September 2017

September 2017 A Look Back & A Look Ahead

Students recap their experiences in Rome this summer |page 3

Former Editor-inChief writes about her time in Peru |page 8

Summary of new windows and uniform pant policy |page 12

Learn about the Messenger’s new design |page 14

St. Mary’s Central High School | 1025 N 2nd St. Bismarck, ND 58501 | September 2017

September 2017

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

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Dear Readers, Hello and welcome back to another great year of school! My name is Jordan Aberle and I am very excited to be this year’s Editor-In-Chief; I hope to make the Messenger the best reading experience for all of you this year. There have been many changes in our school community over the summer and many changes are coming to the Messenger. For that reason, we have decided to add a special September issue of the Messenger written by our editors to help our readers preview what will happen in the coming school year. With that said, please enjoy our online edition of the Messenger and next month we will begin publishing normally again.

Jordan Aberle Editor-in-Chief

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OUR MISSION We value our readers, plain and simple. We love to see the smiles on people’s faces when their names make headlines. We love to hear people laughing at our bad jokes that always seem to make their way into everything we write. We work our hardest to make the Messenger something St. Mary’s can be proud of.

OUR EDITORS JORDAN ABERLE Editor-in-Chief

ANTHONY VECCHIA Layout Editor

KAMRYN HELLMAN Feature Editor

AUDREY WENTZ Opinion Editor

AMELEA CALDWELL Entertainment Editor

AMALIA THOMAS Religion Editor

ANDERSON HAGEROTT Sports Editor

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2017 ROME PILGRIMAGE RECAP Students recap their many experiences wandering the streets of the Eternal City.

PERU MISSION TRIP: MAKING A DIFFERENCE Former Editor-In-Chief, Riley McLean, writes back to the Messenger about her experiences with classmates in Peru.

NEW YEAR, NEW MESSENGER Our Layout Editor explains some key changes coming to the Messenger over the next year.

CONTACT US Website: www.smmessenger.wixsite.com/2017-18 Email: smmessenger@locstudents.org Facebook: SM Messenger Instagram: SM_Messenger Twitter: @SM_Messenger

MEET THIS YEAR’S EDITORS JORDAN ABERLE | Editor-In-Chief

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t was a crisp winter morning in the year 2000 when Punxsutawney Phil declared six more weeks of winter. While 78% of Americans broke in despair, there were all smiles in a hospital far away as Jordan Aberle came into the world to enjoy 6 weeks of what would later become her favorite season. Even from a young age, Jordan has always loved reading and writing. One of her best works from her childhood is titled: Middle Child Syndrome, where she encapsulates the struggles of growing up with four siblings through a very detailed diary. Nowadays, Jordan can almost always be found at SMCHS as she is active in Student Council, Saints For Life, Yearbook, and Forma Veritas. This year she is very excited to also be a team captain for the speech team and of course, Editor-In-Chief of this fine newspaper. Jordan loves school so much that she hopes to become a teacher, and help lead the next generation of people into awesomeness.

ANTHONY VECCHIA | Layout Editor

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nthony was born on August 11th, 1999 and within weeks was already playing at least twelve musical instruments.

Among his other interests as a kid were investing in the stock market, playing soccer, learning new instruments, and much, much, more. Ever since he was little, Anthony was a goal-setter. Perhaps his first goal was to visit all of America’s 59 national parks. His last name’s meaning is contradictory by nature as he is neither old nor a lady, yet Anthony is still determined to learn his native language of Italian. His dream as a kid was to become the United States Secretary of the Treasury, but after realizing that might be a little too high he settled for Layout Editor of the St. Mary’s Messenger, which turned out to be really fun. In this position he hopes to make the Messenger the best it has ever been.

KAMRYN HELLMAN | Feature Editor

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he last of the twentieth century’s leaves were falling when Kamryn came into the world on October 26, 1999. Only weeks later, her literary talent became apparent when she wrote her first novel. While her parents read the eight-hundredpage work of literary genius in awe, Kamryn quietly picked up a violin and taught herself to fiddle. Soon, she learned to actually read music; the pinnacle of her musical career began when she became Corpus Christi’s violinist for Sunday mass.

She joined the Saintiques dance team in 7th grade and now is the lone senior. When she’s not keeping kids under control at work as a BLAST leader, Kamryn can be found juggling her membership in Saints for Life, Forma Veritas, and speech. Her childhood aptitude for writing has flourished and she has frequently been caught writing stories instead of taking notes in class. As the Messenger’s Feature Editor, at least she now has an excuse.

AUDREY WENTZ | Opinion Editor

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t was November 14th, 1999 when Audrey Wentz first decided to grace the world with her presence. After stealing her older brother’s birthday and her sister’s title of ‘princess,’ Audrey has yet to step out of the spotlight; whether that puts her on stage with one of her many musical instruments, or in her room writing articles for the Messenger. When not exploring the country, Audrey can be found procrastinating, usually through hanging out with friends or binge-watching Friends on Netflix. Audrey is considering a business or accounting major, though she is also thinking of going down a criminal justice, music, psychology, neuroscience, or a law path- in short- she doesn’t know what she wants to do with her life and is overwhelmed by the many options. In her senior year at St. Mary’s, Audrey is most looking forward to graduation, though being the first Opinion Editor for the Messenger comes in a close second.

AMELEA CALDWELL | Entertainment Editor

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melea Caldwell is very excited to be this year’s entertainment editor. Her goal through this position is to prevent the Messenger’s fine readers from ever being bored through recommendations of great shows, movies, books, and more.

In her free time, Amelea is busy with Student Council, Science Club, taekwondo, and her job at the Grand Theaters. She is open to suggestions for great material to put in the paper, so don’t be shy! Recommendations are always welcome.

AMALIA THOMAS | Religion Editor

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n December 29th 1999, Molly was born…3 months before her due date. It seems an appropriate start when matched with her personality. She is quite hyper and energetic much of the time, maybe even when she should not be. Although it must be said that it does help her stay active in her involvement in school activities such as speech, band, the play, Forma Veritas, and the Messenger (duh). She enjoys reading, hiking, kayaking, playing with her dogs, listening to podcasts (StoryCorps is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G), and sporadically painting random things like a portrait of Napoleon Dynamite (kind of weird, no?). She plans to attend NDSU and get a major in English, then move on to law school.

ANDERSON HAGEROTT | Sports Editor

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nderson Hagerott was born on a cold December evening in 1999. The first thing you should know about him is he is a huge nerd, but not in any of the cool ways. He loves Sci-fi and is a big military/war history buff. His favorite show is Star Trek; but if you asked him which one is his favorite, smoke would literally come out his ears and his head would probably explode. He could also give you a lecture on any gun in American history that would bore you to death. He doesn’t do a lot in the ways of school activities; but he does take part in the school paper and also does the A/V work for the football home games. Outside of school, he enjoys hunting, writing stories, and watching war movies. He plans to go to NDSU after high school to get a degree in criminal justice.

A LOOK BACK

2017 Rome Pilgrimage Recap

Students recap their many experiences wandering the streets of the Eternal City | Kamryn Hellman

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his past June, forty-four students from our senior class embarked on a pilgrimage to Rome, Italy. They joined students from other Catholic schools around the state through the University of Mary, all prepared for the journey of a lifetime. Now, our Feature Editor gives us an inside look at what Rome is all about.

ROME WAS NOT REACHED IN A DAY

The pilgrimage began on June 14 at the University of Mary. That evening and the following day, we were prepped for our time in Rome through classes taught by several of our chaperones.

We learned about the Italian culture, how to be smart on the streets, the history of Rome, a few key phrases in Italian to help us order

food and ask basic questions, art and architecture, as well as reminders to be patient and trust our chaperones. The entire group was led by Mr. Michael McMahon of the University of Mary, who had a great deal of experience and patience that helped throughout the trip with all the problems we encountered.

On Friday, it was time to fly out. Within hours our patience was being tested. Several flight groups had unexpectedly long layovers. There was ticket trouble; some groups were running through enormous airports to catch new flights. My last flight was from New York to Rome, and we arrived so late it looked like we would be spending the night in the airport. In fact, I was just about to write the bad news in my travel journal when Father called all

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Students hunker down for the long night in JFK airport.

THE ETERNAL CITY

but two people in our small flight group. While we caught the last plane out of New York, twenty-nine pilgrims were left behind to spend the night in Terminal 4 of the JFK airport. “From the time I woke up in Bismarck to the first chance of sleep in Rome was sixty hours,” said Anthony Vecchia. “Energy came in spurts.” Yet the group still managed to stay positive. To keep the commitment of daily Mass, they were able to find a church nearby the next morning, and the parish priest took the entire group out to breakfast. “Looking back, the experience was fun,” continued Anthony.

“The people you met to brushing your teeth in an airport bathroom was all surprisingly memorable.” By Sunday they finally arrived in Rome. A few suitcases (including mine) wouldn’t arrive until Monday and Tuesday. However, despite all the difficulties, we had finally reached the Eternal City.

So why would the University of Mary offer a pilgrimage to Rome in the first place? No, Jesus was never there, but Rome is the center of the Catholic Church. For nearly three hundred years, Christians were terribly persecuted in Rome—yet the faith grew. St. Peter, as Jesus’ close friend and apostle, became the first pope and was eventually martyred in Rome. We saw the Egyptian Obelisk, now in the center of St. Peter’s Square, which was likely the last thing he saw before he died, along with countless relics from our Church’s greatest saints. These are now signs of victory, showing how Christians have been overcoming persecution, and persevering for two thousand years.

We also learned about the history of Rome before Jesus’ time, and saw evidence of life from hundreds, even thousands, of years ago simply walking down the street. For example, when Rome became a Republic in 509 B.C., the official emblem of the city became S.P.Q.R., an abbreviation of Senatus Populus Que Romano, or “The Senate and People of Rome.” These four letters were stamped into public works, buildings, monuments, and currency even today. Some of the first places we toured were the Roman Forum and the Colosseum. “I thought the government aspect was interesting, especially the balcony [in the Forum] where the common people could discuss issues with their representatives,” Amelea Caldwell reflected. Each day was packed full of historical sites and sacred places.

Pilgrims touch the old doors to the Roman Senate that Caesar would have touched.

SIENA ASSISI ORVIETO

ROME SUBIACO

WHEN IN ROME...

One of the biggest aspects of the pilgrimage was experiencing a culture very different from our own. We had to interact with many people, some who were completely fluent in English and others who could only speak a few words. We were given time each day to explore and shop. Amalia Thomas said she found Rome as a whole “shockingly different, beautiful, and interesting.

From their hand motions while talking to their meal-time etiquette, everything was fascinating!” The cobblestone streets were filled with tourists, beggars, and peddlers. We were warned to be wary of pickpockets. It was fun to talk with the peddlers sometimes, who sold fans, water, umbrellas, bracelets, hats, and other souvenirs, although we had to learn to ignore them, too. Most asked outrageous prices, but many in our group were pretty good at bargaining with them.

I thought the most appalling thing about Italy was the sheer number of beggars. Most wore tattered rags and some had severe physical deformations. It was difficult to brush them off, yet I wrote in my journal, “If I gave a euro to every person who asked me, I would be broke by the end of the week.” This different view of poverty was an eye-opening contrast with the American middle class in which we all live at home.

Many of the locals in Rome take advantage of the many pilgrims and tourists who pass through. The streets extending from St. Peter’s Square were filled with tiny shops and restaurants. The

Friends enjoy pizza on the side of a road outside the Vatican walls.

shopkeepers generally know quite a bit of English, but were even more helpful when we at least attempted to greet or thank them in Italian. One woman gave me a discount when I simply asked her a question in Italian.

We also had to get used to using public transportation.

Rome was very hot and humid, and air conditioning was rare. Even the University of Mary campus where we stayed didn’t have it. So, packed onto a public bus or tram surrounded by our entire group of one hundred and thirty-seven pilgrims and any Italians who managed to squeeze in beside us, things got pretty sweaty. Although there were a lot of cars on the streets, there were equally as many motorcycles. Still, walking is the simplest way to reach most places in the center of Rome, and we racked up quite a few steps each day.

ALL ROADS LEAD TO GELATO

Food was a huge part of our pilgrimage; despite the sacrifices we had to make as pilgrims, we managed to eat at some of the best restaurants in Italy. We had breakfast on campus, which consisted of fruit, rolls, and juice. Then we had one meal each day as a group and one on our own, giving us the freedom to find smaller shops and restaurants with friends. Even though we had been prepared that Italians love to eat, it was surprising just how much each meal included. At our first dinner together, everyone cleaned their plates of lasagna, the first course, but by the time the next three courses arrived, we were too full to eat much else. Soon we learned to save room for the entire meal, which often consisted of bruschetta, cured slices of meat, pasta, vegetables, salad, and desert. Since restaurants were often the only places we could get cold beverages, we drained every drop of water and Coke they served. The soda in Italy definitely tastes better than American soda, although I couldn’t say how exactly.

And then gelato. Oh, sweet gelato. It’s Italian ice cream and it’s perhaps the greatest thing I’ve ever tasted. For anyone going to Rome, my advice is to have gelato every day. It doesn’t cost much and it’s always worth it. Most agree that Old Bridge is the best gelateria in Rome, although there are a few other hidden gems.

ROME BY THE NUMBERS 28

50

137

percent of pilgrims said Assisi was their favorite*

total pilgrims including chaperonese

total churches visited

44 rising seniors from St. Mary’s on pilgrimage

3865

*data gained in survey of 16 pilgrims

“CHE DIO VUOLE, VOGLIO”

The main reason the pilgrimage is offered

is so we as students are able to grow in

spirituality. Besides having daily Mass in

some of the most beautiful churches in the

world, we were offered a time for Reconcilia tion, prayed before amazing spiritual monuments,

and found other ways to grow deeper in faith in difficult

situations. We prayed before the tombs of popes, such as John Paul II, along with countless other martyrs and several incorruptible saints, whose bodies remain intact long after their deaths. We knelt up the stairs that Jesus himself ascended on his way to trial during the Passion, touching our rosaries to the marble. We prayed before the bones of St. Peter in the Scavi tour.

In staying in Assisi for three days, we sought the peace that Saint Francis had found in poverty, and we climbed the mountain to his cave, a two-mile steep hike that many pilgrims managed barefoot.

We also spent much time in St. Peter’s Square and inside the Basilica. This was where we observed the ultimate beauty of the universal Church. The Basilica itself is so massive and beautiful, and walking through the crowds it is easy to see how Catholicism has reached so many countries, cultures, languages, and individuals. We saw Pope Francis three times. The first was in his general audience, when he gave a speech preceded by driving through the crowds on the Popemobile. I managed to get up right by a railing.

The pope passed less than ten feet away from me and stopped to kiss two babies just seconds later. Trey Zent and Brianna Oliver had an even more amazing experience. Since Brianna was injured and stuck in a wheelchair, Trey wheeled her up after the audience to be blessed by Pope Francis himself! “It was honestly a pretty funny experience,” Trey said of the encounter. “Before I left, my grandparents asked me to say hi to the Pope, and I told them I’d do

cost per pilgrim

5068 miles from Bismarck, North Dakota to Rome, Italy

64 percent of pilgrims liked fruit gelato more that chocolate*

16 days in Italy

it when I shook his hand. Little did I know I’d keep that promise.

But overall, just being near Pope Francis, I could feel the humility radiating off him. It’s an experience that I’ll never forget.” The second time we saw the Pope, he prayed the Angelus from a window with the crowd in St. Peter’s Square, as he does weekly. The third time was at Papal Mass, held outside in front of the Basilica due to the large attendance. As at all our previous encounters with the Pope, all our religious articles were blessed, as well as our families and ourselves.

These amazing experiences were not the only times we were reminded to have faith; some situations required us to recall one of the first lessons we learned—to be patient and trust the pilgrimage leaders. One afternoon while we were at lunch, one of our three busses was robbed. Many students, though fortunately none from St. Mary’s, lost crucial items, such as their debit cards, driver’s licenses, and cash, not to mention personal bags and other belongings. Needless to say, our plans to visit the Catacombs were quashed for the day, as the Italian police system is, shall we say, not great. Mr. McMahon was very calm in the face of this trauma, and because he could do little else he became their temporary bank and asked the rest of us to donate some religious items blessed by the Pope, since many of the students had lost all of theirs. It seemed everyone who wasn’t affected by the robbery was eager to do anything we could to help.

In fact, over the entire pilgrimage, we all developed a sense of comradery and closeness. In a foreign country, allowing ourselves to be spiritually vulnerable around our peers was difficult at times, but by our final cena in Rome, I feel we had all been humbled by the vastness of our faith and the beautiful holiness discovered around every corner in the Eternal City, as well as, astoundingly, in ourselves.

St. Mary’s FBLA in the Golden State

Five students from St. Mary’s FBLA traveled to California this past summer for the FBLA National Leadership Conference We asked FBLA advisor Mrs. Larson | Brandon Prichard

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fter a successful 2016-2017 school year for the St. Mary’s Central High School FBLA Chapter, five of the organization’s members travled to Anaheim, California to attend the FBLA National Leadership Conference. St. Mary’s, accompanied by MottRegent’s FBLA Chapter, joined over 250 active FBLA members from around the state of North Dakota to travel on a direct flight to LAX airport. During the six-day stay in a beautiful hotel less than a mile away from the Anaheim Convention Center, the St. Mary’s FBLA members could be found around the hotel’s outdoor swimming pool, eating at the Cheesecake Factory, or enjoying time at Disney Land. Though some of the time spent in California was exploring Anaheim and sightseeing, a large portion of the time was also spent listening to speakers, taking part in competitive events, and becoming a more involved FBLA members. Also, members from North Dakota were able to meet other active members from around the world as over 12,000 students from five countries attended the conference. A highlight of the trip included Riley McLean’s third place award on the national level in Electronic Career Portfolio. On the final day in California, we traveled to Huntington Beach where we swam in the ocean and explored the shops across the beach. On July 3, 2017 we left Anaheim, California to travel back to North Dakota. Overall, the trip inspired junior and high school students to aspire to do something great with their talents. The St. Mary’s FBLA Chapter looks forward to having an exciting 2017-2018 school year and continuing to build off the great legacy left by last year’s members.

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what her favorite part was.

“This may sound odd, but the Cheesecake Factory. It was a major part of the trip. We celebrated Layne’s birthday there, when Riley McLean took third place in Electronic Career Portfolio, and just for fun.”

PERU MISSION TRIP

Former Editor-In-Chief, Riley McLean, writes back to the Messenger about her experiences with classmates in Peru | Riley McLean

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his past summer I, along with 32 others from Catholic schools in our diocese, had the great privilege of traveling to Peru to help the impoverished people of Pamplona.

Pamplona exists as a “shanty town” on the outskirts of Lima and is where the poorest people in the entire country live.

The houses there are made from whatever materials the people can find around the city and the structures are typically comprised of four walls and random material to cover the tops as a make-shift roof for when it rains. Explaining the living conditions of these people can only do so much justice; seeing it for yourself gives it an entirely new light. While we were there, I, and 16 others from St. Mary’s, helped build a concrete soccer field. I was skeptical when I first heard about the construction we would be a part of; however, upon arriving it was easy to determine why this was the work we were sent there to do. This “shanty town” was built up a mountain, meaning that large, flat spaces were uncommonly found.

Our project gave these people not just a place to play soccer, but also a place to host parties, dance, and delegate as a community space. The work was difficult, but the smiles on the faces of the community members and physically working alongside those who you have only worked math problems alongside previously, gave the suffering an intense, new meaning.

I know a lot of seniors struggle dropping a few thousand dollars the summer before becoming a broke college student, but I highly recommend it. Honestly, this trip’s cost is a drop in the bucket when it comes to the financial scheme of college and what you gain from it will be so much more than what you take away from Math 103.

LIMA

This trip is often compared to the Rome Pilgrimage that many upcoming seniors partake in. Having gone on the trip to Rome and having additionally traveled to many other places in Europe, I had no idea what to expect when heading to South America for the first time. Asking seniors from the previous year who had also been a part of these trips, their responses were consistent and mine would be just the same. You will see an impressive amount of poverty while you are there. However, the people confined to those impoverished lives will be some of the happiest you have ever seen. Their joy forces you to contemplate how your life could ever have been so bad and makes you thankful for things you have never thought twice about: clean water, indoor plumbing, and food other than chicken and rice. These things seem minute initially, but ten days and a 48 hour trip home after having your planes switched five times will teach you a lot about yourself and others. On another note, I haven’t been able to successfully compare this trip to Rome. Each trip has factors that withstand anything on the other and make each adventure unique. Father Johnson says it best when he explains “Rome helps you find your faith, Peru helps you live it out.”

Ultimately, this trip was too powerful to explain in one article. The way you are changed is breathtaking. Before you head off to one of the greatest experiences of your life (college), take time to use what you have learned at St. Mary’s and put it into action with a trip like this. Having an insurmountable amount of fun, changing for the better, and making a difference go hand in hand when doing God’s mission and deciphering His plan for you. If you are considering going to Peru, I would recommend talking to someone who went and get their experience first-hand. Don’t miss out on this trip-of-a-lifetime. Have a great year!

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ABBY BALKOWITSCH, 9 Honolulu, Hawaii “My favorite part was Hanauma Bay. The wild life was colorful and it was almost unreal swimming with the fish in the coral. It was the most beautiful sight I’ve ever seen. The water was crystal clear and the sunsets looked like a piece of heaven. It was breathtaking and I will never forget that experience.”

SAINTS AROU

| Amelea Caldw

CELIA BREKKEN, 9 Wisconsin

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esides traveling to saints traveled to a States! We asked stude trips this summer. Feel vacation.

“Every summer I meet up with my Ning Du sisters. We were all born in China and adopted from the same orphanage.”

MITCHELL SEAWORTH, 12 Las Vegas, Nevada “I liked seeing all the lights at night.”

ANTHONY VECCHIA, 12 California

“Yosemite was my favorite for sure The Valley is so beautiful and serene despite the crowd. Plus if you head up the mountain, Glacier Point has one of the best views I have ever seen.

But I must give credit to the other four National Parks I visited. Sequoia was full of big trees, obviously, and at Channel Islands I met my half brother for the first time.”

MATTHEW SCHEER, 9 Wyoming

“We went to watch Spiderman: Homecoming with friends.”

DANIEL BALCOM, 11 Washington, D.C.

“I liked walking around the mall.

I went to two Nationals [baseball] games even though I hate the Nationals.”

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UND THE STATES

CHRIS SENGER, 12 Denver, Colorado

“The people watching was very interesting.

I also enjoyed the different Renaissancethemed shows and was able to see a man play “Amazing Grace” on a bagpipe shooting flames, which I doubt I could have seen anywhere else.”

CAMRYN WHITTEMORE, 12 Red Lodge, Montana

well

o exotic locals like Rome and Peru, many amazing places right here in the United ents to share their favorite part of their family l free to take inspiration for our next family

“I liked the beautiful mountains and the fresh air. The enrapturing beauty of nature was a refreshing change from Bismarck.

The best part was all the wildlife I got to see. On a hike, I got to see mountain goats, elk, and even a bear!”

HANNAH FLOHR, 10 Hershey, Pennsylvania “Aside from being able to eat lots of chocolate, I enjoyed going on all the rides at the amusement park and spending time with my family.”

JEFFREY SAVADEL, 10 South Carolina AUDREY WENTZ, 12 Brown University, Rhode Island

“Meeting people from all over the world, especially on the weekend trip to Newport. Also studying Econometrics (the studying of statistical data in order to understand economics) and being able to experience the freedom of college before actually going to college.”

“We pretty much just went down there so we could go to the beach and see my grandpa that lives down in Florida. We don’t see him very often so it was nice to be able to see him and just relax by the coast for a week.”

A LOOK AHEAD St. Mary’s Welcomes 6th Grade Into Its Facility New Academy Principal shares how the addition of sixth graders will effect St. Mary’s | Amalia Thomas

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big change has occurred in the school this year: the addition of sixth graders in the Academy. We interviewed Mr. Bichler, the new principal of the Academy about the details of the transition and how it affects the high school.

THE MESSENGER How is the integration of the sixth graders set up so their schedules do not interfere with the high school’s?

MR. BICHLER For the sixth graders, we are trying to transi-

tion them slowly into this new world of middle school. We knew that there would be a lot of anxiety, so the teachers, and this was all forethought before I came on board, designed the schedules in a way so that the students would begin their day with their home base teacher and they would end their day with their home base teacher. That was vital because we wanted to make sure that the students had in the morning what they needed, and that when they went home at night they had what they needed. So, it was just a good balance, I think, for those sixth graders.

THE MESSENGER Is their band now combined with the seventh and eighth grade?

MR. BICHLER No, the sixth grade has their own band and they

THE MESSENGER What about lunch?

have music class, which is just as they had at their other schools, so that is something somewhat common to them.

MR. BICHLER Lunch was a little bit of a challenge. Again, all

THE MESSENGER Are they required to take a music course?

of this was in play before I came on board. The way that lunch works is sixth and seventh grade goes to lunch together, then they transition out and the eighth grade transitions in. That is important because when the high school comes in we do not have as many students to clean up after.

THE MESSENGER What was the most difficult thing to try to arrange?

MR. BICHLER The biggest obstacle is drop-offs and pick-ups;

when you are dropping off a child or picking them up, we have this sort of a bottleneck effect. It is just about being patient, and the people dropping off and picking up students have been great, very patient and cautious. That is really geared more towards safety.

To make sure that students are safe and feel safe would be priority number one for us.

THE MESSENGER Are most of their courses, if not all of them, in portables?

MR. BICHLER Most of them are, and that was designed purposely so that they could have their own little campus within a campus.

MR. BICHLER It is not required, but it is encouraged that they try band for one year.

THE MESSENGER Do they have their own sports teams or do they play with other middle school classes in organized sports?

MR. BICHLER I do not believe they can. Usually the high

school association goes in seventh through twelfth grade. There are school-organized activities for seventh to twelfth. From my knowledge, there are not any for sixth grade and lower. Those are usually clubs or organized through some other entity, not necessarily the school. The school can be involved in that, but mostly in any things like hiring referees or coaches, another entity would be involved in that.

THE MESSENGER Are there any things you would like the high school students to know?

MR. BICHLER They are little. Take care of them. Smile when

you pass them in the hall, because they do look up to the high school students a lot, not only because you guys are a lot older than them and taller, but that they do put you guys on a pedestal. Say hi to them, greet them as they walk past and it will make their day!

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Windows and Pants

New windows and uniform pant policy put fresh perspective on the new year | Jordan Aberle

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s I’m sure most of us can remember, last May, the last week or so of the school year, was spent listening to the windows getting ready to be taken out. In August, we were welcomed back to school with brand new windows that not only look amazing, but are very beneficial to our school. Some of the new features that can be seen are cleaner looking windows that offer a clear view of the outside, good lighting that streams into the classrooms, and a tinted look to the windows from the outside that give the classrooms some privacy without having to close the blinds. I asked Mr. Ruggles about some of the benefits these new windows will have on our everyday school life; he said that as a part of the LOC Capital Campaign, “not only do the windows give our school a new, pristine look, but they will also save Light of Christ a great deal of money in the future by cutting down heating and cooling costs”.

Students are eager to see how these new windows will affect the schools usually very cold winters, as we will hopefully not need to wear jackets to class with these new windows.

Another big change around the school that happened over the summer was a change in our uniform pants. For the past 4 years, SMCHS has gone to the Uniform Center for all of our uniform needs, but this year, they have decided to stop offering the uniform bottoms. Regarding finding a new vendor for school uniforms and the Uniform Center stepping away from offering the pants, Mr. Ruggles said that...

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“We completely understood and respected their decision… as we searched for other vendors, we found that Tommy Hilfiger had the skirt options we were looking for… from the beginning of our Uniform Dress Code Program, SMCHS girls have always desired plaid, but we couldn’t get it. Tommy offered the plaid we were looking for and many other styles as well… in addition, they also had the short options we were looking for. In particular, we think the golf performance short will be a nice touch for the boys as it mimics an Under Armour look and feel.”

Aside from the change in purchasing shorts and skirts from Tommy Hilfiger this year, students also get the chance to purchase their pants from whichever vender they choose. To assist in keeping students unified, Mr. Ruggles has set a guideline for purchasing pants that can be found on the SMCHS webpage under “parent resources” and in the student handbook each student received at the beginning of the school year. If students have any inquiries regarding the pant guidelines or any part of the dress code, they should feel free to approach Mr. Ruggles or Mrs. Friesen with their questions.

Monica Richard and Jordan Aberle model the new uniform skirts.

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New Year, New Messenger

Our Layout Editor explains some key changes coming to the Messenger over the next year | Anthony Vecchia

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hen I started as the Messenger’s Layout Editor last year I knew I wanted to change the look of the publication and more. I only started to fulfill my goal last year as I learned the design software and changed the theme; however, I wanted to go further in improving the Messenger. As my senior class has taken the wheel in the leadership of the Messenger, we determined that this is the year for change. Our editor team, or “smeditors” as we call ourselves, is implementing a number of adjustments from previous years, and as your Layout Editor, I am writing to convey these changes to the reader, specifically in the realm of aesthetics.

THE COVER AND THE THEME

First is the cover and theme of the Messenger. One major change from last year is the vertical lines rather than the slanted on the cover. As the designer of the publication, the slanted lines I chose made it difficult to align visuals and made the publication incoherent in a way. By making the lines straight this year, it contributes to a cleanliness that aids the Messenger to its goal of looking professional. While on the topic of the front, we chose to rid the cover of the collage of pictures in favor of a single picture.

| Our new

While including many activities like basketball, band, and more on one cover was nice, a single picture once again helps with cleanliness. This one picture will also tie in with the month’s main article.

This year we are converting the Feature Section into one longer article with more visual content to emphasize a major story going on in the school. Our hope is to engage the reader into a more indepth read on a topic they are interested in or can relate to in order to introduce them to the rest of the publication. One last thing I would like to cover on the theme is the shade of blue. Royal blue has always been the color of St. Mary’s but I chose to lighten the color to a Steel Blue simply because it works better with the gray on the cover.

PAGES AND PUBLICATION SIZE

Something that has always bugged our editor team is the size of our publication. I have already touched on this a bit, referring to the longer feature article, but one of our main goals for the year is to reach a permanent publication size of sixteen or perhaps even twenty-four pages. Last year the Messenger was only twelve.

The advantage of having more pages is two-fold. First, we have

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| The Evolution of a Messenger

| 2014

| 2015

| 2016

| 2017

w website: smmessenger.wixsite.com/2017-18 more wiggle room for longer, more compelling articles, as well as more visuals. Second, the paper simply feels more like a genuine publication when you pick it up due to its thickness. This goal of more pages isn’t an easy one to reach. With more pages comes a higher price to print, which requires more advertising. Our editors are dedicated to seeking out more advertising, specifically those advertising in other high schools’ newspapers, in order to bring the readers a higher quality paper.

THE NEW WEBSITE

Last of all is a major change: the brand new website. Our editor team is very excited to introduce our website as an improvement upon our past site. It was our advisor, Mrs. Stromme’s, idea to release this September 2017 issue online in order to showcase our website; however, reading the Messenger online will always be available, so if you are unable to get your hands on a physical copy you can certainly go to the “Read It Now” portion of our website and spend a little more time with it online. Another use for the website is submitting responses to the Question of the Month. In order to improve the quality of the Question of the Month we will

now accept online submissions and select the best or funniest answers. You can submit answers online on the “QOTM” tab. We ask that answers be short, whether a couple words or a couple sentences. You must be a student or faculty member in order to submit answers. The deadline for the Question of the Month will vary but will usually be around the second or third week of the month prior to publication. Our web address is smmessenger.wixsite.com/201718.

As this year’s editors we are all excited to work for a better Messenger. The changes mentioned are merely a handful but all will be noticeable and important in making the Messenger one of the best high school publications in the city.

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“Our hope is to engage the reader into a more in-depth read on a topic they are interested in or can relate to in order to introduce them to the rest of the publication.”

QUESTION OF THE MONTH The Messenger is now accepting submissions for the Question of the Month beginning in the October publication.

-Answers must be short, just a couple words or sentences -Answers must be appropriate -You must be a St. Mary’s student or faculty member to submit answers -The best answers will be selected for publication -You can submit answers on our website under the “QOTM” tab or hand write an answer in the library -The deadline for submission will usually be the second or third week of the month prior to next month’s release

| October’s Question is...

What’s your best childhood Halloween costume?

Submit your answers now!