how math classes will be able to cover the same amount of material. I still can’t imagine that every minute of the 90-minute period will be productive.

But two nights a week the homework load will undoubtedly be smaller - a chance to catch up or work ahead. And two days a week teachers can plan effective labs, group projects or longer activities.

I can’t say I’m sold, but I’m not dead-set against it anymore. And a modified block schedule for Sion is not set in stone by any means. Actually, come April the entire student body will run through a “sample week” to see how we like it.

Who knows? Maybe then I’ll decide that I can

pride myself in this type of schedule, too. I mean, 90-minute class periods do sound pretty impressive.

This new system just might be the best of both worlds.

This dark side just might be gaining a stream of light.

KC Comparisons St. Teresa’s Academy Modular Scheduling

Rockhurst High School Standard 7-Class Day

St. James Academy Block Scheduling

Saint Thomas Aquinas Block Scheduling

editorials -5-

NEWS MORP

in brief

by shannon laird

Cameras. Music. Spandex?

MORP, on March 9, is the night where the perfect dress, hairstyle and date are not necessary and often not advised.

This year MORP fought for its place against Spring Fling, a semi-formal dance for freshmen and sophomores alone.

“The idea of changing the dance from MORP to Spring Fling was brought up last spring at a Student Council meeting, after several years of small attendance to MORP,” Senior Class President Mary Kate Kelly said. “It was then discussed in class meetings and voted on.”

Yet as the dance loomed large on the calendar, the idea of MORP seemed to reappear on Student Council’s collective minds.

“Prom is sometimes too expensive for upperclassmen to attend,” Kelly said. “Without MORP, they wouldn’t have a spring dance at all.”

Despite some underclassmen support, Spring Fling was no longer a sure thing.

“There are lot of factors to consider so we got the student body involved and took a vote,” Student Council President Hannah Tutera said.

“MORP won. We will plan to make this dance a classic non-formal dance and try our best to get as many students and guests invited.”

Auction

by Kristine Sullivan

All the World’s a Stage: Sion’s major fundraiser was moved to Starlight this year. The fundraiser worked to be as inclusive as possible, so the move to Starlight helped integrate the high school and the grade school.

“The auction is really the work of dozens of people and we couldn’t do it without everyone working toward a common goal - which is a better, stronger Sion,” Pam Kramer, Chair of the Auction, said.

The auction this year raised $350,000 after expenses. The money raised goes toward improving the school, but this year Kramer said another goal was “friend-raising” and having the Sion family connect.

Sion students participated in supporting the auction by selling car raffle tickets. Mary Kate Kerns won the Toyota Prius, donated by Molle Toyota.

“Sion parents have always responded enthusiastically when their support is needed and it has been really gratifying to see the way the school community has come together for all the students,” Kramer said.

National Merit byFryerKim Seniors Maura Eveld, Mary Humphrey and Grace Keane were announced as 2013 National Merit Finalists. National Merit recognition is earned by the top half of one percent of the students in each state, according to Kay Walkup, Associate Head of School for Curriculum and Mission Formation. Of the 1.5 million entrants, around 15,000 students with the highest PSAT scores are selected.

-6- news

Sion Travels to Rio

Sion students travel to Rio de Janeiro for International Sion Youth Meeting and World Youth Congress.

BY SARAH HOLLAND

Sports & News Editor

Rio de Janeiro. The second largest city in Brazil and the third largest metropolitan area in South America boasts 6.3 million people. Rio, the city with the looming statue of Christ the Redeemer on Corcovado, long stretches of scenic beaches, shops and large carnivals that last for days will not only host the 2016 Summer Olympics and Paralympics, but will also host Sion students from around the world at the first International Sion Youth meeting and World Youth Congress where students will have the chance to meet the new Pope.

The purpose of the ISY meeting, held July 15-21, is for Sion students from Brazil, Costa Rica, Canada, the United States, France, England, Turkey and Australia to meet and learn about each other, explore the Sion mission and experience the sights of Rio de Janeiro. The WYC is meeting July 23-28, a meeting held for the purpose of youth all over the world to come together as disciples of Jesus Christ and grow in faith, love and unity.

“I am most excited to see the Statue of Christ the

Redeemer, being in a new culture and meeting new people,” chaperone Jennifer Campbell said. “I look forward to gaining a greater awareness of what Sion means on a global scale.”

All meetings and events will be translated into English, Portuguese, Spanish and French. Students will be grouped by language similarities.

“We will be doing a variety of activities. We will listen to Sion sisters lecture about the Sion identity, each school will present information about their school, go on excursions, and finish with a Mass led by the new Pope,” Kay Walkup, Associate Head of School for Curriculum and Mission Formation and organizer of the trip, said.

There will be hundreds of people in Rio for World Youth Day from Sion Schools all over the world. Sion Students that signed up for and are attending from our school include sophomores Catherine Ancona, Maddy Lewing, Sydney Manning and Abby Snyder, as well as juniors Jackie Meister and Kirsten Rasmussen.

Chaperones are Mr. Bill Ray from the grade school and high school librarian Ms. Jennifer Campbell.

“I am excited to get a greater sense of Sion’s community and enhance my knowledge of other cultures,” junior Sydney Manning said. “I think seeing the new Pope will also be a very special and memorable occasion as well.”

Pope Steps Down Pope resigns for the first time in modern church history.

BY LAURA TRAVIS

Arts & Entertainment Editor

Retirement: a time of relaxation and repose that most people look forward to. That final stage in their life where they finally get to sit back and enjoy the serenity of life after years of hard work and stress.

Unfortunately, people with special jobs and much responsibility, such as running the worldwide Catholic Church, don’t always get to look forward to this period of peace despite the toll and hard work their job takes.

This was the case for popes for almost the past six centuries. All served until their death. However, on Feb. 11, Pope Benedict XVI announced he would officially be resigning on Feb. 28 due to health reasons that caused him to feel he could no longer effectively carry out his duties to his best ability, according to theology teacher Paul Kramschuster.

“I think he watched his predecessor John Paul II grow weaker and weaker,” theology teacher Jessica Hull said. “He didn’t want to end his turn as pope that way.”

As for the pope’s successor, Hull said there are around 20 names in the running. A possibility would be the selection of the first African or South American pope because the number of Catholics in those areas is on the rise, and many believe this growing part of the Catholic Church needs to be better represented.

No matter who is chosen, it is likely the next pope will continue things in a similar direction to that of Pope Benedict.

“It seems to me that a percentage of the cardinals voting for the next pope have been put in place by Pope Benedict,” Kramschuster said.

However, Kramschuster said he believes that each pope brings a new vision to the office. A big task

Pope Benedict XVI steps down after eight years for the first time since 1415. (Photo by Wikimedia Commons)

for the next pope will be how the church is going to react to and handle modern issues such as the role of women in the church and homosexuality, he said. The next pope will need to figure out how the Catholic Church will respond and adapt to the modern world without sacrificing its teachings and traditions.

Hull said while the pope today may not have as much influence over the lives and practices of individual Catholics as in the past, the pope still has a lot of influence over the direction and stance of the Catholic Church.

“His decisions have a great impact on the church as a whole,” Hull said.

One Border, One Mission

Two women work to create more awareness of the conditions for illegal immigrants.

BY KATY ZAHNER

Reporter

“Here, everybody has shoes,” a migrant worker told Gretchen Green, when asked the biggest difference between life in the United States and Mexico.

Two women, Tina Histand and Gretchen Green visited theology teacher Bonnie Haghirian’s sophomore religion classes on Friday, Feb. 15 to speak on the issue of immigration. Both women are ardent staff members for the Migrant Farmworker Project centered locally in Kansas City, Mo. Green works to bridge the education gap in migrants, and Histand does everything from scheduling doctor appointments to tutoring children after school.

Both Histand and Green work one-on-one with many migrant workers and their families daily.

When asked whether or not she approved of illegal immigration, Green paused for a moment and looked at her feet before answering.

“Even though I disapprove of illegal immigration,

the border is an unjust barrier. You can’t just deport 11 million undocumented people,” Green said. “Families would be destroyed and children would be abandoned.”

Green went on to explain why people take the risk of living in the United States.

“Even though they sleep on cement floors in one room apartments, their quality of life is so much better here,” Green said.

According to Histand, the United States is extremely dependent on migrant farm workers.

“ To m a t o e s , strawberries, apples, grapes and any other piece of produce grown in Missouri is most likely hand picked by migrant farm workers,” Green said.

She also explained that it is a myth that undocumented workers don’t pay taxes because they pay for sales tax on everything they buy.

“Even documented immigrants make wages below poverty line, resulting in lower prices that Americans pay for their produce,” Histand said.

President Barack Obama plans on helping immigrants overcome daily obstacles they face in the United States, such as poverty, immigration status, language barriers and lack of rural opportunities.

“Even though I disapprove of illegal immigration, the border is an unjust barrier.”

“Locally in the state of Missouri, with the exception of Donnelly College, there are no colleges that will accept undocumented immigrants,” Histand said. “But even if they are accepted, hardly any of them can afford such an investment.”

Green has strong hope in Obama and his plans to pass the Dream Act. “The Dream Act promises undocumented children a path to citizenship as well as financial aid,” Green said.

The women agree that if the Dream Act were to be passed it would give the undocumented children a chance to succeed and have a future in the United States.

-Gretchen Green

Carlos Perez Gonzalez, of Guatemala, gets dropped off in a parking lot after a day of work in the fields in Immokalee, Fla. (Photo by MCT Campus)

A look into the new scheduling ideas for the upcoming year.

BY EMMA EVELD Managing Editor

Activity schedule, 2:10 dismissal schedule, full schedule, event schedule, 12:35 dismissal schedule.

Students and teachers alike can’t keep track of them all.

Recently, Head of School Christina Broderick and Principal Michelle Olson, along with the rest of the faculty and staff, have been looking into changing the various schedules Sion has into a much simpler one.

According to counselor Erika Ellwanger, teachers have been worrying about their instructional time and the general chaos of the many changing schedules.

Along with most of the other teachers, history teacher Mary Murphy agrees that the schedules we have now are chaotic, unpredictable and hard to get in the groove of.

So, Broderick decided to take action.

During faculty meetings, Broderick had groups of teachers come up with their “ideal schedule” for Sion.

“All the groups came up with a very similar proposal for a schedule. I think we all agreed that we liked having that down-time piece,” Ellwanger said.

One of the new aspects of the new schedule idea is having “community time.” In this community time, students would have a lot more freedom. The club chairs would be in charge of scheduling their own meeting times during it and students could get more help from teachers in classes they’re struggling with.

Another new aspect of the schedule idea is 90 minute classes, similar to block scheduling seen at other schools such as St. James Academy.

According to edutopia.org, research shows that project-based learning is the most effective kind of learning. The faculty agrees that 90 minute classes would be enough time to engage in more projects during class and would be more beneficial for the students as well as teachers.

“From a history and social studies perspective there are a lot of increased opportunities for debates, simulations and research than there are with 45 minute periods,” Murphy said.

Murphy is confident that Sion will make the longer classes work well.

The ideal schedule that the faculty came up with looks like this: Three days a week will follow a sevenperiod schedule, while two days a week will be in “modified block” form.

For example, on Wednesday, students would have hours one, three, five, and seven - 90 minutes each. The other modified block day would be hours two, four, six and community time.

Murphy believes this new schedule will mimic college a little more.

One main concern with block scheduling for some students and teachers is that teachers may not be able to get to as much material as they would with seven hour days, five days a week.

“I think the thought on this is quality versus quantity,” Ellwanger said. “You know, so you get more of a depth of knowledge rather than ‘how many things can we get in.’”

During one week in April (to be announced), the new schedule idea will be tested out on the students.

“I love the spirit of ‘can-do’ within the Sion community,” Murphy said. “I think we’ll carry it forward with a lot of success.”

an example of

Possible Schedule Change Ahead

a typical block schedule day:

2 hour 4hour

9:35 a.m. - 11:05 a.m.

lunch

11:10 a.m. - 11:50 a.m.

ND

8:00 a.m.- 9:30 a.m.

TH

community 11:55 a.m. - 1:25 p.m. time

6 hour TH

1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. news -7-

Season Ends with Success

In the last two competitions of the year, dance team received historically high scores.

BY EMMA DOPHEIDE Reporter

Winning the state competition for the fourth year in a row. Placing sixth in the nation for pom, the highest any Sion team has ever placed. Continuing their success in kick by placing fourth nationally. It was an amazing year for the dance team, according to Coach Shelli Vaughan.

For an unusually large team that started out somewhat unsure of itself, Vaughan said it has been one of dance team’s most successful years yet.

“This was a history making year for us,” Vaughan said. “We had our largest team ever and our highest ranking at Nationals and State Champions.”

For the girls on the team, nationals is more than just a casual trip to Disney World. It is a time when they must be completely focused on the competition and their goals. But that doesn’t mean they don’t have any fun.

“Nationals is really fun because it’s usually a time where you get so much closer and more comfortable with dance team girls,” junior Claire Kramer said. “It’s a fun trip, but you want to make it all worth it.”

The UDA National Dance Team Championship includes about 300 high school dance teams from everywhere in the United States. A big difference between it and the

state championship is that school size is not a factor with divisions. Receiving fourth in kick and sixth in pom means the team placed higher than many teams from much larger schools.

At such a big competition, the pressure runs high. Senior captain Kathryn Thompson definitely felt it.

“It’s intense,” Thompson said. “You feel like you’ve never been put under that much pressure. But you have to use the occasion.”

Despite the pressure and nerves, both Kramer and Thompson said the team performed to the best of its abilities and ended up placing in the top 10 in both kick and pom. The pressure helped unite them to achieve their goals, to place in the top five at nationals for kick and to receive a spot in the finals for pom at nationals.

“We finally came together for the same goals after all our hard work,” Thompson said. “This year we saw all of our goals pay off.”

After such success at nationals, the girls couldn’t celebrate long. They had to keep practicing for state, which brought a new pressure. Because of their history of success at state, the team wanted to live up to its legacy.

“Winning state is an amazing accomplishment, but also it’s really scary and a huge responsibility to take on,” Kramer said.

Since it was the last competition of the year, the team wanted to make sure to make it count. One way to do that is by winning the Missouri Dance Team Association state championship, for the fourth year in a row. The team officiallygot first in pom, first in kick and first overall in Class 3A. “We work so hard all year long for state and it really pays off in the end,” sophomore Maddy Lewing said. “It is our final competition and winning makes us feel like we end our season on a very high note.”

Through winning the state championship for the fourth year in a row, and placing higher in than ever in both kick and pom at nationals, Kramer believes the dance team has had a rewarding year.

“This year has been better than we ever hoped for,” Kramer said.

Dance team finishes their awardwinning kick routine at nationals.

(Photo submitted by Kathryn Thompson)

Swimming to Second at State

The swim and dive team made history, placing second overall at state.

BY EMMA DOPHEIDE Reporter

On Feb. 14 the Swim and Dive team set out for state with a new mindset: not focused on getting a particular place, but with the goal of competing at the highest level possible. They were determined to maintain a positive outlook through the entire competition.

“We didn’t really have a set goal, we just wanted to go fast,” junior Kristine Sullivan said.

The approach paid off when the team received second place, and divers Elizabeth Gianino, Megan Benson and Margaret Brandmeyer placed 13th, 14th and 27th respectively.

“There is no doubt in my mind this is the best performance of any Sion Swim and Dive team in any meet in the team’s history,” Head Coach Paul Winkeler said.

Sion fans weren’t the only people proud of the team’s achievements. Many of the girls recall a moment after results, when they were walking back to their bags, that was meaningful for all of them.

“We always sit by St. Teresa’s and when we were walking back after results they started chanting ‘We’re so proud of you!’” Sullivan said. “It really meant a lot.”

-8- sports

To many of the girls on the team, both the individual and team results came as a shock.

“I was not expecting the results that I got,” senior Laura Klover said. “I had no idea I was about to drop seven seconds in the 200 IM and go from dead last to 11th in the whole state. That race shocked me and my teammates and really motivated us all to perform with confidence.”

Sullivan was not expecting her results either and said placing third in the 200 IM was a nice surprise on top of an already fun competition.

It was the first year of state competition for the divers on this years’ team. For senior Elizabeth Gianino, it was nice to know that the points they had earned had contributed to the overall score of the team.

Since the girls had never competed at state before, they went into the competition with almost no expectations. Gianino said this ended up playing to their advantage, and that the key to success was staying consistent and focusing on each dive.

“My coach told us to have short term memory,” Gianino said. “Basically we had to forget what good or bad thing we did on a previous dive and only focus on the next one.”

Although Winkeler knew the team had done well, he was stunned when he heard how close the top scores were.

“I had a feeling we would be in the top four

towards the end of the meet, but I was shocked when I heard that half a point separated three teams,” Winkeler said. “Knowing that, it simply shows that everyone is important and everyone must contribute.”

Although the pressure is high for everyone at the state competition, both Klover and Sullivan said this year was more relaxed for the entire team. They said that the relaxation and positive attitudes were key parts of being at state this year.

“We made ourselves believe that it was just another swim meet, similar to all the other invitationals we had competed in already,” Klover said. “We relaxed ourselves and went in with positive attitudes.”

Being a high school swimmer was always a goal for Klover. As she got older, she began to look forward to swimming for Sion. She said the girls on the team are the best part.

“As a young swimmer, I had always dreamt of performing in high school. The Sion team was just the perfect touch,” Klover said. “These girls mean the world to me and being able to bond with them for years is incredible.”

For Sullivan, the experience on the team has been a highlight of high school so far. She said she especially values her teammates and thinks of them as sisters.

“I’ve been able to meet so many amazing people that I wouldn’t have,” Sullivan said. “I wouldn’t trade being on the team for anything.”

Basketball 1,000 point CAREERS &UP

Julie Steilen All-Metro Star

Sophomore Julie Steilen receives AllMetro for cross country.

BY KATY ZAHNER Reporter

Ann Lembeck

Class of ‘87

Christina Braden

Class of ‘92

Emily Nolan

Class of ‘95

Marshela Webb

class of ‘97

Erica Grimaldi

class of ‘02

Rachel Seymour

class of ‘04

Morgan Henderson

class of ‘06

Amanda Barnard

class of ‘06

Anna Florzak

Julie Steilen earned her fastest time at the Kearney Invitational. (Photo submitted by Julie Steilen)

This year, sophomore Julie Steilen was recognized as All-Metro for cross country.

“Before freshman year, I had never run distance in my life,” Steilen said.

Running cross country is a year-round challenge, Steilen said. While during the season running cross country is a lot of fun, she said once the season is over and she’s no longer conditioning with her friends it just feels like hard work and exercise.

“I am honored they chose me because I have only been running for two years now,” Steilen said.

Steilen has never received an All-Metro title before, and she said she views this as a big deal. She aspires to someday get state recognition.

New Coaches for Lacrosse Team

Two assistant coaches bring experience team and seeing them progress throughout the course of the season. and big goals to challenge the team.

BY KRISTINE SULLIVAN Reporter

The lacrosse team is not only welcoming new freshmen this spring but also two new coaches. It was difficult to find coaches because lacrosse is a new sport to the Kansas City area and there are only a limited number of coaches available for the position.

But Athletic Director Dennis Conaghan believes they found the best.

Ross Dessert and Rosalind Johnson will be the two new assistant coaches to the lacrosse team. Gwyn Savage, the current head coach, said he is looking forward to coaching with them because they bring a lot of experience and energy to the team.

“I’m so pumped to to have two new coaches,” junior Kamryn Schropp said. “I really think this is what could give us that extra edge and help us become the best team in Kansas City.”

Dessert has been a lacrosse coach for over 15 years and most recently coached the Rockhurst boys varsity team. He currently coaches for the Blue Lions club team and gives private instruction for goalies.

He took up lacrosse when he was 11 in New York and he played on his high school team in Alexandria, Va. He also plays men’s club lacrosse. He said he is looking forward to getting to know the girls on the

“The girls we have are good players and have a good spirit,” Dessert said. “We have every reason to believe that we can be the best team in Kansas City this year. We also travel to St. Louis for a tournament. Sion has struggled with St. Louis teams, so I’d like to see us do well and win big.”

Johnson played Varsity Lacrosse at Nerinx Hall High School in St. Louis, Mo. Her senior year of high school she was recruited to play for the U.S. Women’s Lacrosse Team, but she turned down the offer so she could attend college. She continued to play in college on a club team, but she played more for the fun of the sport.

“My hope for this season is to get lacrosse to be more popular on this side of the state,” Johnson said. “I love to teach and to mentor, so to be able to challenge the team and educate them will be a plus. Playing lacrosse is fun and rewarding, and being a part of a team is even better.”

The team looks forward to getting new input from the coaches and learning all of the new things that they can offer. Junior Maggie Keenan said she is looking forward to the team coming together and growing closer to the new coaches.

“They both seem so nice and the fact that they will be offering all new advice and tips is exciting,” Keenan said.

class of ‘06

Teresa Turner

Class of ‘10

Alexandra Keane

Class of ‘11

Grace Keane

class of ‘13

coach rosalind

Coach Rosalind explains how to perform good defense to freshmen during practice. (Photo by Kristine Sullivan)

Coach Ross

Coach Ross Dessert shows sophomore Alexandra Dykeman how to properly hold her goalie stick. (Photo

by Kristine Sullivan)

sports -9-

making the grade story and layout by mary kate hense, madison hummel and dana routh

top-tier SCHOOLS nationally recognized schools similar to sion

Miss Porter’s School Farmington, Conn.

A+ 97%–100% C 73%-76% A 93%-96% C- 70%-72% A- 90%-92% D+ 67%-69% B+ 87%-89% D 63%-66% B 83%-86% D- 60%-62% B- 80%-82% F 59% and below C+ 77%-79% 8 NATIONAL MERIT finalists

Ursuline Academy of Dallas Dallas, Texas A 90%–100% D 60%–69% B 80%–89% F 59% and below C 70%–79% 7 NATIONAL MERIT finalists

Marlborough School Los Angeles, CAlif.

A 93%-100% C 73%-76% A- 90%-92% C- 70%-72% B+ 87%-89% D+ 67%-69% B 83%-86% D 63%-66% B- 80%-82% D- 60%-62% C+ 77%-79% F 59% and below 4 NATIONAL MERIT finalists

Visitation Academy St. Louis, Mo. C 80%-82% A+ 99%-100% C-78%-79% A 95%-98% D+76%-77% A- 93%-94% D72%-75% B+ 91%-92% B 87%-90% D-70%-71% B- 85%-86% F Under 70% C+83%-84% 11 percent of the 2012 graduating class are national merit finalists

Atlanta Girls’ School

S

itting in English III, students wait anxiously for the return of their Macbeth test.

Conversations swirl around the room about how confident they were about their test performance. A student receives her test back with a 90 percent at the top of her paper and sighs, realizing a 90 is only a B. But students at Shawnee Mission East would never sigh about a 90 percent, but rather give themselves a pat on the back for making an A grade.

Since 1912, Sion has been a school which values academics and praises student achievement. Every day, students are pushed to do their best in all aspects of the classroom. According to counselor Erika Ellwanger, Sion is unlike any other school in the area. It is Kansas City’s only all-girls, independent, private, Catholic high school. She said the rigorous academics, contagious spirit and close-knit community are only found behind these doors.

Another unique aspect of Sion is the grading scale, in place for the last few decades and one which no other local high school uses. An A for this scale is a 95-100 percent. Contrary to other high schools’ scales, Sion’s is not based off the national standard grading scale, which deems a 90 to 100 percent as A material.

Some students believe the tough scale can have a poor effect on their report card, transcript and admission into colleges.

“It’s been the most controversial issue in my office in the past 15 years,” Associate Head of School for Curriculum and Mission Kay Walkup said. “This is not the first time it has been a concern.”

It is an ongoing debate. Some students believe their transcripts may be more appealing to colleges if their grading scale was based on the national standard.

But some think our unique grading scale helps them stand out. Questions have been churning for years over the grading scale as many wonder if this more challenging scale is worth the stress.

variety of opinions

The grading scale is not an uncommon discussion

do you agree with the grading scale?

180 students were randomly surveyed on their preference about our unique grading scale.

36 students agree 53 students have no preference

Atlanta, GA. A 90%–100% D 60%–69% B 80%–89% F 59% and below C 70%–79% 3 NATIONAL MERIT finalists

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throughout the halls, and opinions of the grading scale among students varies drastically. Some love it, saying that it pushes them to do their best. Junior Kamryn Schropp says she appreciates the scale as it helps her keep her grades up to par.

“Because it’s so high, I’m always conscious of my grades,” Schropp said. “Every quiz or assignment makes a difference, so there’s not much room to slack off.”

But according to a Le Journal poll, most students dislike the current scale. Although some understand how students could appreciate the current scale, they don’t think such a tough scale is in the students’ best interests.

“I see both sides to Sion’s grading scale issue.

Many students come to Sion for the rigorous grading scale, keeping in mind that colleges admire it,” junior Lauren Trippel said, “even though I do understand that a higher grading scale means higher pressure on academics.”

Still some believe that this scale will not help them in the long run.

“Yes, it helps within our school because we all achieve so much that it helps distinguish the level of students here,” senior Callan Bell said. “But when we’re looking at colleges, it doesn’t help because it gives us lower GPA’s compared to students who did the same amount of work and got the same percentage scores as other schools.”

Regardless of students’ differing views on the grading scale, they all agree that the scale affects students in both positive and negative ways. Schropp said the grading scale does add some stress, but she believes it pushes students to do better, including herself.

“The current grading scale definitely causes a lot of stress and a lot of girls think it’s the end of the world when they don’t get that coveted A,” Schropp said.

“Without it, though, I think people would start to slack off. I know I would.”

English teacher Sally Frederick said she believes

91 students disagree

the grading scale takes away from what truly matters in education and only causes more stress.

“Does it make students overly concerned with the grade rather than the actual goal of learning, intellectual curiosity, willingness to take a risk?”

Frederick said.

Counselor Karen Phillips said she knows students are stressed, but doesn’t necessarily think it’s because of the grading scale.

“I don’t know if the grading scale is what creates the stress rather than lack of balance. Each student has to determine what they are able to handle in terms of course load and extra curricular activities,” Phillips said. “This is going to be different for everyone. I do think that unfortunately when students are interested in highly selective schools the expectations of those colleges can dictate students’ choices and this can create some stress.”

Head of School Chris Broderick said that the academic level of a school should be based on the content delivered by faculty, not the grading scale. She said the content of the academic rigor should be what is getting students 5 on the AP tests.

“Just because a school has a hard grading scale does not mean they are a rigorous school,” Broderick said. “We have to check curriculum, content and how students are working. It’s what the students are retaining that matters.”

College Counselor Erin Stein agreed. And she said that students and parents need to know that colleges look at more than just a GPA and a grading

D-

65-66

F

Below 65

67-71

74-75 D+

D 72-73

C

C76-82

B-

83-84

87-90

C+ 85-86

by percentage

B+

B 91-92

A

93-94

sion’s grading scale

95-100

A-

Standard Grade Percentage

Shawnee Mission East

A 90%–100% B 80%–89% C 70%–79% D 60%–69% F 59% and below

9 National Merit A 90%–100% Finalists B 80%–89% C 70%–79% D 60%–69% F 59% and below

local SCHOOLS St. Teresa’s Academy

Percentage only

1 National Merit Finalist

Saint Thomas Aquinas

Percentage only Rockhurst A 90%–100% B 80%–89% C 70%–79% D 60%–69% F 59% and below

2 National Merit Finalists

The Pembroke Hill School A+ 97%–100% A 93%-96% A- 90%-92% B+ 87%-89% B 83%-86% B- 80%-82% C+ 77%-79% C 73%-76%

C- 70%-72% D+ 67%-69% D 63%-66% D- 60%-62% F 59% and below

8 National Merit Finalists

Blue Valley North 2 National Merit Finalists

14 National Merit A 90%–100% Finalists B 80%–89% C 70%–79% D 60%–69% F 59% and below

Story continued on page 12

What do sion students think of the grading scale?

SOPHOMORE

SOPHOMORE

FRESHMAN

JUNIOR

MARY MERTES

HANNAH ISMERT

KATE O’KEEFE

KITTY TANKARD

“I don’t like the current grading scale. It makes it harder to get an A than at schools that use a different grading scale, and that makes GPA levels different between schools.”

“I am against the current grading scale. It might help us within Sion to try to be better students but in the long run it gives us lower grades compared to students who have done the same amount of work at another school.”

“No I’m not a fan with the grading scale because it’s a lot harder to get the grades you want.”

“I am against the current grading scale because although it may help us strive to get a higher percentage, people get too stressed about grades because even if they do their best, it still isn’t an A at Sion.”

cover story -11-

scale.

“They look at the courses available and if students are taking advantage of rigorous classes and are involved in extracurriculars,” she said.

Another concern is that some freshman students are struggling to adapt to the scale. Sion’s student body is diverse. Coming from all over the Metropolitan area, many of these students’ former schools used the standard grading scale, so adjusting to the current scale here has been difficult.

“I’ve been raised using the national grading scale,” junior Ariana Fotouhi said. “It was hard at first to adjust because the percentages are so different.”

Tracy Foster, on the Board of Trustees as well as a grade school parent, fifth grade daughter there. The grade school uses the same grading scale as the high school. Foster said the grading scale doesn’t affect her daughter in any way. She said at such a young age, all parents and teachers are looking for is effort.

“All we hope for is that she learns from the material and does her best. It’s the effort that truly matters. She is just trying to build a foundation for high school,” Foster said. “But I don’t think the grading scale would be a factor in our decision.”

Junior Christina Rosasco isn’t as concerned with what percentage differentiates an A from a B, but she would like to see a revision to the very top of the grading scale.

“I wish that we had an A+ because it would feel really good to know that you got a 99-100 percent,” Rosasco said. “I think it’s a special accomplishment that should be shown on your grades.”

Freshman Abby Jurgeson said she believes that because of the grading scale’s difficulty, it forces her to continue doing her best in order to keep her grades up.

“Even though it is more challenging than others, I like it because it keeps me focused,” she said.

Spanish teacher Maggie Alder said although there is concern from every angle about the scale, she doesn’t believe a change is necessary. She said if it were to change, her teaching style would not.

“Why should we try and fix something that isn’t

broken? A change could act as an incentive for some students to try harder, and give others some wiggle room,” Adler said. “But if the grading scale were to change, the way I teach wouldn’t.”

An In-depth Look

As the only private, independent all-girls school in the area, Sion is already much different from any other school around. And the grading scale also sets Sion further apart from other high schools. Local high schools like Rockhurst High School, The Pembroke Hill School and Shawnee Mission East follow the

“If the grading scale were to change, the way i teach wouldn’t.”

-Maggie Adler, Spanish Teacher

standard grading scale of an A being 90-100 percent.

Saint Thomas Aquinas and St. Teresa’s Academy use percentages without letter grades.

Broderick said that the grading scale has been a hot topic in many of her Parent Coffee meetings. And according to Director of Admissions Sharon Radovich, our grading scale does catch parents’ eyes, but not as much as we think they do. After she explains that both the letter grade and percentage appears on the transcript, they are fine.

Many will say the grading scale is what makes Sion, Sion. But according to Phillips, that’s not the case.

“I graduated from Sion in 1986 and the grading scale was in place, but I think Sion is known for its academics, not necessarily the grading scale,” Phillips said.

Throughout the years, students and parents have held concerns about the grading scale, causing discussion amongst faculty more than once. Walkup says Sion’s grading has been revised a couple of times over the years, but never truly changed from what it originally was.

“It’s a grading scale that the department chairs have consistently felt like reflected what they hoped would accomplish when they assigned grades for the A, B, C ranges,” Walkup said.

According to Walkup, half of the students here make a 3.5 and above, 86 percent make a 3.0 and above and not one student makes below a 2.5. The statistics show the student body here does well with the current grading scale. Walkup said every student enrolled is without a doubt an “A” or “B” student.

A look at high schools around the country that share Sion’s private, Catholic, all-girls label gives mixed results with regards to grading scales.

Miss Porter’s School in Farmington, Conn. is a boarding school that uses a grading scale which puts an A- as a 90-92 percent. Although they follow a standard grading scale, Miss Porter’s is well known for its academic achievements and prestigious status. Four of Porter’s seniors were recognized by the National Achievement Scholarship Program in 2009, in which more than 160,000 students are entered and only 4,700 are honored. Dean of Curriculum and Faculty Rick Abrams said that a grading scale doesn’t say much about a school or a student’s achievements.

“They tell little about effort, for instance, or about triumph or responses to failure. And I’m sure like Sion, we care more about helping girls fulfill the promise of our mission than we do about grading them,” Abrams said. “Our grading system is not different than many colleges, so colleges easily understand how to distinguish levels of achievement.”

Academy of Sacred Heart in New Orleans, La.

What do sion students think of the grading scale?

JUNIOR

SOPHOMORE

JUNIOR

JUNIOR

AMANDA MALECKI

MOLLY MCCARTHY

MIKAELA GILL

NATALIE MORAN

“The grading scale at Sion is very challenging.

As much as I hate it, I think in the long run it is more beneficial because it pushes us to get better grades and work harder.”

“I used to be annoyed with it because a lot of other schools have 100-90 as an A, 90-80 as a B, but I can get a 92 and have a B. But I’ve gotten used to it and it doesn’t bother me anymore. Plus, it’s been that way my whole life.”

“I’d say that I do like it, it is challenging but I think that it gives us an advantage when compared to other students from other schools. We are forced to challenge ourselves more and I think it really prepares us for college.”

“Although the grading scale sets the bar high, I think changing it would make for a less stressful environement.

Sion classes are already difficult enough, changing it wouldn’t mean the academic rigor would diminish.”

-12- cover story

At most schools a 90 percent is an A or an A-, but at Sion a 90 percent is a B. (Photo by Lucy Gasal) is another all-girls private high school which uses a scale similar to Miss Porter’s. According to college counselor Nancy Whol, Sacred Heart’s academic achievement is not based on their grading scale. This year, two of the 201 Sacred Heart students are being recognized as National Merit Finalists. Along with merit finalists, Whol said the average ACT score is a 26 with a 30 average in the English portion. She said she can’t imagine having the Sion grading scale because a grading scale does not determine the rigor of a school’s curriculum.

college concerns

Every year, girls fill out applications, collect recommendation letters and send off their transcripts, all in hopes of getting into the college of their choice.

Standing in a room of first-semester seniors, one could feel the tension and stress. Applying for colleges can be nerve-wracking for any student.

But here, the application process is a common concern among the students. It’s rumored that colleges would not know the difference between an A on a student from a public school’s transcript and an A on a Sion student’s transcript.

For many students, this idea is worrisome because it could be a make or break situation for acceptance into the college of choice. But Phillips put the rumor to rest when she said the grading scale, as well as percentages, are printed on the student’s transcripts.

She said colleges also receive a profile which describes the particular scale. Phillips assures students and parents that colleges aren’t completely blind to the type of grading scale Sion uses.

“Our college counselors dedicate time to building and maintaining relationships with colleges so that they understand what type of student Sion produces,” Phillips said.

University of Missouri Admissions Advisor John Keely said that at a school like Mizzou, they are in the position to take what the high school gives them.

They are not trying to interpret, normalize or change the high school’s policy to fit something they think is a better system.

“If Sion uses 93 as an A-, we’re going to use that too. If your school puts a 97 on the transcript, we are

going to try to figure what that 97 means at Sion, and then we will use that letter grade in calculating our core GPA,” Keely said. “We are not going to assume anything, rather, but look at the transcript for that school.”

Although the scale is printed on the transcript, Keely said that it is important the student researches the schools they are interested in applying to, to determine how that school will interpret their high school transcript and record. Every school is different, and one school may interpret the grading scale differently from the next.

Keely also said a student should not be concerned that a college isn’t informed of Sion’s grading scale.

Although it is more rigorous and much different from other schools, colleges are not in the dark about the variety of grading scales throughout the nation and have easy access to a student’s scale during the admissions process.

And Sion is not alone in its grading scale differences. All colleges say that they have seen scales higher and scales lower than ours. They see everything across the country, and our scale is not unique. Harvard University Admissions Counselor Charlie Kim said colleges are looking not a student’s grading scale, but rather how the student has challenged themselves through the years.

“A school’s particular grading system doesn’t have any bearing on the admissibility of a candidate.

When looking at a student’s transcript, we like to see that the student has challenged herself academically by taking the most rigorous courses available at the school,” Kim said.

While some schools do take Sion’s grading scale into consideration, that isn’t the case for every university in the country. College counselor Kyle Graham from Marymount High School in Los Angeles, Ca. said he previously worked at New York University. Since he had to read about 120 applications per day, Graham said it is difficult for college admissions to know all the different schools’ grading scales and rankings when they are reading so many profiles in one day.

He said a school’s grading scale theoretically shouldn’t make a difference, but it does. Marymount High School uses the same scale as Miss Porter’s and

Sacred Heart.

“Technically it shouldn’t matter,” Graham said.

“But in reality, GPA harms students with colleges or universities that have massive amounts of applications.”

Junior Ellie Fritts said that though her GPA didn’t prevent her from getting accepted to college, it did affect the amount of scholarship she received.

Fritts said she received a $500 scholarship from Pittsburg State University that was based on her ACT score and GPA. Her cousin Darby Beatty, who attends Lee’s Summit High School, had the exact same ACT score and the same grades percentage-wise, but her letter grades were higher because Lee’s Summit High School uses the traditional grading scale. These higher letter grades gave Beatty a higher GPA, and so she received $1,000 in scholarship.

“A lot of girls aren’t getting the money they should get from colleges,” Fritts said.

However, Walkup said that she has not received reports of any scholarship losses due to a GPA.

the final question

So should that student worry about her 90 percent she received in English III? Is it in Sion’s best interest to make the switch to the traditional grading scale? The results are mixed.

Many colleges assure that they take this more prestigious scale into account, and many students believe this scale helps encourage academic success.

But others still worry that GPA calculation still goes in the standard grading scale’s favor, and research shows high schools similar to Sion thrive without the higher scale.

Regardless of any statistic, the grading scale issue will always be a concern among students in any school no matter their grade level. Broderick is expected to have more spring parent coffees to discuss the issue.

She is to host the coffees in the last two weeks of April and plans to make a final decision shortly after.

As students receive not only their English III work but all class assignments, they accept that the 90 percent at the top of their paper is only a B. Knowing the scale they’re up against, ‘A’ work may just require more effort. For now students accept a 90 percent as a B letter grade. This is, for now, uniquely Sion material.

cover story -13-

Sion Spotlight

Taking the Stage

An actress since childhood, junior Sam Ruiz pursues her passion for theatre at Sion and is preparing for a future in performing.

BY GEORGIA THOMPSON Reporter

sam’s top 5: Favorite performances

1 Oklahoma!

2 Universal Language 3 Archrifice 4 Anything Goes 5 Jabberwock the

Standing on stage in front of a captivated audience while completely transformed into a unique character is something that defines junior Sam Ruiz. A performer and drama queen at heart, she said she enjoys entertaining others and utilizes every opportunity to pursue her dream of acting.

For Ruiz, acting has always been an important part of her life. Beginning lessons at the young age of 4, involving herself in student productions throughout grade school and, of course, starring in the plays at Sion, Ruiz’s involvement is impressive.

“Acting is literally my life. If I am not involved in a production, I get antsy and don’t know what to do with myself,” Ruiz said. “It has always been a part of who I am and allows me to get away and escape from everyday life.”

At even the slightest mention of the subject of theater, Ruiz lights up. It is obvious to those around her that she has a genuine passion and enthusiasm for acting.

Outside of the Sion community, Ruiz has participated in the Rockhurst productions and has taken summer classes at Blue River Community College and the Missouri Scholars Academy. But for her, she said, acting isn’t something that will end after high school, and she has plans to continue this passion

for the rest of her life.

“I plan on triple majoring in Theatre Education, Musical Theater and English. And from there, my dream would be to go on to Broadway, but truthfully I would be happy performing in any opportunity I could get,” Ruiz said. “But eventually I want to end up as a high school drama and English teacher.”

Her involvement in acting at Sion, Ruiz said, has been largely due to the inspiration and support of senior Lauren Martin, who is not only a fellow actress but a friend found in the Sion productions.

“She is a fantastic actress and takes things seriously. She’s a very hard worker and it’ll take her far,” Martin said. “Sam is a leader and if someone forgets the step to a dance or a note in a song or a word in a dialogue, she’ll help them because she always knows everything. Sam is a fun person to work with and is always respectful.”

Ruiz said she has her pre-performance ritual down to a science. It prepares her mentally and physically for the production ahead.

“My ritual is extremely important. I do a quick vocal warm up and drink water,” Ruiz said. “But the most important part is giving my best friend a hug at the last possible second before I go on.”

Rehearsals and preparation for this spring’s studentled production, “Jabberwock”, is currently occupying much of Ruiz’s time, especially due to her position as the assistant director. Along with having a supporting role as the housemaid, Gertie, Ruiz helps senior Marina Dennis, the play’s director, with staging, direction, lighting and sound.

Dennis serves as a model for Ruiz, who is using this year to observe and prepare for her chance to direct next year’s production along with sophomore Kel Lowndes. Dennis is confident in the girls’ potential and passion for acting.

“I believe the person who most wants to do the job the most deserves it and will make every effort to do the job to the best of their abilities,” Dennis said. “Of that I know that Sam and Kel are those people.”

“She is a fantastic actress and takes things seriously. She’s a very hard worker and it’ll take her far.”

-Senior Lauren Martin

Sam Ruiz has performed many roles, from Cord Elam in “Oklahoma!” to Lucy in “Anything Goes.” But she said her favorite role was Dawn in “The Universal Language,” a play performed at Rockhurst High School. (Photos by Lucy Gasal)

-14- features

Diary of a Snowbound Student

With the recent snow days an avalanche make it out the backdoor without slamming into a pile of snow. And the piles of snow were HUGE. of awkward moments was born.

BY KIM FRYER Reporter

We all know the feeling. Strolling into your seventh hour class, butterflies in your stomach, you silently pray that the coming snowstorm is big enough to cancel school the next day. The announcements come on and everyone holds their breath, waiting for the big news.

Except the announcement didn’t come.

Disappointed groans are let out and we sit down at our desks for another 45 minutes of history class. Midlecture, whispers float through the back of the room and someone lets out an excited squeal. The rest of the class looks around, wondering what the commotion is about, and that’s when the great news spreads: a snow day has already been called for the next day and the announcement was (not so secretly) posted on the school’s website. I made one solid fist pump in the air, the only appropriate way to celebrate the victory.

And so it began. I’m not sure if it was the cold weather or the sheer thrill of knowing I didn’t have school the next day, but I definitely started to tear up as in the parking lot leaving school that afternoon.

The news stations continued to flood with reports of the two feet of snow that were slowly making their way towards Kansas City. I started to feel like a little kid awaiting Santa on Christmas Eve as I looked forward to the falling snowflakes. I made sure to complete the totally necessary snow dance - a series of fist pumps and body bumps and fell asleep with dreams of snowflakes dancing in my head.

I woke up every hour that night to peek out the window, only to be disappointed when there was not a single flake on the ground. I started to accept defeat somewhere around 3 a.m. and tried to remember if I had missed a step of my snow dance and was being punished with no snow at all. Thankfully, the odds were in my favor and I awoke to a blanket of white covering my backyard. Quite clearly, my snow dance worked and I take full credit for this entire snowstorm.

The only thing that made me crawl out of bed, where I had planned to spend a good majority of the day, was the smell of bacon downstairs. I think my parents strategically connected the vent in my bedroom to the vent in the kitchen, because they knew that the only way to help me wander out of bed is food.

I ate my breakfast in awe of the amount of snow we had gotten in the time that I had given up on the snow to the time I was awoken by the sweet scent of bacon.

I couldn’t remember the last time Kansas City had had that much snow. My blind and deaf dog couldn’t even

More in awe than me, however, were the Chilean exchange students, who had never seen snow on the ground before. They were jumping up and down with excitement and wanted to play outside immediately.

I, however, am not the first to want to go play in the snow. I would be a much happier camper if it snowed in the 80 degree July heat. But no. It doesn’t.

I love LOOKING at the snow from the inside of my warm, heated house with a fire burning and my pajamas on. Anything that involves actually going outside into the cold? No thanks.

Given that it felt like the Arctic outside, I wasn’t exactly thrilled that I had to suit up in my snow armor and make a trek out my backdoor. I was perfectly content laughing at my dad shiver while trying to clear our driveway while I sat in my cozy bathrobe. Sue me.

I was guilt-tripped into taking one for the team because “Chileans never see snow.” Whatever. Also, another complaint: How come they don’t make cute snow clothes? Or if they do, why don’t I own them? I looked like the abominable snowman walking outside in my mom’s old 80’s snow coat and puffy snow pants.

“i held my breath as our car started to slide towards a huge snow bank."

An impromptu snowball fight was called to action and I curled into a ball on the ground to avoid getting pelted with snow. Have I mentioned that I hate the cold?

After the snowball fight that I took no part in commenced, my mom suggested we head over to Suicide Hill to sled. If you have never heard of Suicide Hill, you probably never had a childhood. It’s the place to be for all the cool kids on snow days. Although we had been advised not to be on the roads if we didn’t have to be, my mom, being the daredevil that she is, decided to ignore that advice and drive us to Suicide Hill anyway. It’s only a two block drive. Daredevil.

Throughout the course of the four snow days, it became clear that the streets were not an issue compared to the issue of actually getting down my driveway. Our garage sits atop a circle drive. Not any circle drive, but a steep, sloping hill. Not exactly a good

driveway to be backing out onto in the snow. If we could get the car out of the driveway, the streets would be a piece of cake.

I held my breath as our car started to slide towards a huge snow bank, knowing that if we got stuck there we would never make it out. I admit I was secretly hoping we would get stuck so I wouldn’t have to go sledding. But we made it. Joy. My mom decided to drop us at the bottom of Suicide Hill. THE BOTTOM. As in, I had to walk all the way up to the top. Suicide Hill should be renamed to Suicide Do-Not-Climb-It’s-Actually-A-Mountain.

Seriously, I will be the first to propose an escalator or ski lift be put in there because I could barely breathe by the time I got to the top but tried not to show it because the five year old who had walked up next to me was not having any issues.

I almost broke down into tears when I remembered that the whole point of being here was to sled, which meant I would have to walk back up the hill again. I only sled down once and I am quite certain had I tried to sled down any more I would have gone into cardiac arrest. (If anyone wants to get me a gym membership, I think it may be beneficial.)

After what felt like 10 years, my mom finally showed up to take us home. I rejoiced while I stripped off my wet snow clothes and put my pajamas back on.

The sledding incident wiped me out for the rest of the day... and the entire snow day after that.

The remainder of my snow days were spent under multiple blankets with hot chocolate and Netflix becoming my best friends. And I couldn’t have been happier. At one point, my Netflix stopped working (the feeling of Netflix not working is probably pretty close to what the end of the world will feel like). I didn’t know what to do with myself.

I resorted to teaching myself to play Rihanna’s new song “Stay” on the piano. I don’t even know how to play piano. I have a newfound respect for people who sing and play an instrument at the same time because it’s not easy. Maybe if I had taken a piano class before it would have been a little bit easier, but what else are you supposed to do when you’re snowed into your house and Netflix isn’t working?

The next two snow days were spent doing more of the same: movies, hot chocolate, sleep. High points of my time included eating an entire box of bagel bites, watching an entire season of Grey’s Anatomy and reciting the entire Dictionary front to back (just kidding).

The snow days came to a close and before I knew it, I was laying out my uniform for school the next morning. I had almost forgotten how to wear clothes other than pajama pants. It was a low moment in my life. I returned to school and the hopeful wishing returned for another snow day. Although, you won’t find me complaining, because four days off of school in under two weeks was pretty good (and extremely unproductive) for me.

features -15-

Marching for Life

-Photos submitted by Moira Quinn, jillstanek.com and Allison Crank

Two juniors take a trip to the nation’s capital to defend life.

“There was a rally before with many important speakers, including Rick Santorum, various church leaders, organizers of the March, government officials

BY MEGHAN LALLY and women who regretted getting abortions,” Crank

Reporter said. “They all were so influential.”

Quinn was most impacted by one speaker in Thousands of people, hundreds of signs and particular.

He was a man whose mother was a victim millions of prayers were all gathered in the capital of of assault and rape, and as a result conceived him. He the country. Yet there was only one plea - the wish for the government to respect all life. On Jan. 25, juniors spoke about how people should not use abortion in Moira Quinn and Allison Crank marched along the cases like his, but turn to adoption instead.

National Mall in Washington D.C..

Crank’s youth minister encouraged her to attend, and decided the March for Life was a way to become involved in her faith.

“I wanted to go and actively take part in my Catholic faith and stand up for something I believe in,” Crank said.

Quinn decided to make the pilgrimage simply because she has always wanted to attend.

“I have always wanted to go to the march and this year the timing seemed right,” Quinn said. “And when I asked my mom, she said I could go.”

Despite the long journey to the capital and freezing weather, both girls felt the trip was worth the drive.

“March for Life was absolutely amazing,” Crank said. “We had to get there by bus which took 24 hours.

But despite the bus ride, it was a truly unforgettable experience.”

Crank and Quinn said the march was not just memorable because of the walk to Capitol Hill, but because of all the people they met and inspiring speakers they witnessed.

“It was really awesome to see so many people, not only Catholics, but people of various faiths, come together to defend life.”

-junior Allison Crank “The most life changing moment was when I heard a speaker give a talk in the pre-march rally,” Quinn said. “the man said there was once a president who changed his view about injustice due to the words of a rape victim: Abraham Lincoln by Frederick Douglas. He hopes to be the rape victim that offers words that can inspire another president to change his view. Obama.”

With the National Mall packed with over 650,000 people, the most people to ever attend the March

for Life, and a series of videos advocating life and adoption, the actual march from the Washington Monument to the Capitol began.

“People were yelling out pro-life chants and holding up various signs,” Crank said. “I was expecting to see some pro-choice people protesting against us, but I didn’t.”

Crank said being among thousands of other pro-life people was inspiring. And surprisingly she encountered many fellow Kansans and young people, which gave Crank great hope.

“Many speakers pointed out that our generation is the ‘pro-life generation’ which really impacted me,” Crank said. “It gives me hope for the future, that someday our country will become a pro-life nation.”

Although she experienced many specific events that struck her, Crank said what she loved the most was the atmosphere in general.

“It was really awesome to see so many people, not only Catholics but people of various faiths, come together to defend life,” Crank said.

The March for Life inspired Crank to do more to advocate for life.The March also inspired Quinn in a unique way.

“I was inspired not necessarily to make abortion illegal. I was inspired to change the hearts of people.

Similar to gun bans, even if abortion is made illegal, that does not mean people will obey the laws. There are laws that constrict speed limits, yet people still break those laws every day,” Quinn said. “It is only through enlightening people about the evils of abortion and by promoting a culture of life that lives can truly be saved.”

SION’S GOT TALENT: acting edition

-16- features

what you Didn’t know about your classmates...

senior lauren martin

sophomore madison porter

Freshman olivia neal

“I’m currently in the Rockhurst theater production of “Pirates of Penzance.” I’m also planning on auditioning for “Les Mis” at the Kansas City Culture House.”

“I’ve done some shows with Theater for Young America. I was cast in “Madeline’s Christmas” first, and then later was cast in “Robin Hood” as the only kid in the play.”

“This summer I went to the Stella Adler Acting Conservatory in New York to study theatre, and loved it. I love being extra dramatic on stage.”

upcoming events in 2013 18

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march

april

may

may

may

prom

junior ring

last exam

graduation

“I am so excited for Junior Ring, and I can’t wait to get my ring. I’ve been wanting one for so long! They are beautiful and unique, and I know all my cousins still wear their rings.

I’m excited for the ceremony because it just means that we are one step closer to being seniors,” Katie Fairbanks, junior.

“It’s a huge relief to be able to exempt exams.

I only have to take two finals because of AP and ACCP classes,” Meghan Gordon, senior.

spring break “I’m going to Hawaii and hopefully I will be tan,” Anna Lillis, freshman.

“I am going to Vail, Colorado with my cousins, and we share a house. It’s so much fun! We ski, swim, shop, and hang out.

I can’t wait,” Maggie Keller, freshman.

“It’s weird that it’s our last prom, and I really like that it’s the Great Gatsby theme,” Alexis Wolfe, senior.

“I’m excited because it’s my last dance in high school, and I’m going to leave it all on the dance floor,” Laura Belpedio, senior.

what is kairos? girls who haven’t attended a kairos retreat share what they think kairos is...

“Well my older brother Ben has been on Kairos and led a few at Rockhurst, so I hear about it all the time from him. He hasn’t told me any of the ‘secrets,’ but I do know that you basically just talk to people about life for a few days and come home with new best friends. I’m so excited to go.”

-Sophie Snider, junior

“I’m literally not missing a day of school so I can exempt my Algebra II final. I only have eight absences left,” Margaret Schorgl, junior.

“It will be sad for a while, but we need to grow up and move on to bigger things. I will never forget the things Sion showed me,” Sara Owens, senior.

“I’m really excited for graduation, but I’m also sad because I don’t want to leave Sion,” Hannah Malvey, senior.

“I’m excited to take a new step in my life but it’s going to be hard to leave such a great school,” Allie Lampo, senior.

“I’ve heard only good things regarding Kairos around Sion. As for what I think it is, from what I’ve heard, it’s a multiple-day retreat where you spend time coming closer to a group of people and strengthen your relationship with God.” -Courtney Tushaus, sophomore

“I think Kairos is kind of like a sleepover where you eat some junk food, let out some secrets, and get to hang out with friends, and from what I’ve heard it’s the best time of your life and you will spend a lot of time crying.”

-Emily Baranowski, sophomore

“Well I’m pretty sure it is a religious retreat that is eye-opening and is super-secret. Nobody can tell you about what happened during it, but everybody comes back changed for the better.”

-Michaela Elsbernd, freshman

“I know it’s really secretive and I’ve just heard how close you get and how much you cry and getting “Kai-high.”

And I know I’m really really excited to go and everybody seems to come back closer.”

-Molly McCarthy, sophomore

the next kairos retreat is april 3-6. Campus Minister Stephanie Pino-dressman said to go to the campus ministry web page to see the list of retreatants to keep in your prayers.

arts & entertainment -17-

spring break 2013 vacation hotspots

My Life Is Awkward:

Seaside, fla.

“I’m really excited to relax on the beach.”

- Margaret Schorgl , junior

gulf shores, ala.

“It’s a nice little beach town.”

- Kirsten Rasmussen, junior

itzapa, guatemala

“Last year my mom got hit on by the LA Lakers defensive coach in the elevator. We got free tickets to the game.”

- Sydney O’Dear, junior “Well I’ve never gone anywhere other than my house.”

- Jillian Nelson, senior

playa, mexico “A group of about 20 girls are going for a service trip. While we are there, we are going to paint houses, build stoves, and visit the sick. ” - Natalie Moran, junior

Spring break edition

“I am excited to spend time with my Sion friends all together on the beach.”

- Sarah Marquardt, senior

“While we were driving we stopped inside a gas station. When I walked out I noticed nobody was there. My family had left me.”

- Lilly Schaffer, junior

would you rather? for spring break to vote go on lejournallive.com

the snow

the city

(Photos by Sarah Allen and Dana Routh)

the beach

well we just had a lot of snow days already.

- Sarah devincent, freshman

pro

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It gives cultural enrichment.

- Maura healy, sophomore

it’s really busy and loud - mary colaric, freshman

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con

-18- ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

You get that last bit of winter weather.

- Olivia Enright, junior

con

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Getting a sun burn is no fun.

- Madeline Browne, Sophomore

con

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pro

pro

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It’s warm, sunny and relaxing.

- Katherine Baker, junior

spring fashion 2013

Halls

Free People

Jacket: $168 Dress: $88 Slip: $98 Necklace: $58 junior Kitty Tankard

Urban Outfitters

Shirt: $39 Shorts: $49 sophomore Mikayla Zancanelli

Urban Outfitters Standard Style Top: $176 Pink jeans: $165 Purse: $528 senior Alexis Wolfe

Lime green dress: $128 senior Andrea Santa Maria

Shirt: $69 Coral jeans: $58 sophomore Natalie Caruso

SPRING Upcoming movies Admission Release date: March 22 PG-13 Tina Fey and Paul Rudd star in this comedy about a Princeton admissions officer who meets an incoming college student that might be the son she gave up for adoption.

The host Release date: March 29 PG-13 Stephenie Meyer, the Twilight series author, produces “The Host” based on her latest book.

An alien species has taken over the Earth and all human bodies.

But there is a group of humans that fight these alien souls.

iron man 3 Release date: May 3 Not Yet Rated Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow are back to star in “Iron Man 3” along with Guy Pearce.

This time, a terrorist called the Mandarin takes over Tony Stark’s world. Stark tries to revive his destroyed world.

Stories we tell Release date: May 10 PG-13 Oscar-nominated writer and director Sarah Polley produces “Stories We Tell” based on the investigation of the secrets kept from a family of storytellers. It follows Polley on her quest to find the true facts.

arts & entertainment -19-

taking care of business Feb. 19 was a night of finales with basketball senior night, the team’s last home game of the season, the senior’s last STA rivalry game and the competition for the Irish Cup wrapped into one. A sea of strutting suits and ties cheered the team on until the game ended with a 52-39 victory.

“It’s the best environment in high school girls basketball,” Head Coach Jared Pitts said. “The crowd seemed to rattle STA which was key to us getting an early lead and keeping it throughout the game.”

Senior Mallory Elder said that Sion’s attendance over STA was obvious and increased the power of having home court advantage.

“It is the craziest atmosphere every time we play against STA,” Elder said. “The number of girls who attend the games is unfathomable to me each time.”

-20- last look

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2 1) Senior Annie McKenzie screams in competition against the STA crowd. Over 200 students were in attendance. 2) Senior Mallory Elder defends against an STA opponent.

It was Elder’s first game back after a three week injury.

3) Junior Kristen Murphy catches the ball over three STA defenders. (Photos by Sarah Allen and Maura Eveld)

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