Senior Xposed - 5 Grading Scales - 8 State Champs - 10

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November 22, 2011
Volume 48
Issue 3
Pius X High School
State Champs - 10
Congratulations to the girls’ volleyball team for
taking first at State.
Senior Xposed - 5
Hanna Wackel is an outgoing and confident
senior who is ready for what life has in store.
Grading Scales - 8
Pius has a different grading scale than Lincoln
Public Schools.
Photo by corinne Simpson
News
2
Pius grading scale is
difficult, rewarding
Kathryn Kopetzky
News and Opinion Editor
Two students, both with
the same grade on a test. The only
difference is that one of them has
an A and the other has a B. Why
is there a difference? It’s simple.
They attend different schools that
use different grading scales.
The current grading scale
that Pius uses is more rigorous than
the Lincoln Public School grading
scale. The Pius scale has a 93-100
as an A, while the LPS scale has
90-100 as an A. This three point
difference can drastically affect a
student’s GPA and class rank.
In addition, the LPS
scale is weighted, meaning that
some classes count more than
other classes. Theoretically a
student’s GPA could go over the
4.0 mark. Though some people
might think this puts Pius students
at a disadvantage, the reality is
that colleges look into whether
a student’s GPA is weighted or
unweighted.
The difference in grading
scales and the work students have to
put in is pretty obvious, especially
when a student transfers to Pius
from LPS. Jan Frasyer, director
of guidance at Pius, notes that the
grades they get at Pius are typically
lower than the grades they would
receive at LPS.
“The rigor of classes is
higher than what they expected,”
Frasyer said.
The grading scale that
Pius uses has been in place for a
long time and is considered one of
the more traditional grading scales
However,
the
Pius
administration has been exploring
the idea of a possible change. Pius
has adopted the 90-100 scale for
all advanced placement classes
or classes that are considered
“college-level”.
Grades are definitely
important, but they are especially
important when it comes to
applying for college scholarships.
A student’s GPA and class rank
could affect whether or not they
receive much-needed scholarship
money.
“Pius kids have to work
harder,” Frasyer said. “We don’t
want them to be at a deficit for
scholarships.”
Questions and comments
on the current grading scale have
come up before, but if students or
parents want to voice their opinion
they can fill out a suggestion form
located in the front office.
responsible for the economic
fraud that has contributed to the
recent recessions.
By October 9 the
movement had swept across the
nation, with protests being held
in hundreds of major cities and
metropolises. Popular internet
groups like “Anonymous”
supported Occupiers and
lobbied others to “flood the
streets” and join the movement.
Even here in Lincoln
protesters can be seen by
the state capitol and along
sidewalks holding signs
bashing corporate greed and
overspending.
International
governments are also in
acceptance of the Americanborn movement. Countries like
Brazil, Poland and India have
all expressed their complete
agreement with the protests.
Former Polish president, Lech
Walesa, is even considering a
trip to the States to affirm his
support with the Occupiers.
But not everyone
agrees with the riots and
protests that have taken place.
Economist Bill Stein and
political commentator Rush
Limbaugh are just among
the many that have criticized
the movement. Most claim
the protests to be a baseless
spectacle aimed on receiving
publicity, not monetary
freedom.
As of late, “Occupy
Wall Street” is still in action,
attempting to change the nation
politically and economically
by exposing corruption and
fraud. And the movement is
not slowing down. 82 nations
and 951 cities are currently
participating in the protests,
under the same mantra: “We are
the 99%”.
NYCU: Occupy Wall Street
causes stir across America
Zach Hammack
Staff Writer
Since September 17
protesters have been gathering
from coast to coast under the
mantra, “We are the 99%”. This
simple but intricate slogan is the
key idea that is driving the force
behind “Occupy Wall Street”.
The 99% refers to
practically everyone in the
nation, except for the small
fraction of very wealthy citizens
referred to as the one percent.
Only a minority of the actual
99% are actively participating in
the protests, but the movement
is continually gaining followers.
“Occupy Wall Street”
began in New York City as a
reaction to exposed government
corruption in relation to the
economy. The movement
believes big banks have misused
capitalistic rights and are
November 22, 2011
Libya introduces
new government
Kathryn Budell
Graphics Editor
Former dictator of
Libya, Muammar Gaddafi, was
killed after being found hiding
in a sewer pipe on October 20,
2011.
That day was a day of
controversy in Libya, for this
meant that the rebels had won
and that there was going to be
a new government. However,
many pro-Gaddafi people still
existed. These people, along
with rebels, sat in uncertainty
for days after the death of
Gaddafi until a new temporary
Prime Minister was named.
This causes a question to arise:
what new government will
Libya create?
“They are planning
on having an easier regime to
deal with,” Troy Charf, a Pius
World and U.S. History teacher
said. “They elected this new
Prime Minister so he could
be moderate and nonbiased
in the light of ending this
revolution.”
The country of Libya
is planning on creating a
democracy where the people
have a say in the choices their
rulers make and the choice of
their ruler itself. Along with
the creation of a well-founded
democracy, a transitional
committee has been formed led
by the Prime Minister himself;
this committee’s name is NTC,
or the National Transitional
Council of Libya.
“These next few
weeks will be critical for
Libya,” Charf said. “This
transitional committee will
help in the making of their new
constitution.”
This transitional
committee is led by the rebels
and those of the old regime
alike.
Through the works of
the new Prime Minister and
this transitional committee,
Libya hopes to start anew
with a government in which
the people can participate in
order to be more socially and
economically stable.
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November 22, 2011
Opinion
3
Editorial: Pius
Media portrays football,
grading scale can players in a bad light
be beneficial
The grading scale
here at Pius is harder than
at LPS high schools. Most
kids feel this puts them at a
disadvantage when trying to
get good grades. But having a
traditional grading scale where
93-100 is an A has a lot of
benefits. When students at Pius
get an A on an assignment or
test, it can be a better feeling
than if they had received it
at one of the public schools. That’s the beauty of having a
traditional grading scale versus
a public school grading scale. Getting an A here at Pius is
more difficult than getting an
A at one of Lincoln’s public
schools. Therefore it does
mean more. Now having a harder
grading scale could affect a
person’s GPA. Most colleges
will look into whether a school
uses a traditional grading scale
and whether it is weighted
or not. They are impressed
with a student who has a good
unweighted GPA. It shows
that the student worked hard.
The traditional grading
scale makes students more
motivated to do homework. The students here have to
work harder and study better
just to get a good grade. This
is a good life skill to learn. Things won’t always be easy,
and people have to work hard
to do well. If we learn that in
school that hard work pays off,
we will do better in the adult
working world. Another good thing
about using a traditional
grading scale is that we will be
more prepared in college than
our public school counterparts. The classes here at Pius are
more difficult because of our
scale, therefore we should
learn more. Also since
colleges use a public school
grading scale, we can do
better because we are used to
something harder.
Now having a
traditional grading scale isn’t
always pleasant. It is harder to
maintain a 4.0 or get an A on
a test. In the long run though,
having a traditional grading
scale is more beneficial to
Pius’ students by making them
more prepared for college and
the rest of their lives.
Kate Rawlinson
Copy Editor
Once upon a time,
Nebraska football was in
shambles. Other teams scored
touchdowns on mere punt
returns, tackles were missed
in the thousands and the fire
that once spurred back-toback national championship
teams had seemingly been
extinguished forever.
The most decorated
defensive lineman to leave
Nebraska, Ndamukong Suh
became the epitome of football
when he resurrected Nebraska
10, the media took an immediate
dislike to this mockery and
publicly admonished the Lions’
defenders.
Even to fervent sports
fans, these media depictions may
not sway their opinion on any
given player. But to those who
don’t follow sports religiously,
these false portrayals can paint
an ugly picture of not only the
individual, but the sport itself.
While I agree that
the media, in all forms, has
flourished because of these
sometimes risky assumptions,
it is morally wrong to judge a
player of any sport and market
an impure and untrue vision of
them to any audience.
The solution to this
is quite simple: keep opinions
about another person’s ethics
or motives silent. If questions
remain, the rule of thumb will
stay the same: “if you can’t
say anything nice, don’t say
anything at all.”
worth listening to, ones with
meaning or a story behind it,
not just poorly chosen words
with profanities. Every morning, I turn
on the radio only to find these
kinds of songs full of derogatory terms and descriptions. I
have never liked hearing such
things in general, so why should
it be different in music?
The lyrics are what
really matters in a great song;
music is just poetry after all.
But are people actually hearing
the lyrics of the songs they’re
listening to? Some would say
no, listeners ignore the lyrics;
in reality, even if the lyrics are
ignored, the words still can get
stuck in anyone’s brain. I know
I’ve had the experience of get-
ting a song stuck in my head all
day. I think being more
aware of what we are listening
to is important, especially in a
society where this kind of bad
language can sneak up in any
song. I won’t name names, but
there are just better options out
there than certain songs. I’m not saying musicians should stop what they
do. Everyone has the freedom
to say what they want, but that
doesn’t mean the first amendment should be over-abused.
Offensive words aren’t meant
to be thrown around or added
into a song every other word.
It’s as easy as changing the station, or even deleting a song or
two off your mp3. Today’s music’s lyrics are
lacking substance, meaning
The Pius X-Change
Kayla Malizzi Caitie Mattison Editor-In-Chief
Copy Editor
Xclusives Editor
Kate Rawlinson
Kathryn Kopetzky
Copy Editor News and Opinion Editor Zach Hammack
Maggie Meyers Staff Writer
Features Editor
Jack Thompson Lauren Schieke Staff Writer
Cover Editor
Corinne Simpson
Nolan DeWispelare
Sports Editor
Adviser
Dani Wilkerson Entertainment Editor
Pius X High School
Kathryn Budell 6000 ‘A’ Street
Graphics Editor Lincoln, NE 68510
to its now-powerful state. Since becoming NFL’s
Rookie of the Year in 2010,
Suh has been charged $42,500
for “rough”, “reckless”, even
“dangerous”
tackles.
The
media is portraying him as an
undisciplined, rude, and overlyaggressive player. Perhaps these
adjectives are fair descriptors of
the kind of play Suh has shown,
but, if one were to disagree, as
I do, this wouldn’t be the first
example of the media painting a
grossly false picture of a sports
figure.
The Denver Broncos’
quarterback, Tim Tebow, is
football’s equivalent of “Saint
of the Week”. ESPN has made
sure to make a big deal of the
pose he dependably strikes
upon throwing each touchdown,
where he falls onto one knee and
bows his head in prayer. When
Suh’s teammates mimicked this
stance at their last game, where
Detroit massacred Denver 45-
Lauren Schieke
Cover Editor
It seems like the music
these days is being made only
to please the “stereotypical”
teenager and top the charts and
earn more money. What happened to the songs you actually
understood and could connect
with?
Those are the songs
Features
4
November 22, 2011
Students’ parents teaching at Pius, not so bad
Hansen recalls. “Now I’m glad
because I’m going to have all
the memories. He has been a big
help and I wouldn’t trade it for
anything.” .
This is how the students
feel, but how do the teachers
themselves feel? There’s no
telling what it’s like to be on
the other side of the fence. Can
anything really prepare you for
this unique experience in life?
Dani Wilkerson
Entertainment Editor
No one likes getting
in trouble in front of the whole
class, but imagine that teacher
being one of your parents.
It’s a scary thought but
for some students at Pius, it is a
reality they live with every day.
It’s not as bad as it would
seem most say.
For senior Shannon
Kelly, she not only
sees her mom, Susan,
at home but also in her
Advanced Placement
Biology class.
Though it’s
sometimes weird to
have her mom being
the one give her the
homework at school
and also watch her do
the same homework at
home, it’s not all bad
having her mom there.
“It’s not that
bad actually,” Shannon
Kelly said. “I feel like she’s pretty
fair with me in the classroom and
it’s also nice to know that I have
someone there if I ever needed
anything. Sometimes it’s just
nice to stop by and say hi.”
Senior Bridget Hansen
has never had her dad, Jim, in a
class before, Pius has an unusually high number of staff members
but that doesn’t who have children attending their school. Above from
right: Sheila Sievert with children Matthew and Mary
change the fact
Kate. Steve Andersen with son Dylan. Jennifer Sander
that her friends with daughter Kennedy.
have had him
for a class one
at high school with her, but that’s
time or another. Like Shannon not always how she felt.
Kelly though, Hansen doesn’t “I didn’t like it at first. I
thinks it’s that bad having her dad actually hated the thought of it,”
Key Club members work to
help others through service
Caitie Mattison
Copy Editor
Key Club showcases
the good character of Pius X
students. It is an example of
the efforts we make to help
out our community. Sponsored
by Gina Vifquain, Key Club
helps in fundraising money for
the less fortunate of Lincoln.
The members meet on a oncea-month basis to brainstorm
different ideas on how to raise
money.
“I enjoy being involved
in helping my community. I
would encourage you to help
us out… so come at me, bro.”
Caitlyn Do, junior member,
says.
Recently,
members
sold bags of Halloween candy.
Students bought candy for their
friends and it was delivered to
them in their eighth period class,
much like flowers on Valentine’s
day.
“The money will be
used to buy turkey dinners for
families who cannot afford
extravagant
Thanksgiving
meals.” Alex Crook, senior
member, says.
Key Club averages
about two major fundraisers
a year. Members currently
have their minds on the next
project in the making. In the
past they have made May
baskets for patients at Madonna
Rehabilitation Hospital. Due to
its past success, they would like
to do it again.
Key Club is always open
to fresh minds and new ideas.
Students who enjoy the fulfilling
feeling of doing charity work
and helping others might find
a new favorite extracurricular
activity in Key Club.
“My first teaching job
was in a small town so everyone’s
kids went there so it was a good
model for me,” Susan Kelly said.
“You don’t want to ignore them,
but you don’t want to give them
special treatment. It is nice to see
her in class in every day though.”
Even before his children
started coming to Pius, Jim
Hansen had a plan in place.
“I said I would never
teach here when my kids went
here but when Bridget became a
freshman we gave it a year. Then
Jimmy was a freshman and we
gave it another year. Now we’re
at Bridget’s senior year and I’m
still here,” he said. “It’s probably
hard for them at times to have a
parent as a teacher with dealing
with their peers. I always try to
keep school and home separate
worlds so it’s easier on them.”
It doesn’t seem like it’s
that bad for these students and
teachers to be under the same
roof. One thing is for sure, they’ll
always have the memories.
Features
November 22, 2011
5
X
PHOTOS BY KATHRYN KOPETZKY
Hanna Wackel
posed
Kathryn Kopetzky
News and Opinion Editor
In an attempy to get
to know our classmates better
and build a strong sense
of community among the
Thunderbolts, the X-Change
features a stand-out senior in
every issue. This issue’s focus
is on Hanna Wackel.
Hanna
Wackel
is
interested in many things, but
one thing that she has been
passionate about for most of
her life is swimming. She has
been swimming since she was
four years old, and is currently
a captain for the Pius X swim
team.
She is also very
passionate about music.
“I listen to music
constantly,” Wackel said. “I
fall asleep with my headphones
in.”
Classical, rap, or rock
music- it doesn’t really matter,
according to Wackel. She loves
all and any kind of music.
Wackel is the oldest in
her family and has two younger
sisters, Megan and Claire. Her
family plays an
important part
of her life, and
she also enjoys
s p e n d i n g
time
with
her
extended
family
and
friends.
High school
has
been
a
positive
experience for
Wackel,
and
her sophomore
year has been
her
favorite.
She currently
enjoys her math
class and her
French class,
but her favorite
class in her high school career
was Mr. Cox’s physics class.
However, high school
was not just about acquiring
knowledge
from
classes.
Wackel has also learned a lot
about who she is a person.
“I had to find myself,”
she said. “It was a lot of selfrealization of who I am and
who I want to be.”
After
graduation,
Wackel doesn’t know for sure
where she wants to go for
college, but she says that she
wants to attend an out-of-state
university.
“I want to experience
and learn for myself,” she said.
“I want to see how I deal in the
real world.”
She also has plenty of
things she wants to accomplish
sometime in her life.
“I want to get out of
the country, live life on a beach,
eat all the food they cook on the
cooking channel, and learn who
I really am,” she said.
Hanna is an outgoing,
confident senior who is ready
for what life has in store for
her. She is a Thunderbolt.
Student profiles-Get to know your fellow Bolts!
Name: Shane O’Grady
Age: 14
Grade: Freshman
Favorite Thanksgiving food:
“My mom’s apple pie.”
Name: Catherine Gries
Age: 15
Grade: Sophomore
Favorite Thanksgiving food:
“Pumpkin pie, I guess.”
INTERVIEWS AND PHOTOS BY CAITIE MATTISON
Name: Dylan Codr
Age: 17
Grade: Junior
Favorite Thanksgiving food:
“My great-great grandmother’s
famous turkey rhubarb pie.”
Xclusives
6
November 22, 2011
Media double standards become confusing
Kathryn Kopetzky
News and Opinion Editor
Although the topic of
double standards is no new issue
to society, it seems like double
standards are becoming more
and more prevalent, especially
when it comes to the media.
The messages that
the media broadcasts to
people is often confusing and
contradictory. Classic books are
being censored left and right
while music and television are
getting more explicit.
A prime example of too
much censorship would be the
revised version of Adventures
of Huckleberry Finn. Twain’s
purpose in using racist language
was to show how wrong racism
and prejudice was, but people
have deemed it as too “politically
incorrect”. However, it’s not
that uncommon to hear music
with the same racial slurs and
language.
Another issue that
young people especially have
Graphic by Kathryn Budell
to deal with is the conflicting
messages of what is expected
of us and what television tells
us is right. We are encouraged
by parents, teachers and other
adults in our lives to be good
and stay away from drugs and
alcohol. However, television
shows
glorify
drinking,
partying, sleeping around, and
doing whatever is necessary
to ensure a
person’s own
happiness.
Shows
that
are
geared
toward young
adults seem
especially
inconsistent
to
what
adolescents
have
been
t a u g h t .
Parents
are
portrayed as
incompetent
and unaware
of what is
Social rules are not universal
Corinne Simpson
Sports Editor
Each country has its
own unique traditions, including
America. But to Americans who
travel overseas, these strange
traditions in other countries may
be hard to grasp. What is weird to
Americans is normal for the native
people of certain countries and vice
versa.
In Spain there are a couple
extremely odd traditions.
La
Tomatina takes place in Valencia. It
is a peculiar tradition that happens
annually on the last Wednesday in
August. At the peak of the tomato
season, a wild battle develops as
thousands of people pelt each other
with ripe tomatoes. Rivers of tomato
sauce run down the streets. After
the tomato war is over, everyone
gathers at the town square for food
and wine festivities.
Also in Spain, the annual
Goose Day occurs. A goose is
hanged from a rope over a harbour
while men pass by on a boat and try
to grab the poor animal. They are
lifted up and repeatedly plunged
into the water until they successfully
pull off the neck of the goose.
Another peculiar tradition
in Spain on July 7th-14th is the
annual Running of the Bulls festival
in the city of Pamplona. Herds of
fighting bulls are let loose onto the
streets after a crowd of young men.
The aim of the runners is to try and
feel the breath of the bull on their
backs. Unfortunately, lots of young
men get injured doing so.
In Japan there is a word
of warning to any that has friends
or family living there, never send
red Christmas cards to anyone
in Japan. Sending red Christmas
cards constitutes bad etiquette
since, in Japan, funeral notices are
customarily printed in red. This is
one mix up that is not pleasant to
get caught in.
In Ukraine it is customary
to decorate a Christmas tree with
an artificial spider and webs. It is
believed that a spider web found
on Christmas morning brings good
luck. If they were mistaken as real,
they may also bring heart attacks.
Sister Veronica Volkmer
has traveled to Rome and she wants
students to be on the lookout when
traveling.
“A word of warning:
Watch out for pick-pockets! Also
beggars are seldom actually
homeless, they live in huge houses
because they make a living sitting
in the streets begging money and
food off people.”
So if one ever decides to
travel overseas, remember these
strange customs and traditions and
one will manage and be A-Okay!
going on in their children’s
lives. There are hardly any stayat-home moms, because that
could be viewed as sexist. The
kids in television shows are only
concerned about themselves.
Recent episodes of Glee have
shown teens drinking. However,
the teens make sure to have a
designated driver, so apparently
that makes it okay.
It also seems that the
radio talk show hosts and news
broadcasters are getting in
trouble more and more often
for not being politically correct.
True, some of the things they
say are not okay and should not
be said. But television shows
can get away with a lot more
offensive material because they
claim it is “all in good humor”.
The standard with which
we hold radio shows, literature,
and news reports should be the
same for television and music.
The inconsistent messages that
the media constantly bombards
us with need all be held to the
same standard.
November 22, 2011
Xclusives
Class takes on issues
the problems of mental health,
women’s rights, racial issues,
alcoholic issues and parent/child
issues. These issues are addressed
through several books. For
example, “Black Boy” by Richard
Wright focuses on the life of the
author as an alcoholic African
American boy.
Photo By Kathryn budell
open their eyes to social issues
Kathryn Budell
facing them.
Graphics Editor
“We read some books
There
are
seven
that talk about inner salvation,”
principles of Catholic social
Schonewise said.
teaching and pillars of the Pius
“‘Les
Miserables’
Social Literature Class: Life and
talks about one man’s search for
dignity, call to family, rights and
perfection in his own life. It is
responsibilities, option for the
a beautiful story of not only the
vulnerable, dignity of work,
issues of patriotism
solidarity, and care for God’s
and citizen rights,
creation.
but also the inner
The Social Literature
salvation.”
class is led by Julia Schonewise
Schonewise
and focuses on the issues
says that the goal for all
impacting society today and
of her classes is to create
in the past. The students in the
not only awareness and
class study current issues and
knowledge of social
historical problems. Currently,
issues, but also to be
the students are researching
able to solve these
20th century genocides.
issues when they are
“I want them to be Pat Spethman (front) and Drew Zeleski work
faced with them and to
able to see the underlying on the genocide project for Schonewise’s class.
do so in the actions of
issues affecting each genocide,”
Christ.
Schonewise said. “I want my In light of reading “I hope they become
students to be able to say ‘What these ground-breaking novels, more compassionate,” Schonewise
can I do to make a difference?’”
Schonewise has the students read adds about her students’ futures
Schonewise
stresses Flannery O’Connor’s book, “Wise with Social Literature. “And that
this kind of thinking not only in Blood,” on finding salvation. In they also are willing to follow
the issue of genocide, but also in this, she hopes that her students God’s plan once they do.”
Authors write on social issues
Zach Hammack
Staff Writer
censorship and regulation allowed
raw social awareness and sensitivity
to flourish.
Today, social pressures
have left writers tied up
and heavily regulated.
Certain words and
phrases aren’t allowed
in modern literature.
This movement in
censorship is slowly
destroying the term
“classical literature”.
“Classics
remain
readable
throughout the ages,”
Sievert said. “The
message is always
adaptable.” But today,
messages are allowed
to be freely raw and
open. It’s almost an
infringement
onto
constitutional rights.
However,
P.C. is important
In
English
class
grammatically correct words are
taught to students. But where are
students supposed to learn political
correctness? There definitely isn’t
a class for that.
To be socially sensitive
to other people’s differences is
generally what political correctness
is, also known as P.C. Words that
are considered offensive to people,
or even how one acts around
others, contribute to what might be
viewed as politically incorrect.
But what is viewed as
politically correct? Examples
include using the words “mentally
challenged” instead of “retarded”.
While both words are true, only
one is considered politically
correct. Many politically correct
expressions end in “impaired”
or “challenged”, like visually
challenged or hearing impaired, in
place of blind or deaf. Other terms
concerning gender, race, sexual
orientation or age are among the
names in question.
Junior, Kelly McCarthy,
says “You should be politically
correct, but still go with your own
views; it’s important to have views
straight otherwise people won’t
know who or what to believe.”
Around
the
1980s
political correctness erupted into a
national concern in the U.S. as well
as around the world. Many felt that
using the terms to describe certain
genders, orientations, religions,
races or those with disabilities
were upsetting and therefore
shouldn’t be permitted. The main
goal was to stop offending those
people. The problem quickly
became a government issue, where
laws were formed banning such
language.
Librarian,
Karen
Buckley comments on political
correctness.
“My hope is that we are
becoming more sensitive to the
feelings of others.”
Today the matter of being
politically correct still lingers in
our society, music, literature and
multimedia. Words and actions that
used to be said and done are being
criticized for their harshness.
Whether or not this was
actually achieved is controversial
though. Some people believe
political correctness is getting
out of control and goes against
freedom of speech, and still others
think decency is more important.
literature isn’t totally dependent
on this tool. Yes, social sensitivity
is important, but writers and
authors have always been able to
walk around barriers of regulation
to create fantastic and eye-opening
works of literature.
Lauren Schieke
Cover Editor
Graphic by Kathryn Budell
What makes literature
classic? Is it the quality of the
piece? Is it because it’s relatable
to today? Or is it because the
beneficial erosion of time has
molded it into a definitive story?
All of these answers are correct,
but possibly the most important
factor in shaping literature
into classics it the use of social
sensitivity.
Social sensitivity is
basically awareness of differences
in cultures, literature, and
customs. Writers, mostly in the
past, are infamous for including
social sensitivity in their pieces
to add more realistic flare and
mindfulness to their stories.
Charles Dickens and
Mark Twain are wonderful
examples of this. In Twain’s 1885
novel “Adventures of Huckleberry
Finn,” characters speak the popular
jargon of that time and display
customs and culture familiar in
that time period.
Holocaust
literature
is also another solid example
of efficient and creative social
sensitivity, like “The Sunflower.”
These books that focus on the
cruelties of war and dictatorship
opened up a window onto the
tangible realities of the past.
“Social
sensitivity
helps people view literature
realistically,” Sievert, sponsor of
the Pius literature club, said. This
useful tool can be used negatively
however, especially when it creates
unnecessary racial stereotypes.
Literature itself has
evolved over the ages and so has
social sensitivity. “Eighty years ago,
political correctness didn’t exist,”
Sievert explained. This absence of
7
Entertainment
8
Monkey See Monkey Do
A recurring column by Dani Wilkerson about media and reality.
“Until death do us
part.”
Wow that’s a long
time but does one even pay
attention to those words? I
mean when you get married
you plan on staying together
but it seems like not everyone
holds marriage to the standard
they should.
With marriages lasting
anywhere from 72 days to 72
hours, Hollywood marriages
are paving the way to the
destruction of marriage. Yes,
there are real problems that
people encounter when being
married but these people aren’t
even giving them enough time
to breathe. They are treating it
like it isn’t that big of a deal,
but as we know it is. Marriage
should truly be for your
lifetime.
The whole point of
marriage is not to have a huge
party and look pretty for a day
but it’s an outward sign of
two people’s love. So many
people are following suit of
Hollywood and only seeing
it has another opportunity to
have fun and carry on. Yes,
weddings are fun but it should
be fun because of the love that’s
being celebrated not because
you have the most expensive
food or the best band.
There’s nothing wrong
to have all these things at your
wedding but your intentions
should be right. It is a little
girl’s dream to have the
fairytale wedding but the best
Glee star is born
Maggie Meyers
Features Ediior
It’s old news for true
Gleeks. Winners of The Glee Project
have made guest appearances on
the musical dram-com starting in
November.
On the first of the month,
Glee returned with an all new
episode after a three-week hiatus,
thanks to the MLB. What was more
exciting was that it featured a winner
of Oxygen’s summer reality hit, The
Glee Project.
Damien McGinty made
his debut in Glee’s “Pot o’ Gold”
episode as an Irish foreign exchange
student. McGinty wowed fans with
his rendition of Kermit the Frog’s
Bein’ Green. His success came as
no surprise to viewers of the show’s
spin off.
The Glee Project premiered
in June of this year and served as an
audition for Glee. For the project,
contestants were assigned parts of a
particular song which they performed
for mystery guest judges from
the Glee cast. The best performer
would win a star role in the music
video, which the contestants would
create with the help of professional
choreographers and voice coaches.
After the music video,
“call-backs” would take place
and the bottom three would be
announced. These performers would
sing their hearts out for judges in
hopes of being safe from elimination.
After deliberation, the judges would
choose who would be sent home
and unlike other talent reality shows,
contestants would discover their fate
via a list of who made it and who
didn’t.
McGinty and Samuel
Larsen were proclaimed winners
of the project. Larsen’s debut is yet
to come but Gleeks everywhere
are eager to watch as he once
again makes his mark on the small
screen. Runners-up, Lindsay Pearce
and Alex Newell were also lucky
enough to land roles on Glee. Pearce
made her cameo in the purple piano
episode.
Thanks to Glee Project,
these talented teens’ songs have and
will be heard.
part of that fairytale is the
prince charming that has fallen
madly in love with you. It’s
not the same if you can just
work anyone in to your special
day.
People fall into the
pattern of looking at these
Hollywood
relationships
has role models for our own,
myself included. We tend to
think if that person is doing it
then obviously it’s the thing
I should be doing. Yet, we
need to stop and listen to our
own consciences because nine
times out of ten the celebrities’
consciences are warped.
I hope everyone can
see past the shallowness of
Hollywood relationships and
look for real role models for
a good relationship in our
own lives. This is the only
way we can save the value of
marriage.
November 22, 2011
Snooki digs deep
Caite Mattison
Copyu Editor
In the last couple of years,
Snooki has become a household
name. Nicole “Snooki” Polizza,
reality TV star, threw a curveball
when she recently published her
first book A Shore Thing.
The guidettes are looking
for a summer to remember when
they poof their hair and hit the
streets to soak up all Seaside
Heights has to offer. Between
“juido juicehead gorillas,” tanning
beds, fist-pumping, and plenty
of alcohol, they manage to have
extra time to invest in creating the
language of the future. God forbid.
The storyline follows
Snooki along with her cousins,
Giovanna “Gia” Spumanti and
Isabella “Bella” Rizzoli. As you
read, the author’s grip on reality
becomes looser and looser. They
poof their hair, throw on as little
clothing as possible, add some
stilettos and drift from scene
to scene, landing anywhere
and everywhere except for the
background. The main characters
experience the basic social struggles
of life; they just do it while they’re
a bit more orange.
For those who follow the
hit reality show Jersey Shore, this
is basically the book version. The
TV show captures your attention
through eight Italian-American
individuals and their sloppy,
screaming drama. The book is just
not the same. The book doesn’t
teach readers anything, except
for maybe how toned a man’s
abs should be, or what classifies
someone as a “grenade.”
I could feel my IQ
dropping as I painfully turned
each page. Snooki redefined the
definition of a sentence with her
two-worded fragments which
consisted of an article followed by
an adjective. Ghost writer or not,
this book caught every extremity
of Snooki’s inner thoughts. And let
me say, it was dull.
America gets tech savvy
Zach Hammack
Staff Writer
If you are one of those reading fanatics
who fear the impending extinction of paperback
and hardcover books due to the popularity of eReaders, do not fear. In fact, there is no impending
extinction in sight. It’s actually quite the opposite.
This may pass as ironic, but e-Readers themselves
may be obsolete by the end of the decade along
with a multitude of other products, including wired
headphones, legal signatures and CDs.
But why will these everyday products
and practices become useless? It’s because most
of these tools we habitually use on a daily basis
can now be found on one electronic device; either
a tablet or phone.
If someone wants to listen to music,
they don’t reach for their bulky CD player, but
instead instinctively grab their phone, plug in some
headphones, and play their music. This is made
simple by computerized music outlets where one
can purchase any individual song to put on their
iPod or phone without having to buy the entire
CD.
“Technology is changing on a daily basis.
The iPod is the now the number one music provider
with nearly 30 million of them in circulation,” Pius
freshman Stephen Akers explains.
But when one listens to music, headphone
wires tend to get tangled up and can easily be pulled
off one’s ear by simply moving or turning around.
That is why these types of headphones
are on the list of items that will soon be outdated.
With all the initiative and creative advances in
technology, sooner or later all wires and cables will
be long gone.
The root to all of this outdating is most
likely the very lethal and ingenious application or
“app” for short. Apps can be easily purchased on
phones and tablets. Want to read a book? There is
an app for that. Feel like finding a good recipe for
dinner tonight? There is an app for that. There is an
app for practically everything, so it’s not hard to
see that they have become increasingly common.
“With iPods and cell-phones you can
take your entire life with you, in the smallest way
possible,” Akers said.
Technology is never permanent. It is
always developing and always moving forward,
so it’s no surprise that with each day new items
are unveiled and new items take the on the roles
of old ones. Who knows? Maybe sometime in the
future, cell-phones themselves will become utterly
useless.
“I don’t think modern devices will
ever become obsolete, but yet again, anything is
possible,” said Akers.
November 22, 2011
Entertainment
9
Pius X Rockstars: Cole Sartore
Dani Wilkerson
Entertainment Editor
On the outside Cole Sartore seems
like just your average high school student,
but on the inside he’s a jack of all trades.
He can sing, dance, and do magic tricks, but
what makes Cole a Pius Rockstar is his web
show ThatKidCole. I sat down with Cole to
found out exactly what it takes to survive in
the world where anyone can be an instant
sensation overnight and what it’s like to
produce a show start to finish.
Question: When did you start getting into
film and making videos?
Q: Did you encounter any problems?
A: It’s always hard to come up with
new ideas by myself.
Q: How long does it take to produce each
show?
Q: How much work goes into each
show?
A: For a 10 minute show it takes about 15
hours of solid finish start to finish.
A: Many, many hours. Filming is the
easiest because I’ve spent many an
hour staring into the computer screen
trying to put the show together.
Q: When does each show come out?
Q: What are the story lines of each
show?
A: Out of thin air, literally.
A: They vary every time, plain and simple.
Answer: Seventh grade we were required
to make a religious film based on the Ten
Commandments and shortly after the
production of that film it sparked my interests
in film making.
Q: What inspired the concept?
Q: Do you come up with the story line up by
yourself or dose someone help?
Q: When did you start your web show and
what is it called?
Q: Was it hard to start?
Q: If so who?
A: Not incredibly hard I had some help. Now
a days all you have to do is go on a word press
and follow step by step. The draw should
be the comedy and the core elements which
should include a good story line.
A: Mainly family and friends. It is however is
in the skit itself or running the camera.
A: It launched in February 2011 and it’s called
“That Kid Cole” it’s on thatkidcole.com
Q: Where did you get the idea to start this web
show?
A: I find sporadic TV shows and movies are
helpful. Such as old nickelodeon shows like
the Amanda Show and Keenan and Kel.
A: I usually come up with the main story line
by myself but it is embellished by others.
Q: Do you do any the editing by yourself?
A: Currently it is whenever I get time to editing
so it’s pretty random right now. Hopefully in
the future it manifests itself into a scheduled
program.
Q: How did you accumulate the fan base you
have?
A: I venture to say that my fan base isn’t very
big. It is comprised of mainly family and
friends and one creeper guy from California.
Q: Would you like to pursue something like
this as your career in the future?
A: I have no idea what I’m going to with my
life. I’m up for anything that comes my way.
Q: Thank you so much for your time and I’ll
be sure to tune in for the next web show!
A: That I do.
Fly on the wall in the L/PAC Jack and Jill fails
Kayla Malizzi
Editor-in-Chief
Kaylawork
Malizzi
How much
goes
Ediot-in-Cheif
into a Pius Play Production?
Not
many people really know. The
whole process is “hush-hush”
until opening night, when all the
audience sees is the final product;
the results of all the work.
Senior Drew Reese
knows, though. He has been a part
of nine Pius productions and has
been on stage for four of those.
“There’s a lot of hard
work that goes on onstage and
backstage,” Reese said. “But it is
different for the one-act compared
to a full length play or musical.”
Right now Joseph Moser,
the director, and his cast are
working hard on the annual oneact. One of the main differences
besides length is it has to have a
very simple setting.
“Everything has to move.
The make-up, set and we never
know where we’ll be performing,”
Mark Fiedler, a senior at Pius,
stated.
To be successful in
competition, the cast has to put
in a lot of effort. Outside of
scheduled rehearsals, the cast has
to memorize lines and come up
with their own costumes. During
practice they work with Moser
on blocking, or positioning, on
interaction between the different
characters and showing emotion
on stage.
“Moser is a great director
because he was an actor, so he
knows what he is doing,” Fiedler
said.
According to Reese the
hardest time is when they start
blocking. Up until that point,
they run the script over and over,
becoming the characters they play.
Blocking, though, is more tedious.
Moser will constantly start and
stop the action to reposition the
actors and give them directions.
“It can be pretty boring.
Especially when he isn’t directing
you,” Reese said.
The whole cast knows,
though, that blocking is extremely
important. This is what makes the
scene come to life. Each individual
person makes the whole, and the
whole is what competes.
The
competition
is
different
from
sports
competitions.
“The one-act is less
competitive than sports. It is also
a different type of competition,”
Fiedler said. “We want to put on
a good show, not necessarily win
though that would be great.”
Reese agreed, “We only
have one chance to do well. We
don’t have all of the preliminary
competitions, we go straight to
Districts.”
All of the work is worth
it, though.
Reese said, “My favorite
part is when we run through it,
beginning to end the very first time
after you put it all together. It’s a
great feeling.”
Jack Thompson
Staff Writer
New to theaters for the
holiday season is Adam Sandler’s
new movie: “Jack and Jill.”
Jack, played by Adam
Sandler, is a typical middle aged
man living the dream with the
whole bundle: cute kids, cool job,
big house, sweet wife (played by
Katie Holmes). All that changes
when his sister Jill (also played
by Sandler) comes to town for
thanksgiving.
Jill is a single, dumb,
disgusting, and annoying version
of her brother. Jack is extremely
irked by her outbursts and lack of
judgment, providing the majority
of the humor in this comedy. Jill is
quite ignorant of her flaws.
Unfortunately for Jack,
his sister decides to stay at his Los
Angeles home for weeks after her
planned departure, with the excuse
that she has no one to go to now
that their mother has died. This
leaves Jack with one option: find
Jill a date.
The plan fails, however,
due to Jill’s tendency to send men
fleeing. When Jill finds out that it
was Jack who got the men to ask
her out she is obviously upset. This
leads to an argument in which Jack
vents all his frustration on his sister.
Jill plans on returning to her Bronx
home, and everyone feels sad.
From here on the movie
digresses. Al Pacino (played by
himself) falls in love with Jill, but
Jill doesn’t love him back. Jack, who
desperately wants Al Pacino to star
in a commercial for his company,
dresses up as Jill and goes on a half
awkward, half hilarious date with
the celebrity. Finally, at the movie’s
peak, Jack realizes that life is not
all about himself, and befriends
his sister. He helps his sister start a
relationship with his neighbor, and
the movie comes to a somewhat
inconclusive end.
Sports
10
The green and gold
roll over Northwest
Corinne Simpson
Sports Editor
Volleyball finds
road to Rome
Kate Rawlinson
Copy Editor
defensive effort was amazing. I since then,” Moore said. “Marian
Not all roads lead to
couldn’t ask for any more from did a great job of exploiting our
my teammates back there with weaknesses, and we got better Rome; just one in the entire state
when it comes to volleyball. This
me.”
from that.”
Similar to the earlier
This year’s graduating year the Pius X varsity volleyball
team travelled
match
at
their road to the
Northwest,
Nebraska State
Pius
X
Championship.
overwhelmed
It’s safe to say
the Vikings
that, for the Pius
early in all
X
volleyball
three
sets,
team, this was a
neutralizing
pretty incredible
their
home
s e a s o n .
c r o w d . Following
This
time,
Kennedy Hegert (10), Cassie Effken
Senior Allison Zastrow (5) sets
one loss to
h o w e v e r , the ball to an approaching senior (7) and the rest of the Pius X team
Omaha Marian
there was a Lauren Smith.
prepare for a serve.
on
October
raucous Pius
11, a secondX
student
ranked
class
section,
A school, Pius
forming
a
won 13 straight
sea of white
victories.
and feeding
Nine of those
energy to the
13 wins were
Thunderbolts,
against ranked
as they built
opponents.
early
leads
Coach
Jake
of 11-5 in
Moore
has
the first set,
steered the Pius
18-9 in the
volleyball teams
second and
to seven state
18-10 in the
titles in his time
third. Effken
coaching.
had 11 kills
Senior Scarlett Howerter swings for The Thunderbolts celebrate their
“I had a feeling
in the final
a kill during the first round match fourth state championship title in the
this team was
two sets, and vs. Beatrice.
last seven years.
Pius captured
match point
on a Zastrow ace block.
class features five college recruits,
“We came out strong and one of which has received the
never let up. It was pretty easy for medal before. Effken was a
me,” said Effken. “Our passing member of the varsity team in
was right on the money and 2008; the last time Pius won the
Allison (Zastrow) set it in a good state championship. So this state
spot. All I had to do was jump and championship means an awful lot
swing.”
to this senior-led team.
Moore said the turning
“Right now this state
point of the season was after the championship title is the most
Thunderbolts loss to Class A No. important because for ten of these
2 Omaha Marian in a triangular girls it is their first one, and this is
on October 11th. Since then, Pius their first experience and it’s a life
won the next 12 matches, winning changer,” said Moore. “The girls
every set in that span.
did a great job, and I’m happy for
“We’ve been on fire them.”
PHOTOS BY CORINNE SIMPSON
It’s 90 miles to Grand
Island, but it was worth every
minute and memory to make the
trip. Not quite three weeks
ago, the Thunderbolts dominated
Grand Island Northwest on
their home floor. On November
12th, top-ranked Lincoln Pius
X put together a nearly identical
performance across town at the
Heartland Events Center, defeating
the Vikings 25-18, 25-14, 25-17
in the Class B state championship
volleyball match.
“It’s always good to see
a team and we knew that they
would be making changes from
the last time we played them,” said
6-foot-2 middle blocker Cassie
Effken, who led the team with 14
kills and two ace blocks.
But what differed from
the match on October 25th was
this win provided some precious
hardware. The Thunderbolts (383) claimed their seventh state title,
all under coach Jake Moore, and
their fourth in the past six years.
Northwest (34-5) took home the
state runner-up trophy for the fifth
straight year.
The Pius X offense was
in-system most of the time. Also
the back-row play yielded two ace
serves and held the Vikings to 13
kills for the entire match.
“The last three or four
weeks, we’ve really concentrated
on serving and passing so Allison
has at least two options all the
time,” Coach Jake Moore said. Senior setter, Allison
Zastrow, had 36 assists, along with
four kills, and led the Thunderbolts
with 19 digs. Senior libero Lea
Sack had 14 digs and senior
outside hitter Scarlett Howerter
finished with 11 digs and 11 kills.
“We had a game plan
and we did a very good job of
executing it,” Sack said. “Our
November 22, 2011
a state-title contender last season
because of the talent our players
possessed. I really started believing
this team was state-title worthy in
mid-September when we played
and won the LPS tournament,”
Moore says.
This season’s seniors
are a special group to Moore, as
he explains that four of them,
Cassie Effken, Lea Sack, Lauren
Smith and Allison Zastrow, made
the jump from the freshman
volleyball team straight to varsity
as sophomores. There were some
ups and downs, but clearly, their
hard work and dedication has paid
off.
“I want the seniors to
remember the respect they worked
hard to earn. They had to earn it;
it wasn’t given to them. A great
example for the entire team was
Abby Burt. She’s the only senior
who isn’t playing in college next
year, but she was out there with
them, playing as hard as everyone.
She’s a great model for high school
sports,” Moore says.
Pius finishes the season
with an astounding 38-3 record,
first in the state for Class B.
With returning varsity
members Kristy Wieser, Kennedy
Hegert, Anne Bachmann, Sydney
Townsend and Maggie Kopf,
Pius will have a chance to find an
eighth road to Rome in the 20122013 volleyball season.
Sports
November 22, 2011
11
Sports Detective: Athletics
Coach’s Corner:
get attention over other areas George O’Boyle
A column by Kayla
Malizzi in the effort to
accumulate and evaluate
sports traditions. Bolts go collegiate
I moved from Missouri
to Nebraska and I have never
ever met such a fanatical fan
base as the one here in here in
Nebraska. Everyone is a Big
Red fan, and if you aren’t, then
you better watch out.
Sports are such a big
deal here in the U.S. Sometimes
they seem more important than
anything else we do. Especially
here at Pius. The arts program
doesn’t get as much attention as
the sports. We need a new L/
PAC and have needed one since
before I started attending here
three years ago. Yet since I have
been here, we have installed turf
down in the stadium and we are
currently building a softball and
baseball diamond.
The money seems to
immediately go to further our
sports programs. This isn’t
necessarily bad though especially
if it is donated just for that
specific purpose, like the turf
was. It is just an observation that
sports tend to take precedence
over other things in the U.S. What we need is to have an
alumni win an Oscar and donate
money for a new L-PAC. Americans like to
win. We proved that during the
Revolutionary war. With there
being statistically more males
than females in the U.S., it makes
sense that we would be drawn
to more testosterone raising
activities. It’s been proven that
watching battles, fights and
shootings raise testosterone. Sports fit right into that category.
So Huskers, I
understand why you are idolized
I don’t begrudge you your
success, but could you please tell
everyone that all the attention
might give you a big, yellow,
corn- head.
GRAPHIC BY CORINNE
SIMPSON
Kathryn Budell
Graphics Editor
young runners this season and
he is excited to work with them
throughout the rest of their high
school career.
In the future, O’Boyle
hopes that he will have a chance to
continue coaching cross country.
“I still enjoy doing it,” O’Boyle
It is an oven down at
Pioneers Park. Steam seems to be
sizzling all over, and not a single
runner seems to care. No wind, no
rain, not even a speck of a cloud
and everything is
perfect.
The Pius X
cross country team
sounds insane: who
runs five miles in
the blazing heat
for fun? George
O’Boyle, coach of
the Pius X cross
country team, finds
that the question
makes
perfect
sense.
“I loved
cross country a lot
in high school and
college,” O’Boyle
says.
He
ran
during high school
and he also ran
cross country at
the University of
Nebraska-Lincoln.
He says that he
enjoyed it a lot and
it is part of what
makes
coaching
now fun.
Coach George O’Boyle takes his natural pos
Currently tion at the Pius X meet at Pioneers Park.
he coaches cross
country at Pius and has been for smiles while saying. His greatest
years. He makes sure that, every hope for this year’s cross country
practice, the kids work hard to get team is to host districts and
better and improve their times. hopefully take some of his athletes
O’Boyle says that they work hard out to state.
to succeed at the meets, but he Regarding the team’s
finds that the practices are more weaknesses, he still is optimistic.
challenging.
“We always work to our
“I like the meets,” strengths, not our weaknesses,”
O’Boyle comments. “But O’Boyle comments. This year,
practices can be difficult.” the sizzling paths at Pioneers
Watching the athletes improve Park are crowded with runners
throughout the season is one coached by O’Boyle, who is
of O’Boyle’s favorite things excited to continue coaching in
about cross country. He feels the same place for years to come.
that the team has many good
PHOTO BY CORINNE SIMPSON
Dear
Husker
Football
Coaches,
Why
are you so
popular? Is it
because
you are amazing coaches (which
you seem to be by your winning
record) or just that you have
very talented athletes? Or could
it be because you are a part of
the favorite team, the only team
in Nebraska?
What makes coaches
such important symbols in our
society? Most of them seem to
reach almost celebrity statuses. Some famous names include
Tom Osborne, Lou Holtz, Woody
Hayes and Hayden Fry. These
coaches are just as well-known
as Brad Pitt, Johnny Depp, Katy
Perry and Lady Gaga.
Back Page
12
November 22, 2011
Whose locker is it?
Match the staff member with their locker...
C
B
Kathryn Budell ___
Kate Rawlinson ___
Zach Hammack ___
Kathryn Kopetzky___
Straight from the Bolts
If you could guest star in any show, what would it be?
Tracy Chapelle
faculty
“The Mentalist”
Faith Villamonte
freshman
“Whose line is it anyway?”
Chad Berens
sophomore
“That 70s Show”
Dorothy Hanigan
Connor Aylor
“Dr. Who”
“Community”
junior
Answers: A - Kate Rawlinson; B. Kathryn Kopetzky; C. Kathryn Budell; D. Zach Hammack
A
D
senior