COVINgTON CATHOLIC TIMES - Covington Catholic High School
Transcription
COVINgTON CATHOLIC TIMES - Covington Catholic High School
Photo Club Contest Results P. 3 Looking for a date night movie? The Vow review P. 4 Senior artist Nick Mason continues to impress P. 7 Covington Catholic Times Volume XXIV Issue V March/April 2012 Diversity Reigns Supreme By: Michael Best Every year Covington Catholic High School devotes a week to appreciating foreign languages, cultures, and customs. On February 21, Cov Cath started their very own Foreign Language Week. A whole week filled with foreign country based lunches, food parties, and a German accordion player playing while the students ate lunch. Monday the students were off because of Presidents’ Day but on Tuesday the Spanish students brought in different Mexican dishes for the whole class to enjoy. Foods ranging from chips and salsa to churros were brought. The Spanish classes also watched movies such as Finding Nemo and Lion King in Spanish to help improve their Spanish-speaking skills. Tuesday was German day and students were served goetta sausages, metts, hot dogs, and German potatoes to top it off. For dessert the students got apple cobbler with a little baby doll inside since it was Fat Tuesday. Whoever found the special baby doll was awarded a free ice cream. Wednesday was Italian day and for lunch the students had spaghetti with bread sticks and a choice of Caesar or Italian salad. On Thursday, the students were served burritos with chips, nacho cheese sauce, and a churro. Even though it was Mexican day, a German accordion player played throughout all three mods. He was originally scheduled to play on Tuesday but rescheduled to Thursday. To end Foreign Language Week, pizza boats were served for lunch. A big thank you goes to all the teachers and faculty who helped put this week together. It was a lot of fun for all Colonels involved! Photo by Diane Ruth Colonels Get Cultured! By: Ian Dollenmayer Are you interested in ethnic cuisine and foreign films? Do you desire to know more about our ever expanding globe? If your answer is yes, then perhaps the newest club at Covington Catholic, the Culture Club, is an extracurricular worthy of the investment of your time. Moderated by Mrs. Ruth and Mrs. Jones and led by President McCoy Dressman and Vice-President Ethan Egbers, the Culture Club’s intent is—not surprisingly—to expose student members to various cultures through mediums like food, film, entertainment, and guest speakers. In this way, our sometimes sheltered student body can learn to appreciate and understand the customs of people other than white Catholic males. The first activity for Culture Club was a special trip to Oriental Wok on Thursday, February 28. Here, they sampled several different dishes. They also got the chance to speak to Mr. Wong himself. This was just the first of many activities the club will be engaging in throughout this school year and into the future. Culture Club, the newest activity on the block, is already up and running. With officers and members already preparing for their first activity, it is clear that this new group can only continue to grow in size and scope. Mrs. Jones and Brady Dunn enjoy the food of Oriental Wok. Nick Velascy keeps things interesting at lunch. Above: Culture Club members enjoyed Mr. Mike Wong, owner of Oriental Wok, addressing the group with stories of how he made to America and began his business. His son-in-law shared many of the Chinese customs with the group. (Photos by Diane Ruth) News Page 2 Tornadoes Hit the Tri-State A Myriad of National News By: Eric Schneider By: Joey Drees Nationwide, there have been many disasters, some key turns in the Presidential race, as well as some interesting celebrity news. Most recently, the nation’s eyes have turned toward our area and areas of Indiana right in our tri-state. The tornadoes and storms that swept through the area killed a reported 39 people, destroying and devastating many families, as well as some cities. The nation also saw tragedy occur in Ohio at Chardon High School. T.J. Lane, a student at the high school, was charged with three counts of aggravated murder, two attempts of aggravated murder and one of felonious assault (the student who was grazed by a bullet). As the election draws nearer, candidates continue in their run to show America that they belong as the leader of our country. Recently, Mitt Romney took a huge, rather personal hit, as five of his relatives made it known that they are endorsing Ron Paul’s Republican campaign. Meanwhile, as Obama attempts to make a legacy as President and gain enough popularity to be voted back into office, Donald Trump predicted that Barack Obama would start a war with Iran to win. It worked for President George W. Bush in the past, so Americans may see a similar initiative taken by President Obama. On a less serious note, Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi, a star celebrity from the TV show Jersey Shore has been engaged with Jionni LaValle and is currently pregnant with his child. Americans (who really care about Jersey Shore) seem to be shocked that Snooki may finally be settling down. The highly anticipated movie, Project X, about a high school party that draws 1500 high schoolers to a Pasadena, California home, did not get high ratings from many prominent critics. But the younger generation sensed differently, as they saw it as a perfect combination of the highly rated Hangover and Superbad. In the sports world, Ryan Braun, the Milwaukee Brewers 2011 MVP outfielder, had his allegations of steroid use revoked. Braun will no longer face a 60 game suspension, which is a big relief to the Brewers, and Major League Baseball’s reputation. Meanwhile, the Syracuse University Men’s Basketball program is under the microscope as they face investigations into the violation of the program’s internal drug policy. According to reporters, Syracuse violated its drug policy by failing to report all positive drug tests and playing ineligible players when they should have been suspended for the drug use. Our nation is always busy with new ideas, more crimes, and exciting achievements, making it easy to get confused and lose track of what is going on. Between the race for President of the United States, the celebrity drama that everyone loves, and sporting news, this is a busy nation. usnews.com The tri-state area was hit by severe weather on Friday, March 2nd, including tornadoes that destroyed many homes and killed several people in its path. The tornadoes affected people throughout the area, including parts of Kenton County. The disaster left a huge path of destruction that will take a lot of time, money, and effort to rebuild. In Northern Kentucky, Crittenden and southern Kenton County were hit the hardest. The EF3 tornado that went through Crittenden produced winds of up to 135 MPH, providing no mercy for the houses and people in its path. Four people were killed in Kenton County, with the state’s death toll reaching 22. According to Andrew Schierberg, Public Information Officer for Kenton County Police, 88 houses have been completely destroyed in Kenton County, along with 388 houses that have been deemed uninhabitable due to the damage that they sustained. Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear visited some of the affected areas the day after the storms and compared the damage to that seen on a battlefield. He is requesting a federal disaster declaration for the parts of Kentucky that were hit by the tornadoes. This would allow the state to use federal money to help clean up and rebuilt the devastated areas, and it would also give funds to businesses that were affected in the tornado. There are many ways that people can help out those who were hit by the storms, such as by donating money to help those who can’t afford to rebuild their homes or helping clear debris and rebuilding. Top: Ron Vines rescues a puppy from debris. Bottom: Donna Sebastian finds her Bible. Sunrise for the Economy By: Alex Flynn Everyone knows that our economy is not the best thing happening in America these days. In May of 2008, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed slightly above 13,000. Little did anyone know that it would take nearly four years for this feat to occur again. On February 21, the DOW rose above 13,000 for the first time since America fell into its recession. It peaked up above the mark a couple of times before closing in the 12,900’s. Another milestone was reached on February 28, 2012, when the DOW closed at 13,005.12. According to cincinnati.com, the gain of one Johnson & Johnson stock is what pushed it over the mark as the market closed. This number implies that America’s economy has regained its footing and is returning to a stable financial state. Americans are starting to believe in their economy again. Researchers were worried about a “doubledip” recession. This means that after we regain our previous status, the stock market would take another nose-dive into another recession. Now, they have trashed this conclusion and believe the prosperity is here to stay. The Great Recession official began in December of 2007. Two months earlier, the DOW had an all-time high, and the February 28th closing was only 1,160 points away from that record. As the market stabilizes, researchers are hoping that more investors find confidence in the market and begin to reinvest. Along with the steady improvement in the stock market, unemployment has lowered in the past five consecutive months, which is a record high since 1994. America is beginning to reclaim its position as an economic powerhouse in the world. With continued success, we will have a prospering economy once again. Shout-out to the buyer of the one Johnson & Johnson stock! Page 3 Clubs Photo Club’s Annual School-Wide Photo Contest Results For the past few weeks, the Photography Club has been hosting their annual contest. Each year, dozens of students and teachers enter in a photograph that he or she has taken that they feel possesses quality, proper lighting, and creativity. The photos are then presented before a panel of judges who have shown knowledge of the art, and an eye for beauty. The winners receive a ribbon, as well as a monetary prize that is comprised of the money earned from pancake breakfasts which are held throughout the year in preparation for the event. This year, the judges consisted of Mr. Durham, Mrs. Blankenbuehler, Mr. Haders, Mrs. Flaherty, Mr. Cleveland, and Photography Club president Damon Clemons. After hours and hours of grueling debate, they decided on the winners. This year, the title of best photographer in the school, and the first place prize of $100, was bestowed on Mr. Snyder. Senior Michael Helton placed second, and took home $75. In third place, with winnings of $50, was Junior Noah Gripshover. Raking in $25, Junior Ian Lape-Gerwe rounded out the top four. Any of the underclassmen who missed out on the fun this year are encouraged to start taking photos for next year’s competition. Also, the Photo Club is always looking for new members, and suggests that anyone with any interest in the art of photography come out to one of the meetings. Winning photos can bbe viewed at the end of this issue. Mr. Bill Snyder’s 1st place photo. By: Michael Helton Noah Gripshover’s 3rd Place Photo Engineering Club Update By: Joey Drees The Engineering Club has been very ac- working on projects on which they look to extive in the past several months. From the Barge cel. One of these is the bridge-building conMichael Helton’s 2nd Place Photo Race to a bake sale to building bridges, the club test. Sponsored by West Point, students aim participates in activities and projects from all to design a bridge that will be able to hold the spectrums of physics and engineering. Not only weight of traveling cars without collapsing. The has the club completed exciting activities in the club is also planning on having a catapult conpast, but they seem to have a bright future with the test very soon, which will be a fun and excitTEAMS competition and the state science fair. ing activity for the members. Along with work Three freshman members of the Engi- ing on projects, the club also has speakers talk neering Club will be representing CCH in the to them about future engineering possibilities state science fair on March 31st. The group, con- for them. A recent speaker that made a presentasisting of Walt Menke, Joe Marino, and Dan- tion was Dr. Mantei from UC. Dr. Mantei disBy: Michael Best iel Foster won the Engineering Fair of North- cussed renewable sources of energy with the On Wednesday, March 7th, stuern Kentucky by entering their boat made of Engineering Club, which is a very hot topic dents from Covington Catholic particiduct tape and cardboard that was originally in today’s society. He talked about the imporpated in the TEAMS engineering comconstructed for the Engineering Club’s Barge tance of finding ways to harvest energy for use, petition at the University of Cincinnati. Race. They will look to represent the school such as through solar panels and wind turbines. The Varsity Colonels arrived at the UniThe members of the Engineering Club will and the Engineering Club well in the competiversity of Cincinnati at around 7:30 am and tion to be held at Eastern Kentucky University. continue to work hard in their quest for knowledge then took the regional test which eighty multi The Engineering Club has also been with everything to do with physics and engineering. ple choice questions. After this test the students were given a short break before taking the national test. The national test consisted of eight different essays over various medical related fields. Tanner Fangman was part of the varsity A team and said, “It was a great honor to be selected and be a part of such a hard-working group of guys. All the hard work I have put in over the years has definitely paid off in the long run.” Members of the JV and Varsity include seniors Tanner Coyne-Chilland, Kurt Wittmer, Michael Mauer, Brian Fagel, Jim Nutter, and Tyler Hoeffinghoff; juniors Kyle Massie, Adam Goddard, Joe Kendall, Tanner Fangman, Nathan Wainscott, Alex Mize, and Will Henry; sophomores Kyle Hennies, Brett Bauereis, Sean Nemann, and Jeremy Greer. The Varsity Colonels finished second overall in their region and earned the right to be scored on a national level. Congratulations to the Colonels for their success. TEAMS Competition Arts and Entertainment Page 4 The Vow The Teak Thai Cuisine Safe House By: Brady Reese By: Michael Helton By: Joe Robinson The Vow is a beautiful love story directed by Michael Sucsy starring Channing Tatum and Rachael McAdams. This dramatic romance was rated at 5.9 out of 10 by movie viewers and the credits. The Vow is a PG-13 movie that runs for 104 minutes. After getting married, Rachael McAdams (Paige) and Channing Tatum (Leo) were in a car accident that forced Paige into a coma and caused her to lose her memory of ever marrying Leo. Over the next couple months of recovering, Paige decides to move back home with her parents and start her life over. Leo is crushed and fights to regain her love. As Paige begins to move on with her life, she discovers some heart-breaking information about her parents which causes her to lose trust for everyone. Paige immediately leaves her house and heads for Leo, who has been gone for two months. Paige and Leo begin reconnecting and regaining their love for each other. The Vow is an outstanding romance that will bring tears to a man’s eyes. It is a great movie that is perfect for a night out with your soul mate. As delicious as cheeseburgers, hot dogs, and pizza sound, sometimes it is enjoyable to try unfamiliar food. With this philosophy in mind, I traveled to Mt. Adams, Ohio. Here, I found The Teak—an authentic Thai restaurant that serves everything from Crispy Duck to Pad Thai. What brought me here, was the restaurant’s reputation as the “Best Thai” in Cincinnati. I sat down and grabbed a menu. The copious varieties of sushi were what caught my eye the most. They offered over fifty different selections. After careful consideration, I decided to go with the “Who Dey” roll, and half a roll of yellowtail. Following my order, I sat and observed the restaurant for a while. With authentic decorations, the restaurant provided a unique environment. The waiter then appeared with a tray full of fish. He placed a colorful display before me that, at first glance, appeared to be a cheese coney! This was due to the crab that was shredded and placed on top of the sushi. The inside consisted of avocado, crab, seaweed, rice, tuna, and caviar. The whole thing was topped with a chipotle mayo that added an interesting spice to the flavor. Altogether, it was delicious. Even the yellowtail on the side was tasty, despite its raw feel. The prices varied depending on contents of the sushi. Rolls ranged from $3.50 to $14. The wait was not bad at all, and the servers were very attentive. I would highly recommend it to anyone who wishes to branch out from their usual selection. In the movie, Safe House, Denzel Washington is the lead role, playing the character of Tobin Frost. He is an ex-CIA agent that is convicted under suspicion of betraying his country. Frost is a 57 year-old that does not act his age by any means. He runs, punches, runs, punches, and shoots a gun occasionally. The other lead in the movie is Matt Weston, played by actor Ryan Reynolds. He is an untested CIA agent who is keeping a low profile in Cape Town. Weston is busy keeping watch on a company’s safe house when the movie takes off. Frost is snaking his way through the small town and reveals his identity to CIA agents who sweep him up and take him to a safe house to debrief him. Throughout the whole movie, the question still hangs in the air: did Frost betray his country or not? The young Swedish director, Daniel Espinosa, holds his suspense through the movie very well. He slips in just the right amount of action scenese, mixed with a very intricate plot. The rest of the movie consists of declining plot and resolve to all the question the audience has. If you want to find out the answers to these questions, you’ll have to go see the movie yourself! Clearly the leader # 1 provider of solar power in North America Third largest clean energy nuclear fleet # 1 industry ranking by Fortune Magazine # 2 utility in energy efficiency in the U.S. # 1 provider of wind power in North America Named one of the top 10 innovative companies by Fortune Many accomplishments. All by just one company. And you’ve probably never heard of us, until now. FPL GROUP IS NOW There’s more. Come meet us at www.NextEraEnergy.com Arts and Entertainment Page 5 It’s Breakfast Time Proud Supporter of Covington Catholic Colonels! zallacompanies.com 859.341.5523 Providing professional offices, retail space and industrial locations in Northern Kentucky. The Road I Must Travel By: Blake Perkins In the third CD by the Covington Catholic Chamber Choir, The Road I Must Travel, under the direction of Jim Wolfe, the Colonels have once again out-done themselves. With a mix of the 2011 and 2012 Cov Cath Chamber Choir present on the CD, the Colonels have put together another excellent compilation of choral talent. With songs like “Lean on Me (We Shall Overcome)” and “Stand By Me” the Colonels capture some of the classic of the music industry. Also included in the CD is a collaboration with Belle Voix, Notre Dame Academy High School Chamber Choir, on the songs like “Second Star to the Right,” “Goodnight my Angel,” and “Shenandoah.” This smooth-sounding, easy-going CD is a must buy. If you are interested in purchasing The Road I Must Travel, they are available in the school’s spirit shop and are available on the school’s website anytime at covcath.org All American Rejects By: Matthew Rolf The famous American rock band, The All American Rejects, return with their fourth studio album, Kids in the Street, to be released March 27th. The All American Rejects have released a two song sampler including “Somebody’s Gone” and “Beekeeper’s Daughter.” This band, at times, has been very popular and is wellknown for their previous songs “Move Along,” “It Ends Tonight,” “Dirty Little Secret,” and “Gives You Hell.” However, these two songs are not like the previous ones. As those songs were up-beat and catchy, these songs are very calm and chill. Nothing in these songs really stands out. Hopefully, there are at least one or two catchy and up-beat songs on this album. Otherwise, it will be just another average display of music. By: Charlie Mader It seems that every time you turn on the radio the same songs are being played. For me, every morning, on my way to school, when I turn on the radio it feels like it is Groundhog Day. The recent craze, as shown in her sweep of the Grammys, is Adele. Almost every other song is either her hit single “Rolling in the Deep’ or her completely unrealistic song entitled “Set Fire to Rain.” I am all for artist being lyrically creative, but really, Adele? How exactly do you set fire to rain? Although Adele is a more recent example of the monotony running through our radio waves, I realized this trend about 2 years ago when Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance” was played about two times within my 7 minute commute to the halls of Covington Catholic. That is when I decided enough was enough and I found a passion in discovering more atypical artist instead of the everyday mainstream, overpaid stars like Miley Cyrus and Jay Sean. I was at my computer one day streaming through Pandora when I stumbled upon a small alternate hip-hop group from the city of brotherly love (Philadelphia) named Chiddy Bang. The song that passed through my ear drums like a majestic Andy Dalton spiral into the hands of A.J. Green was “Opposite of Adults-” Chiddy Bang’s remake of the popular MGMT song Kids. I believe the reason I fell in love with Chiddy Bang was two-fold. First, the beats made by the “beat master’ of the group, Noah “Xaphoon Jones” Beresin, are unlike anything I have ever heard. They are so upbeat at times you just have to smile when hearing them, not to mention the fact that “Xaphoon” creates all his beats from scratch. Second, Chiddy Bang does not just rap about having the hottest girlfriend, or making the most money. Vocalist and lyricist Chidera “Chiddy” Anamege comes up with meaningful word flows that the average Joe can relate to. For example, in their song “Bad Day” they remind the listener to live life to the fullest in the refrain with the words “Happiness is a warm gun, live it fully loaded,” or in a song from their new album Breakfast entitled “Happening” they urge the listener to not wait around for life and to attack it head on with the lyrics like “What are you waiting for, cause this is happening.” I could go on for days writing about how much I enjoy listening to Chiddy Bang, but still that would not do them justice. So I am going to put the ball in your court. Next time you are sitting at home with nothing to do, jump on ITunes and buy their newly released album entitled Breakfast and hear for yourself the angelic, upbeat, innovative, and incredibly “dope” group named Chiddy Bang. Around the School Page 6 By: Eric Torres Sunday, February 26th, was the annual Fine Arts Spaghetti Dinner held at CovCath to raise money and awareness of the fantastic fine arts programs in the school. Chamber Choir used the night as a springboard to market their new CD The Road that I Must Travel, which was two years in the making. Chamber Choir director Mr. Jim Wolfe put the CD together using well known contemporary pieces that provided good choral potential, songs like “Goodnight, My Angel” and “Lean on Me.” Art was on display in the hallways for patrons to enjoy, featuring students under the guidance of Mr. Tim Haders, the chair of the Fine Arts Department at CCH. Mr. Cerimele and his Jazz Band played some upbeat tunes just outside the cafeteria, featuring talent from the band program here as well as form NDA. The evening was a success and over 100 new Chamber Choir CDs were sold! Photo by Diane Kohlhepp Spaghetti Dinner The Chamber Choir entertains the multitude of guests. Julius Caesar Showcase By: Michael Best By: Eric Torres On Thursday, February 23rd, the entire freshman class, along with some teachers, went to the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park to see the Shakespeare play, Caesar. Julius Caesar is one of the most well known plays written by William Shakespeare. It starts out with Julius Caesar as a high political leader in Rome and his ambition to become dictator of all of Rome. Caesar is warned that he must beware of the “Ides of March.” The prophecy ends up coming true, and Caesar is assassinated on March 15th, the Ides of March. Marcus Brutus and Cassius were the conspirators behind the assassination. Brutus and Cassius eventually meet their death as the town rebels and murder them. These murderers eventually lead the country into a civil war. Overall, the freshmen said they enjoyed the play. The actors were great, but they said it was confusing because one actor played multiple parts. Seeing the play live is a great way to better familiarize yourself with Shakespearean language and to help better understand the play. The CCH/NDA Broadway Musical Showcase was a night of celebrating great musicals that have passed through the broadway scene and left an indelible mark. It was held at the Notre Dame Academy Theater February 16th, 17th, and 18th. Songs were taken from musical classics such as The Phantom of the Opera and Annie Get Your Gun, along with more modern productions, like Wicked. The cast consisted of about 30 pandas and colonels, with about 10 features and two hosts. The features included Seniors Emma Parks and Michaela Kamer, juniors Norb Wessels and Eric Zimmer, sophomores Sarah Ritter, Lindsey Franxman, Hope Pauly, and Aaron Schilling. Host Eric Torres and hostess Sammy Borgmann kept the audience on their toes for the set changes, as well as performing solos in the show later on among the other features. Overall, the Showcase was a great production and did its job of showcasing the talents of the leading ladies and gentlemen involved in the CCH/NDA drama program. Eric Torres puts on his game face for Showcase. Around the School Page 7 Junior Day of Reflection Sarah Panzau Talk By: Eric Schneider and Brady Reese In a world of bad decisions and careless choices, we often tend to forget about the consequences that we have to face. On March 28th, a lady by the name of Sarah Panzau came to visit Covington Catholic to stress the importance of thinking about consequences before making a decision—sometimes a decision that could alter the rest of your life. Sarah had been a star volleyball player in college, had many offers on the table, but ultimately decided to attend a small college near her home. While there, she earned All- American Honors, but dropped out during her sophomore year when she decided the academics were too difficult. Sarah was like any other teen, influenced by her peers to try new things, including the consumption of alcohol. After dropping out of college, she became an underage bartender where the alcohol became a problem. She had never faced any real problems with drinking until one night when she decided to drive home, rather than calling her mother or having a sober friend drive, after drinking excessively. Sarah was in a single car accident, as she lost control of the car, which flipped four times. She was given a zero percent chance of survival, and was taken to the St. Louis University Hospital as a Jane Doe. Miraculously, Sarah survived, but not without physical proof of her accident—her consequences. Sarah has one arm, numerous scars, has undergone two facial reconstructions, with a grand total of 36 surgeries in all. However, Sarah has been given a second chance on life, which she has dedicated to talking to teens who were going through the same things as she was during her car accident. Sarah brought a good message to the table by telling the Covington Catholic student body to think before acting. She emphasized to rely on the people who you know will always be there for you. She told the students that she regrets not calling her mother to drive her home that night. She was afraid of being in trouble for drinking when she should have been more concerned about the dangers of drunk driving. She also stressed the idea of being around friends who love you for who you are and influence you positively. A good friend would have told Sarah not to drive home that night. Sarah said, “The consequences of getting in trouble are far less serious than the consequences of losing your life.” Do not make the mistake of drinking and driving. By: Joey Drees The Days of Reflection at Covington Catholic are a unique experience for the students to broaden their spiritual horizons while learning more about themselves and bonding with their classmates. While the Freshman and Sophomore Days of Reflection follow similar formats, the Junior Day of Reflection is always different. Although it is usually held off of the CCH campus, the retreat was held in the Griffin Centre this year, but the juniors were still able to get just as much out of it. The Junior Day of Reflection is typically focused around the theme of vocations. The juniors are entering the time when they will look more into what they want to do for the rest of their lives, and as a Catholic school, Covington Catholic presents the students with the different vocations in the Catholic faith, which include priesthood, religious, married life, or single life. One way that they were exposed to these was in the form of a movie. The juniors watched Courageous, a movie about four police officers who face the challenges that go along with fatherhood. Mr. Andolina also gave a speech on vocations, providing an in-depth look into the ways that students can practice their faith whether it be a vocation to the religious or living a married life. Vocations are a major part of the Junior Day of Reflection, but it is not the only focus. The students were also provided with two other presentations dealing with spiritual and family lives. Mr. Zerhusen gave one of the speeches. He dealt with the topic of family relationships, which dealt with the importance of maintaining close bonds with family members as students become older and more independent. The other presentation was about El Camino de Santiago, Spanish for “Way of St. James.” El Camino de Santiago is a pilgrimage to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Spain, where the remains of the apostle St. James are buried. Many Catholics make the pilgrimage as a spiritual journey to a holy place. The Junior Day of Reflection was once again a very successful event. The students were able to learn a lot about vocations and relationships, but it was also a great way for the students to grow in their faith while strengthening bonds with their classmates. Freshman Day of Reflection By: Chase Zimmer On Friday March 23, the Freshman of Covington Catholic went into a day of reflection for one purpose, to become closer as class. The class of around 130 attempted to reflect on their past freshman year and make goals for their upcoming years as a Colonel. The day started with the unsure freshmen walking into the gym to the sweet sounds of classical music in the background. As they all gently took their seats, they were shocked by the screaming sounds of 33 seniors bum rushing them with whistles blowing and ping pong balls flying everywhere. After the madness settled down the eager participants sat around the gym in a circle to play “The Chair Game” and learn more about their classmates. This activity helped the freshmen loosen up a bit for the serious material to follow. After the fun and games, the eight talks of the day were set up to be presented. The reflection started with the talk titled “Who Am I?” This talk was given by seniors and comedians, Eric Torres and Nick Mason. This speech helped the freshmen to take a look, not only into themselves, but to take a second look at the people around them as well. The next talk was the topic of “How Do I Fit In?” given by Gabe Gray and Ryan Dickmann, which gave them advice on how to handle adversity and be a part of the brotherhood that is Covington Catholic. After lunch, we proceeded with the final talks of the day. The topic was “A Look Back” given by Chase Zimmer, Drew Bamberger, and Joe Robinson. These were the more serious talks of the day, which helped the freshman to think about their past experiences and helped them to realize that everyone has struggles in life. The talks finished with a recap of the day and “Goals for the Future” by rector Charlie Mader. He helped everyone to realize how blessed they are that they go to Cov Cath, and he presented them with advice for the next three years at CCH. Overall, the Day of Reflection was a complete success and possibly the best in Covington Catholic history. Thanks to all those who participated in making this such a special day, one those freshmen will not soon forget. Sophomore Day of Reflection Photo by Bryan Metzger By: Bryan Metzger The sophomore Day of Reflection, which took place on March 23rd, lived up to the illustrious expectations set by years past. The class of nearly 125 students gathered to discuss family, friends, and school. The day started off with the sophomores playing an icebreaking game involving questions about each student. This got the kids talking and helped them to learn a little bit about each other. After the icebreaking games, Thomas Batts gave a talk about family values and how much family means to him. This was proceeded by a talk given by Eric Schneider. His talk focused on school and what Covington Catholic has meant to him over the past four years. The next two talks were on the topics of Friends. Jake Lankheit and Evan talkers gave these powerful talks. The day came to a close with Nick Weber’s (the rector for the day) talk. He gave a recap of all the speeches and then added his own stories to reiterate their points. All in all, it was a great day for the sophomores, who seemed like they got a lot out of it. Students Page 8 Nick Mason: Resident Artist Governor’s Cup By: Jacob Lange By: Charlie Mader The art program here at Covington Catholc is something special. It seems that every incoming freshman knows about Mr.Haders. The one thing about the art program is that nobody ever really sees the work that goes into the finished poducts. These amazing works of art don’t come out of thin air. At times our Colonel art students put over 30 hours into some pieces. Nick Mason, one of the more talented art students, is a great example of what Mr. Haders can do with someone in four years. Nick Mason came into Cov Cath with a great skill set but Mr. Haders turned him into and outstanding artist who has a future in art. Just this past month Nick started and completed one of his favorite pieces. A program called “Artist Reaching Classrooms” came to Cov Cath. Artist from all around the area came into the art class to tell everyone a little about themselves. One of the artist who came in was Anthony Becker. As soon as Becker was finished speaking Nick Mason knew he had fallen in love with his style. That is where his inspiration came for his next piece. It is an incredible, 3D abstract mounted piece depicting a dead ram in the desert with crows circling above. The piece took him about 20 hours to complete. Nick is currently in Art 4 and wants to pursue a career in Graphic Design and from the looks of his art right now he will excel greatly. I asked nick whats one thing he has learned from his 4 years with Mr. Haders and he left me with this qoute- “Earth without art is just..Eh” Covington Catholic High School held this year’s annual Regional Governor’s Cup Competition on February 18th. Every year many of Covington Catholic’s brightest students compete against many of the best students from schools around northern Kentucky. This year the Colonels had high hopes headed into the regional tournament. The team placed in the top 3 in every event in the district tournament, including first place in Science by Jim Nutter, Composition by Ian Dollenmayer, and Social Studies by Paul Kleier. With these first place finishes, as well as many second and third place finishes, the Colonels had high hopes headed into the regional tournament. The Colonels did not disappoint the home crowd, placing second out of eighteen Northern Kentucky high schools. Senior Ian Dollenmayer continued his winning ways, finishing in first place in the composition competition with senior Paul Kleier close behind in third place. Jim Nutter, also a senior, placed second overall in the science competition, and Michael Maurer placed third in his mathematics competition. With all four of these students placing in the top three in their competition, they will all be moving on to the state competition to represent Covington Catholic in Lexington on March 10th. The success of these students is not only a great accomplishment for them but a great accomplishment for the teachers at Covington Catholic as well. The hard work that these students show greatly reflects the effort that is put forth by all the teachers here at Covington Catholic. As more students place higher in these competitions, it shows our northern Kentucky community that we do not just have a strong athletic background, but a strong academic background as well. A Piece of Art By: Brady Reese Nick Weber is an art four student who will be attending the University of Notre Dame for college. He has been an outstanding student for Mr. Haders and is a caring individual throughout the community. Mr. Weber’s most recent piece of art was to spread awareness of world hunger. His artwork showed a starving African child sitting on a branch alone during a beautiful sunset. This piece of art is extremely touching and is full of emotion. “I painted this piece be- cause world hunger has become a real issue in many countries. I plan on traveling the world to help starving families survive and enjoy their lives,” said Nick. Nick is a true Colonel and is always looking for ways to help out other people. The piece that Nick Weber painted is inspiring. World hunger is a real issue for many countries and it needs to be stopped. Nick has painted an image to show that we need to help. Shakespeare Competition By: Eric Torres Congratulations to Ian Dollenmayer, who placed 4th overall in the finals of the annual Cincinnati Shakespeare Competition! This competition, held by the English Speaking Union, is fiercely competitive. First, participants were selected as overall best in their school, chosen by a circle of faculty judges (Ian won first place in the Covington Catholic Shakespeare Competition, with second place awarded to Aaron Schilling, and third to Kurt Wittmer). The top students from local schools joined Ian at the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park for the Regional competition on February 25th, where they were judged by experienced actors, playwrights, and directors from across the tri-state area. Ian was selected as one of the 6 finalists, a feat in itself. These finalists were congratulated for their progress and given a week to rehearse for the Finals, which was held on March 3rd at the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company. Ian performed a monologue from King Henry IV, and Sonnet 91, and selected a reading from King Lear as his cold reading. Ian was awarded 4th place out of the six, and Jenna Sharp, a senior at Villa, won first place, receiving a full-expense paid weekend to New York to perform for a panel of Judges for the National Competition— whose grand prize is an expense-paid trip to England to learn about Shakespeare’s life. Editorials Page 9 Live Like It’s Your Last Can I Get a Ring Please? Leap Day By: Matthew Rolf People are well known to the saying “Live life to the fullest”. Unfortunately, not many people do this. Everyone nowadays is always so caught up in the materialistic things of life that they never take the time to appreciate what life is really about. With the recent outbreak of tornados across the Greater Cincinnati area, people have taken a step backward and evaluated how they are living their lives. So many people have been affected by these tornados, both directly and indirectly. Those who were unaffected, like many of us here in the Covington Catholic family, have probably moved on and forgotten the terrible natural disasters. Many of us have probably passed the tornadoes off, thinking, “That could never happen to us, we live in a hilly area,” or “I just can’t see this happening to my family.” The truth is that it can. Living life and taking things for granted is an aspect of life that we should avoid. You never know when your time on earth is up, so why aren’t we living life to the fullest? Before you go out for the day, give your Mom and Dad a hug because you do not know for sure if you will ever see them again. Overcome your pride that you are “too cool” to do so. Living life thinking you are “too cool” to do certain things that you want to do disables you from being who you truly are. Try not to get caught up in what everyone else thinks, and use your values and experiences to act the way you want to act. By: Eric Schneider There is nothing like waking up in the morning to a sun shining through the window, birds chirping, and a fresh breeze outside. This is spring, and it is baseball season. Although predictions and projections are relatively useless and pointless, anticipating the upcoming season brings excitement and a sense of hope to everyone. So, here is my prediction: The Cincinnati Reds will win the NL Central, and they will make it to the World Series this year. Albert Pujols, arguably the league’s most dangerous hitter, is out of the division. Prince Fielder, another top five first baseman, is out of Milwaukee and out of the NL Central as well. The Reds did not lose any starters. The Reds made a couple huge moves for their small market budget to land Mat Latos, a possible #1 starter, Sean Marshall, one of the best relievers in the game, and Ryan Madson, their new closer out of Philadelphia. The Reds return 2010 MVP Joey Votto, gold glover Brandon Phillips, and the young phenom Jay Bruce. Along with these notable players, the Reds have grown solid baseball players in their farm system. Devin Mesoraco, an MLB top prospect, will start as the Reds catcher this year. Zack Cozart will start at shortstop and Chris Heisey will split time with the veteran Ryan Ludwick in left field. For once, the Reds have reliable players at each position, and their pitching is better than ever. Everything seems to be falling into place for Cincinnati, and everyone else in the division just seems to be falling. Writers can continue to speculate and fans can continue to set expectations, but all we can do is root on our hometown team. The Reds seem to be set up for a big year, but you still have to play the game. So, I speak for all Cincinnati Reds fans when I ask, “Can I get a ring please?” By: Eric Torres “Leap Day” is February 29, which is an extra day added during a Leap Year, making the year 366 days long – and not 365 days, like a common (normal) year. Nearly every 4 years is a Leap Year in our modern calendar. The concept of Leap Year has been around for about 2000 years, beginning with the Roman Empire. There are some superstitions surrounding Leap Day, including Bad Luck—like Friday the 13th—as well as an Ireland tradition that allows women to propose to men on this particular day. A fun fact about this particular Leap Year is that the Mayan Calendar did not account for Leap Years, so the 2012 end of the world mumbo jumbo does not have credence (as if it ever did), because according to them, the world should have ended last July. A tornado strikes the Midwest. The Reds are gunning for one of these. This man is celebrating Leap Day by....jumping. Sports Frosh IBL Comes to a Close Sophomore IBL is Complete Seniors Finish Up Strong By: Blake Perkins By: Brady Reese By: THE Jimmy Tomlin Nate Bailey dribbles the ball. The 2012 Sophomore IBL season is complete and the playoffs are right around the corner. The seedings have been set and the tension is building. Team Way is the number 1 seed and is officially the team to beat. Although the sophomore class has a lot of basketball talent, Team Way should pull away with the crown. The seedings are as followed: Team Way at the one seed, Team Atkinson at two, Team Thiel battled for the three seed, Team Ellison took number four, Team Harden at five, Team Trentman at six, Team Kinsella took number seven, and Team Day fought hard for the eight seed. I spoke with Tanner “T Hard” Harden and he believes that his team will walk into the chamJ.B. Bernhard makes his sweep. pionship without a contest. After a rough week Team Members are Brian Fagel, Ian Dollenmayer, Bryan nine of basketball for Tanner Harden, he plans Metzger, Evan Talkers, Mitchell McDowell, Kyle Kathman, Eddie on keeping his temper low and not getting eject- Sketch, Sean Kreke, and Seattle Stein. Captain J.B. Bernhard was assisted by Coach Danny Mlinarik. ed in the playoffs. The Sophomore IBL playoffs are coming up and the excitement is building. Another tough season of Senior IBL is in the books. This was a very close contested, competitive season. Team Bernhard is in first place to end the season yet again….Big shocker there. However, multiple teams believe they By: Eric Schneider can take out team Bernhard in this year’s tour The IBL regular season, and it is indeed nament. Charlie Mader, star player for Team playoff time at Cov Cath. There have been some Mader and possibly the most gifted player in close games and some blowouts in the junior the league, plans to take down Team Bernhard league, and some teams have faced the bitter taste this year. Charlie said, “Team Bernhard has won of defeat, while some have enjoyed sweet victory. three years in a row now. I plan to single hand In week 4, Micek blew out Kunkel by edly take over and end their run.” Charlie is 30—a tough blow for Team Kunkel, as Weh- rather confident even though his team finished rman led the way with 12 points. Team Summe Second Last in the league standings. This playful edged out a win over Groneck as Matt Summe trash talk is good for the league. It adds a bigger dropped 21 points, and Team Bir defeated Team sense of competitiveness and rivalry throughHellman with a solid 26-point performance out out the rest of the IBL season and tournament. The tournament seedings are out and are of Tanner Fangman. The last game of the night as follows: Team Berhard as the one seed, Team was the closest, as Team Stratman got the W when they beat Team Erpenbeck by 4 points. Schieman at two, Team Robinson at three, Team Week 5 brought another great win for Schafer at the four seed, Team Castaneda at the Team Stratman, as they earned another 4-point five, Team Jacobs at six, Team Mader at seven, victory with the defeat of Team Summe. and Team Zimmer at the last seed. The tournaAdam Goddard scored 24 points in the victory. ment should be a wild, competitive battle as Team Erpenbeck turned things around with a several teams have a shot to win the champion2-point win over Team Micek, with a 17-point ship and take down the 3-time champions, Team game out of Bruggeman. Hellman also went Bernhard. If Team Bernhard wins the championback to winning ways as they beat Team Gro- ship, they will be the first team in IBL history to neck—Hellman led the squad with 22. Tan- win the championship all four years. Hopefully, ner Fangman put the team on his back to lead a team will step up and defeat the 3-time champ. Junior IBL Team Bir to a 43-point victory over the struggling Team Kunkel. Aside from the last game, it was a relatively exciting week in junior IBL. Team Stratman stayed undefeated as they began Week 6 with another win over Team Groneck by 4 points. Brandon Sullivan scored 22 points. Game 2 between Erpenbeck and Bir was a forfeit due to a lack of players. Team Summe won by 9 points against Team Micek, as both teams moved to 3-3 on the year, and Team Kunkel ended their losing streak as they defeated Team Hellman by 6 points. Molony scored 23 for Kunkel’s squad. That ends the regular season for the junior league of Cov Cath IBL, and we will have to wait and see what happens in the playoffs. With the single elimination bracket, you never know… We could see upsets, or we could see the continuing dominance of Team Stratman. But in the end, the true champions will shine. Photo by Diane Ruth Photo by Diane Ruth IBL Updates to follow. With the flowers starting to bloom Intramural Basketball has begun its rise in competiveness as the playoff start. As the freshmen fight for seeding in the upcoming IBL playoffs teams have began to space themselves from the rest of the pack. In week four of freshmen division IBL some extremely good games took place. Unfortunately, the stats for team and players were lost due to a lack of organization by score keepers. The kids played with all of their hearts and gave it all they had. In the second last week of freshman action, the competition remained at an extreme high as teams tried to finalize their positions in the playoffs. Team Woodcock opened week five with a win over Team Bailey, 68–46. Team Pangallo beat Team Sommers by a score of 56 to 51 with Wagner leading the charge for Pangallo with 15 points. In the third game of the night, Team Biersdofer won convincingly over Team Pieper, 65-46, with Logan “Lil’ Meech” McDowell leading all scorers with 27 points. The nightcap of the week was between Team Fathman (51) and Team Aguirre (34) with Ben Pohlabeln leading Fathman in their victory with 19 points. In the final week of the regular season Team Fathman finished an undefeated regular season with a 49 to 45 over Team Pangallo to take the number one seed in the freshman division. Unfortunately for Team Pieper, they wrapped up the final, 8th seed with a 58 to 27 lose to team Sommers with Harret (29) leading the scoring for Team Sommers. In the closest game of week six action, Team Aguirre had a hard fought victory over Team Woodcock by the score of 60 to 59. In the night cap of the the final week of the regular season team Biersdofer continued their winning ways with a 68-57 vistory over Team Bailey with Logan “Lil’ Meech” McDowell once again leading his team in scoring with 14 points. With the seeds for the playoffs set and the threat of being sent home with a loss on the horizon, the freshmen must win or go home to keep another great season of IBL going. Photo by Diane Ruth Page 10 Sean Baute fights David Moser. Sports Page 11 Varsity Bowling By: Chase Zimmer By: Jacob Lange Photo byRichard Dickmann Aqua Colonels State Max Williamson revels in his victory. In late February, the Aqua Colonels headed down to Louisville to try and compete for a sixth state title. They had their work cut out for them as St. X brought their A-team once again. Led by swimmers Max Williamson, Sam Mullen, and Hunter Pasek the Colonels set out for one goal—beat St. X. The state meet was depicted from the start; it would be a match between the powerhouse St. X and the Colonels of Covington Catholic. The two-day event started out with the number one swimmer in the state, Max Williamson, smashing the state record for the 200 individual medley. This record was held for over 13 years and was a very high mark for all swimmers in the state. Williamson followed up this feat with another one in equal size. He shattered the 25 year old record for 500 freestyle less than 24 hours later. Scott Ryan, the previous record holder for this event, drove all the way from Cincinnati to see Williamson erase his record from the history books. He was also a Cov Cath graduate and was more than happy to present Max with his first place metal. Williamson inquired about his new record saying, “I’m really happy but I hope my record doesn’t last 25 years because that will mean we’re not going fast enough.” These individual records were all astonishing and great for the school, but they would prove to be an undershot to St. X. St. X finished the meet with a crushing 484.5 points more than doubling the competition. The Colonels finished in a solid second with 235 points and the Dixie Heights Little Colonels finished in ninth with a total of 89 points. Overall, the Covington Catholic Swimming and Diving team had a tremendous season; one they should be more than proud of. The Colonels gave it their best, and they went out with a bang. Congratulations to the 2012 State Runner-Up Covington Catholic Colonels! The world of KHSAA Bowling finally figured out its format for its first ever state bowling tournament halfway through the Bowling Colonels’ season. It was determined that Covington Catholic would be in the Western Northern Kentucky region which consists of our own Covington Catholic Colonels, Boone County, Cooper, Beechwood, St. Henry, Lloyd, Dixie Heights, and Holy Cross. With this region only having eight schools, only the top two teams from the regional tournament will move on to the state tournament in Louisville later on this month. Our Bowling Colonels now know what it will take to get to state. The team’s first challenge of the second half of the season was against the Cooper Jaguars on January 26th. The Colonels needed to make a statement against the Jaguars to prove that they are contenders in the region. They made their statement and proved to be a contender by beating the Jaguars 5-2. Sadly, the Colonels two-match winning streak came to an end against the Simon Kenton Pioneers at LaRu Lanes. “It was a bittersweet loss,” as Coach Kaelin described it. “We very easily could have won 4-3 or maybe even 5-2. This team needs to learn to finish a game.” The loss of sophomore superstar David Hacker to a lower back injury seems to have played a toll on the Colonels as bitter-sweet was once again a term used by Coach Kaelin after the Colonels 4-3 victory over the Dixie Heights Colonels. Although it was a victory, the Colonels barely escaped with a win, having to win the final baker game of the match to win both of their final points. Many of the team members were disappointed with the outcome of this match; they knew they should have beaten this team by a higher margin. “The Bowling Colonels were taught how to bowl…” read Bryan Metzger over the announcements after the 6-1 loss to the Campbell County Camels. Seven bowlers threw games above 200, but sadly only two of these games were by our Colonel bowlers. Campbell County had hopes of a shut-out headed into the final two baker games, but were denied when the Colonels won the first baker game 176172. This gave the match its final score of 6-1. On February 11th the bowling team participated in the Northern Kentucky Bowling Invitational. This day was easily one of the lowest points in the Colonels’ season. The team strug- gled all day in this college-like bowling tournament. Many of the members on the team struggled to figure out the oil patterns as they changed throughout the day; and many bowlers struggled to bowl games of 160 or higher. During this tournament, Coach Kaelin started his infamous “magic hat” trick; when he pulls five bowlers names out of a hat randomly, to bowl in the baker game. It was the ultimate sign of giving up on the day. Scott High School seemed to be no match for our Bowling Colonels as they got back to their winning ways. 5-2 was the final score for the day as the Colonels got back on the right track. The Colonels would need to be on a winning streak for their next match against the Boone County Rebels. “I wish I could be positive,” Mr. Kaelin wrote on the back of the weekly stats for his bowlers. The Colonels got smashed once again by the Boone County Rebels losing 1-6, with their only point coming in a baker match. With the end of the regular season coming to a close, the bowling Colonels participated in a final invitational on February 25th. “Today was fun,” was a quote from Coach Kaelin in his post match speech. The Colonels had a strong showing placing 5th out of 12 schools from around the northern Kentucky area. With success against many of the top schools in northern Kentucky, this gave the bowling Colonels high hopes headed into the final week of the regular season. March 1st was senior day at Super Bowl in Erlanger. All ten of the bowling Colonel seniors took part in their final regular season match against Dixie Heights High School. Although the Colonels won the match 4-3, many of them were not happy, including coaches Jack Kaelin and Jim Simon. Barely winning 4-3 against Dixie was not the type of momentum the team was looking for headed into the regional tournament. Now that the regular season has come to an end, our bowling team is only guaranteed one more match on the lanes together, the regional tournament. Four of the top 8 Colonel Bowlers will be chosen to participate in the individual Regional Tournament at Super Bowl on March 12th. The rest of the team of 8 will have to wait until March 15th to prove that they belong in the state tournament in Louisville on March 24th. The seniors as well as the rest of the team hope to finish strong and be the first Covington Catholic bowling team to make it to the state tournament. Varsity Basketball: A Sad Season End By: Mat Rolf The Covington Catholic Basketball Colonels have had a better than expected season up to this point, considering the recent coaching change and lack of varsity experience on the team. On the weekend of January 20th, the basketball Colonels travelled to Scott County to play in the Toyota Classic Tournament. They went 2-1 beating Christian County and LaFayette and falling short to the host team of Scott County. They followed that up with 2 straight wins against Ryle and Scott, beating Ryle 69-62 and Scott 78-61. On February 3rd the Colonels travelled down to Holy Cross face off against the Indi- ans, a matchup that is always tough, in a district seeding game. Even with the hustle and emotionally driven play, they fell short in overtime 68-74. Looking for redemption, the Colonels met back up with the Indians in the first round of District play. Determined not to fall to Holy Cross twice, the Colonels played hard to the end beating the Indians 81-74 in three overtimes, ending the Indians season. Despite the high praise and cheers for avenging their loss to Holy Cross, the Colonels still had tough basketball ahead of them. They met up with rival Holmes Bulldogs in the Dis- trict finals but lost 34-48. This was just not the Colonels night. In what turned out to be the final game of their season, the Colonels fell short to the Newport Central Catholic Thoroughbreds in the first round of the regional tournament, 40-59. Although the Colonels did not end the season with a win, they still finished with a record of 17-14, well above the season’s expectations. The basketball Colonels are expecting big things next year, returning four starters and only losing three seniors. Cast and Crew Page 12 CCH Times Staff Photos by Bryan Metzger Moderator: Diane Ruth Editors: Michael Helton and Ian Dollenmayer Photos contributed By: Diane Ruth, Diane Kohlhepp, Bryan Metzger Articles Contributed By: Michael Best, Ryan Dickmann, Ian Dollenmayer, Joey Drees, Alex Flynn, Michael Helton, Sean Kiely, Paul Kleier, Jacob Lange, Charlie Mader, Bryan Metzger, Blake Perkins, Brady Reese, Luke Roberts, Matt Rolf, Eric Schneider, Nick Thelen, Eric Torres, Chase Zimmer Left: THE Jimmy Tomlin dreams up his next big editorial. Right: Alex flynn happily organizes Journalism’s cash. Ads Page 13 Tomlin Plumbing Plumbing, Heating, and Air Conditioning 3828 Deertrail, Dr. Erlanger, KY
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