Dreaming of you: Winter Formal A Success

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Pius X High school - 6000 A Street - LIncoln, NE
NYCU: Airport Security
Page 2
Features
H
olly Stejskal
staff reporter
It was another chilly winter
formal at Pius X High School. All
dance goers waited eagerly in line
to get dresses approved and enter
spend the day putting them up.”
The theme this year was
“Dreaming of You”. The gym and
the commons area were draped
with flowing purple chiffon and
there were silver stars at every turn.
There were about 550
“My
favorite
part
about the dance was the
Sandstorm, it was just madness,”
Sophomore John Knobbe said.
By 11:00 pm the dance
was winding down. The lights
slowly started to turn back on
Photo by Holly Stejskal
Page 4
Terrorism
Pages 6-7
Entertainment
Page 9
Sports
Boys Basketball
Page 10
Second
Threat
found in
Restroom,
Dismissed
as Hoax
Olivia Vrbka
staff reporter
Last Friday around
3:20 pm another bomb threat
in a boys’ restroom was
discovered at school. Senior
Phillip Power saw the message
written in red marker inside the
bathroom stall with a specific
threat for “2/8/10.”
Students dance in the old gym at the 2010 Winter Formal. Those in attendance seemed to enjoy the evening.
“I felt morally
obligated to report it to the
the event. There was excitement in students at the dance this year. and the gym was beginning office because if there was a
the air. Couples were everywhere Junior
Mia
Votipka to look like the gym again. bomb I would feel responsible,”
ready to dance the night away. said, “I was doing the fist All dancers filed out of Power said.
Winter Formal is put on pump,
it
was
awesome”. the gym doors looking sweaty
Power spoke soon
every year by the Thunderbolt The general consensus and exhausted but fulfilled thereafter with Superintendent
cheerleaders and their parents. It is by dance goers was that Winter with their night of dancing. Fr.
James
Meysenburg,
their major fundraiser for the year. Formal was a success. There Vice Principal Greg Principal Tom Korta and
It takes two- three months was constant motion on the Lesiak
thought
the
dance Vice Principal Greg Lesiak
to plan. Most of the major decisions dance floor, whether it was a went very well this year. regarding the time he found the
are made by the senior cheerleaders. huge conga line around the gym “It was great seeing how threat, if he had seen anyone
Sophomore Cheerleader or couples swing dancing left much fun everybody had. If you write it or if he had any idea
Ann Essay said, “I like seeing and right. Everyone was on the don’t go you don’t realize how who wrote it.
all the decorations after you dance floor having a great time. much fun the dances really are.”
The Pius administration
proceeded to contact the
Lincoln Police Department.
The administration’s
response to this threat was
taken as seriously as the first
threat and responded to in the
Rachel Hobbs
from
the
performance
were
of
music
from
Broadway
same manner.
staff reporter
going to help her students in tunes and pop music, to songs
However, according
The third annual benefit Nigeria so that they could get a from ‘Tarzan’ and ‘Glee’. For to Korta, “There are things
concert was held on Monday the better educational experience.
example, freshman Alec Talbot about this [threat] that make
first of February. The proceeds After Sister Magdalena sang ‘Because of You’ by Kelly it less credible than the prior
from which will be sent with left the stage, the whole cast Clarkson with his friend and one. The one prior had several
the help of Club World Aid to of the 2010 benefit concert fellow freshman, Dani Aylward, contributing factors that made
a former Pius X teacher, Sister gathered for the first song of the while sophomore Katelyn Geary us think it was more of a real
Magdalena Okoye, in order to night, “the New World”. The sang “Brave”.
threat.”
help fund a school in Nigeria.
solos were sung by the senior There
were
some
Korta believes that
Student tickets sold vocal department members.
“classic musical theater pieces there are several possible
for four dollars a pop, while The students who sang such as ‘Can’t Help Loving That motives for a person to place
adult audience-members paid in the concert had to audition Man’, and ‘Maybe This Time’, a bomb threat without a real
six dollars to see the talented before the beginning of the as well as some pieces that bomb to follow.
people perform.
twenty-three-day
Christmas were composed by the students
“They might be trying
The concert, which break. That translates into a themselves.” Odgaard said.
to impress someone else, they
lasted for a little more than little more than a month of But the singers were might be legitimately upset
an hour and a half, included practice time to prepare for the not the only people working with Pius or they might want
a ten minute intermission, big night.
hard that night. Members of to see if they can close the
and consisted of nearly fifty The night of the show, Club World Aid were present to school,” Korta said.
performers and twenty-two the audience laughed and cried be ushers, to sell tickets, and to
Power, along with
acts.
to the beautiful performances run the house that night.
many students, was surprised
It all began with on stage. Many smiled at songs Even Margaret Kaiser- upon hearing of another bomb
a few opening words from such as “Taylor the Latte Boy”, Woodward, the sponsor of Club threat.
Mary Odgaard, Pius’ vocal and tears welled up in the World Aid was there to help
“I was really shocked
music teacher, followed by the eyes of several concert-goers with the event.
that somebody would have the
welcoming of Sister Magdalena, when “Fix You” was sung- and “I love how everyone audacity to make another threat
who had traveled all the way played- by Esteban Benton and is willing to come together to considering the last person
back from Nigeria just to be Josh Burks.
help those in need, wherever who did it was charged with a
present for the concert. She Some of the other they may be,” said Kaiser- felony,” Power said.
explained that the funds made performances included a range Woodward.
Encore Concert benefits students
E Readers
Volume 46, Issue 5
Dreaming of you: Winter
Formal A Success
March for Life
Xclusives
February 12, 2010
February 12, 2010
traffic sparks rage
Caitlin Hassler
news and opinion editor
Upon returning to the
usual grind of the school year after
Christmas break, I found one thing
to be the absolute worst part of my
day. The commute.
Each day, I have to wake
up about 6:50 in the morning and
leave my house at about 7:20 to get
to school by 8:00. To the average
adult, that sounds like a reasonable
time, but for a teenager, this time is
utterly unreasonable.
Like many Pius students,
I live in the south part of Lincoln
(specifically the southwest corner).
According to Google maps, Pius is
21 miles from my house.
It should take 20 minutes
to get from my house to Pius.
However, due to the recent melting
and freezing of snow, my commute
has gained an extra ten to fifteen
minutes depending on the day.
That’s an extra 10 or 15
minutes I could be sleeping. My
fellow classmates would agree that
sleep is a divine gift from God that
should not be messed with.
Losing sleep isn’t the
only side effect of traffic. My
blood pressure has probably risen
exponentially since I started
driving which is due to one
street.
Arguably the worst part
of my commute is 56th Street.
With its potholes, heavy traffic and
Opinion
one lane past Normal Blvd., 56th
is the best example of Lincoln
traffic.
Since I have been
attending Pius, there has been an
insane amount of potholes. Even
with my Ford Escape which has
descent suspension, I feel car sick
due to all the bumps. It has never
gotten better.
Perhaps the best solution
for a bumpy road is to completely
resurface the road. That would
be safer to our health and cars
even though it would be an
inconvenience for a while. Many
other main streets in Lincoln could
use this treatment too.
On overcast mornings,
lines of headlights can be seen for
miles. The long serpentine street
has one of the heaviest traffic flows
in Lincoln. There are few hours
of the day that 56th Street isn’t
overflowing with vehicles.
The best solution for
heavy traffic is to charge drivers
during peak hours of traffic. The
city council could easily implement
a congestion charge similar to the
kind in London.
In London, a special sticker
needs to be purchased in order to
drive during rush hour. This charge
would discourage drivers who don’t
need to be on the roads during rush
hour to not be on the roads.
The idea sounds really
annoying, but there are some
positives. Number one, the money
acquired could be put into the
Department of Transportation who
could use it for resurfacing and
construction of roads.
Whatever the solution may
be, the road system in Lincoln needs
to be fixed. And, maybe one day, the
spider web of the Lincoln roadway
will not be as dangerous and
annoying with the implementation
of a few little solutions.
Signs of hope for Haiti
Patrick Murphy
sports editor
These past few weeks
have put one of the poorest and
least developed countries in the
world in the spotlight. Haiti was
hit by an enormous earthquake
on Jan. 12. It has been said that
it is the worst earthquake in that
region in 200 years.
At first I thought it
would be like any other major
disaster to strike some country
across the Atlantic Ocean.
I assumed the news
would talk about it for a day
or two and then it wouldn’t get
spoken about again because it
wasn’t even close to the United
States.
Just a week after the
earthquake all the major news
networks like CNN and FOX
News were covering the Haiti
disaster. It seems like the world
has opened their eyes and hearts
to Haiti.
As I walked into work
Sunday morning I noticed a sign
on our tip jar. It said: “All of
today’s tip will be given to the
relief effort in Haiti.” I didn’t
think much of it because people
are not usually that willing to
put in extra money.
People really wanted to
help. As I saw customers put
in five dollars or more at once
instead of the spare change
usually given to us. At first I
was kind of shocked that people
were filling the jar so much and
I was honestly a little mad that
we wouldn’t be getting any of
this money.
Then I stopped and
thought about who really needed
it more. There are children in
Haiti the same age as me not
knowing what will happen the
next day or even the next hour.
By the end of my work
day I felt very good knowing
that I did something, even
though it was very little to help
those who need it the most.
The NFL playoffs were
on that afternoon as well as a
handful of basketball games
Lincoln, Nebraska has not had to weather
many fierce snowstorms in the recent past, but this
winter was an exceptional exception.
After weeks of nothing but the white stuff
raining down on our streets and homes, people
began to get a bit sick of it. One would hope that
just maybe there would be room for all students in
the familiar parking lots of Pius.
We are sorry to say that a
lot of us were bitterly disappointed
upon returning to HQ.
A number of spots suffered
from poor plowing, leaving many
students struggling to park during
the first few days of school. As if a bunch of teenagers
driving around in the same lots with black ice lurking
underneath their vehicles wasn’t dangerous enough,
now mounds of snow were added into the equation.
Not to mention the scarcity of parking
already or the fact that many students enjoy driving
in a manner only suitable for preschoolers cutting
each other in line for snacks.
3
Underclassmen already have to come to
school very early to get the best parking in the
neighborhoods. But now some upperclassmen,
expecting their place to be safe from wandering
snow banks, were shocked to find a miniature of
Alaska where their cars ought to be.
Of course, some of the crisis we created
ourselves. As irate students
bemoaned the fact their cars had
been towed, chances are that it
was their fault.
It’s common sense to
stagger cars when parking in a
neighborhood street. A question
to ask the driver before he or she parks would be,
“Do you think you can fit two Prius’ in there?” If the
answer is no, don’t do it.
This problem can easily be solved with an
addition to the parking lots, making more room for
students and better quality plowing.
It’s not rocket science; it’s only fair. Give
us our parking. Our View
youtube has valuable assets
Olivia Vrbka
copy editor
After
spending
an
exhilarating four hours straight on
my laptop about a week ago, I felt
completely refreshed. As I sat like
a bump on a log, Ramen noodles
and steaming apple cider close-athand, I began the greatest outlet for
procrastination. YouTube.
True, I might have been
seeing lights for an hour after
staring into the bright screen of
so as I sat down I saw many
commercials come up saying,
text “Haiti” to 90999 to donate
ten dollars to the Red Cross.
Michelle Obama has
made a commercial that pledges
her time to help those in Haiti
and has asked for our pledges
too. These commercials were
not just shown for a few days.
During prime time programs on
T.V. these commercials can be
seen more than once.
The most powerful
country in the world, even
though they are in an economic
downfall, reached out to help
those who need it most.
Haiti asked for our help
and what I’ve seen from people
giving extra in the Haiti tip jar
to commercials asking to send
a text made me feel good and
proud to live here.
We have a responsibility
to help those who are in need
of help at their lowest times.
Weeks after this devastating
natural disaster we are still
helping.
While the people of
Haiti may be at their lowest
time in history the future seems
to be showing signs of hope and
encouragement for Haiti.
my laptop. Strangely, I did not leave
the screen feeling like my time was
wasted, nor did I have an itching
feeling that was my conscience
telling me to slam the laptop shut
and find more productivity in my
time. I came to a conclusion and
refuse to be modest about my
brilliant discovery. YouTube is
great.
The brilliance that is
YouTube has the power to entertain
you, boggle you or even make you
famous. It was created by three
former employees of PayPal and is
owned by Google as a subsidiary.
The video sharing website allows
for users to upload and share
videos. While the majority of
videos are owned and uploaded by
individuals, large corporations like
CBS offer some of their material
via the site. I ran across the favorites
of America. There was “Charlie
Bit My Finger,” prank calls gone
wrong, a lot of The Tonight Show
controversy, TV show clips and
young Justin Bieber snippets.
There
were
people
bantering on and on and on about
the latest political drama, their
school, life and family.
Then, I discovered the
beauty of tutorials. I especially
discovered the beauty of makeup
tutorials. (Clearly, no pun intended.)
There are tons of professionally
edited and narrated videos giving
directions for something as simple
as shaping eyebrows to something
as extravagant as a complete Lady
Gaga makeover.
One young
woman, Michelle Phan, has dozens
of tutorials.
One includes specific
directions on how to do a facial with
cleanser and an electric toothbrush.
After I have unsuccessfully
attempted to put on fake eyelashes
on multiple occasions in my life,
I watched Phan’s steps to apply
them. I strutted around with
flawless lashes just several days
later.
Peoples’ lives are on
YouTube for the world to see. It is
easy to spot a user who received
attention for a video and makes
futile following attempts for the
fame to keep rolling their direction.
These users post video after video
all too similar to their original claim
to fame. Sometimes it works, and
those users have funny, beautiful,
helpful or inspirational clips time
after time. Others’ clips are pathetic
attempts to say the least.
The popularity of YouTube
doesn’t seem to be evaporating
into the black hole where MySpace
went. Maybe some new site will pop
up and compete with YouTube, but
it seems unlikely. Definitely in my
book, however little significance it
may hold, YouTube is here to stay.
The Staff
Stacie Hecker
editor-in-chief
Dominic Dongilli
assistant editor-in-chief
Mairead Safranek
cover editor
Caitlin Hassler
news and opinion editor
Michelle O’Donnell
features editor
Katie Houlden
entertainment editor
Patrick Murphy
sports editor
Olivia Vrbka
copy editor
Sean Flattery
graphics editor
Kelsey Wieser
photo editor
Sarah Benal
Kayla Condello
Rachel Hobbs
Allyson Koziol
Austin Safranek
Holly Stejskal
Jake Swanson
Norma Volkmer
staff reporters
Nolan DeWispelare
adviser
contact us:
6000 A Street
Lincoln, NE 68510
[email protected]
2
News
Walgreens applies for liquor licenses
February 12, 2010
News From
Around the
World
Katie Houlden
entertainment editor
A
study was recently done
by University of Chicago
psychologists
regarding
the
boys-are-better-at-math
stereotype. The study showed
that female elementary-school
teachers with anxiety about math
actually made some of their
female students anxious as well;
the teacher’s attitude solidified
the idea that girls are not as good
at math. Not all girl students
were affected by their teacher’s
apprehension about math, which
the researchers believe suggests
that girls with a mother or sister
who don’t show an aversion to
math could be unaffected by
their teacher’s apparent dislike
for the subject. It is possible
that female students struggling
with math could benefit from
switching to a teacher more
confident with the subject.
F
O
n January 26, a suicide car
bomber in Baghdad killed
at least 18 people. Dozens
more are injured. The attack
happened a day after several
suicide attacks took place in
hotels. Ali Hassan al-Majid
was hanged Monday after being
convicted of several crimes,
including mass killings and
crimes against humanity.
In January, Walgreens announced
that within 12 months to 18 months it will
be selling alcohol at some of its Lincoln
locations. It will not be the first time
either. Walgreens once had a full liquor
department until the mid-1990s.
One of the main reasons that
Walgreens stopped was because it kept the
store managers were too preoccupied with
the liquor department because employees
were not allowed to. With today’s
technology, keeping track of alcohol stock
via computer will erase that problem
and cash registers can lock out sales at a
certain time to keep stores in compliance
with local liquor laws.
Walgreens, an Illinois-based chain,
has already begun selling beer and wine
at about 1,500 of approximately 7,000
locations nationwide. Walgreens originally
applied for 53 liquor licenses state wide
to sell a “moderate selection” of beer
and wine; 11 of those locations being in
Lincoln.
In a Lincoln City Council meeting
on Jan. 11, the council ruled out five of
those 11 locations, but granted permits to
the other six. The Omaha council rejected
14 of the 20 Walgreens liquor license
applications due to concern about the
number of liquor stores in the downtown
area.
The problem with five of the
Lincoln Walgreens locations is that they
are located in commercial zones where a
special permit has to be obtained. A few
of the locations were also too close to
residential areas, such as 1701 South St.
and 4811 O St.
The council’s decision is just a
recommendation to the Nebraska Liquor
Commission, which will have the final
say.
Walgreens has determined that
liquor will only take up about two percent
of a store’s shelf space to keep up with it’s
current morals and upstanding as a familyfriendly neighborhood drug store.
Walgreens is claiming to take the
selling of alcohol very seriously just as
they do the selling of prescription drugs.
They are planning to card anyone who
appears to be under 40. But Councilman
Jonathan Cook commented critically that
a company with over $60 billion net sales
should not have neglected to go through the
proper legal channels in Lincoln. The state
requires that a special permit be requested,
which Walgreens was informed about, but
neglected to comply with when applying
for recommendations.
The Lincoln locations that will be
receiving recommendations are; 4000 S.
70th St., 5701 Village Drive, 2630 Pine
Lake Road, 5500 Red Rock Lane, 2600 S.
48th St. and 1301 O St.
news you can use: AirPort security is tightened
Patrick Murphy
sports editor
Fences that are high and sometimes charged
with electricity surround the entire airport’s
property, and these are checked daily to
make sure they have not been tampered with.
Also, parking is not allowed anywhere close
to the terminals.
Once inside, the first step to getting
on a safe flight is having your ID checked.
It’s more than just looking at the picture to
match it to the person. The person is trained
The metal detectors send out about
one thousand pulses every second. When one
of those pulses gets interfered with because
Terrorism has been a problem for
of a metal object it disrupts the normal pulse
airlines and air travelers since the 1970s,
flow and makes the alarm go off.
when hijackings and bombings became
While you are walking through the
the method of choice for terror groups and
detectors, carry-on bags are passed through
militant organizations around the world.
a X-ray machine that sends energy through
Although security at airports has
the bags. The energy shows up on the screen
always been tight, the 9/11 attacks woke
and is shown in three categories: organic,
up many people to the
inorganic, or metal. Explosives
harsh reality that it wasn’t
are shown up as orange for
enough.
organic while knives and guns
Every
day
are shown up as green metals.
millions of people take to
While going through all the
the U.S. skies. Whether
security devices, your bags
that may be a few hundred
that get stored under the plane
miles away or halfway
have been scanned and Xaround the world, every
rayed. Then all the bags are
one of those people
packed onto a cart and slowly
expects to reach their
driven by one more final scan.
destination safely.
Besides technology, dogs
The men and
are commonly used to sniff out
women who protect the
drugs and explosives. These
airports are known as
can detect problems that other
the TSA (Transportation
machines have missed.
Security Administration)
The newest features in some
and were put in place
airports are “puff portals.”
by the Department of
These glass chambers puff
Homeland Security after
out short bursts of air at the
the 9/11 attacks. Many
person standing inside. This
of the larger airports also
air dislodges particles from
have their own police
the body that may detect
TSA official examines a bag in airport security. New security measures
systems in place for added
microscopic explosives at
make airport security more difficult to go through.
security measures.
airports. The machines cost
Many people are used to the typical to look for certain characteristics in people. around $160,000 each and are still having all
security checks of checking identifications, If they seem suspicious they may either be the glitches worked out.
walking through metal detectors, and having fingerprinted or have a facial scan to verify The reality is that these machines
their carry on items scanned. But there are the identity.
cost the traveler a great deal of time, and
many security features that many people do After passing the identification, requires them to arrive anywhere from two
not notice even before they step close to the passengers must remove all items that could to three hours prior to their flight. While
terminal.
go off in the metal detector. Shoes must also taking time in security may be a stressful
Fences and barriers keep anyone be removed, because of an attempted shoe experience for some it is just a small price to
who is not flying away from the premise. bombing back in 2001.
pay for a safe flight.
PHOTO FROM EHOW.COM
ox News Channel is the
most trusted news channel
in the US, according to a recent
survey. The survey found that
half of Americans polled from
a pool of registered voters
trusted Fox News, and Fox
News beat out other News giant
CNN as well as ABC and CBS.
The results of the survey are
somewhat controversial because
Fox News is notoriously rightwing. Some feel that the news
network is unfairly biased and
does not cover the news fairly.
The president of Public Polling
Policy, Dean Denham, said that
Fox News used his company
to conduct a survey which had
poor results for Democrats.
Fox News allegedly also did
their own poll which resulted in
better results for the Democrats
but the news network went with
the PPP results. Biased or not,
Fox News appears to have the
favor of many Americans.
Kelsey Wieser
photo editor
Straight From the Bolts
What is your strangest airport security experience?
Don McKee
drafting teacher
“I had to get patted down
a week after 9/11.”
John Haug
freshman
“I was stuck in a small
plane for two hours
due to the wind.”
“I was handcuffed, just
kidding!”
Nikki Hartmann
sophomore
“I set off the alarm when I was
two and got patted down. ”
Laura McGahan
senior
Mario Ostiguin
junior
INTERVIEWS AND PHOTOS BY HOLLY STEJSKAL
AND KELSEY WIESER
“I had a bottle of perfume that was
not in a ziplock bag. I’m on the list
now.”
Features
February 12, 2010
5
xposed
John “Jack” Burt
Sean Flattery
graphics editor
In an attempt 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 student in every issue.
This issue’s focus is golfbasketball-math prodigy, John
“Jack” Burt.
If you attend a Pius
boys’ basketball game, chances
are at some point the raging
throng of Thunderbolt fans will
begin chanting “CHARIZARD!”
in homage to number twentytwo, Jack Burt.
Members of the senior
class began comparing Jack’s
remarkable scoring record to
the evolution of legendary
fire-Pokémon
CharmanderCharmeleon-Charizard because,
well, he’s on fire: Jack averages
11.1 points per game so far this
season.
It is clear to the
basketball spectator that Jack is
dedicated on the court, but his
drive doesn’t start or end there.
“The people I have been
around in my life have definitely
formed me into the person I
am today. My family is a very
hardworking and competitive
one—that has formed me,”
Jack says. “My dad was always
pushing me to the limit on the
basketball court and in school.”
Jack is the oldest of
four children to parents Steve
and Tricia; and as the oldest he
feels the pressure to make good
life choices, knowing that his
younger siblings look up to him.
In addition, Jack has inherited
his love for the Beatles from his
parents: “They’re what I grew
up listening to.” he explains.
Jack prefers working on
a team to working individually
because “you get more work
done on a team,” he says.
Being on a team also
has built some of Jack strongest
friendships.
“My friends are all very
competitive and hardworking
too—we are always competing
against each other.”
Evidently, competition
breeds excellence: Jack has
maintained a 4.0 grade point
average throughout his high
school career.
Looking
at
Jack’s
athletic
successes,
some
people might fail to notice his
intellectual prowess. He has
dealt with the “dumb jock”
stigma by simply laughing it off
or letting any snide comments
motivate him to work harder.
Jack
describes
his
schedule during the
academic year as
consisting solely of
school, basketball or
golf and homework.
During
the
school day, Jack enjoys
his math and science
classes. “They are the
most interesting,” he
states. “I hate reading
so I don’t like English
that much… sorry,
Grandma.”
When brief,
blissful moments of
free time come his
way, Jack usually
watches TV. He finds
it easy to get lost in
Lost and engrossed in
The Real World.
Things
that
aren’t his favorite
include times when
there’s no milk in
the fridge and times
when Mr. Burns
and Mr. Scheffler
personify
their
equations and graphs
by referring to them
as “guys.”
After graduation, Jack
plans to attend Creighton or
Nebraska Wesleyan to go into
medicine. He hopes to continue
playing a sport at either of
those schools.
Jack Burt lives by a
mantra of perseverance. “My
main advice is never give up.
Always fight, and keep working
hard. Your character is not
judged on how you get knocked
down, it’s judged on how you
get back up and respond to the
punch.”
This
math-crazy
basketball star will keep us
chanting “Charizard” in the
stands. He is a Thunderbolt.
Student teachers learn too theft in the commons slows
Kayla Condello
staff reporter
Every year there
are new students. These
students have hopes and
dreams just like most of
the people wandering
through the halls-with
one exception: they have
already graduated from
high school.
Student teachers
are a common part of
the school system with
hundreds of placements
every school year. In
addition to helping the
teacher, they are also
gain valuable hands on
experience. They make
lesson plans, help their
peers and plan for their
future classroom.
This year, Pius
is lucky enough to have
three student teachers
this year. Each has a
future plan and plenty of
personality that they are
ready to incorporate into
their own lesson plans.
Each one has a very
different story and set of
skills. Abby Linnerson,
a student teacher Mrs.
Sullivan,
lived
in
Nebraska City. She wanted
to be an Egyptologist,
one who specializes in
the scientific study of
Ancient Egypt, when she
was young, but then fate
took over.
“I was grounded
from TV for a year,” she
said. “I read a lot and
homework was important
instead.”
Her
English
teacher convinced her to
take up reading and she
loved it. She now has an
English major and is also
a certified speech judge.
She wants to someday
teach Children’s Literature
to grades 7-12 with a
focus on the real meaning
of common stories such
as The Wizard of Oz and
Little Red Riding Hood.
In the Spanish
department, Amy Roberts
is the student teacher for
Maestra Hayes.
“Ella
es
una
maestra
fabulosa!”
Roberts said. (She is a
fabulous teacher.)
She is a student
at UNL, working towards
her teaching certification.
She loves the Spanish
language and culture
along with children, so
putting the two together
just seemed right. She
loves to cook, read and
travel. Roberts is also
adventurous,
enjoying
activities such as wake
boarding, wake surfing,
canyoning,
hiking,
Frisbee golfing and even
skiing.
The process to
become a student teacher
can be long and grueling.
“There was a lot
of paperwork,” Linnerson
said.
The
student
teachers must fill out an
application and resumé
and answer questions
about who inspired them,
what technology they can
use and what their first
choice school is. Some
schools require general
education requirements to
be met and others accept
directly. Student teachers
usually work with not
only the subject, but the
grade they would like to
teach.
Some
student
teachers are also certified
in first aid, CPR and
understanding child abuse
and how to report it. This
will not only help them
as a hands-on learner, but
also as a future teacher.
As
Linnerson
said, “It’s all about the
students.”
Jake Swanson
staff reporter
Stealing has been
somewhat of an ongoing
problem at Pius these past
few years. The stealing
issue has even caused some
new protocols. The newest
protocol meant to restrict
lunchroom theft restricts
students from carrying
their backpacks through the
lunch line.
During
first
semester
there
were
talks and rumors about
the
troublesome
rulebreaking, but no action.
Second semester, however,
started off with a new rule
concerning theft in our
school.
Following
an
inspirational talk from
Teresa Tomeo, Principal
Tom
Korta
informed
students of the change in
lunch policy. Students are
now required to leave their
backpacks behind, while
they pass through the line
to receive their food, which
will slow the lunch room
theft.
The
current
lunch program has been a
blessing to the school and
is widely appreciated. Back
in 2007 the lunch program
was provided by Premier
Catering, and although
it was tasty it was both
expensive and repetitive.
Each week the students
would get the same thing,
or at least have that option.
There was only one choice
in the lunch line.
This year’s new
program, led by Tini
Van Oehlertz, is a group
of women who have
volunteered not only their
time, but also their talents.
The ladies make the food in
what was formally known
as Clark-Jeary and bring
the food over to the school
for our lunches.
Stealing is really
a disappointment to all
the people who sacrifice
so much time to make
our days suitable and
enjoyable.
The change in
protocol is targeting the
thieves, or students, that
took food and placed it in
their backpacks to conceal
them as they passed the
registers. This was just the
most recent in a long line
of lunch rule additions. For
example, if a student wants
to buy lunch but has no
card, the student must go
to the end of the line and
wait.
Ann Safranek is
one of the food service
personnel at Pius and she
had some things to say
about the issue.
“I
am
very
disappointed with the kids
who steal, it keeps us in the
red,” Safranek said.
In her opinion,
those who are caught
stealing
should,
“be
suspended,
have
their
parents notified, banned
from cafeteria for the week,
and have to do work in the
kitchen.”
According
to
school
policy,
anyone
caught steeling in the
lunchroom will spend the
rest of the day in out-ofschool suspension.
The lunch ladies
and Pius are both being
negatively affected by the
theft going on in the lunch
room.
Safranek said, “It is
really disappointing and it
slows down the business.”
The
ladies
hope that in the future a
more harsh punishment
might be enforced. The
administration is working
hard to restrict this kind
of theft in the school
lunchroom. In the future we
can hopefully be theft-free.
4
march for life
Jake Swanson
staff reporter
Connelly also was
thankful for his chaperones,
because “On Wednesday of the
trip, we rode the metro to the
hotel, but the closest stop was
a few blocks from the hotel.
We were lost, but thankfully
one of our chaperones had a
GPS-enabled cell phone. We
got home all right.”
Connelly was by no
means the only one who went
on this pilgrimage, in fact,
over three hundred thousand
went and marched 20 blocks
on the supreme-court. The
pro-lifers marched from the
Verizon Center to the mall and
then to the Supreme Court.
“Thankfully, the weather was
nice, compared to Nebraska,”
Sean said. “The only snow I
saw there in D.C. was at the
pentagon.
No notable reaction
from onlookers as far as
Connelly could tell, talking
about onlookers he said, “They
were probably indifferent.
“Maybe some people were
happy to know that there were
so many willing to do this for
the pro-life cause. Some were
just like, hey it’s a march.”
The march received a
lot of media attention and was
even broadcasted over EWTN.
Now that the national march
for life is over, Connelly and
all others from Nebraska can
begin looking forward to their
local walks for life.
pius models walk runway to
raise money for the homeless
Michelle O’Donnell
The show started off
with a troupe of break dancers
performing on the runway as the
doors opened at 6:30 pm. The
A little fashion never hurt
VIP guests found their way to the
anyone, and the night of Saturday,
tables lining the catwalk, while the
Jan. 30, four Pius students helped
general admission audience found
use fashion to raise money for the
a place with a good view to stand.
homeless. Fashion In Salvation is
The designers and models
a show created and maintained by
were
in
Angela
different
stages
Poor,
an
of before-show
O m a h a
preparations in
d e s i g n e r. the cramped
area backstage.
“Fashion in
Designers
Salvation
w e r e
is a show
frantically
that
was
sewing their
inspired
pieces
onto
by the love
the
models,
of
God
hurrying
to
to
bring
finish
them
together a
before
the
community
lights
went
to
join
down. Models
together in Jessie Kapuska, Michelle O’Donnell, Liz Bahl and Monica Izzaguire walk
were standing
supporting the runway at “Fashion In Salvation” wearing designs by Dan Ritchers,
in the same
o
u
r Roots & Wings, Juantiesha Christianson, and Ellene McClay.
spot
for
homeless
hours,
taking
m e n ,
women and children. Along along with junior Jessie Kapuska off their shoes to get a little bit
with keeping our youth off the were notified mid-January and of comfort in the overcrowded
overheated
backstage.
streets. Beyond that, to join congratulated for making the show. and
“The
casting
was
really
When
the
lights
finally
went
together in unity,” Poor said.
fun,
but
stressful
at
the
same.
I
was
down,
signaling
the
start
of
the
show,
The show took place
last Saturday, Jan. 30 at the wondering for a month whether the models walked out one by one,
Scoular Building in Omaha, but I made it or not!,” said Izzaguire. designer by designer, to showcase
preparations began long before Then the models who were the hours of sweat, sewing, and
picked were doled out to one of concentration the designers put into
the 13 designers showcasing their their pieces. The audience showed
designs on the runway. Poor and their support and appreciation by
the other participating desingers, cheering wildly for each piece and it
including Sabrina Jones, Jennie made its way up and down the runway.
Mason, Ellene McClay, Shamina “The show was so amazing,
Wiek, Dan Richters, Jane Round, walking down the runway was a
Shawntelle Kuhlmann, Juantiesha massive adrenaline rush! I loved
Christian,
Rasheena
Nichols, my designer and all the girls in my
Dede Williams, Fella, and Roots group, I had a ton of fun, and it was
& Wings, then contacted their for a great cause,” Kapuska said.
models for fitting dates and times. After raising a total
In preparation for the show, of $2,500 in donations of
rehearsals and fittings were held free seating, the fundraising
in Omaha and Bellevue, and the show was a massive success.
designers, models, photographers, Poor summed everything up
hair and makeup stylists, dancers, by saying, “In the cut throat industry
and staff had to show up ten that we are in, we need to realize that
hours before the show started competing only hurts us. When we
to get everything perfect and join together and support each other,
ready for the start of the show. only then do we really succeed. The
“It was a long, slow ten fashion world is big enough for us
hours, but I really enjoyed meeting all. To do it God’s way, to care about
all of the talented designers and our neighbor, is a much better plan.
awesome models. I made some Besides, what is more fashionable
really cool new friends!” Bahl said. than God?”
features editor
that. Multiple castings took
place in the month of December,
where aspiring models went
through a round of measurements,
getting
their
photographs
taken, and being recorded and
critiqued on their runway walk.
.
Seniors Monica Izzaguire,
Liz Bahl, and Michelle O’Donnell,
Photos by Jason Gerber Photography
On Jan. 22 people
from all over America joined
together at our nation’s capital to
respectfully protest the terror that
is abortion.
Pius is very religiously
blessed, it has students that live
their faith, teachers that preach the
faith, and families that promote
the faith. It is great to have school
clubs that are based on faith, like
Ministry Council and Fellowship
of Christian Teens (FTC).
Each year students are
presented with an opportunity
to attend a national protest to
abortion. The stand against
abortion is nothing new to Pius
or its students, but what have
we really done about it? Pius
has recently had a visitor, Jeff
Schinstock, who wanted to talk
to us about the national pro-life
march on the capital.
Many Pius students
decided to go on this trip. Sean
Connelly, a junior at Pius, went
on the trip and he was very happy
with the experience. Connelly’s
trip did have a few speed bumps
like the odd sleeping hours and
the food.
When asked what he
would do differently if he were to
do it again and he said, “I would
buy more filling foods, I ate
poorly to save money because I
thought I would run out of money
quickly.”
Features
February 12, 2010
Is Nebraska WesleyaN UNiversity
rIght for you?
6HHIRU\RXUVHOI
Take a virtual tour then
set up a personal campus
visit at nebrwesleyan.edu.
Nebraska Wesleyan University | 5000 St. Paul Ave. | Lincoln
STRAIGHT FROM THE BOLTS
“What would you dress up as for the Polar Bear Plunge?”
Mark Jondle
freshman
“Spongebob.”
William Pokojski
sophomore
“Disney World characters.”
Ben Schneider
junior
“Lifeguaurds.”
Emily Stortenbecker
senior
“ Gir from Invaderzim.”
Sandi Sullivan
language arts teacher
“I have always wanted to
try it, but I’m too chicken.”
Photos and interviews by Holly Stejskal
Xclusives
February 12, 2010
7
Re-Education in Saudi Arabia
GRAPHIC BY SEAN FLATTERY
While the phenoma of terrorism is well known to most American citizens, the faces behind the crimes are practically anonymous. The XChange has compiled a list with some of the biggest names in the
terrorism industry. See if you can guess the identities of these nine.
Answers are below.
1. Theodore Kaczynski (The Unabomber) 2. Umar Faroul Adulmutallab 3. Your
standard, everyday criminal 4. Timothy McVeigh (Oklahoma City) 5. Osama bin
Laden 6. Guy Fawkes 7. Seung-Hui Cho (Virginia Tech) 8. Nidal Malik Hasan (Fort
Hood) 9. Ramzi Yousef
Home is where the Bombs are
Austin Safranek
staff reporter
In the wake of the
9/11 attacks, the American
people have become intimately
acquainted with terrorism,
from the war in the Middle East
to more stringent screening
procedures at airports.
However, with the
exception of vastly heightened
security at airports, terrorism
is somewhat far removed
from everyday life, something
that is only heard about on
the news. The public hear
little about another kind of
terrorism, American or internal
terrorism.
It’s a loosely defined
term that encompasses a broad
spectrum of terrorist activities,
that don’t consist of just
roadside bombs and blowing
up planes.
Eco-terrorism is an
instance of a relatively unknown
variety. It’s defined by the FBI
as, “the use or threatened use
of violence of a criminal nature
against people or property by an
environmentally-oriented, sub
national group for environmentalpolitical reasons, or aimed at an
audience beyond the target, often
of a symbolic nature.”
The thought behind ecoterrorism rises from the radical
environmentalism
movement,
which gained popularity during
the 1960s. The vast majority of
these types of acts are relatively
simple acts of sabotage against
industries such as logging and
mining.
Attacks
on
pharmaceutical and chemicals
Dominic Dongilli
assistant editor-in-chief
Many
American
citizens would be alarmed
at the thought of releasing
some of the world’s most
dangerous terrorists back
into society. For Saudi
Arabia, this idea has turned
into a successful program
that many believe the United
States should replicate.
Established in 2004,
the Saudi program has helped
more than 4,000 rebels
acclimate to society through
constantly updated methods
of therapy and education.
Unfortunately, the program
has astronomical price.
After a 1974 survey
by
sociologist
Robert
Martinson, it was concluded
that it was near impossible
to successfully rehabilitate
criminals.
“With few and
isolated exceptions, the
rehabilitative efforts that
have been reported so far
have had no appreciable
effect
on
recidivism
(relapse),” Martinson said.
Saudi
Arabia,
however, has recognized the
difference between ordinary
criminals and terrorists.
In turn, those involved in
the program have designed
three components - prisonbased
rehabilitation
programs,
transitional
services, and post release
services - that specifically
cater to these differences.
The program’s rate of
relapse, 10-20 percent, is
fewer than those of ordinary
criminals. The government
still hasn’t released how
companies and animal testing
laboratories, along with their
employees, suppliers, financial
backers,
investors
and
customers also fall under the
parameters of eco-terrorism.
For
instance,
Ted
Kaczynski,
the
infamous
Unabomber,
carried
out
numerous mail bombings. A
child intellectual prodigy, he
decided to start a bombing
campaign
after
watching
the wilderness around his
home being destroyed by
development. From 1978 to
1995, Kaczynski sent 16 bombs
to targets including universities
and airlines, killing three
people and injuring 23.
Another type of equally
lethal type of terrorism is that
directed against the abortion
industry. For instance, Dr.
many graduates have gone
through the program.
What makes the
program so unique are the
new and innovative therapy
methods. In order to pick
the best therapy options,
the educators look into the
pasts of the residents and
figure out how they were
introduced into their current
terrorist lifestyles.
Most
radical
terrorists located in western
society find motive with
some injustice they have
been dealt or discrimination
they have experienced.
Others are victims of
sexual abuse. Rehabilitators
have discovered the deep
impact of this abuse and
have included courses and
sessions dealing with selfesteem in the curriculum.
Another major
aspect of the program is basic
Islamic instruction. These
“Long Study Sessions”
are six week courses of 20
students and are led by two
clerics and a social scientist.
They cover topics such as
loyalty, allegiance, terrorism
and jihad in relation to the
Koran.
The success of the
counseling and religious
education classes lies in the
approach of the staff. Instead
of
seeking
retribution,
they approach them with a
presumption of goodwill.
Rather than accusing the
terrorists of skewing Islam,
they assume that the suspects
were mistreated, mislead
and lied to by extremists.
S u r p r i s i n g l y,
most of the terrorists
have had little to no
George Tiller was a Kansas
physician, one of the few doctors
in the country who provided
late term abortions. The late
doctor was assassinated in May
of 2009, after receiving vicious
death threats such as, “don’t
bother wearing a bulletproof
vest, we’re going to go for a
head shot.”
A different type of
terrorism that has gained some
publicity in recent days is cyber
terrorism. It became a hot topic
when Google reported that its
computers had been hacked
by, along with a number of
international
corporations.
Such leaks prove increasingly
costly to American companies,
losing valuable information
to hackers from around the
world.
The drug cartels in
religious education. Their
“instruction” came from
books, tapes, videos and
most recently internet posts
all written and provided by
extremist leaders.
Once the in-house
treatment is completed,
participants are given aid in
establishing their new lives.
Many are provided with
job-finding assistance along
with cars and even wedding
expenses. Outside housing
is also provided.
The
Saudi
government now counts on
the family to monitor their
newly educated family
member to make sure they
stay on track. The post
release program involves
extensive surveillance.
The cost factor has
inhibited the United States
government from further
advancing a program of its
own. However, they have
been trying to get Saudi
Arabia to accept 97 Yemeni
prisoners who are currently
in US custody into their
program. Many doubt the
success of this option due
to the lack of family in
Saudi Arabia to police the
detainees after release.
The US must soon
find a solution to deal
with the terrorist detainees
currently in its possession.
As President Barack Obama
pushes to close their current
home
at
Guantanamo
Bay, their homelands are
becoming unstable.
“The
United
States cannot kill its way
to victory,” Genera David
Petraeus, head of U.S.
Central Command said.
Mexico also employ forms
of terrorism to achieve their
goals. The war lords that
control much of Mexico have
made drive by shootings and
kidnappings a part of everyday
life in northern Mexico, and
some of the drug cartels in
Latin America are connected to
organized criminal groups who
support and funnel money to
terrorist organizations.
The
common
conception most Americans
hold of terrorism involves
roadside bombs and men in
turbans blowing up mosques
and
buildings,
but
the
parameters include a broad
spectrum of forms of terror.
They aren’t limited to specific
racial or religious stereotypes,
but can be expanded to include
just about any type of group.
clusive: Terrorism, America, Bombs, Guantanamo, Obama Xclusive: Terrorism, America, Bombs, Guantanamo, Obama Xclusive: Terrorism, America, Bombs, Guanta-
Obama X
Joe Finnegan
junior
“Hannah
Schinkel
because she
could eat me.”
Greg Portsche
senior
“Matt Benner.”
Ray Forycki
social studies teacher
“Mr. Moore.”
Xclusives
Bio-Terror Threatens Homeland Security
6
February 12, 2010
Michelle O’Donnell
features editor
A bioterrorism attack is the
deliberate release of viruses, bacteria,
or other germs, more commonly called
agents, being used to cause illness or
death in people, animals, or plants.
These agents are usually found in
nature, but it is possible that they could
be changed to increase their ability to
cause disease, make them resistant to
current medicines, or to increase their
ability to be spread into the environment.
Biological agents can be
spread through the air, through water,
or in food. Terrorists may use biological
agents because they can be extremely
difficult to detect and do not cause illness
for several hours to several days. Some
bioterrorism agents, like the smallpox
virus, can be spread from person to
person and some, like anthrax, cannot.
Bioterrorism agents can
be separated into three categories,
depending on how easily they
can be spread and the severity
of illness or death they cause.
Category A agents are
classified as high-priority agents. They
include organisms or toxins that pose
the highest risk to the public and national
security. They can be easily spread or
transmitted from person to person, and
result in high death rates and have the
potential for major public health impact.
Category B agents are the
second highest priority because they
are fairly easy to spread. Category C
agents include emerging pathogens
that could be engineered for mass
spread in the future because they are
easily available, produced and spread.
Biological terrorism dates as
far back as ancient Roman civilization,
when feces was thrown into faces
of enemies. This early version of
biological terrorism continued on
into the 14th century where the
bubonic plague was used to infiltrate
enemy cities, both by implanting
the fear of infection in homes, in
hopes that they would evacuate, and
also to destroy defending forces that
would not surrender to the attack.
The use of disease as a weapon
in this time period showed signs of a
lack of control invaders had over their
own biological weapons. Primitive
medical technology provided limited
means of protection for the invader
and a battle’s surrounding regions.
After the battle was won,
the inability to contain enemies who
escaped death led to widespread
epidemics affecting not only the
enemy forces, but also surrounding
regions’ inhabitants. Due to the use
of these biological weapons, and the
obvious lack of medical advancement
necessary to defend surrounding
regions from them, widespread
epidemics such as the bubonic plague
quickly moved across all of Europe,
destroying a large portion of its
population. The victims of biological
terrorism became weapons themselves.
Over time biological warfare
became more complex. Countries
began to develop weapons which were
much more effective, and much less
likely to cause infection to the wrong
party. One significant enhancement
in biological weapon development
was the first use of anthrax. Anthrax
effectiveness was initially limited to
victims of large dosages. This became
a weapon of choice because it is
easily transferred, has a high mortality
rate, and could be easily obtained.
Americans allege that in the
1980’s Iraq made substantial efforts to
develop and stockpile large amounts
of biological weapons. By the end
of the 80’s Iraq allegedly had several
sites dedicated to the research and
development of biological warfare. The
US accused Iraq of testing its findings
in the late 80’s. The USA attacked Iraq
precisely on this pretext though could
not prove the existence of biological
weapons or any WMDs in Iraq.
oBAMA’S guantanamo pROMISE fAILS
Stacie Hecker
editor-in-chief
It is widely accepted that
in America politicians never keep
their promises. President Barack
Obama, as inspiring and wonderful
as his party claims, is no exception
to the rule.
One of the first pledges
Obama made to his voters during
his campaign for presidency was
that he would close the detention
camp for terrorists, Guantanamo
Bay (also known as Gitmo), as
soon as he stepped into office.
January 2010 was the month that
Gitmo was supposed to be shut
down. All who believed the rumors
of torture rejoiced at the prospect
of closing time. However, after
stalling for time and actually
learning more information about
the camp, Obama announced Nov.
18, 2009 that his plans were to be
a bit delayed and would miss the
January deadline.
Perhaps
it
is
understandable when one considers
what aspects changed as Senator
Barack Obama became President
Barack Obama. He probably
uncovered new information on the
situation that he had never been
able to mull over concerning his
plans before. Maybe he had never
fully grasped how much damage
the detainees had done. Either way,
it’s probably safe to say he should
have thought about that before he
promised something like that to
America.
The trouble with the
detainees is not the danger they
pose now, but what to do with them
after they’ve been tried. Whether
that be militarily or publicly. Yet
another crucial plotline Obama
neglected to mention. If the US
can’t keep them in Cuba, where do
they go?
Keep your friends close
and your enemies closer.
American
soil
is
apparently the next stop for the
prisoners. Ideas like placing
them in Alcatraz in California,
Leavenworth, Kansas, Charleston,
South Carolina or Illinois were
tossed about, but nothing for sure.
While
Washington
lawmakers struggled to find
a perfect location for the
terrorists, surprisingly none
of the Democrats offered up
their own states for the job. A
Michigan senator, Carl Levine,
talked about the importance
of putting the detainees in a
maximum security prison. Like
most other Democrats, he had no
suggestions.
It’s not even definite that
the terrorists like Khalid Sheikh
Mohammed, accused of plotting
9/11, would be convicted in a fair
trial. A prisoner could always claim
he was never read his Miranda rights
and that could make it very difficult
to achieve.
And of course, there’s
always Yemen watching America’s
every move. Many of the prisoners
are from Yemen, so if they were to
be released, the government assumes
that’s exactly where they would
return.
So that leaves the US
government with a bit of a sticky
situation. Either Obama needs to start
putting his money where his mouth is
or he should only make promises he
can keep. It’s easy to fight terrorism as a
candidate. Perhaps being Commander
in Chief is more complicated than
previously expected.
As cartoonists start to draw
the president looking terribly foolish
next to the terrorists he just released,
maybe a little common sense should
pop back into his head. He can’t
just glide over this issue without
feeling some repercussions from his
supporters and rivals. And that’s a
promise.
Since that time, efforts to
use biological warfare has been more
apparent in small radical organizations
attempting to create fear in the eyes
of large groups. Some efforts have
been partially effective in creating
fear, due to the lack of visibility
associated with modern biological
weapon use by small organizations.
In June 1993 the religious
groupAum Shinrikyo released anthrax
in Tokyo. Eye witnesses reported a
foul odor. The attack was a total failure,
infecting not a single person. This case
shows how difficult it is to aerosolize
anthrax spores in high concentration.
In 1984, followers of the
Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh attempted
to control a local election by
incapacitating the local population.
This was done by infecting salad
bars in eleven restaurants, produce in
grocery stores, doorknobs, and other
public domains with Salmonella
typhimurium bacteria in the city
of The Dalles, Oregon. The attack
infected 751 people with severe food
poisoning. However, there were
no fatalities. This incident was the
first known bioterrorist attack in the
United States in the 20th century.
In September and October
2001, several cases of anthrax broke
out in the United States. Letters
laced with infectious anthrax were
delivered to news media offices and
the U.S Congress, killing five. Tests
on the anthrax strain used in the attack
pointed to a domestic source, possibly
from the biological weapons program.
The attacks provoked efforts to define
biodefense and biosecurity, where
more limited definitions of biosafety
had focused on unintentional or
accidental impacts of agricultural and
medical technologies.
Terrorism then and Now
Norma Volkmer
staff reporter
Terrorism has existed for
millennia. Its origins are traceable
and its growth through the years
makes it a force to be reckoned
with.
The American colonists
were technically terrorists at the
Boston Tea Party, just as King
George used tyranny in an attempt
to assert his power over the colonies.
The word “terrorism”, however,
was originally coined during the
Reign of Terror following the
French Revolution a few decades
after the American Revolutionary
War.
None of these groups
would be considered terrorists
today, but rather “revolutionists,”
something vastly different in the
minds of contemporary society.
Terrorism has evolved further
into violent work done by radical
individuals or groups who are more
intent on destruction than change.
As terrorism has become
a widespread practice it has taken
on various motivations such
as religious or political. Statesponsored terrorism is ever-present,
especially among governments
in the Middle East such as Saudi
Arabia, Iran and Palestine.
The reasoning behind
terroristic acts is not the only
thing to have changed in the past
century though. In 1972, while
at the Olympics in Munich, eight
Palestinians, some of who were
members of the terrorist group
“Black September,” kidnapped
and killed 11 Israeli athletes and
coaches over a 24-hour period.
The event and aftermath
would forever change the way
terrorists act and how the world
views them. The Munich massacre
taught terrorists to choose significant
targets with huge meaning—and
that the media was the best way to
spread their message.
Terrorists are no longer
revolutionaries but instead are the
cliché “bad guys” of the world.
Religious terrorism has especially
grown in the past few decades
with groups such as al-Qaida, Abu
Sayyaf, Hamas and Palestinian
Islamic Jihad.
Most of the members of
these types of groups are religious
extremists who are attempting
to force their beliefs onto others
through terror. According to Bruce
Hoffman, a professor at Georgetown
University School of Foreign
Service and expert on terrorism,
modern religious terrorism has three
traits: the use of scripture to justify
their actions, clerical figures are in
leadership roles and apocalyptic
images of destruction are seen as a
necessity.
Terrorism has also adapted
to the changes that have taken
place around the globe in the recent
decades. Bioterrorism, aircraft
hijacking, car bombs and suicide
bombers have all become common
tactics in the world of terrorism.
Terrorism has no specific
origin, but can be traced back
thousands of years. The term
itself, “terrorism,” has come to
stand for acts of violence against a
government, peoples or culture for
political, racist or religious reasons.
What was once a group of colonists
dumping tea into the Boston Harbor
has become hundreds of groups and
an ever-present global threat.
clusive: Terrorism, America, Bombs, Guantanamo, Obama Xclusive: Terrorism, America, Bombs, Guantanamo, Obama Xclusive: Terrorism, America, Bombs, Guantanamo, O
X
Straight from the
Bolts
“Who scares you
the most?”
INTERVIEWS AND PHOTOS
BY JAKE SWANSON
Keevan Statz
Joe Pfeifer
“Lady Gaga.”
“Your mom.”
freshman
sophomore
Entertainment
FEBRUARY 12, 2010
better-than-fine arts
Olivia Vrbka
copy editor
The fine arts department at
Pius accounts for a large portion of
student involvement at school. Any
course from art, band, chorus, drama
or photography falls into the fine arts
category.
Only five credits (equal to
a one semester class) of fine arts
are required for graduation, while
for some departments, such as the
theology or English departments, up
to as many as 40 credits are required.
This obviously doesn’t define the role
the arts can play in a student’s high
school experience—not to mention
their whole life.
Laurie Rodaway, an art teacher
at Pius for ten years, teaches classes
ranging from Graphic Design to
Advanced Ceramics/Sculpture to Folk
Art. She would prefer to see at least
another semester of fine arts required.
“There’s mounting evidence that
immersing yourself in the arts is going
to be beneficial in academic studies
and all you do in life,” Rodaway said.
As stated in the Pius X High
School 2009-2010 Student/Parent
Handbook, “The art department
provides students with an outlet for
their creativity… and ultimately
provides students with a new way of
seeing, as well as allowing them to
bring out their creative side.”
Rodaway continued: “I am
fulfilled in my career. I really enjoy
what I’m doing and try to do the best I
can do. My colleagues are like family
to me and the kids are always great. I
like [teaching every art class], I really
do. I wouldn’t pick out painting over
drawing. I’m a jack of all trades and a
master of none.”
The courses available in the
music department “flow from a
philosophy which says that students
need the opportunity to experience
and create beauty in their lives and
the lives of others,” according to the
Student/ Parent Handbook. Senior Brian Casavant is very
involved in the arts at Pius. He has been
involved in band, Spectrum, the Pius
theater program and the pep band. “The arts… can increase
the camaraderie between fellow
students and supply an outlet for a
student’s emotions. The arts allow us
to appreciate the world around us in
multiple ways and the better we can do
that, the better our lives will be for it.
“Because I have taken fine
arts classes, I have acquired a deep
[love] for music, singing and even
an appreciation for dancing—which
I never in my life thought would
happen! During my classes and extracurricular involvement I realized
that people wouldn’t judge me if I
didn’t judge them and it was a great
feeling.”
Courses from the music
department are both academic- and
performance-oriented. They have
value in academic, social, aesthetic and
Christian ways. Casavant has absolutely
received value in each way.
He has learned to always
work hard and pay attention.
He has also experienced
working as a team, a great social value.
And above all other value
to him, Casavant has experience
the Christian value in the fine arts
department at Pius.
“No matter what you have to
give and no matter what your talents
are, we are supposed to give them to
God. Mrs. Odgaard [the vocal music
coordinator] has been instrumental in
teaching me that even when my voice
is shot and sounds terrible, God knows
that I’m singing to give thanks and
praise for my talents and everything
else He’s given me.”
9
Terrorism movie not terrible
Caitlin Hassler
news and opinion editor
potent and often lethal addiction,
for war is a drug.” The movie is
structurally based on the last
part, “War is a drug.”
The basic plot of the
the bomb squad experienced.
Throughout the film, the
main character, Staff Sergeant
William James (Jeremy Renner),
the new guy rebel, dons the thick
bomb suit and helmet
and dismantles bombs.
Each scene is beautifully
crafted with a shaky cam
that adds to the confusion,
drama and suspense.
Normally, I don’t like
the shaky camera. Usually
it is not done well and each
scene is unclear, but even
with the shaky camera, I
could tell what was going
on. In fact, if the film was
shot in another way, it
would not be of the same
caliber.
The movie takes the
audience inside the mind
of the soldier. Director
Kathryn Bigelow does
a superb job of showing
the emotional stress and
psychological damage that
war causes not only to the
soldiers, but also some of
the civilians.
This movie does an
excellent job of portraying
the domestic terrorism
in Iraq. The movie is
a portrait of the most
common types of IEDs, suicide
bombers, car bombs and planted
bombs.
Be sure to consult your
parents if you are under the
age of 18. This movie contains
graphic violence and language.
The movie is two hours
and 10 minutes of non-stop
heart-pounding suspense. If you
think you’re up to the challenge,
go see this movie.
If you are looking for
a happy-go-lucky movie with
a great ending,
stop reading. “The
Hurt Locker” is
not for the fainthearted (hence the
R rating). You will
come out of the
movie with your
heart
pounding,
hands shaking and
perhaps on the verge
of being physically
ill in complete shell
shock, but you’ll
want to see it again
two minutes later.
No movies
about the war in
Iraq have captured
the pure essence
of terror that the
soldiers experience
every day. Plus,
there
is
no
underlying political
message; this movie
tells the whole truth
of a soldier’s day to
day activities.
PHOTO FROM MEDIA.PEGASUSNEWS.COM
“ T h e
Hurt Locker” has
garnered multiple awards, and movie follows three soldiers
it deserves them. Some of the who are a part of the Explosive
awards include Film Critic’s Ordnance Disposal (EOD). Their
awards from Los Angeles, New job is to go around Iraq and
York, Chicago, Boston and Las dismantle Improvised Explosive
Vegas. “The Hurt Locker” was Devises (IEDs).
also was nominated for three The movie is based
Golden Globes.
on the accounts of a freelance
The movie begins with journalist, Mark Boal, who
a quote from Chris Hedges who followed an American bomb
has written several books about squad. The film is a fictional
war: “The rush of battle is a retelling of the events Mark and
YUMMY HOMEMADE TREATS MAKE SNOW DAYS BEARABLE
Snow days are usually when students put their feet up, put away the
homework, turn on the TV and enjoy a short break from the regular school
week. The day can be filled with various things depending on the individual.
It can be filled with books, movies, TV, social networking sites, video games
and (depending on the weather) sledding.
The one thing every student has on a snow day is snacking. Food
is something enjoyed by everyone, and especially on a snow day, the nearest
bag of chips is usually the first thing in their mouths. For the next snow day,
try something different.
Crispix Puppy Chow
12 oz. box Crispix cereal
1/2 cup butter
1 cup peanut butter
12 oz. pkg. chocolate chips
2 to 3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
powder
3/4 cup white sugar
1 pinch salt
1/3 cup boiling water
3 1/2 cups milk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup half-and-half cream
IT’S NOT
DELIVERY,
IT’S
HOMEMADE.
Combine the cocoa, sugar and pinch of salt in a
saucepan. Blend in the boiling water. Bring this mixture
to boil as you stir. Simmer and stir for about 2 minutes.
Watch that it doesn’t scorch. Stir in 3 1/2 cups of milk
and heat until very hot but do not boil. Remove from
heat and add vanilla. Divide between four mugs. Add
the cream to the mugs of cocoa to cool it to drinking
temperature.
PUPPY CHOW, ONE OF THE EASY SNACKS TO
MAKE AT HOME ON A CHILLY DAY.
In a small heavy sauce pan, combine
butter, peanut butter and chocolate chips to
melt. Continually stir so it does not burn.
Once the mixture is thoroughly melted
together, pour over the cereal in a large
bowl. Use a spatula to fold the cereal over
itself to make sure the sauce is covering all
the cereal. After, pour the cereal in a large
gallon bag with the powdered sugar. Seal
the bag tightly and shake until it is well
covered. Pour the cereal onto wax paper
to cool and dry. Store in a tightly covered
container at room temperature.
Kelsey’s Comments: First, melt
the chocolate chips, only pouring a few
into the pan at a time and then adding in
the other ingredients once the chocolate is
thoroughly melted. The best part about this
recipe is it involves no baking.
PUPPY
LOVE,
PUPPY
CHOW.
Hot Chocolate
Kelsey Wieser
photo editor
Homemade Pizza
1 can (13.08 oz.) Pillsbury
refrigerated classic pizza crust or 1
can (11 oz.) Pillsbury refrigerated
thin pizza crust
1 can (8 oz.) pizza sauce
1/2 cup sliced pepperoni
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tablespoon grated parmesan
cheese
Preheat oven to 475°F, spray pan with
cooking spray. Unroll dough on pan. Starting at
center, press dough into 12-inch square, forming
1/2-inch rim. If using thin crust: Heat oven to
400°F, spray or grease 15x10-inch or larger dark
or nonstick cookie sheet. Spray cooking spray on
cookie sheet. Unroll dough, starting at center, and
press dough into 15x10-inch rectangle.
Spread pizza sauce over crust within 1/2
inch of edges. Top with pepperoni and mozzarella
cheese. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake
classic crust 14 to 18 minutes, thin crust 8 to 12
minutes, or until crust is golden brown.
Kelsey’s Comments: There are many
ways to make this pizza unique and delicious.
Remember: variance is a good thing. Not everyone
enjoys the same amount of sauce or cheese. Use a
chef’s judgment to decide when enough is enough.
There are also ways to change the recipe. Instead
of pepperoni, try Canadian bacon and pineapple.
Try doing a double crust where the ingredients
are sandwiched between two layers of crust. Or to
be really daring, try rolling the edges of the crust
around string cheese to create homemade stuffed
crust pizza!
Entertainment
8
Here, There, and
Everywhere.
A column by Katie Houden
with random news about
movies, goings-on in Lincoln
and at Pius, and anything
entertaining.
Other lines, such as One Star by
Converse and Target’s slightly
upscale brand “Go International”
are available year round.
Target is not the only store
offering gorgeous designer clothing
for its frugal customers: Steve and
Barry’s is also on the cheap-andchic bandwagon. Sarah Jessica
Parker, fashionista extraordinaire,
is a designer for the chain.
Not only are designers
creating clothing lines that are
attainable for the average person,
but many stores and brands are
getting chic overhauls.
Liz Claiborne, a clothing
brand found in many department
stores, recently named Tim Gunn
their new chief creative officer. Gunn
is an expert in the fashion industry
and is best known for his gig on the
TV show “Project Runway”. Liz
Claiborne has gotten a second wind
and serious credibility by adding
Gunn to their staff.
I find it interesting that
the quality and availability of
clothing has increased, even as our
economy has taken a fall. It seems
that today’s shoppers have high
expectations, and companies are
more than willing to cater to them
if it means staying in business.
Fashion has become more
main-stream than it was in the past.
The fact that it is more available
for buyers reflects that there is a
demand for more fashionable and
well-made clothing. Not everyone
is concerned with what they put
on their backs, but it is undeniable
that being in style is a priority for a
great deal of society.
The idea of what is “in
style” differs from person to
person, but most people would
agree that clothes that are nicely
made and are made from quality
fabrics are the way to go.
Designer clothes used
to be reserved for celebrities and
the wealthy, but today, anyone
with a bit of spare cash can be the
proud owner of a well-made, chic
garment. No matter what your
style or your budget, fashion is
more attainable now than ever.
The page-turning revolution
Allyson Koziol
staff reporter
PHOTO FROM PDATODAY.COM
VHS: gone. CD players:
gone. Paperback books: gone? Not
yet, but both hardback and paperback
books are beginning to lose their
appeal to readers.
For those who think books
are bulky, rip easily and seem to take
up more space than needed, there is
another choice. The way to go is the
e-reader.
The recent boom in
popularity of these electronic readers
has left people wondering which
one is the best. How much do they
cost?
Starting with the basics, ereaders are simplified laptops. They
have one screen in black and white
and are used for reading and storing
books. Internet access is something
that has been added to the e-reader,
though some only allow the Wi-Fi
for buying books. Their screens
vary in size from five to 10 inch.
Some are touch sensitive and some
have small keyboards at the bottom
of the device.
One of the most popular
e-readers is the Amazon Kindle. It
was the first of its kind to make any
real movements in the new business.
They are rated the number one ereader.
As of now Amazon has two
e-readers, the Kindle and the Kindle
DX. Both have a 3G global wireless
internet, a key board, a single charge
lasting a week, and the bonus of
all the Amazon books available for
purchase. They both come in white,
and the color of the screen is black
and white.
The Kindle is the cheaper
of the two at $259 and has a 6 inch
The Sony E-Reader fits in
the palm of a hand.
screen and can hold up to 1500
books. The Kindle DX is a jump in
price at $489, but with a 9.7 inch
screen and a memory that holds
3500 books.
Another popular brand of ereader is Sony. There are three styles
currently up for buyers, and choosing
one all depends on personal need.
Each of these is compatible with
both Macs and PCs and is available
in more colors, as well has having a
charge of about two weeks.
Straight from the bolts
“Stay at home and drink
hot cocoa.”
“I throw snowballs at
children walking by.”
Kelly McCarthy
Mary Sullivan
freshman
sophomore
The least expensive of the
three is the Pocket Edition, which
is $180. Its 5 in. display is in black
and white and this edition holds
350 books. The Touch Edition is an
upgrade at $300 and a 6 inch touch
screen. It can also hold 350 books,
and has the feature of highlighting
and writing notes in the books.
Another model from
Sony is the Reader Daily Edition,
which runs at about $400, but has a
wireless network, touch screen, built
in dictionary and the other editions
available in the other readers.
Amazon’s book supply is
unlimited and they have a system
where the buyer can read the first few
chapters of a book before deciding
to purchase it. Books bought for the
Kindle are cheaper than buying them
in paper. Sony’s book list works the
same way as Amazon’s, but with
less available titles.
When a book is purchased,
it is then downloaded to the e-reader,
either through the wireless internet or
when the device is connected through
the computer. After downloading it
to the e-reader, the user can select
the book and begin reading. It’s that
simple.
With so many up-andcoming e-readers, it’s hard to keep
up. But Amazon and Sony are ahead
of the wave, and keep getting better
and better.
Better Late Than Never:
NBC Controversy
Allyson Koziol
announced that it would be
moving Leno back to late night
TV. Originally, it was said
Controversy.
It’s that O’Brien would keep “The
what comedians thrive upon. Tonight Show” and it would be
They make fun of awkward pushed back to 11:05 CDT, and
situations, blow up a celebrity’s Leno would take over the 10:35
misfortune
and
sometimes, slot. O’Brien, however, refused
turn on each other. The latest to move the show, since it had
been in that time
since it started
in 1954. He also
declined hosting
a show that went
into the next day
in some parts of
the country.
L e n o
has claimed he
was asked, if the
situation occurred,
if he would like to
move back to “The
Tonight
Show.”
Leno said he had
agreed
to
the
notion. Leno had
no further voice
in the decision to
remove O’Brien.
However
tense the situation
is for NBC and
O’Brien,
the
Former NBC host Conan O’Brien.
material for Leno
and
countless
others has never
controversy is Jay Leno moving been more plentiful. The ribbing
back to his original spot on “The of NBC and smart remarks
Tonight Show” and causing to Leno are plastered all over
Conan O’Brien to lose his Twitter, TV and every other
hosting gig.
possible news source. Leno has
Five
years
ago, taken to discussing NBC in their
executives at NBC promised monologues.
O’Brien that “The Tonight Show”
“I take pride in one
(on at 10:35 Central Daylight thing. I leave NBC primetime
Time) would be turned over to the same way I found it ­­ — a
him in June of 2009. In doing complete disaster.” Leno said on
so, they replaced Leno who had Jan. 11.
been the host for 12 years. The
O’Brien has also fired
compromise with O’Brien was back at the television network.
to prevent him from leaving His shows are constantly fueled
NBC and moving to a competing with comments about NBC’s
network.
ethics.
As agreed, O’Brien
“There’s a rumor that
earned his seat on “The Tonight NBC is so upset with me, they
Show” this past June. Leno want to keep me off the air for
moved to an experimental three years. My response to that
primetime slot at 9 CDT named is, if NBC doesn’t want people to
“The Jay Leno Show.”
see me, just leave me on NBC.”
After
only
seven O’Brien said on Jan. 14.
months, “The Jay Leno Show” With the move, NBC
was tanking and “The Tonight is violating O’Brien’s contract
Show” was lacking in viewers. which ended in late January in
O’Brien was bringing half of its a payoff of $45 million, $33
five million viewers Leno left million going to O’Brien and the
it with. Leno was faring even rest to the crew. Yet, with all this
worse with the earlier show.
controversy, ratings for the two
In
January,
NBC shows have never been higher.
staff reporter
PHOTO FROM CELEB-NEWS.NET
Having to wear a uniform
every day has effectively made me
treasure the days in which I get to
pick out a real outfit. Sadly, those
days are few and far between.
When I’m not at school, I’m either
at a rehearsal of some sort or I’m at
work, and neither of those occasions
calls for fashionable attire.
Dressing up has become
somewhat of a hobby, a way to pass
the time. Clothes are not merely
pieces of cloth designed to cover
people, but they can be beautifully
crafted works of art designed by a
highly skilled artisan. Of course,
to come by one of these art pieces,
a trip to New York or Paris and a
small fortune is needed. Or, should
I say, was needed.
Designer pieces are now
available at affordable prices in
surprising stores. Target often
has designer lines available in
women’s clothing and accessories.
Some lines, such as Rodarte and
Alexander McQueen are only
available for a short period of time
and there are limited quantities.
INTERVIEWS AND PHOTOS BY
NORMA VOLKMER
WHAT DO YOU DO ON A SNOW DAY?
“Go sledding with
friends.”
“Go snowboarding.”
Joe Richert
Tessa Contreras
junior
fEBRUARY 12, 2010
senior
“Sleep in late and
watch movies.”
Tom Seib
social studies teacher
February 12, 2010
SPORTS
11
Boys Basketball Keep climbing up the polls
Kayla Condello
staff reporter
Once again, the boys’ basketball season is
off to a great start. With freshman, varsity and junior
varsity alike winning multiple games, Pius X is looking
very good.
With a current win-loss varsity record of 12-4,
Pius Varsity is poised to continue well throughout the
season.
Forycki, the varsity coach, stated that this
year’s Varsity a solid team with depth and many good
players. As if to prove that point, the boys upset the
number one team and defending state champion,
Ralston, on January 16 with a score of 50-48 in Boys
Town. There were some mixed feelings before the
game, but Pius pulled through with flare. The boys
improved their record to 8-2 with the Ralston win,
sending the Rams to battle against the Boys Town
Cowboys.
“I was very happy for them,” Forycki said,
“they can always get better but they have been
progressing nicely.”
On February 2, Pius faced Blair and pulled
through with a score of 69-61 at Bishop Flavin Gym.
The Bolts were leading 34-18 at halftime thanks to a
series of three-pointers and layups. Seniors Trevor
Johnson and Jack Burt helped put the Bolts up. Blair fought back, however and with a little more
than five minutes left in the game, the score was 5245. Taking advantage of free throws made by Burt,
gave Pius what they needed and they succeeded with
a win. With two losses to Omaha Skutt Catholic (6070 and 57-65), Pius has kept up their scores so far.
In addition to the win against Ralston, varsity boy’s
also defeated Lincoln Northeast in an away game
on January 29. It was an away game in which Pius
performed incredibly, besting the other team on their
own turf with a score of 71-54.
Another notable game was when the Bolts
faced Wayne at the Quest center in Omaha, winning
45-35. Trevor Johnson had seven rebounds and scored
on an assist from Dustin Oberembt. The boy held the
Blue Devils off throughout the third quarter and came
through with the win.
The Bolts faced the fourth ranked Omaha
Gorss Catholic Cougars on the fifth. The boys battled
back and fourth the entire game and held the lead for
much of the third period. The cougars proved to be
too much in the end and defeated Pius, dropping them
to the sixth ranked team in Class B.
The boys faced off with the Southeast Knights
on the ninth and were defeated by a score of 46-53. With districs in a few short weeks the team
has had to overcome some sick players and the hurt
Stuart Sucha. Such is expected to be back for the start
of districts.
There are games against Southeast, Norris and
Hastings to look forward to as well. The varsity boy’s
see this as an opportunity to continue improving their
record and climbing the charts. 2010 Winter Olympics set to begin feb. 12 In vancouver
Sarah Benal
staff reporter
Right around the time when we’ve
all had just about enough snow, the winter
Olympics are ready to smack us right in
the face. While we spend hours outside
shoveling our sidewalks, figure skaters
spend hours running their routines again and
again. We struggle to get to work and school
on the slick roads while the torch makes its
way through Canada. And on February 12,
the winter Olympics will begin.
In a world where neighbors can’t
agree over the smallest things, the Olympics
give us a chance to show competitive
spirit and bring the whole world together.
Countries join together as they support their
team. History is made and little miracles are
witnessed. From the tension filled games of
1936 to the record breaking phenomena that
is Michael Phelps, the Olympics are never
boring.
This year the Olympics are in
Vancouver, and they’re more than ready to go,
from an online countdown to the introduction
of the newest Olympic mascots. The mascots
feature Sumi the animal spirit with a hat of
an orca whale, wings of a thunderbird, and
legs of a black bear. Miga, the sea bear, and
Quatchi, the young sasquatch.
The torch arrives in Vancouver on
February 12, 2010 with opening ceremonies
taking place at the BC Place. While buying
tickets and traveling up to Vancouver may
seem a little out of the question (especially
with all that lovely homework we have to
keep up with), the games can still be seen
on NBC.
The United States currently holds
the 3rd highest amount of medals, 216,
following Norway and Russia. The United
States first event is against China in hockey
on February 14th.
The diversity of the games is
an event in itself. Ice hockey, along with
ski jumping, snow boarding, and speed
skating, seem rather standard. But the
winter Olympics also holds host to games
with names such as Nordic combined, luge,
curling, bobsledding, and skeleton. With each event comes a medal,
and with each medal comes a ceremony
with presentations from bands such as All
American Rejects, Nelly Furtado, Theory of
a Deadman, The Fray, and Great Big Sea.
Unfortunatly,
with
the
unpredictable ways of weather, the people
of Vancouver have had to brace themselves
for unseasonably warm weather. Venues
have been catered to fit the needs of winter
sports. Cypress Mountain, for example
holds five million gallons of water and
has a specially structured terrain for free
style skiing and snowboarding. Cypress
Mountain, along with other places such
as Whistler Creekside (for alpine skiing
events) and the Whistler Sliding Centre
(ice events) have been looked after since
October with mixing of fresh snow with
synthetic. Temperatures are kept track of
and a roof covers 75 percent of the Sliding
Centre to protect the special made snow
from the weather.
The Olympics only come around
every four years, but its never too late to start
preparing for them. After all, Vancouver’s
been ready for six years.
Girls basketball looking ahead to districts
Pius picked up another road
victory at Omaha Gross on Jan. 30. staff reporter
The Bolts were down at halftime, but
used an 18-6 third quarter to take the
The Pius girls’ basketball team lead. The team sealed the victory with
is on the rebound. After three straight a 14-5 fourth and recorded a 49-34
losses, the Bolts are on a two game win victory.
The two road wins came on
streak.
the
heels
of losses against Lincoln
The Lady Bolts traveled to
Northeast,
Holdrege
and Crete.
Aurora on Feb. 4 to take on the Huskies. Against
Lincoln
Northeast, Pius
Despite a two-point deficit going into
faced
a
close
loss
with
a score of 39halftime, Pius came out strong in the
42.
third quarter and scored 16 points to
After the heartbreaking loss,
take the lead. Head
Coach
Bill Rice said, “We’re
Although the third quarter was
looking
forward
to getting out there and
closely contested, the Bolts dominated
playing
better.”
the final period 14-5 and cruised to a
The team has had some struggles
48-36 victory.
this
year
after much of last year’s State
Junior Kelli Rice and freshman
Runner-up
team graduated. Starting
Miranda Paul led the team in points,
inexperienced
but improving week to
scoring 14 each.
week, the Pius girl’s basketball team is
Sarah Benal
working diligently. As a young group,
Pius has their work cut out for them as
they work on building the team.
The team has suffered from
some difficult losses with scores coming
at just a few points short. But the team
works hard in practice and never gives
up.
At 7-6, people might be
skeptical about the upcoming games
due to the back and forth of winning
and losing. However, each member of
the team knows what they are capable
of accomplishing.
The Lady Bolts suffered oh-soclose losses against Crete (35-39) and
Holdrege (37-39) but did not let their
spirits fall.
“We were disappointed,”
Rice said. “We didn’t play as good as
we could have the first two quarters.” Holdrege held Pius back with a score
of 34-24 to start off the fourth quarter.
Paul, Alex Grant, and Kelli Rice put
the team back in the running, tying
the game. Unfortunately, the game
ended with the Bolts only two points
short. Pius was in action Feb. 11 at
Lincoln Southeast and is preparing for
an upcoming game at home against
Omaha Skutt on Saturday, Feb. 13. The
Class B No. 2 Skyhawks are 16-1 this
season.
Pius hopes to make a strong run
at state again this year. While many
people may not favor the Bolts to be
a strong showing, they know that they
have the ability to knock off any top
team.
The Bolts finish out the regular
season at Omaha Mercy (Feb. 16) and
Ralston (Feb. 19). District play begins
Feb. 23 at Lincoln High.
Straight
from the
bolts
“What
olympic event
would do you think
you could win a
gold medal in?”
Kaylee Peterson
freshman
“Gymnastics
& Bowling”
Jake Jara
sophomore
“Track”
INTERVIEWS AND PHOTOS BY KELSEY WIESER
Alex Hain
junior
“Figure
Skating”
Jessie Boehm
senior
“Womens
Weight Lifting”
Fr. Bernardo
theology teacher
“100 Meter Dash
To Be Known As
The Fastest Man
In The World”
10
Feburary 12, 2010
SPORTS
The saints no longer the aint’s
Norma Volkmer
staff reporter
The New Orleans Saints have won Super Bowl
LXIV. They defeated the Indianapolis Colts 31-17 Sunday in
Miami.
It was the franchise’s first ever Super Bowl victory in
the forty three years since its inception. However, according
to Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Drew Brees, the Saints
quarterback; it was destiny for the team from a city left
devastated just over four years ago by Hurricane Katrina.
“We played for so much more than ourselves,” he
said. “We played for our city, we played for the entire Gulf
Coast region, and ‘Who Dat’ nation which was behind us
every step of the way. I tried to imagine what this moment
would be like for a long time. It was meant to be.”
The game started out slow for the Saints who fell
behind 10-0, before they fought back with two field goals to
head into half down just four points. A questionable call by
head coach Sean Payton may have cost them points though
when he went for it on fourth down with two yards to go after
having already been stopped twice. They failed and were
unable to walk away with even three points.
However, his decision for an onside kick to start the
second half was pure brilliance, as it resulted in the Saints’
recovering the ball at their own 42 yard line. They quickly
moved down the field, culminating in a 16-yard touchdown
pass to take the lead.
The Colts’ Joseph Addai scored their final touchdown
of the game to make the score 17-13. However, Indianapolis
head coach Jim Caldwell decided to go for a 51-yard field
goal with just over ten minutes left in the game, and missed.
Brees took over, throwing seven completions for 34
yards and a touchdown. Payton did not let his team settle for a
five point lead, instead going for two points. Thanks to Lance
Moore’s second effort, he got them.
It was in the last four minutes that Tracy Porter made
arguable the biggest play of the game when he intercepted
Peyton Manning’s pass to Reggie Wayne and returned it 74
yards for a touchdown, locking in the final score of 31-17.
“We knew that on third-and-short they like the
outside release for the slant,” Porter said. “It was great film
study by me, a great jump and a great play.”
While the big plays were definitely important,
the Saints won with more than just a few magic moments.
Brees was near perfect completing 32 of 39 attempts, an 82.1
percent completion rate, second best in Super Bowl history.
They had 20 first downs, and a total of 332 yards, 51 rushing
and 281 passing.
Although the slightly lopsided score doesn’t show
it, the Colts also played well in a game that was offensively
oriented. Manning threw for 333 yards with 31 completions, a
touchdown, and an interception. Addai also had a great game,
running for 77 of the Colts’ 99 rushing yards.
“Words can’t describe how much this means,” Porter
said.
Graphic by Patrick Murphy
Tiger takes “indefinite break” from golf
Holly Stejskal
staff reporter
Girls Swimming: The girls swim team
took 1St place at the Roncalli meet.
They have had a good season so far.
Sophomores Lauren Smith and Hannah
Wackel have already qualified for state.
They have one more meet in Elkhorn
on February 15 before state at the end of
February.
Boys Swimming: The boys swim team
is having to a great start this season.
They won many meets this year. They
have qualifed for state in multiple relays
including 200 meter free relay and 200
medley relay. Senior Peter Moeschen has
qualified in the 100 meter fly. They have
an upcoming meet in Elkorn on February
15.
Wrestling: The wrestling team has
competed in many duels so far this
season. They are a young team this
season plagued by injuries. Junior Brian
Minchow is currently ranked 6th. The
bolts have come close only loosing to
Northeast and Southwest by a few points.
Districts are coming up February 12-13.
Boys Basketball: The boys basketball
team is currently ranked 6th in class B.
Their record is 12-4. In their last game vs.
Lincoln Southeast they lost 46-63 . The
bolts play Norris at home on February
12.
Girls Basketball: The girl’s basketball
team record is currently 7-6. In their
game against Holdrege the girls
came up short with a 37-41 lost to
Holdrege. Their next game is away
at Lincoln Southeast on February 11.
Austin Safranek
staff reporter
Tiger Woods, one of the most
dominant golfers ever, announced on
December 11 that he would be taking
an “indefinite break” from
the sport to try to rebuild his
personal life after a flood of
reports of marital infidelities
linking him to multiple women.
Woods has transformed golf
with a combination of power,
touch and tenacious resolve.
His
astonishing
success has even placed him on
many people’s list of greatest
American athletes, alongside
figures like Babe Ruth and
Michael Jordan. As a golfing
pro, Woods captured a slew
of golf ’s most prestigious
records, and he routinely lead
the sport’s world rankings, a
result of winning more than
a quarter of the P.G.A. Tour
tournaments that he’s entered,
a figure unrivaled in modern
times.
From
a
toddler
prodigy, his legend has
steadily grown. He won three
straight U.S. Junior Amateur Graphic
titles and then three straight
U.S. Amateur titles, both records. Woods
turned pro in 1996, and a year later at
only 21, he became the youngest winner
of the Masters. In 2000, at 24, he became
the youngest golfer to have won all
four major tournaments (The Masters,
the U.S. Open, the British Open, and
the PGA Championship) Wo o d s ’
unprecedented success brought him not
only fame, but wealth. Heralded as the
world’s most marketable athlete, his
lucrative contracts included General
Motors, Titleist, General Mills, American
Express, Accenture, and Nike, Inc. Woods
also endorses the Tiger Woods PGA Tour
series of video games.
In February 2007, along with
Roger Federer, Woods became an
ambassador for the Gillette marketing
campaign. In October 2007, Woods added
Gatorade to his list of endorsements,
with the advent of, “Gatorade Tiger,” in
March 2008.
The host of the most profitable
contracts ever seen by an athlete was
estimated to be in excess of 769 million
dollars from 1996 to 2007, and in 2009,
Forbes confirmed that Woods was indeed
the world’s first athlete to earn over a
by sean flattery
billion dollars in his career, and is the
second wealthiest African American,
second only to Oprah.
On
November
25,
2009,
supermarket tabloid The National
Enquirer published a story claiming that
Woods had an extramarital affair with
nightclub manager Rachel Uchitel‎ , a
claim she denied.
The story began to attract media
attention when Woods had a car accident
a day and a half later. He was leaving his
home around 2:30 a.m. in his SUV, a 2009
Cadillac Escalade, when he collided with
a hedge, a fire hydrant, and finally
a tree down the street.
The story continued to increase
in popularity, especially after
numerous women emerged all
claiming to have had affairs
with the golf pro, prompting to
release a statement admitting to
infidelity, offering an apology, and
announcing an indefinite hiatus
from professional golf.
Though many of his sponsors
dropped him like a hot potato in
light of his public apology for
his personal transgressions, both
past and present, Nike, Gatorade,
Gillette and Electronic Arts, among
his most profitable sponsors,
remained loyal.
However, losing sponsors is the
least of his worries. The recent
scandal has in all probability done
irreparable damage to his public
image, and the likelihood of his
return to the sport of which he has
become the face is dubious. Woods
can take hope from the case of Kobe
Bryant, who was charged of rape in
2003, and took until last year to recover
from it.
Whatever
happens,
Woods’
dominance of the game remains
unquestioned, and hey, Tiger will always
be Tiger.
12
February 12, 2010
Catholic Schools Week
Dress Up Day - Blast From the past - Jersey Day - Uniform day - Spirit Day
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sTRAIGHT fROM THE BOLTS: fUTURE eDITION
What are you most looking forward to at Pius?
Jacob Miller
St. Joeseph’s
Kate Rawlinson
Cathedral
Tony Keiter
Blessed Sacrament
Natalie Pieper
St. Peter’s
Jacey Hain &
Kim Steffensmeier
St. John’s
“The new school.”
“The Newspaper Club!”
“Sports and moving on.”
“The new people I’m
going to meet.”
“People, sports and the
new clubs!”