The Miegian Newspaper: July 2020

2019 - 2020

The Miegian Vol. 63, Iss. 5 | Bishop Miege High School | 5041 Reinhardt Dr, Roeland Park, KS | July 17, 2020

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C ONT EN TS Senior Issue Introduction The Miegian’s COVID-19 Response Collage Seniors and their Bright Futures Collage Featured Seniors Senior Survey Featured Writings Senior Sports Senior Advice & Teacher Memories Farewell Miege

2019-2020 Miegian Staff Maren O’Connell

Moira Sutherlin

Luke Lazarczyk

Editor-in-Chief

Senior Issue Co-Editor

Sports Editor

Maddy McBride

Kaitlin Thrun

Isabel Copeland

Staff Writer

Staff Writer

Staff Writer

Sindy Garcia

Allison Masilionis

Cooper Brandmeyer

Staff Writer

Staff Designer

Staff Photographer

Letter from the Editor

Maren O’Connell Editor-in-Chief

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f you know me, you probably are aware that I tend to downplay my achievements and shrug them off as not being that important. It was no exception when I learned that I was going to be Editor in Chief for The Miegian for my senior year. Do not misread me, I was thrilled and immediately started strategizing and thinking of what I wanted the design to be and achieve—but I didn’t immediately think to celebrate or even tell my parents. Even now, I have had to condition myself to take credit for the work I have completed throughout the year. This position has taught me to be more confident and not be afraid to be “bossy,” a word largely only used for women in leadership roles.

This year has been a year of an exponential amount of learning for me. I learned how to lead a staff and figure out what kind of leader I wanted to be; I experimented with designs and learned how to recover from unexpected problems; I discovered new software that will soon become my career and continued to develop my artistic style. I came into the position having a strong idea of what I wanted to turn The Miegian into.

In past years, from my observations, students would rarely take the time to look through each issue once they were handed out in Faith Family (a sad truth that even I have to own up to). My main goal was to elevate the design to make it more

eye-catching and a colorful keepsake for each student if they so desire.

The first step was transitioning from a traditional newspaper to a magazine-type format through the help of our printing company, Best Graphics. Mrs. McCambridge said she shared that her editor loves the smell of the pages, after I walked into class raving about the scent.

Guilty as charged, but I did not mind the small bit of embarrassment that came to me after I learned that everything was approved. The most important part of the plan of modernizing the newspaper was finalized, and I could finally focus on fonts, color themes, and the overall design of the newspaper.

I cannot imagine the amount of hours I have spent on the Adobe software this year alone, but I enjoyed nearly every second of it.

Graphic design fits my creative brain perfectly; I thrive on having all the elements laid out before me and then set my mind to begin arranging things. My mind is restless when it comes to artistic planning. I still have a passion for traditional art, but I usually make mistakes because I don’t like waiting and sketching, and just plan to figure out how to solve the problems as they come (because they always do). When it comes to graphic design, I am able— even encouraged most times—to make mistakes because that is when new ideas emerge. In the graphic design world, no alteration is a promise. It is a possibility because you can very easily go back and try something new out with little to no problem; I will never take for

| issue design by Maren O’Connell

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granted the beauty of CTRL+Z (undo keys). (Of course technology is often unreliable—ahem—sometimes resulting in an entire deletion of the newspaper’s servers. Don’t worry, we recovered from this setback.)

After receiving a note from Ms. Hartwig at the end of my sophomore year, enticing me to join the newspaper through bribery of hot chocolate, I did not expect this decision to impact my future. However, I am enrolled at K-State, majoring in Graphic Design, with a passion for creativity and leadership. My senior year in newspaper gave me so much more than I ever planned for and I would not change the journey that led me down this path for anything in the world.

Throughout this past school year, we have published four issues total. I was looking forward to completing the senior issue with my newspaper staff because it was going to be the issue we were planning to have the most fun in designing and writing pieces. Then quarantine happened and the last two issues were postponed and I was heartbroken. I made it my mission to still hand out a senior newspaper, because quarantine took away the finality students desired at the end of the school year. I am hoping that the newspaper Moira Sutherlin and I spent hours designing this summer is a welcome keepsake for each student. I hope everyone feels they are represented throughout the pages, and they can look back in future years and remember the chaotic circumstances of Miege’s loving class of 2020.

| senior issue designers: Maren O’Connell and Moira Sutherlin

| cover photos from Miegian archives | collage photos courtesy of Liv Alvarado, Maddy Bohon, Nayeli Garcia, Ariacna Martinez-Andrade, Maddy McBride, Dustin McCasland, Morgan McNally, Elena Nguyen, Payton Nies, Moira Sutherlin, Matthew Virgil, Kate Winklhofer

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Miegian’s coronavirus

Reasons I still had a good senior year Moira Sutherlin Staff Writer

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nfortunately, our senior year was rudely interrupted by the coronavirus, which caused us to finish the rest of our year online. This was devastating for the senior class; we were so sad to hear we would be missing all of the exciting senior activities that happen at the end of the year.

While it is sad we missed so much, I still had a good senior year. These are my reasons why: Three Dances Although we were not able to attend my favorite dance — prom — we still had the 80’s mixer, Homecoming, and Sadies.

I was able to dress up fancy, stuff my face with expensive food, and strut my mediocre dance moves three times.

Fall/Winter Sports Sadly, students were not able to attend spring sports games. It was worse for spring athletes when their season was over before it even started.

Luckily, I was still able to scream and cheer at games. For example, the Rockhurst-Miege football game, which was the most highly anticipated, intense game I’ve been to at Miege.

Musical/Play Right before spring break, I was able to become a director for One Acts, which was supposed to perform in April. I was heartbroken to hear it was canceled, but I was thankful that our fall musical and winter play had already

happened.

I’ve made so many memories from the musical and play, and couldn’t imagine a senior year without them.

Teacher’s Assistant Although it was cut short, I still got to be a teacher’s assitant for Campus Ministry (CMT) most of the year. Students can only TA when they are a senior, and it was one of the best decisions I have ever made.

Kairos Unfortunately, the April Kairos had to be canceled, but four Kairos managed to happen.

I was part of K-65, and it was a really eye-opening experience for me. It helped me become close with people I barely talked to before. I do not regret going at all, and highly recommend it to every underclassman.

2020: the year of the unknown Cooper Brandmeyer Staff Photographer

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or me, the year of 2020 was unknown; I was walking into it completely blind.

Whether it was my mom dealing with breast cancer, or whether it was college coming right around the corner, 2020 was completely up in the air from there on out. I took it upon myself to make something out of it.

I started focusing on not myself but more of others. It was all to me about getting outside of something I was so safe in.

I began with challenging myself to answer the few questions a teacher might ask and helping

out a friend during a sad time in their life.

I let the negatives of my life tear me apart. That’s why I put it upon myself to help others. That is why I was admitted to a University of Kansas program that will allow me to work in the medical field eventually.

2020 was going in the right direction I would say, but that’s when the news of the coronavirus took the world by storm.

I remember getting the news.

My mom called me and said I would not be allowed to come home for a month when I got back from spring break. I was in Gulf Shores, Alabama, then.

The fact of missing school makes me wonder who I am, but I

do miss it. Seeing everybody there was something special to see, seeing everyone eagerly counting down the days until graduation.

Even if 85 percent of us were already consumed by senioritis, we all had one common goal and that was to walk across that stage with each other and shake Mr. Salisbury’s hand one last time.

And now, as I’m typing this paper, I feel like we’re back into being in the unknown and that scares us.

I can say this though: we can really go up from here, it all depends on us.

So, make the best out of this time with family, because we will be back to life sooner than you think.

first-hand musings

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I implore you: listen to the CDC Kaitlin Thrun Staff Writer

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he coronavirus has taken a lot from the senior class of 2020. For some, they missed out on their prom and gradution.

Lucky for us, Bishop Miege has been kind enough to reschedule both our prom and graduation.

However, there is one thing we all missed out on — the rest of our senior year.

It makes me sad. It makes me frustrated, but that’s no one’s fault in particular.

However, what made me more

upset than anything else was people ignoring the “shelter-in-place” order and doing whatever they want. Watching teenagers having no regard for the health of their parents or grandparents sickens me.

I was not been able to see my mother for over a week because she had suspected symptoms of COVID-19.

She got tested, and on Monday, March 30, we learned that she had coronavirus.

My dad could not see his wife, and it broke his heart.

He wanted to be there for her, but if he contracted the virus, there was a real possibility he could die.

Personally, I think that it’s more important to stay home and stop the virus from spreading than going to hang out with my friends.

Many people live with a grandparent or a parent that doesn’t have great health. They cannot afford to get it.

Look at my situation. Don’t be selfish. Protect the elderly. Protect the people you love.

You can still go on walks and bike rides, but don’t deliberately put people at risk because you got bored and wanted to see your friend.

This is bigger than you missing your friend. This is bigger than all of us.

My celebrated last day of Miege maddy mcbride Staff Writer

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turned 18 on March 12th, 2020. Unofficially the final day of my senior year at Bishop Miege High School.

Historically, I had never had school on my birthday, so it’s no surprise that I wasn’t super excited about the way the chips had fallen. In the end, I am so thankful that this was the way it had ended up.

I got to see all of the people who cared about me. People that I did not know extremely well went out of their way to wish me a happy birthday. In a very real sense, those may have been the last words I will ever trade with them.

For those who enjoy horror movies,

they always begin with unimportant moments that are sprinkled with vital information to the plot. That’s how March 12th felt.

An APGoPo class sang me “Happy Birthday” (sped up, because “Happy Birthday” is not a sad song).

Mr. Wilcox then announced that Kansas City had officially been put into a state of emergency. This marked the beginning of a seeming devolution.

I sat in the herd competitions when the West Virginia and Chicago mission trips were canceled; events many of my friends looked forward to all year, every year.

I shoved my purse to the brim with every textbook. Just in case. It probably wasn’t gonna happen. Bishop Miege would never cancel. I collected around eight reusable coffee cups from Mrs.

McCambridge’s room and said goodbye.

I was talking with a friend’s father as the news played behind me. Groups over 1000 were not allowed, and people were arguing that it should be lowered.

I joked that graduation would no longer be taking place. That could never happen. This is only going to last a couple of weeks.

Rockhurst had then released they would finish the year online. Saint Teresa’s Academy would follow suit not long after that. The next day prom was postponed. My cosmetology school interviews were canceled.

Three days after that, everything was indefinitely canceled. I didn’t get to say goodbye, but I did get Happy Birthdays, and I am at least grateful for that.

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Seniors make plans for

Moira Sutherlin

Senior Issue Co-Editor

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Best Buds

hen Kevin Hannon first saw Thomas Beland in their first grade Spanish class, Beland had a bloody nose when he was asked to say the prayer. Now, 12 years later, they are best friends and starting next fall, they will be roommates at KU. Beland and Hannon have been friends since their early days in grade school at John Paul II. Hannon, who will major in strategic communications, said his relationship has stayed strong with Beland because of his humor.

“We never fight. It’s a joking, funny relationship,” Hannon said. “We’re different enough from each other, so we don’t compare ourselves. There’s no competition.”

Beland and Hannon have been best friends for as long as they can remember. Beland, who is majoring in mechanical engineering, remembers in fifth grade when he pulled Hannon’s seat from under him when he was about to sit down, and he fell on the floor. He says they know each other so well, which is the reason they decided to become roommates at KU. “We’re similar in the way we live,” Beland said. “I’ve known him for so long so I figured it’d be better than living with a stranger.”

Hannon said he is excited to room with Beland, because he has a mini fridge, but also because he’ll have more time to be with his friend.

“I’m excited because it means it’s another four years I get to spend with one of the funniest people I know,” Hannon said.

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Beauty Queen

ed, pink, purple, blue, and teal are just a few of the colors senior Emily Long has dyed her hair. This creativity is why Long is choosing to go to cosmetology school. Long plans on attending a year-long program in January of 2021. She likes to experiment with hair, not just on herself, but on her friends too.

“I like to cut, dye, bleach, style mine and my friends’ hair any chance I can get,” Long said.

Long remembers her interest towards transforming hair began in middle school when she would dye her own hair, and the passion for styling other people’s began during her junior year of high school.

“I like transforming people’s hair because it makes them happy and it tends to boost their mood when they may be feeling down.”

Long’s desire to go to cosmetology school was inspired by a friend who graduated cosmetology school and became a hairdresser. She said she hopes to achieve this herself.

“Seeing her do hair was really interesting,” Long said.

“I became confident that it was what I wanted to do too.”

After graduating from cosmetology school, Long plans on becoming a hair color specialist, and one day manage her own salon.

“I want to be a hair specialist because I hate the makeup aspect of cosmetology, but I love doing hair,’’ Long said.

their bright futures T

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Star Student

he minimum amount of service hours required for seniors is 80 hours, but senior Kate Winklhofer has over 600. Winklhofer has the most service hours in the senior class, and over 500 of her service hours are direct corporal works of mercy. She has done a variety of service, such as coaching a 6th grade CYO team, tutoring at St. Agnes, and has gone on the Chicago mission trip twice. Winklhofer’s favorite activity to do for service is volunteering at Camp Barnabas, which is a camp for kids and adults with special needs.

“Camp has been the most rewarding of all my service experiences by far,” Winklhofer said.

Winklhofer does not do all of the extra service hours for no reason. She likes to see the effect it has on others.

“It is important to do acts of service because it is very rewarding to see the impact that you can have on people,” Winklhofer said. “You get the opportunity to show others that you care for them and their well-being.”

Winklhofer likes volunteering because she does service that she finds enjoyable. She has advice for anyone looking for service hours.

“Don’t just do it because you need the hours, try to find something that you enjoy doing. If you are passionate about the work you are doing, it stops being work,” Winklhofer said.

“Also, go to Camp Barnabas. It will be the most impactful week of your life.”

| photos by Cooper Brandmeyer

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Family Business

enior Thomas George is deciding to pursue a career path he “fell in love with” —construction.

George’s family owns a franchise that focuses on remodeling UPS stores. He helps his family renovate the stores by doing tasks such as taking furniture apart, painting the store, and putting electricity in. He even did these jobs overnight and found it difficult to make it to school the next day.

“The hardest part is working through the night to get the job done before I go back home and go back to school,” George said.

The coronavirus has not hindered his gaining of experience over the summer.

“We’re still working and getting jobs regularly,” George said. “With us working after-open hours, there is significantly less risk for the crew to contract the coronavirus.”

No matter the struggles he faces, George still wants to help his family with the business after high school and work towards his master electricians license. The license allows him to pull permits on electrical plans for commercial buildings, and install every aspect of electricity. After gaining his license, he wants to move on to bigger things.

“I hope to achieve building big hotels, big apartments, and bigger buildings,” George said. “It was always a big dream of mine to be able to say ‘I built that’ and have that pass on through generations of my family as the building stands.”

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Class of 2020

Avila University

Olivia Mitchell

Baker University

Antonio Salas

Benedictine College Ella Albright Grace Brandl Leah Knoop David Lauterwasser Tyler Marchand

Elena Nguyen Megan Schleimer Gail VanWalleghem Katie Wolfe

California Baptist University JohnJoe Lopez II

Colorado State University Colin McDonald

Columbia College Molly Mayberry

Trenton Mandl

Jadon Lewis

Kansas City Art Institute

Employment Gap year

Jackson Burris Sara Gallo

George Mendez Thomas George Hudson Pflumm

Grambling State University Alyncia Mack Smith

Harvard University Brian Burns

Houston University Jackson Rone

Ariacna Martinez- Andrade Maddy McBride Nicole Njogu Connell McKeown Alice Oropeza Karina Rivera Christiana Ruiz Benjamin Sandy Isabella Sanz Stephanie Schmalz

Kansas Christian College

Drake University Charles Gannaway

JCCC

Olivea Alvarado Nathaniel Becker Maddy Bohon Jacob Brinkman Marie Clingan Jahmari Cross Michael Deitchman Nayeli Garcia Rachel Gomez Elizabeth Hinkle Emily Long

K-State

Patrick Cashman Joey Fuss Shannon Holtsclaw Luke Lazarczyk Daniel Morrissey

William Nolke Maren O’Connell Stacy Ritz Sawyer Shutts Matthew Virgil

Lincoln University James Jackson

Loyola University New Orleans Kaitlin Thrun

Marquette University

UMKC

Angela Arrieta Diana Brown Katie Cardarella Aimee Grajeda

Benjamin Coffman

Maryville University Mollie Morfeld

Metropolitan Community College Juliette Garcia Rojas

MidAmerica Nazarene University

Brianna Moylan

Military Acel Copeland Luis Moen

Brison Cobbins

Hannah Bennett Haley Hart Sydney Messick

DeAunte Parker Zeke Romine Ja’Quan Stevenson

Paul Mitchell Cosmetology School Morgan Phelan

Penn Valley Community College Naomi Ortiz

Caroline Schwarz

Pittsburg State University

Dylan Kovac Skyler Pankey

Princeton University Mason Weber

Quincy University Grant Fussell

Regis University Frances Gibson

Daniel Stroade

Rochester Institution of Technology Aleksandr Kilfoyle Noelia Olivares Diego Olivas

Isabella Vergara

Josie Rinella

Sophia Stram

Savannah College of Art and Design Renee Howard

South Dakota State Max VanMeter

Texas Christian University Johanna Quigley

Truman State University

Tulane University Rishi Rattan

University of Arkansas Catherine Eshelbrenner

Paul Masoner

University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff University of California San Diego Tony Liu

University of Central Florida University of Central Missouri Emma Klein Thomas Muxlow

Jack Olsen

University of Dallas Matthew Ong

University of Kansas Tennile Allen Nicholas Barber Izabella Baska Cooper Brandmeyer Thomas Beland Eric Choi Jake Conklin Henry Corp Kate Davoren Connor Doble Richard Estell Jr. Nicholas Fahlstrom Kevin Hannon Gabriela Herrera Javier Loredo Sean McCarty

Jackson Merryfield Sam Mitchell Payton Nies Joe Nordling Barret Pearson Heriberto Robles Victor Rodriguez George Ruf Jake Ryan Moira Sutherlin Katie Taylor Andrea Martinez Villarreal Noulin Voravong Lauren Wheeler Kate Winklhofer Madeline Wolf

University of Miami

Kelsey Walls

University of Minnesota

Saint Louis University

Delaney O’Byrne

Noah Kuester

Ashton Verhulst

Northwest Missouri State University

Rockhurst University

Garrett Hagen

A’Zariah Burgin Ryan Wattenberg

Missouri Western State University

Salvador Barr Ryan FitzGerald

University of Arizona

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Morgan McNally Koby Murphy Stailey Olmstead Connor Rush

Daniel Jackson

University of Missouri-Columbia Allison Masilionis Joseph Okafor Vivian Owens

Jack Weixeldorfer Michael Welsh Ella Wille

University of Notre Dame Molly Lynn

University of Oklahoma Dustin McCasland

Wichita State University Molly Donegan Evan Galbraith

Other

Mason Epps Thinh Nguyen

Kyle Ivey Nathaniel Winkelbauer Yi Zhai

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Tiny versus Tall

1. How tall are you?

5. Are there any daily struggle you have with your

2. What’s the best thing about your height? height?

6. What is your shoe size?

3. What’s an issue you always run

7. How tall are your parents?

into with your height?

8. What is one question that you always get asked that

4. If you could change your height, bothers you? would you, and why?

9. What is a memory you have due to your height?

Tyler Marchand

1. 6’7” 2. My favorite thing about my height is using short people as an armrest.

3. Short doorways 4. Nope. I love my height where it’s at.

5. I have to squat down every morning to be able to see my face in the mirror.

6. My shoe size varies between 13 and 14.

7. My mom is 5’10” and dad is 6’2.”

8. How’s the weather up there?

9. My favorite memory of my height is when I dunked for the first time in seventh grade.

Isabella Vergara

Tallest senior Tyler Marchand and shortest senior Isabella Vergara stand back to back. | photo by Cooper Brandmeyer

1. 4’9” 2. I can easily squeeze through crowds.

3. I always get elbowed in the face or people run into me because they can’t see me.

4. I wouldn’t change my height because I love being short.

5. A struggle I deal with daily is reaching things in high places.

6. I am 5.5 in women’s shoes.

7. My dad is 5’6” and my mom is 4’10.”

8. It’s not a question, but it bothers me when people say “Oh sorry, I didn’t see you down there” or “Wow, you’re really short.”

9. A memory I have from my height was when I went to the grocery store and couldn’t reach something on the top shelf so I stood on one of the shelves but it broke. I left because I was too embarassed to clean it up.

S E N I O R G L O W U P S

Johanna Quigley

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“I’ve improved in my confidence in myself and in my abilities. When I entered high school I thought there was no way I was good enough to study acting in college, and now that’s exactly what I’m doing!”

Richard Estell Jr. “Personally, I’ve mentally improved in patience and responsibility. As a young freshman, I was very one dimensional and didn’t put myself in other people’s shoes.”

Naomi Ortiz “Over the past four years, I have grown a lot mentally and socially. Coming into Miege I was very nervous and shy but four years later and my whole mindset has changed and I’ve finally learned to be myself, which has allowed myself to make new friends.”

George Ruf “I’ve improved my self control. All throughout grade school and some of high school I was extremely hyper and had trouble controlling myself. I still remember 7th grade year when I jumped from desk to desk pretending I was Spider Man.”

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Miegian staff survey

What genre has been your favorite TV show during quarantine?

reality 14.3% drama 28.6% sports 14.3% comedy 42.9%

What has been your favorite snack during quarantine?

chips 85.7% candy 14.3% | survey spread by Maren O’Connell | results from the 7 seniors on the Miegian staff

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What has been your favorite TV show during lockdown?

90 Da Moira Grey’s Anatomy

The

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Maddy McBride

ce

Pla Good

y Fia

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el ’Conn O n e Mar

What has been the latest time you’ve slept in until during quarantine? ily r Fam o f s i F r Coope er mey Brand Gossip Girl Allison Masilionis

e ffic

O The Ka

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hru

T itlin

Imprac tical Jo kers Luke La zarczyk

12-1 57.1% 9-10 14.3% later 14.3% 11-12 14.3%

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Calling all of the geeks and gamers was born into the world more than a decade ago —but I’m not here to document Minecraft’s deep and effervescent history, nor am I particularly interested in delving into its popularity today.

My sweet geeks and gamers, I want to

nomenon?

Minecraft taps into mankind’s most primal instincts: surviving in Mother Guest Writer Nature’s deepest depths and living in n expansive, candescent field tune with her environment by creating of crystal clear water glimmers a home limited only by one’s imaginaunder the beaming sun. Waves tion. Because more so than a miner, roll into a coastline of pale sand. a crafter, a survivor —one in MineBehind me is a vibrant forest, a craft is an artist. The game places picturesque mountain range, and primitive qualities of reality into an any other majestic landscape that endless sandbox of a world; this is calls this world home. I exist free of what creates its magnetic pull, the responsibilities, of time; urgency is siren song of any gamer. nonexistent, and I am guided only Quite simply, Minecraft is inby my whims. finite. Just like it’s boundless worlds No, I’m not on some lavish, farand limitless fun, the game exists away vacation. I’m sitting right at within a realm untouched by the home, like hundreds of millions of rules of our universe. It is a blank other Americans currently self-iso- Senior Katie Taylor (photoshopped) stands in canvas of cosmic proportions; it lating during these trying times. is up to you and me to pick up our the comforting caresses of Minecraft’s rolling Unless you’ve been living under paintbrushes and build something hills. | photo courtesy of Katie Taylor a rock —or, as we in the biz call beautiful. I can’t speak for everyone, it, cobblestone —you have at least a dig deeper. How exactly is it that such but when push comes to shove and semblance of an idea as to what Minesimple ideas as mining and crafting pickaxe strikes stone, I know where I’ll craft is. This sweet gaming ambrosia have grown into an international phebe in my times of need.

Katie Taylor

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The cultural resurgence of ‘Avatar’ Sara Gallo Guest Writer

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nless you have been living under a rock or just hate anything good, there is a good chance you have revisited, first time visited or at least encountered Avatar: The Last Airbender sometime recently. Having hit streaming service Netflix on May 15, there has been a cultural resurgence surrounding the titular show. And rightfully so, everything about this series works in such a special way that can be enjoyed by any and everyone.

The story itself is very simple: two siblings uncover a seemingly young boy frozen in an iceberg. However, they soon realize that the boy is the key to ending a hundred year long feud between the conquering Fire Nation and the rest of the world. In their world, certain people

have the ability to “bend” or control one of the four elements —water, earth, fire, and air —to their will, with the Avatar being the only one to control all four simultaneously. The series comprising three “books” follows waterbender Katara and her brother, Sokka, as they follow Avatar Aang all over their world as he tries to master all elements in order to defeat the Fire Lord, the one responsible for the war. Although this seems like a basic set-up, the execution of this is what really solidifies this show as one of the greatest series ever.

Something people do not usually expect to see in a “kid’s show” is strong and complex character writing, which is something extremely present in Avatar and one of the best attributes of it. Not only is the main protagonist likeable, he is flawed and directly parallels one of the antagonists in the series, the son of the Fire Lord. The antagonists also,

while intimidating, are quite humanized and have rational motivation for acting against the protagonists. Each character that is introduced has a distinct personality, and each contributes so much to the plot. The vivacious characters paired with the witty dialogue and the phenomenal vocal performances make the characters truly feel alive and easy to understand or identify with.

If you want to learn how to write a near perfect story, I highly recommend this show. And if you are one of those people who will not watch something because it’s a cartoon —here’s your medal for being too cool, congratulations. You are missing out on such an artistic show that has influenced at least two generations. Anyone wanting to watch this series for the first time, I hope you enjoy it. And trust me, the worst part about finishing it is that you will never be able to experience it for the first time ever again.

The hole in a sports fanatic’s life Luke Lazarczyk Sports Editor

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ife at the moment has been very difficult for everyone. COVID-19 has created a new danger in our lives and has taken away many of the simple things in our lives. For myself, one of the hardest adjustments has to be a life without sports.

Sports are a big deal in my life.

Before the pandemic, every day I would be watching a game or checking up on games that have been played throughout the day. With the growing pandemic, every sports league has canceled all games and left us with no sports to watch. This has left a big hole in my daily life, which has left me struggling to fill that void.

In the past couple of weeks, I have

been finding ways to help my need for sports. I have been doing multiple things: watching player highlights, reading up on past games and playoffs, having sports arguments with my brother, preparing for my dynasty fantasy football league, and watching classic games from the NFL, NBA, and NCAAB. At one point, I went onto Youtube to watch game two of the 1993 NBA Finals between the Suns and the Bulls.

There has been one thing keeping most of my sports attention helping to distract myself from the sadness that is currently going on in the world. The NFL free agency cycle and draft were not stopped, as many big-time players changed teams and changed the complete dynamic of the league for the next season, especially Tom Brady, who signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

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This excitement created by the NFL has helped not only myself but many other sports fans.

Sports fans lost a ton of potential enjoyment in the past couple of weeks.

Starting with the cancellation of the NBA, the season was about to head into the playoffs and excitement was heating up around the league. Worst of all, for myself, March Madness was canceled and took away some of the best sports moments that happen every year. Out of all the playoffs and tournaments, March Madness has always been my favorite.

Trying to create the perfect bracket, and then watch many underdog teams surprise the country has been a yearly tradition that has been difficult to lose.

I am continuing to work on ways to find ways to enjoy sports until life is set back to normal.

Reminiscing about boys’ tennis Luke Lazarczyk Sports Editor

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OVID-19 has made life very difficult and has taken away many things for many people, including myself. One of the biggest consequences for me personally has been my lost tennis season. With school being canceled, all spring sports also ended prematurely, which has taken away my last year of tennis for Bishop Miege.

Going into the season, I had many things I was looking forward to. First off, the team this year was in a great position to compete for the 4A state title, something Bishop Miege has not done in over 30 years. After our fourth-place finish last year, I felt very confident in the team that we could take first this season.

Having this opportunity taken away from us was very upsetting, especially since most of us will never have another chance to compete in a state match.

Besides missing the chance to win

state, the worst part about losing the season is losing the experience with the team. Every day after school, no matter how my day was going, I always knew I had tennis practice afterward. Every practice was a new time for me to enjoy time with the tennis lads. No matter if it was enjoying the games we played, messing around in between drills, or jokingly trash-talking each other, practice was always an enjoyable experience for me.

The team always made my matches way more entertaining and was always very supportive. In any match or tournament, I could always depend on my teammates to cheer me on. No matter if I was playing great or I was getting destroyed by someone way better than me, I could look over across the fence and see my teammates giving me a sign of encouragement or give a laugh if I did something stupid.

Out of my three years and a few weeks of my tennis career, my favorite memories come from our state-run last

year. Hanging out with the guys (Daniel Stroade, Javier Lorendo, Patrick Cashman, Evan Acuff, and Andrew Ladwig) was such a great time. Having our tournament in Pratt, Kansas, we were able to spend nine hours in the car with Coach Don and enjoy the ride. In my state experience, I did not play well with two losses, but it was great to see the team play above expectations and almost land a trophy. The three days of driving and watching insane amounts of tennis were one of my favorite experiences from Bishop Miege.

Luckily for myself and my fellow senior teammates, we have been given the opportunity to play in a socially distanced tournament on July 25th and 26th. It won’t be the same, but it is still a chance to finish off my Miege tennis career. Looking at my soon- to-be finished tennis career, I will always cherish the great times on the team and will always appreciate my teammates and coaches who helped make tennis a great part of my life.

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Seniors’ last softball

Luke Lazarczyk Sports Editor

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or seniors Morgan McNally and Katie Wolfe, softball has been a part of their Bishop Miege lives since the beginning. Both McNally and Wolfe have been playing on the Stags’ softball varsity squad starting their freshman year. With the emergence of COVID-19, their final softball season together was cut short as well as the school year. Both Wolfe and McNally said they were very disappointed that it was all over.

“When I found out the season was over, I was more than sad,” Wolfe said.

“I was looking forward to my senior season and getting to play with my favorite people.”

McNally had similar feelings about the cancellation of the season, but was happy that there was some time as a team beforehand.

“When I learned the season was over, I was sad that I wouldn’t get to

Seniors Morgan McNally and Katie Wolfe pose in the dugout before a game. | photo courtesy of Katie Wolfe have my senior season but glad that I at least got to see everyone for a few practices before it ended,” McNally said.

The senior duo had special moments they were ready for during the

Senior Morgan McNally checks the book before heading back out to the field to play second base. | photo by Katie Wolfe

season that they wish they could have experienced.

“I believe I missed out most on making memories with the best team ever,” Wolfe said.

McNally had a specific moment that she was looking forward to, to finish off her softball career at Miege “I believe I missed out most on senior night because I had been looking forward to it and it would have been a nice way to end my softball career,” McNally said.

Playing since freshman year, Morgan and Katie have seen many different senior leaders throughout the years.

Before the season ended, both girls were making sure to be good leaders for the Stags with the roster looking to be full of underclassmen.

“In leading the team, I plan to show them the plays we run and the enthusiasm we should play with during games and practices,” McNally said.

Wolfe’s idea to lead the team involved keeping team morale at a high and making sure everyone is motivated.

“I plan to stay passionate and

season cut too short

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Wolfe prepares at first base to field the ball at a Miege home game during her junior year. | photo by Maggie Lennox encourage my teammates to work hard this season,” Wolfe said.

Heading into the season, the two seniors were looking forward to enjoying the season with each other and the rest of the team.

“I look forward to getting to know everyone who is joining the team,” McNally said. “I am also excited to have fun with the people I have been playing with these past four years.”

Wolfe was similarly expecting to have an exciting year with her teammates.

“I look forward to playing with all the girls and being a leader,” Wolfe said.

Wolfe has enjoyed her time on the varsity softball team since freshman year and has been a part of finding moments to enjoy her teammates’ company.

“My favorite memories of softball are all the girls always being so nice and we always bond really well,” Wolfe said.

McNally has also been playing varsity since her freshman year and has enjoyed traditions the team has built in her time playing for the Stags.

“My favorite memories have been when we get pizza before our away games,” McNally said. “The people have made it a lot more fun on the team.”

Being Wolfe’s teammate for four years, McNally has not only had moments to enjoy the time with the team, but has also been able to appreciate having Wolfe as a teammate for her entire Bishop Miege softball career.

“Katie always makes it a lot more fun when I get mad or upset and makes me feel better,” McNally said. “She also

makes it a lot more fun to mess with at times that I can be bored.”

Wolfe has also enjoyed the teammates four year run on the team together, and is thankful for having Morgan as a teammate.

“Morgan is always super nice and funny and always keeps me motivated to play hard for the team,” Wolfe said.

Knowing their time together as teammates are over, both McNally and Wolfe felt they had great times together and that their time together on the diamond was well spent.

“My time as a teammate of Katie’s was always fun because she can always make me laugh and has been really entertaining to mess with during games and practices,” McNally said. “She was one of the reasons I looked forward to the softball season because she made it so much more fun. ”

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Future college athletes

Luke Lazarczyk Sports Editor

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ith the current pandemic, there have been many changes in daily life that have caused many to make adjustments. One of those changes is the shift sports has taken, not only professionally, but also locally and collegiately.

Even though the sports season came to an unexpected close, there are many seniors who will be able to continue their career beyond high school. Miege has 16 senior athletes playing at the collegiate level across six different sports, including A’Zariah Burgin cheering at Pine Bluff in Arkansas.

Burgin is now going to cheer collegiately, but cheering was not her initial plan heading into college.

“I’ve always envisioned myself going to college for track,” Burgin said.

“However, when I started cheering in high school, I knew that I would want to continue in college.”

During Burgin’s time at Miege, her favorite times cheering were under the Friday night lights supporting the Stags’ football team.

“I love the high spirits and energy from the student section,” Burgin said.

“Seeing all the action on the field from the sidelines is all very exciting.”

Burgin was expecting to go into tryouts after the school year in May, but due to COVID-19, those tryouts were suspended. Even with these recent events, Burgin is still excited to be ready to continue her cheering career at Arkansas Pine Bluff.

“I will always miss cheering on the Stags, but soon I will be cheering on the Lions,” Burgin said.

The football team, which Burgin enjoyed cheering for, is sending many players to the collegiate level, including left tackle Brian Burns. Burns will be playing football at Harvard University. Through-

Cheerleader A’Zariah Burgin performs at a football game with the dance team. | photo by Katie Wolfe out his recruitment process, Burns received interest from many schools, for either scholarship or preferred walk on.

“I ended up receiving 16 offers, mostly from Missouri Valley and Ivy league schools and a few preferred walkon offers from some larger schools,” Burns said. “It was not until I actually visited the school and the city around the campus and then also meeting the coaches and current players that really helped me make my decision.”

Burns had many options heading into his decision, but Harvard had an advantage due to the Burns’ family past.

“My dad played football at Harvard, so I had been up there and walked around Boston a couple times and always really liked the city as well as the school itself,” Burns said.

The recent quarantine has shut down all gyms and possible places to work out. Burns has tried to work through these difficulties to stay in shape.

“It had affected my training quite a bit over the past month with all gyms being closed and not being able to do the normal workouts to get prepared for the fall,” Burns said. “I have tried to be creative with finding different things around the house to use for weights, but also have continued to run and stay in shape that way. ” It has been discussed by many people about the upcoming fall sports season for collegiate sports in the next few months. Burns realizes the possibility of the season moving and is preparing for possible options.

“If the season was to be canceled entirely and the fall semester be taught online alternatives such as taking a gap year have been discussed with my parents and coaches,” Burns said. “Another possibility is that the season gets moved back to the spring, which I would prefer, but also would lead to a quick transition from the spring season into the following fall season. ”

Volleyball player Brianna Moylan spikes the ball at the opposing team. | photo courtesy of Brianna Moylan Another athlete who could be affected by the movement of the fall sports is volleyball player, Brianna Moylan. Moylan has recently committed to MidAmerica Nazarene University and said she understands how the season can be affected.

“I think it would really stink if the season got moved because I’m really looking forward to it, but if it will help

this pandemic go away then I’m all for it,” Moylan said.

With the closures of all gyms, Moylan knows that these circumstances are not beneficial to her start of her collegiate volleyball career.

“I think not having access to a gym and not being able to practice with my club team might affect my preparedness,” Moylan said. “Also, with no access to a weight room I could definitely fall behind the other girls.”

Even with these tough issues, Moylan has made sure to find ways to try to stay in form and avoid being rusty.

“I can always hit the ball against a wall or play with my family or even just do ball handling on my own,” Moylan said.

Moylan said she is ready for her volleyball career for the Pioneers to begin and is happy for the opportunity.

“I was so incredibly excited to get the opportunity and felt like all my hard work had finally paid off,” Moylan said.

Moylan said she is looking forward to the opportunity that volleyball will give her in college to further add to her collegiate experience.

“I think I’m most excited to meet new friends and be in such a close-knit community while also playing the sport I love,” Moylan said.

2020 Commitments

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A’Zariah Burgin

University of Arkansas, Pine Bluff Brian Burns

Harvard University Brison Cobbins

Missouri Western University Grant Fussell

Quincy University Daniel Jackson

Minnesota University Trenton Mandl

Kansas Christian College Tyler Marchand

Benedictine College Molly Mayberry

Columbia University Brianna Moylan

MidAmerica Nazarene University Diego Olivas

Rockhurst University DeAunte Parker

Northwest Missouri State Rishi Rattan

Tulane University Sophia Stram

St. Louis University Max VanMeter

South Dakota State University Ashton Verhulst

University of Central Florida Left tackle Brian Burns defends his quarterback from the Aquinas team. | photo by Katie Wolfe

Mason Weber

Princeton University

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Wise words of wisdom

Ashton Verhulst: “Get involved in as much stuff as possible, because high school will be over before you know it, and so many people leave Miege wishing they had participated in more.

Take part in different activities, clubs, teams, dances, sporting events, classes, or anything else you have the slightest interest in because I guarantee you won’t regret it.”

Thomas Beland: “Don’t be afraid to talk to your teachers. The teachers genuinely want the best for you.”

Delaney O’Byrne: “The best thing you could do as a lower classman would be involving yourself in as much as you can and try out different interests.

It’s really cool how much Miege offers for kids to be involved in and there are endless opportunities to make new friendships. Also, don’t stress yourself out too much, but put in some effort.”

A’Zariah Burgin: “My advice to the lower classmen would be to get involved with the school, try new things, and meet new people.”

Kevin Hannon: “Make the most of your high school experience. Don’t be afraid to go out of your comfort zone. It is always good to try new things.”

Ariacna Martinez-Andrade: “Enjoy high school, do your work, have fun, and don’t worry too much. It’s gone before you know it.”

Ella Albright: “Do not be afraid to join a club or sport, it’s no harm to join and you’ll regret it if you don’t try.

Don’t be afraid to talk to someone you don’t know, because you’re all going to be best friends by senior year. This is a time to meet new people, get out of your comfort zone and have fun while doing it. Don’t hold back, just go for it!”

Ben Coffman: “If the ACT doesn’t fit you, take the SAT as it might be a better fit and gives you more time. Just work hard for the next few years. You do not have much time to excel in high school, so do your best now to invest in your future.”

Connor Rush: “Work hard and be patient with teachers. Have as much fun as you can with your friends because time goes by fast. Make as many connections as possible and strive to be the best at everything you do. Be the best ‘you’ you can be and do not worry about what anyone thinks about you as long as you are always trying to improve.”

Sam Mitchell: “Go to every sports game you can. You might not know when your last one will be, so enjoy it while it lasts.”

Payton Nies: “High school is a lot harder than people tell you it is. Not the schoolwork — that’s about the same — socially, mentally, and emotionally it can be extremely taxing. The best advice I can give is to push through the hard stuff and to make sure you take time alone to pursue the things you enjoy. Enjoy being a kid while you can and explore who you want to be.”

Jake Ryan: “Find positivity out of everything that you do and do not be afraid to try something new. High school is a time to learn how to change and adapt to what life throws at you.

Know that you are not in it alone and accept help from those around you that care about you.”

Sydney Messick: “Don’t take anything for granted. It goes by quicker than you would think, so enjoy your time and get as involved as you can because that is the best part and you will regret not doing it more.”

Connor Doble: “Work hard and get homework done. I know it may take time and not be fun, but homework makes up a ton of points throughout the year. Make sure to go to as many sporting events as possible and do the cheers when you go. Overall, just enjoy your time at Miege while you still have it because it goes by fast.”

Molly Donegan: “Work hard to try and get good grades. I wish I had tried harder my freshman and sophomore year of high school. You may not realize it, but these grades will ultimately affect your GPA. If you work hard and get good grades, it will be very beneficial to you and your future. Good grades can also help you receive college scholarships, and help you get into the college you want.”

Nick Fahlstrom: “No matter how hard life can be, just remember that you will always have friends and family to support you through your hard times.”

Grace Brandl: “My advice would be to go to school not scared of what others think about you because odds are, they are too worried about what others think about what others think of them.”

Hudson Pflumm: “Do the work early, whatever it may be — it will pay off in the end.”

Daniel Stroade: “Take advantage of all the resources that are offered at Miege. Get involved and most of all, be a leader. Start strong, do not get behind, and don’t forget to have fun as your years in high school fly by fast. Go Stags Go!” Elena Nguyen: “Don’t be afraid to stand up and be vocal for your ideas.

One good idea can change a mediocre project to an outstanding one.”

Teachers’ farewells

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When I think of this class it brings a smile to my face. Lots of crazy moments that involved lots of laughter...snake clap in freshman biology...kind of weird, kind of cool moments in anatomy. Crazy moments that made me grow...freshman first hour biology...you know who you are! Watching young freshmen turn into mature seniors. All these moments and many more lead to a proud Mama Reed!

| Ms. Reed I will miss seeing all of you walking through the hallways. I will miss you stopping by my room to say hello, even after you’re no longer in my class. I will miss watching you do your thing - theater, choir, sports, debate, forensics, robotics, and everything else. I will miss your leadership - you have great leaders. I will miss your spirit... Now I am excited to watch you go out to all the places you’re going and set the world on fire with your amazing gifts!

| Mr. Dessert

I think one of my favorite memories is bittersweet. The Concert Chorale sang for Mrs. Salisbury’s wake and funeral. Despite the heartbreaking circumstances, this choir sang with such heart, it was felt throughout the congregation.

They gave it 100% with love and compassion, I was moved and so very proud!

The choir of 2019-2020 has such great senior leaders who I am very fond of!

| Mrs. Christie My favorite memory is watching Kyle Ivey drive the our T-shirt launching robot all the way from North Campus with its headlights on for the first time.

The look on his face was great, but the looks on the faces of the people driving by on Reinhardt was better. Graduation is always a bittersweet experience for me, because I know I’ll never know most of these graduates as well as I do at that moment ever again. And many of them are pretty cool people.

| Mr. Anderson This senior class will always be special and unique to me: my last class of Freshman Homeroom, the first class to have a speech requirement for graduation (so every senior planning to graduate has been in my classroom for at least one class), and my last class of AP English Language students. I have had more direct contact with this class than any other in my 33 years at Miege, and 98% of the time that has been amazing contact! This is a class filled with compassion, humor, wit, and strength!

| Mrs. Reynolds

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