THE NET WORK Marian High School - 7400 Military Avenue Omaha, NE 68134 - www.marianhighschool.net - Volume 62 Issue 8 - May 2018
Crowning Mary May Queen Maria Determan ’18 places a crown of flowers on the statue of Mary. Determan was chosen to be May Queen by her fellow seniors.
May Queen graces Marian with inspiring values, embodies faith
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n May 8, senior Maria Determan led second grade daughters of alumnae to the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The girls were dressed in white Communion dresses as they were led by the May Queen. When Mrs. Anna Kolterman, Campus Minister and Worship Choir Director, pulled Determan aside earlier in April, Determan had no idea what she was going to tell her. “You’re this year’s May Queen” was not what she expected. “I was surprised, but mostly honored that my classmates would give me that kind of honor. There are more than a hundred other people in our class and for them to choose me made me feel very special and honored,” Determan said. May Queen is an honored tradition at Marian that commemorates the connec-
tions made between the Servants of Mary and students, as well as honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary. Each year the May Queen is selected by the members of the senior class. The selection of May Queen is based on a student who shows strong interest in her faith and lives out her faith life daily. “I have incorporated faith in some big ways and some small ways. The bigger ways, more visual ways, would be going to Decade Darlings every day, because I think that it’s a nice way to think of others around you. I go to Hearts of Marian on Wednesday, which is a more personal way of growing in your faith,” Determan said. Determan participates in physical ways of showing faith, but she is also very in tune with the spiritual and mental aspects
of faith. “I always try to be positive and encouraging to others, because that is an aspect of faith that some might not think about. But to me it’s a very important part of my faith,” Determan said. As a senior, Determan is involved in many extracurriculars at Marian. She sings in Worship Choir, Select Women’s Choir, writes for The Network, is a leader for retreats through Campus Ministry, helps with the Recruitment Team and is a leader in the Sundae Wednesday Club. Although her commitment to all of these activities makes her a busy Marian girl, she always leaves time for her faith. “I would say anywhere you go, even at Marian, you can’t just expect to gain a faith life. If you don’t seek it, you’re not going to find it. So if you want to find
yourself and find your faith, you’re going to have to step out and go find it,” Determan said. Determan’s best friend, senior Megan Doehner, knows just how deep Determan dives into her faith. “Without fail, she carries a glow within her, bringing God’s love and graces to every single person she encounters,” Doehner said. Doehner introduced Determan at the May Crowning ceremony with a heartfelt speech. Determan’s advice to underclasswomen in growing in their own faith life was an encouraging message. “There are plenty of ways at Marian to be involved and if you take the first step, then you’ll fall into it - in a good way - and hopefully find what you’re looking for,” Determan said.
Sisters share, celebrate their 125th U.S. anniversary
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arian is founded upon the values of Compassion, Community, Service, Spirituality, Marian Identity and Empowerment. All of these values have come directly from the Servants of Mary who founded the school’s hallowed grounds. But the mission of the Servants of Mary started long before the founding of Marian; in fact, this community has been positively impacting the country for the last 125 years. The sisters journeyed from England to continue their mission in America. The quasquicentennial (125 year anniversary) of the Sisters began with their work in Mount Vernon Ind. in 1893. For some perspective, in 1893, the first ferris wheel made its debut and Grover Cleveland was the president. In Mount Vernon, the Sisters founded St. Matthews after a long journey by boat. These women left
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everything that they knew, all in the name of God and their mission to do His will. “I think that the Servants of Mary and other religious sisters were our first real feminists. They took it upon themselves to not just teach, but to build schools and build curriculum,” President Ms. Mary Higgins said. The Sisters continued aiding the people of Indiana, Illinois and Iowa for the next 25 years. In the year 1918, the Sisters created a grade school in Omaha called Holy Name. “The sisters arrived in Omaha on a Thursday and started school the following Monday,” community counselor Sr. Kerry Larkin said. On April 26, Holy Name recognized the work of the Sisters and inducted them into their Hall of Fame. They continued to expand their ministry throughout Nebraska, and eventually
reached as far as Colorado, New York and Washington, D.C. In 1955, the Sisters created an allgirls high school in Omaha; Marian High School. Since then, Marian has blossomed into a faith-cultivating environment, full of confident young women. “I think that Marian is an amazing school; to have 700 girls going to a Catholic school in today’s world is pretty amazing,” Larkin said. “Our school being founded by the Sisters has strengthened our bond of sisterhood because we model it after the Sisters before us,” junior Anaja Arthur said. On Aug. 4, the Sisters will be having a celebration to commemorate their anniversary. “It is just a real year of jubilee and celebration. We are having events all over the country celebrating the anniversary, each month in different cities,” Larkin said.
The Sisters have spent 125 years serving the Omaha. The survival and success of the Sisters is a prime example of God’s work in our world. A small group of women dedicated to their religion has continued to thrive despite society moving in other directions. Their mission is to emulate the compassion of Mary, and they have dedicated their lives to doing so. “Their charism is that of compassionate presence. That does not mean feeling sorry for people. It means they are willing to listen to people and open their hearts in every situation to understand people’s needs. To be genuinely kind in all situations,” Higgins said. “This is a great year to be grateful for how God has taken care of us in the last 125 years, and to wonder where God will take us in the next 125 years,” Larkin said.
News
OPINION
in-depth
sports
SHELTERING TREE Brings A Connection p.2
THE PLAID SKIRT IS A GIRL’S BEST FRIEND p.4
Soaring high and saying goodbye p.8-9
the secret life of team managers p.12