April 9th Issue

Volume 17, Issue 12 April 9, 2015

Jacob Hansen 5 Time All-State Qualifier

Jazz Band

8th Place at State Championship Xavier High School 6300 42nd St. NE Cedar Rapids, IA 52411 w w w. x a v i e r s a i n t s . o r g w w w. x a v i e r x p r e s s . c o m Follow us: @xpressnewspaper

Photos Submitted Page Design by Kathleen Parrish

News

2 Index

News.. 2 | Opinion.. 4 Student Life.. 6 | Mini-Feature.. 7 Feature.. 8 Health & Lifestyle.. 10 | A & E.. 11 Sports.. 14 | Backpage.. 16

Xpress Staff Editor-In-Chief Katherine Bauer

Photo Editor

Kathleen Parrish Photographers Jessica Fenske Ellie Detweiler Maddy Bailey

Business

Tory Brown

Distribution

Donavin Wenger

Online Editor Jeff Frieden

News Editor Tyler Testin News Writers Kathleen Parrish Tory Brown Erin Drahozal Amy Boe KJ Giles

Opinion Editor Amy Boe

Opinion Assistant Abby Willey Opinion Writers Nic Ekland Erin Drahozal Erin Foley Brooke Alexander Adrienne Hayes

Student Life Editor Jenny Dickes

Student Life Assistant Morgan Ross Student Life Writer Stephanie Wehr

Mini-Feature Editors

Faith Bohrer & Mikayla Noonan Mini-Feature Assistant Hadley Shriver

Feature Editors

Brady Hoffman & Jessica Driscoll Feature Writer Brylee Bastian

Health and Lifestyle Editor Samantha Valenta

Health and Lifestyle Assistant Maddy Bailey Health and Lifestyle Writer Hailey Justice

Arts & Entertainment Editor

Kayla Thompson & Rachel Lampe Arts and Entertainment Writers Catie Locher Donavin Wenger Nic Ekland

Sports Editor

Daniel Richardson Sports Assistant KJ Giles Sports Writers Luke Koechner Grant Gibney Ryan Williams Mark Wardlaw

Backpage Editors Jessica Fenske

Backpage Assistant Ellie Detweiler Backpage Writer Anna Christianson The Xpress Bi-weekly Xavier High School 6300 42nd St. NE Cedar Rapids, IA 52411 Volume 17 Issue 12

Xavier High School Five Seasons Leaders from Xavier recognized Leadership is an important part of every day life that some people are gifted with and others learn.

The Leadership for Five Seasons Youth Program is an outgrowth of the Leadership for Five Seasons Adult Program. Graduates of the 1988 Adult Program wanted to develop a program that would provide training to high school students on leadership skills and information on the Cedar Rapids area. The high school program for juniors began in 1995 and consists of nine monthly meetings.

“We had different themes for every day we met,” Dallas Klein, one of the three selected juniors this year, said. “We had a medical day where we went to the hospital, a global day where we went to Czech Village, and we also had a service day where we went to the HACAP facility.”

Klein and his classmates Alaina Marti and Ellie Detweiler were the three representatives chosen by the Xavier guidance department for this program after submitting applications.

The guidance counselors choose who they believed best fit the characteristics of leadership and would benefit from this opportunity.

The objectives of the program are the following: 1) Identify and select 40 students representing the area high schools who demonstrate

Juniors Ellie Detweiler, Dallas Klein, and Alaina Marti graduate from the Leadership for Five Seasons group. Photo Submitted. leadership qualities and have a concern for their community.

2) Present in-depth programs that acquaint students with community needs, opportunities, problems, and resources.

3) Allow interaction with community leaders and decision makers.

4) Provide opportunities for the students to know one another well and develop a level of mutual trust and respect.

5) Foster the interest in community voluntary activities.

“One of my favorite parts of the program was seeing all of the different parts of Cedar Rapids,” Klein said.

The closing ceremony for the program was held on March 11.

Last year, the three

representatives from Xavier were current seniors Ellen Jasper, Claire Bouchard, and Jeanne Bouchard.

“I believe this is important because everyone is a different kind of leader, and it is good to be able to learn how to handle different personalities and different approaches to leadership,” Jeanne Bouchard said. “It is also important to show us how great Cedar Rapids is and the connections we made will help us in the future.”

This program not only stresses the need for leadership but also the achievements of Cedar Rapids and all that is has to offer.

Tory Brown News Writer

Seminarian Kevin Earleywine visits Xavier There is a new, bright, and shining face walking around Xavier High School. Kevin Earleywine is currently undergoing his pastoral internship at St. John XXIII and spends a lot of time with Father Dustin Vu, the Xavier Chaplain.

Father Vu invited Earleywine into the Xavier community to allow him to experience what a Catholic school is like.

“I attended a small public school in Browdhead, Wisconsin,” Earleywine said. “I didn’t get a chance to go to a Catholic school in my hometown. Since I spend a lot of time with Father Vu at St. John XXIII, he decided it would be a good idea for me to come to Xavier and speak to Theology classes and experience what a Catholic school is like. I want to better understand how young adults see Christ working in their lives and hopefully bring them closer to God.” Earleywine spends one day at Xavier every week. His role is to learn about how young adults see God working in their lives.

When he is not at the high school, Earleywine is sitting in on funeral and wedding planning, helping at Confirmation classes, giving vocation talks at other high schools, or talking to youth groups. He is also involved in the community, volunteering at Mission of Hope and Metro Catholic Outreach.

After Earleywine graduated from high school, he decided when he went off to college he would dive more deeply into Catholicism.

Earleywine graduated from Loras College in 2012 and decided to go into seminary. He is currently working on his masters in theology at Mundelein Seminary, north of Chicago. For the second

semester of the second year, seminarians are obligated to complete a pastoral internship.

“Kevin is going to make an excellent priest,” Father Vu said. “He has a big heart for the poor, a love for the youth and so much energy. He loves to take initiative and start stuff. He has the ‘it’ factor that God has blessed him with. People just like him.”

Earleywine and Father Vu are available at Xavier and their home parish to offer advice and friendship.

Erin Drahozal News Writer

Seminarian Kevin Earleywine spreads God’s joy to the students of Xavier and the parishioners of St. John XXIII. Kathleen Parrish Photo.

April 9, 2015

News

3

Three alumni create education apps for grad school, ACT In 2005, Adam Keune, Alec Whitters, and Ben O’Connor were seniors at Xavier. This trio graduated years before the iPad became a standard school supply, but they recently created a company that utilizes the Apple device for education.

Keune, Whitters, and O’Connor are co-founders of Higher Learning Technologies (HLT), a software business responsible for designing some of the top education applications on the iTunes App Store. The three alumni gained much of their business acumen through their years at Xavier.

“At Xavier I learned how to learn,” Whitters said. “A lot of the work that is done at Xavier is not just about learning that specific fact, but rather the process of learning new facts, how to work with others, and ways of problem solving.”

After high school, the three friends attended the University of Iowa and then went their separate ways. The seeds of HLT were sown while Whitters was in dental school studying for the National Dental Board Exam. He was tired of the second rate study materials offered for this high stakes test. He believed studying could be taken to the next level by implementing mobile technology. Whitters was met with only opposition when he tried to bring his idea for electronic

flashcards to the big publishers of Dental Board study materials.

In the summer of 2012, Whitters called up his friends Keune and O’Connor to reunite and create an app to help graduate school students study for the Dental Boards.

“We went and partnered with the University of Iowa,” Keune said. “We have a very, very close partnership with them, with President Mason, the Dental School, and the Nursing School.”

Three years and $6.5 million in investments later, HLT is a growing business with 50 full time employees and a portfolio of apps covering a broad range of subjects.

“We want to make great apps that help students learn, plain and simple,” Keune said.

The company is stationed in offices of the Bioventures Center at the University of Iowa and have no plans to leave the Hawkeye State.

“You go out anywhere else, to San Francisco or Chicago, where everybody tells you that you need to go ... you’re just another person with an idea,” Keune said.

In their short history, HLT has grown to a library of apps specializing in a range of test preparation categories including the MCAT for medicine and NCLEX for nursing. The nursing app is currently the third highest grossing education application on

the iTunes store. By this summer, high schoolers can expect an ACT preparation app from Higher Learning Technologies. The app is launching with high expectations.

“This isn’t like a couple people are going to see it,” Keune said.

“Our goal is to get this distributed to millions within probably a year if it moves anything like NCLEX did.”

HLT gained credibility in the world of college entrance exam preparation by adding Dr. Richard Ferguson, the former CEO of ACT, to their board of directors. HLT met Dr. Ferguson through a mutual friend at an Iowa City bank. Now Dr. Ferguson is an integral part of the team.

“Even in New York, we’re meeting with billionaire investment groups, and they’re just sitting there like, ‘Wow, this guy made the ACT,’” Keune said.

This upcoming ACT app should be particularly exciting for Xavier students as HLT plans to let the Saints use their application for free. A similar policy is already in place at the University of Iowa for free use of HLT’s graduate school apps. The normal cost of $10 to $50 per app is waived.

In exchange, students are encouraged to provide feedback on their studying experiences.

“What we are looking for is the voice of the students and the voice of the teachers,” Keune said.

After focusing on apps aimed at a college age audience, HLT is targeting younger minds with the ACT practice. Inspiring the next generation of entrepreneurs is something important to HLT as its three founders are fresh out of college themselves.

“Its amazing how the things you do when you’re younger connect in unexpected ways,” Whitters said.

“I learned a good amount about sales from a part-time job and had no idea those experiences were training me to be an entrepreneur.”

Keune believes he owes his work ethic to a strong Xavier High School education.

“We take a lot of pride in being from Xavier,” Keune said.

“They kind of gave us that giving back mentality. That’s why we give everything we can to Iowa.

That’s why we came to Xavier right away to pilot this with.”

This spirit of generosity has inspired Keune, Whitters, and O’Connor to share their newest product with their old high school.

Tyler Testin News Editor

Opinion

4 Time is precious; don’t take it for granted

Time.

To many people, time is just a clock. A clock that beeps at 6 a.m. every morning, a clock that determines when school is over, a clock that tells you when your favorite show is on, and a clock that shows you when it’s time to go to bed. People see it as just numbers that change every 60 seconds, but to me, it’s a lot more.

Even though time is free, I’ve been taught it’s expensive.

Lost time can never be found; no matter how hard you try, you will not succeed. That is why it should never be taken for granted, no matter what. You never know the last time you’ll see a place or a person.

On Friday, January 16, 2015, I received a phone call from my cousin, Lauren, while I was out with my friends. At the time, my cousin and I were not getting along because of a fight that happened the last time we saw each other. So

Why waste time worrying?

Xavier High School

when I saw her name pop up on my phone, the first thing I wanted to do was click ignore but instead, I decided to answer it. It is true when they say we are only one phone call away from our knees.

On that coldest and darkest of all winter nights, my 17-yearold cousin, Erin, died.

I didn’t believe it at first. My mind was racing to come up with scenarios of why Lauren would tell me that Erin was dead. I asked her if she meant that Erin got in a lot of trouble and is “dead” because of how much trouble she is going to be in. She told me no, and said again, “Erin is dead.” I kept telling myself that there is still a chance, that people come back from the dead all the time, and Erin is going to be one of them. Again, Lauren told me no, and said that they had called a time of death and she had been gone for over an hour now. The world stopped.

I felt as if everything from that point on that night was put into slow motion. It was my worst nightmare and it never ends.

They say everything happens for a reason, but I’m still not sure what the reasoning to this is. Words can’t even begin to explain how much I miss her. I will cherish every memory we

shared from singing Beautiful Soul at the top of our lungs and staying up until 3 a.m. every night, to sneaking out on the boat to go get ice cream and pretending we were in a scavenger hunt on the beach just so we could have an excuse to take pictures with cute boys. Sometimes, you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.

The moment that she left us, my heart was split in two. One side was filled with memories while the other side died with her. I often lay awake and take a walk down memory lane with tears running down my cheeks.

Remembering her and the memories we shared is easy, because I think of her everyday, but missing her is a heartache that never goes away. But, “Love is stronger than death, even though it can’t stop death from happening, but no matter how hard death tries, it can’t separate people from love nor memories. In the end, life is stronger than death.”

The scary thing is that this could’ve happened to anyone.

That is why it makes me sad when I see friends excluding each other, because I just know Erin’s friends would climb mountains to spend one more second with

her. It also makes me sad when I see someone fighting with their parents because no parent should ever experience the horror of burying their own child, yet I had to watch two of the people I love most in this world lose their baby girl. Their baby girl who will never go to prom, pick which college she wants to go to, start a career, and or have a family of her own.

She will never know what it feels like to fall in love nor the joy of holding that perfect baby girl or boy. I regret taking for granted the thing I should be the most grateful for, my life, because the problem was I thought I had time.

Cherish every moment and don’t let it slip away. Rest in peace Erin, I will never forget you. Heaven has gained one sassy and beautiful angel.You better be watching over me and making sure I don’t mess everything up, because I’m doing it all for you. There will forever and always be 18 Kammermeier cousins. I love you EVF.

get through it just fine like the many people before you.

Are you seeing a trend here?

Worrying does nothing for you, plain and simple. It doesn’t help you in any way.

In fact, it actually hurts you more than anything. The less you allow yourself to give into it, the more you will realize how pointless it really is. My advice is to not allow yourself to even think about anything negative that could worry you, and instead focus on something positive that will come from the situation. Recently, I had to give a speech for my Kirkwood class, and instead of worrying if I would talk too fast or forget what I was saying, I thought about how great I would feel once I was done. Focusing on the positives might not be easy at first, but once you get in the routine of doing it, you’ll wonder why you ever wasted time worrying in the first place.

As much as I don’t want to admit my dad’s overused saying was actually helpful, I can’t deny credit where credit is due. So dad, thanks for teaching me this and many other “mark it down” moments over the years.

I am just as surprised as you are as to how much I actually listened to what you had to say.

I guess it turns out my selective hearing actually picked up on a few things. Who knew?

Simplify promposals

you are receiving or giving a marriage proposal. If we’re not extravagantly “promposing,” it’ll just make it that more special when that time comes!

Can we all flashback to a simpler time when Corbin Woods asked Morgan Noonan to prom with a note in the office? No fireworks, no flash mob, just a simple nice gesture.

Hopefully, with taking some of the pressure off, more people will get asked to go to the dance.

Everybody who wants to go to a dance with a date deserves to do so and with less pressure on the asker, people will be more likely to go out on a limb.

So what are some ways to do this, you ask? There’s always the simple go up to them and just ask, the note on the car if you’re too nervous to do it in person, or ask them with ice cream or candy. It doesn’t have to be a big production. The only thing I ask is to keep it out of technology. No texts, no emails, no Canvas messages.

This is a friendly reminder from me to step out of your shell and ask someone to prom this year. The simplest thing might make someone’s day.

“You can’t hold what you don’t have in your hand.”

This is a classic Doug Boe one liner often said in the Boe household when my dad is “coaching” me, and for a good reason, because there isn’t much it doesn’t apply to.

Whenever I am stressed or worried about the outcome of anything from a test to an issue with a friend, my dad always says this to me. This is his way of reminding me that worrying is pointless and that as long as I do the best I can, that’s all that matters.

This advice applies to so many things and can be both helpful and relevant to so many people. To the girl who is concerned about finding a prom date: if it’s meant to be, it will happen. If it’s not, you can make it happen by asking someone yourself (been there, done that). To the guy who has no idea what he wants to do with his life after high school: there is plenty of time to figure that out. So instead, just decide to work hard in college and the rest will fall into place. To the sophomore who is worried about the infamous junior year: yes, it’s hard, but you’ll Amy Boe Opinion Editor

After a week of sunny bliss, postspring break d e p re s s i o n has set in for a lot of Xavier students, but an inkling of hope glimmers in thoughts of summer break.

For some people, that inkling of hope shines brighter with thoughts of prom on the horizon.

I, like many of my peers, cannot wait for prom. However, with the arrival of Prom comes the arrival of “Promposal” season.

This can be a magical time for some but a horrifying time for others.

Sometime in the last few years it has become customary for people to get asked to prom in elaborate ways. I have seen friends and family get asked to prom with just about every gimmick, including fireworks.

My question is, have we taken this too far? There is already a huge amount of pressure on anyone asking someone to a dance, and now there is the added pressure of thinking of a witty or complex way to do it.

I think it’s time we take a hint from our parents’ generation and just ask someone nicely, “Will you go to prom with me?”

There is time for elaborate plans and romantic gestures when

Morgan Ross Assistant Student Life Editor

Mikayla Noonan Mini-Feature Editor

April 9, 2015

Opinion

funny to a friend, but I didn’t something that prolongs my truly benefit from this activity life. Now, when I’m home and in any way. There were endless feel like going on the internet Every so other ways to spend my time. to hunt down some mindless So, I reevaluated my spare posts, I force myself to pick up often, we grow up a little bit time. With spring weather and a book instead. I’ve learned so more and many activities over, I found many remarkable things just really think myself with hours of free time. It from reading. It’s not always the about what’s would’ve been easy to just keep easiest thing to get myself to do, i m p o r t a n t browsing the funny pictures, but but it is really worth it in the end. in life. I’m I couldn’t stand wasting this time Reading helps me put my life into not here to tell you to value anymore. I put myself to work. perspective, and it’s honestly people over money or pursue Now, whenever I watch Netflix, I better than reading a bunch your dreams. I’m here to tell make myself get on the treadmill of Tweets or Facebook posts.

This change in my life you to try and simplify your and run the entire length of the show.

This is anywhere from a didn’t happen over night. It life and do what’s essentially important. Let me explain... 22 minute Futurama episode to took months to realize my I used to spend hours of my a 50 minute episode of House unhappiness, determine why day browsing the internet for of Cards. I’m still getting my I was unhappy, decide on how while doing to change, and then actually funny pictures or interesting entertainment posts. I was looking through Twitter and Facebook way more than was worth my time. During class, at home, before bed I was swiping through the URLs of the interweb to find humor that really wasn’t laugh out loud funny. They were the sort of things that just made breathe out of my nose a bit harder than usual in amusement.

Eventually, I became frustrated because I constantly ran out of new content. This caused me to question what I was really doing.

Sure, it was a way (not really a Senior Katherine Bauer reads a book to pass the time good way) to pass some time in a instead of spending time on social media. boring class or show something

Be more productive

Learning for knowledge or grades?

Education is the key to success.

But do we strive for education or just grades?

Grades are used as a tool for performance assessment. This does not always match how intelligent a student is or how much they have learned.

This creates separate end goals for student education: maximum intellectual growth or optimal grades.Almost all students prioritize the latter, because grades are what determines GPA used for the college application process.

This attitude of grades over learning can be seen by student choices made every day. They decide to cheat, study only for the next test, and take shortcuts to get the best grades for the smallest amount of work. If we were to learn just to gain knowledge, there would be no benefit from cheating, tests would just be reviews, and studying wouldn’t be a high stress activity. Your only motivation would be to learn. Students would be selfdriven to become smarter, because classes wouldn’t be decided by college requirements and level standards but rather by what you are interested in learning about.

Pursuing grades over knowledge is highlighted by one of my favorite study techniques, memorizing right before a test, by

Stop diagnosing yourself

5 make that change. I’m happier now and feel like I have more purpose in my life. I strongly encourage all of you to assess your time and daily, mundane activities. Instead of spending hours on end poking at an iPad game, take some of that time to make dinner with your family.

Once, you make one or even two changes like this, don’t stop there. I could become complacent with running or reading instead of interneting.

But I’m not. There are so many other things I want to do if I have the time. In reality, I do have this time. It’s just trapped by a useless activity I barely notice. I don’t know what this misuse is yet, but I know what I’ll do instead when I figure it out. I want to play piano daily, write leisurely for myself, paint for fun instead of only for class, and see my friends more in person. It’s daunting to think about squeezing all these things into my week on top of my future summer job and internship. But once I stop wasting my time, I’ll be happier doing these things instead.

Katherine Bauer Editor In Chief

diseases but also making jokes about disorders they don’t have.

At least once a week, I hear T h e r e someone joking about their is nothing OCD when they don’t have the that grinds actual disorder. If you seriously my gears suspect you have a disorder more than such as OCD or depression, when I hear please see a professional. of someone Your friends are not medical d i a g n o s i n g professionals,and you shouldn’t themselves. Let’s get one rely on them to tell you what thing straight. If you didn’t get you might have. Disorders are checked out by a professional serious issues and shouldn’t and you haven’t attended be joked about or taken lightly.

I understand that visiting medical school, there is no reason why you should be a doctor is time consuming, making claims about your costly, and possibly even health that can’t be backed embarrassing. However, they up. Recently, we were hit can offer you medications again by the annual “Xavier and any additional help you Plague.” Students who had might need for a disease been officially diagnosed or disorder you could have. with an illness stayed home. There have been times when However, there was an army I didn’t want to see a doctor. of sickies right here at Xavier However, I never regretted claiming they had everything going after my appointment. from the flu to whooping cough Instead of over exaggerating your potential even though they hadn’t been about ailment, stop complaining officially diagnosed. A quick word of wisdom: the Internet and go see a professional. cannot properly diagnose you.

Adrienne Hayes If you just type in that you have Opinion Writer a sore throat, you’ll get results ranging from a common virus to throat cancer. Stop declaring Mark Wardlaw your suspected illnesses and Opinion Writer go seek medical attention.

Another pastime of Xavier students appears to be not only diagnosing themselves with

repeatedly going over the material to remember it for the test and then discarding it until the final when it will be needed again. The solution to this predicament is not one that can be inforced by faculty or administration simply because it can not be forced. The active choice to prioritize in growing intellectually must be applied by students on an individual level.

Students rarely place the importance of their class on getting smarter rather than getting a good grade. However, on a personal level, I experience this idea every so often.

When I compare the satisfaction of understanding a concept I learned to get an A on a project or test that I put minimal work into, I’m always more proud of knowledge than I am of the grade. A grade is a score on a scale while intelligence is something that is applicable, useful, and its own reward.

While grades can’t be abandoned or neglected, it’s important to remember what we are here for. Learning to grow and learning to get grades are separate things. Actually learning and retaining new information is something that we should put more effort into, because the point of history is not to get an A+; the point is to learn history.

So when you are going through notes or homework, don’t forget to move beyond memorizing while you learn the material.

Xavier High School

Student Life

Hidden

T A L E N T S

6

Students

Erin Drahozal ‘15 Singing Casey Murray ‘17 Split Tongue

Matthew Hovda ‘16 Piano

Evan Gradoville 15’ Juggling Mr. Hayward Singing

Emiko Coffey ‘17 Photography

Ms. Pilkenton Writing a book

Mrs. Kadlec

Can Touch Elbows to Floor

Dr. Drey

Can Read Ten Languages

Mr. Mallie Can push up from a headstand to a handstand and walk around.

Teachers

Page design by: Jenny Dickes and Morgan Ross. Information collected by: Stephanie Wehr.

Mini-Feature

April 9, 2015

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Best Friends Here is some food for thought...

4 Ways To Be a Good Friend

1.

Support their decisions.

2.

“We have been best friends for four years.”

-Ellie McDermott ‘18

4.

Be there for them in times of trouble.

3.

Be honest with them.

Laugh at their jokes.

“Charlie and I became friends in the musical.”

-Nick Drahozal ‘17

“The most dangerous thing we’ve done together is leaving random things on someone’s doorstep.

The neighbors thought we were burgalars so they chased us down the street.”

“We are obnoxious and we have a ton of fun together!”

-Skylar DeCamp ‘16

-Joshua Hoffmann ‘15

Ellie McDermott & Emily Rundle ‘18

Skylar DeCamp & Lydia Brown ‘16

Charlie Esker & Nick Drahozal ‘17

Joshua Hoffmann & Josh Ford ‘15

Page Design by: Faith Bohrer and Mikayla Noonan. Information by: Brooke Alexander, Anna Christianson and Tory Brown. Pictures by:Tory Brown, Faith Bohrer and Brooke Alexander

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April 9, 2015

Feat

Teachers spill on wh they were most li

Page Design by Brady Hoffma Information Collected by Brylee Bastian, Erin Drahozal,

ture

Xavier High School

hat Xavier Student ike in high school

an and Jessica Driscoll.

Luke Koechner, Ryan Williams and Catie Locher.

Mrs. Marshall: “I was a good quiet student but very social outside of school. I loved sports but not necessarily in sports.”

Morgan Brown: “I appreciate it.”

Mrs. Marshall: “No I appreciate you!”

Mr. Saterlee: “I had a vigorous faith life in high school like Jacob. Jacob is also very friendly.”

Jacob Lacey: “I’m not surprised he chose me. I see several similarities.”

Mrs. Kearns: “I worked really hard in sports but I wasn’t necessarily the starting player. I had to work for everything I earned.”

Claire Christianson: “Mrs. Kearns is a good role model.”

Mr. Farrell: “I was smart but I didn’t try in school.”

AJ Brems: “I didn’t give any yesterday, I won’t give any today, so why give any tomorrow? It’s just my lifestyle.”

Mrs. Lemker: “I took school serious and I was on the quiet side.”

Ellen Jasper: “I think we are both quiet, patient people and both frustrated by Ryan Williams.”

Mr. Hayward: “Brandon is a nice person and a bright, creative student.”

Brandon Steffensmeier: “It is an honor.”

Ms. Samek: “I see myself in Morgan because she is focused and driven in high school.

We are also both State Champions.”

Mr. Ballinger: “I see myself in Lou because we have similar personalities and he has some edge.

We also had similar hair in high school.”

Mr. Schulte: “My first choice would’ve been our son Bryce but I didn’t want to pick my own kid.

I picked Joe and Matt because they come from solid, faith filled parents and grandparents who passed on values of hard work and Catholic faith. They are down to earth, good students, and are multi sport athletes. We also have the same demeanor and personality.”

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Health & Lifestyle

10

Frozen Yogurt: Low in fat and calories.

Gelato: Creamy and dense, due to lower air content.This means one scoop of gelato weighs more than the same amount of ice cream.

Xavier High School

I C C R E E A COM M PETE S

Ice Cream: Gives energy, calcium, and usually happiness.

IN

ONE

CUP

Frozen Yogurt: 221 calories, 6 grams of fat

:

Gelato: 205 calories, 6.8 grams of fat Ice Cream: 275 calories, 15 grams of fat *All figures based upon averages Page Design: Sam Valenta, Maddy Bailey, and Hailey Justice. Pictures: Pixabay.com, Clipart.com. Information: healthyeating.com

A&E 11 Jazz Band takes eighth Dining with Donavin

April 9, 2015

On March 31, school history was made when Jazz Band One took the stage at the Iowa Jazz Championships in Des Moines.

This was the first time the Saints have qualified in the short history of Xavier High School.

“Getting to the championship is just like winning the championships,” jazz band director Ms. Kelli Swehla said.

“All the jazz bands are so close in score that anyone could win.”

After performing their set in the morning, they had to wait to hear their results. After a long day of waiting, they found out that they had placed eighth in Class 3A out of 15 bands competing. They even placed better than teams who were not wildcard nominees.

Freshman Michael Muhlena was named an Outstanding Soloist.

“It is a big deal,” Ms. Swehla said. “I think we did a good job.

Having a week off because of spring break was a challenge, and they performed really well.”

Jazz Band One has not slowed down since then. On April 7, they performed at the annual Corridor Jazz Project at Coe College. This concert featured not only Xavier, but other schools in the metro area. Each school had a professional jazz player to play with them, and Xavier got conga player, James Dreier.

As the season comes to a close soon, jazz band has earned many new accomplishments.

“Jazz Band has been so much fun this year,”junior Kyle Skoumal said. “We accomplished so much, including the highest placing in school history (3rd at NEIBA) and being invited to the Jazz Championships!

We also have fun together no matter what we are doing.”

To end the jazz band season, both jazz bands,as well as the jazz bands from the Xavier Catholic middle schools will perform at the Metro Jazz Band Festival at Xavier High School on April 20.

Kayla Thompson A&E Co-Editor

Freshman Michael Muhlena performs his awardwinning solo at NEIBA. Photo Submitted.

Creating your own blog Where to start

Cobble Hill is a fine dining restaurant located in the heart of downtown Cedar Rapids.

With more expensive dishes, this restaurant should be left for more formal occasions, such as the quickly approaching Prom.

Cobble Hill’s atmosphere may not be much different when compared to other fine dining establishments. However, one key feature that sets it apart from other places is the open atmosphere and the ability to see the grill as the food is made. A feature that I thought was rather cool was that the waiter brought out free samples of some dishes while I waited between courses. Overall, I would say the atmosphere was good with nothing to really get overly excited about.

The service was surprisingly good, even though I went on a Wednesday night. The food and drinks were all brought out in a timely manner. On top of that, the waiting staff appeared to be well informed on all of the dishes and was prepared to answer any questions one may have. Finally, once the food was brought out, the waitress explained what each aspect of the dish was. This ultimately led to a better dining experience.

Next comes the food. While I was there, I ordered the Berkshire Pork Pozole. This dish is a rather expensive meal coming in at around $25. However, the cost was worth it. It came served in a

large bowl in a unique broth with an excellent taste. Lastly comes the dessert. I ordered the black forest cake, which was a chocolate cake with large cherries on the plate and a side of cherry sorbet.

It was definitely the best dessert I have had in a long time because the rich chocolate went along perfectly with the tart, yet sweet cherries. Most dishes at Cobble Hill come with a steep price tag with the majority of them costing between $16 and $28.

Cobble Hill is an excellent restaurant for special occasions.

Ratings Atmosphere

Service Food Overall

Donavin Wenger A&E Writer

Benefits of creating a blog

1. Decide what to write about: To start a blog you do not need an amazing, world-changing idea. A blog can be started on an opinion you have on a certain topic, or even a post about something significant that happened in your life.

1. Blogging is challenging, and challenges are good: It is challenging to put your ideas out there, but you shouldn’t be scared of it. Embrace the challenge because it makes you grow, and by doing this you become more complex as an individual.

2. Find a free blogging sight: wordpress.com blogger.com webbly.com tumblr.com blog.com penzu.com

It helps you learn to become a better writer. Through your writing, you can learn a lot about yourself by reflecting.

2. Learn new things: Blogging is a learning experience.

3. Make a difference in the lives of others: What you say matters and should have a positive impact on others.

4. Find your original voice: Blogging, and writing in general, may be one of the most effective means to help discover and develop your voice.

3. Continue searching your creative outlet: Don’t quit after just one post. Continue to post on your blog regularly, 5. Meet new and interesting people: Blogging on topics that even if it is not everyday. Set aside the time to write down interest you will allow you to create relationships with people your thoughts and improve your writing. who are interested in similar things. You may also connect with other bloggers and learn about their experiences.

“I started because I really like writing and I thought it would be a good way to express myself.

I think it’s beneficial because it makes you feel a lot better when you write your thoughts down and it also helps you become a better writer.”

Anna Weih ‘17 https://myskymoonandstars.wordpress.com

Information from www.lifehack.org. Kellie Wagner, Bing Photos.

“I started it because I love to write and 140 characters isn’t enough for me to say everything I want to say at one time. I was inspired by Mikayla Sherman to start publicly writing. I think it’s been very beneficial not only for my own mental health and enjoyment but I’ve gotten nothing but good feedback from those who have read it!”

Delany Breitbach ‘15 https://offofthedeepend.wordpress.com

Rachel Lampe A&E Co-Editor

A&E

12

Xavier High School

Stations of the Cross

On April 2, Mr. Cervantes and several drama students performed the Stations of the Cross in celebration of Holy Week.

Kayla Thompson A&E Co-Editor

Katherine Bauer Photos.

Miracle Worker takes center stage

Hansen breaks All-State Record

Anyone who has attended a Xavier drama production in the past knows that the skills and talents of the drama department surpass the quality of typical high school productions. This spring is no exception as the Xavier drama department prepares for their spring play The Miracle Worker.

The Miracle Worker is based off the extraordinary true story of Helen Keller and her teacher Annie Sullivan. Helen was born both blind and deaf, which consequently rendered her mute. She was raised by her family who spoiled her out of pity. Due to the lack of discipline, Helen grew up to be an angry, uncontrollable, tantrum-throwing child. The Kellers hired Sullivan to act as a teacher for Helen.

Sullivan worked with Helen to both educate and civilize her.

The leading roles of Helen Keller and Annie Sullivan went to freshmen Grace Schulte and Sylvia Clubb, respectively.

“It’s really exciting to see the play progress because it’s such an amazing story,” Clubb said.

Directing the play is the everimpressive, Mr. Mike Cervantes.

“The Miracle Worker has been one of my favorite plays,” Cervantes said. “It’s such a

Senior Jacob Hansen has broken the school record for the number of All-State speech qualifications. Before this year, the record was a four-way tie with four qualifications throughout their high school careers.

Hansen’s sophomore year, he qualified for large group musical theatre and ensemble acting. Last year, he was nominated in the individual improv category, and this year, he made it in ensemble acting and individual improv.

“Breaking the record was one of the most exciting things to happen to me during my high school career,” Hansen said. “From the first time I made it into to All-State, I was determined to do it again.”

To qualify for the festival, the student must receive a division I rating at the state competition.

After that, the judges decide if they want to nominate the student to All-State. Two nominations are needed to make it as a nonperformer. If a student receives three nominations from the judges, the student will preform at the All-State Speech Festival. It is an honor to be a performer because the process is highly selective.

“When I found out I broke the record, in all honestly, I shrieked and I was on the floor crying at one point,” Hansen

challenge for the two leads. I needed two strong actresses and luckily we have them. So far they’ve been doing a great job!”

The Miracle Worker opens on Thursday, April 16 and will also show on Friday, April 17 and Saturday, April 18 with all shows starting at 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased in the Activities Office.

Adrienne Hayes Opinion Writer

Freshman Sylvia Clubb and sophomore Faith Satern hold back freshman Grace Schulte during a rehearsal.

Kayla Thompson Photo.

said. “I feel like I have finally made my mark at Xavier!”

Along with Hansen, freshman Rylee Wegmann performed in the prose category. The AllState Speech Festival was held on March 30 on the University of Northern Iowa campus.

Catie Locher A&E Writer

Freshman Rylee Wegmann and Senior Jacob Hansen smile for a photo after a state sendoff. Nick Ireland Photo.

A&E

April 9, 2015

13

Post Prom May 9th Midnight-4 a.m.

New Location: Downtown YMCA Open to juniors and seniors

(You don’t have to attend prom to attend post prom.)

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FREE!

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Prizes:

iPad Air Kuerig Gift Cards TV

Construction Materials, Inc.

Dick Galligan 345-49th Avenue Dr. S.W. Cedar Rapids, IA 52404 (319)-366-6446 (800) 747-6401 dgalligan@constructionmaterialsinc.com

Follow for more info: @xavierpp15 Dick Alexander Kelli Alexander Nancy Alexander Kermit and Florence Alveshere Peter and Joan Bailey Ryan and Tracy Bastian Jim and Judy Bauer Ken and Rosemary Bauer John Beaird Nancy Bicket Kathy Black Doug and Charla Boe Sandy Boe Daryll and Beth Bohrer Marti Bowman Hannah Brown Heidi Brown Lydia and Mike Brown Christy Bryant Cassie Busch Anna Busse Sheli Christianson Hannah Chute Gary and Mindy Coleman Jane and Rod Collins Sharon Danielson Mr. and Mrs. Mike Delaney Brooke DeWolf John and Darlene Dickes Steve and Pat Dickes Jan and Mike Drahozal Joe and Kelly Drahozal George and Lois Drey Bette Ekland Tom and Terry Ekland Stephen and Kay Elliot Jacob and Theresa Fahnle Jack and Micki Fenske

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Patrons

14

Sports

Xavier High School

Xavier boys’ takes third at state basketball The Xavier boys’ basketball team completed the best season in Xavier history, finishing third in the state tournament. The Saints beat Pella in the opening round of the state tournament. They then fell to Dubuque Wahlert in the semifinals, but rebounded to beat Williamsburg in the consolation game. The Saints finished 189, setting a school record for most wins in a single season.

After beating Pella 65-61, Xavier took on Dubuque Wahlert in a heavyweight battle for a chance to play for the state championship.

Xavier had topped Wahlert Catholic earlier in the season 78-74 behind junior guard Mitchell Burger’s 25 point performance. The Saints would need a similar effort from all their players to escape with a win over junior forward Cordell Pemsl and the Golden Eagles.

Xavier opened the semifinal game strong jumping out to an early 14-6 lead. The Saints extended their lead to 12 in the second quarter before Wahlert came storming back. The Eagles were able to outscore the Saints by six in the final five minutes of the first half to cut the lead to six. Wahlert continued their run into the third quarter, taking the lead from the Saints. Xavier got

The Xavier varsity basketball team poses for a photo after their third place finish in the state tournament. Nick Ireland Photo.

outscored in the third quarter 15-6 and trailed by three at the end of the third quarter.

Wahlert never looked back in the fourth quarter and cruised to a 13 point victory over the Saints. Senior guard Adam McDermott led Xavier’s scoring with 19 points. Burger and senior forward Calvin Winker each scored in double figures.

Xavier avenged their semifinal loss with a win in the consolation game against number one seeded Williamsburg 49-38.

Xavier started slow in the first half and trailed by nine at the halfway point. Williamsburg only

scored 12 points in the second half, and Xavier outscored them by 20 points on their way to a third place finish. McDermott made four three pointers and led the game’s scoring with 16 points.

McDermott finished his career as Xavier’s second alltime leading scorer with 1,058 career points. He also holds Xavier records in most points in a single season with 466, most three pointers made in a single season with 75, and most three pointers made in a career with 159. McDermott was also named to the Second Team All-State by the Des Moines Register, First Team All-State by the Iowa Newspaper Association, and First Team in the Mississippi Division of the Mississippi Valley Conference. He finished the season averaging 17.9 PPG and 6.2 RPG. McDermott shot 48% from the field, 46% from three, and over 90% from the free throw line. He will play at The University of North Dakota next season.

Burger finished the season as Xavier’s second leading scorer, averaging 13.6 PPG. He was also named to the Second Team in the Mississippi Division.

“I am disappointed how it ended but we had a great season as a team,” Burger said.

“I plan on playing in Wells Fargo Arena again next season.”

Winker received First Team honors in the Mississippi Division. He will be attending Missouri Western next year to play basketball. Senior guard Michael Mims received an Honorable Mention and an All-Academic award in the MVC. Both Winker and Mims averaged double digits for the Saints. Senior guard Connor Ramlo was awarded with an honorable mention, and senior forward Joe Welch received an All-Academic award.

“We did not achieve our ultimate goal of winning a state championship, but I am proud of what we accomplished as a team,” Ramlo said. “Playing in Wells Fargo was an experience I will never forget. I feel very fortunate to have been on such a talented team that made it possible.”

K.J. Giles Assistant Sports Editor

Ramlo, Hoxie commit to college soccer Girls’ soccer turns to senior leadership With the boys’ soccer season underway, the Saints are coming off a tough loss in the semi-finals against last year’s 2A state champion, Norwalk. The Saints are hoping to make it back to the state tournament. They finished last season with a record of 10-11.

Two key seniors have committed to play collegiate soccer for two great college soccer programs. Senior Mason Hoxie has committed to Loras to continue with his soccer career.

Senior Connor Ramlo tracks down the ball in a game against Cedar Rapids Kennedy last season.

Photo Submitted.

Spring is often referred to as the season of new beginnings.

This is the case for the girls’ varsity soccer team. Led by a new head coach, Beth Samek, the girls look to win a 10th state title in Xavier history.

The Saints’ official practices did not start until the week of March 23, but the Saints hit the gym to get in shape and for some pre-season workouts.

The girls are led by seniors Lizzy Bailey, Katie Ives, and Sydney Wright. With tons of experience, including two state championships for Lizzy Bailey and Sydney Wright, the Saints look to reclaim the title. The beginning of the season is always a difficult one because spring break falls right at the start of the season.

“It is difficult because our season starts and we are not in the mind set and we are not fully in shape,” Wright said.

“The conditioning and getting in shape is required for the season and is necessary so we can preform at a high level.”

However, the difficulty of starting a season is made easier Grant Gibney by the relationships and team Sports Writer camaraderie they will develop.

“One of the best parts of the

“I like the coaching staff and players at Loras, and they also have a really good soccer program,” Hoxie said.

“I wanted to play collegiate soccer at a high level so Loras was the right fit for me.”

The second senior, Connor Ramlo, recently committed to play soccer for the Creighton Blue Jays.

“I went to an Elite Camp at Creighton last summer, and I really liked the campus, the coaches, and their state of the art facilities,” Ramlo said. “The soccer team gets an incredible amount of support there. In early March, I took my official visit to Creighton and felt it was a good fit for me both academically and athletically.”

The Saints defeated Solon in the annual boys’ soccer jamboree at Kingston stadium on March 2. Sophomore Luke Duball and seniors Josh Hoffman, Camden Stovie, Luke Koechnar, and Connor Ramlo each scored to bring the Saints to the 5-1 victory.

The Saints’ next game is against Waterloo East tonight.

season is being with the team, making friends, and the team becoming a family by the end of the season,” Wright said.

Last year, the Saints ended the season with a record of 11-8-1. This year’s leaders, Ives, Bailey, and Wright, were the leading goalscorers as juniors behind senior Marisa Berutti (X14).

This junior trio helped lead the team in scoring. Ives scored a total of seven goals, Bailey made six, and Wright had five.

The assist total was three, two, and two, respectively.

The girls start off their season away from home against Dubuque Hempstead on Tuesday, April 14. The girls’ next game is at Xavier against Linn-Mar. Luke Koechnar Sports Writer

April 9, 2015

Sports

Double trouble

While the girls’ tennis team started formal practices just a few weeks ago, senior twins Claire and Jeanne Bouchard prepared for this season early with the 60-day insanity workout most mortals would never be tough enough to try.

Both girls started tennis at age 10, inspired by their mother who showed them the game. Since then, they have taken lessons with trainers both together and separate developing a natural feel for the game.

Now, everyone has heard stories about how some twins share super-natural connections like being able to read each other’s minds or feel each other’s pain. But while they may not have super powers, what they do have is a super feel for each other’s game.

“We have been playing

Senior Claire Bouchard warms up at a home tennis meet last season. Kara Zwanziger Photo.

together for so long that I know what Claire will most likely do in a given situation,” Jeanne said.

That sort of advantage must feel almost like a superpower to their opponents who usually have not had the advantage of

playing along side their doubles partner since an early age.

As they have gotten older, the girls have gotten busier, adding speech, theater, show choir, and coaching Girls on the Run. But they still make time to play the sport they love a few days a week, all year long.

“When we play, we have to have fun and make each other laugh,” Claire said. “We can’t be mad at each other, so if people watch us we are almost always laughing and having fun.”

A varsity tennis team consists of six players who all compete in both singles and doubles matches. For singles, the girls are numbered by their coaches one through six and matched up with the opposing team. For doubles, a coach can reorder the lineup into three groups of doubles, using the same match

15 making process as with singles.

That is nine total matches, so whichever team wins five or more takes the meet. On a team which is returning five varsity players, Claire and Jeanne look to fill the first slot for doubles, along with the second and third spots for singles behind fellow senior Allison Jasper.

This year, the sisters hope to join Jasper among the state’s upper echelon, along with the rest of their team at the state tournament. Their goals are not a secret. Jeanne says it best, “Our goal is to win state doubles and hopefully win state with our team.”

Their journey has officially begun.

Ryan Williams Sports Writer

Track athletes approach outdoor season with high hopes Three-time Drake Relays qualifier, fourtime state qualifier, and multiple All-Metro honors.

With accolades like this, one would think that Nick Stark has already graduated from high school and moved on to running at the next level.

But this junior speedster is far from finishing off his prep career yet, setting his sights for the top of the podium at the state meet this spring.

“My goals are to place in the top three in the long jump, 100m dash, and in the 4x100 relay,” Stark said.

“As a team, we hope to progressively get faster and drop times throughout the course of the season.”

In the 2014 state meet, Stark

Junior Bryce Charipar sets his eyes on the finish line during a meet at Prairie High School last spring.

Haylee Burns Photo.

sprinted his way to a sixth place finish in the Class 3A 100 meter final with a time of 11.47 seconds. He also placed 24th overall in the long jump. His 4x200 relay team qualified for the final meet

of the season as well. Stark and fellow teammate Sean Murphy will be relied upon to lead the Saints in the sprint events. Senior Noah Clasen and junior Bryce Charipar will also look to do some damage in the hurdle events.

“I would say the biggest thing for Nick is to continue improving his finishes by qualifying in the long jump for the Drake Relays this season,” Coach Camacho said. “I believe he has potential to make it to state in four events and I think he could finish in the top five for the long jump competition if he stays focused on his goals.”

The girls’ track team is also looking to make a mark this year with some seasoned veterans returning. Senior Kayla Torson has two years of state competition experience with qualifications in the 4x400 and 4x800 relays her freshman and sophomore year.

She is committed to playing volleyball at the University of Nebraska-Omaha next year and benefits greatly from being a multi-sport athlete.

“Track is a great way to keep me in shape for volleyball, except sometimes I will have volleyball practice right afterwards and I feel like I can’t jump off of the ground,” Torson said.

The high-level experience does not stop there for the Saints. Senior Taylor Skala has participated in the state meet all three years for the sprint relays and junior Sydney

Senior Kayla Torson starts her race during a meet last Spring. Emma Barta Photo.

Oakley returns as a 4x100 relay member with qualifications for the state meet her freshman and sophomore year as well. With an abundance of great leadership and young talent, these girls have a legitimate shot of doing damage this season.

Both teams can be seen in action at Kingston Stadium on Saturday, April 11. The races begin at 10:30 a.m.

Daniel Richardson Sports Editor

Backpage

16

April 9, 2014

Random Acts of Kindness

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Although Lent has ended, there are still small ways to help out others in the community and show love.

• Bring a meal to a homeless person • Pay for someone behind you in a drive thru • Bring someone flowers • Visit someone in a nursing home who does not get many visitors • Leave quarters at a laundromat • Say yes to the cashier who asks for a $1 donation • Donate coloring books to a children’s hospital

• Volunteer at an animal shelter • Donate an old piece of clothing when buying a new one • Write a letter to a soldier at www. forgottensoldiers. org • Give someone a hug • Put a quarter in someone’s expired parking meter • Tape quarters to a vending machine for the next person to use

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