February 2016

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Pius X High School
February 9, 2016
Volume 52
Issue 5
6000 A Street, Lincoln, NE
PHOTO BY ABBEY HUGO
Benefit Concert raises money for refugees
Abbey Hugo
Sports Editor
“We went way back in a Facebook friend’s profile,
found the video and tried to redo it. It was good before and
now it was three million times better,” Hansen said.
There were a couple other semi-theatrical acts.
Taylor Gierhan and Grace Seeman comically and beautifully performed “Anything You Can Do” from Annie Get
Your Gun with a perfect, sibling-like chemistry.
In true Pius fashion, the concert ended with a song performed by the full cast.
The first couple verses of “Love Yourself” was sung by
Rilee Soukup, Celine Kottwitz, Alli Davis, Moira Keonig
and Noah Contreras but soon the whole cast arrived on stage
to finish on a joyous high note.
It was nothing but smiles as the audience cleared the
LPAC, and not simply because they were having a snow day
the next day.
PHOTO BY ABBEY HUGO
The Pius X Benefit Concert on Feb. 1 displayed students’ musical talents and provided an opportunity to aid
refugees.
This year’s Club World Aid Benefit Concert raised
money for Catholic Relief Services. Catholic Relief Services
works to help refugees, as well as the poor and vulnerable in
both the U.S. and oversees.
“We decided to focus on refugees,” said senior Mickey
Tran, student head of Club World Aid. “We wanted to think
of a good way to help with this huge thing in our world right
now.”
After the concert, there were approximately $1500
worth of funds gathered for this cause. With the incoming
snow storm, Tran said that was way more profit than originally expected.
In the end, the LPAC was nearly full with people
eager to witness some great student acts. That would be the
“concert” portion of the evening and the helping of refugees
would be the “benefit” part.
Each act was introduced by the night’s emcee pair:
juniors Anna Krause and Brooke Kreikemeier, who had also
presented at the “Performances” concert.
“We had some pronunciation setbacks but still made it
through and hope to be called back again,” Krause said.
Kreikemeier said their jokes were better this time and,
as always, the performances were great.
Though their introductions were helpful and hilarious,
the stars of the show were the musical performances.
There were a total of 27 performances in the two acts.
“They really showcased how, although they all have
different sounds, they can come together and relate through
music,” Junior spectator Claire Schilmoeller said.
There was everything from intense piano solos, to lively
singing groups and crazy dance crews.
“I didn’t realize how talented everyone was! It’s crazy
how much talent is hidden in my own classmates,” Junior
audience member Ellen Budell said.
Sixty one different acts auditioned and they were divided and regrouped to fit in as many as possible.
“I tried to involve a lot of people and variety,” director
Todd Krier said. “Also, [I picked many] upbeat acts because
that always makes it more fun.”
Two of the most energetic acts were the two dancing
groups, Kristie Le's group, Sweet Feet and Blake Krenk and
his clogging crew.
The synchronization and coordination involved in both
groups was impeccable.
Another crowd pleaser was seniors Bailey Fowler,
Natasha Pierce and junior Adam Zastrow’s performance of
a “Someone Like You”/”Nightingale” combo.
“It made me want to cry,” junior audience member
Taylor Shreve said. “It got me right in the feels.”
Pierce claimed the duo didn’t finalize the song until
the night before but in the end they were “less prepared but
more confident.” With the immense applause that followed,
the audience did not seem to notice or mind their lack of
prior planning.
“It’s a privilege to be in the Benefit Concert,” Pierce
said. “It really showcases everyone’s talent and it was a great
way to end senior year with a bang.”
Seniors David Tines, Jonah Brox, Justin Richard and
James Hansen performed a song they sang in a benefit concert their freshman year, "There is Nothing Like a Dame".
Syrene Do performs "Toccato" on the piano at last
Monday's Benefit Concert.
February 9, 2016
The X-Change
Opinion: Apple products
My March for Life adventure
don't compare to others
doesn't go exactly as planned
2 News & Opinion
Reagan Scott
Editor-in-Chief
PHOTO BY REAGAN SCOTT
In the days leading up to my departure for the March
for Life, I could hardly believe that I would be traveling
on a bus for 24 hours to stand up for life in our nation’s
capital. However, after being stuck on the Pennsylvania
Turnpike for over 19 hours, I can honestly say that my trip
didn’t go exactly as I had expected.
For me, the idea of a day-long bus ride didn’t sound
very appealing, but it actually flew by. I got to meet other
amazing people I hadn’t known at Pius, as well as students
from other high schools across the diocese.
The trip was pretty smooth sailing until we hit D.C.
traffic late Wednesday night. Now, I knew from the people
around me that the traffic in D.C. was bad even in good
weather, but because of the inch of snow the city had
received earlier that day, the normally frustrating traffic
became a nightmare.
When we finally arrived at the hotel, due to the fantastic driving skills of our amazing bus driver, Bruce, it
was a huge relief. Once the other buses arrived, we held
Mass in the hotel conference room and were off to bed.
The next day, on Thursday, we traveled to the Basilica
of the Immaculate Conception, the largest cathedral in
North America. I had been to the Basilica in Milwaukee,
but this one would have easily engulfed it. The crypt level
holds multiple chapels that we could explore, including
one dedicated to Pope Pius X.
When I finally made my way upstairs to the main
chapel, I had to stop in awe. The basilica was absolutely
gorgeous, with colorful frescos covering the ceiling
and even more chapels extending from the sides. Even
when one reaches the altar, the chapel still extends far
beyond it, only adding to the basilica’s massive size.
That afternoon, we were given time to break into
groups and explore different parts of D.C. I was with
the group that opted to go to the Smithsonian Museum
and explore the National Mall.
The next day was even more exciting since it was
officially time for the March for Life. We began the
morning in the Verizon Center in D.C. where we held
a rally and Mass. It was so exciting to get to share the joy
of being pro-life with thousands of other Catholics from
across the country.
However, the most amazing part was when we
trekked to the base of the Washington Monument for
another rally before the March.
Finally, at 1:00 in the afternoon, it was time to begin
the March for Life. It was energizing however, to march
down the streets of our nation’s capitol with thousands of
other people who stood for the same cause we did.
We later found out that because of the impending
storm, the numbers at the March were significantly lower
than that of years past, but God quickly found a way for
the March to be made known around the country when
three of the buses from the Diocese of Lincoln got stuck
on the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
While I never would have imagined that being stuck
on the Pennsylvania Turnpike for over 19 hours would
have been a good thing, it was easy to see, even before we
were able to get out, the difference that our predicament
was making.
Suddenly, everyone who watched the news knew that
hundreds of pro-life students who had been in Washington
D.C. for the March for Life were stranded. The March
doesn’t usually garner much media attention, but this year
it did.
On my trip to D.C., I learned that even though I am
only one person, I can make a difference.
I would definitely recommend that those who are
interested in attending the March for Life next year make
it their goal to attend. I promise, it is an experience like
no other.
Thousands of people march towards the Capitol
at the National March for Life in D.C.
Honors night to be held for NHS
Erin Dolph
Entertainment Editor
On February 15th the 34th
annual Honors Night will be held
at Pius. This night celebrates many
students and their hard work and
success in academics.
Honors Night is the induction
ceremony for juniors who are honorary members of National Honor
Society. The juniors have had to
meet the four pillars of requirements
each of their high school years in
order to become full members. The
requirements include a cumulative
3.75 GPA, service hours, leadership
and extra-curricular activities.
Along with the juniors, the current senior members are also invited
to Honor’s Night. The seniors also
have to meet the requirements in
order to maintain membership.
Although there are no awards
given out at this event, every student’s academic accomplishments
are recognized.
Every year there is a different
guest speaker invited to motivate
and encourage the students to keep
up their good work. In the past,
there have been governors and
senators invited to speak.
Seth Odgard is the chosen
speaker for this year. He is an
alumnus of Pius and is currently the
director of refugee settlement for
Catholic Social Services.
“He has had great success in
his career and the work that he
does is very important,” Tom Seib,
leader of National Honor Society,
said, “He carries out the pillars of
National Honor Society, especially
service and leadership, in his career
and life.”
Odgard will share his story
with the students and challenge
them to continue with their hard
work.
National Honor society members will receive invites to Honor’s
night. It will take place at 7:30 pm
in the LPAC.
Phillip Lackey
Staff Writer
Apple is a multibillion dollar
company that has been around since
April 1, 1976 in California.
Since they have existed they
have produced many different
products that have been extremely
popular among almost everyone who
wants a tablet or smart phone.
In the past 10 years, though,
other companies such as Samsung,
Google, and Android have been
coming out with different tech to
compete with Apple, products such
as smart phones, computers, laptops,
and in more recent years, smartwatches.
As these other companies have
been competing with Apple, there
has been a lot of controversy among
people: Which company is the best?
Freshman Rodney Cruz said
that he prefers Samsung or HTC
over Apple because Apple is behind
the times.
Cruz said, “Currently, Apple is
behind in their screen technology,
they are using retina displays and a
backlight which is very behind compared to Samsung using super ammo
LED HD screens.”
He said that Samsung is better
for a larger range of people especially at the consumer lever. They
have a very large range of phones for
each new model they come out with.
Apple on the other hand only comes
out with two different versions of a
phone with when they put out a new
one.
Cruz also pointed out that he
disliked the settings on an Apple
phone because, compared to other
phones, customization is very limited.
CARTOON BY PHILLIP LACKEY
Concerning specs he said that
Samsung has better screens, better
resistance to the elements such as
better shock resistance or water
resistance. They also have a better
main and frontal camera.
Cruz said that he compared
taking the same picture with a
Samsung S6 Edge vs. an iPhone
6S Plus, the Samsung took a better
picture than the iPhone did.
Cruz personally owns a
Galaxy S5 and has Dell and HP
Laptops. He said that he prefers
them over a MacBook because
Apple is lacking in innovation and
design.
On the other hand Freshman
Liam Kreikemeier said that Apple
is still doing well despite being
behind the times and that they will
continue to improve and come out
with better products to combat
with other companie’s products.
But Kreikemeier said something he likes about them is how
they don’t talk badly about other
companies when they market their
new products.
Kreikemeier also said that if
someone just wanted a cheaper but
decent phone that Samsung phones
can range from $50- $200 on the
lower end but still with good specs
that make the phone still a good
smart phone.
Cruz also said that he hated
the Apple watch and that for what
is was, it was way too overpriced
and lacking in options as well.
On the other hand Kreikemeier
said that he likes Apple because
they are very user friendly and it is
quite easy to transfer data from one
device to another.
Something else he pointed is
that Samsung has better processors in their phones and that Apple
actually used to buy Samsung’s
processors before they went out
and made their own.
Earlier on when Apple was
in the lead for tech he bought
an Apple iPad and also an iPod,
which he said the iPad is a decent
tablet and that it was one thing that
Apple has done fairly well.
Kreikemeier said he has been
using Apple products for seven
years and he stays with them
because “Apple just has that edge
and it is easier to switch from
product to product.”
So whether it is Apple, Android, or
Samsung it really comes down to
personal opinion.
X-Clusives 3
The X-Change
Students demonstrate faith outside the classroom
February 9, 2016
TEC, Quest retreats offer
students chance to get away
Mary Soden
Features Editor
TEC. What do those three
little letters mean? Totally Edible
Cookies? No. Tacos Eat Children?
No. Teens Encounter Christ? Yes!
TEC is three days long and is
held at various locations throughout the diocese. The next retreat
(TEC #94) will be held at Bishop
Neumann in Wahoo, NE, on
February 13th-15th. The retreat is
put on by the Diocese of Lincoln
Youth Ministry.
On the TEC Retreat, teens
encounter Christ through adoration,
Mass, games, talks and a few other
surprises, with other teenagers in
the diocese. Plus, featured celebrity
speakers will be making appearances throughout the weekend.
“My favorite memory would
be adoration. The experience was
unlike anything I had encountered
before and I loved it,” senior Leah
Heyen said.
Many candidates who have
made TEC before have been truly
transformed by Christ’s love and
mercy.
Senior Alli Davis said, “TEC
really helped me realize that Jesus
Christ is the very best friend a person can have. He walks with me.”
Still not convinced TEC is for
you? From TEC candidates bring
home a burning desire for Christ
that is the best gift one could
receive. Often candidates find their
calling, vocation, or just a super
great group of new friends on this
adventure of a lifetime.
Davis said, “On my TEC we
focused a lot on Scripture, so I
took home a new desire to read
that and to listen more closely at
Mass to things God might be saying to me.”
When the weekend is over, no
one wants to leave, and it makes
for a long, sad drive home. But that
is when the real challenge begins,
carrying TEC on in candidates own
lives.
“Since TEC, my faith life has
grown in a lot of ways, the most
visibly, my occasional Holy Hour
and first attendance on the Fall
Retreat,” senior Catherine Krueger
said.
Alas, the TEC retreat is only
offered for high school juniors and
seniors. But never fear! The Quest
retreat is offered solely for freshmen and sophomores.
The Quest retreat is shorter
than the TEC retreat, only two
days, but is equally as fun as TEC.
There are not as many dates for
Quest so go while it is available.
So now that TEC/Quest
sounds awesome, all that’s left
to do is to sign up. TEC #94 in
Wahoo will be held Feb.13-15. The
next Quest (#31) retreat will be
held in Auburn, NE, April 9 and
10.
The X-Change
Reagan Scott
Editor-in-Chief
X-Clusives Editor News & Opinion Editor
Erin Dolph
Entertainment Editor
Abbey Hugo
Sports Editor
Matthew Bundy
Matthew Chambers
Maddie Condon
Candy Hernandez
Phillip Lackey
Staff Writers
Nolan DeWispelare
Adviser
Mary Soden
Features Editor
The X-Change is a monthly publication of the Pius X High School
newspaper staff. Opinions expressed on the opinion page do not
necessarily represent those of the entire school community.
Advertisements may be placed upon the discretion of the X-Change
staff. Inquiries can be directed to [email protected].
Students and staff are invited to share their opinion through a letter
to the editor. The staff reserves the right to edit or reject any letter.
All letters must be typed, signed and sent to Room 208 or:
The X-Change
Pius X High School
6000 A Street
Lincoln, NE 68510
Poll: How
"religious"
is the Pius X
student body?
Approximately 60 students from
each grade were asked about
their Mass attendance, retreat
attendance, involvement in other
Catholic organizations, and
overall level of faith.
POLL CONDUCTED BY
ERIN DOLPH AND
ABBEY HUGO.
GRAPHIC BY ERIN
DOLPH
Ministry works to enhance faith at Pius
Reagan Scott
Editor-in-Chief
While sitting in Advent services
or attending Fellowship meetings on
Friday mornings, students may not
realize that before these events could
occur, lots of hard work and time was
spent by hard-working Pius students
preparing behind the scenes.
Molly Milana, the Pius Youth
Minister, heads the Ministry team, a
group of 20-25 students who work
hard to ensure that they and other
Pius students are given the opportunity to grow in their Catholic faith.
“Faith is part of us. You can’t
run away from it and it’s something
you can’t ignore,” senior Ministry
member Mickey Tran said.
While Ministry spends time
working to organize schoolwide
events, they are also hard at work in
their own spiritual lives. The group
starts the year with a retreat, goes
to Mass together once a month, and
plans on beginning a Bible study in
the near future.
“The goal is to help [students]
grow in their own faith so they’ll
want to invite their friends without
having to have a name,” Milana
said.
For the group, the idea is to
encourage faith formation outside of
school and the classroom, helping
students to develop their faith lives in
a way that will serve them long into
the future.
“If you take a chance and reach
Think you might be pregnant?
We can Help
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111 Piazza Terrace
out, [students] will give Catholicism
a chance,” Tran said.
Students can be involved in
Fellowship meetings on Friday
mornings, which give any student
the opportunity to hang out with
friends and enjoy donuts in a nonconfrontational environment according to Milana.
Ministry also allows students
to attend Adoration on Wednesdays
and organizes the F.A.L.L. Retreat,
which boasted record-setting attendance in the fall.
“Kids know and see the value
of keeping their faith close,” Milana
said of the number of students who
willingly participate in activities outside of their daily Theology classes.
The goal of Ministry is to
increase the love that students have
for their faith, as well as increase student participation in religious activities outside of school. As the number
of students participating in events
such as the F.A.L.L. Retreat continues to grow, Ministry can continue to
see the fruits of their labor.
“I think it shows that [the students’] faith is not just their ‘Catholic
school thing’,” Milana said. “Their
faith comes from a deeper, more
personal place.”
February 9, 2016
The X-Change
Valentine's Day: Must or Bust? Sassy Sister of the month:
4 Features
Phillip Lackey
Staff Writer
Sister Catarina Tang
Candy Hernandez
Staff Writer
much of an impact she’s had in the
Pius X community in and out of class.
“My favorite part about Sister’s
class is that we get time to ask questions about our faith," sophomore
Kristie Le said.
Helping others understand their
faith is important to Tang.
“I like that she has a different
way of teaching us about church
history,” sophomore Molly Boatman
said.
She likes to be unique in the way
she teaches students about their faith
and tried to break it down enough for
everyone to understand.
“Story time with Sister is amazing, she brings humor to the class
and makes it easier and enjoyable,”
sophomore Abby Nelson said.
Tang always has students come
in before and after school to ask for
help and sometimes even questions
outside everyone’s faith.
Tang said, “Being a sister is an
amazing experience, because I get
to be a witness to God and getting to
see God in everyone especially in the
students and teachers here at Pius X.
It is such an amazing place!”
Humble, joyful, generous,
funny, incredible, unique, tiny, feisty,
on-task, Catholic…
So what do all these things have
in common? They all describe this
month’s sassy sister, Sr. Catarina
Tang.
Tang went from being one of the
most rebellious little girls to the holiest person you will ever meet.
“I am super shy," Tang said
before the interview.
But a lot of her students would
like to disagree.
“She definitely helped me hate
theology a lot less,” sophomore
Judith Brown said.
Not only has Tang been able
to help her students learn about the
history of the church but she also has
achieved her main goal.
“I want God to become a reality for all my students and bringing
them closer to God because when
God became a reality for me it had
changed my life,” Tang said.
Although she doesn’t realize it,
she has changed many lives as well
as her own. Before she
became a religious sister
she was a “wild child”, she
wanted to become a lawyer or a probation officer,
but her life changed when
God became her reality.
“I realized that this
is what I wanted when I
saw that doing God’s will
gave me peace and joy,”
Tang said.
The best thing is how Student Klauldija Pavlovic poses with Tang.
PHOTO BY CANDY HERNANDEZ
CARTOON BY PHILLIP LACKEY
Most people think of Valentine’s Day as buying chocolates and candies for other people but I
think it is actually a way for companies to make
more money off of us.
According to BibleStudy.org Valentine’s Day
originated from Rome. The holiday was called
Lupercalia which was a pagan holiday that the
Romans celebrated.
Lupercalia was originally the festival of
Lupa the she wolf, who according to Roman legend nursed the infants Remus and Romulus who
are said to have built the city of Rome. When the
Roman emperor Constantine the Great legalized
Christianity the emperor also encouraged nonChristians to convert over to the new faith.
When the non-Christians converted they
brought over some of their traditions like
Lupercalia which eventually became Valentine’s
Day.
Twenty four years after the death of the
Roman emperor Anthemius a Christianized form
of Lupercalia was adopted by the church as a
time to honor Saint Valentine which was named
by Pope Gelasius.
The symbols of Valentine’s Day such
as the roses are from the Roman goddess of
love Venus, red is also a color that symbolizes strong feelings. When looking at the
real origin of Valentine’s Day, it originally
came from pagan religions and not from
God Himself.
God had warned the Jews in the bible
to not pick up foreign traditions from other
faiths. Because of that we really need to
consider why we as Christians still celebrate Valentine’s Day since it isn’t originally a part of our faith and technically we
were told by God specifically to not follow
such traditions from other beliefs.
Apart from the origin of Valentine’s
Day, stores and companies have made it
into a day for buying treats for your loved ones
and friends but I think it is just their way of making more money.
Whenever Valentine’s Day comes around all
chocolates and candies are raised in price considerably and all stores make more money off the
people who just want to show their “affection”
for others.
According to The New York Times Cocoa
prices have especially raised considerably
because of the higher demand for cocoa which
is the main ingredient in chocolate. More dark
chocolate is coming in to high demand which
takes more cocoa and therefore costs more to
produce. Because of this all treats that have
chocolate in them like Hershey kisses or other
candy like that will be raised in price.
I think that people who want to show their
affection for others should do so year round
instead of just on specific days. They should do
so in their own way instead of helping some rich
people just make more money.
Valentine’s Day is still fun in its own right
because getting treats from others is fun but I
think people should do so in a less expensive
way and in more heartfelt ways than just giving
out treats.
Straight from the BOlts
If you could
take anyone dead or alive on a date, who
would it be?
Name: Nick Sehnert
Grade: Freshman
"Ronda Rousey."
Name: Jade Wawers
Grade: Sophomore
"Shawn Mendes because
he's gorgeous and has
great music."
Name: Tyler Crouse
Grade: Junior
Name: Taylor Angele
Grade: Senior
"Anna Kendrick because "Ariana Grande because
she's very beautiful"
she's hot."
The X-Change
February 9, 2016
SeniorXposed:
A day in the life of Kaelynn Wilger
Abbey Hugo
“I’ve always wanted to work
in the medical field,” Wilger said.
“A lot of my family has worked in
the medical field and I’ve always
to be able to help people.”
Wilger’s grandfather has been
her biggest role model. Not only
was he the first one to spark her
interest in the medical field but he
has also acted as a guiding father
figure. Wilger said she has always
wanted to be just like him.
The rest of her family includes
her mother and freshman brother
Noah Wilger.
When she is not working or
spending time with her family,
she enjoys recreational swimming, hanging out with her friends,
watching Netflix, or doing some
traveling.
In the past year, she has
already traveled to Honduras and
Australia. While there she spent
time on the beach and seeing the
sights.
Wilger hopes to do a lot more
traveling in her lifetime.
She said, “My next stop would
definitely be Europe. Backpacking
would be really cool!”
New English teacher adapts quickly
Matthew Chambers
His day starts with him
talking to English department
chair Jennifer Sander to find out
From
Daytona
Beach, what he will be teaching for his
Florida to Lincoln, Nebraska in American Literature classes. He
less than a month, things are then has to come up with writing
changing quite rapidly for new prompts for his favorite class,
English teacher Trent Framke.
Creative Writing.
Now in his first semester at
The grind doesn’t stop for
Pius X High School, he teaches Framke after the final bell either,
mostly upperclassmen English as he is helping out Theater and
classes.
Arts director Joseph Moser with
“I have been wanting to the spring musical, “Brigadoon”.
teach at Pius for years because of
He will also help out with
my faith,” he said.
coaching the track team this
spring as well.
Before being
a teacher, he was
Human Resource
Director at Telesis
Inc., the parent
company of Lazlo’s
and FireWorks, two
restaurants here in
Lincoln.
Although the
temperature
has
gone
drasticalFramke assists student Maggie Reese.
Staff Writer
PHOTO BY MATTHEW CHAMBERS
ly down compared to when he
was teaching at Mainland High
School in Florida, things seem to
be looking up for Framke at Pius.
“It has been a very welcoming and comforting atmosphere,”
Framke said. He also appreciates
that all faculty have been nothing
but very kind and helpful to him.
He also has a daughter,
Morgan, who is a freshman at
Pius.
“She’s just concerned about
what lunch I have,” Framke
laughed.
He is currently in his 13th
year of teaching, and before
teaching in Florida he taught
at Southeast High School in
Lincoln.
As for his students, he wants
them all to know that he cares
deeply about their learning. If
they only learn one thing from all
his teaching.
He said, “I will give them all
the best opportunity to be successful.”
Reagan Scott
Editor-in-Chief
GRAPHIC BY MARY SODEN
UNK speaker visits Pius
University of NebraskaKearney Chancellor Douglas
Kristensen stopped by some
College and Career Writing
classes on January 28.
He spoke on the importance
of attending college, values of
education, and choosing the right
school.
Kristensen gave some great
advice as well as share an awesome story: Kristensen had been
classmates with Pius X's own
Sister Jacquelyn Darner.
PHOTO COURTESY OF PJ BOOK
PHOTO COURTESY OF KAELYNN WILGER
job experience assisting the nurses.
“It is a great chance to do
what I like and apply that,” Wilger
said.
Volunteering every Thursday
results in a pretty busy day. She
gets up, gets ready, heads to
school, then directly goes to Bryan
and works until five.
Though this job has some
slow points where she’s simply filing, Wilger enjoys every minute of
her little career test run.
She will be applying at Bryan
College for schooling next year.
With all the help she
provides them, she has
high hopes of acceptance and after she
completes her fouryear college requirement there is likely to
be a job waiting for
her at Bryan.
Wilger is currently hoping to work
with labor and delivery because she loves
kids. But really, who
wouldn’t want to get
paid to watch over
adorable little babies?
On Saturday and Sunday
November 21 and 22, the
F.A.L.L. retreat was held at
the YMCA’s Camp Kitaki. The
retreat was organized by Pius
X Campus Ministry, and led by
Molly Milana.The event boasted record setting attendance at
186 students. Attendees spent
time in prayer, attended talks
by various speakers and were
given the opportunity to enjoy
free time on the camp’s extensive grounds.
PHOTO BY MATTHEW
CHAMBERS
Sports Editor
Senior Kaelynn Wilger is so
excited for her future career, she is
working on it right now!
Wilger hopes to one day
become a nurse and much of her
life now revolves around preparing
her for this career.
“I volunteer and have been
really focused on getting ready for
college,” Wilger said.
She volunteers every week at
Bryan East Hospital. She works
closely with the staff, gaining great
Features 5
Kristensen visited with students.
College of it pays to visit.
Pius X Students:
Visit Doane during your
senior year of high school
and receive a $1,000 grant
renewable for four years.
doane.edu/visit
February 9, 2016
The X-Change
Senior Nights honor dedicated senior athletes
6 Sports
Mary Soden
Features Editor
After four years in a sport, slaving away
in practice and kicking butt in games/meets,
seniors receive recognition on one special
night... Senior Night.
Towards the end of each season, in each
sport, seniors are honored in a special way.
Each senior athlete is announced and brought
before the crowd to be shown off as the pride
and joy of that sport.
It varies sport by sport, but the general
gist is the same. Often, seniors are announced
one by one and then walk up with their parents to the front and receive flowers.
Some Senior Nights are celebrated by
posters of athletes’ faces, others by tunnels
made by their teammates. Homemade cookies
and baby picture collages are also a huge part
of senior nights.
Junior cheerleader Alexis Hruby said,
“Typically each squad gets balloons and
cookies or flowers for our senior cheerlead-
ers. If a little sis has a senior big sis, they will
get the senior another gift too.”
If the seniors are really lucky they may
even have a theme song played during their
entrance like at the wrestling Senior Night.
And as if that isn’t cool enough, it makes
for an especially splendid senior night when
the team win the game and take home the gold.
“It’s always fun to win on Senior Night
because we really come together as a team.
The seniors went all out and the underclassmen played for the seniors,” senior volleyball
player Alexis Bryant said.
But the whole shebang isn’t just a joyous
time, it’s also a sad and nostalgic moment for
the athletes.
Senior swimmer Skyler Clough said,
“Senior Night actually just made me really
sad to leave my team behind.”
Whether the senior is going on to play
sports on a collegiate level or it is the end of
organized sports for the athlete, Senior Night
is a significant and memorable night for all
athletes.
Coach's Corner: Zach Thavenet: Alumni-turned-coach
Candy Hernandez
Staff Wirter
From playing basketball for all four years at Pius, to
becoming a basketball coach, Zach Thavenet has a been a
beloved contributor to the boys basketball team.
He graduated Pius in 2011 and is currently a student at
UNL studying Business Management and works at Sandhill’s
Publishing. He has been coaching at Pius for three years now.
“I have played basketball since I was five, I played for all
four years here at Pius and I thought that the next best thing to
playing Pius basketball is to be the coach,” said Thavenet.
He believes that a coach’s role is to make sure that they
PHOTO BY ABBEY HUGO
practice hard, play hard, make sure to always be focused, and to
be motivated constantly.
“I believe it’s important to develop a good relationship
with them so they trust you to put them in the right spot to succeed and if they trust you then it’s easier to help them and it’s
important for coaching,” Thavenet said.
Thavenet tries his best to make his style of coaching the
best possible way of coaching to help his team.
“I like coach’s style because he connects well with us and
he pushes me and motivates me to make myself better,” sophomore Marcus Pieper said.
Coach Thavenet’s philosophy is to be able to relate to the
player and not be the type of coach who just yells but to actually help them and participate in the community
and not to settle but become better.
When it comes to his team he only wants the
best for them, he believes that its better to connect
with the player and tell them and show them how
to improve. He wants to inspire players to be their
Thavenet counsels junior Jack Easley during a drill at practice.
best and have an impact in their life like his dad did for him.
“My dad had the most influence in my life, he helped to
push me to be the best and from there he told me I could do
whatever I want and my goal is to make sure they get better
every day and to coach my kids in basketball in the future,” said
Thavenet.
Practices are usually every day at 5:50 pm, “we do full
court warm ups, shooting drills, scrimmage, and conditioning,
“said freshman Charlie Easley. “Practices are very competitive
and all the drills during practice helped me make better decisions on the court and how to run the offenses better. He makes
practice fun but helps us become better and doesn’t let us slack
off.”
Thavenet played at Pius and loved playing and watching it
so he wants to make sure the players get better and for them to
play their best.
“He has been one of my coaches for my first year at Pius
and has made my experience an enjoyable time and works me
hard,” Easley said.
The X-Change
February 9, 2016
Sports 7
Manager Minute: Pius athletes stay grounded in
Sam Gillan gets the assist Christ while competing in sports
Matthew Chambers
Staff Writer
"My best memory
is when everyone
kept missing the
wall at the
Kearney meet."
Skyler Clough
Senior Swimmer
Matthew Chambers
Staff Writer
athletic success.
“We’ve got a lot of good
athletes that are willing to come
in and work hard,” Aylward said.
“I think our common religion
really unites us.”
Today, the Catholic faith is
being put under scrutiny more
than ever before.
After a particularly difficult
day of lifting or practice, an athlete may be very tired.
But, as St. Paul describes
in the book of Colossians,
“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for
men, knowing that from the
Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are
serving the Lord Christ.”
When Pius athletes are
about to enter into the heat of
battle against a heated rival such
as Norris, Beatrice or Crete,
the tensions may be running
high and the blood is definitely
pumping hard.
The coach gives a great pep
talk and everyone is pumped up
with excitement and anxiousness.
Then they call the team in
for a prayer.
A major part of sports at
Pius is the incorporation of faith.
Many of the teams have their
own certain routines they do
before and after their games.
“Before every baseball
game, the entire team kneels
down, joins hands, and Coach
Book leads us in prayer,” junior
Ethan Arnold described. “We
also pray after the game and
thank God for the gift of baseball. I think it really brings us
closer together as a family.”
Activities Director Tim
Aylward appreciates this aspect
of every Pius sport.
“That’s why we’re here, to
develop faith,” Aylward said.
“Sports are just a small part of
it.”
According to junior cross The varsity boys basketball team gathers in prayer after a win over Crete.
"My favorite
memory is playing
duck duck goose
and Freddy Barie
being it the whole
time."
Alex Kerr
country and track runner Bryce
Holcomb, before running a large
race it is necessary to call upon
Jesus for help.
“We always huddle up and
pray before every meet. We
also pray on the bus rides back
home,” Holcomb described “I
always try to give my efforts up
to God and thank him for my
talents.”
Many of the teams also have
a mass before their respective
State meets or games.
“We go after the mass and
get a blessing from the priest.
It’s just a cool little ritual we
have that I enjoy,” Holcomb
said.
Aylward thinks that our faith
has a lot to do with Pius having
Senior Wrestler
"The boys kept
complaining about
the music we picked
on the bus so we
gave it to them and
they kept playing
and singing 'Hey
There Delilah'"
MacKenzie Helman
Senior Girls Basketball Player
"When Forycki
dances after
a win."
Kyle Wieser
Senior Boys Basketball Player
PHOTO BY MATTHEW CHAMBERS
While most would shy away
from the daily grind of helping
the Pius basketball team, junior
Sam Gillan chooses to embrace
it.
Sam comes to the gym for
every practice, sometimes at
very early hours on weekends or
during break, so he can do his
part for helping the team.
“I love actually feeling
like part of the team and having responsibility,” Gillan said.
“And the best part is I even get
a letter for it.”
Although this is his first
year on the job, Gillan claims he
has been wanting to help out the
team for a while.
He said, “I had been
thinking about it for a while
and I asked Coach Forycki. It
also helped that I know and am
friends with most of the guys on
the team.”
Coach Ray Forycki has
nothing but praise for his manager.
“Sam does everything we
need him to do and he does it
willingly,” Forycki said.
Gillan describes himself
as charismatic, outgoing and
responsible, which are all traits
necessary for a great student
manager.
Forycki describes him as
being energetic.
“Sam brings energy. He
shares our enjoyment for the
game and makes practice a little
more fun.”
The average routine for
every practice includes setting
up the clock, helping out with
drills when needed, and keeping score during scrimmages.
During games, he uses the iPad
to keep stats of each Pius player
and occasionally films. He also
helps to clean up after.
“I do play some of the
games on the iPad when I have
time,” Gillan admitted.
When not helping out the
Pius basketball team, he can be
found balling with John Cox,
CFI, a Pius junior based team
in the Stacy’s Locker Room
League.
“No. 33 in on the court, No.
1 in your heart,” he said.
After a strong start to the
season, the Pius varsity team
hopes to keep it rolling for the
end of the season.
“We want to be the best
basketball team we can be going
into Districts,” Forycki said.
Gillan’s outlook, however,
is more bold.
“We’re taking Pinnacle
Bank!”
February 9, 2016
The X-Change
Super Bowl commercial prices continue to rise
8 Entertainment
millions
Cost for a 30 second ad during the Super Bowl (in millions).
Over the years of the Super Bowl there
have been many memorable commercials.
Considering ads are sometimes the only reason certain people watch the game, there has
been an increased emphasis on making them
especially outstanding. For this year’s 50th
anniversary there will be no exception.
When looking back on the hundreds of
commercials seen in the past, it may be difficult to pinpoint just which one is “the greatest
of all”. Possibly it is Apple’s 1984 classic. Or
the 9/11 tribute ad in 2001. Not exactly.
In fact, according to USA Today, the
most shared Super Bowl ad of all time is the
2011 Volkswagen “the Force” commercial.
In this heartwarming ad a young boy is
dressed as popular movie character “Darth
Vader” and is seen to be using “the force” to
control the family car, while his dad is actually using the Bluetooth fob from afar.
Considering it was a record breaking
year for Super Bowl views, the commercial
was estimated to be viewed just short of 111
million times when aired. It was
continued to be shared for weeks
Cost For a Spot On Air During the Super Bowl
via social media.
When this commercial was
4.5
produced it cost approximately
4
4
$3 million for a spot on air during the game. This year it has
3.5
been raised to a whopping $4.5
3.1
3
million, that’s half of a million
2.7
2.7
2.7
2.7
2.7
more than it was just last year.
2.6
Though it may be expen2.3
sive, spending $4 million on a
Super Bowl commercial spot
is well worth it. Just not for the
reasons you may believe.
Time truly is money when
2002 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
it comes to the super bowl, considering there is such a slim time
period for ads in the first place,
it is highly unlikely for an ad to
According to a recent study done by the
appearance through YouTube teasers and on
be replayed.
University of Colorado Boulder, though most
other social media is where most companies
You may figure it’s wiser for a company Super Bowl ads are a huge flop and don’t
get their advertisement, and when their sales
to, instead, produce and air a dozen other
immensely increase company sales, the actual increase.
commercials at a much lower budget. So why announcement of buying airtime during the
Therefore it doesn’t matter whether the
are they so willing to spend their money at
game is known to bump stock price.
ad is actually “good” or not.
such a high expense?
The hype gained for their upcoming
GRAPHIC BY MADDIE CONDON
Maddie Condon
Staff Writer
What to expect from PBA this year
GRAPHIC BY MATTHEW BUNDY
Matthew Bundy
Staff Writer
"The 5th Wave" is a hit
Pinnacle Bank Arena has been
known for having amazing performances and some of their best have
been celebrity performances. This
year seems to have the most anticipated people for a long time. This
year you can expect Justin Bieber,
Blake Shelton, Carrie Underwood,
Lil Wane, Maroon 5, Brantly Gilbert,
and many more. The slate of people
this year seems to fit almost everyone’s style of music, so if you don’t
like one type there is always another
show that may fit you.
Local hot spot Grandmother's closed
Reagan Scott
Editor-in-Chief
After 32 years of service in
Lincoln, Grandmother’s, located
at 6940 A Street, is closing due to
financial reasons.
This news comes as a shock to
many frequent patrons of the casualtheme restaurant, who will be sad to
see it go.
“I didn’t have to order when I
went there, the waiters already knew
what I was going to get. Countless
nachos and karaoke nights.
[Grandmother’s] will be missed,”
junior Audrey Dworak said.
The restaurant prided itself on
its quality ingredients and homecooked meals so much so that their
slogan was, “More than a mouthful!”
The restaurant also offered
Sunday brunch every week, as well
and karaoke nights on Wednesdays
and Saturdays.
Grandmother’s had been in
Lincoln for 40 years, with its second location at the intersection
of 70th and A streets, just down
the road from Pius. It was the last
Grandmother’s location in Nebraska.
The original Grandmother’s restaurant, located in Ralston closed its
doors in 2014.
Currently, there are no plans for
new construction on the site which,
according to the Lancaster County
assessor’s office, is worth $1.32 million.
For those who may still have
Grandmother’s gift cards, they may
be redeemed at either of Lincoln’s
two Don & Millie’s restaurants,
owned by the Grandmother’s Inc.
franchise. Refunds can also be
issued at Grandmother’s during
weekdays from 1-3 p.m. according
to the Journal Star.
In other restaurant related news,
Indian restaurant, Bhupi G’s Hurry
Curry, located at the strip mall on
16th and Q streets, will be closing at
the end of the month before reopening as a new restaurant.
Bhupi G’s, described as fastcasual Indian, will be reopening as
Peyton’s Best, a restaurant serving
items such as Italian beef sandwiches and Chicago-style hotdogs.
Erin Dolph
Entertainment Editor
One may think that “The
Fifth Wave” is just the next wannabe Hunger Games in the long
list of dystopian novels turned
major motion pictures. Although
this film fits this description, it
was one of the best thrillers I’ve
seen to date.
The movie starts off showing the normal life of Cassie,
a typical high schooler. Then
out of nowhere, a gigantic ship
appears in the sky. They call the
beings on this ship the “others”.
Eventually the others start
killing off the humans in different waves. By the time the fifth
wave starts most of the human
population is dead. Hence the
title.
Except somehow Cassie and
her brother survive. And in true
dystopian fashion they are separated. Cassie’s brother, Sam, is
taken to a military camp, where
he is trained to be a child soldier
to fight the others. Cassie is left
to fend for herself in the woods.
Eventually she stumbles
upon Evan, the dreamy, mysterious love interest and savior. But
no respectable novel has only
one love interest.
Enter Ben Parrish, the high
school football captain turned
war zombie. Ben was also
enlisted at the military camp and
ended up in the same squad as
Sam.
Pretty much what I learned
from this movie is that the world
has to end in order to find a
soulmate or two.
This is just the starting
point of the whole adventure
to find Sam and defeat the
enemy, although the enemy isn’t
always who they say they are.
Throughout the whole movie,
Cassie has to maneuver through
many trials and decide who she
can trust.
The twists and turns in this
thrilling plot kept me on the
edge of my seat the whole time.
Normally, the downfall of
movies like these is the novel
fan club disapproving of the
movie. The fans are the harshest
critics.
I, for one, am most definitely part of this book fan club but
I am also a new member of this
movie fan club.
The movie follows the book
to the tee. Well almost. Although
some character and relationship
building was left out, this just
left more room for action in the
movie.
I thought the actors portrayed their characters impeccably and the graphics were
phenomenal.
Overall I would highly recommend reading the book and
watching “The Fifth Wave”.