SHIELD
THE
May 14, 2015
Volume 27, Issue 8
Class of 2015
CONTENTS NEWS
EXTRAS
Changes at Aquinas since 2011: 4-5
The Best of Social Media: 8-9
Changes in the world since 1997: 6-7 College Debt: 10-11
By the Numbers: 12-13 Quotes from teachers about the senior class: 16-17
College Decision Trends: 14-15
Tommy Talks: 18
Advice from College Freshmen: 22-23
FEATURES
Letter from Mr. Hall: 19 Big Senior Transformations: 20-21
AJ Meyers: 28-29
Centerspread: College Decision Map: 24-27
Shelby Doria: 30-31 Tom Pyle: 32-33
Seniors Say (Survey Responses): 34
Seniors’ Proudest Moments: 36-39
Cap That and Clean Joke of May: 35
Update on students who transferred Things that make you Forever a Saint: 42-43 out of the Class of 2015: 40-41 Last Look: 44-47 Cover layout by Jordan Eberhardy. Cover features members of the Class of 2015. Not pictured: Natalie Medellin.
“The Class of 2015 is a special one. We are a better place because they were here.” Principal Craig Moss
the
g hield S Saint Thomas Aquinas High School
11411 Pflumm Road Overland Park, KS 66215 913-319-2460 www.stasaints.net/shield Adviser Matt Hallauer
Co-Editors-in-Chief Janie Bachkora Jordan Eberhardy Centerspread Editor Anthony George Social Media Editor Alex Kinnan
Campus News Editor Katie Bernard
Reporters Jordan Bartz Ellie Heit Alex Kinnan Jackson McElroy Daniel Petracek
MISSION STATEMENT The Shield is a newspaper sponsored by Saint Thomas Aquinas High School and produced by its students to provide information, entertainment, and open forum, as well as a learning experience for its staff members. The goal of The Shield’s staff is to meet professional journalism standards. Staff members are responsible for the content of the newspaper and strive to report news accurately, objectively, and completely. The Shield is an open forum for student expression and aims to communicate the concerns of the student body as well as the faculty, staff, and Aquinas community. ADVERTISING The Shield sells advertisements to help with publication costs. All ads will be subject to the same scrutiny as stories. The Shield will not print any obscenities or any ads promoting products illegal to those under the age of 18. For advertising, please call (913)
319-2460, send an email to mhallauer@stasaints. net, or visit www. stasaints.net/shield SUBSCRIPTIONS Subscriptions to The Shield are $2 per issue. Subscriptions can be sent to Saint Thomas Aquinas High School c/o Matt Hallauer.
LETTER POLICY Letters may be accepted by The Shield, provided that they are signed and do not contain libelous statements. The Shield reserves the right to edit the letters for grammar, obscenity, or space consideration, and also reserves the right to not print a letter.
1 9 9 6 & 1 9 9 7 By Alex Kinnan
Spice Girls have the best selling album
South Park Premieres
Debuting on August 13, 1997
Seinfield is the Biggest Comedy ON TV “Spice” was released in late 1996, with “Wannabe” being one of the best selling singles of all time.
With over 20 million viewers a week.
President Clinton Wins The 1996 Election and is inagurated for his second term Clinton campaigns and defeats Kansan Bob Dole in the 1996 election promising a “bridge to the 21st century for America.” He is inagurated in 1997, with a 60 percent approval rating. Nearly a year later the infamous Monica Lewinsky scandal begins to unfold.
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When the seniors were born. Lion King Begins iTS RUN ON Broadway
Princess Diana is killed in a car accident Born July 1, 1961 Died August 31, 1997
Premiering on July 8, 1997
Harry Potter and The Sourcer's Stone is Published
Becoming a New York Times bestseller in the United States for three straight years.
These Five Classics Premiered July 2. 1997
December 19, 1997
December 5, 1997
March 21, 1997
May 2, 1997 page 5 g
In 2011, when the seniors were freshmen . . . Tuesdays and Thursdays were “late starts”, starting at 8:20 Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays started at 7:50 Seminar was only 60 minutes Lunchroom cookies cost $1. . 25 i was grass and there was only one set The football ffield of bleachers Freshmen hosted 8th grade shadows ‘A’ days had a period of free time built in, called “STAR” time during 6th hour lunch period Father Andrew was the chaplain Lunch cards were required to buy food from the lunchroom Musical chairs was allowed at Spring Olympics The Penny Drive was a class competition event Sophomores and juniors didn’t have their own hallways--their lockers were mixed throughout the three upstairs hallwyas The Shield had a traditional layout, like the Kansas City Star g page 6
Now in 2015, as the class of 2015 prepares to leave . . . The only late start was for the Pancake Breakfast Every day starts at 8:00 Seminar is called “STA period” and is 90 minutes Lunchroom cookies cost $1 . 50 The football ffield i is turf and there are bleachers on both sides of the ffield i Seniors host shadows, now called “Saints for a Day” “STAR” time has been replaced with longer lunches on ‘A’ days, called X , Y , and Z lunches Father Dan and Father Adam are our chaplains i Food can be purchased with a ffingerprint scanner in the lunchroom Musical has been replaced with Spring Olympic events like Duct Tape Wall and Over Under There is no more Penny Drive, and the Homecoming week class chant was added as a class competition event Sophomores and juniors have their own hallways and there are no lockers in sunshine hall The Shield is a magazine style By Jordan Eberhardy
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the best of
Aquinas
social media
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News
Ready For Debt? As college costs rise, students have to get smarter. By Alex Kinnan It is the very thing that fuels most students their second half of high school: college. For many students, it it more complex than that. What fuels them is being able to afford college. Getting another point on the ACT, improving their grade point average and achieving membership in clubs like National Honors Society are all things high school students do with the goal of getting as much money in scholarships as possible. It wasn’t always like this. According to Bloomberg News college was nearly 10 percent cheaper 10 years ago. Now students are faced with the task of having to figure out how to save as much as possible. “Keep eyes and ears open,” College Counselor Barb Bruns said. Students should be constantly looking for scholarship opportunities. Bruns also added that students should be “actively looking for scholarships while on campus.” For students who are not able to afford college at all, Johnson County Community College Director of Financial Aid Christal Williams said, “There is money out there, but you have to put in the time and meet the deadlines.” Williams also added that of the 16,000 FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) applicants, over 6,500 receive some form of aid from the college. College debt did find itself
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in the national spotlight earlier this year when President Obama said that he desired to make the first two years of community college free for every student. The President primarily wants to see this become a reality because jobs that require a degree are set to grow twice as much as their counterparts. Bruns said the idea would be “awesome in an ideal world.” However, she worries that “programs would decline.” Williams said, “It would be a good idea if implemented correctly.” Both women noted that Missouri’s current A+ program is very similar to the President’s proposal. The A+ program essentially gives Missouri high school graduates free community college education for two years as long as they have above a 95 percent attendance record, a 2.5 or higher GPA and a set of service hours completed. “This program is a great model for the federal government,” Williams said. However, she worries that federal and state funding just isn’t there. “Every year I lobby on the state level for lower interest rates for college students,” Bruns said. “Your college loan
payments should not be as much as a mortgage.” Bruns sees high interest rates for college students applying for loans to be a real part of the issue. “Students need to understand how interest works,” Bruns added. The current interest rate for a graduate student is 6.21 percent, while an average home loan rate averages about 4 percent. Bruns encourages students to look into work-study jobs and find other ways to borrow as little money as possible. Bruns also added, “Don’t borrow more than you will make your first year out of college.” It seems that the best way to avoid debt is to look for every opportunity you can. “Keeps all options open,” Bruns said. “There are many ways to go to college if you don’t have the money.”
News
1.4%
Rise of in-state tuition in 2014.
2.9%
Rise of inflation (increase of the cost of goods) in 2014
Statistics courtsey Bloomberg News.
"There is money out there but you have to put in the time and meet the deadlines."
"There are many ways to go to college if you don't have the money."
Christal Williams
Barb Bruns
director of finicial aid Johnson County Community College
College Counselor Saint Thomas Aquinas
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The Class of 2015
BY THE NUMBERS L
a
y
o
u
t
b
y
A
n
t
h
o
n
y
G
e
o
r
g
e
State Championships Won in Four Years
Signed Collegiate Athletes
Number of Tardies over Four Years
17
21
62
Number of Phone Fines over Four Years
Dress Code Violations over Four Years
Dress Code Violations due to Skirt Length
86
143
56
Mondays Off
Late-to-School Occurances over Four Years
Kairos Attendance
50
142
193
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Average Score
Students Who Scored 32 or Higher on their
Members of the National Honor Society
19
76
National Merit Commended Scholars
Scholarship Awarded to the Senior Class
6
$8M+
Average Number of Applications Submitted per Student
Kansas State Scholars
167
2.9
67
Number of Colleges the Senior Class was Accepted to
Number of Colleges being Attended by the Senior Class
Number of College Appications Submitted by the Senior Class
115
51
25.3 National Merit Finalists
3 Students who used
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The K-State Switch By Katie Bernard
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KU vs K-State Aquinas Enrollment 2007-NOW
120 110
2007 KU
100
K-State
90 80 70
KU
60
K-State
50
2007
2010
2013
2015
to be a little further away from home, some get better scholarship offers, different majors and strength of programs at each school,”
went there. He fell in love with the campus and liked the idea of having his brother at the school with him his freshman year. “I had to force myself to stop liking the Jayhawks, knowing I would most likely end up at K-State” Linder said. In addition to the feel of the school itself, students are undeniably swayed to one college or another based upon the decisions that their fellow classmates made. “Honestly, I think a lot of kids want to go to KSU because that’s where their friends are going,” Linder said.
Kansas State University has managed to get more Saints in the past decade despite Saint Thomas Aquinas having smaller senior classes. Meanwhile, the University of Kansas is only getting half as many Saints. The data was gathered from the college map in the Senior Issue of The Shield.
125 students, more than half of the Class of 2015, will be attending college at the University of Kansas or Kansas State University. Though to many it seems that the vast majority of this class will be attending K-State, the numbers come down to a nearsplit between the two of 70 to 55. Despite perception, the Class of 2015 has been fairly typical in its college decisions. Aquinas has a tendency to switch between sending a majority of students to KU or K-State. The trend, however, has been steadily swaying in K-State’s favor over the past few years. In
2007, Aquinas sent twice as many students to KU (115) as to K-State (55). The gap shrunk by 2010 with only 74 students enroll-
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I had to force myself to stop liking KU. JOHNNY LINDER Class of 2015 Future Wildcat
ing at KU and 53 enrolling at K-State. The Class of 2014 was the first class to send more students to K-State than KU. How students choose their colleges has remained the same over the years. “Fit is the key. Some students want
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College Counselor Barb Bruns said. Included in the 70 Saints headed for Manhattan are students who grew up Jayhawks only to change their mind. Senior Johnny Linder is one of those students. He began considering K-State after his brother
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TommyTalks Dear SENIORS, We have gathered here together as friends side-by-side for four years now. Look around and see your impact on the school. Look at your championships, your Can Food Drive record, look at the clubs you have started, look at the experiences you have had, and look at the relationships you have made along the way. You knew Aquinas was special when you were coming in freshman year. Do you know that Aquinas is even more special because you have been in it? And look how much you have learned over the years! Freshman year you learned that 9/11 should not be reenacted in a homecoming skit (or ever for that matter). Sophomore year you learned that dark green isn’t a great class color. Junior year you learned that victory is just an orange away. And senior year you learned that wearing pajamas to school may have some repercussions. Seniors you have also learned to give great hugs, learned to serve, and learned to succeed. You have learned what it is to be a Saint. Thank you. I am so proud of each one of you. As you go down life’s pathway, make sure your faith keeps you strong. Remember Amor Vincit Omnia. Love will conquer all. Goodbye Class of 2015. Love you.
God Bless, Tommy
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Send
A Letter from Mr. Hall To the students and teachers of Saint Thomas Aquinas High School, To those of you who have not heard, I have accepted a position at Chanute High School as a math teacher and assistant football coach. This means I will not be returning to STA this fall. Sharing this news gives me excitement for a new opportunity, but at the same time, it hurts knowing that these are my last days - possibly ever - at 11411 Pflumm Road. I am greatly looking forward to being a Blue Comet, but I simply cannot ignore the many students with whom I have connected, and those who have connected with me. I could not walk away from this year without some kind of goodbye to the wonderful people who have made my two years here something very special. Each of my classes were some of the first to learn about my upcoming departure. As I recall the look on many of the faces, as I heard from students that my class was their favorite, even the number of teachers who told me how disappointed they were that Aquinas was losing me, it put me in a pensive mood. There are wonderful parents, students, and teachers here, and I will miss you all dearly. I want to leave you with one of my favorite ways of thinking. A motto that players of the National Football League are told often is “protect the shield.” Based on the shield-shaped logo, it is a reminder to always hold integrity in the highest of esteems - to do what is right, even when no one is looking. STA, too, has its shield, as displayed in the basketball gym, every team uniform, almost anything Aquinas you own. That is YOUR shield to defend. Do the right thing - always, no matter who is or isn’t looking, no matter what other people may think.
God bless, Coach Hall page 19
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Chris Bollig
Madison Schaller
Joseph Denning
Jaycie Tiehen
Dan Geist
Karley Monaghan
Kristen Hornung
#TransformationTuesday
Freshman to Senior Year
Ryan Rysavy
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Tim McCormick
Matthew McCrave
Anna Kindred
Dillon Heidrick
Emily Downey
John Kern
Everett Montalvo
Abby Kwapiszeski
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News
Former Saints Tell All
College freshmen know what it’s like to start over in a new place. Here are some of their tips for how to survive without moms, daily QuikTrip runs, and Treat America cookies.
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By Ellie Heit
College is one of the Appreciate any and all scariest, most exciting contents that come in things in the life of a young adult. For years, teachers your care packages. have been preparing students to live on their Natalie Mayer own, but rarely share their University of Notre Dame own experiences. Now as that time test the waters, and you’ll approaches, college freshmen discover clubs you never knew have advice for how to make you would like!” said Mayer. it through that first year and “Meet people and don’t be beyond. afraid to talk to people,” said No matter what school Jackie Speckin, freshman at you go to, the first week is the Pittsburg State University. time to branch out and make “Everyone is scared and new friends. Christopher Ernst you’ll make a lot of friends if is a freshman at St. Louis you just talk to them.” University. Some people might be “Bring afraid of a doorstop Don’t be afraid to embarrassing for the first themselves in talk to people. few weeks a new place, if you’re in but each new Jackie Speckin the dorms,“ experience can Pittsburg State said Ernst. be learned from. University “That’s how “One you meet of my most people on your floor.” embarrassing moments was Natalie Mayer now goes to when my mom sent me a the University of Notre Dame. cheetah onesie in one of my “To make college friends, first care packages. I was sign up for any and all groups, so embarrased by it,” Mayer
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said. “I sent a picture of it to some of my friends, and one of my friends actually had the same one. We ended up wearing it together as a joke.” Mayer learned three things from the incident. “Appreciate any and all contents that come in your care packages, you will get more use out of a onesie in college than you think, and don’t be afraid to laugh at yourself.” Ernst has many suggestions for how to live on campus, including setting five alarms before class, keeping track of disappearring pencils, and being organized.He also stresses the importance of sleep. “Schedule a naptime,” said Ernst. “Naps are vital.” He also has some guidance for picking classes. “Make sure to ask your counselor how to apply for classes,” said Ernst, who chose his classes on his own. “I got horrible classes this semester because of it.” His most important advice,
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however, is to do what makes you happy. “You have to discover these all for yourself. Find what works for you, what you like, and go with it. Don’t let anyone tell you different.” A freshman at the University of Tulsa, Pete Andrews has similar advice. “College really is a fresh start,” Andrews said. “College doesn’t care who you were in high School.” Andrews also advises students to expand your interests and reach out to others. “As someone who went out of state with only two other Aquinas kids, I really had no choice but to branch out. Doing so caused me to not only get to know some awesome people, but really made me value and cherish my Aquinas friends.” These college freshmen also had advice for students who still have to get through high school. “Getting good grades is super important,” said Ernst. “It will set you up so much better
for your years in college. so you don’t have to take 18 hours every semester, which is where college credit classes come in.The more credits you can get, the better, because as hard as they are in high school, they are ten times harder in college.” The closer college becomes, it tends to get harder to deal with the pressures of getting good grades and finding the right college. “There were so many times when I was sick with stress and I asked myself if it was worth it,” Mayer said. “It’s a cliche, but hard work does pay off, and I don’t regret a single all nighter or standardized test because it got me to Notre Dame.” One thing that these seniors warn against is going through high school without doing what you love. “If you’re into singing, do it. If you like debate, do it. Try out for that team, try that new club. You can always quit or decide you don’t like something,” said Andrews. “Don’t change who you are for someone else to try
to fit in.” Doing things for yourself is the best way to truly find yourself in high school and in college. Learning what you like can help you make friends. “I’ve made life long friends and had some incredible experiences with them,” said Ernst. Mayer agrees that she has found a place to belong. “Even though I’ve only known them for two semesters, they’ve been my family, my cheerleaders, my support system, and my go-to whenever I need cheering up.” As finals approach, it can be hard to see past the stress and worry of finishing the year. “Looking back, you won’t remember the drama or the late nights studying, but you will remember the people, the teams, and the clubs.” said Andrews. “You’ll remember those nights you stayed at Aquinas too late and talked to your best friends for too long.”
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Features
He’s got Spirit, How ‘bout You?
By Daniel Petracek
This Senior Class President has dangerously contagious school spirit and was a huge factor in last fall’s Canned Food Drive record.
Senior AJ Meyers didn’t win a state championship or get a perfect score on the ACT, but he made an impact on Aquinas in a different way. Meyers has been class president for all four of his years at Aquinas. Ever since his freshman year, he has wanted to take action
and make a difference. Meyers said, “StuCo has such a large responsibility at Saint Thomas Aquinas, and I’m so grateful to have the opportunity to make such a strong difference.” StuCo moderator Phyllis Distler has watched Meyers grow over the last four years and has seen the
impact he has made. “His encouragement and positive attitude has helped the entire Student Council be a better group of officers,” Distler said. Along with being class president, he was a spirit boy this past year, pumping up the crowd at football and basketball games. If there was a crazy chant emerging from the student section, there is a good chance Meyers was the one who started it. “Being a spirit boy was awesome. It was so much fun to be able to lead all of the cheers and let our sports teams know how much support they have behind them, each and every step of the way,” Meyers said. “I’m naturally a very energetic person, and it doesn’t take me much to get excited about something.” When asked to describe Meyers’ school spirit, Distler responded, “Do you know how to spell ‘supercalifragilisticexpialidocious?’”
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I’m naturally a very energetic person, and it doesn’t take me much to get excited about something.
Photo by Jenni Nguyen | The Medallion
Meyers carries a package of cans during the 2014 canned food drive. He spent months collecting cans and at one point had over 10,000 cans stored in his garage.
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AJ Meyers Class of 2015
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Meyers certainly put forth full effort to the Canned Food Drive. He began collecting cans during the summer, even though the event did not begin until November. Even before the canned food drive began, he had collected over 10,000 cans, which he stored in his garage, and had gone to more than 45 grocery stores in the Kansas City area. Meyers said, “The magic of the canned food drive is how our student body continues to strive for the most cans possible, despite what the previous year brought. When it comes to the food Photo by Michelle Gress drive, anything can Meyers waves to the camera during the homecoming happen with hard football game versus Blue Valley Northwest. He was on work, passion, and Homecoming Court, but still carried out his duties as a dedication to the spirit boy. cause.” and get motivated on their Meyers’ love for Hanson spoke about own. They want to have Aquinas is very visible this dedication of Meyers. his same passion, energy, through his actions. He She said, “A.J. and drive.” hopes that his class personally Throughout his high leaves a lasting legacy, inspires me school career, Meyers has and that they will be If he does because of inspired and motivated remembered for their something, he his drive for students of all ages, passion for the school does it all out. everything. but he is especially and the community. If he does He puts his heart meaningful to the Class Meyers said, “We are so something, of 2015. Hanson said, fortunate to be able to into everything he does it all “To the senior class, go to a school like Saint he does. out. He puts AJ means just about Thomas Aquinas, and his heart into everything. There is not a it’s our responsibility to Holly Hanson everything he better man for the job. He make sure we show our Class of 2015 does. People was built for this kind of appreciation.” look at him stuff.”
Meyers has helped the school accomplish a lot in the years. His most notable achievement can be found in the fall of 2014, when he led the student body to a new school record of 158,377 cans in the annual Canned Food Drive. Senior and executive council member Holly Hanson has been on StuCo with Meyers for four years and was able to witness his leadership during the Canned Food Drive firsthand. “His plan for the Canned Food Drive was to break the school record and to break the senior class record, but ultimately to help the people,” Hanson said. “He made connections with everyone you can think of. He looks at prices on cans all the time, even to this day. Every day after school there was a new grocery store we were going to, or he had a new plan for us. He knew what he was doing.”
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Features
Doria Jumping to Baylor By Jackson McElroy
After nearly 13 years of riding horses, Shelby Doria takes her riding career to the University of Baylor. When Shelby Doria was five, her family went on a trail ride in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. The trail guide told Doria she was too young to ride the horse at the time. After she was told that, Doria was determined to learn how to ride horses. After her horseback lessons, Doria began competing at local shows at age seven. She then began to show at the A Circuit which is regional and national shows. Doria competes all across the country, usually twice a month. “We go everywhere! In the winter we go to the St. Louis Winter Circuit since it is close by. We go to Colorado for a few
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weeks in the summer, Tulsa, Nashville, Chicago, and lots of other places. The list is long! We are going to West Coast Finals this year in Las Vegas,” said Doria. Doria has been interested in riding collegiately for several years and because of her success at these competitions she was being recruited by college coaches her junior year. Many schools have competitive riding programs and there are many colleges that offer scholarships to riders. Doria said she was told that coaches see over one thousand videos per recruiting class alone for
equestrian. Doria talked to the coaches of Texas A&M, Texas Christian University, Southern Methodist University, and the University of South Carolina before deciding on her future home, the University of Baylor. “Baylor has an incredible team, an extremely nice barn filled with awesome horses, and I really got along with the coaches. Baylor Equestrian won the Big 12 Championship title this year, which is pretty cool. The university has everything I want,” Doria said. Doria is also very excited to receive the perks of being a Div. I
athlete. “It is like any other Div. I sports program. We have workouts, meetings, dinners, events, responsibilities at the barn, and meets.” Training takes up much of Doria’s time, as she is practicing six or seven days a week with trainer Jane Schweiger. Schweiger has been training Doria for seven years now, and has been training other young riders for over 40 years. “In this sport the trainer works with both the horse and the rider. It’s important to keep both in good shape both mentally and physically,” Schweiger said.
Schweiger has helped Doria receive exposure in national events that she needed to get recruited by good programs like Texas A&M, Texas Christian University, and the University of Baylor. “I am so thankful for my trainer [Schweiger] for her hard work in training me and for finding me incredible horses,” Doria said. And to get recruited, Doria not only needs Schweiger’s help, but also her horses. She rides up to two or three different horses a day. Doria has been riding Chief for three years now. Chief is a 13-year- old Holsteiner gelding. He was imported from Germany about 5 or 6 years ago. Chief is Doria’s
favorite horse, as he has led her to success in many national shows. “He is a total diva and he knows he’s good at what he does. He has allowed me to do so much and do so well that I could get recruited.” Doria said. Doria’s other horses are Finnley and Reggie. Finnley is a nine-yearold Belgian Warmblood gelding imported from Belgium. Finnley is shown at junior jumpers competition and also bigger money class shows. Her newest horse, Reggie, is an 11-year-old Thoroughbred gelding who has had a past racing career. Reggie is a “project horse” in which Doria and Schweiger train the horse to compete in these riding
shows. In this sport, Doria has to take care of her horses too. Last year, she missed a national championship because one of her horses wasn’t feeling 100 percent. Schweiger praises Doria’s passion for her horses and is appreciative. “She always thinks of her horses’ well being.” And she also recognizes Doria’s hard work towards the sport. “She is very cool under pressure and always gives her best. She is committed and that has helped make her successful.”
Photos courtesy of Shelby Doria
Doria and Finnley competing at the St. Louis Winter Circuit. Doria won the $1,500 Classic there this past winter.
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Features
Pyle Jumps through the Record Books Tom Pyle breaks records for the Boys Track team in both the long jump and triple jump.
By Jordan Bartz
Senior Tom Pyle Pyle continued has been on varsity “Everything just accufor boys track since mulates while jumping. his freshman year at To get a good jump you Aquinas and in this have to do a bunch of time Pyle has broken the little things right so the long jump and triple it feels extra good when jump school records I can actually put it all and rebroke is his own together.” records multiple times. Fellow senior var Pyle said, “I got sity jumper Jack Hill started doing track said, “I love working when I was Never shy away young from hard work because especially during my dad was the the offseason... coach Tom Pyle at Holy Class of 2015 Trinity and my brother did it so I was with Tom. We do a lot following in their footof work all year round steps. Plus I was pretty to stay in shape and good at jumps so I just get stronger. We motistuck with it.” vate each other to go
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Photo by Liz Miller | The Medallion
Tom Pyle jumps at the Saints Invitational on May 1st. Tom won the Long Jump, Triple Jump and the 100-meter dash at this meet.
during the offseason and help each other with our technique.” As of May 5 Pyle’s school records stand at 43’ 9½” for the triple jump and 23’ 2½ for the long jump. Pyle also has been doing sprints the last few years for the team. Track coach Justin Wrigley said, “Even though Tom has these records I have not heard him talk about his state title or his school
record one time this season. He only speaks about getting better and finding new ways to help the team.” Pyle said, “I have run everything from the 4x400m to the 4x100m. They also have had me run the open 100m and 200m from time to time whenever it is needed.” Pyle will be continuing his track career at Kansas State University next year. Pyle said, “It’s been a
Photo by Liz Miller | The Medallion
Tom Pyle lands after doing the Triple Jump on Friday May 1st at the Saint Invitational.
dream of mine since I can remember to go to K-State and being able to jump there is just a huge bonus. It is just exciting because jumping in college just has a different atmosphere because the meets are so much bigger and there are a lot more people watching.” Wrigley said, “Tom is still a top ranked jumper but last year he started expanding into other events to the point where he is now competing in four for us each and every meet. Kansas State University recruited a long jumper and they’re getting one of the best all-around track athletes in the state. They truly hit the
jackpot with Tom and so did we.” Pyle said, “Even though I am super excited for college I am really going to miss my track family here at Aquinas. It sounds kind
Tom was back when Hetzel was the jumps coach. I had measured my run throughs wrong and I didn’t realize it till after I jumped a couple times and he got really mad. Tom saw this and we Even though Tom has just startthese records I have ed never heard him talk laughabout his state title ing as or school records... hard as I Tom Pyle ever Class of 2015 have. I is of cliche but the people kind of an inside joke between the two of us on our team are really just one giant family now.” and I’m going to miss Wrigley said, “Tom that.” knows how hard you have to work to get to Hill said, “My fondthe top. He has taken est memory of me and
“
”
nothing for granted in his career and the older he gets, the harder he works. That is a lesson that is incredibly beneficial to his teammates.” Pyle has advice for the younger generation of this track family. Pyle said, “Never shy away from hard work especially during the offseason because it really pays off and you will be able to see the results each season.” Wrigley said, “Tom works tirelessly all year long to be ready to compete when we need him the most. It is this special blend of work ethic and talent that has prepared Tom to be an NCAA athlete.”
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Layout by Anthony George
Seni rs Say Are you going to rush?
YΣS 62%
38% NΘ
Who is paying for you to go to college?
9%
Parents 41%
Mostly Scholarship
12% Mostly Myself A Mix
38%
The Class of 2015’s Advice to the Underclassman: Push through it and don’t complain. You don’t have enough time to be unhappy. Even if it isn't your thing, make the most of your years at Aquinas -- if it isn't what you expected, at least you tried. Never be afraid to talk with your classmates, whether it be personal or about a project, they’re some of the few people who know exactly what you’re going through. If something makes you happy, do it.
Do not let one day pass you by. Take in everyday and enjoy every day you have together because before you know it, it will be your last day together as Saints and you don’t want to have any regrets. Devote yourself to what you love; go all in, and you won’t regret a moment of it. Dedicate yourself to something. Embrace it all while you still have it.
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CapThat Last Issue:
Winning Caption: “And Chris Bollig said: ‘Let there be light!’” Submitted by: Senior Gretchen Cummings 4/1/15
Talent Show
Pho
d Staff
e I The Shiel
hony Georg to by the Ant
CLEAN OF
JOKE
May
The Class of 2016. Just kidding!!! We are proud to leave the school in the hands of your class and we hope you have an amazing Senior year :)
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Senior
A ch i eve r s By Jackson McElroy
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The favorite memories and proudest achievements as told by the Class of 2015
April 27, 2013
October 19, 2013
“Winning first place in the regional bridge competition and placing 15th internationally.” ~ Kyra Stark
“When the marching band got the first superior rating at the K-State Marching Festival for the first time in school history. It was awesome we were able to succeed more than we ever could have hoped.” ~ Ben Trickey
November 7, 2013
“My proudest moment at Aquinas was getting a part in the musical All Shook Up junior year!” ~ Emily Lavery February 19, “Being accepted into National 2014
Honor Society. I was so happy that all my hard work with school and extracurriculars finally paid off.” ~ Katie Ernst
“Dancing in front of the school during the junior homecoming skit was my favorite moment.” ~ Pam Shalo September 19, 2013 “My junior year we were the underdogs in the Tulsa Showdown rugby tournament and we beat all three of the teams we played that weekend.” ~ Brandon Flaspohler
February 21, 2014
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October 31, 2014 May 30, 2014 “Winning state my junior year baseball season and hopefully this year as well.” ~ Mason Marozas
October 13, 2014 “Getting chosen to lead the first Kairos of the school year.” ~ Liz Conard
October 31, 2014 “Winning the state title was the highlight of my athletic career. Spending hours and miles with those guys was something special.” ~ Alex Dwyer
“Winning state volleyball. It was the moment that all of our hard work finally paid off.” ~ Sara Sullivan
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“Being an individual state cross country champion. I have worked hard for four years for a day like that and it was amazing to see it all pay off.”” ~ Emily Downey
February 27, 2015
November 1, 2014
“Walking off the dance floor for the last time as a Saint Thomas Aquinas Spirit” ~ Taylor Sweeney
March 24, 2015
April 25, 2015 “After losing to the dance team all three years of school we were determined to win. We played our hardest, it was a fight to the death. It was the best way to end cheer season” ~ Jacqueline Baska
“The growth of Teens for Life really tells us about the great work all of us have done for the pro-life cause.” ~ Ian Galbreath
August 14, 2014 - May 20, 2015 “My proudest achievement was senior year. We all had this confidence in us because we were finally the leaders of the school. As a senior class, we made fun out everything and embraced every big event, as we knew it would be our last. We didn’t let the sadness of leaving control us, we made the most of it and made more memories than ever before.” ~ Taylor Limoges page 39 g
E H T G N I K C S A Y R A T 5 RUN10 AofWthe 25 stusdenotfs 2A folow-aunpsfeorfred out of the clas r who t
curren t high sc Louisb urg Hig hool: h Scho involv ol ed in: p o plans for nex werlifting t year: attend will the Un ited St Naval A ates c “I miss ademy the pe ople [a Aquin as].” t
2015. kora h c a B e i n a J by
Joey Go ode
curr en Cent t high s a c Lafa urus High hool: yette Scho , plan ol, s for CO will a next tt y Colle end Fort ear: ge in Lewi s “I m Dura is n food s the ca go, CO nn drive man at Aq ed current high school: Bishop Gor uina s.'' High School, Las Vegas, NV
d l a w e n ue r G a r Tama
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sity involved in: Varsity Mock Trial, Var Lacrosse, We the People, NHS plans for next year: will attend Barrett’s Honors College on scholarship at Arizona State University “I miss the tight-knit Aquinas community for sure. I also miss all of my friends! Additionally, I’m still super ve as an bummed I was never able to ser though I actual student council officer, was voted into office.”
Alexis Gulbra nsen
M.I.A. Stephen Bock Noah Croft Josh Daif Isaac Dulgarian Abby Ewert Meghan Fallon
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Ryan Grindinger Scott Olson Nate Hornung Blake Reynolds Darien Jester Caroline Kaufhold Alec McGehee Kiara O’Dea
current high school: St. James Academy plans for next year: will attend Benedictine College in Atchison, KS to study nursing
Claire Kol ars
lue
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sc high try t n oun re orth c r s u s c : : cro ey N Vall lved in xt year of e y o inv s for n iversit n plan ttend U orm a unif a will as. s.” ing s Kan ss hav ol mas i o “I m all sch current high d an
Samu el Nic hols
Paige Fraker
school: Rock hurst involved in: N HS, cross country, track plans for nex t year: will attend Sou thern Methodist Univ ersity
ol: cho chool, s h hS hig ent lley Hig r r u a c ey V Can y, KS softball, e Can ved in: l ar: invo ook t ye lle x b r e a n r ye yvi s fo offe plan ttend C ollege a will munity C Com
Sarah Roach
Austin Palmer
holic current high school: Charlotte Cat NC e, rlott High School, Cha unded involved in: golf, FCA, NHS, Wo ration Ope b, Clu ss Cro Red Warriors Club, Smile, Honors Chorus golf at plans for next year: will attend and the University of Dayton ed “I miss how much everyone lov full. I ays alw e wer nds sta Aquinas. The ly cared miss having teachers that actual ing out the about the students. I miss yell st of all, I Alma Mater at all the games. Mo Aquinas.’” miss being able to say ‘I go to
Jade Mason
l: schoo h g i h t curren igh School, H Denton X ,T to Denton r next year: and o f to work plans r a e y fa take of sic u f make m ow much o h s t s re [a “I mi we we y l i m a fa as].” Aquin
current high sc hool: Bishop McGuinness Cat holic High School , Oklahoma City, O K involved in: NH S, Big Sis Lil Sis plans for next ye ar: will attend Oklahoma State University “I miss everythi ng about Aquinas- --the cookies, th e people, the spiri t, and the commun ity.”
s r e b b u L n Al iso
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re a u o y that
R E V FORE T N I A S A erhardy
By Jordan Eb
You will be forever unimpressed by all non-Aquinas canned food drives.
You are above average in the understanding of Latin phrases.
“Dare Greatly” will always be more than a Cadillac slogan. You will get disappointed when the Alleluia at mass isn’t as jazzy as the Aquinas version.
Each time you put on a sweatshirt, you will feel like you are doing something “illegal.”
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You will always chuckle at the phrase “blue ribbon.”
You are good at fitting 20 people around a table meant for eight.
You will understand what it means to have a home besides your house and a family besides your relatives.
You will get chills when thinking back to Friday nights under the lights, playing on the field or cheering at the top of your lungs with your best friends. You won’t forget to smile, because you are a Saint.
You like to squeeze the orange, dip the strawberry, and peel the banana.
You will be able to handle extremely cold temperatures without warm clothes because the walk from STA to SMC has made you tough. Every T-shirt you own is Aquinas related. Cookies won’t taste as good since they aren’t from the Aquinas lunchroom.
You will always know the Alma Mater and that Love Will Conquer All.
You bleed blue and gold when you get a papercut. You’re sad to realize that most colleges don’t recognize Easter Monday
You will never forget what it felt like to walk the halls in a place where you truly belonged and were a part of something so much bigger than yourself.
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t s a l e h T
Last Look 1
2
3
5
4 Photos by Liz Conard | The Medallion
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1. Senior Megan Bartolac poses with her dad and a lollipop at the Father-Daughter Dance. 2. Senior Sydney Lutz poses with her dad and the Father Daughter Dance props that went with the theme of “There’s no place like Aquinas.” 3. Senior Gretchen Cummings dances with her dad. 4. Senior Caroline Backs and her dad give the camera a thumbs up while on the dance floor. 5. Sisters Abby and Clara Pope smile with their dad at the dance.
6
8
7
9 10
Photo by Brianna Woicke | The Medallion
6. Seniors Luke Wilber and Landon Johnson wheelbarrow to the finish line. 7. Sophomores particpate in the Chariot Race during Spring Olympics. 8. Junior Lucas Bartlett lunges to hit the ball across the net in an intense game of pickleball against the seniors. 9. Senior Class President AJ Meyers carries the Class Cup into the gym before the games begin. 10. Freshmen and sophomores try to grab as many dodgeballs as they can before returning to their team’s side.
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Last Look on the senior year of the Class of 2015 All photos taken from senior Instagram posts.
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g hield S Saint Thomas Aquinas High School