2 Index
News Opinion Student Life Mini-Feature Feature Health & Lifestyle A&E Sports Backpage
Editors-In-Chief
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Anna Busse Cassie Busch
Copy Editor
Carolina VonKampen
News Editor
Daniel Pape News Assistant Quinlan Moran News Writers Carolina VonKampen Maria Efting Nicholas Mlodzik
Opinion Editor Bryan Banowetz Opinion Assistant Peyton Rosencrants Opinion Writers Hannah Gibbs Brennan Graeve CJ Lampe Morgan Noonan Gina Reiman Chloe Strief Ben Valentine
Student Life Editor Jenna Fenske Student Life Assistant Colette Miller Student Life Writer Lauren Lutgens
Mini-Feature Editor Anna White Mini-Feature Assistant Ameena Challenger Mini-Feature Writer Rachel Brady
Feature Editor Megan Lynch Feature Assistant Robbie Thinnes Feature Writer Mary Esker
Health and Lifestyle Editor Ansley O’Brien Health and Lifestyle Assistant Hannah Chute Health and Lifestyle Writer Molly Vipond
Arts and Entertainment Editor Maddie Smith Arts and Entertainment Assistant Emma Hunt Arts and Entertainment Writers Lauren Van Hoeck Payton Janney Meghan Gerke Ashley Pudil
Sports Editor John Ingwersen Sports Assistant John Richardson Sports Writers Alex Fox Connor Collins Shannon Mulcahey Kyle D’mello Lizzy McWhinney
Backpage Editor Nicole Draker Backpage Assistant McKenzie Potter
Business Hailey Sojka
Distribution Brennan Graeve The Xpress Bi-weekly Xavier High School 6300 42nd St. NE Cedar Rapids, IA 52411 Volume 15 Issue 4
News Xavier High School Father Podhajsky speaks to Xavier seniors On Thursday, October 11, Father Christopher Podhajsky from Immaculate Conception Parish spoke to Xavier seniors about marriage and the sacrifice that comes with it. Father Podhajsky addressed students taking Xavier’s Social Justice class, which examines issues facing society from a biblical, historical, legal, and scientific perspective. He spoke about marriage in order to provide a worldview and show why the Catholic Church believes what it does. “Father works with a lot of couples preparing for marriage and has a great way of explaining the role of the Church in marriage,” Social Justice teacher Mrs. Barb Sullivan said. Part of Father Podhajsky’s
speech focused on the negative effects that come with the use of contraception. “It is when we avoid the sacrifice to achieve love with total openness to life that we sin. The effects of this are devastating on families, society and culture,” Father Podhajsky said. He stated that the use of contraception comes with a divorce rate of 50-55%. Those who use Natural Family Planning, which is supported by the Catholic Church, have a divorce rate of 1-5%. Father Podhajsky also spoke about the unique roles that men and women have in marriage. “God created gender in terms of love, not power,” Father Podhajsky said. He told the students that when God created
men and women, he intentionally made them different and uses that difference in salvation. “The main message that Father Podhajsky spoke about is how sex is a sacrifice, and that contraception takes away from that sacrifice. The students saw the logical progression, beginning with Scripture, and connecting it to the conclusion,” Social Justice teacher Dr. Phil Drey said. Senior Tiana Maier had positive remarks about the speech. “The things Father said made sense, and I had never thought about it that way. His points are definitely things you can apply to your everyday life.” Quinlan Moran Assistant News Editor
Xavier students lead St. Matthew Spanish Club 13 Xavier students have volunteered their time and talent to lead St. Matthew Elementary School’s first-ever Spanish Club. St. Matthew Principal Joe Wolf brought the idea for the club to Xavier Spanish teacher Jaclyn Richmond, who agreed. Richmond gathered 13 Xavier students to volunteer. They now lead the club twice a week throughout the month of October. “When Mr. Wolf asked if we would be interested in starting a Spanish Club, I thought it sounded like a great idea,” Richmond said. “Key Club members were already helping out there after school on Tuesday and Thursday, so it worked out great to partner up and start the club.” There are two separate Spanish Clubs, one for students grades K-2, and one for grades 3-5. Each session consists of ten St. Matthew students, with three or four Xavier students leading each class. Richmond assists with the classes as well. The curriculum taught over the course of the month includes a variety of topics. Students will learn the Spanish alphabet, how to count, greetings, and simple vocabulary. After the last class, students will take home a scrapbook consisting of photos and things they have learned. “The students show great excitement on their faces while they wait for class to begin,” Wolf said. “The awesome participation
during the class verifies that this was a wonderful idea.” According to Richmond, both the Xavier and St. Matthew students benefit from the club. “Spanish Club offers a variety of benefits for students. For Xavier students, it gives them the opportunity to practice their Spanish, model the importance of giving back to others, and promote Catholic education. For St. Matthew students it provides them an opportunity to explore other languages, spend time with their role models, and have fun,” Richmond said. The St. Matthew Spanish Club has been met with a high amount interest. There is a waiting list of 36 students. Xavier hopes to offer another session of the club during the second semester of the school year. Maria Efting News Writer
Junior Shannon Mulcahey helps first grader Grace Richmond with her Spanish letters. Mrs. Richmond photo
Junior Nina Noronha works with two girls at St. Matthew Catholic School on their wrtiting exercises. Mrs. Richmond photo