2011_09_15 - Saint Thomas Aquinas High School

Campus News September 15, 2011I.C.A.N. is backAfter a year’s absence, theclub I.C.A.N. is being startedagain.The club InternationalChildren’s Awareness Network,or I.C.A.N., is back withnew leaders and fresh ideas.I.C.A.N. works to raisemoney for Touching Tiny Livesorphanage in Lesotho, SouthAfrica. Touching Tiny LivesFoundation is a non-profitorganization, dedicated to supportingfamilies that are strugglingtocopewiththe effectsofHIVorAIDS.ALEXIS LEIKERManaging/News Editor“I’m really excited for thisyear. I hope it does reallywell.”- Maddie WeissendJuniorTouching Tiny Lives volunteerswork to provide care to severelymalnourished or orphanedbabies. The money I.C.A.N.raises goes to this foundationto make sure the children andtheir families are getting thecare they need.I.C.A.N. has been at SaintThomas Aquinas since the fallof 2005, but was not active lastyear. I.C.A.N. moderator MattHallauer says this was due toa lack of interest because ofsimilar clubs.“StuCo and Key Club gotbetter at getting more demandingactivities.” Hallauer said.“Also, usually juniors wouldstep up every year, but no onewas ready to step up last year,”Three students were readyto step up this year. The clubis now led by senior Carly VanBlaricum, junior Maddie Weissendand sophomore GraceWeissend.“We want to bring morepeople to I.C.A.N. by makingmeetings on days when thereare no other clubs meeting. Weare going to work on havingmore posters and video announcements.Also by advertisingto freshmen,” MaddieWeissend said.Some of the activitiesI.C.A.N. will host are the 1000Mile Relay and possibly a mixerlater in the year. The 1000 MileRelay has been popular withstudents in past years and themembers of I.C.A.N. are eagerto get it started again.“For the1000 Mile Relay,you are on ateam and youtake turns walkingor running acertain amountof miles andeveryone does ituntil you reach1000 miles. The money raisedgoes to the Touching TinyLives orphanage,” Van Blaricumsaid.Every month, in a typicalI.C.A.N. meeting, memberswill meet in room 212 to talkabout getting sponsors for theirevents and discuss ideas on howto raise more money.“Money is key. We don’tneed to raise awareness, weneed to raise money. That iswhat those kids really need.Every little bit counts,” Hallauersaid.Anyone is welcome to joinI.C.A.N., and membership isfree.“I’m really excited for thisyear. I hope it does really welland that we can raise a lot ofmoney,” Maddie Weissendsaid. gTown hall meetingsencourage student inputNew “town hall” style meetingsallow students to askquestions and voice opinions.CARA OLDENHUISEditor-in-ChiefStudent Council is offeringall Saint Thomas Aquinasstudents a chance to “BecomeLegendary” this year, by simplyraising their voices.On August 25, both StudentCouncil executive officers andclass officers began a series offour town hall meetings, allowingfor officers to share ideaswith their fellow classmates. Themeetings are set up in “townhall” style, meaning that theStuCo officers present their ideaswhile also allowing time for thestudents they represent to raiseconcerns, give feedback and suggestimprovements to whateverStuCo is planning throughoutthe year.According to StuCo executivepresident and senior EmilyWheeler, the concept of a townhall came from StuCo moderatorBrian Schenk, who wanted a wayfor officers and the student bodyto interact.Wheeler andthe otherexecutivesimmediatelytookoff withthe ideaand startedplanningout the meetings for this year.Wheeler said the meetings’purpose is to inform all students,especially freshman, of eventsthat occur annually, includingHomecoming activities, CatholicCharities Canned Food Drive,Penny Drive and Spring Olympics.She wants everyone to knowthe procedure for all the eventsso they can be involved.“During the seniors’ freshmanyear we cheered when wereceived negative money at thePenny Drive because we didn’tknow what it meant,” Wheelersaid. “StuCo wants to make sureeveryone knows how things workat Aquinas.”Senior class officer BrittanyHusong agrees.“We felt nobody understoodwhat was going on,” Husongsaid. “Half of our class won’t“We need to be more preparedfor student responses as well asask more questions for input.”- Emily WheelerSeniorTown Hall DatesNovember 9, 2011January 11, 2012March 7, 2012ever getinvolvedbecausetheydon’tknowwhat ishappening.”Atthe very core of the town hallmeetings’ purpose is to receivestudent input, since they are themajority, not StuCo. At the firstmeeting, officers presented ideas3and themes for Homecomingfestivities as well as ideas for classfundraising. Perhaps the mostsurprising change discussed atthe first meeting was the removalof Homecoming floats. Floatswere taken away after moderatorsfelt too much time and moneywas being spent on them“Last year we spent about1,000 dollars on the float,”Husong said. “It became way toomuch work for just one day ofdisplay.”Wheelersaid she receiveda lot of positivefeedback fromher specific groupof seniors.“Atfirst they werecomplainingabout taking awayseminar time, butonce they realizedthey actually hadinput on what washappening, theygave great responses,” Wheelersaid.Husong agreed thatoverall the meeting was effective.“It definitely helpedpeople get more involved,” Husongsaid.StuCo is already preparingfor the next meeting which isscheduled for November 9. Theyplan to discuss the success ofhomecoming, canned food driveand announce ideas for upcomingclass events.Wheeler already knows whatneeds to be adjusted for the nextTown Hall meeting.“We need to be more preparedfor student responses aswell as ask more questions forinput,” Wheeler said. g

4 September 15, 2011FeaturesMs. Hund marries, now Mrs. RadielTeacher Cathryn Hund marriedChris Radiel June 11 atNativity Church.MADISON PETRACEKEntertainment EditorMath department chairwomanCathryn Radiel beganher love story with Chris Radielsix years ago, and a new chapteris now being written followingtheir marriage this summer.Walking down the aisle,Saint Thomas Aquinas mathteacher, Cathryn Hund had,surprisingly, no butterflies in herstomach. All of her family andclose friends were there to cherishthe happy and sacred momentjoining her with her soul mate.After the rosary, mass, and marriageceremony, Hund becameMrs. Radiel.A Prince of Peace ParishProgressive Dinner brought thecouple together for the first time.It was not love at first sight, buthe did get brownie points forstanding up for Catholic education.Courtesy of Cathryn RadielCathryn and Chris Radiel smile after being married. Behind: Tom Tank, ArchbishopJoseph Naumann, Father Francis Hund and Father Tom Kearns.“Chris impressedme when after someone elsemade negative comments aboutCatholic education. He spoke upin strong defense. He includedthe fact that he sends his kids toCatholic schools and that it wasworth every penny,” Cathrynsaid.After they met, Chrisdecided to “accidently” run intoher at Prince of Peace Mass. Todo this he decided to attend everymass that weekend. Turns out,Cathryn went to Good Shepherdwith her brother that weekend soChris never found her at Mass.The Radiels were initiallyfriends, and then dated for sixyears. The thought of marriagenever crossed her mind becauseshe had been single for so longand was happy with her life. Herdays as an unattached womanwere numbered though, onceChris asked for her hand in marriageand she happily accepted.Cathryn is in charge ofTeens for Life at Aquinas. She ispassionate about being the voicefor the unborn babies who cannotspeak for themselves, so thewedding guests were invited toa Pro-Life rosary preceding theJune 11 ceremony.Family was there to supportthe couple, but not just asguests.“My brother, FatherFrancis, performed the ceremonyand gave a special ‘brotherly’homily,” Cathryn said.Father Andrew andmost of the Aquinas math departmentwere also in attendance,and Archbishop Joseph Naumanngave the Nuptial Blessing.This special blessing is a series ofthree prayers: requesting God’shelp for the couple, detailingtheir ideal Christian life together,and blessing them with holywater.“My favorite memory wasseeing Cathryn in her weddingdress,” Chris said. “My mom wasso happy.”Since the wedding, theRadiels have had to adapt to livingtogether and married life.“Chris and I pray a lot,talk a lot and laugh a lot. I amvery blessed,” Cathryn said. gJunior participates in trip of a lifetimeJunior Abby Kern traveledto Hungary and Serbia forleadership program.ELIZABETH ROMMEReporterWhile Saint Thomas Aquinasstudents were enjoying their lastdays of summer bliss, juniorAbby Kern was on a 2 weekyouth leadership trip in Hungaryand Serbia.Kern heard about theprogram through a friend anddecided it was something she wasinterested in. Sixteen AmericanCurtosey of Abby KernThe group poses in Budapest, Hungary infront of the Parlament.teenagers along with 4 adult leaderswere chosen to participate.Two weeks prior to theAmerican students leaving, 48youth and adult leaders fromcentral Europe came to America.They were split into groups ofsixteen and visited the threestates mentioned earlier.The project is sponsoredby the U.S. Departmentof States Bureau for Educationaland Cultural Affairs and implementedby Meridian InternationalCenter, a non-profitinstitution based in Washington,D.C.While in the Europeancountries, the Americanstudents took part in variousactivities. They got to visitthe Parliament to see how thegovernments work. At the endof the trip, there was an alumniseminar where Americans cameto speak to the students on howto incorporate leadership skillsinto their lives.Like many foreign exchangeprograms, the Americanteens stayed with host familieswhile in Europe.“The relationship webuilt with the Europeans thatwere involved with the programis really great,” Kern said. “Itwas hard to leave them becausethere isn’t an easy way to connectoverseas.” gMeetMayfieldJoanne Mayfield from HolyTrinity is now a theologyteacher at Aquinas.MEGAN LUCASFeatures EditorAmong the many newstudents Saint Thomas Aquinashas gained this year, the schoolhas also gained a new teacher,Joanne Mayfield. Mother ofthree Aquinas graduates andthe former assistant principal ofHoly Trinity, this new theologyteacher is excited to be here.Mayfield has previouslyheld the positions as a juniorhigh math teacher and a physicaleducation teacher while she wasworking on her master’s degree.She studied at Benedictine Collegeand majored in elementaryeducation with an emphasis onmath.“I do have somestudents from Holy Trinity. Iam very excited to see them,”Mayfield said.The students are alsovery excited to see Mayfieldagain.“I haven’t seen hermuch,” junior Kevin Whitesidesaid, a graduate from Holy Trinity.“She is really nice and I amglad she is here.”Mayfield’s classesinclude four freshman theologyclasses this semester and foursophomore theology classes nextsemester.“She is a good teacher,” freshmanCiara O’Reilly, a student in Mayfield’sfourth hour class said.Mayfield is very much lookingforward to the rest of the year.“I feel very blessed to be a part ofAquinas,” Mayfield said. g

Entertainment September 15, 2011Aida: Aquinas’ Next SuccessThe school musical, Aida, ispredicted to be suspenseful,and filled with Elton Johnmusic that makes you wantto dance.Mike EstesReporterEvery year Aquinasperforms both a musical anda play that are different andexciting in their own ways.Auditions have ended and thecast members have been selectedfor the musical. The music,written by Elton John, appearedon Broadway in 2000 and wasthe 34 th longest running musical.Aida has been performed in 20different countries and been ontwo national tours. Perhaps theperson most excited for Aida isjunior Catherine Kluempers, whoplays a leading role, Amneris.“There are twist amd turns,the songs are modern ,there are fun dances, andthe costumes are exciting.”- Catherine KluempersAmneris in Aida“It is super intense andexciting,” Kluempers said. “Thereare twists and turns, the songsare modern, there are fun dances,and the costumes are exciting.”Aida has won four TonyAwards and was nominated fornine National Broadway Theatreawards and follows a “love story”theme. An Egyptian captain anda Princess, whom he hastaken as his slave, mustendure the pain and agonyof hiding their true feelingsfor each other. Or, theymay choose to followtheir feelings and pay theconsequences.“It is going to bevery deep,” junior SarahGabriel said.Aida will premierein the Aquinas theater onNovember 3. gTaylor Swift’s “SpeakNow” tour “enchants”crowdsTaylor Swift, one of countrymusic’s biggest performers,sure knows how to put ona concert. Well, make thatmore of a play.Cara OldenhuisEditor- in -ChiefSwift’s “Speak Now”tour, featuring music from hernew album, was more like awhimsical theater productionthan an average concert. Theelaborateproductionthatincludeddancers,fireworks,sparklyprops, aswell asa stagecompletewith redvelvetcurtains and gold ropes kickedoff the North American leg ofthe tour in Omaha, Nebraska onMay 28.Opening in front of17,000 screaming fans, Swiftbegan the concert emergingfrom the ground, dressed in herusual sparkly dress to belt outher single, “Sparks Fly”. Thecrowd went wild for not only thetheatricality of the first song, butalso Taylor’s singing. And theysure had reason to. After pastcriticisms of Swift’s ability toperform live, she showed Omahaexactly what kind of performershe is. Swift’s singing was farabove her previous experienceswhich was perfect for the bubblyattitude of the concert. Swifttruly stood out as one of music’sbest stars.5Songs such as “ Mine”,“Our Song” and “ The Story ofUs” provided the crowd withthe high-energy numbers, while“Dear John”, “Last Kiss” and“Back to December” allowedthe audience to tap into Swift’sown emotional personality.The show was full of intimatemoments between Swift and theaudience, especially when shemoved from her front stage tothe back of the arena and playedher more mellow selectionsincluding “Fearless” performedon the ukulele. Calm rendition of“Fifteen” by joining Swift whenshe was sitting in the middle ofthe stage singing. Other thanthat, the backup singers anddancers, some of those moments,however, were ruined by Swift’sTaylor Swift iscoming to KansasCity on Sept. 24at Arrowhead Stadiumbackupsingers whooften seemedunnecessary.The backupsingersespeciallyruined avery private,complimentedSwift verywell.In perhaps the mostdramatic number of the entireshow, Swift provided a chillingperformance of “Haunted”.Complete with bell ringingand dark fog, the performancehad a completely different feelfrom all the previous songs. Theperformance itself, however,allowed the audience to see thedarker side of the perpetuallybubbly Swift.Overall, the “SpeakNow” tour was near flawless.The enormous set, multiplecostume changes, and wellperformedsongs made for oneof the summer’s best shows. Forthose seeing Taylor when shevisits Kansas City Sept. 24 atArrowhead Stadium, you are setfor one enchanting night. g

6 September 15, 2011 7SchoolStudents and faculty at SaintStudent JobsThomas Aquinas weigh thepositives and negatives ofstudents’ part-time jobs.CenterspreadHighJobsThere seems tobe an ongoingjoke: “Goodgrades, sociallife and sleep.Pick two.Welcome to High School.” Now,it seems, many kids have takenit upon themselves to pick up afourth option: a job.Though previous studiesabout whether or not student jobswere successful in the 1980s wereinconclusive, a study published inJan. 2011 suggests that students whoworked over 20 hours, “high-intensity”employees, were found to be lesslikely to stay engaged while at schooland have higher levels ofsubstance abuse.College counselorBarb Bruns agreed that amore work-heavy lifestyleis detrimental tosuccess in the classroom.“Work 10 hours, not30,” she said. “It becomesharmful when kids crave theMegan Lucas | The ShieldJunior Jessica Satterfield working with Cowboy the pony at Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead after a ride.money more than the studying.”Susannah McCord, a senior workingat Winstead’s, is one of the students thatwork 20 hours a week. Contrary to thestudy, she said her work does not affecther grades.“Work 10 hours, not 30. Itbecomes harmful when kidscrave the money more thanthe studying.”- Barb BrunsCollege Counselor“I have enoughtime to get myhomework done,”she said. “But Idon’t alwaysget enoughsleep. Whenwe aren’tbusy I can work on my homeworkif I need to.”The same 2011 study foundthat students who worked less than20 hours a week had similar school performanceto those who didn’t work at all.Senior Brad Trinkl, a Toys R Us employee,works about 10 hours a week andsaid that his flexible work schedule agreeswith him.“My schedule is actually pretty nice,”he said. “I generallywork one week day andone weekend day.”The mixture ofgood chemistry withfellow employees, Brunsexplained, as well as theability to learn real-world skills such astime management is the ideal job. Manystudents agreed: though job flexibilityhad a major impact on whether or not astudent liked their job, their co-workersseemed to make-or-break the deal.“The people you’re with definitely affectshow much you like your job,” JamieLacy, a senior, said. “I’ve met a lot ofreally fun and crazy people. Occasionallyyou’ll have to wait on a mean customerbut you remind yourself it was just oneperson.”For Lacy and her co-workers, the occasionalpractical“I have enough time to getmy homework done but Idon’t always get enoughsleep.”- Susannah McCordsenior“The people you’re withdefinitely affects how muchyou like your job.”- Jamie Lacyseniorjoke eases thestrain of havinga job and keepspeople on theirtoes.Out of the109 studentspolled, 44 percent had a job. Out ofthe 44 percent of students with jobs, 25students described themselves as “wellsatisfied”with their job. And even thougha student may be merely apathetic towardstheir job, 81 percent of students with jobsvoted that, overall, their job is beneficialto them.Though Junior andGreen Apple employeeNatalie Kutney originallythought very little of her job,she was one of the 25 studentswho described themselvesas “well-satisfied”.“I actually ended up liking it a lot,”she said. “You meet a bunch of interestingpeople.”Lacy agreed.Emily Seib | The ShieldSenior Jamie Lacy serving a frozen drink at Sonic.“I’ve learned a lot of people skills. Plus, it’s alot of fun,” she said.The struggle is when students have to strikea balance between their student and professionallives. The benefits such as adult references andwork experience can be great but not at the priceof the student.“To successfully have a job, you should beable to network among adults but have studentpriorities,” Bruns said. gby+the NUMB3RS109 studentswere polled for this article.21 studentspolled with jobs “don’t mind” their job.52%of students with jobswould consider themselves“well-satisfied”.44%of the studentspolled have jobs.2 studentspolled with jobs “hate” their job.81% of students with jobswould consider their jobbeneficial to them overall.8 students with jobsconsider their job not beneficial to themoverall.Data collected by CAROLE TRICKEY|Centerspread Editor

8 September 15, 2011EntertainmentMeet the Exchange StudentsSaint Thomas Aquinas ishost to three differentexchange students this year.EMILY SEIBLast Look EditorHugo LarsonGrade: JuniorWhere did you come from:SwedenWhy did you choose to cometo America: I wanted to dosomething different. I wantedto get to know a new cultureand new language. I have beenstudying English for nine years.Favorite class: Advanced P.E.with Coach ParksFavorite lunch item:CheeseburgerHow is the food different:There are a lot more steaks andburgers.How did you get picked tocome over: I had to fill out anapplication with an essay.What was your first thoughtwhen you entered the UnitedStates: Everything is biggerHow is the school settingdifferent: Similar: In a year wehave 17 different classes. Theyare assigned; we don’t pickthem. It isn’t very similar.What do you miss the most: Myfriends.What do you like the most:Everyone is nice. Everyoneunderstands especially since it’shard to listen to lectures.Where else have you traveled:America seven times, Spain,Thailand, a ton of Europeancountries.AshleighWoodmanGrade: SophomoreWhere did you come from:AustraliaWhy did you choose to come toAmerica: To experience AmericaFavorite class: Composition 1with Miss D and Intro to Theaterwith Mrs. HarrisonFavorite lunch item: CookiesHow is the food different: Morefried, sugar, and caloriesHow did you get picked to comeover: Interview with people tomake sure you’re appropriateWhat was your first thoughtwhen you entered the UnitedStates: Everyone spoke weird andfastHow is the school settingdifferent: Similar: One bigbuilding. The uniformWhat do you miss the most: Mycat and friendsWhat do you like the most: Thateveryone thinks my accent iscoolWhere else have you traveled:Europe and AsiaPaola IaconoGrade: JuniorWhere did you come from: ItalyWhy did you choose to come toAmerica: I love the United StatesFavorite class: College Biologywith Mr. HammonsFavorite lunch item: CookiesHow is the food different: Iprefer Italian. There is pizza anda ton of pasta.How did you get picked to comeover: My host family chose me.What was your first thoughtwhen you entered the UnitedStates: I miss my family and abrand new school.How is the school settingdifferent: Similar: We stay allmorning in one class then havelunch at home and come backfor more school. No lockers oruniforms. It’s not the same.What do you miss the most: Myfamily.What do you like the most: Theschool, football games, and myhost family.Where else have you traveled:Spain, Greece, Turkey, Rome,Florence, Austria, France,Ireland, and the UnitedKingdom. GPhoto courtesy of Ashleigh WoodmanSophomore Ashleigh Woodman (second to last on right) with her three sisters and Dad at his 50thbirthday party.Idols shine atSprint CenterOn August 2, the elevenidols performed in KansasCity, Missouri.MEGAN LUCASFeatures EditorI will be honest: I amnot an American Idol junkie. Ihad my phase where I was gluedto the television during theCarrie Underwood season butI did not watch a single episodethis season. Nevertheless, I had agood time at the American Idol“The audience hung ontoevery word of McCreery’sperformance as he covered“Your Man”, “Are You Goingto Kiss Me or Not” and hisown song, “I Love You ThisBig”.”- Megan LucasLive concert.The show began witha cover of the pop-rock anthem“Born This Way”. Though it wasoriginally performed by LadyGaga, the idols Naima Adedapo,Haley Reinhart, Thia Megia andrunner up, Lauren Alaina dida fantastic cover. They, alongwith a few boys, continued tocover a variety of songs, some assolos, some as duets and some asgroups. “Grenade”, “Who Says”,“Firework” and “Forget You”were all covered in the first halfof the show.After the intermission,Alaina’s solo time began.The audience went crazy asshe owned the stage. Alainaperformed her hit single “LikeMy Mother Does” and followedup with the power ballad “IfI Die Young”. She pouredevery drop of emotion into hersongs and the cover of “If I DieYoung” was definitely her bestsong. After Alaina left the stage,Idols James Durbin and JacobLusk took over. Then finally,the winner of season ten, ScottyMcCreery took the stage.The audience hungonto every word of McCreery’sperformance as he covered “YourMan”, “Are You Going to KissMe or Not” and his own song,“I Love You This Big”. Theexcitement only intensified asAlaina returnedto sing a duetwith McCreery,“When You SayNothing at All”.The show wentout with a bangwith the mashup of Journey,Aerosmith andWhitesnakesongs, all coveredby the group.Overall, theshow was a great way to spenda summer evening. I think I willbegin watching American Idolagain, to keep up with all of theincredible performers. GAmericanIdol Season11 beginsJanuary 22, 2012

Opinions September 15, 2011Students debate the idea of A-daysForCarole TrickeyCenterspread EditorAs a freshman coming froma school that only had “A-days”,that is, eight classes a day witheach lasting about 45 minutes, Iwas used to feeling rushed anddoing all my homework in onenight. Since I’ve attended SaintThomas Aquinas, I’ve always beenappreciative of how the scheduleflows—A-days and all.Aquinas’ school week is likeany other, generally five days aweek, Monday through Friday.The difference is how well we useit. The best way to use this timeis how we use it now—with amixture of A-days and block days.The A-days stand in for Mondaysand then, as needed, the followingfour days of the week only consistof four classes a day.Following efficiency, students’focus and ability to learn is highlyimportant as well. A-days, with 45minutes per class, allow advantagesfor certain subjects such as mathand foreign language. Thoughother subjects such as English andsocial studies do not receive suchadvantages on A-days, they aren’tharmed by them either.A-days are contrasted byblock days, with 90 minutes.Four classes per day allow studentsto focus on what’s in frontof them rather than always feelingrushed or the need to catch up. Notonly that, but it allows studentstwo nights to do their homeworkinstead of one. Though sometimesteachers assign more because theyknow that students have two daysto complete it, it’s beneficial andencouraging to those who use theirtime wisely.The status quo works well.The contrast of schedules allowsvariety and balance as the administrationsees needed. Aquinas’schedule is another unique andinteresting trait that students willnot find at many other schools andshould be applauded. gagainstBen GartlandReporter“A” Days are absolutelyworthless and need to go.On most Mondays, studentsat Saint Thomas Aquinas are subjectedto shortened class periodsthat are barely long enough to getanything substantial done. Theclasses are bad for learning, teachingand overall performance. Spanishteacher Kaye Thompson saidthat she does not like “A” days andwould actually prefer to teach fullblock periods, as opposed to theshortened 45 minute periods.This policy is especially ridiculousconsidering that there is abetter solution. St. James Academyhas two schedule days, an “A” dayand a “B” Day. They alternate eachweek with one week being three“A” days and two “B” days. Thenext week there will be three “B”days and two “A” days. The St.James schedule allows for moreclass time, and less rushing to classduring a six minute passing period.There are many benefits toswitching to a schedule similar toSt. James’. For one, the number oftardies to classes would go downbecause there would be ten minutepassing periods every day, insteadof six minute passing periods.Kaye Thompson said she handsout more tardies on “A” scheduledays than block schedule days by along shot.Also, students would not haveto lug a heavy backpack home withbooks from every class. If Aquinasswitches to something like the St.James schedule, students wouldonly have to take home booksfrom the classes they had that day.It’s less strain on the student, and abetter schedule then what Aquinashas now. g9MiddleEast unrestupdateJacob DotterweichSports EditorLibya: the rebels have takencontrol of most of Libya includingthe capitol of Tripoli, andare trying to capture the Gadhafistronghold of Bani Walid. Surrenderwas requested and ignored bythe Gadhafi supporters on Friday.Bani Walid is one of three townsthat still remain loyal to Gadhafi.The other two towns are Sirte andand Sabha.Syria: More than 2,200 peoplehave died in Syria since Marchas a result of the governmentcrackdown on non-violent protests.The United States has condemnedSyrian President Bashar al-Assad’sactions against his citizens andhave told him to stop the militaryaction against the people. gCookie price increase should bring size increaseRising cookie prices surprisestudents in the lunch roomthis year.Cara OldenhuisEditor-in-chiefOn the first day of school, studentsare looking forward to havinghis or her first cookie of the schoolyear. Cafeteria cookies have becomefamous with Aquinas students,known for their warm chocolatecenters and overall deliciousness.As students go to buy their cookiesthis year, however, they are toldthat the price has gone up 25 cents.Surprised over the spike in a cookieprice, the student forked over theextra quarter, unhappy about theprice of the wonderful cookie he orshe was so eager to eat.Most Aquinas students weresurprised to see the spike in cookieprices in the cafeteria this year. Althougha 25 cent increase may notseem like a lot for a little cookie,the price may cause more damagethan some may think.According to Marilyn Tinker,business manager for Treat Americaat Aquinas, the cookie price jumpwas due to rising food costs. Tinkersaid that cookie prices were increasedinstead of raising the pricesof other items, such as french friesor hamburgers.“We tried not to make it toodifficult on the students,” Tinkersaid. “But we had to raise prices.”Tinker did point out a positivefor Treat America, signifying thatcookie prices had not been raised intwo years. She said that most studentsunderstood after they realizedthat prices constantly changed.The $1.25 price now forcesstudents to scour for an extra quarterin their backpacks, lockers orcars. For those who pay for luncheswith cash, the flat rate was mucheasier. With the price increase,however, students do not have theluxury of bringing only one dollarbill to school for that warm cookie.Granted, those who have lunchcards would say that they don’tmind the price increase becausethey don’t have to bring cash allthe time. However, when a studentbuys a cookie with every lunch theypurchase, as many Aquinas studentsdo, the price adds up.Of course increase in prices,whether it is for cookies or gasoline,occurs. That is the way oureconomy works; prices increase asthe demand does. Most students understandthat it may cost more nowto produce cookies; however whatthey do not understand is why thesize and quality of the product hasdecreased while the price goes up.If the price is increased by a quarter,then the size should be increased bythe small amount.Treat America, the students ofAquinas obviously appreciate yourcookies. There is no question thatcookie sales won’t drop off anytimesoon, even with the price boost.However, if students are forced topay an extra quarter, they deserveto enjoy a few more bites of yourdelicious cookies. g

10 9/11 RememberanceSeptember 15, 2011Teacher, student remember terrorist attacks10 years after the Sept. 11,2011attacks, those impacted reflect onthe day that changed their lives.JACOB DOTTERWEICH,BEN GARTLANDSports Editor, ReporterTen years ago, most of us weresitting in our grade school classrooms,watching a day progress normally as ever.But, as some of us found out and some ofus didn’t, there were events progressinghundreds of miles away that would changeAmerica forever. These events were theSeptember 11, 2001 attacks on the WorldTrade Center and the Pentagon in NewYork City and Virginia.Now, we are all old enough tounderstand what happened and why ithappened, and no teacher at Aquinasunderstands better than Guided Studiesteacher Charlie Lamont.Lamont was working as a specialeducation math teacher when he heardabout the attacks.“Another teacher came in andasked if I had my TV on,” Lamont said. “Iturned it on and saw both towers on fire. Ididn’t know what had happened.”Lamont is a former New Yorker,and the tragedy hit him on a personallevel. He lost four friends, who were allfirefighters, in the collapse of the towers.“They were the heroes.” he said.Lamont said that New York washit the hardest, both physically and emotionally,from the attacks.The ShieldThe student voice atSaint Thomas AquinasMission StatementThe Shield is anewspaper sponsored bySaint Thomas AquinasHigh School and producedby its students to provideinformation, entertainmentand open forum as well as alearning experience for thestaff members. The goal ofThe Shield’s staff is to meetprofessional journalismstandards. Staff membersare responsible for thecontent of the newspaperand strive to report newsaccurately, objectively andcompletely. The Shield isan open forum for studentexpression and aims tocommunicate the concernsof the student body as wellas the faculty, staff andAquinas community.“If you had a connection to NewYork City, then it has a more personalfeel to it.” He said, “It’s a deeply personaltragedy.”Yet, he said that even in themidst of tragedy and hurt, America, andmore specifically New York, becamestronger.“New York City showed theworld that a large diverse city could pullitself together and emerge from tragedy,”he said.Phyllis Mills, another New Yorker,has an equally personal connection to9/11. She and her husband’s wedding anniversaryis on September 11, and they haddinner reservations for Windows on theWorld, the restaurant on top of the WorldTrade Center the day of the attacks.“It was a huge deal to eat at thisrestaurant, and it was very upscale. Thethought that you could have been there,was stunning,” Mills said.Some people are worried thatthe new 1 World Trade Center that iscurrently under construction will proveto be another target for terrorists. Millsdisagrees, and said that terrorists can andwould find another way to attack if theywere to again that is not the World TradeCenter.“We have realized we are vulnerable,and we have added extreme securitymeasures in airports. We have not doneenough to secure other means of transportationlike subways and trains. We knowthey’ll come, and we’re not being proactiveenough,” Mills said.Even though the men responsiblefor the attacks were Muslim, Mills doesn’tAdviserMatt HallauerEditor-in-ChiefCara OldenhuisManaging/ Campus NewsEditorAlexis LeikerCenterspread EditorCarole TrickeyFeatures EditorMegan LucasLast Look EditorEmily Seibhold a grudge toward them.“We can hold a grudge, but wecan never forget what happened either.No one will. I was never personally madat Muslim people, because it was not theMuslim religions fault” Mills said.The tragedy hit everyone, butfor some children, including many of ushere at Aquinas, we had no idea what wasgoing on. So imagine you're a young childwho still doesn't know what's happening,but you were in New York City, and youhave a parent that worked in Manhattan.That's how junior Lauren Holley felt."I thought my mother was goingto die," Holley said. "At the time, mymother worked near the Empire Statebuilding, which is near the World TradeCenter."Holley was a first grader, living inNew York City at the time of the attacks.While she says she was too young to fullyunderstand at the time, there are somemoments she remembers vividly."My most vivid memory fromSeptember 11 was crying hysterically atschool during the attacks and when I sawmy mother after the attacks," she said. "Iwas scared to death."Now, ten years later, many of uscan barely remember the events on thatday. Sure we see the video clips and thepictures and are impacted by it, but to beimpacted by remembering the actual daysis a different thing entirely."Ten years later, the September11th attacks still impact me," Holley said."Whenever I think about the attacks, I goback to the feeling that I will never seemy mom again, I become sad, and then IEntertainment EditorMadison PetracekSports EditorJacob DotterweichReportersPhoebe Beachner, MikeEstes, Ben Gartland, ElizabethRommeContributorsHaley Sieben, BaileWinslow, Taylor RuischAdvertisingThe Shield sellsadvertisements to helpwith publication costs. Allads will be subject to thesame scrutiny as stories.The Shield will not printobscenities or any adspromoting products illegalto those under the age of18. For advertising, pleasecall (913) 319-2460 orvisit our site online at www.STAsaints.net/Shield.SubscriptionsSubscriptions to TheShield are $2 per issue.To subscribe, drop off anenvelope containing yourpayment labeled with thesubscriber’s name and addressin Room 212 or aworry about the safety of my country."A child's perspective, even onefrom New York City, is still a bit blurry.However, an adult's perspective, especiallyone who is a former New Yorker, is veryclear.Aquinas head basketball coachSean Reilly was an associate principal atMill Valley High School on September11th. His experience was one of manyemotions, all changing in a matter of minutes."At first I thought it was anaccident," he said. "I had been up in thetowers with my cousin before and hadseen small aircraft flying below the tower.I just thought that one of them had justunfortunately crashed."However when the second planehit the South tower, Reilly, and the rest ofAmerica, knew that it was no accident.Even though Reilly vividly rememberedthe day and the impact it had,he still says that the high school studentsat Mill Valley were impacted more."It was their first shock," he said."The teachers had lived through sometragic events, but for the students, it was anew experience for them."For the young students, it wastheir first shock and may have impactedthem more. However, it still impactedpeople of all ages, even the people whosememories stretched back to the day PearlHarbor was attacked. gschool office. Subscriptionscan also be sent toSaint Thomas AquinasHigh School c/o Matt Hallauer.Letters PolicyLetters may be acceptedby The Shield,provided that they aresigned and do not containlibelous statements.The Shield reserves theright to edit the letters forgrammar, obscenity, orspace consideration, andalso reserves the right tonot print a letter.

Sports September 15, 2011Best honored as national coach of the year11Success of the girls golf teamleads coach to win award fornational coach of the yearEmily SeibLast Look EditorSaint Thomas Aquinas’Girls' golf team left a huge markon the state record books lastyear with a score of 303 to winstate. The record led to CoachRyan Best's award as NationalCoach of the Year for girls' golf.According to the NationalHigh School Coaches Association’scommunications liaisonRob Sherrill, the organizationthat gives out the award, theaward is given out to a coachwho has success and longevity inthe sport as well as someone whogives back to the sport.“Coach Best stood out forhis record of success as the coachof both the boys and girls teamsat the school, his overall coachingexperience and his history of givingback on behalf of the schoolsthrough his campus ministrywork. The people we recognizeas Coach of the Year are wellroundedpeople, and Coach Bestcertainly fits that description,”Sherill saidBest does not think thePhoto courtesy of Lynn KruseThe girls golf team after they won state last fall. From left to right: junior JordanChael, senior Kelsey Castinado, graduate Ali Kruse, coach Ryan Best, graduateIsabella Baldacci, graduate Jillian Montalvo, and junior Baile Winslow.award will influence eighth gradegolfers' decision to come to SaintThomas Aquinas to play golf.The biggest factor, according toBest, is the other members of theteam and the team's chemistry.The main reason that the awardis not a factor is that outside theAquinas community not manypeople know about the award;therefore, not many eighth gradegolfers will know about it either.“He is calm and relaxed. Hehardly ever gets mad at us. Hemakes everything fun,” seniorand varsity golf member KelseyCastinado said about Best'scoaching style.Castinado went on to saythat Best gets intense, but hedoes it in a way that is hard totell. He keeps the atmospherefun. He also gets to know you ona personal level.Courtney Weber, a 2004graduate from Aquinas and oneof Best's former golfers, agreedwith Castinado. Weber said he isa very laid back coaching style.He is someone the girls can cometalk to with problems outside ofgolf.“He was an absolute blast tobe around,” Weber said. gSaints ScoreboardFootballSept. 2 at homeSaints 21, Great Bend 14Rushing: Heit 9-50Passing: Heit 16-25-1-218Receiving: Williams 7-49, Henning6-132Tackles: Cosentino 6-5, Baska6-3, Horn 6-3, Martinez 6-3Interceptions: Moran (2)Sept. 8 at BV NorthwestSaints 31, BV West 24Rushing: Martinez 15-50Passing: Heit 16-33-3-171Receiving: Henning 8-73Tackles: Horn 4-7, Cosentino4-5Interceptions: Baska, Nachbar,MoranBoys SoccerAug. 26 at homeSaints 1, Saint James 0Lickteig (Parks throw) 7:05Aug. 29 at LS NorthLSN 2, Saints 1Lickteig (Brown) 5:02Aug. 31 at LS WestSaints 2, LSW 1Brown, 1st halfBrown (Crooks), 2nd halfSept. 1 at Lee’s SummitLee’s Summit 1, Saints 0Sept. 6 at homeSaints 3, Bishop Miege 0Lickteig (Heying) 12:05Crooks (Hagenkord) 31:24Geist (Lickteig) 8:09Cross CountrySept. 3 Greg Wilson ClassicGirls Varsity: 2nd / 10 teams5 - Cofer, 9 Reazin, 10 Hopfinger,13 Angles, 17 Romme, 28Loughman, 38 MetzgerBoys Varsity: 4th / 11 teams13 Hornung, 16 Coffin, 25 Gilman,26 Boyles, 32 Aiken, 35Kellerman, 45 Luther, 46 Clark,47 DareSept. 10 Emporia Inv.Girls Varsity: 1st / 13 teams2 Reazin, 5 Cofer, 7 Romme,9 Angles, 11 Hopfinger, 20Loughman, 22 DrillingBoys Varsity: 2nd / 12 teams9 Hornung, 17 Boyles, 25 Coffin,27 Aiken, 29 Kellerman, 31Luther, 53 DareVolleyballAug. 27 at St. JamesSaints 1 def. Blue SpringsAug. 30 at homeSaints def. HaydenSt. Teresa’s def. SaintsSept. 8 at Washburn RuralSaints 3, Washburn Rural 121-25, 25-21, 30-28, 26-24Girls GolfAug. 29 SM East Cup2nd placeAug. 31 BV North Inv.2nd place

12 September 15, 2011Last LookTaylor Ruisch| The MedallionSenior Laura Beth Campbell announcesthe freshmen as they arrive for theirorientation on Aug. 16.Carole Trickey | The ShieldSenior Megan Schilling lays with her small group from Freshman Day. Her group was(counterclockwise) senior Megan Schilling (in green), freshmen Haley Maxwell, EvanKallsen, Chris Bollig, Emily Downey, Jessica Sevigny, BriannaWoicke, Michael Grasing, and Charles Peter.Baile Winslow | TheMedallionFreshmen pose aftera game of volleyballduring thefreshman picnic.From left to right:Landon Johnson,Matthew Robertson,Nathan Burditt,Megan Tokic, MeganBartolac, and SarahMayerle.Taylor Ruisch | The MedallionSenior Emily Ewert escorts freshman Caleb Vogl intofreshman orientation.Baile Winslow | The MedallionFreshmen pause for a picture during the annual freshman picnic. Front row (left to right):Matthew Reynolds and Jennifer Lloyd. Second Row: Austin Lucas, Wesley Rise, AngelaMcVicar, Hope N’Diaye, Jack Dotterweich, and Benjamin Walberg.Carole Trickey | The ShieldSenior Scott Davis talks to his small group on Freshman Day. His small group was (front row from left to right)Taylor Limoges, Megan Cory, Megan Bentler, and Sarah Roach (seconrd row) Joey Hollembeak, Conor Finn,Karley Monaghan and (thrid row) Ben Trickey.Taylor Ruisch| The MedallionSeniors Clare Eagan and Katie Taylor escort frehman Charles Peter into orientation asupperclassmen cheer them on.