March 7, 2013
News
Xavier student honors Hagen experiences Saints for good deeds DC in a unique way One Xavier Saint went above and beyond this Lenten season to recognize others for their kindness and accomplishments at Xavier High School. Junior Ben Valentine, with the help of Theology teacher Nick Satterlee, created @SaintsAmongUs, a Twitter account that has turned into an initiative to recognize students and teachers for random acts of kindness. Valentine first brought the idea to Principal Tom Keating, who directed him to approach Satterlee. Satterlee came up with the name Saints Among Us and together they launched a Twitter account on February 13. When students or teachers see a person performing a good deed, they are encouraged to tweet that person’s name and why they should be recognized along with the hashtag #saintsamongus. Satterlee then transfers those tweets to the @SaintsAmongUs Twitteraccount foreveryone to see.
Valentine and senior Megan Lynch traveled to Theology classes at Xavier to describe the cause. Students have been very receptive of the idea, as @SaintsAmongUs has gained almost 300 followers. A random act of kindness wall, or “RAK” wall, was instituted near the main staircase at Xavier. Designed by senior Audrey Richards, the tweets are printed out, cut and pasted on the wall for the entire student body to see. “People should participate in @SaintsAmongUs because it is something that is very simple to do,” Valentine said. “You can brighten someone’s day when they see their name up there. When other people see all the good that’s going on, hopefully they will want to be a part of it and do good themselves.” Maria Efting News Writer
The “RAK” wall, or random acts of kindness wall, sits next to the main staircase at Xavier. Messages from the Twitter feed @SaintsAmongUs are printed and placed on the wall for the Xavier community to see. Chloe Streif Photo
Xpendables compete at University of Iowa
Xavier’s robotics team, the Xpendables, competed at the First Tech Challenge-Iowa Championship on February 26 at the University of Iowa. The event gathered teams from Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, and Missouri. Led by Spencer Wille, Claire Felser, Lucy Liu, and Alex Tietz, the Xpendables placed 45th, but felt very encouraged Xpendables Spencer Wille, by their performance. Alex Tietz, Lucy Liu, and “It was our best competition Claire Felser display their of the year and the robot ran robot after the competition. the best it had all season,” Mrs. Barb Miltner Photo senior Alex Tietz said. “We learned a lot this This competition marked season and have a lot of the end of the season for the good ideas for next year,” Xpendables. Although they moderator Barb Miltner said. hoped to place better at the Iowa Championship, they Daniel Pape have high hopes for next year. News Editor
Embarking on the third DC trip of 2013 for the Saints, senior Noah Hagen and Social Studies teacher Mrs. Winter participated in an allexpense paid trip sponsored by the Close-Up Foundation, which Hagen won as a finalist in the Know Your Constitution Program. Hagen was one of five randomly selected finalists of the program to participate in the Close-Up Program, which allowed him and Winter to experience Washington DC in a unique way. The mission of the Close-Up Program is to empower young people to exercise their rights and accept their responsibilities as citizens in a democracy. Hagen was part of a group of around 230 high school juniors and seniors from 13 different states. The duo began their expedition on February 17 when they arrived in Baltimore and attended a welcome dinner at the Pentagon. In the six days of exploration of DC, Hagen visited many memorials including the Martin Luther King Jr., Vietnam, Lincoln, and Iwo Jima memorials. He also got a hands-on experience of the Legislative Branch of government when he participated in a Mock
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Congress Activity, and also paid a visit to the Supreme Court. “Everything was really awesome, but my favorite place was the Supreme Court. The people from Iowa managed to get us in with reserved seats so we saw all the oral arguments for the case McBurney V. Virginia Division of Child Support Enforcement,” Hagen said. On their final day in DC, Hagen and Winter took a tour of the White House, and met the Obamas’ dog, Bo. They also visited the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, where they saw the Apollo 11 Space Capsule. Visiting DC was a very positive experience for Hagen. “Learning about national issues and historical events at the places they occurred is so much more powerful than learning it in a classroom. The program allowed me to better understand where this nation has been and the great places we are headed.”
Quinlan Moran Assistant News Editor