Issue 1 - Bishop Miege High School

The Miegian
Volume 58 Issue 2
October 2014
the Miegian examines the Neighborhoods of Kansas City 8-9
Football CAN BECOME SOLE HOLDER OF EKL title tonight vs. Bvsw 12
Photo by Lauren Rupp
October 10, 2014
www.bishopmiege.com
The Miegian
By: lucydoll
staff writer
Stag Strut 2k14
By: MarcoMarquez
staff writer
Stag Strut was truly a
success. The school goal was
$54,000 and together Miege
students raised $56,880 and earned
a free day on Dec. 1. Although they
needed an extra day to reach the top
of the hill, the students, brought in
what was needed.
Of 711 students 688 participated,
516 of them bringing in quota and 84
of them achieving the super quota
mark, ringing in $120+.
Top homerooms for each class
Above: Leading the first release crowd onto
the track for their 20 laps was senior Lati
Horton Photo by Mary Egger
Left: Laps went much faster for Ethan
DeLeon and Danny Herrington, seniors,
who employed tricycles to speed their way.
Photo by Lauren Rupp
Junior Allie Strong has a spoken agreement with West Point, the United States Military Academy, for volleyball. “Yes, West Point
has offered me to play volleyball, and I committed. I still need to get the recommendation of a
senator or representative, which is a requirement, and also take the ACT, but I do not anticipate any issues.”
West Point has been in contact with
Strong since 8th grade, sending her emails and
inviting her to their summer camps. She has
emailed and talked to coaches several times.
The coaches watched Strong at national tournaments that her club team, KC Power, headed by
Coach Gwenn Pike, played in and also talked to
her coaches.
After her club team placed in the top 10
in the country at the national championships
this year, the coach at West Point approached
Dave Johnson, her club coach and head coach
for Blue Valley.
were Mr. Rick Zych’s for the seniors
with $1,565; Mr. Matt Emory’s
for the juniors, $1,594; Mr. Steve
Koesterer’s for the sophomores,
$2,650; and Mrs. Jami Hedrick’s for
the freshmen, raising $1,796.
The top fundraiser was
Tyler Pennell, junior, who collected
$1,065, and the two runners-up were
juniors Sammy Burdolski and Molly
Sullivan.
For class competition points
seniors earned 17.8 points; juniors,
16.8; sophomores brought in 17.8;
points and freshmen had the most
for a total of 21.4 points.
Above: Senior citizens Hope Bentley and
Nash O’Fallon showed off their best grandparent looks at Stag Strut.
Homecoming this
year will definitely be rememered “through the years.”
More than 400 tickets to
the dance were sold, according to Spirit Club moderator
Nancy Weber.
As usual, Homecoming was kicked off with
the Friday parade and the
crowning of the Homecoming queen at halftime of the
football game. Of the ten parade floats, first place went
to
the
Robotics team,
2
page two
second place to the senior
class, and the Lady Stag
Dance Team won third
place.
Five
convertibles
also joined in the parade,
each carrying one of the
members of the Homcoming court, Ali Clark, Emery
Crosby, Abbie Hair, Maeve
Martin and Sierra Sparks.
Abbie, who enjoys “long
walks on the beach and eating bacon” was crowned
Homecoming queen. At the
dance, there were various
contests and prizes to be
won, pictures to be taken,
hugs to be had and memories to be made.
October 10, 2014
stated. She committed only a few weeks later.
West Point will be extremely challenging. Freshmen have to report soon after high
school graduation and are not allowed access
to radios, TV’s or cell phones, and there is no
air conditioning. Academics are really tough
and every cadet, whether an athlete or not, is
required to engage in 2-3 hours of physical activity a day. Strong says that Bishop Miege prepared her academically, but Strong believes
that her coaches are what really made this happen. “Coach Pike, Coach Ludwig and Coach
Ernst turned a freshman who was just learning
to play volleyball and only played in spots on
varsity as a freshman into an All State player in
my sophomore year,” Strong said proudly.
which she hopes to play at West Point as well.
This athlete is on both varsity volleyball and
softball at Miege and hopes that it has given
her the training to compete at a Division 1 level
in the Patriot League. Strong is extremely excited and grateful that volleyball has given her
the chance to attend a university that is consistently rated one of the top 10 universities in the
country.
After West Point Strong will be an officer in the U.S. Army for at least five years. She
is planning to go into something in the medical
field or military intelligence. Women are also
allowed to engage in certain areas of combat
now as well. “Honestly, there are so many opportunities that West Point offers that I want to
consider all options,” Strong said about her career choices.
Photo by Lauren Rupp.
Right: Suomo wrestler Kaitlyn Gemmill had
a bite out of a Jessica Plake burger instead
of a donut. Photo by Mary Egger
Homecoming: It was a dance for the ages
By: Katiesullivan
staff writer
The Miegian
West Point recruits junior Allie Strong
News
www.bishopmiege.com
• Dance Contest Winners •
Dance Off for Boys - Mark Ogren
Dance Off for Girls - Rachel Wheeler
Dance Off for Partners Molly Becker/Nick Corkill
Best Dougie - Kevin Kellerman
Best Line Dancer - Conner Galbraith
Best Matching Couple Reagan Smith/Nate Olsen
Energizer Bunny Award - Jackson Gress
Stag with the Most Swag - Jessica Plake
Students gathered inside the
gymnasium for last weekend’s
Homecoming dance. The theme
this year was “Through the
Years.” Stags and guests danced
the night away to music being
played by the Bishop Miege
Robotics Team.
Photo by Carson Miller
They then talked to her dad and ultimately pulled Strong aside. “I talked to them
right on the court for about a half hour, and
they told me they really wanted me and asked if
I could come to their camp later in July,” Strong
said remembering the event.
The service academies are allowed to
talk to recruits earlier than other universities.
After attending her first camp at West Point,
Strong was offered a spot on the team. “The
coaches stressed that what they noticed most
was my work ethic, athleticism and that I had
good leadership qualities on the floor,” Strong
She also played for Coach Pike’s organization, KC Power, which is ranked among the
top programs in the country. Strong says that
her coaches instilled in her a lesson that she will
carry with her for the rest of her lifehard work
and a willingness to guarantee, not results, but
effort at every opportunity.
Strong also credited Coach DJ Gemmill,
the Bishop Miege softball coach, who inspires
her to work hard and to not be afraid to try new
things. “All of them had faith in me when I had
no faith in myself, and I owe so much to all of
them! I can never repay them for that.”
Last, Allie says that the teammates she
has had over the years have really pushed her to
be the best athlete that she can be. “Some of the
girls have gone on to play in college and some
have not. But all are just as important to me and
to Bishop Miege,” Strong says.
Strong has been playing volleyball since
she was 13 and has been in love with the sport
ever since. Her first love, though, was softball,
3
Photos by Lauren Rupp
page three
October 10, 2014
The Miegian
www.bishopmiege.com
Shorts
www.bishopmiege.com
SADD’s first quarter theme of bullying
is coming to an end. Throughout the
first nine weeks, SADD put anti-bullying
posters around the school and members
attended a Youth Leadership Summit at
Cleveland College.
On Wednesday, Oct. 15, there will be
a college clinic at Shawnee Mission
East. This clinic offers high school
students and their parents a chance to
talk with representatives from more
than 200 colleges and universities
across the country. It will be from
6:30 to 8:30 p.m. All are welcome.
Corner
S.A.D.D.
Miegian
Photo by Mary Egger
The cold and flu season has already
begun. According to Miege nurse Mrs.
Maura Peterson, everyone needs
to make sure they are washing their
hands and keeping clean. Nobody
wants to have a nasty cold or flu!
4
page four
Score!
National Merit Scholarship
Program. Letters of Commendation from the school and the
National Merit Scholarship
Corporation were presented
to them by Dr. Joe Passantino
and Mr. Randy Salisbury .
Additionally
senior
Manion Kuhn earned a perfect test score on last spring’s
AP Art test.
By: maureenMurphy
staff writer
One thing you can’t
miss when looking at the
front of Miege is the stained
glass window in the St. Angela Merici chapel. Later
this month, this window
will be officially recognized
in a new book, “Windows of
Kansas City” by Bruce Matthews. The book will be released on Sunday, Oct. 19 at
2 p.m. at the downtown Kansas City Public Library. The
chapel window is featured
on pages 18 and 19.
According
to
a
Miege publication detailing
the chapel renovation done
about a decade ago, the
window was designed, constructed, and installed in
the summer of 2005 by Mr.
Michael Pilla of Monarch
Studios of St. Paul, Minnesota.
While the renovation of the chapel was taking
place, Mr. Frank Grimaldi,
the original architect of
Bishop Miege High School,
presented the initial plan
for the design of the chapel.
This included the design
that is currently in the chapel of St. Luke’s account of
Jesus calling forth the disciples after the great catch.
Pilla brought these
plans to life using his expertise on light and based
on medieval concepts of
stained glass making.
So long slushies and junk...Hello nutrition
Several Miege seniors
are leading their class with
high scores.
On their most recent
ACT testings, Liam Bryson
scored a 35, Andrew Gleason
a 34, and Eliott Vanderford a
36.
Also Hannah Long,
Manion Kuhn and Andrew
Gleason were named Commended Students in the 2015
October 10, 2014
Chapel’s ‘Into the Deep’ stained glass window
recognized in a new book about Kansas City
SADD’s goal for the second quarter is
“to involve the whole school by giving
students the 411 on multiple
issues that SADD
addresses, with a
special emphasis on
distracted driving,”
says SADD member
Makaylee Young-Mills.
SADD sweatshirts will be available for
purchase by all students in Mr. Sailler’s
room 211. The sweatshirts are $20.
Lemon Club raised $200 at the Cross
Country Invitational on Sept. 19. This
is a new record for the group, and they
hope to repeat or even exceed this goal.
See Mrs. Carman for information about
Lemon Club.
For the second quarter, NHS is doing a
fall service project for migrant workers.
It will be held some time in November,
and members will conduct a collection
to benefit the homeless for the
Johnson County Bureau.
The Miegian
By: MarcoMarquez
staff writer
Blue raspberry and cherry slushies were
a no–go for Cafe Miege this year, and that disappointment has been compounded by a change
in the vending machine selections.
The slushies, priced at $1.25 each were
considered a “cheap treat” to junior Kyle Lauterwasser. Jody Lewis, the manager of Cafe
Miege, said the reason the machines were removed is because not enough product was consumed last year. On average only five slushies
were sold every day at Miege. The number had
to be 75 in order to keep the machines.
For years the vending machines in the
Commons had been selling a variety of junk
food snacks. Students would see all sorts of
candy bars aligned with rows of favorite full fat
chips, but no longer. The vending machines
are run by Treat America Vending, which follows rules set by the
government. Since the
government is trying
to make school lunches healthier, that has
extended to making
changes in what is put
into school vending
machines.
Last year the
government had started proposing stricter
standards on school
snacks. Under the new rules of the USDA, school
vending machines that had choices containing
high-calorie and sugary foods were to be eliminated. They were to be replaced with healthier
and lower-calorie options. The change is com-
ing into effect a little more than a year after First
Lady Michelle Obama and Agriculture secretary Tom Vilsack introduced
measures to make school
lunches healthier for students
as part of the National School
Lunch and Break programs.
Cafe manager Lewis says
she has already talked to Mr.
Joe Schramp, assistant principal, and they will discuss how
to handle the new rules. She
will have Cafe Miege open
from 3 to 4 p.m. for anyone
who has ideas or comments.
For now the Cafe is also selling candy bars and
chips that will satisfy junk food cravings.
page five
5
October 10, 2014
The Miegian
www.bishopmiege.com
Features
Describe a typical
outfit you would wear.
Blue jeans, solid
oxford shirts or solid t-shirts,
and penny loafers
What year did you turn 17?
1969
Where did you attend high
school?
Lindbergh Flyers
St. Louis, MO
What kind of car did you
drive?
1967 Chevy Impala
Super Sport (Yellow)
What sports did you play?
Baseball
Basketball
Swimming
What was your most
memorable moment?
“Taking the
most popular sophomore girl
to my senior prom.”
What did you like to do for
fun?
“Believe it or not, we liked to
crash CYO dances because
public school kids weren’t
allowed in.”
Was art a part of your life?
I did not take art until
college, in high school I took
architectural design classes–
my original plan was to be an
architect then switched to
graphic design at Missouri
State. What music did you listen to?
Motown Sounds. Favorite group
was Temptations, Harold
Melvin & The Blue Notes, and
The Spinners.
Compiled By Maureen Murphy
Deep Thoughts
with
Andrew Jezak
• If your shirt isn’t tucked into your pants, then your pants are tucked into your shirt.
• Everyone is technically half centaur.
• Your stomach thinks all potatoes are mashed.
• There should be an option on the microwave that says “People are sleeping, I’ll be quiet now.”
• If you see a bald eagle at the zoo, you are looking at the American symbol of freedom in captivity.
• We say “hair” when referring to lots of it, but we say “hairs” when referring to just a few.
• If two people on opposite sides of the world each drop a piece of bread, the earth briefly becomes a
sandwich.
• You gotta have a little rain before a rainbow.
• If you’re supposed to love your neighbor as yourself, and you don’t love yourself, how can you love your
neighbor?
• Maybe the hokey pokey really IS what it’s all about.
6
www.bishopmiege.com
The Miegian
October 10, 2014
10 Questions With....
Evan Hilderbrand
The best advice
is short, simple,
and easy to
remember.
Three words to
live by:
• Open your ears.
1. Walk me through a day in the life of Evan.
5:45- 7 Morning routine
7:40-3:15 School
3:15-5:15 After school activities
5:40-8 Homework, dinner
8:00-9:30 Evening routine
9:30-5:45 “Zzzzz”
2. What sports do you participate in; what are
your hobbies and interests?
Cross country, track, and basketball (as a manager)
Hobbies: Sports, art, cooking, reading, writing,
photography and cinematography, urban
exploration.
My Interests are philosophy, poetry, and cycling.
3. Where do you see yourself in twenty years?
If you could do anything with your life, what
would it be?
Hopefully married, with a steady job or
business. A house, a car, maybe a family.
If I could do anything with my life, I’d get a
permanent passport, become rich, buy a small
island and a K.C. mansion, and travel the world.
4. What would you say your one true
passion is?
I have so many passions; it’s difficult to
choose.
I would have to say that the arts, and
exploring things and places are my
two true passions.
5. What is the most adventurous
thing you’ve ever done?
You mean besides joining cross
country, and my times spent on family
vacation? Honestly, it would have to
be my days spent exploring Kansas City,
district by district.
6. Who is your idol; who do you strive to be as
great as?
My dad, mom, and grandparents. I strive to be
someone people think of when they think of Kansas
City.
• Show up early.
7. If you could have one superpower what would
it be?
The ability to control and generate energy.
• Write it down.
8. What is your greatest fear? Why?
That I won’t be able to help those I love. And also,
losing all emotion and creativity. I would lose my
mind, and I’d become an emotionless, dull-minded
shell.
9. What inspires you more than anything else?
Why?
To quote Calvin and Hobbes: “Mothers
are the necessity of invention.”
Seriously though, my mind, my
friends, family, and my creativity.
• Drink more water.
10. If you could live anywhere in the
entire universe, in any time period,
where would it be, when, and why?
Earth. About 45-50 million years
ago. Or Mars, about 900-600
million years ago. Back
then, Earth had flourished,
post-extinction,
and was a veritable
paradise, teeming with
life. Around that time,
Mars was a lush planet
with green skies and
watery green bodies of
water, with beautiful
sunsets and a variety of
life-forms.
• Take the mint.
• Beat the deadline.
• Say thank you.
• Charge your batteries.
• Get some sleep.
• Don’t be weird.
• Keep your word.
• If late, call.
• Count to 10.
• Ask more questions. • Eat more protein.
• Review the loss.
• State it clearly.
• Stop and listen.
• Always be honest.
• Do your homework.
• Never say swag.
• Go for it.
• Think before posting.
• Hugs not drugs.
• Twitter isn’t real.
• Brush your teeth.
• Hold the door.
• Start a conversation.
• Read a book.
• Pray every day.
Compiled by
Katie Sullivan
• Say I’m sorry.
• Always beat Aquinas.
• Fourth down, punt.
Compiled by
Eric Buckels
*Some deep thoughts borrowed from www.news.distractify.com
page six
page seven
7
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9
39th Street serves as
the hub of Westport’s
lively restaurant
scene. The 8-block
stretch is home to 20
restaurants.
Winstead’s, a
diner with a retro
feel, is a popular
destination for
Founded in 1996,
residents.
Foo’s Frozen Custard has become
BRGR, a crowd
one of KC’s most
favorite, puts a
beloved brands.
modern twist on Le Fou Frog
the classic burger and Chez Elle
offer locals a
joint.
taste of French
cuisine.
9
6
410
Mi Ranchito’s six
locations offer
Mexian food to
KC’s residents
who live farther
from the Boulevard.
8,14
7
inutes
Joe’s Kansas
City, formerly,
Oklahoma Joe’s,
continues the
tradition of
amazing KC
BBQ.
12
08
pl
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The annual Art Westport event allows
local artisans to
display their work
– from paintings to
pottery.
The nationally
known Art Annual
will celebrate 30
years of neighborhood artistry in
2015.
A yearly Arts
& Eats Festival
unites popular
KC foods with the
area’s talented
artists.
a
#641
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Zip code
Population
(2010 census)
Transit time to Miege, on
average (Google Maps)
Miege students in
neighborhood
2
page eight
–a sampling of KC’s finest areas–
,6
8
Each summer, the
Prairie Village Art
Fair showcases
local art and food
offerings.
Restaurants
The
Great
Wolf Lodge
Prairie Village’s
and Schlitterannual
Jazz Festival
bahn, two of KC’s waterThe Shawnee Inattracts thousands
parks, are both located dian Mission, a state
each year for the
here.
historic site, offers vissingle-day
event.
itors a glimpse of the
past through its tours,
which are scheduled
four days a week.
NEIghborhoods e
41
1
05
Its six-mile-long
The Tivoli, a Westport
walking/biking
mainstay for 25 years,
Trolly Trail comscreens independent
memorates the
and
foreign films that
route of KC’s
are
rarely
shown in other
final streetcar.
theaters.
More than 60 galleries are located
in the Crossroads
district, one of the
nation’s largest
art districts.
Art spread across
the city, outside
and in galleries, is
on display to the
public and often
for sale.
Home to nine
distinct concert
venues, indoors and
out.
#6
62
Lit up every holiday season with
more than 80
miles of Christmas
lights.
Its well-known
art fair turned 83
this year, filling
nine city blocks
with artwork.
October 10, 2014
The
8.5
m
in
Attractions
Art
o
d
i
s
k e
The Miegian
328
11,
KC
Miege’s
students come
from a wide variety of
Kansas City’s neighborhoods, which span 62 zip
codes. The Miegian explores what makes each
unique.
The
neighborhoods
are assigned a color:
match it to the corresponding circles on this
page for facts about
each.
www.bishopmiege.com
3
w
m
e
o
t
c
o
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e
www.bishopmiege.com
The Miegian
0
October 10, 2014
Compiled & designed by Andrew Gleason
page nine
9
October 10, 2014
The Miegian
www.bishopmiege.com
Bad restaurants grind my gears
Do you know what grinds
my gears? Poor restaurant service.
I mean come on, people, who likes
spending money at a place where
you are treated with no respect?
To all the readers who work in the
restaurant business, I’m sorry if
this offends you in any way, but it
must be said.
This is aimed specifically
at the people who make the dining
out experience unpleasant, like
the waiter at a certain restaurant,
who gave me toothpaste-flavored
water instead of pink lemonade.
After that incident, I was not surprised that the next month, there
were reports that that very restaurant had given people food poisoning.
On one late night, my
brother Tony and I decided to hit
one of our favorite 24/7 eateries.
Having not been there for more
than a year, I was unaware of the
changes that had been made. The
new management was certainly
nothing to be cheerful about. We
ordered our usual without having
to look at the menu but the price
came out to be double what it
used to be. After being
shocked by the total,
my brother asked,
“Are you sure that’s
the right price?” The
manager made a loud
groan as if he had just
asked a tough question. He repeated our
order with an attitude
and then gave us a
mean glare.
As we drank
our overpriced milkshakes, we noticed they
were the wrong flavored milkshakes and there were ice chunks
in them. Our food had been just
as bad, the new management not
only had raised prices, but also
had cut back on servings. It was
very saddening because this had
been one of my childhood favorites.
On another late night when
I was with two friends, we decided
we were also hungry, so we called
up a pizza place. We had just
enough money to order a medium
cheese pizza. Not only did it take
an hour
for the
pizza to
be delivered,
but
when
we
opened
the
box we
found
half
of it
flopped on the other half… Usually
I don’t mind something like this,
but since we had already waited
an hour and now this! It was truly
disappointing when one half of the
pizza’s cheese had been doubled,
while the other half was simply
sauce and bread.
Probably one of the most
confusing occurrences happened
while I was out with the family
one night. We had sat down, and
all was well. The waitress took our
orders, and we waited like normal
people. I remembered that I was
really excited about going out
that night and was ready to eat.
Later on in the evening I had eaten
about half of my food before I left
to go to the bathroom.
When I returned I noticed
that the most important plate was
gone, mine! Apparently the waitress had taken it back, thinking I
was finished enjoying my glorious
dinner. None of my family members had noticed this action, probably because they were too busy
with their own dinners. The waitress apologized, but I never did
receive anything else. They could
have at least given me an appetizer
or half of my meal back!
Now to all my readers, I understand the hardship and broken
heart you feel whenever your favorite restaurant doesn’t treat you
right. As for my readers who work
in the restaurant business, please
learn from these tragic tales.
Staggering Thoughts compiled by Katie Sullivan
What’s the most exciting thing to do in your neighborhood?
John Ryan (10) 66208
Play football with my neighbors.
Caroline Fuss (12) 66207
My neighborhood has block
parties. We get a bouncy
castle and grill out.
10
Noah Jackley (9) 66224
Hitting up Minsky’s Pizza.
Olivia Gallo (11) 64113
Brookside’s Trolley Run.
page ten
Matt Daley (11) 66208
Walking my dog.
The Miegian
October 10, 2014
THE MIEGIAN STAFF
Opinions
By: MarcoMarquez
staff writer
www.bishopmiege.com
Aurora Rodriguez (9) 66205
Walking down the block to
get ice cream.
Standardized stress
The big tests don’t need to break you
By: ANdrewGleason
Editor
We have the holistic
admissions process to thank
for this. Colleges that endorse
this system attempt to paint an
accurate picture of the applicant
as a whole. Taking into account
sports, activities, leadership
roles, family life, hardships,
hobbies, etc., along with GPA and
standardize scores, these colleges
try to drive into the minds of
potential students that numbers
alone cannot define them.
That’s not to say that the
ACT isn’t important in its own
right. A high score can open more
doors than any student really will
ever need, a comforting, coveted
situation in the admissions
process. But holistic admissions do
provide a safety net, allowing your
Every year the process
is the same. Juniors and seniors
study constantly, inside and
outside of school, in preparation
for the ACT. Many will have a
breakdown the night before,
or worse, during, the test. Four
hours are spent hunched over that
omnipotent bubble sheet. When
time is finally called on the last
test, there is more exhaustion than
victory on the faces of students.
They will wait for weeks in
anticipation, dying to know their
scores.
A lucky few will receive a
score with which they are happy.
The rest, however,
are condemned to
“A lucky few will receive a score
repeat the ordeal over
with which they are happy. The
and over. Because
of this vicious cycle,
rest, however, are condemned to
the ACT has become
repeat the cycle over and over.”
synonymous with
stress. But why do we
put ourselves through
this?
personality, not your scores, to
The answer seems
shine through on your application.
obvious – without a near-perfect
In this way, the ACT is much more
ACT score, students can kiss
likely to help you than hurt you,
scholarships and elite college
even if your scores are less than
admissions goodbye. The ACT has
amazing.
the potential to make or break us.
Schools with college prep
At least that’s what we’ve been led
programs, such as Miege, often
to believe. And in the past, it may
have specialized curriculum that
have even been true.
aids students on the ACT, allowing
But as the college
students to noticeably bump their
admission process is changing, so
scores. But preparation can only
is the importance of the ACT. In
go so far. It can help to allay stress,
light of this, added pressure from
but stress remains a huge problem
schools, parents, and friends to
in the world of the average
achieve higher scores becomes
teenager, especially when it comes
a source of wildly unnecessary
to tests as important as the ACT.
stress. So forget that low score – it
In a survey conducted
won’t destroy you. (As long as it’s
by ChildLine, a London-based
not shockingly low – try to aim
foundation dedicated to helping
around the national average to be
teens cope with stress, 96% of the
safe: 21.)
1,300 students polled reported
that they felt anxiety toward
tests and exams. That number is
incredibly high. Our academically
rigorous lives and the competitive
structuring of college admissions
have created a constant state
of stress. This is problematic
considering that sustained
stress is extremely destructive,
especially in such an important
transitional period in our lives.
Of the 96% of teenagers
affected by stress, two-thirds lost
sleep because of the pressure of
tests. Nearly half have skipped
meals. The pressure to succeed
has taken priority over the physical
and mental health of teens. This
is where we must ask ourselves if
that score is really worth it. Better
yet, how can we increase our
scores without being overloaded
with stress?
I propose that schools take
a more well-rounded stance on
the college prep curriculum.
Along with teaching the concepts
that are key to succeeding on the
ACT, they should inform students
more thoroughly on the potential
diversity of the college admissions
process as a whole. By educating
teens on the inner-working of
the admissions process, schools
could mitigate a large amount of
stress. In addition, programs
that address stress and time
management would benefit teens
to an immeasurable degree.
Students should not be forced to
choose between a night’s sleep
and scoring well on tests. Teens
should be reminded that they
are not made up by score reports
and grade-cards, that they are
greater than the sum of their
academic parts. The big picture is
that schools have an opportunity
to foster not only mental
development, but mental health.
Editor-in-Chief Eric Buckels
Andrew Gleason
Staff Writers Maria Baska
Brennan Dial
Lucy Doll
CJ Grunhard
Andrew Jezak
Kyle Lauterwasser
Marco Marquez
Maureen Murphy
Katie Sullivan
Chief Photographer Carson Miller
Photographers Nastassia Aquino
Mary Egger
James Kirkland
Lauren Rupp
McKenzi Weber
Adviser - Mrs. Phyllis Hartwig
The Miegian is published
monthly by the newspaper staff of
Bishop Miege High School. It is a student-produced newspaper. The editorial board decides the content of each
issue. Opinions expressed are the
views of the writer and are signed.
The Miegian welcomes material (letters, guest columns, feedback)
from faculty, administrators, students,
parents and community members.
This material will be reviewed by the
editorial board and published based on
the publication’s letters policy criteria.
Material can be dropped off in
the journalism room (144), or mailed to
the newspaper in care of Bishop Miege
High School. All letters and columns
must be signed. The staff reserves the
right to edit letters for length, language or potential libel, and to refuse
any articles or advertising submitted.
All opinion pieces submitted
should contain an address and a phone
number where the writer can be contacted, because the staff will confirm
all letters.
Bishop Miege High School
5041 Reinhardt Drive
Shawnee Mission
KS 66205-1599
11
page eleven
October 10, 2014
The Miegian
www.bishopmiege.com
With a hand on the EKL title, the Stags continue
their run to an undefeated State championship
Facing a 3-2 Blue Valley
West team last weekend, the Stags
hoped to secure at least a share of
the EKL title for the season, along
with keeping their undefeated season alive. As the cold crisp air filled
the stadium, a slow start for both
teams made half-time readjustments key to capturing their win.
After a 7-7 score going into
half-time, the Stags came out firing on all cylinders, starting their
second half scoring with a 36-yard
pass to junior wideout Nolan Gray.
With 28 unanswered points, Dawson Downing capped off his monstrous night with an 80-yard touchdown run, giving him 266 yards on
the night and led the Stags to a 35-7
victory over the Blue Valley West
Jaguars.
After the Blue Valley game
two weeks prior, Coach Jon Holmes
had said about facing Aquinas the
following week, “It’s going to be
a fun game, but there are a lot of
things we have to get better on to
reach our goals.”
A fun game indeed that
included the high-powered offense which has been the story for
the Stags this season. Traveling to
Aquinas this year for the Holy War,
Miege started off a little slow with
the first quarter score 3-0. Stags
quickly made adjustments and
were able to beat the Saints 37-20.
Miege’s offense lead by senior quarterback Ryan Willis had a
hard time running the ball against
12
Aquinas. Junior running back Dawson Downing adapted and was able
to make some plays as a wide receiver. “I’m going to do whatever
the team needs me to do, even if
that means lining up and making
some plays at receiver,” he said after the game. Defense played a huge part
in the win over Aquinas, holding
the Saints to 4-for-12 on third down
conversions and 1-for-5 on fourth
down. The Stags improved to 4-0,
senior defensive end Peter Smardo said about keeping the streak
Four
touchdown
passes by Ryan Willis, including a 70-yard bomb to
Jafar Armstrong and the
stellar performance by
Dawson Downing, and the
Bishop Miege Stags’ offense rolled over the Blue
Valley Tigers on their way
to a 42-21 victory Sept. 19.
The defense held
its own as they faced the
number one rushing team
in the EKL. Stags controlled
the line of scrimmage for
Miege celebrates after a 36-yard touchdown pass on the way to a 35-7 victory
last Friday for Homecoming.
Photo by Lauren Rupp
The defense signals Stags’ ball after stopping Aquinas on fouth and one. This was one
of many key plays in the 37-20 victory Sept 26.
Photo by Carson Miller
alive, “As a team we just need to
stay hungry, keep the chip on our
shoulder and remember 4-0 wasn’t
the end goal, being undefeated
State champions is our goal.”
page twelve
the most part of the game and gave
the offense breathing room to play
their style of football.
Strong offensive performance
was the key to winning the first
The Miegian
Winning streak propels soccer
as season approaches its end
Sports
By: brennandial
staff writer
www.bishopmiege.com
game and certainly carried over
into the game against Gardner
Sept. 12. Stags hosted the Trailblazers in week two’s match up. The
Stags were able to hold the Trailblazers from a single point in the
29-0 win.
Dawson Downing topped
the night with 161 rushing yards
and two touchdowns, making it
back-to-back weeks rushing for
100+ yards. Quarterback Ryan Willis said much of the credit for the
win is to the defense. “When they
play that well, makes it a lot easier
on the offense.”
Coming off a performance
in which the defense had given up
more than 400 passing yards and
31 points Sept. 5, they bounced
back strong and looked forward to
taking on the rest of their schedule.
In the upcoming weeks,
Miege plays Blue Valley Southwest, Spring Hill, Louisburg and
Sumner Academy.
By: C.J.grunhard
staff writer
Boys’ soccer has recovered
from its slow start to the season
with six wins in the last eight
games. After beginning the season
1-2-2, the boys won five straight,
beating Gardner Edgerton 3-2 on
Sept. 16, Belton 2-1 on Sept. 18,
Lebanon High School 7-0 on Sept.
20, Blue Valley 2-0 on Sept. 23, and
St. James 2-1 on Sept. 27.
The winning streak came
to an end on Sept. 30 with a 0-1 loss
to Pembroke Hill. The boys quickly
recovered from the loss with a 1-0
win over Piper on Oct. 2. This win
against Piper was followed by a 0-2
loss to Blue Valley Northwest on
Oct. 7. The team’s recent victories
have improved their record to 7-42 as of Oct. 7.
These recent wins were
very encouraging considering that
senior captain Brandon Ramirez
was out with an injured knee.
Results of his MRI showed that
Brandon had torn his ACL and
meniscus from an injury suffered
earlier this year against DeSoto.
Brandon, a 3-time First Team AllState member, 2-time NSCAA
Region VII member, and 2-time
NSCAA Honorable Mention AllAmerican, will miss the rest of the
season due to the injury.
The Stags’ early adversity
has helped the team gain valuable
experience that will be needed
if they hope to defend their 4A
State title. “We have learned that
we are going to need to adapt to
our small size to play these bigger
teams,” says senior defender Liam
Bryson. While the Stags may be
small, Liam believed that they can
work around this by using their
“lightning speed.”
In addition to being
undersized, the Stags are also a
very young team. After the win
against Belton, Coach Nate Huppe
admitted that “it wasn’t a pretty
win, but we’ll take it because we
know sometimes you just have to
win ugly, especially with such a
young team.”
Only three starters had
returned from Miege’s State
Championship squad last season.
With the injury to Brandon, that
leaves the Stags with nine players
with little varsity experience. The
young guns have stepped up and
played well despite their youth.
Sophomore West Gajan
has done great playing as the
team’s goalie, with five shutouts
in the team’s first nine games.
Sophomore forward Jose RamirezCordero scored both of the
team’s goals against St. James as
well as two goals in three games
during the team’s winning streak.
Jose’s contributions have helped
propel the team ahead of their
opponents. Freshmen Drew Perez
and Alejandro Garcia came up big
in the team’s win over Blue Valley,
scoring the only two goals of the
night.
As their regular season is
coming to a close, the Stags will
face off against Bishop Ward on
Oct. 14, Blue Valley North on Oct.
16, and Barstow on Oct. 21. The
game against Barstow will be the
team’s Senior Night as well as the
final home game.
Senior wing Eli Jurden dribbles the ball
up the field in the team’s loss to Aquinas
on Sept. 9. Photo by Brandon Kirkland
October 10, 2014
Volleyball’s senior night a success
with big win over Blue Valley North
By: brennandial
staff writer
Varsity
volleyball
has
stepped up their play these last
couple of weeks. Good sets from
junior Nicole Purcell had the Stags
in a good position going into the
game against their archrivals Aquinas Oct. 7. The Stags would go on to
beat Aquinas and Blue Valley. After
losing to Blue Valley West Oct. 1,
the team turned it around in time
and defeated Blue Valley Southwest, senior Jessica Plake said,
“We just had to do our jobs right.”
Heading into the Aquinas
game, Plake said that ”We really
have to focus on our side of the net.
We cannot be intimidated by their
name, but fight every point to win.”
“Fire” is the volleyball
team’s motto, and they were on
fire entering the Maize tournament Sept. 20. After splitting home
games, beating Gardner and losing
to Blue Valley Northwest, Miege
bounced back with six straight
wins. They took on and defeated
Hutchison, Maize South, Derby,
Kapaun, Wichita Northwest and
Maize for the championship.
Stags defeated Blue Valley
Junior Allie Strong spikes a ball over the
net against Blue Valley North. Allie has
been recruited by West Point. (related
story on p. 3) Photo by Mary Egger
North for Senior night on Sept. 23.
With only two home games this
season, each of them was equally
important, and the stands were full
of energy and excitement.
Despite losing to Northwest, the team played well and had
a good turn out for their first home
game Sept. 16.
This season for the Stags
is going well, in the opinion of senior Ali Clark. The team had some
bumps and bruises here and there,
but with a 13-4 record, the team
prepares for State and is eager to
chase what would be their ninth
title in 14 years.
Plake said about their run
to State, “We can do it, we just have
to get our heads on straight.” “It’s
is a bittersweet moment,” Ali Clark
said about playing her last game at
Miege. Plake said,”I’m very excited.” as their excitement extended
to the crowd Miege went on to win
another one at home making their
home record 2-1 on the season.
There have been only two home games
this season, so Senior Night came already
Sept. 23 when senior Carson Miller and
junior Nicole Purcell attempt to block a
spike on their way to a win.
Photo by Mary Egger
page thirteen
13
www.bishopmiege.com
The Miegian
October 10, 2014
X C heading into the final stretch
By: lucydoll
staff writer
Cross country continues
to keep up the pace. With four returning varsity girls, Mary Egger,
Alex Hernandez, Hanna Stram and
Sierra Sparks; and four returning
boys Jackson Berry, Alex Hemberger, Callen Shutts and Collin Whalen; the Stags are making remarkable progress.
The Bonner Springs Invitational on Sept. 20 was a great meet
for the varsity girls’ team. They
placed 5th out of 12 and the top
runner, freshman Lannea Allen,
placed 14th overall, with an amaz-
ing time of 16:55.
The boys’ varsity team took
19th with returning varsity sophomore Callen Shutts finishing 75th
turning in a time of 19:17.
In the JV race, freshman
Danielle Jokerst placed 4th with a
18:31 time. She said, “It was shocking that I did so well as a freshman.
I would have never seen myself
placing top five in a JV race. If you
set your mind on a goal, make that
goal happen.”
At the Rim Rock Classic on
Sept. 27, Stram led the varsity girls
with a time of 17:18 and junior Jackson Berry ran a 18:57 5k, finishing
first for Miege varsity boys.
On the JV side, first for
Tennis turning focus
towards Regionals
By: lucydoll
staff writer
The Stags are at Regionals
today and tomorrow, then to State
on Oct. 17 and 18, but they have
been bringing the heat this season.
According to junior Anna
Shramek it’s because “There are
lots of great girls and everyone improved so much over the summer.”
JV won their match against
St. Teresa’s Academy at Homestead Country Club on Sept. 18 with
a 10-2 final score. At varsity’s Eastern Kansas League Tournament
on Sept. 20, the girls placed 4th of
8. Mary Kate Rielly took 5th and
Lily Gibson took 12th in singles.
Maria Baska and Megan Moriarty had four wins which landed them 11th place.
JV faced off with K.C.
Christian on Sept. 23 at Homestead Country Club. They
finished with a 8-1 win. On
the same day, varsity played
in the St. Thomas Aquinas
Tournament at the Plaza Tennis Center. They placed 11th
14
with Gibson taking 25th place and
Rielly taking 14th in singles. Additionally, doubles teams Baska and
Anna Shramek took 12th place and
Megan Moriarty and Zoey Slettehaugh took 27th place.
Varsity wrapped up September with the Topeka Hayden
Quad at Topeka Hayden on Sept.
30. The Stags took home 3rd place
with Rielly placing 1st in singles
with 3 wins and 0 losses. Grace
Lang had 1 win and 2 losses, scoring her 3rd place. Both doubles
teams took home 4th place with
0 wins and 3 losses each. JV also
had a great day on the 30th beating
Gardner Edgerton 11-2. Juniors Lucy Mohler and Zoey Slettehaugh celebrate after scoring a point. Photo by Lauren Rupp
page fourteen
the girls was sophomore Ashley
MacDonald with a 19:36 and Evan
Hilderbrand with 21:20. ”To do
cross country you need three parts
commitment, one part hard work,
and six parts crazy,” Hilderbrand
said when asked how hard cross
country really is.
Despite the muddy conditions on Oct. 2, the Perry-Lecompton Invitational was a big success
for the Stags. In the JV race, junior
Alex Hemberger came in first with
a time of 19:24. Freshman Megan
Homoly took 12th with a 21:32 leading the JV girls.
Whalen lead the varsity
boys with a 5K time of 19:24 finishing 19th. Stram finished 1st for
Miege and 11th
overall for the girls’
varsity team with
a time of 19:08.
“Running
is
the only reason for my existence,” says
sophomore
Hanna
Stram
about how it feels
to be running varsity for the second
year in a row.
Junior Matt Daly
finishes at the Miege
Invitational.
Photo by Lauren Rupp
Girls’ golf driving forward
as a team and finding success
By: C.J.grunhard
staff writer
Varsity began
the season on Sept. 30
at the Alvamar Golf
Course. The team
finished 16th out of
18th in their season
opener. JV improved
in their second tournament at Tomahawk
Golf Course on Sept.
29, taking fourth place
in the B flight.
Even though
the varsity team’s first
performance
didn’t
quite begin as they
had hoped, senior
Amanda Beck still has
a positive outlook on
the rest of the season,
“Varsity is ready to
perform our best and
looking forward to
dominating at Regionals so we can have a
shot at state as a team.”
In JV’s first
tournament of the
season, the girls took
on Blue Valley Northwest at Heritage Park
on Sept. 9. “The inexperienced team had a
few good swings and
a few bad swings. But
all in all, we walked off
the golf course with
smiles,” said head
coach Jeff English.
The team finished the
tournament in eighth
place.
Oct. 1
JV and varsity
competed in a
scramble, alternate shot,
and best-ball
nine
hole
t o u r n a me nt
at Overland
Park
Golf
Course. JV shot a 39 in
the scramble competition and a 74 during
the alternate shot portion. Varsity shot a 39
in the scramble, 44 in
the best ball, and a 50
in the alternate shot.
Junior Colleen
Zuk’s favorite part of
the season thus far
has been “hanging
out with the team during practice and before and after tournaments.” She has been
looking forward to the
“tournament at Overland Park golf course”
against Aquinas.
The
varsity
golfers of captain
Amanda Beck, Delaney Dodge, Regan
Semien, Ella Wengert,
and Colleen Zuk will
be attending Regionals in Topeka on Oct.
13. The girls will be
trying to qualify for
the State tournament
on Oct. 20 at Dub’s
Dread Golf Course.
Looking to find the fairway is senior Delaney Dodge. Photo by Brandon Kirkland
www.bishopmiege.com
The Miegian
October 10, 2014
Success is found in more than just sports
By: kylelauterwasser
staff writer
When you walk down the hall, it is
easy to hear how well the football team did last
Friday or how the volleyball team dominated
their last few matches. It is on a rare occasion,
however, that anyone comments on the
success of the girls’ tennis team or the cross
country team. Why is this you ask? In today’s
world, we seem to hold certain activities in
higher regard than others. We believe that
specific activities are more important than
others. While sitting and watching a tennis
match may not be as exciting as standing in the
student section during a home football game,
we cannot ignore the success that students
have achieved even in the activities lesser
known to the rest of the student body.
With as many clubs as are offered here
at Miege, it is very easy to overlook activities
like the Chess Club. Compared to the likes of
CMT or Spirit Club; Chess Club is a figurative
ant next to an elephant. Over the past couple
years, the number of students enrolled in
Chess Club has never reached more than
twenty. Even with the challenge of small size,
the individuals in the group still find success.
Last year, now sophomores Mike Thompson
and Matthew Maurer won the Holy Trinity
Winter Chess Tournament as Bishop Miege
representatives. Unfortunately, this great
victory went mainly unrecognized.
Miege should not be
known solely for success
on the field, but for the
accomplishments of all
students, no matter the
activity.
Chess club is not the only activity that
has gone under-appreciated. Over the past
couple years, the debate and forensics teams
have had their share of success. Last year, the
forensics team had 20 competitors qualify for
state, marking the first time Miege has sent a
full team in a number years. Of the 44 schools
that went to the 4A tournament, Miege placed
5th overall. Former senior Luke Powell and
then junior Elliot Vanderford even qualified
for the national tournament in Public Forum
Debate. But compared to the accomplishments
of the many sports teams at Miege, these
spectacular achievements went mainly
unnoticed.
Watching a last second
buzzer beater at a basketball game is
undoubtedly more exciting than hearing an
excellent counter-argument in a competitive
debate. However, we cannot ignore the
accomplishments of the students who put
so much of their time into activities that go
mainly under the radar. The world is so much
more than the lights of Friday night.
While it is always exciting singing
“Follow the Leader” after a football victory at
home, we should be just as excited hearing of
the success of the Robotics team at the annual
Regional tournament. Miege should not be
known solely for success on the field, but for
the accomplishments of all students, no matter
the activity.
The finest team in all the land plans to take the crown
After 29 years, the Royals are finally back in the hunt for Blue
October. They swept the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in three
games and are headed to the American League Championship
Series against the Baltimore Orioles starting today. The last
time the Royals were even in the playoffs was 1985, and much has
changed since then. Back in 1985… Compiled by Kyle Lauterwasser
•
•
•
•
Microsoft released the first version of Windows.
a joint French-American expedition located the remains of the RMS Titanic.
an average gallon of gas cost $1.09.
the first call from a mobile phone was made in the UK by Ernie Wise.
• the song “We Are the World” was recorded, featuring artists such as Michael
Jackson, Bruce Springsteen, and Tina Turner.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
the most popular film was Back to the Future.
the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl XIX.
Ronald Reagan was entering his second term as President.
the top hit on Billboard’s Hot 100 was “Careless Whisper” by Wham!
the Chiefs finished their season fifth in the AFC West with a record of 6 and 10.
Nintendo released their first home console, the Nintendo Entertainment System.
the most popular vehicles were Ford’s F-series truck
models.
• Cristiano Ronaldo, Adrian Peterson, and Bruno Mars were
all born.
15
page fifteen
These Were the Best of Times...
With only two hours to decorate their hallway, seniors Hope Bentley, Kaitlyn Pearson
and Kaitlyn Gemmill work together to decorate the lights.
Photo by Phyllis Hartwig
1970s style was prevalent throughout the junior hallway
for Decade Day. From left to right Riley Fagan, Allie Strong,
Austin Cutler, Madelyn Anderson, Ally Backes and CJ Balino.
Photo by McKenzi Weber
A friendly bet was waged on the Aquinas vs.
Miege football game by the schools’ chaplains.
A Miege victory meant that Father Schmidt
had to serve lunch for a day in the Miege Cafe.
Photo by Nastassia Aquino
Dancing to the beat of their own
drums are seniors Liam Bryson
and Ethan De Leon.
Photo by Carson Miller
Past and present Homecoming queens, Mattea Pezza and
Abbie Hair, embrace after Abbie is crowned the 2014 queen.
Photo by Nastassia Aquino
Members of the senior class decorate
their Homecoming float while in their
pink-out attire for the game.
Photo by Nastassia Aquino
Leaving it all on the floor at the Homecoming dance are
juniors Charlie Smardo and John Quinly.
Photo by Carson Miller
Among the more than 400 people who bought tickets to the Homecoming dance
were seniors Nick Sim, Brianna Wallace and Sue Choi. Photo by McKenzi Weber
Homecoming court attendant Ali Clark
is led onto the dance floor by her date,
Brian Tornquist, to begin the slow dance.
Photo by Carson Miller