The Network MARIAN HIGH SCHOOL 7400 MILITARY AVENUE OMAHA, NE 68134 www.MARIANHIGHSCHOOL.net VOLUME 60 ISSUE 3 DECEMBER 2015
Terrorism shocks Servite community
clarawertzberger & marykiscoan
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arian’s sister school in Paris, Blanche de Castille High School, is roughly 20 minutes away from Stade de France, the stadium where multiple suicide bombers caused death and mass panic on Nov. 13. The high school is only about 28 minutes away from Bataclan Concert Hall, where 89 people were murdered the same night. According to French Prime Minister Manuel Valls, the death toll from the terrorist attack on Paris is now at 130, and six locations in Paris were under seige. As the death toll rose that night, so did senior Anna Domet’s fear. With Domet’s mother almost in tears, her family anxiously waited to hear from Selma Kerroux. The Domet family hosted 16-year-old Kerroux last year for a 10-week immersion experience in the United States, which included an International Servite Schools Network (ISSN) conference held at Marian. Their hospitality was returned when the Domets stayed with Kerroux’s family this past summer in Paris. Domet and Kerroux often communicate by e-mail, iMessage, and other methods. “I think it’s so important to stay in contact, because you never know when something’s going to come up. You never know when they are going to need you. I think it’s important to maintain that relationship,” Domet said.
A bird’s eye view Standing atop the Eiffel Tower, tourists and locals see the city of Paris spread out below. Built in 1889, the tower still rises 984 feet from its base after all the surrounding chaos. photo by annporter
Though Kerroux’s mother sisters were safe. With the good news, responded to Domet’s mother a few Sr. Mary then reported the message to hours after she sent a frantic e-mail, all Servite sisters and their associates Domet still felt incredible sorrow. living in the United States and asked for prayers. “I was disturbed. It kind of reminded me of 9/11. I felt a The sisters at the Motherhouse numbness that kept growing. It was have encouraged the entire Marian just really scary,” Domet said. community to keep the people of Paris in our hearts, since the city is Domet is not alone. Upon hearing still grieving the loss of 130 people. the news of the deaths in Paris, Sr. In Sr. Chantal’s Mary Gehringer, message to Sr. Mary, Provincial of the she described the North American terrorists’ impact on Servants of Mary, one young father. reached out to her sisters in Paris who “I would like to are members of share with you the the Francophone words of a young Servite Community. man, a father of a 17-month old child, “I was here at who was left a the Motherhouse. widower that night. Like most tragic ‘You have stolen the news, it was difficult Honoring the fallen Jessica Hudson ‘17 draws the Eiffel Tower in the Quad to love of my life, but to grasp the scope show support for those effected by the you will not have my of it, and that it terrorist attacks at Blanche de Castille hatred,’” Sr. Chantal indeed had really High School in Paris. After two nights of wrote. the tower being in complete darkness, it happened. My first was lit with French flag colors for mournthoughts were, At this point, ing purposes. photo by clarawertzberger ‘How senseless!’ sisters in the Marian My next reaction was prayer for all community told the students and involved and especially for the safety faculty to do one thing that cannot and well being of our sisters,” said Sr. ever be stopped by terrorists. Mary. “I’d suggest that you send e-mails Sr. Mary Gehringer immediately to the school and let them know that contacted Sr. Chantal Mari, the the Marian students are all praying for Prioress of the Francophone them,” Sr. Mary said. Community, and she learned that the The Marian community sent a
signed poster to Blanche de Castille to show the students’ and staff’s support. In Mrs. Janet Tuttle’s French classes, substitute teacher Ms. Kathy Tocco encouraged students to write letters to Blanche de Castille students. Millions have responded to the terrorist attacks on Paris with prayer, some using the social media hashtag #PrayforParis. They offered support and love in a time of fear, sadness, and uncertainty. Marian’s French students created artwork on the whiteboard in the back of the room to send to the Twitter hashtag on their own time. “I think all the people in France right now are struggling. We were talking to the [Kerroux] family; they were talking about how people were scared to go back into the city, because they think that something’s going to happen again. So I think they just appreciate that we’re standing with them,” Domet said. The Servite sisters, Marian families, and many Marian students who visited Paris last year feel a close connection to the terrorism in France. To cope with events that directly affect the Marian community, Sr. Mary calls students and faculty members to support world peace efforts. “Christ invites us to seek this evangelical stance through prayer, and to that end, we need fraternal friendship and solidarity,” Sr. Mary said.
Freshmen take student government positions in recent elections lindsaymuse
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he results of this year’s freshman Student Board and Class Officer elections were just as unpredicted as the beginning. At the the start of the election, 30 girls ran for six Class Officer positions and 35 for three Student Board positions. Each hopeful candidate created a poster with a clever slogan, filled out a survey regarding their thoughts on leadership, and wrote a short paragraph about why they should be elected. In this unusual start, a preliminary election was held to shrink the candidate pool to the top twelve for Class Officers and the top six for Student Board.
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On Nov. 11, prospective candidates stood up in front of their 194 classmates and gave short speeches about what they would bring to the table if they were elected into their desired position. “It was scary to stand up and speak in front of the class, because everyone was good and deserved to be elected,” freshman Student Board representative Cori Johnson said. Eighteen girls made it through the preliminary rounds. The following week, votes were cast to determine the final representatives. In this round, there were no further speeches; however, the candidates were allowed to hang up more posters.
The winners were sent e-mails the night before and, on Nov. 19, announced over the P.A. in homeroom. In interviews after the announcement, many of the girls elected said they were surprised and flattered, but ready to step up to the plate. In the aftermath of the elections, it was curious to see multiple family ties in the election finalists. ZaZa Nelson, sister of Student Board member Bunny Nelson, and Bailey Hanus, cousin of Student Board member Andie Hanus, made the cut. In addition, Lizzie Byrne, sister of alum Class Officer Lulu Byrne, filled in her sister’s shoes.
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“My sister had a lot of fun with it, so I thought it would be fun, too,” freshman Lizzie Byrne said. The Class Officers Kristin Bedhun, Lily Blake, Lizzie Byrne, Lily Gonzalez, Carolyn Griffin and Mia McGraff, along with the Student Board members Hanus, Johnson and Nelson, are ready to lead their class. In their own words, the representatives are armed with creativity, organization, compassion, positivity, open-mindedness, commitment, flexibility, imagination, and loyalty. Such gifts will help the elected freshmen to build their class’ unity throughout the rest of the school year.
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