Megaphone Volume 102 Issue 3 May 24 2023

MAY 24, 2023

On the front cover

The seniors celebrate one of their last days on campus by draping a tarp down the hill in the courtyard. Nobody is ever too young to Slip N' Slide.

MEGAPHONE STAFF

Executive Editors

Liam Eifert

Caroline Schilling

Managing Editor

Avery Stuckey

Luke Spencer

Sports Editor

Luke Spencer

Reporters

Lola Mullin

Ally Pea

Katherine Nash

Daniel Kent

Olivia Uskert

Krystal Veguilla

On the back cover

Nature can be a beautiful thing. The sun sets down over Cathedral's Campus creating a beautiful view for those around to see it.

Photographers

Camila Jackson

Chase Mong

Graphic Designers

Madison Spiegel

Erin Emmick

Faculty Moderator

Mr. Marc Quaranta

Principal

Mrs. Julie Barthel

School President

Dr. Robert Bridges

Memberships

Indiana High School Press Association

National Scholastic Press Association

Photo by Caroline Schilling

Photo by Taylor Seager

Staying Irish Through and Through

Senior Nya Huff makes major strides to achieve her dreams.

BY AVERY STUCKEY

True hard work never stops. Whether it is going above and beyond in the classroom or giving your all on the track or the court and even reaching dreams that seemed too far, senior Nya Huff seems to have done it all.

Throughout her four years on the hill there was never a dull moment. “I played basketball for all four years, played volleyball my freshman and sophomore year, and have thrown shot put and discus since junior year,” said Huff.

Along with participating in these sports, competing at the varsity level has come with this. Huff stepped up to that challenge and has since been seen suited up and on the court with the Lady Irish varsity basketball team for a little over two years, proving her determination and dedication. “I have been a varsity athlete since the post-season of my basketball season sophomore year,” she said.

While her presence in athletics made major impacts, her work ethic and accomplishments in the classroom are hard to miss. “I am graduating Summa Cum Laude which places me in the top 5 percent (of the class),” said Huff. The journey has most definitely not always been easy. “My biggest challenge academically was definitely taking a foreign language with kids who have been learning it from a very young age. I had never taken Spanish before I came here and my teachers met me where I was.,” Huff said. However, In true Huff fashion she persisted.

“To overcome these challenges, I took advantage of every opportunity Cathedral had to offer. Whether that be going to office hours to get help or talking to a classmate who understands it, Cathedral has put people in my life who can help me every step of the way,” she said.

While the help from everyone assisted her to her success there is not someone specific who stands out. “I feel like it is too difficult to name one person as my biggest support. Each of the lifelong connections I have made here will always give me a shoulder to cry on, no matter what,” said Huff.

For many high school students, including Nya, motivation is commonly lost throughout the long busy days of school work. However, keeping her eye on the prize has become a tactic she consistently uses. “Staying motivated at school does get difficult sometimes, but I feel like it is because I am intrinsically motivated. Grasping new information is a challenge that I love to face head on everyday. It pushes me towards my dreams, so staying motivated is easy when you relate it to success,” she said.

Despite the challenges and hardships she may have faced, it was not hard to reflect on why she belonged on the hill. “Cathedral has been a good fit for me because I have still been able to get a

rigorous and individualized education, while getting a top tier social and athletic atmosphere like you would get at a bigger school. The people here truly are great, so they have helped make this the best place for me to be,” Huff said.

Continuing reflecting on her past four years she has been through many trials and errors and highs and lows which have been able to provide her with the knowledge and lessons to continue to be successful. “The most valuable lesson I have learned in my four years here is this idea called the ‘warrior mentality’. I know it is not academic, but it is something that I will have with me for the rest of life. The warrior mentality is when you do whatever it takes in order to win the battle, like a warrior. The battle is whatever life decides to put in front of you that day academically, socially or internally, but truly it does not matter. The warrior mentality works for it all,” said Huff. Having learned what she did on the hill she made sure to find a college that would continue to help her to grow in knowledge while still checking off a short checklist of necessities. “I was looking for a school that would feel big, but would still give me an individualized education and a chance for 1 on 1 learning. I also looked for a school that would let me potentially double major and still graduate in four years,” Huff said.

While the search for the right school quickly became overwhelming Huff put in 110 percent effort without hesitation. “The college application process was stressful for me. I applied to nine dif-

ferent schools, and got into 8 of them. That’s because I gave everything to that process. I wrote so many essays, so so many, but it was so worth it,” she said.

While narrowing down schools it became obvious where she was going when she was officially accepted to a school she had dreamed of attending, The University of Notre Dame. “To continue my education at Notre Dame is a dream come true. I love the campus because it feels like Cathedral but on a bigger scale (and) I know I am going to one of the best schools in the nation where I will be able to succeed,” Huff said.

While the change may seem overbearing there is one major similarity between her Cathedral family and her new Notre Dame family. Not only are they both Irish, but both are Holy Cross schools. This allows Huff to dive deeper into faith and continue her education along Holy Cross standards. “I do think it is a valuable thing because it has truly shaped my character. I know with two holy cross schools I am becoming a well rounded person who cares for others but can also prioritize their academics. At Holy Cross schools, I know that I am cared for and am in an environment where I matter,” said Huff.

While the success never fell right into her lap her diligence, persistence, and commitment taught her the most valuable lessons. Huff said, “In order to fight the battle and win the war, take advantage of everything the Hill has to offer”.

Nya Huff soaking up her final homecoming week with seniors Lucy Clark, Maggie Thor, and Meghan Brann, and with the rest of the seniors on the Lady Irish basketball team, Beatrice Berle, Layla Gold, and Kam Smith

High School Football holds Showcase

The Irish football team recently hosted its college showcase, an event that the players have prepared for the whole offseason .

On Thursday, May 4 the Cathedral football program hosted its annual college showcase day, where at 6:15 a.m. nearly 100 college football coaches from over 55 different schools crowded into the Welsh Activity Center (WAC) to watch the team work out. For many of these coaches, The Hill was the first stop on a showcase tour that included Carmel, Zionsville, Lawrence Central, Lawrence North and Warren Central.

The players have been practicing since January, working out before school two days per week in preparation for the fall season. Their work started with “Speed School” starting after J-Term on Jan. 20. These workouts consisted of purely speed, agility and explosiveness exercises, and they took place in the WAC on Mondays and Wednesdays from 6:307:30 and they continued throughout the winter months. After a hiatus from football in March, the team was back at it in the beginning of April, starting their football-oriented exercises.

The team refers to them as “Irish Throw Downs”, and from 6:00 to 8:00 a.m. from April until May 4, the players could be seen competing against each other in a series of competitions every Tuesday and Thursday. Each Irish Throw Down began with a leadership lesson, led by Assistant Coach and English teacher Mr. Jimmy Pappas. Following the classroom session, the team moved into the WAC, engaging in agility drills similar to their speed school workouts. Then, the players moved outside to the football field, something that hadn’t been done in years past, according to Head Coach Mr. Bill Peebles. On the field, the team began their first football-specific drills. Quarterbacks and receivers worked on route-running and pass-catching, while the offensive line worked on blocking schemes with the running backs. On the defensive end, Assistant Head Coach and science teacher Mr. Adam Barth led the players in tackling drills, defensive backs worked on coverages and defensive linemen worked on defeating blocks. During the month of

May, these Throw Downs culminated in 1 on 1’s, with receivers lining up against defensive backs and offensive linemen facing defensive linemen. All of the players’ commitment throughout the offseason was not purely in preparation for the season. They were also getting ready for Cathedral’s annual college showcase, where each year college coaches come out to watch the final day of Irish Throw Downs. The program has been hosting a college showcase for years, dating back to when Athletics Director Mr. Rick Streiff was the head coach. Peebles said, “I’ve been doing (a college showcase) for about ten years, whether it be at Southport, at Lawrence Central or now here.”

The purpose of the showcases, for the college coaches, is to see possible recruits in person and in action. Peebles said, “It gives (the coaches) a chance to verify size, height, weight (and) speed in person, live. It also gives them an opportunity to see (the players) catch the football, run with the football and move.” According to Peebles, the agility work that the players do gives college coaches a good look at

BY LUKE SPENCER

their athletic abilities, while the on-thefield work gives them a glimpse of the players’ football skills. For the players, the showcase provides a chance for them to stand out in front of coaches from every level. It hosts everything from Power-5 level coaches to Division-3 and NAIA, so a wide range of Irish players are being looked at. Peebles said, “From the student’s perspective, it’s an opportunity to get out there and show college coaches what they can do.” He added, “If you have the desire to play college football, any time you can get in front of a coach to show him what you can do, it helps.”

At this year’s showcase, there were over 120 coaches in attendance from approximately 60 schools, according to Peebles. This number is very similar to what it has been in years past. These included coaches from Power-5 schools such as Colorado, Purdue and West Virginia as well as multiple mid-major schools and schools from Division 1 FCS, Division 2, Division 3 and NAIA.

The team gathers around Head Coach Mr. Bill Peebles after finishing the college showcase on May 4 (Photo from Cathedral Football Twitter Account).

College Showcase (continued)

Each year Cathedral players come out of the showcase holding scholarship offers to play at the next level. As of May 10, two Irish players have received offers based on their performances at the showcase. Sophomore Albren Johnson, a 6’5" wide receiver, received his first Power-5 offer from West Virginia. Johnson tallied one reception for 34 yards last season, but will take on a bigger role in the offense this year with the graduation of seniors Jaron Tibbs and David Ayers. On the defensive end, junior Jackson Weingart received his first Division 1 offer from Austin Peay. Weingart is a 6’2 linebacker who played a big role this year, leading the team in sacks with 6.5 and tackles for loss with 11.5.

According to Weingart, the showcase was a big factor in getting that offer and receiving interest from other schools. He has already taken visits to a few mid-major and Big 10 schools including Purdue and Marshall, both schools that were in attendance at the showcase. Weingart said, “The showcase gave me a unique opportunity to run drills and one v one competitions in front of a ton of coaches.”

Players such as Weingart who are on the radar of college coaches continue to be contacted as a follow up from the showcase, and some players were even approached after the showcase to have conversations with coaches.

The team will resume practices in June, when preseason activities start, and they will focus on preparing for their first game on Aug. 18, when they will host Lafayette Jefferson.

As the players stretch out in the Welsh Activity Center, college coaches from across the country file into the gymnasium on May 4 (Photo from Cathedral Football Twitter Account)

Want to watch footage from the Showcase? Scan the QR Code above.

Irish 500

33 years and still going stonger than ever.

BY MARY MURPHY

The Irish 500, a Cathedral tradition based on thefamous Indy 500, is the final all school assembly at the end of every school year. Now, the students don’t drive race cars for 200 laps, but something much much smaller. The teams ride on the tiniest tricycles that have been around forever. While they aren’t the easiest to ride, that’s where most of the entertainment is found. There are few high schoolers that fit on the little tricycle so watching a bunch of 15-19 year olds teenagers try to ride a kids bike, is truly something to remember.

Now, with this being an all school event, students from each grade must participate. 16 students from each class level make up four different teams for their class. First, the freshman ride. All four freshman teams gather on the starting line to start their race. The winning team moves on to the finals. Then the sophomores go. Then the juniors, and then the seniors. The winning team of each grade then lines up for the victory of the “Irish 500”. Round and round the little tricycles go, with many crashes, tumbles, laughs, and some injuries.

The Irish 500 is one of many class battles throughout the year. This one in particular is super important to the students because the Irish 500 is an unofficial summer kickoff and the last hurrah before final exams and the seniors end their journey on The Hill. Senior Liam Eiffert explains that, “It’s just a fun way to bring the whole school together. It is also a good time as we usher the seniors out. Honestly, it is just a good ending to the school year.” Cathedral has many fun traditions but the Irish 500 is quite a legacy. The Cathedral Irish 500 is a tradition that has been around for a long time. It has been 33 years since the first race on May 25th, 1990. Things were a little different back then. 100 dollars was rewarded to the winners of the first race in 1990. With time, the tradition has been modified in many ways. Most notably, the location change. The Irish 500 used to take place in the Mimms gym. While looking back at old pictures, fitting the entire school

in the Mimms gym was definitely a challenge. Now, the race takes place in the WAC. There is lots more room to be rowdy and race to class victory. Alumni Mrs. Nicole Beasley '98, and current Executive Vice President of Advancement talked about the difference between gyms. She says,“I felt the Mimms gym was a more thrilling environment because you are practically on top of the course.” Another Cathedral educator and alumni class of 1997 Jean Smith says, “I believe it is very similar. Both are and were so crowded and jam packed. Almost like the snake pit. Being in the Wac is just the same as not being able to move in the mimms.” The Irish 500 is an annual Cathedral tradition that has been going on since 1990. With time comes memories. The “Irish 500” is most definitely a memorable four moments throughout a student's high school career. Sophomore Grayson Hill’ 25 says that one of her favorite memories of the “Irish 500'' is “ Watching Nicky Neale with his one leg bent on the tricycle and the other leg pushing him to victory. It was simply hilarious.” Mind you, Nicky is a 6’1 football player riding a child’s bike. Senior Liam Eiffert '24 says, “My favorite memory is competing and

strategizing on which way is fastest. We did not succeed and in fact didn't even make it to the finals. It was fun to see the random strategies for riding on those little tricycles.”

Former Cathedral student Andrew Christiansen '99 explains his journey while competing in the Irish 500 back in 1999. He explains how one of his wheels falls off and “Winning felt good senior year.” Mr. Christiansen wanted to make sure it was known that his class was the ONLY Cathedral graduating class that has been unable to TP the hill. Mr Christiansen remembers these Cathedral traditions like they happened yesterday. Cathedrals traditions make a lasting impression on one's life and even when your journey is over, you are always welcome back.

The Irish 500 is an annual Cathedral tradition that has been around for a very long time. With each race comes more memories, laughs, and excitement. The tricycle race is truly unforgettable. Ending each school year all together watching high schoolers ride tiny tricycles is truly a Cathedral spin.

The original yearbook captions read; (left) "I think I can; I think I can." grunts Jim Coors as Debbie Dinn tries to speed pass him.

(Right) Rushing from anticipation, Kristen Duggan shoves a helmet on fellow junior Alex Hammond.

A Year In Review

No same year ever occurs on the Hill. From the new coffee shop to the full usage of the Innovation Center, many notable changes occurred this year.

Vice Principal Mr. Mark Matthews and Principal Mrs. Julie Barthel are grateful for the new additions this year, and the similarities from previous years. This school year is the foundation for new ideas for the future.

For the second year, a four day rotating schedule was implemented to ensure flexibility for both teachers and students. This new schedule allowed for office hours, more class material time and more opportunities for school activities. Barthel said, “We think it has worked out well, we like having the flexibility of office hours.” Also newly implemented is the Andre projects, a replacement for service hours during a students junior and senior year. This idea allows for students to form a service project based on their specific passions. This replaces the previous requirement for individual service hours. Students plan and pursue these projects during their Catholic Social Teaching class junior year, and are required to have them completed by December of their senior year.

Catholic Social Teaching teacher Mr. Cole Hepp has worked alongside fellow Religion teachers for the formation of these projects. He said, “Implementing a new program can initially seem daunting but we have been very impressed by how the juniors have adapted to the new St. Andre Project this year. Seeing the students engaged and excited about their projects is amazing and we can already see the ripple effect this is creating in our community. We are excited to continue to see the fruits of these projects next year!”

What was previously known as the Library also faced new changes. The new Unified Media Center was implemented this year and housed the Newspaper, Yearbook and Broadcasting class. The goal of this change is to allow students to collaborate with fellow students working on various projects regarding media.

“It is the first year for our Unified Media Center, which is using the media center as a hub, and we hope to continue to make that a better program to serve the needs of our students,” said Matthews.

Another recent addition to the school year was J-Term. This idea was initially implemented during the 2021-22 school year, and is continuing to be improved on. This year, students were able to travel far distances, or stay on the Hill. students were able to visit HBCU colleges and universities and others were able to travel to Florida for marine biology and to Italy. “We worked really hard to continue to make J-Term better,” Matthews said.

For the next school year, Cathedral will be

welcoming a Holy Cross Priest and Brother. Matthews understands this addition will provide the ability to strengthen our Holy Cross “ties and identity.”

New teachers have left an impact on this school year. These teachers have stepped up to coaching, teaching, working retreats and helping serve our community. Matthews said, “We hired a great bunch of new teachers who have fit in with Cathedral and acclimated to our school climate and helped out in numerous ways.”

Companions on the Road to Excellence (CORE), an improved approach to counties was implemented. The addition of CORE has the goal to allow for students from all four grades to be able to collaborate and form relationships outside of their norm. For the future, more CORE days are planned to be implemented as well as a built in day for Christmas on the Hill. Numerous surveys have been sent to administration and students for future planning and development. Barthel said, “I think it has been a good transition. I like that the CORE team has given a survey every time to get feedback from the teachers and students on how they feel it’s going. We definitely have more CORE days built in the schedule next year so students will hopefully be able to build stronger relationships.”

Cathedral teachers will also be in collaboration with the Notre Dame ACE Academies. This is the first time that new teachers are already graduates. This program helps new teachers become acclimated to Catholic schools and adapt to any occasions. English teachers Mrs. Lizabeth

BY CAROLINE SCHILLING

Bradshaw, Ms. Megan Howell and Mr. Matt Panzer are graduates of the ACE program.

“We have several teachers on staff who are graduates, we have never had them as fellows. This is the first time that we have had new teachers be graduates of the program. We have a lot of new Holy Cross connections,” he said.

The Johnny Mac Coffeehouse was opened during the second semester of this year. This coffeehouse is a dedication to lifelong Cathedral graduate John McCormick ‘90. The coffee shop is completely student ran and under the supervision of Social Studies teacher Mr. Craig Blanchet and Business teacher Mr. Kurt Freytag. Students were able to collaborate for the planning and opening. The shop is currently open on Day One’s during office hours and lunch. In the coming months, there will be more open hours and student opportunities.

Barthel said, “I think (the coffee shop) has been amazing. Mr. Freytag and Mr. Blanchet, even before opening, helped the students be a part of something authentic, specifically planning the menu.”

As this year closes, Barthel and Matthews wish good luck to the Class of 2023 and to all current Cathedral students. Success and greatness can always be found on the Hill, especially as the school year wraps up. He said, “It’s the second year for a lot of things. It is the second year for the Innovation Center, everything is getting to be a little better because we are coming out of Covid and getting back into our routines.”

The sun sets on another beautiful day at Cathedral High School. The glow on the Christmas Manger scene is a beautiful view during the winter months.

As the school year comes to a close, administrators reflect on the impacts of the 2022-23 year.

Productivity Is A Movie

Senior Ally Pea breaks down the top five best films she has watched at school over the last four years.

BY ALLISON PEA

Over the last four years, I have become known for being easy to find as I spend the majority of the school day sitting on my couch. My famous spot is located in the theater lobby. It is the red one, on the right and I prefer sitting on the side closest to the plant.

I am sure that many people who have walked by have wondered what I spend my time there doing since I am pretty much constantly there. Allow me to let you in on my little secret, I have been lucky enough to use my time spent there watching hundreds of movies. I’m not even being dramatic like I usually am. For example, when I was a sophomore, I had a goal to watch a movie every day for a year. While I only tracked it for 159 days, I can assure you that I have not stopped watching movies or tv shows since.

I thought that since it is what I will most likely be remembered for, I shall share what I have learned with the next generation. That being said, here are my top five movies to watch during the school day (disclaimer before we start: I watched all of these movies for the first time at school, this is not a list of my favorite movies and they are in no particular order).

1. Moulin Rouge:

This is one of my more recently viewed films but, I decided to start with this treasure for two reasons: one, because it is incredible, and two, because it is incredibly fitting given the location of my spot. Moulin Rouge is a phenomenal muscal starring Nicole Kidman and Ewan Mcgregor.

It is a story about a writer named Christian, who falls in love with a showgirl named Satine, whose main goal is to be famous. To achieve this, her manager sets her up on a date with a Duke who promises to make her famous and fund her next

production; however, she has to agree to date him exclusively because he gets jealous (which is so toxic). So Christian and Satine have to hide their love from the Duke and then things go down and it is iconic. As someone who used to be obsessed with musical theater, this one blew me away in ways I could not have imagined. I genuinely think it resurrected my love of musical theater. Now, I am aware that some people will see this and say ‘ew’ which I understand, but, give it a chance. If you’re not into that, at least watch it for the costumes because as a soon-tobe fashion major, they are amazing. If you don’t trust my opinion, then look no further than the editor-in-chief of Vogue magazine herself, Anna Wintour. She said it is one of the best-costumed movies of all time so if you don’t trust me, then at least trust the ruler of the fashion industry and remember, in Anna Wintour we trust.

2. Bring It On!:

I picked this one because we are a sports school and I think every athlete in particular needs to watch this at least once. Now, I know this is a movie about high school cheerleaders but I better not see any of you calling it a chick flick. That is discounting an entire movie just because it is about cheerleaders which is not very feminist of y’all. Anyways, this movie is about a girl named Torrence, who is crowned head cheerleader of a three-time national champion team at the beginning of her senior year. However, she

finds out that all of the routines that she has been taught over the last four years were stolen from another school. She has to

make it right so the team works together to create an entirely new routine before they go to nationals against the school they stole the routines from. Plus there is a super cute little love story at the heart of it all.

This movie does an excellent job of showing that a good team is nothing without integrity. Personally, the best message in this movie is that sometimes you have to work harder than everyone else if you want to be the best. Honestly, it really should be shown at the beginning of every football season to promote teamwork and comradery and if nothing else, it is very iconic.

3. When Harry Met Sally:

This movie is a classic and it is stunning. Enough said.

Allison hangs out on the couch watching one of the hundreds of movies she's watched over the years.

4. Gone Girl:

I want to give a PSA that this one is not exactly safe for work but it is incredible and I’m graduating so I will still include it. This movie is about a guy whose wife goes missing and he is blamed for it so he works to try and solve her murder so he does not go to prison. It is loosely based on the story of Scott Peterson and his wife, Laci. If you don’t know the story because you have been living under an actual rock, then I highly recommend learning about it because it genuinely is super interesting.

Even though it has a pretty dark tone, it is really good. The cast is incredible and the twists and turns are just fabulous. I loved this movie and I highly reco mend it if you like true-ish crime.

5 Do Revenge:

I’m not going to lie, this one just showed up first on Netflix so I watched it but I was so pleasantly surprised. This story is about a girl named Drea, who wants revenge on her ex-boyfriend, and Eleanor who is trying to get revenge on her exbest friend. Together, the two team up to get revenge on their respective exes. While on the surface, this movie seems like another terrible attempt at trying to relate to teens, this movie is one of the

better Netflix movies I have seen. It’s clever and incredibly witty. It also has an amazing twist but you didn’t hear that from me. I think it provides an excellent commentary on he way society views different people simply based on social class. I highly recommend checking it out if you haven’t done so.

And with that, my final story for the Irish Megaphone concludes. Thank you to my readers and supporters. It’s been real everyone.

Donating to Katie’s Closet

Junior Ava Palmer donates over $1,000 of needed items to Katie’s Closet.

BY KATHERINE NASH

When school started up on the Hill, juniors were proposed with the idea of creating their own service project. Many students were uneasy because it was the trial year for Andre Projects since they would be the first class to complete it. The idea of planning an act of service by themselves terrified the junior class. In addition, many students struggled to come up with any ideas.

Junior Ava Palmer said, “I was nervous because I didn’t know what topic I was going to pick. I had a lot of ideas.”

Palmer traded off many ideas as she progressed through the early months of the school year. One of the many ideas she initially considered for her Andre Project was collecting books for local libraries. However, as she started planning that project, she was introduced to her current project, which revolves around Katie’s Closet.

Palmer said, “I was going to collect books for libraries, but I'm not as passionate about reading as I am about kids.”

Due to Palmer’s love for children, her mother, Brenda Palmer, suggested the idea for Katie’s closet.

Brenda Palmer said, “I saw a segment on the local news shortly after Ava told me about her project, she was still deciding on an organization. Ava has a passion for kids, especially those in foster care. As soon as I heard there was a need for car seats, I instantly knew it would be a perfect fit for her.”

Katie’s Closet is a boutique for foster kids in Indianapolis, Indiana. It is relatively new as it opened in 2021. Their main focus is providing foster children with the bare necessities. When a child gets removed from a household and gets placed into

foster care, Katie’s Closet donates the necessary supplies to these children. They will receive clothes, book bags, and other personal hygiene items. Also, foster children are welcome to come and shop for certain free items at their boutique. Katie’s Closet relies upon the goodwill of the community for donations.

Palmer is not new to donating and helping those in need. Throughout her life her family has been giving gifts to children at Christmas time. Every year at the Palmer’s church they would have a Christmas tree with various handwritten ornaments upon it. The “handwritten ornaments” were actually the Christmas wishes of a child.

Ava said, “Some years we’ve adopted whole families to get presents for. I especially loved it because I want to be a teacher when I’m older, I’ve always kind of had a passion for kids.”

Palmer saw the need for Katie's Closet

and put her plan into action. Her first step was setting up her own GoFundMe. She then proceeded to send that link out. This generated over 1000 dollars. With this money, Palmer was able to purchase 10 car seats, over 125 toiletry items, and 12 pairs of pajamas.

Brenda Palmer said, “Ava has worked incredibly hard raising funds and making them go as far as possible. She has learned so much through the process, not only the power of pooling together resources but also, shopping around to get the best deals.”

Palmer said, “They recieve swag packs, and that is what the pjs I bought were for. So that they have a backpack for that one overnight stay when they first get taken out. And then the car seats are also for those emergency situations where it's unexpected.”

Palmer purchasing needed toiletries at Kroger and then standing with Tracy Walters, owner of Katie’s Closet.

Photo from Ava Palmer

Letter to the Senior Class

BY LIAM EIFERT

Genesis chapter 1 verse 2 reads, “Now the Earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” The word “deep” is translated from the Hebrew word “Tehom,” referring to the dark, disordered oceans at the moment of creation. This marks the end of our personal Tehom. I am no longer formless or empty in any sense of the words. The next few years will answer the less important questions about what major or career, but right now we should all be proud to be ourselves and also to be careful Irish. Yet, what to make of the end of Tehom, this curious reduction in the unknowns of my future? Some of the dimensions of change have collapsed. Our stories are already partially written. With the same sadness felt at the sunset of birthdays, this joyous celebration too contains a somber overtone. I don’t mean to invoke an overly negative tone here, but in my experience, it is best to acknowledge the tragedy of the moment if one ever hopes to dance without reservation.

This is a beginning and also an end. High school is over, and the rest of our lives will start before you know it. Right now, we are in one of those fleeting moments between great shifts in our life. I urge you to use the liminal space of the next few months to do all the things you’ve been putting off because of how busy you’ve been. I ask also, that you reflect on your time here, because just as “the spirit of God was hovering over the waters” in that verse of Genesis, so too has He hovered over our time here. Over our sports teams, how he has blessed us with state titles and bonds that will transcend high school. Over all of us, who stuck it out for a global pandemic here. Over our performing arts, which has weathered so much change these past few years but are still acting and singing and thriving. I know I’ll never forget Joseph Mariani’s rap

at the SpongeBob musical. As a class, this is perhaps our only universal experience: despite our differences, we share a common Grace.

This is still my article though, so I’m going to take a moment to detail how He has hovered over my time here. Writing for the school newspaper has kept me engaged with the school community and honed my wit. I really appreciate the opportunity to take independent math classes through Ball State and I’d like to thank the math department and Mrs. Ford in particular for providing them. My other classes have all fostered academic growth and curiosity. The two teachers who most impacted me on my journey were Ms. Wilson and Mr. Blanchet. Running varsity cross country and track has been an all consuming pursuit. It’s taken everything I’ve had to compete at a high level for four years. Taking on a big leadership role these past two years has meant a lot to me and I hope that I’ve had a positive im-

pact on the younger runners.My deepest fear throughout these four years has been squandering my time here at Cathedral. I know that I haven’t not because of any external awards or achievements, but because of how my own discipline and character have developed.

I am ready for it to be over, but I think that like many of you, I am nervous to leave high school. It feels wrong to me to actually complete this experience. In some ways, I find myself lingering at the finish line hesitant to take the final step. Maybe this is what they meant by senioritis. If it is, I think we should understand it to mean more than just entitled laziness. It’s a manifestation of the love for this place and the uncertainty for what comes next. It won’t be the same community that tends to us anymore. It will be very hard to find one as good as this one. May God allow us to find our way back every once in a while.

Liam Eifert enjoys the senior privileges early on. At the beginning of the year, seniors TP the drive up the hill. "Bringing the leaf blower to launch the toilet paper was a great memory and I’ll never forget working with my classmates to load it up and rip through rolls as fast as we could," said Liam.

Summer Reading 2023

Summer reading is a great program that the English department offers students at Cathedral. Every year the English department teachers carefully choose the type of books they might want to offer to their students. The teachers try to get different types of varieties of genres that might be appealing to the students. Before they come up with the list they like asking all the faculty and staff at Cathedral for any recommendations they might have. It is really beneficial and helpful to get recommendations from the faculty and staff because it really helps narrow the list and widen. All the English teachers come together and discuss the different options they can offer students.They like to choose books that will appeal to both males and females while staying with the most preferred genres.

English teacher Ms. Howell says, “I am very excited about the options for this summer's reading. I think student choice is very important, and I hope each scholar finds a book that suits his or her interests.” The English department also likes to include choices like fantasy, nonfiction and fiction. There are usually a total of around 10 books that will be available for students to pick their favorite genre or explore a new one. The list of the books should soon be available for all students from incoming freshman to future seniors. Right now the English department is finalizing their decisions about what books they think you will enjoy reading this summer.

One of the great things regarding getting the faculty and staff involved is that different staff have different preferences and opinions regarding books, which helps tremendously since they are able to target and match different genres. Even male staff will recommend different books which help to appeal to the males at school. Every year around 15 different teachers look forward to this amazing opportunity of helping out the English department to come up with the list of the Summer Reading program.

It is amazing that every year the staff at Cathedral is able to collaborate with this

amazing program. The staff are really excited to cooperate and are always looking forward to helping with this. Students are always looking forward to the reading program since this is something that they have been doing since Freshman year. Incoming freshmen get to experience one of their first of many assignments to help them transition into Cathedral. Mrs. Jen Neale who has run the program for three years now, says, “Although I am not sure how long Cathedral has had summer reading, I do know that when my daughter Anna was a freshman in 2016, she read the book Ready Player One. I was not a teacher here yet, but I was excited about

BY KRYSTAL VEGUILLA

the program and (I) read the book too.” This summer reading program also helps a lot at the beginning of the school year since this is a popular topic of conversation other than what was done during summer. Many students might have been reading the same book as someone else they don’t know, which gives an amazing opportunity to connect with others and personally be able to discuss and agree/ disagree about the book. The English teachers might have the title of the books somewhere in the classroom and will have students write their name around the title to be able to see which students read what book.

An in depth look at what summer reading is, why it is so beneficial for students, and why so many actually enjoy it.

The summer reading program encourages students to read during the summer and be able to have something to do during their free time. The great thing about this is the summer is kind of long and students can decide if they want to read the book in portions, have assigned reading days or just read it in a few days. Another great benefit about reading in the summer is that the student is able to read at their own pace and not feel really rushed that they are unable to comprehend. It is usually said to read the book towards the last couple of weeks of break to have it freshly in your mind for when you come back to school. Students can even improve their reading skills by reading a book during the summer. This reading program gives

students something to do on those rainy days; they might want to open up the book and read. The most recommended place is Amazon since the link on Cathedral’s website will take you directly there to make the purchase. Right now the reading list is posted on the website but it does not yet have the codes to take you there to buy the book just yet. Students are told to annotate as they are reading. Annotating helps a lot when it comes to classroom discussion since students are able to go back and look at their notes. Sometimes these books are going to be part of a big welcome back project or just other classroom activities. Now some students may not look forward to reading during their summer but it will

greatly benefit them in the future. The students also have 2 full months to read and enjoy their summer. If each student takes 30 minutes out of their day then they will get done in a couple a weeks depending on how many pages the book has. Although others may read the book all in one sitting because it may be one of the wonderful things to look forward to in summer.

Reading includes many benefits like improving vocabulary, reading comprehension, reading faster and growing vocabulary. The more books you read the better. Reading a book can also be a stress reliever and can help your mind be busy and occupied. The summer reading program gives the student the opportunity to look for something forward for the upcoming year. One great thing about the summer reading program is that every year there are different types of books and you never have to feel like you are reading the same type of book year after year. Since students are able to choose their genre they are most likely going to enjoy the book since it is something that they are going to like. English teacher Mrs. Jen Shevlin said, “There are actually a couple of books on the list that I have read and really enjoy. My favorite book on there is the Sycthe It’s one of my favorites and more it’s scifi which is my favorite genre. I think students will be interested in reading about this dystopian world where no one dies naturally anymore.” Reading books can be so relaxing and can help you. Students can even challenge themselves and read more than one book if they are passionate about reading. Reading is a great way to learn about things especially if the books are non fiction since the information is reliable. The summer reading program is such a great thing to look get students ready for another wonderful school year at Cathedral. So check Cathedral’s website and get ready to read this summer!

My personal summer reading annotations for the 2022 summer. I read The Maid by Nita Prose.

Scan The QR Codes For More Senior Farewells

Lola Mullin, '23, and Mary Murphy, '25, take you on a personal tour of Cathedral. Sit back and relax.

"In order to best encapsulate the last moments and days of my high school career, I opted to document them instead of write about them. A picture is worth a thousand words, so videos must be worth infinitely as many, and I figured that was adequate to encompass the end of a time that I will never be able to put into words." - Erin Emmick '23

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