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A&E
Xavier High School
Be the happiest person in the world I think I could be in the running for the happiest person on earth. Maybe it’s because of my tendency to fall in love with everyone and everything around me, maybe it’s because I simply hate being gloomy, or maybe it’s because I have every reason to be “completely, perfectly, and incandescently happy” (Pride & Prejudice reference, in case you didn’t get that). While these all definitely make an impact, I attribute my happiness to one all-encompassing component: my faith. As my relationship with God has blossomed throughout high school, I have found true happiness by taking in the beauty of everything around me and recognizing that it all comes from
God. I think that’s why I love Xavier so much – it is SO easy to look around and see Him at work. I’m inspired daily by Mrs. Wagner’s smiling face, the Jesus painting in the science hallway, and Cam Junge giving me a heartfelt “Hey!” Whoever is reading this article, whether you’re a sweet little freshman or a generous
patron, I encourage you to take a step back, look around you, and see life for all of its God given beauty. An overcast day becomes a whole lot more enjoyable when you focus on the beauty of the clouds instead of the dreariness of the rain. We are all incredibly blessed, we just have to take the time to notice it.
I have adored every minute I have spent at Xavier, making departing as heartbreaking as it is exhilarating. I know that God will be with me because I made my college decision based on a pull I felt towards a Catholic university. While I may have to be dragged kicking and screaming from the J-Lab, I know that my choice to “let go and let God” and live life with a smile on my face will bring me to even greater things ahead (if that’s even possible – LONG LIVE YEARBOOK!).
Megan Lynch Feature Editor
Think about thinking and improve yourself Early this year in my AP Language class, I came across an interesting concept: metacognition. Simply put, metacognition is thinking about thinking. It’s kind of like Inception’s “dream within a dream;” you are thinking about why you think something or why you understand something in the way that you do. Metacognition is one of the skills necessary for critical learning, something we are supposed to be doing during our four years at Xavier. I found this concept interesting and began using it in my classes so I could understand how to learn better and how to ask the right questions. However, as the school year progressed, I discovered that metacognition is not only helpful in studying and learning, but it is also useful in living your life. Metacognition can be used to
reflect on your life and learn from the past in order to be a better and happier person in the future. Are you just passing through life, or are you taking time to reflect on your actions in the past, how they led to other events, how other people reacted to them and even the long-term effects on you? You need to explore yourself often and examine your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual condition. You should be honest
with yourself and assess your perceived weaknesses and faults. Why do you consider these to be low points in your behavior? If you think you could be better at something, you need to try to be better. If your conscience is telling you that you should do something different, you need to change something, or you will continue to feel unsatisfied with your life. You can lower your standards or rise up to them. If your standards
are unfeasible, then consider lowering them so you do not stress yourself out trying to achieve the impossible. If your standards are reasonable, then push yourself to reach them; when you reach them, set new standards and continue to better yourself. No one is perfect. As Mr. Keating says, “You either get better or you get worse.” You can choose to think about what is making you unhappy or uncomfortable and improve, or you can live unhappily. The choice is yours. Think about your emotions and your feelings. Think about why you think the way you do. What can you do to improve? Don’t waste your brain or your time: start thinking! Carolina VonKampen Copy Editor
Four great years full of opportunities
These past four years have flown by way too quickly. It feels like yesterday that I was a junior watching the seniors write their Senior Article and I couldn’t wait to start mine. While looking back, I have realized that Xavier High School has been more of home than a school to me. Xavier has offered me more experiences than I could ever ask for. I have been given the opportunity to do service work for the past four years, and do the work with my classmates. I have been given the opportunity to witness history at President Obama’s final inauguration. I have been given the opportunity to participate in BPA, and
advance to BPA Nationals. The classes at Xavier have been outstanding. The classes are outstanding because of the teachers standing in front of the classroom. Entering my junior year I was dreading taking a foreign language, but since I
had to, I enrolled into French with Madame Constant. I don’t think that I could’ve ever learned and love the language that I am learning. Underclassmen, take French, it’s worth it. My junior year, I took Coach Schulte’s Law class, and not only did it help me
with Government my senior year, but it also inspired my to minor in Pre-Law with hopes of going on to law school. My senior year I tried Computer Graphic Design and Desktop Publishing with Mr. O’Brien. This is where I was given the opportunity for BPA and also it helped me make my decision to major in Graphic Technology. Xavier: it’s been a great four years, but I cannot wait for what’s ahead of me. Thank you for these past four years and the endless opportunities that you have offered. Well, this is it! Au revoir! Hannah Gibbs Opinon Writer